The retracted study on ChatGPT in education was already cited hundreds of times.

In retail, margin pressure is structural. The companies pulling ahead make faster,...

Apollo President James Zelter spoke at Monday's Milken Conference in Los Angeles. APFIS Capital needs of AI and infrastructure are so great that Wall Street giants are fighting less. James Zelter, Apollo's president, said it isn't as "brutal" to compete for deals. PE giants, including Blackstone, came together to form a joint venture with AI darling Anthropic on Monday. Everyone plays nicer on the conference stage than in the boardroom, but it was a remarkably chummy start to the Milken conference in Los Angeles on Monday. The reason, according to those onstage, is that elbows don't have to be nearly as sharp when the investment needed to see the AI boom through is so massive. The funding of artificial intelligence and the broader infrastructure to support the technology, including data centers, energy grid improvements, and more, has become the story of capital markets since OpenAI's public release of its chatbot in late 2022. Now, as James Zelter, the president of Apollo, said, "We all do a tremendous amount of work with each other," talking about both his fellow panelists, including Blackstone's Jon Gray, as well as the audience full of private-market investors. Compared to the financial crisis, when "we were all very brutal competitors," Zelter said the current "big ocean" of opportunities is ripe for partnerships, and capital is in high demand. Investment-grade debt markets have been flooded with new issuances, he said, proving strong companies need capital. Monday morning kicked off with the announcement of a $1.5 billion joint venture between Blackstone, Hellman & Friedman, and Anthropic, along with other investors, including Goldman Sachs. Any pessimism around private credit, how AI could disrupt the workforce, or the US economy in light of the Iran conflict was nowhere to be found on the panel, which also included Franklin Templeton CEO Jenny Johnson, BNY CEO Robin Vince, and Waleed Al Mokarrab Al Muhairi, the deputy CEO of the $375 billion Emirati sovereign wealth fund, Mudabala. "We're still probably the best dirty shirt in the laundry," Johnson said about investing in the US. Mudabala has 44% of its portfolio in the country, and Gray believes there'll be an explosion of blue-collar job growth in the coming years. "You have to be quite negative if you don't think it'll be a tailwind," Vince said about the amount of capital pledged and raised by companies to invest in their businesses. And for investment managers, the current pressure from retail investors, institutions, and insurers alike is inconsequential if they can eventually generate returns. "If we deliver that premium, it's a good trade," Gray said. "This still has a long way to go." Read the original article on Business Insider

Princess Diana attended her first and only Met Gala in December 1996. Richard Corkery/NY Daily News via Getty Images Princess Diana made her only Met Gala appearance in 1996, shortly after divorcing then-Prince Charles. She wore a lingerie-inspired silk dress designed by John Galliano. Galliano said Princess Diana tore the corset out of the dress without telling him. The first Monday in May is the perfect time to look back at Met Gala history. Before stars like Beyoncé and Rihanna stole the spotlight on the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, it was Princess Diana making a splash on fashion's biggest night. The only Met Gala that the people's princess attended was in 1996, for a show that paid tribute to Christian Dior. Fresh off her highly-publicized divorce from then-Prince Charles, Diana collaborated with John Galliano — who had just become Dior's head designer — for her Met Gala debut. Princess Diana wore a lingerie-inspired dress designed by John Galliano. Patrick McMullan/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images Diana's navy-blue, lingerie-inspired slip dress featured black lace spaghetti straps that matched the trim of the sweetheart neckline. She accessorized the slinky ensemble with a matching robe, as well as a sapphire choker necklace and earrings that matched her iconic engagement ring. In the 2024 Hulu docuseries "In Vogue: The 90s," Galliano revealed that he tried to convince Diana to wear pink to the Met Gala. "We went to Kensington Palace and discussed drawings. I was trying to push for pink, but she was not having it. 'No, not the pink!' That was real, real fun," he recalled. Galliano's dress originally had a corset, but he said Diana removed it without letting him know before she arrived at the Met Gala. "Fast-forward to the event, and I just remember her getting out of the car," Galliano said. "I couldn't believe it. She'd ripped the corset out." Diana paired the dress with sapphire earrings and a sapphire choker necklace. Anwar Hussein/Getty Images "She felt so liberated. She'd torn the corset out. The dress was much more… sensuous," he added. Eloise Moran, author of "The Lady Di Look Book: What Diana Was Trying To Tell Us Through Her Clothes," told Yahoo during a 2021 interview that Diana's Met Gala ensemble was a "revenge" look following her divorce from Charles. "That was one of her most shocking dresses," Moran said. "But I thought she looked fabulous. She just looks so happy and confident." "I think she was embracing it and enjoying it," the author added. "She knew she could never get rid of the attention and the spotlight on her, but I think she was positioning it in a different way, as a kind of international megastar, Marilyn Monroe-type icon rather than a member of the royal family. And I think the dress really reflected that." Diana was worried her dress would embarrass Princess William, who was 14 at the time. Richard Corkery/NY Daily News via Getty Images Diana did have some reservations about the dress. Royal biographer Katie Nicholl, who wrote "William and Harry," revealed that the princess was worried it might embarrass her eldest son, Prince William, who was 14 years old at the time. Now the dress is part of fashion history, even going on display at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. And, without a doubt, it's one of the best Met Gala looks of all time. Read the original article on Business Insider

Pope Leo XIV arrives for his weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican on April 29, 2026. AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino When he was elected pope on May 8, 2025, Robert Prevost, who took the name Leo XIV, greeted the crowd with Christ’s words to his disciples: “Peace be with you.” Peace has become a central theme of the pontificate of the first American pope. In recent months, opposing the war in the Middle East, Leo has said that the “world is being ravaged by a handful of tyrants.” He led a “Prayer Vigil for Peace” on April 11, 2026, in which he criticized how the name of God has been used to justify war and death. He has also said that “military action will not create space for freedom” because true freedom can come only from patient dialogue. Prayer vigil for peace. Combined with his calls for peace is Leo’s equally outspoken emphasis on human dignity. In an age where power is concentrated in the hands of a few, the pope has urged Christians to make a “radical choice in favor of the weakest.” Technological advances, especially the rise of artificial intelligence, also endanger human dignity by threatening to override “human creativity, imagination and intellect,” he has cautioned. In my view as a scholar of global Catholicism, the themes of peace and human dignity are crucial for understanding Leo’s first year as the 267th leader of the Catholic Church. Calls for peace During his speech for the 59th World Day of Peace, on Jan. 1, 2026, Leo echoed remarks he made after his election by saying the world should look to Jesus Christ as “our peace.” He called for “unarmed and disarming peace, humble and persevering,” contrasting peace built on military strength versus peace built on love. In advocating for peace, Leo is echoing his predecessors. Pope Francis invited Presidents Shimon Peres of Israel and Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian National Authority to pray for peace in 2014. Benedict XVI condemned “the useless slaughter of war” when recalling Benedict XV’s condemnation of World War I nearly 100 years earlier. Pope John Paul II also argued that war should be “part of humanity’s tragic past” when he visited Coventry, England, which had been devastated during World War II. Leo has specifically criticized war in Gaza by rejecting the “collective punishment” and “forced displacement” inflicted on Palestinians after Hamas’ attacks on Israelis on Oct. 7, 2023. Although he is repeating condemnations of war made by other popes, Leo has been drawn into an unprecedented conflict with a U.S. president. In criticizing the U.S. and Israel’s war with Iran, the pope has condemned the loss of life and the failure of negotiations. In response, President Donald Trump has called the pope “terrible for Foreign Policy.” For his part, Leo has said that he does not look at policy through “the same perspective” as the U.S. president and his words should not be interpreted as a personal attack. The Catholic Church does have a tradition of “just war theory,” which argues that war can be waged ethically. Vice President JD Vance has stated that the pope is ignoring this tradition. After World War II, however, the Catholic Church has stated its opposition to war clearly and consistently, since modern warfare is so destructive. Affirming human dignity In response to ongoing violence between and within nations of the world, Leo has called for dialogue and respect for humanitarian law. His emphasis on human rights affirms the God-given dignity of all people, especially those whom society has cast aside. Pope Leo visits Bata Prison in Equatorial Guinea on April 22, 2026, emphasizing that incarceration should not strip individuals of their humanity. AP Photo/Andrew Medichini Human dignity has been an important theme among the popes who have come before Leo. John Paul II spoke about the dignity of the unborn and the elderly in his 1995 encyclical The Gospel of Life. Benedict XVI emphasized how each and every human being has dignity because they are made in the image of God. Francis called attention to “throwaway culture” that ignores the poor. Leo has reiterated all these themes in various contexts. Overall, however, Leo is most clearly following the teachings of Francis on human dignity and applying them more specifically to ongoing international crises. He has spoken about the challenges to human rights and dignity in conflicts in many areas of the world: Ukraine, Venezuela, the Great Lakes region of Africa, the Caribbean Sea and Myanmar. As a missionary, teacher and bishop for over two decades in Peru, Leo’s perspective is shaped by his understanding of issues facing the Global South and how they relate to larger political and economic dynamics. During his yearlong papacy he has given sustained attention to the challenges faced by migrants and the poor. Following his trip to Africa in April 2026, he stated that migrants and refugees are “treated worse than … house pets or animals.” His focus on migration is also reflected in his appointment of Evelio Menjivar-Ayala – a former undocumented migrant – as bishop of the diocese of Wheeling-Charleston, West Virginia. In his Oct. 4, 2025, apostolic exhortation Dilexi Te – “I Have Loved You” – Leo says that “in every rejected migrant, it is Christ who knocks at the door of the community.” Using the words of Francis, Leo describes the Catholic Church’s mission to migrants as “welcome, protect, promote and integrate.” Dilexi Te’s main focus is the conditions facing the poor. In criticizing the pursuit of wealth at “all costs,” Leo argues for a cultural change that removes the social and economic aspects of poverty. In making this argument, Leo identifies Jesus as the “Poor Messiah” who has a special love for those rejected by the world. The poor have dignity, the pope observes, precisely because they show society the face of Jesus. The challenge of technology An emerging concern for Leo is how advances in artificial intelligence also relate to peace and human dignity. The pope has said that he is not against technological progress that aids human development. But, at the same time, he argues that society should be aware how technology can diminish human responsibility and true intimacy between people. For example, Leo has observed how social media algorithms create “bubbles of easy consensus and easy indignation” that prevent authentic dialogue. For Leo, the struggle for peace and human dignity is not just a matter of war or economic systems. It is also shaped by the way people lead their everyday lives along with increasingly powerful technology. Mathew Schmalz does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

Sabrina Carpenter at the 2025 Met Gala. Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images The Met Gala is an annual fundraiser for the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It features a glamorous, star-studded red carpet where celebrities showcase high fashion. Stars like Kim Kardashian, Blake Lively, and Zendaya are regulars. Ah, the Met Gala — one of the biggest star-studded events of the year. Unless you're an A-list celebrity or high-profile designer, chances are you'll never know what it's like to attend the "Oscars of the East." Thankfully, though, enough attendees have spoken about the event that we have a glimpse of what it would be like to actually get into this storied ball. From pricey tables to celebrity interactions, here's what it's like inside the Met Gala. What is the Met Gala? The Met Gala serves a purpose — to raise money for the Costume Institute at New York City's Metropolitan Museum of Art. Also known as the Costume Institute Benefit, the Met Gala has become a high-fashion arena for designers and celebrities. It's hosted by the chairwoman of the gala, Vogue's former editor in chief and current global editorial director, Anna Wintour, with famous faces co-chairing the event. The 2026 Met Gala co-chairs include Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman, and Venus Williams. Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos, sponsors of this year's event, will also serve as honorary co-chairs. Previous Met Gala co-chairs have included Jennifer Lopez, Zendaya, Bad Bunny, and ASAP Rocky. Though the gala has existed since 1948, Wintour took over as chairwoman in 1995, and since then, it has transformed from a philanthropic event into the "Oscars of the East." Anna Wintour has hosted the Met Gala since 1995. Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images The Met Gala takes place every year on the first Monday in May (obviously the inspiration behind the title of the documentary, "The First Monday in May," about the event). The 2026 Met Gala will be held on May 4, celebrating this year's theme, "Costume Art." The adjacent dress code, "Fashion Is Art," encourages "attendees to consider the many ways that designers use the body as their blank canvas," according to Vogue. What do celebrities do inside the Met Gala? In addition to a red-carpet spectacle, guests can expect a cocktail hour and formal dinner inside the Met Gala. Guests arrive at the bottom of the Met's famous staircase and walk up the red carpet. The tent is filled with flashing bulbs and screams from pedestrians cramming in to try to glimpse the stars and their dresses. Celebrities go all out for their Met Gala outfits. In 2024, Tyla wore a dress made of sand and carried an hourglass, representing the "sands of time." Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images Between 600 and 700 people attend the event, including A-list stars, designers, and employees from Vogue, the Met, the Costume Institute, and some brand sponsors. The guests are led inside and around the museum, typically through the Costume Institute's coming exhibit. They are also allowed to mingle for a cocktail hour. They're then privy to exclusive performances and state-of-the-art dinners. Though the decor and setting change yearly, the Met Museum's Temple of Dendur room has become a recent favorite. Lizzo graced a stage set in 2023, performing classical flute pieces and singing her own tracks. In 2024, Cynthia Erivo joined Ariana Grande to perform covers and hits like "Into You." But one of the best parts about attending the Met Gala is the celebrity interactions that wouldn't take place anywhere else. Olivia Rodrigo chatted with Kendall Jenner while Jon Batiste and Cynthia Erivo danced together in 2022. And in 2023, Anne Hathaway looked shocked to discover that Jared Leto was beneath the costume of Karl Lagerfeld's cat, Choupette, creating one of the best Met Gala moments seen on the event's red carpet. You're also likely to see new romances forming — Swifties credit the Met Gala with linking Taylor Swift and her former boyfriend Joe Alwyn in 2016. Wintour also helped fuel rumors that she was dating actor Bill Nighy when they walked the carpet together in 2023. However, his rep later said they were only "great friends." Can anyone go to the Met Gala, including non-celebrities? Sorry, if you're not an "it" actor, celebrity, musician, sports superstar, or designer, you'll have to shell out big time. The cost to attend the Met Gala can range from $100,000 for a single ticket to $350,000 for a table. Sometimes designers can get a table discount based on a brand's size and relationship with Vogue. That money goes to the Costume Institute. Oh, and just in case you thought you could save for it, Wintour is said to have a say over every invitation. How do celebs get invited to the Met Gala? The Met Gala's invitation process is fairly mysterious. Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images While it's unclear exactly how celebrities are chosen to attend the Met Gala, they are often in the midst of major career moments and/or recent fashion campaigns with brands that have a table at the event. The invites are as classy as the event itself. Obviously, Wintour wouldn't settle for a generic e-vite, so guests receive gorgeous invitations featuring the Met Gala's theme for the year, often with an artistic flair, such as a Richard Avedon photograph or a Man Ray painting. There was never an age restriction at the Met Gala until 2018, when it was deemed "not an appropriate event for people under 18." This means young Hollywood faces like Nell Fisher and Iain Armitage aren't eligible to attend. However, there is an exception to the rule. Guests under 18 may attend if their parents chaperone them.  Do celebrities pay for their outfits? If you do get to attend the Met Gala, you must dress to the nines. Guests go all out with their attire. Since the Met Gala is associated with a museum show, guests typically dress thematically — sometimes the show will honor a designer, as was the case with 2023's theme honoring Karl Lagerfeld, or perhaps it will have a broader directive, such as "Manus x Machina" or "Model as Muse." The 2025 dress code was "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style," which celebrated Black dandyism. Designers typically court celebrities to wear their custom looks, from dramatic and daring dresses to accessories. Sometimes, it backfires — think Madonna's risqué Givenchy look in 2016 — but more often, it wows, like Rihanna's robe designed by Chinese couture designer Guo Pei in 2015. On occasion, attendees purchase their outfits, as Zendaya did in 2024 with her historical Givenchy piece. Rihanna stunned on the red carpet in 2015, wearing a robe designed by Guo Pei in honor of the Met Gala's theme: "China: Through the Looking Glass." Charles Sykes/Invision/AP If you dislike any Met Gala look, you might have Wintour to blame. Journalist Amy Odell, who has written a biography on the former Vogue editor in chief, said all outfits are pre-approved by Wintour before celebrities step onto the red carpet. It's unclear what happens to Met Gala outfits after the event. It's rumored that most garments are returned to designers, but it's likely a case-by-case scenario. The most valuable Met Gala outfits throughout history are also a mystery. However, Dua Lipa wore $10 million in jewelry in 2023, and the Marilyn Monroe piece Kim Kardashian wore in 2022 has been described as "the most expensive dress in the world." Why is the Met Gala controversial? The 2023 Met Gala's Karl Lagerfeld theme received criticism, given some of the views Lagerfeld expressed throughout his lifetime. Mike Coppola/Getty Images Some celebrities dislike the Met Gala. Gwyneth Paltrow famously said she had no fun. "I'm never going again. It was so un-fun. It was boiling. It was too crowded. I did not enjoy it at all," the Goop maven said. Amy Schumer similarly hated the event, calling it a "farce" to Howard Stern and saying the entire event was like a "punishment."  Demi Lovato said one star treated her so terribly that she felt like drinking alcohol, so she left early to go to an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting.  And then there was Lena Dunham, who drew intense backlash after criticizing not only the Met Gala but Odell Beckham Jr., the famous wide receiver she was seated next to. Some Met Gala themes have also faced scrutiny. Many took issue with the Karl Lagerfeld theme in 2023, as the late designer often expressed offensive views throughout his life, like criticizing women with curves and saying he was "less keen" on same-sex couples adopting children. Who is barred from the Met Gala? Much like the secretive approach to Met Gala invites, who isn't allowed at the annual event is also unclear. Tim Gunn said he was once disinvited, and "Riverdale" star Lili Reinhart said in 2022 that she doesn't believe she'll be allowed back after criticizing Kim Kardashian's extensive efforts to fit into small clothing for the event. The only person Wintour has confirmed to be excluded from future fundraising festivities is President Donald Trump, though he has attended in the past, as have his family members. Celebrities, including Meryl Streep, Ryan Gosling, and Adele, have surprisingly never attended the Met Gala, though it's not because they've been barred. Fans are just patiently waiting for them to make their first appearances. Michelle Mark contributed to an earlier version of this post. Read the original article on Business Insider

Days after the disclosure of a critical vulnerability in popular web hosting software cPanel and WHM, hackers are now targeting and hacking thousands of vulnerable websites.

AI agents are now being weaponized through prompt injection, exposing why model guardrails are not enough to protect enterprise data. The post Indirect Prompt Injection Is Now a Real-World AI Security Threat appeared first on TechRepublic.

The initiative, called Coalition Edge, brings together companies focused on analytics, cloud infrastructure and connectivity The post Tech firms partner up to push intelligence processing closer to the battlefield appeared first on SpaceNews.

Amid falling revenue and store closures, GameStop wants to buy the much larger eBay.

“What educators, parents and policy officials really needed was high quality data and evidence to help guide them. What they have had to deal with instead is some substandard research.”

<p><strong>Research:</strong> <a href="https://github.com/simonw/research/tree/main/tre-python-binding#readme">TRE Python binding — ReDoS robustness demo</a></p> <p>If it's <a href="https://simonwillison.net/2026/May/4/redis-array/">good enough for antirez</a> to add to Redis I figured Ville Laurikari's <a href="https://github.com/laurikari/tre/">TRE</a> regular expression engine was worth exploring in a little more detail.</p> <p>I had Claude Code build an experimental Python binding (it used <code>ctypes</code>) and try some malicious regular expression attacks against the library. TRE handles those much better than Python's standard library implementation, thanks mainly to the lack of support for backtracking.</p> <p>Tags: <a href="https://simonwillison.net/tags/security">security</a>, <a href="https://simonwillison.net/tags/python">python</a>, <a href="https://simonwillison.net/tags/regular-expressions">regular-expressions</a>, <a href="https://simonwillison.net/tags/c">c</a>, <a href="https://simonwillison.net/tags/ctypes">ctypes</a></p>

2026's Formula 1 championship now looks far from a foregone thing.

Building a knowledge base for AI models isn’t a one-time task but an iterative process of refinement. The post How to Build an Efficient Knowledge Base for AI Models appeared first on Towards Data Science.

Burger King dropped a new Star Wars-themed menu on May 4. Erin McDowell/Business Insider Burger King dropped a new menu to celebrate the upcoming release of "Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu." The menu features a new Whopper, milkshake, chicken fries, ranch cheddar tots, and a dipping sauce. I tried every item in the new Bounty Bundle and ranked them from worst to best. Burger King dropped a new "Star Wars"-themed lineup on May 4, and at least one item deserves a permanent spot on the menu. Burger King has a long track record of themed collaborations, from "SpongeBob SquarePants" to "How to Train Your Dragon." Its latest is a limited-time menu tied to "Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu" (in theaters May 22), featuring a reimagined Whopper, two new sides, a dipping sauce, and a milkshake. When I was invited to Burger King's Miami headquarters to get an early taste of its new "Star Wars"-themed menu before the official launch, I was curious whether the food could stand on its own, or if the experience was mostly about the themed packaging and hype. I tried everything in the new Bounty Bundle, and was pleasantly surprised that the menu delivers more than just eye-catching packaging — it actually brings bold, satisfying flavors that hold their own. Here's every "Mandalorian"-themed menu item ranked from worst to best. Burger King launched a new menu inspired by "The Mandalorian and Grogu" on May 4. Erin McDowell/Business Insider The limited-time menu features a new version of the Whopper, new chicken fries, cheddar ranch tots, a new garlic dipping sauce, and a new cookie-flavored milkshake. It was released at participating restaurants across the US on May 4, which is also recognized as Star Wars Day (thanks to the pun "May the Fourth be with you," a play on "May the Force be with you"). The Bounty Bundle, which includes all five items and a collector's cup, retails for $19.99 at my local Burger King in Brooklyn, New York, though prices vary by location. Grogu's Blue Cookie Shake was my least favorite of the new menu items. Erin McDowell/Business Insider Made from soft serve blended with blue sugar cookie syrup and topped with crumbled blue cookies, the shake was an immediate sugar bomb for the senses. It tasted like a classic sugar cookie, and I liked the textural contrast between the creamy ice cream and the crumbled cookies layered on top of the shake. Grogu's Blue Cookie Shake costs $4.99, excluding tax, at my local Burger King when not included in the bundle. I simply don't have much of a sweet tooth, so I preferred the more savory items on this menu. Erin McDowell/Business Insider However, if you're craving a sweet treat with a hint of nostalgia, this shake might do the trick. Next in my ranking were the new garlic chicken fries. Erin McDowell/Business Insider While chicken fries have been a mainstay on the Burger King menu since 2015, this version features a new seasoning made with Parmesan cheese and garlic, served in a Grogu-themed carton and with a new garlic-flavored dipping sauce. Grogu's Garlic Chicken Fries cost $4.99, excluding tax, at my local Burger King when not included in the bundle. The chicken fries were crispy and flavorful, but didn't taste that different from regular chicken fries. Erin McDowell/Business Insider The chicken fries were crispy on the outside and juicy inside, with a solid, well-seasoned flavor. That said, they didn't stand out much from Burger King's regular chicken fries — the garlic and Parmesan seasoning added a slight boost, but not enough to make them feel entirely new. The flavor really kicked up a notch with my next-favorite item: the new garlic dipping sauce. Erin McDowell/Business Insider It was rich, creamy, and packed with a bold garlic punch that added way more depth than I expected, elevating the chicken fries and making each bite feel more indulgent and memorable. The dipping sauce comes with every order of Grogu's Garlic Chicken Fries. I liked this new dipping sauce so much that I found myself wishing it were a permanent menu item. Erin McDowell/Business Insider It added a bold, garlicky richness that worked with everything I tried, from the chicken fries to the new tots, and it felt like the kind of upgrade that could easily stand on its own beyond the limited-time theme. That was something I noticed across the board with this menu: While the "Star Wars" theme might come off as a bit gimmicky at first, each item actually felt thoughtfully upgraded. The flavors stood on their own, making the menu enjoyable whether you're a die-hard fan or couldn't care less about the franchise. Up next were the Imperial Cheddar Ranch Tots. Erin McDowell/Business Insider These perfectly fried balls of fried cheddar cheese and potatoes were tossed in ranch seasoning and served in a themed carton. They cost $2.99 when not included in the bundle. These tots were packed with flavor and unlike anything I've ever had at Burger King. Erin McDowell/Business Insider Slightly similar to the cheesy bacon tots included in the chain's "SpongeBob SquarePants" meal collaboration in December, these tots were crispy on the outside yet soft and cheesy on the inside. I would definitely order these again as part of the meal, or as a snack — and for less than $3, I thought they were a great value. The most exciting — and my personal favorite — item on the menu was a new version of the classic Whopper. Erin McDowell/Business Insider The new Whopper came served in a new, "Star Wars" branded clamshell box, a pleasantly surprising addition to the menu since Burger King updated its signature burger in February. The BBQ Bounty Whopper costs $8.59, excluding tax, at my local Burger King. The BBQ Bounty Whopper came topped with Swiss cheese, crispy pickle chips, bacon, lettuce, tomato, and a creamy barbecue sauce. Erin McDowell/Business Insider The new barbecue burger was hefty, and I was excited to see how the flavors would come together. The item seemed on trend, too: Barbecue sauce is having a moment in fast food, as chains lean into bold, yet nostalgic, flavors to make menu items feel new and craveable while still approachable. Popeyes also just launched two new Honey BBQ Chicken Sandwiches, and Shake Shack recently released its Smoky BBQ menu for summer, featuring a new BBQ Boneless Baby Back Rib Sandwich and the Smoky Classic BBQ Burger. "People are looking for nostalgia and comfort and familiarity," Burger King's vice president of culinary, Amy Alarcon, told Business Insider. "I think there are those retro flavors and retro trends that we're capturing really well right now." The new Whopper was truly out of this world. Erin McDowell/Business Insider The flame-grilled patty brought that signature smoky flavor that always makes a Whopper stand out, while the fresh lettuce, tomato, and onions added a crisp, refreshing balance. The crispy pickle chips added dynamic flavor and texture, while the barbecue sauce added just the right amount of creamy, yet tangy, barbecue flavor. Altogether, it felt like a meaningful upgrade to an already solid classic — one that I'd genuinely want to see stick around on the menu long after the "Star Wars" promotion has gone. Read the original article on Business Insider

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Ryan Cohen became CEO of GameStop in 2023. GameStop GameStop wants to acquire eBay, a company roughly five times its size, for $55.5 billion. GameStop CEO Ryan Cohen gained fame as a "meme king" during the company's 2021 stock run-up. Here's what we know about Cohen's background, including his role as a Chewy cofounder. GameStop's surprise bid for eBay isn't the first meme-able thing that Ryan Cohen has been involved in. Cohen, GameStop's CEO, is at the helm of the company's effort to buy eBay for $55.5 billion. He was also the focus of Reddit's r/wallstreetbets five years ago as retail stock traders pushed up GameStop's price — the high point of the "meme stock" craze. The unsolicited offer for eBay, which the company made public on Sunday, dwarfs GameStop's own $11.9 billion market capitalization, leading some to question how the gaming retailer could afford the deal. Here's how Cohen rose to prominence, from cofounding pet company Chewy through the meme stock craze: His net worth is around $5 billion. Cohen's wealth has surged since joining GameStop's board five years ago, before becoming CEO, according to Forbes. Shortly after his board appointment, stock traders on Reddit started driving up the retailer's stock price. He never finished college. Originally from Montreal, Cohen dropped out of college to focus on the business world — a path inspired by his father, who ran his own business, Cohen told Forbes in 2020. He cofounded pet supply website Chewy in 2011. With Michael Day, Cohen built Chewy into an online pet supply retailer and ultimately sold the business to PetSmart for $3.35 billion in 2017. A dog owner himself, Cohen said he saw a chance to sell products, such as dog food, that Amazon hadn't yet broken into. He became a "meme king" for investors on Reddit. After small-time investors, including many on r/wallstreetbets, ran up GameStock's stock price in 2021, Cohen gained a reputation as a "meme king" among retail stock investors. Some went so far as to parse his posts on X, formerly Twitter, looking for evidence of what he might do next. Cohen, for his part, has rarely engaged with the investors. He's led a turnaround effort at GameStop. After becoming the chairman of GameStop's board in 2021, Cohen made big changes at the challenged retailer, including cutting costs and developing a new strategy that focused the chain's stores on collectibles more than video games. Cohen became GameStop's CEO in 2023. He took a stake in Bed Bath & Beyond — and made money on it. Cohen took a roughly 10% stake in the home furnishings retailer in 2022. Later that year, he sold the position and made $68 million, Fortune reported at the time. He hasn't fully explained how GameStop can afford to acquire eBay. Cohen offered few details about the $55.5 billion offer in a Monday interview on CNBC or in company filings, instead repeatedly referring viewers to the company's website and stating that the deal would consist of half cash, half stock. GameStop's market cap on Monday was around $11.9 billion, and its cash and liquid investments totaled about $9.4 billion. He's spoken out against "parasitic" corporate bosses. In a February X post, Cohen took aim at independent directors and other corporate leaders who, he said, are paid whether or not companies succeed. He referred to a "new, parasitic class of corporate bureaucrat: The Risk-Free Insider." The post led investor Michael Burry to compare Cohen to Warren Buffett, another critic of how much corporate leaders are compensated. Do you have a story to share? Contact this reporter at abitter@businessinsider.com or via encrypted messaging app Signal at 808-854-4501. Use a personal email address, a nonwork WiFi network, and a nonwork device; here's our guide to sharing information securely. Read the original article on Business Insider

As a longtime employee, I think the 2-in-1 beach towel and tote bag, and Essenza citronella candles are two of the best things to get at Costco right now. Veronica Thatcher As a longtime Costco employee, I always look forward to seeing the new items that arrive on shelves. This month, the warehouse is stocked with seasonal items like citronella candles and beach towels. There are also some delicious-looking Kirkland Signature grocery items and premade meals. As a Costco employee of 20 years, I love being able to scan the shelves for all the best new items that come in. This month, the warehouse is stocked with everything from outdoor essentials and beach-ready finds to delicious Kirkland Signature-branded products. Here are eight items that caught my eye. I'm excited to try the Kirkland Signature sparkling energy drinks. Veronica Thatcher One of my favorite things about shopping at Costco is that the store has a great selection of house-brand Kirkland Signature items, including sparkling energy drinks. Each 12-ounce can contains 200 milligrams of caffeine, making them the perfect pick-me-up for a long day. The variety pack comes with three flavors, including tropical, orange, and peach. The Essenza citronella candles are both beautiful and practical. Veronica Thatcher Summer is just around the corner, which means outdoor gatherings will be popping up on my calendar again. Unfortunately, though, one of the downsides to spending time outside is fending off the bugs. Luckily, the Essenza outdoor citronella candles are here to help. Each box comes with two large lemongrass-eucalyptus-scented candles in beautiful white cement containers. Plus, each candle can burn for up to 43 hours, making these a worthy investment for the season. Meal prep is simple with the Chipotle-seasoned chicken from Costco. Veronica Thatcher Whether you like to meal prep or are just looking for a quick dinner option, I recommend buying a pack of the precooked Chipotle-seasoned chicken from Costco. It's great for salads, rice bowls, tacos, and so much more. I was excited to find the ELF Power Grip primer on display. Veronica Thatcher This month, Costco is carrying the popular ELF Power Grip primer, which is said to help makeup stay on longer. It also provides a dewy finish, giving skin a nice hydrated glow. Each bundle comes with a full-size version of the product, as well as a travel-size container. This 2-in-1 towel and tote bag makes beach days easy. Veronica Thatcher If you'll be heading to the beach or pool this summer, I highly recommend checking out the innovative Himatsingka America 2-in-1 towel and tote bags at Costco. These 100% cotton bags easily fold out into a full-size beach towel. They're machine washable and come in a variety of vibrant colors and patterns. There's been a lot of buzz surrounding the bakery's new sourdough bread bowls. Veronica Thatcher The Costco bakery has a new product that shoppers seem excited about: sourdough bread bowls. Each bag comes with four bowls ready to be filled with soups, dips, chilli, and much more. I like to heat them in the air fryer for an even crispier texture. Elevate your workouts with the Nautilus weighted vest. Veronica Thatcher Whether you're going for a walk or doing exercises at the gym, a weighted vest can help make workouts more challenging. The Nautilus vest weighs 12 pounds, and according to the packaging, can help increase the number of calories burned while exercising. It's also adjustable and comes with a storage pocket for your cell phone. The Kirkland Signature beef and broccoli looks delicious. Veronica Thatcher Costco is known for its great selection of premade meals, and the newest addition to the lineup is the beef and broccoli. Each container comes with beef, broccoli, yakisoba noodles, and stir fry sauce, and is easy to heat up in a frying pan. Costco was not involved in the sourcing or writing of this story. The views contained within represent the author's personal views. Read the original article on Business Insider

Stuart Russell is a long-time AI researcher who thinks governments need to restrain frontier labs.

Google Workspace adds 5 AI upgrades at Cloud Next 2026, improving Sheets, Meet, automation, and Microsoft 365 migration tools. The post Google Workspace Adds 5 AI Upgrades That Could Change Daily Work appeared first on TechRepublic.