Pop Mart has temporarily paused Labubu sales in the UK.
LILLIAN SUWANRUMPHA/AFP via Getty Images
UK fans of Labubu won't be able to snag the toy in stores for a bit.
The toy's producer, Pop Mart, said it would temporarily pause physical Labubu sales in the UK.
It said this was to "ensure the safety" of people after long lines formed outside UK Pop Mart stores.
LabubuΒ fans in the UK have gone so wild for the toy, its seller has temporarily paused in-store sales.
Pop Mart, the Chinese toymaker behind the viral $85 doll that's taking the world by storm, announced the pause in an Instagram post on Tuesday.
"Due to the increasing demand for our beloved Labubus, we've seen a significant rise in customer turnout on restock days β with long queues forming outside our stores and Roboshops," the toymaker said.
Pop Mart sells products in 16 locations across the UK, including the vending machine-style Roboshops.
"To ensure the safety and comfort of everyone, we will temporarily pause all in-store and roboshop sales of THE MONSTERS plush toys until further notice," Pop Mart added.
Pop Mart said online drops of the toy would continue as usual.
At least a dozen videos on TikTok of Pop Mart's stores in the UK show snaking lines forming at its entrances ahead of product drops.
A video of the Pop Mart in Bullring, a shopping mall in Birmingham, showed a line stretching around the building. Barricades were set up at the start of the line to organize the queue.
This comes as Labubu fever spreads from Asia to the West, with fans queuing for hours to get their hands on the furry plushie with serrated teeth.
Labubus, which come in various designs, are sold in blind boxes, or toys that are not labeled.Customers do not know which design they are getting upon purchase.
Pop Mart staff in Singapore told BI in November that stores are restocked with a few hundred figurines twice a week, but they sell out in minutes.
Labubu and The Monsters toy line was a major cash cow for Pop Mart in 2024. According to the company's annual report, its sales totaled 3.04 billion yuan, or about $426 million, which was 23% of Pop Mart's total revenue.
Representatives for Pop Mart did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.
Washington, D.C. is once again home to the country's best city park system, a new ranking finds.
Why it matters: City parks serve as community meeting spots and civic spaces, offer room for exercise and fresh air, and can draw in new residents β but they require investment, attention and protection.
Driving the news: That's according to the 2025 ParkScore index, an annual ranking from the Trust for Public Land (TPL), a pro-park nonprofit.
The report ranks the 100 most populous U.S. cities' park systems relative to one another based on five categories: acreage, access, amenities, investment and equity.
What they found: D.C. took home top honors with a total of 85.5 points, thanks in part to big access and investment scores.
Irvine, California, came in second, while Minneapolis ranked third.
Zoom in: Irvine jumped from fourth place in 2024 to second this year β "propelled," TPL says, by "continued progress on its 'Great Park,' one of the most ambitious public park projects in the country."
Denver's now in the top 10 (up from 13th last year), while Cincinnati moved from eighth to fourth.
Stunning stats: Among the cities analyzed, $12.2 billion was invested in park and recreation systems in 2024, while 76% of residents now live within a 10-minute walk of a park.
Those are both records since TPL started tracking such figures in 2007 and 2012, respectively.
What's next: Some of the money cities are spending on public parks lately is tied to pandemic-era federal infrastructure funding, which won't last forever.
"It'll be interesting to see over the next couple of years, if there aren't replacement funds ... what that will mean for cities and communities that are really wanting to invest in parks," TPL president and CEO Carrie Besnette Hauser tells Axios.
Short-term rentals at Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri cost nearly twice as much in the summer, a Bankrate study found.
Perry Spring/Getty Images/iStockphoto
Short-term rental prices can surge by over 100% at some vacation hotspots, a Bankrate study found.
The study named 20 places with the biggest rental prices surges, like Augusta, Georgia, and Vail.
Travelers should book early and be flexible to avoid the hikes, a Bankrate data analyst said.
If you're heading to a vacation hotspot this summer, you could be paying a markup of more than 100% for a stay at a short-term rental.
A new study from Bankrate identified 20 vacation hotspots where short-term rental prices surge during their busy season β 10 in the fall and winter and 10 in the spring and summer.
The study used rental data compiled byΒ AirDNA, a vacation rental analytics firm, to determine where rental prices hiked the most in 2024. It also focused on properties that were single-family homes with at least two bedrooms.
Augusta, Georgia, experienced the highest peak season markup, with the average daily rate for short-term rentals spiking 178% in the spring, due to the Masters Tournament. A family previously told Business Insider that renting their home out for Master's week paid their mortgage for the year.
Other locations that spiked in the spring and summer included water destinations, like Long Island, New York, and Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri, as well as Bozeman, Montana, which is near Yellowstone National Park. Bozeman also was among the highest markups in the winter due to its skiing.
Places that saw the biggest markups in fall and winter included sport and skiing destinations such as Vail, Avon, and Steamboat Springs in Colorado, as well as Green Bay, Wisconsin, and Ann Arbor, Michigan. The biggest fall or winter markup was 125% in Oxford, Mississippi, which attracts thousands every fall to watch Ole Miss football.
Alex Gailey, a data analyst at Bankrate, told BI the big swings in rental prices at these popular destinations was "eye-popping." She also noted many Americans are saying they still plan to travel this year but that they are trying to be more budget-conscious.
"Flexibility is one of the best ways you can save on travel," Gailey said.
For travelers who do want to visit these hotspots in the busy season, Gailey said it's best to plan ahead of time and book early. Travelers who have flexibility in their travel dates should also use it, as short-term rentals tend to be a lot cheaper during the week than on the weekends.
She also said if you can avoid a busy season visit, you're likely to find better rates visiting these places in the shoulder seasons.
Another option is to stay in an adjacent city that is close by but does not experience the same level of price hike. For instance, staying in Salt Lake City can be a lot more budget-friendly than Park City, where short-term rentals can cost over 103% more on average in the fall or winter season, according to Bankrate.
Gailey also said taking advantage of credit card points and other travel rewards can be a good way to make travel more budget-friendly despite broader economic uncertainty.
Here's the full lists of locations and the average peak season markup for short-term rentals, according to the Bankrate study.
Spring and summer
Short-term rental prices in Augusta, Georgia, surge during Master's week.
Kruck20/Getty Images
1. Augusta, Georgia Maximum average daily rate: $541 Minimum average daily rate: $194 Peak season markup: 178%
2. Long Island, New York Maximum average daily rate: $785 Minimum average daily rate: $362 Peak season markup: 117%
3. Albany/Saratoga Springs, New York Maximum average daily rate: $439 Minimum average daily rate: $224 Peak season markup: 96%
4. Bozeman/Yellowstone National Park Maximum average daily rate: $611 Minimum average daily rate: $313 Peak season markup: 95%
5. Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri Maximum average daily rate: $407 Minimum average daily rate: $212 Peak season markup: 92%
6. Lake Norman, North Carolina Maximum average daily rate: $692 Minimum average daily rate: $364 Peak season markup: 90%
7. Norfolk/Virginia Beach, Virginia Maximum average daily rate: $435 Minimum average daily rate: $231 Peak season markup: 88%
8. Idaho Falls/Rexburg, Idaho Maximum average daily rate: $377 Minimum average daily rate: $201 Peak season markup: 87%
9. Providence, Rhode Island Maximum average daily rate: $388 Minimum average daily rate: $211 Peak season markup: 84%
10. Myrtle Beach, South Carolina Maximum average daily rate: $349 Minimum average daily rate: $195 Peak season markup: 79%
Fall and winter
Vail, Colorado, can see short-term rental prices spike by 123% in the winter, the Bankrate study found.
Kruck20/Getty Images
1. Oxford, Mississippi Maximum average daily rate: $635 Minimum average daily rate: $283 Peak season markup: 125%
2. Vail/Avon, Colorado Maximum average daily rate: $946 Minimum average daily rate: $424 Peak season markup: 123%
3. Green Bay, Wisconsin Maximum average daily rate: $457 Minimum average daily rate: $215 Peak season markup: 113%
4. Steamboat Springs, Colorado Maximum average daily rate: $694 Minimum average daily rate: $335 Peak season markup: 107%
5. Ann Arbor, Michigan Maximum average daily rate: $414 Minimum average daily rate: $201 Peak season markup: 105%
6. Park City, Utah Maximum average daily rate: $888 Minimum average daily rate: $436 Peak season markup: 103%
7. Aspen/Snowmass, Colorado Maximum average daily rate: $1,082 Minimum average daily rate: $535 Peak season markup: 102%
8. State College, Pennsylvania Maximum average daily rate: $642 Minimum average daily rate: $315 Peak season markup: 98%
9. Bozeman/Yellowstone National Park, Montana Maximum average daily rate: $611 Minimum average daily rate: $313 Peak season markup: 95%
10. Mammoth Lakes, California Maximum average daily rate: $554 Minimum average daily rate: $303 Peak season markup: 83%
In a media blitz, Elon Musk confirms Tesla's robotaxi rollout in June with a "prudent" approach.
Hamad I Mohammed/REUTERS
In a media blitz, Elon Musk said Tesla would roll out robotaxis in June using a "prudent" approach.
Musk aims for rapid Optimus robot production, predicting one million units a year by 2030.
Investor response remains lukewarm, and Musk has been wrong about his ambitious timelines before.
Elon Musk went on a media blitz to share plans on new robotics benchmarks and reiterate his commitment to Tesla.
The Tesla CEO spoke briefly with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella at the Microsoft Build conference on Monday, made a remote appearance at Bloomberg's Qatar Economic Forum, and appeared on CNBC twice on Tuesday.
At the Qatar Economic Forum, Musk said he is committed to leading Tesla for at least five more years, and said robotaxis will be rolled out in June as previously planned.
"Yes, no doubt about that at all," Musk said during a video call when asked about his leadership.
Tesla shares remained mostly unchanged after markets closed Tuesday, but they rebounded in May compared to previous months after Musk said he would scale back his involvement with DOGE on April 22. However, Tesla shares are still down in 2025 thus far, following revenue and income declines in Q1.
Representatives for Tesla did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.
Here are the main takeaways on robotics from Musk's interviews.
"I think it's prudent for us to start with a small number, confirm that things are going well, and then scale it up proportionate to how well we see it's doing," Musk told CNBC host David Faber.
Musk said they are now testing robotaxis "driving 24/7 with drivers in the cars" with "essentially no interventions," but he prefers caution because it would be "the first introduction of unsupervised full self-driving."
"We want to deliberately take it slow," Musk added. "We could start with 1,000 or 10,000 on day one, but I don't think that would be prudent. So we will start with probably 10 for a week, then increase it to 20, 30, 40."
Musk said that the goal would be to have 1,000 robotaxis within a few months in Austin, before expanding the operation to other cities like Los Angeles and San Antonio.
Though Musk did not directly address BI's reporting that the FDS made a critical error, he said Tesla's robotaxis will be geo-fenced to select areas of Austin. Alphabet's Waymo also limits its autonomous cars to specific zones.
"It's not going to take intersections unless we are highly confident," Musk told Faber. "Or it will just take a route around that intersection."
The future of Optimus
Musk is expecting to scale up the use of humanoid robots quickly.
"We expect to have thousands of Optimus robots working in Tesla factories by the end of this year, beginning this fall," Musk told Faber on CNBC, "And we expect to scale Optimus up faster than any product, I think, in history, to get to millions of units per year as soon as possible."
"I think we feel confident in getting to one million units per year in less than five years, maybe four years. So by 2030, I feel confident in predicting one million Optimus units per year β it might be 2029," Musk added.
Musk told Faber that Optimus will also be the "biggest product ever" with "insatiable" demand because "everyone" would want one.
"It's going to take a lot of compute resources and it'll take time," said Musk when asked what it would take to train a robot, "I think there's certain threshold breakthroughs that we thinkwe can achieve."
In a short conversation with Microsoft CEO Nadella, Musk also reiterated that all kinds of robotics, including robotaxis and the humanoid robot Optimus, need to be "grounded in reality."
"As you mentioned with the car, it needs to drive safely and correctly. The humanoid robot Optimus needs to perform the task that it's being asked to perform," Musk told Nadella.
The market reacts
Musk's media blitz generated a lukewarm response from investors. Tesla shares rose around 0.5% at market closing on Tuesday compared to the day before, but stocks began to dip in the after-hours.
Musk has teased his plan to bring humanoid robots to market for years. In 2021, a dancing actor in a body suit gave us our first look at Optimus, also known as Tesla Bot. By 2022, a rough prototype was up and walking at the company's Artificial Intelligence Day event.
In October 2024, Business Insider's Hasan Chowdhury reported that Tesla'sΒ robotics technology has advanced since its early days. Chowdhury reported that Optimus prototypes at last year's Tesla's robotaxi day played rock-paper-scissors with the audience, poured drinks, and danced, though some attendees thought the bots were controlled by human operators.
As far as the timeline goes, Musk said in a post on X last July that Tesla would have "genuinely useful humanoid robots in low production for Tesla internal use next year," and larger-scale production enabling sales to other companies by 2026. Now, midway through 2025, large-scale production has not yet been announced, but in the company's Q1 2025 Update letter, Tesla said it is "on track" for its builds of Optimus on its Fremont pilot production line in 2025, "with wider deployment of bots doing useful work across our factories."
Musk has been wrong about timelines before. In 2018, he acknowledged that he tends to be overly optimistic about when his creations will come to market. In some instances, consumers are still waiting for his promises to come to fruition.
In 2019, Musk said Tesla would deploy over one million robotaxis by the end of 2020. While that hasn't yet materialized, the planned debut of its robotaxi service in Austin later this year gets Tesla a small step closer to that goal.
Still, if Tesla's robotics division manages to deliver on all it has promised with Optimus and its other applications, it'd be a major boon for the company β and its investors. Tesla bull and Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives has predicted that robotaxis will be a game changer for Tesla, and estimated that it could become a $2 trillion company within the next two years. Ives told CNBC on Tuesday that he believes 90% of Tesla's future value lies in its autonomous vehicle software and robotics division.
Representatives for Andrew Cuomo, a New York City mayoral race front-runner, on Tuesday questioned the timing of a reported Trump Department of Justice investigation into the former Democratic N.Y. governor.
Why it matters: The New York Times first reported that the investigation into Cuomo over decisions he made as governor during the COVID pandemic began about a month ago, after the DOJ moved to have the criminal corruption case against NYC Mayor Eric Adams dismissed.
"That puts the Trump administration in the unusual position of having ended a criminal case against the leader of the nation's largest city β Mr. Adams, who is running for re-election as an independent β and opened one into his chief rival, Mr. Cuomo, who is leading the Democratic primary field in the polls, in the span of a few months," the NYT noted.
What they're saying: "We have never been informed of any such matter, so why would someone leak it now?" said Rich Azzopardi, a spokesperson for Cuomo, in a statement shared with outlets including Axios.
"The answer is obvious: This is lawfare and election interference plain and simple β something President Trump and his top Department of Justice officials say they are against," he added.
State of play: Cuomo came under fire during the early stages of the pandemic for his handling of COVID in nursing homes and House Republicans in a criminal referral last year accused him of violating the law by allegedly making false statements during congressional testimony on the matter.
The NYT reports that U.S. attorney's office in D.C. began the investigation into Cuomo in response to this when Ed Martin was running the office before he was replaced by former Fox News host Jeanine Pirro, whom the NYC mayor candidate beat to become N.Y. state attorney general in 2006.
Pirro was scathing in her criticism of Cuomo's handling of the pandemic on her show "Justice with Judge Jeanine," notably saying in one segment after he was accused of covering up nursing home deaths in 2021: "You cannot escape the consequences of your intentional and reckless acts."
Azzopardi said in his emailed statement Tuesday that Cuomo "testified truthfully to the best of his recollection about events from four years earlier, and he offered to address any follow-up questions from the Subcommittee β but from the beginning this was all transparently political."
A DOJ spokesperson declined to comment on the matter and representatives for the White House and the U.S. Attorney's office in D.C. did not immediately respond to Axios' Tuesday evening request for comment.
Editor's note: This article has been updated with new details throughout.
The House GOP's blue state holdouts are close to a deal on the "big, beautiful bill" that would raise the state and local tax (SALT) deduction cap to $40k a year for people making up to $500,000 a year, sources familiar told Axios.
Why it matters: Getting the blue state holdouts on board is a must-do for House Speaker Mike Johnson, who wants a House floor vote Wednesday on the full bill.
Zoom in: Johnson offered the holdouts on Monday an increase for the state and local tax (SALT) deduction cap from $10,000 to $40,000 a year, within income limits.
The speaker then got an assist from President Trump, who told the holdouts to cut a deal and warned them to stop pushing so hard.
The agreement that's in final negotiations is a $40k a year cap for people making up to $500,000 a year. The income phaseout would grow 1% a year for 10 years, and then the deduction would become permanent.
Not all the details have final agreement, but sources said they're making progress and they expect most SALT members to agree to the terms before passage.
The bottom line: That number would keep the GOP within the $350 billion window that it has left for cuts, according to the reconciliation bill instructions.
This story is adapted from the new book "Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again," by CNN's Jake Tapper and Axios' Alex Thompson.
Mike Donilon, a top adviser to former President Biden, was paid about $4 million to work on the 2024 Biden campaign at the president's insistence, CNN's Jake Tapper and Axios' Alex Thompson write in their new book, "Original Sin."
Why it matters: The sum was orders of magnitude higher than the pay for other top aides β campaign chair Jen O'Malley Dillon made $300,000Β β and illustrates the standing held by Biden's inner-most circle of advisers.
Many former Biden officials remain bitter at Donilon for making so much money and, in their view, guiding the campaign into disaster.
Behind the scenes: In early 2024,Donilon agreed to shift from the White House to the campaign, but wouldn't budge on his asking price.
"The president told the campaign: Pay Mike what he wants," the authors report. "Senior campaign staff were outraged when they heard about this arrangement."
Between the lines: Donilon's pay has caused further resentment among many Biden aides toward the former president's inner-circle and their handling of the re-election campaign.
They argue that Biden's top aides should have had to courage to confront him about the huge risks of running for a second term, and not profited so much from what was ultimately an unsuccessful campaign.
Some former Biden aides are quietly trying to separate themselves from the Biden re-election effort.
What they're saying: A Biden spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.
Donilon has rejected the notion that Biden's acuity and judgment declined during his tenure, calling it an "impression" fueled by the media.
The book is based on interviews with more than 200 people, mostly Democratic insiders, with knowledge of the events that unfolded during the final two years of Biden's presidency. Almost all of the interviews took place after the 2024 election.
Google used this week's I/O developer conference to announce a slew of new AI features and experiences, along with a new $250-a-month subscription service for those who want to access the company's latest tools.
Why it matters: Google is aiming to prove that it can make its core products better through AI without displacing its highly lucrative advertising and search businesses.
Key announcements Google made Tuesday:
It debuted Flow, a new AI filmmaking tool that draws on the company's latest Veo 3 engine and adds audio capabilities. The company also announced Imagen 4, its latest image generator, which Google says is better at rendering text, among other improvements.
Google said it would soon make broadly available its latest Gemini 2.5 Flash and Pro models and add a new reasoning mode for the Pro model called Deep Think.
Google will make its AI Mode, a chat-like version of search, broadly available in the U.S. and it's updating the underlying model to use a custom version of Gemini 2.5.
It's also beginning to allow customers to give large language models access to their personal data β starting with the ability to generate personalized smart replies to Gmail messages that draw on a user's email history. That feature will be available for paying subscribers this summer, Google CEO Sundar Pichai said.
On the coding front, Google offered further details on Jules, its autonomous agent, which is now available in public beta. Microsoft and OpenAI have also announced new coding agents in recent days.
For those who want to make sure they can have the most access to Google's AI models, the company is introducing Google AI Ultra, a $250-a-month service.
The high-end subscription β an alternative to the standard $20-a-month basic service β includes access to a number of its most powerful AI agents, models and services, as well as YouTube Premium and 30TB of cloud storage.
Also in Google's cavalcade of demos, the company showed an early prototype of its Android XR glasses searching, taking photos and performing live translation.
The glasses have audio and camera features similar to Meta's Ray-Ban smart glasses, but also offer an optional display. (Meta is also said to be working on a version of its glasses with a built-in display for later this year.)
Partners include Samsung and eyewear makers Warby Parker and Gentle Monster.
The big picture: Google's event comes a day after Microsoft made a slew of announcements at its Build conference in Seattle. Anthropic, meanwhile, is holding its first-ever developer conference on Thursday in San Francisco.
Demarcus "Boogie" Cousins offered his take on who should be selected with the first pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, and it was surprisingly not Cooper Flagg.
Google cofounder Sergey Brin played a key role in the development of Google's Gemini AI model.
Kelly Sullivan/Getty Images
Google cofounder Sergey Brin just made a surprise appearance at the company's I/O conference.
Brin said he's back at Google "pretty much every day now," where he's been developing AI products.
Brin also spoke about why Google Glass failed, though he's bullish about Google's new XR glasses.
Google cofounder Sergey Brin made a surprise appearance onstage at the company's flagship I/O developer conference Tuesday, where he explained why he's returned to the tech giant and what he's learned from the failure of Google Glass over a decade ago.
It's the latest sign that Google is going hardcore on AI. Brin has been back at Google to help develop its AI products since 2023 as the search giant races against OpenAI's ChatGPT, and he shared about what he's been up to since returning to the trenches.
Brin wasn't expected to speak at the talk, which Google billed solely as an interview of its DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis. He joked, "I torture people like Demis, who is pretty amazing. He tolerated me crashing this fireside."
In the chat with Hassabis, Brin said he comes into Google "pretty much every day now" to chip in on training the latest models from Gemini. It's something that naturally interests him, the famously technical co-founder said.
"I tend to be pretty deep in the technical details," Brin said. "And that's a luxury I really enjoy, fortunately, because guys like Demis are minding the shop. And that's just where my scientific interest is."
Since returning to Google, Brin also attended last year's I/O, where he fielded reporters' questions about AI.
Learning from Google Glass
At the 2012 Google I/O conference, Brin famously demoed a video in which he wore Google Glass while skydiving to show off the tech giant's previous foray into wearables. This year, he also addressed Google Glass, which it stopped selling a decade ago.
At the Tuesday fireside, Brin said Google Glass's failure stemmed partly from his lack of knowledge about manufacturing and supply chains.
"I just didn't know anything about consumer electronic supply chains, really, and how hard it would be to build that and have it at a reasonable price point," he said.
Brin is far more bullish on Google's latest wearables venture: "XR," or Extended Reality, glasses. At the fireside chat, he said he thinks AI is far more capable now for such a product.
Business Insider was able to snap a picture of the normally reclusive billionaire trying the XR glasses on before the fireside chat, too:
Elon Musk said he won't rule out merging his AI startup with Tesla.
Dado Ruvic/REUTERS
Elon Musk said it's "not out of the question" to merge his AI startup with Tesla if shareholders approve.
xAI, which Musk founded in 2023, acquired X in March in an all-stock purchase.
Tesla shares rose 0.5% but dipped in after-hours Tuesday, remaining around 10% down since January 2.
Elon Musk said on Tuesday that he isn't ruling out merging his AI startup with Tesla.
"Well, I guess anything is possible," Musk told CNBC show host David Faber in a two-part interview, when asked whether Musk would ever consider merging xAI into Tesla as a way to gain more control over the EV company.
"There are no plans to do so," Musk said. "It's not out of the question, but obviously it would require Tesla shareholder support."
Musk launched xAI as a startup in 2023. The company acquired X, his social platform formerly known as Twitter, in an all-stock transaction valuing xAI at $80 billion and X at $33 billion in March. The AI chatbot Grok was also introduced to X and trained in part on the social media platform's data.
Elon Musk said in the Tuesday interview that Tesla and xAI will continue sourcing AI chips from Nvidia and AMD. He told Faber that xAI has deployed 200,000 GPUs at its Colossus facility in Memphis and plans a 1 million-GPU site nearby, but he did not disclose any specific chip orders.
Based on documents previously viewed by Business Insider, xAI is also spending at least $400 million on building a supercomputer in Memphis, and may encounter difficulties because the city's power grid might not yet be capable of powering a project of that magnitude.
Following the CNBC appearance, Tesla shares saw a 0.5% boost at market closing time compared to the day before, but dipped slightly in after-hours trading.
Though Tesla stocks have been on the rise in May since Musk said he would leave DOGE, the EV company's shares are still at around 10% down compared to where it was on January 2 this year amid struggling Q1 sales and declining confidence in Musk's priorities.
