• Princess Rhaenys Targaryen made a crucial choice in the latest episode of "House of the Dragon."
• Rhaenys, the Queen Who Never Was, represented an old order in Westeros. 
• Her decision sets the stage for Rhaenyra's war, and was a necessary one. 

Warning: Major spoilers ahead for season two, episode four of "House of the Dragon."

"House of the Dragon" isn't a show that pulls its punches, but its latest episode, "The Red Dragon and the Gold," landed its most devastating blow yet.

Those who have read "Fire and Blood" weren't surprised to see Princess Rhaenys Targaryen, the Queen Who Never Was, and her dragon Meleys fall to Aemond Targaryen and Vhagar. Rhaenys embarked to Rook's Rest, a modest castle close to Rhaenyra's base at Dragonstone, to meet Ser Criston Cole's advancing force. But when she arrived, she met two dragons: Sunfyre, ridden by King Aegon II, and Vhagar, ridden by Aemond. Though she and Meleys fought until the last moment, Vhagar overpowered them, and she fell to her death.

Rhaenys' death, as a viewer, is a tragedy. But for "House of the Dragon" to fully commit to its devastating dragon war, fought between a woman with a rightful claim to the throne and her usurper younger half-brother, Rhaenys needed to die.

'House of the Dragon's' original sin is denying Rhaenys the throne

"House of the Dragon" takes place during a short period of Targaryen family history — there are a vast number of events, like Aegon's Conquest, that precede it, and obviously, a long history that follows it (you could call some of it "Game of Thrones"). But within the context of the show, the story begins most specifically during the Great Council meeting to determine King Jahaerys' successor.

With Jahaerys' sons dead, the council's choice boiled down to two options: Rhaenys, his eldest descendant, or Viserys, his eldest male descendant. Having never sat a Queen on the Iron Throne, the council chose the comparatively soft Viserys, whose decisions sowed the seeds for Rhaenyra and Aegon's war. Rhaenys, for the rest of her life, bears the slight with grace as the Lord of Driftmark Corlys Velaryon's wife.

But despite her acquiescence, the wrong of denying Rhaenys the throne hangs like a pall over "House of the Dragon," and Rhaenyra especially. Rhaenys represents and espouses an old "order of things," as she admonishes a young Rhaenyra about in season one: one where a man will always be seen as a legitimate ruler over a woman, regardless of her claim to the throne. When Rhaenyra and Rhaenys' son Laenor are engaged, Rhaenys worries that her son will be endangered during a succession challenge. When her husband, Lord Corlys Velaryon, brings up her denial of the throne, Rhaenys says that she shuttered her ambition "a generation ago."

Rhaenys' persistence over the course of the series, particularly as Rhaenyra faces further challenges regarding her claim, asks an implicit question: if Rhaenys could bear not becoming Queen, why couldn't Rhaenyra?

Rhaenys' sacrifice represents the true beginning of the war

It feels remarkable when Rhaenys throws her weight behind Rhaenyra, though she does so seemingly reluctantly. She knows that if Rhaenyra pursues her claim, it will bring calamity. But when Alicent installs her son Aegon on the throne, Rhaenys does not bend the knee — but neither can she take the opportunity to end Alicent's bloodline when it's presented to her.

"That war is not mine to begin," Rhaenys tells Daemon and Rhaenyra, justifying her actions.

At the end of season one, Rhaenys persuades her husband, Corlys, to back Rhaenyra, citing the safety of their grandchildren. But she also praises Rhaenyra's restraint in not submitting to all-out war, which proves to be a major theme in season two. It's Rhaenys who incites Rhaenyra's final errand for peace: a face-to-face with Alicent, in the hopes of avoiding a war between dragons.

And when that falls through, it's Rhaenys who must step up. Eve Best, who plays Rhaenys with a steady hand, told Business Insider that as the voice of restraint — and as Rhaenyra's strongest warrior, astride Meleys — there was no other choice.

But thematically, Rhaenys' sacrifice is a necessary one. As she reminded Rhaenyra in her youth, she's an emblem of the old tradition: one in which the Queen Who Never Was must gracefully bear the insult of being denied a kingdom. No one better understands the trials that Rhaenyra faces and the judgment calls that she must make. That's why Rhaenys makes this final decision for her, telling Rhaenyra, "You must send me."

That decision proves that Rhaenys couldn't — or wouldn't — bear that insult for any longer, though she fights for Rhaenyra's claim and not her own. Her sacrifice symbolizes an open door — one through a which a new order, however bloody the process, may be forged.

• Democratic members of Congress are beginning to call on Biden to drop out of the race.
• As of Monday, July 8, six have done so.
• Two other lawmakers are flatly predicting that Biden will lose to Trump.

President Joe Biden is facing calls to drop out of the presidential race from House Democrats following his disastrous debate performance last week.

It began on Tuesday, July 2, with Rep. Lloyd Doggett of Texas, who became the first member of Congress to call for Biden's withdrawal. In a statement, he praised the president's record of accomplishments but said an "authoritarian takeover" would come if former President Donald Trump won.

"Too much is at stake to risk a Trump victory — too great a risk to assume that what could not be turned around in a year, what was not turned around in the debate, can be turned around now," Doggett said. He later said on NBC that some of his House colleagues privately agreed with him.

On Wednesday, Doggett was joined by Rep. Raúl Grijalva of Arizona, who told the New York Times that the debate represented an "opportunity to look elsewhere."

"What he needs to do is shoulder the responsibility for keeping that seat — and part of that responsibility is to get out of this race," said Grijalva. Both men are in their mid-to-late 70s and represent solidly Democratic seats.

On Thursday, Rep. Seth Moulton of Massachusetts joined them, telling a local radio affiliate that Biden should "step aside to let new leaders rise up and run against Donald Trump."

On Friday, shortly before Biden's interview with ABC News was set to air, Rep. Mike Quigley of Illinois said on MSBNC that Biden should "let someone else do this."

And on Saturday morning, Rep. Angie Craig of Minnesota became the first swing-district Democrat to call on Biden to withdraw, saying in a statement that she does "not believe that the President can effectively campaign and win against Donald Trump."

Separately, two members of the moderate Blue Dog Coalition — Reps. Jared Golden of Maine and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington — said that they believe Biden will lose to Trump, but did not explicitly call on him to withdraw.

Golden went as far as to say that he is "OK" with Trump winning, saying he rejects the idea that Trump is a "unique threat to our democracy."

Democratic politicians who don't hold elected office have also called on Biden to step aside.

Former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro, one of Biden's competitors in 2020, said that Biden needed to "allow a stronger Democratic candidate to prevent a disastrous second Trump term.

Another 2020 Biden competitor, former Rep. Tim Ryan of Ohio, published an op-ed on Tuesday calling for Biden to be replaced with Vice President Kamala Harris.

Harris is one of several Democratic contenders who could replace Biden if he stepped aside.

Here's a full list of the 6 House Democrats who have publicly called on Biden to drop out:

• Rep. Lloyd Doggett of Texas
• Rep. Raúl Grijalva of Arizona
• Rep. Seth Moulton of Massachusetts
• Rep. Mike Quigley of Illinois
• Rep. Angie Craig of Minnesota
• Rep. Adam Smith of Washington

• Jenn Tran stars on season 21 of "The Bachelorette."
• She competed on season 28 of "The Bachelor" and is a physician assistant student.
• Here's everything to know about Jenn's life outside of the reality TV franchise.

Jenn Tran didn't find love with Joey Graziadei on season 28 of "The Bachelor," but she's getting a second chance at romance as the star of the latest season of "The Bachelorette."

Tran, a 26-year-old physician assistant student based in Miami, was announced as the leading lady of season 21 of "The Bachelorette" in June, making her the first Asian-American woman to lead the spinoff.

"I feel so, so grateful and so honored to be the first Asian Bachelorette in this franchise," she said during the "After the Final Rose" segment following the "Bachelor" finale. "Growing up, I've always wanted to see Asian representation on TV and I feel like it was really sparse."

"To be here today sitting in this position being like, I am going to lead my own love story, I am going to be the main character in my story — I just can't help but think of how many people I'm inspiring and how many lives I am changing," Jenn, whose family is Vietnamese, added.

Although Bachelor Nation got to know Jenn a bit on "The Bachelor," she teased that there's "a lot that you don't know about me yet."

"But you're just gonna have to watch to see," she said.

Ahead of the season 21 premiere, here's what to know about Jenn.

She put her career on hold in order to appear on 'The Bachelor'

Jenn graduated from the University of Wisconsin—Madison in May 2020 with a bachelor's degree in molecular biology. During her time at the university, she served as the Red Dress Chairman for Alpha Phi Foundation and organized a fundraising gala that raised more than $30,000 for women's cardiovascular health.

According to her LinkedIn profile, she plans to pursue a career as a physician assistant. But her goals shifted when she was cast on ABC's hit reality TV show.

As Jenn explained in a video posted on Instagram in February, she didn't drop out of school in order to compete on "The Bachelor." Instead, she asked her school for permission and was able to come to an agreement regarding her two-and-a-half-year program.

Jenn loves traveling

Jenn has traveled the world and documented her experiences on Instagram. She's visited places like Greece, Italy, and the Bahamas.

She fosters cats and kittens

In January, Jenn posted a series of photos on Instagram showing the cats she fostered in 2023, from striped ginger felines to all-black kittens. Her newest foster cat is a black kitten that she's named Peter Parker.

Jenn is a Swiftie

Jenn attended one of Taylor Swift's concerts at Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts in May as part of the musician's Eras Tour.

She's seen the Jonas Brothers in concert, too. Per her "Bachelor" bio, Shawn Mendes' music regularly makes her cry.

"The Bachelorette" season 21 premieres on Monday at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. Episodes stream the next day on Hulu.

• Airline rating company Skytrax has released its 2024 list of the world's best low-cost airlines.
• AirAsia was named the top low-cost airline in the world for the 15th year in a row. 
• Allegiant Air is the highest-ranked US airline on the list. 

AirAsia has been named the best low-cost airline in the world according to travelers surveyed by travel industry rating company Skytrax.

Skytrax published its latest survey results in June as part of the 2024 World Airlines Awards, which named Qatar Airways the world's best airline.

Budget carriers from Europe and the UK accounted for 9 of the top 20 spots in the Skytrax rankings, compiled using feedback from travelers from over 100 countries on more than 350 airlines.

Prominent US low-cost carriers like Southwest, Spirit, and Frontier failed to crack the top 20.

Here's a closer look at the 20 best low-cost airlines in the world, according to Skytrax:

20. Sun Country Airlines

Sun Country operates a fleet of Boeing 737s from its base in Minneapolis to leisure destinations across the US, the Caribbean, and Central America.

Sun Country was the 89th-ranked carrier in Skytrax's list of 100 best airlines in the world.

19. JetStar Asia

Jetstar Asia is a Singapore-based subsidiary of Australian low-cost carrier Jetstar Airways, which is itself part of Qantas.

18. Allegiant Air

Allegiant Air is the highest-ranked US-based low-cost carrier on the list in 18th position. The Las Vegas-based leisure airline operates a fleet of Airbus A320-family aircraft, although its long-awaited fleet of Boeing 737MAX aircraft is expected to arrive this year.

17. JetSMART Airlines

Ultra-low-cost carrier JetSMART operates a fleet of Airbus A320-family aircraft to destinations across South America from its headquarters in Santiago, Chile.

16. SKY Airline

Sky Airline won the prize for South America's top low-cost carrier. This is the fourth time the Chilean carrier has won the award.

15. Jetstar Airways

Jetstar, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Qantas, was named the top low-cost carrier in Australia/Oceania. Jetstar operates a fleet of Airbus A320-family aircraft and Boeing 787 Dreamliner widebody jets.

14. Eurowings

Eurowings is the low-cost subsidiary of German's Lufthansa Group. The airline operates a fleet of Airbus A320-family aircraft to destinations across Europe and the Middle East.

13. Jet2.com

Jet2 is a British low-cost airline that operates both scheduled and chartered flights to leisure destinations across Europe.

12. flyDubai

FlyDubai is Dubai's most prominent low-cost carrier. Its fleet is comprised exclusively of Boeing 737 aircraft. In 2023, the airline launched lie-flat business class suites on board its new Boeing 737MAX airliners.

11. EasyJet

EasyJet is the UK's top-rated low-cost carrier according to the latest Skytrax rankings.

10. Ryanair

Dublin-based Ryanair is arguably the most well-known low-cost airline in the world, most famous for its laughably low prices and penny-pinching business practices. The Irish airline is also one of the world's largest operators of the Boeing 737.

9. Iberia Express

Iberia Express is the low-cost offshoot of Iberia, Spain's national carrier. As a result, it is one of the airlines that make up the International Airlines Group (IAG) alongside British Airways, Aer Lingus, and fellow Spanish low-cost carrier, Vueling.

8. airBaltic

AirBaltic operates a fleet comprised exclusively of the Airbus A220. The Latvian low-cost carrier was one of the first airlines in the world to adopt the Canadian jet and remains one of its largest operators.

7. Vueling

Vueling is Spain's largest low-cost carrier. Like the country's flag carrier, Iberia, Vueling is a subsidiary of IAG alongside British Airways and Aer Lingus.

6. IndiGo

IndiGo is India's top low-cost carrier and one of the largest operators of Airbus A320-family aircraft in the world. In 2023, the airline began experimenting with long-haul international flights with a pair of Boeing 777-300ERs leased from Turkish Airlines.

5. Transavia France

Transavia France is a low-cost subsidiary of the Air France-KLM Group.

4. Flynas

Saudi Arabia's Flynas is the highest-rated Middle Eastern low-cost carrier in the Skytrax ranking. The airline, which launched in 2007, operates a fleet of Airbus A320 and A330 airliners.

3. Volotea

Spain's Volotea is the highest-ranked of the 9 European carriers on the list. The airline operates a fleet of Airbus A320-family aircraft on flights across Europe and the Mediterranean.

2. Scoot

Singapore's Scoot is a low-cost subsidiary of Singapore Airlines. The airline took home the award for the world's best long-haul low-cost airline.

1. AirAsia

For the 15th year in a row, AirAsia is the top low-cost carrier in the world. The Malaysia-based carrier and its subsidiaries across Southeast Asia operate an all-Airbus fleet.

• David Ellison says the new Paramount will be a "World-Class Media and Technology Enterprise."
• He's Oracle founder Larry Ellison's son, so he's definitely got tech connections.
• But how does that make Paramount a tech company? And does it need to be?

You might think that David Ellison, the Hollywood producer poised to finally acquire Paramount, thinks he is buying a struggling movie studio and television conglomerate.

And you'd be right!

But Ellison says he's getting more than that for his billions: He's also buying the building blocks for what will eventually be a "World-Class Media and Technology Enterprise."

If that sounds familiar, there's a good reason for that: This spring, I noted that people in David Ellison's camp were telling journalists that his plan for reviving Paramount involved infusing the company with lots of tech and tech know-how. And the suggestion was that at least some of that was going to be supplied by Oracle, the company founded by his father, Larry Ellison — who is one of the world's richest men and a primary investor in the new Paramount-to-be.

We've heard this before from David Ellison

As I said back in April, the Paramount-powered-by-Oracle pitch doesn't make sense. And David Ellison isn't exactly making it now. But he is definitely leaning on the idea that he's building a media company that is also a tech company.

Here he was on Monday morning, speaking on an investor call to sell the Paramount deal (the text is via a rush transcript):

"We need to transition New Paramount to a world class tech media and technology enterprise. The first thing we need to do is double down on the core competency of storytelling across mediums. But also when you look at the landscape as it exists today, there are a lot of technology companies that are rapidly expanding into media companies, and we believe it is essential for Paramount to be able to expand its technological prowess to be both a media and technology enterprise."

Ellison then pointed to a slide in his pitch deck pushing his tech plans from the company, which include making its streaming service better, using cloud servers, and using "AI tools to enhance creativity while driving production efficiencies."

And then Ellison kept going, connecting himself to his father's friend Steve Jobs, Apple and Pixar, the animation studio Jobs built up and eventually sold to Disney:

"Having had the privilege of being mentored by Steve Jobs and getting to watch him build Pixar from the ground up, one of my favorite quotes that him and [Pixar leader John Lasseter] always had was the art challenges the technology and the technology inspires the art. And [the] belief that understanding of the symbiotic relationship between art and technology is essential to be able to meet this moment in time for storytelling."

This all sounds great — or at least interesting — in theory. But it's also a head-scratcher.

That's partly because David Ellison isn't a tech mogul. He's a producer who makes and sells movies and TV shows, more or less like everyone else in the business.

During the call, Ellison touted his success using Oracle's cloud tech to help build his animation division with Lasseter, and I'll take his word on that. But this reminds me a bit of the 2015 era when digital publishers like BuzzFeed and Vox Media told investors they weren't media companies but tech companies that made media. Spoiler: They turned out to be media companies.

The bigger problem with the tech + media pitch isn't that tech and media aren't intertwined. They very much are.

The real problem that Paramount — and just about every other big media company — has these days isn't that its tech isn't good enough. It's that its scale isn't big enough.

Why media companies want you to think of them as tech firms

That's why you constantly hear about media companies — including Paramount — as potential M&A targets: Investors believe they can't take on Netflix and YouTube on their own.

That's also why you constantly hear about streamers trying to bundle themselves together — something both Ellison and Paramount's previous managers have been openly talking up as well.

So, techifying Paramount's streaming operations sounds … fine — if Ellison and crew can really do a better job than Paramount's old guard. But it won't be adequate.

"Streaming tech across all of legacy media is underwhelming, so they all need an upgrade," says Lightshed Partners analyst Rich Greenfield, who wrote a prescient note on this theme last week. "However great tech doesn't matter without massive amounts of content — because you need watch time per user per day to be multiples higher" — because that's how you would tune a useful algorithm that lets users find shows and movies they want to watch.

All of which tells you why the Paramounts of the world aren't just struggling against Netflix, which has a deep technological culture married to a deep catalog of content it has been mining for years. It's also why they're struggling against the likes of Instagram, YouTube and TikTok, who apply their tech knowledge to unending supplies of content their users supply for little to no cost.

So, under the best-case scenario — one where David Ellison really is a tech wizard or knows how to put tech wizards to work — he's going to have his work cut out for him. And if he turns out to just be a guy who's been good at making TV shows and movies? It's going to be even harder.

• I secured a great deal on a premium-economy seat on a long-haul Emirates flight.
• This was my first time in premium economy, and I was surprised at how upgraded the experience felt. 
• Premium economy is worth trying, especially if you can find a good deal like I did.

I had to fly from Melbourne, Australia, to Dubai with only a few weeks' notice, and unfortunately, airfares for direct flights were expensive.

Emirates has three direct flights from Melbourne to Dubai a day at 9 p.m., 2 a.m., and 5 a.m. I wanted to get the 9 p.m. flight as it's the most convenient time to depart, but the airfare was over $1,400. The 2 a.m. flight was a similar price.

However, the 5 a.m. flight didn't seem very popular or full, and I found a premium-economy ticket for about $1,250, which was cheaper than economy seats on other flights that day.

Although my flight was expensive, it seemed like I got a solid deal for a premium upgrade. Rates vary, but I've seen many of Emirates' premium-economy seats cost $800 to $1,500 more than ones in coach.

Plus, I was actually looking forward to my 14-hour trip since Emirates recently placed third in Skytrax's overall world's best airlines of 2024 awards — and its premium-economy class came in second.

Here's what my first premium-economy flight was like.

I left home at 2 a.m. to catch my flight, but my excitement kept me feeling upbeat.

A 5 a.m. flight meant an early wake-up call, but looking forward to my upgraded trip put me in a positive mindset before the 14-hour flight.

My experience at the airport was great, too, as there was a dedicated check-in area and priority boarding for premium-economy flyers.

The seats were bigger and far more comfortable than I had expected.

The premium-economy cabin was at the front of the plane, separate from economy. It consisted of just a few rows, which made it feel exclusive.

Two premium-economy seats took up about the same space amount of space as three economy seats, so I had a lot of room to stretch out.

With the extra width and seat recline, I didn't feel cramped and could easily relax or stretch out to sleep.

The seat-back entertainment screens were also a nice size at just over 13 inches, which made watching movies a better experience.

Across the whole cabin, there was a feeling of more space.

The aisles in premium economy felt wider, which allowed for easy movement throughout the cabin. Passengers weren't bumping into the aisle seats to try to squeeze through like they often do in economy.

At the front of the cabin, there was a decent amount of space, so I walked around and even did some stretches and Pilates — a great way to keep my muscles moving and blood flowing on a long flight.

There was rarely a queue for the toilets as there were three dedicated restrooms in premium economy that easily accommodated the number of passengers in the cabin.

The in-flight food felt premium, too.

Breakfast was served about 45 minutes after takeoff, which was great timing so I could eat and then go right to sleep. I also got lunch about halfway through the flight and a hot snack shortly before we landed.

My meals, which I was able to select from a long menu, were served on actual dishware with metal cutlery. Without disposable utensils and plates, the dining experience felt way more premium.

The food was tasty and filling, and additional snacks like nuts, chips, and fruit were available throughout the flight.

I kept hydrated via a constant supply of water bottles, and although I didn't drink, there was a wide range of complimentary liquor, beer, and wine on offer.

The onboard service was pretty great.

Emirates staff was attentive, and with the premium-economy section pretty empty, my flight felt more personalized.

The onboard crew seemed friendly and always ready to help.

When I asked a crew member to take some photos of me, she didn't hesitate and even offered to give me a tour of both the business and first-class cabins.

I felt a bit like an intruder as I took her up on the offer. The seats, amenities, and experience in these cabins seemed another few levels up — and they gave me something to aim for in the future.

Overall, the experience exceeded my expectations, and I'm glad I found a deal.

The flight went by quickly — well, as quickly as 14 hours can go —and I felt more rested than on previous long-haul flights.

I can see why Emirates' premium economy is rated so highly, and I'd recommend trying it, even if you have to pay a little more.

After my ticket for less than coach, I'd also suggest looking at the cost of premium economy on less desirable flights. You may need a bit of luck and some last-minute planning, but it might pay off.

Getting up earlier than I wanted was worth it to travel with perks — and flying in premium economy is certainly a great way to kick off any trip.