Author: openjargon

• Mark Zuckerberg has been shifting from a tech bro image to a seemingly more playful persona.
• Most recently, Zuck's funny 4th of July post got significant public attention.
• The Meta CEO's recent rebranding efforts include stylish attire and engaging memes.

The memeification of Mark Zuckerberg continues — but lately, the Meta CEO seems to be just as in on the jokes.

Most recently, Zuck wished America a happy birthday with a 4th of July Instagram post featuring him on a surfboard, holding an American flag, drinking what looks like a can of beer, and, of course, wearing a tux and sunglasses.

As one person wrote on X: "Damn it, Zuck did something cool again."

This is just the latest move in Zuck's seemingly new, more playful era. The Facebook founder had built a reputation as the quintessential tech bro, from his awkward robotic mannerisms to his classic gray t-shirt uniform.

But while the memes may not have stopped, Zuckerberg has started to play into the banter.

The subtle shift seemed to start back in 2023, when Tesla CEO Elon Musk challenged the fellow tech giant to a "cage match." Zuckerberg surprisingly responded via Instagram Story with just the words: "Send Me Location," spurring incredulity among many.

But he wasn't kidding. A few weeks later, Zuck, a jiu-jitsu blue belt, showed off a video of him training with MMA fighters Israel Adesanva and Alexander Volkanovski on a speed boat. The clip also played the"Mission Impossible" soundtrack as a cheeky cherry on top.

Zuckerberg has also been upping his style game, straying from his signature gray tees and sweatshirts to more fashionable jackets and designer shirts.

Probably the most viral addition to his closet, though, has been his new chain necklace. In a video announcing his company's latest AI features, Zuckerberg debuted his chain, which instantly caused a stir on social media.

People were instantly hyped about the CEO's new "mob chic" look. An edited image of him with a beard added also made its rounds across the internet.

The more casual posts are "a pivot where he is really trying to show in another way that he is a man of the people in a sense," image consultant Joseph Rosenfeld told Business Insider.

And Zuck has stuck with the jewelry — his birthday outfit included a gold chain (as did his July 4th video).

One person pointed out on X that Zuckerberg sticking to his new chain look seemed to lean into his memeification:

Still, Zuckerberg's style shift has weightier significance.

Rosenfeld said that because "people are scrutinizing his every move," especially after recently being in hot water with Congress over his platforms' lack of child-safety policies, Zuckerberg is "democratizing his look" to be more approachable.

"He wants to convey, 'hey, I really do understand you, I am one of you, I am not a king,'" Rosenfeld said.

And the rebrand seems to be working, for now.

His recent 4th of July post has received the public's thumbs up of approval. As another person tweeted, "Zuck definitely knows how to create a meme."

• Chase Bank's boss warned that new federal fee caps could make everyday banking more expensive.
• Marianne Lake said the bank is planning to pass the pain of their lost profits on to customers.
• Some new costs may be placed on now-free services like checking accounts and financial tools.

Everyday banking might be about to get more expensive for consumers.

Marianne Lake, the CEO of consumer and community banking at Chase Bank, said federal regulations to cap overdraft and late fees would take a bite out of the company's bottom line.

And she warned that making up that loss would be passed on to consumers, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal.

Lake said the changes would be "broad, sweeping, and significant," the report said.

Some of those costs would be tacked onto services that have been free so far, like checking accounts and financial planning tools, the report said.

Business Insider reviewed a Chase presentation that covered the expected impact of proposed regulations. The presentation estimated that two out of three consumers would have to pay a fee for checking accounts if the cap went through.

Lake also said those impacted will be the ones "who can least afford to be" and credit access will also be more challenging.

Some of the regulations include a proposed $8 cap on late credit card payment fees and a $3 cap for overdrafting bank accounts. The limit is part of President Joe Biden's crackdown on hidden fees.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau estimated that about 45 million people are charged credit card late fees annually, and the change could save those people up to $220 a year.

Other changes include limiting debit-card fees and how much banks can charge apps like Venmo and CashApp for accessing customer data, the report said.

New regulations would also make it more difficult for banks to lend money by requiring banks to set aside more money as reserves. That could make it more complicated for borrowers to qualify for loans in the future.

Chase is the biggest bank in the US and it's also one of the largest issuers of credit cards in the country. But other banks are expected to follow the same path — and several have already issues warnings.

According to the Merchants Payments Coalition, Mastercard announced in April it was planning to increase certain credit-card fees.

Citi's chief financial officer, Mark Mason, said in a January earnings call that the bank planned to make up lost revenue with "offsets and mitigants" that he didn't specify.

Capital One CEO Rich Fairbank also said in January that the new regulation would impact its profits and it would implement "mitigating actions" to counteract it.

Analysts at Union Bank of Switzerland wrote in a note to investors in April that capping credit-card late fees and swipe fees in addition to lowering debit-card swipe fees, would push companies like JPMorgan Chase and American Express looking to make up the revenue elsewhere.

It's not the first time banks have threatened to take out the cost of new regulations on consumers.

After the financial crisis in 2008, banks threatened to put caps on card charges if Congress approved rules limiting swipe fees. However, the threats were a bluff; few institutions followed through after customers themselves said they'd just switch banks.

But now, with Biden's crackdown on credit card companies, banks may keep to their word — especially if the banks all decide to add new costs for consumers, giving them no place to turn.

• As rumors swirl about who could replace Biden, some have mentioned Michelle Obama.
• The former FLOTUS outperformed other Democrats in a recent poll, but has long said she won't run.
• Here's a list of her comments on (not) seeking office, dating back to 2012.

With Joe Biden's re-election campaign in shambles, Democrats are turning yet again to a woman they've long wanted to nominate: Michelle Obama. But the former First Lady has been telling them no for more than a decade and doesn't seem likely to change her mind any time soon.

Some pollsters have thrown Obama's name around during the frantic Democratic attempt to find someone to run in Biden's stead should he drop out of the race. A post-debate Reuters poll found that Obama is the only potential Democratic candidate with a noticeable lead over Trump, at 50% compared to his 39%.

Obama, however, deliberately situates herself outside of partisan politics, focusing instead on service. She has remained relatively quiet during the 2024 election cycle for that reason, though some speculate her disengagement is also related to familial gripes with the Bidens.

When asked about the persistent rumors about her candidacy, Crystal Carson, Obama's communications director, reiterated to Business Insider what she said in March of this year: "As former First Lady Michelle Obama has expressed several times over the years, she will not be running for president. Mrs. Obama supports President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris' re-election campaign."

Here's a running list of Obama's statements on her desire to run — or, rather, not run — for elected office.

April 26, 2012

At a White House event, Take Your Daughters and Sons to Work Day, a child asked Obama whether she ever plans to run for office.

"Absolutely not," the then-First Lady responded. "I think that once his terms are over, we'll go on to do other important things, because there are so many ways you can help this country and the world, even if you're not president of the United States."

As you ages, she told the child, you learns your interests.

"And for me, it's other stuff that is not being the president." Obama was sure to add, though, that it was a great question — or at least it was at the time.

May 29, 2012

When the hosts of The View asked Obama about rumors that she'll run for office, she said, "Those are other people's rumors."

"I am not interested in politics," she continued. "Never have been."

September 25, 2012

Later in 2012, Obama appeared on The View again, this time with President Barack Obama. When he joked that Michelle Obama might not have the temperament to be president, she jumped on the opportunity to agree.

"It takes a lot of patience to be president of the United States. I'm not that patient."

May 30, 2014

Sitting for an interview, President Barack Obama restated what he said on The View: "One thing I can promise you: Michelle will not run for office.

June 23, 2014

When talking to ABC News, Michelle Obama again shut down the possibility of her run, saying that she is "definitely not" seeking higher office and instead plans to focus on service.

June 29, 2014

NBC News asked a senior White House advisor, Valerie Jarrett, whether there was any chance of another Obama candidacy.

"No," Jarrett said flatly. "I'm absolutely, 100% positive that will never happen."

January 14, 2016

During his first visit to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, someone asked President Obama not about his policy platform, but about his wife's desire to run.

"Let em tell you, there are three things that are certain in life: death, taxes, and Michelle is not running for president," he said.

March 16, 2016

Michelle Obama spoke at a South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas, and again clarified her stance: "I will not run for president. No, nope, not going to do it."

"There is so much that I can do outside of the White House," she continued. "And sometimes there's much more that you can do outside of the White House, without the constraints and the lights and the cameras and the partisanship."

December 19, 2016

Oprah asked Michelle Obama if she ever plans to seek office, but received largely the same answer as everyone else. Obama also said that she would not subject her children to another grueling political campaign.

"I'm not coy," she said. "I've proven that. I'm pretty direct. If I were interested in it, I would say it. I don't believe in playing games."

April 27, 2017

A Q&A in Orlando, Florida, turned to the question of a possible Obama run, and again the former FLOTUS brought the answer back to her family.

"I wouldn't ask my children to do this again because when you run for higher office, it's not just you. It's your whole family," she said.

April 5, 2018

At a forum in Boston, Massachusetts, Obama said that Americans cannot turn to any woman and demand she run simply for the sake of making history.

"There are millions of women out here who are inclined, who do have the passion for politics," she said. "I have never had the passion for politics. I just happen to be married to somebody who has the passion for politics, and he dragged me kicking and screaming into this arena."

October 11, 2018

Obama went on The Today Show to announce a new program, though again ended up answering the question about a potential political bid.

"I have never wanted to be a politician," she said. "It's one of those things that nothing has changed in me to make me want to run for elected office."

November 13, 2018

In her memoir, Becoming, Obama immortalized her disinterest in running for office in ink: "I'll say it here directly: I have no intention of running for office, ever."

March 18, 2019

On an episode of Conan O'Brien's podcast, Obama said that eight years in the White House was more than enough. When O'Brien asked if she'd throw her name into the mix in 2020, she answered with a resolute no. Instead, she redirected the conversation toward the importance of voting.

"Sadly in our country when you put an R or a D on you, immediately alienate most of the country with whatever choice you make."

November 14, 2022

Obama told the BBC that the question of whether she'll run for office is the one she hates being asked most. Still, she clarified her position: "No. I'm not going to run."

April 24, 2023

In a more recent interview, Oprah repeated her question, this time asking about 2024, not 2020. Again, Obama said that she has "never expressed any interest in politics. Ever."

"I'm just wondering: Does what I want have anything to do with anything?" Obama asked. "Does who I choose to be have anything to do with it?"

March 5, 2024

Carson, Obama's communications director, told NBC that Obama supports Biden's bid for reelection and has no plans to run. She gave the same statement to Business Insider on July 5.

• I tried 22 different flavors of Crumbl cookies and ranked them from worst to best.
• I didn't love the wedding-cake cookie, and found it to be too sweet.
• My favorite cookies were the mallow-sandwich and pink-velvet flavors.

It seems as though every few years, Americans embrace a new dessert trend. Like the frozen yogurt craze of the 2010s, cookie chains have been taking the US by storm in recent years.

However, one chain stands out as the country's fastest-growing cookie company: Crumbl.

Since its first location opened in Utah in 2017, the dessert chain has expanded to over 1,000 locations in all 50 US states, Puerto Rico, and Canada.

Though the first store only sold milk-chocolate-chip cookies, Crumbl now offers a rotating weekly selection of six desserts at a time and has featured over 200 varieties on its menu.

Trying to pick which weekly option to choose can feel like a lot of pressure. To help sort out which types of Crumbl cookies are the best, I sampled 22 desserts over multiple visits and ranked them from worst to best.

Here's what I thought of the flavors I tried.

Crumbl's wedding-cake cookie was even too sweet for my 3-year-old.

It wasn't easy to choose a last-place cookie — they're all cookies, after all. However, the wedding-cake flavor was my least favorite. I loved the little white-chocolate baubles that decorated the cookie, which made for crunchy little explosions of texture and flavor.

But the raspberry flavor in the frosting was so assertive that even my 3-year-old — who loves almost all sweet, sparkly, pink, frosted things — took half a bite and turned the cookie away.

My 6-year-old, however, had no such issues, declaring, "Nothing's too sweet for me."

The frosting on the pistachio-gelato cookie had a pudding-like texture.

The pistachio-gelato cookie looked adorable in the store display, decorated with a miniature cone made out of a Muddy Bites snack.

The gelato-inspired frosting had a pudding-like texture and was extremely sweet with a strong pistachio flavor. In my opinion, it tasted like a concentrated form of pistachio ice cream. I also found the underlying cookie to be dense and bland.

Crumbl's toffee cake tasted like something I'd find at the supermarket.

Crumbl's toffee cake sounded like something I'd like: chocolate cake with caramel sauce, whipped cream, and a crumbled chocolate-toffee bar on top.

I liked the incorporation of the whipped cream, which helped keep the cake moist without being as densely sweet as most of Crumbl's other frostings.

But the caramel sauce between the cake and whipped cream made it a soggy mess, and it tasted more like something I'd find at the supermarket than a freshly made cake or cookie at this price point.

The lemon-poppy cookie was divisive in my household.

The lemon-poppy flavor proved divisive in my household. My wife, who loves lemony desserts, ranked this cookie among her favorites.

For me, however, the glaze made it a touch too sweet, and the lemon flavor, while strong, wasn't quite as tart or as bright as I would've liked.

I did appreciate the noticeable poppy flavor, as poppy seeds usually seem like an afterthought in many muffins.

My 3-year-old loved the cake-batter blondie.

I feel a little bad ranking the cake-batter blondie this low because my 3-year-old loved it so much. But she's 3 — rainbow sprinkles are her favorite food.

To be fair, the cookie tasted exactly as I expected it would — extremely sweet and uncomplicated, perfect for the 3-year-old palate. However, it was a bit one-note, even for my 6-year-old.

The strawberry-crumb-cake cookie was unexpectedly bland.

I had high hopes for the strawberry-crumb-cake cookie. Although I love strawberries, I can't remember ever eating a cookie with strawberries inside or on top.

However, even with white-chocolate chips and a strawberry-streusel topping, I found this cookie unexpectedly bland. The strawberry flavor was definitely real, which I appreciated, but there wasn't very much of it.

The streusel also seemed like an afterthought and didn't add much texture to the cookie. Overall, it was fine but a little disappointing.

The semi-sweet-chocolate-chunk cookie is a chocolate lover's dream.

Unsurprisingly, chocolate-chip cookies are one of Crumbl's calling cards, and the menu alternates weekly between the milk-chocolate-chip version and the semi-sweet chocolate chunk.

The semi-sweet variety uses lots of bulky chocolate chunks, making it a chocolate lover's dream. I found it met my expectations for a chocolate-chip cookie without exceeding them.

A few bites of the crunchier outer portion of the cookie had a little chalkiness to the texture, but not nearly enough to make it unpleasant.

I was disappointed that Crumbl's kitchen-sink cookie didn't have many pretzels or potato chips.

Crumbl's kitchen-sink cookie is a semi-sweet-chocolate-chip cookie rolled in pretzels and potato chips. I love cookies that incorporate pretzels, but in my opinion, the execution of this flavor was lacking.

The one I got didn't have many pretzels or potato chips, and the potato chips did little to impact the flavor or texture of the cookie.

The pretzels added a nice crunch, and bites that included pretzel, chocolate, and cookie were excellent. However, these bites were few and far between.

I was surprised to find a dessert that wasn't a cookie.

During one of the two weeks I went to Crumbl, the company debuted its first cheesecake. It feels a little strange to rank it among cookies, as it was decidedly a cheesecake with a graham-cracker crust, raspberry spread, and whipped cream.

As far as cheesecakes go, it was good but unspectacular. The custard portion had a nice, smooth texture, and the raspberry topping was more tangy than sweet.

However, the graham-cracker crust didn't hold together at all and was fundamentally less portable than a cookie. However, it's a good option for when you need a break from eating too many cookies — which was applicable in my case.

Crumbl's sea-salt toffee was one of the plainest cookies I tried.

Crumbl's sea-salt toffee is a variant of a chocolate-chip cookie with toffee and milk-chocolate chips. I enjoyed it, but it was one of the plainest cookies I tried.

I found the toffee flavor presented itself more as a warm, caramel-y aftertaste than a strong, sticky Heath Bar. The milk-chocolate chips were also sparse.

This cookie wasn't particularly memorable, but I'd still choose it over the overly sweet flavors.

Everyone in my family had a different opinion of the blueberry-pancake cookie.

The blueberry-pancake cookie, which was topped with a blueberry-buttermilk glaze, was another divisive flavor in my house.

The menu and photos I'd seen suggested it was supposed to have a dollop of buttercream frosting on top, but the one I brought home did not.

I loved the actual cookie, which had plenty of fruity blueberry flavor from the berries baked inside. But to me, the glaze was too sweet and was sugary enough for it to taste grainy.

My 3-year-old was appalled by the blueberries in the cookie, but my 6-year-old loved every bit of this one. My wife liked it more than I did, but agreed it was too sweet and would be better with no glaze or frosting.

The milk-chocolate-chip cookie had a nice touch of salt.

When having a chocolate-chip cookie, I usually prefer semi-sweet-chocolate chips over milk-chocolate chips.

However, since the milk-chocolate chip was Crumbl's first cookie, I knew I had to try it. It was a touch salty, with a soft, comforting texture. The cookie was so thick it was basically a blondie.

In my book, it beat out its semi-sweet chocolate chunk alternative, which I wouldn't have expected.

Both my kids loved the Nilla-bean-cupcake cookie.

Both my kids loved the Nilla-bean-cupcake cookie, which was not surprising at all — they love frosting, and there was a lot of it.

I expected this to be overwhelmingly sweet, but the cream-cheese frosting added a nice tangy component instead of one-note sweetness. The actual cookie was soft and cakey, with a warm vanilla flavor.

The chocolate-cake cookie tasted exactly like a slice of cake.

It's not just a clever name — this cookie tasted just like a slice of chocolate cake. In fact, I might have tried it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top if it weren't for the frosting.

The chocolate-cake cookie was extremely rich, with a strong cocoa flavor to both the cookie and the frosting. It's definitely best for people who can't get enough chocolate — like my 6-year-old, who gave this one two enthusiastic thumbs up.

The frosting was a bit softer and thinner than I expected, but the chocolate swirls added nice little bites of texture.

I thought the hazelnut-sea-salt cookie was the most grown-up-friendly of the bunch.

Crumbl's hazelnut-sea-salt cookie had a beguiling effect on my 6-year-old, who really loved it but couldn't quite put words to why (though he does love Nutella).

To me, it tasted like the most grown-up friendly cookie of the bunch — something my grandmother probably would've loved with her tea.

The sweet-and-salty brown-butter cookie tasted almost refined, and Crumbl took a light hand with the hazelnut spread and sea salt on top. My 6-year-old kept going back to it despite the more colorful, decorated cookies around it.

Crumbl's French-toast cookie grew on me.

Crumbl's French-toast cookie grew on me. At first, I found it frustrating that the frosting was concentrated in the cookie's center, presumably making it look like French toast with a big dollop of butter.

However, I realized it was the frosting that was throwing me off. I found it to be a little dry and super sweet with a maple flavor. In fact, it gave the cloying effect of maple candy.

The cake part of the cookie, meanwhile, was excellent. It had a spongy, doughnut-like consistency and a lighter maple flavor.

Mom's recipe combines the flavors of oatmeal, chocolate chips, peanut butter, and toffee.

Another variation on the traditional chocolate chip cookie, Mom's recipe is an oatmeal-chocolate-chip cookie with peanut-butter and toffee chips.

It sounds like it might have too much going on, but there weren't too many of any one chip. It combined a variety of sweet, salty, and comforting flavors without any one flavor overwhelming the others.

The nutty oatmeal texture, appropriately enough, made it feel like something I'd be very excited to buy at an elementary-school bake sale.

The mint-cookies-and-cream cookie tasted like its ice cream counterpart.

Although I don't typically like mint-cookies-and-cream ice cream, I really liked this cookie. My wife was a little turned off by the color of the mint frosting, as she thought it should be more green.

However, the cookie did a strangely good job simulating its ice-cream counterpoint. The creamy frosting, which had a pleasant cool-mint flavor complemented the crunch of the cookies-and-cream cookie.

My 3-year-old especially loved this one, declaring, "I love mint, I love frosting, and I love Oreos!"

The whole family loved Crumbl's ultimate peanut-butter cookie.

Crumbl's take on a peanut-butter cookie included a melted-peanut-butter drizzle and a peanut-butter core baked into the center.

I worried that the peanut-butter filling might be overwhelming, but I appreciated that this cookie was a bit less sweet than the others.

The filling also helped keep the whole cookie soft and moist. This was one of the few flavors that all four members of my household really loved.

The peanut-butter-cookies-and-cream flavor was a family favorite.

It's rare that all four members of my family agree on a food, but the peanut-butter-cookies-and-cream flavor was an all-around favorite in my household.

It wasn't as eye-catching as many of the other options, especially since the bits of chocolate-sandwich cookies got camouflaged against the chocolate base.

However, they were unmistakable once I bit into it, punctuating the soft texture of Crumbl's chocolate cookie with the crumbly, crunchy texture of an Oreo. The peanut-butter chips were mostly in the background, but they added a nice balance to the chocolate.

I always love a good cookie-flavored cookie.

The mallow-sandwich flavor was my favorite of the Oreo-inspired cookies.

I liked all of the Oreo-inspired Crumbl cookies I tried, but the mallow sandwich was my favorite. It featured two chocolate cookies with Oreo pieces, sandwiched around creamy frosting.

The combination of soft-chocolate cookies and marshmallow filling reminded me of a whoopie pie. The Oreo pieces that were baked into the cookie added a crunchy, crumbly texture.

Sadly, my kids didn't get a chance to sample this one because my wife and I ate the whole thing before they had a chance — it was one of her favorites, too.

Crumbl's pink-velvet cookie was my favorite.

Crumbl's pink-velvet cookie earned my top spot with a caveat: I never ate more than a small portion in one sitting. I suspect that eating as much as half of this cookie at once might leave me less enthusiastic about it.

However, I happen to love cream-cheese frosting, and this one has a nice, mild tartness to it that complements the sweet, soft cookie.

I tasted it before reading the flavor description, and the power of suggestion left me thinking it had a strawberry taste.

But eating more of the cookie revealed that the crunchy, sugary crumbles on top were extremely reminiscent of the outer coating of a classic strawberry-shortcake-ice-cream bar. I happen to love those, so this had a nostalgic appeal.

• US Navy fighter aircraft were recently spotted carrying an air-launched variant of the SM-6 missile.
• The ship-fired SM-6 only recently saw combat for the first time during the counter-Houthi conflict.
• In a new role, the missile could be a big deal for the US in a China fight.

US Navy fighter aircraft have been spotted in the Pacific carrying an air-launched version of a powerful ship-fired interceptor missile that only recently debuted in combat.

American warships fighting in the Middle East have fired the Standard Missile 6, or SM-6, to intercept munitions launched by the Iran-backed Houthi rebels, using it in a surface-to-air role.

But it appears to be getting a new role as a long-range air-to-air missile, a potentially significant development that could fill a crucial capability gap if the US went to war with China. A US Navy spokesperson told Naval News that "the SM-6 Air Launched Configuration (ALC) was developed as part of the SM-6 family of missiles and is operationally deployed in the Navy today."

Multiple F/A-18E Super Hornets have been spotted in recent days carrying the SM-6 variant aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson and on the tarmac at Hawaii's Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam during the Rim of the Pacific Exercise, which boasts the world's largest international maritime warfare drills.

The ship-launched SM-6, also known as the RIM-174 Standard Extended Range Active Missile and part of the Navy's advanced Aegis Combat system, is a three-in-one extended-range weapon capable of anti-air and anti-surface warfare and is able to engage ballistic missiles during the terminal phase of their flight.

"It uses a blast-fragmentation warhead to engage these threats in the endo-atmosphere," the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank's Missile Defense Project says of the missile. "The US Navy has also upgraded the SM-6 to perform strike missions."

CSIS also notes that "its tri-mission capability also presents opportunities for the Navy to arrange more efficient weapon loadouts onboard its guided missile ships."

The SM-6, which can strike targets as far as 230 miles away, had not seen confirmed combat until the Houthis began attacking commercial shipping lanes in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden last fall. Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro acknowledged in April that the sea service had used the SM-6 to engage enemy threats. He also confirmed the first use of the SM-3 in combat.

The missiles observed on Navy aircraft at RIMPAC can be seen sporting AIM-174B designations, indicating that they are an air-to-air variant. Observers have noted, though, that it has been modified for tests. This configuration has been spotted in previous years, although the Navy has yet to acknowledge the development.

Justin Bronk, an airpower and technology expert at the UK-based Royal United Services Institute think tank, said the recent public appearance of the SM-6 suggests the missile's development is nearing completion or has even reached initial operational capability.

It is "likely a deliberate signal of emerging capability to both allies and to Chinese military observers," he told Business Insider.

China has taken serious steps to upgrade and modernize its air force and navy, raising alarm bells on the other side of the Pacific as US military leaders and Biden administration officials observe Beijing's growing power with concern.

Extended air-to-air range missiles in a new role could help the Navy plug gaps in countering long-range missiles that China is fielding, especially should Washington and Beijing clash some day. A war between the two would primarily unfold across a maritime domain, where long-range strike and defensive capabilities would be crucial.

"The primary benefit offered by an air-launched SM-6 capability for Super Hornet is a dramatic increase in the range at which air targets can be engaged by the carrier air wing," Bronk said.

Such a capability would be particularly useful to the American Navy against China's "increasingly large and capable" air force and naval aviation elements, he said. China has invested in developing various long-range stand-off weapons for its aircraft.

The air-launched SM-6 capability could provide Navy carrier air wings with the ability to engage Chinese bombers and intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance aircraft at significantly longer ranges than the standard AIM-120D air-to-air missile, Bronk said.

Not only could it compete in that space, but an air-launched SM-6 missile would also be a practical asset for the US to deal with Beijing's warships and militarized artificial islands, both of which can threaten US and allied aircraft with missiles.

This missile, in this new air-launched configuration, can "extend protective coverage further from the carrier group without having to venture into heavily contested airspace," Bronk said.

• When climbing huge mountains, height and difficulty don't always go hand in hand, mountaineers say.
• Mt. Everest may be the world's tallest peak, but it's easier to summit than other smaller mountains, like the Seven Second Summits.
• Three professional mountaineers explain why these shorter peaks are so challenging, and why Mt. Everest is easier to climb than ever before.

Just because Mt. Everest is the world's tallest peak, that doesn't mean it's the most difficult to climb, according to three professional mountaineers.

In fact, one expert even described Everest as a "fun" and "playful" climb compared to other peaks she's summited around the world.

Mountaineers generally agree that the highest peaks on each of the seven continents — aka the Seven Summits, which include Everest, Denali, and Kilimanjaro — are easier to climb than the second highest peaks on each continent: the Seven Second Summits.

The three mountaineers shared why Everest isn't the hardest and which peaks they found most challenging in their years of climbing.

Climbing the Seven Second Summits

Don't let the name fool you — when it comes to difficulty, there's nothing secondary about the Seven Second Summits.

Only two people have successfully climbed all seven. Jenn Drummond, a retired businesswoman and mom of seven turned professional mountaineer, is one of them.

In 2023, she became the first woman to accomplish this climbing feat and said each one came with its own harrowing challenges.

Part of what makes these peaks so difficult is that they're more remote and not as commercialized as the seven highest summits, which makes getting to them its own challenge, Drummond told Business Insider.

Mt. Everest attracts hundreds of climbers each year, and is surrounded by a booming tourism industry. The spring 2023 climbing season alone generated $5.08 million in revenue for the Nepal government, the Kathmandu Post reported. That revenue helps fund people who mark trails, set up ropes, and establish camps before mountaineers even arrive at base camp.

"If I'm climbing Everest, I don't have to make decisions — if I go left or right. I just follow a rope that somebody else has set for me," she said, adding that it all makes Mt. Everest a "fun" and "playful" climb compared to the Seven Second Summits.

"When I'm climbing Mt. Logan, or I'm doing Mt. Tyree, there's no set route," Drummond said. That added mental labor significantly increases both exertion and risk. Plus, "if something goes wrong, it's only you guys there to fix it," she said.

And for the most part, they're more technically difficult to climb. Unlike the seven highest summits, some of the Seven Second Summits involve skiing and rock climbing in addition to hiking. "You're training for a variety of different skill sets," Drummond said.

Out of all the Seven Second summits, Mt. Logan was the hardest for Drummond. It's remote, there's no trail to follow, and mountaineers do most of the climb on skis, she said. She and her team had to chart their own route, constantly test the ground to make sure the snow wouldn't give way underfoot, and build igloos around their tents to help them withstand the strong, cold winds.

K2: The Savage Mountain

If you ask Garrett Madison what the hardest mountain he's climbed is, his answer won't be Mt. Everest, either.

This world-class mountaineer has summited Mt. Everest 14 times, in addition to other massive peaks like K2, Denali, and Mt. Everest's smaller but formidable neighbors, Mt. Lhotse and Mt. Nuptse.

K2 is the hardest mountain he's ever climbed, he said, and other mountaineers agree that although it's secondary to Mt. Everest in height, it's much more challenging.

"The major differences are that K2 is steeper, it's got more objective danger — rock fall, ice fall, crevasses — and the weather is more unpredictable," Alan Arnette, a Mount Everest summiter and climbing coach who writes an Everest blog, told BI.

But just because Mt. Everest is easier than K2, that doesn't mean that anyone can hike up the world's highest mountain on a whim, Arnette said.

Climbing Mt. Everest is still risky

In 2023, a record-breaking 18 climbers died attempting to summit Mt. Everest. Even with a pre-set route, established camps, and highly skilled Sherpas to guide you, summiting this mountain is still incredibly dangerous.

As a Mt. Everest summit coach, Arnette requires that his clients already have experience climbing at least 23,000 foot tall mountains, camping in harsh winter conditions, and have some basic mountaineering knowledge before he agrees to work with them. And even someone with that level of experience might need a year of training to get ready to summit, he said.

But professional mountaineers like Arnette, Drummond, and Madison go searching for even greater challenges, paving the way for others who aspire to reach the same heights. For Drummond, becoming the first woman to climb the Seven Second Summits was deeply meaningful.

"It just shows how far society has come for women to be in these places," she said.

• Gen Z and millennials are at odds over some social media, but they seem to agree on two of them.
• Gen Z uses Snapchat and TikTok more than millennials, who use Facebook more, Emarketer data shows.
• But they're pretty neck-and-neck on Instagram and YouTube usage, according to the report.

Gen Z and millennials have some differing preferences when it comes to social media platforms, but they seem to agree on two big ones.

Gen Z uses Snapchat and TikTok more so than millennials do, while millennials outdo Gen Z in Facebook usage, according to data in a new Emarketer report.

In the report, Gen Z is defined as those born between 1997 and 2012, while millennials are the generation born between 1981 and 1996.

For Instagram and YouTube, the two generations see nearly eye to eye.

US Gen Zers make up roughly 35% of Instagram's total users, while millennials represent slightly more at 36.1%, according to the report.

On YouTube, US Gen Zers are 25.5% of the platform's total users, while millennials trail closely at 25.2%, the report shows. A separate study of 1,000 US social media users last year found YouTube ranked as the best social media platform for viewing creator content and getting product reviews and information.

And while millennials still make up a decent chunk of Facebook's users, the platform in 2022 posted a drop in user numbers for the first time in the company's history.

Gen Z's beloved TikTok, meanwhile, got one step closer to being banned in the US earlier this year.