We tried and ranked 13 fast-food double cheeseburgers based on taste and value. Erin McDowell/Business Insider We ranked double cheeseburgers from 13 fast-food chains to see which one reigns supreme. 7th Street Burger, the smallest chain, blew me away with its saucy smash burger. I thought In-N-Out's famous Double-Double was great value and delicious. Double the patties can mean double the deliciousness, but not all fast-food double cheeseburgers are created equal. For a definitive ranking, I tried practically every double cheeseburger on the market to determine which was best in terms of taste and value. I tried double cheeseburgers from McDonald's, Wendy's, Burger King, Shake Shack, White Castle, Whataburger, P. Terry's, Five Guys, Cook Out, Checkers, Sonic, 7th Street Burger, and In-N-Out. Here's every fast-food double cheeseburger ranked from worst to best. My least favorite double cheeseburger was from Burger King. It cost me $4.69. Burger King's double cheeseburger. Erin McDowell/Business Insider The burger was under $5, but I'm not sure it was worth the price. It comes with two of the chain's beef patties, American cheese, pickles, mustard, and ketchup on a sesame-seed bun. Erin McDowell/Business Insider It comes with one slice of cheese. This burger was super filling, but I liked the other burgers I tried more. Erin McDowell/Business Insider Right away, I tasted the thick beef patties. The burger had traveled about 15 minutes from my local Burger King to my apartment, but the meat was still juicy, and the cheese was nicely melted. The pickle slices were thick and crunchy, and I enjoyed the sesame-seed bun, which added a satisfying textural element. However, I thought there was just a little too much ketchup, which will likely vary depending on who's making your burger that day. Next was Wendy's double cheeseburger, which the chain calls a Double Stack. I ordered it for $4.86. Erin McDowell/Business Insider It was about the same price as McDonald's and Burger King burgers, though it landed squarely in the middle in terms of value. A Wendy's double cheeseburger comes with two junior-size hamburger patties, American cheese, ketchup, mustard, pickles, and sweet onion. Erin McDowell/Business Insider The toppings looked a little stingy, and they were clustered in the middle of the sandwich. I would have liked to see them more spread out. The burger bun was fluffy and light, and the toppings had a ton of flavor. Erin McDowell/Business Insider But I had to get a few bites in to reach the toppings in the center. The toppings themselves were amazing. I thought the pickles were the most flavorful among the burgers I tried, and I liked the use of an onion ring rather than diced onion, though I would've liked more. The McDonald's double cheeseburger cost me $5.99. McDonald's double cheeseburger. Erin McDowell/Business Insider It was slightly more expensive than Wendy's version but had more toppings. It came with an extra slice of American cheese plus chopped onions, and I thought it was still relatively affordable. The double cheeseburger from McDonald's comes with two beef patties, pickles, chopped onions, ketchup, mustard, and two slices of American cheese. Erin McDowell/Business Insider I was interested to see if the added toppings would amp up the flavor. I thought the ingredients came together well in this burger, but the bun was a little lackluster. Erin McDowell/Business Insider The bun held everything together and was a good size, but it was a little too soft and didn't have a lot of flavor on its own. But I enjoyed the amount of condiments and didn't find them overpowering. The chopped onions added a lot of flavor, and the burger patties were juicy despite being thinner than the Burger King ones. I liked the added cheese, but didn't think it was necessary. Next up was the double-meat Whataburger with cheese. Whataburger double meat burger with cheese. Erin McDowell/Business Insider It costs $6.99 at a Whataburger in Austin, excluding tax and fees. I ordered it with a large bun, American cheese, grilled peppers and onions, pickles, and ketchup. Whataburger double meat burger with cheese. Erin McDowell/Business Insider The burger was a decent size, and I could see the gooey cheese peeking out from underneath the soft potato bun.  Unlike the other double cheeseburgers, this burger had sliced jalapeño peppers that I imagined would add quite the kick. Whataburger double meat burger with cheese. Erin McDowell/Business Insider The ingredients definitely set this burger apart from the others. I thought the burgers had a delightfully crispy texture, and the toppings added a ton of flavor. Whataburger double meat burger with cheese. Erin McDowell/Business Insider The bun was light and fluffy, but I did think the burger patties could have been a little thicker and juicier. Coming in ninth was the double cheeseburger from P. Terry's Burger Stand, a regional chain I visited in Austin. P. Terry's double cheeseburger. Erin McDowell/Business Insider The burger cost $5.25, making it one of the cheaper burgers I tried. Despite being less expensive than the Whataburger double cheeseburger, the P. Terry's burger was larger. P. Terry's double cheeseburger. Erin McDowell/Business Insider I ordered it with pickles, onions, ketchup, mustard, and American cheese. I again thought the cheese could have been more melted, but the size definitely made up for it. P. Terry's double cheeseburger. Erin McDowell/Business Insider One of the benefits of ordering from P. Terry's is that you can easily customize your burger and add a number of toppings, including grilled onions, the chain's special sauce, tomato, lettuce, and more. I thought the burgers were juicy, and the pickles had a tart crunch. P. Terry's double cheeseburger. Erin McDowell/Business Insider The bun was slightly underwhelming, but I thought it was an excellent, large burger with tons of flavor, especially for the low price. I also thought the mustard really came through and added a lot to the burger. The double cheeseburger from Shake Shack was the second-most-expensive burger I tried. Shake Shack double cheeseburger. Erin McDowell/Business Insider I paid $13.89 for a double cheeseburger. I could customize my toppings, but I went with pickles, onions, and Shack sauce. Right away, I thought the burger was massive. Shake Shack double cheeseburger. Erin McDowell/Business Insider The patties had a perfectly crisp sear and were blanketed in gooey melted cheese. Thick, house-made-looking pickles and the burger's hefty weight made it feel especially substantial. The toppings were generous, and the chain's signature Shack sauce, which is a mayo-based sauce with a slight mustard flavor, made it really tasty. Shake Shack double cheeseburger. Erin McDowell/Business Insider The cheese was thick and perfectly melted. However, biting into the Shake Shack burger was a little overwhelming, in my opinion. Shake Shack double cheeseburger. Erin McDowell/Business Insider The burger was huge, which was both an asset and a hindrance. I struggled to get through more than a few bites. Although it was the second-most-expensive burger, I thought it justified the price. The patties were noticeably thicker than the others I tried, and the toppings elevated every bite. Overall, I was impressed ... but stuffed. In seventh place was the double-decker burger with cheese from Checkers. Checkers double cheeseburger. Erin McDowell/Business Insider The burger has since been replaced with the Big Buford, which has all the same ingredients but a bakery-style bun instead of a sesame-seed bun. The burger costs $9.39 at my local Checkers in Brooklyn. I thought this burger was a little pricey for the size. Checkers double cheeseburger. Erin McDowell/Business Insider It was smaller than my hand, though it did include a variety of toppings like tomato, lettuce, and red onion. The burger also comes with American cheese, dill pickles, ketchup, mustard, and mayonnaise on a toasted bun. The burger patties were very juicy, and the toppings tasted fresh. Checkers double cheeseburger. Erin McDowell/Business Insider I also thought the American cheese was very tangy and flavorful. Overall, I enjoyed the combination of flavors. However, the price prevented this burger from ranking higher.  I also tried the double cheese slider from White Castle. White Castle double cheeseburger. Erin McDowell/Business Insider White Castle sliders are usually eaten in pairs, so I ordered two. Each burger cost me $3.73, so I ended up paying $7.46. The burgers were small but packed with flavor. White Castle double cheeseburger. Erin McDowell/Business Insider The burgers smelled strongly of onions and condiments the second I removed them from the bag. The amount of toppings on each burger was generous. White Castle double cheeseburger. Erin McDowell/Business Insider The pickles were crunchy and flavorful. Though the burgers each had a bun sandwiched in the middle, it wasn't too bready — it allowed the flavors to really come together while still being filling. I was blown away by the cheeseburgers from White Castle, a result I admittedly wasn't expecting. White Castle double cheeseburger. Erin McDowell/Business Insider Despite being the smallest and among the cheapest burgers, they exceeded my expectations. The flavorful toppings complemented the beef, which was the real standout. The small-but-mighty burger was one of the most flavorful I tried, easy to eat, and perfectly priced.  My fifth-favorite double cheeseburger was from Five Guys. Five Guys cheeseburger. Erin McDowell/Business Insider Five Guys doesn't technically have a "double cheeseburger" — its regular cheeseburgers already come with two slices of cheese and two beef patties. My burger cost $17.75, excluding taxes and fees, making it the most expensive burger I tried. I was able to customize my toppings, but I ordered the burger with pickles, grilled onions, ketchup, and mustard. Five Guys cheeseburger. Erin McDowell/Business Insider Right away, I noticed that the toppings were generous. The pickle slices were large, and none of the toppings cost extra. The burger was large without being too intimidating. Five Guys cheeseburger. Erin McDowell/Business Insider I thought the burger was the perfect size — substantial enough to require two hands, but not as heavy as Shake Shack's. Melted American cheese blanketed each patty, and the sauce was well-balanced, adding flavor without spilling out of the sesame-seed bun. The burger patties were crispy on the outside but juicy on the inside. Five Guys cheeseburger. Erin McDowell/Business Insider The thick, crunchy pickles, sesame-seed bun, and soft, almost caramelized grilled onions added texture and flavor that set this burger apart from the rest. My fourth-favorite double cheeseburger came from Sonic Drive-In. Sonic double cheeseburger. Erin McDowell/Business Insider The SuperSonic double cheeseburger was one of the few burgers I tried that came with lettuce and tomato. Since this was the default option, I decided to try it with these toppings rather than remove them. The burger cost me $9.75, excluding taxes and fees. The burger came with a hearty serving of shredded lettuce, tomatoes, two slices of cheese, diced onions, pickles, mayonnaise, and ketchup. Sonic double cheeseburger. Erin McDowell/Business Insider Unlike Sonic's quarter-pound double cheeseburger, which comes with two junior patties, the full-size burger has a combined half-pound of meat.  The bun was perfectly soft but still held the sauce-covered burger together. Sonic double cheeseburger. Erin McDowell/Business Insider The ingredients tasted fresh and vibrant. The tomato wasn't too watery, the lettuce was crisp, and the burgers tasted well-seasoned and juicy. Plus, the burger was a very generous size.  However, despite all these accolades, I thought the price was a little steep compared to what I got from Cook Out and In-N-Out. My third-favorite double cheeseburger came from Cook Out, a regional chain I visited in South Carolina. Cook Out big double burger. Erin McDowell/Business Insider You can order a "big double" from Cook Out any way you wish, but I ordered mine with cheese, ketchup, mustard, onions, and pickles. It cost me $4.99, not including tax. The burger came wrapped in foil and featured two juicy patties. Cook Out big double burger. Erin McDowell/Business Insider It also had thick slices of fresh onion and large pickle spears layered on top of the burger. For the price, I thought the burger was out of this world. Cook Out big double burger. Erin McDowell/Business Insider The thick, tangy cheese and perfectly medium-rare patty made this burger a standout. It was so large I couldn't finish it after dinner, but at such a low price, it easily earned the third-highest spot in my ranking. My second favorite came from 7th Street Burger, a smaller chain based in New York City. Erin McDowell/Business Insider 7th Street Burger is a small chain of quick-service burger restaurants with dozens of locations across New York, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Washington, DC. Since opening in 2021, the chain has quickly built a reputation for its no-frills approach to smash burgers, featuring crispy patties, gooey cheese, and the chain's signature sauce. I ordered a double cheeseburger, which comes with two beef patties, American cheese, onions, pickles, and house sauce on a Martin's potato bun. It cost $11.59, excluding tax and fees. There wasn't much customization to do for this burger — you can't order it with lettuce or tomato. Erin McDowell/Business Insider However, this burger was perfect exactly as the chain designed it. The burger patties were delightfully crispy on the outside yet remained juicy. Melted slices of cheese oozed between the two thin, expertly griddled, and charred beef patties, all smothered in the chain's signature sauce, a creamy, tangy take on classic burger sauce. The burger was served on a pillowy-soft potato roll, which kept things simple. Erin McDowell/Business Insider There were no lettuce or tomato slices to lighten the rich, savory burger, but I didn't miss them. With pickles and onions rounding out the flavor, it was nostalgic, perfectly balanced, and probably the best smash burger I've ever had. In my opinion, the best double cheeseburger I tried was the famous Double-Double burger from In-N-Out. In-N-Out double double burger. Erin McDowell/Business Insider It cost me $5.90, which I thought was an excellent deal for the large burger sitting in front of me. One of the first things I noticed was how thick the burger patties were. They were much thicker than other burgers I tried at a similar price point. Most Double-Double burgers come with lettuce, tomato, onions, and spread. In-N-Out double double burger. Erin McDowell/Business Insider To keep my burger similar to the other burgers I tried, I ordered it with onions, pickles, and spread, which I thought tasted similar to Thousand Island dressing. The first thing I noticed about the In-N-Out burger was how juicy the burger patties were, followed by the incredible layers of cheese. In-N-Out double double burger. Erin McDowell/Business Insider The cheese slices were perfectly melted and coated each part of the burger, something I couldn't say about any other burger I tried. The bun was perfectly soft and held everything together perfectly, while the special spread had my mouth watering for another bite. Of all the burgers I tried, I thought the In-N-Out double cheeseburger packed the most flavor for the best price. In-N-Out double double burger. Erin McDowell/Business Insider When it came to a double cheeseburger, the West Coast chain really nailed it. The burger was beyond flavorful, the perfect size, and, in my opinion, very good value for money. The next time I'm in a state with an In-N-Out, I know where I'll be filling my burger craving. Read the original article on Business Insider

A developer built a James Bond-inspired home and is selling it for $85 million. Daniel Petroni A James Bond-inspired mansion in Delray Beach went on the market asking $85 million. Villa Skyfall, boasting a car gallery and hidden rooms, is designed for luxury living and privacy. The home features a poker lounge and a wellness room. James Bond films track the agent's vagabond lifestyle, spending one night in London and the next in Montenegro. But if Bond could settle down, he might choose this mansion in Delray Beach, Florida. Villa Skyfall, a newly constructed, about 23,000-square-foot home in Delray Beach, about 20 miles south of Palm Beach, Florida, hit the market priced at $85 million. The owners, developer team Aldo and Fiorenna Stark, bought the property in 2024 for $5,850,000, according to property records, and finished the home this year. "They build homes that they personally would live in, that they would enjoy," Douglas Elliman agent Senada Adžem told Business Insider. "His inspiration and lifelong appreciation for James Bond definitely played a role here." The house is loud and literally glittering, clad in backlit onyx and natural materials throughout, and listing agent Adžem knows it's not for everyone. "You're appealing to not just a fan of James Bond and a very dramatic look and inspiration, but you're appealing to someone who loves it as is," she said. "This is not a home for someone who's going to want to move in and say, 'I want to make it light, white, and bland.' This is for someone who really wants something unique and unapologetic in terms of design and very dramatic in terms of design." Bond himself might want something a little more muted, but there is an automotive gallery with room for a few Aston Martins. Take a look inside this Bond-inspired mansion. Aldo and Fiorenna Stark bought the property and built it in 14 months. Daniel Petroni Aldo Stark is the owner of Prestige Design Homes, a development firm in South Florida, and has built a number of luxury homes, including another Bond-like mansion — Villa Spectre — which sold for $55 million in 2024. The home's namesake, Skyfall, pays homage to the third film in the Daniel Craig Bond universe. Daniel Petroni The film takes Bond back to his childhood home in Scotland — the inspiration for the Florida mansion, kind of. "If you watch the movie, the original home is in Scotland, and it's very, very grand," Adžem said. "But in this case, it's sort of the Florida interpretation." The Starks were thinking about living in the home themselves. Daniel Petroni "At the time, Aldo was building two homes and one of them was going to be their personal residence," Adžem said. "They decided to make this their spec home that they were going to sell." While the home itself draws a lot of attention, the property boasts privacy and security. Daniel Petroni The community where the home is located, Stone Creek Ranch, is guarded with armed security 24/7 — so even Bond couldn't penetrate it. "Most of the clients who have come through over the past few years through Stone Creek Ranch that we've sold the properties to, and even the prospects who are coming to see Villa Skyfall now, really value their privacy," Adžem said. "They're fiercely guarded and private." Even though the outside is heavily guarded, the inside invites entertaining. Daniel Petroni "There is a functionality on the floor plan that's really special for entertaining, but also for someone who wants their privacy, who wants security," Adžem said. The chef's kitchen has a separate door, so dinner parties won't be cluttered. Daniel Petroni "The chef's kitchen is behind the concealed door," Adžem said. "There's a gorgeous green marble, and it has a concealed door that leads to the dining room. So if you have a chef cooking, the staff can bring the food to the dining area." Adžem pictures the buyer as someone with a public image who will benefit from hiding away in their own sanctuary. Daniel Petroni "I do see someone with a big public life who really respects and appreciates their privacy and the security of their family," Adžem said. "And I do believe it's going to be someone who wants a signature Aldo Stark residence that's a trophy home." Adžem said in just two weeks on the market, she's shown it to several high-profile celebrities. Daniel Petroni "What they all have in common is that they want a compound that's going to resemble their own private resort," she said. "They have a separate staff quarters. They have big guest quarters, and then they have very lavish amenities, so they don't necessarily need to leave the home if they don't want to. And they can entertain in a very grand way at their property." Stark built the home for someone like Bond: someone who makes room for work but enjoys a luxurious life. Daniel Petroni "He wanted something that is appealing to a family or a person who loves the car gallery, loves having the two-story office space, and when it comes to entertainment, will appreciate a home that's really great for the family and for entertaining," Adžem said. It wouldn't be a Bond house without some clever features — like hidden rooms. Daniel Petroni "There are a few safe rooms with concealed doors and hidden areas," Adžem said. "I thought it was really fun to have, and it's a great feature anyway, but there are many safes throughout the home that are concealed." Bond is known for his sharp wardrobe, and could benefit from a closet like this. Daniel Petroni "The closet is extraordinary," Adžem said. "It's not even a closet. It's actually a boutique-style dressing area with even a high-tech security component in order to open the watch display." The poker room may be a nod to the first installment of Craig Bond films, Casino Royale. Daniel Petroni "The hidden poker lounge is pretty Bond-worthy," Adžem said. "It's behind a massive concealed door — like a display door — to enter the secret poker lounge." You can enjoy a nice martini in the home's bar — shaken, not stirred, of course. Daniel Petroni "I think the bar rivals the most extraordinary bars in the world, including hotel bars and boutique hotel bars," Adžem said. "I think the bar, you could definitely get your martini there and enjoy." And of course, Bond needs room for his Aston Martin collection. Daniel Petroni Aldo Stark has a personal car collection that rivals Bond's, including an Aston Martin DB5 that was featured in Skyfall, Adžem said. Unfortunately for the next buyer, the car collection is leaving with Stark. "Honestly, his cars are like his babies," Adžem said on whether she asked Stark to include some cars in the sale. "He is very strictly protective of them, so I didn't even ask." To keep up with the luxury homes of the times, Villa Skyfall is outfitted with many wellness features. Daniel Petroni "The wellness area is Amazon-rainforest-inspired," Adžem said. "The bespoke crystal chandeliers resemble large raindrops. That onyx is very, very rare." There's also a Himalayan salt room, a steam room, and a couples massage area. Also, if the next owner wants to try some new styles, there's a salon on the property. Daniel Petroni "There is a Parisian-inspired beauty salon for men or women, so you can have a haircut and you can get your makeup done," Adžem said. "It's a really cool space to get ready, and it's connected to the primary bath. It features a very special marble that was used by the Cartier boutique in Paris." If you're a fan of the Bond movies, there's a theater room to watch them — or something else. Daniel Petroni "It's fully soundproofed, and it has the most gorgeous design inside, including top-of-the-line chairs," Adžem said. "They have heating, they have cooling, they have massage, and they have the 4D component — basically like when the chairs correspond to what's happening in the movie." And for relaxation, there's an outdoor pool and cabanas. Daniel Petroni "The pool and outdoor area are really special," Adžem said. "It reminds you of a five-star resort in that it has water features and Alfresco's dining areas." The outdoor area has more than just a pool. Daniel Petroni According to Adžem, the outdoor area also features a basketball court, a sports court for pickleball, and mini golf. The home is an extra-opulent twist on a franchise known for its luxury. Daniel Petroni "It has quite a few interesting features, in terms of the layout, that we feel like would appeal to not just James Bond aficionados, but really a family who likes to live in a way that they have their amenities," Adžem said. Read the original article on Business Insider

Official World Cup jerseys can cost as much as $180, while counterfeit versions sell for as little as $4. We visited factories in Bangladesh, one of the world's biggest garment manufacturing hubs, to find out what separates authentic, replica, and fake soccer jerseys and why they cost so much. Read the original article on Business Insider

Run 100+ agents in parallel The post How to Orchestrate 100+ Agents With Claude Code appeared first on Towards Data Science.

The author vowed to care for her parents as they aged. Courtesy of Lindsay Karp I always envisioned caring for my parents as they aged. However, I've lived with multiple sclerosis for two decades, which makes things more difficult. My mom recently had surgery, which threw this reality into sharp relief. "I'll try to meet you there," I told my mother a few months ago, one evening before bed. "I'm not feeling great, but I'll do my best," I confirmed before hanging up the phone. The next morning, my 71-year-old mother had surgery to lift her bladder. My 74-year-old father is a stage 4 tongue cancer survivor now dealing with the overwhelming downstream effects of radiation — and I live with multiple sclerosis (MS) — so usually my otherwise healthy mother plays the caregiver role. She was present at most of my appointments during the 13 years I searched for a diagnosis through early adulthood. She attends every medical visit with my father and often takes me for my immunosuppressive infusion. She was beside me for the birth of my older son in 2011 and later cared for him when my younger son was born in 2014. Lying in the hospital bed that Monday morning, she threw our normal family narrative off kilter. I'd never seen my mom that vulnerable before I walked into her hospital room just as she arrived post-recovery, the anesthesia still swirling through her system. "Can you fill this out for me?" she asked, handing me the cafeteria menu for her overnight stay. "I can't read right now," she continued, her words ever so slightly slurred. In that moment, it occurred to me that I'd never seen her like this: vulnerable and dependent. "Pasta alfredo with chicken or mac and cheese for dinner?" I asked, chuckling, knowing a discussion of the absurdity of a hospital offering only pasta options would ensue. "I'll write-in chicken breast with vegetables and rice," I suggested, handing her the cranberry juice that had been left just beyond her reach. She asked me to plug in her cellphone charger before reading the remaining menu options. As I moved around the room with purpose, my legs jittered, and my hands shook. I've been living with MS for two decades, and it always flares at the worst possible times; stress makes it worse. As I struggled to stand, I realized this disease that had affected my personal functioning and my ability to parent for decades was now impeding my capacity to care for my mother, something I'd always imagined I'd do without limits. The author lives with MS, which may make being her parents' caregiver more difficult. Courtesy of Lindsay Karp I've always pictured myself caring for my parents as they get older When I was younger, my paternal grandfather stayed at our home while recovering from surgery. I'd arrive home from school to find him resting in his favorite recliner. My maternal great-grandmother came to live with my grandmom during her final months. I remember watching my grandmother bring a turkey and cheese sandwich to her bedside, tending to her just as I imagine my great-grandmother had done for my grandmom when she was sick as a child. I still recall that scene vividly. Now, tables have turned, and my mother takes my 94-year-old grandmother to run errands weekly and to doctor's visits as they arise. She's been back and forth to the hospital with her as she struggles with lymphedema and infections in her legs. And one day I, too, will find myself in the caregiver role. Just as I stayed home with my babies, not wanting someone else to raise them, I've always aspired to personally care for my parents when the time came, especially after my grandfather, who was living with Alzheimer's, was involved in an incident at his nursing home that still haunts me and my family 10 years later. My father is living with severe dysphagia (i.e., swallowing disability), a voice disorder, blood pressure lability, and a smattering of other issues secondary to radiation to the head and neck two decades ago. He now uses a feeding tube, and his voice is permanently hoarse and extremely difficult to understand. "Will you be my voice?" he texted me the day before my parents' 50th anniversary celebration last November. "I'd like you to read this for me," he said, of a toast he'd written for my mother. The day following my mother's surgery, I checked him into the visitor's center at the hospital where he'd struggled to be understood the day before. Watching him flounder rattles me, but knowing I can alleviate some of his struggle is reassuring. I was glad I was there beside him to walk the halls to her room that morning because blood pressure instability has left him lightheaded and in need of a seat often. My strong and capable father, who once fixed broken knickknacks, remedied car troubles, and built a kitchen closet from scratch, now relies on me in ways I never imagined he would. My diagnosis has made my vision for the future feel more difficult Slowly, the time of need I've envisioned since childhood is creeping toward me, but I'm not the strong adult of my youthful imagination. I'm realizing I can't be the boundless caregiver I always thought I'd be. I can't drive endless miles with a foot that often struggles to hold the pedal. I can't walk the perimeter of a hospital and back again with legs that weaken from simply existing. And last-minute visits to the store aren't as simple for someone living with chronic weakness and fatigue. Despite my father's medical battles, he continues to work full time as a civil engineer and president of his firm because he maintains the vivacious spirit I've never known him without. My mother has fully recovered from her procedure and continues to be the caregiver I've always known her to be. They don't need me just yet, but watching her in the hospital and moving slowly against pain in the following weeks at home gave me a glimpse of how they may need me one day soon — and the reality of my own limitations. As a child, I promised myself I'd care for them just as they always did for me. My caregiving won't be perfect, but I'm going to give them everything my body will allow; my voice, a turkey and cheese sandwich, and all. Read the original article on Business Insider

New climate evidence adds context to these long voyages.

Sam Learner / Financial Times: Users of AI coding tools are flooding open-source projects with low-quality contributions, overwhelming maintainers and potentially eroding community engagement  —  Our obsession with AI code-writing tools is overwhelming the web's unsung human caretakers.  If you are reading the digital version …

But what can it do? Plus: how to ship vibe coded apps safely, Notion's new product OS, Netflix's new homepage personalization system

Researchers cobbled together funding and time to show how quantum computing could aid in the development of drugs to help underserved populations and combat rare diseases.

Discussion | Link

Discussion | Link

Zusha Elinson / Wall Street Journal: A look at the growing anti-AI movement in the Bay Area, as the disappearance of Sam Kirchner, co-founder of a hard-line activist group, has the movement on edge  —  The resistance to artificial intelligence is growing over fears about human extinction—but one activist's disappearance has the movement on edge

Financial Times: AirDNA: during the FIFA World Cup group stage, platforms such as Airbnb saw 52K+ new listings in US host cities, while hotel bookings fell short of expectations  —  Hotel bookings fall short of expectations as price-conscious fans opt to stay in American homes

Lucia Moses / Business Insider: NYC-based Vendelux, a live B2B event information platform for CMOs and marketing and sales teams, raised a $50M Series B led by Tribeca Venture Partners  —  - Vendelux, a company that helps CMOs figure out their live events strategy, raised $50 million.  — It plans to use the new round …

Laura Dubois / Financial Times: EU Justice Commissioner Michael McGrath says the EC is set to propose new digital rules by year-end aimed at protecting consumers from online spending traps  —  Justice commissioner Michael McGrath says Brussels seeks to strengthen social media safeguards  —  Brussels is preparing …

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Ben Cohen / Wall Street Journal: A look at Bending Spoons' hiring process: the company, which owns Vimeo, AOL, and Evernote, received 800,000 job applications last year and made only 286 hires  —  Getting an offer from Bending Spoons, which owns AOL, has become harder than getting into Harvard

Robotics foundation models have made remarkable progress. Today's best systems can follow natural language instructions to pick, place, sort, and manipulate a... Robotics foundation models have made remarkable progress. Today’s best systems can follow natural language instructions to pick, place, sort, and manipulate a wide variety of objects. But as these models grow more capable, evaluating them rigorously has become one of the field’s hardest unsolved problems. In this blog post, we introduce the key problems and our method for addressing them. Source

When we last sat down with Jobs at TechCrunch Disrupt nearly three years ago, his firm Yosemite was brand new and biotech was still reeling from its post-pandemic crash. Now, the venture outfit has a team of 17; a cluster of blockbuster drugs are all losing patent protection in roughly the same window, creating all kinds of new opportunities; and AI has gone from a curiosity to, in Jobs' words, a huge part of what Yosemite does. "I didn't expect Yosemite to be moving this fast," he said.

<p><strong>Release:</strong> <a href="https://github.com/simonw/sqlite-utils/releases/tag/4.1">sqlite-utils 4.1</a></p> <p>The first dot-release since <a href="https://simonwillison.net/2026/Jul/7/sqlite-utils-4/">4.0 a few days ago</a>, introducing a number of minor new features.</p> <blockquote> <ul> <li><code>sqlite-utils insert</code> and <code>sqlite-utils upsert</code> now accept a <code>--code</code> option for <a href="https://sqlite-utils.datasette.io/en/stable/cli.html#cli-insert-code">providing a block of Python code</a> (or a path to a <code>.py</code> file) that defines a <code>rows()</code> function or <code>rows</code> iterable of rows to insert, as an alternative to importing from a file. (<a href="https://github.com/simonw/sqlite-utils/issues/684">#684</a>)</li> </ul> </blockquote> <p><code>sqlite-utils</code> already had features that allow you to pass blocks of Python code as CLI arguments, for example <a href="https://sqlite-utils.datasette.io/en/stable/cli.html#converting-data-in-columns">this one</a> for the <code>sqlite-utils convert</code> command:</p> <pre><span class="pl-s1">sqlite</span><span class="pl-c1">-</span><span class="pl-s1">utils</span> <span class="pl-s1">convert</span> <span class="pl-s1">content</span>.<span class="pl-c1">db</span> <span class="pl-s1">articles</span> <span class="pl-s1">headline</span> ' <span class="pl-s1">def</span> <span class="pl-en">convert</span>(<span class="pl-s1">value</span>): <span class="pl-k">return</span> <span class="pl-s1">value</span>.<span class="pl-c1">upper</span>()'</pre> <p>Allowing blocks of code to <a href="https://sqlite-utils.datasette.io/en/stable/cli.html#inserting-rows-generated-by-python-code">generate new rows directly</a> was on obvious extension of that pattern:</p> <pre><span class="pl-s1">sqlite</span><span class="pl-c1">-</span><span class="pl-s1">utils</span> <span class="pl-s1">insert</span> <span class="pl-s1">data</span>.<span class="pl-c1">db</span> <span class="pl-s1">creatures</span> <span class="pl-c1">-</span><span class="pl-c1">-</span><span class="pl-s1">code</span> ' <span class="pl-s1">def</span> <span class="pl-en">rows</span>(): <span class="pl-k">yield</span> {<span class="pl-s">"id"</span>: <span class="pl-c1">1</span>, <span class="pl-s">"name"</span>: <span class="pl-s">"Cleo"</span>} <span class="pl-k">yield</span> {<span class="pl-s">"id"</span>: <span class="pl-c1">2</span>, <span class="pl-s">"name"</span>: <span class="pl-s">"Suna"</span>} ' <span class="pl-c1">-</span><span class="pl-c1">-</span><span class="pl-s1">pk</span> <span class="pl-s1">id</span></pre> <blockquote> <ul> <li><code>sqlite-utils insert</code> and <code>sqlite-utils upsert</code> now accept <code>--type column-name type</code> to <a href="https://sqlite-utils.datasette.io/en/stable/cli.html#cli-insert-csv-tsv-column-types">override the type automatically chosen when the table is created</a>. This is useful for CSV or TSV columns such as ZIP codes that look like integers but should be stored as <code>TEXT</code> to preserve leading zeros. (<a href="https://github.com/simonw/sqlite-utils/issues/131">#131</a>)</li> </ul> </blockquote> <p>A long-standing feature request which turned out to be a <a href="https://github.com/SAY-5/sqlite-utils/commit/d2ac3765ed9f0516bb0cbc2508a5c3907fb6a71a">simple implementation</a>.</p> <blockquote> <ul> <li>New <code>table.drop_index(name)</code> method and <code>sqlite-utils drop-index</code> command for dropping an index by name. Both accept <code>ignore=True</code>/<code>--ignore</code> to ignore a missing index. (<a href="https://github.com/simonw/sqlite-utils/issues/626">#626</a>)</li> <li><code>sqlite-utils query</code> can now read the SQL query from standard input by passing <code>-</code> in place of the query, for example <code>echo "select * from dogs" | sqlite-utils query dogs.db -</code>. (<a href="https://github.com/simonw/sqlite-utils/issues/765">#765</a>)</li> </ul> </blockquote> <p>Two more small features. I had Codex review all open issues and highlight the easiest ones!</p> <blockquote> <ul> <li><code>sqlite-utils upsert</code> can now infer the primary key of an existing table, so <code>--pk</code> can be omitted when upserting into a table that already has a primary key.</li> </ul> </blockquote> <p>Another Codex suggestion, an obvious missing CLI feature from a Python library improvement that shipped in the 4.0 release.</p> <blockquote> <ul> <li><code>table.transform()</code> and <code>table.transform_sql()</code> now accept <code>strict=True</code> or <code>strict=False</code> to change a table’s <a href="https://www.sqlite.org/stricttables.html">SQLite strict mode</a>. Omitting the option preserves the existing mode. (<a href="https://github.com/simonw/sqlite-utils/issues/787">#787</a>)</li> <li>The <code>sqlite-utils transform</code> command now accepts <code>--strict</code> and <code>--no-strict</code> to change a table’s strict mode. (<a href="https://github.com/simonw/sqlite-utils/issues/787">#787</a>)</li> </ul> </blockquote> <p>These two were inspired by <a href="https://evanhahn.com/prefer-strict-tables-in-sqlite/">Prefer STRICT tables in SQLite</a> by Evan Hahn, which did the rounds <a href="https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48873940">on Hacker News</a> today. Evan pointed out that:</p> <blockquote> <p>Unfortunately, I don’t think there’s a way to ALTER a table to make it strict. I think you have to copy the data out of the non-strict table into the strict one.</p> </blockquote> <p>That's exactly what the <a href="https://sqlite-utils.datasette.io/en/stable/python-api.html#transforming-a-table">sqlite-utils transform mechanism</a> does, so I extended it to add the ability to switch tables from strict to non-strict and vice-versa.</p> <p>Here's <a href="https://gist.github.com/simonw/ab8256b81646ad967a601975e206de64">the GPT-5.6 Sol xhigh Codex transcript</a> I used to implement those new strict table features. One of the most useful prompts I ran was this one:</p> <blockquote> <p><code>use uv run python -c and manually exercise the new .transform(strict=) option, see if you can find any edge-cases or bugs</code></p> </blockquote> <p>Effectively telling the model to manually test its work, outside of the automated tests it had already written. This turned up two minor issues that we then fixed.</p> <p>Tags: <a href="https://simonwillison.net/tags/projects">projects</a>, <a href="https://simonwillison.net/tags/python">python</a>, <a href="https://simonwillison.net/tags/sqlite">sqlite</a>, <a href="https://simonwillison.net/tags/sqlite-utils">sqlite-utils</a>, <a href="https://simonwillison.net/tags/annotated-release-notes">annotated-release-notes</a>, <a href="https://simonwillison.net/tags/ai-assisted-programming">ai-assisted-programming</a></p>