• A US F-16 pilot outflew a 15-minute barrage of enemy missiles during a Middle East mission in March.
• He made extreme turns to avoid explosions just feet away, according to an Air Force award citation.
• The incident looks to have occurred during the US military's bombing campaign against the Houthis.

A US Air Force pilot survived 15 minutes of enemy missile fire during a mission in the Middle East this year, making extreme high-G maneuvers as warheads exploded only feet away from his fighter jet.

Lt. Col William Parks was awarded the Silver Star Medal, the nation's third-highest military citation for valor in combat, at the Pentagon last week for his actions, according to an Air Force news release and a service citation obtained by Business Insider.

The Air Force said the March 27 mission occurred within the US Central Command area of responsibility, which includes the Middle East region, but did not specify where exactly. However, the timeline aligns with Operation Rough Rider, the military's weekslong bombing campaign against the Houthi rebels in Yemen.

Parks served as the mission commander overseeing a force package of 21 strike aircraft, while also leading four F-16 Fighting Falcon jets in suppression of enemy air defenses.

SEAD missions are designed to clear radars and surface-to-air missile launchers, giving friendly aircraft greater freedom to operate. The US military targeted Houthi air defenses throughout the Red Sea conflict.

During the mission, Parks "intentionally placed himself" within the range of air defenses protecting the "enemy's capital," the award citation reads. This decision allowed US aircraft to destroy ballistic missile production facilities.

Parks' fighter was targeted by a barrage of surface-to-air missiles and antiaircraft artillery that lasted for 15 minutes. The pilot pushed his F-16 through a string of high-G maneuvers and deployed countermeasures as munitions exploded just feet away.

F-16s can withstand up to nine G's, or nine times the force of gravity, with a full fuel load during acceleration or a turn. The human body can generally handle 4-5 Gs for short periods of time; trained fighter pilots can handle higher Gs. Too long, though, and even a trained pilot may black out. It's unclear how many Parks pulled on March 27.

The mission's dangers didn't end there. Parks, with fuel below minimum levels and still over enemy territory, quickly coordinated an "emergency rendezvous with two separate tankers, ensuring his flight access to critical fuel and preventing the probable loss of two aircraft due to fuel starvation," his award citation reads.

"His courageous and steadfast actions directly contributed to the survival of his wingman and himself," it says of Parks, a former commander of the 480th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron.

Parks' fighter squadron defeated a "record" 108 enemy drones and land attack cruise missiles during its eight-month deployment, which supported a handful of US military operations in the Middle East, including one dedicated to fighting the Islamic State, the Air Force said in a Sunday release.

The Air Force added that Parks showed "innovative" weapons employment by firing cheap laser-guided rockets and decades-old AIM-9M air-to-air missiles to shoot down hostile targets, saving the US more than $25 million in munitions costs.

The engagement also marked the first time in three decades that the AIM-9M Sidewinder, a supersonic missile developed by the US Navy in the 1950s, was used successfully in combat.

"It's a rare day when someone earns a Silver Star, with less than 100 being earned during the Air Force era," said Gen. Ken Wilsbach, the Air Force chief of staff, at an award ceremony last week.

Wilsbach said after hearing about Parks' experience, "I absolutely believe he deserves this honor. Recognizing valor in combat matters, and it is a privilege to serve alongside warfighters like him."

The Air Force credited Park with the interception of six weapons that posed a threat to the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman, which played a leading role in the counter-Houthi operations in the Red Sea, and five surface-to-air missiles that targeted his F-16.

Parks, who has several airmen in his family, described the Silver Star Medal as "incredible" and said it "means a lot."

"The amount of aviation and everything that we have in our family, that's what shaped me and helped mold me," he added.

• AI influenced 20% of Cyber Week orders, driving $67 billion in global holiday sales, Salesforce said.
• Retailers' investments in AI chatbots and partnerships are reshaping holiday shopping strategies.
• AI tools helped consumers find deals and personalize their shopping experience, boosting online Black Friday sales.

You may have artificial intelligence to thank for your Christmas gift this year.

From tech to retail, companies are going all in on AI this year, and it looks like consumers are following suit. This holiday season, shoppers are embracing AI to help find and purchase gifts.

New data from Salesforce, which creates AI agents through its Agentforce platform, found that AI agents drove 17% of the online orders at its retail partners during Cyber Week, the week leading up to and including Cyber Monday in the US. The AI agents helped drive $13.5 billion in sales during the week.

AI is helping steer customers toward deals and the checkout more broadly. The use of AI — including on platforms like ChatGPT — during Cyber Weekend tripled from 2024, Salesforce said.

These stats signal that retailers' AI investments, ranging from partnering with AI companies to developing their own chatbots, are paying off for Christmas.

"AI helps consumers bypass traditional homepages and go straight to the product pages they're looking for, which increases efficiency for shoppers," Lori Niquette, director of data storytelling at digital analytics company Quantum Metric, said.

For retailers, it represents a significant shift from the strategies they've come to rely on, such as their homepage and social media.

Consumers spent a record $11.8 billion online on Black Friday, up 9.1% year over year, according to Adobe Analytics, which tracks customer data from websites and apps. Shoppers used chat services to hunt for deals and compare products on the shopping holiday, for example. The analytics firm found that AI is making the shopping experience more personalized and increasing brand discovery with its product recommendations.

On Black Friday, shoppers who visited US retail sites through an AI chat service were 38% more likely to make a purchase than non-AI traffic sources, Adobe found.

To prepare for the holiday rush, several major retailers have launched generative AI chatbots or struck new AI partnerships. Target rolled out a festive AI shopping assistant that offers gift suggestions from user input.

Quantum Metric found that shoppers are primarily using AI to find the best deals.

"AI tools aren't changing what consumers buy. Instead, they're transforming how they make those purchasing decisions," Niquette told Business Insider.

• Earlier this year, my sister and I spent a week in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
• We enjoyed relaxing at Condado Beach and exploring the nearby shops and restaurants.
• There were also plenty of fun nightlife options in Old San Juan and La Placita de Santurce.

This spring, my sister and I traded snowy Wisconsin for sunny San Juan, Puerto Rico.

From lounging at the beach to visiting historic sites, we were surprised by how much we were able to do on a tight budget.

If you're planning a trip to San Juan, here are my top recommendations for fun that won't break the bank.

Lounging on Condado Beach is a must.

My sister and I stayed within walking distance of Condado Beach, so visiting was a daily activity on our itinerary. We enjoyed watching everyone swim, tan, and hang out in the sun.

The beach is also close to lots of shops and restaurants, which I liked stopping at during the day.

I also highly recommend trying a treat from The Crazy Pineapple, a vendor on the beach. I paid $20 for an amazing mix of sorbet and rum inside a pineapple.

We enjoyed walking the streets of Old San Juan.

Old San Juan is a charming section of the city that dates back to the 16th century, complete with cobblestone streets and plenty of colorful buildings.

We loved looking at the architecture and stopping into different clothing, jewelry, and souvenir shops. During our visit, art vendors even lined Paseo de La Princesa, a picturesque promenade through the area.

One of our favorite restaurants in Old San Juan was Barrachina, which claims to be the birthplace of the piña colada. We each paid about $12 for our drinks, which were delicious and creamy. I thought it tasted better than any other piña colada I've had.

My sister and I had so much fun in Old San Juan that we came back multiple times throughout our trip.

I recommend visiting the historic forts and the San Juan Gate.

Old San Juan is also home to historic forts like Castillo San Felipe del Morro and Castillo de San Cristóbal.

For just $10, I gained access to both sites, but due to time constraints, I was only able to visit San Cristóbal. As someone who appreciates learning about history, I loved exploring the tunnels and looking at the weaponry, wall drawings, and barracks.

I also recommend stopping by La Puerta de San Juan (the San Juan Gate), a bright red gate that was once the entrance to Old San Juan. There's no entrance fee, and it's located right by the water. It provided a glimpse into history and was a good spot to take photos.

Old San Juan is also a great place for nightlife.

Not only is Old San Juan an incredible place to sightsee during the day, but it's an amazing place for nightlife, too.

My sister and I splurged and spent $60 each to participate in the Old San Juan Bar Crawl.

Our group had about 30 people, and we were taken to several different bars, each of which provided a welcome drink. We also got access to an open bar for around 45 minutes at one of the locations.

Don't miss out on the fun in La Placita de Santurce either.

La Placita de Santurce is a market square that transforms into a party when night falls. When we visited, music was blaring, the streets were filled with people dancing, and there was a line to get into most of the bars, restaurants, and clubs.

We enjoyed the music and the people at Aguardiente Bar and Tulum La Placita. When we visited, neither spot charged a cover fee, and each of our drinks cost about $15.

We also had a great time at Jungle Bird, a cocktail bar that, in my opinion, had a quieter vibe than some of the other places we'd been to.

Taking a day trip to Luquillo Beach was the perfect way to end our vacation.

On our last full day of the trip, my sister and I decided to take an Uber to Luquillo Beach, which is about an hour away from San Juan. It cost roughly $71 to get there and back.

At the beach, we enjoyed cooler water with fewer waves and the nearby Luquillo Kiosks, a street filled with food, drink, and souvenir stands. My sister and I tried tacos from one of the vendors and were impressed by the flavors.

We noticed that beachgoers also had the option to sign up for activities like jet skiing or kayaking, but we opted to just set up a picnic on the beach instead. It was great soaking up the sunshine before heading home.

Overall, my first trip to San Juan was a success.

In my experience, San Juan provided the perfect mix of beaches, history, food, and nightlife without a giant price tag.

I'm still dreaming about the waves at Condado Beach and sipping on piña coladas, and my sister and I are already talking about returning.

This story was originally published on June 18, 2025, and was most recently updated on December 2, 2025.

• I tried and reviewed six different brands of chocolate-chip cookies from the grocery store.
• I loved the texture of the cookies from Pillsbury, and I quite liked the ones from Keebler.
• Tate's Bake Shop let me down a bit, and I found that Chips Ahoy's cookies were my favorite.

Though I love making homemade chocolate-chip cookies, I like the nostalgia of store-bought treats from time to time.

I usually go for the chewy version of Chips Ahoy, but all chocolate-chip cookies are good in my book.

Still, there are many brands that I haven't tried before, so I decided to put some classic and new-to-me options to the test to find my favorite.

Here are the cookies that have earned a place in my pantry moving forward.

Editor's Note: Prices may vary; the listed prices reflect the amount the writer paid when the cookies were purchased in 2023.

I'd never tried anything from Tate's Bake Shop before because I prefer thicker, softer cookies.

To keep things as consistent as possible throughout the taste test, I opted to buy as many original (typically meaning crispy) cookies as I could find.

This included the ultra-thin chocolate-chip cookies from Tate's Bake Shop. I've heard a lot of great things about this cult-favorite brand based in New York.

I'd never tried these before because I typically prefer thick, chewy cookies, and these are marketed as being extremely thin and crispy.

This pack was the most expensive one I tried, even though it was on sale for $5.99 and originally priced at $6.49. These cookies came to about $0.86 an ounce on sale, or $0.93 an ounce at full price.

These cookies were tasty, but they didn't particularly impress me.

At first glance, I liked the resealable paper bag. Inside, there were two plastic cartons, each individually wrapped in additional plastic, likely to help the cookies stay fresh and intact.

However, when I pulled out a carton, many of the cookies were broken. Maybe I just got unlucky with the package I chose, but I could see how so many cookies broke once I saw how thin and delicate they were.

The cookies were a very dark brown with a smooth surface and not many chocolate chips. Flavor-wise, they were buttery and sweet, but I didn't think there was nearly enough chocolate in each cookie.

The texture was much crispier than I tend to prefer, but I liked that these cookies melted in my mouth.

Pepperidge Farm Farmhouse cookies came in a small bag.

Pepperidge Farm sells a variety of cookies, including several chocolate-chip options. Its thin-and-crispy cookies looked closest to many of the other brands I was trying.

These, like Tate's, came in a paper bag, although the Pepperidge Farm bag wasn't easily resealable. Inside, there were also two plastic cartons of cookies that weren't wrapped in plastic.

The 6.9-ounce package of cookies cost me $3.99 on sale and were originally $4.19. That's $0.58 an ounce on sale or $0.61 for full price.

These were the only cookies made with milk-chocolate chips instead of semisweet.

Though I expected these to be a lot like Tate's, none of them were broken, and they weren't as delicate. They also had more heft to them and seemed loaded with chocolate chips.

The surface was crinkly and lightly golden brown. Each cookie was crispy, but not too hard.

The cookie itself was delicious. It wasn't super sweet, thankfully, because the milk-chocolate chips were already overly sugary.

I think these cookies would be a top contender for me if they were made with semisweet chips instead.

The original Chips Ahoy cookies looked and tasted just as I remembered.

The iconic blue packaging hasn't changed much since I was a kid, and it was exciting to pick up the original Chips Ahoy cookies I grew up eating.

I typically prefer the chewy version, but the original is also good — at least from what I can remember.

I bought a 13-ounce resealable package on sale for $4.29, though it was originally priced at $4.79. That's $0.33 an ounce on sale or $0.37 an ounce at full price.

I loved the ratio of cookie to chocolate.

The cookies were small, but they had miniature semisweet chocolate chips that were less overwhelming than normal-sized chips.

The cookies were lightly golden brown with some crinkles, and they were thicker than the Tate's or Pepperidge Farm cookies. 

They were lightweight but hard to break apart — and yet, they somehow had a slight chewiness to them when I took a bite.

I liked that neither the cookie nor the chocolate chips were overly sweet. The flavor was slightly buttery, and there was an ideal balance of chocolate to cookie.

Kroger's ChipMates seemed to be a generic version of Chips Ahoy.

In similar blue packaging, Kroger's ChipMates cookies appeared very similar to Chips Ahoy.

They were also the most affordable cookies I tried — the larger 13-ounce container cost me only $2.99, about $0.23 an ounce.

I just wish the package had a resealable component, like many of the other brands, to help prevent staleness.

Unfortunately, I thought these cookies were a little bland.

The Kroger-brand cookies looked pretty good. They had plenty of crinkles and lots of small chocolate chips. The centers were light brown, with a darker golden color along the edges.

I noticed they were very difficult to break apart, and they were also a little dry and extra crunchy. As for flavor, I found them to be quite bland. 

Looking at the ingredients, the Chips Ahoy cookies are made with both sugar and high-fructose corn syrup, while the ChipMates cookies have sugar and a very small amount of molasses. That might be why they weren't as sweet as the competition.

I like a cookie that isn't extremely sweet, but these had very little flavor and were too tough in texture. Fortunately, that's nothing a glass of milk couldn't solve, and they were super affordable. 

I've tried other Keebler cookies, but I wasn't as familiar with its chocolate-chip variety.

I grew up eating Keebler's fudge-striped cookies, but I'd never actually tried its chocolate-chip variety.

I love the brand's other offerings, so I had high expectations for the classic chocolate-chip cookie.

These cookies were another more affordable option. I got the 12.6-ounce resealable package on sale for $3 (originally $3.79) — that's $0.24 an ounce on sale (or $0.30 an ounce full price).

These cookies had a good flavor and great texture.

The Keebler cookies were a tad buttery but not very sweet aside from the mini semisweet chocolate chips.

The flavor didn't stand out to me in an extreme way, but I really liked the texture of these cookies. They felt soft from the outside, but they were crunchy with a nice melt-in-your-mouth quality.

Also, I appreciate that Keebler didn't skimp on the chocolate chips.

I was most excited to try Pillsbury's soft-baked cookies.

I love many Pillsbury products (especially the cinnamon rolls and crescent rolls), so finding out the brand makes a chewy chocolate-chip cookie was just icing on the cake.

The brand doesn't make a crispy version, so I already knew this would make it unique from the other cookies on the list.

The 9.53-ounce package cost me $3.99, or $0.42 an ounce.

The texture was everything I hoped for, but I didn't love the flavor.

The Pillsbury cookies were light brown and had many chocolate chips.

I could tell just from picking up a cookie that they were moist and chewy. They really delivered on texture; they were dense yet super soft.

The only downside for me is that the flavor just wasn't what I was expecting. Rather than being buttery or warm, the cookies just tasted sweet and left behind an almost artificial aftertaste I didn't love.

Chips Ahoy was my favorite of the six cookies I tested.

In terms of flavor, Chips Ahoy won this battle for me. The cookies weren't bland or overly sweet, and they didn't leave behind any aftertaste.

I typically prefer a soft-baked cookie (and Chips Ahoy does make a great chewy version), but the texture of these cookies was still excellent. They were buttery and crispy, but not too crunchy. They had a good chocolate-to-cookie ratio, too.

I loved the texture of the soft-baked Pillsbury cookies the most. Even though I didn't love the taste and found them a little too sweet, I'd still be happy to eat them anytime.

Some of the other cookies fell into a middle range for me, but Tate's are the only ones I don't think I'd buy again.

This was my first time trying the popular cookies, and although I liked their buttery, melt-in-the-mouth quality, they were way too thin and crunchy for my preferences.

Additionally, I was disappointed that these were the most expensive cookies, and half of my package was broken.

All in all, most of these cookies are more than welcome in my pantry — but the classic Chips Ahoy will remain my go-to.

This story was originally published on January 16, 2023, and most recently updated on December 2, 2025.

• After living in Alaska for most of my life, I moved to Las Vegas before heading to Sacramento.
• I was surprised by the ways my lifestyle changed and my mental health improved.
• Now, I can walk much more often, and I've had an easier time getting to know neighbors.

I never planned to spend my life in Alaska.

My parents met there during college, made it their home, and I was born and raised in Anchorage. Despite a deep desire to move, circumstances kept me in my home state for many more years than I ever anticipated.

Fast forward to 2020. After spending nearly half my life in Alaska, my husband and I decided it was time to try living in the continental US.

We researched our options and settled on Las Vegas, where we spent almost five years before moving again to Sacramento in February.

I've always traveled, but living in California changed my lifestyle in ways I never anticipated.

Winters used to be rough on my mental health

Living in a place where it's cold and dark for several months at a time can take a toll on even the toughest person. During Alaska winters, I'd go to work in the dark and come home in the dark.

Summers bring almost 24 hours of daylight, but that doesn't necessarily mean sunshine, as Alaskan summers can also be quite rainy. The light made sleep extremely difficult, too.

Growing up, this just felt normal. As I got older, though, I'd start to feel exhausted knowing we'd likely have snow on the ground from October through mid-May.

I often found myself experiencing a deep sense of gloom during the winter months that I couldn't seem to shake.

Shortly after we left Alaska, I noticed my mood had significantly improved. I had more energy, was sleeping better, and spent regular time outside.

California has much more sunshine year-round. I learned that I really needed vitamin D, and moving to a sunnier place gave my mental and physical health a huge boost.

Walking has become a much bigger part of my life

Generally speaking, Alaskan towns don't offer a lot of walkability. Add in icy walkways piled with snow, and a winter walk can feel downright treacherous.

Our new home in California, though, offers several restaurants and cafés within easy walking or biking distance.

Strolling through nearby neighborhoods to get a coffee has become a favorite weekend activity that helps me feel connected to my new city.

I can shop for farm-fresh produce and even garden

A quick caveat: Alaska does have farmers' markets. They're seasonal, though, and those seasons are often short.

Sacramento, on the other hand, has regular weekend markets with a rotating supply of produce that never fails to impress. I love being able to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables, which can be harder to come by up north.

I've also started gardening more — something Alaska's short seasons made challenging — and enjoying year-round flowers in my yard, as well as seasonal goodies from my vegetable garden.

We take real road trips to different cities and states

I've found that there's pretty much no such thing as a weekend road trip out of Alaska. The state is vast, with some remote areas only accessible by plane.

You can, of course, drive to other towns within the state, or head out to camp at the many gorgeous lakes and rivers, but exiting the state itself requires crossing the border into Canada and driving at least another few days.

Living in Sacramento means we can drive to the ocean or mountains in less than two hours, or arrive in Napa for wine tastings in about an hour.

A day's drive can take us to Southern California, Nevada, or Oregon, with plenty of options in between.

I know my neighbors and enjoy a sense of community

Like the bears that live there, Alaskans tend to hibernate in winter, which can lead to less interaction with friends and neighbors.

Sacramento has been the complete opposite. Now, I'm in a close-knit city with tons of street art, galleries, and locally owned shops.

My creative soul gets fed on the daily here, and I actually know — and like — my neighbors. Nearly everyone we meet is welcoming and kind, and the sense of belonging I have here has been the biggest change of all.

Alaska will always be home, and I cherish the years I spent there and everything it taught me. Still, moving away ended up being one of the best decisions I've ever made, and I don't regret making California my new forever home.

• My dad prioritized travel over possessions, leading our family to visit 20 countries together.
• He prioritized family trips to places rich in culture and history.
• These shared travel experiences strengthened our family bonds and inspired lifelong gratitude.

When I was 10, I remember preparing for the most exciting adventure of my life — so far. My family and I were going on a cruise from Mumbai to Lakshadweep Island. I could hardly stand the anticipation.

My father, in those days, was still an up-and-coming businessman, and paying for our travels didn't come easy. But he always made sure to prioritize travel. To me, it seemed that we took the nicest flights, stayed in beautiful hotels, and had the best time on the cruise and on the trip.

From the moment we got home from one vacation, I waited patiently for news of our next family trip. My family made a point of traveling somewhere new every year, often visiting places that were rich in history, culture, or biodiversity. Memorable destinations included Singapore's fabulous bird sanctuary, Sri Lanka's pristine beaches, and going on a Kenyan safari.

I always came back from our travels feeling so enriched. The world, after every trip, seemed so much bigger, but also so much closer to us.

Of course, traveling with family can be stressful

Were the trips always pleasant? Of course not. Sometimes we fought because we didn't always agree on the proposed itinerary. Sometimes we struggled because of lost cameras, bags being stolen, someone getting sick, or getting bad news from back home. We also have been incompatible on trips, our differences of opinion getting the better of us.

But looking back, those aren't the memories I hold dearest. Instead, I remember the time my family sat together at a park in Switzerland or when my dad jokingly got down on one knee in front of my mother while we were near the Eiffel Tower. I feel so much joy whenever I look at our travel photos.

We still travel together, even though my siblings and I are grown

At family gatherings, we often tell stories about our travels. We'll recall the almost missed train of Geneva, the Primark-obsessed shoppers of London, the Bailey's farm of Ireland and its delicious cheesecake, or my weeping face after I realised our camera had been stolen in Malaysia. Or, most recently, the taxi driver who scammed us in Dubai. Dubai was our 20th International trip together, a significant milestone.

Last year, I decided to take my sister on a European trip, ending with us attening a Taylor Swift concert in Amsterdam. We are the first women in our family to travel internationally independently. I remember that day, gelato in our hands, sitting on a park bench somewhere in Central Florence, we just started weeping. In that moment, we felt grateful for the life our parents provided for us, one filled with many adventures and memories, which gave us the confidence to go on our own adventure.

When we returned home, we thanked our father. In a typical dad fashion, he didn't show any emotion to us, nodding his head. I'm pretty sure his eyes shimmered with unshed tears, though.

I'm grateful for the trips my father made happen

My father instilled a love for travel in all of us, especially me, inspiring my career as a travel writer and dreams to one day begin taking my own family on similar trips.

More than that, he broadened our horizons to an impossible level. Travel is one such experience that puts to the test all your familial bonds, but for us, they have also been stories that have become highlights of our lives, and I have so much gratitude for knowing this.

• TikTok Shop said it crossed $500 million in US sales over the four-day Black Friday Cyber Monday sprint.
• The company onboarded more household-name brands like Disney and Samsung for this holiday season.
• TikTok Shop remains a small piece of a much bigger US e-commerce market led by Amazon.

The holiday season is high stakes for TikTok Shop, which is trying to cement itself as a meaningful player in a crowded US e-commerce market.

This year, the shopping platform crossed half a billion dollars in US sales over the four-day holiday period between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, a company spokesperson said. TikTok measures sales by adding up spend via gross merchandise volume, or GMV.

That figure is a relatively small piece of the broader e-commerce pie, which is dominated by Amazon. Overall, US e-commerce spend between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday was $44.2 billion, according to an Adobe analysis of direct online commerce transactions.

TikTok Shop is a relatively new player in US e-commerce, having officially launched in the country in September 2023 after a testing period.

Last year, the platform pulled in around $100 million in single-day US sales on Black Friday. While TikTok has historically relied on small and midsize businesses to drive sales, this year it featured a new crop of holiday listings from household name brands, including Ralph Lauren, Samsung US, and the Disney Store.

"A lot of more established major brands and sellers have felt more comfortable investing in TikTok, not just in advertising, but in its shopping and commerce features, which have also become more mature," said Sky Canaves, a principal analyst at EMARKETER, Business Insider's sister company.

One TikTok Shop staffer told Business Insider that the $500 million Black Friday week result seemed like a win.

"Not bad for official year two," they said.

Whether TikTok's owner, ByteDance, will be happy with the performance is another question. Even as the company announced its nine-figure Black Friday earnings last year, internally, leadership was disappointed with the US team's results, Business Insider reported earlier this year.

EMARKETER estimates that TikTok Shop will cross $15.8 billion in US sales this year. For context, EMARKETER estimates that Amazon's US sales will reach about $500 billion.

Social commerce, as a category, has seen healthy growth this year.

Live-shopping app Whatnot said it drew in $75 million in sales on Black Friday this year, triple what it pulled in for 2024. And Cyber Monday purchases driven by social media were up 56.5% from a year ago, according to Adobe.

EMARKETER expects social-commerce spending to cross $100 billion for the first time in 2026, driven in part by affiliate links from content creators who drive spending on traditional e-commerce platforms like Amazon.

• When my family of seven runs into unexpected costs, we start no-spend weeks.
• During those weeks, we limit spending, use everything in the pantry, and look for free activities.
• I found that no-spend weeks help us stay connected and intentional.

When my partner and I just finished a massive laundry room remodel that stretched our budget a bit, the worst happened. The contractor was putting the finishing touches on the floorboard. He pulled up a piece of wood and found black mold near the fridge from a leak, and kept finding more and more, down through the floorboards to the basement.

We didn't know that our home remodel "part two" had just commenced, costing us thousands.

This scenario and others are just part of daily life in a family of 7: a pediatric dermatology bill, emergency baseball gear, and bodywork repair when a teen threw a rock at my van.

When life happens, we pull out our go-to strategy, which we've gamified for our kids — the no-spend week challenge.

How it works

When our budget gets tight, the whole family takes a step back from spending for a certain amount of time. It can last a week or just a few days. Sometimes, we refer to it as "holding the line" — the line being the credit card balance.

It works best with a clear goal and an end in sight, such as a few days from the end of a credit card cycle, when we are happy with how much we've spent.

Of course, we spend what we really need to — like food — but no extras.

Who knows how much longer our five little kids will still think this is fun, but for now, it's a lifesaving strategy when a fridge leak or a medical bill threatens our financial peace.

We start making easy cuts to our budget

My favorite afternoon splurge is a stop at the best coffee store in town, which is not a chain and thus has some higher prices to stay afloat. This is the first weekly splurge to go, or at least to move to next week.

Amazon is always a source of serious spending in our house — from detergents to underwear, toilet paper, and paper towels to staplers. Many things in our home that fall into the pretty essential category have come from Amazon. Yet, anytime I go on the app, it seems to quickly add up to $75.

But during no-spend days or weeks, I try to avoid Prime completely and just include true essentials with our weekly grocery order instead. Nobody really needed that new Apple watch band or extra pair of leggings anyway.

We focus on intentionality

If you look in my fridge right now, there are three cauliflower heads. That's not because we love cauliflower that much; it's because I often order the same things on repeat for our weekly grocery bill, whether we really need them or not. But during no-spend weeks, I pare down the groceries to things we truly need.

I also take better stock of the pantry and cabinet to see what we truly need. The side effect of this is that we are finally able to get to the bottom of the pasta box in the pantry or use up the least favorite kind of chips the kids haven't eaten.

I also find myself getting more creative during no-spend days. We wrapped a birthday present with a funny Christmas gift bag because, well, who cares. We made smoothies with fruit that's going bad instead of buying some. There's something immensely gratifying about using up things you already have.

The kids even jumped in, trying to think of creative ways to do things for free those weeks. They recently loved running up the huge hill by the park and watching the sunset. All of it was free.

No-spend weeks help us save money and bring us closer

I make sure my family is never deprived during no-spend periods. If someone needs an emergency pair of shoes, I'll find myself saying, "Sure, let's talk about it next week after I get paid a bit more." And then, we do, and they are one step closer to adults who can handle delayed gratification.

In limiting our spending, we are all working together to make our lives more comfortable in the long run. It isn't always easy, but we always make it out the other side.

No-spend days and weeks unexpectedly show us what's really important and what we really do need — connection and intention.

• Economist Ruchir Sharma says AI exhibits the signs of a bubble.
• Big Tech's AI spending is soaring fast, mirroring the dot-com overbuild before the 2000 crash.
• Sharma warns that higher interest rates could burst this bubble.

The AI frenzy that's driving markets and corporate spending may be heading for a hard landing in 2026.

In an interview with Norges Bank Investment Management CEO Nicolai Tangen, renowned economist Ruchir Sharma said that the AI surge now checks every box on his four-part bubble checklist. And a single trigger could bring it all crashing down in 2026 — higher interest rates.

Higher rates reduce the availability of cheap capital that's been fueling AI investment and put downward pressure on growth-stock valuations.

Sharma's 'four O's' playbook

To diagnose bubbles, Sharma uses what he calls the four O's. He said the AI boom is flashing red on all four: overinvestment, overvaluation, over-ownership, and over-leverage.

Sharma said that AI and tech spending in the US has surged at a rate that is comparable to past bubbles, such as the dot-com era. Valuations of major AI players are also approaching bubble territory when judged by long-term earnings and free cash flow.

At the same time, Americans are holding a record share of their wealth in equities, and most of those trades are AI-related, he said.

And after years of running cash-rich balance sheets, Big Tech is now issuing massive amounts of debt to fund the AI arms race.

Over the last few months, Meta, Amazon, and Microsoft have become "the biggest issuers of debt," Sharma said — a classic late-cycle bubble sign.

Sharma estimated that roughly 60% of US economic growth this year has been driven by AI, both through companies pouring money into new infrastructure and through the stock-market wealth effect lifting spending among high-income consumers.

But the underlying economy looks much weaker without it, he said — and that's exactly why Sharma thinks the AI trade has become so dangerously crowded.

"Outside of AI, there's a lot of weakness in the US economy," he said.

"This big bet on AI better work out for America — because if it doesn't work out, then I think there's a lot of trouble for this country ahead," he added.

Why 2026 could be the breaking point

Sharma doesn't pretend he can call the exact top. But he said one thing bursts every bubble, and that is interest rates going up.

He identified three conditions that are already building. First, inflation remains "sticky," and far from the Fed's 2% target, he said. Second, the Fed has missed its target for five consecutive years and may soon face pressure to halt its interest rate cuts. Thirdly, AI-driven investment has sustained strong growth, which could push inflation higher again.

"At the slightest sign that interest rates are going to go up, I think that's your sign that, 'Okay — this is done now,'" Sharma said.

That's because higher rates make borrowing costlier and slash the valuations of high-growth companies — the exact conditions that tend to burst bubbles.

He said he expects that moment to likely arrive in 2026 — a view shared by other veteran investors, but on different timelines.

Greg Jensen, co-chief investment officer at Bridgewater Associates, said on Tangen's podcast last week that "the bubble is ahead of us" without giving a timeline, while Mel Williams, cofounder and partner at TrueBridge Capital Partners, warned of "a lot of carnage" over the next 10 years.

A 'good bubble' — but still a bubble

Sharma said the AI boom could be a "good bubble" that could ultimately boost productivity — like past tech manias that overshot but left valuable infrastructure in their wake. But that doesn't mean investors won't get hurt.

Still, one area he thinks could shine after the correction is quality stocks — companies with high returns on equity, strong balance sheets, and consistent earnings.

That category has badly underperformed the market during the AI frenzy, creating what he called "the single best investment idea" heading into 2026.

• A flight from Rome to London tried and failed three times to land in high winds.
• It diverted to Cologne, Germany, before going back to Rome.
• The plane finally touched down at London Luton Airport 10 hours later than planned.

Passengers flying to London were delayed by 10 hours after high winds saw their plane diverted to Germany before returning to its origin, then eventually reaching the UK.

Wizz Air Flight 6003 took off from Rome on Monday evening, scheduled to fly for about two hours to London Luton Airport.

However, the Airbus A321neo was unable to touch down on its first attempt. At the time, wind gusts were up to 31 knots, or about 35 miles per hour.

Data from Flightradar24 shows the plane circled over nearby Stevenage before descending for a second aborted landing attempt. A third attempt at landing was also unsuccessful.

The pilots then turned the plane away from London, flying over the Netherlands before diverting to Cologne, Germany.

An airline spokesperson told Business Insider the flight diverted "due to high winds at Luton."

The Airbus A321neo landed there at 11:19 p.m. local time — over three and a half hours after leaving Italy.

However, that wasn't the end of the journey.

"The flight then returned to Rome, before departing on December 2 for London Luton later that morning," the Wizz spokesperson said.

Flight-tracking data shows the plane took off from Cologne around 1 a.m. local time and headed back to the Italian capital.

It departed Rome again at 5:43 a.m. before finally landing at London Luton Airport shortly before 7 a.m. local time — 10 hours later than initially scheduled.

The Wizz spokesperson said passengers were given meal vouchers for the airport and offered rebooking options if they preferred.

"We apologise for the inconvenience this may have caused some passengers," they added. "The safety of our passengers, crew, and aircraft is our utmost priority."

This isn't the first time that high winds have caused unusually long diversions. They're more common with European budget airlines that have bases across the continent, where it's easier for them to reroute passengers.

During a storm in 2024, a Ryanair flight from Manchester, England, to Dublin diverted to Paris — nearly 500 miles away. That turned what was supposed to be a 45-minute trip into one lasting some nine hours. During the same storm, another Ryanair flight, from Ireland to Scotland, diverted to Cologne.