• I've been following the Mediterranean diet for years, and I've learned a lot of simple recipes. 
• Lamb souvlaki, baked salmon, and creamy chicken pasta are all in my dinner rotation. 
• For breakfast, I love shakshuka, and orange, avocado, and shrimp salad is a great lighter meal.

I learned to cook for the Mediterranean diet at university over five years ago. Since then, I've tried various recipes and even developed some of my own.

I take a minimalist approach to my diet and often only use a few ingredients in my meals. I bulk out the more expensive ingredients, like fresh fish and poultry, with whole grains, mixed beans, and vegetables.

My favorite recipes take about 10 to 30 minutes to prepare and don't require any specialist equipment. 

I've discovered a love for orange, avocado, and shrimp salad

I wasn't initially convinced that orange, mustard, and shrimp went together. It felt unnatural to make a salad without traditional ingredients like cucumber and tomato.

However, the sweetness of the orange sharpens the buttery avocado and perfectly complements the shrimp. 

Start by tearing half of an orange into segments. Squeeze the juice from the other half and put it to the side. Dice an avocado, slice half a red onion, and rip up some romaine lettuce. Add all of the components to a bowl with a few pieces of shrimp on top — I like to buy the precooked kind for convenience.

To make the dressing, combine the orange juice with a splash of olive oil, a teaspoon of wholegrain mustard, and a little salt and pepper.

Zucchini fritters with tzatziki make a wonderful lunch

Vegetable fritters are one of my favorite snack foods to batch-cook and freeze for busy weekday lunches. 

Grate one zucchini and half an onion into a sieve. Add a little salt and squeeze out the excess water with a spoon.

Then, grate a handful of Parmesan into a bowl with a cup of all-purpose flour, a splash of milk, and one egg. Combine the grated vegetables and batter. 

Add a generous amount of olive oil to a pan and fry small dollops of batter until golden. Press the fritters flat to make sure they're cooked all the way through.

For the tzatziki dip, mix Greek yogurt, two crushed garlic cloves, a sprig of fresh mint, and a dash of olive oil. 

Smoked mackerel pâté is an indulgent treat

Instead of sweets and chocolate, I like to indulge in cheeses, smoked meats, and pâtés. 

To make that fit into my Mediterranean diet, I combine precooked and shredded smoked mackerel, light cream cheese, and a squeeze of lemon juice.

Season the pâté with salt and pepper, and serve it spread on sourdough toast. 

Shakshuka is the ultimate weekend brunch dish

If I fancy a Mediterranean breakfast on the weekend, I go for shakshuka.

Sauté diced red pepper, green pepper, and onion with two crushed garlic cloves. Add a sprinkle of cumin, paprika, coriander, and red-chili flakes before pouring in some chopped tomatoes.

Place three eggs in the mixture, cover the pan, and let them simmer on low heat.

Remove from the heat once your eggs are cooked to your liking and finish with fresh chopped parsley and mint. 

On special occasions, I'll whip up a lamb souvlaki

As a young journalist, lamb is a little out of my price range, so I reserve it for special occasions.

I opt for a good-quality lamb shoulder and season it with garlic, oregano, lemon juice, and olive oil for a few hours.

Add chunks of lamb to a wooden skewer and throw them on the grill. I often bulk out my kebabs with bell peppers and onions.

Finish the meal with tzatziki and Greek potatoes. 

Salmon with veggies is an easy weeknight meal

If I've spent my evening at a spin class or late-night meeting, salmon is my go-to dish.

Season some fillets with garlic and herbs and wrap them in aluminum foil. Cook them in the oven for about 15 minutes and pair them with roasted asparagus and broccoli. 

I've concocted a Mediterranean version of a make-your-own pizza 

If you have an at-home dinner date coming up, make some puff-pastry pizza together.

Roll out a premade puff-pastry sheet, add pesto and tomato paste for the base, and cook for five minutes. 

Once it's out, top with crumbled feta, spinach, and onions for a veggie-style pizza. You could also use some shredded salmon for a little extra protein.

Put it back in the oven until the cheese starts to brown and melt.

To balance out my lighter meals, I like to make a 1-pot creamy-chicken pasta 

We all need cheesy carb-filled dinners from time to time — the Mediterranean diet is all about balance and moderation. 

Chop up a few chicken breasts, fry them in a pan until golden, and remove.

Sauté a few cloves of garlic and combine with chicken stock, heavy cream, and fettuccine pasta in the pan. The measurements will depend on how much you like garlic and cream. 

Once the sauce has thickened, sprinkle in some Parmesan, olives, and lemon slices and pop the cooked chicken back in.

Chorizo and butter-bean stew is a cozy meal 

On colder days, I like to cozy up with a stew.

Slice up some chorizo and fry in a pan for a few minutes. Crank your extractor fan onto its highest setting to avoid the smoke alarm going off — I speak from experience. 

Toss in cans of butter beans and chopped tomatoes and let everything sizzle.

Add a big spoonful of pesto for a garlicky twist and serve.

I like to make frittata when it's time to clean out the fridge

When I don't know what to make, eggs are always a great option.

Mix a few eggs, a handful of sun-dried tomatoes, and some crumbled feta cheese together.

Finely dice half an onion and fry with crushed garlic for a few minutes. Sauté some spinach in the onion mixture and pour the egg concoction on top.

Bake in the oven until the egg is fully cooked and garnish with fresh parsley and your seasonings of choice. 

Whenever I need a little extra protein, I turn to tofu 

If I find myself in a bit of a food rut, I mix things up with meat alternatives.

I've only recently discovered tofu, and I've been enjoying adding it to salads and grain bowls for a protein boost.

I marinate the tofu cubes in lemon, garlic, and rosemary overnight and then fry them in olive oil for a crispy texture.

This story was originally published on May 17, 2022, and most recently updated on January 10, 2025. 

• Insurance companies hire private businesses to protect properties from wildfires proactively.
• The CEO of one company told BI that actions range from using fire-blocking gel to cleaning gutters.
• He said companies like his can help solve the insurance crisis, as they focus only on economic loss.

Insurance companies are hiring private firms to protect customer properties before wildfires roll in by taking measures like applying protective gels and removing combustibles to try to fire-proof structures.

David Torgerson is the CEO of Wildfire Defense Systems, a private company that contracts with insurance carriers to protect homes and businesses from flames like those ripping through Southern California. As a qualified insurance resource, he said that Wildfire Defense Systems works exclusively with insurers, partnering with dozens of carriers across 22 states to protect structures.

"We are typically working hours in advance, or days in advance of the fire passing over a property, and we call that the pre-suppression," he told Business Insider. "We're preparing the property to survive the amount of time that the fire is in proximity to the structure, and then we quickly come back in after the fire is passed to secure the property."

Still, he said that his employees — who, unlike first responders, are not focused on saving lives or containing the blaze — are "actively working" to help battle the fires in Southern California.

In addition to applying the fire-blocking gels and getting rid of flammable materials, Wildfire Defense System's strategies include cleaning gutters and operating sprinkler systems, according to a fact sheet shared with BI. The famed Getty Villa has so far survived this week's blaze in part because of similar fire-mitigation efforts.

Once a fire passes through a neighborhood, company personnel will return to insured homes to put out any simmering spot fires and other risks, Torgerson said. By law, he said, his company can only protect homes covered by insurance policies that include his services.

In recent years, insurance companies have cut back on coverage in California, largely due to wildfire risk. In 2023, State Farm said it was no longer accepting new homeowner insurance applications in the state. It also ended coverage for 72,000 homes and apartments last year, including some in the upscale Pacific Palisades neighborhood devastated by the most recent blaze.

Preliminary estimates have put insured losses at more than $20 billion, a record high for California. Real estate and insurance experts previously told BI that the current wildfires will likely exacerbate the state's insurance crisis.

Torgerson said that qualified insurance resources like his are part of the solution to coverage woes because they mainly try to mitigate the economic cost of a fire.

"Our job really is to help policyholders and insurance carriers keep insurance available in the marketplace," he said. "If wildfires are going to get steadily more intense and more frequent, the scale of our operations have increased."

With some of the nation's wealthiest zip codes on fire — in Pacific Palisades, for example, the average home price is $4.5 million, per Realtor.com — controversy has erupted around who has access to fire safety resources. When a Los Angeles-based investor and self-described entrepreneur posted on his X account about how to hire private firefighters for his home, many responded with outrage in the comments. The user, Keith Wasserman, has since suspended his X account.

Torgerson told BI that his services are very different from private firefighters, whom he said comprise a tiny sliver of the market. Wildfire Defense Systems does not have contact with individual homeowners and protects properties based on risk, not home value. He also said that his employees meet all training required by the National Wildlife Coordinating Group and are members of the firefighters union.

"It only really comes up when the fires are occurring in Southern California, the LA basin," he said of private firefighters, whom he said are not subject to the same training. Torgerson said its services are part of standard insurance policies with the affiliated companies, though he declined to disclose which insurers use his services.

In 2021, State Farm said in a press release that it was partnering with Wildfire Defense Systems and that the perk was added to all non-tenant homeowner policies in California, Arizona, and Washington. Chubb also partners with Wildfire Defense Systems in California and other states, according to its website, and says that policyholders can opt to enroll in the protective services.

Representatives from State Farm and Chubb did not respond to a request for comment from BI.

• TikTok said it would "go dark" this month if the Supreme Court doesn't extend a divestment deadline.
• TikTok users would likely stop seeing videos after January 19, and the app would leave app stores.
• The company is arguing its case against a divest-or-ban law before the Supreme Court on Friday.

TikTok said it would "go dark" in the US later this month if the Supreme Court fails to extend a January 19 divestment deadline set by a divest-or-ban law.

During oral arguments before the Supreme Court on Friday, the company's attorney Noel Francisco said TikTok's partners, like app store hosts and other service providers, would stop working with it if its Chinese owner ByteDance fails to divest its US operations by the 19th. That would force TikTok to shut down.

"It's essentially going to stop operating," Francisco told the court. "I think that's the consequence of this law, which is why I think a short reprieve here would make all the sense in the world."

This means a TikTok ban would not only prevent the app from being downloaded but also likely block existing users from seeing videos. The app wouldn't continue operating in the US the way "Fortnite" did, for example, when Apple removed the game from its app store amid a dispute between the companies.

"This is not a dispute between two private parties," G.S. Hans, a clinical professor of law at Cornell Law School, told Business Insider. "This is a dispute between a private party and the government, and the government can pretty easily legally prevent a company from operating."

TikTok filed a legal challenge against the divest-or-ban law in May. The bill asked its China-based owner, ByteDance, to separate itself from the US version of TikTok within nine months or be forced to stop operating in the US. The company lost its case in the DC Circuit last month, and it's now asking the Supreme Court for an emergency injunction to pause its divestment deadline.

During oral arguments, the company pushed back on the idea that it could divest the US version of TikTok from the rest of the company. Francisco described that process as "extraordinarily difficult" over any timeline.

• A couple in Australia had their marriage annulled after the bride said she didn't genuinely consent.
• The woman said she believed the ceremony was a "prank" being filmed for Instagram.
• A judge ruled in her favor, saying it was likely the applicant believed she was just acting.

A couple in Australia had their marriage annulled after the bride testified in court that she thought the ceremony was part of a "prank" video orchestrated by the groom for social media clout.

In a family court judgment from October, which was made public this month, a judge declared the couple's December 2023 marriage void.

The bride, 24, filed for the annulment in May 2024, arguing that the marriage to the groom, in his 30s, was a sham because she did not offer real consent.

She said she thought she was merely playing the role of a bride for a video that the groom, a social media influencer with over 17,000 followers, would post on Instagram.

The Guardian Australia was the first to report on the judgment.

The bride says she thought it was a 'prank'

The couple, both originally from the same country, met on a dating platform in September 2023.

For legal reasons, their identities cannot be published.

In her affidavit, the bride said that after a brief period of dating, the groom invited her to Sydney in December 2023 to attend a "white party," instructing her to wear a white dress.

Upon arriving at the venue, she said she was "shocked" to find out for the first time that he had "organized a wedding for us."

She said she felt uncomfortable and told the groom she was leaving. However, she testified that she did not leave, and instead called a friend for advice.

The bride said the groom had told her it was a "simple prank" and that her friend assured her that she could not legally marry without a notice of intention to marry being filed.

During cross-examination, the bride testified: "He pulled me aside, and he told me that he'd organizing a prank wedding for his social media, to be precise, Instagram, because he wants to boost his content and wants to start monetizing his Instagram page."

Video evidence presented in court showed the celebrant leading the couple through their vows. The judge said that nothing in the words used by the bride "revealed hesitation or uncertainty."

"We had to act," she said in cross-examination, "to make it look real."

The couple got engaged 2 days earlier

In his affidavit, the groom disputed the bride's account, claiming the ceremony was legitimate and resulted in a valid marriage.

He said the bride had accepted his marriage proposal, which she did not deny.

However, she said that while she did eventually intend to marry him, she didn't expect to get married so soon after the proposal — just two days later.

In her affidavit, the bride said her culture would require either her parents to be present or to grant permission beforehand.

The judge wrote, "In my view, it beggars belief that a couple would become engaged in late December then married two days later."

The judge added that a wedding celebrant had been retained over a month before the groom proposed, a notice of intention to marry had been filed in November, and the bride didn't have a single friend or family member present.

The bride said she only found out the marriage was real in February last year when the groom, who was applying for refugee status, asked to be put as a dependent on her application for permanent residency.

In concluding remarks, the judge wrote: "On the balance of probabilities, in my view it is more probable than not that the applicant believed she was acting in a social media event on the day of the alleged ceremony, rather than freely participating at a legally sanctioned wedding ceremony."

• Some fire hydrants ran dry in LA due to enormous water demand and infrastructure issues.
• President-elect Trump wrongly blamed a separate debate over water from northern California.
• LA officials and California water policy experts said there was no water shortage in the area.

Some fire hydrants in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles ran dry this week after the wildfires overwhelmed the local water system.

The problem unleashed a flurry of criticism, including from President-elect Donald Trump. He accused California Gov. Gavin Newsom of refusing to sign a "water restoration declaration" that would have allowed water from northern California to flow into the areas burning in Los Angeles.

"He wanted to protect an essentially worthless fish called a smelt, by giving it less water (it didn't work!), but didn't care about the people of California," Trump wrote on January 8 on his social media platform.

But the reasons the water ran out were about local infrastructure, California officials and water policy experts told Business Insider. They also refuted the existence of a "water restoration declaration" and said Trump used the delta smelt as a scapegoat for a separate — and much more complex — debate over water allocations from a watershed in northern California.

A spokesperson for Newsom called Trump's claims "pure fiction," and accused Trump of politicizing the disaster. A spokesperson for Trump's transition team pointed to a plan his administration developed in 2019 directing water to the Central Valley and Southern California. But a Newsom spokesperson and California water policy experts said that plan is unrelated to water in fire hydrants in LA.

Janisse Quiñones, head of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, said water demand was four times higher than usual for 15 hours straight as firefighters rushed to put out the flames. That depleted three 1 million gallon water tanks in Pacific Palisades between the afternoon of January 7 and early morning of January 8.

"Those tanks help with the pressure on the fire hydrants and the hills of Palisades," Quiñones said Wednesday during a press conference. She explained that without enough pressure in the system, more water couldn't be pumped uphill into the tanks from a network of underground pipes and aqueducts, leaving hydrants dry. Officials couldn't refill the tanks fast enough as flames engulfed entire neighborhoods.

Fire hydrants ran dry because of infrastructure

The problem stemmed from depleted water tanks in the hills of Pacific Palisades on January 7 and 8.

Jeffrey Mount, a senior fellow at the Public Policy Institute of California Water Policy Center, a nonpartisan think tank that tracks water use and storage data in California, characterized it as an "infrastructure bottleneck."

"Water flows from the reservoirs into this very complicated network of pipes, pumps, and tanks that stretch all over LA. It's really like an electrical grid," Mount said. "Before the fire, the system was full, but then was drained."

Mount echoed LA officials, who said there wasn't enough pressure in the system to pump water into tanks in the hills of Pacific Palisades. Firefighters were stretched thin trying to put out the flames, unable to refill the tanks from which water flows down to homes and fire hydrants.

"We had crews trying to mitigate this, and they had to evacuate," Quiñones said during the press conference. "We're fighting a wildfire with urban water systems, and that is really challenging."

Newsom on January 8 said up to 140 additional water tender truckers were deployed to assist in fighting the Eaton and Palisades fires.

At a January 9 briefing, LA Mayor Karen Bass said fire hydrants aren't constructed to handle such massive devastation. The water shortage was compounded by the fact that planes couldn't perform water drops from the air because of the high-speed Santa Ana winds.

"That was the reason that the devastation was so bad," Bass said. "The unprecedented wind, the strength of the wind, and the fact that the air support could not go."

There is no water shortage in southern California

Trump accused Newsom of causing a water shortage around LA. But southern California has plenty of water, despite the issues with fire hydrants, sources told BI.

The reservoirs in southern California are full, Mount said. And as of January 10 the Castaic Lake reservoir — the largest State Water Project reservoir in Southern California — was at 77% of its total capacity, per the California Department of Water Resources.

Mount said this was due to two years of record rainfall and snowpack in the northern Sierra Nevada mountain range, which feeds many reservoirs that serve southern Californians.

Mike McNutt, a spokesman for the Las Virgenes Municipal Water District that serves 75,000 people in northwest LA — including in Palisades — told CalMatters on January 8 that the water supply was "looking pretty solid."

What does the delta smelt have to do with this?

A spokesperson for Newsom said Trump "conflated two entirely unrelated things: the conveyance of water to Southern California and supply from local storage." The spokesperson added that there was no "water restoration declaration."

Mount agreed, as did Mark Gold, the Natural Resources Defense Council's water scarcity director and a board member of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.

"There is no connection between the delta smelt and the water challenges of fighting a fire in Southern California," Mount said.

Mount said Trump may have been referring to a separate debate over how to allocate water exported from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta — where water in northern California flows into the San Francisco Bay — to both agriculture and urban areas in the southern half of the state, including Los Angeles.

In December, the Biden administration and California officials finalized a plan that aimed to strike a balance among farmers, urban residents, and depleted fish populations including the delta smelt, CalMatters reported. The new regulations replaced those finalized during Trump's first term, which were litigated by Newsom's administration over concerns that the delta smelt, salmon, and steelhead trout would be pushed to extinction.

While Los Angeles does import water from the Bay Delta through the State Water Project, Gold reiterated there are no shortages in southern California.

The region also gets water from the eastern Sierra Nevada through the Los Angeles Aqueduct, the Colorado River, and groundwater.

"The scapegoat for Trump has been the delta smelt because it's not exactly charismatic megafauna," Gold said, noting that endangered and threatened salmon, trout, and other fish are at risk.

Were you impacted by the Los Angeles fires and want to share your story? Email this reporter: Catherine Boudreau [email protected]

• Xocean's uncrewed ships offer low-carbon ocean data for offshore wind and hydrography.
• The Irish startup has secured $119 million to expand its services.
• Check out the 10-slide pitch deck it used to secure the funding.

Xocean, which offers data on the ocean to offshore wind and hydrography operations, has secured $119 million to expand.

The Irish startup, launched in 2017, has developed remotely controlled uncrewed surface vessels (USVs) with built-in sensors that can capture geophysical ocean data.

Users monitor and control the USVs through the startup's CyberDeck cloud platform, which also analyzes the quality of the data being collected. This data can give insights into seafloor topography and the sediments that make up the ocean floor.

Xocean's clients include BP, Shell, and SSE Renewables.

"We are providing this service for many of the world's largest energy companies, supporting the development of clean, renewable energy globally," founder and CEO James Ives said in a statement announcing the $119 million investment.

The transition to cleaner energy has been a central topic of discussion as companies race to find renewable sources of energy — such as wind and nuclear — to power the AI boom.

The startup partnered with climate investment firm S2G Ventures to structure the $119 million round, which was backed by S2G, Climate Investment, and Morgan Stanley's 1GT climate fund, among others.

The company said it would use the capital injection to expand its geographical footprint and accelerate product innovation.

Check out the 10-slide pitch deck used to secure the fresh funding.

• We had just moved to Colorado when the Marshall fire happened in 2021.
• My family evacuated to a nearby hotel, and the community rallied in the coming weeks and months.
• Here's what I learned from the experience and how I prepare in case of another fire.

Three months after our family moved to Colorado, on December 30, 2021, our area was hit by the Marshall fire. Similar to Los Angeles, downslope winds raced from the mountains, fueled by warm air and pressure changes as they moved into the lower elevations where we lived.

I remember taking the kids to the basement because I was concerned about our upstairs windows breaking from the wind. Fifteen minutes later, my husband texted to ask if we were OK because a large fire had broken out. I walked upstairs to see thick smoke out the window. I could no longer see the house across the street.

I grabbed the kids, the dog, and my purse. Then, I packed a handful of diapers, snacks, and water in a bag and left. We didn't lose our home that day, but over a thousand homes were destroyed in what became the most destructive wildfire in Colorado's history.

As a new Colorado resident, I knew little about fire risk and what to expect after a wildfire. After living near the Marshall fire, I better understand what to expect after a fire and the steps I can take to prepare for future fires.

Our community came together

Thousands in our community lost their homes. Many who still had homes standing required substantial professional remediation before being safely lived in again. Housing was already in short supply and it became a more significant challenge after the fire, as people needed places to stay while homes were rebuilt, remediated, or sold.

When we returned home, we exchanged numbers with several neighbors we hadn't talked to much before. The Marshall fire started and spread so quickly that many were alerted by texts and knocks on the door instead of the emergency alert system.

The destruction was surreal, but the community stepped up. Everyone we encountered was doing something to help. People opened their homes and quickly assembled donations and supplies.

It may be a while before the fire is truly contained

Firefighters must be able to put out the fire completely, so you might not be able to return to the area immediately. You may hear the term "mopping up." Even though a fire appears out and contained, there can still be hot spots or burning embers that aren't evident to us. Firefighters work hard to control the fireline and reduce the risk of reignition.

Put personal safety first

Fires present multiple risks. In their wake, they leave unstable structures and trees, scared animals or lost pets, and physical hazards such as sharp surfaces and nails. Traffic patterns often change, and emergency personnel decide when residents can safely access burned or evacuated areas.

Air quality is also an issue, as fires release chemicals and ash into the air. One of my children has asthma, and we mostly played inside in the days following the fire.

Personal protective measures are important, such as closed-toe footwear, long sleeves and pants, a well-fitting N95 mask, and goggles. It's important to remain observant and, if possible, wash clothing after spending time at a wildfire site.

Be aware of fire suppressants

The fire suppressants and retardants you see planes dropping near wildfires contain ammonia. Nitrile gloves, long sleeves, and goggles are recommended in these areas, as the ammonia can irritate the skin and eyes. Avoid using bleach to clean the residue, as toxic gasses can form when the two are combined.

I felt on edge for a while after the fire

When the Marshall fire happened, I was home with four kids ages 4 and under. Somehow, I left with all four kids, the dog, and a bag over my shoulder in one trip out the door. I couldn't find our cat and felt gutted about leaving him behind.

I drove away from the fire to a school parking lot. I finally took a breather, collected myself, and updated my husband. To this day, every time I drive past that parking lot, I feel a pang in my stomach.

The devastation in Los Angeles is horrific. My experience does not begin to compare to what those communities are facing. I was able to get out easily and drive to safety. My home was not destroyed, and I had somewhere to return to.

What I do now to make sure I'm prepared

I was unprepared when we first moved to Colorado. After the Marshall fire, I felt anxious whenever a red-flag warning indicating a high risk of fire was issued or another windstorm kicked up. Sometimes, I'd look out the window and check for smoke — just in case. Having a plan and being prepared helped me feel like I could return to our daily lives.

Here's how I make sure I'm ready:

• I have a government-issued ID with me so I can book a hotel room. We saw people who had fled quickly without ID run into this issue.
• I ensure my van has a full gas tank during high-fire-risk days.
• I have pictures of all the rooms in our home in case I ever have to file an insurance claim.
• I learned how to open my garage door manually. This is essential if your car is in a garage and the electricity goes out.
• I have one "go-bag" backpack with the necessary documents and extra essentials if we ever need to leave quickly.
• During red-flag warnings, I add to the backpack. I include pull-ups for the kids, nonperishable snacks and water, pet food and supplies, phone chargers, and medications. I place the cat carriers by the go-bag.
• If the risk is exceptionally high, I enclose our cats in one room so I can grab them quickly. When we evacuated, I couldn't find our cat, so I had to make the awful decision to leave without him.

After living in Colorado for several years, it feels more like home than anywhere else. Yet, as much as I love our home, I still get worried whenever Colorado's infamous winds pick up. But I feel calmer knowing that I better understand fire risk, what happens after a fire, and how to prepare as much as possible beforehand.

• Ukraine attacked a Russian warehouse full of reconnaissance drones on Friday.
• A security source said Ukraine targeted the facility with drones and a Neptune missile.
• Russia uses its reconnaissance drones to support deep strikes, which have been a problem for Kyiv.

Ukraine says that its forces attacked a Russian warehouse facility full of reconnaissance drones on Friday, hitting it with a homemade missile not often mentioned in disclosures of Kyiv's combat operations.

The cross-border attack targeted a drone and ammunition storage facility in Russia's southwestern Rostov region, a Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) source told Business Insider Friday.

The source said that Ukraine first launched drones to overwhelm Russia's air defenses in the area before striking the site, located near the small village of Chaltyr, with a Neptune missile.

The R-360 Neptune is a subsonic, long-range cruise missile made by the Ukrainian defense manufacturer Luch Design Bureau. It was initially developed as an anti-ship missile, but the weapon has since been modified to strike land targets.

The modified Neptune missile doesn't get as much attention as some of the country's other weapons, especially those provided by Kyiv's Western partners, but Ukraine has used it to strike high-value Russian targets, including high-end air-defense batteries and, more recently, oil terminals. Friday's attack appeared to be its first confirmed combat use in quite some time.

Footage of the attack, which was shared with BI, captures the buzz of what appears to be drones. A massive fireball can be seen at one point, followed by a loud blast. Other videos show fires at the site and plumes of smoke. Since ammunition was stored at the facility, secondary explosions may have occurred.

The source said that the strike operation was carried out by the SBU and Ukraine's navy. "Now these Russian 'birds' in the sky will be reduced. Work on military facilities in the enemy's rear will continue," they said, according to a translation of their remarks shared with BI. BI was unable to independently verify the details of the operation.

Russia uses its reconnaissance drones, like the Orlan, among other systems, to enable deep strikes on Ukraine by providing valuable intelligence, like targeting data on troop positions and critical equipment, from behind the front lines. Moscow then attacks these locations with guided tactical missiles.

Russia's reconnaissance strike complex has been a challenge for Ukraine, particularly amid strains on its air defenses.

Ukrainian officials, including President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, have routinely pressed the US and its NATO allies for more air defenses and interceptor missiles to help defend against Russian strikes. The Ukrainians have also been increasingly looking to interceptor drones as cheap alternatives to costly missiles.

Taking targets out on the ground is another option. The strike on Friday marked Ukraine's latest cross-border attack in Russia. Earlier this month, Kyiv launched drones at a major port near the city of St. Petersburg, hundreds of miles away, in a bid to disrupt operations at the facility. These strikes have become a problem for Russia.

• Business Insider asked baristas to share the drinks they think customers should order more often.
• An Americano misto is a good substitution for a classic latte.
• A macadamia-milk latte is a great option for those who prefer or need milk alternatives.

Whether your go-to coffee-shop order is an Americano or an oat-milk latte, you may feel the desire to switch up your routine every now and then. However, figuring out what to order can be difficult.

That's why Business Insider asked baristas about the underrated drinks they think customers should order more often. Here's what they said.

If it's an option, order a pour-over coffee to enjoy the true flavor of a roast

Pour-over coffee refers to a drink that's made when hot water is poured over coffee grounds.

Alex Greene, head roaster at Gregorys Coffee, told Business Insider that although most coffee shops don't offer this beverage as an option, customers should opt for one if it's available.

"It's coffee in its purest form, so you get to enjoy what the farmer produced without any modifications or milk," Greene said.

An Americano misto is a fine substitute for an expensive latte

For coffee-shop visitors looking to save money without sacrificing flavor, Laila Ghambari, the owner of Guilder Café and Juniors Roasted Coffee, recommends ordering an Americano misto. This drink is made with espresso, water, and a layer of steamed milk.

"An Americano is just hot water and espresso. You can still get your typical flavoring and ask for an inch or two of steamed milk of your choice. It's still sweet and decadent but costs less than a latte," she told BI.

Spruce up your chai order with a shot of espresso

A chai latte is a popular drink that can be enhanced further with the addition of espresso.

"Adding an espresso shot to a chai latte not only boosts the caffeine contents of the drink but creates a blend of complex flavors that elevate a good drink to an excellent one," Yaretsy Flores, owner and barista at Casaroma Café, told BI.

This drink, known as a dirty chai latte, can be ordered hot or iced. Both are great options that deliver a delicious mix of chai and espresso.

A cortado is a good option for coffee lovers seeking a balanced profile

Daniel Mentado, owner of mobile coffee bar Sole Cafe, told BI he always recommends a cortado for its perfectly balanced flavor.

"Equal parts espresso and steamed milk create a smooth, rich drink that highlights espresso's bold flavor without being overpowering. Its smaller size ensures a satisfying experience without excessive milk, making it ideal for those who appreciate quality over quantity," Mentado said.

Iced-coffee enthusiasts should opt for a refreshing cold-brew lemonade

A cold brew is a popular option for coffee drinkers year-round, but Chris Dennis, barista and general manager of Ox Coffee, recommends ordering a cold-brew lemonade instead.

"Cold-brew lemonade, especially in the summer, combines two incredible concepts that complement each other well. The best option for this is a cold brew made from berry-forward blends," he told BI.

For those seeking milk alternatives, try an iced macadamia-milk latte

Connor Nerat, regional manager and barista at Spill the Beans, encourages adding macadamia milk to lattes over traditional milk alternatives.

"Macadamia milk is amazing because it has a natural sweetness that almond and oat milk don't have," he said.

Nerat added that a macadamia-milk latte is also low in calories.

Historian Roel Konijnendijk reviews ancient warfare scenes and battle tactics in movies and TV shows.

He looks at the naval battle and gladiator fights depicted in "Gladiator II," starring Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, and Denzel Washington. He talks about how armies would signal attacks in season two of "House of the Dragon," starring Matt Smith, Emma D'Arcy, and Olivia Cooke. He breaks down the many siege warfare methods in "Prince of Persia," starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Ben Kingsley, and Gemma Arterton; and season two of "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power." He discusses the purposes behind cavalry charges in "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King," starring Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, and Viggo Mortensen; and "Kingdom of Heaven," starring Orlando Bloom, Liam Neeson, and Edward Norton. He explains the ancient Greek shock tactics in "300: Rise of an Empire," starring Eva Green and Lena Headey. He points out how line formations operate in "Rome," starring Tobias Menzies and Kerry Condon. Finally, he examines the strengths and weaknesses of Kublai Khan's army in "Marco Polo," starring Benedict Wong.

Roel Konijnendijk is a historian of ancient warfare at Lincoln College, University of Oxford. He specializes in classical Greek warfare.

You can find Roel on social media here on Bluesky or X (formerly Twitter).

• Disney, Fox, and Warner Bros. Discovery have canceled Venu, a would-be sports streaming service.
• The decision was announced days after announcing plans to launch the service.
• What happened in between?

On Monday, the people behind Venu — the sports streaming service co-owned by Disney, Fox, and Warner Bros. Discovery — were gearing up their launch plans, after solving a legal challenge.

A few days later, they decided to kill the service entirely.

The streamer, announced nearly a year ago, and initially scheduled to debut in the fall of 2024, will never see the light of day, the three companies announced Friday morning.

The reasoning behind the astonishing decision, via sources at the three companies: The premise of even more legal challenges, which could delay the streamer even more, and cost the companies time and money.

While the Venu joint venture had settled an antitrust lawsuit with streaming TV service Fubo on Monday, that decision drew immediate complaints from other TV providers, who said they were being prevented from launching a similar service.

Satellite TV services DirecTV and Dish both sent letters this week to the federal judge who had been overseeing the Fubo court case, arguing that the settlement was a "payoff," and suggesting that they would file their own suits. Other TV providers might launch similar objections, say people at the joint-venture companies.

So on Thursday, Venu's owners decided to bail completely. "In an ever-changing marketplace, we determined that it was best to meet the evolving demands of sports fans by focusing on existing products and distribution channels," the companies said in a Friday press release.

That end of Venu doesn't affect the deal Disney announced this week to essentially buy Fubo itself: It is merging its Hulu+ Live TV service with Fubo and will own 70% of the company once that deal is closed.

And part of that deal will give Fubo the right to launch a new "skinny" bundle of Disney properties that show sports, like ESPN and ABC.

People familiar with Fubo's plans tell me it's likely that Fox will end up licensing its sports programming to that bundle as well. Which would mean that Fubo would end up with the rights to sell a service that looks a lot like Venu — minus the programming WBD was supposed to provide. It seems likely that for now, WBD will sit pat with its existing distribution plans — relying primarily on its TNT network, some of which also streams on its Max platform.

Which means Fubo, which a year ago was an also-ran streamer that was shut out of a crucial sports streaming deal, now seems like "the undisputed winner" out of the entire mess, as an industry executive told me Friday morning.

A Fubo rep said the company had no news to announce regarding a possible Fox deal. Fox declined to comment.

What does this mean for viewers? It's hard to say: The initial announcement about the Venu joint venture seemed like a very big deal. But it was an open question whether sports viewers would pay $43 for a service that had a lot of sports — but not all the sports, including some major parts of the NFL schedule.

Meanwhile, Disney is still continuing with plans to launch its own ESPN-only service this fall. And in addition to the Fubo "skinny bundle" the two companies announced, Disney has also licensed a similar deal with DirecTV. All of which means there are going to be lots of ways to watch, and pay for, ESPN in the next year or so.

• Interior-design experts shared kitchen designs that don't age well and trends people will regret.
• The pros said homeowners may want to rethink concrete countertops and breakfast nooks.
• They said all-white kitchens, matte-black hardware, and patterned floors aren't timeless either. 

Kitchen renovations can be expensive, so you'll want to choose your finishes and designs carefully.

Still, trends come and go, so you may find yourself with regrets even if you loved the space years ago — plus, some designs just don't age well.

Business Insider asked interior-design experts and trend forecasters to share kitchen trends and design choices people often regret. Here's what they said. 

Patterned floors make a bold statement but may quickly go out of style.

Interior designer Kelly Taylor, owner of Kelly Taylor Interior Design, told BI that kitchen floors aren't an ideal place to incorporate detailed patterns into your home.

"Just don't do it! If you want a pattern on the floor, change up the wood to a herringbone, or choose a stone with a tone-on-tone pattern, like a water-jet mosaic," Taylor said. 

Bold flooring patterns, like a checkered print, can be costly to replace when they go out of style.

Concrete countertops may be aesthetically pleasing, but they aren't practical.

Concrete kitchen countertops are on the rise among their marble, quartz, and granite counterparts.

However, Taylor said, concrete countertops are expensive and hard to maintain.

"Counters are expensive. Even if the concrete countertop trend continues to persist, concrete is going to be wrecked so fast that you'll want to replace it in two years," Taylor told BI. "It is incredibly porous and just not going to look like anything but a mess, trendy or not."

Open-shelving concepts may be a bust in the long term.

Lisa Odor, senior interior designer at MA Design, told BI that open shelves with highly-curated items could lead to regrets down the road.

"They look great for Instagram when they are nicely organized and picturesque with your three favorite cookbooks and some cute knickknacks, but they aren't functional and will only collect dust and more things," she said.

Instead, Odor recommends capitalizing on closed storage options in a kitchen. 

Breakfast nooks can quickly become dated if not designed well.

Interior designer Reya Duena of Reya Duena Designs cautioned against the popular built-in-booth trend. 

"While they look nice now, the fabrics will get dirty, wear, and start to look dated. They have to be well designed in order to pull this off," Duena told BI.

Consider fabric and material options when creating a breakfast nook or built-in booth, and choose stain-resistant, sturdy materials.

Don't mix too many metal finishes.

Mixed metals can add a contemporary look to your aesthetic, but it's possible to combine too many metal finishes.

Duenas suggests sticking to two metal finishes at most, as anything more can look "uncoordinated." Also, make sure your finishes work together harmoniously. 

"Be sure that brass and champagne finishes match one another. Nothing is worth than several brass tones that don't match," Duenas told BI.

The double-island trend you see online may be more frivolous than functional.

Some large kitchens incorporate two islands instead of one — but this is an expensive and hard-to-undo design choice. 

"Double islands are nice if you have the space, but also expensive and permanent. You need to commit to the layout, and there isn't room for making changes," Duena said.

Instead, Duena recommends choosing a less-permanent piece of furniture, like a large table or cabinet, to add more counterspace and visual interest with less commitment. 

Black hardware and fixtures may not stand the test of time.

Rhea Vaflor, associate principal and director of trendcasting at Hickok Cole, said aspects of the industrial-farmhouse trend may be difficult to manage over time. 

In particular, the industrial-style matte-black finishes show "scratches more easily, and if the quality isn't high enough, the finish can flake off." 

Instead, Vaflor recommends choosing polished- or brass-nickel fixtures, which tend to be more timeless and durable. 

All-white kitchens are far from practical in a few ways.

Social media portrays the beauty and cleanliness of an all-white kitchen aesthetic, but Vaflor told BI this trend could lead to regrets.

"White shows everything, and in the messiest room in the house, it's especially unforgiving, even more so if everything surrounding it is stark white in contrast," Vaflor said.

All-white kitchens can also be difficult to maintain over time. 

"It's incredibly challenging to match whites, so if you have to replace a cabinet door or paint a scratch, it's not likely you'll find the exact white," Valfor said. 

It may be more practical to only do white upper cabinets and colored lower cabinets or to stick with a white countertop and darker backsplashes. 

A complementary color scheme throughout the kitchen can quickly lose its zest.

Jackie Lopey, founder of and interior designer at Wide Canvas, told BI that complementary colors — red and green, orange and blue, purple and yellow — intensify each other and are visually appealing on our Instagram feeds but feel different when you live with them.

When the excitement wears off, replacing kitchen cabinets, countertops, and backsplashes is expensive.

Instead, Lopey recommends selecting a neutral color palette and adding a signature shade to one fixed element.

Rustic pantry doors may not be the right fit for your kitchen.

Interior designer Randi Destefano said sliding doors can work in a pantry, but you might want to skip anything too rustic unless it fits your kitchen's aesthetic. 

"Rustic barn doors for pantries don't always fit the kitchen style. Some trend followers only see rustic and think they need to have it. They forget that the rest of the kitchen is not rustic," Destefano told BI.

Before committing to a pantry door, do some research to understand the available options rather than defaulting to the popular rustic style.

 

Lower cabinetry that's painted in light colors can reveal flaws.

Erin Davis, owner and lead designer at Mosaik Design & Remodeling, said light-colored cabinetry has been a popular trend for years but it's not the most practical one. 

"Homeowners may regret having a light color on the lower cabinetry as it can quickly show wear and tear. A great alternative is combining wood cabinetry on the base with lighter-painted uppers," Davis told BI.

Too much green in the kitchen can play with your sight.

Green kitchens may be trendy, but Davis cautioned against overdoing it.

"Avoid too much green in the kitchens, especially with painted walls as they can cast a light on to your food that is unappealing," they told BI.

This story was originally published on January 31, 2023, and most recently updated on January 10, 2025.

• Trump's Friday morning sentencing was over in a breezy 30 minutes.
• As expected, he received zero punishment and a scolding by prosecutors and the judge.
• Trump addressed the court virtually for under 10 minutes, criticizing the "witch hunt" against him.

After months of delay, Donald Trump's criminal case is finally closed.

For a breezily-paced half hour, the president-elect listened and watched via video from Mar-a-Lago as a Manhattan prosecutor decried his "dangerous rhetoric" and his defense lawyer promised to appeal the case.

Trump — slumped over a table and visible in the courtroom on overhead screens — then delivered a brief, 7-minute statement of protest against the "witch hunt" against him. The judge, New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan, handed down a sentence of no punishment as expected.

It came with a brief statement of chastisement. Merchan, reading from paperwork before him at the bench, said no ordinary citizen would have received the legal breaks enjoyed by Trump.

"At this time, I impose that sentence to cover all 34 counts," Merchan then said, referring to Trump's felony conviction and his sentence of no jail, no probation, no fines, and no community service.

"Sir," the judge then said in conclusion, "I wish you godspeed as you assume your second term of office."

At the start of the Friday sentencing hearing, Manhattan prosecutor Joshua Steinglass condemned the former and future president, saying he "engaged in a coordinated campaign to undermine" the legitimacy of the trial that Trump faced seven months ago.

"The defendant has encouraged disdain to undermine the rule of law, and he has done this for his own ends," Steinglass told the court.

Steinglass continued, "This defendant has caused enduring damage to the public perception of the criminal justice system and has put officers of the court in harm's way."

The assistant district attorney, speaking as Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg sat behind him, said the court had found Trump in contempt for 10 different violations for extra-judicial speech.

Friday's sentencing brings a delayed capstone to the criminal case just 10 days before Trump is scheduled to be sworn in again as the president of the United States.

Trump appeared by video from his Florida estate, sitting alongside his defense lawyer Todd Blanche with a pair of gold-fringed American flags draped behind them. Emil Bove, another of his attorneys, was the only person sitting at the defense table in Merchan's lower Manhattan courtroom.

"It was a political witch hunt," Trump said when given the opportunity to speak. "It was done to damage my reputation ahead of the election, and that didn't work."

In May, a Manhattan jury found Trump guilty of all 34 felony counts prosecutors brought against him, finding he falsified business records in order to disguise hush-money payments to Stormy Daniels, a porn star who testified she had a brief affair with him ahead of the 2016 presidential election.

Before Trump was sentenced, the case was thrown into turmoil after the US Supreme Court ruled in July that the president is entitled to sweeping criminal immunity protections.

Although Trump was no longer president, and much of the conduct in his case took place before his first term, the Supreme Court ruled the immunity protections were so vast that it even precluded evidence from being admitted in a criminal proceeding.

Trump's attorneys asked Merchan to delay the sentencing indefinitely and throw out the case. The judge ultimately set Friday's date, writing that only a sentencing hearing before Trump's second term would respect the jury verdict — as well as allow Trump to appeal his case like any other ordinary defendant.

Just 14 hours beforehand, a narrow US Supreme Court majority swatted down Trump's last legal efforts to halt the sentencing.

• Business Insider asked three chefs about their favorite breakfast dishes to make in an air fryer.
• Air-fried doughnuts can be just as tasty without the added mess of deep-frying.
• The countertop appliance is perfect for making crispy breakfast burritos and home fries. 

Air fryers are surprisingly versatile. Their ability to make food crispy using little or no oil makes them ideal for adding flavor and crunch to a range of breakfast dishes.

Business Insider asked three professional chefs to share their favorite morning meals to cook in an air fryer.

Here are their top suggestions.

Air-frying may be a shortcut to perfect bacon.

Chef Meredith Laurence of Blue Jean Chef told BI that bacon and air fryers are a perfect match. 

"There's no tidier way to cook bacon than in an air fryer," she said. "The air fryer limits the splatter around your kitchen and makes the bacon crispy."

You can air-fry it on a flat tray, but using a wire rack will allow the excess fat to drip away and may result in crispier bacon.

It's a great way to make mini egg frittatas.

Christina Stanco, executive chef at Central Kitchen and Bar in Detroit, told BI that she loves making mini egg frittatas in the air fryer. 

"Mini egg frittatas are quick and easy in the air fryer," she said. "Just pour whisked eggs and diced peppers into cupcake papers, top with cheese, and air-fry."

You can experiment with adding your own favorite toppings to the mini frittatas, like bacon bits or fresh herbs.

Try using an air fryer to make crispy breakfast burritos.

Breakfast burritos are the ultimate portable morning meal, and they're easy to make in the air fryer. 

"Air-fryer breakfast burritos are a favorite of mine," Stanco told BI. "Just roll up scrambled eggs, sausage, and cheese into a flour tortilla and cook it in the air fryer." 

She suggested trying to avoid adding wet ingredients like salsa or sliced tomato before cooking as excess moisture may result in less crispy burritos.

French-toast sticks are usually a hit with kids.

French-toast sticks are a fun breakfast treat that you can throw together with common kitchen staples. 

"Simply cut bread slices into fingers and then soak them in a French-toast egg mixture before coating them in crushed Corn Flakes or other cereal flakes," Laurence told BI. 

Air-fry the sticks at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for eight to nine minutes, so they're crispy but not dry, and serve them with maple syrup or Greek yogurt and berries.

Cinnamon rolls are a sweet way to use the countertop appliance.

For a decadent morning treat, Laurence suggested baking a few cinnamon rolls in your air fryer. 

"Roll out the dough, brush it with butter, and sprinkle cinnamon sugar on top," she said. "After forming the rolls and letting them rise, pop them in the air fryer for 10 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit."

You can use your own homemade dough or opt for a premade variety to save time. Finish off the cinnamon rolls with a sweet glaze or cream-cheese frosting.

Air-fried home fries are a flavorful breakfast side.

Home fries are seasoned and fried potato chunks often served alongside eggs or meat at breakfast. 

"Home fries are a must in the air fryer," Stanco told BI. "Be sure to season the chopped potatoes with herbs and spices before cooking them."

She suggested using a "floury" variety of potatoes, such as an Idaho russet, for the best texture and flavor.

Eggs in a basket are a fun and easy breakfast dish to try.

Eggs in a basket — also known as egg in a hole — is a quick breakfast dish that looks a lot fancier than it is.

"You can make 'eggs in a basket' very easily in the air fryer by making indentations in a few slices of bread, cracking eggs into the indents, and air frying," Laurence said. 

The chef recommended cooking the eggs for five to seven minutes at about 380 degrees.

For a twist on this recipe, swap the slices of toast for hollowed-out bread rolls.

Breakfast sausages cook up nicely in an air fryer.

Using an air fryer to cook your breakfast sausages can help you avoid excess fat and grease.

"Placing the sausages in a perforated or mesh basket allows the fat to drip away, helping them crisp up faster," Laurence told BI. 

You can also use an air fryer to add a bit of extra crispiness to vegetarian or vegan sausages. The plant-based varieties usually have less fat, so give them a light spray of oil before air-frying. 

Switch things up with some sweet-potato fries for breakfast.

Chef Hayato Yoshida, cofounder of Wagyu Beef, told BI that an air fryer can easily turn sweet potatoes into a tasty morning meal. 

"Instead of throwing them in the oven or microwave — which might make them soggy — put them in the air fryer instead," he said.

You can also shred your sweet potatoes and air-fry them as hash browns or nests.

Doughnuts are surprisingly easy to make right at home.

Skip the line at the coffee shop and make your own fresh doughnuts at home. 

"Instead of going through the hassle of deep-frying, consider air-frying a couple of fluffy doughnuts," Yoshida told BI. "They're delicious and will definitely help satisfy your morning sweet tooth."

Try using canned biscuit dough shaped or cut into rings if you're short on time. 

You can add a glaze to your doughnuts by dipping them in a mixture of powdered sugar and water or milk, but be sure to wait until they've fully cooled before glazing. 

Air-fried egg rolls are a quick and portable breakfast.

If you're looking to break out of a breakfast rut, consider using an air fryer to make breakfast egg rolls.

"Breakfast egg rolls are a great handheld breakfast option for those on the move," Yoshida told BI. "I love air-frying egg rolls and enjoying them as a treat in the morning."

To make them, scramble eggs with your choice of chopped vegetables or meats, portion the mixture into egg-roll wrappers, fold and roll them up, and air-fry until golden.

This story was originally published on January 6, 2021, and most recently updated on January 10, 2025. 

Read More:

• Chefs and bakers share 10 of their favorite desserts to make in an air fryer
• Chefs share 16 of the best foods to make in an air fryer
• 7 things you should cook in an air fryer and 7 things you shouldn't
• 10 of the best air fryer recipes you should know

• Russia's elites are growing frustrated with Putin's efforts to wage war in Ukraine, per Meduza.
• Sources told the outlet they're also concerned about the long-term impact of Western sanctions.
• But Russian security officials appear to want Putin to intensify the war, a DC think tank said.

Russia's elites are growing tired of waiting for the war to end and are concerned about the long-term impact of Western sanctions on Russia's economy, according to a report by Meduza.

High-ranking sources told the independent Russian outlet that Russia's "elites" are disappointed that the war with Ukraine didn't end in 2024.

The sources included people close to and in the Russian presidential administration, two State Duma deputies, a senator, and three high-ranking officials in Russian regional governments.

One government source told the outlet that the overall emotions are "disappointment" and "fatigue."

"We were waiting for the war to end, for the fighting to end," they said. "We are tired of even waiting."

Two people close to the presidential administration said that the government doesn't have a clear postwar vision.

Meanwhile, another source said Russian elites, primarily high-ranking security officials, are growing irritated by the lack of manpower and material to wage the war, and believe Putin must launch a mobilization effort to further shift Russian society and economy to a war footing.

Since launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russia has significantly grown its military and war economy. However, the war has come at a considerable cost.

Russian troop losses have risen for six straight months, the UK Ministry of Defence said this week, citing Ukrainian data. It said Russia's costliest day came on December 19, when 2,200 of its troops were killed or wounded.

Russia's economy has also come under strain due to persistent high inflation, slowing economic growth, and Western sanctions.

Even so, the Institute for the Study of War, a DC think tank, said Meduza's report, published Thursday, suggests that high-ranking Russian military and security officials believe Putin should escalate the war rather than seek a diplomatic solution.

In an update on Thursday, the ISW said that Russian security and military officials don't appear ready to abandon the war, despite mounting battlefield losses.

Instead, it said, they are seemingly advocating for Putin to intensify Russia's war effort by calling for additional partial reserve call-ups and a formal decision to transition to a wartime footing.

But, according to the ISW, Putin is against further mobilizing the Russian economy or a partial involuntary reserve call-up because these measures would be extremely unpopular and would worsen the country's labor shortages.

• Andersen Consulting was once one of the top names in professional services.
• The firm rebranded to Accenture in 2000, and its parent company went bust following the Enron scandal.
• Now Andersen Consulting is making a comeback, The Financial Times reported.

One of the leading consulting brands of the 1990s, whose parent company was brought down in the Enron scandal, is making a comeback.

Andersen Consulting, which was one of the "Big Eight" consulting firms, will relaunch next month, unnamed sources told The Financial Times.

The firm's comeback has been orchestrated by Andersen, a tax business founded in 2002 by former employees from Arthur Andersen, the once-prestigious accounting firm and the parent company of Andersen Consulting. It acquired rights to the Arthur Andersen name in 2014 and renamed itself Andersen in 2019.

Andersen has mostly focused on tax and legal work but has been steadily building a consulting division under the guidance of George Shaheen, a former CEO of Andersen Consulting in its heyday. Shaheen joined the group as a special advisor in 2022, according to his LinkedIn profile.

In the past six months, the company has added 20 member firms focused on consulting from the US and other countries, several of which have connections to the old Andersen Consulting and Arthur Andersen, the FT reported.

"Six months ago, we began building Andersen Consulting, and already we have 108 offices in 66 countries with nearly 3000 employees," Mark Vorsatz, Andersen's CEO, said in a statement sent to Business Insider.

"We're seeing incredibly fast growth. Our goal in three years is to reach a billion dollars in revenue, which I think is very realistic."

"Our global firm has a massive competitive advantage and this scale creates a unique consulting experience that is unrivaled in the crowded consulting space," he added.

The resurrection of Andersen Consulting marks a major comeback for what was once a leading name in professional services.

"Andersen Consulting was the Coca-Cola of professional services," Vorsatz told the FT. "If you are over 40 in business, you know Andersen Consulting."

The original Andersen Consulting split from its parent company, Arthur Andersen, in 2000 and rebranded as Accenture.

One year later, the Andersen name was tarnished when Arthur Andersen became embroiled in the Enron scandal. Executives at Enron, one of the largest energy providers in the US, were found to have hidden billions of dollars in debt by manipulating financial models and lying to investors.

Enron filed for bankruptcy, and thousands of employees lost their jobs and retirement savings.

Arthur Andersen, Enron's auditor, was found guilty of obstruction of justice for shredding its client's auditing documents as the government started its investigation.

The fallout led to Arthur Andersen's collapse in 2002, reducing the "Big Five" global accounting firms to four. It is one of the most dramatic corporate collapses in US history — one year earlier, the firm had reported roughly $9 billion in global revenue.

The rebooted version of Andersen Consulting would not try to compete with Accenture as an outsourcing services provider, Vorsatz told the FT.

• Morgan Stanley on Wednesday promoted a new class of managing directors to help steer the firm.
• See all 173 new MD names here.
• The promotions come as Wall Street prepares for a more active environment for dealmaking.

Morgan Stanley this week welcomed a new class of leaders to help shepherd the bank through what's expected to be a more active dealmaking environment. On Friday, they shared the names of their 173 new managing directors, the bank's highest title outside the C-Suite.

The promotions are an annual rite of passage on Wall Street and follow similar elevations at banks like Goldman Sachs and Citigroup, which each promoted new executives to their top ranks in recent weeks.

Morgan Stanley new MD class is larger than last year's, although short of the multiyear highs hit at Goldman and Citi. Some 46% of the new MDs come from the firm's institutional securities group, 13% from investment management, and 9% from wealth management.

Here's the full list of names of the new MDs. See here for statistics on the makeup of the new class.

Here's the list organized in alphabetical order:

Andrea Alberti

Andrew Arena

Emma Atkins

Mona Benisi

Maria Berezhkova

Alison Bilger

Priya Bindra

Nathan Bishop

Peter Boehm

Dan Bray

Katalin Broz

Shinya Bukawa

Edward Bury

Ryuk Byun

James Carroll

Matt Cashia

Kathy Chan

Kendal Cehanowicz

Fabien Charbonnel

Issam Cherif

Florence Hiu In Cheung

Simerjeet Chhatwal

Joseph Chiovitti

Cassandra Choi

Lindsay Connor

Lori Corbett

Stephanie Crombie

John Crowe

Jon Davis

Laura D'Albey

Toussaint Davis

Jamie Day

Daniel DeDora

Daniel Diamond

Sean Diffley

James DiGuglielmo

Danielle Dimitriou

James Donnelly

Charles-Antoine Dozin

Patrick Edwards

Cedar Ekblom

Steve Farr

Kurt Gabriel

Tish Garrett

Jenna Giannelli

Marjorie Goichberg

Jennifer Gonzalez

Fernando Manuel Gonzalez Baquero

Max Gordon-Brown

Anna Grainger

Jonathan Greenberg

Stephen Grambling

Emma Griffin

Dirk Grunert

Inan Gunbay

Pranav Gupta

Yash Gupta

Caroline Halimi

Kyle Hallett

Ryuichiro John Hanawa

Todd Hand

Sophia Herrmann

Andrew T. Hill

Jaylene Howard

Phil Humphreys

Ross Hutcheson

Daniel Iacovitti

Eiji Ieno

Kiran Inamdar

Tomoo Ishimaru

Emiley Jellie

Paul Jodice

Chris Ju

Michele Jones

Patrick Keeley, Jr.

Michael Keene

Andrei Keis

Brian Kelly

Aly Kerr

Hussein Khattab

Christopher Khouri

Nicholas R. Kirschner

Krisztian Kovacs

Sara J.G. Krantz

Jenna Krause

Mithun Kunder

Colm Leahy

Jon LeBoutillier

Ben L. Lee

Dick Lee

Jason Lees

Benjamin Liberos

Uri Lichtenfeld

Daniel J. Lingeza

Fan Liu

Sarah Lloyd-Johns

Elly Lukenskaite

Mayank Maheshwari

Richard Mancusi

Koren Maranca

Lesley A. Matthews

Helen Mbugua-Kahuki

Mandy McClung

Felipe Medeiros

Lauren Miller

James Montgomerie

Joseph Morgan

Louise Mylott

Paul Nicely

Marianna Nichols

Patrick J. Nolan

Onyekwere Randy Ojukwu

Dina Paek

Monica Pal

Mark K. Parsonson

Liju Paul

Rebecca Peckham

Richard Perrott

Tony Piperno

Jon Pistilli

Laurie Pistilli

Sanjiv Prasad

Anthony Preisano

Jared Richardson

Chris Rigoli

Lúlica Rocha

Alison Rooney

Brendan Ross

Daniel Rossi

Samantha L. Schreiber

Neil Schwarz

James Scilacci

Stephen Scott

Matt Sebesten

Federico Sequeda

Sajan Shah

Brian Sanderson

Steven Santoro

Rebecca Shaoul

Eugene Shenkar

Aleksey Shevchenko

Derek Simmons

Snigdha Singh

Sat Sivanathan

Ben Smith

Lucio Solms-Lich

Zachary Solomon

Nick Spiller

Reed Staub

Kirsten Stewart

Alexandra Straton Gleich

Jason Swankoski

Keiko Takeno

Emma Tamblingson

Frank F. Tang

Daniel Tay Zhi Yang

Courtney A. Thompson

Paul B. Tucker

Ciaran Tuohy

Bolivar Valera

Alex J. Visokey

Elizabeth Mazzagetti Waggoner

Robert R. Walton, Jr.

Mae Wang

David White

Patrick Whitehead

Emma Whitehouse

Russell Wilk

Brandon D. Winikates

Erik Woodring

Ken Yamaguchi

Saba Zahid

Mike Zheng

• I thought Gen Z would love my company because I built a fun, inviting culture.
• However, my first Gen Z intern wanted to explore departments outside her internship.
• She "quiet quit" and then left the company four months later because I treated her poorly.

For years, I dreamed of working for a company like Google. After all, who wouldn't want to head into the office on Monday morning and be greeted by sleeping pods, VR summits, or Quidditch matches? The entire place was a millennial wonderland with a never-ending supply of cereal bars and gluten-free baked goods.

The early 2000s was the genesis of open office spaces, open-door policies, and open-mindedness. When I started my own business, I copied and pasted this format and waited for Gen Z to knock down my door, begging to work for me.

But my neon signage, proclaiming a fun and diversified environment with great company culture, only caught the interest of one Gen Z applicant.

Thankfully, she seemed like the perfect fit for our internship. Her values aligned with my company, and her education and experience fit our exact needs. But after multiple Zoom meetings, I felt like I was trying to fit a square peg in a round hole.

She clearly decided to "quiet quit" after a week and didn't stay after her internship. Instead of looking at myself and my own company, I blamed the new hire.

My intern had goals I didn't expect

When I set out to bring in my first intern, I presented my company as a place where everyone belongs and can bring their entire self to the table. Well, I didn't exactly honor that goal. Instead of taking the time to ask my intern questions and find out what her goals were, I saw her as a solution to my needs.

I hated creating social media campaigns. So, when my intern's résumé boasted her experience and educational background in digital communication, I leaped at the chance to bring her onto the team and use her skills.

But in one of our first meetings, she told me she wanted to explore different departments and figure out if this industry was right for her.

I panicked. I hoped she'd focus solely on my need for social media, but she was interested in branching out beyond that.

My cool office culture didn't seem to appease her or her curiosity to learn more. She lost interest in the company quickly, and I noticed her "quiet quitting." After four months, she left the company for good.

I quickly learned Gen Z is different in the workplace

As a geriatric millennial, I wasn't raised to see my degree separate from my future career plans. I picked classes that made sense for my aspirational goals and chose internships that aligned with my education and background.

But that's not what Generation Z is about. They're interested in exploring and learning — especially during internships. They want a full experience, and that includes trying on different hats to see what fits.

My intern wanted to experience what it was like to live in my shoes, to see the good, the bad, and the ugly.

I wish I could tell you that I adapted and was the best boss ever, but I'd be lying. I lost my intern because I couldn't figure out what to do with her. I ignored her and gave her menial tasks to fill her schedule.

I wish I had done so many things differently

Firstly, I would have broken away from my interview script and gotten to know her. I would have asked her about her five-year plan, what her hobbies were, and how I could help her reach her goals.

As much as I wish I had changed sooner, there's a huge part of me that's so grateful for this failure. It taught me to break a lot of my own biases and think in broader terms of creating a place of belonging.

Even though I wasn't able to retain my first intern, I retained all the lessons she taught me. I will forever be grateful for that.

• The Venice Simplon-Orient-Express is among the most famous luxury overnight trains in Europe.
• The train's six grand suites start at about $30,800 and are often the first to be booked.
• The Venice Simplon-Orient-Express grand suites have private bathrooms and extravagant decor.

Forget yachting in the French Riviera and skiing in Switzerland — the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express grand suites sit atop the wealthy traveler's bucket list.

The luxury travel company Belmond operates six trains. Perhaps its most famous is the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, comprised of revamped 100-year-old carriages.

It's also among the most luxurious trains in Europe. The 108-guest moving hotel operates 44 routes in 17 cities, mostly in Europe. Prices start at about $8,850 for a cabin on its one-night journey from Venice, Italy, to Paris.

If you want to travel in the train's top-tier accommodation, you'll have to pay more than three times that price. A journey in a grand suite costs around £25,000, or about $30,800, Gary Franklin, Belmond's senior vice president of trains and cruises, told Business Insider.

The Venice Simplon-Orient-Express grand suites are the epitome of European luxury train travel.

Red carpets welcome all guests on their overnight journeys, complete with lavishly decorated vintage carriages, fine-dining restaurants, and jaw-dropping views of passing scenery.

However, only the grand suites offer guests luxurious amenities such as private showers and around-the-clock butler services.

It's worth it to many — the accommodations are "definitely a rich and famous-type bucket list item," Julie Durso, a Scott Dunn Private travel manager, told Business Insider in November.

Over the past few years, Belmond has seen a spike in demand for its trains. Franklin told BI that the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express has become especially popular, with bookings growing 10% from 2023 to 2024.

The train's flashy grand suites have concurrently piqued the interest of wealthy travelers — according to Franklin, they're often the first accommodations to be booked. And for good reason.

The train has 54 cabins, six of which are in the highest-end grand suites category.

The accommodations, first introduced in 2018, each have a unique design inspired by a city on the train's routes.

For example, the Venice, Italy-themed suite fuses Italian Baroque and Renaissance designs. Venetian furniture, vintage glass light fixtures, and a marriage of silk and woven fabrics fill the room with a historic Italian ambiance. The headboard combines arches and sharp edges, a nod to the country's Renaissance castles.

Similarly, the Budapest suite features Gothic and Ottoman architectural styles, with ornate marquetry and embroidered silk-patterned furniture. The tall, curved headboard recalls the cathedrals and mosques of the Ottoman Empire.

No matter the decor, all suites include a couch, closet, double bed, dining area, and en-suite bathroom.

Most of the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express accommodations have shared restrooms without access to a shower.

But there's no need to share in the grand suites — the private bathrooms all have a rainfall showerhead, a glass-blown sink, and heated marble flooring.

The living room then separates the bathroom from the bedroom.

The train has three restaurant cars. Guests staying in these high-end accommodations can instead dine in the privacy of their suite and unwind.

Staying in the luxurious moving hotel room also includes welcome caviar, 24-hour butler service, and bottomless Champagne.

It's a good time to be in the luxury travel business.

Travelers are increasingly spending big for unique, high-end vacations.

To capitalize on this, Belmond added two grand suites to its Scottish train, the Royal Scotsman, in 2024.

The new accommodations were "exceptionally well-received," Franklin said — so much so that the company is now building more to debut in 2025.

• 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.