• Personal trainer Harry King is 82 and said lifting weights has helped him manage arthritis pain.
• King works out five days a week doing bench presses, leg presses, and cardio on the elliptical.
• He said exercise allowed him to get back to an active lifestyle and makes everyday tasks easier.

When Harry King was in his 50s, a doctor told him the arthritis in his knees had gotten so bad, he needed to stop taking the stairs, and even limit walking whenever possible.

Now 82, King is not only walking, hiking, and working out regularly — he works at his local Planet Fitness as a personal trainer, leading others through their workouts.

"Weight training is the best thing I can do for my arthritis," he told Business Insider. "By exercising and weight training I've built up the muscles around the knee to strengthen it."

King said strength training has helped him get back to an active lifestyle. Over the years, he's earned a second-degree black belt and won two championships in karate, as well as kayaked and hiked across his home state of South Carolina.

"I realize I do more than most 82-year-olds," he said. "It's just a way of life for me. To get into it, you just have to take the first step and go to the gym."

He works out up to five days a week

King spent most of his younger years being active in sports. He started basketball in high school and kept up with it until about age 50,

It wasn't until he was diagnosed with arthritis that he slowed down and started to feel out of shape. But being sedentary worsened his aches and pains and started to limit what he could do. King said he knew it was time for a change when he had an opportunity to hike the Matterhorn in the Alps, but wasn't physically ready.

"I vowed to let that never happen again, to let being out of shape stop me from doing things," he said.

King found a new doctor who could help him get back to physical activity, and found going to the gym helped him feel stronger and more capable in everyday life.

When King saw an opening for a personal trainer a few years ago, he applied, hoping to pass on his enthusiasm for strength training to help other people get stronger and live longer.

He said his approach isn't necessary about seeking out intense challenges (although he'll take them, when the opportunity arises), but making sure he can keep moving.

"I don't need to push through pain to be at the level I want to be. I just want to be fit enough to do something everyday," he said.

His workouts include bench presses, leg presses, and low-impact cardio

King said his exercise routine aims to include heart-healthy cardio as well as strength training for both upper and lower body.

For cardio, King prefers the elliptical or a bike for a low-impact workout that's easier on the joints.

"I used to run a lot but my feet can't take the pounding anymore," he said.

His weightlifting workouts include lower body movements like leg presses or modified squats to protect his knees, and upper body exercises like lat pull-downs and bench presses.

King isn't lifting light weight, either. While he doesn't try to max out his weight, a typical session might involve three sets of 12 reps. On the bench press, he could be hitting as much as 140 pounds.

The goal is progressive overload, gradually increasing the challenge to continue building muscle and strength while preventing injury.

"I don't try to lift as heavy a weight as I used to, just as heavy as I need to improve my strength," he said.

• Alisa Wolfson's family lost their home in the Pacific Palisades to the LA wildfires.
• They have been staying in hotels while they figure out their next steps.
• The impact of climate change and insurance issues are prompting them to consider leaving California.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Alisa Wolfson, a journalist who lived in the Pacific Palisades with her husband and two daughters, ages 7 and 10. They evacuated on January 7 and subsequently lost their home in the LA fires that swept through Southern California. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

I grew up in the Palisades, and I've seen countless fires in surrounding areas. Usually, when fires start in the Santa Monica mountains and head toward the Palisades, they're always able to extinguish them.

On Tuesday when I was leaving my house, I thought we'd be back that night, so I didn't grab anything other than my laptop and our passports. If I'd thought that there was any chance something like this could happen, I would've grabbed as much as I could, even strapping things to the roof of my car.

Two days later, when I found out our house was gone, I was in complete shock. I keep closing my eyes and going room by room through my house, picturing how everything was. To think that none of it exists anymore is… I haven't found a profound enough word. "Devastating" and "unfathomable" don't do it justice.

Everything we own is gone

I felt like our house was a fortress; it was so well-built and sturdy. Before we found out, my husband had even said, "I wouldn't be surprised if our house was the only one still standing."

One of our neighbors was able to bike to our street and sent pictures and videos to the group text. Miraculously, two homes across the street from me are still standing. They're the only ones left on the block, and their hedges are still green.

I recognized our driveway, our lime tree — still with limes on it — and a white cement wall in front of our house that had turned brown with soot. Everything else was unrecognizable. We had two vintage cars in our garage — a '57 Chevy that was built like a tank and a '69 Jaguar — and there's no more evidence of them. They're just dust.

Every single possession that I have — that I had, rather — is gone, and I wasn't able to save any of it. Our entire lives that were in that house are gone. The magnitude of what that means and its permanence feels so unexpected and unfair.

I'm so sad that I didn't bring a basket of old home videos of my dad, who passed away when our oldest was only 10 months old. My mom's house also burned down, so we have no family heirlooms left. People say, "You still have plenty of years left to start collecting," but it's not the same as having your grandmother's silver that was used at all of the family get-togethers and celebrations.

We're fortunate to have the means to stay in a hotel

People online have been saying things [about Palisades] like, "They're rich. They'll rebuild and don't need any assistance." I don't take it personally. Unless it's happened to you, it's virtually impossible to relate to.

We're fortunate to have the means to stay in a hotel right now — first the Beverly Hilton, and we moved to the Fairmont Century Plaza on Wednesday, as it's across the street from my husband's office and around the corner from the Westfield Century City Shopping Centre.

Just about every other hotel guest I've seen is in the same boat. There's something strangely comforting about knowing we're not the only ones, that there's a larger community that's all grieving the same type of loss.

We're taking it an hour at a time

There's a long road ahead. The rental market is already insane. There are a limited number of rentals, and everyone's in line for the same properties. I'm sure there will be price-gouging and greedy people who want to get as much money as they can when they lease their homes out.

We've had friends and family from all over the country reach out and offer to have us stay with them. One offered us their condo in Sun Valley — an incredible offer, but uprooting ourselves feels like it'd be too much change so quickly.

Family friends have a horse property in the Palisades and have graciously offered us one of their little guest cottages. We're waiting to see if it survived. If so, we'll go there temporarily because it's somewhere our daughters are familiar with.

Otherwise, we're looking into potential long-term hotel stay-type places. Really, we're just taking things day by day. We're booked at this hotel through the weekend on Monday as of now. We could extend here, but we might benefit from having a little more space, especially with the dog.

My husband and I both grew up in the Palisades and bought our home there in 2018. We love our neighborhood and its strong sense of community. Now, moving away from California is on the table.

Climate change is real. Fires are becoming more frequent and more intense, and nobody wants to insure homes in California anymore. Ironically, just last month, State Farm sent us a notice that they wouldn't be renewing our fire insurance policy. Fortunately, we're covered through April. We've filed a claim with our insurance and are waiting to have a subsequent call with an adjuster.

I want to incorporate as much normalcy as possible

I've only cried once so far today. I don't know if things are settling in and becoming more real; perhaps we're falling into our own little routine at the hotel.

A family that we know happens to be staying in the room next door, and our daughters are very happy at the thought of doing cartwheels up and down the hallway together because that's what makes them feel normal right now. All I can hope for is that my girls continue to have those brief moments and glimmers of hope.

I'm trying to incorporate as much normalcy as possible where I can, not that there's really much to be had. I have a hard time accepting things from people because I'd rather be helping, but I've had to do away with that mindset and just accept the help.

Last night, I sent my daughters home with one of my best friends. She made them dinner and tasked them with some babysitting duties to make them feel like they were needed. She took them to get ice cream afterward and even brought me a scoop when she dropped them off.

It's those kinds of things that are really keeping us going.

• Vail Resorts was in the hot seat this month when a Park City ski patrol strike disrupted holidays.
• For years, Vail's rapid acquisitions and high costs have sparked criticism from skiers and locals.
• Here's how the company grew to be the biggest in skiing — and the enemy of some ski bums.

If you want to know just how loathed Vail Resorts is, just look at the lyrics of Grammy-nominated artist Noah Kahan's "Paul Revere."

"This place had a heartbeat in its day," the native Vermonter sings. "Vail bought the mountains, and nothing was the same."

Or look around the parking lots at the ski behemoth's various properties, which include Park City, Beaver Creek, and Stowe, where cars are frequently adorned with "Vail Sucks" stickers.

Gripes that the company has made skiing less accessible and more corporate were amplified this month after a ski patrol strike shut down much of Park City, causing chaos for vacationers over the holidays.

The company's stock dropped 6% amid news of the strike. But while the work stoppage has ended, the company's challenges are far from over. Since reaching a peak in 2021, Vail's share price is now down more than 50%.

After two decades of acquisitions and partnerships, Vail Resorts owns or operates 42 ski resorts around the world. The company is now facing decreased margins after a 2021 reduction in the price of its Epic Pass, which provides access to Vail's network of mountains, and the lack of cheap acquisitions available, Chris Woronka, an analyst at Deutsche Bank, told Business Insider.

"The stock had gotten ahead of itself valuation-wise," Woronka said. "The days of easily created growth are kind of behind the company."

Meanwhile, it's earned a reputation among passionate skiers as a place where crowds clutter the trails and lift lines and where grabbing a burger on the mountain could cost you $25.

A spokesperson for Vail Resorts told BI the company continuously invests in its properties to improve the guest experience and make skiing more accessible.

"Vail Resorts has transformed the industry through unprecedented investments in employees and guests, made the sport more accessible to more people, and created stability for our resorts, employees and communities in the face of climate change," the spokesperson said.

A skiing behemoth

Vail Resorts is the largest ski company in the world, granting its pass-holders unlimited access to dozens of resorts worldwide, including its upscale flagship, Vail, located in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. During its 2024 fiscal year, which ended in July, 17.6 million skiers visited its mountains.

Those visitors pay big bucks for the privilege of skiing at some of the most popular destinations: The Epic Pass had a starting price of $982 for the 2024-2025 season. A lift ticket at Park City alone can get up to about $300 per day.

A spokesperson for Vail Resorts said the company now has over 2 million pass-holders.

Luke, a former Vail Resorts employee who asked to go by his first name to avoid professional repercussions, told BI there were two main reasons Vail Resorts gets so much hate. First, it's buying up resorts at an "alarming" rate. Second, as a result of that strategy, many skiers do not believe the company invests enough in the quality and operations of each individual resort, instead relying on their "cash cow" properties.

"It feels like the end game is not necessarily to make any one area successful, but to eventually own the ski world," Luke said. "So then it's like if you're skiing anywhere, you're skiing Vail" properties.

Jaimie Nichols, a 35-year-old accountant from Florida who now lives in Denver, has been skiing with her family in Crested Butte, Colorado, since the early 2000s, when the resort was family-owned. She remembered lift tickets for kids cost as much as their age — $8 for an 8-year-old — and a large base lodge where families could find affordable food options or use a microwave to heat up packed lunches. Crested Butte itself is lovingly called "Colorado's Last Great Ski Town" due to its authentic mountain town vibe.

But Nichols said since Vail Resorts acquired Crested Butte Ski Resort in 2018, it just hasn't been the same.

The resort's "persona changed," she said. "It's a completely different place."

The Mueller family, which owned Crested Butte, previously said selling to Vail was a difficult decision.

"When you start to look 10, 20, 30 years down the road and what that means for a small ski company like us, and not being as heavily financed like Vail, it's only getting tougher," Erica Mueller told Powder magazine in 2018.

When Vail takes over

Now, most of Vail Resorts' properties are in the US, spanning from California, Utah, and Colorado, through Midwest states like Wisconsin and Michigan, and all the way to the Northeast in Vermont and New Hampshire.

Its many acquisitions have turned the company, which was taken public by Apollo in the 1990s after the private equity shop bought it out of bankruptcy, into a financial behemoth in the hospitality space. It has a market cap of $6.7 billion and generated $2.9 billion in revenue and $230 million in profit in its 2024 fiscal year. Investors were rewarded with $8.56 in dividends per share.

A common complaint from skiers and snowboarders when Vail takes over a resort is a more crowded mountain and long lift lines. The problem, Nichols said, is that when a resort gets added to Vail's Epic Pass, it becomes a destination. Epic pass-holders who previously wouldn't have driven four-plus hours from Denver to Crested Butte now make the trip, as do pass-holders from other states who make a vacation out of it.

As a result, Nichols said the locals of the area have fewer opportunities to ski on their home mountain, and, for families who aren't season pass-holders but would like to ski once or twice a season, day passes get too expensive and out of reach.

Some of these problems are compounded by factors that are affecting many towns in the West that don't even have a ski resort: an increase in short-term rentals and transplants from cities moving to small towns in the age of remote work, both of which have contributed to higher home prices and costs of living.

Vail has said it is committed to reinvesting in the resorts it acquires, estimating its capital investments in the 2024 fiscal year to be between $189 million to $194 million. For instance, at Whistler Blackcomb, the company said it was replacing a four-person lift with a six-person high-speed lift. At Park City, the company said it was replacing a lift with a 10-person gondola. It also said it planned to invest in snowmaking capabilities at Park City and Hunter Mountain.

A spokesperson for Vail Resorts said the Epic Pass has also added stability to an industry that was previously "ruled by weather."

"That means in a good snow year, the industry would prosper, but in a year with low snow, skiers and snowboarders would opt not to visit, and ski resorts would suffer, along with the employees who worked there and the surrounding communities," the spokesperson said. "This meant that resorts couldn't predict their business — thus were not investing in infrastructure or their employees."

When Vail introduced the Epic Pass in 2008, it was cheaper than many season passes offered at individual resorts.

The spokesperson also said the company's Epic Day Passes, which offer more flexibility than traditional lift tickets, are significantly discounted if they are purchased before the season begins.

"By incentivizing guests to buy their skiing and riding ahead of the season, we lock in revenue before the snow falls, which has allowed us to continually invest back into our resorts, our employees, and our communities, and the environment, no matter the weather," the spokesperson said.

Many Vail critics still buy Epic Passes

The company's biggest competitor is Alterra Mountain Company, which owns mountains like Steamboat and Deer Valley and is owned by private equity shop KSL and investment firm Henry Crown. Alterra runs the Ikon Pass, which is even more expensive than the Epic Pass, starting at $1,249.

The Epic and Ikon passes' value depends on how much one uses them. It can be a good deal for folks who ski frequently and would like to visit different mountains — which is part of the argument the companies use when they increase the pricing on nearly everything else, including day passes, ski school, rentals, and on-mountain dining and amenities.

In addition to offering a good deal with the Epic Pass, Woronka, the Deutsche Bank analyst, said Vail also still has a strong brand name going for it and great assets.

"These are really terrific mountains. It's some of the best terrain out there," he said. "They have this big, nice, wide portfolio across the country."

The problem is, "trying to cater to everyone and do it profitably can be a difficult proposition," Woronka said.

With the luxury experience that Vail is selling, the increase in crowds on the mountain can make the guests feel a little less special, he said.

Still, Vail's dominance means that many who complain about the company still buy Epic Passes. It often makes the most financial sense for those who plan to ski most weekends, and if all their friends are doing the Epic Pass, they don't want to miss out.

Luke, the former Vail employee, said running a ski operation is costly and complicated. And, he added, there's no denying that some of the resorts bought up by Vail may not have survived otherwise. But he said part of the reason for that is the relatively low cost of the Epic Pass has drawn many away from their local mountains.

"These mountains wouldn't have survived," Luke said.

But he also said he thinks having to compete with a large company like Vail is part of the reason some family-run resorts were struggling in the first place.

• Micro-trends that circulate on social media can trigger some to make too many online purchases.
• Buy-now-pay-later can make the true costs of buying items seem lower.
• These payments add up over time, leading to a debt spiral that's difficult to escape.

Buy-now-pay-later services (BNPL), such as Klarna and Affirm, have made it easier than ever to keep up with influencer micro-trends — but young people say such services are increasingly trapping them into a vicious debt cycle.

Jess Riley, a 31-year-old content creator who has shared her debt journey on TikTok, said that BNPL, combined with micro-fashion trends, almost led her to financial ruin.

"I was definitely one of those people that was very susceptible to influencers," she said. "When someone put out a new necklace, I instantly wanted that necklace … I would put it on Klarna just so I could have it."

This impulse buying was just that, though. Sometimes Riley would forget what she ordered almost immediately.

Riley is far from alone. Consumers and commentators who spoke to Business Insider say BNPL tempts people to make impulsive purchases and rack up debt by making it seem like costs are less than they actually are.

It makes shopping online so easy that it almost becomes mindless, particularly on social media.

Simon Trevethick, head of communications at StepChange, a UK debt charity, told BI that the lack of regulation of BNPL apps means people can accumulate multiple debts across various providers "often without proper affordability assessments."

"If repayments become unaffordable, these debts can then incur late fees and interest charges that place people in financial difficulty," he said.

In the US, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau took steps last year to increase regulation of BNPL providers, Reuters reported. Lenders will be required to refund returned products, and provide assistance with billing disputes. However, they are not required to assess whether a customer can afford the loan and repayments.

The affordability illusion

The exact amount owed to BNPL services is unknown, but between 2019 and 2021, the number of such loans in the US increased by 1,100%, according to the CFPB.

In the 2024 holiday season, Americans were expected to spend $18.5 billion using BNPL services, Reuters reported.

"If you are unable to afford your purchase today, you can explain away not having the money by making multiple payments over time," Traci Williams, a certified clinical psychologist and financial therapist, told BI.

"Unfortunately, what you don't consider is that not being able to afford it today likely means just that — you cannot afford it."

Toni-Ann, who posts content on TikTok about paying off her debt under the handle @financeaccountingdiaries, told BI that social media, with the power of influencers and algorithms, plays a role in the debt spiral.

"It pressures you to want to buy what everybody else has got or whatever you keep seeing advertised. Then Klarna is an option, so you're just like, 'oh, I just can spread the payments'," she said.

These services make it feel like you only owe a small amount, but in reality, the sums add up.

Beth Fuller shared her story on TikTok, where she has reduced her $8,000 of credit card debt to almost nothing by cutting back on needless spending.

Fuller told BI she felt the pressure to keep up with the latest fashion she saw influencers share on social media. She said she realized that once she'd bought something, her brain would move on to the next thing.

"Things were feeling outdated so quickly," she said. "I was like, surely I can't need more stuff. But an event would come around, and I just wouldn't feel on trend for the event, even though I'd bought clothes last month."

Curbing the habit

People typically don't like waiting to buy things, Williams told BI, which makes BNPL so tempting. It also hurts less to stretch the payments out.

"Our pain receptors in the brain are more likely to be activated by larger purchases," she said. "Mentally, it seems easier to pay small amounts over time than in one lump sum."

Williams recommended asking yourself if the purchase is something you want or need and then considering saving up to pay for it outright: "Focus on stopping the bleeding by no longer using these services."

A Klarna spokesperson told BI the company offers "a fairer and more sustainable alternative" to traditional credit.

"We conduct strict eligibility checks on each purchase using real-time data, constantly reassess our lending criteria and spending limits to ensure we only lend to those who can afford to repay, and we restrict the use of our services after missed payments to stop debt accumulating," they said.

An Afterpay spokesperson told BI it did not conduct hard inquiries or report account activity to credit bureaus. They said the company also capped late-payment fees at 25% of the order value.

Customers are offered small spending limits when they first join, the spokesperson said, and 95% of installments in the third quarter of 2024 were paid on time, and 98% incurred no late fees.

Getting out of the hole

An Affirm spokesperson told BI there were no late fees or hidden charges, and if a customer did not repay their loan, they could no longer use the service.

However, the influencers BI spoke to said BNPL helped maintain their shopping addictions. Toni-Ann has almost paid off all her debt. She said it was hard to get out of the hole, but it started with changing her habits.

When she spoke to BI last year, Riley only owed another $800 and expected to be debt-free within weeks.

She has relapsed and used BNPL a couple of times but doesn't beat herself up about it. Overall, she's mostly changed the way she thinks about spending and doesn't let herself be tempted by the micro-trends influencers are promoting: "It's a marathon, not a sprint."

Jyoti Mann contributed reporting.

• Microsoft Edge is an internet browser installed by default on all new Windows computers.
• Edge was made to replace Internet Explorer, and runs faster and with more features.
• Edge now works with Microsoft's new AI-powered features like Copilot.

There was once an old joke among Windows users: "Internet Explorer is the best browser to download a better browser with."

In other words, Internet Explorer — Microsoft's old flagship internet browser — was been around for years, and few people actually liked it. That's a big reason why in 2015 Microsoft released Edge, their new and improved browser.

Edge gradually replaced Internet Explorer and became increasingly popular over the years, until the latter browser finally shuttered in 2022.

Though Edge was created with the Windows user in mind, iOS users can download it on their Macs, iPhones, or iPads, too. Edge can even be used on Linux and on Xbox.

Microsoft has made a big effort with Edge to improve the browsing experience, and it's paid off. Microsoft Edge has enough features and benefits that it's actually a real alternative to more popular browsers like Chrome or Firefox.

This is especially true with the Edge's most recent update, which now features Copilot, Microsoft's AI tool that can assist users with research and summarize pages and content. Edge also features Microsoft's AI-powered search engine Bing right in the browser's sidebar for easy access.

Here's everything you need to know about Microsoft Edge, including what it offers, and how to download it on your PC, Mac, iPhone, or Android device.

Microsoft Edge, explained

The current version of Edge was built on what's called a "Chromium" browser. This means that it can run hundreds of extensions that were originally meant for Google Chrome users. This includes screen readers, in-browser games, productivity tools, and more.

This is in addition to the extensions already in the Microsoft Store, which you can also use. If you can think of a feature you'd like the browser to have, there's probably an extension for it.

If you sign up for a free Microsoft account, you can sync your bookmarks, history, passwords, and more. This means that if you use Edge on a different computer, you'll have all of your browsing data available in moments.

Reviews have also said that this new version of Edge runs faster than previous versions, putting it about on par with Chrome and Firefox.

If you'd like to give Microsoft Edge a try, you can download it from Microsoft's website.

The page should automatically detect whether you're using a Mac, PC, iPhone, or Android device. If you think the page has gotten it wrong, click the arrow next to the "Download" button to see all the available versions.

• Gen Xers are moving to retirement hot spots in Florida and Texas.
• Meanwhile, they're leaving behind big coastal cities in New York and California.
• Lower interest rates, remote work, and a strong economy might be driving Gen X migration patterns.

Gen Xers are living like they're 20 years older — or at least moving to the favored locales of their retiree counterparts.

An exclusive analysis of Census data for BI from the University of Virginia demographer Hamilton Lombard reveals the areas in the US that Gen Xers have left behind and where they went.

Between 2020 and 2023, counties in Florida and Texas, many of which are retirement havens, experienced the largest increases in their Gen X populations — defined as those who were between 45 and 54 years old in 2023 — per the analysis.

The analysis also found that the population of that demographic in "retirement destination" counties rose by 5.1% between 2020 and 2023, over three times as fast as the country's 1.6% growth rate in the same period. The USDA defined those counties as having at least a 15% increase in their populations age 60 and up from net migration between 2000 and 2010.

Lombard said it's likely that many Gen Xers were lured to retirement destinations by a strong stock market amplifying retirement savings, remote work options, and a robust housing market. During the first two years of the pandemic, before the Fed began its interest-rate hikes to fight inflation, low mortgage rates could have been another incentive to move.

Gen Xers weren't necessarily retiring early — although some may have been — but instead potentially seizing the moment of a strong economy, Lombard said. It echoes a similar migration in the 2000s housing boom, per Lombard, which also came amid a long stretch of economic growth.

"People felt like they had more options where they could live," he said. "And with interest rates where they were, that was a lot easier to do."

Lombard said that the Gen Xers who moved into retirement areas might fall into three buckets: People who actually retired, flexible Gen X workers who wanted to move in early before fully retiring, and Gen Xers who moved to cater to the first two groups.

He gave the example of a hypothetical Gen X dentist who moved from New York to Florida after their clients relocated or retired.

Lee County, Florida, home to Fort Myers and Cape Coral, saw the largest change between 2020 and 2023, with a net increase of over 10,500 Gen Xers. Meanwhile, over 9,700 net residents moved to Polk County, in central Florida, to the east of Tampa. Another nearly 8,500 net residents relocated to Pasco County on Florida's western coast.

Three Texas counties were in the top six destinations for Gen X movers. Montgomery County, north of Houston, had a net gain of about 7,500 residents, while Collin County, north of Dallas, grew by nearly 7,400. Fort Bend County, southwest of Houston, attracted over 6,900 net residents.

Seventeen of the top 25 counties for Gen X movers were in Florida, while six were in Texas. South Carolina's Horry County, home to Myrtle Beach, and Arizona's Pinal County, home to Florence, rounded out the top 25.

Another popular destination for Gen Xers: The Villages in Florida, often thought of as the Disney World of retirement. Sumter County, Florida, which contains The Villages, gained nearly 2,000 members of that generation from 2020 to 2023, bringing the population to about 9,800.

Gen Xers may have been drawn to the ample amenities — and unique golf cart culture — that the area offers. The median age in Sumter County has fallen slightly from 68.9 in 2019 to 68.2 in 2023, per the Census Bureau's American Community Survey.

Gen X is leaving behind LA and NYC

Counties experiencing the largest net declines in this demographic included Los Angeles County, with nearly 66,000 members leaving; Cook County, the home of Chicago, with about 33,000; Kings County, or Brooklyn, at 29,800; and Queens County, with nearly 22,600. Other major urban counties in California, New York, and Texas lost thousands of net residents.

Many of the areas that Gen Xers are leaving behind have high costs of living. The generation has faced its own economic headwinds, and has already been struggling to pay bills and taking on additional jobs to cope financially. Lombard also said that some of that exodus could come from Gen Xers who were already considering moving and saw how willing people were to pay a premium for their homes.

The Gen Xers who opted to move might also be part of the group still clinging to remote work. From September to December, 12.4% of 40 to 49-year-olds were fully working from home, per the latest figures from the Survey of Working Arrangements and Attitude, slightly up from the same period a year prior.

A Gen X influx in retiree-heavy areas has meant more age diversity, and median ages coming down, Lombard said. It can also be an economic boon: The new population has wealth, and is ready to spend it.

"That's really invigorating some of these local economies and that's causing a lot of business growth," he said.

Are you a Gen Xer who moved in the 2020s? Contact these reporters at [email protected] and [email protected].

• Over eight decades ago, the US Navy made the historic capture of a Nazi U-boat during World War II.
• A treasure trove of vital German intelligence, the submarine's capture was top-secret.
• See inside the U-boat, now a permanent exhibit at Chicago's Griffin Museum of Science and Industry.

Submarine warfare played a pivotal role in the Battle of the Atlantic as German U-boats targeted merchant ships and troop carriers from the US and other Allied nations.

The underwater predators sank Allied ships faster than they could be replaced, starving the British of crucial war material, but the Allies eventually turned the tide as they implemented improved radar and sonar detection, codebreaking measures, and warship convoys.

In 1944, a US Navy task group hunted a Nazi U-boat in a top-secret operation that was only made public after the war ended, marking the first time the service captured an enemy vessel since 1812.

The U-505

Constructed at the docks of Hamburg, Germany, the U-505 was one of the German navy's Type IX-class submarines, a long-range attack boat developed with longer dive times and agility compared to its predecessors.

Given the Kriegsmarine's limited surface fleet, the U-boat was tasked with destroying shipping vessels in the Atlantic owned by the US and other Allied nations. After the U-505 entered the Battle of the Atlantic in 1942, it sank eight ships over a dozen war patrols and was credited with the loss of nearly 50,000 tons of Allied supplies and goods.

Tens of thousands died in the brutal war at sea. Allied mariners died in the torpedo explosions or drowned in the cold ocean waters afterward. In some incidents, U-boats also attacked passenger liners like the SS Athenia.

The string of sunken ships earned the U-505 a feared reputation as an underwater predator, but little did the crew know that its winning streak would someday come to an end.

Inside the U-boat

The U-505 had a displacement of over 1,100 tons and measured about 250 feet long. Propelled by two saltwater-cooled diesel engines, the U-boat had a range of nearly 17,000 miles, allowing it to deploy on long-range patrols to target merchant vessels.

Its surface speed was 18 knots, but its underwater speed was eight knots, which left it vulnerable to faster enemy ships while it operated below the surface. It mostly sailed on the surface at night and dove when spotted or when sneaking up on ships to torpedo.

An underwater ship-killer

Serving as an attack submarine, the U-505 had six 21-inch torpedo tubes — four in the bow and two in the stern — with storage to carry up to 22 torpedos at a time.

The U-boat's surface armament included two antiaircraft guns and a 4.1-inch deck gun that could fire 15 rounds per minute.

Life aboard the German submarine

Built to endure longer voyages and dive times, the U-505 could operate on patrols for 100 days or more. Despite the larger design of the Type-IX subs, the pressure hull was no bigger than a subway car.

As many as 60 people would live and work on the U-boat, taking turns sharing the 35 bunks, some of which were installed in the sub's front and rear torpedo rooms.

Harsh living conditions

Space was hard to come by in the cramped hull. Only one sailor could stand in the tiny kitchen at a time. The fumes would waft from the engine room to the rest of the U-boat, leaving the crew's limited provisions tasting like diesel.

Personnel often just wore shoes and underwear while living in the submarine, where temperatures could exceed 100 degrees Fahrenheit during the warmer months.

The U-505 only had two bathrooms aboard — one of which was used to store food — but the crew never bathed and had to clean themselves with alcohol throughout the two-month patrols.

Tracking down the elusive boat

On June 4, 1944, a US Navy hunter-killer group detected the U-505 operating off the coast of Rio de Oro in Africa's Western Sahara. Commanded by US Navy Capt. Daniel V. Gallery, Task Group 22.3 was comprised of the escort carrier USS Guadalcanal and five destroyers.

Depth charges launched by the Edsall-class destroyer escort USS Chatelain, which detected the German vessel with sonar, jammed the U-boat's rudder and flooded the aft compartment, forcing the vessel to surface.

Setting out on an anti-submarine sweep with the stated purpose of capturing and bringing back to the United States a German submarine, all units of the Task Group worked incessantly throughout the cruise to prepare themselves for the accomplishment of this exceedingly difficult purpose.

Salvaging the U-505

German intelligence was vital during WWII, making recovery efforts for the sinking U-boat a top priority for the Navy task group.

German Capt. Harald Lange, who commanded the U-505, ordered the crew to abandon ship. To avoid capture, the Germans attempted to sink the U-boat with time bombs throughout the submarine and opened a sea strainer that caused water to rush inside the hull.

US Navy sailors who boarded the quickly flooding vessel disabled the scuttle charges and replaced the strainer cover.

In an operation wrought with numerous risks and dangers, the capture only resulted in one recorded casualty from the U-505's crew as a result of Allied gunfire.

Captured intact

A boarding party from the Edsall-class destroyer escort USS Pillsbury took a whaleboat to rescue the surviving 58 German sailors and salvage the U-505.

"Undeterred by the apparent sinking condition of the U-boat, the danger of explosions of demolition and scuttling charges, and the probability of enemy gunfire, the small boarding party plunged through the conning tower hatch, did everything in its power to keep the submarine afloat and removed valuable papers and documents," Adm. Royal E. Ingersoll, then-Commander in Chief of the US Atlantic Fleet, said in the presidential unit citation awarded to the task group.

Towing it back to the US

Following the harrowing capture came the task of towing it back home. Operating under utmost secrecy, the US Navy painted the U-boat black and renamed it USS Nemo to hide its capture from the Germans.

The partially submerged vessel was towed over 2,500 nautical miles to Bermuda to study the submarine's technology and intelligence on board.

The 58 sailors from the U-505 were transported and held at a prisoner-of-war camp in Louisiana, kept under special conditions like isolation and limited communication to keep the submarine's capture a secret.

They remained at the camp until the end of the war, with the last of the captives repatriating back to Germany in 1947.

Uncovering German secrets

The Navy recovered codebooks, thousands of communication documents, and two Enigma machines used by the German military to decode and encrypt messages to and from the U-505. Breaking Enigma codes allowed fleet commands to know where U-boats would attack. That, along with increasing Allied aircraft patrols for submarines, turned the tide of the Battle of the Atlantic.

American naval engineers uncovered that the Germans were developing an advanced acoustic-homing torpedo to target a ship's propellers.

The intelligence also allowed the US to get more precise locations for German U-boat operations, redirecting merchant vessels from those areas.

"The Task Group's brilliant achievement in disabling, capturing, and towing to a United States base a modern enemy man-of-war taken in combat on the high seas is a feat unprecedented in individual and group bravery, execution, and accomplishment in the Naval History of the United States," Ingersoll said in the presidential citation.

Preserving the U-boat

Once the Navy learned what it could from the German submarine, the U-505 was destined to become gunnery and torpedo target practice, a typical fate for captured enemy vessels.

Two years after its capture, Chicago native John Gallery, the brother of Guadalcanal Capt. Gallery, contacted the president of the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry to preserve the wartime relic as an exhibit.

The Navy donated the U-boat to the museum, but the city of Chicago was tasked with raising $250,000 to move, install, and restore the submarine for exhibition.

'Submarine crossing'

In 1954, the U-505 was towed from Portsmouth, New Hampshire, where it was being stored, through 28 locks and four Great Lakes to Chicago.

After being towed 3,000 miles to 57th Street Beach in Chicago, the next hurdle was transporting the submarine from the waters of Lake Michigan to the museum — an 800-foot journey that included passing over an urban expressway.

Over the course of a week, engineers removed parts of the sub to make it easier to pull, then moved it across Lake Shore Drive using a network of rails and rollers to its permanent display outside the museum.

The U-505's lair

The U-505 was initially berthed outdoors but was later moved into an indoor climate-controlled environment to better preserve it in the long term.

"The lives and the history that is embedded within the U-505, we don't want to lose any of that," Voula Saridakis, a curator at the Museum of Science and Industry, told Business Insider. "It's so important, historically, of what this war was all about, especially the Battle of the Atlantic, which often, I think, gets overlooked in many ways."

Due to its size, the exhibit's concrete housing was erected around the U-505, surrounded by external exhibits that relayed the history of the submarine and the Battle of the Atlantic, whose toll included over 100,000 sailors and mariners and 3,500 merchant ships; Germany alone lost 783 U-boats and an estimated 30,000 crewmen.

The interior of the submarine was meticulously restored to replicate the atmosphere and environment as it was before its capture more than eight decades ago, complete with simulated lighting and sound effects to add to the immersiveness.

"As our visitors come through, they can get an idea of what life was like for these submariners and the living conditions and the tech and the innovation that went into this Type IXC," Saridakis said.

In 1982, members from the US Navy's Task Group 22.3 reunited with members of the German submarine's crew in Chicago, marking the first time the German sailors saw the U-boat since the war.

"Part of what we want to do is preserve the history of the U-505, the battle, and the capture for future generations," Saridakis said, "and we do this through telling this story, helping our guests understand its history and keeping this up and preserved for as long as we can."

• The Oura Ring is a fitness tracker popular among athletes, business execs, and celebrities.
• Fitness reporter Rachel Hosie has used one for four years and was originally attracted by its look.
• Oura ``Rings provide sleep data, step counts, and menstrual cycle tracking.

When I first learned about a new fitness-tracking smart ring four years ago, it wasn't the promise of high-tech features that most piqued my interest, it was the look.

As someone who enjoys both fashion and fitness, I didn't think the wrist-worn devices I'd encountered as a health reporter, such as the Whoop strap, Apple Watch, and Fitbit, were attractive enough for me to wear all day every day, to everything from the gym to a wedding.

But the Oura Ring, which just looks like a chunky band (mine is gold but other colors are available), was different.

Four years later, the look is still important to me, but it's the increasingly clever features that mean I still wear an Oura Ring.

Launched in 2013, the Oura ring's popularity has soared in recent years and can be spotted on the hands of athletes, business execs, and celebrities. Last December, the Finnish company announced that its valuation had doubled to $5.2 billion since 2022, thanks to $200 million in new funding. Various brands have launched their own smart rings in recent years — but Oura still leads the pack.

At $349 to $399 for the latest Oura 4 model, plus a $5.99-a-month subscription, it's not cheap, but neither is an Apple Watch, which can cost as much as $799 for the top model.

A few years ago, people were always surprised when I told them my ring was an activity tracker. Now everyone from the saleswoman at a jewelry counter to my sports teammates ask me if I'm wearing an Oura Ring and what it's like.

Here are the pros and cons of the Oura Ring that I've found after four years of wearing one.

Con: You can't really wear an Oura Ring while weightlifting

While the look of an Oura Ring is a big selling point to me, a wrist strap would be better for strength training, which is the bread and butter of my exercise.

For movements like deadlifts and pull-ups, I take my ring off as it pinches my skin.

However, I'm only interested in tracking the weights I use and reps in workouts, which trackers can't do and so I log separately.

Pro: The Oura Ring tracks my daily movements

I love that my Oura Ring picks up all my movement throughout the day, including my steps (a metric the Whoop strap, for example, doesn't track). And it's perfectly comfortable to wear, say, on a run, which is when I like to know my heart rate.

The Oura Ring can track various activities, and it's remarkably good at knowing what you've done, from cycling to rowing. It even picks up housework as an activity, which I think is a fantastic way to remind people that all daily movement, not just formal exercise, is important.

It also picks up restful moments, including naps if I were much of a napper.

Although my ring's battery life has slightly worsened with time, I only have to charge it for about an hour every few days.

While some people like having a screen on their device, data collected by the Oura Ring is shown on an app. I like being able to check mine when it suits me.

Pro: Oura Rings provide detailed sleep data

Oura Rings are generally considered to be among the most accurate wearables for tracking sleep, and it's really interesting to see not just how long I've slept in total but also the split between sleep phases, how long it took me to fall asleep, and the overall quality.

Research by the University of Oulu in Finland found that the Oura Ring measures resting heart rate at 99.9% reliability compared to a medical-grade electrocardiogram. Oura supported the study by providing equipment and software, and some of the authors were employed by Oura. However, the company was not involved in the study's design or collection and analysis of the results.

Shortly after waking up, I find myself reaching for the Oura app to see how I slept, rather than checking in with my body and seeing how I actually feel, which I don't think is a great thing.

The sleep data is clever and interesting, but arguably unnecessary for the average person. Wearing a smart ring won't improve your sleep, but it can help you change your habits.

Pro: The Oura Ring encourages you to rest

Like the Whoop strap, the Oura Ring was one of the first smart devices not just to push people to move more but to help users balance recovery with activity. If you're not well rested, Oura will suggest taking it easy.

I like that it promotes balance, but most people can only exercise at certain times and don't necessarily have the luxury of waiting for the next day when their Oura Ring might say they're in a better place to train.

That said, it's no bad thing to factor in that perhaps you should do a slightly lighter session.

Pro: The temperature sensors can tell you if you're sick

Oura Rings are very sensitive to body temperature, and this is one of the methods they use to determine when you're feeling tired and where you are in your menstrual cycle.

These features are really smart — I've heard various Oura users say their rings know they're going to get ill before they do, and studies support this. Similarly, mine has alerted me when my period is going to be a few days late based on my temperature.

I take Oura Ring data with a pinch of salt

While I do believe the Oura Ring is one of the most accurate wearables available, I also know to take all the data with a pinch of salt, and I won't live or die by what it tells me.

This is what Livvy Probert, a personal trainer, sports scientist, and head of science at personal health assessment company Hawq Score, previously told me. Wearable tech like Oura Rings are great for monitoring your own sleep and activity trends and progress, but because accuracy can't be guaranteed, you shouldn't necessarily read too much into the numbers.

• Microsoft 365 is a cloud-based software suite with programs like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Microsoft 365 was formerly called Microsoft Office, and used to be a one-time purchase.
• Microsoft 365 has a variety of subscriptions with different costs, but there are also free versions.

If you have, at any time in the past few years, worked in an office, gone to school, or generally been alive, you have probably used myriad Microsoft 365 products. And the same is true, relatively speaking, even going back several decades.

That's because Microsoft 365 is a 2010 rebranding of Microsoft Office, the suite of software that included venerable programs like Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, and Microsoft PowerPoint, among others.

Whereas you used to access that software via the Windows operating system, today Microsoft 365 is a cloud-based service accessed remotely via a paid subscription.

What programs does Microsoft 365 feature?

Microsoft 365 goes well beyond the basic word processing, spreadsheet-making, and presentation designer software that has been around since the 20th century.

Along with the aforementioned programs, 365 also features OneDrive, a cloud storage service for keeping files secure, Teams, which is a collaboration software that allows for video meetings, live chat, file sharing, and more, Skype, the video call platform, and Outlook, which is Microsoft's email service.

How much does Microsoft 365 cost?

There are different plans at different rates. You can pay $9.99 per month for a Microsoft 365 family plan which allows up to six users to share one account, with that price adding up to $119.88. Or, you can pay $99.99 one time to save on a year-long subscription.

A one-person Microsoft 365 Personal plan costs $6.99 per month, which is $83.88, or you can pay once and get a year for $69.99.

Can you get Microsoft 365 for free?

Microsoft 365 is available for free in a few ways, though most have some limitations. There is a free version of Microsoft 365 that can be used in a web browser. Users must sign up for a Microsoft account with an existing or new email address to access Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and so forth.

You can also get a free download of the Microsoft 365 Access Runtime files, but this is available only in downgraded 32-bit and 64-bit versions.

Students and teachers can get Microsoft Office 365 Education for free with a valid school email address, and all users can sign up for a one-month free trial of a Microsoft 365 subscription. Just make sure to cancel ahead of the next billing cycle.

How to cancel Microsoft 365?

Canceling Microsoft 365 takes just a few steps:

1. Sign in to the Microsoft account you used to purchase Microsoft 365, select Services & subscriptions from the dashboard, and click Manage to cancel or modify the Microsoft 365 subscription.

2. Select Cancel subscription (it might say Upgrade or Cancel).
3. Review the additional information on the page, and at the bottom select I don't want my subscription, then confirm the cancellation.

What's the difference between Microsoft 365 and Office Suite?

The real differences are the pay model and the way you access the software. The classic Office Suite was a one-time purchase that gave you programs (Word and Excel, e.g.) that you could use offline any time you wanted.

Microsoft 365 is a subscription-based service that you primarily use online (you can use 365 programs offline, but the saving may not be reliable) and that you will pay for each month or once a year.

• The Los Angeles fires share a key feature with wildfires that burned down Lahaina, Hawaii and Paradise, California
• Powerful winds met flash-dried landscapes full of vegetation to fuel the flames.
• The climate crisis is increasing the odds of events like these.

The Los Angeles firestorms of the past week share a crucial feature with two of the most horrific wildfires in recent American memory.

The Palisades and Eaton fires may be unprecedented in some ways, but they share a common root cause with the 2018 Camp Fire that killed 85 people in Paradise, California, and the 2023 fire that destroyed Lahaina in Hawaii.

In Paradise, Lahaina, and now Los Angeles, the blazes grew to monster fires because powerful winds met a parched, overgrown landscape.

Scientists expect to see more of that in the future.

"There's definitely a trend that increases this kind of situation," Louis Gritzo, the chief science officer at the commercial property insurance company FM, told Business Insider.

In all three cases, sudden drought had sucked the moisture out of local vegetation, creating abundant kindling for fire to feed on. Then strong winds picked up the embers and carried them into residential areas.

"When we look at the recent really bad fires — the Camp Fire, the fires in Hawaii — they all have that thing in common," Gritzo said. "They have a wet period, dry period, heavy winds, very rapid fire spread, a lot of ember transport."

The winds were bad luck, but flash-dried vegetation is happening more often as global temperatures rise.

How the climate crisis creates more fire fuel

In Paradise and Los Angeles, the dry months followed unusually wet seasons that fed an explosion of plant growth.

Last winter, heavy rains in Southern California led to about double the average amount of grasses and shrubs, according to Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at UCLA.

This winter has not been so generous. The past few months have seen almost no rainfall, shriveling up all those grasses and shrubs.

Swain has coined the term "hydroclimate whiplash" — or simply "weather whiplash" — for these drastic swings between extreme wet and extreme dry conditions. He has observed it across the planet in recent years, from various regions in the US and Europe to the Middle East and China.

Globally, whiplash has already increased by 33% to 66% since the mid-twentieth century, Swain and his colleagues found in a new paper, published in the journal Nature Reviews Earth & Environment on Thursday.

That's because warmer air holds more moisture. As global temperatures rise, the ceiling on how much water our atmosphere can hold is also rising.

That thirsty atmosphere sucks more moisture out of the ground sometimes and, at other times, dumps more rain. Hence, greater extremes of flood and drought — and more wildfire fuel.

The effect of the climate crisis on wildfires "has been slow to emerge, but it is very clearly emerging, unfortunately," Gavin Schmidt, the director of NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies, said in a Friday press briefing announcing that 2024 was the hottest year on record.

The scientific organization World Weather Attribution has discovered a clear link between the climate crisis and specific instances of extreme fire weather in Brazil, Chile, Australia, and Canada.

The climate signal is "so large" now that it's clear in the global and continental data, but also "you're seeing it at the local scale, you're seeing it in local weather," Schmidt said.

The transition from wildfire to urban fire

So climate change is seeding fire fuel in forests and grasslands.

However, once wild blazes enter dense residential areas like Lahaina or the Pacific Palisades, they burn wood fences, ornamental yard plants, mulch landscapes, and leaves built up in roof gutters — then grow to consume homes.

"The natural fuels may be showering us with embers, but what's burning our homes down and forcing us to run and evacuate is human fuels," Pat Durland, a wildfire-mitigation specialist and instructor for the National Fire Protection Association with 30 years of federal wildfire management experience, told Business Insider.

As the climate crisis loads the dice toward extreme wildfires, he says it's important for city governments and residents to manage those urban fuels by reducing them and spacing them apart.

"I think just about anybody could be next under the right circumstances," Durland said. "It depends on the fuel and the climate."

• Shows like "Goosebumps" and "The Traitors" returned this week.
• New series like "American Primeval" and "The Pitt" also premiered.
• A Jerry Springer docuseries and the final episodes of "The Curious Case of Natalia Grace" are out too.

This weekend, you can watch a bloody Western drama, a deep dive into "The Jerry Springer Show," or a reality competition where pseudo-celebrities compete for money in a Scottish castle.

Here's a complete rundown of all the best movies, shows, and documentaries to stream this weekend, broken down by what kind of entertainment you're looking for.

For a new historical drama, check out "American Primeval."

If you like Westerns and can handle gore (this one is several levels of violent above "Yellowstone"), "American Primeval" is a great pick. Taylor Kitsch stars as a traumatized, rugged frontiersman, and Betty Gilpin plays a mother searching for a new life with her son out west.

Streaming on: Netflix

Reality fans, rejoice: "The Traitors" is back.

The Emmy-winning competition series returned this week, with Britney Spears' ex-husband, Zac Efron's brother, and a former "Bachelorette" star among the new cast of "The Traitors" season three. And, of course, Alan Cumming and his fabulous outfits return to host.

Streaming on: Peacock

"Goosebumps" returns too, which is good news for horror lovers.

The first season, a new adaptation of the beloved children's horror book series, was a surprise hit, with Justin Long as the lead. "Friends" star David Schwimmer takes over as the main adult for the show's second outing, subtitled "The Vanishing."

Unlike the 1995 "Goosebumps" show, which adapted individual books from the series in an episodic anthology format, the new one tells a cohesive story each season (though they're of course inspired by the original books). "The Vanishing" centers on twins who are sent to live with their divorced dad (Schwimmer) in Brooklyn for a summer and finds themselves entangled in the decades-old mystery of four teens who vanished in 1994.

Streaming on: Disney+ and Hulu

"The Pitt" is a new medical drama, with a twist.

There's no shortage of medical dramas on cable TV networks, but "The Pitt" is a standout for its hyperrealism. Starring "ER" alum Noah Wyle, this show takes the "24" approach, with each episode playing out in real time and the entire season representing a single 15-hour shift in an emergency room.

Streaming on: Max

Natalia Grace's wild saga finally concluded this week.

Natalia Grace Mans' story has captivated the public for years.

The Ukrainian orphan with dwarfism was adopted by American parents, who later accused her of being an adult posing as a child. Claiming she was a danger to their family, Kristine and Michael Barnett moved away to Canada, having Natalia legally re-aged and leaving her in an apartment on her own.

Natalia ultimately ended up living with Cynthia and Antwon Mans, but that wasn't the happy ending it initially appeared to be. "The Final Chapter," released this week, promises to bring a conclusion to the story, including updates about Natalia's boyfriend and the new family she's living with now.

Streaming on: Max

For another nonfiction pick, watch "Look Into My Eyes."

This 2024 documentary, which initially premiered at Sundance, follows of group of New York City professional psychics. It's a surprisingly touching look into what these people do; the National Board of Review named it one of the five best documentaries of the year.

Streaming on: Max

There's also a docuseries exploring "The Jerry Springer" show.

"Jerry Springer: Fights, Camera, Action" chronicles the rise of the controversial daytime TV show, which became a megahit in the 1990s with its sordid (and often violent) drama.

The docuseries features the show's producers recalling how they manipulated the guests (who were real people, not paid actors) behind the scenes for maximum on-air drama.

Streaming on: Netflix

• Donald Trump and Dana White have enjoyed a decadeslong friendship predating presidential politics.
• In each of Trump's three presidential campaigns, White lined up behind the president-elect.
• During the 2024 race, the mixed martial arts leader also appeared on Trump's first TikTok video.

Donald Trump might be the only person who can attend an Ultimate Fighting Championship fight and outshine the headliners — even UFC CEO Dana White doesn't draw the same type of reaction.

In November, Trump set the crowd off by walking into UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden to join his entourage, which included Elon Musk, House Speaker Mike Johnson, and Trump's cabinet nominees.

White stands at the center of it all. In just under three decades, White has turned his sport, once on the fringe of pop culture, into a spectacle that even a president-elect couldn't resist.

Trump and White's decades-long friendship has been mutually beneficial. White has repeatedly said he will never forget how Trump offered a grand stage to his sport when few others would. Trump successfully deployed White's cohort of podcasters and influencers, led by Joe Rogan, in his 2024 election win.

"Nobody deserves this more than him, and nobody deserves this more than his family does," White told the energetic crowd at Mar-a-Lago as it was apparent that Trump had been elected to a second term. "This is what happens when the machine comes after you."

Here's a look at the decadeslong relationship between Trump and White over the years:

Donald Trump gave a big early boost to UFC

In 1990, Trump opened Trump Taj Mahal, a billion-dollar prized jewel in Atlantic City, that businessman billed as the 8th Wonder of the World. At its peak, it was the biggest casino in town.

Trump needed big acts to fill the casino's arena, which Elton John had christened. In 2001, Trump took a chance on the UFC, which was still trying to escape its brutalist stigma. The sport that then-Sen. John McCain, famously called "human cockfighting" in the 1990s, couldn't even put on an event in Las Vegas.

Trump's UFC event came at a pivotal moment

Shut out of Nevada, UFC staged its fights in a series of smaller venues around the country and the world. White considered the invitation to the Taj Mahal a sign of legitimacy.

"Nobody took us seriously," White has repeatedly said. "Except Donald Trump."

Trump's backing came during a crucial time in the company's history. In January 2001, a month before the Trump-hosted fight, casino moguls Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta purchased UFC. They picked White, Lorenzo's friend and a manager for two of mixed martial arts' biggest fighters, as the president.

Under White's leadership, UFC's popularity skyrocketed

By September 2001, UFC was in Vegas. Four years later, White led UFC onto the airwaves on SpikeTV, cashing in the popularity of reality TV competitions with "The Ultimate Fighter."

It helped that in 2004, Trump welcomed Tito Ortiz, one of the sport's biggest stars, onto the first season of NBC's "Celebrity Apprentice," the glitzier spin-off to Trump's smash reality TV hit.

The Ultimate Fighter was a big success, increasing the company's popularity.

White locked in UFC's voice

If White is the face of UFC, Rogan is undoubtedly its voice. His association with the company even predates White's time as president. After the Fertitta brothers purchased UFC in 2001, White offered Rogan a full-time gig as a color commentator. Rogan has said it's in his contract that he'll leave the UFC if White ever exits, too.

Rogan's profile grew alongside the UFC, considering his association with mixed martial arts was part of why he became the host of NBC's "Fear Factor."

The comedian cashed in on his bigger profile in 2009, starting what was then a weekly commentary show. By the time Trump first ran for president in 2016, "The Joe Rogan Experience" was one of the most popular podcasts in the world.

Business didn't get in the way of Trump and White's friendship.

While he's known for real-estate, Trump has sought out many other partnerships and business ventures to varying degrees of success. In 2008, Trump partnered with Affliction, a clothing brand, to launch a competitor in the mixed-martial arts space. Their promotion even landed Russian fighter Fedor Emelianenko, whom White and the UFC had previously sought to sign.

The venture lasted only two fights. According to The New York Times, White sometimes criticized his friend, pointing out his inexperience in operating such a company, "Donald Trump owns casinos."

White and Trump remained close. The UFC head even vowed that he would never fully go after Trump, a nod to the real estate mogul's early support.

White was once far from a conservative firebrand

In 2010, White campaigned with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada as he sought to hang onto his seat amid a difficult year for Democrats. Reid won, and Democrats held onto a slimmer US Senate majority.

According to The Times, White's politics mirrored Trump's in that both businessmen viewed the enterprise through a transactional lens. Trump faced criticism in the 2016 GOP primaries for previously supporting leading Democrats like Hillary Clinton.

White spoke as if he was a stranger at the 2016 Republican National Convention.

Few major establishment Republicans spoke at Trump's 2016 convention. Enter White, one of a handful of longtime Trump friends who extolled the virtues of the man who would soon become the Republican Party's presidential nominee.

White even alluded to the fact that his attendance might appear odd.

"My name is Dana White. I am the president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. I'm sure most you are wondering, 'What are you doing here?'" White told the crowd in Cleveland. "I am not a politician. I am a fight promoter, but I was blown away and honored to be invited here tonight, and I wanted to show up and tell you about my friend, Donald Trump — the Donald Trump that I know."

White returned to the trail again in 2020.

Ahead of Trump's reelection bid, White said Trump's time in the White House only deepened their relationship.

"We've actually become even closer since he's become the President of the United States," White said during a 2020 campaign rally. "When somebody becomes the President of the United States, you don't ever expect to hear from them again. And I understand it. It absolutely makes sense. This guy is so loyal and such a good friend."

The COVID-19 pandemic made White a conservative star

The COVID-19 pandemic devastated the live event business. Sports, including the UFC, were no exception. White saw an opening as the four major professional leagues struggled through discussions on how to return.

White tried to get the UFC to return with an event on tribal land in California, but that effort was postponed amid Disney and ESPN's uneasiness. In turning to Gov. Ron DeSantis' Florida, White found a much more receptive audience — even if the first fight didn't allow any fans. UFC 249 in May was the first major sporting event since the pandemic's beginning.

Trump delivered a video message congratulating White on the event.

"Get the sports leagues back, let's play," Trump said in a video recorded outside of the Oval Office. "Do the social distancing, and whatever you have to do, but we need sports. We want our sports back."

Out of power, Trump found refuge at the UFC

After leaving the White House, Donald Trump wasn't welcomed in many places. Following the January 6 Capitol riot, the two biggest professional golf governing bodies rebuked him. The Professional Golf Association even stripped one Trump-owned course of the right to host one of the PGA's major four tournaments.

In July 2021, the Manhattan District Attorney indicted the Trump Organization, setting off an array of legal headaches that didn't abate until after the 2024 election. A week later, Trump entered to mostly cheers in Las Vegas as he prepared to take in UFC 264.

Trump made the UFC central to his 2024 bid

Trump officially launched on TikTok at UFC 302 in June 2024. The fighting promotion's audience was also the perfect place for the former president's campaign, given his advisors' emphasis on attracting young men.

White's broader orbit suddenly intertwined with the former president's comeback campaign. Trump, and later his running mate, Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, made a point of appearing on podcasts geared toward this demographic. The Nelk Boys, Theo Von, Adin Ross, and "Bussin' with the Boys" all shared close ties to White. Trump appeared on each of their respective shows.

@realdonaldtrump

Launching my TikTok at @UFC 302.

♬ original sound - President Donald J Trump

White spoke at Trump's pre-election rally at Madison Square Garden.

White energized the crowd at Trump's Madison Square Garden rally just days before the election, where he said that Vice President Kamala Harris wouldn't bring "change" to the country.

And he emphatically praised Trump in advance of an election that was seemingly tied in most of the swing states.

"He is the most resilient, hardest-working human being that I've ever met in my entire life," White said during his remarks.

Celebrating his win, Trump turned the mic over to White

Dana White just thanked

Adin Ross, Theo Von, Nelkboys and Joe Rogan for the Trump victory #Election2024 pic.twitter.com/GYye6c9onc

— FADE (@FadeAwayMedia) November 6, 2024

As Trump spoke to an adoring crowd at Mar-a-Lago and to the nation, he invited White to make remarks, and the UFC president wasted no time singing the praises of the president-elect.

"He keeps going forward — he doesn't quit," White bluntly said. "He deserves this. They deserve it as a family."

White also name-checked podcast hosts that had welcomed Trump into the so-called "Manosphere."

A former UFC spokesperson will have a key role in Trump's White House

One of Trump's key White House aides also has ties to UFC. Steven Cheung, who will be the White House communications director, was a spokesperson for UFC before he left to join Trump's 2016 campaign.

Cheung's brash statements, particularly those bashing DeSantis during the 2024 primary season, received considerable attention and drew comparisons to how closely they mirrored Trump's own rhetoric.

Just before Trump took office, Meta tapped White for a new role.

Trump may have helped out White again. In January 2024, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that the UFC executive would join the technology company's board. Zuckerberg's move was widely seen as a play to curry favor with Trump and his orbit.

White might be done in the political arena

White wasn't very political before he campaigned for Trump. He has said that his outspokenness may be an exception only reserved for his friend.

"I'm never fucking doing this again," White recently told The New Yorker. "I want nothing to do with this shit. It's gross. It's disgusting. I want nothing to do with politics."

• Narcissists struggle to have positive feelings about someone whom they're mad at.
• For many people, the best thing to do is to cut a narcissist out of their life.
• If this isn't possible there are some tactics you can use to stop the argument from escalating.

Arguing with a narcissist can lead to hurt feelings or worse. 

Narcissists tend to be incapable of "object constancy," which means they struggle with having positive and negative feelings at the same time. Once they are fired up for a fight, they can only comprehend their feelings of resentment and anger. 

As a result, even the smalles argument can escalate quickly and fiercely. An issue you thought was unimportant or even irrelevant may blow up into a relationship-ending showdown. 

Narcissists can be very delicate, depending on what sub-type they are. They are often deeply insecure underneath their bravado, so they easily mistake other people's comments and actions for "attacks on themselves," Alena Scigliano, a psychotherapist and author of "Swimming with Sharks: Surviving Narcissist-Infested Waters," told Business Insider in 2023. 

Here's what you can expect from an argument with a narcissist and what you can do to keep things from spiraling out of control, according to experts.

Learn to look for the signs of an argument.

Scigliano said when you're familiar with the narcissist in your life, you'll learn their patterns. But some common signs a narcissist is gearing up for an argument include "physical agitation, facial expressions becoming sinister, darkened eyes, and a change in their posture to become more imposing or intimidating. Their voice may also suddenly get deeper or sterner, she said.

"Whatever the signs may be, they will reflect the narcissist's desire to regain control of the situation or reestablish their authority," Scigliano said.

Expect name-calling or the silent treatment.

Fights with a narcissist are very different from regular relationship spats, Elinor Greenberg, a psychologist and author of "Borderline, Narcissistic, and Schizoid Adaptations: The Pursuit of Love, Admiration, and Safety," told BI in 2023.

Some of her clients have screamed at her over minor inconveniences, such as packages arriving during their session.

"If they're going to yell at me over the UPS man, you can see just how hard it is for them to have a relationship without getting nasty," she said.

When offended, narcissists may accuse their partner of being "disrespectful" or "selfish." The world revolves around them, in their eyes, so focusing on anything else feels like a direct attack.

Narcissistic rage ranges from direct confrontation with name-calling and insults to calculated, closed-down reactions like giving their partner the silent treatment for hours.

"They give you the cold shoulder, or they walk out and they find another partner," Greenberg said. "But it's all done silently and coolly and coldly — you know what you did.

Know you'll find yourself going in circles.

Expect to feel frustrated with how the argument seems to be going nowhere.

"Because narcissists are fantastic at spinning others around in their webs of manipulation, you can easily become disoriented as to how the argument even began, frustrated over their circular arguments, and hopeless with regard to resolving anything," Scigliano said. 

"Oftentimes, people give up and give in just for the sake of ending the argument and reestablishing a modicum of peace," she said. 

Don't argue about "right" and "wrong."

There's no point trying to figure out who is "to blame" for something, as narcissists will never admit fault. They're also not necessarily trying to "win" the argument. 

"Be aware that narcissists don't argue to prove a point," divorce attorney Derek Jacques of The Mitten Law Firm told BI in 2023. "They argue to feel a rush of satisfaction of putting you down and belittling you." 

Instead, try to empathize with their feelings.

Some therapists debate whether narcissists mean to cause harm to their loved ones. Regardless of their intent, their attacks can still wound those around them. 

Narcissists become "visibly disappointed, frustrated, angry, and at times, violent when they don't receive the feedback, praise, and admiration they expect, especially from partners," Terrell Strayhorn, a professor of education and psychology at Virginia Union University, told BI in 2023.

"Their superiority complex compels them to lash out — verbally, emotionally, psychologically, and physically — against those who disappoint them," Strayhorn said.

One way to soothe a narcissist is to empathize with their feelings, Greenberg said. 

If you are in a relationship with a narcissist, you might naturally have a lot of empathy. You may be able to use that trait to help control the situation.  

Greenberg suggested saying something like, "You must have felt very hurt by what I did. I can understand why you are feeling that way."

Stay calm, and use "we" language.

Saying "we" rather than "I" or "you" includes yourself in the behavior, Greenberg said. The narcissist is probably angry that you dared to defend yourself, so you can try and remind them you're in this together and that it would be better for everyone to stop.

Scigliano also recommended remaining calm, not sharing your feelings, and sticking only to the facts.

"Expressing emotions makes it easier for the narcissist to twist the conversation around and work you into a tizzy," she said.

Redirect them by asking about a topic that interests them.

Narcissists love talking about themselves and can be know-it-alls.

Dangle a new topic in front of their face to steer the conversation away from conflict. This might not be that effective in the midst of a fierce debate, but after some time has passed, the narcissist will probably take the bait.

Another tactic is to ask for advice. It's a slightly less transparent way of changing the subject that also makes the narcissist feel superior. 

Avoid taking the bait yourself.

As retaliation for whatever hurt they feel you've caused them, narcissists will bring up past slights or accuse you of being selfish at that moment. 

One way to deal with a narcissist is to "avoid engaging with them on their level," Jacques said. That could mean biting your tongue, even as they're spewing insults at you.  

Even an innocuous statement might provide a narcissist with ammo, Jacques said. "Take those opportunities away from them and you remove their power."

Greenberg also said that by ignoring the name-calling, you can often avoid the fight. If you respond to it, things are likely to escalate, and you're giving the narcissist exactly what they want — your pain.

Remember to put yourself first.

Being in a romantic relationship with a narcissist can be an emotionally draining, damaging process. Using these methods to deal with a narcissist may help deescalate upsetting and potentially dangerous, situations.

For most people, though, breaking up with a narcissist is the better, safer option. The very nature of being a narcissist means they don't see anything wrong with themselves, so they are unlikely to ever change or seek help. Ultimately, your energy is better off being used elsewhere.

If you suspect you might be in an abusive relationship, or you know someone who is, there are services you can reach out to. The MyPlan App from One Love and the National Domestic Abuse Hotline are resources that can help.

This article was first published in February 2018 and was last updated on January 10, 2025.

• Dr. Joel Warsh is a pediatrician based in Studio City.
• He's also dad to two boys, a 5-year-old and 10-month-old.
• His family had to evacuate their house early Wednesday morning.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Dr. Joel Warsh, a pediatrician with Integrative Pediatrics and Medicine in Los Angeles. It has been edited for length and clarity.

On Tuesday night, my wife and I put our sons to bed and then went to bed early ourselves, around 8 p.m. We knew we weren't likely to get a lot of sleep. Outside the back of our home, we could see the Palisades fire getting closer and closer.

It definitely wasn't the best sleep, but I managed to get some shut-eye. Then, at about 4:30 Wednesday morning, we got an alert that we needed to evacuate.

Our bags were already packed when we got the alert

We had already packed essentials like clothing, a few of the boys' favorite toys, and my wife's breast pump, plus our important documents like birth certificates. We grabbed the bags and our sons, who are 10 months and 5 years old, and drove to my in-laws' house in Studio City, near where I practice pediatrics.

My older son was excited to have a day with his grandparents. We talked with him a bit about the fires and he could see the smoke, but he didn't really understand what was going on.

By Friday the evacuation order for our home was lifted, but the fire still wasn't contained. I briefly returned home and saw that we only had slight wind damage. Inside, however, the air was hazy, like it gets when you're cooking something and burn it.

Even at my in-laws' house, the air quality wasn't great, so my family decided to head south toward San Diego for the weekend. We spent about $1,000 renting an Airbnb that could fit the extended family for two nights. Prices were actually cheaper than I thought they'd be, probably because people canceled trips to California.

I'm more worried about the emotional impact on kids than the physical

Earlier this week, I sent an email to all my patients. I reminded them to take their kids to the hospital if they have any acute trouble breathing. But if anything, I'm more worried about the mental and emotional impact of these fires on kids than the physical impact.

It's best if parents can help kids keep their routine as much as possible. We know from other disasters that when kids feel supported and know their parents are there for them, they fare better.

We'll do what we can to help and will remind our son he's safe

With my own son, I'm focusing on the helpers. Next week, we'll donate toys and other items to families who lost everything. Those families have much more acute stress to cope with than we do. How much to share about what's happening with children depends on the family and the individual child. While parents shouldn't hide things from kids, you don't want to tell them too much that it'll cause them stress, either.

Remind kids that they and their loved ones are safe. The rest you can figure out along the way, even if it needs to be done day by day. Helping children feel calm and supported rather than worried will help their long-term mental health.

Trump became the first US president to be sentenced with felony convictions. The president-elect, appearing remotely via video for the hush-money case, was given an unconditional discharge, which means he will not have to pay fines, serve prison time, or be under probation.

• Former DEI lead Maxine Williams tried to cushion the blow of Meta's plan to rollback DEI programs.
• The company has several employee-resource groups, known as MRGs.
• After more than a decade as Meta's Chief Diversity Officer, Williams is taking on a new role.

Meta Chief Diversity Officer Maxine Williams told staff in a memo on Friday that the company's decision to back off DEI efforts won't impact employee-resource groups, according to an internal post viewed by Business Insider.

Employee-resource groups, or ERGs, are worker-led communities that create a sense of belonging at a company. Meta has several of these groups. MRGs are Meta employee resource groups, and BRGs are Black employee resource groups.

In a post to an internal forum, Williams tried to cushion the blow of Meta's decision on Friday to rollback its diversity, equity, and inclusion program. Some staff criticized the move, while at least one worker called it "pretty reasonable."

"I wanted to take a moment to acknowledge that these changes may be difficult to understand and process since they represent a significant shift in our strategies for achieving the cognitive diversity we value," Williams wrote.

She stressed that the changes won't impact Meta's support for MRGs and BRGs.

"You play a critical role in creating a place for community and connection — among us and with the company," she added.

"I have watched you show support, share resources, and bond through learning, understanding, and appreciating our various backgrounds. Our Global Communities contribute to the richness of our experiences as we learn from each other and leverage our different backgrounds, working together to build products for the world."

Williams has been Meta's chief diversity officer for more than a decade. On Friday, she told staff that she's taking on a new role focused on Accessibility and Engagement.

"But I, and my team, will continue to support you as contribute to our global community at Meta," she wrote. 

Do you work at Meta? Contact BI reporters from a nonwork email and device at [email protected] and [email protected].

• NATO pit elite divers against new sensors to protect undersea cables from sabotage.
• Foreign adversaries have increasingly targeted undersea cables and underwater infrastructure.
• The training marks another shift in how NATO countries are preparing for future warfare.

NATO sent special operations divers to test new systems designed to help shield critical underwater infrastructure from damage and sabotage, growing problems.

Underwater cables and pipelines providing internet connectivity and energy have been damaged in a string of alarming incidents in recent years, with accusations of sabotage being thrown around about several just in the past couple of months.

These incidents highlight the vulnerability of these lines, but the NATO alliance is looking for answers.

Last fall, elite special operations divers from within the NATO alliance practiced bypassing underwater electronic detection sensors as part of an effort to boost protection for critical underwater infrastructure. NATO shared footage this week of the November training event — Exercise Bold Machina 2024 in La Spezia, Italy — as well as commentary from leadership.

The 13-nation event was the first of its kind, said US Navy Capt. Kurt Muhler, the maritime development director at the NATO Special Operations Headquarters, and was designed to test new sensors that could be used to defend against underwater sabotage attempts. This exercise, which Defense News first reported on, also tested allied special operations divers and their abilities to operate in increasingly transparent battlespaces.

Divers on offensive operations may not always be able to rely on dark, opaque waters to conceal their movements, Muhler, who has held SEAL team leadership positions, said, citing increased advancements in underwater detection system technologies.

"It's not knowing if somebody knows, or if you're being detected," Muhler told Defense News last fall. "It is understanding that there is a system that has the capability to detect you, but that you know nothing about it and don't know exactly what the capability is."

Undersea cables, pipelines, and other critical underwater infrastructure are at risk

The joint exercise in Italy came as damage to critical underwater infrastructure has become increasingly worrisome to Western officials who are scrambling to deter more damage to cables from vessels often quietly linked to Russian and Chinese governments.

Several underwater cables have been damaged in the past two months, including one telecommunications line linking Finland and Germany and another connecting Finland and Estonia.

Finnish officials said that they found a 60-mile seabed trail suggesting a tanker linked to Russia might be responsible for cutting cables. And around the same time, cables linking Germany and Finland and Sweden and Estonia were damaged with a Chinese vessel detected nearby when the damage occurred.

Such damage has spurred British defense officials to create a new joint operation with 10 European countries throughout the Baltic Sea area, using artificial intelligence to monitor potential threats from ships.

Undersea cables are critical components of international telecommunication infrastructure and the global economy — around 745,000 miles of cables span global seabeds and help transmit 95% of international data, including around $10 trillion in financial transactions daily.

NATO officials highlighted growing threats to cables from Russia last year, noting surveillance activity from Russian units specializing in undersea sabotage. But the barrier to entry for sabotage isn't particularly high. Russia has submarine units known to specialize in underwater sabotage, but cables have also been damaged by commercial vessels simply dragging their anchors along the sea floor.

And the concerns about the risk of underwater cable and infrastructure damage are not limited to European waters. Damage just last week to cables off the coast of Taiwan left that island's officials suspecting intentional damage from China.

"The underwater domain is hard both to protect and hard to attack," said Alberto Tremori, a NATO Centre for Maritime Research and Experimentation scientist who helped oversee the November NATO exercise. "It's not easy to protect because it's a complex environment, it's a vast environment."

• The Los Angeles wildfires have devastated the city over the last week.
• Local spots like Yeastie Boys Bagels and Sunday Gravy are working to feed evacuees and first responders.
• Pizza spots, including LaSorted's and Jon & Vinny's, are also sending free pies to firefighters.

On the second day of the Los Angeles fires, in a hotel restaurant filled with evacuees, bartender Jeff Braga watched as a child went up to his father seeking advice. They wanted to console a friend who had just lost their house.

"Dad, what do I say to him?" the child asked.

It's a question that just about everyone in LA has asked themselves as the wildfires — which have killed at least 10 people and burned over 35,000 acres — continue to rage.

For the chefs, owners, and service workers in the city's sprawling restaurant industry, the answer to how to help was immediate — they needed to feed people, even amid their own evacuations.

A fire unlike any other

Many of the chefs who spoke to Business Insider recalled seeing the Palisades fire first break out on Tuesday morning.

"We have a clear view of the Palisades from our patio, so we saw the fire grow from a little cloud to a spread of darkness over the whole bay," said Calin Senciac, the owner of Papille Gustative in Santa Monica. "From the beginning, we were very concerned."

"The winds were crazy, and we started to see the smoke plumes up in the Palisades, and I was like, 'Wow, I hope that doesn't turn into something bigger,'" recalled Sol Bashirian, who co-owns Sunday Gravy with his sister in Inglewood. "I never would've imagined it could lead to this much devastation."

As new blazes ignited in Pasadena and the Hollywood Hills, Tommy Brockert of LaSorted's Pizza fled with his 3-month-old baby to his sister's house. Evan Fox, the owner of Yeastie Boys Bagels, grabbed just his passport and bar mitzvah photo album before getting out.

Then, it was time to figure out how they could help.

"I didn't know what I could do, but the least I could do is offer a pizza," Brockert said. "It was important to step up and say, 'We're here for you.'"

Rallying through food

As the fires raged on Wednesday, Fox decided to send his bagels to anyone in need. The Yeastie Boys Bagels trucks went to evacuation centers throughout the city, and they're now coordinating their efforts with the World Central Kitchen to feed hundreds of people daily.

Local businesses are also finding small ways to help their neighbors. Senciac is keeping his doors open and baking huge batches of fresh cookies to offer milk and baked goods to anyone who drops by.

"It's a comfort food that makes people happy and brings a smile to their face," Senciac told BI.

Bashirian of Sunday Gravy has offered free family meals — spaghetti, garlic bread, and salad — to hospital workers and anyone in need.

On Wednesday, Rob Noyola began serving free bowls of chicken noodle or vegan lentil soup at Oy Bar, his restaurant in LA's Studio City neighborhood. Now, with more staff on hand, Noyola told BI the restaurant is offering free burgers, sandwiches, and fries for evacuees and first responders, "no questions asked."

Okay Inak runs Sora Craft Kitchen in downtown LA on his own, but the lack of staff didn't stop him from springing into action to make free grilled chicken bowls. And Gigi Ganieva and Azim Rahmatov, who opened Zira Uzbek Kitchen less than two months ago, have switched gears to feed first responders.

A slice of comfort

Several LA pizza restaurants have also been working around the clock to deliver free pies to first responders in any way they can.

"Our first thought was we want to feed the firefighters and frontline workers. We want to keep the people fighting for our city fueled up; that's what we do," Daniel Holzman, the chef and owner of Danny Boy's Pizza, told BI.

Holzman and Brockert of LaSorted's Pizza have sent free pizzas to fire stations, relying on volunteers to deliver the pies. Brockert has also added a link on LaSorted's delivery site that allows people to buy a $25 pie for first responders.

Caroline D'Amore, the owner of Pizza Girl Venice, has been delivering pizzas and drinks to first responders on the Pacific Coast Highway after having to evacuate her home with her husband and three children.

Meanwhile, Jon & Vinny's has been delivering food from its five LA locations to the main command posts for first responders near the Eaton and Palisades fires. A spokesperson told BI that Jon & Vinny's is also helping collect and deliver free food from other LA restaurants.

'You realize how fragile life is'

Restaurants that remained open during the fires have become safe havens for those who have evacuated, lost their home, or taken in displaced friends and relatives.

"I was serving people that were just devastated," said Braga, a bartender at The Surfing Fox. "It was really heavy but also really nice to see this community band together."

"It's solemn. You can see it on their faces — they look tired and exhausted. They look like they've been through the most traumatic thing of their life," Bashirian said.

But through the tragedy, there has also been overwhelming support. Fox, of Yeastie Boys, told BI that amateur chefs have been reaching out to offer help, while Bashirian has raised close to $15,000 to help fund Sunday Gravy's family meals.

Celia Ward-Wallace, the cofounder and CEO of South LA Cafe, said the organization had a "huge influx of volunteers" to help deliver fresh groceries to those in need.

The dust has yet to settle, and the chefs who spoke to BI said they're just beginning their efforts to help the community. But they hope to shine a light on how devastated the city is.

"People are jaded and think LA is glitz and glamour, but it's real people, as real as anywhere else in this country," Bashirian said. "They could use as much help as possible."

"Moments like this, you just realize how fragile life is," Brockert said. "In my 42 years in Los Angeles, I have never experienced this. But people from here are salt of the earth, hardworking, good everyday American people, and we come together and take care of each other."

• Streaming TV company Fubo took on Disney, Fox, and Warner Bros. Discovery, and it paid off.
• The giants canceled plans for a joint sports streamer that Fubo had raised antitrust concerns about.
• Fubo struck a deal with Disney this week to settle the suit and merge with Hulu's live TV business.

Fubo took on Goliath and cashed out.

The small streaming TV company fought against media giants Disney, Fox, and Warner Bros. Discovery's plans to join forces for a new streaming service called Venu that would bring together their sports content. Fubo filed an antitrust suit in 2024 that argued the companies were planning a service they had blocked competitors like Fubo from offering.

This week, Fubo struck a deal with Disney to drop the lawsuit and merge with Hulu's live-TV business. Then, on Friday, Disney, Fox, and Warner Bros. Discovery announced that they abandoned plans for the streamer.

"Had Venu happened, it would have been a threat" to Fubo, Michael Pachter, a stock analyst at Wedbush that covers Fubo, told Business Insider.

Because Venu would have been owned by three large companies with claws in the sports broadcasting industry, Pachter said a company like Fubo would have been scared of Venu's potential to get exclusive access to content and become a major space for live sports. Satellite TV competitor DirecTV also indicated it would continue the antitrust battle against Venu after Fubo's lawsuit was settled.

Now, Fubo is walking away with a sizable payday and the backing of one of the largest players in sports media. The Venu partners agreed to pay Fubo $220 million to settle the case, and Disney is set to give Fubo a $145 million loan. Not a bad outcome for a company that posted a $110 million net loss last quarter.

Fubo now has a bunch of cash to play with as it figures out its identity in this new position.

Since the Disney merger was announced on Monday, Fubo's stock has risen over 250%.

How Fubo stands to benefit from Venu's demise

Fubo, with a market capitalization of $1.7 billion compared to Disney's $197 billion, now has new pathways to grow its sports streaming business.

Fubo CEO David Gandler said during an investor call that Fubo could create "skinnier sports, news, and entertainment bundles."

On Monday, when the deal was announced, Fubo executives suggested Fox would be part of a skinny bundle as well, as BI's Peter Kafka reported.

That could create an offering similar to what sports fans could have gotten with Venu. Venu planned to charge around $43 a month for sports content from the three partners.

Fubo could also have other options to bundle its service with Disney's, on top of the merger with Hulu + Live TV. As part of the new agreement, Disney would own about 70% of Fubo.

"Fubo is going to generate a lot more sales," said Pachter. "Disney, Hulu, and ESPN brands add a lot of value to Fubo, which is not as recognizable as a brand."

CEO Gandler surprised some media observers when he first decided to challenge Disney, but the legal battle seems to have paid off.

"I was … impressed by his gutsiness," said Pachter. He acted promptly and forcefully, he had good legal advice, and it surprises me that he won but he gained a lot more respect."

• The Pentagon deployed modified C-130 aircraft to aid in the fight against the Los Angeles wildfires.
• The wildfires spread rapidly due to strong winds and dry conditions, scorching over 30,000 acres.
• The C-130s can waterbomb wildfires with nearly 14 tons of fire retardant in less than five seconds.

The Department of Defense deployed modified C-130 aircraft and Navy helicopters to support efforts to contain the destructive wildfires burning in Los Angeles.

A wildfire started in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles on Tuesday and began to spread rapidly as strong offshore winds fanned the flames, setting over 30,000 acres ablaze and ruining neighborhoods in scenes reminiscent of war zones.

The C-130s are fitted with a firefighting unit that can drop thousands of gallons of water or fire retardant to suppress the blaze.

Most destructive wildfires on record

At least 10 people have died and 10,000 properties have been damaged in the fires, and officials expect figures to grow as firefighters and first responders struggle to contain the flames.

The Santa Ana winds annually threaten to stoke the flames during California's wildfire season, but extreme drought combined with the powerful offshore winds catalyzed the record-breaking wildfires that continue to burn through Southern California.

Since California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in Los Angeles County, tens of thousands of residents have been impacted by evacuation orders.

Containing the blaze

More than 600 personnel, 10 rotary-wing aircraft, and two C-130 Hercules aircraft from the California National Guard were deployed to battle the blaze.

The Biden administration ordered the Pentagon to send eight MAFFS-equipped C-130s from Nevada, Wyoming, and Colorado to support firefighting efforts in Los Angeles. Some were expected to start fire-suppression flights on Friday.

Hazardous weather conditions prevented the DoD from getting the planes in the air earlier and from sending additional assets to respond to the massive fires.

"We can surge assets, and the president has directed this department to bolster whatever California needs, but we have to work with California," Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said during a press conference Wednesday, "and right now, we can't even get assets up in the air because the fires are so bad and the winds are so bad."

"Until we can get more assets in the air, there's only so much we can provide," she continued. "So we're going to be standing by to support in every single way that we can."

In the meantime, the Defense Department is also sending 10 Navy helicopters with water delivery buckets for immediate aerial suppression, in addition to two firefighting teams and four military police groups on the ground.

From cargo plane to firefighting aircraft

The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is a versatile workhorse plane with a spacious cargo hold that can be equipped for a wide range of operations.

When deployed as a firefighting aircraft, the C-130 can be equipped with a Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System (MAFFS) unit to support other air tankers in aerial suppression.

The MAFFS units can be filled with water or a fire retardant called "slurry," which is mostly made of water with the addition of ammonium sulfate, a jelling agent, and red coloring to make it visible to pilots when dropped.

The US military has eight MAFFs units ready for use nationwide, operated by National Guardsmen stationed in California, Nevada, Wyoming, and Colorado.

The MAFFS Program was launched by Congress in the 1970s after a massive wildfire in Long Beach, California, overwhelmed the responding civilian air tanker fleet and destroyed hundreds of homes.

Waterbombing process

The unit can fit inside the cargo hold with no structural modification to allow for quick loading on short notice, taking about four hours or less for a crew of five to set up, fill, and load the 11,000-pound unit.

The C-130 drops its contents through a discharge tube installed on the rear left side of the C-130 and through the open cargo bay door, releasing 3,000 gallons in less than five seconds and covering an area over 1,300 feet long and 100 feet wide.

Because the fire retardant slurry is released in a mist, it doesn't cause damage to buildings and structures while acting as a fertilizer, but it can be harmful to the environment and local wildlife if used in excess.

The unit can be refilled and airborne again in under 20 minutes.