• My son didn't know what college he wanted to go to or what to major in.
• Instead of taking a gap year to figure it out, he enrolled in college anyway.
• He regrets that decision, but at least, he enrolled in a community college to save money.

My son is in grad school and loving what he's studying. But it wasn't an easy road to get here.

He was unsure about undergrad at first, chose a random major, and regretted it come graduation day. Looking back, he wonders if he should've taken a gap year between high school and college to figure out what he really wanted.

We've recently both reflected on his undergraduate years. It's clear he made some mistakes, but he found his way and is on the right path now.

My son felt rushed into a college decision

In hindsight, my son wasn't ready for college and didn't know what he wanted to do.

He was coming off four insanely busy and stressful years of high school. He simply didn't have the time to process or even consider his future.

I wish we'd discussed a gap year or delaying college, which would have given him time to figure out the right move for him, instead of following what was expected.

He agrees. He told me he often wishes he hadn't gone into college so quickly.

We should've had more honest conversations about his major

During May of his senior year, my son struggled. It was time to graduate and figure out what's next.

For most careers, college isn't the place where you learn about what the day-to-day is like, how to get an entry-level role, and what you'll earn.

It wasn't until he was job searching in those last few months of school that my son really learned about entry-level opportunities in his field.

The actual day-to-day work wasn't what he had been learning about in school, and the pay was quite low.

He knew that if he wanted to continue pursuing this career path, he'd need a master's degree, probably a doctorate. He figured he'd need five more years and $60,000 of schooling for something he really wasn't sure he wanted to do.

He shared that he was quickly learning the whole philosophy he had been told in high school and college was wrong: "You can't go to college for four years and get a decent job. For most professions, it's just not true," he told me.

I wish he had become involved in an activity earlier

Beyond the choices he made early on in his college career, he also made some mistakes during his first couple of years on campus.

He was a coed cheerleader in high school but didn't want that level of commitment anymore. He was simply too burned out from high school cheer to participate on his college campus. This was another incident where a gap year could've helped.

We both wish he had done an activity in those first years, but he eventually joined cheerleading as a junior. He made new friends and had memorable experiences cheering at games and nationals.

Luckily, my son went to community college first to save money

We live in Illinois, and state schools are expensive here. For the 2023-2024 school year, Illinois in-state tuition averaged $18,155.

Therefore, he made a great decision: He enrolled in an excellent community college, which was a more affordable way to explore majors and adapt to having more independence. He saved thousands by exploring what he wanted to study at a cheaper school.

He then attended the UWM in his sophomore year. He lived on campus, and the cost was about $18,000 a year.

Although it was a bumpy road, my son finally found his passion a few years after graduation when he started therapy.

Now he's studying to be a licensed professional counselor and recommends knowing what you want to do before college. He says work in the field, have personal experiences, and talk to people on the job. Enroll when you have figured out what you have a true passion for.

• Five Waymo vehicles were set on fire during protests in LA about Trump's immigration crackdown.
• The company suspended service in downtown LA, a spokesperson confirmed to BI.
• Waymo doesn't think the vehicles were intentionally targeted and is working with the LAPD.

Waymo suspended robotaxi service in downtown Los Angeles on Sunday after five vehicles were set on fire during protests against President Donald Trump's immigration raids in the city.

Photos show Waymo cars covered in anti-ICE graffiti burning in the street, engulfed in smoke.

A spokesperson for Waymo confirmed to Business Insider that five vehicles had been vandalized during the protests. The company temporarily suspended service in downtown LA and doesn't think its vehicles were intentionally targeted, the spokesperson said. Waymo is working with the Los Angeles Police Department, they added.

On Sunday night, the LAPD said on X that "burning lithium-ion batteries release toxic gases." Electric vehicles often use lithium-ion batteries.

The spokesperson told BI that Waymo, which Alphabet owns, operates more than 300 vehicles in LA and is continuing operations in other parts of the city.

It's not the first time that Waymo vehicles have been targeted in California. Last year, a crowd in San Francisco set one of the robotaxis on fire during Lunar New Year celebrations amid a wave of distrust about driverless vehicles.

The protests broke out on Friday after an immigration raid in the city. Over the weekend, Trump bypassed California Gov. Gavin Newsom's authority and ordered 2,000 National Guard members to the LA area. Despite the dramatic images, the protests have largely been peaceful, according to multiple reports.

The demonstrations have become a political lightning rod between Newsom and Trump, and the governor has announced that he's suing the administration. They may, however, serve as an olive branch between the president and Elon Musk, who had an ugly falling out last week.

Like his "White Lotus" character Saxon Ratliff, Patrick Schwarzenegger is a lover of smoothies determined to match his parents' stratospheric success.

While his arrogant and shallow character rubbed many viewers the wrong way, Schwarzenegger, however, is nothing but charming as we chat on the phone while he gets his steps in around LA. "I walk and talk," he explains.

I've discovered there are parts of Schwarzenegger's routine that Saxon would be positively allergic to, such as heading to the beach with his fiancée in the morning to say prayers and share a moment of gratitude.

For the latest installment of Business Insider's "5-9" series, which Schwarzenegger took part in to promote Venmo's new debit card, the 31-year-old actor shared how else he spends the hours of the day when he's not working.

What time do you usually get up, and what's your morning routine?

I've gone to a new state or country every week since "The White Lotus" came out, so it's been a whirlwind of not having a routine and waking up at the most random times.

This is my first full week in LA since the start of the year, and it's been great. I got up today at 6.15 a.m. — I never set an alarm clock, but I always wake up around 6 a.m. My fiancée and I went on a walk for our coffee and then down to the beach to say our gratitude and prayers.

Usually, I'd work out after, but I didn't today as my fiancée had to go to the airport. So we made some breakfast, I had a sauna, and then went to the office.

What do you have for breakfast?

This morning, I had egg bites and Greek yogurt with berries, which is what I have on most days: eggs, Greek yogurt, fruit, or oatmeal. I try to get 40 to 50 grams of protein and some sort of carbs and fat.

Do you eat before or after working out, or both?

Afterward, if I'm working out really early in the morning, but sometimes I'll have something light before, like some fruit and nuts or peanut butter and banana.

Much has been made of your character's love of smoothies on "The White Lotus." Are you a fan?

Oh yes, I am. I used to drink smoothies all the time. Now I don't drink them as much, but I do love them. This conversation is actually making me want to go get a smoothie.

If I'm gearing up for a role or a project and I need to gain weight, then I will bring in the smoothies because they help me get a lot of calories quickly. So I do love a peanut butter banana smoothie.

The best combo.

10,000 steps and recovering in the sauna

Tell me more about your approach to working out.

I work out in the mornings when I can and try to get my 10,000 steps in too.

Are you walking now?

I am. I walk and talk. I try to do five days of lifting a week, and some sort of cardio. I stay pretty active.

Do you follow a particular workout split?

I usually do a push day, pull day, and leg day, or a more cardio-focused full-body day. Sometimes I do typical weight training, other days more high-intensity interval style.

What are your recovery essentials?

Food, sleep, and hydration are the main things. I love the sauna, the jacuzzi, and massages, but they're less important.

When you're not working, how do you relax and have fun?

Working out is fun for me. It is part of my daily life and what I like to do, and I feel better. And the same with my eating.

I also like going on walks, hanging with my friends and family, hiking, biking, and watching movies and TV shows. I love cooking and baking and finding new coffee shops, and I use my new Venmo debit card for all of it.

Martinis and early nights

What do you like to have for dinner, and who cooks?

I would get in trouble if I said I always cook dinner. Abby cooks most of the time. I cook breakfast pretty much every morning, although she made the egg bites today.

We go out frequently, but try to cook as much as possible when we're in town because we're not often here.

What's your favorite thing to cook?

We cook sweet potatoes every night. We love Japanese sweet potatoes. We also make a lot of eggs and pancakes. Abby makes a really good chicken salad. She makes a bunch of good stuff for me.

Lucky you.

I know, seriously.

So what's your ideal evening when you're at home?

Well, last night Abby and I went and did a workout together. We did this hot Pilates class, and then we picked up some food, made dinner, had a little dessert, went on a walk afterward for the sunset, then watched a movie. If it's a date night, we go out, get some cocktails, and have fun.

Do you have a favorite cocktail?

I've been on a martini kick in recent years.

Nice. Do you have a nighttime routine?

No, I don't really. I kind of just get in bed, and I'm usually pretty tired from the day. I try not to watch TV in the bedroom, and I fall asleep pretty easily at around 10 p.m. I try to get eight hours.

I suppose when you're so active, you get into bed and you're exhausted.

Yeah, exactly … I'm always out in the sun and walking around, and I sleep better.

• OpenAI cofounder Ilya Sutskever says "the day will come when AI will do all the things that we can."
• He spoke about the state of AI at the University of Toronto convocation last week.
• Sutskever also advised graduates to "'accept reality as it is and try not to regret the past."

Ilya Sutskever says it might take years, but he believes AI will one day be able to accomplish everything humans can.

Sutskever, the cofounder and former chief scientist of ChatGPT maker OpenAI, spoke about the technology while giving a convocation speech at the University of Toronto, his alma mater, last week.

"The real challenge with AI is that it is really unprecedented and really extreme, and it's going to be very different in the future compared to the way it is today," he said.

Sutskever said that while AI is already better at some things than humans, "there are so many things it cannot do as well and it's so deficient, so you can say it still needs to catch up on a lot of things."

But, he said, he believes "AI will keep getting better and the day will come when AI will do all the things that we can do."

"How can I be so sure of that?" he continued. "We have a brain, the brain is a biological computer, so why can't a digital computer, a digital brain, do the same things? This is the one-sentence summary for why AI will be able to do all those things, because we have a brain and the brain is a biological computer."

As is customary at convocation and commencement ceremonies, Sutskever also gave advice to the new graduates. He implored them to "accept reality as it is, try not to regret the past, and try to improve the situation."

"It's so easy to think, 'Oh, some bad past decision or bad stroke of luck, something happened, something is unfair,'" he said. "It's so easy to spend so much time thinking like this while it's just so much better and more productive to say, 'Okay, things are the way they are, what's the next best step?'"

Sutskever hasn't always taken his own advice on the matter, though. He's said before that he regrets his involvement in the November 2023 ousting of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.

Sutskever was a member of the board, which fired Altman after saying it "no longer has confidence" in his ability to lead OpenAI and that he was "not consistently candid in his communications."

A few days later, however, Sutskever expressed regret for his involvement in the ouster and was one of hundreds of OpenAI employees who signed an open letter threatening to quit unless Altman was reinstated as CEO.

"I deeply regret my participation in the board's actions," Sutskever said in a post on X at the time. "I never intended to harm OpenAI."

Altman was brought back as CEO the same month. Sutskever left OpenAI six months later and started a research lab focused on building "safe superintelligence."

• Costco is bringing back a key perk for shoppers in its higher-priced membership tier.
• Starting June 30, executive members will be able to shop an hour earlier than Gold Star members.
• Slightly less than half of Costco members pay for the executive tier, but they represent 73% of sales.

A big perk is coming to Costco's higher-priced membership tier.

The warehouse club said it would begin allowing executive members in the US to shop an hour earlier than standard members starting June 30, according to an email to employees seen by Business Insider.

"Our Executive Members are our most loyal members, and we want to reward them for their commitment to Costco," the email said.

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

Executive members were previously offered extended shopping hours at some locations, but the perk was phased out in recent years, Costco Insider reported.

The company also said in the email that executive members would start receiving a $10 monthly credit for Instacart orders and $150 worth of other benefits and savings on Costco services.

Costco's higher-priced membership comes with several benefits, including 2% rewards on purchases.

Slightly fewer than half of Costco members are executive-tier, which costs twice as much as the standard $65-a-year level, called Gold Star. Executive members account for more than 73% of the company's total sales, according to the company.

Improving the attractiveness of the executive upgrade could help Costco boost membership fee revenue and drive higher sales. It might also alleviate traffic that has been a challenge for some stores.

Costco has also been testing earlier hours at its gas stations for all members. The company said during its May earnings call that the impact on sales has been positive so far.

• Warner Bros. Discovery — the brainchild of media mogul David Zaslav — is splitting up.
• Wall Street had long questioned the wisdom of WBD, and Zaslav now seems to agree.
• While this spinoff was predictable, it sparks questions for other media companies.

The ill-fated marriage between Warner Bros. and Discovery is heading for divorce — and Wall Street is cheering.

Warner Bros. Discovery on Monday announced plans to split its declining TV networks from its growing streaming and studios business. This spinoff proposal comes three years after WBD's inception. If all goes well, the spinoff will happen in mid-2026.

WBD CEO David Zaslav will oversee the sexier streaming part, while CFO Gunnar Wiedenfels — known for delivering "synergies" — will be in charge of the shrinking networks. WBD isn't alone, as Comcast is also splitting from most of its cable assets.

By largely undoing the merger, Zaslav is acknowledging something Wall Street has been saying for a while: WBD's assets are better off apart.

WBD shares were up as much as 13% in early trading. (However, Comcast's stock also popped when its spinoff was announced last fall, and has since fallen more than 20%.)

"The decision to separate Warner Bros. Discovery reflects our belief that each company can now go further and faster apart than they can together," Zaslav said on a call with investors about the spinoff.

When asked for comment, a WBD spokesperson referred Business Insider to comments made by executives on the investor call.

Better late than never

Many media analysts were initially excited when Zaslav orchestrated the deal to form WBD. But they soon soured on the media conglomerate as cord-cutting accelerated and WBD's streamer — Max/HBO Max — missed lofty expectations and failed to truly challenge the likes of Netflix.

Zaslav and company took note. WBD executives telegraphed this spinoff by reorganizing the business late last year, separating the TV networks from its studios and streaming businesses.

Wall Street was pleased by this potential split, which was the key catalyst for WBD's stock's 16% rally in the past month, UBS media analyst John Hodulik told BI last week.

Others agreed.

"Investor excitement for a Warner Bros. Discovery spin-off of its Global Linear Networks is building by the day," Lightshed analysts led by Rich Greenfield wrote last week.

Bank of America's Jessica Reif Ehrlich wrote in an early-June note that a "spin of studios and streaming could be the best way to unlock the significant unrecognized value of the company."

So far, it seems like she's right.

A sign of the times?

WBD's announcement will likely spark more speculation about future reordering of the media and entertainment landscape.

It's long been the expectation among industry insiders that WBD's spun-off linear networks would combine with others, potentially Versant, the linear assets that Comcast is spinning off. Other ideas that have been floated in media circles are a combination with Paramount — assuming its Skydance deal ever gets approved — or with Fox's linear assets.

Reordering is also afoot across the advertising industry. Two giant holding companies, Omnicom Group and Interpublic Group, are in the process of combining. Their peer WPP is replacing its CEO, Mark Read.

One wild card in the mix with WBD is CNN, with President Donald Trump's general hostility to deals involving media companies.

Longtime ad industry analyst Brian Wieser remarked that the news network could be an asset and a liability, given its history and future ability to attract the ire of Trump, who has been aggressive in targeting the mainstream media.

Wieser wrote on Monday that CNN would "probably benefit" from being separated from all of WBD's other assets as it's "the one part of WBD that could tie up other parts of this transaction so long as any government approvals are required to facilitate its completion."

Another question is the fate of WBD's studio business, which has been dragged down. On a call Monday announcing the separation, Zaslav emphasized that the movie business was harder to project than TV. But he said that by leaning into well-known IP, he saw WBD's studios arm becoming a $3 billion business.

The separation also could put WBD's studios business in play, Bernstein's Lauren Yoon said.

The companies that could ingest such a business include Amazon, Disney, Netflix, and Comcast. However, most of the tech companies haven't historically been big acquirers, and the timing isn't ideal.

"No tech companies want to give the government any reason to be in their business," said Jonathan Miller, chief executive of Integrated Media, which specializes in digital media investments.

Also, expect Bob Iger to field new questions about what's ahead for Disney's linear and cable networks. He once floated the idea of selling them, though he then retreated from the idea.

Disney's line at the time was that it wouldn't get the price it wanted if it sold those properties and that it'd be too complex to separate them from the rest of the company. Iger and Trump have also sparred in the past, and Disney could look to avoid deals that need government approval.

• We don't throw big birthday parties for our kids until they are old enough to appreciate it.
• Earlier parties are simple family affairs, as young kids probably won't remember them anyway.
• At 5, most kids are ready for a drop-off party, so I can focus my energy on the kids having fun.

My daughter clearly remembers her fifth birthday party. Granted, it was only a year ago, but considering she forgets almost everything I tell her, the fact that she recalls it at all feels like a win.

We held the event in my parents' backyard. I ordered food, hired a company to give the girls manicures and hair treatments, bought a cake I was sure she'd love, picked out matching dresses for her and her sister, and spent time curating goody bags that wouldn't get tossed the moment the kids got home.

In other words: throwing a fifth birthday party — a memorable one, at least — is a lot of work. Especially when you compare it to the minimal effort needed for a first or second birthday event in our family. That's because, our kids don't get big parties with all the bells and whistles until they turn 5, and that's by design.

We didn't bother with toddler parties for a reason

For a toddler, you can order some food for the adults, hire a company to play music for the babies, toss a ball pit into a quiet corner and call it a day. But I refused to do that, even when my daughter started begging for a party at age 3.

As I told her, and will eventually tell her three younger siblings, your real birthday party will come at age 5, even if it requires more effort to make it special since it involves entertaining older kids. Why do I refuse to throw a party for my kids before then? Because they won't remember it as clearly, or at all, when they're young.

The kids won't remember early celebrations anyway

To be clear: our kids haven't been denied celebrations before the age of 5, they have just been smaller, simpler affairs kept within the family.

They always get to choose whatever sort of birthday cake they want and are the center of attention during big family dinners that involve singing the happy birthday song in many different languages as the cake is served to all of their cousins.

We also celebrate their birthdays at school, within the guidelines set by their teachers. Only mommy attends the brief 10-minute event, which includes handing out cupcakes to the whole class, and a bit of dancing.

Things change when kids turn 5

At least in my social circles, age 5 — right around when kids start pre-K where we live — is when kids can handle being on their own with friends under the supervision of adults who aren't their parents, teachers, or family members. That's when drop-off parties, where guests are dropped off and get pick up when the party is over, become the norm.

There are many upsides to these kinds of events, starting with the parents themselves. I'm doing everyone a favor by not asking them to sit through the heat, loud music or the inevitable chorus of, "More candy! More cake! I want to go on the jumpy castle!" Instead, I'm giving them two blissful, guilt-free hours to themselves, knowing their child is having a great time.

And from a practical standpoint, I don't have to worry about feeding or entertaining the grown-ups, because they're not there.

Science is on my side

I did some research to really get to the bottom of the whole matter and assuage the sporadic pangs of guilt I felt when my daughter asked me for a birthday party before the age of 5 and, as I thought would be the case, it turns out that these sorts of drop-off celebrations may benefit the attendees' social development.

According to a study on the power of play, unstructured peer interactions — those that occur without direct parental involvement, which is exactly what a drop-off birthday party is about — play a critical role in developing cooperation, communication and conflict resolution skills in early childhood. See? Even science proves our theory right.

Now our other kids know what to expect for their own parties. As my first daughter's fifth birthday fades into memory — a clear one — I've started talking to my second daughter about hers. It's not happening for another year, when she turns five. But planning is half the fun, and she's already started.

• Mark Cuban criticized Bluesky for becoming an echo chamber, warning it was driving some users away.
• Engagement on Bluesky has plunged since February, with far fewer daily unique users.
• Cuban questioned BlueSky's future, citing vanishing nuance and an absence of some topics.

Mark Cuban is sounding the alarm on Bluesky's declining engagement — and he's not pulling his punches.

In a series of Bluesky posts, the billionaire investor and entrepreneur criticized the platform for fostering an echo chamber that he said was driving users away and inadvertently boosting traffic back to Elon Musk's X.

"The lack of diversity of thought here is really hurting usage," Cuban wrote, linking to a Washington Post opinion piece headlined "BlueSky's decline stems from never hearing from the other side."

Once known for "great give-and-take discussions on politics and news," Cuban said Bluesky had become a monoculture where dissent was unwelcome and nuance was vanishing.

"Engagement went from great convos on many topics, to 'agree with me or you are a Nazi fascist,'" he posted.

A graph of Bluesky's unique daily posters supports his concern.

On February 28, Bluesky had more than 1 million unique users daily. Since then, engagement has plummeted, with June 7 and 8 hovering well below that peak at about 670,000 daily posters.

The Musk factor

BlueSky's rise accelerated following the election of President Donald Trump, whom CEO Musk backed financially, and after X introduced new terms of service.

Many X users migrated to Bluesky, with some 2.5 million joining in one week in November.

Some were seeking a friendlier, more open platform with less hate speech and misinformation, and more control over what content is shown in their feeds.

A startup, BlueArk, even sprang up to help users migrate their X/Twitter histories to Bluesky, porting over millions of posts and creating the illusion of continuity on a new platform.

At the time, Cuban told Business Insider he preferred Bluesky over alternatives due to its variety of content and growing engagement.

Now, some of the earliest and most visible converts, including Cuban, are questioning whether the migration created a new community, or just repackaged the same silos.

"Why would anyone stop using Twitter if the only topic that is acceptable to you is news and politics?" he asked.

Cuban also criticized the platform's culture, saying: "The replies on here may not be as racist as Twitter, but they damn sure are hateful."

Posts about AI, business, or healthcare — traditionally strong areas for Cuban — often gain little traction or were met with outright hostility, he added.

Cuban also questioned Bluesky's business model: "How does everyone suggest BlueSky survive as a business? Or do you not care?"

• Jensen Huang said people programming AI is similar to the way "you program a person."
• Speaking at London Tech Week, the Nvidia CEO said all anyone had to do to program AI was "just ask nicely."
• He called AI "the great equalizer, " allowing anyone to program computers using plain language.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has said that programming AI is similar to "the way you program a person" — and that "human" is the new coders' language.

"The thing that's really, really quite amazing is the way you program an AI is like the way you program a person," Huang told London Tech Week on Monday.

Huang shared an example, saying, "You say, 'You are an incredible poet. You are deeply steeped in Shakespeare, and I would like you to write a poem to describe today's keynote.' Without very much effort, this AI would help you generate such a wonderful poem.

"And when it answers, you could say, 'I feel like you could do even better.' And it will go off and think about it and it will come back and say, 'In fact, I can do better.' And it does do a better job."

Huang said that in the past, "technology was hard to use" and that to access computer science, "we had to learn programming languages, architect systems, and design very complicated computers.

"But now, all of a sudden, there's a new programming language. This new programming language is called human."

"Most people don't know C++, very few people know Python, and everybody, as you know, knows human."

Huang called AI "the great equalizer" for making technology accessible to everyone and called the shift "transformative.

"This way of interacting with computers, I think, is something that almost anybody can do," he said.

"The way you program a computer today is to ask the computer to do something for you, even write a program, generate images, write a poem — just ask it nicely," Huang added.

At the World Government Summit in Dubai last year, Huang suggested the tech sector should focus less on coding and more on using AI as a tool across fields like farming, biology, and education.

"It is our job to create computing technology such that nobody has to program. And that the programming language is human, everybody in the world is now a programmer. This is the miracle of artificial intelligence," Huang said at the time.

For about 15 years, big-budget Nintendo games cost $60. In fact, that was the standard game price across the industry.

Meanwhile, Nintendo's consoles are generally cheaper than most competing gaming systems, such as the Xbox and the PlayStation. Its consoles have never cost more than $300 — until now.

At $450, the Switch 2 is Nintendo's priciest console. Mario Kart World is priced at $80 — the most expensive first-party title Nintendo has ever released. Some fans are outraged by the price increase. But some industry analysts say a price hike was overdue, considering the rising costs of game development and inflation, among other factors.

So why is Nintendo suddenly so expensive? And what does an $80 game mean for Nintendo and the entire video game industry?

• I've visited over 90 countries, so I've heard (and asked) my fair share of tourist questions.
• There are eight awkward questions that I always found myself asking, no matter where I went.
• Now, I never plan a trip without looking up whether I can drink tap water or how I'll pay for goods.

There are few things more stressful than landing on the tarmac in a new country, realizing you're unprepared, and also feeling too embarrassed to ask for help.

I've seen fellow tourists struggle to ask the same questions again and again, like how to charge their phones or whether they can use public toilets.

As someone who's been to over 90 countries, I've also encountered many of these awkward situations firsthand — and learned a lot of answers the hard way.

Now, I make sure never to travel abroad without knowing the answers to these eight questions.

What are the public toilets like?

When I first started traveling, I quickly learned that there is no one right way to use the toilet.

Many Americans take the "porcelain throne" for granted, but in some parts of the world, it's common to squat over a hole in the ground.

I've also visited countries where it's customary to pay an attendant a nominal amount for a square or two of toilet paper. In some countries' restrooms, you won't find toilet paper at all — but instead, a bidet or bucket of water to wipe yourself clean.

To prepare for any and all bathroom situations, I try to bring a roll of toilet paper and plenty of hand sanitizer on every international trip.

Can I brush my teeth with tap water?

Many Americans, myself included, are used to turning on the tap and having fresh, clean water to drink and brush their teeth. However, this isn't the case everywhere.

My travel experiences have taught me that nothing will ruin a trip faster than gastrointestinal distress from unsafe drinking water. Now, before I travel, I always check the US Department of State website to see if I'll need to stick to bottled water.

If the country's tap water isn't safe to drink, I'll attach my toothbrush to a bottle with a rubber band. This helps me remember not to rinse my toothbrush under the tap — a mistake that's easy to make in the early morning.

Do I need to apply for a visa ahead of time?

If you have an American passport (like I do), you can visit some countries worldwide without being granted permission.

However, there are many exceptions. Countries like India, Cambodia, and China require Americans to apply for a visa before visiting; and as of this year, Americans and Canadians need an Electronic Travel Authorization to enter the UK.

To visit some countries, you'll have to go to a consulate and apply in person. For others, you can apply virtually.

If you don't have the right type of visa, you might not be allowed to board your plane — or you might even be turned away at the border.

As a frequent traveler, I always check whether I need a visa to travel as soon as I book a trip. Most countries' embassies will have this information on their websites.

How can I get cell service without paying a fortune?

When I'm traveling, I'm always terrified of being left without cellular service — but I also want to avoid pricy roaming fees and daily charges.

To save money, I usually use a service like Airalo or Holafly to purchase an eSIM card when I travel out of the country. That way, I can access a local carrier and control costs.

This method has worked for me all around the world. With an eSIM, I can still access my primary number's voicemail and text messages as long as I'm connected to WiFi.

How will I charge my devices?

Speaking of phones, you'll want to make sure you can actually charge your devices.

Outlets are different all around the world, and I've learned the hard way that even adapters labeled as "universal" usually aren't.

A quick online search will tell you which kind of adapter you need to stay powered up. Preparing ahead is important here — although airports usually sell adapters, they tend to be more expensive than ones you can order online.

Do I need to get any vaccines, or prepare for any potential illnesses?

I am up-to-date on all of the standard vaccines in the United States. However, several diseases that are largely under control in the US pose a significant threat abroad.

My years of travel have taught me to always check and see if I need any additional vaccines before a trip. In preparation for trips abroad, I've taken live typhoid pills and been vaccinated against yellow fever. For other trips, I've taken pills to prevent malaria.

At my doctor's recommendation, I've even packed antibiotics to bring to countries where they might not be readily available.

Visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's website to see which vaccines and medications are recommended for your destination. Once you know what you need, your local pharmacy may be able to order the recommended vaccines for you, or your primary care physician might be able to call in a prescription.

Will my credit cards work?

Many Americans are used to paying for just about anything they need with the swipe of a card — or even a phone if they use Apple Pay.

However, some countries are still largely cash-based societies. If that's the case where you are traveling, always come prepared with an ATM card — and make sure your bank account has enough cash.

Finally, keep your budget in mind. If you don't have a credit card specifically designed for travel, remember you may be hit with expensive foreign transaction fees for every purchase.

Are there any unusual laws I need to know about?

Through my travels, I've come across a lot of unexpected laws. For example, some countries in the Caribbean ban civilians from wearing camouflage. In France, you're not allowed to buy or even wear counterfeit clothing, including purses.

Moreover, some countries have restrictions on the type of medications you can bring in, even if they were legally prescribed in your home country.

It's important to me to respect local customs and stay on the right side of the law — so I always do a quick online search to see if there are any rules I need to know about before I travel.

• The first installment of the beloved "Lord of the Rings" trilogy came out in 2001.
• Several stars like Ian McKellen and Orlando Bloom reprised their roles in the "Hobbit" films.
• Sean Bean and Karl Urban have gone on to play iconic TV characters. 

Believe it or not, it's been over two decades since the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy wrapped in 2003.

The film franchise, based on the J. R. R. Tolkien novel of the same name, received critical acclaim — and also launched several actors' careers.

Since leaving Middle Earth, many of the franchise's stars have gone on to play other iconic roles. Here's a look at what the star-studded cast is up to today.

Elijah Wood played Frodo Baggins.

Wood played a hobbit named Frodo in the "Lord of the Rings" films. 

After inheriting the One Ring from his cousin Bilbo Baggins, Frodo bravely volunteers to take it to Mordor to be destroyed, kicking off the epic journey across Middle Earth.

Wood began acting at a young age and had several major film credits before "The Fellowship of the Ring" (2001), like "Flipper" (1996) and "Avalon" (1990).

Wood has since acted across a variety of genres.

Wood has stayed busy with movies of all genres, including the action-comedy "Spy Kids 3D: Game Over" (2003), romantic drama "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" (2004), animated musical "Happy Feet" (2006), and psychological slasher "Maniac" (2012). 

In 2010, Wood cofounded the production company SpectreVision, formerly known as The Woodshed, and has gone on to produce films like "A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night" (2014),  "Mandy" (2018), and "Color Out of Space" (2019).

In addition to his other career as a DJ, Wood still found time to work on projects like Cartoon Network's "Over the Garden Wall," "I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore" (2017), and "Come to Daddy" (2019).

These days, you can catch him in the ensemble cast of Showtime's "Yellowjackets."

Viggo Mortensen played Aragorn.

The Danish-American actor Mortensen played Aragorn — the son of Arathorn, heir of Isildur, and eventual King of Gondor. 

Aragorn is a member of the Fellowship and leads the fight against Sauron's army while the One Ring is being destroyed.

Before joining the "Lord of the Rings" cast, Mortensen had worked with directors like Peter Weir, Brian De Palma, Tony Scott, Ridley Scott, and Jane Campion. 

Fans would likely recognize him from films like "Young Guns II" (1990), "Crimson Tide" (1995), "The Portrait of a Lady" (1996), and "G.I. Jane" (1997).

Mortensen has been nominated for several Academy Awards.

Mortensen has since been nominated for best actor at the Academy Awards three times, for "Eastern Promises" (2007), "Captain Fantastic" (2016), and "Green Book" (2018), and has received numerous other honors. 

He made his feature directorial debut with the 2020 drama "Falling," which he also wrote, coproduced, and starred in opposite Lance Henriksen.

Most recently, the actor starred in "Eureka" (2023). 

Sean Bean played Boromir.

Bean played Boromir, the son of Denethor and a member of the Fellowship.

Boromir primarily appears in the first movie, as he dies defending Merry and Pippin against a horde of orcs after briefly allowing himself to be tempted by the One Ring.

Bean was previously known for his roles in action thrillers like "Patriot Games" (1992), "GoldenEye" (1995), and "Ronin" (1998).

Bean played another beloved fantasy character on "Game of Thrones."

After meeting his character's demise in "The Fellowship of the Ring," Bean appeared in "Equilibrium" (2002), portrayed Odysseus in "Troy" (2004), and chased Nicolas Cage in "National Treasure" (2004).

He went on to famously play Ned Stark on HBO's "Game of Thrones." 

More recently, he played Mr. Wilford on TNT's "Snowpiercer," John Parse in Brandon Cronenberg's 2020 sci-fi thriller "Possessor," and Ian on the BBC drama "Marriage."

Dominic Monaghan played Meriadoc "Merry" Brandybuck.

Monaghan played the troublesome hobbit Merry in the "Lord of the Rings" films. 

Merry is a hobbit from Frodo's village who finds himself leaving the Shire and joining Frodo's dangerous adventure.

He had acted in several TV movies, but "The Fellowship of the Ring" was Monaghan's big-screen debut. 

Monaghan had a major role on "Lost."

After concluding the film trilogy, Monaghan landed the role of Charlie Pace on ABC's "Lost" and appeared on the series until 2010.

After that, he hosted and produced the BBC wildlife docuseries "Wild Things With Dominic Monaghan" from 2012 to 2016.

He also starred in the video short for Eminem and Rihanna's "Love the Way You Lie," played a mutant in "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" (2009), and joined another major franchise when he appeared in "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" (2019).

He voiced Archibald Desnay on Amazon Prime's 2022 animated adaptation of "Critical Role," "The Legend of Vox Machina." Most recently, he voiced an Orc in the animated "Lord of the Rings" prequel "The War of the Rohirrim" (2024).

Sean Astin played Samwise Gamgee.

Astin portrayed the loyal hobbit Samwise, Frodo's best friend. 

Save for a few brief separations, Sam is always by Frodo's side and risks his life many times to save his friends.

Astin had several notable credits before the fantasy franchise, famous for roles in films like "The Goonies" (1985) and "Rudy" (1993). 

Astin has worked on several major TV shows.

Astin has since done a lot of voice-over work for animated films and video games, even providing the voice for Raphael on Nickelodeon's "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles."

In 2017, he joined the second season of Netflix's "Stranger Things" as Joyce's love interest, Bob Newby.

He has several projects in the works, and he also recently played a recurring role on the sitcom "The Conners."

Ian McKellen played Gandalf.

If not for McKellen's character, the Fellowship would never have formed and likely would not have survived.

McKellen mainly began his professional acting career on the stage in the early 1960s. A year before the fantasy trilogy debuted, he joined the Marvel universe as Magneto in the "X-Men" franchise.

McKellen also appeared in the "Hobbit" films.

McKellen continued playing Magneto during and after the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, most recently in "X-Men: Days of Future Past" (2014).

The actor is one of the few "Lord of the Rings" cast members to also appear in the "Hobbit" films, reprising his role as the powerful wizard.

Some of McKellen's more recent turns include Cogsworth in the live-action "Beauty and the Beast" (2017) and Gus the Theatre Cat in "Cats" (2019).

He also has several recent theater credits in the UK, including "Hamlet" and "The Cherry Orchard."

John Rhys-Davies played Gimli.

The Welsh actor Rhys-Davies portrayed the dwarf warrior Gimli. 

Gimli is the representative for the dwarfs in the Fellowship and the son of Glóin, one of Bilbo's companions during the events of "The Hobbit."

Rhys-Davies, who also provided the voice of Treebeard in the films, previously played Sallah in several "Indiana Jones" films and Vasco Rodrigues on NBC's miniseries "Shogun," for which he received an Emmy nomination. 

Rhys-Davies has continued working on fantasy projects.

After "The Lord of the Rings," he appeared in a number of notable TV movies and on shows like Comedy Central's "TripTank."

There are a few other fantasy projects on his recent résumé, including ABC's "Once Upon a Time" and MTV's "The Shannara Chronicles." 

Rhys-Davies has also lent his voice to video games and animated projects like Guillermo del Toro's Netflix miniseries "Wizards" and the 2019 feature "Mosley."

Most recently, he voiced a character in "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom" (2023).

Orlando Bloom played Legolas.

Bloom played the master archer and wood elf Legolas.

The arrow-wielding hero is also a member of the Fellowship and eventually becomes Gimli's best friend, even though dwarfs and elves historically hated each other.

Bloom was relatively unknown when he was cast in the trilogy, but between the first and second films, he appeared in "Black Hawk Down" (2002).

Bloom has played other action-packed roles.

Bloom famously played Will Turner in four of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" installments. 

Alongside McKellen, he also revisited the role of Legolas in the "Hobbit" films. 

In addition to other hit projects like "Troy" (2004) and "The Three Musketeers" (2011), the actor starred on the Amazon series "Carnival Row" as Rycroft Philostrate.

More recently, he starred in the action film "Red Right Hand" (2024).

Billy Boyd played Peregrin "Pippin" Took.

Boyd played Pippin, the immature best friend of Merry, and appeared in all three "Lord of the Rings" films. 

As a part of the Fellowship, his antics cause trouble for the group, but he always means well.

Boyd had primarily worked on television before he was cast in the first film of the trilogy and continued to do so in between the franchise's sequels.

Boyd continues making music and acting.

Boyd appeared in "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World" alongside Russell Crowe in 2003, the same year as "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King." 

The next year, he provided the voice of Glen and Glenda for the horror film "Seed of Chucky" (2004). 

Boyd is also a musician and got to write and perform a song for "The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies" (2014).

He was seen on episodes of FX's "Snowfall," ABC's "Grey's Anatomy," and Starz's "Outlander." He also appeared in the 2021 thriller "An Intrusion."

More recently, he voiced a character in the anime "Lord of the Rings" prequel, "The War of the Rohirrim."

Ian Holm played Bilbo Baggins.

The English actor Holm played Bilbo Baggins, the previous ring bearer. 

Bilbo is Frodo's guardian and cousin, and he is unnaturally old because of the effects of the One Ring.

Even before the film franchise, Holm was a Tony Award-winning actor, probably best known to fantasy and sci-fi fans for playing Ash in the Ridley Scott film "Alien" (1979).

Holm has starred in a variety of films.

After the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, Holm worked on an impressive array of films like "Garden State" (2004), "Lord of War" (2005), and "Ratatouille" (2007).

In 2020, Holm died at age 88 of complications related to Parkinson's disease.

Liv Tyler played Arwen Undómiel.

Tyler brought Arwen, daughter of Lord Elrond, to life on the big screen. The elf saves Frodo from the Black Riders and later marries Aragorn.

Before "The Fellowship of the Ring," Tyler had been in plenty of films, including "Stealing Beauty" (1996) and "Armageddon" (1998).

Tyler has since been on several hit shows.

Tyler joined another major franchise in 2008 as Betty Ross in Marvel's "The Incredible Hulk." In 2025, she reprised the role in "Captain America: Brave New World."

Elsewhere, Tyler played Meg Abbott on HBO's "The Leftovers," Lady Isabella Fitzwilliam on ITV-Hulu's "Harlots," Eve in the sci-fi thriller "Ad Astra" (2019), and Michelle Blake on Fox's "9-1-1: Lone Star."

Hugo Weaving played Lord Elrond.

Elrond, played by Weaving, is the Lord of Rivendell. The elf was there when Isildur claimed the One Ring and tried to get him to destroy it, to no avail.

Fans would likely recognize Weaving as Agent Smith in "The Matrix" films, a franchise that mostly ran at the same time as the "Lord of the Rings" movies. 

Weaving continues to act in blockbuster hits.

Weaving went on to play V in "V for Vendetta" (2006), voice Megatron in Michael Bay's "Transformers" films, and portray the Red Skull in "Captain America: The First Avenger" (2011). 

Weaving starred in the drama "Lone Wolf" and appeared on the Binge miniseries "Love Me" in 2021.

Most recently, he played the villainous Frank Harness in the thriller series "Slow Horses."

Cate Blanchett played Galadriel.

Blanchett portrayed Galadriel, Lady of the Golden Wood and grandmother to Arwen. 

In "The Fellowship of the Ring," she gives each traveler a special gift, including the "star-glass" that later proves useful against the giant spider.

Blanchett didn't get a ton of screen time in the films — only a minute and 23 seconds, according to Screen Rant. 

She had appeared in several movies before "The Lord of the Rings," like "Elizabeth" (1998) and "The Talented Mr. Ripley" (1999).

Blanchett is now an Academy Award-winning actor.

Immediately after "The Lord of the Rings," Blanchett appeared in "The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou" (2004) and "The Aviator" (2004), which earned her an Oscar win. 

She racked up more nominations for "Notes on a Scandal" (2006), "I'm Not There" (2007), and "Elizabeth: The Golden Age" (2007) before winning another Oscar for "Blue Jasmine" (2013). 

Blanchett was nominated yet again for her work in "Carol" (2016) and played the activist Phyllis Schlafly in the FX miniseries "Mrs. America."

More recently, she starred in "Don't Look Up" (2021), "Tár" (2022), "Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio" (2022), and the TV series "Disclaimer" (2024).

Andy Serkis played Gollum.

Serkis' portrayal of Gollum was an impressive feat of motion-capture technology. 

Throughout the films, Gollum, originally known as Sméagol, is painted as an antagonist and a representation of the One Ring's consequences.

Before his performance in the trilogy, Serkis had been in several shows and films, like "Career Girls (1997)" and "Among Giants" (1998).

Serkis has appeared in other major film franchises.

Serkis reprised Gollum in "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" (2012) and did groundbreaking performance-capture work for the "Planet of the Apes" films. 

He then joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the flesh as Ulysses Klaue, provided the voice of Baloo in "Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle" (2018), and was Snoke in the recent "Star Wars" trilogy. 

Recently, Serkis played Alfred Pennyworth in "The Batman" alongside Robert Pattinson and Kino Loy on the Disney+ series "Andor."

Christopher Lee played Saruman.

A film legend, Lee took a notable turn as the wizard Saruman the White, who was introduced as a respectable ally but turned out to be a power-hungry pawn of Sauron.

Before his role in the fantasy films, he starred in many movies like "Sherlock Holmes and the Deadly Necklace" (1962) and "Count Dracula" (1977).

Lee acted in several other notable films.

After the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, Lee appeared in several films and shorts, like "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" (2005) and "Hugo" (2011), before reprising his role as Saruman in "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey."

In 2015, Lee died at age 93 after being hospitalized for heart failure and respiratory problems.

Miranda Otto played Éowyn.

Otto played arguably one of the most important characters in the trilogy, Éowyn. 

Disguised as a Rider of Rohan, Éowyn, shield maiden of Rohan and daughter of Éomund, ultimately kills the Witch-king of Angmar during the Battle of the Pelennor Fields. 

Before her turn in the "Lord of the Rings" films, Otto appeared in movies like "The Well" (1998) and "The Thin Red Line" (1998).

Otto has acted on several series.

Shortly after the Middle Earth films, Otto appeared on-screen again in the 2005 adaptation of "War of the Worlds." 

She has since worked on films like "Annabelle: Creation" (2017) and miniseries like USA's "The Starter Wife," ABC's "Cashmere Mafia," and Fox's "24: Legacy." 

In 2018, she showed off her fantasy roots on the Netflix series "Chilling Adventures of Sabrina" as aunt Zelda Spellman.

Otto recently appeared on several TV miniseries, like SBS' "The Unusual Suspects." In 2024, she reprised her role of Éowyn in the "Lord of the Rings" prequel anime film, "The War of the Rohirrim."

John Noble played Denethor II.

Noble made playing a troublesome ruler look fun. The last viewers saw of Denethor, he was falling off a cliff on fire after he had tried burning his son alive.

Before the fantasy franchise, the actor had been on TV series and in films like "The Monkey's Mask" (2001).

Noble has since worked on several hit TV shows.

Noble is probably best known for playing Walter Bishop on the Fox series "Fringe." 

Like his "Lord of the Rings" costars Blanchett and Weaving, Noble also appeared as a guest on the ABC series "Rake" before signing longer stints on shows like Fox's "Sleepy Hollow," The CW's "DC's Legends of Tomorrow," and CBS' "Elementary." 

He also showed up as Billy Butcher's father on an episode of Amazon Prime's "The Boys."

More recently, he worked on Netflix's "Cowboy Bebop," Paramount+'s "Star Trek: Prodigy," and Apple TV+'s "Severance."

Karl Urban played Éomer.

Urban played Éomer, the leader of the Riders of Rohan who later becomes King of the Mark.

Before the trilogy, he played Julius Caesar on Syfy's "Xena: Warrior Princess" and appeared in several films.

Urban continues to make a name for himself as an action star.

Urban became an action-movie star shortly after "The Return of the King" with "The Chronicles of Riddick" (2004), followed by "The Bourne Supremacy" (2004) and "Doom" (2005). 

He later played Leonard "Bones" McCoy in "Star Trek" (2009) and continued his action-star legacy as the titular judge in "Dredd" (2012).

Urban plays Billy on "The Boys" — making Noble's guest appearance a "Lord of the Rings" reunion.

• Elon Musk reshared two posts from Trump on Sunday amid protests in LA.
• It comes days after the feud between the two men reached a peak.
• Musk also shared an image of a masked protester waving a Mexican flag, writing: "This is not ok."

Elon Musk is back to cheering President Donald Trump on — for now.

On Sunday night, amid protests in the Los Angeles area, Musk posted a screenshot of a Truth Social post from Trump denouncing California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Mayor Karen Bass.

The president and his allies have cast the ongoing demonstrations, which began in response to immigration raids, as an "insurrection." His administration ordered the deployment of 2,000 National Guard members to the LA area over Newsom's objections.

Earlier on Sunday night, Musk reposted a Truth Social post screenshot from Vice President JD Vance about the administration's response, adding two American flag emojis.

He also shared an image of a masked protester waving a Mexican flag on top of a damaged vehicle, writing: "This is not ok."

The posts come just days after the feud between Musk and Trump reached a fever pitch last week. At one point, Musk approvingly shared a post suggesting that Trump be impeached, while Trump floated revoking Musk's companies' government contracts.

The public fighting between the two men largely subsided over the weekend, and Musk deleted some of his posts, including one declaring that Trump was in the "Epstein files."

Trump has said that he has no plans to repair his relationship with Musk.

The feud began after Musk departed his role as the informal leader of the White House DOGE Office, with the tech titan criticizing Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill" for adding trillions to the deficit over the next 10 years.

• Would you like to own CNN, TNT, and the Discovery Channel?
• Warner Bros. Discovery owns them now — but wants to get rid of them.
• WBD's move follows a similar one Comcast announced a few months ago. Because while cable TV networks still make money, they're a business in permanent decline.

No one wants to own cable networks anymore.

Would you like to buy some?

That is the pitch that Warner Bros. Discovery is making to Wall Street now that it has announced it's splitting itself into two companies: One will own Warners' movie and television studio and the HBO Max streaming service; the other — which it's calling its "global networks" unit — will own a bunch of cable TV networks including CNN, TNT, Discovery and the Food Network.

If that sounds familiar, it's for two reasons:

WBD has been contemplating this for a long time.

Last summer, it floated the same idea but didn't go forward with it. In December, it all but said it was going to do this, after all, by splitting itself up internally. Now it's doing it for real.

Comcast is doing the same thing.

Last October, Comcast said it would bundle almost all of its cable channels into a separate company (which it's calling Versant, for some reason) and hang onto its movie and TV studio and its Peacock streaming service.

Like Comcast, WBD insists that no, really, it's splitting off its cable TV networks so they can grow and thrive on their own, and you'd be lucky to buy a piece of them.

"The global networks business is a real business," WBD CEO David Zaslav said on the company's investor call Monday morning.

That is definitely true, since those cable networks continue to generate profits. It's also something you don't normally feel compelled to say when you're selling something people want to buy.

Because the big picture here is that both WBD and Comcast have concluded what investors — and people who watch things on TV — have concluded long ago: The cable TV business is a shrinking business, as more and more people cut the cord or simply never sign up for one. And the people who continue to watch cable TV are getting older and smaller in number.

The WBD split will generate all kinds of questions to ponder. Some of them are technical: How will WBD's $35 billion in debt be split up between the companies? How will the split companies approach future distribution deals with the likes of Comcast and Charter? How quickly could Comcast and WBD combine their two cable groups into one bigger cable group? Will the split help WBD's stock (it's up Monday — but note that Comcast also spiked when it announced its deal last fall, and has fallen some 20% since)?

Some questions the WBD split can generate may also matter to people who don't care about corporate finance. Such as: What does this mean for the future of CNN — the news channel that's struggling to find a lane in a loud and crowded media environment, but whose brand still has lots of potential value?

But the big takeaway is the obvious takeaway: The people who run the biggest collections of cable TV channels in the country would like someone else to own them. Because every quarter, the number of people who watch those channels and pay for those channels gets smaller.

Like I said late last year: These are garage sales. Maybe someone will want to own shrinking businesses that still throw off lots of cash (paging private equity). But the people who have them now think they'd be better off without them. Buyer beware.

• UNFI, a major food distributor, said Monday that its IT system had "unauthorized activity."
• The issue affected grocery deliveries to some supermarkets, the company said.
• Shelves at some Whole Foods stores appeared mostly empty over the weekend in social media posts.

Shelves at some grocery stores are sitting empty after an IT problem at a major food distributor.

United Natural Foods, or UNFI, said on Monday that "unauthorized activity" on some of its IT systems has "temporarily impacted the Company's ability to fulfill and distribute customer orders."

"The incident has caused, and is expected to continue to cause, temporary disruptions," UNFI said in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Monday morning.

At some stores, that meant shelves appeared to go empty over the weekend.

One post late Sunday on a Reddit page dedicated to Whole Foods included photos showing largely bare cooler cases that normally contain yogurt, milk, and other dairy products. The poster did not immediately respond to a message from Business Insider.

"We are experiencing a temporary out of stock issue for some products," a sign on one of the cooler doors read in the photos. "We apologize for the inconvenience and should have your favorite products back in stock soon."

BI was unable to determine the scale of the outage. Whole Foods did not immediately respond to a request for comment. UNFI has a supply agreement with Whole Foods that lasts until 2032.

UNFI does not disclose all of the supermarket chains that it works with. The company says that it supplies about 30,000 individual stores "ranging from some of the largest grocers in the country to smaller independents."

Do you have a story to share about the UNFI outage? Contact this reporter at [email protected].

• We asked chefs for some of the best and worst ways to use ground beef in meals.
• Tacos, soups, and meat-based sauces can be filling and easy to prepare.
• They said you should avoid using prepackaged ground beef to make burgers or beef stroganoff.

Ground beef is a popular base for many meals, but they aren't all created equally.

So, we asked chefs for some of their favorite things to cook with ground beef and a few recipes they'd probably skip.

Bolognese sauce with pasta is simple and delicious.

Palak Patel, a chef with the Institute of Culinary Education, told Business Insider that one of her favorite easy weeknight dinners is a hearty Bolognese or Italian meat sauce served over pasta.

"It's very easy to make a small or large batch to freeze for later," Patel said, "because all you have to do is combine ground beef with herbs and tomato. You can cook it slowly on the stovetop, slow cooker, or even an Instant Pot."

For a lighter version of this dish that's perfect for warmer months, use fresh tomatoes instead of canned for the sauce.

Ground-beef tacos are easily customizable.

Jessica Randhawa, a chef with The Forked Spoon, told BI that ground beef can be a scrumptious taco filling.

"Ground-beef tacos are easy to make at home and can be full of flavor," she said. "Plus, you can control the fat content based on your personal needs by choosing leaner or fattier ground beef."

You can make an easy taco filling by simmering ground beef with tomato sauce and spices like paprika, garlic powder, and cumin. Add chopped vegetables or shredded cheese for extra flavor.

Cajun rice is a cheap and filling way to enjoy ground beef.

Cajun rice, also known as dirty rice for its color, is a traditional Louisiana Creole dish made with seasoned rice, chopped peppers, and spiced meat such as ground beef.

"Cajun rice is a great way to use ground beef," Randhawa said. "Though it's usually known as a spicy dish, you can omit spicy ingredients like jalapeño if you're sensitive to heat."

In addition to being a versatile meal that can easily be scaled up or down to feed groups of different sizes, Cajun rice is an ideal way to use up different cuts of meat — toss in leftover steak, sausage, or even chicken gizzards.

Meatballs are a classic way to showcase quality ground beef.

Mila Furman, a private chef and recipe developer with Girl and the Kitchen, told BI that meatballs are an ideal way to use high-quality ground beef.

"Meatballs are one of the most versatile meals to have in your [arsenal] as a chef," Furman said. "They're super simple to put together and will always be a hit for the whole table."

Whether you're making classic meatballs with tomato sauce or whipping up a batch of creamy Swedish meatballs, using ground beef with a slightly higher fat percentage will keep them juicy and tender.

Add ground beef to soup for extra protein.

If you're struggling to think of ways to use up a small portion of leftover ground beef, putting it in a soup may just be the answer.

"Using ground beef in soups isn't just for chili," Furman said. "Add ground beef — especially in the form of leftover meatballs — into soup with plenty of hearty vegetables for a complete meal."

Lasagna can keep ground beef from tasting dry or overcooked.

A great way to infuse prepackaged ground beef with tons of moisture and flavor is to bake it into a lasagna.

"Lasagna is a versatile ground-beef meal because it's very hearty and works well with all kinds of veggies, like mushrooms, squash, or corn," Patel said. "Plus, you can add a fried egg on top to turn leftovers into a weekend brunch."

On the other hand, you shouldn't use a typical package of ground beef to make burgers.

Patel said that using an average grocery-store package of ground beef to make burgers is a mistake.

"It is important to know the type of beef that you're buying," Patel said. "Prepackaged grocery-store ground beef is not processed daily or in-house, so the resulting burgers tend to be dry and chewy."

Instead of grabbing a package of ground beef, ask the deli or butcher to grind a portion of quality beef for you. Cuts such as chuck steak usually have a better ratio of fat to lean meat, which makes for a juicier burger.

It can be difficult to make good beef stroganoff with ground beef.

Beef stroganoff is traditionally made with sautéed pieces of whole beef, but some recipes call for ground beef instead. Unfortunately, this variation is hard to get right.

"This is a very classic recipe for ground beef, but often the beef is left bland and dry while the delicate egg noodles are overcooked," Patel said.

Patel added that if the ratio of cream to beef is not balanced, this dish can become overly creamy and even soggy.

Steak tartare is tricky to prepare at home, and it isn't always safe to eat.

Steak tartare is made with lightly seared or raw ground beef, usually served as a patty topped with a raw egg yolk.

Randhawa said home chefs — and restaurant diners — should generally avoid steak tartare for safety reasons.

"Unlike other raw-meat recipes from around the world, steak tartare does not include an acidic citrus juice," Randhawa said. Acidic citrus juice can cause meat to seem somewhat cooked, but it doesn't actually make it entirely safe to eat.

"Uncooked meat can have both dangerous parasites and potentially life-threatening bacteria," Randhawa added.

You may want to avoid adding warm ground beef to chilled salads.

Some salad recipes call for ground beef as a topping. But the temperature difference between warm ground beef and a cold salad can cause the melted fats in the meat to solidify.

"Do not put ground beef in your salads if you can help it," Furman said. "You often end up with a situation where beef fat leaks down through the greens and congeals."

You could avoid this stomach-turning scenario by chilling the cooked ground beef beforehand.

This story was originally published on June 2, 2023, and most recently updated on June 9, 2025.

• The 2025 Tony Awards were held in New York City on Sunday.
• Celebrities arrived dressed to the nines for the awards show.
• Stars like Cynthia Erivo wore stunning looks, while others missed the mark with their outfits.

Broadway's biggest stars gathered for the most exciting theater event of the year on Sunday: the Tony Awards.

Cynthia Erivo hosted the 2025 Tonys at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. The evening was full of live performances, including a medley of "Hamilton" songs performed by the original Broadway cast.

The attendees included stage actors, Hollywood stars, and even influencers. Some attendees came dressed to impress in ball gowns and statement suits, while others' outfits fell flat.

Take a look at the best and worst looks celebrities wore to the 2025 Tony Awards.

Lea Michele's tuxedo dress was effortlessly chic.

Michele walked the red carpet in a black tuxedo dress designed by Michael Kors.

The neckline dipped low, and a slit cut the skirt on one side, creating a sexy and balanced look. Michele also let the dress speak for itself, wearing black heels and simple jewelry.

Cecily Strong's floral ensemble was too busy.

Strong wore a floor-length, long-sleeve coat dress designed by Badgley Mischka. It had a pretty silhouette, with its collared neckline, belted waist, and full skirt.

However, the green dress was covered in an array of hot pink flowers from head to toe. The pattern was overwhelming to the eye, and the look might have been better if Strong wore the coat unbuttoned with an unpatterned shift underneath it to break up the colors.

Cynthia Erivo arrived to host the Tonys in a gown with an intricate bodice.

Schiaparelli designed Erivo's taupe gown, which had a regal feel that set the tone for her role as host of the evening.

The gown's column skirt had a sheen to it, while the off-the-shoulder bodice was covered in sparkly, floral beading. The neckline hovered around Erivo's frame, playing with structure.

Meanwhile, the bodice on Katie Holmes' dress didn't look cohesive with her skirt.

Holmes wore a custom Prada ensemble to the Tonys. The look featured the two main colors associated with "Wicked," as it had a high-neck, green blouse and a column-style pink skirt adorned with sparkly beading.

The two garments looked like they belonged to different outfits, and the green top in particular felt too casual for the Tonys. Holmes could have stood out on the red carpet if she had paired the skirt with a better top, but the look fell flat as it was.

Amal Clooney's pearl-covered dress stood out at the Tonys, while George Clooney's tuxedo was a bit boring.

Tamara Ralph Couture designed Amal Clooney's white gown, which had an off-the-shoulder neckline and hugged her figure before ending in a scalloped hem at her ankle.

Rows of pearls adorned the dress, making it look like the lawyer was dripping in the gems. White heels with a pointed detail completed her elegant ensemble.

George Clooney, on the other hand, just wore a black tuxedo and bow tie for the evening. It's a classic look, but it would have been nice to see him add a fashionable flair to the outfit through a brooch or other accessory.

Cole Escola won their first Tony in a dramatic ball gown that was perfect for the occasion.

Escola won the Tony for best performance by an actor in a leading role in a play on Sunday for their performance as Mary Todd Lincoln in "Oh, Mary!"

They accepted the award in a custom Wiederhoeft gown that paid tribute to Bernadette Peters, whom Escola used to emulate in YouTube videos and live performances. She also wore a similar dress when she won a Tony in 1999.

Escola's soft-blue gown had a corset bodice with a halter neckline. Ruched, off-the-shoulder sleeves made of sparkly fabric coordinated with a swath of matching fabric on Escola's waist, which gave way to a sparkly skirt. A long train trailed behind them, adding glamour to the look.

A red wig and choker tied Escola's outfit together.

The detailing on Kristin Chenoweth's blue gown looked dated.

Chenoweth attended the Tonys in a blue gown designed by Christian Siriano.

The corset bodice had a pointed neckline with exposed boning and sheer panels on the bodice. The asymmetrical skirt was also transparent, sitting atop a shorter bubble skirt that gave it volume.

Everything about Chenoweth's outfit looked like it belonged in 2012 instead of 2025, from the boning and sheer fabric to the electric-blue color. Chenoweth could have updated the look with modern accessories or a fuller skirt.

Emmy Raver-Lampman looked chic in a velvet suit.

Raver-Lampman's deep-blue suit consisted of a jacket with a bow fastening and wide-legged pants.

She wore the suit with no top, exposing her black bra and giving the ensemble a sexy edge.

The sheer nature of Phillipa Soo's dress was distracting.

Genny designed Soo's dress, which was made of a sheer fabric in pale pink.

The bodice was busy, featuring one strap, a large bow covered in beading on the chest, and a cutout. A fabric ruffle sat on Soo's waist, and the skirt flowed to the floor.

Although the dress had interesting elements, like the bow and waist ruffle, the transparent fabric distracted from every other part of the look, making the outfit feel busier than it was. Because the fabric was such a statement, the dress would have been better for Soo if it didn't feature the bow or additional detailing, as it would have offered a cleaner look.

Kalen Allen's green suit stood out on the red carpet.

The actor and content creator chose an emerald green suit from Naked Wardrobe for the Tonys.

Allen wore the oversize jacket open, showing off a low-cut white blouse and the high waistline of his wide-legged trousers. Heeled, white boots peeked out from underneath the pants, and Allen's glasses conveyed a sophisticated feel for the ensemble.

Julianne Hough's styling was too simple for the Tonys.

Hough's white Christian Siriano gown was pretty. It had a form-fitting silhouette before poofing out in a mermaid skirt made of voluminous tulle.

However, the ensemble felt imbalanced because Hough didn't wear any jewelry with the look and kept her bob down.

The outfit would have felt more cohesive if she had added statement earrings or a bold necklace. As she wore it, it seemed like Hough just forgot to add accessories.

Bow detailing made Sadie Sink's dress shine.

Sink, who was nominated for best performance by an actress in a leading role in a play for her performance in "John Proctor is the Villain," arrived at the Tonys in a custom Prada dress.

The silky, silver dress had a low, V-neckline, and it cinched at her waist before flowing into a floor-length skirt with a subtle train. Sparkly, clustered embellishments framed the neckline and formed a bow in the center for a pop of texture.

Paired with silver earrings, Sink's gown was glamorous without being over the top.

The polka dots on Gracie Lawrence's dress were a bit distracting.

Twiggy Moore designed Lawrence's mermaid-style pink dress. The gown was covered in large black polka dots, a strip of black fabric on the neckline, and a coordinating one on the skirt, complete with a bow.

The dark color and size of the polka dots were too much for the dress, and the gown would have looked sleeker if the dots had been smaller or a paler hue.

Lawrence was nominated for best performance by a featured artist in a musical at the Tonys.

Darren Criss won his first Tony award in a playful take on a traditional tuxedo.

Criss won a Tony for best performance by an actor in a leading role in a musical in "Maybe Happy Ending," which also took home the award for best musical.

Criss accepted the award in a black tuxedo, pairing high-waisted, wide-legged pants with a cropped jacket. The jacket featured white lapels and white buttons, putting a fresh spin on the traditional tuxedo look.

• NATO member Poland has put on hold plans to buy 32 Black Hawk helicopters.
• It suggested that Russia's invasion of Ukraine shows they're not the right weapon to focus on.
• It's not abandoned helicopters, but they have proven vulnerable in Ukraine.

NATO member Poland has postponed its purchase of 32 S-70i Black Hawk helicopters, with military officials there suggesting the way Russia is fighting in Ukraine shows they're not the right equipment for it to focus on.

General Wieslaw Kukula, the Polish armed forces chief of staff, said at a Friday press conference that "we have decided to change the priorities of the helicopter programs" in order to "better adapt to the challenges of future warfare," Reuters reported.

Poland's deputy defense minister, Pawel Bejda, said on X that his country's military, pilots, and experts were analyzing the geopolitical situation, as well as "the war in Ukraine" and what Russia is buying and equipping its military with.

Poland shares a land border with Ukraine.

Grzegorz Polak, a spokesman for Poland's Armament Agency, which buys equipment for its military, told Reuters that its priorities needed "some correction" and that it might be necessary to buy other equipment instead of the helicopters, "such as drones, or tanks, or some kind of communication."

He also told Polish outlet Defence24 that the armed force's priorities have changed amid evolving threats.

Poland, like other European countries, has warned that Russia could attack elsewhere on the continent.

Its prime minister, Donald Tusk, warned in March that Russia's big military investments suggest it's readying for a conflict with someone bigger than Ukraine in the next three to four years.

Poland is already the highest spender on defense in NATO, as a proportion of its GDP, and has been a major ally of Ukraine throughout the invasion.

Helicopters over Ukraine

Helicopters have played a role in Russia's invasion, with both sides using them to counter drones, offer air support, and launch attacks.

They were particularly effective for Ukraine against Russia's attempts to seize a key airfield shortly after the invasion began in February 2022, and for Russia during Ukraine's 2023 counteroffensive.

But they have also proved vulnerable.

The proliferation of air defenses has meant that they, like other aircraft, have had to hang back from frontline fighting more than in past conflicts, making them far less useful.

Ukraine's success at taking down Russia's Ka-52 helicopters in 2023 meant Russia started using them less. Many were hit by US-provided M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, or HIMARS.

Reports suggest that Russia lost more than 100 helicopters in the first two years of the war.

Ukraine has also destroyed some Russian helicopters at bases far from the front lines.

Even so, losses could have been higher. Mark Hertling, a former commander of United States Army Europe, told BI in January that Russia has been "very poor" in the way it used helicopters and other air assets, but also that Ukraine's air-defense shortages have protected them.

Andrew Curtis, an independent defence and security researcher who spent 35 years as a UK Royal Air Force officer, told BI last year that one lesson Western countries could take from the war is "about the vulnerability of helicopters in the modern battlefield where hiding and seeking is not a child's game, it's a matter of life and death."

A helicopter strategy

The S-70i is a variant of the UH-60 Black Hawk made by PZL Mielec, a Polish company owned by the US's Lockheed Martin.

Poland's plan to buy them began in 2023, under a previous government. The aim was for the helicopters to be used for combat and logistics, and to work with AH-64E Apache Guardian attack helicopters ordered from the US.

Bejda, the deputy defense minister, said the latest move did not involve terminating a contract, as one was never signed.

But it has still led to some domestic issues.

Mariusz Blaszczak, Poland's former defense minister, described the decision as a disgrace in a post on X, saying it would lead to job losses, delays in replacing the country's helicopter fleet, and a loss of interoperability because Poland's military already uses some Black Hawks.

The postponement comes after Poland spent years investing in helicopter technology, including ordering 96 Apache Guardians in a deal signed last year, and 32 Leonardo AW149s in a deal signed in 2022.

Bejda said Poland would still prioritize some helicopters, including training and combat helicopters, a heavy transport helicopter, and search and rescue helicopters.

But the government, which took office at the end of 2023, clearly views increasing the fleet as less important than investing in other military assets.

The war in Ukraine has led Western countries to boost their own defense spending and to change their priorities, including through buying more air defenses and drones, investing more in tanks, and even bringing back old types of training like trench warfare.

• Google CEO Sundar Pichai said the company is tracking how AI makes its engineers more productive.
• During the "Lex Fridman Podcast," Pichai estimated a 10% increase in engineering capacity.
• Separately, Google and Microsoft have publicly shared how much of their code is being generated by AI.

Google is tracking how AI is making its engineers more productive — and has developed a specific way to measure it.

Speaking on an episode of the "Lex Fridman Podcast" that aired last week, Google CEO Sundar Pichai said that the company was looking closely at how artificial intelligence was boosting productivity among its software developers.

"The most important metric, and we carefully measure it, is how much has our engineering velocity increased as a company due to AI?" he said. The company estimates that it's so far seen a 10% boost, Pichai said.

A Google spokesperson clarified to Business Insider that the company tracks this by measuring the increase in engineering capacity created, in hours per week, from the use of AI-powered tools.

Put simply, it's a measurement of how much extra time engineers are getting back thanks to AI.

Whether Google expects that 10% number to keep increasing, Pichai didn't say. However, he said he expects agentic capabilities — where AI can take actions and make decisions more autonomously — will unlock the "next big wave".

Google has its own internal tools to help engineers code. Last year, the company launched an internal coding copilot named "Goose," trained on 25 years of Google's technical history, Business Insider previously reported.

While AI Pichai said during the podcast that Google plans to hire more engineers next year. "The opportunity space of what we can do is expanding too," he said, adding that he hopes AI removes some of the grunt work and frees up time for more enjoyable aspects of engineering.

Separately, the company is tracking the amount of code that is being generated by AI within Google's walls — a number that is apparently increasing.

Pichai said during Alphabet's most recent earnings call that more than 30% of the company's new code is generated by AI, up from an estimated 25% in October.

Google isn't the only one. Speaking at London Tech Week on Monday, Microsoft UK CEO Darren Hardman said its GitHub Copilot coding assistant is now writing 40% of code at the company, "enabling us to launch more products in the last 12 months than we did in the previous three years."

He added: "It isn't just about speed."

In April, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg predicted AI could handle half of Meta's developer work within a year.

Additional reporting by Effie Webb.

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• WPP CEO Mark Read plans to step down after seven years leading the advertising giant.
• The company faces challenges as the ad industry shifts to AI and tech-driven models.
• WPP's restructuring under Read saw brand retirements, office closures, and debt reduction.

Will the last ad exec leaving Madison Avenue please turn out the lights?

WPP CEO Mark Read said Monday that he plans to step down after seven years leading the advertising giant and more than 30 years at the company. He will continue as CEO until the end of the year to see through the transition to his successor, who hasn't been named.

The announcement comes at a fraught crossroads for WPP and the broader advertising industry. Read's exit follows that of famed ad veteran David Droga, who said last month he plans to leave Accenture Song, the consulting giant's marketing services division, at the end of this year. Several longtime WPP execs have also parted ways with the company in recent months.

Madison Avenue is grappling with upheaval as its profit centers shift from creating TV ads with catchy taglines and big branding ideas to trading media, integrating IT systems, and helping clients make sense of their customer data. The rise of artificial intelligence and its associated productivity gains also rips a hole through the traditional agency business model, where ad companies are generally compensated on the number of full-time equivalent employees devoted to an account. Add to that the threat from Big Tech giants like Meta, who want to cut out the advertising middlemen altogether using the power of their huge audiences and sophisticated ad targeting systems.

Under Read, WPP has attempted to respond to these forces. In recent weeks, WPP rebranded GroupM, the division responsible for managing around $60 billion in clients' media investments, to WPP Media. The company said the streamlined media offering is powered by WPP Open, an AI-powered platform that helps its employees do market research, spin up media plans, and create assets for campaigns using generative AI.

But WPP isn't fighting from a position of strength. The company's annual revenue declined last year, and WPP recently forecast another revenue drop for 2025, which it said reflected a challenging macroeconomic environment.

Once the biggest advertising holding company by most measures, WPP was displaced by Publicis as the largest ad company by revenue last year. Publicis currently trades at a market capitalization of around $27 billion to WPP's $8 billion. The industry is also awaiting the creation of an even bigger ad behemoth later this year once the proposed merger of Omnicom and IPG passes regulatory approval.

"The fundamental challenge is that an enormous amount of what the traditional holding companies do is commodity, and commodity can now be done using technology," said David Jones, the former CEO of the ad agency holding company Havas. Jones now leads the 10-year-old marketing and technology company The Brandtech Group, a WPP competitor.

"AI is going to give the traditional holding companies their Kodak moment," Jones said.

Read laid the groundwork for WPP's next era and its new CEO

While Read is a WPP veteran, the 58-year-old wasn't an ad man in the traditional sense.

He took a graduate job at WPP after getting an economics degree from Cambridge University in the UK. He left and became a cofounder of WebRewards, a digital coupons business he sold to the German publishing giant Bertelsmann in 2001, after the dot-com bubble burst. He rejoined WPP a year later, rising to become CEO of Wunderman, one of its digital agencies.

Read took over the reins of the entire company in 2018, after the acrimonious exit of its longtime CEO Martin Sorrell, who had built the company from a seller of "wire and plastic products" — WPP — into what was the world's largest advertising group.

While a fellow Brit, the similarities between Read and Sorrell largely ended there. Sorrell was famed for building WPP through a series of acquisitions, and still now at his new ad company, S4 Capital, is an archetypal "Davos Man," often seen on stage and TV offering commentary about macroeconomic issues. Read has kept a lower profile and has sought to simplify WPP's many agencies into a more uniform structure.

Sorrell did "empire building," while "Read has been an empire dismantler," the independent media analyst Alex DeGroote said.

Some industry analysts and insiders say this is to Read's credit. According to DeGroote's calculations, Read retired around 300 different agency brands, closed more than 800 offices, and realized around $5.1 billion for the company from disposals. WPP reduced its net debt to around $2.3 billion as of December 31 last year, down from about $3.4 billion in 2023.

But the Read era of restructuring and layoffs has hit morale within the rank and file — a mood that was further soured among some WPP employees when he instituted a four-day-a-week return to office policy this year. WPP has lost key accounts from clients like Pfizer and the Coca-Cola North America media account, though it has also won business from major advertisers including Amazon and Unilever. Toward the latter part of his tenure, some industry insiders said Read would need to take a bigger swing — anything from taking the company private to making a landmark acquisition — in order to return the company to growth.

Attention now turns to who might succeed Read.

Industry insiders told BI that internal candidates for the role would likely include newly appointed WPP Media CEO Brian Lesser; the CEO of WPP's specialist communications agency division, Johnny Hornby; WPP's chief operating officer, Andrew Scott; WPP's chief marketing and growth officer, Laurent Ezekiel; VML CEO Jon Cook; and Ogilvy CEO Devika Bulchandani. These execs either declined to comment or didn't respond to requests for comment from BI.

The search, led by the former British Telecommunications boss Philip Jansen, who became WPP's chairman in January of this year, is also considering external candidates.

"I don't think it will be internal, but I don't think it will be a radical hire either — WPP does not need more restructuring," media analyst Ian Whittaker said. "I would look for executives at one of the other agency groups who are well regarded."

One WPP insider told BI they expected and hoped the appointment would be made relatively quickly.

"At the end of the day, we've just got to get our mojo and momentum back," this person said.