Cazajous encountered a school of fish swirling around the hull of the wrecked ship in Cavalaire-sur-Mer, France. The photo was highly commended in the wrecks category.

The photo, which was commended in the wrecks category, was taken in Kreidesee Hemmoor, where the plane's owner purposefully sank it to serve as a diving site.

"I love how surreal this scene feels — the airplane flying through the water column, paired with a diver," Scheltema wrote. "It invites you to question: which one doesn't belong, the plane or the person? This is the paradox that I hoped to capture."

Taken off the coast of Brisbane, Australia, Capozzola's split-level image shows a school of fish swimming beneath a shipwreck at sunset. It was commended in the 2025 photography competition.

"This image transports me straight to this wreck with the distinctive bow bathed in evening light, with an attractive school of monos beneath the surface, adding additional interest to the scene," a judge wrote of her photo.

The Rio de Janeiro was a passenger and cargo liner that sank during Operation Hailstone in 1944, when the US Navy attacked Japanese forces at Truk Lagoon and sank 200,000 tons of shipping, according to the US Naval Institute.

"In the control room of the Rio De Janeiro wreck, I photographed this flooded maze filled with machinery and gauges," Broen wrote.

The Nagano Maru, a passenger and cargo vessel, still has a Nissan flatbed truck in its cargo hold No. 3.

Rick Ayrton worked with another diver to photograph the wreck. The image was highly commended in the Underwater Photographer of the Year contest.

The SS Carthage was sunk by the submarine U-21 on July 4, 1915. It sits off the coast of Turkey at a depth of 84 meters, or 276 feet.

"SS Carthage is one of the most well-preserved wrecks in the Mediterranean, characterized by its tall superstructure and all its detail," Dawson wrote.

The position of the rudder indicates that the crew tried to steer hard to the starboard, or right, side before the wreck, the photographer Frank Aron wrote.

"Even 150 years later this wooden wreck is nearly completely preserved, giving divers a clear idea of what happened during the collision," Aron wrote of the highly commended photo.

The Sahil Guvenlik SG115 was sunk at a depth of 35 meters, or about 115 feet, for recreational diving in Kas, Turkey.

Dopierala took the photo while freediving in the Red Sea.

"I love the fresh images that freediving photography is bringing to underwater photography as a whole," one judge wrote. "Creating such a perfect composition and moment takes particularly high skills when both photographer and model are on breath-hold dives."

Gulf Fleet No. 31 sank in 1985 when it hit a reef in Shaabruhr Umm Qammar.

"When she sank, she got wedged between the reef wall and a small reef, so there is a swim-through under the wreck," Dawson wrote of the ship.

At a depth of about 104 meters, or about 341 feet, it's one of the deepest wrecks featured in the 2025 Underwater Photographer of the Year competition.

"This image is packed with the feeling of adventure, in a finely crafted composition that draws you in with layer upon layer of interest, from foreground corals to the clouds of fish above the wreck," one judge wrote of Dawson's winning photo.

After the war, the Becuna served as a training ship for students at the Naval Submarine School in Groton, Connecticut, while occasionally carrying out surveillance missions against the Soviet Union and visiting foreign ports.

In 1951, the Becuna underwent a Greater Underwater Propulsive Power (GUPPY) 1-A conversion. The submarine was outfitted with additional batteries, a snorkel, and other modernizations to improve its submerged speed and endurance.

The Becuna is now the only GUPPY 1-A submarine left in the world.

The Olympia's service began in 1895. The warship was decommissioned in 1922 and became a museum in 1957.

The Becuna opened to the public as a museum exhibit in 1976.

The Delaware River's fresh water is less corrosive than salty seawater, which helps preserve the historic ships.

Torpedomen slept in pull-out bunks, ready to load and fire the torpedoes at a moment's notice.

The forward torpedo room had six torpedo tubes, while the aft torpedo room in the back of the boat had four tubes.

The escape trunk only worked if the submarine was submerged in 100 feet of water or less.

"The average depth of the world's oceans is 2.3 miles, so the odds of you actually being in 100 feet of water are not great," Williams said. "This was more of a morale booster."

The Becuna had a total crew of 80 men: eight officers, five chief petty officers, and 67 regular crew members.

After its GUPPY 1-A makeover, the Becuna's max speed increased from 9 knots to 15 knots.

The ward room functioned as an operating theater in medical emergencies and was also upgraded to serve as a backup navigation center with the necessary equipment built into the table.

The fake lobster on an officer's plate is part of the museum's strategy to keep younger visitors engaged on the tour. Those who spot all of the lobsters hidden throughout the submarine win a prize.

The officers ate the same meals as the rest of the crew, but enjoyed a more elevated dining experience in the ward room.

Showers were infrequent aboard submarines to preserve fresh water. The space was often used to store items like potatoes, onions, and cans of food, Williams said.

Junior and senior officers served in administrative roles.

The executive officer, who was second-in-command under the commanding officer, slept here.

People often colloquially refer to the person in charge of the ship as the captain, but his official title was commanding officer.

"In the US Navy, 'captain' is a rank, not a position," Williams said. "What most people would think of as a captain is the commanding officer, but his rank is probably going to be commander or lieutenant commander."

"There's a saying in the Navy that officers command but chiefs make the boat go," Williams said.

Anything involving paper — reports, commendations, personnel records, order forms for supplies — went through the yeoman.

The conning tower is where the commanding officer usually issued orders from.

Once I successfully hoisted myself through the narrow hatch into the small space, I looked into one of the periscopes and saw the Olympia warship docked next door.

The Becuna used red lights for night operations and combat because it's easier for one's eyesight to adjust to total darkness from red light than from bright white light. This allowed crew members with lookout duties to see in the dark more quickly. It also would save precious time if the ship lost power and the control room went completely black.

The conning tower could be sealed off in an emergency.

In a nod to the inclinometer, submarine crew members were nicknamed "bubbleheads."

Crew members opened and closed the hatches with levers that used hydraulic pressure.

"Each set of these lights corresponds to a hatch or a hull opening somewhere on the boat," Williams said. "If the light is green, that hatch is closed. If it is red, that hatch is open. When you are diving, you want what's called a green board."

Compressed air had many crucial jobs on a submarine. It started the engines, fired torpedoes, flushed toilets, and blew water out of the ballast tanks to allow the ship to surface.

"This is one of those spots that still needs some research and trying to figure out what was where because, obviously, a lot of that listening stuff was taken out because it is sensitive material," Williams said.

Crew members ate four meals a day: breakfast, lunch, dinner, and midnight rations also known as "mid-rats," which were usually dinner leftovers or a simple meal like cold-cut sandwiches.

The game boards on the tables are original to the submarine.

Perishables usually lasted through the first two or three weeks of a two-month-long patrol. After that, the crew subsisted on canned goods.

Sonar stands for "sound navigation and ranging."

The Becuna used both active and passive sonar to detect other underwater vessels. Active sonar sends out pings of sound that bounce off other objects, revealing their location and distance. Passive sonar simply listens for activity.

The Becuna mostly used passive sonar to remain undetected.

The sonar room below the crew's mess was soundproofed to block out the noise of movie screenings and chatter from above.

The forward and aft torpedo rooms each contained 15 bunks. Together with the 35 beds in the crew's berthing, there were 65 bunks for the 67 non-officer crew members on board.

"Hot racking," or the rotating use of bunks by crew members with different shifts, didn't need to happen very often.

The engines, which ran at 1,600 horsepower each, may have been nicknamed "Huff," "Puff," "Grunt," and "Groan." These names are painted on the engines, but the museum isn't sure if they're historically accurate.

The distillers could produce up to 1,000 gallons of fresh water per day, but actually produced around 600 gallons in practice because they often burned out and required maintenance, Williams said.

Tanks on either side of the submarine could hold 4,000 gallons of fresh water. The Becuna burned through the supply quickly at a pace of about 5,000 gallons a week.

Most of the distilled water went toward keeping the submarine's batteries hydrated as they burned off their electrolyte fluid. The rest was used for cooking, drinking, and cleaning machinery. Hygiene was last on the list, with enough water left over for each crew member to take a two-minute shower once a week.

The bus switches directed electricity to its generators, which powered its motors.

Each Mark 14 torpedo weighed 3,000 pounds.

"The takeaway here is everything old is new again," Williams said. "This is one of your first memes, essentially."

By helping to preserve the story of the only remaining submarine with GUPPY 1-A modernization, Williams hopes to show visitors that submarine history encompasses more than just World War II and nuclear vessels.

"Very few people understand or know that there is a period of about 30 years between the end of the war and when the nuclear fleet really came online that these diesel boats are doing the things that we tend to associate with the nuclear," he said. "That is the story we're trying to tell."

Manhattan's only Costco store is located at East River Plaza, a shopping complex in East Harlem.

I often have to circle the parking lot and wait for a spot when I make my usual Costco runs on Sunday afternoons, but I had no trouble finding a place to park that early.

Some people I spoke with said they hadn't arrived early to buy eggs but instead preferred to shop when the store was less crowded. They also said morning grocery trips worked best with their busy schedules.

When asked why they were at the store so early, two people said they'd had trouble finding eggs at other stores and had come to Costco in search of an affordable supply.

"People don't want to overpay for eggs," one shopper, who declined to give his name, told Business Insider. "That's why I stock up on them."

"It's a shame. It's a shame how much eggs cost," another shopper who asked not to be identified said.

I noticed scanning membership cards beforehand allowed for better traffic flow once the doors opened.

Crowds gathered outside the store by the parking lot and in the indoor vestibule leading to the warehouse entrance. I estimated that there were around 30 to 40 people between them.

It took some maneuvering for all the people and carts to fit through the doors, but overall, I found the process orderly and efficient.

Some people stopped at the entrance to scan their cards again, but employees waved them through and said that wasn't necessary if they'd been processed outside.

I've shopped at Costco stores in the Midwest and Iceland. The busiest location is Costco in New York City. I'd never seen the aisles look so spacious.

I figured it was best to head straight there just in case the eggs went quickly.

I was surprised to find that there weren't any sets of five dozen cage-free eggs for sale, only smaller cartons with two dozen eggs.

A Costco employee told me that egg deliveries have been inconsistent and that the store's stock varies daily.

Since the Manhattan location hadn't received any eggs that morning, the cartons in stock were likely leftover from closing the day before, the employee said.

My neighbors and I occasionally pick up items from Costco for each other. They bought me some cheese on their latest shopping trip, so I owed them a favor.

I stayed in the refrigerated section to see how long it would take for the eggs to sell out.

I watched several shoppers, who had also arrived early, walk into the refrigerated section. They seemed to express disappointment after seeing the eggs were sold out.

I saw one person with six packages of eggs in their cart, but for the most part, shoppers took one or two cartons each when I was in the store.

Some Costco locations have limited customers to three egg cartons per person, but policies appear to vary by store. Costco representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The average price of a dozen large eggs in US cities was $4.95 as of January, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Costco's price during my visit was 70 cents lower than the national average.

In my experience, Manhattan's Costco usually has a small line of people waiting outside before it opens, but this shopping trip felt different. The strategic planning required to buy a carton of eggs reminded me of the frantic rush of securing Taylor Swift's Eras Tour tickets.

In this economy, eggs no longer feel like a basic grocery staple. They're a hot luxury item that flies off the shelves, available to the most devoted fans.

US presidents rode Lincoln limousines for most of the 20th century until the 1980s, when the Reagan administration switched to Cadillacs.

The latest model of the presidential limousine was commissioned by the US Secret Service in 2014 and used for the first time in 2018 by President Donald Trump.

Designed to look like a longer version of a Cadillac XT6, the chassis of the car is actually that of a Chevrolet Kodiak truck produced by General Motors, NBC News reported. The vehicle weighs around 20,000 pounds and cost around $1.5 million to build.

While details about the limousine's security measures remain classified, NBC News reported that the vehicle features a night-vision system, tear gas firing capabilities, and door handles that can be electrified to prevent intruders.

The windows are believed to be 3 inches thick and the vehicle's armor around 8 inches thick.

The limousine's secure communications system is able to dispatch the launch codes for nuclear weapons.

The seal, featuring an eagle holding an olive branch and 13 arrows in its talons below a banner reading "E Pluribus Unum" ("Out of many, one"), appears on both the interior and exterior of the passenger door.

The interior features water bottle holders and plush leather seats. Previous presidential limousines have also included a fold-out desk, according to the US Secret Service.

Presidential limousines are transported by military cargo aircraft, such as US Air Force C-17s, for use during the president's travels, according to the US Secret Service.

When Biden visited the UK in June 2021, the presidential limousine flew both the American flag and the Union Jack.

Some presidents have used the Washington, DC, "End Taxation Without Representation" license plates, while others have removed the slogan, Axios reported.

Biden and Trump rode to the 2025 inauguration ceremony together in the presidential limousine.

"It is safe to say that this car's security and coded communications systems make it the most technologically advanced protection vehicle in the world," the assistant director for the US Secret Service's Office of Protective Operations said of "The Beast, " according to the US Secret Service's official website.

Eisenhower's Boeing 707 Stratoliner, nicknamed "Queenie," featured a section for telecommunications, room for 40 passengers, a conference area, and a stateroom, according to Encyclopedia Britannica.

The Boeing 707 included a living room, bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen.

The plane's design featured an American flag on the tail and presidential seals on the nose.

It marked the first and only time a presidential swearing-in ceremony took place on an airplane.

The small alcove was decorated with a globe decal on the wall and curtains lining the windows.

Nixon stood behind the plane's bar while meeting with military and civilian leaders en route to Vietnam.

Presidents would occasionally make their way back to the rear cabin to chat with reporters.

Ford is pictured with Candice Bergen, the first female photographer to shoot a behind-the-scenes story on an American president.

Carter talked to reporters on his way back from a trip to Europe in 1978.

In 1983, Reagan met with Secretary of State George P. Shultz and the national-security advisor designate Robert McFarlane in a meeting space that featured a magazine rack, teal chair, wood-grain table, and photos of him and the first lady, Nancy Reagan.

The photos showed Reagan toasting with a champagne glass and waving while boarding Air Force One.

The meeting room also included a television set.

The presidential office was updated with a stately desk, gray carpeting, and leather chairs.

The staff area featured plenty of phones for official business. Air Force One is also known as the "flying Oval Office."

The annex is pictured in executive configuration, with seating for meetings.

Clinton met with a delegation from North and South Dakota in 1997 to address flooding in the area.

Clinton met with members of Congress to discuss nuclear-waste management in 1999.

The plane flew 444 missions and logged over 1 million miles, according to the Bush White House.

Bush insisted on returning to Washington, but the Secret Service refused since they were unsure if more attacks were coming.

In a 2016 interview with Politico, Bush's assistant White House press secretary Gordon Johndroe described Air Force One that day as "the safest and most dangerous place in the world at the exact same time."

The president's suite included a small bed, light-pink couch and carpeting, and a desk with a brown leather chair.

The hallway was lined with a beige couch with side tables and lamps on either side.

The plane has 85 phone lines as well as encryption and scrambling devices to ensure secure communication, CNBC reported.

Food and drinks are provided by the plane's galley kitchen.

Obama met with his chief of staff, Jack Lew, his senior advisors David Axelrod and David Plouffe, and former President Bill Clinton in the senior staff room in 2012.

The carpeting was updated to a subtle star pattern, which also appeared in the conference room.

The chairs featured a subtle polka-dot pattern, and the tables folded down to make more space.

Journalists can wander the rear cabin freely, but they aren't allowed to walk forward to speak to the president — the president has to come back to them.

As part of the Air Force's Presidential Aircraft Recapitalization program to update Air Force One planes, Trump proposed a red, white, and navy-blue color scheme for the new models.

The darker paint color would have caused overheating issues and been too costly. Instead, President Joe Biden selected a baby-blue color scheme similar to the current model.

The new VC-25B Air Force One planes are expected to be ready by 2027, according to the Air Force. The project has already cost Boeing over $2 million due to various manufacturing and supply-chain issues.

Plain beige carpeting continued down the hallway.

Biden took his first overseas trip as president in June 2021, visiting Europe for the G7 summit.

Trump signed a proclamation establishing the name change in his Air Force One office in February.

During the Lebanese Civil War (1975-1990), snipers took up residence in a number of Beirut buildings in what became known as the "Battle of the Hotels."

Construction on the 40-story Beirut Trade Center, also known as Burj al-Murr or the "tower of bitterness," began in 1974, just a year before war broke out. At that point, the $15 million building was 70% complete, Executive Magazine reported in 2004.

In addition to office space, the Trade Center was designed to hold a movie theater and restaurant accessible by helicopter.

Architect Camillo Boano and urban planner Dalia Chabarek described it as a scarred artifact of war that's "difficult to topple" or renovate.

Several artists have incorporated the unfinished building into their work. In 2018, Jad El Khoury put up a temporary installation in the structure, adding colorful curtains to the windows to transform it into Burj El Hawa, the Tower of Air, according to Archinect.

One of New Orleans' tallest buildings has become a danger in the decades since it was erected in the 1960s.

While the $15.5 million building had a few residential units, it was mainly designed for offices. In 2002, building tenants, including the Orleans Parish district attorney's office, complained that toxic mold was making them sick. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the building was gutted due to both mold and asbestos, The Times-Picayune reported in 2014.

Since then, its problems have continued. A piece of paneling fell and hit a bicyclist in 2021. There was a fire in 2022, and a man died falling from one of the floors in 2023.

Despite attempts to salvage the Plaza Tower, "the city made their case that the buildings become a public safety hazard," Ursini said.

Now the city is preparing to demolish the building, though the current owner hopes to find a buyer instead, The Times-Picayune reported in January.

In 2022, Rosin Preservation wrote a report arguing that 909 Chestnut Street, also known as One AT&T Center, should be added to the National Register of Historic Places list.

Completed in 1985, the St. Louis building is one of the tallest in the state, has a "fortress-like base," and a "façade [that] appears to stretch beyond what is expected, seemingly indefinitely," according to the report.

AT&T didn't renew its lease in 2017, and the building has been empty since, according to Costar, which gathers information on commercial real estate. In 2024, the Goldman Group bought 909 Chestnut for $3.6 million, a fraction of its 2006 price of $205 million.

"At that price, I guess the building itself is a blank slate because you're picking it up for almost nothing," Ursini said.

The real estate firm hopes to put in 600 apartments, a pickleball court, and a movie theater, Fox2 reported in January.

Popularly known as Thailand's "Ghost Tower," this looming structure dates back to 1990. The 47-floor building was only 80% finished when the 1997 Asian financial crisis hit.

Its architect was also charged and then acquitted as part of a murder plot that was never carried out, Architectural Digest reported in 2023.

With the unfinished luxury condo in ruins, daredevil travelers risk trespassing and injury to explore the tower. Exposed wires and rusty metals are just a few of the building's hazards.

For years, this empty 45-story building, known as the Torre de David or Tower of David, was also described as the world's tallest slum.

Banker David Brillembourg hoped to create Venezuela's version of Wall Street with the tower, The New Yorker reported, but the country's financial crisis and Brillembourg's death put an end to construction in 1994, New York Magazine reported.

Some 3,000 people took up residence in the concrete shell of a building, transforming it into a community with electricity, grocery stores, and water, Slate reported in 2014. However, the structure was deemed unsafe and the occupants were evicted in 2014, per The BBC.

In 2018, a powerful earthquake did some damage to the upper levels of the Tower of David, Reuters reported.

At between $1.5 million and $20 million a pop, units in 1 Seaport came with the promised luxuries of an infinity pool, dazzling views, and 10-foot ceilings. Buyers snapped them up, putting down hundreds of thousands of dollars as deposits.

In 2017, a carpenter working on the $273 million building fell to his death, The New Yorker recently reported. When it emerged the building was sinking and leaning to the left, its contractors and developers started blaming each other, Curbed reported in 2021.

One lawyer involved in one of 1 Seaport's many lawsuits described the tilted structure as resembling a banana. While the building is unlikely to fall over, construction has been halted since 2020.

Consisting of three towers, the unfinished Oceanwide Plaza has become notorious for artists tagging its exterior. Last year, thrill-seekers even BASE jumped from the top.

The ambitious complex, expected to cost $1 billion, was meant to be home to luxury residential units and a five-star hotel, The Los Angeles Times reported. It's about 60% complete after construction halted in 2019. Oceanwide Holdings, the company behind the towers, filed for involuntary bankruptcy, Los Angeles Magazine reported last year.

Finishing the project would take around $800 million, per the Wall Street Journal.

Jutting high above its surrounding buildings, the pyramid-shaped Ryugyong earned the nickname "Hotel of Doom" when it sat empty and incomplete for over a decade in the middle of North Korea's biggest city.

Work on the 105-story building began in 1987 under the rule of Kim Il Sung, Kim Jong Un's grandfather. In 1992, the economic depression following the Soviet Union's collapse halted construction before windows were installed and the concrete was covered.

Construction has stopped and started several times since, and it's unclear when the structure will open. In 2008, Reuters reported it would take an estimated $2 billion to complete the hotel.

"It was bare," tour operator Simon Cockerell told 9news.com.au of the concrete-filled interior after a visit in 2023.

On the outside, though, a new LED screen broadcasts propaganda.

This is one project that never got off the ground.

Originally, its developers hoped SkyCity would be the Philippines' tallest building. They planned for the 77-story skyscraper to hold a hotel, swanky condos, and a bar, Esquire Philippines reported.

Nearby homeowners complained when developers broke ground in 1997 for several reasons, including that the structure, planned at over 1,000 feet tall, would cast a giant shadow.

A lengthy legal battle ensued, and funding for the estimated $85 million project dried up. The location is just a large, mossy hole now.

Nothing in the vicinity comes close to the height of the rusting, unfinished Goldin Finance tower in Tianjin, a city in Northern China. It was meant to hold a hotel, condos, and offices.

Construction began on the structure in 2008. A diamond-shaped atrium was supposed to sit atop the building, reminiscent of a glittering gem on top of a walking stick.

From the atrium's observation deck and restaurant, guests would have had dizzying views of the city's downtown. Then, in the mid-2010s, Goldin Group, the skyscraper's developer, started having financial troubles.

At that point, it would have taken $10 billion to complete the project, Forbes reported in 2022.

"There's no cladding on the exterior, and the building is just there awaiting a restart of construction," Ursini said. It still remains empty today.

This story was originally published in August 2018 and most recently updated on February 16, 2025.

President Dwight Eisenhower was the first president to fly in a helicopter in an official capacity in 1957, according to the US Naval Institute.

Marine One features antimissile countermeasures, ballistic armor, secure communication lines, and radar-jamming technology.

In case of a crash, it also has self-sealing fuel tanks and energy-absorbing landing gear to help prevent fires and extensive damage.

There can be up to five Marine One helicopters flying at one time to obscure the president's exact location, according to the George W. Bush Presidential Library. The helicopters also frequently change positions after takeoff to make it harder to determine which one the president is on.

Military cargo aircraft transport Marine One helicopters abroad and remain on standby at local airports in case of emergency during foreign visits, according to the US Naval Institute.

A Black Hawk model called the VH-60N White Hawk can fit 11 passengers, and the Sikorsky VH-3D Sea King helicopters can fit 14, according to the George W. Bush Presidential Library. Both are used as presidential transports.

The helicopter is so soundproof that passengers can speak at a normal volume.

Marine One also includes perks like 200 square feet of interior space and a bathroom.

Flying across Washington, DC, in a helicopter is more efficient than snarling traffic in a presidential motorcade.

New Sikorsky VH-92 Patriot models built by Lockheed Martin debuted in 2021 with the goal of eventually replacing the older Marine One helicopters.

The fleet of 20 aircraft cost $5 billion, but the new Sikorsky helicopters are no longer in regular use because the engines kept burning the White House lawn.

President Barack Obama sparked controversy in 2013 when he seemingly forgot to return a Marine's salute and doubled back to shake his hand while boarding Marine One.

However, while Army personnel in uniform are required to salute the president, the president doesn't have to return the gesture. The New York Times reported that President Ronald Reagan was the first president to start returning soldiers' salutes in 1981.

The president's seat is the only forward-facing captain's chair on the aircraft aside from the seats occupied by the pilot and copilot, The Points Guy reported.

After his first ride in Marine One in 2009, Obama said that the helicopter was "very smooth" and "very impressive."

"You go right over the Washington Monument and then, you know, kind of curve in by the Capitol," he said. "It was spectacular."

When booking my ticket, a diagram on Amtrak's website showed the direction of travel so that I could choose a forward or backward-facing seat on the train.

I chose to sit in 5F, a single window seat facing forward.

An Amtrak representative told Business Insider that seat selection — which is not typically available for Amtrak coach seats — allows for "seamless boarding while taking the guesswork out of finding your seat."

Seven cities in the US have Amtrak Metropolitan Lounges: Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, Philadelphia, Portland, Oregon, and Washington, DC. Admission is included with a first-class ticket.

In select locations, business-class passengers can buy a day pass for $50.

Train stations like Philadelphia's 30th Street Station and New York City's Penn Station don't have much seating available in the public waiting areas.

In the Amtrak Metropolitan Lounge, the armchairs and couches felt reminiscent of a hotel lobby.

I spent nearly three hours there, and the time flew by since I had cushy places to sit and a decent WiFi connection.

A coffee machine produced espresso, iced coffee, and hot chocolate. A water dispenser also offered still, sparkling, and hot water.

Train announcements were displayed on information screens instead of blasting through loudspeakers, and people kept their conversations and phone calls at a respectful volume.

The exclusivity of the space also meant it wasn't very crowded.

Unfortunately, the elevator to my specific track was broken, so I had to join the regular boarding line outside the lounge.

While the seat had more space to spread out with no seat next to it, I didn't notice a significant improvement in comfort. It felt more or less the same as the coach seat I'd sat in earlier in the day for my trip to Philadelphia, which had been perfectly comfortable.

Even though the trip was only scheduled to last about one hour and 22 minutes, it included a full meal from the first-class menu. Having someone take my order made me feel like I was at a restaurant and added to the luxurious experience.

The salad was a mix of arugula, spinach, purple potatoes, parsnips, chickpeas, tomatoes, and king mushrooms with a curry dressing.

It came with a warm roll and a small tiramisu in a jar, and I enjoyed the meal with a glass of cranberry juice.

The silverware was stamped with the Acela logo.

The lightly scented, moist towelettes were a refreshing end to the meal service.

I generally agree with my colleague Joey Hadden's previous assessment of Amtrak's first-class experience: The perks are cool, but not necessarily worth the higher price tag of $241 for a one-way ticket. The first leg of my journey, from New York to Philadelphia, cost just $19 for a coach seat.

If anything, the fact that first class doesn't feel like a significant upgrade is a testament to the comfort of Amtrak's coach cars.

The one exception, in my opinion, is the Amtrak Metropolitan Lounge. While I may not book an expensive first-class ticket again for a shorter trip, I'd consider getting a lounge day pass for the luxury of having a quiet, comfortable, well-stocked waiting area.

The store was located at Clifton Commons, a 335,000-square-foot shopping center that also features a Target, an AMC movie theater, and a Burlington Coat Factory, among other retailers.

NPR reported in 2023 that new Barnes & Noble stores featured lighter paint and wood colors as part of a branding makeover that occurred when stores were closed during the pandemic.

"Onyx Storm" is the fastest-selling adult novel since BookScan began tracking sales 20 years ago, with 2.7 million copies sold in its first week.

A sign described the genre and its tropes, such as enemies to lovers, found family, elemental magic, fairytale retellings, and strong heroines," as "all the books you've been hearing about!"

"Many stores have opted to feature BookTok tables and have grown some extensive Graphic Novels and Manga sections, and have truly become a go-to destination for kids and teenagers to gather after school," a Barnes & Noble spokesperson told Business Insider.

The Barnes & Noble exclusive editions can feature exclusive cover designs or additional content, such as interviews with the authors — a draw for loyal fans to shop at Barnes & Noble over other retailers.

The handwritten notes made the national retailer feel more like an indie bookstore.

As CEO, Daunt's strategy has been to allow store managers to stock books based on what's selling well in their individual locations instead of dictating orders from a centralized corporate office.

"I get all the glory, but actually what I'm doing is getting out of people's way and letting them run decent bookstores," Daunt told The New York Times in 2022.

The selection of banned books included "The Diary of A Young Girl" by Anne Frank, "1984" by George Orwell, "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood," and "Gender Queer: A Memoir" by Maia Kobabe.

Barnes & Noble added a "banned books" section to its website and some stores in 2022. Some of the books "were banned on moral, religious, or political grounds," or because they "explore race, sexuality, and new concepts and ideas," per Barnes & Noble's website.

A Barnes & Noble spokesperson told BI that the stores encourage browsing with a layout that "guides customers on a smooth journey."

As part of Barnes & Noble's redesign, books are organized by theme instead of alphabetically to help readers make new discoveries.

When I visited in February, Musk and his Department of Governmental Efficiency continued to make headlines in the early days of the Trump administration. Barnes & Noble appeared to capitalize on increased interest in Musk's business practices by displaying books where people could learn more about him.

The toys and games were strategically located near the section of children's books, charmingly labeled "Barnes & Noble Jr."

I'd assumed there would be more bookshelves to peruse upstairs. From the ground floor, I could see employees working in cubicles and holding meetings in glass-walled conference rooms.

The upper floors of Barnes & Noble's flagship store in Union Square have also been converted to office space as a cost-cutting measure instead of leasing an expensive corporate headquarters.

Barnes & Noble cafés license Starbucks drinks but sell different food items, so they're not considered stand-alone Starbucks stores and don't accept Starbucks gift cards.

The premium membership, launched in 2023, costs $39.99 per year.

In addition to 10% off most purchases, premium members get free shipping and one free ebook a month, among other perks.

"Barnes & Noble has always been a social hub, but it became even more so after the pandemic; many readers were looking for a place to spend time and connect with other people in their community," a Barnes & Noble spokesperson told Business Insider. "With this shift to a 'third place' our bookstores and cafés were seen as the perfect safe and welcoming space to meet up with friends and explore the stacks."

The ingredients for Depression cake are as follows:

• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 cup hot coffee or boiling water, or a mix of the two
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar
• 1/3 cup neutral oil
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

I already had most of the ingredients in my pantry, but I did run out to buy all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, powdered sugar, and a foil pan to bake the cake in. Additionally, I substituted dark brown sugar instead of light brown sugar since I already had some on hand.

I spent $17.15 on ingredients. The cake yields nine servings, bringing my total cost to about $1.90 per serving.

The average price of a dozen eggs in the first quarter of 2025 is $4.80, according to data from the US Department of Agriculture, but this recipe didn't require me to use any.

The recipe called for an 8-inch square pan.

I used hot water since I'm not a fan of coffee. The smell of hot chocolate wafted from the bowl.

I was skeptical about adding apple cider vinegar to a chocolate cake, but I dutifully followed the recipe and added it along with the granulated sugar, brown sugar, oil, and vanilla.

The flour, salt, and baking soda all went into a separate bowl.

The chemical reaction of the baking soda and vinegar filled the batter with bubbles, which would help the cake become light and fluffy without using eggs.

The recipe said to bake the cake for 25 to 30 minutes.

The glaze called for 1 cup of powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, 1 to 2 tablespoons of coffee or water, and a pinch of salt.

Once again, I used water instead of coffee.

I sampled a bit of the glaze and enjoyed the sweet, chocolate flavor.

After a few toothpick tests, I pulled the cake out of the oven after around 45 minutes, when the toothpick emerged clean of batter.

The only difference I noticed is that the top of the cake had baked into a slightly crispy shell, which I haven't encountered before while baking with eggs and butter.

The baking soda and vinegar worked their magic.

I couldn't believe that this cake didn't have any eggs or dairy in it.

As an experiment, I offered a slice of cake to my partner but didn't reveal that it was dairy-free and egg-free. My partner said they appreciated how it "wasn't sickly sweet" and went back for seconds.

After I shared the "wacky" nature of the recipe, they said they'd never have guessed it didn't have dairy or eggs.

As the price of eggs continues to skyrocket — a dozen eggs cost $10 at my local Manhattan grocery store last time I checked — I'm grateful for timeless recipes like Depression cake that have allowed generations of penny-pinchers to have their cake and eat it too.

Walmart previously used a Western-inspired logo font called "Font Frontier Logo," then switched to bold block letters in 1981.

Walmart eventually got rid of the hyphen altogether in 2008.

In 2019, Walmart eliminated "people greeter" positions in about 1,000 stores and replaced them with "customer hosts," an expanded role that included checking receipts and processing refunds.

Since the 1970s, Walmart has followed its "every day low prices" strategy, or EDLP, which offers lower prices on products year-round rather than only during special sales or promos.

In 2008, the "Always" slogan was updated to its current iteration, "Save money. Live better."

In 2025, a two-pack of Sparkle paper towels costs $2.97 at Walmart, or about $1.49 per roll.

Walmart's growth was not without controversy.

Gifford and Walmart came under scrutiny when National Labor Committee director Charles Kernaghan testified in a 1996 congressional hearing that Gifford's clothing line was produced by child laborers in sweatshops in Honduras.

"I immediately called Walmart and said this is obscene if this is happening," Gifford said on an episode of "Live! With Regis and Kathie Lee." "They said, 'That happened months ago, we found out about it and took care of it.'"

Gifford later testified before the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on International Operations and Human Rights to advocate for better oversight of working conditions to prevent child labor.

"I believe this committee has the means to formulate real and substantive change as to how garments are made for the American consumer," she told lawmakers.

The incident sparked increased awareness of and advocacy for corporate responsibility policies. In subsequent years, Walmart also adopted new standards focused on ethical manufacturing and sustainability abroad.

On Black Friday in 1998, customers lined up outside Walmart stores at 3 a.m. to secure popular '90s toys such as Furbies.

Celebrity guests at Walmart's shareholders meetings included Reba McEntire, Chet Atkins, Lee Greenwood, and Bill and Hillary Clinton, when they were the governor and first lady of Arkansas. The company also invited employees from across the US.

The 1992 shareholders meeting featured a crowd of 15,000 audience members, AP reported.

Walmart acquired 122 Woolco stores in Canada in 1994, opened its first locations in China in 1996, and acquired Asda in the UK in 1998.

As of 2025, Walmart operates 10,600 stores in 19 countries with 2.1 million employees worldwide, according to its official website.

Actor and former stand-up comic Lily Tomlin took home a Grammy for best comedy recording in 1972 for her album "This Is A Recording." The album features her performance as telephone operator Ernestine, one of the most iconic characters she created.

Tomlin has been nominated a total of five times.

Since 1978, actor and comedian Steve Martin has won a total of five Grammys. In addition to two awards for best comedy album, Martin, who is also a bluegrass musician, has garnered a handful of music awards for his country and roots tunes.

Most recently, Martin's track "Love Has Come For You" won a Grammy for best American roots song at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards in 2014. He was also nominated in 2015 and 2017.

Johnson won a spoken-word Grammy at the 35th Annual Awards for "What You Can Do to Avoid AIDS." The basketball legend, who announced in 1991 that he had been diagnosed with HIV, has been a vocal advocate for HIV/AIDS prevention and education.

"Garden State," Zach Braff's 2004 directorial debut, attracted a cult following. Part of the film's appeal is its indie-driven soundtrack, which earned Braff, who starred in the movie with Natalie Portman, a Grammy at the 47th award show.

Clinton won his first Grammy in 2004 in the category of best spoken-word album for children for his narration of "Peter and the Wolf: Wolf Tracks." He won another Grammy for the audiobook narration of his memoir, "My Life," in 2005.

He was nominated twice more for narrating his subsequent books, "Giving: How Each Of Us Can Change The World" and "Back To Work: Why We Need Smart Government For A Strong Economy."

Hillary Rodham Clinton won a spoken-word Grammy in 1997 for "It Takes a Village," her non-fiction book about the future of children in America.

She was nominated again in the same category in 2004 for her White House memoir, "Living History."

For someone whose musical career is predicated on parody, "Weird Al" has made it big. In fact, the singer, who is known for hits like "Eat It" and "eBay," has five Grammys and 17 nominations to his name.

Late-night host Stephen Colbert has won two Grammys out of his three nominations.

At the 52nd Grammy Awards in 2010, Colbert won best comedy album for "A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All!" Then, at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards in 2014, the recording of his book "America Again: Re-becoming the Greatness We Never Weren't" won a spoken-word award.

Martin Luther King Jr.'s speeches made American history, but you might not know that the minister and activist was posthumously awarded a Grammy. In 1971, King was honored with a spoken word award for his anti-war speech "Why I Oppose the War in Vietnam."

Two of his more famous addresses, "I Have a Dream" and "We Shall Overcome," were also nominated for Grammys.

Former President Barack Obama won spoken-word Grammys for narrating the recordings of his books "Dreams From My Father" and "The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream." He was nominated again in 2022 for narrating the audiobook of his presidential memoir, "A Promised Land."

The former first lady's audiobook for her memoir "Becoming" won a spoken-word Grammy award in 2020. She won again in 2024 for "The Light We Carry."

Filmmaker Orson Welles won three spoken-word Grammys. The first was for "Great American Documents," for which he read the Declaration of Independence. He also won the award for his masterpiece "Citizen Kane" and for the sci-fi radio play "Donovan's Brain."

In 1994, American poet Maya Angelou won her first spoken-word Grammy award for "On the Pulse of Morning," which she wrote for Bill Clinton's inauguration. She also won the award for her poetry collection "Phenomenal Woman" and for the autobiography "A Song Flung Up to Heaven."

Betty White won a Grammy at the 54th Annual Awards in 2012. The "Golden Girls" actor received a spoken-word award for her autobiography, "If You Ask Me (And of Course You Won't)."

At the 60th Annual Awards in 2018, Carrie Fisher was posthumously awarded a spoken-word Grammy for her memoir, "The Princess Diarist."

Joaquin Phoenix starred in the 2005 musical biopic "Walk the Line" as Johnny Cash. Phoenix's portrayal of the country singer earned him a Grammy for best compilation soundtrack for visual media.

The former president has won Grammys for best spoken-word album for three of his books: "Faith — A Journey For All," "A Full Life: Reflections at Ninety" and "Our Endangered Values: America's Moral Crisis."

Carter, who died at the age of 100 in December, is nominated again at the 2025 Grammys for the audiobook "Last Sundays in Plains: A Centennial Celebration."

Jimmy Carter has been nominated 10 times for best spoken-word album, according to the Grammys' official website. He won for the recordings of his books "Faith — A Journey For All" in 2019, "A Full Life: Reflections at Ninety" in 2016, and "Our Endangered Values: America's Moral Crisis" in 2007.

This year, the former president is nominated in the best spoken-word album category for "Last Sundays in Plains: A Centennial Celebration."

The former first lady's audiobook for her memoir "Becoming" won best spoken-word album in 2020. In 2024, she won again for the recording of her latest book, "The Light We Carry."

The recordings of Obama's books "Dreams From My Father" and "The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream" won best spoken-word album in 2006 and 2008, respectively. His presidential memoir audiobook, "A Promised Land," was also nominated in 2022.

In 2018, Sanders was nominated for best spoken-word album for "Our Revolution: A Future to Believe In" along with actor Mark Ruffalo, who narrated parts of the audiobook. The pair lost to Carrie Fisher, who won a posthumous award for her memoir "The Princess Diarist."

In 2024, Sanders was nominated in the same category for his audiobook, "It's OK to Be Angry About Capitalism."

Warren lost the award to "Diary of a Mad Diva" by Joan Rivers.

Clinton's narration of the children's book "Peter and the Wolf: Wolf Tracks" earned him his first Grammy in 2004. The following year, he won best spoken-word album for the audiobook of his presidential memoir, "My Life."

He received two other Grammy nominations for his recordings of "Giving: How Each Of Us Can Change The World" and "Back To Work: Why We Need Smart Government For A Strong Economy."

The then-first lady won a Grammy for the recording of her nonfiction book, "It Takes A Village." She was nominated again in 2004 for the audiobook of her memoir, "Living History."

The former vice president's audiobook was read by actors Beau Bridges, Cynthia Nixon, and Blair Underwood, according to its listing on Audible.

The former Minnesota senator, who rose to fame as a comedian before entering politics, won best comedy album in 1997 and best spoken-word album in 2004. He has been nominated seven times.

Jackson advocated for DC statehood in an unpaid Senate position known as a "shadow senator" from 1991 to 1997. He was also appointed as a special envoy to Africa by President Bill Clinton in 1997.

In 1989, Jackson won a spoken-word Grammy for a recorded address entitled "Speech by Rev. Jesse Jackson." He was nominated in the same category in 1985 for "Our Time Has Come."

His musical talents were also recognized at the 22nd Grammy Awards in 1980, when his gospel album "Push For Excellence" was nominated for best contemporary soul gospel performance.

In what became known as "Frost/Nixon" or "the Nixon interviews," the former president sat down with Frost to discuss his presidency and role in the Watergate scandal. The Grammy-nominated interviews were watched by 45 million people, the BBC reported.

A Republican senator from Illinois, Dirksen took home the Grammy for best spoken word, drama, or documentary recording in 1968. He was also nominated in 1971 for his spoken-word album "Everett Dirksen's America."

"The Truman Tapes," a series of recorded interviews with Ben Gradus, was nominated for best spoken-word recording at the 20th Grammy Awards.

The album, a mix of stories, jokes, and pop music covers, was nominated for best spoken-word recording at the 17th Grammy Awards in 1975.

Editor Bill Adler's book "The Kennedy Wit," a compilation of the former president's quotes and humorous quips, became a bestseller in 1964, the year after his assassination, according to Goodreads.

On the recorded version, Kennedy was listed as an artist along with narrator David Brinkley and Adlai Stevenson, who provided an introduction. The album was nominated for best documentary, spoken word, or drama recording.

Ultimately, the cast of the BBC show "That Was The Week That Was" won the category for its tribute to Kennedy.

Stevenson served as governor of Illinois and ran twice for president as the Democratic nominee in 1952 and 1956.

He was nominated for his first Grammy in 1965 for his contribution to "The Kennedy Wit." He was nominated again in 1967 for "The Stevenson Wit," a similar album featuring selections from his "speeches, press conferences, and off-the-cuff remarks," according to the album cover.

First ladies often act as representatives of their husbands' campaigns, traveling the country to deliver speeches and meet voters at events. During all of Trump's presidential campaigns, Melania was noticeably absent, making only occasional appearances.

The New York Times reported in 2023 that while Melania Trump privately supported Donald Trump's 2024 campaign, she rejected his offers to campaign with him.

When asked about Melania Trump's absence, Donald Trump told "Meet the Press" in 2023 that he likes to keep her away from the campaign trail because "it's so nasty and so mean."

"She's a private person, a great person, a very confident person, and she loves our country very much," he said of his wife.

While Donald Trump moved into the White House after the inauguration, he told reporters that Melania Trump stayed behind in New York with their then-10-year-old son, Barron Trump, so that he could finish out the school year.

Washington Post reporter Mary Jordan wrote in her book, "The Art of Her Deal: The Untold Story of Melania Trump," that Melania Trump also used the time to renegotiate her prenuptial agreement.

In January 2018, The Wall Street Journal broke the news that one of Donald Trump's lawyers, Michael Cohen, transferred a $130,000 hush-money payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election to keep her from speaking about their alleged 2006 affair.

After reports emerged of Donald Trump's alleged affair, which he denied, Melania Trump backed out of a trip to Switzerland and other public engagements. She also arrived at the 2018 State of the Union address in a separate motorcade in a break from the tradition of presidents and their spouses arriving together.

Melania Trump's then-director of communications, Stephanie Grisham, said that the first lady did not travel with her husband because she was accompanying the guests of honor, the BBC reported.

Donald Trump was later found guilty on all 34 counts of falsifying business records to cover up the payment to Daniels. After the hush-money trial reached its verdict in May, Donald Trump continued to deny the affair and called the trial a "witch hunt."

After The New Yorker published a report detailing a former Playmate's alleged affair with Donald Trump, which he denied took place, Melania Trump once again did not appear publicly by her husband's side.

Instead of taking the traditional walk with Donald Trump across the White House lawn, she arrived at the presidential helicopter in a separate vehicle.

"With her schedule, it was easier to meet him on the plane," Grisham told CNN of Melania Trump's separate route.

For her first Christmas in the White House in 2017, Melania Trump lined the East Colonnade with bare white branches that cast shadows on the hall. In 2018, she filled the East Colonnade with dark-red trees that garnered comparisons to costumes in the dystopian TV series "The Handmaid's Tale." The following year, clear acrylic panels lined the hall, and her final White House Christmas featured potted plants.

Her avant-garde Christmas decorations garnered some criticism, while others praised her unconventional choices.

"Everyone has a different taste," Melania said of the critical responses to her Christmas decorations at a town hall event hosted by Liberty University in 2018.

In a speech at the First Baptist Church in Dallas in 2021, Donald Trump said that Melania Trump "didn't get exactly a fair shake" when it came to her Christmas decor choices.

"She would make the most beautiful Christmas decorations," he said. "And I remember she made these magnificent red trees, and the media said, 'Oh, that's terrible.'"

Throughout US history, first ladies have chosen outfits with deeper meanings that reflect their values. Laura Bush wore red to help bring awareness to the dangers of heart disease. Michelle Obama chose to highlight up-and-coming designers from underrepresented backgrounds. Jill Biden appeared at campaign events wearing boots emblazoned with the word "vote."

Melania Trump's "I really don't care, do u?" jacket, worn while traveling to visit immigrant children at the US-Mexico border in 2018, seemed an unusually combative wardrobe choice for a first lady.

Melania Trump wrote in her 2024 memoir that her press secretary wouldn't let her clarify that the jacket's message was directed at the media.

"The media claimed the jacket meant I did not care about the children or the border, which was clearly not true," she wrote.

After Donald Trump won the 2016 election, the Obamas hosted the Trumps at the White House in a long-held tradition ensuring a smooth transition of power.

While Barack Obama and Donald Trump met in the Oval Office, Michelle Obama hosted Melania Trump for tea in the Yellow Oval Room and discussed raising children in the White House.

When Donald Trump lost the 2020 election, he refused to concede and did not invite the Bidens to visit the White House ahead of the inauguration.

Outgoing presidents and first ladies have traditionally attended presidential inaugurations even after painful defeats.

Upon leaving the White House, Donald Trump and Melania Trump skipped Joe Biden's inauguration, held their own farewell ceremony at Andrews Air Force Base, and flew to their Palm Beach home.

Melania Trump delivered speeches at the 2016 and 2020 conventions. In 2024, she only attended the final day of the Republican National Convention and did not speak.

Donald Trump accepted Joe Biden's invitation to meet at the White House as part of Joe Biden's pledge to ensure a peaceful transfer of power. However, Melania Trump, who released her memoir, "Melania," in October 2024, turned down the first lady's offer to meet for tea.

"Mrs. Trump will not be attending today's meeting at the White House," Melania Trump's office wrote in a statement on X. "Her husband's return to the Oval Office to commence the transition process is encouraging, and she wishes him great success. In this instance, several unnamed sources in the media continue to provide false, misleading, and inaccurate information. Be discerning with your source of news."

In November, CNN reported that Melania Trump was "unlikely" to move into the White House full time.

A week before the inauguration in January, when asked by Ainsley Earhardt of Fox News about her plans, Melania Trump said that she would primarily live at the White House, but would also divide her time between Trump Tower and Mar-a-Lago.

"I will be in the White House," she said. "And, you know, when I need to be in New York, I will be in New York. When I need to be in Palm Beach, I will be in Palm Beach."

She added that her "first priority" was to be a mom, first lady, and wife and to "serve the country."

Kennedy is the son of Robert F. Kennedy, a US senator who was assassinated in 1968, and Ethel Kennedy, a human-rights advocate who received a Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama in 2014. He is the third of the couple's 11 children, according to the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum.

Kennedy is also former President John F. Kennedy's nephew.

Kennedy attended Harvard and studied at the London School of Economics. He received his law degree from the University of Virginia Law School and earned a master's in environmental law from Pace University School of Law.

He founded the environmental nonprofit Waterkeeper Alliance in 1999, according to the organization's official website. His primary achievement was forcing the closure of the Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant.

Kennedy has long espoused anti-vaccine views, suggesting a flu vaccine may have caused his voice disorder (he has spasmodic dysphonia, a rare neurological disorder).

In 2005, he wrote an article published in Salon claiming that the mercury-based thimerosal compound in vaccines causes autism. After issuing multiple corrections, Salon eventually retracted the piece. Kennedy later founded the anti-vaccine group Children's Health Defense, originally named the World Mercury Project, in 2011.

Kennedy rose to prominence during the pandemic for his opposition to COVID-19 vaccines.

At a press event held at a New York City restaurant in July 2023, Kennedy told the crowd that COVID-19 may have been "ethnically targeted" to attack certain groups of people.

"COVID-19 is targeted to attack Caucasians and Black people," he said. "The people who are most immune are Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese."

"We don't know whether it was deliberately targeted or not, but there are papers out there that show the racial and ethnic differential and impact," he continued.

The Anti-Defamation League called Kennedy's remarks "deeply offensive," saying they fed into the "sinophobic and antisemitic conspiracy theories about COVID-19 that we have seen evolve over the last three years."

At Kennedy's Senate confirmation hearing on Wednesday, he said some of his earlier comments had not been accurately represented.

"I'm not anti-vaccine," Kennedy said during his opening statement.

He said he would not limit access to vaccines if he were to lead the Department of Health and Human Services.

"I support the measles vaccine," he said. "I support the polio vaccine. I will do nothing, as HHS secretary, to make it difficult or discourage people from taking it."

When asked about his statements about COVID-19, Kennedy said he did not say it "deliberately targeted" some people, and that he had been referencing a published study in his remarks.

In a June 2023 Twitter Spaces conversation hosted by Elon Musk, Kennedy likened Musk's purchase of Twitter, now known as X, to patriots who died fighting the American Revolution. He also attributed increased numbers of mass shootings to pharmaceutical companies for marketing antidepressants.

Later that month, in an appearance on "The Joe Rogan Experience," Kennedy claimed that "WiFi radiation does all kind of bad things, including causing cancer."

Kennedy also told CNN in July 2023 that environmental "endocrine disruptors" were causing "sexual confusion" and "gender confusion" in children, misconstruing studies that have shown these chemicals can cause some male frogs to become female and produce eggs.

A Kennedy campaign spokesperson told CNN that his remarks were "mischaracterized" and that he was "merely suggesting that, given copious research on the effects on other vertebrates, this possibility deserves further research."

Kennedy married fellow University of Virginia Law School student Emily Black in 1982 and had two children, Robert Francis "Bobby" Kennedy III and Kathleen, known as "Kick." They divorced in 1994.

That same year, he married interior designer Mary Richardson. The couple had four children: Conor, Kyra, Finn, and Aidan. Kennedy filed for divorce in 2010.

Kennedy is now married to "Curb Your Enthusiasm" actor Cheryl Hines, whom he wed in 2014.

On Wednesday, Hines appeared at Kennedy's confirmation hearing for health secretary.

Kennedy announced his 2024 presidential campaign in April 2023 at Boston's Park Plaza Hotel.

"My mission over the next 18 months of this campaign and throughout my presidency will be to end the corrupt merger of state and corporate power that is threatening now to impose a new kind of corporate feudalism in our country," he said in his speech.

Kennedy acknowledged that some of his family members did not support his presidential bid but harbored "no ill will or any kind of disappointment" toward them.

One of Kennedy's sisters, Kerry Kennedy, released a statement condemning his "deplorable and untruthful remarks" after he claimed COVID-19 was "ethnically targeted" to certain races.

In a statement to Business Insider's Alia Shoaib, Kerry Kennedy also said she would not support his campaign.

"I love my brother Bobby, but I do not share or endorse his opinions on many issues, including the COVID pandemic, vaccinations, and the role of social media platforms in policing false information," she said.

Former Rep. Joe Kennedy III of Massachusetts also posted on X that his uncle's comments were "hurtful and wrong."

In October 2023, Kennedy announced that he was no longer running for president as a democrat.

"I must declare my own independence," he said at a campaign event in Philadelphia. "Independence from the Democratic Party. And from all other political parties."

In March 2024, he named California attorney Nicole Shanahan as his vice presidential running mate.

She founded the patent technology company ClearAccessIP in 2013 and the Bia-Echo Foundation in 2019 to fund programs dedicated to criminal justice reform, reproductive research, and addressing the climate crisis.

Shanahan had previously donated to Democratic candidates such as Pete Buttigieg and Marianne Williamson but told Newsweek she planned to leave the Democratic party.

"I want somebody who will look out for young people and not treat them as if they're invisible," Kennedy told Newsweek of his decision to choose Shanahan as his running mate. "She's just 38 years old; she comes from technology and understands social media."

In August, Kennedy said he met with Trump and was "surprised to discover that we are aligned on many key issues."

"In those meetings, he suggested that we join forces as a unity party," Kennedy said.

Kennedy also said that he was making an effort to remove his name from ballots in 10 swing states.

"Our polling consistently showed that by staying on the ballot in the battleground states, I would likely hand the election over to the Democrats, with whom I disagree on the most existential issues," he said.

Upon receiving his endorsement, Trump added Kennedy to his transition team along with former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard.

"I am thrilled to announce Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as The United States Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS)," Trump wrote on Truth Social in November. "For too long, Americans have been crushed by the industrial food complex and drug companies who have engaged in deception, misinformation, and disinformation when it comes to Public Health."

Kennedy vowed to "make America healthy again" by proposing abolishing vaccine mandates, promoting alternative medicine, and lobbying against fluoride in drinking water.

The position of HHS Secretary requires Senate approval. Kennedy's cousin, Caroline Kennedy, urged lawmakers not to confirm him in a letter she sent to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions and posted on X.

"Bobby is addicted to attention and power," Caroline Kennedy wrote of her cousin. "Bobby preys on the desperation of parents of sick children — vaccinating his own kids while building a following by hypocritically discouraging other parents from vaccinating theirs."

During a 2012 deposition during his divorce from Mary Richardson Kennedy, Kennedy said that he'd seen neurologists in an effort to diagnose memory issues, The New York Times reported in May 2024.

"I have cognitive problems, clearly," he said in the deposition. "I have short-term memory loss, and I have longer-term memory loss that affects me."

Kennedy said that one doctor suggested that he had a worm in his brain based on a dark spot in a scan that could have been "caused by a worm that got into my brain and ate a portion of it and then died."

Kennedy told the Times the memory issues he experienced have since been resolved.

"He said he had recovered from the memory loss and fogginess and had no aftereffects from the parasite, which he said had not required treatment," The Times reported.

The health issues were in contrast to how he had portrayed himself in his presidential run, depicting himself as healthier, mentally and physically, than his then-rivals Trump and Biden.

In July, Kennedy denied a Vanity Fair report that he had once eaten a barbecued dog in Korea. The story included a photo of Kennedy holding a charred animal carcass. A veterinarian told the publication that it looked like the animal was a dog based on the number of ribs.

In a post on X, Kennedy said the image showed a goat in Patagonia, not a dog in Seoul.

In August, Kennedy revealed that he was behind the bear carcass that was found in Central Park in 2014. In a video on X, Kennedy said he'd planned to skin the animal after finding it dead on the side of the road but had to catch a flight, so he disposed of it in Central Park.

Kennedy explained he wanted to share the bear story ahead of a forthcoming New Yorker profile mentioning the incident. In the profile, Kennedy said he may have gotten his brain worm from the dead bear.

Also in August, a 2012 Town & Country interview with his daughter Kick resurfaced in which she said her father had decapitated a dead whale they'd found on a beach near the Kennedy home in Hyannis Port when she was 6. Kick said he strapped the whale head to the roof of their minivan before their drive back to New York, prompting "whale juice" to "pour into the windows of the car."

In response to reporters' questions about the incident, Kennedy said, "I'm not interested in feeding that feature of the mainstream media."

Kick Kennedy did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment.

"Earlier this year, the nature of some communication between myself and a former reporting subject turned personal," Nuzzi said in a statement to Darcy. "During that time, I did not directly report on the subject nor use them as a source. The relationship was never physical but should have been disclosed to prevent the appearance of a conflict. I deeply regret not doing so immediately and apologize to those I've disappointed, especially my colleagues at New York."

Nuzzi was placed on leave from New York magazine, and editor in chief David Haskell hired a law firm to investigate the matter and conduct a review of her reporting.

A representative for Kennedy denied the relationship, telling The New York Times, "Mr. Kennedy only met Olivia Nuzzi once in his life for an interview she requested, which yielded a hit piece." However, The Daily Beast reported that Kennedy had bragged about the relationship, making it something of an open secret in some circles.

In October, Nuzzi accused her ex-fiancé, Politico reporter Ryan Lizza, of blackmail. In a court filing, Nuzzi said that Lizza "threatened to make public personal information about me to destroy my life, career, and reputation — a threat he has since carried out."

Lizza denied the claims.

"I am saddened that my ex-fiancée would resort to making a series of false accusations against me as a way to divert attention from her own personal and professional failings," he said in a statement. "I emphatically deny these allegations and I will defend myself against them vigorously and successfully."

In November, Nuzzi withdrew her case against Lizza.

In a statement shared with Business Insider, Lizza said: "Olivia shamelessly used litigation with false and defamatory allegations as a public relations strategy."

"When required to do so, she refused to defend her claims in court last month. She then sought to hide my response to her claims from the public by seeking to seal the proceedings that she began," he wrote. "Now, on the eve of a hearing at which she knew her lies would be exposed, she has taken the only course available to her and withdrawn her fabricated claims."

"Olivia lied to me for almost a year. She lied to her editors. She lied to her readers. She lied to her colleagues. She lied to reporters. And she lied to the judge in this case," Lizza said. "I said I would defend myself against her lies vigorously and successfully and I am fully prepared to do so. But for now, I'm pleased this matter is closed."

Nuzzi's attorney, Ari Wilkenfeld, previously told BI: "Ms. Nuzzi has no interest in fighting a public relations battle. For insight into her decision, you can refer to the statements in her motion."

Anderson was photographed sitting behind Trump Jr., Guilfoyle, and other members of the Trump family on the third and fourth days of the Republican National Convention.

Guilfoyle was still wearing her engagement ring.

Anderson and Trump Jr. were photographed dining together at The Honor Bar, a restaurant located around 4 miles from Mar-a-Lago, The Daily Mail reported.

Neither responded to a request for comment in September about the nature of their relationship.

Tickets to the fundraising dinner cost $100,000 per couple, and admission to a fireside chat cost $30,000 per couple, the Palm Beach Daily News reported. Serving on the hosting committee of the event required a $250,000 contribution.

Anderson and Trump Jr. were photographed holding hands as they left Buccan, a restaurant in Palm Beach, on Anderson's 38th birthday, the Daily Mail reported.

Anderson also shared a photo on her Instagram story of a bouquet of flowers and a card reading, "Many have said you're aging out but I think you're perfect...happy birthday!" She tagged Trump Jr. in the post, appearing to indicate that he was the sender.

Later that month, Anderson joined Trump Jr. at the Trump family's New Year's Eve party at Mar-a-Lago.

While Trump Jr. did not officially confirm that he and Guilfoyle had broken off their engagement, he said in a statement to Page Six that they "will always keep a special bond" and that he "could not be more proud of her and the important role she'll continue to play in my father's administration" as ambassador to Greece.

Anderson and Trump Jr. attended an inaugural reception at Trump National Golf Club in Washington, DC, on January 18. On January 19, they held hands and danced to "YMCA" with The Village People at the Turning Point USA Inaugural-Eve Ball.

Anderson and Trump Jr. traveled to the Capitol Rotunda together on Inauguration Day but sat separately for the ceremony. Trump Jr. sat with his family members on the inaugural platform, while Anderson took her seat in the crowd.

Guilfoyle was also seated in the audience for the inauguration, not with the Trump family as she had been at the RNC.