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Christina Applegate thought she had MS for 5 years. Now she's learned she was misdiagnosed — and her symptoms remain unexplained.

20 October 2026 at 21:48
Christina Applegate attends the 29th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at Fairmont Century Plaza on February 26, 2023 in Los Angeles, California.
Christina Applegate was diagnosed with MS in 2021. She recently learned she was misdiagnosed — and feels like she's "back to square one" with treatment.

Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

  • Christina Applegate recently learned that she was misdiagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS).
  • Applegate was first diagnosed in 2021 after multiple tests and worsening symptoms.
  • About 15% of MS patients are believed to be misdiagnosed, given how complex the disorder is.

After being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) in 2021, living with severe symptoms, and becoming one of the most famous celebrities with the disorder, Christina Applegate learned some shocking news: She doesn't actually have MS.

In an October 20, two-part episode of her podcast "MeSsy" with Jamie Lynn Sigler (another actor diagnosed with MS), Applegate shared that she took over half a year off from recording the podcast to process the news of her MS misdiagnosis.

According to Applegate, her doctor framed the revelation as a positive update. "She came into my room and said, 'Congratulations, you don't have MS,'" Applegate said in the podcast.

GOOD MORNING AMERICA - 5/4/26 -Show coverage of "Good Morning America" on 5/4/26 on ABC.(ABC/Paula Lobo)JAMIE-LYNN SIGLER (Photo by Paula Lobo/American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. via Getty Images)
Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Applegate's co-host on the podcast, was diagnosed with relapsing multiple sclerosis when she was filming "The Sopranos."

Paula Lobo/American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. via Getty Images

But to Applegate, no longer having an explanation for the pain, balance issues, tremors, incontinence, and fatigue she'd been living with for years felt more like being "back at square one."

"You don't get misdiagnosed and then all of a sudden, I'm better," she said. "If anything, I've gotten worse, in some ways."

Applegate's story is far from a medical anomaly. MS researchers estimate that about 15% of worldwide MS patients are actually misdiagnosed, based on a 2024 meta-analysis of multiple studies.

The risks to patients are two-fold, Dr. Marwa Kaisey, an associate professor of neurology at Cedars-Sinai, who also appeared on the podcast, told Business Insider. "One is thinking you have MS — a lot of the medications we use to treat MS have side effects and risks like infections," she said. "The other category is, if you don't know what you have, then you're not getting treated for your actual diagnosis."

Kaisey and another researcher shared why MS is so challenging to diagnose — and why more people might end up with Applegate's experience in the future.

The race to diagnose a hard-to-diagnose disorder

MRI image of the brain showing multiple sclerosis plaques
MRIs are important diagnostic tools for diagnosing MS, but researchers say they're just one piece of the puzzle.

Paul Biris/Getty Images

There is no single blood test that can diagnose MS.

Instead, doctors often piece together an MS diagnosis using a neurological exam (testing balance and reflexes), MRI scans, a lumbar puncture (or spinal tap), and possible blood tests to rule out other conditions such as Lyme disease.

Sometimes, doctors overrely on a single diagnostic, such as an MRI finding, without performing enough other tests, Dr. Andrew J. Solomon, a professor of neurological sciences at the University of Vermont who co-authored the meta-analysis, told Business Insider.

In 2019, Solomon co-authored an MS misdiagnosis study that found that patients who were initially diagnosed with MS were later told they actually had other conditions, such as migraine, radiologically isolated syndrome, spondylopathy, and neuropathy, which can share overlapping symptoms with MS and similar brain scan results.

In the podcast, Applegate revealed that she had a nerve test to rule out peripheral neuropathy, as well as MRIs and a lumbar puncture. While her spinal fluid test showed a low level of immune proteins that can support an MS diagnosis, she had nearly 40 brain lesions and worsening symptoms, leading doctors to diagnose her with MS.

Solomon said MS should be diagnosed by "confirming each element of our diagnostic criteria and ruling out other things," rather than assuming it must be MS if the MRIs and symptoms fit.

The problem is, both physicians and patients are eager to diagnose MS as early as possible, he said. Correctly spotting MS early can lead to better treatment results and a higher likelihood of disability prevention, according to research.

Plus, for patients dealing with a plethora of debilitating symptoms, "a period of diagnostic uncertainty is uncomfortable," he said, even though the best course of action is to wait and perform more tests.

A new testing protocol revealed Applegate's misdiagnosis

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 15: Christina Applegate speaks speaks onstage during the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards at Peacock Theater on January 15, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
Applegate underwent several tests for MS to rule out other conditions. A more in-depth MRI finally identified the misdiagnosis.

Kevin Winter/Getty Images

In the podcast, Applegate shared that her brain lesions were missing "strings" associated with MS.

It's a finding associated with a new, more accurate diagnostic tool for Kaisey, who also co-authored the 2019 study with Solomon, explained on the podcast.

The central vein sign (CVS), is an MRI biomarker that can help differentiate MS brain lesions from ones associated with other disorders. It refers to a small vein that appears as a dot or thin line through the center of a brain lesion.

CVS was only recently adopted as part of the recommended MS diagnostic criteria, in 2025 — four years after Applegate was first diagnosed with MS. Kaisey told Business Insider that part of her work is expanding education around newer diagnostic tools, noting that not all physicians are using CVS yet.

Solomon hopes more doctors will include CVS in their diagnostic protocols, especially for existing MS patients or those who switch providers without being evaluated by their current doctors. "If something doesn't fit, there's an opportunity there to reevaluate if the diagnosis is right," he said.

Many misdiagnosed MS patients feel exactly like Applegate does

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 14: Christina Applegate poses with her star during her Hollywood Walk of Fame Ceremony at Hollywood Walk Of Fame on November 14, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Phillip Faraone/Getty Images)
After learning she doesn't have MS, Applegate has felt like she lost clarity and direction when it comes to treatment.

Phillip Faraone/Getty Images

When it comes to learning about an MS misdiagnosis, Solomon said experiences like Applegate's aren't that uncommon.

"I've heard many stories where some doctor was very enthusiastic about telling a patient they actually didn't have MS," he said. "But many of these patients are suffering, and they still have symptoms. So it's not always necessarily a happy thing."

For Applegate, her initial MS diagnosis provided clarity and direction. "That was my answer to everything that was going on," Applegate said. Some might relate to Applegate's "square one" feeling, particularly if their doctor was an MS specialist and won't see them anymore, Solomon said. Without a formal diagnosis, they might also worry about insurance coverage for treatments that have provided some relief.

There is also the emotional part of having an MS diagnosis. "I leaned into other friends, I leaned into the community," Applegate said. "I had a reason as to why my day sucked every day, and now I don't have a reason."

Knowing she doesn't have MS also made her feel like she "let everybody down" after becoming one of the "poster children for MS," she said. It made her wonder if she was somehow imagining symptoms or at fault for her pain.

Given how common MS misdiagnosis is, Solomon believes it's a good thing that Applegate is sharing her story.

"It's kind of wonderful that Ms. Applegate is public with this because if the number is really 15%, you can do the math," he said. "There are a lot of people out there who might ask their doctors about the accuracy of their diagnosis and find out that, in fact, they had something else."

Read the original article on Business Insider

Foursquare cofounder says acquisition gave $0 to equity holders, leaving him 'heartbroken'

20 October 2026 at 21:38
Foursquare founder Dennis Crowley is pictured.
Foursquare cofounder Dennis Crowley wrote that "watching the company slowly decay has been a grind on my soul."

Bloomberg/Getty Images

  • Foursquare cofounder Dennis Crowley said the company's acquisition paid $0 to equity holders.
  • "I am sorry the Foursquare story ended in such a way," he wrote to employees.
  • Crowley said the company decayed after a private equity investment.

Foursquare's acquisition left its cofounder sad and angry.

Dennis Crowley helped launch the location technology company in 2009. Seventeen years later, Foursquare was acquired by Infillion. Crowley wrote on Substack that one point of the acquisition left him "heartbroken."

Foursquare's acquisition earned equity holders exactly $0, Crowley wrote, with no money offered for preferred or common stock.

"To our ~1600 former employees over 17 years, I am sorry the Foursquare story ended in such a way that makes it seem like our collective efforts were worth… nothing?" Crowley wrote.

Crowley left the CEO role in 2016, though he continued to lead Foursquare's research and development lab through 2021. After that, Crowley kept a seat on the board.

Foursquare raised capital from The Raine Group, a private equity firm, in 2019. Less than two years later, Gary Little became CEO. Little was one of The Raine Group's managing directors.

"Leadership was unable to preserve the value it inherited or create new value during those six years," Crowley wrote.

Foursquare employees reached out to Crowley to express their frustrations with leadership, he wrote. He cited the company's Glassdoor reviews, which rate it 2.1 stars out of 5. The Raine Group did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

Crowley also wrote that the $0 equity outcome was buried in a 125-page PDF for Foursquare's legal team. "No single individual stood up to own (or even acknowledge) the outcome," he wrote.

Calynn Krieger, an executive vice president of marketing for Infillion, told Business Insider in an email that Foursquare had "remarkable technology and a talented team."

"We have nothing to say about Foursquare's former leadership, but we're glad the business and its value continue, and we're committed to creating even more of it," Krieger said.

The lesson Crowley learned

Crowley took responsibility for his role in the lead-up to Foursquare's $0 outcome for equity holders. His decisions as CEO led to the need for a private equity investment, Crowley wrote, and he said he wished he were louder on the board.

His takeaway: "Maybe the biggest mistake I've made in my career is falling in love with this company."

Crowley was too loyal to "making it work," he wrote, and stayed longer than he should have. "Watching the company slowly decay has been a grind on my soul," he wrote.

In a footnote, Crowley gave founders a piece of advice.

"It's okay to fall in love with the company you're building, but don't deny yourself the ability to get closure and move on just because the company itself hasn't yet experienced an exit or ending," he wrote.

Read the original article on Business Insider

Netflix shares sink on earnings after a dramatic content executive shake-up

20 October 2026 at 21:08
Netflix Q3
Netflix hired Peter Rice as its new content chief as co-CEO Ted Sarandos tries to boost growth.

Frank Micelotta/Tubi via Getty Images; Samuel Boivin/NurPhoto via Getty Images; Chris Pizzello/AP

  • Netflix shares sank up to 6% after a Q3 earnings beat and weak guidance for the rest of the year.
  • Shares had fallen about 44% in the last year as investors worry about slowing growth.
  • The streaming leader laid off about 1,000 employees last week and changed its content leadership.

Netflix's third-quarter earnings failed to excite investors, a week after a major content executive shuffle and its biggest round of layoffs since 2022.

The streamer turned in results above expectations for the third quarter, but provided weak guidance for the rest of the year. Netflix said its earnings beat was primarily due to the timing of expenses.

Netflix's revenue growth slowed for a third straight quarter, and the company projected it would continue to decelerate in the fourth quarter.

Shares fell up to 6% in after-hours trading on Tuesday.

"While Netflix is growing, the pace of that growth is slowing," Forrester's Mike Proulx said. "That's a wake-up call for the company that once defined the streaming market and is now in need of growth reacceleration."

Here's how the streaming giant's Q3 financial results compared to the company's forecast:

  • Revenue: $12.87 billion vs $12.86 billion estimated ($11.5 billion in Q3 2025)
  • Earnings: $0.87 per share vs $0.82 per share estimated ($0.59 per share in Q3 2025)

Netflix told investors to expect earnings of $0.67 per share in the fourth quarter, below Wall Street's $0.73 per share estimate. The company's $13.44 billion revenue projection for Q4 was also lower than analysts' estimate of $13.51 billion.

The streaming leader cut its annual advertising forecast from $3 billion to $2.7 billion, citing a slower-than-expected rollout of its ad products.

"With Netflix under pressure to find alternative lines of revenue beyond subscriptions, it's concerning that the company lowered its estimate for its ad business," said analyst Ross Benes of Emarketer, Business Insider's sister company.

Heading into Q3 earnings, Netflix's stock was down over 44% in the last year as investors worried about engagement growth and stiff competition from YouTube and other free streamers.

Netflix said in its third-quarter shareholder letter that it knows "there's some investor concern about our view hours growth" but added that engagement "remains healthy."

"We do seek to accelerate growth in view hours as well, and we're confident we'll do that by relentlessly focusing and executing" its strategy, the shareholder letter said.

The company has invested in video games and podcasts but didn't mention either in its letter, outside a disclosure section on "forward-looking statements."

Netflix's results came less than a week after it shook up its content leadership team and cut about 1,000 workers.

Content chief Bela Bajaria is leaving her role after more than three years, Netflix announced last week. The company said Monday that film chief Dan Lin is also out.

Bajaria will be replaced by Peter Rice, a former Fox and Disney exec who ran Disney's TV division, including ABC and FX. Netflix hasn't yet said who will replace Lin; Rice will oversee film in the meantime.

"It's our goal to go from very good to great," co-CEO Greg Peters said of Netflix's content slate on the company's earnings call.

The leadership changes come as Netflix battles slowing viewership growth. The streaming powerhouse generated 97 billion viewing hours in the first half of the year, which was up 2% year-over-year.

Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos said at an industry event hosted by Bloomberg last month that Netflix was "not growing as fast as I want us to, and we're working on making that move faster."

"Revamping content strategy is not enough to fix this challenge, but it is a worthwhile start," Benes said.

Netflix layoffs were across its product, tech, HR, and legal teams. Co-CEOs Sarandos and Peters said in a memo to staffers that the company was downsizing so it can be "disciplined about where we prioritize our people and resources."

Other media companies have laid off employees in the last month. NBCUniversal cut a few hundred global streaming tech employees in early October, and Disney trimmed its tech and HR teams in late September.

In the second quarter, Netflix's results were roughly in line with analysts' expectations. The stock sank 8% after the report as Netflix said it would cut back on how frequently it shared viewership data.

Read the original article on Business Insider

The release of Sarah J. Maas' 6th 'ACOTAR' book is one week away. Here's everything we know.

20 October 2026 at 20:59
A headshot of Sarah J. Maas in front of a printed wallpaper.
Sarah J. Maas is publishing the sixth "A Court of Thorns and Roses" book.

Alexandra Genova / SAINT LUCY Represents

  • Sarah J. Maas is returning to the "ACOTAR" world with two new books.
  • The sixth book will be released on October 27, 2026, and the seventh on January 12, 2027.
  • Teasers shared ahead of its release confirmed four characters who will return in book six.

Sarah J. Maas fans, gather round. We're just one a week away from returning to Prythian.

On August 17, 2026, Maas announced the titles of the sixth and seventh "A Court of Thorns and Roses" books, along with initial descriptions of the novels. Book six is called "A Court of Splintered Harmony" and will be released on October 27, 2026, and book seven is "A Court of Forgotten Melody," hitting shelves on January 12, 2027.

Maas first announced she would publish the sixth and seventh installments of her "ACOTAR" series in March 2026, remaining tight-lipped about them until the title announcement in August.

The books are eagerly awaited not only by fans but also by Maas' publisher, Bloomsbury. The company's sales fell 10% for the 2025-2026 fiscal year because Maas didn't release a new book, Publishers Weekly reported.

Ahead of the release, Bloomsbury shared quotes from "A Court of Splintered Harmony" on social media, building hype for the novel and teasing what's to come. Maas joined in the fun a week before the release (after asking fans to stop sharing any leaks of book six).

Here's everything we know about "ACOTAR" six so far.

Warning: Some spoilers for Maas' work — including "ACOTAR" and "Crescent City" — ahead.

Maas is releasing the sixth 'A Court of Thorns and Roses' story in multiple volumes

In March 2023, Bloomsbury announced that Maas had signed a deal for three more books with the publisher. At the time, she was already under contract for four titles, including "House of Flame and Shadow," the third installment in her "Crescent City" series, published in January 2024. Readers didn't find out what the next book she would write would be until her March 2026 appearance on the "Call Her Daddy" podcast with Alex Cooper.

She told Cooper she finished the sixth "ACOTAR" book while writing in Montana over the summer of 2025, but she didn't share details about it because of its nontraditional release structure.

"This book's coming out October 27, and then on January 12, like two months later, I can't do math, whatever that is, the next ACOTAR book will be coming out," Maas said. "So there will be two books within, like, a very short span."

Sarah J. Maas for "Call Her Daddy."
Sarah J. Maas for "Call Her Daddy."

Call Her Daddy

As her fans will know, Maas' books are typically split into parts, separating different sections of the story she is telling. However, when it comes to the sixth "ACOTAR" story, Maas said the individual parts became longer than she anticipated as she started writing, with part one coming in at 400 pages at one point.

As she continued writing, Maas decided the parts didn't have to be in a single physical book.

"What if this book was really long?" she said. "What if it took me more than a thousand pages to tell the story that needed to be told, the arc that I wanted to create from start to finish?"

Maas said the story for "ACOTAR" six was ultimately divided into four parts, though it is still one cohesive story. Part one is the novel Bloomsbury will publish on October 27, 2026, and parts two and three will be published together on January 12, 2027. Maas has yet to write or give a publication date for part four, but she told Cooper all three volumes would be published "in a very short time."

"It's meant to be read, ideally, as one massive, massive story as opposed to in a trilogy," she said. "It's not a trilogy. Like, arcs aren't wrapped up."

Maas finally shared some details about the books in August 2026

On August 16, Maas cleared her Instagram of all its posts, changing her profile photo to a black-and-white illustration of a monster and a spider. Then, on August 17, she shared the covers and titles of books six and seven on social media.

The "Splintered Harmony" cover features a pink-and-orange backdrop with a sketched drawing of a monster with teeth and bones, and the subtitle is "The Valkyrie Cycle: Movement I." The Valkyrie were introduced to "ACOTAR" in "A Court of Silver Flames," when Nesta Archeron brought the legendary all-female fighting squad back to life alongside her friends Gwyn and Emerie.

Bright pink and orange book cover for “A Court of Splintered Harmony” by Sarah J. Maas.
"A Court of Splintered Harmony."

Bloomsbury

Maas posted the book alongside the tagline, "What was broken will be remade." The blurb shared on booksellers' websites reveals that the Night Court is facing new threats when book six opens: Koschei the Deathless, one of three legendary monster siblings introduced throughout "ACOTAR," and those willing to ally with him to claim the newly freed human lands.

The description also notes that there is tension among the members of the Night Court because of "recent betrayals and revealed truths," which they must work through if they want to defeat Koschei.

"A Court of Splintered Harmony" will be 352 pages and will include three bonus chapters from the "ACOTAR" series. Those bonus chapters were previously published in specific editions of Maas' novels, but they will be in all copies of "ACOSH," as the publisher shared on its social media on September 24. One chapter focuses on Feyre and Rhysand, one on Cassian and Nesta, and one on Azriel's experience on the Winter Solstice that takes place in "A Court of Silver Flames."

Teasers from the new book

In mid-September, Bloomsbury began sharing quotes from "A Court of Splintered Harmony," offering more insight into the novel than the vague blurbs.

It released six quotes in total, and the first, shared on September 17, revealed that at least some of the novel will be told from Lucien Vanserra's perspective.

"Lucien's heart thundered, throat drying out," the quote read. "Maybe this had been a terrible idea."

Lucien has only played a supporting role in the "ACOTAR" books so far, but Maas has been teeing up his expanded role in her books through his unaccepted mating bond with Elain Archeron, Feyre's middle sister, and his connection to Koschei. He serves as an emissary to the human lands for the Night Court in "ACOSF," alongside Jurian and Vassa, a human queen who was sold to Koschei and cursed to turn into a firebird each day. It would be surprising if Vassa — and by extension Lucien — weren't involved in fighting against Koschei in book six.

Likewise, the final quote Bloomsbury shared on October 9 appeared to confirm that Azriel will narrate some of "ACOSH." The quote didn't include his name, but the unnamed narrator was communicating with shadows: "'We are here,' the shadows whispered in his ear. 'We are always here.'"

Azriel is a Shadowsinger in the "ACOTAR" world, with his shadows being described as keeping him company and whispering to him as he serves as the Night Court's spymaster.

No other passage shared by Bloomsbury names a narrator, but the quote shared on October 6 mentions Rhysand, whom the narrator calls Rhys — indicating it could be the POV of one of his close companions — giving a "savage smile" before saying, "With pleasure."

A quote shared on September 22 referenced "sisters lost to us — ones we pray each day will find a way home to our sides."

That might refer to the original Valkyrie, many of whom died in the first war against Hybern. Gwyn, whose own sister was killed by Hybern soldiers, had started writing a chapter for a book about the new Valkyrie in "ACOSF," so it's possible the quote is from her book. However, Rhysand's sister was killed by Tamlin's father and brothers, so the quote could connect to her as well.

A teaser shared on October 1 confirmed that a female character will tell some of the story, saying, "Like hell would she allow this creature to bring her to her knees again."

There are several female characters the quote could be attributed to, though some fans think it may be from Vassa when she must face Koschei again.

And most interestingly, the quote shared on September 28 asks if it is "possible for mates to…un-mate" if a bond were to "fracture deeply enough" that it cannot be repaired.

Lucien and Elain's mating bond is strained because Elain has yet to accept it, so some fans think the comment is about them. At the end of "House of Flame and Shadow," though, Nesta and Cassian were at odds, so others think the quote hints at tension between the pair (more on that in a minute).

Maas chimes in

Maas' Instagram was quiet after she announced the titles of her books, until October 19, when she took to her Instagram story to ask fans not to share leaks of "A Court of Splintered Harmony."

"I know how much you love these books and these characters; I know you've been waiting for a long time to know what comes next," she wrote. "That love for these stories is exactly why I'm requesting that you please, please don't share leaks."

"Nothing about this release is meant to feel like a secret that needs to be found out," Maas went on. "Publishing a book takes time and effort from so many hardworking people to get it into your hands. Throughout this long process, everyone involved has been dedicated to keeping things from being spoiled, but sometimes things happen, and it is beyond disheartening to see out-of-context moments take away from all of you who have waited so patiently."

"All I'm asking for is just a bit more of that patience — until you can get everything in its fullness, the way it's meant to be read," Maas said.

Sarah J. Maas with black handbag poses before a metallic Tory Burch backdrop at a fashion event.
Sarah J. Maas in 2024.

Cindy Ord/Getty Images for Tory Burch

Representatives for Maas did not respond to a request for comment on the Instagram story, and Maas did not specify which images spreading online contained authentic leaks of the book.

However, she posted a short video on her Instagram on October 20 that featured another sneak peek at the text, this time from Feyre's perspective, as she confirmed by captioning the post, "7. FEYRE."

Feyre was the narrator for the first four "ACOTAR" books, telling the story from a first-person perspective. Like books one through four, the passage Maas shared was in the first-person perspective:

"My body wouldn't move. Couldn't move. I could do nothing to help him, nothing at all, and I would die from it, this despair and agony. Please, I tried to beg the darkness, please. Anything. I'd give anything for him to be safe. My life, my territory, my — would you give that too?"

Maas provided no further context about the quote, though fans were quick to point out that the inner monologue seemed like what Feyre would have been thinking when she gave birth to her son, Nyx, as she and the baby almost died because he was born with wings. Rhys also nearly lost his life, as he and Feyre bound their lives together at the end of "ACOWAR." Nesta saved them all by returning her power to the cauldron, but the passage could be a flashback to the scene from Feyre's perspective.

Maas also didn't elaborate on why she included a "7" in her caption, though it could refer to chapter seven of "A Court of Splintered Harmony," Feyre as a seventh narrator not yet featured by Bloomsbury in its teasers, book seven, or the number of days until the book is released.

More clues about 'ACOTAR' 6 narrators

Lucien, Feyre, and Azriel all appear to have a POV in the new book, and it's also likely safe to assume Nesta, Gwyn, and Emerie will be central to Maas' new books since the novels are part of "The Valkyrie Cycle."

Maas ushered in a new era of the series by writing from Nesta's perspective in "A Court of Silver Flames," released in 2021.

The cover of "A Court of Silver Flames" by Sarah J. Maas.
"A Court of Silver Flames."

Bloomsbury

The "recent betrayals and revealed truths" mentioned in the description of "A Court of Splintered Harmony" could refer to Nesta's actions in "House of Flame and Shadow" from Maas' "Crescent City" series. Specifically, the "revealed truths" may reference the resurrection of the long-forgotten Dusk Court in Prythian, which they discover Rhysand is an heir to, while the "recent betrayal" against the Night Court could be Nesta's lending the Mask of the Dread Trove to Bryce Quinlan, the "Crescent City" protagonist, without Rhysand and Feyre's permission.

Bryce also gave Nesta the sword Gwydion at the end of "HOFAS," telling her she thinks she was meant to have it when she returns the Mask. Nesta shared with Bryce in the same scene that Cassian is the most upset with her of everyone for her actions.

The cover of "House of Flame and Shadow" by Sarah J. Maas.
"House of Flame and Shadow."

Bloomsbury

It seems Maas was setting up a continuation of Nesta's story for her next "ACOTAR" story in the scene, which may see her explore her power and connections to the fae of the Dusk Court.

You can read a more detailed breakdown of what to remember from Maas' previous works ahead of "ACOTAR" six here.

Elain's role in future 'ACOTAR' books

Although it seems like Nesta and her fellow Valkyrie will be important in the new novels, Maas told Eva Chen during an appearance on "Live Talks Los Angeles" in February 2021 that she planned to write a book from the third Archeron sister's perspective — Elain.

In "A Court of Silver Flames," Elain had settled into life at the Night Court, refusing to explore her mating bond with Lucien or her Seer powers.

Maas also spoke to Cooper about Elain and Lucien's mating bond, telling her that Lucien's involvement in bringing Elain to the fae world is a barrier to their relationship. She also said she was "interested" as a writer in exploring what it meant for someone not to desire to be mated.

Elain also seems to have an attraction to Azriel in the text, with the pair almost kissing in his bonus chapter. However, Maas juxtaposes their connection with the ill-fitting aspects of life at the Night Court for Elain during a visit to the Court of Nightmares in "ACOSF."

Read the original article on Business Insider

17 actors who transformed into real-life tech company CEOs and founders

20 October 2026 at 20:50
elizabeth holmes and amanda seyfried
Elizabeth Holmes (and Amanda Seyfried's portrayal of her) is back in the news.

A24; Hulu

  • Amanda Seyfried is making headlines for again playing Elizabeth Holmes in "You Can See Everything."
  • Seyfried first played the Theranos founder in the Hulu series "The Dropout."
  • She's part of a growing class of actors who've taken part in the latest trend: playing tech moguls.

We've all heard of musician and actor biopics — now, it's all about the stories of tech CEOs.

These days, startup founders can be just as famous (or infamous) as any other celebrity, and the dramatic lives they've lived in business or at home make great fodder for TV and film.

To play these figures, some of the best-known actors had to ditch their signature looks to take on Steve Jobs' turtleneck and wire-frame glasses, Elizabeth Holmes' red lipstick and frizzy blowout, or SBF's signature curls.

Here are 17 celebrities who transformed to play some of Silicon Valley's most prominent figures.

Amanda Seyfried as Elizabeth Holmes in 'The Dropout' and 'You Can See Everything'
amanda seyfried and elizabeth holmes

Hulu; David Orrell/CNBC/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal/ Getty Images

In the 2022 Hulu limited series "The Dropout, Seyfried played Holmes from her time at Stanford in 2003 (when she did the titular dropping out) through the fall of her company, Theranos, after The Wall Street Journal's 2015 exposé.

Theranos purported to manufacture a device that could do a litany of blood tests from a single finger prick, but, infamously, it did not work as promised. In 2022, Holmes was sentenced to 11 years in prison after being convicted of defrauding investors.

Four years after the Hulu series, comedian and documentarian Nathan Fielder asked Seyfried to once again play Holmes in some reenactments he wanted to do in his doc about her final days before prison, "You Can See Everything." We won't say much else besides that you need to see it to believe everything that goes down.

Andrew Garfield as Sam Altman in 'Artificial'
andrew garfield as sam altman; sam altman

Neon; Mike Coppola/Getty Images for TIME

"After the Hunt" wasn't enough for Garfield and director Luca Guadagnino — the two have since teamed up to tell the story of OpenAI CEO and cofounder Altman.

"Artificial," which is set for release in select theaters on Christmas Day, will focus on Altman's 2023 firing by cofounder Ilya Sutskever (Yura Borisov) and subsequent rehiring one week later.

Jeremy Strong as Mark Zuckerberg in 'The Social Reckoning'
jeremy strong and mark zuckerberg

Sony Pictures Releasing; David Paul Morris/Bloomberg/Getty Images

"Succession" star Jeremy Strong played the Facebook founder in "The Social Reckoning," a film about the release of Facebook Files, a staggering number of internal documents leaked by whistleblower and employee Frances Haugen and published by The Wall Street Journal in 2021, and the subsequent congressional scrutiny that followed.

The film, released in October 2026, was written and directed by Aaron Sorkin, the screenwriter of "The Social Network," making this something of a sequel to the 2010 classic.

Jesse Eisenberg as Mark Zuckerberg in 'The Social Network'
jesse eisenberg and mark zuckerberg

Sony Pictures Releasing; Adam Berry/Bloomberg/Getty Images

"The Social Reckoning" wasn't the first time Zuckerberg has been portrayed on screen — most famously, Eisenberg played the founder in "The Social Network," which chronicled the earliest days of Facebook, back when it still had a "the" in front of it.

It juxtaposes the wild, early days of the website with two lawsuits Zuckerberg settled a few years later: one from cofounder Eduardo Saverin and another from his Harvard classmates, the Winklevoss twins.

Justin Timberlake as Sean Parker in 'The Social Network'
justin timberlake and sean parker

Sony Pictures Releasing; Ramin Talaie/Corbis/Getty Images

The other famous "disruptor" portrayed in "The Social Network" is Parker, one of the cofounders of Napster, the original music streaming platform. He's played by Timberlake in a career-best performance.

Parker comes in as an early believer and executive at Facebook, which ruffles the feathers of cofounder Eduardo Saverin.

Anthony Boyle as Sam Bankman-Fried in 'The Altruists'
anthony boyle and sam bankman fried

Netflix; Craig Barritt/Getty Images for CARE For Special Children

Sam Bankman-Fried, also known as SBF, will get the biopic-miniseries treatment this November on Netflix in a series titled "The Altruists."

Bankman-Fried co-founded the crypto trading firm Alameda Research in 2017 and later co-founded the cryptocurrency exchange FTX in 2019.

After making millions, FTX collapsed in 2022, and Bankman-Fried was eventually convicted of several crimes, including fraud and money laundering, in 2024. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison.

SBF's onetime girlfriend and former CEO of the FTX-affiliated trading firm Alameda Research, Caroline Ellison, will also be in the show, portrayed by Julia Garner.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Travis Kalanick in 'Super Pumped'
joseph gordon levitt and travis kalanick

Showtime; D Dipasupil/FilmMagic/Getty Images

Gordon-Levitt played Uber cofounder and former CEO Kalanick in "Super Pumped," a 2022 Showtime limited series. It focuses on the rise of Kalanick and his eventual fall from power, culminating in his 2017 resignation from the company.

Ashton Kutcher as Steve Jobs in 'Jobs'
ashton kutcher and steve jobs

Open Road Films; Tom Munnecke/Getty Images

The first mention of Jobs on this list goes to Kutcher, who played the Apple founder in the 2013 biopic "Jobs." It traces his career from Apple's founding in 1976 to the introduction of the first iPod in 2001.

Michael Fassbender as Steve Jobs in 'Steve Jobs'
michael fassbender and steve jobs

Universal Pictures; William STEVENS/Gamma-Rapho/Getty Images

Two years after "Jobs," the late founder was portrayed again on screen, this time by Michael Fassbender in "Steve Jobs."

Instead of a standard cradle-to-grave biopic, "Steve Jobs" checks in with the enigmatic figure at three different points in his career: first in 1984, before the introduction of the first Apple Macintosh computer; second, in 1988, when Jobs is the head of a new company, NeXT, and is preparing to launch its first computer; and finally, in 1998, as Jobs gears up to release the iMac.

Noah Wyle as Steve Jobs in 'Pirates of Silicon Valley'
noah wyle and steve jobs

TNT; Matthew NAYTHONS/Gamma-Rapho/Getty Images

In 1999, the TV movie "Pirates of Silicon Valley" aired, starring Wyle as the Apple founder. It chronicles Jobs' career from the '70s to the '90s, from the founding of Apple to his return as CEO.

Anthony Michael Hall as Bill Gates in 'Pirates of Silicon Valley'
anthony michael hall and bill gates

TNT; Doug Wilson/CORBIS/Corbis/Getty Images

The other half of the "Pirates of Silicon Valley" narrative focuses on Gates, the cofounder of Microsoft. He's played by "Breakfast Club" star Anthony Michael Hall.

The film's climax is based on the real-life falling out Gates and Jobs had in 1985, when Jobs felt that Gates had ripped off Apple.

Jared Leto as Adam Neumann in 'WeCrashed'
jared leto and adam neumann

Apple TV+; Cindy Ord/Getty Images for WeWork

Leto physically transformed to play the WeWork CEO and cofounder in the 2022 Apple TV+ miniseries "WeCrashed." The show chronicled the immense success the coworking startup experienced in its early days in 2010, all the way through its disastrous attempted IPO in 2019.

Anne Hathaway as Rebekah Paltrow Neumann in 'WeCrashed'
anne hathaway and Rebekah Neumann

Apple TV+; Ben Gabbe/Getty Images for Time

Hathaway costarred in "WeCrashed" as Neumann's wife, Rebekah Paltrow Neumann, who was heavily involved in WeWork. She was, however, "an unpredictable and unmistakable presence" at the company, per Business Insider's reporting.

Jay Baruchel as Mike Lazaridis in 'BlackBerry'
Jay Baruchel and Mike Lazaridis

Elevation Pictures; Dave M. Benett/Getty Images

The creation of the BlackBerry, one of the earliest smartphones, was dramatized in "BlackBerry," which starred Baruchel as one of the cofounders of RIM (the brand behind the phone) and one of the cocreators of the BlackBerry itself, Lazaridis.

The film begins with Lazaridis and his partner teaming up with Jim Balsillie (more on him later) to make BlackBerry the most popular smartphone in the world — only for its reign to end with the iPhone.

Glenn Howerton as Jim Balsillie in 'BlackBerry'
Glenn Howerton and Jim Balsillie

Elevation Pictures; Xabier Mikel Laburu/Bloomberg/Getty Images

RIM really got off the ground when Mike Lazaridis and his cofounder Doug Fregin were approached by Balsillie. According to the movie's telling, Balsillie offered to invest $20,000 for a 50% stake in the company, and was eventually sold a 33% stake for $125,000 and the title of co-CEO.

The less we say about Howerton's performance, the better — it really must be seen to be believed.

Lily James as Whitney Wolfe Herd in 'Swiped'
Lily James and Whitney Wolfe Herd

Hulu; Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images

2025's "Swiped" is the story of the creation of Bumble through the eyes of its founder, Herd. Originally, she was a cofounder of Tinder, but resigned in 2014, and eventually received an out-of-court settlement after suing Tinder for sexual discrimination and sexual harassment, without either Tinder or its parent company, IAC, admitting to wrongdoing.

After leaving Tinder, Herd wanted to create an app that focused on female empowerment, and thus, Bumble, a dating app where women have to make the first move, was born.

Sebastian Stan as Vlad Tenev in 'Dumb Money'
Sebastian Stan and Vlad Tenev

Columbia Pictures; Kimberly White/Getty Images for Robinhood

In 2023's "Dumb Money," which is about the "Gamestonk" GameStop short squeeze and subsequent drama that happened in 2021, led by the Reddit community r/WallStreetBets and one user in particular, Keith Gill, aka Roaring Kitty, Stan has a small role.

He plays Robinhood cofounder and CEO, Tenev. During the events of the film, Tenev directs Robinhood, an e-trading platform and investment app, to stop allowing users to buy certain stocks and options (including GameStop), which caused an uproar.

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J. Crew's website went down — and an odd message said its 'generative AI backend' was 'healthy'

20 October 2026 at 20:30
J.Crew shoppers.
J.Crew's website crashed on Monday.

Bloomberg/Getty Images

  • J.Crew's website temporarily went down and displayed an odd message.
  • It read: "JCrew generative AI Backend is healthy."
  • The clothing retailer later offered shoppers 20% off due to the "technical issues."

The website of clothing retailer J.Crew crashed Monday, leaving shoppers with a bizarre message: "JCrew generative AI Backend is healthy."

Multiple screenshots posted to social media by puzzled customers showed the statement on the brand's website set against an otherwise blank, black page.

wtf is up with the @jcrew website https://t.co/08D0NN7phI

— Angela (@angelamaay) October 19, 2026

"Wtf is up with the @jcrew website," one online browser posted to X along with a screenshot. J. Crew's customer service account responded to the post shortly after, saying, "We're working to get the site back up and running - sorry for the trouble. Hope you'll check back soon!"

In an apparent attempt to make up for the odd disruption, J.Crew later emailed its customers a 20% discount code that expires on Thursday.

J.Crew email to customers.
J.Crew's email to customers.

J.Crew

"We're sorry!" the email viewed by Business Insider read. "Thanks for your patience during our recent technical issues at jcrew.com. As a token of our gratitude, enjoy an extra 20% off your next purchase."

It was not immediately clear what caused the website to malfunction or whether it was related to AI. Representatives for J.Crew did not immediately respond to a request for comment by Business Insider on Tuesday.

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Amazon is buying billions in Nvidia AI systems it can't yet turn on

20 October 2026 at 19:29
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy

David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images

  • AWS expected to get $5 billion of Nvidia GB300 racks, followed by $3 billion more each month.
  • Some of these GPU systems are being stored elsewhere due to lack of data center power.
  • Amazon CEO Andy Jassy sees AI as a major opportunity, but getting capacity online is a challenge.

Amazon is racing to secure AI hardware earlier than before, even as data center power shortages leave some GPU systems waiting in warehouses.

Under a new Early Rack Receipt process, AWS expected to receive roughly $5 billion in Nvidia's GB300 server racks at US facilities before final deployment, according to August internal emails reviewed by Business Insider. The company projected roughly $3 billion more in GB300 racks each month "for the foreseeable future," one of the emails said.

Some AWS sites had room for more racks but not enough available power to turn them on, people familiar with the effort said, leaving finished equipment to be staged at intermediary warehouses until the facilities were ready.

At least one AWS team did not have "a clear forecasted path" for getting the incoming racks into data centers at the time, according to one of the emails.

Dark GPUs

A lack of new electricity capacity is one of several bottlenecks slowing the buildout of some AI data centers. This has led to a phenomenon known as dark GPUs, where AI chips and servers are purchased but can sit idle due to power supply issues or other challenges. (Dark GPUs can also refer to system design flaws that mean this gear isn't fully used after being plugged in).

This is partly why financial pressure is mounting on big data center projects. Money must be spent upfront to secure supplies of Nvidia GPUs and other valuable AI components. But if some data centers aren't ready to run, those early investments can tie up huge amounts of cash. Debt financing can fill in the gaps, but the market has become less willing to lend against some of these projects lately.

Trade-off

Amazon's early-rack program is one piece of the cloud leader's broader AI buildout, which is putting new pressure on its cash flow, as Business Insider exclusively reported this week. Amazon expects roughly $220 billion in capital expenditures this year — more than any Big Tech peer. Its free-cash-flow turned negative last quarter for the first time since 2023, and could stay negative for a while.

For AWS, the trade-off is securing scarce GPU racks before competitors do, even if some data centers are not yet ready to turn them on. But taking ownership earlier can tie up billions in equipment before it starts generating cloud revenue.

Previously, AWS took ownership of a finished rack only upon delivery to a data center, according to internal documents. Under the new approach, it can pay for and record certain racks earlier in the supply chain.

An Amazon spokesperson said the company routinely stages finished hardware near deployment sites so it can install it once capacity becomes available, calling the practice "best business practice." The spokesperson added that Amazon has long-established systems for tracking infrastructure assets and disputed that the broader company lacked a path for getting racks into data centers.

Amazon CEO Andy Jassy previously said the company has a "clear line of sight" to strong returns from its AI investments, calling the technology a "once in a lifetime opportunity."

"We've been through this cycle with the first big AWS growth wave, and liked the results," Jassy wrote in Amazon's annual shareholder letter. "We expect to feel similarly about this next wave."

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The Wall Street Journal has been planning a big push into streaming TV, and courted Feed Me's Emily Sundberg for a show

20 October 2026 at 19:00
Emma Tucker at the WSJ. Magazine 2025 Innovator Awards held at The Museum of Modern Art on October 29, 2025 in New York, New York. (Photo by John Nacion/Variety via Getty Images)
Emma Tucker has been involved in a video push at The Wall Street Journal.

John Nacion/Variety via Getty Images

  • The Wall Street Journal has been planning a big streaming TV push with an ambitious slate of shows.
  • It's explored shows around editor in chief Emma Tucker and creators like Feed Me's Emily Sundberg.
  • Sundberg dropped out of talks a few weeks ago, Business Insider has learned.

The Wall Street Journal has been ramping up its push into video and had plans for an ambitious slate of streaming TV shows.

Internal documents viewed by Business Insider described an initial six-series offering that would include a flagship live morning program and an interview show hosted by the Journal's editor in chief, Emma Tucker. The docs are from the summer, and a person familiar with the Journal's strategy said that its plans, including dates and partners, are in flux.

The docs said the Journal had been "in negotiations" with creators such as Feed Me Substacker Emily Sundberg, as well as with the restaurant discovery platform The Infatuation. Sundberg dropped out of the talks a few weeks ago, Business Insider has learned.

The plans called for the shows to launch on the Journal's own channels, YouTube, and social media.

Journal parent company Dow Jones is also hiring a head of programming and content, who would be tasked with building "something ambitious in video." The live job description says the role will pay up to $330,000 in base salary, and involve developing talent that includes employees and external creators, translating the company's journalism into streaming formats, and creating live and on-demand shows.

The Journal and Dow Jones's effort shows how news outlets traditionally known for the written word — including The New York Times — are racing to beef up their video offerings in a media landscape that's seeing both the rise of social video and the decline of cable TV news. It also demonstrates that Tucker is taking a flexible approach to the market by looking to both build shows around in-house talent, including herself, and partner with creators and other media companies.

"Expanding our video presence across Dow Jones and The Wall Street Journal is a major strategic priority, as we have widely communicated," a Dow Jones spokesperson said. "We are actively hiring leadership to shape and execute our go-to-market strategy for video across Dow Jones, and we look forward to sharing our updated plans when ready."

PARIS, FRANCE - OCTOBER 03: Emily Sundberg attends the BoF500 Gala during Paris Fashion Week at Shangri-La Hotel Paris on October 03, 2026 in Paris, France. (Photo by Aurore Marechal/Getty Images for The Business of Fashion)
The Journal explored a show with Substacker Emily Sundberg.

Aurore Marechal/Getty Images for The Business of Fashion

The Journal name-checked familiar figures

The internal docs viewed by Business Insider described the live morning show as a 60-minute-long anchor of the initial slate. The docs said the Journal enlisted some familiar names in morning news and video to help execute the show. They said the Journal has been working with the production company EverWonder, which was cofounded by the former Time Studios executive Ian Orefice with backing from Jeff Zucker's RedBird IMI.

Another show in the proposed slate in the docs was "The Exchange with Emma Tucker," which was billed as a "prestige interview franchise" that would put viewers "in the room with the people running the global economy." The documents name-checked top CEOs, including Microsoft's Satya Nadella, JPMorgan Chase's Jamie Dimon, and BlackRock's Larry Fink, as potential guests.

The person familiar with the Journal's strategy said the documents represented one of a number of different avenues the outlet was exploring and didn't reflect the current status and form of its efforts. The person said the company is in active conversations with a number of external people for potential partnerships.

The documents said the Journal had been "in negotiations" with Sundberg — which have since ended — for a show called "Feed Me, On Camera" that would introduce her "highly engaged, younger creator audience to WSJ while bringing WSJ's scale, authority, and affluent professional audience to her world." The docs envisioned each episode beginning with a "tip, obsession, or question from the Feed Me universe," and following Sundberg to its conclusion while integrating business context and reporting from the Journal.

Other shows the docs said the Journal had explored included one called "Market Price with The Infatuation" that would tackle the "business behind taste, literally." It would combine the cultural authority and young audience of The Infatuation, now owned by JPMorgan Chase, with the Journal's business reporting chops.

Another was "Inside Sports" ("title to change"), a "next generation reboot of 'Real Sports' for the sports-as-an-asset class era," potentially helmed by Emmy-winning TV journalist Armen Keteyian.

The documents said the Journal had been "in negotiations" with The Infatuation and "in discussions" with Keteyian. Business Insider could not confirm the status of those discussions.

The last series listed in the docs was an AI show that aimed to get a big-name host.

NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 7: Armen Keteyian speaks at James D. Dunning, Jr.'s Birthday at The NoMad Hotel on June 7, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Patrick McMullan/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images)
The docs said the Journal was in talks with TV journalist Armen Keteyian to helm a sports show.

Patrick McMullan/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images

The Journal compared its plans to 'The Daily'

In the docs, the Journal expressed big ambitions for a live morning news show, and said there had been "nothing new" in the category for a professional audience "in a decade." The last entry on a timeline included in the planning docs was The New York Times' "The Daily" in 2017, which has become a reliable top show on the podcast charts and one of the paper's most successful launches.

"We see an opportunity to reinvent the category," the documents said. The Journal also has its own daily news podcast, called "The Journal."

Like the Times, the Journal is in a rare position in a challenged media environment to make a transformative investment. The Journal, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corp., is profitable, helped by an early move to paywall its journalism.

The documents said that in its video push, the Journal aimed to produce 20 hours of video a week, expand to a free, ad-supported streaming (FAST) channel, and add subscription options and other formats as demand warranted. Between WSJ TV, existing video shows, licensed shows, and co-productions with creators, the Journal aspired to be an "always-on streaming channel." The person familiar with the Journal's strategy said those goals didn't represent its current plans.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 05: Michael Barbaro attends the "Hamlet: World Premiere Listening Event" during the 2025 Tribeca Festival at The Public Theater on June 05, 2025 in New York City (Photo by Roy Rochlin/Getty Images for Tribeca Festival)
The Journal wanted to make an impact on the level of The New York Times' "The Daily," hosted by Michael Barbaro.

Roy Rochlin/Getty Images for Tribeca Festival

Tucker took the helm at the Journal in 2023, moving from the Murdoch-owned UK Sunday Times with a plan to increase engagement with the Journal's digital products. Digital subscriptions rose 8% to 4.5 million in the three months ended June 30 versus the year-ago period. She has called for more lively writing and enterprise reporting. The Journal had already begun to reorient its video strategy under its former head of video Maral Usefi. Under Usefi, the video team had grown by a third, to 65 people, as of April. She was succeeded by Samantha Henig, who was hired in July to lead a new multimedia team.

The docs said that with the Journal's new effort, it aimed to combine its authority and scale with the personality of creator-led media and modern distribution. In terms of audience, it intended to reach a younger viewership than the traditional business TV audience and more decision-makers than creator-led media.

It projected reaching about 75 million viewers through Dow Jones' social reach, upward of 5.6 million monthly watch hours by its 2028 fiscal year, and ad rates that were three to five times what business content on YouTube commands. The person familiar with the Journal's strategy didn't say if those figures represented its current ambitions.

The Journal made a big push into original video more than a decade ago, including the launch of video app WSJ Live in 2011 and expanding to episodic video doc series. Publishers overall have newly reprioritized video amid the rise of short-form content, YouTube's increasing popularity on TV screens, and the success of new live shows like TBPN.

While embracing creator talent — and getting its own staff involved in video content — could help the Journal reach a younger audience, it comes with risks. Journalists who become on-camera talent can often command higher paydays, or defect to start their own ventures, like The New York Times' "Hard Fork" hosts Kevin Roose and Casey Newton did recently. Creators often have their own audiences, which give them leverage over a news organization that staff reporters might not have.

Flagship video shows are also expensive to produce, which makes high ad rates crucial to the Journal's success with this slate. The internal docs explored pitching a variety of ways for advertisers to get involved, including as launch partners, with category-exclusive partnerships, and as "moment partners" tied to major news events like elections, earnings, and WSJ specials.

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United CEO Scott Kirby says he wants a nationwide wealth tax

20 October 2026 at 18:58
Scott Kirby speaks during a TV interview
United CEO Scott Kirby said there should be a nationwide wealth tax.

Michael Nagle/Bloomberg via Getty Images

  • United CEO Scott Kirby says he's all for a nationwide wealth tax.
  • Kirby said wealth inequality "has become a danger to our society."
  • While Kirby doesn't want a state-by-state approach, California voters will soon vote on a proposed billionaire tax.

United CEO Scott Kirby says "wealth inequality has become a danger to our society."

That's why Kirby said he supports a nationwide wealth tax.

"We should have a national wealth tax — it won't work by state because people will just move," Kirby recently told The New York Times.

Kirby, who lives in the Chicago area near United's headquarters, was one of the highest-paid CEOs of a public company in 2025, according to Crain's Chicago Business. Kirby's 2025 total compensation was valued at over $32 million, according to United's filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Wealth taxes are facing one of their biggest tests yet this November. Californians will vote on what, if approved, would become the world's first billionaire tax.

The fight is pitting some of the state's wealthiest individuals against the proposal. Google cofounder Sergey Brin alone has donated $102 million to a group seeking to undercut the proposed wealth tax by proposing competing initiatives that could effectively cancel it out.

In addition to a wealth tax, Kirby also said that inheritance taxes should be increased.

"We should have inheritance taxes that get close to 100 percent at some level," he said. "I would pay them."

Kirby's views may seem unusual among corporate leaders, but others are at least open to the idea of wealth taxes.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang recently reiterated his willingness to pay potentially billions of dollars if California's wealth tax goes into effect.

"I don't mind paying taxes," Huang said. "The more you make, the more taxes you pay, so I'm OK with it."

Huang, who famously got his start working at Denny's, said he worries about other things. Bloomberg estimates that the Nvidia CEO is now worth $180 billion, making him the ninth richest person in the world.

"The fact that I can afford to pay $8 billion in taxes over five years is a privilege," he said. "I'm not afraid of paying taxes. I'm just afraid of being poor."

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Meta's policy chief Joel Kaplan is leaving after 15 years

20 October 2026 at 18:53
Joel Kaplan, Meta's chief global affairs officer.
Joel Kaplan, Meta's chief global affairs officer.

Sven Hoppe/picture alliance via Getty Images

  • Joel Kaplan, Meta's chief global affairs officer, is leaving, Meta confirmed to Business Insider.
  • Kaplan, a Republican who once worked for the Bush administration, spent 15 years at Meta.
  • Kaplan helped bridge ties between Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and President Donald Trump.

A longtime political operative at Meta who played a key role in bridging ties between the company and President Donald Trump's administration is leaving.

Joel Kaplan, Meta's chief global affairs officer, will leave after the midterm elections and a transition period, Axios first reported. Meta confirmed the report to Business Insider.

A veteran Marine Corps artillery officer, Kaplan is a Republican who served as an advisor and deputy chief of staff to former president George W. Bush.

Kaplan joined Meta in 2011. At Meta, he oversaw the company's response to policy issues ranging from the Cambridge Analytica scandal to the end of its fact-checking program.

Kaplan helped repair a once-fraught relationship between Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Trump after Meta temporarily suspended Trump's account following the January 6 riot.

Kaplan posted on X on Tuesday that he plans to spend time with his family and figure out what to do next.

Kaplan didn't respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

Kaplan has served as Meta's chief global affairs officer since 2025, succeeding former UK politician Nick Clegg. Other Meta executives will share his responsibilities, Axios reported.

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Elon Musk says 'AI and robots' are the only way to solve America's debt burden

20 October 2026 at 18:45
Elon Musk in Oval Office
Elon Musk said his stint at DOGE led him to this conclusion.

Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

  • Elon Musk said that "AI and robots" are the key to fixing America's national debt.
  • On a podcast, Musk said it would be "impossible" to tackle any other way.
  • He predicted "digital superintelligence" could boost the output of goods and services by 20% to 30%.

Elon Musk said artificial intelligence and robots — not government spending cuts — are the only way to fix the US national debt problem.

Speaking on a newly released episode of author Walter Isaacson's "The Builders" podcast, Musk said his 130-day stint as a special government employee in the second Trump administration led him to that view.

Musk, the world's richest person, served as the de facto leader of the White House DOGE office from January to May 2025, where he sought to slash federal spending.

"I came to the conclusion that the only way we're going to solve the national debt is with AI and robots. We're not going to solve it by trying to save our way there," Musk told Isaacson, calling the latter "impossible."

The US national debt load hit a record $40 trillion in August and has continued to climb, according to Treasury data.

"Maybe if the president made that his, you know, primary goal, we could do that, but the problem is if you try to solve the deficit and stop wasteful spending, you make a lot of enemies in that situation," Musk said.

The Tesla and SpaceX CEO said political leaders in Washington are mostly unwilling to rein in federal spending enough to significantly shrink the deficit.

"The appetite is not there, and it's not just at the presidency. The appetite is not there at the presidency, the House, the Senate, or the judiciary," Musk said.

He added, "Basically, no one in authority in the government whatsoever, really, with maybe a few rare exceptions of like the Rand Pauls of the world type of thing, actually wants to reduce spending — no, they don't."

Musk estimated that "digital superintelligence" could boost the global output of goods and services by 20% to 30% — an increase he estimated could add roughly $30 trillion a year to the world economy.

"If you have robots and you get to space and can do a mass driver on the moon, then you can get to, I think, potentially a million times the size of the Earth economy," he said.

This could ultimately make money "irrelevant," Musk said.

"There will still be currency, but I think currency will be measured in fundamental physics metrics like wattage and tonnage, mass and energy," he said, predicting, "Conventional currency will not matter."

During the interview, Musk also reflected on his chainsaw-wielding time with the Department of Government Efficiency, admitting he got "carried away."

"I think I should have been more in the background and probably only had it last for a month or two, because at that point you've sort of seen most of what there is to see," Musk told Isaacson.

Musk said he should have left and "focused on AI a little sooner than I did."

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Hugging Face CEO says the Netflix doc about its famous hack went 'full doomer mode'

20 October 2026 at 18:38
Clement Delangue speaks during an interview
Hugging Face CEO Clément Delangue criticized the Netflix documentary about his company's hack.

Bloomberg/Getty Images

  • Hugging Face CEO Clément Delangue isn't a fan of the Netflix documentary about his company's hack by OpenAI's AI agents.
  • Netflix released a short documentary called "AI Gone Wild" in October.
  • Delangue, who was interviewed for the project, called the result "super disappointing."

Clément Delangue isn't wild about Netflix's new documentary.

Delangue cofounded Hugging Face, an AI startup acquired by Nvidia for almost $13 billion in September. Two months prior, Hugging Face became the face of AI risk when rogue OpenAI agents hacked the business.

The hacking saga sparked a Netflix documentary titled "AI Gone Wild." On Tuesday, Delangue criticized the so-called "instadoc" in a lengthy X post.

"Super disappointing, as they went for maximum anthropomorphism of the technology and full doomer mode," Delangue wrote.

Delangue sat for an interview in the documentary, along with a METR researcher, the director of the AI Futures Project, and two tech journalists.

In the X post, Delangue wrote that he spent over two hours trying to correct what he described as the documentary's mistakes. He wanted to explain that AI agents were "technological systems, not aliens."

"It looks like the drive to scare people for maximum views was too strong," Delangue wrote.

Delangue listed some things the Netflix documentary omitted: the lack of agent containment, how safeguards for OpenAI's closed model blocked Hugging Face's defense, how Hugging Face defended itself with an open model, and "that we still lack a lot of information and transparency including full agent traces and that companies need to remain accountable for what their agents do."

Netflix did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

Some techies responded to Delangue's post with their own criticism of the documentary. Alex Imas, Google DeepMind's director of AGI economics, called Delangue's post "important reading."

Brigitte Tousignant, Hugging Face's head of communications, posted on X that the documentary widened the gap between the public's understanding of AI and how it actually works.

Tousignant wrote to Netflix: "If you can't tell this story responsibly in 26 minutes, maybe 26 minutes isn't enough."

Despite his criticism, Delangue suggested a way to frame the project to make it an enjoyable watch: "It ends up being a fun sci-fi movie though!"

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Taylor Swift's 'The Life of a Showgirl' is one of her biggest albums on the Billboard 200. Here's how her others rank.

20 October 2026 at 18:24
Taylor Swift wearing a silver metallic outfit, performing "I Can Do It With a Broken Heart" on the Eras Tour stage.
Taylor Swift performs during The Eras Tour in Dublin.

Charles McQuillan/TAS24/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management

  • Taylor Swift's "The Life of a Showgirl" has spent 15 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.
  • It's her second-longest reign atop the chart, surpassing "Fearless" and "1989."
  • "The Tortured Poets Department" holds the record in Swift's catalog with 17 weeks at No. 1.

Taylor Swift gave us fair warning in her newest album: "I'm married to the hustle."

Swift's 12th studio album, "The Life of a Showgirl," not only broke the record for the biggest debut sales week ever, but it continued to amass sales and streams in the US for a year after its release.

With 15 nonconsecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, "Showgirl" has surpassed "Fearless" and "1989" as Swift's second-longest reign on the all-genre album chart.

The impressive tally comes shortly after Swift set a personal-best chart record with "The Tortured Poets Department." Keep reading for a ranking of her 16 studio albums (including both originals and rerecords) based on their Billboard 200 performances.

10. "Taylor Swift"
Taylor Swift debut album cover
Taylor Swift's debut album, "Taylor Swift," was released in 2006.

Taylor Swift

Billboard 200 peak: No. 5

Swift's self-titled debut is the only studio album in her catalog that hasn't reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200.

"Taylor Swift" debuted at No. 19 and scaled the chart for more than a year, peaking at No. 5 in 2008.

9 (tie). "Lover"
Taylor Swift Lover album cover
Taylor Swift's seventh album, "Lover," was released in 2019.

Taylor Swift

Billboard 200 peak: No. 1 for one week

Swift's seventh studio album was the first one that she owned outright, thanks to her new label contract with UMG.

"Lover" was promoted by several singles, including "You Need to Calm Down," "The Archer," and "The Man."

Four years later, after Swift kicked off the Eras Tour with "Cruel Summer" near the top of the set list, the fan-favorite song climbed to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and remained there for four weeks, becoming the album's biggest hit.

9 (tie). "Red (Taylor's Version)"
Taylor Swift Red (Taylor's Version)
The cover art for "Red (Taylor's Version)" was photographed by Beth Garrabrant.

Taylor Swift/UMG

Billboard 200 peak: No. 1 for one week

The extended tracklist for "Red (Taylor's Version)" included the storied extended cut of "All Too Well," a longtime fan-favorite song in Swift's catalog.

"All Too Well (10 Minute Version)" was released alongside a short film directed by Swift and promoted by a convention-breaking performance on "Saturday Night Live." It became the longest song to reach No. 1 in the history of the Hot 100.

8 (tie). "Fearless (Taylor's Version)"
taylor swift fearless taylors version album cover
"Fearless (Taylor's Version)" was released in 2021.

Taylor Swift/UMG

Billboard 200 peak: No. 1 for two weeks

"Fearless" was the first rerecorded album that Swift ever released.

The "Taylor's Version" series was inspired by the sale of Swift's masters to Scooter Braun in 2019, which she described as her "worst case scenario" in a passionate open letter. Swift decided to remake and rerelease her first six albums in a bid to reclaim ownership of her life's work. Braun later sold Swift's masters to a private equity firm.

In addition to faithfully recreating each tracklist, Swift decided to add never-before-heard songs "from the vault" that were written during the album's original creative process but cut from the final product.

"I've spoken a lot about why I'm remaking my first six albums, but the way I've chosen to do this will hopefully help illuminate where I'm coming from," Swift explained. "Artists should own their own work for so many reasons, but the most screamingly obvious one is that the artist is the only one who really knows that body of work."

"For example, only I know which songs I wrote that almost made the 'Fearless' album," she continued. "Songs I absolutely adored, but were held back for different reasons."

Many were skeptical that the "Taylor's Version" project would be embraced by fans, let alone achieve commercial success.

Those skeptics were forced to eat their words when "Fearless (Taylor's Version)" began to outpace the original on streaming platforms. According to Billboard, "Fearless (Taylor's Version)" earned more equivalent album sales in its first week of release than "Fearless" earned over the entire next year.

Four years later, in May 2025, Swift announced that she bought back her masters from Shamrock Capital, giving her complete control over her musical catalog and rendering her "Taylor's Version" project moot.

8 (tie). "Speak Now (Taylor's Version)"
taylor swift speak now taylor's version cover
"Speak Now (Taylor's Version)" was released in 2023.

Taylor Swift/UMG

Billboard 200 peak: No. 1 for two weeks

The rerecorded version of Swift's third album featured six songs from the vault, including two duets with Fall Out Boy and Hayley Williams.

7 (tie). "Reputation"
taylor swift reputation
The album cover for "Reputation."

Taylor Swift

Billboard 200 peak: No. 1 for four weeks

"Reputation" arrived after an extended period of silence. Swift's longtime feud with Kim Kardashian and Ye (then known as Kanye West) had reached a fever pitch; in response to a massive social media hate campaign, Swift decamped to London and withdrew from the public eye.

She returned with a new snake-infested aesthetic and "Look What You Made Me Do," a cheeky lead single that poked fun at her own persona — and quickly rose to No. 1 on the Hot 100.

Swift also declined to participate in interviews or media appearances while promoting her sixth album. Instead, she relied on a simple tagline: "There will be no further explanation. There will just be reputation."

7 (tie). "Evermore"
taylor swift evermore album cover
Taylor Swift's ninth album, "Evermore," was released in 2020.

Taylor Swift

Billboard 200 peak: No. 1 for four weeks

"Evermore" was surprise-released just five months after Swift's previous album, "Folklore." The two were billed as "sister albums," created under near-identical conditions with the same team of collaborators.

"To put it plainly, we just couldn't stop writing songs," Swift explained on social media.

"Evermore" was nominated for album of the year at the 2022 Grammys, but lost to Jon Batiste's "We Are."

6 (tie). "Speak Now"
Taylor Swift, Speak Now, original album cover
Taylor Swift's third album, "Speak Now," was released in 2010.

Taylor Swift

Billboard 200 peak: No. 1 for six weeks

Swift's third album had a lot to live up to, following the blockbuster success of "Fearless."

In response to skeptics — who questioned whether the teen phenom was relying too heavily on her collaborators — she decided to write "Speak Now" entirely by herself. Swift is the only songwriter credited on the standard tracklist.

6 (tie). "Midnights"
taylor swift midnights album cover
Taylor Swift's 10th album, "Midnights," was released in 2022.

Taylor Swift

Billboard 200 peak: No. 1 for six weeks

Swift's 10th studio album sold over 1 million copies in its debut week, the first to cross that seven-figure threshold since Swift's own "Reputation." (She has now achieved the feat on eight different occasions.)

"Midnights" also won album of the year at the Grammys, joining "Fearless," "1989," and "Folklore" in the prestigious group of victors. Swift is the only artist in history to win album of the year four times.

6 (tie). "1989 (Taylor's Version)"
taylor swift 1989 album cover
"1989 (Taylor's Version)" will be released on October 27, 2023.

Taylor Swift

Billboard 200 peak: No. 1 for six weeks

The rerecorded version of "1989" was released nine years after the original album. Swift added five vault tracks, including the fan-favorite song "Is It Over Now?"

5. "Red"
taylor swift red album cover
Taylor Swift's fourth album, "Red," was released in 2012.

Taylor Swift

Billboard 200 peak: No. 1 for seven weeks

"Red" is Swift's fourth studio album. It featured a mishmash of Max Martin-produced pop bangers, including "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" and "I Knew You Were Trouble," as well as country-rock breakup anthems such as "State of Grace" and "Holy Ground."

4. "Folklore"
taylor swift folklore album cover
Taylor Swift's new album cover and additional promo photos were taken by Beth Garrabrant.

Taylor Swift/Republic Records

Billboard 200 peak: No. 1 for eight weeks

"Folklore" marked a sonic departure for Swift, stripping down her favored synth-pop production to reveal introspective reflections and intricate narratives.

The pandemic-era album was co-produced by Swift, Jack Antonoff, and Aaron Dessner of The National. It received rave reviews from critics and is widely considered Swift's best work to date.

3 (tie). "Fearless"
Taylor Swift Fearless original album cover
Taylor Swift's sophomore album, "Fearless," was released in 2008.

Taylor Swift

Billboard 200 peak: No. 1 for 11 weeks

Swift's sophomore effort had the longest run at No. 1 of any album in the 2000s. "Fearless" has since been certified diamond by the RIAA.

3 (tie). "1989"
taylor swift 1989 album cover
"1989" was released on October 27, 2014.

Taylor Swift

Billboard 200 peak: No. 1 for 11 weeks

Swift's fifth album marked her official pivot from country to pop music, a move that Swift said she had to "really fight — and I mean aggressively fight — to have happen."

In addition to its double-digit streak atop the Billboard 200, "1989" yielded three No. 1 songs on the Hot 100: "Shake It Off," "Blank Space," and "Bad Blood" featuring Kendrick Lamar.

2. "The Life of a Showgirl"
Taylor Swift The Life of a Showgirl standard edition album cover
Taylor Swift's 12th album, "The Life of a Showgirl," was released on October 3, 2025.

TAS Rights Management

Billboard 200 peak: No. 1 for 15 weeks

Cowritten and co-produced with Max Martin and Shellback, "The Life of a Showgirl" was described by Swift as a snapshot of "everything that was going on behind the curtain" during the Eras Tour.

After its initial three-month run atop the Billboard 200, "The Life of a Showgirl" returned to No. 1 in October 2026 when Swift released the deluxe edition, dubbed "The Encore."

The album's reign at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 brought Swift's total sum atop the chart to 101 weeks, extending her record among solo artists.

Since the Billboard 200 was launched in 1956, only The Beatles have logged more weeks at No. 1 than Swift. The band holds the all-time record with 132 weeks.

1. "The Tortured Poets Department"
taylor swift the tortured poets department deluxe album cover
Taylor Swift's 11th album, "The Tortured Poets Department," was released in 2024.

Taylor Swift

Billboard 200 peak: No. 1 for 17 weeks

Swift's 11th studio album, "The Tortured Poets Department," did not leave the No. 1 slot for 12 straight weeks after its debut in April 2024, fending off new releases from stars like Dua Lipa, Billie Eilish, and Zach Bryan.

The uninterrupted reign of "Poets" was rare for a streaming-era release. It became the first album ever by a female artist to spend its first 12 weeks atop the chart, surpassing a record previously held by Whitney Houston's 1987 blockbuster "Whitney." (The all-time record for a consecutive streak among women is held by Carole King's "Tapestry," which spent 15 weeks at No. 1 in 1971.)

Swift briefly yielded the top spot to Eminem and Stray Kids before "Poets" notched 13th, 14th, and 15th consecutive weeks atop the chart.

The album eventually fell to lower positions, but then in December of that same year, it returned for two more weeks at No. 1 after Swift released physical versions of the album's deluxe version, "The Anthology," for Black Friday.

Read the original article on Business Insider

Taylor Swift's 'Patient Zero' is her newest No. 1 hit. Here are all 16 of her songs that topped the chart.

20 October 2026 at 18:23
Taylor Swift onstage at the Eras Tour.
Taylor Swift onstage at the Eras Tour.

Shirlaine Forrest/TAS24/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management

  • Taylor Swift's newest single, "Patient Zero," debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
  • Swift has the fourth-most No. 1 hits in history, trailing Elvis, Mariah Carey, and The Beatles.
  • Swift's biggest hits also include "Blank Space," "Anti-Hero," and "The Fate of Ophelia."

Since releasing her first No. 1 album in 2008, Taylor Swift has enjoyed a historic run on the charts, topping the Billboard 200 and Billboard Hot 100 over a dozen times each.

Swift's collection of chart-toppers includes both radio-friendly pop singles and understated gems pushed to the top of the chart by passionate fans.

Most recently, "Patient Zero" joined the ranks of Swift's biggest songs. On the all-time ranking of most No. 1 hits, Swift only trails Elvis, Mariah Carey, and The Beatles.

All of Swift's No. 1 songs on the Hot 100 are listed below in chronological order of their peak dates.

1. "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together"
taylor swift we are never ever getting back together music video
"We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" was released as a single in 2012.

Taylor Swift/YouTube

Weeks at No. 1: Three

Despite writing ubiquitous hits like "You Belong With Me" and "Love Story" earlier in her career (which peaked at No. 2 and No. 4, respectively), "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" was Swift's first-ever song to top the Hot 100.

The country-pop crossover smash was released as the lead single from Swift's fourth album, "Red." It rose from No. 72 to No. 1 in its second week of tracking and remained atop the chart for two more weeks.

2. "Shake It Off"
taylor swift shake it off music video
"Shake It Off" was released as a single in 2014.

Taylor Swift/YouTube

Weeks at No. 1: Four

"Shake It Off" was released as the lead single from Swift's fifth album, "1989." It became her first No. 1 debut on the Hot 100.

3. "Blank Space"
taylor swift blank space music video
"Blank Space" was released as a single in 2014.

Taylor Swift/YouTube

Weeks at No. 1: Seven

"Blank Space," the second single from "1989," debuted at No. 18 on the Hot 100.

It rose to No. 13 before soaring to No. 1 in its third week — dethroning "Shake It Off" and making Swift the first woman in history to replace herself in the chart's top spot.

"Blank Space" went on to become one of Swift's biggest hits, reigning atop the chart for nearly two months.

4. "Bad Blood" featuring Kendrick Lamar
taylor swift bad blood music video
"Bad Blood" was released as a single in 2015.

Taylor Swift/YouTube

Weeks at No. 1: One

In May 2015, a remix of "Bad Blood" featuring Kendrick Lamar was released as the fourth single from "1989."

It rose from No. 53 to the chart's top spot after the music video premiered at the 2015 Billboard Music Awards and broke the Vevo record for most views in 24 hours.

5. "Look What You Made Me Do"
taylor swift look what you made me do music video

Taylor Swift/YouTube

Weeks at No. 1: Three

Despite mixed reactions from critics, Swift's lead single from "Reputation" rose to No. 1 after its first full week of tracking, breaking the weekly streaming record for a song by a woman.

Once again, Swift's music video broke the record for most views within 24 hours, racking up 43.2 million views in its first day.

6. "Cardigan"
taylor swift cardigan music video

Taylor Swift/YouTube

Weeks at No. 1: One

Swift announced the arrival of her eighth album, "Folklore," just one day in advance. The second track, "Cardigan," was released alongside the album and promoted with a whimsical music video.

"Folklore" debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 while "Cardigan" simultaneously debuted at No. 1 on the Hot 100, making Swift the first artist in history to open atop both charts in the same week.

7. "Willow"
taylor swift willow music video

Taylor Swift/YouTube

Weeks at No. 1: One

Just five months after "Folklore," Swift repeated her pandemic-era strategy and surprise-released her ninth album, "Evermore," alongside its lead single.

Again, "Willow" debuted at No. 1 on the Hot 100 while "Evermore" simultaneously debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.

8. "All Too Well (Taylor's Version)"
taylor swift all too well

Taylor Swift/YouTube

Weeks at No. 1: One

"Red (Taylor's Version)" was the second rerecorded album Swift released. It was accompanied by the long-awaited 10-minute version of "All Too Well," a fan-favorite track from the original album.

"All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor's Version)" was promoted with a self-directed short film starring Sadie Sink and Dylan O'Brien, a convention-breaking performance on "Saturday Night Live," and plenty of theories about the song's muse.

It debuted at No. 1 on the Hot 100, becoming the longest song in history to top the chart. The record was previously held by Don McLean's "American Pie (Parts I & II)" at 8 minutes and 37 seconds.

9. "Anti-Hero"
taylor swift anti-hero music video

Taylor Swift/YouTube

Weeks at No. 1: Eight

"Anti-Hero" was released alongside Swift's 10th album, "Midnights," and promoted as the lead single.

It dominated the Hot 100 for eight weeks, surpassing the high-water mark set by "Blank Space."

The same week that "Anti-Hero" debuted at No. 1, Swift became the first and only artist in history to occupy the entire top 10 on the Hot 100. The hit single was flanked by "Lavender Haze" (No. 2), "Maroon" (No. 3), "Snow on the Beach" (No. 4), "Midnight Rain" (No. 5), "Bejeweled" (No. 6), "Question...?" (No. 7), "You're On Your Own, Kid" (No. 8), "Karma" (No. 9), and "Vigilante Shit" (No. 10).

10. "Cruel Summer"
taylor swift eras tour

John Shearer/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management

Weeks at No. 1: Four

"Cruel Summer" was originally released as the second track on Swift's 2019 album "Lover."

Although it was identified early as a fan favorite, the song was never promoted as a single and debuted modestly at No. 29 on the Hot 100.

Four years later, Swift transformed "Cruel Summer" into a showstopping spectacle on the Eras Tour. Streams of the song began to surge, and it reigned atop Billboard's Pop Airplay chart for two months. Swift's label sent the song to pop radio in June 2023.

Finally, following the release of "The Cruelest Summer" EP — which includes a live version of the song and a remix by LP Giobbi — the song reached No. 1 on the Hot 100, marking Swift's milestone 10th chart-topper.

11. "Is It Over Now?"
taylor swift eras tour

Kevin Winter/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management

Weeks at No. 1: One

"Is It Over Now?" was released as the final vault track on "1989 (Taylor's Version)," a rerecording of her beloved fifth album.

Although it wasn't initially slated as a single, its enthusiastic reception from fans pushed Swift's team to serve the song to pop radio.

"Is It Over Now?" debuted at No. 1 on the Hot 100, dethroning "Cruel Summer." Swift remains the only woman in history to replace herself in the top spot, a feat she's now achieved twice.

12. "Fortnight" featuring Post Malone
taylor swift fortnight music video
Taylor Swift in the "Fortnight" music video.

Taylor Swift/YouTube

Weeks at No. 1: Two

"Fortnight," a duet with Post Malone, was released alongside "The Tortured Poets Department" and promoted as the album's lead single.

The song debuted at No. 1 on the Hot 100 while "Poets" simultaneously debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.

For the second time in her career, Swift managed to occupy the entire top 10 of the Hot 100. In fact, the top 14 positions on the chart were occupied by "Poets" tracks, including "Down Bad" (No. 2) and "I Can Do It With a Broken Heart" (No. 3), all the way through to "The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived" (No. 14).

"Fortnight" returned to No. 1 on the Hot 100 for a second consecutive week.

13. "The Fate of Ophelia"
Taylor Swift in the music video for "The Fate of Ophelia."
"The Fate of Ophelia" is the lead single from Taylor Swift's album "The Life of a Showgirl."

Taylor Swift/YouTube

Weeks at No. 1: 10

"The Fate of Ophelia" was released alongside Swift's 12th studio album, "The Life of a Showgirl," and promoted as the lead single.

The Shakespeare-inspired pop song debuted at No. 1 on the Hot 100, while "Showgirl" simultaneously debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.

All 12 tracks on the album debuted within the Hot 100's top 12 spots, making Swift the first and only artist to dominate the chart's entire top 10 on three separate occasions. "The Fate of Ophelia" was joined in the top five by "Opalite" (No. 2), "Elizabeth Taylor" (No. 3), "Father Figure" (No. 4), and "Wood" (No. 5).

"The Fate of Ophelia" remained atop the Hot 100 for eight straight weeks after its release. After falling to lower positions during the holiday season, it returned to No. 1 in early 2026, surpassing "Anti-Hero" as Swift's longest-leading hit to date and becoming her first to top the chart for double-digit weeks.

14. "Opalite"
Domhnall Gleeson and Taylor Swift in the "Opalite" music video.
Domhnall Gleeson and Taylor Swift in the "Opalite" music video.

Taylor Swift/YouTube

Weeks at No. 1: One

"Opalite" was originally released as the third track on "The Life of a Showgirl" and debuted at No. 2 on the Hot 100.

It was later promoted as the album's second single, rising to No. 1 after Swift sold vinyl copies of the song. She also released a music video co-starring Domhnall Gleeson, which premiered exclusively on Spotify and Apple Music in a savvy move to boost streaming numbers.

Swift celebrated her latest chart achievement on Instagram, thanking fans for their support of the song.

"This is actually the first time I've had two Hot 100 #1s off of one album since my album 1989 came out in 2014, nearly twelve years ago!" Swift wrote. "I know that's a lot of numbers but it all adds up to me being so thankful to the fans who helped make this happen by welcoming this song into your lives with open arms."

15. "I Knew It, I Knew You"
Taylor Swift and Jessie.
Swift at the premiere of "Toy Story 5."

Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for for TAS Rights Management

Weeks at No. 1: Two

"I Knew It, I Knew You" was released as a soundtrack single for Pixar's "Toy Story 5."

The twangy tune, cowritten by Swift and her longtime producer Jack Antonoff, was embraced by country radio and debuted simultaneously at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and the Hot Country Songs charts.

16. "Patient Zero"
Taylor Swift in the "Patient Zero" music video.
Taylor Swift in the "Patient Zero" music video.

Taylor Swift/Spotify

Weeks at No. 1: Three

"Patient Zero" was released as a deluxe track from "The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore."

Swift said she was inspired to write more "Showgirl" songs during a trip to visit her Swedish collaborators, Max Martin and Shellback, to celebrate the album's historic first-week sales.

"I hope you love them, because they were born out of pure gratitude for your exuberance for and celebration of the album we made," Swift wrote on social media.

"Patient Zero" followed in the chart-topping footsteps of "The Fate of Ophelia" and "Opalite," making "Showgirl" the first female album to yield three No. 1 hits since Swift's own "1989" over a decade earlier.

Read the original article on Business Insider

Flying drones are a risky way to rescue wounded troops. A Ukrainian official says they're a 'lifeline of last resort.'

20 October 2026 at 18:22
A serviceman of the Special Police Battalion launches a Vampire combat drone flying over the positions of Russian troops, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in the Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine, April 29, 2025.
Ukraine has begun using heavy-lift drones for casualty evacuation missions.

Stringer/REUTERS

  • Ukrainian forces said Monday that they pulled off a "first-ever" air evacuation using a heavy drone.
  • Deploying large aerial drones for battlefield casualty evacuation is a high-risk operation.
  • A Ukrainian official involved in the development of such drones called them a last-resort tool.

Several Ukrainian companies have developed heavy-lift drones that can evacuate wounded soldiers from the battlefield, but the risks mean they should be used only as a last resort, an official involved in these efforts told Business Insider.

Denys Lohvynenko, the drone chief at Brave1, Ukraine's state-backed innovation platform, said that heavy-lift drones provide a time-sensitive means of rescuing wounded troops in highly dangerous situations where they cannot walk on their own and other evacuation methods are unavailable.

Ukraine began developing heavy-lift drones two years ago, but the complex technical requirements took time to iron out.

On Monday, a Ukrainian military unit said that it had used a heavy drone to save a wounded soldier from the front lines, carrying out what it described as a "first-ever air evacuation."

The presence of land mines and Russian drones rendered the use of ground robots — for Kyiv, an increasingly common method of casualty evacuation — too challenging.

"In these situations, heavy-lift aerial evacuation serves as a lifeline of last resort," Lohvynenko explained in remarks shared by Brave1, which has supported the development of these drones and other war technology.

Ukraine's 92nd Separate Assault Brigade said Monday that soldiers used a six-rotor hexacopter made by the Ukrainian company Gurzuf Defense to carry out the mission. Other defense companies are working on similar technology; SkyFall, for instance, recently unveiled its own hexacopter for evacuations.

Ukrainian forces also use heavy-lift drones for logistics missions, as they can typically carry more cargo than smaller variants.

A challenge is that big drones are big targets. Samuel Bendett, a drone warfare expert at the Center for Naval Analyses, a US research organization, told Business Insider on Monday that certain elite Russian military units are focused on downing such aircraft.

A heavy bomber drone lowers an injured Ukrainian soldier.
A Ukrainian unit said it pulled off a "first-ever" casualty evacuation with a heavy drone.

Ukraine's 92nd Separate Assault Brigade/Screengrab via Telegram

Lohvynenko said Ukraine understands the risk of using large drones in and around contested airspace, as is the case along most of the front lines. So they are "reserved only for high-risk, high-priority emergencies," he said.

The heavy-lift drones have also been equipped with what he described as "additional survivability systems," including electronic warfare and alternative communications. Active protection systems could be installed in the future.

"We maintain a realistic view of the technological and operational challenges associated with aerial extraction of personnel via heavy-lift drones," Lohvynenko said.

"However, establishing this technical capability is essential," he continued, arguing that a "single life saved on the battlefield justifies every engineering hour and resource invested in this program."

Combat casualty evacuation has become increasingly robotic for Ukraine as the country's officials, companies, and military units look to replace soldiers with machines in dangerous front-line missions wherever possible.

Ground robots, in particular, are seen as crucial tools for casualty evacuation and logistics. Ukraine's defense ministry said last month that the number of these kinds of missions carried out by robots has jumped more than threefold since January.

The deployment of a heavy-lift drone for an evacuation, an unusual mission, underscores Ukraine's growing efforts to use uncrewed systems in unconventional battlefield roles.

Read the original article on Business Insider

Taylor Swift is in her WAG era — here's every time she's cheered on Travis Kelce and the Chiefs

20 October 2026 at 18:16
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce celebrate the Kansas City Chiefs becoming 2025 AFC champions.
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce celebrate the Kansas City Chiefs becoming 2025 AFC champions.

David Eulitt/Getty Images

  • Taylor Swift is supporting her husband, Travis Kelce, during the Chiefs' 2026 football season.
  • She's been photographed at 26 football games since they began dating in 2023.
  • Swift tends to wear Kansas City Chiefs gear and dress up in the team's red-forward color palette.

Already known as a gifted songwriter, chart-topping singer, and billionaire businesswoman, Taylor Swift has added WAG to her list of identifiers — an acronym used to describe the supportive wives and girlfriends of high-profile athletes.

Since Swift began dating Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce in the summer of 2023, she has been spotted cheering for the team at 25 games, including Super Bowl LVIII.

Swift's presence has been wholeheartedly embraced by the NFL, whose commissioner, Roger Goodell, has credited Swift with an increase in interest among female fans.

"I'm just there to support Travis," Swift previously told Time. "I have no awareness of if I'm being shown too much and pissing off a few dads, Brads, and Chads."

The megastar is now back in action for her third consecutive NFL season, supporting Kelce and the Chiefs during the 2026 season — their first since Swift and Kelce got married at Madison Square Garden.

Here are the best photos of Swift from each appearance so far.

Swift attended her first game at Arrowhead Stadium in September 2023.
taylor swift chiefs game
Taylor Swift attends a game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Chicago Bears at Arrowhead Stadium on September 24, 2023.

David Eulitt/Getty Images

Swift's enthusiasm at her first Chiefs game seemed to confirm her then-rumored romance with Kelce.

Swift later said they were already an official couple before she watched the Chiefs beat the Chicago Bears.

"This all started when Travis very adorably put me on blast on his podcast, which I thought was metal as hell," she told Time. "We started hanging out right after that. So we actually had a significant amount of time that no one knew, which I'm grateful for, because we got to get to know each other."

"By the time I went to that first game, we were a couple," Swift continued. "I think some people think that they saw our first date at that game? We would never be psychotic enough to hard launch a first date."

For her second appearance, she brought her longtime pal Blake Lively.
taylor swift blake lively chiefs game
Taylor Swift and Blake Lively attend a game between the New York Jets and the Kansas City Chiefs at MetLife Stadium on October 1, 2023.

Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images

Swift and Lively watched the Chiefs defeat the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey — where Swift had performed three sold-out concerts just a few months prior.

The October game drew the highest viewership for a Sunday TV show since the Super Bowl, NBC Sports reported.

Indeed, Swift's newfound interest in football has been credited with bumping merch sales and enticing more female viewers.

Swift cheered with Kelce's mom, Donna Kelce, during a home game against the Denver Broncos.
taylor swift donna kelce chiefs game
Taylor Swift and Donna Kelce attend a game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Denver Broncos at Arrowhead Stadium on October 12, 2023.

David Eulitt/Getty Images

Shortly before her third game-day appearance, Kelce accused the NFL of "overdoing it" with its wall-to-wall coverage of Swift.

"I think it's fun when they show who all is at the game. I think it brings a little more to the atmosphere, brings a little bit more to what you're watching," Kelce said during an episode of his "New Heights" podcast.

"But at the same time, I think they're overdoing it a little bit," Kelce continued. "For sure, especially for my situation. I think they're just trying to have fun with it."

Swift has struck up a friendship with Brittany Mahomes, who's married to Kelce's teammate.
taylor swift brittany mahomes chiefs game
Taylor Swift and Brittany Mahomes react during a game between the Los Angeles Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium on October 22, 2023.

David Eulitt/Getty Images

Just a few days before the release of "1989 (Taylor's Version)," Swift watched the Chiefs take down the Los Angeles Chargers.

She spent the home game cheering with Mahomes and showing off their secret handshake.

Swift wore a black turtleneck and a red teddy coat in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
taylor swift brittany mahomes nfl game
Taylor Swift and Brittany Mahomes cheer for the Chiefs in December.

Stacy Revere/Getty Images

Swift spent most of November 2023 on the road for the South American leg of the Eras Tour. Kelce even flew to Buenos Aires, Argentina, to watch Swift perform — and received an onstage shout-out in return.

She returned to Kelce's side in early December when the Chiefs took on the Green Bay Packers. It was her first time watching Kelce's team lose.

She wore a vintage Chiefs sweatshirt for the team's next home game.
Taylor Swift in a stand at a football game.
Taylor Swift attends a Kansas City Chiefs game on December 10, 2023.

Jamie Squire/Getty Images

Swift purchased the '90s sweatshirt from Westside Storey, a secondhand clothing boutique in Kansas City.

The store's owner, Chris Harrington, told Business Insider he originally thought Swift's order — which totaled $1,200 for curated vintage pieces — could be fraudulent.

Instead, she wore one of those pieces at Arrowhead Stadium in December, causing a surge of traffic to Westside Storey's website.

"We've had hundreds of orders over the last 48 hours," Harrington told BI. "Sometimes our online store lights up after a Chiefs game when we win, but this is 100 times more than that, and we lost the game. It was the Taylor effect."

She brought her dad and friends to cheer for the Chiefs in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
taylor swift chiefs game
Taylor Swift attends a game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the New England Patriots on December 17, 2023.

Danielle Parhizkaran/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

Swift hit the road to watch the Chiefs defeat the New England Patriots on the latter's home turf. She even convinced her father, Scott Swift, to swap his traditional Philadelphia Eagles gear for a Chiefs sweatshirt.

Several friends accompanied Swift, including Alana Haim, stylist Ashley Avignone, and backup singer Melanie Nyema.

Swift spent Christmas Day at Arrowhead Stadium.
Taylor Swift appears at a December 25 Chiefs game against the Raiders wearing a Santa hat with Travis Kelce's number on it.
Taylor Swift made another appearance at a Chiefs game on Christmas Day.

Jamie Squire/Getty Images

Even though the Chiefs lost to the Las Vegas Raiders on December 25, 2023, Kelce praised Swift and her family for making the day special.

The singer's brother, Austin Swift, dressed up as Santa Claus and gave Kelce a VHS copy of the 1994 film "Little Giants."

"He actually made me feel like a child because his gift to me was straight out of the bag," Kelce said on his podcast "New Heights.' "Whipped it out and handed me a VHS of my favorite football movie of all time."

She also spent New Year's Eve cheering for Kelce in Kansas City.
taylor swift chiefs game
Taylor Swift attends a game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium on December 31, 2023.

Jamie Squire/Getty Images

Swift wore a Chiefs varsity jacket for the game against the Cincinnati Bengals, which the home team won.

For her first game of 2024, Swift braved freezing temperatures to high-five fans.
taylor swift chiefs game
Taylor Swift attends a game between the Miami Dolphins and the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium on January 13, 2024.

Jamie Squire/Getty Images

The Chiefs defeated the Miami Dolphins during the fourth-coldest game in NFL history, per CNN.

That same day, the Chiefs owner praised Swift and Kelce's "purely organic" relationship.

"It's been a very interesting, very fun year having the two of them dating, the attention that's been focused on the Chiefs," Clark Hunt told CNBC. "Our female audience has grown leaps and bounds."

Kelce scored two touchdowns in Buffalo, New York, with Swift in the stands.
taylor swift chiefs game
Taylor Swift attends a game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium on January 21, 2024.

Kathryn Riley/Getty Images

Swift joined Kelce's family to watch the Chiefs advance through the NFL playoffs — including his brother, Eagles center Jason Kelce, who lost his shirt in the frenzy.

She saw Kelce and his teammates become AFC champions.
travis kelce taylor swift
Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift celebrate the Chiefs' AFC Championship win.

Patrick Smith/Getty Images

Swift watched the Chiefs beat the Baltimore Ravens in the 2024 AFC Championship Game, securing their spot in Super Bowl LVIII. She even joined Kelce on the field to celebrate the win.

Swift flew from Tokyo to watch the Chiefs play in Super Bowl LVIII.
Travis Kelce #87 of the Kansas City Chiefs celebrates with Taylor Swift after defeating the San Francisco 49ers 25-22 in overtime during Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium on February 11, 2024
Swift has attended the Super Bowl, though.

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

Swift was widely expected to attend the 2024 Super Bowl in Las Vegas, despite having an Eras Tour stop scheduled in Tokyo the night before.

Sure enough, she made the trip in time to watch the Chiefs take on the San Francisco 49ers, with friends like Lively, Lana Del Rey, and Ice Spice in tow.

The superstar geared up for her second NFL season in September 2024.
Taylor Swift walking in an all denim outfit
Taylor Swift arrives ahead of the Kansas City Chiefs v Baltimore Ravens game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on September 05, 2024 in Kansas City, Missouri.

David Eulitt

Swift was back in Kansas City on the evening of September 5, 2024, as the Chiefs took the field for their first game of the season against the Ravens.

She donned an all-denim getup and thigh-high red boots.

Swift wore a vintage Chiefs T-shirt for Kelce's second home game of the season.
Danielle Haim and Taylor Swift arrive at Arrowhead Stadium on September 15, 2024.
Danielle Haim and Taylor Swift arrive at Arrowhead Stadium on September 15, 2024.

Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Just a few days after attending the MTV Video Music Awards in New York (and giving her then-boyfriend a shout-out onstage), Swift was back in Kansas City to watch the Chiefs defeat the Bengals.

She also watched the Chiefs beat the Saints at Arrowhead Stadium.
Taylor Swift cheers from a VIP suite at Arrowhead Stadium on October 7, 2024.
Taylor Swift cheers from a VIP suite at Arrowhead Stadium on October 7, 2024.

Cooper Neill/Getty Images

After skipping two of Kelce's games in Atlanta and Los Angeles, Swift returned to Kansas City in style — wearing over $50,000 worth of jewelry and designer clothing — to cheer for the Chiefs against the New Orleans Saints.

The home team won 26-13, their fifth consecutive win of the season.

Swift cheered when the Chiefs beat the Buccaneers with a touchdown drive in overtime.
Taylor Swift waves to fans at Arrowhead Stadium on November 4, 2024.
Taylor Swift waves to fans at Arrowhead Stadium on November 4, 2024.

Aaron M. Sprecher/Getty Images

One day after Swift wrapped the final US leg of the Eras Tour in Indianapolis, she was back in Kansas City to watch the Chiefs take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Despite a touchdown from the Buccaneers in the final minute of regulation play, the Chiefs rallied in overtime to score a winning touchdown.

The singer was on duty again to watch the Chiefs defeat the Broncos.
Taylor Swift at Arrowhead Stadium on November 10, 2024.
Taylor Swift at Arrowhead Stadium on November 10, 2024.

Jamie Squire/Getty Images

Swift wore her typical black-and-red combo for another home game at Arrowhead Stadium, pairing a Victoria's Secret corset with a Versace tweed two-piece set. She was joined in the VIP box by her mother, Andrea Swift.

Swift saw the Chiefs beat the Raiders at home.
Taylor Swift and Donna Kelce arrive at Arrowhead Stadium on November 29, 2024.
Taylor Swift and Donna Kelce arrive at Arrowhead Stadium on November 29, 2024.

Jamie Squire/Getty Images

Swift arrived at Arrowhead Stadium with Kelce's mom, Donna. The pair cheered as the Chiefs clinched a narrow defeat against the Raiders.

A few weeks later, she watched the Chiefs win again at Arrowhead Stadium.
Taylor Swift arrives at Arrowhead Stadium on December 21, 2024.
Taylor Swift arrives at Arrowhead Stadium on December 21, 2024.

Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Swift wore her boldest gameday outfit yet for the Chiefs vs. the Houston Texans, pairing a statement red coat with a faux-fur lining from Charlotte Simone and a vintage Chanel bucket hat.

Kelce and the Chiefs beat the Texans 19-27, adding another win to their dominant season.

Swift sat with Caitlin Clark during the divisional round of the playoffs.
Taylor Swift and Caitlin Clark hug at Arrowhead Stadium on January 18, 2025.
Taylor Swift and Caitlin Clark hug at Arrowhead Stadium on January 18, 2025.

Perry Knotts/Getty Images

Swift and WNBA star Caitlin Clark were spotted celebrating together when the Chiefs defeated the Texans again, 23-14, advancing to the AFC Championship Game for the seventh straight season.

For the second year in a row, Swift celebrated on the field with Kelce and the Chiefs when they became AFC champions.
Taylor Swift on the field at Arrowhead Stadium on January 26, 2025.
Taylor Swift on the field at Arrowhead Stadium on January 26, 2025.

David Eulitt/Getty Images

The Chiefs took down the Buffalo Bills 32-29 in the 2025 AFC Championship Game, sending the league's top-seeded team to the Super Bowl in New Orleans.

Like she did the previous year, Swift joined Kelce, his mom, and his teammates on the field for their post-game celebration. Unlike the previous year, however, Swift wore a loud-luxury outfit covered with Louis Vuitton logos.

Swift traveled to New Orleans for a rare Chiefs loss at the Super Bowl.
Taylor Swift at Super Bowl LIX.
Alana Haim, Taylor Swift, Este Haim, and Danielle Haim at Caesars Superdome on February 9, 2025.

Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

The Chiefs faced the Eagles at Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans. Serendipitously, Swift's trusted collaborator Kendrick Lamar headlined the halftime show.

As opposed to her usual Chiefs getup, Swift wore an agnostic white-and-denim outfit — perhaps to avoid rooting against her hometown team, who beat the Chiefs 40-22. (To date, the Chiefs have only lost four times with Swift in the stands.)

Swift skipped the Emmys to watch the Chiefs' first win of the 2026 season.
Taylor Swift at Arrowhead Stadium on September 14, 2026.
Taylor Swift at Arrowhead Stadium on September 14, 2026.

David Eulitt/Getty Images

During the 2026 Emmys, Swift appeared in a prerecorded sketch with host Mariska Hargitay and the rest of the "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" cast to explain her absence from the awards show. (Swift's latest Disney+ concert movie, which was filmed during her final performance of the Eras Tour, was nominated for outstanding variety special.)

As Hargitay's Olivia Benson pieces together, the Emmys overlapped with the Chiefs' first game of the 2026 season — playfully described in the scene as Swift's husband having a "work thing."

Indeed, Swift was spotted celebrating the Chiefs' win over the Broncos alongside her mom, Andrea; Kelce's mom, Donna; and Kelce's brother, Jason.

Swift celebrated Kelce's first touchdown of the 2026 season with a nod to their marriage.
Taylor Swift and her dad, Scott Swift, at Arrowhead Stadium on September 20, 2026.
Taylor Swift and her dad, Scott Swift, at Arrowhead Stadium on September 20, 2026.

David Eulitt/Getty Images

The Chiefs won their second game of the 2026 season against the Indianapolis Colts.

When Kelce scored his first touchdown of the season, Swift was filmed cheering and pointing to her wedding ring, apparently yelling, "That's my husband!"

Swift returned to Arrowhead Stadium after a special performance in LA.
Taylor Swift reacts to a play during a game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Los Angeles Chargers at Arrowhead Stadium on October 18, 2026, in Kansas City, Missouri.
Taylor Swift at Arrowhead Stadium on October 18, 2026.

Jamie Squire/Getty Images

On October 17, 2026, Swift took the stage at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures' sixth annual gala in Los Angeles. She sang her "Toy Story 5" soundtrack hit, "I Knew It, I Knew You," and gave her debut performance of "The Fate of Ophelia."

The following day, Swift was back in Kansas City to watch the Chiefs take on the Chargers. The home team won 22-6, extending their undefeated streak this season.

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AI coding has hit an 'intelligence saturation' point, Cognition cofounder says

20 October 2026 at 17:56
Digital advertisement for Cognition's Devin AI software engineer beside escalators near Exit B2 on the concourse at Embarcadero BART and Muni Metro station, San Francisco, California, August 27, 2026.
The cofounder of Cognition, the company behind Devin, says the AI model competition is now favoring speed over intelligence.

Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images

  • Cognition's cofounder said software engineering AI models are "intelligence saturated."
  • AI model baselines improved — so smarter, more capable models aren't pulling as many users, he said.
  • Instead, the focus could turn to speed and price.

For years, the AI race has favored the smarter model.

Russell Kaplan, the president and cofounder of AI coding startup Cognition, the company behind software-engineering platform Devin, said that could be changing for a growing number of software-engineering tasks.

"Many tasks within software engineering are now 'intelligence saturated,'" Kaplan wrote in a post on Monday. "Once any model can do the task well, cost and speed are all that matter."

This is directionally consistent with our internal data @cognition. Many tasks within software engineering are now "intelligence saturated." Once any model can do the task well, cost and speed are all that matter.

— Russell Kaplan (@russelljkaplan) October 19, 2026

Kaplan was responding to an article from The Information. Their reporting found that a 10-point advantage in model intelligence now delivers just 20% more developer traffic, down from nearly 69% in late 2025.

He said that story is "directionally consistent" with what is happening inside Cognition.

That could be a sizable strategic shift for the AI companies fighting to win software developers and enterprise contracts. OpenAI, Anthropic, Meta, Google, and a growing crop of AI labs have all highlighted their increasingly capable coding tools as a reason to choose their models.

Now, as those AI agents get better at routine tasks, one model's slightly smarter approach could matter less to users if another model is cheaper and faster.

Kaplan didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

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This new food delivery service is trying to take on DoorDash and Uber Eats by offering no menu markups

20 October 2026 at 17:56
Person walking on a sunlit sidewalk carrying a brown paper takeout bag beside a wall casting a long shadow.
Restaurant software company Olo is launching a delivery app.

Bloomberg/Getty Images

  • Restaurant software provider Olo is launching a delivery app.
  • Olo will offer the same menu prices for delivery that in-person visitors get, it said.
  • Other delivery services often mark up order prices.

A new food delivery service is taking aim at menu mark-ups — and some entrenched rivals

Restaurant ordering software company Olo is launching its own customer-focused app, it said on Tuesday. The app puts it in competition with more established delivery companies, such as DoorDash and Uber Eats.

On Olo's app, customers will see the same prices that restaurants charge in-person patrons, the company said. By contrast, third-party delivery services often charge customers higher menu prices than diners would get at a restaurant.

Offering in-store prices can save customers between 15% and 30%, Olo said.

"It's a better experience for consumers and a more sustainable model for restaurants, with no menu price inflation and no barriers standing between great brands and the people and communities they serve," Olo CEO and founder Noah Glass said.

Food delivery is one area where consumers continue to spend money, even as they cut back their budgets elsewhere. How much customers pay for delivery — and whether apps charge individuals different prices or the same order — can affect how often they order.

Olo is stepping into a competitive space. DoorDash and Uber Eats continue to grow, including by rearching into club deliveries and catering. And Walmart, which spent years building its own grocery-focused delivery service, started delivering restaurant orders earlier this year.

Olo got its start in 2005 with a service that let users text their orders to restaurants in the pre-smartphone era. Now, the company fields about 3.5 million orders daily through around 800 restaurant brands.

The company doesn't have its own team of delivery drivers. Instead, the company uses its own dispatch service to compare delivery options at other third-party services, such as Grubhub, and pick one based on factors like cost and speed.

Olo's delivery app will allow customers to order from about 250 restaurants, including Five Guys and Dave's Hot Chicken.

Do you have a story idea about Uber Eats, DoorDash, or another delivery service? Contact this reporter at abitter@businessinsider.com or via encrypted messaging app Signal at 808-854-4501. Use a personal email address, a nonwork WiFi network, and a nonwork device; here's our guide to sharing information securely.

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Student-loan borrowers are waiting for 'legally required' debt relief that Trump isn't delivering, new legal filing says

20 October 2026 at 17:43
President Donald Trump
A new legal filing said that the Trump administration is failing its obligation to process debt relief for defrauded student-loan borrowers.

Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

  • Student-loan borrowers are still waiting for the relief they're entitled to through a settlement, a new legal filing said.
  • A borrower advocacy group is asking a court to enforce compliance with the relief settlement.
  • The Education Department said it disagrees with the motion and is working to enact relief.

Student-loan borrowers are legally entitled to debt relief — but they're still waiting for it to arrive, an advocacy group contends in a new court filing.

The Project on Predatory Student Lending — a borrower advocacy group — filed a new motion in its years-long lawsuit to get relief for thousands of defrauded borrowers.

In July, a federal court denied the Trump administration's request to delay relief under the Sweet v. McMahon settlement, which has provided $23 billion in relief to over 500,000 borrowers. Now, PPSL says that over 1,000 members of the settlement class are still waiting for loan discharges or refunds that the Education Department "was legally required to provide by deadlines that have long since passed."

The group filed a motion asking the court to enforce the settlement and hold the department in contempt, in order to compel compliance with the settlement terms and process relief within the set deadlines. Specifically, the motion asks the department to resume weekly meetings with the plaintiffs' counsel for status updates on the processing of the relief, and asks the court to enforce penalties if the department does not comply.

The Education Department said in its response that the motions are "baseless."

Additionally, a declaration from the department's ombudsman said that borrowers still awaiting refunds are not due to department failure, but rather, that those borrowers' accounts "warranted further review."

"Although it has taken staff some time to understand all of the complexities, the current staff have been reviewing and resolving Sweet complaints since approximately April 2024 with some staff added in 2025," the ombudsman said. "They are all incredibly well-versed in Sweet complaint resolution."

A public hearing in the case is scheduled for November 5.

Student-loan borrowers first filed a lawsuit against the department in 2019, accusing it of failing to process their borrower defense to repayment applications — claims borrowers can file if they believe they were defrauded. If approved, their student debt from the school would be wiped out.

A settlement in the case was reached under the Biden administration in 2022, and while batches of borrowers have received relief, PPSL said that others who qualify are still waiting.

Have a story to share about student loans? Contact this reporter at asheffey@businessinsider.com.

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Celebrity deaths in 2026: Remembering the famous people we lost this year

Mike Ditka in a Chicago Bears jacket
Mike Ditka.

George Gojkovich/Getty Images

  • Actors James Van Der Beek, Hayden Panettiere, Robert Duvall, Chuck Norris, and Eva Marie Saint died in 2026.
  • So did musicians Dolly Parton and Duncan Sheik.
  • Civil rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson, activist Gloria Steinem, and NFL Hall of Famer Mike Ditka also died this year.

Below, we look back at the celebrities we lost in 2026, listed in alphabetical order.

Scott Adams, 68
Scott Adams next to a cut out of his creation comic book character Dilbert
Scott Adams.

Michael Macor/Getty Images

Scott Adams worked at a telephone company in the 1980s. The experience inspired his beloved comic strip, "Dilbert."

By the end of the decade, the character and his satirical office humor began appearing in comic strips.

At its peak, "Dilbert" was syndicated in over 2,000 newspapers. A cartoon series debuted in 1999, running for two seasons.

Adams gained notoriety when he began writing blog posts praising Donald Trump during his 2016 presidential run. In 2023, "Dilbert" was pulled from newspapers across the US following racist comments made by Adams.

Adams died on January 13 from metastatic prostate cancer.

Brad Arnold, 47
Brad Arnold leaning on a microphone stand
Brad Arnold.

Scott Gries/ImageDirect/Getty Images

The lead singer of 3 Doors Down, Brad Arnold launched the group into fame with the 2000 rock anthem "Kryptonite," which peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 that year.

The success led to other hits like "Loser," "Here Without You," and "When I'm Gone." Arnold's vocal range and lyrics focused on love and love lost, which fueled the group to stardom.

Arnold died on February 7 from a type of kidney cancer.

Afrika Bambaataa, 68
Afrika Bambaataa wearing sunglasses
Afrika Bambaataa.

Paul Natkin/WireImage/Getty

A hip-hop pioneer during the 1970s and 1980s, Lance Taylor, known professionally as Afrika Bambaataa, first gained attention as a DJ in the Bronx.

He signed with Tommy Boy Records in 1981 and released landmark songs like "Jazzy Sensation" and "Planet Rock." He would go on to influence the likes of Queen Latifah and A Tribe Called Quest throughout his career.

Bambaataa founded the hip-hop awareness group, Universal Zulu Nation, in the 1970s to steer kids away from gang life. Bambaataa stepped down as the head of the organization in 2016 after accusations of sexual abuse.

Bambaataa denied all claims.

He died on April 9 due to prostate cancer.

Rob Bass, 59
Rob Bass sitting in a recording studio
Rob Bass.

Al Pereira/Michael Osche Archives/Getty Images

One of the icons responsible for bringing hip-hop to the mainstream, Rob Bass crafted the iconic track "It Takes Two" alongside DJ E-Z Rock.

The track, released in 1988, reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot Dance/Club Songs chart and later went certified platinum. In 1989, it was voted the greatest single of all time by Spin magazine.

Bass died on May 22 following cancer.

Nicholas Brendon, 54
Nicholas Brendon in a swearer
Nicholas Brendon.

Getty Images

Nicholas Brendon was a television actor, best known for playing Xander Harris in all seven seasons of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer."

He also starred in "Criminal Minds" and "Kitchen Confidential."

Brendon died in his sleep on March 20 due to natural causes, according to his family's statement.

In 2023, Brendon suffered a heart attack and was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect. He also had cauda equina syndrome, which led to several spinal surgeries.

"While it's no secret that Nicholas had struggles in the past, he was on medications and treatment to manage his diagnosis, and he was optimistic about the future at the time of his passing," the statement to The Hollywood Reporter read. "Our family asks for privacy during this time as we grieve his loss and celebrate the life of a man who lived with intensity, imagination, and heart."

Peabo Bryson, 75
Peabo Bryson sitting on a blue chair
Peabo Bryson.

ABC Photo Archives/Getty Images

Two-time Grammy winner Peabo Bryson is best known for his classic love ballads.

Bryson began releasing music in the late 1970s, but one of his first major hits was opposite Roberta Flack on the 1983 duet, "Tonight, I Celebrate My Love." He continued hit-making a year later with the smash "If Ever You're in My Arms Again," and in 1991, he topped the R&B charts with "Can You Stop the Rain."

Bryson found global stardom with his renditions of two Disney classics. In 1991, he released the pop version of "Beauty and the Beast," alongside Céline Dion, and a year later, he duetted with Regina Belle on "A Whole New World" from the 1992 release of "Aladdin."

Bryson died on June 2. No cause was given.

James Burrows, 85
James Burrows
James Burrows.

Aaron Rapoport/Corbis/Getty Images

An 11-time Emmy winner and co-creator of "Cheers," director James Burrows helped shape modern TV comedy through his work on iconic sitcoms including "Will & Grace," "Friends," and "Frasier."

Known for his comedic timing and elaborate blocking, Burrows got his start directing episodes of "The Mary Tyler Moore Show." Throughout his career, he directed episodes of "Frasier" (winning an Emmy for the pilot episode), "Will & Grace," "Friends," and "The Big Bang Theory." He directed over 50 pilot episodes.

Burrows died on June 19. No cause was given.

Kyle Busch, 41
Kyle Busch in a blue race suit and hat
Kyle Busch.

Sean Gardner/Getty Images

Two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Busch was considered one of the greatest racers of all time.

Busch was hospitalized on May 21, before two upcoming races. Hours later, he was pronounced dead.

Busch died from severe pneumonia that progressed into sepsis.

Robert Carradine, 71
Robert Carradine in a grey suit with a bow tie and pocket protector filled with pens
Robert Carradine.

Bobby Bank/WireImage/Getty

Robert Carradine was best known for his roles as Lizzie McGuire's dad and as the iconic geek Lewis Skolnick in the 1980s franchise "Revenge of the Nerds."

As a member of Hollywood's famed Carradine family, Robert was destined for an onscreen career.

He received one of his first screen credits starring in his brother David Carradine's popular 1970s TV series "Kung Fu" and went on to land roles in everything from Samuel Fuller's World War II classic "The Big Red One" to the "Lizzie McGuire" series.

Carradine's family shared statements with Deadline that emphasized being open about his struggles with mental illness.

"We are bereft at the loss of this beautiful soul and want to acknowledge Bobby's valiant struggle against his nearly two-decade battle with Bipolar Disorder," Carradine's family said. "We hope his journey can shine a light and encourage addressing the stigma that attaches to mental illness."

Carradine died by suicide on February 23.

If you or someone you know is experiencing depression or has had thoughts of harming themself or taking their own life, get help. In the US, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Help is also available through the Crisis Text Line — just text "HOME" to 741741. The International Association for Suicide Prevention offers resources for those outside the US.

Bud Cort, 77
Bud Cort blowing a bubble
Bud Cort.

CBS Photo Archive/CBS via Getty Images

Most famous for his role as Harold in the 1971 cult-classic "Harold and Maude," Bud Cort became the epitome of 1970s counterculture thanks to his baby-faced looks, wit, and sophisticated persona.

The dark comedy starred Cort as Harold, a man in his 20s who is obsessed with suicide until he meets 79-year-old eccentric Maude (Ruth Gordon).

Before that, Cort scored bit parts in Robert Altman's "M*A*S*H*" (1970) and "Brewster McCloud" (1970).

After "Harold and Maude," Cort worked steadily for the rest of his life, occasionally showing up in hit movies like Michael Mann's "Heat" (1995) and Wes Anderson's "The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou" (2004).

Cort died on February 11 following a long illness.

Tim Curry, 80
Tim Curry.
Tim Curry.

Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Curry is best known for playing Dr. Frank-N-Furter in the cult-classic musical "The Rocky Horror Picture Show," after originating the role in the original stage production.

Over six decades, Curry carved out a niche playing outlandish villains like Rooster Hannigan in the 1982 film "Annie" and Pennywise in the 1990 miniseries "It." Other notable roles include Wadsworth the Butler in "Clue" (1985) and Mr. Hector in "Home Alone 2: Escape from New York."

Curry suffered a major stroke in 2012, which required brain surgery. He said in 2025 that he was "still recovering."

Curry died at his Los Angeles home on August 26. No cause was given.

Eric Dane, 53
Eric Dane.
Eric Dane

Pief Weyman/NBC via Getty Images

Long before becoming one of TV's most recognizable heartthrobs, Eric Dane was building his career with guest roles on series like "Saved by the Bell" and "Married… with Children."

He later gained wider attention with appearances on "Charmed" before landing his breakout role as Dr. Mark "McSteamy" Sloan on "Grey's Anatomy." He most recently starred in HBO's "Euphoria," where he played Cal Jacobs, the father of Jacob Elordi's character, Nate Jacobs.

Dane has two children with his wife, Rebecca Gayheart. In April 2025, the actor said that he was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS.

Dane died on February 19 at age 53, his publicist confirmed in a statement to Business Insider.

"He spent his final days surrounded by dear friends, his devoted wife, and his two beautiful daughters, Billie and Georgia, who were the center of his world," his publicist said.

Clive Davis, 94
Clive Davis in a dark suit purple tie
Clive Davis.

Roy Rochlin/Getty Images

A legend in the music world, Davis was responsible for elevating pop music to unthinkable heights by discovering talents like Aretha Franklin, Barry Manilow, Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, Whitney Houston, and Alicia Keys, to name a few.

Over his 50-year career, along with being an executive behind millions of album sales, he also won five Grammys, including two for Album of the Year ("The Bodyguard" soundtrack and "Supernatural" by Santana).

Davis died on June 22. No cause was given.

Mike Ditka, 86
Mike Ditka being held up on his players' shoulders
Chicago Bears head coach Mike Ditka gets carried off the field after they defeated the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XX on January 26, 1986.

Focus on Sport/Getty Images

Mike Ditka was the first tight end ever inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. As a coach for the Chicago Bears, he led the team to its only Super Bowl win to date in 1986.

Ditka's success turned him into a celebrity who showed up in commercials, TV shows, and movies in cameo roles.

One of his most famous was starring opposite Will Ferrell in the 2005 comedy "Kicking and Screaming."

His persona became the long-running "Saturday Night Live" sketch called "Bill Swerski's Superfans," in which cast members dressed up as Ditka and spoke about their love for "Da Bears."

Ditka died on October 9; no cause was given.

Robert Duvall, 95
Robert Duvall in a leather jacket
Robert Duvall.

Jack Mitchell/Getty Images

Robert Duvall starred in a plethora of timeless classics, including "The Godfather," "The Godfather Part II," "Apocalypse Now," "THX 1138," "The Natural," "Days of Thunder," and "The Apostle."

Duvall will be best remembered for starring in three of director Francis Ford Coppola's iconic films: playing Tom Hagen in the first two "Godfather" movies and Lieutenant Colonel Bill Kilgore in "Apocalypse Now," in which he delivers one of the most memorable lines in movie history: "I love the smell of napalm in the morning."

Duvall was lauded for his acting talent, from not saying a word while playing Boo Radley in his first big screen role in the 1962 classic "To Kill a Mockingbird" to his portrayal of a country singer dealing with alcoholism in 1983's "Tender Mercies," which earned him an Oscar.

He died on his ranch in Virginia on February 15. No cause was given.

Brenda Fricker, 81
Brenda Fricker with pigeons on her shoulders and arms in Home Alone 2
Brenda Fricker in "Home Alone 2: Lost in New York."

20th Century Fox

This Irish actress was a fixture on the stage and screen for six decades. But she's most known for showing up in the "Home Alone" sequel.

As The Pigeon Lady in 1992's "Home Alone 2: Lost in New York," Fricker has become a fixture for families during the holiday season for decades (and in 2020 became the subject of a popular meme).

But Fricker's acting talents go beyond playing a spooky wanderer of Central Park.

In 1990, she became the first Irish actress to win an Academy Award, as she was given the best supporting actress Oscar that year for her performance in "My Left Foot."

Fricker died on July 16; no cause was given.

Mark Fuhrman, 74
Mark Fuhrman in a suit and tie
Mark Fuhrman.

Jim Smeal/Ron Galella Collection/Getty Images

Fuhrman cemented his place in popular culture as one of the lead LAPD detectives on the 1995 murder case of O.J. Simpson's ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend Ronald Goldman.

Fuhrman found the famed bloody glove on the Simpson estate, and during the trial, he gained infamy when Simpson's defense team used his past racist language to discredit him as a witness.

Fuhrman retired from the LAPD after the Simpson trial and moved to Idaho, where he wrote true crime books.

Fuhrman died on May 12 of throat cancer.

Valentino Garavani, 93
Valentino Garavani stanging in a white suit in front of red dresses
Valentino Garavani.

Stephane Cardinale/Corbis/Getty Images

For over six decades, one name has been synonymous with women's high fashion: Valentino.

The Italian designer launched his fashion business in Rome in 1960 and never looked back. Soon, every star wanted to be seen in his creations. They've been worn by icons like Elizabeth Taylor, Joan Collins, Jackie Kennedy, Princess Diana, Sharon Stone, and more.

Though Garavani retired from designing in 2008, his label is still a red carpet staple, as is his famous shade of bright red dubbed "Valentino Red."

Garavani died on January 19. No cause was given.

Donald Gibb, 71
Donald Gibb in a football jacket in Revenge of the Nerds movie
Donald Gibb.

20th Century Fox

No one defined a bully for a generation more than Gibb's hulking fraternity character Ogre in the "Revenge of the Nerds" movies of the 1980s.

Since the original raunchy comedy was released in 1984, Gibb's intimidating size and loud yells of "NERDS!" have become as memorable as the pocket protectors worn by the movie's geeks.

Gibb went on to star opposite Jean-Claude Van Damme in his classic 1988 action movie "Bloodsport." He also landed guest star roles through his career on shows like "Quantum Leap," "Magnum P.I.," "MacGyver," "Night Court," and "Cheers."

Gibb died on May 12 following health complications.

Chad Gilbert, 45
Chad Gilbert playing the guitar on stage
Chad Gilbert.

Andrew Benge/Redferns/Getty

Gilbert was the guitarist and backing vocalist for the punk band New Found Glory.

The band's hit albums include 2002's "Sticks And Stones" and 2004's "Catalyst." Both showed up in the top 10 on the Billboard 200 chart.

Gilbert died on September 20; no cause was given, but Gilbert told People in April he was battling stage 4 adrenal cancer.

Glen Hansard, 56
Glen Hansard holding his hands to his heart next to a microphone
Glen Hansard.

Frank Hoensch/Redferns/Getty

Irish singer-songwriter Hansard was the frontman of the rock band The Frames and one-half of the band The Swell Season. But he was perhaps best known for writing and starring in the hit 2007 indie film "Once," in which he and his Swell Season bandmate Markéta Irglová play two struggling musicians who fall in love. The duo won an Oscar for best original song for the film's standout track, "Falling Slowly."

Hansard also embarked on a solo career; his 2015 album, "Didn't He Ramble," was nominated for a Grammy for best folk album.

Hansard died on July 29 in a motorcycle crash in Dublin.

Dennis Haskins, 75
Dennis Haskins with jacket over his shoulder
Dennis Haskins.

NBC/Getty Images

For those who grew up in the '90s, Dennis Haskins was your favorite high school principal, Mr. Belding.

Starring in the hit TV series "Saved By The Bell," Haskins' Belding character traveled the halls trying to be a step ahead of the hijinks inflicted by Zack Morris (Mark-Paul Gosselaar) and his friends. But unlike many school principals in pop culture who were mean and seemed to hate kids, Haskins played his authority role with a playful, good-natured style.

He was on the show's full four-season run from 1989 to 1993, and also starred in the spin-off, "Saved By The Bell: The New Class," from 1993 to 2000.

Haskins' other credits include "The Bold and the Beautiful," "Mad Men," "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia," and "New Girl."

Haskins died on September 27; no cause was given.

Anthony Head, 72
Anthony Head in a black jacket and grey scarf
Anthony Head.

James Quinton/WireImage/Getty

Rising up through the UK stage scene in the 1980s, Head found fame when he was cast as Rupert Giles, who became a father figure to Sarah Michelle Gellar's Buffy Summers in all seven seasons of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer."

Most recently, he played the bitter former owner of AFC Richmond on "Ted Lasso."

Head's death was announced by his family on June 5. They stated the cause was "complications due to pneumonia."

David Hockney, 88
David Hockney poses for a portrait in his Los Angeles home in 1987.
David Hockney at home in Los Angeles in 1987.

Anthony Barboza/Getty Images

British painter David Hockney was renowned for his striking portraits and figurative pop art. Many of his best-known paintings, including 1966's "The Splash" and 1972's "Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures)," were inspired by the bright colors and sun-dappled pools of Los Angeles.

Hockney moved to Los Angeles in the late '60s, and his work became synonymous with the warmth and leisure of Southern California. He was also one of the few popular artists at the time to depict openly gay scenes, and Hockney was outspoken about anti-gay censorship.

Throughout his career, Hockney split time between California, England, and France. He died at his home in London on June 12 at age 88, his publicist confirmed to The New York Times. No cause of death was given.

Jesse Jackson, 84
Jesse Jackson
Rev. Jesse Jackson speaks at Operation PUSH in Chicago, Illinois in December 1989.

Raymond Boyd/Getty Images

The Rev. Jesse Jackson was a leader of the Civil Rights Movement, a minister, and an activist icon who twice ran for president.

Born on October 8, 1941, in Greenville, South Carolina, Jackson experienced Jim Crow segregation on public buses and at school firsthand. It would shape the rest of his life.

His fight for civil rights began in the 1960s, when he helped organize protests and demonstrations across the US and worked closely alongside civil rights icon Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

His decadeslong career as a leading civil rights activist included support for modern national movements, such as the push for voting rights, the fight against racism, and a higher minimum wage.

Jackson ran for president twice, both times as a democrat. He placed third for the party's nomination in 1984 and second in 1988. This marked the most successful presidential runs of any Black candidate prior to Barack Obama.

Jackson announced in 2017 that he'd been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. In November 2025, Jackson was treated in a Chicago hospital after complications from progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), a rare neurodegenerative condition.

Jackson died on February 17.

Yayoi Kusama, 97
Yayoi Kusama presented an "Infinity Room" installation in Paris.
Yayoi Kusama presented an "Infinity Room" installation in Paris.

Alain Nogues/Sygma/Sygma via Getty Images

Kusama was a famed Japanese pop artist who often used polka-dot motifs in her work, initially rising to prominence in Japan in the 1950s.

In 1959, Kusama presented her first solo exhibition in New York: a collection of abstract paintings that an ARTnews review praised as "strong, advanced in concept and realized."

Kusama later branched into sculptures, performances, and immersive installations. She continued to expand her influence and relevance into the social media era, when her mirrored "Infinity Room" installations became Instagram-friendly attractions that inspired many copycats.

Kusama died on August 14 in Tokyo. She was 97.

Bob Mackie, 87
Bob Mackie looking through gold curtain
Bob Mackie.

Mel Melcon/Getty Images

As one of Hollywood's most renowned costume designers, Bob Mackie's eye set the style for decades.

Known as the Sultan of Sequins, the Rajah of Rhinestones, or the Guru of Glitter, a signature of Mackie's work was its use of sparkle, which made everyone from Cher to Elton John to Dolly Parton to Sabrina Carpenter shine on stage.

He also was the costume designer on "The Carol Burnett Show" for all eleven seasons through the 1970s. He won nine Emmys, a Tony Award, and was nominated for three Academy Awards for his work.

Mackie died on September 14; no cause was given.

RJ Mitte, 34
RJ Mitte in a jacket and black turtleneck
RJ Mitte.

Rodin Eckenroth/FilmMagic/Getty

Mitte was best known for playing the son of Bryan Cranston's Walter White in the hit series "Breaking Bad."

Mitte, who was diagnosed with cerebral palsy when he was 3 years old, became a disability rights activist after finding fame with "Breaking Bad."

His other credits include the 2021 movie "Triumph," in which he played a high school student with cerebral palsy who tries out for the wrestling team. He also starred in the 2024 thriller "Love Me Dead" opposite Dove Cameron.

Mitte died by suicide on October 12.

Patrick Muldoon, 57
Patrick Muldoon in a grey suit
Patrick Muldoon.

Mitchell Haaseth/NBC/Getty

In the 1990s, you couldn't escape the piercing eyes of Patrick Muldoon.

He played Austin Reed on "Days of Our Lives" for most of the decade, and when he wasn't on the soap, he was over on "Melrose Place" playing the villain role of Richard Hart.

If being on two iconic shows wasn't enough, he also showed up on "Saved by the Bell" and had a role in the cult classic movie "Starship Troopers."

Muldoon died on April 19 after a heart attack.

Sam Neill, 78
Sam Neill looking into camera black and white
Sam Neill.

Nick Haddow/Penske Media/Getty Images

With a career spanning more than five decades and including countless memorable performances in movies and television, Sam Neill was one of the most versatile actors of his generation,

The New Zealand actor starred opposite Nicole Kidman in the 1989 thriller "Dead Calm," played the loyal first officer opposite Sean Connery in 1990's "The Hunt for Red October," played the lead in John Carpenter's 1994 horror "In the Mouth of Madness," and most recently starred in the hit series "Peaky Blinders."

But Neill is best known for playing the brave and all-dinosaur-knowing Dr. Alan Grant in the "Jurassic Park" franchise.

Neill died on July 13; no cause was given. Neill was battling a rare and aggressive form of blood cancer, but was cancer-free at the time of his death, according to a post on his Instagram account announcing his passing.

Tom Noonan, 74
Tom Noonan in a gray shirt
Tom Noonan.

Mike Albans/New York Daily News Archive/Getty Images

Standing at a towering 6' 5", Tom Noonan was born to play the bad guy. And he did just that, starring as the villain in movies like "Manhunter," "RoboCop 2," and "Last Action Hero."

But this actor had more to show off. He showcased his comedy chops as Rodney Dangerfield's degenerate gambling friend in the 1983 comedy "Easy Money," and set up the heist for Robert De Niro in Michael Mann's 1995 classic "Heat."

His knack for storytelling also translated behind the camera. Noonan wrote, directed, and starred in the drama "What Happened Was," which won the grand prize at the 1994 Sundance Film Festival.

Noonan died on February 14; no cause was given.

Chuck Norris, 86
Chuck Norris in a shirt
Chuck Norris.

Frederic Meylan/Getty

Few action stars have Chuck Norris' credentials.

Before he ever stepped in front of a camera, he was a martial arts champion and a black belt in Karate, judo, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Taekwondo, and Tang Soo Do.

His talents would become known the world over in 1972, when he faced off against Bruce Lee in "The Way of the Dragon."

Through the 1980s, Norris became one of the biggest action stars in the world thanks to movies like "A Force of One," "The Octagon," and the "Delta Force" and "Missing in Action" franchises.

In the 1990s, he took over the small screen, playing the lead in the "Walker, Texas Ranger" TV show, which aired in over 100 countries during its run from 1993 to 2001.

Norris was hospitalized on March 19 in Hawaii and died the following day, according to his family. No cause was given.

Catherine O'Hara, 71
Catherine O'Hara at the 2024 Oscars.
Catherine O'Hara at the 2024 Oscars.

Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images

O'Hara, who was best known for her roles in "Beetlejuice" and "Home Alone," got her start in the Canadian comedy scene, appearing in the now-legendary cast of "SCTV."

It would mark the beginning of a fruitful partnership with fellow actor Eugene Levy, who became her frequent costar and collaborator in memorable appearances in Christopher Guest films like "A Mighty Wind" and "Best in Show" and television series like "Schitt's Creek," which earned her an Emmy Award for outstanding lead actress in 2020.

O'Hara's representative confirmed her death to Business Insider on January 30. The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health confirmed in a death certificate viewed by People that O'Hara died of a pulmonary embolism, with rectal cancer listed as an underlying cause.

Hayden Panettiere, 36
Hayden Panettiere in a black and red top
Hayden Panettiere.

Roy Rochlin/FilmMagic/Getty

Panettiere began acting as a child, landing one of her earliest major roles as Sarah Roberts on the ABC soap opera "One Life to Live," on which she appeared from 1994 to 1997.

As her career progressed, she became best known for portraying Claire Bennet on "Heroes" and Juliette Barnes on "Nashville."

Over the years, Panettiere had spoken openly about her struggles with alcoholism and postpartum depression. She detailed those experiences in her memoir, "This Is Me: A Reckoning," which was released in May.

Panettiere died on August 16. A final autopsy report by the Greenville County Coroner's Office ruled her death an accident caused by the toxic effects of fentanyl and other drugs.

Dolly Parton, 80
Dolly Parton poses for a portrait session in 1978.
Dolly Parton poses for a portrait session in 1978.

Harry Langdon/Getty Images

Parton released her debut album, "Hello, I'm Dolly," in 1967 and went on to pen country hits like "I Will Always Love You" and "Jolene," both of which were released as singles in 1974.

In addition to her music, Parton was beloved for her flamboyant style and her philanthropy. She founded the Dollywood Foundation in 1988, a charitable organization focused on education and community initiatives in her home state of Tennessee. She continued to fund scholarship programs and donate to hospitals, public health initiatives, and disaster relief programs throughout her life.

Parton is known as the best-selling female country music artist of all time. She was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1999, the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2001, and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2022.

Parton's 49th and final solo studio album, "Rockstar," was released in 2023. The tracklist included both original material and covers of classic rock songs, featuring an array of guests like Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Sting, Joan Jett, and Parton's goddaughter, Miley Cyrus.

News broke on August 25 that Parton died following unspecified health issues. She was 80.

Vincent Pastore, 80
Vincent Pastore wearing a burgundy shirt
Vincent Pastore.

Lawrence Lucier/FilmMagic/Getty

This character actor found fame appearing in a string of mob movies in the 1990s, like "Goodfellas," "Carlito's Way," and "Men of Respect." But Pastore truly became a star when he was cast in the hit HBO series "The Sopranos."

As Salvatore "Big Pussy" Bonpensiero, Pastore was part of the main cast for the first two seasons of the show, playing Tony Soprano's mob enforcer-turned-FBI informant. Bonpensiero's shocking death was one of the most famous in the show's history and proved that no one was safe from getting whacked.

Pastore died on August 1. No cause was given.

Valerie Perrine, 82
Valerie Perrine sitting in a truck
Valerie Perrine.

Stanley Bielecki Movie Collection/Getty Images

Perrine found herself cast alongside the biggest stars of the 1970s.

She played the love interest opposite Jeff Bridges in 1973's "The Last American Hero" and Robert Redford in 1979's "The Electric Horseman." She earned an Oscar nomination for starring alongside Dustin Hoffman in 1974's "Lenny."

For most, she'll be remembered best for sharing the screen with Gene Hackman as the secretary to his evil Lex Luthor in 1978's "Superman." She also starred in the sequel. As Ms. Teschmacher, her loyalty to Luthor is questioned when she rescues Superman (Christopher Reeve) after he's chained with Kryptonite.

Perrine died in her home in Beverly Hills on March 23. She was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2015.

Richard Riehle, 78
Richard Riehle in a dark shirt
Richard Riehle.

Renard Garr/FilmMagic/Getty

A prolific character actor, Riehle has over 400 screen credits, appearing in everything from "Casino" to "Bridesmaids" over his career.

He's best known for playing the worker in "Office Space" who, after being laid off, wins a large payout from a lawsuit after a suicide attempt.

Other credits include "The Fugitive," "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas," and "Transformers: Age of Extinction."

Riehle died on October 15; no cause was given.

Sonny Rollins, 95
Sonny Rollins wearing sunglasses and playing a saxaphone
Sonny Rollins.

Jack Vartoogian/Getty Images

One of the most influential jazz musicians in history, Rollins recorded more than 60 albums over his seven-decade career.

His live album, "A Night at the Village Vanguard," is considered one of the greatest jazz albums ever made.

Rollins died on May 25; no cause was given.

Eva Marie Saint, 102
Eva Marie Saint sitting in chair with arm drapped over it
Eva Marie Saint.

Getty Images

An Oscar and Emmy winner, Eva Marie Saint appeared in classic movies in Hollywood history.

She made her film debut starring opposite Marlon Brando in Elia Kazan's 1954 classic "On the Waterfront," which won her the Oscar for best supporting actress. In 1959, she heated up the screen with Cary Grant in Alfred Hitchcock's defining thriller "North by Northwest."

In 1990, she won an Emmy for her work in the miniseries "People Like Us."

Saint died on October 6 of natural causes.

Neil Sedaka, 86
Neil Sedaka singing while sitting at a piano
Neil Sedaka.

Bettmann Archive/Getty

Sedaka is responsible for some of the biggest pop songs of the 1960s and 1970s.

The Brooklyn native wrote over 500 songs, including classic hits like "Laughter in the Rain," "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do," "Bad Blood" and the Captain & Tennille song, "Love Will Keep Us Together."

Sedaka died on February 27; no cause was given.

Gene Shalit, 100
Gene Shalit sitting at desk with typwriter and movie reel
Gene Shalit.

NBC/Getty

Before there was Rotten Tomatoes or even Siskel & Ebert, movie lovers got their recommendations from Gene Shalit.

The iconic movie critic could be seen sporting his signature look of glasses, bushy hair, and big mustache as a staple on the "Today" show from 1973 to 2010. If he wasn't interviewing the biggest movie stars, he was reviewing movies with incredible puns ("'Ishtar' is Ish-terrible.")

His larger-than-life presence left a mark on pop culture: he was parodied as a Muppet and on countless episodes of "SCTV" and "Saturday Night Live."

Shalit died on June 12; no cause was given.

Duncan Sheik, 56
Duncan Sheik playing the guitar
Duncan Sheik.

J. Vespa/WireImage/Getty

Sheik found success in the late 1990s with his hit song "Barely Breathing." He later pivoted from alt-rock to a career on Broadway, composing the music for the Tony-winning musical "Spring Awakening." His other stage credits include "American Psycho" (2013) and "The Secret Life of Bees" (2019).

Sheik died on September 17 after a cardiac arrest.

Kiki Shepard, 74
Kiki Shepard in a leopard print top
Kiki Shepard.

Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images

In her 15-year tenure as a co-host on "Showtime at the Apollo," Kiki Shepard was considered royalty at Harlem's famed Apollo Theater.

Known in the building as "Apollo Queen of Fashion" thanks to her dazzling outfits, Shepherd was a fixture on the show from 1987 to 2002.

Throughout her career, Shepard also appeared on TV shows like "Baywatch," "A Different World," "NYPD Blue," and "Grey's Anatomy."

Shepard died on March 16 after suffering a heart attack.

Gloria Steinem, 92
Gloria Steinem in a brown dress
Gloria Steinem.

Barbara Alper/Getty Images

An icon in the women's liberation movement of the 1970s, Steinem dedicated most of her life to fighting sexism.

Starting her career as a journalist, she became a columnist for the newly founded New York Magazine in 1968. She cofounded Ms. magazine in 1971, which focused on women's issues. She also helped launch the Women's Action Alliance, which focused on tackling sexism.

Steinem was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2013.

Steinem died on September 2, according to a post on her social media. No cause was given.

Béla Tarr, 70
Béla Tarr in a black jacket
Béla Tarr.

Sean Gallup/Getty

Hungarian filmmaker Béla Tarr became a legend in the arthouse world for his unflinching work featuring several-minute-long takes.

With movies like "Family Nest" (1979) and "The Turin Horse" (2011), Tarr showcased his slow cinema style while focusing on marginalized characters living bleak lives. Tarr pushed the envelope with his style when he made "Sátántangó" in 1994, which had a run time of 450 minutes.

His work influenced several arthouse filmmakers, including Jim Jarmusch and Gus Van Sant's "Death Trilogy" ("Gerry," "Elephant," and "Last Days").

Tarr died on January 6 following a battle with a "long and serious illness."

James Tolkan, 94
James Tolkan dressed as a Navy commander in Top Gun
James Tolkan in "Top Gun."

CBS/Getty Images

You might not recognize the name, but if you're a movie fan, you know the face.

Tolkan's tough-guy persona made a mark on movie history in films like "Top Gun" and the "Back to the Future" franchise.

In "Top Gun," he played Commander Tom "Stinger" Jardian, who famously gives Tom Cruise's character a tongue lashing, saying, "Your ego is writing checks your body can't cash."

In "Back to the Future" and its sequels, he played Principal Strickland, who had zero tolerance for "slackers."

Other credits include "Serpico," "WarGames," "Masters of the Universe," and "Dick Tracy."

Tolkan died on March 26; no cause was given.

Ted Turner, 87
Ted Turner in a suit and tie
Ted Turner.

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Ted Turner changed the television landscape thanks to his maverick maneuvers to harness the 24-hour news cycle.

After taking over his father's advertising company in the 1960s at the age of 24, Turner embarked on a path to change the media landscape by buying up radio and TV stations around the South. He even bought sports teams including the Atlanta Braves MLB team and the Atlanta Hawks NBA team.

All of that programming would eventually become part of TBS, a "super station" that showed old movies, reruns, and Braves and Hawks games.

Turner then set his sights on the news. He founded CNN, the first 24-hour news channel, in June of 1980.

Over the decades, Turner gained celebrity status, particularly after marrying Jane Fonda, a union that lasted from 1991 to 2001. In 1991, he was named Time's "Man of the Year." He sold his networks to Time Warner for $7.5 billion in 1996.

Turner died on May 6; no cause was given.

Bonnie Tyler, 75
Bonnie Tyler singing into a microphone black and white photo
Bonnie Tyler.

Suzie Gibbons/Redferns/Getty

Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler became one of the biggest artists of the 1980s thanks to her legendary power ballads.

Tyler was behind hits like "Total Eclipse of the Heart" and "Holding Out for a Hero," which was also featured on the 1984 "Footloose" soundtrack. Both songs were chart-toppers that have since become two of the best-selling singles of all time.

Over her career, Tyler was nominated for three Grammys and was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) by Queen Elizabeth II in 2022.

Tyler died on July 8 in Portugal, where she was being treated for an illness, according to a statement posted on her social media.

James Van Der Beek, 48
James Van Der Beek sitting on a couch
James Van Der Beek.

Keith Torrie/New York Daily News Archive/Getty Images

Van Der Beek was beloved all over the world for his role as the titular teen Dawson Leery on the WB series "Dawson's Creek."

The series, which ran from 1998 to 2002, turned Van Der Beek into a star and a teen heartthrob. While "Dawson's Creek" was still airing, he'd cement his stardom playing the lead role of high school quarterback "Mox" Moxon in the 1999 coming-of-age drama "Varsity Blues."

Van Der Beek found steady work the rest of his career in movies like "Texas Rangers" and "The Rules of Attraction, and memorably played a fictional version of himself on the TV series "Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23," and performed on "Dancing with the Stars" in 2019.

Van Der Beek learned he had stage 3 colon cancer in 2023, and publicly announced his diagnosis in late 2024.

Van Der Beek previously told Business Insider that the news came as a shock, given the subtleness of his symptoms and his efforts to stay as healthy as possible.

"I was doing everything," he said. "I was doing sauna, cold plunge, weightlifting, Pilates. I would dance and also do football training."

Van Der Beek died on February 11.

Bob Weir, 78
Bob Weir sitting on a bed playing a guitar
Bob Weir.

Mark Sullivan/Getty

Weir was one of the founding members of the Grateful Dead.

The singer-songwriter wrote and/or sang on songs like "Sugar Magnolia," "Playing in the Band," "Truckin,'" "I Need a Miracle," and "The Other One."

After the Grateful Dead disbanded in 1995, Weir went on to form several other bands, including Kingfish, Bobby and the Midnites, RatDog, The Other Ones, and, alongside John Mayer, Dead & Company.

In the summer of 2025, Weir was diagnosed with cancer.

Weir died on January 10.

Victor Willis, 74
Victor Willis in cop costume on stage with The Village People
Victor Willis.

Paul Natkin/Getty Images

Willis was the lead singer of the iconic disco band the Village People.

Along with being the lead vocalist and dressing as the police officer (and sometimes naval officer), Willis was also the cowriter on many of the band's hits, including "In the Navy," "Macho Man," and the song that will keep the Village People in pop culture lore until the end of time, "Y.M.C.A."

Willis left the band to embark on a solo career in 1979, then re-formed the Village People in 2017.

Willis died on June 30 following a "short but aggressive illness," according to the Village People Facebook page.

Frederick Wiseman, 96
Frederick Wiseman in a dar suit sitting on a gray couch with his hand to his cheek
Frederick Wiseman.

Loic Venance/AFP/Getty

For over five decades, Wiseman's brand of non-fiction storytelling put a spotlight on everyday people.

From high schoolers to hospital workers to Air Force cadets training for nuclear war, Wiseman's close to 50-film catalogue is an unvarnished reflection of America over the last half century.

Wiseman died on February 16. No cause was given.

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