• Airbnb's CEO said he's heard from founders facing a challenging fundraising landscape amid economic uncertainty.
• Brian Chesky said that while a stable economy is needed, there's a "silver lining" to building a business in tough times.
• The Airbnb cofounder said on Michelle Obama's podcast that a tough economy bakes "discipline" into your company culture.

Brian Chesky is no stranger to starting a business in tough economic times.

Chesky cofounded Airbnb in 2007 and built the business during the 2008 financial crisis. In a recent podcast conversation with Michelle Obama and her brother, Craig Robinson, Chesky said it was challenging to get the business off the ground during a recession, even with some of the advantages and connects he and his founders had that other entrepreneurs might not have.

However, he said there was one "silver lining" to growing the business during tough times, which might resonate with founders facing today's economic uncertainty.

"A lot of great companies have been started in a recession," he said in a Wednesday episode of "IMO with Michelle Obama & Craig Robinson."

"And the one, I don't want to say it's a good thing, but what it does is it teaches you a certain type of discipline," he said. "A tough economy teaches you a discipline that gets institutionalized into your culture."

By comparison, a strong economy might give founders more cushioning to "perpetuate bad strategies and be a little less disciplined," Chesky said.

"I think the good news is a lot of great entrepreneurs are incredibly resourceful, and they will find a way to work," the Airbnb cofounder said. "But we absolutely need like a very stable economy."

Chesky said that entrepreneurs he's spoken with recently told him "a lot of fundraising, for all intents and purposes, was kind of on hold."

"A lot of limited partners and investors are just like hunkering down. And what we know about investors, they don't like uncertainty," he said.

He believes investors will "sit this one out until things stabilize."

"And if they don't stabilize, we're going to be in for a very prolonged kind of dry spell for fundraising," he said. "If you did not go to a prestigious school, if you weren't, like, purely a team of technical engineers, if you're not trying to create an AI company, you're just trying to create a business, that will be more difficult."

Airbnb isn't the only successful business to emerge from the Great Recession. Companies like Uber, WhatsApp, Venmo, and Square also started around the time of the 2008 financial crisis.

"It's always a great time to start a business — and some of the most successful businesses are started during recessions," certified financial planner Cary Carbonaro previously told BI. "Adversity is the mother of invention."

• Nearly 30 M1A1 Abrams tanks will roll down Constitution Ave. in DC for the Army's 250th birthday.
• The service is finalizing plans to prevent the heavy 70-ton tanks from damaging the road.
• Engineers will use steel plates and track pads to protect roads during the parade.

The powerful M1A1 Abrams tank, with its heavy armor and 120mm cannon, is a massive hulk of steel, and dozens are set to hit the streets in the nation's capital next month.

Nearly 30 of the tanks are expected to rumble down Constitution Avenue as part of the US Army's 250th anniversary celebration on June 14, set to coincide with President Donald Trump's birthday.

The street, which runs parallel to the National Mall and serves as a major route for city traffic, isn't built to easily accommodate each tank's nearly 70-ton frame. Most cars weigh only about two tons.

So how is the Army going to keep its tanks from chewing up Constitution Avenue? The service's engineers are putting the finishing touches on plans to protect the busy street's pavement from biting tracks.

Officials aren't too concerned with the straight path down Constitution, which will likely see a single file of tanks. It's turning points that will be the most vulnerable to tears from the heavy tracked vehicles.

"We are targeting those areas that we have concerns," said Army Col. Jesse Curry, Executive Officer for the Army's Chief of Engineers, during a media roundtable with reporters on Wednesday. "Particularly the areas where the surface of the pavement would typically, you know, receive an exaggerated level of stress."

To prevent such stress, military engineers are figuring out which turn points will be layered with steel plates at least one inch thick.

Such large plates are commonly seen on city streets where heavy equipment is used, Curry said, adding that equipment staging areas and the parade route were specially chosen to minimize weight-related damage.

Heavy tracked vehicles like the M1A1 often make turns by using differential steering — one side will roll forward while the other reverses, or the tracks will operate at a different speed. That can cause tracks to "pinch," a problem for asphalt.

Inbound parade tanks will also don new "track pads," rubber components that create some separation between the metal tracks and the pavement, Curry told reporters.

Additional measures to prevent damage are still being examined, with help from DC's Department of Transportation, the National Park Service (which oversees maintenance of the National Mall), and the Federal Highway Administration.

The tanks and other vehicles, such as Bradley fighting vehicles and Strykers, will arrive in the DC area via rail and will then depart to parade staging areas via heavy-duty trailers, similar to those used to move houses down highways.

Troops will not be conducting any full-scale rehearsals for the parade, a notable deviation from typical military planning. Normally, complete rehearsals are an important part of any military mission, including small unit ceremonies.

Officials said Wednesday that while the Army has been planning a major 250th birthday event for two years, the idea to include heavy vehicles like tanks and other armored vehicles in a parade only arrived this year. The officials did not specify how the idea originated.

Even moving at a slow parade pace, any military activity using heavy equipment and vehicles is fraught with concerns that require meticulous planning for safety precautions, especially when it comes to the equipment offloads required to stage for such a parade. Large vehicles must rely on ground guides to ensure no one is inadvertently run over.

Officials said Wednesday that Hercules wreckers will be available to recover any tanks that break down. How roads might handle the behemoth 70-ton M88 Hercules recovery vehicle with a downed tank on its trailer bed is unclear.

• A judge rebuked Sean "Diddy" Combs' attorney for a question he asked witness Kid Cudi.
• Combs' lawyer questioned the rapper about his sex life with star prosecution witness Cassie Ventura.
• "One, the line was crystal clear. And two, the line was crossed," the judge said.

The judge overseeing Sean "Diddy" Combs' criminal trial slammed an attorney for the hip-hop mogul for questioning Kid Cudi about his sex life with R&B singer Cassie Ventura.

US District Judge Arun Subramanian's rebuke followed more than an hour of testimony given by Kid Cudi, whose real name is Scott Mescudi.

While under cross-examination in Manhattan federal court, Steel asked Mescudi a series of questions that appeared intended to besmirch the credibility of Ventura, the prosecution's star witness in Combs' sex-trafficking and racketeering trial.

Steel asked if Mescudi had felt "played" by Ventura — and if Combs had been likewise "played" — because she'd told both men that their relationship was exclusive.

"Yes," Mescudi answered.

Mescudi and Ventura briefly dated in 2011 while Ventura was on a break from Combs. Ventura and Combs dated on and off between 2007 and 2018. During that time, prosecutors allege that Ventura was one of two women whom Combs sex-trafficked.

During his line of questioning, Steel asked Mescudi if he and Ventura had been sexually intimate during their romance — a question that sparked a speedy, successful objection from prosecutors.

After Mescudi left the witness stand and the jury was excused from the courtroom, the judge admonished Steel, who has also represented rapper Young Thug.

The judge said that Steel's question was way out of line under federal rules barring the use of prior sexual activity in impugning sex-crime accusers.

"One, the line was crystal clear. And two, the line was crossed," Subramanian said, his voice angry. "Mr. Steel, you knew what you were doing when you did it, and you did it anyway."

When Subramanian asked, "Is it going to happen again?" Steel said it wouldn't. The judge also ordered that the question, which Mescudi never answered, be struck from the record.

While on the witness stand, Mescudi told the jury that Combs broke into his Los Angeles home after the music tycoon found out he was dating Ventura.

Christmas gifts from Chanel that Mescudi had gotten for his family were unwrapped and opened, and his dog was shut in the bathroom during the December 2011 break-in, he testified.

Mescudi told the jury that his Porsche was firebombed weeks later while it was parked in his driveway.

During Ventura's more than 20 hours of testimony in the trial last week, she said her relationship with Mescudi sent Combs into a violent rage. Ventura also testified that Combs threatened to blow up Mescudi's car when they were out of the country.

Prosecutors have alleged that Combs previously ordered his underlings to torch a car using a Molotov cocktail.

• Israel has one of the world's most advanced air defense systems.
• Its air defenses are being tested amid its war against Hamas and Iran's retaliatory attacks.
• President Donald Trump said his plan for a "Golden Dome" was inspired by Israel's missile defenses.

Israel touts one of the most advanced air defenses in the world, systems that have defended Israeli troops and citizens from rocket and missile barrages for over a decade.

These layers of air defenses are essential to Israel's security and include the legendary Iron Dome that downs incoming rockets. Much of its population is within reach of rockets and missiles fired by Hamas and Hezbollah, as well as the ballistic missiles fired by Yemen's Houthis.

After his return to the White House in January, President Donald Trump proposed a next-generation missile shield inspired by the Israeli missile defense systems — but on a vast scale.

Aptly named the "Golden Dome," the president said the ambitious weapons and sensory system to intercept threats like nuclear-armed Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles will cost about $175 billion, with plans to field it by the end of his presidential term, though it could take longer to fully construct.

The system is so vast and its components so new that the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated it could cost between $160 billion and $830 billion.

Golden Dome

Earlier this week, Trump detailed his plans to build the "Golden Dome," previously known as the "Iron Dome for America," as defense contractors and tech companies already line up to be considered for development.

"We'll have it done in three years," Trump told reporters at the White House on May 21. "Once fully constructed, the Golden Dome will be capable of intercepting missiles even if they are launched from other sides of the world."

While Israel's air defense network is considered one of the most advanced aerial defense systems in the world, the missile shield is responsible for defending a country roughly the size of the state of New Jersey — the second smallest US state — from short-range threats.

Trump aims to make the Golden Dome a space-based missile system to defend the US — about the size of continental Europe — against advanced ballistic and hypersonic missile threats from the world's most powerful countries. Russia has an estimated 4,300 nuclear warheads in its arsenal, each of which a system like Golden Dome must be capable of defeating, necessitating an even larger number of intercept missiles and other weapons.

"I think that this year, we're going to see a different national conversation about space," Tom Karako, a missile defense expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told Business Insider.

US foreign aid to Israel

About 15% of Israel's defense budget comes from the US. Since its founding in 1948, the US has sent Israel about $300 billion in economic and military aid, making it the largest cumulative recipient of US foreign aid.

Nearly all of the aid the US has sent in recent months has been allocated to its advanced defense systems and military equipment. But America's involvement in Israel's war in the Gaza Strip has grown controversial. The US is providing limited humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza while also providing military support and weapons to Israel.

More than 40,000 Palestinians have died since October 7, 2023, according to the Ministry of Health in Gaza.

Iron Dome

The most well-known of Israel's air defense systems, the Iron Dome, consists of a network of radar detectors and missile launchers used to intercept enemy fire, including short-range rockets and artillery.

Deployed in southern Israel in 2011 following the war between Israel and Hezbollah, the US helped and funded the development of the short-range rocket defense system. It contributed at least $1.6 billion to the Iron Dome system from 2011 to 2021, as well as another $1 billion in 2022.

The first layer of defense

The Israel Defense Forces said the objective of the Iron Dome is to "protect Israeli civilians from the constant threat of rockets by intercepting them." The IDF described the Iron Dome with three adjectives: "accuracy, speed, and capacity."

Armed with Tamir interceptor missiles, the multi-mission defense system can shoot down enemy rockets and artillery up to 43.5 miles away. The advanced missile system has a radar station that detects and tracks the course of enemy rockets before launching a missile to intercept them. The missiles track their target with electro-optical sensors and detonate in the air when close.

While the Iron Dome doesn't have a perfect interception record, it has blocked a majority of enemy fire in Israeli airspace, especially at times of intense barrages from Hamas militants.

But the Iron Dome is just one layer of what is considered one of the most advanced air defense systems in the world.

Missiles have a much longer range than shells, but they also have the disadvantage of being expensive. The Tamir missiles fired by Iron Dome are estimated to each cost around $50,000.

David's Sling

The middle layer of Israel's Iron Dome defense system is David's Sling, a medium- to long-range air defense system designed to intercept missiles as far as 185 miles away.

Also known as the Magic Wand, the versatile missile system carries up to 12 interceptors. Its command and control center, known as the Golden Almond, provides threat assessment and plans and controls interception, complemented by the system's multi-mission radar used to detect and track airborne threats.

The middle layer of defense

Developed in collaboration with the US and Israel, David's Sling is "a central factor in Israel's multi-tiered defense array," according to Israel's Ministry of Defense. It supports other layers of its air defense system by "tackling large-caliber rockets, short-range ballistic missiles," and other types of enemy fire.

Arrow Weapon System

The top layer of Israel's sophisticated air defense system is Arrow-3, which is capable of engaging targets at longer ranges and higher altitudes and more precisely intercepting ballistic missiles.

Arrow-3 interceptor operates with the Arrow Weapon System, the world's first operational, national, stand-alone anti-tactical ballistic missile defense system, according to Israel Aerospace Industries, the primary contractor for the AWS. The system was developed in partnership with Boeing and with significant funding from the United States.

Arrow-3 works in conjunction with its predecessor, Arrow-2, to intercept ballistic missiles and other warheads using a two-stage interceptor.

Arrow-3

Arrow-3's "interceptor is a world-class missile that, together with the Arrow-2, significantly expands the State of Israel's defense capabilities," according to Israel's Ministry of Defense.

In November 2023, Israel confirmed the first operational use of the Arrow-3 to stop an inbound enemy missile launched by Houthi militants from Yemen, marking the first time all three layers of Israel's aerial defense were working simultaneously.

"All of these provide protection in every layer of aerial defense and enable optimal protection of the Israeli home front," the IDF said in a statement at the time.

Countering Iran's retaliatory attacks

Last October, Iran attacked Israel with a large barrage of ballistic missiles — a rare direct attack that came after a White House warning to its ally.

The missile attack came after the IDF killed the head of Hezbollah and then launched a "limited" ground offensive against Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon. At the time, the US adjusted its force posture in the Middle East, stationing a substantial force of warships and fighter aircraft across the region to defend Israel and its bases.

Israel also deployed Arrow 3 to intercept the drones and missiles Iran fired during its retaliatory attacks in mid-April last year.

Israel's chief military spokesman, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, told reporters at the time that Arrow 3 had "proved itself against a significant number of ballistic missiles" fired by Iran.

C-Dome

Israel's air defense system isn't just limited to land. The country also has a naval version of its Iron Dome system, mounting it aboard Israeli missile boats.

The naval version of the aerial defense system, known as C-Dome, is deployed aboard Sa'ar 6-class corvettes, four German-made warships ordered for Israel's navy.

In addition to the C-Dome, Sa'ar 6 vessels are also equipped with a 76mm Oto Melara Super Rapid main gun, which is effective against close aerial threats.

Israeli missile boats

After two years of development, Israel's military announced Monday that the seaborne defense system was used for the first time to intercept a "suspicious aerial target" that entered Israeli airspace near the city of Eilat, which has been frequently targeted by Houthis in Yemen in support of Hamas.

"Overnight, for the first time ever, an IDF Sa'ar 6-class corvette missile ship successfully intercepted a UAV (uncrewed aerial vehicle) that had approached from the east and had crossed into the area of the Gulf of Eilat," the IDF said.

In addition to the four Sa'ar 6-class corvettes, the Israeli naval fleet includes 11 other warships and five Dolphin-class submarines.

SPYDER

To further bolster its air defenses, Israel is also looking at a new "all-in-one" surface-to-air missile system called SPYDER, manufactured by Israeli defense company Rafael Advanced Defense Systems.

Israel, in collaboration with Rafael, is testing a new configuration for the weapons system, taking the missile launcher, radar, command and control system, and technology for surveillance and target acquisition, and fitting it to an eight-wheel drive vehicle.

"Developed to address the critical operational needs of the modern battlefield, the SPYDER AiO provides an agile, autonomous, air defense asset, capable of rapid deployment within minutes, in challenging terrains, and with short reaction times," according to a fact sheet from Rafael.

'All-in-one' missile system

Designed to carry up to eight canisterised missiles, including I-Derby SR, I-Derby ER, and Python-5 SR, it can engage up to four targets at a time, with a maximum range of up to nearly 25 miles and an altitude of 7.4 miles, according to the fact sheet.

In January 2024, Israel's defense ministry announced a successful test run of the new weapons system configuration, which is capable of intercepting drones, aircraft, cruise and ballistic missiles, and precision-guided munitions.

Rafael's SPYDER air defense system, in its All-In-One configuration, achieved a direct and effective hit during a recent, first of its kind test with the Israeli Ministry of Defense DDR&D. Watch the live fire test here: [YouTube Link] Another milestone in our commitment to… pic.twitter.com/FvU2iS7t5u

— Rafael Advanced Defense Systems (@RAFAELdefense) January 10, 2024

Editor's note: This article was originally published in April 2024 and has been updated in May 2025.

• The GOP renamed "MAGA accounts" to "Trump accounts."
• If approved, $1,000 will go to any baby born between 2024 and 2028.
• Sen. Ted Cruz — the person who came up with the idea — says he doesn't mind the Trumpified name.

First, they were called "MAGA accounts." Now, they're "Trump accounts."

As part of their "One Big Beautiful Bill," Republicans on Capitol Hill want to establish new investment accounts for American children. Under the plan, babies born after January 31, 2024 and before January 1, 2029 — essentially, the last three years of President Donald Trump's term — will receive $1,000 for the account from the federal government.

The original name was an acronym for "Money Account for Growth and Advancement" — the same initials as Trump's political movement. In a last-minute change before the House passed their version of the "Big Beautiful Bill" on Thursday, "MAGA" was replaced with "Trump."

While the president stands to get the credit, it was Sen. Ted Cruz's idea to create "Invest America" accounts. The Texas Republican says he doesn't mind.

"What I care is that they remain in there," Cruz told BI, referring to the provision's inclusion in the larger bill. "I think it doesn't matter what they're called. What it matters is what they do."

In terms of political branding, it's further than other recent presidents have gone. President Joe Biden, for instance, chose not to sign COVID-19 stimulus checks like Trump did — though he later said it was "stupid" not to do so.

Other government-backed programs have taken on the name of their creators. The Affordable Care Act, championed by President Barack Obama, is commonly known as "Obamacare," though that was initially a Republican epithet. And Sens. William Roth and Claiborne Pell have also found their names written into the tax code.

"That is not unusual," Cruz said. "You have things like Roth IRAs that were named after Senator Roth. You have things like Pell Grants that were named after Senator Pell. You have things like Obamacare that were named after President Obama."

It's unclear exactly why the accounts were named after Trump, and the White House did not respond to a request for comment.

Cruz had pitched the idea as a way to give kids a stake in the free market from an early age, allowing them to potentially reap financial benefits down the line while making them less likely to support socialism.

"It enables every newborn child in America to experience the enormous benefits of compounded growth, and to accumulate significant resources with the passage of time," Cruz said. "It creates a generation of new capitalists."

According to the bill, individuals with "Trump accounts" will be able to use the savings for things like higher education and first-time home purchases starting at age 18.

Money taken out of the account for those purposes will be taxed as long-term capital gains, while money withdrawn for other purposes is taxed as regular income.

• I made Ina Garten's Greek orzo salad for my Greek parents. 
• The light and refreshing salad features feta, orzo, chickpeas, kalamata olives, and red bell pepper.
• My parents loved the delicious dish, and now they can't stop making it for dinner. 

I love reviewing Ina Garten's recipes, and often have my parents help test them with me.

When the pandemic hit and the US went into lockdown, Garten inspired me to finally improve my skills in the kitchen. And when I briefly moved back in with my parents, they were more than happy to sample my creations.

It's since become a tradition, and I whip up new "Barefoot Contessa" dishes for my parents every time I come for a visit.

When I saw that Ina Garten had a Greek orzo salad, I knew my Greek parents had to try it.

My parents immigrated to the US from Greece in the 1980s, and they made sure to teach me about Greek culture through food. My dad made his delicious pastitsio (like lasagna, but better) every week, and whipped up avgolemono soup whenever one of us was sick. Every Christmas was celebrated with a big pan of baklava, and youvetsi was a dinner staple. 

But my parents are always willing to try something new — they tested 15 different "Greek" products from Trader Joe's to see which tasted authentic! So, when I told them Garten had a Greek orzo salad, they were super excited. 

Garten's Greek orzo salad is packed with fresh ingredients.

To make Garten's Greek orzo salad, which serves six, you'll need: 

• 1 cup of orzo (about 8 ounces) 
• 1 cup of canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 2 cups of baby arugula 
• 4 ounces of Greek feta, ½-inch diced (not crumbled) 
• ½ cup of good olive oil 
• ½ cup of diced red bell pepper (¼-inch) 
• ½ cup of diced red onion (¼-inch) 
• ½ cup of kalamata olives, pitted and halved lengthwise 
• ¼ cup of freshly-squeezed lemon juice, plus extra for serving 
• 3 tablespoons of capers in brine, drained 
• 3 tablespoons of minced fresh dill 

Garten's Greek orzo salad appears in her most recent cookbook, "Go-To Dinners," and was inspired by Round Swamp Farm, a third-generation family farm in East Hampton. 

"Their prepared food and baked goods are simply outstanding," she writes. "This recipe was inspired by one of their salads; it has all the Greek ingredients that I love — orzo, olives, feta, lemon, and dill." 

The first step to making Garten's salad is prepping the orzo.

I brought six cups of water to a boil in a large saucepan.

I added the orzo and one tablespoon of salt to my saucepan.

Once you've added the orzo, Garten says you should return the water to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for eight to 10 minutes.

You'll know it's ready when the orzo is al dente. 

While my orzo cooked, I began cutting my veggies.

I diced the red onion and red bell pepper, per Garten's instructions.

I prepped my chickpeas and capers.

I rinsed and drained the chickpeas and made sure to drain my capers.

I also halved my kalamata olives, minced the dill, and diced my feta cheese.

Garten's Greek orzo salad comes together quickly; the only real work is cutting all the veggies and herbs. I had my dad helping me, so it took even less time. 

It didn't take long to make the dressing.

I just whisked together the lemon juice and olive oil with two teaspoons of salt and one teaspoon of black pepper, and voilà! It was ready. 

When the orzo was ready, I drained it and transferred my pasta to a large bowl.

It was time to build the salad!

First, I poured the vinaigrette over the warm pasta.

I made sure to stir it well so the orzo would absorb all that delicious flavor. 

Then, I added the chickpeas, onion, and bell pepper.

Everything was already looking so colorful.

I topped it off with the capers, dill, olives, and feta and gave everything a big stir.

I used two spoons to help me carefully combine all the ingredients. 

I stirred in the arugula just before serving.

Garten says you can enjoy her salad either warm or at room temperature, but hold off on adding the arugula if you're making it the day before — no one likes soggy leaves in their salad. Once you're ready to serve, add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and taste for seasoning. 

I should also note that Garten advises serving this with sliced lemon. My parents didn't love the idea of whole lemon pieces in the salad, so we decided to nix them. 

Garten's Greek orzo salad looked fresh and vibrant.

I always love serving a salad full of color, and Garten's Greek orzo salad has plenty. 

The pop of red from the bell pepper, the fresh green from the arugula, and the bright purple from the onion all worked together to make a beautiful plate. 

My parents looked impressed as I brought the salad to the dinner table. But would it taste as good as it looked? 

Garten's Greek orzo salad was super delicious — and now my parents can't stop making it.

The orzo soaks up so many delicious Mediterranean flavors that are familiar to any Greek — salty chunks of feta intertwining with the rich kalamata olives, the texture of crisp bell pepper and red onion dancing together, that pop of fresh lemon brightening every bite. Even though there were so many different components to the salad, everything was perfectly balanced. 

The light and refreshing dish is also easy to make and still tastes great the next day. It's perfect as a barbecue side dish or a main dish on a hot summer night. My dad recommends pairing it with some grilled meats or fish.

My parents now love whipping up Garten's Greek orzo salad, and I'm not surprised. The dish tastes like something we would've eaten while watching the turquoise waves of the Aegean Sea during our summer trips to Greece. 

"Ina must've been Greek in one of her previous lives," my mom declared. 

• I made both Gordon Ramsay's and Guy Fieri's 10-minute burger recipes. 
• Fieri's recipe is simpler than Ramsay's, which features far more ingredients and steps. 
• I loved both recipes, but Fieri's burger took the top spot in my celebrity-chef showdown.

Guy Fieri and Gordon Ramsay both have 10-minute burger recipes, so I decided it was time for a little showdown in honor of the holiday weekend. 

I discovered Ramsay's bacon cheeseburger recipe in his cookbook "Ramsay in 10," which includes 100 recipes that only take 10 minutes. And it was Fieri himself who gave me his burger recipe when I asked for his top burger tips. 

"This may be a more complicated answer than you bargained for, because it's not just about a burger recipe," Fieri told me. "It's about the execution of the whole deal. You can get down with whatever toppings you want, but the basics have to be covered." 

I whipped up Ramsay's and Fieri's recipes at home to decide who truly had the best — and quickest — burger. Here's how it all went down.

Fieri's burger is all about the classic ingredients.

To make Fieri's perfect burger at home, you'll need: 

• Ground beef (Fieri recommends 80% lean, 20% fat)
• American cheese slices 
• Brioche buns 
• Lettuce
• Tomato 
• Onion 
• Pickles

And there's very little prep.

All you have to do is get the veggies ready. Fieri told me it's important to shred the lettuce, slice your tomato, and "cut those white onions so thin that they only have one side." 

Per Fieri's recommendation, I also buttered the buns and popped them into the oven so they could get nice and toasty. 

Then, I made my patties.

I seasoned my ground beef with salt and pepper, then shaped it into balls. 

Once my patties were ready, I threw one on the griddle and smashed it with a spatula.

Fieri said it was essential that I cook my burgers "on the hottest griddle or cast iron pan you can get." 

"You smash it down hard, we're talking a half-inch thick," he added.

The Mayor of Flavortown also told me it was important to let my patty crisp up to "get all that delicious caramelization going." I waited until the sides of my patty got crunchy before I flipped it over.

After flipping my patty, I added the cheese.

Fieri loves using American cheese slices on burgers because "they melt really well," he told me. 

Then, it was time for Fieri's special cheese-melting trick.

First, I sprayed some water around my burger. Then, per Fieri's instructions, I had to place "some sort of dome or metal bowl" over my patty. 

"That steam will melt your cheese before you overcook your burger," he told me. 

I didn't have a metal bowl on hand, so I used an old Marie Callender's pie tin I found in my parents' kitchen. 

My cheese looked perfect.

Less than 10 minutes had gone by, and it was already time to build my burger. 

Constructing my burger was super easy.

I placed my patty on the bottom bun, then added the tomato, onion slices, and pickles. I placed the shredded lettuce on the top bun and voilà — I was done! 

Fieri's burger tasted just as good as it looked.

What impressed me most about Fieri's burger was how juicy it tasted, even without a single condiment. The patty, which was perfectly cooked, truly stood on its own. It had just the right amount of crispiness and was packed with flavor. 

The brioche bun added a nice hint of sweetness to the overall taste, and the beautifully melted cheese tasted almost buttery. The burger was pure perfection. 

Read my full review of Guy Fieri's perfect burger here. 

Ramsay's burger has quite a few more ingredients than Fieri's.

To make Ramsay's cheeseburgers at home, you'll need: 

• Ground beef
• Brioche buns 
• Bacon 
• Cheddar cheese 
• Egg yolks 
• Frozen red chile
• Tomato 
• Onion 
• Little Gem lettuce 
• Mayonnaise 
• Sriracha 

First, I prepped my burgers.

I added 16 ounces of ground beef into a bowl — enough to make four burgers — along with two egg yolks. I then sprinkled salt and freshly ground black pepper on top, along with one grated frozen chile. 

I used my hands to mix everything together and made four patties that were each around 1 inch thick. 

"Remember that the thicker you make the patties, the longer they will take to cook," Ramsay writes in his book. "So if you want these on the table in under 10, press your burgers until they are a little thinner for a quicker cooking time."

I drizzled some vegetable oil on my griddle and threw my patties on top.

I let my patties cook for four minutes over medium-high heat, seasoning them with some more salt and pepper.  

Then, I added my bacon and onion slices, increased the heat to high, and let everything cook together.  

As my burgers cooked, I prepped Ramsay's special sauce.

I mixed four tablespoons of mayonnaise with two teaspoons of Sriracha and some salt and pepper. 

I also toasted my buns and prepped my veggies.

I sliced one tomato and washed some Gem Lettuce leaves for the bottom of my burgers. I also toasted my buns in the oven for about two minutes. 

Then, I flipped the burgers, bacon, and onions.

I let them cook for another five minutes. Since my bacon and onion slices were ready before my burgers, I took them off the griddle and placed them on a plate lined with a paper towel. 

It was time to add the cheese — and Ramsay uses the same trick as Fieri.

Ramsay also recommends covering the patties with something to help the cheese melt. But, unlike the Mayor of Flavortown, he doesn't spray the burger with water first. 

Instead, Ramsay's recipe instructed me to first add some butter to the griddle and place the cheese slices on top of my burgers. Then, he recommends covering the patties with a lid or an upturned saucepan. I used a metal bowl, which perfectly covered two of my patties. 

The cheese looked absolutely beautiful.

This is such an easy trick, and clearly worked well for both Fieri's and Ramsay's burgers. I now consider it an essential step to make a great cheeseburger at home. 

Once my patties were ready, I built my burgers.

First, I spread some of Ramsay's Sriracha mayonnaise on my bottom buns. Then, I added the lettuce, tomato, and onion slices, plus my cheeseburger and bacon. 

After I threw a few more onion slices on top and spread more sauce on my top buns, my burger was ready to go. 

Ramsay's burger looked straight out of a restaurant.

There's no denying how impressive this burger looks, and it tasted great, too. The patty was plump and juicy, and I loved the kick of heat from the Sriracha mayonnaise and grated chile. 

The bacon and onion also gave some nice crunch and savoriness, while the tomato and lettuce added a dose of freshness. 

Read my full review of Gordon Ramsay's perfect burger here.

Both Fieri and Ramsay have fantastic burgers, but the Mayor of Flavortown takes my top spot.

While you've got to keep track of quite a few different steps to make Ramsay's burger happen in 10 minutes, Fieri's recipe is far simpler — and still delivers fantastic results. 

Plus, I couldn't believe Fieri's burger tasted so good without any sauce or condiments. I've found his burger to outshine those I've had from places like Five Guys, and it's comparable to the gourmet burgers I've tried all over New York — for a fraction of the cost. 

But at the end of the day, you really can't go wrong with Ramsay or Fieri. Either way, you're going to have one very delicious burger. 

• A federal judge blocked the Trump administration's plan to dismantle the Department of Education.
• The judge ruled that the department has to reinstate workers it fired and stop further cuts.
• It also halted plans to transfer student loans out of the Department of Education.

President Donald Trump's plan to shut down the Department of Education is officially on pause.

A federal judge on Thursday issued a ruling blocking the Trump administration from carrying out its executive order to dismantle the Department of Education. The ruling also blocked the department's plan to fire additional employees and its intent to transfer student loans out of the department to another agency.

The judge also directed the department to "restore the Department to the status quo such that it is able to carry out its statutory functions" by reinstating all federal employees who were terminated from the department in March.

Shutting down a federal agency requires congressional approval. While Linda McMahon, Trump's education secretary, has repeatedly said that she intends to work with Congress to shut down the department and improve efficiency at the agency, the judge wrote that there is "nothing in the record" to back up those points.

"Not only is there no evidence that Defendants are pursuing a 'legislative goal' or otherwise working with Congress to reach a resolution, but there is also no evidence that the RIF has actually made the Department more efficient," the ruling said, referring to the reduction-in-force orders. "Rather, the record is replete with evidence of the opposite."

Madi Biedermann, the deputy assistant secretary for communications at the Department of Education, told Business Insider in a statement that "a far-left Judge has dramatically overstepped his authority, based on a complaint from biased plaintiffs, and issued an injunction against the obviously lawful efforts to make the Department of Education more efficient and functional for the American people."

"This ruling is not in the best interest of American students or families," Biedermann said. "We will immediately challenge this on an emergency basis."

Thursday's ruling is in response to a lawsuit filed by a group of professors and teachers unions. The group argued that attempts to dismantle the Department of Education would harm students and families who rely on federal aid and grants.

On March 11, the department announced it was terminating more than 1,300 workers. McMahon said this was part of the department's "commitment to efficiency, accountability, and ensuring that resources are directed where they matter most: to students, parents, and teachers."

The judge said that the cuts "paint a stark picture of the irreparable harm that will result from financial uncertainty and delay, impeded access to vital knowledge on which students and educators rely, and loss of essential services for America's most vulnerable student populations."

"Indeed, prior to the RIF, the Department was already struggling to meet its goals, so it is only reasonable to expect that an RIF of this magnitude will likely cripple the Department," the judge said.

Student loan borrowers are navigating a changing landscape. On May 5, the Trump administration restarted collections on defaulted student loans after a five-year pause. It is also looking into redefining eligibility for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. Meanwhile, 2 million student-loan borrowers are still waiting for their income-driven repayment plan applications to be processed while the SAVE plan remains blocked.

• There are no Costco stores in Wyoming, so I drive 130 miles out of state to shop there every month.
• Bulk shopping helps keep my grocery bill in check.
• I always stock up on items like toilet paper, Greek yogurt, and gluten-free snacks.

I didn't know just how vital Costco was to my household until we moved from Denver to Sheridan, Wyoming.

Alongside Rhode Island and West Virginia, Wyoming is one of three states without any Costco locations.

Despite my husband and I being DINKWADs (dual income, no kids, with a dog), we're accustomed to shopping in bulk, in part because we grew up in rural areas where it's common to do so. It also helps us stretch our grocery budget.

Now, when I make my monthly two-hour drive to Costco in Billings, Montana, I never leave the store without these 10 items.

Kirkland Signature plain Greek yogurt is the most versatile ingredient in my fridge.

Plain Greek yogurt is my superstar ingredient for adding protein to recipes. I like to use it in place of sour cream, add protein powder to it for a quick breakfast, and use it in place of oil when baking gluten-free brownies.

This 48-ounce tub lasts me about two weeks.

Better Than Bouillon roasted beef base is my secret sauce.

In my opinion, the Better Than Bouillon roasted beef base tastes much richer than boxed broths, so it's great for making stews and soups.

I also like to use it for gravies, marinades, and slow-cooked meats.

I make sure 80% of my cart is filled with produce.

I like to buy organic produce, like the Josie's Organics baby spinach, at Costco because I can get more for my money than I do at my local grocery store.

The Simple Mills almond flour crackers are a great gluten-free snack.

I've noticed that gluten-free snacks can be hard to find in my local grocery store.

So, I like purchasing a double-bag box of Simple Mills almond flour crackers at Costco. They usually last me a month and are always a hit at family gatherings.

Liquid IV is my not-so-guilty pleasure.

When I can fit it into my grocery budget, Liquid IV is one of my splurge items.

Having these hydration packets on hand, especially in the hotter months living at higher elevations, is a game changer for me. I've noticed that when I use them, I get fewer headaches and cramps post-workout.

I also like to pour them over ice with a lime wedge for a dinnertime mocktail.

This bag of Kirkland Signature frozen shrimp will be thawed in time for dinner.

In my experience, it can be hard to find good seafood that won't bust my grocery budget. That's why I always grab a bag of Kirkland Signature frozen shrimp.

Plus, it's thawed by the time I get home, so I can make dinner quickly.

Kirkland Signature eggs are a great value.

A dozen eggs can cost nearly $6 at my local grocery store. So, I love that I can get a 24-pack of Kirkland Signature eggs at Costco for $8.20.

Pure Protein Bars make the perfect road trip snack.

I always snag a box of these Pure Protein bars at Costco as part of my high-protein diet. They're a great road trip snack for my drive home, too.

I will never stop buying Charmin toilet paper in bulk.

For me, buying toilet paper in bulk isn't just about saving money. It's also about my irrational fear of running out — fueled by the shortage during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Periodically, Costco will run a sale, and I'll buy two packages of Charmin at a time.

Before heading home, I always remember to fuel up.

As a Costco member, I get access to its gas stations, so my final purchase is always getting gas for the 130-mile drive home.

Click to keep reading Costco diaries like this one.

• A&O Shearman says its deal with Trump includes nothing beyond the president's brief Truth Social post.
• Trump's posts don't explain how his deals with Big Law firms are supposed to be enforced.
• For A&O Shearman, at least, the terms remain vague.

For one of the Big Law firms that made a deal with President Donald Trump, it's the Truth Social, the whole Truth Social, and nothing but the Truth Social.

In a letter to Congress, A&O Shearman said Trump's 364-word Truth Social post constituted "the complete terms" of the deal. A&O Shearman and three other firms pledged $125 million each in free legal work toward Trump's political priorities, according to the post.

"The complete terms of the Agreement are as set forth in the four numbered paragraphs of the President's April 11, 2025 social media post," William E. White and William J.F. Roll III, the firm's co-general counsels, wrote in the May 8 letter.

Prior to A&O Shearman's letter to Congress, it was unclear whether any law firm had a written agreement spelling out the terms of the deals. A Justice Department lawyer, in litigation related to Trump's executive orders targeting law firms that didn't strike deals with Trump, has said in court that he didn't know whether any such agreements existed.

Several unresolved questions remain about the deals between the law firms and the White House, each of which Trump announced on his social media platform.

Do they have any enforcement mechanisms? How much time do the law firms have to fulfill their pledges? Who would decide whether a particular case counted toward the pro bono hours? Which "outside counsel" would the firms be required to retain to advise on employment practices, as the agreements require? And do the deals actually constrain Trump from issuing an executive order targeting the firms?

In the letter to Congress, A&O Shearman said that an underlying agreement spelling out these details does not exist. It said it also resolved separate inquiries from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, whose Trump-appointed acting chairman had asked 20 Big Law firms about their diversity initiatives.

"Our Firm has no other agreements other than the EEOC settlement agreement," A&O Shearman's letter said. "Neither the Agreement nor the EEOC settlement agreement (which focuses only on employment law related matters) contains any limitations whatsoever on the Firm's ability to represent any existing or future client in any matter."

Victor Chen, a spokesperson for the EEOC, declined to provide Business Insider with copies of the agency's agreements with the law firms.

The nine law firms that made deals with Trump agreed to provide pro bono work for the administration, among other concessions.

A&O Shearman's letter came alongside correspondence from the other eight firms in response to questions from lawmakers about whether those deals are legal and ethical.

A&O Shearman jointly struck a deal with three other law firms — Kirkland & Ellis, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett, and Latham & Watkins — to commit a total of $500 million in pro bono services, according to Trump's post.

Trump's Truth Social post said the law firms were expected to devote pro bono work toward combating antisemitism; "ensuring fairness in our Justice System"; and helping law enforcement, veterans, relatives of military members who have died in combat, and first responders.

"Our lawyers already do pro bono work in each of these areas — indeed, much of our lawyers' current and historical pro bono work centers on fairness in the justice system, and we have long represented veterans and victims of religious discrimination," A&O Shearman wrote in its letter.

The firm added that "no lawyer is required or expected to work on a pro bono matter they do not believe in."

Rep. David Min, a Democratic lawmaker who asked the Big Law firms about their deals with Trump, told Business Insider that such an agreement wouldn't be enforceable anyway.

Because Trump seems to have a different impression of what the deals provide, "these firms are all basically claiming that there was no meeting of the minds," meaning they can't be enforced, said Min, a former law professor who has lectured on the limits of settlements.

Spokespeople for each of the nine firms that made deals with Trump, which collectively pledged nearly $1 billion worth of free work, didn't respond to requests for comment.

In a statement, a White House spokesperson said the deals "could usher in a new era of merit and fairness in our justice system." The spokesperson did not respond to questions about the terms of the deals.

The May 8 letter from A&O Shearman came the same day a lawyer for the Justice Department said he wasn't aware of any written agreements between Trump and Big Law firms.

"I know of nothing beyond the generally publicly available information," Richard Lawson told US District Judge Loren AliKhan in a hearing for a lawsuit the firm Susman Godfrey brought against the Trump administration.

Susman Godfrey is among the four law firms that have not made a deal with Trump and were targeted by his executive orders that would strip employees of security clearances and ban them from federally owned buildings.

Each of the four firms sued the administration and won court orders blocking the implementation of Trump's orders.

• Kid Cudi testified at Sean "Diddy" Combs' trial on Thursday.
• Kid Cudi dated Cassie Ventura, Diddy's now ex, in 2011.
• Cassie alleged that Diddy reacted violently after discovering their fling.

Kid Cudi is the latest celebrity to take the witness stand in Sean "Diddy" Combs' bombshell-filled sex-trafficking trial, following allegations that the hip-hop mogul threatened to "hurt" the rapper and blow up his car.

In the first two weeks of the trial, both Cassie Ventura, an R&B singer and Diddy's ex-girlfriend and her mother mentioned Kid Cudi when testifying about Diddy's behavior, which they alleged was abusive. Diddy has denied the claims.

Here's what to know about how the three are linked.

2010: Kid Cudi supported Diddy on the "Last Train to Paris" album.

Kid Cudi and Diddy have never officially collaborated on a track. But in 2020, Diddy revealed that Kid Cudi was in the booth while he recored his 2010 album, "Last Train To Paris."

Through Revolt, a media organization Diddy co-founded, the he shared multiple behind-the-scenes videos of the studio sessions for the 2010 album. One showed Kid Cudi rapping "Now or Never" over a beat.

2011: Kid Cudi dated Cassie during her relationship with Diddy.

In 2023, Cassie filed a lawsuit against Diddy, accusing him of rape, physical abuse, and controlling her throughout their relationship, which lasted from 2006 to 2018.

Diddy denied the allegations in the lawsuit.

The suit was settled a day later, but Cassie repeated many of the allegations during her testimony in the first week of Diddy's trial.

In the filing seen by Business Insider, Cassie said she dated Kid Cudi in 2011 during a "rough patch" in her relationship with Diddy.

Cassie said Diddy looked through the her phone and emails during a "freak off" and became "enraged" after finding messages between her and Kid Cudi. Cassie said he lunged at her with a corkscrew between her fingers, and she fled to Kid Cudi's home.

She said that when she returned to reconcile with Diddy he hit her several times and kicked her in the back as she tried to run out the door.

Cassie said she later went to her parents' home in Connecticut where her mother took pictures of the bruises.

Cassie also testified that Diddy threatened to hurt her and Kid Cudi.

On Tuesday, Regina Ventura, Cassie's mother, testified that her daughter texted her in 2011 that Diddy had threatened to release porn featuring Cassie and physically harm her because of the fling with Kid Cudi.

Regina Ventura also testified that she had to borrow against their home to pay for $20,000 Diddy demanded for Cassie's unpaid "expenses."

"He was going to need $20,000 to recoup money that he had spent on her because he was angry that she had a relationship with Scott Mescudi," Ventura said, adding that she paid because she was worried about her daughter.

Regina Ventura said the money was sent to Bad Boy Records, the record label Diddy founded, but the company returned it four or five days later without any explanation.

2012: Diddy threatened to blow up Kid Cudi's car, Cassie alleged.

Cassie claimed in her lawsuit that Diddy told her in February 2012, while they were at Paris Fashion Week, that he wanted to blow up Kid Cudi's car while he and his friends were home.

Cassie said in the lawsuit that Kid Cudi's car exploded in his driveway around this time, but she does not accuse Diddy of carrying it out.

In November 2023, a spokesperson for Kid Cudi told The New York Times that his car did explode, saying, "This is all true."

Kid Cudi may explain how and why the car exploded in his testimony.

Diddy's representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment from BI.

• Kid Cudi testified in Sean "Diddy" Combs' sex-trafficking trial on Thursday.
• The rapper once dated Combs' ex, Cassie Ventura.
• Ventura previously testified that her 2012 romance with Kid Cudi made Combs "irate."

Rapper Kid Cudi told a Manhattan federal jury on Thursday that Sean "Diddy" Combs broke into his Los Angeles home after the hip-hop mogul found out he was dating R&B singer Cassie Ventura.

Christmas gifts from Chanel that Kid Cudi had gotten for his family were unwrapped and opened, and his dog was shut in the bathroom during the December 2011 break-in, he testified at Combs' sex-trafficking and racketeering trial.

Kid Cudi, whose given name is Scott Mescudi, was called as a government witness in the trial, which is in its second week.

Earlier that day, Mescudi found out Combs was outside his home after Mescudi had spent a night with Ventura at the Sunset Marquis hotel, he testified.

One of Combs' trusted employees, Capricorn Clark, called Mescudi to tell him that she was outside his house — and that Combs was inside, Mescudi testified. Clark told Mescudi that Combs had "forced her physically" to drive there with him, Mescudi said.

"Motherfucker, you in my house?" Mescudi recalled telling Combs over the phone as he rushed over to his home in the Hollywood Hills.

"He said he wants to talk to me," Mescudi said of Combs. "I said I'm on my way over right now."

"And he said I'm over here waiting for you," Mescudi told the jury, adding that Combs sounded "calm."

Mescudi added, "I wanted to confront him, I wanted to fight him," but he wondered whether Combs would be alone for any actual confrontation.

Once he got home, Combs was nowhere to be found, Mescudi said.

"Some gifts that I had brought for my family had been opened," Mescudi testified. "And then my dog was in my bathroom."

He said his dog was acting "very jittery."

Mescudi told the jury he reported the break-in to the police.

Mescudi and Ventura — the prosecution's star witness in Combs' trial — briefly dated while Ventura was on a break from Combs. Ventura and Combs dated on and off between 2007 and 2018.

After the ordeal, Mescudi told jurors that Combs reached out to him a couple of times.

"I guess he was in the dark about things and wanted to talk," Mescudi said.

But Mescudi said he told Combs, "You broke into my house, you messed with my dog, I don't want to talk to you."

During Ventura's more than 20 hours of testimony last week, she told the eight-man, four-woman jury how her 2011 romance with Mescudi enraged Combs — and that he wanted to set fire to his car.

Mescudi said his Porsche was torched while parked in his driveway

Mescudi testified on Thursday that his Porsche had been firebombed in February 2012 while it was parked in his driveway.

"Looks like the top of my Porsche was cut open. That's where they inserted the Molotov cocktail," Mescudi told jurors as they were shown photos of his torched vehicle.

Mescudi said that during a later meeting at the Soho House West Hollywood, Combs denied having torched his car.

"What are we going to do about my car?" Mescudi told the jury he asked Combs. "I made sure to ask him while our hands were clasped so I could look him straight in the eye."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Combs answered, Mescudi testified.

"That's your word?" Mescudi said he then asked. "He said, yeah."

"And I said, that's it," Mescudi said.

Ventura's 2023 now-settled lawsuit against Combs first suggested that Combs was responsible for the 2012 firebombing.

Prosecutors have alleged that Combs previously ordered his underlings to torch a car using a Molotov cocktail.

Combs faces life in prison if the jury convicts him on sex trafficking charges tied to Ventura and another woman.

During his testimony, Mescudi told the jury that he had strong feelings for Ventura, but that they broke it off because "the drama was just getting out of hand."

"Kind of wanted to give her some space. The break-in and everything," Mescudi testified. "Just felt like things were getting out of hand. For my safety, for her safety."

"I knew Sean Combs was violent," Mescudi said.

Mescudi said he saw Combs a couple of years later at the Soho House.

"He pulled me to the side and basically said, 'Man I just want to apologize for everything and all that bullshit,'" Mescudi said.

"I found peace with it — that was the last thing I was expecting of him," said Mescudi.

• I used to shop at Costco weekly for my family of four for everything on our grocery list.
• Recently, their parking lot transitioned from merely chaotic to downright impossible to find a spot.
• I've resorted to buying my previous Costco finds elsewhere at places like Aldi.

The Costco in my town has the unique appeal of being both a warehouse and an ethnic grocer.

While I can count a dozen Asian markets within a five-mile radius of my house, none of them — not even my beloved HMart — can boast the inventory and ethnic diversity of my favorite membership club.

While shopping at Costco, I found Japanese Suntory whiskey, custard-filled taiyakis, Taiwanese moon cakes, Chinese sausage, Philippine dried mangos, Vietnamese bottled coffee, Korean kimbap, fresh mangosteens, and my family's favorite pork dumplings. During the same shopping trip, I can also grab pupusas and birria tacos.

For these reasons, as a mother who shops weekly for my household of four, Costco used to be our weekly go-to destination. But the store has become so busy that I can barely get in the door anymore.

With two hangry children in the car whose patience for grocery shopping can only be coaxed with promises (or bribes) of getting to pick their own weekly snacks, I've had to rethink my grocery shopping.

My local Costco has become too popular

I live in Torrance, Calif., which has a large Costco. It's known to be one of the busier locations.

It routinely appears on rankings and lists like the "most Asian" Costco in SoCal, simply one of the best in the state, or the most "elite" in the country.

Those rankings have ultimately become both a blessing and a curse. The parking lot there has always been a chaotic mess, but lately, it's become impossible to maneuver.

My last three attempts to visit have failed because I could not find a single parking spot in the lot. I had to leave completely and ended up buying none of my favorite items.

I've been forced to replace my favorite Costco items with food from other stores.

I've been on the hunt for Costco alternatives at Aldi

I used to buy all our organic, free-range, and "natural" dairy products from Costco, especially the milk, eggs, and coffee creamer our family couldn't live without. These days, whenever I can't find a space in their parking lot, I buy the Aldi versions. Recently, the eggs at Aldi cost me less than $7.

Getting my kids (and husband) to eat vegetables is an ongoing battle. I used to fight this battle by buying a giant bag of organic spinach at Costco once a week and challenging us as a family to finish before any of the leaves wilted. Now, I try to do the same with the bulk-sized organic salad mixes, also courtesy of Aldi, which costs less than $5.

We don't live solely on white meat, so while I used to get our rib-eye steaks and marinated bulgogi from the butcher's section of Costco, now I get seasoned pork pastor and carne asada from Aldi for around $5 and steaks from whatever is on sale at Amazon Fresh.

Admittedly, there are a few things I've had a harder time finding the dupes for. No Costco trip is complete without their iconic $5 rotisserie chicken, and this remains one of their hardest products to replace.

Costco's individually wrapped bags of organic edamame also remain elusive. While I can easily find smaller bags of frozen young soybeans in any Asian grocer, none of them have the convenience and bulk of the membership warehouse I used to love but am now learning to live without.

I won't give up on Costco, though. I still periodically drive into the parking lot to see if I can snag a spot. If I can't, I leave knowing I can get some of my favorite items elsewhere.

• The UK's SPEAR 3 air-to-surface cruise missile is facing further delays.
• The UK MOD called the missile, designed for F-35B Lightnings, the "cruise missile of the future."
• But its expected timeline for in-service capability has been pushed to the early 2030s.

The UK's new missile, which its defense ministry has called the "cruise missile of the future," has been further delayed.

The SPEAR 3 air-to-surface cruise missile is intended for use by F-35B Lightnings in both the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy. Its manufacturer, European multinational MBDA, says it will be the "primary air launched, precision effects, surface attack weapon" of the RAF.

But the missile's expected timeline for in-service capability has now been pushed back to the early 2030s, Maria Eagle, the UK's minister of state for defense procurement and industry, said.

In response to an opposition lawmaker, Eagle said the weapon program was "undergoing re-baselining," which means its progress is being reconsidered.

She said that a Review Note was expected toward the end of 2025, and "until that is approved, dates are considered draft and of low confidence."

"The estimated current timeline for in-service capability is expected to be early 2030s," she added.

This represents another in a series of delays for the project. The missiles were once expected to be integrated by 2025, which was then pushed back to the last quarter of 2028.

The SPEAR 3 missile was successfully launched from an aircraft for the first time last year, the RAF said. It was launched by a Eurofighter Typhon jet in a test over Sweden.

The RAF described the SPEAR missile as "a next generation turbojet-powered miniature cruise missile," to be used by both Royal Air Force and Royal Navy pilots.

It said each F-35B will be able to carry up to eight SPEAR missiles at a time.

The UK chose to develop its own cruise missile with MBDA after considering purchasing an available model from US defense company Raytheon.

The RAF said the missiles can hit targets at a distance of 62 miles, and MBDA said they will be effective against naval vessels, main battle tanks, ballistic missile launchers, and fast-moving vehicles, among other targets.

The missile also has a semi-active laser mode, which allows operators to designate a target using a laser, which the missile's seeker then follows.

Gustav Gressel, a missile expert at the National Defence Academy of the Austrian Armed Forces, described the latest SPEAR delay as part of a pattern.

"Aircraft armament in Europe, unfortunately, is a story of delays and cost overruns," he told Business Insider.

The UK has purchased 48 F-35Bs, made by Lockheed Martin, for use by both its air force and navy, though not all have been delivered. It intends to buy a total of 138 jets, though some reports have suggested that number could be reassessed amid cost concerns.

Some countries have said they are reconsidering their commitment to the F-35, as the US distances itself from longtime allies and amid speculation the US could make the jets ineffective by removing critical support.

But a UK Ministry of Defence spokesperson told Business Insider in March that the UK "maintains the freedom of action to operate the F-35 Lightning at a time and place of our choosing."

The RAF described SPEAR last year as part of a portfolio that supports $8.7 billion of planned investment in the UK weapons industry by the MOD over the next decade.

It said this included Brimstone, CAMM, Sea Viper, Sea Venom, and Storm Shadow.

• The House on Thursday morning passed what Trump has been calling his "big beautiful bill."
• It includes a repeal of student loan forgiveness and an increase in the child tax credit.
• The tax bill is headed to the Senate, where it's subject to change.

From taxes to student loan forgiveness, provisions in President Donald Trump's "big beautiful bill" are one step closer to affecting Americans' wallets.

On Thursday morning, the House passed the tax bill — an expansive piece of legislation that would extend the president's 2017 tax cuts and make key changes to the tax system, along with implementing significant changes to Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

The bill is now headed to the Senate, where it's subject to change.

"Now, it's time for our friends in the United States Senate to get to work, and send this Bill to my desk AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!" Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social on Thursday morning. "There is no time to waste."

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office has said that the tax bill in its current form would increase the US deficit. Moody's Analytics downgraded the US's credit rating last week, saying Trump's tax bill could add $4 trillion to the federal deficit over the next decade. This could lead to higher interest rates on mortgages, auto loans, and more down the road.

Here are four other key ways the tax bill could affect Americans' finances.

A slew of tax policies

Many of Trump's campaign promises are included in the tax bill.

The legislation would allow workers who typically receive tips and overtime wages to claim a tax deduction on those amounts. The bill also has a measure for a $4,000 tax deduction for older people making less than $75,000 a year. Those two provisions would extend until 2029.

The bill would also raise the child tax credit from $2,000 to $2,500 through 2028. Additionally, it would eliminate electric vehicle tax credits and establish a $250 annual registration fee for electric vehicle owners.

The bill would also make Trump's 2017 tax cuts permanent and increase the state and local tax deduction, known as SALT, from $10,000 to $40,000.

Student loan forgiveness repealed

Under Trump's tax bill, millions of student loan borrowers would see their repayment options change. The legislation proposes eliminating income-driven repayment plans and replacing them with two options: the Repayment Assistance Plan and a standard repayment plan.

The Repayment Assistance Plan would allow for loan forgiveness after 360 qualifying payments based on the borrowers' income, while the standard repayment plan would require a fixed monthly payment over a period set by the servicer.

The bill also would repeal former President Joe Biden's SAVE plan, an income-driven repayment plan that promised cheaper monthly payments and a shorter timeline for debt relief. The plan is blocked in court pending a final legal decision.

'Trump accounts'

If the bill passes, parents could get extra money for their kids down the line. The tax bill includes a "Trump account," previously called a "money account for growth and advancement," or MAGA account. The government would put $1,000 into accounts for babies born after December 31, 2024, and before January 1, 2029. The baby would be required to have been born in the US and have a Social Security number to receive the cash.

The accounts would have tax incentives; earnings would be tax-deferred, meaning taxes on the accounts would not need to be paid right away. Withdrawals from the accounts would also be taxed at the long-term capital-gains rate, which is dependent on income and typically lower than the regular income tax rate.

Work requirements for Medicaid and SNAP

Lower-income Americans could face bigger healthcare costs or lose federal assistance benefits. The tax bill would mean significant changes for the millions who rely on Medicaid and SNAP. The legislation would mandate that states implement an 80-hour-a-month work requirement by the end of 2026 for childless adults on Medicaid without a disability.

The Congressional Budget Office previously estimated that work requirements on Medicaid could strip coverage from over 8 million Americans over the next decade.

Additionally, the bill would extend the age range of adults subject to work requirements to receive SNAP to include adults ages 55 to 64. Currently, adults ages 18 to 54 without children can receive SNAP benefits only if they work at least 20 hours a week.

• Former Apple design chief Jony Ive and his design firm LoveFrom will be taking over design at OpenAI.
• OpenAI is also acquiring Ive's startup io in a $6.5 billion deal.
• Here's all you need to know about Jony Ive.

Jony Ive, Apple's longtime design chief, entered into a new partnership with OpenAI.

Ive and his design firm LoveFrom will be leading creative and design at OpenAI, developing everything from devices to novel projects. In essence, Ive — the mind behind the iPhone — will help shape the AI era with his signature design sensibilities.

OpenAI is also acquiring io, the hardware startup Ive launched last year, with Scott Cannon, Tang Tan, and Evans Hankey, in a $6.5 billion deal.

In a video Altman and Ive posted to OpenAI's social media, Altman said he and Ive started talking two years ago about "what the future of AI and new kinds of computers was going to look like."

Ive is best known for his nearly 30 years at Apple. In that time, he received countless awards and accolades for his ingenuity and commitment to Apple's minimalist design aesthetic. Ive's success at Apple made him a household name and catapulted him into pop culture discourse.

Here's all you need to know.

Early life and education

Jonathan Paul Ive was born on February 27, 1967, in Chingford, England, a suburb of London. His father was a silversmith, and his mother was a psychotherapist. While attending secondary school, Ive was diagnosed with dyslexia. Ive studied industrial design at Newcastle Polytechnic, now called Northumbria University.

Jony Ive's rise at Apple

After a brief stint at Acme Corp., Ive joined Apple in 1992. Ive had already made a name for himself by then, and it took Apple's design leader, Bob Brunner, years to recruit him.

Once he joined, he quickly rose through the ranks and became Senior VP of Design after Steve Jobs became CEO in 1997. Jobs' first major assignment for Ive was the classic, candy-colored iMac. Ive went on to lead the design on Apple's biggest products, including the iPod, the iPhone, and the iPad. Ive maintained creative oversight over the design of Apple's products and worked with CEO Tim Cook to launch new products like the Apple Watch.

While Jobs was famously tough to get along with, Ive has said his best years at Apple were with Jobs. Ive described his time working with Jobs at Apple from 1997 to 2011 as "the most joyful and extraordinary 15 years of my life." He also said the two ate lunch together "every day of the week," went on family vacations, and had continuous conversations about design.

In May 2015, Ive was promoted to the role of chief design officer at Apple. From 2015 to 2017, Ive focused on Apple's new headquarters, the Apple Park "spaceship," for which he designed most of the little details. Ive regained direct control of Apple's design team in 2017. In June 2019, Apple announced that Ive was leaving the company after 27 years.

Ive said he left because the projects he'd been working closely on were completed, in an interview with the Financial Times at the time. He also told the outlet, "I think that part of the timing for LoveFrom is in some ways connected to having a very clear sense about the health and vitality of the design team," Ives said to the financial newspaper. "I'm actually looking forward to contributing in a different way to projects we've been working together on for, in some cases, many years."

Ive's design philosophy

The cornerstone of Ive's success is his unique design philosophy.

Over more than two decades at Apple, Ive led the design of iconic Apple products like the iMac in 1998, iPhone in 2007, and Apple Watch in 2014 — shaping everything from hardware and software to packaging, retail stores, and even Apple's campus.

Ive said in an interview with Stripe CEO Patrick Collison that his ideas and work at Apple were often inspired by Dieter Rams, the German industrial designer who had a "less but better" approach.

He's also said that whenever he starts working on a project, he thinks about the utility of a product and then he begins to consider what it will actually look like.

And he spends a lot of time on research. To ensure he created the right color tones for the iMac, Ive talked with jelly bean manufacturers. To learn how to make super-thin metal for laptops, he sought out Japanese metalworkers.

Ultimately, he makes products that care about functionality and design. In a profile of Ive in Time he said, "We're surrounded by anonymous, poorly made objects. It's tempting to think it's because the people who use them don't care — just like the people who make them. But what we've shown is that people do care. It's not just about aesthetics. They care about things that are thoughtfully conceived and well-made. We make and sell a very, very large number of (hopefully) beautiful, well-made things. Our success is a victory for purity, integrity — for giving a damn."

Career post-Apple

Ive launched his own independent design company called LoveFrom in 2019 with his fellow designer Marc Newson. The company counted Apple and Airbnb among its early clients. Ive and LoveFrom plan to continue to work closely with OpenAI but remain independent, a company spokesperson told BI.

Last year, Ive launched io, as part of a joint project between LoveFrom and OpenAI, Wired reported. In the fourth quarter of 2024, Io and OpenAI agreed for OpenAI to receive a 23% stake in io.

Now, it's fully acquiring the firm.

"It became clear that our ambitions to develop, engineer, and manufacture a new family of products demanded an entirely new company," Altman and Ive wrote in a post on OpenAI's website.

Awards and recognition

Ive has received numerous design awards and honorary degrees for this work.

In May 2012 he was named a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire for his contributions to design. He was knighted in Buckingham Palace by Princess Anne, Queen Elizabeth II's only daughter and said the experience was "absolutely thrilling."

He's received awards, including San Francisco MoMA's Lifetime Achievement Award, Inaugural Medal, the Benjamin Franklin Medal, the President's Award, the Royal Academy of Engineering's President's Medal, and the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum's Product Design Award.

He also holds honorary degrees from the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge.

Personal life

A London native, Ive now lives near Apple's headquarters, having purchased a $17 million, four-bedroom home in Pacific Heights — on a stretch known, fittingly, as "Billionaire's Row." He's also frequently spotted at local clubs.

Like many tech executives, he owns a beach house on the Hawaiian island of Kauai. A lifelong car enthusiast, Ive once helped his father restore an Austin-Healey Sprite, maintains a personal collection, and even bought Steve Jobs' former plane.

• I made Ina Garten's simple, five-ingredient burger recipe.
• The recipe called for ground beef, olive oil, salt, pepper, and mustard.
• The burgers were really easy to make and tasted amazing.

I think there's something special about sinking my teeth into well-seasoned burgers at a nice restaurant. But like many people choosing to cook at home nowadays, my family also likes to enjoy a meal from the comfort of our own kitchen.

So, when I came across Ina Garten's recipe for high-quality burgers, I knew I had to try it myself. Garten's recipe calls for beef from Niman Ranch, a company with a network of US farmers and ranchers who work to humanely and sustainably raise livestock.

However, I had trouble finding Niman Ranch meat at my local grocery store, so I opted for grass-fed ground beef that was 80% lean and 20% fat.

I was excited to try Garten's recipe and see how it tasted. Here's how it went.

I started by gathering the ingredients for the burgers and the caramelized onion topping.

Garten's burger recipe called for 2 pounds of ground beef, 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard, 3 tablespoons of olive oil, and 1 teaspoon each of salt and pepper.

Normally, I buy inexpensive ground beef, which costs about $4 per pound. Luckily, I found grass-fed ground beef at Walmart for just over $6 per pound, which worked perfectly for this recipe.

Following Garten's instructions, I also planned to serve the burgers on English muffins and top them with caramelized onions.

The topping called for 2 pounds of yellow onions, 2 tablespoons each of olive oil, unsalted butter, and sherry-wine vinegar, half a teaspoon each of pepper and fresh thyme, and 1 teaspoon of salt.

Next, I mixed the ground beef and seasonings with a fork.

In the recipe's corresponding YouTube video, Garten mixes the burger ingredients with a fork to keep the meat tender. I'd normally mix burger meat with my hands, so Garten's method was a departure from my usual process.

However, lightly mixing the ground beef, mustard, olive oil, salt, and pepper with a fork was surprisingly easy. I kept my hands clean, and everything in the bowl was well combined.

I used a food scale to evenly divide the ground beef mixture.

Garten recommends making each burger about ⅓ pound, so I pulled out my food scale to ensure I had six evenly formed patties. I weighed each burger before placing it onto a plate.

This recipe yielded six burger patties — perfect for feeding a family of four and having leftovers the next day.

After shaping each burger by hand, I let the patties chill in the refrigerator for a bit.

In the video, Garten chilled the burgers in the refrigerator before grilling them, so I did the same.

I made my hamburger patties early in the afternoon, so I let them sit on a plate in the refrigerator for a few hours before dinnertime.

Next, I made caramelized onions to go on top of the burgers.

The recipe also included instructions for making caramelized onions using 2 pounds of sliced yellow onions.

Again, I broke out the food scale, thinly slicing the yellow onions until I reached 2 pounds. In total, I used about six medium-sized onions.

Between gathering the ingredients and slicing the onions, I'd already spent about 20 minutes working on one topping — this was more time-consuming than I anticipated.

I caramelized the sliced onions in a deep pot on the stovetop.

I added the onion slices, thyme, butter, and olive oil into a large pot, put the lid on, and let everything simmer over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes.

Then, I uncovered the pot and cooked the onions for about 30 minutes, occasionally stirring to prevent them from sticking to the bottom of my pan. Once the onions were translucent and perfectly caramelized, I added the vinegar, salt, and pepper.

Finally, it was time to head to my patio to grill the burgers and toast the English muffins.

I placed the six burger patties on the grill, let them cook for about five minutes, flipped them over, and added the halved English muffins face-down on the grate.

After about five more minutes, the burgers were cooked to a perfect medium temperature. I placed them on a plate with the English muffins and brought them inside to finish garnishing.

All that was left to do was dress the burgers and serve them.

Garten's recipe suggested topping the burgers with mayonnaise and the caramelized onions. I dressed four burgers exactly as Garten recommended — slathering each with my favorite Duke's Mayo and a heaping scoop of onions.

Because I had less-adventurous teens at my dinner table, I plated two burgers on regular hamburger buns and topped them with American cheese. I liked that the patties were simple enough to please picky eaters but still paired well with unique buns and toppings.

Garten has yet to lead me astray, and I'd make these burgers again.

The burgers tasted amazing — each patty was juicy and moist, with a slight tang from the Dijon mustard. The burgers had incredible grill marks and tasted charred and smoky.

The caramelized onions didn't disappoint, either. The finished onions were flavorful and tangy, with the perfect amount of saltiness and spice from the black pepper.

I also thought the nooks and crannies of the English muffins paired perfectly with the mayonnaise. The creamy, tangy condiment settled nicely into the bread.

I've made a few other recipes from Garten, and the celebrity chef has yet to lead me astray. These burgers will become my new go-to recipe, as the patties were simple to make and full of flavor.

This story was originally published in August 2024, and most recently updated on May 22, 2025.

• Bridges to Prosperity helps build trail bridges in rural communities.
• The nonprofit is using AI to map these areas and identify prospective bridge locations.
• This article is part of "Build IT: Connectivity," a series about tech powering better business.

Not all maps are created equal. Huge swaths of land lack basic geographical data, including details as vital as the locations of rivers or roads.

To Bridges to Prosperity, a nongovernmental organization that helps build bridges in isolated rural communities, this data gap meant missing infrastructure.

Since its launch in 2001, the NGO has built or supported the construction of over 600 trail bridges in 21 countries, creating safe, accessible routes to medical clinics, schools, and markets. But building bridges is expensive, so in 2020, it pivoted from independently building bridges to partnering with governments to support their infrastructure efforts. Still, figuring out where bridges were needed was difficult.

Many rural waterways, especially the smaller streams and rivers that isolate entire villages during the rainy season, had not yet been mapped by governments or businesses. After analyzing 5,000 waterways around the world, the organization found that 38% of streams and rivers weren't on any existing maps.

"The rivers that are preventing them from getting to school, getting to markets, getting to clinics, to churches, to visit friends, that literally stops them from doing all those things, is not even a blue line on that map," Nivi Sharma, Bridges to Prosperity's CEO, told Business Insider.

"There is huge data inequity on how much we spend, how much investment we do in mapping certain populations, and how little we do for others," she added.

Bridges to Prosperity turned to artificial intelligence to fill the data gap. First, it built Fika Map, an AI tool that identifies locations where bridges could be built and estimates construction costs, among other capabilities. "Fika" means "to arrive" in Swahili.

The NGO also teamed up with Better Planet Laboratory to create WaterNet, an AI model that maps the world's waterways. They used satellite data to detect elevation and vegetation patterns, which the AI model then analyzed to approximate the location of waterways.

Bridges to Prosperity is using these programs with governments in Rwanda, Ethiopia, Uganda, and Zambia to help plan bridge construction and improve infrastructure across the countries.

Layering the data

Bridges to Prosperity had already been producing maps for areas where it had built bridges. This gave the NGO a starting database of geographical data that it could use and add to in order to build these programs.

"It's really easy to map where communities live by looking at satellite data, and most governments have schools, health clinics, markets, and critical destinations already mapped," Sharma said. "And so we started layering all this information together."

It also used data from less conventional sources, like the fitness tracking app Strava, to calculate travel times over uneven terrain.

But it still struggled to identify smaller rivers and streams.

"High-resolution satellite images are needed for the mapping of waterways in remote areas," said Marouane Temimi, an associate professor in the Department of Civil, Environmental and Ocean Engineering at the Stevens Institute of Technology.

Temimi said there are two types of satellite data. For optical satellite data, cameras capture images of the Earth's surface. Clouds can disrupt this, blocking out target areas. Radar satellite imagery, on the other hand, uses radio waves, which means it can create images even when clouds are in the way. But it can be affected by wind.

The two types of data can be combined to build accurate maps — but they come with a cost. Temimi said that satellite data is usually collected by commercial sensors, so getting the information can be expensive.

Sharma said the NGO had to balance getting quality data with making sure both programs were affordable, scalable, and global.

"The whole argument around AI and its inclusiveness — it's not built with enough good training data," Sharma said. "It often overlooks the entire Global South, which is obviously what we're trying not to do. But that's the expensive part."

A tool for change

Bridges to Prosperity and Better Planet Laboratory measured the impact of the dataset by assessing the number of waterways identified. Previously, they estimated that there were 54 million kilometers of mapped waterways around the globe. The WaterNet database mapped another 124 million kilometers, or 77 million miles, which more than tripled the number of known waterways worldwide.

Sharma said that Fika Map and WaterNet could help governments complete surveying work for bridge construction in months, rather than years.

"It's a decision-making tool. It's an advocacy tool. It's a planning tool," she said. "It really tells the full story of rural livelihoods and what needs to be done to improve that development."

• The Treasury Department placed its final order of penny blanks this month, a spokesperson said.
• The US Mint estimates $56 million in annual savings, with the potential for more in the future.
• Earlier this year, DOGE targeted the penny, and politicians of both major parties have criticized it.

Goodbye, humble penny.

The government made its last order of penny blanks earlier this month, a spokesperson for the Treasury Department confirmed to Business Insider. The US Mint will keep manufacturing the $0.01 coins until it runs out of blanks, they said, meaning the penny will gradually fall out of circulation.

The US Mint estimates that phasing out the coin will save $56 million annually in materials costs, the spokesperson said. Each coin costs more than $0.03 to make, and the US Mint's 2024 report found that costs increased by 20.2% that year. Savings will probably rise once the US Mint changes how it uses production facilities, the spokesperson said.

The White House DOGE Office targeted the penny, an easy punching bag when it comes to government waste, earlier this year. In January, DOGE's X account highlighted the coin's cost, though Musk's group didn't have the power to get rid of the penny. President Donald Trump criticized the penny in a Truth Social post in February.

DOGE wasn't alone in its critique — politicians across the aisle have criticized how much the penny costs, though decades-old efforts to phase out the coin have stalled in Congress time and again.

For all the penny haters, the coin does have at least one strong advocate: Mark Weller, who runs the pro-penny group Americans for Common Cents. He has worked for the company that won a contract with the US Mint to produce the modern penny blanks that are made mainly of zinc.

Weller told BI that "this isn't unexpected," given Trump and DOGE's previous comments. He also said he believes that the nickel is a bigger issue than the penny, and that nickel production will rise if the one-cent coin is phased out.

"The hill is steep right now," Weller said of convincing the powers that be to keep the penny, though he noted that he's "having conversations" with people at the Treasury.

Other countries, such as Canada and Sweden, have stopped producing pennies, and in a 2022 survey by the progressive think tank Data for Progress, 58% of respondents said they agreed the government should stop making the coin.

The penny is embedded in American history and remains a forgotten staple at the bottom of many purses. The coin was first issued in 1793, meaning it will have had a more than 230-year run.

• Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi just unveiled its second EV, the YU7.
• Morgan Stanley analysts predicted that the electric SUV would be another threat to Tesla in China.
• Tesla's sales have struggled in China amid fierce local competition.

One of Tesla's biggest Chinese rivals just unveiled a new EV — and it could be a major headache for Elon Musk.

Smartphone maker Xiaomi showed off the YU7 at an event in Beijing on Thursday, with the electric SUV set to compete directly with Tesla's best-selling Model Y.

Xiaomi said the YU7 was a "luxury high-performance SUV," with high-tech features including intelligent door handles and a panoramic "hypervision" display below the windshield.

The company said the YU7 has a maximum speed of 253 kilometers (157 miles) an hour and can hit 100 km/h in 3.23 seconds.

It will have a maximum range of 835km (518 miles) and can add 620km (400 miles) of range in 15 minutes of charging, Xiaomi said.

Xiaomi did not say how much the YU7, its second EV, will cost. In a social media post before the unveiling, CEO Lei Jun said the SUV would go on sale in July.

The YU7 threatens to pile the pain on Tesla, which is already battling underwhelming sales in China amid brutal competition from local rivals.

Morgan Stanley analysts led by Adam Jonas and Andy Meng wrote in a note previewing the YU7's launch that the new SUV would be another challenge to Tesla.

"We find market expectations around Tesla's near-term automotive business remain too high and do not fully reflect the quantum of incremental capacity and competition coming out of China, ultimately having an impact in international markets. Understanding this will help make more sense out of Tesla's 'all-in' push into autonomy," they wrote.

The bank's analysts predicted the YU7 would replicate the sales success of Xiaomi's SU7, which notched up 120,000 pre-orders in 36 hours when it went on sale last year, saying the Model Y rival had "stunning design" combining the looks of a Ferrari or Aston Martin with the price tag of a Volkswagen.

"The YU7 is just the latest sign that Chinese tech firms are taking EV performance and cost to the next level. China may have already won the EV battle," the Morgan Stanley analysts wrote. Both the SU7 and YU7 were years ahead of comparable models offered by Ford, they added.

While both Xiaomi cars are only available in China, that may not be the case for long. Xiaomi confirmed in March that it aimed to sell EVs in overseas markets by 2027.

Morgan Stanley's analysts estimated that competition from Chinese rivals would affect Tesla's international sales.

They wrote that market expectations around Tesla's near-term automotive business remain "too high," adding that the quality of China's EV offerings justified Musk's push to pivot the company toward autonomous vehicles.

Xiaomi's EV push hasn't all been plain sailing. Its sales have reportedly dipped over the past month amid claims of misleading marketing on the high-end SU7 Ultra and concerns over a fatal crash involving an SU7 in March.

The crash, in which three people died after their SU7 hit a cement barrier shortly after disengaging from driver assist mode, sparked a regulatory crackdown on autonomous driving features in China.