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Today β€” 23 December 2024Latest News

Taylor Swift is in her WAG era — here's every time she's cheered on Travis Kelce and the Chiefs

23 December 2024 at 11:47
taylor swift travis kelce super bowl
Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift hug at the 2024 Super Bowl.

Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images

  • Taylor Swift has supported her boyfriend, Travis Kelce, at all four Chiefs home games this season.
  • She's been photographed at 20 football games total since last September, including Super Bowl LVIII.
  • Swift tends to wear Chiefs gear and dress up in the team's red-forward color palette.

Taylor Swift famously sang, "You know I love the players, and you love the game." But when it comes to the Kansas City Chiefs, it looks like she loves them both.

Since Swift began dating NFL star Travis Kelce last summer, she has been spotted cheering at 20 of his games so far, including Super Bowl LVIII.

"I'm just there to support Travis," Swift told Time. "I have no awareness of if I'm being shown too much and pissing off a few dads, Brads, and Chads."

The megastar is back in action for her second NFL season, supporting Kelce and the Chiefs in their first three home games against the Ravens, Bengals, and Saints.

We rounded up the best photos of Swift from each appearance so far.

Swift attended her first game at Arrowhead Stadium in September 2023.
taylor swift chiefs game
Taylor Swift at Arrowhead Stadium on September 24, 2023.

David Eulitt/Getty Images

Swift's enthusiasm at her first Chiefs game seemed to confirm her rumored romance with Kelce.

Swift later said they were already an official couple before she watched the Chiefs beat the Chicago Bears.

"This all started when Travis very adorably put me on blast on his podcast, which I thought was metal as hell," she told Time. "We started hanging out right after that. So we actually had a significant amount of time that no one knew, which I'm grateful for, because we got to get to know each other."

"By the time I went to that first game, we were a couple," Swift continued. "I think some people think that they saw our first date at that game? We would never be psychotic enough to hard launch a first date."

For her second appearance, she brought her longtime pal Blake Lively.
taylor swift blake lively chiefs game
Taylor Swift and Blake Lively at MetLife Stadium on October 1, 2023.

Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images

Swift and Lively watched the Chiefs defeat the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey β€” where Swift had performed three sold-out concerts just a few months prior.

The October game drew the highest viewership for a Sunday TV show since the Super Bowl, NBC Sports reported.

Indeed, Swift's newfound interest in football has been credited with bumping merch sales and enticing more female viewers.

Swift cheered with her boyfriend's mom, Donna Kelce, during a home game against the Denver Broncos.
taylor swift donna kelce chiefs game
Taylor Swift and Donna Kelce at Arrowhead Stadium on October 12, 2023.

David Eulitt/Getty Images

Shortly before her third game-day appearance, Kelce accused the NFL of "overdoing it" with its wall-to-wall coverage of Swift.

"I think it's fun when they show who all is at the game. I think it brings a little more to the atmosphere, brings a little bit more to what you're watching," Kelce said during an episode of his "New Heights" podcast.

"But at the same time, I think they're overdoing it a little bit," Kelce continued. "For sure, especially for my situation. I think they're just trying to have fun with it."

Swift has struck up a close friendship with Brittany Mahomes, who's married to Kelce's teammate.
taylor swift brittany mahomes chiefs game
Taylor Swift and Brittany Mahomes at Arrowhead Stadium on October 22, 2023.

David Eulitt/Getty Images

Just a few days before the release of "1989 (Taylor's Version)," the rerecorded version of her fifth album, Swift watched the Chiefs take down the Los Angeles Chargers.

She spent the home game cheering with Mahomes and showing off their secret handshake.

Swift wore a black turtleneck and a red teddy coat in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
taylor swift brittany mahomes nfl game
Taylor Swift and Brittany Mahomes at Lambeau Field on December 3, 2023.

Stacy Revere/Getty Images

Swift spent most of November 2023 on the road for the South American leg of The Eras Tour. Kelce even flew to Buenos Aires, Argentina, to watch Swift perform β€” and received an onstage shout-out in return.

She returned to Kelce's side in early December when the Chiefs took on the Green Bay Packers. It was her first time watching Kelce's team lose.

She wore a vintage Chiefs sweatshirt for the team's next home game.
Taylor Swift in a stand at a football game.
Taylor Swift at Arrowhead Stadium on December 10, 2023.

Jamie Squire/Getty Images

Swift purchased the '90s sweatshirt from Westside Storey, a secondhand clothing boutique in Kansas City.

The store's owner, Chris Harrington, told Business Insider he originally thought Swift's order β€” which totaled $1,200 for curated vintage pieces β€” could be fraudulent.

Instead, she wore one of those pieces at Arrowhead Stadium in December, causing a surge of traffic to Westside Storey's website.

"We've had hundreds of orders over the last 48 hours," Harrington told BI. "Sometimes our online store lights up after a Chiefs game when we win, but this is 100 times more than that, and we lost the game. It was the Taylor effect."

She brought her dad and friends to cheer for the Chiefs in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
taylor swift chiefs game
Taylor Swift at Gillette Stadium on December 17, 2023.

Danielle Parhizkaran/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

Swift hit the road to watch the Chiefs defeat the New England Patriots on the latter's home turf. She even convinced her father, Scott Swift, to swap his traditional Philadelphia Eagles gear for a Chiefs sweatshirt.

Several friends accompanied Swift, including Alana Haim, stylist Ashley Avignone, and backup singer Melanie Nyema.

Swift spent Christmas Day at Arrowhead Stadium.
Taylor Swift appears at a December 25 Chiefs game against the Raiders wearing a Santa hat with Travis Kelce's number on it.
Taylor Swift at Arrowhead Stadium on December 25, 2023.

Jamie Squire/Getty Images

Even though the Chiefs lost to the Las Vegas Raiders on December 25, 2023, Kelce praised Swift and her family for making the day special.

The singer's brother, Austin Swift, even gave him a sentimental gift while dressed as Santa Claus, Kelce shared on his podcast.

She also spent New Year's Eve cheering for Kelce in Kansas City.
taylor swift chiefs game
Taylor Swift at Arrowhead Stadium on December 31, 2023.

Jamie Squire/Getty Images

Swift wore a Chiefs varsity jacket for the game against the Cincinnati Bengals, which the home team won.

For her first game of 2024, Swift braved freezing temperatures to high-five fans.
taylor swift chiefs game
Taylor Swift at Arrowhead Stadium on January 13, 2024.

Jamie Squire/Getty Images

The Chiefs defeated the Miami Dolphins during the fourth-coldest game in NFL history, according to CNN.

That same day, the Chiefs owner praised Swift and Kelce's "purely organic" relationship.

"It's been a very interesting, very fun year having the two of them dating, the attention that's been focused on the Chiefs," Clark Hunt told CNBC. "Our female audience has grown leaps and bounds."

Kelce scored two touchdowns in Buffalo, New York, with Swift in the stands.
taylor swift chiefs game
Taylor Swift at Highmark Stadium on January 21, 2024.

Kathryn Riley/Getty Images

Swift joined Kelce's family to watch the Chiefs advance through the NFL playoffs β€” including his brother, Eagles center Jason Kelce, who lost his shirt in the frenzy.

She saw Kelce and his teammates become AFC champions.
travis kelce taylor swift
Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift celebrate the Chiefs' AFC Championship win.

Patrick Smith/Getty Images

Swift watched the Chiefs beat the Baltimore Ravens in the 2024 AFC Championship Game, securing their spot in Super Bowl LVIII. She even joined Kelce on the field to celebrate the win.

Swift flew from Tokyo to watch the Chiefs play in Super Bowl LVIII.
taylor swift super bowl
Taylor Swift at Allegiant Stadium on February 11, 2024.

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

Swift was widely expected to attend the 2024 Super Bowl in Las Vegas, despite having an Eras Tour stop scheduled in Tokyo the night before.

Sure enough, she made the trip in time to watch the Chiefs take on the San Francisco 49ers, with friends like Lively, Lana Del Rey, and Ice Spice in tow.

The superstar geared up for her second NFL season in September 2024.
Taylor Swift walking in an all denim outfit
Taylor Swift arrives ahead of the Kansas City Chiefs v Baltimore Ravens game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on September 05, 2024 in Kansas City, Missouri.

David Eulitt

Swift was back in Kansas City on the evening of September 5, 2024, as the Chiefs took the field for their first game of the season against the Baltimore Ravens.

She donned an all-denim getup and thigh-high red boots.

Swift wore a vintage Chiefs T-shirt for Kelce's second home game of the season.
Danielle Haim and Taylor Swift arrive at Arrowhead Stadium on September 15, 2024.
Danielle Haim and Taylor Swift arrive at Arrowhead Stadium on September 15, 2024.

Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Just a few days after attending the MTV Video Music Awards in New York (and giving her boyfriend a shout-out onstage), Swift was back in Kansas City to watch the Chiefs defeat the Cincinnati Bengals.

She also watched the Chiefs beat the Saints at Arrowhead Stadium.
Taylor Swift cheers from a VIP suite at Arrowhead Stadium on October 7, 2024.
Taylor Swift cheers from a VIP suite at Arrowhead Stadium on October 7, 2024.

Cooper Neill/Getty Images

After skipping two of Kelce's games in Atlanta and Los Angeles, Swift returned to Kansas City in style β€” wearing over $50,000 worth of jewelry and designer clothing β€” to cheer for the Chiefs against the New Orleans Saints.

The home team won 26-13, their fifth consecutive win of the season.

Swift cheered when the Chiefs beat the Buccaneers with a touchdown drive in overtime.
Taylor Swift waves to fans at Arrowhead Stadium on November 4, 2024.
Taylor Swift waves to fans at Arrowhead Stadium on November 4, 2024.

Aaron M. Sprecher/Getty Images

One day after Swift wrapped the final US leg of the Eras Tour in Indianapolis, she was back in Kansas City to watch the Chiefs take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Despite a touchdown from the Buccaneers in the final minute of regulation play, the Chiefs rallied in overtime to score a winning touchdown.

The singer was on duty again to watch the Chiefs defeat the Denver Broncos.
Taylor Swift at Arrowhead Stadium on November 10, 2024.
Taylor Swift at Arrowhead Stadium on November 10, 2024.

Jamie Squire/Getty Images

Swift wore her typical black-and-red combo for another home game at Arrowhead Stadium, pairing a Victoria's Secret corset with a Versace tweed two-piece set. She was joined in the VIP box by her mother, Andrea Swift.

Swift saw the Chiefs beat the Raiders at home.
Taylor Swift and Donna Kelce arrive at Arrowhead Stadium on November 29, 2024.
Taylor Swift and Donna Kelce arrive at Arrowhead Stadium on November 29, 2024.

Jamie Squire/Getty Images

Swift arrived at Arrowhead Stadium with Kelce's mom, Donna. The pair cheered as the Chiefs clinched a narrow defeat against the Los Vegas Raiders.

A few weeks later, she watched the Chiefs win again at Arrowhead Stadium.
Taylor Swift arrives at Arrowhead Stadium on December 21, 2024.
Taylor Swift arrives at Arrowhead Stadium on December 21, 2024.

Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Swift wore her boldest gameday outfit yet for the Chiefs vs. the Houston Texans, pairing a statement red coat with a faux fur lining from Charlotte Simone with a vintage Chanel bucket hat.

Kelce and the Chiefs beat the Texans 19-27, adding another win to their dominant season. (To date, the Chiefs have only lost three times with Swift in the stands.)

Read the original article on Business Insider

Business leaders share 5 ways they're taking AI from pilot to use case

23 December 2024 at 10:42
Workforce Innovation Series template with vertical, colorful stripes on the left and bottom sides. A blue-tinted photo of coworkers looking at computer monitors

Getty Images; Andrius Banelis for BI

In the business world, there are few areas that artificial intelligence hasn't touched. Many industries are rushing to adopt AI, and the technology is changing how employees collaborate and complete tasks.

Generative AI is a major buzzword for business leaders. But actually integrating AI can be a different story.

"A lot of our clients have dozens of AI pilots everywhere," Jack Azagury, the group chief executive for consulting at Accenture, said at one Workforce Innovation roundtable. "Very few have a coherent business case and a true reinvention and transformation."

How do companies move forward as the novelty of AI wears off? Business Insider's Julia Hood asked members of the Workforce Innovation board how they transitioned their AI pilots into real-world use cases. Board members shared five major ways their companies were moving AI from theory to operations.

"Before we go and tell our clients to embark on AI fully, we want to be an AI-first organization," said Anant Adya, an executive vice president, service-offering head, and head of Americas delivery at Infosys. "We want to show our clients we are using AI, whether it is in HR when it comes to driving better employee experience or when it comes to recruitment."

Members also highlighted employee training and peer-to-peer learning opportunities.

The roundtable participants were:

  • Anant Adya, an executive vice president, service-offering head, and head of Americas Delivery at Infosys.
  • Lucrecia Borgonovo, a chief talent and organizational-effectiveness officer at Mastercard.
  • Neil Murray, the CEO of Work Dynamics at JLL.
  • Justina Nixon-Saintil, a vice president and chief impact officer at IBM.
  • Marjorie Powell, a chief HR officer and senior vice president at AARP.

The following has been edited for length and clarity.


Identify early adopters, like human resources

Nixon-Saintil: Because we provide these platforms and solutions to clients, we are usually client zero. We implemented AI across our business and multiple functions, and one of the first things we did was our AskHR product, which I think answered over 94% of questions employees had.

HR employees now spend time doing higher-order work and partnerships with business units instead of answering basic questions that a virtual assistant can answer. I think that's when you start seeing a lot of the benefits of it.

Borgonovo: HR has been leading the way in terms of embedding AI to enhance the employee experience end to end, right before you hire somebody all the way to after they leave the organization. There are tons of opportunities to improve performance and productivity and provide greater personalization.


Invest in ongoing training

Adya: There are certain AI certifications and courses that everybody has to take to be knowledgeable about AI. So we are driving education in terms of what is the impact of AI, what is gen AI, what are LLMs, and how you look at use cases. And certainly educating everybody that it's not about job losses but about amplifying your potential to do more.

Powell: We have hands-on skill building. This past year we posted over 20 AI workshops helping teams integrate AI into their work. We really encourage our staff to participate. We have a product we're using behind our firewall, so they can engage and play with it. We're just telling them go ahead and try to break it, so they can give us feedback on what's working.

There was a team of people who said we want to see how you could use AI with PowerPoint or Excel. And they're finding, well, it's not so good in those things. But as it continues to grow, they'll be ready for that, and they'll know what it was able to do and what it wasn't. I think it's just making it fun, and that way it's not so scary.

Murray: Our internal large language model is now a widget on everybody's dashboard that is accessible on your landing page. Training is super important here to make people comfortable with it. Even if it's just an online module, you have to get people comfortable.

Nixon-Saintil: We've also done companywide upskilling. We had two Watsonx challenges. Watsonx is our AI data platform. This is one of the ways we've upskilled a majority of the organization. The outcome of that is there are some great ideas that employees actually ideated, and they're now implementing those ideas and solutions in different functions.

Borgonovo: Employees want to use AI, and I think they're eager to learn how to use AI to augment their jobs. For that, we built a three-tiered learning approach. One is democratizing access for everybody and building general knowledge of AI.

The second tier is much more role-specific. How do we drive new ways of working by having people in different roles embrace AI tools? Software engineering, consulting, sales β€” you name it. And then something we definitely want to build for the future is thinking proactively about how you re-skill people whose roles may be impacted by AI so they can become more comfortable doing high-level tasks or can shift to a different type of role that is emerging within the organization.

The other piece is where we're seeing the greatest demand internally, which is for knowledge management. It's gathering information from a lot of different sources in a very easy way.

Another job family that is very eager to get their hands on new AI technology is software engineering. We have taken a very measured approach in deploying coding assistants within the software-engineering community. This year we did a pilot with a subset of them using coding assistants. The idea is to just learn and, based on our learning, scale more broadly across our software-engineering community in 2025.

One of the really interesting learnings from this pilot was that the software engineers who were using the coding assistants probably the best were people who had received training. What we're learning is that before you start rolling out all of these technologies or AI-specific platforms for different job families, you have got to be really intentional about incorporating prompt training.


Unlock peer-to-peer learning

Powell: We have idea pitch competitions and a year-round idea pipeline program where people can put in ideas on how to use AI and share what they've learned. It sparks a lot of peer learning and creativity on our digital-first capabilities to help us with our digital transformation.

Then we collaborate through community. We have a generative-AI community of practice. This is somewhat like how companies have employee resource groups; we have communities of practice as well. They give employees a space to share their techniques and learn from each other and stay ahead of evolving trends. They meet monthly, they have an executive sponsor, and they have all kinds of activities and learning opportunities.

Murray: As we monitored AI use and what sort of questions were being asked, we identified super users across all departments β€” so the people who were capable of developing the most evolved prompts. I suppose those prompts are now appearing in pull-down menus to help people who maybe aren't as advanced in their use of it, because prompting is a really important part of this. And so the super users are driving everybody else to show them what's possible across the organization.


Find customer pain points to solve

Borgonovo: One of the use cases that drives not only knowledge management but also efficiencies is around customer support. Customer support is probably one of the areas that has been leading the way.

We have a customer onboarding process that can be very lengthy, very technical, involving hundreds of pages of documentation and reference materials. It was our first use case for a chat-based assistant that we processed in terms of streamlining and creating greater efficiency and a much better customer experience.


Reinforce responsible leadership

Powell: We want our leaders, people leaders particularly, to guide employees to use AI effectively and responsibly. We want to make sure they're emphasizing privacy, policy, and efficiency. So we encourage managers to point the staff toward training that we offer, and we offer quite a bit of training.

Read the original article on Business Insider

A gut-health scientist and trained chef shares 4 easy, tasty ways she eats more fiber

23 December 2024 at 09:59
Emily Leeming stands in front of a window and plants in a white linen blouse.
Emily Leeming keeps the snacks she wants to eat more of in an easily accessible place.

Bree Dunbar

  • Fibrous foods like beans, nuts, and seeds feed the "good" microbes in the gut.
  • Most Americans are not meeting the daily recommended fiber intake.
  • Emily Leeming opts for whole grains instead of white carbs and sprinkles seeds on her breakfast.

When it comes to your gut health, eating enough fiber is crucial.

Emily Leeming, a dietitian and gut microbiome researcher at King's College London, told Business Insider how to improve.

From our immune system to our emotions, a growing body of research suggests that the state of our gut health affects the whole body.

The gut microbiome, the trillions of "good" and "bad" microbes that live in the digestive lining, is heavily shaped by what we eat, said Leeming, the author of "Genius Gut: The Life-Changing Science of Eating for Your Second Brain."

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends adults eat 14g of fiber per 1,000 calories. They say more than 90% of women and 97% of men do not.

Leeming, who used to work as a private chef, takes a simple approach to meeting her daily fiber goal, while keeping her meals tasting good.

She shared four tips for easily adding more fiber to your diet.

Stock up on high-fiber foods

Leeming knows which foods are particularly high in fiber and she makes sure to add them to her shopping list.

"There are high-fiber foods that probably surprise people like dark chocolate and avocados," she said. One avocado is about 10 grams of fiber, and two pieces of dark chocolate contain about two grams.

Leeming focuses on what she calls the "B-G B-Gs," which stands for beans, greens, berries, grains, and seeds.

"It's the beans, whole grains, nuts and seeds that tend to contain more fiber than the fruits and vegetables," she said, adding that fruits and veggies are of course still important.

She said berries tend to be higher in fiber than other fruits because they contain seeds.

Make your grains wholegrain

Wholegrains such as oats, quinoa, wild rice, and wholemeal bread, are great sources of fiber, Leeming said. Opting for a wholegrain such as brown rice over its white counterpart is an easy swap that will up your fiber intake, she said.

"I absolutely love pasta. So I do wholegrain pasta," she said. Leeming also adds legumes such as beans or lentils to dishes to up the fiber content even more.

"I'm a really big fan of beans and lentils with tomato sauce and some green veggies or maybe a salad on the side," she said.

Sprinkle nuts and seeds on top of any dish

Sprinkling some mixed nuts and seeds over a dish is a quick way to add some more fiber into your day.

"You can add them to anything. It could be your breakfast in the morning, it could be a salad that you've just made," Leeming said.

Chia seeds and flax seeds are particularly high in fiber, she said. Chia seeds contain about 30 grams of fiber per 100 grams, and 20 grams of flax seeds provide about 6 grams of fiber.

Keep healthy snacks in your line of sight

Leeming also keeps a jar of mixed nuts by her kettle so that she can snack on them when she goes to make a cup of tea.

"The things that I want to eat more of, I keep in my line of sight. That just visually prompts you to go for them as a first step," she said.

Read the original article on Business Insider

Blake Lively's biggest controversies and rumored feuds, from her plantation wedding to the 'It Ends With Us' drama

23 December 2024 at 09:53
Blake Lively at the Copenhagen premiere of "It Ends With Us."
Blake Lively at the 2024 CFDA Fashion Awards.

NILS MEILVANG/Ritzau Scanpix/AFP via Getty Images

  • Blake Lively's past controversies resurfaced during a recent public backlash.
  • The actor has been in the spotlight following the release of her movie "It Ends With Us."
  • Lively has accused her costar and director, Justin Baldoni, of sexual harassment and damaging her reputation.

Blake Lively is no stranger to scandal.

The 37-year-old actor has attracted feud rumors since the start of her career, when she landed her breakout role in 2005's "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants."

Public discourse about Lively's conduct reached a fever pitch during the promotional cycle for her latest box office hit, "It Ends With Us." Now, Lively has filed a lawsuit accusing her costar and director, Justin Baldoni, of sexual harassment and manufacturing outrage on social media to damage her reputation.

Here's a look at some of Lively's biggest controversies over the years.

Lively and her "Gossip Girl" costar Leighton Meester reportedly "avoided each other like the plague" while filming.
Blake Lively and Leighton Meester as Serena and Blair in "Gossip Girl" season one.
Blake Lively and Leighton Meester as Serena and Blair in "Gossip Girl" season one.

The CW/Max

While their "Gossip Girl" characters swung wildly from the ultimate BFF duo to toxic frenemies almost every other episode, off-screen, Lively and Meester were said to have had a frosty relationship.

The CW teen drama ran for six seasons between 2007 and 2012. Lively played the effortlessly cool, free-spirited Serena Van der Woodson, the foil to Meester's controlling queen bee Blair Waldorf.

New York Magazine reported in 2008 that the two stars were said to "avoid each other like the plague" while on set shooting the show's early seasons, with tensions running so high that their castmates were forced to "choose sides."

"Blake and Leighton have never been best friends, and never professed to be. Blake goes to work, does her job, and goes home," a publicist for Lively said at the time, per Harper's Bazaar.

However, speaking to Vanity Fair for a retrospective on the series published in 2017, showrunner Joshua Safran said the pair got on fine on set.

"Blake and Leighton were not friends. They were friendly, but they were not friends like Serena and Blair," he said. "Yet the second they'd be on set together, it's as if they were."

In the same article, recurring cast member Michelle Trachtenberg denied rumors of a full-blown feud between the two.

"It's funny," she said. "Because when we were filming, there was, 'Leighton hates Blake, Blake hates Leighton, everyone hates Blake, everyone hates Leighton, everyone hates Chace,' and blah, blah, blah. It really wasn't. We were all chill. It was cool."

Incidentally, as of 2024, Lively and Meester do not follow each other on Instagram. Meester does, however, follow two of her other costars, Chace Crawford and Penn Badgley.

Rumors swirled that Lively was somehow involved in Armie Hammer's exit from "Gossip Girl."
Armie Hammer on "Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen" in 2017.
Armie Hammer on "Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen" in 2017.

Chris Haston/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images

Appearing on "Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen," Armie Hammer was asked by an audience member to name the "biggest diva" on the set of "Gossip Girl."

Hammer had a four-episode arc on the series during its second season. He played Gabriel Edwards, a conman who briefly dated Lively's character.

In response to the question, Hammer diplomatically said: "Let me just say that was a tough show to film, and I didn't end up actually filming all of the episodes I was supposed to because it was such a tough film."

"Really? Literally, you said, 'Get me out of this'?" Cohen asked.

"It was also like, 'Get him out of here,'" the actor said.

Cohen followed that up by asking whose love interest he played in the series, prompting Hammer to drop Lively's name.

Chelsea Handler, who also appeared on the talk show, joked, "Sounds like she was the problem."

Cohen added: "It sure does, Chelsea. That's exactly what I was thinking."

"No, no, that's not what I'm saying," Hammer replied, laughing awkwardly.

In 2012, Lively and Ryan Reynolds married at a slave plantation in South Carolina. Reynolds said the couple didn't know about the venue's history until after their ceremony.
Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively in 2022 in New York City.
Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively in New York City.

Gotham/GC Images/Getty Images

In 2012, Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, tied the knot at Boone Hall plantation in South Carolina. The plantation features nine slave cabins built between 1790 and 1810, which are referred to as "Slave Street."

Reynolds apologized for the decision in a 2020 interview with Fast Company after the couple was called out for the hypocrisy of a joint statement β€” accompanied by a $200,000 donation to the NAACP Legal Defense β€” they shared on Lively's Instagram following the murder of George Floyd by police.

Reynolds said they chose Boone Hall based on Pinterest photos and only realized it was a "place built upon devastating tragedy" after the event.

Reynolds added that after learning of Boone Hall's history, the actors had another wedding at home years later.

Lively has not addressed the backlash over her wedding venue.

Lively's now-defunct lifestyle website ran a fashion editorial that romanticized the Antebellum South in 2014.
Blake Lively walks the red carpet at the 2014 Annual Cannes Film Festival.
Blake Lively walks the red carpet at the 2014 Annual Cannes Film Festival.

Andreas Rentz/Getty Images

Two years after her wedding at Boone Hall, Lively launched a lifestyle website called Preserve.

In just a matter of months, it attracted controversy when its fall issue featured a photo shoot and article that appeared to romanticize the monied world of the Confederate South.

Titled "Allure of Antebellum," the photo shoot featured a white, blonde-haired model in a floppy hat, high-heeled pumps, and a leopard-print mini-skirt.

In the accompanying article, the unnamed author wrote about the "innate sense of social poise" and "unparalleled warmth and authenticity" of the pre-Civil War era women.

"The term Southern Belle came to fruition during the Antebellum period (before the Civil War), acknowledging women with an inherent social distinction who set the standards for style and appearance," the Preserve article read.

"These women epitomized Southern hospitality with a cultivation of beauty and grace, but even more with a captivating and magnetic sensibility."

The publication of the editorial immediately attracted criticism, with Refinery29 arguing: "The authors use the word antebellum in a misty-eyed, nostalgia-tinged way that completely ignores the brutality endured by Southern women not lucky enough to be born into privilege."

A year later, in October 2015, Lively shuttered the site, explaining to Vogue in an interview that it was because she and her team had "launched the site before it was ready."

Lively is rumored to have had a falling out with her "A Simple Favor" costar, Anna Kendrick, although their costar denied any friction.
Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively attend the New York premiere of "A Simple Favor" in 2018.
Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively at the New York premiere of "A Simple Favor."

Jimi Celeste/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images

Lively and Anna Kendrick starred alongside each other in the 2018 movie "A Simple Favor."

According to reports, the two had a falling out on the set of the film.

Claire Parker, cohost of the popular podcast Celebrity Memoir Book Club, previously said in a TikTok video that by the end of the movie, Lively and Kendrick "were not speaking," citing an unnamed studio source.

While neither Lively nor Kendrick has addressed the rumors, their costar Henry Golding has denied the claims of a feud, saying he thought the two stars got on "reasonably well."

"Definitely no friction that I noticed," he said when asked about the rumors on "Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen."

Despite this, fans have continued to speculate about sensing tension between the two stars β€” who are set to reunite for a sequel next yearβ€” in joint interviews.

After a clip from a resurfaced 2016 interview went viral, Lively was criticized for being rude to a journalist.
Blake Lively attends the New York premiere of "CafΓ© Society" in 2016.
Blake Lively attends the New York premiere of "CafΓ© Society" in 2016.

Sylvain Gaboury/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images

Reporter Kjersti Flaa interviewed Lively and her costar, Parker Posey, about the film "CafΓ© Society" in 2016.

Flaa reshared the interview eight years later β€” at the height of Lively's "It Ends With Us" backlash β€” when she uploaded it to YouTube with the title "The Blake Lively interview that made me want to quit my job."

In the video, Lively offered a snarky response to Flaa after she congratulated the actor on her pregnancy.

"First of all, congrats on your little bump," Flaa said, kicking off the interview.

"Congrats on your little bump," Lively responded, although Flaa was not pregnant.

Later in the interview, Lively challenged Flaa for asking a question about clothes. The actor also seemed to ignore Flaa in parts of the interview and angled her body toward Posey.

"It actually took me a while to get over the experience," Flaa previously told Business Insider, adding, "I have met moody celebrities, but nothing like this interview."

Flaa told MailOnline that Lively's comment was particularly hurtful because she wasn't able to conceive.

"It's true that the comment hurt me because I was never able to have kids myself, but of course Blake did not know that so I can't blame her for the pain that I felt," she later told BI.

Lively sparked outrage among sexual assault survivors for defending Woody Allen.
The cast of "CafΓ© Society" poses with Woody Allen at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival.
The cast of "CafΓ© Society" poses with Woody Allen at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival.

George Pimentel/WireImage

Lively's 2016 film "CafΓ© Society" was directed by Woody Allen.

Two years before "CafΓ© Society" premiered, The New York Times published an open letter by Dylan Farrow, Allen's adopted daughter, reiterating the accusation that he groomed and sexually assaulted her as a child.

Farrow originally accused her famous father when she was 7 years old. At the time, a state's attorney in Connecticut said he had "probable cause" to prosecute but declined to file charges.

In the 2014 essay, Farrow called out Hollywood stars like Cate Blanchett, Emma Stone, and Scarlett Johansson for working with Allen in recent years and ignoring the allegation against him.

"Woody Allen is a living testament to the way our society fails the survivors of sexual assault and abuse," she wrote.

During the press tour for "CafΓ© Society," French comedian Laurent Lafitte cracked a joke about Allen dodging accountability during the opening ceremony for the 2016 Cannes Film Festival.

Later at the festival, Lively made it clear she disapproved of Lafitte's material.

"I think any jokes about rape, homophobia, or Hitler is not a joke," Lively told Variety. "It was more disappointing for the artists in the room that someone was going up there making jokes about something that wasn't funny."

At the same event, Lively also said she hadn't read Ronan Farrow's new op-ed in the Hollywood Reporter, in which the investigative reporter defended his sister and criticized powerful people for "sweeping aside her allegations."

"I don't want to speak on something I haven't read," Lively told Vulture. "I think that's dangerous. It's definitely something that being at the festival, the media these days, you come to a film festival about film and people talk about all different types of things. You know? That can be definitely tricky to navigate."

Lively continued to praise Allen throughout the press tour, describing his director style as "very empowering."

"It's amazing what Woody has written for women," she told the Los Angeles Times, adding that she did not consider Allen's personal life while shooting the film.

"It's very dangerous to factor in things you don't know anything about," Lively said. "I could [only] know my experience. And my experience with Woody is he's empowering to women."

In 2017, Farrow published another op-ed in the Los Angeles Times that questioned Allen's role in the #MeToo movement, casting Lively as a hypocrite for condemning Harvey Weinstein but continuing to support Allen.

In 2018, Lively posted in support of Hollywood's anti-sexual harassment initiative Time's Up, writing, "I'm honored to be a part of this movement. The time is NOW!"

Farrow replied, "You worked with my abuser, @blakelively. Am I a woman who matters too?"

Farrow's account of her assault has remained consistent over the years, most recently in the 2021 HBO docuseries "Allen v. Farrow," while Allen has repeatedly denied the allegation.

Lively apologized for poking fun at Kate Middleton's "photoshop fails" after the princess went public with her cancer diagnosis.
Blake Lively Kate Middleton split image
Blake Lively and Kate Middleton both photographed in 2024.

Eric Charbonneau/Mark Cuthbert/UK Press/Getty Images

Amid the social media storm that erupted after the release of a digitally manipulated portrait of the princess and her children following Middleton's mysterious retreat from the public eye, Lively jumped on the trend of mocking her "photoshop fails."

She shared an edited photo on Instagram to promote her beverage line. The photo showed Lively sitting in a chair by a warped pool with a comically enlarged thumb and a lemon floating above her head.

According to People, she captioned the photo: "I'm so excited to share this new photo I just took today to announce our 4 new @bettybuzz & @bettybooze products! Now you know why I've been MIA."

Middleton later announced that she had been diagnosed with cancer and was undergoing chemotherapy.

Lively later deleted her post and shared a note on her Instagram Story apologizing to the British royal and her own followers.

"I'm sure no one cares today, but I feel like I have to acknowledge this. I made a silly post around the 'photoshop fails' frenzy, and oh man, that post has me mortified today. I'm sorry. Sending love and well wishes to all, always," she wrote.

Lively faced backlash for the way she promoted "It Ends With Us," a film about a woman experiencing domestic violence.
Three photos fo Blake Lively in floral dresses.
The "It Ends With Us" cast has been surrounded by drama since the film's release in August.

Robert Kamau/GC Images/Gotham/Getty Images

"It Ends With Us," a film in which Lively plays Lily Bloom, a woman experiencing domestic abuse, opened in theaters on August 9, 2024.

It's based on a book of the same name by BookTok favorite Colleen Hoover; fans who already knew the story immediately began to question Lively's promotional approach.

In a promo video shared on the film's official Instagram account, Lively encouraged people to watch the film by saying: "Grab your girls, wear your florals!"

Lively also leaned into method dressing, opting for florals in almost every outfit she wore during the press tour, which some fans criticized as tone-deaf.

In a TikTok video that's been viewed more than 4 million times, a woman who identified herself as a domestic violence survivor accused Lively of promoting the movie like it's "the sequel to Barbie."

Elsewhere, the actor could be seen using interviews and events for the film to cross-promote her brands, including her hair care line, Blake Brown.

A promotional email for Lively's beverage line, Betty Buzz, also shared a recipe for making a cocktail using her husband's gin brand,Β The New York TimesΒ reported.

As fans noted, Lively's approach contrasted starkly with that of her costar and director, Justin Baldoni, who was praised for highlighting the movie's weighty themes during his interviews.

It didn't help that the two were also pitted against each other following rumors of a feud between them.

The charity Women's Aid also criticized the marketing around the movie, sharing a statement with the BBC that read: "Despite domestic abuse being a key theme of the film, much of the marketing has ignored this and viewers have not been warned about the potentially distressing content."

Lively has since accused Baldoni of sexual harassment on set and orchestrating a smear campaign to "bury her."
Blake Lively Justin Baldoni split image
Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni costarred in "It Ends With Us."

Jeff Spicer/Getty Images for Sony Pictures; Gotham/WireImage

On December 21, Lively filed a legal complaint against Baldoni, accusing her director and costar of sexual harassment, retaliation, and coordinating attempts to damage her reputation.

According to the filing, obtained by Business Insider, Lively's strategy for promoting "It Ends With Us" β€” which drew backlash for making light of the film's themes β€” was "in accordance with the marketing plan created and delivered by the film's distributor Sony."

The marketing plan directed the cast to avoid discussing sad or heavy themes, in order to frame the film as "a story of hope."

At the same time, Lively alleged that Baldoni "abruptly pivoted" his talking points in an attempt to explain why he'd been unfollowed by much of the film's cast and crew on social media β€” apparently prompted by Baldoni's inappropriate behavior on set.

"To that end, he and his team used domestic violence 'survivor content' to protect his public image," the legal filing reads.

As Business Insider previously reported, Baldoni hired a public-relations crisis team, including veteran PR manager Melissa Nathan, as rumors swirled that he was on the outs with Lively and other castmates. According to Lively's lawsuit, Nathan's team helped Baldoni orchestrate an online smear campaign against Lively, partially to distract fans from speculating about his conduct on set.

"He wants to feel like she can be buried," a publicist working with Mr. Baldoni wrote in a message to Nathan, per the legal complaint.

"You know we can bury anyone," Nathan replied.

A rep for Baldoni called the allegations "shameful" and "categorically false" in a statement to Business Insider.

A rep for Lively told The New York Times, "I hope that my legal action helps pull back the curtain on these sinister retaliatory tactics to harm people who speak up about misconduct and helps protect others who may be targeted."

Read the original article on Business Insider

Databricks executive breaks down the AI talent wars: 'It's like looking for LeBron James'

23 December 2024 at 09:43
Databricks logo on phon screen
Databricks' vice president of AI described recruiting top AI researchers as like "looking for LeBron James."

Illustration by Avishek Das/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

  • Databricks' vice president of AI likened looking for top researchers to "looking for LeBron James."
  • Naveen Rao told Command Line that probably fewer than 1,000 researchers could build frontier models.
  • Rao said it wasn't ridiculous for companies to pay large amounts for AI and infrastructure talent.

Recruiting top-tier AI researchers today is a bit like scouting a sports team's next star athlete β€” they're few in number and costly to recruit, but they can change an organization's trajectory.

"It's like looking for LeBron James," Naveen Rao, Databricks' vice president of AI, told The Verge's Command Line newsletter published Friday. "There are just not very many humans who are capable of that."

While thousands of tech workers and engineers are qualified to work on AI, identifying the best β€” and convincing them to jump ship β€” remains a challenge for companies leading the AI race. Rao said he agreed that probably fewer than 1,000 researchers were capable of building new frontier models. But he added that the work of a star AI engineer could have a "massive influence" on a company's ability to win.

Rao said the AI talent wars weren't just about "pure AI talent" β€” they're also about scaling and building infrastructure for AI models. He said he sees some aspects of the pool expanding in that area.

"When you build a model and you want to scale it, that actually is not AI talent, per se," Rao told Command Line. "It's infrastructure talent."

He added that the scarcity of top AI talent had given researchers "unprecedented" leverage at the companies they work at. While many Americans are navigating an employer-driven job market, cutting-edge AI engineers seem to have the upper hand.

Earlier this year, Perplexity's CEO described being rebuffed by a Meta engineer who told him to "come back to me when you have 10,000 H100 GPUs," the in-demand Nvidia chips needed to develop and scale AI.

As competition increases, companies such as OpenAI, Anthropic, xAI, Microsoft, and Google have ramped up their hiring efforts. AI tech workers have shared stories of CEOs' extravagant efforts to secure top talent: One worker said OpenAI CEO Sam AltmanΒ personally called to pitch them on joining the team, while a Meta recruit said Mark Zuckerberg showed up in an email thread.

The companies are also offering hefty pay incentives to secure the best talent. Google recently turned heads when it was said to have paid $2.7 billion in a deal to bring Noam Shazeer, the founder of Character.ai, back to the company. While Google didn't formally acquire Character.ai, it paid to license the startup's technology, and Shazeer made hundreds of millions from the deal, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Rao said that while the amounts these companies are paying for talent may sound ridiculous, they aren't. The executive gave an example of a former employee at his company Nervana. He described the employee, who now works at OpenAI, as "the best GPU programmer in the world." Rao said that programmer's code now likely powers every inference on OpenAI models and could have saved the company $4 billion.

"I think that's why you see Google hiring back Noam Shazeer," Rao said. "It's very hard to find another Noam Shazeer."

Read the original article on Business Insider

Blake Lively's famous friends and costars are speaking out in support since her complaint against 'It Ends with Us' costar Justin Baldoni

23 December 2024 at 09:39
Paul Feig Blake Lively
"A Simple Favor" director Paul Feig and Blake Lively.

Ethan Miller/Getty

  • Blake Lively sued her "It Ends with Us" costar and director Justin Baldoni for sexual harassment on December 20.
  • Lively also alleged Baldoni made attempts to damage her reputation.
  • Here's everyone who's spoken out in support of Lively, including former costars and directors.

Blake Lively sued her "It Ends with Us" costar and director Justin Baldoni on December 20 for sexual harassment and an attempt to damage her reputation.

The news comes months after the movie's promotion leading up to its August release was overshadowed by rumors of a feud between the stars.

In the complaint, obtained by Business Insider, Lively said she met with Baldoni and producer Jamey Heath during production to address the "hostile work environment that had nearly derailed production of the film."

The meeting resulted in all parties agreeing to a number of stipulations, including "no more showing nude videos or images of women, including the producer's wife," to Lively (who is addressed as "BL" in other parts of the complaint) or her employees.

It also required "no more mention of Mr. Baldoni or Mr. Heath's previous 'pornography addiction' or BL's lack of pornography consumption to BL or to other crew members."

During the movie's late summer press tour, social media users criticized Lively's lighthearted approach to the movie's marketing, which led to a wave of backlash. Reports also began to surface that Lively and Baldoni feuded during production and had made separate cuts of the movie (Lively's ultimately won).

Lively said in the complaint that Baldoni and his team engaged in "social manipulation" to destroy her reputation through a "sophisticated press and digital plan in retaliation for Ms. Lively exercising her legally protected right to speak up about their misconduct on the set, with the additional objective of intimidating her and anyone else from revealing in public what actually occurred."

Bryan Freedman, an attorney for Baldoni and his company, Wayfarer Studios, said in a statement to BI that the claims made in the complaint were "categorically false" and "intentionally salacious with an intent to publicly hurt and rehash a narrative in the media."

"It is shameful that Ms. Lively and her representatives would make such serious and categorically false accusations against Mr. Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios and its representatives, as yet another desperate attempt to 'fix' her negative reputation, which was garnered from her own remarks and actions during the campaign for the film; interviews and press activities that were observed publicly, in real time and unedited, which allowed for the internet to generate their own views and opinions," the statement said.

A representative for Lively referred BI to a statement shared with The New York Times on Saturday.

"I hope that my legal action helps pull back the curtain on these sinister retaliatory tactics to harm people who speak up about misconduct and helps protect others who may be targeted," the statement said.

She also told the outlet that neither she nor her representatives ever spread negative stories about Baldoni or Wayfarer Studios.

Since the lawsuit, Lively has received a wave of support from family and people she has worked with in Hollywood.

Here's who has spoken out in support of Lively.

Her "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" costars America Ferrera, Amber Tamblyn, and Alexis Bledel released a joint statement.
Blake Lively Alexis Bledel America Ferrera Amber Tamblyn The Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants 2
Blake Lively, Alexis Bledel, America Ferrera and Amber Tamblyn attend the world premiere of 'The Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants 2' in 2008.

Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images

Since starring in the 2005 movie "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" and its 2008 sequel, Lively, Ferrera, Tamblyn, and Bledel have remained close friends.

In a joint statement released on Instagram, Ferrera, Tamblyn, and Bledel showed support for Lively.

"As Blake's friends and sisters for over 20 years, we stand with her in solidarity as she fights back against the reported campaign waged to destroy her reputation," the statement reads. "Throughout the filming of 'It Ends with Us,' we saw her summon the courage to ask for a safe workplace for herself and colleagues on set, and we are appalled to read the evidence of a premeditated and vindictive effort that ensued to discredit her voice. Most upsetting is the unabashed exploitation of domestic violence survivors' stories to silence a woman who asked for safety. The hypocrisy is astounding."

"We are struck by the reality that even if a woman is as strong, celebrated, and resourced as our friend Blake, she can face forceful retaliation for daring to ask for a safe working environment," the statement continued. "We are inspired by our sister's courage to stand up for herself and others. For anyone seeking more information or engaging in this important conversation online, please read the full legal complaint in the investigative reporting by Megan Twohey, Mike McIntire, and Julie Tate for the New York Times."

So has "It Ends with Us" author Colleen Hoover.
Colleen Hoover and Blake Lively stand together on a stage in front of a sign that says Book Bonanza.
Colleen Hoover and Blake Lively at Book Bonanza in June 2024.

Eric Charbonneau/Getty Images for Sony Pictures

In an Instagram Stories post, the author wrote:

"@blakelively, you have been nothing but honest, kind, supportive and patient since the day we met."

"Thank you for being exactly the human that you are. Never change. Never wilt."

And Lively's "A Simple Favor" director Paul Feig.
paul feig
Paul Feig.

Jeff Spicer/Getty Images

The "Bridesmaids" filmmaker directed Lively in the 2018 whodunit "A Simple Favor," and the two recently wrapped on a sequel.

"I've now made two movies with Blake and all I can say is she's one of the most professional, creative, collaborative, talented and kind people I've ever worked with," Feig wrote on X. "She truly did not deserve any of this smear campaign against her. I think it's awful she was put through this."

Lively's half-sister Robyn also showed her support.
Blake Lively and Robyn Lively in dresses
Blake and Robyn Lively.

Gotham/GC Images/Getty

Robyn Lively, Blake's half-sister who also starred in "It Ends with Us," posted on Instagram to show her support.

"She is one of the kindest, most honest and loving humans I know. Blake isn't a villain. She's a mama bear to her core, a loving and supportive wife, a sister, a friend, and someone who worked her ass off on a film in abominable working conditions," she wrote.

Read the original article on Business Insider

First time flying first class? Here are etiquette tips to avoid being the most annoying person in a premium cabin

23 December 2024 at 09:36
A bed, slippers, a blanket, a robe, and a sleep mask on a bed inside the first class cabin inside an Airbus A380 at the airbus factories in Hamburg, Germany, Reefrreshments in the background in front of three windows
First class is about indulgence, and business class is about sleeping and working comfortably, according to travel expert Gilbert Ott.

Christian Charisius/picture alliance via Getty Images

  • First-time flight upgraders should be aware of business and first-class etiquette.
  • A flight expert shared his top tips for blending in with passengers who often book premium cabins.
  • He said not to ask if everything is free in first class and not to expect too much in business class.

When flying first class, etiquette is key for blending in with the opulent crowd β€” especially if you've never been in a premium cabin before. The same goes for business-class etiquette.

Travelers in first and business class may be spoiled with welcome gifts, multi-course meals, and private seats for lounging. While tickets aren't cheap, credit card and airline rewards programs have made the luxurious cabins accessible for those accumulating points and miles.

If you're upgrading a flight for the first time, Gilbert Ott, who flies an estimated 200,000 miles a year, has a few tips for those who want to blend in with the first-class and business-class crowds and avoid annoying more seasoned premium passengers.

Don't ask if everything is free in first class.
A beige First Class Airplane Seat With Tray Of Food
Most first-class offerings are included in the price of the ticket.

imaginima/Getty Images

"I think the etiquette is that first class is about indulgence," Ott told Business Insider.

Ott doesn't recommend asking flight attendants if each bonus offering is free because everything is complimentary, from meals to sparkling wine.

And there's nothing wrong with "filling your boots" to make the most of the perks, he added.

Don't expect too much in business class.
Passengers are sitting in the commercial plane. Cabin crew is take care passengers in the plane.
Business class offers a less personalized experience.

eyesfoto/Getty Images

While first-class passengers often get personalized experiences where they're greeted by name, business-class passengers shouldn't expect the same level of attention.

"Business class is about efficiency. It's a comfortable seat where you can sleep or work," Ott said.

But staff members serve dozens of people in business class, whereas first-class cabins typically seat less than 10 passengers, he added.

"There's a lot of work that goes into all those meals and drinks," Ott said. "So if you're looking for an over-the-top experience, then first class is where you can expect staff to make the flight awesome. And that's what you're paying for."

Don't hover over passengers in doored seats.
Luxurious seats with doors inside a first-class cabin on a plane
Doored seats offer more privacy for passengers in premium cabins.

jun xu/Getty Images

If you've flown recently, you may have noticed that many business and first-class cabins have added doors to each seat to give passengers more privacy.

Ott said you shouldn't infringe on another traveler's space to fetch items from overhead bins.

"Don't awkwardly hover over the person because the whole idea of doors is that people can't look in on you," Ott said. "So when you wake up and someone is looking over your space, it's odd."

Don't take up too much overhead bin space.
Empty airplane interior, bag left in overhead bin, side view
Stick to the space above your seat.

Thomas Barwick/Getty Images

BI previously reported that premium cabin passengers are often entitled to overhead bin space, and according to Ott, the bins are usually not too crowded. But that doesn't mean you should bring extra bags and put them wherever you want, as Ott has seen many passengers do.

Instead, Ott suggests keeping your limited belongings in the space above your seat.

Read the original article on Business Insider

The Nordstrom family struck a deal to take their namesake department store chain private. Here's how they built their retail empire.

23 December 2024 at 09:36
a two-story Nordstrom in a mall shows the upper landing with the store name while a young mother and child walk in through the lower entrance.
Nordstrom is slated to become a private company in 2025, it said on Monday.

Saul Loeb/Getty Images

  • Nordstrom's founding family is taking the retail chain private with help from a Mexican retailer.
  • Bruce Nordstrom, whose grandfather started the department store in 1901, died in May.
  • Here's how Nordstrom grew from a single location in Seattle into a fashion empire.

The descendants of John W. Nordstrom are taking the eponymous department store chain private.

Nordstrom's great-grandsons Pete and Erik, who are now the company's President and CEO, respectively, are working with cousin Jamie Nordstrom, the company's chief merchandising officer, and Mexican retailer El Puerto de Liverpool to purchase the company at $24.25 per share, the group said on Monday. The deal gives Nordstrom an enterprise value of $6.25 billion and should be completed in the first half of 2025, the group said.

Earlier this year, Pete and Erik's father, Bruce, died at the age of 90 after a long career with the company.

The grandson of founder John W. Nordstrom, Bruce was instrumental in bringing the retailer to international prominence in a career that spanned four decades.

Here's how the Nordstroms built their empire from a single shoe store in Seattle to one of the biggest names in fashion retail.

Nordstrom was founded as a shoe store by John W. Nordstrom and Carl F. Wallin in Seattle in 1901.
Nordstrom 4
A Nordstrom sign showing the year the company started.

Shutterstock

Two decades later, the partners opened a second store in Seattle's University District.

John Nordstrom retired in 1928 and sold his share to his sons Everett and Elmer.
Nordstrom 3
A Portland, Oregon, Nordstrom store in 2015.

Shutterstock

Wallin retired soon after and sold his share of the company to the Nordstrom sons too. John's third son, Lloyd, later joined the team.

John Nordstrom's sons focused on expanding into women's clothing.
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Mannequins at a Nordstrom department store.

Business Insider/Jessica Tyler

Nordstrom purchased the Seattle-based clothing store Best's Apparel in 1963. Three years later, the company purchased a Portland, Oregon-based clothing store and began offering both shoes and apparel under the name Nordstrom Best. The company added men's and children's apparel in 1966.

In 1968, the three Nordstrom brothers handed the company over to the next generation.
bruce nordstrom 3
Bruce Nordstrom.

Getty Images

Everett's son Bruce, Elmer's sons James and John, Lloyd's son-in-law Jack, and family friend Bob Bender became the new heads of the company. The third generation of Nordstrom chairmen took the company public in 1971, formally renaming it Nordstrom Inc.

The first Nordstrom Rack opened in the basement of the downtown Seattle store in 1973.
Nordstrom Rack
A Nordstrom Rack location in New York.

Business Insider/Mary Hanbury

That same year, the company became the largest-volume fashion specialty store on the West Coast, with sales surpassing $100 million. The chain continued to expand throughout the next several decades.

In 1995, Nordstrom's third generation handed the reins over to the fourth.
Blake, Pete, Erik, and Jamie Nordstrom smile for camera at Nordstrom store opening
Blake, Pete, and Erik Nordstrom in 2007.

John Wilcox/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald via Getty Images

The elder Nordstroms retired as co-chairmen, but remained on the Board of Directors, and Bruce's sons, Blake, Pete, and Erik, took over the company in 1995.

Bruce's oldest son Blake became co-president in 1995.
blake nordstrom
Blake Nordstrom.

Vince Talotta/Toronto Star via Getty Images

Blake began working in the family business when he was about 11 years old. His first role with the company was in the stockroom, and he went on to hold many positions with the company, including merchandise buyer, regional manager, and then vice president in charge of stores in Washington and Alaska.

Erik Nordstrom worked for his older brother in various positions at the company as the two rose through the ranks together.
Blake Erik Nordstrom
Blake and Erik Nordstrom.

Getty Images

"It was always the best working for my brother because he had more confidence in me and gave me more autonomy than anybody I had ever worked for," Erik Nordstrom said in his father's 2007 book, "Leave It Better Than You Found It."

Bruce returned as chairman in 2000, retiring for a second time in 2006.
Bruce Nordstrom
Bruce Nordstrom.

Getty Images

Bruce and his sons were credited with turning the company around after several years of underperformance by non-family leadership.

Throughout the 2000s, Nordstrom partnered with fashion brands like Façonnable, Topshop, HauteLook, and Jeffery.
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A store display of Topshop apparel and accessories.

Business Insider/Jessica Tyler

In 2014, the company started expanding internationally. It opened stores in Canada and the US territory of Puerto Rico.

Nordstrom opened its first menswear-only store in 2018 and a flagship womenswear store in 2019.
Nordstrom men's
Nordstrom's menswear shop.

Business Insider/Mary Hanbury

The concept combined in-store services, such as tailoring, shoe shining, and food, with high-tech digital ordering and returns systems.

Blake died in 2019 at the age of 58, passing control of the company to his brothers.
Blake Nordstrom stands with arms resting on racks of clothes at Nordstrom Rack
Blake Nordstrom at a Nordstrom Rack in 2018.

Vince Talotta/Toronto Star via Getty Images

"Blake was the best big brother, friend and mentor anyone could ever ask for," Pete and Erik Nordstrom said in a note to employees. "One of the things that brings us some comfort is that Blake's values, character and passion can still be reflected in what this company does β€” how we treat each other, our customers and our communities. Building on that is the best way we can think of to honor his legacy."

In April, Pete and Erik revealed that the company was exploring options to go private.
Erik and Pete Nordstrom stand in front of Nordstrom backdrop during red carpet event
Erik, left, and Pete Nordstrom in 2012.

Frank Franklin II/AP

In regulatory filings, the brother said they had not yet received any financing commitments to complete such a deal.

In May, Bruce died at his home at the age of 90.
Bruce Nordstrom2
Bruce Nordstrom in 2018.

Getty Images

Nordstrom died on May 18.

"Our dad leaves a powerful legacy as a legendary business leader, a generous community citizen and a loyal friend," Pete and Erik said in a statement.

In December, Erik, Pete, and other Nordstrom family members reached a deal to take the company private.
Erik Nordstrom gestures while speak inside Nordstrom store
Erik Nordstrom in 2019.

Shannon Stapleton/Reuters

The deal with Mexican retailer El Puerto de Liverpool was developed over several months. Once completed, the Nordstrom descendants will own 50.1% of he department store chain, with the other 49.9% in the hands of Liverpool, Nordstrom said on Monday.

Jessica Tyler contributed to an earlier version of this story.

Read the original article on Business Insider

Taylor Swift's gameday looks ranked from least to most stylish, including $70,000 ensembles and vintage Chiefs gear

23 December 2024 at 09:23
Taylor Swift arrives at Arrowhead Stadium in December 2024.
Taylor Swift arrives at Arrowhead Stadium in December 2024.

Icon Sportswire/Getty Images

  • Taylor Swift has become a regular at Kansas City Chiefs games since she started dating Travis Kelce.
  • Her NFL style was initially laid-back, as she appeared in simple sports jackets and sweatshirts.
  • Now, Swift has leaned into luxury and subtle nods to Kelce for her gameday looks.

Taylor Swift made her NFL debut in September 2023, revealing her romance with Travis Kelce in dramatic fashion by supporting him at a Kansas City Chiefs game at Arrowhead Stadium.

Over a year later, Swift and Kelce still seem to be going strong, and the singer's gameday fashion continues to make headlines.

From standout $70,000 outfits to forgettable athletic looks, here's a look at everything she's worn in her WAG era, ranked from least to most stylish.

Taylor Swift's first gameday outfit was cute but ultimately forgettable.
Donna Kelce and Taylor Swift stand in Travis Kelce's box at Arrowhead Stadium.
Taylor Swift attended her first Chiefs game in September 2023.

Jason Hanna/Getty Images

She made her Arrowhead Stadium debut in studded $190 Ksubi shorts, a white $105 DΓ΄en tank top, and $192 New Balance sneakers β€” all sold out as of November 2024.

She also sported a vintage Kansas City Chiefs jacket and a $1,305 crescent-shaped earring from Jacquie Aiche.

The same could be said for the leather and denim getup she sported in October 2023.
taylor swift blake lively chiefs game
Taylor Swift and Blake Lively attend a game between the New York Jets and the Kansas City Chiefs at MetLife Stadium on October 1, 2023.

Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images

As the Chiefs battled the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium, Swift cheered the team on from a box suite.

Her simple outfit for the occasion included $528 denim shorts with crystal detailing from Area (which have since sold out), a black long-sleeved shirt, and a leather jacket from Gant.

She also accessorized with a $9,250 diamond choker and $1,795 Louboutin boots.

The outfit she wore to a December 2023 game had lots of team spirit but lacked interesting details.
Taylor Swift and Scott Swift cheer from a box at a stadium.
Taylor Swift and Scott Swift at a Chief's game in December 2023.

Kathryn Riley/Getty Images

Her Chiefs pullover, for example, was a light-gray shade that didn't stand out in the audience. Her plaid skirt was also understated.

The most interesting aspects of her outfit were the accessories. Swift wore a $598 Mejuri ring with a red stone in the middle and a $35 handmade hat from a local Kansas City artist.

Swift quickly became intentional with her outfit choices.
Taylor Swift attends a Kansas City Chiefs game on October 12, 2023.
Taylor Swift attends a Kansas City Chiefs game on October 12, 2023.

David Eulitt/Stringer/Getty Images

For a game in October 2023, Swift arrived wearing a red, white, and black jacket covered in Kansas City logos. The $130 piece, which is now sold out, was the work of Wear by Erin Andrews.

Though the jacket wasn't part of her flashiest outfit, Swift undeniably left her mark on the sports anchor's clothing business.

"I started screaming and freaking out and singing all my favorite Swiftie songs. And then yeah, we restocked, and we sold out. And thank you, thank you, Taylor Swift," Andrews told Seth Meyers during an appearance on his show.

Swift paired the outerwear with a $3,190 Balenciaga corset and sold-out Prada boots.

Her vintage sweatshirt for an October 2023 game had a bit more personality.
Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift exit Arrowhead Stadium on October 22, 2023.
Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift at Arrowhead Stadium in October 2023.

Charlie Riedel/AP Images

Swift paired a vintage Chiefs sweatshirt from Ellie Mae Studios with a black pleated skirt and loafers.

As usual, she added an assortment of jewelry to elevate her look, including Cartier's $13,400 Juste un Clou necklace. She also wore the $3,600 Heavy Belcher bracelet and the $1,050 Enamel Miniature Medallion from Foundrae, as well as Jacquie Aiche's $5,775 evil-eye bracelet and $4,675 7 Diamond Kate Smooth Bar bracelet.

Swift completed her look with a $21 custom friendship bracelet featuring an 87 in a sweet nod to Kelce, who wore a red plaid shirt after the game that coordinated with Swift's gameday look.

The designer jacket she wore to a game in January screamed luxury.
Taylor Swift and other Chiefs fans cheer from a box.
Taylor Swift cheers at a Chiefs game in January 2024.

Kathryn Riley/Getty Images

Rather than wearing team gear, Swift arrived at the sporting event in a white varsity jacket from Gant's collaboration with Kilo Kish.

The high-fashion piece featured stars and other shapes in the Chiefs' signature red, matching Swift's winter beanie and lipstick.

The jacket, which retailed for $1,800, is now sold out.

There was no missing Swift when she arrived at Arrowhead Stadium for a game in November.
Taylor Swift walks into a football game in an a black top and shorts with a red and black jacket.
Taylor Swift attends a Chiefs game at Arrowhead Stadium in November 2024.

Jamie Squire/Getty Images

She was photographed wearing a vintage, leather Chiefs jacket β€” a fan said her parents sold it on eBay for $169 β€” and black shorts from Agolde.

Other pieces included $2,195 Louboutin boots, a $3,900 Dior saddle bag, and a $630 belt from The Row. But it was her gold and diamond accessories that stole the show.

Swift wore $575 Louis Vuitton earrings, a $4,475 Chanel necklace, a $3,150 Louis Vuitton ring, and a $4,150 ring from Retrouvai.

One of Swift's most memorable looks came on Christmas Day.
Taylor Swift and Austin Swift, dressed as Santa Claus, cheer during a Chiefs game.
Taylor Swift and her brother Austin Swift attend a Chiefs game on Christmas 2023.

Jamie Squire/Getty Images

She attended the holiday Chiefs game alongside her brother Austin, who was dressed as Santa Claus.

Though Swift wasn't in costume, she was dressed with holiday spirit. To complement her Santa hat, which was embroidered with Kelce's jersey number, Swift wore an $895 bomber jacket from Guest in Residence, which has since sold out.

She also sported a now-sold-out Hill House skirt, $35 Sheertex tights, and heeled Prada loafers.

Swift's Super Bowl look was fairly simple, but a slew of symbolic accessories made it stand out.
Taylor Swift attends the 2024 Super Bowl.
Taylor Swift attends the 2024 Super Bowl.

Perry Knotts/Getty Images)

The base of Swift's look for the 2024 Super Bowl β€” which the Chiefs won β€” was all black. She paired Dion Lee's crochet corset top with Area's $695 crystal slit jeans and $1,195 suede ankle boots from Christian Louboutin.

Swift also wore a red Chiefs bomber jacket from WEAR by Erin Andrews, which cost $129. Her accessories also nodded to the Chiefs, like Judith Leiber's red football clutch. The bag is not available in red online, but brown, gold, and pink versions cost $3,995 on the brand's website.

Her $3,325 necklace from Stephanie Gottlieb featured an 87, a nod to Kelce's jersey number. She also wore a diamond tennis choker from the brand, which cost $7,995.

Swift adorned herself with other red jewelry, including two rings from Shahla Karimi, Retrouvai's $4,550 Ruby Magna ring, and The Last Line's $695 diamond-studded Heart Twist earring, which is sold individually.

She also turned to Shay Jewelry for several red pieces, including a $6,800 necklace, the $5,600 Ruby Eternity Band, and a $19,950 bracelet. Jacquie Aiche's $7,150 Sophia Diamond Chain PavΓ© Ear Cuff and $715 PavΓ© Diamond Letter Mini Hoop completed her look. Swift wore a "T" hoop, naturally.

Swift's Super Bowl ensemble was simple, but her accessories filled the look with team spirit.

Swift put a more glamorous spin on her NFL style when the Chiefs played the Green Bay Packers in December 2023.
Taylor Swift stands with two other women, cheering in a box.
Lyndsay Bell, Taylor Swift, and Brittany Mahomes attend a Kansas City Chiefs game in December 2023.

Stacy Revere/Getty Images

Instead of wearing a sweatshirt or jersey with the Chiefs logo, Swift donned Stella McCartney's $2,400 belted teddy coat for an away game in Wisconsin. The red color was perfect to support the Chiefs.

The rest of Swift's look was black, including her Louis Vuitton mini wrap skirt, which retails for $3,400. She also wore a black mock-neck top with Cartier's Agrafe Herringbone Twisted necklace atop it. The $27,250 necklace featured gold and diamond detailing, matching Swift's $1,400 linked tennis earrings from Vrai.

Stuart Weitzman's $995 thigh-high Vidaland boots completed her ensemble.

Her coordinating Vivienne Westwood set for an October game was among her most high-fashion NFL looks.
Taylor Swift walks into the Chiefs game wearing a plaid set and tall black boots.
Taylor Swift attends a Kansas City Chiefs game in October 2024.

David Eulitt/Getty Images

The $1,875 off-the-shoulder Sunday corset and $1,010 Meghan kilt from Vivienne Westwood featured a plaid pattern with maroon detailing that subtly nodded to the Chiefs.

Vivienne Westwood also designed Swift's $1,270 Grace boots and $590 Belle Heart-Frame Jacquard bag.

She didn't hold back on her jewelry for the game, wearing over $46,000 worth of it with the look, including her Cartier necklace and $5,680 custom diamond TNT bracelet from Wove that Kelce gave her as a gift.

Jacquie Aiche designed Swift's bracelets: the $4,675 Seven-Diamond Kate Smooth Bar bracelet and the $5,250 evil-eye bracelet. SheΒ also wore various rings, including Shahla Karimi's $3,490Β Cloud Offset Pear ringΒ and two custom-made ruby-studded rings from Effy Jewelry.

Glitter freckles from Fazit completed her ensemble.

Swift's jacket for the Chiefs' New Year's Eve game coordinated with a piece Kelce wore the same week.
taylor swift chiefs game
Taylor Swift attends a game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium on December 31, 2023.

Jamie Squire/Getty Images

Swift's look for the game between the Chiefs and the Bengals was simple: black pants, a belt, and a black top.

But a white-and-black varsity jacket designed by Jeff Hamilton brought a pop of team spirit to her look. The jacket featured an assortment of patches, including the "KC" arrowhead logo on the front and back, the NFL logo, and a football helmet. Swift's jacket also said "Chiefs" in red lettering.

Her statement jacket was almost identical to a Jeff Hamilton jacket Kelce wore to arrive at the Chiefs game on Christmas 2023, just a week earlier.

Kelce and Swift's jackets were custom, but Hamilton sells a similar jacket for $850 on his website.

Swift subtly paid tribute to her boyfriend with a gold and diamond bracelet last year.
Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift walk with their arms around each other on a football field.
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce after the 2024 AFC Championship.

AP Photo/Julio Cortez

After Kelce and his teammates won the 2024 AFC Championship, Swift joined him on the field to celebrate. There, fans got a closer look at her red and black outfit.

It included a $695 red sweater from Guest in Residence, $2,830 earrings from Wwake, a $6,250 diamond ring from Jacquie Aiche, and $35 Sheertex tights.

But the gold, diamond-embellished tennis bracelet from Wove seemingly had the most sentimental value to Swift.

The brand's founder, Kendall Junck, previously told Business Insider that the bracelet was part of a jewelry collaboration with pro golfer Michelle Wie West, who is friends with Kelce.

She said that when West reached out to gift Kelce some of the pieces, he requested matching bracelets with the letters "TNT" for Taylor and Travis.

Swift's oversize T-shirt dress offered a fun spin on Chiefs merchandise for their September game against the Bengals.
Danielle Haim and Taylor Swift arrive at Arrowhead Stadium on September 15, 2024.
Danielle Haim and Taylor Swift arrive at Arrowhead Stadium on September 15, 2024.

Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Swift's oversize 1995 Salem shirt hit her mid-thigh, allowing her to wear it as a dress. The red piece featured the Chiefs logo and the team's name.

Swift did not reveal where she bought the shirt, though Kansas City business Westside Storey, which sells souvenirs and curated vintage items, told BI it was selling the same piece a week before she was spotted wearing it.

Swift paired the top with Giuseppe Zanotti's $1,650 Frannie boots and Louis Vuitton's Coussin bag, which retails for $4,800.

She wore several high-end jewelry pieces, including Louis Vuitton's $625 My LV Chain earrings. Swift also stacked two necklaces, Vitaly's $120 Shimmer Chain and Melinda Maria's $118 Julian Loves Diamonds Necklace 16, which features diamondettes.

Swift rocked a vintage sweatshirt at a Chiefs game in December 2023.
Taylor Swift in a stand at a football game.
Taylor Swift attends a Kansas City Chiefs game on December 10, 2023.

Jamie Squire/Getty Images

Swift attended the Chiefs game against the Buffalo Bills in December 2023 wearing a $250 vintage sweatshirt, which said "Chiefs" in large letters and featured the team's logo on one sleeve.

She bought the sweatshirt from Westside Storey in Kansas City. The store's owner, Chris Harrington, told BI he initially thought her purchase was fraudulent.

Swift dressed up the casual sweatshirt by pairing it with a $2,100 leather miniskirt from Khaite, which she wore backward, Larroudé's $500 Kate Hi boots in black leather, and GANT 240 Mulberry Street's $1,700 tailored coat in black.

She also added Mejuri's Heirloom Ring, which costs $648, and Mazin Jewels Open Rivet Ring, a $64 piece.

Her custom jacket for the Chiefs' playoff game against the Miami Dolphins in January was one of a kind.
Taylor Swift Chiefs
Taylor Swift attending an NFL game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Miami Dolphins.

Ed Zurga/AP Photo

Swift attended the playoff game in a custom red jacket made by Kristin Juszczyk, a designer married to San Francisco 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk.

Kristin made the oversize puffer jacket using one of Kelce's jerseys, as she documented in a TikTok, so it featured his number, 87, on the front and sleeve, as well as his name. She also embroidered "Chiefs Kingdom" onto the jacket.

Swift focused her look on the jacket, pairing it with a black top, Paige's $249Β Gemma pants, and $1,395 Christian Louboutin combat boots.

She also wore Anine Bing's Waylon belt, which retails for $200 but is out of stock, and carried the $525 Ilda Bag from Manu Atelier.

She wore all denim at the 2024-2025 season opener.
Taylor Swift wears a denim set and boots in a stadium.
Taylor Swift at a Kansas City Chiefs game in September 2024.

David Eulitt/Getty Images

Swift seemed to signal she was fully stepping into her WAG era at the season opener in September, arriving at Arrowhead Stadium in an all-denim look.

She paired a denim version of Versace's Medusa corset, which retails for $1,325, with $174 mom shorts from Grlfrnd.

Swift also wore Giuseppe Zanotti's $1,650 burgundy thigh-high Frannie boots. The pricey shoes were more affordable than her Louis Vuitton side trunk bag, retailing for $3,950.

An assortment of high-end jewelry completed Swift's ensemble, including her TNT bracelet and a 1970s-inspired coin necklace from For Future Reference. The brand's founder, Randi Molofsky, previously told BI that the brand collaborated with Swift's stylist on the look.

"We were so lucky to work directly with Taylor's longtime stylist, Joseph Cassell Falconer, on last night's look for Taylor," he said. "He came to us specifically for the vintage coin necklace because he really had a vision of that bold, glam '70s style to pair with the denim-on-denim and over-the-thigh boot."

The priciest element of her outfit was a $29,100 ring from Retrouvai, which she paired with Howl's $4,800 Ruby Cocoon ring. Lizzie Mandler's $13,200 three-row Cleo bracelet sat on her wrist while she wore EF Collection's $895 diamond and prong chain earrings and the $590 Love Explosion Starburst Charm earrings from Three Stories Jewelry in her ears.

Swift wore $66,970 worth of jewelry for the look.

Swift elevated her style from sporty to chic in November.
Taylor Swift arrives at Arrowhead Stadium in November 2024.
Taylor Swift arrives at Arrowhead Stadium in November 2024.

David Eulitt/Getty Images

Swift then arrived at a Chiefs home game in a red-and-black checked Versace blazer and skirt that cost $3,350 and $1,695, respectively.

The blazer sat on her shoulders, showing off the $34.99 Victoria's Secret corset Swift wore as a top.

She also chose Versace accessories for the look, including the $1,650 Medusa 95 Leather Knee High Boots and the $2,190 Medusa 95 Small Tote Bag.

Swift's standout jewelry piece for the game was the gold Tambour Watch from Louis Vuitton she wore on her wrist. It retails for $54,000, and Kelce has a coordinating timepiece.

But the Ruby and Diamond Heirloom Bezel Ring from Retrouvai she wore on her hand was nearly as pricey at $32,970. She complemented the ring with Effy Jewelry's $2,167 Ruby Royale Ruby and Diamond Crossover Ring.

The luxurious look was stylish and sleek, making her stand out in the stadium filled with sports fans.

The superstar's best gameday look so far included a fuzzy coat and designer hat.
Taylor Swift arrives at Arrowhead Stadium in December 2024.
Taylor Swift arrives at Arrowhead Stadium in December 2024.

Icon Sportswire/Getty Images

There was no missing Swift when she arrived at Arrowhead Stadium over the weekend.

She wore a vibrant red coat with a faux fur lining from Charlotte Simone, plaid Sheertex tights, and a vintage Chanel bucket hat in black.

Her outfit also included $1,595 Manolo Blahnik boots and a red Tods handbag.

The outfit was fashionable, festive, and perfect for a winter game.

Read the original article on Business Insider

7 high-profile political figures who made a splashy transition to the media industry

23 December 2024 at 09:22
A view from the interior of a studio at MSNBC.
A slew of high-profile political figures have made a jump to the media world.

Virginia Sherwood/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images

  • In recent decades, there's been a very visible pipeline from politics to the media industry.
  • Some critics have pushed backed against former political figures migrating to major news networks.
  • Several key figures have successfully made the jump, becoming staples of TV news.

In recent decades, the politics-to-media pipeline has become an enduring phenomenon, with former party leaders and communications gurus using their previous gigs to become well-compensated hosts and pundits on network news programs.

In March, former Republican National Committee chair Ronna McDaniel was hired as a paid contributor for NBC News (and subsequently dropped after pushback from some of its top hosts), and in December, controversial former congressman Matt Gaetz accepted a job as an anchor at OAN.

Here's a look at key figures who have successfully made the jump over the past few decades:

George Stephanopoulos
George Stephanopoulos
George Stephanopoulos has been a staple of ABC News for years.

Lloyd Bishop/NBC via Getty Images

Stephanopoulos has become a household name as a result of his nearly 15-year tenure as a co-anchor on ABC's "Good Morning America."

Before Stephanopoulos became one of the biggest names at ABC News, he had a background steeped in Democratic politics, first as an aide to onetime Rep. Edward Feighan of Ohio in the 1980s before working on the unsuccessful 1988 presidential campaign of then-Massachusetts Gov. Michael Dukakis.

Stephanopoulos rose to prominence as a deputy campaign manager for Bill Clinton's successful 1992 presidential campaign, later serving as White House communications director and a senior advisor in the administration.

At ABC News, Stephanopoulos is not only one of the faces of the weekday morning team but he also serves as the anchor of "This Week," the network's Sunday public affairs program.

In December 2024, ABC News settled a defamation lawsuit brought by Trump against Stephanopoulos and the network after the host during a March interview said Trump had been "found liable for rape" in the case involving the writer E. Jean Carroll. (Trump was found liable for sexually assaulting and defaming Carroll.)

Joe Scarborough
joe scarborough capitol police rant
"Morning Joe" host Joe Scarborough previously served as a GOP congressman from Florida.

William B. Plowman/NBC/NBC Newswire/NBCUniversal via Getty Images

Scarborough was elected to the US House from Florida during the 1994 "Republican Revolution," when his party regained a majority in the lower chamber after 50 years of Democratic control.

While in Congress, Scarborough championed conservative policies on everything from foreign affairs to the federal budget.

He later stepped down from the House in September 2001.

In 2003, Scarborough began hosting the MSNBC program "Scarborough Country." The show ran until 2007.

Since 2007, he has hosted the MSNBC program "Morning Joe."

In March 2024, Both Scarborough and his cohost (and wife) Mika Brzezinski publicly voiced their disagreement over the McDaniel hire and stated that she would not be a guest on their program.

After President-elect Donald Trump's November 2024 victory, Scarborough and Brzezinski were rebuked by many of their viewers after the pair went to Mar-a-Lago after the election in a push to "restart communications" with the incoming president, whom they were very critical of during the campaign.

Scarborough defended the move and waved off the criticism.

"Yesterday I saw for the first time what a massive disconnect there was between social media and the real world because we were flooded with phone calls from people all day, literally around the world, all very positive, very supportive," he said in November.

Jen Psaki
Jen Psaki
White House press secretary Jen Psaki waves goodbye after her last press briefing at the White House on May 13, 2022.

AP Photo/Andrew Harnik

As White House press secretary from January 2021 until May 2022, Psaki was the public face of President Joe Biden's administration.

Before that, she was a White House deputy press secretary, deputy communications director and communications director under President Barack Obama β€” as well as a State Department spokesperson in his administration.

In between her stint with the Obama and Biden administrations, she served as a CNN political contributor.

She now hosts the MSNBC program "Inside with Jen Psaki," which premiered in March 2023.

Nicolle Wallace
Nicolle Wallace
Nicolle Wallace previously worked in the George W. Bush White House.

Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images

Since 2017, Wallace has been an integral part of the MSNBC lineup as the host of "Deadline: White House."

Wallace previously served as the White House communications director from January 2005 until July 2006 under President George W. Bush and later worked as a senior advisor for John McCain's 2008 presidential campaign.

In 2014, Wallace joined ABC's "The View" as a co-host, but exited the program at the end of the season.

Michael Steele
GettyImages michael steele
Michael Steele once led the Republican National Committee.

Ronen Tivony/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Steele, an attorney and former Maryland lieutenant governor, was one of the most prominent Black Republican officeholders during the George W. Bush era.

In 2006, Steele unsuccessfully ran for the US Senate in Maryland, winning the GOP nomination but losing the general election to Democrat Ben Cardin.

He served as chair of the Republican National Committee from 2009 to 2011, leading the party as it picked up 63 seats in the House (and thus retook control) in the 2010 midterm elections.

In May 2011, Steele became a MSNBC political analyst.

He later backed Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election.

Steele now hosts the MSNBC program "The Weekend," alongside commentator Alicia Menendez and former Kamala Harris chief spokesperson Symone Sanders-Townsend.

Claire McCaskill
Claire McCaskill
Claire McCaskill, right, represented Missouri in the US Senate from 2007 to 2019.

William B. Plowman/NBC via Getty Images

For years, McCaskill carved out a reputation as a moderate Democrat, serving as a prosecutor and as Missouri's auditor.

Despite the increasingly conservative lean of Missouri, McCaskill was elected to the US Senate in both 2006 and 2012, but she was unseated by Republican Josh Hawley in 2018.

McCaskill has since become a NBC News and MSNBC political analyst, and is a frequent guest on "Morning Joe."

Symone Sanders-Townsend
Symone Sanders-Townsend.
Symone Sanders-Townsend was a frequent presence on television as the national press secretary for Bernie Sanders' 2016 presidential campaign.

Chris Saucedo/Getty Images for SXSW

Sanders-Townsend rose to prominence as the national press secretary for Sen. Bernie Sanders' 2016 presidential campaign, where she was a highly-visible force in boosting the independent Vermont lawmaker's bid.

Sanders lost the Democratic primary to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton that year, but Sanders-Townsend later emerged as an advisor for Biden's 2020 presidential campaign.

After Biden won the presidency, Sanders-Townsend became a senior advisor and the chief spokesperson for Vice President Harris. She would later depart Harris' office and pivot back to a perch in media.

Sanders-Townsend can now be seen on MSNBC's "The Weekend" alongside Steele and Menendez.

Read the original article on Business Insider

I visited The Container Store to see why sales are down. The selection was incredible, but the prices were higher than I expected.

23 December 2024 at 09:21
Outside The Container Store in New York City.
The Container Store storefront on Sixth Avenue in New York City.

Mykenna Maniece/Business Insider

  • The Container Store, a home storage and organization chain, filed for bankruptcy on December 22.
  • I visited the store's Manhattan location in September.
  • I loved the wide variety of options but concluded I'm not the store's target customer for now.

Before I moved to New York City, everyone warned me about the shoebox apartments I'd have to get used to.

They weren't wrong.

Living in a one-bedroom apartment definitely requires some innovative storage solutions. In the past year, I've looked to stores like Target, Ikea, Walmart, and Amazon for homeware items, but I can't stop my Type-A mind from searching for options to make my space more efficient.

Enter The Container Store, a home storage and organization retailer founded in 1978 in Texas. The company now has 102 stores across the US.

However, while the company boasts a cult-like following, sales have struggled. On December 22, the company filed for bankruptcy, revealing in court documents that it's $230 million in debt. Still, CEO and president Satish Malhotra said, "The Container Store is here to stay."

The filing comes after months of other documented financial struggles. In June, The Container Store reported that first fiscal quarter sales were down 12.2% compared to the same period in 2023. The following month, Modern Retail reported that the company hadn't "posted a full-year profit" since 2021.

In September, I visited The Container Store's Sixth Avenue location in Manhattan to see if the storage solutions were right for me and if I could understand the brand's sales decline.

Here's what I found.

When I entered the Manhattan store, I was happy to see it lived up to its name, with aisles and aisles of β€”Β you guessed it β€” containers.
A view of inside The Container Store. There are white pillars spaced on the right side of the frame headed to the back of the store with signs that say "Closet" and "Bath." There are drawers in the front as well as a red sale sign in the right foreground.
This was my view when I first walked into the store.

Mykenna Maniece/Business Insider

As soon as I stepped inside, I was shocked at the massive space. According to the retailer's website, stores have "an average size of approximately >24,000 square feet (18,000 selling square feet)."

Though this location spanned just one floor, all I could see were aisles and aisles of items lining its perimeter and throughout its center.

The store was largely sectioned by the room you're looking to organize, such as the closet, bathroom, kitchen, garage, office, and more.

I started with the closet section and loved the look β€” but not the price β€” of these Drop-Front Shoe Boxes.
A clear shoe organizer.
The Container Store's Large Translucent Drop-Front Shoe Box Case of 6.

Mykenna Maniece/Business Insider

During my visit, a case of six was on sale for $59.99, but I still couldn't justify purchasing these, given that my boyfriend and I easily have about 30 pairs of shoes β€” it would cost us about $300 at a minimum.

But even if we were comfortable justifying the price, I wouldn't expect these boxes to be very apartment-friendly given their size; one case of six measures 11 1/16 inches by 14 7/16 inches by 7 1/4 inches.

As much as I would love to include these in a future dressing room, I had to pass.

As expected, there were plenty of decorative bins, like this Scalloped Maize Storage Bin.
The author holding the Scalloped Maize Storage Bin.
I liked the quality of the Scalloped Maize Storage Bin.

Mykenna Maniece/Business Insider

This one was a good size at 11 inches by 15 inches by 8 1/2 inches and retailed for $29.99.

There was no shortage of hangers.
A wall of different types of hangers in different shades.
There was a wide variety of hangers available.

Mykenna Maniece/Business Insider

My favorite was the Non-Slip Velvet Suit Hangers, which retailed for $9.99 for a 10-pack.

Though I didn't need any more hangers, I would definitely consider purchasing from here in the future, thanks to the wide selection of colors and materials.

I loved these jewelry boxes by Stackers.
The author holding Stackers' Classic Jewelry Drawer.
I loved how customizable these Stackers jewelry drawers were.

Mykenna Maniece/Business Insider

There were plenty of drawer options customers could "stack" to build their perfect custom jewelry box, which I loved.

However, I had difficulty locating the prices of each drawer type on the shelves.

The Stackers Belt Organizer seemed like a great practical gift for the holidays.
A belt organizer.
The Stackers Belt Organizer retails for $24.99.

Mykenna Maniece/Business Insider

This belt organizer, retailing for $24.99, could sit on a closet shelf or in a drawer next to similar organizers.

Moving on to bathrooms, there were plenty of countertop organizers.
A wall of bathroom organizers like toothbrush holders, acrylic trays, and glass jars.
There were plenty of bathroom organizers.

Mykenna Maniece/Business Insider

There were plenty of decorative storage options, from soap dispensers and toothbrush holders to apothecary jars and trays.

But I don't understand the appeal of acrylic.
A large acrylic tray.
I couldn't justify purchasing this acrylic tray.

Mykenna Maniece/Business Insider

The Luxe Acrylic Large Tray pictured above satisfies an itch in my brain that loves the aesthetically pleasing bathrooms I see on Pinterest and TikTok.

But, having been fooled by acrylic pieces, I think these dishes seem more trouble than they're worth. Given the likelihood of dried water, toothpaste, and soap drips, this tray could easily become an eyesore, just like my old acrylic toothbrush holder did.

These pieces don't appear to serve much purpose, especially at a cost of $24.99.

I was shocked to see this makeup organizer retailing for $60.99.
The Luxe Acrylic Makeup Organizer and Storage Kit.
The Luxe Acrylic Makeup Organizer and Storage Kit retails for $60.99 at The Container Store.

Mykenna Maniece/Business Insider

As smart as this storage kit looked, I would never spend this amount when similar options on Amazon are sold at fractions of the price.

And I'm not sure how useful a toilet roll dispenser could really be.
A MindSet Toilet Roll Dispenser by brabantia.
I don't understand why a toilet roll dispenser would be necessary.

Mykenna Maniece/Business Insider

Maybe I'm missing out β€”Β and maybe it speaks to the space I have in my bathroom β€” but for $49.99, I'd rather just grab a new roll of toilet paper from the pack when I need it.

However, I really liked these hair tool storage options.
Storage solutions for hair tools.
The Container Store had multiple options for storing hair tools.

Mykenna Maniece/Business Insider

My hair dryer and diffuser attachment have a bad habit of getting tangled under my sink, so I could see this being a great addition to my bathroom that would be worth the $25.

And I enjoyed browsing the mock closets by Custom Spaces.
Mock closet organization at The Container Store.
I gained a lot of inspiration from the Custom Spaces displays.

Mykenna Maniece/Business Insider

One thing I didn't know about The Container Store before my visit was that it has staff designers available to help curate "Custom Spaces."

In collaboration with acquisitions Elfa and Closet Works, "Custom Spaces" was identified as a key part of the company's growth strategy.

Launched in November 2022 as a rebranded expansion of the company's "Custom Closets," The Container Store's Custom Spaces "is defined by three areas of the home: Closet Spaces, Living Spaces, and Garage Spaces," the company said at the time.

As part of this effort, The Container Store launched a new "Garage + Elfa" line in October 2023 and expanded its "Decor+ by Elfa" line in June 2024. Elfa was not included in the bankruptcy.

My favorite section to explore was all of the aisles dedicated to kitchens.
A wall of kitchen storage solutions.
There was so much kitchen storage available.

Mykenna Maniece/Business Insider

Look at all these storage options!

These Montana Jars were added to my holiday wishlist immediately.
Three different-sized glass jars with wooden lids.
I loved the Montana Jars collection.

Mykenna Maniece/Business Insider

These jars appeared straight out of my Pinterest dreams and seem perfect for holding baking ingredients like flour and sugar.

The collection includes three jar sizes: 1.5 quarts, 2 quarts, and 3 quarts. They retail for $19.99, $21.99, and $26.99, respectively, making the full collection about $69.

Plastic and stainless-steel scoops were also available on another shelf nearby.

This water bottle organizer also deserves a spot in my cabinets.
A water bottle organizer.
I've never seen a water bottle organizer like this.

Mykenna Maniece/Business Insider

YouCopia's Upspace Bottle Organizer 2-Shelf holds eight to 10 bottles and costs $24.99.

This bakeware organizer makes great sense, especially in a small living space.
The Container Store's "Commercial Cabinet Drawer Bakeware Organizer."
This organizer would help keep all my baking sheets and cutting boards together.

Mykenna Maniece/Business Insider

Even if I'm not happy with its $65.99 price tag.

I also appreciated this shopper-friendly display for mapping drawer organizers.
An interactive display showing how certain organizers would fit in a kitchen drawer.
There were a variety of different-size bins to make a drawer as functional as possible.

Mykenna Maniece/Business Insider

If you're looking for something specific, visit the store with measurements in mind so you don't have to guess what product would best fit your space.

However, I wasn't sold on this $45 spice rack.
A metal spice rack.
I couldn't justify spending $45 on this spice rack.

Mykenna Maniece/Business Insider

Call me picky, but I wouldn't like picking through the bottles to find the spice I'm looking for, and I'm not a huge fan of labels.

But if you are a fan of labels, they have plenty.
A wall of labeling supplies.
I was impressed with the labeling options.

Mykenna Maniece/Business Insider

Near the crafting section were packs of labels for kitchens, laundry rooms, bathrooms, playrooms, and more.

Each pack from the "Everything Organizer Collection" retailed for $12.99.

I moved on to more storage options for clothing.
A wall of different laundry baskets.
I saw some laundry baskets for $11.99 and others for $169.99.

Mykenna Maniece/Business Insider

This section included plenty of laundry baskets to choose from.

I have closet organizers like these, which've been a lifesaver for small spaces.
A wall of hanging closet storage.
The additional closet shelving has been helpful from my college dorms to starter apartments.

Mykenna Maniece/Business Insider

They're perfect for maximizing closet space when there isn't much room for dressers.

I also found a few kid-friendly storage options.
Kid-friendly storage bins decorated with different animals like a porcupine, rhinoceros, peacock, sheep, owl, and fox.
The colorful animals ranged from rhinos to foxes.

Mykenna Maniece/Business Insider

These animal-themed bins seemed perfect for a child's bedroom or an elementary school classroom, but I was a bit surprised by the cost.

For example, the peacock storage cube was listed for $19.99, but another unpictured sloth cube was listed for $26.99.

There were also sets of rainbow-colored storage bins and rolling chests.

I was surprised to see Jason and Kylie Kelce while walking through the garage section.
A display for Jason and Kylie Kelce's garage transformation.
Jason and Kylie Kelce collaborated with The Container Store.

Mykenna Maniece/Business Insider

Malhotra told Modern Retail in July that the brand is "starting to do more collaborations."

"I think the partnership we did with the Kelces was really encouraging for customers to see," he said. "Oftentimes, they think that expense is a reason why things are not done, and they look at someone like the Kelces and they go, 'Obviously money is not an issue for them.' Their issue was knowledge, time, and solutions, and that's why they wanted to work with The Container Store."

There were plenty of options for trash cans, too.
A wall of different trashcans ranging in material, shape, and size.
I appreciated the number of options.

Mykenna Maniece/Business Insider

Ranging in size, color, and material, I loved the variety available.

I also enjoyed browsing the office and stationery sections.
A table of stationery supplies ranging from pens and highlighters to notebooks and trinkets.
I love browsing through stationery.

Mykenna Maniece/Business Insider

There were so many trinkets, pens, and notepads to choose from.

There were fun options, like this candy-themed highlighter pack.
Sugar High highlighter pack.
The Sugar High highlighter pack retails for $8.99.

Mykenna Maniece/Business Insider

I would've loved having these in my pencil pouch in elementary school.

I liked the simplicity of this to-do list by Ramona & Ruth.
A today to-do list by Ramona & Ruth.
I'm always looking for new notepads and notebooks to add to my collection.

Mykenna Maniece/Business Insider

If I didn't already own four different notebooks and calendars, this would've been a very easy $15.99 out of my wallet.

I was also surprised by the number of seemingly random trinkets available.
The Woobles "Fred the Dinosaur" beginner crochet kit.
The Woobles "Fred the Dinosaur" crochet kit was so cute.

Mykenna Maniece/Business Insider

Like this beginner crochet kit.

Here's another example: mushroom bookmarks.
Magic Sprout mushroom bookmarks.
I've never seen bookmarks like these.

Mykenna Maniece/Business Insider

I'm still unsure if this design makes much sense, but it is cute.

At this point, I started losing track of what aisles I'd already toured.
A wall of different style baskets.
There were so many aisles of baskets around the store.

Mykenna Maniece/Business Insider

There were just so many choices.

Here are some more options in case you haven't seen enough.
More large plastic storage bins organized on the floor and in shelves in the background.
The Weathertight Clear Totes looked like a great option for moving.

Mykenna Maniece/Business Insider

The Weathertight Clear Totes looked like a great choice for reusable moving boxes and basement storage.

Prices ranged from $14.99 for a 6.5-quart tote to $34.99 for a 74-quart tote.

And who doesn't love a clearance section?
A display of clearance items ranging from bowls and plates to glassware.
When I visited, clearance items were up to 70% off.

Mykenna Maniece/Business Insider

The store's clearance options were robust, with different plates, bowls, glassware, decor pieces, and more.

My favorite clearance item was this marble wine chiller.
Three marble wine chillers on display.
These wine chillers originally sold for $98 each.

Mykenna Maniece/Business Insider

Though this definitely wasn't a need, I'm disappointed I didn't snag one while it was on sale for $29.40.

Overall, my trip to The Container Store made me realize that I'm probably not the brand's target audience ... for now.
Outside The Container Store in New York City.
The Container Store storefront on Sixth Avenue in New York City.

Mykenna Maniece/Business Insider

Malhotra told Modern Retail in July, "There will always be a cheaper alternative to a plastic bin. Our objective is not to compete there because we don't have the scale and buying power to do so."

Instead, he said it's about offering "a white glove experience" through Custom Spaces and the brand's merchandise. He added that The Container Store differentiates itself from the Walmarts and Targets of the world by spending time with customers to help them choose the right products for their space.

Therefore, it seems that The Container Store is looking to target shoppers who have an established home base and plan to invest in it for years to come.

As a 20-something-year-old who plans to bounce from rental to rental for the next few years, I'm nowhere near that phase of my life. So, buying more expensive organizers that may only fit my current apartment isn't worth it.

However, if you have the money, space, and time, I completely understand falling in love with The Container Store. But for now, my visits will simply remain sources of inspiration.

The Container Store did not reply to a request for comment from Business Insider.

Read the original article on Business Insider

Russia's overheated economy is squeezing one of Moscow's key trading channels with China

23 December 2024 at 09:00
putin
President Vladimir Putin reviewing Russian troops.

Contributor/Getty Images

  • Russia's railway industry is in the midst of a big downturn, according to one Russian research firm.
  • Investment in Russia's railways is being slashed by nearly a third next year, TASS reported.
  • It complicates Russia's trade with China, which has relied partly on rail transport.

One of Russia's key trading channels with China is facing serious snags. That's a result of burdens stemming from Russia's war-driven economy, which have fueled a big slowdown in the nation's rail industry β€” a vital means of trade between Moscow and Beijing.

Russia's rail industry is in its worst slowdown since the Great Financial Crisis, with the downtrend "still going strong," according to an analysis from the Russian research firm MMI Research. Freight volume transported by Russian Railways, Russia's state-owned rail system, slumped 5% in the first 11 months of 2024 compared with the same period last year, according to MMI data cited by Bloomberg.

The slowdown is driven in part by Russia's need to ship war-related materials, which have worsened supply bottlenecks and slowed the trade of key commodities, like coal and aluminum, the outlet reported.

Investment in Russia's railroads is also being slashed, partly due to high interest rates in the nation, according to a report from the state-owned news agency TASS. Russian Railways said it would earmark just 890 billion rubles, or $8.5 billion, for its investment program next year, a 30% cut from investment in 2024, TASS reported.

The firm is mulling whether it should cut investment by another third through the end of the decade, the Russian outlet Kommersant reported. Russian Railways did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

The changes spell bad news for Russia's trade with China, which has leaned on railway transport amid Western sanctions. Russia poured billions into its railways earlier this year partly to accommodate its increased trade with China.

The changes also speak to the growing costs of Russia's war against Ukraine, which have produced myriad economic problems for Moscow.

Russia's central bank raised interest rates to a record 21% earlier this year in an effort to lower sky-high inflation. The bank kept interest rates level in their policy decision last week, due to concerns about "excessive cooling" in Russia's wartime economy, according to the nation's top central banker.

Read the original article on Business Insider

A ship sent to evacuate Russian troops from Syria broke down near Portugal, Ukraine intelligence says

23 December 2024 at 08:12
A Maxar satellite image captured on December 17, 2024, showed several ships stationed at the port of Tartus.
A Maxar satellite image from December 17, 2024, shows ships at the port of Tartus.

Satellite image Β©2024 Maxar Technologies

  • Russia sent a ship to evacuate soldiers from its bases in Syria, per Ukrainian intelligence.
  • But it broke down en route in the open sea near Portugal, Ukraine said.
  • Russia is trying to secure a deal with Syria's new leadership to keep the bases, per reports.

A ship sent to evacuate Russian troops and equipment from Syria broke down while in the open sea off Portugal, according to Ukrainian intelligence.

In a Telegram post on Monday, Ukraine's main intelligence directorate said that the Sparta cargo ship's engine failed and that the crew was trying to fix the problem while the ship was drifting in the high seas.

Since the fall of Bashar Assad, Syria's longtime ruler, earlier this month, the fate of Russia's two military bases in the country β€” the Hmeimim air base and the Tartus naval base β€” has been under threat.

Russia struck a 49-year lease with Assad's government for the bases, which it has used since 2017 to project power in the Mediterranean and into Africa.

But Syrian rebels, led by the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, overthrew Assad earlier this month, after a rapid two-week campaign.

Last week, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said there were "no final decisions" about Russia's bases in Syria but that Moscow is in contact with "representatives of the forces that currently control the situation" in the country.

Earlier this month, Ukraine said the Russian Sparta and Sparta II cargo ships had left Russia and were heading to Tartus to transport military equipment from the Russian base on Syria's Mediterranean coast.

The journeys required the ships to sail along stretches of European coastline to access the Mediterranean.

Russian state media said earlier this month that Syrian rebel forces now controlled Latakia province, where the Russian bases are located.

Images taken in mid-December by Maxar Technologies showed Russian aircraft still present at the base in Hmeimim, but warships no longer stationed at the nearby naval facility in Tartus.

Maxar satellite images captured on December 17, 2024, showed dozens of Russian military vehicles assembled at the Tartus port.
Maxar satellite images captured on December 17, 2024, showed dozens of Russian military vehicles assembled at the Tartus port.

Satellite image Β©2024 Maxar Technologies

Last week, analysts from the Institute for the Study of War said Russia was probably taking this "tentative" stance and removing some assets in case HTS decided to deny Russia a sustained military presence in Syria.

Obeida Arnaout, the spokesman for Syria's new transitional government, told the Associated Press last week that Russia should reconsider its presence and interests in Syria.

"Their interests were linked to the criminal Assad regime," he said.

"They can reconsider and take the initiatives to reach out to the new administration to show that they have no animosity with the Syrian people, and that the era of Assad regime is finally over," he added.

Read the original article on Business Insider

A reporter who criticized Blake Lively denies she was part of Justin Baldoni's alleged smear campaign

23 December 2024 at 09:28
Blake Lively smiling as she poses for photos in front of a greenery wall.
Blake Lively in June 2024.

Evan Agostini/Invision/AP

  • Last summer, journalist Kjersti Flaa shared a video of what she called a "nightmare" interview with Blake Lively.
  • Lively has accused "It Ends With Us" co-star Justin Baldoni of orchestrating a smear campaign against her.
  • Flaa was mentioned in a legal complaint but denied being part of the alleged smear campaign.

Kjersti Flaa, a Norwegian journalist who helped fuel a backlash against Blake Lively in the summer, denies being part of an alleged smear campaign against the actor.

In August, Lively was promoting her latest movie "It Ends With Us," which was overshadowed by rumors that she and her co-star and the film's director Justin Baldoni had fallen out. It culminated in a widespread backlash against Lively.

Lively alleged in a legal complaintΒ filed Friday that Baldoni, his publicists, and the production company orchestrated a smear campaign against her. She accused his team of enacting a "multi-tiered" plan to "destroy" her reputation to stop complaints she made about Baldoni's behavior on the film's set from being made public.

Bryan Freedman, an attorney for Baldoni and his company Wayfarer Studios, said in a statement that the claims made in Lively's complaint were "categorically false."

The lawsuit also briefly mentions a video Flaa shared on YouTube at the height of the backlash, titled "The Blake Lively interview that made me want to quit my job." The video, which went viral in August, shows Lively giving a hostile response after Flaa congratulates her on her "little bump" in a 2016 interview.

On Saturday, Flaa denied claims she worked with the team Lively alleged carried out the smear campaign after the lawsuit and a New York Times article connected her to it.

"This is what I do for a living. I would never accept money to jeopardize my integrity as a journalist," Flaa said in a YouTube video.

Flaa said she wasn't aware of the backlash against Lively and posted the video because she didn't like "It Ends With Us," had a bad experience with Lively, and "had enough of Hollywood."

"I know nothing about Justin Baldoni. I know nothing about his PR team, and I definitely would never work with a PR team under any circumstances to put hate out there on the internet against someone or to smear someone. I would never ever do that," Flaa said, adding that she thought the messages sent by members of Baldoni's team used in the lawsuit were "disgusting."

Justin Baldoni on the TODAY Show on August 08, 2024.
Justin Baldoni was the director and a lead star of "It Ends With Us."

Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty Images

Flaa said Lively should take accountability for her "tone-deaf" promotion of "It Ends With Us," such as not talking about the domestic violence element of the story, which fueled the backlash over the summer. The film is about a florist who ends up in an abusive relationship.

Business Insider reached out to reps for Lively and Baldoni but didn't hear back.

In Lively's lawsuit, she said that the cast was contractually obligated to follow a marketing plan created by Sony Pictures Entertainment, the distributor of the film, to avoid talking in a way that made the movie appear "sad."

Flaa ended the video by inviting Lively to her show.

However, by Monday, she had changed her tune when she posted another video in which she accused Lively's team of trying to undermine her credibility to rebuild the actor's reputation.

Flaa said she has received hate mail and accusations that she was being paid to "smear other women."

"I just don't want to be a part of this whole mess. U never asked to be a part of it," she said. "So please stop spreading lies about me."

Representatives for Lively and Baldoni did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

Read the original article on Business Insider

A detailed recap of 'Squid Game' season 1, ahead of season 2

squid game
Lee Jung-jae in season one of "Squid Game."

Netflix

  • "Squid Game" season one premiered on Netflix three years ago.
  • The Korean-language series is one of Netflix's biggest shows ever and was renewed for a second season.
  • Here's a recap of everything important you need to remember from season one.

Back in 2021, "Squid Game" premiered, and the buzzy show quickly turned into a global sensation.

The Korean-language Netflix series, created by Hwang Dong-hyuk and starring Lee Jung-jae, is broadly about how adverse financial situations drive people to desperation. In the show, which is set in South Korea, people in heavy debt are invited to participate in a shady game with the promise of a monetary reward. What they don't realize upon joining, however, is that they'll be killed if they lose.

"Squid Game" is one of Netflix's biggest hits ever, to the extent that the streamer even spun it off into a reality series called "Squid Game: The Challenge." Despite the fact that it's endured as a pop culture phenomenon, it's been three years since the first season was released on Netflix.

Ahead of "Squid Game" season two's premiere on December 26, here's everything you need to remember about what happened in season one.

a hand holding a business card with a circle, triangle, and square on it
A card with the symbols for the game in "Squid Game."

Noh Juhan/Netflix

Seong Gi-hun decided to join the games after falling into debt

At the beginning of "Squid Game," Seong Gi-hun is a down-on-his-luck man who, following his divorce, lives with his mother. Hounded by loan sharks and unable to take his daughter Ga-yeong out for her birthday, Gi-hun encounters a recruiter who invites him to participate in a game with a monetary reward.

Gi-hun agrees, and is taken with 455 other players to a mysterious facility. There, he's assigned the player number 456 and encounters his old friend Cho Sang-woo (player 218) who has also fallen into deep debt. Gi-hun also befriends player 001, an old man named Oh Il-nam, and recognizes player 067, Kang Sae-byeok, as a woman who pickpocketed him outside of the games.

Sae-byeok is a North Korean defector attempting to bring her mother to South Korea and provide for her younger brother. Other relevant players include Ali (Player 199), a Pakistani immigrant attempting to provide for his wife and child; Han Mi-nyeo (player 212), a woman who relies on allies to survive the games; and Deok-su (Player 101), a gangster whose comrades sold him out in the outside world.

Guards inform the players that should they win six games, they'll win billions of Korean won.

The first game, 'Red Light, Green Light,' is a bloodbath β€” but the players still return after.

Gi-hun and the other participants quickly realize that they're in mortal peril when players who fail the first game, "Red Light, Green Light," are immediately gunned down. However, for every player who dies in the games, 100 million won gets added to the prize pot.

Gi-hun and the above players all make it through the first game. The surviving players vote to leave the game without any of the winnings. When presented with the choice outside the game, however, they choose to return. Gi-hun chooses to play after realizing that he can't pay for his mother's diabetes treatment.

wi ha-jun as jun-ho in squid game. he's wearing a black head covering that only exposes his eyes and nose, and a pink jumpsuit
Wi Ha-jun as Hwang Jun-ho in "Squid Game" season one.

Noh Juhan/Netflix

Detective Hwang Jun-ho investigates the games, believing they may be tied to his brother's disappearance.

While briefly back in the outside world, Gi-hun attempts to expose the games to the police but fails.

However, detective Hwang Jun-ho notices similarities between Gi-hun's story and the disappearance of his brother, and decides to follow Gi-hun back to the island when he returns to the game. Once there, he poses as a guard. While undercover, Jun-ho discovers a secret organ-harvesting ring led by the game's guards.

Jun-ho eventually finds the games' archives and records, which indicate that his brother was a previous player.

In episode seven, when a group of VIP guests arrive, Jun-ho goes undercover as a waiter to find out more about their identities. After separating one from the rest of the group, he threatens him with a gun and interrogates him about the games.

In episode eight, Jun-ho escapes to another island but is tracked down by the Front Man, the boss of the games, and a group of guards.

The Front Man takes off his mask and reveals he is In-ho, Jun-ho's lost brother, and asks Jun-ho to join him. When Jun-ho declines, In-ho shoots him and Jun-ho seemingly falls off a cliff to his death.

Players begin to form alliances over the next rounds of games.

Gi-hun, Ali, Sang-woo, and Il-nam form one group and are the main focus after the first game. Han Mi-nyeo tries to join Deok-su and begins a sexual relationship with him. Sae-byeok tries to get through the games alone.

The second round is Dalgona, in which players have to cut shapes out of a sugar honeycomb biscuit without breaking it. Sang-woo figures out the game before it starts but tricks his group into splitting up, leading to Gi-hun picking the hardest shape (umbrella). Gi-hun still makes it through after figuring out it is easier to break the shape out by licking the biscuit.

The third game is tug-of-war, in which two teams of 10 pull a rope across a high platform. The losing team's members are pulled over the edge to their death.

Gi-hun and his allies, now including Sae-byeok, split up to recruit five more people, leading to three men and a woman, Ji-yeong (player 240), joining the team. Deok-su betrays Mi-nyeo, kicking her out of his team of men, so she joins Gi-hun's team.

Using clever tactics, Gi-hun's team makes it through tug-of-war despite having weaker people.

There's a secret organ-harvesting sect within the organization.

In episode four, we learn that some of the guards are harvesting the body parts of the players killed in the games to sell on the black market.

They hire Byeong-gi (Player 111), a doctor, to perform the surgery to safely remove the organs. The guards buy his allegiance by giving him the secrets of the next game so he can stay alive, and he uses that information to ally with Deok-su and his group of strong men.

In episode five, the organ smuggling ring falls apart when the guards are unable to tell Byeong-gi what the next game is. He freaks out, kills a guard, and tries to escape. The Front Man tracks down Byeong-gi and the remaining guard and kills them both.

park hae-soo, lee jung-jae, and jung ho-yeon as sang-woo, gi-hun, and sae-byeok in squid game. all of them are wearing green jump suits and standing in a corner, holding some kind of weapon
Park Hae-soo, Lee Jung-jae, and Jung Ho-yeon as Sang-woo, Gi-hun, and Sae-byeok in season one of "Squid Game."

Noh Juhan/Netflix

In episode four, the players riot.

After Deok-su accidentally kills another player during a confrontation over food, the players learn they can kill each other outside the games without any consequences and still increase the prize fund.

When the lights go out for bedtime, the players turn on each other. Amid the chaos, Gi-hun and his allies protect Sae-byeok from Deok-su and his cronies. Before there is more bloodshed, Il-nam cries out that everyone should "stop this madness," and the guards intervene and end the riot.

While the guards check the bodies, Jun-ho, still disguised as a guard, approaches Gi-hun and asks him if he has seen his brother, Hwang In-ho. Gi-hun says players don't use names inside the games, so he doesn't know.

Gi-hun bonds with Il-nam.

One night between the games, Gi-hun and his team form a barricade to stop themselves from getting attacked.

While Gi-hun and Il-nam are on watch duty, Gi-hun daydreams about the time he went on strike with his fellow employees at a motor company and was mercilessly attacked by the police.

He then talks about the experience with Il-nam, explaining that they went on strike and barricaded themselves in the company building after the company laid off Gi-hun and a group of employees who had been working there for over a decade.

Then Il-nam falls ill, and Gi-hun looks after him.

oh young-soo and lee jung-jae in squid game. both are wearing white t-shirts and smiling, standing on a warmly lit town set
Oh Young-soo and Lee Jung-jae as Il-nam and Gi-hun in season one of "Squid Game."

Noh Juhan/Netflix

Players turn against each other in the Marbles game.

In this game, everyone pairs up. The twist, however, is that their partner will be their opponent: They will play games against each other until one person is the winner and the loser is killed.

Ali and Sang-woo pair up and play a game where you have to guess if there's an even or odd number of marbles in a hidden hand. Ali, who has never played the game before, has a streak of wins, so Sang-woo begs for his life and then tricks Ali into believing they both can win by sticking together. Sang-Woo then steals Ali's marbles and progresses, leaving Ali to die.

Gi-hun and Il-nam play a similar game, but Il-nam begins to lose his memory and focus and wanders off. When they finally play the game, Il-nam is winning until Gi-hun starts to use Il-nam's poor memory to his advantage, lying about the guesses they make. As Gi-hun is about to win, Il-nam reveals that he knew Gi-hun was deceiving him but gives him the final marble anyway. Gi-hun progresses, and Il-nam is seemingly shot off-screen.

Ji-yeong and Sae-byeok pair up, but instead of playing, they open up about their lives. Ji-yeong reveals that she went to prison after killing her abusive father, who killed her mother. At the last moment, the pair play a game where they have to throw a marble nearest to the wall to win all the marbles. After Sae-byeok throws her marble, Ji-yeong deliberately fails her throw. She tells Sae-byeok she has nothing to live for, so she wants her to win and live life to the fullest.

Deok-su makes it through. Mi-nyeo could not find someone to pair with, so makes it through automatically.

Only three characters make it past game five.

Game five is Glass Bridge, where players have to make it across a bridge made of glass platforms. Half of the glass is tempered glass, which could survive the weight of two players, and the other half will break on impact, letting the players fall to their deaths.

The contestants must choose which path is the safe one. They're given an order and Gi-hun, Sae-byeok, and Sang-woo end up near the back of the line.

During the game, Mi-nyeo uses the opportunity to get her revenge, throwing herself and Deok-su onto one of the brittle glass platforms and to their deaths.

After Sang-woo pushes the final player in front of them to his death, Sang-woo, Gi-hun, and Sae-byeok make it across just in time before the remaining glass blows up, but shards of glass stab all three of them.

park hae-soo as sang-woo in squid game, laying on a sandy ground with blood around his cheeks and chin, a man's hand holding a knife in the ground near his ear
Park Hae-soo as Sang-woo in season one of "Squid Game."

Noh Juhan/Netflix

Sang-woo kills Sae-byeok but dies during the last game.

When they return from the glass bridge, Gi-hun and Sang-woo get into a fight over Sang-woo killing the other player during the glass bridge game. Sang-woo, Gi-hun, and Sae-byeok are given a feast β€”Β and at the end, each of them are left with a knife.

Sae-byeok was gravely wounded by a glass shard during the bridge game, so Gi-hun tries to protect her during the night. They promise to look after each other's family members if one of them dies in the next round.

Gi-hun attempts to kill Sang-woo in his sleep, but Sae-byeok stops him and says that he is not a killer. She passes out, and Gi-hun tries to get her medical help. Sang-woo uses this as a distraction to stab Sae-byeok in the neck, killing her.

The final game is Squid Game, where an attacker has to get to a safe area behind a defender. Gi-hun is the attacker, and Sang-woo is the defender. Sang-woo says that he killed Sae-byeok out of mercy β€”Β and to prevent Gi-hun and Sae-byeok from voting to end the game.

The game devolves into a bloody fight in the rain, with both men attempting to stab each other. Gi-hun overpowers Sang-woo but doesn't kill him. He moves toward the safe area, but attempts to convince Sang-woo to stop the game with him and leave with their lives.

Sang-woo chooses instead to stab himself, and asks Gi-hun to look after his mother. Gi-hun sees her after he is released from the game, but returns home to learn that his own mother has died.

Gi-hun discovers Il-nam is alive β€” and not who he appeared to be.

Gi-hun has barely touched his winnings a year after the games. One day, he receives a mysterious card with an address on it.

There he finds Il-nam (Player 001), who reveals he created the games and entered the competition to have fun because he was dying from a tumor. Il-nam also makes a wager with Gi-hun that no one will help an unconscious drunk man lying on the pavement across the street from them. Gi-hun accepts, but Il-nam dies before discovering that he was wrong.

Gi-hun is revived from this encounter, gets a haircut, and changes his hair color. He picks up Sae-byeok's brother, Kang Cheol, and takes him β€” and a suitcase full of money β€” to live with Sang-woo's mother.

Gi-hun almost leaves Korea but changes his mind.

Gi-hun prepares to fly to the United States to visit his daughter, but spots the game recruiter at the airport inviting someone else to the game.

Gi-hun chases him down, but the recruiter escapes. Gi-hun steals the invitation card from the new candidate and calls the number on the way to his plane. In-ho answers, and urges Gi-hun to get on the plane.

Gi-hun says that he can't forgive him, and turns back.

"Squid Game" season two premieres Thursday, December 26 on Netflix.

Read the original article on Business Insider

34 of Netflix's original Christmas movies, ranked from worst to best

hot frosty pointing to a picture of a snowman in netflix's hot frosty
There are several Netflix original Christmas movies.

Netflix

  • Netflix is known for its original Christmas movies, but some are more worth your time than others.
  • "The Holiday Calendar" and "A Christmas Prince: The Royal Baby" are the lowest-rated originals.
  • On the other hand, animated films "Alien Xmas" and "Klaus" received top marks from reviewers.Β 

At this point, Netflix is known for the (sometimes cringey) holiday movies it releases every year, and this Christmas was no different.Β 

From "A Christmas Prince" to "Hot Frosty," here are all the Netflix original Christmas movies, ranked from worst to best.Β 

"The Holiday Calendar" (2018) is a sweet, if a little predictable, Christmas movie.
The Holiday Calendar
Kat Graham in "The Holiday Calendar."

Netflix

Critic score: 33%

Synopsis: "The Holiday Calendar" follows Abby Sutton (Kat Graham), a photographer who doesn't quite know what she wants out of life and is afraid to go after her dreams.

However, when her grandfather (Ron Cephas Jones) gives her a magical advent calendar, it helps her gain the confidence she needs to be herself.

"Kat Graham (of 'The Vampire Diaries') brings almost too many acting chops for a good holiday rom-com, but the film is still cheerily nonsensical," Lea Palmieri wrote for Decider.

"A Christmas Prince: The Royal Baby" (2019) is the lowest-rated movie in the film series.
A Christmas Prince Royal Wedding
Ben Lamb and Rose McIver in "A Christmas Prince: The Royal Baby."

Netflix

Critic score: 36%

Synopsis:Β The third installment in the "Christmas Prince" series returns to Aldovia as the kingdom prepares for the holiday season, and Amber (Rose McIver) and Richard (Ben Lamb) prepare to welcome a royal baby.

However, before they can relax for their parental leave, they must restore a 600-year-old treaty between Aldovia and Penglia.Β 

"The weakest entry in the series feels like it's running on autopilot and introduces some problematic new elements of the mythos," Evan Dossey wrote for The Midwest Film Journal.

Lindsay Lohan and Ian Harding are bickering exes in "Our Little Secret" (2024).
Ian Harding as Logan, Lindsay Lohan as Avery, and Jon Rudnitsky as Cameron in "Our Little Secret."
Ian Harding and Lindsay Lohan in "Our Little Secret."

Bob Mahoney/Netflix

Critic score: 38%

Synopsis: Ten years after an ill-timed proposal ended in heartbreak, exes Avery (Lohan) and Logan (Harding) unexpectedly reconnect when they discover their respective partners are siblings.Β 

In an effort to impress her new boyfriend's mother (Kristin Chenoweth) over the holidays, Avery begs Logan to keep their past relationship a secret.Β 

"A typically formulaic seasonal sugar rush that's only blandly mediocre, rather than so-bad-it's-good," John Nugent wrote for Empire magazine. "But Lindsay Lohan's romcom-dominance cannot be denied."

"Best. Christmas. Ever!" (2023) is a funny holiday romance.
Heather Graham as Charlotte, Brandy Norwood as Jackie, Madison Validum as Beatrix in Best. Christmas. Ever!
Heather Graham, Brandy Norwood, and Madison Validum in "Best. Christmas. Ever!"

Scott Everett White/Netflix

Critic score: 40%

Synopsis:Β In "Best. Christmas. Ever!" Charlotte (Heather Graham) sets out to prove that her old college friend Jackie (Brandy Norwood) doesn't actually have the perfect life she brags about in her annual Christmas newsletter.Β 

"'Best. Christmas. Ever!' is not the most splendiferous Christmas movie ever, but it will satisfy those hungry for new sentimental holiday movies," Ferdosa Abdi wrote for Screen Rant.Β 

"Scrooge: A Christmas Carol" (2022) is a musical retelling of the classic tale.
scrooge plugging his years as ghosts trumpet in them in netflix's scrooge
Scrooge is voiced by Luke Evans.

Netflix

Critic score: 40%

Synopsis: In the animated, musical retelling of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol," Ebenezer Scrooge (voiced by Luke Evans) is visited by three ghosts on Christmas Eve who help he see the error of his ways.Β 

The star-studded cast also features the voices of Olivia Colman, Jonathan Pryce, and Johnny Flynn.Β 

"'Scrooge: A Christmas Carol' isn't the best addition to the collection of adaptations, not by a long shot. But it's surely the glitziest," Bill Goodykoontz wrote for the Arizona Republic.Β 

"Holiday in the Wild" (2019) is a cheesy, light-hearted Christmas romance.
holiday in the wild
Kristin Davis and Rob Lowe in "Holiday in the Wild."

Ilze Kitshoff/Netflix

Critic score: 43%

Synopsis:Β "Holiday in the Wild," previously called "Christmas in the Wild," follows Kate Conrad (Kristin Davis) as she goes on her "second honeymoon" alone after her husband suddenly ends their relationship.

Throughout the African safari, Kate rediscovers herself and falls for Derek Holliston (Rob Lowe).Β 

"It's cheesy, it's stupid, but it's also really quite charming," wrote Stuart Heritage for The Guardian.

"Christmas Inheritance" (2017) is a romantic holiday drama.
christmas inheritance
Eliza Taylor in "Christmas Inheritance."

Netflix

Critic score: 43%

Synopsis: In "Christmas Inheritance," Ellen Langford (Eliza Taylor) has to travel to her father's hometown and hand-deliver an important Christmas letter in order to become the CEO of her family's gift business.

Along the way, she's surprisingly charmed by the small town's friendliness and the handsome, down-to-earth inn manager (Jake Lacy).

Dana Schwartz wrote for Entertainment Weekly, "Unlike 'A Christmas Prince,' my favorite movie of 2017, it seems to have a self-satisfied earnestness that makes you want to sit it down and go, 'Hey 'Christmas Inheritance.' What exactly do you think you're doing here?'"

Britt Robertson casts Chad Michael Murray in her all-male stage show in "The Merry Gentleman" (2024).
Chad Michael Murray in the Netflix movie "The Merry Gentlemen"
Chad Michael Murray in "The Merry Gentlemen."

Netflix

Critic score: 44%

Synopsis: To save her parent's small-town performance venue, Broadway dancer Ashley (Robertson) produces an all-male dance revue to bring money in.

As the Christmas-themed show comes together, Ashley finds herself falling for local handyman-turned-dancer Luke (Murray).Β 

"There's nothing distractingly bad about this one and there are perhaps enough boxes ticked for undemanding Christmas movie completists but because of the overcrowded space, there's also nothing here that's worth a click," Benjamin Lee wrote for The Guardian.

Emma Roberts lent her star power to "Holidate" (2020).
holidate
Emma Roberts and Luke Bracey in "Holidate."

Steve Dietl/Netflix

Critic score: 46%

Synopsis:Β In "Holidate," strangers Sloane (Emma Roberts) and Jackson (Luke Bracey) agree to be each other's plus-ones for every gathering in the coming year to avoid the constant judgment of their families.

But things get more complicated when it starts to become more than just a platonic agreement.Β 

Lisa Kennedy wrote for Variety, "'Holidate' won't change your mind about the tread-worn challenges of romantic comedies, but its leads leverage their charms nicely."Β 

Critics were entertained, but not wowed, by "Operation Christmas Drop" (2020).
operation christmas drop
Kat Graham and Alexander Ludwig in "Operation Christmas Drop."

Ricardo Hubbs/NETFLIX

Critic score: 50%

Synopsis:Β "Operation Christmas Drop" follows Erica (Graham), a congressional aid who gets sent to an Air Force base with a festive pet-project to assess whether it should remain open.

She's set on crunching numbers and cutting budgets until the base's self-proclaimed Christmas expert, Captain Andrew Jantz (Alexander Ludwig), helps her find a little holiday cheer.

Kyle Turner wrote for The New York Times, "Everything in 'Operation Christmas Drop' falls predictably into place like children nestled all snug in their beds. Each plot point and character dynamic appears predetermined, and not in a seasonally charming way."

"A Christmas Prince: The Royal Wedding" (2018) didn't hold up to the original.
christmas prince royal wedding
Rose McIver and Ben Lamb in "A Christmas Prince: The Royal Wedding."

Netflix

Critic score:Β 50%

Synopsis: In the sequel to "A Christmas Prince," Prince Richard (Lamb) and Amber (McIver) prepare for their royal wedding. But scandal rocks the kingdom when money disappears and the citizens of Aldovia grow increasingly angry with their royals.

"It's cheesy, it's cringey, but most importantly, it's harmless β€” and worth a watch if you're in the mood for some mindless holiday cheer," Libby Torres wrote for The Daily Beast.

Nina Dobrev and Jimmy O. Yang came together for "Love Hard" (2021).
natalie and josh standing with a boombox in love hard
Nina Dobrev and Jimmy O. Yang starred in "Love Hard."

Bettina Strauss/Netflix

Critic score:Β 53%

Synopsis: At the beginning of "Love Hard," Josh (Jimmy O. Yang) catfishes Natalie (Nina Dobrev) from across the country. But when she surprises him for Christmas everything blows up in his face.Β 

In order to try to right his wrong, Josh helps Natalie get together with Tag (Darren Barnet) while keeping up the ruse of their relationship for his family.Β 

Courtney Howard wrote for Variety, "The ensuing shenanigans not only do our heroine a massive disservice by letting men manipulate her agency β€” they also cause us to question what exactly we're rooting for."

"The Princess Switch: Switched Again" (2020) introduced a third look-alike to the story.
The_Princess_Switch__Switched_Again_00_22_20_02r2
Vanessa Hudgens played three characters in "The Princess Switch: Switched Again."

Netflix

Critic score: 56%

Synopsis:Β In the sequel to "The Princess Switch," Duchess Margaret (Vanessa Hudgens) and Kevin (Nick Sagar) are going through a rough patch, so Stacy (also Hudgens) swoops in to help. But things take a turn when another look-alike, party girl Fiona (also Hudgens), screws with their plans.

Dennis Harvey wrote for Variety, "Though inevitably the formula wears a little thinner in spots this time, it's a frothy fantasy that should satisfy viewers' itch for confectionary-looking Christmas fluff."

Vanessa Hudgens returned to her leading roles in "The Princess Switch 3: Romancing the Star" (2021).
Vanessa Hudgens playing three characters in "The Princess Switch 3."
Vanessa Hudgens in "The Princess Switch 3: Romancing the Star."

Mark Mainz/Netflix

Critic score: 57%

Synopsis: In the third installment of the "Princess Switch" franchise, Queen Margaret (Hudgens) and Princess Stacy (also Hudgens) have to team up with Margaret's scheming cousin Fiona (also Hudgens) to save the stolen Christmas star on loan from the Vatican.Β 

"Anyone who has seen one of these movies can just take over for the characters and guess their lines as easily as the three cousins can swap clothes and accents to impersonate one another," Helen T. Verongos wrote for The New York Times.Β 

"Falling for Christmas" (2022) marked Lohan's return to film.
Lindsay Lohan and Chord Overstreet walking with coats on
Lindsay Lohan and Chord Overstreet in "Falling for Christmas."

Netflix

Critic score: 62%

Synopsis: In "Falling for Christmas," heiress Sierra (Lohan) gets in a skiing accident after her influencer boyfriend (George Young) proposes to her, and it leaves her with no memory of her life β€” not even her name.Β 

Luckily, local inn owner Jake (Chord Overstreet) nurses her back to health throughout the week before Christmas.Β 

Noel Murray wrote for the Los Angeles Times, "The overall mood is warm and cheery, and Lohan brings a spontaneous sincerity to even the corniest scenes. The movie's wrapping is shiny and plastic, but its star quality is genuine."

Critics were surprisingly charmed by "The Princess Switch" (2018).
the princess switch netflix
Vanessa Hudgens in "The Princess Switch."

Netflix

Critic score: 63%

Synopsis:Β In "The Princess Switch," Chicago-based baker Stacy (Hudgens) travels to Belgravia for the Royal Christmas Baking Contest.

But when she meets Duchess Margaret (also Hudgens), who could be her twin, Stacy agrees to switch places with her so the princess can see what "normal" life is like before she takes the throne.Β 

"'The Princess Switch' is a delight. If you told me last year that I would thoroughly enjoy β€” nay, crave β€” another 'Parent Trap'–like movieΒ but starring Vanessa Hudgens ... I would have told you exactly what to do with your Christmas pastries," Emily Tannenbaum wrote for Cosmopolitan.

Reviewers called "Dolly Parton's Christmas on the Square" (2020) a fun and campy holiday flick.
dolly parton christmas on the square
Dolly Parton in "Dolly Parton's Christmas on the Square."

Netflix

Critic score: 64%

Synopsis: "Dolly Parton's Christmas on the Square" centers on a small town on the brink of extinction.

Scrooge-like town owner Regina (Christine Baranski) is planning on selling the town without a spare thought for its residents β€” until an angel (Dolly Parton) steps in to try and change her mind.

"'Christmas on the Square' lets the viewer kick back and indulge in all things Parton," Sarah Boesveld wrote for The Globe and Mail.

"Christmas With You" (2022) is full of music and holiday romance.
angelina and miguel performing at a piano in christmas with you netflix movie
Aimee Garcia and Freddie Prinze Jr. in "Christmas With You."

Jessica Kourkounis/Netflix

Critic score: 65%

Synopsis: In "Christmas With You," pop star Angelina (Aimee Garcia) feels like she's getting pushed out by younger singers at her record label. In order to get her name trending again and connect with her fans, she decides to grant Cristina's (Deja Monique Cruz) Christmas wish to meet her in person.Β 

After spending time with Cristina and her family, Angelina gets wrapped up in writing a new song with Cristina's father, Miguel (Freddie Prinze Jr.).

Courtney Howard wrote for Variety, "It's a holiday trifle for sure, but there's enough to feel satiated β€” if just temporarily β€” by the festivities on display."

"That Christmas" (2024) hits all the right spots for a festive family film.
santa ha ging upside down in a shot from netflix's that christmas
"That Christmas" is a new animated holiday film.

Netflix

Critic score: 66%

Synopsis: Narrated by Santa (Brian Cox) and based on a trio of children's books by "Love Actually" director Richard Curtis, the animated holiday film centers on residents of a small seaside town as a blizzard hits on Christmas Eve.Β 

"'That Christmas' may not be the most revolutionary holiday film, but there's enough heart, silliness, and prime messaging in this animated film to give it its wings," Sarah Musnicky wrote for But Why Tho? A Geek Community.

"The Christmas Chronicles 2" (2020) brought back the cast of loveable characters.
Christmas Chronicles 2 Joseph Lederer Netflix Goldie Kurt
Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell in "The Christmas Chronicles 2."

Joseph Lederer/Netflix

Critic score: 66%

Synopsis:Β In the second installment of the "Christmas Chronicles" series, Kate (Darby Camp) is reunited with Santa (Kurt Russell) as a cynical teenager. But she ends up helping to save Christmas (again) when a mysterious troublemaker threatens to steal it.Β 

Owen Gleiberman wrote for Variety, "At a harmless piece of hokum like this one, you giggle and grin a few times, you see the ruptures healed by Christmas, and you get to hang out with a Santa who's traditional but nearly cool."Β 

Kurt Russell delivered as Santa Claus in "The Christmas Chronicles" (2018).
The Christmas Chronicles Netflix
Kurt Russell as Santa in "The Christmas Chronicles."

Michael Gibson/Netflix

Critic score:Β 67%

Synopsis: In "The Christmas Chronicles," after two kids try to trap Santa (Russell) and end up losing his precious bag of gifts, the hunt is on to save Christmas β€” and Santa is charmingly sarcastic all along the way.

Melanie McFarland wrote for Salon, "The film's no great shakes, but Russell's star power in 'The Christmas Chronicles' is a gift anyone should be happy to claim."

Most critics found "A Very Murray Christmas" (2015) to be a surprisingly poignant holiday special.
netflix a very murray christmas trailer
A still from "A Very Murray Christmas."

Netflix

Critic score: 68%

Synopsis: In "A Very Murray Christmas," Bill Murray's (playing himself) Christmas special gets canceled because of a snowstorm. Instead, he seeks shelter in a bar where the fellow patrons are more than willing to sing a few holiday songs with him.

Jeff Jensen wrote for Entertainment Weekly, "Murray has surprising resonance. It may not be the yuletide cheer you want in a season darkened by terrorism and fear, but it does have a message that meets the moment."

Critics were charmed by the leads in "Meet Me Next Christmas" (2024).
Devale Ellis and Christina Milian in a scene from "meet me next christmas"
Devale Ellis and Christina Milian in "Meet Me Next Christmas."

Sophie Giraud/Netflix

Critic score: 69%

Synopsis: When Layla (Christina Milian) has a meet-cute at the airport with James (Kofi Siriboe), they promise to attend next year's Pentatonix Christmas concert together if they're both single.

A year later, Layla rushes to find tickets to the concert with the help of Teddy (Devale Ellis) β€” who soon develops feelings for her.Β 

"This movie was a fun ride, with countless jokes, great characters, a compelling story, and overall, a feel-good time," Brandon Avery wrote for Just My Opinion Reviews. "Don't sleep on this one because you'll be missing out on something good."

"Single All the Way" (2021) follows a best friends-to-lovers arc.
nick and peter in single all the way
The movie centers on best friends who fall for each other.

Philippe Bosse/Netflix

Critic score: 70%

Synopsis:Β In "Single All the Way," Peter (Michael Urie) convinces his best friend Nick (Philemon Chambers) to come home with him for Christmas to trick his family into thinking he's in a relationship.Β 

But thanks to his family's constant meddling, before long, Peter is stuck in a real and unexpected love triangle with Nick and townie James (Luke MacFarlane).

"Veteran TV writer Chad Hodge's self-aware script acknowledges all the tropes β€” gay and holiday β€” while continuing to employ them effectively," Carla Meyer wrote for the San Francisco Chronicle.Β 

"The Knight Before Christmas" (2019) is a holiday romance with a fantasy twist.
The Knight Before Christmas Vanessa Hudgens movie Netflix
Josh Whitehouse and Vanessa Hudgens in "The Knight Before Christmas."

Brooke Palmer/Netflix

Critic score: 71%

Synopsis:Β In "The Knight Before Christmas," small-town teacher Brooke (Hudgens) helps a time-traveling, medieval knight (Josh Whitehouse) fulfill his quest.

But the more time they spend together, the more Sir Cole wonders if he really wants to succeed and return home.Β 

Ian Sandwell wrote for Digital Spy, "'The Knight Before Christmas' has every possible festive ingredient you could want, even a puppy in a stocking. Cynics need not apply, there's nothing here for you."

"The Noel Diary" (2022) is a touching holiday homecoming story.
noel and rachel sitting with a dog in the noel diary
Justin Hartley and Barrett Doss in "The Noel Diary."

KC Bailey/Netflix

Critic score: 73%

Synopsis: Based on the novel by Richard Paul Evans, "The Noel Diary" follows successful author Jake Turner (Justin Hartley) as he returns to his hometown for the holidays to settle his mother's estate.Β 

But after finding an intriguing diary, he teams up with Rachel (Barrett Doss), who's on her own investigative journey to uncover her family's past.Β 

Noel Murray wrote for the Los Angeles Times, "Ditch the mistletoe and holly and it would still be a well-crafted, well-balanced character sketch, following two lost souls as they discover what they've been missing."

"A Christmas Prince" (2017) kicked Netflix's holiday film series off with a bang.
A Christmas Prince
Ben Lamb and Rose McIver in "A Christmas Prince."

Netflix

Critic score:Β 73%

Synopsis: "A Christmas Prince" centers on Amber (McIver), a journalist gunning for her big break, as she goes undercover to write about the royal family of Aldovia.

Along the way, she ends up discovering a huge secret that could throw a wrench in the whole Aldovian line of succession, while also falling for the prince (Lamb).Β 

"It's everything you want a holiday film to be: cheesy, hopeful, a little bit ridiculous, and overall as warm and toasty as the fireplace you're watching it next to," Lea Palmieri wrote for Decider.

"A Castle for Christmas" (2021) earned winning reviews.
screengrab from the new netflic christmas movie a castle for christmas
Brooke Shields starred in the Netflix film.

Mark Mainz/Netflix

Critic score: 75%

Synopsis:Β In "A Castle for Christmas," an American writer named Sophie (Brooke Shields) sets off on a holiday vacation to Scotland in search of the castle her grandfather told her stories about as a child.

After falling in love with the property and putting an offer in on it, the only thing standing in her way is the grumpy duke (Cary Elwes) who owns it.Β 

"Its sincere, aspirational sentiments about it never being too late to write your own second chapter feel genuinely meaningful," Courtney Howard wrote for Variety.Β 

Despite its silly premise, "Hot Frosty" (2024) was a sweet surprise for many critics.
hot frosty pointing to a picture of a snowman in netflix's hot frosty
There are several Netflix original Christmas movies.

Netflix

Critic score: 76%

Synopsis: Kathy Barrett (Lacey Chabert), a recently widowed cafΓ© owner, is shocked when she magically brings a snowman (Dustin Milligan) to life with a simple scarf.Β 

As they evade questions from small-town cops, Kathy and Jack (the snowman) begin to bond as she opens herself up to the magic of the holiday season.Β 

"There's a sincere pleasure in slipping down the ludicrous slide that is 'Hot Frosty''s premise, in which a hot, naive, but very sweet man is the perfect Christmas wish β€” for Kathy and for any of us who may need a bit of comfort from a cold, cold world," Kristy Puchko wrote for Mashable.

"A Boy Called Christmas" (2021) is a fantasy holiday film full of adventure and heart.
production still from a boy called christmas on netflix
Henry Lawfull as Nikolas in "A Boy Called Christmas."

Netflix

Critic score: 83%

Synopsis:Β In "A Boy Called Christmas," Nikolas (Henry Lawfull) sets off on an adventure to try to find his father β€” who's on his own journey searching for a mystical village of elves.Β 

But along the way, Nikolas discovers much more than what he set out for.Β 

Natalia Winkleman wrote for The New York Times, "Magic abounds in 'A Boy Called Christmas,' Netflix's first prestige holiday movie of the season, but pulsing through this winning adventure tale is something even stronger: the immersive power of storytelling."

The interweaving stories in "Let It Snow" (2019) won many critics over.
let it snow
Jacob Batalon, Matthew Noszka, Mitchell Hope, and Kiernan Shipka in "Let It Snow."

Netflix

Critic score: 85%

Synopsis: Based on the short stories by John Green, Lauren Myracle, and Maureen Johnson, "Let It Snow" follows a group of teenagers living in a small, Midwestern town during the holiday season. All of their stories lead to a Christmas Eve party at the local Waffle Town.Β 

Molly Freeman wrote for Screen Rant, "In 'Let It Snow,' Netflix delivers a cute young adult holiday romance that's comforting in its cheesiness, even if it doesn't break new ground."

Critics called "Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey" (2020) a new holiday staple.
jingle jangle
Madalen Mills and Forest Whitaker in "Jingle Jangle."

Gareth Gatrell/NETFLIX

Critic score: 91%

Synopsis: The musical holiday film centers on inventor/toymaker Jeronicus Jangle (Forest Whitaker) decades after his apprentice (Keegan-Michael Key) betrayed him by stealing his prized creation.

It's up to his granddaughter Journey (Madalen Mills) to reignite the magic in his shop and heal the wounds of his past.

"The many pleasures of this overflowing Christmas stocking of a film are sure to make it a family favorite, and most likely a family tradition," Nell Minow wrote for RogerEbert.com.

"Klaus" (2019) is an animated flick filled with Christmas myth.
klaus jesper movie netflix
J.K. Simmons voiced the title character in "Klaus."

Netflix

Critic score: 95%

Synopsis:Β In "Klaus," after struggling mail carrier Jesper (voiced by Jason Schwartzman) gets reassigned to an island above the Arctic Circle, he meets mysterious carpenter Klaus (voiced by J.K. Simmons).

Their unlikely friendship melts a years-old feud in their cold town of Smeerensberg and sparks a new holiday tradition.Β 

"It's awkward and weird, and yet all that awkwardness and weirdness give it personality and charm and a freewheeling, nonsensical quality that feels refreshing," Bilge Ebiri wrote for Vulture.

"Alien Xmas" (2020) is the highest-rated Netflix-original holiday film.
alien xmas netflix
Dee Bradley Baker voiced X in "Alien Xmas."

Netflix

Critic score:Β 100%

Synopsis:Β In "Alien Xmas," when a group of extraterrestrials comes to Earth to try and steal its gravity β€” and then everything else on the planet β€” the only things that can save the world are the gift-giving spirit of Christmas and a small alien named X.Β 

"It's a bit of a sloppy plot, but also kind of endearing in its loosey-gooseyness," John Serba wrote for Decider.

Note: All scores were current on the date of publication and are subject to change. Films without critical ratings were not included. Netflix's originals generally consist of both content created by the streaming service and contentΒ exclusive to the platform.

This story was originally published in December 2018, and most recently updated on December 23, 2024.Β 

Read More:

Read the original article on Business Insider

The probability of a US recession in 2025 is 0%, according to a top economist. Here's what to worry about instead.

23 December 2024 at 07:44
People walk past a "We're Hiring" sign at a Jimmy John's.
A hiring sign outside a Jimmy John's.

Olivier Douliery/AFP/Getty Images

  • Torsten SlΓΈk, Apollo's chief economist, says a US recession in 2025 is unlikely.
  • The economy grew faster than expected in 2024, driven by strong consumer spending.
  • Key risks for 2025 include tariffs, Nvidia earnings, and an inflation rebound driving rates higher.

Torsten SlΓΈk, the chief economist at Apollo, said in a note on Monday that the probability of a US recession materializing in 2025 is 0%.

He released his top 12 risks to watch for global markets in 2025, and a significant economic downturn wasn't one of them.

2024 delivered yet another year of strong economic gains, building on the gains realized in 2023. US GDP is on track to grow by nearly 3% in 2024, and the economy has added about 2 million jobs.

Overall, most economists were taken by surprise. Many expected a slowdown in the economy heading into 2024. Instead, it accelerated.

"The US economy grew much faster than expected this year, supported by solid growth in consumer spending," Jan Hatzius, the top economist at Goldman Sachs, said in a note over the weekend.

So with no recession on the horizon, what should investors be worried about?

A lot of things, according to SlΓΈk.

At the top of his list are tariffs, which he puts at a 90% probability of being implemented by the incoming Trump administration.

Trump threatened tariffs countless times during his campaign, and he ramped up those threats after winning the election in November, even lobbing them at two of the US's closest allies, Canada and Mexico.

Another top risk for the stock market next year is Nvidia reporting earnings that disappoint investors' "inflated expectations," SlΓΈk said, ascribing a 90% probability of that occurring.

Such an earnings miss would be a big deal for markets, which count Nvidia as the second-largest company in the world by market cap. Investors got a small taste of what that could look like after Nvidia reported third-quarter results in late November.

While the AI-chip company beat earnings estimates, its guidance failed to meet Wall Street's loftiest expectations, resulting in a 10% sell-off in the company's stock price over the next week.

Upside risks SlΓΈk has on his radar are a further acceleration in the US economy, the unleashing of bullish animal spirits among investors, and a boom in mergers and IPO activity. Such scenarios, he said, have a 75% to 85% chance of occurring.

But perhaps the biggest downside risk to the stock market in 2025 is that a rebound in inflation will spark the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates. That would shock investors, as the market is pricing two interest-rate cuts in 2025.

SlΓΈk assigned a 40% probability to a scenario in which "US inflation accelerates in Q1, driven higher by a strong economy, tariffs, restrictions on immigration, and seasonal factors."

He offered the same probability to the knock-on effects of that scenario, the Fed raising interest rates and the 10-year US Treasury yield jumping above 5% before the middle of the year.

Whether the economy will be resilient in 2025 remains to be seen, but investors can monitor SlΓΈk's list of risks to gauge where the market might be headed next year.

Read the original article on Business Insider

I dined at Grand Central Terminal's new restaurant, Grand Brasserie, and I felt transported to Paris at Christmastime

23 December 2024 at 07:42
grand brasserie interior and onion soup
Grand Brasserie, Grand Central Terminal's newest restaurant, offers festive charm in the heart of New York City.

Erin McDowell/Business Insider

  • I visited Grand Brasserie, a new restaurant inside Grand Central Terminal in New York City.
  • The restaurant holds up to 400 diners and occupies a massive 16,000-square-foot space.
  • The menu was varied, but the classic dishes I tried impressed me the most.

Two years ago, I spent Christmas in Paris, and I've been longing to find the same festive charm in my home city of New York ever since.

Enter Grand Brasserie, Grand Central Terminal's newest restaurant, which pays homage to classic Parisian eateries with its signature red booths, cozy bistro tables, and French fare.

I visited Grand Brasserie on a Thursday morning during the height of the Christmas season in New York City and thought it was the ideal spot for a satisfying β€” yet convenient β€” meal during your commute to or from New York during the holidays.

However, it could also be a destination for those visiting New York and wanting to have a festive brunch or dinner in a classic, well-decorated restaurant in central Manhattan within walking distance of some of the city's most iconic tourist attractions.

Here's what it was like to eat at Grand Brasserie inside Grand Central Terminal.

The restaurant is located inside Vanderbilt Hall on the same floor as Grand Central's Main Concourse.
entrance to vanderbilt hall in grand central terminal
Grand Brasserie is located inside Vanderbilt Hall in Grand Central.

Erin McDowell/Business Insider

The restaurant is located across from the Grand Central Holiday Fair, which features various shopping vendors.

Grand Central can be a little difficult to navigate if you've never been β€” or, if like me, you're running to catch a train whenever you're there β€” so I appreciated that the restaurant was in such an easy-to-find location inside the terminal.

The hostess stand was located outside the entrance to the restaurant.
grand brasserie inside grand central terminal
There were only a few people checking into the restaurant when I arrived.

Erin McDowell/Business Insider

The restaurant's curved entrance was adorned with a festive display of human-sized nutcrackers, wreaths, and holiday lights.

There was also a large menu located by the hostess stand.
grand brasserie inside grand central terminal menu
The menu is mostly traditional French fare.

Erin McDowell/Business Insider

This made it easy for multiple passersby to check out the menu at the same time.

The brunch menu, pictured above, features mostly traditional French fare, from soups and pastries to sandwiches and steak frites. The restaurant also has a full bar and offers cocktails like a mimosa, Bellini, or espresso martini.

The menu changes for dinnertime, with a more extensive cocktail menu and entrΓ©e selection.

There was a variety of dining options available when I booked my reservation.
bistro tables inside grand brasserie in grand central terminal
There were bistro tables set up outside the entrance to the restaurant.

Erin McDowell/Business Insider

The restaurant occupies a massive 16,000-square-feet and can seat up to 400 diners, Eater reported.

I made a reservation the day before and was able to snag a table for one inside the restaurant's main dining room, but there were also tables available in the bistro dining area outside the restaurant and in the Green Room, a more dimly lit, cozy dining area located past the main dining room.

The overall vibe of the restaurant was elegant and reminded me of French restaurants in Paris.
grand brasserie inside grand central terminal
There was an elegant sign advertising the restaurant at the front entrance.

Erin McDowell/Business Insider

I've been to Paris three times, including once at Christmas, and have eaten in quite a few traditional French restaurants.

Even without the holiday decorations, many of the touches, from the mercury-glass sign and swooping red font of the restaurant's logo to the design of the tables, are reminiscent of the city of lights.

The main dining room has four options for seating.
grand brasserie inside grand central terminal
There were quite a few patrons seated at different tables when I arrived.

Erin McDowell/Business Insider

Guests can choose to be seated at the bar, at a high-top table, in a booth, or at a small bistro table dining table.

The red booths scattered throughout the dining room were fitted with white marble tables and festive decorations.
red booth seating at grand brasserie inside grand central terminal
The red booths had white marble tabletops.

Erin McDowell/Business Insider

The dining room's design felt elevated and festive, and the booths looked comfortable for a larger group.

I was seated at a small dining table across from the bar area.
grand brasserie inside grand central terminal
My table at Grand Brasserie.

Erin McDowell/Business Insider

I was given the full brunch menu, a drinks menu with cocktails and wine, and the restaurant's pre-fixe menu.

When I sat down, I was also asked whether I would like something to drink while I settled in, so I asked for a bottle of tap water. It was promptly brought over to my table.

The menu is French, but it's approachable enough that even those unfamiliar with French cuisine will feel comfortable dining here.
grand brasserie inside grand central terminal
The menu was varied and had traditional French items, but also things like a classic cheeseburger.

Erin McDowell/Business Insider

I'm a pretty adventurous eater but I have still struggled to find things to order while traveling in France and dining at more upscale eateries. However, I thought this menu was really approachable.

Brasseries tend to offer more comfort foods than upscale fine-dining options. Sure, there were more adventurous menu items (at least, perhaps to some people) like escargot and caviar, but there was also a classic cheeseburger, croque monsieur, and boeuf bourguignon for people who might only be familiar with a few traditional French dishes.

I felt there was something for everyone's tastes here, even kids who might not go anywhere near the steak tartare or duck confit.

I could admire the beauty of Grand Central's architecture from my table.
grand brasserie inside grand central terminal
You could admire Grand Central's architecture inside the restaurant.

Erin McDowell/Business Insider

The restaurant itself, at least in the main dining room where I sat, isn't particularly warm or cozy. But where it lacks in intimacy it makes up for in stunning views of Grand Central's architecture.

The terminal opened on February 2, 1913, replacing an older train station that was opened in 1871 and another that opened in 1900.

Many preservationists, including Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, fought to save Grand Central from demolition in the 1970s and helped restore the building's historic grandeur, including its constellation-covered ceiling that was previously coated in cigarette smoke from the days that smoking was allowed inside the terminal.

Grand Central's chandeliers are among its most famous architectural features β€” I could see multiple of them right from my table.
grand brasserie inside grand central terminal
I could see some of Grand Central's iconic chandeliers from my table.

Erin McDowell/Business Insider

The chandeliers were originally fitted with electric lightbulbs, making them a marvel for a society only recently introduced to electric lighting.

In the 1990s, the chandeliers were cleaned and fitted with energy-efficient bulbs, thus modernizing them yet retaining their historic charm.

I loved that I could observe a slice of American history right from my dining table.

The ceiling of the restaurant was equally ornate.
carved ceilings inside grand brasserie inside grand central terminal
The ceilings above Grand Brasserie were stunningly ornate.

Erin McDowell/Business Insider

The restaurant feels very open-air, like an extension of the rest of the terminal rather than an enclosed restaurant.

Even though the restaurant, which opened in September, is a permanent addition to the station, the open-air setup gave it a pop-up feel. I didn't necessarily mind, though, as it allowed me to admire some of Grand Central's architecture.

I started my meal with a latte.
latte from grand brasserie inside grand central terminal
The latte from Grand Brasserie was slightly less creamy than I'm used to.

Erin McDowell/Business Insider

It cost $6.50, excluding tax and tip, which I actually thought was pretty fairly priced. Living in New York City, I'm used to sometimes paying upward of $6 or $7 for a latte, so this didn't jump out to me as more expensive than usual.

I thought it was less creamy than other lattes I'm used to having, but it was flavorful, hot without being scalding, and topped with a delicious amount of steamed milk.

I also ordered a traditional onion soup.
onion soup from grand brasserie inside grand central terminal
The onion soup was on the pricier side.

Erin McDowell/Business Insider

The soup arrived covered in gooey melted cheese that dripped down the bowl.

It cost $18, which I thought was a bit expensive for an appetizer, especially one that's difficult to share between multiple people. However, it was still one of the cheapest appetizers on the restaurant's hors d'oeuvres menu.

Other menu items, like the steak tartare and shrimp cocktail, cost more than $20, and the crab persillade cost $31.

While it was a little pricey, the onion soup was undeniably delicious.
onion soup cheese pull from grand brasserie inside grand central terminal
The soup had delicious gooey cheese and bread inside.

Erin McDowell/Business Insider

The gooey cheese practically melted in my mouth, while the soup itself was rich and loaded with deliciously caramelized onions. The bread inside the soup was super soft and easy to eat with the soup spoon. Overall, it was the perfect consistency β€” not too watery, not too thick or sludgy.

It was very flavorful and could have sufficed as my main meal.

I've had onion soup in Paris, and this rivaled even those.

The restaurant also gave me two pieces of complimentary bread to go with the soup.
bread from grand brasserie inside grand central terminal
The restaurant gave me complimentary bread for the onion soup.

Erin McDowell/Business Insider

The bread was crusty on the outside but soft inside. I was impressed.

For my entrΓ©e, I ordered the eggs Norwegian.
eggs norwegian from grand brasserie inside grand central terminal
The eggs Norwegian came with smoked salmon and the choice of potatoes or salad.

Erin McDowell/Business Insider

While many might associate this dish with eggs Benedict, eggs Norwegian comes with smoked salmon and hollandaise rather than ham.

I was also given the choice of a side salad or potatoes with the eggs. I opted for salad because I was so full from the onion soup.

The eggs Norwegian cost $31, compared to $28 for the eggs Benedict. Again, this felt pricey, especially because the portion size wasn't huge. However, that's also a pretty standard price for a brunch entrΓ©e in New York City β€” let alone in a famous location like Grand Central.

The hollandaise sauce was creamy and slightly tangy.
eggs norwegian from grand brasserie inside grand central terminal
The eggs came with a generous serving of hollandaise sauce.

Erin McDowell/Business Insider

I could clearly taste the lemon, and I really loved the consistency of the hollandaise. It wasn't too thick, making this dish feel light and easy to eat.

The poached eggs were perfectly cooked.
eggs norwegian from grand brasserie inside grand central terminal
The eggs were cooked perfectly.

Erin McDowell/Business Insider

When I broke into the first poached egg, a beautiful cascade of jammy and gooey egg yolk emerged. This dish was simple but still extremely delicious. I'd definitely come back just for these eggs.

My only complaint with the eggs Norwegian was with the English muffin it was served on. It was on the thinner side, which didn't necessarily ruin the dish, but it didn't add to it, either. For more than $30, I expected more.

The salad was a simple spring mix, but it was well-dressed and complemented the richness of the smoked salmon and the eggs.

Grand Brasserie was by no means a cheap, grab-and-go lunch. But it was still worth visiting around the holidays.
the author outside grand brasserie inside grand central terminal
I enjoyed my dining experience at Grand Brasserie, though it was out of my usual price range.

Erin McDowell/Business Insider

I ended up paying $71.53 for my brunch, including tax and tip. Don't get me wrong β€” I rarely, if ever, pay this much for a solo breakfast. And for many, this would be completely unaffordable.

Still, for others, the prices may not be that far-fetched for an appetizer, entrΓ©e, and specialty coffee at an iconic location in New York City. Pricing is completely subjective, though I did think the eggs, although delicious, were slightly overpriced.

As a special treat, I enjoyed getting to experience dining in one of New York's most famous locales, and if you're visiting New York City around the holidays, sometimes spending more than you normally would is part and parcel of that.

I enjoyed the food, the festive decorations, and seeing some classic New York architecture combined with the Parisian elegance I've come to love through traveling. For me, that was priceless.

Business Insider reached out to Grand Brasserie for comment but did not receive a response.

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As a Gen Xer raised in a frugal home, I skip my family's holiday present-giving. I find it too excessive.

23 December 2024 at 07:38
Presents under a Christmas tree.
The author finds it hard to see loads of presents under the Christmas tree.

Serhii Sobolevskyi /Getty Images

  • I was raised in a frugal household where the number of Christmas gifts was limited.
  • My sister and I loved traditions that didn't cost much β€” even recycling our paper advent calendar.
  • Now that I'm a mom of two, I find it difficult to watch my kids open lots of presents.

I love Christmas, especially the run-up to the big day. I enjoy putting up the holiday tree and decorating my home with ribbons and garlands.

However, there's an hour or so on December 25 itself when I have to excuse myself from the living room. I find it difficult to deal with the exchange of gifts.

It feels so excessive, especially since there are so many less privileged people in the world.

I was raised in the UK in the 1970s and 80s, in a frugal household. My older sister, Alison, and I received a "main gift" β€” which we opened last β€” and around four or five others.

We never felt deprived. Our gifts were often handmade, such as the cool snow sled that my granddad crafted from metal and wood. It made us feel special that he'd gone to all that effort.

My own teens want gifts featuring famous labels such as Lululemon and Aritzia β€” to which my husband struggles to say no β€” and pricey video games.

My parents were very traditional in their outlook

Back in the day, the highlight of Christmas morning was digging into our stockings and finding random, inexpensive tchotchkes. My kids can't believe that Alison and I weren't allowed to open gifts other than Santa's until after lunch.

My parents were sticklers for tradition. As a child growing up in the UK in late 1940s and 50s, my dad said he wasn't allowed to unwrap his gifts until the end of the annual Christmas broadcast by the reigning monarch shortly after 3 pm. Thankfully, we were spared that particular challenge after a few years of complaining.

Other examples of thriftiness in our house make me laugh out loud. We didn't have chocolate advent calendars when we were young. Alison and I would take turns opening the doors of an advent calendar made of thin paper that we reused every year.

I cherish the memory of finding the same picture of a white dove with a red bow in its beak on, lets say, December 15. It was thrilling. After Christmas, Mom would help us stick back the doors with bits of clear tape.

Our thrifty grandma recycled wrapping paper

Our grandmother, whom we affectionately called "nanny," took things to extremes. She'd tell us to open our presents carefully so the festive wrap could be recycled. She'd iron the wrapping paper afterwards before folding it and stashing it in a cupboard for the following year.

Nanny even recycled the holiday gift tags.

As for the volume of gifts these days, it's partly a result of many things being cheaper than when I was a girl. More stuff is imported from overseas. It helps explain the dozens of Amazon boxes delivered to our door.

I'm proud that, without prompting, my kids are donating a few weeks' allowance to a local shelter during the holidays. Still, I'll be hiding upstairs next Wednesday when they rip into their own piles of gifts.

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Luigi Mangione's lawyer says New York's mayor is politicizing his arrest

23 December 2024 at 07:35
Luigi Mangione at his arraignment on state murder charges.
Luigi Mangione is charged with murder in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.

Curtis Means-Pool/Getty Images

  • Luigi Mangione's lawyer said her client's criminal case was being politicized.
  • She criticized NYC Mayor Eric Adams' presence at Mangione's perp walk from a Manhattan helipad.
  • Mangione pleaded not guilty to both state and federal murder charges.

A lawyer representing Luigi Mangione said law enforcement was politicizing her client's arrest and prosecution, pointing to Mayor Eric Adams of New York City's attendance at Mangione's first perp walk in the state.

"Frankly, your honor, the mayor should know more than anyone of the presumption of innocence," the attorney, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, said at a Monday-morning hearing.

Mangione pleaded not guilty at the proceeding, which took place in the courtroom of Justice Gregory Carro of the New York Supreme Court, a trial judge in Manhattan's state-level criminal court.

He was arrested in Altoona, Pennsylvania, following a five-day hunt for the person who killed United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson on a Manhattan sidewalk. At Monday's hearing, the Ivy League graduate looked polished, wearing a maroon sweater over a white collared shirt. His wrists were bound with heavy shackles as he walked into the courtroom.

NY Mayor Eric Adams on the helipad for Luigi Mangione's arrival to New York.
Mayor Eric Adams of New York City on the helipad for Mangione's New York arrival.

XNY/Star Max/GC Images

Adams, alongside Commissioner Jessica Tisch of the New York Police Department, stood for dramatic photos at the Manhattan helipad where Mangione was flown in on Thursday.

A large group of police officers walked Mangione from the helicopter, making for images that went viral on social media.

"I wanted to look him in the eye to say that, 'You carried out this terrorist act in my city, the city that the people of New York love,' and I wanted to be there to show the symbolism of that," Adams later said.

A grand jury has indicted Adams on federal corruption charges alleging he took bribes from the Turkish government. He's pleaded not guilty.

"Frankly, I submit that he was trying to detract from those issues by making a spectacle of Mr. Mangione," Friedman Agnifilo said at Monday's hearing, according to the Courthouse News reporter Erik Uebelacker.

Mangione previously appeared in Manhattan federal court Thursday afternoon on charges brought by the US Justice Department. He has been in federal custody in Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention Center.

The Manhattan district attorney's office accused Mangione of first-degree murder "in furtherance of terrorism."

Federal prosecutors brought additional murder charges that, if Mangione is convicted, are death-penalty-eligible.

The district attorney's case will go to trial first, the Justice Department announced. A trial date has not yet been set.

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