Cyber threats don't show up one at a time anymore. They're layered, planned, and often stay hidden until it's too late. For cybersecurity teams, the key isn't just reacting to alerts—it's spotting early signs of trouble before they become real threats. This update is designed to deliver clear, accurate insights based on real patterns and changes we can verify. With today's complex systems, we need focused analysis—not noise. What you'll see here isn't just a list of incidents, but a clear look at where control is being gained, lost, or quietly tested. ⚡ Threat of the Week Lumma Stealer, DanaBot Operations Disrupted — A coalition of private sector companies and law enforcement agencies have taken down the infrastructure associated with Lumma Stealer and DanaBot. Charges have also been unsealed against 16 individuals for their alleged involvement in the development and deployment of DanaBot. The malware is equipped to siphon data from victim computers, hijack banking sessions, and steal device information. More uniquely, though, DanaBot has also been used for hacking campaigns that appear to be linked to Russian state-sponsored interests. All of that makes DanaBot a particularly clear example of how commodity malware has been repurposed by Russian state hackers for their own goals. In tandem, about 2,300 domains that acted as the command-and-control (C2) backbone for the Lumma information stealer have been seized, alongside taking down 300 servers and neutralizing 650 domains that were used to launch ransomware attacks. The actions against international cybercrime in the past few days constituted the latest phase of Operation Endgame. Get the Guide ➝ 🔔 Top News Threat Actors Use TikTok Videos to Distribute Stealers — While ClickFix has become a popular social engineering tactic to deliver malware, threat actors have been observed using artificial intelligence (AI)-generated videos uploaded to TikTok to deceive users into running malicious commands on their systems and deploy malware like Vidar and StealC under the guise of activating pirated version of Windows, Microsoft Office, CapCut, and Spotify. "This campaign highlights how attackers are ready to weaponize whichever social media platforms are currently popular to distribute malware," Trend Micro said. APT28 Hackers Target Western Logistics and Tech Firms — Several cybersecurity and intelligence agencies from Australia, Europe, and the United States issued a joint alert warning of a state-sponsored campaign orchestrated by the Russian state-sponsored threat actor APT28 targeting Western logistics entities and technology companies since 2022. "This cyber espionage-oriented campaign targeting logistics entities and technology companies uses a mix of previously disclosed TTPs and is likely connected to these actors' wide scale targeting of IP cameras in Ukraine and bordering NATO nations," the agencies said. The attacks are designed to steal sensitive information and maintain long-term persistence on compromised hosts. Chinese Threat Actors Exploit Ivanti EPMM Flaws — The China-nexus cyber espionage group tracked as UNC5221 has been attributed to the exploitation of a pair of security flaws affecting Ivanti Endpoint Manager Mobile (EPMM) software (CVE-2025-4427 and CVE-2025-4428) to target a wide range of sectors across Europe, North America, and the Asia-Pacific region. The intrusions leverage the vulnerabilities to obtain a reverse shell and drop malicious payloads like KrustyLoader, which is known to deliver the Sliver command-and-control (C2) framework. "UNC5221 demonstrates a deep understanding of EPMM's internal architecture, repurposing legitimate system components for covert data exfiltration," EclecticIQ said. "Given EPMM's role in managing and pushing configurations to enterprise mobile devices, a successful exploitation could allow threat actors to remotely access, manipulate, or compromise thousands of managed devices across an organization." Over 100 Google Chrome Extensions Mimic Popular Tools — An unknown threat actor has been attributed to creating several malicious Chrome Browser extensions since February 2024 that masquerade as seemingly benign utilities such as DeepSeek, Manus, DeBank, FortiVPN, and Site Stats but incorporate covert functionality to exfiltrate data, receive commands, and execute arbitrary code. Links to these browser add-ons are hosted on specially crafted sites to which users are likely redirected to via phishing and social media posts. While the extensions appear to offer the advertised features, they also stealthily facilitate credential and cookie theft, session hijacking, ad injection, malicious redirects, traffic manipulation, and phishing via DOM manipulation. Several of these extensions have been taken down by Google. CISA Warns of SaaS Providers of Attacks Targeting Cloud Environments — The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) warned that SaaS companies are under threat from bad actors who are on the prowl for cloud applications with default configurations and elevated permissions. While the agency did not attribute the activity to a specific group, the advisory said enterprise backup platform Commvault is monitoring cyber threat activity targeting applications hosted in their Microsoft Azure cloud environment. "Threat actors may have accessed client secrets for Commvault's (Metallic) Microsoft 365 (M365) backup software-as-a-service (SaaS) solution, hosted in Azure," CISA said. "This provided the threat actors with unauthorized access to Commvault's customers' M365 environments that have application secrets stored by Commvault." GitLab AI Coding Assistant Flaws Could Be Used to Inject Malicious Code — Cybersecurity researchers have discovered an indirect prompt injection flaw in GitLab's artificial intelligence (AI) assistant Duo that could have allowed attackers to steal source code and inject untrusted HTML into its responses, which could then be used to direct victims to malicious websites. The attack could also leak confidential issue data, such as zero-day vulnerability details. All that's required is for the attacker to instruct the chatbot to interact with a merge request (or commit, issue, or source code) by taking advantage of the fact that GitLab Duo has extensive access to the platform. "By embedding hidden instructions in seemingly harmless project content, we were able to manipulate Duo's behavior, exfiltrate private source code, and demonstrate how AI responses can be leveraged for unintended and harmful outcomes," Legit Security said. One variation of the attack involved hiding a malicious instruction in an otherwise legitimate piece of source code, while another exploited Duo's parsing of markdown responses in real-time asynchronously. An attacker could leverage this behavior – that Duo begins rendering the output line by line rather than waiting until the entire response is generated and sending it all at once – to introduce malicious HTML code that can access sensitive data and exfiltrate the information to a remote server. The issues have been patched by GitLab following responsible disclosure. ‎️‍🔥 Trending CVEs Software vulnerabilities remain one of the simplest—and most effective—entry points for attackers. Each week uncovers new flaws, and even small delays in patching can escalate into serious security incidents. Staying ahead means acting fast. Below is this week's list of high-risk vulnerabilities that demand attention. Review them carefully, apply updates without delay, and close the doors before they're forced open. This week's list includes — CVE-2025-34025, CVE-2025-34026, CVE-2025-34027 (Versa Concerto), CVE-2025-30911 (RomethemeKit For Elementor WordPress plugin), CVE-2024-57273, CVE-2024-54780, and CVE-2024-54779 (pfSense), CVE-2025-41229 (VMware Cloud Foundation), CVE-2025-4322 (Motors WordPress theme), CVE-2025-47934 (OpenPGP.js), CVE-2025-30193 (PowerDNS), CVE-2025-0993 (GitLab), CVE-2025-36535 (AutomationDirect MB-Gateway), CVE-2025-47949 (Samlify), CVE-2025-40775 (BIND DNS), CVE-2025-20152 (Cisco Identity Services Engine), CVE-2025-4123 (Grafana), CVE-2025-5063 (Google Chrome), CVE-2025-37899 (Linux Kernel), CVE-2025-26817 (Netwrix Password Secure), CVE-2025-47947 (ModSecurity), CVE-2025-3078, CVE-2025-3079 (Canon Printers), and CVE-2025-4978 (NETGEAR). 📰 Around the Cyber World Sandworm Drops New Wiper in Ukraine — The Russia-aligned Sandworm group intensified destructive operations against Ukrainian energy companies, deploying a new wiper named ZEROLOT. "The infamous Sandworm group concentrated heavily on compromising Ukrainian energy infrastructure. In recent cases, it deployed the ZEROLOT wiper in Ukraine. For this, the attackers abused Active Directory Group Policy in the affected organizations," ESET Director of Threat Research, Jean-Ian Boutin, said. Another Russian hacking group, Gamaredon, remained the most prolific actor targeting the East European nation, enhancing malware obfuscation and introducing PteroBox, a file stealer leveraging Dropbox. Signal Says No to Recall — Signal has released a new version of its messaging app for Windows that, by default, blocks the ability of Windows to use Recall to periodically take screenshots of the app. "Although Microsoft made several adjustments over the past twelve months in response to critical feedback, the revamped version of Recall still places any content that's displayed within privacy-preserving apps like Signal at risk," Signal said. "As a result, we are enabling an extra layer of protection by default on Windows 11 in order to help maintain the security of Signal Desktop on that platform even though it introduces some usability trade-offs. Microsoft has simply given us no other option." Microsoft began officially rolling out Recall last month. Russia Introduces New Law to Track Foreigners Using Their Smartphones — The Russian government has introduced a new law that makes installing a tracking app mandatory for all foreign nationals in the Moscow region. This includes gathering their real-time locations, fingerprint, face photograph, and residential information. "The adopted mechanism will allow, using modern technologies, to strengthen control in the field of migration and will also contribute to reducing the number of violations and crimes in this area," Vyacheslav Volodin, chairman of the State Duma, said. "If migrants change their actual place of residence, they will be required to inform the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD) within three working days." A proposed four-year trial period begins on September 1, 2025, and runs until September 1, 2029. Dutch Government Passes Law to Criminalize Cyber Espionage — The Dutch government has approved a law criminalizing a wide range of espionage activities, including digital espionage, in an effort to protect national security, critical infrastructure, and high-quality technologies. Under the amended law, leaking sensitive information that is not classified as a state secret or engaging in activities on behalf of a foreign government that harm Dutch interests can also result in criminal charges. "Foreign governments are also interested in non-state-secret, sensitive information about a particular economic sector or about political decision-making," the government said. "Such information can be used to influence political processes, weaken the Dutch economy or play allies against each other. Espionage can also involve actions other than sharing information." Microsoft Announces Availability of Quantum-Resistant Algorithms to SymCrypt — Microsoft has revealed that it's making post-quantum cryptography (PQC) capabilities, including ML-KEM and ML-DSA, available for Windows Insiders, Canary Channel Build 27852 and higher, and Linux, SymCrypt-OpenSSL version 1.9.0. "This advancement will enable customers to commence their exploration and experimentation of PQC within their operational environments," Microsoft said. "By obtaining early access to PQC capabilities, organizations can proactively assess the compatibility, performance, and integration of these novel algorithms alongside their existing security infrastructure." New Malware DOUBLELOADER Uses ALCATRAZ for Obfuscation — The open-source obfuscator ALCATRAZ has been seen within a new generic loader dubbed DOUBLELOADER, which has been deployed alongside Rhadamanthys Stealer infections starting December 2024. The malware collects host information, requests an updated version of itself, and starts beaconing to a hardcoded IP address (185.147.125[.]81) stored within the binary. "Obfuscators such as ALCATRAZ end up increasing the complexity when triaging malware," Elastic Security Labs said. "Its main goal is to hinder binary analysis tools and increase the time of the reverse engineering process through different techniques; such as hiding the control flow or making decompilation hard to follow." New Formjacking Campaign Targets WooCommerce Sites — Cybersecurity researchers have detected a sophisticated formjacking campaign targeting WooCommerce sites. The malware, per Wordfence, injects a fake but professional-looking payment form into legitimate checkout processes and exfiltrates sensitive customer data to an external server. Further analysis has revealed that the infection likely originated from a compromised WordPress admin account, which was used to inject malicious JavaScript via a Simple Custom CSS and JS plugin (or something similar) that allows administrators to add custom code. "Unlike traditional card skimmers that simply overlay existing forms, this variant carefully integrates with the WooCommerce site's design and payment workflow, making it particularly difficult for site owners and users to detect," the WordPress security company said. "The malware author repurposed the browser's localStorage mechanism – typically used by websites to remember user preferences – to silently store stolen data and maintain access even after page reloads or when navigating away from the checkout page." E.U. Sanctions Stark Industries — The European Union (E.U.) has announced sanctions against 21 individuals and six entities in Russia over its "destabilising actions" in the region. One of the sanctioned entities is Stark Industries, a bulletproof hosting provider that has been accused of acting as "enablers of various Russian state-sponsored and affiliated actors to conduct destabilising activities including, information manipulation interference and cyber attacks against the Union and third countries." The sanctions also target its CEO Iurie Neculiti and owner Ivan Neculiti. Stark Industries was previously spotlighted by independent cybersecurity journalist Brian Krebs, detailing its use in DDoS attacks in Ukraine and across Europe. In August 2024, Team Cymru said it discovered 25 Stark-assigned IP addresses used to host domains associated with FIN7 activities and that it had been working with Stark Industries for several months to identify and reduce abuse of their systems. The sanctions have also targeted Kremlin-backed manufacturers of drones and radio communication equipment used by the Russian military, as well as those involved in GPS signal jamming in Baltic states and disrupting civil aviation. The Mask APT Unmasked as Tied to the Spanish Government — The mysterious threat actor known as The Mask (aka Careto) has been identified as run by the Spanish government, according to a report published by TechCrunch, citing people who worked at Kaspersky at the time and had knowledge of the investigation. The Russian cybersecurity company first exposed the hacking group in 2014, linking it to highly sophisticated attacks since at least 2007 targeting high-profile organizations, such as governments, diplomatic entities, and research institutions. A majority of the group's attacks have targeted Cuba, followed by hundreds of victims in Brazil, Morocco, Spain, and Gibraltar. While Kaspersky has not publicly attributed it to a specific country, the latest revelation makes The Mask one of the few Western government hacking groups that has ever been discussed in public. This includes the Equation Group, the Lamberts (the U.S.), and Animal Farm (France). Social Engineering Scams Target Coinbase Users — Earlier this month, cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase revealed that it was the victim of a malicious attack perpetrated by unknown threat actors to breach its systems by bribing customer support agents in India and siphon funds from nearly 70,000 customers. According to Blockchain security firm SlowMist, Coinbase users have been the target of social engineering scams since the start of the year, bombarding with SMS messages claiming to be fake withdrawal requests and seeking their confirmation as part of a "sustained and organized scam campaign." The goal is to induce a false sense of urgency and trick them into calling a number, eventually convincing them to transfer the funds to a secure wallet with a seed phrase pre-generated by the attackers and ultimately drain the assets. It's assessed that the activities are primarily carried out by two groups: low-level skid attackers from the Com community and organized cybercrime groups based in India. "Using spoofed PBX phone systems, scammers impersonate Coinbase support and claim there's been 'unauthorized access' or 'suspicious withdrawals' on the user's account," SlowMist said. "They create a sense of urgency, then follow up with phishing emails or texts containing fake ticket numbers or 'recovery links.'" Delta Can Sue CrowdStrike Over July 2024 Mega Outage — Delta Air Lines, which had its systems crippled and almost 7,000 flights canceled in the wake of a massive outage caused by a faulty update issued by CrowdStrike in mid-July 2024, has been given the green light to pursue to its lawsuit against the cybersecurity company. A judge in the U.S. state of Georgia stating Delta can try to prove that CrowdStrike was grossly negligent by pushing a defective update to its Falcon software to customers. The update crashed 8.5 million Windows devices across the world. Crowdstrike previously claimed that the airline had rejected technical support offers both from itself and Microsoft. In a statement shared with Reuters, lawyers representing CrowdStrike said they were "confident the judge will find Delta's case has no merit, or will limit damages to the 'single-digit millions of dollars' under Georgia law." The development comes months after MGM Resorts International agreed to pay $45 million to settle multiple class-action lawsuits related to a data breach in 2019 and a ransomware attack the company experienced in 2023. Storm-1516 Uses AI-Generated Media to Spread Disinformation — The Russian influence operation known as Storm-1516 (aka CopyCop) sought to spread narratives that undermined the European support for Ukraine by amplifying fabricated stories on X about European leaders using drugs while traveling by train to Kyiv for peace talks. One of the posts was subsequently shared by Russian state media and Maria Zakharova, a senior official in Russia's foreign ministry, as part of what has been described as a coordinated disinformation campaign by EclecticIQ. The activity is also notable for the use of synthetic content depicting French President Emmanuel Macron, U.K. Labour Party leader Keir Starmer, and German chancellor Friedrich Merz of drug possession during their return from Ukraine. "By attacking the reputation of these leaders, the campaign likely aimed to turn their own voters against them, using influence operations (IO) to reduce public support for Ukraine by discrediting the politicians who back it," the Dutch threat intelligence firm said. Turkish Users Targeted by DBatLoader — AhnLab has disclosed details of a malware campaign that's distributing a malware loader called DBatLoader (aka ModiLoader) via banking-themed banking emails, which then acts as a conduit to deliver SnakeKeylogger, an information stealer developed in .NET. "The DBatLoader malware distributed through phishing emails has the cunning behavior of exploiting normal processes (easinvoker.exe, loader.exe) through techniques such as DLL side-loading and injection for most of its behaviors, and it also utilizes normal processes (cmd.exe, powershell.exe, esentutl.exe, extrac32.exe) for behaviors such as file copying and changing policies," the company said. SEC SIM-Swapper Sentenced to 14 Months for SEC X Account Hack — A 26-year-old Alabama man, Eric Council Jr., has been sentenced to 14 months in prison and three years of supervised release for using SIM swapping attacks to breach the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's (SEC) official X account in January 2024 and falsely announced that the SEC approved Bitcoin (BTC) Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs). Council Jr. (aka Ronin, Agiantschnauzer, and @EasyMunny) was arrested in October 2024 and pleaded guilty to the crime earlier this February. He has also been ordered to forfeit $50,000. According to court documents, Council used his personal computer to search incriminating phrases such as "SECGOV hack," "telegram sim swap," "how can I know for sure if I am being investigated by the FBI," "What are the signs that you are under investigation by law enforcement or the FBI even if you have not been contacted by them," "what are some signs that the FBI is after you," "Verizon store list," "federal identity theft statute," and "how long does it take to delete telegram account." FBI Warns of Malicious Campaign Impersonating Government Officials — The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is warning of a new campaign that involves malicious actors impersonating senior U.S. federal or state government officials and their contacts to target individuals since April 2025. "The malicious actors have sent text messages and AI-generated voice messages — techniques known as smishing and vishing, respectively — that claim to come from a senior US official in an effort to establish rapport before gaining access to personal accounts," the FBI said. "One way the actors gain such access is by sending targeted individuals a malicious link under the guise of transitioning to a separate messaging platform." From there, the actor may present malware or introduce hyperlinks that lead intended targets to an actor-controlled site that steals login information. DICOM Flaw Enables Attackers to Embed Malicious Code Within Medical Image Files — Praetorian has released a proof-of-concept (PoC) for a high-severity security flaw in Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM), predominant file format for medical images, that enables attackers to embed malicious code within legitimate medical image files. CVE-2019-11687 (CVSS score: 7.8), originally disclosed in 2019 by Markel Picado Ortiz, stems from a design decision that allows arbitrary content at the start of the file, otherwise called the Preamble, which enables the creation of malicious polyglots. Codenamed ELFDICOM, the PoC extends the attack surface to Linux environments, making it a much more potent threat. As mitigations, it's advised to implement a DICOM preamble whitelist. "DICOM's file structure inherently allows arbitrary bytes at the beginning of the file, where Linux and most operating systems will look for magic bytes," Praetorian researcher Ryan Hennessee said. "[The whitelist] would check a DICOM file's preamble before it is imported into the system. This would allow known good patterns, such as 'TIFF' magic bytes, or '\x00' null bytes, while files with the ELF magic bytes would be blocked." Cookie-Bite Attack Uses Chrome Extension to Steal Session Tokens — Cybersecurity researchers have demonstrated a new attack technique called Cookie-Bite that employs custom-made malicious browser extensions to steal "ESTAUTH" and "ESTSAUTHPERSISTNT" cookies in Microsoft Azure Entra ID and bypass multi-factor authentication (MFA). The attack has multiple moving parts to it: A custom Chrome extension that monitors authentication events and captures cookies; a PowerShell script that automates the extension deployment and ensures persistence; an exfiltration mechanism to send the cookies to a remote collection point; and a complementary extension to inject the captured cookies into the attacker's browser. "Threat actors often use infostealers to extract authentication tokens directly from a victim's machine or buy them directly through darkness markets, allowing adversaries to hijack active cloud sessions without triggering MFA," Varonis said. "By injecting these cookies while mimicking the victim's OS, browser, and network, attackers can evade Conditional Access Policies (CAPs) and maintain persistent access." Authentication cookies can also be stolen using adversary-in-the-middle (AitM) phishing kits in real-time, or using rogue browser extensions that request excessive permissions to interact with web sessions, modify page content, and extract stored authentication data. Once installed, the extension can access the browser's storage API, intercept network requests, or inject malicious JavaScript into active sessions to harvest real-time session cookies. "By leveraging stolen session cookies, an adversary can bypass authentication mechanisms, gaining seamless entry into cloud environments without requiring user credentials," Varonis said. "Beyond initial access, session hijacking can facilitate lateral movement across the tenant, allowing attackers to explore additional resources, access sensitive data, and escalate privileges by abusing existing permissions or misconfigured roles." 🎥 Cybersecurity Webinars Non-Human Identities: The AI Backdoor You're Not Watching → AI agents rely on Non-Human Identities (like service accounts and API keys) to function—but these are often left untracked and unsecured. As attackers shift focus to this hidden layer, the risk is growing fast. In this session, you'll learn how to find, secure, and monitor these identities before they're exploited. Join the webinar to understand the real risks behind AI adoption—and how to stay ahead. Inside the LOTS Playbook: How Hackers Stay Undetected → Attackers are using trusted sites to stay hidden. In this webinar, Zscaler experts share how they detect these stealthy LOTS attacks using insights from the world's largest security cloud. Join to learn how to spot hidden threats and improve your defense. 🔧 Cybersecurity Tools ScriptSentry → It is a free tool that scans your environment for dangerous logon script misconfigurations—like plaintext credentials, insecure file/share permissions, and references to non-existent servers. These overlooked issues can enable lateral movement, privilege escalation, or even credential theft. ScriptSentry helps you quickly identify and fix them across large Active Directory environments. Aftermath → It is a Swift-based, open-source tool for macOS incident response. It collects forensic data—like logs, browser activity, and process info—from compromised systems, then analyzes it to build timelines and track infection paths. Deploy via MDM or run manually. Fast, lightweight, and ideal for post-incident investigation. AI Red Teaming Playground Labs → It is an open-source training suite with hands-on challenges designed to teach security professionals how to red team AI systems. Originally developed for Black Hat USA 2024, the labs cover prompt injections, safety bypasses, indirect attacks, and Responsible AI failures. Built on Chat Copilot and deployable via Docker, it's a practical resource for testing and understanding real-world AI vulnerabilities. 🔒 Tip of the Week Review and Revoke Old OAuth App Permissions — They're Silent Backdoor → You've likely logged into apps using "Continue with Google," "Sign in with Microsoft," or GitHub/Twitter/Facebook logins. That's OAuth. But did you know many of those apps still have access to your data long after you stop using them? Why it matters: Even if you delete the app or forget it existed, it might still have ongoing access to your calendar, email, cloud files, or contact list — no password needed. If that third-party gets breached, your data is at risk. What to do: Go through your connected apps here: Google: myaccount.google.com/permissions Microsoft: account.live.com/consent/Manage GitHub: github.com/settings/applications Facebook: facebook.com/settings?tab=applications Revoke anything you don't actively use. It's a fast, silent cleanup — and it closes doors you didn't know were open. Conclusion Looking ahead, it's not just about tracking threats—it's about understanding what they reveal. Every tactic used, every system tested, points to deeper issues in how trust, access, and visibility are managed. As attackers adapt quickly, defenders need sharper awareness and faster response loops. The takeaways from this week aren't just technical—they speak to how teams prioritize risk, design safeguards, and make choices under pressure. Use these insights not just to react, but to rethink what "secure" really needs to mean in today's environment. Found this article interesting? 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Shutterstock 2025-05-24T10:44:01Z Save Saved Read in app This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now. Have an account? This post originally appeared in the BI Today newsletter. You can sign up for Business Insider's daily newsletter here. Welcome back to our Saturday edition! Are you headed to the movie theater this weekend to see Tom Cruise's next big flick, "Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning"? Find out why he's had such staying power. Hint: It rhymes with punts.On the agenda:Living in the forest for four years shaved a decade off a researcher's biological age.Rich Americans are booking fancy vacations. Everyone else is cutting back.Morgan Wallen is the man of the moment because of his controversies, not in spite of them.A week on Mexico's "Happy Coast," the hidden getaway of the wealthy.But first: It's cookout time.If this was forwarded to you, sign up here. Download Business Insider's app here.This week's dispatchIt's time to sizzle and serve gorodenkoff/Getty Images Summer, is that you? :squints:With Memorial Day on Monday serving as the unofficial kick-off for summer, it's my favorite time of the year — grilling season. Get out the burgers. Get out the hot dogs. And if you'd rather not eat meat, get out the vegetables.Luckily for you, BI's Lifestyle team has been speaking with various chefs for tips on how to ensure people will be coming back to your grill asking for more.Chef Alissa Fitzgerald tells BI that a good burger starts with the kind of beef you buy. Try to aim for beef with "80% meat and 20% fat," allow them to thaw completely, and don't season them too early."Right before placing it on the grill, take a large pinch of kosher salt and gently cover the outside of the patty with a thin layer," she suggests. "Add the burger salt-side down on the grill and sprinkle some on the other side."If you're putting other types of meat on the grill, however, like steaks, you'll want to season them "a few hours before you plan on cooking it and let it sit in the fridge," Chef Marcus Jacobs tells BI.Meanwhile, when grilling chicken, Jacobs suggests creating a "blend of salt, white and black pepper, paprika, coriander, and several different types of chilies."No matter how you season or what you're throwing on the grill, check out the chefs' other tips to make sure you're not the talk of the neighborhood for the wrong reason.Touching grass David Furman When David Furman discovered his body was prematurely aging because of stress, he and his family moved to a one-room cabin in the woods to reset. Furman changed what they ate and how he exercised, and scaled back use of electronics.To his delight, the experiment worked: It dramatically improved his longevity and energy. He continues to reap the benefits now, even after leaving the forest.Travel is for the rich now Slim Aarons/Getty Images Almost half of summer travelers this year make over $100,000, according to a Deloitte survey. The wealth gap is growing, and middle-income vacationers are either staying home or opting for more budget-friendly trips.Even as demand wavers, luxury travel is booming. New accommodations are under construction, and "luxury" short-term rentals are increasing in price faster than other listings.Morgan Wallen's country John Shearer/Getty Images There's nothing sonically special about Morgan Wallen's music, and he has a habit of attracting controversy. Still, in the wake of scandals involving slurs and disorderly conduct, Wallen is more popular than ever.That's because Wallen's messiness is a key part of his brand, writes BI's Callie Ahlgrim. Fans see his scandals as proof of his authenticity, and he embodies an idea of freedom.A Happy Coast hideaway Monica Humphries/Business Insider A 155-mile stretch of Mexico's Pacific coast is a quiet vacation hot spot for the ultrawealthy. Costalegre, Spanish for "Happy Coast," is practically impossible to reach — for those without a private jet, at least.BI's Monica Humphries spent a week resort-hopping in Costalegre. Each had a different appeal, from the neighborhood feel and star-studded history at Careyes to the ATVs and private beaches at Las Alamandas.What we're watching this weekend Netflix; Chelsea Jia Feng/BI "Sirens": Julianne Moore, "The White Lotus" actor Meghann Fahy, and "House of the Dragon" standout Milly Alcock all star in Netflix's new dark comedy set in a beachside town."The Last of Us": Season two of HBO's TV show adaptation of the popular video game series ends this weekend."Nine Perfect Strangers": Nicole Kidman returns as a wellness guru in season two of the Hulu series, this time set in the Austrian Alps.See the full list iStock; Rebecca Zisser/BI Deals we loveMemorial Day savings: Mattresses are almost always on sale, but our deal experts know that Memorial Day is when we see the steepest discounts. Here are the best mattress deals for the holiday weekend.Business (Insider) casual: Our men's style editors are here to help you look sharp at the office without feeling stiff. Check out our brand-new guide to the best men's business casual clothes for work.Le Creuset vs. Staub: Our kitchen experts hate to break it to you, but there's a reason the more expensive option is better. Here's why we recommend Le Creuset.More of this week's top reads:I stayed at a luxurious resort in Barbados with my young daughter. From the private pool to the stunning beach, our stay was nearly perfect.Keke Palmer said she didn't feel adequately paid in Hollywood until Jordan Peele's 'Nope' — two decades into her career.Four sandal trends that are in this summer and four that are out, according to stylists and designers.The patent behind a $182 cult-favorite skincare product recently expired. So where are all the dupes?I visited the most expensive city in Utah and spotted five signs of over-the-top wealth and luxury.Beyoncé and Sabrina Carpenter's choreographer shares how she gets her clients so fit they can sing and dance — in just 12 weeks.Five style mistakes a menswear designer wishes you would stop making.A 56-year-old personal trainer on how to build muscle after 40 — with rucking, body weight exercises, and short workouts.I visited Universal's new theme park, Epic Universe. I see why some people wouldn't like it, but I'd happily go back.The BI Today team: Dan DeFrancesco, deputy editor and anchor, in New York City. Grace Lett, editor, in New York. Lisa Ryan, executive editor, in New York. Amanda Yen, associate editor, in New York. Elizabeth Casolo, fellow, in Chicago.

After eight seasons and over 200 guest stars, the adult animated franchise "Big Mouth" premiered its final season on Friday.Though it never reached the viewership numbers of behemoths like "Bridgerton" or "Stranger Things," it's one of the streamer's longest running original scripted shows.Across eight years, the series has won five Emmys and inspired the 2022 spin-off, "Human Resources." Season eight concludes the series, which was created by Nick Kroll, his childhood best friend Andrew Goldberg, Jennifer Flackett, and Mark Levin.The season follows a group of teens entering Bridgeton High School and having to rediscover their identities in the new school.As with previous seasons, the teens' hormones, feelings, and mental illnesses are personified through various creatures that appear to help guide the teens through the ups and downs of puberty. Nick Kroll plays Nick and Maury. Nick Kroll plays numerous characters in "Big Mouth." Courtesy of Netflix / Charley Gallay / Getty Images for Netflix Kroll played several human characters, including Nick Birch, the series' lead character, who was inspired by Kroll's childhood.Kroll also played Lola Skumpy and Coach Steve, Andrew's hormone monster, Maury, and Nick's hormone monster, Rick.Kroll is known for starring in the FX comedy "The League," creating and starring in his own sketch series "Kroll Show," and creating the "Big Mouth" spinoff series "Human Resources." John Mulaney plays Andrew Glouberman. John Mulaney plays Andrew, who is inspired by series co-creator Andrew Goldberg. Courtesy of Netflix Andrew Glouberman, a boy obsessed with masturbation, is Nick Birch's best friend who joins him on his adventure through puberty.John Mulaney, a comedian and former "Saturday Night Live" writer, plays the character. Mulaney has starred in other animated movies, including "Puss in Boots: The Last Wish" and "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse." Jessi Klein plays Jessi Glaser. Jessi Klein is a producer and writer. Charley Gallay / Getty Images for Netflix / Courtesy of Netflix Jessi Klein plays Jessi Glaser, a close friend of Nick and Andrew's who explores her sexuality and struggles with depression and her parents' divorce.Klein is best known for her writing and producing work, having previously produced "Inside Amy Schumer," "Transparent," and "Dead to Me." Maya Rudolph plays Connie LaCienega and Diane Birch. Maya Rudolph has won four Emmys for her performance as Connie. Will Heath / NBC via Getty Images / Courtesy of Netflix Maya Rudolph plays two characters in the series — Connie LaCienega, the hormone monster for Jessi, and Diane Birch, Nick's mother.Rudolph, who rose to fame as a cast member on "Saturday Night Live," has won four primetime Emmy Awards for her performance in "Big Mouth" and has starred in numerous movies and TV shows, including "Bridesmaids," "The Good Place," and "The Lego Movie 2." Ayo Edebiri plays Missy Foreman-Greenwald. Ayo Edebiri played Missy from seasons five to eight. Charley Gallay / Getty Images for Netflix / Courtesy of Netflix Missy is a nerdy biracial classmate of Andrew, Jessi, and Nick's.In the first four seasons, Jenny Slate voiced the character, but she stepped down from the role in 2020, announcing on Instagram that black people should play black characters.Slate was replaced with Ayo Edebiri as Missy began to explore her Black identity in the show.Edebiri is best known for her breakout roles in the 2020s in "Bottoms" and "The Bear." Thandiwe Newton plays Mona. Thandiwe Newton plays a British hormone monster. Rodin Eckenroth / Film Magic / Getty / Courtesy of Netflix Thandiwe Newton played Missy's British hormone monster, Mona.Newton is known for starring in "Westworld," "Mission: Impossible II," and "Solo: A Star Wars Story." Jason Mantzoukas plays Jay Bilzerian. Jason Mantzoukas is known for playing chaotic characters like Jay. Charley Gallay / Getty Images for Netflix / Courtesy of Netflix Jay Bilzerian, a sex-obsessed bisexual boy, is another friend of Andrew, Nick, and Jessi's.Mantzoukas is a comedian who has previously played equally wacky characters in "Brooklyn Nine-Nine," "The Good Place," and "The League." Andrew Rannells plays Matthew MacDell. Andrew Rannells is the voice behind Matthew. Charley Gallay / Getty Images for Netflix Matthew MacDell, a gossipy gay student, was initially a secondary character in the first few seasons but became one of the main characters after season 3, developing relationships with Jay and Jessi.Broadway and screen actor Andrew Rannells has starred in "The Prom" and "Girls" and has a vibrant voice-acting career, appearing on shows like "Sonic X," "Pokémon," and "Invincible." David Thewlis plays The Shame Wizard. David Thewlis plays a spectre known as The Shame Wizard. Lisa Maree Williams / Getty Images / Courtesy of Netflix David Thewlis joined the cast in season two as the Shame Wizard, who will mock and bully the children to amplify their shame around their mistakes.Thewlis previously starred in multiple "Harry Potter" movies, "Wonder Woman," and "The Theory of Everything." Jean Smart plays Depression Kitty. Jean Smart played Depression Kitty since season two. Frazer Harrison / Getty Images / Courtesy of Netflix Depression Kitty first shows up in season two after Jessi starts to develop strong negative emotions amid her parents' divorce. Since then, Depression Kitty has made a few appearances across the show.Jean Smart, an Emmy-winning actor who stars in "Hacks," played Depression Kitty. Maria Bamford plays Tito the Anxiety Mosquito. Tito (Maria Bamford) has had recurring appearances since season four. Dia Dipasupil / Getty Images / Courtesy of Netflix. Tito the Anxiety Mosquito embodies the children's anxiety, first appearing in season four. Comedian Maria Bamford is known for her comedy specials as well as her Netflix show "Lady Dynamite." Zazie Beetz plays Danni. Zazie Beetz only starred in season 7. Amy Sussman / Getty Images / Netflix Danni is a student Nick meets in season seven when considering attending a private school.Zazie Beetz is known for her roles in "Atlanta," "Deadpool 2," "Joker," and "Bullet Train." Megan Thee Stallion plays Megan. Megan Thee Stallion made a cameo in "Big Mouth" season 7 as Megan the hormone monstress. David Crotty / Patrick McMullan via Getty Images / Netflix In season seven, Megan Thee Stallion guest stars as Megan, a hormone monster for Danni.Megan Thee Stallion is better known for her rapping career, though she has also starred in Disney+'s "She-Hulk: Attorney At Law" and the 2023 movie "Dicks: The Musical." Jordan Peele plays the ghost of Duke Ellington. The ghost of Duke Ellington (Jordan Peele) was a major supporting character in the first few seasons. Unique Nicole / WireImage / Netflix One of Nick's friends is the ghost of jazz pianist Duke Ellington, who lives in the teen's attic.Jordan Peele is the voice behind the ghost. He also played Missy's father, Cyrus Foreman-Greenwald.Peele is an Oscar-winning horror director and comedy actor best known for directing "Get Out," "Nope," and "Us" and starring in "Key and Peele." Brian Tyree Henry plays Elijah. Brian Tyree Henry joined the cast in season six. Jamie McCarthy / Getty Images / Netflix Elijah, an asexual Christian student, appears in seasons six and seven, building a relationship with Missy. They broke up after graduating from middle school.Brian Tyree Henry, known for his roles in "Atlanta," "Bullet Train," and Marvel's "Eternals," plays Elijah. Henry has voice acting experience from starring in the "Spider-Verse" movies as Miles Morales' father, Jefferson. Natasha Lyonne plays Ms. Dunn. Natasha Lyonne stars as a sex-ed teacher in "Big Mouth" season eight. The Hapa Blonde / GC Images / Getty Images / Courtesy of Netflix Natasha Lyonne guest stars in the final season as sex-ed teacher Ms. Dunn. Lyonne has also made cameos in previous seasons playing Suzette Saint James, Jay's pillow girlfriend, and Nadia Vulvokov, the character Lyonne plays in Netflix's "Russian Doll."Lyonne is best known for starring in "American Pie," "Orange is the New Black," and "Poker Face." Ali Wong plays Ali. Ali Wong joined the cast in season three, playing a transfer student. Jeff Kravitz / FilmMagic via Getty Images Ali Wong joined "Big Mouth" in season three, playing the pansexual transfer student Ali.Wong is a comedian who has previously starred in other Netflix originals like "Beef" and "Always Be My Maybe." Keke Palmer plays Rochelle. Keke Palmer is the voice actor behind the "Big Mouth" character Rochelle. Emma McIntyre / WireImage / Courtesy of Netflix "Big Mouth" season five introduced the concept of Hateworms and Lovebugs, who strengthen the children's emotions. Rochelle, played by Keke Palmer, was Missy's Hateworm but later transformed into her Lovebug.Palmer is best known for starring in "True Jackson, VP," "One of Them Days," and "Nope."

This article contains spoilers for Big Mouth season 8. It’s become increasingly rare for a streaming series to end on its own terms, especially when that series has run for eight seasons and revolves around the uncontrollable hormonal impulses of a bunch of teenagers.  Big Mouth made waves upon its premiere back in 2017, yet it’s grown into one of Netflix’s longest-running shows and a program that’s experienced as many changes as its adolescent protagonists. The series is comfortable indulging in its cruder and more mature impulses, whether that’s relentless Hormone Monsters or anthropomorphic genitals. That being said, there’s an undeniable heart to Big Mouth and it’s an animated comedy that actually strives to educate and enlighten, as wild as that may seem, as it preaches inclusivity and a truly modern world of sex, relationships, and identity.  As Big Mouth reaches its splashy big finish with its eighth season, the comedy’s co-creators — Andrew Goldberg, Jennifer Flackett, and Mark Levin — open up on their animated project’s farewell year. Goldberg, Flackett, and Levin get candid on Big Mouth’s latest changes as its characters acclimate to high school, the highs and lows of pornography, and their trepidation over sticking the landing. Also: the one storyline that was almost turned into its own interactive episode! DEN OF GEEK: It’s been so much fun to see this series evolve since its beginning. Is it satisfying to get the rare luxury of bringing many of these characters’ stories to fruition across eight seasons as they all find their respective cliques and learn a little more about themselves? MARK LEVIN: I mean, it is a rare treat to be able to tell a story that long and to be able to really explore these characters in depth over so much time. To have anyone’s puberty last eight years is pretty cool.  JENNIFER FLACKETT: But also to age the characters and to have animation that changes was not something that [we anticipated]. Andrew often talks about the fact, because he’s from Family Guy. He never thought that the character models would change and we hadn’t really talked about that. Then when we realized that the show’s all about changes, that was really interesting to us.  ML: Also, to have the runway to be able to know that we were going to close out the show, and to be very thoughtful and intentional in our approach to that, was great. We went on a retreat with the writers in advance of season eight to just talk about everything and wrestling with this big idea. Ultimately, the big question was, “How do you end a story about characters who are just beginning their story – their lives,” you know? That’s the conclusion of the future being the thing they have to wrestle with most–the unknown of the future.  I’m glad you touched on that too, because I do think there are always really high expectations that surround any series finale and I think you guys handled this one very gracefully. Was this always kind of the ending that you had envisioned for the show? Did it change over time? ANDREW GOLDBERG: No, we don’t have plans. We even like to figure out each season with our staff as we go. I mean, it would be great if we had a plan from the very beginning, but we did not, and like Mark said, we really came into season eight with this dilemma of “how do you tell the end of a story about kids who are just starting out?” I remember when we were first talking about what the final episode would be, Gil Ozeri, who wrote it, kind of looked at us and was like, “Well, you guys, it’s your show. What do you think? What is the show about?” And I was like, “I don’t know.” Mark thought that the most salient thing that we’ve learned over the years is that the show is about this idea that you’re not alone. That was sort of our guiding principle for the final episode, too. This idea that the future is scary and unknown, but you’re not alone. You have your friends to go into it with.  Were there any other series finales that you looked to for inspiration? I felt the tiniest bit of Moonlighting in terms of the characters’ universe kind of being dismantled around them. Join our mailing list Get the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox! AG: Not really. I wanted to do that Andrew was masturbating and right before he comes, it cuts to black, and we don’t know if he comes or not or if he gets shot by the guy in the diner. Nobody else got on board with that. JF: I will say, like when you were just talking about it – to me Cheers and Mary Tyler Moore–  AG: Cheers was a great finale.  JF: Those were two great finales that were funny and were emotional. That has always been our guiding light with Big Mouth. We didn’t really realize when we first started how important the emotionality was going to be. That these were kids with big feelings and everything mattered so much. So I think just that idea–we knew we wanted the end to be emotional, but it was also emotional for us! When we had our final table read and all those kids walked off, everyone was crying. So, I think that also a big part of it, too – being funny, emotional, and that we really wanted to do well by these characters. We wanted to feel like the future was pretty bright for them. AG: Sometimes with finales, shows try to reinvent the wheel. They’ll make the finale its whole own thing. As a fan, I always like a finale that’s just like a really good episode of the show. That was also one of our goals and one of the reasons why we went back to the middle school for the finale because that was the heart of the show. Big Mouth is obviously very silly, but it pushes some really important messages, too. It’s filled with encouraging examples of representation as well. Which storyline or piece of character development are you the most proud of bringing to life here? JF: I just think we all learned so much about human sexuality and human development making this show. I can really say I learned a lot and I feel like we really created something where the things that we learned–we really wanted to tell people about things like female pleasure. I did not think that was a story that I was going to do. Like, I knew there’d be periods. I knew there’d be masturbation, right? But beyond that–going into asexuality and all these things that really came from real students that we spoke to who said, “I don’t feel represented.” That was really interesting and we didn’t really know about that. I think that always interested us in all these different ways. Consent is something – both in the first and the last season – that we really talk about in a specific kind of way. Those were things we learned as the world changed. The world changed so much while we were making the show, so we had to really keep abreast of everything.  And Holly Hunter is Compassion. I really will say that Holly Hunter’s Compassion was a real thrill for all of us.  AG: I agree that the learning experience of making this show has been incredible and the breadth of who we’ve learned from. We had this moment in season one where we did “Girls Are Horny Too,” where we realized–we had read Peggy Orenstein’s book, Girls & Sex, and she had come to the writers’ room to talk to us. One of the things that she writes about is that in sex ed, we teach boys about their boners and ejaculation and girls about menstruation. We don’t teach–we don’t imply to girls as we’re teaching about sex–that they’re supposed to experience pleasure, too. We realized, “Oh my God, our first episode is literally about a boy masturbating and in the second episode a girl gets her period. We did the very thing that we’re not supposed to do. So we course-corrected with the fifth episode of the first season, “Girls Are Horny Too.”  Then, like Jen said, the idea for having an asexual kid was totally born out of how we speak to teenagers every year with their sex ed teacher, Shafia Zaloum, who’s a great sex ed teacher in the Bay Area. That storyline came directly from one of her students being like, “Hey, I’m asexual, and I’d really love to see a character like me on TV.” We were like, “Absolutely.” He actually read scripts for us and gave us his thoughts. It was a really great collaboration. So, we’ve had this amazing experience where we’re learning from experts, but also from teenagers; from kids. The pornography episode from this season is really strong, but it’s also exciting that you’re able to do an episode that helps normalize pornography, break it down, but also explore the more toxic behavior it can reinforce, too. Did this feel like significant subject matter to explore? JF: Well, that’s always how we like to explore any topic: like we’re having a conversation. The first one was about the head push and if it’s okay or if it’s not okay. We were like, “Oh, that’s got to go in the show.” Our kids need to basically be having the same conversation that we’re having. That’s often a way that leads us, but it was actually my daughter who was talking about guys and their relationship with porn. She was like, “It’s really kind of ruined them and it’s such a bummer.” So when we were coming into this last season, I thought that we should explore that. We had done porn in the very first season, but it didn’t get to the heart of the problem.  AG: It was more of an addiction story.  JF: It was more of an addiction story. It wasn’t really a porn story. We really realized–and this was another thing we talked to a lot of people about–just about how porn was becoming sex education and how unfortunate that is and what do we do about it. How do you masturbate again when you’ve gotten used to porn? All those things. It’s not just one thing. It turned out it was a lot of things, all of which play out over three episodes. You really get the chance to realize what’s going on and how it can actually affect your life in all these different ways. AG: We had this really cool experience where–as we were figuring out that story, we always, every season, meet with a group of teenagers via Zoom and really pick their brains and ask them questions. This time, for the first time ever, we split them up between boys and girls because we wanted to hear what the boys had to say and what the girls had to say. It was amazing just the disconnect that seemed to occur where – at least for the groups of kids that we talked to – the boys were kind of like, “We get it. Porn isn’t real. It doesn’t actually affect the way we behave.” While the girls were like, “No.” They did not feel the same way. JF: It was shocking, but true! All that was just so  interesting.  Absolutely, and then to have your characters at an age where they can emulate that behavior, too. I always love when the show will do a bit of a concept episode that does something structurally different, like the penultimate entry that has the whole grab bag of odds and ends formula. I think that’s such a smart way to touch on a bunch of stuff that couldn’t organically be covered in the series. ML: When you’re heading to the end of an experience like this, you realize there’s so much left to say and so much you still want to say. In this case, we reached out through social media to the fans and said, “Hey, what are the things you wish we talked about?” That’s really true, we really did do that.  So, are those real questions, then, from real fans?  ML: Yeah, those topics, they’re all real.  JF: And when we say that there was a ton about queefing, that’s also actually true. We had thousands of responses. We had this vaginismus story and one of the guys on the staff was like, “I don’t like the vaginismus story…” But a lot of people were asking about it so clearly there is interest there! So I wanted to find a way to do that. ML: It all really came from that experience of serving the fans. And we love form-breaker episodes. We love form-breakers, but this was a great one. It was an opportunity, in a grab bag kind of way, to race through all these things that we never got a chance to talk about. These probably would have been episodes or storylines, but maybe they’re even better for the fact that they don’t last for an entire episode. “What’s it like to go to the gynecologist?” That doesn’t need to be a whole episode. These ideas can be their own mini-movies, like the Looney Tunes one. Well, I was going to say exactly that. You dress each one up in a different style, whether it’s The Twilight Zone or the whole Looney Tunes aesthetic. Was this episode more of a challenge to bring together? AG: Yeah, I think that’s always the fun with the form-breakers. I think it’s fun for the fans. It’s fun for us, too, on a creative level. Last year we did the international episode, where we did a show in different languages. We did that Christmas episode with all the different kinds of animation. It’s always so much fun for us, but this one in particular was great because I do think our fans are so invested. They feel so much ownership over the show and we’re happy to share that with them. It was exciting to see all their questions that Maury explores in that episode.  You mentioned before that you don’t like to plan things out, but this season brings closure to the Ponytail Killer after so long, which is super funny to me. I can see this being an idea that just kept getting pushed back during previous seasons, but had you planned to do more with this tangent over the years? Did you know that this was the killer’s identity from the start? JF: And it was! We had tried to do something with the Ponytail Killer a couple of other times, but it just didn’t feel right. This felt good though and we were finally able to pay that one off. ML: At one point, we were talking about doing an interactive “Choose-Your-Own Adventure” episode like Black Mirror’s “Bandersnatch.” There was a minute where everything was going to be interactive! We flirted with the idea of doing a “Choose-Your-Own Adventure” episode where you solve the Ponytail Killer’s murders. We went down that road, but we realized just how much work it would take–it would have been like a whole season’s worth of work just to make all the multiple threads. So we were happy to at least bring closure to it inside this season.  AG: My favorite part of that is when Lola is like, “What? Who cares?” There are Reddit threads out there that have guessed it! There are people that will be very satisfied with this season. JF: One of my favorite Reddit threads is about, “Does Cyrus wear the radish bra?” Eight seasons is a lot of time to spend with these characters, but would you ever want to return to them and this universe, perhaps when they’re adults with kids of their own? Is there a possibility that you might do something like periodic Big Mouth specials in the future or some further extension of the series? ML: Yeah, I mean, we love these kids. We really want to see what happens to them. It’s fun to just let them go off into the void and imagine what would happen, but I’m sure that over time, we’ll miss them and want to revisit them again. Whether it’s the college years or some other thing, you know?  JF: It’s funny, because what happens is before you know exactly when your show is going to end, you’re like, “It’s so hard to find these stories…” But then when you know that you’re going to end, we suddenly had more stories to tell because we moved them to high school. It was ironic, but also kind of lovely, because you always want to leave people wanting more. That’s a great feeling and it’s nice to not feel like we’ve completely exhausted everything. It’s very bittersweet. We’ve had an amazing run here and we were at Netflix at just the right time. I’m not sure if Big Mouth could have existed at any other time. It seems like Big Mouth got to tell its full story, but that this might not have necessarily been the case with Human Resources. Can you talk a little on where else that show had gone if it lasted longer? Were there any ideas for future Human Resources stories that were incorporated into this final season as a way of providing closure? JF: We loved Human Resources. I mean, we just thought that was a great, great show, and such a wonderful universe.  ML: They’re infinite things that could be done there! And you know, there is an episode this season that visits Human Resources again. We really wanted to go back to Human Resources, whether it was in that episode where we had the Keke Palmer and Aidy Bryant characters come back. Rosie Perez’s character, too. The whole cast! We wanted to weave them all into this season to make sure that they were acknowledged as such an important part of the universe. We were fortunate to get to explore all of that in the same show, but just through a flipped perspective. We were seeing it all from the monsters’ point of view, but now we’re back to the kids. But we absolutely loved, loved Human Resources.  Big Mouth has ended, but your new animated series, Mating Season, has been announced. Can you talk at all on how this idea came together, what this show was born out of, and if it will have a similar vibe to Big Mouth or be a different type of animal? ML: The vibe will be similar in some ways, in that, it’s very honest and it deals, frankly, with things that we all deal with. In Big Mouth, it was puberty and that temporary change, but Mating Season is looking kind of into your twenties – your late twenties – when you’re trying to find a mate. You find your person, or hook up, or, you know – have sex, get married, all those things that we struggled with then. JF: What we always found in Big Mouth, when we were trying to depict sex, was that it was better when it had a metaphor behind it. But we realized that you really don’t want to see humans having sex. However, with animals, it’s a lot funnier.  ML: You’re not going to see anything you don’t see in the zoo, or in the forest, or in your backyard. I’m looking forward to it. I appreciated the Animorphs reference this season, so if you can make one of the characters an Animorph–just have one be an animal that is actually a human in disguise. I think that’s a fun approach. ML: That is a good idea. We’re putting it on the list. JF: We’re putting it on the list. Beautiful. That’s all I ask. All eight seasons of Big Mouth are now streaming on Netflix

Keke Palmer is the latest Black Hollywood star to speak out about how race and gender can affect pay. Lionel Hahn/Getty Images 2025-05-23T14:02:01Z Save Saved Read in app This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now. Have an account? Keke Palmer has been acting since she was 10, but told BI she didn't feel adequately paid until 2022. She said that she doesn't compare herself to others in Hollywood because she feels she's not on an even playing field. Palmer said that's why she's diversified her income sources. Keke Palmer has worked in Hollywood since she was 10 — but when asked by Business Insider when she felt adequately paid, the 31-year-old said: "'Nope,' that was probably the first time."Palmer played Emerald Haywood in Jordan Peele's 2022 horror movie, in which she and Daniel Kaluuya play siblings who try to get a photo of a murderous UFO to sell the image for money.Before "Nope," Palmer led the Nickelodeon series "True Jackson, VP," which ran from 2008 until 2011, starred in the 2015 slasher comedy "Scream Queens" created by Ryan Murphy, and voiced the mammoth Peaches in multiple "Ice Age" movies. Palmer's first prominent movie role was at the age of 12 in 2006's "Akeelah and the Bee," in which she starred opposite Queen Latifah.Palmer, who is also a singer, TV host, author, and podcaster, said that gender and racial inequalities are very real in Hollywood, but she doesn't dwell on them."I don't compare — especially as a Black person, a Black woman — because it's not a fair thing to do to myself," Palmer continued. "I don't think that comparing oneself makes sense in any regard, because you're not at the same vantage point, beginning or otherwise, as someone else."She added that "if you are getting your needs met, that has to be at the forefront of your mind. That doesn't mean that everything is fair, but it's an important thing to think about and have a particular perspective about." Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer at the UK premiere of "Nope" in July 2022. Dave J Hogan/Getty Images Palmer encourages other actors in Hollywood to diversy their income streamsPalmer said it's one of the reasons she's diversified her income streams, including owning multiple production companies, and has encouraged others to do the same. "It's essentially why I turned my brand into a holdings company with subsidiaries. You have to diversify," Palmer said.It's increasingly common for A-listers to launch multiple businesses to increase career longevity. Rihanna has Fenty Beauty and Savage X Fenty. Kim Kardashian launched Skims, and Reese Witherspoon's media company, Hello Sunshine, is among the most successful in Hollywood.In recent years, Black actors, including Octavia Spencer, Viola Davis, Mo'Nique, and Taraji P. Henson, have spoken out about not being paid fairly on account of their race and gender.In a 2023 SiriusXM interview, Henson confirmed rumors that she considered quitting Hollywood over pay inequality."I'm just tired of working so hard, being gracious at what I do [and] getting paid a fraction of the cost," she said tearfully. "I'm tired of hearing my sisters say the same thing over and over. You get tired. I hear people go, 'You work a lot.' Well, I have to."