Satellite images from January 6th to 8th show just how quickly the California wildfires spread and the sheer scale of the devastation.

• Margarita Komarova and Colin McDarmont, were desperate to start a family and underwent IVF.
• They were shocked after learning six embryos fertilized during their fourth cycle had to be discarded.
• The couple claims it is the victim of gross negligence by a pharmaceutical giant.

Margarita Komarova and her husband, Colin McDarmont, were thrilled to learn their fourth round of IVF had produced six promising embryos.

Komarova, 37, who works in tech, told Business Insider that "everything was tracking positive" following the procedure in November 2023.

But seven days after the fertilization, their doctor called to say none of the embryos had gone on to develop and were suitable for transfer.

"We were devastated," Komarova said, noting that they were discarded almost immediately. "We thought we'd done everything right before the retrieval."

The couple had eaten healthily and reduced stress by doing acupuncture and yoga as part of the process. The period in which she'd had to inject herself with fertility medication had been particularly taxing, Komarova added.

"You find yourself searching for answers," she said of their despair. "We started to blame ourselves — and each other —because we didn't know what had gone wrong."

The pair received an email from their fertility clinic three weeks later. It alerted them to an issue concerning the IVF "culture media," the liquid used in the technique to grow embryos. It said the outcome of their particular cycle "may have negatively impacted."

"It was confusing," Darmont said. "We had a lot of questions."

In January 2024, they learned of a recall notice issued to IVF clinics across the US by CooperSurgical, the giant pharmaceutical company that manufactured the solution used in their procedure. It was later established that three lots of the liquid had been missing the important ingredient of magnesium. The essential nutrient is key to the development of embryos in the lab, typically in a petrie dish.

Komarova and McDarmont have filed a $15 million lawsuit

A year on, Komarova and McDarmont are suing Cooper for $15 million, claiming they may have lost their chance of having children. The suit said the firm failed to implement proper testing and quality control during manufacture.

The pair, from Los Angeles, hired attorneys from the Clarkson Law Firm — which represents a number of the hundreds of IVF patients believed to have been impacted — and filed a complaint of gross negligence.

"We're hoping this will force them to provide actual information and details in terms of how this happened, and more importantly, the safeguards to prevent it from ever happening again," McDarmont, a 52-year-old product manager, told BI.

The lawsuit said that Cooper's "reckless disregard" had severely impacted the couple's ability to have a biological baby, leaving them "distraught they may never be able to start the family they imagined."

It said Komarova had suffered depression and McDarmont "continues to experience severe emotional distress as a result of the incident."

The would-be mom said her body had taken nearly a year to recover

According to the filing, Cooper "failed to adequately monitor their manufacturing system" when "it knew, or should have known, the inclusion of magnesium in the culture media is critical to embryo development."

Business Insider has contacted CooperSurgical, which has not immediately responded.

Komarova, an only child who'd always wanted a big family, told BI that she and her husband had spent tens of thousands of dollars trying to get pregnant since they got married in 2020.

She said that every month that passed without them conceiving felt like a lost opportunity, made more pertinent because of their age.

It had taken almost a year for her body to recover from the ordeal of the impacted procedure before she underwent IVF for the "fifth and final time" last October.

"It was hard to rebound from the failed cycle and prepare for the next," Komarova said. "It's not something where you can just jump in and do another one."

The lawsuit said she had struggled with abdominal pain for weeks, weight gain from the hormonal injections, and fluctuating moods after the attempt.

It said she had undergone "significant physical strain due to the original wasted cycle, as well as the new cycle necessitated" made by Cooper's "faulty product."

Meanwhile, it said the couple continued to experience "deep sadness, guilt, hopelessness, shame, disappointment and anger."

McDarmont said the recall notice read as if it was a product recall of cereal boxes

Komarova described how she and McDarmont — who'd previously spent tens of thousands of dollars on three attempts at IVF — had meticulously prepared for the 2023 retrieval.

"You do everything you're supposed to do, like eat organic food and reduce the amount of stress you're under," she told BI. "Then you do the procedure, the results come in, and it's a punch to the gut."

McDarmont said he was infuriated by the outcome, which, he said, could have been avoided if Cooper had followed the correct protocol. "The despair, disappointment, and anger haven't gone away."

He said the recall notice was cold and perfunctory. "It sounded like it was a recall of something like cereal boxes or furniture items," he told BI.

The couple filed the lawsuit in Bridgeport, Connecticut — the city where CooperSurgical is headquartered — and asked for a jury trial. They are seeking at least $ 15 million in damages.

Meanwhile, Komarova and McDarmont were relieved to discover that their fifth cycle of IVF has been successful — at least so far. It resulted in a number of embryos that remain frozen.

Still, Komarova told BI she found the thought of the "next chapter" — which will involve the transfer of an embryo into her body — "scary."

• As an interior decorator, I avoid design choices that make bathrooms feel sterile or cheap.
• I think matching towel sets and themed bathroom art lack personality and feel dated.
• Matte paint and unprotected wallpaper can easily succumb to water damage.

As an interior decorator, I love creating tranquil, well-coordinated rooms inside the home. However, there are a few design elements I wouldn't put in my bathroom.

Here are 1o things I would never have in my bathroom.

Floor-to-ceiling tile looks too sterile.

I've found that a bathroom with floor-to-ceiling tiles usually comes across as cold and sterile instead of luxurious.

Though I think the look works for a walk-in shower or feature wall, decorating all over with tile is an expensive choice that's difficult to update as trends change.

Plastic bathroom accessories bring down an elevated design.

Consider upgrading plastic accessories, such as shower-curtain rings, soap dispensers, and trash cans, to nonplastic options for an elevated design.

Higher-quality metal or ceramic finishes can give your bathroom a luxurious appeal while adding color, texture, and charm to the space. 

Black toilets kind of scare me — plus they can be hard to keep clean.

Black toilets remind me of the uncomfortable feeling of using portable toilets — in which you really don't want to see the bottom.

A black toilet might seem like a chic, modern choice, but the color can make it harder to clean. Though a white toilet shows dust, watermarks, and smudges, a black one hides all the grime and buildup.

If you want to bring a moody-chic look into the bathroom, do it with black towel rods and fixtures rather than a toilet.

Matching towel sets are uninspiring.

Using towels with the same color throughout the bathroom creates a stagnant design and doesn't bring much fun into the space. Even patterned towel sets typically lack visual variety and color contrast. 

I prefer mixing different towel colors and patterns that work well together and coordinating them with floor mats and shower curtains. The finished look appears more dynamic and personalized.

Unprotected wallpaper can get wet and moldy in a bathroom.

Wallpaper is an awesome choice for smaller spaces but not all options will work in the bathroom. I prefer to use a peel-and-stick variety as its vinyl material is more water-resistant than the paper-based alternatives.

If you love a traditional wallpaper design, you might get away with using it in a powder room or half-bath, where there isn't a shower. But I still recommend treating the paper with a protective coating to keep it from getting damaged after installation.

Tile countertops can lead to grimy grout that stains easily.

Though grid tiles are trending, I don't recommend using them for bathroom vanities or other high-traffic areas because the grout tends to quickly accumulate dirt.

I also find that the hard-to-clean grout will eventually stain from things like colored soap, makeup, and lotion.

If you're determined to incorporate this trend into your bathroom, consider using the tiles as a backsplash or on shower walls where they're less likely to see spills.

Art doesn't need to be bathroom-themed.

Instead of choosing themed artwork you think works in a bathroom or spa, treat your wall decor as you would in any other room.

Pick elevated artwork that inspires you and uses colors from your home decor to make your bathroom an extension of your space's aesthetic.

Just be sure to choose art that can withstand the steam to avoid mildew forming on paper-based products.

Pedestal sinks are a wasted opportunity for storage.

Though pedestal sinks are a classic silhouette, they just aren't practical for most homes. The lack of storage and counter space means they're only useful for washing hands.

Unless you have space for additional storage options, I wouldn't even use these sinks in the powder room, as they can't store extra supplies for guests.

Matte paint doesn't typically hold up in a steamy bathroom.

Matte paints aren't ideal for bathrooms because they have a tendency to absorb moisture. I recommend a semigloss to high-gloss paint option to better protect the drywall from moisture damage.

If you love the matte look, you can try using limewash paint, instead. It has a similar look, but it's supposed to be naturally mold-resistant and antibacterial.

Frameless vanity mirrors can feel dated.

Though they're a neutral option, I find frameless mirrors, especially those with a beveled edge, look dated.

A framed mirror is an opportunity to add stylistic personality to your space, much like hanging art. I suggest tying your color palette and existing hardware finishes into your mirror to bring the space together.

This story was originally published on September 17, 2023, and most recently updated on January 9, 2025.

• I spent nine months traveling the world, and although I had a great time, I wouldn't do it again.
• Because I was on a tight budget, I often found myself turning down cool experiences to save money.
• I also struggled to make genuine friendships and missed having a space to call my own.

When I was working remotely in 2021, my boyfriend and I packed up and traveled to 22 countries across Europe and Latin America.

Although these were some of the best days of my life, I quickly learned that a lot of the videos I saw on social media that glorified full-time travel didn't always showcase the downfalls of the lifestyle.

More and more people are becoming digital nomads — countries like Italy have even implemented specific visas for remote workers. However, during my nine months abroad, I learned that the lifestyle isn't all it's cracked up to be.

Here's why I wouldn't travel full time again.

I kept looking for places and experiences that felt like home

While traveling full time, I found myself constantly looking for places and experiences that felt like home.

In some ways, it was cool to feel like a local in a new city. However, when I returned home and took shorter vacations, I started to value the places I was visiting for their differences rather than trying to find some semblance of home.

Nowadays, I like having a home base. Shorter trips help me to break up the monotony of life without sacrificing the comfort of home.

It felt like I was constantly thinking about money

When I was traveling full-time, I was on a strict budget. I either drained my wallet or ate cheap food to maintain some sort of financial security while on the road.

I talked myself out of going to every museum I wanted to and purchased cheap meals for dinner instead of indulging in local cuisine that might have been out of my budget.

The moments I would slip up on my spending were when I forgot this wasn't a never-ending vacation, but rather, my new everyday life.

During the first two weeks of our trip, I wanted to go to all of the must-try restaurants in Paris. However, I soon realized that came at the cost of establishing a strict daily budget for the remainder of our three weeks there.

Of course, it was worth it in the end to save money so I could travel for nine months. However, now that I take a few shorter trips a year, I have more flexibility to make them everything I want them to be.

My friendships at home changed, and the new ones I made were fleeting

I think what travelers yearn for the most is community. When I was traveling, it was really hard to find the same quality of friends I have at home.

When I did meet friends abroad, it was often short-lived. I found that many people traveling full time were only in a city for a few days. Even when I did find someone I connected with, it was hard to maintain a long-distance friendship.

Traveling full time also took a lot out of my friendships at home, as it seemed like they learned to live without me.

When I returned home, it felt like we didn't have as much in common as we used to. It took me months to get my friendships back to where they were before I left.

I missed having a space to call my own

While traveling, I stayed in 25 different places across nine months. Although seeing so many new places was cool, I missed having a space to call my own.

After spending so many nights in beds that weren't my own, it was an indescribable feeling to come back home. In fact, when I got back, I was able to create a space that took inspiration from the places I'd been.

I think traveling is something everyone should prioritize, but there are ways to see the world that don't involve doing it full time.

Nowadays, I plan to take at least four international trips a year, ranging from one to two weeks. This allows me to live a travel-filled life without giving up the comforts of home, career, and relationships.

This story was originally published on April 26, 2024, and most recently updated on January 9, 2025.

• Two Sigma's billionaire cofounders, John Overdeck and David Siegel, are heading to arbitration.
• The pair stepped down from the $60 billion quant in August.
• Despite the cofounder drama, the firm's flagship returned 10.9% in 2024.

Two Sigma's billionaire founders are not done fighting, but luckily for investors, they're no longer at risk of being collateral damage.

The cofounders, John Overdeck and David Siegel, are heading to arbitration over their long-standing feud about how to manage the $60 billion asset manager that they started in 2001.

According to a Bloomberg report, the firm disclosed the arbitration in a letter to investors on Wednesday and said that it isn't party to the dispute. The firm did not respond to a request for comment.

Many hedge funds stumble when it comes to succession planning. For example, Bridgewater Associates went through several top executives over a decade before Ray Dalio finally let go of the reins. Investors in managers with aging founders push their funds to come up with succession plans, with varying degrees of success.

In the case of Two Sigma, the LPs are likely breathing a sigh of relief that the dispute between the two billionaires didn't complicate succession plans or stop the firm from humming along.

Two Sigma's investors enjoyed solid returns through 2024, as its flagship Spectrum fund gained 10.9%. The manager also made 14.3% in its Absolute Return Enhanced strategy, a person close to the New York-based quant giant told Business Insider.

The firm announced in August that Overdeck and Siegel would step down from their roles atop the firm to become the manager's co-chairmen. Carter Lyons, formerly the firm's chief business officer, and Scott Hoffman, former Lazard general counsel, took over as co-CEOs in September.

Siegel's and Overdeck's visions for Two Sigma decoupled in recent years to the point that the firm had to make a disclosure in a filing saying that its management committee "has been unable to reach agreement on a number of topics" — including succession.

While a leadership change affects every fund, quant platforms have proven themselves to be more capable of adapting. D.E. Shaw and Renaissance Technologies, two of Two Sigma's biggest competitors, have turned over their C-suite and continued to produce strong results.

The cofounders' decision to leave their day-to-day at the firm left LPs feeling optimistic.

"It's what we wanted to see," one Two Sigma investor told BI in August.

• In 2015, Mina Grace Ward, 60, was diagnosed with Graves' disease, an autoimmune disorder.
• In hopes of improving symptoms like hair loss and fatigue, she went sober and changed her diet.
• She's been in remission since 2018, regrowing her hair and no longer having panic attacks.

Editor's note: Business Insider has verified all medical records mentioned in this article.

When I was 50, I was diagnosed with Graves' disease, a common autoimmune disorder that causes an overactive thyroid.

I was a textbook case. I experienced the main symptoms — rapid weight loss, high blood pressure, hair loss, fatigue, inflammation, anxiety, depression — all at the same time. I lost 15 pounds in two weeks and was completely debilitated. I couldn't get out of bed.

There is no cure for Graves' disease. Some people can go into remission after undergoing a thyroidectomy or taking short-term medication, though success rates aren't high. A year into treatment, my endocrinologist didn't give me much hope for getting better; she was throwing different prescriptions at me and they weren't leading to much improvement in my health.

She told me that my diet, which I considered balanced, wouldn't cure me. I wasn't convinced. Because I was sick and tired of feeling sick and tired, I decided it couldn't hurt to cut a few things out.

While I never drank heavily, I was used to having wine with dinner or grabbing a few cocktails at a concert. I knew alcohol is a toxin and that no amount is safe to consume, so I stopped drinking.

Between going sober and cutting out some inflammatory foods like red meat, I started to feel better. My thyroid tests gradually yielded normal levels, and have stayed that way since 2018.

I've also grown my hair back, stopped experiencing panic attacks, and feel happier than ever.

I became more mindful of what I consume

Even before my Graves' diagnosis, I thought about going sober; I knew how a few drinks could add up.

I also gave up foods that could make my symptoms worse, like seafood, which is high in iodine and can trigger hyperthyroidism. I essentially followed a more plant-based version of the Mediterranean diet.

About six months after making these changes, I saw my endocrinologist again. She said my thyroid levels were getting better. By 2017, they were normal.

Since then, I've loosened up my diet a little — I eat cheese in moderation, for example. I fluctuate, listening to how my body feels.

Still, I haven't given up sobriety.

Going sober fixed my worst symptoms

One of my most distressing Graves symptoms was hair loss. I was losing so much that I was actually balding on the top of my head. Since changing my diet, I fully changed course: my hair feels fuller and healthier.

My moods were also impacted by Graves' — anxiety and depression are common symptoms, and I experienced both.

I realized that I felt worse when I drank. I cried all the time. Since quitting, I stopped feeling the sadness I used to. I also no longer have panic attacks. At my worst, I had them three or four times a day.

The biggest change was in my energy levels. Fatigue is a major symptom of Graves' — I was always exhausted. Going booze-free improved my sleep; I started getting a full eight hours and waking up more rested and refreshed. My energy came back.

Even though I didn't have Graves' in my 20s and 30s, I know drinking eventually catches up to you as you age. While I had fun when I was younger, I now want to focus on living longer and maintaining the highest quality of life I can.

I am still in remission

To be considered in remission from Graves' disease, you have to have normal thyroid levels for two years without medication.

At first, I was close to hitting remission. My doctor weaned me off hyperthyroidism medication and I reached a year and 10 months with good test results. Because I underwent a very stressful time in my life, my symptoms were triggered again. I was put back on medication, and this time, I made sure to follow my new diet as closely as possible and try stress-relieving exercises. Within three months, my numbers went back to normal.

I've now been in remission for seven years, since 2018. I try to use my experience to make a difference: I wrote a cookbook of recipes that helped me reduce my symptoms. My four sons, who work at an Italian restaurant I started with my ex-husband, recently included more vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options on the menu after seeing how much they helped me.

I turned 60 this year. I know I'm so much happier because I chose to go sober and change my diet. I absolutely love life; I've never felt this healthy and this alive, all because I started taking care of my body.

• Firefighters are using a range of technologies and equipment in their efforts against the fires in California.
• New AI-powered sensors for detection are paired with kerosene-powered aircraft for suppression.
• Here are some of the tools on the scene helping to protect lives and property from the flames.

With a 27,000-acre inferno bearing down on America's second-largest city, fire crews are using multiple tools at their disposal in their efforts to protect lives and property.

California firefighters have a range of old and new technologies to aid in their task, ranging from AI-powered sensors for fire detection to kerosene-powered aircraft for suppression.

US and Canadian water bomber planes and helicopters have been some of the most prominent pieces of equipment in the field as they scoop up seawater to quench the blazes nearby.

Less visible forms of tech are also contributing to the effort — sometimes without any initial human involvement.

UC San Diego's ALERTCalifornia project now has a network of cameras at high-risk sites, with 115 located in Los Angeles County alone, with more than 1,140 cameras across the state.

Last month, Orange County fire officials credited the system for being instrumental in their first AI detection of a vegetation fire, which allowed first responders to contain the incident to less than a quarter acre.

Startups are getting involved too. Sonia Kastner, CEO and cofounder of the Salesforce Ventures-backed startup Pano AI, told Business Insider that new trends in firefighting are shifting as fire seasons worsen, with an increased focus on early detection and rapid containment.

"You can think of it as similar to how we treat cancer," Kastner said. "We screen early, then treat cancer aggressively at stage one, so that it never becomes stage four."

Rather than relying on bystander reports, Kastner says cameras and analysts can provide first responders with quicker confirmations and more precise locations.

" It's a matter of luck of whether a bystander sees the fire," Kastner said. " And then there's a mandatory confirmation step where a single fire engine is dispatched to drive around and try to find the fire. With that, you lose hours."

Satellites and drones are also taking a more significant role in wildfire management and response, offering drastic before-and-after comparisons of the fire's effects.

The cameras and sensors are only good for letting responders know where a fire is — getting it under control still requires the use of more physical kinds of tech.

The US Forest Service's website details the range of aircraft it uses to respond to wildfires, ranging from single-engine air tankers that can deliver up to 800 gallons of fire retardant, to larger air tankers that carry up to 4,000 gallons and water scoopers that collect water from nearby sources.

In addition to government planes, aircraft from private sector partner Coulson Aviation, which has a contract with Los Angeles County — have also been spotted dousing flames.

In particular, the Canada-based company operates a fleet of specialized helicopters that can drop water with a high degree of accuracy, though high winds in recent days have complicated the effort.

"The Coulson Crew is currently on the frontlines of the Palisades Fire in California. We remain dedicated to supporting suppression efforts and safeguarding lives and property," the company said in a post on X.

Meanwhile, crews on the ground continue to rely on tools and techniques developed over a century of modern firefighting, with hoses, chainsaws, and even buckets.

It's hard, dangerous work, but modern technologies are helping responders on the ground and in the air do the job more effectively.

• Starbucks is hosting a three-hour meeting for store employees later this month.
• The meeting will focus on ways that employees can make Starbucks "a welcoming coffeehouse" again.
• Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol is trying to turn around results at the coffee chain.

Starbucks store employees in the US will have to attend a three-hour training session later this month, Business Insider has learned, as the coffee chain's new CEO attempts to revitalize it.

Starbucks' role as a place for customers to hang out is expected to be a key topic at the meeting, according to a description from Starbucks' intranet seen by BI.

"We will be talking about an opportunity to refocus on what has always set Starbucks apart — a welcoming coffeehouse where people gather and we serve the finest coffee, handcrafted by skilled baristas," the description reads.

The meetings will take place at different times at different stores, four store employees told BI. They'll happen between January 21 and 26 and will be entitled "Welcome Back to Starbucks," according to one sign posted at a store and seen by BI.

Store employees, whom Starbucks calls "partners," have to attend the meeting, even if that means going to another store's version because it fits their schedule better, two partners said. In some cases, partners will fill in shifts at other stores so that employees there can be present, one partner said.

Two partners told BI that their stores planned to close their dining rooms but keep the drive-thru lanes open during the meeting.

Starbucks did not immediately respond to a request for comment from BI.

Starbucks is in the midst of a turnaround effort after reporting slumping sales in recent quarters.

Brian Niccol, who oversaw major changes at Mexican grill chain Chipotle, became Starbucks' CEO in September. Since then, he's unveiled several changes, from the reintroduction of self-service condiment bars to instituting a goal of four minutes or less for preparing customers' orders.

Niccol has also said that he wants Starbucks stores to be "inviting places to linger" while also serving customers who want quick to-go service.

One partner at a Starbucks store in Florida told BI that he hopes Starbucks will unveil more changes to streamline workflow at his store during the meeting.

He pointed to some adjustments that Starbucks has already made under Niccol's leadership, such as instructing baristas to prepare some drinks with a blender instead of shaking them — a small change that saves each barista valuable seconds when filling orders.

"I would love to see a continuation of that," he said.

Do you work at Starbucks and have a story idea to share? Reach out to this reporter at [email protected].

• At least five separate wildfires are ravaging Los Angeles and Southern California.
• The Palisades Fire alone has burned through over 17,000 acres of land in two days.
• For context, the entire island of Manhattan is 14,600 acres.

A series of wildfires have battered Los Angeles and other surrounding areas of Southern California since Tuesday, killing at least five people, burning through tends of thousands of acres of land, and destroying at least 1,000 structures.

The damage so far is estimated to be in the tens of billions of dollars.

When natural disasters strike, numbers like these — that reach the thousands, millions, and even billions — can become difficult to comprehend.

To put the wildfire destruction in California into perspective, here are seven statistics to help understand the damage they have inflicted.

The Palisades Fire alone has burned through 17,000 acres. That's larger than the entire island of Manhattan.

That makes the fire, which started on Tuesday morning, the most destructive fire in Los Angeles' history, according to multiple reports.

The island of Manhattan in New York is roughly 15,000 acres.

In total, more than 26,978 acres had been burned as of 1:45 a.m. Thursday, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection reported.

Officials ordered 130,000 to evacuate, a number that's greater than the population of Kansas' capital city.

That number is more than the population of Topeka, the capital of Kansas, which has a population of 125,457, according to 2023 population estimates by the US Census.

Los Angeles' total population is just under 4 million people. That means around 3% of the city's population has been displaced.

More than 420,000 people are estimated to be without power. That's roughly the population of Minneapolis, the largest city in Minnesota.

The number comes from PowerOutage.us, which has been tracking power outages across California.

One estimate puts damage and economic losses at $52 to $57 billion, making it one of the costliest natural disasters in US history.

That preliminary estimate, from forecasting service Accuweather, could increase if the fires spread to further areas.

For comparison, the total GDP of the country of Libya is $48 billion, according to the IMF.

If this was a hurricane, that'd make it the 10th-costliest storm in history, right below 2012's Hurricane Sandy.

More than 7,500 LA firefighters have been deployed, but that's still not enough.

Governor Gavin Newsom is sending in the state's National Guard, and more firefighters are coming from Nothern California. The Los Angeles Times reported Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone requested aid from fire departments in Oregon, New Mexico, Washington, and Utah.

Wind gusts have reached 90 mph. That's equivalent to a Category 1 hurricane.

The powerful winds contributed to the quick spread of the fires and hampered firefighting efforts.

For comparison, Category 1 hurricanes have wind speeds of between 74 and 95 mph, and they can do a lot of damage. Hurricane Florence was a Category 1 storm when it made landfall in North Carolina in September 2018, and was one of the costliest hurricanes in history.

Universal Studios was forced to close for the first time since COVID-19 in 2020.

Universal Studios said in a statement it closed its gates on Wednesday "out of an abundance of caution" due to the high winds and fires, closing for the first time since the park shut down in March 2020, per People. It remained closed on Thursday.

Disneyland, located in Anaheim, has been able to remain open.

• Multiple fires are devastating the Los Angeles area with over 100,000 people told to evacuate.
• Landmarks such as the Hollywood sign and the Getty Center were undamaged but engulfed in smoke.
• The Griffith Observatory will be closed until further notice.

The Los Angeles wildfires have devastated portions of the city and surrounding areas.

The Palisades fire, which started on January 7, has left more than 17,000 acres burning unchecked. In total, wildfires have burned over 27,000 acres.

Over 100,000 residents have been ordered to evacuate, and many more — including celebrities — have lost their homes.

Here's how the fires have impacted some of the most famous landmarks in Los Angeles.

The Griffith Observatory offers free public telescopes and sweeping views of downtown Los Angeles.

The structure, which spans 67,000 square feet, includes a planetarium, observatory, and exhibits about the cosmos.

The observatory's telescopes were rendered useless due to thick clouds of smoke.

The Griffith Observatory wrote on Instagram on Wednesday that it will be closed until further notice due to the current weather and fire conditions.

The Hollywood sign, visible from the Griffith Observatory, is the most famous landmark in Los Angeles.

The Hollywood sign has been featured in countless TV shows and movies over the years as the most iconic location in the city.

As fires blazed across the city, the normally blue skies turned gray with smoke and ash.

As of Thursday, the sign was not located in an evacuation warning area, but the site is closed due to damage from surrounding fires.

After false images of the sign burning began to circulate on social media, the Hollywood Sign clarified in a Facebook post that it "continues to stand tall!"

Sunset Boulevard boasts luxury shops, restaurants, and nightlife.

The famous 1.7-mile-long Sunset Strip along Sunset Boulevard is located between Hollywood and West Hollywood.

Part of Sunset Boulevard has been hit hard by the wildfires.

Part of Sunset Boulevard, which spans 25 miles, is located in Pacific Palisades. The Palisades fire caused heavy damage, and many buildings along the famous street have burned down.

The Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena is home to the UCLA Bruins college football team.

The stadium also hosts its namesake Rose Bowl Game annually on New Year's Day.

Aerial views of The Rose Bowl were obscured by smoke.

Some sports games have been postponed due to the wildfires. On Wednesday, the National Hockey League delayed a match between the Los Angeles Kings and Calgary Flames that was supposed to take place at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.

The Getty Center, a giant museum complex in the Santa Monica Mountains, spans 110 acres.

Designed by architect Richard Meier, the Getty Center houses collections of paintings, manuscripts, photography, and sculptures from Europe and the US.

The effects of the wildfires could be seen in the distance behind the museum on Wednesday at sunset.

Clouds of smoke billowed around the complex, but the museum was undamaged.

The Getty Villa, situated on a 64-acre estate, houses Greek and Roman antiquities.

The Getty Villa, built by J. Paul Getty, is located about 11 miles from the Getty Museum.

Wildfires scorched the grounds of the Getty Villa, but the building itself remains safe.

Katherine E. Fleming, president and chief executive of the J. Paul Getty Trust, said in a statement to the Los Angeles Times that the organization "had made extensive efforts to clear brush from the surrounding area as part of its fire mitigation efforts throughout the year."

"Some trees and vegetation on-site have burned, but staff and the collection remain safe," she said.

Located near the Getty Villa, the Kauffman Estate has appeared in music videos such as "Paparazzi" by Lady Gaga and "Haunted" by Beyoncé.

Also known as the Villa de Leon, the French Revival estate was built in Malibu in 1927 for wool merchant Leon Kauffman.

The 12,000-square-foot mansion was barely visible in the orange sky.

Winds of up to 90 miles per hour made the California wildfires difficult to control.

The Kauffman Estate, now a private residence, appeared to still be standing as of Tuesday evening, but the extent of the damage is unclear.

Will Rogers State Historic Park in the Santa Monica Mountains was once the luxury residence of one of the highest-paid actors of the 1930s.

In the 1920s, Rogers built a ranch on the 359 acres of land he owned featuring a 31-room house, stables, and a golf course. His widow donated it to the California State Parks system in 1944.

The Palisades Fire destroyed "multiple structures" including Will Rogers' historic home, according to California State Parks.

"California State Parks mourns the loss of these treasured natural and cultural resources, and our hearts go out to everyone impacted by the devastating fires in the Los Angeles area," California State Parks director Armando Quintero said in a statement.

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Raging brush fires in California are causing mass destruction, exacerbating the state's home insurance crisis.

• Wildfires are burning across Los Angeles, coating the county in smoke.
• Health agencies issued warnings and schools closed as air quality reached unsafe levels.
• Experts break down why the fine-particle pollution can cause serious, long-term damage.

Wildfires erupted across Los Angeles, coating the county in smoke, haze, and an acrid smell.

The LA Public Health department issued an air quality alert, and many schools closed due to dangerous air quality. 

The mist that hovers over wildfire sites is a collection of fine-particle pollution (PM 2.5), Dr. David Hill, a pulmonologist with the American Lung Association, told the AP. 

"We have defenses in our upper airway to trap larger particles and prevent them from getting down into the lungs. These are sort of the right size to get past those defenses," Hill said. "When those particles get down into the respiratory space, they cause the body to have an inflammatory reaction to them."

What is the risk of wildfire smoke?

Fine-particle air pollution can cause inflammation in the lungs and reduce heart function — lasting effects similar to smoking cigarettes or exposure to diesel exhaust, the New York Times reported. 

Dr. Kari Nadeau, a physician and scientist at Stanford University, told the Times she believes the risk to our health is higher than that of smoking cigarettes. "Cigarettes at least have filters," Nadeau said.

This kind of air pollution is particularly risky for children, whose lungs are still developing. 

"They breathe in more air per unit of body weight," Laura Kate Bender, the lung association's National Assistant Vice President of healthy air, told the AP.

The risk of lung and heart irritation is also higher for older adults and people with lung or cardiovascular conditions, including asthma.

6 ways to stay safe when it's smoky outside

• Keep an eye on the air quality in your area to determine how long you should exercise caution. Until the risk passes, there are easy things you can do to protect yourself from experiencing long-term lung inflammation.
• If possible, stay inside and close your windows, Hill said. (You can put your zip code into AirNow.gov to find out the air quality in your area.)
• Do not burn candles, light a fire, or smoke indoors. That increases indoor pollution, according to a blog post from epidemiologist Katelyn Jetelina, of the University of Texas Health Science Center.
• Do not vacuum. That also affects your indoor air by kicking up any fine particles that may have come in through your window or door, Jetelina said.
• If you do go outside, wear an N95 mask, which — if fitted correctly — blocks out 95% of particles larger than 0.3 microns. As such, they effectively keep out 2.5-micron particles, which we're seeing from the wildfire smoke. "N95 masks are the type of face covering protection that I would recommend for somebody who is outside during the air pollution caused by wildfires," Marina Vance, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Colorado, Boulder, told Healthline.
• While inside, you can run your air-conditioning unit if it has a good HVAC filter, and an air purifier can help too, the American Lung Association recommends.

• Employers see AI and cybersecurity skills as some of the most important in the next few years.
• Employers expect nearly 40% of skills to change or become irrelevant by 2030, a WEF report said.
• Big data specialists and fintech engineers will likely be the fastest-growing jobs.

Employers say AI and big data proficiency are now some of the most important skills for job seekers in the next few years, according to the World Economic Forum's Future of Jobs Report.

The sweeping survey found that employers believe various tech-related skills will grow in importance the fastest, while manual dexterity and reading will decline this year. This highlights the rapid workplace transformation happening across industries.

Over 1,000 employers representing more than 14 million employees worldwide were surveyed for the report, which previews the job landscape for 2025 to 2030.

AI and big data, networks and cybersecurity, and technological literacy ranked as the three skills growing the fastest in importance. The AI boom has not only transformed Silicon Valley but also reshaped once-mundane tasks across industries, from legal research to code writing.

A Google Cloud director previously told Business Insider that cybersecurity is one of the most broadly relevant skills, with industries from agriculture to financial services seeking professionals in the space. Yet demand isn't being met, he said, and the field is here to stay.

Survey respondents said they don't anticipate that tech skills alone will be in demand. Creative thinking and resilience ranked No. 4 and No. 5, respectively, on the list of skills growing the fastest in importance.

On the flip side, employers surveyed said they believe manual dexterity, endurance, and precision will decrease in importance. Reading, writing, and mathematics also saw a small dip among respondents. Overall, employees globally can expect that nearly 40% of their current skills will drastically change or become irrelevant by 2030, according to the survey.

Compared to the World Economic Forum's previous reports, tech skills saw the biggest jump in projected importance, with AI spiking in anticipated value across almost all agencies. Though the tech industry has hit a hiring slump in recent years, tech and non-tech companies alike are eager to hire AI roles, BI previously reported.

The fastest-growing jobs in the next five years will likely be big data specialists and fintech engineers, while clerical and secretarial workers will continue to decline, according to the report. With job growth slowing and unemployed Americans staying out of work longer, economists previously told BI that 2025 will prove challenging for job hunters overall, especially those in white-collar industries.

• Disney Cruise Line's sixth ship, Disney Treasure, set sail in late 2024.
• Its most luxurious Tomorrow Tower Suite has a private elevator, four bedrooms, and a spiral staircase.
• The suite starts at about $57,440 for a family of four.

If you're a Disney cruise fan with a genie, consider using one of your three wishes on a stay in Disney Treasure's Tomorrow Tower Suite.

Otherwise, expect to pay more than $57,000 for the luxury marine penthouse.

Disney Cruise Line's newest ship, Disney Treasure, set sail in December 2024, marking the sixth vessel to join the entertainment powerhouse's fleet. Don't expect the company to slow down — its popular cruise arm plans to double its fleet over the next six years.

It's no wonder fans of the brand have been indulging in its floating theme parks. Treasure is filled with amenities referencing Disney films and rides.

If you fondly remember the Jungle Cruise ride, grab a drink at the themed Skipper Society lounge. If you're a "Zootopia" fan, grab an ice-cream cone from Jumbeaux's Sweets.

If you love Walt Disney World's Epcot, consider booking Disney Treasure's Tomorrow Tower Suite.

The two-story suite's unconventional art, metal accents, and glittering stained glass are callbacks to Epcot. It's also about 1,970 square feet, making it Disney Treasure's largest and most luxurious cabin.

With luxury comes a hefty price tag.

The ship is spending its inaugural year operating weeklong Caribbean cruises from Port Canaveral, Florida.

The suite starts at about $57,440 for a family of four (about $22,625 per adult and $5,660 per child), as per a sailing in late November.

To compare, inside cabins on the same voyage start at $7,330.

The price for the high-end Tomorrow Tower is relatively steep. Yet, it's already been booked for several of Disney Treasure's coming voyages.

The luxe accommodation is perched in the ship's funnel — off of a private elevator, no less.

The front door opens to a cozy living space with a lounge, dining table, and bar, all bathed in light from the adjacent two-story floor-to-ceiling window that overlooks the ship's top deck.

Use the motorized sheer or blackout curtains for more privacy. Or, enjoy the sun with a pick-me-up from the coffee maker or a soda from the stocked bar.

Keep a chilled bottle in the bar's wine cooler and snacks in the pantry's refrigerator.

No need to hand-clean any post-grazing dishes — the expansive pantry also has a dishwasher.

Take the spiral staircase to the upstairs bedrooms.

The penthouse can sleep up to eight people with its two primary bedrooms (both with walk-in closets), a children's room with bunk beds, and a library with a queen mattress.

Expect a sumptuous slumber courtesy of the down duvets, 1,000-thread-count Frette cotton linens, and pillows of your choice, courtesy of the "pillow menu."

The living room and bedrooms all have their own TVs and bathrooms.

The primary bedrooms' restrooms are especially luxurious, outfitted with dual sinks, bathtubs, and rain showers.

No need to share — visitors can use the downstairs guest bathroom.

Guests also receive perks exclusive to those vacationing in the ship's Concierge-level cabins.

This includes a team to help book nursery or spa services and a private lounge with a pool and two hot tubs.

Ultra-luxury, one-of-a-kind suites have become popular picks in new floating resorts.

Similar to the Tomorrow Tower Suite, several of Royal Caribbean's new mega-ships have a distinctive two-story family suite with amenities like a slide, air hockey table, and butler-like Royal Genie.

The aptly named Ultimate Family Townhouse on the cruise line's one-year-old Icon of the Seas had been reserved for most of 2024 — for an average cost of $100,000 a week.

• China could destroy or neutralize US and allied airpower in a war with fewer shots than the other way around, a new report argues.
• China has prioritized hardening and expanding its airfields in the region at a faster rate than the US and its allies.
• The report's authors argue the US needs to prioritize defense, hardening airbases, and evolving its force.

In a war, China could suppress or destroy critical American airpower in the Indo-Pacific region with far fewer shots than it would take the US and its allies to do the same to Beijing's air forces, a new research report argues.

The report's authors note that China has been working faster than the US to harden its airbases and diversify its combat aircraft in the region, creating an imbalance in China's favor. American airfields are vulnerable to attack in a conflict, such as a fight over Taiwan.

A new Hudson Institute analysis from researchers Thomas Shugart and Timothy Walton highlights the serious threat facing US installations in the Pacific and echoes Department of Defense concerns about growing China's arsenal of missiles and those of US lawmakers about inadequate defenses.

In the report, Shugart and Walton write that China "has made major investments to defend, expand, and fortify" its airfields and more than doubled its hardened aircraft shelters and unhardened individual aircraft shelters over the past decade. China has also added to its taxiways and ramp areas. All of these efforts effectively give the Chinese military more places to protect and launch combat aircraft in a potential fight.

US efforts have been modest by comparison. And its military airfield capacity, including that of allies in the region, is roughly one-third of China's; without South Korea, that drops to one-quarter, and without the Philippines, it falls to just 15 percent.

The Air Force has been looking at dispersion and atypical runways as part of its Agile Combat Employment efforts, but there is still a notable shortfall that could be exploited.

This imbalance means it would take China far fewer missiles or airstrikes to neutralize US and allied airfields than it would the other way around, Shugart and Walton write. A preemptive strike, surprise being important in Chinese military doctrine, could catch the US and its allies off guard and give China an edge in air operations.

"Strategically, this destabilizing asymmetry risks incentivizing the PRC to exercise a first-mover advantage," the report says. "China could initiate a conflict if it sees an opportunity to nullify adversary airpower on the ramp."

Shugart wrote in 2017 that this is a real possibility, "particularly if China perceives that its attempts at deterrence of a major US intervention — say in a cross-strait Taiwan crisis or in a brewing dispute over the Senkaku Islands — have failed."

China has not been shy about its investments in being able to pull off such a strike, either. Beijing has invested heavily in its rocket force, with the Pentagon's annual report on Chinese military power documenting staggering growth in the number of stockpiled missiles and launchers, including the weapons it would need to hit US installations in the region. Satellite images have also documented mock American military assets, such as aircraft carriers, widely seen as missile targets.

For the conflicts and airpower operations in the Middle East, the US military enjoyed the ability to deploy to forward airfields uncontested, but the threat environment is different in the Pacific. A war with China would be very different.

But despite the significant concerns both within the Pentagon and Washington about vulnerabilities in US airbases, "the US military has devoted relatively little attention to countering these threats compared to its focus on developing modern aircraft," Shugart and Walton write. Older and newer aircraft differ in the air but are equally vulnerable on the ground.

The Ukraine war and ongoing fights in the Middle East have demonstrated that airfields are high-priority targets.

In order to counter the threat China poses, the Hudson report argues the US should invest further in active defenses for its air operations, harden its airfields to maintain resilience, and accelerate its efforts to field aircraft and unmanned systems that can operate from short or damaged runways or don't require runaways altogether, efforts fitting with ACE operations.

"Executing an effective campaign to enhance the resilience of US airfield operations will require informed decisions to prioritize projects — and sustained funding," Shugart and Walton write. "What is clear, however, is that US airfields do face the threat of attack, and the current DoD approach of largely ignoring this fact invites PRC aggression and risks losing a war." 

• California fires have led people to turn to apps, security cameras, and social media accounts for real-time updates.
• The Watch Duty wildfire maps app said it added over 1 million new users in recent days.
• Residents are also using security apps like Ring to check in on their homes and discuss updates in forums.

As California fires spread across the Los Angeles region, residents are turning to online resources and smartphone app communities to track the blazes and find up-to-date information on their impact.

Along with the Watch Duty wildfire maps app, people are using security apps like Google Nest and Ring to check footage of their homes and communicate in forums.

Others are sharing resources and information in subreddits and on social media platforms.

Watch Duty

Watch Duty describes itself as a wildfire mapping and alert service "powered by real people giving you real-time information vetted by trained professionals, not robots."

The app, which was developed by a nonprofit company and isn't government-affiliated, is free to use with the option to pay $25 for a yearly membership that unlocks additional counties and places of interest. There's also a web-based version.

Adam Wood, a 45-year-old film producer, director, and editor, living in North Hollywood, helped his friend evacuate from Pasadena and said he used the app to track the fires. He told BI it helped him assess whether his friend's area was likely to have been impacted, although they don't know if his house is still standing.

"People are hungry for granular information, and the fire department and other emergency agencies just don't have the capacity to supply that when there's multiple fires happening in the same area," Watch Duty's VP of operations, Nick Russell, told Business Insider.

The app provides users with push notification alerts and a geospatial look into what's going on around them with flame icons, evacuation zones, and information about surface winds. It focuses on providing real-time information about fires from over 200 volunteers and 12 paid employees, including retired firefighters, dispatchers, and first responders. The reporters use "radio scanners, wildfire cameras, satellites, and other public sources" to monitor and verify risks, the company said on its website.

"Our team is constantly getting signals, both from authoritative and third-party services," Russell told BI. "And then we're disseminating that through radio traffic and validating."

Ring and other home-security apps

Security app users have shared experiences of watching their homes being burned down from the app's camera footage.

Zibby Owens, a writer, shared to social media on Wednesday footage from her Google Nest camera of parts of her Palisades property in flames.

Some have also used the "Neighbors" forum on the Amazon-owned Ring app to share information about the fires.

"Fire close to Mandeville Canyon (photo from 9:50PM), seems to be going rapidly toward South," one user posted last night with a photo.

The app has also released information about the wildfires and dedicated a tab to resources for impacted residents called "California Wildfire Information." The page includes shelter locations, where to find food in LA County, what to pack, and wildfire smoke tips. It also links over a dozen resources including media updates, Airbnb temporary housing details, and a list of school closures.

The Ring Neighbors team also released a statement in the app about the wildfires with links to help those impacted, including organizations like The American Red Cross, the California Community Fund, and California Fire Relief.

Social media

In addition to people posting stories, photos, and videos about their experiences with the wildfire, specific accounts are also being used to inform people about up-to-date information.

Facebook users are active in groups like Calfire Updates, which has over 300,000 members. The group dedicates posts to firefighters, shares information about damage, and discusses the fires. Other groups, like California Wildfires Information ALERT, post evacuation notices and resources for those who have fled impacted areas.

Local police, fire departments, and emergency services have been sharing information on their dedicated social media pages, such as the Los Angeles Fire Department account on X or the City of Pasadena account on Facebook.

Local community forums on Reddit

People are also turning to community subreddits like r/PacificPalisades and r/Pasadena to share updates and discuss wildfire damage. Some posts have offered practical tips for evacuees, such as suggestions to film the contents of their homes before leaving for insurance purposes if they have time to do so.

One user named OnerKram17, has dedicated two days to monitoring police and fire scanners, providing frequent updates in the r/PacificPalisades subreddit in between what they said was a few hours of sleep.

Others have taken on similar roles, posting about power lines that are blocking off crossings or potentially false alarms for fires.

• Wildfires are rampaging across Los Angeles County this week.
• Hundreds of thousands of people are under evacuation orders or warnings.
• Insured losses could top $20 billion, JPMorgan analysts estimated — the most-ever in California.

The Los Angeles area battled a series of massive wildfires Thursday that continued to rip through its picturesque mountains and hillsides — creating a hellscape of burned-out neighborhoods and livelihoods that could end up being the most costly fire disaster in California history.

JPMorgan analysts said the blazes tearing through the region could lead to more than $20 billion in insured losses — and around $50 billion in total economic losses. That would make these conflagrations "significantly more severe" than the Camp Fires that struck the state in 2018 and racked up $10 billion in insured losses, the current record.

As of Thursday morning local time, an additional 200,000 people had been placed under evacuation warnings — with officials advising them to get ready to leave their homes if the fires raging near their residences got closer.

Thick bands of smoke could be seen in several directions from the city's downtown core — with at least five fires burning throughout the 4,000 square-mile county that's home to nearly 10 million people.

More than 27,000 acres have burned so far — and at least five deaths have been reported, officials said. Authorities wouldn't confirm an exact death toll at a Thursday briefing.

They said "thousands" of homes and other structures had been destroyed so far.

Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman described the scene in LA as apocalyptic.

"Not since the 1990s, when Los Angeles was hit with the fires, the flood, the earthquake, and the riots, have I seen such disaster occur here in our city," Hochman said at the briefing, referring to the Northridge Earthquake and the disturbances in the wake of the Rodney King verdict.

Two of the largest fires, the Eaton Fire and the Palisades Fire, are still at zero percent containment, officials said. The National Weather Service predicted the "red flag warning" that signals high fire danger will persist for LA County and nearby Ventura County through Friday.

But there was some brightening on the horizon: Officials said weather conditions are beginning to turn favorably for firefighters.

Meanwhile, 20 people have been arrested on suspicion of looting in areas affected by the fires, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said at Thursday's briefing.

And he issued a stern warning to the public: Anyone who remains in areas under mandatory evacuation orders is guilty of a misdemeanor, and his officers will begin enforcing that. Beyond that, crimes like looting could reach the felony level, he said.

As for people still in their homes, around 95,000 power customers remain in the dark, Janisse Quiñones, the CEO and chief engineer of the city's Department of Water and Power, said. Satellite images of the LA fires showed the destruction left in their wake.

Here's a look at the latest happenings in the main fires spreading throughout the area:

Palisades Fire

The Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades area north of Santa Monica was the first fire to strike the region on Tuesday morning. It has spread to over 17,000 acres, with zero percent containment, making it one of the worst natural disasters in LA history, officials said Thursday morning.

The blaze has reduced thousands of structures to rubble, but exact numbers are not yet known, the officials said.

Wind gusts in the area have tamed down some since their Tuesday highs of nearly 100 mph but remain up to 60 mph. They're expected to continue through Thursday.

Los Angeles City Fire Chief Kristin Crowley would not confirm reports that the fire started in a resident's garden, saying the origin is still under investigation.

Some celebrities have lost homes in the blaze, including Paris Hilton and Billy Crystal.

Eaton Fire

The second-largest fire in Los Angeles County is the Eaton Fire, which started on Tuesday evening in the Pasadena-Altadena area at the foothills of the Angeles National Forest.

The blaze has spread to over 10,000 acres and reduced at least 1,000 homes to ash as of Thursday, officials said. Like the Palisades Fire, it is zero percent contained.

Still, LA County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said the fire's growth has been "significantly stopped," and the cause remains unknown.

Hurst Fire

The Hurst Fire, which began late on Tuesday night in the northern part of the San Fernando Valley, has spread to around 855 acres, according to data from CalFire, a state agency.

LAFD's Crowley said the Hurst Fire was zero percent contained, while CalFire data estimates it is 10% contained.

Crowley said firefighters have been able to hold the fire within a containment area and have established a perimeter.

Sunset Fire and others

The Sunset Fire broke out in the Runyan Canyon area of the Hollywood Hills on Wednesday evening, quickly spreading to scorch over 40 acres and threaten major LA landmarks.

As of Thursday morning, firefighters were able to stop the fire's forward progress, Crowley said. Crews are still working to "put out spot fires within the perimeters to keep the wind from spreading any additional embers," she said.

All evacuation orders related to the Sunset Fire were lifted as of 7:30 a.m. Thursday, Crowley said.

Meanwhile, a large structure fire broke out nearby, consuming two large homes in the Studio City area. Still, firefighters were able to stop its forward growth at just one acre and prevent another brushfire, Crowley said.

Yet another fire, the Lidia Fire, started Wednesday afternoon in Acton near the Antelope Valley, about 20 miles northeast of the San Fernando Valley. It spread to consume 348 acres but has been 40% contained, with forward progress stopped, LA County's Marrone said.

One of this week's fires has been 100% contained. The Woodley Fire, which began Wednesday morning in the southern part of the San Fernando Valley, has been suppressed and there are no current threats, Crowley said. Patrols were monitoring the area for any flare-ups, she said.

Events canceled and landmarks closed as smoke chokes LA

Major and minor events alike have been canceled or postponed across the LA area as the city battles the fires.

The 30th Annual Critics Choice Awards, set for Sunday night, were rescheduled for January 26. A National Hockey League game between the Los Angeles Kings and the Calgary Flames, scheduled for Wednesday night at Crypto.com arena, was postponed. The LA Lakers rescheduled Thursday night's game. And music venues across the city were also canceling or postponing their shows, including The Troubadour, The Wiltern, The Echo, the Kia Forum, Walt Disney Concert Hall, and others.

Flights into and out of LAX, Hollywood Burbank Airport, Ontario International Airport, and Santa Ana's John Wayne Airport were also experiencing delays and cancellations.

The fires are also shuttering tourist attractions in and around Los Angeles, which attracts nearly 50 million visitors a year.

The fires forced some Los Angeles-area landmarks to close, including the Hollywood sign, the Los Angeles Zoo, the Broad Museum, the Norton Simon Museum, the Getty Villa and Getty Center, Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal CityWalk, and the Griffith Observatory.

Airbnb told CNN that it would be allowing refunds for bookings in areas affected by the wildfires, following a viral social media post from a customer who said the company refused to offer her a refund.

California already struggled with an insurance crisis

The devastating fires this week will likely only worsen California's ongoing insurance crisis, where many homebuyers already struggle to get approved for loans, home insurance, and fire insurance — even in areas outside the typical risk zones.

In recent years, some insurance companies, like State Farm, have stopped accepting new home insurance policies in the state entirely, as wildfire risks have only increased.

Experts told Business Insider that prices are likely to continue rising for those who can still get insurance.

"I've seen numbers go up 200%, 300%, even 500% in a year," Nick Ramirez, the owner of a California insurance agency, told BI.

And as the fires' estimated damages already climb into the billions of dollars, some homeowners will have to rebuild without the help of insurance payouts.

"These fires will likely be the costliest in history, not the deadliest, and that is the only silver lining right now," Daniel Swain, a climate scientist with UCLA, told LAist.

This a developing story. Please refresh for updates.

• This January, Costco is stocking its shelves with fun food items and home goods.
• Accomplish 2025 workout goals with the King Smith WalkingPad Pro folding treadmill.
• I recommend picking up the Pressed wellness smoothies and Del Real tamales.

With the start of the new year, I'm excited to see what kinds of products Costco will introduce in 2025. As an employee, I always love browsing the store for unique items I haven't seen before.

This January, I've already noticed lots of great food, home goods, and beauty products on shelves. Here are 10 things I recommend checking out at Costco this month.

The Optimum Nutrition micronized creatine powder could be good for fitness fanatics.

I think the Optimum Nutrition micronized creatine powder could be a great addition to your routine, especially if you're hitting the gym.

According to its packaging, this powder can support muscle building and performance when used daily, over time, alongside an exercise routine. To use it, mix a rounded teaspoon of the unflavored powder into a shake or glass of water.

The Optimum Nutrition creatine powder is $20 at my location. 

The Pressed wellness smoothies are one of my favorite recent purchases.

Each box of the Pressed wellness smoothies contains 10-ounce bottles in acai-berry, strawberry-orange-mango, tropical, and greens flavors. The smoothies contain 100% juice and three to four grams of dietary fiber.

At my location, an eight-count package costs $16.90, which comes out to less than $2.20 per bottle.

Prepare for spring and summer activities with the Macsports XL folding wagon.

As Costco starts bringing in springtime items, I think the Macsports XL folding wagon will be a hot seller.

This collapsible wagon has brakes for easy stopping, an inside zipper pocket, and an adjustable handle. The wagon can also hold up to 350 pounds and has durable, all-terrain wheels.

The Macsports wagon is $90 at my Costco. 

The Cat Cube lithium four-in-one portable jump starter could come in handy.

If you ask me, everyone should have the Cat Cube lithium portable jump starter in their garage or car.

This four-in-one tool has a few features, including a lithium jump starter and an air compressor.

The Cat Cube lithium portable jump starter costs $130 at my location.

You can add the Turbotax 2024 federal e-file and state download to your cart this month.

I recently added the Turbotax 2024 federal e-file and state download to my shopping list.

These downloads are available in deluxe, home-and-business, and premier packages, so there's something for almost everyone's tax needs. Each package also comes with a $10 in-product credit that can be used for services like live tax advice or state e-file fees.

At my store, the Turbotax download packages run from $56 to $96.

Keep extra food cool in the Midea convertible chest freezer.

If you're running out of freezer space, I recommend heading to Costco to check out this Midea product.

This freezer chest has two removable wire storage baskets, a front-mount temperature control, and an interior LED light. Best of all, it can turn into a refrigerator with the flip of a switch.

The Midea convertible chest freezer is $200 at my location.

The Del Real cheese-and-green-chile tamales could be a delicious lunch or dinner.

If you're a fan of Mexican-style dishes, these Del Real tamales are a great find.

The tamales come with a cheese-and-green-chile filling — don't worry, they aren't spicy — and take less than three minutes to heat in the microwave. I also like that each serving contains 13 grams of protein.

At my store, a 15-count pack of the Del Real tamales can be found in the deli section for $18.80.

The Thomasville Wills oversize chair and storage ottoman are comfy and functional.

The Thomasville Wills oversize chair and storage ottoman both have ultra-soft furry corduroy fabric that's comfortable and chic. The chair, which measures 64 inches long and 35 inches high, has an extra-wide seat and two large pillows.

At my store, this set is $500.

Upgrade your skincare routine with the Hero Mighty Patches.

Acne products can be expensive, so I was happy to see the Hero Mighty Patches available at Costco.

Each package contains 54 original patches for nighttime use and 27 invisible patches that can be worn during the day. These patches can extract pus and visibly shrink whiteheads.

The Hero Mighty Patches are $23 at my Costco.

Get a workout in with the King Smith WalkingPad Pro folding treadmill.

If you have a busy lifestyle, the King Smith treadmill could be a good way to accomplish your workout goals at home.

This product comes fully assembled and has a USB charging port, a 250-pound weight capacity, and a brushless motor (so the walking pad runs smoothly and quietly). It's also foldable, making it easy to store in small spaces.

The King Smith walking pad is $500 at my store.

• I visited KFC's spin-off restaurant, Saucy, that's all about chicken tenders and dipping sauces.
• The first Saucy location is in Orlando, and I'd definitely go back for its delicious food.
• The restaurant's crispy chicken tenders and tasty sauces felt like an excellent value.

Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) has a new spin-off in town that's all about chicken tenders and dips — and it's called Saucy.

The restaurant's first location opened in Orlando in late December, about 90 minutes away from my home.

Although I couldn't tell you the last time I went to KFC, I was excited to try Saucy, as it's a concept the chain hopes to expand around the country.

Here's what it was like and why I'll absolutely be back.

Unsurprisingly, Saucy is all about sauce.

The stars of the menu at Saucy are the chicken tenders and the 11 dipping sauces. The number of sauces is a nod to the 11 herbs and spices in KFC's original fried-chicken recipe.

Saucy sauces include: chimichurri ranch, peri-peri ranch, jalapeño-pesto ranch, smoky bacon ranch, Thai sweet and spicy, Sweet 'N Saucy BBQ, Saucy's Sauce, spicy mango chutney, Saucy ranch, Creole honey mustard, and sweet teriyaki.

Otherwise, the menu is fairly short and simple, with a slew of non-alcoholic beverages, a few chicken sandwiches, two desserts, and sides like toasted Hawaiian rolls and coleslaw.

We decided to eat inside the restaurant.

Although Saucy has a drive-thru, we chose to dine in. I'm glad we did: Saucy feels like a 100% modern twist on its Kentucky-fried roots.

I loved its funky decor, which was bright with shades of pink and hints of red that seemed to pay homage to KFC.

With its futuristic light pendants and cool sculptures resembling dripping sauce, Saucy had a vibe all its own and felt very different from the KFC dining rooms of my youth.

The ordering process was automated and simple.

Ordering at Saucy was easy and contactless.

We used one of several touchscreens to order, paid at the kiosk, and then waited for our name to be called so we could collect our food.

We got a lot of food for under $40.

My husband and I were able to try everything we wanted to at Saucy for under $40.

We ordered a six-tender box combo ($16) that came with two sauces, fries, coleslaw, and a toasted Hawaiian roll; a Key-lime-cake dessert ($4); an extra coleslaw ($2); two tropical black teas ($4); a spicy-queso-crunch sandwich ($5); and nine additional sauces (49 cents each).

The tenders were delicious.

We got our tenders with crinkle-cut fries and a toasted Hawaiian roll, though we could've also chosen coleslaw as a side.

Saucy's tenders are apparently made using the same recipe as KFC's. Still, I thought the tenders I got at Saucy seemed plumper, moister, and crispier than any I remember getting on past KFC runs.

We were impressed by many of Saucy's menu items, including all 11 dipping sauces.

Our meal at Saucy was nothing short of incredible — truly the kind of fast food that tasted like it could've been from a sit-down restaurant.

Nothing we had was overly greasy, and the tasty sauces made our dining experience even more enjoyable. I liked that there seemed to be one for everyone, from several ranch-based dips and classics like barbecue sauce to even Asian-inspired delights.

Although we had some clear favorite sauces, there wasn't a single one we didn't enjoy.

The sandwich we ordered was great but not necessary.

My husband also got the spicy-queso-crunch chicken sandwich ($5).

We liked the crunchy, battered chicken tender topped with queso sauce and spicy peppers on a buttery Hawaiian roll. Still, we'd probably skip it next time. The tenders and many dipping sauces were the clear stars of our meal.

The dessert in a can was easy to share.

Saucy had both a chocolate and Key-lime cake available for dessert, and both were served in a plastic can.

We chose the latter, which cost $4. It was the perfect size, especially considering how full we were from our meal.

I liked the citrusy icing and cake layers and felt this was a wonderful sweet ending to our meal. Plus, the spoonable cake was easy to share.

My top five sauces came home with my leftovers.

When we'd dipped and nibbled until we had no room left in our stomachs, it was time to pack up our leftovers to take home.

Our to-go container had room for just five sauces, so we kept our favorites: jalapeño-pesto ranch and per-peri ranch, two spicy and flavorful dips we really loved; smoky bacon ranch, our favorite of the ranch-based dips; and sweet teriyaki and Thai sweet and spicy, which were packed with tons of flavor and sweet twists.

I can't wait to go back to Saucy for more chicken-dipping fun.

As a lover of chicken tenders, I was smitten with Saucy. The food was really good, and dipping delicious fried chicken tenders in all of those sauces was tons of fun.

Our meal also felt surprisingly affordable, especially since we got far more food than the two of us could finish — and next time, we'd order less.

Based on my finger-lickin'-good experience, I'd definitely go back to Saucy, even if its only location is a 90-minute drive from me.

If you're visiting Orlando, I suggest treating yourself to a little culinary sauce journey at Saucy. Hopefully, though, more locations will open soon.