• The UK said it has live-fired its new anti-drone radio weapon that costs only about 10 pence to fire.
• It's been heralding such weapons as a cheap alternative to missile-based systems for killing drones.
• This weapon, the RFDEW, is said to kill drones from 1,000 meters away in land, air, and sea environments.

The UK Defense Ministry said on Monday that it's successfully live-tested its new radio frequency weapon that can take down drone swarms for "less than the cost of a pack of mince pies."

"A live firing trial was recently completed by the Army's Royal Artillery Trials and Development Unit and 7 Air Defence Group at a range in West Wales," it said in a statement. "Where they successfully targeted and engaged Uncrewed Aerial Systems, in a first for the British Armed Forces."

The system is called the Radio Frequency Directed Energy Weapon, or RFDEW. The UK says it has a range of up to 1,000 meters, or about 1,093 yards, at an estimated cost of 10 pence, or about $0.13, per shot.

The RFDEW uses high-frequency radio waves to detect, track, and then disable critical electronic components in the drones so that they become immobilized or fall out of the sky.

It's meant to be versatile. The UK says the RFDEW can be deployed in land, air, and sea environments.

Development of the weapon was announced in May, when officials described it as a cheaper alternative to traditional missile-based systems for fighting drones. The defense ministry said at the time that tests would be carried out over the summer.

The UK said the RFDEW is mostly automated, meaning it can be operated by a single person and mounted onto a military vehicle.

It's one of London's answers to the growing prominence of drone warfare, brought to the fore by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, where cheap drones have become a primary killing tool in the protracted conflict.

The UK is also developing a vehicle-mounted laser beam weapon that fires shots costing 10 pence each, which it said has a range of 1,000 meters as well.

That weapon was successfully tested too, the ministry said on December 11.

Both systems were developed under a government program that partners with private firms such as Raytheon and Teledyne e2v.

The UK also spent about $126 million developing DragonFire, another laser weapon system that uses high-concentrated energy beams to kill drones at less than $13 a shot.

If these systems can be deployed at scale, their advertised low per-shot cost could be a major advantage for the UK. Traditional anti-drone tech that's already considered to be in the lower-cost range, such as the expendable Raytheon Coyote, can be priced at about $100,000 per munition.

Militaries want to go far cheaper, amid a heightened awareness that any armed force — from Russian and Ukrainian troops to Yemeni rebels — can deliver deadly payloads at less than $1,000 through commercial drone parts.

The US is developing a weapon similar to the RFDEW that uses microwaves to fry drone parts and disable swarms. It looks like a container with a satellite dish and is called the Tactical High-power Operational Responder, or THOR.

In April 2023, the US Air Force said it had successfully tested THOR against a drone swarm.

Such technologies are also becoming more mainstream in Ukraine. Kvertus, a company based in Kyiv, sells a handheld "anti-drone gun" that it says can knock out drones with radio frequencies.

• I have two teenagers and I have no idea how they grew up so quickly.
• They don't ask for toys for Christmas anymore, they want my time.
• They roll their eyes in disgust if I offer my time, and if I take too long to respond they move on.

I was surrounded by boxes. Boxes of decorations that still needed to be unpacked, boxes of holiday cards that still needed to be written, boxes of gifts to be wrapped and mailed. And there was my 13-year-old son, nearly as tall as me, standing in the doorway while I surveyed the chaos and contemplated how many days there were until Christmas.

"Hey, Mama. Do you want to go to Starbucks, just the two of us?"

There was so much still to be done and only a few weekend hours left to do it. But I looked at my son, whose face had started to look more like a young adult's than a little kid's, and I said, "Sure, baby, why not?"

I didn't think time would go by so fast

I don't know how it happened so fast, but I have two teenage sons. Thinking back on their little kid Christmases, filled with toys, games, and stuffed animals, I remember the whirlwind of excitement — and exhaustion. I knew they wouldn't always believe in Santa Claus (or wake me up before dawn to open their presents), but it still felt like those magical years would stretch on forever.

This Christmas, though, they're 13 and 15, and their gift requests have shifted from PAW Patrol and Transformers to clothes, tech, and — most unexpectedly — my time.

They don't typically ask for my time outright. If I'm not paying attention or I hesitate too long, the moment will slip away, and they'll move on to something else — usually something that involves a screen, a group chat, and a world to which I'm decidedly not invited.

But every now and then, they let me in. For my 13-year-old, it might look like a quick trip to Starbucks, where we order our favorite drinks, and he fills me in on the latest eighth-grade drama. Or it might be him helping me bake a batch of my "famous" gingersnaps while rattling off information he's accumulated over the course of a school week: what car his friend's dad drives, trivia about the newest roller coaster at Walt Disney World, or how his English teacher knew Bruce Springsteen growing up. For the past two months, it's been an occasional request to run lines with him as he studies his role as Colonel Mustard. Last fall, it was getting up early on vacation to watch the sunrise with me.

My 15-year-old is more low-key because he's an introvert like me. His requests for my time often sneak up on me — and they don't always involve much talking. He might sit down unannounced to watch 20 minutes of an old "Grey's Anatomy" episode with me, tossing in a wry comment about the characters' questionable life choices or the episode's unlikely disaster. Or, like last weekend, he might surprise me by coming home from a friend's house and launching into a detailed account of their "Dungeons and Dragons" campaign, his face lighting up as he recounts every plot twist. On rare occasions, he'll call me into the office to show me what he's doing in 3D computer graphics — a skill he's learned entirely on his own — while I marvel at his creativity.

They don't want it if I offer it

Giving my time to my teens isn't something I can wrap in a bow — and they'd absolutely roll their eyes in disgust if I offered them anything as cutesy as coupons for "Time With Mama." But it's the one gift they (sometimes) genuinely want. Not when it's convenient for me, but when they're ready: when they're stressed, excited, overwhelmed, or simply in the mood to share a moment, or an hour, of their life with me.

Setting aside whatever I'm doing to give them my full attention is as much a gift for me as it is for them. These aren't big, shiny moments — they're quiet, fleeting ones. But being able to give my teens my time is a reminder to myself to slow down and appreciate this life I get to share with them. They're memories I can savor as these teenage years fly by — and moments I hope they'll hold on to when they head off to college and, eventually, into busy lives of their own.

This year, there won't be a mountain of overpriced and unwanted presents under the tree, but there will be time. As much as they want, whenever I can give it. And while I sometimes miss those chaotic Christmases of early childhood, I know I will look back on these quieter days with my teens just as fondly.

• NASA's Parker Solar Probe is about to make its closest approach to the sun.
• The spacecraft will fly within 3.8 million miles of the solar surface.
• The spacecraft is collecting essential data that can help inform forecasting models on Earth.

The fastest human-made object is hurtling toward the sun at this very moment, approaching speeds of 430,000 mph — and on December 24, it's scheduled to make history.

NASA's Parker Solar Probe launched in 2018 and has completed 21 close flybys around the sun. However, its mission on Christmas Eve will be unlike any other.

At 6:53 a.m. ET, the spacecraft is set to fly the closest to the sun of any human-made object. The mission will take it closer than any previously scheduled or planned future approaches.

If all goes to plan, the uncrewed spacecraft will come within 3.8 million miles of the solar surface.

NASA anticipates the probe will experience temperatures of 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit, which shouldn't be an issue since the spacecraft's protective heat shield is designed to withstand temperatures over 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit.

Yes, 3.8 million miles is far by Earth's standards, but it's ridiculously close when you're out in deep space.

It's like if you put the Earth and sun at opposite ends of an American football field: "Parker Solar Probe is on the 4-yard line approaching the sun," Joe Westlake, Director of NASA's Science Mission Directorate's Heliophysics Division, told 6abc Philadelphia.

"It is getting so close that we're actually in the sun's upper atmosphere. We're actually touching the sun with humanity's first mission to a star," Westlake added.

The moment NASA has been waiting for

The Christmas Eve flyby is the moment the mission has been building up to for years.

"This close approach is only possible because of the mission's orbital design," a NASA spokesperson told Business Insider via email.

"The spacecraft had to shed a lot of orbital energy to get this close to the sun, so that's why it took several years," the spokesperson added.

Over the years the Parker Solar Probe, about the size of a small car, has made increasingly close flybys.

For example, in September 2020, it flew within 8.4 million miles of the solar surface. By September 2023, it reached within 4.5 million miles.

When the spacecraft makes these close approaches, it cuts communication with Earth and flies autonomously, guiding itself through the sun's harsh upper atmosphere until it's far enough away to reestablish coms.

NASA last heard from Parker Solar Probe on December 22 and expects to hear from it again around midnight between Thursday and Friday, Nour Rawafi, Parker Solar Probe project scientist at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab, said during a recent NASA livestream.

While flying so close to the sun doesn't hold any promise of discovering alien life there or paving the way for future crewed missions to walk on the solar surface, the Parker Solar Probe's mission is, arguably, more important.

Here's what you need to know about this historic mission and how it could help humanity solve some of the world's biggest questions.

Parker Solar Probe is helping us answer the big questions

It may appear calm and quiet from far away, but the sun is a turbulent sphere of activity. It's got solar flares and massive eruptions that fire fast-moving, charged particles deep into our solar system.

"Without that activity, we would not exist. That activity is really necessary for life to kick off," Rawafi said during NASA's livestream.

So, on a grand scale, understanding how our sun works can help us better understand how life originated on Earth and where it might exist elsewhere in the universe.

Also, by studying our own star up close, we can learn how other stars in the universe interact "with the billions and billions of other planets that may or may not be like our own planets," Alex Young, associate director for science communication in NASA's Heliophysics Science Division, said during the livestream.

Wishing for the biggest explosion ever

Rawafi said the best gift the sun could give scientists during Parker Solar Probe's coming approach is "one of the strongest explosions ever."

The sun is currently at a solar maximum — a period of peak solar magnetic activity lasting one to two years and causing powerful flares, eruptions, and ejections.

Sometimes, the charged particles from these eruptions reach Earth. When that happens, it can disrupt satellites, mess with GPS, and subsequently ground flights. It can also expose astronauts to high levels of space radiation.

As we continue to launch more satellites and people into space, these solar events are a growing threat. Yet, scientists don't have a highly accurate forecasting model for warning satellite operators and astronauts far in advance.

That's why Rawafi wants a big explosion: The probe would be in a perfect position to study the event mere moments after it occurs, offering scientists swaths of data that could help inform and improve forecasting models.

Parker Solar Probe has already collected so much data during its years of operation that it will take decades to study it all, Rawafi said at the American Geophysical Union annual meeting in early December.

According to NASA, the spacecraft is scheduled to complete 24 orbits around the sun, with its last two planned for 2025.

• Russian President Vladimir Putin maintains alliances despite sanctions, keeping Russia's economy afloat.
• Countries like India and Vietnam balance relations with both Russia and the West.
• These alliances are crucial for Russia to navigate trade restrictions and economic challenges.

Russian President Vladimir Putin may be heavily sanctioned and running a country that faces sweeping trade restrictions, but he still has friends.

Russia's friends — or frenemies — aren't all pariah states or US rivals. Some of them, like India and Vietnam, have good relations with the West, too.

"Putin is eyeing strategic swing nations like India, which opposes China and trades with Russia," Sean McFate, a military strategist and author of "The New Rules of War," told Business Insider in September.

Moscow is also trying to emerge from diplomatic isolation, looking to forge strategic relationships beyond autocratic partners like China, North Korea, and Iran, he said.

Still, among the nations Putin has been cozying up to, some are more important to Russia because they keep trade humming.

These are five key countries for Russia's sanctions-skirting economy:

1. China

It's no secret that China and Russia have a special relationship.

Not only did Beijing and Moscow declare their "no limits" friendship in a joint statement on February 4, 2022, when Putin visited China for the Beijing Winter Olympics, but the Russian leader wasted no time buttering up China after his election victory in March this year.

China was the first country Putin visited after he was inaugurated for his fifth term as president.

As authoritarian regimes, Russia and China have close historical and political roots. Beijing's rivalry with the US and the West also plays right into Russia's script.

China has consistently ranked as one of Russia's most important trading partners since the mid-2000s.

Last year, China's trade with Russia jumped 26%, to a record $240 billion.

2. India

While China's ties with Russia are based on their antagonistic relationships with the West, Moscow's relationship with India is more nuanced.

New Delhi has been getting closer to the US in recent years. The world's largest democracy, India is a member of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, a security pact that includes the US, Japan, and Australia.

It's also a top supply chain hotspot alternative to China.

At the same time, India has become one of Russia's top trading partners after Moscow pivoted most trade away from Europe, following sweeping sanctions.

Russia's relationship with India goes back to the Cold War, and trade between the two countries has grown since Russia started the war in Ukraine. India is a major buyer of Russian oil and Russia is India's biggest arms supplier.

In June, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Russia and met Putin, showing New Delhi isn't afraid to forge its own path in diplomacy.

3. Brazil

Russia and Brazil have what each other needs, making for a mutually beneficial relationship.

Russia exports oil and fertilizers to Brazil and Brazil exports agriculture products — including soybeans, coffee, and meat — to Russia.

In 2023, bilateral trade between Russia and Brazil reached $8.4 billion, off a record high of nearly $10 billion in 2022.

In recent years, Brazil has become important to Russia as part of the BRICS group, which Putin sees as a counterweight to the West-led world order.

Like Putin, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva backs a multipolar world and has championed an alternative to the almighty US dollar in global trade and payments.

"Every night I ask myself why all countries have to base their trade on the dollar," the Brazilian leader said in April 2023.

4. Turkey

Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan are both longtime strongmen leaders.

Russia is one of Turkey's top trading partners, so there are compelling reasons why Ankara would want to deepen ties with Russia.

Just half a year into Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Erdogan took up Putin's offer to create a "natural gas hub" as Europe weaned itself off natural gas imports from Russia.

Since the war's outset, Turkey — a NATO member — has been positioning itself as an intermediary between the West and Moscow, brokering grain export deals between Russia and Ukraine and offering to host peace talks between the two sides.

Turkey has also expressed interest in joining BRICS — which Russia is a member of — and has been given partner country status.

5. Kazakhstan

Former Soviet republics, Russia and Kazakhstan are close trade partners and their economic relationship has only deepened amid the Ukraine war.

In 2024, trade turnover between the two countries reached $27 billion — nearly 40% higher than the $19.7 billion in 2019.

Kazakhstan has come under scrutiny for its role as a key hub of goods to and from Russia, including parallel imports. The Kazakhstan government has been cracking down on such deals, but some trade persists.

In August, Serik Zhumangarin, Kazakhstan's deputy prime minister and its minister of trade and integration, told Bloomberg that some sanctions against Russia have affected the central Asian country's economy.

Kazakhstan "won't blindly follow the sanctions" if it means major local companies are affected, Zhumangarin said.

• Disney is remaking a number of animated classics into live-action movies.
• Some are remakes while others are origin stories or sequels to existing live-action adaptations. 
• Among its current remakes are a live-action "Moana" and "Lilo & Stitch."

Despite Disney's late 2024 live-action release, "Mufasa: The Lion King," making substantially less ($35 million) than its 2019 "The Lion King" CGI-fueled release ($191.7 million) in its opening weekend at the domestic box office, the studio still has plans for two live-action adaptations of beloved animated movies coming in 2025: "Snow White" and "Lilo & Stitch."

And there are plans for more beyond that. Here's everything we know about the upcoming live-action releases of Disney's animated classics. 

Kirsten Acuna contributed to a previous version of this story.

"Snow White" is set for March 21, 2025.

Disney is working on a live-action version of its first animated classic, "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs." Marc Webb ("The Amazing Spider-Man") directs the upcoming adaptation with "West Side Story" star Rachel Zegler playing the iconic Disney princess. Gal Gadot assumes the role of her stepmother, the Evil Queen.

"Snow White is the girl you remember, but she's definitely made for the modern age," Zegler told the D23 crowd in 2022. "There's such an emphasis on what it really means to be the fairest of them all. For Snow White, it's coming to terms with finding herself and finding her inner voice and finding a sense of agency so that she can be a just ruler and a wonderful queen."

The fairy tale will have new music by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, who wrote the songs for "The Greatest Showman" and "La La Land." 

Disney will release a live-action adaptation of "Lilo & Stitch" on May 23, 2025.

Emmy winner Courtney B. Vance will play Cobra Bubbles in the film, according to Deadline. Zach Galifianakis and Billy Magnussen will also star. Maia Kealoha will play Lilo. Dean Fleischer Camp ("Marcel the Shell With Shoes On") will direct.

The director of the original movie, Chris Sanders ("The Wild Robot"), will return to once more voice Stitch.

"Moana" will be released July 10, 2026.

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson announced Disney's working on a live-action "Moana" during a pre-recorded video for a Disney shareholders meeting in early April 2023.

Johnson will reprise his role from the hit 2016 movie as Maui.

"I'm deeply humbled and overcome with gratitude to bring the beautiful story of 'Moana' to the live-action big screen," Johnson said in a statement released by Disney.

"This story is my culture, and this story is emblematic of our people's grace and warrior strength," he added. "I wear this culture proudly on my skin and in my soul, and this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reunite with Maui, inspired by the mana and spirit of my late grandfather, High Chief Peter Maivia, is one that runs very deep for me."

Auli'i Cravalho announced on Instagram she won't reprise her role as the Disney princess. Instead, she'll serve as an executive producer.

This follows the animated box office hit "Moana 2" released at the end of 2024, which has become the studio's "hottest IP."

A live-action "Hercules" is expected to get a theatrical release.

The DisInsider first reported the 1997 animated film about the son of Zeus will get a live-action remake.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, "Avengers: Endgame" directors Anthony and Joe Russo will produce, but not direct, the film. Guy Ritichie, who directed "Aladdin," will direct.

Joe Russo described the film in November 2022 as a musical that will be "a little bit more experimental in tone."

Danny DeVito and James Woods lent their voices in the animated film. Ariana Grande performed a solo six-part harmony of the movie's "I Won't Say I'm In Love" in 2020, prompting many fans to suggest she'd be the perfect Meg. It's unclear at this time whether music will be a part of the film.

Disney is working on an adaptation of 1996's "Hunchback of Notre Dame," but it's in limbo.

Deadline reported in 2019 that a live-action version of Disney's 1996 movie about an orphaned Quasimodo living in the bell tower of Notre Dame was in the works. Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz, who teamed up on "Pocahontas," will write the music, while Josh Gad ("Frozen") is producing.

Deadline reports the live-action film will adapt both the 1996 Disney film and the Victor Hugo novel. It's not clear whether or not the remake will be for Disney's streaming service or a theatrical release. 

Gad has said the script is "one of the best" he has read and expressed his hope that Disney will let them make the live-action adaptation.

In May 2023, Menken gave ComicBook.com an update: "It's a tough one, because the Hunchback movie, Hunchback story involves a lot of real, real issues that are important issues and should be explored to be discussed. And there has to be an agreement about how we deal with those issues... It sits in this limbo right now."

"Robin Hood" is getting remade for Disney+.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the remake will be directed by Carlos Lopez Estrada and will head to Disney+.

In June 2022, Chris Evans said he'd love "a crack" at playing the character since he's a big fan of the animated film.

A sequel to the live-action "Aladdin" may still be in the works, but the star doesn't seem hopeful.

Variety reported that John Gatins and Andrea Berloff are writing a sequel to the 2019 film with producers Dan Lin and Jonathan Eirich returning.

Lin told Business Insider in August 2019 they were discussing a sequel.

"I can't talk too much about the sequel just yet, but know that we are hearing fans' desires to see another 'Aladdin' movie and feel like there's more story to tell," Lin told BI after the film crossed $1 billion at the box office.

Director Guy Ritchie told Collider in February 2023 he "would very much like to" return for a sequel, adding they've "been kicking some ideas around."

However, in March, star Mena Massoud sounded less hopeful, telling fans on Twitter a sequel was "very unlikely at this point."

Disney released two popular direct-to-video sequels for "Aladdin" in the '90s, including "The Return of Jafar" and "Aladdin and the King of Thieves." Variety reported the sequel will be completely original and not based on the straight-to-video films.

Disney has not officially announced the sequel.

An Aladdin spinoff, featuring Prince Anders, is in development at Disney+.

In 2019, THR reported that Billy Magnussen's "Aladdin" character would get his own spin-off movie on Disney Plus. The film is not supposed to be a sequel.

Anders is a prince who unsuccessfully sought Princess Jasmine's hand in marriage in the 2019 film.

In May 2022, Magnussen told Screen Rant the film was still moving forward and in the process of rewrites.

 

Disney is reportedly remaking 1963's "The Sword in the Stone," which follows a young King Arthur and his lessons with the wizard Merlin.

The remake will be written by "Game of Thrones" writer and producer Bryan Cogman. Juan Carlos Fresnadillo was named as the director in January 2018.

In 2024, Fresnadillo, who directed the Netflix movie "Damsel," gave an update to Collider on the project: "I was attached a long time ago, and I prepped a lot for Disney for that movie. I don't know exactly what happened, but the studio decided to hold the project. So right now it's in a holding situation, and I don't know what's going to happen, to be honest. But I think it's a great story. I would be so keen to make it if they decided to greenlight the project."

"Bambi" will be getting remade for a new generation.

According to Variety, the remake of the 1942 film won't be live-action with a real deer, rabbit, and skunk. Disney will utilize the technology that helped bring "The Lion King" remake to life to look photorealistic.

In 2023, Deadline reported that Sarah Polley ("Women Talking") was on board to direct, but a year later The Wrap reported that she had exited the project.

We haven't heard updates on the rest of these films in a while. "The Jungle Book" sequel was originally announced years ago.

Before the release of Disney's remake of 1961's "The Jungle Book," the studio already started planning a sequel. The movie was a huge success, grossing nearly $1 billion at the box office.

According to The Hollywood Reporter in 2016, Jon Favreau was expected to return to the director's chair for "The Jungle Book 2" along with Justin Marks to return for the sequel. There is no set release date for the movie.

Peter Pan's fairy companion Tinker Bell was reportedly getting her own live-action film, too.

The Hollywood Reporter wrote about a movie in 2015 that would star Reese Witherspoon. 

Disney was reportedly in talks to remake Roald Dahl's "James and the Giant Peach," which was adapted as a stop-motion film in 1996.

No new information has been released since 2016. 

• Tricia Goh is a final year computer science student at the National University of Singapore.
• Unlike most of her peers, Goh says she is not gunning for a job at a FAANG company.
• Goh received a job offer after competing a six-month internship at a Norwegian software company.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Tricia Goh, 22, a senior at the National University of Singapore studying computer science. The following has been edited for length and clarity. Business Insider has verified her education and employment history.

Landing a job in the tech industry isn't as easy as it once was. It's scary to read news stories about how tough the job market is for computer science graduates these days.

Computer science has also become more popular and competitive as a major. There are nearly a thousand students in my batch. This means that each of us could end up fighting with hundreds of people for the same number of roles.

Interestingly, studying computer science wasn't always on the cards for me. Like most Singaporean youths, I had no idea what I wanted to study at university when I graduated from junior college.

To get a better sense of what I wanted to do, I spent the nine months I had before college doing internships. I ended up doing two internships — at a primary school where I taught English and mathematics and at a local IT company that focuses on enterprise software.

Working at that IT company was a transformative experience.

I had the benefit of getting one-to-one guidance from the company's founder, and got to learn more about the tech industry and ecosystem.

The internship ended up sparking my interest in computer science.

In fact, even when school started, I still found myself heading back to the company to help out and brush up on my understanding of areas like cybersecurity and software engineering.

Interning my way to a full-time job

It wasn't easy adapting to university life during my first few semesters.

The curriculum was challenging, and I thought my grades didn't accurately reflect what I could contribute to a company if hired as a full-time employee. That drove me to do more internships to accrue hands-on experience.

This year, I did a six-month internship at a Norwegian software company. The company recently set up its headquarters in Singapore, and I participated in its efforts to break into the Asian market.

At the end of this internship, I was offered a full-time job.

Rejecting the FAANG rat race to walk my own path

Many of my peers are gunning for top high-paying jobs at FAANG companies like Facebook and Google.

People like me who don't aim for those positions often get asked questions like, "Why aren't you going for the best jobs out there? Why aren't you trying to get a job at Google?"

However, I have no regrets about prioritizing my own growth by working at a smaller company.

Working at a FAANG company may be something that many computer science students see themselves doing, but such a goal isn't in line with what I want out of my career.

My long-term goal is to become an entrepreneur and start my own company. I know that I won't be happy earning lots of money if it means working long hours.

I would rather do something more fulfilling that still allows me to support my family and live well. I don't mind opting out of the hustle of chasing big-name companies for smaller learning experiences instead.

Do you have a story to tell about your tech or finance career? Reach out to this reporter at [email protected].

• Blake Lively filed a legal complaint against Justin Baldoni, her "It Ends With Us" costar and director.
• Lively accused Baldoni of sexual harassment and a retaliation campaign to damage her reputation.
• A PR expert said Baldoni, who denied the claims, has "an uphill battle" to try and win the lawsuit.

Blake Lively's lawsuit accusing her "It Ends with Us" director and costar Justin Baldoni of sexual harassment and retaliation could end in a settlement or play out in a very public trial. Either way, PR and legal experts say Baldoni has an "uphill battle" ahead.

News that Lively filed a complaint Friday with the California Civil Rights Department sent shockwaves through Hollywood over the weekend. The news comes months after rumors of a feud between Lively and Baldoni — then thought to be over creative control — overshadowed the August press cycle for "It Ends with Us," the film adaptation of Colleen Hoover's novel of the same name.

In the legal complaint obtained by Business Insider, Lively said she attended a meeting during filming with Baldoni and producer Jamey Heath, who runs Baldoni's company Wayfarer Studios, to address the "hostile work environment that had nearly derailed production of the film."

In a statement, Baldoni's attorney, Bryan Freedman, called Lively's claims "completely false, outrageous, and intentionally salacious with an intent to publicly hurt and rehash a narrative in the media."

Mike Fahey, founder and CEO of Fahey Communications, told Business Insider that Lively's suit was thoughtful and well-timed.

"This is a masterclass in PR," Fahey said. "She and her team brilliantly waited a beat and listened. The Baldoni camp is definitely trying to grasp at straws to try to say that this is Blake's attempt to rehab her reputation."

Experts said Lively's suit was exceptionally detailed, and its timing was smart

In the legal filing, Lively said that after addressing the workplace concerns, all parties agreed to several stipulations, including hiring an intimacy coordinator. Other agreements included "no more mention of Mr. Baldoni or Mr. Heath's previous 'pornography addiction'" to Lively, referenced in the complaint as BL, and "no more showing nude videos or images of women, including the producer's wife to BL or her employees."

Lively's complaint alleged that the online backlash she endured over the summer was the result of a "sophisticated press and digital plan in retaliation for Ms. Lively exercising her legally protected right to speak up about their misconduct on the set, with the additional objective of intimidating her and anyone else from revealing in public what actually occurred."

Camron Dowlatshahi, a partner at MSD Lawyers in Los Angeles, a law firm that specializes in entertainment and employment law, told BI that Lively's camp filing the suit so close to the holidays, when Baldoni's team would be more likely to get caught flat-footed, speaks volumes.

"It was pretty strategic to have it this week and still get the benefit of the media attention just for a few days before Justin and his production team really get a chance to hit back immediately," Dowlatshahi said.

Lively's suit was also packed with details, making the case that Baldoni and his team coordinated a smear campaign against her. It included screenshots of messages that Lively's team said were from Baldoni, his publicist Jennifer Abel, and crisis communications specialist Melissa Nathan, whom Baldoni hired over the summer, discussing the strategy to ruin Lively's reputation.

Dowlatshahi said that this much detail and evidence in a complaint is rare. "You often don't have the actual text messages all ready to go," he added.

In his response, Baldoni's attorney Freedman called Lively's legal complaint "yet another desperate attempt to 'fix' her negative reputation which was garnered from her own remarks and actions during the campaign for the film; interviews and press activities that were observed publicly, in real time and unedited, which allowed for the internet to generate their own views and opinions."

Dowlatshahi called this a typical attorney response, though he added that Freedman "did add some color to some of the allegations" beyond the usual boilerplate statement and denial of Lively's claims.

Lively's complaint shed light on the dark side of PR

Lively's 80-page complaint garnered attention for its detailed account of the alleged PR strategy intended to damage her reputation — a facet of the entertainment industry that the average person isn't typically privy to or even aware of.

Fahey said that it's common for PR teams to anticipate a worst-case scenario and discuss possible situations. Still, he added, "You do not orchestrate an in-depth plan preparing how you are going to go after someone in the media."

Fahey added that Baldoni's team's alleged plan doesn't reflect the PR industry as a whole. "I would feel very confident saying it's not what's happening every single day," he said. "Are there coordinated campaigns? Yes, but I would hope for our society as a whole that people are not spending their time figuring out if they can bury someone for court."

Erik Bernstein, president of Bernstein Crisis Management, agreed. "This is not the only way to do crisis PR," he said. "Everybody makes their own choice, but I think there are a lot of people in the industry who would be taken aback at the weaponizing of astroturfing here and the general attitude."

While the legal complaint sheds new light on the backlash Lively faced during the "It Ends With Us" press tour, some online still dislike Lively.

"The issue is that the damage that's already been done to Lively isn't going to be undone by this," Bernstein said.

Bernstein said if Lively were his client, they'd assess how much damage has been done, what steps could be taken to shift public opinion, and how to distill her case into something digestible for her audience, like sharing a statement with her 45.3 million followers on Instagram or taking her side of the story to a national media platform.

The impact on Baldoni's career and reputation will likely be more severe. Since the news of the suit broke, the actor-director has been dropped by WME, the same agency that reps Lively.

Baldoni will have a hard time rehabbing his reputation in Hollywood, experts say

Dowlatshahi said that because the case is already so high-profile, "I would certainly go on the offensive if I were him, assuming he has some evidence to help himself out."

If Baldoni doesn't have enough evidence to publicly defend himself, Bernstein suggested that the actor stay silent until the dispute blows over.

"I don't want to over-speculate, but if he doesn't have evidence to really back up to and defend himself, this could drastically alter the course of his career," Fahey said. "This is not some small lawsuit. These allegations are very, very serious. Blake Lively isn't a PA on set. Blake Lively is one of the biggest names in Hollywood."

If Baldoni chooses to settle the case or fight in court, what happens next is up to him. Fahey thinks the dispute isn't looking good for him.

"The case that's already being presented is very damning against Justin Baldoni," Fahey said. "So he already has an uphill battle to try to even win this lawsuit."

Although most cases of this nature settle, Dowlatshahi said he thinks there's a chance Lively's complaint against Baldoni plays out publicly, like Johnny Depp and Amber Heard's 2022 defamation trial did.

"If he wants to make this his hill to die on, he'll fight back," Fahey said of Baldoni. "He'll take this to trial and this could be like a Johnny-Depp/Amber-Heard-type situation. That is your most dramatic case scenario. On the other hand, if Justin wants this to go away quietly, he will settle and let everything go away," he said.

"I think that pride and reputation are what will dictate what happens next."

• Our family looks forward to a busy holiday event attended by thousands in our town each year.
• We've given the oldest of our four kids more independence, even at this crowded event.
• We use technology and the trust we have in our community to keep our kids safe.

Each year, on the first Saturday of December, our town hosts its annual holiday light-up night to kick off the festive season. Our quaint main street is packed with vendors, goodies, local musicians, and reindeer games. Local businesses sling seasonal cocktails for the grownups and set up craft stations for the kids. The town kicks off the evening by welcoming Santa and Mrs. Claus to the town center where everybody cheers as the massive Christmas tree comes to life with thousands of twinkling lights. If I'm being honest, it's a scene straight out of a holiday movie.

My husband and I have been attending this event for a decade, ever since we relocated to the tiny Pittsburgh borough of Bellevue with infant twins and a toddler in tow. Since our first light-up night, the event has grown substantially — and so has our family. I'll admit it hasn't always been easy helping four kids navigate a main drag packed with a couple of thousand neighbors, but we trudge the two blocks to the center of town religiously every year. It's a chance to hug neighbors, let the kids run free, and celebrate the loving community we are so thankful to be a part of.

We created our village

I often hear other moms bemoan the "loss of the village," and the way modern motherhood can feel insular and lonely. This is true on many levels. Shifts in the fabric of American society have left today's mothers with less support than our moms had, and the 24-hour news cycle has left even more mothers fearful of leaning on their community.

Thankfully, that has not been our experience. While I would like to say we magically found our "village," the truth is that sometimes we have to create one.

It's not easy to lean on neighbors (or strangers), but I've learned over our decade in this little town that people are willing to look out for each other, if you open up your heart and let them.

A few years ago, we briefly lost our youngest child at this very same holiday event. While those moments when she wasn't in our eyesight were terrifying, I knew in my gut during those frantic moments that the adults in our town were looking out for her. As a neighbor I barely knew hoisted my kiddo above the crowd so I could find her, I teared up. This community we are a part of looks out for one another.

Giving our kids independence

Our kids are older now; 13, 11 (twins), and 6. We've given our big three more independence in our walkable town throughout the year. With kid-safe cell phones in hand and kid-friendly debit cards at their fingertips, we trusted our village enough to set them loose on the main street once that giant evergreen was shining brightly at the center of town. While my 13-year-old and one of my 11-year-old twins spent some time with us throughout the evening, our son Ezra disappeared into the festive fray almost immediately. I wasn't surprised. He's extroverted and confident and has never met a festival he didn't love.

For many parents, not seeing their fifth grader for two hours on a dark and chilly evening may induce panic, but this village we've built and come to rely on gave us the confidence to let him test his wings. The location dot on his cell phone let us know he was still at the event, and a few spending notifications told us he was well hydrated and warm, thanks to a pair of LED gloves he purchased from a street vendor.

It seems like our son had a great night

We heard snippets about Ezra's evening from others. Our town librarian heard the DJ say his name at one point, and another friend let us know he helped pass out raffle baskets to the winners at the end of the evening. A fellow parent let me know she told his friend group to move their horseplay away from some younger kids, and they readily complied. I thanked her for being willing to offer guidance when I didn't have eyes on him. "Sure," she said. "I would want you to do the same if you saw my kid being a knucklehead, too." We laughed, but I know she means it.

Once the festivities had concluded, Ezra sent us a text asking if he could help the adults in charge clean up the event. We often say his big personality is paired with an even bigger heart. Of course we said yes.

Once he finally burst through our front door at the end of the evening, brought home by a friend's older cousin, he was cold and exhausted. It was after 10 p.m. and he crashed quickly into bed. I asked him how his night went since we had not seen him for over two hours. "It was fun," he said. "I think I did everything they had to do." Within minutes, he was out cold.

I'm glad we can trust our children — and our town — to do the right thing

A few days later, a local photographer shared a photo album from the festivities. Within an hour I had a dozen text messages telling me to take a look. I opened the link and gasped. There was Ezra, on stage, holding a tambourine. The thousand-watt smile on his face says it all. He had the best night. I have never seen a photo that better encapsulates my son.

Modern parenting is designed to provoke anxiety. From online urban legends and hysteria to a general lack of trust in our neighbors, it's easy to give into the temptation to clip our kids' wings and worry about how the world may harm them.

I know the world is scary. I worry every day about my kids' safety. I worry about gun violence, online bullying, and the general divisiveness and hatred that seems to permeate today's culture. Rather than give into the temptation to shelter them at home, though, I've found strength in leaning on our community and working hard to foster independence in our kids. With a bit of help from modern technology and a whole lot of help from trusted adults, teaching our kids to navigate the world on their own feels like the best possible tool we can give them.

• People across the US celebrate Christmas differently.
• Drive-thru light displays are popular in Connecticut, Louisiana, and West Virginia.
• Meanwhile, Alabama and Idaho are known for having lavish Christmas trees in front of their capitols.

The song goes, "It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas everywhere you go. " The best part is that Christmas can look a little different as you travel from coast to coast.

Sure, there are traditional symbols like Christmas trees, snowmen, and candy canes, but each state puts its own local twist on the festive celebrations.

Whether you're planning to spend your holiday on the sunny beaches of Hawaii with Shaka Santa and his wife Tutu Mele or ice skating at Rockefeller Center in New York, here's a peek at how each state makes the holidays special.

Alabama

It's been widely reported that Alabama became the first state to make Christmas a legal holiday in 1836.

These days, the state celebrates with a tree outside the state capitol in Montgomery, Alabama.

Alaska

In 1952, Con and Nellie Miller set up a trading post outside Fairbanks, Alaska, and called the town North Pole. The Miller family built Santa Claus House, a general goods store there.

Arizona

In the Arizona desert, some people decorate cacti for the Christmas season.

In 2018, the Associated Press reported that a family in Phoenix built their Christmas tree from a cactus skeleton. They called it a "Phoenix Christmas tree."

Arkansas

Every year, Fayetteville, Arkansas, hosts the "Lights of the Ozarks" Christmas light display.

This year, the display will be up from November 22 to January 1, and according to ExperienceFayetteville.com, it's free to visit every night until 1 a.m.

California

California is home to the original Disneyland, which hosts several Christmas-themed events during the holiday season.

This year, through January 6, the park will be transformed into a winter wonderland. Even Sleeping Beauty's Castle gets the holiday treatment with wreaths and lights of its own.

Colorado

Every year, Denver turns into a holiday wonderland for an event known as "Mile High Holidays."

Throughout November and December, the city is decorated with a 110-foot-tall LED light tree, while the botanical garden and zoo are transformed with lights.

Connecticut

In 2021, software company Porch conducted a study that found that people in Connecticut spend the most time decorating the exteriors of their homes, using an average of seven hours and 36 minutes to do so.

One of the most popular houses to visit was that of the Setti family in Norwalk, who decorated their home into a Christmas village for 26 years before retiring in 2014.

Delaware

Nemours Estate is typically decked with elaborate Christmas decorations in Wilmington, Delaware.

According to the estate's website, visitors can tour the 77-room 20th-century mansion, the Chauffeur's garage, and the gardens, complete with their holiday displays through December 29.

Florida

Universal Studios in Orlando transforms for the holidays every year with holiday lights, Christmas trees, and other festive decor.

In the Wizarding World of Harry Potter section, guests can sip hot butterbeer while the Grinch hangs around Seuss Landing.

Georgia

Every year, Atlanta hosts "Skate the Station," where a large, temporary ice skating rink is installed at Atlantic Station.

This year's rink is in operation through January 15.

Hawaii

Shaka Santa and his wife, Tutu Mele, are fixtures of the holiday season in Honolulu.

Every year, the pair of 21-foot statues are placed in front of city hall or Honolulu Hale. The city is also known for the "Honolulu City Lights" celebration.

Idaho

Every year, Idaho's state Christmas tree is lit in front of the statehouse in Boise.

According to a local news station, this year's tree is a 36-foot-tall blue spruce that weighs about 3,750 pounds.

Illinois

Chicago and Aurora, Illinois, will host the Christkindlmarket this year.

It's the 28th year the market has been held in Chicago, and over those years, it's become a popular attraction for residents looking to buy gifts, ornaments, and food from around the world.

Indiana

Indianapolis decorates the Soldiers and Sailors Monument with 4,784 Christmas lights to make it look like a giant Christmas tree in an event known as the "Circle of Lights."

Iowa

Keokuk, Iowa, hosts the "City of Christmas Display of Lights", a light display in Rand Park that visitors can drive through.

About 20,000 cars drive through the park annually to see more than 150 light displays, including the nativity scene, Santa's workshop, reindeer, and elves.

Kansas

Botanica, The Wichita Gardens, is a public garden that hosts the holiday light show "Illuminations."

"Illuminations" features up to two million lights and has music, carousel rides, treats, and an opportunity to see Santa Claus. This year's display will be available through January 4.

Kentucky

Visitors of Lexington, Kentucky's Triangle Park, can enjoy an ice skating rink through January 20, 2025.

Louisiana

"Celebration in the Oaks" is an annual tradition where the city of New Orleans covers 25 acres of New Orleans City Park in Christmas lights.

The display spans the Park, Botanical Garden, Storyland, and the Carousel Gardens Amusement Park.

Maine

Since Maine is known for its lobster, it's fitting that residents build special Christmas trees focused on the sea creature.

In 2018, Rockland, Maine, residents built the world's largest tree out of lobster traps, reaching 40.5 feet. The tree included 155 lobster traps, 180 lobster buoys, and 2,500 lights, News Center Maine reported.

Maryland

The Hampden neighborhood of Baltimore attracts visitors every year thanks to its elaborate Christmas decorations, which are displayed in a display called "Miracle on 34th Street."

Almost all the homes on the block are covered in Christmas lights, candy canes, Santa dolls, and other holiday displays.

Massachusetts

Boston transforms during the holiday season, with hundreds of Christmas lights covering the trees in the Public Garden, Copley Square, the Prudential Center, and the Common.

Michigan

Millions of lights become the focal point at the Detroit Zoo's "Wild Lights" event. According to its website, the zoo features more than 500 immersive displays. Some of the massive light displays include a lion, whale, fox, and snake.

Minnesota

Decorated in various Christmas lights, the Canadian Pacific Holiday Train stops in more than 20 towns throughout Minnesota to raise money, awareness, and food donations for local food banks and pantries.

Though visitors can't actually ride the train, they're treated to a concert of holiday songs and popular originals. Some of this year's performers include Alana Springsteen, American Authors, Clerel, and Tiera Kennedy.

Mississippi

While most of the country decorates houses for Christmas, some residents in Mississippi decorate their boats with Christmas lights and other holiday decor.

The boaters show off their festive vessels at the Biloxi Beach Water Boat Parade, culminating in a fireworks show over the water.

Missouri

Union Station in Kansas City, Missouri, is decorated with Christmas lights, falling snowflakes, a Christmas tree, and toy trains for the holiday season.

People also come to the station to take in the holiday-themed shows, which include piano recitals, pageants, and caroling.

Montana

Volunteers in Bigfork, Montana, called the Bigfork Elves, are known for decorating the town yearly.

According to Bigfork.com, the volunteers "deck the town with over 10,000 feet of garland and lights" and have been active in the area for over 40 years.

Residents also gather for a tree-lighting ceremony and host other festive events.

Nebraska

"Christmas at the Cody's" is an annual celebration at the mansion of "Buffalo Bill" and Louisa Cody in North Platte, Nebraska.

The property is part of the Buffalo Bill Ranch State Historical Park, and guests can enjoy Christmas lights, carols, and horse-drawn carriage rides.

Nevada

In 2019, Business Insider named Las Vegas one of the most festive places to spend the holidays, and the annual Las Vegas Great Santa Run might be part of the reason.

The event draws thousands of people dressed in Old Saint Nick costumes to the city's downtown area to run or walk the course.

New Hampshire

Though residents in Connecticut win for most time spent on exterior decorations, New Hampshire residents spend the most time decorating overall, with an average of 17 hours dedicated to the activity, according to Porch.

Loudon, New Hampshire, is also home to the Gift of Lights, a 2.5-mile drive with hundreds of light displays.

New Jersey

Christmas Day looks a bit different for some in New Jersey because they re-enact George Washington's famous crossing of the Delaware River.

The event starts at the Washington Crossing Historic Park in Pennsylvania and ends in Trenton, New Jersey, just as the former president did in 1776.

New Mexico

Every Christmas Eve, the streets leading to the Mesilla town square are lined with paper lanterns.

The square is also decorated in lights, as local choirs sing Christmas tunes, visitors enjoy holiday treats, and a vigil is held for fallen service members of the local fire department.

New York

Rockefeller Center was completed in 1939 and has since become one of New York City's most popular tourist destinations. Millions of people visit the Christmas tree every year.

According to NBC, the tree is completed with a 900-pound Swarovski star with 70 spikes, 3 million crystals, and plenty of lights.

North Carolina

According to a 2022 report by the USDA, North Carolina produces the second-most Christmas trees of any state in the US, with more than 3 million trees.

North Dakota

This year, Williston, North Dakota, celebrated its 10th annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony with a 41-foot-tall Colorado Blue Spruce.

In addition to the tree lighting, guests enjoyed a bonfire, music, and fireworks.

Ohio

"A Christmas Story" was released in 1983 and quickly became a cult classic during the holidays.

The house seen in the movie is still standing in Cleveland, and across the street, there's a museum that houses props, costumes, and other artifacts from the film.

Oklahoma

Every year, the Heart of Oklahoma Chamber of Commerce hosts the Purcell Christmas Parade in Purcell, Oklahoma.

One key detail for parade participants: No one can dress up as Santa Claus — that responsibility belongs to the Heart of Oklahoma Chamber of Commerce.

Oregon

Beating out North Carolina for Christmas tree production is Oregon.

According to the USDA, the "Beaver State" produced more than 4.5 million Christmas trees in 2022 to earn the top spot in the country.

Pennsylvania

In Philadelphia's Love Park, you'll find the Christmas Village, an open-air market with small business owners' booths, a Ferris wheel, treats, and the second-annual Festival of Trees fundraiser for the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

Rhode Island

Newport is known for its famous mansions like The Breakers, The Elms, and Marble House.

The Preservation Society of Newport County welcomes visitors every year inside these homes to tour the Christmas decorations. You will find wreaths, poinsettias, white candles, and elaborate Christmas trees inside.

South Carolina

The Poinsettia Christmas Parade has been a Greenville, South Carolina, tradition for over 75 years.

This year, the best walking group award was given to the Bike Walk Greenville "Poinsettia Pedalers and Pedestrians."

South Dakota

According to Travel South Dakota, the state's "Christmas at the Capitol" tradition started in 1981 with 12 Christmas trees and now features almost 100 trees decorated by different organizations, cities, and businesses.

Tennessee

Business Insider's Priyanka Rajput reported that the Gaylord Opryland Resort in Nashville has hosted "A Country Christmas" for 41 years.

To celebrate the holidays, the hotel prepares for six weeks to decorate the space with everything from life-size ice sculptures and hand-tied ribbons to elaborate Christmas trees.

Texas

The AT&T Performing Arts Center in Dallas hosted the "Reliant Lights Your Holiday" festival earlier this month. The free event included live music, local vendors, a drone show, fireworks, cookie decorating, and more.

Utah

Founded in 1847, the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square (previously known as the Mormon Tabernacle Choir) tours the world for most of the year but returns to Salt Lake City for its annual Christmas concert.

This year's guest artist is Tony Award winner Ruthie Ann Miles.

Vermont

House Beautiful named Woodstock, Vermont, one of 2024's "most charming Christmas towns" in the US.

One of its attractions is Wassail Weekend, a festival with a parade, Christmas tree lighting, caroling, ice skating, and more.

Virginia

Williamsburg, Virginia, is known for having a variety of festive activities, including markets, fireworks shows, performances, and Busch Gardens Christmas Town.

Washington

Like other major cities, Seattle hosts an annual Christmas market with artisans, food, drinks, and more. The city also participates in SantaCon, a bar crawl where people dress up as Santa.

West Virginia

The "Oglebay Winter Festival of Lights" dates back to 1985 and takes place in Wheeling, West Virginia. Today, it includes more than 100 light displays across 300 acres, WBOY-TV reported, and this year's display also features lights choreographed to music.

Wisconsin

At the Mid-Continent Railway Museum in North Freedom, Wisconsin, visitors can ride two holiday-themed trains: the Santa Express and the Holiday Flyer.

According to the museum's website, passengers aboard the Santa Express will take a 55-minute ride and receive a visit from Santa and a small gift, while passengers on the Holiday Flyer will receive hot chocolate and treats.

Wyoming

The Jackson Hole Town Square is famous for its arch made of antlers.

After Thanksgiving, the city holds an event — with Santa, cookies, candies, and carols — to watch the antlers light up with Christmas lights for the first time in the season.

• I relocated from New York City to Florida to be closer to one of my favorite places, Disney World.
• I visit the parks at least three times a week and love spending time with my friends there.
• I'm still adjusting to the severe storms and dealing with a little homesickness.

As someone who lived in New York City for over 20 years, moving to Florida was a significant change.

I live about 15 minutes away from Disney World, and though I love visiting the parks, I definitely miss some things about NYC.

Here are a few of the best and worst parts of my move.

I can visit the Disney parks multiple times a week.

One great thing about living so close to Disney World is that I can go to the parks whenever I want, as long as reservations are available for annual passholders.

I usually visit three or four times a week because the parks bring me so much happiness.

I enjoy meeting the characters, so if I'm having a hard day and want to see Mickey Mouse or a princess, I don't have to commute very far.

I frequently get to spend time with my friends at the parks.

Most of the friends I made during my time in the Disney College Program in 2018 now live in Florida.

Since moving, I've met with them to watch the parades, visit characters, and eat snacks in the parks.

It's nice to go to the parks, enjoy each other's company, and not feel rushed during every experience.

I can easily try the new, creative snacks Disney rolls out.

The creative snacks are one of my favorite parts of visiting Disney World.

I love trying the different cupcakes, brownies, and Mickey crisped-rice treats that celebrate holidays like Halloween, Christmas, and Father's Day.

I often enjoy the Mickey ice-cream sandwiches and bars, especially when the heat is unbearable.

Most of the people I've met in Florida have been friendly.

I was born and raised in New York City, so I was taught not to make eye contact or say hello to most people when walking on the street.

One of the first things I noticed when I moved to Florida was how friendly many people were, especially the staff at Disney World.

Whenever I pass by people at my apartment complex or in the parks, a wave or a "hello" is often involved.

Though this initially felt strange, I've become more comfortable interacting with strangers.

I can see glimpses of Magic Kingdom's fireworks from my apartment.

I never thought I'd be able to see Magic Kingdom's fireworks from my apartment, but now I can.

Though I don't have a complete view of the shows, I see at least a couple of magical fireworks each night.

On the other hand, Florida has more intense storms than New York.

I thought I knew what heavy rain was like living in New York, but I didn't realize how extreme tropical storms and hurricanes could be until I moved to Florida.

Although New York has been hit directly by a handful of hurricanes in the past few years, Florida is the most hurricane-prone state in the US.

The storms in Florida can get pretty extreme. When I had to evacuate my apartment complex and ride out Hurricane Ian, my first big Florida storm, I chose to stay at Disney's Wilderness Lodge.

It was a frightening experience, but I thought the park employees did a great job ensuring guests were as comfortable as possible.

Still, I try to stay on top of extreme weather warnings and upcoming storms more than ever now that I'm in Florida.

The heat can be brutal, especially when waiting for outdoor attractions.

Florida is known for its high temperatures and strong sun rays, so I apply sunscreen much more often than I did in New York.

Many of the attractions and shows at the theme parks are outdoors, so if I forget my sunscreen, I get a harsh sunburn that lasts for several days.

The tap water doesn't taste as good as it did in NYC.

After living in New York for about 20 years, I grew accustomed to the taste of tap water.

Since I made drinking tap water a habit, I usually bring my reusable water bottles with me when I visit the theme parks.

However, I find that Florida's tap water doesn't taste as great.

I miss my family and often experience homesickness.

I moved to Florida with my sister but often miss my parents and family back in New York.

It's hard knowing I can't take a 40-minute train ride to see my parents on the weekends like I did in college.

It's nice when my parents do come to visit, though.

This story was originally published on January 16, 2024, and most recently updated on December 23, 2024.

• Getty Images released its top 100 most powerful news photos of the year.
• Photos show key moments in the 2024 presidential election and conflicts in the Middle East.
• Photographers captured the aftermath of natural disasters and phenomena like the solar eclipse.

Getty Images released a compilation of the most powerful news photos taken by their photographers in 2024.

Throughout the year, photojournalists captured the defining images of the biggest news stories related to politics, military conflicts, natural disasters, and other global issues.

"Regardless of the assignment, Getty Images photographers and videographers produced honest, moving, and gripping images of humanity at its highest and lowest moments and painted a picture of the world in all of its complexity without bias or manipulation, producing a trusted and memorable historic document of 2024," Sandy Ciric, senior director of news photography at Getty Images, told Business Insider.

Here are 30 of the best news photos of the year.

On January 10, Ukrainian soldiers fired an 82mm mortar in Kreminna.

Mortar platoon soldiers endured temperatures of -15 degrees Celsius while holding their positions.

Palestinian children played in the ruins of Rafah in Gaza on January 31.

Mahmoud Al-Durra and his children were displaced from Gaza City amid the Israel-Hamas war.

On February 8, Pakistani citizens attended an event at the Pakistan Muslim League party office ahead of the general elections.

The elections were held two years after Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan was ousted in a no-confidence vote.

San Francisco Drag Laureate D'Arcy Drollinger officiated the wedding of a same-sex couple on Valentine's Day at San Francisco City Hall.

The event marked 20 years since the first same-sex marriages in San Francisco.

Multimillion-dollar mansions were left precariously perched on a cliff on February 27 after a landslide in Dana Point, California.

On February 4, Gov. Gavin Newsom of California declared a state of emergency in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura counties after heavy rainfall caused flooding and mudslides.

Around 65 migrants crossed the English Channel on an inflatable dinghy on March 6.

According to data released by the UK's Home Office, 33,684 migrants arrived in the UK on small boats in 2024 as of December 1.

A cargo ship struck Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge on March 26, causing it to collapse.

Six maintenance workers died as a result of the bridge collapse.

On April 8, a solar eclipse was visible above the Washington Monument in Washington, DC.

Many traveled to watch the solar eclipse in the "path of totality" in parts of the US, Mexico, and Canada.

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators barricaded themselves inside a building at Columbia University amid rising campus tensions on April 30.

In April, Columbia University's then-president Nemat Minouche Shafik announced that the institution would not divest from Israel and said students remaining in a pro-Palestinian encampment on campus would be suspended. Student protesters then barricaded themselves inside the university's Hamilton Hall, resulting in 300 arrests.

Employees at the Hidden Sanctuary Resort in the Philippines dumped blocks of ice into the water during a heat wave on May 4.

Temperatures in the Philippines hit 53 degrees Celsius, or around 127 degrees Fahrenheit.

Mourners attended the funeral of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in Tehran on May 22.

Raisi died in a helicopter crash in the mountains near the border with Azerbaijan. Iran's foreign minister and a provincial governor also died in the crash.

A wind turbine in Prescott, Iowa, lay toppled after tornadoes ripped through the area on May 22.

Iowa experienced a record-high number of 122 tornadoes in 2024.

The Sundhnúkur volcano near Grindavik, Iceland, erupted on May 29.

Iceland's famous Blue Lagoon was evacuated ahead of the eruption.

June 6, 2024 marked the 80th anniversary of D-Day.

The Normandy British Memorial hosted an installation titled "Standing with Giants" as part of the official D-Day commemoration.

On June 27, President Joe Biden faced off against former President Donald Trump during the first presidential debate in Atlanta.

The presidential debate proved disastrous for Biden. His poor performance panicked Democrats, ultimately leading to his withdrawal from the 2024 election.

On July 13, former President Donald Trump narrowly survived an assassination attempt during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

Photographers on the campaign trail captured images of Trump's bloodied face as he held a fist in the air, which quickly became iconic photos.

Oil slick from the sunken tanker MT Terra Nova muddied the waters of Manila Bay in the Philippines on July 29.

The oil tanker was carrying 1.4 million liters, or around 400,000 gallons, of fuel when it sank during Typhoon Gaemi.

One year after the Maui wildfires, damage remained visible in an aerial photo taken of Lahaina on August 4.

The Maui wildfires killed 102 people.

A firefighter battled flames from the Park Fire in Mill Creek, California, on August 7.

The Park Fire, the fourth-largest fire in California's history, burned over 400,000 acres.

Vice President Kamala Harris and President Joe Biden embraced at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on August 19.

Biden endorsed Harris after he dropped out of the race.

In his speech at the Democratic National Convention, Biden spoke highly of Harris, saying that choosing her as his vice president was "the best decision" he's made in his career.

"I've made a lot of mistakes in my career, but I gave my best to you," he said in his speech.

Debris from Chimney Rock, North Carolina, littered the shores of Lake Lure in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene on September 28.

Hurricane Helene, a Category 4 storm, left 3 million homes in five states without power and caused widespread flooding and damage.

Israelis marked the first anniversary of the October 7 terrorist attacks in which Hamas militants killed around 1,200 people and took 254 hostages.

Around 60 hostages remain in Gaza, though it is unknown how many are still alive.

Israel's counteroffensive airstrikes and military actions in Gaza have resulted in over 45,000 Palestinian fatalities, according to figures provided to the United Nations by the Hamas-run Ministry of Health in Gaza. The Israel Defense Forces reported that 17,000 of these fatalities were Hamas militants.

Two weeks after Hurricane Helene, another storm pummeled the region when Hurricane Milton made landfall on October 9.

Hurricane Milton slammed into southwest Florida with winds of up to 120 mph and left 3.3 million homes and businesses without power.

Trump worked the drive-thru at McDonald's on the campaign trail in Pennsylvania on October 20.

Pennsylvania was a crucial battleground state in the 2024 election where both Harris and Trump campaigned heavily.

October 31 was the latest date in 130 years that Japan's Mount Fuji had not received any snowfall.

Mount Fuji's snowless top raised concerns about the impact of the climate crisis on weather patterns.

Trump won the 2024 election and declared victory in the early hours of the morning on November 6 in Palm Beach, Florida.

Trump won 312 electoral votes to Harris' 226. Republicans also won majorities in the House and the Senate.

Harris delivered her concession speech at Howard University on November 6.

"In our nation, we owe loyalty not to a president or a party but to the Constitution of the United States," Harris said in her speech. "And loyalty to our conscience and to our God. My allegiance to all three is why I am here to say, while I concede this election, I do not concede the fight that fueled this campaign."

A door at the National Assembly in Seoul, South Korea, was damaged when South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol declared martial law on December 3.

Members of South Korea's Parliament convened for an emergency vote to reverse Yoon's declaration, barricading themselves inside the National Assembly as soldiers forced their way in.

Lawmakers voted to end martial law, and Yoon relented after six hours of chaos.

Luigi Mangione, the 26-year-old suspect in the shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, appeared in court in Pennsylvania on December 10.

Mangione was arrested in Pennsylvania and agreed to be transferred to New York, where he faces federal charges of stalking, murder through the use of a firearm, and a related gun charge.

On December 11, a woman took a selfie in front of a destroyed tank after Syrian rebels deposed longtime ruler Bashar Assad.

Assad fled Syria and has reportedly taken refuge in Moscow.

• A small fraction of all No. 1 hits have managed to rule the Billboard Hot 100 for double-digit weeks.
• Lil Nas X's "Old Town Road" and Shaboozey's "A Bar Song (Tipsy)" are tied for the all-time record.
• Mariah Carey, Drake, and Boyz II Men have the most songs on this list with three apiece.

The Billboard Hot 100 is widely considered to be the definitive all-genre singles chart in the US.

Since it was launched in 1958, well over 1,000 songs have reached the coveted No. 1 spot, but far fewer have reigned long enough to reach double-digit weeks — or, even more impressively, surpass that milestone.

According to Billboard, only 4% of all No. 1 hits have topped the Hot 100 for 10 weeks or more. All 45 songs that have achieved the feat are listed below, in chronological order.

1. "You Light Up My Life" by Debby Boone

"You Light Up My Life" was the first song in history to chart at No. 1 for 10 weeks.

2. "Physical" by Olivia Newton-John

"Physical" charted at No. 1 for 10 weeks.

3. "End of the Road" by Boyz II Men

"End of the Road" charted at No. 1 for 13 weeks.

4. "I Will Always Love You" by Whitney Houston

"I Will Always Love You" charted at No. 1 for 14 weeks.

5. "I Swear" by All-4-One

"I Swear" charted at No. 1 for 11 weeks.

5. "I'll Make Love to You" by Boyz II Men

"I'll Make Love to You" charted at No. 1 for 14 weeks.

7. "One Sweet Day" by Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men

"One Sweet Day" charted at No. 1 for 16 weeks.

8. "Macarena (Bayside Boys Mix)" by Los Del Rio

"Macarena (Bayside Boys Mix)" charted at No. 1 for 14 weeks.

9. "Un-Break My Heart" by Toni Braxton

"Un-Break My Heart" charted at No. 1 for 11 weeks.

10. "I'll Be Missing You" by Puff Daddy and Faith Evans featuring 112

"I'll Be Missing You" charted at No. 1 for 11 weeks.

11. "Candle in the Wind 1997/Something About the Way You Look Tonight" by Elton John

"Candle in the Wind 1997/Something About the Way You Look Tonight" charted at No. 1 for 14 weeks.

12. "The Boy Is Mine" by Brandy and Monica

"The Boy Is Mine" charted at No. 1 for 13 weeks.

13. "Smooth" by Santana featuring Rob Thomas

"Smooth" charted at No. 1 for 12 weeks.

14. "Maria Maria" by Santana featuring The Product G&B

"Maria Maria" charted at No. 1 for 10 weeks.

15. "Independent Women, Pt. 1" by Destiny's Child

"Independent Women, Pt. 1" charted at No. 1 for 11 weeks.

16. "Foolish" by Ashanti

"Foolish" charted at No. 1 for 10 weeks.

17. "Dilemma" by Nelly featuring Kelly Rowland

"Dilemma" charted at No. 1 for 10 weeks.

18. "Lose Yourself" by Eminem

"Lose Yourself" charted at No. 1 for 12 weeks.

19. "Yeah!" by Usher featuring Lil Jon and Ludacris

"Yeah!" charted at No. 1 for 12 weeks.

20. "We Belong Together" by Mariah Carey

"We Belong Together" charted at No. 1 for 14 weeks.

21. "Gold Digger" by Kanye West featuring Jamie Foxx

"Gold Digger" charted at No. 1 for 10 weeks.

22. "Irreplaceable" by Beyonce

"Irreplaceable" charted at No. 1 for 10 weeks.

23. "Low" by Flo Rida featuring T-Pain

"Low" charted at No. 1 for 10 weeks.

24. "Boom Boom Pow" by The Black Eyed Peas

"Boom Boom Pow" charted at No. 1 for 12 weeks.

25. "I Gotta Feeling" by The Black Eyed Peas

"I Gotta Feeling" charted at No. 1 for 14 weeks.

26. "We Found Love" by Rihanna featuring Calvin Harris

"We Found Love" charted at No. 1 for 10 weeks.

27. "Blurred Lines" by Robin Thicke featuring T.I. and Pharrell

"Blurred Lines" charted at No. 1 for 12 weeks.

28. "Happy" by Pharrell Williams

"Happy" charted at No. 1 for 10 weeks.

29. "Uptown Funk!" by Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars

"Uptown Funk!" charted at No. 1 for 14 weeks.

30. "See You Again" by Wiz Khalifa featuring Charlie Puth

"See You Again" charted at No. 1 for 12 weeks.

31. "Hello" by Adele

"Hello" charted at No. 1 for 10 weeks.

32. "One Dance" by Drake featuring WizKid and Kyla

"One Dance" charted at No. 1 for 10 weeks.

33. "Closer" by The Chainsmokers featuring Halsey

"Closer" charted at No. 1 for 12 weeks.

34. "Shape of You" by Ed Sheeran

"Shape of You" charted at No. 1 for 12 weeks.

35. "Despacito" by Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee featuring Justin Bieber

"Despacito" charted at No. 1 for 16 weeks.

36. "God's Plan" by Drake

"God's Plan" charted at No. 1 for 11 weeks.

37. "In My Feelings" by Drake

"In My Feelings" charted at No. 1 for 10 weeks.

Drake holds the record for the most solo entries on this list, with three of the longest-running chart-toppers in history.

38. "Old Town Road" by Lil Nas X featuring Billy Ray Cyrus

"Old Town Road" holds the record for the longest stretch at No. 1 with 19 weeks. It also became the fastest song in history to be certified diamond.

39. "The Box" by Roddy Ricch

"The Box" charted at No. 1 for 11 weeks.

40. "Butter" by BTS

"Butter" charted at No. 1 for 10 nonconsecutive weeks.

41. "Easy On Me" by Adele

"Easy On Me" charted at No. 1 for 10 nonconsecutive weeks, becoming Adele's second song to reach the milestone.

42. "As It Was" by Harry Styles

"As It Was" charted at No. 1 for 15 nonconsecutive weeks, the longest reign ever for a British artist.

43. "All I Want for Christmas Is You"

Nearly three decades years after its release, "All I Want for Christmas Is You" returned to No. 1 in December 2022 for its milestone 10th week atop the chart.

The holiday classic is Carey's third song with double-digit weeks atop the Hot 100, making her the third artist and first woman ever to achieve the feat thrice.

In 2024, the song experienced another holiday surge, earning its 17th total week at No. 1 and surpassing "One Sweet Day" as Carey's longest-reigning hit on the Hot 100.

44. "Last Night" by Morgan Wallen

"Last Night" charted at No. 1 for 16 nonconsecutive weeks, the most ever for a solo song — despite the country singer's many controversies.

45. "A Bar Song (Tipsy)" by Shaboozey

"A Bar Song (Tipsy)," Shaboozey's breakout hit, has charted at No. 1 for 19 nonconsecutive weeks, the most among solo hits. It's now tied with "Old Town Road" for the all-time record.

• OpenAI reached new funding and valuation heights in 2024.
• The ChatGPT maker also saw longtime employees depart and a legal fight with Elon Musk.
• Here are the biggest moments from OpenAI's roller-coaster year.

OpenAI cemented its place as the most valuable name in artificial intelligence in 2024 — and set itself up for more growth. The path wasn't entirely smooth.

After starting as a nonprofit almost a decade ago, OpenAI officially started moving toward converting to a for-profit company this year. It also wrapped up a historic funding round. All that came as CEO Sam Altman emerged with his role at the company intact after his temporary ouster last year.

But legal challenges remain for OpenAI, including court battles with Elon Musk, who co-founded the startup, as well as some of the nation's largest newspapers. The company also lost several high-profile employees, including some who were there at its start in 2015.

Here are the highlights of OpenAI's rocky year.

At the start of 2024, OpenAI was still reeling from the attempt to oust CEO Sam Altman.

OpenAI's board of directors removed Altman as CEO in November 2023, saying it didn't have "confidence in his ability to continue leading OpenAI."

A few days later, though, Altman was back as the startup's chief executive, and there was a new board, too. OpenAI employees reportedly refer to the period as "The Blip."

Details about the drama, such as exactly who had pushed for Altman's ouster, tricked out over the following weeks and months.

In December, Altman told Time that the ordeal was tough for him but that OpenAI emerged more unified than before. "I wouldn't wish it on an enemy. But it did have an extremely positive effect on the company," he said at the time.

Elon Musk's xAI raised billions to take on OpenAI

The Financial Times reported in January that xAI was seeking to raise as much as $6 billion at a valuation of $20 billion. Founder Elon Musk has framed the company as a challenger to OpenAI, which he co-founded with Altman. Musk left OpenAI's board in 2018.

OpenAI reached an $80 billion valuation in February

A deal valued OpenAI at $80 billion, about triple its last valuation, The New York Times first reported in February. Company employees could cash out their shares as part of the tender offer.

Elon Musk sued Sam Altman and OpenAI in February

Musk sued Altman and OpenAI in February, saying that the company "has been transformed into a closed-source de facto subsidiary" of Microsoft. That meant that OpenAI was now generating profit in violation of its nonprofit mission, Musk said in the lawsuit.

Altman and other OpenAI executives responded in a blog post in March. The post said that Musk himself had talked to the company about making OpenAI a for-profit entity, including potentially merging it with Tesla.

Musk withdrew his lawsuit in June, though the issue would resurface in the fall.

An SEC investigation into OpenAI came to light in February

The SEC investigation was focused on whether OpenAI misled investors, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Unnamed sources told the Journal that the investigation was a response to the former OpenAI board's statement in November that Altman was not "consistently candid in his communications" before he was temporarily ousted from the company.

Sam Altman won a return to OpenAI's board in March

OpenAI's board "unanimously concluded" that Altman and President Greg Brockman were "the right leaders for OpenAI," Chair Bret Taylor said in March.

Altman rejoined the board as three new members, all women, also took seats.

OpenAI cofounder Ilya Sutskever announced in May that he was leaving OpenAI

Sutskever, also chief scientist at OpenAI, was one of the group that attempted to push Altman out of the company in November. He later said that he regretted being part of the movement to oust Altman.

In a farewell post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Sutskever said he was confident that OpenAI would create artificial general intelligence that would be "both safe and beneficial."

OpenAI swiftly stopped using ChatGPT's "Sky" voice in May after claims it sounded like Scarlett Johansson

OpenAI pulled the voice from ChatGPT amid a public furor, adding that it wasn't an imitation of the movie star but belonged to another actor.

Some users had compared Sky to the voice of an automated assistant in the 2013 movie "Her," which Johansson voiced.

Johansson said that Altman had asked her to voice ChatGPT but that she declined. When OpenAI went ahead with a voice that sounded like hers, Johansson said she was "shocked" and hired legal representation.

OpenAI faced fresh criticism over safety as summer began

In addition to the "Sky" voice incident, a New York Times report in early June added to OpenAI's image problems. It featured concerns from current and former OpenAI employees that the company wasn't doing enough to prevent its artificial intelligence from harming or destroying humanity.

An OpenAI spokesperson at the time reiterated to Business Insider the company's commitment to safety, highlighting an "anonymous integrity hotline" for employees to voice their concerns and the company's safety and security committee.

A Vox report also said that OpenAI pushed restrictive NDAs on departing employees and put their vested equity at risk if they didn't agree to them. The company told BI it would make " important updates to our departure process."

All of that created a public relations challenge for Altman.

Apple said it would integrate ChatGPT into its software in June

During its annual Worldwide Developer Conference in June, Apple said it would offer ChatGPT within its software, such as through Siri.

The partnership gives OpenAI potentially vast reach, with ChatGPT now within easier reach of millions of iPhone users.

Musk filed a new lawsuit against OpenAI in August; in November, he amended it to include Microsoft as a defendant

In August, Musk filed another lawsuit in which his lawyers argued that OpenAI executives "deceived" Musk into cofounding the company by playing on his concerns about the existential risks AI poses.

In November, Musk added Microsoft as well as one of its board members, Reid Hoffman, who also used to sit on OpenAI's board, as a defendant in the suit. It alleged that Microsoft was working with OpenAI to create a monopoly in the artificial intelligence world and extend "lavish compensation" to employees.

Musk also named Shivon Zilis, a former OpenAI board member and mother of three of Musk's children, as a plaintiff.

In September, OpenAI announced that it would become a for-profit company

OpenAI was founded as a nonprofit in 2015, but the company said that it would change that status over the next two years.

The process will involve multiple steps, such as giving OpenAI's investors equity stakes in the new entity and earning government approvals, Business Insider previously reported.

The plan has drawn pushback, including from Musk and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

CTO Mira Murati said in September that she would leave OpenAI

Chief Technology Officer Murati said she was leaving OpenAI "to create the time and space to do my own exploration."

Murati reportedly played an important role in the attempted ousting of Altman from OpenAI. She served as CEO temporarily before Altman was reinstated.

President Gregg Brockman also said in August that he would take an extended leave of absence; he returned in November.

Other OpenAI executives and employees left the company throughout 2024

Including Sutskever, at least nine notable OpenAI employees have left the company in 2024, Business Insider found. Among them were OpenAI co-founders Andrej Karpathy and John Schulman.

OpenAI raised a $6.6 billion funding round in October — the biggest in Silicon Valley's history

The funding round valued OpenAI at $157 billion, putting it on a similar footing with Uber and AT&T.

Thrive Capital led the round. Other major investors in OpenAI's round included SoftBank, Tiger Global, Microsoft, and Nvidia.

In November, xAI told investors it had raised $5 billion at a $50 billion valuation, The Journal reported.

In November, OpenAI allegedly deleted legal data in its legal fight with The New York Times and other newspapers

Lawyers for the newspapers were reviewing OpenAI's training data as part of the lawsuit.

In November, they learned that "OpenAI's engineers erased all of the News Plaintiffs' programs and search result data," according to a filing in the case. OpenAI did not respond to a request for comment at the time.

• A US Navy warship accidentally shot down an American fighter jet over the Red Sea on Sunday.
• The crew members survived, but it marks the second friendly-fire incident of the Houthi conflict.
• These incidents highlight the complex operating environment in which NATO forces have engaged.

Though there are still a lot of unanswered questions, the accidental downing of a US Navy fighter jet by an American warship in the Red Sea over the weekend underscores the risks and complexity of intense combat in a high-tempo operating environment.

The shootdown marks the second known friendly-fire incident for American and allied forces this year as they continue to battle the Houthi rebels in Yemen. In February, a German warship mistakenly targeted an American military drone, but a malfunction spared the uncrewed aircraft from getting hit.

Early Sunday morning local time, the guided-missile cruiser USS Gettysburg mistakenly fired on an F/A-18 Super Hornet flying above the Red Sea, downing the carrier-based fighter in what the US military said was "an apparent case of friendly fire."

US Central Command said that two naval aviators ejected safely from the aircraft and were recovered by the Navy. It added that an initial assessment suggests one of the crew members sustained minor injuries. A two-seater F/A-18 typically has a pilot and weapons officer.

Centcom, which oversees US forces in the Middle East, said the incident "was not the result of hostile fire, and a full investigation is underway." It did not respond to Business Insider's requests for more information.

Friendly-fire engagements aren't uncommon occurrences in combat, especially high-intensity fights.

During the Gulf War, for instance, an A-10 Warthog killed nine British soldiers when the ground-attack aircraft opened fire on their armored personnel carriers, mistaking them for Iraqi vehicles. A few years later, F-15s shot down two Black Hawks on a humanitarian mission, killing 26 people. The pilots mistook the helicopters for Iraqi targets they thought were violating a "no fly" zone.

There are numerous examples across military conflicts, a more recent incident being a US airstrike in Afghanistan that killed five American servicemembers in 2014.

Bradley Martin, a retired Navy surface warfare captain, said friendly-fire incidents are "likely to eventually occur in the complicated and rapidly changing environment of air defense." There are a wide range of things that can go wrong.

"Friendly and enemy aircraft can be in the engagement areas. Identification systems can malfunction," Martin, now a senior policy researcher at the RAND Corporation, told BI. "Friendly aircraft profiles can look like threat profiles. And certainly, human error can enter into the equation. Operators may have minutes or even seconds to make a determination and, mistakes occur."

"I think it's important to remember that the Navy has been reacting to intense air attacks now for over a year, with more engagements in a month than we'd seen in decades," Martin said, referring to the Navy's tireless efforts to fend off Houthi missiles and drones.

"These have been largely successful, but with a large number of engagements comes the increased risk of mistakes and malfunctions," he said.

And mistakes have been made, though nothing fatal. In February, a German frigate accidentally targeted an American MQ-9 Reaper drone while it was on a mission in the vicinity of the Red Sea. The missiles never reached the drone, though, thanks to a technical error in the warship's radar system.

The German military said at the time, it engaged a drone that lacked a "friend or foe" identification and coordinated with allies in the area before opening fire. It's unclear where the disconnect occurred, but it almost ended in the destruction of an expensive combat and reconnaissance drone.

The F/A-18 Super Hornet that was shot down was part of the air wing attached to the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman. The Truman and its strike group, which consists of the Gettysburg and two destroyers, entered the Middle East region earlier this month, becoming the latest assortment of Navy warships to join the conflict against the Houthis.

The F/A-18 is a multi-role fighter jet made by US defense contractor Boeing that has been in service with the Navy for decades. A single aircraft is estimated to cost around $60 million.

The military's acknowledgment of the Red Sea friendly-fire incident came shortly after a combat bout between the US and the Houthis. Centcom said it carried out strikes against Houthi facilities in Yemen, and during the operation, its forces shot down multiple drones and a cruise missile.

It is unclear if the friendly-fire incident occurred during the operation, which took place at some point on Saturday local time. Centcom said that F/A-18s were involved in the mission.

The Houthis said that they launched eight cruise missiles and 17 drones during the battle with the US military. The rebels said this led to the downing of the F/A-18 and ultimately forced the Truman to withdraw to another part of the Red Sea.

The Houthis have spent the past year launching missiles and drones at military and civilian vessels operating in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. The rebels claim they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza and have stepped up their long-range attacks on Israel in recent days. US, British, and Israeli forces have carried out extensive strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen.

• I make Ina Garten's potato-fennel gratin every Christmas.
• I first made it when I barely knew how to cook, and the easy recipe was 100% foolproof.
• The dish is cheesy and comforting and pairs perfectly with any holiday side dish.

There's one "Barefoot Contessa" recipe I make for my family every Christmas, and I think it deserves a spot on everyone's holiday menu.

I originally found Ina Garten's recipe for potato-fennel gratin on the Barefoot Contessa website, but it also appears in her first cookbook, "The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook."

"I love to make potato gratin and fennel gratin, so I decided to combine the two," Garten writes in the description. "If you make this in an old French gratin dish, it looks wonderful and can go from the oven to the table with style."

I started making Garten's potato-fennel gratin when I had almost zero cooking skills, so I can attest that it's 100% foolproof. More importantly, it's incredibly comforting — and goes well with nearly everything.

Here's how to make it.

Ina Garten's potato-fennel gratin requires just five main ingredients.

To make Garten's gratin for four, you'll need:

• 1 pound russet potatoes (2 large ones)
• 1 small fennel bulb
• ½ yellow onion
• 1½ cups Gruyère cheese
• 1½ cups plus 1 tablespoon heavy cream

The first step is properly cutting the fennel.

I will admit that the first time I made this dish, I had to watch a Martha Stewart YouTube video on how to cut fennel.

But if you're an amateur, there's no need to let this herb intimidate you.

First, cut off the stalks as close to the bulb as possible. Then, cut the bulb in half lengthwise.

Remove the cores at the bottom. For Garten's recipe, you'll then thinly slice the bulb halves crosswise — which should make about two cups of fennel.

Pro tip: Don't throw out your stalks and fronds! Stewart recommends using the fronds in salads and saving the stalk to flavor stockpot dishes.

Once that's out of the way, get your onion ready.

You should thinly slice your yellow onion for this dish.

Peel your potatoes, then slice them crosswise.

Garten recommends thinly slicing them by hand or with a mandoline.

You'll also need to grate your Gruyère cheese.

Preparing Garten's gratin takes under 10 minutes, which is great when you're juggling multiple dishes for a holiday feast.

And don't forget to butter your baking dish!

If you're making the gratin for four, Garten recommends using a 9-by-9-by-2-inch baking dish.

Once you're done with your prep, sauté your fennel and onions together.

Per Garten's recipe, you'll want to add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and ½ tablespoon of unsalted butter to a pan.

Then, sauté the fennel and onions on medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until they're tender.

While your stove is working away, add your potatoes to a large bowl with the heavy cream.

You'll use 1 ½ cups of heavy cream for this step.

Then, add 1 cup of the Gruyère cheese, as well as salt and pepper.

Garten recommends adding ½ teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon of pepper to the mix.

I really love pepper, so, as you can see, I may have added a touch more.

Next, add your sautéed fennel and onions on top.

It's almost time to bake!

To build the gratin, start by pouring your potato mixture into the baking dish.

Gently press down to smooth the potatoes out.

Then, mix the rest of your heavy cream and cheese together and sprinkle on top.

Remember, you'll want to use 1 tablespoon of cream and ½ cup of Gruyère for this quick step.

After an hour in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, your gratin will be beautifully browned and bubbly — and almost ready to eat.

Garten recommends letting the gratin sit for 10 minutes before serving it hot.

She also notes that the gratin can be cooked a day ahead and reheated at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, a helpful tip if you want to save some time during the holidays.

Garten's potato-fennel gratin doesn't just look delicious — it tastes incredible, too.

Few things in this world are more comforting than potatoes mixed with heavy cream and cheese. Garten's gratin is creamy and satisfying, thanks to the Gruyère, and the potatoes are perfectly cooked. Since the fennel is sautéed, its flavor is mild and sweet rather than overpowering.

But one of the best things about the gratin is how well it goes with everything, making it a great sidekick for any meat or holiday side dish.

I think the potato-fennel gratin is a perfect side for any holiday spread.

It's so simple to make that you could easily delegate the task to a young budding chef in your family or at least let the kids help you with it in the kitchen. Plus, the gratin is easy to make ahead and reheat before dinner, giving you some much-needed space in the oven for a big holiday menu.

And you can't go wrong with creamy potatoes and cheese, especially during the winter season.

Believe me, you'll all be fighting for seconds.

• I paid $1,500 for a three-night stay at a wellness resort called Palmaïa, The House of AïA.
• My king suite with an ocean view was super comfortable and I loved the 24-hour room service.
• I left the resort feeling better than I did when I arrived, so I'd say it was worth the money.

For me, traveling is the ultimate act of self-care. So, when I came across a wellness resort called Palmaïa, The House of AïA, on Hotels.com's Perfect Somewheres list — which highlights some of the top 1% of hotels on the company's app — I booked a trip.

I'd seen some of my favorite influencers raving about their stays at the all-inclusive resort located in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, so I had high hopes for my trip to the wellness spot.

As a Hotels.com Platinum One Key member, I got a 36% discount when I booked my trip and paid about $1,500 for a three-night stay.

Here's what my experience was like.

The accommodations were more than comfortable.

During my trip, I stayed in a king suite with an ocean view.

I don't tend to sleep well while traveling, but at Palmaïa, I had no trouble getting seven to eight hours of shuteye. The king-size mattress was perfectly firm, and my room always felt cool.

The high ceilings, chic sitting area, exposed-brick wall, and enormous bathroom with plenty of counter space didn't hurt, either.

I loved the 24-hour room service and took full advantage of it.

When I arrived at the hotel around midnight, I was excited to learn the resort offered 24-hour room service.

Upon checking in, the receptionist took my order, and a piping-hot dish of black-bean enfrijoladas (a type of enchiladas served with a black-bean sauce) arrived just moments after I was escorted to my room.

Around-the-clock room service also came in handy when I was craving a snack or didn't have time to sit down for breakfast.

The resort's nomadic guide added a personalized touch to my experience.

During my stay, I was assigned a nomadic guide — a staff member who acts as a personal concierge. Each morning, my guide messaged me with updates about the day's scheduled activities and dinner reservations.

They even escorted me from my room to a class when I didn't know how to get there, replaced my room key when I lost mine, and arranged for a staff member to take me to a convenience store for medicine when I developed a sun rash.

There were tons of food options and nonalcoholic beverages to choose from.

The resort has four main restaurants, all of which I enjoyed dining at. Many of the creative takes on traditional Mexican dishes were flavorful and nutrient-rich — think waffles infused with matcha and plant-based poke bowls with marinated watermelon "tuna."

Palmaïa offered lots of vegan, gluten-free, and nut-free items. However, as someone who doesn't have any dietary restrictions, I appreciated that I had the option to add barbacoa to my tacos or real Parmesan to my salads.

I also loved that Palmaïa had unique nonalcoholic drinks with the option to add liquor. The restaurants offered wine and cocktails, but alcohol didn't seem to be a central part of the resort's social environment.

The activities were super unique.

All-inclusive resorts typically offer access to fun activities, but Palmaïa's daily itineraries were truly one-of-a-kind.

I participated in a few activities — including a mindfulness-focused drawing session and a primal-movement class — but my favorite experience was an outdoor cacao ceremony.

This session, inspired by Mayan tradition, involved setting intentions and drinking a ceremonial cacao beverage while listening to live music.

Getting around the grounds was a breeze.

I've been to resorts that are so sprawling it takes 15 minutes or longer to walk from my room to a restaurant. Luckily, this wasn't the case at Palmaïa — the grounds were super walkable.

Even better, Palmaïa offered complimentary bicycles for guests to use around the property. I used them when I was rushing to scheduled activities or just wanted to feel the breeze on my face.

I never had to fight for a beach or poolside chair.

Palmaïa had no shortage of places to swim or relax with a good book.

There were a few infinity, adults-only, and kid-friendly pools in front of the guest-room buildings. The long stretch of beach in front of the resort also had ample cabanas and lounge chairs.

There were even some cenotes — large natural pools — in a jungle area on the property.

The trip was a tad expensive — but I'd go back in a heartbeat.

This trip may have been a splurge, but it was well worth the $1,500. In the past, I've often found myself coming home from all-inclusive getaways feeling worse than when I arrived — maybe due to all the food, alcohol, and sedentary time on the beach.

However, between the engaging activities, the nutrient-dense meals, and the attentive staff catering to my every need, Palmaïa left me feeling refreshed, renewed, and invigorated — and (almost) ready to return to real life.

• American Airlines will launch new longer-haul routes from LaGuardia. They'll only fly once weekly.
• LaGuardia's new routes are doable thanks to the "perimeter rule" being waived on Saturdays.
• American and other airlines also use perimeter rule exemptions in Washington, DC.

American Airlines will use a special rule exception to fly longer-than-normal routes out of New York's LaGuardia Airport next year.

An airline spokesperson confirmed to Business Insider on Monday that American will launch new flights to Bozeman and Kalispell in Montana and Calgary in Canada in June 2025 to target leisure travelers.

There is one caveat: The routes will only operate on Saturdays.

This is because, to manage airport capacity, LaGuardia allows flights of only 1,500 miles or fewer from Sunday through Friday. This is known as a "perimeter rule." Longer flights and bigger jets are primarily pushed to the nearby Newark Liberty and John F. Kennedy airports.

However, the rule is waived for flights to Denver at all times and for flights operated to all other places on Saturdays. The latter exception gave American the leeway it needed to fly the new Saturday routes to Montana and Canada.

LaGurdia's slot restriction is also waived on Saturdays, meaning American won't need special takeoff and landing permissions for the routes. Cirium data shows all three flights will use a Boeing 737 Max and trek about 2,000 miles.

Operating Saturday-only flights to avoid the perimeter rule at LaGuardia is not new, though airlines have struggled to fill planes because Saturdays are lower-demand days.

Delta Air Lines, for example, cut two Saturday cross-country flights from LaGuardia to Los Angeles and Phoenix in January.

American also uses perimeter exemptions in the US capital

Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Washington, DC, is the only other US airport with a mandated perimeter rule. The restrictions at both airports were established in the 1980s.

Reagan's routes are limited to 1,250 miles. Dulles International Airport, about 30 miles away, gets longer flights.

However, over the past two decades, Congress has increased daily slot allowances to allow for more flights beyond the perimeter on Sunday through Friday.

American and other airlines have taken advantage of the exemptions. Cirium shows American already flies daily to Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and Phoenix.

Alaska Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Frontier Airlines, Southwest Airlines, and United Airlines also use exemptions to fly daily from Reagan to cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco, Austin, Denver, and Seattle.

The Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Bill, signed in May, approved 10 additional slots that could operate within or beyond Reagan's perimeter. That equates to five more roundtrip flights.

American was awarded one of the slots on Friday, a daily roundtrip to San Antonio starting in March. It will be the only airline operating the flight.

Meanwhile, Delta was awarded a slot pair to Seattle, Alaska was given one to San Diego, Southwest will use one to serve Las Vegas, and United received approval to San Francisco — which will be the airline's second daily flight to the California city.

There is debate over keeping the perimeter rule at Reagan and LaGuardia.

Some advocates say it reduces noise and airport congestion and ensures airlines don't shift slots to abandon regional routes within the perimeter. A near-miss at Reagan in May also sparked concern that more flights could impact runway safety.

Opponents of the rule say it restricts airline networks, gives travelers less choice, raises airfares, and limits economic growth. For lawmakers, eliminating the rule at Reagan would mean more convenient flights into DC from their home states.

• Taylor Swift has supported her boyfriend, Travis Kelce, at all four Chiefs home games this season.
• She's been photographed at 20 football games total since last September, including Super Bowl LVIII.
• Swift tends to wear Chiefs gear and dress up in the team's red-forward color palette.

Taylor Swift famously sang, "You know I love the players, and you love the game." But when it comes to the Kansas City Chiefs, it looks like she loves them both.

Since Swift began dating NFL star Travis Kelce last summer, she has been spotted cheering at 20 of his games so far, including Super Bowl LVIII.

"I'm just there to support Travis," Swift told Time. "I have no awareness of if I'm being shown too much and pissing off a few dads, Brads, and Chads."

The megastar is back in action for her second NFL season, supporting Kelce and the Chiefs in their first three home games against the Ravens, Bengals, and Saints.

We rounded up the best photos of Swift from each appearance so far.

Swift attended her first game at Arrowhead Stadium in September 2023.

Swift's enthusiasm at her first Chiefs game seemed to confirm her rumored romance with Kelce.

Swift later said they were already an official couple before she watched the Chiefs beat the Chicago Bears.

"This all started when Travis very adorably put me on blast on his podcast, which I thought was metal as hell," she told Time. "We started hanging out right after that. So we actually had a significant amount of time that no one knew, which I'm grateful for, because we got to get to know each other."

"By the time I went to that first game, we were a couple," Swift continued. "I think some people think that they saw our first date at that game? We would never be psychotic enough to hard launch a first date."

For her second appearance, she brought her longtime pal Blake Lively.

Swift and Lively watched the Chiefs defeat the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey — where Swift had performed three sold-out concerts just a few months prior.

The October game drew the highest viewership for a Sunday TV show since the Super Bowl, NBC Sports reported.

Indeed, Swift's newfound interest in football has been credited with bumping merch sales and enticing more female viewers.

Swift cheered with her boyfriend's mom, Donna Kelce, during a home game against the Denver Broncos.

Shortly before her third game-day appearance, Kelce accused the NFL of "overdoing it" with its wall-to-wall coverage of Swift.

"I think it's fun when they show who all is at the game. I think it brings a little more to the atmosphere, brings a little bit more to what you're watching," Kelce said during an episode of his "New Heights" podcast.

"But at the same time, I think they're overdoing it a little bit," Kelce continued. "For sure, especially for my situation. I think they're just trying to have fun with it."

Swift has struck up a close friendship with Brittany Mahomes, who's married to Kelce's teammate.

Just a few days before the release of "1989 (Taylor's Version)," the rerecorded version of her fifth album, Swift watched the Chiefs take down the Los Angeles Chargers.

She spent the home game cheering with Mahomes and showing off their secret handshake.

Swift wore a black turtleneck and a red teddy coat in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

Swift spent most of November 2023 on the road for the South American leg of The Eras Tour. Kelce even flew to Buenos Aires, Argentina, to watch Swift perform — and received an onstage shout-out in return.

She returned to Kelce's side in early December when the Chiefs took on the Green Bay Packers. It was her first time watching Kelce's team lose.

She wore a vintage Chiefs sweatshirt for the team's next home game.

Swift purchased the '90s sweatshirt from Westside Storey, a secondhand clothing boutique in Kansas City.

The store's owner, Chris Harrington, told Business Insider he originally thought Swift's order — which totaled $1,200 for curated vintage pieces — could be fraudulent.

Instead, she wore one of those pieces at Arrowhead Stadium in December, causing a surge of traffic to Westside Storey's website.

"We've had hundreds of orders over the last 48 hours," Harrington told BI. "Sometimes our online store lights up after a Chiefs game when we win, but this is 100 times more than that, and we lost the game. It was the Taylor effect."

She brought her dad and friends to cheer for the Chiefs in Foxborough, Massachusetts.

Swift hit the road to watch the Chiefs defeat the New England Patriots on the latter's home turf. She even convinced her father, Scott Swift, to swap his traditional Philadelphia Eagles gear for a Chiefs sweatshirt.

Several friends accompanied Swift, including Alana Haim, stylist Ashley Avignone, and backup singer Melanie Nyema.

Swift spent Christmas Day at Arrowhead Stadium.

Even though the Chiefs lost to the Las Vegas Raiders on December 25, 2023, Kelce praised Swift and her family for making the day special.

The singer's brother, Austin Swift, even gave him a sentimental gift while dressed as Santa Claus, Kelce shared on his podcast.

She also spent New Year's Eve cheering for Kelce in Kansas City.

Swift wore a Chiefs varsity jacket for the game against the Cincinnati Bengals, which the home team won.

For her first game of 2024, Swift braved freezing temperatures to high-five fans.

The Chiefs defeated the Miami Dolphins during the fourth-coldest game in NFL history, according to CNN.

That same day, the Chiefs owner praised Swift and Kelce's "purely organic" relationship.

"It's been a very interesting, very fun year having the two of them dating, the attention that's been focused on the Chiefs," Clark Hunt told CNBC. "Our female audience has grown leaps and bounds."

Kelce scored two touchdowns in Buffalo, New York, with Swift in the stands.

Swift joined Kelce's family to watch the Chiefs advance through the NFL playoffs — including his brother, Eagles center Jason Kelce, who lost his shirt in the frenzy.

She saw Kelce and his teammates become AFC champions.

Swift watched the Chiefs beat the Baltimore Ravens in the 2024 AFC Championship Game, securing their spot in Super Bowl LVIII. She even joined Kelce on the field to celebrate the win.

Swift flew from Tokyo to watch the Chiefs play in Super Bowl LVIII.

Swift was widely expected to attend the 2024 Super Bowl in Las Vegas, despite having an Eras Tour stop scheduled in Tokyo the night before.

Sure enough, she made the trip in time to watch the Chiefs take on the San Francisco 49ers, with friends like Lively, Lana Del Rey, and Ice Spice in tow.

The superstar geared up for her second NFL season in September 2024.

Swift was back in Kansas City on the evening of September 5, 2024, as the Chiefs took the field for their first game of the season against the Baltimore Ravens.

She donned an all-denim getup and thigh-high red boots.

Swift wore a vintage Chiefs T-shirt for Kelce's second home game of the season.

Just a few days after attending the MTV Video Music Awards in New York (and giving her boyfriend a shout-out onstage), Swift was back in Kansas City to watch the Chiefs defeat the Cincinnati Bengals.

She also watched the Chiefs beat the Saints at Arrowhead Stadium.

After skipping two of Kelce's games in Atlanta and Los Angeles, Swift returned to Kansas City in style — wearing over $50,000 worth of jewelry and designer clothing — to cheer for the Chiefs against the New Orleans Saints.

The home team won 26-13, their fifth consecutive win of the season.

Swift cheered when the Chiefs beat the Buccaneers with a touchdown drive in overtime.

One day after Swift wrapped the final US leg of the Eras Tour in Indianapolis, she was back in Kansas City to watch the Chiefs take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Despite a touchdown from the Buccaneers in the final minute of regulation play, the Chiefs rallied in overtime to score a winning touchdown.

The singer was on duty again to watch the Chiefs defeat the Denver Broncos.

Swift wore her typical black-and-red combo for another home game at Arrowhead Stadium, pairing a Victoria's Secret corset with a Versace tweed two-piece set. She was joined in the VIP box by her mother, Andrea Swift.

Swift saw the Chiefs beat the Raiders at home.

Swift arrived at Arrowhead Stadium with Kelce's mom, Donna. The pair cheered as the Chiefs clinched a narrow defeat against the Los Vegas Raiders.

A few weeks later, she watched the Chiefs win again at Arrowhead Stadium.

Swift wore her boldest gameday outfit yet for the Chiefs vs. the Houston Texans, pairing a statement red coat with a faux fur lining from Charlotte Simone with a vintage Chanel bucket hat.

Kelce and the Chiefs beat the Texans 19-27, adding another win to their dominant season. (To date, the Chiefs have only lost three times with Swift in the stands.)

In the business world, there are few areas that artificial intelligence hasn't touched. Many industries are rushing to adopt AI, and the technology is changing how employees collaborate and complete tasks.

Generative AI is a major buzzword for business leaders. But actually integrating AI can be a different story.

"A lot of our clients have dozens of AI pilots everywhere," Jack Azagury, the group chief executive for consulting at Accenture, said at one Workforce Innovation roundtable. "Very few have a coherent business case and a true reinvention and transformation."

How do companies move forward as the novelty of AI wears off? Business Insider's Julia Hood asked members of the Workforce Innovation board how they transitioned their AI pilots into real-world use cases. Board members shared five major ways their companies were moving AI from theory to operations.

"Before we go and tell our clients to embark on AI fully, we want to be an AI-first organization," said Anant Adya, an executive vice president, service-offering head, and head of Americas delivery at Infosys. "We want to show our clients we are using AI, whether it is in HR when it comes to driving better employee experience or when it comes to recruitment."

Members also highlighted employee training and peer-to-peer learning opportunities.

The roundtable participants were:

• Anant Adya, an executive vice president, service-offering head, and head of Americas Delivery at Infosys.
• Lucrecia Borgonovo, a chief talent and organizational-effectiveness officer at Mastercard.
• Neil Murray, the CEO of Work Dynamics at JLL.
• Justina Nixon-Saintil, a vice president and chief impact officer at IBM.
• Marjorie Powell, a chief HR officer and senior vice president at AARP.

The following has been edited for length and clarity.

Identify early adopters, like human resources

Nixon-Saintil: Because we provide these platforms and solutions to clients, we are usually client zero. We implemented AI across our business and multiple functions, and one of the first things we did was our AskHR product, which I think answered over 94% of questions employees had.

HR employees now spend time doing higher-order work and partnerships with business units instead of answering basic questions that a virtual assistant can answer. I think that's when you start seeing a lot of the benefits of it.

Borgonovo: HR has been leading the way in terms of embedding AI to enhance the employee experience end to end, right before you hire somebody all the way to after they leave the organization. There are tons of opportunities to improve performance and productivity and provide greater personalization.

Invest in ongoing training

Adya: There are certain AI certifications and courses that everybody has to take to be knowledgeable about AI. So we are driving education in terms of what is the impact of AI, what is gen AI, what are LLMs, and how you look at use cases. And certainly educating everybody that it's not about job losses but about amplifying your potential to do more.

Powell: We have hands-on skill building. This past year we posted over 20 AI workshops helping teams integrate AI into their work. We really encourage our staff to participate. We have a product we're using behind our firewall, so they can engage and play with it. We're just telling them go ahead and try to break it, so they can give us feedback on what's working.

There was a team of people who said we want to see how you could use AI with PowerPoint or Excel. And they're finding, well, it's not so good in those things. But as it continues to grow, they'll be ready for that, and they'll know what it was able to do and what it wasn't. I think it's just making it fun, and that way it's not so scary.

Murray: Our internal large language model is now a widget on everybody's dashboard that is accessible on your landing page. Training is super important here to make people comfortable with it. Even if it's just an online module, you have to get people comfortable.

Nixon-Saintil: We've also done companywide upskilling. We had two Watsonx challenges. Watsonx is our AI data platform. This is one of the ways we've upskilled a majority of the organization. The outcome of that is there are some great ideas that employees actually ideated, and they're now implementing those ideas and solutions in different functions.

Borgonovo: Employees want to use AI, and I think they're eager to learn how to use AI to augment their jobs. For that, we built a three-tiered learning approach. One is democratizing access for everybody and building general knowledge of AI.

The second tier is much more role-specific. How do we drive new ways of working by having people in different roles embrace AI tools? Software engineering, consulting, sales — you name it. And then something we definitely want to build for the future is thinking proactively about how you re-skill people whose roles may be impacted by AI so they can become more comfortable doing high-level tasks or can shift to a different type of role that is emerging within the organization.

The other piece is where we're seeing the greatest demand internally, which is for knowledge management. It's gathering information from a lot of different sources in a very easy way.

Another job family that is very eager to get their hands on new AI technology is software engineering. We have taken a very measured approach in deploying coding assistants within the software-engineering community. This year we did a pilot with a subset of them using coding assistants. The idea is to just learn and, based on our learning, scale more broadly across our software-engineering community in 2025.

One of the really interesting learnings from this pilot was that the software engineers who were using the coding assistants probably the best were people who had received training. What we're learning is that before you start rolling out all of these technologies or AI-specific platforms for different job families, you have got to be really intentional about incorporating prompt training.

Unlock peer-to-peer learning

Powell: We have idea pitch competitions and a year-round idea pipeline program where people can put in ideas on how to use AI and share what they've learned. It sparks a lot of peer learning and creativity on our digital-first capabilities to help us with our digital transformation.

Then we collaborate through community. We have a generative-AI community of practice. This is somewhat like how companies have employee resource groups; we have communities of practice as well. They give employees a space to share their techniques and learn from each other and stay ahead of evolving trends. They meet monthly, they have an executive sponsor, and they have all kinds of activities and learning opportunities.

Murray: As we monitored AI use and what sort of questions were being asked, we identified super users across all departments — so the people who were capable of developing the most evolved prompts. I suppose those prompts are now appearing in pull-down menus to help people who maybe aren't as advanced in their use of it, because prompting is a really important part of this. And so the super users are driving everybody else to show them what's possible across the organization.

Find customer pain points to solve

Borgonovo: One of the use cases that drives not only knowledge management but also efficiencies is around customer support. Customer support is probably one of the areas that has been leading the way.

We have a customer onboarding process that can be very lengthy, very technical, involving hundreds of pages of documentation and reference materials. It was our first use case for a chat-based assistant that we processed in terms of streamlining and creating greater efficiency and a much better customer experience.

Reinforce responsible leadership

Powell: We want our leaders, people leaders particularly, to guide employees to use AI effectively and responsibly. We want to make sure they're emphasizing privacy, policy, and efficiency. So we encourage managers to point the staff toward training that we offer, and we offer quite a bit of training.

• Fibrous foods like beans, nuts, and seeds feed the "good" microbes in the gut.
• Most Americans are not meeting the daily recommended fiber intake.
• Emily Leeming opts for whole grains instead of white carbs and sprinkles seeds on her breakfast.

When it comes to your gut health, eating enough fiber is crucial.

Emily Leeming, a dietitian and gut microbiome researcher at King's College London, told Business Insider how to improve.

From our immune system to our emotions, a growing body of research suggests that the state of our gut health affects the whole body.

The gut microbiome, the trillions of "good" and "bad" microbes that live in the digestive lining, is heavily shaped by what we eat, said Leeming, the author of "Genius Gut: The Life-Changing Science of Eating for Your Second Brain."

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends adults eat 14g of fiber per 1,000 calories. They say more than 90% of women and 97% of men do not.

Leeming, who used to work as a private chef, takes a simple approach to meeting her daily fiber goal, while keeping her meals tasting good.

She shared four tips for easily adding more fiber to your diet.

Stock up on high-fiber foods

Leeming knows which foods are particularly high in fiber and she makes sure to add them to her shopping list.

"There are high-fiber foods that probably surprise people like dark chocolate and avocados," she said. One avocado is about 10 grams of fiber, and two pieces of dark chocolate contain about two grams.

Leeming focuses on what she calls the "B-G B-Gs," which stands for beans, greens, berries, grains, and seeds.

"It's the beans, whole grains, nuts and seeds that tend to contain more fiber than the fruits and vegetables," she said, adding that fruits and veggies are of course still important.

She said berries tend to be higher in fiber than other fruits because they contain seeds.

Make your grains wholegrain

Wholegrains such as oats, quinoa, wild rice, and wholemeal bread, are great sources of fiber, Leeming said. Opting for a wholegrain such as brown rice over its white counterpart is an easy swap that will up your fiber intake, she said.

"I absolutely love pasta. So I do wholegrain pasta," she said. Leeming also adds legumes such as beans or lentils to dishes to up the fiber content even more.

"I'm a really big fan of beans and lentils with tomato sauce and some green veggies or maybe a salad on the side," she said.

Sprinkle nuts and seeds on top of any dish

Sprinkling some mixed nuts and seeds over a dish is a quick way to add some more fiber into your day.

"You can add them to anything. It could be your breakfast in the morning, it could be a salad that you've just made," Leeming said.

Chia seeds and flax seeds are particularly high in fiber, she said. Chia seeds contain about 30 grams of fiber per 100 grams, and 20 grams of flax seeds provide about 6 grams of fiber.

Keep healthy snacks in your line of sight

Leeming also keeps a jar of mixed nuts by her kettle so that she can snack on them when she goes to make a cup of tea.

"The things that I want to eat more of, I keep in my line of sight. That just visually prompts you to go for them as a first step," she said.