Tag: News

• Joe Biden and Donald Trump met for their first debate of 2024 on Thursday.
• It's been a total disaster for Biden, owing to his visibly frail performance.
• Trump has been able to capitalize on it, appearing relatively calm and in command.

Joe Biden and Donald Trump met for their first debate of the year on Thursday.

It was a high-stakes gamble for Biden — and it's gone horribly.

From the very beginning of the debate, there was an unmistakable frailty to the president's demeanor.

Responding to the CNN moderator Jake Tapper's first question, Biden appeared out of breath, hastily reciting facts while slurring and occasionally omitting words.

At times, Biden uttered nonsensical phrases.

On another question about the war in Gaza, Biden flubbed, saying, "We are the biggest producer of support for Israel of anyone in the world."

During another question about the national debt, Biden inexplicably concluded by saying "We finally beat Medicare."

Trump, for his part, effectively capitalized on Biden's weak performance, maintaining a calm demeanor and staying disciplined while occasionally making jabs at the president.

"Well, he's right," Trump responded. "He did beat Medicare. He beat it to death."

Thursday's debate was the earliest general election debate on record: though both men are the presumptive nominees of their respective parties, they have yet to be officially nominated.

There were some key differences between this debate and previous ones, including the two debates that featured Biden and Trump in 2020: there was no studio audience, mics were cut when the others were speaking, and there will be two commercial breaks.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

• Melania Trump has largely remained out of the public eye since Donald Trump left office.
• She was absent for the entirety of Trump's hush-money trial and will not be at the debate.
• Melania Trump will be reportedly be making select appearances during her husband's campaign trial.

Former first lady Melania Trump didn't attend the first 2024 presidential debate, according to multiple reports.

CNN reports Melania did not make the trip to Atlanta. Sources also told ABC News that she won't be attending the debate. In contrast, first lady Jill Biden is in attendance.

Melania has mostly stayed away from the 2024 campaign trial beyond holding a couple of fundraisers at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort. While most of Trump's children showed up for his criminal trial, the former first lady did not show up to Manhattan to hear prosecutors question him about falsifying business records to cover up hush money to a pornstar.

Melania has never been a big fan of politics. She stayed in New York early in Trump's presidency before moving into the White House. Her relationship with Trump has long been a subject of fascination.

Axios recently reported that she might not live in Washington full-time if Trump wins the White House this November.

A spokesperson for Trump's campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The former first lady's absence from the public eye since Trump left office in 2021 hasn't gone unnoticed.

In September, a banner reading "Where's Melania?" was flown over a stadium in Ames, Iowa.

Former President Trump has provided various explanations for his wife's absence.

After Melania was noticeably missing from the Trump family Christmas card, the former president said that she was dealing with a family matter.

He's also defended his wife's decision to avoid public appearances, once telling Megyn Kelly that "she doesn't need to be interviewed by you to get ripped apart for no reason."

"She doesn't need to be out there," he said. "She's got confidence, she has a lot of self-confidence."

The former first lady made her first appearance on her husband's campaign trail at a fundraiser April, Politico reported. She's set to host a second fundraiser in July, according to the outlet.

• All 10 episodes of season three of FX's "The Bear" were released on Wednesday.
• The new season is packed with notable celebrity guest stars and cameos. 
• Jamie Lee Curtis, Joel McHale, Will Poulter, and more return as guest stars.

"The Bear" is back for another season of kitchen chaos and celebrity cameos.

The 10-episode third season, which was released on Wednesday, focuses on chef Carmen "Carmy" Berzatto's (Jeremy Allen White) mission to earn a Michelin star for his newly renovated eatery, The Bear.

Season three includes many appearances from real-life chefs and restauranteurs, including Daniel Boulud, Thomas Keller, René Redzepi, and Christina Tosi.

Similar to past seasons, the latest batch of episodes features notable celebrity guest stars and cameos. Here they all are.

Jon Bernthal guest stars as Michael Berzatto (aka Mikey) in various flashbacks.

Bernthal shows up in the season premiere and again in episode six, which shows how Tina Marrero (Liza Colón-Zayas) landed a job as a line chef at The Original Beef of Chicagoland after having a heartfelt conversation with Mikey, the then-owner.

Olivia Colman reprises her role as Andrea Terry, the owner of the upscale restaurant Ever.

Colman appears in flashbacks that show how her gentle but firm leadership at her restaurant, Ever, shaped Carmy into a skilled chef. She returns in the season finale, which focuses on her restaurant's closing.

Will Poulter guest stars as Luca in the first and last episodes of the season.

The season premiere shows Luca and Carmy working alongside each other in a series of flashbacks. In the finale, Luca is one of many chefs who attends the farewell celebration for Ever.

Joel McHale returns as David Fields, the rude, verbally abusive chef who Carmy worked for in New York.

McHale returns in several flashbacks in the season premiere showing Carmy's stressful life in New York. David and Carmy cross paths again in the season finale at the closing of chef Terry's restaurant.

John Mulaney has a cameo as Stevie in the season three premiere

After showing up in season two's chaotic "Seven Fishes" episode, the comedian briefly appears in the season three premiere during flashbacks of Carmy crashing on Stevie's couch while living in New York.

Josh Hartnett guest stars as Frank, the fiancé of Richie's ex-wife Tiffany.

The "Oppenheimer" star appears in episodes four and six.

John Cena guest stars as Sammy, one of the many Fak siblings.

Cena gets significant screen time in episode five, as his character arrives at The Bear to buff the floors ahead of a photo shoot.

"Billions" co-creator Brian Koppelman plays Nicholas Marshall aka "The Computer."

He's a friend of Uncle Jimmy who visits The Bear to break down their expenses and identify areas where the restaurant could cut costs.

"Dexter" actor David Zayas guest stars as David, Tina's husband.

Zayas, who's been married to Tina actor Liza Colón-Zayas since the '90s, guest stars in episodes one and six.

In the emotional eighth episode, Jamie Lee Curtis makes her long-awaited return as Donna, the Berzatto matriarch.

When Natalie goes into labor while running an errand, Donna is the only person who answers her call and keeps her company at the hospital.

• A jury ordered the NFL to pay out billions in damages to subscribers of its "Sunday Ticket" package.
• The league said it was disappointed in the decision and plans to appeal.
• Millions of viewers accused the NFL of violating antitrust laws with its media model.

Fervent NFL fans could soon reap a payday after a California jury sided with plaintiffs in their class-action lawsuit against the popular sports league this week.

The jury ordered the NFL to pay out $4.7 billion in damages to individual subscribers of the league's "Sunday Ticket" package, which gives viewers access to out-of-market games. The jury also awarded $96 million in damages to business subscribers.

More than two million residential subscribers and 48,000 businesses that purchased the telecast package from 2011 through the 2022 season accused the NFL of violating antitrust laws by striking exclusive deals with broadcast partners to air the out-of-market games.

The decision is a major blow to the NFL's broadcast model and could financially hamper the ultrawealthy institution. If the judgment is upheld, the amount of damages will be tripled under antitrust law — totaling more than $14 billion.

A spokesperson for the NFL said the league was disappointed by the jury's decision and plans to appeal. In a statement to Business Insider, the spokesperson said the league still believes its media distribution strategy is "by far the most fan-friendly distribution model in all of sports and entertainment."

"We will certainly contest this decision as we believe that the class action claims in this case are baseless and without merit," the statement continued.

Plaintiffs in the case accused the NFL of selling the "Sunday Ticket" package at an inflated price, forcing viewers to overpay for access to out-of-market games. Viewers also alleged the NFL was restricting competition by working together with its teams to sell the viewing rights collectively and only offering the package on a satellite provider.

For example, a New Orleans Saints fan living in Los Angeles would have to buy the "Sunday Ticket" package to watch their favorite team play, spending hundreds of dollars on an array of other games that they aren't interested in watching.

Throughout the trial, the NFL argued it was allowed to sell its "Sunday Ticket" package under an existing antitrust exemption, ESPN reported. The plaintiffs, however, maintained the league's exemption is related to over-the-air broadcasts, not paid TV, according to the outlet.

The jury's decision, which came after about five hours of deliberation, brings the eight-year-long legal battle to an end. A San Francisco sports bar first filed the lawsuit in 2015. The case was dismissed in 2017 but revived two years later in an appeals court.

The "Sunday Ticket" package dates back to the 1990s when DirecTV was first introduced. Starting last year, the NFL struck a deal with YouTube TV instead.

• Mark Zuckerberg talked about one of his biggest turnoffs in the AI industry right now.
• Meta CEO criticized people chasing a God-like "one true AI."
• Zuckerberg doesn't think there will be a single best AI, similar to how you don't use just one app.

While Mark Zuckerberg has launched Meta headfirst into the AI arena, he's not a fan of some who think they're creating some sort of singular AI "God."

The Meta CEO recently sat for an interview with YouTuber Kane Sutter, also known as Kallaway, to discuss his company's AI strategy — and it doesn't involve just one model.

"The future is not going to be one AI," Zuckerberg said. "It's going to be a lot of AIs with a lot of different people being able to create different things."

While other tech giants are pinpointing a main AI model to focus on, like ChatGPT for OpenAI or Gemini for Google, Zuckerberg said Meta is looking toward integrating several AIs.

"Our overall view is that this isn't the type of thing where there should just be one of," he said. "People want to interact with lots of different people and businesses, and there needs to be a lot of different AIs that get created to reflect people's different interests."

Zuckerberg took the opportunity to once again endorse open-source AI models, saying that the technology should not be "hoarded" by a company seeking to control its use or build out a single central product.

The pursuit of a singular, all-powerful AI is off-putting to him, he said.

"I find it a pretty big turnoff when people in the tech industry kind of talk about building this one true AI," Zuckerberg said. "It's almost as if they kind of think they're creating God or something."

Zuckerberg appears to be referencing some of the talk about reaching the singularity, or artificial general intelligence — the idea that eventually AI will surpass humanity's own intellect.

For some, the pursuit of AI can even veer into a sort of religion. Former Google engineer Anthony Levandowski, for example, launched a "Way of the Future" church for people trying to build a "spiritual connection" with AI.

But Zuckerberg's comments appear to be directed at AI workers who liken AGI to a deity.

"We're creating God," an unnamed AI worker told Vanity Fair in September. "We're creating conscious machines."

Others, like former OpenAI cofounder Ilya Sutskever, aren't talking about "God" but are pursuing a singular "superintelligence."

AI company Mistral's CEO Arthur Mensch expressed concern last year over Silicon Valley's almost devout interest in AGI, saying, "The whole AGI rhetoric is about creating God […] I'm a strong atheist. So I don't believe in AGI."

Anthropic cofounder Jack Clark has also suggested that "a lot of the breathless enthusiasm for AGI is misplaced religious impulses from people brought up in a secular culture."

While Meta is also very much in the AI race and trying to build increasingly powerful AI systems, Zuckerberg said Meta is hoping to create a diverse set of tools so that users will be able to build their own AI systems.

"Some people are saying that there's going to be the one true big AI that can do everything," Zuckerberg said. "I just don't think that that's the way that things tend to go."

Boeing's Starliner has kept two astronauts in space for weeks longer than their scheduled stay, as the NTSB sanctioned the company for releasing sensitive information about January's door panel incident.

• "Bridgerton" season 3 received mixed reviews from fans.
• Some had issues with Penelope and Colin's love story and a character being gender-swapped.
• The backlash prompted author Julia Quinn to defend showrunner Jess Brownell's creative choices.

On paper, "Bridgerton" season three was a roaring success for Netflix, breaking viewership records, driving the social-media conversation, and cementing the romantic drama's status as one of the streamer's most popular series ever.

But on the internet, the reception hasn't been entirely positive.

While many were pleased with the conclusion to the long-simmering friends-to-lovers romance between Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) and Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan), some took to platforms like TikTok and Reddit to air their grievances with how Polin's romance was handled and the way writers changed key plot points from the source material. They've even started Change.org petitions to rectify some of the "mistakes" they believe the Netflix drama has made.

A few are specifically pointing the finger at Jess Brownell, who took over showrunning duties for the first time this season (series creator Chris Van Dusen was at the helm for seasons one and two). The outcry, particularly over the decision to gender-swap Francesca Bridgerton's (Hannah Dodd) eventual love interest, was so intense it even prompted Julia Quinn, the writer of the original book series, to step in and defend the show.

Of course, some dissent is to be expected from any property with a huge and fervent fan base — particularly one that includes book fans who have been attached to these characters long before we watched Phoebe Dynevor and Regé-Jean Page steam up our screens in 2020.

But could this growing dissatisfaction jeopardize the show? Here's what to know.

A two-part release schedule sidelined Colin and Penelope's story for other character arcs

While "Bridgerton" season one, which focused on the lustful love story between Simon Basset (Page) and Daphne Bridgerton (Dynevor), and season two, centered on Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey) and Kate Sharma's (Simone Ashley) simmering enemies-to-lovers dynamic, were both released in full on their respective premiere dates in 2020 and 2022, Netflix decided to split season three into two parts.

Breadcrumbing Penelope and Colin's romantic payoff by splitting the season in half with two release dates a month apart had a domino effect on the rest of the season. Not only did it disrupt the couple's momentum in the eyes of fans, but it increased their anticipation of something sexy and spectacular happening in part two to arguably unrealistic levels.

There's no shortage of disgruntled TikTokers poking fun at themselves for getting hyped over part two, only to be massively let down.

"I'm so disappointed honestly by 'Bridgerton' season three, part two," TikToker @lightfrommars said in one video that's been viewed over 770,000 times. "I just felt like it was all so rushed."

"This new showrunner… she dropped the ball. She heavily dropped the ball, in my opinion," she added.

It didn't help that part one, which comprised four episodes, required the writers to juggle multiple narrative balls and set the stage for other storylines.

Large portions of the first half were dedicated to setting up Francesca's burgeoning love story with John Stirling (Victor Alli), Benedict Bridgerton's (Luke Thompson) flirtation with spicy widow Lady Tilley Arnold (Hannah New), and Anthony and Kate making up for that lack of sex in season two by getting busy all over Bridgerton house — not to mention matriarch Violet Bridgerton (Ruth Gemmell) making eyes at Lady Danbury's long-lost, invented-for-the-show brother, Lord Anderson (Daniel Francis).

While it's certainly true that more attention was given to subplots this season than in seasons past, there's a reason for that.

Unlike the two love stories featured in the earlier seasons, where one-half of each central couple was a new cast member, Penelope and Colin have both been major characters from the beginning. Though largely in the background, we've watched Penelope pine for Colin (and Colin be an oblivious doof about it) since season one. The show didn't need to spend time introducing and building up their dynamic in season three because it already had.

On top of that, the Lady Whistledown drama — a major part of "Romancing Mister Bridgerton," the book season three was based on — was also adapted before season three, freeing up space for Brownell and the writers to bring in more prominent romantic subplots for the other characters this season.

The Whistledown reveal was changed (and arguably improved) from how it plays out in the book to accommodate this reordering. Viewers learned Penelope's secret identity way back in season one; Eloise Bridgerton found out in season two, which led to the implosion of their friendship. Here, Colin doesn't find out the truth until one of the last episodes of the season. This reordering means we don't get any of the sexual tension present in the book — like Colin being very upset with Penelope, but also extremely horny — that precipitates his proposal of marriage.

In the show, it's reversed; the carriage hookup happens before the Whistledown discovery, as does their first time having sex (the famous mirror scene), essentially making Colin contractually obligated to marry Penelope even though he's miffed at her.

Part two does have the big mirror scene (a furniture-breaking romp that was well-received by fans). But other than that, there were no other sex scenes for the main pairing.

Except some viewers refused to believe that was true.

A change.org petition alleges intimate Polin scenes were removed from the show — but there's no proof

One day after season three, part two was released, a user named "Polin Bridgerton" started a change.org petition demanding that Netflix and Shondaland release "deleted scenes" of Polin that were removed from the final cut. As of writing, the petition has over 71,000 signatures.

The petition also pointed to a Redditor's graphic comparing total screentime for each of the season's couples as proof that Penelope and Colin's fans had been shafted in season three. (According to the graphic's creator, Polin had 99 minutes and 32 seconds of screentime total, putting them just ahead of Kate and Anthony's total screentime across all three seasons, but only 78 minutes and 22 seconds of screentime in season three — a solid five minutes less than Kanthony got to develop their romance in their own season.)

The petition even lists out some of the scenes they say were cut, including:

• Colin going home with Penelope after he finds her at the modiste, which leads to an angry kissing scene
• Polin laying in bed together talking about publishing Colin's manuscripts
• Colin whispering sweet nothings to Pen in front of the mirror, kissing her neck and being playful
• Long intimate montage in episode 8 (including a scene in which Colin goes down on Pen)

The problem? There's no proof any of these scenes actually existed.

One Business Insider reporter who viewed screeners of all four episodes in part two ahead of release can confirm that none of these moments were present in pre-release episode cuts provided to journalists.

And if you don't trust us, at least trust Nicola Coughlan, who very clearly swatted down this deleted-scene theory in a reply to a fan's comment on Instagram.

Executive producer Tom Verica also denied the existence of deleted footage, writing on Instagram, "Not sure where this all came from but these claims are false. The supposed scenes … don't exist."

The petition to release extra scenes — whether they exist or not — points to fans' broader issues with Polin's love story this season.

"I don't even know why Penelope likes Colin," TikToker notwildlin said in a video begging for a flashback or more backstory giving context for Penelope's feelings for him.

Another TikToker named Maia Douglas posted several videos, including one over nine minutes long breaking down her issues with how Polin was portrayed in season three. Douglas specifically accused showrunner Jess Brownell of centering herself by spending so much time developing Francesca's eventual queer love story, and of being fatphobic for not having faith in the actors, specifically Coughlan as Penelope, to bring the chemistry required for more romantic scenes.

Douglas pointed to Brownell's quotes in an interview saying that she saw herself as a queer woman in Francesca's story in the books and wanted to plant the seeds for the future season where Francesca would be the lead and fall in love with a woman — Michaela Stirling, a gender-swapped version of the character Michael Stirling from the books.

"They did not believe in this season. They did everything to distract us from the main couple because they thought they needed the bells and whistles because this could've been a letdown," Douglas said in one video.

Another TikToker, Marie Soledad, noted that "Bridgerton showrunner fatphobia" had even started trending on the platform. But she urged creators to lay off Brownell, pointing out that the showrunner and Netflix had already diverted from the source material to make the story less fatphobic (in the books, Colin and Penelope's romance starts after she's lost a significant amount of weight).

There's also another subsection of fans who are threatening to boycott future seasons of the show: the ride-or-die Francesca and Michael fans who adore her book, "When He Was Wicked," and are devastated not to see Francesca's eventual romance play out on screen the way they imagined it would.

While there is a contingent of fans who are angry about Brownell's decision to give Francesca a queer love story for homophobic and misogynoiristic reasons, others, many of whom are collectively mourning in the subreddit r/FranchaelStirling, maintain that they're upset about the radical changes to the character that will need to happen to accommodate the switch and are insisting that they won't watch Francesca's eventual season because they aren't getting the Michael Stirling they hoped for. (Never mind the fact that Julia Quinn, who wrote all the books, has wholeheartedly endorsed the queer love story for Francesca.)

The Franchael fans have started their own change.org petition, demanding that the writers restore Michael Stirling for the Netflix series.

"I am not against the LGBTQ+ community in any way shape or form," wrote Abbie Mills, who started the petition. "So if that's why you're here, you may want to find a different petition to sign. We're just book lovers here, who want them to stay as close to print as possible. Michael, we will continue to work to bring you to our screens!"

Complaints from 'Bridgerton' fans could affect the show — though it's probably safe for now

While Netflix has only committed to four seasons of "Bridgerton" at this point, it's unlikely they'll can their crown jewel prematurely.

Quinn's books provide material for eight seasons, and Van Dusen has said that creating eight seasons would be the ultimate goal. In terms of viewer interest, the numbers don't lie: Season three opened with 45.1 million views, marking the show's best launch to date and putting "Bridgerton" on track to topple "Stranger Things" as Netflix's biggest TV series ever. "Bridgerton" season three also topped Nielsen's streaming chart, with 2.19 billion viewing minutes. From a publicity and marketing standpoint, the show has also been a home run.

With "Stranger Things" coming to an end with season five in late 2025 or 2026, Netflix isn't about to put all its eggs in the "Wednesday" basket. (Jenna Ortega is busy, and Netflix conspicuously didn't lock down a multi-season renewal — just season two so far.)

So no matter how mad the "Bridgerton" fans are — and how much some factions may insist they're not watching anymore — I'd put my money on the romantic drama's continuation. In addition to satiating those who have been clamoring for a prominent queer love story on the show for years, Francesca's storyline in her eventual season will likely draw in a brand new audience who never watched the show before because they never saw themselves represented in it.

If anything, the controversy may even propel "Bridgerton" to new heights. Hey, it's happened before.

• Phoebe Gates, 21, is the youngest daughter of Bill and Melinda Gates. 
• She has over 240,000 followers on TikTok, where she posts about her life and passions. 
• The Stanford graduate has her eye on a career in fashion and is dating Paul McCartney's grandson.

As one of the richest people in the world, Bill Gates is a household name, and now we're getting to know his youngest daughter, 21-year-old Phoebe, too.

Through her social-media pages, Phoebe Gates has been sharing her life with her hundreds of thousands of followers, from her stances on national issues to videos of bubble-tea dates with her dad.

With parents like Bill and Melinda Gates, it's no surprise that she appears to be an overachiever: This month, she graduated from Stanford University after wrapping up her degree in three years. She's already teased the release of her sustainable fashion tech platform, has attended fashion weeks around the globe, and has become an outspoken social activist. Oh, and she's dating Paul McCartney's grandson.

Here's what we know about her life and interests based on what she's shared on TikTok.

Phoebe Gates is the youngest daughter of Bill and Melinda Gates.

Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates, who married in 1994 and divorced in 2021, have three children: Jennifer, 28, Rory, 25, and Phoebe, 21. The children all went to Seattle's Lakeside School, a private high school their father also attended, and are now on different trajectories.

Jennifer is a decorated equestrian who just graduated from medical school, while Rory is a congressional analyst, according to a 2023 Puck report. While her brother stays out of the spotlight, Phoebe is sharing her life online, and has ambitions in the fashion industry.

The three Gates children will inherit at least some of their parents' wealth: Bill Gates has said he plans to leave them "only" $10 million each.

"I definitely think leaving kids massive amounts of money is not a favor to them," Gates said in a 2013 Reddit "Ask Me Anything." "Warren Buffett was part of an article in Fortune talking about this in 1986 before I met him, and it made me think about it and decide he was right."

Today, nearly five decades after cofounding Microsoft, Bill Gates has a fortune of about $134 billion, according to Forbes. He left Microsoft's board in 2020 — although is still reportedly "intimately involved" at the company — and has remained focused on the Gates Foundation, which he once ran with French Gates. She also became a billionaire following their divorce.

 

She shares glimpses of her parents on her social media pages, which have accumulated hundreds of thousands of followers.

As of June 2024, Phoebe Gates has 424,000 followers on Instagram and 244,000 followers on TikTok.

A day after posting a video of her sharing bubble tea with her dad in October 2023, she gained over 59,000 TikTok followers, according to analytics website Social Blade.

"Father-daughter bubble tea time," read a caption under the TikTok post.

In the clip, which has received 16.7 million views on TikTok and uses "As It Was" by Harry Styles as a backing track, Phoebe sits opposite her billionaire father as they both poke straws into cups of bubble tea and smile at one another overlooking a Manhattan skyline.

Bill Gates has made appearances on other creators' TikTok accounts in the past, often participating in math or art challenges, although he does not have an account himself.

Gates just graduated from Stanford University, and she has previously vlogged about her college life.

In an interview with the sustainable fashion brand Reformation, which Gates promoted on her Instagram page in March 2023, the billionaire's daughter said she was majoring in human biology at Stanford University. 

She has previously showcased her dorm room and filmed vlog-style updates about her life at college. In one clip posted in December 2022, she filmed herself riding a bike to a stats class, later showing herself making a very student-esque pasta dish for dinner.

In June 2024, she graduated after just three years, Nylon reported. At the ceremony, her mom, Melinda Gates, gave the commencement speech.

Phoebe Gates blogged her day for Nylon, sharing that she celebrated the milestone with a party attended by her mom and dad.

"So grateful to have my parents by my side on this day," she wrote.

She is passionate about sustainable fashion and is pursuing entrepreneurial opportunities in the industry.

On TikTok, Gates has previously posted about attending fashion week in Copenhagen and New York. She has also shared informational clips about sustainable fashion and promoted buying secondhand clothes. 

According to Vogue, Gates is co-launching her own fashion platform, called Phia, with her fellow Stanford student and roommate Sophia Kianni (pictured above left). The outlet reported that it has already landed a partnership with fashion house Stella McCartney for a bag collection that will celebrate women in tennis.

Gates has become an outspoken social activist.

One of the topics Gates has frequently addressed on her TikTok page is reproductive health and advocating for abortion rights.

She has previously posted clips of herself speaking about access to contraception at events, including Goalkeepers, hosted by The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

In a video she shared in December, her mother asked her why she was an advocate for reproductive health.

"I think for me, coming for age in this country, our generation has been put in a spot where a lot of times we feel quite a bit powerless," Phoebe Gates said. "You know, not having the freedom to make choices about your own reproductive health, your own … your very own body."

She also spoke out on TikTok against the Supreme Court's overturning of Roe v. Wade in June 2022.

In the summer of 2022, she also posted clips that she said were from a trip to Rwanda with the healthcare nonprofit Partners in Health, saying she learned about the country's healthcare system.

She appears to be following in her mom's footsteps, calling her an "inspiration."

The 21-year-old activist appears to be taking after her parents, especially her mother, who has advocated for access to birth control around the world for many years.

While Bill Gates appears in only a few of her TikToks, her mom has been featured much more prominently on her account. 

Phoebe Gates has posted several snippets on TikTok that show her discussing access to contraception with Melinda. 

"So you're a huge advocate for contraceptives. I mean, you've always hammered this into me since I was a child, about deciding for my body and having body autonomy," Phoebe Gates said in a clip posted in January 2023, where Melinda talked about the importance of access to family planning.

In an on-screen caption on a TikTok post from September 2022, Gates referred to her mother as her "inspiration." 

She is dating Paul McCartney's grandson, Arthur.

In her June 2024 graduation diary for Nylon, Gates shared photos of herself with her boyfriend, Arthur Donald. Alongside one of the images, she joked that he "cleans up nicely," while in another, he carried her on his back.

Donald, 25, is the oldest of Paul McCartney's eight grandchildren, People reported. He is the son of the Beatles' star's daughter Mary and her ex-husband, Alistair Donald.

He grew up in London and attended Yale University, according to People. He is an investor at the Collaborative Fund, a venture capital firm "for entrepreneurs pushing the world forward," according to its website.

Gates and Donald were also pictured together at the premiere of "Feud: Capote vs. The Swans" held in New York City in January.

• Toyota launched new Land Cruiser in the US, reviving the iconic SUV .
• The original Land Cruiser, known for its durability, debuted in the 1950s.
• The latest model aims to blend the classic ruggedness with modern features.

The original Land Cruiser launched in the 1950s and rightly earned a reputation as an unbreakable beast of a car. It was everything an SUV was supposed to be.

It was so hardy that the United Nations relied on it in war-torn and famine-ravaged parts of the world. Those white UN Land Cruisers are an image burned into my teenage mind as the ultimate, go-anywhere reliability.

After a few decades, these rugged benefits got expensive. Land Cruisers started costing almost $100,000. And they began to get a little old compared to the competition.

Then, they disappeared in the US and fans freaked out.

But in 2023, Toyota announced a new Land Cruiser, which went on sale in the US earlier this year.

I recently test-drove the Land Cruiser 1958 for a week in Silicon Valley, through a loaner from Toyota.

I also zipped around in it with my neighbor Julie, who owned a Land Cruiser for about 20 years and adored it.

First impression: It's cool!

It looks really cool, with a 1980's boxy retro design. A bit like the new Ford Bronco, but less extreme and more practical.

'This one better be a tank.'

Julie, my neighbor, had high expectations.

"My old Land Cruiser was a tank," she said when I told her I was going to test drive the new version. "This one better be a tank."

Music to Toyota's ears .

When I picked Julie up on a Friday afternoon, this was her first impression: "It looks like a Range Rover," she said. "It does feel tank-ish."

I imagine this is music to Toyota's ears.

$56,000 vs $98,000.

I told Julie the starting price of roughly $56,000.

"Wow, mine was $62,000 back in 2001, and the newer ones were $100,000. My neighbor had one that was $98,000," she said.

How many car companies take a legendary brand and knock at least $30,000 off the sticker price? This was a big risk to take by Toyota. What did it give up by making this new SUV less expensive?

No third row.

The main difference: There's no third row seating available in the new Land Cruiser.

This will be a significant loss for some customers and longtime Land Cruiser fans. More on this later, from Julie and myself.

Here's Julie desperately searching for any signs of a third row:

No, there isn't a third row Julie, sorry.

Towing capacity is lower, too.

The 2020 Land Cruiser had maximum towing capacity of 8,100 pounds. The new version has 6,000.

In the back, there's not a massive amount of room.

Getting three fully grown adults in the back may be a slight squeeze, especially as there's a wide central bump in the floor which leaves less room for three pairs of feet.

Rear legroom was tighter than I expected.

Julie pushed her front passenger seat all the way back. Then, I jumped in the back to check out the legroom.

It wasn't uncomfortable, but there wasn't a massive amount of extra room for my legs back there.

The new Land Cruiser only seats 5.

The older Land Cruisers could fit 8 people using the third row of seats. The maximum with the new version is 5 adults.

The interior of the new Land Cruiser 1958 has a lot of plastic.

I didn't mind this. It added to the overall retro, rugged vibe of the vehicle.

Julie also noted that her old Land Cruiser had fancy wood-style veneer that eventually "went bad."

Let's talk about the Land Cruiser's sun visors.

Sometimes it's the little things that matter.

When she first got into the new Land Cruiser 1958, Julie very quickly checked the sun visors. Her old Land Cruiser had a double visor, where you could put one to the side and still have another for your front-facing needs. This kept the sun out of her eyes on winding roads.

Julie was a little disappointed this feature was missing on the new model.

The new Land Cruiser's engine is an effective turbo-hybrid mashup.

The new Land Cruiser has a 2.4-liter, four-cylinder engine. That doesn't sound like much for a big SUV. The previous Land Cruiser model had a 5.7 liter V8.

However, the 2024 version has a turbo and an electric power plant. So this turbo-hybrid mashup ends up with 326 horsepower and 465 foot-pounds of torque at a pretty low 1,700 RPM.

That compares to the 2020 Land Cruiser, which had 381 horsepower and 401 foot-pounds of torque at 3,600 RPM.

The result: Driving the 2024 Land Cruiser is an engaging combination of truck feel and modern smoothness.

At low speeds, the hybrid engine is quiet and calm. Press the accelerator down and you get truck-style grunt and a satisfying prod of low-end torque and speed.

Gas mileage is a lot better with the new Land Cruiser.

The 2024 Land Cruiser is about 800 pounds lighter than the 2020 model.

While still feeling sturdy, you get much better gas mileage. 22 mpg in the city and 25 on the highway, according to the official numbers. The older model got 13 and 17 mpg.

Note: The new Land Cruiser needs premium gasoline.

I loved driving the Land Cruiser 1958.

The steering was light and accurate at low speed. Perfect for zipping around town and parking.

At higher speeds, the steering firmed up nicely and remained accurate and responsive.

The best part: The Land Cruiser rolls slightly and rumbles as you drive around. In a good way. It feels like you're driving a sturdy, capable SUV, but it's also really easy to maneuver. A real pleasure.

"It feels like a heavy well-made truck that doesn't drive like a truck," Julie said. Well put.

The trunk is large, although not as big as the previous Land Cruiser.

There are 37.5 cubic feet of in the back trunk of the new Land Cruiser. With daily use, this was more than enough space.

The Land Cruiser 1958 has round headlights.

The midrange Land Cruiser, which starts at around $62,000, has square headlights.

The model I drove, the 1958, has round headlights. Both look really cool.

The Land Cruiser 1958 comes with fabric seats.

I wasn't bothered with this. This is a tough, go-anywhere style SUV. It's not a Rolls-Royce.

There are fancier seats in the more expensive Land Cruiser, along with optional leather seats as part of a larger option package.

The rear window of the Land Cruiser opens independently.

To open this window, you press a cool corner button. A nice design touch.

There's more than enough room in here for groceries, luggage, and other bulky items.

Still, the 2020 Land Cruiser model had more than 40 cubic feet of room in the trunk without the third row.

The roof rack is an optional.

Adding this roof rack costs $1,440. My test car came with other extras, too, including skid plates, cargo and floor mats, and rock rails.

All together, these extras added about $3,600 to the base price of $55,950. And with delivery, handling, and processing fees, the grand total was $59,574.

The roof rack and rock rails looked cool, but you don't need these really.

The wheels are solid and relatively chunky.

I'd probably add chunkier tires, which would make the new Land Cruiser look even more rugged.

Bigger wheels are available on the more expensive versions of this new SUV.

The new Land Cruiser has big, chunky wing mirrors.

Julie wanted the mirrors to be a little wider. Instead, they are unusually tall.

The air vents are another nice design touch. You could say they're cool.

The main instrument panel has handy switches and knobs that are satisfying to use.

The rear seats fold up and are held with a strap.

This is similar to how the back seats go up in old Land Cruisers.

A medium-sized touchscreen was clear and easy to use.

There's a larger touchscreen in the more expensive new Land Cruiser, which starts at about $62,000.

The new Land Cruiser is basically the same size as the old model.

The 2024 Land Cruiser is 193.8 inches long, while the 2020 model was 194.9 inches. The new version is actually about 2 inches higher.

(This picture I took includes a much older version of the Land Cruiser, by the way).

The width of the new model is almost exactly the same as the old Land Cruiser.

The 2020 Land Cruiser was 78 inches wide, while the new model is 77.9 inches in width.

Toyota should add a third row seat option to the new Land Cruiser.

Julie's major grumble with the new Land Cruiser was the lack of a third row of seats.

One of the reasons she loved her old Land Cruiser was that she could easily drive around a lot of kids and still feel safe. It could seat 8 people, while the 2024 Land Cruiser can only fit 5.

"It might be a deal killer if I was still running a lot of kids around," Julie told me. "If your kids have friends that need a ride too, you're out of luck."

She has a Toyota Highlander these days and that vehicle can carry 7 people.

Not including a third row, or at least an option for this, seems like a wasted opportunity.

I asked Toyota about this, and they said there's no third row currently offered in the US for the new Land Cruiser. And they "can't comment on future product."

Final verdict:

I loved the Toyota Land Cruiser 1958.

After a few days with this vehicle, I smiled every time I got in it. When I had to give it back to Toyota, I was sad — as you can see in this photo.

Why did I love it so much?

It's got the retro rugged vibe just right.

It's sturdy enough for Land Cruiser fans, and its ride is a perfect combination of rumbling truck and smooth car.

I have driven the new Ford Bronco quite a bit, and it's not as good. Sorry Ford.

My only real request: Add a third row option.

I'll leave the final words to Julie, my neighbor and longtime Land Cruiser fan.

"Oh why didn't I wait!?" she said while I drove her around in the Land Cruiser 1958.

She has a Toyota Highlander right now, and she's regretting that purchase now.

"Ask them if they'll trade mine in," she said.

• A Chevy dealership has been posting TikToks about its employees in the style of "The Office."
• They're well-executed and charming, showing the bumbling marketing staff's hijinks.
• I will not apologize for enjoying quality marketing content! Sue me!

Forget Season 3 of "The Bear." The workplace drama I'm now highly invested in is from the Mohawk Chevrolet dealership in Ballston Spa, New York.

The dealer's TikTok feed typically features videos you'd expect: information about cars and some introductions to the people who sell them. The three-person marketing team in charge of posting to social media would sometimes try to jump on a TikTok trend or some other kind of lighthearted fare.

So far, nothing out of the ordinary for a car dealership, this one founded in 1919 with the slogan "We go out of our way to please you."

But then, somehow, they made a masterpiece — a mockumentary about the dealership in the style of "The Office."

So far, they've released six parts, but Part 5 is the pinnacle and has gone viral on TikTok:

Are we suckers for being charmed and amused by a piece of advertising? Sure. But what joy do we have left if we can't smile at the creativity of the small team in the marketing department of a Chevy dealership near Saratoga?

I spoke with the dealership's Nathanael Greklek, Ben Bushen, and Grace Kerber, who starred in the video and were part of its production team.

Their inspiration? Things that actually happened during their workdays, they told me.

Kerber does indeed always want to be the one to drive the trucks whenever they have to move one around the lot. The day before, she and Bushen got stuck making a (nearly) 38-point turn trying to pull a Silverado out of a tight space. And Bushen does tend to get car sick if he's in the passenger seat.

The idea for an "Office" parody came to the team after another coworker did a prank hiding tiny plastic ducks around the dealership, which made the marketing team think it would be good for a video. Bushen, the in-house video editor, is a huge fan of the sitcom and was able to pull off the feel.

That this video was a hit came as a pleasant surprise, they told me. The video has around 1.8 million views, which isn't a mega-hit in TikTok terms, but certainly is way more than a typical local dealer. (In comparison, the official Chevrolet account only has a few videos that have cracked a million views, and those were ones with celebrities like Guy Fieri.)

But is a viral video from a local car dealership actually good for sales?

Kerber told me they don't expect these videos to win over someone whopping for a Honda or a BMW — "If they want a Chevy, they're going to buy a Chevy," she said.

They've gotten comments from people outside the Saratoga area saying they plan to drive hours just to buy from their dealership based on their funny videos. (They also deliver, they let me know.)

"Part of doing these fun videos is it makes people feel like they know you and are comfortable going there, and they love the environment from what they see online, and that's where they might want to get their next car," Kerber said.