From roadside shacks to barbecue institutions like Franklin Barbecue in Austin, here's the most iconic barbecue restaurant in every state. Erin McDowell/Business Insider Kansas City and Texas are among the best-known places in the country for barbecue. However, great barbecue can be found across the country. From roadside shacks to barbecue institutions, here's the most iconic barbecue joint in every state. Fire up the grill or hit the road — few foods are more synonymous with Fourth of July weekend than barbecue. We found the most iconic or beloved barbecue joints in every state, from nationally known institutions like Franklin Barbecue in Austin to side-of-the-road smokehouses that have become local legends. Our list includes barbecue destinations with historical or regional significance and devoted national or local followings. Many of the spots or their pitmasters have won major accolades, and some have appeared on mainstream TV shows. Together, they show that great barbecue can be found in every corner of the country. Here's the most iconic barbecue restaurant in every state. ALABAMA: Dreamland BBQ in Tuscaloosa Dreamland BBQ. Jeff F./Yelp Famous for its ribs, Dreamland Bar-B-Que has been satisfying folks in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, since 1958. Even celebrities come to the restaurant to enjoy the food, including actor and singer Reba McEntire and former president George W. Bush, who ordered some of the restaurant's famous ribs to-go to eat aboard Air Force One, The Tuscaloosa News reported. ALASKA: Big Daddy's Bar-B-Q in Fairbanks Big Daddy's Bar-B-Q in Fairbanks. Wendy M./Yelp It's not just any place that can get Guy Fieri and his frosted tips up to the northernmost part of the US, but Big Daddy's Bar-B-Q did. The Fairbanks institution was featured on "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives" (a fact that's prominently advertised throughout the restaurant) in 2009. Fieri recommends the Arkansas-style ribs and the smoked turkey. ARIZONA: Little Miss BBQ in Phoenix Little Miss BBQ. Little Miss BBQ-University/Yelp Little Miss BBQ got started when its owner, Scott Holmes, took a trip to Texas and had his mind blown by Texan barbecue. It started him and his wife on a journey that's led to two Little Miss BBQ locations, a dedicated following, and Holmes becoming a James Beard semifinalist this year, per KTAR News. ARKANSAS: McClard's Bar-B-Q in Hot Springs McClard's Bar-B-Q. Lolo A./Yelp McClard's has been part of the Hot Springs community for almost 100 years — it opened in 1928. Four generations later, it's still in the McClard family, and its priceless sauce recipe is locked inside a bank vault for safekeeping. While many barbecue places have longtime fans, McClard's Bar-B-Q can claim one special person among its dedicated fan base: Bill Clinton. Per The Takeout, the then-president would have McClard's wings flown to DC on Air Force One, and they were even served at Camp David. CALIFORNIA: Bludso's BBQ in Los Angeles Bludso's BBQ. Keri L./Yelp Bludso's BBQ was founded in 2008 by Kevin Bludso, a James Beard Award winner and frequent judge on the Netflix competition series "Barbecue Showdown." Fans recommend the brisket and the ribs, along with sides like mac and cheese and collard greens. COLORADO: Post Oak Barbecue in Denver Post Oak Barbecue. Ren S./Yelp Post Oak describes itself as the "most down-to-earth Texas barbecue you'll find anywhere in Colorado," as all the wood it uses for its pits is flown in straight from Austin. The pulled pork and burnt ends are fan-favorites. CONNECTICUT: Bear's Smokehouse BBQ in Hartford Bear's Smokehouse BBQ. Jason P./Yelp Bear's Smokehouse is a Hartford favorite, though the chain has multiple locations throughout the state. Local outlet Hartford Courant named Bear's Smokehouse the best ribs and best food truck in the state. USA Today also named it one of the best restaurants in the country in 2026 (albeit, one of the North Carolina locations). DELAWARE: Bethany Blues in Bethany Beach Bethany Blues. Charissa S./Yelp Best of Delaware has regularly shouted out Bethany Blues as the state's best place to grab barbecue, and the fact that it's on the beach only adds to the great summer vibes. In addition to the tasty brisket, pulled pork, and ribs, dedicated customers recommend checking out the huge list of bourbon. FLORIDA: Big Lee's Barbecue in Ocala Big Lee's. Bslubitz/Yelp Another Guy Fieri favorite is Big Lee's in Ocala. The current head pitmaster, Rashad Jones, has popped up on other Food Network shows, including "Beat Bobby Flay" in 2023, when he, in fact, beat Flay. The burnt ends, the Deacon fries that are topped with pulled pork, and the homemade sweet tea are all notable menu items. GEORGIA: Southern Soul Barbeque in Saint Simons Island Southern Soul Barbecue. Kristian S./Yelp Southern Living readers named Southern Soul Barbecue the best barbecue in the South in 2026. The magazine noted the "big St. Louis-style [ribs] slathered in turbinado and brown sugar," the "smoked-kissed half chicken," and the Brunswick stew, a Georgia classic. HAWAII: Helena's Hawaiian Food in Honolulu Helena's Hawaiian Food. Nate T./Yelp Helena's Hawaiian Food sells, you guessed it, traditional Hawaiian food, which has its own version of barbecue, including short ribs, slow-cooked pig, macaroni salad, and more. It's a staple of the Honolulu food scene. IDAHO: BBQ4LIFE in Boise BBQ4LIFE. BBQ4LIFE/Yelp Boise Weekly named BBQ4LIFE the best barbecue in the state, and looking at the menu, we can see why. In addition to its many flavorful meat options, BBQ4LIFE also has vegan options, a rarity in this cuisine. What we'd be interested in trying, though, is the broodwich: pulled pork, mac and cheese, and barbecue sauce all on French toast with maple syrup and powdered sugar. ILLINOIS: 17th Street BBQ in Murphysboro 17th Street BBQ. Phil P./Yelp 17th Street was well-known throughout the barbecue community, mostly due to its owner and pitmaster, Mike Mills, a pillar of the Illinois barbecue scene. Upon his death in 2020, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker posted his condolences, and his obituary said that Mills was the "only barbecuer with top-security clearance to board Air Force One, where he delivered barbecue to President Bill Clinton, and the only pitmaster in America who's been featured in Vogue magazine four times." 17th Street is still going strong, with his daughter Amy taking over. The baby back ribs are a must, as they're sprinkled with a secret seasoning called "Magic Dust." INDIANA: Big Hoffa's in Westfield Big Hoffa's. Joanne Y./Yelp Big Hoffa's has a cult following in Indiana due to its unique pirate theme, complete with murals, a fake cypress tree draped in "Spanish moss," and shelves of pirate memorabilia. Oh, and the food is good too, as the barbecue is fused with Caribbean influences. IOWA: Jimmy Jack's Rib Shack in Iowa City Jimmy Jack's Rib Shack. Mike S./Yelp Jimmy Jack's Rib Shack is a favorite of students at the University of Iowa, which is less than 10 minutes away by car. In addition to the (of course) ribs, the chicken wings are a hugely popular menu item. KANSAS: Joe's Kansas City Bar-B-Que in Kansas City Joe's Kansas City Bar-B-Que. Sam L./Yelp Kansas City is famous for its barbecue, and its iconic spot is Joe's Kansas City Bar-B-Que, which is attached to a gas station. On Joe's famous menu, the most famous item is the Z-Man sandwich, which traditionally features brisket, provolone, and onion rings on a kaiser roll. But if brisket isn't your deal, Joe's also offers pulled pork, smoked chicken, and portobello mushroom variants. KENTUCKY: Moonlite Bar-B-Q Inn in Owensboro Moonlite Bar-B-Q Inn. Deanna D./Yelp Moonlite Bar-B-Q is famous for its barbecue mutton, which is unique to Kentucky. "Kentucky has been known as the mutton capital of all things barbecue," pitmaster and television personality Danielle Bennett told Food and Wine, and Moonlite is the best place to get it. LOUISIANA: The Joint in New Orleans The Joint. Hillary S./Yelp New Orleans is one of, if not the most, food-focused cities in the US, so if something rises to the level of institution, you know it's good. The Joint has been in the Bywater since 2004, and in the 20 years since, locals have come to love the burnt ends, barbecue chicken, pecan pie, and frozen drinks. MAINE: Wilson County Barbecue in Portland Wilson County Barbecue. Daniel B./Yelp Maine isn't particularly known for its barbecue offerings, but Mainers swear by Wilson County, which local outlets have praised for its North Carolina-inspired menu, including its whole-hog pulled-pork sandwich. MARYLAND: Andy Nelson's Southern Pit Barbecue in Cockeysville Andy Nelson's Southern Pit Barbecue. JerPz./Yelp Maryland may be famous for its seafood, but that doesn't mean it doesn't have its own tasty barbecue. The best-known barbecue spot in this state is Andy Nelson's, named for the Baltimore Colts (before they moved to Indianapolis) safety. His family was a barbecue family, and he used recipes passed down from his father. The pit beef, pulled pork, ribs, and smoked turkey are not to be missed. MASSACHUSETTS: BT's Smokehouse in Sturbridge BT's Smokehouse. Gloria H./Yelp BT's Smokehouse regularly appears on lists of the best barbecue in the Northeast or New England. "I try to cook my barbecue the way you think barbecue should taste," said founder Brian Treitman. "When you think about a pork rib, in your mind, it is tender, succulent, ready to fall off the bone with a little smoke and glazed with a flavorful, spiced, sweet sauce. You want to lick your fingers — no need for a napkin," he continued. "That's the way I try to cook." MICHIGAN: Slows Bar-B-Q in Detroit Slows Bar-B-Q. Steve L./Yelp Slows has been a staple of the Detroit neighborhood of Corktown for over 20 years, per Eater. It gained such a following that its Yardbird sandwich (smoked chicken, mushrooms, cheddar, bacon, and house honey mustard barbecue sauce) was featured on an episode of "Adam Richman's Best Sandwich in America." MINNESOTA: Ted Cook's 19th Hole BBQ in Minneapolis Ted Cook's 19th Hole BBQ. Luke G./Yelp Ted Cook's 19th Hole BBQ has been a Minneapolis institution since 1968. It was run by Cook and his wife until 1986, when the Davis family took over. The Davises then sold it to Moses Quartey in 2001, who is still operating it today. Rib tips originated in Chicago, but the ones at this Minneapolis joint are not to be missed. MISSISSIPPI: The Shed BBQ & Blues Joint in Ocean Springs The Shed BBQ & Blues Joint. Jonathan G./Yelp In addition to its mouthwatering meats, The Shed has gained national exposure from being featured on "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives," when Guy Fieri called it "one of the hippest dives" and on other Food Network programs. Siblings Brad Orrison and Brooke Lewis have made The Shed famous outside the Gulf Coast with their house sauces and huge combo platters. MISSOURI: Gates BBQ in Kansas City Gates Bar-B-Q. Kris D./Yelp Gates BBQ in Kansas City, Missouri, opened in 1946 and specializes in pork ribs, barbecue sandwiches, and sides. The joint's tomato-based secret sauce also helped make the restaurant an institution in Kansas City. MONTANA: Notorious P.I.G. in Missoula The Notorious PIG BBQ. Hank H./Yelp Notorious P.I.G. has become one of Montana's best-known barbecue spots by bringing Texas-style smoked meats to downtown Missoula. The lively restaurant is especially known for brisket, burnt ends, and pulled pork, along with its famous mac and cheese, which some say is even better than its barbecue meats. NEBRASKA: Porky Butts BBQ in Omaha Porky Butts BBQ. Kristy H./Yelp Porky Butts BBQ was founded in 2019 by championship pitmaster Blane Hunter, whose competition barbecue background helped put the restaurant on the national map. The Omaha favorite is known for smoked brisket, ribs, and pulled pork, along with award-winning burnt ends and house-made sauces. NEVADA: John Mull's Meats & Road Kill Grill in Las Vegas John Mull's Meats & Road Kill Grill. Abegail B./Yelp John Mull's Meats & Road Kill Grill started as a family butcher shop in the 1950s before evolving into one of Las Vegas' most beloved barbecue destinations. The off-the-beaten-path spot is famous for smoked brisket and enormous portions served in a casual backyard setting that regularly draws long lines of locals and tourists. NEW HAMPSHIRE: KC's Rib Shack in Manchester KC's Rib Shack. Holly L./Yelp KC's Rib Shack has built a loyal following in New Hampshire for its lively roadhouse atmosphere and classic barbecue. It's best known for smoky St. Louis ribs, pulled pork, and brisket, along with live music and biker-bar energy that sets it apart from traditional New England barbecue joints. NEW JERSEY: Red White & Que Smokehouse in Green Brook Red White & Que Smokehouse. Curtis Y./Yelp Red White & Que Smokehouse helped popularize craft barbecue in New Jersey with its low-and-slow approach and Southern-inspired menu. Among its most beloved offerings are the brisket, smoked wings, and loaded mac and cheese. NEW MEXICO: Mad Jack's Mountaintop Barbecue in Cloudcroft Mad Jack's Mountaintop Barbecue. Haley F./Yelp Mad Jack's Mountaintop Barbecue has become a destination restaurant tucked high in the mountains of southern New Mexico. The tiny smokehouse routinely sells out of its Texas-style brisket, giant beef ribs, and pulled pork. NEW YORK: Dinosaur Bar-B-Que in Syracuse Dinosaur Bar-B-Que. Jesse C./Yelp Dinosaur Bar-B-Que began as a concession stand at biker festivals before opening its original Syracuse restaurant in 1988, eventually becoming one of the most famous barbecue brands in the state. The barbecue restaurant has since expanded to multiple locations across New York and neighboring states, helping introduce generations of Northeastern diners to Southern-style barbecue. NORTH CAROLINA: Skylight Inn in Ayden Skylight Inn BBQ. Frank H./Yelp Skylight Inn in Ayden, North Carolina, specializes in Southern barbecue. Food Network named the eatery one of its "Top 5" barbecue restaurants in the US, and says one of the best menu items is the chopped pork sandwich. NORTH DAKOTA: Spitfire Bar & Grill in West Fargo Spitfire Bar & Grill. Jami B./Yelp Spitfire Bar & Grill is a longtime local favorite known for hearty barbecue platters and casual comfort food. Its crew competes in Kansas City BBQ Society-sanctioned competitions; in early May, they beat over 70 other teams to earn the title of best ribs at the Scheels North Dakota Championship Barbecue Competition. The restaurant, also named by Food Network as the best barbecue in the state, draws crowds for smoked ribs, brisket, and barbecue sandwiches served in a lively sports-bar atmosphere. OHIO: Cockeye BBQ in Warren Cockeye BBQ. Matt M./Yelp Cockeye BBQ has become a favorite in the state thanks to its competition-style smoked meats and old-school roadside barbecue feel. The restaurant is especially known for ribs, pulled pork, and loaded barbecue platters, and customers praise its generous portions. OKLAHOMA: The Butcher BBQ Stand in Wellston Butcher BBQ Stand. Jake F./Yelp The Butcher BBQ Stand was founded by Levi Bouska with help from his father, championship pitmaster and Hall of Fame barbecue competitor David Bouska, just over a decade ago. The roadside smokehouse has become internationally famous for its smoked brisket, ribs, and Oklahoma-style barbecue, which blends Texas influences with Bouska's own techniques. OREGON: Podnah's Pit Barbecue in Portland Podnah's Pit Barbecue. G L./Yelp Podnah's Pit Barbecue helped introduce authentic Texas-style barbecue to Portland when it opened in 2006. The restaurant is known for its famous pepper-crusted brisket, smoked pork ribs, and classic barbecue sides, all cooked in traditional smokers. PENNSYLVANIA: Stookey's Famous Bar-B-Que in Nanticoke Stookey's Famous Barbeque. Jay Y./Yelp Stookey's Famous Bar-B-Que dates back to 1926 and is beloved for its nostalgic roadside barbecue style. It's especially known for its barbecue sandwiches and tangy house barbecue sauce. RHODE ISLAND: Smoke House in Newport Smoke House. Thien B./Yelp Rhode Island isn't traditionally known for its barbecue, but Smoke House in Newport is attempting to change that. The restaurant has become a go-to barbecue destination in the state, bringing Southern-style smoked meats to Rhode Island's coastal dining scene. The restaurant is known for barbecue favorites such as brisket and baby back ribs, as well as local dishes like classic New England lobster rolls. SOUTH CAROLINA: Scott's Bar-B-Que in Hemingway Scott's Bar-B-Que. Joe P./Yelp Scott's Bar-B-Que is one of the most revered barbecue restaurants in America and a cornerstone of South Carolina's whole-hog barbecue tradition. The legendary spot helped launch pitmaster Rodney Scott to national fame, earning him a James Beard Award and a spot on Netflix's "Chef's Table: BBQ." SOUTH DAKOTA: J.R.'s Rhodehouse BBQ Pit in Summerset J.R.'s Rhodehouse BBQ PIT. Cha D./Yelp J.R.'s Rhodehouse BBQ Pit has earned a strong regional reputation for classic hometown barbecue near Rapid City. The casual smokehouse is known for brisket, smoked meats, and house-made sauces served in a rustic roadside setting. TENNESSEE: Central BBQ in Memphis Central BBQ. Tim H./Yelp Central BBQ opened in Memphis in 2002 and quickly became one of the city's most celebrated barbecue institutions by blending traditional slow-smoking techniques with flavor-packed rubs and sauces. The beloved smokehouse is especially famous for its Memphis-style dry-rub ribs, which draw both locals and tourists seeking an authentic taste of the city's barbecue culture. TEXAS: Franklin Barbecue in Austin Franklin Barbecue. Kell J./Yelp Established in 2009, Franklin Barbecue has been a staple of the Texas and Austin barbecue scenes for years and has gained a worldwide reputation for its mouthwatering brisket and barbecue sides. Eater reported that Anthony Bourdain visited the spot for an episode of "No Reservations" in 2012, where he waited in line for over an hour. The barbecue was apparently well worth the wait since he called the brisket "earth-shatteringly good." Franklin Barbecue owner Aaron Franklin is also one of the top names in barbecue. In 2015, he became the first barbecue chef to be awarded the James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef in the Southwest. UTAH: Pica Rica BBQ in St. George Pica Rica BBQ. Mary E./Yelp Pica Rica BBQ has built a devoted following in southern Utah for its Texas-inspired barbecue. The family-run restaurant is especially known for brisket and smoked turkey, along with house-made sauces and consistently long weekend lines. VERMONT: Prohibition Pig in Waterbury Prohibition Pig Melody C./Yelp Prohibition Pig specializes in classic smoked barbecue meats, but the Food Network says the real star on the menu is the mac and cheese. The restaurant is also known for brisket, pulled pork, and creative barbecue plates paired with house-brewed beer in a lively gastropub setting. VIRGINIA: Pierce's Pitt Bar-B-Que in Williamsburg Pierce's Pitt Bar-B-Que. Josh D./Yelp Pierce's Pitt Bar-B-Que has been a Williamsburg go-to for barbecue since 1971 and remains one of Virginia's most famous roadside barbecue joints. The longtime favorite is best known for chopped pork sandwiches topped with its signature sweet-and-tangy sauce and barbecue plates with hushpuppies, a local favorite. WASHINGTON: Jack's BBQ in Seattle Jack's BBQ. Jason P./Yelp Jack's BBQ became a Seattle standout after founder Jack Timmons traveled through Texas, learning traditional barbecue techniques before opening his own restaurant in 2014. The smokehouse is known for its oak-smoked brisket, beef ribs, and sausages, all cooked in offset smokers imported from Texas to cook everything low and slow. WEST VIRGINIA: Dee Jay's BBQ Ribs & Grille in Weirton Dee Jay's BBQ Ribs & Grille. Shari V./Yelp Dee Jay's BBQ Ribs & Grille has developed a cult following in West Virginia for its famously large rib portions and laid-back, tropical-themed atmosphere. In addition to barbecue, the restaurant is well known for its burgers and other classic American fare. WISCONSIN: Double B's BBQ in West Allis Double B's BBQ. Jill B./Yelp Double B's BBQ has earned praise for bringing authentic Southern-style barbecue to the Milwaukee area, winning local awards and previously being named by Yelp as one of the 100 best barbecue spots in the country. The smokehouse is known for brisket, burnt ends, pulled pork, and house-made sauces. WYOMING: Pokey's BBQ & Smokehouse in Gillette Pokey's BBQ & Smokehouse. Bill D./Yelp Pokey's BBQ & Smokehouse, which Food Network recognized as the best barbecue in the state, has become a popular Wyoming stop for smoked meats and hearty Western-style barbecue in a diner-style atmosphere. The casual smokehouse is known for brisket, ribs, and pulled pork, reflecting the state's ranching culture. Read the original article on Business Insider

The author took Amtrak's California Zephyr train from Chicago to Emeryville, California. Joey Hadden/Business Insider I took Amtrak's longest train, the California Zephyr, from Illinois to California in early 2026. I booked a $2,200 bedroom for the 53-hour journey across the American West. I enjoyed meeting travelers and sleeping in the top bunk, but some views were better than others. I had the time of my life on the longest train ride in America, but there were still moments when I wished I could get off. As a lover of overnight trains and the American West, taking the full 53-hour, 2,438-mile route of Amtrak's California Zephyr from Chicago to Emeryville, California, was my dream journey. Still, no adventure is perfect. Between the epic views and restful nights, there were awkward moments, dull backdrops, and unexpected drawbacks. Read about the highlights and low points of my trip for an idea of what to expect on Amtrak's longest train ride. Booking a bedroom accommodation with a private bathroom made the 53-hour ride extremely comfortable. Joey Hadden/Business Insider I've sampled a variety of classes for overnight train travel in the US and Europe, from private cabins to seating carriages. However, this was my first time spending two consecutive nights on the same train, so I thought it would be worth booking an Amtrak bedroom for $2,200. The rate also includes meals. The sleeper-class accommodation is essentially a tiny hotel room. The roughly 50-square-foot private cabin looked like a living room during the day, with a fold-out table, a cushy seat, and a long couch. At night, the couch pulled out, and another bunk pulled down from the ceiling, transforming the space into a bedroom. It wouldn't be a hotel room without a closet and a bathroom, and it had both, with a sink and vanity across from the closet. It also had a private toilet and shower squeezed into a tight space separated by a door. There was also cabinet storage space. Booking a bedroom made my trip so much more comfortable than it would have been in coach seating or a roomette, a smaller sleeper-class cabin without a private bathroom. Without feeling cramped or having to shower in the train car's shared bathrooms, it was so much easier to relax and enjoy the journey. The room had thin walls, so it wasn't suitable for some of the activities I packed. Joey Hadden/Business Insider I packed as many different activities as I could to pass the time, including my smallest musical instruments — a ukulele, a drum pad the size of my hand, and a pair of sticks to hit it with. As a part-time touring musician, I would have found playing these instruments a fun and productive way to kill several hours in the 50-square-foot room. However, I forgot that cabins on overnight trains tend to have thin walls. And this bedroom was no exception. I could hear the passengers conversing in the cabin next to mine and realized that it wouldn't be thoughtful to play my instruments, so I didn't. It was a bummer, especially since I could have packed lighter. Sleeping in the top bunk was an unexpected highlight. Joey Hadden/Business Insider When I decided to sleep in the top bunk on night one, I had no idea it would bring me so much joy. Once I pulled the cot down, hooked its straps to the ceiling, and climbed up the ladder to the bed, I was filled with nostalgia, reminiscing about sleeping on the top bunk in my brother's room as a kid. The warm fuzzy feeling I got from this experience isn't something everyone would relate to. In fact, if you're new to overnight train travel, I wouldn't recommend sleeping up top. The rails feel shakier up there. But I'm used to the bumps. They rocked me to sleep. In the morning, the narrow hallways in the sleeper cars made getting breakfast a bit awkward for everyone. Joey Hadden/Business Insider Every overnight train I've been on has had narrow hallways, so I was expecting to feel a bit uncomfortable navigating the space with other travelers. Only one person can fit in the hallway at a time, so if someone else were coming down, you'd have to step into a room to let them pass. It wasn't so bad in my sleeper car, however, since one side of the aisle was lined with bedrooms and the other with windows. Still, once breakfast was called each morning, the hallway filled up quickly. I understand being in close quarters is just the nature of train travel, but I couldn't help feeling like I was waiting in a chaotic line for my coffee and French toast. Meeting new travelers made meals in the dining car some of the best hours of my trip. Joey Hadden/Business Insider Meals are included in sleeper-class tickets on Amtrak trains. Passengers have the option of room service or eating in the dining car, where up to four passengers are seated at each table. I had most of my meals in the dining car, and I'm so glad I did. I have a hard time talking to new people, but being seated with strangers in the dining car made it easy. We were facing each other for an hour, and we were all on the same adventure. As a solo traveler, I found it fulfilling to talk to other passengers about their train experiences and daily lives. The views across the American West were absolutely jaw-dropping. Joey Hadden/Business Insider The most amazing part of this trip was the ever-changing view out my window. This route passes a variety of scenes — mountains, forests, and lakes from Colorado to California, along with deserts, rivers, and red canyons, from Utah to Nevada. I stared out my window in awe. To see so many different types of natural American landscapes in just 53 hours was an epic experience. Hanging out in the observation car was a highlight. Joey Hadden/Business Insider The lounge car is a communal carriage on the top floor of the California Zephyr. It's also known as the observation car because, unlike the rest of the train, it has two rows of giant windows on either side of the aisle. It was the best place to be for optimal views. But some of the landscapes along the route were flat and boring. The sun sets over the plains of Illinois. Joey Hadden/Business Insider Day one took us through the plains of Illinois, Iowa, and Nebraska. For hours, I saw nothing but prairies and flat land with the occasional factory, silo, or cluster of homes. I spent these hours reading and playing video games to avoid getting bored. I didn't have dramatic, diverse views until we hit Colorado when I woke up on day two. Passengers were able to get off and stretch during some stops, but not often enough to keep me from feeling cramped and antsy at times. Joey Hadden/Business Insider I embraced every opportunity to get off the train and move my body. During the stops that were long enough to do so, which could be anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour, depending on the station, I walked up and down the platform and did some yoga and light cardio. However, there were a couple of portions of the ride where passengers couldn't get off for five hours or more. These hours felt the longest. I could feel my pent-up energy building while my joints stiffened, cracking as I stretched. I thought not having WiFi or consistent service would be one of the worst parts of the trip, but it ended up being one of the best. Joey Hadden/Business Insider I knew there was no WiFi on the California Zephyr train before booking, and since the route travels through the wilderness, I assumed I couldn't rely on cell service. I expected to find this aspect of the trip challenging, but once on the journey, I formed a whole different outlook. Spending 53 hours on a train is a chance to take a break from your life. From transit to meals, everything you really need is taken care of for you until you reach your destination. If I'd had WiFi and consistent service on the California Zephyr, I may have wasted this opportunity to recharge by keeping my brain focused on the rest of the world. By the end of the trip, I felt refreshed and ready to take on the responsibilities in my phone. Read the original article on Business Insider

The author took her kids, all 8 and under, to see the Mets. Courtesy of the author My husband loves baseball, and we've been taking our three kids to minor league games in Maine. During a visit to New York City, we decided to take them to a Mets game at Citi Field. I worried the pace of the game would leave them cranky and bored, but they thoroughly enjoyed it. After weeks of chatting on Tinder, my now-husband and I decided to meet in person. Days before our date, he texted me to ask if I was into baseball. I told him I had no idea about the sport, but I'd watch a game with him. That was 12 years ago. Since, we've gotten married three times, had three children, and watched many baseball games together. My husband, a die-hard Pirates fan, wanted our kids to love the sport too. A recent family trip to New York City felt like the best way to introduce them to Major League Baseball: a Mets game at Citi Field. We all had a blast. Our kids had been to minor league baseball games After our twins were born, we decided to move from Brooklyn to Maine for a slower pace of life. Going from a city that loves sports (have you seen the recent support for the Knicks?) to one with all minor league teams was an adjustment. The author hadn't been to Cit Field since 2019. Courtesy of the author That said, because tickets are cheaper, we've been able to take our three kids to several baseball games since they were little. They love cheering on the Portland Sea Dogs, spotting Slugger the mascot around the stadium, and getting a free pass on the affordable snacks. Our local stadium is small, easily accessible, and extremely kid-friendly. And while I love all of this, after six years in Maine, I was missing the bustle and chaos of a stadium like Citi Field. We went to a Mets Sunday family game During our trip to New York to see friends, we decided to stop by Citi Field as part of our adventures. The Mets have family Sunday games, and on the day we went, it was "Toy Story 5" day, which was perfect since we had just seen the movie. As soon as we stepped into the stadium, each kid was handed a bucket hat featuring the movie's characters. They came in handy since our seats for the 1:40 p.m. game were in full sun, and I worried everyone was going to overheat and complain. The author took her kids to the Kids' Club at Citi Field. Courtesy of the author There were so many little kids everywhere, which helped me feel less stressed about keeping my kids in check. We visited the kids' club, where each got a landyard and stickers. You had the option to pay $50 for a different color lanyard, which gave you access to a VIP entrance for the base run with Mr. and Mrs. Met and extra goodies, but we passed because I didn't think it was worth the price. There was also a small air-conditioned area where kids could color and play, but my 8, 6, and 6-year-olds felt already too big for it. Everyone was entertained We had lounge access, which was key with the kids. We arrived over an hour before the game started and made our way to the Clover Lounge for food. One order of chicken nuggets, two empanadas, one burger, and one sandwich cost us $81, which felt pretty standard for stadium prices. The food was delicious. The author ate at the Clover Lounge at Citi Field. Courtesy of the author We thought we'd have more time to explore the stadium with the kids and show them around. But by the time we finished lunch, we made our way to the kids' club, and it was already time for the first pitch, so we ran back to our seats. The kids were entertained not only by the game (which featured a Mets home run, so we got to see the apple pop up) but also by trying to spot Mr. and Mrs. Met throughout the stadium and watching the games on the field between innings. Having lounge access was key to the author's kids cooling off midgame. Courtesy of the author Halfway through the game, we took another pause to eat ice cream out of baseball helmets (a must) and cool down. It's going to be a core memory I was amazed at how good a time we were having, before I remembered that we had actually brought our son to see a Mets game when he was a baby, back in 2019. There was a heat wave, and I had just found out I was pregnant with twins. Hours before we were set to leave for the stadium, I started bleeding. My husband suggested we stay home, but I figured there was nothing left to do if I was having a miscarriage. I would rather keep myself busy watching a live game than sitting at home. And here we were, almost seven years later to the day, with our twin girls watching the game as a family of five. The Mets lost, and we left before the crowds congested the streets. On our way out, a security guard stopped my kids to give them even more stickers and high-fives. On the way back home, I asked them what their favorite thing of the day had been. They all agreed on one thing: everything. Read the original article on Business Insider

Enterprise Document Intelligence [Vol.1 #8A] - The schema is the contract: every field is a question the pipeline asks the model, and every answer is checkable The post Stop Returning Text from RAG: The Typed Answer Contract That Prevents Hallucination appeared first on Towards Data Science.

Bloomberg: Official data shows Hong Kong accounted for 50%+ of China's $239B in chip imports in the first five months of 2026, a record share, up from ~33% a decade ago  —  Hong Kong has become a vital conduit for high-tech products moving in and out of China, emerging as one node in a $2 trillion network …

The author packed up all her belongings and put everything in a storage unit. Courtesy of Amber Campbell I spent decades collecting things that made me feel more secure. Then I lost my job, became an empty nester, gave away almost everything, and started traveling. Along the way, I discovered that the life I was trying to build was never really about the stuff. I spent months searching for the perfect couch for my new Seattle townhouse and debating which family photos would fill the collage picture frame I found online. I bought coordinated throw pillows, rattan barstools, and a whale-shaped butter dish that I loved. After feeling too embarrassed to bring friends home as a kid and being teased relentlessly for wearing the same two pairs of generic jeans over and over, I started working at 15 and never forgot what it felt like to purchase that coveted pair of Guess jeans with my first paycheck. I thought my possessions would give me the security I always wanted The feeling stayed with me for decades as I collected mementos, art supplies, homesteading equipment, and hundreds of books that I imagined would someday fill my own personal library. Then I lost my job, became an empty nester, and realized how exhausted I was from paying to maintain a life I barely had time to enjoy. Within a few months, I started letting go. I gave away almost everything I owned, put what was left in storage, and started slow-traveling through midlife. It wasn't easy downsizing from a three-bedroom townhouse to a small basement apartment and finally to a 50-square-foot storage unit. Downsizing forced me to question who I was without my stuff I was so anxious about letting go that I packed my storage unit like a Tetris puzzle, labeled every box, and created an inventory spreadsheet so I could always find the keepsakes, family documents, and backup clothes that I stored away. My four-door Kia Forte became my home away from home while I drove up and down the West Coast as a traveling house and pet sitter, chasing the sun and trying to figure out who I was aside from being a mom, caregiver, and corporate employee. Still not able to fully relinquish my creature comforts, I packed my car with my favorite blanket, a travel blender, and a coffee grinder so I could make coffee the way I liked it. The author, seen here in Mexico, now travels in her car with two small suitcases. Courtesy of Amber Campbell But I started noticing that whenever I walked into a store, I stopped wandering the aisles and headed straight for what I came to buy. Then I visited a friend who shares my love of reading, and she gave me a stack of books I had no room for. I simultaneously felt grateful and overwhelmed. They were all on my to-be-read list, and I wondered where I would put them. Books had been the hardest thing for me to give away, and I was still holding on to the dream that I would someday have my own personal library with comfy chairs, floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, and my kids' favorite childhood stories, all still packed in my storage unit. I wondered if there was any room left for a few more. I discovered I was collecting the wrong things That's when it hit me how much of my life I'd spent defining myself by my stuff. The books weren't just something to read, the whale-shaped butter dish wasn't just kitchenware, and the Guess jeans weren't just pants. They were all evidence that I'd become the person I always wanted to be. A woman with a beautiful, welcoming home. A mom who preserved all the family memories. An artist surrounded by books and supplies. The kid who no longer felt like an outsider. I thought about all the memories, new friendships, and adventures I'd accumulated during my life on the road. Those were the things I wanted to keep collecting: experiences, relationships, and the freedom to make choices about what matters most. I'm still traveling with two small suitcases and wearing the same small rotation of clothes. But the woman who once needed an inventory list to track her belongings can hardly remember what remains packed away. Read the original article on Business Insider

Disney is bolstering its namesake streamer by integrating shows and features from Hulu. Illustration by Samuel Boivin/NurPhoto via Getty Images; Chris Delmas/AFP via Getty Images Disney has become a streaming giant that has recently gained some ground on Netflix. The company is fully integrating Hulu into the Disney+ app to further boost engagement. We charted out the product and tech leaders driving Disney's strategy. Disney has momentum in streaming, and its leaders are looking for ways to further narrow the gap with Netflix in the battle for eyeballs. Since launching Disney+ in 2019, Disney's direct-to-consumer business has gone from a promising but costly project to a profit engine. CEO Josh D'Amaro is prioritizing streaming by investing in technology like AI-generated ad tools for Disney+. He's also named TV head Dana Walden as the company's first-ever chief creative officer and tapped Adam Smith and Joe Earley as co-presidents of the DTC business. Business Insider recently published organizational charts showing who reports to D'Amaro and Walden, and we have new details on who's helping lead its streaming strategy, including key product and tech executives. Smith, who's also the product and tech chief for Disney Entertainment, joined the company in September 2024 from YouTube. He has eight direct reports, including Andre Rohe, Disney's EVP of Product Engineering. Smith has delivered a number of key updates to streaming staffers, including clarity on its "super app" ambitions, news of a shake-up of its streaming commerce and data teams, and a progress report on the Disney+ AI ad tool, which the tech chief said in a recent meeting is "one of the clearest areas where we're really making traction." Rohe has helped Disney tech staffers better grasp the company's AI goals, including by saying that employees shouldn't be "tokenmaxxing," or using AI tools regardless of how productive they are. Disney's standing in the streaming wars Disney's streamers have gained ground in 2026, scoring their highest monthly TV viewership share in nearly three years in March before posting their best month versus Netflix in nearly a year, according to Nielsen's US data. The slight rebound comes after Disney's streaming viewership had stagnated for years. Disney+ and Hulu have become profitable thanks to a large base of loyal, engaged subscribers. Disney made $582 million in streaming profits last quarter, and while the company no longer discloses its subscriber count, it had 196 million subscriptions as of late September 2025. Despite a steady stream of price hikes, Disney+ and Hulu have the lowest cancellation rates in the business, besides Netflix. Less than 4% of those services' customers quit in May, according to data firm Antenna. To boost engagement further, D'Amaro is bringing Disney+ and Hulu together to create a one-stop shop in streaming, while looking to use resources more efficiently. The Mouse House's flagship streamer is also betting on short-form video, as are Peacock, Netflix, and Paramount+. To better understand Disney's product and tech strategy, Business Insider is publishing parts of Disney's internal streaming org chart, based on screenshots sent by an employee. Below are the complete org charts showing Smith's and Rohe's direct reports, based on Disney's records. Here are the direct reports to Smith, Disney Entertainment's product and tech chief, in alphabetical order by first name: NamePosition Andre RoheEVP, Product Engineering Christopher (Chris) LawsonEVP, Content Platforms & Operations Danette DugasSenior Executive Assistant Dimitri KontopidisExecutive Director of Product & Tech Strategy and Operations Erin TeagueEVP, Product Management Meghan BorsicSVP, Design Michael CupoSVP, Business Operations Tony DonohoeEVP, Ad Platforms Here are the direct reports to Andre Rohe, Disney's EVP of product engineering, in alphabetical order by first name: NamePosition Andrew HydeVP, Product Software Engineering Christopher ShattuckHead of India Product & Tech Christopher (Chris) SwordDirector of Data Analytics Devika ChawlaSVP, Product Software Engineering Dominique CharretteVP, Data Analytics Jay DonnellSVP, Product Software Engineering Justin AltwiesDirector of Product Engineering and Business Operations Mali SonnierSenior Executive Assistant Mayank SachanVP, Growth Engineering Mehran BozorgiSVP, Product Software Engineering Nicholas BrookinsSVP, Media Engineering Zachary CavaVP, Product Software Engineering Do you work for Disney or have a tip? Contact this reporter via email at jfaris@businessinsider.com or Signal at jamesfaris.01. Read the original article on Business Insider

Disturbances in this critical sense are often linked to problems with brain health.

Biology could explain the find, but there are other potential explanations.

A short-statured human relative that lived on a lush island probably didn’t wield fire or hunt big game, but it did walk in the footsteps of dragons, according to a new study.

Discussion | Link

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani watching a World Cup game in New Jersey. Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani has launched lotteries for big-ticket events, with thousands entering. A lottery for affordable World Cup tickets drew 350,000 entries, with winners elated to go. Some see the lotteries as political theater, although past mayors have opened their own lotteries. For Yolanda Vega, a social worker who runs a Head Start program in Queens, New York, winning tickets in a city-run lottery to see Brazil face off against Morocco was the highlight of her summer. "It's a big thing for me to be out," said Vega, who said she was wearing an ankle boot and had surgery scheduled for a few days after the game. "When I won this, I swear I thought it was a phishing tactic on my email." In Mayor Zohran Mamdani's New York, any day could be your lucky day — if you throw your name into the ring for a municipal lottery. So far, the Mamdani administration has opened lotteries for $50 World Cup tickets, replica city litter baskets painted in Knicks colors, a free celebration at City Hall to honor the Knicks, and front-row seats for the Fourth of July fireworks. The World Cup and City Hall lotteries each received around 350,000 sign-ups — more entries than the population of the Upper West Side. Mamdani has also announced new first-come, first-served attractions. New Yorkers queued up around the block to buy limited-edition World Cup jerseys at a city gift shop. And about 3,000 tickets to take in the views from the roof of a municipal office building that Mamdani opened to the public for the first time in over a century were snapped up within minutes on July 1. "The crown jewel events of our city belong to the people, and these free giveaways, raffles, and lotteries give all New Yorkers a chance to participate," Mamdani said in a statement to Business Insider. For hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers, the lotteries have inspired excitement, or, at the very least, a willingness to fill out a form or stand in line in hopes of getting lucky. While other cities have relied on random drawings for hot-ticket items, few local governments and their leaders have shown the same fervor for free giveaways as New York's new mayor. In a city where high prices, rent hikes, and exclusive events abound, some see them as furthering Mamdani's goals of affordability and accessibility. Others view it as a cynical game of political theater. Santiago Vidal Calvo, a Cities policy analyst at the right-leaning Manhattan Institute, said the World Cup lottery sounded like "bread and circuses." "I mostly think that it's a technique to make the public feel special," Calvo said. If the goal was to make the World Cup more affordable, he said, "I don't think the lottery or even doing a deal with FIFA was the best way to afford that. How you actually get affordability into events like that is making New York City a more affordable place." Lindsay Owens, the president and CEO of the left-leaning Groundwork Collaborative, said that the "use of fairer distribution models is a breath of fresh air for New Yorkers who know they're being ripped off." Juliette Carreiro, a 28-year-old in Manhattan, met her husband playing soccer in high school. The couple won the World Cup lottery to watch Brazil — her husband's home country — play. "When the prices got so insane, we didn't think that it was going to be feasible or realistic for us to go," Carreiro said. When she got the email saying she'd won, her husband was worried it was a scam. Then the reality and excitement set in. To get to go to the match was "truly incredible — like a dream come true." Juliette and Januário Carreiro got to go to the World Cup after winning the city's lottery. Courtesy of Juliette Carreiro It's not just socialists like Mamdani who like lotteries. The use of an online drawing to control access to the best viewing spots for the Fourth of July fireworks on the East River was also done under the Eric Adams administration. When gay marriage became legal in 2011, then-Mayor Michael Bloomberg's administration created a lottery system to allocate time slots in city clerks' offices. (It didn't end up needing to use the system, the New York Times reported.) And it's not always up to the mayor. The use of lotteries to assign some city resources is enshrined in law. Since the 1980s, subsidized apartments have been allocated to poor and middle-class New Yorkers through lotteries, and some in-demand public school seats are also randomly assigned. Many public housing authorities across the US also use lotteries for Section 8 vouchers. New York's reliance on lotteries and giveaways goes back decades, at least. When Mayor Ed Koch faced criticism for doling out summer jobs for teens through a lottery in 1979, he said it was better than handing out jobs through political patronage. Fiorello La Guardia, who served as New York City's mayor from 1934 to 1946 and is one of Mamdani's icons, also loved freebies. The New York Times reported in 1939 that he tried to drum up attention for a city almanac by signing 100 copies. During World War II, he bragged that he got the city's sports teams to give hundreds of thousands of free tickets to servicemen. Chris Gorman, the vice president for communications and public affairs at the Museum of the City of New York, said lotteries for in-demand public goods turn "a scarcity problem into a moment of civic theater." "Rather than doling them out to specific individuals, opening it up is, I'd say, a very democratic thing," Gorman said. "And there is the personal branding that mayors seek through what we might call municipal largesse." Mamdani struck some of those same notes. "Opportunities to enjoy some of the best events in our city should not be reserved for the wealthy and well-connected," his statement said. There's still plenty in NYC that is first-come, first-served or only available to those with wealth and connections. The city can't get you into fancy restaurants like Carbone or help you skip the line at Joe's Pizza. If you want a shady spot on a park lawn, you have to throw your blanket down before somebody else does. For Vega, the World Cup lottery generated warm feelings for the mayor. The previous year, she said, had been stressful, with federal immigration agents arresting the parents of some children in her Head Start program. She said she was seated near other "working-class" ticket winners and couldn't imagine how she could have afforded a ticket if there hadn't been a lottery. "That's when it was a realization: this mayor is for the people," Vega said. "I'm thinking of retiring soon and I'm thinking of volunteering in his administration, very much so." Read the original article on Business Insider

Rémi Louf works out of a French castle that has a moat. "I appreciate having the space to think," he said. Rémi Louf Rémi Louf is the CEO of the AI startup .txt. He works out of a castle in Bourron-Marlotte, France. The castle has iron gates, a moat, and free electricity to run his GPUs. "I appreciate having the space to think," Louf said. "I'm literally touching grass every day." This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Rémi Louf, the 39-year-old cofounder of the AI startup .txt. It's been edited for length and clarity. I'm based in Bourron-Marlotte, France. It's an hour south of Paris, and it's basically the countryside. I live in a village. We did the Covid lockdown in a small flat in Paris with a five-year-old and a one-month-old. I remember that the thing we did every day was to look at houses outside Paris. When the lockdown was over, we moved here. There's also an international school, and my wife is American. I'm the CEO and cofounder of .txt. It's 15 of us now — almost only engineers — and we are fully distributed. Half of us are in the US, and half of us are all across Europe. It's actually only two of us in France. People think it's a French company, but really it's an American company that happens to have a French CEO. When we moved here, I was freelancing and working from home. I got tired of my home office after a year, and thought it'd be great to find an office in the area. It's a village; there's no WeWork. The only option is to rent an actual, standalone office. I didn't want to do that. It turns out that there is a castle with a hotel, but they also rent offices. I was like, "This is exactly what I need." It was the only one that was reasonably close. Otherwise, I'd have to drive to the nearby town. It's a 20-minute walk. Instead of walking through the village, I like to walk a little outside in the fields to my office-castle. Often, I'll be on the phone during my morning walk. If you have my on the phone between 8:30 and 10 a.m., then I'm probably walking in the field. The castle has a big iron gate that opens, and then you have to cross a moat. There are big fish swimming there. Louf rents an office in this French castle. Rémi Louf It's absurd in a way. I go to San Francisco every six weeks. When you compare the two, they're so different. One is much quieter than the other. I appreciate having the space to think. I'm literally touching grass every day. I like to say: "I can hear my own thoughts." I don't live in a bubble here. Almost no one knows what I do with my life, and no one talks about AI. San Francisco is the opposite. The office is beautiful on the outside and boring on the inside. It feels like I'm in an old French office from the 60s. It's carpet on the floor, which is not my favorite thing. That's how you want it: That morning commute is glorious, but then it's just another day at the office. You're not distracted. It used to be the only place in the village with fiber-optic internet. I don't know why; that's still a mystery. For someone who has GPUs, they also don't charge for electricity. It's quite a big office. It's too big for me. I could probably have half of my company in there, but that's all they had, and I pay almost nothing. It's about €600 euros a month. I think your environment is important. However stressful whatever happens is, I still get to walk into a castle every morning. That's cool. You don't get tired of it. Read the original article on Business Insider

Getty Images; Tyler Le/BI Twice a week, Morgan Linton tells his 16 engineers which AI models to use and when. Business Insider spoke to Linton, the Lake Tahoe-based chief technology officer of AI startup Bold Metrics, 50 minutes before his engineering team's standup. He planned to tell one team to use Claude Fable on low, and another to use GPT-5.5 on high. A third is using Cursor with Composer 2.5 and getting "totally perfect results," he said. Being specific about model use means Linton doesn't have to set hard token caps. "My team is getting to use the best stuff, but they're using it a lot more efficiently," he said. The first half of 2026 was characterized by one word in the AI community: tokenmaxxing — referring to companies urging their employees to use AI as much as possible. But after reviewing the AI bills their employees were racking up, companies from Uber to Microsoft are taking a more considered approach. Founders, software engineers, UX designers, and even non-technical vibe-coding enthusiasts are catching on to one cost-saving hack: model switching. They route their most difficult, intellectually challenging tasks to pricier frontier models and offload easier, repetitive tasks to older and cheaper ones. And as companies cut back on AI budgets and impose usage caps, this token hygiene tactic could help you get more bang for your buck. Goodbye, tokenmaxxing There are, of course, good reasons to use the most recent model. OpenAI's Kaylin Voss wrote on LinkedIn that better models "reduce retries, supervision, and wasted effort." But some tasks simply don't merit the costs. Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong was one of the first to put it into words in an X post on June 7. "80% of workloads will be running on 99% cheaper models within 12-18 months," he wrote, adding that the other 20% will continue to run on the latest models where "IQ maxxing is important." Chris Maconi was never a fan of tokenmaxxing. The Huntsville-based cofounder of the AI startup Hechura said he runs his company with a "human-in-the-loop" attitude, and isn't setting up overnight bots to keep on coding. Model choice is part of this anti-tokenmaxxing outlook. Maconi remembers the OpenClaw hype cycle — a Mac Mini-encapsulated AI agent that was especially token-burning, given its 24/7 use and broad autonomy. When he set up his OpenClaw, Maconi started with cheap Gemini models before switching to Anthropic's Haiku. "I'm not afraid to go and try some of these lower-end models to see if they can provide the intelligence that we need," Maconi said. Stretching their tokens in creative ways Tanvi Pisal, a 29-year-old Big Tech user-experience designer, said she learned the hard way to use models more efficiently. Pisal uses tools such as Figma, ChatGPT, and Claude to brainstorm and formulate product requirements documents. She has a company subscription to ChatGPT and pays for the basic $20/month Claude Pro package. At the start, she said she would use Claude to brainstorm the UX from scratch, a process in which she "wasted months of tokens" and still didn't finish the task. "So now what I do is I design everything in Figma first, then I put those screenshots into Claude. I tell Claude to keep the UI as is and build the entire functionality and flow," Pisal added. "Doing this design-first process really helps me save tokens." She also chooses to brainstorm ideas with ChatGPT — which is free for her thanks to her enterprise plan — then takes the refined ideas to Claude to create more polished documents. Alejandra Thomas, a software engineer and tech content creator based in New York City, said she runs tests on every new model released to see what each is good at. "I try not to use the most expensive or advanced model just because it's available. For simple tasks, I always use lighter models or none at all," Thomas said. Ed Stevens, the CEO of AI sales company Scoot, said that he likes to "pick a horse and ride it." His engineers will land on a model, try it for a few months, and then determine if it's up to snuff. If there's a shiny new model — or if they think they can achieve the same for cheaper — they change horses, Stevens said. The idea of squeezing the juice out of each token exemplifies the scarcity mindset, according to Dan Ariely, a behavioral economics researcher and professor at Duke University. Ariely said token budgets remind him of cellphones back in the day, when they came with a limited number of minutes of talk time. He said people would try to max out their minutes at the end of the month, even if that meant calling people they didn't really want to. "Tokens create a model of scarcity where people can't use as much as they want. It creates a target for use, and it creates a psychology of waste if people don't reach their target," he said. He added that because they don't want to go over the limit and pay extra per use, users switch to models from other companies to save on cash once they've hit the token ceiling. There's a tool for that If AI modelmaxxing sounds exhausting, the good news is you don't have to make these switching decisions on your own. Model routing startups are all the rage. These companies provide software that designates tasks to specific models — sometimes including open-source — based on complexity. They're a venture hit, with startups like OpenRouter being showered with cash. David Gilmore runs one of these companies, Rayline. His tool intercepts requests and determines whether they could go to cheaper, often open-source models. Many of his firm's clients fall prey to the "FOMO moment," he said. Then, they get their API bill and realize they need to scale back. The number of firms using a routing platform is inching up, Ramp's lead economist, Ara Kharazian, told Business Insider. Last year, Kharazian found that around 1% of firms used a model router; this year, it's 5%. The San Francisco-based investment firm BlockSpaceForce uses OpenRouter, Fireworks, and Together AI. Spencer Yang, its managing partner, also advocated asking a cheaper model first whether a more expensive one would be needed for your task. "The models themselves are actually getting really good at assessing their own complexity," Yang said. Some companies continue to default to using the most recent, highest-costing models. Hecura cofounder Maconi pegged it to laziness. "People don't want to do the hard work of understanding which models are good at which things," he said. "They just want to ride the hype train." Read the original article on Business Insider

Rilla AI Rilla's CEO offers an $18K housing stipend to help employees live close to the AI startup's office. Rilla is working on offering a gym, sauna, and cold plunge within its Williamburg office building. Employees at the startup typically work 12 hours a day for six days a week. This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Sebastian Jimenez, the CEO and cofounder of Rilla, an AI startup based in New York City that builds speech analytics software for in-person sales teams. Rilla relocated to Williamsburg, Brooklyn, in 2026. The essay has been edited for length and clarity. I started Rilla in 2019 because I became fascinated with the creative process. I used to do stand-up comedy in college, and I loved the idea of trying something, failing, getting feedback, and improving. That's what building a startup feels like. That same mindset is part of why we now offer employees an $18,000 annual housing stipend if they live within about a 10-minute bike ride of our Williamsburg office. We want to remove friction from people's lives so they can spend more time in the flow. We're one of the fastest-growing AI startups, but we're not trying to replace people. We're building what I like to call an Iron Man suit for salespeople. That same philosophy shapes how we think about our own employees. The flow state Rilla has what many people would call an insanely hardcore culture. I was deeply influenced by the book "Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience." The central idea is that one of life's purposes is to spend as much time as possible in a state of complete focus and immersion. That's what we optimize for. We believe at Rilla that we need to create an environment where our employees are in the flow almost 100% of the time. Our employees typically work 12-hour days and come into the office six days a week. We don't clock people in or out, and we don't force anyone to work here. We select people who want this kind of environment. Many of them are former Division I athletes, entrepreneurs, or people who have always pushed themselves to perform at a very high level. I think those hours help cut out a lot of the extra fat in life. When you spend that much time working, you become much more intentional about how you use the rest of your day. The new office space Rilla signed a 10-year lease for a penthouse office space at 25 Kent in Williamsburg. Rilla As we grew to around 120 employees, we realized something was working against us: our office. Most commercial buildings have sealed windows, which means CO₂ builds up throughout the day. Once CO₂ levels climb high enough, studies have shown cognitive performance can fall significantly. People think they're tired at 3 p.m., but often it's because they're breathing stale air. That realization led us to hire Dr. Joe Allen from Harvard, one of the world's leading experts on healthy buildings. We toured around 20 offices looking for one with exceptional ventilation. We eventually signed a 10-year lease for the entire penthouse floor at 25 Kent in Williamsburg because it has what Dr. Allen told us is the best ventilation system he'd seen in New York City. Clean air may sound boring, but if your business depends on creativity and focus, it matters. Our benefits pay off Every benefit we offer has one purpose: helping people stay healthy and spend more time doing meaningful work. We're not trying to coddle people. A lot of companies offer perks that end up distracting employees. We ask ourselves, "Can this help someone get into the flow?" That's why we pay for three meals a day. It's why we're building a gym with a sauna and cold plunge. And it's why we offer employees an $18,000 annual housing stipend if they choose to live within about a 10-minute bike ride of the office. Commuting is one of the most annoying parts of people's day. If someone works 12 hours, sleeps eight hours, and works out for an hour, they don't have much free time left. I'd rather they spend that time with family, reading, or doing something meaningful than sitting on a subway. Altogether, we spend roughly $37,000 per employee each year on housing, meals, and fitness benefits before you even include healthcare, retirement benefits, or equity. We're fortunate that we can afford to invest that much because we're an extremely capital-efficient business. Each engineer generates roughly $4 million to $5 million in annual recurring revenue. The housing stipend is optional, but about 80% of our employees take it. Our goal isn't simply to get people into the office. It's to build an environment where they can do the best work of their lives. And if they stay at Rilla long enough, they usually end up pretty ripped, because they're eating well, working out, and spending their days in a culture that takes performance seriously. Read the original article on Business Insider

Robert P Baird / The Guardian: A profile of Google DeepMind philosopher Iason Gabriel, whose work has tracked, and in many cases predicted, the ethical challenges posed by the success of LLMs  —  Since 2017, Iason Gabriel has worked at the tech giant, trying to anticipate - and think through - the impact of AI.

Mari Kiyohara / Bloomberg: Micron breaks ground on its ~$9.3B Hiroshima factory expansion, part of its global ramp-up to meet AI demand, and plans to start HBM shipments from summer 2028  —  Micron Technology Inc. on Saturday broke ground on the expansion of its factory in western Japan, a ¥1.5 trillion ($9.3 billion) …

Duc Dao / TNGlobal: Singapore-based dConstruct Robotics, which develops spatial tech to let autonomous robots operate in complex, GPS-denied environments, raised a $125M Series A  —  Singapore-based dConstruct Technologies has closed a $125 million Series A funding round, marking the standout achievement …

Anna Heim / TechCrunch: Prague-based EquiLibre, which offers AI for quant hedge funds and is founded by three ex-Google DeepMind researchers, raised a Series A at a $500M valuation  —  Three former DeepMind researchers who created an AI that beat humans at poker have now applied the same technology to trading stocks — and the bet appears to be paying off.

Madison McLauchlan / BetaKit: Montreal-based Stathera, a maker of MEMS-based silicon timing components for chips, raised a $55M Series B led by Maverick Silicon, taking total funding to $75M  —  Stathera has raised $55 million USD ($78 million CAD) to boost production of its semiconductor clock technology amid an AI-fuelled push for compute power.