Get the latest updates and insights on global business, market trends, and financial news. Stay informed with expert analysis on the forces shaping the economy and industries worldwide.
Florence Pugh has said it’s « exhausting » to be a young woman in the acting industry.
Pugh told The Times of London that female movie stars face being called divas if they don’t follow stereotypes.
« There are fine lines women have to stay within, » she said.
Florence Pugh has opened up about what it’s like to be a young woman in Hollywood, describing the experience as « exhausting. »
In an interview with The Times of London published on Sunday, the 28-year-old British star reflected on her decadelong career as an actor and issues in the industry.
« There are fine lines women have to stay within, otherwise they are called a diva, demanding, problematic. And I don’t want to fit into stereotypes made by others, » Pugh said. « It is really exhausting for a young woman to just be in this industry, and actually other industries. »
Pugh rose to fame after making her movie debut in « The Falling » in 2014. She followed that up with roles in « Midsommar, » « Black Widow, » « Oppenheimer, » « Dune: Part Two, » and « Little Women » — the latter of which earned her an Oscar nomination.
Pugh told The Times that throughout her career, she had loved challenging ideas she didn’t like, such as how women in the public eye are expected to look.
« I remember watching this industry and feeling that I wasn’t represented. I remember godawful headlines about how Keira Knightley isn’t thin anymore, or watching women getting torn apart despite being talented and beautiful, » she said. « The only thing people want to talk about is some useless crap about how they look. And so I didn’t care to abide by those rules. »
Pugh has frequently spoken out over comments to do with her body or look.
The « We Live in Time » star also told The Telegraph in 2022 that she was told to lose weight and change her « look » when she was cast in a failed television pilot at the start of her career.
Pugh also spoke out over comments she received after wearing a transparent pink gown to a Valentino Haute Couture show in 2022.
In the interview with The Times, Pugh said: « I wanted to challenge how women were perceived, how we are supposed to look. »
« Actually I wasn’t trying to challenge. I just wanted to be there, to make space for a version of a person that isn’t all the things they used to have to be, » Pugh said. « I’m proud I’ve stuck by myself and look the way I look — I’m really interested in people who are still angry with me for not losing more weight, or who just hate my nose ring. »
« I am not going to be able to just change the way that things are — but I can certainly help young women coming into this industry by making conversations happen where they weren’t before, » she added.
The map, which was shown during a 2026 World Cup qualifying draw earlier this week, was designed to show countries that cannot be drawn to play against each other for geopolitical reasons, such as Ukraine and Belarus.
However, the graphic appeared to highlight Ukraine but without Crimea as part of it.
In response, Heorhii Tykhyi, a spokesperson for Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, wrote on X: « Are you OK, @FIFAcom? »
« By redrawing international borders in yesterday’s broadcast, you not only acted against international law, but also supported Russian propaganda, war crimes, and the crime of aggression against Ukraine, » he continued, adding that Ukraine expected « a public apology. »
He said they had also « fixed » the map for FIFA and shared another version of it with Crimea highlighted.
In a statement to Business Insider, FIFA said it was « aware of an issue, which affected one of the graphics displayed during the draw and addressed the situation with the federation. »
« The segment has been removed, » it added.
The Ukrainian Association of Football (UAF) said it had written to FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström and UEFA Secretary General Theodore Theodoridis about the matter.
« We are writing to express our deep concern regarding the infographic map of Europe shown during the TV broadcast of the European Qualifiers draw, » the letter reads.
« We emphasize that the version of the map presented by FIFA during the global broadcast to a multi-million audience is unacceptable, » it continues. « It appears as an inconsistent stance by FIFA and UEFA on this crucial issue, especially in light of the ongoing destructive invasion initiated by Russia against Ukraine in the 21st century, in the heart of Europe. »
Business Insider contacted the UAF for comment.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has long vowed to end Russia’s occupation of Crimea, which Moscow annexed in 2014.
The peninsula — the home of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet — holds great strategic importance for the Kremlin, and it has been a major target for Kyiv since Putin launched his full-scale invasion in 2022.
The 2026 World Cup is set to take place across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Ukraine is in qualifying group D, where it is set to face off against Iceland, Azerbaijan, and the winners of the France vs. Croatia Nations League quarter-final.
FIFA this week confirmed that Saudi Arabia will host the 2034 World Cup.
A representative for Agnifilo Intrater LLP confirmed to Business Insider on Sunday that Mangione retained Friedman Agnifilo.
Friedman Agnifilo previously worked as the chief assistant district attorney at the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office for seven years before pivoting to private practice in 2021.
Mangione faces a second-degree murder charge in New York for the fatal December 4 shooting of Thompson, a 50-year-old father of two from Minnesota. That charge carries a maximum sentence of life in prison.
(A charge of first-degree murder is reserved for those accused of killing a law enforcement official or witness of a crime, or for when a murder is committed during the commission of another high-level crime, including robbery, rape, or kidnapping.)
Mangione is fighting extradition to New York City. The 26-year-old Ivy League graduate appeared for a hearing on December 10 at Pennsylvania’s Blair County Courthouse, where a lawyer, Thomas Dickey, told the judge that Mangione was contesting his extradition. Police arrested Mangione in Altoona, Pennsylvania, on December 9 on local charges and later arraigned. Mangione made a bail request, which the judge denied during the hearing.
The suspect will remain at Pennsylvania’s Huntingdon State Correctional Institution during the extradition proceedings. Dickey told reporters on December 10 that Mangione would plead not guilty to all the charges in Pennsylvania.
In an interview with CNN that evening, Dickey also said that he anticipates Mangione would plead not guilty to the murder charge in New York and that he hadn’t seen any evidence that officials in New York « have the right guy. »
Mangione also faces four other charges related to the killing of the insurance CEO: two counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the second-degree, one count of second-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument, and one count of criminal possession of a weapon in the third-degree.
A gun found on Mangione matched the three shell casings found at the site of the shooting, New York Police Department Commissioner Jessica Tisch said during a December 11 press conference.
Tisch added that the suspect’s fingerprints also matched those found on a water bottle and snack bar wrapper discarded near the crime scene.
During Mangione’s arrest, officers found a three-page handwritten document « that speaks to both his motivation and mindset, » Tisch said at a separate press conference on December 9.
An internal NYPD report obtained by The New York Times gave the clearest view of the potential motive yet. Based on the so-called manifesto discovered, Mangione « likely views himself as a hero of sorts who has finally decided to act upon such injustices, » the NYPD report said, as reported by the Times.
Mangione « appeared to view the targeted killing of the company’s highest-ranking representative as a symbolic takedown and a direct challenge to its alleged corruption and ‘power games,’ asserting in his note he is the ‘first to face it with such brutal honesty,' » according to the NYPD report by the department’s Intelligence and Counterterrorism Bureau, the Times reported.
In a statement to Business Insider, representatives for Nino Mangione — a Maryland state legislator and a cousin of Mangione’s — declined to comment on the news of Mangione’s arrest.
« Unfortunately, we cannot comment on news reports regarding Luigi Mangione, » the statement read. « We only know what we have read in the media. Our family is shocked and devastated by Luigi’s arrest. »
Recognized at a McDonald’s
Mangione was eating in an Altoona McDonald’s when an employee recognized him from the several surveillance images that authorities released in the aftermath of Thompson’s killing and called the police, New York police said at the December 9 press conference.
Altoona police found Mangione in the McDonald’s with multiple fake IDs and a US passport, as well as a firearm and a suppressor « both consistent with the weapon used » in the shooting of Thompson in the heart of Manhattan, Tisch, the NYPD commissioner, said.
The gun appeared to be a « ghost gun » that may have been made on a 3-D printer. NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said at the press conference that such a gun could fire a 9-millimeter round.
A Pennsylvania criminal complaint filed against Mangione said officers found a black 3-D-printed pistol and 3-D-printed silencer inside the suspect’s backpack.
When Altoona officers asked Mangione if he had been to New York recently, he « became quiet and started to shake, » the criminal complaint said.
Clothing, including a mask, was also recovered « consistent with those worn » by the suspect wanted for Thompson’s killing, along with a fake New Jersey ID matching the ID that the murder suspect used to check into a Manhattan hostel before the attack, Tisch said.
Based on the handwritten document that police found on Mangione, according to Kenny, « it does seem that he has some ill will toward corporate America. »
During a December 10 interview on NBC’s « Today » show, Tisch said the « manifesto » revealed « anti-corporatist sentiment » and « a lot of issues with the healthcare industry. »
« But as to like particular, specific motive that’ll come out as this investigation continues to unfold over the next weeks and month, » the NYPD commissioner said.
NBC News and The New York Times, each citing an unnamed senior law enforcement official, reported that the handwritten document read in part: « These parasites had it coming. »
« I do apologize for any strife and trauma, but it had to be done, » it added, according to the reports.
Police believe that Mangione acted alone.
NYPD investigators traveled to Altoona last week to interview Mangione after Altoona officers took him into custody.
Blair County District Attorney Peter Weeks said at Mangione’s Pennsylvania arraignment that Mangione was carrying $10,000 in cash, including foreign currency, according to the Associated Press.
Mangione disputed the amount in court.
NYPD released images of the person of interest in Brian Thompson’s killing.
DCPI/NYPD
Mangione was active on social media
Mangione posted and amplified posts about technological advances like artificial intelligence on X. He also posted about fitness and healthy living.
He frequently retweeted posts by the writer Tim Urban and commentator Jonathan Haidt about the promise and perils of technology. He also appeared to be a fan of Michael Pollan, known for his writing about food and ethics.
Other deleted social media posts showed support for Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and expressed skepticism toward both President Joe Biden and President-elect Donald Trump.
At the top of his profile was a header image with three images: a photo of himself, smiling, shirtless on a mountain ridge, a Pokemon, and an x-ray with four pins or screws visible in the lower back.
Mangione founded a company called AppRoar Studios in 2015 while still in high school. AppRoar released an iPhone game called Pivot Plane that is no longer available.
The two other cofounders of AppRoar could not be reached for comment.
Mangione’s X account has been deactivated. A spokesperson for YouTube said his three accounts on the platform were also terminated, but that they had not been active for about seven months.
According to police, Manigone was born and raised in Maryland, and has ties to San Francisco, California. His last known address was in Honolulu, Hawaii.
The New York Post, citing law-enforcement sources, reported that Mangione’s mother reported him missing in mid-November.
Kenny, the NYPD’s chief of detectives, said that Manigone has no prior arrest history in New York and no known arrests in the US.
A Luigi Mangione with a matching birthday and address received a citation for simple trespass for entering a forbidden area of a state park in Hawaii in November 2023. He pleaded no contest and paid a $100 fine.
« For just over five days, our NYPD investigators combed through thousands of hours of video, followed up on hundreds of tips, and processed every bit of forensic evidence — DNA, fingerprints, IP addresses and so much to tighten the net, » Tisch said at Monday’s press conference announcing the arrest of Manigone.
Thompson was shot multiple times on a Midtown sidewalk as he was walking toward the Hilton hotel. He was steps away from a side entrance to the hotel — where he was set to speak at UnitedHealth Group’s investor conference — when a hooded gunman opened fire on him from behind.
The chief executive of the nation’s largest health insurer was struck at least once in the back and at least once in the right calf, police said.
Surveillance footage showed the gunman firing his weapon as Thompson, wearing a blue suit jacket, walked several feet in front of him.
Surveillance images show the suspected shooter in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
NYPD via AP
The gunman fled the scene, first on foot and then on an electric bike, which he rode into Central Park before ultimately escaping from New York City, police said.
Shell casings and bullets found at the scene had the words « deny, » « defend, » and « depose » written on them, according to multiple reports citing unnamed sources. BI couldn’t independently confirm these details.
In the aftermath of the attack, the NYPD offered a $10,000 reward for tips leading to the gunman’s arrest, with the FBI offering a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to his arrest and conviction.
A spokesperson for UnitedHealth Group, the parent company of UnitedHealthcare, reacted to news of Manigone’s arrest in a statement to BI, saying: « Our hope is that today’s apprehension brings some relief to Brian’s family, friends, colleagues and the many others affected by this unspeakable tragedy. We thank law enforcement and will continue to work with them on this investigation. We ask that everyone respect the family’s privacy as they mourn. »
Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt says human-directed AI-controlled drones are the future of war.
Schmidt’s startup, White Stork, is developing drones for Ukraine to use in its war with Russia.
AI drones are a growing trend in military innovation, as is tech to counter them.
Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt says AI drones are the future of warfare but that human operators will need to ensure they don’t go haywire.
Schmidt was Google’s CEO from 2001 to 2011. He is now the founder of an AI drone startup called White Stork, which has provided Ukraine with drones to use in its war with Russia. At a Stanford lecture in August, Schmidt said that the war in Ukraine had turned him into a « licensed arms dealer. » Schmidt said at the Stanford lecture that the startup’s goal is to use AI « in complicated, powerful ways. »
Schmidt’s White Stork and Palmer Luckey’s Anduril are at the forefront of developing autonomous drones for the US military.
Schmidt has said he imagines a future where humans are far from the front line of conflicts, operating from afar machines that do the actual fighting. Speaking to PBS on Friday, Schmidt said that using armed men on the battlefield is an « antiquated method of war. »
« The correct model, and obviously war is horrific, is to have the people well behind and have the weapons well up front, and have them networked and controlled by AI, » Schmidt said. « The future of war is AI, networked drones of many different kinds. »
At a tech conference in Saudi Arabia in October, Schmidt called tanks « useless » and said a $5,000 drone could destroy a $5 million American tank.
Schmidt said it’s more important that the United States maintains the « human in the loop » rule for AI drones, meaning that a person will have « meaningful human control » of drones on the battlefield.
« What will happen is that the computer will produce the battle plan and the human will authorize it, thereby giving the legitimacy of both authorizing it as a human but also the legitimacy of control and liability if they make a mistake, » Schmidt said.
Having a human operator is key to preventing a « Dr. Strangelove situation, » Schmidt said, where « you have an automatic weapon which makes the decision on its own. »
« That would be terrible, » he said.
Scott Sacknoff, president of aerospace and defense investment firm Spade Index, previously told Business Insider that autonomous drones in warfare are « definitely a trend. »
« Every 20 years, the defense sector sort of goes through a cycle where here are the new technologies that will have a greater impact on defense and military, » he said.
Sacknoff said the military defense business is always looking for a « counter » to the newest technology and that the growth of autonomous drones would likely bring more innovations to stop them.
Vermont, home to Sen. Bernie Sanders, has long been known for its progressive politics.
But in the November general election, Republicans made key inroads in state legislative races.
Many voters, who generally back Democrats on the federal level, sided with the GOP on local issues.
In recent decades, Vermont has become known for its progressive politics, with figures like independent Sen. Bernie Sanders dominating the New England state’s political landscape.
On the federal level, the Democratic edge is clear. Vice President Kamala Harris defeated President-elect Donald Trump by over 31 points in Vermont, one of her top showings in the country.
The popular Republican governor, Phil Scott, even voted for Harris, declaring he « put country over party. »
But further down-ballot, Republicans made some key gains in Vermont, breaking Democratic supermajorities as voters concerned about affordability boosted the GOP in a series of pivotal races.
Before the November general election, Democrats held 107 out of 150 seats in the Vermont House of Representatives, and the GOP held 37 seats. But when the state House reconvenes in January, Democrats and Progressives will have 91 seats, compared to 56 for the GOP; independents will hold three seats. And in the Vermont Senate, the previous 21 to 7 Democratic advantage over the GOP will shrink to a 16 to 13 Democratic majority (in addition to one Progressive member).
While Democrats will continue to hold majorities in both chambers, they’ll lack the numbers to override any vetoes from Scott, who in November was reelected in a nearly 52-point landslide on a platform of stabilizing the school budget process and staving off significant property tax increases. The governor has also sought to tackle the housing shortage in Vermont, where affordability has been a major issue for lawmakers in recent years.
A June 2024 assessment taken for the Vermont Department of Housing and Community Development found that the state will need to boost the pace of homebuilding to produce the 24,000 to 36,000 new year-round homes from 2025 through 2029 needed to address demand and replace homes impacted by flooding.
« The goal is to get them to come to the table … and to get enough support to work toward more affordability, » Scott’s policy director, Jason Maulucci, told The New York Times, referring to Democratic state lawmakers.
Trump made critical electoral gains across the country as many voters dissatisfied with the economy opted for him instead of Harris. During President Joe Biden’s term in office, inflation drove blocs of traditionally Democratic-leaning constituencies, like Latino voters and young voters, into the GOP’s fold.
After Biden stepped aside as the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee in July, Harris took on the party’s messaging on the economy. But despite some polls showing her having made inroads against Trump on the issue, she ultimately fell short in critical swing states.
Vermont’s form of Republicanism has traditionally been more moderate than the socially conservative brand that defines the national GOP. However, the state is still dominated by rural areas, where the party was ripe for gains. Democrats, who for years have been the driving force in the state capital of Montpelier, faced the ire of many voters who wanted to see the legislature curb tax hikes in the state.
« Voters have been telling us for years that they’re sick of rising costs, rising rents, rising property taxes and grocery bills, and they feel like they can’t get ahead, » consultant Lachlan Francis told the Times. « They have felt that way for a long time, as the Legislature followed an agenda that was perceived as inflationary, and there was a price to pay for that. »
I lived in Salem, Oregon growing up and thought it was so boring.
After leaving for college and coming back to visit my parents, I realized it wasn’t so uncool.
Moving back to Oregon now feels impossible.
When I was 16 years old, I was convinced that the most boring place on Earth was Salem, Oregon.
As a grunge-punk teen growing up in the 90s, I thought Salem was everything that Seattle and Portland were not. It wasn’t cool, edgy or exciting. It was a city of bureaucrats, where you could find dozens of spots to grab coffee or a sandwich, but not much in the way of night life. And anyway, underage fun was strictly forbidden. Forget sneaking into a bar; we couldn’t even get into an R-rated movie. My friends and I spent our Friday nights at Denny’s, drinking endless cups of coffee and dreaming about moving somewhere cool.
I had lived in Salem all my life, and although I’d traveled with my family to California, Hawaii and even Europe, I longed to experience something new. In Salem, I felt like a round peg in an extremely square hole.
College, I thought, was my chance to find a place where I fit in. I applied to several out-of-state schools and didn’t look back once graduation rolled around.
My new life was about to begin.
Related stories
I realized maybe it wasn’t that uncool
Once it began, though, I had a rude awakening. I was all alone on the other side of the country — thousands of miles away from everything familiar. What had seemed thrilling was often just isolating, lonely, and scary.
As each semester passed by, I felt myself drifting further and further away from my family and friends. Many of them had left Salem, like me, but they were still close by, in Portland, Seattle, or Eugene. But as many people do, I met my husband in college, and we ended up settling in his hometown in upstate New York.
Thanks to the 2000s housing bubble, we were able to buy our first home when we were still in our 20s. A few years later, we had a child. We were putting down roots, but I still felt out of place. I struggled to make friends in our small town, feeling at times like the people I met just didn’t « get » me. And in the years before remote work, my professional options were limited.
Each time I visited my parents, I couldn’t help but notice how the city that had seemed so deeply uncool actually had a lot to offer. The coffee shops and restaurants that I had been so bored of now felt pleasant and familiar. My old friends welcomed me back with open arms. It felt so comfortable to slip back into the laid-back, casually funky atmosphere of the Pacific Northwest. Had I become a square peg after all? Or had Salem gotten just a little bit less square? Either way, it began to feel more and more like this was the place where I fit in after all.
Moving back is impossible now
As my parents have grown older, my longing for the Pacific Northwest has grown more acute, and more personal. I’ve longed to be closer to them during their retirement years, to spend time that is deeper and richer than short holiday visits.
But moving back to Oregon feels impossible. The skyrocketing housing prices on the West Coast have me sick with sticker shock. The average price of a house in Salem is nearly twice what my home is worth. The math just isn’t mathing. Not to mention the fact that we are raising a child here, who loves her school, her friends, and the small town we call home — a place where she does fit in.
While I’ve tried to visit Oregon as often as possible, it doesn’t always feel like enough. Once, when I brought my daughter to visit my mom and dad, she said, « Mama, I love it here in Oregon. I wish we could live here. But Dada and Grandma and Poppa are in New York. What are we going to do? »
I had no answer to give her. I’ve made my home in New York, but Oregon will always feel like home to me. Now, as my parents need even more care and support, I sometimes wish I had never left.
Emily F. Popek is a communications professional and writer living in upstate New York. She writes about the culture of parenting and education at thinkofthechildren.substack.com.
Big Tech companies and CEOs are already lining up six-figure donations to Donald Trump‘s inauguration.
Amazon, Sam Altman, and Meta are each prepared to donate $1 million.
There are virtually no limits on inaugural donations, meaning Big Tech companies can cut massive checks.
Big Tech companies and the moguls behind them are preparing to make six-figure donations to President-elect Donald Trump’s inaugural committee.
Jeff Bezos’ Amazon, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, and Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta have all been reported to have made or will make $1 million to the outfit tasked with planning and organizing Trump’s triumphant return to power.
« The financing of inaugurations is really a cesspool when it comes to campaign financing, » Craig Holman, a lobbyist for government watchdog Public Citizen, told Business Insider.
Holman said there are few, if any, limits to inaugural donations, and what makes them particularly appealing is that megadonors and CEOs don’t have to worry about picking the loser.
« Unlike financing a campaign, when you don’t know for sure who is going to win, here in the inauguration, you’ve got the winner, » he said. « So corporations and other special interests just throw money at them at the feet of the president with the hope of currying favor. »
Jeff Hauser, executive director of the Revolving Door Project, a public interest group, said donations to the inaugural committee are less likely to irk the opposition.
« They are frequently a mechanism for entities that sit out elections to get good with the incoming administration, » he said.
Trump’s 2017 inaugural set a record, raking in roughly $107 million. Las Vegas Sands CEO Sheldon Adelson donated $5 million, the largest single donation. AT&T gave just over $2 million. For many in Washington, it was a time to make nice with an incoming president that few thought would win the 2016 race.
This time, Trump’s inaugural offers one final major opportunity for CEOs to curry influence with the president-elect at his peak.
Since he’ll be term-limited, the next major fundraising opportunity likely won’t come until Trump begins preparations for a presidential library (should that even occur). At that point, companies will have missed their window to make a final impression before mergers and acquisitions.
2017 Trump inaugural donors benefited greatly
Playing ball can have major benefits. OpenSecrets found in 2018 that « of the 63 federal contractors that donated to the inauguration, more than half won multimillion-dollar bids » from the federal government later on.
Foreign donors can’t contribute to a president-elect’s inaugural committee, and the committee must publicly disclose details about the donations over $200 within 90 days of Inauguration Day. Otherwise, there are few limits on what individuals or corporations can give, and inaugural committees are not required to explain how they spend the money.
Some presidents, especially Obama in 2009, impose voluntary restrictions on donations. Obama refused to accept corporate donations or individual contributions over $50,000 for his historic first inauguration, though he later lifted those limits for his reelection celebration.
Hauser said donations will allow corporations to prepare for an especially transactional period.
« I think that corporations with an agenda in Trump’s Washington, be it offense, like getting new contracts, or defense, like avoiding negative federal scrutiny, are going to spend millions of dollars in Washington to either make or protect billions in the real economy, » Hauser said.
Tech companies are under the microscope.
Amazon, Google, and Meta have all faced antitrust concerns. Republican lawmakers have frequently grilled Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg over Facebook’s decision to limit the sharing of the New York Post’s initial report on Hunter Biden’s laptop ahead of the 2020 election. Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, made donations to help election officials during the COVID-19 pandemic, enraging some on the right, while Trump repeatedly lit into Amazon founder Jeff Bezos for The Washington Post’s coverage of his first administration. Amazon sued the Trump administration after Microsoft was awarded a $10 billion cloud computing contract over them, alleging that Trump’s animus for Bezos sunk their chances.
Related stories
Both Bezos and Zuckerberg have since taken steps to repair their relationships with Trump-world. Zuckerberg has expressed regret over Facebook’s decision to censor some posts about COVID-19. He also pledged not to donate to help election officials. Bezos intervened when The Post’s editorial board was ready to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris.
Bezos also recently said Trump seemed « calmer than he was the first time and more settled. »
« You’ve probably grown in the last eight years, » Bezos said at the New York Times DealBook Summit in December. « He has, too. »
In a statement about his donation, Altman said, « President Trump will lead our country into the age of AI, and I am eager to support his efforts to ensure America stays ahead. »
Altman has also been entangled in a legal battle with his OpenAI co-founder Elon Musk, who is set to an influential figure in the Trump administration.
A spokesperson for Trump’s inaugural did not respond to Business Insider’s request for comment.
To get a taste of what may be in store, one only needs to look at what happened at President Joe Biden’s inauguration.
A leaked fundraising memo showed that large donations netted individuals and organizations a host of perks, including opportunities to meet President Biden, receive private briefings from top campaign officials, and, « preferred viewing » for the virtual inauguration.
All of those benefits came amid pandemic precautions. Trump’s party will have no such limits.
« Saturday Night Live » has tackled the social media reaction to the arrest of Luigi Mangione.
Mangione was charged with killing Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare.
The sketch featured a character saying he’s gotten « the horniest DMs » due to looking like Mangione.
« Saturday Night Live » kicked off its latest episode with a cold open that took on the internet’s reaction to Luigi Mangione, the suspect in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
The 26-year-old Ivy League graduate, who was charged with second-degree murder in connection with Thompson’s death, has emerged as a heartthrob in certain corners of the internet.
In a sketch parodying the show « Crime Stories with Nancy Grace, » the « SNL » cast tackled the social media response to Mangione, with Sarah Sherman playing Grace.
Recapping Mangione’s arrest at a McDonald’s in Pennsylvania earlier this month, Sherman said: « Of course, everyone online celebrated the hard work of law enforcement in apprehending this dangerous criminal. »
« Just kidding! Y’all psychos made him a sex symbol, » she added, before describing Mangione as looking like « Dave Franco with Eugene Levy’s eyebrows. »
« I mean, really, what is going on in this country? Y’all, this man is not a sex icon. This man is — and I cannot say this any clearer — a murderer, » she said.
Sherman later interviewed a character played by longtime cast member Kenan Thompson, asking him if he could believe people were attracted to this « sexy slayer. »
« I mean, women love bad boys, » Thompson replied.
« Back in the day, you could impress your old lady with a little poem, now you got to write a manifesto, » he continued, seemingly referencing the handwritten note Mangione had in his possession when he was arrested.
The sketch then introduced a man who had been « affected closely by this story, » played by cast member Emil Wakim.
Speaking as a guy who « happens to look like Luigi Mangione, » Wakim said: « Yeah, this whole thing’s kind of been a roller coaster for me. »
« On one hand, I keep getting tackled by bounty hunters, but on the other hand, I’ve gotten some of the horniest DMs in my life, » he added.
Thanks to his digital footprint, much of Mangione’s life has been laid out in public since his identification and arrest.
« Saturday Night Live » illustrated their sketch by including a shirtless photo of Mangione that has gone viral since it was uncovered by internet sleuths.
Modern Christmas songs are gaining popularity alongside classic holiday tracks.
Artists may be motivated by the seasonal streaming boost for holiday music.
Our 15 favorites include hits by Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, Taylor Swift, and Sabrina Carpenter.
Come December, everyone is bound to hear the seasonal staples, from Bing Crosby’s « I’ll Be Home for Christmas » and Brenda Lee’s « Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree » to Paul McCartney’s « Wonderful Christmastime » and, of course, reigning queen of year-end festivities Mariah Carey’s « All I Want for Christmas Is You. »
But if you’re looking to enjoy newer additions to the holiday music canon, look no further.
Many singers are eager to dabble in sleigh bells, stocking-stuffer puns, and Yuletide cheer — and surely the annual streaming boost for holiday favorites is a compelling factor.
Our 15 favorite modern Christmas songs are listed below, in chronological order of release.
Undersea cables between Finland-Germany and Lithuania-Sweden were cut, potentially sabotaged.
The incident is one of a number of similar incidents in recent years, highlighting the vulnerability of these lines.
NATO is enhancing surveillance and coordination to protect critical underwater infrastructure.
Last month, an underwater data cable between Finland and Germany and another between Lithuania and Sweden were discovered cut within a day of each other. The damage to the cables, which European officials said appeared deliberate, highlights just how vulnerable these critical undersea lines are.
Yi Peng 3, a Chinese-flagged cargo ship that had departed from Russia’s Ust-Luga port in the Gulf of Finland three days before and was tracked loitering near the two locations, is suspected in connection with the incident. It is said to have dragged an anchor over 100 miles, damaging the cables.
China’s Yi Peng 3 cargo ship.
Mikkel Berg Pedersen / Ritzau Scanpix / AFP
« No one believes that these cables were accidentally cut, » German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said in November. « We have to assume it is sabotage, » he added.
In a joint statement with his Finnish counterpart, Pistorius said the damage comes at a time when « our European security is not only under threat from Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine but also from hybrid warfare by malicious actors. »
As Russia received added scrutiny, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied Russian involvement in the incident, saying that « it is quite absurd to continue to blame Russia for everything without any reason. »
Critical but vulnerable
In recent years, a string of incidents involving damage to underwater infrastructure has occurred, many of them in the same region.
Last year, Newnew Polar Bear, another Chinese cargo ship, damaged a gas pipeline running between Estonia and Finland. China’s investigation concluded the damage was accidental; however, Estonia and Finland’s investigation is still ongoing.
In 2022, a Norwegian underwater data cable was damaged, and there were indications of human involvement in that incident. In 2021, a 2.5-mile-long section of another data cable disappeared from waters north of Norway.
The incident that received the most attention, though, was the sabotage of the Nord Steam gas pipelines between Russia and Germany in September 2022. There have been indications that Ukrainian elements might have been behind the sabotage, but this has not been confirmed.
The Nord Stream pipeline leak.
Danish Defence Command
Underwater infrastructure is increasingly critical to modern life. The vast majority of internet traffic passes through underwater fiber-optics cables, and underwater energy pipelines are common in many regions. But protecting this infrastructure, which can stretch for hundreds or thousands of miles, is difficult.
Related stories
« There’s no way that we can have NATO presence alone all these thousands of kilometers of undersea, offshore infrastructure, » then-NATO leader Jens Stoltenberg said in 2023. Yet, NATO can be better at collecting and sharing information and intelligence « and connecting the dots, » he added.
Indeed, NATO and the European Union are trying to do that.
In May this year, NATO held its first Critical Undersea Infrastructure Network meeting and launched its Maritime Centre for the Security of Critical Undersea Infrastructure to better coordinate the capabilities of its members and increase collaboration between them.
Further, the EU is funding several initiatives to develop uncrewed surface and underwater systems to surveil critical areas and detect threats early.
But there are also legal difficulties to protecting underwater infrastructure, as it usually traverses the territorial waters of several countries and can also pass through international waters.
The usual suspects
Although it can often be difficult to establish a culprit whenever such infrastructure is damaged, officials have pointed out that Russian activity near underwater cables has intensified.
In 2017, the US admiral in charge of NATO’s submarine forces said the alliance was « seeing Russian underwater activity in the vicinity of undersea cables that I don’t believe we have ever seen. »
The war in Ukraine has added another dimension to this matter.
« There are heightened concerns that Russia may target undersea cables and other critical infrastructure in an effort to disrupt Western life, to gain leverage against those nations that are providing security to Ukraine, » David Cattler, NATO’s intelligence chief, said last year.
British Royal Navy warship HMS Diamond shadowing the Russian spy ship Yantar.
LPhot Kyle Heller/UK MOD
Russia has developed a number of underwater capabilities and has a specialized unit, the Main Directorate for Deep Sea Research, committed to the task.
GUGI, as the operation is also known, is an elite Russian unit that employs specialized surface and underwater vessels capable of underwater sabotage and surveillance. Yantar, one of GUGI’s special-purpose spy vessels, which nominally acts as a survey vessel, has often been spotted near underwater cables.
Furthermore, a joint investigation released in 2023 by the public broadcasters of Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and Finland discovered that Russia, over the past decade, employed a fleet of 50 boats — masking as research or commercial vessels — to gather intelligence on allied underwater cables and wind farms in the Nordic region.
« When you look at the evidence of their activities now, the places they are doing surveys, overlaid with this critical undersea infrastructure … you can see that they are at least signaling that they have the intent and the capability to take action in this domain if they choose, » Cattler said.
