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Today β€” 6 March 2025Main stream

Dolly Parton released her first public statement since her husband Carl Dean's death: 'I will always love you.'

6 March 2025 at 12:12
Dolly Parton singing onstage with a black guitar
Dolly Parton and Carl Dean were married for 58 years.

Charlie Riedel/AP

  • Dolly Parton's husband of 58 years, Carl Dean, died on March 3 at the age of 82.
  • Parton thanked those who reached out to pay their respects in her first statement since his death.
  • Parton also referenced her hit song, "I Will Always Love You," in her post.

Dolly Parton thanked loved ones and fans for their sympathies on Thursday in her first public statement since announcing the death of Carl Dean, her husband of 58 years.

Dean died on Monday at the age of 82. In an Instagram post announcing his death on March 3, Parton wrote that he would be "laid to rest in a private ceremony with immediate family attending."

On Thursday, Parton shared another statement expressing gratitude to those who had reached out to express their condolences.

"This is a love note to family, friends, and fans. Thank you for all the messages, cards, and flowers that you've sent to pay your respects for the loss of my beloved husband Carl," Parton wrote on Instagram. "I can't reach out personally to each of you, but just know it has meant the world to me."

"He is in God's arms now, and I am okay with that. I will always love you," the post continued, referencing Parton's 1973 single that the late Whitney Houston later recorded for the "The Bodyguard" soundtrack.

Throughout their nearly six-decade marriage, Dean remained out of the public eye despite serving as the inspiration behind hits such as "Jolene" and her latest bestselling album, "Rockstar."

Award shows and stages weren't Dean's forte, but the couple did share a love of Taco Bell and Southern cooking, Parton previously told Business Insider.

Read the original article on Business Insider

Before yesterdayMain stream

Photos from Trump's address to Congress show stone-faced Democrats and a jubilant Elon Musk

4 March 2025 at 22:35
President Donald Trump shakes lawmakers' hands while a Democratic lawmaker holds a sign reading "This is not normal."
President Donald Trump addressed a joint session of Congress.

Win McNamee/Getty Images

  • President Donald Trump delivered a speech to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday.
  • Trump doubled down on his promises to reduce government spending and end "wokeness."
  • Notable attendees included first lady Melania Trump, four of Trump's children, and Elon Musk.

President Donald Trump delivered an address to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday, outlining his policy agenda to an audience of lawmakers, high-profile guests, and family members.

On Monday, the White House announced the theme of Trump's speech would be "The Renewal of the American Dream."

Here's a recap of the biggest moments of the night in photos.

Donald Trump Jr. attended the address with his girlfriend, Bettina Anderson.
Bettina Anderson and Donald Trump Jr. at Donald Trump's address to Congress.
Bettina Anderson and Donald Trump Jr.

SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images

Trump Jr. and Anderson, a Palm Beach socialite, model, and the founder of the wildlife conservation nonprofit Project Paradise, were first linked in September. Trump Jr. was previously engaged to Kimberly Guilfoyle.

Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump were also in attendance.
Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump at Trump's address to Congress.
Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump at Donald Trump's address to Congress.

SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images

Kushner and Ivanka Trump are not reprising their roles as White House advisors in the second Trump administration.

Eric Trump, Lara Trump, Tiffany Trump, and Michael Boulos sat with the other Trump family members.
Eric Trump, Tiffany Trump, and Michael Boulos at Donald Trump's address.
Eric Trump, Tiffany Trump, and Michael Boulos at Donald Trump's address.

Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

Tiffany Trump is expecting her first child with husband Michael Boulos. Eric Trump's wife, Lara Trump, has a new show on Fox News.

Some members of the Democratic Women's Caucus dressed in pink.
Female Democratic lawmakers wore pink to Trump's speech.
Female Democratic members of Congress wore pink to protest the Trump administration's policies.

Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images

"Pink is a color of protest & power. We're sending a message: Trump's policies are devastating women," California Rep. Judy Chu wrote on X.

First lady Melania Trump entered the House chamber wearing a gray skirt suit by Dior.
Melania Trump at Donald Trump's address to a joint session of Congress.
Melania Trump.

SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images

The first lady received a standing ovation as she entered the US Capitol. The blazer she wore, which features a removable scarf, retails for $5,500 on Dior's website.

President Donald Trump entered the House chamber with his fist in the air.
Donald Trump enters the House chamber for his address.
Donald Trump entered the House chamber for his address.

Win McNamee/AFP/Getty Images

The raised fist has become the president's signature pose following the assassination attempt he faced in July at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

Early on in Trump's address, Rep. Al Green of Texas was escorted out of the House chamber when he disrupted the speech.
Rep. Al Green.
Rep. Al Green shouted at Donald Trump during his address.

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Green, a Texas Democrat, yelled, "You have no mandate to cut Medicaid!" and was escorted out by the Sergeant at Arms.

Some Democratic lawmakers held up signs in a silent protest during the address.
Democratic lawmakers held up signs during Donald Trump's speech.
Democratic lawmakers held up signs during Donald Trump's speech.

Win McNamee/POOL/AFP via Getty Images.

The signs read "False," "Musk steals," "Protect veterans," and "Save Medicaid."

Trump thanked Elon Musk at several points during the speech for his work with the Department of Government Efficiency.
Elon Musk salutes at Trump's address.
Elon Musk at Donald Trump's address.

SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images

Musk received a standing ovation from many of the Republicans in the room.

"Thank you, Elon. You're working very hard," Trump said.

Trump spoke about imposing tariffs, buying Greenland, and ending the war in Ukraine.
President Donald Trump addressed a joint session of Congress.
Donald Trump addressed a joint session of Congress.

Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

"We need Greenland for national security and even international security, and we're working with everybody involved to try and get it," Trump said. "But we need it really for international world security. And I think we're going to get it one way or the other."

Trump also used his speech to acknowledge several guests in the crowd, including the widow and daughters of Corey Comperatore, a firefighter who was fatally shot while shielding his family from gunfire during the assassination attempt against Trump in Pennsylvania.

At many points during the speech, the Republican side of the House chamber stood while the Democratic side remained seated.
The House chamber during Donald Trump's address.
Donald Trump addressed a joint session of Congress.

SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images

Support or opposition to the president's statements was demonstrated by standing or sitting during the speech.

Trump's speech lasted 1 hour and 40 minutes, making it the longest-ever joint address to Congress.
Donald Trump with his fist raised.
Donald Trump raised his fist at his address to a joint session of Congress.

Win McNamee/Getty Images

Former President Bill Clinton previously held the record, speaking for one hour and 29 minutes in 2000.

Some Democratic lawmakers walked out of the House chamber before Trump concluded speaking.

Read the original article on Business Insider

Melania Trump wore a gray $5,500 Dior blazer to Donald Trump's address to Congress

4 March 2025 at 18:45
Melania Trump at Donald Trump's address to a joint session of Congress.
Melania Trump at Donald Trump's address to a joint session of Congress.

SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images

  • President Donald Trump addressed a joint session of Congress on Tuesday.
  • Melania Trump attended the speech wearing a Dior blazer with a removable scarf and matching skirt.
  • A style strategist and image coach said her look embodies "quiet authority."

First lady Melania Trump attended President Donald Trump's address to a joint session of Congress in a gray skirt suit by Dior.

The wool tweed blazer, which features a removable scarf detail, retails for $5,500 on Dior's website. She paired the blazer with a matching skirt and accessorized with a black belt.

Melania Trump at Donald Trump's address to Congress.
Melania Trump.

Jim WATSON/AFP via Getty Images

"First Lady Melania's style tonight is quiet authority β€” polished, self-assured, and entirely in command of her presence," Lauren A. Rothman, a style strategist and image coach, told Business Insider.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Read the original article on Business Insider

Dolly Parton and her late husband Carl Dean were married for 58 years but rarely seen in public together. Here's a timeline of their relationship.

4 March 2025 at 10:34
Dolly Parton and her husband, Carl Dean, against a pink background surrounded by flowers
Dolly Parton and her husband, Carl Dean.

dollyparton/Instagram

  • Dolly Parton and Carl Dean met outside a Nashville laundromat in 1964 and married in 1966.
  • Dean stayed out of the spotlight, and Parton addressed conspiracy theories that he didn't exist.
  • After nearly 60 years of marriage, Dean died on March 3 at the age of 82.

Carl Dean, Dolly Parton's husband of nearly six decades, died on March 3 at the age of 82.

Parton and Dean met outside a Tennessee laundromat in 1964 and wed in 1966.

Dean supported Parton's country music career from behind the scenes. He so rarely appeared with her in public that Parton addressed conspiracy theories that he wasn't a real person.

Still, Dean inspired some of Parton's most successful work, such as her mega-hit song "Jolene" and her latest album "Rockstar."

Here's a timeline of their relationship.

1964: Dolly Parton and Carl Dean met outside the Wishy Washy Laundromat in Nashville.
Dolly Parton in 1965 in Nashville, Tennessee.
Dolly Parton in 1965.

Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

Dean was driving by in his pickup truck when he saw Dolly Parton and "hollered" at her, she told The New York Times in 1976. She declined his request for a date but invited him over while she was babysitting her nephew the following day.

"He came up every day that week and we sat out on the porch. I wouldn't even take him in the house," she said. "Then my aunt got a day off, and she could keep the kid and that was my first chance to go anywhere with Carl and he drove me straight to his folks' house and introduced me to his mother and daddy. 'Cause he said he knew right the minute he saw me that that's the one he wanted."

At the time, Parton was 18 and Dean was 21.

May 30, 1966: Parton and Dean wed in a private ceremony in Ringgold, Georgia.
Dolly Parton and Carl Dean. Dean kisses Parton on the cheek.
Dolly Parton and Carl Dean.

dollyparton/Instagram

Parton's record label asked her to wait a year before getting married for the sake of her career, but she and Dean couldn't wait. They went to Georgia so that the event wouldn't be reported in the Tennessee press.

"It was just my mother and Carl and me," she told CMT in 2016. "We went across the state line to Ringgold, Georgia. My mother made me a little white dress and a little bouquet and a little Bible. But I said, 'I can't get married in a courthouse because I'll never feel married.' So we found a little Baptist church in town, and went up to Pastor Don Duvall and said, 'Would you marry us?' We got pictures on the steps right outside the church."

1966: Parton and Dean attended their first β€” and last β€” red carpet event together.
Dolly Parton circa 1970 performing onstage.
Dolly Parton circa 1970.

Richard E. Aaron/Redferns/Getty Images

Parton received her first songwriting award at 20 years old for "Put It Off Until Tomorrow" recorded by Bill Phillips, winning BMI's Song of the Year. She and Dean walked the red carpet and attended the dinner and award ceremony, but it wasn't Dean's style.

"After the dinner, we walked back out, and they brought us our car β€” I don't even remember what we were driving then β€” and we got in it and headed for home," Parton told audiences at the Marty Stuart Jam in 2011, The Boot reported. "Carl turned to me and said, 'Dolly, I want you to have everything you want, and I'm happy for you, but don't you ever ask me to go to another one of them dang things again!'"

September 1969: Dean made a rare appearance on the cover of Parton's fourth album, "My Blue Ridge Mountain Boy."
The album cover of "My Blue Ridge Mountain Boy" featuring Dolly Parton's husband Carl Dean in the background.
The album cover of "My Blue Ridge Mountain Boy."

Amazon

"My Blue Ridge Mountain Boy" reached No. 6 on the US Top Country Albums charts.

Beyond this image, there are few public photos of the couple.

October 1973: Parton released the song "Jolene," which she says was inspired by a bank teller who was crushing on her husband.
Yellow album cover for "Jolene" by Dolly Parton, released in 1974.
Album cover for "Jolene" by Dolly Parton, released in 1974.

Donaldson Collection/Getty Images

"She got this terrible crush on my husband," Parton told NPR in 2008. "And he just loved going to the bank because she paid him so much attention. It was kinda like a running joke between us β€” when I was saying, 'Hell, you're spending a lot of time at the bank. I don't believe we've got that kind of money.' So it's really an innocent song all around, but sounds like a dreadful one."

August 2012: Parton auctioned off a tour of Nashville sites from her history for charity, including the spot on Wedgewood Avenue where she and Dean met.
Wedgewood Avenue in Nashville, where Dolly Parton met her husband.
Wedgewood Avenue in Nashville.

Google Maps

The auction benefited the Dr. Robert F. Thomas Foundation, which expands access to quality healthcare in Sevier County. The foundation is named for the physician who delivered Parton, and she serves as its honorary chairperson.

May 30, 2016: Parton and Dean renewed their vows for their 50th wedding anniversary, and Dean released his first public statement for the occasion.
Dolly Parton at the Academy of Country Music Awards in 2016.
Dolly Parton at the Country Music Awards.

John Shearer/WireImage/Getty Images

"I got all dressed up in the most beautiful gown you've ever seen and dressed that husband of mine up. He looked like a handsome dude out of Hollywood," she told Rolling Stone in 2016. "We had a few family and friends around. We didn't plan anything big at all because we didn't want any kind of strain, any kind of tension, any kind of commotion, so we planned it cleverly and carefully. We just had a simple little ceremony at our chapel at our place."

In his first public statement in honor of their 50th anniversary, Dean also expressed his love for Parton.

"My first thought was, 'I'm gonna marry that girl,'" Dean said in a statement of the moment they met, Entertainment Tonight reported. "My second thought was, 'Lord she's good lookin'.' And that was the day my life began. I wouldn't trade the last 50 years for nothing on this earth."

August 2016: Parton wrote an album of love songs inspired by her relationship with Dean called "Pure and Simple."
Dolly Parton performs during the Pure & Simple tour in 2016.
Dolly Parton during her Pure and Simple Tour.

Daniel Boczarski/Getty Images

"I was just trying to think about all the different colors of love through the years," Parton told Rolling Stone. "I thought, 'Well I'm going to write about mine and Carl's relationship. It's just a pure and simple relationship,' so it started with that and then I thought, 'Well why don't I just write a whole album of love songs?'"

December 2018: Parton joked about her husband's crush on Jennifer Aniston on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon."
Dolly Parton visits "The Tonight Show."
Dolly Parton on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon."

Theo Wargo/Getty Images for NBC

Parton and Aniston worked together on the Netflix movie "Dumplin,'" with Parton writing six original songs for the soundtrack.

"I love her to death," she said of Aniston. "My husband is crazy about her. And he was more excited that I was gonna do a movie with her than he was that I got the chance to write all this music."

October 2020: Parton addressed conspiracy theories that her husband doesn't actually exist since he's never seen in public.
Dolly Parton at the Grammys in a red dress.
Dolly Parton flies solo on red carpets.

David Crotty/Contributor/Getty Images

Parton confirmed that Dean, a retired businessman, is a real person, despite rumors of him being imaginary.

"A lot of people have thought that through the years, because he does not want to be in the spotlight at all," Parton told Entertainment Tonight. "It's just not who he is. He's like, a quiet, reserved person and he figured if he ever got out there in that, he'd never get a minute's peace and he's right about that."

Parton said that they each value their independence, and that Dean values his privacy and has no interest in fame.

"I've always respected and appreciated that in him and I've always tried to keep him out of the limelight as much as I can," she said. "He said, 'I didn't choose this world, I chose you, and you chose that world. But we can keep our lives separate and together.' And we do and we have. We've been together 56 years, married 54."

July 2021: Parton recreated her 1978 Playboy cover for her husband's birthday.
Left: Dolly Parton's original Playboy cover, wearing bunny ears and a corset. Right: Her recreation.
Dolly Parton was on the cover of Playboy at 32 years old.

Harry Langdon/Contributor/Getty Images ; Dolly Parton/Instagram

Parton shared a video of herself on Instagram in a black bustier and pink-and-white collar with a bow tie.Β 

"Hey!" Parton said in the video. "You're probably wondering why I'm dressed like this. Well, it's for my husband's birthday."

She said that Dean had always loved her original Playboy cover, so to "make him happy" on his birthday, she decided to get a duplicate outfit and set up her own photo shoot.Β 

"He still thinks I'm a hot chick after 57 years," she said. "And I'm not gonna try and talk him out of that."

October 2021: Parton told W magazine that she and Dean "don't argue" and that she fell for him instantly.
Dolly Parton smiles, facing away from the camera.
Dolly Parton.

Nathan Congleton/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images

In the interview, Parton discussed her time working with country star and duet partner Porter Wagoner.

"My husband and I don't argue, but Porter and I did nothing but fight. It was a love-hate relationship," she told W magazine's Lynn Hirschberg.

November 2021: Parton shared a rare old photo of her and Dean on Instagram.
An Instagram post showing an old photo of Dolly Parton and husband Carl Dean.
Dolly Parton and her husband Carl Dean.

dollyparton/Instagram

The vintage photo appeared to have been edited to show Dean wearing a shirt from Parton's line of merchandise available on her website.

"Find you a partner who will support you like my Carl Dean does!" Parton captioned the post.

February 2022: Parton said that fried chicken is the one dish everyone should know how to make for a successful marriage.
Dolly Parton with Duncan Hines products
Dolly Parton.

Sebastian Smith

"You can't go wrong with fried chicken," Parton told Business Insider's Anneta Konstantinides. "I think everybody should really know how to make good fried chicken. No matter where people come from, they love good fried chicken. So you need to make good fried chicken!"Β 

Parton said she also makes him pork chops with green peas and mashed potatoes, biscuits and gravy, or chicken and dumplings β€” her specialty.Β 

"A lot of people like my chicken and dumplings," she said. "I'm pretty famous for that. Carl likes all my cooking. But he, like the rest of them, especially likes the chicken and dumplings."Β 

March 2022: Parton initially said she would turn down her nomination for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, but she said Dean has encouraged her to make a rock album.
Dolly Parton plays guitar onstage at SXSW
Dolly Parton.

Michael Loccisano/Getty Images for SXSW

In March 2022, Parton was one of 17 artists shortlisted and one of seven first-time nominees.

"Even though I am extremely flattered and grateful to be nominated for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, I don't feel that I have earned that right," she said in a statement. "I really do not want votes to be split because of me, so I must respectfully bow out."

She added, "This has, however, inspired me to put out a hopefully great rock 'n' roll album at some point in the future, which I have always wanted to do! My husband is a total rock 'n' roll freak, and has always encouraged me to do one."

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame declined Parton's request to be removed from the ballot, saying in a statement, in part,Β "In addition to her incredible talent as an artist, her humility is another reason Dolly is a beloved icon by millions of fans around the world."

In April, she changed her tune and said she would accept the honor, if she was voted in.

"I'll accept gracefully. I'll just say 'Thanks' and I will accept it because the fans vote," she toldΒ NPR's "Morning Edition."

In May 2022, it was announced she had indeed been voted in.

November 2022: Parton was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and she said her next album would be a tribute to Dean's love of the genre.
Dolly Parton's induction to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in November 2022.
Dolly Parton at her Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony.

Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic/Getty Images

In a red-carpet interview with E! News at her induction ceremony, Parton said that her upcoming album would feature some of Dean's favorite rock songs.

"We have a lot of favorite songs," she said. "He loves rock 'n' roll, he loves Led Zeppelin and he loves 'Stairway to Heaven.' So I'm going to do a lot of things like that for him."

November 2023: Parton released "Rockstar," her 49th studio album, inspired by Dean's love of rock β€˜n’ roll.
Dolly Parton poses in front of a screen that reads "Rockstar."
Dolly Parton at a press conference for her album "Rockstar."

Gareth Cattermole/Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images

The album featured duets with artists including Sting, Stevie Nicks, Steven Tyler, and Joan Jett. "Rockstar" reached No. 1 on Billboard's Top Album Sales chart and became her best-selling album since Luminate began tracking sales in 1991.

March 2025: Dean died at the age of 82.
Dolly Parton performing on stage with a guitar.
Dolly Parton's husband, Carl Dean, died at 82.

Andrew Lipovsky/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank

Dean's death was announced in a post on Parton's social media on March 3.

"Carl and I spent many wonderful years together," Parton wrote in the post. "Words can't do justice to the love we shared for over 60 years. Thank you for your prayers and sympathy."

The post shared that Dean would be "laid to rest in a private ceremony with immediate family attending."

Read the original article on Business Insider

Photos show the biggest moments at the 2025 Oscars

3 March 2025 at 08:52
Zoe SaldaΓ±a at the 2025 Oscars.
SaldaΓ±a at the 2025 Oscars.

Kevin Winter/Getty Images

  • The 97th Academy Awards were held Sunday in Los Angeles.
  • Conan O'Brien hosted, and musical performances honored "Wicked," James Bond, and other movies.
  • "Anora" won the Oscar for best picture, the biggest award of the night.

The 97th Academy Awards were full of show-stopping performances and record-setting Oscar wins.

"Anora" was the biggest winner of the night, with five Academy Awards, including best picture.

Oscars viewership has declined over the past decade β€” about 43.7 million people watched the Academy Awards in 2014 compared with 19.5 million in 2024 β€” but this year, audiences were promised a new host and a new way to watch: The ceremony streamed live on Hulu for the first time.

But once the show got underway on Sunday, Hulu glitched for users several times throughout the night. When some users couldn't log in to watch the show, Hulu Support wrote on X that it had "identified the issue and users affected should be able to log back in again soon."

Others experienced an abrupt end to the broadcast just before the award for best actress was announced, leaving some viewers unable to watch the final two awards of the night. A representative for Hulu did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Here's a recap of the biggest moments.

Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo's 'Wicked' performance
Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande at the 2025 Oscars.
Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande at the 2025 Oscars.

Kevin Winter/Getty Images

To open the show at the Dolby Theatre, Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo performed songs from "The Wizard of Oz," "The Wiz," and "Wicked."

Conan O'Brien's opening monologue
Conan O'Brien at the 2025 Oscars.
Conan O'Brien at the 2025 Oscars.

Kevin Winter/Getty Images

It was Conan O'Brien's first time hosting the Oscars. During his opening monologue, he addressed the controversy around Karla SofΓ­a GascΓ³n's tweets and had a humorous exchange with Adam Sandler.

O'Brien's brief musical number
Conon O'Brien at the 2025 Oscars.
Conon O'Brien at the 2025 Oscars.

Kevin Winter/Getty Images

At the end of his monologue, O'Brien burst out into a musical number, during which he pledged not to waste the viewers' time.

Kieran Culkin's best supporting actor win
Kieran Culkin at the 2025 Oscars.
Kieran Culkin at the 2025 Oscars.

Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Kieran Culkin took home the first Oscar of the night, for best supporting actor in "A Real Pain."

In his speech, he shared a story about his wife, Jazz Charton, making a deal to have four children with him β€” if he won an Oscar.

"I just have to say to you, Jazz, love of my life, ye of little faith β€” no pressure," he said.

"I love you. I'm really sorry I did this again," he said. "And let's get cracking on those kids. What do you say? I love you."

'Flow' named best animated feature film
Gints Zilbalodis at the 2025 Oscars.
Gints Zilbalodis at the 2025 Oscars.

PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images

"Flow" was the first Latvian film to be nominated for an Oscar.

A historic best costume design win for 'Wicked'
Paul Tazewell at the 2025 Oscars.
Paul Tazewell at the 2025 Oscars.

Kevin Winter/Getty Images

The "Wicked" costume designer Paul Tazewell became the first Black man to win an Oscar for best costume design.

'Anora' won best screenplay and best editing
Sean Baker at the 2025 Oscars.
Sean Baker at the 2025 Oscars.

Al Seib/The Academy via Getty Images

While accepting the Oscar for best screenplay, the director Sean Baker β€” whose film tells the story of a young sex worker who marries the son of a Russian oligarch β€”Β thanked "the sex worker community."

'Conclave' won best adapted screenplay
Peter Straughan at the 2025 Oscars.
Peter Straughan at the 2025 Oscars.

Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Peter Straughan adapted the Oscar-winning screenplay for "Conclave" from a novel by Robert Harris.

Best hair and makeup won by 'The Substance'
Marilyne Scarselli, Pierre Olivier Persin and Stephanie Guillon at the 2025 Oscars.
Marilyne Scarselli, Pierre Olivier Persin, and StΓ©phanie Guillon at the 2025 Oscars.

Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Pierre Olivier Persin, the special makeup effects designer for "The Substance," thanked the film's star Demi Moore for her "patience in the makeup chair."

A James Bond tribute
Margaret Qualley at the 2025 Oscars.
Margaret Qualley at the 2025 Oscars.

Kevin Winter/Getty Images

The "Substance" star Margaret Qualley danced as Lisa, Doja Cat, and Raye sang in a "James Bond"-themed performance.

Zoe SaldaΓ±a's best supporting actress win
Zoe SaldaΓ±a at the 2025 Oscars.
SaldaΓ±a at the 2025 Oscars.

Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Zoe SaldaΓ±a became emotional while accepting the award for best supporting actress for her role in "Emilia PΓ©rez."

"My grandmother came to this country in 1961. I am a proud child of immigrant parents with dreams and dignity and hardworking hands," SaldaΓ±a said. "And I am the first American of Dominican origin to accept an Academy Award."

Ben Stiller's humorous introduction
Ben Stiller at the 2025 Oscars.
Ben Stiller at the 2025 Oscars.

Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Ben Stiller introduced the award for best production design with a physical comedy act demonstrating the importance of precision in production design. He then presented the award, which went to "Wicked."

'Emilia PΓ©rez' won best original song
Clement Ducol, Camille, and Jacques Audiard at the 2025 Oscars.
ClΓ©ment Ducol, Camille, and Jacques Audiard at the 2025 Oscars.

PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images

Camille sang part of her speech as she accepted the Oscar for best original song, which went to "Emilia PΓ©rez."

Best documentary won by 'No Other Land'
Basel Adra and Yuval Abraham at the 2025 Oscars.
Basel Adra and Yuval Abraham at the 2025 Oscars.

Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Despite not having an official US distributor, "No Other Land," a collaboration between a Palestinian activist and an Israeli journalist, won best documentary feature.

Los Angeles firefighter tribute
Los Angeles Fire Department firefighters at the 2025 Oscars.
Los Angeles Fire Department firefighters at the 2025 Oscars.

PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images

Greater Los Angeles firefighters received a standing ovation and even delivered some of O'Brien's jokes.

In memoriam segment
The in memoriam segment at the 2025 Oscars.
The in memoriam segment of the 2025 Oscars.

Kevin Winter/Getty Images

The in memoriam segment, which remembered academy members who died in the past year, paid tribute to Maggie Smith, Kris Kristofferson, Jeff Baena, Donald Sutherland, Shelley Duvall, David Lynch, James Earl Jones, and Gene Hackman, among others.

Best original score won by 'The Brutalist'
Daniel Blumberg at the 2025 Oscars.
Daniel Blumberg at the 2025 Oscars.

Kevin Winter/Getty Images

The orchestra at the Oscars played the scores as the nominees were announced. The composer Daniel Blumberg accepted the award for "The Brutalist."

Adrien Brody won best actor
Adrien Brody at the 2025 Oscars.
Adrien Brody at the 2025 Oscars.

Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Adrien Brody's performance in "The Brutalist" earned him the Oscar for best actor in a leading role, 22 years after he won the award for "The Pianist."

In his speech, he said the lesson of "The Brutalist" was to "not let hate go unchecked."

Baker won again for directing
Sean Baker at the 2025 Oscars.
Baker at the 2025 Oscars.

Kevin Winter/Getty Images

While accepting the Oscar for best director for "Anora," Baker urged audiences to support independently owned theaters.

Mikey Madison won best actress
Mikey Madison at the 2025 Oscars.
Mikey Madison at the 2025 Oscars.

Kevin Winter/Getty Images

The "Anora" star Mikey Madison said that the win felt "surreal" and that she wanted to "recognize and honor the sex worker community."

'Anora' won best picture
"Anora" wins best picture at the 2025 Oscars.
The cast and crew of "Anora" at the 2025 Oscars.

Kevin Winter/Getty Images

"Anora" won a total of five Oscars out of its six nominations.

Its director, Baker, made history by winning four awards β€” best original screenplay, best editing, best director, and best picture β€” for the same movie in one night.

Read the original article on Business Insider

You probably missed these details on the 2025 Oscars red carpet

2 March 2025 at 18:57
Margaret Qualley at the 2025 Oscars.
Margaret Qualley at the 2025 Oscars.

Gilbert Flores/Penske Media via Getty Images

  • Celebrities wore outfits with hidden details and subtle tributes on the 2025 Oscars red carpet.
  • Cynthia Erivo and Marissa Bode's outfits featured nods to their "Wicked" characters.
  • Screenwriter Peter Straughan wore a blue-and-yellow ribbon in a tribute to Ukraine.

Celebrities dressed to impress in designer looks at the 97th Academy Awards on Sunday.

Some stars wore outfits with subtle tributes to their films and current events, while others' looks featured surprising elements.

Here are the hidden details you may have missed on the Oscars red carpet.

Charlotte Lawrence's purse
Charlotte Lawrence at the 2025 Oscars.
Charlotte Lawrence at the 2025 Oscars.

Gilbert Flores/Penske Media via Getty Images

The singer carried a cat statue that doubled as a purse, which was part of the original Valentino spring 2025 runway look.

Kayo Shekoni's shoes
Kayo Shekoni at the 2025 Oscars.
Kayo Shekoni at the 2025 Oscars.

Mike Coppola/Getty Images ; Frazer Harrison/WireImage/Getty Images

Shekoni, a Swedish singer, wore shoes with "Free Congo" written on the bottom in gold letters, referencing the ongoing humanitarian crisis amid an offensive mounted by the M23 armed group.

Cynthia Erivo's nails
Cynthia Erivo at the 2025 Oscars.
Cynthia Erivo at the 2025 Oscars.

Frazer Harrison/WireImage/Getty Images

Erivo, who played Elphaba in 2024's box-office smash "Wicked," told E! News that her nails were an "ode to Oz" with green and gold buildings.

Marissa Bode's ruby slippers
Marissa Bode at the 2025 Oscars.
Marissa Bode at the 2025 Oscars.

Frazer Harrison/WireImage/Getty Images

Bode, who played Nessarose in "Wicked," paired her red sparkling dress with matching red shoes in an apparent tribute to her character.

Basel Adra's shoes
Basel Adra (second from left) at the 2025 Oscars.
Basel Adra (second from left) at the 2025 Oscars.

Monica Schipper/Getty Images

Adra, one of the directors and subjects of the documentary "No Other Land," wore shoes from the Kickstarter brand Resolute RGL. The shoes featured Palestinian Tatreez embroidery made in Adra's home of Massafer Yatta in the West Bank.

Margaret Qualley's jewelry
Margaret Qualley at the 2025 Oscars.
Margaret Qualley at the 2025 Oscars.

Gilbert Flores/Penske Media via Getty Images

Qualley's black velvet Chanel dress appeared simple from the front, but the drop necklace down her back stole the show. The necklace and earrings were also Chanel.

Peter Straughan's ribbon
Peter Straughan at the 2025 Oscars.
Peter Straughan at the 2025 Oscars.

Mike Coppola/Getty Images

The "Conclave" screenwriter wore a blue-and-yellow ribbon in a tribute to Ukraine, telling Variety, "Let's not turn our backs on Ukraine."

Colman Domingo's watch
Colman Domingo attends the 2025 Oscars.
Colman Domingo at the 2025 Oscars.

Kevin Mazur/Kevin Mazur/Getty Images

Domingo, who was nominated for best actor, added a $160,000 Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch to his black-and-red Valentino look.

Read the original article on Business Insider

The best-dressed men at the 2025 Oscars

TimothΓ©e Chalamet attends the 2025 Oscars.
TimothΓ©e Chalamet attends the 2025 Oscars.

Monica Schipper/Getty Images

  • The 2025 Oscars took place at Los Angeles' Dolby Theatre on Sunday.
  • Hollywood's leading men showed up in their red-carpet finest, wearing fun twists on suits.
  • TimothΓ©e Chalamet arrived in a butter-yellow suit from Givenchy.

The men of Hollywood had fun with their looks at the 2025 Oscars.

Celebrities gathered for the 97th annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on Sunday night.

Among them, stars like Colman Domingo and TimothΓ©e Chalamet wore colorful suits from luxury fashion houses, while others like Reece Feldman had fun with fabric.

Check out some of the best-dressed men of Oscars night.

Colman Domingo in Valentino
Colman Domingo attends the 2025 Oscars.
Colman Domingo attended the 2025 Oscars.

Kevin Mazur/Kevin Mazur/Getty Images

Colman Domingo arrived in a custom Valentino ensemble, which included a statement red jacket that tied at his waist. Sunglasses and a gold brooch were the finishing touches on the chic look.

Andrew Garfield in Gucci
Andrew Garfield attends the 2025 Oscars.
Andrew Garfield attended the 2025 Oscars.

Frazer Harrison/WireImage

Garfield wore his fitted brown suit with a shiny shirt and sunglasses.

Reece Feldman in Saint Laurent
Reece Feldman at the Oscars.
Reece Feldman at the Oscars.

Savion Washington/Getty Images

Feldman's sheer, black top and star bolo tie were the focal points of his Saint Laurent look, but his long jacket and flared pants were fun too.

Nic Kaufmann in Amiri
Nic Kaufmann attends the 2025 Oscars.
Nic Kaufmann at the 2025 Oscars.

JC Olivera/WWD via Getty Images

The TikTok creator arrived at the Oscars in an oversized, patterned suit from Amiri.

Bowen Yang in Etro
Bowen Yang attends the 2025 Oscars.
Bowen Yang at the 2025 Oscars.

Arturo Holmes/WireImage/Getty Images

Yang's leather suit from Etro featured colorful embroidery on the jacket, which he accentuated with a pink, ruffled shirt.

Jeff Goldblum in Prada
Jeff Goldblum at the 2025 Oscars.
Jeff Goldblum at the 2025 Oscars.

Arturo Holmes/WireImage/Getty Images

The "Wicked" star's custom Prada ensemble consisted of a white jacket, a floral-patterned blouse, and a large, purple flower on his lapel.

Kit Connor in Giuliva Heritage
Kit Connor attends the 2025 Oscars.
Kit Connor at the 2025 Oscars.

Kevin Mazur/Kevin Mazur/Getty Images

Connor's black suit stood out thanks to its details, like exposed cuffs, a white tie, and a sparkly brooch.

TimothΓ©e Chalamet in Givenchy
TimothΓ©e Chalamet attends the 2025 Oscars.
TimothΓ©e Chalamet at the 2025 Oscars.

Monica Schipper/Getty Images

The "A Complete Unknown" star wore a subtly shiny yellow suit from Givenchy. He wore his coordinating top with no tie, and black shoes completed the look.

Jon M. Chu in NB44
Jon M. Chu attends the 2025 Oscars.
Jon M. Chu at the 2025 Oscars.

Kevin Mazur/Kevin Mazur/Getty Images

Chu arrived at the Oscars in a dark-green tuxedo from NB44, celebrating "Wicked" with his glamorous look.

Jeremy Pope in Balmain
Jeremy Pope at the 2025 Oscars.
Jeremy Pope at the Oscars.

Frazer Harrison/WireImage/Getty Images

Pope's silky, black Balmain suit included flared pants and a form-fitting jacket, which had bow fastenings instead of buttons.

Paul Tazewell in Dolce & Gabbana
Paul Tazewell attends the 2025 Oscars.
Paul Tazewell attended the 2025 Oscars.

Mike Coppola/Getty Images

Tazewell, who became the first Black man to win the best costume design award, arrived at the 2025 Oscars in a custom Dolce & Gabbana ensemble.

The designer said on Instagram that he took inspiration from Black dandies for his ensemble.

Read the original article on Business Insider

The most stylish couples on the 2025 Oscars red carpet

Jeff Goldblum and Emilie Livingston attend the 2025 Oscars.
Jeff Goldblum and Emilie Livingston attend the 2025 Oscars.

Monica Schipper/Getty Images

  • The 97th annual Academy Awards were held at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on Sunday.
  • Celebrity couples strutted the Oscars red carpet in some of the most fashionable looks of the night.
  • Jeff Goldblum and Emilie Livingston went colorful while Bob Iger and Willow Bay stayed classic.

Celebrities flocked to the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles for the 97th annual Academy Awards on Sunday.

The Oscars bring out Hollywood's biggest stars, and many A-list couples stepped out together to celebrate the event. Celebrities like Jeff Goldblum and Emilie Livingston arrived together in high-fashion looks from luxury brands such as Prada and Valentino.

Take a look at some of the best-dressed celebrity couples of the night.

Brandi Carlile and Catherine Shepherd
Brandi Carlile and Catherine Shepherd attend the 2025 Oscars.
Brandi Carlile and Catherine Shepherd attended the 2025 Oscars.

Mike Coppola/Getty Images

The couple coordinated both the colors and styles of their red-carpet looks.

Carlile wore black trousers and a polka-dot-print jacket with a red bow attached at the waistline, both designed by Valentino.

Shepherd, on the other hand, chose red tights and a black dress with a bow tie-embellished bodice.

Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos
Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos attend the 2025 Oscars.
Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos attended the 2025 Oscars.

Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

While Consuelos wore a classic tuxedo with a small broach and silver watch, Ripa shined bright in an orange wrap dress from Zuhair Murad and satin pumps.

Jeff Goldblum and Emilie Livingston
Jeff Goldblum and Emilie Livingston attend the 2025 Oscars.
Jeff Goldblum and Emilie Livingston attended the 2025 Oscars.

Monica Schipper/Getty Images

Goldblum sported a floral blouse and purple scarf beneath a white suit jacket with attached orchids, all designed by Prada.

Livingston walked the red carpet beside him in a sleeveless, crystal-covered gown from the same fashion house.

Bob Iger and Willow Bay
Bob Iger and Willow Bay attend the 2025 Oscars.
Bob Iger and Willow Bay attended the 2025 Oscars.

Mike Coppola/Getty Images

The power couple contrasted their looks, with Iger in a black tuxedo and Bay wearing a cream-colored set.

The latter included a knit, long-sleeved blouse that was semi-sheer and a satin floor-length skirt.

Miles Teller and Keleigh Teller
Miles Teller and Keleigh Teller attend the 2025 Oscars.
Miles Teller and Keleigh Teller attended the 2025 Oscars.

Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

Keleigh brought some color to the carpet with her flowing baby-blue Zuhair Murad gown that was embellished with sparkling flower appliquΓ©s.

Miles kept things simpler in a black tuxedo, bow tie, and sunglasses.

Jon M. Chu and Kristin Hodge
Jon M. Chu and Kristin Hodge attend the 2025 Oscars.
Jon M. Chu and Kristin Hodge attended the 2025 Oscars.

Mike Coppola/Getty Images

The "Wicked" director nodded to the Emerald City with his sparkling green suit jacket from NB44, while Hodge stood out beside him in a butter-yellow gown with a lace bodice.

Adrien Brody and Georgina Chapman
Adrien Brody and Georgina Chapman attend the 2025 Oscars.
Adrien Brody and Georgina Chapman attend the 2025 Oscars.

Mike Coppola/Getty Images

Brody and Chapman coordinated in all-black looks.

Embroidered ruffles brought volume and shape to Chapman's form-fitting Marchesa gown.

"The Brutalist" star wore a traditional tuxedo, but an oversized, silver bow brooch shaped like a bird elevated his ensemble.

Kieran Culkin and Jazz Charton
Kieran Culkin and Jazz Charton attend the 2025 Oscars.
Kieran Culkin and Jazz Charton attend the 2025 Oscars.

Chelsea Guglielmino/FilmMagic/Getty Images

Culkin wore all black to win his first Oscar, adding a green brooch to his lapel for a pop of color.

Charton's dress was covered in gold and black sequins, hugging her figure and sparkling as she walked the red carpet.

Colman and RaΓΊl Domingo
Colman and RaΓΊl Domingo attend the 2025 Oscars.
Colman and RaΓΊl Domingo attend the 2025 Oscars.

Gilbert Flores/Penske Media via Getty Images

Valentino designed Colman's red and black ensemble. The jacket, which had a sash on the waist, featured black lapels that coordinated with his pants.

RaΓΊl wore a black suit with no shirt. Together, the couple looked chic.

Sterling K. Brown and Ryan Michelle Bathe
Sterling K. Brown and Ryan Michelle Bathe attend the 2025 Oscars.
Sterling K. Brown and Ryan Michelle Bathe attend the 2025 Oscars.

Kevin Mazur/Kevin Mazur/Getty Images

Brown and Bathe's looks were both glamorous.

He wore a white tuxedo jacket with black pants and a black bow tie, while Bathe's textured, gold dress was strapless and form-fitting with a large train.

Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell
Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell attend the 2025 Oscars.
Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell attend the 2025 Oscars.

Frazer Harrison/WireImage/Getty Images

Hawn's yellow Dolce & Gabbana dress had structured pleats on the bodice. Delicate beading sat atop the fabric, and she wore a shawl around her shoulders that complemented the gown.

Russell kept his look classic, wearing a black tuxedo and glasses.

Read the original article on Business Insider

What the stars of 'Wicked' wore to the 2025 Oscars

2 March 2025 at 15:33
Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande at the 2025 Oscars.
Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande at the 2025 Oscars.

Gilbert Flores/Penske Media via Getty Images ; Christina House/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

  • The cast of "Wicked" walked the red carpet at the 97th Academy Awards on Sunday.
  • Ariana Grande wore a pink Schiaparelli dress, and Cynthia Erivo wore an emerald velvet gown.
  • Marissa Bode wore red heels in an apparent tribute to her character Nessarose's ruby slippers.

The stars of the "Wicked" movie walked the red carpet in show-stopping looks at the 97th Academy Awards on Sunday.

"Wicked" cast members, including Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, and Marissa Bode, wore outfits with apparent nods to their characters. The cast has embraced "method dressing," or wearing clothing inspired by the movie, while promoting it at events and attending other awards shows.

"Wicked" was nominated for 10 Academy Awards, including best picture.

The film, which is only the first half of "The Wizard of Oz" prequel story, is the highest-grossing Broadway musical adaptation of all time. The November opening weekend of "Wicked" made $164 million at the box office, trumping all prior Broadway-to-big screen adaptations, including "Les MisΓ©rables." "Wicked" grossed more than $728 million worldwide as of February 28.

Grande and Erivo, donning new outfits, opened the Oscars ceremony with a multipart musical number. Grande sang "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," Erivo sang "Home" from "The Wiz," another "The Wizard of Oz" adaptation. The two then performed their show-stopping "Wicked" number "Defying Gravity."

Here's what the stars of "Wicked" and its director wore to the Oscars.

Ariana Grande
Ariana Grande at the Oscars.
Ariana Grande at the 2025 Oscars.

Monica Schipper/Getty Images

Grande's pale pink Schiaparelli dress featured a peplum top and sparkly tulle bottom, similar to the ball gown Glinda wears in the "Wicked" film.

Cynthia Erivo
Cynthia Erivo at the 2025 Oscars.
Cynthia Erivo at the 2025 Oscars.

Kevin Mazur/Kevin Mazur/Getty Images

Erivo's custom green velvet ball gown by Louis Vuitton appeared to pay tribute to the green hues of Elphaba and the Emerald City. Erivo's nails are often long and extravagantly decorated β€” and the green-and-gilded handiwork she showed off on the Oscars red carpet was no exception.

Michelle Yeoh
Michelle Yeoh at the 2025 Oscars.
Michelle Yeoh at the 2025 Oscars.

Kevin Mazur/Getty Images

Yeoh appeared at the Oscars in a blue strapless dress. Her character β€” Madam Morrible, a teacher at Shiz University where Glinda and Elphaba attend β€” wore several blue dresses.

Jeff Goldblum
Jeff Goldblum at the 2025 Oscars.
Jeff Goldblum at the 2025 Oscars.

Arturo Holmes/WireImage/Getty Images

Goldblum walked the carpet in a white jacket, floral shirt, and black pants designed by Prada. He wore orchids on his lapel.

Marissa Bode
Marissa Bode at the 2025 Oscars.
Marissa Bode at the 2025 Oscars.

Frazer Harrison/WireImage/Getty Images

Bode accessorized her sparkling red dress with red shoes reminiscent of her character Nessarose's ruby slippers. The slippers play a central role in the second "Wicked" film.

Bowen Yang
Bowen Yang attends the 2025 Oscars.
Bowen Yang attends the 2025 Oscars.

Arturo Holmes/WireImage/Getty Images

Yang's Etro suit jacket was embellished with colorful embroidery.

Ethan Slater
Ethan Slater at the 2025 Oscars.
Ethan Slater at the 2025 Oscars.

Monica Schipper/Getty Images

Slater wore a simple black suit with a black tie.

Jon M. Chu
Jon M. Chu at the 2025 Oscars.
Jon M. Chu at the 2025 Oscars.

Frazer Harrison/WireImage/Getty Images

The "Wicked" director channeled the Emerald City in a green suit.

Read the original article on Business Insider

The best-dressed celebrities on the 2025 Oscars red carpet

Ariana Grande at the Oscars.
Ariana Grande at the Oscars.

Monica Schipper/Getty Images

  • The 97th Academy Awards are underway at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
  • Celebrities including Ariana Grande and Lupita Nyong'o wore elegant looks on the Oscars red carpet.
  • Raffey Cassidy and Yasmin Finney wore gravity-defying gowns.

Hollywood's biggest stars are out for the 97th annual Academy Awards.

Celebrities, including Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, and Felicity Jones, walked the Oscars red carpet at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on Sunday in elegant ensembles.

The looks can take hours of work for designers and their teams to bring to life, and dressing an A-list star for the Oscars can cost up to $10 million, though the average is around $1.5 million, WalletHub estimated.

Here are the best looks from the night.

Mindy Kaling
Mindy Kaling at the Oscars.
Mindy Kaling at the Oscars.

Monica Schipper/Getty Images

Textured, floral detailing covered Kaling's form-fitting silver dress from Oscar de la Renta.

Ariana Grande
Ariana Grande at the Oscars.
Ariana Grande at the Oscars.

Monica Schipper/Getty Images

Grande's soft-pink Schiaparelli dress had a strapless bodice with a three-dimensional, waved peplum.

Cynthia Erivo
Cynthia Erivo at the 2025 Oscars.
Cynthia Erivo at the Oscars.

Kevin Mazur/Kevin Mazur/Getty Images

Erivo wore a custom, bow-shaped ball gown from Louis Vuitton with a tall collar crafted from emerald-green velvet.

Julianne Hough
Julianne Hough at the 2025 Oscars.
Julianne Hough at the Oscars.

Kevin Mazur/Getty Images

Dior designed Hough's sheer dress, which had a high neckline and a low back.

Amelia Dimoldenberg
Amelia Dimoldenberg at the Oscars.
Amelia Dimoldenberg at the Oscars.

Mike Coppola/Getty Images

The "Chicken Shop Date" host arrived in a pale-blue gown from Versace that had statement cutouts on the bodice.

Reece Feldman
Reece Feldman at the Oscars.
Reece Feldman at the Oscars.

Savion Washington/Getty Images

Feldman had fun with his suit for the Oscars, pairing an oversized jacket and wide-legged pants with a mesh button-down and bolo tie.

Raffey Cassidy
Raffey Cassidy at the 2025 Oscars.
Raffey Cassidy at the Oscars.

Frazer Harrison/WireImage/Getty Images

Cassidy's one-shoulder dress, cinched with a gravity-defying bow, was custom-made for her by Loewe.

Yasmin Finney
Yasmin Finney at the Oscars.
Yasmin Finney at the Oscars.

Arturo Holmes/WireImage/Getty Images

Finney wore a black Harris Reed gown with a pointed, strapless neckline embellished with long feathers. She also wore sheer black gloves.

Felicity Jones
Felicity Jones at the 2025 Oscars.
Felicity Jones at the Oscars.

Kevin Mazur/Kevin Mazur/Getty Images

Jones' silver gown from Armani PrivΓ© featured a halter neckline and cutouts on the bodice.

Anok Yai
Anok Yai at the 2025 Oscars.
Anok Yai at the Oscars.

Arturo Holmes/WireImage/Getty Images

Yai showcased her modeling skills on the red carpet in her peach-colored, mermaid-shaped gown and black feather boa, which were custom Marni.

Jeremy Pope
Jeremy Pope at the 2025 Oscars.
Jeremy Pope at the Oscars.

Frazer Harrison/WireImage/Getty Images

The standout element of Pope's all-black look was his jacket, which was adorned with bows instead of buttons.

Lupita Nyong'o
Lupita Nyong'o attends the 2025 Oscars.
Lupita Nyong'o attends the 2025 Oscars.

Mike Coppola/Getty Images

Nyong'o wore a white Chanel gown that was fit for a princess with pearl straps, a sequined corset bodice, a pleated skirt, and a pink satin belt.

Zoe SaldaΓ±a
Zoe SaldaΓ±a at the 2025 Oscars.
Zoe SaldaΓ±a at the 2025 Oscars.

Mike Coppola/Getty Images

The "Emilia PΓ©rez" star wore one of the night's most unique looks: a custom strapless dress from Saint Laurent that featured ruffled tiers extending from her waist to the floor.

Kristy Sarah Scott
Kristy Sarah attends the 2025 Oscars.
Kristy Sarah Scott attends the 2025 Oscars.

Frazer Harrison/WireImage/Getty Images

The influencer looked like a princess in her tan, strapless gown embellished with lilac flowers across its wide mermaid skirt.

Lisa
Lisa attends the 2025 Oscars.
Lisa attends the 2025 Oscars.

Mike Coppola/Getty Images

The musician and "White Lotus" star proved that menswear is for everyone in her floor-length suit jacket and wide-legged trousers from Mark Gong.

Demi Moore
Demi Moore attends the 2025 Oscars.
Demi Moore attends the 2025 Oscars.

Mike Coppola/Getty Images

The neckline of Moore's textured, silver dress dipped low, and an additional layer of fabric gathered around her waist, adding volume to the look.

Selena Gomez
Selena Gomez attends the 2025 Oscars.
Selena Gomez attends the 2025 Oscars.

Frazer Harrison/WireImage/Getty Images

Gomez took inspiration from Sophia Loren for her blush-pink gown, which was covered in crystals and designed by Ralph Lauren.

TimothΓ©e Chalamet
TimothΓ©e Chalamet attends the 2025 Oscars.
TimothΓ©e Chalamet attends the 2025 Oscars.

Monica Schipper/Getty Images

The star of "A Complete Unknown" arrived in a custom Givenchy suit. The look's shiny, butter-yellow fabric brought a pop of color to the red carpet.

Margaret Qualley
Margaret Qualley attends the 2025 Oscars.
Margaret Qualley attends the 2025 Oscars.

Mike Coppola/Getty Images

Qualley kept things classic in diamond jewels and a black velvet gown with short puffed sleeves and an off-the-shoulder neckline.

Jon M. Chu
Jon M. Chu attends the 2025 Oscars.
Jon M. Chu attends the 2025 Oscars.

Kevin Mazur/Kevin Mazur/Getty Images

The "Wicked" director wore a dark-green suit that had shiny lapels.

Raye
Raye attends the 2025 Oscars.
Raye attends the 2025 Oscars.

Arturo Holmes/WireImage/Getty Images

Raye's glamorous Vivienne Westwood gown had a corset bodice and was covered in drapery, from the off-the-shoulder sleeves to the floor-length skirt.

Miley Cyrus
Miley Cyrus attends the 2025 Oscars.
Miley Cyrus attends the 2025 Oscars.

Kevin Mazur/Kevin Mazur/Getty Images

Cryus chose a custom Alexander McQueen dress for the Oscars. The black dress had a halter neckline and textured, sparkly detailing, which she accented with black gloves.

Emma Stone
Emma Stone attends the 2025 Oscars.
Emma Stone attends the 2025 Oscars.

Mike Coppola/Getty Images

Emma Stone's cream dress β€” custom from Louis Vuitton β€” was covered in large, reflective sequins that shimmered as she walked the red carpet.

Doja Cat
Doja Cat attends the 2025 Oscars.
Doja Cat attends the 2025 Oscars.

Mike Coppola/Getty Images

The "Paint The Town Red" singer walked the red carpet in an animal-print Balmain dress.

Bruna Marquezine
Bruna Marquezine attends the 2025 Oscars.
Bruna Marquezine attends the 2025 Oscars.

Gregg DeGuire/Penske Media via Getty Images

The Brazillian actor's white dress played with contrasting fabrics. The halter bodice was made of ruched tulle while the skirt was made of a simpler fabric.

Laura Dern
Laura Dern attends the 2025 Oscars.
Laura Dern attends the 2025 Oscars.

Mike Coppola/Getty Images

Dern put a twist on menswear at the Oscars, pairing a sheer, lace top with high-waisted pants and a cummerbund. She carried a jacket over her shoulder, completing the all-black look.

Andrew Garfield
Andrew Garfield attends the 2025 Oscars.
Andrew Garfield attends the 2025 Oscars.

Frazer Harrison/WireImage

Garfield looked effortlessly cool in an all-brown Gucci suit, which included a shiny button-down and sunglasses.

Halle Berry
Halle Berry attends the 2025 Oscars.
Halle Berry attends the 2025 Oscars.

Mike Coppola/Getty Images

Berry's Christian Siriano dress, which had a corset bodice and a form-fitting neckline, was covered in metallic fabric arranged in a mosaic pattern.

Da'Vine Joy Randolph
Da'Vine Joy Randolph attends the 2025 Oscars.
Da'Vine Joy Randolph attends the 2025 Oscars.

Kevin Mazur/Kevin Mazur/Getty Images

Her strapless black gown was decorated with sequins across its corseted bodice, ruching at the hips, and a rose detail at the top of her satin skirt.

Colman Domingo
Colman Domingo attends the 2025 Oscars.
Colman Domingo attends the 2025 Oscars.

Kevin Mazur/Kevin Mazur/Getty Images

Domingo's custom Valentino outfit featured a red jacket that cinched his waist with a sash. The black lapels coordinated with his pants, and fun accessories like sunglasses and a brooch made the look pop.

Read the original article on Business Insider

Vintage photos show life before the measles vaccine

28 February 2025 at 08:12
A yellow warning sign telling people to stay out of a house where people had measles.
A medical warning notice from 1923.

Buyenlarge/Getty Images

  • The measles vaccine first became available to the public in 1963.
  • Before the vaccine, measles was an endemic disease. Most children got it before turning 15.
  • By 1981, the number of reported measles cases in the US had dropped 80%.

Before the measles vaccine was developed, over 30 million cases of the disease were reported worldwide each year.

What began as a fever, cough, and rash could develop into complications such as pneumonia or brain swelling, leading to hospitalization or death.

The vaccine became available in 1963, and endemic measles was eliminated in the US by the year 2000. However, outbreaks still occur among unvaccinated populations.

In February, an unvaccinated child in Texas died of measles amid an outbreak of the disease β€” the first reported measles fatality in the US in nearly a decade.

Here's a look back at what life was like before the measles vaccine.

Before a measles vaccine existed, the disease was endemic, meaning it was consistently present in specific regions and populations.
A boy sick with measles in bed.
A boy sick with measles in Georgia.

Circa Images/GHI/Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Most children came down with measles by the age of 15, according to the CDC.

A highly contagious disease, measles caused over 2 million deaths globally each year, according to the World Health Organization.
A mother sits with a 2-year-old girl who is recovering from measles.
A girl with measles in Chicago.

Daily Herald Archive/National Science & Media Museum/SSPL via Getty Images

The mortality rate was higher than whooping cough and scarlet fever, and there was no known cure.

Authorities tried to contain outbreaks by instituting quarantines.
A man holds a sign reading "Quarantined: Measles" in the 1940s.
A measles quarantine area in the 1940s.

Camerique/Getty Images

The quarantines often weren't strictly enforced, causing epidemics to worsen.

In the US, medical warnings were posted on the doors of some households where residents were infected with measles to prevent further spread.
A yellow warning sign telling people to stay out of a house where people had measles.
A medical warning notice from 1923.

Buyenlarge/Getty Images

Quarantines were more difficult to enforce in lower-income neighborhoods with tenement buildings and multiple families per household.

Measles was so common that it became part of pop culture with portrayals in Hollywood films.
A scene from "Count Your Blessings" in which characters recover from measles.
A scene from "Count Your Blessings."

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/Getty Images

Characters contracted measles in movies such as the 1959 film "Count Your Blessings."

All of that changed when John F. Enders developed the first measles vaccine, which became available to the public in 1963.
Measles vaccines.
Hypodermic needles containing new measles vaccines in 1963.

Herb Snitzer/Getty Images

Enders and Thomas C. Peebles isolated the measles virus in the blood of a 13-year-old boy named David Edmonston and developed it into the first measles vaccine, according to the CDC.

In 1968, Maurice Hilleman developed a new measles vaccine that remains in use today.

By 1981, the number of reported measles cases had dropped 80% in the US.

After a resurgence of measles outbreaks in 1989, health officials instituted a second dose of the measles vaccine for children.
A middle school girl holds up her immunization record.
A middle school student showed off her immunization record in 1989.

Denver Post via Getty Images

Children are 93% immune after their first dose of the measles vaccine and 97% immune after the second dose.

The Centers for Disease Control marketed the vaccine with bumper stickers, buttons, and comic strips in their efforts to eradicate the disease.
Marketing materials for the measles vaccine.
Marketing materials promoting the measles vaccine in the US.

Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images

Endemic measles was eliminated in the US in 2000, according to the CDC, but anti-vaccine misinformation has gained momentum in recent years. The disease continues to spread among children and adults who are unvaccinated.

In 2019, there were more measles cases in the US than in any year since 1994.

Robert Redfield, then director of the CDC, attributed the outbreaks to widespread vaccine skepticism.

"Measles is preventable and the way to end this outbreak is to ensure that all children and adults who can get vaccinated, do get vaccinated," he said. "Again, I want to reassure parents that vaccines are safe, they do not cause autism. The greater danger is the disease the vaccination prevents."

In February, an ongoing measles outbreak in Texas and New Mexico killed one unvaccinated child and sickened over 130 people, marking the first measles fatality in the US since 2015.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a prominent anti-vaccine figure who was recently confirmed as health secretary of the US, said in a Cabinet meeting Wednesday that "we have measles outbreaks every year" and the situation was "not unusual."

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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The Oscars gift bags are worth over $216,000. Here's what's inside.

27 February 2025 at 12:36
Aerial view of an overwater bungalow resort in the Maldives.
A row of overwater bungalows in the Maldives.

graphixel/Getty Images

  • Distinctive Assets, a marketing company, offers select Oscar nominees a gift bag each year.
  • This year's luxurious swag bag, worth over $216,000, includes a trip to the Maldives.
  • The Oscars will air live on ABC on Sunday, March 2, at 7 p.m. ET.

Entertainment marketing company Distinctive Assets offers luxurious swag bags to Oscar nominees in the acting and directing categories each year.

While Distinctive Assets is not affiliated with the Oscars, the company's "Everyone Wins" gift bags full of vacations, cosmetics, and other prizes from over 60 brands will be available to nominees such as Adrien Brody, Sebastian Stan, Cynthia Erivo, Demi Moore, Kieran Culkin, and Zoe SaldaΓ±a ahead of the 97th Academy Awards.

The gift collection includes several trips, the most expensive of which is a four-night stay in a villa in the Maldives worth over $23,000 courtesy of Joali. There's also a five-night luxury wellness retreat in Sri Lanka from Santani worth $8,500 and a 3d Virtual Wellness Retreat valued at $3,500.

In addition to items like $25,000 body-contouring treatments and Miage's full line of skincare products, this year's swag bags also include resources for victims of the Los Angeles wildfires.

A collage of items in Distinctive Assets' Oscars gift bags.
Distinctive Assets' "Everyone Wins" gift bags include Miage skincare products and disaster recovery services from Bright Harbor.

Distinctive Assets

The most valuable item in the entire collection is $50,000 worth of home renovation project management from Maison Construction, which Distinctive Assets said is transferrable to those affected by wildfires.

Bright Harbor is also providing nominees with $3,500 in disaster recovery services and awarding them each 10 more vouchers to share with those in need.

"While our gifts may be famous for being fun and fabulous, they also serve as a means to elevate small businesses, minority-owned brands, female entrepreneurs, and companies that give back," Lash Fary, founder of Distinctive Assets, said in a statement. "This year, on the heels of the historically tragic LA fires, we have found even more ways that our celebrity swag can do good in our community."

The brands pay for their items to be included in the prize packages, though celebrities rarely redeem every single item since the IRS considers gift bags taxable income.

The 97th Academy Awards will air live on ABC on Sunday, March 4, at 7 p.m. ET from the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.

Read the original article on Business Insider

Meet Lauren SΓ‘nchez, Jeff Bezos' fiancΓ©e who's a helicopter pilot and former news anchor

Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez laugh while standing on red carpet against black backdrop
Jeff Bezos and Lauren SΓ‘nchez got engaged in 2023.

Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

  • Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is engaged to Lauren SΓ‘nchez, a former news anchor.
  • SΓ‘nchez, 55, is a helicopter pilot and entrepreneur as well as a former actor.
  • She's also the vice chair of the Bezos Earth Fund.

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos went to space with his rocket company, Blue Origin, four years ago. Now, it's his fiancΓ©e's turn.

Lauren SΓ‘nchez, a former journalist and licensed pilot herself, will head to space this spring to lead Blue Origin's all-woman crew that also includes "CBS Mornings" cohost Gayle King, pop star Katy Perry, Nobel Peace Prize nominee Amanda Nguyen, former NASA scientist Aisha Bowe, and film producer Kerianne Flynn.

Here's a look at SΓ‘nchez's life and career:

Lauren SΓ‘nchez had a long career as a reporter and news anchor.
Lauren Sanchez speaks at the IWMF Courage in Journalism Awards on October 23.
Jeff Bezos and Lauren SΓ‘nchez at the IWMF Courage in Journalism Awards.

Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for IWMF

SΓ‘nchez grew up in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and studied broadcast journalism at the University of Southern California. She started her journalistic career as an intern on the Los Angeles station Channel 13 during college, according to a 2017 interview with The Hollywood Reporter.

She began anchoring UPN News 13 on Los Angeles' KCOP in 1999, winning a Los Angeles Area Emmy award for her work on the show in 2001, the Los Angeles Times reported.

SΓ‘nchez went on to work as a host at various news channels before landing at Fox 11's "Good Day LA" in 2003, where she worked for six years. She then became a weekend anchor and special correspondent on "Extra" in 2009.

She's even played a news anchor in several movies and TV shows.
Lauren Sanchez in 2010.
Lauren SΓ‘nchez at the Screen Actors Guild Awards in 2010.

Larry Busacca/Getty Images

In addition to once being an anchor in real life, SΓ‘nchez has starred as a news anchor in movies including "Fight Club," "The Day After Tomorrow," and "The Fantastic Four."

She's a licensed plane and helicopter pilot.
Lauren Sanchez
Lauren SΓ‘nchez is a licensed pilot.

Stefanie Keenan/WireImage

SΓ‘nchez learned how to fly while working as a news anchor and she started flying planes in 2011 before getting her helicopter pilot's license in 2016.

Her interest in aviation seems to have been sparked at an early age, as her father was a flight instructor and mechanic who rebuilt planes.

"I was always in the hangar growing up but knew nothing about flying," she told The Hollywood Reporter.

She founded her own aerial filming company.
Lauren Sanchez wears a cowboy hat
Lauren SΓ‘nchez started Black Ops Aviation.

Joe Raedle/Getty Images

SΓ‘nchez founded Black Ops Aviation in 2016, a "female owned and operated" aerial filming company, which has shot footage for Amazon, Netflix, and Fox, among others.

SΓ‘nchez also lent her aerial-filming knowledge to Christopher Nolan as a consultant on "Dunkirk."

She used to host a dancing reality show.
Competitors on "So You Think You Can Dance."
Competitors on "So You Think You Can Dance."

Jason Merritt/FilmMagic/Getty Images

SΓ‘nchez was a host on the first season of Fox's "So You Think You Can Dance" in 2005, but she left the show after one season.

SΓ‘nchez was married to Hollywood agent Patrick Whitesell for 13 years.
Patrick Whitesell and Lauren Sanchez in 2011.
Patrick Whitesell and Lauren SΓ‘nchez in 2011.

Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images

Whitesell is co-CEO of the Hollywood agency WME, and his clients include Matt Damon, Christian Bale, and Hugh Jackman. Whitesell and SΓ‘nchez married in 2005 and separated in the fall of 2018.

They finalized their divorce in October 2019 with shared custody of their two children, People magazine reported.

SΓ‘nchez also has a son from her previous relationship with NFL star Tony Gonzalez.

SΓ‘nchez and Bezos got engaged four years after going public with their relationship.
jeff bezos lauren sanchez
Jeff Bezos and Lauren SΓ‘nchez.

Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

Bezos and SΓ‘nchez first connected at a 2016 Amazon Studios party for the film "Manchester by the Sea," according to Brad Stone's book, "Amazon Unbound."

Their relationship "blossomed" during helicopter rides in 2018, when Bezos hired SΓ‘nchez's company to film footage for his rocket company, Blue Origin, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Their relationship came to light in a 2019 tabloid scandal, and the couple went public shortly after Bezos and his now-ex-wife, author and philanthropist MacKenzie Scott, announced their divorce in 2019 following 25 years of marriage.

In May 2023, CNN reported that SΓ‘nchez and Bezos had gotten engaged, citing a source close to the couple. Sanchez was also photographed with a large diamond ring on her left ring finger while onboard Bezos' $500 million megayacht.

In Vogue's December 2023 issue, SΓ‘nchez revealed that Bezos proposed on his yacht, Koru.

"When he opened the box, I think I blacked out a bit," she said.

While SΓ‘nchez and Bezos have often been spotted cruising on his yacht or attending high-profile events, including President Trump's inauguration, SΓ‘nchez says they also have more mundane days at home.

"On a typical Saturday, we hang out, we have dinner with the kids, which is always fun because you never know where the conversation is going to go with this many kids," Sanchez told The Wall Street Journal in 2023. "We are the Brady Bunch!"

She's the vice chair of the Bezos Earth Fund.
Senator Chris Coons, Lauren SΓ‘nchez, and Jeff Bezos attend the ICCF U.S. Congressional International Conservation Leadership Awards Dinner
Sen. Chris Coons, Lauren Sanchez, and Jeff Bezos attend the ICCF US Congressional International Conservation Leadership Awards Dinner.

Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Bezos Earth Fund

In 2020, Bezos announced that he would commit $10 billion β€” about 7.7% of his net worth at the time β€” to fighting the climate crisis as part of an initiative called the Bezos Earth Fund. SΓ‘nchez serves as the organization's vice chair.

She's a children's book author.
Lauren Sanchez at the Met Gala.
Lauren SΓ‘nchez at the Met Gala.

Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images

SΓ‘nchez's first picture book, "The Fly Who Flew to Space,"is scheduled for a September release.

She's talked about how her own struggles with dyslexia were part of the inspiration for her writing the book. Celebrities such as Katy Perry, Kim Kardashian, and Karlie Kloss have endorsed the book, with Kloss writing that the "story sparks curiosity and imagination while introducing young minds to the magic of STEM!"

Next up for SΓ‘nchez is a trip to space.
6-woman crew flying to space with Blue Origin
The crew includes Katy Perry, Gayle King, Aisha Bowe, Kerianne Flynn, Amanda Nguyen, and Lauren Sanchez.

Blue Origin

She's leading a six-person all-woman crew on a Blue Origin spaceflight in 2025.

The 11-minute journey will take them past the KΓ‘rmΓ‘n line, which is the internationally recognized boundary of space. Blue Origin says this will be the first all-female flight crew since Valentina Tereshkova's flight to space in 1963.

Read the original article on Business Insider

24 times the Oscars snubbed female directors

24 February 2025 at 08:14
female directors
Directors Greta Gerwig, Ava DuVernay, and Lulu Wang have been snubbed at the Oscars.

Getty Images, Getty Images, Miikka Skaffari/Getty Images

  • Only three women in Oscars history have won best director.
  • "The Woman King" and "Till," both directed by women of color, were not nominated in 2023.
  • Director Greta Gerwig was snubbed in 2020 for "Little Women" and again for "Barbie" in 2024.

In the 97-year history of the Academy Awards, only nine women have ever been nominated for best director, and only three have won.

In 2024, director Justine Triet was nominated for "Anatomy of a Fall," but many were angered that Greta Gerwig was not nominated for "Barbie," which got a best picture nod.

This year, French filmmaker Coralie Fargeat became the ninth woman ever nominated in the best director category for "The Substance."

Here are 24 times the Oscars snubbed female directors.

In 1977 β€” 48 years after the Oscars began β€” Lina Wertmuller became the first woman nominated for best director, but she did not win.
Lina Wertmuller.
Lina Wertmuller.

Santi Visalli/Getty Images

Wertmuller directed "Seven Beauties." The film was also nominated for best foreign language film, best screenplay, and best actor for Giancarlo Giannini, although it did not win in any category.

It would be almost 20 years before another woman was nominated for best director: Jane Campion for "The Piano" at the 1994 awards.

Randa Haines directed "Children of a Lesser God" in 1986. It was nominated for five Oscars, including best picture, but not best director.
Randa Haines in 1987.
Randa Haines in 1987.

Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images

"Children of a Lesser God" was nominated for best adapted screenplay, best supporting actress, best actor, best actress, and best picture. Marlee Matlin won the best supporting actress award at age 21, making her the youngest and first deaf person to win an Academy Award. Haines' role as director, however, was ignored.

Barbra Streisand told Variety that sexism had prevented her films from winning Oscars, saying, "They don't want to see a woman director."
Barbra Streisand and Nick Nolte on the set of "Prince of Tides."
Barbra Streisand and Nick Nolte on the set of "Prince of Tides."

The LIFE Picture Collection via Getty Images

Streisand made her directorial debut with "Yentl" in 1983. It was nominated for five Oscars and won two, but she was snubbed for best director. She did, however, become the first woman to win a Golden Globe for best director. She remained the only female winner until ChloΓ© Zhao won in 2021 and Jane Campion in 2022.

Streisand told Variety it took her years to want to direct again after the snub. In 1991, she directed "The Prince of Tides," which garnered seven Oscar nominations including best picture. Yet again, Streisand's work as a director was not nominated for an award.

"Awakenings" received three Oscar nominations in 1991, but director Penny Marshall was not one of them.
Penny Marshall.
Penny Marshall.

Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

The film was released in December 1990 to critical acclaim β€”Β Roger Ebert wroteΒ that Marshall directed the movie "with intelligence and heart."

It was nominated for best adapted screenplay and best picture, and Robert De Niro was nominated for best actor. Marshall's work as director was not recognized by the Academy.

Jane Campion directed "The Piano" in 1993 and was nominated for best director, but she didn't win.
Jane Campion
Jane Campion.

GERARD JULIEN/AFP via Getty Images

"The Piano" was nominated for eight Oscars and won three:Β best screenplay, best supporting actress for Anna Paquin, and best actress for Holly Hunter.

Sofia Coppola won the Oscar for best screenplay for "Lost in Translation," but she lost best director to Peter Jackson.
Sofia Coppola.
Sofia Coppola.

VINCENZO PINTO/AFP via Getty Images

In addition to best screenplay and best director, "Lost in Translation" was nominated for best picture, and Bill Murray for best actor.

Valerie Faris and her husband, Jonathan Dayton, directed the critically acclaimed "Little Miss Sunshine" in 2006, but they weren't nominated for best director.
Valerie Faris and Jonathan Dayton
Valerie Faris and Jonathan Dayton, co-directors of Little Miss Sunshine.

Jim Spellman/WireImage/Getty Images

"Little Miss Sunshine" won two Oscars: best original screenplay and Alan Arkin for best supporting actor. Abigail Breslin also made history with her nomination for best supporting actress at 10 years old, making her one of the youngest actors ever to be nominated for an Academy Award. However, directors Faris and Dayton weren't nominated.

"The Kids Are All Right" was nominated for four Oscars in 2011, but they didn't include a best director nod for Lisa Cholodenko.
Lisa Cholodenko
Lisa Cholodenko.

Eric CATARINA/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images

"The Kids Are All Right" was nominated for best original screenplay, best picture, best actress for Annette Bening, and best supporting actor for Mark Ruffalo. The film's other star Julianne Moore was also snubbed.

"Yeah, there were no women in the directing category," producer Celine Rattray told "Today" at the time. "It's interesting because I think the Academy often rewards flashy directing styles like Danny Boyle in '127 Hours.'"

That same year, Debra Granik's directing work on "Winter's Bone" was overlooked by the Academy.
debra granik
Debra Granik.

Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images for National Board of Review

"Winter's Bone" starred Jennifer Lawrence and John Hawkes, both of whom received nominations. It was also nominated for best adapted screenplay and best picture.Β 

Kathryn Bigelow became the first woman to ever win best director, but she was snubbed in 2013 after she directed "Zero Dark Thirty."
kathryn bigelow
Kathryn Bigelow.

Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Just three years after her historic best director win for "The Hurt Locker" in 2010, Bigelow wasn't nominated for "Zero Dark Thirty," even though the film received five Oscar nominations including best picture.

Ava DuVernay could have been the first Black woman nominated for best director for "Selma" in 2015, but the Academy didn't include her.
Ava DuVernay
Ava DuVernay.

Getty Images

"Selma" was nominated for best picture and won the Oscar for best original song, but DuVernay told Entertainment Weekly in 2015 that she wasn't surprised by the directing snub.

"It would be lovely," she said. "When it happens to whomever it happens to, it will certainly have meaning. This is not me being humble, either. It's math."

Years later, "Selma" actor David Oyelowo also spoke about the Academy's response to the film.

"I remember at the premiere of 'Selma' us wearing 'I Can't Breathe' T-shirts in protest," he said at a 2020 Screen Talks live Q&A. "Members of the Academy called in to the studio and our producers saying, 'How dare they do that?' ... and 'We are not going to vote for that film because we do not think it is their place to be doing that.' It's part of why that film didn't get everything that people think it should've got and it birthed #OscarsSoWhite. They used their privilege to deny a film on the basis of what they valued in the world."

The Academy responded on X, formerly known as Twitter: "Ava & David, we hear you. Unacceptable. We're committed to progress."

The critically acclaimed "Wonder Woman," directed by Patty Jenkins, was not nominated for a single Oscar.
patty jenkins
Patty Jenkins.

Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images

Superhero movies don't usually win Oscars, but there have been exceptions such as "Black Panther" (three Oscars) and "The Dark Knight" (two Oscars). "Wonder Woman" was considered a critically acclaimed contender in 2017, but it was not recognized by the Academy.

The following year, Jenkins spoke to Vulture after other female directors were snubbed.

"The Academy is working on this, but the real issue to me is that at the end of the day, no matter what movie you make and no matter how much money it makes, and no matter how diverse the audience is, the voting academy is still very, very limited. Still," she said.

"Harriet" was nominated for two Oscars in 2020, but director Kasi Lemmons didn't receive one.
kasi lemmons
Kasi Lemmons.

J. Countess/Getty Images

Cynthia Erivo was nominated for best actress for her portrayal of Harriet Tubman, and the song "Stand Up" was nominated for best original song.

That year, Natalie Portman wore a black Dior cape embroidered with the names of female directors whose work had been snubbed by the Academy, with Lemmons' name among them.

"I wanted to recognize the women who were not recognized for their incredible work this year, in my subtle way," Portman told the Los Angeles Times.

"Queen and Slim," directed by Melina Matsoukas, was not nominated for any Academy Awards in 2020.
melina matsoukas
Melina Matsoukas.

Michael Kovac/Getty Images for AFI

The Director's Guild of America nominated Matsoukas for outstanding directorial achievement in first-time feature film. But at the 2020 Oscars, the best director category was all male, prompting Issa Rae to introduce the nominees by saying, "Congratulations to those men."

In 2020, Greta Gerwig was nominated for best adapted screenplay for "Little Women," but not for best director.
Greta Gerwig
Greta Gerwig.

Getty Images

"Little Women" received seven Oscar nominations, including best picture, best actress, and best supporting actress, and won for best costume design. Many believed that Gerwig was robbed.

"To nominate Greta for best picture and best screenplay and best actresses but not best director just truly speaks to the way we don't view women as auteurs no matter how much they clearly ARE," Decider's senior film reporter, Anna Menta, wrote on X.

Marielle Heller wasn't nominated for best director for "A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood" or "Can You Ever Forgive Me?"
Marielle Heller
Marielle Heller.

Jeff Swensen/Getty Images for "A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood" Pittsburgh Special Screening

Tom Hanks received an Oscar nod for best actor for his portrayal of Mr. Rogers (he lost to Joaquin Phoenix) in "A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood" in 2020, but Heller's directing work did not receive a nomination.

It was the second snub in a row for Heller. The year prior, her movie, "Can You Ever Forgive Me?" earned Melissa McCarthy and Richard E. Grant Golden Globe and Oscar nominations, but Heller was not nominated.

"This was an incredible year for women filmmakers," Heller said in 2019, W magazine reported. "A lot of us made really worthy movies."

She added, "But that was our undoing. There were too many of us, and the world doesn't know how to handle more than one good female director at a time."

"The Farewell," directed by Lulu Wang, was not nominated for any Oscars, despite rave reviews.
lulu wang
Lulu Wang.

Miikka Skaffari/Getty Images

While the 2019 film was snubbed at the Oscars, "The Farewell" was nominated for a Golden Globe for best picture, and Awkafina won the award for best actress.

Alma Har'el won the first-time feature film award from the Directors Guild Of America for "Honey Boy" in 2020, but she wasn't nominated for any Oscars.
Alma Har'el
Alma Har'el.

Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

"Honey Boy" garnered Oscar buzz and critical acclaim, but ultimately was not nominated for any Academy Awards.

"The Woman King," directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood, did not receive any nominations for the 2023 Academy Awards.
gina prince-bythewood
Gina Prince-Bythewood.

Getty Images/Mike Coppola

Despite rave reviews and box-office success, "The Woman King" starring Viola Davis was not nominated for any Oscars.

In an as-told-to piece for The Hollywood Reporter, Prince-Bythewood wrote that "the Academy made a very loud statement, and for me to stay quiet is to accept that statement."

"'The Woman King' wasn't snubbed," she wrote. "A snub is if it missed out on a category or two. The film was not nominated for one single craft. Not one single extraordinary performance was recognized. And when has that happened for a successful film that hit all the so-called markers? It's not a snub. It's a reflection of where the Academy stands and the consistent chasm between Black excellence and recognition. And, sadly, this is not just an issue in Hollywood but in every industry."

The 2022 film "Till," directed by Chinonye Chukwu, also did not receive any Oscar nominations.
Chinonye Chukwu
Chinonye Chukwu.

Dia Dipasupil/WireImage/Getty Images

"Till" tells the story of Mamie Till-Bradley, the mother of 14-year-old Emmett Till, who was tortured and murdered after a white woman falsely claimed he groped her in 1955.

Chukwu appeared to allude to being shut out of the Oscars in an Instagram post on the day that the nominations were announced.

"We live in a world and work in industries that are so aggressively committed to upholding whiteness and perpetuating an unabashed misogyny towards Black women," she wrote. "And yet. I am forever in gratitude for the greatest lesson of my life β€” regardless of any challenges or obstacles, I will always have the power to cultivate my own joy, and it is this joy that will continue to be one of my greatest forms of resistance."

She also shared Prince-Bythewood's article in The Hollywood Reporter in a since-deleted Instagram post, writing, "Every single word of this brilliant piece should be required reading for everyone."

"Women Talking" was nominated for best picture and best adapted screenplay, but director Sarah Polley was not nominated for best director.
Screenwriter/producer Sarah Polley speaks at an event
Sarah Polley.

Joe Scarnici/Getty Images

Polley told Vogue that while she was happy that "Women Talking" received two nominations, the "lack of acknowledgement" of Black female directors wasΒ "a hard thing to swallow."

"I'm thrilled for our team and so proud, but that has to live alongside the fact that some of the best films of the year were made by Black female filmmakers and they weren't honored," she said.

Polley also mentioned the lack of representation for female directors on the red carpet of the Golden Globes in an interview with IndieWire.

"On my mind tonight, specifically, are the incredible female filmmakers who weren't represented here tonight," she said. "So the filmmakers of 'Till' and 'The Woman King' and 'Aftersun,' the list goes on and on. So for me, I think that's top of mind for me tonight, just the incredible work done by female filmmakers this year."

Paul Mescal was nominated for best actor for "Aftersun," but the film's director, Charlotte Wells, was not nominated.
Charlotte Wells
Charlotte Wells.

Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic/Getty Images

"Aftersun" marked Wells' first time directing and writing a feature film. Paul Mescal plays Calum, a father navigating parenthood and depression as he takes his daughter Sophie (Frankie Corio) on vacation to Turkey.

"It's very much fiction, but rooted in experience and memory," Wells told AnOther magazine. "It's personal in that the feeling is mine and I allowed my own memories and anecdotes through all of childhood to form the kind of skeleton outline that I worked from to write the first draft. But after that point it did become very much about the story I was trying to tell, and that frequently required pushing it away from my own experience."

Maria Schrader's 2022 film adaptation of "She Said" chronicling The New York Times' investigation into Harvey Weinstein did not receive any Oscar nominations.
Maria Schrader
Maria Schrader.

STEFANIE LOOS/AFP via Getty Images

"I hope the movie inspires people and fuels the conversation that has been going on for quite some time now," Schrader told Shondaland. "Something started after this article went public. This is probably not going to stop."Β 

Gerwig was snubbed again in 2024 when she was not nominated for best director for "Barbie."
greta gerwig at barbie
Greta Gerwig at the press junket for "Barbie."

Matt Winkelmeyer/Staff via Getty Images

Despite the film receiving eight Academy Award nominations, Gerwig's work as director was not nominated. Neither was Margot Robbie's leading performance.

In an interview for Time's 2024 Women of the Year, Gerwig said that she still considered herself nominated because "Barbie" was up for best picture.

Gerwig said, "A friend's mom said to me, 'I can't believe you didn't get nominated. I said, 'But I did. I got an Oscar nomination.' She was like, 'Oh, that's wonderful for you!' I was like, 'I know!'"

Read the original article on Business Insider

Award-winning underwater photos show haunting wrecks of warships and sunken planes

21 February 2025 at 05:02
A diver next to an underwater plane.
An underwater plane in Germany.

Β© Jantina Scheltema/UPY2025

  • The Underwater Photographer of the Year contest highlights compelling underwater images.
  • The wrecks category features photos of wrecked warships and sunken planes.
  • The winning wreck photo shows a ship that sank when it hit a reef in Egypt in 1985.

The Underwater Photographer of the Year competition announced the winners of its 2025 contest, highlighting the most compelling images from beneath bodies of water around the world.

Photographers from 28 countries submitted 6,750 entries. Winners were chosen by a panel of judges in 13 categories, including the wrecks category, which reveals the haunting remains of sunken vessels around the world.

The commended, highly commended, and winning photos in the wrecks category show sunken ships from World War I and World War II as well as submerged aircraft.

Here are the top 10 photos of wrecks from this year's contest.

Jean-Baptiste Cazajous photographed the wreck of the Togo, a coal transport ship sunk by a mine explosion at the end of World War I in 1918.
A shipwreck surrounded by fish.
The wreck of the Togo in Cavalaire-sur-Mer, France.

Β© Jean Baptiste Cazajous/UPY2025

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.

Jantina Scheltema photographed a sunken twin-motor Piper PA-60 Aerostar plane floating underwater in Germany.
A diver next to an underwater plane.
An underwater plane in Germany.

Β© Jantina Scheltema/UPY2025

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 β€” 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."

Renee Capozzola titled this photo "Sunburst Shipwreck."
A photo taken half under and half above water. There are fish swimming beneath a shipwreck covered in barnacles, and the sun is setting in the background.
A shipwreck in Brisbane, Australia.

Β© Renee Capozzola/UPY2025

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.

In this commended image, Martin Broen dove into the control room of the Rio de Janeiro wreck in Micronesia's Truk Lagoon.
Inside the control room of a sunken ship.
Inside the Rio De Janeiro wreck in Truk Lagoon in Micronesia.

Β© Martin Broen/UPY2025

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 Japanese ship, sank with a truck on board during Operation Hailstone.
A sunken truck in Truk Lagoon in Micronesia.
A sunken truck in Truk Lagoon in Micronesia.

Β© Rick Ayrton/UPY2025

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.

Alex Dawson's image of the SS Carthage from World War I was highly commended in the 2025 contest's wrecks category.
A shipwreck with a diver shining a torch on it and fish swimming around it.
The shipwreck of the SS Carthage.

Β© Alex Dawson/UPY2025

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 Jura collided with another ship and sank in Lake Constance off the coast of Switzerland in 1864.
A diver shining a light on a small shipwreck in green water.
The wreck of the Jura at the bottom of Lake Constance in Switzerland.

Β© Frank Aron/UPY2025

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.

Dawson's photo of a former coast guard boat won third place in the wrecks category.
A shipwreck in Kas, Turkey.
A shipwreck in Kas, Turkey.

Β© Alex Dawson/UPY2025

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

Wojciech Dopierala was the runner-up with a photo of a sunken Lockheed Martin L1011 Tristar plane off the coast of Jordan.
A Lockheed Martin L1011 Tristar plane in the Red Sea.
A Lockheed Martin L1011 Tristar plane in the Red Sea.

Β© Wojciech Dopierala/UPY2025

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."

Dawson's image of Gulf Fleet No. 31 beneath the Red Sea in Egypt took first place in the contest's wrecks category.
A shipwreck wedged between reefs, with coral in the foreground and fish swimming above it. Two divers swim near it, holding torches.
The wreck of Gulf Fleet No. 31 in Egypt.

Β© Alex Dawson/UPY2025

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.

Read the original article on Business Insider

I toured the USS Becuna, a WWII warship and the only submarine of its kind left in the world. Take a look inside.

20 February 2025 at 05:46
The USS Becuna at the Independence Seaport Museum.
The USS Becuna submarine.

Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

  • The USS Becuna submarine sank 3,888 tons of shipping and earned four battle stars in World War II.
  • Becuna underwent a Greater Underwater Propulsive Power (GUPPY) 1-A modernization in 1951.
  • Now a museum exhibit in Philadelphia, it is the only GUPPY 1-A submarine left in the world.

Built in 1943, the USS Becuna is a Balao-class submarine with a Greater Underwater Propulsive Power, or GUPPY, 1-A modernization β€” today, it's the only remaining GUPPY 1-A submarine in the world.

After serving as a warship in World War II and a training ship after the war, the Becuna was enhanced with a GUPPY 1-A conversion in 1951. The submarine carried out various peacetime missions, such as visiting the Arctic Circle to conduct ice research, and continued to serve as a training ship until it was decommissioned in 1969.

I visited Philadelphia's Independence Seaport Museum in February to tour the singular submarine with Greg Williams, the museum's manager of historic ships. Take a look inside.

The USS Becuna completed five patrols, sank 3,888 tons of shipping, and earned four combat stars in World War II.
The USS Becuna docked at a naval port.
The USS Becuna docked at a naval port.

Arkivi/Getty Images

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.

I visited the Independence Seaport Museum in Philadelphia, where the Becuna is docked alongside the Olympia, the oldest steel warship still afloat in the world.
The USS Becuna at the Independence Seaport Museum.
The USS Becuna at the Independence Seaport Museum.

Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

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.

After I descended a steep set of steps, the first stop in the Becuna was the forward torpedo room.
The forward torpedo room on the USS Becuna.
The forward torpedo room.

Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

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 forward torpedo room also featured the escape trunk, an emergency exit for crew members.
The escape trunk on the USS Becuna.
The escape trunk.

Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

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 officers' area of the submarine featured a ward room, a pantry, a shower, and their quarters.
The forward battery on the USS Becuna.
The forward battery.

Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

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

In the hallway, Williams opened a hatch in the floor to show me one of the batteries that was enhanced during the GUPPY 1-A modernization.
One of the Becuna's batteries.
One of the Becuna's batteries.

Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

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

Officers ate their meals and talked strategy in the ward room.
The ward room on the USS Becuna.
The ward room.

Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

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' meals were reheated and plated in the officers' pantry.
The officers' pantry on the USS Becuna.
The officers' pantry.

Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

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

The officers had their own shower, but no one on the USS Becuna bathed very often.
The officers' shower on the USS Becuna.
The officers' shower.

Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

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.

The junior officers' quarters featured four bunks with curtains for privacy.
Junior officers' quarters on the USS Becuna.
Junior officers' quarters.

Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

Junior and senior officers served in administrative roles.

The three bunks in the senior officers' quarters also included curtains.
Senior officers' quarters on the USS Becuna.
Senior officers' quarters.

Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

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

The commanding officer was the only person on the submarine who got his own room.
The commanding officer's stateroom on the USS Becuna.
The commanding officer's stateroom.

Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

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."

Five chief petty officers, who interfaced with the crew to carry out officers' orders, had their own quarters.
The chief petty officers' quarters.
The chief petty officers' quarters.

Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

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

All of the Becuna's paperwork was processed in the yeoman's shack.
The yeoman's shack on the USS Becuna.
The yeoman's shack.

Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

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

In the control room, Williams allowed me to climb the ladder up into the conning tower, which is usually off-limits to public tours.
Periscopes in the conning tower on the USS Becuna.
Periscopes on the USS Becuna.

Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

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 conning tower contained the Becuna's main helm with the steering wheel and navigation equipment.
The main helm inside the conning tower of the USS Becuna.
The main helm.

Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

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.

Back down the ladder in the control room, an auxiliary helm served as a backup just in case the conning tower flooded or became inoperable.
The auxiliary helm in the control room on the USS Becuna.
The auxiliary helm in the control room.

Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

The conning tower could be sealed off in an emergency.

An inclinometer showed the angle of the submarine with a floating bubble, similar to a carpenter's level.
The angle indicator in the control room of the USS Becuna.
The inclinometer in the control room.

Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

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

The hydraulic manifold was nicknamed the "Christmas tree" because of its red and green lights indicating open and closed hatches.
The "Christmas tree" in the control room of the USS Becuna.
The "Christmas tree" in the control room.

Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

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."

The compressed air manifold distributed compressed air throughout the submarine.
The compressed air manifold on the USS Becuna.
The compressed air manifold.

Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

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.

The radio room was used for external communications and covert listening.
The radio room on the USS Becuna.
The radio room.

Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

"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.

Chefs on board the Becuna prepared the crew's meals in the main galley.
The main galley on the USS Becuna.
The main galley.

Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

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 crew ate meals, watched movies, and played games in the crew's mess.
The crew's mess on the USS Becuna.
The crew's mess.

Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

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

A hatch in the floor of the crew's mess led down into the refrigerator where fresh food was stored.
The refrigerator compartment below the crew's mess.
The refrigerator compartment below the crew's mess.

Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

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

I climbed down through another hatch in the floor to see the sonar equipment β€” a bonus that's not usually included in the public tour.
Sonar equipment on the USS Becuna.
Sonar equipment.

Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

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 crew's berthing contained 35 bunks.
The crew's berthing on the USS Becuna.
The crew's berthing.

Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

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 Becuna featured two engine rooms, each containing two General Motors V16 diesel engines.
The forward engine room on the USS Becuna.
The forward engine room.

Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

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.

In the forward engine room, evaporator distillers filtered ocean water to maintain the submarine's crucial supply of fresh water.
Evaporator distillers in the forward engine room on the USS Becuna.
Evaporator distillers in the forward engine room.

Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

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.

Crew members oversaw the submarine's propulsion and electricity use from the maneuvering room.
The maneuvering room on the USS Becuna.
The maneuvering room.

Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

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

The aft torpedo room featured real demilitarized torpedoes on display.
The aft torpedo room on the USS Becuna.
The aft torpedo room.

Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

Each Mark 14 torpedo weighed 3,000 pounds.

The aft torpedo room also featured amusing recreations of original comics poking fun at crew dynamics on board.
Recreated posters in the aft torpedo room on the USS Becuna.
Recreated posters in the aft torpedo room.

Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

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

My Becuna tour provided a fascinating look into a rare, little-known aspect of submarine history.
The USS Becuna.
The USS Becuna.

Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

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."

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I lined up outside Costco to buy eggs right when it opened. They were gone in 8 minutes.

19 February 2025 at 01:46
Shoppers lined up outside Costco.
Shoppers lined up outside Costco.

Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

  • Egg prices have reached record highs due to egg supply issues amid a bird flu outbreak in the US.
  • Some stores are imposing limits on how many eggs shoppers can buy.
  • I lined up at Costco to buy eggs right when the store opened, and they sold out in minutes.

Egg supply issues in the US amid a bird flu outbreak have pushed prices to record highs and made it difficult for stores to keep cartons stocked on shelves.

In a survey conducted by Numerator, a market research firm, over half of shoppers said they'd seen shortages of eggs or found them out-of-stock at stores, including BJ's, Costco, Target, Trader Joe's, and Publix.

I visited a Costco store in New York City to see firsthand how consumers navigate egg supply issues and price hikes. Here's a play-by-play of how I managed to get one of the last cartons in the store.

9:29 a.m. β€” I arrived at Costco about 30 minutes before the store opened.
Costco in New York City.
Costco in New York City.

Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

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.

9:34 a.m. β€” I spoke to a few shoppers who said they'd had trouble finding eggs in grocery stores.
Shoppers wait outside Costco for it to open.
Shoppers waited for the store to open.

Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

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.

9:55 a.m. β€” A Costco employee came around to scan membership cards.
A Costco employee scans membership cards of people waiting outside the store.
A Costco employee scanned membership cards.

Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

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

9:58 a.m. β€” The crowd grew as more people arrived and lined up to enter the store.
Shoppers lined up outside Costco.
Shoppers lined up outside Costco.

Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

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.

10:01 a.m. β€” The doors opened.
Entering Costco.
Entering Costco at 10:01 a.m.

Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

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.

10:02 a.m. β€” I marveled at the mostly empty aisles in what's normally a crowded store.
Costco aisles in New York City.
Costco at its opening time.

Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

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.

10:03 a.m. β€” It seemed like everyone had the same destination in mind β€” the dairy, milk, and eggs refrigerated section.
The dairy, milk, and eggs section at Costco.
The dairy, milk, and eggs section at Costco.

Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

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

10:04 a.m. β€” Success! There were still about 20 cartons left, each with two dozen Kirkland Signature large cage-free eggs.
Eggs at Costco at 10:04 a.m.
Eggs at Costco at 10:04 a.m.

Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

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.

10:05 a.m. β€” I grabbed two cartons of eggs, one for myself and one for my neighbors, who asked me to get one for them.
Costco eggs in a shopping cart.
Costco eggs in my shopping cart.

Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

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.

10:07 a.m. β€” The egg supply dwindled.
A few cartons of eggs left at Costco.
The supply of eggs at 10:07 a.m.

Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

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

10:08 a.m. β€” Just eight minutes after Costco opened, all of the eggs were gone.
An empty box of eggs at Costco
No more eggs.

Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

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.

10:12 a.m. β€” I looked around to see if Costco had posted any signs limiting egg purchases, but the Manhattan location didn't appear to have any.
The price of eggs at Costco in February 2025.
The price of eggs at Costco in February 2025.

Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

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.

10:31 a.m. β€” I paid $8.49 per carton, which was around $4.25 per dozen.
Self-checkout at Costco.
Self-checkout at Costco.

Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

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.

Read the original article on Business Insider

Take a look inside 'The Beast,' the $1.5 million bulletproof presidential limousine used by Trump and Biden

17 February 2025 at 08:53
The Beast presidential limo
Members of the Secret Service outside the presidential limousine.

SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images

  • US presidents are driven in a heavily armored limousine nicknamedΒ "The Beast."Β 
  • It features a secure communications system and fridge stocked with the president's blood type.
  • Military cargo aircraft transport the presidential limousine for use abroad.

When US presidents aren't flying on Air Force One or taking helicopter trips in Marine One, they're driven around in a presidential limousine nicknamed "The Beast."

Weighing in at 20,000 pounds and outfitted with advanced security and communications systems, the newest model of "The Beast" debuted during the first Trump administration in 2018. It reportedly cost around $1.5 million to build.

Take a look inside the famous vehicle.

US presidents travel in a secure limousine nicknamed "The Beast."
The Presidential limousine "The Beast"
"The Beast" waited on the tarmac as President Joe Biden disembarked Air Force One in Helsinki.

Official White House Photo by Adam Schultz

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.

The heavily armored vehicle is bulletproof, blast-resistant, and sealed to withstand biochemical attacks.
The Beast presidential limo
Members of the Secret Service outside the presidential limousine.

SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images

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 Beast" is also equipped with medical supplies, including a refrigerator stocked with the president's blood type.
President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris ride in The Beast
President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris posed for a photo as they rode in the presidential limousine.

Official White House Photo by Adam Schultz

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

The presidential seal appears throughout the design of the car.
The presidential seal is seen inside the door of US President Joe Biden's limousine
The presidential seal inside the door of "The Beast."

ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)

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 limousine can seat up to seven people.
Joe Biden and Jill Biden in The Beast
President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden waved as they rode in the presidential limousine.

Official White House Photo by Adam Schultz

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.

"The Beast" travels with the president.
The President's limousines are loaded aboard a US Air Force C-17 in preparation for a trip.
The president's limousines are shown being loaded aboard a US Air Force C-17.

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 abroad, the presidential limousine flies the American flag and the flag of the host country.
The Beast presidential car in 2021
The US presidential state car, nicknamed "The Beast," at Windsor Castle in the UK.

Pool/Max Mumby/Getty Images

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

On Inauguration Day, Secret Service agents change the car's license plates as a new president takes power.
Secret Service agents change license plates on the presidential limousine
Secret Service agents change license plates on Inauguration Day.

Alex Brandon/AP

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

On President Donald Trump's second Inauguration Day, Secret Service agents gave "The Beast" a good shine.
A Secret Service agent shines the presidential limousine.
A Secret Service agent shined the presidential limousine.

Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

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

Accompanied by the presidential motorcade, "The Beast" remains an instantly recognizable symbol of the power of the presidency.
President Joe Biden looks out the window of the Presidential limousin
President Joe Biden looked out the window of the presidential limousine on Inauguration Day.

Official White House Photo by Ana Isabel Martinez Chamorro

"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.

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Photos show how Air Force One has changed through the years

16 February 2025 at 08:49
Joe Biden on Air Force One.
President Joe Biden met with staff aboard Air Force One.

Official White House Photo by Adam Schultz

  • Any Air Force plane carrying a US president is called Air Force One.
  • John F. Kennedy was the first to use a jet designed specifically for a US president.
  • President Donald Trump proposed new paint colors for the exterior of Air Force One in 2019.

Since the mid-20th century, US presidents have flown on special planes designated as "Air Force One" while carrying out their official duties.

Nicknamed the "flying Oval Office," today's Air Force One is equipped with everything the president might need, including office spaces, two kitchens, sleeping quarters, and a fully functional operating room.

Here's how the design of Air Force One has changed through the years.

President Dwight D. Eisenhower was the first president to travel on a jet aircraft in 1959.
Air Force One taking off in 1959.
Air Force One taking off.

Terry Fincher/Mirrorpix/Getty Images

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.

John F. Kennedy was the first to use a jet specifically designed for the US president. It had the tail number 26000.
Pilots in the cockpit of Air Force One during John F Kennedy's presidency
President John F. Kennedy's pilot and copilot in Air Force One's cockpit.

John Rous

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

Raymond Loewy designed theΒ plane's blue-and-white exterior.
Jackie Kennedy lands in Texas in 1963.
President John F. Kennedy and first lady Jacqueline Kennedy in San Antonio.

Kennedy Library Archives/Newsmakers/Getty Images

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

After Kennedy's assassination in 1963, President Lyndon B. Johnson was sworn in on Air Force One.
Lyndon Johnson takes the oath of office aboard Air Force One after the assassination of John F. Kennedy.
President Lyndon Baines Johnson took the oath of office on Air Force One.

Universal History Archive/Getty Images

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

Johnson met with Cabinet members on the presidential aircraft in 1966 in a small seating area.
Lyndon Johnson meets with members of his Cabinet on Air Force One.
President Lyndon Johnson met with Cabinet members on Air Force One.

Bettmann/Contributor/Getty Images

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

In 1972, Richard Nixon was the first president to use the Boeing 707 plane with tail number 27000 as Air Force One.
President Nixon in a meeting on Air Force One.
President Richard Nixon aboard Air Force One.

Wally McNamee/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images

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

When President Gerald Ford took office after Nixon resigned, seats in the rear cabin were upholstered with striped fabric.
President Gerald Ford speaks to reporters on Air Force One.
President Gerald Ford held a mini news conference aboard Air Force One.

Bettmann/Contributor/Getty Images

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

Ford's office, just off the stateroom, also featured striped furniture.
Gerald Ford with a photographer on Air Force One.
President Gerald Ford with Candice Bergen on Air Force One.

David Hume Kennerly/ Getty Images

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

President Jimmy Carter outfitted the press area with blue carpeting.
Jimmy Carter is interviewed on Air Force One.
President Jimmy Carter spoke to reporters aboard Air Force One.

Bettmann/Contributor/Getty Images

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

President Ronald Reagan used 27000 as his primary presidential aircraft.
Ronald Reagan with staff aboard Air Force One.
President Ronal Reagan met with advisors aboard Air Force One.

Bill Fitz-Patrick - White House via CNP/Getty Images

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.

Reagan also hung pictures of himself in Air Force One's rear cabin.
Ronald Reagan aboard Air Force One.
President Ronald Reagan with reporters aboard Air Force One.

Bettmann/Contributor/Getty Images

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

New blue-striped curtains matched the blue carpeting and furniture in another meeting area.
Ronald Reagan on Air Force One.
President Ronald Reagan with staff aboard Air Force One.

CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images

The meeting room also included a television set.

In 1990, George H. W. Bush began using new Boeing 747 planes with tail numbers 28000 and 29000 as Air Force One.
The presidential office of Air Force One in 1990.
The presidential office of Air Force One.

Consolidated News Pictures/Getty Images

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

The staff and secretarial area was decorated with neutral whites and grays.
The staff area of Air Force One in 1990.
The staff and secretarial area of Air Force One.

Consolidated News Pictures/Getty Images

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

The new plane's annex could also be configured for medical use.
Chairs facing each other in the Annex of Air Force One
The annex of Air Force One.

Consolidated News Pictures/Getty Images

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

The new planes featured over 4,000 square feet of space, which President Bill Clinton often used to hold meetings.
Bill Clinton meets with staff on Air Force One.
President Bill Clinton in a meeting aboard Air Force One.

LUKE FRAZZA/AFP via Getty Images

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

In the guest area, Clinton's Air Force One featured tan chairs and blue carpeting.
Bill Clinton meets with staff on Air Force One.
President Bill Clinton on Air Force One.

DAVID SCULL/AFP via Getty Images

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

President George W. Bush flew 27000 one last time in August 2001 before it was retired to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library.
George W. Bush and Laura Bush on Air Force One.
President George W. Bush and first lady Laura Bush aboard Air Force One on the plane's last mission.

Rick Wilking/Getty Images

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

When the World Trade Center and Pentagon were attacked on September 11, 2001, the Secret Service kept Bush in the air aboard the new Air Force One.
George W. Bush talks on the phone and staffers huddle aboard Air Force One.
President George W. Bush on the telephone on September 11, 2001, as senior staff huddled in his office aboard Air Force One.

Eric Draper, Courtesy of the George W. Bush Presidential Library/Getty Images

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."

Bush conferred with his chief of staff, Andy Card, in the stateroom, designed by Nancy Reagan.
President George W. Bush talks with his chief of staff aboard Air Force One.
President George W. Bush and Andy Card on September 11, 2001.

Eric Draper, Courtesy of the George W. Bush Presidential Library/Getty Images

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

Bush walked down a hallway arm-in-arm with Harriet Miers, the assistant to the president and staff secretary.
George W. Bush on Air Force One.
President George W. Bush and Harriet Miers on September 11, 2001.

Eric Draper, Courtesy of the George W. Bush Presidential Library/Getty Images

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

When President Barack Obama took office in 2009, Air Force One's conference room had been updated with a TV screen and leather chairs.
Barack Obama sits around a table with staff on Air Force One
President Barack Obama talks with his staff aboard Air Force One.

Pete Souza/White House via Getty Images

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

On the other side of the conference room, a decal that read "Air Force One" was displayed on wood paneling.
Barack Obama speaks on the phone in a conference room on Air Force One.
President Barack Obama on the phone aboard Air Force One.

Official White House Photo by Pete Souza

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

The plane's senior staff room featured more phones, a coat closet, and leather chairs.
President Barack Obama meets with staff on Air Force One.
President Barack Obama with senior staff and President Bill Clinton on Air Force One.

Official White House Photo by Pete Souza

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 presidential office furniture was also updated, with mahogany chairs and sofas replacing the gray.
Barack Obama aboard Air Force One.
President Barack Obama with staff on Air Force One.

Official White House Photo by Pete Souza

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

The plane's guest section was reserved for special visitors like members of Congress.
Barack Obama on Air Force One.
President Barack Obama with a congressional delegation aboard Air Force One.

Official White House photo by Pete Souza

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

The rear cabin for press looked like a standard commercial airliner.
Barack Obama briefing reporters on Air Force One
President Barack Obama briefed journalists on Air Force One.

JEWEL SAMAD/AFP via Getty Images

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

President Donald Trump proposed new paint colors for the exterior of Air Force One in 2019.
President Donald Trump's proposed paint scheme for Air Force One.
A model of the proposed paint scheme of the next generation of Air Force One.

Alex Wong/Getty Images

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 Air Force ultimately rejected Trump's proposed color scheme because it would have been more costly and caused engineering issues.
Air Force One
Air Force One in February.

Brittany Murray/MediaNews Group/Long Beach Press-Telegram via Getty Images

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.

In President Joe Biden's Air Force One, the conference room had the same star carpeting as the plane's presidential office.
Joe Biden on Air Force One.
President Joe Biden met with staff aboard Air Force One.

Official White House Photo by Adam Schultz

Plain beige carpeting continued down the hallway.

The placard in the conference room was updated to read "Aboard Air Force One" with an image of the iconic aircraft.
Joe Biden sits at a table on Air Force One
President Joe Biden on the phone on Air Force One.

Official White House Photo by Adam Schultz

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

In his second non-consecutive term, President Trump renamed the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America while flying above it on Air Force One.
Donald Trump renames the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America aboard Air Force One.
Donald Trump renamed the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America aboard Air Force One.

ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP via Getty Images

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

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10 of the tallest abandoned skyscrapers around the world

16 February 2025 at 05:46
A very tall building without cladding on the top and a crane on its rough surrounded by smaller buildings
The empty, rusting Goldin Finance tower in Tianjin, China, was meant to hold a hotel, condos, and offices.

Costfoto/NurPhoto via Getty Images

  • Iconic skylines are one way to immediately identify some cities.
  • Some looming skyscrapers haven't stood the test of time, becoming abandoned or remaining incomplete.
  • Cities must figure out what to do with the structures, and the cost of revitalization can be huge.

Towering skyscrapers often create a city's iconic skyline, yet sometimes its tallest buildings can fall into disrepair or remain unfinished.

While abandoned structures can become symbolic of a location's financial or social struggles, cities still have to decide what to do with them. Some are left to rust, others are demolished, and a few become revitalized.

In the mid-20th century, many older buildings in the US went under the wrecking ball. That's not the best option from a sustainability standpoint, Shawn Ursini, the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat's (CTBUH) senior building database manager, told Business Insider.

"A lot of these buildings can still have a lot of life left in them," he said. "We just maybe need to get a bit more creative as to what their purpose is going forward."

He added that the CTBUH doesn't have a designation for abandoned buildings since it doesn't track buildings' occupancy once they're completed. However, the organization does keep tabs on the many buildings worldwide that are on hold.

"Generally speaking, when a project goes on hold, there is still an attempt to finish it," Ursini said, although these attempts aren't always successful.

Here are 10 of the tallest skyscrapers around the world that now sit empty or uncompleted β€”Β and how they ended up that way.

Beirut Trade Center, Beirut (459 feet)
A tall brown building and another building next to it with a crane
The Burj al-Murr or Beirut Trade Center, left, in 2022.

Eric Lafforgue/Art in All of Us/Corbis via Getty Images

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.

Plaza Tower, New Orleans (531 feet)
A billboard reding "Here for a reason" in front of a tall black building with square windows
The Tower Plaza, right, in New Orleans.

Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports via Reuters

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.

900 Chestnut, St. Louis, Missouri (588 feet)
A street in St. Louis with buildings lining either side, including one with an AT&T sign
909 Chestnut Street with the AT&T sign visible.

Isabella Pino/REDA/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

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.

Sathorn Unique, Bangkok (607 feet)
sathorn unique ghost tower
The Sathorn Unique building stands empty in Bangkok.

Sakchai Lalit/AP

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.

Centro Financiero Confinanzas, Caracas, Venezuela, (623 feet)
Floors of a building are tilted after an earthquake
Structural damage on the top five floors of "Tower of David" after a 2018 earthquake in Caracas, Venezuela.

Carlos Garcia Rawlins/Reuters

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.

1 Seaport, New York City (670 feet)
An tall, thin unfinished skyscraper among other buildings in New York City
The unfinished 1 Seaport in 2020 (center).

Gary Hershorn/Getty Images

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.

Oceanwide Plaza, Los Angeles (677 feet)
Smoke rises in an orange sky behind a tall, unfinished building
Wildfire smoke rising behind the Oceanwide Plaza tower in Los Angeles.

Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images

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.

Ryugyong Hotel in Pyongyang, North Korea (1,082 feet)
Hotel Doom North Korea
Ryugyong Hotel, also known as Hotel Doom, in Pyongyang, North Korea.

Feng Li/Getty Images

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.

SkyCity, Mandaluyong, Philippines (1,099 feet)
A highway in Mandaluyong, Philippines with buildings on either side
A large hole in between buildings, right, where SkyCity was meant to rise over 1,000 feet in the air.

TanMan/Getty Images

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.

Goldin Finance 117, Tianjin, China (1,957 feet)
A very tall unfinished building with a crane on top
The Goldin Finance 117 Tower in Tianjin, China, in 2024.

Costfoto/NurPhoto via Getty Images

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.

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