• A judge in Manhattan denied the Alexander brothers bail in their sex-trafficking case on Wednesday.
• The denial followed a contentious hearing over whether the three brothers are dangerous or a flight risk.
• The judge criticized a lawyer who argued a woman can't be incapacitated if she can still stand up.

A judge in Manhattan denied bail on Wednesday for the Alexander brothers in their federal sex trafficking case, meaning they will remain jailed in Miami pending trial.

Oren and Tal Alexander were luxury real-estate agents in Miami Beach and Manhattan before they and Oren's twin, Alon, were indicted in December. The three have denied wrongdoing and have pleaded not guilty to federal sex trafficking charges.

The bail denial by US District Judge Valerie E. Caproni followed a contentious three-hour hearing, during which one defense lawyer argued that the brothers were no longer "orgying" and another said a woman can't be incapacitated if she can still stand up.

That latter claim sparked a harsh retort from the judge.

"That is nonsense," Caproni told a lawyer for Oren Alexander, interrupting his attack on a key piece of evidence — a 2009 video showing either Oren or his twin, Alon, having sex with a woman that the government alleges was incapacitated.

"I'm just telling you, if that's your argument, you lose," the judge told the lawyer.

The testy exchange was begun by Deanna Paul, a defense lawyer for the twins' older brother, Tal, who told the judge that the sex-trafficking indictment is based on weak evidence.

The indictment alleges that for 10 years starting in 2010, the siblings conspired to use their wealth and prominence in the luxury real estate world to rape or assault more than 40 women, mostly in Manhattan and Miami and often through the use of the drug GHB.

Halfway through Wednesday's hearing, which the brothers did not attend, Paul mentioned that key prosecution evidence — the 2009 video. She criticized its probative value, telling the judge it "shows the lack of force" during a consensual sexual encounter.

"In my view, having sex with a woman who is physically incapacitated is basically rape," the judge responded, citing the prosecution's description of the video.

The judge asked prosecutor Andrew Jones to describe the video more fully, which he then did publicly for the first time. He called it a "trophy" tape that the government had seized as evidence, and said it depicts one of the twins having sex with a woman he said the government has not spoken to.

Jones said he wasn't sure if the video shows Oren or Alon, but that as it begins, "one of these very stone-cold sober defendants sets up a tripod."

"There's a woman on the bed. She's naked," Jones continued. "When she tries to speak, it's incoherent. She is mumbling," and she appears unable to move, he told the judge.

After the alleged rape, "she manages to stand on the floor, but then collapses back on the bed," the prosecutor said the video shows.

Later in the hearing, the video was mentioned again by a lawyer for Oren Alexander, Richard Klugh.

He referred to the woman in the video as "the sexual partner" of either of the twins and "the woman who stood up immediately after having sex."

He said prosecutors are misrepresenting evidence when they say the woman was unable to speak, given that "she was mumbling."

"You cannot call someone incapacitated who is able to stand up," he added — at which point the judge called his assessment "nonsense."

At the end of the hearing, Caproni rejected defense arguments that the siblings were neither a danger to the community nor a flight risk, and that, as Klugh put it, "there's been no more orgying. They're married."

She also turned down a $115 million bail package and a promise that the three would live together in Florida on home confinement. The home would have an in-house security team, window sensors, and an alarm system, the defense lawyers had said.

Caproni said her denial was based in large part on federal appellate case law from New York's Second Circuit that bars judges from accepting a two-tiered bail system where only wealthy defendants can spend money for 24-hour monitoring by an in-house security team.

"I have real problems with that," she said. "In the Second Circuit, if the only way I can mitigate danger to the community is to create a private jail, then I can't do that."

Caproni set the trio's next court date for January 29.

• Biden delivered his farewell address to the nation on Wednesday, days before he leaves office.
• Biden warned of an oligarchy taking shape in the US and a "tech industrial complex."
• He also said AI posed opportunities and risks and that the US must lead the way over China.

President Joe Biden delivered stark warnings for the American people during his farewell address to the nation Wednesday night, capping a 50-year career in politics less than a week before his one-term presidency comes to an end.

Biden highlighted some accomplishments of his term, including the passage of major climate legislation and a gun-safety law. But he also said he wanted to warn the country about "the dangerous concentration of power in the hands of a very few ultra-wealthy people and the dangerous consequences if their abuse of power is left unchecked."

"Today, an oligarchy is taking shape in America of extreme wealth, power, and influence that literally threatens our entire democracy, our basic rights and freedoms, and a fair shot for everyone to get ahead," he said, adding that the wealthy needed to "pay their fair share of taxes" and play by the same rules as everyone else.

Biden also said he was concerned about "the potential rise of a tech industrial complex" that could pose real dangers for the US, citing a "concentration of technology, power, and wealth."

"Americans are being buried under an avalanche of misinformation and disinformation, enabling the abuse of power. The free press is crumbling, editors are disappearing. Social media is giving up on fact checking," Biden said, seemingly a reference to Meta moving away from third-party fact checkers. "The truth is smothered by lies told for power and for profit."

Biden said artificial intelligence posed both opportunities and risks for American society, security, and the economy.

"But unless safeguards are in place, AI could spawn new threats to our rights, our way of life, to our privacy, how we work and how we protect our nation. We must make sure AI is safe and trustworthy and good for all humankind," he said, adding, "And as the land of liberty, America, not China, must lead the world of the development of AI."

Biden's remarks on AI came a day after he signed an executive order to speed up AI infrastructure projects in the US. On Monday he also announced new chip rules aimed at advancing AI development in US-allied countries in an effort to counter China.

At the start of the address, Biden briefly addressed the Gaza cease-fire agreement that the White House had announced earlier on Wednesday after more than a year of conflict in the area.

Biden said the plan was developed and negotiated by his team and would largely be implemented by President-elect Donald Trump's incoming administration. "That's why I told my team to keep the incoming administration fully informed, because that's how it should be — working together as Americans," he said.

A senior administration official said in a call Wednesday evening the Biden administration worked for several months on the terms of the negotiation with officials from Egypt and Qatar, but in its final days, members of Trump's administration joined the discussions to help finalize the agreement. The official also said the transition from one president to the next helped to create a deadline for the negotiations.

In his message on Wednesday, Biden also emphasized his belief in and the importance of safeguarding American institutions and democracy.

Trump is set to be sworn into office on January 20, kicking off his second term in the White House.

Biden's presidency is ending after he dropped out of the presidential race last year to serve a second term amid concerns about his age and mental acuity.

• As Malaysia enters a period of political stability, its new dream is to become a regional tech hub.
• Investments and startups are flowing into the country, but it's still early days.
• Despite its last tech mega-project failing, insiders told BI they see a winning plan this time.

Kean Wei Kong's hands snapped from the wheel as we hit the highway in the midday rain.

His sedan, a Malaysian-made Proton S70, kept cruising on its own, flowing with the traffic snaking into Kuala Lumpur.

The bespectacled 28-year-old, a former insurance salesman, was taking me for a spin of what he and two college friends were selling: a plug-and-play dashcam that uses AI to drive your family car.

Their company is Kommu, one of the 4,000 Malaysian startups the federal government hopes will form a key pillar of a new Asian tech boom. As the nation exits an era of political turmoil, founders like Kean say they're hopeful.

"The younger generations are stepping up," he said as he crossed his arms, letting the car do the work. "We're no longer thinking of survival. It's more like we're in an innovation phase."

Born from years of tweaking open-source code, Kean's software controls limited steering and acceleration. It's nothing that EV makers like Tesla aren't already selling, but he and his buddies custom-engineered their product, made with Chinese phone parts, for Malaysia's national auto brands.

Their pitch is that for $800, the owner of a $10,000 hatchback can plug in Kean's dashcam via two cables and get partial self-driving.

Kean is unsure if their product is legal, though he said they haven't seen trouble from authorities and secured prize money from a government-affiliated competition.

"It's like a gray area. Malaysia isn't a very regulated country yet," he said. "That's why there are opportunities for startups like us."

Off to a good start

A political reckoning saw Malaysia cycle through five prime ministers in six years, until Anwar Ibrahim, the current prime minister, squeezed through the November 2022 national polls through a coalition.

As the dust settles, more than a dozen local tech insiders told Business Insider that Malaysia feels like it's on the cusp of a new chapter. Anwar champions the idea of the next era in the nation's economy, rallying his government for an all-out push to develop Southeast Asia's version of Silicon Valley.

The prime minister described Malaysia's new effort as "a clear break from the past," saying in May that the country had missed opportunities for tech investments in previous years.

Malaysia is banking on more than just stability. It commands vast reserves of land and water, useful for facilities like data centers run by Intel, Nvidia, and ByteDance. US-China tensions and the Ukraine war brought a wave of investors looking to park funds in new havens. And Malaysia's popular but spatially constrained neighbor, Singapore, is contending with surging living and business costs.

Anwar's government is touting Malaysia as an appealing alternative, announcing a plan in April to extend financial support, visa access, and job benefits to foreign startups moving in. State money, including the sovereign wealth fund Khazanah Nasional Berhad, is offering $27.6 billion for all local ventures over the next five years.

"It's different. Because this time, the government isn't doing too much," said Tan Eng Tong, a startup advisor who runs an education center for tech workers in Malaysia. He spent the 1990s building his career in Silicon Valley with Seagate and Hewlett-Packard.

Tan believes Malaysia's last tech mega-project in the 1990s was the result of a government trying to force a revolution. Then-Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad cleared land for global companies to settle down, dreaming of transforming greater Kuala Lumpur into an IT powerhouse.

But many of the prized multinationals eventually used their new Malaysian bases for low-cost labor in manufacturing and outsourcing. When a BI reporter visited Cyberjaya — a development near the capital meant to house the world's hottest startups — in 2022, the largely residential area was filled with abandoned business hubs and quiet malls.

5,000 startups by 2025

Now, the country is trying a new approach. Its semiconductor industry, largely based in the state of Penang, already houses Intel and Texas Instruments. Officials have announced a plan to bring in $100 billion in additional investment for the sector, without specifying a deadline.

Anwar is continuing the prior administration's goal of producing 5,000 local startups and five unicorns by 2025.

Norman Matthieu Vanhaecke, the Belgian-Malay CEO of Cradle Fund, the government's agency supporting early-stage firms, said the country now has about 4,000 startups. The overwhelming majority are located in the capital and the state that surrounds it, Selangor.

But Vanhaecke says Malaysia's true near-term goal is to get on the map and have Kuala Lumpur join Tokyo, Seoul, and Singapore on global lists like Startup Genome's ecosystem ranking.

Singapore and Indonesia have enjoyed the lion's share of venture capital activity in Southeast Asia. In 2023, they secured 651 and 165 deals, respectively, according to data from the investment database PitchBook.

Malaysia recorded 71 deals that year, and the total annual value of its deals has never reached $1 billion, per PitchBook. The total value of deals in Singapore has eclipsed $9 billion annually in the last three years.

The Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation, a government agency tasked with attracting tech investment, is trying to give foreign startups a "soft-landing zone" in Malaysia through coworking spaces.

The agency told BI that since 2016, it has partnered with 23 locations that have serviced about 600 startups. These firms are promised low business costs and potential access to government and private sector financing.

Malaysia opens its state funds to startups

Noor Amy Ismail, an analyst asked by the Malaysian government to assess the local VC scene in 2023, said she studied South Korea's 2014 tech drive for her recommendations. There, government funds set the stage, then petered off as private investors poured in.

Amy advised Malaysian officials to do the same.

"That is what our venture capital road map is trying to address, to get more corporate investors on board to support," she said.

State and national funds, which have long dominated investing in Malaysia, have been opening their coffers to startups.

One founder, Jimmy How, said state executives were far more risk-averse 10 years ago when he started his affiliate marketing company.

"Back then, guys like Khazanah wouldn't even look at startups like us," How said. Khazanah, Malaysia's main sovereign wealth fund, earmarked $1.3 billion in 2023 for startups and venture capital over the next five years.

How's company received an investment from Penjana Kapital, a national venture program, during a Series C funding round in 2023.

Gokula Krishnan, the founder of Vircle, a financial literacy app for kids, said his firm received a seed investment from Khazanah in 2023. It helped convince him to stay in Malaysia instead of leaving for Singapore.

"Talent is relatively cheap. Available office space is cheap. Cost of living is supercheap, even compared to Vietnam or Indonesia," he said about Malaysia. "I don't see any other country in Southeast Asia that has this mix."

No more 'shit-hole state of mind'

Khailee Ng, an energetic Malaysian with a mane of black hair flowing down to his shoulders, is perhaps the biggest name in Kuala Lumpur's venture capital scene. He's a managing partner with the US venture firm 500 Global, which has seeded at least six unicorns in Southeast Asia since 2014.

Malaysia, burdened by a history of infighting and policy reversals, has for too long wallowed in a self-defeating attitude — a "shit-hole state of mind," he said.

But Ng said he's seen far less of that among entrepreneurs in the last two years. "They're getting funding, they're kinda seeing that things are working. I think a lot of tech startups are starting to be open to the idea that something good will happen," he said.

His team analyzed 198 local startups from January 2023 to June 2024 and found that 33 were profitable, with at least 20% annual growth and $5 million in revenue.

Of that group, 11 had over 60% growth and $10 million in annual revenue.

"I was shocked," Ng said, adding that 500 Global has since invested in five of those 11 firms.

Stronger currency boosts purchasing power

In Puchong, a town about 10 miles south of Kuala Lumpur, entrepreneurs Amirul Merican and Chor Chee Hoe were preparing just after dawn to meet their startup's new landlord. They're looking to move into a factory to expand production at their firm, Qarbotech, by 50 times.

In a garage space on the outskirts of the capital, their workers hauled tubs of grounded carbon to be heated into a patented liquid via a dozen or so kitchen microwaves.

That liquid is their product, a spray that Amirul and Chor say boosts crop yields for rice paddies and vegetables through improved photosynthesis.

Amirul said the last two years of political stability were a boon for their expansion plans.

Malaysia's stronger currency has made purchasing American equipment cheaper — like a giant industrial-level microwave they bought to replace their kitchen appliances.

The ringgit has strengthened by over 3% against the dollar over the past year, peaking with a 13% gain against the dollar in September.

"That's crazy," Amirul said of the gains in September, when they bought the microwave. "We have a stronger currency, more international companies looking at Malaysia."

Quelling the brain drain

One of Malaysia's long-term challenges is quelling a brain drain to Singapore, Australia, and the West.

More than 1.1 million Malaysians lived in Singapore in 2022, about three-quarters of whom were skilled or semi-skilled workers.

Jayant Menon, a senior fellow who studies Asian trade and investment at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore, said if Malaysia does not fix issues like its talent exodus, the tech push could become a collection of short-term investments spilling over from the US-China trade war.

Amy, the analyst asked to assess Malaysia's tech scene, said the government should work on bringing middle-class female talent back into the workforce.

About 53% of Malaysian STEM graduates in 2021 were women, far higher than the global average of 29%.

"But the moment they enter the workforce, that number drops to about 43 to 44%," Amy said of how many working STEM professionals are women. Middle-income Malaysians are often under pressure to care for both their children and retiring parents, and many women choose to take on that role since they earn 33% less than men in the country, she added.

"Naturally, the women will stay at home," she said. "But we have all those women who we put on scholarships stuck at home."

Malaysia could also struggle with educational gaps for its future workforce.

Nearly a quarter of Malaysia's 17-year-old students failed math in the 2023 national exams, while another 28.9% scored a D or E grade, according to the Education Ministry.

The country has been grappling with inconsistent education policies, debating whether to offer science and math classes in English, Malay, or other mother tongues for the past two decades. Singapore's education and government are primarily in English, a decision that helped make the city-state a business hub.

On the global front, Malaysia must also overcome a hit to its reputation from a major 2015 corruption scandal, in which officials funneled $4.5 billion from its sovereign wealth fund 1MDB into their own pockets.

Kean, the founder who's building self-driving software, is aware of those potential pitfalls. But he said that for entrepreneurs like him, the only option for now is to keep going.

Since April 2022, Kommu says it has sold 400 dashcams, mostly to car enthusiasts. The company's next phase of development is creating software that can navigate to destinations and know when to exit highways.

His team is unsure where Kommu can take its dashcam or where their exits lie. But he hopes that a way up could come from local automakers noticing their work and reaching out.

"I think any entrepreneur will tell you that the best time to start is now," he said.

• Nate Anderson said he's disbanding Hindenburg Research after completing all its outstanding projects.
• Hindenburg, a short-seller founded in 2017, gained fame for its forensic financial research.
• The firm impacted major companies and plans to share its tactics publicly.

Nate Anderson, founder of the short-selling firm Hindenburg Research, is tapping out.

On Wednesday, Anderson wrote in a post titled "Gratitude" on the firm's website, "I have made the decision to disband Hindenburg Research. The plan has been to wind up after we finished the pipeline of ideas we were working on," including reporting multiple cases to regulators.

"Building this has been a life's dream." But, he said, "the intensity and focus has come at the cost of missing a lot of the rest of the world and the people I care about."

Anderson launched Hindenburg in 2017 and rose to prominence in 2020 with a report saying that electric truck manufacturer Nikola Corporation had exaggerated and misrepresented its products to investors. The stock tumbled 11% in a single day, and Anderson was off to the races.

Other targets of Hindenburg's negative research and short-seller activity included Clover Health, Adani Group, and Icahn Enterprises. In each instance the entity in question saw sharp stock losses immediately after publication. The Adani Group situation was especially notable, because the market reaction to the firm's research resulted in tens of billions of dollars of lost net worth for one of Asia's richest individuals.

Unlike typical investors that seek to capture returns from rising stock prices, short-sellers bet on declines. Hindenburg carved a niche for itself by publishing negative research, often focused on highlighting what it argued to be fraudulent or misleading corporate behavior, while also positioning itself short beforehand. It's unknown how much money the firm brought in overall from its short bets.

Anderson said in his message that the firm's work held some of the most powerful companies accountable for their actions.

"Nearly 100 individuals have been charged civilly or criminally by regulators at least in part through our work, including billionaires and oligarchs. We shook some empires that we felt needed shaking," he wrote.

In the next six months, Anderson wrote that he plans to make the firm's tactics public through open-source materials and videos on their investigation process.

Anderson and representatives from Hindenburg didn't immediately respond to BI's request for comment.

• Pete Hegseth faced intense questioning over his comments about women in combat roles.
• Hegseth walked back his opposition but said he'd order a review of gender-neutral standards.
• The military does not have a quota for women in combat roles as Hegseth had suggested.

President-elect Donald Trump's pick to lead the Pentagon, Pete Hegseth, walked back his outspoken opposition to women serving in the US military's combat jobs as he faced intense questioning from lawmakers on Tuesday.

Hegseth, an Army veteran of Iraq and Fox News host, had built a large following with blunt commentary that criticized female troops and claimed standards had been lowered to help them. But in the Senate hearing, he signaled he wouldn't attempt to ban women from combat roles, a backtrack that may have been necessary to get enough votes.

Sen. Joni Ernst, an Iowa Republican and Iraq veteran whose support has been seen as pivotal, asked if Hegseth supports women continuing to serve in combat roles.

"Yes, exactly the way that you caveated it," Hegseth said. "Yes, women will have access to ground combat roles, given the standards remain high, and we'll have a review to ensure the standards have not been eroded in any one of these cases."

Hegseth said that if he's confirmed by the GOP-led Senate, he would initiate a review of gender-neutral standards within the Pentagon for combat jobs held by female service members.

Hegseth had been a vociferous critic of the 2015 lifting of combat exclusions for women.

"I'm straight-up just saying we should not have women in combat roles," Hegseth said in an interview after Trump's re-election in November. Combat roles include jobs in the infantry, artillery, and special operations, among others.

"They're gonna change the standards, they're gonna push the quotas," he continued during the interview. "They pushed that under Obama in a way that had nothing, zero to do with efficiency… with lethality," he said.

The military does not have a quota requirement for women who fill combat roles and Hegseth's claims to the contrary provoked a confrontation before the Senate Armed Services Committee.

"Commanders do not have to have a quota for women in the infantry," Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, a New York Democrat, said during questioning. "That does not exist."

According to Military.com, almost 700 female Marines currently serve in infantry jobs, over 700 serve in the Navy's submarine forces and nearly 4,000 in the Army hold combat-related jobs. Roughly 98% of the Army's armor and infantry jobs were held by men as of 2020.

Since opening ground combat jobs to women in 2015, critics have contended that women who passed notoriously grueling training is a result of lowered physical standards, putting combat missions at-risk of catastrophe.

Ground combat roles were opened to female service members only after years of war in Iraq and Afghanistan in which women routinely found themselves in a grey zone, operating outside the wire at a time when restrictions on women in combat at times burdened units with bureaucratic red tape.

In the hearing, Hegseth emphasized his focus would be on the Defense Department's warrior ethos and making troops and the arms they carry even deadlier, implying that his earlier opposition to women stemmed from concern over fair and rigorous standards.

"Our standards will be high, and they will be equal — not equitable, that is a very different word," Hegseth said in his opening statement. "When President Trump chose me for this position, the primary charge he gave me was to bring the warrior culture back to the Department of Defense."

Since women began attending sought-after training schools, allegations have popped up about unequal treatment. Military news site Air Force Times reported in 2021 concerns from a female student at the Air Force's special operations course who questioned whether course standards were lowered for her.

The US Army has repeatedly said it did not lower standards for female soldiers at Ranger School, over 100 of whom now wear its coveted tab on their sleeve.

• Drake sued his own label, UMG Recordings, Inc, alleging defamation.
• He accused the label of approving and publishing Kendrick Lamar's diss track, which the suit said included false and dangerous allegations.
• UMG said it is fighting the case to protect other artists for "having done nothing more than write a song."

Drake filed a lawsuit against his own label, UMG Recordings, Inc., amid his ongoing beef with Kendrick Lamar.

The rapper, whose full name is Aubrey Drake Graham, accused Universal Music Group of approving and publishing Lamar's diss track "Not Like Us," which the complaint says includes allegations that UMG "understood were not only false, but dangerous."

The song "falsely accuses Drake of being a pedophile and calls for violent retribution against him," according to the lawsuit filed in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York on Wednesday.

"Even though UMG enriched itself and its shareholders by exploiting Drake's music for years, and knew that the salacious allegations against Drake were false, UMG chose corporate greed over the safety and well-being of its artists," Drake, through his attorneys, stated in the lawsuit.

Representatives for Drake and UMG did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment.

UMG told The New York Times that it intends to fight the lawsuit to protect other artists for "having done nothing more than write a song."

The complaint pointed to one incident in May in which someone opened fire outside his Toronto home, striking the front door and wounding a security guard, who the lawsuit described as "one of Drake's friends."

In the days following, the lawsuit said there were two attempted break-ins at his property, one of which involved an individual who dug under the property's gate with his bare hands and "managed to yell racist slurs and threats against Drake before being escorted off the property."

The complaint underscored that Lamar was not named as a defendant. It said UMG's actions in publishing the track were the cause of the string of incidents.

The complaint further said that UMG did not help Drake when he confronted company executives about the situation.

The lawsuit is another escalation in the ongoing beef between two chart-topping rappers that started more than 10 years ago.

What began as an exchange of subtle shots and coded lyrics in their songs turned into an all-out musical brawl last year after Lamar once again declared himself the king of hip-hop in a collaborative track with rapper Future and producer Metro Boomin. In the song, he directly responded to Drake's 2023 track, "First Person Shooter."

Within a month, Drake and Lamar exchanged several searing diss tracks, at one point going beyond rap and taking shots at each others' character and personal lives.

Music critics and listeners widely saw "Not Like Us" as the final, decisive blow in the rap beef as the song received widespread acclaim and remained on Billboard's number one spot on the Hot Rap Songs chart for 21 weeks, breaking a record that was set by Lil Nas X's "Old Town Road."

The Compton-born rapper took a victory lap in June when he hosted a one-night concert in Inglewood, California, where he performed "Not Like Us" six times in a row.

The rivalry escalated in November when Drake involved the courts by filing a legal petition — which comes before a lawsuit — that accused UMG and Spotify of devising a scheme in order to make "Not Like Us" a viral hit at the expense of the Toronto rapper.

UMG previously denied the claims and called Drake's filing "contrived" and "absurd."

In a second legal petition from November, Drake attorneys' hinted at defamation claims against Universal and said that the label should have prevented the release of Lamar's "Not Like Us" due to the statements in the song.

• Teens say that TikTok has a culture that other apps can't replace.
• Many of them became emotionally attached to the community during the pandemic.
• Some teens are pushing back on the ban by seeking out other Chinese apps.

Over the past few weeks, Madeira Semins, 18, has spent a lot of time thinking about TikTok — and experiencing a range of emotions about the possibility of the platform going away.

"It's a coping mechanism for many people in my generation," Semins, who attends college in Ohio, told Business Insider. "It seems dramatic to say that I feel uncertain about what my life will look like without TikTok in it, but it really has been such a quiet influence that I didn't even realize was happening until I started to think about what I'd do without it."

Last week, the Supreme Court heard testimony on a law that requires TikTok's parent company, ByteDance, to sell its US operations by January 19 or face a ban. Unless the Supreme Court intervenes, ByteDance plans to end US access to TikTok on that date.

While some teens say they'll simply move to other social media outlets, others are frustrated by what they see as a lack of understanding about TikTok's role in their communities, as well as overreach by the federal government.

A generation uses it to interact with the world

Like many teens, Semins and her 16-year-old sister started turning to TikTok during the pandemic when they were isolated at home. The app kept them "sane and in touch with the world," she said.

Since then, the app has become an easy way for her to connect with her peers both online and in person, serving as a source of memes and trends that it seems everyone knows.

"Losing TikTok seems like it has immense potential to drastically change the ways my generation interacts with the world and each other," Semins said.

Not just a way to pass time

Elizabeth Conley, a 19-year-old from Indiana, uses TikTok for her work with BridgeUSA, a multi-partisan student movement that promotes diverse voices in politics.

"TikTok isn't just a way to pass the time; it's been a huge tool for engaging with people on campus and raising awareness about important issues," she said. "Losing that platform would mean rethinking our outreach strategy entirely."

Conley also uses TikTok for humor and quick connection with peers by laughing over memes or popular trends. But she says the platform also helps her "discover new ideas and creative content that sparks conversations with people I care about."

Some teens are turning to RedNote in protest

Rayyan Ahmed, 19, says he uses TikTok as a "low-effort way to keep constant communication" with friends. Now, he sees his peers taking a critical look at the idea of the government banning an app.

"There's a popular sentiment about the app that the government should focus on stronger data privacy laws instead of banning one certain app," said Ahmed, who lives in New Jersey.

Some teens he knows are moving to another Chinese app, RedNote, in "defiance of the ban," Ahmed said, adding that he believes teens are moving there because the app is Chinese.

Given that, Conley wonders if the TikTok ban will have the desired impact.

"I'm not sure a ban would fully achieve its goals because people might just find other ways to access TikTok or turn to different platforms without really addressing the underlying issues," like concerns about security and the influence of social media on youth, she said.

Ahmed himself hasn't transitioned to RedNote, and said he'll likely just spend more time on Instagram Reels. Many of Semins' friends also plan to switch back to Instagram Reels, but that app has a different feel for her. Whereas TikTok was purely for her friends and peers, former teachers and adult friends of her family follow her on Instagram.

"I can't imagine myself posting TikTok-inspired reels to the same audience," she said. "Part of what makes TikTok so successful, in my opinion, is that it has always been a more casual space, and I'm not confident in Instagram's ability to integrate that playfulness successfully."

The ban could isolate disconnected teens

Jackson Jordan, 15, told Business Insider that there's no other social media platform that matches the opportunities to connect with peers that TikTok has given him.

Jordan's mom, Titania, is Bark Technologies' chief parent officer and founder of Parenting in a Tech World. She's talked with him extensively about misinformation, addictive algorithms, bullying, digital footprints, and other online dangers, but she's also allowed him to be "very active" on TikTok, she said.

Although Jordan is clear-eyed about the dangers of TikTok, he and his mother both also see the app's potential, from allowing content creators to build careers to creating connections for teens. Losing that concerns Jordan.

"This ban would further isolate an already disconnected generation of internet users, including myself," he said.

Jordan doesn't think the government should have the right to do that.

"I feel upset," he said. "It is an unfair violation of our right to free speech. Banning TikTok isn't a matter of national security; it is outright government censorship."

Some teens are ambivalent about the ban

Not all the teens that Business Insider spoke to are as concerned about the potential ban. Aidan O'Donnell, 18, has already started migrating from TikTok to Instagram Reels.

"I honestly don't care now" about TikTok's future, O'Donnell said.

Semins and her friends hope they'll spend more time offline if TikTok goes away.

With the app on all of her friends' phones, she often finds herself scrolling side-by-side as her friends do the same.

"In those moments, I often wish we were talking instead or doing something more collaborative and interactive," she said. "The app is just so addictive, and the algorithm is so personalized that it can feel almost impossible to just stop."

• About 10% of people in the world are left-handed.
• Lefties have to endure lots of little daily struggles righties might not think about.
• Swiping credit cards and cutting with scissors are just two harder tasks.

The world isn't always easy for left-handed people. While they may have the advantage in some sports, many everyday tools were designed for their right-handed counterparts.

Because only around 10% of the population is left-handed, most notebooks, scissors, and tape measures are made for righties. The placement of objects like pens and gearshifts is also typically geared toward those with a dominant right hand.

Here are 19 simple, daily tasks or experiences that can be a hassle for left-handed people.

Zipper flaps on pants block easy access from the left side.

Lefties have to reach around the flap and zip up from the other side.

If you hold a glass measuring cup in your left hand, you have to know the metric system.

Measurements in cups and ounces face right-handed users. Frequent bakers might want to invest in a left-handed version.

Writing in spiral notebooks and three-ring binders is pretty annoying.

The rings make it impossible for left-handed people to lay their hands flat on the page and write normally. Notebooks with spirals on the top or right side are much easier to use.

In general, writing on paper is tough for lefties because they tend to smear pen ink or pencil graphite as their hands move across the page.

Desks with chairs attached are very uncomfortable.

Right-handers get to rest their arms on the surface, but lefties have to keep their elbows hovering in midair.

Pens at the bank are attached on the right side.

When you pull the pen over to the left side, the cord gets in the way of what you're trying to write.

Other parts of banking are awkward, too.

Credit card machines are designed for right-handed people.

Holding a credit card in your left hand and swiping it downward in a machine feels weird, but so does switching to your right hand if you're a leftie. Luckily, many machines are tap-to-pay now.

The pen on credit card terminals is also attached on the right side.

The cord may not be long enough to comfortably write with your left hand. If you use your right hand, your signature is probably going to be less legible.

Old-school can openers only work well in the right hand.

Lefties have to reach across the can and turn the crank at an awkward angle, which is difficult. There are left-handed can openers to avoid this issue.

US drivers almost never have cup holders on the left of their cars.

Grabbing a piping hot coffee with your non-dominant hand can be a recipe for spillage.

The number pads on keyboards are on the right.

A few companies do make left-handed keyboards for those who like to hit the number keys with their dominant hands.

If you're using a public computer, there's a good chance it's set up for right-handed users.

The mouse is probably on the right side, for example.

A typical pair of scissors presents problems for people who use their left hands.

Left-handers have to angle the blade to make an accurate cut and then squeeze the two handles together in an uncomfortable way.

Lefties need special guitars.

Some, like Jimi Hendrix, simply play a typical guitar upside down.

Some vegetable peelers don't work for lefties.

If a vegetable peeler only has one sharp side, left-handed cooks may find it difficult to position the blade and get a smooth peeling motion.

Many important camera buttons and controls are always on the right.

It may take left-handers a bit to adjust to a camera's setup.

When lefties draw along a ruler, their hands cover the numbers.

The numbers on left-handed rulers move from right to left so lefties can see them clearly as they move their pens.

When you hold a tape measure in your left hand, the numbers are upside down.

It's still readable, but it's a little more inconvenient.

Power tools typically have safety and shut-off switches on the right side.

Righties have an easier time using these switches for safety and better control whereas lefties should be extra cautious.

Rectangular dining tables can be a nuisance.

Lefties are the odd person out at rectangular dining tables. To avoid bumping elbows with the person next to them, they need to be selective about where they sit. This is less of a problem at circular tables.

This article was originally published on November 16, 2016, and was last updated on January 15, 2025.

• A Chinese social app called RedNote has risen to the top of the Apple app store.
• TikTokers are flocking to RedNote as they brace for a possible shutdown due to a divest-or-ban law.
• Rep. John Moolenaar, chair of the House committee on the CCP, said RedNote may be the next divestment target.

A Chinese social app called Xiaohongshu is surging in the US this week. But the good times may not last, as it could become a target of the same divest-or-ban law that's plaguing TikTok, according to the chair of a US House committee focused on competition with China.

RedNote jumped to the top of Apple's app store rankings this week. Some have tied its rise to a looming TikTok shutdown, as TikTok "refugees" try out other social apps.

Like TikTok, Xiaohongshu, commonly called RedNote in the US, is owned by a company in China, a country the US government has deemed a foreign adversary. An April law requires social apps with foreign-adversary owners to divest from their US assets or effectively shut down.

Rep. John Moolenaar, chairman of the House select committee on the strategic competition between the US and the Chinese Communist Party, told Business Insider when asked if the app is subject to the same divest-or-ban law as TikTok, that the decision would be up to President-elect Donald Trump.

"Chairman Mao's Little Red Book was instrumental in China's communist cultural revolution," Moolenaar said as part of a statement. "Today, a Chinese app of the same name wants to be the next TikTok — complete with Chinese control."

Xiaohongshu translates to "little red book."

"The good news is that President Trump has the authority under the TikTok bill to force divestment of other CCP-controlled applications that pose national security risks as well," Moolenaar added.

Xiaohongshu did not respond to a request for comment.

TikTok has previously said that it does not share information with the Chinese government and that its content-moderation efforts are run by a US-based team that "operates independently from China."

Trump has pledged to try to save TikTok from a ban. He hasn't said whether he'd take action on other apps with Chinese owners.

Xiaohongshu functions similarly to Instagram and TikTok, with commerce tools. The platform began in China but has since expanded into other parts of the world with around 300 million monthly users, per Bloomberg.

• I made Ina Garten's ravioli en brodo soup, an Italian twist on chicken noodle. 
• The soup features cheese ravioli, plus carrots, celery, and Parmesan cheese. 
• I've made over 40 of Garten's recipes, and the ravioli en brodo is one of my absolute favorites.

After making my way through Ina Garten's delicious pastas and desserts, I decided to try some of her comforting soups. 

I've whipped up the Barefoot Contessa's savory chicken chili and soothing minestrone, but the soup I've been most excited to try was her ravioli en brodo — an Italian spin on chicken noodle. 

I also decided to challenge myself and make Garten's homemade chicken stock for this dish, and it was definitely worth the extra effort. Here's how it went.

A day before I made Ina Garten's ravioli en brodo, I whipped up her homemade chicken stock.

Ravioli en brodo appears in Garten's most recent cookbook, "Go-To Dinners." She said the key to its flavor is "rich homemade chicken stock."

I usually take the quicker option because, as the Barefoot Contessa herself says, "store-bought is fine!" But since the broth is clearly the star of this dish, I decided to try her homemade chicken stock.

To make Garten's homemade chicken stock, you'll need:

• 3 (5-pound) roasting chickens
• 3 large yellow onions, unpeeled and quartered
• 6 carrots, unpeeled and halved
• 4 celery stalks with leaves, cut into thirds
• 4 parsnips, unpeeled and halved
• 20 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 20 sprigs fresh dill
• 15 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 head garlic, unpeeled and cut in half
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns (not ground)

Place all the ingredients in a 16 to 20-quart stockpot, add 7 quarts of water, and bring to a boil. Then, lower the heat and simmer your stock uncovered, skimming off any foam that comes to the top, for at least four hours. (I let it simmer for about six.)

Let the stock cool, then strain through a colander and discard the solids.

Garten's ravioli en brodo features the homemade stock, plus plenty of veggies.

To make Garten's ravioli en brodo for a serving of 4-6, you'll need:

• 8 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
• 2 cups chopped yellow onions (about 2 onions)
• 2 cups (½-inch thick) diagonally sliced carrots (about 3-5 carrots)
• 1 ½ cups (½-inch) diced celery (3 ribs)
• 1 ½ cups (½-inch) diced fennel, top and core removed
• 1 Italian Parmesan cheese rind (about 2 x 3 inches)
• 1 pound cheese ravioli, fresh or frozen
• Freshly grated Italian Parmesan cheese, for serving
• Minced fresh dill or parsley, for serving
• Freshly squeezed lemon juice, for serving

I began by prepping my vegetables.

I chopped the onions, peeled and sliced the carrots, and diced the celery and fennel.

I threw my veggies in a pot and sautéed them for 15 minutes.

I added ¼ cup of olive oil to a pot placed over medium heat. Then, I threw in the onions, celery, carrots, and fennel and cooked them for 15 minutes, making sure to stir occasionally until they had softened.

Then, I added the homemade chicken stock.

I also threw in 2 cups of water, per Garten's instructions.

I threw in the Parmesan rind and seasoned the broth with 1 tablespoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper.

One thing I've learned in my soup-making season is that a Parmesan rind can add so much extra flavor to your broth.

As explained by Food & Wine, the Parmesan rind — which is completely edible — releases a "savory and nutty" depth as it begins to melt and also helps give soups a "silky consistency." You can store Parmesan rinds in a Ziploc bag in your freezer for up to a year, so it's always on hand whenever you need to add a little more umami to your dinner.

I brought my soup to a boil, then lowered the heat and let it simmer for 20 minutes.

Garten says you should let the soup simmer partially uncovered.

While the soup was simmering, I prepped the ingredients I needed for serving.

I grated my Parmesan cheese and minced some dill for the soup toppings.

I also began to cook the ravioli.

I cooked my ravioli in a pot of boiling water with two tablespoons of salt for about four minutes.

Every pasta is different, so make sure to follow the specific directions on the package of your ravioli.

I drained the ravioli and spread them out on two plates.

Garten says doing this step will ensure the ravioli squares don't stick together.

Once my soup was done simmering, I removed the Parmesan rind.

It was time to serve dinner!

Per Garten's instructions, I placed the ravioli in a bowl before adding the soup.

I started with four raviolis but quickly realized I wanted more.

I poured the broth over my ravioli, then sprinkled Parmesan and dill on top — along with a squeeze of lemon juice.

There's something about this soup that just looks so elegant and impressive. The broth has such a lovely golden hue, and the pops of color from the carrots and dill give it a rustic charm.

And did I mention it smelled phenomenal?

Garten's ravioli en brodo is one of my all-time favorite recipes by the Barefoot Contessa.

I've probably made close to 40 of Garten's recipes, if not more, over the past few years, and her ravioli en brodo is easily one of the best I've ever tried. The broth is so rich and full-bodied that it really blew me away. I made this for my boyfriend for dinner one night, and he couldn't resist getting seconds (and thirds).

"A lot of broths are kind of bland or lacking, but this broth alone was just exploding with flavor," he told me.

The dill and lemon also add some lovely brightness to the soup, which pairs perfectly with the cheesy pasta. I opted for a cacio e pepe ravioli and would highly recommend it, as I loved that extra kick of pepper.

My only complaint about Garten's ravioli en brodo is that it ruined store-bought chicken stock for me. But an extra day of work is absolutely worth it for this soup, which I know I'll be making forever.

• Trump is pushing Ramaswamy to fill JD Vance's former Senate seat in Ohio, a source familiar with the matter told BI.
• Vance resigned the seat on Friday as he gets ready to become vice president.
• Ramaswamy is the co-head of DOGE and it's unclear what would happen to his role if he joins the Senate.

President-elect Donald Trump is pushing Vivek Ramaswamy to fill the empty Senate seat in Ohio if the governor offers it to him, a source familiar with the matter told Business Insider.

The seat belonged to Vice President-elect JD Vance, who resigned it on Friday as he prepares to begin his duties at the White House. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine will select someone to fill the seat for two years, before a special election in November of 2026.

"Neither Governor DeWine nor our office has commented on any possible candidates for the pending appointment," DeWine's press secretary Dan Tierney said in a statement to Business Insider.

DeWine has previously said he's not interested in a placeholder. He wants someone who can win a primary and general election next year and then do it all again in 2028 to win a full term.

Ramaswamy is set to co-lead the Department of Government Efficiency alongside Elon Musk. Should Ramaswamy be offered and accept the seat, it's unclear what would become of his responsibilities at DOGE.

The Washington Post reported the news earlier on Wednesday. Representatives for Trump did not immediately respond to BI's request for comment.

• US special operators are shifting away from counterterrorism toward peer-adversary conflict.
• There are five areas the US special operations community can focus on to best do that, new research says.
• These areas harken back to the strengths of special ops in the Cold War and the War on Terror.

As the US shifts its priorities toward countering near-peer adversaries like Russia and China, its special operations forces are adapting to new challenges.

Best practices for that ongoing adaptation may lie in Cold War lessons, new research on how the US can best leverage the skills of the special operations community says.

An Atlantic Council's report on ways the US can use special operations forces in the next decade was released Tuesday and notes that "three realities" facing the Department of Defense lend themselves to leveraging American special operations forces "more in strategic competition."

US special operations forces offer critical flexibility amid stagnation in defense spending and force size and can counter aggressors elsewhere while the military prioritizes the Indo-Pacific and Europe. Special operators can also use irregular capabilities to prevent competition from turning into armed conflict.

The report's authors, Clementine Starling-Daniels and Theresa Luetkefend, argue that US special operations should return to their "roots" and Cold War practices.

"USSOF's unconventional warfare support of resistance groups in Europe; its support of covert intelligence operations in Eastern Europe, Asia, and Latin America; its evacuation missions of civilians in Africa; and its guerrilla and counterguerrilla operations helped combat Soviet influence operations worldwide," they wrote.

"During that era, special operations became one of the US military's key enablers to counter coercion below the threshold of armed conflict," the authors added, noting they can do the same again now.

Keeping an eye on non-priority regions

Rivals and foes around the world are pulling the US military in different directions. It's facing threats from an aggressive Russia, a rising and often confrontational China, and joint challenges from increased cooperation between China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran. Threats from non-state actors also remain.

So where do special operations come in?

"While traditional elements of the Joint Force are likely to focus on the Indo-Pacific region and Europe, the DoD can mitigate risks and extend its global reach by leveraging USSOF for persistent, low-footprint operations in under-addressed regions," the new Atlantic Council's report says.

These areas include the Middle East, Central Asia, Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, and the Arctic as prime examples.

US adversaries like Russia and China look to extend their presence and influence in these areas, meaning the Pentagon could use special ops to protect US interests and preserve situational awareness.

Preventing full-blown conflict with unconventional, irregular warfare tactics

To deter conflict, the US military can use special ops to up activities in the cyberspace and information environment that expend adversary resources. Some of SOF's biggest strengths are in this area, including intelligence campaigns, warping information and communications spaces, unconventional tactics that target US adversaries and create narratives favorable to Washington, sabotage, and deception.

Two prime examples could include supporting Taiwan's resilience against a potential Chinese invasion or blockade and Eastern European resistance to Russia's hybrid warfare and disinformation tactics.

During the Cold War, special operations forces conducted similar operations against the Soviet Union, bolstering resistance groups in Europe and undermining Soviet campaigns.

Skills from the Global War on Terror can be applied as well. Over the past 20 years, the US has relied on special operations for unconventional and difficult missions, including running shadowy helicopter assaults to kill or capture enemy leaders. These activities advance national security objectives.

Building connections with key allies and partners

Christopher Maier, the assistant secretary of defense for special operations and low-intensity conflict, said earlier this week that the other strength of special ops comes with its widespread global footprint and cultural awareness, which helps build connections between the US and its allies and partners.

Special ops leaders have long recognized that language and cultural sensitivity are absolutely critical to the force's success, but a recent watchdog report raised concerns about those skills.

Between 2018 and 2022, most Army and Marine Corps Special Operations Forces didn't meet the necessary foreign language proficiency goals.

Such skills have been vital for US military cooperation with allies in the past. Us Army Special Forces, the Green Berets, have been training and advising foreign armies and guerrillas since the early 1960s.

Similarly, US special operations cooperation with foreign SOFs is critical, the Atlantic Council paper says, and vital to building resilient relationships with partners that can help deter and deny the influence of US adversaries.

Putting the "integration" in integrated deterrence

US government and military responses to crises and conflict often need to be integrated responses, something special operations forces can help provide, the report argues.

"USSOF operations often bridge the activities of interagency and intelligence community partners, allied and partner militaries, and the rest of the joint force," the paper says, adding that special operations could be the "connective tissue."

That special operations "tissue" could connect US government departments like State, Justice, and Treasury Departments, as well as the Central Intelligence Agency and National Security Agency.

Using SOF's technological prowess to US advantage

Future warfare is expected to span across all domains, including information and cyber. As technological capabilities, such as artificial intelligence, develop at breakneck speed, special operations can play a pivotal role as a "pathfinder for technological solutions that can be scaled across the Joint Force," the report says.

Such a "pathfinder" role could include facilitating data sharing across the military and government and identifying and fielding cutting-edge technologies, especially in unmanned systems.

SOF's procurement process and culture has given it the opportunity to quickly develop and deploy innovative technologies and systems before the larger joint force.

That also sets special ops up for focusing on what the demand of future warfare could be, which could "support DoD's information and decision advantage over its competitors," the Atlantic Council report adds.

• Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai will attend Donald Trump's inauguration.
• That's not a shock — everyone else in tech is going, and Google/Alphabet already announced it was donating $1 million to the event.
• It's most definitely a sign of the times.

The tech contingent heading to Donald Trump's inauguration next week is getting bigger every day: Google CEO Sundar Pichai will be there as well, according to a person familiar with his plans.

Pichai joins a long list of Silicon Valley CEOs who plan to be in Washington when Trump is sworn in, including Meta's Mark Zuckerberg, Tesla's Elon Musk, Amazon's Jeff Bezos, and Uber's Dara Khosrowshahi. Bloomberg reported on Wednesday that Apple CEO Tim Cook will also be in attendance.

It shouldn't be a surprise that Pichai will join as well. Last week, his company announced that it would be making a $1 million donation to Trump's inaugural committee — as many other tech giants have also announced.

It's also worth pointing out that when Trump won his first presidential election in 2016, he also got a gathering of tech CEOs to pay him a visit.

But that trip was to Trump Tower in New York City — before his 2017 inauguration — and most of it was primarily off-camera.

This time around, the whole point is to make sure that everyone knows you're there — and that Donald Trump knows everyone knows.

• The app Clapper has surged in downloads amid a potential TikTok ban in the US.
• Clapper is a social-video app founded in 2020 and based in Texas.
• It offers an ad-free experience and monetization for creators.

Clapper, an upstart video and livestreaming app, has soared to third place in the free iPhone app download charts. The surge comes as TikTok awaits a decision from the Supreme Court about whether it will face a ban in the US.

Clapper was founded in 2020 when the first Trump administration initially floated the possibility of a TikTok ban. Bita Motiie, Clapper's head of operations, told BI that since then, Clapper has seen spikes in user growth any time the topic has been in the news.

"We've seen skyrocketing numbers of users joining us recently due to the fact that people are actively now looking for an alternative," Motiie said.

The top trending topic on Clapper on Wednesday was #TikTokRefugees.

A similar dynamic seems to have pushed the TikTok-like app Xiaohongshu, also known as RedNote, to No. 1 on the free iPhone apps leaderboard.

The US Congress passed a divest-or-ban law last year that will force TikTok to stop operating in the US if its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, doesn't sell the app. TikTok told the Supreme Court that the app would "go dark" in the US on Sunday if the divestment deadline isn't extended. A Supreme Court decision on TikTok's future is expected this week and legal experts told BI they thought the justices would uphold the law.

"A lot of our focus right now is helping all these TikTok users join our platform and learn about the differences," Motiie said.

Clapper shares much of the same vertical video functionality as TikTok but differs in a few key ways. It's only available to users 17 or older and doesn't carry ads.

"People are being bombarded with ads 24/7 through their phones, and we want to provide a safe haven where creators can focus on that genuine connection with others," Motiie said.

Creators can earn money on Clapper by receiving gifts from other users in livestreams, group chats, and direct messages. Creators can also sell subscriptions to their content or items on Clapper Shop. Clapper takes a 30% commission from these earnings.

Clapper's content can appear rougher around the edges than some other social-media platforms. On opening the app in the UK on Wednesday morning, BI was served a video of a man seemingly getting a horrific eye injury after being hit in the face, a woman almost being gored by a bull, and sexually suggestive "thirst traps."

Users can turn off "not safe for work" content. The app also forbids sexually explicit content or nudity.

Motiie said Clapper was focused on hiring three to four additional community managers and utilizing AI moderation tools. Clapper is a small business at present, with around 20 staff based in Dallas, Texas.

A Clapper spokesperson said the company hadn't taken on any outside funding since 2023, when it raised $3 million in seed financing. The spokesperson said the company is profitable and that it is not currently seeking further investment.

Industry insiders say Clapper needs to move quickly to seize the moment

Asti Wagner, CEO of Invyted, an app that connects brands with influencers, said Clapper would need to move quickly to appeal to creators and refine its marketing to ensure its overnight popularity translates into lasting business success.

"TikTok was lucky in that it massively boomed in lockdown when everyone was on their phones," Wagner told BI.

"The 'no ads' thing is really interesting, but I don't know how long that will last," Wagner said. Social platforms, in general, tend to derive most of their revenue from ads.

Motiie said it was very unlikely Clapper would introduce ads over the next couple of years. However, that doesn't mean brands can't collaborate with Clapper creators, she added. Clapper is also encouraging brands to set up their own profiles on the app.

Gigi Robinson, a creator with more than 150,000 followers on TikTok, joined Clapper in 2020.

She's only posted four videos and grown her audience there to around 1,000 followers. However, Robinson said that in light of TikTok's precarious position, she's considering posting more content on Clapper and has been in touch with the company's partnership team to get her profile verified.

Whatever TikTok's ultimate fate is, Robinson said the potential of the app going dark has highlighted that creators shouldn't be over-reliant on any single platform for their audience and earnings.

"A majority of creators are scrambling right now," Robinson told BI. "That's going to be the lasting impact."

• The Department of Transportation sued Southwest Airlines, accusing it of selling flights with unrealistic schedules.
• Southwest operated chronically delayed flights on two routes in 2022, the DOT said.
• The agency also announced a $650,000 fine against Frontier Airlines for the same infraction.

The US Department of Transportation filed a lawsuit against Southwest Airlines, accusing the carrier of selling flights with unrealistic schedules that operated chronically late.

According to the DOT, Southwest Airlines caused 90% of the delays on flights between Chicago Midway and Oakland, California, and between Baltimore and Cleveland, Ohio, during a five-month period in 2022. These delays resulted in 180 flight disruptions for passengers, the agency said in a release.

The department called the practice of selling chronically delayed flights with unrealistic schedules an "unfair and deceptive" way to capture business from competitors.

The DOT considers a flight chronically delayed if it operates at least 10 times a month and arrives more than 30 minutes late over 50% of the time.

The agency also announced a $650,000 fine to be paid by Frontier Airlines for similarly behind-schedule operations on three routes between St. Thomas and Orlando, Atlanta and Phoenix, and Orlando and Houston during 2022 and 2023.

The department said half of Frontier's $650,000 fine would be paid to the US Treasury. The remaining $325,000 will be suspended if the airliner does not operate any chronically delayed flights over the next three years.

Frontier Airlines declined to comment.

Earlier this month, JetBlue was hit with a $2 million fine for chronic delays.

DOT did not immediately respond to questions about why Southwest was sued while the other airlines were fined.

In a statement, a Southwest spokesperson said the airline is "disappointed that the DOT chose to file a lawsuit over two flights that occurred more than two years ago.

"Any claim that these two flights represent an unrealistic schedule is simply not credible when compared with our performance over the past 15 years," they added.

The spokesperson added that Southwest has operated more than 20 million flights without other infractions since the DOT's chronically delayed flight policy was enacted in 2009.

• As an interior decorator, there are quite a few items I'd skip when designing the bedroom.
• I think vibrant colors and busy patterns can disrupt valuable wind-down time before bed.
• Personally, I think too many mirrors can be distracting to a bedroom's overall design.

Polyester sheets may be cheaper than other fabrics but I still wouldn't buy them.

My go-to fabric for sheets will always be 100% cotton, followed by pricier linen and silk. But I always avoid polyester when it comes to bedding.

Polyester is made from plastic fibers and isn't as breathable as natural materials, making it unideal for temperature control. It can trap moisture and create static cling, which can disrupt comfortable sleep.

Unlike a cotton sheet, which will soften over time, polyester materials may show wear and tear more quickly with regular washes.

Busy patterns and vibrant colors may disrupt your wind-down time before bed.

I love to decorate with bright colors and bold patterns but I use them sparingly in a bedroom. A high-saturation color palette or a busy pattern can strain the eyes and energize the mind, making it more difficult to relax. 

Instead, I strike a balance between busy and bland by adding contrast with light shades, dark muted colors, and lots of varying textures to create visual interest and a relaxing environment.

For example, color enthusiasts could pair off-white wall paint with dark-navy velvet curtains. If you're a pattern lover, opt for the kinds that appear in textures, like in handwoven throw pillows.

Leave the wicker furniture at the beach house.

The natural-fiber furniture trend recirculates every couple of years. Though it looks cute amongst eclectic bohemian decor, I recommend leaving it out of the bedroom.

The distinct woven texture can add dimension but its numerous crevasses collect dust and add to your cleaning routine.

If you're OK with periodically vacuuming your headboard and really want to incorporate wicker furniture, go for a modern weave style. And unless you're decorating an actual beach house, I recommend using one or two accessories of rattan decor rather than an entire bedroom set.

Highly reflective finishes may be elegant but they don't make for a cozy feel.

High-gloss or polished finishes are great for elevating an atmosphere but I avoid using highly reflective items in the bedroom.

Polished marble tabletops, high-gloss painted walls, and chrome hardware can make the overall space feel less cozy, as they're visually harsh and tangibly cold. Keep those materials for spaces like the living room or office.

Instead, opt for brushed metal, warm wooden furniture, and nonreflective textiles and wall coverings. I even suggest matte paint finishes to absorb as much ambient light as possible.

Open closets and storage solutions can quickly turn into clutter.

Open-storage solutions have become more popular but the bedroom is one area where I wouldn't recommend having items out on display.

Creating a visually relaxing zone to wind down in can be challenging enough without having to worry about your sweaters being neatly lined up.

I prefer wardrobe solutions with solid doors and drawers so that your bedroom can feel streamlined and neat once all your items are put away. The less visual clutter, the better.

Avoiding mirrors in the bedroom is more than just superstition.

I think too many mirrors, especially across from or in view of the bed, can disrupt a good night's sleep. Some consider it bad luck, and in the practice of Feng Shui, it's believed that a mirror will reflect the energy of a room and potentially amplify negative energy.

I use mirrors sparingly so I don't catch any movement in them when it's time to unwind at night.

If you choose to incorporate a mirror into your space, try placing it thoughtfully to reflect light and give the illusion of more space without showing the bed. 

Nightstands without storage are a missed opportunity.

Though minimalistic nightstands create a light, airy look in pictures, the inconvenience of not having a bedside storage solution will get old fast. As clutter piles up along the tabletops, your space will turn from chic to stressful with nowhere to hide your unmentionables.

I always choose a nightstand with at least one fully concealed drawer. Having some open shelving for a book or two might add a nice touch but be mindful, as this can also create clutter.

For an extra touch of luxury, opt for nightstands with built-in charging stations so that you can tuck away your devices at night and avoid any lingering blue light.

Hardwood, poured-concrete, and tiled floors should never be left bare in the bedroom.

Hardwood floors might be popular, but I'd consider installing wall-to-wall carpeting in the bedroom. Carpet dampens sound, adds insulation to a space, and is luxuriously cozy to walk on barefoot.

That being said, permanent carpeting can be divisive among homeowners and renters and tends to show wear and tear more quickly than hardwood flooring.

If wall-to-wall carpeting isn't for you, opt for the perfect balance by incorporating large area rugs into your bedroom. As a low-traffic area, the bedroom can be an excellent place for a high-pile, plush, or even shag carpet.

Overhead lighting can overpower the bedroom.

Recessed lighting and large chandeliers will create a lot of light but might not fit the relaxing vibe of the bedroom. When creating a lighting design for the bedroom, I like to avoid overhead bulbs and focus on variety.

Incorporating built-in sconces and connecting bedside lamps or lighting accents to a wall switch are great ways to bring soft light into your bedroom.

If you love the look of a statement chandelier, incorporate a dimmer or smart-bulb setup to control your lighting.

Retire the matchy-matchy comforter and pillow trend.

Oftentimes, a comforter will come with two pillow shams or a collection of matching throw pillows to create a completed set. Though it may look coordinated, it doesn't give off the elevated look of a designer bedroom.

Instead, try coordinating stand-alone shams and throw pillows with the color palette of your comforter or bedroom.

Create variation by using solid sheets, textured throw pillows, and fabric patterns that go well together but don't make an exact match. This technique will enhance the bed as the focal point of the room, and you'll get to choose more comfortable pillow fabrics.

This story was originally published on August 10, 2023, and most recently updated on January 15, 2025.

• Erosion has come for yet another home on the billionaire hot spot island of Nantucket.
• A house last purchased in July was demolished on Tuesday.
• Buying on certain parts of the wealthy island has become a gamble as weather patterns intensify.

Just over six months after businessman Don Vaccaro signed the paperwork on his new property on Nantucket's coast, the beach house is no longer.

On Tuesday, the three-bedroom home was demolished after being condemned by the town after the coast eroded to within five feet of the structure, according to a filing by the town's conservation commission. Just last year, the property was valued at nearly $2 million by the town's assessor. Vaccaro spent only $200,000 on it.

The home's final demise was a surprise, Mike Melvin, the general manager at Holdgate Partners, which oversaw the demolition, told Business Insider. Just last year, his firm had updated the house when its septic tank fell into the ocean.

"It was a little bit surprising to see how fast things have eroded out there," he said.

Melvin blames storms this winter with strong southeast winds that chipped away at the island's southern shore.

"They'd be better with a nor'easter, to be honest," Melvin added.

By the end of the week, what remains of 28 Sheep Pond Road will either be turned into gravel or packed up and sent to a contractor to handle the disposal off-island. Melvin worries other homes in the area might still be at risk as the year goes on.

"It could be just one bad storm" that takes out other properties, Melvin said.

Buying a home on certain parts of Nantucket, an island off Cape Cod's coast known for attracting the ultrawealthy like billionaires Eric Schmidt and Steve Schwarzman, is a gamble. In recent years, erosion has led to the demolition of a handful of properties, many once valued at multiple millions of dollars. Other residents have spent seven figures to move their homes away from threatened bluffs.

Vaccaro, who did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider, was well aware of the risk. He told the local newspaper, the Nantucket Current, that he lost more than $400,000 on the ordeal.

"The house may not last more than six months," Vaccaro told the Current when he purchased the home in July. "Inevitably, the ocean will win. The house is only temporary, everything in life is temporary."

Over the next 50 years, sea level rise, coastal flooding, and erosion are estimated to cause over $3.4 billion in cumulative damages to Nantucket, according to the island's 2021 Coastal Resilience Plan.

While there have been a number of firesales on particularly vulnerable properties, the island's larger real estate market has remained healthy. In 2024, the number of single-family homes sold on the island increased 11% year over year, according to data from local firm Fisher Real Estate. Since 2020, the number of homes sold on Nantucket for more than $10 million has increased 50% and the median home sale price reached an all-time high of $3.7 million.

"The concentration of wealth is quite stunning on Nantucket, and it keeps escalating," Bruce Percelay, a real estate developer and the publisher of the island's N Magazine, who has been vacationing on Nantucket for nearly all of his life, told BI last year. "To use a well-worn phrase, come hell or high water, people are still buying multimillion-dollar homes on Nantucket."

• Apple CEO Tim Cook said he plans to retire eventually but wants to keep working beyond traditional retirement age.
• Cook, 64, has led Apple since 2011. He said he strongly values intellectual stimulation and work.
• Cook has said he wants his successor at Apple to be an internal hire.

Apple CEO Tim Cook said he plans to retire eventually but doesn't think he'll stop working anytime soon.

Cook, who has led the tech giant since the death of founder and former CEO Steve Jobs in 2011, said in the "Table Manners" podcast with UK singer-songwriter Jessie Ware that he still wants the stimulation of work.

In the podcast, Ware's mother, Lennie Ware, asked Cook if he thought he would ever retire. Cook, 64, replied, "sure, but not the traditional definition of it."

He went on to say that he doesn't see himself "being at home doing nothing and not intellectually stimulated." Cook said he thinks he will always be "thinking about how tomorrow can be better than today."

"I think I'll always be wired in that way and want to work," Cook said. "I mean, I was working when I was 11 or 12."

Cook shared earlier in the podcast that he got his first job on a paper route at around 11 or 12 years old before graduating to "flipping burgers" at a local restaurant by the age of 14 or 15.

"My upbringing — a lot of it — was centered on work and the belief that hard work was essential for everybody, regardless of your age," Cook said.

Last month, Cook said in a Wired Q&A that he gets questions about his retirement from the CEO position "now more than I used to."

Apple has not made any statements about Cook's retirement. A Bloomberg report in May described company insiders as saying Cook's retirement was most likely at least three years away.

Apple did not immediately return a request for comment from Business Insider for this story.

The Bloomberg report listed several top executives' names as potential successors for Cook. John Ternus, a senior vice president of hardware engineering, and Jeff Williams, the company's chief operating officer, were thought to be frontrunners for the position.

Cook has also said he wants his successor to be an internal hire.

"I really want the person to come from within Apple," Cook told the pop star Dua Lipa on an episode of her podcast in November 2023.

"Food Wars" hosts Harry Kersh and Joe Avella travel across New Orleans to find the best seafood boil in the city. They'll be visiting three locations in one day to see what the city has to offer. This is "Food Tours."

• More than 400 Washington Post staffers are urging Jeff Bezos to meet with the paper's leaders.
• The letter says integrity and transparency issues have caused staff departures.
• The Post has faced subscriber losses and leadership scrutiny under CEO Will Lewis.

More than 400 Washington Post staffers sent a letter to the paper's owner, Jeff Bezos, asking him to intervene after a year of crises.

The letter asked Bezos, who has owned the paper since 2013, to come to the Post and meet with its leaders.

"We are deeply alarmed by recent leadership decisions that have led readers to question the integrity of this institution, broken with a tradition of transparency, and prompted some of our most distinguished colleagues to leave, with more departures imminent," the letter says. "This goes far beyond the issue of the presidential endorsement, which we recognize as the owner's prerogative. This is about retaining our competitive edge, restoring trust that has been lost, and reestablishing a relationship with leadership based on open communication."

One newsroom insider called it notable for its representation of nonunion as well as union signatories.

"It ratchets up the pressure," said this person, who, like some others, spoke on condition of anonymity to speak freely about internal matters. Their identity is known to Business Insider.

Since Bezos bought the paper, the Amazon executive chairman has had regular meetings with the business side but largely stayed out of the news coverage.

"From the very beginning, he told us he wouldn't be involved in any way in the newsroom, or be a hands-on owner," the Post insider said. "Our Amazon coverage has been aggressive, and he's never pushed back. I think the plea now is to get him involved now to establish some leadership in the newsroom."

The Post has been battered by a string of recent crises under Will Lewis, its publisher and CEO. NPR reported that the outlet lost a significant number of subscribers after announcing — just days before the US presidential election in November — that it wouldn't endorse a candidate. That decision broke with 40 years of tradition and came after a Kamala Harris endorsement had been planned.

Bezos later explained the decision in an opinion column, saying many people believe the media is biased and presidential endorsements don't help.

A second Post insider, who is familiar with the subscription numbers, said the paper had won back at least 20% of the subscriptions it lost after the endorsement situation. They said nearly three-fourths of those people who canceled are still using the site while their subscriptions remain active.

Since the endorsement controversy, a number of high-profile newsroom figures have defected.

They include a Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist, who quit after the paper declined to publish her cartoon that portrayed Bezos and other media and tech CEOs sucking up to a statue of President-elect Donald Trump. David Shipley, the Post's opinion editor, said at the time that he rejected the cartoon because the paper had already published a column on the same topic and that another was scheduled for publication.

A third Post insider described a nihilistic feeling at the company amid the talent exodus. They said they felt it would be hard for the paper to move forward under Bezos' ownership in a second Trump administration, given credibility issues with some left-leaning readers.

"A lot of really good institutions are going to have a really hard time in the Trump administration, from higher education to journalism," this person said. "And I think the Post, in part because of our own doing, is one of the first to have its walls shook really, really hard."

Lewis earlier faced scrutiny when he replaced the top editor, Sally Buzbee, last year, and then his choice of replacement backed out. He also faced questions over his actions during the aftermath of a UK phone-hacking scandal.

Not all Post staffers are in agreement with the petition. Another staffer, the sports columnist Sally Jenkins, said the Post's biggest problem is the underlying business challenges facing it and other legacy media.

"I think the Post is in the middle of trying to find solutions, and it takes a lot of time," she said. "Would I love it if Jeff Bezos came to the newsroom? Sure. I just think things are much more complicated than, 'Oh, things will be fine if Jeff Bezos comes in and talks to some editors.'"

Like many other news outlets, the paper has struggled on the revenue side. Last week, it began laying off 4% of staff on the business side, Reuters reported.

Here's the full text of the letter:

To Jeff Bezos:

You recently wrote that ensuring the long-term success and editorial independence of this newspaper is essential. We agree, and we believe you take as much pride in The Washington Post as we do.

We are deeply alarmed by recent leadership decisions that have led readers to question the integrity of this institution, broken with a tradition of transparency, and prompted some of our most distinguished colleagues to leave, with more departures imminent. This goes far beyond the issue of the presidential endorsement, which we recognize as the owner's prerogative. This is about retaining our competitive edge, restoring trust that has been lost, and reestablishing a relationship with leadership based on open communication.

We urge you to come to our office and meet with Post leaders, as you have in the past, about what has been happening at The Post. We understand the need for change, and we are eager to deliver the news in innovative ways. But we need a clear vision we can believe in.

We are committed to pursuing independent journalism that holds power to account and to reporting the news without fear or favor. That will never change. Nothing will shake our determination to follow the reporting wherever it leads.

As you wrote when you first became The Post's owner in 2013, "The values of The Post do not need changing." We urge you to stand with us in reaffirming those values.

Signed,

Staffers of The Washington Post