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  • 'Captain America: Brave New World' includes a cameo from a beloved character — here's what happens
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    "Captain America: Brave New World" includes a cameo from Sebastian Stan, who reprises his role as Bucky.Bucky gives Sam Wilson a pep talk and assures him that he's worthy of being Captain America.The scene also teases Stan's return as Bucky in "Thunderbolts*."Warning: Major spoilers ahead for "Captain America: Brave New World.""Captain America: Brave New World" is filled with heroic moments from Anthony Mackie's titular superhero, Harrison Ford transforming into the comic book character Red Hulk, and a surprise cameo from a fan-favorite Marvel character.The fourth "Captain America" movie follows Mackie's Sam Wilson after he inherited Steve Rogers' (Chris Evans) shield and the title of Captain America in "Avengers: Endgame."In Sam's first solo outing as Captain America, the everyman character struggles with the pressure and responsibility of saving the world despite not having superpowers or special abilities. But a visit from an old friend reassures him that he was chosen as Steve's successor for a reason.Here's everything to know about the movie's standout cameo.Sebastian Stan returns as Bucky Barnes to give Sam Wilson a much-needed pep talk Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson and Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes in "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier." Marvel Studios Sebastian Stan was last seen as Bucky Barnes in the 2021 Disney+ miniseries "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier," which costarred Mackie.In "Brave New World," Sam successfully stops rogue US fighter pilots from attacking a Japanese fleet. But in the process, his sidekick Joaquin Torres/The Falcon (Danny Ramirez) gets injured mid-flight and crashes into the Indian Ocean. After being rescued, Joaquin is immediately taken to the ER.Sam, feeling guilty for what happened, watches through a window as doctors attend to Joaquin's extreme injuries. Then, Bucky arrives in a suit and stands next to Sam."Hate to admit it, but I'm glad you're here," Sam says, as the two hug.After Bucky tells Sam that Joaquin's accident isn't his fault, Sam replies, "It makes me think of Steve."The two talk about how Steve successfully stopped two alien invasions, and Sam, by comparison, feels unqualified and unworthy of being Cap."What made me think I could follow that?" Sam says.Sam adds that he should have taken the super-soldier serum like Steve and Bucky did because all of this is bigger than him and his human limitations."Steve made a mistake," Sam says."You're a human being," Bucky replies "You do your best. Steve gave them something to believe in. You give them something to aspire to."To emphasize his point further, Bucky concludes, "He gave you that shield not because you're the strongest, but because you're you.""Did your speechwriters help you with that?" Sam jokes.Then, Bucky leaves for a political campaign obligation.Once he exits, Ruth Bat-Seraph (Shira Haas), the security advisor to US President Thaddeus Ross (Ford), refers to Bucky as "future congressman James Buchanan Barnes."Stan's cameo sets up his appearance in the next Marvel movie, 'Thunderbolts*' Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes in "Thunderbolts*." Marvel Studios Stan will return as Bucky in the film "Thunderbolts*," set for release in theaters on May 2.Eagle-eyed fans already picked up on Bucky seemingly wearing a US Congress pin in the most recent trailer for "Thunderbolts.*" His cameo in "Brave New World" tees up this surprising pivot from an assassin to a congressman."Thunderbolts*" centers on Bucky and a group of misfit Marvel characters who team up to stop a mysterious new threat.The ragtag team of unlikely world-savers consists of Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian (David Harbour), Ava Starr/Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), John Walker/US Agent (Wyatt Russell), and Antonia Dreykov/Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko). The movie also stars Julia Louis-Dreyfus as the enigmatic Valentina Allegra de Fontaine and MCU newcomer Lewis Pullman as Bob/Sentry."Captain America: Brave New World" is now playing in theaters.
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  • Trump is back to criticizing US aircraft carrier engineering in what could be a warning sign for the US Navy
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    Trump criticized the USS Gerald R. Ford's costly tech issues, calling them wasteful.The Ford-class carrier faced delays and cost overruns due to new tech integration.Trump has consistently questioned the Ford's tech, advocating for traditional systems.President Donald Trump criticized the technologies aboard the new US Navy supercarrier USS Gerald R. Ford on Wednesday in a discussion of waste, reviving complaints about the aircraft carrier's engineering.In remarks following the swearing-in of the new Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, Trump deviated unexpectedly into carrier catapults and elevators, among other topics."Look at the Gerald Ford, the aircraft carrier," Trump said. "It was supposed to cost 3 billion. It ends up costing like 18 billion.'The USS Gerald Ford is the world's largest aircraft carrier and the first ship of the new Ford-class carriers.The $13 billion vessel set sail on its first deployment in 2022 after years of delays and soaring costs, which stemmed from technological integration challenges."We had 23 new technologies on that ship, which quite frankly increased the risk of delivery on time and cost right from the get-go," former Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Michael Gilday said in 2022, acknowledging the tech troubles. USS Gerald R. Ford sailors load a weapons elevator on the flight deck, Oct. 31, 2023. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Nolan Pennington Issues included the electromagnetic aircraft launch system (EMALS) and the advanced weapons elevators. These systems now appear to work sufficiently. The carrier was able to complete a successful extended deployment in early 2024 that took it to the Eastern Mediterranean in the fall of 2023, just after the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel. But the president still has concerns about the technology.Trump knocked the ship's "electric catapults" as faulty on Thursday, telling listeners that they "don't work." He has previously said the EMALS is too complicated and that sailors have to be Albert Einstein to work the system. He has pushed for steam catapults, which is what the Nimitz-class carriers use.The new EMALS technology hasn't been without problems. In 2020, the catapults failed inexplicably, hamstringing flight operations for the better part of a week.Naval Air Systems announced in the summer of 2022 that the EMALS and advanced arresting gear on the Ford had facilitated 10,000 aircraft launches and recoveries, indicating a shift away from earlier tech woes. Trump's concerns extend beyond the EMALS though."And they have all magnetic elevators," Trump continued in his remarks Thursday on the Ford's technology. "They lift up 25 planes at a time, 20 planes at a time," he said, seemingly referring to the massive elevators designed to move military aircraft. The Ford has three aircraft elevators and 11 advanced weapons elevators, dedicated to moving heavy ordnance like bombs and missiles.The weapons elevators, which rely on electromagnetic motors instead of cables and pulleys, were a problem during his first term in office. The shipbuilder resolved the issues prior to delivering the carrier to the Navy. An F/A-18F Super Hornet prepares to launch from the flight deck of the USS Gerald R. Ford in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, Oct. 11, 2023. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Tajh Payne Trump has had a lot to say about the Ford over the years. Privately, he's also expressed concerns about the way it looks.The Navy has one Ford-class carrier in service, one being readied for later delivery, two under construction, and two in planning. It's unclear if the White House intends to make changes to naval engineering and construction efforts. The Navy did not provide comment on the president's remarks, and there was no immediate response from the White House.Trump has previously signaled his intent to have the new Department of Government Efficiency look into the military, adding Wednesday that when "you look at the kind of waste, fraud, and abuse that this country is going through we have to straighten it out." His National Security Advisor, Mike Waltz, criticized US shipbuilding over the weekend as an "absolute mess."
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  • I don't discipline my children or give them time-outs. I'm less stressed, and that makes my kids behave better.
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    I learned early on that discipline was ineffective with my children and caused more harm than good.Now I try to put the focus on empathy, letting my children make choices without fear of judgment.Meditation and self-care improved the my parenting and the overall mood in our household.Strolling the aisles of my grocery store, dwelling in the bliss of a mother that gets to shop alone, I heard the piercing cry of a toddler, followed by a caregiver, loudly admonishing, "If you drop that again, I'm not giving it back to you."I didn't just hear that I felt it, because I used to be that caregiver. Half-running behind my cart, wild-eyed, yelling at my children as I struggled to remember everything I needed to make dinner that night. Some days, usually when my plate is too full, I turn into her again.Every mother knows this pattern. On a recent morning, getting the kids ready for school, my husband, sensing I was touched out, said he would take over. On the way out the door, our 10-year-old said to our 7-year-old, "When mom's not happy, no one is."This is, unfortunately, correct. I am, overall, in a good place now, but it was an arduous road, full of missteps and switchbacks.I learned early on that discipline caused more harm than goodBack when our daughter was 2, we tried to give her a time-out. We sat her in a little chair and told her to stay put. She did, bawling uncontrollably, while my husband and I exchanged nervous glances while still trying to look authoritative.I can't even what we were disciplining her for, but I will never forget how I felt, which was ridiculous, for trying to instill a punishment on someone barely able to verbalize that they are sorry for something.That was our first, and last, time-out. It was also the beginning of me realizing that it was awfully coincidental how much my children seemed to misbehave when I was in a terrible mood.I aim for a house where children feel safe to make mistakesIt is difficult to unlearn that mistakes are bad, that it doesn't matter if you spill the milk on the couch, or forget to say thank you. I want to be clear that I am no zen master, drifting around my yard in flowing robes, lifting my hand for a hummingbird to land on it. What I do know is that the yelling, strict rules, and ultimatums didn't work. Instead, they caused fear, and I could sense, if I kept going with it, it would teach my children, a little earlier than I prefer, how to lie.So I let my children be children. My house often looked like it had been robbed. When my kids had tantrums in public, I just waited until they stopped. I try to put the focus on empathy and understanding, letting my children make choices, odd as they might be, without the fear of the judgmental gaze of others, which is often the hardest thing to ignore.When a situation does arise where I have to intervene, I lean heavily on the concepts of distraction and humor. I might say something like, "Hey, which one of your cousins do you think smells the worst?" If things get really bad, there is always tickling. If none of this works, I close my eyes, and imagine an elephant walking through the grasslands. Trust me, this is calming.I had to learn to take care of myselfI taught myself to meditate, and it changed everything. When I am calmer, my children are happier. It sounds so simple, but it took me years to understand that a less stressful household also made my children relax.In all of the preparation I undertook to have children, I didn't come across a syllable of advice that said perhaps, just maybe, consider the weight of motherhood on your mental health, but I sure did buy a ton of stuff. I could fill oil drums with all of the equipment I was told I needed in order to be a mother. Now I know, what I needed most was permission to care for myself. After all, when mom is happy, other people can be happy, too.
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  • I made 'Marry Me Chicken' and the easy comfort-food recipe is perfect for Valentine's Day
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    I started by gathering my ingredients, which included about 2 pounds of skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs, heavy cream, chicken broth, cut sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, oregano, and crushed red-pepper flakes.The ingredients for the "marry me chicken" recipe. Erin McDowell/Business Insider I purchased the chicken thighs, but many of the other ingredients I already had in my kitchen. This made the recipe pretty affordable to make.I preheated my oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the recipe by Craving Home Cooked.First, I seasoned the chicken with salt and pepper on both sides.The chicken thighs seasoned with salt and pepper. Erin McDowell/Business Insider The recipe only calls for 2 pounds of chicken thighs, but I ended up adding two bone-in, skin-on chicken drumsticks in order to have some leftovers for the week, or for my family of three to each have two pieces of chicken if they liked.I then heated a few tablespoons of oil in a 12-inch cast-iron pan, and I added the chicken skin-side down.The chicken thighs browning in a cast-iron pan. Erin McDowell/Business Insider Right away, the chicken began sizzling and filling the kitchen with a truly heavenly scent.I cooked the chicken for about five minutes on each side, until the skin was golden brown and super crispy.The chicken thighs browning in a cast-iron pan. Erin McDowell/Business Insider Searing the chicken adds a delicious crispy texture to the finished dish.After the chicken was fully seared, I removed it from the pan to a plate.The pan-seared chicken thighs on a plate. Erin McDowell/Business Insider I've never fried chicken before, but I was pleased with the final result.Next, I added three cloves of minced garlic, oregano, and red-pepper flakes to the pan.The garlic in the cast-iron pan. Erin McDowell/Business Insider It was important to work fast in order to not burn the garlic you just want it to be fragrant.Then I added in a half-cup of heavy cream, a cup of chicken broth, a half-cup of chopped sun-dried tomatoes, and a quarter-cup of Parmesan cheese.The sauce for the "marry me chicken." Erin McDowell/Business Insider I seasoned the sauce with a touch more salt and pepper and brought it to a simmer, stirring it lightly together to melt the cheese and allow the ingredients to fully combine.I then added the chicken back into the pan.The chicken and sauce together in the cast-iron pan. Erin McDowell/Business Insider Before putting the pan in the oven, I ladled a small amount of the creamy sauce and sun-dried tomatoes over the chicken to allow it to bake with all of the extra flavors.After about 20 minutes, the chicken was fully cooked. I couldn't believe how easy this recipe was.I made "Marry Me Chicken" and thought the creamy, sun-dried-tomato-filled dish was the perfect meal for Valentine's Day. Erin McDowell/Business Insider When I removed the pan from the oven, my kitchen filled with the delicious scent of fried chicken and sun-dried tomatoes.I was pleasantly surprised by how easy it was to make, given that little to no vegetable prep was needed and the cooking time was so short compared to other roast-chicken recipes I've made.I served the chicken with a few sides: roasted yellow potatoes, Brussels sprouts, and mashed butternut squash.The finished chicken with potatoes and Brussels sprouts. Erin McDowell/Business Insider The flavors all came together perfectly, and the sauce from the chicken added some delicious moisture and flavor to my side dishes.The chicken, which was perfectly moist on the inside, truly blew me away.The finished chicken with potatoes and Brussels sprouts. Erin McDowell/Business Insider The chicken was so tender that you hardly needed a knife to cut through it, and the skin was crispy and flavorful from the seasonings. The savory sauce clung to everything on the plate and added even more flavor with the cream and sun-dried tomatoes.I understand why so many people love this recipe.The finished chicken. Erin McDowell/Business Insider The combination of flavors created a creamy, Italian-inspired meal that would be perfect for a dinner party or cozy date night in.Overall, I couldn't have been more impressed with this viral recipe, and I could immediately understand why so many people love it and why it might even inspire a marriage proposal.
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  • Tim Cook teases a new Apple product for next week
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    Tim Cook announced a new Apple product launch set for February 19.His post included a teaser video with a metallic Apple logo and glowing ring.Reports have suggested a new iPhone SE, with Apple shares rising 2% post-announcement.Tim Cook just announced that a new addition to the Apple family tree will arrive next week.The Apple CEO posted a seven-second clip to X teasing a launch coming February 19. He didn't provide many details other than a metallic Apple logo with a glowing ring around it."Get ready to meet the newest member of the family," Cook said.It's unclear which part of the Apple family this member will belong to; the tech giant offers smart watches, AirPods, MacBooks, and more.One possibility is a new generation of the iPhone SE, the low-cost phone Apple first launched in 2016. The current model, which starts at $429, was last updated in 2022. A recent Bloomberg report has suggested a new SE is expected this month, and it will offer Apple Intelligence at a more affordable price than the iPhones that are currently compatible, per Bloomberg.Apple's shares were up as much as 2% after Cook's Thursday teaser.
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  • Millie Bobby Brown was reportedly paid $10 million for a Netflix movie. She says leaking salary contracts puts child stars in 'a dangerous situation.'
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    Millie Bobby Brown criticized leaked salary contracts and said they put child actors at risk.She told Vanity Fair that contracts she signed as a child "should have been protected."Brown was reportedly paid $10 million for Netflix's 2022 film "Enola Holmes 2."Millie Bobby Brown says she's learned from her experience as a child actor that salary contracts should be protected rather than leaked because they endanger young actors.Brown, who rose to prominence playing Eleven on Netflix's wildly popular sci-fi series "Stranger Things," reacted to reports about her hefty paydays (including a reported $10 million deal to return for 2022's "Enola Holmes 2") in a new Vanity Fair cover story published on Wednesday.The 20-year-old actor said that contracts she signed as a child "should have been protected so that they're not on the record," instead of being leaked."It just puts children in a really dangerous situation," she added.Brown didn't elaborate on the specific dangers of contract leaks for child actors, but she told the publication, "I think everybody's a little bit too lax about the way that children are brought up in the industry."Brown played Enola Holmes, the sleuthing younger sister of Henry Cavill's Sherlock Holmes, in the 2020 movie and its sequel and also served as a producer for both. But the young star was already Netflix's golden child long before that. Millie Bobby Brown as Eleven in "Stranger Things" season four. Ursula Coyote/Netflix Brown was 11 years old when she first portrayed Eleven. In a cast comprised of veteran stars Winona Ryder and David Harbor and younger rising talents, Brown became the breakout of season one, which premiered in 2016.By season three of "Stranger Things," the cast had landed significant salary bumps, with Brown reportedly earning at least $250,000 per episode, per Deadline. (Netflix declined to comment at the time.)For the fifth and final season of "Stranger Things," coming this year, most cast members reportedly earned $6 to $9 million-plus. Brown, however, has a separate, lucrative deal in place that also includes her films for the streamer (like the "Enola Holmes" movies" and the upcoming "The Electric State"), according to Puck's Matthew Belloni.Speaking to Vanity Fair, the actor credited Netflix and her parents for protecting her during her rise to fame."I grew up with a lot of eyes on my parents, but I feel that those were the people that protected me the most," she said, adding that her family taught her to "say no at a very young age" and advocate for herself.
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  • Vintage photos show what life was like under Trump's tariff hero, William McKinley
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    By the late 1800s, industry leaders had accumulated exorbitant amounts of wealth.The 1890s saw extravagant displays of wealth among industry leaders. Bettmann/Getty Images In the latter half of the century, industries like oil, steel, railroads, and manufacturing were growing rapidly in the United States. The Economic History Association estimated that industrial output in the US had reached a value of $9.4 billion by 1890. Nearly five million people were employed by the 350,000 industrial firms operating in the country, and the rapid expansion of business generated unprecedented revenue.The businessmen who led the expanding manufacturing economy amassed massive amounts of personal wealth, even by today's standards.The average family's annual income was around $500 (about $18,000 in today's money), according to an 1892 report from the Senate Finance Committee, yet the top 1% of families owned over half of America's wealth. During this era, known as the Gilded Age, the wealthiest families in America, such as the Rockefellers and Vanderbilts, formed a new social elite akin to European aristocracy.The economic disparity became more obvious through the wealthy's over-the-top displays of their riches in social gatherings like the 1897 Bradley-Martin Ball in New York City, where 700 members of the country's elite gathered in a royalty-themed costume party.Other displays of the elite's wealth included extravagant architecture and fashion.Meanwhile, cities were crowded by immigrants, and workers lived in extreme poverty.A man smoked in his home in the cellar of a New York City tenement house, a common living arrangement by the end of the 19th century. Jacob Riis/Bettmann/Getty Images On the other side of the wealth divide, workers and immigrants faced harsh living conditions.The rapid increase in industrialization drew masses to America, and immigration, particularly from countries in eastern and southern Europe, changed the face of the workforce, according to the Library of Congress.Children, who weren't protected by law from physically challenging labor, had often started contributing to their households by age 10.In New York City, the population doubled every decade from 1800 to 1880. Tenement housing, where families packed as many people as possible into apartments by using cheap materials to create walls or add floors to existing buildings, quickly dominated parts of the city. These settlements often lacked indoor plumbing or ventilation, leading to a rapid increase in the spread of illnesses. The cramped conditions also led to many fires in major cities.Jacob Riis' "How The Other Half Lives," a photojournalism book documenting the lives of poor Americans towards the end of the century, exposed the realities faced by millions of people, such as having 12 adults sleeping in 13-feet-wide rooms and child mortality in tenements being as high as one in 10.Although it was relatively small, a middle class also began to flourish.During this period, department stores rose in popularity amongst the emerging middle and upper classes. Bettmann / Getty Images An average family spent nearly 60% of their annual income on food and rent, and laborers including children often worked six 10-hour days per week.One report of living standards of the time suggested that an average family's dreams would be fulfilled by owning a home valued around $36,000 in today's money, a Sunday dress and suit, a barrel of flour, 5 tons of coal, and $9,000 in today's money in savings.The presence of disposable income led to the establishment of department stores and consumerism in the big cities.For women entering the workforce, retail stores offered a more respectable field of work than the factory work available to them, which was mostly in textile and garment manufacturing. While job opportunities opened for women, their wages remained significantly lower than men's, who were still seen as the breadwinners of the households, according to the Library of Congress.Postwar tariffs and rapid industrialization led to the federal government running a fiscal surplus.By 1900, an estimated 15% of the workforce was employed in factories. FPG/Hulton Archive/Getty Images Prior to the adoption of the federal income tax in 1913, tariffs were the federal government's main source of funding.In an effort to help the economy recover following the Civil War, the government had kept tariffs on foreign goods relatively high compared to pre-war rates, Douglas Irwin, an economics professor at Dartmouth College, wrote for the National Bureau of Economic Research.However, by the late 1880s, a unique problem had arisen: The federal government was taking in too much money from tariffs, resulting in a budget surplus over 40% higher than its spending.Both parties agreed to revisit tariff rates in efforts to reduce it, although each side supported a different alternative in what became known as the Great Tariff Debate of 1888.Ohio representative William McKinley authored the Tariff Act of 1890.William McKinley supported high tariffs on imports to protect the growing domestic industry. Heritage Art/Heritage Images via Getty Images Born in 1843 in Niles, Ohio, William McKinley was working as a school teacher when the Civil War broke out in 1861. He enlisted in the Union Army and quickly climbed the ranks. After the war, he attended Albany Law School in New York and began his political career shortly after, being elected to the House of Representatives in 1876.By 1890, he had risen within the congressional chamber and became chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, overseeing taxation and tariffs.Authored by McKinley and later named after him, the Tariff Act of 1890 raised protective tariffs of over 1,500 products by almost 50%.The tariff imposed duties on items like tinplate and wool while eliminating tariffs on sugar, molasses, tea, and coffee. The goal of the act was to "make the duty on foreign-tinplate high enough to insure its manufacture in this country," McKinley said in 1890.It also protected American workers' wages from competition from cheaper labor abroad.Tariffs on goods like wool and steel affected industries differently.The spread of motorized machinery changed the makeup of American labor in the 1800s. Heritage Art/Heritage Images/via Getty Images While miners and farmers of crops like corn, wheat, and potatoes benefited from the stimulus to American production and the rise in foreign competitors' prices, some manufacturing was hurt by the price hikes in raw materials.The tariffs affected consumer products like shoes, clothes, and canned goods, as well as some other 1,500 products, ranging from chemicals and metals to dairy products and grains, to varying degrees.Ultimately, it was everyday people who ended up paying the price for the tariffs, Bolt said."Consumers had to pay a higher price for the manufactured good they wanted," Bolt said. "So there was in fact a political backlash against the McKinley tariff."The spike in prices was not well-received by American consumers.Economic unrest, rising prices, and unfair labor conditions led workers to turn against vendors and employers. Bettmann/Getty Following the adoption of the Tariff Act, McKinley's Republican Party lost control of Congress in the midterm elections of 1890, and the Ohio representative himself was ousted as the party lost 93 seats in the House of Representatives.Over the next two years, as voters continued to feel the impacts of the measure and other economic instabilities, the party also lost the presidential election and both chambers of Congress in 1892.Across the country, economic unrest as prices rose turned workers against vendors and employers, leading to a rise in the labor movement.Strikes erupted as growing industrialization stirred labor tensions.The Pullman Strike set the stage for the rise in popularity of progressive politics. Kean Collection/Archive Photos/Getty Images As industries expanded, workers began to unite against industry barons to demand fair work conditions.An 1892 strike demanding improvements in working conditions turned deadly after Carnegie Steel-hired security forces exchanged gunfire with the worker coalition.Across the country, labor movements gained momentum, with the rising hostility between industry leaders and workers ending in fatal incidents.In 1894, the Pullman Strike, after which Labor Day was established, led to dozens of deaths and millions of dollars in damages, pushing then-President Grover Cleveland to legitimize the labor movement by declaring the national holiday.The economy reached a tipping point during the Panic of 1893.The panic was exacerbated by rising unemployment and economic instability. Ken Welsh/Design Pics/Universal Images Group via Getty Images By 1893, the economy had contracted significantly. Production rates were far exceeding domestic consumption, leading companies to slow down production and lay off workers.The rise in unemployment (which reached 17% by the winter and surpassed 10% for the next half of the decade), along with government spending on Civil War pensions, were some of the factors that contributed to the panic.Following the panic, the Democrats reduced some of McKinley's tariffs with the Wilson-Gorman Tariff Act of 1894. Tariffs on some items including iron ore, lumber, and wool were nixed entirely, angering US producers of those products.Following the economic troubles, voters blamed President Grover Cleveland and his Democratic party, which didn't regain power in any branch of government until 1910.After running as a "tariff man standing on a tariff platform," McKinley won the presidential election in 1896.President McKinley promised high tariffs during his presidential campaign, but later changed his mind on foreign trade. MPI/Getty Images Shortly after ending his term as governor of Ohio, serving from 1892 to 1896, McKinley ran for president on a protectionist platform that aimed to benefit American industries while discouraging trade with foreign nations."Free trade gives to the foreign producer equal privileges with us," McKinley proclaimed in an 1892 speech. "It destroys our factories or reduces our labor to the level of theirs."McKinley's tariff plans heavily targeted the import of goods like tinplate, wool, yarn, steel, and sugar in an effort to encourage domestic manufacturing.With domestic manufacturing at a high, US companies looked to export goods, but tariffs hindered some of their efforts.A need for exportation pressured the government into facilitating trade with other nations. Library of Congress/Corbis/VCG via Getty Images With domestic industries continuing to grow thanks to widespread industrialization and an increase in goods production, American manufacturers saw a need for exports to an international market.However, America's tariffs on foreign imports led other nations toincrease their duties on American products, limiting the domestic industries' role in foreign trade and hurting the economy as a surplus of production failed to bring in more revenue for manufacturers.Once elected president, McKinley changed his mind on tariffs, supporting a reciprocal approach.Looser tariffs allowed for increased trade of American and foreign products on a global stage. PhotoQuest/Getty Images Once in the White House, President McKinley's approach to tariffs turned to a reciprocal view that would help export American products and stimulate trade rather than penalize it.Staying true to his election promise of high tariffs, McKinley supported the Dingley Tariff Act, which raised previously lowered tariffs back to an average of 49% on imported goods, according to Lewis L. Gould, a professor of American history at the University of Texas. However, the act also granted the president the power to negotiate tariff reductions up to 20% or add products to a tariff "free-list."Using the tariffs as a negotiating tool with foreign markets, McKinley encouraged nations to lower their tariffs on American goods to allow for more exports.Big business grew bigger during his administration.Industry leaders like JP Morgan grew more influential in politics through campaign donations. CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images Major donations from executives from firms like JP Morgan and Standard Oil ensured that the McKinley presidency remained friendly to business interests.McKinley was also in office for part of the Great Merger wave of 1895-1904, in which companies consolidated into larger firms, according to the National Bureau of Economic Research. Between 1895 and 1904, the average number of firms disappearing to mergers each year was 301; in 1899 alone, as merger activity peaked, this number rose to 1,028, per the NBER.While the Sherman Antitrust Act a federal law prohibiting businesses from engaging in unfair practices that restrain competition was passed in 1890, it is understood that the McKinley administration failed to strictly enforce the law to prevent large firms from consolidating into even larger monopolies during this period.Meanwhile, in factories and mills, child labor rose as low-income families sought out additional income.Children often worked in coal mines, factories, and mills. Bettmann / Getty Images According to theUS Bureau of Labor Statistics, one out of every eight children was employed by 1870. By 1900, the rate had risen to one in every five, with almost two million kids aged 10 to 15 working full-time jobs.In rural areas, young boys (some even younger than 14) often worked at coal mines, breaking up coal with their bare hands or performing farm labor. In cities, many earned an income through newspaper delivery. In towns, both boys and girls often worked at mills or factories.Labor movements gained momentum.Strikes became more common as workers started unionizing and demanding better conditions and wages. PhotoQuest/Getty Images The unregulated growth of large firms led to more workers getting involved with the labor movement. Between 1897 and 1904, union membership increased from less than 500,000 to over two million workers, according to the US Department of Labor.Workers united to demand fair working conditions, like improved facilities and hours. At the time, the norm for a worker was to work over 10 hours a day in places like factories or mills that exposed them to dangerous chemicals and conditions.As the labor movement gained support, tensions between workers and businesses grew more hostile. One 1897 encounter between coal miners and local authorities, which later became known as the Lattimer Massacre, resulted in the death of 19 strikers.McKinley's administration oversaw the start and end of the Spanish-American war.Images of the wreckage of the USS Maine made the Spanish-American war popular. P. L. Sperr/Archive Photos/Getty Images Sent to Havana Harbor during the Cuban War of Independence against the Spanish, the USS Maine and its accidental explosion set the stage for America's declaration of war with Spain.Unverified reports of a Spanish attack on the ship alarmed Americans and quickly built support for the war, which Americans saw as a just cause for Cuban freedom.On the night after the explosion alone, the Army received over 100,000 volunteers.The Spanish-American war was perhaps the most significant development of the McKinley administration, and might've contributed to the president's shift in tone regarding foreign trade towards the end of his presidency.McKinley's presidency ushered in a new era of American imperialism.America's success in the war secured the nation's political and economic dominance in the hemisphere. Bettmann/Getty Images The Spanish-American war greatly expanded America's reach in the hemisphere and beyond.The 16-week war and low casualties on the American front helped raise the national spirit following the economic and political instability of the past century.By absorbing Spain's colonial territories in the Caribbean, the United States became its own imperial power, and an era of imperialism and global prevalence quickly followed.After the war, the United States annexed Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and Guam.The annexation of Hawaii increased America's influence in the Pacific and opened trade opportunities. Jim Heimann Collection/Getty Images America's victory in the Spanish-American War and the subsequent annexation of Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and Guam ended America's isolationist approach of the 19th century in favor of a globalist view, which was then reflected in the domestic politics adopted by McKinley's leadership.Victory in the war effectively turned a page in American politics as the country was now emboldened by its newly found global power.McKinley announced the end of his protectionist tariff measures at the 1901 Pan-American Exposition.At the Pan-American Exposition, McKinley announced a change of course in regards to foreign trade. Glasshouse Vintage/Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images In a drastic change in views since his Congress days, McKinley openly discouraged the protectionist economy in favor of reciprocal tariffs, saying that "a policy of good will and friendly trade relations will prevent reprisals."His speech at the Pan-American Exposition signaled a shift in the Republican Party's views of trade following the war, and opened the door for an expansionist economy.One day after the convention, McKinley was fatally shot.McKinley's assassination marked a turning point in American politics with the ascension of Theodore Roosevelt. Library of Congress/Corbis/VCG via Getty Images While attending the event, the president was shot by Leon Czolgosz, a Polish-American laborer and anarchist. He died from the wounds eight days later, on September 14, 1901.Despite the economic turmoil of the previous decade, McKinley was widely mourned by the country."It's a great "what-if" in American politics," Bolt said. "If McKinley wasn't assassinated, [would] we [have started] to move towards free trade a lot earlier than we did?"The social instability of the turn-of-the-century economy set the stage for the Progressive Era.President Roosevelt ushered in an era of economic and social reform. Bettmann / Getty Images Following McKinley's death, his successor, President Theodore Roosevelt, and subsequent Progressive politics brought upon changes that alleviated the social and economic tensions of the Gilded Age.Power shifted from the barons and reforms in labor, trust busting, tax policies, and civil rights changed the landscape of American life.While McKinley's presidency is often overshadowed by his successor's, he had a significant impact on setting the stage for a new age in the domestic economy, both through his protectionist tariffs and his undoing of them.
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  • Daughters of Target cofounder 'alarmed' at retailer's DEI rollback
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    The daughters of one of Target's cofounders say they are "alarmed" at the company's DEI rollback.In letters to the Financial Times and LA Times, they said their father believed in clear principles.Target is one of several companies scaling back diversity efforts amid wider political pressures against DEI.The daughters of one of Target's cofounders say they are "shocked and dismayed" at the company's recent DEI rollback.In letters to the editor published in the Financial Times and the LA Times, Anne and Lucy Dayton said their father, Bruce Dayton, believed in clear principles of happy customers and strong communities."We are alarmed how quickly the business community has given in to the current administration's retaliatory threats," they wrote. "It is not 'illegal' for a company to create a business model based on what it believes to be important ethical and business standards."Bruce Dayton was one of five brothers who grew their father's Minneapolis department store into a national brand, as well as the B. Dalton chain of bookstores. The cofounder died in 2015 at the age of 97.Neither the sisters nor Target immediately responded to requests for comment from Business Insider.Target is one of several companies scaling back diversity efforts amid wider political scrutiny of DEI programs following the reelection of President Donald Trump.CEO Brian Cornell said in 2023 that DEI was "the right thing for society, and it's the great thing for our brand."Days later, the company began pulling LGBTQ+ pride merchandise after conservative activists mounted a campaign against the celebration.More recently, a proposed class-action shareholder lawsuit was filed by the City of Riviera Beach Police Pension Fund against Target alleging the company had made "false and misleading" statements about its DEI strategy's impact on its financial results.While some companies have announced their moves more publicly, others have been comparatively discreet about removing references to DEI from their official communications.Some companies, including Deloitte and Google, have said that as federal contractors, they are required to follow Trump's recent executive order to end DEI programs at federal agencies more closely."By cowering, Target and others are undermining the very principles that have made their companies a success," the Dayton sisters said.
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  • Axel Springer CEO talks trade, Trump, AI, and the future of media
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    Business Insider Editor-in-Chief Jamie Heller and Axel Springer CEO Mathias Dpfner discuss the intersections of trade, democracy, and the rise of artificial intelligence.Their conversation highlights challenges and opportunities for democratic nations in forming strategic trade alliances, the risks of economic dependence on authoritarian regimes, and the vulnerability of intellectual property in the AI era.Dpfner is the author of "Dealings With Dictators: A CEO's Guide to Defending Democracy."Show more
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  • Elon Musk's xAI has been working on a 'DeepSearch' feature, employees say, and it could compete with Google and OpenAI
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    Employees at xAI have been training the company's AI model to perform complex research tasks, four employees told BI.It's unclear what stage of development this project is in or whether the company will ultimately release something.OpenAI and Google have recently released tools for multistep research.Elon Musk's artificial intelligence startup, xAI, has been working on a tool for complex research tasks, four current and former employees told Business Insider and it could compete with features from its rivals OpenAI and Google.Data annotators at xAI have been working on the tool, known internally as "DeepSearch," since at least late last year, two employees said. The project seeks to train Grok, the company's large language model, to perform multistep research projects in the same way a human might, the two workers said.Workers on the DeepSearch project use a tool to track their internet searches to teach the AI model their natural search and reasoning skills, according to the employees. While many tasks that these so-called AI tutors perform take three to 10 minutes, workers on the DeepSearch project are expected to take much longer to perform their tasks, two workers familiar with the project said.It's unclear what stage of development DeepSearch is in or whether xAI will ever roll it out to the public. Grok as publicly available today can do basic factual research, and it provides citation links to its sources.Spokespeople for xAI did not respond to requests for comment.The feature appears to be similar to tools developed by other AI companies.Google launched a "Deep Research" product for its Gemini Advanced subscribers in December. It acts as an AI research assistant and can create multistep research that mimics human research skills. It takes minutes to perform tasks that would take a human much longer, the company says.OpenAI's feature, similarly dubbed "deep research," launched on February 2 and gathers data from the internet to generate in-depth reports, typically for complex research and investigations. It's designed to follow humanlike reasoning patterns and includes citations; it can also ask follow-up questions. (Several xAI employees mentioned OpenAI's deep research product in conversations with BI.)A spokesperson for OpenAI, reached by email, referred BI to the company's deep research press release. Google declined to comment.XAI has been ramping up hiring in recent months and plans to hire thousands of AI tutors, including specialists in STEM and legal affairs, Business Insider previously reported.Since Grok was released in November 2023, the company has updated the chatbot with several new features, including image generation and link citations. The company also released a stand-alone Grok app in January.Musk said on Thursday that xAI is close to releasing the latest version of Grok, which "has very powerful reasoning capabilities" and is "outperforming anything that's been released that we're aware of."Do you work for xAI or have a tip? Reach out to the reporter via a nonwork email and device at gkay@businessinsider.com or via the secure-messaging app Signal at 248-894-6012.
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  • Trump wants the Department of Education to be closed 'immediately.' Here's what shutting it down would mean.
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    Linda McMahon, Trump's education secretary pick, is appearing before Congress for her confirmation hearing on Thursday.It comes amid statements from Trump that he'd like to dismantle the Department of Education.The department facilitates the federal grant and student-loan system, along with civil rights enforcement.Imagine you're interviewing for a new role as head of a department, and part of the job description is to shut the division down.That's what appears to be happening to Linda McMahon, President Donald Trump's pick for education secretary. Her role would lead the department that oversees schools, collects student data, and manages the federal student aid system, but even before she appears before lawmakers on Thursday for her confirmation hearing, Trump has said he aims to shut down the department altogether."I told Linda, 'Linda, I hope you do a great job and put yourself out of a job.' I want her to put herself out of a job," Trump told reporters on February 4.Trump reiterated to reporters on February 12 that he wants the Department of Education to be closed "immediately," adding that the department "is a big con job." When announcing McMahon as his education secretary pick in November, Trump posted on Truth Social that one of his goals for her was to "send Education BACK TO THE STATES." Trump and some GOP lawmakers have said that education can be managed at the local level, and a federal agency isn't needed. Trump has also signed an executive order to "promote patriotic education" in public schools and eliminate ideologies that do not align with his politics. The Department of Education does not control classroom curriculum.Eliminating any federal agency requires approval from Congress, and while some Republican lawmakers have introduced legislation to get rid of the Department of Education, there has not yet been enough support to make that happen. Still, Trump has been working to reduce many federal agency functions over the past weeks by laying off staff and canceling the programs they oversee, as he recently did with the US Agency for International Development.Here are some of the Department of Education's key responsibilities that would be impacted if the agency shuts down.Manages grants and student loansOne of the Department of Education's primary tasks is facilitating the $1.7 trillion student-loan portfolio. Over 40 million student-loan borrowers hold federal loans, and the department's Federal Student Aid office works with student-loan servicers to manage borrowers' loan repayment.FSA is also responsible for managing a range of student-loan repayment and relief programs, including the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. It develops the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA form, for students each year and provides Pell Grants for low-income and middle-income college students.Additionally, the department manages grants for US public schools. Those include Title I funding, which gives funds to school districts in lower-income communities, along with funding for districts that teach students with disabilities.Some Republicans have previously suggested that the Treasury Department could facilitate these programs without the Education Department; shifting those responsibilities would be a significant undertaking, education policy experts have said.Collects data on student outcomesThe Department of Education's research arm collects data to monitor key student outcomes, including math and reading literacy scores. The most recent scores, collected through the National Assessment of Education Progress, found that kids are continuing to decline in reading literacy.Nat Malkus, a senior fellow and deputy director of education policy at the conservative think tank American Enterprise Institute, previously told BI that "if it weren't for the Department of Education," we wouldn't even know where kids' proficiency levels stand.The Institute of Education Sciences, a nonpartisan research arm within the department, funds research on education issues nationwide, including teacher quality, educational interventions, and classroom reform at all levels.State education agencies collect data under federal reporting requirements; the Education Department primarily keeps track of overall national trends at US schools and provides funding for data collection.Oversees schools and collegesThe Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights is responsible for investigating discrimination complaints at K-12 schools and colleges. Most recently, the office resolved a complaint regarding anti-Palestinian discrimination on a college campus.According to the department's budget documents, the Office of Civil Rights received over 22,000 complaints in fiscal year 2024, largely on the topics of sex-based and disability-based discrimination. The office projected that it will receive over 23,000 complaints in fiscal year 2025.While it's unclear how Trump would go about his plans to dismantle the Education Department, some Republican lawmakers have previously suggested shifting the department's responsibilities to other federal agencies, like having the Treasury Department oversee grants and loans.Got a tip or anything you'd like to share? Contact this reporter securely on Signal at asheffey.97 or email her at asheffey@businessinsider.com.
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  • I'm a chef comparing 5 popular store-bought red sauces, and the best tasted homemade
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    First, I tasted the Classico Cabernet marinara with herbs.According to its ingredients list, Classico's marinara is made with Cabernet wine. Lizzy Briskin Though I was intrigued by Classico's use of Cabernet, the sauce just didn't feel right on pasta.Out of the jar, the sauce was completely smooth, so it was probably pureed and strained before canning.Classico's Cabernet marinara might be better as a pizza sauce.I thought Classico's marinara was just too sweet. Lizzy Briskin When I tasted the sauce, I thought it had a strong sweetness that didn't pair well with pasta. I also prefer some texture in my pasta sauce, so this was too smooth for me.Because of its sweetness and texture, I think Classico's marinara might work better on pizza.The Newman's Own marinara was up next.I thought the Newman's Own marinara was just OK. Lizzy Briskin Unfortunately, I thought the Newman's Own marinara sauce didn't stack up in the flavor department compared to the others.The sauce fell a little flat and had what I thought was an uninspiring, smooth, and almost watery texture.The Newman's Own marinara was too thin for me.The Newman's Own marinara didn't have a standout flavor. Lizzy Briskin Since the texture of the Newman's Own sauce was so watery, it didn't cling to the noodles very well.However, I also saw a tomato-basil sauce from the brand when I was at the store, and that may have more promise.I also tried Primal Kitchen's tomato-basil marinara sauce made with avocado oil.Primal Kitchen's marinara sauce was the only one made with avocado oil. Lizzy Briskin The most expensive marinara I tried came from Primal Kitchen, which was made with avocado oil rather than the Italian standard, olive oil. To me, the addition of avocado oil in itself wasn't necessarily a benefit or worth paying more for.When I poured some sauce into a bowl, I noticed it was quite chunky and thick with small pieces of diced onion and lots of herbs.Primal Kitchen's marinara sauce was pretty tasty.The marinara from Primal Kitchen was hearty. Lizzy Briskin Despite my initial opinions about the avocado oil, the sauce was tasty. I think the avocado oil gave the marinara a richer, heartier flavor than the other sauces, which tasted brighter and more acidic in comparison.The oregano and basil flavors were also prominent in this marinara.I tried Barilla's marinara next.Barilla's marinara had some specks of herbs and onion. Lizzy Briskin When I tried Barilla's marinara, which says it has "no sugar added," I was surprised by how tasty it was.The texture was looser than some of the other sauces, with visible specks of herbs and onion and some larger chunks of tomato.I thought Barilla's sauce had a good herb flavor.The Barilla marinara was pretty tasty. Lizzy Briskin I could certainly taste the basil and oregano but it wasn't overpowering the entire dish.It separated a bit in the jar but came back together when stirred.Finally, I tried Rao's Homemade Sensitive marinara.Rao's Sensitive marinara was made without onions or garlic. Lizzy Briskin The difference between Rao's Sensitive marinara and the regular one is that the former is made without onion or garlic.Out of the jar, the sauce was mostly smooth with a nice amount of larger crushed tomato pieces.Out of all of the marinara I tried, Rao's sauce was my favorite of the bunch and is my personal go-to at home.I thought Rao's marinara sauce truly tasted homemade. Lizzy Briskin Rao's marinara had a slightly smoky flavor, perhaps from roasting the tomatoes. The concentrated-tomato flavor really was the most prominent taste in this jar, which I appreciated.Rao's marinara had the flavor of a homemade sauce that had been simmering all day long.This story was originally published on October 4, 2022, and most recently updated on December 3, 2024.
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  • When my son was arrested, I took a step back and let him face the consequences. It was a turning point for both of us.
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    My son was arrested, and I was struggling to understand how I could support him.I decided to let him face the consequences on his own while I wrote him a letter of support.I'm glad I took a step back because it was a turning point in my own growth.I'm not sure any parent is prepared for the jarring phone call that their child has been arrested; I certainly wasn't.When my son, Johnathan, was in high school, he began experimenting with drugs and pushing every boundary. At the same time, I was drowning in my own struggles. After both of my parents died, grief and depression left me physically present but emotionally distant in ways I didn't fully realize.Looking back, I see that Johnathan needed more than I could give. I wasn't absent but wasn't present in the way he needed; I was barely holding myself together.Then came the call I never expected: My son was in legal trouble, and I had to step up as a parent in a whole new way.I had to decide how to support my son without oversteppingWhen I was first facing my son's arrest for possession of marijuana, my sisters were quick to ask how I planned to "fix this" for my son. I, of course, wanted to wipe the slate clean, but I had no control over the legal system. This wasn't going to go away.The truth was, I had no idea how to fix anything for him or myself.This incident happened after Johnathan had graduated from high school and moved out; I had just begun to surface from my own grief, thanks to a therapist I deeply trusted. But I was still struggling and didn't know how to handle this huge event.However, in a session with my therapist, I suddenly realized what I needed to do: I needed to support my son, but he needed to face the consequences on his own. He got himself into this mess, and he was going to get himself out.My therapist was moved. Over the years, she had watched me struggle with codependency, working to support others in a way that was healthy and didn't cross my boundaries. It was a turning point for me, especially in my parenting.Still, showing up for my son was the most importantSince I couldn't influence his legal situation, I did what I could: I wrote him a letter. I wanted Johnathan to know how deeply I felt his pain; when he hurts, I hurt. I encouraged him to lean on faith and surrender to the situation, even though I knew it felt impossible. I reminded him of our shared belief that "everything happens for a reason" something we believed so strongly we even had it tattooed.I reassured him of his worth and his accomplishments, especially his success in sales. I highlighted his strong work ethic and the respect he'd earned from colleagues and managers. I listed the qualities that made him stand out: his leadership, communication skills, reliability, and the trust he fostered with people.I ended the letter with an unshakable truth: I love him no matter what. He could never do anything to make me love him less. I wanted him to know I would always be there for him in every way possible.I believe I did the right thing for my sonWhile it took me some time to enforce boundaries, Johnathan and I have always had great communication skills. Like many challenges we've faced, our ability to communicate, see each other's hearts, and respect each other's outcomes enabled us to move past this issue with grace. He did face the legal issues head-on, and I took a step back but supported him nonetheless.Thankfully, it all worked out. Johnathan is now happily partnered with a wonderful woman, and they're building a life together in California. Letting go of control helped both Johnathan and me. It taught me that real love isn't about shielding children from mistakes but walking beside them as they learn.
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  • A busy 40-year-old lost 17 pounds while drinking alcohol and traveling. His trainer explained the 5 keys to his success.
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    Tom Russell, 40, got in shape while maintaining his busy social and work calendar.He lost 17 pounds by strength training and focusing on eating protein.He didn't cut out alcohol, but drank less to help him lose weight.Tom Russell, a director in the hospitality industry, has a grueling schedule. When he spoke to Business Insider from New York City, he was about to head back to London before setting off to Tokyo the week after.He's also in the best shape of his life.Russell used to work out but his sessions weren't structured or efficient. After teaming up two years ago with personal trainer Harry Cox, who runs London's private gym Club Q, Russell dropped 17 pounds over 18 months.He built strength and maintained his busy social life and career including lots of networking drinks."I look after teams in Asia as well as right through to the west coast of America. So my day can start relatively early and then it can run pretty late," Russell said.He and Cox told BI how focusing on strength training, planning ahead, mindset, and a high-protein diet helped Russell change his approach to health and fitness and his physique. Tom Russell before working with Harry Cox (left) and 18 months in. Club Q Planning aheadIn an average month, Russell spends two to three weeks abroad, he said. This can make sticking to a regular workout schedule challenging.However, Cox showed Russell how he could still get results.Every Sunday, Cox checks in with Russell and asks about his plans for the week ahead. Cox then Googles the gyms Russell will be able to access and plans workouts accordingly."It's hard enough for him to find the hour a day to get it done, but he doesn't want to have another hour on top of that figuring out how to do it," Cox said.Russell has essentially outsourced one element of his life."He likes the mental freedom of just having to wake up, check his phone, know exactly what he needs to do, and doing it. Then he can get back to all the other things inside his head," Cox said.Focusing on strength training and steps Russell did strength training to build muscle, lose fat, and improve his health. Club Q For the past two years, Russell has done at least four strength training workouts a week, ideally including one with Cox.Russell's main motivation was dropping fat and building muscle so he mainly does bodybuilding-style training, but Cox keeps longevity in mind too."My responsibility as a trainer is to make sure he doesn't get injured and his body's still healthy," Cox said. So, when Russell is feeling particularly tired or has a more taxing week, Cox doesn't program exercises like deadlifts which fatigue the body."Having a high-performing job, one can't dedicate one's whole life to the gym," Cox said. "So it was important to me that he was also able to maintain good energy levels throughout the day. He was not going into the gym and absolutely battering himself."With little free time, Russell didn't do cardio workouts, as strength training was a more efficient way to achieve his physique goals. But he tracked his steps and made sure he was walking plenty for his overall health (and calorie burn).Controlling the controllableEntertaining is a big part of Russell's life so it's impossible for him to control or track everything he eats and drinks.With that in mind, Cox encouraged him to "control the controllable" and make smart choices the rest of the time.In practice, that meant lower-calorie, high-protein meals for breakfast (Weetabix, a banana, and a protein shake), lunch (chicken salad), and healthy home-cooked dinners including plenty of protein and vegetables when he was eating in.At events, Russell didn't worry too much about what he ate and drank, but tried to choose lean meats such as chicken breast and fillet steak, as well as white fish.Cutting down on, not quitting, alcohol Tom Russell maintained his healthy lifestyle despite traveling and socializing. Club Q Russell feels working in hospitality comes with certain expectations, including drinking at his company's events."We need people to drink alcohol, it's a huge part of our business," he said.Russell also enjoys alcohol, so didn't cut it out.Cox encouraged him to reduce from drinking five or six evenings a week, to two or three. When he was drinking, he stopped after a couple and also prioritized lighter options like wine over beer. While beer typically contains around 200 calories per serving, a small glass of white wine contains around half that.Understanding the calorie content of alcohol helped Russell realize that he wanted to hit his goals more than he wanted to drink a whole bottle of wine."If I'm going to eat X amount of calories through food, then I'm going to go and lob on another 500 calories through alcohol, then I'm never going to start losing weight," he said. "And it just kind of put it all into perspective."Having the right mindset and being disciplinedWhen Russell first approached Cox, he felt ready to make a change. He'd been shocked by his body in vacation photos and decided that instead of feeling sorry for himself, he was going to take action.But Russell knew he didn't want to do anything drastic or punishing that he could only stick to short-term."I'm still doing this job and I'm still being social, I'm still having people over and we're still going out," he said.That said, he has put the work in."You have to go into it with the right mindset, with discipline," Russell said. "You say the word 'discipline' and everyone sort of shivers and runs away, but discipline doesn't have to be bad."He added: "It's not a negative thing. If anything, it actually just gives you some structure so that you know when you want to enjoy yourself and have a good time, you can do it."
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  • I burned out and quit my government job after 16 years. The cost of staying was higher than the price of leaving.
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    Kelly Campbell worked in the Canadian government for 16 years before burning out and quitting.She maintained an unsustainable pace at work until a friend's death influenced her to take a leave.Campbell wishes she would've used her transferable skills to quit her government job sooner.This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Kelly Campbell, a 42-year-old former Canadian government worker based in Ottawa, Ontario. It's been edited for length and clarity.In 2007, I lost my best friend when we were in a car accident. I went back to work a week later and, shortly thereafter, began my 16-year career in the Canadian government. I never truly grieved her death, I just buried it under a pile of work.Over the years, I established my status as a high-achiever and let praise from colleagues fuel a vicious cycle of overworking and perfectionism, leaving me with nothing left to give to my family.For a decade, I knew I should've left public service, but it was a hard decision.My government job gave me purposeI started my career in government as a senior analyst in 2008. Over the years, I rose through the ranks before being promoted to the executive level in 2021.My job gave me a lot of purpose, and I loved that I could interface with the outside population and see how my work was actually impacting people's lives. I worked a typical 9-to-5 in-office schedule, but for at least three days a week, I'd come home and keep working into the night.As the years went by, my workload increased, as did the sense of urgency for tasks to be completed.My family got a completely different version of me than my coworkersI started working from home during the pandemic, and it became impossible to ignore how different a person I'd become when I'd close the door to my home office to be with my family.To my coworkers, I was the perfect boss and the best colleague, but to my family, I was snappy and impatient, with no more energy to give. I felt immense guilt and disappointment in myself.Work was the only place I didn't feel like a failure which only reinforced my pattern of overworking and perfectionism.My accident was a wake-up call that things needed to changeIn June of 2022, I had a panic attack and fell off an 8-foot ladder while trying to hang a swing in my front yard. I ended up in the hospital with, luckily, only minor injuries, but I still felt too shameful to admit I needed off work. It was a clear sign things needed to change.A few months later, I planned a month leave from work to care for my husband after his scheduled open heart surgery, but really it was my excuse to take time off. When his surgery was delayed several months, I couldn't use it as an excuse anymore. I told my manager I'd be taking an indefinite mental health leave for myself.To my surprise, she told me she was relieved because I'd been maintaining an unsustainable pace for so long.When I finally took my leave, my body collapsed, and it was hard to return to workI'd wake up to get my kids off to school and go back to sleep for five more hours. This lasted every day for probably the next month and a half.At the start of month three, my husband went in for surgery, so I was caring for him, but I still napped every day until month five. I spent my time attending therapy, reading self-help books, and simply getting introspective about my life. I think I went through three journals.Most importantly, I finally grieved the loss of my best friend. I had grieved her little by little, but I really profoundly grieved her loss and found peace in it.After six months, I gradually returned to work, but I realized it wouldn't be easy to return to the exact environment that burned me out.The death of another friend made me realize it was time to resignI tried to incorporate new boundaries, like keeping work contained to a 9-to-5 window, but I couldn't do it. I had six hours of meetings, which didn't leave me enough time to do my actual job and other important work. I felt myself barreling toward another burnout.In February of 2024, I was on vacation when I got the news that a friend of mine had died from cancer. My friend's death reminded me life is too short to be spending the next 15 years counting down to retirement.The cost of staying at my job was higher than the price of leavingWhen I returned from vacation, I told my manager I was going on leave. Nine months later, I resigned. My new job has given me more time to be present with my kids.After spending a few months recovering from work, I transitioned to part-time leadership and grief coaching, which I'm really enjoying. I wish I had realized sooner how many transferable skills come with being a public servant.I'm in a privileged position because my husband is a public servant who will receive benefits and retirement if he stays. I was so fortunate to have a secure job, but I couldn't keep spending my life languishing and wondering what might happen if I took a chance on myself.If you've quit your job due to burnout and would like to share your story, please email Manseen Logan at mlogan@businessinsider.com.
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  • I retired young at 55. It felt weird initially, but I'm loving the slower pace of life.
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    Shawn Robertson, 55, is a recent retiree who worked in the postal service in Canada.Robertson says it was hard to get used to retirement at first, but he loves the slower pace of life.Since retiring, he's traveled more often with his wife and reconnected with old friends.This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Shawn Robertson, a 55-year-old retiree from Tsawwassen, Canada. It has been edited for length and clarity.Last year, I retired at 55 from my job as a postman after 34 and a half years. I know I'm still in the honeymoon phase, but I'm really enjoying retirement so far.In March 1990, when I was 20 years old, I decided to join the postal service. My dad had retired by then, but he had previously worked in upper management with Canada Post. I've always thought more long-term, so I wanted something with a good pension and benefits.I loved my job with the postal serviceThe official title of my position was "letter carrier." On a typical day, I'd start at 7 a.m., then have about one-and-a-half to two hours to process and organize the mail. After that, I'd leave the station and deliver mail for about six hours before coming back.It was a pretty simple job, it was just physically demanding. After you finished your delivery, you'd be able to go home, and sometime, I'd finish quite early in the day.I think the best thing about being a postman was that you're out in nature all day exercising. Every day, I would walk around 15,000 steps just at work, often somewhere between six to seven and a half miles.I also liked the social aspect of it. I got to know a lot of my customers, and I'd call a lot of them friends. When you think about it, I got a decent wage to exercise and socialize. It was a really good gig.I had so much fun being a postman, but the last six months were the hardest. I saw the business model changing, and I decided it was time to move on. I'd also paid as much into my pension as I could, so it made sense financially to retire.May 31 was my last delivery day, and when I came in, there were a few gifts and cards waiting for me. My colleagues had a small goodbye party with a cake and a couple of speeches. But I wasn't officially retired until September 19. Shawn Robertson while working his job as a postal worker in Canada. Courtesy of Shawn Robertson It took time to get used to being retired, but I'm glad I did itInitially, it felt weird to be retired. It was actually a little on the scary side, because though my wife makes decent money, I'd been the main breadwinner for many years. I had to adjust to getting my pension once a month, whereas when I was working, I was paid every two weeks. Adjusting to the difference in timing took time to get used to.But now that it's been several months, my apprehensions are over, and I've relaxed into it.We've traveled a lot in just the few months since I retired, though we likely won't keep up this pace, and have been to Germany, St Louis, Nashville, and Australia already. In between the travel, I've been having lunches with other retired friends from work who I haven't seen for a while. It's been great.I have zero stress in my life, and what's really nice is that I can see my granddaughter whenever I want. Our kids live close by, and there's a lot of joy in knowing that within a few minutes, you can be at each other's house.I haven't really gotten into hobbies yet because I haven't had time, but I think the next phase will be about hiking in nature, growing stuff in the garden, and working the land. I also have two side gigs doing landscaping and property maintenance from time to time. It's a really good stage of life to be entering.I don't have any regrets about retiring early. I've put in my time. I think sometimes you have to know when to go. Going into retirement, you also need to find something you enjoy doing, whether it's a sport joining a walking club, tinkering in the shed, or having a project to keep you busy. I never see myself as bored. I can always find something to do.
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  • The State Department is planning to buy $400 million worth of armored Teslas
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    The State Department wants to buy $400 million worth of armored Tesla vehicles.The department's procurement forecast for 2025 listed a five-year contract with Elon Musk's company.Musk's companies have received billions of dollars from government contracts and subsidies.The State Department is looking to buy $400 million worth of vehicles from Elon Musk's EV company, Tesla.The department's procurement forecast for 2025 listed a five-year contract with Tesla. The order would see the department purchasing "Armored Tesla (Production Units)" from Musk's company for $400 million.The department's forecast did not specify the vehicle model that will be bought. Tesla produces several EVs, including sedans like the Model 3 and Model S, and SUVs like the Model Y and Model X.The use of the term "Armored Tesla" in the forecast could be a reference to Tesla's Cybertruck, a stainless steel pickup truck that Musk said is bulletproof. The proposed contract has an "anticipated award date" of September 30.The contract with Tesla is the largest budget item listed in the department's forecast. The forecast also included orders from other automakers, including a $40 million contract for armored BMW SUVs, the X5 and X7.Representatives for the White House, the State Department, and Tesla did not respond to requests for comment from Business Insider.The Tesla contract would be just one of many deals Musk's companies have done with the government his companies have received billions of dollars from government contracts and subsidies.Gwynne Shotwell, the president and COO of Musk's rocket company SpaceX, said at a conference organized by Baron Capital in November that the company had $22 billion in government contracts.At the same time, Musk is now the public face of Trump's cost cutting efforts within government, serving as the leader of the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE.According to the White House, Musk is a "special government employee" and is not compensated for his services. The classification allows Musk to maintain his sprawling business interests, which include companies like Tesla and SpaceX.On Tuesday, Musk joined Trump at a press conference in the Oval Office, where he was asked about the potential conflicts of interest he could face from running DOGE and his companies simultaneously."No, because you have to look at the individual contract. First of all, I'm not the one filing the contract. It's people at SpaceX or something will be putting for the contract," Musk said."And I'd like to say if you see any contract where it was awarded to SpaceX and it wasn't by far the best value for money for the taxpayer. Let me know, because everyone of them was," he added.To be sure, the department's forecast was made under the Biden administration and was last revised on December 23, 2024, weeks before President Donald Trump took office on January 20.Trump said at an earlier press conference on February 3 that Musk would not be allowed to deal with government matters where there could be a conflict of interest."If there's a conflict, we won't let him get near it," Trump said.
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  • Nissan and Honda are calling off their $50 billion merger
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    Nissan and Honda cancel their $50 billion merger "to prioritize speed of decision-making," they said.The merger would have created the world's third-largest automaker by sales volume.Both automakers face challenges with declining sales and slow transition to making EVs.Japanese automakers Nissan and Honda have called off a $50 billion merger that would have formed one of the world's largest car companies.Both firms said in a statement on Thursday that they called off the deal "to prioritize speed of decision-making and execution of management measures" as an "increasingly volatile" car market heads into an electric-vehicle era.The automakers said they would continue to work in "the framework of a strategic partnership" moving forward.Nissan and Honda first announced they were beginning merger talks in late December. Had the merger happened, it would have created the world's third-largest automaker by sales.In December, Nissan's disgraced former CEO, Carlos Ghosn, called the deal a "desperate move" for Nissan because he saw little complementarity."It's not a pragmatic deal because frankly, the synergies between the two companies are difficult to find," Ghosn said at the time.Between 2001 and 2017, Nissan was led by Ghosn, who was arrested in Japan on suspicion of financial misconduct during his time as CEO of the company. In 2019, while under house arrest, he escaped from Japan to Lebanon by hiding in a large box that was shipped as cargo on a private jet.Struggling automakersThe end of the merger talks comes at a difficult time for both Japanese automakers.Nissan has been struggling with falling profits and decreased sales globally in the past year. The company faces declining sales in China due to competition from a slew of local players. It has been slow to produce electric or hybrid vehicles, which have been in demand compared with gas-only models.In the US, sales of Nissan's electric vehicles have suffered because they do not qualify for the $7,500 US government tax credits for cars built in North America.In November, the company slashed 9,000 jobs globally in a cost-cutting attempt and started a voluntary buyout over the summer.Honda, meanwhile, has been lagging behind Chinese players in shifting to EVs and has invested less than other rivals in new car designs and technologies.Nissan's stock has seen a 26.5% rout in the past year, while shares of Honda have fallen 20% in the same time.
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  • Germany says its warships were sabotaged as concerns mount that Russia is waging a hybrid war
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    Germany's top naval officer said "more than one" of its warships were recently sabotaged.A day before, a local report said a corvette-class vessel had metal shavings poured into its engine system.Without expressly accusing any party, the German naval chief warned of a growing threat from Russia.Germany's naval chief said on Tuesday that several of Berlin's warships were sabotaged.Vice Adm. Jan Christian Kaack, the inspector of the German navy, said at a press conference on Tuesday that the damage involved "more than one unit."Kaack also said there had been attempted break-ins at German naval bases via land and sea, and he spoke of "attempts to approach" uniformed personnel while they were heading home.The vice admiral did not give further details on the sabotage attempts or explicitly say who was behind them. But Kaack issued a general warning about Moscow while speaking with reporters."The growing threat from Russia is more urgent at the beginning of 2025 than it was two years ago," he said.Kaack's comments follow a report published on Monday by the local outlet Sddeutsche Zeitung, which said that German police were investigating an incident at a Hamburg shipyard where several dozen kilograms of metal shavings were dumped into a corvette-class vessel's engine system.Per the joint report from broadcasters WDR and NDR, the corvette was a brand-new ship called the "Emden" awaiting delivery to the German military. It's scheduled for deployment to the Baltic Sea, the outlets reported.Sddeutsche Zeitung wrote that if the shavings hadn't been detected during an inspection, they would have caused significant damage to the ship.At Tuesday's press conference, Kaack was asked to address Sddeutsche Zeitung's report, but he did not directly confirm the "Emden" incident when speaking about sabotage.The "Emden" is one of the five new K130 corvettes that Germany ordered for delivery in 2025 to fulfill its NATO requirements.Naval Vessels Lrssen, the company responsible for building the ships in Hamburg, told Agence France-Presse that the "Emden" had recently completed a "successful sea trial."It did not respond to a request for comment sent outside regular business hours by Business Insider.Germany is already on high alert for sabotage attempts after multiple incidents in the last two years that include a package catching fire on a plane and a fire at an ammunition factory in Berlin.More recently, a German ammo factory in Spain was hit by an explosion in late January that injured six workers.German authorities have repeatedly suggested that Russia is the prime suspect, but are still investigating many of these cases.Ukraine's allies have accused Russia of waging a "hybrid war" against the West, with reports of an attempted assassination against a defense contractor CEO and the growing assessment that Russia-linked oil tankers damaged undersea infrastructure cables in the Baltic Sea.The Russian government and the German navy did not respond to requests for comment from BI, sent outside regular business hours.
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  • Tim Hortons says the weather was so warm at the start of winter, it managed to make money off cold drinks
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    Canadian coffee chain Tim Hortons sold more cold drinks at the end of 2024 because of a warm winter.Tim Hortons saw an over 6% growth in its cold drinks sales in the fourth quarter of 2024.The country, known for its frigid temperatures, has been seeing milder winters of late.Tim Hortons saw growth in its cold beverages division because of a warm end of the year in 2024.The Canadian coffee chain's parent company, Restaurant Brands International, reported 2024 fourth-quarter and full-year earnings on Wednesday."Warmer than average Q4 temperatures contributed to over 6% growth in cold beverages," the company's CEO, Joshua Kobza, said of Tim Hortons Canada during its Wednesday earnings call."So we had a little bit warmer weather in the quarter and that tends to drive more cold beverage. And so we saw less good performance in some of our hot beverage," Kobza said, responding to an investor's question about the sales growth.He added that Tim Horton's baked goods performance took a hit, too, as such products are usually purchased with hot beverages.Tim Hortons Canada saw a 2.5% growth in comparable sales in the latest quarter. The chain has over 4,000 outlets in Canada, branches in the US and Europe, and a growing presence in Asia.Restaurant Brands International, which also owns Burger King and Popeyes, reported comparable sales growth of 2.5% in its latest quarter, with total revenues of $2.30 billion.Milder winters in CanadaCanada, known for its frigid temperatures, has seen milder winters in recent years due to the climate crisis and environmental factors like the El Nio effect.The December to February winter period in 2023 and 2024 was the warmest winter the country has experienced since 1948, per the Government of Canada's Climate Trends and Variations Bulletin.Environment and Climate Change Canada's news release in December said that "close to or above normal temperatures across the north and east" were expected in the winter of 2024 and 2025, and the western part of Canada can expect a "warm start to the season."Representatives for Restaurant Brands International did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider, sent outside regular business hours.
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  • Reddit's stock drops 15% after the CEO said a Google algorithm tweak hurt traffic
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    Reddit CEO Steve Huffman said the site saw "volatility" in traffic in Q4 due to Google's algorithm change.The impact shows how some users still rely on an external search engine to get answers from Reddit.Reddit saw 39% user growth between 2023 and 2024.Reddit's stock dropped more than 15% after hours on Wednesday after the company reported user growth below analyst expectations in its fourth-quarter earnings.The site averaged 101.7 million daily active unique users in the fourth quarter, a 39% year-over-year increase but below Wall Street analysts' estimates of 103.8 million.User growth is a critical metric for Reddit because so much of its business relies on advertising.Before the company went public in March, Reddit said in a filing that it generates "substantially all of our revenue from advertising."Reddit reported $428 million in revenue for the fourth quarter, a 71% year-over-year increase from 2023. About 92% of that fourth-quarter revenue came from advertising. The rest came from Reddit's "other revenue" segment, which includes content licensing deals.Steve Huffman, Reddit's CEO, said on an earnings call that it's become common for people to use search engines like Google to peruse Reddit. But Huffman said the site saw "volatility" in traffic in the fourth quarterafter Google tweaked its search algorithm.Huffman said he was not worried about the traffic volatility and that it did not impact revenue."We feel very good about the pace that we're on from Q1," Huffman said. "We see volatility from Google all the time, as does everybody."A Google spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent after business hours.Huffman said during the call that the algorithm change primarily impacted "logged-out users" Logged-in user numbers grew 27% in 2024,the company said in its earnings release.The CEO also said the number of Google search queries that include "Reddit" increased, suggesting more users are seeking answers from the thread-based platform. The company moved away from forcing searchers to download the Reddit app and began showing all public posts, even to logged-out users, Huffman said.The CEO saidthe solution to gaining loyal usersis building tools such as Reddit Answers, an AI-powered search tool that generates answers based on input from users on the platform.Reddit has made a number of AI-related investments and partnerships in the past year.The company announced a content licensing deal with Google and OpenAI, allowing the makers of Gemini and ChatGPT to train their models on Reddit data.It's unclear how much those deals contributed to Reddit's revenue. Google is paying Reddit $60 million a year for its licensing deal.Reddit's "other revenue" segment, which includes the licensing deals, contributed $144.7 million in 2024.Although Reddit's stock has seen fluctuations in the past year, the company's value has significantly climbed since its IPO in March at $46. It's up 32% this year.
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  • DOGE's 'fork in the road' deferred resignation deadline can proceed, judge says
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    A judge lifted an order blocking OPM from enforcing the deferred resignation deadline for federal workers.The judge, who previously extended the deadline, ruled the labor unions lacked standing.DOGE, led by Elon Musk, is pushing for federal workforce cuts.A federal judge on Wednesday ruled the Trump administration could proceed with enforcing a deadline on the deferred resignations being offered to federal workers.US District Judge George O'Toole said the labor unions who sued to block enforcement of the deadline did not have standing to bring the lawsuit because they were not "directly impacted by the directive." He also said the court did not have subject matter jurisdiction over the claims.The Office of Personal Management, or OPM, made the deferred resignation offer, described as a "fork in the road," to federal workers in an email on January 28, with an initial deadline of Febrauary 6.Workers had until that date to decide if they would remain in their jobs, without any certainty that their role or department wouldn't be eliminated, or take the offer in which the OPM said they would receive full pay and benefits until September 30, 2025, regardless of workload.After a group of labor unions sued, O'Toole issued a temporary restraining order on February 6 to extend the deadline until at least Monday. He extended it again on Monday until a ruling was made.His ruling on Wednesday lifted the restraining order, leaving what happens next up to the administration and the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, which is leading the push for cuts in the federal workforce."This Boston Buyout Ruling is the first of many legal wins for the President. The Court dissolved the injunction due to a lack of standing. This goes to show that lawfare will not ultimately prevail over the will of 77 million Americans who supported President Trump and his priorities," Karoline Leavitt, Whit House press secretary, said in a statement provided to Business Insider.Everett Kelley, the president of theAmerican Federation of Government Employees, one of the labor groups that sued, said ina statement to Business Insider: "Today's ruling is a setback in the fight for dignity and fairness for public servants. But it's not the end of that fight. AFGE's lawyers are evaluating the decision and assessing next steps. Importantly, this decision did not address the underlying lawfulness of the program.""We continue to maintain it is illegal to force American citizens who have dedicated their careers to public service to make a decision, in a few short days, without adequate information, about whether to uproot their families and leave their careers for what amounts to an unfunded IOU from Elon Musk," he added.President Donald Trump and Elon Musk, who leads DOGE, appeared together in the Oval Office on Tuesday and the president signed an executive order calling for "large-scale" cuts to the federal workforce and expanding DOGE's power over hiring at federal agencies.Musk defended the cuts being made by DOGE, calling them "common sense" and saying the American people are "going to get what they voted for."Have a news tip or a story to share? Contact this reporter at kvlamis@businessinsider.com or via the encrypted-messaging app Signal @kelseyv.21.
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  • As the Russian military loses its grip in Syria, the US considers pulling its troops
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    The US has 2,000 troops in Syria backing Kurdish-led forces to contain ISIS militants.The Trump admin is weighing withdrawing these forces, and the Russian military is losing its access."Russia now hangs on by its fingertips," a Syria expert told BI.Syria has been one of the world's most complex proxy fights since its civil war broke out in 2011, but who holds power and where is now shifting rapidly.The biggest change came from the dramatic toppling of Bashar al-Assad's regime in December. It was driven out by the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, who are no friends of Russia or Iran.HTS holds territory from Aleppo in the northwest to Damascus, the seat of the Assad regime. But Syria remains fractured by competing armies. Turkish forces and militants it backs hold pockets near its northern border. The US-partnered Syrian Democratic Forces occupy the large triangle of northeastern Syria, an area that has oilfields and prison camps holding ISIS fighters. Russia is reducing its military footprint as Israel seizes new positions near the Golan Heights. But the newest question mark is the US.The US has 2,000 troops in Syria backing the Kurdish-led SDF to contain ISIS. It also controls the strategically located al-Tanf base in southern Syria. But the longevity of those deployments is unclear. The Department of Defense is reportedly drafting contingency plans to withdraw all troops should President Donald Trump order it."Presently, the HTS-led government is seeking to create the conditions for a US withdrawal from the country that would undermine the SDF coalition, which represents an impediment to the emerging regime's ability to control all of the country," Nicholas Heras, senior director of strategy and innovation at the New Lines Institute, told Business Insider.US forces in Syria safeguard oilfields and assist the SDF in strikes to defeat remnants of ISIS. These forces are potential leverage that Trump risks losing if he withdraws them before talks with the new government under interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa."It seems likely that the Trump administration will keep troops in Syria over the short term and speak about a step-by-step policy of loosening sanctions based on President Sharaa's willingness to develop a constitution and move toward a representative government that does not threaten its neighbors," Joshua Landis, Director of the Centre of Middle East Studies and the Farzaneh Family Center for Iranian and Persian Gulf Studies at the University of Oklahoma, told BI.The easier chip in bargaining could be the US base at al-Tanf in Syria's southern desert. Controlled by the US-allied, anti-ISIS Syrian Free Army group, the base is situated near the Jordanian border and the important Baghdad-Damascus highway. The US enforced a 34-mile de-confliction zone around al-Tanf which Iranian-backed forces and Assad's regime weren't allowed to access."The US presence at al-Tanf was pretty dubious before Assad fell and it serves no discernible purpose now, except possibly as a point of leverage vis--vis the new Damascus government," Aron Lund, Middle East analyst with the Swedish Defence Research Agency and fellow with Century International, told BI. "So, al-Tanf could be a place they'll withdraw from first, perhaps after getting some little thing in return from Sharaa's government."The SDF-controlled regions present a "thornier issue" with much higher stakes. The Kurds guard prisons with thousands of ISIS fighters, but they'd be hard-pressed to maintain these faced with a major offensive by a rival. While HTS has not attacked the SDF, the Turkish-backed militias have done so repeatedly since late 2024."There are some real political risks involved, related to an ISIS revival and the fate of Kurdish groups in that area," Lund said. "Even Trump could perhaps be persuaded that these things are worth negotiating over if only to limit the fallout before withdrawing."Israel expanded its presence along the Golan Heights as Assad's regime collapsed, seizing Mount Hermon. Satellite images show it is building bases there."Israel does not trust the HTS-led government and the Israeli posture suggests that Jerusalem could play a strong role in Syrian affairs for years to come," Heras said. Russian airlifters ferried out troops and armored vehicles from Khmeimim Air Base in December. Izzettin Kasim/Anadolu via Getty Images The outside power that stands the most to gain is Turkey. Ahead of his recent visit to Turkey, reports indicated Sharaa would discuss Turkey potentially establishing bases in Syria's central desert region."Turkey already has a forward operating military presence in northwest Syria, and it is unlikely that it will withdraw its forces from the country in the near future," Heras said. "The HTS-led government wants to leverage Turkey to have a patron state to support the development of its security forces."Russia, by contrast, stands to lose the most. Syria canceled an Assad-era contract with Russia to manage Tartus naval base but Syria's defense minister also said it might let Russia keep this port and the Hmeimim airbase "if we get benefits for Syria.""Russia now hangs on by its fingertips, but we'll see how that turns out," Lund said. "In five years, they could still have Tartus, perhaps also Hmeimim."Moscow has had access to Tartus since 1971. Today, these bases are essential to supporting Russian military and mercenary operations across the Middle East and Africa."The new Syrian government is obviously no friend of the Russians. It needs to be mindful of the views of its political base, which is made up of ex-rebel factions that hate Putin almost as much as they hate Assad," Lund said. He noted that Russia still has "important leverage" over Syria. Rebuilding the Syrian military without Russian arms could prove challenging, even if Syria aims to have Turkey replace Russia's traditional role as its main arms supplier."There's so much legacy Soviet and Russian equipment and training, you can't just throw all that out," Lund said.Syria's new rulers have little to fear from Russia since the days of Russia relentlessly bombing HTS's Idlib stronghold in support of Assad are gone."The Russian bases are there at their mercy, and they seem fairly harmless for the new government," Lund said."Letting them stay could even provide a point of leverage."Paul Iddon is a freelance journalist and columnist who writes about Middle East developments, military affairs, politics, and history. His articles have appeared in a variety of publications focused on the region.
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  • They left their corporate jobs and built a hotel in the surfing capital of the Philippines. Island life is busy, too.
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    Heidi Ganaden and her husband left their big-city corporate jobs to open a hotel on an island.The couple moved from Manila, the capital city of the Philippines, to Siargao, also known as the country's surfing capital.One pandemic and a category 5 typhoon later, they've finally settled into their new lives.Heidi Ganaden and her husband never thought they'd run a hotel by the beach in Siargao, an island known as the surfing capital of the Philippines.The two of them were working corporate jobs and living in Manila, the capital city. She was in the telecommunications industry, while he was a landscape architect.As avid surfers, the couple enjoyed hanging out by the beach but weren't too familiar with Siargao; Ganaden had visited once before in 2005, while her husband had never been there before. The island is one of more than 7,000 that make up the Philippines. Heidi Ganaden and her husband moved from Manila, the capital city of the Philippines, to Siargao to open a hotel. Lubihan Siargao. But a quick weekend trip in 2018 it's only a to visit some friends who were trying to set up a business there left them with a favorable impression of the island.Not long after they got back to Manila, they received a call from their friends in Siargao about a plot of land by the beach that was available for lease."We thought, OK, maybe we can try and look at it. Maybe we can just put up a small shack so that we can go to Siargao, and we'll have a place where we can stay," Ganaden, 46, told Business Insider. They initially wanted to build a home they could live in whenever they visited the island to surf. Lubihan Siargao. When they went to view the plot of land, they realized it was in a central location that was popular with tourists. New establishments, like restaurants, were also popping up all around the area.They also noticed that more and more people were visiting Siargao, and they decided it might be a better idea to build accommodations instead."We actually didn't have the idea for a hotel initially. It was really an accident," she said. "We were in a central spot, and we thought it would be a waste to just offer it for a long-term lease, so we ended up with a small hotel."Trading city life for island livingBy the end of the year, the couple had signed a 15-year lease and started clearing out the land. They preferred to keep the amount they spent on the lease private.They broke ground in 2019. That same year, Ganaden and her husband decided to quit their jobs to focus on the project."We thought it was now or never," Ganaden said. "We had no idea what we were doing, but we did it anyway because we were invested in it. We wanted to make it work." It was difficult to find raw materials and skilled construction workers on the developing island. Lubihan Siargao. The construction of their hotel took place in phases, and they hired some 15 contractors to help out. Ganaden estimates that they spent about 20 million Philippine pesos, or about $340,000, on the construction of the hotel.The building process was fraught with challenges. Even though the island was developing, it was difficult to find raw materials and skilled construction workers, Ganaden said."Imagine a whole island where everybody was building with just two hardware stores," she said.To meet their project timelines, the couple decided to use prefabricated materials. Everything was brought over to Siargao from Manila even the contractors they hired. The couple brought in construction materials and even their contractors from Manila. Lubihan Siargao. "We had to bring them in and house them because for prefabricated material, there's a required skillset for it," Ganaden said.They named the hotel "Lubihan," a term in the local dialect that refers to the coconut grove that once grew over the land. The entire property spans just over 4,000 square feet and has 13 guest rooms and one staff room."Since my husband is a landscape architect, he was able to make everything work. Even with the 14 rooms, we have a very nice common garden and a lounge area at the back," Ganaden said. Different room types have different nightly rates. Lubihan Siargao. Nightly rates vary across the different room types."We can go as low as about 3,000 pesos all the way to as high as 5,000 pesos," she added.One challenge after anotherThe couple's hotel journey hasn't been easy.When early 2020 rolled around, they faced a major setback: the pandemic. Like much of the world, Siargao and the Philippines went into lockdown. The pandemic and even a typhoon were among the obstacles the couple faced while trying to get their hotel off the ground. Lubihan Siargao. The couple was able to rent out a few of their completed rooms to travelers who were stuck on the island, and they dedicated their time to finishing the rest of the hotel.But just as tourism in Siargao started to recover from the effects of the pandemic, a natural disaster struck.In December 2021, Super Typhoon Rai a category 5 storm swept through parts of the Philippines, including Siargao, uprooting trees, wrecking buildings, and leaving destruction in its wake.Lubihan was no exception. Strong winds and torrential rain devastated the whole island, including the hotel. Lubihan Siargao. "Our entire roof was peeled off like a sardine can, the majority of our glass doors broke and were dislodged by the strong wind. It was a disaster," Ganaden said.All their staff members lost their homes."We had no power for months, no phone signal for months too," she said, adding that the island was almost cut off entirely from the rest of the world due to the damage sustained by the island's transport infrastructure.But with grit and determination, and help from their community, the couple was able to rebuild the damaged parts of the hotel and their lives."It was months of recovery emotionally, mentally and physically," Ganaden said.They were new to the businessThat aside, running a hotel with no hospitality background came with its own set of challenges."We are learning as we go, in terms of how to operate and what's needed by the hotel," Ganaden said. "For example, the kind of fittings that would last longer, or the kind of linens that would make laundry easier, things like that.""I think if you have a background in hospitality, you'd know these kinds of things. But since this is our first time, we're doing trial and error on a whole lot of things," she added.They have six full-time staff members, including an operations officer who lives on-site. Ganaden and her husband often spend their afternoons surfing. Mary Dizon. Ganaden's daily routine starts with dropping off her seven-year-old daughter at school. Then, she scans through the hotel's reservations for the day and stops by the hotel to check in on things."Then, it's island life after that. In our neighborhood, we have a CrossFit gym right next to us. And of course, if the tides are OK, we go out to surf," Ganaden said, adding that she pops back into the hotel after to keep an eye on things.Island life is busy, tooIn 2019, Siargao was voted as the best island in the world by Cond Nast Travelers.Since then, tourism on the island has been on the rise. In 2024, Siargao was also included among Lonely Planet's top seven tourist destinations in Southeast Asia.The island saw a total of 529,822 foreign tourist and domestic traveler arrivals in 2023, per the latest data available from the Philippines Department of Tourism. This is an increase from 181,188 foreign and domestic traveler arrivals five years earlier2018.Siargao may be developing, but the island still retains its untouched feel that many similar beach destinations like Bali and Hawaii have lost due to over-tourism.It's a far cry from the corporate life that Ganaden was used to back in Manila, but her days are still busy."We do also have meetings, especially with other business owners that we collaborate with, but they're very informal. All in flip-flops or barefoot by the beach, drinking a cocktail so that's how our meetings are now," she said. It's very different from the corporate life that she was used to. Lubihan Siargao. She says that her background working in an office taught her to be disciplined, which, in turn, helped her greatly in managing the hotel business.One thing she really appreciates about life in Siargao is the tight community on the island."Even if you live in a village in Manila, you probably will not know your neighbor. In Siargao, everybody just talks to each other, which is very, very nice," she said. She loves the tight community on the island. Lubihan Siargao. That said, she does occasionally miss city-living and the convenience that comes with it."We don't have a fast food chain on the island. It's both good and bad, because sometimes you have cravings for a burger," Ganaden said.The infrastructure on Siargao has also improved tremendously in recent years, she said, adding that fiber internet was only properly rolled out on the island the year before.Prior to that, businesses like hers relied on Starlink for connectivity."A lot of remote workers want to live here, but they can't because of the internet," she said. "When we started having Starlink all over the island, a lot of them started coming in and working from here."These days, Ganaden goes back to Manila with her family at least once every quarter."On the island, we all have this unwritten rule that you need an island break," she said. "We go back to Manila to decompress because our hustle is on the island and then we come back again."Looking back on their journey, Ganaden says that it was a big leap for them to go from working in the city to running a business on an island with no experience."We were scared, but we knew that because of the discipline we had in corporate jobs, we'd be able to survive and find a way to make it work," she said. "I told my husband I know that if I'm pushed to the wall, I will find a way to climb over that wall or break that wall.""That's how I am, so I was pretty confident about going into the entire thing scared," she said.Have you recently relocated to a new country and found or renovated your dream home? If you have a story to share, contact this reporter at agoh@businessinsider.com.
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  • Sam Altman scoffs at Elon Musk's claims of an OpenAI antitrust 'conspiracy' in new lawsuit filing
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    The latest volley was fired Wednesday in Musk's lawsuit against Sam Altman, OpenAI, and Microsoft.Musk wants a judge to halt what he alleges are OpenAI's unlawful anti-competitive practices.Musk has provided "no facts" to show OpenAI is unlawfully quashing competition, Altman's side wrote.The latest volley was fired Wednesday in the ongoing legal battle between the world's biggest tech titans with Sam Altman complaining in court papers that Elon Musk has "no facts" to back his claim that OpenAI is unlawfully quashing the competition."No facts support the existence of this conspiracy," a lawyer for Altman wrote in a 33-page court filing to a federal judge in Oakland, California.Musk also hasn't shown he has been harmed in any way by what he alleges are OpenAI's anti-competitive actions, Altman's lawyer argued.Musk's 107-page lawsuit accuses Altman of fraud, self-dealing, and "unfair competition.""He claims he will suffer irreparable harm absent judicial intervention, but provides no plausible account of how or why," Altman's lawyer, Jordan Eth, wrote in Wednesday's filing.The filing is Altman's response to Musk's request that US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers order an immediate halt to what Musk alleges is OpenAI's unfair and illegal restraint on its competitors.Musk wants Gonzalez Rogers to immediately block OpenAI's ongoing transition from a nonprofit to a for-profit entity. Musk also wants the judge to bar OpenAI from mandating that its investors not invest in competing tech companies, including Grok, the chatbot developed by Musk's own AI company, xAI.Lawyers for Musk and Altman last sparred in the lawsuit a week ago, at a virtual hearing before Gonzalez Rogers. The judge voiced skepticism at the hearing over Musk's "irreparable harm" claims, at one point summing up the warring factions this way: "I have billionaires versus billionaires.""How can I say as a matter of law there is a likely restraint on trade when your client has raised $11 billion?" for xAI, she asked Musk attorney Marc Toberoff.Wednesday's filing by Altman's side echoed the judge's skepticism."Leveraging Musk's influence, and the 'web of companies' under his control, xAI has become a major player in a highly competitive industry, raising capital at unprecedented speed and scale," Altman's filing said.Musk's startup "increased its valuation to $50 billion in a new funding round last month, making it the second most valuable private AI developer behind OpenAI," the filing said.Musk has used that investment infusion to quickly build "what is believed to be the world's largest supercomputer, dubbed 'Colossus,'" Altman's filing said.Granting the "sweeping" relief sought by Musk "would debilitate OpenAI's business, board deliberations, and mission to create safe and beneficial AI all to the advantage of Musk and his own AI company," the filing added.The judge has not said when she will be ruling on Musk's request. A lawyer for Musk did not immediately return a request for comment.Altman and his codefendants have also asked the judge to dismiss Musk's now nearly year-old lawsuit in its entirety a separate paperwork battle that is scheduled to continue into late May.The judge said last week that the parties should be prepared for trial at the end of next year at the earliest.
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  • Thomson Reuters had the first big win in an AI copyright case. It doesn't mean a cakewalk for other publishers: experts
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    Thomson Reuters scored an early victory in an AI-related copyright case against Ross Intelligence.The ruling highlights fair use limits. Fair use is at the center of ongoing AI copyright lawsuits.Legal experts say the case differs from other litigation involving generative AI firms.Content and technology conglomerate Thomson Reuters this week scored the first big win in a USartificial intelligence-related copyright case.A federal judge's Delaware ruling in favor of Thomson Reuters on the legal doctrine of "fair use," however, does not mean that the slew of authors and publishers who have sued generative AI companies like OpenAI for copyright infringement can expect to have the same kind of success, tech law experts told Business Insider.The ruling, though, could have an influence on the outcome of those cases that are currently winding through the courts, one of the tech law experts said.Thomson Reuters sued the now-shuttered legal AI startup Ross Intelligence in 2020, arguing that Ross infringed its copyrights when the startup used content from Thomson Reuters' Westlaw legal research database to create a competing platform that uses artificial intelligence.In his revised ruling Tuesday, US District Court Judge Stephanos Bibas shot down Ross' fair use defense and instead granted a summary judgment for Thomas Reuters on fair use."None of Ross's possible defenses holds water. I reject them all," Bibas wrote in the ruling, in which he explained that in his 2023 opinion in the case, he denied summary judgment on fair use.The question of fair use is at the heart of major ongoing copyright lawsuits against generative AI firms. Companies like OpenAI have pointed to the fair use exemption to copyright laws in order to justify their use of copyrighted material to train AI models.Legal experts told BI that there are key nuances in Thomson Reuters' case against Ross and the blockbuster litigation involving generative AI firms one being that the Thomson Reuters case doesn't have to do with generative AI technology.Bibas made that distinction in his ruling, writing, "Ross was using Thomson Reuters's headnotes as AI data to create a legal research tool to compete with Westlaw. It is undisputed that Ross's AI is not generative AI (AI that writes new content itself). Rather, when a user enters a legal question, Ross spits back relevant judicial opinions that have already been written." Ross's AI was not generative AI, the judge said. Qi Yang/Getty Images Mark Bartholomew, a University at Buffalo law professor, told BI that he does not think the ruling will have a dramatic effect on the other major AI-related copyright cases since it's just one opinion of a lower court and "neglects some of the most important fair use case law.""Still, the plaintiffs in those upcoming cases, like The New York Times, have to be happy with the outcome here," Bartholomew said, adding that those plaintiffs will likely "trumpet this decision in their legal briefs."The New York Times sued OpenAI for copyright infringement in 2023. The New York Times declined to comment for this story. OpenAI did not immediately respond to a request for comment.One of the other ways that the Thomson Reuters case is different from other ongoing AI-related copyright infringement litigation is that Ross Intelligence was a direct competitor of Thomson Reuters, Bartholomew pointed out."In many of the other copyright AI cases to be decided, the defendant is accused of copying to train the AI for an arguably new purpose that does not directly compete with the original," Bartholomew said. "That may allow this case to be distinguished, allowing the AI platforms to argue they still satisfy the fair use defense regardless of the holding in Thomson."Harry Surden, a professor at the University of Colorado Law School, said that he fears judges overseeing other AI copyright lawsuits may not take into account the differences between the cases.The ruling is "likely to confuse judges and others on the issue of generative AI, but there are significant differences that are very subtle and most people will miss," Surden said, explaining, "It's both a different technology and the company was acting kind of duplicitously here."For those reasons, Surden said the ruling should not have much influence on the ongoing AI copyright cases. He thinks it will anyway."Judges tend not to be experts in copyright law or generative AI, so I think they're likely to miss a lot of these nuances, and I think it will, unfortunately, have an effect on other cases," said Surden.James Gatto, a partner at the law firm Sheppard Mullin who co-leads the firm's AI industry team, told BI it remains to be seen what kind of ripple effect, if any, the ruling in favor of Thomson Reuters will have."Fair use is a fact-specific inquiry unique to each case," said Gatto.Though the judge's decision does not address generative AI, Gatto said it "reinforces the limits of fair use, particularly in cases where copyrighted material is used for non-transformative purposes to develop a competing product.""The court easily determined that Ross's use was commercial, as Ross sought to profit from the copyrighted material without paying the customary price," said Gatto.Meanwhile, Thomson Reuters hailed the legal win, saying in a statement to BI: "We are pleased that the court granted summary judgment in our favor and concluded that Westlaw's editorial content created and maintained by our attorney editors, is protected by copyright and cannot be used without our consent. The copying of our content was not 'fair use.'"Representatives for Ross did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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  • Does your cereal even lift, bro?
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    General Mills and other brands are launching high-protein versions of their products.This trend mirrors past health fads like low-carb and low-fat diets, with new influences.Social media and health influencers are amplifying the protein craze and other diet trends.Protein is having a moment, and big packaged food brands like General Mills are keeping up.An article I read that fascinated me on New York Magazine's Grub Street looks at how big brands synonymous with carbs Wheaties and Cheerios, for example are trying to muscle their way into the latest craze for more protein.(Wheaties Protein Maple Almond offers 22 grams of protein, up from 3 grams in the classic Wheaties flavor. That's some swole flakes.)Big supermarket brands launching high-protein versions of their stapes (I await protein Oreos, personally) feels like the absolute peak of a food/health trend cycle. As Grub Street points out, this isn't so far off from the Atkins low-carb craze of the 2000s or the low-fat fad of the 1990s. (I will forever remember the taste and texture of the SnackWell low-fat brownie.)Underlining the trend, General Mills said in December, when it launched a high-protein version of Cheerios, that its research showed 71% of consumers were trying to get more protein in their diets, and their new products were looking to "meet people where they are."Of course, there are new factors at plan now, too, like patients on Ozempic whose doctors encourage them to eat diets high in protein to aim to prevent muscle loss, which can be a side effect of GLP-1 inhibitors.Health food fads come and go for example, gut health drinks seem to be the latest version of antioxidant-rich beverages. (Remember Pom Wonderful?) Olipop, a line of canned beverages marketed as a healthy version of soda, just raised $50 million in a funding round that valued it at $1.85 billion, Bloomberg reported.MAHA movement and others help push health trends on socialI have a theory that social media of this moment has supercharged protein mania.There seems to have been a vibe shift that exhibits itself in more nontraditional health crazes lately: Think the MAHA movement, raw milk influencer moms, the Liver King, and other carnivore diet enthusiasts. Then there's the popularity of pop science gurus like Andrew Huberman espousing diet and exercise ideas.This kind of stuff has always existed and I'm not a health expert, so some of these things might or might not be for you but I do know a lot about the culture of the moment, and it feels like these ideas about optimization and macros and an obsession with protein have gone forgive the obvious metaphor on steroids.There's real science behind how getting more protein in your diet is (probably) a good idea. I have even found myself influenced to try eating more protein (although with these egg prices, I'm not sure I can afford to).Still, maybe don't take things as far as Grub Street writer Chris Gayomali did, when he did this:I came across a category of people who drink chicken-breast smoothies. Rather than subjecting themselves to supplements or powders, they'll throw some shredded chicken breast into a blender with other smoothie ingredients.I was curious. Maybe this concoction could offer a perfect marriage of the unprocessed simplicity of chicken breast with the convenient efficiency of a protein bar. So after picking up a pack of chicken tenderloins at the store and boiling three (150 grams uncooked, about 48 grams of protein), I tore the chunks of flesh into the blender and added a splash of water plus everything I could find in my freezer: the crumbly end of a bag of raspberries, two bananas, some blueberries, a forgotten package of aai. The result looked like a normal berry smoothie and, on first sip, tasted like one. Then the back end arrived, coating my tongue in what I can only describe as a slick film with the viscosity and taste of a can of Campbell's Chicken Noodle Soup.I don't think I'll ever recover from visualizing that, Chris!Read more: Big Food gets jacked how protein mania took over the American grocery store. (New York Magazine's Grub Street)
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  • Everything we know about 'The Wheel of Time' season 3, including the potential death of a major character
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    "The Wheel of Time" returns for season 3 on March 13.Prime Video released the first trailer for the new season.The season will adapt the fourth book of the novel series, "The Shadow Rising."Warning: Major spoilers ahead for season two of "The Wheel of Time."The first trailer for"The Wheel of Time"season three teases explosive battles and the death of a major character ahead of the premiere on March 13."The Wheel of Time," a fantasy show based on the 15-book series of the same name, was renewed by Prime Video for a third season back in 2022, months ahead of the season two premiere.In the season two finale, the Emond's Field five Rand al'Thor (Josha Stradowski), Perrin Aybara (Marcus Rutherford), Mat Cauthon (Dnal Finn), Egwene Al'Vere (Madeleine Madden), and Nynaeve al'Meara (Zo Robins) defeat the villainous Dark One's lead minion, Ishamael (Fares Fares). He seemingly dies and fades into dust.But the fight isn't over.Moiraine (Rosamund Pike), the heroes' ally, reveals that Rand is the Dragon Reborn, a prophesied hero sent to save the world from the Dark One, which means the heroes will face more threats.In the new trailer, Moiraine appears again, saying that she saw a series of possible futures. However, she learns that her and Rand's fates are linked. In order for Rand to live to complete the prophecy, she might have to die.In the fifth book of the series, "Fires of the Heaven," Moiraine sacrifices herself to defend Rand from Lanfear (Natasha O'Keeffe), a former lover of the Dragon Reborn.Though this season is not meant to adapt the fifth book, it could shuffle around sections of the story, as the show has done with other storylines.Here's what to know about the third season.
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  • All 49 Marvel Cinematic Universe movies and TV series, ranked by critics
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    49. "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" (2023)Paul Rudd and Kathryn Newton in "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania." Marvel Studios Rotten Tomatoes score:The best part of "Quantumania," the third installment in the Paul Rudd-led "Ant-Man" series, was Jonathan Majors' introduction as the MCU's next big bad, Kang, audiences and critics agreed although, Majors' time in the MCU was short-lived as a result of his recent legal troubles.While critics had a tougher time with the miniature film, the audience score of 81% shows that fans had a good time with Scott, Hope, Hank, Janet, and Cassie down in the Quantum Realm."The general color-drenched too-muchness of it all might be tolerable if the plot wasn't such a by-the-numbers slog, alternating hyperkinetic action sequences with draggy recitations of exposition," wrote Decider's John Serba.48. "Eternals" (2021)Angelina Jolie in "Eternals." Marvel Studios Rotten Tomatoes score:"Eternals," directed by Oscar winner Chlo Zhao, attempted to introduce an entirely new team of superheroes, an alien race called the Eternals, to the MCU, and followed them from prehistoric times all the way through present day. Your mileage may vary on how successful she was but "Eternals"didintroduce Harry Styles to the MCU, so there's that."Zhao ultimately robs the artist's comic of its sweep by constantly turning a space opera into a repetitive character drama,"wrote Ed Gonzalez for Slant Magazine.47. "Captain America: Brave New World" (2025)Anthony Mackie in "Captain America: Brave New World." Eli Ad/Marvel Studios Rotten Tomatoes score:"Brave New World" sees Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) officially take over for Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) as Captain America on the big screen, while his old friend Joaquin Torres (Danny Ramirez) is the new Falcon.Sam must go up against President Thunderbolt Ross with Harrison Ford taking over for William Hurt, who died in 2022 who has somehow turned into, you guessed it, Red Hulk."Though it ties together threads from the Marvel Cinematic Universe as a whole, 'Brave New World' is neither particularly good or bad. It's just another Marvel movie," wrote Dylan Roth for the Observer.46. "Secret Invasion" (2023)Emilia Clarke in "Secret Invasion." Gareth Gatrell/Marvel Rotten Tomatoes score: 53%"Secret Invasion" continues the story of the Skrulls, a few decades after we last saw them in "Captain Marvel," as they search for a new planet with the help of Nick Fury, played by Samuel L. Jackson.But not even the all-star cast of Jackson, Emilia Clarke, Olivia Colman, Don Cheadle, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Cobie Smulders, Martin Freeman, and more could save this show from getting torn apart by critics."If a series about Nick Fury doesn't feel urgent or crucial, then the MCU is losing the battle for our attention," wrote Melanie McFarland for Salon.45. "The Marvels" (2023)Brie Larson in "The Marvels." Laura Radford/Marvel Studios Rotten Tomatoes score:"The Marvels," the long-awaited follow-up to 2019's "Captain Marvel," sees Brie Larson's Carol Danvers team up with Monica Rambeau, aka Photon (Teyonah Parris), and Kamala Khan, aka Ms. Marvel (Imani Vellani) to take down a new threat."It might not have the overwhelming impact of an 'Endgame' or even a 'Guardians 3,' but this is the MCU back on fast, funny form," wrote Empire Magazine's Helen O'Hara.44. "Thor: Love and Thunder" (2022)Chris Hemsworth in "Thor: Love and Thunder." Marvel Studios Rotten Tomatoes score:The follow-up to smash hit "Thor: Ragnarok" and the first-ever fourth solo film for an MCU hero didn't live up to expectations, at least according to critics. But we did get to see Natalie Portman return to the MCU as her version of the Mighty Thor, a couple of screaming goats, and a jaw-dropping post-credits cameo."Though Chris Hemsworth, as usual, has a lot of fun in the title role, the film around him too often strains to provide excitement and laughs," wrote Wall Street Journal's Kyle Smith.43. "Thor: The Dark World" (2013)Chris Hemsworth in "Thor: The Dark World." Marvel Studios Rotten Tomatoes score:"Thor: The Dark World" the 2013 sequel to the 2011 film stars Chris Hemsworth as the titular Norse god, Tom Hiddleston as his mischievous brother Loki, and Natalie Portman as Thor's Earth-bound love interest Jane Foster. It wasn't as well-received as its predecessor, but it has its defenders. And now, it's been ranked better than "Love and Thunder.""This feels like a really, really, expensive episode of 'Doctor Who.' In a good way,"wrote Larushka Ivan-Zadeh for Metro.42. "The Incredible Hulk" (2008)Edward Norton in "The Incredible Hulk." Universal Pictures Rotten Tomatoes score:Edward Norton took over from Eric Bana for "The Incredible Hulk," which was plagued with rumors of behind-the-scenes drama, reported by Collider, including that Norton rewrote much of the movie while it was shooting, and that there were many clashes between Norton, director Louis Leterrier, and Marvel Studios.Those dueling visions led to a moderately received comic-book film."The climax is a bit of a yawn, but most of what precedes it is vigorous and sharp,"wrote Tom Charity of CNN.41. "Echo" (2024)Alaqua Cox in "Echo." Disney+ Rotten Tomatoes score:"Echo" is a five-episode series following Maya Lopez, aka Echo, a character first introduced in "Hawkeye." After the events of "Hawkeye," when she learned that her adoptive father, Wilson Fisk, was responsible for the death of her real father, Maya returns home to her small town in Oklahoma to reckon with her mysterious past."'Echo' resists pandering in its celebration of female, Indigenous, and disabled identities, keeping it all rooted in character moments that are organic and well earned," wrote Jen Chaney for Vulture.40. "Iron Man 2" (2010)"Iron Man 2." Marvel Studios Rotten Tomatoes score:In retrospect, "Iron Man 2" had an impossible job: to build upon what is still regarded as one of the finest superhero films of all time. Perhaps that's why critics weren't too kind to "Iron Man 2," which focused on Tony Stark, aka Iron Man, being rude to everyone around him while covering up his own impending death. Oh, and Mickey Rourke is there playing Whiplash, a Russian villain who loves his bird."Casting the likes of Downey and Rourke and then imprisoning them in jointed refrigerators is resource-squandering of the highest order,"wrote Dana Stevens for Slate.39. "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" (2022)Benedict Cumberbatch in "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness." Marvel Studios Rotten Tomatoes score:Afterthe events of the Disney+ miniseries "WandaVision,"Elizabeth Olsen's Wanda Maximoff has been taken over by the dark forces of the Scarlet Witch, putting her on a collision course with Benedict Cumberbatch's Doctor Stephen Strange as he works to protect a new teenaged friend, America Chavez (played by Xochitl Gomez), from Wanda's plans."It might be Marvel's multiverse, but 'Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness' is [director Sam] Raimi's plaything. And we wouldn't want it any other way,"wrote Kristy Puchko for Mashable.38. "Avengers: Age of Ultron" (2015)"Avengers: Age of Ultron." Disney The Avengers team up once again in "Age of Ultron" to take down the nihilistic AI known as Ultron, designed as a "suit of armor around the world" by Tony Stark and Bruce Banner, aka Iron Man and the Hulk, who is hell-bent on destroying the planet at all costs."The sharp, interpersonal dramedy that made the first movie such a delight is again present in flashes, but not infrequently it is drowned out by the noisy, inevitable need to Save the World," wrote Christopher Orr for The Atlantic.37. "Thor" (2011)Chris Hemsworth in "Thor." Marvel Studios Rotten Tomatoes score:77%Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston were both nearly unknowns when they were cast as Norse gods Thor and Loki and this movie catapulted them both to the A-list almost immediately.Both Hemsworth and Hiddleston were still involved with the MCU through 2023, with Hemsworth's Thor getting a fourth solo film (a first for the MCU) and Hiddleston's Loki getting a second season of his Disney+ series (also a first for the MCU). Seeing their chemistry as brothers in this first film explains why. But in 2025, their future remains to be seen."The new Marvel Comics movie 'Thor,' directed by Kenneth Branagh, is equal parts trippy, tacky, and monumental, the blend surprisingly agreeable, a happy change from all those aggressively down-to-earth superhero flicks like 'Iron Man,'"wrote David Edelstein for Vulture.36. "Deadpool & Wolverine" (2024)Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman in "Deadpool & Wolverine." Jay Maidment/20th Century/Marvel Studios Rotten Tomatoes score:After the 2019 acquisition of 21st Century Fox by Disney, the X-Men are now finally able to become part of the MCU and the very first X-Men story brought into the universe brings Hugh Jackman as Logan/Wolverine back to the big screen. This time, he teams up with Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool, also known as the Merc with a Mouth.The two go on a rambunctious cameo-filled ride throughout the multiverse to try and save Deadpool's friends from total destruction."'Deadpool & Wolverine' is the ultimate love letter to Marvel fans: The cameos and references are aplenty and brilliant, the source material is treated with respect and, best of all, it's pure, unadulterated fun," wrote The Seattle Times' Dominic Baez.32 (tie). "Iron Man 3" (2013)Robert Downey Jr. in "Iron Man 3." Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Rotten Tomatoes score:"Iron Man 3" focuses on Tony Stark dealing with his PTSD after the events of "Avengers" aka his near-death experience flying a nuclear bomb through a wormhole in space. But the big twist of this movie, the bait-and-switch identity of the Mandarin, played by Ben Kingsley, remains this movie's biggest legacy."A thrilling film and a somewhat satisfying conclusion to the 'Iron Man' trilogy,"wrote Nicols Delgadillo for Discussing Film.32 (tie). "Captain Marvel" (2019)Brie Larson, Ben Mendelsohn, Samuel L. Jackson, and Lashana Lynch in "Captain Marvel." Disney/Marvel Rotten Tomatoes score:79%Brie Larson stars as Carol Danvers, a former US Air Force pilot who is exposed to a blast of cosmic energy in the '90s, experiences memory loss, and is taken in by an alien race called the Kree. As Carol tries to remember her past, she's introduced to a young(er) S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, a digitally de-aged Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury."The main strength is a core of female friendship: Carol Danvers is the only Marvel hero you could imagine getting hammered and belting out songs by No Doubt,"wrote The Observer's Wendy Ide.32 (tie). "Black Widow" (2021)Florence Pugh and Scarlett Johansson in "Black Widow." Marvel/Disney Rotten Tomatoes score:Set between the events of "Captain America: Civil War" and "Avengers: Infinity War," and exactly a decade after her introduction as Natasha Romanoff in "Iron Man 2," Scarlett Johansson finally starred in her own solo film with "Black Widow."The film also introduced actors Florence Pugh, David Harbour, and Rachel Weisz to the MCU, all three of whom we'd love to see again in the future and, in the case of Pugh and Harbour, we'll see them in "Thunderbolts.""In all the ways that matter to an MCU fan, 'Black Widow' the film meets or exceeds all expectations. It is a killer action flick, and a unique viewing experience... in that I loved it, and the fact that I loved it also makes me livid,"wrote Salon's Melanie McFarland.32 (tie). "She-Hulk: Attorney at Law" (2022)Tatiana Maslany in "She-Hulk: Attorney at Law." Marvel Studios Rotten Tomatoes score:Uncanny valley visual effects aside, "She-Hulk" was simply a lot of fun, led by the talented Tatiana Maslany as Jennifer Walters, cousin of Bruce Banner (aka the Hulk), gifted lawyer, and reluctant superhero.Plus, fans got to see the official reintroduction of Charlie Cox's Matt Murdock, or Daredevil, into the MCU. Can't wait for "Born Again" this year."'She-Hulk: Attorney At Law' was a massive success. It had a little bit of a bobble on the dismount, but it stuck the landing all the same. Here's hoping we see way more of Jennifer Walters in the MCU to come," wrote IGN's Amelia Emberwing.31. "Captain America: The First Avenger" (2011)Chris Evans in "Captain America: The First Avenger." Marvel Studios Rotten Tomatoes score:Simply put, Steve Rogers, aka Captain America, is the role that Chris Evans was born to play. Audiences see Evans first as a digitally altered scrawny kid from 1940s Brooklyn who, against all odds, is chosen to receive a "super soldier serum" and become Captain America due to his pure heart. With anyone else, it'd be unbearably cheesy, but Evans sells it."No clever messages here, just bang-on romance and action, with another fresh twist on 20th-century history woven in for the kids to dive into after the credits have rolled,"wrote Ed Gibbs for The Sydney Morning Herald.30. "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" (2023)Chris Pratt in "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" Marvel Studios Rotten Tomatoes score:"Vol. 3's" 82% score makes it the lowest-rated "Guardians" movie, though it has a high 94% audience score.The film serves as a swan song for this version of the Guardians, comprised of Star-Lord (Chris Pratt), Drax (Dave Bautista), Rocket (Bradley Cooper), Nebula (Karen Gillan), Groot (Vin Diesel), Gamora (Zoe Saldaa), Mantis (Pom Klementieff), and Kraglin (Sean Gunn), as well as director James Gunn in the MCU.He's now co-running DC Studios and will direct a Superman movie this year.Richard Roeper called the film "a funny, big-hearted adventure" in the Chicago-Sun Times.29. "Ant-Man" (2015)Paul Rudd in "Ant-Man." Marvel Rotten Tomatoes score:Rudd plays Scott Lang, a white-collar criminal who is enlisted to take on the mantle of Ant-Man, a shrinking superhero who used to be Michael Douglas' Hank Pym. But, as Pym is too old to suit up, he and his daughter Hope van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) teach Lang how to control ants, shrink and grow at will, and how to break into Pym's lab to take down Darren Cross (Corey Stoll)."Paul Rudd stars in a formulaic but consistently entertaining and likable Marvel summer blockbuster,"wrote NME's Nick Levine.27 (tie). "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" (2022)Letitia Wright in "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever." Marvel Studios Rotten Tomatoes score:After the tragic (and unexpected) death of Chadwick Boseman in 2020, the highly anticipated "Black Panther" sequel was rewritten to be a story of grief and mourning, while also setting up the future of Wakanda in the MCU for years to come.Lupita Nyong'o, Letitia Wright, Winston Duke, and Angela Bassett all put in stellar performances, with the latter receiving an Oscar nomination, while Tenoch Huerta introduced viewers to the underwater king Namor with a bang."A thoughtful and mature exploration of communal grief in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever' is a fitting tribute to the legacy of Chadwick Boseman," wrote Chicago Reader's Sheri Flanders.27 (tie). "Agatha All Along" (2024)Kathryn Hahn in "Agatha All Along." Chuck Zlotnick/Marvel Studios/Disney+ Rotten Tomatoes score:"Agatha All Along" is a spin-off of one of the most successful Marvel Disney+ shows, "WandaVision." Now, the spotlight is on Agatha Harkness, a formerly powerful witch whose powers were stripped and memories stolen by Wanda.But you can't keep a good witch down in this show, she teams up with an all-star cast (Patti LuPone, Aubrey Plaza, Joe Locke, Sasheer Zamata) to get her magic back at any cost."A charming concoction of snappy humor, strong performances, and enchanting nostalgia that makes for perfect pre-Halloween viewing. Kathryn Hahn's sheer magnetism alone will have you spellbound," wroteEmpire Magazine'sSophie Butcher.
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  • Diddy files $100 million lawsuit against NBCUniversal over 'Making of a Bad Boy' doc
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    Sean "Diddy" Combs has sued NBCUniversal for $100 million.The lawsuit accuses NBCUniversal of defamation by airing falsehoods in a documentary about him.The "Diddy: The Making of a Bad Boy" documentary is streaming on Peacock.Sean "Diddy" Combs has filed a defamation lawsuit against NBCUniversal over the media company's recent documentary "Diddy: The Making of a Bad Boy."The lawsuit, filed in New York state court on Wednesday, accuses NBC of "shamelessly" airing "falsehoods," including that Combs sexually assaulted minors an allegation in the documentary that Combs says was "based entirely on a false claim by an anonymous interviewee."Combs also says in the lawsuit that the documentary "maliciously" accuses him of murdering a series of rivals and close friends, including longtime partner Kimberly Porter, rappers Christopher "Biggie" Wallace, and Heavy D, given name Dwight Arrington Myers."In the Documentary, Defendants accuse Mr. Combs of horrible crimes, including serial murder and sexual assault of minors knowing that there is not a shred of evidence to support them," the lawsuit says.The lawsuit also names Peacock TV and Ample Entertainment as defendants. Peacock, an NBC subsidiary, streamed the documentary, and Ample was the production company responsible for producing it.Representatives for NBCUniversal didn't immediately return a request for comment by Business Insider. Ample couldn't immediately be reached.The defendants worked together to "line their own pockets at the expense of truth, decency, and basic standards of professional journalism," the lawsuit says of the documentary, which first aired in January."As described in today's lawsuit, NBCUniversal Media, LLC, Peacock TV, LLC, and Ample LLC made a conscious decision to line their own pockets at the expense of truth, decency, and basic standards of professional journalism," Combs' attorney, Erica Wolff, said in a statement. "Grossly exploiting the trust of their audience and racing to outdo their competition for the most salacious Diddy expos."Combs is awaiting trial in Manhattan on federal charges including racketeering and sex trafficking. He has pleaded not guilty and has repeatedly denied allegations of sexual abuse in his criminal case and in multiple lawsuits accusing him of drugging and assaulting men and women over the past two decades.The lawsuit Combs filed on Wednesday takes aim at portions of the documentary he says make false allegations against him, addressing each in strong language and lengthy detail.Combs accuses the documentary of implying he had sex with minors an allegation he says is based on a single interviewee who falsely claimed he saw two girls follow him into a room. The documentary includes the interviewee's "groundless speculation that 'for sure they were underage.'," the lawsuit says.The allegation was likely "rehashed from a baseless lawsuit seeking $30 million," Combs' lawsuit says, in a reference to a February, 2024, lawsuit filed against the rapper by music producer Rodney Jones, Jr.That lawsuit "has already been discredited by those adult women in their 30s referenced in that lawsuit who have come forward to say that they were adults at the time," Combs argues.The rap entrepreneur takes special issue in his lawsuit with a suggestion in the documentary that Combs was responsible for Porter's death.He calls Porter the mother to four of his children, his romantic partner for more than a decade, and "the love of his life." Porter died in 2018 at the age of 47 from lobar pneumonia."The Los Angeles County Coroner's Office has confirmed that her death was from natural causes and that there has never been any evidence of foul play," Combs' lawsuit says."The Documentary advances the false narrative that it cannot be a 'coincidence' that Ms. Porter and others in Mr. Combs's orbit have died, in a malicious attempt to insinuate that Mr. Combs murdered them."Of Biggie who died in a drive-by shooting in 1997 Combs says in his lawsuit, "There has never been a hint of evidence to suggest that Mr. Combs was involved in the tragic murder of his friend." Two other friends' deaths were addressed in the documentary those of music executive Andre Harrell, who suffered heart failure in 2020, and Dwight Arrington Myers, a rapper and producer who had a fatal pulmonary embolism in 2011, Combs' lawsuit says.People interviewed in the documentary, including Porter's ex Al B. Sure, speculate without evidence that Combs must have been involved with the deaths of Porter, Biggie, Harrell, and Myers, the lawsuit says."Defendants Ample and NBCU knew those statements were false or published them in reckless disregard for the truth," the suit says.This story is breaking and will be updated.
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