• A slow cooker or Crock-Pot can be a valuable yet underutilized tool in your kitchen.
• A slow cooker can make many cozy comfort foods, from stews to simple soups and roasted meats.
• Meats like brisket and short ribs become tender when made in a slow cooker.

There's nothing better than coming home to the comforting aroma of beef stew or pasta sauce simmering in a Crock-Pot, especially on those particularly cold winter days.

As the weather turns cooler, it's the perfect time to bring out your Crock-Pot or slow cooker to prepare hearty meals that cook on their own during the workday.

Business Insider spoke with chefs and cookbook authors about their favorite comforting slow-cooker meals, from hearty beef stews and chowders to brisket, and researched celebrity chef's go-to Crock-Pot dishes. 

Here are 17 cozy comfort-food dishes you can make in a slow cooker, according to chefs.

Short ribs become extra tender when slow cooked.

Short ribs are one of cookbook author Kim Laidlaw's favorite things to make in a Crock-Pot, and they're a go-to on a chilly winter day.

In her cookbook, "Everyday Slow Cooking: Modern Recipes for Delicious Meals," Laidlaw gives multiple different recipes for short ribs, and she recommends trying them for a meal featuring other sides.

"If you do them in a slow cooker, then the meat is out of the way," she told Business Insider. "Then, you can focus on other side dishes like polenta or risotto."

Stew is one of those slow-cooker meals where you can practically toss in the ingredients and walk away.

Beef, turkey, or chicken stew is a perfect stick-to-your-bones meal during the cold winter and fall months.

"Beef stew is really nice in the slow cooker," Laidlaw said. "That's something I grew up on with the slow cooker, and it's just as good today."

But stew is also hassle-free.

"Slow cookers are perfect in the winter for soups and stews," Laidlaw said. "The best part is that you can set it in the morning and walk away."

Corn chowder is another simple meal you can make with a few inexpensive ingredients.

If you make this chowder in the fall, you can use in-season fresh corn as is suggested in this celebrity chef-approved Martha Stewart recipe, found on the chef's website.

However, you can also take the easy route by choosing canned corn from the store. The chowder is flavorful yet light and uses heartwarming ingredients like heavy cream, bacon, and baby red potatoes.

Brisket is another meat that becomes super tender in a slow cooker.

Laidlaw's recipe for slow-cooked braised brisket includes garlic, onion, dry red wine, carrot, and chicken or beef stock, with a chimichurri sauce.

"Brisket is a natural partner for the slow cooker, as a gentle braise renders it meltingly tender," Laidlaw writes in "Everyday Slow Cooking."

Ribs can also be made in a Crock-Pot.

"Ribs do really well in the slow cooker, and you can always stick them under the broiler in the end to crisp them up," Laidlaw said.

Bolognese sauce is another great way to utilize your Crock-Pot.

"Bolognese is great because you can cook it for a long time," Laidlaw said. "You just have to remember that the sauce doesn't evaporate the same as it would if you were doing it on the stove. You definitely need to compensate and put less liquid in the pot if you're using a slow cooker."

You can also make mac and cheese in a slow cooker.

Celebrity chef Martha Stewart's recipe for slow-cooker mac and cheese is not only easy to make but super delicious and perfect for the fall and winter seasons.

"It is important to use pungent cheeses, such as sharp cheddar, mixed with a little Gruyere or pecorino Romano for extra bite, since the white sauce and pasta will absorb a lot of flavor," Stewart writes.

Chicken stock and broth are two kitchen staples you can make in a Crock-Pot.

Hugh Acheson's slow-cooker chicken broth is pretty simple — all you'll need is a whole chicken, salt, garlic cloves, white onions, carrots, celery, and a few seasonings to taste. 

You can find the full recipe for Acheson's chicken broth in his book, "The Chef and the Slow Cooker."

You can also make chicken soup in a slow cooker.

"A simple soup with Thai chilis, coconut milk, and lime is just wickedly good," Acheson said.

The recipe for Acheson's slow cooker chicken soup with chiles, coconut milk, and lime can be found here on Garden & Gun. Or, if you're feeling a little more adventurous, Acheson also said a slow cooker is a perfect way to make delicious chicken and dumplings.

Meatballs are another warming meal to make in a slow cooker.

Acheson points out that not only are meatballs, like the veal meatballs he includes in his book, easy and delicious to make, but they're a comforting, kid-friendly option you can make in a slow cooker.

"Slow cookers are not necessarily the best tool for cooking for one — they work so much better for nourishing an entire family," he said.

Acheson said his go-to slow-cooker meal on a winter's day is lentil soup with a little sour cream.

"I usually go for something that won't take too long," Acheson said. "Usually, I go for a lentil soup with Tuscan kale and a little sour cream and herbs on top. To me, that's the type of food you want as you're watching the snow fall down."

The recipe for Acheson's lentil soup with Tuscan kale can be found here on Cup of Jo.

Acheson also points out that large batches of soup are great for the next day.

Braised and pulled chicken is another great way to use your Crock-Pot.

One of the benefits of using a slow cooker is starting with a basic protein and jazzing it up.

From Mexican food-inspired spices to Indian simmer sauces, there are tons of ways to transform simple braised or pulled chicken dishes into something show-stopping.

This recipe from Delish tells you how to make slow-cooker barbecue pulled chicken.

Pork shoulder is a slow-cooker staple you can use in a number of dishes.

"One dish I think is so versatile is pork shoulder in a slow cooker with broth and a little salt and pepper," Laidlaw said. "I just braise that and then you can turn into so many different things."

Laidlaw explained that using a pork shoulder, you can make everything from pulled-pork sliders to carnitas tacos or burritos.

You can also prepare a leg of lamb in the slow cooker, but you might want to sear it first.

"Leg of lamb is so good as it breaks down in the slow cooker," Acheson said. "Cooking in the slow cooker and then finishing another way is going to make sure your meat is at its best. Whether that means re-searing the meat or throwing it under the broiler, you might want to think about other steps to really finish off your meal."

Laidlaw added, "Recipes that have you throw everything in without any prep ahead are not nearly as good or as flavorful as the ones that do. Taking ten minutes to brown the meat before you put it in or getting the onions started goes a long way to making your meals more delicious."

You can also make poached or braised fish in the slow cooker.

"It's really about rethinking recipes and figuring out how to do it in the slow cooker," Acheson said.

One of the "best recipes" Acheson said he uses from his book is one for a braised catfish stew, the recipe for which can be found on Garden & Gun.

"It's got this long-cooking, beautiful broth that's just a vision at the end," he told Business Insider. "It's got chilies, peppers, and mace — big flavors. It just works perfectly. When slow cooking, you really want to choose a dish that works well simmering potentially all day."

Goat shoulder is another delicious meal you can make in a Crock-Pot.

"These days, goat shoulder doesn't have that gamey taste it might have had before," Acheson said. "When you're talking about cooking a large piece of meat, a slow cooker is a great place to start."

You can even make a comforting dessert like cheesecake in a Crock-Pot.

One of the desserts Laidlaw includes in her book "Everyday Slow Cooking" is for gingersnap-brandy cheesecake, which would be perfect as a treat on a cold day or even a holiday dessert.

• Some Americans are struggling to find work due to a challenging labor market.
• Many have found temporary ways to generate some income while they look for jobs.
• These strategies aren't always enough to prevent significant financial challenges.

Americans who are struggling to land full-time jobs are finding creative ways to pay the bills while they search for work.

Juan Pelaez has been looking for a job for more than two years. To generate some income, Pelaez said he's driven for Uber Eats and Instacart, done some part-time work for his prior employer, and was a background actor in the coming film "Happy Gilmore 2." However, since he was laid off from his account executive job at a marketing agency, Pelaez said he and his wife have taken on tens of thousands of dollars in debt from credit cards and personal loans.

Pelaez, 47, is based in New Jersey and said he earned about $3,500 across roughly 22 days of work for the acting opportunity. Landing the gig has helped him get similar work on a few other productions.

"It has not accounted for a full-time position salary, but it has been a great help," he told Business Insider.

Pelaez is among the Americans who have had a hard time finding work in recent years. Since October, more than 750 recent job seekers between the ages of 18 and 76 have responded to Business Insider's informal, nonrepresentative surveys and shared their stories with reporters through emails. Some said they've faced stiff competition for white-collar roles, while others shared that they couldn't land a job in their industry, despite having an advanced degree.

Their struggles have been driven in part by a widespread hiring slowdown in the US. Excluding a two-month pandemic-related dip in 2020, US businesses are hiring at the lowest rate since 2013. Among the nearly 7 million unemployed individuals as of December, about 1.5 million had been looking for work for at least six months — up from 1.1 million a year prior. To be sure, the unemployment rate remains low compared with historical levels.

The job seekers who BI heard from said part-time employment, gig work, selling their belongings, and other strategies have helped them stay afloat financially, but many continue to face significant financial challenges.

Are you looking for a job and comfortable sharing your story with a reporter? Did an AI job tool help you land a job recently? Please fill out this form.

Many earning opportunities don't replace a full-time job

Some job seekers told BI they found part-time roles, but the jobs haven't paid enough to cover the bills.

Rhonda Alexander has been looking for customer success management jobs since being laid off from her tech role in March 2023. To earn some income, Alexander, who's 55 and based in Illinois, started working part-time as an AI content engineer last April. She said the role involved evaluating the quality of AI-generated content.

Alexander said she enjoyed the work but was paid $21 an hour, which she felt wasn't enough to support herself. She said that her contract came to an end in late December.

"It seems that I am back on this miserable roller coaster of seeking a role in order to literally put food on the table and a roof over my head," she said. Going forward, Alexander said she's focused on developing new income streams, including becoming a notary. She's also driven for Uber and DoorDash in recent months.

Amanda Wilson has been looking for work for months. She quit her part-time caregiving gig in July — which she said was unsustainable due to the long commute and the physical demands of the job. She said an injury she suffered last year has limited her.

The 35-year-old, who's based in Arizona, said she's applied to hundreds of jobs — including customer service and management roles — but has only received an offer for one job: a different part-time caregiving gig where she's working 10 hours a week.

To earn some income, Wilson said she sold her Xbox One and a few video games for about $150, as well as three swords from her collection for about $100 each. But this money wasn't enough: Wilson said she's been forced to max out her credit cards and draw upon her savings.

"Right now, I can afford rent and my car payment for this coming month, but that's it," she said in December, adding, "I will probably have to sell off more things."

Meanwhile, Pelaez is hopeful that boosting his skills — and reflecting those changes on his résumé — will help him land a job that matches his experience level. For example, he said he's working toward Google's data analytics certificate through Coursera. While he's continued his gig driving and acting work, he said he temporarily paused his job search in October.

"With the overwhelming ghosting and lack of feedback from prospective employers, it becomes a cycle of never-ending applications," he said.

• After over 25 cruises, I know how to book the best cabin on a cruise — and which I prefer to avoid.
• Cabins in the ship's rear or on the bottom two decks can feel rocky during sea days.
• I avoid rooms next to elevators, below gyms, or above theaters to reduce my risk of noisy neighbors.

After going on over 25 cruises, I've learned what I really value and dislike on my sailings — especially when it comes to where I sleep.

First of all, even though it can save me money, I don't let the cruise line choose my room, as it can result in me being stuck with cabins near noisy venues or with obstructed views.

Instead, I make strategic choices and consider a few crucial factors when choosing my ideal stateroom location.

Here are the cruise rooms I always try to avoid booking.

Cabins at the back of the ship can have great views but major drawbacks.

The aft, or ship's rear, provides perfect panoramic views. During one Western Caribbean Princess Cruises, I upgraded to a suite in the ship's aft.

Although the wraparound balcony was beautiful, it was super rocky, especially on sea days. Plus, these rooms tend to be noisier because they're usually near the ship's engines.

While sailing in the back of other ships, I've experienced engine noise and vibration, particularly when entering and exiting ports of call.

I don't book cabins one or two floors above a theater, nightclub, or live-music venue.

Although it may seem convenient to be near onboard entertainment hot spots, the risk of pulsating noise isn't worth it for me.

To determine where these sorts of venues are on a ship, check the cruise line's website or conduct a quick internet search for "[ship name] deck plans."

It feels too risky to book any cabins beneath sports courts, a pool, or a gym.

Soundproofing can vary from poor to excellent, depending on the cruise line, ship, and ship's age.

Although most cruisers hear occasional noise from neighboring cabins and in the hallways, the sound can feel near-constant if you're situated near highly trafficked public spaces.

I never book near recreational areas because the dribbling of basketballs and pounding from running can sometimes be heard within the cabins directly below. I also avoid rooms beneath the gym because some people like to drop their weights.

Lastly, I skip staterooms one floor below the pool so I don't need to worry about hearing music from concerts or the sound of deck chairs scraping across the floor.

I'll skip oceanview rooms on the same deck as running tracks or lifeboats.

On many decks with running tracks, passersby can easily see into your room, so you have to remember to keep the curtains shut, which defeats the purpose of having a porthole or window.

I also never book oceanview rooms on the same deck as lifeboats because they can obscure the view.

When I sailed on Virgin Voyages' Valiant Lady, I was given a complimentary upgrade from interior cabin to one with an obstructed-view sea terrace. It was nice to have natural sunlight streaming into the room, but I'd never pay extra for a view of the lifeboats.

You won't catch me choosing a stateroom on the bottom two decks of a ship.

Cabins on the lower levels of a ship tend to cost less than higher ones, but that discount usually comes with drawbacks. I don't book these because they're often more subject to engine noise and extreme ship rocking.

If I had to choose a room on a low deck, I'd pick one midship where there tends to be less motion.

I wouldn't book staterooms in the bow of the ship.

I never book staterooms in the forward because they can be too close to the anchors. A cruise ship typically has at least two at the bow, one on the starboard (right) and one on the port (left).

On some ships, passengers close to the anchors can hear when they're dropped.

The top deck isn't for me.

I don't book staterooms on the top deck — it doesn't matter what type they are.

Although these rooms tend to have the best views, they're usually adjacent to noisy and high-traffic areas like the buffet and pool.

I avoid staterooms directly across or right next to the elevators.

Elevator banks are high-traffic areas on cruise ships, especially on embarkation, port, and disembarkation days. Although it's convenient to be near them, the noise risk isn't worth it.

Instead, I book staterooms that are five to 10 cabins away from the elevators, so I'm midship and close to the elevators.

Generally, I try to choose midship cabins on the middle decks.

For me, a midship cabin on a ship's middle decks is ideal for avoiding excess noise and rocking.

Many ships divide their decks into thirds, and the midship cabins tend to be the most expensive (probably because they're quite desirable).

To save money while reaping the benefits, I try to book the first room on either side of the midship — the difference is only a few feet.

• The European Aviation Safety Agency has warned against flying over western Russia.
• It said there was a risk of airliners being misidentified and shot down.
• Many airlines have been avoiding Russia since it invaded Ukraine, but others still fly there.

The European Aviation Safety Agency has warned airlines against flying over western Russia due to the risk of being shot down.

It comes after Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8243 was severely damaged while coming to land at Grozny, the capital of Russia's Chechnya, on Christmas Day.

Of the 67 people on board, 38 died. Azerbaijan's president and a White House official have said the Embraer E190 appeared to have been shot by Russian air defense systems.

"The ongoing conflict following the Russian invasion of Ukraine poses the risk of civil aircraft being unintentionally targeted in the airspace of the Russian Federation," EASA said in Thursday's bulletin.

The warning applies to Russian airspace west of the 60th meridian east, which includes the cities of Moscow, Saint Petersburg, and Yekaterinburg.

EASA said Russia "has not demonstrated full proficiency to address existing airspace risks by implementing an efficient and proactive approach to the airspace deconfliction."

No European Union airlines have flown to or over Russia since the war in Ukraine began.

This has caused complications on flights to eastern Asia, forcing airlines to find longer routes and increasing ticket prices. British Airways stopped flying directly to Beijing last October.

EASA's bulletin also applies to any airline that flies to or from the European Union. For example, Emirates, Etihad, and Qatar Airways fly to Moscow and several European countries.

The agency also noted that its EU Conflict Zone Alerting System was established following the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17.

In 2014, the Boeing 777 was flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur when it was shot down by a Russian surface-to-air missile while passing over eastern Ukraine.

All 298 people on board the plane were killed.

• The US economy added 256,000 jobs in December, more than the forecast of 164,000.
• Unemployment was expected to hold steady at 4.2% but fell to 4.1%.
• Economists expect 2025 to be a tough labor market for job searchers.

The US labor market ended 2024 on a high note, adding 256,000 jobs in December, above the forecast of 164,000.

Unemployment unexpectedly dropped from 4.2% in November to 4.1% in December. The consensus expectation was that the rate would hold steady.

Labor force participation remained at 62.5% in December. The employment-population ratio increased from 59.8% in November to 60% in December.

Wage growth cooled slightly. Average hourly earnings increased to $35.69 in December, a 3.9% increase from a year earlier. Earnings rose by 4.0% in October and November.

Many sectors saw job growth, especially in healthcare. However, manufacturing, mining and logging, and utilities lost jobs in December.

The new jobs report likely won't derail the Federal Reserve's widely expected pause in its interest-rate easing campaign at its coming meeting after three rate cuts in a row.

CME FedWatch, which shows what traders think will happen to interest rates based on market activity, indicated after the jobs report a 97% chance that rates wouldn't be changed in the first scheduled Federal Open Market Committee meeting of 2025 on January 28 and 29, up from around 93% before the jobs report. There are eight scheduled FOMC meetings in 2025, but the Committee's members signaled in December that the Fed plans only two cuts this year.

In a press conference after the December meeting — where the Fed cut rates by 25 basis points — Fed chair Jerome Powell said that "the labor market is now looser than pre-pandemic" and is gradually still cooling down. He added further cooling isn't needed to reach the Fed's 2% inflation target.

Economists predict the job market in 2025 will be challenging for job searchers, and employers might be cautious in their hiring plans during the start of the year.

"While business sentiment has picked up somewhat since the election, there is still a lot of uncertainty about future policy changes that will likely make businesses hesitant to ramp up hiring, particularly in the first half of 2025," Dante DeAntonio, a labor economist with Moody's Analytics, said in a written statement.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

• Jean Smart called on TV networks to consider not broadcasting award ceremonies following the LA fires.
• Some entertainment journalists said outright cancellations would hurt gig workers in LA the most.
• A debate has erupted on whether award season should go ahead at all.

Jean Smart called on TV networks to not broadcast this year's award ceremonies amid the Los Angeles wildfires, but some journalists believe this move would hurt those who work behind the scenes on the show.

The awards season has already been altered this week in response to the fires, which JPMorgan analysts estimate could result in losses of $50 billion.

On Wednesday, Joey Berlin, the CEO of the Critics Choice Association, said its awards ceremony would be pushed back to January 26. The SAG nominations broadcast has also been canceled.

Oscars nominations are now expected to be delayed by two days to January 19, per an email from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts reported by multiple outlets.

The Academy did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

But some people think more should be done.

Smart, the Emmy-winning actor who stars in "Hacks," posted on Instagram on Wednesday: "With ALL due respect during Hollywood's season of celebration. I hope any of the networks televising the upcoming awards will seriously consider NOT televising them and donating the revenue they would have gathered to victims of the fires and the firefighters."

Brandon Lewis, a film critic, said on X that all the awards shows should be pushed back, adding: "I just don't see how anyone will be able to focus on something comparatively trivial like campaigning with people's homes destroyed and lives upended."

Some X users agreed, while others called for awards season to be canceled.

Eric Andersen, the founder and editor in chief of Awards Watch, an awards-focused outlet, and other users on X suggested that the networks and awards organizers should donate the revenue from broadcasts to people affected by the wildfires.

Andersen added that the award organizations would not generate any money without televising their shows.

The Academy Awards made $143.5 million in revenue in 2023 from the Oscars and related events, according to financial statements reported by The Hollywood Reporter.

Marc Malkin, a senior editor at Variety, told KTLA 5 that "priorities have to shift," but Hollywood was a "gig economy" that relied on award shows.

"Makeup artists, hairstylists, drivers, waiters," Malkin said. "Yes, the celebrities are going to be fine. They don't need an awards show money-wise, but all of this gig economy, all of those people. It's a day rate. They're all going to lose work."

He added: "People rely on this to feed their kids, to pay their rent. We can't ignore that."

Maggie Lovitt, a Collider editor, Matthew Rettenmund, an author and freelance editor, and other users on X agreed with this sentiment.

Some users on Instagram also hit back against Smart's statement in her comments section, with one writing: "Productions shutting down will further contribute to the demise of LA. How will those of us rebuild if we can't work?"

• Elon Musk's $1 million sweepstake ended with a Michigan man winning the final prize.
• The selection process faced legal scrutiny for not being random, as the winners were handpicked.
• The last winner was paid thousands by the Trump campaign and was pictured at campaign events.

Elon Musk's controversial $1 million swing state giveaway concluded with the final prize going to a Michigan man who had worked on President-Elect Donald Trump's campaign.

The sweepstakes, funded by Musk through America PAC, a pro-Trump super PAC, distributed daily prizes in the lead-up to the election.

The prizes went to registered voters in swing states who signed an online petition pledging support for free speech and gun rights.

In return, participants received cash payments of up to $100 and a chance to win $1 million.

On the sweepstakes' final day, America PAC announced Tyler VanAkin of Reading, Michigan, as the last $1 million check recipient.

"Tyler was traveling but we were able to meet up with him before he boarded his flight," it said in a post on X.

However, it omitted key details about VanAkin's work for the Republican presidential campaign, and also that he was en route to Trump's election night watch party in West Palm Beach, Florida.

The Financial Times was the first to report the details, based on election filings.

The controversial giveaway

In announcing the sweepstake on October 19, Musk said, "We're gonna be awarding a million dollars, randomly, every day from now until the election."

It was later revealed that it was not random at all and that America PAC was hand-selecting recipients.

In October, Philadelphia County District Attorney Larry Krasner sued Musk and his super PAC, characterizing it as an illegal lottery scheme.

But Judge Angelo Foglietta of Philadelphia's Court of Common Pleas allowed the giveaway to continue in Pennsylvania, writing in a decision that Musk's giveaway failed to meet the criteria required for a lottery under Pennsylvania law.

One of those criteria is that winners need to be chosen at random.

During the hearing, America PAC's treasurer testified that those chosen to win were "selected by the organization in a multi-step process."

The PAC said this involved reviewing participants' social media posts and meeting them in person.

Musk's lawyers also said at the hearing that individuals were selected based on their "suitability" to serve as spokespersons for the PAC, and that the windfall would not be lottery winnings but compensation for being chosen as spokespeople.

The Trump campaign paid him for 'advance consulting'

A year-end FEC filing by America PAC shows that VanAkin was paid $1 million on November 12, 2024, a week after his win was announced, for his services as a "spokesperson consultant."

The other announced winners are also listed in the filing, but only VanAkin received income from political committees, per the Financial Times.

FEC filings for the Trump campaign show that VanAkin worked for them between June and October, earning a little over $14,200 for "advance consulting & per diem," and receiving more than $16,300 in travel reimbursements.

Instagram posts also show that VanAkin, who works as a chiropractor, attended a bus tour stop with campaign staff, wearing a Trump-Vance branded jacket, and was in attendance at the West Palm Beach election watch party.

America PAC, the Trump campaign, and VanAkin did not immediately respond to Business Insider's requests for comment.

• A 'Super Scooper' firefighting plane was grounded after hitting a drone in the skies over LA.
• It's one of only two Super Scooper planes helping fight the wildfires ravaging the area.
• The FAA has placed flight restrictions over much of LA's airspace since Thursday afternoon.

One of only two Super Scooper planes helping to fight the Los Angeles wildfires has been taken out of action after it collided with a drone.

In a statement, the Federal Aviation Administration said that the aircraft landed safely, but LA County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone told the LA Times that it was damaged in the encounter on Thursday.

"We hit a drone this afternoon — first one," Marrone said.

"It put a hole in the wing," he added. "It's grounded now."

The aircraft, named the Quebec 1, struck the drone at around 1 p.m. Thursday, according to the LA County Fire Department.

Fire services have been operating two Canadair CL-415 firefighting aircraft, known as Super Scoopers, as well as several other aircraft to try to combat the massive wildfires ravaging Southern California.

The planes are fitted with tanks that skim from large bodies of water to "scoop" it up and then drop it on fires from above.

"Flying a drone near a wildfire is dangerous and can cost lives," the FAA said in its statement, adding that it's a federal crime to interfere with firefighting efforts on public lands, punishable by up to a year in prison.

There's also a civil penalty of up to $75,000 for drone operators who interfere with emergency and wildfire responders during temporary flight restrictions, it said.

As of 4.18 p.m. local time on Thursday, the FAA issued the first of three NOTAM flight operating restrictions over large areas above the fires, to allow firefighting aircraft to operate.

The FAA statement said that when people fly drones near wildfires, fire response agencies often ground their aircraft to avoid the potential for a midair collision.

"Delaying airborne response poses a threat to firefighters on the ground, residents, and property in nearby communities, and it can allow wildfires to grow larger," it said.

California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection spokesperson Chris Thomas told military news site The War Zone that the damaged Super Scooper was one of only two in its arsenal.

He also said that other aircraft fighting the blazes had been temporarily grounded as well.

"This is creating a huge danger," Thomas added. "This is an unprecedented fire. When we ground all aircraft, it could be anywhere from 15 minutes to half an hour. You know how far a fire can spread in half an hour."

As of early Friday, almost 36,000 acres had been set on fire, according to official figures.

The drone operator has not been identified, but there has been speculation online, with many social media users pointing to photography accounts that have posted aerial images of the fires.

Consumer drones hit the headlines last month after a spate of drone sightings over the East Coast raised public anxiety, even after the White House and Pentagon said the drones didn't pose a threat.

• Tesla has launched a refreshed Model Y in China as it fights off fierce competition from local rivals.
• The new Model Y is also available to order in Australia and parts of Asia, but there's no sign of a US release yet.
• Tesla is under pressure, with annual sales falling even as Chinese competitors like `BYD report booming demand.

Tesla has launched an updated version of its most successful car — but you can't order it in the US yet.

Elon Musk's automaker unveiled a long-rumored refresh of the Model Y on Friday, with deliveries set to begin in China in March as the company fights off fierce competition from local EV rivals.

The new Model Y will have a longer range than its predecessor and an updated design that includes a Cybertruck-style light bar, according to Tesla's Chinese website.

The updated EV is available to order in China, parts of southeast Asia, Australia, and New Zealand. It's unclear when it will come to the US or Europe.

In China, it will cost 263,500 yuan ($35,900), around $3,000 more expensive than the starting price of the existing model.

The new Model Y's first appearance in China is no surprise, as Tesla is locked in a brutal price war with local EV companies in the world's largest auto market.

BYD, Nio, and Zeekr all reported big increases in annual electric vehicle sales earlier this month, with Tesla nemesis BYD announcing it had sold 1.76 million EVs in 2024 on the back of strong demand for its affordable models.

Tesla still leads the way, selling 1.79 million vehicles last year, but the carmaker reported its first decline in annual sales in 2024, and is under pressure to meet Elon Musk's ambitious target of 20-30% sales growth this year.

Tesla will hope a refreshed Model Y will help it hit that lofty target and refresh an increasingly stale product lineup.

The last new vehicle released by the company in 2023 was the Cybertruck, which isn't sold in China and has failed to significantly boost Tesla's sales figures.

Some workers on the Cybertruck line in the US have been moved to Model Y production, employees at Tesla's Austin factory told Business Insider.

The automaker has said it will release new, affordable EV models in the first half of this year but is yet to share any details, with Musk focusing instead on the steering wheel-less Cybercab he unveiled in October.

Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

• My mom had me when she was 32, and I'm an only child.
• My dad died when I was 19, and it was just the two of us with my mom.
• I'm 32 now and don't have kids, but I have two cats that my mom calls grandcats.

Last month, I turned 32.

My mom gave birth to her only child at 32, and my grandma had my mom, the last of her seven children, at 32.

As an only child, I'm confronting pressure to bring a child into our increasingly thorny world.

When I was 19, on a rare vacation without my dad, my mom and I got a call. My dad had died of a brain aneurysm. Losing a parent prematurely sends you reeling. The missing parent, the remaining parent, your family, and genetics all become more precious.

Before that, I'd lived in an insulated, attended world. Both parents were the proverbial "helicopters" that circle many only children. In our little unit, my mom (then a nurse practitioner) was the breadwinner. My dad, a writer, was able and willing to handle childcare.

Because of rising costs and maternal health risks in the US, I probably won't have children. My parents never overtly pressured me to do anything I didn't want to do. Still, as their only child, I feel guilty for depriving them.

My parents encouraged me to achieve my goals

By definition, my family structure (with a breadwinner mom and stay-at-home dad) was quietly defiant, leaving me pretty unfazed by social gender norms.

But societal norms aren't the only source of pressure to reproduce. My parents' priorities were selfless: They prioritized my happiness and career and supported me far beyond the legally required 18 years. Neither demanded that I start my own family or carry on theirs.

Falling short of my parents' deepest inner hopes, though, or depriving my mom of some fulfillment she'd never ask of me — that's a different form of guilt altogether.

Being an only child means I bear sole responsibility for our family's grandchildren. It's dizzying when my only childhood fostered high expectations about parenthood's depth and lifespan.

It's all the more melancholy when I see how my mom delights in her two "grand-cats." Over Thanksgiving, as we devised food combinations and presentations they'd find palatable, I could feel the joy a grandchild would bring.

My parents elevated my wants for decades. Am I failing them by not reciprocating with my own child?

My mom has helped me financially

As I've transitioned out of law practice, I've taken only reproductive justice cases in Arizona. I've seen the costs and crises parents must navigate, from health and safety to education and employment. When systems fail or children fall through the cracks, it's hard not to imagine my potential kids in that position.

My mom has supported me as I've started a new career in media. Both public interest law and media are career paths equated with austerity. I worry that I'll never be able to afford the same financial support for my own child. As my mom nears retirement, would we have to choose between elder care and childcare? Neither my parent nor my child would deserve that existential threat.

I can't afford to be the only parent either

My parents' roles sheltered me from the reality of many heterosexual parents. My dad was often the only male parent in sight after school or supervising playdates. He was reliable and attentive to non-verbal communication. He even French-braided my hair.

I knew then that we were unusual (and frankly, I heard my dad get disproportionate praise for parenting his own child), but I didn't realize the extent until I began dating. My male partners — across states, schools, families of origin, and on-paper beliefs — brought baffling paradigms into our relationships.

My experiences represent a larger trend of labor division for heterosexual couples. Many women like me aren't seeking partnership with any man who's tacitly accepted this culture.

That's a challenge. Without a partner and without a large network of siblings and grandparents, I can't afford parental costs of living on one income.

It's me and my cats

I want to honor the family that reared (only) me with children, but looking at 32 and 2025, it's unrealistic.

My parents are the main reason I feel guilty for not having my own child. Ironically, it's also their intentionality and support that made me reticent to parent if I can't offer the same.

When Mom and I wrangle her grand cats to an annual check-up — one carrier each — our hearts break at their anxiety, and we ask the vet excessive questions. We laugh about how my dad would delight in these fuzzy freaks. I'm grateful for what we have and what we could give if cost were no object.

Beyond guilt as a childless only child, I lament timing. Ultimately, this moment's political greed took this from my parents, who put all their love and time into one basket.

Mackenzie Joy Brennan is a writer, commentator, and lawyer. Find her work at MkzJoyBrennan.com or @MkzJoyBrennan on social media.

• Airbus said it delivered 766 commercial aircraft last year.
• That was four short of its target, which had been reduced from 800 over supply-chain constraints.
• It's likely that Airbus delivered about twice as many planes as struggling US rival Boeing.

Airbus delivered 766 aircraft last year, or four short of its target, the European planemaker said on Thursday.

Despite facing its own challenges, the total shows its 2024 was much brighter than Boeing's year. The American planemaker is yet to announce full-year figures, but by the end of November it had delivered 318 jets.

That means Airbus is likely to have delivered about twice as many planes as its rival — matching predictions from Deutsche Bank analysts in a report last week.

The Airbus share price was marginally higher on Friday. The stock rose 14% in 2024, while Boeing stock fell 31% — leaving it the biggest loser in the Dow Jones Industrial Average.

Delivery figures are a useful measurement of a planemaker's financial success given that both companies are facing huge backlogs. Any delays can also reduce airlines' confidence in placing future orders since they would disrupt their fleet planning.

Airbus said it finished the year with a backlog of 8,658 aircraft, while Boeing's was 5,499 as of the end of November.

Airlines order planes years in advance, but recent supply-chain issues have exacerbated the figures.

In June, Airbus cut its 2024 delivery target from 800 planes to 770, citing "persistent specific supply chain issues mainly in engines, aerostructures, and cabin equipment."

It also delayed plans to increase production of the A320neo family. The following day, its stock dropped as much as 11%.

Like in 2023, Airbus managed to reach its delivery target with a big end-of-year push.

It delivered 123 planes in December, compared to an average of 58 in the preceding 11 months.

"Given the complex and fast-changing environment we continue to operate in, we consider 2024 a good year," said Christian Scherer, CEO of Airbus' commercial aircraft division. "It has been a massive team effort to deliver this 2024 result."

Airbus is set to give guidance for 2025 deliveries when it reports earnings next month. In a report last week, Bank of America analysts said they expect the guidance to be between 800 and 810 planes.

They think Airbus' primary focus will be its integration with Spirit AeroSystems, with the objective of stabilizing fuselage production. Boeing is paying $4.7 billion to buy back most of Spirit's assets.

BofA is bullish on Airbus, naming it one of its 25 stocks for 2025.

Despite its woes, Boeing is still worth about $128 billion — almost the same as Airbus' market cap.

• Natalia Grace Mans spoke about being diagnosed with reactive attachment disorder.
• RAD is a rare condition in which children fail to form healthy relationships with their caregivers.
• Natalia said in "The Curious Case of Natalia Grace" that she felt her diagnosis was "understandable."

In "The Curious Case of Natalia Grace: The Final Chapter," Natalia Grace Mans speaks about being diagnosed with reactive detachment disorder.

Reactive attachment disorder (RAD) is a condition in which children do not form healthy relationships with their caregivers. Legal analyst Beth Karas said in episode six of "Natalia Speaks," the second installment of the series, that Natalia was diagnosed with RAD in 2010, while she was living with her then-adoptive parents Michael and Kristine Barnett.

Since then, Natalia — who was first adopted from a Ukrainian orphanage to the United States in 2008 — has lived with multiple families. In 2010, she was adopted by the Barnetts, who came to believe she was an adult and petitioned in court to change her birth year from 2003 to 1989. The Barnetts moved Natalia into an independent apartment in 2012, and in 2013, she met Cynthia Mans and moved in with her family. Antwon and Cynthia Mans adopted Natalia in 2023, but later that year, she left their home to live with Nicole and Vince DePaul, who attempted to adopt her when she was a child, in upstate New York.

In "Natalia Speaks," Natalia said that her diagnosis was "understandable."

"I still don't know the full length of reactive attachment disorder, but I know one thing for me is that I don't like being left," she said in episode four of "The Final Chapter." "I constantly feel like people are just going to walk out of my life."

RAD makes it very hard to connect with others

In episode four of "The Final Chapter," Nicole DePaul speaks to rehabilitation psychologist Melissa Misegadis about Grace's former RAD diagnosis.

"Reactive attachment disorder is what happens when children don't bond to their caregivers," Misegadis said in the show. It's recognized in the DSM-5, the standard classification of mental disorders in the US.

Symptoms include a failure to play with other kids, lack of eye contact, and unexplained fear.

While RAD can resemble a disorganized attachment style, attachment styles are more fluid and describe differences in how people connect in relationships. RAD qualifies as a disorder because of the severity of its symptoms, such as behavior problems.

Childhood abandonment is a huge risk factor

Misegadis wasn't surprised that Grace has RAD. "Individuals with unaddressed trauma like Natalia has, these are behaviors that are coming from years of rejection and trauma," she said in the show.

According to the Mayo Clinic, risk factors for developing RAD include losing a parent early in life (or having a severely neglectful parental figure), spending time in orphanages with no loving adult figures, and cycling through foster homes.

"I constantly feel like people are just going to walk out of my life," Grace said in the show. "I personally can't handle someone leaving me anymore. I can't handle caring about somebody and then they walk away."

Rita Soronen, president and CEO of the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, previously told Business Insider that international adoptions like Grace's often don't provide much background. As a result, parents who adopt or foster kids can be shocked by RAD symptoms, rehoming their kids in the end.

RAD treatment usually requires therapy

Left untreated, RAD can lead to long-term consequences, like substance abuse disorder, depression, and difficulty forming relationships.

Treatment usually involves therapy, social skills classes, or parenting classes to help caretakers effectively manage their kids' behaviors. Though Natalia declined mental health services during production, producer Shannon Evangelista told The Hollywood Reporter, she told People that started seeing a therapist after she had a panic attack in 2024.

So far, Natalia said she feels "free" living with the DePauls, who initially tried to adopt her in 2003. She says in episode four of "The Final Chapter" that she's "not really talking" to the Mans.

"Did she probably do weird things in the past? Yeah," Nicole DePaul told People. "[But] when you take in a child, you take that child as your own. You don't just get rid of them when they don't fit into your puzzle."

"The Curious Case of Natalia Grace: The Final Chapter" is now streaming on Max.

President-elect Donald Trump's transition will be funded entirely by private donors. His unprecedented move to reject federal funds typically allocated to presidential transitions allows him to shield the identity of donors. We explore why this matters in a video collaboration between Politico and Business Insider.

• Tesla might be about to make a huge windfall off its rivals failing to sell enough EVs.
• The US automaker is banding together with rivals like Ford and Toyota to help them meet tough new European emissions rules.
• UBS analysts estimated the move could net Tesla $1 billion in compensation.

Tesla might be about to make a huge windfall on electric cars its rivals aren't selling.

The EV giant is banding together with major competitors, including Ford, Stellantis, and Toyota, to help them meet European emissions targets, in a deal UBS analysts estimated could net the company as much as $1 billion.

European manufacturers face tough emissions targets this year, and could be hit with hundreds of millions of dollars worth of penalties and fines if they fail to comply.

The strict new measures come even as electric vehicle sales across the continent have stagnated, with several countries rolling back subsidies for customers buying EVs.

Carmakers lagging behind on electric vehicle sales have the option to "pool" with rivals to average out their emissions, effectively buying carbon credits from EV heavyweights like Tesla.

Toyota, Ford, Stellantis, and Mazda were among the automakers who have "pooled" with Tesla, according to a European Union filing released on Wednesday, with Mercedes-Benz forming a separate pool with Volvo and EV brand Polestar.

A report from UBS analysts on Wednesday found that Tesla's total compensation for selling credits to its pooled rivals could exceed $1 billion, while Volvo and Polestar could be in line to bank $300 million.

Selling regulatory credits to rivals who are lagging behind on EV sales has been a highly lucrative business for Tesla in recent years, with the company making $739 million from the practice in the third quarter of 2024.

Tesla's regulatory credits business has long been expected to diminish as other automaker's EV efforts pick up speed, but it has remained strong as lacklustre demand for electric vehicles has left many of the company's rivals struggling to meet emission targets.

That could soon change, however.

Incoming US president — and Elon Musk's political ally — Donald Trump has promised to roll back emissions targets and EV regulations once in office. JP Morgan analysts recently warned that removing EV regulations and subsidies could cost Tesla as much as $3.2 billion.

Tesla did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

• Enterprise AI startup Cohere has launched a new platform called North.
• North allows users to quickly deploy AI agents to execute tasks across various business sectors.
• The company says the platform cuts the time it takes to complete a task by over five-fold.

2025 is shaping up to be the year that AI "agents" go mainstream.

Unlike AI-based chatbots that respond to user queries, agents are AI tools that work autonomously. They can execute tasks and make decisions, and companies are already using them for everything from creating marketing campaigns to recruiting new employees.

Cohere, an AI startup focused on enterprise technology, unveiled North on Thursday — an all-in-one platform combining large language models, multimodal search, and agents to help its customers work more efficiently with AI.

Through North, users can quickly customize and deploy AI agents to find relevant information, conduct research, and execute tasks across various business functions.

The platform could make it easier for a company's finance team, for example, to quickly search through internal data sources and create reports. Its multimodal search function could also help extract information from everything from images to slides to spreadsheets.

AI agents built with North integrate with a company's existing workplace tools and applications. The platform can run in private, allowing organizations to integrate all their sensitive data in one place securely.

"North allows employees to build AI agents tailored to their role to execute complex tasks without ever leaving the platform," a representative for Cohere told Business Insider by email.

The company is now deploying North to a small set of companies in finance, healthcare, and critical infrastructure as it continues to refine the platform. There is no set date for when it will make the platform available more widely.

Cohere, launched in 2019 by Aidan Gomez, Ivan Zhang, and Nick Frosst, has quickly grown to rival ChatGPT maker OpenAI and was valued at over $5.5 billion at its Series D funding round announced last July, Bloomberg reported. As of last March, the company had an annualized revenue of $35 million, up from $13 million at the end of 2023.

The company is one of a few AI startups that are building their own large language models from the ground up. Unlike its competitors, it has focused on creating customized solutions for businesses rather than consumer apps or the more nebulous goal of artificial general intelligence.

Its partners include major companies like software company Oracle, IT company Fujitsu, and consulting firm McKinsey & Company.

This year, however, its goal is to "move beyond generic LLMs towards tuned and highly optimized end-to-end solutions that address the specific objectives of a business," Gomez said in a post on LinkedIn outlining the company's objectives for 2025.

• I've been saving for retirement for most of my career and should be on track by retirement age.
• However, I'm not sure I'll ever want to stop working.
• Not only do I love my work as a writer, I also think I'll have a hard time spending my savings.

Some people worry about not having enough money for retirement. For now, at least, I don't feel I have to worry about that. I'm 45 years old, about 20 years away from retirement age, and I've been saving and investing for retirement for most of my career in a steady, disciplined, diversified way.

Especially after making big gains in the stock market over the last few years, I'm actually feeling good about my retirement account balances. If all goes well for the next few decades, I should be in good shape to be on track for retirement. But even if and when I can afford to quit working, I still might not "retire" in any traditional sense.

I'm just not sure what I'd do in retirement — and I love my job

Retirement might sound like paradise, right? No more work! Do whatever you want! But some people struggle to make the emotional adjustment to retirement. Especially if you're used to having a stimulating, rewarding, demanding career that gives you a lot of meaning and connection, the weekdays in retirement might feel empty.

Not everyone is lucky enough to feel this way about their job, but I really love my career as a freelance writer. I love learning new things, meeting new people, and getting paid for doing what I do best. I don't want to feel bored or lonely in retirement. How do you stay busy and grounded without the structure of a career? Do I have to get hobbies or join a gym? Is this all a huge cry for help that I need to get a life?

The point is that retirement planning is not just about money. Even though I might be on track to have my everyday living expenses covered in retirement, I can't envision the day-to-day routine of how I'll fill the hours if I don't have work to keep me busy anymore. Like other would-be retirees, I'll need to think ahead about how I want to live life and what I want to do when I grow up — apparently, that big question never goes away at any age. I can't picture a future without my creative craft of writing, the work that has defined my life and everyday purpose.

I'd have a hard time spending my savings if I wasn't making an income

By the time I've saved up enough money to retire, I might feel uncomfortable spending my savings. Retirement can bring a lot of big, scary expenses like nursing home bills and end-of-life care. Or, on a happier note, I might want to help contribute to my grandchildren's college tuition or keep traveling internationally for as long as possible. Even if I'm 70 years old and in good health, I might still be worried about providing for my 85-year-old "future self" in the event that I have serious health problems and need round-the-clock care.

Feelings like these can make it hard for anyone to splurge in retirement, even for those who can afford to. Though many are putting off retirement due to financial worries, recent research has shown that some retirees actually underspend in retirement — that is, they don't spend as much of their retirement account balances as they could. I might end up being one of those "underspenders" in retirement. What if I can't bear to part with all those big, reassuring numbers in my investment account that I worked so hard to make bigger?

If I do retire in some capacity, I can't ever see myself truly putting work aside. At the very least, I think I'd get a side hustle. I love having income! Even in retirement, I like the idea of making the numbers in my brokerage account bigger.

I want to stay creative, productive, and engaged with life

After leaving his network late-night TV show, David Letterman wasn't ready to officially "retire," and I probably won't be able to either. (Not to compare myself with a legendary comedian like him.) But I like the idea of a Letterman-style retirement: instead of disappearing into oblivion, just keep showing up to do a few meaningful projects. Do what you love without the grind of a full-time job.

I will keep saving for retirement, even if I don't retire in the traditional way. Not everyone gets to keep working for as long as they want to; sometimes retirement gets imposed upon people whether they like it or not. But I'm rethinking the conventional wisdom on what a happy retirement means. I'm not afraid to keep working for many years to come.

• A group including "Shark Tank" star Kevin O'Leary and Frank McCourt has submitted a bid for TikTok.
• They face an uphill battle to buy the app, with owner Bytedance still fighting a looming US ban.
• McCourt previously told BI the deal, which does not include TikTok's algorithm, faces a murky path to success.

"Shark Tank" star Kevin O'Leary is teaming up with billionaire Frank McCourt on a long shot effort to buy TikTok.

O'Leary and the former Los Angeles Dodgers owner are part of a group called "The People's Bid for TikTok," which said on Thursday it had submitted a bid for the video app to Chinese tech giant Bytedance.

The consortium has an uphill battle to acquire TikTok, despite the app being threatened with a ban in the US if it's not sold by January 19.

Bytedance insists it has no plans to sell the app, which has some 170 million US users, despite President Joe Biden signing a law in April setting a deadline for the app to be sold, or face a ban.

Bytedance is challenging the law in the Supreme Court after losing appeals in lower courts, claiming the potential ban from US app stores is a violation of the First Amendment right to free speech.

The court is due to hear oral arguments in the case on Friday.

President-elect Donald Trump has asked the court to pause the law that would ban TikTok until after his inauguration later this month.

Any deal to buy TikTok is complicated by the fact that TikTok's recommendation algorithm — the key to the app's compulsive scrolling — is likely covered by Chinese export rules prohibiting the sale of sensitive technology without a license.

No clarity

McCourt told Business Insider in December that the group's $20 billion-plus proposal, which would not include the recommendation algorithm, is complicated because "we don't know what ByteDance is selling."

He said that Bytedance had refused to discuss a potential sale, meaning it was "very, very difficult to have precision" over what a deal might look like.

McCourt and O'Leary's vision for the app, which is also backed by the likes of investment firm Guggenheim Securities and World Wide Web inventor Tim Berners-Lee, includes turning TikTok into a decentralized social media app that gives users more control over their personal data.

The group said they would aim to work closely with incoming president Donald Trump, who has previously expressed support for TikTok and met with the company's CEO last month.

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

• Andrew Lambrecht rented a 2023 Polestar 2 to compare it to his 2021 Tesla Model 3.
• He discovered the Polestar 2 has a premium feel but lacks efficiency and tech compared to Tesla.
• If he were in the market for a new EV, he would choose the Tesla Model 3 Long Range RWD.

Last summer, I bought my second used Tesla Model 3, a 2021 Long Range AWD in the low $20,000 range, with incentives. I considered several other options but decided to buy another Model 3 for its engaging driving dynamics, wickedly fast acceleration, solid tech, and reliable powertrain.

I enjoy driving my Model 3, but the market has grown to include many more attractive options than just Tesla, like the Polestar 2, a four-door that arrived in the US in late 2020. It boasts a clean yet muscular design and solid, but not groundbreaking, range, charging, and performance.

The Polestar 2 looks like a good car on paper but flies below the radar. To learn more about the sporty sedan, I rented one from Hertz for a week to test it at $48 per day, which included mandatory airport fees and taxes. For the purpose of this story, Business Insider compensated me for the rental price.

Who is Polestar?

Polestar is a Swedish automotive upstart founded by Volvo and China-based Geely Holding Group in 2017. The electric vehicle maker offers three electric cars: the 2 sedan, the 3 SUV, and the 4 crossover.

Having roots with Volvo, Polestars and Volvos share a lot of components. Volvo recently divested from Polestar, though the two automakers still collaborate on manufacturing and engineering ventures.

Polestar 2: First impressions

When I picked up the Polestar 2, I noticed that my rental was the base version with a 2023 Dual Motor but no added packages besides upgraded 20-inch wheels. That said, all models' exteriors and interiors look virtually the same aside from different trim pieces and a glass roof.

As soon as you enter the Polestar, its Scandinavian vibe is evident. Its muscle car-esque proportions and higher-raked windshield make it feel like you're in a cocoon. A high-sitting center console, standard metal roof, and dark headliner material give the Polestar a sporty, mature, and premium vibe.

It feels well-built. The doors with framed windows produce a solid "thunk" when closing, and the blinker stocks, drive selector, and steering wheel all have a high-end feel.

There are some hard-touch plastics here and there (more than in a Tesla), but elements like the brushed metal door handles redirect your focus. The Polestar 2 feels better built than my older Model 3 but is on par with the refreshed 2024 version. I can see buyers preferring either.

On the road with the Polestar 2

Despite being an AWD electric sedan like the Tesla Model 3, the most noticeable difference is the weight. The Polestar 2 weighs 4,650 pounds — the big battery Model 3 weighs 4,019. 600 pounds is a sizable difference, and you can feel it when taking corners.

Still, the Polestar 2 is a rapid vehicle. With 402 horsepower, it can hustle to 60 in about 4.5 seconds. Unlike the Model 3, you can launch it by pressing your left foot on the brake pedal and right foot on the accelerator, then letting the brake go.

On the road, the Polestar 2 also does an excellent job of minimizing vibrations. While the new Model 3 is much better in this regard, there's a notable difference with my outgoing Model 3.

Another benefit is the added ground clearance and lower plastic cladding. While it's no rugged SUV, the Polestar 2 is capable of light off-roading with 6 inches of ground clearance.

Polestar range and charging

During my final day with the Polestar, I drove through the North Carolina mountains and stopped at a 350-kilowatt EA station outside Asheville. I recorded around 30 minutes to go from 17 to 80% charged. In that time, the charger dispensed 53 kilowatt-hours, which cost $30.91. This charging time is fine but not revolutionary.

The Polestar 2 has a peak charge rate of 150 kilowatts but dropped below the 100-kilowatt threshold by around 55%. The Model 3 has a peak of 250 kilowatts, but it sees a similar drop to the 100-kilowatt mark at around 60% charge. The big difference is its efficiency. The Polestar has a battery similar in capacity to my Model 3, but it can't go as far on a charge.

I recorded an estimated 224 miles of range at 70 miles per hour. My 2021 Model 3 can get around 270 miles within that speed range. Since the Polestar 2 isn't as efficient as the Tesla Model 3, it'll need more energy to travel the same distance, increasing the cost.

I never had any anxiety with the Polestar, as its range was still more than ample for my driving, averaging over 100 miles per day. When I get to campus, I plug in and head to class.

Average tech and missing safety features

Despite having a sticker price above $50,000, the Polestar had virtually no safety features. This one didn't have adaptive cruise control, lane centering assist, or even a blind spot monitor. For comparison, every new Tesla, Hyundai, Kia, Volkswagen, and Toyota EV comes with adaptive cruise control as standard.

Another disappointing area of the Polestar 2 is its lackluster technology. While the Polestar features two crisp displays powered by Google software, the computer chip powering them is an Intel A3900 chip, which debuted in 2016. The result is a display that can be laggy and somewhat unresponsive.

Nevertheless, it's still better than other systems I've used before. The Google-based system effortlessly adds charging stops, telling you what percentage you'll arrive with and how long you'll need to charge, but for a fresh-faced automaker, it trails behind Rivian and Tesla.

Verdict

I liked many things about the Polestar but wouldn't buy a new one. If I were looking at the new market, the updated Tesla Model 3 Long Range RWD is the better buy. It offers 363 miles of range, better charging, more standard features, and a lower price tag.

If you're buying used with a budget in the mid to upper-$20,000 range, the Polestar 2 is worth a look. Just due to the sheer number of Teslas on the road, the 2 is refreshing. It drives well, has a decent range, and has an alluring Scandinavian aura.

While the Model 3 started it all, the Polestar is a solid alternative that checks different boxes. There's a lot to like about it, and I will miss my time driving it.

• The Front Man in "Squid Game" is Hwang In-ho, detective Hwang Jun-ho's brother.
• One fan theory suggests that In-ho could be related to another character in the series.
• It's not impossible, but the evidence isn't overwhelming.

In season two of "Squid Game," the game's steward — known as the Front Man, or Hwang In-ho under the mask — enters the game himself. Though he's already related to one other character in the show, a new theory suggests he could be further tied to the games.

In season one, detective Hwang Jun-ho (Wi Ha-jun) infiltrated the games in search of his older brother In-ho (Lee Byung-hun). In-ho wasn't a player in the games with Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae), however — he was the one running them. But in season two, In-ho infiltrates the games as player 001 using the name Oh Young-il.

In-ho mostly seems to be there to break Gi-hun's spirit, treating him like a comrade until he sabotages Gi-hun's rebellion in the season finale. He's not the first player 001 to betray Gi-hun's trust: In season one, the game's creator Oh Il-nam plays alongside Gi-hun as well before revealing his true identity in the outside world.

One moment in season two has fans thinking that In-ho and Il-nam may be further connected — but it's far from conclusive.

Fans speculate that Il-nam is In-ho's father — because of two lines about milk

In season one, episode three, Gi-hun asks one of the guards distributing snacks to players if he could trade his regular milk for chocolate milk, saying that he's never been able to digest plain milk. The guard refuses, but Il-nam remarks on Gi-hun's preferences.

"I bet your father spanked you a lot when you were young," Il-nam says.

"How did you know?" Gi-hun asks.

"My son was just like you," Il-nam replies.

In season two, episode five, In-ho doesn't drink his plain milk either. After the guards serve the players a similar bread and milk snack, In-ho passes his milk to the pregnant Jun-hee instead of drinking it.

"I don't drink plain milk," he tells her.

The "milk theory" has proliferated on social media platforms like Reddit and X. However, one image in support of the theory being circulated online includes inaccurate dialogue.

The above screenshot, which was also posted to the r/squidgame subreddit, simplifies the dialogue in both scenes. Il-nam never tells Gi-hun, "you are just like my son he couldn't drink milk too," and In-ho never says, "here, I can't drink it anyway."

To be fair, the original dialogue in each respective scene isn't that different — but it is slightly more nuanced.

The 'milk theory' raises some other questions

A twist like this would feel a bit out of character for "Squid Game," particularly given that the show has already pulled a secret-family-member twist with the Front Man already. That doesn't necessarily mean it couldn't happen, but the evidence isn't overwhelming.

First, Il-nam says several times in season one that he has a son, singular. In the season finale, he tells Gi-hun on his deathbed that "long ago, I once lived in a house in an alley just like that one with my wife and son."

However, in season two, we learn that In-ho and Jun-ho are half brothers who share a father because Jun-ho's mother refers to In-ho as her stepson. If Il-nam was In-ho's father, he should be Jun-ho's as well.

That doesn't fully rule out the theory: it's possible that Il-nam abandoned In-ho with Jun-ho's mother, and that he didn't raise Jun-ho or consider him a son. Still, there's not much to go on.

If In-ho were Il-nam's son, the implications would be severe depending on the strength of their relationship as adults and if they knew of the others' existence before In-ho entered the games. At worst, it would mean that Il-nam didn't provide his son the money to save his wife's life, and knowingly let him participate in the games. At best, it would mean that they reunited after In-ho joined, and won, the games in 2015.

Furthermore, Il-nam and In-ho give the same surname, Oh, in the games, but they don't share one in real life. Il-nam tells Gi-hun in the season one finale that he didn't lie about his name in the games, but as far as we know, In-ho is lying about his: In-ho's true last name, which he shares with his brother, is Hwang.

Ultimately, it's not impossible that In-ho is Il-nam's son, but the evidence is far from conclusive. The milk thing is weird, sure — but lactose intolerance does not a paternal relationship make. After that cliffhanger ending, we'll have to wait for season three to see if the show goes any further with this particular thread.

"Squid Game" is streaming on Netflix.

• Microsoft managers use forms to requests retention bonuses for employee they can't afford to lose.
• One such document, viewed by BI includes, a field specific to employees' AI contributions.
• Microsoft AI employees earn a lot more than colleagues, according to payroll data viewed by BI.

Some managers at Microsoft may be trying harder to retain talented employees with AI know-how, according to an internal document viewed by Business Insider.

Microsoft managers use these types of documents to make the case for retention bonuses. Prompts include questions such as "What harm is done if employee leaves Microsoft?"

Managers can request special stock or cash awards to help keep employees who are most important to the company's strategy. One such document viewed by BI includes a separate field specific to employees' contributions in AI.

"In the context of AI transformation as a key priority, please indicate if this individual is critical AI talent and share the risk to the AI initiative/s if talent is not retained," the document asks Microsoft managers.

This question was added to the document recently, according to a person familiar with the situation. It was prepared for a specific, large group inside Microsoft. However, it's unclear if the AI question is being added to similar retention documents in other parts of the company.

A Microsoft spokesperson said the company does not have a central form for special stock and cash award requests, and organizations and teams can choose whether to add different fields, depending on what their strategic priorities are.

Still, the addition of the AI question to this specific document suggests that the AI talent wars may be pushing some parts of Microsoft to do more to prevent poaching by rivals.

Google, OpenAI, Meta, and other tech companies are racing to develop the most powerful AI models and the best generative AI tools, and they need employees who know the technical details of how to craft these products. That's caused bidding wars for some talent, along with multimillion-dollar compensation packages sometimes.

The company has already prioritized AI talent when it comes to compensation.

As of September, average compensation in Microsoft's AI group was about 37% higher than the average for all of the company's US employees. Software engineers working in AI, for example, earned 48% more than the average software engineer at the company, according to a payroll spreadsheet shared with BI.

In 2023, during a leadership crisis at OpenAI, Microsoft CTO Kevin Scott said the software giant would hire hundreds of OpenAI employees and match their current compensation.

He made the announcement in the midst of job cuts and a salary freeze at Microsoft, which made some employees furious.

Are you a Microsoft employee or do you have insight to share? Contact reporter Ashley Stewart via the encrypted messaging app Signal (+1-425-344-8242) or email ([email protected]). Use a nonwork device.