• The Hugo Spritz has emerged as the trendy cocktail of the moment and successor to the Aperol Spritz.
• The recipe calls for prosecco, club soda, and elderflower liqueur, resulting in a sweet, low-ABV drink.
• A foodservice trend analyst said the French-made liqueur lends the Hugo Spritz an escapist appeal.

Last month, while mulling the menu at a trendy restaurant, a suggestion from a friend made me feel woefully out of touch.

"Why don't you get a Hugo Spritz?" the friend asked when I said I was craving a light, summery, and refreshing cocktail.

I asked what that was and was promptly met with a table full of shocked faces. Somehow, I had missed the introduction and gradual takeover of the the hottest new cocktail.

While the thirst for Hugo Spritz certainly isn't new — the recipe has been gaining momentum online for a few years, achieving fleeting virality in 2023 and capturing the attention of wealthy bar patrons in 2024 — recent data indicates that the Hugo's mainstream crossover moment has officially arrived.

In its 2024 trend report, Yelp found a 1,121% increase in searches for "Hugo Spritz" compared to the previous year. Google search volume for "Hugo Spritz" rose 122% from 2023 to 2024, and analytics show interest is even higher this summer than at this time last year. The use of the hashtag #HugoSpritz has steadily increased on TikTok over the last year, reaching peak popularity in late June and early July. Creators have been sharing their favorite takes on the recipe, gleefully adding sprigs of mint or splashes of lime juice. The trend has even inspired at least one original piano ballad, which features the standout lyric, "Cuckoo for Hugo, baby."

The Hugo Spritz has emerged as the clear successor to its Italian cousin, the Aperol Spritz. The latter enjoyed its own renaissance a few years back, arguably reaching peak popularity in the summer of 2023 — auspiciously fueled by HBO's "The White Lotus," whose celebrated second season was filmed in Sicily and aired in late 2022.

Despite its rise to ubiquity, however, Aperol — an apéritif liqueur with strong notes of orange peel and herbs — remains a polarizing ingredient. While some love its bittersweet flavor, others say it tastes thick and medicinal, akin to cough syrup.

By comparison, the Hugo Spritz is positively dessert-like. As with most spritzes, it's typically made with two parts prosecco and two parts soda water. The defining addition is elderflower liqueur — a sweet, floral spirit with such broad appeal and versatility that it earned the nickname "bartender's ketchup" in the late aughts.

St-Germain has long been considered the leader in the elderflower liqueur market, credited for inspiring a slew of copycats after its launch in 2007. The brand was acquired by Bacardi in 2013, further cementing its dominance.

Emma Fox, Bacardi's Global VP, told me via email that St-Germain has seen a 20% increase in retail sales value in the US since last year and an 11% increase over the last five years. Globally, she said the brand's market share has nearly tripled since 2019.

"We know that demand for St-Germain continues to grow, particularly this summer, as people are looking for more choice and creativity in their spritzes and discovering our lighter, brighter taste," Fox said.

St-Germain is made with hand-picked flowers from elderflower trees that grow in the French Alps. Last year, the brand took advantage of that scenery's aesthetic touchstones in a summer ad campaign featuring "Game of Thrones" star Sophie Turner, which highlighted the Hugo Spritz for its "touch of French flair" and easy elegance.

Much like how Aperol benefited from its Italian roots and eye-catching cameos in the hands of glamorous onscreen Sicilians, the Hugo Spritz has an aspirational appeal in addition to its tasty flavor profile. In the right context, enjoying an effervescent, European-sourced cocktail can feel like micro-dosing a much-needed getaway.

Paige Leyden, Associate Director of foodservice, flavors, and ingredients reports at Mintel, a market intelligence agency, said she noticed the Hugo Spritz trend gain traction in the US in the wake of the campaign. She attributed the effect to a combination of celebrity influence and our positive associations with a luxurious French lifestyle.

"Travel is expensive, but there is that level of escapism when you can just go to a nice bar and sit outside and have this drink," Leyden said. "You might not be on the picturesque Mediterranean coast, but you're still kind of emulating that."

Of course, in the age of Instagram and TikTok, the power of a compelling visual cannot be overstated. It's not just that a Hugo Spritz can evoke a picturesque setting, but that the drink itself is picturesque, perfectly engineered for virality.

Leyden said her team's research has found that 54% of consumers like to order drinks they see on social media, whether because they were influenced themselves or because they see the potential to influence others — to communicate their knowledge of trends and prove their own sophistication.

On TikTok, food and drink influencers are already doing their part. "It's the perfect drink: refreshing, lemony, floral gorgeousness," creator Lex Nicoleta recently declared to her hundreds of thousands of followers while sipping a homemade Hugo Spritz. "I just think there's not a chicer drink in the world."

• Michael Shvo and partners purchased three Miami Beach hotels in 2019.
• Plans to turn them into a luxury destination were never finished, and the site remains empty.
• A new buyer is lined up, but Shvo could still match the roughly $275 million offer.

The Raleigh, a prominent condo and hotel project along the glitzy Miami Beach waterfront, could soon change hands after six years of stalled development.

Two people with direct knowledge of sales discussions said Nahla Capital, a New York City based residential builder, has won a bidding process to purchase the property. One of those people said Nahla agreed to pay around $275 million for the project.

They requested anonymity because the sales discussions are confidential.

Real estate developer Michael Shvo. who acquired in the Art Deco district of Miami Beach in 2019 for roughly $243 million, is attempting to match Nahla's offer and retain control of the project, the two people said. They cited a provision that gives Shvo a first right of refusal on bids. To proceed, he would have to raise fresh capital to pay off his partners in the project and also potentially arrange new debt or extend his current loan.

The Raleigh development consists of three adjacent hotels in the Art Deco district of Miami Beach: the Richmond, the South Seas, and the 80-year old namesake property the Raleigh.

Among Shvo's chief financial backers was Bayerische Versorgungskammer, a large German pension system known as BVK that has invested in several US real estate deals with Shvo.

"BVK generally does not comment on market rumors and speculation about transactions," a BVK spokesman wrote in an emailed statement.

A deal could herald a new chapter for the project, which for years has consisted of little more than the derelict remains of the three hotels and a vacant dirt lot.

Shvo has said he would restore and redevelop the hotel properties, build an exclusive beach club and restaurant abutting a famous historic pool at the site, and raise a new ultra-high-end condo tower designed by the star architect Peter Marino.

But aside from preliminary site work, including demolition of existing structures, the development never got off the ground. In January, a team from the commercial real estate brokerage and services firm Newmark was hired by an undisclosed partner in the project to shop it to interested takers, as Business Insider has previously reported.

Helping to push a sale is the project's $190 million of debt, which was due to expire on July 16. BH3, the Miami-based commercial lender and developer that provided the loan, recently agreed to a three month extension to allow the Nahla, or Shvo, to arrange an acquisition, one of the people with knowledge of the deal said.

Holding the property has saddled the current owners with considerable costs. As Business Insider previously reported, the group paid nearly $20 million in interest on the project's loan in 2023, alone, and millions of dollars more in taxes, insurance, and other charges.

Have a tip? Contact Daniel Geiger at [email protected], via encrypted messaging app Signal at +1-646-352-2884, or Twitter DM at @dangeiger79.

• Palmer Luckey teased the idea of Auduril manufacturing American-made computers.
• Luckey joined the Reindustrialize Summit in Detroit virtually.
• The Anduril founder also emphasized the importance of working with partners to build tools.

Anduril, the defense tech giant that makes weapons and military products, could produce American-made computers, founder Palmer Luckey announced at the Reindustrialize Summit, a conference about modernizing American manufacturing, in Detroit on Thursday.

"This is one of those things where I started talking to companies years ago about this," Luckey said. "I think there's a chance that it's going to be Anduril."

Luckey added that Anduril has held conversations with "everyone you would need to have to do that," including people "on the chip side, on the assembly side, on the manufacturing side."

Anduril doesn't yet make computers, and Luckey isn't completely sold on the effort. He told the crowd: "There are some things Anduril has to do," he said. "There are other things we'd rather have other people do. This is something I'd rather have other people do."

American-made computers aren't a novel concept. PC-maker Dell had several manufacturing plants throughout the US, but in 2009, it closed its North Carolina plant and announced a change to its international manufacturing partner, moving from Ireland to Poland.

Luckey, who addressed the crowd virtually and with a humanoid robot from Foundation, also added that Anduril will not build its own humanoid robot: "We're going to partner with other companies where it makes sense," he said.

Anduril, which was cofounded by Luckey in 2017, makes hardware for the US military, including drones and underwater submersibles, and an AI-powered software platform, Lattice. The company is also working on extended reality headsets and other wearables for the military in a partnership with Meta, which the companies announced in May.

Luckey declined to share what he would name the computer if he were to make it, but hinted that "it's pro-American, and also a gambling reference, but I'll leave it at that."

• 700 Marines remain in Los Angeles to guard federal buildings while 2000 California National Guard troops are set to depart.
• The Marine deployment follows Trump's orders, despite objections from California's governor.
• Marines face morale issues and public contempt amid protests against ICE raids in Los Angeles, an official shared.

Half of the 4,000-strong California National Guard force deployed by President Donald Trump to Los Angeles a month ago is returning home, but 700 Marines are set to remain.

As protests quickly quieted, Marines appear to now be guarding buildings that don't require such a forceful presence, leading to a lot of hanging around. Officials say their mission is mainly just "being present."

The Marines, who arrived in LA under Trump's orders amid objections from California's governor, Gavin Newsom, will continue to stand guard at three buildings — the Wilshire Federal Building, which houses the LA FBI and Veterans Affairs offices, a courthouse, and the LA Immigration and Customs Enforcement headquarters building. US Northern Command confirmed to BI on Wednesday that the mission hasn't changed since the Marines first arrived.

Some of those Marines, recent arrivals who took over for teammates who showed up in June, are suffering a blow to morale, with some feeling the work isn't what they joined the military for, according to a senior Marine official with knowledge of the deployment. The Pentagon did not respond to request for comment.

Such duties are far outside the norm for Marines who do not possess the same legal authorities as National Guard troops, which may conduct law enforcement within the US, though almost always at the request of their state's governor. Active-duty troops, like the Marines in LA, are barred by law from doing so, short of the president invoking the Insurrection Act.

"Their purpose is really just being a presence that is very much out in the open, showcasing kind of who they are, what they do," said the senior Marine official, who spoke to Business Insider on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the press.

A second Marine source confirmed that Marines continue to guard the buildings, adding those stationed at the Wilshire Federal Building are dispersed at vehicle and pedestrian entry points and patrol the building's perimeter, a fairly routine task infantry personnel perform that could be seen as an opportunity to practice the skills in a delicate environment.

"There's nothing going on," said the second Marine of the atmosphere in LA after protests formed last month in response to ICE raids targeting immigrants, often without criminal histories. Other news reports have indicated that the Marines and Guardsmen remaining in LA are fighting boredom and public contempt.

Marines train for a variety of war-related tasks, which do not include anything similar to how Marines are being used in LA, the senior official said. "And I think that certainly has a degree of degradation of morale."

Infantry units like the 7th Marine Regiment in LA are trained in the Corps' most fundamental mission— locating, closing with, and destroying the enemy by a mix of fire and maneuver, Joe Plenzer, a retired Marine infantry officer, told Business Insider last month.

"Beneath the Kevlar, the eye-pro, if you see a face, the face is probably, you know, a little bit of disappointment, a little bit of 'this is not what I signed up for,'" said the senior official. "And by a little bit, I mean a lot of it."

"Let's be honest, too, there's a percentage of our Marines that are coming from backgrounds where their immediate family members are at risk of getting deported from ICE," the senior official said.

The service— which has the highest percentage of Hispanic troops compared to the other services, nearly 26% in 2022 — has found itself wrestling with new immigration enforcement policies on multiple fronts. The father of three US Marines, brutally beaten and detained by ICE agents, was released from custody earlier this week following efforts from his sons and other advocates, according to a report from Military.com.

Although active-duty Marines are generally barred from participating in domestic law enforcement, they are permitted to support the civilian agencies. The Marines, though made for a very different mission, appear to be supporting ICE more frequently.

The Pentagon ordered 200 air-support Marines to Florida earlier this month to assist with administrative oversight at ICE detention centers there. And the Corps appears to be the first and only service with a pilot program in place with ICE at three bases to ostensibly guard against access by foreign personnel, according to Military.com.

Deepening ties with ICE in Florida and at the three bases, as well as the deployment to LA, could be taking a toll on Marines worried about their families, the senior official said. "What do you think that does to them?" they said of Marines who may have family members who immigrated illegally. There could be a notable effect, they suggested, "not only morale, but just like, in terms of their ethics and their values."

"My hope is that they're quickly relieved of being in that position," he continued. "And it's no longer a thing."

• There have been 55 movies based on characters from DC Comics.
• They range from all-timers like "The Dark Knight" to stinkers like "Catwoman."
• The most recent DC film, "Superman," is closer to all-timer status.

Director, writer, and DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn's "Superman" is finally out in the world.

Is it any good?

If you listen to critics, the answer is a resounding yes. But you don't have to take it from them; "Superman's" CinemaScore rating (taken from audience members who just walked out of the theater) is an A-minus. Not bad; not bad at all.

Of course, while "Superman" is the first in an all-new DC cinematic universe, it's not the first movie to be based on DC Comics. That honor goes all the way back to 1966's "Batman."

Over the last 59 years, there have been 55 movies based on characters introduced in the pages of DC Comics and its imprints Vertigo Comics, WildStorm, and Paradox Press.

We used Rotten Tomatoes to determine how each DC film has rated with critics, from the universally panned to the beloved classics.

Here's how each DC Comics film stacks up, including "Superman."

54 (tie). "Catwoman" (2004)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 8%

"Catwoman" stars Halle Berry as Patience Phillips, aka Catwoman, in an all-new take on the character. Really, her only resemblance to the comics character is that she, well, likes cats.

In this film, Patience gets her powers (which are new from the comics) from the Egyptian goddess Bast, and decides to take down her evil boss, Laurel (Sharon Stone), who has created an antiaging cream with dangerous side effects. It's as silly as it sounds.

Christy Lemire of the Associated Press called the movie a "soulless amalgamation of quick edits, computer images and swooping, nausea-inducing dolly shots."

54 (tie). "Steel" (1997)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 8%

Steel, aka John Henry Irons, is one of Superman's most famous allies — but you'd never know it from this film, which invents a new backstory for Steel (played, we'll say, woodenly, by Shaquille O'Neal), that sees him don an iron suit to get revenge on his nemesis Nathaniel Burke, played by Judd Nelson of all people.

"Shaq isn't much of an actor, of course, but as with his first starring effort, 'Kazaam,' he's used more for his screen 'presence.' And casting Nelson in the picture helps, since he's always pretty awful," wrote Chris Hicks for Deseret News.

53. "Batman & Robin" (1997)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 11%

"Batman & Robin" is known to some as a campy classic filled with neon lighting, a suit with Bat-Nipples, and a pun-loving Mr. Freeze played by Arnold Schwarzenegger.

However, we can't cosign George Clooney's performance as Bruce Wayne or Batman. He just doesn't have it.

"Of all modern Batmans, George Clooney bears the closest physical resemblance to the comic-book hero, but there isn't much to say about his performance because there isn't much performance to discuss," wrote The Wall Street Journal's Joe Morgenstern.

52. "Jonah Hex" (2010)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 12%

"Jonah Hex" stars Josh Brolin as the titular character, a former Confederate soldier who was left for dead and healed by a Native American tribe, leaving him with the ability to communicate with the dead.

It also stars Megan Fox as Lilah, Jonah's gun-toting love interest, John Malkovich as Jonah's nemesis, Quentin Turnbull, and Michael Fassbender as Turnbull's maniacal right-hand man, Burke.

"It's a loud and subtle-as-a-sledgehammer assault on the senses, though, at 81 minutes, mercifully short," wrote Marc Lee for The Telegraph.

51. "Superman IV: The Quest for Peace" (1987)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 14%

By the time Christopher Reeve was suiting up for his fourth (and final) go-around as Superman, it was clear that it was time to move on from this version of the character.

The actors seem somewhat checked out, the effects weren't getting any better, and the choice to deviate from the comics by pitting Superman against a new villain called Nuclear Man was not a wise one.

"In many sequences, Reeve looks as if he's pink-faced from embarrassment as he flies through the air looking like a cardboard cut-out," wrote The Boston Globe's Michael Blowen.

50. "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" (2003)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 16%

"The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" is based on the WildStorm/America's Best Comics series of the same name — originally, these were independent brands from DC Comics, but they were acquired in 1998 by the comics giant, angering "League" creator Alan Moore.

He should've waited until 2003 to see how director Stephen Norrington would butcher his source material to get truly angry, though.

This film takes place in a universe where some of the most iconic characters in fiction (think Dorian Gray, Allan Quatermain, Captain Nemo, and Tom Sawyer) are part of a team of agents that take down threats such as Professor Moriarty of "Sherlock" fame.

"Destined to go down in the history books as the 'Heaven's Gate' of superhero flicks, this is nothing more and nothing less than an extraordinary waste of time and money," wrote Jamie Russell for the BBC.

49. "Supergirl" (1984)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 21%

Helen Slater stars as Kara Zor-El, the cousin of Kal-El (you might know him better as Superman), who had a very different upbringing than her cousin — instead of being raised on Earth by kindly farmers, she grew up among the remnants of Krypton. After a mishap with a wizard played by Peter O'Toole (!), Kara is sent to Earth and becomes Supergirl.

However, the cheesiness of this movie and Faye Dunaway's performance as the main villain, Selena, make it a tough watch in 2025.

Anna Maria Dell'oso of The Sydney Morning Herald called the film a "disappointingly bland and twitty movie."

48. "The Kitchen" (2019)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 24%

Did you even know a comic-book movie starring Melissa McCarthy, Tiffany Haddish, Elisabeth Moss, Domhnall Gleeson, Common, and Margo Martindale was released in 2019?

If you didn't, you're not alone. It made just $16 million on a $38 million budget, per Box Office Mojo.

The film is based on the Vertigo Comics series of the same name. In it, McCarthy, Haddish, and Moss play three mob wives who are suddenly put in a position of power after their husbands are sent to jail, giving them freedom for the first time.

"Moss, somehow, retains her dignity but McCarthy and Haddish are made to look like amateurs. I'm a fan of both women. Get me outta this kitchen," wrote Charlotte O'Sullivan for the London Evening Standard.

47. "Green Lantern" (2011)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 25%

What can we say about the quality of "Green Lantern" that Ryan Reynolds hasn't already said in the post-credit scene of "Deadpool 2"?

For those not familiar, Reynolds plays Hal Jordan, a test pilot who discovers a ring and becomes endowed with the powers of the Green Lantern Corps, an alien police force.

There's a lot wrong with this movie, from the underwhelming villain to the cheesy special effects. Perhaps James Gunn and the DCU will finally get Hal right in "Lanterns" in 2026.

"Even by the standards of the current run of mediocre comic-book movies, this one stands out for its egregious shoddiness," wrote Slate's Dana Stevens.

46. "Suicide Squad" (2016)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 26%

When the first teaser for "Suicide Squad" came out, people were excited. And then the cast proudly chatted to press about their matching tattoos and the camaraderie they built on set (Jared Leto's method-acting as the Joker notwithstanding).

Unfortunately, the finished product didn't live up to the hype. In a word, this team-up of some of the most iconic comics villains of all time (Harley Quinn played by Margot Robbie, Deadshot played by Will Smith, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje as Killer Croc, etc.) is cringe.

"For all its cast and crew's inglorious chest-thumping, 'Suicide Squad' is a failed, forced exercise in  — of all things! You had one job!  —ensemble chemistry," wrote K. Austin Collins for The Ringer.

45. "Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice" (2016)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 28%

For all that's been written about the DC Extended Universe and its failures, "Batman v Superman" is really where the wheels started falling off.

Instead of making the "Man of Steel" sequel that fans wanted, or introducing a new Batman, as played by Ben Affleck, in his own stand-alone film, the studio chose to smush those two stories together in a nonsensical story that hinges on Batman and Superman's moms having the same name.

"If a filmmaker attempted to combine everything casual moviegoers don't like about superhero franchises, they couldn't come up with a picture as execrable as this one," wrote Jason Bailey for Flavorwire.

43 (tie). "Joker: Folie à Deux" (2024)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 31%

The first "Joker," which stars Joaquin Phoenix as Arthur Fleck, a mentally unstable wannabe comedian who just wants to be loved, made over $1 billion at the box office, was nominated for best picture at the Academy Awards, and Phoenix even won for best actor.

Its long-awaited sequel, which added Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn? Not so much.

It was a bomb, making just $207 million worldwide, and got such negative reviews from critics that it essentially disappeared from culture altogether.

"'Folie à Deux' is a punishingly dull affair. It's a pointless sequel with very little plot. It wastes the talent on screen, and it squanders the genuinely intriguing conceit of its characters breaking into song," wrote Esther Zuckerman for Bloomberg.

43 (tie). "Superman III" (1983)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 31%

A classic move in "Superman" storytelling is to explore the possibility of Superman having a bad day — what would happen if the most powerful being on the planet decided he wasn't so good after all?

That's a compelling concept, if it's done right. In "Superman III," which sees our favorite Kryptonian corrupted by synthetic Kryptonite, it's not.

David Denby of The New Yorker called the film "tedious, labored, and feeble beyond belief."

42. "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom" (2023)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 33%

The last film in the DCEU before James Gunn and Co. took over went out with a whimper, not a bang. While its predecessor made over $1 billion, this film topped out at $439 million.

In "Lost Kingdom," Aquaman (Jason Momoa) is now ruling over the seven seas with his wife Mera (Amber Heard, in a very reduced role from the first film). But when an old enemy (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) gets hold of a powerful magical weapon, Aquaman must team up with his formerly villainous half-brother Orm (Patrick Wilson) to stop him.

"Where 'Aquaman' felt original, 'Lost Kingdom' is stale, void of all originality," wrote Jenny Nulf at the Austin Chronicle.

40 (tie). "Black Adam" (2022)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 39%

Infamously, while promoting this movie, Dwayne Johnson warned fans that the hierarchy of power in the DC Universe was about to change. In a way, he was right — just two months after this film's post-credit scene reintroduced Henry Cavill's Superman to the big screen for the first time in years, James Gunn announced he'd be starting from scratch with a new actor playing Superman in his revamped DCU.

But "Black Adam" itself is pretty boring. Johnson stars as Teth-Adam (aka Black Adam), an anti-hero who was bestowed super-powers by ancient Egyptian gods. After he's awakened from a centuries-long slumber, he goes on a mission to stand up for his home country, Kahndaq.

"'Black Adam' is two hours of cinematic soup, the ultimate statement from the god-king of movies that everyone sees but no one remembers," wrote Dylan Roth for the Observer.

40 (tie). "Justice League" (2017)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 39%

This is the first version of "Justice League" released, to be clear — the one directed by Zack Snyder that was then taken over by Joss Whedon, starring Ben Affleck as Batman, Henry Cavill as Superman, Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman, Jason Momoa as Aquaman, Ezra Miller as the Flash, and Ray Fisher as Cyborg.

The biggest problems with this movie, which sees the most powerful metahumans on Earth unite to defeat an alien called Steppenwolf, are that there's too much going on and the tone is all over the place.

Also, Henry Cavill's CGI-ed out mustache.

"Perhaps the new Superman is closer to what the fans wanted. But he doesn't really feel like a character anymore. He, like the rest of his movie, feels like a focus group-approved concept," wrote Mashable's Angie Han.

39. "Batman Forever" (1995)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 41%

"Batman Forever" was the third installment of WB's first attempt at a "Batman" franchise and the first (and only) outing of Val Kilmer's take on the Caped Crusader.

In this film, Bruce Wayne teams up with Robin (Chris O'Donnell) to take down the new team of the Riddler (Jim Carrey) and Two-Face (Tommy Lee Jones). Both Carrey and Jones are absolutely going for it in these roles, and for that alone, it's worth the watch.

"'Batman Forever' is in and out but wins in the end by staying true to its unbridled comic spirit," wrote Peter Travers for Rolling Stone.

38. "Red 2" (2013)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 44%

"Red 2" is the sequel to 2010's "Red" (coming later on this list). Once again, the film stars Bruce Willis as Frank Moses, a "retired and extremely dangerous" former CIA agent. He gets pulled into another scheme when he's framed for an operation back in the Cold War that involved smuggling bombs into the USSR.

"While we applaud the minds behind 'Red 2' for making a film for adults in a sea of movies for kids and teenage boys, they didn't actually make a good film for adults," wrote IndieWire's Kimber Myers.

37. "Constantine" (2005)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 46%

Based on the comic character of the same name, Keanu Reeves stars in "Constantine" as the titular exorcist and demon hunter, John Constantine, as he searches for the archangel Gabriel (Tilda Swinton).

Though this film wasn't very beloved by critics or a huge financial success, it certainly has its fans — so much so that, per Deadline, a sequel was announced to be in development in 2022.

"Keanu Reeves is — let me just get this off my chest — very good," wrote Salon's Andrew O'Hehir.

36. "The Losers" (2010)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 47%

In 2010, the year before Chris Evans would join the MCU as Captain America, he starred in a different comic-book movie — this one based on the Vertigo Comics series "The Losers."

The titular Losers are a group of black-ops soldiers who are sent on the most dangerous missions in the world. In this film, they're sent on a mission to Bolivia to destroy a drug trafficking compound, but are double-crossed by their evil boss, Max (Jason Patric).

"'The Losers' is a ho-hum scraping of the comic-book barrel, which feels particularly needless with both 'The A-Team' and 'The Expendables' on their way," wrote Tim Robey for The Telegraph.

35. "Shazam! Fury of the Gods" (2023)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 49%

"Shazam! Fury of the Gods" was one of the DCEU movies released after the announcement that an entire universe rehaul was imminent, rendering the events of this movie irrelevant.

It's a sequel to the perfectly lovely 2019 film "Shazam!," but this movie seemingly forgot what was charming about the first one. Zachary Levi (who plays the adult Billy) and Asher Angel (teen Billy) don't seem to be playing characters who have any knowledge of each other.

"The original film left nothing of substance for this superhero sequel," wrote Adam Mullins-Khatib for Chicago Reader.

34. "The Return of Swamp Thing" (1989)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 56%

The sequel to 1982's "Swamp Thing," "The Return of Swamp Thing" leans into every schlocky and campy quality of the original and turns it up to 11.

This time, Swamp Thing (Dick Durock) must rescue a young botanist, Abby Arcane (Heather Locklear), from her evil stepfather Anton (Louis Jordan), who wants to steal her youth.

Lindsay Costello of The Stranger called the movie "one of the most precious gifts ever put to celluloid."

33. "Man of Steel" (2013)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 57%

In the 12 years since "Man of Steel" was released, there's been a lot written about what this movie did to the character of Superman, the destruction he wrought (seemingly without a second thought) across both Smallville and Metropolis, Cavill's portrayal of Kal-El, and the controversial characterization of his adopted dad Pa Kent (played in this iteration by Kevin Costner).

In general, we think it's a solid origin story that was hindered by a couple of casting choices, a lack of humor, and an oppressively gray color palette.

"Christliness has always been an element of the Superman myth. But this film's near literal insistence upon it becomes absurd since director Zack Snyder and screenwriter David S. Goyer don't dramatize the analogy, they presume it," wrote Wesley Morris for Grantland.

32. "Wonder Woman 1984" (2020)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 58%

"Wonder Woman 1984" is the highly anticipated follow-up to 2017's "Wonder Woman," moving our heroine (played by Gal Gadot) from WWI-era Europe to 1980s Washington, DC.

The film also stars Pedro Pascal as Maxwell Lord, a would-be billionaire who becomes the living embodiment of a genie's lamp when he gets the ability to grant anyone's wishes just by getting near them.

Diana (aka Wonder Woman) has to choose between getting the love of her life, Steve (Chris Pine), back from the dead or having her powers and the ability to save people.

"It's a refreshingly silly and airy adventure focused on the emotions of one character, Wonder Woman (played by Gal Gadot), and a charming end to a tiring year of cinema," wrote David Sims of The Atlantic.

31. "Swamp Thing" (1982)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 61%

"Swamp Thing" was directed by horror legend Wes Craven, and is his love letter to the creature features of the 1950s such as "The Creature from the Black Lagoon."

It's a pretty standard monster movie anchored by performances by Ray Wise, Dick Durock, Adrienne Barbeau, and Louis Jordan. Alec Holland (Wise), a scientist, is turned into a superhuman monster after an experiment gone wrong. Horror ensues.

Roger Ebert called it "one of those movies that fall somewhere between buried treasures and guilty pleasures."

30. "The Flash" (2023)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 63%

A lot was riding on "The Flash" before it hit theaters in 2023 after numerous delays. Apparently, Tom Cruise himself was so taken by it that he called director Andy Muschietti for 15 minutes to rave about it, per Variety.

Instead, it ended up being a somewhat garbled mess. Ezra Miller stars as Barry Allen, a young man struck by lightning who develops superspeed. But that's the least of Barry's concerns; he also has a dad who's been falsely imprisoned for murdering his mom. After the events of "Justice League," Barry figures out he can travel back in time and makes the choice to stop his mom from dying.

That small choice sends things into chaos, with Barry getting catapulted into an alternate universe with no other metahumans and the Michael Keaton version of Batman.

"Mad trippy or catastrophic? This DC superhero epic is actually a mix of both, dragged down by exhausting multiverse hopping but flashy fun on the wings of virtuoso Ezra Miller and the grumpy comic perfection of Michael Keaton as a Batman on the ropes," wrote Peter Travers for ABC.

29. "Watchmen" (2009)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 65%

The second-best reviewed Zack Snyder joint on this list is "Watchmen," adapted from the iconic, highly lauded comic of the same name.

In this story, masked crime-fighters have been around for decades (oh, and Richard Nixon is a five-term president at the height of the Cold War) — but they've been outlawed for years.

One such former vigilante, Rorschach (Jackie Earle Haley) becomes convinced that someone is taking out former heroes one by one, and tries to warn his former team, the Watchmen, that someone might be after them. But the conspiracy goes deeper than any of them could've imagined.

"'Watchmen' isn't boring, but as a fragmented sci-fi doomsday noir, it remains as detached from the viewer as it is from the zeitgeist," wrote Entertainment Weekly's Owen Gleiberman.

28. "Aquaman" (2018)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 66%

"Aquaman" stars Jason Momoa as Arthur Curry, a half-human, half-Atlantean hero who is of both land and sea. Over the course of the film, he must learn to accept his birthright as the king of Atlantis — but first, he must defeat Black Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) and his half-brother Orm (Patrick Wilson).

"Hollywood has given us the greatest, goofiest holiday gift in a long time," wrote Jordan Hoffman for AMNY.

27. "Joker" (2019)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 68%

The discourse around "Joker" (Is it about incels? Is it a truly nihilistic piece of art? What is a Joker movie without a Batman?) has almost obfuscated that it's a pretty good movie.

Joaquin Phoenix is almost unrecognizable as Arthur Fleck, a down-on-his-luck wannabe comedian who struggles with telling the difference between reality and delusion. But as his psyche begins to crack, he only becomes more beloved by the disillusioned residents of Gotham.

Wenlei Ma wrote for news.com.au, "'Joker' is a jumble — sometimes brilliant and sometimes trite. Among its flashes of excellence is a self-serious movie that isn't nearly as deep as it thinks it is."

24 (tie). "DC League of Super-Pets" (2022)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 72%

The first (but not last!) animated film on this list is "DC League of Super-Pets," which is essentially the Justice League with cats and dogs (and turtles and guinea pigs and squirrels …).

In the same year he played Black Adam in live-action, Dwayne Johnson also voiced Krypto, Superman's pet dog. Kevin Hart, on the other hand, voiced Ace, Batman's boxer mix, whom the Dark Knight has adopted.

"The Super-Pets aren't the most witty or cutting bunch — and no doubt destined to be plush toys on store shelves soon — but there's little reason to resist the cute," wrote The Guardian's Adrian Horton.

24 (tie). "Red" (2010)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 72%

"Red" is a somewhat forgotten movie these days, but it was actually nominated for a Golden Globe in 2010, for best motion picture — musical or comedy.

It's based on the WildStorm comic (a DC imprint) of the same name about a retired CIA agent named Frank Moses (Bruce Willis) who is pulled back into action after another agent, William Cooper (Karl Urban), is tasked with killing him by the vice president, Robert Stanton (Julian McMahon).

"A fast, funny, smart, adult-oriented action-comedy that generates precisely the kind of giddy vibe 'The Expendables' lacked," wrote The Age's Jim Schembri.

24 (tie). "Superman Returns" (2006)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 72%

The plot of "Superman Returns" completely ignores the events of "Superman III" and "Superman IV," and is instead a semi-reboot, semi-legacy sequel to "Superman II."

This time, though, our hero is played by Brandon Routh, who we'd maintain never got a fair shake at playing Superman. This movie is pretty good! The airplane sequence that kicks off the movie holds up almost 20 years later.

"It's all about heart — not that the spectacle falters; this is the finest popular entertainment since the 'Rings' trilogy closed. Superman doesn't fly — he soars," wrote Ian Nathan for Empire.

23. "V for Vendetta" (2005)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 73%

"V for Vendetta" is based on the Vertigo Comics series of the same name. It takes place in an alternate version of Great Britain that has been overtaken by a fascist, totalitarian regime. A lone anarchist, known as V (Hugo Weaving) who is never seen without a Guy Fawkes mask, begins planting the seeds of a revolution with the help of a young woman, Evey (Natalie Portman).

Claudia Puig wrote for USA Today, "The dark and stylized 'V for Vendetta' is visually exhilarating, provocative and disturbing."

21 (tie). "Stardust" (2007)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 77%

"Stardust" is based on the Neil Gaiman novel of the same name that was published by DC Comics in 1999.

It's an epic romantasy starring Charlie Cox as Tristan, a young man who wants to collect a fallen star to present to his love, Victoria (Sienna Miller) — but when the fallen star turns out to be a young woman named Yvaine (Claire Danes), Tristan finds himself in a love triangle.

"A stern editor with a sense of dramatic timing could have given this film more tension to go with its random bursts of comedy and big, happy fantasy setpieces, but lacking tautness, it'll have to settle for expansive joy," wrote the AV Club's Tasha Robinson.

21 (tie). "Batman" (1989)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 77%

Tim Burton's "Batman" took Gotham City's favorite vigilante out of the campy '60s and into the gothic, dark '80s.

The film (which actually isn't really an origin story — it starts off with Bruce Wayne having been Batman for at least six months) stars Michael Keaton as Wayne/Batman and Jack Nicholson as the Joker, in one of the most entertaining performances of his career.

Newsday's Mike McGrady called the film "one of the most interesting comic-book movies ever made, a movie that vividly illustrates where most of the others have gone wrong."

19 (tie). "Blue Beetle" (2023)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 78%

"Blue Beetle" is a charming little movie about a recent college grad, Jaime Reyes (Xolo Maridueña), who becomes fused with a piece of alien tech known as the Scarab (voiced by Becky G) and becomes a powerful hero known as the Blue Beetle.

"'Blue Beetle' is both scrappy and tailored, poignant and breezily amusing. Pitched from a new angle and guided by talented hands, 'Blue Beetle' is a rarity in these superhero end-times: a genuine pleasure to watch, reviving tired old formula with brio," wrote Richard Lawson for Vanity Fair.

19 (tie). "Zack Snyder's Justice League" (2021)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 78%

As you might remember, there already was a "Justice League" movie on this list — but it wasn't the director Zack Snyder's complete product, since he had to step away from filming due to personal reasons.

But when fans became aware that Snyder had shot enough footage to make a four-hour cut of the film that was true to his vision, they became obsessed with the #SnyderCut.

Sure, it took years, but "Zack Snyder's Justice League" hit HBO Max in 2021, all 242 minutes of it, after the fans' unrelenting pressure on Warner Bros.

While the general story remains the same, there's much more of every character in Snyder's cut, especially Cyborg (Ray Fisher) who was almost entirely cut out of the theatrical version. And it's a better movie for Fisher's performance, who is the heart of the film.

"It actually succeeds. In more ways than I ever expected," wrote NPR's Eric Deggans.

18. "Birds of Prey" (2020)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 79%

Margot Robbie's casting as Harley Quinn was far and away the best choice DC ever made. She shines in this movie as a newly empowered version of the Joker's ex-girlfriend who teams up with a few other local female criminals — The Huntress (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), Black Canary (Jurnee Smollett-Bell), and Cassandra Cain (Ella Jay Basco) — to take down the crime lord Black Mask (Ewan McGregor).

"Kinetic, silly, candy-colored, and hyperviolent, 'Birds of Prey' is a serious treat for fans of comic book films. But it wouldn't work without the equal parts goofy, hilarious, and unhinged performance of its lead," wrote Max Weiss for Baltimore Magazine.

17. "Batman" (1966)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 80%

This version of the Caped Crusader is based on the equally campy '60s TV show that aired on ABC for three seasons.

From that iconic theme song, to Adam West's perfectly calibrated performance as an adult man who feels the need to dress up as a bat to fight crime, to all the wild "bat" gadgets (Bat-Shark Repellant, anyone?), this movie is a classic.

"I'd choose Adam West's Batmobile over Michael Keaton's any day," wrote Time Out.

15 (tie). "Road to Perdition" (2002)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 82%

Yup, "Road to Perdition" is a comic movie. The series was published by the DC Comics imprint Paradox Press in the '90s and 2000s.

The Sam Mendes film stars Tom Hanks as Michael Sullivan, an enforcer for the Irish Mob in '30s Illinois. After his family is targeted by a rival mobster, Michael and his son, played by Tyler Hoechlin, are forced to go on the run, killing anyone in their way.

"This is classic albeit somber filmmaking, restrained and all of a piece, by a director who believes film can tell adult stories in an adult manner, who knows the effects he wants and how to get them," wrote the Los Angeles Times' Kenneth Turan.

15 (tie). "Batman Returns" (1992)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 82%

"Batman Returns" is a weirder, slimier, grimier, and meaner film than its predecessor — and it's a Christmas movie!

Michael Keaton is once again solid as Batman, but this movie belongs to Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman and Danny DeVito as the Penguin, two portrayals of the characters that live on 33 years later.

"The strange, ambitious character work that comprises 'Batman Returns' is wrapped in the perfunctory framework of a Tim Burton superhero film," wrote Justin Clark for Slant Magazine.

13 (tie). "Batman: Mask of the Phantasm" (1993)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 83%

"Batman: The Animated Series" is one of the most iconic and beloved cartoons of all time, so it stands to reason that a theatrical adaptation of the cartoon would work. And it does! Kevin Conroy's vocal performance as Batman/Bruce Wayne will live on forever as the definitive portrayal of the character, and the design of Gotham City is timeless.

The story itself is pretty standard Batman fare, but it's compelling to watch Bruce grapple with the choice to stay a vigilante or give it up for love.

"A fantastic-looking back-to-basics telling of the legend, it totally disregards any attempt at nineties reinvention," wrote Ross Jones for The Guardian.

13 (tie). "Superman" (2025)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 83%

The most recent DC movie is, of course, 2025's "Superman." It's the first feature film under James Gunn's new DC Universe (and it was also written and directed by Gunn himself).

It introduces audiences to an all-new version of Superman, this time played to perfection by David Corenswet. He's surrounded by an all-time supporting cast, including Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen, Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner (a Green Lantern), Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl, and Krypto, a really great dog.

"It makes you want to cheer. That's it, that's the secret ingredient that's been missing from so many superhero stories for so long," wrote Glen Weldon of NPR.

11 (tie). "Batman Begins" (2005)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 85%

We'd call "Batman Begins" the first Batman movie of the modern era. It's directed by Christopher Nolan, and puts Batman (Christian Bale) into the most realistic version of Gotham City we'd seen to date. Plus, Cillian Murphy's portrayal of the Scarecrow still haunts us.

"The psychological realism and the science-fiction villainy don't always mesh seamlessly. But unlike so many superheroic summer spectacles, this one actually has a soul behind the special effects," wrote David Ansen for Newsweek.

11 (tie). "The Batman" (2022)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 85%

Tied with "Batman Begins" is the newest version of the Bat, this time played by Robert Pattinson in one of the most emo roles of his career. Seriously, this Bruce Wayne looks like he's a fully nocturnal animal.

In a change from the rest of his big-screen portrayals, this Batman is equally as much of a detective as he is a brawler — and he certainly does a lot of both.

We also have to pay respects to Zoë Kravitz's Catwoman and Colin Farrell's unrecognizable turn as the Penguin, which led to him getting his own HBO Max show.

"'The Batman' is the Batman movie we deserve, though: overwrought and overlong, but also carefully crafted and exhilarating," wrote Adam Nayman for The Ringer.

9 (tie). "The Dark Knight Rises" (2012)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 87%

Christian Bale wrapped up his time as the Dark Knight in 2012's "The Dark Knight Rises," which picks up eight years after the events of "The Dark Knight," when Batman was shunned by the people of Gotham after he took the fall for killing Harvey Dent.

This movie's lasting legacy is probably its villain, the hulking mass that is Bane (Tom Hardy) and his, we'll say, unique way of speaking.

But a lot happens in this movie. Batman meets Catwoman (Anne Hathaway), he gets his back broken and fully recovers, the city of Gotham is cut off from civilization via a series of bombings, and Batman fakes his own death. Phew.

"[Christopher] Nolan has turned a preposterous character back into a grave myth, the story of a tortured saviour, reluctantly giving his all," wrote The London Evening Standard's David Sexton.

9 (tie). "Superman: The Movie" (1978)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 87%

Arguably, this could be considered the first modern superhero movie, the film that set us down the path we're still taking to the movie theaters to this day. It's cheesy, but not overly so, it has an all-time superhero theme composed by John Williams (that's still being used in "Superman" content now), and the casting of Christopher Reeve as Superman remains the best superhero casting of all time, period.

And we didn't even mention Gene Hackman as Lex Luthor and Margot Kidder as Lois Lane, who complete a trifecta of A-plus performances in this film.

"Reshaping a comic book adaptation into a modern myth told with wonder, sincerity and soul, 'Superman: The Movie' didn't just make you believe a man could fly, it made you want to," wrote Zaki Hasan for the San Francisco Chronicle.

7 (tie). "A History of Violence" (2005)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 88%

Not even director David Cronenberg is immune to the comic-book movie craze. In 2005, he adapted the 1997 graphic novel published by Paradox Press (and later Vertigo Comics).

The film stars Viggo Mortensen as Tom, a small-town diner owner with a wife and son. He becomes the center of a media frenzy when he takes out two spree killers who are trying to rob his diner with relative ease — despite his best efforts to stay anonymous, his violent past as a mob hitman comes back to haunt him.

"Cronenberg's masterful, intelligent and gripping meta-thriller leaves us pondering about our enduringly perverse desire for alternative realities, in which surrogate violent alter egos run righteously and preposterously amok," wrote Richard Falcon for Sight & Sound.

7 (tie). "Superman II" (1980)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 88%

With all the shuffling that went on behind the scenes (director Richard Donner was fired 80% of the way through and replaced with Richard Lester), it's a miracle that this movie is watchable, let alone great.

It's carried to greatness largely on the back of Terence Stamp's performance as General Zod, an evil Kryptonian hellbent on taking over Earth and destroying Superman.

"The special effects are spare but spectacular, and the delightfully showy tricks are spaced out by comic ventures into romance, tourism and human drama," wrote Meaghan Morris for The Sydney Morning Herald.

6. "The Lego Batman Movie" (2017)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 89%

After Lego Batman was such a huge hit in "The Lego Movie," greenlighting a spinoff about his adventures in Gotham City was a no-brainer.

Will Arnett voices this petulant and somewhat callous version of Batman amazingly well. He's joined by an equally stellar voice cast of Michael Cera as Batman, Ralph Fiennes as Bruce's butler Alfred, Zach Galifianakis as the Joker, and Rosario Dawson as Batgirl.

This version of the Batman story gets at the idea, perhaps more than any other Batman story, that Batman and the Joker need each other to survive. It's a toxic relationship, but a relationship nonetheless.

"Everything is still awesome in the irreverent 'Lego Movie' universe!!! All right, maybe not everything. But enough things," wrote Us Weekly's Mara Reinstein.

4 (tie). "The Suicide Squad" (2021)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 90%

In between his second and third "Guardians of the Galaxy" movies, James Gunn briefly jumped ship from Marvel to DC (and soon, permanently joined Team DC) to write and direct "The Suicide Squad," a loose sequel to 2016's "Suicide Squad." Confusing titles, we know.

This version of the team is all heart and the epitome of the found family trope that Gunn loves so much. After a fakeout in which almost an entire team is killed, we're introduced to our main characters: Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), Bloodsport (Idris Elba), Peacemaker (John Cena), Rick Flag Jr. (Joel Kinnaman), King Shark (Sylvester Stallone), Polka-Dot Man (David Dastmalchian), and Ratcatcher 2 (Daniela Melchior).

"'The Suicide Squad' is relentlessly unapologetic, wacky and weird, violent and bloody, and darkly humorous. It also has so much heart that you may find yourself fighting back tears by its end," wrote Kirsten Acuna for Business Insider.

4 (tie). "Shazam!" (2019)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 90%

"Shazam!" was a surprise. It's a somewhat high concept: A young foster kid named Billy Batson is chosen by an ancient wizard to be bestowed with the power of the gods. Now, any time he says "Shazam" he goes from young Asher Angel to the adult Zachary Levi.

However, the strength of this movie is the bond between Billy and his foster siblings, mainly Freddy (Jack Dylan Grazer), as they come together and become a true family.

"Once Billy says that magic word and his supersized alter ego appears, the movie goes to its happy place and comfortably embraces its own identity as a light, jocular, modest entertainment," wrote Manohla Dargis for The New York Times.

3. "Teen Titans Go! To the Movies" (2018)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 92%

The best-reviewed animated movie on this list is "Teen Titans Go! To the Movies," the cinematic continuation of the Cartoon Network series that began airing in 2013.

The Teen Titans are exactly what it sounds like: a group of teenage superheroes. This version of the team contains Robin (Scott Menville), Starfire (Hynden Walch), Beast Boy (Greg Cipes), Cyborg (Khary Payton), and Raven (Tara Strong).

In this film, the Teen Titans are upset that no one takes them seriously because they've never had a movie made about them, so they go on a hunt to find an arch-nemesis worthy of the big screen.

Tara Brady of The Irish Times called it "appropriately super."

2. "Wonder Woman" (2017)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 93%

Wonder Woman is one of the most famous and beloved heroes in the DC universe, but it took 76 years to get Diana, the Amazonian princess of Themiscyra, on the big screen.

Thankfully, she was worth the wait. This movie, put simply, rocks. Chris Pine is dynamite as WWI fighter pilot Steve Trevor, Gal Gadot plays Diana's naivety about the modern world so well, and the rest of the supporting cast is on their A-game, too.

"It's not difficult to see where this route is going, but that doesn't make it any less enjoyable to watch. The simple power of love is the cornerstone upon which Wonder Woman is built. If it seems earnest, it's because it is," wrote Karen Han for Slash Film.

1. "The Dark Knight" (2008)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 94%

There's an argument to be made that "The Dark Knight," the second of the Christopher Nolan/Christian Bale trio, is the best super-hero movie ever made.

It blends action with thought-provoking ideas about the nature of good and evil — yes, we know it's cliché at this point, but in 2008, it was hitting different! — and a genuinely starmaking performance of Heath Ledger, who would go on to posthumously win an Oscar for his work as the Joker.

"The haunting and visionary 'Dark Knight' soars on the wings of untamed imagination," wrote Rolling Stone's Peter Travers.

• AI adoption is ramping up, opening opportunities for new consumer startups.
• Menlo Ventures' recent "State of Consumer AI" report reveals categories the VC firm is eyeing.
• Business Insider spoke with two partners at the firm about where Menlo is placing bets.

How can AI actually foster more human connection?

That's a question Menlo Ventures, a venture capital firm that's invested in companies like Uber, Tumblr, and Anthropic, wants to answer.

Connection is one of a handful of "white space opportunities" that Menlo Ventures is eyeing as fertile ground for new startups in consumer AI technology, according to the firm's recent "The State of Consumer AI" report.

Menlo Ventures and Morning Consult surveyed roughly 5,000 US-based adults in April about their feelings around AI and how they've used the tools within the past six months.

"Today, usage is dominated by these generalist AI systems," such as OpenAI's ChatGPT or Google's Gemini, Menlo Ventures partner Amy Wu Martin told Business Insider. "But we're seeing, starting with specific categories, this move into more specialized apps."

Menlo's research identified five broad categories where specialized AI apps are gaining traction: routine tasks, creative expression, physical and mental health, learning and development, and connection.

Dating, social networking, AI companions, and more

What falls under the connection umbrella?

One niche is dating. Menlo's market map of consumer AI tools highlighted AI-powered matchmaking apps like A16z Speedrun alum Sitch, Keeper, and Ditto. Then there are social networking apps that use AI agents to surface new people to meet, such as Gigi or professional-focused startups like Series or Boardy. Menlo also puts AI companions (think Character AI or Replika) and the turn-yourself-into-a-bot startup Delphi (a Menlo investment) under its connection thesis.

"People are starting to use AI as a bit of a crutch to actually figure out how to interact with people and feel less awkward," Martin said, pointing to examples of how people may use AI to prepare for a date or dinner party.

In addition to dating advice or social coaching, the technology can be a semi-social outlet in itself, enabling users to interact with AI-generated personas.

"The biggest gap in the AI connectivity is multiplayer mode," Martin said, referring to AI that facilitates and participates in group activities.

Social media has largely morphed into entertainment — propelled by the rise of influencers — instead of a place to foster real-life connections. Menlo thinks AI could help bring people together, especially in the still-untapped realm of multiplayer experiences.

"What is the tool that really just helps you be better in your relationships?" Menlo partner Shawn Carolan said. "I don't want more media coming my way. It's almost like the opposite of social media."

But people aren't running en masse to AI for connection just yet.

According to the report, only 14% of participants said they used AI for "staying in touch."

Investors are buzzing about consumer AI

A new crop of startups at the intersection of AI and social networking has stirred buzz with investors.

"We are trying to understand where the puck is going," Martin said. "The next phase, especially consumer, is around these specialized apps."

Menlo Ventures isn't the only firm betting on consumer AI applications.

Amber Atherton, a partner at early-stage consumer fund Patron, recently told BI about wanting to invest in startups that better help people find new relationships and maintain their existing ones.

Beyond connection, Menlo Ventures is also watching spaces like healthcare and wellness, financial management, personalized learning, home-related tasks, and family logistics as opportunities for startups.

Parents, for instance, are AI "power users," according to Menlo's survey.

"Ultimately, consumers are trying to get things done," Martin said.

• I moved to Orlando for my husband's job and a lifestyle that sounded dreamy with beaches and sun.
• Things like high home costs and a rough hurricane season made living there challenging for us.
• After a few years and a divorce, I moved to Atlanta, which is closer to family with milder weather.

In 2019, my (now ex) husband and I joined the mass exodus of Californians moving to less expensive states.

First, we settled in Atlanta. The bustling business hub seemed rife with career opportunities for both of us. Plus, it was familiar territory for me as I'd lived there a few times and had friends and family nearby.

After two years of living in Atlanta, we weren't sold on the idea of settling there and preferred to explore our options. We wanted more perks of California living — sunshine, beaches, and proximity to theme parks — for a fraction of the cost.

After a wonderful spring-break trip in 2021, we realized we could find all of those things in Orlando. When my then-husband received an offer for his dream job there a year later, we finally made the move to Florida.

Living in Orlando felt like heaven on earth to me, but the honeymoon phase ended after about three years.

Although I love visiting Orlando, living there wasn't all sunshine and rainbows

At first, I really enjoyed living in Orlando.

We had so much entertainment and fun right in our backyard: Our home was less than an hour from the beach, plus less than 30 minutes from Disney World, Universal, and SeaWorld.

Soon, I realized some of the area's not-so-great qualities were dealbreakers in my long-term living plans.

Since Florida is nicknamed the Sunshine State, I didn't think to look much deeper into its year-round forecasts before we moved.

We enjoyed a lot of sun, but in our first year as residents, I was shocked to discover how much it rains in Orlando — even in the summer. The area has a rainy season that lasts months, and rainfall here is higher than the US average.

Worse, though, is living through Florida's infamous hurricane seasons. Orlando is far inland and typically safe from hurricanes, but it isn't always entirely in the clear from the storm's path and local impact.

The city still gets heavy rains and flooding. In two of the three years we lived in Orlando, several hurricane warnings pushed us to evacuate. Plus, as we're more inland, heavy winds can make the area susceptible to tornadoes.

Although our top-floor apartment was never damaged by storms, we saw our homeowner friends fork out thousands for hurricane-related repairs while dealing with the area's rising insurance costs.

Combined with the rising risk of hurricanes and home prices, this all turned me off from the idea of ever buying a house in Florida.

Even if I didn't own property, it became clear to me that hurricane damages and risks would likely impact all residents one way or another — be it higher rent payments or car insurance rates.

Unfortunately, the Sunshine State's hot, humid, and rainy weather can also make homes especially susceptible to mold. When I began experiencing health issues related to frequent mold exposure, it felt like my final straw.

After three years, I'd had enough of living in Florida, and I was ready to leave, especially since my marriage was ending, too. I can't say living in Orlando played a role in our split, but not having family or a village nearby definitely wasn't great for us.

I moved back to a place where I knew I could settle with ease: Atlanta

Once our divorce was finalized, Atlanta welcomed me back with open arms.

Although the Georgia city experiences its fair share of tropical storms, the weather feels much calmer year-round, and I still get tons of sunshine. I'm closer to my family and friends, and feel comfortable settling down here.

I also like that there are so many thriving people in Atlanta who look like me. There's a reason this city is nicknamed the Black Mecca of the South — and I've seen firsthand its dense population of successful Black professionals and moguls.

I'm excited for my new chapter in Atlanta. It turns out it was the right place for me all along — just at the wrong time.

Although Orlando didn't work out as a permanent residence, it'll always be my home away from home and a go-to vacation spot.

• Another AI companion is coming to Elon Musk's Grok chatbot.
• The companion is inspired by "Twilight" and "50 Shades of Grey," Musk said.
• Grok already has two companions: an anime girl named Ani and a vulgar red panda named Rudi.

Elon Musk says his Grok chatbot is getting a male companion — and his company looked to two popular romance novels for inspiration.

Musk on Wednesday teased a forthcoming male Grok companion, asking users for their thoughts on what he should be named.

"His personality is inspired by Edward Cullen from Twilight and Christian Grey from 50 Shades," Musk wrote.

When an X user commented that the character should have been inspired by Mr. Darcy, a character from Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, Musk replied, "We will, of course, have another character inspired by Mr. Darcy."

Grok has already released two AI companions: a flirty female anime character named Ani and a vulgar red panda named Rudi.

A representative for xAI didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

Grok was recently criticized for a series of antisemitic posts, including some in which it referred to itself as "MechaHitler," a video game version of Hitler. xAI later apologized for the chatbot's "horrific behavior."

"Deprecated code made @grok susceptible to existing user posts; including when such posts contained extremist views," xAI said.

xAI isn't the only company to experiment with offering various chatbot personas. There's Character.AI, which says it lets users choose from millions of AI characters as conversation partners. Meta started offering chatbot characters featuring the likenesses of celebrities like Snoop Dogg, Kendall Jenner, and Charli D'Amelio, but scrapped them after less than a year.

Time will tell if Grok's companions meet a similar fate.

• A UK Royal Air Force F-35B has been stuck in India for more than a month.
• India is not a part of the program, and doesn't have permission to access the jet's advanced tech.
• A warfare analyst said: "You really don't want it sitting in a country that isn't cleared to access knowledge about those capabilities."

A UK F-35 stealth fighter jet has been stuck for more than a month in India, a country that isn't part of the program and does not have access to the plane's advanced tech and capabilities.

The stealth fighter landed on June 14 at Thiruvananthapuram airport in the state of Kerala, where it was diverted after it ran into bad weather in the Indian Ocean. An engine issue then prevented the jet from returning to the Royal Navy's flagship carrier, the HMS Prince of Wales, the British High Commission in New Delhi said.

Local media reports that the jet is still there but the repair work is underway.

The jet is an F-35B, the short-takeoff/vertical landing variant built with a lift fan for operations on amphibious assault ships, certain aircraft carriers, and limited runways. This version of the fighter is used by the UK, Japan, Italy, and the US.

The fifth-generation aircraft, made by the US defense contractor Lockheed Martin, is one of the most advanced jets in the world, and the US determines who gets access to these planes. India isn't on the list of approved partner countries.

The jet being stuck for so long has raised questions about how this could happen to such a modern jet and concerns about having top tech stranded where it shouldn't be.

Former Australian Army Maj. Gen. Mick Ryan, a warfare strategist, explained to Business Insider that "given the extraordinary capabilities and advanced technologies on these things, you really don't want it sitting in a country that isn't cleared to access knowledge about those capabilities."

He said he suspects the US is putting pressure on the UK concerning the recovery of the jet. Neither the Pentagon nor the US State Department responded to BI's request for comment. The F-35 Joint Program Office did not immediately respond either.

"I'd say there'd be a lot of diplomatic action in the background with the Indians to ensure that the security of that aircraft is paramount and that there aren't efforts to exploit that aircraft by some who might be tempted to do so," Ryan added.

The US is able to decide a lot about how the jet is used around the world, including restricting its export. It has previously done so with countries that use Russian and Chinese weapon systems, such as Turkey, which was initially part of the program. India has never been a part of the program, though there's been interest.

Christoph Bergs, an airpower analyst at the UK's Royal United Services Institute, told The New York Times this month that "there's lots of secrecy involving military aircraft in general," but it's even more sensitive with the F-35. Even though it's used by many American and partners allies, its tech is carefully guarded.

"You don't want unauthorized access where people can either interfere with the machine, or take very close-up pictures, or even start, you know, messing with the machinery itself," he said.

The jet has been moved to an on-site hangar.

When it was sitting out in the open, there were reports in Indian media that it hadn't been moved due to the UK's distrust. The Royal Navy rejected that in a statement to The Independent, saying it would have been done sooner if the required tools and expertise had been available. When relocating the fighter jet to a hangar became an option, action was taken "to minimise disruptions to the regular airport operations," it said.

The British Royal Navy directed BI to the British defense ministry, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

While the British military and experts have attempted to downplay potential trust issues and there have been no indications that India is attempting to access the jet's classified technology, there is, nonetheless, a reason to take security seriously.

A complicated relationship

The advanced combat technology aboard the F-35 stealth fighter is exceptionally sensitive, and the US carefully weighs who gets access to it.

The US and India are not formal allies, but they are strategic partners. India has purchased billions of dollars worth of US defense equipment, and the countries hold military exercises together, with Washington viewing Mumbai as a partner against China.

India, however, also buys a lot of Russian equipment, with Moscow as a major supplier of weapons to Mumbai. India also maintains a relationship with Russia and is a major buyer of Russian oil, complicating ties with the US.

Amid these complexities in the relationship, the US has at times been hesitant to share advanced tech with India. For instance, the previous US administration left it off the list of countries with unrestricted access to US-made microchips.

It's unclear how the new Trump administration will affect ties. India rejected President Donald Trump's claim in June that he had brokered a ceasefire between India and Pakistan during a conflict in May. But India's government has also publicly praised Trump, in a move seen by some analysts as a bid to avoid heavy tariffs that Trump is putting on much of the world.

The Trump administration has pledged to deepen its defense partnership with India. Trump said in February that "starting this year, we'll be increasing military sales to India by many billions of dollars." He added that they were "paving the way" for India to eventually get the F-35.

Whether that goes through remains to be seen. It's uncertain whether F-35s are right for India, which is eager to grow its own defense industry. Also, Russia is offering India an export version of its less expensive Su-57. The Russian jet comes with less red tape but also less capability.

Rescuing the jet

The UK is trying to repair the stranded aircraft to take it out of India. The UK Defence in India, the official X account of UK Defence Adviser in India, Commodore Chris Saunders, posted on July 7 that a team of engineers from the UK had arrived to work on the aircraft

It said repairs were underway on the aircraft, which had been moved to the maintenance hangar. It said "we are grateful for the continued support and collaboration of the Indian authorities."

India Today reported that UK military personnel were guarding the hangar and that India's security forces were staying outside and at a distance.

The jet likely can't be safely flown right now. The UK Ministry of Defence, in a statement to The Associated Press, rejected speculation that the jet could be partially dismantled and transported in a cargo plane if it can't be fixed by engineers.

For now, the advanced jet is where it is and has become something of a source of humor in India, sparking memes. The tourism department of Kerala shared a cartoon image of the fighter jet on a runway beside some palm trees with a fake five-star review alongside the text "Kerala is such an amazing place, I don't want to leave. Definitely recommend."

• OpenAI has lost some key talent, but few of them have talked about their time at the company.
• One employee, Calvin French-Owen, however, recently shared some details.
• OpenAI has a bottom-up culture where promotions are meritocratic, he said.

A lot can happen in a year at OpenAI.

Calvin French-Owen, a former member of OpenAI's technical staff who helped launch a series of AI coding tools called Codex, published a lengthy blog post on Tuesday that detailed what happened to him in his year at the company.

His blog offers a rare, first-person account of everyday life at OpenAI — insight that its string of recently departed employees haven't provided until now.

He said he left about three weeks ago after starting in May 2024. Prior to OpenAI, he was the cofounder of a customer data platform called Segment, according to his LinkedIn profile. He said he's still figuring out what's next.

French-Owen said that OpenAI has a "bottoms-up" culture, especially in its research departments. This makes the company "very meritocratic," he said, and people are promoted on their ability to generate ideas and execute them. The most competent, he said, weren't great at all-hands presentations or "political maneuvering."

Despite the revelations about CEO Sam Altman's leadership style that surfaced during his brief ousting as CEO in 2023 — and subsequent chatter of culture clashes between the company's academic and corporate factions — French-Owen said the company stays true to its nonprofit origins. "The longer you've been there, the more you probably view things through the 'research lab' or 'nonprofit for good' lens," he wrote.

That's not to say the company isn't worried about turning a profit. He said success is mostly measured by the number of subscriptions a new tool or update generates, a key path to profitability.

He also said the company doesn't operate like an institution or a tech giant. It makes decisions quickly, teams are fluid, and it can be "very secretive," he said, so he never knew what others were working on in much detail.

Another hallmark of the fast-paced, startup-like culture is that most communication takes place on Slack. French-Owen said he received about 10 emails during his whole tenure at OpenAI.

But the pace can sometimes backfire. "Everything breaks when you scale that quickly: how to communicate as a company, the reporting structures, how to ship product, how to manage and organize people, the hiring processes, etc," he said.

Hours are long, he said, especially as it comes close to a product launch. Some of OpenAI's engineers told media outlets that they were burned out from working 80 hours a week, and the company gave them a week off earlier this month.

When the launch of Codex neared, French-Owen said he worked from 7 a.m. to midnight most days, and weekends, too.

"The stakes feel really high," he said. "On the one hand, there's the goal of building AGI — which means there is a lot to get right. On the other hand, you're trying to build a product that hundreds of millions of users leverage."

Artificial general intelligence is broadly defined as AI that reasons as well as or better than humans. It's what most leading AI companies are competing to develop first.

Talent is the key to reaching that goal. The biggest tech companies in the world are throwing millions at a handful of top researchers to win the race to AGI.

Meta has been at the forefront of these talent wars. CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently hired Scale AI CEO Alexandr Wang to lead its AI efforts, and has recruited some of the top AI researchers in the world from other companies.

One of the top places Zuckerberg is poaching from is OpenAI. Jason Wei, who worked on OpenAI's o1 and deep research models, and colleague Hyung Won Chung, both left for Meta this week.

Ultimately, French-Owen said there's a chance he'd return to OpenAI.

"It's entirely possible that the quality of the work will draw me back," he said. "It's hard to imagine building anything as impactful as AGI, and LLMs are easily the technological innovation of the decade."

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

• My husband and I spent about three months traveling around the United Kingdom, France, andSpain.
• I wish we'd learned how to use local public transit sooner and hadn't rented a car during the trip.
• Our trip would've been easier if we'd learned more of the local languages before we left.

No matter how much you plan or how well-traveled you are, you're bound to make a few mistakes. That's what my husband and I realized after our first trip together to Europe last spring.

Despite our best efforts, our almost-three-month adventure in the United Kingdom, France, and Spain included more than a few miscalculations — some of which happened before we even boarded the plane.

Before your nexttrip to Europe, you may want to learn from our mistakes to save yourself time, money, and stress.

Relying on rideshares and cabs instead of learning how to navigate public transportation right away

During our first week in London, we used the city's famous black cabs and ride-hailing apps like Bolt and Uber. This cost us hundreds of dollars, and we also wasted a lot of time sitting in traffic.

We eventually figured out how to navigate public transit (with the help of the Citymapper app), and this was a huge time and money saver everywhere we went in Europe. I wish we'd done it sooner.

Not being more skeptical about rental listings

We booked a few rental spaces for our trip and didn't realize until after arriving that we'd been duped by some of the hosts' photos.

Turns out, many of them had been taken in 0.5 zoom, which can make spaces (especially bathrooms) look a lot bigger than they are.

We now scrutinize images on rental sites more closely, ask hosts specific questions about the space, and read all user reviews. Sometimes, we even request more photos.

Renting a car to cross countries

Part of the excitement of our European adventure was traveling by plane, train, and automobile.

We loved taking trains, butdriving through the south of France and northern Spain was more stressful than idyllic. We weren't prepared to navigate the roads, from the expensive tolls to the confusing signs with symbols we'd never seen before.

Looking back, we shouldn't have rented a car. From now on, when we're abroad, we're sticking to trains and planes.

Packing the wrong shoes and not breaking them in

My husband has an uncommon shoe size, so he packed two pairs of new sneakers. The problem was, he didn't wear them much before the trip.

Turns out, there's a big difference between walking a mile in Santa Monica and 6 to 8 miles a day in Paris and London. If he'd broken them in more, we would've known he needed replacement insoles.

Instead, by the end of our trip, we'd spent hundreds of dollars on moleskin pads and bandages — and my husband's feet were so blistered and bruised that they didn't go back to normal for weeks.

Next time, he's making sure his shoes are effectively tested and broken in before going on a trip that requires a lot of walking.

Hiding our passports in our rental apartment … then forgetting about them

We didn't necessarily want to carry our passports with us while exploring different cities and towns. So, in an effort to keep them safe, we'd hide them in some of our Airbnbs when a safe wasn't available.

However, we forgot to take our passports with us while checking out of one rental in Spain — partly because we were in such a rush to leave.

To avoid making this scary mistake again, we now use a packing checklist and double-check that we have all of our belongings when we check out of an accommodation.

Not learning enough of the local languages before the trip

Though it was easy for us to get by in Spain with my conversational Spanish, it was difficult to communicate in France with our very limited French.

Granted, most locals spoke English, but our lack of language proficiency was particularly distressing when we ended up at a Parisian hospital trying to explain my husband's headache symptoms and understand the doctor's advice. (Thank goodness for Google Translate!)

With so many free language-learning apps and resources out there, we should've brushed up months beforehand instead of waiting until the last minute. That way, we could've navigated each country more comfortably, efficiently, and independently.

Assuming our Platinum Amex would be the only card we'd need

Getting the Platinum Amex Card was phenomenal for its sign-on bonus points and perks like car-rental insurance, $15 monthly Uber Cash, and no foreign transaction fees.

However, most places we visited in Europe didn't accept American Express cards. Instead, we had to use our other credit cards that charged international fees.

Now, when traveling abroad, we don't rely on Amex alone — we also take at least one Mastercard or Visa that doesn't charge foreign transaction fees.

Booking a monthlong stay in a city we hadn't planned on visiting

Initially, our European adventure wasn't going to include a month in Donostia-San Sebastian, a seaside town in Spain's Basque Country.

But a friend told us about the region, and we figured it'd be fun to visit this renowned gastronomic hub.

It was beautiful — but after 10 days of pintxos (local bite-sized snacks) and promenade walks, we got bored and left.

Knowing we wouldn't get a refund for our rental was difficult, but we determined it was worth the extra cost so we could return to Paris and enjoy a city we truly love.

Next time, we'll follow our instincts and also try a place out for a shorter period of time if we're not sure we'll love it.

• Jamie Siminoff is back at Amazon running the Ring business he founded. He's making big changes.
• Siminoff recently mandated that staff show how they use AI when applying for promotions.
• This applies to Ring and some other Amazon units including Blink and Sidewalk.

To get ahead at Ring and other Amazon smart-home businesses, you'll need to show your AI chops.

Ring founder Jamie Siminoff, who also oversees Amazon's Blink security cameras, Key in-home delivery service, and Sidewalk wireless network, announced on Wednesday that all promotion applications at his RBKS organization must now explain how employees are using AI at work.

Siminoff, who returned to Amazon in April after a 2-year hiatus, said the new policy aims to reward "innovative thinking" and reinforce a culture of speed and efficiency.

"When we combine innovative technology with our missions, we create something truly special," Siminoff wrote in the email, a copy of which was obtained by Business Insider.

A Ring spokesperson told BI the changes only apply to Amazon's RBKS employees, and not the rest of the company.

The change underscores a growing trend among tech companies to incorporate AI use into their talent-evaluation process.

Shopify announced in April that managers must prove AI couldn't do a job better before hiring anyone new. Microsoft is asking some managers to evaluate employees based on how they use internal AI tools. Amazon CEO Andy Jassy, meanwhile, warned last month that AI will reduce the company's workforce because of efficiency gains.

Siminoff, in his email, said employees seeking a promotion must now describe how they have used generative AI or other AI technologies to improve customer experience or increase operational efficiency. They are also asked to cite specific AI projects they've worked on and the measurable impact achieved.

Those in management positions are also required to show how they used AI tools to accomplish "more with less," while reducing or not growing headcount, according to the email.

"In the spirit of Day 1 culture, we will keep learning, iterating and improving this," Siminoff wrote.

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• OpenAI released 'Agent Mode' on Thursday.
• Agent Mode allows ChatGPT users to parse data and create spreadsheets and slides, among other things.
• OpenAI announced the new tool as it navigates an otherwise bumpy summer.

OpenAI released "Agent Mode" on Thursday.

The company said the new tool is a ChatGPT agent that can tackle complex tasks "using its own computer."

That includes requests like "look at my calendar and brief me on upcoming client meetings based on recent news" and "plan and buy ingredients to make Japanese breakfast for four," the company said in its announcement.

During a livestream, CEO Sam Altman said the idea for the ChatGPT agent came after OpenAI launched its other agents, Operator and Deep Research. Operator uses its own browser to perform tasks, while Deep Research can do multi-step investigations on the internet.

"It became clear to us that what people really wanted was for us to bring those capabilities together," Altman said. "People wanted a unified agent that could go off, use its own computer, and do real complex tasks for them."

Agent Mode is now available for certain ChatGPT users.

"Starting today, Pro, Plus, and Team users can activate ChatGPT's new agentic capabilities directly through the tools dropdown from the composer by selecting 'agent mode' at any point in any conversation," the company said.

The release is a much-needed distraction from what has been a bumpy summer for the world's premier AI startup, which in March was valued at $300 billion after raising another $40 billion.

OpenAI has faced increased competition from Big Tech giants like Meta, Google, Amazon, and Microsoft recently. Google, for example, hired staffers from AI coding assistant startup Windsurf after its deal with OpenAI collapsed. Meta poached several of OpenAI's top staffers to bolster its own ranks, and Amazon is developing a potentially unflattering film about Altman.

It's also navigating disagreements with its largest investor, Microsoft, and a trademark suit related to its much-hyped acquisition of io, the design company founded by famed Apple designer Jony Ive.

Elon Musk's xAI, meanwhile, released the latest version of its chatbot, Grok, this month. OpenAI, on the other hand, delayed the release of its own new model.

With the release of Agent Mode, the ChatGPT maker is reminding everyone that it's still, for now, the leading AI company out there.

Agent Mode will allow ChatGPT users to do all kinds of things, including parsing data and creating spreadsheets and slides, competing directly with Microsoft and Google.

• Jeanine Pirro, a former Fox News host, disclosed a net worth of $11.6 million.
• She made $2.9 million from Jan 2024 to May 2025, plus tens of thousands from speeches and consulting.
• She's now Trump's nominee to be US Attorney in Washington, DC.

"Judge Jeanine" made millions as a Fox News co-host.

As she seeks to be confirmed as US Attorney General for the District of Columbia, the conservative media personality has shed some light on her personal finances.

Jeanine Pirro disclosed a net worth of $11.6 million in a disclosure form provided to the Senate Judiciary Committee and obtained by BI on Thursday.

Her main assets include a $3.5 million home in Westchester County, New York, $1.7 million in cash or bank accounts, and a series of brokerage and retirement accounts worth a combined $7.2 million.

In a separate financial disclosure, which covers the roughly 16 months between January 2024 to May 2025, Pirro disclosed earning $2.9 million from Fox News, where she was as a co-host on "The Five" beginning in 2022.

During that same 16-month period, she was paid $513,000 by WABC Radio, where she hosted a weekly broadcast called "The Judge Jeanine Pirro Show." She also earned $70,000 from multiple paid speeches and $60,000 from unspecified consulting work.

Pirro is already serving in the job, having been named by President Donald Trump as interim US attorney in May after the previous nominee, Ed Martin, was withdrawn.

Pirro is one of several conservative media personalities and former Fox News hosts who Trump has brought into his administration. They include Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino, and Ambassador to Greece nominee Kimberly Guilfoyle.

Most nominees for top executive branch jobs are required to disclose details of their personal finances on a yearly basis, along with when they're nominated.

Representatives for Pirro, Fox News, and WABC Radio did not return requests for comment.

During her time at Fox News, Pirro was named in two major lawsuits filed by election technologies companies Dominion and Smartmatic in connection with statements she made about election systems during the 2020 election.

Before her media career, Pirro was a local politician in New York, and was elected as a judge and then the district attorney in Westchester County in the 1990s.

After a short-lived Senate bid against then-Sen. Hillary Clinton in 2006, Pirro ran for New York State Attorney General against Andrew Cuomo, ultimately losing handily to the future governor.

• The 2025 ESPY Awards were hosted on Wednesday night in Los Angeles.
• Simone Biles and Lindsey Vonn impressed with their standout fashion on the red carpet.
• Other athletes like Russell Wilson made small fashion mistakes.

Fashion at the 2025 ESPY Awards was mostly a slam dunk.

Simone Biles, Ilona Maher, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and other athletes stunned in designer looks on the red carpet at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on Wednesday.

There were a few noticeable style misses, too, from underwhelming suits to ill-fitting dresses.

Here's a look at the best and worst looks of the night.

Olympic gymnast Suni Lee shimmered in gold.

Her form-fitting dress was sleeveless, made from tan mesh, and decorated from top to bottom with gold leaf appliqués.

It hugged her body and complemented the glamour of her wavy black hairstyle. Lee completed the look with gold sandals and delicate jewelry.

Jordan Chiles, another US gymnast, wore a metallic gown that missed the mark.

Cong Tri designed her salmon-pink minidress. It was strapless and had a circle skirt that sat above her knees.

Though its shiny color worked for the Olympic gymnast, the top half of the dress awkwardly bunched at the waist. It also might have looked better without its two side cutouts.

NBA star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander looked sharp in a gray suit.

His four-piece Ferragamo ensemble included striped trousers, a double-breasted jacket, a longer overcoat, and a white button-up top.

The suit's understated pattern was classic, while its slightly oversize shape created a modern edge.

Gilgeous-Alexander also accessorized to perfection with gold earrings and a thick statement watch.

There were two pieces of Russell Wilson's outfit that should've been changed.

The NFL quarterback arrived at the awards event in black trousers, a silk top, and a blue-velvet blazer.

The latter piece would have worked great for a winter event, but looked out of place at the summer ceremony.

He also sported sunglasses on the red carpet, which hid his face and didn't add any extra flair to the outfit.

You couldn't miss Simone Biles as she sparkled her way down the red carpet

She wore a custom Athleta gown designed by Zac Posen, which was covered in sequins and sparkled in the light.

It had short sleeves, a square neckline, a form-fitting bodice, and a floor-length skirt with a short train. She wore it with silver jewelry and her hair styled in waves.

Lindsey Vonn made a daring fashion move, and it paid off.

Vonn glowed on the ESPY Awards red carpet. Her smoky makeup complemented her wind-swept hair, and her gold jewelry matched her Rolex Daytona watch.

It was the Olympic ski racer's choice of dress, though, that really stood out. The plum-colored piece was strapless with a hip-high slit that revealed her black underwear.

Ilona Maher also had a strong fashion moment in a skin-baring dress.

Her sleeveless black gown had a plunging neckline, waist cutouts, and a backless bodice.

It was sleek, strong, and accessorized simply with delicate gold jewelry. The rugby athlete also carried a black leather bag from Adidas.

Alex Morgan wore a silver gown that had potential but needed tweaks.

The soccer star walked the red carpet in a long gown with a silver, sequin-encrusted bodice and a black satin skirt.

Its strapless design and V-shaped neckline worked for Morgan, but the dress needed tailoring. Its top was scrunched at her waist, and its skirt was an awkward length.

• Amazon is laying off employees in its cloud-computing unit, Amazon Web Services.
• Employees are using an internal Slack channel to piece together which teams and how many were cut.
• The cuts come after Amazon CEO Andy Jassy told employees that AI would shrink its workforce.

Amazon laid off employees in its cloud-computing unit, the company confirmed on Thursday, and employees are trying to piece together the details in internal messages.

Amazon spokesperson Brad Glasser confirmed the company is laying off employees in AWS, but did not specify which teams were affected or how many employees were cut.

Internal Slack messages viewed by Business Insider suggest the affected teams include frontline support, training and certification, and the AWS Worldwide Specialist Organization, which works with customers and product teams. Some of the employees who wrote on Slack that they were laid off said their roles included work on marketing, analytics, and even generative AI. Amazon did not respond to a request to confirm.

"After a thorough review of our organization, our priorities, and what we need to focus on going forward, we've made the difficult business decision to eliminate some roles across particular teams in AWS," Amazon spokesperson Brad Glasser said. "These decisions are necessary as we continue to invest, hire, and optimize resources to deliver innovation for our customers."

The cuts come after Amazon CEO Andy Jassy recently told employees that AI would shrink the company's corporate white-collar workforce over the next few years, citing "efficiency gains." Glasser, the Amazon spokesperson, said the cuts aren't primarily due to AI and the company has thousands of job listings posted in areas it deems more strategic.

Glasser also said U.S. employees will receive pay and benefits for at least the next 60 days, and will be eligible for a severance payment. The company has yet to respond to a request about what makes an employee eligible.

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• Sudheer Koneru, 56, is the CEO of a health tech company.
• He told BI's Fitness Money Diaries that he spends around $25,000 a year on his health and fitness.
• A significant chunk goes on his breathwork classes and annual trip to Bali.

Sudheer Koneru was 15 years into a successful career when he retired to go on what he called a journey of "inner discovery."

Koneru started out as a product manager at Microsoft in 1992, before launching his own company, Intelliprep, in the early 2000s.

In 2008, at age 39, he left the company to focus on improving his fitness by doing yoga, strength training, and running.

"I was happy with where I was financially and my goals were more around my personal well-being and being with my family," Koneru, 56, who is based in Seattle, told Business Insider. "What I did every day at work, all that was fine, but there is something deeper to the meaning of my existence.

"I needed to spend some time learning about that, not just making money."

In 2010, at age 41, he came out of retirement to found Zenoti, which provides business software to fitness centers, spas, and salons. He said he tries to integrate what he sees as the principles of wellness into his company's culture.

Zenoti hosts fitness classes during work hours, including yoga, kickboxing, and pilates, and rewards employees with money for every mile they run, walk, or swim. Employees also have access to a spa and salon, healthy snacks like fruit in the office, and unlimited counseling sessions.

"Wellness isn't about having a six-pack," Koneru said. "It's about balance and being able to live to your full potential."

Koneru works 10 to 12 hours a day in a high-pressure job and tries to sleep for at least seven hours a night, but doesn't always achieve this because he travels at least once a month.

He tries prioritize his health to stay at the top of his game: below is what he spends on average.

Yoga: $0

Koneru does yoga most days at around 7 a.m., including on weekends.

"Yoga has served me very well. When I am very regular with doing it, there's a certain innate balance in my execution of life," he said.

He doesn't buy yoga mats often, so he said he doesn't spend any money on yoga.

Wellness trip to Bali: about $15,000 a year

Koneru's biggest wellness expense is his yearly monthlong trip to Bali, where he rents an entire property for himself for $10,000. He said it helps him focus on work and wellness.

While in Bali, he receives treatments such as massages and sound baths and does lots of yoga. He estimates that treatments, travel, and food add a further $5,000 to the cost of the trip.

"It's an investment, but it helps me be very balanced and I get access to way more wellness and spirituality in Bali," Koneru said. "And I'm still doing my regular 10 hours of work a day."

"Your energy is different in Bali. It's quite peaceful. So, I think I perform better, and I am a believer that when I'm in a good zone with my yoga and wellness and everything, good things happen naturally," he said. "Like I may get better ideas and I may execute them better because the universe is operating through me."

Running: $200 - $300 a year

Koneru spends between $200 and $300 on running shoes each year.

He ran sporadically during his time at Microsoft and his previous company, because he found it helped him overcome jet lag while traveling.

Koneru started running "seriously" at 40 for the mental health benefits and to help with weight loss, and did two half-marathons in 2014 and 2015. He no longer feels the need to do races because he's proven to himself that he can do them, he said.

Now, Koneru tends to run when he is traveling, for 30 minutes to an hour at around 4 p.m. or 5 p.m., to refresh himself before returning to work in the evening.

Zenoti has teams in the US and India, so he has to be available in different time zones.

Home gym: $3,000 upfront cost + $66 a month

Two years ago, Koneru bought a $3,000 smart home gym machine from the brand Tonal.

Tonal machines feature weight bars and tension ropes installed on a wall, and collect data on the user's movements and fitness goals to provide personalized training programs.

Koneru pays a $66 monthly subscription fee to access features beyond its basic functionality, including a library of workout videos and real-time coaching.

Koneru uses his Tonal home gym to strength train four or five times a week.

Fitness clothing: about $3,000 a year

Koneru estimates that he spends around $3,000 on workout clothes each year.

He shops at stores such as REI Co-op, which sells hiking clothing and gear, and "Lululemon-type places," he said.

Massages: $200 every two months

Koneru has a massage every two months, which costs around $200.

He said he chooses massage parlors that are "wellness-focused," and is happy to spend more on one that's good quality, he said.

He likes Ayurvedic massages, which use essential oils and focus on "energy points" and the skin as well as the muscles.

Breathwork workshops: $4,000 a year

Koneru was born in India and travels there every quarter or so. He often attends four-day breathing workshop at a Bangalore-based center.

It uses a specific spiritual breathing pattern in each two-hour guided meditation and breathwork session.

"It is amazingly healing and just so powerful," Koneru said.

Each workshop costs between $1,300 and $1,900, and Koneru estimates that he spends around $4,000 on them a year.

Total spend on health and fitness: approximately $23,992 a year

• I climbed to the top of Angels Landing, one of Zion National Park's most popular hikes.
• To keep the crowds at bay, the park distributes a limited number of permits using a lottery system.
• The last stretch to the peak is on a narrow ridge, and hikers have to cling to chains to get there.

Angels Landing is not for the faint of heart.

One of Zion National Park's most iconic hikes, it's breathtaking both in its beauty and in its physical demands. And during a June 2022 trip through the American Southwest, my husband and I tackled this Instagram-famous trek.

The 5.4-mile hike, which peaks at 1,488 feet, can be daunting for those who have a fear of heights and challenging to complete for those who don't plan ahead.

Here are the things that surprised me the most about Angels Landing.

Hikers have to enter a lottery to climb Angels Landing, and they're not guaranteed to get a permit.

Zion has lotteries for hiking permits to limit traffic on certain trails, including Angels Landing.

The National Park Service implemented the system years ago to control crowd sizes and minimize congestion on the dangerous chain portion of Angels Landing.

Not everyone who enters the lottery for an Angels Landing permit gets one, especially during the busy season, which stretches from April to October.

Plus, the application process takes some forethought (and a nonrefundable $6 application fee on top of the park-entrance fee). If you win, though, the permits are just $3 a person.

Our trip was in early June, but the lottery for permits between June 1 to August 31 was only open from April 1 through April 20.

When we applied, the system asked us to rank seven days and windows of time, so I recommend providing as many options as possible.

If you don't want to miss out on Angels Landing during your trip to Zion, check the lottery dates and make sure you enter on time.

Visitors can also try to score a last-minute permit the day before they want to hit the trail.

If you weren't lucky enough to get an Angels Landing permit in the seasonal lottery (or you're taking a last-minute trip to Zion), you can still enter the park's day-before lottery. 

But watch the clock — it closes at 3 p.m. each day.

If you plan on exploring the park the day before you hope to hike Angels Landing and are worried you won't have great cell service (spoiler alert: you probably won't), enter the day-before lottery prior to lacing up your hiking boots in the morning.

At 4 p.m., the National Park Service sends an email letting applicants know if they made the cut. Even if you do everything right, you still might not get a permit.

People without a permit can still hike Angels Landing up to Scout Lookout.

Even if you don't win the lottery, you can still hike a portion of Angels Landing up to Scout Lookout. The trail is 3.6 miles round-trip and offers amazing views of the canyon. 

The path up to Scout Lookout even includes some of the most iconic portions of the Angels Landing trail — like the 21 short, steep switchbacks known as Walter's Wiggles.

However, it excludes the thrilling chain scramble at the top.

They can also explore other sites in Zion, like the Narrows or the Emerald Pools hikes.

There's plenty to do in Zion that doesn't require a special permit.

We spent a whole day knee-deep in the Virgin River exploring the Narrows, a popular hike through Zion Canyon's narrowest section.

Visitors can also check out the nearby Emerald Pools hike, which has three loops of various distances that lead to three different pools.

The park doesn't permit hikers to drive their personal vehicles to the trailhead.

For most of the year, the National Park Service operates free shuttles along Zion Canyon Scenic Drive, where you'll find most of the trailheads.

You aren't allowed to drive your personal vehicle into this portion of the park when the shuttle is operating. Instead, you park at the visitor center and take the shuttle to your destination.

The bus has nine stops along the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive, transporting visitors on a 45-minute route between the Zion Canyon Visitor Center to the Temple of Sinawava.

If you stay outside Zion in Springdale, you can avoid the park's less-than-ideal parking situation by hopping on the town bus, called the Springdale Shuttle, and transferring to the park shuttle when you reach the visitor center.

To get to Angels Landing on the Zion Canyon Shuttle, get off at The Grotto, which is about 20 to 30 minutes from the visitor center. 

Once you're at The Grotto, squeeze in a quick pit stop at the restrooms before crossing the main street to the trailhead.

Even if you hike Angels Landing super early, there will likely still be crowds.

Even with the lottery system, the trail gets busy. I'm talking Disney World-level busy.

To avoid running into a lot of people, get to the trailhead early. We set our alarms for 5 a.m., left our Airbnb 45 minutes later, and were on one of the first shuttles of the day at 6:15 a.m.

Even then, the shuttle was full, and almost every passenger was headed to Angels Landing.

If you climb the route later in the morning or in the early afternoon, it'll be packed (not to mention scorching hot for most of the year). 

Plus, you'll run into more traffic jams on the top portion of the climb since there's only one set of chains to go up and down the trail.

Refrigerator Canyon is an underrated portion of the trail.

Right before we reached Walter's Wiggles, we hiked through a mostly flat and shaded stretch called Refrigerator Canyon.

Because it's located between two massive rock formations, it's a peaceful, cool (hence the "refrigerator" in its name) section of the trail that allowed us to rest before the hard part of the hike began.

The greenery, shade, and nearby river also make it the perfect habitat for the Mexican Spotted Owl. We didn't see any of them on our hike, but the National Park Service placed multiple signs encouraging hikers to be quiet on this stretch to avoid disturbing the birds.

Walter's Wiggles weren't as bad as I expected.

Before our trip, I read dozens of horror stories about Walter's Wiggles — steep, zigzagging turns along the hike.

Although the switchbacks were challenging to navigate, they weren't as bad as I expected. I've encountered more grueling ones on my trips to Yellowstone National Park, Mount Rainier, and Guadalupe Mountain. 

Just pace yourself, take breaks as often as you need, and drink lots of water on your way up. Take it slow on the way down, too — your knees will thank you.

Also, consider bringing hiking poles to go up and down the switchbacks. You can pack them up when you reach the chains.

There are restrooms at the top of Scout Lookout.

I've done my fair share of all-day hikes and have taken care of my "personal business" in some unique places. So I was surprised to find a restroom at Scout Lookout, which was 1.8 miles into our trip.

But bring your own hand sanitizer because these restrooms are primitive. 

The chain portion of Angels Landing was more of a mental challenge than a physical one.

The trail's chain section is what makes Angels Landing so iconic, but I expected it to be more challenging. 

As long as you take your time, wear decent hiking boots, and have moderate trail experience, you shouldn't have a problem. You can even skip the climbing gloves.

I was grateful that the ascent along the narrow ridge wasn't that physically demanding because it sure was mentally taxing. 

If you're at all afraid of heights, you might be taken aback by the super-narrow sections, which have 1,000-foot drops on either side. But the view at the top makes it so worth it. 

Just tightly grip the chain, take your time, and remember that beautiful views are steps away.

If you don't feel physically or mentally fit for this portion of the trail, turn around. Your safety is in your own hands, and people have died from falling off the edge.

The top of Angels Landing is a great spot to take a mid-hike break.

Mountaintops are usually ideal spots to have a snack, take a selfie, and sit down. But on one of the world's most popular hikes in a crowded park, I figured there would only be room to stand.

Luckily, the last stretch of the hike is one long, wide ridge with views for days. There were plenty of spots beneath trees or on top of boulders where we could sit down out of everyone's way.

You won't get the typical solo mountaintop experience, but there's enough room to take off your pack, eat a sandwich, and snap some photos.

Be careful: The daring chipmunks at the top have no shame in begging for (or stealing) your food. Persuasive and persistent as they may be, don't feed them.

Regardless of when hikers climb Angels Landing, they'll probably still hit heavy traffic on the way back down.

After soaking in the views for 20 minutes, we noticed the mountaintop was getting busier.

Although we were among the first to the summit, throngs of people weren't far behind us — and that meant there were traffic jams on the way back down the chains.

The next day, we spoke to a family who started their climb to Angels Landing in the afternoon. The same journey that took us 20 minutes took them over two hours because of the traffic.

Go as early as possible, but accept that you've chosen one of the world's most beautiful and popular hikes. You'll have to share those views (and chains) with everyone else.

This story was originally published on August 29, 2022, and most recently updated on July 17, 2025.

• Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas said the AI talent wars are becoming a "transfer market."
• Srinivas said companies should ensure employees are motivated by more than money to avoid losing them.
• The frenzy is partly the result of a shortage of talent and an excess of money.

Top AI researchers have more in common with Steph Curry than you might think.

At least according to Aravind Srinivas, the CEO of Perplexity, who compared the feverish AI talent wars to the scramble for sports stars on an episode of the podcast "Decoder" that aired July 17.

"It's definitely going to feel like a transfer market now, like an NBA or something," he said of the effort to recruit AI researchers. "There's going to be a few individual stars who are having so much leverage."

As Big Tech companies offer eye-popping salaries and CEOs personally recruit AI talent, Srinivas said that companies need to ensure that employees are motivated by mission as well as money.

"You're encountering new kinds of challenges. You feel a lot of growth, you're learning new things. And you're getting richer, too, along the way. Why would you want to go just because you have some guaranteed payments?" he said.

Srinivas said that he was "surprised by the magnitude" of the salaries Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is reportedly offering to top AI researchers, adding that it "seems like it's needed at this point for them." With the massive salaries, Srinivas said "failure is not an option" for Meta's new team — and that anything other than success would look pretty bad for Zuckerberg.

It's not just Meta that's trying to poach top talent. The hiring spree is motivated both by the limited pool of top researchers and engineers and nearly unfathomable resources at the biggest tech companies, as BI previously reported.

Srinivas isn't the first to make the basketball metaphor: Databricks' vice president of AI compared recruiting a top researcher to "looking for LeBron James."

Have a tip about the AI talent wars? Contact this reporter via email at [email protected] or Signal at alicetecotzky.05. Use a personal email address and a nonwork device; here's our guide to sharing information securely.

• Doug Weaver experienced the 'Gen Z stare' while teaching college students in St. Louis.
• He said some students would watch videos of him while in class, rather than watching him live.
• Weaver, a millennial, sees a need for mental health services to address post-COVID-19 challenges.

Doug Weaver, 36, is an artist who, until 2024, taught at several colleges in the St. Louis area as an adjunct professor and, at times, experienced the so-called "Gen Z stare," a phrase that's recently gained traction on social media. The following has been edited for brevity and clarity.

At the start of any class, I've always had jitters because you never know what the class dynamics will be.

There were a few years where it was hard just to get students to interact with each other, especially for those who were in their junior or senior year of high school when COVID-19 hit.

With my students, I would give instructions, and they would just stare at me. Or, we were going to do introductions, and I would be like, "OK, it's your turn to introduce yourself," and they would just stare at me. I'm like, "Am I asking wrong?"

After COVID, I did see an increase in the amount that students who just don't engage, and it makes it a lot harder to get the class going. To be able to actually teach the class, and to be able to actually know where you are, I just need a little bit of interaction. I need a bit of what your background is, what your name is, and what your interest in art is.

For a few years after COVID, I would give students the questions that we were going to discuss and have them write things down. Then, you're reading it instead of saying it. That would be helpful, though sometimes they wouldn't write anything. That's when I would just be like, I don't really know what to do.

If you just don't participate — I expect that more from middle school and high school students. Those students often don't want to be there, but they have to be. In my case, these were college students. I was like, "You're choosing to be here, and you're paying to be here."

That's what was always hard for me. I want you to have the experience that you want. And if you won't tell me, if you won't interact with me, then I don't know what your values are or what kind of interaction you want.

Why videos feel more comfortable

You need students to ask questions when they don't know what to do. Sometimes it's good for them to say, "Hey, I'm a little lost."

During COVID, when everything was online, I made video versions of a lot of my in-class demonstrations and lectures. I still made those videos after students came back to class. Yet the in-class demo was better because you can ask questions, and I can talk to you more specifically about what I'm doing. But I would find that, instead of asking questions or asking me to clarify things, I would have students watching the videos during class.

I would even have students watch the video of me doing a demonstration while I am doing that same demonstration in class. It's mind-blowing to me, but it almost just felt more comfortable for them to look at that on a screen.

I really think that those few years of being on Zoom for everything affected that entire generation's social skills. I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing. The future is more and more online. A lot of them are going to be working online, and so navigating online social spheres and Zoom work life is important.

The value of being in class is social interaction, getting specific questions answered, and getting an education that is specific to you. If you're in the class, watching a video of the class — it really just broke my brain a little bit to see that happen.

The way education is now, most information that you're going to get in school, you can get online. The value of going to an educational institution is to have that education tailored toward you. The reason you're there is for you to work on your own self-expression, your own way that you navigate the world, and having someone looking at what you do and tailoring the education toward you.

With colleges and universities, what you pay for is the way the information is presented, and for the interaction that you have with professors and with experts, and to have opportunities to meet people and to just have experiences that you wouldn't be able to have otherwise.

A tarnished experience

This group of students had a really bad situation because of COVID. For some of them, their high school experience was really tarnished, and, for some, their college experience was tarnished. Their education was lacking, and their social interaction was lacking. Their ability to enter the workforce was affected. It really just negatively impacted every social aspect of their lives.

I know how much COVID negatively impacted my mental health, and I am far past my most-formative years. So, there's no way that couldn't have a huge impact on their mental health. There's all this conversation about them staring at you in a social interaction when it's just like, the world failed them. Society failed them in a major way.

The larger discussion should be that we need to figure out better ways for all of us to have access to the mental health services that we need, because I don't think we have recovered from COVID.

Do you have a story to share about the "Gen Z stare?" Contact this reporter at [email protected].