• Chris Williams, ex-VP of HR at Microsoft, shares advice on how to bounce back from mistakes at work.
• He suggests employees take three steps: own it, fix it, and prevent it.
• Williams used these steps to fix a big mistake he made at Microsoft and was eventually promoted.

As the VP of HR at Microsoft, I saw a lot of people make mistakes. From simple math on their expense accounts to serious errors in judgment that required the local police to resolve. Also, much of what I learned about handling mistakes at work came from an enormous mistake I made years ago.

Everyone makes mistakes, but at work, it seems like they hit harder.

On the job, consequences often warrant more than simply, "Oops, my bad." Mistakes at work often cost a lot of money and might put jobs at risk — even your own. Here are the three steps you should take to help save your job or even career when you make an error at work: own it, fix it, and prevent it.

Own it

The first step to resolving an error at work is to take responsibility for the mistake. If you made the error, don't deflect, don't blame the computer, don't pretend it didn't happen. Own it.

Tell your boss as soon as possible before things spiral out of control.

For example, many years ago, I wrote the copy protection code for Foxpro, the database software that was eventually sold to Microsoft. I tested it on dozens of machines in every case I could find.

The very day we released a beta version, it froze the receptionist's computer — not just crashed it, but locked it up so the machine couldn't even boot. I quickly discovered it was my code that had caused it, and we had just sent that code to thousands of testers.

My code could've locked up dozens or hundreds of customer computers.

I realized my error wasn't that complex, so I immediately enlisted the help of all of my peers to discover the extent of the problem and potential fixes. My friend in shipping stopped the copies that had not been sent, and my colleague sent a message to every beta tester not to install the software. For some users, it was too late, so I quickly developed a tool to recover the frozen machines.

By the end of the day, I had a fix for the receptionist's machine that we could apply worldwide. We posted those steps as quickly as we could.

I survived the error with the help of my friends.

On the other hand, in very rare cases, the mistake is very serious, even potentially illegal. If you think what you've done exposes you or the company to legal liability, get some protection. It might be a good idea to consult a personal attorney right away.

Fix it

Often the best thing to do when you've made a mistake is to repair the damage. Correct the report and let everyone know it's been fixed. Clean up the mess on the shop floor. Make an adjustment entry to the inventory.

As a manager later in my career, I very much appreciated people who could say, "Hey, I broke this thing, but don't worry, I've already fixed it.

Whatever the mistake, a key part of owning the problem is fixing it. If the damage is out of your hands or beyond your abilities, at least understand and explain it as best you can. You are uniquely positioned to know how it got broken, that knowledge can go a long way to fixing the problem. So tell that part of the story too.

Also, it's never a good idea to fix things and hide them, pretending they didn't happen. Not only is that not true, but it has many negative effects. If your mistake is later discovered, the trust relationship you have with your boss is gone — maybe irreparably. Mistakes can be forgiven, but untrustworthiness is harder to repair.

There may have even been side consequences to your mistake that you didn't see, which could ripple far and wide. That glitch in the inventory could result in distrust of the inventory system overall and lead to far broader issues.

Prevent It

That leads us to the next step: stopping it from happening again.

As the person who made the error, you have a unique view of how similar mistakes can happen. You can provide insight into ways to prevent them.

In my case, I worked to ensure we had a broader selection of test machines and developed a new set of test cases for all our security code. I was probably the only one who understood the impact of my mistake and was the best one to implement changes.

Work with your manager to identify ways to prevent the error. Maybe it's as simple as a checklist. Perhaps more than one person needs to review it. Maybe there needs to be software or physical locks to prevent the possibility of the mistake again.

The one thing we all learn early on is to learn from our mistakes.

A mistake at work doesn't have to end your career

In my case, the error that I owned and fixed certainly didn't slow my career. Not long after, I was promoted to development manager for the company. I'm sure my transparency and ownership were part of the reasons I was trusted for that role.

When you make a mistake, the best way for the entire company to learn from it is for you to own the mistake, fix it, and work to prevent it from ever happening again.

Chris Williams is a former VP of HR at Microsoft. He's an executive-level advisor and consultant with more than 40 years of experience leading and building teams.

• Airline rewards programs have faced scrutiny over dynamic pricing and devaluation practices.
• Frequent flyers feel burned as airlines adjust rewards, and the DOT is investigating.
• Dynamic pricing can affect point values, leading some customers to prefer cashback over miles cards.

Sean Brown, 46, has logged close to 2 million miles on Delta, his preferred airline. But his loyalty is waning as dynamic pricing and devaluation practices have made their way to airline rewards programs and left some customers feeling burned.

"Unfortunately, there's been a pretty seismic shift in the industry," the healthcare IT executive said, adding, "That has really not sat well with me."

For years, some customers have forgone cheaper or more convenient flights from other airlines so they could earn points and perks with their preferred brand. Frequent flyers would get rewarded for their loyalty with predictable exchange rates to turn points into more flights, seat upgrades, and lounge access, among other perks.

But as air travel ramped up and more and more customers got in on the points grind airlines have gotten much more flexible about how they value rewards, offering some for cheaper and some for much more.

It's caused some previously loyal customers to jump ship — and even Washington is stepping in. In September, the Department of Transportation announced it was investigating major airlines' reward devaluation and dynamic pricing practices.

Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg told BI he wants to understand the effect that these programs have on competition, and whether they're dissuading customers from getting the best price.

"One of the biggest concerns is devaluation. So the points are worth something one day and something else," Buttigieg said. "Another is some of the hidden pricing where the value of rewards is unpredictable or is concealed."

For Brown, the calculus has already shifted from spending on his preferred airline to whatever gives him the best value.

"I'll just tell you, the sentiment in the plane — doesn't matter where you sit if you're in the front, the middle, or the back," Brown said, "everyone is pretty pissed off at the fact that they're getting gouged left and right."

How points changed

Concern with how airlines calculate, redeem, and communicate about rewards points has reached Capitol Hill.

In May, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Rohit Chopra and Buttigieg held a joint hearing on airline and credit card rewards. They wanted to investigate how credit companies might be devaluing their rewards or using what the CFPB called a "bait-and-switch scam" to lure in customers.

"Our initial review of the fine print suggests that credit card companies and airlines have the power to quickly and dramatically devalue those points by making it more challenging to redeem them or by limiting the inventory that can be purchased with points," Chopra said in prepared remarks.

Buttigieg said he's not interested in telling airlines or credit cards how to run their programs — instead, he just wants to ensure that they're transparent, consistent, and fair. He's also trying to figure out how to put his points to use: He and his husband want to use points toward a family trip after his job with the Biden administration winds down.

But his points may not hold the same value as they used to. Brett House, a professor of economics at Columbia Business School, said that airlines "have progressively rejigged their frequent flyer programs to require higher and higher bars to get access to clubs and other amenities or privileges that those programs provide."

It's a confluence of several different factors. First, to attract more customers after the 2020 slump, credit card companies issued all kinds of new perks and ways to earn points, such as higher sign-up bonuses or more points on things like restaurants and food delivery. On average, sign-up bonuses were worth $326 in 2022 — a nearly 20% increase in value since 2019, the CFPB found.

In response, customers hoarded those points, using their balances as a savings account for future travel. The CFPB found that by 2022, cardholders had an average of $156 worth of untouched rewards.

But with appetites for flights high in the wake of the pandemic, Gilbert Ott, the director of partnerships at the travel platform point.me, said there was a "logjam" — due in part to airlines struggling to scale back up again.

"When flights were coming back, they were completely full," he said. That made it a tough sell to convince airlines to make more point seats available, Ott said. To sell a seat for points, rather than cash, it really needed to be worth their while.

Enter: Dynamic pricing.

Airlines have long used fluctuating pricing strategies, but applying them to points and rewards is more recent. The practice has spread to other industries to help companies continually adjust to the highest price customers are willing to pay based on various factors like timing and demand.

American Airlines told BI that dynamic pricing allows them to offer some flights at lower rates. It does seem to work that way sometimes: As The Wall Street Journal reported, the lowest award flight cost on the carrier dropped after it rolled out dynamic pricing.

Delta, Southwest, and American all noted that they offer no blackout dates for rewards. Southwest said that it will continue to offer "uncapped reward seat availability and points that don't expire." A Delta spokesperson said that members can redeem points for things beyond vacation and flights, including premium drinks in its Sky Clubs, cheaper seat upgrades, and checked bags.

All of this adds up to a lot of guesswork in the points game. As Buttigieg notes, airlines used to provide charts showing just how much a flight would cost in points.

"I do think it's an interesting question to consider: Should there be some publicly sponsored source of information that at least tells you what you can expect from the airlines?" Buttigieg said. "But honestly, right now, it's so complex and convoluted, I'm not even sure such a thing is possible."

American told BI that it's "the only major U.S. carrier to continue offering an award chart to help guide members in mileage redemptions," and a search of other airlines did not turn up results for any others.

United reportedly got rid of its chart in 2019, and Delta reportedly pulled their chart even earlier. A United spokesperson said that since it moved to dynamic pricing in 2017, roughly half of its customers have gotten flights "for fewer points than our fixed award chart offered."

A rollercoaster of rewards' values

Thanks to dynamic pricing, depending on demand or timing, a flight might cost 500,000 points on some days and 50,000 on others. By one measure, the average economy rewards prices across almost every airline have risen since 2019.

An analysis from IdeaWorks found that, on average, mileage and point prices have risen by 28% since 2019. But there are still deals to be found. Ott's point.me compares points' values across different airlines and rewards programs. Dynamic pricing, he said, has brought some redemption costs down.

"There are some airlines that charge far less now in economy and just a little bit more in business," Ott said. "But because of the dynamic pricing, you have dates that are 500,000 points and a million points — because there's a seat now available with points on every flight, and there's only some dates where the lowest prices are available. "

For Meir Statman, a professor of finance at Santa Clara University and author of a book on financial behavior, the points game is getting "entirely iffy" and he has moved away from miles cards entirely — instead, he wants cash back.

He's not alone. While airline credit card rewards remain popular, cashback rewards have become the leading motivator for consumers to open new credit cards, per a report from EMARKETER.

J.D. Power's 2024 US Credit Card Satisfaction Study found that most cardholders are using cashback cards — consumers said that they were opting for the cards due to their lack of fees and were using the cashback rewards more frequently as a credit on their monthly statement.

"People figure out that those points for miles are not worth it, Statman told BI, adding, "When I'm getting a thousand miles and I thought that it was worth a cent per mile and now I find that this is worth, God knows what, but surely less than a cent per mile, I may as well get 1% in the form of a dollar than in the form of a mile."

Are you giving up on points or loyalty rewards? Contact this reporter at [email protected].

• Prosecutors accused luxury real-estate agents Oren and Tal Alexander of sex trafficking this month.
• They are the latest in a series of top figures in real estate accused of sexual abuse or harassment.
• Some in the industry say its structure, partying, and cult of personality are all partly to blame.

The Alexander brothers, luxury brokers who New York prosecutors accused of sex trafficking this month, are the latest in a series of top figures in real estate accused of sexual abuse or harassment.

The brothers, Oren and Tal, have denied the allegations.

Still, the accusations have made some in the industry — which is dominated by women but mostly led by men — reflect on its permissive, decentralized culture that parties hard and, too often, multiple people told Business Insider, puts women into uncomfortable or dangerous situations.

While it's far from a mass reckoning like Hollywood's #MeToo movement, the series of accusations against major real estate players over the past year and a half has prompted some in the industry to look inward and consider whether its traditional practices and lack of uniform safety precautions may have contributed.

Sue Yannaccone, the president and CEO of Anywhere Real Estate Inc., which owns multiple real-estate-brokerage chains, including Century21, Coldwell Banker, and Corcoran, told Business Insider that real estate has more to do to address some of these issues.

"Real estate is not unlike other industries that have had to, unfortunately, reckon with a pattern of discrimination and harassment of women," Yannaccone said. "Holding offenders accountable is an important and effective step in our progress, and there is still more work to be done across all sectors to ensure women can always thrive in safe, supportive, and equitable work environments."

The lax structure and low barrier to entry in real estate often mean careers are built largely on an individual agent's personality and charisma. It can also create opportunities for bad behavior to go unchecked, said Brian Boero, the cofounder of 1000watt, a real-estate branding and marketing company.

With over 1.5 million agents or brokers in the United States, it's similar to "the Wild West," he said. He added that many of them operate as independent contractors, acting as free agents.

"You have really good people, and you have really bad people. It's hard to paint this industry as a whole with a broad brush," Boero said. "The employee relationship does not exist, and people can, more or less, do whatever they want with very little supervision."

A series of accusations

Oren and Tal Alexander first rose to prominence as real-estate agents at Douglas Elliman before splitting off to found their own brokerage, Official Partners.

The Alexander Team, as they were commonly known, sold over $260 million in real estate in New York in 2023, the real-estate industry trade publication The Real Deal reported.

The Alexanders "used their prominent positions in the industry to induce other women to attend events and parties" where they later sexually assaulted them, prosecutors said in an indictment earlier this month.

Prosecutors accused Oren, Tal, and a third brother Alon, who works at the family's security firm, of operating a sex-trafficking scheme in which the brothers — and others — victimized dozens of women dating back to 2010. The brothers obtained drugs to "surreptitiously" give the women and planned the assaults in advance, prosecutors said in the indictment.

Attorneys for the three brothers, whom police arrested in Florida earlier this month, did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider. The twins denied the allegations when they were first reported.

James Cinque, a New York attorney representing the Alexander brothers, told BI in response to a story published before their arrest outlining four women's claims of assault and sexual misconduct that he and his colleagues had "asked them not to comment while these matters work their way through the legal system." Cinque added they're "comfortable that they will ultimately be vindicated."

Meanwhile, the success of eXp, an emerging real-estate brokerage that has a market cap of about $1.8 billion, has been overshadowed by complaints of sexual misconduct against some of its agents.

Five female eXp employees, in two separate lawsuits filed in 2023, accused agents Michael Bjorkman and David Golden of drugging them at work-related events. Four of the women said they were also sexually assaulted, according to the lawsuits. The New York Times first reported the cases against Bjorkman and Golden.

Richard Schonfeld, an attorney representing Bjorkman, told BI that the lawsuits are "one side of the story." Peter Levine, a lawyer for Golden, didn't return requests for comment from BI but told the Times the charges against Golden were "baseless and without merit." Trial dates for both cases are set for 2025.

Representatives for eXp, who didn't return requests for comment from BI, emailed a statement to the Times, highlighting the industry's decentralized nature.

"The claims in this case stem from alleged assaults by independent real estate agents who were never eXp employees — which we handled with speed, seriousness, and deep respect as soon as the accusers brought it to our attention, in line with our values and with the law," it read.

The National Association of Realtors, the largest trade association for real-estate agents in the United States with more than 1.5 million members, is also facing troubling allegations.

One of the most notable involves Kenny Parcell, a Utah real-estate agent and former NAR president who resigned in August 2023 after The New York Times published an exposé detailing multiple accusations against him and the organization.

The Times' report was based on interviews with 29 current and former employees from NAR and its affiliates who said Parcell and other NAR and affiliated company leaders repeatedly engaged in abusive and inappropriate behavior, often without facing consequences.

In June 2023, Janelle Brevard filed a lawsuit against NAR, accusing the organization of sexual harassment, retaliation, and racial discrimination. In the lawsuit, Brevard, a Black woman, said she was fired from her role in podcasts, video, and marketing after ending a consensual relationship with Parcell.

Brevard ultimately withdrew her lawsuit after entering into an agreement with the organization, the Times reported. Brevard did not respond to repeated requests for comment from BI, and her attorney declined to comment.

"The allegations are not true," Parcell said in a four-page statement in 2023. "Nothing has changed" since then, he wrote in an email to Bl on December 23. "My resignation from NAR was in no way an admission of guilt — it was a good faith effort to put NAR and its members first," he said.

In response to a request for comment, a spokesperson for NAR said the organization's "new leadership has undertaken a comprehensive review of our policies and procedures and continues to work every day to help NAR employees feel respected and supported."

Parties, star-agent culture, and a long road ahead

The real-estate industry can feel unsafe at times, especially for women, as the job has inherent risks. Agents are commonly expected to meet with clients, who might be strangers, alone at homes that could be secluded or lack cell reception.

In a NAR survey of 1,423 licensed real-estate agents this year, women agents were twice as likely as men to report experiencing a situation at work that made them fear for their safety, and 54% of women carried a weapon or self-defense tool compared to 47% of men.

Still, Boero said the industry's internal culture — its hard-partying traditions and the "cult of the superstar" — also presented problems.

"The Alexander brothers were like that: high-profile, flashy, wealthy, did a ton of business. We tend to elevate, emulate, and worship those types of figures in this business. And they're not always men, but they frequently are," he said. "There is this cult of the top producer in the business that, I think, has maybe obscured bad behavior over the years."

Parties are also a central, sometimes problematic, component of real-estate culture. In an industry where success is often tied to how connected you are, brokers often frequent social events to meet and mingle with other brokers, current clients, and prospective clients.

"Parties and awards and all of that stuff is very big in this business, which means there's a lot of partying and drinking, sometimes at scale," Boero said, "which, again, sometimes creates the conditions within which bad people can do bad things."

Brooke Cohen, one of the attorneys representing all five plaintiffs in the eXp cases, told BI that socializing is often essential in real estate as an opportunity for making deals, networking, and advancing your career.

That means women can find themselves in uncomfortable environments. "It's important that in this industry some parameters are put in place," Cohen said. "We really would like it to be better for people who have to attend these events to do business."

Yannaccone said women's prevalence in the industry motivated her to create What Moves Her, a program that supports women in real-estate leadership.

"Our work is just one piece of a larger effort toward progress that includes not just the many brave voices of female agents and leaders, but many of our male counterparts as well," she said. "It's our hope that through our collective effort, we can help create an industry that truly operates on shared values of integrity, accountability, and good governance."

• France sent dozens of tank-killing armored vehicles to Ukraine to counter Russia's invasion.
• The vehicles were designed for recon and fire support but were ineffective on Ukraine's front lines.
• Instead, Ukraine repurposed the so-called "light tanks" as self-propelled artillery.

France is among several Western nations aiding Ukraine with both training and weaponry in a bid to turn the tide in its nearly three-year-long war with Russia.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, France has delivered military equipment and weaponry valuing more than 2.6 billion euros, in addition to training nearly 10,000 Ukrainian soldiers, according to the country's defense ministry.

Over the last few months, a French military task force trained a brigade of Ukrainian troops on effective fighting tactics and how to use French-supplied military weaponry, including the tank-destroying AMX-10 armored vehicle.

French and Ukrainian officials have referred to the AMX-10 as a "light tank," but it lacks the large-caliber armament and tracks typically equipped on tanks. Its light aluminum armor left it vulnerable to Russian artillery.

Better described as an armored reconnaissance vehicle, Ukraine initially struggled to effectively use the AMX-10 in its frontline defenses, instead adapting the vehicle's operations to the Ukrainian battlefield.

France's tank-killing armored vehicle

Hailed for its tank-killing capabilities and operational flexibility, France sent Ukraine more than three dozen AMX-10RC armored vehicles to bolster its frontline defenses.

Developed in the late 1970s, the so-called "wheeled tank" was designed for reconnaissance and close-fire support. It was used to scout and identify enemy positions while armed to rapidly fire on hostile threats.

The 30-foot, 18-ton armored vehicle has a range of about 500 miles and travels at speeds of about 37 mph on roads and about 9 mph off-road; it has less off-road maneuverability than tracked vehicles like tanks.

After about a decade of service, France stopped producing the AMX-10RC in favor of more advanced combat vehicles like the ERBC Jaguar, an armored scout vehicle armed with two anti-tank missiles and a 40mm gun.

Inside the AMX-10RC

The AMX-10 has a turret with two 7.62mm machine guns and a 105mm cannon, which is powerful enough to destroy a tank at close range.

Ukrainian forces operate both the AMX-10RC and AMX-10RCR, an improved variant of the armored vehicle featuring upgraded ceramic armor, more advanced optronics systems like thermal sights, and a self-defense system that automatically launches smoke grenades and decoys.

The AMX-10 can carry a crew of four people — a machine commander, a gunner, a loader, and a driver.

It can carry up to 38 shells for its main gun and 4,000 rounds for its machine guns. An AMX-10 crew featured on Ukraine's state-run Army TV said the vehicle's rate of fire can range from five to 12 rounds per minute, depending on the loader's efficiency.

Adapting to combat in Ukraine

Ukrainian troops initially struggled to integrate the AMX-10RC into their frontline strategy. The vintage armored vehicle's light aluminum armor left it vulnerable in high-intensity conflict zones, especially against Russia's more advanced artillery and defense systems.

Instead, Ukrainian forces took advantage of the wheeled platform's maneuverability and repurposed the armored fighting vehicles as self-propelled artillery that could engage hostile targets from afar.

The AMX-10 in action

Army TV, run by the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, captured the AMX-10's capabilities in action in a video posted last week.

While filming a segment aboard the AMX-10, the Ukrainian soldiers and the television crew came under attack by a Russian drone. The personnel and TV crew weren't harmed, and the vehicle was not damaged.

Equipping and training Ukraine

In September, thousands of Ukrainian troops — most of whom had only a few weeks of basic training — were sent to eastern and southern France to hone their skills on the battlefield against Russia.

Named "Anne of Kyiv" after the former Ukrainian princess who became a queen of France, French authorities said the brigade will eventually consist of up to 4,500 troops specializing in infantry battalions, engineering units, artillery teams, and other roles.

The newly trained brigade is set to be armed with various French-supplied military assets and weaponry, including armored vehicles, artillery cannons, and anti-tank and antiaircraft missile systems.

A military task force of about 1,500 French soldiers trained Ukraine's troops on effective fighting strategies and skills and how to use and maintain the French-supplied equipment. Over 2,000 Ukrainian soldiers completed the training in France in late November.

"They have improved a lot," a French colonel told the Associated Press. "Now, they are able to fight. They are able to maneuver. They are able to use the different specialists and to use the different equipment they will have on the battlefield."

• I had the rare opportunity to fly in a historic jet trainer ahead of the Pacific Airshow in October.
• The T-33 Shooting Star was used to train US Air Force pilots on jet aircraft until the early 1960s.
• The flight was an unforgettable glimpse into aviation history as modern fighters rule the skies.

Strapped in the rear seat of the T-33's cockpit, I triple-checked the buckles and straps securing me. The clear bubble canopy sealed shut with a click, shutting out the aircraft's engine roar.

As someone who has solely flown on commercial airliners and once on a puddle jumper in Alaska, I didn't know what to expect until the jet's mounting speed on the runway pressed me back into my seat. The rush of adrenaline pulled my focus away from the sensation of the wheels leaving the ground as the world below transformed into a patchwork of shrinking buildings and roads.

As the sunset painted wispy clouds in a red-orange glow, I felt transported back to the Jet Age's earliest days, when competency at this aircraft's stick and analog controls was a make-or-break for US Air Force trainees.

Developed by Lockheed Corporation, the T-33 Shooting Star was a subsonic jet trainer designed to transition Air Force pilots from propeller-driven aircraft to the emerging era of jet propulsion in the late 1940s.

But the hourlong flight in the run-up to the Pacific Airshow in Huntington Beach, California, taught me to appreciate the iconic aircraft that paved the way for the cutting-edge jets that dominate today's skies.

America's first jet trainer

The US was among several countries around the world ushering in a new era of fighter aircraft toward the end of World War II.

The T-33 Shooting Star was instrumental in transitioning early military aviators — then already qualified to fly propeller-driven aircraft — to fighter jets. The jet trainer was a direct offshoot of the single-seat P-80 Shooting Star, one of the first operational jet fighters flown by the US Air Force, adding another seat to the cockpit to accommodate both student and instructor.

Equipped with a turbojet engine, the T-33 could reach speeds of up to 600 mph and altitudes of up to 45,000 feet. Just shy of 40 feet long, the jet trainer had a large clear bubble canopy, providing ample visibility to the pilots in the two-seat cockpit decked out with various flight indicators and engine gauges.

Lockheed manufactured over 5,000 so-called "T-Birds" between 1948 and 1959, used by air forces around the world until the fleet was slowly phased out starting in the 1980s. The US Air Force retired its last T-33, a variant modified for aerodynamic research, in 1997, ending the storied aircraft's five-decade tenure with the service.

While the T-Bird no longer trains military pilots, the aircraft's legacy has been preserved in aerial museums and heritage flights.

Seasoned airshow pilot

I flew with Greg "Wired" Colyer, a longtime performer at the Pacific Airshow. Colyer founded Ace Maker Aviation, operating three T-33 aircraft for aerial demonstrations like airshows.

A US Army veteran and aviation enthusiast, Colyer completed his fixed-wing training while studying at the US Navy's Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California.

He told Business Insider he wanted to fly military helicopters until a knee injury prompted him to instead work as an air traffic controller for the Federal Aviation Administration for nearly three decades.

In 2008, Colyer restored his first T-Bird, aptly naming the historic jet trainer the "Ace Maker," teaching himself aerobatic maneuvers for airshows across the US. Aside from airshows, the California native also works as a test pilot instructor for the US Navy and Air Force.

Over the next decade, he added two more T-33s, the Ace Maker II and Ace Maker III, the latter of which I flew in.

"It was just one of my favorite planes as a kid," Colyer said. "It was our very first jet trainer and just an iconic piece of US history."

During the Pacific Airshow, Colyer put the T-33's capabilities on full display, dazzling spectators below with his self-taught aerobatic maneuvers.

The airshow also featured performances from the F-22 Raptor, a fifth-generation stealth jet considered to be the top US air superiority fighter. The Thunderbirds, the Air Force's aerial demonstration squadron, also wowed crowds at the airshow, flying in tight formations at near-supersonic speeds in F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft.

Inside the cockpit

After haphazardly climbing atop the T-33's wing, I peered into the cockpit and was immediately intimidated by the crowded display of gauges and controls.

As a Cold War-era aircraft, the T-33 didn't feature the digital displays or avionics that are routine on more advanced fighter jets. The T-Bird had primarily analog controls, leaving the pilot responsible for manually controlling the plane's speed, altitude, and flight path.

Colyer walked me through a crash course of the T-33's rear instrument panels — the airspeed indicator, altimeter, turn coordinator, heading indicator, radio controls, and various fuel and engine gauges monitoring temperature, pressure, and fuel state.

As a tandem trainer, the backseat also had a yoke and rudder pedals, allowing student pilots to practice controls and maneuvers. I was explicitly instructed not to mess with either.

Though rudimentary to an experienced pilot, I could see how it would benefit early military aviators to develop essential skills for operating the advanced jet aircraft of the time.

As a journalist, however, the mechanics of the aircraft were lost on me, but I paid close attention to two controls in the cockpit:

1. The switch that muted my transceiver so I wouldn't distract the pilot.
2. The lever that operated the plane's rocket-powered emergency ejection seat — for obvious reasons.

Preparing for takeoff

As Colyer strapped into the pilot seat, I settled in the seat behind him, my head barely peeking over the edge of the cockpit.

I adjusted my flight helmet and oxygen mask, snapping a few shameless selfies to show off in group chats with my friends and family after the flight.

Colyer's voice crackled in my headset as he communicated with the control tower. In an instant, the plane's engine roared to life as the plane taxied the airfield in Orange County.

A thrilling takeoff

With one final check-in, I signaled my OK with a meager thumbs-up to the pilot before we sped down the runway and into the air.

The acceleration pinned me against the seat, and I peered at the blurring silhouettes of buildings and aircraft surrounding us, slowly shrinking as we gained altitude.

Panoramic views

I had to stifle my gasp — lest I distract Colyer while he operated the aircraft — as we were soon graced with an unobstructed view of the skies through the glass canopy.

Experiencing the T-33 in action

While Colyer spared me from the thrills — and terrors — of complex airshow maneuvers, I was still acutely aware of the G-forces pressing down on me with every sharp movement of the aircraft.

A slight nudge of the yoke sent us banking into a turn, the horizon tilting dramatically. I was repeatedly startled by urgent beeping from the control panel, only to be reassured by Colyer that it was because the plane was idling to maintain slower speeds.

He said the T-33 was only going around 250 mph — a fraction of what the jet trainer was capable of and nearly half the speed he normally goes during airshow performances.

Trainers flying in tandem

We were accompanied by a former US Navy Texan T-6 during the flight demonstration. A fellow trainer aircraft, the T-6 is a two-seat jet trainer produced by Raytheon Aircraft in the 1990s and early 2000s.

The T-6 was primarily used to train students in basic flying skills through the Air Force and Navy's entry-level training program known as the Joint Primary Aircraft Training System.

T-33 touchdown

Time seemed to pass more slowly as we flew for about an hour, constrained by the fuel capacity of the T-33, which burns about 300 gallons per hour.

Descending back toward the runway, the adrenaline began to ebb before Colyer informed me that he would partially pop open the canopy to create additional drag upon landing. Lowering the visor on my flight helmet, I braced myself against rushing winds as the T-33 touched down with a thud and rolled to a halt on the tarmac.

The sky is the limit

After sharing the cockpit selfies and views with friends and family, I fielded a number of questions about the flight and whether I got to deploy any onboard weapons (trainer aircraft are not armed). It was a chance to reflect on the unforgettable experience.

In short, we flew in circles over Orange County, cruising at speeds slower than commercial passenger planes. I then spent the rest of the time ahead of the Pacific Airshow talking with demo pilots who operated more advanced frontline fighters.

But the experience was more than just a golden-hour flight in a vintage military jet trainer. The intense rumble of the turbojet engine, the array of analog gauges and controls, and sweeping views through the canopy offered a glimpse into what it must have felt like for early military aviators mastering jet-powered flight for the first time.

While I'm still holding out on future familiarization flight rides on modern fighter jets, my flight on the T-Bird will serve as a constant reminder of just how far US military aviation has come.

• There were some great TV shows in 2024, but only 15 earned a 100% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
• The list includes a British spy series, a docuseries about Simone Biles, and a crime drama.
• Here are the shows that got 100% on Rotten Tomatoes in 2024.

2024 has been a solid year for television as shows like "House of the Dragon," "Fallout," and "Baby Reindeer" got audiences talking.

But while those three, in particular, were very successful, they didn't receive the hallowed 100% rating on the reviews aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes. ("Baby Reindeer" got 99%)

Instead, the list of perfect scorers includes a British Apple TV+ show about hapless MI5 spies, an animated series based on "League of Legends," and a crime drama based on books by Michael Connelly.

Here are all the shows that received a perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Note: All scores were current on the date of publication.

"Slow Horses"

Synopsis: "A dysfunctional team of MI5 agents and their obnoxious boss, the notorious Jackson Lamb, navigate the espionage world's smoke and mirrors to defend England from sinister forces."

Critics' consensus: "The stakes get more personal than ever before in Slow Horses' superb fourth season, proving that this spy series is saddled up for the long haul with no signs of fatigue."

"Pachinko"

Synopsis: "The hopes and dreams of a Korean immigrant family across four generations as they leave their homeland in an indomitable quest to survive and thrive.

Critics' consensus: "Pachinko's second season continues the travails and triumphs of the Baek family with ever-expanding breadth without missing a beat, further cementing this soulful series as one of television's best."

"Arcane: League of Legends" season two

Synopsis: "The origins of two League champions, set in the utopian Piltover and the oppressed underground of Zaun."

Critics' consensus: "Expansive in scope while hurtling towards the endgame at a rollicking pace, Arcane's second and final season is a supremely satisfying capper to an epic saga."

"Heartstopper" season three

Synopsis: "Teens Charlie and Nick discover their unlikely friendship might be something more as they navigate school and young love."

Critics' consensus: "Heartstopper maintains its ooey gooey goodness while still allowing its young protagonists to grow in this fun, loving new season."

"Matlock"

Synopsis: "Brilliant septuagenarian Madeline 'Matty' Matlock, who, after achieving success in her younger years, decides to rejoin the workforce at a prestigious law firm where she uses her unassuming demeanor and wily tactics to win cases and expose corruption from within."

Critics' consensus: "Case closed -- this Matlock reboot is a winner thanks to the ever reliable Kathy Bates and the intriguing wrinkle it puts on the legendary series' original concept."

"Girls5eva"

Synopsis: "When a one-hit-wonder girl group from the 1990s gets sampled by a young rapper, its members reunite to give their pop star dreams one more shot -- this time while balancing spouses, kids, jobs, debt, aging parents, and shoulder pain."

Critics' consensus: "Sustaining a high note with enough finesse to go platinum, Girls5Eva's third season is just as daffy and jubilant as the first two."

"Wise Guy: David Chase and The Sopranos"

Synopsis: "Acclaimed filmmaker Alex Gibney delves deep into the psyche of renowned Sopranos creator and writer, David Chase, to illuminate his life and career while offering a unique window into his unparalleled work on the iconic program.

Critics' consensus: "A thorough dissection of The Sopranos that gleans insight into both its production process and creator David Chase himself, 'Wise Guy' is essential viewing for fans of one of television's landmarks."

"Colin From Accounts"

Synopsis: "Ashley and Gordon are brought together by a car accident and an injured dog, and learn to navigate life together while showing their true selves, scars and all.

Critics' consensus: "Retaining its first season's laidback charms without resting on its hind legs, Colin from Accounts' second outing is as cranky, funny, and delightful as ever.

"Supacell"

Synopsis: "In South London, a group of normal people suddenly develop superpowers, and the only apparent connection between them is that they are all Black; as they deal with the impact of their powers on their daily lives, one man must bring them together."

Critics' consensus: "Finding a fresh approach to the superhero genre, Supacell works as both a savvy social commentary and satisfying entertainment."

"Such Brave Girls" season two

Synopsis: "Single mother Deb and her two daughters, Josie and Billie, attempt to piece their lives back together after their narcissistic father and husband finally leaves them."

Critics' consensus: "Painfully funny and sometimes just downright painful, Such Brave Girls is a spiky showcase for its trio of stars.

"Simone Biles: Rising"

Synopsis: "Simone Biles, the gymnastics superstar, withdrew from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics due to mental health concerns; after a hiatus, she embarked on a journey to rebuild her skills and mental fortitude, preparing for her triumphant return."

Critics' consensus: "Pairing the visual spectacle of Simon Biles' prowess with intimate insight into what makes her tick, Rising is an outstanding portrait of a champion."

"The Lincoln Lawyer" season three

Synopsis: "Idealistic lawyer Mickey Haller runs practice out of the back of his Lincoln Town Car, taking on cases big and small across Los Angeles."

What critics said: Rotten Tomatoes doesn't have a critics' consensus for the show, but the reviews it included said "The Lincoln Lawyer" packs enough twists into season three without trying to overdo things. It knows that it's a slick procedural series and it has fun exploring its core cast through the lens of a dramatic mystery.

"Geek Girl"

Synopsis: "Awkward teen Harriet strives to fit in, then she gets scouted by a top London model agent and learns that some people are meant to stand out."

What critics said: "Geek Girl" also doesn't have a critics' consensus, but the reviews praised the series for its wholesome Cinderella-like storyline. Some critics also applauded Emily Carey for her lovably awkward performance as Harriet Manners.

"Delicious in Dungeon"

Synopsis: "Adventurers make a foray into a cursed buried kingdom to save their friend, cooking up a storm along the way."

What critics said: Despite not having a critics' consensus, the reviews suggest that "Delicious in Dungeon" is a delightful watch and never takes itself too seriously, while also building out its world in an interesting way.

"House of Ninjas"

Synopsis: "Years after retiring from their formidable ninja lives, a dysfunctional family must return to shadowy missions to counteract a string of looming threats."

What critics said: The handful of reviews praised "House of Ninjas" for deconstructing a typical family dynamic through the lens of being warriors. Some said that it does struggle to balance its darker themes with moments of romance.

• Bogus health advice is widespread online, and often follows a few strategies.
• Misinformation can harm a person's physical and mental health.
• Look out for big claims and conspiratorial tones, Dr. Idrees Mughal advised.

A doctor who challenges nutrition misinformation online and wrote a book about common tricks, listed red flags to look out for.

Health misinformation can cause real damage to physical and mental health so it's crucial to learn how to spot it, said Dr. Idrees Mughal, a medical doctor with a master's degree in nutritional research.

Mughal was speaking last month at an online nutrition misinformation conference hosted by the Royal College of Medicine and the nutrition organization Nutritank.

It's impossible to be knowledgeable about all health claims, but being able to spot patterns can help you spot fakery, Mughal said.

He are his three red flags:

Absolute language

Words like "most," "top," "worst," "best," "always," and "never" do not belong in health advice because they don't consider individual differences, Mughal said. "No one who is truly evidence-based would use terms like these."

People have different needs and goals, and no one ingredient or diet can be the top way to eat for the whole population, he said.

Take nuts for example: They are a good source of fiber, protein, and healthy fats, and some studies suggest that eating them regularly is linked to longevity. But nut allergies are widespread, and can be fatal — so the advice won't work for everyone.

A quick fix

"The promise of a quick fix is always a massive red flag," Mughal said.

People are much more receptive to things that can be done fast. Silver-bullet-type content tends to garner more engagements, clicks, and likes, he said.

But chronic diseases that can be impacted by our lifestyle choices, such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, require a long-term lifestyle management treatment plan. "If you didn't develop them overnight, you're not going to fix them overnight," he said.

Creating an 'us versus them' mentality

Health misinformation can undermine public health and lead to mistrust in medical professionals, Mughal said.

Some wellness influencers leverage this mistrust to market themselves and create an "us versus them" mentality, he said.

Rather than providing evidence-based information, they might say things like, "The healthcare industry doesn't want you to know this. I'm about to let you in on a huge secret," which frames them as an expert with hidden knowledge, he said. At the same time, it encourages you to distrust the more established authorities

"It's a very kind of predatory wellness marketing tactic," Mughal said.

• Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen wrote a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson Friday.
• In it, she warned that the US would breach its debt limit as soon as January 14 unless Congress acted.
• The Treasury Department will begin taking "extraordinary measures" to avoid defaulting on debt.

The US will need to take "extraordinary measures" to avoid defaulting on its debt as early as January 14, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warned in a letter on Friday.

In the letter addressed to House Speaker Mike Johnson, Yellen wrote that although the outstanding debt subject to the limit is expected to drop by approximately $54 billion when the new debt limit is established on January 2, it won't be long before the US does hit its limit.

She said the Treasury Department will likely need to start making accounting manuevers between January 14 and 23 to prevent the US from defaulting.

The debt limit is the mechanism that restricts the amount of money the US can borrow. Much of that money goes toward programs like Social Security, Medicare, military salaries, interest on the national debt, and tax refunds, Yellen said in the letter.

The government could face trouble paying those bills if lawmakers fail to raise the debt limit.

Yellen's warning comes days after President-elect Donald Trump pushed Congress to raise or eliminate the debt ceiling entirely. Lawmakers, however, failed to pass a two-year suspension extension while voting on a government spending bill earlier this month.

The Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 suspended the debt limit through January 1, 2025, following a contentious political fight. Republicans are set to take control of the government in January and will have to contend with the ongoing debt ceiling problem, which could affect financial markets and borrowing costs.

"I respectfully urge Congress to act to protect the full faith and credit of the United States," Yellen wrote.

• Donald Trump asked the Supreme Court to pause a law that would ban TikTok.
• The president-elect filed a brief urging SCOTUS to give him time to pursue a political resolution.
• Congress passed a law that requires TikTok's Chinese owners to divest or be banned from US app stores.

President-elect Donald Trump asked the Supreme Court to pause the law that would ban TikTok in mid-January until after his inauguration.

Trump filed a brief on Friday urging the top court to give him time to "pursue a political resolution" before agreeing to ban the social media app.

In April, Congress passed a bipartisan law that established a nine-month deadline for TikTok's Chinese parent company to divest from the app or be barred from US app stores.

Business Insider reached out to TikTok and the Supreme Court for comment.

"President Donald J. Trump filed an amicus brief in the U.S. Supreme Court asking the Court to extend the deadline that would cause TikTok's imminent shutdown, and allow President Trump the opportunity to resolve the issue in a way that saves TikTok and preserves American national security once he resumes office as President of the United States on January 20, 2025," Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung said.

In the Friday filing, Trump's lawyers highlighted the president-elect's "consummate deal-making expertise," suggesting Trump has the "political will" to negotiate a resolution that would simultaneously "save the platform" and address the national security concerns highlighted in the Congressional bill.

The nine-month deadline is officially up on January 19, which is one day before Trump assumes office for a second time.

Trump previously supported a TikTok ban but appeared to change his mind in recent months. He met with the app's CEO earlier this month and said he had a "warm spot" in his heart for TikTok.

Legal experts previously told BI that Trump has a couple of options to try to keep the app running in the US, including asking his Department of Justice to ignore the divest law or trying to rework strategic interpretations of the law.

Trump and his lawyers also argue that the president-elect has a mandate from American voters to protect their free-speech rights, including those who use TikTok.

"Moreover, President Trump is one of the most powerful, prolific, and influential users of social media in history," the file said.

"Consistent with his commanding presence in this area, President Trump currently has 14.7 million followers on TikTok with whom he actively communicates, allowing him to evaluate TikTok's importance as a unique medium for freedom of expression, including core political speech," lawyers added.

Mick West, an expert in unidentified anomalous phenomena, or UAPs, analyzes recent "drone" sightings and breaks down what we're really seeing in these selected cases.

• Junebug recently announced the winners of its 2024 Best of the Best Wedding Photography Contest.
• The 50 winning photos were taken around the world, from Alaska to Bali.
• The images capture stunning scenery, joy, and a protective cat.

The average American couple spends just under $30,000 on a wedding, and for many, the photographer is a big chunk of that budget.

To mark the start of their happily ever afters, most couples take photos — some even traveling to an epic location or a particularly meaningful spot — to get the perfect image.

Junebug Weddings has an annual photo contest to choose the best wedding photos worldwide.

Here are its winners from 2024.

The champagne tower at this wedding in Monterrey, Mexico, came crashing down — but in a picturesque way.

The bride and groom were ready to ride off into the sunset at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah.

A quick game of catch at a Tucson, Arizona In-N-Out made for a great photo.

This photo taken of two brides in Moab, Utah, is stunning.

Anyone who wants a witchy wedding should go for the vibes seen at this Leavenworth, Washington, wedding.

It's impossible not to smile at this photo taken on British Columbia's Granville Island.

The view of the sky in Kanab, Utah, is unreal.

Playing peek-a-boo gave a glimpse of the bride's wedding henna in Antigua, Guatemala.

Couples who shred together, stay together, as evidenced by this couple in Wanaka, New Zealand.

These newlyweds are perfectly framed by their car window in Donegal, Ireland.

The wedding party is fully in shadow at this wedding in Vancouver.

The bride at this Ascoli Piceno, Italy wedding looks straight out of a painting.

This breathtaking photo was taken at Artist Point in Washington.

This sweet moment was captured in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The happy couple was bathed in neon and bright colors at their wedding in Adelaide, Australia.

This bride and groom were channeling Jack and Rose at their Greenland wedding.

This wedding in Guayaquil, Ecuador was certainly a party.

So was this one in Naples, Italy.

This intimate snapshot of wedded bliss was taken in Washington's Olympic National Park.

This otherworldly photo was taken in Alaska.

The colors at this Sydney wedding were unbelievable.

The ruins of a Scottish castle provided a beautiful backdrop.

It takes a village to help a bride get ready, as seen at this Vancouver wedding.

This monochromatic wedding shot was also captured in Vancouver.

This new husband and wife were in the spotlight at their wedding in Sintra, Portugal.

The beach in Big Sur, California provided a stunning backdrop.

If you need to show someone what it's like to get married in Las Vegas, this photo is all you need.

The bride got hugs from her parents at her wedding in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

This wedding is giving '70s glam.

It's not easy to hike in California's Yosemite National Park in wedding dresses, but it made for a beautiful photo.

Pouring water on the bride is a Hindu tradition, as seen at this Hyderabad, India wedding.

A shooting star made this photo in Estes Park, Colorado even more arresting.

This photo taken in Covington, Kentucky is pure joy.

This photographer combined art, light, and a wedding ring to create magic.

The photo of this bride in Singapore is timeless.

The single tear rolling down the bride's face really makes this photo taken in New Braunfels, Texas.

This photo was taken in Tofino, a small town on Vancouver Island, Canada.

The bright flowers and streamers gave this Seattle wedding a lot of color.

Getting married is two people deciding to walk down a long road together, like these newlyweds in Glencoe, Scotland.

This atmospheric photo was also taken in Scotland, in Glen Etive.

This husband and wife look like they're on Cloud Nine, literally — but it's actually Tahiti.

The hazy crescent moon gives this photo taken in Bend, Oregon an ethereal vibe.

This ring has its own personal feline guard in Bucharest, Romania.

This couple in Bali, Indonesia is very well-accessorized.

This photo looks like it came from the set of a Wes Anderson film — but it's a real cabin in Verbier, Switzerland.

This photo looks like it's from the woods in "Twilight." It's in Northern Greece.

A crescent moon was used as a focal point in Moab, Utah.

This couple in Madrid is the definition of cool.

These newlyweds in Yosemite National Park look like they traveled back in time.

The bride and groom are ready to run away together at the Waterton Lakes National Park in Canada.

• A lot next to one of Jeff Bezos's South Florida mansions is for sale, and the listing price is $200 million.
• Bezos owns three properties on Miami's Indian Creek island. 
• Take a look at the enclave, known as "Billionaire Bunker," and see why it attracts the wealthy.

A lot has opened up in one of South Florida's most expensive enclaves — and for a cool $200 million it can make you neighbors to Jeff Bezos. 

After 29 years in Seattle, the Amazon founder announced he would be moving to Miami at the end of 2023. He chose the ultra-exclusive Indian Creek neighborhood, a collection of homes surrounding a golf club on a highly secure island. The area, informally called the "Billionaire Bunker," is known for its privacy.

Bezos owns three properties in the community: In June 2023, he purchased a $68 million mansion, followed by an adjacent one for $79 million in October of that year. By September 2024, he added a third mansion to his collection, purchased for $90 million.

Now, the waterfront lot next to one of his homes is for sale. The empty 1.84-acre property is listed for $200 million — many times more than its last sale price of $27.5 million in 2018 — and includes plans for a 25,000-square-foot house.

The real-estate agent representing the sellers told Bloomberg that Bezos's presence on the island is one reason for the premium. 

"Those prices just didn't exist before he came to Indian Creek," he said.

But Bezos isn't the only big name on Indian Creek. High-profile figures, including football legend Tom Brady and Jared Kushner, Ivanka Trump's husband, also own property there.

Take a look inside the neighborhood.

In December 2022, Business Insider toured the neighborhood to learn why celebrities are drawn to its high levels of privacy and security.

Indian Creek Island, located in Biscayne Bay about 15 miles from Miami, is accessible only by a single bridge connecting it to the mainland.

The neighborhood has about 40 homes spread throughout its 300 acres, according to real-estate brokerage Miami Luxury Homes.

Despite only having a few dozen homes, Miami's Indian Creek Village has its own mayor and local government.

The Florida legislature incorporated Indian Creek in 1939 under a now-defunct law that allowed 25 or more neighbors to form a town, according to the Florida Auditor General.

One bridge leads to the island, on which privacy and security are paramount.

The island has been home numerous ultrawealthy and high-profile residents, including Wall Street tycoon Carl Icahn, supermodel Adriana Lima, and singer Julio Iglesias.

The island's entrance is heavily guarded, with the Indian Creek Village Police headquarters immediately to the left.

The town has its own police force. About 15 police officers secure the island by land and sea, per the Indian Creek Village police directory.

To enter the island, you must be a resident or have your name added to a verified visitor's list.

Construction is common on the island.

Tom Brady is building an "eco-mansion" on the island.

In 2020, the seven-time Super Bowl champion and his ex-wife, supermodel Gisele Bündchen, acquired the two-acre lot for over $17 million, Page Six reported. 

The home has since been demolished to make way for an "eco-mansion" that Brady commissioned.

In July, Brady nabbed a $35 million loan for his two-story estate, likely replacing a previous $35 million construction loan he obtained the year prior. 

The Real Deal reported that the mansion is still under construction and plans to include a separate gym, cabana, waterfront pool and spa, sports court, and other luxurious amenities.

Every home on the island has stunning views of Biscayne Bay and many feature private docks.

The area is home to aquatic wildlife like manatees, sea turtles, and sawfish, and dolphins are occasionally sighted. 

A national park protects its southern expanse and other ecosystems, including Florida's coral reefs.

Some mansions are well-hidden from the street.

Discretion is a top priority for the millionaire and billionaire residents, with some mansions hidden from view. 

Real-estate agent Dina Goldentayer said this "quintessential privacy" coupled with extensive security measures is a major draw for high-profile individuals.

 

Unlike other high-end Miami neighborhoods, residents do not have direct beach access.

It's less than 10 minutes to Surfside Beach, which fronts the Atlantic Ocean north of Miami Beach.

Bezos's first two home purchases are side by side on the west side of the island, while his most recent property is in the southeast.

Bezos' Indian Creek holdings include a $68 million mansion bought in June 2023, a $79 million property adjacent to the first purchased in October 2023, and a $90 million property bought in 2024.

The seller of the second property has filed a lawsuit — but Bezos isn't involved.

Real estate brokerage Douglas Elliman handled the $79 million sale of the property — which has a seven-bedroom mansion with a home theater, a wine cellar, a library, and a pool — and received a commission of over $3 million. 

The former owner is suing Douglas Elliman for the $6 million difference between the listing and sale price, alleging he was misled about the buyer, The Wall Street Journal reported. 

Jay Parker, the Florida CEO of Douglas Elliman, denies knowing that Bezos was the buyer.

The former owner did not respond to requests for comment sent by Business Insider; Douglas Elliman declined to comment.

Indian Creek's median listing price in July 2024 was $13.5 million, according to a Rocket Homes housing market report.

That price does not automatically include admission into the neighborhood's ultra-exclusive country club.

Indian Creek Country Club dates back to the 1920s.

In the early 2000s, the country club was accused of discriminating against Black and Jewish residents, local outlets reported. The club denies the allegations.

Beyond the private homes and country club, there's not much else on the island.

Indian Creek Island Road is the neighborhood's single street — and it's a dead end.

"There's no action here," Goldentayer said. "But you're 10 minutes from the action."

Some residents own or rent additional properties off the island.

Kushner and Trump, for example, rent an apartment in Miami's Surfside neighborhood, which is only about a mile away.

The two-story, six-bedroom duplex spans 7,000 square feet and is located in the oceanfront complex Arte Surfside. The unit includes two gourmet kitchens, personal direct beach access, and wraparound terraces.

• Laura Loomer, an Elon Musk supporter-turned-critic, says Musk has demoted her account on Twitter/X.
• Musk has accused Loomer of "trolling for attention."
• It's a reminder: We've seen Musk run Twitter on a whim. Now that he's got an important role in politics: Will he behave the same way there?

Laura Loomer has been kicked off lots of social media sites, including Twitter. After Elon Musk bought the service in 2022, he reinstated her, along with many others who had been booted by Twitter's previous management.

Now, Loomer claims, Musk's service has demoted her by stripping her account's "premium" blue-check status and other benefits. She says Musk made the move because she was criticizing his stance on immigration.

You may be unaware of Loomer — described by Wikipedia as "an American far-right political activist, conspiracy theorist, and internet personality" — and/or the online rock fight about immigration and racism breaking out among different wings of Trump supporters. If so, that could mean you have a healthy relationship with the internet. Good for you.

If you'd like to know more about the latter, my colleague Hasan Chowdhury has an explainer. You could also, at your own risk, consult Twitter/X's own summary of the story.

My point is, you don't need me to tell you about this.

I simply want to remind you that — if Loomer's allegation is correct — this would be par for the course for Musk and his social media company. (Musk hasn't denied Loomer's charges, and has told his followers to ignore her because she's "trolling for attention." I've asked her and Twitter/X for additional comment.)

As I've noted before, the most consistent thing about Musk's management style at Twitter is his erratic, flip-flopping, inconsistency.

Sometimes it's about relatively small stuff, like wooing Don Lemon to start a talk show on Twitter, and then canceling the deal before the show ever started. Sometimes it's about really big stuff — like agreeing to pay some $44 billion for Twitter, then spending weeks in court trying not to buy it.

In any case, the only way you can be surprised by stuff like this at this point is if you never paid attention.

But I do think it's still worth pointing out. Because while Musk's management style at Twitter hasn't changed, his responsibilities have changed.

He's no longer just the richest person in the world, who runs important companies like Tesla and SpaceX, in addition to Twitter. Musk may now be the most powerful unelected person in America, given his importance to Donald Trump and his upcoming administration.

There's his role at DOGE, for starters. And the fact that he appears to be conducting foreign policy for Trump. And that he used Twitter to temporarily tank a government funding bill this month.

We don't know how long this arrangement is going to last, and what kind of impact Musk is going to have. But we do know that for now, a man with the power to affect the way the American government operates is the same man who can change the way he runs Twitter depending on how he feels at any given moment. We shouldn't ignore that.

• A new study found waves of brain aging occur at ages 57, 70, and 78.
• Some healthy habits can combat mental decline by improving memory and cognition.

Brain aging accelerates at three specific points in your life, according to a recent study.

The researchers looked at brain images of over 10,000 healthy adults, then tracked blood protein changes in half of them to look for "brain age gap" (BAG), a sign of cognitive aging.

Their findings, published in Nature, suggest that most people experienced peaks in brain aging at three ages: 57, 70, and 78.

At 57, there were protein changes related to wound healing and metabolism; at 70, with brain-cell function that could increase the risk of dementia; and at 78, with immunity and inflammation.

There are steps you can take to reduce your risks of mental decline.

Here are some science-backed habits that scientists believe have strong cognitive benefits, from improving memory to clearing out toxins from the brain.

Eat lots of protein and leafy greens

Eating enough protein, such as fatty fish or sardines, can boost memory and protect against cognitive decline. Nuts, beans, whole grains, and yogurt are also great sources of protein.

Leafy greens, such as spinach and kale, contain important nutrients like iron and magnesium that are vital for optimal brain health.

Other great foods to incorporate for cognitive health include berries, herbs, and tea.

Move often

The hippocampus and prefrontal cortex both deteriorate as we age, but regular movement can boost neuron growth and improve memory.

It doesn't mean you have to hit the gym every day, either: Even short bursts of exercise have loads of health benefits — just one minute of squats can improve concentration and decision-making.

The Blue Zones project reports that people who rely on walking as their main form of movement throughout the day live longer.

See your friends

Chronic loneliness affects your physical health in multiple ways, including your heart function and immune system. It can also impact your memory, even contributing to cognitive decline and dementia.

Joining groups is a great way to make new friends even in your 70s. It's also good to seek out deeper relationships to avoid feeling lonely in a crowd.

Get enough deep sleep

Quality sleep is crucial for brain health. Deep sleep, in which your brain wave frequencies slow down, is responsible for clearing toxins from your brain. It accounts for less than a quarter of your sleep cycle, so you should be getting between 55 to 97 minutes of deep sleep every night.

You can get more deep sleep by exercising enough during the day and reducing caffeine before bed, so that you can properly enter deep sleep.

Challenge yourself

Jason Shepherd, an associate professor of neurobiology at the University of Utah, previously told Business Insider that trying new things keeps the brain healthy. It can include traveling or taking up new hobbies.

"I think a lot of us get into routines and habits where we're doing the same old thing each day," he said. "But learning new things helps with brain plasticity."

• "The Cosby Show" star Geoffrey Owens said that he's still struggling to make money as a middle-class actor.
• Photos of Owens working at Trader Joe's went viral in 2018 and briefly led to more opportunities.
• Owens said he's still finding it difficult to "make my ends meet."

Geoffrey Owens rose to prominence playing Elvin Tibideaux on the hit sitcom "The Cosby Show." But six years after going viral for working at Trader Joe's, he's still struggling to make a living as a middle-class actor.

"I struggle every day to make my ends meet," Owens said during a recent interview with the Atlanta radio station V-103.

In August 2018, photos of Owens working at a Trader Joe's in New Jersey went viral, sparking conversations about the financial hardships of the average working actor.

Owens said that he was aware of some of job shaming comments from people, but he primarily received support and encouragement.

The actor said that for about two weeks after going viral, he gained lots of attention and recognition in his day-to-day life. It even led to job opportunities, like a role on the Tyler Perry series "The Haves and the Have Nots."

Additionally, Nicki Minaj donated $25,000 to Owens, but he told the radio station that he gave the money to charity instead of pocketing it because he wanted to earn his keep, rather than being gifted it.

Owens also said that he quit his supermarket job before the news hit in order to protect his privacy.

The actor explained that someone had already taken photos of him working at Trader Joe's and he wasn't comfortable worrying about that happening again.

"It wasn't like I quit knowing I would be making a lot of money soon or anything," Owens said. "I just felt like I wasn't going to be able to handle that kind of scrutiny and attack on my privacy."

Owens said that people have a difficult time understanding why an actor who's starred in movies and TV shows would need to work a normal job. He also said that residuals from "The Cosby Show" haven't benefitted him as much as people would assume.

"They don't understand the specifics of how my industry works," he said. "They don't understand the salaries, the pay scales."

In the years since going vial, Owens has guest starred on shows like "Power," "Power Book II: Ghost," and "The Rookie." Most recently, he appeared on the new CBS sitcom "Poppa's House" and currently stars as Mr. Santa in the holiday film "Mr. Santa: A Christmas Extravaganza."

Owens said that Trader Joe's was a "wonderful" place to be employed, and he's since gone back to work some hours.

"People have a false impression of what the average middle-class actor makes and their ability to make a living in the industry," he said. "So that's what drove me to work at Trader Joe's to begin with. But honestly, I'm not much better off now than I was then."

A rep for Owens didn't immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment.

• I enjoyed teaching but became dissatisfied with the job and craved a more creative profession.
• After 12 years of writing, my second career is on the brink.
• I am considering a return to education and wonder if I ever should've left.

I liked being a teacher. After leaving the classroom at 33, people asked me if I did so because the kids were annoying. They were actually the reason I went to work.

The adults were problematic. Some teachers, administrators, and parents set poor precedents with the high schoolers in my stead, making their instruction more challenging. My teaching of English language arts wasn't having as great an impact on students as it should.

Disillusionment settled in around the time I began writing.

It seemed like nothing could stop me

At first, I blogged about movies and TV for fun, but over time, my writing improved. I grew confident I could write professionally and wanted people to appreciate my artistic expression.

In August 2012 I sent a letter of resignation to my principal, anointing myself a journalist. I thought, "If I can't make this career work by age 40, I'll go back to teaching."

I took any writing assignment I could get. Not wanting to live with my parents again, I supplemented my income by tending bar, tutoring, and managing social media accounts for various businesses.

Later, I became an editor and a content writer, realizing that "selling out" to help brand marketing efforts was an efficient way to make rent. My writing improved, and after some networking, my reportage was published by legacy outlets.

I even thrived during the pandemic. There were new opportunities at more publications and a studio focused on webinar-based marketing content production that had little trouble signing clients as companies went remote. I fully supported myself through writing.

My confidence and motivation quickly eroded with the industry's upheaval

Shortly after I moved into my own apartment, ending a five-year period with roommates, my professional life regressed.

The content studio shut down once new business dried up; mass layoffs in journalism flooded the gig market with desperate writers, while publications cut freelance budgets.

Then came inflation and writer rate cuts, which manifested with the emergence of technological developments that democratized the industry and others that eliminated the need for some writers altogether.

I'm the best writer I've ever been, but I'm having the most trouble making ends meet. My debt has swelled to five digits, and as the journalism field continues to contract, reporting likely won't be a substantial source of income for me going forward.

I contemplated whether switching careers was worth it

While I'm proud of my writing achievements, freelance journalism hasn't provided me with financial sustainability or the level of personal satisfaction I sought. The profession didn't owe me that, though, and today I'd much rather afford enjoyable experiences than score an interview with a cultural figure I admire.

That was work. It wasn't life.

Now, at nearly 46, I'm struggling to find a full-time position. Somehow, I can't even land a junior writer job in marketing, public relations, and communications, as I potentially start over again in a new field that theoretically offers more stability — though it may also have an uncertain future.

I'm broke and have no retirement fund. If I'd remained in education, that almost certainly would not be the case. Instead, I'd be 10 years away from retirement, with ample time out of the classroom to travel and do other activities I enjoy. More importantly, I would have helped many more students improve their reading and writing skills.

However, I doubt that I would have felt tremendous gratitude for such rewards. I thought I was entitled to them.

Struggling as much as I have will help me appreciate simple consistency when I turn my professional life around, and I haven't ruled out a return to teaching in order to do so.

I love writing. But maybe having a job I just liked should've been good enough.

• Kilindi is a five-star resort on the island of Zanzibar off the Tanzanian coast.
• The couples-only property features 15 private villas, and rates start at $1,220 a night for a pair.
• I spent two nights and discovered an ideal honeymoon destination.

After two nights at Kilindi, I wondered how there were any hibiscus flowers left on the island of Zanzibar in Tanzania. Each day, the bright pink orbs were strewn across my king-size bed, garnished my daily coconut water, and were thoughtfully stuffed into rolled-up beach towels.

It's as if the resort didn't want me to forget I was in paradise. Even without a single flower, it would've been impossible not to notice inside Kilindi, an all-inclusive, five-star resort. Everywhere you look are reminders.

Last October, I spent two nights in one of Kilindi's villas. My stay included an open-air bathroom, butler service, and seven-course meals. (Business Insider received a media rate for the two-night stay.)

Lush gardens fill the pathways to each of the resort's 15 villas. When dusk hits, trees rustle as red colobus monkeys jump from branch to branch. If you listen closely, you can hear the sound of the nearby Indian Ocean or the erratic splash from your villa's private infinity pool.

A night at the couples-only property starts at $609 per person in a shared villa. The cost includes accommodation, meals, drinks, paddle boarding, kayaking, and laundry.

The 15-villa property was originally designed for a member of ABBA

Today, Kilindi is owned and operated by Elewana Collection, a luxury hospitality company with 16 properties across Tanzania and Kenya. Elewana acquired the property in the early 2010s, and it was previously designed for Benny Andersson of ABBA.

Kerian Day, the CEO of Elewana Collection, told BI that they acquired the resort to provide travelers with a post-safari retreat.

"You're having that adventure in nature, and it's very energetic," he said. "We felt that it was right to offer something that was complimentary to a safari and bush experience."

The first time Day saw the property, he said he was "wowed." My reaction was the same.

After spending 33 hours in airports and on planes, I landed in Zanzibar, where I had an hourlong drive to the resort. My driver navigated through roads and lively markets selling tropical fruits.

After a drive down a particularly bumpy dirt road, we arrived at Kilindi's entrance. The gates were pushed open, and I stepped out of the car into a pavilion, which serves as Kilindi's reception.

It was clear that the reception's location was intentional. It sits above the 15 villas, which allows you to soak in the entire 50-acre property.

Below are tropical gardens, and among the rich greenery are bright, whitewashed domes. Below that is a nearby fishing village, and the vibrant ocean stretches out behind that.

After filling out typical guest paperwork, I headed down a set of steps to my villa. Half of the villas sit on the ocean, and the other half are in the tropical bush.

After walking a gravel path, I reached the entrance. I met Lily, my personal butler, for the next three days.

She explained that each villa has a different design, but all feature an indoor bedroom area, an infinity pool, and an outdoor bathroom. My garden villa had three structures: the bedroom, the bathroom, and a lounge.

Together, we walked through the space's highlights. My bedroom had air conditioning, a large bed, a closet, a seating area, and a balcony. The four-poster bed was surrounded by a gauzy mosquito net and each evening, staff arrived for turndown service, transforming the room into a dreamy oasis.

Outside the bedroom was a plunge pool and a domed pavilion with a table and daybed. If guests didn't want to dine at the property's restaurant or on the beach, Lily said I could call her, place a food order, and she'd bring it up to my room for a meal in the lounge.

The third structure was the bathroom. The open-air pavilion had a pair of sinks, a toilet, and a waterfall shower with ocean views. Thanks to the surrounding gardens, there was privacy and no other villa in sight.

A beach and shared pavilion were a short walk away. It took about five minutes from my villa to either destination. At the beach, I found more lounge chairs, kayaks, snorkeling gear, and paddleboards. The beach connects to a nearby fishing village, so the area was bustling each morning with locals preparing their boats for a day on the water.

Guests can order drinks and food at the main pavilion and swim in the property's infinity pool. Dinner is served across the area: under the pavilion, near the pool, or in surrounding grassy areas.

Kilindi seemed like an ideal retreat for honeymooners and couples

For the three days, it was tempting not to leave Kilindi's property.

I hopped between my personal plunge pool and the main pavilion's infinity pool. I spent mornings paddleboarding around the shores of Zanzibar and headed to a multi-course breakfast afterward.

One evening, I had a seven-course dinner poolside. The next, I met a chef down at the beach who grilled me a seafood feast.

Beyond spa amenities, Kilindi's staff can also help arrange excursions across the island for additional fees. Zanzibar is home to Stone Town, where travelers can explore the island's historic neighborhood, which dates back to the 19th century. There are impressive diving and snorkeling spots along the island, and evenings can be spent watching the sunset on a wooden sailing dhow.

Lily was there throughout my stay, answering questions, serving food, sharing stories, and packing lunches when I finally ventured out for a morning of scuba diving.

It was a peaceful retreat for one, but I left thinking it'd be the ideal end of a safari honeymoon thanks to the hints of romance dotting the resort: No children were in sight, couples typically kept to themselves, and the entire property was designed around privacy. Activities like sunset boat rides were targeted for pairs, and the villas' plunge pools perfectly fit two.

And, of course, there were hibiscus flowers strewn across the bed each day.

• James Mangold spoke to Business Insider about his Bob Dylan biopic "A Complete Unknown."
• Mangold explained why Timothée Chalamet spoke in Dylan's voice on set even when he wasn't filming.
• He called the real Dylan's willingness to give notes on the script a "huge gift."

Writer-director James Mangold remembers exactly where he was and what he was doing five years ago when he decided to make a Bob Dylan biopic.

He was in a hotel room in Canada for the Toronto International Film Festival when he paused prepping for the world premiere of his 2019 movie "Ford v Ferrari" to take a meeting with Timothée Chalamet, then a young actor on the cusp of superstardom.

It didn't take long for Mangold to realize he'd found his Dylan. By the time Chalamet left the room, the two agreed to make a movie on the life and times of one of the most beloved singer-songwriters in American music.

Things might not have gotten off the ground as quickly as they'd hoped — COVID happened, Chalamet went and made the first "Dune" movie, Mangold made "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny" — but throughout those five years, the two continued to stay in contact and made separate pilgrimages to see Dylan.

Finally, "A Complete Unknown," which depicts Dylan's rise to fame alongside Joan Baez (Monica Barbaro) and his controversial switch from acoustic guitar to electric in the mid-1960s, is in theaters.

Mangold is one of the few directors working today who has the skill and Hollywood studio experience to pull off a Bob Dylan biopic. After finding success with his 2005 Johnny Cash biopic "Walk the Line," which earned its stars Joaquin Phoenix an Oscar nomination and Reese Witherspoon an Oscar win, Disney's Searchlight Pictures arm knew the project was in capable hands.

"A Complete Unknown" is not a carbon copy of "Walk the Line." While the latter delved deep into the dynamic between Johnny Cash and June Carter, "A Complete Unknown," which Mangold co-wrote with Jay Cocks ("Gangs of New York"), examines the myth-building of Dylan and how his talents elevated the 1960s folk music scene.

But just as Mangold used "Walk the Line" as a showcase for Phoenix's talents, he's done the same with Chalamet in "A Complete Unknown." From talking in Dylan's voice even when the camera wasn't rolling to doing his own singing and even growing out his fingernails (more on that later), Chalamet immersed himself in the aura of Dylan, resulting in the best performance his career so far.

Business Insider spoke to Mangold over Zoom about Chalamet's dedication to the role, whether the disappointing box office for "Dial of Destiny" has made him hesitant about developing his upcoming "Star Wars" movie, and if he thinks Bob Dylan will ever watch "A Complete Unknown."

Business Insider: You've now had sit-downs with Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan while making their biopics. Have you developed a go-to icebreaker for when you first meet legends?

James Mangold: No. I don't have one. But the good thing is the script is the icebreaker. They've invited me into their homes or their spaces because they've read a script I've written. So we have something to talk about. I mean, when I met with Bob the ice breaker was, charmingly, him waxing poetic about loving my old movie "Cop Land." So that in itself was trippy and flattering. 

Do you think Dylan will ever watch "A Complete Unknown"?

I have no idea.

What's your gut telling you?

I honestly have no idea. The reality is I spent a lot of good time with him and I felt like I got a good feeling for him. He does things when he's ready, he gets involved with things when he's ready, he makes comments when he's ready.

I sympathize with his quandary. Do I ever want to watch a movie where some dude is playing me and acting out significant moments in my life? Is that going to be nothing but pleasant or is it going to be weird as hell? So the fact that he took the time to read my script, give me notes, give me advice, chip in ideas, show me where he would make lifts in some songs, and give me the benefit of his wisdom and his insight about that period so I might even dig deeper into those scenes, that was a huge gift and all the generosity I could ever expect from him. 

Watching D.A. Pennebaker's Bob Dylan documentary, "Dont Look Back," confirmed something that's in your movie: Dylan had some gnarly fingernails.

Yeah. 

Did Timmy grow those out or were fake nails put on him?

Yeah, he was growing them. If you look earlier in the movie, there are some scenes where they aren't as long. By the end, he had some full-on Nosferatu going on. 

A lot has been written about Timmy being Method during filming, specifically speaking in the Dylan voice when you weren't shooting. I would imagine a lot of that has to do with him just not wanting to lose the voice, right?

Timmy's not the only person who's ever done that, that's true for most of the actors in my movies doing dialects, they don't just do it and fall out of it the second the scene ends because —

There's a fear of losing the voice.

Well, you're also trying to make it more and more internalized. You're trying to make it something you don't have to think about. So, if you're turning it on and off, you're kind of making yourself hyper-aware of it. If you're just deciding to live in it, that's a whole other deal. 

Boyd Holbrook plays Johnny Cash in the movie. Was there ever a thought to call Joaquin Phoenix to see if he would do the Johnny Cash scenes?

The thought occurred to me, but then I realized he'd be 20-30 years too old to be playing the part. 

But you know movie magic, James! The hair and makeup department would have helped him look younger. 

Okay, but then what am I servicing? This kind of meta-movie universe stuff that has plagued us enough? I'm a big fan of making a movie and giving the public the movie. Don't try to suture the movie to another movie, just own it. Otherwise movies just become this hyper-expensive television series in which we never stop making new episodes every couple of years. 

Speaking of episodic films, you're currently developing a "Star Wars" movie. Are you less confident working on that seeing what happened with the reception for "Dial of Destiny"?

Well, "Dial of Destiny" has an 87% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. I mean, yes, they would have hoped it made more money, but I actually don't have a lot of shame about a movie that's liked by 87% of its fans.

The issue with "Star Wars" isn't my worrying about if there's an angry or resentful group that is somehow disappointed in what I did in "Dial of Destiny." Honestly, that's their prerogative, that's part of what makes movies great is you can think they're awesome or you can think they're terrible. I can't please everyone and I'm sorry they don't like it.

But in relation to "Star Wars," the bottom line is I don't even know if that's the next movie for me. That's something that Beau Willimon and I are working on writing and all the other tripwires and judgments along the way. I don't want to make it unless it's excellent.

This interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.

• Hanukkah means "dedication" in Hebrew.
• It's usually in December, but the dates change every year since Judaism follows a lunar calendar.
• The national menorah lit in Washington, DC, is 30 feet tall and requires a lift from a cherry picker to light.

The Jewish holiday of Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights, takes place from December 25 through January 2 this year.

Hanukkah celebrates the victory of a small group of Jewish rebels over an enormous Greek army to defend their heritage, and a miraculously long-lasting flame that continues to serve as a symbol of hope and perseverance. 

Here are 10 facts you may not have known about Hanukkah.

Hanukkah means "dedication" in Hebrew.

Hanukkah commemorates the rededication of the ancient Jewish Temple in Jerusalem after a small Jewish army called the Maccabees reclaimed it from the Greek leader Antiochus IV Epiphanes in 164 BC.

According to tradition, while the Jews were living under the Greek empire around 167 BC, King Antiochus IV outlawed Judaism and desecrated the Holy Temple that stood in Jerusalem. A small Jewish army called the Maccabees led a rebellion against the Greeks and won.

When they returned to the Temple to relight the ritual menorah or candelabra, they found only enough oil to last one day, but it miraculously lasted eight.

Jewish people commemorate the Maccabees' victory and the miracle of the oil by lighting a menorah for eight nights and eating fried foods.

It is not a major religious holiday in the Jewish calendar.

The Books of the Maccabees are not included in the Jewish biblical canon, and the Babylonian Talmud only briefly explains the holiday's origins, citing the miracle of the oil lasting for eight days.

Other lesser-known biblical Jewish holidays, such as Sukkot and Shavuot, carry much more religious significance than Hanukkah. Still, Hanukkah became absorbed into the widespread culture of gift-giving and holiday cheer because of its proximity to Christmas.

Hanukkah usually takes place in December, but the dates change every year.

Hanukkah begins on the 25th of the Hebrew lunar month of Kislev every year, but the date in the Gregorian calendar varies.

The lunar calendar is shorter than the solar one, so an extra month is added to the Jewish calendar every two to three years to keep the holidays within certain agricultural seasons and times of year.

This year, Hanukkah began on the evening of December 25.

Hanukkah occasionally overlaps with Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Because the dates for Jewish holidays vary on the Gregorian calendar, sometimes an early Hanukkah coincides with Thanksgiving.

When the two holidays overlapped in 2013, the phenomenon became known as "Thanksgivukkah" complete with turkey-shaped menorahs playfully dubbed "menurkeys." The next Thanksgivukkah will take place in 2070.

In 2024, Hanukkah began on Christmas Day, another unusual overlap that has only occurred five times since 1900.

The word "menorah" actually refers to the candelabra with seven branches that was lit in the ancient Temple in Jerusalem.

The menorah lit by the Maccabees in the ancient Temple had seven branches — three on each side and one in the middle. The menorahs lit on Hanukkah today have nine branches, four candles on each side for all eight nights of the holiday, and one middle candle used to light the others.

The proper term for these nine-branched candelabras is "hanukkiot," but many people still call them "menorahs."

The White House hosts a Hanukkah reception every year.

Christmas celebrations at the White House date back to 1800, but Hanukkah wasn't acknowledged until much later.

President Jimmy Carter was the first president to recognize Hanukkah with a menorah lighting in 1979 on the Ellipse, a lawn south of the White House. President George W. Bush was the first to hold a menorah lighting inside the White House residence.

In 2022, carpenters created the first official White House menorah for the White House holiday decorations, using leftover wood from a Truman-era White House renovation circa 1950.

The national menorah is 30 feet tall and requires a cherry picker to reach high enough to light.

The secretary of the interior under Carter initially refused to issue a permit for a menorah on the White House lawn, citing the First Amendment.

Stu Eizenstat, one of Carter's advisors, argued that the permit for the national Christmas tree should also be denied on the same grounds, and the event was allowed to proceed.

Sufganiyot, or jelly doughnuts, can contain fillings other than jelly.

Jelly doughnuts called sufganiyot are a classic Hanukkah treat, but some chefs get creative with decadent toppings and fillings like chocolate or custard.

There are more traditional Hanukkah foods than just latkes and sufganiyot.

Fried foods are traditionally eaten on Hanukkah to commemorate the miracle of the long-lasting oil.

Jews of Sephardic ancestry make fried doughnut fritters called bimuelos on Hanukkah. A Ladino variation on the Spanish buneolos, they were a popular dish with Spanish Jews known as Marranos in the 15th to 17th centuries, according to My Jewish Learning.

Dreidels — spinning tops with Hebrew letters on them used to play a Hanukkah game — contain different letters depending on where you are in the world.

"Dreidel" is Yiddish for "spinning top." It has four sides, each with a different Hebrew letter. Players start with a supply of coins, chocolate or otherwise, and take turns spinning. Depending on which letter the top lands on, they put a coin in the middle, skip their turn, win half of the coins, or take home the entire pot.

The four letters on a dreidel each stand for a Hebrew word. Outside Israel, the letters represent a sentence that means "a great miracle happened there." In Israel, the last letter is changed, altering the meaning to "a great miracle happened here."

• I tried over 15 AI tools and features this year with a range of different uses.
• Google's AI Overviews is my favorite feature because it helps me find quick answers.
• NotebookLM's Audio Overviews is entertaining and useful for learning about a new topic.

As companies raced to scale AI this year, consumers were met with many AI product announcements — more than anyone could easily track.

The silver lining is that many of these tools are free to try, allowing people to explore how they might be able to apply the technology.

This year, I tried more than 15 AI tools and features ranging from chatbots to virtual shopping assistants and smart mirrors. The variety is an indication of just how widespread AI is becoming and how various industries are integrating it into products.

I found many tools impressive at first, but as the novelty of most of them wore off, I didn't become a regular user.

A few made a lasting impression, though — tools I could seamlessly integrate into my daily routine. Here are my top five, ranked in order of how often I use them.

1. AI Overviews

AI Overviews is a tool I use almost every day. I like that it enhances the search experience without making me open another application.

AI Overviews gives me the TLDR without me having to ask for it. It's especially helpful when I'm looking for a short answer, like contact info for a company or the release date of a product. Before AI Overviews, I had to dig through different pages to find the small bit of information I was looking for. AI Overviews not only brings it to the top of my search, but it also provides source links so I can fact-check.

2. NotebookLM's Audio Overview

Google has nailed down the concept of personalized AI with its Audio Overview feature. Powered by the Gemini 1.5 large language model, NotebookLM's "Deep Dive" conversation allows users to generate a podcast featuring two AI hosts. The roughly 10-minute discussion is based on material you upload, such as articles, YouTube links, and documents.

While I'm an avid podcast listener, I like the idea of curating an episode with sources that I upload. I often use this tool as a supplement when learning about a new topic or as inspiration if I need to present information in a conversational way.

NotebookLM also creates other content based on the sources you upload, including study guides, briefing documents, and fact sheets. I don't use these tools quite as often, but if I were still in school, I could see these features being more helpful.

3. ChatGPT's Advanced Voice Mode

I love the conversational element of speaking with ChatGPT, and it never fails to impress an audience when I use it. I have had family members go back and forth with it for 15 minutes just for their entertainment.

I don't use ChatGPT's Advanced Voice Mode to get quick answers, but it serves its purpose when I have a complicated inquiry or simply don't want to type a whole paragraph. The feature sounds shockingly human-like, and it's usually accurate, although it doesn't provide the level of detail the chatbot might provide in a written response.

4. Otter.ai

Otter.ai is an AI transcription service. The free version provides users with 300 monthly minutes and the ability to transcribe 30 minutes at a time. In addition to its high level of accuracy, it generates a summary of the recording and provides action items and an outline.

The ability to record and transcribe in real time has helped me be more efficient. Rather than sift through hours of recordings and search for a keyword in every file, you can also ask Otter.ai's chatbot to find when a certain topic was discussed.

Amazon's Rufus

I referred to Amazon's AI shopping assistant Rufus as a "game changer" when I tried it out in July — and that still holds true. I use Rufus almost every time I open Amazon. It has helped me make purchasing decisions on mirrors, fitness trackers, espresso machines, and even books. It's not perfect, and it's not as useful as ChatGPT or Gemini for everyday use, but it definitely provides useful information and summarizes reviews. It also features suggested prompts on the product page.

I recently started using Rufus to help me find items from my purchase history. I share my Amazon Prime account with my family, and our order history is flooded with different products. If I'm checking on an item or want to reorder a product, I ask Rufus about it instead of scrolling through pages of orders.