• Derek Jeter has a buyer willing to pay $6.3 million for his lake-front castle in upstate New York.
• The Baseball Hall of Famer initially listed the property for over $14 million in 2018.
• Named Tiedemann Castle, the property features a turret, bridge, waterfall, and fountains.

After years of trying, New York Yankees legend Derek Jeter finally found a buyer for his lake-front castle in upstate New York.

But only after he cut the sale price in half, The New York Times reported.

He tried to get $14.25 million for the lavish property when he listed it in 2018, and he tried to sell it again at an auction in 2022. It finally went into contract in May for $6.3 million, according to the Times.

Jeter's realtor declined to comment.

Nestled on Greenwood Lake less than 50 miles north of Yankee Stadium, Jeter purchased the property in 2003 for $425,000 and made it a fortress fit for a king, Business Insider previously reported. Known as Tiedemann Castle, the home is 12,590 square feet, and the property features a turret, a bridge, a waterfall and fountains, and even a replica of the Statue of Liberty.

The property has a family history, as well. Jeter's grandfather lived in the castle after he was adopted by the Tiedemann family, after whom the castle was named.

It's not Jeter's first major property sale since his MLB retirement nearly a decade ago. In 2021, he sold a 21,796-square-foot mansion in Tampa for over $22 million.

• "House of the Dragon" season two picks up immediately after season one. 
• Unlike the first season, however, the first four episodes given to critics don't feature time jumps.
• Ultimately, the show is better for it: The characters get more room to breathe.

In season two of "House of the Dragon," Rhaenys Targaryen, the Queen Who Never Was, tells Rhaenrya Targaryen that eventually, no one will remember when the war started.

Was it when Alicent Hightower placed her son Aegon II on the throne? Was it when Alicent's second son, Aemond, killed Rhaenyra's son, Lucerys Velaryon, on dragonback? Or was it, perhaps, when Lucerys took Aemond's eye as a child?

Season one of "House of the Dragon" took us back even further, to the moment when the Great Council decided to install Viserys as the heir to the Iron Throne over his cousin Rhaenys. It was devoted to setting the stage for the eventual war, sometimes to its own detriment. In those first 10 episodes, treading through the series of betrayals that led to the Targaryen conflict was frequently prioritized over cohesively developing the show's characters. It's more evident now that season one, despite its grand scale (and sometimes indulgent dragon sequences), was the setup.

Season two is the beginning of the payoff.

Gone are the rapid time jumps from the show's first season. Now — at least, in the four episodes provided to critics for review — we're more firmly anchored in the action of the present. The series picks up immediately in the aftermath of Lucerys' murder. Lord Corlys Velaryon has lost an heir. Aegon's side, the Greens, has drawn first blood. Rhaenyra has lost a son.

"House of the Dragon" is still built on the pain of Westeros' most powerful mothers, but now it's more nuanced than the gratuitous and gory childbirth sequences that plagued season one. Emma D'Arcy's vulnerable, razor-sharp performance as Rhaenyra continues to be riveting, particularly as Rhaenrya mourns Lucerys' death and does her best to avoid plunging the continent into all-out war. On the other side, Alicent (an excellent Olivia Cooke) grapples with the implications of the path she's set her son on and its effects on her immediate family.

The ensemble cast benefits greatly from the comparatively slower pace.

In season one, the heirs to the Targaryen and Velaryon dynasties were mostly deployed in service of greater narrative purpose and their parents' political machinations. But by season two, they're real players in the war: Aegon (a delightful Tom Glynn-Carney) preens and buckles under the pressures of ruling, while his brother Aemond (Ewan Mitchell, both slippery and vulnerable) uses his own cunning — and his very big dragon — to find a foothold in court.

In Rhaenyra's camp, her eldest son Jacaerys and Daemon and Laena Velaryon's eldest daughter Baela are increasingly given further chances to prove their worth. And even Matt Smith's Daemon, who has always been entertaining despite his inscrutable, seemingly inconsistent motives in season one, finally gets the chance to parse through whatever's going on inside his head.

The show tends to falter when it turns its eye from the warring families to the small folk of King's Landing, or the minutiae of Westerosi regional politics (unless that's your thing). "House of the Dragon" makes a muted effort to explore the implications of war on the common people — dragons need a lot of sheep, and they have to come from someone's flock. Still, it's a fleeting inquiry that's quickly subsumed by whatever the Targaryens are doing at any given moment.

And when it comes to council discussions about which houses have pledged allegiance to Aegon II or Rhaenyra, or the fleeting opinions of Lords who have yet to bear out true consequence, it can quickly get bogged down in the details.

Still, "House of the Dragon" certainly delivers on sweeping spectacle when needed. However, it doesn't bring out its dragons willy-nilly, and that's for the better. As the closest thing to a weapon of mass destruction in this universe, both sides of the war understand that you can't take back a dragon on the battlefield. That hesitancy translates into a greater degree of restraint when it comes to actually throwing the dragons on screen, and makes the moments where they do come into the fray all the more impactful.

Season two ultimately makes the show's first season feel like a prelude, and course-corrects some of the show's earlier impulses to cover vast swathes of history rather than dig into the characters driving it. Only time will tell if those characters still get a chance to shine and grow (or in some cases, devolve) as the war drags on.

But for now, the first episodes are a good start.

"House of the Dragon" season two premieres June 16 on HBO.

• 64 federal job categories pay upwards of $200,000, with some reaching $400,000.
• Federal employers increased job postings by 22% in a year, according to a Handshake report.
• Higher-paying roles often reflect seniority but many government jobs offer linear paths to move up.

Many people enter federal roles for job security, not for the money. But some federal jobs can offer both.

Data from the US Office of Personnel Management from September indicates 64 federal job categories have positions that pay over $200,000 — and some pay as much as much as $400,000.

As opportunities in the public sector expand, interest in government jobs continues to grow with layoffs plaguing certain industries, like tech.

The average number of applications to full time government jobs has roughly doubled over the past year, according to Handshake data from August 2023 to March 2024. The number of open jobs from government employers has also increased by 25%, a spokesperson said.

While you may not be making more than you would in the same role at a private company, government jobs offer additional benefits that you probably won't get at a corporate job, like pensions and flexible scheduling.

While most of the higher-paying roles reflect seniority level, many government careers offer linear paths for promotions because of the General Schedule pay scale, which is a hierarchical system used by many government agencies.

We've highlighted some of the highest-paying job categories and included some recent listings so you can check out the most up-to-date salary for open positions.

You can use the code in parentheses to find government jobs in the categories listed.

Medical roles (0602, 0610, 0680, 0660, 0668)

Positions under the category of medical officer can earn $300,000 or more. According to OPM data, close to 12,400 people earn $300,000 or more as a medical officer (0602). Other high-paying positions in the medical field include specialized physicians, dentists, pharmacists, and nurses.

A gastroenterologist physician is currently listed on usajobs.gov for up to $400,000 annually, which is equivalent to what the President earns.

Attorney (0905)

OPM data indicates that 3,156 attorneys for the federal government make between $200,000 and $299,999. Currently, usajobs.gov has 207 open listings under the general attorney category code. The highest paying open listing for an attorney in that category offers a starting salary of $199,654.

Financial institution examining (0570)

Positions in this category range from titles like national bank examiner to anti-money laundering examiner. These roles also usually involve work with institutions like the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or the Department of the Treasury. According to OPM data, people in this position can make just below $300,000.

There are currently 36 open positions in this category, with the highest role listed with a starting salary of $180,564.

IT Management (2210)

This category includes IT specialists at the leadership level. These positions range from all different kinds of departments and according to OPM data, 941 people in these roles make over $200,000, with about 7% of that number making between $260,000 to $279,999.

The highest-paying open role under this category is for a deputy director and chief information security officer and it's listed at a starting salary of $193,819.

General natural resources management and biological sciences (0401)

This category includes a wide range of roles related to the sciences. Some open listings include biologist for the FDA, fire management specialist for the US Fish and Wildlife Service, or social scientist for the Forest Service. According to OPM, there are currently 319 federal employees in this job category who make over $200,000.

The highest open role is for a chief operating officer at the Department of the Interior and offers a salary range that maxes out at $221,900

General Engineering (0801)

OPM data indicates that the highest-paid employees in this category make between $200,000 to $219,999. Some of these positions include research roles or general engineer roles, while higher-paying positions are more senior roles in this field.

The highest-paid open role is listed as a deputy associate administrator, exploration systems development mission directorate and has a starting salary of $217,471.

HR Management (0201)

HR management is the umbrella term for all HR specialist positions. The highest paying bracket in this category is between $260,000 to $279,999.

The highest-paid listing on usajobs.com is currently for a deputy division chief at the Department of Homeland Security and it has a starting salary of $163,964.

Air traffic control (2152)

Air traffic control workers have the highest number of workers making between $200,000 and $219,999 per year, although other fields may offer higher salary ranges. According to OPM employment data, 2,079 air traffic workers make salaries in that bracket.

Usajobs.gov shows 57 listings for this job category. An open role for a supervisory air traffic control specialist has a starting salary of $212,321.

• "House of the Dragon" season two takes "Game of Thrones" fans back to Westeros. 
• In real life, the show has filmed across Europe on beaches and medieval towns open to the public. 
• From King's Landing to Blackwater Bay, here's how the series compares to its filming locations.

"House of the Dragon" season two returns to Westeros for the war between the Greens and Blacks.

The show is the first "Game of Thrones" prequel project to make it to the screen, as HBO and Warner Bros. continue to expand the franchise to tell new stories set in the universe created by author George R. R. Martin. The network has several prequel shows in development, including "Nine Voyages," based on the adventures of Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint), and an animated "Golden Empire" series. 

HBO also renewed "House of the Dragon" for season three shortly before the season two premiere, so it doesn't look like the network is planning to leave Westeros behind anytime soon. 

It's understandable, given how rich the universe is. Some of the real filming locations help make the world of Westeros feel truly unique rather than relying on CGI backdrops and soundstages.

"House of the Dragon" has shown us High Tide castle in Driftmark a few times already.

High Tide is the home of Lord Corlys Velaryon and his wife, Princess Rhaenys. King Viserys and his royal court visited the dramatic setting in season one, episode seven for a funeral. 

Scenes depicting Driftmark were shot at St. Michael's Mount – a rocky island topped with a medieval castle in the UK.

The origin of St. Michael's Mount blends history and mythology. According to the UK National Trust, the rocky island was first mentioned all the way back in 495AD. There are reportedly tales about how seafarers were drawn to it by mermaids. 

Myths aside, the mount is only accessible via an ancient causeway at low tide, and stands today as part of the seaside town of Marazion, a popular destination for beachgoers and those keen to discover its rich history. 

But in the world of "House of the Dragon," it doubles as Blackwater Bay, Condé Nast Traveler reports. The bay is the primary stronghold of House Velaryon. Like the Targaryens, the Velaryon family traces its roots back to the ruined city of Valyria in Essos. 

In season one, episode three of "House of the Dragon," we got a sweeping view of the Stepstones.

This was where the Velaryon army and Daemon Targaryen held their war camp.

Filming of the fictional "Stepstones" was reportedly done in Cornwall at Kynance Cove.

According to House Beautiful, filming for a scene depicting House Velaryon camps took place in Kynance Cove, Cornwall. 

If you plan to visit to enjoy the cove's beaches in the summer, you won't be running into any Westerosi soldiers but rather plenty of beachgoers — it's a popular seaside spot, according to the National Trust.

The surrounding sea is turquoise blue, and the sand is white, so it's no wonder the website advises anyone visiting to arrive early so as to avoid any disappointment in finding parking, which is a 40-minute walk from the cove.

In another episode, we saw the same region at low-tide.

This was the scene where Craghas Drahar was shown nailing prisoners to contraptions that would make them drown when the tide came in. In the meantime, crabs feasted on the still-alive soldiers' flesh.

In reality, Holywell Bay in Cornwall looks like a dreamy beach destination.

It's difficult to think that what looks like an idyllic English beach has been turned into the Stepstones — an inhospitable collection of islands — in "House of the Dragon."

As reported by the Radio Times, the fictional islands known as the Stepstones are found between the Narrow Sea, waters separating Westeros and Essos, and the Summer Sea. While conditions on the islands aren't livable, the group of islands still play an important role as they are right in the middle of a trade route between Westeros and the Free Cities.

In the pilot episode of "House of the Dragon," we saw the royal carriage wheeling through King's Landing.

This was one of the courtyards that Princess Rhaenyra's carriage crossed. The setting included what looks like a large dragon statue made from "dragonglass" (AKA obsidian).

Jumping over to Spain, "House of the Dragon" fans will probably instantly recognize the city of Cáceres as the capital of Westeros.

While shots of King's Landing in most seasons of "Game of Thrones" were filmed in Dubrovnik, Croatia, "House of the Dragon" used Cáceres, Spain as the primary location, Condé Nast Traveler reports.

But those who saw the opening shots of episode one of "House of the Dragon" will know that the red-tiled rooftops and winding medieval roads perfectly reimagine King's Landing much like it was depicted in the original show. 

In reality, the old town of Cáceres, a UNESCO World Heritage site, has a rich history of its own. According to UNESCO, it was ruled by "powerful rival factions" between the 14th and 16th centuries and was the site of battles between the Moors and Christians.

Here we see King Viserys and young Laena Velaryon walking together in "House of the Dragon" episode two.

This scene came early in the first season, when King Viserys was offered the young Laena as a future wife.

The botanic gardens of Lloret de Mar, Spain, are where King Viserys Targaryen and Lady Laena Velaryon got acquainted.

In the second episode of "House of the Dragon" season one, Princess Rhaenys, Lord Corlys Velaryon, and other members of the Small Council try to persuade King Viserys Targaryen to marry his second cousin, 12-year-old Lady Laena Velaryon.

There is a scene later in the episode where Viserys and Laena are shown somewhat awkwardly getting to know each other while on a walk through beautiful, manicured gardens with views of the sea surrounding Kings Landing. 

Filming took place in the Gardens of Santa Clotilde in Lloret de Mar, Spain. And that seascape might actually be real. According to Condé Nast Traveler, the botanic gardens — available to visit for 6 euros, or around $5.97 — overlook the Balearic Sea.

When the show jumps ahead 10 years in season one, episode six, we saw adult-Laena with Daemon in Pentos.

Daemon and Laena had taken up residence across the Narrow Sea, in a city called Pentos. The castle they were living in belonged to a lord who hired them to fight with their dragons.

The night-time shots of Pentos in "House of the Dragon" look much like Castillo de la Calahorra, Spain.

Filming of Pentos took place in a rather picturesque town in Granada, home to a well-preserved Italian Renaissance castle with roots dating back to 1509, according to the tourism website. 

It's also a national monument now under private ownership, but anyone can put in a request to visit. 

"House of the Dragon" season two airs on Sundays on HBO at 9 p.m. ET. For more, read our essential guide to all the Targaryen kids on "House of the Dragon."

• Mexican cartels are exploiting timeshare scams, targeting older Americans for over $300 million.
• Cartels use call centers and cyber tactics in the elaborate fraud, the FBI says.
• Cartels often conduct "extensive research on their potential victims" before the scam, the FBI said.

It seems even Mexican drug cartels are cashing in on the day's most lucrative criminal enterprise: online scams.

The Jalisco New Generation Cartel, Gulf Cartel, and the Sinaloa Cartel — which El Chapo once led — have all dabbled in online scams, the FBI says.

Their scam of choice appears to be timeshare fraud, targeting mostly older Americans to the tune of over $300 million in the last five years.

A timeshare is a vacation home in which multiple people share ownership. They purchase blocks of time at the property every year in what is usually a long-term or even lifetime commitment.

"Timeshare fraudsters aim to suck their victims dry, with devastating consequences to victims' financial futures, relationships, and physical and emotional health," Assistant Special Agent in Charge Paul Roberts, head of FBI New York's Complex Financial Crimes Branch, said in a statement.

"As the cartels further cement their control of this space, it's especially critical that the FBI take the lead in addressing this threat to American seniors," he added.

The FBI says the Jalisco New Generation Cartel is the primary group engaging in timeshare fraud, but others are likely using independent call centers to carry out the fraud too.

The cartels conduct "extensive research on their potential victims" before creating fake documents and reaching out to them through phony email accounts, according to the agency.

"Throughout the process, the fraudsters use a combination of high-pressure sales tactics and cyber-enabled fraud strategies, such as mimicking legitimate entities' email addresses and forging official documents, to convince victims that each phase of the scam is legitimate," Roberts said.

Timeshare fraud is often unreported because victims either don't realize they are being scammed or they become afraid to come forward, the FBI says.

"There is nothing embarrassing about falling victim to a scam like this," Roberts said. "The worst thing that people can do is suffer in silence out of shame or fear of judgment."

Roberts says the top signs to watch out for to avoid timeshare scams are never to pay upfront fees and never hand over a power-of-attorney form.

Anyone who contacts you claiming to be a government official should never ask you about a timeshare settlement, threaten to arrest you if you don't pay, or threaten to subpoena you to court outside the United States, Roberts said.

Recovering money from criminals after it's lost in an online scam is notoriously difficult. If you are the victim of a financial scam, the Federal Trade Commission recommends reaching out to your bank or whatever credit card or money service you used to try and recover the funds.

The FTC recommends reporting known timeshare scams to its website, the state attorney general where the crime took place, and the Better Business Bureau. You can report timeshare and vacation club scams to the FTC here.

• Meta AI has sparked mixed reactions on social media apps like Instagram and Facebook. 
• Some users have been frustrated by accidentally engaging with the bot.
• It's not possible to opt out, no matter what Meta AI tells you.

Meta AI is supposed to draw from the data it is trained on to help you efficiently do whatever it is you do on apps like Instagram and Facebook.

But despite this vast amount of knowledge, there is one thing it finds hard to understand: its own mortality.

Meta introduced its AI on the company's apps in April. It appears near the search bar, offering tips for discovering new trends and ideas.

Its proximity to the age-old search bar seems to be Meta's way of shoehorning the feature into the user's experience. Some users have taken to social media to complain about accidentally engaging with it — and to find out how to remove it.

After some failed Google searching ourselves, we went directly to the bot. While trying to be helpful, Meta AI gave us inaccurate information, suggesting that a user can disable it. In reality, you can't.

The bot suggested clicking on the "three dots at the top right of our chat window," which do not exist, and switching off a "Meta AI Assistant" button, which also doesn't appear to exist.

We went back and forth with Meta AI for a while. After rephrasing our question, the bot finally told us that disabling it was not actually an option.

"Unfortunately, I'm a part of the search bar, so you can't completely turn me off. However, you can minimize our interactions by using the search bar as you normally would, without addressing me directly or using the '@' symbol. This way, you can search the web without triggering our conversations," the bot said.

After a bit of nagging on our part, Meta AI said we can turn off AI features on the entire device — in this case, an iPhone. But what if we wanted to use some AI features, just not those from Meta?

Major tech companies like Meta, Google, OpenAI, Microsoft, and Apple are engaged in a cutthroat AI arms race, jockeying to produce the best product that customers will actually trust enough to use. They've faced obstacles from regulators, delays, and their own troublesome optics.

We asked Meta AI what sets it apart from other AI bots, and it quickly shared a list of reasons, including its "omnichannel presence" and "large-scale knowledge base."

"Meta AI is integrated across multiple platforms (Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and more), making it easily accessible and convenient," the bot said, adding that it "has been trained on a massive dataset, allowing it to provide accurate and informative responses."

If only.

A Meta spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment for this story, but a spokesperson previously told Business Insider that the bot can sometimes generate "inaccurate or inappropriate outputs."

In our chat, Meta AI touted its "human-like conversations" as something that sets it apart from the rest.

"Meta AI aims to engage in natural-sounding conversations, making interactions feel more like talking to a friend," the bot said.

Great, who doesn't love a friend you can't get rid of?

Are you a Meta employee with additional details to share about Meta AI? Reach this reporter at kbalevic@businessinsider.com. Signal provided upon request.

• McDonald's is removing its Automated Order Taker technology from over 100 restaurants.
• The food chain collaborated with IBM in 2021 to develop and deploy the AI software.
• Videos showing flaws with the technology at McDonald's drive-thrus went viral in 2023.

The advent of generative AI was supposed to devastate jobs across industries, including restaurants.

Turns out it's not quite there yet.

McDonald's told franchise operators on Thursday that it is removing AI order-taking technology from over 100 drive-thrus, marking the end of a test period conducted with IBM.

A McDonald's spokesperson confirmed the decision to Business Insider in a statement, saying customers were introduced to the technology in 2021 when McDonald's entered a global partnership with IBM.

Under the partnership, IBM acquired McD Tech Labs, which McDonald's created after taking control of the AI speech company Apprente in 2019.

The two companies developed and deployed the technology during the test period to "determine if an automated voice ordering solution could simplify operations for crew and create a faster, improved experience for our fans."

McDonald's CEO Chris Kempczinski told CNBC in June 2021 that voice recognition technology was accurate about 85% of the time, but human staff had to assist with about one in five orders.

Its failures, however, went viral online.

Videos of drive-thru customers struggling to use the Automated Order Taker first gained attention on TikTok last year. Some customers suggested that the technology messed up their orders, causing frustration and annoyance.

One video showed a woman attempting to order water and a cup of vanilla ice cream. The AI system accounted for those items but incorrectly added four ketchup packets and three butter packets to her order.

In another video, a TikTok user said she ordered one large cup sweet iced tea, but the AI-powered technology added nine cups of iced sweet tea instead.

Although McDonald's partnership with IBM on Automated Order Taker has ended, the food company said it would continue to explore how technology can improve its workflow.

"As we move forward, our work with IBM has given us the confidence that a voice ordering solution for drive-thru will be part of our restaurants' future," McDonald's told BI in the statement. "We see tremendous opportunity in advancing our restaurant technology and will continue to evaluate long-term, scalable solutions that will help us make an informed decision on a future voice ordering solution by the end of the year."

Representatives for IBM did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment.

McDonald's began using AI technology at its restaurants as early as 2019, according to the National Restaurant News. It installed 700 AI-powered menu boards that included an automated suggestive selling feature.

• Successful Russian glide bomb attacks on a village in the Kherson region have fallen from 80 a day to four, an officer said.
• Russia has increasingly targeted Ukraine with glide bombs, some weighing over 3,000 pounds.
• Newly supplied US weapons, like ATACMS and Patriot missiles, are aiding Ukraine's defense.

An Marine's officer fighting to defend the strip of land Ukraine has occupied on the left bank of the Dnipro River said that US aid has helped reduce the number of successful Russian glide bomb attacks on his squad's position.

Speaking to The Times of London, Major Serhiy Pedenko, the deputy commander of 503 Battalion of Ukraine's 38th Marine Brigade, said that the number of glide bombs hitting their position on the banks of the river had fallen from 80 a day to four.

Over the last six months, Russia has continually pounded Ukrainian targets with glide bombs — some weighing more than 3,000 pounds — from Russian fighter-bombers such as the Su-34.

The relatively cheap projectiles are crafted by attaching wings and satellite navigation systems to Soviet-era bombs.

This allows Russian bombers to release them from safer distances, making it hard for Ukraine to defend against such attacks.

Ukraine's foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, said in March that Russia's use of the bombs was its "main advantage on the battlefield," allowing its forces "to destroy the targets of the strikes and advance through the ruins."

But new US-supplied military equipment is finally reaching the front lines — and it appears to be making a difference.

Ukraine is using ATACMS missiles to strike Russian airbases in occupied Crimea and Patriot anti-aircraft missiles to protect the south of Ukraine.

"We've destroyed two Russian divisions here. They need to drive us out, so they attack with armoured personnel carriers, which our drones destroy. We kill maybe 30 Russians here for every one of our dead," Pedenko told The Times.

"The Russians don't understand how we're holding this shoreline," he added. "They bomb and then go in, but our guys are still holding on there, they are fighting, they're pushing them back and they can't figure it out. But it's really hard there."

After gaining a bridgehead on the far bank of the Dnipro at Krynky in October of last year, Ukrainian forces may have hoped to push deeper into Russian-occupied territory.

However, severe ammunition and equipment shortages allowed Russia to fight back.

Earlier this year, a former spokesperson for Ukraine's Southern Defense Forces, Natalia Humeniuk, said that Russians were conducting "human wave" assaults as they attempted to retake the village.

The situation at Krynky remains tense, with Ukraine suppressing four Russian attacks on the left bank of the Dnipro River near the village earlier this week, the Southern Defense Forces of Ukraine said on Telegram.

"The occupiers are putting pressure with artillery shelling, air strikes, using a large number of attack drones of various types, and continue aerial reconnaissance," the post said.

"Our soldiers continue to take comprehensive measures to hold their positions," it added.

• Olivia Cooke spoke to The Times about the age gap between characters on HBO's "House of the Dragon."
• Cooke, 30, plays Alicent Hightower. Her on-screen children are played by actors in their late 20s.
• "The years between being a teenager and now a grandma on screen were so short for me," she said.

Olivia Cooke has shared her thoughts about playing a grandmother in "House of the Dragon," despite being 30 years old.

The British actor portrays Alicent Hightower in the "Game of Thrones" prequel series, which returns for its second season on June 16.

Alicent has three children, with King Viserys Targaryen (Paddy Considine), the eldest of which took over as ruler of the Seven Kingdoms at the end of season one, following Viserys's death.

Speaking to The Times of London, Cooke said she had "complicated feelings" about the fact that Tom Glynn-Carney, Ewan Mitchell, and Phia Saban — the actors who portray her character's children — "are all my age, yes."

Saban, who plays her on-screen daughter Helaena, is 25. Mitchell, who plays Aemond, is 27, and Glynn-Carney, who plays Aegon, is 29 — one year younger than Cooke.

Toward the end of season one, it was revealed that Aegon and Helaena — who are married to each other — have become parents to twins, making Alicent a grandmother.

Cooke spoke about the lack of a realistic age gap between herself and her on-screen children, telling The Times: "If they can create dragons, they could have made me look younger – and then older."

"The years between being a teenager and now a grandma on screen were so short for me," she said.

"It's happened now, and I'm grateful for the role," Cooke continued. "But I've just turned 30, and I'm playing a grandma," she said, reported The Times.

"There is a real reticence to see women age on screen," she said in The Times interview. "A real reticence."

Cooke said she wasn't criticizing the show but admitted that she finds the role "hysterical" due to the small age gap with her co-stars.

"Tom is a year younger, and I'm, like, 'Son, come here! Come on to the bosom! It is a strange dynamic that I'm very aware of," she told The Times interview.

• Ukraine has intensified attacks on Crimea in recent months and looks set to hit the Kerch Bridge later this year.
• The peninsula, and the bridge, are crucial for Russian military logistics.
• A Ukrainian success in Crimea could mark the end of the war, experts say.

If there is one place Ukraine is winning in the war against Russia, it's Crimea, experts say.

At the start of the year, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made it clear that the battle for Crimea and the Black Sea would play a central role in the coming months.

Ukrainian success in Crimea would be a major blow for Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"Russia's defeat in Crimea would be not just a defeat, but a humiliation," according to Olga Khvostunova, a fellow in the Eurasia Program at the Foreign Policy Research Institute.

In February 2014, unmarked Russian forces, dubbed "little green men," stormed Crimea, taking control of key buildings and raising Russian flags above them.

By the end of March of that year, Russia's Federal Assembly had formally ratified the peninsula's annexation. The war in the Donbas began just a month later.

Ukrainians have since referred to the Black Sea peninsula as "occupied Crimea," and Zelenskyy has continually stated that any peace agreement must see it returned to Ukraine.

In the last few weeks, Ukraine has launched a series of successful attacks on the region, taking out multiple Russian air defense batteries and striking Balbek Airfield near Sevastopol.

Ukrainian attacks on the peninsula "are proving successful due to thorough preparation and systemic work, better opportunities for defense forces, satellite and aerial intelligence provided to Ukraine by NATO allies," Elina Beketova, a democracy fellow at the Centre for European Policy Analysis, told Business Insider.

Meanwhile, Ukraine, which lost its traditional naval fleet during the annexation of Crimea, has targeted Russia's Black Sea fleet with great success using sea drones.

The attacks have allowed Ukraine to resume grain shipments through the Black Sea, which is vital for its economy, and forced Russia's Black Sea Fleet to move some operations away from its naval home base in Sevastopol on the Crimean peninsula.

Ukraine even claimed to have sunk the Black Sea Fleet's flagship, the Moskva.

Crimea "is the key to Russia's Black Sea access and operations," Maria Snegovaya, a senior fellow with the Center for Strategic and International Studies' Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program, said.

"Crimea allows for power projection over the rest of the Black Sea. Accordingly, deterring Russian naval positions in Crimea is critical for Ukraine," she continued.

Attacks on the peninsula and on the Black Sea Fleet are therefore aimed at depriving "Russian forces of the opportunity to use the peninsula for attacks on mainland Ukraine," as well as disrupting the support for Russian troops in the occupied territories in the south of Ukraine, Beketova added.

One of the most hated symbols of Russia's illegal annexation

The 12-mile-long Kerch Bridge links mainland Russia to the eastern coast of Crimea.

For Putin, the bridge is one of his greatest achievements, symbolizing what he believes is the "return" of Crimea to Russia.

Its destruction would, therefore, be both a strategic and symbolic victory for Ukraine and a major blow to Putin.

Ukraine has already struck the bridge twice since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion, but it has thusfar failed to destroy it.

Earlier this year, officials from Ukraine's Main Directorate of Intelligence told the Guardian that Ukraine would target the bridge for a third time before the year was up.

Its destruction is "inevitable," they said.

There are already signs that Russia, too, fears Ukraine may make another attack on the bridge.

Last week, the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) said in an update on the conflict that Russia had installed eight barges on the southern side of the bridge to reduce "the angles of approach for Ukrainian unmanned service vehicles."

Russia has also begun taking measures to reduce its dependence on the Kerch Bridge.

The MoD said in an update in March that Putin had announced the construction of a railway line from Rostov-on-Don in the south of Russia to Crimea.

The department said Putin had claimed the line would stretch as far as Sevastopol and would "provide redundancy" for the Kerch Bridge.

Some in Ukraine have taken this as a sign of Putin's recognition of Ukraine's threat to the bridge.

"The railway along the land corridor is recognition on the part of the Russian occupiers that the Crimean Bridge is doomed,Dmitry Pletenchuk, a spokesman for Ukraine's southern military command, told The Economist.

Crimea has a special place in Russian hearts

Former Russian Empress Catherine the Great annexed Crimea in 1783, and the territory has been militarily and symbolically important to Russia ever since.

It holds a special place in the nation's collective memory of the Soviet era, when it became a popular vacation destination for generations of workers due to its warm climate, Snegovaya said.

In 2022, massive explosions at the Saki Airbase, which Ukraine claimed to be behind, brought the war to vacationing Russians, who filmed the attack from beach huts.

Alexei Volkov, the president of the National Union of Hospitality Industries, told Reuters in 2023 that tourist numbers in Crimea were expected to be down 20-30% to between 6 and 6.5 million people.

Frederik Mertens, a Strategic Analyst at the Hague Centre for Strategic Studies, told BI that by targeting the peninsula, especially Russian ground-based air defense (GBAD) systems, Ukraine is "preparing the ground" for future air strikes once F-16 fighter jets arrive.

"Crimea is vulnerable," he said. "The Russians have relatively limited maneuver space on the peninsula."

"Putin has a lot to lose both politically and militarily. So if a limited number of fighters can have a real impact, it is here — and above the Black Sea that becomes fully accessible once the GBAD on Crimea is dealt with," he added.

Russia has relocated its most advanced S-500 air defense system to the peninsula, likely to protect the region from jets, Ukraine's spy chief Budanov has previously stated.

"Russia cannot afford to lose Crimea," Snegovaya said. "This offers Ukraine an opportunity to use threatening the status of Crimea as a bargaining chip in future negotiations."

If Ukraine can regain control of the Black Sea and take back the peninsula — or simply put enough pressure on these areas to threaten Putin — "it will mark the end of the war," Beketova added.