Sebastian Herrera / Fortune: Sources: Microsoft is working on an app that will include GitHub Copilot, Copilot chat, Copilot Cowork, and a new agentic workflow tool called Autopilot  —  Microsoft needs to solve a nagging problem: It has various Copilot AI assistants throughout its portfolio of products, irking customers who seek a single destination.

DOJ keeps accusing ICE monitoring sites of doxing, but evidence remains scarce.

The new self-driving vehicle took four years from concept to execution.

Markwayne Mullin, the new DHS secretary, has said he is considering cuts to customs agents at international airports in US cities that do not cooperate with his department's deportation efforts. Kent NISHIMURA / AFP via Getty Images The head of the DHS says he wants to punish sanctuary cities by limiting customs processing at certain airports. That sparks a lot of questions. And industry watchers say it would unleash massive travel chaos. A major airline trade group and the administration's transportation secretary are against the plan. If the Department of Homeland Security follows through on a threat to yank customs agents from major airports housed in sanctuary cities, industry watchers say fliers would face travel chaos that would make long TSA lines look like child's play. Airlines would be forced to redraw route maps on the fly — triggering all kinds of questions about staffing, facilities, and travelers themselves. Consider, for instance, just one flight: American Airlines Flight 101, scheduled to depart London-Heathrow each day at 10:30 a.m. and land at New York's JFK at 1:20 p.m. Where to land the plane? The airline would have to reroute Flight 101 to another one of its hubs that can accept international flights — but only in a city that isn't a so-called "sanctuary city." That means its hubs in Chicago, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia are off the list. So it could use its hubs at Dallas-Fort Worth, Charlotte, or Miami. Do those airports have room? DFW, Charlotte, and Miami are already busy airports, and American has only so many gates and so much room in its schedule at each airport each day. How does it weave in Flight 101 and the two other flights from London that arrive at JFK each day? What about staffing? The airline has gate agents, ramp workers, baggage handlers, and contracts with caterers, cleaners, and other staff at the airport. Will there be enough people to work the additional flights that are diverted to different airports? If not, what does the airline do? Send workers from JFK to Dallas? If so, for how long? And where does it house them? Who pays? What about passengers? Of the passengers aboard Flight 101, from London, let's say one was going on to Santa Ana, California; two were going to Des Moines, Iowa; and five were going to Chicago. What happens if American lands the flight at its Miami hub? It doesn't have direct flights to Santa Ana from there. So does it have to pay to put those passengers on another airline to get them to their destinations? Or does it have to fly them to somewhere else in its network — say, Dallas-Fort Worth — that can get them to their final destinations? In that case, who pays? And those Chicago and Des Moines passengers: Let's say the American flights are already full that day. Are the passengers just stranded? If not, how do they get to where they want to go? Does American have to figure that out, or are the passengers on their own? And again, who pays? And that's just one example flight on one airline. There are so many variables that removing customs agents from major gateways like JFK, LAX, or Newark, New Jersey, could cripple the entire international flight operation to the US — or at least slow it way down. DHS hasn't detailed its potential plan, so it's unclear which airports would be affected if it were put into place. When asked for comment, DHS referred to recent television interviews by Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin. "They don't want us to enforce immigration, but they want us to process immigration at their facilities? Nothing about that makes sense to me," Mullin said. American Airlines referred Business Insider to a statement from the industry's trade group, Airlines for America, which also represents United and Delta. The group said reducing Customs and Border Protection staffing at major US airports would "have a devastating effect on the airline and tourism industries." It warned of major disruptions to airlines, travelers, and international cargo. Richard Aboulafia, managing director of the aerospace consulting firm AeroDynamic Advisory, said that people clear customs at their point of entry, not necessarily their final destination. "The idea of hitting entry points in blue states and not having this impact businesses in red states is just extremely foolish," he said. Why Markwayne Mullin is suggesting changes at customs Mullin has said taking customs agents out of US airports that are housed in sanctuary cities might be necessary to protect the country. He first floated the idea in April and reiterated his support for it again this week. "If they're a sanctuary city and they're receiving international flights, and we're asking them to partner with us at the airport, but once they walk out of the airport, they're not going to enforce immigration policy — maybe we need to have a really hard look at that," Mullin said on Fox in April. ICE agents clashed with protesters outside the federal immigration center at Delaney Hall in Newark, New Jersey. Spencer Platt/Getty Images Mullin's idea has been questioned by President Donald Trump's transportation secretary, Sean Duffy, who said during a congressional hearing earlier this month that it would be "a bad idea to start restricting travel based on political views." The US Travel Association, which represents airlines, hotel chains, and other travel-industry businesses, said what Mullin has floated would affect American citizens traveling home from abroad more than it would international visitors. "Secretary Mullin's suggestion is impractical," Henry Harteveldt, a travel analyst and the president of Atmosphere Research Group, told Business Insider. "The secretary needs to remember that regardless of where a hub is located, it serves travelers from both red and blue states, and sanctuary and non-sanctuary cities." How the DHS plan could affect airports New York-JFK alone handles roughly 34 million international passengers a year and is the US' busiest gateway; that's far more traffic than any single replacement hub would suddenly be expected to absorb. Mullin said that the policy wouldn't affect "all" airports across US sanctuary cities, but said situations like those in New Jersey — where he singled out Newark over protests at a Homeland Security detention center — force the department to "prioritize" where it puts federal employees. One solution, Mullin said, is to pull customs officers from nearby airports to help at the ICE facilities. Airlines can't simply pack up and move Forcing airlines to operate within a more restricted landscape would be a bear of a task. One of the biggest obstacles is logistics: Many airports in non-sanctuary cities cannot simply absorb hundreds of additional international flights each day. Some airports are too small, too old, or already operating near capacity. Expanding terminals, gates, customs facilities, staffing, and ground operations would take years and cost billions of dollars. Flights from places like Sydney or Tokyo may not be able — or even willing amid sky-high fuel prices — to bypass West Coast gateways like Los Angeles or Seattle for farther-inland non-sanctuary airports. The Trump administration's threat to reduce customs at airports in sanctuary cities could lead to much more flight traffic at airports like Dallas-Fort Worth. Tom Fox/The Dallas Morning News via Getty Images Plus, security and air traffic control systems across the nation are already dealing with staffing shortages, exacerbated by government shutdowns in late 2025 and early 2026. Concentrating even more flights into already-busy airports could trigger long lines and flight disruptions. Take the entire state of Texas, for example. It has a blanket "no-sanctuary-cities-allowed" policy, so airports such as Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Austin, and San Antonio could, in theory, take on additional traffic under Mullin's proposal. But not every airport can handle every aircraft. San Antonio, for example, has a shorter runway than larger hubs, which can limit larger long-haul widebodies and reduce passenger or cargo capacity, and therefore, revenue. Read the original article on Business Insider

Reid Hoffman wrote on X that he will "not bend the knee" after the Justice Department's reported probe. Brendan McDermid/Reuters Reid Hoffman responded on X to reports of a DOJ probe tied to E. Jean Carroll's lawsuits. Hoffman accused Trump of using the federal government to punish critics. The reported scrutiny centers on Hoffman-linked funding for Carroll's legal fees. Reid Hoffman is accusing President Donald Trump of retaliation. The LinkedIn cofounder and Democratic donor responded on Friday to reports that the Justice Department is investigating issues tied to his financial support for E. Jean Carroll's litigation against Trump, calling the scrutiny "absurdly false" and accusing the president of using the federal government to punish his critics. "Trump cannot be allowed to use the full weight and power of the US Government to come after women who speak up, or anyone who supports them in doing so," Hoffman wrote in a five-part thread on X. 1/ Trump was found liable for sexually assaulting E Jean Carroll, defaming her, and now he’s going after her again. Trump cannot be allowed to use the full weight and power of the US Government to come after women who speak up, or anyone who supports them in doing so. — Reid Hoffman (@reidhoffman) May 29, 2026 His comments came after multiple outlets reported that the DOJ opened a criminal investigation related to Carroll's civil lawsuits against Trump. The Wall Street Journal reported that the department was investigating whether Carroll committed perjury. The Washington Post, Reuters, and other outlets reported that the probe was focused more specifically on American Future Republic, a nonprofit backed by Hoffman that helped fund some of Carroll's legal expenses. Carroll, a writer and former advice columnist, won two civil judgments against Trump. In 2023, a Manhattan federal jury found Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation and awarded Carroll $5 million. In 2024, another jury ordered Trump to pay Carroll another $83.3 million for defaming her. Trump has repeatedly denied Carroll's allegations and appealed the judgments. The reported scrutiny on Hoffman's nonprofit appears to center on a 2022 deposition in which Carroll said no one was paying her legal fees. Her lawyers later disclosed that funds from American Future Republic helped cover some litigation costs nearly a year after she filed the lawsuit. Trump's lawyers argued that the disclosure showed Carroll had lied under oath; the judge overseeing Carroll's lawsuits ruled the funding had no bearing on her credibility and blocked questions about it at trial. Hoffman framed the reported investigation as retaliation. "He is investigating me because I supported E Jean's lawsuit — where a jury found Trump liable for sexually assaulting her, and a court of appeals upheld the decision," Hoffman wrote. "Trump hopes that these fraudulent investigations will silence those who stand up to him. He is wrong. I will not bend the knee." Representatives for Hoffman, Carroll, and the White House didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider. The DOJ told Business Insider it does not comment on investigations. Read the original article on Business Insider

ElevenLabs: ElevenLabs launches Dubbing v2, which it says preserves the original speaker's emotion, tone, and pacing across 90+ languages while staying synced to content  —  Today we're launching Dubbing v2, our revolutionary new AI dubbing model.  —  For the first time, the emotion and performance …

Zig bans contributors from using AI to code, debug, or brainstorm. Luis Alvarez/Getty Images Zig, an open-source programming language, bans contributors from using AI to code, edit, or debug. Zig president Andrew Kelley said that the AI-generated contributions have "no value whatsoever." "They have negative value, because they take review time away from the team," Kelley said. Zig has put its foot down: No AI code allowed. The open-source programming language is maintained by a 501(c)(3) and a network of contributors. Any programmer can submit code to its repository — so long as they follow a code of conduct. One of Zig's rules bans the submission of AI-assisted code. The policy is clear: They will accept no LLM-generated content, nothing paraphrased from an LLM, and nothing edited, brainstormed, or debugged by an LLM. In short: Keep AI out of it. On the JetBrains podcast, Zig President Andrew Kelley called AI-assisted contributions "invariably garbage." "People are sending us contributions that have no value whatsoever," Kelley said. "They have negative value, because they take review time away from the team." Code contributions are reviewed by a handful of core team members. That's the "bottleneck," as Kelley puts it: There are more pull requests than reviewers. At the time of the recording, Kelley said that Zig had 200 open pull requests. Those AI-generated "slop contributions" slow the whole team down even more, Kelley said. "We've wasted everybody's time." While Zig is relatively small, it's had an outsize impact. The language was used to create Bun, for instance, which was later acquired by Anthropic. The AI ban later stirred drama between Bun and Zig. AI-assisted code has ripped through Silicon Valley, thanks to tools like Claude Code and OpenAI's Codex. Some use AI to edit or modify their code; others use it to draft it entirely. Big Tech companies have projected lofty goals for the percentage of code that should be — and already is — written with AI. Zig doesn't have a mandate to be maximally efficient like these public companies. Instead, "mentorship" is part of its core mission, Kelley said, making AI contributions counterproductive. "We're all trying to get better at programming," Kelley said. "People who are sending AI pull requests, those people are not helping this goal." These AI coders are "drive-by contributors," those who may submit a pull request or two, but will never join the core team, Kelley said. The AI ban is also simpler. Kelley said that if he tried to say only "good" AI pull requests would be accepted, the reviewers would have to judge each one. "If I say none whatsoever, then it's a very easy policy to enforce," he said. Read the original article on Business Insider

I decided to compare the same ice-cream order from Cold Stone Creamery and Baskin-Robbins. Molly Allen I got the same items at Baskin-Robbins and Cold Stone Creamery to see which had better ice cream. I had high hopes for Cold Stone Creamery, but its prices and milkshake left me disappointed.  Baskin-Robbins' delicious chocolate ice cream and lower prices made it my favorite chain of the two. There are a lot of ice-cream chains out there, but Baskin-Robbins and Cold Stone Creamery are among the most popular.  Baskin-Robbins has thousands of shops across the US and outside of it, and Cold Stone Creamery has several hundred locations worldwide. Both chains have many storefronts — but which has the tastiest ice cream?  To answer this question, I ordered and compared the same items from both chains — vanilla ice cream with M&M's in a cup, chocolate ice cream in a cone, and a strawberry milkshake.  Although the prices in this comparison are what I paid when I completed this in late 2023, current menu prices have been added for additional context. Here's how my orders compared. My first stop was Baskin-Robbins. Molly Allen The store's exterior was decked out with bright colors — the door handle was even shaped like its signature pink spoon. Inside, I saw a variety of dipped, decorated, and plain cones on display, along with candy toppings, ice-cream cakes, and other desserts. I loved the store's youthful, vibrant vibe. The chocolate ice cream was very creamy. Molly Allen I paid $3.59 for a single scoop of chocolate ice cream on a cone, and it looked like a decent portion size. A sugar cone was my only option. According to the chain's online menu, this scoop should've contained about 4 ounces of ice cream. I was pleasantly surprised by how good the chocolate ice cream was on its own. The texture was really creamy, and the flavor was incredibly rich. Today, this cone would cost me about $5.44 — $4.99 for a scoop, plus $0.45 for a cone. There were a lot of M&M's mixed into my vanilla ice cream, but I wasn't a fan of the flavor of my scoop. Molly Allen My cup of vanilla ice cream was $3.59, and the M&M's topping cost an additional $0.89. Again, the portion seemed large for a single scoop. I liked that there was a generous amount of M&M's. The vanilla flavor wasn't as good as I'd hoped, with a bit of an old-fashioned, mild taste. I usually love vanilla ice cream — especially with flecks of vanilla bean as this appeared to have — but this one was so-so. Based on current prices, the cup of ice cream would now cost about $4.99, and the topping an extra $0.99. My small strawberry milkshake wasn't bad. Molly Allen At Baskin-Robbins, I could turn any of the store's flavors into a milkshake. There were three size options, and I could get my treat with or without whipped cream. I ordered a small, 16-ounce strawberry milkshake without whipped cream for $6.19. I was surprised by how quickly the milkshake was made. It wasn't very thick, but still had a good body to it. The shake —complete with what seemed to be flecks of real strawberries — had a strong fruity flavor, making it a very tasty and overall excellent milkshake. Baskin-Robbins near me now charge about $7.99 for this milkshake. Next, I visited a Cold Stone Creamery to order the same three items. Molly Allen Aside from its big red logo, the Cold Stone Creamery I visited wasn't quite as colorful as the Baskin-Robbins. Still, the place felt pretty welcoming and had plenty of options.  I loved looking at Cold Stone's massive display of flavors. There was a wide range of toppings, which the employees can mix into your ice cream on a frozen granite stone in front of you.  My scoop of chocolate ice cream came in a huge cone. Molly Allen I ordered a single scoop of chocolate ice cream — a "Like It" size — for $6.25. According to the website, the size I ordered should've given me about 5 ounces of ice cream, an ounce more than what I got at Baskin-Robbins. I asked for it in a cone — which was an additional $1.95 — making the total over $8 for a single scoop, which I thought was pretty expensive. To be fair, though, I could've had two ice cream flavors mixed together and a topping mixed in (the Cold Stone signature) for no extra charge. Cold Stone had several scoop sizes, but minimal cone sizes. Although the big waffle cone had a more premium feel than a basic wafer or sugar cone, it made my small scoop of ice cream look disappointing. It also threw off my cone-to-ice-cream ratio and made the dessert feel imbalanced. Cone aside, the ice cream was incredibly creamy, but it didn't have a very strong chocolate flavor, and I wished it packed a bit more of a punch.  Based on current prices, this ice cream would now cost about $6.95, plus an extra $1.75 for the cone. My vanilla scoop didn't have much candy mixed in. Molly Allen I ordered a small single scoop — or a "Like It" size — of vanilla ice cream for $6.25. As with the cone, the single scoop comes with one free mix-in, and I chose M&M's. Again, I could've mixed two flavors together for no extra charge, but I wanted to keep my order simple. The ice cream was creamy and luscious with a delicious vanilla flavor, but I was surprised that the scoop of M&M's in my cup seemed so small.  The current price for this menu item would be about $6.95. I didn't love the texture of my milkshake from Cold Stone Creamery. Molly Allen I love a good, balanced milkshake — but what I ordered here didn't deliver. I ordered a small ("Like It" size) strawberry milkshake for $7. I declined my one free mix-in and chose to order my milkshake without whipped cream. The 12-ounce milkshake was made incredibly fast — but I was left disappointed. It mostly tasted like plain milk to me, and the texture felt too thin and liquidy. It would now cost about $8.95 to order a small milkshake at a Cold Stone Creamery near me. Ultimately, Baskin-Robbins was my favorite of the two chains. Molly Allen Overall, I definitely see myself returning to Baskin-Robbins. I wouldn't get the chain's vanilla ice cream again, but I appreciated how generous the toppings were on my scoop. I loved the chocolate ice cream and felt the milkshake here was more impressive than the one I got at Cold Stone. Generally, I found that Baskin-Robbins had more affordable options than Cold Stone Creamery — even when calculating cost per ounce and reviewing more up-to-date prices. Cold Stone has an amazing list of flavors and toppings to choose from, and I could see it being a great value for those who want a super customized dessert. After all, the cost of adding toppings or trying several flavors at once can really add up at most other chains. However, I was looking for simpler offerings this time around, and Baskin-Robbins was the clear winner of this taste test for me. This story was originally published on August 27, 2023, and most recently updated on May 29, 2026. Read the original article on Business Insider

I cooked Gordon Ramsay's 15-minute butter-chicken recipe. Terri Peters I tried Gordon Ramsay's butter-chicken recipe, which was supposed to come together in 15 minutes. However, the meal took me about an hour to make and involved a lot of chopping. My whole family loved the delicious, creamy dinner, and I'd definitely make it again. Indian food is my favorite type of cuisine, but taking my family of four out to eat can get pretty expensive. So, like many people trying to save money by cooking at home, I decided to try making one of my favorite meals in my kitchen. Many Indian dishes I saw required lengthy cooking times and long lists of ingredients. So, when I came across Gordon Ramsay's "curry in a hurry" recipe for butter chicken, I knew I had to try it. The YouTube video shows the chef making the dish in under 15 minutes, which sounded pretty convenient. Still, I was skeptical about the tight estimate, and I wasn't alone — the video, which has over 4 million views, is flooded with comments stating the dish took longer to make than promised. Here's how it went when I tried it for myself. I started by marinating the chicken overnight. Terri Peters Ramsay's curry in a hurry has two separate ingredient lists: one for the chicken marinade and another for the curry sauce. I started by cubing and coating about 1 ½ pounds of chicken breast in plain yogurt, olive oil, salt, turmeric, cumin, coriander, garam masala, and black and cayenne pepper. Following the advice in the video, I let the yogurt-based marinade sink into the chicken overnight. Notably, this step wasn't included in the video's 15-minute timeline. After 12 hours, the chicken looked great. Terri Peters I let the chicken marinate for about 12 hours, allowing the spices to really sink in and coat the meat. When I checked on it, I noticed the marinade had turned the meat yellow, and it smelled deliciously like curry. I also think plain yogurt added a tangy note and helped tenderize the meat. When it was time to start cooking, I gathered the rest of the ingredients. Terri Peters When it was time to cook the full dish, I gathered my curry ingredients: olive oil (the original recipe calls for grapeseed oil, but I used what I had at home), red onion, ginger, Fresno chile, butter, cilantro, heavy cream, tomato sauce, and lemon. I also used an assortment of spices, including cardamom pods, cloves, garam masala, turmeric, cumin, and cayenne pepper. One thing to note is that the recipe involved lots of chopping. From cubing the chicken to slicing the onion, ginger, chile pepper, and garlic, chopping the ingredients alone took about 20 minutes. I cooked the chicken and curry ingredients in separate pans. Terri Peters I thought Ramsay's recipe created a bit of a mess. I needed to use two pans — one for cooking the cubed chicken and the other for sautéeing the curry ingredients — and allow plenty of time for cleanup after cooking. I cooked the chicken breast in one pan and sautéed the curry ingredients in the other. The spices made my kitchen smell amazing. Terri Peters Next, I cooked the onions until caramelized and added the cardamom pods, cloves, garlic, ginger, and Fresno chile. Once everything had cooked through, I added butter, followed by cilantro, garam masala, turmeric, cumin, and cayenne pepper. A highlight of making this recipe was how incredible my kitchen smelled from cooking fragrant chile peppers, spices, and garlic. The mixture started to look more like butter chicken when I added tomato sauce. Terri Peters Once the mixture had become paste-like, I added the tomato sauce, heavy cream, and lemon juice. At this point, I noticed my Indian-food-loving family hanging out in the kitchen and trying to get a peek at what I was cooking. Sadly for them, there was more work to be done. Things got messy when I puréed the curry in a blender. Terri Peters If I thought cooking in multiple pans made for a messy kitchen, that was nothing compared to pouring the hot curry mixture into my blender. I successfully dumped the orange-red mixture into the appliance and puréed it into a lump-free curry sauce, though there were a few spills and drips along the way. After straining the curry, it was time to combine the sauce and the chicken. Terri Peters Ramsay suggested pouring the puréed sauce through a strainer when adding it into the pan with the chicken, so I pulled out my trusty sieve and went to work. There weren't many leftover seeds or spices, so, in the future, I may skip this step to save time. Once the sauce was strained, combining the mixture with the cooked chicken was easy. I stirred the mixture and added more butter, cilantro, and lemon zest to finish. I served the butter chicken with naan and rice. Terri Peters I kept things simple with the side dishes I served. I microwaved precooked basmati rice and heated store-bought naan in my air fryer so my family could soak up the delicious curry sauce. If I make this dish again, I'd probably cook my own rice and grab store-bought samosas to serve along with the naan. Even though the process was time-consuming, Ramsay's recipe was delicious. The finished curry in a hurry dish was worth all the effort. Terri Peters When I tasted the finished dish, all the mess was worth it. Ramsay's curry sauce tasted as good as ones I've had at Indian restaurants — and I felt proud knowing I'd made it home. Though Ramsay sped through the cooking process in 15 minutes on camera, it took me about an hour to chop the ingredients, cook everything, blend the curry sauce, and combine the two pans into one dish. That said, I think I could cook this dish more quickly over time as I make it more and commit steps of the recipe to memory. Plus, I can't deny that the end result was beautiful and tasted restaurant-quality. The chicken's flavor was buttery and tomatoey, seasoned perfectly with spices like garam masala and turmeric. My family was thrilled with the dish's creaminess and flavors. Overall, this flavorful recipe can definitely be made a bit faster, and I can't wait to try it again soon. This story was originally published on July 24, 2024, and most recently updated on May 29, 2026. Read the original article on Business Insider

"Emily in Paris" is available to stream on Netflix. Carole Bethuel/Netflix It's a time-honored TV tradition that the best characters are usually side characters. That leaves some main characters that are far less popular. Dan Humphrey, Emily Cooper, and Will Schuester are some of TV's most annoying characters — sorry. Our international nightmare is over: "Emily in Paris" is coming to an end after its forthcoming sixth season, which it's currently filming. It means that Emily Cooper's reign of terror across Europe is no more. Often, a TV show's main character is its moral compass, but that's no fun to watch, so they are also typically messy and mistake-prone. At least that's the case for many of these characters, which we've deemed to be the most annoying main characters in TV history. Meanwhile, anti-heroes and snarky side characters can be morally gray, get all the good one-liners, and make the difficult decisions the heroes can't. The following TV shows all lasted for many seasons, leading to successful and lucrative careers for their stars. However, the actors may never be able to fully escape the fact that they annoyed some viewers. Here are some of the most annoying main characters in TV history. Ted Moseby from "How I Met Your Mother" Josh Radnor as Ted Mosby on "How I Met Your Mother." CBS Even though Ted's annoying qualities were built into his character — and in fact, his friends were constantly making fun of his quirks — it didn't mean it was any easier to watch him constantly make horrible decisions in his love life. Over the course of nine seasons, we watched Ted emotionally terrorize multiple women, secretly pine for his best friend's fiancée, help another woman leave her husband-to-be at the altar, and then wonder why he wasn't finding his happily ever after. Besides that, Ted is a snob, a stickler for grammar, and just a judgmental person. We think "HIMYM" should've just been about Marshall. Elena Gilbert from "The Vampire Diaries" The CW Elena Gilbert ping-ponged between two brothers on "The Vampire Diaries," making her no better than her doppelgänger, Katherine. When Elena meets Stefan and Damon, a pair of vampire brothers, in the first couple of episodes of "The Vampire Diaries," she learns about their shared ex-girlfriend, Katherine. She also learns that Katherine's manipulations of the brothers led to a century-long rift between them. Katherine is also established as one of the show's most formidable antagonists, with almost all of the characters hating her and judging her — and she admits to being a villain. But what did Elena do over the course of the first six seasons of "TVD"? She started by dating Stefan while developing feelings for Damon, and she eventually dumped Stefan to be with Damon. That's not even the annoying part, though. What actually gets us is that Elena is probably one of the most self-righteous main characters in TV history, judging everyone else for making mistakes. Meanwhile, the character whose actions she most closely emulates is Katherine. Make it make sense! Lucas Scott from "One Tree Hill" Chad Michael Murray as Lucas Scott. Warner Bros. Television Distribution Lucas pitted two best friends against each other on "One Tree Hill" in a toxic love triangle. Some advice: If a boy is dating your best friend while simultaneously sharing some of his deepest darkest secrets with you, bonding with you over your shared love of music and art, and brooding about your friendship … run. We wish we could have told Brooke and Peyton this before they jeopardized their lifelong friendship for Lucas Scott's affections in the first six seasons of "OTH." Honestly, Lucas earned a spot on "FBoy Island" with the way he treated women. Ross Geller from "Friends" David Schwimmer as Ross Geller in "Friends." NBC Ross Geller made us laugh, sure, but he also made us groan on "Friends." If all you have to say in response to sleeping with someone else the night you break up with your girlfriend is, "We were on a break," you're annoying. Those are just the rules. Ross easily provided some of the funniest moments throughout the 10 seasons of "Friends," and we'd never get rid of him. But his pretentiousness, "nice guy" vibes, and his sense of entitlement to Rachel, even after they had broken up, remain annoying. Rory Gilmore from "Gilmore Girls" Alexis Bledel as Rory Gilmore in "Gilmore Girls." The WB Rory's lack of growth on "Gilmore Girls" annoyed fans to no end, and her downfall in the Netflix revival of "Gilmore Girls" was the main topic of discussion after the show premiered in 2016, nine years after the original show ended. She still acted like a teenager, was sleeping with an engaged man, and kept forgetting to break up with her perfectly nice boyfriend. But real fans know that Rory has always been annoying. Who can forget when she called her ex-boyfriend Dean "my Dean," even though he was married to someone else? Or when she decided to drop out of Yale and steal a boat and then had the gall to act annoyed when she got sentenced to community service instead of prison? Or when she got mad at one of her fellow students for stealing her study spot under a tree at Yale? The list goes on and on. It's not like Lorelai or Emily are perfect, but we'd much prefer a Rory-lite seven seasons of "Gilmore Girls." Dan Humphrey from "Gossip Girl" Penn Badgley as Dan Humphrey in "Gossip Girl." The CW The finale revealed that Dan was Gossip Girl, making him extremely creepy. But before he was creepy, he was just a grating presence on the Upper East Side. Dan simultaneously hated his upper-crust classmates and was desperate to be one of them. Even though he vocally complained about them, Dan ended up dating Blair and Serena and befriending Nate, three of the wealthiest people at his high school. Plus, his Williamsburg loft was easily worth at least $1 million, and his dad was a former rock star turned gallery owner. You are not poor, Dan! Carrie Bradshaw from "Sex and the City" Sarah Jessica Parker as Carrie Bradshaw in "Sex and the City." HBO There's no shortage of memes about how annoying Carrie Bradshaw is. Once "SATC" was revived as "And Just Like That," the memes started coming, and they didn't stop. An all-time meme format is how each one of the ladies would respond to various situations or disasters — and without fail, Carrie's only response is "Big is moving to Paris." Across "SATC's" six seasons, Carrie proved to be a bad friend, self-involved, a cheater, and sometimes delusional. This continued throughout all three seasons of "AJLT." However, she holds the friend group together and remains iconic, so we'll take her, annoying tendencies and all. Will Schuester from "Glee" Matthew Morrison as Will Schuester in "Glee." Fox When Mr. Schue pops up on TikTok, he comes with a trigger warning. Really. Anytime a "Glee" performance or scene is posted online, the caption or comments warn that the Glee Club's faculty advisor will appear. Between his inappropriate performances with his students, his punishing of Marley for not wanting to wear a bikini during a school performance, his dedication to rapping or singing '80s rock, and his declaration that all the kids in New Directions were "minorities" because they were in the glee club, we can't pick the most annoying thing about Will. Debbie Gallagher from "Shameless" Emma Kenney as Debbie Gallagher in "Shameless." Showtime By design, the Gallagher family is full of anti-heroes. But over the course of 11 seasons, one Gallagher comes to mind as the most annoying, and that's Debbie. Where to start? Most infamously, Debbie traps her boyfriend into getting her pregnant and then feels entitled to her older sister Fiona's support, even though Fiona made it clear she didn't approve of Debbie keeping the baby. But Debbie never seemed to learn from her mistakes, and she didn't have the charm that Fiona, Lip, Ian, or even Carl did. Unfortunately, that lands her at the bottom of our Gallagher rankings. Dawson Leery from "Dawson's Creek" James Van Der Deek as Dawson Leery in "Dawson's Creek." The WB Even though it was "Dawson's Creek," we'd prefer to leave Dawson out of it and focus on Joey, Pacey, and Jen. If you've seen just one episode of "Dawson's Creek," you'll know why people can't stand Dawson. He strung his best friend, Joey, along for years, resented when she found happiness with Pacey, couldn't process any of his feelings outside movie references, and had one of the worst crying faces of all time. It's a wonder that "Dawson's Creek" lasted six seasons without Dawson getting yelled at constantly. James Van Der Beek, who died in 2026, took all the Dawson hate in stride, though, and we'll always love him for that. Emily Cooper from "Emily in Paris" Netflix It is not hyperbole to say that the most ludicrous show on Netflix (and perhaps all of television) is "Emily in Paris." And while we love some of the improbability (the unbelievable fashion, Ashley Park's performance as Mindy, how iconically rude Sylvie is), there is one thing that we'll never get over: how annoying Emily is to watch. Emily has never made a good decision in her life. She constantly emotionally cheats on every partner with her neighbor Gabriel, but refused to date him for multiple seasons due to "girl code" … even though Gabriel's ex Camille is a horrible friend to Emily (don't get us started on her villainy). She never listens to her boss or coworkers, but somehow continues to fail upward. Also, every man she encounters immediately falls in love with her. Will we tune into season six, though? Duh. Read the original article on Business Insider

Meir Orbach / CTech: Sports Illustrated rights holder Minute Media lays off 12% of staff and reverses its ~$200M deal to buy VideoVerse, an AI platform to extract sports highlights  —  The unicorn says restructuring reflects push for efficiency and long-term growth amid changes in the media market …

A young employee held a tray of McDonald's food on May 9, 1986. Trevor James Robert Dallen/Fairfax Media/Getty Images The first McDonald's franchise opened in Des Plaines, Illinois, on April 15, 1955. Chicken nuggets were introduced to the menu in 1983. Motorhead and President Ronald Reagan were photographed eating at McDonald's in the 1980s. By the 1980s, McDonald's had already become a well-established fast-food chain with a well-known menu and distinctive branding. Ray Kroc opened the first McDonald's franchise location in Des Plaines, Illinois, on April 15, 1955. That year, he also founded McDonald's System, Inc., which would become the McDonald's Corporation we know today.  By 1958, McDonald's had sold 100 million burgers, and its restaurants had adopted a signature design style prominently featuring the chain's iconic "golden arches." The 1980s were also a major period of growth for McDonald's. By 1989, systemwide sales had reached $17.3 billion, The Deseret News reported, citing McDonald's. Sales outside the US grew from $900 million in 1979 to $5.3 billion in 1989. Photos show what it was like to eat at McDonald's in the 1980s — while some aspects of eating there have remained the same, some feel iconically '80s. By the 1980s, only a few McDonald's restaurants retained the original restaurant design from the '50s and '60s. McDonald's restaurant in Birmingham, Alabama, in 1980. Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group/Getty Images Architect Stanley Meston designed the original look for McDonald's restaurants, which featured a red-and-white color scheme. When the McDonald brothers first saw the design for their new restaurant, they were concerned that the roof was too flat. Meston recommended adding the now-iconic golden arches to the building's roof to create a more dimensional look. A location in Downey, California, is the oldest still-operating restaurant featuring the original red-and-white design. While some restaurants continued to feature the golden arches, others looked more modern. The exterior of a branch of a McDonald's in London in 1985. Harry Dempster/Daily Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images This London restaurant, pictured in 1985, looks remarkably similar to today's urban McDonald's restaurants.  Some restaurants were built into eye-catching locations, like these colonial-style buildings. McDonald's restaurant is seen from outside where people eat outdoors at picnic tables in August 1985. Steve Liss/Getty Images With its wooden tables and benches, this outdoor courtyard bears little resemblance to most modern McDonald's dining areas. Still, some restaurants remain in historic buildings. This Sydney restaurant featured a large skylight and modern seating. A McDonald's restaurant in Sydney, Australia, circa 1986. Stuart William MacGladrie/Fairfax Media/Getty Images The first McDonald's in Australia opened in 1971, and the number of locations in the country grew significantly throughout the 1980s. The company's 900th location worldwide opened in Sydney in 1986. There are still surprising, unique McDonald's restaurants around. By the 1980s, many of McDonald's iconic menu items had been rolled out. A London McDonald's restaurant in January 1985. Harry Dempster/Daily Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images Before the 1960s, McDonald's menu was relatively simple, featuring staples like burgers, cheeseburgers, fries, and milkshakes. The chain's first major national menu addition was the Filet-O-Fish in 1965. Three years later, McDonald's rolled out the Big Mac nationwide, followed by the Quarter Pounder with Cheese in 1973. The 1970s also saw the introduction of breakfast offerings such as the Egg McMuffin, as well as the debut of the Happy Meal in 1979. Chicken McNuggets were added to menus in 1983. A woman holds a tray of McDonald's food circa 1988. Steve Kagan/Getty Images Development of Chicken McNuggets began in the late 1970s, and the item was added to US menus in 1983 before expanding internationally the following year. Initially, McNuggets were sold in pieces of six, nine, and 20, and came with a choice of four dipping sauces: honey, sweet-and-sour, hot mustard, and barbecue. They were an immediate hit. USA Today reported that many customers in the 1980s were looking to reduce their fat intake and were shaking up their diets by introducing more lean protein and poultry. Employees wore striped bowling-style shirts and hats. An employee puts orders onto a conveyer belt which delivers food to the drive-in section of the McDonalds restaurant in 1984. Alan Gilbert Purcell/Fairfax Media/Getty Images Today, employees often wear T-shirts that reflect the chain's current promotions. Celebrities like British metal band Motorhead were spotted taking photos at McDonald's. British metal band Motorhead at a McDonald's restaurant in Chicago, Illinois, August 5, 1983. Paul Natkin/Getty Images For McDonald's customers in the 1980s, the restaurant was a symbol of America, a theme that translated into the chain's advertising campaigns.  In honor of the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, McDonald's introduced the slogan "If the US wins, you win." With every purchase, McDonald's customers received a scratch-off ticket that revealed a certain sporting category. The New York Times reported that if a US Olympian won gold in that category, they could exchange the ticket for a free Big Mac. A silver earned you free french fries, and a bronze medal won customers a free Coke. Even President Ronald Reagan was photographed chowing down on a McDonald's burger. President Ronald Reagan takes a bite of a Big Mac, as Charles Patterson chats with him during a brief campaign stop in 1984. Bettmann/Getty Images The Tuscaloosa News reported that customers were caught off guard when Reagan made an unplanned stop at an Alabama McDonald's restaurant in 1984. "The President of the United States ordered a Big Mac, a large order of fries, and sweet tea, proffered a $20 bill from his right front pant pocket, got his $17.54 in change, and looked around for a place to enjoy his meal," a reporter on the scene later wrote in 2006.  When asked about the last time he had eaten at McDonald's, Reagan replied that it was before he "got this job." "But I kind of miss it sometimes," he continued. "I figured as long as I had the opportunity, I might as well take advantage of it and stop." Read the original article on Business Insider

The US Secret Service protects presidents and their families. SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images First families get their Secret Service code names at the very beginning of a presidential campaign. Presidents get to choose from a list provided by the White House Communications Agency. The code names are for security purposes, but they often get leaked or are overheard at events. Secret Service code names are among the worst-kept secrets in Washington. Though they're intended for internal use, the monikers agents use to communicate about the first family's security quickly become public through government filings, leaks to news outlets, or when agents are overheard at public events. Since new technology has enabled security agents to monitor officials in various ways, the names aren't as top-secret anymore. The White House Communications Agency assigns each member of the first family a code name for Secret Service agents to use during their time in the White House. These names come from a list of agency-approved choices that either the president chooses from or agents pick. Other members of the family are then assigned names that share the same first letter. Sometimes, it's the same letter as the family's last name, but not always. Here are the Secret Service code names used by the past 12 presidents and first ladies. President John F. Kennedy: Lancer APRIL 1961: President John F. Kennedy sitting in his White House office. Paul Schutzer/The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images Kennedy's code name harkens back to Lancelot, one of King Arthur's heroic Knights of the Round Table. After his death, Jacqueline Kennedy popularized the moniker "Camelot" in reference to his presidency. First lady Jacqueline Kennedy: Lace First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy showing off James Monroe era candelabrum in White House. Ed Clark/The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images Jacqueline Kennedy's code name was fitting for her image as one of the most elegant residents of the White House. The fashionable first lady wore lace for her high-profile wedding and during events, such as a widely covered state visit to France. President Lyndon B. Johnson: Volunteer President Lyndon B. Johnson. Bettmann Archive/Getty Images Johnson kept the same Secret Service code name that he used as Kennedy's vice president. First lady Lady Bird Johnson: Victoria Lady Bird Johnson. Bettmann Archive/Getty Images Lady Bird Johnson was a woman of many names. Her birth name was Claudia Alta Taylor, but a nursemaid nicknamed her Lady Bird, according to the White House Historical Association. To the Secret Service, she was known as Victoria. President Richard Nixon: Searchlight President Richard M. Nixon, is shown at his desk in the White House in this Feb. 16, 1969, file photo. AP Nixon's given code name adds an ironic tinge to his legacy in the context of the night raid that set off the Watergate scandal and led to his resignation.  First lady Pat Nixon: Starlight Vogue, October 15, 1972 - Portrait of Pat Nixon (nee Thelma Catherine Patricia Ryan) First Lady of the United States and wife of President Richard Milhous Nixon, standing in the yellow Oval Room of the White House next to a yellow curtain held back by large tassels. She wears a white dress with long sleeves, a standing collar, and a tie belted waist. Horst P. Horst/Conde Nast via Getty Images Pat Nixon chose the code name "Starlight," corresponding to her husband's choice of "Searchlight." President Gerald Ford: Passkey President Gerald Ford. Bettmann/Getty Images Ford used the same Secret Service code name when he served as vice president under Nixon. First lady Betty Ford: Pinafore Betty Ford. Bettmann Archive/Getty Images A pinafore is a type of women's dress, but Betty Ford famously wore pants while dancing on top of the Cabinet Room table on her last day as first lady in 1977. President Jimmy Carter: Deacon U.S. president Jimmy Carter smiling at a podium in front of an American flag, 1970s. ( Hulton Archive/Getty Images Jimmy Carter's open devotion to his Christian faith made "Deacon" a fitting code name. After his retirement from politics, Carter taught Sunday school at a church in his Georgia hometown for over 40 years. First lady Rosalynn Carter: Dancer US First Lady Rosalynn Carter climbs the steps to her plane during a trip, Texas, September 1978. Diana Walker/Getty Images Rosalynn Carter also used the code name "Lotus Petal." President Ronald Reagan: Rawhide In this May 24, 1985 file photo, President Ronald Reagan works at his desk in the Oval Office of the White House as he prepares a speech on tax revision in Washington. Scott Stewart, file via AP The former actor had appeared as a cowboy on-screen, but Reagan's passion for all things Western also shaped his image as president. First lady Nancy Reagan: Rainbow First lady Nancy Reagan. Dirck Halstead/Getty Images The code name "Rainbow" was a nod to Nancy Reagan's affinity for wearing bright colors. President George H.W. Bush: Timberwolf President George H.W. Bush. Diana Walker/Getty Images Some of Bush's Secret Service agents served as pallbearers at his funeral in 2018, AP reported. First lady Barbara Bush: Tranquility Barbara Bush, wife of American President George Bush, at the 1992 Republican National Convention. Arnold Sachs/Keystone/CNP/Getty Images After her death, former Secret Service agent Jonathan Wackrow wrote for CNN that her code name "exemplified her demeanor and its calming, humanizing and gentle effect on those around her." President Bill Clinton: Eagle Pres. Bill Clinton making phone call to former Pres. Jimmy Carter (re situation in Haiti) fr. WH Oval Office on September 18, 1994. Time Life Pictures/White House/The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images Though he never reached the rank of Eagle during his time as a Boy Scout, Clinton was given the patriotic code name. First lady Hillary Clinton: Evergreen First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton poised outside. Terry Ashe/The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images Hillary Clinton's code name while running for president as the Democratic nominee in 2016 was the same one she used as first lady. President George W. Bush: Trailblazer President George W. Bush Doug Mills/AP Bush originally used the code name "Tumbler" when his father was president, and he was under Secret Service protection as the child of the commander in chief. It was changed to "Trailblazer" when he became president himself. First lady Laura Bush: Tempo First lady Laura Bush. Brooks Kraft/Corbis via Getty Images The Bushes' twin daughters, Barbara and Jenna, went by the code names "Turquoise" and Twinkle." President Barack Obama: Renegade President Barack Obama waves as he exits The White House before boarding Marine One on November 6, 2016 in Washington, DC. Zach Gibson/Getty Images Though the name matched the bold optimism of Obama's campaign, the president reportedly just chose his favorite from an approved list of proposed words that started with the letter "r." First lady Michelle Obama: Renaissance US First Lady Michelle Obama speaks during a campaign rally for Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, on October 27, 2016. Michelle Obama, surprise star of the 2016 White House campaign, hit the trail Thursday with Democrat Hillary Clinton as the former and current first ladies fight to conquer battleground states before Election Day. JEWEL SAMAD/AFP via Getty Images The Obamas' daughters, Malia and Sasha, were known as "Radiance" and "Rosebud." President Joe Biden: Celtic SCRANTON, PENNSYLVANIA - APRIL 16: U.S. President Joe Biden smiles as he gives his remarks during a campaign event for re-election on April 16, 2024 in Scranton, Pennsylvania. President Biden, who grew up in Scranton, will be in Pennsylvania for three straight days of election campaigning. Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/Getty Images Biden's Secret Service code name served as a tribute to his Irish Catholic heritage. He also used the code name "Celtic" as vice president. First lady Jill Biden: Capri First lady Jill Biden. Grant Baldwin/Getty Images Jill Biden also kept her Secret Service code name from her time as second lady. President Donald Trump: Mogul President Donald Trump speaks with the media after stepping off Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House, Sunday, March 24, 2019, Alex Brandon/AP Though he said in a 2015 candidate debate that he would choose the name "Humble" for himself, the one he was ultimately assigned was likely inspired by decades spent in a real-estate dynasty handed down from his father. Trump has used the same code name during both of his terms in the White House. First lady Melania Trump: Muse First lady Melania Trump participates in calls to US service members, on Christmas Eve, from the Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, December 24, 2025. ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images) The first lady's code name likely refers to her career in front of the camera as a model in New York City before she met her husband. The name of Melania Trump's production company, Muse Films, is a nod to her Secret Service code name. Muse Films released the documentary "MELANIA," chronicling the lead-up to Trump's 2025 inauguration, in January. Read the original article on Business Insider

A book about how AI shapes perceptions of reality came under fire for using AI-generated quotes. Its problems go beyond that.

Most RAG systems are optimized for answer quality, not cost—and that blind spot gets expensive fast. In this article, I break down a production-ready cost control layer combining semantic caching, query routing, token budgeting, and circuit breaking, achieving an 85% reduction in LLM costs without sacrificing answer quality. The post RAG Is Burning Money — I Built a Cost Control Layer to Fix It appeared first on Towards Data Science.

OpenAI’s latest governance frameworks offer enterprise leaders a structured blueprint for scaling safe and compliant AI deployments globally. The adoption of large language models has steadily progressed towards requiring sustainable, commercial-grade architecture. OpenAI has released its Frontier Governance Framework (FGF), documenting how the organisation addresses systemic risk assessment and mitigation. The framework maps directly to […] The post Scaling safe enterprise AI with OpenAI governance frameworks appeared first on AI News.

The latest twist in paying humans to wear head cameras for robot training data.

This week, we discuss going deeper and Google's search changes.

Until recently, a driver had maybe a six in ten chance of finishing a race.

As AI models grow in complexity and regulatory scrutiny intensifies under frameworks including  California’s AB-2013 and the EU AI Act, software teams... As AI models grow in complexity and regulatory scrutiny intensifies under frameworks including California’s AB-2013 and the EU AI Act, software teams face a challenge beyond delivering great code: They need to produce comprehensive, auditable model documentation before the models are released. Model cards describe how a model works, its intended use and license, training data, performance… Source