Chinese President Xi Jinping at the fourth plenary session of the National People's Congress on March 11, 2023 in Beijing, China.
Lintao Zhang/Getty Images
China's economy grew 5.3% in the first quarter of 2024, surpassing analyst expectations.
Despite this, March retail sales and industrial output fell short of forecasts.
China's property market struggles persist, with 1Q new home sales falling nearly 31% from a year ago.
China reported robust economic growth for the first quarter of 2024.
The world's second-largest economy grew 5.3% in the first quarter of this year from a year ago, according to the National Bureau of Statistics — beating a 4.8% growth analysts polled by Bloomberg had forecast and the 5.2% growth it chalked up in the fourth quarter of 2023.
"We have got off to a solid start," Sheng Laiyun, the NBS' deputy director, said at a press briefing in Beijing, per Bloomberg. He said industry was an important contributor to growth, contributing to more than one-third of first-quarter growth.
Despite the rosy figures, a closer look at the figures indicates there's still pain ahead.
March retail sales rose 3.1% from a year ago, missing Bloomberg forecasts of 4.8% growth. Industrial output for March also missed forecasts, coming in at 4.5% — well below the 6% predicted by analysts.
In particular, China's property market continued to be in the dumps amid a debt crisis, with first-quarter new home sales by value tanking nearly 31% from a year ago.
Notably, the data did not include China's youth unemployment rate, which hit a record high of 21.3% in June 2023 before Beijing revamped the methodology for the metric to exclude full-time students.
China has a growth target of around 5.0% this year.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump (C) appears with his legal team Todd Blanche, and Emil Bove (R) ahead of the start of jury selection at Manhattan Criminal Court on April 15, 2024 in New York City. Former President Donald Trump faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in the first of his criminal cases to go to trial.
Jabin Botsford-Pool/Getty Images
Trump's lawyer was repeatedly bench-slapped on the first day of his trial.
Lead lawyer Todd Blanche, suffered a quintet of rebukes for his lawyering.
New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan called out the lawyer at least five times Monday.
It took New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan four hours to dispense with pretrial matters before starting jury selection in Donald Trump's Manhattan hush money trial on Monday.
In that time — and as an international press corps watched and took notes — Trump's lead lawyer, Todd Blanche, suffered a quintet of rebukes for his lawyering.
Merchan didn't hit Blanche as hard as a federal judge in Manhattan has hit Trump lawyer Alina Habba for her lawyering. During the E. Jean Carroll defamation trial in January, Judge Lewis Kaplan bench-slapped Habba 14 times during a single day of testimony.
Merchan, like prosecutors, may be wearying of Trump's nearly one-dozen trial-delay attempts and what a prosecutor, Joshua Steinglass, on Monday called the defense team's "thousands and thousands of pages of frivolous motions."
Here, in chronological order, are five of Monday's judge-burns — ranging from minor to scorching to merely comical — that would be enough to make any lawyer blanch.
1. "I've noticed that the font has been getting increasingly smaller."
On March 8, Merchan devised a rule to rein in pre-trial motions. He ordered from that day on, instead of filing new motions, the parties needed to ask his permission by first filing what he called a "pre-motion letter."
These pre-motion letters had to describe what relief was being sought, and for what reason, in only a single page. Only if the judge approves can the full motion be filed.
In a minor, humorous burn from early Monday morning, the judge noted with a smile that the defense has kept to the one-page limit. But they did so at the cost of legibility.
"I think that Mr. Blanche is clear now that a pre-motion letter is one page," Merchan began. (Blanche's first pre-motion letter had been filed with a 51-page motion and 214 pages of exhibits attached).
"But I notice that the font has been getting increasingly smaller," and the margins increasingly smaller, too, the judge quipped.
2. "Well, I don't know how you managed to get all those motions filed then."
Later in the morning, the parties argued over trial exhibits. The defense had still not told prosecutors what exhibits they planned to show jurors at trial.
"Amazingly," Steinglass, the prosecutor, complained, "we have yet to receive a single designated exhibit" from the defense.
When Blanche countered that the defense has just been too busy, Merchan hit him pretty hard.
"Here's where we stand," Merchan told the lawyer. "You have 24 hours, and whatever you do not identify within 24 hours, you will be precluded from introducing, frivolous or not."
The judge continued.
"The defense team was very busy actively filing numerous motions, some of which were really motions to renew and reargue decisions that this court had already made," he said.
"So you have made decisions regarding how you are going to use your time, and that's fine. That's your decision to make. You have 24 hours."
"Whatever is not received by the People in 24 hours will be precluded," he added. Period."
Blanche kept balking, though.
"We're expected to comply while we're in court the rest of the day, and all day tomorrow?" he complained.
"Well, I don't know how you managed to get all those motions out," the judge snapped back.
"Literally one Sunday you got three pre-motion letters to me with exhibits and attachments," all filed within 30 minutes, the judge added.
"The way you choose to use your time is your business. My order was clear. You are directed to do it, and you are directed to do it immediately."
Donald Trump at his hush-money arraignment with attorneys Todd Blanche and Susan Necheles.
Reuters/Timothy A. Clary
3. "Please direct me to the portion of the original gag order or the subsequent gag order, where it makes any exception if Mr. Trump feels he is under attack. I don't recall inserting that anywhere in either gag order."
Prosecutors on Monday accused Trump of violating his gag order by targeting key witnesses — Michael Cohen and Stormy Daniels — in a trio of Truth Social attacks that the former president posted earlier in April.
A fourth Truth Social post attacking both Daniels and Cohen went live Monday at 9:12 a.m. — that very morning, prosecutor Chris Conroy complained.
"It's entirely possible that it was done from this courthouse," Conroy added.
Blanche countered that Trump had little choice but to strike back against Daniels and Cohen.
"The two witnesses themselves have been talking about their testimony in this case, President Trump's ongoing reelection, and just generally making disparaging threats constantly," Blanche complained of Daniels and Cohen's "barrage of attacks."
The judge told Blanche to file a response, in writing, explaining why Trump should not be held in contempt for violating the gag order.
"When you respond," the judge snarked, "direct me to any portion of the original gag order or the subsequent gag order that says that there is an exception to the gag order if Mr. Trump feels if he is being attacked."
The judge paused, then added, with some sarcasm, "I don't recall inserting that anywhere in either gag order."
4. "Counsel, it's important to keep breaks at a given time."
Merchan chided Trump's lawyers after they were slow to return to court after their afternoon break.
"Counsel, it's important to keep breaks at the given time to keep things moving, he told Blanche.
"Yes, your honor," Blanche replied meekly.
"We can get the jury so we can keep moving."
Former U.S. President Donald Trump (C) appears with his legal team Todd Blanche, and Emil Bove (R) ahead of the start of jury selection at Manhattan Criminal Court on April 15, 2024 in New York City. Former President Donald Trump faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in the first of his criminal cases to go to trial.
Jabin Botsford-Pool/Getty Images
5. "You don't think he should be here at all right now?"
Before court wrapped for the day — without a single juror being selected — Blanche made another request of the judge.
He asked if Trump could take off next Thursday to attend the US Supreme Court hearing in another one of his criminal cases.
The justices are set to hear arguments over the former president's sweeping claims of immunity that he says protect him from charges brought by Justice Department Special Counsel Jack Smith, accusing him of illegally trying to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.
The April 25 Supreme Court date was set in early March, but Trump's lawyers didn't raise the issue until Monday.
Joshua Steinglass, one of the prosecutors, told Merchan that Trump should be required to be present for his case in New York — like all other criminal defendants.
"I think we've accommodated the defense enough already," Steinglass said.
Merchan acknowledged that "arguing in front of the Supreme Court is a big deal," but "convening a jury of 12 jurors and 6 alternates is also a big deal."
Blanche protested — saying that Trump's litany of criminal cases against him made his situation "incredibly unusual" — and said he doesn't think Trump "should be here at all right now."
"You don't think he should be here at all right now?" Merchan asked incredulously.
Blanche explained that he only meant that he didn't believe the trial should happen during "campaign season."
"I have already ruled on that," Merchan snapped. "Your client is a criminal defendant in New York County Supreme Court. He is required to be here. He is not required to be in the Supreme Court."
A Tesla Cybertruck owner said his accelerator got stuck on full throttle while he was driving.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it's in touch with Tesla over the issue.
The Cybertruck owner called it a "serious problem" but said he still likes the vehicle.
Federal regulators are looking into a potential safety issue with Tesla's Cybertruck after an owner of the vehicle said in a video that part of his accelerator pedal came loose while he was driving and jammed the accelerator into the full throttle position.
Jose Martinez, who is based in California, posted a video to TikTok on Sunday, saying he experienced a "serious problem" with his Cybertruck and describing what happened. In the video, he said he was driving a couple of days prior when what appeared to be a cover on the accelerator pedal slid forward, effectively wedging itself in a way in which it could not be released.
"It held the accelerator down 100%, at full throttle," he said. "I was lucky enough, had a clear mind, didn't panic. And holding the break down overrides the pedal, so I was able to stop the car. But anytime I'd lift the break it would start accelerating again."
"Somebody that panics, that could be pretty dangerous. Crazy," Martinez added.
The video quickly went viral, apparently attracting the attention of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
In a statement provided to Business Insider, the NHTSA said: "NHTSA is aware of this issue and is in contact with the manufacturer to gather additional information."
NHTSA looking into the issue was first reported by CNBC.
Martinez told BI he still likes his Cybertruck and thinks "it's a great car." He also said he was surprised to see his video get so much attention.
Tesla did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Business Insider.
Since the first Cybertrucks started rolling out to customers in November, the distinctive vehicles have attracted celebrities and die-hard Tesla fans, but the vehicle's launch hasn't been without hiccups.
Cybertruck owners have raised concerns about other aspects of the car, from door panel gaps to rust spots to handprints. In one of the latest complaints, several owners said that shortly after their Cybertruck was delivered, it began beeping and flashing a red alert that said, "PULL OVER SAFELY Critical steering issue detected."
Still, some Cybertruck owners say they love the vehicle despite some issues.
"I think Tesla gets away with a lot of stuff because the driving experience is that good," Donald Green, a Cybertruck owner in Texas, previously told BI. "Once you start driving Tesla, you never go back."
President Joe Biden smiles waves after speaking at Stupak Community Center in Las Vegas.
Ian Maule/Getty Images
The White House released the tax returns of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.
Biden and his wife, Jill Biden, reported earning $619,976 in 2023.
They paid $146,629 in federal income tax. Biden made $400,000 from his annual salary.
President Joe Biden and his wife, Jill Biden, reported earning $619,976 in adjusted gross income in 2023, according to their newly released tax returns.
The White House released the tax returns of the president and first lady late Monday afternoon, as well as returns for Vice President Kamala Harris and her husband, Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff.
The vast majority of the Bidens' combined income — $400,000, to be exact— was attributed to President Biden's annual salary, as set by Congress under President Bill Clinton.
As for Jill Biden, she reported earning $85,985 in 2023 through her teaching role at Northern Virginia Community College. She appears to have received a raise: while teaching in 2022, she made $3,650 less. The First Lady also reported $4,155 in additional income from book royalties.
The rest of Biden's earnings came from taxable interest, pensions and annuities, Social Security benefits, and IRA distributions.
In total, the Bidens reported paying$146,629in federal taxes.
Looking to Biden's second-in-command, Harris, she and her husband reported earning $450,299 and paying $89,071 in federal taxes.
As vice president and president of the Senate, Harris reported earning $218,784 on her return. Emhoff reported making $174,994 in 2023 as a distinguished fellow at Georgetown University's Institute for Technology Law and Policy.
The VP and second gentleman paid $15,167 in California income taxes, and Emhoff paid $11,599 in District of Columbia income taxes.
A tale of two presidents
Though the Biden Administration has uploaded copies of Biden and Harris' tax returns each year they've been in office, the previous president was not nearly as open with his finances.
During former President Donald Trump's presidency, he repeatedly said he wasn't allowed to release his own returns due to an ongoing IRS audit. The House Ways and Means Committee ultimately released several years of his in late 2022, showing Trump lost millions in 4 of the 6 years from 2015 to 2020.
In 2020, The New York Times notably reported that Trump only paid $750 in federal income taxes in 2016 and 2017.
Upon releasing their tax returns, the White House noted this, saying that the release of Biden's taxes reflected "his commitment to being transparent with the American people."
The Justice Department could sue Live Nation, the concert giant that owns Ticketmaster, as soon as next month following a probe into its handling of venue and ticket negotiations, The Wall Street Journal reported Monday.
The company has long faced criticism over its stranglehold on the live event industry, high fees, and practices of forcing venues to sign exclusive long-term contracts, drawing ire from fans and artists alike.
The department is prepared to file the antitrust suit alleging Live Nation leveraged is dominance in the market to suppress competition, The Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter. Ticketmaster holds a whopping 80% of the market for event sales in the country's largest venues, holding exclusive contracts with multiple stadiums and arenas, per the outlet.
Violating antitrust laws can carry both criminal and civil penalties, with criminal penalties capped at 10 years of jail time and $100,000,000 per violation, according to the Legal Information Institute of Cornell Law School.
Representatives for LiveNation and the Justice Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Business Insider.
The investigation into the company gained steam following massive outrage from fans when the Ticketmaster website crashed during a presale of Taylor Swift's "Eras Tour" event in November 2022.
Swift released a statement shortly after the incident saying she was "pissed off" and described the outage as "excruciating," The New York Times reported at the time.
"It's really difficult for me to trust an outside entity with these relationships and loyalties, and excruciating for me to just watch mistakes happen with no recourse," The Times reported Swift said. "There are a multitude of reasons why people had such a hard time trying to get tickets and I'm trying to figure out how this situation can be improved moving forward. I'm not going to make excuses for anyone because we asked them, multiple times, if they could handle this kind of demand and we were assured they could."
Some Swifties took up the mantle against the company at the time, filing suit against the ticketing giant for violating antitrust laws and "intentionally and purposefully" misleading fans, Billboard reported — prompting a closer look from federal authorities.
The company has denied any wrongdoing.
"Ticketmaster has more competition today than it has ever had, and the deal terms with venues show it has nothing close to monopoly power," a Ticketmaster spokeswoman said in response to the news of the anticipated suit, per the Journal.
The $2.4 billion mission landed the rover in Jezero Crater, the site of an ancient lake. It's the ideal spot to search for the fossils of Martian microbes that may have existed when the planet was lush with lakes and rivers.
The remains of an ancient river delta at the edge of Jezero Crater, captured by the ESA's Mars Express orbiter.
ESA/DLR/FU-Berlin
Perseverance's main mission is to collect samples of the rock and sediment along the lake bed and the crater rim, in hopes of finding a sign that life once thrived on the red planet. The rover has done a fine job — so far it's secured 24 samples — but NASA no longer knows how it's going to bring them to Earth for analysis.
Those aren't light sabers, they're Perseverance's sample tubes, stashed on the Martian surface.
NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
NASA's original design for the retrieval mission, called Mars Sample Return, has fallen apart. The agency is asking companies to step in and propose better ideas.
"We are looking at out-of-the-box possibilities that could return the samples earlier and at a lower cost," Nicola Fox, head of NASA's Science Mission Directorate, said in a press briefing on Monday. "This is definitely a very ambitious goal. We're going to need to go after some very innovative new possibilities for design, and certainly leave no stone unturned."
NASA's old plan costs $11 billion and takes too long
Perseverance used its sample-collection arm to try coring a Mars rock on August 6, 2021.
NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU
NASA's original proposal for the Mars Sample Return is "mind-bendingly complicated," David Parker, director of space exploration at the European Space Agency, said in 2021.
The idea was to launch two rockets toward Mars, one carrying a lander and one carrying an orbiter.
The lander would be the largest ever sent to Mars. It would touch down near the stash of samples that Perseverance set up, deploy a rover to fetch the sample tubes, and load them onto a small rocket attached to the lander.
An illustration shows a concept of how NASA's Mars Sample Return mission would launch Perseverance's samples from the surface of Mars.
NASA/JPL-Caltech
Then the rocket would launch the samples into Mars orbit, where it would eject them toward the orbiter, which would be the largest spacecraft NASA ever sent to Mars.
This illustration shows a concept for a rocket (left) releasing a sample container (right) high above the Martian surface.
NASA/JPL-Caltech
The orbiter would have to grab the samples, journey back to Earth, and drop the sample vessel on a fiery plummet to our planet's surface, where a team would retrieve them.
The mission plan relied about $4 billion in new technology and a decade of mission design and construction.
But the projected cost has ballooned to $8 to $11 billion since Perseverance touched down at Jezero Crater. Independent reviews have also concluded that instead of one decade to bring the samples to Earth, it would take two.
"The bottom line is that $11 billion is too expensive, and not returning samples until 2040 is unacceptably too long," NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said in the briefing. "It's the decade of the 2040s that we're going to be landing astronauts on Mars."
At the current price tag, Mars Sample Return would "cannibalize" other NASA missions, Nelson said. So the agency is calling all hands on deck, inside and outside of NASA, to come up with a new plan.
NASA wants companies with 'tried-and-true' technology
Fox said that NASA needs to see short proposals from companies or laboratories by May 17. Then the agency will choose a few of those competitors to further develop their ideas over a 90-day period, with complete proposals on NASA's desk by late fall or early winter.
Some of NASA's most tried-and-true contractors include Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Boeing, and SpaceX. Startups like Astrobotic and Intuitive Machines are getting their foot in the NASA door through the agency's new moon program.
"What we're hoping is that we will be able to get back to some more traditional tried-and-true architectures," Fox said. "Anything requiring huge leaps in technology usually, from experience, takes a lot of time."
As for the return trip from Mars to Earth, that will be a technological leap no matter what.
"We've never launched from another planet, and that's actually what makes Mars Sample Return such a challenging and interesting mission because it really is the first of a kind," Fox said.
YouTube tech reviewer Marques Brownlee gave a scathing review of Humane's new AI pin.
One Humane staffer conceded the feedback was "honest" and "solid."
Some X users said Brownlee's review would mark a death knell for the company.
Marques Brownlee, the massively influential YouTube tech reviewer whose channel moniker is MKBHD, delivered a scathing review of Humane's new AI Pin Monday, which he titled "The Worst Product I've Ever Reviewed… For Now."
While one Humane employee took the feedback in stride, the video sparked a firestorm on X, with one detractor calling it "almost unethical" for Brownlee to have posted the review given his vast influence and ability to dent an emerging company.
It's intended to complete daily tasks: answer questions, make calls, and take photos, for example. It can even project an interactive screen onto users' palms.
In his review, Brownlee applauded the build and craftsmanship of the device. He said he loved the concept of an AI assistant and respected the Humane team for attempting to create something new.
In practice, though, the device was slow and often returned the wrong answers, Brownlee said, with an inconsistent battery life and poor photo and video quality.
The YouTuber's review garnered strong reactions on X.
Sam Sheffer, Humane's head of new media, called Brownlee's review "honest" and "solid." He added that "feedback is a gift" and said the company would "continue building."
In another viral tweet, however, the user Daniel Vassallo called Brownlee's review "distasteful" and "almost unethical" given his huge following. "With great reach comes great responsibility," Vassallo wrote. "Potentially killing someone else's nascent project reeks of carelessness."
Vassallo told Business Insider he wasn't defending Humane and actually thought the substance of Brownlee's review was "fair and balanced." His main issue was with the title of the video.
"The power to crush a company shouldn't be taken lightly, and that headline is what most people will see," Vassallo told BI.
Others concurred the review had the potential to dent Humane — though they didn't dispute Brownlee's right to post it.
"MKBHD bankrupted a company in 41 seconds," wrote the user Alex Finn. "This clip will be the gravestone for Humane."
Alex Kehr called the review "devastating for the future of Humane," adding, "The most trusted tech reviewer saying it's the worst product he's ever reviewed is going to eviscerate sales."
Neither Brownlee nor Humane immediately responded to requests for comment from BI.
A F-35I fighter jet flies during a graduation ceremony for Israeli Air Force pilots in southern Israel.
Amir Cohen/Reuters
Iran appeared to target Israel's Nevatim Airbase with over 350 drones and missiles on Sunday.
Nevatim houses Israel's F-35I "Adir" stealth fighter jets produced by US company Lockheed-Martin.
The planes downed a cruise missile in November and aided defenses against Iranian missiles, the IDF said.
Early Sunday morning, Iran fired hundreds of drones, missiles, and rockets at Israel in a retaliatory attack following Israel's strike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus, Syria.
With military assistance from allies including the US, the UK, Jordan, and France, Israel successfully intercepted around 99% of the incoming projectiles, according to the Israel Defense Forces.
The missiles appeared to target Israel's Nevatim Airbase in the Negev desert, which houses its fleet of F-35I stealth fighter jets. The Israeli variant of the US-made Lockheed Martin Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter plane is known as "Adir," meaning "Mighty One" in Hebrew.
Here's a look at the powerful military aircraft.
F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter jets produced by Lockheed Martin are some of the most advanced military aircraft in the world.
An Israeli F-35I lands at Ovda airbase near Eilat, southern Israel.
Tsafrir Abayov/AP
The F-35 stores its weapons and fuel internally, and its aligned edges and radar-absorbent coating also help the aircraft evade detection. The planes cost $44,000 per hour to fly, The National Interest reported in January.
They feature advanced stealth and information-processing capabilities and can reach supersonic speeds of Mach 1.6, or 548.8 meters per second.
An Israeli Air Force F-35I Adir fighter aircraft flies over the Negev Desert.
YURI CORTEZ/AFP via Getty Images
Lockheed Martin CEO Marillyn A. Hewson said in 2018 that the planes "can fly in what we call 'beast mode,' carrying up to 18,000 pounds of internal and external ordnance, in a mix that can include 5,000-pound-class weapons."
In 2016, Israel became the first country other than the US to acquire F-35 fighter jets.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stands next to a F-35 fighter jet just after it landed in Israel at Nevatim air base.
Amir Cohen/Reuters
Israel was the first country to select the model through the US Foreign Military Sales process and bought 50 planes, according to Lockheed Martin.
Israel has made significant modifications to the jets.
A production line for F-35 wings in Israel Aerospace Industries' (IAI) campus near Tel Aviv.
Amir Cohen/Reuters
Israel manufactures its own wings and electronic warfare system for the F-35I. It also developed its own version of the high-tech helmet that displays the plane's airspeed, altitude, targeting information, and other crucial stats directly on the pilot's visor.
The Israeli Air Force named its F-35I variant "Adir," meaning "Mighty One" in Hebrew.
Israeli Air Force technicians customize an F-35I plane with a Star of David symbol.
Israeli Air Force
The Israeli Air Force also added a six-pointed Star of David to the design, a Jewish symbol that also appears on the Israeli flag.
In 2018, Israel became the first country to use the F-35I in combat, its air force chief said.
Israeli Air Force F-35 flies during an aerial demonstration.
Amir Cohen/Reuters
"We are flying the F-35 all over the Middle East and have already attacked twice on two different fronts," then-Israeli Air Force chief Major-General Amikam Norkin said in a speech at a gathering of foreign air force leaders, Reuters reported.
In July 2023, Israel acquired an additional 25 Adir planes in a $3 billion deal.
Israeli F-35I planes.
Israeli Air Force
The deal was financed through the military aid Israel receives from the US, Reuters reported.
In November 2023, Israel's F-35I Adir fighter jets took down a missile fired by an Iran-backed group in Yemen, according to the IDF.
A F-35I fighter jet flies during a graduation ceremony for Israeli Air Force pilots in southern Israel.
Amir Cohen/Reuters
It was the first known intercept of a cruise missile by an F-35 plane.
The Israeli Air Force released footage of the encounter on X, writing in Hebrew that its personnel are "preoccupied at every moment with planning and managing the defense response and are prepared for any threat in any area."
Iran appeared to target the Nevatim air base, which houses Israel's fleet of F-35I jets, during an unprecedented attack on Sunday morning.
An Israeli F-35 combat aircraft is seen in the skies over Israel's border with Lebanon.
Ammar Awad/Reuters
Out of the over 350 ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and UAVs, or unmanned aerial vehicles, launched at Israel by Iran and its proxies in Iraq, Yemen, and Lebanon, around 99% were intercepted by Israel and its allies. The IDF released photos showing minor damage near a runway at the Nevatim Airbase and to a road in Hermon caused by the few projectiles that landed.
The Nevatim Airbase remained operational throughout the attack, with the Adir fighter jets aiding the defensive mission.
The Nevatim base sustained minor damage but remained operational throughout the attack, IDF spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said in a statement.
"Iran thought it would be able to paralyze the base and thus damage our air capabilities, but it failed," Hagari said.
The ongoing war in Gaza has prompted new scrutiny of US military aid to Israel.
An Israeli soldier sits inside an F-35I fighter jet after it landed in Israel at Nevatim Airbase.
According to the UNRWA, over 1.7 million Gazans have been displaced and 1.1 million are at risk of "catastrophic levels of food insecurity."
The devastating human toll of the war in Gaza with US-funded planes like the F-35I has prompted new scrutiny of US aid to Israel, with some lawmakers in Congress raising the possibility of conditioning military and economic aid.
The posts caused Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth and Luckey himself to weigh in on the discussion.
John Carmack, a key player in Meta's venture into virtual reality, is coming to the defense of Oculus founder Palmer Luckey — about eight years after the tech giant fired him amid scrutiny surrounding Luckey's political donations in 2016.
And Carmack's comments then sparked some seemingly defensive responses from Facebook owner Meta's current CTO and then from Luckey himself.
In a series of X posts on Saturday, Carmack expressed his regret about "not doing more to support and defend" Luckey, who was ousted from Facebook in 2016 after the company received backlash over his donations to an anti-Hillary Clinton political group.
I regret not doing more to support and defend @PalmerLuckey at Facebook. We were in different states and divisions, and I was largely out of the political loop, but when I became aware of the situation I should have made a clear and open statement of opposition to the witch hunt.… https://t.co/OTXBBnkK0p
"We were in different states and divisions, and I was largely out of the political loop, but when I became aware of the situation I should have made a clear and open statement of opposition to the witch hunt," Carmack wrote.
According to Carmack, things could've gone differently if Luckey had a "unified front of Oculus founders behind him." Carmack and Luckey joined Facebook after it acquired Oculus, the VR company founded by Luckey in 2012, for $2 billion in 2014.
Although he conceded that he couldn't confirm that the firing had anything to do with Luckey's political ties, Carmack cited "hysterical internal employee pressure" as the reason he believed it happened, and said that "politics were openly present" at Facebook.
Luckey's ouster happened in 2016, the year of the Hillary Clinton-Donald Trump presidential election. He had hit headlines for donating $10,000 to an anti-Clinton political group, stoking anger among some members of the tech community during the heated election.
Upon his exit, Luckey negotiated a payout of at least $100 million from the company, according to The Wall Street Journal. He and his lawyer reportedly argued that Meta violated a California law by firing Luckey. Since then, he's gone on to work on defense startup Anduril, which he founded in 2017.
The comments from Carmack — who left his position at Meta in 2022 and who has been openly critical of its VR efforts — then caught the attention of current Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth, who first joined the company during its early days nearly 20 years ago.
"The culture has changed a lot since you left (internal discussions have to be work focused)," Bosworth replied on X. He went on to say that he had "absolutely no idea" about Palmer's politics now or then but "defended him publicly inside the company when people were agitating around them."
But that appeared to draw the attention — and ire — of Luckey himself.
"Great story to tell now that I have dragged myself back to relevance, but you aren't credible," he replied to Bosworth.
"You publicly told everyone my departure had nothing to do with politics, which is absolutely insane and obviously contradicted by reams of internal communications. It is like saying the sky is green."
"Don't try to play the apolitical hero here," Luckey said to Bosworth.
"Not claiming to be apolitical," Bosworth replied. "I certainly have my own politics probably different than yours, but internally at the time I certainly was clear I thought no employment consequences should come from someone's political beliefs." Meta previously told WSJ that Palmer's departure was "unequivocally" not due to his political views.
But Luckey, who Forbes has declared a billionaire, wasn't soothed by that.
"I am down to throw it all out there. We can make everything public and let people judge for themselves. Just say the word," he replied on X.
"I'm not the one with anything to lose so I don't think that's my call to make," responded Bosworth.
Watch this space.
Business Insider reached out to representatives of Bosworth, Carmack, and Luckey but didn't receive an immediate response.
Hyatt says it's adding modular hotel room units to its all-inclusive Dreams Curaçao resort in the Caribbean as it continues to see rising demand for all-inclusive vacations.
Hyatt
Hyatt is expanding one of its family-friendly all-inclusive resorts with an adults-only section.
The expanded property is set to use modular, tiny home-sized units as hotel rooms.
The 52 units are scheduled to open in June at Hyatt's Dreams Curaçao resort in the Caribbean.
Tiny homes have been popping up everywhere, from backyards in California to entire neighborhoods in Florida.
Soon, they'll be dropped onto the sunny and sandy beaches of tourist-beloved Curaçao in the Caribbean — not as housing, but as hotel rooms.
Hyatt is expanding its all-inclusive Dreams resort on the Caribbean island. But instead of building another typical highrise hotel, the hospitality giant is taking a page out of the glamping resort playbook with plans to deploy 52 tiny home-sized modular units as hotel rooms, set to open in June.
Hyatt operates about 30 Dreams properties throughout Europe and North and South America.
Following this 52-unit expansion, Dreams Curaçao Resort, Spa, and Casino would have 249 guest rooms. The new section would also have an infinity pool, shown in a rendering.
Hyatt
All of the Dreams properties are all-inclusive and family-friendly.
But not for long: The Curaçao property's upcoming 52 units are set to be located in a new adult-only section called Il Mare.
Travelers have been scrambling to book all-inclusive resorts. Hyatt has been taking notes.
Like the upcoming Dreams extension, the recently unveiled Hyatt Vivid brand's first location in Cancún, Mexico, is adult-only, all-inclusive.
Hyatt Vivid
In late February, the hotel giant reported an 11% surge in bookings for Apple Leisure Group's all-inclusive resorts in the first quarter of 2024 compared to the same time last year. Hyatt acquired Apple Leisure Group and its properties — which includes Zoëtry, another resort in Curaçao — in late 2021.
To meet this demand, Hyatt launched its 10th all-inclusive brand, Hyatt Vivid, in April with an adult-only resort in Cancún, Mexico.
Two months after Vivid’s launch, the hotel giant says it’ll begin welcoming adults to the new Il Mare section of its all-inclusive Dreams Curaçao resort.
A spokesperson for Hyatt told Business Insider that architecture firm Spazio Italia would build the modular tiny home-style units, shown in a rendering.
Hyatt
Compared to traditional hotel rooms, these futuristic units provide travelers extra privacy.
No more shared walls. And no more opening a hotel room door to a hallway shared with other guests: The upcoming tiny home-like modular units would instead open onto the beach.
The property’s traditional accommodations range from 350 square feet to 715 square feet.
The modular units, shown in a rendering, would have indoor and outdoor lounges and upgraded amenities like a pillow menu and concierge services.
Hyatt
The beachfront fiberglass dwellings would fall on the smaller end at either 377 square feet or 436 square feet, depending on the room category.
Both sizes would still be able to fit a king bed, a dual vanity bathroom, and a furnished terrace for guests to soak in the beach views.
The adult-only expansion is also set to outfit the resort with an additional infinity pool, bar, and Mediterranean restaurant, all exclusive to guests who’ve booked the modular dwellings.
Dreams Curaçao would have 249 rooms following the expansion. Shown in a rendering is the expanded property's pool.
Hyatt
Travelers would still have access to the rest of Dreams' family-friendly resort, which includes three complimentary eateries, three à la carte restaurants, three pools, four bars, and activities like tennis and kayaks.
Hyatt already has a stronghold on the island: Its all-inclusive Sunscape and Zoëtry brands also have resorts on Curaçao.
Guests at Dream's new adult-only expansion, shown in a rendering, also have access to Zoëtry, which features a pool, upcharge restaurants, and bars.
Hyatt
On the first weekend of September, rates for one night and two guests at Zoëtry Curaçao — a 10-minute walk from Dreams — come in at about $580. A 20-minute drive away, Sunscape hovers close to $290.
Dreams' traditional hotel rooms fall in the middle at about $350 for the same night and party size. However, its upcoming oceanfront modular cabins would start at more than $1,060, according to a recent search of its website.
(Competitor Hilton also has two all-inclusive waterfront properties in Curaçao starting at $430 for the same weekend.)
The 52 tiny homes would mark Hyatt’s first deployment of modular units at an all-inclusive resort.
The property, known as Hurley House, is slated to open this year, although it's already been delayed by two years.
But for the most part, hotel giants like Hyatt, Hilton, and Marriott have yet to cash in on the factory-made, tiny dwelling boom.
Dreams Curaçao's modular expansion could be a litmus test of how well these unique dwellings perform on the mainstream, all-inclusive stage. Who knows, maybe tiny homes could become the hottest beachfront vacation accommodation someday.