• 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.

• Taylor Swift and Joe Alwyn quietly began dating in 2016. Their breakup was reported in early 2023.
• Despite being a couple for six years, Swift and Alwyn were famously mum about their relationship.
• Alwyn cowrote six of Swift's songs, which appear on "Folklore," "Evermore," and "Midnights."

To the public's knowledge, Taylor Swift's longest relationship to date was with Joe Alwyn, a British actor best known for roles in "The Favourite" and "Conversations With Friends."

Despite dating for more than six years, Swift and Alwyn were famously mum about their shared life and rarely spotted in public together. Their breakup made headlines in early 2023, in the midst of Swift's blockbuster Eras Tour.

Swift's latest album, "The Tortured Poets Department," seems to offer clues as to why they split.

Keep reading for a complete breakdown of their relationship.

Claudia Willen contributed to a previous version of this article.

May 2, 2016: Swift and Alwyn theoretically meet at the Met Gala.

Both Alwyn and Swift attended the 2016 Met Gala, which was themed "Manus X Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology."

At the time, Swift was in a relationship with Calvin Harris, who didn't attend the event. They broke up just one month later.

Fans have speculated that Alwyn caught Swift's eye at the famous gala, based on the lyrics in Swift's 2017 song "Dress."

"Flashback when you met me / Your buzzcut and my hair bleached," she sings. Alwyn showed up to the Met Gala with a shaved head, while Swift paired a platinum-blonde bob with her Louis Vuitton dress.

October 2016: Swift and Alwyn attend the same private Kings of Leon concert in New York City.

One month after breaking up with Tom Hiddleston, Swift and her friends attended a private Kings of Leon concert at The Bowery Hotel in New York.

A video shared by a fan website revealed that Alwyn was also in attendance, though it remains unclear if the pair interacted inside the closed-door event. 

January 3, 2017: Swift journals that she's been in a secret relationship for three months.

The singer included photocopied pages of her diary entries with physical copies of her 2019 album "Lover." One excerpt seemed to reference her relationship with Alwyn.

Dated January 3, 2017, Swift wrote, "I'm essentially based in London, hiding out trying to protect us from the nasty world that just wants to ruin things."

"We have been together and no one has found out for 3 months now," she added. "I want it to stay that way because I don't want anything about this to change."

May 2017: News breaks of their relationship.

The Sun broke the news that Swift and Alwyn had been secretly dating for months. 

A source told The Sun that the singer flew to see her British beau in London "via private jets and her security has made it a military-like mission to prevent her from being seen."

The outlet also reported, "She's been walking around with Joe in London using disguises, like scarves and hats, to keep her identity under wraps."

November 10, 2017: Swift releases "Reputation," an album apparently inspired by Alwyn.

Since news of their relationship broke, fans began scouring Swift's songs and music videos for Easter eggs that point to Alwyn.

These clues date back to 2017's "Reputation," which Swift described as "an album about finding love throughout all the noise."

For example, the numbers "89" and "91" appear alongside each other in the "…Ready For It?" music video, released as a single on September 17, 2017.

Swift was famously born in 1989. The second number likely stands for 1991, Alwyn's birth year. At one point in the video, Swift also types "21" into a keypad; Alwyn's birthday is February 21.

A similar detail was noticed in the music video for "Delicate," another single from "Reputation." Swift dances in front of a visible sign that reads "Joe's Deli."

Several songs on the album, including "Gorgeous" and "New Year's Day," seem to reference to Alwyn's British accent and "ocean-blue eyes."

October 2017: Swift's close friend Ed Sheeran says he approves of her new relationship.

The "Shape of You" singer described Alwyn as a "really, really friendly, really good dude" on Capital London's Breakfast Show.

"They are very much in love, they have quite a low-key relationship, which Taylor likes. It's normal, and no one really knows about it right now," he said.

One month later, Alwyn and Swift watched Sheeran perform at London's Jingle Ball. Fans captured videos of the couple slow-dancing to the song "Perfect."

April 2018: Swift performs a cover "September" by Earth, Wind & Fire, which may include a hint about their romance.

When Swift recorded a cover of "September" as a Spotify exclusive, she tweaked the first line ("Do you remember the 21st night of September?") to say "the 28th night of September."

For an Easter egg enthusiast like Swift, it's hard to imagine this noticeable switch wasn't meant to send a message. Fans have theorized that September 28 was the day Alwyn professed his love to Swift.

In fact, Swift liked a Tumblr post explaining the theory.

May 2018: Alwyn and Swift share solo shots in the same spot.

Although Swift and Alwyn have never shared any photos together, they posted near-identical solo shots on Instagram just one day apart.

Swift shared hers on May 7, 2018, writing in the caption: "Today I met a cactus."

The following day, Alwyn shared his photo with just a cactus emoji.

November 2018: Swift promotes Alwyn's movie "The Favourite."

Alwyn played the role of Baron Masham in the 2018 period drama "The Favourite." Swift hailed the film as "absolutely phenomenal" the day before its release.

She also supported Alwyn leading up to the premiere and accompanied him to the showing at the New York Film Festival in September 2018.

December 2018: Alwyn says it's "flattering" that Swift uses him as inspiration for her music.

Swift has built a reputation as a confessional songwriter, drawing lyrical inspiration from her personal life. Fans believe albums such as "Reputation" and "Lover" contain references to Alwyn — although Swift never explicitly confirms who inspires her songs.

In a 2018 interview with The Sunday Times, the actor was asked if being the subject of his girlfriend's songs bothered him.

"No, not at all. No. It's flattering," he replied.

Earlier that month, he defended their privacy in an interview with Esquire. When asked if he was aware of the challenges that come with dating a superstar, Alwyn said he "didn't seek out advice" before getting involved with Swift.

"I know what I feel about it," he explained. "I think there's a very clear line as to what somebody should share, or feel like they have to share, and what they don't want to and shouldn't have to."

August 23, 2019: Swift releases "Lover," her first album that seems to detail a long-term relationship.

In an interview with Vogue, Swift described her seventh album as "a love letter to love, in all of its maddening, passionate, exciting, enchanting, horrific, tragic, wonderful glory."

Although she didn't mention Alwyn by name, much of the album seems inspired by their long-term relationship: "I Think He Knows" describes her attraction to a man with "indigo eyes" and "London Boy" is an explicit declaration of love for a Brit. Both the title track and "Paper Rings" drop hints about wanting to get married.

The album closer "Daylight" is especially revealing. Originally planned as the title track, it reveals how Swift's vision of love had changed from passion and heat to comfort and warmth: "And I can still see it all in my head / Back and forth from New York, sneaking in your bed / I once believed love would be burning red / But it's golden."

February 10, 2019: Swift skips the Grammys to attend a BAFTA after-party with Alwyn instead.

Swift's "Reputation" was nominated for best pop vocal album at the 2019 Grammys, but she skipped the Los Angeles ceremony to attend the BAFTA Awards after-party in London. ("The Favourite" received seven awards that night.)

Swift congratulated the film's cast in an Instagram post, but Alwyn wasn't pictured.

August 2019: Swift refuses to talk about Alwyn because "our relationship isn't up for discussion."

Swift steered clear of her relationship with Alwyn during an August 2019 interview with The Guardian.

"I've learned that if I do, people think it's up for discussion, and our relationship isn't up for discussion," she said.

The singer continued, "If you and I were having a glass of wine right now, we'd be talking about it — but it's just that it goes out into the world. That's where the boundary is, and that's where my life has become manageable. I really want to keep it feeling manageable."

January 5, 2020: The couple make a rare public appearance at the Golden Globes.

The couple walked the red carpet separately but sat together at the 2020 Golden Globe Awards.

Swift presented the award for best animated feature film and was nominated for best original song for "Beautiful Ghosts," which was featured in the movie "Cats."

January 31, 2020: Swift's Netflix documentary premieres, featuring a brief scene with Alwyn.

The Netflix documentary "Taylor Swift: Miss Americana" doesn't focus on Swift's love life, but she does open up about the beginning of her relationship with Alwyn.

"I also was falling in love with someone who had a really wonderfully normal, balanced, grounded life and we decided together that we wanted our relationship to be private," she says. During this scene, a montage plays showing Swift in a series of home videos, but the person filming is never shown.

The camera crew only catches Alwyn in one brief scene, when Swift runs backstage to hug him after a concert on her Reputation Stadium Tour.

February 12, 2020: Swift kisses Alwyn at the NME Awards.

Swift and Alwyn didn't walk the 2020 NME Awards carpet, but they did sit next to each other at the show, which took place at the O2 Academy Brixton in London.

A fan seated above Swift and Alwyn recorded several videos of the couple kissing and hugging. When the pop star won the award for best solo act in the world, she embraced the actor and kissed him once again.

April 2020: Alwyn shares photos of Swift's cat in the early stages of the pandemic.

Alwyn provided a rare glimpse into his and Swift's private life by sharing photos of Benjamin Button, one of the pop star's three cats, on his Instagram story. 

Although Swift didn't appear, fans recognized Benjamin from her own social media and took it as confirmation the couple were isolating together.

July 24, 2020: Swift surprise-releases her album "Folklore," which credits Alwyn as a cowriter.

Swift shocked fans by announcing that she'd release her eighth studio album "Folklore" just one day in advance.

Swift began writing the album in April 2020 while she was quarantined with Alwyn. She told fans that she "poured all of my whims, dreams, fears, and musings" into the music, playing with characters and different perspectives to tell emotional stories.

The album is full of songs about heartbreak, fear, and betrayal, including "The 1," "Peace," and "Hoax."

Upon the album's release, fans grew concerned that Swift was drawing inspiration from her relationship with Alwyn to write these devastating tracks.

However, the 11th track is a sweet love song titled "Invisible String," which seems to specifically reference details about Alwyn's life, like his teenage job at a frozen yogurt shop. 

Two songs on the album, "Exile" and "Betty," were credited to a mysterious cowriter named William Bowery. Fans immediately began suspecting that it was a pseudonym for Alwyn, which Swift later confirmed.

"Joe plays piano beautifully, and he's always just playing and making things up and kind of creating things," she revealed in Disney+ film "Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions." 

August 2020: Alwyn and Swift reportedly travel to Utah together.

Alwyn shared an Instagram photo of himself hiking in Utah in August 2020, and Swift immediately liked the post.

Although she wasn't in the photo, a source told E! News that Swift accompanied Alwyn on the trip. 

"Taylor has been based in Nashville, but she just went to Park City, Utah for a few days with Joe," the source said. "They're back in LA."

November 2020: Swift says her relationship with Alwyn allows her to "find bits of normalcy."

For her November 2020 cover story for Rolling Stone, Swift discussed her private relationship in a conversation with Paul McCartney.

"In knowing him and being in the relationship I am in now, I have definitely made decisions that have made my life feel more like a real life and less like just a storyline to be commented on in tabloids," she told McCartney.

Swift added: "Whether that's deciding where to live, who to hang out with, when to not take a picture — the idea of privacy feels so strange to try to explain, but it's really just trying to find bits of normalcy."

When the former Beatle asked if Alwyn sympathizes with the reality of Swift's fame, she replied, "Oh, absolutely."

She also confirmed that "Peace," the penultimate track on "Folklore," is "rooted" in her personal life and relationship with Alwyn. She said the song was inspired by "how scary" it can be to carve out a "human life within a public life," especially when the other person has a "grounded, normal way of living."

"I, oftentimes, in my anxieties, can control how I am as a person and how normal I act and rationalize things, but I cannot control if there are 20 photographers outside in the bushes and what they do and if they follow our car and if they interrupt our lives," she said. "I can't control if there's going to be a fake weird headline about us in the news tomorrow."

December 11, 2020: Swift releases "Evermore," featuring more songwriting collaborations with Alwyn.

When Swift announced her second surprise album of 2020, she told fans that many of the same collaborators from "Folklore" helped craft "Evermore" — one of them being Alwyn. 

The actor is credited (under the same pseudonym) on three "Evermore" tracks: "Champagne Problems," "Coney Island," and "Evermore."

He later said that writing songs with his girlfriend in quarantine was "as basic as some people made sourdough."

"It was completely off the cuff, an accident," Alwyn told Vulture. "She said, 'Can we try and sit down and get to the end together?' And so we did."

January 2021: The couple is spotted holding hands in London.

Swift and Alwyn made a rare public outing together in early January 2021, taking a stroll through North London Public Park with the actor's mother, Elizabeth Alwyn. 

The couple held hands, and all three individuals wore masks, as seen in a photograph published by E! News. 

An anonymous source told the outlet that Swift has been splitting her time between England and Nashville during the pandemic.

"She is back and forth between Nashville and England spending time with her family and with Joe's family. They take walks in the neighborhood and go on hikes to get fresh air," they said, adding that Alwyn often "comes along."

March 2021: Alwyn supports Swift when she calls out a sexist joke.

On the Netflix show "Ginny & Georgia," a teenager tells her mother that she goes "through men faster than Taylor Swift." 

After fans took notice of the line in March 2021, which many considered misogynistic, "RESPECT TAYLOR SWIFT" began trending on Twitter.

The musician responded directly, slamming the joke as "lazy" and "deeply sexist" on Twitter. 

"How about we stop degrading hard working women by defining this horse shit as FuNnY. Also, @netflix after Miss Americana this outfit doesn't look cute on you," she wrote, adding a broken-heart emoji. "Happy Women's History Month I guess."

Alwyn, who hadn't liked a tweet since November 2020, returned to the social media platform to cosign Swift's message.

March 14, 2021: Swift thanks Alwyn during her Grammys acceptance speech.

Swift thanked Alwyn in her acceptance speech after "Folklore" won album of the year at the 2021 Grammy Awards, making her the first woman to win the award three times.

"Joe, who is the first person that I play every single song that I write, and I had the best time writing songs with you in quarantine," she said onstage.

Summer 2021: Swift spends time with Alwyn on set in Ireland.

Alwyn's Hulu show "Conversations With Friends" was largely filmed in Dublin, but in July 2021, Alwyn was photographed with his costar Alison Oliver in Bray, a coastal town in the Irish county Wicklow.

Alwyn stars in the adaptation alongside Oliver, Jemima Kirke, and Sasha Lane. While the four actors filmed the 12-episode series, Swift visited the set and spent time with them, Kirke explained during an interview with iNews.

"We all became very close: Joe, me, Sasha, Alison and Taylor — we all became each other's pod," the former "Girls" star explained.

Swift seemed to confirm this in her 2022 song "Sweet Nothing," which was cowritten by Alwyn.

"I spy with my little tired eye / Tiny as a firefly / A pebble that we picked up last July," she sings in the first verse. "Down deep inside your pocket / We almost forgot it / Does it ever miss Wicklow sometimes?"

February 2022: Alwyn says he's "happy in a monogamous relationship."

In "Conversations With Friends," Hulu's adaptation of Sally Rooney's debut novel, Alwyn plays Nick, a married actor that has an affair with a college student.

Alwyn discussed the limited series during a media presentation at the Cable and Television Association for Marketing in February 2022. When asked to share his personal opinion on open relationships, the actor responded by saying that such an arrangement seems "exhausting" but also reasoned, "people can do what they want and makes them happy."

He added: "I'm obviously happy in a monogamous relationship."

April 2022: Once again, the actor defends the couple's privacy.

During an interview with Elle UK to promote "Conversations With Friends," Alwyn spoke about his decision to keep his relationship with Swift removed from the public sphere. 

Alwyn told the magazine that "it's not really" because he wants "to be guarded and private, it's more a response to something else."

"We live in a culture that is so increasingly intrusive," the actor continued. "The more you give — and frankly, even if you don't give it — something will be taken."

May 9, 2022: Alwyn declines to confirm rumors of their engagement.

During an interview with Vulture, Alwyn declined to confirm speculation that he and Swift were engaged or already married.

"The truth is, if I had a pound coin for every time someone told me I've been engaged or I'm getting engaged, I would have a lot of pound coins," he said. "If the answer was yes, I wouldn't say. If the answer is no, I wouldn't say."

May 15, 2022: Swift publicly supports Alwyn's career.

When "Conversations With Friends" premiered, Swift shared Time's review of the show on her Instagram and wrote that she "can confirm it's phenomenal."

October 7, 2022: Swift references her relationship with Alwyn while teasing her single "Lavender Haze."

Ahead of its release, Swift shared a video of herself explaining the inspiration behind her "Midnights" single "Lavender Haze." (It has since been deleted.)

According to the singer, "Lavender Haze" was a "common phrase" used in the '50s to describe being in love.

"That meant you were in that all-encompassing love glow," she said. "Theoretically, when you're in the lavender haze, you'll do anything to stay there."

"I think a lot of people have to deal with this now, not just 'public figures,' because we live in the era of social media," Swift added. "If the world finds out that you're in love with somebody, they're going to weigh in on it."

She added that during her six-year relationship, they've had to ignore "weird rumors, tabloid stuff" in order to "protect the real stuff."

In the song, Swift reveals that she was referring to speculation that she and Alwyn are engaged, secretly married, or planning to have children. ("No deal, that 1950s shit they want from me," she sings.)

The music video also seems to contain several nods to Alwyn, including a vinyl cover bearing the constellation for Pisces, his zodiac sign.

October 21, 2022: Swift releases "Midnights," which includes another song cowritten with Alwyn.

Swift said her 10th album contains real details about "sleepless nights scattered throughout my life," immediately distinguishing "Midnights" as more autobiographical than "Folklore" and "Evermore."

The 12th track, "Sweet Nothing," was cowritten by Swift and Alwyn, who is once again credited under the pen name William Bowery.

The lyrics seem to explore tender moments in their relationship, referencing their 2021 trip to Wicklow in the first verse and praising Alwyn's laid-back attitude in the chorus.

Swift uses the common phrase "sweet nothings" as a double entendre; it's typically used to describe the whisperings of a lover, but Swift also uses it to illustrate that her relationship is quiet and nondemanding ("You're in the kitchen humming / All that you ever wanted from me was sweet nothing").

April 8, 2023: Multiple outlets report Swift and Alwyn's breakup.

After six years together, Swift and Alwyn went their separate ways.

Entertainment Tonight broke the news while Swift was on the road for The Eras Tour. People and Page Six later confirmed the report.

According to ET, the couple split a few weeks prior. Its source described their breakup as amicable, adding, "It was not dramatic."

"The relationship had just run its course. It's why [Alwyn] hasn't been spotted at any shows," the source said.

Representatives for Swift and Alwyn didn't respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

May 2023: Swift releases the "Midnights" vault track "You're Losing Me," which fans believe was inspired by Alwyn.

Less than two months after the breakup made headlines, Swift announced she'd be releasing more music from the "Midnights" era, including a song that was cut from the original tracklist entitled "You're Losing Me."

The lyrics describe two lovers who are drifting apart and unable to communicate. Swift criticizes her muse for ignoring her sadness and neglecting her needs, which culminates in the song's unvarnished bridge: "I wouldn't marry me either / A pathological people pleaser / Who only wanted you to see her."

The song's producer, Jack Antonoff, later revealed that Swift wrote "You're Losing Me" in December 2021, when she was still publicly dating Alwyn.

In retrospect, fans wonder if "Midnights" hinted at cracks in their relationship.

The album includes songs like "Midnight Rain" and "Bejeweled," which depict Swift as an ambitious, untethered woman. In the latter's music video, Swift declines a wedding proposal and ends up alone in her castle.

The album's extended "3am Edition" also concludes with "Dear Reader," an intimate ballad about Swift's lonely experience with fame. She sings of returning to "a house, not a home, all alone 'cause nobody's there," adding, "No one sees when you lose when you're playing solitaire."

April 19, 2024: Swift releases "The Tortured Poets Department," which may contain clues about her split from Alwyn.

Swift's 11th studio album, "The Tortured Poets Department," contains some of her most uninhibited and forthright lyricism to date.

As usual, Swift has kept the identities of her muses private. But two songs, "So Long, London" and "Loml," appear to be most inspired by Swift's relationship with Alwyn.

"So Long, London" is likely intended as a sequel to "London Boy," an upbeat love song released in 2019 after Swift relocated to the English city.

Swift's new song explores how a familiar place, once so precious, can grow sinister over time. Likewise, a comfortable relationship can grow complacent and resentful. ("You swore that you loved me, but where were the clues? / I died on the altar waiting for the proof.")

"Loml" is similarly preoccupied with erosion. As Swift rehashes the relationship in question, the titular phrase "love of my life" gradually becomes "loss of my life."

June 15, 2024: Alwyn breaks his silence on the breakup in an interview.

The actor spoke about his relationship with and split from Swift in an interview with The Sunday Times over a year after their breakup.

"I would hope that anyone and everyone can empathize and understand the difficulties that come with the end of a long, loving, fully committed relationship of over six and a half years," he said.

He said that the end of their relationship was a "hard thing to navigate."

"What is unusual and abnormal in this situation is that, one week later, it's suddenly in the public domain and the outside world is able to weigh in," he added.

Alwyn told the Times that he had made his "peace" with misconceptions surrounding their split, especially after the couple had gone to great lengths to keep their relationship private.

"As everyone knows, we together — both of us, mutually — decided to keep the more private details of our relationship private. It was never something to commodify and I see no reason to change that now," he said. "And, look, this is also a little over a year ago now and I feel fortunate to be in a really great place in my life, professionally and personally. I feel really good."

• The 2024 Senate elections — which will run concurrent with the presidential race — are approaching.
• Democrats will have to defend several vulnerable incumbents in swing and GOP-heavy states.
• However, the party has held their own in the last three cycles in navigating tough Senate races.

In the 2022 midterm elections, Democrats defied political expectations by holding on to their Senate majority, with every incumbent securing reelection and then-Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman flipping the open seat being vacated by retiring Republican Sen. Pat Toomey.

The upper chamber in January 2023 then shifted from its previous 50-50 split — with Senate control in 2021 and 2022 resting on Vice President Kamala Harris' tiebreaking abilities — to a 51-49 majority led by Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York. And despite Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema switching from the Democratic Party to register as an Independent late in 2022, she continues to retain her committee assignments through her former party.

However, the class of senators who were elected and reelected in 2018 — a Democratic wave year that saw several vulnerable red-state members of the party win and lose — will face a challenging map in 2024.

Much of the party's performance will likely be tied to President Joe Biden, who is seeking reelection to a second term.

Former President Donald Trump, who will once again be the Republican presidential nominee this year, remains unpopular among moderates and suburban voters who often decide close Senate elections.

A major development that boosts the GOP: Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia in November 2023 announced that he wouldn't seek reelection in 2024, a major blow to Democrats as he was not only the lone statewide officeholder from the party but the only Democrat who could conceivably have run a competitive race given its conservative lean. The GOP is now in the driver's seat in the Mountain State, which backed Trump over Biden by 39 points in 2020.

In 2024, 34 seats will be up for grabs, including 20 currently held by Democrats, 11 held by Republicans, and three currently held by Independents.

Here are the key states that both parties are set to target:

Arizona

Sinema's decision to become an Independent gave Democrats jitters while they were still rejoicing Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock's runoff victory in December 2022, but since then, her decision hasn't impaired the party's ability to move legislation and approve judicial nominations.

However, after more than a year of speculation, Sinema announced in March 2024 that she wouldn't seek reelection to a second term, ending fears from some Democrats that her candidacy might aid the GOP in a potential three-way race.

Rep. Ruben Gallego launched his campaign for the Democratic Senate nomination in January 2023 and remains the frontrunner to win the party's primary in July.

Democrats have made major inroads in Arizona in recent years, and the party is aiming to bolster their political ascent in the state by electing Gallego.

On the Republican side, former television journalist Kari Lake and Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb are the leading candidates.

Lake, the 2022 gubernatorial nominee who lost to now-Gov. Katie Hobbs, jumped into the Senate race in October 2023 with the endorsement of Trump. While Lake ran a hard-charging conservative campaign two years ago, she has recalibrated her strategy and has sought to expand the GOP tent this year in anticipation of a competitive general election race in the purple state.

Meanwhile, Lamb, a conservative who has pushed for stronger security measures at the US-Mexico border, was the first major Republican to enter the race.

Blake Masters, the 2022 Republican Senate nominee who lost to Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly, is running for the House seat being vacated by GOP Rep. Debbie Lesko after the 2024 elections.

Abe Hamadeh, who was narrowly defeated in the 2022 race for state attorney general, had been mentioned as a potential contender but in October 2023 threw his support behind Lake. He is also running to succeed Lesko in the House.

Maryland

Former Republican Gov. Larry Hogan will face off against Prince George's County Executive Angela Alsobrooks for the seat being vacated by veteran Democratic Sen. Ben Cardin.

Maryland is one of the most Democratic states in the country. The party has hefty majorities in the state legislature and dominates the state's congressional delegation. In the 2020 election, Biden won the state by 33 points. And Gov. Wes Moore easily won the state's open gubernatorial race in 2022.

Hogan's candidacy presents a unique challenge for Democrats. The former two-term governor, one of the most prominent Republican critics of Trump, left office with high marks from Maryland voters. During his two gubernatorial runs, he won over many moderate Democrats and Independents en route to his victories in a state where Republicans are vastly outnumbered.

And Republicans have the financial means to compete in Maryland as they seek to replicate the coalition that gave Hogan eight years in Annapolis.

But Alsobrooks, a former prosecutor, gained substantial name recognition as she campaigned across the state and won a tough Democratic primary against Rep. David Trone, who spent over $60 million of his own money in his unsuccessful bid to secure the party's nomination.

Alsobrooks also benefits from representing the state's second-most populous county and in the primary she performed strongly in Trone's suburban Washington backyard and in the Baltimore area.

If elected, Alsobrooks would be Maryland's first Black US senator.

In June 2024, Trump threw his support behind Hogan's candidacy in an attempt to bridge GOP divides ahead of a critical summer stretch.

But Hogan's campaign is maintaining its distance from Trump.

"Governor Hogan has been clear he is not supporting Donald Trump just as he didn't in 2016 and 2020," a Hogan campaign spokesperson said in a statement.

Alsobrooks is using Trump's show of support for Hogan to tie the Senate candidate to conservative efforts to curtail abortion rights.

But Hogan has said that he would not vote a national abortion ban. It's a stance that Democrats continue to question.

"Republicans see Hogan as a ticket to a national abortion ban," Alsobrooks said in Baltimore in May 2024. "They believe that road runs through Larry Hogan and runs through the state of Maryland."

Michigan

Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow, a popular lawmaker now in her fourth term, announced in January 2023 that she would not run for reelection in 2024.

Stabenow, the chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee, was most recently reelected in 2018 by 6.5% against now-GOP Rep. John James. (James, the Republican Senate nominee in both 2018 and 2020, is running for reelection to his House seat anchored in suburban Detroit this fall.)

Republicans would very much like to flip this seat, but Michigan Democrats had a banner year in November 2022 — sweeping the top statewide offices and retaking control of the full legislature. Michigan is a must-win state for Biden this year, but he continues to face significant intraparty pushback over the conflict in Gaza, an issue that will play heavily in the presidential race and the Senate contest given the state's sizable Arab-American population.

Rep. Elissa Slotkin, a moderate Democrat who represents a Lansing-area swing district that stretches to rural and suburban areas northwest of Detroit, announced in February 2023 that she would enter the Senate race.

Slotkin, a former CIA analyst and the acting assistant defense secretary for international security affairs in the administration of President Barack Obama, is the most prominent elected official to seek the Democratic nomination.

The congresswoman, who was first elected in 2018, said in her announcement video that she would focus on bolstering the middle class "in the state that invented the middle class" if voters send her to the Senate.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, Reps. Debbie Dingell and Haley Stevens, and state Sen. Mallory McMorrow all ruled out Senate campaigns.

The actor Hill Harper, best known for his roles on "CSI: NY" and "The Good Doctor," jumped into the Democratic primary in July 2023.

A number of Republicans are currently in the race, including former Rep. Mike Rogers, Sandy Pensler, a businessman, and Sherry O'Donnell, a physician and former congressional candidate.

Former Rep. Justin Amash, who voted to impeach Trump in 2019, is also running for the GOP nomination.

Rogers, a former chairman of the House Intelligence Committee who served in Congress for 14 years, offers Michigan Republicans their most formidable candidate to date. But his appeal in a Trump-dominated GOP is untested on a statewide level.

Former Rep. Peter Meijer, one of 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump for his role on January 6, 2021, entered the race in November 2023 but withdrew in April 2024.

Meijer served for one term in Congress and was ousted in a 2022 GOP primary by Trump-backed challenger John Gibbs. Gibbs eventually lost the general election race to now-Democratic Rep. Hillary Scholten.

Montana

Democratic Sen. Jon Tester is a political survivor, having first won in conservative-leaning Montana in 2006 before winning tough reelection contests in 2012 and 2018.

And Tester hopes to keep the streak going, announcing in February 2023 that he'd seek a fourth Senate term in 2024.

Despite the GOP lean of Montana, Tester has built a solid political brand over the years and has been able to appeal to many of the state's Independents and Republicans in past elections. GOP leaders have long coveted this seat, though.

Former Navy SEAL Tim Sheehy, a favorite of Republican leaders in Washington, jumped into the GOP primary in June 2023 and has earned the endorsement of Trump.

Former Montana Secretary of State Brad Johnson is also a candidate in the GOP primary.

Rep. Matt Rosendale, a staunch conservative who lost to Tester in 2018, announced in February 2024 that he'd also run for the seat. The decision was poised to set up a competitive — and potentially bruising — primary with Sheehy. But less than a week after entering the race, Rosendale dropped his bid, citing the headwinds he'd likely face after Trump backed Sheehy.

After Rosendale pivoted to running for reelection to the House, he subsequently withdrew from that race as well.

Nevada

Democratic Sen. Jacky Rosen is running for a second term in office in one of the most competitive battleground states in the country. In 2018, Rosen, then a first-term congresswoman, ousted then-Republican Sen. Dean Heller by 5 points.

In 2024, Rosen will be running for reelection as Nevada — a perennial swing state — remains a top electoral target for both Biden and Trump.

Army veteran and businessman Sam Brown easily won the June 2024 GOP Senate primary against candidates that included Jeffrey Gunter, the former US ambassador to Iceland, as well as former state lawmaker Jim Marchant.

Ohio

Sherrod Brown, who was also elected to the Senate in 2006, is running for a fourth term. He has maintained a strong populist connection with his constituents despite the continued reddening of Ohio, which only 20 years ago was widely seen as the nation's premier swing state.

Republicans view the Ohio seat as one of their biggest targets, but Brown has proven to be an effective candidate adept at winning over Independents and even a slice of conservative-leaning voters.

In March 2024, businessman Bernie Moreno defeated state Sen. Matt Dolan and Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose in a hotly-contested GOP primary.

Moreno and Dolan previously ran for Senate in 2022 but fell short in that year's Republican primary to now-Sen. JD Vance.

The general election matchup between Brown and Moreno, which could very well determine the Senate majority, is now set to be one of the most expensive races in the country.

Pennsylvania

Democratic Sen. Bob Casey Jr., who was first elected to the upper chamber in 2006, is seeking a fourth term in 2024.

Casey — a former Pennsylvania auditor general and ex-state treasurer who has won all three of his prior Senate races with relative ease — will likely benefit from running in a presidential year when turnout in the Democratic strongholds of Philadelphia and Pittsburgh is poised to be very high.

However, Casey has also generally done well in many of the state's working-class towns and cities, and he could post an electoral performance similar to Fetterman, who dominated in the vote-rich Philadelphia suburbs in 2022.

David McCormick, a businessman who narrowly lost the 2022 Republican Senate primary to Dr. Mehmet Oz, will be the party's Senate nominee in the fall. McCormick, who grew up in the Pittsburgh area, is viewed as a candidate who can potentially bolster the GOP among Independents and suburban voters.

Texas

The Lone Star State has been firmly in the Republican column since the 1990s.

Democrats have sought to run more competitive Senate and gubernatorial races in recent years but have largely fallen short by sizable margins, with the notable exception being the close 2018 senatorial contest between then-Democratic Rep. Beto O'Rourke and Republican Sen. Ted Cruz. That year, O'Rourke lost to Cruz by 2.6 points, a result that gave Democrats hope that they could once again win the state in the near future.

Cruz has long been a major foil for Democrats; the conservative lawmaker also ran for president in 2016 before his defeat in the GOP primary to Trump.

In March 2024, Rep. Colin Allred, a former NFL player and civil rights attorney, easily won the Democratic primary over candidates that included state Sen. Roland Gutierrez, state Rep. Carl Sherman, and former Nueces County district attorney Mark Gonzalez.

Republicans point to the conservative tilt of the state in projecting confidence in the race, but they are also cognizant of Cruz's narrow 2018 victory.

Trump is favored to carry Texas in 2024, which would likely boost Cruz, but Allred was first elected to office by appealing to moderates and flipping a GOP-held district in the Dallas area. The congressman could potentially build on O'Rourke's success by making further inroads in suburbs across the state, especially if abortion remains as potent an issue in 2024 as it was in the 2022 and 2023 elections.

Wisconsin

Sen. Tammy Baldwin announced in April 2023 that she'd seek a third term in the upper chamber.

While Wisconsin in recent years has been one of the most politically polarized states in the country, Baldwin was able to win over many rural and exurban voters during her 2012 and 2018 campaigns — while also racking up large margins in the Democratic-heavy population centers of Milwaukee and Madison.

Several of the most prominent Republicans who were thought of as potential candidates — including former Gov. Scott Walker, Reps. Bryan Steil and Tom Tiffany, and former Rep. Mike Gallagher — declined to enter the race.

The GOP candidates currently in the race include Eric Hovde, a businessman, and Rejani Raveendran, the chair of the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point College Republicans.

• Joe Alwyn has set the record straight about his association with The Black Dog pub in London.
• The actor, who dated Taylor Swift for six years, said he has never visited the pub.
• Many fans believed that the song was about the London-raised actor.

Taylor Swift's ex, Joe Alwyn, has denied ever visiting "The Black Dog" pub in London.

In a new interview with The Sunday Times, the London-raised actor, 33, who dated Taylor Swift for six years before their split in April 2023, claimed that he had never been to Vauxhall, where the pub is located.

"I've never been to Vauxhall," he said, while "smiling a smile that hints that there is more to say," the report said.

Swift had namechecked the pub on a bonus track of her latest album, "The Tortured Poets Department," and many speculated that it had something to do with Alwyn.

The pub's social media manager, Lily Bottomley, also hinted that Alwyn was a regular at the venue in an interview with Sky News in April.

"I don't want to give too much away, but we have a certain blonde regular customer who frequents," Bottomley said.

Bottomley also told the BBC that Swift had once visited the pub.

Business Insider visited The Black Dog following the album's release to get a look at the many Swifties flocking to the pub.

As BI reported, the owners have capitalized off their new patrons with Swift-themed menu items, including a "Swiftburger" and "Taylor's version" cocktails. Since then, they have also released a line of merchandise.

Others believe the song refers to The 1975 singer Matty Healy, with whom Swift reportedly had a brief relationship.

The owners of another pub, The Black Dog, in Cork, Ireland, added a sign reading "Team Matty" to the building after it was rumored that Swift was referring to that pub in her song.

The break-up ballad sees Swift — who is now in a relationship with Travis Kelce, a tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs — sing about seeing her former partner out on the town via a location-sharing app.

"I am someone who until recent events you shared your secrets with / And your location, you forgot to turn it off," the song begins.

"And so I watch as you walk / Into some bar called The Black Dog / And pierce new holes in my heart / You forgot to turn it off / And it hits me," Swift sings.

• Dozens of Russian soldiers have surrendered in Vovchansk in recent weeks, Ukraine claims.
• A video released by Ukraine's 3rd Assault Brigade appeared to show Russian POWs.
• The Russians reported major losses, poor conditions, and lack of support from senior officers.

Russian soldiers have been surrendering to an elite Ukrainian combat brigade in the northern town of Vovchansk in the Kharkiv region, reports say.

A video released on Wednesday by Ukraine's 3rd Assault Brigade appears to show Russian troops emerging from a trench with their hands raised above their head or tied behind their backs.

The video appeared to confirm recent reports that dozens of Russian soldiers had been surrendering around Vovchansk, where heavy fighting has raged since Moscow launched a cross-border offensive towards Ukraine's second-largest city, Kharkiv, last month.

The POWs were later filmed and interviewed, sitting in what appeared to be a school classroom.

Business Insider could not independently verify the video.

Several of the captured soldiers said they had been forced into the Russian army due to financial or legal trouble. Some said they had received as little as one week of training before being sent to the front.

Food and water were limited, and often, they had to buy supplies with their own money.

Almost all the prisoners said their units had suffered severe losses during attacks against Ukrainian positions.

"We received an order to attack positions inside a chemical factory. I don't know, maybe there were 70 of us. We drove there at night," one POW said.

"The drones came out of nowhere and wiped almost everyone out. Most of us were hit. Only seven of us survived and we were wounded. Then we were taken prisoner," he said.

Another soldier said he had been taken prisoner after being the "only survivor" in his unit.

Many complained about the leadership of their officers, who, they said, did not participate in the costly assaults.

The video appeared to confirm major Russian losses and surrenders in the region, revealing that Russia's attempt to open a second front in Ukraine's north has stalled.

Last week, Nazar Voloshyn, the spokesperson for the Khortitsiya Regional Command, which is responsible for ground operations in the area, claimed that "close to 60 Russians" were captured in a single day of combat.

Vovchansk, three miles from the Russian border, was 70% under Ukrainian control, Voloshyn said.

An earlier video published on June 6 by Ukraine's 36th Marine Brigade, appeared to show two Russian soldiers, both wounded, being captured during a Ukrainian counterattack in Vovchansk.

In February, some 30,000 Russian troops began pouring over Ukraine's northern border into the Kharkiv region, opening up a new front for Ukraine's already-stretched defenses.

Yet four weeks later, Russian forces have stalled, and White House National Security Communications Adviser John Kirby declared the offensive "all but over."

The Institute for the Study of War said that Putin may have rushed the offensive in an attempt to get ahead of incoming Western aid — fielding "an understrength force" in the process.

RAND geopolitical strategist Ann Marie Dailey previously told BI that Putin likely never had the means to capture Kharkiv city but hoped to create a buffer zone to shield the border region of Belgorod from Ukrainian attacks.

Nonetheless, Dailey told BI: "I think that there's a broader offensive effort that you'll see from Russia later in this summer."