• Microsoft Edge is an internet browser installed by default on all new Windows computers.
• Edge was made to replace Internet Explorer, and runs faster and with more features.
• Edge now works with Microsoft's new AI-powered features like Copilot.

There was once an old joke among Windows users: "Internet Explorer is the best browser to download a better browser with."

In other words, Internet Explorer — Microsoft's old flagship internet browser — was been around for years, and few people actually liked it. That's a big reason why in 2015 Microsoft released Edge, their new and improved browser.

Edge gradually replaced Internet Explorer and became increasingly popular over the years, until the latter browser finally shuttered in 2022.

Though Edge was created with the Windows user in mind, iOS users can download it on their Macs, iPhones, or iPads, too. Edge can even be used on Linux and on Xbox.

Microsoft has made a big effort with Edge to improve the browsing experience, and it's paid off. Microsoft Edge has enough features and benefits that it's actually a real alternative to more popular browsers like Chrome or Firefox.

This is especially true with the Edge's most recent update, which now features Copilot, Microsoft's AI tool that can assist users with research and summarize pages and content. Edge also features Microsoft's AI-powered search engine Bing right in the browser's sidebar for easy access.

Here's everything you need to know about Microsoft Edge, including what it offers, and how to download it on your PC, Mac, iPhone, or Android device.

Microsoft Edge, explained

The current version of Edge was built on what's called a "Chromium" browser. This means that it can run hundreds of extensions that were originally meant for Google Chrome users. This includes screen readers, in-browser games, productivity tools, and more.

This is in addition to the extensions already in the Microsoft Store, which you can also use. If you can think of a feature you'd like the browser to have, there's probably an extension for it.

If you sign up for a free Microsoft account, you can sync your bookmarks, history, passwords, and more. This means that if you use Edge on a different computer, you'll have all of your browsing data available in moments.

Reviews have also said that this new version of Edge runs faster than previous versions, putting it about on par with Chrome and Firefox.

If you'd like to give Microsoft Edge a try, you can download it from Microsoft's website.

The page should automatically detect whether you're using a Mac, PC, iPhone, or Android device. If you think the page has gotten it wrong, click the arrow next to the "Download" button to see all the available versions.

• Gen Xers are moving to retirement hot spots in Florida and Texas.
• Meanwhile, they're leaving behind big coastal cities in New York and California.
• Lower interest rates, remote work, and a strong economy might be driving Gen X migration patterns.

Gen Xers are living like they're 20 years older — or at least moving to the favored locales of their retiree counterparts.

An exclusive analysis of Census data for BI from the University of Virginia demographer Hamilton Lombard reveals the areas in the US that Gen Xers have left behind and where they went.

Between 2020 and 2023, counties in Florida and Texas, many of which are retirement havens, experienced the largest increases in their Gen X populations — defined as those who were between 45 and 54 years old in 2023 — per the analysis.

The analysis also found that the population of that demographic in "retirement destination" counties rose by 5.1% between 2020 and 2023, over three times as fast as the country's 1.6% growth rate in the same period. The USDA defined those counties as having at least a 15% increase in their populations age 60 and up from net migration between 2000 and 2010.

Lombard said it's likely that many Gen Xers were lured to retirement destinations by a strong stock market amplifying retirement savings, remote work options, and a robust housing market. During the first two years of the pandemic, before the Fed began its interest-rate hikes to fight inflation, low mortgage rates could have been another incentive to move.

Gen Xers weren't necessarily retiring early — although some may have been — but instead potentially seizing the moment of a strong economy, Lombard said. It echoes a similar migration in the 2000s housing boom, per Lombard, which also came amid a long stretch of economic growth.

"People felt like they had more options where they could live," he said. "And with interest rates where they were, that was a lot easier to do."

Lombard said that the Gen Xers who moved into retirement areas might fall into three buckets: People who actually retired, flexible Gen X workers who wanted to move in early before fully retiring, and Gen Xers who moved to cater to the first two groups.

He gave the example of a hypothetical Gen X dentist who moved from New York to Florida after their clients relocated or retired.

Lee County, Florida, home to Fort Myers and Cape Coral, saw the largest change between 2020 and 2023, with a net increase of over 10,500 Gen Xers. Meanwhile, over 9,700 net residents moved to Polk County, in central Florida, to the east of Tampa. Another nearly 8,500 net residents relocated to Pasco County on Florida's western coast.

Three Texas counties were in the top six destinations for Gen X movers. Montgomery County, north of Houston, had a net gain of about 7,500 residents, while Collin County, north of Dallas, grew by nearly 7,400. Fort Bend County, southwest of Houston, attracted over 6,900 net residents.

Seventeen of the top 25 counties for Gen X movers were in Florida, while six were in Texas. South Carolina's Horry County, home to Myrtle Beach, and Arizona's Pinal County, home to Florence, rounded out the top 25.

Another popular destination for Gen Xers: The Villages in Florida, often thought of as the Disney World of retirement. Sumter County, Florida, which contains The Villages, gained nearly 2,000 members of that generation from 2020 to 2023, bringing the population to about 9,800.

Gen Xers may have been drawn to the ample amenities — and unique golf cart culture — that the area offers. The median age in Sumter County has fallen slightly from 68.9 in 2019 to 68.2 in 2023, per the Census Bureau's American Community Survey.

Gen X is leaving behind LA and NYC

Counties experiencing the largest net declines in this demographic included Los Angeles County, with nearly 66,000 members leaving; Cook County, the home of Chicago, with about 33,000; Kings County, or Brooklyn, at 29,800; and Queens County, with nearly 22,600. Other major urban counties in California, New York, and Texas lost thousands of net residents.

Many of the areas that Gen Xers are leaving behind have high costs of living. The generation has faced its own economic headwinds, and has already been struggling to pay bills and taking on additional jobs to cope financially. Lombard also said that some of that exodus could come from Gen Xers who were already considering moving and saw how willing people were to pay a premium for their homes.

The Gen Xers who opted to move might also be part of the group still clinging to remote work. From September to December, 12.4% of 40 to 49-year-olds were fully working from home, per the latest figures from the Survey of Working Arrangements and Attitude, slightly up from the same period a year prior.

A Gen X influx in retiree-heavy areas has meant more age diversity, and median ages coming down, Lombard said. It can also be an economic boon: The new population has wealth, and is ready to spend it.

"That's really invigorating some of these local economies and that's causing a lot of business growth," he said.

Are you a Gen Xer who moved in the 2020s? Contact these reporters at [email protected] and [email protected].

• Over eight decades ago, the US Navy made the historic capture of a Nazi U-boat during World War II.
• A treasure trove of vital German intelligence, the submarine's capture was top-secret.
• See inside the U-boat, now a permanent exhibit at Chicago's Griffin Museum of Science and Industry.

Submarine warfare played a pivotal role in the Battle of the Atlantic as German U-boats targeted merchant ships and troop carriers from the US and other Allied nations.

The underwater predators sank Allied ships faster than they could be replaced, starving the British of crucial war material, but the Allies eventually turned the tide as they implemented improved radar and sonar detection, codebreaking measures, and warship convoys.

In 1944, a US Navy task group hunted a Nazi U-boat in a top-secret operation that was only made public after the war ended, marking the first time the service captured an enemy vessel since 1812.

The U-505

Constructed at the docks of Hamburg, Germany, the U-505 was one of the German navy's Type IX-class submarines, a long-range attack boat developed with longer dive times and agility compared to its predecessors.

Given the Kriegsmarine's limited surface fleet, the U-boat was tasked with destroying shipping vessels in the Atlantic owned by the US and other Allied nations. After the U-505 entered the Battle of the Atlantic in 1942, it sank eight ships over a dozen war patrols and was credited with the loss of nearly 50,000 tons of Allied supplies and goods.

Tens of thousands died in the brutal war at sea. Allied mariners died in the torpedo explosions or drowned in the cold ocean waters afterward. In some incidents, U-boats also attacked passenger liners like the SS Athenia.

The string of sunken ships earned the U-505 a feared reputation as an underwater predator, but little did the crew know that its winning streak would someday come to an end.

Inside the U-boat

The U-505 had a displacement of over 1,100 tons and measured about 250 feet long. Propelled by two saltwater-cooled diesel engines, the U-boat had a range of nearly 17,000 miles, allowing it to deploy on long-range patrols to target merchant vessels.

Its surface speed was 18 knots, but its underwater speed was eight knots, which left it vulnerable to faster enemy ships while it operated below the surface. It mostly sailed on the surface at night and dove when spotted or when sneaking up on ships to torpedo.

An underwater ship-killer

Serving as an attack submarine, the U-505 had six 21-inch torpedo tubes — four in the bow and two in the stern — with storage to carry up to 22 torpedos at a time.

The U-boat's surface armament included two antiaircraft guns and a 4.1-inch deck gun that could fire 15 rounds per minute.

Life aboard the German submarine

Built to endure longer voyages and dive times, the U-505 could operate on patrols for 100 days or more. Despite the larger design of the Type-IX subs, the pressure hull was no bigger than a subway car.

As many as 60 people would live and work on the U-boat, taking turns sharing the 35 bunks, some of which were installed in the sub's front and rear torpedo rooms.

Harsh living conditions

Space was hard to come by in the cramped hull. Only one sailor could stand in the tiny kitchen at a time. The fumes would waft from the engine room to the rest of the U-boat, leaving the crew's limited provisions tasting like diesel.

Personnel often just wore shoes and underwear while living in the submarine, where temperatures could exceed 100 degrees Fahrenheit during the warmer months.

The U-505 only had two bathrooms aboard — one of which was used to store food — but the crew never bathed and had to clean themselves with alcohol throughout the two-month patrols.

Tracking down the elusive boat

On June 4, 1944, a US Navy hunter-killer group detected the U-505 operating off the coast of Rio de Oro in Africa's Western Sahara. Commanded by US Navy Capt. Daniel V. Gallery, Task Group 22.3 was comprised of the escort carrier USS Guadalcanal and five destroyers.

Depth charges launched by the Edsall-class destroyer escort USS Chatelain, which detected the German vessel with sonar, jammed the U-boat's rudder and flooded the aft compartment, forcing the vessel to surface.

Setting out on an anti-submarine sweep with the stated purpose of capturing and bringing back to the United States a German submarine, all units of the Task Group worked incessantly throughout the cruise to prepare themselves for the accomplishment of this exceedingly difficult purpose.

Salvaging the U-505

German intelligence was vital during WWII, making recovery efforts for the sinking U-boat a top priority for the Navy task group.

German Capt. Harald Lange, who commanded the U-505, ordered the crew to abandon ship. To avoid capture, the Germans attempted to sink the U-boat with time bombs throughout the submarine and opened a sea strainer that caused water to rush inside the hull.

US Navy sailors who boarded the quickly flooding vessel disabled the scuttle charges and replaced the strainer cover.

In an operation wrought with numerous risks and dangers, the capture only resulted in one recorded casualty from the U-505's crew as a result of Allied gunfire.

Captured intact

A boarding party from the Edsall-class destroyer escort USS Pillsbury took a whaleboat to rescue the surviving 58 German sailors and salvage the U-505.

"Undeterred by the apparent sinking condition of the U-boat, the danger of explosions of demolition and scuttling charges, and the probability of enemy gunfire, the small boarding party plunged through the conning tower hatch, did everything in its power to keep the submarine afloat and removed valuable papers and documents," Adm. Royal E. Ingersoll, then-Commander in Chief of the US Atlantic Fleet, said in the presidential unit citation awarded to the task group.

Towing it back to the US

Following the harrowing capture came the task of towing it back home. Operating under utmost secrecy, the US Navy painted the U-boat black and renamed it USS Nemo to hide its capture from the Germans.

The partially submerged vessel was towed over 2,500 nautical miles to Bermuda to study the submarine's technology and intelligence on board.

The 58 sailors from the U-505 were transported and held at a prisoner-of-war camp in Louisiana, kept under special conditions like isolation and limited communication to keep the submarine's capture a secret.

They remained at the camp until the end of the war, with the last of the captives repatriating back to Germany in 1947.

Uncovering German secrets

The Navy recovered codebooks, thousands of communication documents, and two Enigma machines used by the German military to decode and encrypt messages to and from the U-505. Breaking Enigma codes allowed fleet commands to know where U-boats would attack. That, along with increasing Allied aircraft patrols for submarines, turned the tide of the Battle of the Atlantic.

American naval engineers uncovered that the Germans were developing an advanced acoustic-homing torpedo to target a ship's propellers.

The intelligence also allowed the US to get more precise locations for German U-boat operations, redirecting merchant vessels from those areas.

"The Task Group's brilliant achievement in disabling, capturing, and towing to a United States base a modern enemy man-of-war taken in combat on the high seas is a feat unprecedented in individual and group bravery, execution, and accomplishment in the Naval History of the United States," Ingersoll said in the presidential citation.

Preserving the U-boat

Once the Navy learned what it could from the German submarine, the U-505 was destined to become gunnery and torpedo target practice, a typical fate for captured enemy vessels.

Two years after its capture, Chicago native John Gallery, the brother of Guadalcanal Capt. Gallery, contacted the president of the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry to preserve the wartime relic as an exhibit.

The Navy donated the U-boat to the museum, but the city of Chicago was tasked with raising $250,000 to move, install, and restore the submarine for exhibition.

'Submarine crossing'

In 1954, the U-505 was towed from Portsmouth, New Hampshire, where it was being stored, through 28 locks and four Great Lakes to Chicago.

After being towed 3,000 miles to 57th Street Beach in Chicago, the next hurdle was transporting the submarine from the waters of Lake Michigan to the museum — an 800-foot journey that included passing over an urban expressway.

Over the course of a week, engineers removed parts of the sub to make it easier to pull, then moved it across Lake Shore Drive using a network of rails and rollers to its permanent display outside the museum.

The U-505's lair

The U-505 was initially berthed outdoors but was later moved into an indoor climate-controlled environment to better preserve it in the long term.

"The lives and the history that is embedded within the U-505, we don't want to lose any of that," Voula Saridakis, a curator at the Museum of Science and Industry, told Business Insider. "It's so important, historically, of what this war was all about, especially the Battle of the Atlantic, which often, I think, gets overlooked in many ways."

Due to its size, the exhibit's concrete housing was erected around the U-505, surrounded by external exhibits that relayed the history of the submarine and the Battle of the Atlantic, whose toll included over 100,000 sailors and mariners and 3,500 merchant ships; Germany alone lost 783 U-boats and an estimated 30,000 crewmen.

The interior of the submarine was meticulously restored to replicate the atmosphere and environment as it was before its capture more than eight decades ago, complete with simulated lighting and sound effects to add to the immersiveness.

"As our visitors come through, they can get an idea of what life was like for these submariners and the living conditions and the tech and the innovation that went into this Type IXC," Saridakis said.

In 1982, members from the US Navy's Task Group 22.3 reunited with members of the German submarine's crew in Chicago, marking the first time the German sailors saw the U-boat since the war.

"Part of what we want to do is preserve the history of the U-505, the battle, and the capture for future generations," Saridakis said, "and we do this through telling this story, helping our guests understand its history and keeping this up and preserved for as long as we can."

• The Oura Ring is a fitness tracker popular among athletes, business execs, and celebrities.
• Fitness reporter Rachel Hosie has used one for four years and was originally attracted by its look.
• Oura ``Rings provide sleep data, step counts, and menstrual cycle tracking.

When I first learned about a new fitness-tracking smart ring four years ago, it wasn't the promise of high-tech features that most piqued my interest, it was the look.

As someone who enjoys both fashion and fitness, I didn't think the wrist-worn devices I'd encountered as a health reporter, such as the Whoop strap, Apple Watch, and Fitbit, were attractive enough for me to wear all day every day, to everything from the gym to a wedding.

But the Oura Ring, which just looks like a chunky band (mine is gold but other colors are available), was different.

Four years later, the look is still important to me, but it's the increasingly clever features that mean I still wear an Oura Ring.

Launched in 2013, the Oura ring's popularity has soared in recent years and can be spotted on the hands of athletes, business execs, and celebrities. Last December, the Finnish company announced that its valuation had doubled to $5.2 billion since 2022, thanks to $200 million in new funding. Various brands have launched their own smart rings in recent years — but Oura still leads the pack.

At $349 to $399 for the latest Oura 4 model, plus a $5.99-a-month subscription, it's not cheap, but neither is an Apple Watch, which can cost as much as $799 for the top model.

A few years ago, people were always surprised when I told them my ring was an activity tracker. Now everyone from the saleswoman at a jewelry counter to my sports teammates ask me if I'm wearing an Oura Ring and what it's like.

Here are the pros and cons of the Oura Ring that I've found after four years of wearing one.

Con: You can't really wear an Oura Ring while weightlifting

While the look of an Oura Ring is a big selling point to me, a wrist strap would be better for strength training, which is the bread and butter of my exercise.

For movements like deadlifts and pull-ups, I take my ring off as it pinches my skin.

However, I'm only interested in tracking the weights I use and reps in workouts, which trackers can't do and so I log separately.

Pro: The Oura Ring tracks my daily movements

I love that my Oura Ring picks up all my movement throughout the day, including my steps (a metric the Whoop strap, for example, doesn't track). And it's perfectly comfortable to wear, say, on a run, which is when I like to know my heart rate.

The Oura Ring can track various activities, and it's remarkably good at knowing what you've done, from cycling to rowing. It even picks up housework as an activity, which I think is a fantastic way to remind people that all daily movement, not just formal exercise, is important.

It also picks up restful moments, including naps if I were much of a napper.

Although my ring's battery life has slightly worsened with time, I only have to charge it for about an hour every few days.

While some people like having a screen on their device, data collected by the Oura Ring is shown on an app. I like being able to check mine when it suits me.

Pro: Oura Rings provide detailed sleep data

Oura Rings are generally considered to be among the most accurate wearables for tracking sleep, and it's really interesting to see not just how long I've slept in total but also the split between sleep phases, how long it took me to fall asleep, and the overall quality.

Research by the University of Oulu in Finland found that the Oura Ring measures resting heart rate at 99.9% reliability compared to a medical-grade electrocardiogram. Oura supported the study by providing equipment and software, and some of the authors were employed by Oura. However, the company was not involved in the study's design or collection and analysis of the results.

Shortly after waking up, I find myself reaching for the Oura app to see how I slept, rather than checking in with my body and seeing how I actually feel, which I don't think is a great thing.

The sleep data is clever and interesting, but arguably unnecessary for the average person. Wearing a smart ring won't improve your sleep, but it can help you change your habits.

Pro: The Oura Ring encourages you to rest

Like the Whoop strap, the Oura Ring was one of the first smart devices not just to push people to move more but to help users balance recovery with activity. If you're not well rested, Oura will suggest taking it easy.

I like that it promotes balance, but most people can only exercise at certain times and don't necessarily have the luxury of waiting for the next day when their Oura Ring might say they're in a better place to train.

That said, it's no bad thing to factor in that perhaps you should do a slightly lighter session.

Pro: The temperature sensors can tell you if you're sick

Oura Rings are very sensitive to body temperature, and this is one of the methods they use to determine when you're feeling tired and where you are in your menstrual cycle.

These features are really smart — I've heard various Oura users say their rings know they're going to get ill before they do, and studies support this. Similarly, mine has alerted me when my period is going to be a few days late based on my temperature.

I take Oura Ring data with a pinch of salt

While I do believe the Oura Ring is one of the most accurate wearables available, I also know to take all the data with a pinch of salt, and I won't live or die by what it tells me.

This is what Livvy Probert, a personal trainer, sports scientist, and head of science at personal health assessment company Hawq Score, previously told me. Wearable tech like Oura Rings are great for monitoring your own sleep and activity trends and progress, but because accuracy can't be guaranteed, you shouldn't necessarily read too much into the numbers.

• Microsoft 365 is a cloud-based software suite with programs like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Microsoft 365 was formerly called Microsoft Office, and used to be a one-time purchase.
• Microsoft 365 has a variety of subscriptions with different costs, but there are also free versions.

If you have, at any time in the past few years, worked in an office, gone to school, or generally been alive, you have probably used myriad Microsoft 365 products. And the same is true, relatively speaking, even going back several decades.

That's because Microsoft 365 is a 2010 rebranding of Microsoft Office, the suite of software that included venerable programs like Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, and Microsoft PowerPoint, among others.

Whereas you used to access that software via the Windows operating system, today Microsoft 365 is a cloud-based service accessed remotely via a paid subscription.

What programs does Microsoft 365 feature?

Microsoft 365 goes well beyond the basic word processing, spreadsheet-making, and presentation designer software that has been around since the 20th century.

Along with the aforementioned programs, 365 also features OneDrive, a cloud storage service for keeping files secure, Teams, which is a collaboration software that allows for video meetings, live chat, file sharing, and more, Skype, the video call platform, and Outlook, which is Microsoft's email service.

How much does Microsoft 365 cost?

There are different plans at different rates. You can pay $9.99 per month for a Microsoft 365 family plan which allows up to six users to share one account, with that price adding up to $119.88. Or, you can pay $99.99 one time to save on a year-long subscription.

A one-person Microsoft 365 Personal plan costs $6.99 per month, which is $83.88, or you can pay once and get a year for $69.99.

Can you get Microsoft 365 for free?

Microsoft 365 is available for free in a few ways, though most have some limitations. There is a free version of Microsoft 365 that can be used in a web browser. Users must sign up for a Microsoft account with an existing or new email address to access Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and so forth.

You can also get a free download of the Microsoft 365 Access Runtime files, but this is available only in downgraded 32-bit and 64-bit versions.

Students and teachers can get Microsoft Office 365 Education for free with a valid school email address, and all users can sign up for a one-month free trial of a Microsoft 365 subscription. Just make sure to cancel ahead of the next billing cycle.

How to cancel Microsoft 365?

Canceling Microsoft 365 takes just a few steps:

1. Sign in to the Microsoft account you used to purchase Microsoft 365, select Services & subscriptions from the dashboard, and click Manage to cancel or modify the Microsoft 365 subscription.

2. Select Cancel subscription (it might say Upgrade or Cancel).
3. Review the additional information on the page, and at the bottom select I don't want my subscription, then confirm the cancellation.

What's the difference between Microsoft 365 and Office Suite?

The real differences are the pay model and the way you access the software. The classic Office Suite was a one-time purchase that gave you programs (Word and Excel, e.g.) that you could use offline any time you wanted.

Microsoft 365 is a subscription-based service that you primarily use online (you can use 365 programs offline, but the saving may not be reliable) and that you will pay for each month or once a year.

• The Los Angeles fires share a key feature with wildfires that burned down Lahaina, Hawaii and Paradise, California
• Powerful winds met flash-dried landscapes full of vegetation to fuel the flames.
• The climate crisis is increasing the odds of events like these.

The Los Angeles firestorms of the past week share a crucial feature with two of the most horrific wildfires in recent American memory.

The Palisades and Eaton fires may be unprecedented in some ways, but they share a common root cause with the 2018 Camp Fire that killed 85 people in Paradise, California, and the 2023 fire that destroyed Lahaina in Hawaii.

In Paradise, Lahaina, and now Los Angeles, the blazes grew to monster fires because powerful winds met a parched, overgrown landscape.

Scientists expect to see more of that in the future.

"There's definitely a trend that increases this kind of situation," Louis Gritzo, the chief science officer at the commercial property insurance company FM, told Business Insider.

In all three cases, sudden drought had sucked the moisture out of local vegetation, creating abundant kindling for fire to feed on. Then strong winds picked up the embers and carried them into residential areas.

"When we look at the recent really bad fires — the Camp Fire, the fires in Hawaii — they all have that thing in common," Gritzo said. "They have a wet period, dry period, heavy winds, very rapid fire spread, a lot of ember transport."

The winds were bad luck, but flash-dried vegetation is happening more often as global temperatures rise.

How the climate crisis creates more fire fuel

In Paradise and Los Angeles, the dry months followed unusually wet seasons that fed an explosion of plant growth.

Last winter, heavy rains in Southern California led to about double the average amount of grasses and shrubs, according to Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at UCLA.

This winter has not been so generous. The past few months have seen almost no rainfall, shriveling up all those grasses and shrubs.

Swain has coined the term "hydroclimate whiplash" — or simply "weather whiplash" — for these drastic swings between extreme wet and extreme dry conditions. He has observed it across the planet in recent years, from various regions in the US and Europe to the Middle East and China.

Globally, whiplash has already increased by 33% to 66% since the mid-twentieth century, Swain and his colleagues found in a new paper, published in the journal Nature Reviews Earth & Environment on Thursday.

That's because warmer air holds more moisture. As global temperatures rise, the ceiling on how much water our atmosphere can hold is also rising.

That thirsty atmosphere sucks more moisture out of the ground sometimes and, at other times, dumps more rain. Hence, greater extremes of flood and drought — and more wildfire fuel.

The effect of the climate crisis on wildfires "has been slow to emerge, but it is very clearly emerging, unfortunately," Gavin Schmidt, the director of NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies, said in a Friday press briefing announcing that 2024 was the hottest year on record.

The scientific organization World Weather Attribution has discovered a clear link between the climate crisis and specific instances of extreme fire weather in Brazil, Chile, Australia, and Canada.

The climate signal is "so large" now that it's clear in the global and continental data, but also "you're seeing it at the local scale, you're seeing it in local weather," Schmidt said.

The transition from wildfire to urban fire

So climate change is seeding fire fuel in forests and grasslands.

However, once wild blazes enter dense residential areas like Lahaina or the Pacific Palisades, they burn wood fences, ornamental yard plants, mulch landscapes, and leaves built up in roof gutters — then grow to consume homes.

"The natural fuels may be showering us with embers, but what's burning our homes down and forcing us to run and evacuate is human fuels," Pat Durland, a wildfire-mitigation specialist and instructor for the National Fire Protection Association with 30 years of federal wildfire management experience, told Business Insider.

As the climate crisis loads the dice toward extreme wildfires, he says it's important for city governments and residents to manage those urban fuels by reducing them and spacing them apart.

"I think just about anybody could be next under the right circumstances," Durland said. "It depends on the fuel and the climate."

• Shows like "Goosebumps" and "The Traitors" returned this week.
• New series like "American Primeval" and "The Pitt" also premiered.
• A Jerry Springer docuseries and the final episodes of "The Curious Case of Natalia Grace" are out too.

This weekend, you can watch a bloody Western drama, a deep dive into "The Jerry Springer Show," or a reality competition where pseudo-celebrities compete for money in a Scottish castle.

Here's a complete rundown of all the best movies, shows, and documentaries to stream this weekend, broken down by what kind of entertainment you're looking for.

For a new historical drama, check out "American Primeval."

If you like Westerns and can handle gore (this one is several levels of violent above "Yellowstone"), "American Primeval" is a great pick. Taylor Kitsch stars as a traumatized, rugged frontiersman, and Betty Gilpin plays a mother searching for a new life with her son out west.

Streaming on: Netflix

Reality fans, rejoice: "The Traitors" is back.

The Emmy-winning competition series returned this week, with Britney Spears' ex-husband, Zac Efron's brother, and a former "Bachelorette" star among the new cast of "The Traitors" season three. And, of course, Alan Cumming and his fabulous outfits return to host.

Streaming on: Peacock

"Goosebumps" returns too, which is good news for horror lovers.

The first season, a new adaptation of the beloved children's horror book series, was a surprise hit, with Justin Long as the lead. "Friends" star David Schwimmer takes over as the main adult for the show's second outing, subtitled "The Vanishing."

Unlike the 1995 "Goosebumps" show, which adapted individual books from the series in an episodic anthology format, the new one tells a cohesive story each season (though they're of course inspired by the original books). "The Vanishing" centers on twins who are sent to live with their divorced dad (Schwimmer) in Brooklyn for a summer and finds themselves entangled in the decades-old mystery of four teens who vanished in 1994.

Streaming on: Disney+ and Hulu

"The Pitt" is a new medical drama, with a twist.

There's no shortage of medical dramas on cable TV networks, but "The Pitt" is a standout for its hyperrealism. Starring "ER" alum Noah Wyle, this show takes the "24" approach, with each episode playing out in real time and the entire season representing a single 15-hour shift in an emergency room.

Streaming on: Max

Natalia Grace's wild saga finally concluded this week.

Natalia Grace Mans' story has captivated the public for years.

The Ukrainian orphan with dwarfism was adopted by American parents, who later accused her of being an adult posing as a child. Claiming she was a danger to their family, Kristine and Michael Barnett moved away to Canada, having Natalia legally re-aged and leaving her in an apartment on her own.

Natalia ultimately ended up living with Cynthia and Antwon Mans, but that wasn't the happy ending it initially appeared to be. "The Final Chapter," released this week, promises to bring a conclusion to the story, including updates about Natalia's boyfriend and the new family she's living with now.

Streaming on: Max

For another nonfiction pick, watch "Look Into My Eyes."

This 2024 documentary, which initially premiered at Sundance, follows of group of New York City professional psychics. It's a surprisingly touching look into what these people do; the National Board of Review named it one of the five best documentaries of the year.

Streaming on: Max

There's also a docuseries exploring "The Jerry Springer" show.

"Jerry Springer: Fights, Camera, Action" chronicles the rise of the controversial daytime TV show, which became a megahit in the 1990s with its sordid (and often violent) drama.

The docuseries features the show's producers recalling how they manipulated the guests (who were real people, not paid actors) behind the scenes for maximum on-air drama.

Streaming on: Netflix