• In "Squid Game," people who are in debt compete for money in survival contests inspired by children's games.

• Both seasons have had a high death count.
• Here are the most shocking deaths ranked

Warning: Spoilers ahead for "Squid Game" seasons one and two.

"Squid Game" is Netflix's biggest success — and it has a pretty high death toll, at over 700 in two seasons. 

 The story of characters in debt competing, and often dying, in gratuitously violent games inspired by children's games to win money had viewers hooked from its premiere in 2021, and quickly became Netflix's most-watched show of all time.

Season two is equally violent and has beat Netflix's record for the TV series with the most views in its first week on the platform.

Season two follows Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) as he competes in the survival competition for a second time after winning the contest in season one. 

This time, Gi-hun tries to shut down the games for good but is unable to stop more people getting killed.

Here are the most significant deaths from the first two seasons of "Squid Game," ranked from least to most shocking.

19. Byeong-gi

Contestant 111, Byeong-gi (Yoo Seong-ju), is a doctor who tries to survive by forming a pact with the game's guards, offering his surgical skills so that they can harvest the organs of the other players in exchange for information about the upcoming game.

In episode five, the guards aren't told what the next game is, so Byeong-gi panics, kills some guards to escape, and is eventually trapped and killed by the Frontman (Lee Byung-hun), the mastermind of the games.

In the next episode, his body and the bodies of the guards who worked with him are hung in the center of the game as a message to the remaining players.

18. Park Gyeong-seok

In the season two finale, Gi-hun leads a rebellion against the games, stealing the guards' guns and storming through the game building to get to the command center.

Player 246, Gyeong-seok (Lee Jin-uk), who is competing to raise money for his sick daughter, joins the charge but the guards overpower the rebels and kill him.

Although his death is tragic, we do not learn enough about Gyeong-seok for his death to be more shocking than others on this list.

17. Jang Deok-su

From stealing food, leaving a woman to die after having sex with her, to being the first to kill a contestant outside a game, Jang Deok-su (Heo Sung-tae) is an undeniably unlikable character. 

Karma finally catches up with him in episode seven when Han Mi-nyeo (Kim Joo-ryung), Deok-su's brief lover, throws them onto a brittle platform in the glass bridge challenge as an act of revenge. They fall to their deaths together.

16. Oh Il-nam

Oh Il-nam (Oh Yeong-su) fakes his death during the marbles game in season one, which was much more hard-hitting than his real death in the season one finale.

During this challenge, he pairs up with the show's protagonist, Seong Gi-hun, and discovers that only one person can proceed to the next stage. But instead of playing marbles with Gi-hun, Il-nam seems to hallucinate and wander off.

Gi-hun chases after Il-nam, and, in an out-of-character moment, cheats once they finally play the game.

Il-nam reveals that he knows Gi-hun is cheating but still allows him to progress in the games so he can live a full life. At the time, the pair share an emotional goodbye, like a farewell between a parent and child.

Of course, after Il-nam reveals he is the creator of the games and faked his death in the season finale, the gut-punch of the marbles scene lessens somewhat.

15. The 13 people who died during the glass bridge game

The glass bridge challenge in season one is by far one of the most shocking games.

While the other challenges can be won by skill, intelligence, or strength, the glass round is solely based on luck. 

Players cross a bridge made up of two columns of identical glass platforms. One of the platforms is stable, allowing the players to cross the bridge, while the other will break immediately, leading to a long fall to their deaths.

Only three of the 16 players survive, and the final death is the most brutal. Close to the end, player 017 (Lee Sang-hee) reveals he is a glassmaker who can tell the difference between the platforms. But when the lights are switched off, he struggles to figure out which platform is the right one.

With time running out, Cho Sang-woo (Park Hae-soo) ruthlessly pushes the glassmaker onto one of the glass platforms, which turns out to be the unsafe one.

14. Mr. Kim

In season two, Gi-hun hires Mr Kim (Kim Pub-lae), his former creditor, to help him track down the man who recruited him to participate in the games in season one.

Mr Kim and his young underling Woo-seok (Jeon Seok-ho) succeed in finding the Recruiter (Gong Yoo), but he surprises them and knocks them out.

When they wake up, the Recruiter forces them to play a game combining the rules of Rock, Paper, and Scissors with Russian Roulette. Mr. Kim purposely loses the game so Woo-seok can live, and the Recruiter shoots him.

Once Mr Kim is captured, it is pretty clear he will die, but it's heartening that his last act is protecting Woo-seok rather than selling him out.

13. Se-mi

Se-mi (Won Ji-an) stands up against the season two bullies Thanos (Choi Seung-hyun) and his sidekick Nam-gyu (Roh Jae-won) to defend a shy man called Min-su (Lee David).

But this backfires during the riot in the season two finale. Nam-gyu corners Se-mi, but Min-su, who is hiding above them, is too scared to save her. Nam-gyu then stabs Se-mi multiple times with a fork, in an undeservedly cruel death.

12. The Recruiter

The opening episode of season two shows that the Recruiter is as sadistic as his employers, as he toys with homeless people and tortures Mr. Kim and Woo-seok.

In the last scene of the episode, the Recruiter confronts Gi-hun, and they play a game of Russian Roulette. 

Gi-hun wins, and the Recruiter, without flinching, shoots himself.

10. Player 196

Player 196 (Song Ji-woo) is one of the multiple characters who gets a substantial amount of screentime in season two, episode three when they enter the games. So it seemed like she was going to be one of the season's main players.

That notion goes out the window during the first game, Red Light, Green Light. After feeling a bee on her neck, she moves when she is supposed to be still and is shot in the head.

It is a reminder that this is "Squid Game," and no character is truly safe.

11. Players 069 and 070

The only thing we know about players 069 (Kim Yun-tae) and 070 (Lee Ji-ha) is that they are married, which makes episode six's plot twist so cruel. The players are asked to get into pairs, but only after they've done so are they told they will have to compete against each other to move onto the next stage. 

No. 69 dies by suicide the night after the game, feeling guilty about his wife's death.

9. Ali Abdul

Abdul Ali (Anupam Tripathi), a migrant worker from Pakistan, is a season one fan-favorite because he is kind to all the other players.

This allows him to form useful alliances but also leads to his demise during the marbles game. Ali pairs up with Sang-woo, whom he sees as a close friend, and tries to play fairly.

But Sang-woo tricks Ali into dropping the marbles needed to progress in the games and gives him a bag of rocks instead. Ali doesn't realize he has been fooled until time runs out to save himself, and he is shot by a guard.

Although his death was tragic, it was always clear Ali was not cut out for the competition.

Park Jung-bae

Park Jung-bae (Lee Seo-hwan), a former marine and Gi-hun's friend from outside the game, joins in with the rebellion in the season two finale.

Jung-bae and Gi-hun eventually have to surrender when they are cornered by the guards. The Frontman then appears with a gun, and it appears he plans to kill Gi-hun.

He then turns and shoots Jung-bae dead as a lesson to Gi-hun.

The saddest part about Jung-bae's death is that he never finds out that the Frontman was his former ally. In season two, the Frontman poses as a player to keep his eye on Gi-hun and eventually sabotage the rebellion. When the Frontman shoots Jung-bae, he is wearing a mask to hide his identity.

7. Ji-yeong

After forming a bond with Kang Sae-byeok (Jung Ho-yeon) in previous episodes, Ji-yeong (Yuuki Luna) is forced to battle against her during the marbles challenge.

But instead of fighting, the pair decide to talk about their life story and why they entered the games.

After hearing that Sae-byeok is competing to raise money to save her mother from North Korea and reunite her family, Ji-yeong decides to surrender so Sae-byeok can continue competing.

Ji-yeong's death is made even more tragic by the fact that Sae-byeok doesn't win, so the sacrifice was for nothing. 

6. Cho Sang-woo

The creators and organizers of the competition are the villains of the show, but Sang-woo is a close second.

Sang-woo is determined to win at all costs in season one, sacrificing several people so he can proceed. Sang-woo reaches the final but is beaten by Gi-hun in a battle of Squid Game.

Gi-hun then offers Sang-woo a chance to quit so they both have the chance to survive. But Sang-woo chooses to lethally stab himself so Gi-hun can win the money.

It's not shocking that Sang-woo died, but that even in the end, he chose money over life.

5. Gi-hun's mom

After fighting for his life in six brutal challenges to raise money for his mother's (Kim Young-ok) medical bills to treat her diabetes, Gi-hun returns home to find her dead.

We don't know much about her but her death makes Gi-hun's efforts in the games pointless. He goes through that entire trial but is not able to save a single loved one.

4. Thanos

Thanos, the callous, self-obsessed bully of season two, is killed by another player during a riot in the male bathrooms in the season two finale.

Sure, Thanos does deserve to be punished at some point for the way he harassed and harmed other players. And yes, he causes the circumstances of his own death by inciting the riot and bullying his eventual killer, Lee Myung-gi (Yim Si-wan).

But at the same time, Thanos is a really entertaining villain, and it's surprising he is killed so soon, leaving a major villain gap for the third season.

3. Young-mi

Young-mi (Kim Si-eun) is another player who is not cut out to survive the games' brutality, but she seemed to have the potential to get a little further in the show.

She is introduced just before the Six-Legged Pentathlon game, forming a team with Hyun-ju (Park Sung-hoon) and a few other major characters. Most members of this team become really close after surviving this challenge, and Hyun-ju and Young-mi, in particular, form a familial bond.

But during the next challenge, the Mingle game, Young-mi gets knocked and pushed outside the safe zone. In a heartbreaking moment, Young-mi is shot and killed right in front of Hyun-ju.

Justice for Young-mi!

2. The 255 people who died in the Red Light, Green Light game in season one

By the end of season one, viewers may feel numb to the show's violence, but the brutality of the competition is not made apparent until the first games.

More than half of the contestants in the competition die in Red Light, Green Light alone, where they are shot by hidden snipers if they are caught moving by a giant rotating doll. It is nothing short of a massacre in seconds, and only 201 out of 456 contestants survive.

It makes it clear from the start that there will be no trickery or bargaining in this competition — if you lose, you die.

Thankfully, in season two, Gi-hun instructs the players on how to beat the game so fewer die.

1. Kang Sae-byeok

While Gi-hun is the protagonist, Sae-byeok is one of the characters with the most moving story and arguably most deserving of the money. 

She is a North Korean defector who needs the money to look after her younger brother and bring her mother to South Korea. Though she has a hard exterior, she goes out of her way to help other vulnerable people, even stopping Gi-hun from killing Sang-woo when he is sleeping.

Jung Ho-yeon, who plays Kang Sae-byeok, told The Times in 2021 that her role taught her to have "faith in humanity" because Sae-byeok is so caring to her family.

But the cards were not in her favor. After the glass bridge game, the remaining glass platforms are blown up, and a shard of glass hits her stomach.

During the night after the game, Sang-woo kills Sae-byeok after she passes out due to the injury.

Kang Sae-byeok's death makes it clear that only one player is making it alive out in season one.

• Cover Corp, a top virtual influencer company, is expanding its business in the US.
• Its creators, known as VTubers, use digital avatars and are gaining popularity on YouTube.
• The company is using sold-out live events and collaborations with traditional media to grow abroad.

Japan-based Cover Corporation is betting on the US as the next big market for growing its virtual anime-style influencer fan base.

The company manages creators who use technology to appear in videos and other online posts as digital avatars, often resembling anime characters. These influencers are most popular on YouTube. The VTubers, as they're known, typically livestream. Many make music or play games.

Their popularity is small but on the rise. From January 2023 to June 2023, VTubers comprised 1.4% of the active YouTube live gaming community but captured 9.6% of all viewer hours, according to data from the game-marketing platform GameSight. VTuber viewership increased by 28% during the period, while that of other gaming creators on YouTube Live fell by 6%.

Cover is one of several companies that exclusively work with VTubers to expand their businesses. Its agency division, Hololive Production, manages VTubers in Japan, Indonesia, and English-speaking countries, which have been a major area of expansion for the company since 2023.

Last year, Cover opened an office in Los Angeles through its first overseas subsidiary.

Hololive's popular VTubers in the US include Mori Calliope (2.49 million YouTube subscribers) and Nerissa Ravencroft (805,000 YouTube subscribers). Globally, its talent includes some of the most-watched and subscribed VTuber channels on YouTube.

The company's international expansion has helped boost revenue and earnings. Cover's revenue rose 50% year over year to 10,688 million yen ($67.6 million) during its last reported quarter, which ended in October. It posted a profit of 1,500 million yen during the period.

Motoaki Tanigo, CEO of Cover, spoke to Business Insider in an interview conducted through translators. In 2025, he said the company plans to focus on gaming collaborations, pop-up shops, and live events like concerts to grow its business in the US.

Hololive collaborated last year with the Los Angeles Dodgers on exclusive merchandise, for instance. VTuber Gawr Gura (4.5 million YouTube subscribers) also sang "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" on screens throughout the stadium.

Inside the business model of a top VTuber company

While Hololive primarily manages livestreamers, several of the company's creators sing and make their own music. That has opened up avenues for revenue and growth.

Mori Calliope, for instance, is scheduled to headline a solo concert in February in Los Angeles. Hololive's VTuber talent uses 3D technology to bring its digital avatars to the stage.

Tanigo said music is one of the top ways its talent reaches new audiences.

In 2023, Cover held a concert at the 6,000-seat YouTube Theater in LA, which sold out in 30 minutes, the company said. Its August concert at the Kings Theater in New York, another 6,000-seat venue, sold out in 10 minutes.

"The popularity of these events proves that North American audiences have a tremendous appetite for VTuber content," Tanigo said. "Our goal is to elevate VTubers alongside popular Japanese exports like manga, anime, and games."

Cover's top revenue drivers are merchandise, such as made-to-order items and a collectible card game; streaming revenue from super chats and channel memberships; concerts and live events; and licensing and collaborations, per its earnings report. Licensing and collaborations was the fastest-growing segment.

Hololive's international expansion

In 2025, the company is making a behind-the-scenes shift that it hopes will make its VTubers more engaging.

Until now, Hololive's VTuber models had been created through the gaming software Unity. Tanigo said the company is switching to another platform, Unreal Engine, which it believes will create "better quality" models.

The company is also working on finding better ways to sell tickets to and improve its in-person events. Tanigo said he'd love to see a function on YouTube or Twitch for ticket sales and better real-time translation for live videos, for example.

Hololive's international expansion has faced roadblocks.

Tanigo said the company has struggled with music copyright outside Japan, including getting the rights for talent to cover a song.

One of his priorities for the year ahead is to make inroads into traditional US media.

In Japan, the company has placed its talent on TV shows and other traditional media spots, and the team is working on animation projects based on its talent.

"We'd like to have that opportunity in the US as well and try to have more exposure in a TV show and different types of mediums," Tanigo said.

• The Palisades and Eaton Fires have razed thousands of homes and burned tens of thousands of acres.
• Some buildings have survived though, like the Getty Villa art museum in Pacific Palisades.
• The Villa isn't your average home, but homeowners can learn from what Getty staff have been doing all year.

As the Palisades and Eaton Fires burned through thousands of acres on Tuesday, razing nearly 2,000 homes, the iconic Getty Villa remained standing with minor damage. Meanwhile, homes and trees around it went up in flames.

"We deeply appreciate the tireless work and dedication of the Los Angeles Fire Department, Los Angeles County Fire Department, and other agencies," the museum said in a statement Wednesday morning.

The Getty Villa is part of the J. Paul Getty Trust, which includes the largest endowment of any museum in the world, estimated at more than $8 billion in 2023. It houses the Trust's collection of Ancient Greek and Roman art.

Fire departments used "state-of-the-art air handling systems" to help protect the building, President and CEO of the Getty Trust, Katherine E. Fleming, told USA Today.

Moreover, builders designed the galleries with double-walled construction, which also helped protect the precious art inside.

However, it wasn't just expensive architecture and state-of-the-art firefighting that helped. Getty staff have been consistently clearing brush from the surrounding area all year as part of its fire mitigation efforts, the museum said.

That is a crucial lesson for homeowners in fire-risk areas.

Yard work to save your home

The Palisades Fire has become the most destructive ever to hit Los Angeles, CNN reported, citing CalFire data.

One reason is abundant rainfall over the past two winters, which spurred an explosion of grasses and brush that dried out as virtually no rain fell over the last few months.

Cities, fire departments, and community members can proactively clear dried grasslands around residential areas.

Even individual homeowners can protect their properties by clearing a five-foot perimeter around their house, removing flammable materials like ornamental plants, bark mulch, or deck furniture.

"This is an urban fire. We're burning urban fuels," said Pat Durland, a wildfire-mitigation specialist and instructor for the National Fire Protection Association with 30 years of federal wildfire management experience.

Keeping gutters and roofs clear can also prevent the spot ignitions that send entire structures up in flames.

"People believe that they're helpless," Durland told Business Insider in 2023. But they're not, he insisted: "Nine out of 10 times, this boils down to two words: yard work."

Homeowners can also install non-combustible 1/8-inch mesh screening on any vents to a crawl space or attic, to prevent embers from entering the home through those routes.

"You are where the rubber meets the road. The things you do on your house and around your house are going to make the difference," Durland said.

• Kate Middleton became the Princess of Wales in September 2022.
• She's shown off different facets of her style while taking on new royal responsibilities. 
• Kate has embraced pantsuits, and for her two public appearances in 2024, she wore chic dresses. 

Kate Middleton became the Princess of Wales after Queen Elizabeth II died in September 2022. 

The mom of three, who celebrated her 43rd birthday on Thursday, has had fun with her fashion since her title changed, showing off a sleeker side of her style.

Following her abdominal surgery and chemotherapy treatment in 2024, Kate made a handful of appearances, and her recent royal looks seemed to blend the best of royal tradition with modern trends.

Business Insider looked back at some of the best ensembles Kate has worn since becoming the Princess of Wales. 

Ahead of Queen Elizabeth II's state funeral in September 2022, Kate Middleton and Prince William met with troops who were set to participate.

Middleton wore a black, military-esque coat by Catherine Walker with buttons down its bodice and epaulettes on its shoulders.

She completed the look with a black hat, semi-sheer tights, leather heels, and the late Queen's pearl earrings from her Silver Jubilee.

In December 2022, Kate attended the Christmas Day Service at St. Mary Magdalene Church while wearing a navy-green ensemble.

Her Alexander McQueen coat had a high neckline, multiple pockets, and a long pleated skirt.

She wore it with a handful of accessories in rich tones and textured fabrics, like dark velvet boots, brown leather gloves, and a green, wide-brimmed hat adorned with ribbon.

She also visited Boston, Massachusetts, that month, and showed the more colorful side of her wardrobe.

She wore a burgundy pantsuit designed by Roland Mouret with matching pumps and a baby-pink blouse. The shirt's long bow added a feminine flair to her outfit.

To kick off 2023, Kate and her husband wore matching red pieces for a Royal Foundation Centre event.

The Prince of Wales wore a blue suit with a red tie, which matched Kate's vibrant red suit.

Alexander McQueen designed her asymmetrical blazer and pleated pants, which she wore with red heels, a matching clutch, and geometric earrings from Chalk.

For the Wales versus England Six Nations rugby game in February 2023, Kate wore a coat that featured the colors of both teams.

Her houndstooth-print Catherine Walker coat was red and white, mirroring the colors of both rugby teams.

The BBC reported that, on the day of the match, the Prince of Wales described his wife's attire as "diplomatic," though she was rooting for England. Her team went on to win the game.

For the Commonwealth Day Service in March 2023, Kate wore a printed set with lots of flair.

Designed by Erdem, her navy-blue outfit included a fitted blazer top with peplum detailing at the waist, and a mermaid-style skirt that flared just above her ankles.

She wore the outfit with velvet pumps and a wide hat.

Kate subverted expectations by wearing teal to the St. Patrick's Day Parade at Mons Barracks in March 2023.

Rather than wearing true green as most do on St. Patrick's Day, the Princess of Wales opted for a Catherine Walker coatdress in a shade of teal often referred to as "St. Patrick's Blue," as People reported.

The color also matched the plumes the 1st Battalion of Irish Guards wore in their hats. It was a fitting choice for Kate as she inherited the title of Colonel of the battalion from William in December 2022.

She paired the look with coordinating shoes from Gianvito Rossi and a hat designed by Jane Taylor London.

Kate's blue ensemble for an Easter service at St. George's Chapel in April 2023 coordinated with her family members' looks.

The Waleses marked the full family appearance with coordinating blue ensembles, and Kate chose another Catherine Walker coatdress for the occasion. It had a two-toned lapel and pocket detailing.

A matching hat and nude heels tied the look together.

The Princess of Wales chose a more relaxed look for a visit to the charity the Anna Freud Centre in May 2023.

Kate's emerald dress was designed by Suzannah London. She wore it with white-and-black shoes from Alessandra Rich.

The gown's detailing and slightly puffy sleeves created a more relaxed but still professional look.

Kate put a royal spin on the sheer fabric trend with her dress for a garden party at Buckingham Palace in May 2023.

Designed by Elie Saab, the powder-blue dress had a sheer overlay and was covered in velvet embellishments.

An oversize bow sat on her neck, and a coordinating hat with a large flower completed the ensemble.

Even better, the look was recycled. Kate previously wore it to the 2019 Royal Ascot.

The princess popped in polka dots while opening Hope Street, a residential space for women in Southampton, in June 2023.

Puffy sleeves and a ruffled neckline gave the navy polka-dot dress from Alessandra Rich a feminine feel. 

She paired the look with a white clutch and black-and-white heels.

The pink dress Kate wore to officially open the Young V&A at V&A Museum of Childhood in June 2023 was perfect for the summer of "Barbie."

First worn by the princess to Wimbledon in 2021, the Beulah London dress had short sleeves. Buttons lined the bodice, and it belted at the waist.

White shoes accented the summery outfit, just one of the pink looks she wore over the summer.

Kate showed off her penchant for polka dots at The Order of The Garter service at St. George's Chapel in June 2023.

The white dress was designed by her go-to designer, Alessandra Rich. Polka dots covered the form-fitting, long-sleeved dress, which cinched at the waist.

A black hat with polka-dot feathering and black-and-white shoes completed the ensemble.

Kate also showed off her curtsying skills at the event.

She embraced a more casual side of her style at the Out-Sourcing Inc. Royal Charity Polo Cup in July 2023.

Kate chose another Beulah London dress for the polo game, which William played in, this time in pale blue.

The long-sleeve dress flowed to Kate's ankles, and it was covered in stripes of floral print. 

She paired it with nude heels.

Kate's lime-green dress for Wimbledon 2023 felt playful and fresh.

The dress from Self-Portrait had a shirt-like bodice, with a collar, large buttons down the center, and pocket detailing.

It cinched at the waist with a belt, creating a peplum silhouette, while the ruched skirt flowed to Kate's ankles.

She paired the dress with a purple brooch and nude heels.

Kate embraced a power suit in September 2023.

Kate wore a green suit from Burberry to visit the textile company, AW Hainsworth.

The jacket was slim-fitted while the pants were slightly wider, giving her a long look. A white blouse and gold jewelry completed the professional ensemble. 

The princess wore a chic sweater set to visit Nottingham Trent University in October 2023.

The cream ensemble was designed by Sézane, consisting of a sweater with button detailing on the sleeves and a pencil skirt.

The sweater material of the ensemble made it feel perfect for fall. Kate paired the effortless ensemble with cream shoes and a matching purse. 

A casual jacket and jeans was a nice change of pace for Kate in October 2023.

During a visit to Moray, Scotland, Kate paired a checked Burberry jacket with flared jeans and boots, and she added a red flower to her lapel.

Her jacket subtly matched William's green outerwear, and the pattern was the perfect fit for a visit to Scotland. 

Kate chose a red coatdress with a statement bow for a state visit at the end of November 2023.

The princess turned to Catherine Walker for her dress in November, when she was ceremonially welcomed by the president and first lady of the Republic of Korea. 

The red coatdress flowed past her knee, draping over her arms almost like a wrap. An asymmetrical bow on the gown's collar acted as a modern touch, and coordinating red shoes, a red purse, and a red hat tied the look together. 

She attended the "Together at Christmas" celebration with an all-white outfit that looked more Hollywood glam than royal chic in December 2023.

Kate tapped menswear bespoke tailor Chris Kerr for her cream coat, which flowed to her ankles.

She paired the structured coat with a white blouse, matching high-waisted trousers, nude shoes, and a mini-purse. The outfit looked both trendy and timeless. 

Kate made her much-anticipated return to the public eye in June 2024 at Trooping the Colour in a white Jenny Packham outfit.

Jenny Packham designed the knee-length dress Kate donned for Trooping the Colour 2024, which marked her first public appearance of the year. The Princess of Wales announced she was undergoing chemotherapy in March 2024.

The dress was upcycled, as Kate was previously seen wearing it at a luncheon before King Charles' coronation in May 2023. But Packham added a black-and-white bow and altered the belt to give it a second stripe for Trooping the Colour, making it look new.

She paired the dress with a coordinating white hat, pointed-toe heels, and the Irish Guards Regimental Brooch on her lapel to highlight her role as Colonel of the Irish Guards.

When she made her first solo appearance of the year at Wimbledon in June 2024, Kate wore a purple dress.

Kate attended the men's final of Wimbledon 2024 with Princess Charlotte at her side.

She arrived in a purple dress designed by Safiyaa London. The dress featured cap sleeves, a cinched waist, and a tea-length skirt with pleats. Ruching on the bodice added dynamism to the boatneck bodice, as did a navy brooch shaped like a bow.

Nude shoes and a pair of sunglasses completed the ensemble. 

Kate paired a classic coatdress with modern accessories for the ceremonial welcome of the Amir of the State of Qatar in December 2024.

Alexander McQueen designed the double-breasted burgundy coatdress Kate wore to the ceremony, which was the first she attended in 2024.

Her coordinating hat was from Sahar Millinery, and Kate played up the autumnal vibes of her look with brown gloves, a brown Chanel clutch, and brown knee-high boots from Gianvito Rossi.

She chose pearly jewelry to complete the ensemble, including a four-strand choker Queen Elizabeth and Princess Diana both wore in the past.
 

Kate used a scarf to make her outfit for the Christmas walk at Sandringham coordinate with her family members' looks.

The Prince and Princess of Wales participated in the royal family's annual walk through Sandringham on Christmas with their children, and Prince William, Prince George, Prince Louis, and Princess Charlotte all wore navy ensembles. 

Instead of matching her family, Kate donned an emerald green coat from Alexander McQueen with a matching beret from Gina Foster. She wore black boots and gloves with the look, but the standout accessory of her ensemble was her navy and green tartan scarf, which connected her look to her family members' outfits. 

It complemented Charlotte's look in particular, as Charlotte's blue coat featured a checked pattern.

• LA's Palisades Charter High School was damaged by a wildfire on Tuesday.
• The school has a rich pop culture legacy, with J.J Abrams, Will.i.am, and Forest Whitaker among its alumni.
• "Carrie," "Teen Wolf," "Freaky Friday," and an Olivia Rodrigo music video were filmed on its campus.

A wildfire partially destroyed an iconic Los Angeles high school with A-list alumni, which was used as a set for iconic films including "Freaky Friday" and "Carrie."

According to the California Department of Education, 335 schools closed as numerous fires raged across the greater Los Angeles area, affecting more than 211,000 students.

Palisades Charter High School, which was set to start a new term next week, set on fire on Tuesday evening. Some of the school's athletic facilities and bungalow structures at the back of its campus were burned, The LA Times reported.

A representative for PCHS did not immediately respond to a comment request from Business Insider about the extent of the damage.

Staff members and student athletes who were at the school when the fire broke out were quickly evacuated from the premises, the outlet reported.

The main building is still standing, and PCHS' principal, Pam Magee, told the parents of the approximately 3,000 students that 70% of the campus structures may have survived, the LA Times reported.

The school's website said updates would be provided on a new term date start.

Palisades Charter High School has a rich pop culture legacy

PCHS, which opened in 1961 and became an independent charter school in 2003, has appeared in multiple TV shows and movies.

It was one of the many schools used as a location to represent Bates High School in the original 1976 film adaptation of Stephen King's novel "Carrie." The film received two Oscar nominations and has been referenced many times in movies, TV series, and by musicians.

All the school scenes for 2003's "Freaky Friday," starring Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis, were filmed at PCHS. A sequel is currently in the works and due to premiere in August.

Seasons three to seven of "Teen Wolf," a supernatural teen drama released in the mid-2010s, uses PCHS for the outside shots of Beacon Hills High School. The first two seasons were filmed in Atlanta. The LA Times reported in 2012 that the production moved to LA to take advantage of the tax relief system there.

In 2021, Grammy-winning pop star Olivia Rodrigo recorded part of her "Good 4 U" music video in the school's locker room and sports facilities.

The PCHS website also states that 2012's "Project X," a found-footage teen comedy, was filmed there.

Palisades Charter High School's alums is full of stars

J.J. Abrams, the co-creator of the Emmy-winning show "Lost" and father of newcomer pop star Gracie Abrams, is one of several stars who attended PCHS.

In 2015, Abrams told the community news outlet the Palisadian Post that he based "Star Wars" character Maz Kanata on Rose Gilbert, his former English teacher at PCHS, when he cowrote and directed "Star Wars: The Force Awakens."

"We really wanted the story to feel authentic, despite being a wild fantasy. I mentioned Rose in an early story meeting as a sort of timeless, wise figure that I'd actually known in my life," Abrams said of Gilbert, who worked at PCHS for over 50 years and died in 2017 at 95.

Forest Whitaker, another PCHS alum, is an Oscar-winning actor, who has starred in "Black Panther," "Star Wars: Rogue One" and "The Butler."

He began acting in high school, and told Collider in 2020 that he starred in two school musical productions, "Jesus Christ Superstar" and "Cabaret."

The Oscar-nominated actor Jennifer Jason Leigh, Whitaker's costar in the 1982 movie "Fast Times at Ridgemont High," also attended PCHS.

Will.i.am, the seven-time Grammy winning member of the Black Eyed Peas, A. Scott Berg, a Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer, and Steve Kerr, the head coach of the Golden State Warriors, are some of the other successful alums who attended PCHS.

• I started pulling my kids out of school for travel when they were little.
• Traveling out of regular vacation meant I spent less money on tickets and hotels.
• Now that they are in high school, academics and sports are more important.

Growing up, I did not miss school. Maladies like Chickenpox and raging stomach bugs that didn't respond to ginger ale and saltines were the only acceptable reasons for being absent. Vacations were for summer and the occasional Christmas visits to grandparents.

My kids — the youngest two are in high school — have had unarguably cooler traveler experiences. Pulling them out of school to see the world was never the goal; it just sort of happened.

It started with living in Europe while my daughter was in elementary school. I discovered low-budget air carriers with cheap weekday flights from Frankfurt to London. I decided that seeing the crown jewels with our eyes was better than seeing pictures in a book and that missing a few days of third grade wouldn't hurt anything.

Traveling during the school year means extra savings

When my sons were in first grade, I learned I could save a substantial chunk of change by traveling to the Caribbean in early fall instead of late summer. Cruise lines, theme parks, and other vacation spots catering to families charge more in the summer, and I found I could save almost $3,000 by moving my early August cruise to late September. I decided my kids would probably still get into college if they missed a week of first grade. The verdict is still out on that one — they're halfway through their freshman year, but things are looking good.

Offseason vacations are just better. Resorts and flights are less chaotic, and we escaped the really hot part of the summer. Missing school in the elementary years was easy to navigate, and my kids did well with keeping up with their classes. Our travels were usually well-received by teachers, and we worked to keep the communication flowing and stay on everyone's good side, although sometimes only just. Our district policy allows up to nine unexcused absences per semester — anything above that, and we'd have to make our case to the administration.

We were close to the limit on the number of absences a couple of times but never hit the magic number nine.

They started asking not to miss school

But, as my kids got older, we encountered more teachers who were less than thrilled with our way of managing family travel. We managed to smooth things over when necessary and taught our kids to be proactive about requesting work in advance. When that wasn't possible, we helped them stay on top of their makeup work.

As they hit middle school, I noticed my "Hey kids guess where we're going!" announcements weren't being met with as much enthusiasm. Instead of excitement about seeing someplace new, the first question became, "Do we have to miss school?"

We now prioritize academics over travel

As my kids got older, they worked harder in school. Teachers are more heavy-handed with homework and projects, and once they hit high school, each grade becomes part of the bigger picture.

My kids became more aware of the ripple effects of not getting a good grade and began understanding the importance of cumulative learning. Missing a week of algebra and having to catch up on what you missed without falling further behind the rest of the class caused my kids stress. My kids don't struggle academically, but playing catchup wasn't easy after a certain point.

My boys are also athletes, and absences weren't winning them any points with their coaches. One of my sons is a starting pitcher and missed practice due to travel, and was subsequently benched for one game. These things started to take a little bit of the shine out of exploring the world together, and I realized we needed to change how we planned to travel.

I don't love that my kids talk about how their performance in ninth grade will impact getting into their college of choice. Part of me wants to whisk them away to Disneyland, the Canadian Rockies, or the Great Barrier Reef and tell them they have lots of time to worry about being adults. But really, they don't.

Now, I plan travel during school breaks, just like everyone else

I lament that I'm now a "regular mom" and not a "cool mom." Now, I plan our family vacations around school vacations, just like everyone else. Mostly. I'll still tack the occasional Friday onto a holiday Monday, but I'm more thoughtful about it now.

I'm not going to lie; I miss the days when I could pull them out of school because I saw a great deal on airfare. They've learned about fine art and architecture by visiting an art museum with a moveable sunscreen on the roof and practical things like how to exchange currency and navigate a major airport. They're also not timid about trying food that's not mac and cheese.

Most importantly, travel has taught my kids that the world is big and helped them be more open-minded about other cultures and viewpoints. Traveling as a family has strengthened our bond and taught us cooperation and problem-solving skills. I wouldn't have done things differently.

• A vast majority of dealers surveyed have "no trust" in Stellantis.
• The Jeep owner is prioritizing its relationship with dealers after a recent change in CEO.
• Some dealers are heading into this year a bit more optimistic.

Stellantis wants to earn back the trust of its US dealers after a tumultuous year. It won't be easy.

The Jeep owner topped the list of least-trusted franchises among dealers in Kerrigan Advisors's annual dealer survey, with a whopping 72% of Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Ram dealers reporting they have "no trust" in Stellantis.

The dismal result for Stellantis — the highest rate of "no trust" responses in the survey's history — comes after a tumultuous year for the global automotive giant. Aggressive cost-cutting measures rankled US dealers, many of whom wrote an open letter criticizing the company's product decisions over the summer.

Amid slowing sales and shrinking dealer profits, the letter accused former CEO Carlos Tavares of "reckless short-term decision-making" that had "devastating, yet entirely predictable, consequences in the US market."

CFO Doug Ostermann told investors that rebuilding trust with dealers is a top priority for the next management team.

Following Tavares's abrupt exit last month, Stellantis dealers were relieved. Kevin Farrish, the Stellantis dealer body president and Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Ram owner in Virginia, told Business Insider at the time that he was encouraged by how swiftly executives were making changes after Tavares's exit.

"We needed change, so provided the changes are correct — and they are thus far — it shows their commitment to fix things," Farrish said.

A Stellantis spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

A big rift

The results of the annual Kerrigan Dealer Survey are often in line with what dealers say publicly throughout the year. In 2023, for example, Ford was the least-trusted company among dealers after the parties disagreed over EV strategies.

But the results of this year's survey, based on more than 635 anonymous responses from dealers in Kerrigan Advisors database between June and November, offer the first concrete look at the rift between Stellantis and its dealers. And the divide is stark.

For context, about 46% of dealers reported "no trust" in Ford last year, showing that a slim majority still had trust in the Detroit automaker. That makes the 72% of dealers who reported "no trust" for Stellantis all the more alarming, Kerrigan told Business Insider in an interview.

While Ford and its dealers disagreed over EV strategies, Stellantis dealers felt more betrayed by their company, Kerrigan said. Efforts by the company to raise prices after the pandemic cut deeply into dealers' profit margins

"The difference here is numbers-based," Kerrigan said of the stark difference between Ford and Stellantis's divide with dealers. "Stellantis saw dealer profit margins during the pandemic and wanted a piece of that."

In addition to losing trust in their brands' strength, more than 64% of dealers surveyed said they expect their franchise values to decline in the next 12 months.