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Young Sheldon Season 7 is back tonight with a new episode. This marks the final season of The Big Bang Theory prequel. We'll show you everything you need to know about the season, including when the next episodes air, how to catch up on past seasons, and where to watch Young Sheldon free from anywhere.

Narrated by The Big Bang Theory star Jim Parsons, the show follows young Sheldon Cooper (Iain Armitage) as he grows up in East Texas in the late '80s and early-to-mid '90s. The series showcases Sheldon's home and school life as a young genius, fleshed out with a supporting cast that includes Lance Barber, Zoe Perry, and Annie Potts. Like the original series, the prequel has developed a devoted fan base in its time on-air.

Last week's episode saw a long-awaited yet spur-of-the-moment wedding among two series favorites, lining them up for the next installment in the Big Bang TV universe. We have full, spoiler-filled details on that below. This week's episode will see Meemaw put under house arrest, so Sheldon studies the law to help her out.

Whether you're a longtime fan looking to catch the new episode live or you want to binge the whole series for the first time, we've got you covered. Keep reading for our breakdown of Young Sheldon watch options. 

• See also: Where to watch The Simpsons | Where to watch 9-1-1 | Where to watch Friends

How to watch Young Sheldon in the US

Young Sheldon airs Thursday nights at 8 p.m. ET on CBS. If you don't have cable, there are a few alternative tune-in options. The cheapest will be through Paramount+. You can live stream new episodes via your local CBS affiliate if you subscribe to the Paramount+ with Showtime plan, which goes for $11.99 a month. The cheaper Paramount+ Essential tier will also give you access to Season 7 episodes, but they won't be available until the next day, so you'll need that Showtime tier if you want to watch live through the streaming service. Paramount+ comes with a one-week free trial for new users. 

If you want to get caught up on the past six seasons of Young Sheldon, Paramount+ won't be able to help you. In the US, all past seasons stream on both Max and Netflix. Max, which is also the US home of The Big Bang Theory, starts at $9.99 a month. You can check out our full run-down of Netflix pricing tiers to learn more about your options.

You can also access CBS without cable via a live TV package like Hulu + Live TV. Subscriptions start at $76.99 a month and include Disney+, ESPN+, and Hulu's entire on-demand catalog.

How to watch Young Sheldon in the UK

If you want to watch Young Sheldon in the UK, you'll need to create a Channel 4 account, which is free. The only downside is that Channel 4 doesn't have new episodes of Young Sheldon yet and just has the past six seasons available to view. The first six seasons are also on the UK version of Netflix.

How to watch Young Sheldon in Canada

Young Sheldon airs Thursday nights at 7:30 p.m. ET on CTV in Canada. You'll need to create an account with your email address and phone number to sign on to the service. CTV has all Season 7 episodes and a few episodes from Seasons 1 and 6, although this changes frequently.

How to watch Young Sheldon in New Zealand

Young Sheldon Season 7 is available on TVNZ+ in New Zealand. New episodes are typically available sometime on Friday. You'll need to create a free account to watch the show. The service also has all six past seasons of Young Sheldon available to stream, so it's a great option for bingeing the series if you need to get caught up.

How to watch Young Sheldon from anywhere

If you're not in New Zealand at the moment, you can access TVNZ+ with a VPN (virtual private network). VPNs allow you to temporarily alter the location associated with your electronic device so that you can use websites and apps that might not be available in the region where you're currently located.

Our recommendation is ExpressVPN, which is a user-friendly VPN with a 30-day money-back guarantee policy. Check out our ExpressVPN review to learn more and keep reading to see how to use it.

How to watch Young Sheldon with a VPN

• Sign up for a VPN if you don't have one.
• Install it on the device you're using to watch Young Sheldon.
• Turn it on and set it to New Zealand.
• Go to TVNZ+ and create a log-in profile.
• Watch Young Sheldon.

Young Sheldon spin-off

Although Young Sheldon comes to an end after this season, this is not the end for The Big Bang Theory universe. CBS has ordered a spin-off series for the 2024-2025 season, which will follow the life of Sheldon's older brother Georgie, his wife Mandy, and their young family in Texas. Montana Jordan and Emily Osment will return to the series to reprise their roles as Georgie and Mandy. The series will be a multi-camera sitcom, like The Big Bang Theory, and not single camera, like Young Sheldon.

Note: The use of VPNs is illegal in certain countries, and using VPNs to access region-locked streaming content might constitute a breach of the terms of use for certain services. Insider does not endorse or condone the illegal use of VPNs.

• Taylor Swift has been making bold fashion statements for over a decade.
• For performances, the singer often wears sparkly rompers and sheer dresses.
• And on the red carpet, Swift isn't afraid to wear gowns with plunging necklines or daring slits.

Over the past few years, Taylor Swift has solidified her status as a powerhouse in the music industry.

From her massive Eras Tour and accompanying film to her record-breaking fourth album of the year Grammy win, Swift's influence is nearly unmatched as she prepares to release her 11th studio album, "The Tortured Poets Department," on Friday. 

Though music is her bread and butter, Swift also holds sway in the fashion world, helping small brands make massive sales simply by wearing one of their designs. 

Her style has changed throughout her decade-plus in the public eye, and over the years, Swift has experimented more and more with daring fashion.

Take a look at some of her most daring looks to date. 

Taylor Swift experimented with see-through fashion at the 2012 Billboard Music Awards.

The star wore an Elie Saab gown that had a semi-sheer bodice made of crisscross red designs atop see-through lace fabric.

The bright red skirt contrasted with the patterned bodice.

A few months later, the singer wore a sparkly dress with a plunging neckline.

The Kaufmanfranco minidress had quarter-length sleeves and a high collar.

A plunging neckline flowed from Swift's neck to her navel.

She wore another gown with a plunging neckline at the 2013 Grammy Awards.

The flowing J. Mendel dress had a low neckline that was accented by silver straps on the front, back, and side.

A slit in the skirt added to the look.

Swift had fun with cutouts at the 2013 Brit Awards.

The singer chose another Elie Saab dress for the 2013 awards ceremony.

The black gown had sheer cutouts on the shoulders and legs, and a gold belt broke up the column style.

She wore a form-fitting gown to the MTV Video Music Awards in 2013.

The navy Hervé Léger by Max Azria gown had a plunging neckline with a sparkly trim.

The "1989" musician wore a partially sheer dress when she met Prince William at a charity event in 2013.

The Reem Acra dress had a simple white skirt, but it was offset by an intricately designed off-the-shoulder bodice.

The elegant gold and sheer patterned top scooped into a low neckline. 

And she chose a see-through dress for the 2014 Pre-Grammy Gala.

Swift sparkled in the black minidress, which was designed by Zuhair Murad. 

Black gems sat atop sheer fabric, and a fringed trim completed the gown.

She made a statement in one of the gowns she wore on the 2014 "Red" tour.

The bright red dress, created by Swift's costume designer Marina Toybina, had a low neckline and a flowing cape. 

Sparkly, built-in shorts gave the look a performance flare.

She then wore a daring two-piece on the streets of New York City in 2014.

The polka-dot bra top had a small cutout in the center and coordinated with the high-waisted pencil skirt.

The skirt featured a slit up the center.

That same year, the star wore a daring birdcage top.

The Sass & Bide ensemble consisted of a white skirt and a peplum birdcage top.

The neckline of the top was low-cut, and it was connected by two black strips of fabric.

She wowed in a white jumpsuit at the 2015 Billboard Music Awards.

The halter neckline of the Balmain jumpsuit mirrored two cutouts in the center of the garment.

The wide-legged pants gave the ensemble a retro look.

Swift performed in a satin, pink nightgown at the 2014 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show.

Swift paired the low-cut nightgown with a matching, lace-trimmed robe.

Later in the evening, Swift changed into a daring black set.

Swift, pictured with her model and then-close friend Karlie Kloss, stunned in a sparkly black bra and matching high-waisted underwear.

She wore a black, lace nightgown that had a long train over the look with high heels.

Later that night, she rocked a see-through dress at the 2014 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show after-party.

The Zuhair Murad dress consisted of a white skirt and one white sleeve, while the bodice and one sleeve were made of sheer fabric with sparkly, silver patterns on it.

Jimmy Choo pumps completed the ensemble.

Swift's green gown for the 2015 Elle Style Awards had a daring slit.

A zipper ran down the lace-covered Julien Macdonald dress, creating a dramatic slit.

The neckline featured zig-zag straps.

The singer performed in a semi-sheer bodysuit at a 2015 concert.

At BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend in 2015, Swift wore a silver bodysuit with sheer panels.

Silver tassels flowed from the trim and from her wrists.

Swift wore another transparent performance look while she was touring for her album "1989."

The top of the gold dress, designed by Jessica Jones, was made of sheer fabric. Gold sparkles sat atop it, creating a deep V that flowed all the way to Swift's navel.

The layers of gold tulle in the skirt moved as Swift danced. 

On the same tour, Swift performed in a glittery bodysuit with cutouts.

The bodysuit Swift wore while she performed alongside Tove Lo had sheer cutouts on the stomach and chest.

Sparkle-covered fabric made up the rest of the garment, which was trimmed with tassels.

Swift popped in a colorful two-piece at the 2016 Grammy Awards.

The Versace two-piece consisted of a strapless orange crop top and a high-waisted, hot-pink skirt.

The skirt had a waist-high slit that revealed built-in pink underwear.

Swift wore one of her most daring looks ever at the 2016 Vanity Fair Oscars after-party.

She stunned in a black Alexandre Vauthier Haute Couture gown that had a plunging halter neckline and a thigh-high slit.

A gold Jimmy Choo purse, a gold choker, and gold Giuseppe Zanetti heels completed the outfit. 

Swift opted for a skin-tight bodysuit at the 2016 iHeartRadio Music Awards.

The black Saint Laurent jumpsuit had a halter neckline, semi-open back, and it was entirely covered in sequins. 

Swift's minidress for the 2016 Met Gala had a snakeskin look.

The custom Louis Vuitton minidress was made of silver snakeskin fabric and had leather accents on the top of the dress.

The center of the dress had daring cutouts, while the trim of the skirt had tiers of ruffled fabric.

Louis Vuitton gladiator heels completed the ensemble.

At the 2016 CMA Awards, Swift presented an award in a dress that was almost entirely see-through.

The Julien MacDonald dress was almost completely transparent, with only thin stripes of sparkly, black fabric providing coverage.

A cutout in the stomach and dramatic slit in the center of the dress added to the daring look.

Swift performed in a transparent bodysuit in 2017.

The black Atelier Versace bodysuit had long sleeves and was covered in intricate, geometric patterns.

She paired the look with a black bra, high-waisted black underwear, and a fringed skirt.

The singer looked pretty in pink at the 2018 Billboard Music Awards.

The star's custom Versace dress took over 800 hours to make.

The gown had a dramatic cape, feather detailing, and a striking thigh-high slit.

Swift opted for a sheer top in New York City in 2018.

While walking in New York City in 2018, Swift paired a sheer black top with an exposed sports bra, short printed skirt, and heels.

Swift shined in a silver minidress and boots at the 2018 American Music Awards.

The Balmain dress had a disco-ball effect, as it was made of small panels of shiny silver fabric.

Matching thigh-high boots complemented the short dress.

Swift stunned in another see-through look at the 2019 InStyle Golden Globes after-party.

The star wore an off-the-shoulder black Versace dress to celebrate the 2019 Golden Globes.

The sparkly dress was made of sheer fabric, had tie detailing on the bodice, and featured a daring thigh-high slit.

Swift performed in a form-fitting gold corset at the 2019 MTV Video Music Awards.

While performing songs from "Lover," Swift wore a gold corset top with sparkly purple bottoms that showed off her legs.

She paired the look with gold boots.

Swift rocked another thigh-bearing look at the 2019 American Music Awards.

The sparkly green Julien Macdonald dress was asymmetrical, as one side had a skirt that flowed all the way to the floor while the other exposed a shorter layer of fabric. 

Dramatic thigh-high boots completed the look.

She changed into a daring gold bodysuit to perform at the event.

The bodysuit was covered in gold sparkles and coordinating tassels flowed from Swift's waist. 

She wore matching boots with the look.

Swift wore a sheer, lace catsuit to perform at the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony.

Swift performed in a see-through Sarah Regensburger catsuit, which she gave a shiny edge by wearing a silver Greta Constantine bodysuit beneath it. 

She paired the form-fitting look with Black Louis Vuitton boots.

At the 2022 MTV Video Music Awards, Swift arrived draped in diamonds.

Oscar de la Renta designed her halter minidress, which had strings of diamonds hanging loosely across her arms, and more rows of jewels swooped across her body.

She paired the look — which is one of her most daring of all time — with red lipstick and sparkling sandals.

Later that night, she changed into a midnight-blue leotard.

The sleeveless garment had a V-shaped neckline embellished with diamonds and a crystal star print across its bodice.

Swift's outerwear — a feathered cardigan — was also daring.

Swift donned a gown with a cutout and thigh-high slit for the 2022 Nashville Songwriter Awards.

The Michael Kors dress stood out with asymmetrical detailing.

The sparkly, black gown had a high neckline, one long sleeve, and a long skirt.

A diamond-shaped cutout added dimension to the bodice, as did a daring slit on the skirt. 

Sparkly Aquazzura shoes tied it all together.

Swift's David Koma dress for the MTV EMAs bared her legs.

The black ensemble consisted of a low-cut bodysuit and a high-waisted chainmail skirt.

Sparkly gems made up the chainmail pattern, and the large holes between them showed off Swift's legs.

She paired the statement gown with black open-toe Giuseppe Zanotti shoes and an updo.

In the "Bejeweled" music video, Swift wore a two-piece embellished with sparkles.

The set was custom-designed by Michael Schmidt Studios for the video, which featured Swift performing as a burlesque dancer.

A bikini-style top and high-waisted bottoms made up the bulk of the ensemble, and both were bejeweled with gems in shades of blue.

The outfit also featured sparkly arm pieces that acted as cape.

At the 2022 American Music Awards, Swift wore a jumpsuit that was entirely backless.

The gold jumpsuit from The Blonds had a plunging, halter neckline and fitted pants, as well as a belt that cinched at the waist and gave way to the eye-catching open back.

Subtle sparkles embroidered into the fabric accentuated the ensemble's red-carpet feel.

Gold Giuseppe Zanotti shoes completed the look.

Swift wore a crop top and coordinating skirt to the 2023 Grammy Awards.

Roberto Cavalli designed the deep-blue set Swift wore to the 2023 Grammy's.

The long-sleeve, high-neck top was cropped high on Swift's chest, while the high-waisted skirt hugged her figure before flowing into a train. Both the top and skirt were adorned with sparkles that shimmered as she walked the red carpet. 

She's worn lots of bold fashion during her Eras Tour, including a "Reputation"-themed catsuit.

The asymmetrical piece has one mesh sleeve, one pant leg, and a sparkling red snake design from top to bottom.

Her most revealing tour look is a midnight-blue bodysuit that she debuted during one of her last Los Angeles shows.

The form-fitting piece is covered in sequins and beaded fringe. She wears it with fishnet tights, a matching garter, and Louboutin boots.

In September 2023, Swift attended the MTV Video Music Awards in a black gown with a thigh-high slit.

Swift's Versace dress for the VMAs had an asymmetrical, halter neckline.

A curved stripe adorned with gold hardware split the form-fitting bodice and framed a slit on the skirt, which cut all the way up her thigh. 

The gown also featured an open back, and Swift paired the look with layers of necklaces and strappy black shoes. 

Later that night, Swift changed into a denim minidress.

After the VMAs ceremony, Swift swapped her Versace ball gown for EB Denim's Polka dress. 

The scoop-necked dress had a corset bodice made of panels of different hued denim. The pattern continued on the short skirt, which had a frayed hem. 

Sparkly heels and a coordinating purse completed Swift's after-party ensemble. 

Swift wore another corset top for an outing with Travis Kelce in October 2023.

Swift and Kelce attended a taping of "Saturday Night Live" in October 2023, where Swift introduced her friend Ice Spice as a performer on the show.

Swift donned a black corset top from Versace for the evening. It featured gold detailing on the thin straps and cut up on the sides, revealing a hint of Swift's midriff.

She paired the daring top with black trousers and a checked coat from Gant.

Later the same month, Swift wore a black polo top as a dress in New York.

Swift paired the Stella McCartney top, which had long sleeves, a white collar, and a gold patch, with knee-high boots from Prada.

Swift dressed for the occasion for the premiere of "Renaissance: A Film By Beyoncé" in November 2023.

Swift attended the London premiere of Beyoncé's film alongside a slew of other celebrities. She wore a custom Balmain gown for the event.

Silver, reflective embellishments adorned the dress from head to toe, and a floral appliqué sat on the side of the bodice. A dramatic slit on the skirt completed the glamorous gown, which Swift wore with black heels. 

Swift chose another shimmery dress for her birthday party in December 2023.

To celebrate turning 34, Swift wore a black minidress from Clio Peppiatt. 

The entire dress had sparkles on it, and it was embroidered with the iconography of a night sky in silver thread, including a moon, clouds, and stars. 

Open-toe black pumps, a faux fur jacket from Anine Bing, and a bejeweled silver bag completed the celebratory ensemble.

The back of Swift's dress for the Golden Globes in January was covered in cutouts.

In January, Swift attended the Golden Globes in a form-fitting green dress made of a metallic fabric. Gucci designed the piece.

The gown's subtle sweetheart neckline added a hint of drama, while the back was open aside from thin strips of fabric connecting the two sides of the bodice.

She wore another dress with a dramatic slit at the Grammy Awards.

Swift became the first artist to win album of the year at the Grammys four times at the 2024 ceremony, and she did it wearing a custom Schiaparelli dress. 

The white dress had a strapless, straight neckline. Ruching on the bodice gathered on Swift's hip, contrasting with the thigh-high slit just below it.

A sweeping train flowed out behind her, and Swift accessorized the look with black shoes and gloves. 

Swift embraced sheer fabric and cutouts for her more casual look for the Super Bowl in February.

Swift donned a Dion Lee corset top to support Kelce at the Super Bowl. The top was crocheted, and it had an open weave on the lower portion of the top, creating a see-through pattern.

She paired the semi-sheer top with black jeans from Area, which had a slit on each leg encrusted with gems. 

A Chiefs jacket and jewelry that nodded to Kelce completed the look. 

• Roy Wood Jr. went viral at the Emmys for mouthing "please find a host" when "The Daily Show" won.
• Wood said the remark came from a place of pride for the crew, who produced the show for a year sans host. 
• He made some apologies at after parties, but says he's on good terms with former colleagues. 

At the 2024 Emmys, former "Daily Show" correspondent Roy Wood Jr. unwittingly went viral when he went onstage with former host Trevor Noah, who accepted the Emmy award for outstanding talk series.

"Please hire a host," Wood, who was no longer with the "Daily Show" at the time, mouthed.

Later, on X (formerly Twitter), he acknowledged that he hadn't intended for the moment to get much notice: "chill fam I was trying to do that in the low."

Business Insider spoke with Wood about it at the Writers Guild Awards in New York on Sunday, where he was nominated for the Steven Soderbergh-directed miniseries "Command Z." The comedian and writer told BI that the moment came from his pride for the show's crew, who kept it running in Noah's absence after the former host left in December 2022.

"The Emmy that 'The Daily Show' won, for about half of that year, there was no host," Wood told BI. "To be able to go and put together a show without a regular host is not easy. If they can do this without a host, imagine what they could do with one."

"The Daily Show" showrunner Jennifer Flanz, who was also at the WGAs where she was nominated alongside "The Daily Show" crew for outstanding comedy/variety talk series, separately told BI on the red carpet that she was proud the show had been nominated for work during its hostless year.

"Our writers and our producers and directors, our whole staff really stepped up," Flanz told BI. "The idea of turning over 'The Daily Show' every week to a new voice was like, unheard of. It's such a challenge."

Wood left the show in October 2023, during the interim period when the show had yet to fill its Noah-sized hole. Following Noah's absence, the show switched between celebrity guest hosts like John Leguizamo and Leslie Jones, in addition to putting correspondents like Wood in the chair.

In January, Comedy Central made the surprise announcement that Stewart would return to the show, hosting on Monday nights while the show's correspondents fill out the rest of each week.

Wood was a possible contender for the top job, but he said on "Sherri" after his departure that he wanted the chance to pursue other opportunities during the time that Comedy Central was taking to find a host in case he didn't end up in the chair.

The comedian told BI that, for the most part, people took his statement at the Emmys lightly, though he did touch base with some of his former colleagues afterward.

"I bounced around the after parties and I threw out a few apologies to coworkers, some of whom are here tonight, and we're still friends," Wood said.

While "The Daily Show" didn't win a WGA award on Sunday, Wood wished the show's crew well on the red carpet — and he's pursuing his own endeavors, including a book and two shows of his own.

"It is odd being here and seeing them as former colleagues instead of current colleagues, like that part is different," he said. "It's like seeing your ex out with somebody new, but you broke up on good terms."

• Dietitian Sheela Prakash follows the Mediterranean diet for flexible healthy eating.
• Her grocery list includes leafy greens, lemons, beans, and farro for nutritious, flavorful meals.
• The eating style, rich in healthy fats, whole grains, and fiber, is linked to longevity.

The Mediterranean diet is considered one of the healthiest ways to eat — and you can follow it with staples from your local grocery store, a registered dietitian explained.

Sheela Prakash, a dietitian, food writer, and author of "Mediterranean Every Day: Simple, Inspired Recipes for Feel-Good Food," developed an interest in the Mediterranean lifestyle while studying Italy, and now swears by the simple, wholesome, and flavorful eating style.

"They're not just eating giant bowls of pasta all the time. They're incorporating vegetables at every meal. The portions are smaller, they're consuming a lot of fish, healthy fats, olive oil, and honey. They're eating well and they're enjoying their food," she told Business Insider. "It's not just about eating the food, it's the enjoyment of the food."

Prakash shared her typical grocery list for creating nutritious, delicious meals with staples like leafy greens, fresh citrus, and whole grains.

Pre-washed salad greens for vitamin K

Prakash said she starts every grocery trip with a major focus on the produce section, loading up on seasonal veggies.

One of her main shopping trip staples is leafy greens, particularly pre-washed salad greens which add a convenient, healthy side to any meal.

"I don't have to prep it, I don't have to cook it. There's no excuse not to have a vegetable with my dinner or with my lunch when I have salad greens" she said.

Greens are rich in vitamins like vitamin K, minerals like calcium and iron, and antioxidants, which are linked to benefits like protecting your brain as you age.

Go-to recipe: Toss the greens in a bowl with a simple vinaigrette and enjoy!

Lemons enhance the flavor in your meals, and add nutrients

Before leaving the produce aisle, Prakash said she stocks up on lemons to add brightness and complexity to a variety of dishes.

"It's a versatile ingredient that I can use to make my food taste delicious," she said.

Adding acidity to vegetables can help amp up the flavor and bring savory umami notes to a dish, making a nutrient-dense, delicious meal without meat (eaten in moderation on the Mediterranean diet). The extra zip in your meals can help you feel satisfied after eating without needing to rely on processed or packages ingredients or added salt or sugars.

Lemons are also a good source of vitamin C, which supports a healthy immune system.

Go-to recipe: Make a vinaigrette by combining with olive oil and a little honey.

Canned beans are a great source of protein and fiber

Moving on to the shelf-stable aisle of the grocery store, Prakash said beans of all kinds are in regular rotation in her kitchen, both canned and dried varieties.

"Any bean is a good bean. They can instantly just add protein to your dinner and fiber, and they're always a savior to me at lunch," she said.

Beans have even been called a longevity superfood, as they're commonly eaten in areas of the world where people are most likely to live to 100 (or even older).

In the short-term, eating more beans has benefits like keeping your digestion healthy and helping you feel full for longer after eating.

Go-to recipe: Pop open a can of chickpeas or white beans and mix up with any leftover veggies, sauces, or dressing for a quick, healthy meal.

Farro is a satisfying whole grain with depth of flavor

Rounding out the pantry essentials, Prakash said she often reaches for healthy carbohydrates in the form of farro, an Italian grain.

"I just love the texture of it, it's really nutty, and it's very satisfying to eat. It fills you up," she said.

It can be used in recipes that call for rice or pasta, such as anchoring a lean protein source like chicken, particularly saucy dishes so the grains can absorb all that flavor.

Unlike more refined grains like white rice, farro is packed with nutrients like protein, fiber, B-vitamins, and magnesium.

Go-to recipe: Cook it like you would pasta in a large pot of salted water, then make a Mediterranean grain salad with feta, cucumbers, and tomatoes.

• I rode on a $180 luxury bus and a $46 standard coach bus from New York City to Washington, DC.
• The regular bus got me from point A to point B, but there weren't many amenities.
• I was super impressed by the comfortable seats and the attendants on board The Jet.

As somebody who frequently travels between New York City and Washington, DC, I'm thankful for the many transportation options available. 

Traditionally, planes are time savers, trains are the most comfortable, and buses are the most cost-effective. But there's another luxury option: The Jet.

As a true travel nerd, I had to see just how different this $180 bus service was from a traditional $46 FlixBus coach offering. Eleven hours of travel later and a notebook full of pros and cons, here's how the buses stacked up.

The coach bus was almost exactly as I expected it to be.

On the FlixBus, there were two seats on either side of the aisle. But there were a lot more seats, leaving less room in between each row. 

There was really no comparison when it came to comfort and space.

The Jet had three seats in each row with an aisle in the middle, but overall, it had significantly fewer seats than the standard coach. 

Everything was spread out, giving every rider a lot more space.

I had just enough room for my things on the regular coach bus.

The seats on the standard coach bus were moderately sized.

They provided footrests and enough room to fit a backpack under the seat in front of you. 

I couldn't believe how great the seats were on The Jet.

The Jet provided a 45-degree seat recliner and pop-up leg rest. I had enough room to extend my legs without even being close to the chair in front of me, putting some first-class airline seats to shame.

On top of the comfortable cushioning and lumbar support, the seat was designed with technology to help mask any uneasiness on the road. Subtle up-and-down motions gave the illusion of an incredibly smooth ride.

I wish airplane seats would adopt this feature to reduce the movement of unwanted turbulence.

The coach bus didn't have many amenities.

The coach bus provided straightforward service, getting you from point A to point B.

Although there weren't many amenities on board, there were at least convenient trash bags hanging on the aisle seats.

When paying more than $100 for a bus ticket, you hope for a few added perks, and The Jet delivered.

My favorite perk was probably the attendants on board.

They passed out hot towels at the beginning of the ride, served drinks, and cleaned up after us. One attendant even offered Jet blankets to make my journey more comfortable.

The bathroom on the regular bus wasn't fancy, but it was functional.

I appreciated the small restroom on the FlixBus.

The Jet's amenities were exceptional for a bus.

The restroom had a sink, counter space, backlit mirror lights, a full-length mirror, and enough space to change into something cozy for the ride.

We made a rest stop on the regular bus to stretch our legs and refuel.

Although there wasn't food on the FlixBus, we got a 15-minute rest-stop break, where I picked up a bottle of water and a Dunkin' iced coffee to fuel me for the last three hours on the road.

I was offered free drinks and cheap snacks on The Jet.

Each Jet ticket came with two complimentary alcoholic beverages, including beer, wine, or seltzer, and a list of food items on sale for as little as $1.

Although both services promised WiFi, only one worked for me.

As a remote worker who enjoys traveling, it's essential that my mode of transportation has internet access.

The buses were supposed to provide WiFi, but FlixBus' service was down during my ride. Thankfully, the power plugs on board worked, and I used my phone's hot spot instead.

I was able to comfortably get some work done on The Jet.

The Jet's WiFi worked, and the service speed was fast enough for my fiancé to stream movies while I uploaded and downloaded significant file-size assets to my computer. 

Trains and planes are still probably the better option for most, but I'll splurge on The Jet if I'm riding the bus.

When comparing the bus services, traffic is the great equalizer. Even though the buses departed on time, the 4 ½-hour trip took more than 5 ½ hours in each direction.

If time is your biggest concern, I'd stick with a train or plane. But if you're a remote worker traveling during the day like me, The Jet may be the best option.

I think it was definitely worth the price tag. The fantastic service, luxurious seats, and strong internet connection made it the clear travel winner.

Correction: August 7, 2023 — An earlier version of this story misstated the number of seats in each row on the Jet bus. There are three, not four. 

This story was originally published in August 2023 and most recently updated on April 18, 2024.

• I used to shop on Amazon a lot, but being impatient has saved me money.
• If my Amazon order doesn't say it can be shipped in 24 hours, I won't buy it anymore.
• By waiting, I limit my purchases and I usually realize I didn't need the item anyway. 

I've spent a lot of money and time on Amazon Prime.

Thanks to Instagram posts and TikTok videos, I'm constantly feeling influenced to buy — or at least consider buying — products from Amazon.

And I know it's not just me — Amazon is the second biggest retailer in the world, and three out of four Americans use Amazon Prime.

I usually add random things I don't really need, like overpriced throw pillows, butterfly-patterned cowboy boots, or a teeny-tiny Mandalorian Lego set to my cart.

But after contemplating the price and reading reviews, the top thing that keeps me from making a spontaneous purchase is actually how long it'll take to ship.

Only buying things that ship in 24 hours helps cut down my buyer's remorse

Since speed of delivery is one of the biggest factors consumers consider when placing an order, I decided to take it really seriously and make it my main one.

If Prime says an item will take more than 24 hours to ship, I don't buy it. After all, if it's not in my hands in a day, I'll probably forget I even wanted it … which means I definitely didn't need it in the first place.

My rule of thumb is if I can forget about the item in the time it takes to ship, it's not worth it. I like that this strategy lets me shop and get some instant gratification while also setting limits that help me cut down on unnecessary purchases I'll regret later.

This also stops me from filling up my cart every time I make a purchase

When I place an Amazon order, I often feel compelled to fill my cart, going from one unnecessary item to two or three.

Maybe it's a "Might as well!" attitude, or perhaps my moral compass feels a little less bad about the environmental impact of my purchase if more than one item ships in the same package.

But, again, with my new rule, if nothing in my cart will ship within one day, it all gets taken out. This cuts many of my unnecessary purchases because most things I consider buying have standard Prime two-day shipping.

I'm now more comfortable just ordering one thing if it's the only item I wanted that'll ship to me within 24 hours.

So if you also find yourself overspending on Amazon and stuffing your cart, setting some kind of boundary around your purchases — even if it's a small one like mine — could be a good place to start.

• I stayed at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, where rooms cost $900 a night on average.
• I'd definitely stay again for its deluxe amenities, fireworks view, and proximity to Magic Kingdom.
• The "Mary Poppins"-themed rooms were beautiful and the most spacious I've seen at Disney World.

Even though I only live a couple of minutes from Disney World, I still enjoy a staycation. I was very excited to reserve a stay at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. 

My first and only other stay at this resort was more than 10 years ago on a family vacation, so I was looking forward to seeing the recently refurbished guest rooms that were part of the company's property-wide renovations tied to its 50th-anniversary celebration in 2023.

I booked a one-night stay in a standard room that typically costs about $900 a night. But the resort also has larger suites and villas that range over $4,000 a night. 

When we arrived, we had to pass through security.

Luckily passing through the gate didn't take long.

A member of the security team just asked to verify the name on the reservation and to see our IDs.

Once we were dropped off, we took some photos outside of the resort.

It was a beautiful day and I wanted to snap some photos outside of the resort before heading inside. 

A kind employee driving by in a club car offered to take our photos when he noticed me and my sister posing for a couple of selfies.

We took him up on his offer and grabbed a photo together.

Once we arrived at the front of the resort, we were greeted by a very personable employee.

Randy was one of the nicest employees we met. When we told him we were checking in, he walked us inside while telling us some fun facts about the resort along the way.

I enjoyed listening to what he had to share about the hotel. The fun fact that stood out most to me is that the huge chandeliers in the lobby are supposed to resemble pineapples.

The check-in process was seamless.

There was no line to check in, which I was grateful for.

Though the official check-in time was 3:00 p.m., our room was ready when we arrived about 20 minutes prior.

As I checked in, I received a map of the resort illustrating the building with our room.

Before leaving the desk, the employee handed me a map of the resort and circled the building we'd be staying in. 

I took some time to admire the beauty of the lobby.

I was impressed by the lobby's theming.

I loved the Victorian-inspired decor with its beautiful sofas and hanging chandeliers.

I noticed a lot of characters decorating the floors, but my favorites were Prince Charming and Cinderella.

Not many people look down when walking through a hotel lobby, but in this instance, I was glad I did.

I saw a lot of characters on the floor including Chip from "Beauty and the Beast," Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, and Goofy.

I also spotted Prince Charming and Cinderella.

The resort assigned us to room 8314 in the Boca Chica building located near the quiet pool.

I was very happy with our room location since it wasn't too far from the main lobby building, which houses various shops and dining locations including the Grand Floridian Cafe, Cítricos, Enchanted Rose, Victoria & Albert's, and Gasparilla Grill. 

It only took us about three minutes to walk to our building, Boca Chica, from the lobby.

When I've stayed at other resorts in the past, I sometimes had to walk nearly a mile to get to the main building from my room or take an internal bus, which I find bothersome.

The resort is on the smaller side, but employees were still driving golf carts to drop off guests' luggage.

Even though an employee offered to drive me to my building in a club car, I declined as I didn't have any cash to tip and wouldn't have wanted to ride without doing so. 

I think it's a nice touch for guests though, the staff truly provides the utmost "princess treatment."

I've stayed at almost all of the resorts at Disney World and the Grand Floridian is the only one where I was ever offered a ride around the property.

Our building resembled a mini version of the lobby.

Upon walking into the Boca Chica building, one of the first things I noticed was that it looked like a miniature version of the main building with the lobby. 

It served as a wonderful spot for taking some more photos before heading up to our room.

The size of our room pleasantly surprised me.

For a standard room with two queen-sized beds, I couldn't believe how spacious it was.

It had two televisions which I'd never seen in a standard-size room at Disney before.

Although it was just me and my sister staying in the room, I'd say it was large enough to comfortably fit at least four people.

It even had a second area I wasn't expecting.

I liked that there was a living area nestled in the back near the patio. It had a television, couch, chairs, and a coffee table.  

The room also had so much natural lighting, especially in this back section. 

I took full advantage to take some in-room photos and get some vitamin D.

The television was personalized, which made the room extra magical.

When I walked into the room, I was happy to see my last name written on the television screen.

It was a nice personal touch and made the room feel even more homelike.

One of the first things I do when I walk into a hotel room is test the bed and pillows.

I'm quite specific when it comes to mattresses and pillows. But the bed was the most comfortable I've ever experienced at a Disney resort. 

Even when taking photos, I immediately noticed how soft the mattress was. My head sunk right into the pillows, which I loved.

The room decor was practically perfect.

One of the things I was most looking forward to during my stay was seeing the resort's newly-refurbished "Mary Poppins"-themed guest rooms.

From the ambient music played on the televisions to the artwork hung throughout the room, everything was practically perfect.  

I especially loved the chandelier in the room.

My favorite piece of decor was the chandelier ornamented with glass birds.

The room also had a nice bathroom.

The room's bathroom was also spacious, with a beautiful shower and a double-sink vanity area.

I appreciated the complimentary toiletries in the bathroom.

What really impressed me about the bathroom was the complimentary products.

I love the scent of the H2O products, especially the sea salt ones, so it was lovely to use them during my stay.

Although I am not a coffee drinker, my room featured a coffee bar.

I don't drink coffee, so I didn't take advantage of the in-room coffee bar with a Keurig machine. 

But if I knew about it ahead of time, I would've brought some hot-cocoa K-Cups.

When I looked inside the closet, I noticed two pairs of Grand Floridian slippers and robes.

This is the only Disney World hotel I've stayed at where I've seen complimentary slippers.

Although they were just lightweight spa slippers, they were comfortable to wear when walking around the room and after taking a shower. 

I decided not to try on the matching robe, but it was super beautiful to look at.

The patio offered beautiful views of the resort and the quiet pool area.

I don't think I could've asked for a better patio view, overlooking the quiet pool.

It offered a beautiful vantage point for the sunset.

After spending some time in the room, we went to explore the resort and came across a beautiful fountain.

Naturally, I wanted to take some photos in front of the fountain because it was so beautiful. 

I think it might be one of my new favorite photo spots. I liked that I was able to really capture the resort's ambiance.

The beach area had several games guests could play.

I didn't get too close because I didn't want to get all full of sand before dinner. But I noticed the resort had games available by the beach, including foosball, chess, and cornhole.

I decided to spend some more time in the lobby and watch the piano player.

One of my favorite parts of my stay was watching and listening to the pianist play Disney classics for the guests in the lobby. 

I liked that he played a lot of songs from "Alice in Wonderland" since the movie is present in the resort's theming. 

When it was time for dinner, we headed up to the Enchanted Rose on the second floor of the main building.

I couldn't stay at the Grand Floridian and not go to the Enchanted Rose.

It's themed after "Beauty and the Beast," which is my favorite Disney film.

The lounge surpasses many others on the property when it comes to theming.

I requested to be seated at a table in the library room since I prefer the aesthetic.

I don't like bar environments as someone who doesn't drink alcohol, so I appreciate the different themed rooms. 

Enchanted Rose is home to one of the best nonalcoholic drinks on the property.

Whenever I visit Enchanted Rose, I always get the rosemary cooler ($7).

It's a delicious blend of lemonade, vanilla, and rosemary — the perfect mix of bitter and sweet flavors.

We shared three small plates, but the seasonal flatbread was the best thing I tried.

Since Enchanted Rose is a lounge and not a full-service restaurant, we shared three small plates: house-made truffle fries ($14), hummus ($12), and a seasonal flatbread ($18). 

The seasonal flatbread was my favorite. I loved how well the flavors from the artichoke, fig, and ricotta paired.

Sharing everything was enough food to make a meal, and I left satisfied. 

We wrapped up our meal just in time to head back outside for the fireworks.

The Grand Floridian offers a great view of Magic Kingdom's nighttime fireworks show.

I prefer to watch the show outside of Gasparilla Grill. The music is played in the area and there's a great view of Cinderella Castle.

After the fireworks ended, the hotel employees were making magical moments for guests.

When all of the guests were leaving the area, a group of hotel employees put on Mickey Mouse gloves and encouraged everyone to shake their hands while heading back inside.

It was such a magical moment that left everyone smiling on their way out.

We decided to hop on the monorail and go over to Magic Kingdom for some extended theme-park hours.

One of the best parts about staying at the Grand Floridian is its easy access to Magic Kingdom via the monorail, boat, or walkway. 

Since we were already near the main building, we decided to take the monorail. It was only one stop away from the theme park. 

The monorail got us to Magic Kingdom in just about three minutes, which was amazing.

Since the Grand Floridian is a deluxe resort, we had the option to spend an extra two hours at Magic Kingdom.

Normally, the extended hours at Magic Kingdom for Disney resort guests are on Wednesdays. But they fell on a Tuesday during my stay, and I wanted to take advantage of the benefit.

We hit up the ice-cream parlor on Main Street for a late-night treat. 

I was tired, so we decided to leave early and take the boat back to the resort.

The boat ride was fairly quick — less than 10 minutes — which was great when I was tired.

It was beautiful looking at the scenery and other resorts around the Seven Seas Lagoon while traveling back to the Grand Floridian. 

The next morning, we checked out and took our luggage to bell services.

Check-out time is 11 a.m., but we were planning to eat breakfast around 10:30 a.m., so we had to store our bags. 

Since Disney hotels have automatic check-out, we just left the room without stopping at the front desk, which I found very convenient. 

Luckily, the bell-service employees were able to store our luggage for us until we were ready to leave later that day.

We headed over to the Grand Floridian Cafe to see if the breakfast lived up to the hype.

I'd always heard about how good the breakfast is at Grand Floridian Cafe, and I decided there was no better time to try it out for myself.

I added my party to the walk-up list and we were seated within 30 minutes, which was very convenient considering we didn't have a reservation.

I ordered the chicken and waffles, which were delicious.

I appreciated that the meal was served with a gigantic Mickey-shaped waffle as opposed to a regular waffle. It added to the magic of dining at Disney. 

I ordered the sriracha on the side because I thought it was going to be spicy. But I ended up not being spicy at all, which I liked. 

After breakfast, I spent some time relaxing in the main pool area.

It was very fortunate that the weather was about 80 degrees Fahrenheit and sunny because I wanted to go swimming and enjoy the pool. 

Since this was the family pool, there was music playing, children having fun, and adults taking advantage of the poolside bar. 

There were some private cabanas that could be rented. I didn't opt to do that, but it's good to know that's an option if you're looking for something more private. 

Overall, it was a fun place to be. I especially liked the throwback Disney Channel tunes that were playing. 

Before heading into the water, I spent some time soaking in the sun.

I found the pool chairs to be very comfortable — I liked that they were padded. 

Since water cups are free, I got a couple to make sure I stayed hydrated while sitting outside.

When I had enough fun in the sun, I went back to collect my bags and came across these beautiful cars.

The vintage cars were interesting to look at while I waited for the employee to retrieve my bags.

My stay at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa was nothing short of magical.

My stay at the Grand Floridian was one of my favorites on the property to date. 

It was expensive, but the beautiful rooms and amenities along with the high-quality guest service made it worth it. I definitely want to come back. 

A lot of magic happens at the theme parks, but it also comes from the resorts. Grand Floridian definitely left me with some magical memories.

Business Insider paid a media rate of $480 for this hotel stay. The full rate was about $900.

This story was originally published in February 2023 and most recently updated on April 18, 2024. 

• Samsung Group is introducing a six-day workweek for executives, according to a recent report.
• The emergency measure comes in response to various economic headwinds and underwhelming results in 2023.
• One bright spot? Samsung recently reclaimed the top spot in global smartphone shipments from Apple.

While some companies are embracing four-day workweeks, Samsung Group is reportedly moving in the opposite direction — at least for executives.

Samsung Group is implementing a six-day workweek for executives across all of its divisions, with some starting as early as this week, according to a new report from The Korea Economic Daily.

The abrupt move by the South Korean business giant comes as the company weathers business headwinds, including rising oil prices, high borrowing costs, and the sharp depreciation of the South Korean won, according to the report.

The report described the company's situation as "emergency mode."

"Considering that performance of our major units, including Samsung Electronics Co., fell short of expectations in 2023, we are introducing the six-day work week for executives to inject a sense of crisis and make all-out efforts to overcome this crisis," a Samsung Group executive told the Daily.

Samsung did not immediately return a request for comment before publication sent outside of local business hours.

The new schedule is effective immediately at most of Samsung's technology divisions, with its financial services arms of the business expected to follow in the near future, according to the report. Some executives at other divisions have already been working six-day weeks voluntarily since the start of the year, the Daily said.

Samsung Electronics executives will have the option of coming in either Saturday or Sunday, according to the report. Employees under the executive level will continue to work for five days a week.

While the company looks to rebound from 2023's results, there has been a recent bright spot. IDC reported that Samsung reclaimed the top spot for global smartphone shipments in the first quarter — a title it briefly lost to Apple in the last quarter of 2023.

Samsung has not yet released its first-quarter earnings results for 2024, which it will on April 30. In its most recent earnings results, the company said it was cautiously optimistic of a rebound in smartphone demand in 2024. The company is expected to benefit from rising semiconductor prices, Reuters recently reported.

South Korea is known for its intense work culture; the average worker spent 1,901 hours at their job in 2022, according to data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, ranking fifth-highest among the economic organization's 38 member states. Last year, the country pushed a plan for a 69-hour workweek, which was only abandoned after opposition from young workers and labor unions.

SK Group, a South Korean conglomerate that owns Samsung competitor SK Hynix, said earlier this year it would reintroduce regular Saturday meetings for its chief executives.

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It's an emergency: "9-1-1" is finally back for Season 7, and it's on a new network this year. Not sure how to watch it? We've got you covered on all the Season 7 details, including where to watch "9-1-1" now that it's changed networks.

The crime procedural, which follows a group of LA-based first responders, aired on FOX from 2018 to 2023. The network didn't renew the series after Season 6, but ABC immediately picked it up for a seventh season. The new season will finally premiere on Thursday night following WGA and SAG strike-related delays.

• See also: Where to watch American Horror Story online | Where to watch Survivor live stream for free | Where to watch The Voice for free

And Season 7 is shaping up to be a doozy. In the first three episodes, Bobby Nash (Peter Krause) and Athena Grant (Angela Bassett) set off on their belated honeymoon cruise. But their vacation took a dramatic turn when disaster struck the ship, and the pair had to fight for their lives. Following the three-part season premiere, "9-1-1" returned to land for its landmark 100th episode, which featured some exciting updates for Buck (Oliver Stark).

Following the April 11 episode, "9-1-1" set out on a short three-week break. The series will return starting May 2 with a new episode titled "There Goes the Groom." The show's April 18 timeslot on ABC will be a re-run of the season premiere, while the show's April 25 timeslot will be devoted to NFL Draft coverage. 

If you're hoping to tune in, then you're in luck. We've put together a guide on all the ways you can watch the new season of "9-1-1." Keep reading to learn how to watch it live, catch up on past seasons, and access your subscriptions from anywhere in the world via VPN.

Where to watch 9-1-1 live in the US

"9-1-1" Season 7 airs on ABC in the US on Thursday nights at 8 p.m. ET. If you don't have cable but want to watch an ABC live stream, then you can try a live TV package like Sling TV or Hulu + Live TV.

Sling TV is by far the cheaper live TV package here, with Sling Blue subscriptions starting at $40 per month. However, Sling TV only carries ABC in select markets (including New York City, Chicago, and Los Angeles, among others), so make sure to check out their local channel listing guide before signing up. 

If Sling TV doesn't carry ABC in your area or if you're looking for something with more live options, then you can try out Hulu + Live TV, which carries that network and 95+ other channels. The service also comes with all of Hulu's on-demand content, as well as Disney+ and ESPN+. Subscriptions start at $76.99 per month.

Where to watch 9-1-1 live in Canada

"9-1-1" Season 7 is available to live stream on Global TV in Canada on Thursday nights at 8 p.m. ET. Episodes will most likely be available to stream on Global TV after they air as well.

Where to watch past episodes of 9-1-1

If you're in the US, you can watch all six past seasons of "9-1-1" on Hulu. New Season 7 episodes will also be available to stream on Hulu the day after they air.

If you're in the UK, you can watch all six past seasons of "9-1-1" on Disney+. There's no word yet when the newest season will be available to stream in the UK. 

How to watch 9-1-1 from anywhere

If you're currently out of the US and hoping to keep up with your live TV subscriptions, it might be time to try a VPN (virtual private network). VPNs alter the location of your electronic device so that you can access websites and apps that might otherwise be restricted. They are also important ways that you can increase your online privacy. Since the live TV options we've outlined require US forms of payment, this option is best for Americans who are simply abroad at the moment and looking to watch "9-1-1" with their existing live TV subscriptions.

If you want to try a VPN, we recommend ExpressVPN, an easy-to-use option with a 30-day money-back guarantee. Want to know more? Check out our ExpressVPN review and keep reading to learn how to use it.

How to watch 9-1-1 with a VPN

• Sign up for a VPN if you don't already have one.
• Install it on the device you plan to watch the new episode.
• Turn it on and set it to a US location. 
• Sign up for one of the live TV streaming packages with a US form of payment.
• Select the ABC network and enjoy the show.

What about 9-1-1: Lone Star?

"9-1-1: Lone Star," which wrapped its fourth season last year, will still air on Fox. The spin-off series was renewed for a fifth season at the network and, as of right now, will not be moving to ABC with its counterpart. The show's fifth season premiere has been pushed back to fall 2024 due to WGA and SAG strike-related delays. The spin-off, which stars Rob Lowe, follows first responders in Texas.

How many episodes will be in Season 7 of 9-1-1?

Season 7 will consist of 10 episodes, according to Entertainment Weekly. Like much of network TV, this season has been shortened due to the WGA and SAG strikes. Although the past five seasons have been 14-18 episodes long, Season 7 will be just as short as the show's first season, which also premiered in the new year back in 2018.

Will there be 9-1-1 Season 8?

Yes, there will be another season of "9-1-1." ABC renewed the show for the 2024-2025 network TV season in early April, only three episodes into Season 7. This will be the show's eighth overall season. 

Note: The use of VPNs is illegal in certain countries, and using VPNs to access region-locked streaming content might constitute a breach of the terms of use for certain services. Insider does not endorse or condone the illegal use of VPNs.

• Meta released the first two versions of its Llama 3 large language model on Thursday.
• The technology powers Meta AI, which CEO Mark Zuckerberg calls "the most intelligent AI assistant that you can freely use."
• Meta says the new models have improved reasoning and code generation, as well as more diverse responses.

Meta's large language model and AI assistant are getting upgrades.

On Thursday, the company released the first models of Llama 3 in two sizes, 8B and 70B parameters. They've also been integrated into Meta AI, the company's AI assistant.

"With this new model, we believe Meta AI is now the most intelligent AI assistant that you can freely use," CEO Mark Zuckerberg said Thursday in an Instagram post.

Meta said in a blog post Thursday its newest models saw "substantially reduced false refusal rates, improved alignment, and increased diversity in model responses," as well as progress in reasoning, generating code, and instruction.

"With Llama 3, we set out to build the best open models that are on par with the best proprietary models available today," the post reads. "This next generation of Llama demonstrates state-of-the-art performance on a wide range of industry benchmarks and offers new capabilities, including improved reasoning. We believe these are the best open source models of their class, period."

Though Meta bills Llama as open-source, Llama 2 required companies with more than 700 million monthly active users to request a license from the company to use it, which Meta may or may not grant.

In the near future, Meta hopes to "make Llama 3 multilingual and multimodal, have longer context, and continue to improve overall performance across core LLM capabilities such as reasoning and coding," the company said in the blog post.

So what do the changes mean for Meta AI now?

The AI assistant can help with tasks like recommending restaurants, planning trips, and making your emails sound more professional.

Using Meta AI's Imagine feature also now produces sharper images faster: They'll start to appear as you're typing and change "with every few letters typed," according to a press release issued Thursday.

Meta AI is available across Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger, and on browsers. The company says multimodal Meta AI is also coming to its Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses soon. It's rolling out in English in over a dozen countries outside the US.

As for what comes next, Meta says it's working on models over 400B parameters that are still in training.

"I don't think that today many people really think about Meta AI when they think about the main AI assistants that people use," Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg told The Verge in an article published Thursday. "But I think that this is the moment where we're really going to start introducing it to a lot of people, and I expect it to be quite a major product."

Meta AI, of course, faces stiff competition from better-known AI assistants, including the likes of OpenAI's ChatGPT, Microsoft's Copilot, and Anthropic's Claude.

• Commercial foreclosures jumped 117% year-to-date in March, data from ATTOM shows.
• It reflects difficulty for the real-estate market, which has been hurt by high interest rates. 
• Offices have led the drawdown, with sector delinquency rates still rising in the first quarter.

The commercial real estate market is still struggling, made all the more clear by the rapid upswing in property foreclosures. 

Foreclosure activity jumped by 117% year-over-year in March, real estate data provider ATTOM reported on Wednesday. That indicates 625 foreclosures, a stark contrast to the pandemic lows, where foreclosures bottomed at 141 in May 2020.

As COVID-era aid and foreclosure moratoriums helped keep levels low in recent years, the current surge could in part reflect some normalization, as has been happening in residential real-estate. While high, commercial foreclosures are still under a 2014 peak of 889.

The rising trend partly stems from higher interest rates, which have battered the sector's ability to service debts and raised concerns about defaults rippling through the market. 

With billions in commercial debt maturing, tighter monetary policy has forced borrowers to either refinance at higher rates or sell their properties at steep discounts. For those that extend their maturities, analysts worry it's just delaying a wave of distress, with $2.2 trillion in debt coming due by 2027.

Bearing the brunt of these issues is the office sector, which is also burdened by falling demand amid entrenched remote work.

According to the Mortgage Bankers Association, offices were the only commercial segment where delinquencies kept rising in the first quarter, with rates unchanged for all other sectors. 6.8% of office loan balances were 30 or more days late, an increase from last quarter's 6.5%. 

"Loans across property types are adjusting to higher interest rates and uncertainty about property values, but the continued fog around the impact of hybrid work adds another challenge for office properties and their loans," Head of Commercial Real Estate Research Jamie Woodwell said in the report.

Earlier this month, Fitch Ratings warned of a rising global contagion risk from commercial real-estate losses. Through 2024, its estimates that three-fourths of US conduit office loans will default.

"Lower-quality and older vintage office properties should see the greatest risk from this reduced demand, and are likely to face outsized property value declines and even obsolescence," it said. "This is already evident in some high-profile U.S. office markets and, increasingly, in gateway European cities with rising vacancies."

The ratings agency previously forecast the office price crash to be worse than 2008's financial crisis.

• During WWII, scientists experimented on themselves to help divers and submarine crews.
• The scientists conducted over 600 experiments on themselves, breathing CO2, oxygen, and more gases.
• The British Admiralty used their data for recon missions, including before D-Day.

On January 18, 1944, a miniature sub known as an X-craft made its way from the English Channel to French waters undetected. For four nights, the sub surfaced every 12 hours to let in fresh air.

The submariners were on a reconnaissance mission. Two British Army officers aboard the sub swam to shore to mark landmarks and recently dug mines, gathering intel for troops who would invade the beaches of Normandy on D-Day, five months later.

The small group of scientists aboard the sub performed hundreds of experiments on themselves to figure out how long the X-craft could stay submerged with the occupants breathing their own expelled carbon dioxide.

They locked themselves in hyperbaric chambers, where they breathed carbon dioxide, pure oxygen, and other gases to figure out how best to breathe underwater.

These scientists meticulously documented the dangers of inhaling regular air and pure oxygen at different depths — helping pave the way for modern divers, who often use different gas mixtures depending on how deep they are going.

In her new book, "Chamber Divers: The Untold Story of the D-Day Scientists Who Changed Special Operations Forever," Rachel Lance tells the story of the many injuries and near-death experiences the researchers endured, from a broken spine to a collapsed lung.

The British Admiralty, which was in charge of the Royal Navy, used the scientists' data to help troops pilot miniature submarines, dismantle underwater obstacles, and perform other reconnaissance missions. All these tasks were vital for the D-Day mission.

The many dangers of diving

By the 1940s, diving was common but required bulky suits and large helmets. Anyone going underwater for lengthy periods needed a cable to attach them to a boat and provide a constant supply of air.

Experts had already known about the dangers of decompression sickness, also known as the bends, for decades. When a diver surfaces too quickly after a deep dive, the change in pressure can cause nitrogen bubbles to flood the bloodstream. A buildup of bubbles blocks blood flow and, in the most serious cases, can lead to death.

But that wasn't the British Admiralty's only concern with underwater travel. In 1939, the Thetis submarine sank during a dive test. While four people escaped, the other 99 trapped aboard died of then-unknown causes. Having breathing apparatuses on board wasn't enough to save them.

An engineer investigating the disaster asked John Burdon Sanderson Haldane, who worked in the genetics department at University College London, for help figuring out what happened. Haldane had participated in his physiologist father's experiments on decompression sickness and breathing various gases in their at-home lab since he was a child.

Haldane and a handful of members from his lab, quickly got to work conducting experiments in hyperbaric chambers. They were the guinea pigs.

Pure oxygen could be poisonous

Haldane and his fellow scientists breathed different levels of carbon dioxide and oxygen to see how their bodies responded at different levels of pressure. CO2 would give them headaches, make them tired, and cause them to hyperventilate.

It was excessive CO2 that had killed those aboard the Thetis, Haldane figured out, and future crews would need a way to absorb the gas.

Pure oxygen could be just as poisonous. It caused violent seizures, vomiting, and impaired vision. The researchers would see flashes of color they called "dazzle." Haldane injured his back during a seizure, and another researcher dislocated her jaw.

The seizures were bad enough in a dry hyperbaric chamber, but one of the researchers nearly drowned breathing oxygen while submerged in water.

Breathing regular air — which is mostly nitrogen — at increased pressure caused a phenomenon known as nitrogen narcosis during the researchers' tests.

It was potent enough that "no great trust should be placed in human intelligence under these circumstances," Haldane and Martin Case, another researcher, wrote. While the phenomenon wasn't new, the fact that the scientists struggled to do math problems while under its effect showed that it could be deadly for divers trying to complete simple tasks.

Finally, the researchers started mixing oxygen and air to find an ideal composition that would allow divers and submarine crews to breathe without side effects like seizures or vision loss.

Haldane and the other members of his lab conducted over 600 experiments on themselves in total. The British Admiralty used their data when outfitting its X-craft submarines and handing out custom mixes of oxygen and air based on the depth of their dives.

The documents chronicling the work of Haldane and his fellow scientists were declassified in 2001, well after many of them had died. Their dangerous experiments not only contributed to the D-Day invasion, but also contributed to the science behind modern-day scuba diving.

• Trump Media and Technology Group extended its two-day stock rebound to as much as 41% on Thursday.
• The rebound comes after a brutal post-IPO sell-off that dragged shares down more than 60%.
• Trump Media has posted instructions on its website outlining how to prevent retail investor shares from being shorted.

Shares of Trump Media and Technology Group are experiencing a sharp rebound following a brutal post-IPO decline.

The stock has surged as much as 41% over the past two-days, recouping some of the 60% losses it has suffered since late-March, when the parent company of Truth Social completed its SPAC merger with Digital World Acquisition.

The sharp rebound comes after the stock successfully tested its 200-day moving at about $24 on Wednesday. It will be crucial for the stock to stay above its rising 200-day moving average, or else further technical damage to the stock price could be in store.

Trump Media stock hit a high of $32.15 on Thursday.

The sharp volatility in Trump Media stock has elicited a strong reaction from its core retail investor base, which actively posts on the Truth Social website. Emotions turned sour earlier this week when the stock was in free-fall, but things have been looking up recently.

"Happy Days are here again" Truth Social user @manofpeace123 said on Thursday.

Trump Media and Technology Group recently announced plans to launch a streaming service, as it seeks to compete with juggernauts like Netflix and Disney+.

But given how expensive it is to launch a streaming business, combined with the fact that the company lost $58 million last year on revenue of just $4 million, there are plenty of skeptics.

The stock has a short float of 39.5 million shares, or about 14.8% of Trump Media's total share float, according to data from Finviz. 

With respect to short sellers, Trump Media made a recent addition to the FAQ section of its website, in which it explained how retail investors can prevent their shares from being sold short. 

"For long-term shareholders who believe in the Company's future, the Company is highlighting the following actions you can take with your brokerage firm to prevent the lending of your shares for short selling," Truth Media said.

When you buy through our links, Business Insider may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more

At their core, smartwatches are extensions of your phone for checking notifications, making calls, sending texts, and, not to mention, telling the time. The best smartwatches can also be powerful tools for tracking activities and monitoring health markers, too. The most important things to consider when choosing a new smartwatch are the features you'll use most and the smartphone operating system you use.

Our top pick among the best smartwatches is the Apple Watch Series 9. Although it's only compatible with iOS, it's easy to navigate and offers a wide range of health and fitness tracking tools. For Android users, we recommend the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro. It has a durable, rugged design and multi-day battery life.

The Nothing CMF Watch Pro is a solid budget option. No smartwatch is perfect for a sub-$75 price, but the CMF Watch Pro offers the basics of a smartwatch with a couple of premium features, like an always-on display. It's also compatible with both iOS and Android phones. 

Top picks for the best smartwatches

Best overall: Apple Watch Series 9 - See at Amazon

Best budget: Nothing CMF Watch Pro - See at Amazon

Best for Android: Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro - See at Amazon

Best for Pixel users: Google Pixel Watch 2 - See at Amazon

Best for fitness: Garmin Epix Pro - See at Amazon

Best premium Apple Watch: Apple Watch Ultra 2 - See at Amazon

Best Fitbit: Fitbit Sense 2 - See at Amazon

Best with bezel: Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Classic - See at Amazon

Best overall

The Apple Watch Series 9 remains atop the smartwatch pack thanks to its excellent blend of health and fitness tools, smartwatch functionality, and overall effectiveness. For iOS users, there's no better wearable to buy, and it's so good that it may even sway those who don't have an iOS device to get one.

When the Series 9 was released in September 2023, it didn't represent a massive generational leap over the prior year's release, the Apple Watch Series 8. However, it did introduce a few new features that improved its accessibility, and it also debuted a fast new processor chip. 

The new additions include faster on-device Siri access, updated Smart Stack functionality, a brighter display, and, perhaps the most notable new feature, the Double Tap Gesture. The Double Tap Gesture allows users to tap their index finger and thumb together twice to interact with the primary button of any app. For instance, it can answer or hang up a phone call, start or stop a timer, and snooze an alarm. 

While this new gesture is great for interacting with the Apple Watch when you have your hands full, it's a huge advancement in its accessibility. Now, users who may be unable to use the touchscreen easily can still use the watch's apps. This, coupled with the Series 9's on-device Siri access, completely changes how the watch can be used. 

Beyond those updates, the Series 9 is still a powerful health and fitness tracker, offering several tools like sleep tracking and stress management. There are also new mental health tools available within its Mindfulness app that allow users to log how they feel at certain times throughout the day. Apple dropped the blood-oxygen monitoring feature on all Apple Watches, including the Series 9, due to a patent dispute. 

The Apple Watch has long been a quality wearable, and the Series 9 continues that trend, offering something for every type of user. It delivers a premium smartwatch experience, has powerful health and fitness tracking tools, and is not only the best Apple Watch you can buy but the best smartwatch, too.

Read our full Apple Watch Series 9 review.

Best budget

For around $65, the Nothing CMF Watch Pro perfectly fits the bill for a budget smartwatch, and it works both for Android and iPhone, too. 

Full disclosure: We haven't tested or personally used the CMF Watch Pro yet. However, based on our research, overall experience with smartwatches, and our experience with Nothing products like the Phone 2 and Ear Stick earbuds, we feel comfortable recommending the CMF Watch Pro as a genuinely suitable option for those seeking a budget smartwatch. 

The CMF Watch Pro focuses on the core basics of a smartwatch, including telling the time and showing your notifications. You can even take a call on it thanks to its built-in microphone, which is a pleasant surprise for a watch in this price range, at least one with a recognizable brand name behind it.

It also covers the basic health and fitness tracking features that most smartwatches have, like a step counter, heart rate sensor, and sleep tracking. Also surprisingly, the CMF Watch Pro supports blood-oxygen monitoring — a feature deactivated on Apple Watches thanks to a patent dispute. It also has IP68 water resistance, which means it won't get damaged with water contact, but Nothing doesn't suggest you wear it swimming. 

The CMF Watch Pro's touted 13-day battery life is also worthy of note. We expect most people would get less than 13 days with their typical usage, but that potential range is a great plus for the CMF Watch Pro. The CMF Watch Pro also supports an always-on display, a feature Apple's Watch SE can't tout at its $249 starting price. 

For $65, the CMF Watch Pro doesn't have certain features you'd expect on more expensive smartwatches. It doesn't run third-party apps, for example; that means different things to people who need third-party apps, but for most people, it means you can't run your music streaming app and store music on the CMF Watch Pro for phone-less workouts.

And while you can get notifications about text messages, the CMF Watch Pro doesn't support writing and sending texts from the watch itself. We also saw reports from users who weren't receiving notifications for RCS messages from their phones, which is the modern standard that Android phones use for text messaging. Bluetooth connectivity with your phone is also reportedly patchy and oddly reliant on occasionally running the CMF Watch app. 

So, the CMF Watch Pro isn't perfect, but it's also around $65. Consider that most good smartwatches cost over $200, downsides to the CMF Pro are fully expected, and these specific downsides are acceptable for the price.

Best for Android

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro is a generation older than the current Galaxy Watch 6 series but has some notable advantages.

Namely, it houses a larger battery that allows it to go several days before a charge. It also has a ruggedly durable and lightweight titanium design that caters to the active user. And, when paired with one of the best Samsung Galaxy Watch bands, you can easily tailor it to function however you prefer to wear it. 

It's also a powerful smartwatch. Call, text, email, and app alerts are easy to interact with on the large, bright watch face, and it uses the latest iteration of Wear OS, which is fluid and intuitive to navigate. It allows for deep customization, too, including several different watch faces that can display certain relevant information. I found this one of its best features, as I could tailor what data or fitness stats it always showed on the home screen. 

Health-focused users will also appreciate its variety of wellness features, including in-depth sleep tracking and a unique body composition scanner that can inform you of your body fat percentage, water weight, and BMI. This isn't as accurate as a reading you may get at the doctor, but it's still a handy tool.

For the fitness crowd, the Watch 5 Pro is stellar. Not only is there a wide range of trackable workouts, like cycling, running, and weight lifting, but there are plenty of activities that aren't specifically fitness-centric but still work out your body, like skiing and hiking. There's also a handy track-back option that functions like a breadcrumb feature to track your exact hiking routes. However, this only works for hiking and cycling, but hopefully, future updates make it available for things like trail running, too.

The Watch 5 Pro isn't without its drawbacks. Some features, like the ECG function that tracks heart rhythms and blood pressure monitor, are exclusive to Samsung phones via the Samsung Health Monitor app, and they're not available on other Android phones. It's not a major red flag, but it is something to keep in mind if you don't own a Samsung phone. 

Even with those issues, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro is the best Android smartwatch you can buy. It's a quality health and fitness tracker and an exceptional smartwatch. For Android users, especially those who own Samsung phones, it doesn't get better than this.   

Read our full Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro review.

Best for Pixel users

Google's second iteration of the Pixel Watch, the Pixel Watch 2, addresses our main complaints from the previous model, and it easily deserves its spot as the best option for Pixel phone users. 

The Pixel Watch 2 continues to offer the stellar core smartwatch experience from the original Pixel Watch with the intuitive WatchOS 4 operating system, compatibility with several third-party apps, and excellent notifications and interactions with calls, texts, and emails. As an extension of your phone, it shines. 

For fitness tracking, namely GPS accuracy, the Pixel Watch 2 brings major improvements, and it's actually up to par with other smartwatches now. It includes features like sleep tracking, all-day heart rate monitoring, stress monitoring, and ECG readings. The Pixel Watch 2 also comes with a new skin temperature sensor and a new heart rate sensor, contributing to unique insights into sleep quality. 

We should note that some features like advanced sleep data, advanced stress management tools, and Fitbit's unique Daily Readiness feature are locked behind Fitbit's $10/month Premium subscription service. You get a free six-month trial of the service when you buy the Pixel Watch 2, which lets you decide whether it's worth keeping.  

The Pixel Watch 2 also shows notable improvements in battery life over the original. It gets us through a full day that includes activity and workout tracking while leaving enough battery for sleep tracking.

Read our full Google Pixel Watch 2 review.

Best for fitness

There aren't many things the Garmin Epix Pro can't do. From its endless number of trackable activities and weeklong battery to its accurate GPS tracking, no-frills but useful notification system, and a suite of health-tracking features, it's more than just a quality fitness tracker; it's the best fitness tracker. Period.

But since we're talking about smartwatches, it's worth pointing out it excels at that, too. Its call, text, and app notifications are on the basic end of the smartwatch spectrum, but they're still easy to interact with, and the watch still serves as a reliable extension of your smartphone. It may not have all the bells and whistles of something like the Series 9 or Watch 5 Pro, but it gets the job done. 

Plus, the amount of extras that come with it makes it an especially great pick for fitness-focused folks or anyone who enjoys spending time outside. It offers in-depth activity tracking for things like running, cycling, weight training, and snowboarding and does more than just track heart rate and time. It can log actual workout reps and track actual ground you cover via GPS while providing a detailed map of your route. 

It's also a comprehensive health tracker with in-depth sleep and stress monitoring and a handy recovery tool that adjusts how much rest it recommends you need based on your daily activity. 

I found the recovery feature quite useful, especially when I wanted to push myself but decided to take it easy based on the watch's recommendation, knowing I wouldn't be at my best. This input ultimately changed how I worked out each week, and I started to feel far better on a week-to-week basis in terms of soreness and my overall recovery timeline. 

This only scratches the surface of what the Epix Pro can do, too, as the watch literally learns your day-to-day behavior and adapts to suit you best. This includes the workout recommendations, but it also helps manage stress levels, when to go to bed and wake up, and how often you should have a rigorous workout. 

The fact it does all this while also being a reliable smartwatch makes it one of the premier wearables you can buy.

Best premium Apple Watch

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 offers a near-similar smartwatch experience to the Series 9 but at a much steeper price tag. While it may not be the preferred choice for casual users, it's worth the extra investment for advanced athletes or those who spend time outdoors.

This is mainly due to the features and internal hardware tailored to tracking activities like cycling, diving, and climbing. These features include a brighter screen that can be more easily seen in high-lighting conditions, tracking compatibility for freediving, scuba diving, and wakeboarding, and improved altitude readings.

The Ultra 2 also features a bulkier, more durable design than the Series 9 and a battery that lasts upwards of two full days instead of needing to be recharged daily. The increased battery life is a huge improvement compared to the Series 9 (and other smartwatches in this guide) since less time on the charger means more time using it for how it's intended.

However, my favorite feature of the Ultra 2 is its Action Button, which can be programmed to open several different apps, including the fitness-tracking app, the stopwatch, or the shortcuts app. The Action Button is especially helpful for activities because instead of starting after a short three-second countdown, like on the Series 9, it allows you to press the button once you're situated and ready to go. This also helps wait for the GPS to sync.

Other notable features include the new Double Tap Gesture, which also debuted on the Series 9, and faster on-device Siri access. It also has the new S9 processor chip and the updated ultra-wideband chip that improves its location accuracy.

Although the Ultra 2 offers many features geared toward the advanced athlete, it's still a quality wearable for the casual user. It has the same health and fitness tracking tools as the Series 9 while offering similar smartwatch functionality.

Note that Apple disabled the blood-oxygen monitoring feature on all Apple Watches, including the Ultra 2, due to a patent dispute.

Read our full Apple Watch Ultra 2 review.

Best Fitbit

For a smartwatch that excels as a reliable sleep tracker, Fitbit's Sense 2 is at the front of the pack. It not only tracks your sleep each night and provides in-depth data, but it also offers unique recommendations on improving your rest via several metrics. Plenty of wearables try to provide this level of insight, but the Sense 2 does it best.

What sets the Sense 2 apart is how comprehensive the data it provides is. For example, after a night of sleep, the Fitbit app displays metrics showing how well I rested. These include time spent in REM, deep, and light sleep, as well as other factors like time spent awake, how restless I might have been, and what my heart rate was. 

The Fitbit app can then recommend ways to improve my sleep to better my nightly score. This may include certain workouts, when to work out, or how to keep a consistent sleep schedule. Once I got the hang of using the recommendations, they made a noticeable difference.

It's worth noting that one major hurdle to having all the sleep data available is to have Fitbit Premium, the subscription part of the Fitbit app. Memberships run for $10/month or $80/year and are worth the expenditure for those intent on using the extra data. 

Fitbit Premium also provides a unique Daily Readiness Score that analyzes your prior day's activity and rest and creates a numbered score to represent how hard to push yourself. There are also in-depth health insights, like heart rate variability, available to subscribers. 

Aside from its capability as a sleep tracker, the Sense 2 is also an excellent fitness tracker. It tracks various activities like running, cycling, and strength training. Also, it uses a skin temperature sensor, has heart rhythm (ECG) readings, and debuted Fitbit's real-time stress tracker. The stress tracker is especially useful for its feedback on how to lower stress throughout the day.

While the Fitbit Sense 2 is one of the best smartwatches, the actual smartwatch experience leaves a little to be desired. Yes, it gets notifications like calls, texts, and app updates, but the fact Fitbit removed third-party app support and Google Assistant access is disappointing. There's also no way to store or play music via the watch.

However, I wouldn't view these as deal-breakers for the Sense 2, especially if you're looking for a smartwatch with premium sleep tracking. It's one of the best Fitbits you can buy, and while it is a so-so smartwatch, it gets the job done when needed while offering a suite of advanced health and wellness features. 

Read our full Fitbit Sense 2 review.

Best with bezel

Samsung's Galaxy Watch line has offered some of the best Android smartwatches you can buy for years, and the Samsung Watch 6 Classic is no exception.

One of the best additions Samsung introduced on the Watch 6 Classic was to bring back the rotating bezel last seen in the Watch 4. With the rotating bezel, navigating the watch's interface and menus is fluid and easy, especially during workouts or when wearing gloves. This isn't to say the touchscreen is hard to navigate, but sometimes it took a little longer to respond to a screen swipe than it would if I just simply spun the dial.

The watch's improved battery life is also a welcome update. Outside of the Watch 5 Pro, most Galaxy Watches need to find their way to a charger at least once daily to recharge. This wasn't ever a dealbreaker as even our top pick, the Apple Watch Series 9, requires the same daily charging. 

However, having a watch with a battery that lasts more than one day ensures you can squeeze all the functionality out of it. You can use it as a smartwatch and fitness tracker during the day and as a sleep tracker at night. The Watch 6 Classic's longer battery allowed me to do that during my time with it. 

Not all Watch 6 users will make use of every bell and whistle, but even casual wearers will find plenty to utilize. Outside of the available activities and sleep tracking, there's also a stress tracker, a heart rhythm reader (ECG), a body composition analyzer, a temperature sensor, and a cycle tracker.

The highlight of these is the body composition analyzer, which I used to chart my body fat percentage and muscle mass, and the stress tracker, which tracked my specific stress levels at different times throughout the day and suggested ways to lower them. 

I also just really enjoyed wearing the Watch 6 Classic. It has a comfortable, lightweight design that felt equally good to wear while working out and sleeping as it did while sitting at my desk. 

The watch looks good on the wrist, too, featuring a classic round watch face design that looks and feels premium. I could see it being slightly too big for folks with smaller wrists, though it was the perfect size on my arm (and I like larger watch faces). But do keep this in mind if you don't like big watch faces.

My lone nitpick with the Watch 6 Classic is that it's not all that different from the previous generation of Watch 5. It does use the latest Wear OS, though that can also be downloaded on the Watch 5. What this means, though, is that upgrading to the Watch 6 Classic is best done by those wearing the Watch 4 or older — and Watch 5 users can take a beat and wait for the release of next year's Watch 7.

Read our full Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Classic review.

What to look for in a smartwatch

It's important to know how you intend to use a smartwatch before you start shopping for one. Maybe you want a wearable with a smaller watch face or prefer a certain strap material. You may even want one that offers robust health and fitness tracking capabilities.

Here's what to consider before purchasing:

Use case: While all smartwatches offer similar functionality of telling time and displaying various call, text, email, and app notifications, some are better suited to certain uses than others. For example, the Fitbit Sense 2 excels as a sleep tracker in addition to being a reliable smartwatch. If you don't need sleep tracking, the Sense 2 may not be a good fit. 

While most smartwatches track activities, they're not all full-fledged fitness trackers. Dedicated fitness trackers provide a variety of trackable activities and often provide in-depth progress-tracking data, monitor rest and recovery, and create workout recommendations. For information on these, check out our guide on the best fitness trackers. 

Sizing: Smartwatches come in a variety of sizing options, both in terms of the actual watch face and the watch strap it comes with. While some folks may benefit from a larger watch face and prefer the amount of data they can see on it, others may find big watches too cumbersome and prefer something smaller and sleeker. This is especially true for those with smaller wrists.

Compatibility: While iPhone users shouldn't buy an Android smartwatch, and vice versa, there are other compatibilities to keep in mind when shopping. For instance, some wearables, like Samsung's Watch 5 Pro and Watch 6 Classic, function better on a Samsung-branded phone than on a different Android device like the Google Pixel. Some features aren't available while the overall experience is slightly different.

Battery life: Battery life is one of the most important considerations when shopping for a smartwatch and directly impacts how you use it. For instance, the Apple Watch Series 9, our pick as the best smartwatch overall, requires daily charging. This is fine for folks who can put it on the charger each night but may not suffice for those who travel frequently or who may not have access to a portable charger.

How we test smartwatches

Each of the smartwatches included in this guide went through various tests to determine how well they performed across these four categories: Features, fit & comfort, ease of use, and value.

Here's how each category specifically factored into the decision process:

Features: This is one of the most important considerations for any smartwatch and separates something like the Apple Watch Series 8 from something that didn't make our guide, like the Fitbit Versa 4. A wearable with features like third-party app support, the ability to play or store music, and others like sleep tracking or an always-on display truly fits the bill of being a quality smartwatch. 

Fit & comfort: If a smartwatch is uncomfortable, you'll be far less likely to want to wear it very often. And since a smartwatch is supposed to be a suitable extension of your phone, track your daily activity, and monitor your sleep, you need to wear it a lot. We took into consideration how the watch band feels, how lightweight it is while wearing at night, and whether it stays comfortable while commuting, working out, etc. 

Ease of use: Learning curve is another important factor since knowing how to get the most out of your smartwatch without fumbling through menus is vital to the experience. There will be a learning period with any new smartwatch but the ones that are intuitive and easy to navigate from the jump are the ones that stick out. The Apple Watch Series 9 is one of the easiest watches to navigate, which is part of why it's our top overall pick. 

Value: Value can often be subjective and is influenced entirely by how a user utilizes a certain smartwatch. For instance, not everyone needs the Apple Watch Ultra 2. Athletes or those who spend a lot of time outside who also need a powerful smartwatch will get a lot of value out of it while someone who is just casually active may not need all the bells and whistles. But value is still an important aspect we considered because smartwatches aren't cheap and you want to ensure that your investment is a wise one.

FAQs

What is the best smartwatch?

This largely hinges on two things: how you intend to use the smartwatch and, perhaps most importantly, what smartphone you have. For instance, the best Apple Watches only work on iOS devices, while the best Android smartwatches only work on Android devices.

So, while we think the Apple Watch Series 9 is the best overall smartwatch, regardless of smartphone operating system, it's still only usable by one group of users: those with an iOS device.

Consider how you intend to use the smartwatch, too. If you want something that accurately tracks activities and has several health-tracking tools, a pure smartwatch likely isn't going to be the "best" for you. Similarly, if you want the best pure smartwatch experience, a dedicated fitness tracker won't be the best fit.

Do all smartwatches work on any smartphone? 

No. Some smartwatches work exclusively on a certain operating system. For instance, the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 only work on iOS devices, while wearables such as the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro and Google Pixel Watch 2 only work on Android devices. 

However, many wearables work on iOS and Android, including the Garmin Epix, the Fitbit Sense 2, and the Fitbit Versa 3. Always cross-reference which operating system a certain smartwatch requires with the operating system of your smartphone before purchasing. 

Can you use an Apple Watch with an Android smartphone? 

No, the Apple Watch is only compatible with devices running iOS. While you can still wear an Apple Watch if you own an Android phone, you won't be able to get anywhere near the full functionality out of it like accessing any tracked data or downloading apps. 

Unlike smartwatches from Garmin and Fitbit, which work with iOS and Android devices, the Apple Watch only works with iOS devices.

Can you use an Android smartwatch with an iPhone?

No, Android smartwatches, such as the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Classic, Watch 5 Pro, and Google's Pixel Watches, are only compatible with devices running the Android operating system. Those with iOS devices should avoid purchasing these watches to ensure their smartwatch's full functionality.

If you want a device-agnostic smartwatch, opt for the Garmin Epix Pro or Fitbit Sense 2.

Best overall: Apple Watch Series 9

The Apple Watch Series 9 remains atop the smartwatch pack thanks to its excellent blend of health and fitness tools, smartwatch functionality, and overall effectiveness. For iOS users, there's no better wearable to buy and it's so good that it may even sway those who don't have an iOS device to get one.

When the Series 9 was released in September of 2023, it didn't represent a massive generational leap over the prior year's release, the Apple Watch Series 8. However, it did introduce a few new features that improved its accessibility and it also debuted a fast new processor chip. 

The new additions include faster on-device Siri access, updated Smart Stack functionality, a brighter display, and, perhaps the most notable new feature, the Double Tap Gesture. The Double Tap Gesture allows users to tap their index finger and thumb together twice to interact with the primary button of any app. For instance, it can answer or hang up a phone call, start or stop a timer, and snooze an alarm. 

While this new gesture is great for when you have your hands full yet still need to interact with your Apple Watch, it's a huge advancement in its accessibility. Now, users who may not be able to easily use the touchscreen can still make use of the watch's apps. This coupled with the Series 9's on-device Siri access completely changes how the watch can be used. 

Beyond those updates, the Series 9 is still a powerful health and fitness tracker, offering several tools like blood oxygen sensing, sleep tracking, and stress management. There are also new mental health tools available within its Mindfulness app that allow users to log how they feel at certain times throughout the day.

The Apple Watch has long been a quality wearable and the Series 9 continues that trend, offering something for every type of user. It delivers a premium smartwatch experience, has powerful health and fitness tracking tools, and is not only the best Apple Watch you can buy but the best smartwatch, too.

Read our full review of the Apple Watch Series 9.

Best budget: Fitbit Versa 3

Although the Versa 4 is Fitbit's latest model, the Versa 3 remains the better option of the two. For starters, its compatibility with third-party apps gives it a massive leg up over the Versa 4, and it's also a much more accurate tracker in terms of GPS tracking and syncing.

The third-party app support is probably the most important aspect of why the Versa 3 is a standout. Since Fitbit decided to end third-party app support on the Versa 4, the Versa 3 remains the last Fitbit smartwatch that offers that functionality.

This translates into a much better smartwatch experience because you don't have to solely rely on whatever apps come pre-installed. Having the option to customize what you use is one of the best features of any smartwatch.

The Versa 3 excels beyond the app support and fitness tracking, too. It also acts as a fluid extension of your smartphone, offering text, email, call, and app notifications that are easy to read, especially on the watch's big, bright watch face. Having such a large screen is also good for quickly viewing any workout stats or navigating through an app.

It also offers health-tracking features like menstrual cycle tracking, in-depth sleep monitoring, and an always-on heart rate monitor. Fitbit may be more well-known for its no-frills activity trackers but the Versa 3 is an excellent full-featured smartwatch (it's our pick as one of the best Fitbits, too).

Read our full review of the Versa 3.

Best for Android: Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro continued the Galaxy Watch line's reign as the best Android smartwatch you can buy, and it did so via a few key upgrades over the existing line.

First, it houses a larger battery that allows it to go several days before a recharge. It also has a ruggedly durable design that caters to the active user. And when paired with one of the best Samsung Galaxy Watch bands, you can easily tailor it to function however you prefer to wear it. 

These new features represent an extremely similar innovation cycle to the Apple Watch Ultra 2. The Watch 5 Pro has all the hallmarks of its non-Pro kin, the Watch 5, albeit with a few add-ons that make it especially useful for fitness-focused folks and outdoor enthusiasts. 

It's also a powerful smartwatch. Call, text, email, and app alerts are easy to interact with on the large, bright watch face and it uses the latest iteration of Wear OS which is fluid and intuitive to navigate. It allows for deep customization, too, including several different watch faces that can display certain relevant information. I found this to be one of its best features as I could tailor what data or fitness stats it always showed on the home screen. 

Health-focused users will also appreciate its variety of wellness features, including in-depth sleep tracking, as well as a unique body composition scanner that can inform you of your body fat percentage, water weight, and BMI. This isn't as accurate as a reading you may get at the doctor but it's still a handy tool.

For the fitness crowd, the Watch 5 Pro is stellar. Not only is there a wide range of trackable workouts, like cycling, running, and weight lifting, but there are plenty of niche activities including skiing and hiking. There's also a handy track-back option that functions like a breadcrumb feature to track your exact hiking routes. However, this only works for hiking and cycling but hopefully, future updates make it available for things like trail running, too.

The Watch 5 Pro isn't without its drawbacks, though as the experience is a bit better when using a Samsung phone compared to something like the Google Pixel. It's not a major red flag but is something to keep in mind. Some features, like the ECG function which tracks heart rhythms, are only accessible via an app exclusive to Samsung phones. 

Even with those issues, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro is the best Android smartwatch you can buy. It's a quality health and fitness tracker and an exceptional smartwatch. For Android users, it doesn't get better than this.   

Read our full review of the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro.

Best for Pixel users: Google Pixel Watch

Google's Pixel Watch is one of the most polarizing wearables I've tested. For as good of a smartwatch as it is, it's a frustratingly terrible fitness tracker, which is especially strange considering Google owns Fitbit.

But the main reason it gets the nod here, and why it's one of the best smartwatches for Android, is that it is a truly great smartwatch. Wear OS is intuitive to use, making the interface easy to navigate, plus it's compatible with several apps and extremely easy to interact with calls, texts, emails, and app notifications. As an effective extension of your smartphone, it shines. 

However, those looking for a smartwatch that also does well in the fitness department should take heed: it's a very inaccurate watch in terms of GPS tracking and syncing. I had the most trouble when trying to get an accurate reading of my pace while running or cycling. 

I found the watch to be off by as much as a minute and a half to two minutes on my normal mile time while running, which created a significant discrepancy. I always end up around the same spot during a 30-minute run, yet the Pixel Watch would tell me I ran far shorter than I typically do. That kind of info is useless to anyone training for a specific race or event. 

Aside from those discrepancies, though, the Google Pixel Watch remains an excellent smartwatch. Not every smartwatch wearer needs something accurate down to .01 miles and instead wants a reliable smartwatch capable of displaying notifications and being the stand-in to their smartphone when they need it. That's exactly what you get with the Pixel Watch. 

Read our full review of the Google Pixel Watch.

Best for fitness: Garmin Epix Pro

There aren't many things the Garmin Epix Pro can't do. From its endless number of trackable activities and week-long battery to its accurate GPS tracking, no-frills but useful notification system, and a suite of health-tracking features, it's more than just a quality fitness tracker, it's the best fitness tracker. Period.

But since we're talking about smartwatches, it's worth pointing out it excels at that, too. Its call, text, and app notifications are on the basic end of the smartwatch spectrum but they're still easy to interact with and the watch still serves as a reliable extension of your smartphone. It may not have all the bells and whistles of something like the Series 9 or Watch 5 Pro but it gets the job done. 

Plus, the amount of extras that come with it makes it an especially great pick for fitness-focused folks or anyone who enjoys spending time outside. It offers in-depth activity tracking for things like running, cycling, weight training, and snowboarding, and does more than just track heart rate and time. It can log actual workout reps and track actual ground you cover via GPS, while also providing a detailed map of your route. 

It's also a comprehensive health tracker with in-depth sleep and stress monitoring and a handy recovery tool that adjusts how much rest it recommends you need based on your daily activity. 

I found the recovery feature quite useful, especially when I wanted to push myself but decided to take it easy based on the watch's recommendation, knowing I wouldn't be at my best. This input ultimately changed the way I worked out each week and I started to feel far better on a week-to-week basis in terms of soreness and what my overall recovery timeline was like. 

This only scratches the surface of what the Epix Pro can do, too, as the watch literally learns your day-to-day behavior and adapts to suit you best. This includes the workout recommendations but it also helps manage stress levels, when to go to bed and wake up, and how often you should have a rigorous workout. 

The fact it does all this while also being a reliable smartwatch makes it one of the premier wearables you can buy.

Best premium Apple Watch: Apple Watch Ultra 2

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 offers a near-similar smartwatch experience to the Series 9 but at a much steeper price tag. While it may not be the preferred choice for casual users, it's worth the extra investment for advanced athletes or those who spend time outdoors.

This is mainly due to the features and internal hardware tailored to tracking activities like cycling, diving, and climbing. These features include a brighter screen that can be more easily seen in high-lighting conditions, tracking compatibility for freediving, scuba diving, and wakeboarding, and improved altitude readings.

The Ultra 2 also features a bulkier, more durable design than the Series 9, as well as a battery that lasts upwards of two full days, instead of needing to be recharged daily. The increased battery life is a huge improvement compared to the Series 9 (and other smartwatches in this guide) since less time on the charger means more time using it for how it's intended.

However, my favorite feature of the Ultra 2 is its Action Button, which can be programmed to open several different apps including the fitness-tracking app, the stopwatch, or the shortcuts app. The Action Button is especially helpful for activities because instead of starting after a short three-second countdown, like on the Series 9, it allows you to press the button once you're situated and ready to go. This also helps wait for the GPS to sync, too.

Other notable features include the new Double Tap Gesture, which also debuted on the Series 9, and faster on-device Siri access. It also has the new S9 processor chip, as well as the updated ultra-wideband chip that improves its location accuracy.

Although the Ultra 2 offers many features geared toward the advanced athlete, it's still a quality wearable for the casual user. It has the same health and fitness tracking tools as the Series 9 while offering similar smartwatch functionality.

Read our full review of the Apple Watch Ultra 2.

Best Fitbit: Fitbit Sense 2

For a smartwatch that excels as a reliable sleep tracker, Fitbit's Sense 2 is at the front of the pack. It not only tracks your sleep each night and provides in-depth data but it also offers unique recommendations on how to improve your rest via several metrics. There are plenty of wearables that try to offer this level of insight but the Sense 2 does it best.

What sets the Sense 2 apart is how comprehensive the data it provides is. For example, after a night of sleep, the Fitbit app displays metrics showing how well I rested. These include time spent in REM, deep, and light sleep, as well as other factors like time spent awake, how restless I might have been, and what my heart rate was. 

The Fitbit app can then recommend ways to improve my sleep to better my nightly score. This may include certain workouts, when to work out, or how to keep a consistent sleep schedule. Once I got the hang of using the recommendations, they made a noticeable difference.

It's worth noting that one major hurdle to having all the sleep data available is to have Fitbit Premium, the subscription part of the Fitbit app. Memberships run for $10 per month or $80 per year, and are worth the investment, especially for those intent on using the extra data. 

Fitbit Premium also provides a unique Daily Readiness Score that analyzes your prior day's activity and rest and creates a numbered score to represent how hard to push yourself. There are in-depth health insights, like heart rate variability, available to subscribers, as well. 

Aside from its capability as a sleep tracker, the Sense 2 is also an excellent fitness tracker. It offers tracking for a variety of activities like running, cycling, and strength training and also uses a skin temperature sensor, has heart rhythm (ECG) readings, and debuted Fitbit's real-time stress tracker. The stress tracker is especially useful for the feedback it provides on how to lower stress throughout the day.

And while the Fitbit Sense 2 is one of the best smartwatches, its actual smartwatch experience leaves a little to be desired. Yes, it gets notifications like calls, texts, and app updates, but the fact Fitbit removed third-party app support and Google Assistant access is disappointing. There's also no way to store or play music via the watch.

But I wouldn't view these as reasons to not buy a Sense 2, especially if you're looking for a smartwatch with premium sleep tracking. It's one of the best Fitbits you can buy and while it is a so-so smartwatch, it gets the job done when needed while offering a suite of advanced health and wellness features. 

Read our full review of the Fitbit Sense 2.

Best with bezel: Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Classic

Samsung's Galaxy Watch line of smartwatches has stood as the best Android smartwatch you can buy for years. With the recent release of the Watch 6 Classic, it looks to stay that way for at least another generation.

One of the best additions Samsung introduced on the Watch 6 Classic was to bring back the rotating bezel last seen in the Watch 4. With the rotating bezel, navigating the watch's interface and menus is fluid and easy, especially during workouts or when wearing gloves. This isn't to say the touchscreen is hard to navigate but sometimes I'd find it took a little longer to respond to a screen swipe than it would if I just simply spun the dial.

The watch's improved battery life is also a welcome update. Outside of the Watch 5 Pro, most Galaxy Watches would need to find their way to a charger at least once a day to recharge. This wasn't ever a deal breaker as even our top pick, the Apple Watch Series 8, requires the same daily charging. 

However, having a watch with a battery that lasts more than one day ensures you can squeeze all the functionality out of it. You can use it as a smartwatch and fitness tracker during the day while also using it as a sleep tracker at night. The Watch 6 Classic's longer battery allowed me to do exactly that during my time with it. 

Of course, not all Watch 6 users will make use of every bell and whistle but even casual wearers will find plenty to utilize. Outside of the available activities and sleep tracking, there's also a stress tracker, a heart rhythm reader (ECG), a body composition analyzer, a temperature sensor, and a cycle tracker.

The highlight of these is the body composition analyzer, which I used to chart my body fat percentage and muscle mass, as well as the stress tracker, which tracked my specific stress levels at different times throughout the day and suggested methods for trying to lower it. 

I also just really enjoyed wearing the Watch 6 Classic. It has a comfortable, lightweight design that felt equally as good to wear while working out and sleeping as it did while sitting at my desk. 

The watch looks good on the wrist, too, featuring a classic round watch face design that looks and feels premium. I could see it being slightly too big for folks with smaller wrists, though it was the perfect size on my arm (and I like larger watch faces). But do keep this in mind if you don't like big watch faces.

My lone nitpick with the Watch 6 Classic is that it's not all that different from the previous generation of Watch 5. It does use the latest Wear OS, though that can also be downloaded on the Watch 5. What this means, though, is that upgrading to the Watch 6 Classic is best done by those wearing the Watch 4 or older — and Watch 5 users can take a beat and wait for the release of next year's Watch 7.

Read our full review of the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Classic.

What to look for in a smartwatch

It's important to know how you intend to use a smartwatch before you start shopping for one. Maybe you want a wearable with a smaller watch face or prefer a certain strap material. You may even want one that offers robust health and fitness tracking capabilities.

Here's what to consider before purchasing:

Use case: While all smartwatches offer similar functionality of telling time and displaying various call, text, email, and app notifications, some are better suited to certain uses than others. For example, the Fitbit Sense 2 excels as a sleep tracker in addition to being a reliable smartwatch. If you don't need sleep tracking, the Sense 2 may not be a good fit. 

Sizing: Smartwatches come in a variety of sizing options, both in terms of the actual watch face and the watch strap it comes with. While some folks may benefit from a larger watch face and prefer the amount of data they can see on it, others may find big watches to be too cumbersome and may prefer something smaller and sleeker. This is especially true for those with smaller wrists.

Compatibility: While iPhone users shouldn't buy an Android smartwatch, and vice versa, there are other compatibilities to keep in mind when shopping. For instance, some wearables, like Samsung's Watch 5 Pro and Watch 6 Classic, function better on a Samsung-branded phone than they do on a different Android device like the Google Pixel. Some features aren't available while the overall experience is slightly different.

Battery life: Battery life is one of the most important considerations when shopping for a smartwatch and directly impacts how you use it. For instance, the Apple Watch Series 9, our pick as the best smartwatch overall, requires daily charging. This is fine for folks who can put in on the charger each night but may not suffice for those who travel frequently, or who may not have access to a portable charger.

How we test smartwatches

Each of the smartwatches included in this guide went through a variety of tests to determine how well they performed across these four categories: Features, fit & comfort, ease of use, and value.

Here's how each category specifically factored into the decision process:

Features: This is one of the most important considerations for any smartwatch, and is what separates something like the Apple Watch Series 8 from something that didn't make our guide, like the Fitbit Versa 4. A wearable with features like third-party app support, the ability to play or store music, and others like sleep tracking or an always-on display truly fits the bill of being a quality smartwatch. 

Fit & comfort: If a smartwatch is uncomfortable to wear, then you'll be far less likely to want to wear it very often. And since a smartwatch is supposed to be a suitable extension of your phone, track your daily activity, and monitor your sleep, you need to wear it a lot. We took into consideration how the watch band feels, how lightweight it is while wearing at night, and whether it stays comfortable while commuting, working out, etc. 

Ease of use: Learning curve is another important factor since knowing how to get the most out of your smartwatch without fumbling through menus is a vital part of the experience. There will be a learning period with any new smartwatch but the ones that are intuitive and easy to navigate from the jump are the ones that stick out. The Apple Watch Series 9 is one of the easiest watches to navigate, hence the reason why it's our top overall pick. 

Value: Value can often be subjective and is influenced entirely by how a user utilizes a certain smartwatch. For instance, not everyone needs the Apple Watch Ultra 2. Athletes or those who spend a lot of time outside who also need a powerful smartwatch will get a lot of value out of it while someone who is just casually active may not need all the bells and whistles. But value is still an important aspect we considered because smartwatches aren't cheap and you want to ensure that your investment is a wise one.

FAQs

What's the best smartwatch?

This largely hinges on two things: how you intend to use the smartwatch and, perhaps most importantly, what smartphone you have. For instance, the best Apple Watches only work on iOS devices while the best Android smartwatches only work on Android devices.

So, while we think the Apple Watch Series 9 is the best overall smartwatch, regardless of smartphone operating system, it's still only usable by one group of users: those with an iOS device.

It's smart to also consider how you intend to use the smartwatch. If you want something that accurately tracks activities and has several health-tracking tools, a pure smartwatch likely isn't going to be the "best" for you. Similarly, if you want the best pure smartwatch experience, a dedicated fitness tracker won't be the best fit.

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Do all smartwatches work on any smartphone? 

No. Some smartwatches work exclusively on a certain operating system. For instance, the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 only work on iOS devices while wearables such as the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro and Google Pixel Watch only work on Android devices. 

However, there are plenty of wearables that work on both iOS and Android, including the Garmin Epix, the Fitbit Sense 2, and the Fitbit Versa 3. Always cross-reference which operating system a certain smartwatch requires with the operating system of your smartphone before purchasing. 

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Can you use an Apple Watch with an Android smartphone? 

No, the Apple Watch is only compatible with devices running iOS. While you can still wear an Apple Watch if you own an Android phone, you won't be able to get anywhere near the full functionality out of it like accessing any tracked data or downloading apps. 

Unlike smartwatches from Garmin and Fitbit, which work with iOS and Android devices, the Apple Watch only works with iOS devices.

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Can you use an Android smartwatch with an iPhone?

No, Android smartwatches, such as the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Classic and Watch 5 Pro, as well as the Google Pixel, are only compatible with devices running the Android operating system. Folks with iOS devices should avoid purchasing these watches if they want to ensure the full functionality of their smartwatch.

If you do want a device-agnostic smartwatch, opt instead for something like the Garmin Epix or Fitbit Sense 2.

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Booking.com's new Getaway Deals are an excellent opportunity to book a destination vacation for less. Discounts start at 15% off and include a several popular locations, from the beaches of Miami to the neon lights of Las Vegas. 

Whether you've been planning a trip or need some last-minute vacation deals, this promotion covers select stays anytime from now to October 31. All you need to do is book your hotel or apartment on Booking.com before September 30.

Though it's not uncommon to find hotel discounts from booking sites online, this deal is a rare chance to save on a wide selection of top destinations. It's a long-lasting opportunity, too, meaning you won't have to rush any of your planning and can even choose the best time of year for your getaway.

Once you've booked your hotel, check out our guides to the best carry-on luggage and travel essentials for an even smoother trip. 

11 destinations from Booking.com's vacation deals

• Istanbul starting at $12/night
• Dubai starting at $25/night
• Paris starting at $103/night
• Cancun starting at $27/night
• Los Angeles, CA starting at $78/night
• San Francisco, CA starting at $79/night
• Orlando, FL starting at $53/night
• Kissimmee, FL starting at $243/night
• Miami Beach, FL starting at $171/night
• Las Vegas, NV starting at $163/night
• Myrtle Beach, SC starting at $144/night
• Browse hotels with Booking.com's cheap vacation deals

How much can you save with Booking.com?

When you shop through Booking.com's Getaway Deals, you can save 15% or more on your stay. It varies by location and hotel, but some offers feature over 50% in savings. We recommend taking your time to browse through all the available deals from your preferred locations to find the perfect balance of cost and amenities for your trip. 

Are these all-inclusive vacation deals?

These Getaway Deals are limited to stays only, meaning these bookings don't include flights, food, or rental cars. You can still book things like flights and attractions through Booking.com, and maybe even score a discount that way as well. 

When do Booking.com's Getaway Deals end?

Though you can book a trip that takes place in October, you have to book it online by September 30 to qualify for the deal. We recommend booking sooner rather than later to avoid room shortages and low stock at your preferred stays.

• The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage just broke 7% for the first time this year, the highest since November 2023.
• Higher-for-longer interest rate outlooks have pushed up borrowing costs, keeping affordability low. 
• Home purchase mortgage applications surged by 5% this week as buyers rushed to get through a narrowing window of opportunity. 

The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage just broke 7% for the first time this year, shooting up from 6.88% to 7.10% this week, according to government-sponsored mortgage finance giant Freddie Mac.

That marks the highest rate since November 2023 and the biggest weekly surge in almost a year.

Meanwhile, the 15-year fixed-rate mortgage spiked to 6.39% from last week's 6.16%, marking a significant uptick from 5.76% a year ago.

The sudden spike comes as markets adjust expectations for interest rate cuts this year after inflation appears stuck well above the Federal Reserve's 2% target. The consumer price index clocked in at 3.5% year-over-year in March. 

The rise in borrowing costs has dashed hopes for owners looking to refinance their mortgages and continues to keep sellers from listing their homes, extending the so-called lock-in effect. 

To that point, March saw the largest monthly drop in existing home sales in over a year, according to a report from the National Association of Realtors on Thursday. A 4.3% plunge from February flags the biggest percentage decline since November 2022.

"As rates trend higher, potential homebuyers are deciding whether to buy before rates rise even more or hold off in hopes of decreases later in the year," Freddie Mac's chief economist Sam Khater said in a statement. 

However, purchase mortgage applications rose by 5% for the week, data from the Mortgage Bankers Association shows, but Khater said it remains unclear how many prospective homebuyers can withstand rising rates before they head back to the sidelines.

Chen Zhao, Redfin's economic research lead, pointed out that some house hunters are rushing to buy now because of fears over even higher rates down the road, while others have adjusted their home-price budgets to accommodate higher borrowing costs.

"Home sales are slower than usual, but there are still people buying and selling because if not now, when?" Connie Durnal, a Redfin premier agent in Dallas said in a report from the real estate group. 

"I've had a few prospective buyers touring homes for the last several years, since mortgage rates started going up, and they wish they would have bought last year because prices and rates are even higher now. My advice to them: If you can afford to and you find a house you love, buy now. There's no guarantee that rates will come down soon." 

The recent uptick in rates has undeniably thrown a wrench into home transactions, Matthew Graham, COO at Mortgage News Daily, said on CNBC. Despite rates being lower than last October, the latest rise above 7% is still a significant roadblock. 

"I don't want to jinx it and say we're at rock bottom because things can always get worse in some way, but not a whole lot worse than they are right now," Graham said.

• House Speaker Mike Johnson is splitting Ukraine and Israel aid into separate votes.
• Democrats have generally opposed this, but are now willing to go along with it.
• But progressive Democrats — who increasingly oppose Israel aid — are cheering the move.

House Speaker Mike Johnson's unconventional plan to hold separate votes on Israel and Ukraine aid is designed primarily to appease House Republicans who don't want to vote for more aid to Ukraine.

But it's also garnering applause from an unusual place: progressive Democrats who don't want to vote for more Israel aid.

"I think it is a great plan," said Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, who supports Ukraine aid but won't vote for unconditional Israel aid. "I think it is disastrous to give a single dime to the Israeli military without conditions at this moment. It's almost immoral."

Omar is among the nearly 20 House progressives who have refused to sign onto a so-called "discharge petition" to force a House vote on the $95.3 billion national security supplemental, which passed the Senate in February and includes more than $60 billion for Ukraine and more than $14 billion for Israel.

Since the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel, the Biden administration, GOP and Democratic Senate leadership, and most House Democrats have supported pairing Ukraine and Israel aid together, under the theory that the inclusion of Israel aid would incentivize Republicans to approve more Ukraine aid. Republicans, hoping to avoid having to vote on Ukraine and Israel aid together, have made numerous attempts to separate the two.

But in the intervening months, the politics of Israel have changed dramatically on the left.

Polling has shown that a large number of Democratic voters view Israel's war in Gaza — which has killed nearly 34,000 Palestinians — as a genocide, while hundreds of thousands of voters have cast "uncommitted" ballots in Democratic presidential primaries across the country to protest Biden's support for Israel. Many Democratic lawmakers have increasingly come around to the view that aid to Israel must be conditioned in order to avoid US weapons being used to facilitate potential human rights violations.

That's led some progressives to refuse to get on board with the Senate-passed bill, even if they support Ukraine aid.

"I am opposed to the supplemental and I do not want to see it passed," Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez told Business Insider in February.

In the absence of those conditions on Israel aid, progressive Democrats have increasingly pushed for the very thing their Republican counterparts have long sought: separate votes.

"We pushed for it, so I'm grateful that's happening," said Omar.

Both Israel and Ukraine aid — along with a bill to provide aid to Taiwan and another bill that includes a bill to force the sale of TikTok — are likely to pass. But the coalitions required for each will be different: Ukraine will get mostly Democratic support, while Israel will get more GOP support.

Rep. Ro Khanna of California, another progressive Democrat who did not sign the discharge petition, noted that he's long supported the idea of single-subject bills — an idea long favored by House Republicans as well.

"Good for Johnson for sticking to that basic principle," said Khanna. "Let people vote on Taiwan, let them vote on Ukraine, let them vote on Israel."

Democrats have generally been amenable to Johnson's plan, and may even need to help the Republican speaker with procedural steps to get it to the floor. They may also end up protecting him from an effort by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene to oust him as a result.

But that doesn't mean they like the plan as much as progressives.

"It's kind of a mind-bendingly complicated process for something that has a simple solution," said Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger of Virginia, who prefers the Senate-passed bill. "How could they overcomplicate the most simple thing possible?"

And it still remains to be seen if the plan makes it to the floor. Hard-right Republicans have only grown more angry with Johnson as the week has dragged on, with some of them protesting a potential effort to make it harder for lawmakers to call for votes to oust the speaker.

• Amazon ran an uncover operation to gather information on rival retailers, according to a new report.
• Dubbed "Big River Services International," it sold products through Walmart, eBay, and others.
• Big River employees reportedly hid their connections to Amazon, even from others at the tech giant.

Amazon is so obsessed with dominating the e-commerce world that it reportedly spent years gathering information about rivals like Walmart and eBay by selling products directly on their websites.

The tech giant started a company called Big River Services International as part of "Project Curiosity," a 2015 effort to understand how Amazon's rivals in retail, logistics, and related fields ran their businesses, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday.

Big River sold items like t-shirts, shoes, and beach chairs on competitors' platforms. Its goal was to get information from rivals that Amazon could then use to inform its own business decisions, according to the Journal.

Big River employees also went to great lengths to hide their connections to Amazon, even when talking to other Amazon workers. They minimized electronic records of their work, even when informing Amazon's top brass about what they found. Executives viewed printed copies of the Big River team's reports and weren't allowed to keep them, though they were allowed to take notes, the Journal reported.

The employees also used separate, non-Amazon email addresses when talking to other companies, the report says. They were even coached on how to respond if someone found out that they were actually working for Amazon, the Journal reported.

"Benchmarking is a common practice in business," an Amazon spokesperson told Business Insider, using an industry term for comparing itself to rivals. "Amazon, like many other retailers, has benchmarking and customer experience teams that conduct research into the experiences of customers, including our selling partners, in order to improve their experiences working with us."

After Big River joined a fulfillment program for e-commerce sellers operated by FedEx, for instance, Big River employees relayed pricing and other terms for the service to Amazon's logistics team, which then made changes based on the information, the Journal reported.

The Amazon spokesperson said that a review of internal documents has "not identified any instances of an Amazon employee having FedEx pricing information prior to its launch or using such information to adjust our own pricing or pricing discussions with any sellers."

"The information we have reviewed indicates that pricing information was obtained after FedEx launched FedEx Fulfillment on February 7, 2017, and this information was one of many pieces of information considered as part of pricing discussions," the spokesperson told BI.

Big River also developed its own brands to sell through rivals' marketplace websites. They include an India-based brand called Crimson Knot that sells photo frames on Indian e-commerce website Flipkart, as well as a streetwear brand called Not So Ape, which used a website hosted by Shopify to sell in the US, according to the Journal.

Amazon has faced scrutiny for its treatment of sellers on its own platform before. A congressional committee found in 2020 that the company had used data on sales by third-party sellers to create its own version of the products — usually to the detriment of the independent sellers and their businesses.

A lawsuit from the FTC last year also claimed that Amazon effectively raised prices by increasing what the company charged its third-party sellers and punishing them for offering lower prices on websites besides Amazon.

• Russian hackers are suspected of causing a Texas town's water tank to overflow earlier this year.
• Cybersecurity experts say the likely culprit is Sandworm, a Russian hacking group.
• The US has also previously accused Sandworm of attacks in 2017 on hospitals in Pennsylvania.

In January, a Texas town's water tank suddenly started overflowing, spewing a torrent of water to the ground below.

The deluge was contained within an hour. But it's raising concerns this week, after the cybersecurity firm Mandiant said Wednesday that Russian hackers were likely behind it.

Mandiant, which is owned by Google, attributed the attack in Muleshoe, Texas to Sandworm, a Russian hacking group.

Mandiant called the group a "dynamic and operationally mature threat actor that is actively engaged in the full spectrum of espionage, attack, and influence operations."

Security experts said they believed the group was likely connected to the Russian spy agency, GRU. While most state-backed "threat groups" specialize in specific areas, like collecting intelligence or network sabotage, Sandworm stands alone in trying to unify each capability into one full package, Mandiant reported.

Hackers calling themselves the Cyber Army of Russia Reborn — a group that Mandiant linked to Sandworm — have claimed credit for the attack. They posted a video to Telegram of themselves manipulating Muleshoe's water system, showing how they overpowered it and reset the controls, according to The Washington Post.

If validated, this would mark the first attack on a public American infrastructure system by this group, according to the Post. US officials blamed Iran for a separate attack on water systems in Pennsylvania last November, according to CNN.

Ramon Sanchez, Muleshoe's city manager, told CNN that the city's water tank overflowed for about 30 to 35 minutes.

Authorities have previously blamed Sandworm, which has gone by different names over the years, for various attacks around the world, including on Ukraine's power grid and on the 2018 Olympic Games in South Korea.

In 2020, The US Department of Justice charged six members of the group with crimes related to its attacks, one of which it said was also involved in disrupting the 2016 US presidential elections.

The Justice Department also accused the men of creating a virus called NotPetya, which caused $10 billion in damage to computers worldwide, shutting down the power grid in Ukraine, and taking down the computer systems belonging to a chain of Western Pennsylvania hospitals.

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When online meat supplier Crowd Cow first launched, you had the opportunity to literally buy shares of a cow directly from a local farm. Once enough people pooled in to buy an entire cow, your cut was shipped directly to you.

Even though Crowd Cow's business model has evolved, its basic spirit lives on. Crowd Cow wants you to know exactly where your meat comes from and how the animal was treated before you cook it. Read on to learn what it's like to order from Crowd Cow, from organic chicken wings to Japanese wagyu beef. 

How Crowd Cow works 

Crowd Cow sells a variety of responsibly raised meat and seafood, from pasture-raised and free-range chicken to wild-caught seafood. You can also find premium selections like American and Japanese wagyu and New Zealand, 100% grass-fed lamb.  

Each product page tells you the precise farm and location where the meat came from and additional background information about the farm and its practices. Crowd Cow only works with independent farms and never with industrial farms or meat brokers. According to the brand, the meat from these farms is typically "only available at specialty markets, farmer's markets, and high-end restaurants." Crowd Cow is an accessible way you can try high-quality meat. 

You can also sign up for a recurring subscription box to stock up your fridge with these meats. Prices start at $99, and each subscription box saves you 5% on the total. You can pause, change the frequency, or cancel any at any time, and shipping is free. 

What it's like to order from Crowd Cow

I tested the Farmers Market subscription box ($144.43 for non-members, $123.49 for members) so I could try a variety of the meats it offers. 

My order arrived in a box insulated with Green Cell Foam insulation, which is biodegradable and water-soluble, and packed with dry ice. I usually don't arrive home until late on most days, so I'm always concerned about any frozen food package deliveries, but all the meat was still frozen many hours after it was delivered.

The Farmers Market box included top sirloin steaks, ground beef, bacon, Italian sausage, chuck roast, and butterflied chicken. Each individually wrapped cut had a label with the name of the farm it traveled from. 

I've cooked the majority of this spread, and each cut was delicious and flavorful. What I really love about these boxes is the variety. I typically get bored cooking and eating the same thing every week, and this box was the perfect opportunity to try many different types of meat — high-quality and responsibly raised meat, no less. 

Where Crowd Cow fits into the food world at large 

At a time when the environmental impact of eating meat continues to be a key concern in conversations about this planet's future, it might be surprising that services like Crowd Cow not only remain afloat but are doing better than ever before. 

As it turns out, US beef production isn't slowing down, which makes Crowd Cow the optimal service that lets you have your meat and eat it too. If you're going to eat meat, Crowd Cow is one way to ensure it's not "mystery meat." It sells a more conscious and responsible way of eating an increasingly contentious protein, so that, at the very least, you are not blindly participating in the problem.

The bottom line

Crowd Cow gives you reliable, convenient access to the type of meat you want to be eating — raised with ethical and environmentally friendly standards by farmers and ranchers who care. If you like cooking and exploring different types of meat, but want to approach it with a careful conscience, then you should try Crowd Cow. 

• House conservatives have organized a crack team to monitor to potential ways to undermine their power.
• The House Freedom Caucus has formed a Floor Action Response Team.
• Yes, they called it FART.

The far-right House Freedom Caucus has formed a crack team of conservative lawmakers to monitor the House floor lest Speaker Mike Johnson or other Republicans try to limit their power.

Naturally, the band of rabble-rousers that loves generating headlines for its members has called the group the Floor Action Response Team or FART. Because, why not?

According to Politico, this group will make sure that no other Republicans try to rush through changes that would make it harder for lawmakers to oust Johnson from power or that would strip three Freedom Caucus members of a powerful perch they all hold. The publication reported that the Freedom Caucus does not expect any such maneuvers but is remaining vigilant just in case any of their colleagues try to be silent but deadly to their cause.

Conservatives' tensions with Johnson have surged since the $1.2 trillion government funding bill to avert a partial shutdown. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Georgia Republican and former Freedom Caucus member, filed a motion to potentially remove Johnson from power in response to the funding bill. The situation has only grown worse after Johnson made clear he would allow the House to vote on additional US aid to Ukraine.

Greene could force a vote on Johnson's future at any time. Earlier this week, Rep. Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican with a libertarian bent, became the first Republican to pledge to join Greene's effort publicly. Massie is also not a member of the Freedom Caucus, whose membership is technically secret, but he does support many of the caucus' broader aims.

The team does not appear to be a new creation. The X account PatriotTakes, which frequently trolls Republicans, posted a clip in 2022 of Rep. Lauren Boebert, a Colorado Republican and Freedom Caucus member, discussing a FART team.

"Myself and other members of members of the House Freedom Caucus, we have a Floor Action Response Team," Boebert said during an appearance on a Blaze Media show. "F-A-R-T, I'm a mother of four boys, I can appreciate that."

Kevin McCarthy is partially responsible for the stink.

Former Speaker Kevin McCarthy initially resisted setting the "motion to vacate" at the threshold of just a single lawmaker before reversing himself to wrap up the votes to what ultimately became his doomed speakership. Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida made history by successfully using the motion to vacate to force McCarthy's ouster. Gaetz teamed up with seven other House Republicans and House Democrats to boot McCarthy from power.

FART is also worried that more centrist GOP lawmakers could move to strip Massie, Rep. Chip Roy, and Ralph Norman from the powerful House Rules Committee. In another McCarthy-era concession, Republicans allowed the three conservative lawmakers to serve on the panel responsible for determining how most legislation reaches the floor. In recent weeks, the trio has increasingly used their power to effectively block Johnson from carrying out his agenda.

On Wednesday evening, Rep. Mike Lawler, a New York Republican who represents a swing district, said the three lawmakers should either resign from the panel or be formally removed by their colleagues.

"They are there on behalf of the conference, not themselves," Lawler wrote on X.

• An Iranian ship suspected of providing intelligence to the Houthis is sailing home.
• The MV Behshad spent several months near Yemen as the Houthis launched attacks.
• Shipping data shows its back near Iran as Tehran braces for a potential Israeli retaliation. 

An Iranian cargo ship that is suspected of having provided targeting information and intelligence to the Houthis for their Red Sea attacks appears to have sailed home this week.

The MV Behshad's return to Iran comes as the country braces for possible Israeli retaliation over Tehran's unprecedented missile and drone attack on Israel last weekend.

The vessel has been at sea for nearly three years and spent several months earlier this year lingering near Yemen. But on Wednesday, it was seen sailing in the Gulf of Oman off Iran's coast, and it crossed the strategic Straight of Hormuz early on Thursday, according to ship tracking data reviewed by Business Insider.

The Behshad's destination is listed as the Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas on MarineTraffic.com, and the latest tracking data from Thursday afternoon local time shows that the vessel is in the general vicinity of the city.

Though it left its position near Yemen earlier this month, the Behshad did not broadcast its location until a few days ago, when it appeared on ship tracking sites off the coast of Iran, according to Bloomberg, which first reported on the vessel's movement.

While it was lingering around waters near the coast of Yemen, the Behshad is suspected of having provided intelligence to the Houthis that allowed them to locate and target commercial vessels in key international shipping lanes, NBC News reported. The Iranian vessel was also reportedly the target of a US cyberattack in early February.

The Houthis, which are supported and armed by Iran, have been firing missiles and drones at vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden for months. US Navy warships operating in the region have intercepted many of these threats, although some of the munitions have managed to hit commercial vessels in transit.

Iranian officials have denied any involvement in the Houthis' campaign.

The Behshad's relocation to waters closer to home provides a certain degree of safety to the suspected intelligence asset, which might otherwise be a target of Israeli retaliation. An attack on a ship of this kind would not be a first for Israel. Back in 2021, its forces used a mine to strike an Iranian military vessel in the Red Sea.

The redeployment comes just days after Israeli officials vowed to retaliate for Iran's attack last weekend.

Tehran and its proxies launched more than 300 missiles and drones at Israel, nearly all of which were shot down by the country and partner forces in the region, including the US military. The massive barrage came days after an Israeli airstrike in Syria that killed several high-ranking Iranian military officials.

Israel's Western partners have called for the country to show restraint in its response to Iran, warning that any retaliation risks an all-out military confrontation with Tehran and could plunge the Middle East even further into violence.

"We have to ask Israel for a restrained answer to the Iranians' attack. We cannot escalate," the European Union's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, said on Thursday. "We cannot go step by step, answering every time higher to a regional war."

"I do not want to exaggerate," he said, "but we are on the edge of a regional war in the Middle East, which will be sending shockwaves to the rest of the world, and in particular to Europe."

Iranian officials have said that Tehran will respond to any retaliation.

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With its inaccessible prices, technical terminology, and nebulous production practices, the world of fine jewelry is intimidating to step into. For a generation that cares simultaneously about value, style, sustainability, and ethics, it can be challenging to find the best online jewelry stores that meet our criteria. 

But with direct-to-consumer jewelry companies taking center stage, no middlemen or mark-ups mean that you can pay a palatable price that's closer to the true cost of making that beautiful gold necklace. We did a full review of Ana Luisa and love how well the pieces hold up, even if you shower and swim with them. Other than Ana Luisa, we've found that Quince's jewelry selection is a great hidden gem for fine pieces that deliver on quality. 

These trustworthy online jewelry brands, hand-selected and tested by our style editors, will make the decision easy without overcharging you in the process.

Best overall: Ana Luisa

Ana Luisa makes affordable jewelry that's designed to last. In fact, each piece comes with a two-year warranty so you know you won't be left with a snapped chain or a ring with stones missing. 

Though their jewelry is mostly dainty, the pieces really stand out. I own their Meesh Necklace, one of their bestsellers, and I get compliments on how beautiful and shiny it is every time I wear it. Plus, I have a nickel allergy, which means that low-quality instantly gives me a rash. Every piece I've bought from Ana Luisa is fully hypoallergenic and feels great against my sensitive skin.

Read our full review of Ana Luisa to see more of our favorite pieces. 

Best affordable fine jewelry: Quince

For minimalist styles at a minimal cost, Quince has a collection of solid gold jewelry that starts as low as $50. Similar to Italic, Quince is able to offer solid gold and diamond jewelry at affordable prices by cutting out the middleman.

If you're looking for exceptionally dainty pieces, this is where you can pick up a pair of 14-karat gold hoops for less than $50 and a simple 14-karat gold stacker ring for less than $70. The minimalist designs and low prices make Quince an easy destination for rounding out the foundation of your jewelry collection.

Best under $100: Gorjana

If you love the "I-just-threw-this-on" jewelry look, you're going to want to check out Gorjana. If you haven't heard of it already, this Laguna Beach-based brand is well-loved for its range of affordable, gold-plated pieces that range from simple and dainty to funky and trendy, which pretty much all cost under $100. If you want something a little more luxe and have extra room in your budget, Gorjana recently introduced a line of fine jewelry that's made up of solid 14-karat gold and diamonds. Read our full review of Gorjana.

Best for unique pieces: Awe Inspired

Awe Inspired makes some of the most unique and meaningful pieces we've found, and is beloved by celebrities like Taylor Swift, Halle Berry, and Meghan Markle. Awe's signature line is its collection of goddess-inspired necklaces ranging from mythical goddesses like Athena, the Greek goddess of heroic endeavor, to real-life "goddesses" such as Harriet Tubman.

If you don't know which goddess suits you best, Awe has a quiz you can take. And while the goddess collection offers plenty of swoon-worthy pieces, it's just the tip of Awe's offerings — you'll also find meaningful pieces inspired by amulets, affirmations, the zodiac, and more. Not only do all the pieces feel unique and personalized, but they're surprisingly affordable, with most necklaces coming in at under $200. 

Best for quality basics: Mejuri

Toronto-based startup Mejuri, founded by a former art director and a former engineer and third-generation jeweler, drops new pieces every week of the year, and without fail, its largely female clientele return again and again to its 14-karat gold, gold vermeil, and sterling silver jewelry that's made for everyday wear.

Mejuri's mission is to have women "embrace a daily dose of luxury." With plenty of under-$100 options, it makes fulfilling this mission very achievable. Read our editor's review of Mejuri's pearl hoops, and check out our full review of Mejuri jewelry.

Best for fine jewelry: Ring Concierge

Don't let the name fool you — in addition to the gorgeous custom engagement rings you'll spot on its Instagram page, Ring Concierge has a full line of necklaces, earrings, and bracelets to own and wear for a lifetime.

As true fine jewelry pieces, RC requires a larger budget than many brands on this list, but if you're looking to splurge on a tennis bracelet or a simple diamond stacking ring, you can find it for lower markups than many big-name jewelers. Many of the top sellers fall under $1000, including stacking rings and diamond ear cuffs for less than $200 that are a perfect entry point to building your collection.

Best for personalization: BaubleBar

BaubleBar is a great place to find both quirky pieces and classics that will last you many years. The pieces range from trendy jelly slider bracelets that you can customize with your name to elegant, gold-plated pieces. Bauble Bar also has partnerships with places like Disney and the NFL to produce pieces like Mickey Mouse earrings or football helmet pendants that make great gifts for the super fan in your life. 

For more of our favorite pieces, see our review of BaubleBar.

Best for gold jewelry: Aurate

Aurate offers both minimal, everyday pieces as well as bold statement pieces, so you can create a well-rounded jewelry collection. Everything is crafted in New York City, which also means that NYC dwellers can enjoy same-day delivery of 14- and 18-karat gold, AAA pearls, and ethically sourced diamonds (the rest of the country gets free shipping). Read our full review of Aurate jewelry.

Best trendy: Catbird

Known for its delicate rings and transparent sourcing, Catbird is the epitome of cool jewelry. At Catbird you can find delicate $48 rings alongside sparkly engagement rings. It's fully transparent about the source of its materials and donates 1% of all sales to non-profits including the ACLU and Planned Parenthood.

In addition to jewelry that's crafted in-house, Catbird is home to other designers and beauty and home goods. Catbird is also famous for its "permanent bracelets," which you have to go into the store to have welded onto your wrist. While they do have brick-and-mortar locations in New York, we've found that it's more reliable as an online jewelry store because there are more options.

Best beaded: Ink+Alloy

Ink + Alloy is the perfect place to get beaded pieces with tons of color. Their beaded word bracelets evoke a touch of camp nostalgia, which runs through many of their offerings. You can also get lots of pieces with bohemian touches, like their fringe earrings or their necklaces made our of mixed beads and stones. And while I love all their jewelry, a surprise hit for me was their beaded claw clip, which both functions as a statement piece and a highly functional hair accessory. There are spikes on the inside, so it really holds your hair. 

Best for quirky pieces: Susan Alexandra

The name of the game with Susan Alexandra is fun. The brand is famous for its campy and trendy beaded handbags, like the Ash Bag, and their jewelry line embodies the same sense of whimsy. In fact, they have a whole section of beaded fruit earrings and offer a crafty make-your -own jewelry option that lets you pick your own colorful charms.

Best for little diamonds: Italic

Italic is an online retailer where you can find clothing, handbags, home goods, and more that are made in the same factories as designers like Miu Miu and Prada — just without the label and for a fraction of the price. Recently, it added fine jewelry to the mix. You can now pick up timeless additions like diamond necklaces and solid gold huggie hoops for as little as $225 and $150, respectively. For more info on how Italic works, read our full review. 

Best for earrings: Studs

When earrings are all you're after, Studs has a wide assortment to create your perfect earscape, making it atop pick as one of the best online jewelry stores for delicate earrings. It's here you'll find hoops of all sizes, simple studs, and huggies with cute charms that range from cowboy boots to lava lamps. What they all have in common is a dainty size and aesthetic that makes them easy to layer on your lobes. (If you're looking for large statement earrings, your time is best spent elsewhere.) If you need another piercing to accommodate your new pieces, Studs can help you with that, too, at one of its physical locations. 14-karat gold plating keeps the prices low, with starting prices at $14 for a single earring. Read our full review of Studs.

Best for statement pieces: Sequin

Sequin makes jewelry that's stylishly eclectic. You can find necklaces made of baroque pearls, chokers adorned with astrological symbols, and gemstone earrings made to ward off the evil eye. Their selection of semi-precious pieces are beautifully designed to stand out. Plus, you can even make your own necklace by choosing from an array of ornate charms and gold chains.

Best for everyday pieces: Stone and Strand

Stone and Strand produces its own high-end jewelry and curates other like-minded brands on its site, creating an online space where shoppers aren't intimidated to explore fine jewelry. Most pieces are made of 14-karat solid gold — though you can also find more affordable gold-plated options — and the diamonds and gemstones used are ethically sourced and conflict-free. It's one of the best online jewelry stores for everyday pieces, including an exceptional collection of layering rings and necklaces.

Read our full review of Stone and Strand.

Best for lab diamonds: Vrai

Skeptical about buying diamond rings online? Vrai helps to streamline the process. This downtown LA-based company only uses solid gold and Diamond Foundry diamonds, which are physically and chemically indistinguishable from mined diamonds, and created using solar energy.

Vrai's simple and timeless pieces will delight minimalists and anyone who hates to be plagued by pages and pages of choices. Couples should take advantage of its free home try-on program for wedding rings, which decreases the pressure of choosing the perfect ring. Read our full review of Vrai jewelry.

Best for custom fine jewelry: Noémie

Noémie specializes in both timeless designs and custom pieces that feature conflict-free stones. While you can find classic tennis bracelets and playful diamond studs, we think its custom design option offers exceptional value, making it one of the best online jewelry stores for custom pieces.

You simply describe your dream piece and budget, and the designers at Noémie pull together original designs for you to choose from. Our editor recently used the service to make a custom wedding band to fit around a tear-shaped engagement ring and loved being part of the design process. For truly one-of-a-kind pieces, Noémie is worth checking out.

Best for tennis necklaces: Dorsey

If you've ever admired the sparkling diamond necklaces worn by celebs on the red carpet but felt like the look was entirely out of reach, then consider Dorsey. The online jewelry brand makes statement pieces that would fit right in at an awards show, yet because they're mostly made from lab-grown white sapphires and plated sterling silver, the prices average around $200-$500.

Dorsey also has the option to splurge on lab-grown diamonds that fall in the $2,500-$4,500 range – not quite spare change, but still far less than red carpet jewels that regularly run $1 million or more. The brand's signature collar necklaces and tennis bracelets are standouts you can wear with everything from a T-shirt to an evening gown.

Best for hammered gold pieces: Page Sargisson

Brooklyn-based designer Page Sargisson makes custom pieces that run well into the thousands, but you'll also find plenty of more affordable options as part of the 10 karat and silver collection. Everything is made by hand out of solid gold or sterling silver and includes pieces like an opal-studded evil eye necklace ($575) and tiny stud earrings ($32).

Best for ethical pieces: Soko

At the helm of the movement towards "ethical fast fashion" is Soko, a jewelry startup with an innovative, efficient, and empowering model that uses technology to connect with independent artisans in Africa. Soko's jewelry is guaranteed to attract attention, not only for its unique sourcing and manufacturing origins but also for its structural, powerful style. These hand-made pieces are produced from less conventional, but more affordable materials like brass. Read our full Soko review.

Auvere

For top-line luxury, specifically 22- and 24-karat gold, at surprisingly affordable prices, Auvere is the place to go. There's a range of feminine and more masculine designs, so there's something to fit everyone's style. There's no denying that the architectural pieces are investments, but you get what you pay for — pure gold, wrapped into beautiful designs without the mark-up — and they'll only appreciate in value over time.

Best for elevated pieces: Ariel Gordon

Ariel Gordon designs cute, delicate jewelry that is meant to be worn over and over again. This Los Angeles-based brand is a celebrity favorite and it's easy to see why. Launched out of her apartment while Gordon worked as a Hollywood publicist, the collection is made up of pieces designed to be worn over and over again, transitioning from occasion to occasion without losing quality and durability. Its charm pieces, which include animals and flowers, are truly sweet designs that'll brighten your day.

Best for investment pieces: Verlas

Investing in a nice piece of jewelry without trying it on first can feel risky. If you can't make up your mind right away, Verlas is one of the best online jewelry stores for a try-before-you-buy experience. The brand's try-at-home program allows you to try any three pieces from the site for 15 days. The test pieces are made of replica materials (like cubic zirconium and brass), but when you're done, you can choose the ones you love best and then order the real deal made with diamonds and gold. If you want to pass on them all, that's okay too. Of course, if you know what you want right off the bat, you can go straight to purchasing.

Best for simple bands: Holden

When wedding ring shopping gets so stressful that it detracts from the real experience of starting your life with someone, that's a problem. As one of the best online jewelry stores for simple bands and wedding rings, Holden is making it easy to shop for and customize rings that start at only $249. Simply request a free ring size kit, choose your ring profile, width, metal, karat, and finish, and add an optional engraving, and your rings will be made-to-order with 3D printing technology. Read our full review of Holden, which is also a top pick in our guide to the best men's wedding bands.

Best for engagement rings: Couple

The idea for Couple began when one of its co-founders had difficulty finding an engagement ring for his now-wife and saw an opportunity to also lessen the environmental and ethical challenges of mined diamonds. Couple works with lab-grown diamonds that look identical to mined ones (and are actually of higher quality) so that marriages can start off on the right foot — with trust, transparency, and thoughtfulness. Many of the rings can also be engraved for a truly personal touch. Read our full review of Couple. 

Best try before you buy program: Gemist

Love a finger full of stackable rings? As one of the best online jewelry stores for colorful pieces, you'll love Gemist's wide variety of affordable options. The brand offers a streamlined at-home try-on process, where you're given three costume rings to play with for two weeks. Enjoy the pieces? Just let Gemist know, and they'll send you the custom pieces after you send your testers back. Gemist also has a variety of earrings, wedding bands, and engagement rings, too.

Best for modular jewelry: Idyl

Idyl's modular jewelry lets you create multiple looks from a single necklace or pair of earrings, all of which are made with lab-grown diamonds and conflict-free gold.

What Idyl lacks in options, it makes up for in versatility. The jewelry brand currently only sells necklaces and earrings but what makes it unique is that everything is modular — all of the pieces are designed to be mixed and matched with various add-ons to create different looks. Once you own the basic round studs, for example, you can purchase 17 separate attachments to look like an entirely new pair of earrings. Idyl also aims to bring transparency and sustainability to its jewelry line by using lab-grown diamonds and traceable solid gold.

• Experts recommend adults do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise weekly.
• 25.3% of US adults were classified as inactive by the CDC.
• Mississippi had the highest prevalence of inactivity.

With benefits like increased longevity, improved sleep, and a strengthened immune system, physical activity is a key component of maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

The Department of Health and Human Services' "Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans" recommends adults do 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity a week, at minimum.

However, a 2022 report by the CDC found that over a quarter of US adults are inactive outside their jobs.

To determine adults' physical inactivity levels, the CDC used data collected by the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System from 2017 to 2020. Surveyed individuals were asked, "During the past month, other than your regular job, did you participate in any physical activities or exercises such as running, calisthenics, golf, gardening, or walking for exercise?" Those who responded no were classified as inactive.

Adults from 52 jurisdictions were included in the survey, including 49 states, as well as Washington, DC, Guam, and Puerto Rico. (New Jersey was the only state excluded because data was not collected in 2019).

With the survey responses, the CDC charted how physical inactivity levels varied by state as well as by race and ethnicity, noting that there are a variety of barriers present that may be preventing more adults from getting an adequate amount of physical activity.

Such barriers include a lack of access to safe spaces like parks, minimal time, and an absence of social support.

Here are the 10 least active and 10 most active states in the US based on the prevalence of physical inactivity as determined by the CDC.

Least active states — 10. Missouri

Prevalence of physical inactivity among adults: 27.8%

9. Indiana

Prevalence of physical inactivity: 28.5%

8. Tennessee

Prevalence of physical inactivity: 28.9%

7. West Virginia

Prevalence of physical inactivity: 30.1%

6. Oklahoma

Prevalence of physical inactivity: 30.5%

5. Alabama

Prevalence of physical inactivity: 30.7%

4. Louisiana

Prevalence of physical inactivity: 30.8%

3. Arkansas

Prevalence of physical inactivity: 31.1%

2. Kentucky

Prevalence of physical inactivity: 32.5%

1. Mississippi

Prevalence of physical inactivity: 33.2%

Most active states — 9 (Tie). New Hampshire

Prevalence of physical inactivity: 21.5%

9. (Tie) Montana

Prevalence of physical inactivity: 21.5%

8. California

Prevalence of physical inactivity: 21.2%

7. Minnesota

Prevalence of physical inactivity: 21%

6. Alaska

Prevalence of physical inactivity: 20.8%

5. Oregon

Prevalence of physical inactivity: 20.7%

4. Vermont

Prevalence of physical inactivity: 19.6%

3. Washington

Prevalence of physical inactivity: 18.4%

2. Utah

Prevalence of physical inactivity: 18.2%

1. Colorado

Prevalence of physical inactivity: 17.7%

• Donald Trump's hush-money criminal trial opened April 15 in a Lower Manhattan courtroom.
• Courtroom sketch artists have captured the former president's many moods during the trial.
• Trump faces 34 felony counts for falsifying business records in the historic case.

Former President Donald Trump's historic hush-money criminal trial officially got underway inside a Lower Manhattan courtroom on April 15.

Video cameras are not permitted in the dreary 15th-floor courtroom to broadcast the landmark case.

But sketch artists, as well as photographers, have been able to offer the public glimpses of Trump as he faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records.

Prosecutors allege that Trump lied on the documents to cover up hush-money payments made to porn star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 presidential election. Trump has pleaded not guilty.

It's the first-ever criminal trial of a former president — and the courtroom sketch artists have already captured many moods of Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, during the jury selection process.

At times he was sleepy, with his eyes closed for minutes at a time. More often he was caught with a scowl. Occasionally, he was caught with a smile.

Here are some of those sketches:

On day one of his trial, Trump took the opportunity to smile at the pool of prospective jurors

Before Trump headed into the courtroom for the opening of the trial, he slammed the case against him as "political persecution"

Trump's hush-money trial is expected to last for six weeks and he's complained that it's preventing him from hitting the campaign trail

And it'll be a long six weeks — reporters in the courtroom noted that Trump appeared to doze off, at times, during the slogging process of jury selection

Trump was highly alert when New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan chastised him on April 16, warning him against intimidating potential jurors

"He was gesturing and muttering something…He was speaking in the direction of the juror. I will not tolerate that," Merchan told Trump's lead lawyer, Todd Blanche

At times, Trump had to sit by and listen as his attorneys complained about anti-Trump social media posts made by juror prospects

By April 18, two of the seven jurors that had been empaneled in the trial were dismissed

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If you've ever wanted Verizon service without the monthly financial burden that comes along with the privilege, a Visible phone plan is what you're looking for. Visible has some of the best monthly rates in the industry. As a Verizon-owned wireless provider, it runs on the same 5G cellular network, albeit with modest data restrictions.

As of right now, Visible isn't offering any discounts on its already-affordable monthly plans. The last promotion we saw from the carrier on these was in December, but we'll keep you updated as new chances to save crop up. However, if you opt for an annual plan today, where you pay up front, you could save up to $145.

Not sure which Visible plan to go with? Visible and Visible Plus are your only two options, and both offer unlimited talk, text, data, and mobile hotspot usage. Visible Plus stands out by offering extra savings on Verizon services, faster hotspot speeds, and more.

Best deals on Visible phone plans

As of writing, there are no ongoing Visible plan deals. We'll update this story with any Visible discounts as they go live. 

New members can also save money by signing up for an annual plan. If you're ready to commit to a full year of service, paying for 12 months upfront knocks up to $145 off. 

Right now, if you purchase your phone with Affirm financing and pay at least 50% off, Visible is offering to pay the remaining 50% when you upgrade to the next model. You can also use trade-in and phone swap offers to buy a new phone without paying full cost. This would offer a great way to make the iPhone 15 more affordable, which you can now buy directly through Visible if you're not taking advantage of iPhone 15 deals at other retailers to bring your own.

Does Visible have a free trial?

Visible offers a free 15-day trial to anyone with a compatible and unlocked smartphone. All you have to do is connect to Wifi and download the Visible app. Once there, you can follow the given steps to get a trial phone number with which you can use Visible's unlimited data, talk, text, and hotspot usage for 15 days. 

You do not need to cancel your current carrier's service to sign up for Visible's free trial. In fact, Visible recommends keeping your service to compare against their own during your free trial.

Visible vs. Visible Plus: What's the difference?

The most significant difference between Visible and Visible Plus is that the latter offers access to Verizon's fastest 5G Ultra Wideband (UW) network, which has faster speeds and better reliability in congested areas. Those benefits only come into play if you can even access it. 5G UW is only available in select markets and requires specific phones. You'll also get broader international calling and texting options, and the "Premium Network Experience" guarantees you full speeds up to 50GB, even during peak traffic hours.

No matter which you pick, both plans offer unlimited everything. That includes talk, text, data, and even mobile hotspot, a rare concoction for MVNO cell phone service.

How good is Visible phone service?

Our Visible Wireless review found that it offers great overall value for money. The cellular network is top-notch, owing to its piggybacking on Verizon's extensive nationwide 5G network. We like the low monthly prices and the ability to get unlimited data no matter which plan you're on.

The slow network speeds after exceeding thresholds and experiencing network congestion are annoying, but that's a standard practice most MVNOs use to keep costs down. We also thought Visible's customer support could be better (you only get direct help using its online chat) and would have appreciated even a small discount for having multiple lines.

Is Visible owned by Verizon?

Verizon does own Visible. Unlike T-Mobile's purchases of Metro and Mint Mobile and AT&T's purchase of Cricket Wireless, Verizon built Visible from the ground up. The MVNO launched in 2018 and operates independently under Verizon's supervision.

If you'd like to read more about the network and how it handles in the real world, be sure to take a look at our in-depth Visible Wireless review.

• Longevity clinics are growing in popularity among some rich people looking to live longer.
• Many of these clinics offer extensive diagnostic tests and personalized care plans. 
• "The best longevity advice is something only the rich have access to today," one expert says.

There's more to life when you're ultra-wealthy than yachts, mansions, sports cars, and flashy designer bags.

These days, cadres of well-heeled and health-obsessed clients are flocking to longevity clinics: Centers that offer everything from genetic testing to cocktails of supplements.

"The best longevity advice is something only the rich have access to today," Matt Fellowes, an advisory council member at the Stanford Center on Longevity and cofounder of health insights platform BellSant, told Business Insider by email.

Consumer spending on wellness products and services has risen since the pandemic, contributing to a $5.6 trillion wellness market, according to the Global Wellness Institute. The unfortunate reality, however, is that many people could be wasting time and money on products or services that will never materially help them, Fellowes said.

One of the few exceptions is high-end longevity clinics that offer science-based and highly personalized guidance — though they're inaccessible to most people.

Even at its priciest tiers, the longevity space is not regulated, however, and even top clinics offer unproven treatments alongside methods accepted by the medical community. Still, the uber-rich are flocking to these clinics hoping to extend their lives by a few years.

Here's a look at some of the most exclusive longevity resorts around the world.

Hooke, a longevity center in London, says “early intervention can treat the vast majority of diseases.”

To that end, Hooke has developed what it says is "the world's most advanced health screening" to create continually evolving and personalized longevity plans for its clients.

It offers around 20 assessments ranging from a four-part MRI to bone density tests to whole genomic sequencing and cognitive assessments.

"Using long-term data from individual medical, fitness, nutritional and cognitive assessments, our programmes build a comprehensive and holistic 'big picture' view of wellness risks and weaknesses — providing the basis for evolving lifestyle and medical recommendations," Kate Woolhouse, Hooke's CEO, wrote to Business Insider by email.

And Hooke offers three tiers of membership to clients. Its popular Healthspan Membership is close to $40,000 a year. It comes with Hooke's extensive roster of diagnostic tests, bespoke nutrition plans, access to a scientific advisory board, proprietary supplements, and an Oura ring — just a glimpse at what is included with membership.

Hooke's clients range in age from 23 to 70, with an average age of 50, but over the past year, the center has seen an increase in clientele in their 30s, Woolhouse said.

Clinique La Prairie sits in a small resort town on coast of Lake Geneva, and is known as one of the world’s premier longevity destinations.

Clinique La Prairie has been around for more than 90 years, during which time it's built up a reputation among the wealthy as a destination for personalized treatments that can slow the aging process.

Its premium revitalization package — a seven-day, six-night experience recommended for those ages 35 and up — includes longevity consultations, sleep quality assessments, DNA tests, personalized nutrition guidance, and personal training sessions, according to the program brochure.

And that's just a smattering of the full program, which also comes with luxury accommodations, limousine service, access to the clinic's steam room, pool, sauna, and zero-gravity floating bed — where patrons can "dry float" and listen to sounds for stress relief, according to its brochure.

The program "stimulates cell regeneration, fights the signs and causes of aging, and reinforces the immune system through a four-pillared approach of medicine, nutrition, well-being and movement," a spokesperson for Clinique La Prairie told Business Insider by email.

Prices for this one luxurious week (in a room with a balcony and view of Lake Geneva) start at $53,000.

At Six Senses, a luxury resort in Ibiza, clients can book one-day, three-day, or seven-day programs through its longevity center, RoseBar.

The seven-day program — about $4,700 per person, excluding accommodations and meals — includes advanced diagnostic tests, comprehensive wellness screenings, spa treatments, yoga classes, energy medicine sessions, and biohacking therapies, according to its website.

Some of the most popular treatments include intravenous infusions like "Ozone Therapy," which is said to increase oxygen levels in the body and help enhance cellular function, Dr. Tamsin Lewis, RoseBar's medical advisor, told Business Insider.

"The direct delivery of certain nutrients via the bloodstream serves to have an instant impact on vitality whilst forming part of a broader approach to living well for longer," Lewis said. One of the immediate benefits from Ozone Therapy is a visible change in blood color due to increased oxygen levels, and in the long-term, the treatment can help support immune function, Lewis said.

Lewis said she has seen an uptick in clients seeking longevity treatments in recent years in the "pursuit of wellness as a new luxury."

The Well is a chain of wellness centers with locations in New York, Connecticut, Cabo, and Costa Rica.

The Well's longevity-focused offerings include customized IV drips, infrared sauna sessions, cold plunges, and health coaching sessions.

The centers have drawn entrepreneurs, including Spanx founder Sara Blakely, ClassPass founder Payal Kadakia, and actresses like Reese Witherspoon and Gwyneth Paltrow.

The Well's location at Hacienda AltaGracia, Auberge Resorts Collection, in Costa Rica, is next to one of the world's five Blue Zones, regions where people live some of the longest and happiest lives.

The resort's four-day retreat program — around $3,000 per person — includes a series of longevity-boosting practices, including various types of bodywork and well-being consultations, according to a spokesperson for The Well.

Guests at Hacienda AltaGracia can also book immersive experiences in the nearby Blue Zone on the Nicoya Peninsula.

The growing interest in these types of exclusive longevity treatments has dovetailed with a spike in wellness tourism, a trend that's picked up among wealthy travelers in the past few years, as some of them forgo all-night clubs and beach parties in favor of spirituality retreats and resorts that prioritize personal care.

Wellness tourism is expected to grow almost 17% annually and reach $1.4 trillion by 2027, according to projections from the Global Wellness Institute.

"While travel overall has started leveling out since the post-COVID boom, all the trends point to continued growth for demand in wellness travel," Megan Mulholland, The Well's vice president of Brand & Marketing, told BI.

Lanserhof Lans, located in the Eastern Alps, is not a longevity clinic for the faint of heart.

The central focus of Lanserhof — launched in 1984 — is "the thorough regeneration of the intestines to revitalize the vital forces," according to its website. It relies on detoxification, purification, and deacidification programs that draw upon holistic medicine, psychology, and modern medicine to achieve this revitalization.

"The first days here are not easy with the diet — guests can sleep all day or have headaches," Dr. Katharina Sandtner, Lanserhof's medical director, told Forbes. "A few days later, energy comes back and this good energy stays with you for a very long time. It's incredible."

But the "good energy" comes at a cost. The one-week "Cure Classic" program, the center's most basic offering, starts at a little above $3,000 a person, excluding accommodations. The program includes numerous medical examinations, a body composition test, urine analysis, therapeutic massages, detox treatments, hydrotherapy treatments, medical lectures, group exercise, and relaxation therapies, according to the Lanserhof Lans program brochure.

The center's offerings are as extensive as a two-week long-COVID package that's aimed at guests who are struggling with the effects of COVID. The more than $5,200 package includes seven different medical examinations, respiratory therapies, foot reflexology, altitude training sessions, and group relaxation and exercise sessions to achieve "physical, mental and spiritual regeneration right down to the core," according to the brochure.

"Minus the hunger headaches, the experience is healing in every sense of the word," one patient wrote of the Long-COVID treatment program in Allure. Lanserhof Lans didn't respond to a request for comment from BI.

You can book a high-tech longevity experience for $44,000 at the Four Seasons Maui.

Four Seasons Resort Maui guests can experience an elaborate multi-day longevity package, the Longevity Protocol, for $44,000. Since it launched last year, it has drawn at least half a dozen people, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The program — developed in partnership with longevity company NEXT|HEALTH — consists of four hour-long sessions designed to boost overall vitality by improving cellular communication and blood oxygenation and recharging the cell's powerhouses. Guests are recommended to spread the sessions out over three to four days.

"We're seeing increased interest from our patients in enhancing their longevity while on vacation and focusing more on their long-term health," Dr. Darshan Shah, NEXT|HEALTH's CEO, founder, medical director, and designer of the Longevity Protocol, told BI.

"Longevity treatments work better when you are in a relaxed state of mind, with minimal inflammation internally," he said.

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Mattresses aren't cheap, so finding one on sale always makes buying easier. The best mattress deals bring premium beds down to budget prices, making it easier than ever to invest in your sleep. To help you find mattress sales throughout the year, we've gathered the best discounts on favorites from our best mattress guide, including picks from Casper, Saatva, and Leesa.

As a rule of thumb, the best mattress discounts typically roll around for holidays like Presidents Day and Black Friday. Because of that, most of the deals we're seeing right now aren't necessarily all-time lows, but they're still the best prices you can buy now and much better than paying full cost. The best sale you can shop right now is Casper's Birthday Sale, which brings all of the brand's new mattresses down to the lowest prices they've seen since release.

Below, we highlight the best offers on mattresses Business Insider's sleep experts have tested firsthand, and you can find even more from a more exhaustive list of the best mattress deals further down. Note: Prices shown are for queen-size mattresses, but most discounts apply to all mattress sizes, often selectable on the same page.

Our top 5 mattress sales

• Save 20% on Leesa mattresses
• Save $400 off $1,000 at Saatva with our exclusive link
• Save up to 50% on all DreamCloud mattress
• Save 25% on Casper mattresses 
• Save up to 35% on Nolah mattresses

Best Leesa mattress sales

Leesa's ongoing sale features 20% off mattresses plus two free pillows. Business Insider readers can take another $25 off their order with exclusive promo code INSIDER25.

The Leesa Sapira Hybrid, currently $400 off for the queen size, is our pick for the best mattress overall. You can read our Leesa Sapira Hybrid mattress review to learn why, as well as our Leesa mattress review guide for a deeper understanding to each model. 

Best Saatva mattress deals

Using Business Insider's exclusive links, you can save up to $600 during Saatva's Easter Mattress Sale. You'll have 0% APR financing options at checkout. 

Best DreamCloud mattress sales

With DreamCloud's current sale, customers can save up to 50% on all mattresses, with prices starting from $349. You can view the post-discount prices on DreamCloud's queen-size mattress lineup below and easily check prices on other sizes by clicking through.

Best Casper mattress sales

Everything at Casper, including its entire lineup of mattresses, is on sale for 25% off. That includes bed frames and bedding essentials like pillows, comforters, and protectors. Email subscribers can save an extra 5%. Our Casper mattress review guide goes into detail about all the models we've tested. 

Best Nolah mattress sales

Nolah's sale features up to 35% off mattresses with free Fluffy pillows added to select mattress purchases. Mattresses on sale include the Evolution 15-inch. This best-selling hybrid mattress has seven layers of foam, coils, and padding for added comfort and support.

More great mattresses on sale

All the best mattress sales this week

• Amerisleep: Get $450 off any mattress using the promo code AS450.
• Avocado: Get 15% off mattresses.
• Awara: Get up to 50% off mattresses.
• Bear: Get 35% off sitewide and free accessories.
• Big Fig Mattress: Get $35o off mattresses.
• Birch: Save 20% on mattresses with the promo code SPRING20. 
• Brooklyn Bedding: Get 25% off sitewide.
• Casper: Save 25% sitewide.
• Cocoon by Sealy: Get 35% off all mattresses, plus free accessories.
• DreamCloud: Save up to 50% on all mattresses. 
• Emma: Take up to 55% off mattresses.
• Ghost Bed: Take 50% off sitewide.
• Helix: Get 20% off sitewide with two free pillows with any mattress purchase using promo code SPRING20.
• Leesa: Get 20% off mattresses and take an extra $25 off with promo code INSIDER25.
• Nectar: Save up to 40% on mattresses.
• Nest Bedding: Get up to 50% off mattresses.
• Nolah: Get up to $1,000 off mattresses and two free pillows with select purchases. 
• PlushBeds: Get up to $1,250 off mattresses and free accessories.
• Puffy: Save $1,350 off mattresses using promo code APRILOFFER.
• Purple: Get up to 30% off mattresses.
• Saatva: Save $400 off purchases over $1,000 using our exclusive link.
• Siena: Take 50% off all mattresses.
• Sleep Number: Save on select beds with Sleep Number's limited-time offers.
• WinkBeds: Get $300 off all mattresses.
• Zinus: Save 46% on select items.
• Zoma: Get $150 off mattresses.

How to choose a mattress

Your mattress preference depends on several factors that are entirely personal and unique to you. That's why purchasing a mattress with a risk-free trial is imperative. You won't know if a mattress is right for you until you sleep on it for two to four weeks. Fortunately, most mattresses we recommend have trial periods of 100 nights or more, some stretching to 365 days.

Your sleep position usually determines the best mattress firmness for you. Softer mattresses are the best mattresses for side sleepers since they allow the hips and shoulders to sink in, keeping the spine aligned, which is crucial for a good night's sleep. Stomach sleepers gravitate to firmer mattresses because they don't want to sink in as much, while back sleepers sit in the middle.

Body size also plays a role. Firmer mattresses tend to be more supportive for heavier individuals. Softer mattresses allow petite people to sink in more.

For more buying advice, check out our article on how to choose a mattress.

What are the different mattress types?

Shopping for the perfect mattress is no longer just about size. Myriad options exist for build type, toppers, foam support, and more. Here's a quick guide on the most common mattress types to get you started:

• Hybrid mattresses are popular because they combine individually wrapped coils and memory foam to provide supportive comfort. They're usually durable and promote airflow for a cooler sleep. Learn more in our best hybrid mattress guide. 
• Memory foam mattresses are more affordable and mold to the contours of your body. Foam often traps heat, which is great for cold sleepers but awful for hot sleepers. Check out our guide to the best memory foam mattresses for our top picks.
• Latex foam is pricier but breathes better and has a more responsive feel.
• Popularized by Sleep Number, adjustable air beds use air to customize your mattress's firmness for optimal comfort. This is a great option for couples with drastically different comfort preferences. Read our full Sleep Number i8 Smart Bed Review.

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Twin mattresses are a great choice for dorm bunks and children's rooms, but despite their small size, they can still get pricey. Luckily, you can often find beds on sale year-round, so we've gathered the best twin mattress deals available now from brands we've tested and loved.

In general, we're not seeing the best prices of the year just yet, but if you need a bed now, the twin mattress discounts below are still much better than paying full price. A few of the best deals match price drops we saw during Presidents Day, like Casper's ongoing anniversary sale. 

If a twin-size mattress won't cut it, be sure to check out our roundup of the best mattress sales to find picks of every size and type on sale. You can also learn more about the best bed for you in our guide to the best mattresses. 

Note: Be sure to select the twin mattress size before adding to cart to have the correct price reflected at checkout.

Best twin mattress deals under $1,000

More great twin mattress deals

The best twin mattress sales available now

• Amerisleep: Save $450 on any mattress with the promo code AS450.
• Avocado: Save 15% on mattresses.
• Awara: Save up to 50% on mattresses.
• Birch: Get 20% off mattresses with the promo code SPRING20. 
• Casper: Get 25% off sitewide.
• DreamCloud: Get up to 50% off all mattresses. 
• Ghost Bed: Get 50% off sitewide.
• Leesa: Get 20% off mattresses and take an extra $25 off with promo code INSIDER25.
• Nectar: Save up to 40% on mattresses.
• Nolah: Get up to $1,000 off mattresses and two free pillows with select purchases. 
• Purple: Get up to 30% off mattresses.
• Saatva: Save $400 off purchases over $1,000 using our exclusive link.

Twin mattress deal FAQs

What mattress should I buy?

The best mattress for you depends on a handful of factors, like how you sleep and how much you want to spend. In our guide to the best mattresses, we outline the best picks for every kind of shopper, from hot sleepers to tight-budget buyers. The same standards ring true when shopping for a twin mattress too, so we suggest organizing your priorities and doing your research to ensure you buy the best fit for your perfect night's sleep. 

What is the difference between twin and twin XL mattresses?

Twin and twin XL mattresses are very similar with one key difference: twin XL is five inches longer, making it a better fit for tall sleepers with small living spaces. Be sure to pay close attention to which mattress you buy, as twin and twin XL often won't fit the same sheets and bed frames. 

When is the best time to buy a mattress?

If you're able to hold out on buying a new mattress, the best time to buy one is on major deal events like Black Friday. It's during this time that mattress retailers big and small drop their prices to incredible all-time lows, helping you potentially save hundreds of dollars. 

Other great holiday mattress sales include Presidents Day in February, Memorial Day in May, and Labor Day in September. These events often feature incredible discounts with freebies bundled in, sometimes even matching discounts we see during Black Friday.

But ultimately, the best time to buy a mattress is when you need it. That's why we've gathered the best twin mattress sales going on now above, so you can feel confident that you're buying at the current lowest price available.

• Walmart Supercenters in St. Louis, Missouri, and Cleveland, Ohio, are removing self-checkout.
• The change follows a similar move last year at three locations in New Mexico.
• Major retailers have taken other steps to address some of the problems raised by self-service tech.

A pair of Walmarts — one in Missouri and one in Oho — are ditching self-checkout lanes in an effort to improve the in-store experience.

The company confirmed the decisions to Business Insider in a statement, saying the changeover processes at the Cleveland Steelyard location and a St. Louis-area Supercenter take place after hours and will be completed in about two weeks.

Spokesperson Brian Little said the decision was based on feedback from employees and customers, as well as local shopping patterns.

"We believe the change will improve the in-store shopping experience and give our associates the chance to provide more personalized and efficient service," he said.

If the news sounds familiar, that's because three Walmart stores in New Mexico did the same thing last year.

Meanwhile, discount stores Dollar General and FiveBelow have each said they will scale back or eliminate self-checkout from their stores as those retailers grapple with high rates of missing inventory.

Walmart has over 4,700 US locations, and the company said at the time there was no plan to remove self-service kiosks from stores at a widespread scale.

Apart from removing the technology altogether at some stores, retailers, including Walmart, have taken a number of steps to address some of the challenges posed by self-checkout.

Earlier this year, BI reported several Walmart locations were limiting access to self-checkout lanes to users of either the company's Walmart+ or Spark delivery apps.

Target instituted a change that capped item counts to ten or fewer in the self-service lanes — a move the company said helped make the checkout process twice as fast as when there were no limits. Some stores also began limiting the hours that the self-checkout lanes were open.

Researchers found that self-checkout drives a phenomenon known as "partial shrink," where inventory is lost due to customers failing to properly scan and pay for all of the items in their transactions.

• The new movie "Civil War" is controversial — some people love it and others hate it.
• But some people also say they're upset about "Civil War's" marketing.
• These people need to find a better use of their time.

Have you seen "Civil War," the new movie about, um, a civil war in the US?

I have, and I loved it. Your mileage may vary — different people have different problems with it, and they're talking about it. Which is fine. I like talking about it, too.

But here's a supposed controversy about the movie you can most definitely ignore: Its marketing campaign, which has Upset Some People On The Internet.

Some savvier readers will stop reading here because Some People On The Internet are always upset and if you read about everything that makes them upset, you'll never have time to do anything else.

But if you're still with me (thank you!), here's the deal: See these evocative images?

Well, 1) none of them are actually from the movie, and 2) supposedly, A24, the indie movie studio that made "Civil War," used AI to help generate them.

And to address those criticisms, I'd say 1) who cares? And 2) who cares?

But if you're still here: 1) It's weird that people who like movies from A24, whose brand is "arty but still accessible to lots of people" (think "Ex Machina" and "Midsommar") — are upset about movie marketing that's not 100% based on actual movie footage.

When did that literalism become a requirement? Is there a new law, or even a new ethos, that I missed? Because it certainly wasn't the case in the past.

I think the best complaint you could make might be, "Hey, these posters make it look like it's a video game-like movie featuring combat all over the United States, but, actually, the movie only (SPOILER ALERT) has one big video game-like combat scene, and it's in Washington, DC."

So, OK, then. If you want to get some sense of what "Civil War" is like, you can just stick to the trailer, which does feature Actual Scenes from the movie:

And 2) If we're going to have a real discussion about AI and how it should and shouldn't be used in art and commerce, we gotta grow up a bit.

AI may definitely be an issue for both movie-makers and movie consumers, and we'll be talking about it for a long time. But A24 obviously didn't create the marketing campaign and art from scratch — at best/worst, the team that created it may have used AI engines to help generate some of the images. But I'm using a MacBook to type this instead of a hot metal typesetter, and you're reading it on a screen instead of newsprint. It's going to be OK.

PS: If you do see this movie — it is very intense, and it may not be for you, and that's fine — make sure you see it in a theater, and one that has great sound. I've never heard sound like this in a movie.

• Conservatives are fleeing blue states in favor of red states. 
• And South Carolina is one of the fastest growing states for newcomers. 
• Conservatives are fed up with the cost of living, and the politics, in blue states. 

Conservatives are flocking en masse from blue states to one Republican stronghold in particular: South Carolina.

Between 2017 and 2021, about a third of South Carolina's new arrivals came from blue states while a quarter came from red states and the rest came from divided states or outside the US, according to US Census Data analyzed by The Wall Street Journal.

And the majority of those newcomers — about 57% — are Republican, the Journal reported, citing data from a nonpartisan voter file vendor called L2.

In 2022, the top 10 states people moved to South Carolina from were North Carolina, Georgia, New York, California, Florida, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Texas, New Jersey, and Maryland, according to US Census Data reviewed by The State.

Conservative Move, a real estate company with about 500 agents across the country, helps conservatives find homes near like-minded people — and South Carolina is becoming a big draw.

The group's founder Paul Chabot told Business Insider that while Texas and Florida are consistently the top locations his conservative clients choose to move to, South Carolina is the fastest growing. In the last two years, he said he's seen a big spike in Americans wanting to relocate to South Carolina specifically. Currently, he said, about 5,000 of his clients are considering moving to the state soon.

A lot of his clients are coming from places like California, Washington state, and Oregon, he said.

Chabot said the people his company helps relocate are fed up with living in Democratic-controlled states where liberal policies are making daily life less affordable — policies like, he said, the new $20 minimum wage law for fast food workers in California.

Conservatives' sense of safety is another major factor in their decisions to move away from liberal enclaves, Chabot said.

"They want to live in areas where they know that they're going to feel safe, that there's going to be a police response, that the police are respected," Chabot added.

One South Carolina real-estate agent based in Spartanburg, Brad Liles, told The New York Times that he and his colleagues have started calling the flood of Republican homebuyers in the state "the great migration."

A typical home in South Carolina sold for about $281,000, according to Zillow's median home price data as of February. By comparison, Zillow reported California's median home sale price at about $673,000, while Washington state's was about $526,000. South Carolina even has an edge above Texas and Florida, where the median sale price of a home for the same time period was about $316,000 and $363,000, respectively, according to Zillow.

It's not just about affordability. It's also about being surrounded by like-minded conservatives, some South Carolina transplants told the Times.

"When I walked inside banks or stores or schools, there was always Christian music playing in the background," Lina Brock, a conservative who recently moved from California to Greenville, South Carolina, told the Times about her new city. "I felt good, I felt welcomed. I felt like I was in the United States."

But the arrival of new residents to Greenville, in particular, has driven up housing prices, pricing out many longtime Black residents, the Times reported. Since 1990, Greenville's Black population has declined 22%, according to a 2023 study from Furman University. By comparison, the city's total population has increased 21% in the same time period, the Times reported.

Chabot said blue states need to take a page out of red states' playbook.

"States right now are really competing with each other for population," Chabot said. "And so if these blue states want to get better, then they need to look at what red states are doing to retain their populations and their businesses."

Some blue states are experiencing a loss of residents — in 2022, for example, California saw a net loss of over 300,000 residents, Forbes reported, citing census data, while Washington state had a net loss of about 15,000 residents, The Columbian reported, also off census numbers.

Red states like Texas, on the other hand, had a net gain of almost 175,000 residents in 2022. And Florida takes the cake for population growth, with a 1.9% increase between 2021 and 2022, according to the US Census Bureau.

• Stocks fell Thursday, with the S&P 500 hitting its worst losing streak since October. 
• More comments from Fed speakers poured cold water on rate-cut hopes. 
• Wall Street is beginning to turn its attention to high-profile earnings, with Netflix to report after the closing bell. 

US stocks on Thursday extended their losing streak to a fifth day, marking the longest downturn for the S&P 500 since October.  

More cold water was poured on rate-cut hopes throughout the day, as several Federal Reserve speakers expressed further hawkishness on the outlook for monetary policy. 

New York Fed President John Williams said there's no urgent need to slash interest rates with the US economy going strong, adding that a hike could still be in the cards if the situation calls for it. 

"We have a strong economy, we want a strong economy, that's all very good news," Williams said at the Semafor World Economy Summit in Washington."If the data are telling us that we would need higher interest rates to achieve our goals, then we would obviously want to do that."

Atlanta Fed President Raphael Bostic echoed this, reiterating that he doesn't see lowering borrowing costs as appropriate until late in the year.

"Inflation is high, it's too high, and we need to get it to our 2% target," Bostic said at the Prosperity Partnership meeting in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on Thursday. "I'm comfortable being patient."

Treasury yields responded with a jump toward the 5% mark, continuing their rise since last week's March inflation report showed prices picked up 3.5% annually. 

Tech stocks hit a rough patch Thursday, but investors are eagerly awaiting earnings from mega-cap firms to offer fresh input for stocks to gain and break out of their rut. Netflix will report after the closing bell, with a number of companies that make up the Magnificent Seven set to begin reporting next week. 

Over 12% of S&P 500 companies have already posted results, and 73% of them have beaten Wall Street's estimates, according to FactSet,

Here's where US indexes stood at the 4 p.m. closing bell on Thursday: 

• S&P 500: 5,011.21, down 0.22% 

• Dow Jones Industrial Average: 37,778.21, up 0.07% (+24.90 points)

• Nasdaq Composite: 15,601.50, down 0.52% 

Here's what else is going on today:

• The world's largest chipmaker just issued a warning that the industry's red-hot growth could slow.
• Don't buy the dip in stocks just yet as a wave of selling is about to bring the market to a bottom, according to one of the biggest bulls on Wall Street.
• Microsoft has 17% upside potential and upcoming earnings will show strong AI-driven growth, Bank of America says.
• Mark Zuckerberg overtakes Elon Musk as the world's 3rd-richest person as their companies' stocks go in opposite directions.

In commodities, bonds, and crypto: 

• West Texas Intermediate crude oil was about flat at $82.69 a barrel. Brent crude, the international benchmark, edged lower to $87.05 a barrel.  
• Gold rose 1.25% to $2,390.25 per ounce. 
• The 10-year Treasury yield rose five basis points to 4.635%.
• Bitcoin rose 1.81% to $62,391.

• Google is merging more parts of the company in an effort to move faster in AI.
• Google's DeepMind chief has gained more power, while the head of Pixel will also oversee Android.
• The changes put more firepower behind some key Google products, and could help it launch faster.

The Googleplex is in flux.

CEO Sundar Pichai announced a series of re-orgs in a memo to staff on Thursday, and — surprise, surprise — Google says it's all happening because of artificial intelligence.

Pichai said the changes, which include merging different parts of the company, would help Google "simplify decisions" and move faster.

This includes further merging its central AI teams. Last year, Google combined Brain, a group that sat within its AI Research group, with DeepMind to form a new super-unit that would be laser-focused on building AI models.

On Thursday, Pichai said that teams within Research that work on building AI models will also merge with Google DeepMind. The Responsible AI teams, which develop rules for safely and ethically developing AI, will also move from Research to Google DeepMind, he said.

All told, it gives more control to Demis Hassabis, who leads Google DeepMind. Before last year's merger, Hassabis ran DeepMind at arm's length from Google — a distance he had long fought to maintain — and now he is front and center of the company's AI push.

Hassabis has quickly become Google's MVP, with his unit developing AI models such as Gemini that are helping the company compete with OpenAI and other encroaching competitors. He's also helping turn those models into products.

Interestingly, Pichai said this change should help by "concentrating compute-intensive model building in one place." That may also help with a problem that has been getting worse inside Google for a while: the fight for computing resources.

Google's Pixel chief also gains more power

Google is also merging two of its large product units together. The devices and services group, which oversees hardware products such as the Pixel devices and Fitbit wearables, will merge with the part of the business that runs Android and Chrome.

That's big: these are two huge organizations that are now being pulled together under the banner of "Platforms and Devices." Rick Osterloh, who previously oversaw hardware, will oversee both groups. Hiroshi Lockheimer, who ran the Android and Chrome group, will remain at Google but run other projects across the company, Pichai said.

Sameer Samat has also been promoted to "President of Android Ecosystems" and will work with all of Google's Android partners. He'll be crucial in maintaining the firewall between the Pixel and Android groups, which has long served as a way not to let Google give its hardware special treatment over rivals (a firewall Osterloh promised The Verge would remain in place).

Expect more restructuring to come as Google continues to reshape itself around AI.

On Wednesday, Google's finance chief Ruth Porat informed staff in the finance group that there would be a reorg resulting in some job cuts, BI first reported. Porat said the changes were being made as the company realigns its priorities around AI, per an employee who saw the memo.

Are you a current or former Google employee with insight to share? Reach this reporter securely on Signal (628-228-1836).

• A US Navy ship deployed to help build a floating pier in Gaza returned home after an engine fire.
• USNS 2nd Lt. John P. Bobo deployed to transport equipment to operate the temporary port.
• The US plans to use the pier three miles off the coast to deliver more aid into war-torn Gaza.

The Navy revealed that one of the ships it deployed to support the mission of building a pier to deliver aid to starving residents in Gaza was forced to turn back last week after it suffered a fire in its engine room.

The incident comes as the Pentagon's self-imposed deadline of having the pier operational and delivering the needed aid by May rapidly approaches, and experts say there are other delays and problems cropping up with the mission.

The USNS 2nd Lt. John P. Bobo "experienced a fire in the engine room while in transit to the eastern Mediterranean Sea" on April 11, and while the crew evacuated the area and used portable extinguishers to put out the fire, the ship had to return to Jacksonville, Florida, using just one engine, "for further assessment," according to a Navy statement provided Wednesday.

When the Pentagon first announced the plan to use the Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore, or JLOTS, platform to construct the pier that would serve as a way to quickly deliver large amounts of aid to war-torn Gaza in early March, spokesman Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said the pier would be operational in the next 60 days.

Shortly after that announcement, a group of five Army ships left for the Mediterranean, followed by the MV Roy P. Benavidez, a military sealift command vessel that was carrying "heavy equipment and material needed to construct a temporary pier," according to a statement.

Finally, in late March, the Navy said that it would deploy Naval Beach Group 1 along with the Bobo and the USNS 1st Lt. Baldomero Lopez. The unit and the ships would bring enough watercraft and equipment to operate a huge floating dock three miles off the coast of Gaza that would serve as the off-load point for aid.

Now, more than a month later, not all of the ships in the flotilla have made it to the Mediterranean, a tracker run by USNI News shows.

Sal Mercogliano, an academic and shipping expert, noted to Military.com on Wednesday that one of the Army Landing Craft Utility ships, the Wilson Wharf, seems to be stuck in Tenerife — a small island that is part of the Canary Islands cluster off the west coast of Africa. Plus, the Army's Logistics Support Vessel General Frank S. Besson spent a week in the Azores before finally making it to the Navy's base at Souda Bay in Greece.

Mercogliano said such a long stay may indicate the ship had an engineering issue.

A retired Army chief warrant officer who has significant experience in the Army's watercraft community also told Military.com in an interview Wednesday that "if those boats don't have multiple major mechanical failures — I mean 'dead in the water' mechanical failures — I will be shocked."

"They're horrendously maintained. I've got videos of these things falling apart," the retired officer added.

According to the officer, the delays of the Bobo and the smaller Army ships mean "they're going to have a lot fewer pieces to work with as far as building the actual pier."

"The other rub point ... is security arrangements," the officer said, noting that "these boats have next to no security."

"You've got a couple of .50 cals and small arms ... and the vessel masters are not taught maritime tactics," the officer explained.

When asked about the safety of the vessels, Ryder told reporters Tuesday that there will be "some Israeli support when it comes to the maritime aspect of security" and noted that the Navy's 6th Fleet has "capabilities there as well."

Ryder also added some nuance to the 60-day goal that he laid out at the beginning of March.

The Pentagon spokesman told reporters that the Defense Department is "still on track to have JLOTS achieve operating capability by the end of the month or early May" but went on to draw a distinction between an initial operational capability and full operational capability.

"Right now, we're tracking that it will be operational, which means it will have some initial operating capability, by the end of the month or early May," he said.

Ryder said the construction of the two piers will probably begin "in the next two to three weeks."

• Netflix kicked off big tech earnings on Thursday, and massively delivered on its new viewer data.
• Its new subscribers grew by 9.33 million worldwide — almost double what Wall Street had expected.
• The company also impressed shareholders in January following its 2023 password crackdown.

Netflix once again proved it wasn't just a Covid big-hitter.

The company raked in $9.37 billion in revenue in its fiscal first quarter, it said Thursday, while earnings per share came to $5.28.

And its most-scrutinized number, the amount of new subscribers it gained, grew by 9.33 million in the quarter worldwide. That's almost double Wall Street's expectations for 4.8 million new watchers, as quoted by Bloomberg.

While expectations were high going in the earnings, with the stock up about 25% this year, Netflix had impressed shareholders by posting blowout numbers in January, too.

The company has been cracking down on password sharing — leading to new signups — and viewers have also been signing up for a cheaper ad-supported option. That helped lift 2023's subscription numbers to the highest since 2020 when viewers restricted to their couches because of the Covid pandemic flocked to the site and its shows like "Tiger King."

The numbers also show that Netflix's crackdown on password sharing isn't driving people to other streaming services. In fact, one major competitor, Disney, said it's tightening password-sharing restrictions beginning this summer, with a full rollout planned for the fall.

• The public debut of Ibotta has minted more than 150 millionaires, according to CEO Bryan Leach.
• Ibotta is based in Denver, Colorado and offers consumers an AI-driven cash back rewards app.
• "By my calculations, I believe there'll be over 150 people who make at least a million dollars on this IPO," Leach said.

The successful IPO debut of Ibotta has freshly minted more than 150 millionaires, according to CEO Bryan Leach.

"By my calculations, I believe there'll be over 150 people who make at least a million dollars on this IPO. Many of them are in Denver," Leach said to the Colorado Sun.

The new millionaires have benefited from an employee stock incentive and stock options plan that has been in place since the company's founding in 2011. According to the company's S-1 filing made with the SEC, it authorized  just over 14 million shares in its 2011 equity incentive plan across stock, options, and restrictive shares. 

At current prices, the shares related to that plan is worth a cumulative $1.5 billion.

Ibotta went public at an IPO price of $88 per share, helping it raise $577 million in funds. That's above the company's initial IPO price range of $76 to $84.

In its initial trading, Ibotta stock opened at $117.59 per share, representing a gain of 34% and lending it a valuation of more than $3.5 billion.

Ibotta is a digital marketing company that offers digital coupons through its smartphone app.

The company offers consumers cash-back rewards when they spend money at certain retailers. Ibotta charges retail companies to offer digital coupons on their app. The company has more than 50 million registered users, according to its S-1 filing.

Walmart inked a strategic partnership deal with Ibotta in 2021 and is an investor in the company. Ibotta has been profitable for nearly two full years and Leach said he was initially considering an IPO in 2021, but didn't want his company to be lumped in with all of the unprofitable SPAC companies. 

Ibotta trades on the Nasdaq exchange under the ticker symbol "IBTA."

• Both Alaska and United Airlines reported quarterly losses this week.
• But the airlines' bosses said they would've turned profits if it weren't for Boeing's door plug fiasco.
• Alaska said it received $162 million from Boeing in compensation for the damages.

The Boeing door blowout in January tanked Alaska Airlines' first quarter earnings — and it's not the only airline to have been hurt by the incident.

Alaska said Thursday its results were "significantly impacted" by the door plug blowout and subsequent grounding of its fleet of 737-9 MAX planes.

Alaska reported losses of $132 million in Q1. But, excluding the grounding impacts, the company said it would have posted $5 million in adjusted income before taxes.

Alaska said it received $162 million from Boeing as "initial cash compensation" for the damages.

"Despite significant challenges to start the year our results have far exceeded initial expectations," CEO Ben Minicucci said in a statement.

In addition to Alaska Airlines, United Airlines also reported significant losses that it said were related to the door plug incident. The airline said Tuesday its Q1 results were down $200 million because of the Boeing grounding — without which it said it would have turned a profit.

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

On January 6, Alaska Airlines grounded its entire fleet of Boeing 737-9 MAX planes after one lost part of its fuselage mid-flight. The incident led to the resignation of Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun and other top executives.

When you buy through our links, Business Insider may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more

Amazon's Kindle lineup has led the e-reading space for years. In terms of design, performance, and convenience, they're nearly unrivaled by other brands. Right now, buyers can choose between four main Kindle models, and I put them all to the test to find the best Kindle for most readers.

My top pick, the Kindle Paperwhite, presents the ideal balance between performance and price. It has a larger screen than the base Kindle and is one of the cheapest waterproof e-readers you can get. But if you're on a tight budget, the more affordable standard Kindle is also a great buy. It isn't waterproof but delivers the same core features that Kindles are known for without breaking the bank. 

After dozens of hours of reading, page-flipping, and book browsing, here's how all the best Kindle models stack up and why certain ones are better suited for specific buyers.

Our top picks for the best Kindle

Best overall: Kindle Paperwhite - See at Amazon

Best premium: Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition - See at Amazon

Best budget: Kindle - See at Amazon

Best for notetakers: Kindle Scribe - See at Amazon

Best overall

The Kindle Paperwhite offers everything a reader could want from a book replacement, balancing simplicity, capability, performance, and price. More than just the best Kindle, it's also our pick for the best e-reader you can buy right now. 

The Paperwhite is designed with all the Kindle essentials, including a beautiful paper-like display with adjustable lighting, font size settings, and a dark mode. It's also got a sharp screen with 300 pixels per inch (PPI) and Bluetooth support for Audible listening. But you can expect as much from any of our picks in this guide. 

What sets the Paperwhite apart from the rest of the Kindle lineup is its perfect set of features for the money. Unlike the standard model, the Paperwhite is waterproof and has a more modern flush-front design. After unlocking the device, you'll find the snappiest performance of all the Kindles with little to no ghosting (after-images left on the screen). Its lighting temperature is also adjustable, and it has a larger 6.8-inch screen versus the standard Kindle's 6-inch display. 

Starting at $150, it's reasonably priced and the cheapest waterproof Kindle available. Even better, it's often on sale for as low as $100 — which is the regular starting price of our budget pick. Whether discounted or not, the Paperwhite delivers the best Kindle value for most people. 

Note: Though Amazon previously sold an 8GB version of the Kindle Paperwhite for $140, that model is no longer available. As of April 2024, only the 16GB Paperwhite is listed for purchase on Amazon's site.

Check out our Kindle Paperwhite review.

Best premium

Designed with all of the normal Paperwhite's splendor and more, the Kindle Paperwhite Signature offers additional features if you're willing to pay a little extra. It's a convenient size with a beautiful display and snappy performance that helps you stay immersed in your books. 

Just like the regular version, the Paperwhite Signature Edition has a 300 pixels per inch (PPI) resolution with a 17-LED backlight. That translates to crisp page fonts that are easy on the eyes, with lighting powerful enough for reading books in the sun. It's also waterproof and powered by a speedy processor for quick page turns with little to no ghosting (after images left on the screen). 

It gets its premium title by being the only Kindle to charge wirelessly, and it's the only model you can get with automatic light adjustment aside from the $340 Kindle Scribe. And where the normal Paperwhite has 16GB of storage, the Signature Edition comes with a whopping 32GB for building a massive library of titles and storing tons of audiobooks. 

Our former pick in this category, the Kindle Oasis, offered even more cool features but had an outdated design and was more expensive. However, the Oasis has been phased out of the Kindle lineup and is no longer available to buy. I wish the Paperwhite Signature Edition had the Oasis' page turn buttons and automatic page orientation flipping, but for $60 less, missing these features isn't a dealbreaker. 

Best budget

Amazon's base Kindle got an upgrade in 2022, making this model one of the newest of the bunch. That means, despite being the cheapest option, the 11th-generation Kindle now has the benefit of a modern user interface with a 300 ppi resolution. 

This model forgoes many extra features in exchange for a lower price point, but it still comes with a glare-free display, adjustable backlight, and customizable settings. With a 6-inch screen, it's the smallest Kindle in the lineup, but it feels great in hand. In my review, I found it to be ideal for users who just want to read and don't want to pay for all of the bells and whistles of its pricier siblings. 

However, if a waterproof design is important to you, you'll have to get a more expensive Paperwhite. You can't read in the rain or the tub with a regular Kindle, and that's its main drawback. It also lacks extra features you might want to pay more for on another model, like lighting temperature settings, automatic adjustments, and page turn buttons. 

In the end, my advice is this: if the Paperwhite is on sale for the same price, opt for that, but when the regular Kindle costs less money, it's an excellent budget e-reader. 

Check out our Kindle review.

Best for notetakers

Most readers don't need the Kindle Scribe, an e-reader you can write on, but it is a nice device. Starting at $340, it offers an incredible sketching and note-taking experience, as well as all of the essential e-reader features you could want. 

The Scribe comes with the usual Kindle glare-free display, adjustable brightness, and customizable settings, with the added bonus of automatic page orientation flips and lighting adjustments. With its paper-like feel and responsive e-ink display, writing on this device is a joy that feels leaps and bounds better than writing on an iPad with an Apple Pencil. It's also well organized with digital notebooks you can format and file away into folders.

For an extra $30, you can upgrade the included stylus to the Premium Pen. After testing, I found the Premium Pen to be a nice improvement over the basic option — it adds a dedicated eraser and a shortcut button to the base design. Both can attach magnetically to the Scribe. 

But despite just how fun it is to use, it's tough to justify the Scribe's high price. As noted in my full review, it's uncomfortably thin, making a case a necessary investment for commuters and students to prevent any potential bending. One of the Scribe's main selling points is its annotation functionality, but you can't even write on pages without using a clunky sticky note feature, nor can you use the highlighter directly on text. Did I mention it isn't waterproof?

If you have $340 to spare, the Scribe is a fun device, but if you fall into the category of "most readers," I recommend opting for a cheaper Kindle model.

Check out our Kindle Scribe review.

How we test Kindles

I used several key evaluation points to judge each of the Kindles in Amazon's e-reader lineup to arrive at their final ranking, including display, responsiveness/speed, price, and lighting customization. Here's how those aspects were considered during testing for our reviews. 

Display: Though all Kindles share the same 300 ppi resolution, every model has a different size that makes a big difference when used. In testing, I found the Kindle (11th Generation) could be too small for some readers and the Scribe too large for others. Luckily, the sharp resolution was easy on the eyes across all of the models, even during long reading sessions. 

Responsiveness/speed: You don't need to be a speed reader to notice when an e-reader is slow. Page turns will take a second to stutter into view, previous screens will leave an after image, and images will load in slowly. I evaluated this by loading each device with 100 titles from my ebook library before testing. The fastest model is the Kindle Paperwhite, and the Oasis is the slowest, but this difference is small. 

Price: Of course, price plays a big part in judging a Kindle's value, and that's part of what brings the Paperwhite above the rest. I compared pricing between Kindle models and comparable e-readers from Kobo and Nook to see what the industry is like overall. None of the Kindles are a waste of money, but the Scribe is definitely the least cost-efficient.

Lighting customization: You won't always be reading in the same room, under the same conditions, every time, and that's where lighting customization comes in. The ability to toggle the brightness based on your current environment is a godsend for eye comfort, especially for long reads. All of the Kindles offer adjustable brightness, but the base Kindle doesn't offer temperature adjustment, and only the Oasis and Scribe offer automatic lighting changes.

What to look for in a Kindle

Every reader is different, but there are a handful of features that all buyers should look for when it comes to committing to a Kindle. 

If you ever plan to read in the bathtub or the rain, waterproofing is a must — that eliminates the 11th-generation Kindle and the Scribe from the running. Readers who like to get in a few chapters before bed can also benefit from lighting temperature adjustment to warm the screen and ease your eyes into bedtime, which is something the base Kindle doesn't offer. And if you're looking for a digital notebook that you can write on, the Scribe is the only Kindle to offer such a feature.

Ultimately, the best Kindle for you is whichever one covers your needs the most without breaking the bank. That's why I recommend the Kindle Paperwhite as our top pick because it manages to offer the best balance between price and features for most people.

Kindle FAQs

Are Kindle books free?

E-books typically cost money, just like physical books, but you can score titles for free in several ways.

• Join Kindle Unlimited: This Kindle Subscription service comes with over four million digital titles when you sign up for $12 a month.
• Become an Amazon Prime member: If you're a Prime member, you have unlimited access to thousands of titles as an included benefit of your subscription.
• Check out a book from your Public Library: E-reader users can still take advantage of borrowing books for free from their local public library's website.

What is Kindle Unlimited?

Kindle Unlimited is Amazon's e-reading subscription service. For $12 a month, it includes access to over four million books, thousands of audiobooks, magazine subscriptions, and Kindle Books you can borrow. 

Can the Kindle read to me?

Your Kindle can read most content to you using Text-to-Speech, an option available in your Kindle's menu. If you prefer a human voice reading to you, you can also buy and download Audible Audiobooks of your favorite titles to have a narrator read to you from your e-reader.

Do I need a case for my Kindle?

While most Kindles are designed with a solid build, a case is still a good idea for protecting your device from drops or scratches. The Kindle Scribe, in particular, has a very thin design, which makes it feel flimsy without a case. You should also consider buying a case if you bring your Kindle with you outside your home during trips and commutes.

Cases can also help by providing a better grip on these otherwise flat devices. For less bulk, you may even want to consider attaching an adhesive phone grip, like a popsocket, to your e-reader.

For top recommendations, check our picks for the best Kindle Paperwhite case.

When is the best time to buy a Kindle?

Prime Day, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday are the best times of year to buy just about anything, including Kindles. During these major sales events, Kindles drop to their all-time lowest prices, making it easier than ever to make the leap and buy one. 

Historically, we've seen the Kindle Paperwhite on sale for as low as $95 and the Kindle (11th Generation) on sale for as low as $65. Deals can be short-lived and low in stock, so we highly recommend acting fast if you come across a great deal.

Best overall

The Kindle Paperwhite offers everything a reader could want from a book replacement, balancing simplicity, capability, performance, and price. More than just the best Kindle, it's also our pick for the best e-reader you can buy right now. 

The Paperwhite is designed with all of the Kindle essentials, including a beautiful paper-like display with adjustable lighting, font size settings, and a dark mode. It's also got a sharp screen with 300 pixels per inch (PPI) and Bluetooth support for Audible listening. But you can expect as much from any of our picks in this guide. 

What sets the Paperwhite apart from the rest of the Kindle lineup is its perfect set of features for the money. Waterproof with a flush-front design and USB-C charging, the Paperwhite already looks and feels modern from its exterior. After unlocking the device, you'll find the snappiest performance of all the Kindles with little to no ghosting (after-images left on the screen). Its lighting temperature is also adjustable, and it has a larger 6.8-inch screen versus the standard Kindle's 6-inch display. 

Starting at $140, it's reasonably priced and the cheapest waterproof Kindle available. Even better, it's often on sale for as low as $100 — which is the regular starting price of our budget pick. Whether discounted or not, the Paperwhite delivers the best Kindle value for most people. 

However, if you're up to paying a little bit more, you may want to consider the Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition. It offers all of the same pros of the Paperwhite, with the addition of an auto-adjusting light. It's also the only Kindle that you can charge wirelessly. 

Check out our Kindle Paperwhite review.

Best budget

Amazon's base Kindle got an upgrade in 2022, making this model one of the newest of the bunch. That means, despite being the cheapest option, the 11th-generation Kindle now has the benefit of a modern user interface with a 300 ppi resolution. 

This model forgoes many extra features in exchange for a lower price point, but it still comes with a glare-free display, adjustable backlight, and customizable settings. With a 6-inch screen, it's the smallest Kindle in the lineup, but it feels great in hand. In my review, I found it to be ideal for users who just want to read and don't want to pay for all of the bells and whistles of its pricier siblings. 

However, if a waterproof design is important to you, you'll have to pay more for a Paperwhite. You can't read in the rain or the tub with a regular Kindle, and that's its main drawback. It also lacks a few other extra features you might be willing to pay more for on another model, like lighting temperature settings, automatic adjustments, and page turn buttons. 

In the end, my advice is this: if the Paperwhite is on sale for the same price, opt for that, but when the regular Kindle costs less money, it's an excellent budget e-reader. 

Check out our Kindle review.

Best premium

Released back in 2019, the Kindle Oasis is the oldest device in the Kindle lineup. Regardless, it's still an incredible e-reader. It comes with the same paper-like display all Kindles are known for, along with adjustable brightness, dark mode, and customizable settings. The Oasis is also designed with a slightly larger 7-inch display than the Paperwhite and a larger, more ergonomic body, including a ledge to rest your fingers on. 

All of the Oasis' features make it feel more premium, including its metallic exterior with page-turn buttons. When you unlock the device, you'll get speedy performance with handy automatic features to adjust brightness and page orientation. And, of course, it's also waterproof. 

The Oasis' only negative is how old it is. Its age shows in a couple of ways like its micro-USB charging port and some minor ghosting that's noticeable between pages. It's also important to note that stock has fluctuated significantly in recent months. Given the short supply, it's possible that Amazon is planning to release an updated Oasis model, so buyers may want to hold out to see if a new version gets announced soon. If you'd like to spend your money on a newer device with some of the Oasis' extra perks, I also suggest looking into the Paperwhite Signature Edition. 

But, for the most feature-packed of all Kindles available right now, the Oasis is still what you're looking for. Despite its shortcomings, its siblings can't match its capabilities and physical design, making it a solid high-end option if you're willing to pay more and can find it in stock. 

Check out our Kindle Oasis review.

Best for notetakers

Most readers don't need the Kindle Scribe, an e-reader you can write on, but it is a very nice device. Starting from $340, it offers an incredible sketching and note-taking experience on the same device where you can read all of your books. 

The Scribe comes with the usual Kindle glare-free display, adjustable brightness, and customizable settings, with the added bonus of automatic page orientation flips and lighting adjustments. With its paper-like feel and responsive e-ink display, writing on this device is a joy that feels leaps and bounds better than writing on an iPad with an Apple Pencil. It's also well organized with notebooks you can format and file away into folders.

For an extra $30, you can upgrade the included stylus to the Premium Pen. After testing it, I found it to be a nice improvement over the Basic Pen — it adds a dedicated eraser and a shortcut button to the base design. Both can attach magnetically to the Scribe. 

But despite just how fun it is to use, it's tough to justify the Scribe's high price. As noted in my full review, it's uncomfortably thin, making a case a necessary investment for commuters and students to prevent any potential bending. One of the Scribe's main selling points is its annotation functionality, but you can't even write on pages without using a clunky sticky note feature, nor can you use the highlighter directly on text. Did I mention it isn't waterproof?

If you have $340 to spare, the Scribe really is a fun device, but if you fall into the category of "most readers," I recommend opting for a cheaper Kindle model.

Check out our Kindle Scribe review.

How we test Kindles

I used several key evaluation points to judge each of the Kindles in Amazon's e-reader lineup to arrive at their final ranking, including display, responsiveness/speed, price, and lighting customization. Here's how those aspects were considered during testing for our reviews. 

Display: Though all Kindles share the same 300 ppi resolution, every model has a different size that makes a big difference when used. In testing, I found the Kindle (11th Generation) could be too small for some readers and the Scribe too large for others. Luckily, the sharp resolution was easy on the eyes across all of the models, even during long reading sessions. 

Responsiveness/speed: You don't need to be a speed reader to notice when an e-reader is slow. Page turns will take a second to stutter into view, previous screens will leave an after image, and images will load in slowly. I evaluated this by loading each device with 100 titles from my ebook library before testing. The fastest model is the Kindle Paperwhite, and the Oasis is the slowest, but this difference is small. 

Price: Of course, price plays a big part in judging a Kindle's value, and that's part of what brings the Paperwhite above the rest. I compared pricing between Kindle models and comparable e-readers from Kobo and Nook to see what the industry is like overall. None of the Kindles are a waste of money, but the Scribe is definitely the least cost-efficient.

Lighting customization: You won't always be reading in the same room, under the same conditions, every time, and that's where lighting customization comes in. The ability to toggle the brightness based on your current environment is a godsend for eye comfort, especially for long reads. All of the Kindles offer adjustable brightness, but the base Kindle doesn't offer temperature adjustment, and only the Oasis and Scribe offer automatic lighting changes.

What to look for in a Kindle

Every reader is different, but there are a handful of features that all buyers should look for when it comes to committing to a Kindle. 

If you ever plan to read in the bathtub or in the rain, waterproofing is a must — that eliminates the 11th-generation Kindle and the Scribe from the running. Readers who like to get in a few chapters before bed can also benefit from lighting temperature adjustment to warm the screen and ease your eyes into bedtime, which is something the base Kindle doesn't offer. Personally, as someone who likes to read while lying down, I love the automatic orientation adjustment and page turn buttons of the Oasis since they can accommodate whichever way I flop around. 

Ultimately, the best Kindle for you is whichever one covers your needs the most without breaking the bank. That's why I recommend the Paperwhite because it manages to balance both of those things for most people.

Kindle FAQs

Are Kindle books free?

E-books typically cost money just like physical books do, but you can score titles for free in a handful of ways.

• Join Kindle Unlimited: The Kindle Subscription service comes with over four million digital titles at no extra charge when you sign up for $12 a month.
• Become an Amazon Prime member: If you're a Prime member, you have unlimited access to thousands of titles as an added benefit of your subscription.
• Check out a book from your Public Library: E-reader users can still take advantage of borrowing books for free from their local public library's website.

What is Kindle Unlimited?

Kindle Unlimited is Amazon's e-reading subscription service. For $12 a month, it includes access to over four million books, thousands of audiobooks, magazine subscriptions, and Kindle Books you can borrow. 

Can the Kindle read to me?

Your Kindle can read most content to you by using Text-to-Speech, an option available in your Kindle's menu. If you prefer a human voice reading to you, you can also buy and download Audible Audiobooks of your favorite titles to have a narrator read to you from your e-reader.

Do I need a case for my Kindle?

While most Kindles are designed with a solid build, a case is still a good idea for protecting your device from drops or scratches. The Kindle Scribe, in particular, has a very thin design, which makes it feel flimsy without a case. You should also consider buying a case if you bring your Kindle with you outside your home during trips and commutes.

Cases can also help by providing a better grip on these otherwise flat devices. For less bulk, you may even want to consider attaching an adhesive phone grip, like a popsocket, to your e-reader.

For recommendations, check our picks for the best Kindle Paperwhite case.

When is the best time to buy a Kindle?

Prime Day, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday are the best times of year to buy just about anything, including Kindles. During these major sales events, Kindles drop to their all-time lowest prices, making it easier than ever to make the leap and buy one. 

Historically, we've seen the Kindle Paperwhite on sale for as low as $95 and the Kindle (11th Generation) on sale for as low as $65. Deals can be short-lived and low in stock, so we highly recommend acting fast if you come across a great deal. 

• Dominique Raroha bought a duplex as a first-time homebuyer instead of a traditional house.
• Raroha, a 29-year-old who works in insurance, figured she could collect rent while building equity.
• She lives in one unit with her boyfriend, and her tenant's rent cuts down her own monthly expenses.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Dominique Raroha, a 29-year-old working in insurance in Sicklerville, New Jersey, which is about 23 miles outside Philadelphia, who bought a duplex as her first home purchase. The conversation was edited for length and clarity.

I don't regret my decision to buy a duplex.

Honestly, it felt right. I always believe in going with a good gut feeling, and from start to finish throughout this whole process of buying it, I just had a good feeling.

Homeownership was a huge goal of mine. I'm the type of person who likes to take on a lot more responsibility, so I was excited and ready for it.

My great-grandfather bought up a big piece of real estate in Voorhees, New Jersey, and that piece of real estate gained value so much over time. Over the years stuff was sold off, we built houses, and we were able to subdivide that piece of property.

In total, I think that amount of real estate — which was once a dirt road and is now a major highway in South Jersey — had to be valued at a couple of million dollars.

The United States is a capitalist society, and real estate goes up over time. It's how you build your retirement. It's how you build generational wealth. It gives you something to pass down to the next generation.

After buying my first property, I'm already talking to my lender about buying another.

Given the financial freedom of owning a duplex, buying another makes so much sense.

My tenant's $2,000-a-month rent pays most of my mortgage

I looked at single-family homes, condos — I was looking at all my options.

The way I view money and my personal finances comes down to what I can afford on a monthly basis. Is this purchase in my best interest?

I just wanted to maximize my investment.

The single-family home I put an offer on was a really good-sized home. It was very well-priced, so that's why it made sense to put that offer in. For the condo I put an offer on, I would've been paying under $1,000 a month. But somebody else already made a higher offer and the same with the other place.

I put other offers in. Many of them were not accepted because you're dealing with a multiple-offer situation. But the more offers I didn't get accepted, the better prepared I was for the next one.

When this home came on the market, I didn't see it — I bought it sight unseen. That was why working with the real-estate agent I did made such a difference because I was like, "Hey, this house, are you sure?" She's like, "There's 15 other offers. You need to do the math. I don't see you losing in this situation."

My lender and I talked about it and we came up with our offer number based on what I could afford on a monthly basis with rental income. And to be honest, we could have gone higher and still made a decent investment.

The total square footage is about 2,400. My unit has two bedrooms and one bath — and I also have a private garage. The upstairs unit has three bedrooms and two baths.

I put in an offer for $335,000, and it appraised for $320,000, so I had to fill an appraisal gap.

My interest rate is 6.6%. I did get it lowered because I had almost an 800 credit score at the time of closing. If it was a point more, which was the average going rate, the cost would've been that much more.

The mortgage itself is about $2,900 a month— more on the $3,000 side. My upstairs tenant pays me $2,000 a month.

My boyfriend lives with me, and he helps contribute. I'm not making him pay half my mortgage, but he does. So we split half of the difference.

Owning a duplex gives me a lot of options for my next move

Before buying the duplex, I was living with my best friend, who had purchased a home, and she rented out a room to me to help pay for her mortgage. I was paying around $700 to her. It was a really good living situation because she knew the whole time I was looking for houses. So I wasn't like, "Oh my God, am I going to break a lease?"

It's important to be proactive. You have to be in this market — especially if you're a younger buyer. Even if you don't feel like you're fit today, at least talking to a lender ahead of time will help tell you where you need to be.

I started talking to my lender in June of 2022. We would discuss different houses on the market, whether or not it would make sense, or whether it would be a good investment. Then this house came up, and it was very, very quick. But because I was working with him, he already had all my financials on file. He already had everything ready to go.

If I were to rent out my unit today — I think there's a similar unit down the street from mine with the same layout that rented for $1,900 — then I would be making a profit. So there's room to make money in terms of both income coming in and then also building equity.

If you own a home, you own that home. If you're building equity, the market doesn't go down. I do like having ownership of a duplex specifically because I feel like it's opened up doorways for more options for me. Do I want to go and buy a single-family home next? Do I want to buy another duplex?

You get tax write-offs, too. I don't think I see a lot of people talk about that. I just filed my taxes, and I wrote a lot of stuff off.

To accomplish buying something like a duplex in this market, it does take years of planning. Planning ahead definitely made purchasing this home a lot more satisfying and a lot more comfortable to buy.

It's not going to happen overnight, but it starts with planting the seed. Even if it is three years from now that I buy another one, it would definitely be worth it.

• Netflix will stop regularly releasing subscriber statistics starting next year.
• The streaming giant added 9.3 million paying users in the last quarter — a great result that Wall Street normally rewards.
• But Netflix says those numbers no longer reflect its real value. Will Wall Street go for that?

For years, Netflix investors cared about one thing more than anything else: Go-go growth, which they measured by the number of subscribers the streaming company signed up.

Now, those investors are going to have to live without that data.

Starting next year, Netflix will stop releasing subscriber statistics on a regular basis, the company announced. Instead, it said in an investor letter, it will "announce major subscriber milestones as we cross them."

It's a major shift in how the company interacts with Wall Street. And it comes on the same day that the company announced a huge boost in subscribers: Netflix said it added 9.3 million paying users in the last quarter — about 4 million more than the average Wall Street forecast.

What's the rationale for the change?

Netflix says it's because it no longer thinks subscriber growth is a good way to understand the company's progress — something it has been saying for some time in its investor letters.

Here's the explanation in their words:

"In our early days, when we had little revenue or profit, membership growth was a strong indicator of our future potential. But now we're generating very substantial profit and free cash flow (FCF). We are also developing new revenue streams like advertising and our extra member feature, so memberships are just one component of our growth. In addition, as we've evolved our pricing and plans from a single to multiple tiers with different price points depending on the country, each incremental paid membership has a very different business impact."

To push that point across, last year, Netflix stopped providing quarterly guidance on subscriber growth. But analysts still created their own estimates. But starting in the first quarter of next year, that's all going to grind to a halt.

Netflix shares are down a bit after the news — which could simply be a reaction to the fact that Netflix stock has been on a tear for some time, so even wowza numbers aren't enough to wow investors right now.

Will Netflix be able to crush it in the future?

But it's also understandable if investors think Netflix is going to stop providing subscriber numbers because the numbers aren't going to be as impressive in the future.

Which, really, is a proxy for the main question about Netflix for a very long time: Just how big can the company get?

Today, Netflix has nearly 270 million paid subscribers around the world, which makes it much, much bigger than its peers. But for the past few years, investors have wondered if Netflix might be stalling — either because of competition from the likes of Disney, or because there simply may not be as many people interested in paying for videos, period.

That's why Netflix's admission that it lost a million subscribers two years ago shook the entire media world and had everyone asking — was that a Netflix problem or a Streaming problem?

Since then, investors have stopped telling would-be Netflix rivals to grow at all costs, and have started pushing them to worry about profits, not subscriber numbers (this also, not coincidentally, synced with the end of zero interest rates, which changed the way most investors viewed most companies, period).

Netflix now looks well set up to live in that world, too: After burning money for years as it built up its streaming business, it is now consistently profitable — this quarter, it earned an eye-popping $2.3 billion on revenue of $9.4 billion, though some of that seems due to one-time accounting issues.

Will that satisfy investors? On the one hand — it's going to take some getting used to, and plenty of people will reasonably be asking why now? On the other: There really aren't any rules about how this stuff works — which is why Google/Alphabet has provided next-to-no information about its business forever and has been rewarded with sky-high stock for most of that time. Let's see if it works for Netflix.

• Netflix just blew past Wall Street's expectations for subscriber growth.
• A big contributor to that was its limit on password sharing and its cheaper, ad-supported tier.
• That bodes well for Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery, which plan to follow suit this year.

Netflix said it grew subscribers by 9.33 million worldwide in Q1 — double what Wall Street had expected.

Boosting its performance was the company's crackdown on password sharing, which has led to new signups, as well as its cheaper, ad-supported option. The ads tier costs less ($6.99 per month) than adding a member outside your household ($7.99 per month).

Netflix "added more subscribers than many analysts, myself included, expected," Emarketer senior analyst Ross Benes wrote. "This signals that password sharing was even more common than previously thought as Netflix keeps converting freeloader viewers into paid users."

There could be still more growth to come, as the crackdown helped drive nearly 30 million subscribers in FY23, while fully 100 million users are estimated to share their passwords, Macquarie wrote in a research note.

Netflix said its ad-supported tier grew 65% quarter on quarter, after nearly 70% sequential increases for the previous two quarters. Over 40% of signups in its markets that offer the ads tier are to that option.

The people at Disney are sure to be watching closely, with the company getting ready to tighten up on password sharing at Disney+ this summer, with a full crackdown to come in the fall.

Warner Bros. Discovery, too, said it would start limiting password sharing at streamer Max later this year.

So the password-sharing crackdown continues to be a win for Netflix — even if it effectively gives its rivals a road map to copy.

• Google doubled down on its messaging to employees about staying focused on work.
• Sundar Pichai said in a blog post the office isn't a place to "debate politics."
• Google fired 28 workers involved in protests against its $1.2 billion contract with Israel.

Tucked at the bottom of Google CEO Sundar Pichai's splashy 1200-word restructuring announcement is a stern reminder to employees.

The CEO's message, which comes only two days after in-office protests, is loud and clear: the office isn't a place for politics.

It echoes an earlier memo Google's VP of security sent out on Wednesday after the company fired 28 employees involved in sit-in protests against Google's $1.2 billion contract with Israel in Sunnyvale and New York City. That separate memo had told workers to "think again" before violating company policies with sit-in protests.

Pichai doubled down on that sentiment Thursday at the end of his note in a section titled "Mission first," addressing the recent events and restating the company's "policies and expectations are clear."

"This is a business, and not a place to act in a way that disrupts coworkers or makes them feel unsafe, to attempt to use the company as a personal platform, or to fight over disruptive issues or debate politics," Pichai said in the memo. "This is too important a moment as a company for us to be distracted."

Pichai also said employees have a duty to ensure the company is an "objective and trusted" provider of information that serves "all of our users globally."

"When we come to work, our goal is to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful," Pichai said. "That supersedes everything else and I expect us to act with a focus that reflects that."

The headline news in Pichai's announcement is that Google is combining its Android and hardware teams to create a "Platforms and Devices" team to oversee Google products that include its Pixel line, Android, Chrome, Photos, and more.

The tech giant is also consolidating teams that focus on building AI models across Google Research and DeepMind to scale its AI capacity. The CEO said the change will simplify development by having all the AI model-building teams in one place, and make space for more focused research into computing systems and the science behind AI.

"Excited to see what these teams accomplish in their new formation," Pichai said.

Are you a Googler? We want to hear from you. Email the reporter using a non-work device and email at aaltchek@insider.com.

• The US Army moved fast to arm its Stryker armored vehicles with a powerful autocannon.
• The 30mm gun would even the odds with Russian and Chinese troop carriers.
• But the Army put in a large order before ensuring the first turrets worked properly. 

Fearing that its Stryker armored vehicles were outgunned by Russian and Chinese designs, the US Army had an idea for a quick fix: Develop an unmanned Stryker turret with a 30-mm autocannon. But cutting corners in the $1 billion project has led to hardware and software issues that mean the more lethal Strykers won't be available until at least the end of 2024, a year later than scheduled.

"In prioritizing cost savings and rapid fielding, the Army assumed additional production risks because it did not follow sound acquisition practices," according to a Government Accountability Office report.

Though Army leaders said in December 2023 that software issues had been fixed, war clouds in Europe and Asia raise the prospect that Stryker units might go into battle against Russian and Chinese armored vehicles that are more heavily armed.

Compared to ultra-complex projects such as the F-35 stealth fighter, developing a small remote-controlled turret for an armored vehicle should have been easy. The project began in 2015. Worried by growing tensions in Europe and more lethal Russian hardware, the Army's 2nd Cavalry Regiment — based in Germany — urgently requested heavier armament for the Stryker, a family of eight-wheel armored vehicles manufactured by General Dynamics Land Systems.

Instead of the Stryker's normal armament of a .50-caliber or 7.62-mm machine gun, or a 40-mm grenade launcher, troops wanted a cannon that can punch through enemy armor and hardened positions. Russia arms its BMP series of infantry fighting vehicles with 30-mm, 73-mm or 100-mm guns, while China's new heavy VN-20 troop carrier comes with 30-mm or 100-mm cannon.

The Army obliged in 2018 with the Infantry Carrier Vehicle-Dragoon, which added a remote-controlled 30-mm gun turret — manufactured by Norwegian firm Kongsberg — to 91 flat-bottom-hull versions of the Strykers. General Dynamics did the modifications under an existing contract, which allowed the Army to develop and field the upgrade in a relatively quick two years. The Army decided the next year to buy 269 unmanned 30-mm turrets, under the Medium Caliber Weapons Systems (MCWS) program, at an estimated cost of $1.1 billion. This would be enough to upgrade Strykers in three brigades of 83 vehicles each, plus an additional 20 for testing.

But instead of simply fielding more Dragoons, the Army decided to make some changes. Instead of flat-bottomed Strykers, the turrets would be mounted on the double hull A1 version that is more blast-resistant and could better bear the weight and power requirements of a gun turret. Instead of a Kongsberg MCT-30 turret, the vehicles would receive a Samson turret made by Israeli firm Rafael. And instead of General Dynamics, the prime contractor would be Oshkosh Systems, whose bid was one-third or more lower than other contenders. However, the cannon would continue to be Northrop Grumman's XM813 chain gun used on the Dragoon.

The Army also fast-tracked the project, which shouldn't have been an issue. "Army officials stated that they chose to accelerate production of the Stryker MCWS, rather than begin system development, because the effort integrated mature, proven technologies—the Stryker Double-V Hull A1 and the 30-millimeter cannon," GAO noted.

The problem was that the Army was in such a hurry that it neglected some basic precautions. For example, Oshkosh's turret "was not tested by soldiers in their intended environment during the evaluation of the samples," the report said. "Instead, the vendors acted as the commanders and gunners during testing on a range."

Nor was Oshkosh's demonstration turret built on the actual manufacturing line that would be used for full production. A big red flag should have been the glitches in the turret software that degraded the 30-mm cannon's accuracy. Because the gunner operates the cannon remotely from inside the vehicle, using a video feed rather than the naked eye, accurate targeting software is important. "The Army stated these risks were moderate because of Oshkosh Defense's assurance of a future software fix," GAO said. "Army officials acknowledged that they would not have the ability to evaluate the success of the software fix prior to awarding the production contract."

A perceived need to get improved vehicles to troops in the field is understandable. But what was unusual was that the Army "put in delivery orders for all 269 vehicles before ensuring that production line issues were addressed," Mona Sehgal, acting director of GAO's contracting and national security acquisitions team, told Business Insider.

The Army awarded Oshkosh the first order in June 2021 for 91 MCWS, followed by a second order for 83 in July 2021 and finally 95 in June 2022, according to GAO. The first turrets weren't actually delivered until July 2022.

Normal practice — in the Department of Defense or the business world — would be to place an initial order to judge the quality of the product, before placing further orders. "The Army had structured the agreement to allow that but chose not to execute it that way," Sehgal said.

Michael Peck is a defense writer whose work has appeared in Forbes, Defense News, Foreign Policy magazine, and other publications. He holds an MA in political science from Rutgers Univ. Follow him on Twitter and LinkedIn.

• Royals often have to stick to a dress code, but sometimes they surprise fans with a daring look. 
• Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle have both worn dresses designed with thigh-high slits. 
• Princess Diana wasn't afraid of off-the-shoulder gowns and low-cut necklines. 

When you think of royal fashion, you likely think of extravagant ball gowns, prim coatdresses, or jewelry worth tens of thousands of dollars.

But royals sometimes experiment with their style. Some have used clothes to send subtle messages, while others have discussed unspoken rules around fashion, such as Meghan Markle's assertion that British royal family members shouldn't wear the same color. 

And on other occasions, royals have been known to step outside their comfort zones and wear bold looks. Take a look at some of the most daring outfits royals have worn to date. 

Princess Diana wore an off-the-shoulder Catherine Walker gown during a royal tour of Australia in 1988.

The colorful dress was designed with a leg slit on one side. 

She also wore a one-shoulder Catherine Walker gown during an official trip to Brazil in 1991.

She completed her look by wearing the famous Lover's Knot tiara. 

In 1994, Diana arrived at the Serpentine Gallery wearing a black Christina Stambolian dress with a plunging neckline.

It was dubbed the "revenge dress" because she wore it on the same night then-Prince Charles' controversial tell-all interview aired.

He admitted to having an affair in the television documentary. 

Diana's beaded, blue midi dress for a 1995 appearance at the Serpentine Gallery was daring for a royal.

The halter-style dress was designed with a low-cut neckline and a partially open back.

Diana wore a white lace gown with a low back to a gala in 1996.

She arrived at the gala in Washington, DC, carrying a matching white clutch. 

In 2011, Kate Middleton wore a yellow Jenny Packham dress that almost rode up while she was walking.

After this moment, one of the Queen's tailors reportedly started sewing small weights into the hems of all royal garments to prevent them from blowing up in the wind.

Kate wore a high-low Jenny Packham dress to the Wildlife Photographer of the Year Awards in 2014.

She wore a pair of neutral heels with her blue dress. 

Princess Beatrice attended the 2016 Victoria & Albert Museum Fashion Benefit Dinner in an Alexander McQueen tuxedo dress.

The dress featured a plunging neckline and a thigh-high slit. 

Kate chose a white Self-Portrait gown for the 2016 UK Premiere of "A Street Cat Named Bob."

The cream gown featured a lace bodice and a thigh-high slit.

She wore one of her most daring looks to the 2017 BAFTAs.

Kate walked the red carpet in an off-the-shoulder gown from Alexander McQueen. She wore the dress again in 2019 but made it look brand-new by adding cap sleeves. 

Beatrice wore a semi-sheer Self-Portrait dress to the Victoria & Albert summer party in 2017.

She wore a pair of platform heels with the dress. 

In 2017, Kate wore an off-the-shoulder Alexander McQueen maxi dress to celebrate the Queen's birthday during an official visit to Germany.

She completed the look with a pair of neutral Prada heels. 

Meghan Markle opted for a more modern look in her official engagement photos with Prince Harry.

The Duchess of Sussex wore a $75,000 Ralph & Russo dress that was designed with a sheer top and full skirt.

Kate wore an emerald-green Jenny Packham gown to the 2018 BAFTAs.

The gown was designed with a low-cut neckline and slightly off-the-shoulder sleeves.

Meghan wore a baby-pink Carolina Herrera dress for her first Trooping the Colour in 2018.

The duchess' dress featured off-the-shoulder sleeves and button detailing on the bodice. 

Meghan embraced the "no pants" trend at a 2018 gala performance of "Hamilton."

Markle wore a tuxedo minidress from the Canadian brand Judith and Charles with black pumps. 

She wore a casual Reformation dress during a visit to Australia in 2018.

The dress had spaghetti straps and a thigh-high slit. 

During a visit to New Zealand in 2018, Meghan wore a pleated Givenchy skirt that appeared to be see-through in some photos.

As Business Insider previously reported, it's possible that the skirt's material and pleated design just created the illusion that Meghan's legs were visible underneath. 

In 2018, Queen Letizia wore a dress with lace detailing to a concert celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Spanish Constitution.

The dress was designed with a plunging neckline and a neutral lining underneath. 

Kate wore an off-the-shoulder dress for the "Top Gun: Maverick" Royal Film Performance in May 2022.

Roland Mouret designed her black-and-white gown, which had an off-the-shoulder neckline and hugged her figure.

Meghan wore a bright-red dress from Carolina Herrera to the Salute to Freedom Gala in November 2021.

The halter gown featured a plunging neckline and a thigh-high slit on the ball gown skirt. 

In June 2022, Princess Beatrice stood out in a light-green gown with a V-neckline at a fundraising event.

The gown, designed by Markarian, had a black belt, and Beatrice accessorized with a simple white clutch. 

Kate rewore a one-shoulder Alexander McQueen dress to the 2023 BAFTAs.

Kate first wore the dress to the 2019 BAFTAs, but she revamped the white ball gown for the 2023 awards.

At the 2022 Earthshot Prize ceremony, Kate walked the green carpet in a rented Solace London dress.

The borrowed dress was bright green and form-fitting.

The gown's off-the-shoulder neckline and subtle slit in the back of the skirt gave it a daring edge. 

Princess Charlene of Monaco wore a one-shoulder top to a pre-coronation event at Buckingham Palace in May 2023.

The princess' periwinkle top was asymmetrical, flowing to the floor on one side.

A subtle, floral pattern trimmed the shirt, separating it from the coordinating pants she paired with it. 

Meghan's Johanna Ortiz dress for the May 2023 Ms. Foundation Women of Vision Awards had a subtle cutout on the bodice.

The midi-length, gold dress was strapless, and it had a triangular cutout in the center of the bodice.  

Beatrice's light-blue dress from Self-Portrait for the October 2023 Art of Wishes Gala appeared to be sheer.

The high-neck garment's blue lace sat atop tan fabric, creating the illusion that Beatrice's skin was visible beneath the fabric. A ruffled hem added to the look's feminine feel. 

Meghan rocked an off-the-shoulder Altuzarra jumpsuit at a summit hosted by The Archewell Foundation in October 2023.

The white jumpsuit sat off of Meghan's shoulders, while the pants were wide-legged. 

A month later, she attended the Variety Power of Women event in a one-shoulder Proenza Schouler dress.

The taupe dress also featured slits on the floor-length skirt. 

In November 2023, Eugenie attended The Anti Slavery Collective's inaugural Winter Gala in a Peter Pilotto dress.

The black dress was elegant thanks to its Sabrina neckline and long sleeves, but a slit with gold button detailing above it added drama to the look. 

Meghan wore another cutout dress to the Royal Salute Polo Challenge in April.

The white Heidi Merrick dress had a halter neckline that tied in an oversized bow and created a triangular cutout on the bodice. 

A tiered skirt softened the look. 

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• I didn't care about saving for retirement in my 20s, but I'm taking steps to retire early now.
• I watch how I spend money carefully and research new options to increase my earnings.
• I'm using a SEP IRA, an investment portfolio, and CDs and savings accounts to grow my money.

In my 20s, I didn't believe in saving for retirement. I was barely earning enough money to pay all of my bills. If I had extra money, I would spend it immediately on activities with friends, dining out, and travel. A lot of people in my life, from my old boss to financially savvy friends, would try to encourage me to start a retirement account, but I ignored them. It felt too hard to put money away for the future when I could hardly get myself to save any now.

But right before I turned 30, I realized that I wanted to reverse a lot of my financial habits so that I could achieve big personal goals. In addition to growing my net worth, I also wanted to find a way to retire by the age of 50 as a millionaire. With no retirement account and very little cash in savings, I've spent the first five years of my 30s being strategic with my finances.

Here are the five ways I'm working toward that goal on a monthly basis.

1. I keep a close eye on every dollar coming in and out

In the past, the idea of sticking to a budget or monitoring my finances seemed too stressful. But because I rarely looked at my bank accounts or credit card statements, my spending was out of control.

In order to make sure I'm progressing toward my goal of being a retired millionaire by 50, I keep a close eye on every dollar that comes in and out of my account.

I stick to a strict spending budget every month. I make sure I'm spending a smaller fraction of my earnings than I have in the past so I can make up for lost time and save more.

First, I break down how much I'm allowed to spend across different categories, from food to clothing, and track my daily spending in each category. On the 15th of each month, I look at my budget versus what I've already spent and then refigure how I plan to make it through the rest of the month without going a penny over. If that means having to cancel plans or do more meal prep, being aware allows me to not make a big financial mistake like going a couple hundred — or a thousand — dollars over my budget every month.

2. I'm always exploring new income streams

After getting laid off from my full-time job in 2015, I decided to become an entrepreneur. My main goal was to double my income from that job and to continue to find ways to earn more than I could working at a company.

To do that, I have multiple streams of income that come from a range of products and services. I also have different passive income streams that allow me to scale how much I'm able to earn as a solopreneur every month. These passive income streams include selling digital products (courses and books), dividends from investments, and affiliate revenue.

Since one of the biggest ways I'll be able to hit my big goal of retiring as a millionaire is to find more ways to bring in additional income, I spend around five hours a month researching new streams of income I can try out so I can increase my yearly earnings.

3. I'm focusing on my retirement contributions

I waited until I was thirty to open a retirement fund (a SEP IRA) and make contributions. Not only does a retirement account provide me with financial benefits now, like tax deductions, but it will also help me support my lifestyle in the future when I decide to stop working and cash in on the money that's been growing in that account with compound interest.

Even though I want to spend the money now, I make sure to contribute a percentage of my income every month to my SEP IRA retirement account.

4. I'm sticking to an investment plan

When I started to get more strategic with my money, I was able to start saving more every month. A few years ago, I finally started investing some of that cash in different places based on both long-term and short-term goals. I worked with a financial advisor to figure out a portfolio of stocks, bonds, index funds, and more. The best financial advisors can be invaluable to your financial journey.

I make recurring monthly investments in these accounts to benefit from compounding returns that can hopefully help me grow my net worth.

5. I'm keeping my current cash growing

Even though I take a portion of my income every month and put it into different investments, I also keep a portion of the cash in my bank accounts. One big financial mistake I made in my 20s was keeping any extra cash I had in a low-interest-generating savings account. Now, I make sure that I keep any extra money I have in accounts that allow it to continue to grow.

For example, earlier this year, I put the majority of my cash into high-yield savings accounts and CDs with interest rates from 4% to 5%. Since I'm not sure what to do with this extra money, at least in the short term period it's sitting idle and continuing to earn compounding interest.

From Jeffrey Beaumont in "Blue Velvet" to Agent Dale Cooper in "Twin Peaks," Kyle MacLachlan spent his early career playing boyish heroes who are drawn into worlds that are much darker and stranger than they appear.

The contours of that darkness weren't always appreciated at the time. Two of MacLachlan's collaborations with David Lynch, 1986's "Blue Velvet" and 1984's "Dune" adaptation — his first-ever role — polarized critics, though the former has emerged as a highly-regarded cult classic in the decades since.

MacLachlan has become a cult figure of his own in his four-decade career, one who's deftly balanced his arthouse collaborations (including reteaming with Lynch for 2017's "Twin Peaks: The Return") with more mainstream roles in shows like "Sex and the City" and "Desperate Housewives."

Now 65, MacLachlan is still playing off the duality of his "boy next door" charm — even if he's more of a dad next door now. His latest role as the seemingly squeaky clean, all-American dad Hank MacLean on Prime Video's new postapocalyptic series "Fallout" gives MacLachlan plenty to chew on, as it becomes clear by the end of the season that the father of protagonist Lucy (Ella Purnell) isn't exactly who he seems. If you ask MacLachlan, that duality is part of the fun.

"I like both sides, the yin and the yang of a character. It makes for a much more interesting journey as an actor to be able to dig into a darker side of things," MacLachlan tells Business Insider. "The struggle between the light and the dark, the good and the evil."

For a veteran muse of David Lynch, old habits die hard.

For the latest interview in Business Insider's Role Play series, MacLachlan reflects on Lynch's "Dune" in light of the new adaptation, passing on some famous roles, and whether he'd make a good mayor in real life.

On 'Dune,' then and now

Your "Dune" is beloved now, of course, but at the time it was released, the reception was pretty poor.

Yeah. We were not well received. Our film, it's very difficult to follow. The story is challenging. We tried to cover a lot of territory in a little over two hours. It was really impossible.

Then of course, because it's David Lynch, he wants to spend some time in his creative universe, and that's really what you got. Our "Dune" is the amalgam of David Lynch and his creativity, and Frank Herbert and his creativity. There was not enough time to really do justice to the story as Frank wrote in the book.

That said, it's a pretty marvelous journey through this kind of somewhat incomprehensible world of "Dune" with all the visuals that David brought to it. When I saw both of them, I thought ours exists and the new one exists, and they can both live in the same universe.

What did it feel like to have your first movie flop? Did it harm your chances of getting roles right after?

I didn't have anything to relate it to. But I was trained in the theater, and I said, you have these periods of time between jobs, so I'll just go out and find another job and figure it out. So it wasn't daunting.

It knocked me down a little bit, but I didn't really let it affect me in a negative way, I just went forward. And then David came back around and we did "Blue Velvet" together. That kind of had a similar difficult reception in the beginning, but people came to love that movie and it gradually gained acceptance.

But it was an interesting way to start a career, for sure! I can say that from this perspective.

Did Timothée Chalamet ever seek you out for advice on how to bring your shared '"Dune" character to life?

No, no, no. He is more than capable. I've actually only seen the first one. I haven't seen the second yet. But I thought he did a wonderful job with it.

David has for a long time been asked about doing a director's cut of his "Dune," and he recently seemed to warm up to the idea after years of dismissing it. Do you think he'd ever do it?

It's hard to say. I don't know. It's a good question. It would be great to see that, but David has got his own sort of agenda. So who knows if he'd find value in that?

Your collaborations with David are legendary. Are there any other directors that you haven't worked with yet, but are hoping to work with one day?

Oh, there's a ton. I wish my Italian were better, I could work with Scorsese. But I don't know if that's going to happen. That would be really fun.

On why he turned down "Sex, Lies, and Videotape" and "Platoon," and missing out on working with Robert Redford

You've talked about turning down roles in movies like "Sex, Lies, and Videotape" and "Platoon." What was your thinking behind saying no to those?

With "Platoon," it existed in a different place and time. When the role of Chris came to me, I had some thoughts about it, some things that I wasn't certain about — some of the culmination of the character, where he ends up.

I had a hard time with the choices that he made. I didn't necessarily think that was the direction that he should have gone in, but I saw at the same time that it was absolutely imperative for Oliver Stone's story that he went there. So I said, "Okay, don't necessarily need to do that."

Fortunately, "Blue Velvet" was kind of right there in the wings, and I went off to film that, which was great.

"Sex, Lies, and Videotape" was more of, well, I'd done Blue Velvet. It felt in some ways that we were kind of getting into similar territory with that particular character and his infatuation with the dark side. And I said, "I think maybe I need to try something else a little bit away from that."

Were there any other roles in your career that you memorably turned down and regretted after?

No, not really. There were roles that I, of course, wanted to do and didn't get, but that's pretty common throughout Hollywood.

What's one of those that really stuck with you?

I really wanted to work with Robert Redford. He did a film called "A River Runs Through It" years ago, and I remember I was in the running for that. It wasn't the situation where I turned it down, it was more just he went a different direction.

But I remember meeting him, and I loved the script, and I loved the character, and just the idea of working with Robert Redford to me would've been kind of amazing. My mom was a huge fan of his growing up. I am also a huge fan of his, loved so many of his films, and I thought as a director, he's just so sensitive and tuned in, and that would've been really a great experience. But these things happen.

On playing a politician and the one project he wishes more people paid attention to

Hank is kind of the mayor in "Fallout." You've also played the mayor of a very different kind in "Portlandia." Do you think you'd make a good politician in real life?

Oh boy. I'd have to have a really good staff around me. I would tend to promise things that I probably couldn't fulfill.

But your website would not have too many links, which is important.

That's true. But yeah, I probably wouldn't be the best politician.

You've jokingly pitched "The Bunny and Trey Show" as a "Sex and the City" spinoff before. But what do you think a Charlotte and Trey run-in would actually look like if you turned up on "…And Just Like That"?

I think it'd be very interesting. I think they've both grown up. I like to think that Trey has matured a little bit, and he's found his niche. It would be fun to see them having a more mature relationship now.

What's one project in your career that you wish people paid more attention to?

"Twin Peaks: The Return." People watched it and everything, but it would've been nice if there'd been even more of an audience for that. I was very proud of the work I did, and the characters are so different. But it's just one of those things where the first one caught such a moment in time.

The second one also was a beautiful realization of the story, but different. I think people were expecting "The Return" to be maybe a return to the original. It was a little more challenging, a little different, more pure Lynch. So it'd be fun if more people saw that.

Out of all your costars, who are you dying to work with again?

It would've been great to work with Dennis Hopper again, sadly, he is gone. But Dennis is somebody who was such a powerful presence, such a lovely human being, such a creative force. Dennis was pretty special.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

• Seven men and five women have been selected as jurors for Donald Trump's criminal trial.
• The jury skews male and white collar.
• Jurors include 3 men who work in finance and 2 male lawyers.

Twelve of Donald Trump's peers — 7 men, and 5 women — have been chosen to decide the first-ever criminal trial of a former US president.

The jurors hail from throughout Manhattan. A majority have white-collar careers.

Three jurors, all of them men, have careers in finance. Two jurors, both men, are practicing attorneys. Another two, both women, are health workers.

On Thursday afternoon, New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan selected the 12th juror in Trump's Manhattan criminal case.

Two men chosen in the afternoon filled seats that had been vacated earlier in the day. One seat was vacated by a woman who feared publicity, another for more mysterious reasons.

One out of six alternate jurors, a woman, was also chosen.

"We have our jury," Merchan announced to the courtroom after the 12th juror was chosen.

Merchan must still choose five more alternate seats, a process that will likely be completed as soon as Friday. Opening statements are expected to begin Monday, the judge said.

Trump's lawyers questioned the jurors about their feelings about the former president. One woman — who said her apartment was robbed before and has a "close friend" who was convicted of financial fraud — said she doesn't like Trump's "persona."

Trump was "very selfish and self-serving" and "not my cup of tea," she said.

But she believed she could set those feelings aside for the trial, she told the lawyers.

"I don't like some of my coworkers, but I don't try to sabotage their work," she explained, drawing an outburst of laughter from the jury box.

Others left a markedly less colorful impression. One of the attorneys chosen to serve is a middle-aged white man who works at a big law firm but says he knows "virtually nothing about criminal law" because he handles only civil cases.

Then there's a guy with outdoorsy hobbies who said he doesn't really follow the news, but he does listen to podcasts on behavioral psychology.

"It's my little hobby," he said.

Several jurors are difficult to pigeonhole.

There's a man who says he knows "little" about Trump's criminal cases and gets his news from The New York Times, The Daily Mail, Fox News, and MSNBC.

Another is a young Black woman who said her friends carry strong opinions about Trump, but that she is "not a political person" and appreciates that he "speaks his mind."

"I would rather that in a person than someone who's in office and you don't know what they're doing behind the scenes," the woman said.

Trump was more attentive to the jury selection process on Thursday compared to earlier in the week, where he frequently sat back, closed his eyes, and appeared to nod off.

The courtroom was markedly colder than on the previous days, something Trump complained about throughout the day.

He sometimes wrapped his arms around himself, as if trying to stay warm. He also looked at prospective jurors in the juror box, turning his body and draping his arm over the back of his chair.

Thursday's jury selection process got off to an ominous start after prosecutors said Trump sought to intimidate prospective jurors through a post on Truth Social, asking that he be held in contempt. One of the jurors who had been chosen earlier in the week dropped out, saying she was concerned about her ability to be impartial given the public attention to the case.

Prosecutors in the Manhattan district attorney's office allege Trump illegally falsified business records by covering up hush-money payments to Stormy Daniels, an adult film actress and director. The aim of those payments, according to prosecutors, was to keep her quiet about an affair she says she had with him ahead of the 2016 election so that he would not lose potential female voters.

While jurors were not expected to be totally ignorant of Trump and the hush-money controversy, they were asked a series of questions meant to suss out whether they could put aside any preconceived views and deliberate the case based on the evidence presented in the trial.

After all the chosen and prospective jurors were dismissed for the day, defense lawyer Todd Blanche acknowledged that testimony could begin as early as Monday.

Blanche asked if prosecutors could disclose who they planned to call as their witnesses first so the defense could prepare.

"That's been a courtesy we have been extending," prosecutor Joshua Steinglass responded.

"But Mr. Trump has been tweeting about the witnesses," the prosecutor complained, adding that he would not give out the first witnesses' names this far in advance.

Blanche asked if that would change if the defense promised that Trump would not "Truth" anything about the witnesses on social media.

"What if he makes that promise?" Blanche asked.

"That he would not be tweeting about any of the witnesses?" the judge responded. "I don't think that is a promise he can be making."

As Trump left the courtroom Thursday, he complained about the indictment and the cold courtroom.

"I've been sitting here for days now, from morning 'til night, in that freezing room," Trump said in the hallway. "Freezing. Everybody was freezing in there."

• Tesla sent notices canceling some separation agreements, according to two laid-off employees and a notification seen by Business Insider.
• Elon Musk previously stated some severance packages were "incorrectly low."
• The cancellations came after some workers received severance offers for two months of pay.

Some laid-off Tesla workers received a notification that their separation agreements had been canceled on Thursday and to expect new ones, two laid-off workers told Business Insider.

The workers received a notification about a document titled "Your separation agreement," with "status: canceled," according to one of the emails obtained by BI. The notification said: "Canceled by sender: Cancelling to send updated agreement," according to a screenshot of the message. The email appears to be an automatic email from Adobe's Acrobat Sign e-signature tool.

The notification comes after Elon Musk sent a companywide email to current Tesla employees on Wednesday, saying that "some severance packages are incorrectly low."

"My apologies for this mistake. It is being corrected immediately," Musk said in the email that was viewed by BI.

Some of the former employees who received the notification had been previously offered two months of severance. The severance packages didn't appear to be weighted based on the length of time workers had been with Tesla, as workers with anywhere from a few months to several years at Tesla received the same number of weeks paid out, five sources who received the offers told BI.

Other workers told BI that as of Thursday afternoon, they'd still yet to receive any information about severance packages.

Under the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, companies that have more than 100 workers are required to provide 60 days of notice before a large-scale layoff. Violations of the WARN Act can entitle workers to up to 60 days of pay and benefits if they're not given proper advanced notice.

Musk announced he planned to cut more than 10% of Tesla's workforce on Sunday night. Impacted workers received emails notifying them they'd been terminated within a few hours of Musk's internal announcement.

A spokesperson for Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Do you work for Tesla or have a tip? Contact gkay@businessinsider.com from a nonwork email and device.

• Liz Humphreys moved to Europe with her husband and raised her son in Berlin until he was 6.
• After moving back to New York, she was surprised by all of the rules surrounding kids.
• She has found that there are advantages to raising children in both cities.

My three-year-old son was busy flattening his piece of clay into a pancake when another ball of clay came flying through the air. It hit him squarely on the back of the head and he started to cry. My husband and I were sitting nearby at his weekly art class, held in a high-ceilinged, 20th-century building in Prenzlauer Berg, a trendy neighborhood in Berlin.

We turned to see a toddler continuing to throw clay balls. The child's mom was siting next to her son, not saying anything, and simply letting him continue his aggressive antics. I tried to catch her eye, but she refused to make contact. We quietly approached the instructor to ask if she might step in — as perhaps she wouldn't want clay thrown at other kids in her classroom, after all — but she said resignedly, "That's not my place."

Since my family of three had arrived in Berlin, I had experienced many of these refusals by German parents and other adults to get involved or to correct bad behavior in their children — in playgrounds, on playdates, on museum visits.

I found that the Berlin attitude around children was, by and large, to let them resolve things among themselves — even for toddlers.

My family has been back in New York City for a year and a half, and we're still struck by all the "rules" surrounding kids here. Not that all these rules are bad. As my now eight-year-old son's second-grade teacher says, "How will kids learn what not to do if we don't teach them?"

Berlin was affordable for raising a family and had great childcare

In 2012, my husband and I moved to Europe from New York City for work. We started in Amsterdam, moved to London — where my son was born — and relocated to Berlin when he was just over a year old. We didn't speak German and had never considered living in Germany.

Right from the get-go, we were amazed by how much farther our money went in Berlin. Though rental inventory was tough to come by, we paid $2,900 a month for a three-bed, two-bath duplex with a private roof deck and elevator — a wonderful amount of space to raise a child. That's half the price we're now paying for our much smaller two-bedroom apartment in Manhattan.

We were also impressed by the affordability of Berlin's childcare. Starting from the age of one, all kids are entitled to a free day care/preschool combo — called Kita, or kindergarten — for a minimum of 5 to 7 hours a day; working parents, those looking for work or studying, or single parents are eligible for even more: 7 to 9 hours of daily care. The care is available year-round.

My son was supervised by three teachers and with the same 10 kids every year, which allowed him to make close friends. His school was also bilingual German-English, so he became fluent in German within a few years, even though we didn't speak it at home.

Also unlike in most of the US, in Germnay, school up until the equivalent of first grade is play-based and very child-driven, with lots of time spent outside.

The public school in New York has been a huge change

When we arrived back in New York, my son started first grade in public school. He was quickly overwhelmed by the more anonymous classroom of around 30 students with one teacher. He also had difficulty adjusting to all of the structure around the school day. He was used to spending more time outdoors and wandering around the classroom as he pleased.

My husband and I were also shocked to learn that school ended at 2:35 p.m. Now in order to work a full day, we have to pay for afterschool classes and find options for summer camp.

We also didn't worry much about safety in Berlin. For such a large city, Berlin is exceedingly safe. In the 2024 Safety Index by Global Residence Index, Berlin ranked 46, while New York City was 107. Over there, it's not uncommon to see kids walking on their own to school starting in first or second grade. Back in the US, we would never even think about letting our son take the short walk to school without adult supervision.

There have been positives of being back in New York

Though the reverse culture shock is real, we do still love being back in New York. We appreciate the diversity compared to Germany, both ethnic and socio-economic.

We take advantage of the numerous cultural opportunities for both kids and adults, such as museums and theater. And even though there aren't quite as many playgrounds as in Berlin, we enjoy the welcoming vibe, where it's easy for kids to make friends.

I've also noticed more parents taking ownership of unruly children.

Got a personal essay about relocating a family that you want to share? Get in touch with the editor: akarplus@businessinsider.com.