• Growing evidence has linked alcohol to a higher risk of cancer. Can it be part of a healthy diet?
• The Mediterranean diet and Blue Zones diet, linked to longevity, both include wine in moderation.
• Wine's role in a healthy diet may be related to factors like stress relief and social connection.

Doctors, including the US Surgeon General, are sounding the alarm that drinking alcohol is linked to cancer — but some of the longest-living people in the world enjoy a glass of wine with dinner.

The Mediterranean diet, based on eating traditions in countries like Spain, Italy, and Turkey, is widely acknowledged as the healthiest way to eat.

Along with olive oil and whole grains, it includes wine in moderation — typically defined as one daily drink or less for women, two or less for men.

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Longevity "Blue Zones," areas of the world where people reportedly live longer, healthier lives, are home to rich wine-drinking cultures like Ikaria, Greece and Sardinia, Italy.

While some researchers say there are clear benefits of drinking wine — including a social outlet and a boost of antioxidants — others say there's no safe amount of alcohol.

So how come wine features in the healthiest diet? Here's what we know.

Can wine be good for you?

Some people live into their 90s or past 100 while enjoying wine, beer, or even whiskey.

One clear benefit is socializing.

Blue Zones are known for being hubs of community and support, and research suggests those strong social bonds contribute to longevity.

Drinking wine brings people together, which can relieve stress, reduce loneliness, and positively stimulate the nervous system. Plus, people who eat with friends and family tend to eat more moderately and mindfully.

The second factor is sustainability.

The healthiest diet is one you'll follow, and dietitians routinely emphasize that an all-or-nothing approach to eating (and drinking) can lead to cycles of restriction and binging, which damages your metabolism.

While that's no reason to start drinking, if you don't already, flexible habits make it easier to stick to a healthier lifestyle overall with a little indulgence in things you enjoy.

Several studies over the years have found some benefit to drinking in moderation such as lower risk of heart disease and dying early.

A 2023 study found light drinking was linked to lower risk of heart attack, especially in people with anxiety, suggesting it may have a benefit for reducing stress.

The risks of drinking wine, even in moderation

Alcohol is a known carcinogen (cancer-causing substance).

International agencies like the World Health Organization have warned that any alcohol consumption can increase cancer risk.

Heavy drinking — more than four drinks per session for women and five for men, or more than eight to 15 drinks per week — can lead to high blood pressure, liver disease, and higher risk of stroke, according to the CDC.

Cardiologists, oncologists, and gastroenterologists generally agree that drinking less is one of the biggest ways to reduce your risk of illnesses like heart disease and cancer.

Is natural wine better for you?

Natural wines are popular in the Mediterranean and Blue Zones like Sardinia, Italy, said researcher Dan Buettner in a 2023 docuseries on longevity.

Natural wines carry the same health risks as any alcohol, but they tend to have less sugar, fewer additives, and lower alcohol content.

As a result, natural wines may be a healthier drink option, helping to lower the risks associated with too much alcohol and sugar, and may offer more antioxidants than conventional wines.

Polyphenols, plant-based compounds found in berries, grapes, and wine, offer benefits such as improved gut health, research suggests.

However, wine by itself doesn't contain high enough amounts to back up the benefits seen from some polyphenols like resveratrol in health and longevity studies.

How to get the benefits of alcohol without drinking

If you're interested in cutting down your drinking, it's a good idea to talk to a doctor.

You can cut back on drinking by limiting the number of drinks you have per day or week and planning alcohol-free days.

You could also harness the social benefits of alcohol while drinking alcohol-free alternatives like kombucha or non-alcoholic beer.

• The Chinese automaker BYD just reported its best quarter yet.
• Even though it doesn't have access to the US market, BYD's affordable EVs are popular in China.
• Here's how a little-known Chinese brand proved it could go toe-to-toe with an industry giant.

BYD may not be a household name in America, but it recently made itself known in a big way.

For a brief moment in December 2023, the Chinese automaker unseated Tesla as the world's top seller of electric cars. A little over a year later, on January 1, BYD reported its best quarter yet.

Even though you won't see a BYD car in America (yet), the company has built an affordable brand that's popular in China and elsewhere.

Earlier this year, it announced a Cybertruck competitor, the BYD Shark, along with a hybrid powertrain that allows its sedans to travel up to 1,250 miles without stopping.

Here's the story of the company that proved it could outsell Elon Musk.

BYD doesn't stand for anything — officially.

Wang Chuanfu and a cousin founded BYD in 1995. Then a 29-year-old government researcher, Wang came from a family of rice farmers. He earned a university scholarship and eventually moved to the Special Economic Zone in Shenzhen to start his new company.

The "YD" in the name came from Yadi, the village in Shenzhen where the company originally was, one South Korean newspaper reported. The "B" was added later as a promotional tool, the report said. Wang has said in interviews that, taken together, the BYD name doesn't stand for anything in particular.

It was only later that Wang derived the slogan "Build Your Dreams." The company has also acquired another nickname: "Bring Your Dollars."

The company was originally a cellphone-battery manufacturer.

The company's original business wasn't cars. It was cellphone batteries. BYD challenged the established Japanese suppliers Toyota and Sony by providing a cheaper alternative. By 2002, companies such as Motorola, Nokia, Sony Ericsson, and Samsung were all using BYD batteries.

They started making cars in 2003.

BYD moved into the car business after buying Xi'an Tsinchuan, a failing state-owned automaker that was then an arm of the defense contractor Norinco, the South China Morning Post reported.

The company launched its first car in 2005. The BYD F3 was a compact sedan that resembled the Toyota Corolla. It sold for as little as 40,000 yuan, or about $5,850.

Warren Buffett was a key early booster.

The billionaire investor Warren Buffett was one of the high-profile names who took an interest in BYD early on. Looking to invest in China's booming car market, Buffett toured BYD's headquarters.

The Wall Street Journal reported that while the Berkshire Hathaway tycoon was there, Wang took a sip of battery fluid to prove how clean his batteries were. Buffett was so impressed by the experience that he offered to buy 25% of the company.

Wang declined that offer, but Buffett was not deterred. Berkshire Hathaway acquired a 10% stake in BYD — for $232 million — in 2008.

Their first electric car drew scorn from Elon Musk.

The company debuted its first fully electric vehicle, the E6, in 2010. Benefiting from Chinese government subsidies, it was able to compete with its Japanese counterparts.

But not everyone was impressed. Tesla CEO Elon Musk laughed in a 2011 interview when asked whether he considered BYD a serious rival to Tesla.

"Have you seen their car?" he said. "I don't think they make a good product. I don't think it's particularly attractive. The technology is not very strong."

BYD's hybrid cars turned it into a titan of Chinese automakers.

BYD established itself as one of the top automakers for hybrid vehicles in China in the 2010s. Its most popular offering was the Qin, introduced in 2012, which became one of the best-selling cars in China.

That wasn't the only offering that propelled BYD to prominence, however. The company also released the Tang, a hybrid SUV, and partnered with Daimler AG (now Mercedes-Benz) to make its Denza line.

BYD took the EV crown from Tesla — briefly.

Even though most of its sales in the fourth quarter of 2023 came from the Chinese market, BYD made headlines across the globe when it seemingly did the impossible — it unseated Tesla as the world's top seller of electric cars.

The Chinese automaker rode the EV wave on the back of its new Seagull, which debuted for 73,000 yuan, or about $10,000, as well as its Song, Qin Plus, Dolphin, Yuan Plus, and Han EVs.

Tesla reclaimed the crown in the first quarter of 2024, though both companies saw steep declines in their sales.

BYD's Shark takes aim at Tesla's Cybertruck

The Shark, unveiled in May, is the latest model offered by BYD.

It's a midsize hybrid pickup truck, and the cabin's design fuses outdoor functionality with modern style and durability.

The truck has more than 430 horsepower, or 170 less than Tesla's all-wheel-drive Cybertruc. BYD says it can accelerate from zero to 100 kilometers an hour, or about 62 miles an hour, in roughly 5.7 seconds. The vehicle has five seats and a maximum towing capacity of 2,500 kilograms, which is just more than 5,500 pounds. That's about half of the Cybertruck's towing capability.

Designed for everyday trips and off-road driving, the Shark has three terrain modes: sand, mud, and snow.

It also has built-in features to make camping and off-roading more accessible. The vehicle offers bidirectional charging, according to BYD's site.

While the Shark isn't in direct competition with the Cybertruck as a hybrid model that doesn't sell in the US, it may entice EV fans looking for a more traditional pickup design. It's also priced competitively at about $53,451, which is lower than Cybertruck's $60,990 starting price tag.

Don't expect to see a BYD car on American roads anytime soon.

For a time, it looked as if we were just a few years away from getting Chinese electric cars in the United States. A BYD executive said as much in 2017, and the company even hired Leonardo DiCaprio as a brand ambassador for English-speaking customers.

Since then, BYD has expanded overseas. The Chinese automaker is planning a factory in Mexico — alarming US officials — and even created its own shipping fleet in a bid to cut down on export costs.

But the company says it has abandoned its plans of selling its EVs to Americans. Analysts have pointed to geopolitical tensions and trade barriers between the two countries, as well as the slumping demand for EVs in the United States.

BYD is launching a new hybrid powertrain system on two midsize sedans — and it can drive 1,250 miles without charging or stopping to fill up for gas.

BYD is upgrading its hybrid powertrain system.

The company announced that the upgraded powertrains will launch in two of sedans, one of which will be the BYD Seal 06, Bloomberg reported. Both models will reportedly be under 100,000 yuan, according to the company.

Hybrids make up the majority of BYD vehicles sold, according to a Reuters report. The new upgrade gives them a competitive edge against rivals like Toyota and Volkswagon, which mostly sell fuel-powered vehicles.

The powertrain system translates to about 81 miles per gallon at full charge, which is over triple the US fuel economy average for 2022 cars. That's also close to 500 more miles of range than a hybrid 2023 Lexus ES, which was the longest-range hybrid in the Kelley Blue Book's list last year.

Additional reporting by Graham Rapier.

BYD hit record sales in the fourth quarter of 2024

BYD sold 1.76 million EVS in 2024, according to figures released Wednesday.

That total was part of a larger haul of 4.27 million cars sold overall, which includes both hybrid and EV models.

In an effort to boost sales in the holiday quarter, Tesla boosted discounts towards the end of the year. However, Tesla sold about 1.79 million cars in 2024, marking its first year-over-year decline.

BYD similarly launched a series of discounts toward the end of the year and has grown in popularity with its hybrid models in the last few months. BYD's 2024 sales include a monthly record of over 500,000 EVs and hybrids sold just in December, the company said.

• US News & World Report released a list of the cities with the best quality of life for 2024-2025.
• Cities with outdoor activities like beaches and mountains ranked higher.
• Ann Arbor, Michigan, was named the best city for a high quality of life.

Quality of life is one of the most important aspects one should consider before moving to a new city.

US News & World Report created a list of the country's most livable cities, weighing factors such as affordability, healthcare quality, and residents' overall happiness.

For its ranking, US News & World Report used data from sources such as the US Census Bureau, the FBI, and the US Department of Labor, among others.

Here are the top 15 cities with the best quality of life in 2024-2025, ranked.

15. Fayetteville, Arkansas

Quality of life score: 7.0

Population of the metro area: 113,010

Median household income: $70,165

Median home price: $281,646

Median age: 33 years old

Known for: Located among the Ozark Mountains, Fayetteville is an outdoorsy town that's known for its friendly residents, love of college football, and local favorites like a deep-fried catfish sandwich.

14. Richmond, Virginia

Quality of life score: 7.0

Population of the metro area: 240,938

Median household income: $68,814

Median home price: $321,874

Median age: 36 years old

Known for: Richmond is a historic city founded in 1737, but that doesn't mean it's old-fashioned. A thriving downtown scene with art galleries, concert halls, and trendy restaurants meld the city's rich history with the modern times, and Richmond's more than 100 local parks offer plenty of outdoor recreation for residents.

13. Hartford, Connecticut

Quality of life score: 7.0

Population of the metro area: 118,273

Median household income: $46,377

Median home price: $214,546

Median age: 36 years old

Known for: While the population of Hartford skews older than some cities on this list, there's no shortage of buzzy restaurants and corporate offices for those looking to grow their careers in the Connecticut capital. The Bushnell Theater brings Broadway shows to town regularly, and The Mark Twain House and Museum is a popular destination for literary buffs.

12. Greenville, South Carolina

Quality of life score: 7.0

Population of the metro area: 77,387

Median household income: $76,193

Median home price: $393,809

Median age: 37 years old

Known for: College football is huge in Greenville, which is home to Clemson University, but there's a thriving art scene, too. Outdoor activities also abound in this Southern city, thanks to multiple hiking and biking trails.

11. San Diego, California

Quality of life score: 7.0

Population of the metro area: 1,404,745

Median household income: $109,765

Median home price: $807,264

Median age: 38 years old

Known for: San Diego residents enjoy outdoor activities, from surfing to boating and volleyball on one of the city's over 80 beaches. The city is also home to the world-famous San Diego Zoo and is known for its authentic Mexican cuisine.

10. Asheville, North Carolina

Quality of life score: 7.0

Population of the metro area: 113,353

Median household income: $69,429

Median home price: $400,587

Median age: 42 years old

Known for: Set among the Blue Ridge Mountains and defined by a thriving farm-to-table food scene, brewery culture, and a focus on local artisans, Asheville is an easygoing city with a lot to offer people of all ages, whether visiting or putting down roots in this creative Southern city.

9. Boston, Massachusetts

Quality of life score: 7.1

Population of the metro area: 673,264

Median household income: $95,674

Median home price: $744,221

Median age: 35 years old

Known for: One of the most historic cities in the country, Boston offers many exciting cultural activities, including walks along the Freedom Trail and performances by the Boston Pops Orchestra. Fine dining and buzz-worthy restaurants abound, as do historic taverns and bars, and two Boston chefs were nominated for the James Beard Awards in 2024, Eater reported.

8. Virginia Beach, Virginia

Quality of life score: 7.1

Population of the metro area: 460,069

Median household income: $96,805

Median home price: $358,477

Median age: 39 years old

Known for: Virginia Beach boasts 38 miles of coastline, offering plenty of activities from swimming to fishing, kayaking, and waterskiing. If you're not outdoorsy, however, there are plenty of opportunities for shopping, museums, and taking in the local cuisine.

7. Portland, Maine

Quality of life score: 7.1

Population of the metro area: 68,430

Median household income: $77,286

Median home price: $449,949

Median age: 39 years old

Known for: Portland, Maine, has quickly become the New England city to watch, thanks to its thriving food scene, plethora of outdoor recreational activities, and exciting music and nightlife scenes. However, the cost of living in Portland is rising steadily, leaving the city at a crossroads of how to create more affordable housing while retaining Portland's small-town feel.

6. Madison, Wisconsin

Quality of life score: 7.2

Population of the metro area: 269,692

Median household income: $79,166

Median home price: $367,653

Median age: 35 years old

Known for: As the capital of Wisconsin's Dairyland, Madison has a thriving food scene built off local cheese and breweries. The city's lakes and bike paths also make this city a great place to live in the warmer months.

5. Raleigh, North Carolina

Quality of life score: 7.2

Population of the metro area: 469,960

Median household income: $87,708

Median home price: $382,677

Median age: 37 years old

Known for: Raleigh-Durham is quickly becoming a premier destination for great food and entertainment with a second-tier city feel. Home to some of the state's top universities and colleges, as well as more than 20 craft breweries, shopping centers, and local museums, this region of North Carolina is a great place to lay down roots.

4. Honolulu, Hawaii

Quality of life score: 7.4

Population of the metro area: 408,930

Median household income: $103,096

Median home price: $869,639

Median age: 45 years old

Known for: Honolulu is a slice of paradise on Earth with stretches of stunning beaches, fine dining establishments, resorts, a diverse local culture, and shopping destinations. History buffs can also visit sites relating to the World War II attack on Pearl Harbor, including the USS Arizona Memorial.

3. Boise, Idaho

Quality of life score: 7.4

Population of the metro area: 277,498

Median household income: $85,886

Median home price: $422,080

Median age: 39 years old

Known for: Boise's stunning natural surroundings are just one reason to move to this up-and-coming city. In addition to more than 180 miles of public trails for hiking, biking, and running, artistically inclined folks can take in a show at one of the city's theaters, while sports fans can root for the Boise State University Broncos.

2. Boulder, Colorado

Quality of life score: 7.4

Population of the metro area: 122,362

Median household income: $97,017

Median home price: $854,424

Median age: 36 years old

Known for: Boulder is known for its more than 60 parks and 155 miles of hiking trails for nature lovers. The city's downtown area also abounds with restaurants, cafés, and bars, while the outdoor Pearl Street Mall is a popular shopping destination.

1. Ann Arbor, Michigan

Quality of life score: 7.7

Population of the metro area: 125,664

Median household income: $86,628

Median home price: $456,578

Median age: 34 years old

Known for: Home to the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor combines a small-town feel with the benefits of a bigger city.

According to US News & World Report, more than 90% of Ann Arbor residents live less than a 10-minute walk from a public park, which gives them access to hiking, kayaking, and cross-country skiing. The city's downtown is also a thriving hub for shops and restaurants, as well as craft breweries and distilleries.

• Natalia Grace, an orphan accused of being an adult who posed as a child, is the focus of an ID docuseries.
• After her former adoptive parents abandoned her, she was taken in by the Mans family.
• Natalia recently confirmed she was no longer living with them, a year after the series' cliffhanger suggested they'd fallen out.

Days before the premiere of "The Curious Case of Natalia Grace: The Final Chapter," Natalia Grace Mans confirmed that she is no longer living with the Mans family.

The Investigation Discovery documentary series, released in three batches, explores the story of Natalia Grace, whose former adoptive parents, Michael and Kristine Barnett, said she was an adult posing as an orphaned Ukrainian child.

The first season, which aired in May 2023, gave an overview of Natalia Grace's story and covered the accusations against her. The Barnetts, who said they believed Natalia to be a 6-year-old Ukrainian orphan when they first adopted her in 2010, came to believe that Natalia was really an adult con artist. In the series, Michael alleged that Natalia had attempted to harm members of the family and said that a therapist had diagnosed her as a "sociopath," all accusations that Natalia denied.

Natalia has a rare form of dwarfism known as spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia. Though her Ukrainian birth certificate said she was born in 2003, in 2012, Michael and Kristine Barnett succeeded in legally changing Natalia's birth year to 1989.

That made Natalia an adult on paper, but she was still classified as a dependent due to her disability status. After leaving Natalia alone in an Indiana apartment and moving to Canada in 2013, the since-divorced couple faced charges of neglect in 2019. (Michael was acquitted in October 2022, and the charges against Kristine were dismissed in March 2023.)

"Natalia Speaks," the second season of the series, aired in January 2024 and featured extensive interviews with Natalia in which she denied the Barnetts' allegations of violent behavior and their claims that she faked her age. She also accused Kristine Barnett, who did not participate in the docuseries, of abusing her as a child. In a statement posted to Facebook in January 2024, Kristine said that Natalia "was not abused by anyone in my family."

The docuseries also featured Natalia's confrontation with Michael Barnett, who apologized to Natalia and alleged that Kristine had manipulated him.

In the years since her time with the Barnetts, Natalia found a new family in Cynthia and Antwon Mans, a religious couple who later adopted her. The second season of the docuseries presented their relationship as a loving one and a happy ending for Natalia, but a revelation in the last two minutes of the docuseries threw all that into doubt.

Now, ahead of the new episodes of the docuseries airing on January 6, Natalia has clarified where she stands with the Mans family.

How did Natalia Grace meet her new adoptive parents, Cynthia and Antwon Mans?

Both Antwon and Cynthia Mans featured heavily in the second part of the docuseries, "Natalia Speaks," with Antwon accompanying Natalia to receive DNA test results that appeared to determine that her true age is around 22 years old. He also sat in on her confrontation with her former adoptive father, Michael Barnett. Natalia praised the Mans family throughout the series and referred to them as her parents even before they legally adopted her.

Natalia previously testified in Michael Barnett's neglect trial that she came to live with the Mans family after meeting Cynthia Mans through a neighbor while she was living alone in Lafayette, Indiana, where the Barnetts had moved her in July 2013. At that time, Natalia said, she was 9 years old, though she was legally 23 years old due to the Barnetts changing her age.

Antwon and Cynthia, who had multiple other children living in their home when Natalia came to live with them, spoke highly of Natalia in the series. They said she didn't behave in their home in a way uncharacteristic of other children and certainly not the way the Barnetts said she acted with them. But the show did raise one specific incident: Genesis Mans, a child also living with the Mans family, recalled in an interview in episode five that Natalia bit her when she was a baby. Genesis said Natalia told her the incident occurred when Natalia was 10 (legally 24 years old).

"I would say she has been violent in a typical way like most kids do. You know, most kids fight, most kids argue, but nothing unusual to where there was just crazy unrest in that sort of way. There's nothing dangerous about Natalia at all, absolutely not," Bishop Antwon Mans said in an interview in episode five of "Natalia Speaks."

In episode six, Natalia said she remembered "having some behavior issues" when she first met the Mans, and she apologized for her early behavior.

"When Natalia first got with us, there would be moments that she would just be so broken, and just feel like, 'How do I deal with this?'" Cynthia Mans recounted in an interview in episode six.

"Natalia been with us all these years, and let me tell you, we have corrected Natalia, and she's never came at us with the knife or put thumbtacks up on our stairs, or tried to hurt our children," Cynthia continued, referencing allegations from the Barnetts.

Episode six of "Natalia Speaks" depicted Antwon and Cynthia Mans formally adopting Natalia, with both parents wearing t-shirts celebrating their status as adoptive parents.

"It has been a really long journey. I have always wondered if I would be able to find someone that would actually love me. But then I met my parents, and it's been different ever since. It's been a good different," Natalia said in an interview in episode six.

Documents shown in the episode indicated the adoption paperwork was filed in June 2023, about a decade after she began living with them.

The docuseries suggested Natalia Grace and the Mans family had a falling out

In the last two minutes of episode six of "Natalia Speaks," a black screen appears with text that reads, "Two weeks ago, and six months after Natalia's adoption, the producers got a shocking phone call."

Audio of Antwon and Cynthia's voices then plays over a shot zooming in on Natalia sitting on a porch.

"Something ain't right with Natalia," Antwon says. "This girl is tweakin'. I feel like she's the enemy in the house. And she said to us, we have held her hostage. Made us look like we're the enemy."

"Natalia is stabbing her family in the back over a complete lie," Cynthia says.

"She's done other things, too," Antwon continues. "But this was a new low. Natalia does not have emotions for nothing but herself. We're done. We're done with her."

Then the screen cuts to black with the text, "Natalia's story will continue."

Jason Sarlanis, president of crime and investigative content, linear and streaming at Discovery, told The Hollywood Reporter after the episode aired that producers initially believed that Natalia's story, despite being full of "twists and turns," had reached a positive conclusion.

"We genuinely thought Natalia had found a happy ending with her new family, so you can imagine we were all thoroughly shocked when that call came from the Mans," Sarlanis said.

"Our series was already finished and locked, but we instantly mobilized with our producers to ensure that this shocking development was included in our finale," Sarlanis told THR. "Our viewers are so invested in Natalia's case we felt our series needed to reflect the constantly shifting truth of her situation."

"One thing has always proven to be true with Natalia's story — nothing is ever what it seems."

Natalia still interacted with the Mans family on social media after the phone call, but things got messy

Despite the cliffhanger, Natalia appeared to still be on good terms with the Mans family on social media after their phone call to producers, which "The Final Chapter" states took place on December 1, 2023. She appeared in posts from the Mans family's social media accounts, including a Thanksgiving 2023 post on Instagram.

The family's TikTok account, which the Instagram page references, posted on December 26, 2023 that Natalia had launched her own TikTok account under the handle @natgrace20. The post bears several hashtags, including #MamaBabyIsGrowingUp, #MamasForEverBFF, #FamilyIsForever, and #GoFollowBabysPage. According to the timeline presented in the documentary series, the post was likely made after or around the same time as the phone call between the Mans family and the docuseries' producers.

One post on the @natgrace20 account, previously viewed by BI, was a video of a woman who appeared to be Natalia wishing her followers a happy 2024. A December 29, 2023 post on the account featured photos of Natalia and the Mans family.

"2023 was amazing but 2024 is gonna be awesome," the December 29, 2023 post's caption read, accompanied by the hashtags #newbeginnings, #fyp, and #family4ever. It also tagged the Mans family's account.

"i love you so much my forever baby," the Mans family account replied to the post.

"I love you mama," the Natalia account replied.

On January 5, 2024, after "Natalia Speaks" aired, the Instagram account appearing to belong to Natalia posted to let people know that she was safe. The post did not explicitly reference her relationship with the Mans family, nor the ending of the show.

"I am okay and doing well and thank you all for your support and prayers," read the caption. "I wish I could tell you more Abt the show but I signed an agreement with the show to keep things confidential for now. I will let you guys know when I can for sure, but just know I am okay. Love y'all! #safe #livingmybestlife."

Later posts indicated that things were more complicated. One February 2024 TikTok on the Mans family's account reads: "Life can be so hard when raising kids. I miss my daughter so much and I will never understand why things are like this."

Another February post on the Mans family's Facebook page said they and Natalia had "disagreements" but she was still their daughter and they didn't hate her. It also claimed that the audio from their phone call to producers had been edited, and did not reflect the "full audio" of the conversation.

A representative for ID did not immediately return BI's request for comment.

In a March 2024 TikTok video, Cynthia Mans said that Natalia was no longer active on their account, or any account, as she'd decided to leave social media. Another post later that month said Natalia no longer lived with the family and that she wasn't speaking to Cynthia anymore.

"I miss my baby so much," she said.

As of January 3, 2025, all posts on the @natgrace20 TikTok account had been deleted or set to private.

Previous requests for comment from BI sent to the Mans family's Instagram account and the Instagram account appearing to belong to Natalia in 2024 did not receive a response. Natalia's Instagram account was wiped as of January 3, 2025.

Natalia Grace confirmed in January 2025 that she's no longer living with the Mans family

In a People cover story published days before the premiere of "The Curious Case of Natalia Grace: The Final Chapter," Natalia said that she was living in New York with the DePaul family, who previously attempted to adopt her when she was a child.

Natalia told People that while she was living with the Mans family, she "learned how to be a mother," assisting in raising other children in the family. The publication reported that Antwon learned that Natalia was dating a man named Neil and removed access to her phone. People also reported that on the new episodes of the show, which have yet to be released, neighbors allege that Cynthia and Antwon Mans had physically abused Natalia while she lived with them.

Natalia would not confirm or deny those allegations to People.

Antwon and Cynthia Mans did not immediately respond to BI's requests for comment sent to their personal Facebook profiles, their family Facebook page, and an email listed on the Facebook page. They also did not respond to People magazine's requests for comment.

People reports that Neil, Natalia's boyfriend, contacted the DePaul family, and they organized a plan to help her leave the Mans family in the middle of the night. In December 2023, Nicole DePaul drove to Nashville, where the Mans were located, to pick up Natalia, as shown in a preview from the docuseries.

Natalia has lived with the DePaul family — Nicole, her husband Vince, and daughter Mackenzie, who all have dwarfism too — since then. Nicole told People that their relationship was typically smooth, though it had its difficulties.

"Did she probably do weird things in the past? Yeah," Nicole told People. "[But] when you take in a child, you take that child as your own. You don't just get rid of them when they don't fit into your puzzle."

Natalia told People that she informed her adoptive mother, Cynthia, that she wasn't "kidnapped or dead" once she left the Mans family. Now, she is preparing to one day live on her own by studying for the GED and learning how to drive. She also told People that she met Neil, her boyfriend, for the first time in person after leaving the Mans family.

"It's been a big learning curve for me. For the most part, I've made peace," she told People. "It is definitely a blessing to be alive today. And there's nothing I can do to change the past."

"The Curious Case of Natalia Grace: The Final Chapter" will premiere on January 6 on Max and Investigation Discovery.

• A Ukrainian company is producing steel armor for the country's Patriot air-defense batteries.
• The armor consists of small plates that wrap around the exterior of the Patriot's control unit.
• It is intended to protect the highly valuable systems from Russian missile shrapnel and debris.

A Ukrainian defense initiative is making steel armor for the country's inventory of American-made Patriot batteries, providing the air-defense systems with extra protection against shrapnel.

The MIM-104 Patriot is a surface-to-air missile system that has been a critical part of Ukraine's air-defense umbrella. Several Western nations, including the US, have sent Patriot control systems, launchers, and interceptor missiles to Kyiv to help it fend off massive Russian bombardments, but it only has a few Patriots, making protection key to maintaining Ukraine's defenses.

Rinat Akhmetov's Steel Front, a Ukrainian initiative that has built protective screens for tanks and armored fighting vehicles, announced on Friday that engineers from Metinvest, the country's largest steel producer, have developed new armor for the Patriot.

The heavy armor consists of around 200 steel plates, each around 8 millimeters thick, that wrap around the exterior of the Patriot's control unit, where the crew sits to operate the system. The protective plates are designed to shield the control unit from missile shrapnel and blast fragments.

Oleksandr Myronenko, the Metinvest Group's chief operating officer, said the company developed the project from scratch in under two months. "Air defenders also need reliable protection," he stressed in a statement. The total weight of the armor is 2.6 metric tons, but, the company said, it doesn't impact mobility or functionality.

Mass production of the armor is underway, but the first of the plates has already been installed on an undisclosed number of Patriot control units. Business Insider has reviewed video footage of the steel plates on one such unit.

The Patriot is a workhorse for the Ukrainian military and has been since the first air-defense battery arrived in April 2023. Kyiv has relied heavily on the system to defend its skies from Russian missiles and warplanes. It operates them alongside other Western-provided and Soviet-era air defenses.

The Patriot has specifically received praise for its success against the Kh-47M2 Kinzhal, a Russian air-launched ballistic missile that Moscow has said is impossible to intercept.

Beyond protecting the Patriots, Steel Front has also produced screens for various armored vehicles in service with the Ukrainian military, including Soviet-era tanks like the T-64 and T-72 and American-made systems like the M1 Abrams tank and M2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicle.

These welded screens are designed to protect these highly vulnerable vehicles from threats like the small, exploding first-person view (FPV) drones that have wreaked havoc on the battlefield, destroying armored vehicles sometimes worth millions for a tiny fraction of that cost. Cage armor has become increasingly common as the drone threat has become more prolific, but the designs vary significantly in both quality and sophistication.

• AI's significant impact on workforce and tech use will continue in 2025, leaders say.
• Shifts in workforce dynamics and consumer tech habits are reportedly on the horizon.
• Tariffs under Trump may lead to higher prices and project cuts for businesses, Rimini CFO says.

Talks of artificial intelligence dominated 2024, and tech leaders predict that the next stage of the new AI era will come in 2025 — for better or for worse.

Their mixed predictions indicate that the outlook for AI in 2025 is still uncertain. Still, many execs assert that the way people interact with technology will continue to change in 2025, and it'll likely impact jobs.

More intentional tech use is "reshaping our relationship with the digital world," and people are prioritizing wellbeing over attention-seeking, Amazon CTO Werner Vogels said in a December blogpost.

"The workforce of tomorrow will not only be driven by financial success and career progression but by a deeper desire to create positive change in the world," according to Vogels.

However, Clement Delangue, CEO of AI startup Hugging Face, predicts a more combative response to AI. He said on LinkedIn that the "first major public protest related to AI" is coming in 2025.

This year will also reveal if the prediction that Bill Gates has been vocal about for over 10 years will come to fruition. Gates has said on many occasions that two-thirds of all jobs in the US will require some form of education beyond high school by 2025.

Here's what else Vogels, Delangue, and other tech leaders say 2025 has in store.

The workforce is evolving.

Management services company ADP uses AI to assist sales reps, and GenAI helps the company prepare for investor days, among other things, according to The Wall Street Journal. Such investments will continue in 2025, Don McGuire, CFO at ADP, said to the Journal.

"Things that people used to sit beside you and have a headset, now you can do those things with GenAI tools," McGuire said.

As smarter tech integrates into the workforce, Vogels said "a quiet revolution" is happening among workers who value meaningful societal impact over financial success.

Millennials and Gen Z are leading the charge in finding their purpose at work, but Vogels said the trend is being driven by other age groups and the job market itself.

"Harnessing technology for good has become both an ethical imperative and a profitable endeavor," Vogels said.

Consumers will move away from distracting technology.

Tech users will find more intentional ways to use their devices in 2025, according to Vogels. The Amazon exec pointed at data related to social media use and mental health issues among teens in the US in his blog about 2025 as an indicator of a need to rethink our relationship with technology.

"Every swipe, headline, and notification are meticulously engineered to hook us," Vogels said.

More people are becoming conscientious of their screen time. Some are implementing rules for themselves or their children, and others are seeking out alternatives like "dumb phones" with no web browsers.

On the other hand, Delangue predicts that other consumers will buy into more futuristic devices, like the robots being developed by Tesla and other robotics companies.

"At least 100,000 personal AI robots will be pre-ordered," he said on LinkedIn.

Tariffs will bring about project cuts.

Donald Trump is weeks away from his second presidential inauguration, and the president-elect has already threatened tariffs on imported goods. It "feels like an inevitability," according to Michael Perica, CFO of software company Rimini Street.

LendingTree economist Jacob Channel previously told Business Insider that consumers will likely be subjected to higher prices for their goods during his term if Trump makes good on his pledge.

Companies may have to make some cuts to offset the effects of tariffs, Perica told the Journal. More businesses will have to adapt their strategies in anticipation of supply-chain disruptions.

"We are absolutely partnering with folks to help them along and take a look and evaluate what's a 'nice-to-have' project versus 'got to have,'" Perica said.

• Donald Trump will have a chance to leave a big imprint on the alcohol industry.
• On Friday, the Biden administration moved to expand the warning on alcoholic drinks to list cancer risks.
• Only Congress could force such a change, but how Trump will react remains to be seen.

Donald Trump once said that not drinking was "one of my only good traits." President Joe Biden, a fellow teetotaler, and his administration have left the president-elect an opportunity to leave a lasting imprint on the billion-dollar beverage industry.

US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy on Friday released a bombshell report warning that alcohol consumption can increase cancer risk. Murthy also called for an expanded warning label on all alcoholic beverages that would include cancer risk, similar to the warning label on cigarettes.

Trump's aversion to alcohol is well documented. He was once observed toasting his fellow world leaders with Diet Coke during his presidency. Trump has said that his brother Fred's struggle with addiction led him to avoid drinking and smoking entirely. Fred Trump Jr. died in 1981 at the age of 42, the result of a heart attack attributed to alcoholism.

"I had a brother, Fred. Great guy, best-looking guy, best personality, much better than mine," Trump said during a 2018 news conference. "But he had a problem. He had a problem with alcohol, and he would tell me, 'Don't drink. Don't drink.' He was substantially older, and I listened to him and I respected (him)."

It remains to be seen how Trump will move forward. A spokesperson for the Trump transition team did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

The president-elect has generally opposed more stringent regulations. Trump's first administration also rejected an advisory committee's advice to urge men to cut back on alcohol consumption. Adding warning labels to alcoholic beverages would require congressional action, though Trump's support of such a measure would likely influence a more obedient GOP.

Alcohol played a major role in one of the biggest stories from Trump's first administration: the contested confirmation of now-Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

Kavanaugh said during his Senate hearing that he "liked beer," but bristled when Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota asked if he had a drinking problem.

"I watched him. I was surprised at how vocal he was about the fact that he likes beer," Trump said at the time. "This is not a man that said that he was perfect with respect to alcohol."

Trump was "extremely put off" by Kavanaugh's comments about drinking, Mark Meadows, a former White House chief of staff, said in his book "The Chief's Chief."

The former Fox News host Pete Hegseth, Trump's pick to lead the Pentagon, is also expected to face questions about his drinking during his confirmation hearings. Like Kavanaugh, Hegseth has faced allegations that his drinking habits fueled sexual misconduct. (Both men have strongly denied any wrongdoing.)

Trump has a personal stake in the discussion. His hotels and golf clubs all sell alcohol, and the Trump Organization owns a winery in Charlottesville, Virginia. And while Trump doesn't drink, that didn't stop him from once hawking his own vodka brand.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whom Trump has nominated to lead the Health and Human Services Department, also doesn't drink. Kennedy has been sober for years after a highly publicized history with drugs, including a 1983 arrest for heroin possession.

There is a growing push among public-health groups for lawmakers to take a tougher approach to regulating alcohol. The industry routinely spends millions of dollars lobbying Congress.

Trump previously defended Anheuser-Busch InBev, the world's largest beer company, when some of his closest allies and supporters urged a boycott of the company in response to its brief partnership with the transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney.

"Anheuser-Busch is a Great American Brand that perhaps deserves a Second Chance? What do you think?" Trump wrote on Truth Social in 2023.

At the time, Trump was preparing to attend a major GOP fundraiser hosted by a top Republican lobbyist for the beverage giant.

• Sameer Singh, a top TikTok ad executive, is leaving the company next month, an internal memo said.
• Singh oversaw the company's North America ads team.
• His departure comes at a challenging moment for the company, which faces a potential US ban.

The TikTok advertising sales exec Sameer Singh is leaving the company, an internal memo shared with the sales team on Friday said.

Singh, whose last day at TikTok is set for the end of February, served as a general manager for global business solutions in North America, overseeing its ads business in the region.

TikTok's global business solutions team includes staffers who work on ad sales and client relationships with brands that run marketing campaigns on the platform.

The memo, written by Blake Chandlee, the president of global business solutions, said Singh joined TikTok in 2019 and focused on the company's monetization work in India before TikTok was banned there in 2020. He helped the company set up its businesses in regions like Brazil and Southeast Asia. Two years ago he took on the role of global business solutions lead in North America.

Singh's exit from TikTok comes at a perilous moment for the company. The app could be pulled from US app stores on January 19 because of a divest-or-ban law. TikTok has asked for an emergency injunction from the Supreme Court, which plans to hear oral arguments later this month.

If the courts don't rescue TikTok, Donald Trump could. The incoming president filed an amicus brief last week asking the highest court to pause TikTok's divest-or-ban deadline so he has time to try to negotiate a solution.

Singh did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

Read the full memo on his departure below:

Hi all -

I want to share with you that Sam Singh, GM for GBS in NA, has informed us of his decision to leave the Company at the end of February, at the end of his current 2-year assignment leading the NA ads business.

Sam has been a steadfast and trusted leader at TikTok for more than five years and his contributions to our GBS business have been significant and far-reaching. Upon joining in 2019, Sam led our monetization efforts in India, helping manage changes as a result of the India ban in 2020. Sam also played a key role in establishing our businesses in Brazil, Southeast Asia, and APAC during his next chapter at TikTok. Two years ago, Sam stepped in to lead GBS in North America, diving in with our teams and XFN partners to continue driving innovative and market-leading solutions. Notably, throughout 2024, Sam has led our teams in the US and Canada through an unprecedented political environment, dedicated to protecting our incredible users, creators and the business partners that use TikTok every day.

Sam will return to India at the end of January and remain available to support the NA team through the end of February. We will immediately begin the search for a new leader to oversee our NA business. In the interim, effective February 1st, all of Sam's direct reports will report to me directly, and we will provide next steps as they are finalized.

Although we cannot share his next career step, I am excited for Sam and his next chapter. Please join me in thanking Sam for his countless contributions and wishing him continued success.

• A man drove into a crowd on Bourbon Street in New Orleans on New Year's Day, killing 14 people.
• Ruth Chavez, 40, was there celebrating with her 17-year-old son. They narrowly escaped harm.
• She told BI she hoped the horrific attack wouldn't ruin their beloved mom-and-son tradition.

This as-told-to essay is based on an interview with Ruth Chavez, 40, who, along with her 17-year-old son Jonathan, witnessed the New Year's Day terrorist attack that killed 14 people in New Orleans. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

As mom and son, we've made it a tradition to go to New Orleans every year.

We've been to the city for three years running, and after our first visit, we felt completely comfortable and safe.

We've never felt like we were in danger at any time, except for our most recent night there, when, of course, the attack happened.

A yearly tradition

We don't really go out in Albuquerque, New Mexico — our home.

Our city is not very safe. We have a very high crime rate, so that's always my biggest fear with my son, a high school senior.

I try to avoid him going out anywhere in Albuquerque because he's young, and I feel like I can't protect him.

That's why we always go out of town to have fun. I take him on these trips to New Orleans to have a good time without worrying.

This time, we planned the trip seven months in advance. We were in town for the New Orleans Saints and Las Vegas Raiders game.

My son, Jonathan, is a diehard Saints fan, and the Raiders are my team. We were just having the best time on our vacation.

New Year's Eve in the French Quarter

On our last night, we were hanging out on Bourbon Street, enjoying the music and the people, and having a great time.

But my son is 17, so he couldn't go to most places.

We were winding down for the night when we happened to walk into this one bar, which had its doors open all the way around. We were in there for probably a few minutes when we started hearing gunshots.

The bar's owners shut all the doors and told everybody to get down. We stayed in there, taking cover for about five minutes.

Then we walked out the door and saw the truck had crashed right in front of where we were.

Several people were on the ground. People were trying to save them, but there was no saving them.

We thought it was just a car crash — we didn't instantly know the magnitude of what had happened.

I was just watching this kid — a similar age to my son — die.

That could have easily been us if we had been on that street just a second longer.

A lucky escape

People were screaming, and nobody knew what was going on.

Then, weirdly, it got kind of quiet. Everything kind of settled down.

The police came and started putting up tape and making us leave.

Bourbon Street was very quiet — all you could hear was the sirens.

If that bar hadn't let us in, we would've been on that street, in the direct path of that truck. We would have been either run over or shot.

We were very, very lucky.

New Orleans, the city we love

Usually, on our last day, we do some shopping and take pictures. We're so pumped from having had so much fun.

This time, we didn't do any of that.

We just felt grief in our hearts, and it was just an awful feeling. We didn't even want to eat. We were just ready to go.

As bad as it was, I can't begin to say how thankful I am that we could leave New Orleans and get on that plane.

I got emotional thinking that these other people wouldn't get that chance. They won't be able to go home to their families the way we were able to.

Do we go back?

We were planning to go to a game next year in New Orleans, but now we're unsure about that.

I don't want to say we won't go for the game, but it's too soon to say we definitely will. We still haven't even processed everything.

Jonathan and I were talking about whether we would go back to the city again, and I said I would hate for that one person who was so evil and who did such a horrific act to ruin it for us.

So, we plan on returning to New Orleans at some point and not letting this deter us from the city we love.

• As a former Hermès employee, I saw customers make some common mistakes when shopping in-store.
• It's important to understand that most shoppers can't just walk in and buy a Birkin bag.
• Customers should have a good relationship with their sales associate, but they shouldn't bug them.

I spent two years working in retail marketing and visual merchandising at Hermés.

The French fashion house has been around for nearly two centuries and specializes in leather goods, though it might be best known for its coveted Birkin bags.

These high-ticket items, which can cost thousands and are often carried by celebrities like Kim Kardashian and Jennifer Lopez, are offered to only a select number of the retailer's customers.

When I worked at Hermès, I learned a lot about the brand and how to score its most-coveted products. I've since transitioned to a career in sourcing luxury goods — and I'm no stranger to locating the brand's famous designer bags for my own clients.

Here are a few mistakes I saw customers make while shopping at Hermès.

Many customers think they can walk in and score a high-ticket item

Similar to other luxury brands like Porsche, Hermès uses scarcity marketing — a concept in which consumers value a product when there's a limited supply or availability.

This means most customers cannot simply walk into a boutique and purchase the brand's highest-ticket items, like a Kelly or Birkin bag.

Birkin bags are so sought after that even its Walmart lookalikes are selling out.

If shoppers want to increase their chances of being able to buy the real thing, they should "build a profile" or establish a consistent buying history with the store.

This can be done by making entry-level purchases and working with a single, designated sales associate over time. After all, sales associates can play a major role in deciding who gets one of these coveted bags.

I recommend buying items in a diverse mix of categories. In my experience, the highest-commission categories for sales associates include homeware, fine jewelry, elaborate textiles, and exotic ready-to-wear pieces.

Purchasing these items can enhance your profile and help you stand out to a sales associate.

Refrain from acting rude or indifferent, and remember to maintain a professional demeanor

At Hermès, entitlement and rude behavior are the biggest no-gos. I've even seen negative attitudes prohibit clients from future boutique visits.

I recommend keeping a positive attitude, cultivating curiosity when in a boutique, and engaging with a sales associate as you would with anyone in a professional setting.

I'd also be mindful that sales associates are there to make a living and provide an exclusive, luxury experience. After all, this is supposed to be a mutually beneficial relationship.

Don't put too much pressure on your sales associate

Navigating the Hermès shopping experience is much like managing a business relationship. In many boutiques, sales associates share their contact details with customers.

However, many people tend to take this as a sign to inundate them with questions. Instead, I recommend customers visit a boutique at their convenience and ask about the potential timeline for a high-ticket item as they shop for other goods.

If texting or calling is your only way to engage with a sales associate, use it to inquire about lower-ticket items you're interested in seeing once you visit.

I've found a lot of customers have unrealistic expectations

Some customers come in focused solely on coveting the one high-ticket item they saw all over social media.

However, I think two key points are crucial in navigating the Hermès shopping experience. First, keep in mind that sales associates value clients who engage with the brand and show genuine interest in Hermès' heritage.

Secondly, in my experience, sales associates don't earn a commission on bags like the Kelly and Birkin. Therefore, it may be wise to explore lesser-known areas within the brand, such as home goods, fragrances, or equestrian items your sales associate recommends.

This way, you'll be putting commission money in your sales associate's pocket, and they may feel more inclined to help you work your way to a coveted bag.

Don't switch between different sales associates or locations

Working your way toward a coveted bag at Hermès can feel like a high-stakes mental game. Customers often have to visit a boutique multiple times, so the path to owning these items can be lengthy.

Unfortunately, I've seen customers trying to game the system by visiting multiple boutiques or switching between sales associates in one location.

However, I recommend staying loyal to one associate and boutique, as some stores may prioritize their most devoted clients.

• Bill Skarsgård stars in "Nosferatu" as Count Orlok, the vampire.
• The remake of the 1922 film also features Lily Rose-Depp, Nicholas Hoult, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson.
• "Nosferatu" finishes with a sensual act of self-sacrifice. Here's what it means.

Warning spoilers ahead for the ending of "Nosferatu."

"Nosferatu," the 2024 remake of the classic 1922 horror movie, ends with a sensual act of self-sacrifice — which some viewers may find confusing.

The film tells the story of Thomas Hutter (Nicholas Hoult), an estate agent who must travel to a castle in the Carpathian mountains to complete the sale of a mansion in Germany for the mysterious Count Orlok (Bill Skarsgård).

Thomas soon discovers Orlok is a vampire who is obsessed with his wife, Ellen Hutter (Lily-Rose Depp).

While her husband is trapped in the castle miles away from home, Ellen is haunted at night by visions of Orlok, which send her into strange convulsions as if he's possessed her.

After Orlok makes his way to Germany, Ellen's situation worsens as he starts hunting her closest friends, and demands that she give herself to him as a lover. He even spreads a plague that decimates the city of Wisborg.

The film's dramatic ending reveals an older, deeper connection between Ellen and the Count, with the self-sacrifice as the crescendo.

Here's what it means.

Ellen Hutter started a psychic, sexual relationship with Count Orlok

The film starts with an ominous scene where a young Ellen calls to "a guardian angel, a spirit of comfort, a spirit of any celestial sphere, anything" to come end her deep loneliness that has sent her into a depression.

A monstrous version of Orlok appears, and Ellen convulses on the ground. A title card reads "years later…" and the story continues.

Ellen later tells her friend, professor Von Franz (Willem Dafoe), that she has always been able to tap into the supernatural and has clairvoyant abilities that allow her to predict future events, such as her parents' death.

This power enabled her to call out to Orlok and start their psychic, sexual relationship.

It emerges that Orlok requested Thomas to complete the sale of the mansion in person in order to trick him into signing divorce papers written in an unidentifiable language.

Ellen sacrifices herself to distract Orlok from the sunrise that kills him

Von Franz discovers an ancient book in the office of Orlok's servant, Herr Knock (Simon McBurney), which explains the only way to kill Orlok and end the plague is for a woman to sacrifice herself at night and distract the vampire from the sunrise.

Ellen agrees to sacrifice herself, but knows that her husband would not agree to the plan. Instead, Von Franz lies to Thomas that burning Orlok's coffin will kill him, and they head to the mansion.

While Thomas is away, Ellen leaves her window open for Orlok and welcomes him into her bed. They have sex while Orlok feasts on her blood, slowly killing her.

Her sacrifice might be confusing to viewers, but she does it to repent for starting the relationship and being indirectly responsible for the plague that Orlok unleashed on the city of Wisborg.

In doing so, she takes back her agency by refusing to be his victim any longer. She manipulates his obsession by giving him what he wants, knowing he won't be able to resist her.

Orlok is so distracted by feeding on Ellen that he doesn't realize the sun is starting to glare through the window. He lets out a chilling scream while blood pours from his eyes and mouth, and his body transforms into a hideous, shriveled corpse.

• Elon Musk made a string of bold posts on UK politics, calling for the prime minister to be removed.
• Some UK politicians embraced parts of his campaign, including a renewed focus on a rape-gang scandal.
• Others did not. Few joined the calls to remove PM Keir Starmer, who won an election in July.

Elon Musk on Friday deepened his feud with the government of the UK, calling for Prime Minister Keir Starmer to be removed from office.

The messages continued a trend of increasingly forthright political interventions by Musk, whose attention has moved beyond the US after his endorsement and support of President-elect Donald Trump.

In the past week, Musk has called for the removal of the government of Germany in forthcoming elections, as well as gradually escalating attacks on the UK's Labour government, which took power in July.

"Starmer must go," wrote Musk on Friday in a post viewed some 16 million times in less than six hours.

His argument was that Starmer did too little in an earlier role as Britain's chief prosecutor to combat the organized rape of girls.

The crimes began coming to light in 2002, with prominent cases in the English towns of Rochdale, Oldham, and Huddersfield.

They've resulted in scores of convictions, and been the subject of several inquiries, including a 2022 national inquiry.

Some critics of the original investigations have argued that the identity of the perpetrators — many of whom have Pakistani heritage — led to an inadequate response by authorities fearful of being called racist.

Musk's intervention prompted a mixed response among UK politicians. Kemi Badenoch, the leader of the opposition Conservative Party, said she agreed with Musk that there should be a formal inquiry into the issue, with a wider scope than the 2022 inquiry.

Reform UK, a smaller right-wing party led by Nigel Fararge, had already called for an inquiry as well. Musk has previously endorsed the party.

While the systemic rapes have been a part of public discourse for years, they were not an animating issue in the 2024 election, which Starmer's Labour Party won by a landslide.

UK politicians have generally not followed Musk in arguing that Starmer is unsuitable for office because of his role in leading prosecutions during his tenure from 2008 to 2013.

Starmer told The Times of London in 2012 that victims of grooming gangs had faced a "lack of understanding" and said he would order a restructuring of the way such cases are treated.

Wes Streeting, a Labour MP and member of Starmer's cabinet, pushed back at Musk's claims in a BBC interview on Friday.

"Some of the criticisms Elon Musk has made I think are misjudged and certainly misinformed," he said.

"But we're willing to work with Elon Musk who I think has got a big role to play with his social media platform to help us and other countries tackle these serious issues."

Alicia Kearns, a member of Badenoch's top team, told the BBC that Musk had "fallen prone" to sharing things on his X platform "without critically assessing them."

Bloomberg reported that UK right-wing politicians had privately contacted Trump's circle to warn against joining Musk in his support for Tommy Robinson, an imprisoned right-wing activist whom Musk has championed in his recent flurry of tweets.

Correction: January 3, 2025 — An earlier version of this story misspelled the name of Kemi Badenoch's team member. She's Alicia Kearns, not Alicia Kears.

• Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner met in 2007, married in 2009, and have three children.
• They served as White House advisors during Donald Trump's first term.
• Ivanka Trump was not active in Donald Trump's 2024 presidential campaign.

Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner remain an influential political couple even though they have said they don't plan to reprise their roles as White House advisors in President-elect Donald Trump's second term.

While Ivanka Trump stepped back from politics and opted out of the 2024 campaign trail, she and Kushner still appeared at the Republican National Convention and Donald Trump's victory party on election night. Kushner may also advise his father-in-law's administration on the Middle East in an unofficial capacity.

Ivanka Trump, who is Donald Trump's eldest daughter, converted to Judaism before marrying Kushner in 2009. They have three children: Arabella, Joseph, and Theodore.

Here's a timeline of Ivanka Trump and Kushner's relationship.

2007: Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner met at a networking lunch arranged by one of her longtime business partners.

Ivanka Trump and Kushner were both 25 at the time.

"They very innocently set us up thinking that our only interest in one another would be transactional," Ivanka Trump told Vogue in 2015. "Whenever we see them we're like, 'The best deal we ever made!'"

2008: Ivanka Trump and Kushner broke up because of religious differences.

Kushner was raised in the modern Orthodox Jewish tradition, and it was important to his family for him to marry someone Jewish. Ivanka Trump's family is Presbyterian.

2008: Three months later, the couple rekindled their romance on Rupert Murdoch's yacht.

In his memoir, "Breaking History," Kushner wrote that Murdoch's then-wife, Wendi Murdoch, was a mutual friend who invited them both on the yacht.

May 2009: They attended the Met Gala together for the first time.

The theme of the Met Gala that year was "The Model As Muse." Ivanka Trump wore a gown by designer Brian Reyes.

July 2009: Ivanka Trump completed her conversion to Judaism, and she and Kushner got engaged.

Kushner proposed with a 5.22-carat cushion-cut diamond engagement ring.

Ivanka Trump told New York Magazine that she and her fiancé were "very mellow."

"We go to the park. We go biking together. We go to the 2nd Avenue Deli," she said. "We both live in this fancy world. But on a personal level, I don't think I could be with somebody — I know he couldn't be with somebody — who needed to be 'on' all the time."

October 2009: Ivanka Trump and Kushner married at the Trump National Golf Club in New Jersey.

The couple invited 500 guests, including celebrities like Barbara Walters, Regis Philbin, and Anna Wintour, as well as politicians such as Rudy Giuliani and Andrew Cuomo.

July 2011: The couple welcomed their first child, Arabella.

"This morning @jaredkushner and I welcomed a beautiful and healthy little baby girl into the world," Ivanka announced on X, then Twitter. "We feel incredibly grateful and blessed. Thank you all for your support and well wishes!"

October 2013: Ivanka Trump gave birth to their second child, Joseph.

He was named for Kushner's paternal grandfather Joseph and given the middle name Frederick after Donald Trump's father.

March 2016: Kushner and Ivanka Trump welcomed their third child, Theodore, in the midst of Donald Trump's presidential campaign.

"I said, 'Ivanka, it would be great if you had your baby in Iowa.' I really want that to happen. I really want that to happen," Donald Trump told supporters in Iowa in January 2016.

May 2016: They attended the Met Gala two months after Ivanka Trump gave birth.

Ivanka Trump wore a red Ralph Lauren Collection halter jumpsuit.

On a 2017 episode of "The Late Late Show with James Corden," Anna Wintour said that she would never invite Donald Trump to another Met Gala.

January 2017: Ivanka Trump and Kushner attended President Trump's inauguration and danced together at the Liberty Ball.

The Liberty Ball was the first of three inaugural balls that Donald Trump attended.

January 2017: After the inauguration, Ivanka and Kushner relocated to a $5.5 million home in the Kalorama section of Washington, DC.

Ivanka Trump and Kushner rented the 7,000-square-foot home from billionaire Andrónico Luksic for $15,000 a month, The Wall Street Journal reported.

May 2017: They accompanied Donald Trump on his first overseas trip in office.

Kushner and Ivanka Trump both served as advisors to the president. For the first overseas trip of Donald Trump's presidency, they accompanied him to Saudi Arabia, Israel, the Vatican, and summits in Brussels and Sicily.

October 2019: The couple celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary with a lavish party at Camp David.

All of the Trump and Kushner siblings were in attendance. A White House official told CNN that the couple was covering the cost of the party, but Donald Trump tweeted that the cost would be "totally paid for by me!"

August 2020: Ivanka Trump spoke about moving their family to Washington, DC, at the Republican National Convention.

"When Jared and I moved with our three children to Washington, we didn't exactly know what we were in for," she said in her speech. "But our kids loved it from the start."

December 2020: Ivanka Trump and Kushner reportedly bought a $32 million empty lot in Indian Creek Village, Florida, known as Miami's "Billionaire Bunker."

Page Six reported that the couple purchased a 1.8-acre waterfront lot owned by singer Julio Iglesias, Enrique Iglesias' father.

The island where it sits has the nickname "Billionaire Bunker" thanks to its multitude of ultrawealthy residents over the years, including billionaire investor Carl Icahn, supermodel Adriana Lima, and former Miami Dolphins coach Don Shula.

January 2021: Kushner and Ivanka Trump skipped President Joe Biden's inauguration, flying with Donald Trump to his Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Florida, instead.

Donald Trump did not attend Biden's inauguration, breaking a long-standing norm in US democracy. While initial reports said that Ivanka Trump was planning to attend the inauguration, a White House official told People magazine that "Ivanka is not expected to attend the inauguration nor was she ever expected to."

January 2021: The couple signed a lease for a luxury Miami Beach condo near their Indian Creek Village property.

Ivanka Trump and Kushner signed a lease for a "large, unfurnished unit" in the amenities-packed Arte Surfside condominium building in Surfside, Florida.

Surfside, a beachside town just north of Miami Beach that's home to fewer than 6,000 people, is only a five-minute drive from Indian Creek Island, where they bought their $32 million empty lot.

April 2021: Ivanka Trump and Kushner reportedly added a $24 million mansion in Indian Creek Village to their Florida real-estate profile.

The Real Deal reported that Ivanka and Kushner purchased another Indian Creek property — this time, a 8,510-square-foot mansion situated on a 1.3-acre estate.

June 2021: Several outlets reported that the couple began to distance themselves from Donald Trump due to his fixation on conspiracy theories about the 2020 election.

CNN reported that Trump was prone to complain about the 2020 election and falsely claim it was "stolen" from him to anyone listening and that his "frustrations emerge in fits and starts — more likely when he is discussing his hopeful return to national politics."

While Ivanka and Kushner had been living in their Miami Beach condo, not far from Trump's Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, they'd visited Trump less and less frequently and were absent from big events at Mar-a-Lago, CNN said.

The New York Times also reported that Kushner wanted "to focus on writing his book and establishing a simpler relationship" with the former president.

October 2021: Ivanka Trump and Kushner visited Israel's parliament for the inaugural event of the Abraham Accords Caucus.

The Abraham Accords, which Kushner helped broker in August 2020, normalized relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco.

During their visit, Ivanka Trump and Kushner met with then-former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and attended an event at the Museum of Tolerance Jerusalem with former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

August 2022: Kushner released his memoir, "Breaking History," in which he wrote about their courtship.

"In addition to being arrestingly beautiful, which I knew before we met, she was warm, funny, and brilliant," he wrote of getting to know Ivanka Trump. "She has a big heart and a tremendous zest for exploring new things."

He also wrote that when he told Donald Trump that he was planning a surprise engagement, Trump "picked up the intercom and alerted Ivanka that she should expect an imminent proposal."

November 2022: Kushner attended Donald Trump's 2024 campaign announcement without Ivanka Trump.

Ivanka Trump released a statement explaining her absence from the event.

"I love my father very much," her statement read. "This time around, I am choosing to prioritize my children and the private life we are creating as a family. I do not plan to be involved in politics. While I will always love and support my father, going forward I will do so outside the political arena."

July 2024: Ivanka Trump and Kushner made a rare political appearance at the Republican National Convention.

Ivanka Trump did not campaign for her father or give a speech as she had at past Republican National Conventions, but she and Jared Kushner joined Trump family members onstage after Donald Trump's remarks.

November 2024: They joined members of the Trump family in Palm Beach, Florida, to celebrate Donald Trump's election victory.

Kushner told Axios in February that he would not rejoin the Trump administration as a senior advisor for a second term, but CNN and the Israeli newspaper Israel Hayom reported that he would serve as a Middle East advisor in an unofficial capacity.

• We asked interior designers which home-decor trends they think will be popular in 2025.
• Some predict vibrant wallcoverings and color drenching will make rooms in homes pop.
• One designer said people will start designing with all five senses in mind to make immersive spaces.

As another year arrives, so do many new interior-design trends.

To get an idea of what to expect, Business Insider asked interior designers about the big home-decor trends they believe will be popular in 2025.

Here's what they had to say.

Brown is on track to be the most popular color this year.

Brown is predicted to be huge in 2025 — after all, Pantone's Color of the Year is a rich shade of it, Mocha Mousse.

Carly Filbin, co-owner of and principal designer at Blue Jay Interiors, said the color will have staying power for years, and it'll be especially popular for upholstery in the coming months.

"Everyone is tired of white and ready to introduce more color," she told BI. "I expect this trend will last for several years at least as people appreciate the warm, earthy tones and the cozy feeling brown provides."

Color drenching will allow homeowners to showcase their unique styles.

The designer also expects to see more color drenching as we head into the new year. This design technique involves painting just about every surface in a space (from the walls and trim to doorframes and accents) in a single shade or similar ones.

"People are becoming more daring with color, especially in contained or smaller spaces," Filbin told BI.

She predicts this trend will stay popular for years to come because it's so versatile — color-drenching can be done with all sorts of styles and shades.

Vibrant wallcoverings are here to stay.

BI has spoken to multiple designers who have said this year is all about people personalizing their homes and adding color and personality to their spaces.

With that in mind, Filbin said, wallcoverings in all styles, textures, and prints will likely make a comeback in 2025.

After all, the right textured wallpaper or fabric "can completely transform the look of a space" and add personality to it.

Layered neutrals may add more depth across homes.

Philip Thomas Vanderford, founder and lead interior designer at Studio Thomas James, told BI that neutral palettes will evolve beyond traditional whites and beiges this year.

People are moving "away from stark minimalism, instead offering a rich, tactile experience that feels both modern and timeless," he said.

We can expect to see more complex tones, like warm taupe or stony gray, and people mixing and layering different neutral shades. Doing so can add depth to a space and elevate it while keeping it feeling calm.

Refined outdoor sanctuaries could become a top priority in 2025.

Outdoor spaces are having a major moment, and Vanderford expects to see homeowners invest in them even more in 2025.

He said many of his clients are prioritizing wellness and entertaining right now — they want to create private escapes they can visit without ever leaving home.

Vanderford told BI that he predicts this shift will "drive demand for innovations in weather-resistant luxury materials and the rise of boutique outdoor furniture brands."

Homeowners might start to design spaces with a multisensory approach in mind.

Michelle Shapiro, cofounder and interior designer at Dwellier Design, expects to see a rise in people curating spaces that entertain all five senses.

"Multisensory interior design goes beyond visual appeal with textured surfaces, soundscapes, and signature scents to create a multilayered sensory experience," she told BI.

Shapiro said the "fully immersive nature of these designs" can feel soothing, creating a "spa-like sense of escape" in an increasingly digital world.

Textured walls may also take center stage.

"Finishes like plaster, microcement, and limed paint are becoming go-to choices for adding depth and character to homes," Shapiro said.

She added that textured materials provide a "perfectly imperfect, organic feel" that adds warmth to a room.

We'll probably see people incorporate more natural materials into their homes.

Dominique Bonet, lead designer at ld&d, predicts more people will focus on natural materials and thoughtful, durable designs that create serene and sophisticated spaces.

She said she's already starting to see natural materials "reimagined" and showcased in new ways in luxury homes.

"Textured stones like marble and granite are no longer confined to just countertops or floors — they're being used as impressive feature walls or architectural details, offering a sense of organic elegance," Bonet told BI.

• Ryan Serhant's firm raised $45 million from Camber Creek and Left Lane Capital.
• Much of the money will go toward growing the firm's AI platform, S.mple.
• S.mple isn't Serhant's first app. He told BI how he turned past failures into success.

Despite Ryan Serhant's standout 2024, he hasn't escaped failure. After creating two apps that ultimately faltered, he's on to his third, raising millions to help catapult it to success.

In December, the real-estate mogul announced that his brokerage firm, Serhant, had raised $45 million in its first equity funding round from the capital firms Camber Creek and Left Lane Capital.

His firm, which he founded in 2020, also increased its year-over-year sales volume by over $1 billion, its annual letter said. In June, Serhant, who starred on Bravo's "Million Dollar Listing New York," debuted his own Netflix show, "Owning Manhattan," which was greenlighted for a second season.

Traditional brokerage firms aren't typically venture-backed. Serhant told Business Insider that much of the VC funding the firm raised would go toward growing its AI-powered app, S.mple.

As its name implies, S.mple is designed to simplify brokers' administrative work as independent contractors, allowing more time for selling real estate.

Serhant told CNBC last month that the firm's nearly 1,000 agents had been using the app, which launched last January, and that it had saved the firm more than the equivalent of 625 working days in admin time.

S.mple, available only to Serhant agents, allows agents to manage contracts, marketing materials, sales follow-ups, customer-relationship-management metrics, and more from their phones. It's designed to streamline those processes, taking over much of the administrative side of the work.

"It's Instacart for salespeople," Serhant told BI. "It's the least sexy part of what we do."

Contrary to the app's name, the road to launching it was far from simple. Two previous app ventures, Univers, a real-estate brokerage in the metaverse, and Spaces, a video-editing tool, failed to take off as Serhant hoped. But he wasn't deterred.

Serhant broke down his missteps for BI and explained how he learned from his mistakes.

Listen to what people are asking for, not what you imagine they need

In 2022, Serhant launched Univers, a headquarters for his namesake brokerage in the metaverse that allowed teams anywhere in the world to meet.

Its futuristic virtual office tower was populated with robots, agent avatars, and elevators that moved like spaceships.

It might've been eye-catching, but Serhant said agents didn't find it as useful as he had envisioned. Features like the ability to choose their avatars' hair color or wardrobe weren't helping agents close deals in the real world.

"It didn't actually solve any immediate problems for them," he said.

Serhant realized the same was true for Spaces, a video-editing app he created in 2022 to help sellers' agents design virtual tours and marketing materials.

Serhant saw the potential, but the agents did not. They were more likely to use existing apps and tools they were comfortable with.

"The biggest lesson was don't just give customers what you think they need," Serhant said. "A lot of times it's just about really asking and listening to direct feedback."

He added that the roadblocks Univers and Spaces faced helped him learn about the app-development world.

Serhant said that now he's comfortable interviewing engineers and developers and discussing how they develop models or use machine-learning technologies.

"I didn't know what to ask before," Serhant said. "I didn't know what I didn't know."

He said he persevered because he believes that making useful tech for real-estate agents is good business. He compared his app-development journey to a lawnmower that doesn't start immediately.

"You have to figure out how to get it going," Serhant said.

• Tesla's disappointing sales could be a wake-up call for investors.
• JPMorgan estimated that Trump's proposed cuts to EV subsidies could cost Tesla $3.2 billion.
• Musk's car company benefits from existing emissions regulations.

Tesla is poised for a tough year under the second Trump administration, despite CEO Elon Musk's friendship with the president-elect.

Following disappointing fourth-quarter sales results and a 6% dip in Tesla shares on Thursday, JPMorgan said more trouble could be ahead.

The bank's analysts estimated that, based on Trump's proposals to remove EV tax credits and subsidies that help make Teslas more affordable, about 40% of Tesla's profits would be in danger after Trump takes office.

Musk's car company is already seeing a slowdown in demand — on Thursday it reported a drop in annual vehicle sales for the first time.

"Tesla does not appear to us on track to dominate the global auto industry amidst the electrification transition, which we view as only the starting point for present valuation," the analyst Ryan Brinkman wrote in a note to clients on Friday morning.

Tesla said it sold about 1.79 million cars in 2024, down slightly from a record 1.8 million sales in 2023 and its first year-over-year decrease since becoming a major player. The results rounded out a year when Tesla finally started to feel the pinch of a larger slowdown in the EV market as consumers gravitated toward more affordable and practical hybrids.

The results also slightly reversed a stunning postelection rally for Tesla's stock price, as investors were encouraged by Musk's proximity to the White House and his new extragovernmental commission's work to relax autonomous-vehicle regulations that restrict Tesla's big robotaxi plans.

Brinkman argued that Thursday's sales results should be investors' wake-up call.

"The slowing of deliveries, even ahead of a likely subsidy removal, we think has the potential to refocus investors on the deterioration in deliveries, revenue, gross profit, EBIT, EPS, and FCF estimates across all periods," Brinkman wrote, reiterating a bearish $135 price target for the stock.

Musk has insisted that removing EV subsidies would benefit Tesla, but Brinkman disagreed. He estimated that Tesla has the most to lose from shifting regulations under Trump, costing it about $3.2 billion, as government subsidies account for a reliable minority of Tesla's revenue.

Tesla's regulatory-credits business has for years provided a reliable cash flow. Essentially, Tesla makes money on the EVs its competitors don't sell when these companies purchase Tesla's extra regulatory credits. Additionally, Tesla's most affordable vehicle, the Model 3, benefits from the $7,500 tax credit applied to some new EV purchases under the Inflation Reduction Act.

Tesla shares rebounded slightly on Friday morning, up by about 4%.

• I'm on a budget and enjoy following a Mediterranean diet using ingredients from Trader Joe's. 
• Trader Joe's is my go-to place to buy olive oil and some affordable seasonal veggies. 
• I try to keep my kitchen stocked with Mediterranean classics like beans and fresh tomatoes. 

Each time I travel to the Mediterranean, I find myself falling in love with the food over and over again at every meal.

Many of the dishes are wildly fresh, and the Mediterranean diet emphasizes foods like fresh produce, whole grains, olive oil, fish, legumes, and eggs.

When I return to the US after a trip, I combat post-travel blues by enjoying many of the same foods at home. Fortunately, I've found that I can get many Mediterranean-inspired staples at Trader Joe's at a reasonable price.

Here are some of my favorite buys.

Olive oil is a staple in Mediterranean cooking for a good reason — it's simple and delicious.

I pick up Italian extra-virgin olive oil at Trader Joe's.

The best quality olive oil is extra virgin, meaning the oil is extracted the first time the olives are pressed for their liquid.

My favorite part about olive oil is its versatility. I use it as a nonstick agent on my pans, a base for sautéeing veggies, and a topper for added garnish and flavor.

Trader Joe's often has a large variety of fresh herbs.

When creating my shopping list, I prioritize what I can purchase fresh — especially when it comes to herbs.

After all, any dish can be elevated with fresh herbs.

If I know I need to use my herbs over an extended period, I put them in a resealable bag with a damp paper towel in the fridge to help extend their freshness.

A freshly sliced tomato adds the perfect crunch to a sandwich.

Trader Joe's has several tomato varieties, from cherry tomatoes for easy snacking to Roma tomatoes for making sauces.

I prefer to purchase tomatoes on the vine because I find they have a longer shelf life. Longevity is a priority because I'm only meal-prepping for one.

I know I can find fresh, in-season produce at my local Trader Joe's.

An essential part of the Mediterranean diet is eating whatever fruits and vegetables are in season.

So, I stock up on seasonal vegetables at Trader Joe's, where I find produce in season is often centerstage and reasonably priced.

I also like to check Trader Joe's website for recipe inspiration for my seasonal veggies.

Most of my dishes use onions and garlic.

There's a reason garlic and onion are classics in Mediterranean cooking: Both are delicious and high in natural antioxidants.

My Trader Joe's carries a wide selection of onions, so I always know it will almost always have the variety I want. However, I also love swapping basic white onions for the more delicately flavored shallot.

I like to dice onion and garlic, sauté them in olive oil, and store them in an airtight container in my fridge to use throughout the week for omelets, veggies, and pasta.

I make sure I'm always stocked up on canned beans.

I've found that beans are a popular source of protein for the Mediterranean diet.

I use canned beans to whip up quick dips and salads that pair perfectly with fresh sliced bread. Sometimes, I blend them with fresh herbs, pasta water, and lemon juice to make a creamy protein-packed sauce.

Pasta is my favorite comfort food, and Trader Joe's has plenty of varieties of it.

Although not necessarily a crucial part of the Mediterranean diet, pasta is a great base if you want to consume more legumes and veggies. Sometimes, I also top my pasta with a white-bean sauce to create a high-protein dish.

I like to stock up on several different pasta shapes so I never get bored mixing and matching them with new sauces.

Click to keep reading Trader Joe's diaries like this one.

This story was originally published on January 2, 2024, and most recently updated on January 3, 2025.

• The US Department of Transportation hit JetBlue with a $2 million fine for delayed flights.
• The DOT said the airline's unrealistic flight schedules were deceptive and anticompetitive.
• Half of the $2 million fine is set to go toward compensating JetBlue customers.

The Department of Transportation said on Friday that it was fining JetBlue Airways $2 million for operating chronically delayed flights.

It said the first-of-its-kind penalty followed an investigation that found that JetBlue promised its customers unrealistic schedules that didn't reflect actual flight departure and arrival times on four routes between its bases in New York and Florida and destinations in North Carolina and Connecticut. The agency described this as a deceptive and anticompetitive way to generate business.

The department said it was looking into similar practices by other carriers but didn't go into specifics.

In recent years, many airlines have padded their flight schedules with additional time to help their crews absorb weather, mechanical, air-traffic-control, or airport-congestion issues and still arrive on time.

The department said that half the $2 million would be paid in cash to the US Treasury and the other half would be set aside as compensation for JetBlue passengers harmed by future delayed flights. It said compensation and vouchers for each affected passenger must be valued at at least $75.

The data provider Cirium said that just 74.5% of JetBlue flights managed to stay on schedule last year, putting it behind all its major US competitors. Only Frontier had a lower on-time percentage.

JetBlue argued that the government should upgrade the nation's air-traffic-control system to increase reliability for all flights.

"We appreciate how important it is to our customers to arrive to their destinations on-time and work very hard to operate our flights as scheduled," the airline said. "While we've reached a settlement to resolve this matter regarding four flights in 2022 and 2023, we believe accountability for reliable air travel equally lies with the US government, which operates our nation's air traffic control system."

The US is experiencing a shortage of air-traffic controllers, which has limited airports' ability to handle high traffic and resulted in heavy delays during holiday travel and summer vacations. United Airlines recently said that 343,000 of its customers were harmed in November by delays caused by air-traffic-controller shortages at its hub at Newark Liberty International Airport.

Shares of JetBlue fell by about 2% in trading on Friday morning.

• I try to follow the Mediterranean diet and shop at Aldi for tasty, affordable groceries.
• I pick up my staples like lemons, balsamic vinegar, marinated artichokes, and raw honey.
• Aldi has quick meals like frozen seafood paella and gyros that also suit my nutrition goals. 

I'm a home cook and I enjoy making Mediterranean-diet-inspired dishes with a twist.

The Mediterranean diet is a flexible eating style that focuses on fresh produce, healthy fats, legumes, and whole grains — it also limits the intake of processed foods, red meat, and refined sugars. Doctors and dietitians have now voted it the healthiest diet for eight years in a row. 

Fortunately, the budget grocer Aldi has a lot of ingredients and freezer staples that make it easier to eat this way. Here are my favorite things to buy at Aldi when I'm trying to follow the Mediterranean diet.

Lemons are prominent in Mediterranean cuisines, and I use every part of the fruit.

Lemons are a grocery staple for me, as they're often the star ingredient in Mediterranean-inspired meals and drinks.

In addition to using it in recipes, I squeeze lemon juice in my water or tea every morning and put the zest in my nondairy yogurt as a midday snack.

Grapes are naturally sweet and make an excellent addition to charcuterie boards.

I love that grapes satisfy my sweet tooth without also giving me a sugar high.

Sometimes, I'll put Specially Selected grapes on charcuterie boards alongside manchego cheese, goat cheese, roasted almonds, toasted baguette slices, pine nuts, cucumber slices, bell peppers, and roasted-garlic hummus. 

I also like to slice grapes in half, freeze them, and drop them in my drinks like ice cubes to sweeten them without using sugar. 

Tomatoes are almost always on my grocery list.

Tomatoes are a hit in marinara sauces and Greek salads, but I think the fruits' true magic is their ability to maintain their flavor and texture in pretty much any dish. 

Roma tomatoes are always on my grocery list, whether I use them for minestrone soup or bake them into a puff pastry topped with feta cheese.

They also give me a dose of vitamin C, potassium, and lycopene, a plant nutrient in tomatoes that researchers have linked to several health benefits.

South Mill Champs' stuffed mushrooms stuffed are delicious and light.

I didn't always enjoy eating mushrooms, but incorporating more Mediterranean-inspired ingredients into my diet has inspired me to try more foods I thought I'd never like.

Now, I love making mushrooms at home. One of my favorite buys is the South Mill Champs mushrooms stuffed with spinach-and-artichoke filling. Since they're premade, I don't have to worry about following a recipe.

The mushrooms are small enough to serve as a side dish or to eat as a light snack.

A little bit of goat cheese goes a long way.

Even if I only add a small dollop of goat cheese to my salads and charcuterie boards, I still get a punch of tangy flavor. 

Aldi carries a range of goat cheeses, though I particularly love the Emporium Selection garlic-and-herb variety. It's great to spread on toasted crostini, and I recommend topping it with chopped tomatoes and avocado.

Park Street Deli's chickpea salad is packed with fiber and flavor.

There are so many things you can do with chickpeas, from putting them in salads and stews to making them into hummus and falafel. 

One of my favorite ways to enjoy them is in the Park Street Deli chickpea salad, which has edamame, cranberries, carrots, and bell peppers. The cranberries' sweetness cuts through the vinegar dressing's acidity, and the crisp bell peppers complement the edamame.

The Specially Selected oven-baked flatbread takes very little time to prepare and tastes excellent.

I like picking up Specially Selected flatbreads at Aldi, which tend to be large and full of flavor. They're also easy to customize. 

I love topping them with different Mediterranean flavors, like grilled chicken with feta, artichoke, spinach, roasted chickpeas, mushrooms, shallots, and goat cheese with pesto. I usually drizzle balsamic vinegar on top to finish it off.

 

Pestos pair well with flatbreads, pasta, hummus, and so much more.

Pesto makes a great base in so many recipes, and Priano often has different varieties of the sauce.

Its alla Genovese pesto is green, nutty, and garlicky. Its red rosso pesto is more tomato-forward and equally delicious.

I toss warm linguine in the green, basil-based pesto and spread the red, tomato-based pesto on flatbread. Sometimes I mix either into hummus to add some flavor or use them to season chicken, beef, veal, and seafood.

I keep Tuscan Garden marinated artichoke hearts in my pantry to dress up salads and pizzas.

Artichoke hearts and leaves have so many vitamins and minerals. 

Some people eat the Tuscan Garden marinated artichoke hearts straight out of the jar, but I like to experiment with them, whether I'm adding zest to simple salads or using them as a pizza topping. 

Savoritz Parmesan crisps are a high-protein, low-carb alternative to potato chips.

I don't focus on limiting or cutting out carbs, but I care about finding delicious alternatives that are better for my health.

Savoritz Parmesan crisps have 13 grams of protein and 1 gram of carbs per serving, which aligns with my nutrition goals. I like to crunch Savoritz Parmesan crisps over a Caesar salad or use them as crackers on a charcuterie board.

Priano balsamic vinegar adds a nice acidity to salad, pizza, and meat.

I use Priano's balsamic vinegar to make a Mediterranean-inspired salad dressing, combining high-quality olive oil, freshly squeezed lemon juice, garlic, and Italian herbs and spices.

I pour this mixture over romaine lettuce, tomato wedges, thinly sliced red onions, cucumber slices, and a chunk of Greek feta. Sometimes, I add a roasted marinated lamb leg or chicken breast to the salad for extra flavor and protein. 

When I can't decide which hummus I want, I choose Park Street Deli's pack of four.

Hummus is such a large part of Mediterranean cuisine that it needs no introduction. However, it can be hard to choose which flavor I want to have in my refrigerator until my next grocery run.

Park Street Deli's hummus quartet solves that problem by offering four flavors in one container: classic, roasted red pepper, roasted garlic, and cilantro jalapeño. I try to buy this variety pack whenever I can find it. 

Although I'm not a huge fan of jalapeño, I've spread this hummus on turkey wraps and avocado toast, and it isn't the worst combination I've ever tried.

 

Aldi's Mediterranean-herb salmon is an easy-to-prepare, delicious entrée.

Aldi's delicious Atlantic salmon tends to be affordable and it's the star of many of my meals. I especially like the one seasoned with Mediterranean herbs — they give the fish so much flavor.

I like to pair it with a vegetable medley that includes broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, carrots, and green beans.

The Mediterranean-herb salmon also goes well with Greek lemon potatoes or pasta in a light sauce with lemon and garlic butter.

The Bremer gyro-sandwich kit is a top-notch lunch option.

As a freelancer running my own business, it can be hard to pull myself away from work. 

Luckily, Bremer's gyro kit has everything I need for a quick lunch, including 16 ounces of fully cooked gyro meat, 8 ounces of tzatziki sauce, and five pieces of pita bread. 

The gyro meat can be warmed in the microwave or on a skillet for a quick, delicious lunch or dinner. 

 

When I can't make paella from scratch, I look for this Specially Selected frozen meal.

Spanish paella is typically made using a saffron-and-seafood broth, which gets absorbed into the rice during the cooking process. Then, seafood — like fish, shrimp, clams, squids, and mussels — adds the flavors of the Mediterranean Sea.

Whenever I can find it, I like to pick up Specially Selected's frozen Spanish seafood paella. It's a great meal for busy nights with pollock, shrimp, and calamari. 

I use raw honey in many Mediterranean-inspired recipes.

When I visited Spain and Greece in 2022, I liked seeing locals use honey to sweeten their meals and desserts. It's a smart, obvious, and natural way to enhance the flavors of Mediterranean cuisine.

I like to drizzle Specially Selected raw honey over rich Italian pizza to create a contrast between sweet and savory flavors or dip Greek doughnuts in a honey-and-cinnamon mixture. 

No matter how I use it, raw honey is a delicious way to add sweetness to a dish.

Click to keep reading Aldi diaries like this one.

This story was originally published on March 6, 2023, and most recently updated on January 3, 2025.

• The US Surgeon General has released a new report highlighting that moderate drinking can cause cancer.
• Richard Piper, an alcohol harm expert used to drink heavily.
• His 'dry by default' rule helped him reduce the risks of drinking without going sober.

This story was originally published in November 2024. On January 3, 2025, the US surgeon general said drinking alcohol was a leading risk factor for developing cancer. He recommended updating warning labels on beverages and adjusting the consumption levels health officials suggest.

At 52, Richard Piper runs often, feels full of energy, weighs less, and enjoys concerts and holidays more than he did at 42 — which he attributes to being "dry by default."

Piper told Business Insider that he drank heavily every day for years. But after becoming the CEO of Alcohol Change UK, a harm reduction charity, in 2017, he realized he needed to change his drinking habits.

He joined a growing number of people who are drinking less, particularly Gen Zers and millennials. A survey carried out by Gallop between 2021 and 2023 found that 62% of respondents, who were adults aged 18 to 34 in the US, drank alcohol, down from 72% between 2001 and 2003.

Being "dry by default" means Piper is sober most of the time but will drink on rare occasions — for example, when a non-alcoholic alternative to a beer he likes isn't available.

He prefers this over being sober because he can lower his risk of alcohol-related harm without following "permanent lifelong rules," he said.

On Friday, Vivek Murthy, the US Surgeon General, issued a new report stating that alcohol is a leading preventable cause of cancer and increases the risk of developing at least seven types of cancer, including breast, mouth, and colorectal. Murthy called for more awareness of the causal link between drinking alcohol and cancer when people decide whether or how much to drink.

"There is no such thing as healthy drinking," Piper said before Murthy's report was published. "But there's more risky drinking and less risky drinking. And the less you drink, the healthier it is."

Research suggests all drinking is harmful — even in moderation

Some studies have suggested that moderate drinking could be better for you than not drinking. But more recent studies have indicated that the data that pointed to this was flawed — it didn't take into account that people are more likely to stop drinking if they're ill or dealing with addiction, meaning their ill health was in spite of not drinking, not because of it.

Now, growing evidence suggests that no amount of alcohol is safe.

According to the US Surgeon General's report, 25% of cancer cases worldwide in 2020 occurred in people who drank two or fewer alcoholic drinks a day.

Drinking alcohol brings risks to other parts of people's lives, too, not just health. "Alcohol can lead to poor decision-making — about getting home safely, about who you talk to, and what you say to them — and makes many of us do things that we wouldn't do otherwise," Piper said.

You don't have to quit drinking to lower the health risks

The US Department of Health and Human Services recommends adults drink moderately, meaning fewer than one to two drinks a day, or don't drink at all.

One to two units of alcohol a week is genuinely low risk for dying from alcohol and alcohol-related issues, Piper said.

Generally, most people would see benefits from drinking less, he said — including losing weight, saving money, sleeping better, having more energy, and easing depression and anxiety. And that's on top of things you can't see, such as lower cancer risks.

"Make sure you have a really good reason for having a drink," he said, and that the benefits of drinking outweigh the risks.

"Basically the less you drink, the better for your health, your mental health, and your well-being," Piper said, even if you don't give up completely.

"It's always good to have a few days off a week. Alcohol should be on the periphery of our lives, not at the center," he said.