A major bug in Oracle's ERP software disproportionately affected American universities, and hackers have capitalized by stealing gobs of data.

Paola Chapdelaine for BI I was at the Nasdaq building when SpaceX went live on Friday morning. The record-breaking IPO brought together Musk fans, tourists, and some poised to win big. Here's everything I saw in a sweltering Times Square during the historic event. Astronaut costumes. No-shows. Soon-to-be very rich people. I spent Friday morning outside the Nasdaq's headquarters in Times Square, when SpaceX debuted on the exchange under the ticker SPCX. On Thursday night, the company was priced at $135 per share, as anticipated. It began trading at $150 per share and surged as much as 30% in early trades, before closing at $160.95, a gain of 19%. SpaceX didn't have any official programming outside, but Midtown Manhattan was swarmed, both with Musk fanatics and confused tourists. And some people didn't wait until Friday to share their feelings about SpaceX and its founder — on Thursday, a giant, inflatable, shirtless Musk, tattooed with allegations against the rocket company, appeared outside Morgan Stanley's headquarters in Times Square. Here's what the scene looked like at the Nasdaq on the big day. People were out early waiting for Musk. Paola Chapdelaine for BI By 8:45 am, with the humidity around 80%, a crowd was assembled outside the Nasdaq, crushed toward the building's entrance in hopes of seeing Musk, with phone cameras battling professional photographers for the best view. Some wondered aloud whether he'd show, and others asked if the ginormous Musk balloon was still up nearby. If only they'd known that Musk was actually in Texas. Still, there was plenty to see, as the Nasdaq tower and surrounding buildings played SpaceX content on a loop, including a clip of a llama. "Where were you?" Paola Chapdelaine for BI Hanan Buridi was among the hopefuls looking for Musk, and told me he's been following SpaceX's potential IPO for a while. "It's historic — the biggest market debut," he said, pausing occasionally to readjust his phone camera. "People will remember this 20 years from now: where were you on SpaceX IPO?" He said he "of course" planned to buy shares, which he said he could pass on to his eventual kids. Buridi said he anticipated a bigger crowd than the 200 or so people who looked to be there, but that he was going to leave as soon as the bell rang: "I'm going to go on my computer and start buying IPO shares, if I can." A construction worker I spoke to wasn't as sure about investing. He said he's conservative with his money and sticks to "bricks and mortar." Some ended up there by accident. Paola Chapdelaine for BI Faris Agianda and Djimi Gilles didn't plan to watch the historic event, or even know it was happening today. Both are visiting New York for the software company they work at, and were on a grocery run when they noticed the crowd. Agianda said he might try to buy stock in a few days, assuming the price will dip a bit, and Jilles said SpaceX is "a great company" despite losing money on xAI. As for the vibe near the Nasdaq, Gilles wasn't all that impressed. "It's not that interesting, to be honest," he told me. The crowd was full of Musk fans and confused tourists. People dressed as astronauts in front of the Nasdaq HQ on the SpaceX IPO launch day. Alice Tecotzky / Business Insider In typical New York fashion, I was surrounded by a chorus of languages, as tourists visiting for the World Cup mingled with die-hard Musk fans. A reporter from Soon, a media company, wore a full astronaut costume and carried a binder with SpaceX's lengthy S1 filing. He told me it cost him $174 to print at FedEx, and would've cost $300 if he hadn't printed the color pages at home. The opening bell brought some cheers. Paola Chapdelaine for BI Light cheers and claps erupted when the bell rang, as many in the crowd craned to see the TV monitors playing the scene from inside the building. The crowd thinned out afterward, and photographers started stepping down from their folding stools. There were some skeptics. Paola Chapdelaine for BI Though the crowd was generally pretty bullish on SpaceX, Bryan Winter, an architect who stopped by on his way to work, said that this is "just another bubble." We were, he said, watching "cult behavior." Winter, who said he planned to buy some shares nonetheless, told me it wasn't his first time at an historic New York finance moment. He said he'd brought his then eight-year-old son to the Lehman Brothers building on September 14, 2008, the day before the investment banking giant collapsed. Two 24-year-olds who said they were traders told me they don't plan to buy any stock, since it's volatile. They walked the 20 blocks from their office to check out the scene. SpaceX employees seemed to dot the crowd. Paola Chapdelaine for BI Some in the crowd appeared to be SpaceX employees, though they declined to identify themselves that way. A number of young men wore Starlink shirts; a few donned "Occupy Mars" tees. A number of people who looked like twenty-somethings, congratulating each other and cheering when Starlink imagery came on the monitors, told me they couldn't talk because of their jobs. One guy, who showed me photos of himself at SpaceX facilities and an old email address, said he left the company about a year ago. He'd loved the work, but the environment was intense, and he needed to start a new chapter. Like many current and former employees, he said he has equity in the company and is excited about this liquidity event, to put it mildly. For now, he plans to keep most of his shares, since he believes in SpaceX's mission. Some hopefuls stuck around to try and see execs Paola Chapdelaine for BI Trading hadn't started yet by 10:45 am, but some of the devoted still stuck around to try and snap shots of execs when they left the Nasdaq building. A police officer told me he didn't understand why everyone was waiting around in the heat, since nobody was coming outside. As I was turning to leave, I told the photographer I was with that Musk had actually been in Texas that morning. A guy turned around, shocked. Why had he spent the past 20 minutes hovering near the building entrance? Read the original article on Business Insider

JPMorgan is going all out for SpaceX employees, from a cake replica of its headquarters and plans to display rockets at the top of its skyscraper. Cake Don; Leo Villareal Studio JPMorgan is hosting a SpaceX IPO celebration with 250 of Musk's employees at its new Park Avenue HQ. The celebration was Jamie Dimon's idea — and he pitched it to Elon Musk. Guests get steak, sushi, cocktails, and the night ends with a SpaceX-themed skyline light show. A SpaceX-branded tomahawk steak carving station. That's the kind of extravagant detail JPMorgan put into a celebration for Elon Musk's rocket-making company's record-breaking public debut. JPMorgan is set to host around 250 SpaceX employees at its new Park Avenue headquarters for an intergalaxy-inspired evening with dinner and cocktails Friday, a source familiar with the bank's plan told Business Insider. The evening will be capped off with a specially curated light show at the top of the 60-story building, featuring rocket launches and space imagery. The lavish celebration was Jamie Dimon's idea. According to the person familiar with the plans, the JPMorgan CEO personally pitched it to Musk. But Dimon isn't just honoring one of the biggest IPOs in years; he's also rolling out the red carpet for hundreds of potential future wealth clients. JPMorgan is one of the top Wall Street banks running the books for the IPO, but it seems to be playing the long game by inviting SpaceX employees to its soiree. The event gives the firm a chance to deepen relationships with an exceptionally lucrative group of future customers. Andrew Benson, the founder of pre-IPO trading platform Hill Markets, estimates the offering will create roughly 4,400 new millionaires, including about 400 centimillionaires. While Musk isn't scheduled to join Dimon at the party, Gwynne Shotwell, SpaceX president, and CFO Bret Johnson are expected to be there and deliver remarks to the partygoers. JPMorgan's deal team and Mary Erdoes, who leads the asset and wealth management business for the bank, will also be there. SpaceX's record-breaking market debut happened Friday morning, with first trades jumping as much as 30% to $176.52 per share after pricing at $135 in its Thursday IPO. A visual of JPMorgan's planned lightshow. Max Touhey/Max Touhey Throughout Friday, those at JPMorgan's shiny new headquarters will be feeling the firm's involvement with the blockbuster IPO. They'll hear a space-themed playlist curated by DJ Yuna in the lobby and on the 14th floor, its core social area with coffee shops, gift shops, and restaurants. Servers on that floor will also be dressed in SpaceX garb. SpaceX launch photos and videos have been on display across all 270 Park digital screens. For the main event at 6 pm, guests will be taken to the 57th floor at the top of the tower for a dinner buffet with custom mirrors to add to the futuristic vibes. They'll have the choices of the aforementioned steak, as well as sushi and a raw bar. The bank is also using this as an opportunity to show off its extensive art and historical artifact collection, including documents signed by Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson, and Jamie Wyeth's 1976 painting "The Man from Boston" of John F Kennedy's historic 1962 "We Choose to Go to the Moon" speech at Rice University. They'll then be swept to a "dessert in the stars" cocktail reception, before the bank transforms the top of its skyscraper with a SpaceX-themed lightshow. The rest of New York will be able to watch from their windows, likely while eating a less lavish meal. Read the original article on Business Insider

Sialkot, Pakistan produces most of the world's footballs, but only a select group of manufacturers hold FIFA licenses. To earn certification, factories must pass a series of demanding performance tests and pay high licensing fees. We visited Bola Gema to see what it takes to meet FIFA standards, and why manufacturers are willing to invest for a chance to cash in on World Cup demand. Read the original article on Business Insider

Bloomberg: Sources: Roku is in talks to sell itself; its shares have risen about 24% this year, giving the company a market value of $19.9B; ROKU jumps 20%+ after hours  —  Roku Inc., the streaming video platform, is in talks to sell itself, people with knowledge of the matter said.

Discussion | Link

Discussion | Link

A SpaceX-Tesla merger seems inevitable.

Vulnerability in the Oracle-owned PeopleSoft software is about as critical as they come.

Apple and Samsung may not need glucose-sensing smartwatches to compete in health AI. The next race is turning CGM data into useful advice. The post Apple, Samsung, and the Race to Turn Glucose Data Into AI Health Advice appeared first on TechRepublic.

Jyoti Mann / The Information: Staff memo: Meta plans to limit employee token usage and encourage employees to use MetaCode, after internal AI spending forecasts reached billions for 2026  —  Meta Platforms plans to clamp down on skyrocketing AI costs inside the company by imposing limits on employees' token usage …

After visiting 29 states last year, there are some I can't wait to go back to and others I'd skip next time. Emily Pogue Last year, my husband and I traveled across the US, spending time in 29 states along the way. I fell in love with Michigan, Vermont, and South Dakota, and found plenty to do. Although I had a great time in places like West Virginia and Idaho, I think I saw the highlights. Last year, my husband and I decided to make the most of working remote jobs by traveling across the US, staying in 29 different states along the way. Although I don't regret visiting any of the states we spent time in, there are some I'm excited to return to — and others I'm glad I saw once. In my opinion, Michigan is seriously underrated. Emily Pogue Whenever we had a spare moment during our month in Michigan, we were outside. We strolled through a tulip farm in Holland, had a picnic on the beach at Saugatuck Dunes State Park, and sipped pinot noir along a wine trail near Buchanan, stopping by different wineries along the route. We spent most of our time near the shores of Lake Michigan, so we had access to all the things I could want on a beach vacation — fresh seafood, lively boardwalks with all kinds of quirky shops, and pristine sand. However, in my experience, the prices seemed lower than what I'm used to in many of the "beach destinations" along the coasts. I already have a list of places I want to explore the next time we're in Michigan, such as Traverse City, Sleeping Bear Dunes, and Mackinac Island, one of the few places in the US where cars are banned. South Dakota offers so much more than Mount Rushmore. Emily Pogue Seeing massive carvings of former presidents is impressive, but there's so much more to South Dakota than Mount Rushmore. For example, I loved spending time in Custer State Park, which I believe offers some of the best views in all of the Black Hills. During our visit, we saw coyotes, prairie dogs, bighorn sheep, mountain goats, and hundreds of bison (one even licked our car!) Less than two hours away, we were treated to an entirely different landscape in Badlands National Park, which is dominated by buttes and towering rock spires. There are also tiny museums and fascinating sites tucked away in small towns, making the drive across the state even more entertaining. We stopped at the Mammoth Site in Hot Springs — an active excavation site where the remains of over 60 mammoths have been unearthed. I was amazed by the sheer scale of that many skeletons found in one place, and it was definitely worth the stop. Vermont's small towns are incredible. Emily Pogue I firmly believe that Vermont has some of the most picturesque small towns in the US. And although each one has its special charms, Stowe really stands out to me. Between perusing the cute shops, riding the gondola to the top of Mt. Mansfield (Vermont's highest peak), and grabbing a drink at the Von Trapp Brewery (started by Maria von Trapp's son), I felt like I'd been sucked into a postcard. I was also impressed by Vermont's dairy game. In almost every town we visited, I saw a shop selling creative varieties of cheese. My favorite usage of dairy, however, had to be at the Ben & Jerry's Factory in Waterbury. The tour was fun, the ice cream was perfectly decadent, and I still chuckle about the hilariously poetic Flavor Graveyard, where retired varieties are memorialized. On the other hand, West Virginia was beautiful, but I think we saw the highlights. Emily Pogue We spent several days driving around West Virginia, checking out different hiking trails and marveling at the abandoned mills hidden on backroads. There were certain moments that took my breath away, like visiting Sandstone Falls and the stunning 3,000-foot bridge in New River Gorge National Park. However, after getting our fill of nature, there didn't seem to be a whole lot of other options to fit our interests. In general, the state is pretty rural, and a lot of the small towns seemed designed for locals, not tourists. Although I think hikers, campers, and whitewater enthusiasts could enjoy a visit to the Mountain State, I'm content with what I saw on my trip. Idaho surprised me, but I don't feel the need to return anytime soon. Emily Pogue I didn't know much about Idaho before we visited, but we saw some incredibly memorable spots during our trip. Craters of the Moon National Monument — filled with black ancient lava fields and hill-like cinder cones — is unlike any other natural preserve I've been to in the continental US. Seeing it covered in snow only added to its otherworldly quality. We also visited the Basque Block in Boise, which is a section of town that is preserved and dedicated to the Basque people who emigrated from Spain to Idaho in the late 1800s. As we strolled, we read signs that were posted and learned about the area and the culture. Although I'm sure there are more beautiful places to see around Idaho, when I return to this region in the future, I'll probably focus my time in Montana and Wyoming. This story was originally published on February 11, 2026, and most recently updated on June 12, 2026. Read the original article on Business Insider

by Dan Shipper in Chain of Thought Midjourney/Every illustration. Was this newsletter forwarded to you? Sign up to get it in your inbox. As any child who’s heard Aesop knows, the point of a fable is its moral. We see the consequences of falsely crying wolf. We learn why slow and steady wins the hare race. So what is the moral of Claude Fable 5, Anthropic’s newest model, which this week we called the best coding model in the world? For engineers, the case is easy to make. For many knowledge workers, though, Fable might feel incremental. You may have one-shotted an impressive demo or two, but you’re probably not using it for your day-to-day work. Why would you? It costs twice as much and the results aren’t that much better. But there is a certain class of developers who are feeling Fable’s full force. These are people like Cora general manager Kieran Klaassen, who are suddenly churning through his backlog of bug fixes and feature requests in hours instead of days. “This is my favorite model ever,” he told me. What’s the difference between Kieran and everyone else? The difference between Kieran and most people using Fable isn’t simply that he’s a developer but that he’s at Level 7 or 8 on our scale of AI use: He delegates whole projects, lets agents work asynchronously, reviews the results, and feeds what he learns into the next run. In other words he writes—dare I say it, loops—not prompts. For now, this might make Fable seem like a tool for developers. But in AI, developer workflows have a habit of spreading to the rest of knowledge work. Claude Code started as a developer tool, and now the same methodology is being used for everything from slide decks to spreadsheets inside of Cowork and Codex. If you’re not feeling Fable’s force, that’s probably because you haven’t yet started to treat your work like gardening ... Become a paid subscriber to Every to unlock this piece and learn about: The gardening metaphor that explains who gets the most out of frontier AI How Fable helps usher in the era of the individual How the technology gap between the cutting edge and everyone else raises real questions Subscribe Click here to read the full post Want the full text of all articles in RSS? Become a subscriber, or learn more.

Section 702 of FISA to expire tonight, but certification lasts until March 2027.

Edward Ludlow / Bloomberg: Sources: SpaceX decided to rent its Colossus 1 data center to Anthropic after internal teams struggled to use it for Grok development due to latency issues  —  - Musk's firm struggled with latency issues with Colossus 1  — SpaceX has made AI infrastructure a key part of its IPO pitch

Kevin O'Leary on AI, China, and why America needs more compute power. Read the original article on Business Insider

In the U.S., the largest financings went to enterprise software company NinjaOne and blockchain technology provider Digital Asset. The largest deals of the week, however, were for European companies.

It isn't the only startup tackling physical AI, but it's one of the best-funded.

TechCrunch has followed SpaceX's start, struggles, and successes from the early days. And we're here for what happens next too. This package of SpaceX IPO coverage includes who stands to win (and maybe some who won't), pre-IPO deals, and what's tucked inside its S-1 registration document.

Number One Observatory Circle is the official residence of the US vice president. Pablo Martinez Monsivais, File/AP The vice president's official residence is on the grounds of the US Naval Observatory. Different vice presidents have added amenities such as a pool, a jogging track, and a garden. The residence may be haunted — Walter Mondale's daughter once said she saw a ghost in her bedroom. Vice President JD Vance and his wife, second lady Usha Vance, moved into the vice president's official residence at Number One Observatory Circle with their three children upon taking office in 2025. They're expecting their fourth child, a boy, in July. The 9,150-square-foot historic home features personal touches and luxury features added by vice presidents over the years, including a swimming pool, a running track, and, most recently, a large chicken coop that reflects the mansion's architectural style. It's also been home to a few ghost stories. Here's a closer look at the vice president's residence. The vice president's official residence is located on the grounds of the United States Naval Observatory in Washington, DC. This is a satellite image of the United States Naval Observatory in Washington D.C. United States, one of the oldest scientific agencies in the US with a mission to produce positioning, navigation and timing for the US Navy and the US Department of Defense. Collected on April 2, 2012. DigitalGlobe/Getty Images Established in 1830, the US Naval Observatory is one of the oldest scientific agencies in the US, where scientists collect astronomical data for accurate navigation, according to the official website of the Commander, Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command. The movements of planets and stars are used to accurately provide positioning, navigation, and timing for the Navy and Department of Defense. Measuring 9,150 square feet, Number One Observatory Circle contains 33 rooms. Number One Observatory Circle is the official residence of the US Vice President. Pablo Martinez Monsivais, File/AP The home features six bedrooms, a dining room, a garden room, a study, and an attic. The home was built in 1893 for the Naval Observatory's superintendent and began housing its chief of naval operations in 1923. Winter view of Number One Observatory Circle, the US Vice President's official residence, in snow, Washington DC, January 17, 1977. U S News & World Report Collection/Thomas O'Halloran/PhotoQuest/Getty Images Vice presidents used to live in their own homes until Congress devoted funds to refurbishing the home for vice presidential use in 1974, according to the White House. Number One Observatory Circle became the official vice presidential residence in 1974. 1/14/1975- Washington, DC: Mansion on the grounds of the Naval Observatory in NW section of the Capital will soon become home for U.S. Vice President Nelson Rockefeller and family. Known by U.S. Navy as "Admiral's House," it was formerly home of the Chief of Naval Operations. Bettmann/Contributor/Getty Images President Gerald Ford's vice president, Nelson Rockefeller, hosted events at the home but didn't live there. In 1977, Vice President Walter Mondale, who served under President Jimmy Carter, became the first vice president to live in the residence full-time. Mondale's daughter, Eleanor, once called the Secret Service when she said she saw a ghost in her bedroom. Walter Mondale and Eleanor Mondale during Sighting at Jimmy's Restaurant at Jimmy Restaurant in Los Angeles, California, United States. Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images Eleanor Mondale wrote in a 1998 issue of Swing magazine that the Secret Service was less than pleased when they found out she had reported a ghost sighting, rather than an intruder. "I was so scared, I fainted," she wrote, Deseret News reported. "Upon coming to, I phoned the Secret Service Command Post. I whispered that there was a man in my room and hung up. Minutes later, two agents busted into the room, guns drawn. When I told them the 'man' was actually a ghost, they requested that I NEVER DO THAT AGAIN!" Vice presidents can redecorate the home according to their tastes. WASHINGTON, DC -- CIRCA 1983: U.S. Vice President George H.W. Bush and Mrs. Barbara Bush at the Vice President's residence circa 1983 in in Washington, DC. David Hume Kennerly/Getty Images Money for maintaining the home, as well as for additions or renovations, comes from private funds or donations to the Vice President's Residence Foundation, which was founded in 1991. Dick and Lynne Cheney decorated the residence in neutral colors. This photo provided by the White House shows Vice President Dick Cheney bidding farewell to Vice President-elect Joe Biden, Thursday, Nov. 13, 2008, following their visit at the Vice President's Residence at the U.S. Naval Observatory in Washington. David Bohrer/White House/AP Photo They enlisted interior designer Frank Babb Randolph to help with the transformation. The Bidens added pops of color throughout the house, such as "Biden blue" walls in the dining room. WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 28: At the Vice President's residence the dining room is painted Biden blue and photographed October 28, 2016 in Washington, DC. Katherine Frey/The Washington Post via Getty Images Interior designer Victoria Hagan worked with the Bidens to add touches such as green wallpaper to the library and "daffodil yellow" walls in the living room. The Bidens' favorite room in the home was the Solarium. WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 28: Joe and Jill Biden's favorite room in the Vice President's residence is the Solarium photographed October 28, 2016 in Washington, DC. Every Vice President since Walter Mondale has lived with their families on the grounds of the United States Naval Observatory. Katherine Frey/The Washington Post via Getty Images "I love to go in that room and sit on the couch and grade papers or have meetings," Jill Biden told The Washington Post in 2017. "Often, they put a round table in there and we would have dinner or lunch." Vice presidents have also added amenities over the years, such as a jogging track, exercise room, and horseshoe pit. U.S. President George H. Bush, along with an unidentified aide and agent jog at the vice president's residence in Washington, Wednesday, March 27, 1992. On Thursday, the President will head up to Bethesda Naval Medical Center for his annual check-up. Barry Thumma/AP Photo George H.W. Bush installed a quarter-mile jogging track at the residence, and he liked it so much that he continued running there even after he became president. The house features a pool added by Dan Quayle. The Quayle family had the pool installed when they lived at the Vice President's residence which is still open October 28, 2016 in Washington, DC. Katherine Frey/The Washington Post via Getty Images Biden told reporters in 2010 that "no one can say a negative thing about Dan Quayle" because he added the pool to the vice president's residence. "He's my favorite vice president," Biden said. "And my granddaughters love it." Joe Biden surprised Jill Biden with a tree swing on the grounds of the residence for Valentine's Day in 2010. WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 28: Vice President Joe Biden surprised his wife, Jill, with a tree swing with a commemorative plaque on a tree on the grounds of the Vice President's residence on Valentine's day in 2010 that is photographed October 28, 2016 in Washington, DC. Katherine Frey/The Washington Post via Getty Images The commemorative plaque reads "Joe loves Jill. Valentine's Day 2010." Jill Biden added the Family Heritage Garden where stones memorialize all the home's previous occupants and their family members, including pets. Dr. Jill Biden helped create the Family Heritage Garden of the Vice President where all occupants and their family members, including pets, are memorialized on the stone pavers around a fountain as seen October 28, 2016 in Washington, DC. A fiberglass replica of a bronze dog by artist Charles Parks is on loan and wears Champs collar. Champ is the Biden's dog. October 28, 2016. Katherine Frey/The Washington Post via Getty Images The garden also features a bronze sculpture of the Bidens' dog Champ, who died at age 13. When the Pences moved into the residence, Karen Pence installed a beehive to raise awareness of the declining honeybee population. U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Sonny Perdue and his wife Mary joined Mrs. Karen Pence to unveil a bee hive on the Vice President's residential grounds in Washington, D.C., June 6, 2017. Preston Keres/USDA Karen Pence previously kept bees at the Indiana governor's residence, unveiling a hive there in 2014. The hive she added to the vice presidential residence in 2017 held 20,000 bees. "All types of pollinators, such as bees, butterflies, birds, and bats, are critical to providing our nation's food, fiber, fuel, and medicine," Pence said at the unveiling. Kamala Harris and Doug Emhoff, who is Jewish, became the first residents to affix a mezuzah to the door of the home. US Vice President Kamala Harris (2R) and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff (R) greet Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. (2L) and his wife Louise Araneta-Marcos (L) as they arrive for brunch at the Vice President's residence in Washington, DC, on May 2, 2023. SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images In November 2021, the second couple put a white mezuzah — a small scroll of Hebrew text from the Torah in a decorative case — on the right side of the doorway of their residence. When they affixed the object, which marks the space as sacred and holy, Emhoff's parents came to the ceremony, Harris told Vanity Fair. "My mother-in-law, Barbara, is very pleased and proud of her son," she said.  Harris and Emhoff also planted a pomegranate tree on the grounds to mark the first anniversary of the October 7 attacks in Israel. WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 7: Vice President Kamala Harris speaks as Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff looks on before they plant a pomegranate tree at the Vice President's residence at the U.S. Naval Observatory on October 7, 2024 in Washington, DC. The Second couple marked the one-year anniversary of the October 7 attacks in Israel by planting a memorial tree, a tradition done by second families on the grounds of the Vice President 's residence. Kent Nishimura/Getty Images "For years to come, this pomegranate tree will stand here, spreading its roots and growing stronger to remind future vice presidents of the United States, their families, and all who pass through these grounds not only of the horror of October 7, but of the strength and endurance of the Jewish people," Harris said in her speech before planting the tree. "It will remind us all not to abandon the goal of peace, dignity, and security for all, and it will remind us all to always have faith." There's rumored to be a secure bunker underneath the residence. The residence on Nov. 11, 2000, when Vice President Al Gore was secluded awaiting developments in the Florida recount. J Scott Applewhite/AP Photo When loud blasts and construction noises were heard at Number One Observatory Circle in 2002, neighbors complained and received letters that read, "Due to its sensitive nature in support of national security and homeland defense, project-specific information is classified and cannot be released." The letter sparked rumors that a secure bunker was being built after the attacks of September 11, 2001. A spokesperson for the US Navy told the BBC in 2002 that the construction was "an infrastructure and utility upgrade." Newsweek's Eleanor Clift reported in 2009 that Biden revealed the existence of the bunker at an annual Gridiron Club dinner, but Biden's spokeswoman told Fox News that his comments were not reported accurately. "What the vice president described in his comments was not — as some press reports have suggested — an underground facility, but rather, an upstairs workspace in the residence, which he understood was frequently used by Vice President Cheney and his aides," the spokeswoman said. "That workspace was converted into an upstairs guestroom when the Bidens moved into the residence. There was no disclosure of classified information." Vice presidents have more freedom of movement at their residence than presidents do in the White House. Vice President Joe Biden and Dr. Jill Biden host a barbeque for wounded service members from Walter Reed Army Medical Center outpatients and their families at the Vice President's residence at the Naval Observatory in Washington, Tuesday, May 25, 2010. The service members currently reside at the Mologne House, which offers housing for patients and their families while they undergo rehabilitation and treatment. Charles Dharapak/AP Photo Presidents can't just walk out of the White House whenever they want. At One Observatory Circle, though, vice presidents have more space and privacy to live normal lives. At a CNN town hall in 2021, Biden likened the White House to a "gilded cage." "The vice president's residence was totally different," he said. "You're on 80 acres, overlooking the rest of the city. And you can walk out, and there's a swimming pool. You can walk off a porch in the summer and jump in a pool, and go into work. You can ride a bicycle around and never leave the property and work out. But the White House is very different." Harris occasionally hosted gatherings at the official residence. US Vice President Kamala Harris speaking during a breakfast meeting she hosted at her official residence in Washington DC, attended by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar as part of his visit to the US for St Patrick's Day. Picture date: Friday March 15, 2024. Niall Carson/PA Images via Getty Images Harris welcomed Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar to the residence for a St. Patrick's Day breakfast in 2023. In January 2025, JD Vance and Usha Vance moved into the residence with their three young children: Ewan, Vivek, and Mirabel. US Vice President JD Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance arrive to greet the Taoiseach of Ireland Micheál Martin and his wife Mary O'Shea for a St. Patrick's Day breakfast at the Vice President's residence in the US Naval Observatory in Washington, DC on March 17, 2026. The Irish prime minister arrived in the United States March 13 for an annual St Patrick's Day trip under pressure to talk tough to US President Donald Trump amid the Iran war. (Photo by ROBERTO SCHMIDT/POOL/AFP via Getty Images The Vances are the first vice presidential family to live at the residence with children since the Gore family in 1993. They also hosted Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin and his wife, Mary O'Shea, for a St. Patrick's Day breakfast in 2026. In June 2026, the Vances added a chicken coop to the property. A new chicken coop at the vice president's residence. Office of the Vice President Designed by Carolina Coops, the structure was designed to match the architecture of the Naval Observatory. It was not built with taxpayer funds, a source familiar with the matter told Business Insider. The chicks will supply the vice president's residence with fresh eggs. Vance joked during a 2024 campaign trail visit to a grocery store that his young children "actually eat about 14 eggs every single morning." Read the original article on Business Insider