Tag: News

• China officially says that supporting Taiwan's independence can be a crime.
• Punishments include prison sentences of more than 10 years and even the death penalty.
• It's the first time the country has so clearly outlined a set of legal guidelines aimed at Taiwan.

China on Friday outlined a list of behaviors that it defines as criminal acts related to supporting Taiwan's independence, saying punishments may go as far as the death penalty.

Top legal bodies in the country — including its Supreme Court, national prosecutors, and three government ministries — jointly issued a statement telling courts and prosecutors at all levels in China to "severely punish 'Taiwan independence' diehards."

These are China's first official guidelines designating support for Taiwan's independence as a crime, underscoring how Beijing is hardening its stance toward the self-governed island.

Taiwan declaring independence has long been a red line set by Beijing.

Broad definitions of the crimes include promoting the idea of "two Chinas" or "one China, one Taiwan" and creating an organization that tries to attain Taiwan's independence. Relying on "foreign forces" and institutions to achieve independence was also listed.

Notably, the list criminalizes public attempts to undermine the concept that Taiwan is part of China in the "fields of education, culture, history, news media, etc."

The punishments include prison sentences or detention of up to 10 years, with that limit removed for those leading organizations that try to help Taiwan secede.

Crimes deemed "particularly heinous" may carry the death penalty, the authorities added.

The new guidelines come just a month after Taiwan's new president, Lai Ching-te, assumed office on May 20.

Lai's political faction, the Democratic Progressive Party, has focused heavily on resisting China, and his securing of power this year has prompted a building wave of aggressive posturing from Beijing.

When Lai took office in May, the Chinese military conducted live-fire exercises around Taiwan. China has also continually issued public statements and scenario videos hinting at how it may attack the island.

China has no legal jurisdiction in Taiwan, but recommendations like the one issued on Friday are likely to put a further dampener on Taiwanese business.

Taipei has already been dropping support for long-standing tourism programs to China, citing worries that it may not be safe for its people to travel to the mainland.

And Taiwanese investment in China, which was on the rise in the late 2000s, has plummeted to its lowest levels since 2001.

In 2023, new spending in China from Taiwan dropped nearly 40% to $3.06 billion despite the island reporting investment highs of $26.6 billion that year.

Meanwhile, its companies rapidly expanded investment in the US from $1.1 billion in 2022 to $9.7 billion the next year.

• It looks like Elon Musk isn't a fan of what Lucasfilm chief Kathleen Kennedy has done with "Star Wars."
• Kennedy has been criticized by fans for her focus on progressive themes and female protagonists.
• Musk said on Saturday that he thinks Kennedy is "super bigoted against men."

Elon Musk doesn't like what Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy has done with the Star Wars franchise.

"She's more deadly than the Death Star!" Musk wrote on his social media platform X on Friday in response to a meme that called Kennedy a "franchise killer."

The Academy Award-winning film producer was appointed president of Lucasfilm after the company was acquired by Disney in 2012. But Kennedy's leadership of Lucasfilm has drawn a mixed reception from Star Wars fans.

While Kennedy was initially able to land box office hits like 2015's "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" and 2016's "Rogue One," Lucasfilm's subsequent entries into the sci-fi franchise have been lacking.

In 2018, Star Wars saw a big box office bomb in "Solo: A Star Wars Story," per Deadline.

The franchise's foray into streaming also yielded mixed results, with shows like "The Book of Boba Fett" doing poorly with audiences, according to Rotten Tomatoes.

And it seems that Kennedy's focus on progressive themes and female protagonists in Star Wars projects has been a huge bugbear for Musk.

"Kathleen Kennedy is super bigoted against men," he wrote in a subsequent X post on Saturday, referring to an interview that Kennedy gave to The New York Times last month.

In the interview, Kennedy defended Leslye Headland, the director and writer of the latest Star Wars television series "The Acolyte," after fans slammed Headland and called her "woke."

"Operating within these giant franchises now, with social media and the level of expectation, it's terrifying," Kennedy told The Times.

"I think a lot of the women who step into 'Star Wars' struggle with this a bit more. Because of the fan base being so male-dominated, they sometimes get attacked in ways that can be quite personal," she added.

To be sure, Kathleen's stewardship of Star Wars isn't the only reason behind the franchise's perceived decline among fans.

In 2019, then-Disney CEO Bob Iger said the studio might have released too many Star Wars projects after acquiring Lucasfilm. Iger stepped down as CEO in 2020 before returning to the job in 2022.

"I just think that we might've put a little bit too much in the marketplace too fast," Iger told The New York Times in a report published in September 2019.

This criticism of Kennedy isn't the first time Musk has expressed his displeasure at what he brands "woke" ideology, and people who champion diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts.

"DEI is just another word for racism. Shame on anyone who uses it," Musk said in an X post in January.

Kennedy also wasn't the first executive to draw Musk's ire regarding progressive corporate initiatives. Musk tore into fellow billionaire Mark Cuban after the latter voiced his support for corporate DEI initiatives earlier this year.

"Mark Cuban is desperately trying to signal his 'virtue,' but his hypocrisy convinces no one," Musk said in an X post published in January.

Representatives for Musk and Kennedy did not immediately respond to requests for comment from BI sent outside regular business hours.

• Joe Benarroch was the head of business operations and communications at X.
• He was fired in June in part for botching the rollout of X's new NSFW policy, sources told FT.
• Nick Pickles, who was a senior Twitter employee, is taking over Benarroch's role, per the FT report.

X CEO Linda Yaccarino fired her right-hand man, Joe Benarroch, and replaced him with a longtime senior Twitter employee, sources told The Financial Times.

Benarroch led comms at the social media company for about a year as the head of global business operations as Twitter transitioned to X after Elon Musk's takeover.

According to The Wall Street Journal, which first reported on Benarroch's departure, he also acted as a close advisor to Yaccarino, named X's chief executive in May 2023.

The pair previously worked together at NBCUniversal, where Yaccarino was the chief of advertising, and Benarroch was her direct report as executive vice president of global advertising.

But that longtime professional relationship has ended.

Two anonymous X employees told The Financial Times that Yaccarino held Benarroch responsible for botching the rollout of X's new policy on adult content earlier this month. The employees told the FT that Benarroch failed to tell X's clients about the rule before debuting it to the public.

Adult content has long existed on the site, but X is now making it explicitly clear that pornography, including AI-generated porn, is allowed as long as it's consensual.

Notifying X's clients could be crucial since the platform is struggling to attract more advertisers.

Benarroch's LinkedIn profile currently indicates he is "open to work."

He did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider sent during the weekend.

Sources familiar with the matter told The Financial Times that Nick Pickles will take over Benarroch's comms responsibilities.

Pickles — a one-time conservative candidate for the UK's parliament — was among the few senior Twitter staffers who remained at the social media company after Musk's massive layoffs. He worked at the company since 2014 when Dick Costolo was still the CEO of Twitter.

Pickles' current role at X is the head of global government affairs, but he'll also temporarily be leading global communications, the sources told the Financial Times.

Pickles did not respond to a request for comment from BI sent during the weekend.

The staff change-up comes as Yaccarino faces mounting pressure to reduce costs and raise revenue for the social media company, according to the Financial Times.

The Verge reported that in April, Musk brought in Steve Davis, a chief executive at Musk's tunnel project, Boring Company, to review X's financial health.

According to The FT, Davis led layoffs and cost reductions at X in 2022 and 2023.

One X employee speaking to The Verge described Davis as "the grim reaper who only shows up for bad things."

Before Twitter became X, employees last year speculated that he could be the next chief executive under Musk's ownership.

• "Orphan Black: Echoes" is set 37 years after the end of the sci-fi drama "Orphan Black."
• Showrunner Anna Fishko told Business Insider that they changed the cloning format to make the spinoff unique.
• She also said there was an attempt to bring back "Orphan Black" lead Tatiana Maslany.

Warning: Spoilers ahead for the first episode of "Orphan Black: Echoes."

Nearly seven years after the series finale of "Orphan Black," the clone-centered sci-fi show is returning with a new spinoff, "Orphan Black: Echoes." But this time, the cloning element will be very different, "Echoes" showrunner Anna Fishko told Business Insider.

Like "Orphan Black," the Emmy-winning show that garnered a small but loyal fan base, "Echoes" begins with a dark-haired, stubborn woman stumbling upon a big mystery surrounding her creation. But that is where the similarities between the two series end.

At the beginning of the "Echoes" premiere episode, a woman named Lucy (played by Krysten Ritter) wakes up without her memories and learns that she was created in a neon-pink futuristic human-printing machine. Throughout the episode, Lucy is haunted by a nightmare in which she sees a teenage version of herself holding a bloody knife.

At the end of the episode, Lucy meets that teenage version of herself, but the girl doesn't recognize her. Lucy realizes the girl is another "print-out" clone like her.

While the original "Orphan Black" was praised for having its lead star, Tatiana Maslany, portray multiple lookalike clones with drastically different personalities, "Echoes" takes a new approach by having clones of various ages.

Fishko told Business Insider in an interview ahead of the series premiere that this was a deliberate attempt to distance the spinoff from the original show.

"We really specifically intended to do something different," Fishko said. "I think everybody felt like Tatiana had put in such an incredible performance, and nobody really wanted to do that over again. It was hard to imagine doing that better."

Fishko said this new concept allowed the writing team to explore the ideas of "sisterhood" and "identity" from the original show without repeating the same format.

Fishko said Tatiana Maslany doesn't appear in season one due to scheduling issues

"Echoes" is set in 2052, 37 years after the end of "Orphan Black," but there are plenty of connections between the two shows.

Lucy's creator is Kira Manning (Keeley Hawes), the daughter of "Orphan Black" lead character Sarah Manning (Maslany). At the end of episode one, Kira calls up her "Aunt Cosima," referring to Sarah's clone Cosima Niehaus (also Maslany).

The camera then pans to pictures of several characters from the original show, including Felix (Jordan Gavaris) and Siobhan (Maria Doyle Kennedy).

Unfortunately for "Orphan Black" fans, Fishko confirmed to BI that Maslany won't appear in person as any of her beloved clone characters.

"We definitely thought about it, and we talked with her," Fishko said. "Unfortunately, the timing just didn't work out because she was shooting something else right at the same time as us. And so it really was sort of a bad timing type of situation."

Fishko added that the producers were open to Maslany appearing in future seasons if the series gets renewed. She added it was "a tricky balance" to figure out how many references to the original show to include without alienating new viewers.

"I think we really wanted new audience members who'd never seen 'Orphan Black' to be able to come to this show and not feel lost or confused and really be able to just start fresh and follow the story and go on the ride and have fun," Fishko said.

"But then, yeah, we wanted to make sure we were putting things in there for the Clone Club and for the fans of the original," she said, referring to the main characters of the original show.

Fishko said the writing team contemplated including a few fan-favorite characters in the spinoff, and she spoke to "Orphan Black" co-creator John Fawcett about what would have happened to these characters 30 years later.

"It was fun to talk with John Fawcett actually about what we could imagine had happened to them in the intervening time between when the first show finished, and this show that takes place 30-odd years in the future," Fishko said.

Fishko said Ritter was the blueprint for the other clone castings

Although the clones are of different ages, there needed to be synergy in their looks to make the story believable.

Fishko said they cast Lucy's part first and then decided what a younger version of that character would look like.

"I think Krysten has this very kind of tough outer shell, but then there's always this vulnerability inside that you feel on screen," Fishko said. "Lucy's character had been through a lot, had learned to survive in the world on her own with no support, and then, also has this deep desire to find connection and family."

Fishko said there was a "global search" for Ritter's young lookalike, and they eventually found Amanda Fix, who plays the unnamed clone teenager at the end of episode one.

"We got really lucky," Fishko said. "She's an incredibly talented, wonderful performer. And then also looks pretty close to what a younger version of Kristen might have looked like."

New episodes of "Orphan Black: Echoes" air on Sundays on AMC and BBC America and stream on AMC+.

• Rhaenyra lays into Daemon after learning he was inadvertently responsible for Jaehaerys' murder.
• Meanwhile, Alicent and Criston grapple with their guilt in very different ways.
• Criston makes a big move against Rhaenyra, and Aegon II names him his new Hand after ousting Otto.

The brutal killing of Aegon II Targaryen's heir has left both sides in chaos.

The "House of the Dragon" season two premiere ended with Blood and Cheese, two inept assassins hired by Daemon Targaryen to kill Aemond in retaliation for the death of Rhaenyra's son Lucerys Velaryon, beheading Jaehaerys, the oldest child of Aegon II and his sister-wife Helaena.

Episode two picks up shortly after the shocking death, with the Greens reacting to the death (and using it for political moves) and a clueless Rhaenyra desperately trying to figure out why the kingdom believes she's responsible for the murder of a child. (Thanks, Daemon.)

Below, Business Insider reporters Eammon Jacobs, Palmer Haasch, and Ayomikun Adekaiyero and senior entertainment editor Caralynn Matassa break down all the major moments in "House of the Dragon" season 2, episode 2.

The aftermath of Jaehaerys' death

Palmer Haasch: There are a few really important reactions here: Alicent feels like she's being divinely punished, Helaena is utterly grief-stricken, Rhaenyra is aghast that she's being blamed, and Otto knows that this is the biggest political gift his side will probably ever see. And he's right!

Caralynn Matassa: And Aegon — just utterly wrecked. Any intention he had to try to be a good king is entirely wiped away here in favor of vengeance.

Palmer: I think it's interesting, because you really don't get the impression that Aegon cares too much about his children until he starts to see Jaehaerys as a viable heir. Even though he didn't want the throne himself, he too has become power-drunk and wants to continue his legacy.

Eammon Jacobs: Phia Saban's performance during that procession scene is so haunting. She's doing so much without needing to wail lines of over-the-top predictable dialogue. It's clear that Helaena is tapping into something bigger too, just with the focus on the seeds/leaves blowing in the wind and her frantic facial expressions.

Ayomikun Adekaiyero: The series does a great job of showing how this toxic masculinity among the men — particularly Aegon, Daemon, and Criston — escalates this conflict. Aegon doesn't really care about Jaehaerys; he is terrified at looking weak, which also isn't his fault, considering he has been raised to be this great king. Tom Glynn-Carney really has one of the best performances in this episode.

And on the toxic masculinity point, it's interesting to see how the harm of this conflict so far is mostly affecting the women. Rhaenyra is blamed for a murder she didn't order, Alicent and Helaena are forced to perform for the royal family during their grief while the men plot and create more chaos.

Palmer: This is also really the moment where we realize how much of a curse Helaena being a dreamer is. She can foreshadow the death of her own son, but she doesn't realize it and can't prevent it. The entire funeral procession should also satiate everyone who didn't think the death was horrifying enough — I think seeing little Jaehaerys, with his neck stitched, valorized like a martyr in the streets is infinitely worse than whatever else we could have gotten out of Blood and Cheese. Phia's performance here heightens the entire thing.

Caralynn: Phia and Tom were both such standouts in this episode! The way the procession was staged and filmed was also gorgeous and so evocative. The closeup on little Jaehaerys' sewn-on head almost made me puke.

Palmer: I also want to talk about the conversation between Alicent and Helaena right before the funeral procession — it's a huge insight into Alicent as a mother. For the most part, I've gotten the impression that the moments where she's protecting her children are also deep political moves, like when she demanded Lucerys' eye at Driftmark in season one. But in this moment, she is truly throwing Helaena to the wolves, and knows it. Olivia manages to elucidate this tension between protecting her daughter from scrutiny and making the savvy political choice, but obviously, we know where Alicent lands.

Caralynn: I've never had less sympathy for Alicent than in this episode. You can see her struggling with this choice — and that's all thanks to Olivia's meticulous performance — but she makes the wrong choice at literally every opportunity here.

Palmer: I do think that she is unfortunately pretty on the nose when she says that she's being punished by the gods.

Ayomikun: I haven't read the books, and maybe I'm reading into the procession too much, but I feel like there was so much foreshadowing that there is worse to come. The flowers of the funeral fall down like ash, terrifying Helaena. The people of the city reach out as if they are also in pain. So far, the casualties have all been kept to the royal family but there is a great sense that this is going to go really badly for everyone, and soon.

Eammon: That's a constant theme in the franchise, really — the smallfolk always pay for the actions of the upper class. We saw that back in season one when Rhaenys broke out of the Dragonpit and squished people watching the coronation!

Don't ignore the smallfolk

Caralynn: Speaking of squished people, we got a lot of smallfolk scenes scattered throughout the episode. But the most effective for me was that mom who saw her dead ratcatcher son strung up. And the dog giving that small whine when he saw Cheese dead!

Palmer: Thank god the dog is safe!

Ayomikun: The hanging scene really highlights how much Aegon messed up more than Otto's tirade. The smallfolk don't really know the ins-and-outs of what's going on, but they know their king has just murdered the lowest of their servants, most of whom were completely innocent. They likely will trust Aegon less than Rhaenyra, who kept the conflict to just the royals.

Palmer: To be fair, Aegon is barely still winning the PR war because everyone thinks Rhaenyra killed a child. But yeah, ultimately, I agree with you — which is funny because everyone was lauding him as a wealth redistribution icon in the last episode.

Aegon giveth sheep….. he taketh away sheep….. he slays rat men…….

Eammon: I do think that even in the first two episodes, the writers are trying to show the war from the smallfolk's perspective — maybe more than "Game of Thrones." We had the sheep/dragon debate last week, and now we've got the elimination of the ratcatchers.

Palmer: I have mixed feelings about how the series handles this, because, on the one hand, I think that it's hugely important for the show to contextualize the war within the actual population of Westeros in order to convey the scope. But I also think that it's a bit halfhearted when — ratcatcher mother aside — the smallfolk we interact with the most in the show are all like, hugely important characters down the line. They're not truly the everyman.

Caralynn: I, for one, found it hard to care about the scene with Hugh's family because it just felt so much like a set-up for his eventual More Important story.

Eammon: That moment with Hugh's family did seem heavy-handed. And I'll be honest, hearing that the cost-of-living crisis has also hit Westeros was not the plot twist I was expecting.

Ayomikun: Damn, not real-world inflation infiltrating my fantasy comfort show!

Palmer: Hugh comes from a SIOSK (single income, one sick kid) family.

Caralynn: If only they had access to a Costco for a $5 rotisserie chicken.

Eammon: Westerostco.

Palmer: We should also talk about Alyn and Addam of Hull, who, without saying too much, are also going to continue to be important. There's a very conspicuous dragon (cough, cough Seasmoke) flying in the sky above Addam during one scene that we should… probably pay attention to!

Ayomikun: If I didn't know Addam and Hugh were so important, some of their scenes feel so forced and out of place. Like the writers are stage-whispering, "YOU SHOULD KEEP AN EYE ON THESE PEOPLE."

Eammon: I found those two reuniting far more interesting than Aegon's predictable breakdown, I'm sorry to say. Their dynamic and that shot of the dragon was a great way of endearing them to the audience and positioning them as key characters further down the line.

Ayomikun: The conversation between Alyn and Addam — where Addam is like, "You should try to get close to Corlys Velaryon!" and Alyn is like, "I don't want to get involved in this conflict at all" — is a good way to establish the key divides of normal folk during this conflict. There are those who want to use the situation to rise above their station and those who just want to survive another day. It will be interesting to see where both those storylines lead.

Caralynn: Then, re: smallfolk, there's of course the prostitute Aemond is with in the brothel who goes ahead and helpfully spells out that it's really the commoners who get the shaft when royals, say, get angry and let their dragon eat their nephew.

And speaking of poor, traumatized Aemond…

Let's get a little love for the poor traumatized kids

Palmer: I love Aemond, my beautiful, very very messed up boy. Ewan gives a great physical performance here — there's one shot where it shows him all curled up, and it's very effective to see all his limbs folded in like that. Somehow, he manages to make Aemond feel very, very small!

Caralynn: He was literally in the fetal position at one point, wasn't he?

Palmer: Yeah, he's baby.

Eammon: It was refreshing seeing him in a pretty vulnerable state for once though. All of Aemond's scenes previously have revolved around conflict, angst, or anger, so having a peek behind the armor (so to speak) really helps make him feel like more of a well-fleshed-out character than just a constant ball of contempt.

Palmer: It's also a very interesting contrast, because we haven't seen this side of Aemond since he was a child, basically. He is clearly the single most powerful war asset for the Greens, but I think it's important to remember that he is also the loser cousin who got bullied. But on top of that, he also very clearly realizes that Daemon is his true rival in the war, and I love the way that the show sets them up as counterparts.

Caralynn: Overlooked and extremely angry second sons.

Palmer: Who have both managed to indirectly exact the most damning murders of the war!

Ayomikun: Aemond is never escaping the wannabe Daemon allegations.

Palmer: Also, nice to know that he's seeking some absolution for killing Lucerys.

Caralynn: The confessional element of his conversation with the prostitute was a nice touch. She looked a little taken aback at him suddenly confiding that he regretted the single action that arguably started the war. She's just like, "Welp. You goofed, kid, and now we're all screwed."

Palmer: Can you imagine what it would be like to be the confidant for the most capable, messed up child of the entire royal family?

Caralynn: High-pressure therapy situation.

Eammon: It's like "The Sopranos," but with dragons.

Palmer: I also really want to talk about Baela and Jace because, damn, this is the most the show has given us of either of them in a hot minute.

Caralynn: Such a sweet scene! I love that Baela gave Jace the opportunity to talk about both his dads.

Palmer: It's a great way to show the closeness of their relationship. Baela knows how to ask about Ser Harwin Strong without judgment, and he's clearly someone that Jace still wants to talk about. Bethany Antonia, who plays Baela, told me at the premiere that she and Harry Collett, who plays Jace, made the decision that betrothal aside, Baela and Jace do want to be together — and I think this sequence does a great job illustrating that.

I also think it's extremely telling that Rhaenyra doesn't allow Jace to patrol near King's Landing on Vermax when he volunteers, and instead dispatches Baela to do the same thing on Moondancer. There is a difference in the children that she's willing to potentially sacrifice.

Caralynn: YES, that was such a subtle telling moment. She's not willing to lose another son. But Daemon's daughter? Sure, fine, whatever.

Ayomikun: Honestly, these two seem like the most emotionally and mentally well-adjusted of all the Targaryen/Velaryon/Hightower families. I'm rooting for them.

Palmer: That's the Laena Velaryon in them, truly.

The final straw for Daemon and Rhaenyra

Eammon: The writing in this whole scene was fantastic, it weaved through their twisted, chaotic relationship with such sharpness.

"Have you used me as a tool to grasp at your stolen inheritance?" There it is — the writers digging into what makes Daemon actually tick. Even among the violence, bloodshed, and dragons, they're committed to exploring these characters in great detail. In a way, it makes me sad that other shows (ahem "Star Wars" ahem) don't take as much time to do the same.

It's so obvious that Daemon continues to blame everyone but himself as that sociopathic, narcissistic streak keeps slipping out.

Palmer: It's unfortunately very funny that during the council meeting where they discuss Jaehaerys' death, Rhaenys basically immediately clocks that it's Daemon's fault.

Caralynn: The council meeting was kind of weirdly hilarious. It seemed like everyone registered it was Daemon's fault except for, belatedly, Rhaenyra?

Palmer: Their fight is a real watershed moment for Daemon. I think he's a character that — don't get me wrong, I love Daemon — got a little bit muddied in season one. He's bloodthirsty! He's a war hero! He's a devoted husband who wants to hang out in Pentos! Actually, he does want to be King Consort! We get a lot out of him, but it's hard to see where his head is at. I think this, and what it's setting up with him leaving, are great for us to get a bit of Daemon's interiority.

Caralynn: Also the chemistry between Matt and Emma is absolute fire, as usual. They're both top of their games in that scene.

Ayomikun: This conversation also sees them finally confronting an issue that we, as viewers, have all wanted to see hashed out since Daemon first started trying to romance Rhaenyra. Does he actually care for her, or is she another obstacle to what he really wants: power?

Palmer: It's refreshing to see Rhaenyra basically hit her breaking point there. I think it's important to note that she's been using him as well, whether it was to maybe indirectly piss off Viserys, or more obviously, to strengthen her standing as heir. This is the moment where she realizes that he's more of a liability than a boon, and that the challenge of mentally sparring with him just isn't worth it anymore.

Caralynn: I love that Rhaenyra lays every single card out on the table here. She's had enough of Daemon and his games.

Palmer: It speaks volumes that his insult is instead that Viserys used her to get back at him, by naming her as the heir. Daemon still ultimately sees her as a pawn, rather than a player.

Ayomikun: Also, though I do believe both Aegon and Daemon want war for the wrong reasons, they're kind of right? Both sides are unwilling to give in at this point. This doesn't end without one side dying, so why aren't they already making more proactive plans to win?

Maybe this is partly selfish of me, trying to see some action, but I find it kind of comical that both sides basically created a civil war scenario and now are just like, "No, you start the war. No, you start it!"

My God, Criston is an idiot… aaaand now he's the Hand

Caralynn: Criston might be one of the most deeply unlikeable characters in the wider "Game of Thrones" universe, which is saying something.

Palmer: In many ways, Criston and Aegon are a perfect match. Two revenge-minded imbeciles made to plunge Westeros into chaos. Criston is so unlikeable, it's genuinely funny. Alicent at least has the decency to be completely wracked by her guilt, but Criston instead lashes out to blame Arryk for what is basically his own mistake.

Ayomikun: Criston and Aegon are really like that "It's always two dumb people telling each other exactlyyyyy" meme. They do not have a single smart thought between them. They're all action and vengeance and justice.

Caralynn: He has such a toxic male reaction to the guilt that he can't internalize it at all — he needs to project it outward. Good on Arryk though, for being like, "Well, where were you?" I thought Criston was going to bitch slap him at that point.

Eammon: Hilarious that the rest of the Kingsguard nope'd out when Criston started badgering him.

Palmer: Remember when Criston asked Rhaenyra to run away and like, trade oranges with him?

Caralynn: The scene with Arryk was very reminiscent of right before he beat Laenor's boyfriend to death. "There's a lot of things going on in my head that I refuse to have feelings about so instead… I'mma do a violence."

Palmer: Yeah, the man has deep-seated anger issues. But I think it's so funny, because Alicent has also been terrible for him, obviously. He was so wracked with guilt for sleeping with Rhaenyra all those years ago, and her spurning him clearly like, radicalized him. And now that he's in with Alicent, and loosely complicit in Jaehaerys' murder, he really has no path forward other than to Do This.

Caralynn: Aegon ousting Otto as Hand in favor of Criston is such a clear "OK, we've totally lost control of this situation" moment for Otto. It's silly and a little infuriating that Alicent is still insisting Aegon can be molded. This seems… unlikely?

Palmer: It's great to see Otto once again reaping the consequences of his actions. I love to see that man humbled (though I don't think he ever actually internalizes it).

Ayomikun: Otto was pushing the line a bit. disagreeing with the king is one thing, shouting about him being an idiot… like he's lucky Aegon idolizes him so much.

Caralynn: I did love the moment where Aegon says, "Well, Viserys named me his heir" and Otto says, "Is that what you think?" and laughs.

Palmer: It's definitely an emotional move, not an intelligent one.

Caralynn: I wonder if that little seed of doubt now planted in Aegon's head is gonna go anywhere. Or if that head is all just violence and vibes, no thoughts.

Palmer: His spite-fueled ego, probably.

Caralynn: Anyway, I'm looking forward to Criston making a bunch more dumb decisions in his official capacity as the Hand now.

Palmer: I'm sure he'll do great! No notes.

Ayomikun: Going back to Alicent and Criston for a second, it's interesting that both episodes end with a sex scene for them, but the circumstances are flipped. In episode one, Alicent is in charge completely and is on top during the scene. In episode two, Criston is now taking charge because he has reached the same station as her. I'm sure this will eventually cause conflict between those two.

Palmer: I do love how toxic and terrible they are for each other. Alicent beats him, and he's like, wow… that's hot.

Caralynn: One last thing I wanted to mention here — we finally got a shout-out to Viserys and Alicent's thus far unseen youngest son, Daeron! When Otto is telling Alicent he might go to Oldtown, he says Daeron is there and could be an asset to them. Maybe that means we'll finally see him sometime soon.

Criston's masterful gambit utterly fails — but Mysaria is so back

Palmer: Criston is so hot-headed he thought it was a good idea to send one guy on a suicide mission as penance for his brother defecting. Good work, man!

Caralynn: That Arryk v. Erryk fight scene was really well done.

Eammon: Absolutely brutal. Once again, people lower down the ladder are paying the price for the upper class's scheming.

Palmer: I think this is a great moment for Mysaria too, who has frankly been frustrating for me over the course of the show. It's not that I particularly dislike her character, but I feel like she's frequently deployed in irritating ways to make one-off points about the smallfolk.

But this is actually the first time I feel like we've really seen her make a decision — one that notably does not particularly serve her. It's fascinating to see her throw her lot in with Rhaenyra, but I think that Rhaenyra is also one of the first nobles to actually treat her with grace and respect by letting her go.

Caralynn: The Mysaria of it all was really interesting. I'm so curious to see her explain her motivations for stepping in, and where this leads her now. (And how it changes her relationship with Rhaenyra.)

Ayomikun: The fight was a truly brilliant scene, especially since we as the audience can't really tell which twin is which.

Caralynn: I was worried that only one twin would survive and that they'd do a whole prolonged "Is it an imposter?" thing. I don't think I could have handled an entire season of waiting for that foot to drop so I'm thankful they just had them both die, honestly.

Eammon: That would've been kinda interesting, but I've been burned with that plotline in other franchises… (Yes, "Spider-Man: The Clone Saga," I'm looking at you.)

Palmer: I will say, I am happy that my notes are no longer filled with "Arryk? Erryk? AERRYK?"

"House of the Dragon" season two airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and is streaming on Max.

• "House of the Dragon" has introduced Addam and Alyn of Hull, brothers affiliated with the Velaryon fleet. 
• In "Fire and Blood," the brothers are pivotal characters.
• Here's what happens to them in the books — and what may happen on the show.

Warning: Spoilers ahead for "House of the Dragon" season two, episode two, and for the book "Fire and Blood."

Another week, another new character introduction that you'd best not forget on "House of the Dragon."

Viewers met Alyn of Hull in episode one. Corlys Velaryon approaches Alyn, who gives him a report on the status of his ship. Alyn also presents Corlys with a dagger — one that Corlys commissioned as a gift for Lucerys, his now-deceased heir. But there's one more crucial piece of information Corlys gives us: Alyn was the one who saved his life, and Corlys feels that he owes him a debt.

In episode two, we meet Alyn's brother Addam, a shipwright from Hull working on the Velaryon fleet. Addam urges his brother to cash in on his favor from Corlys, and sail with him. Alyn reminds him that Corlys never offered.

"Do not be foolish, Alyn. To serve with the Sea Snake is to make your fortune. Had I such a chance, I would leap at it," Addam tells Alyn.

Alyn reminds his brother that there's a real, impending war. Addam thinks that Corlys owes Alyn (presumably for saving his life), but then cryptically adds that Corlys owes both of them.

The writers are telegraphing pretty hard that these are characters we'll see again — here's what happens to them in "Fire and Blood."

Major potential show spoilers ahead.

Addam of Hull becomes a dragon rider

In the events of "Fire and Blood," Jaecaerys Velaryon promises wealth to any man able to claim a dragon. Addam successfully claims Seasmoke, the former dragon of Laenor Velaryon, Rhaenyra's husband.

It's likely the show will go this route too; in episode two, Addam observes a pale dragon resembling Seasmoke flying above him as he picks up a crab on the beach. Pretty strong foreshadowing!

In the book, both Alyn and Addam are described as having silver hair and purple eyes, hallmarks of Valyrian descent. Their mother was a woman named Marilda, who gave birth to Addam when she was 16, and Alyn when she was 18. Both of her sons served on her fleet of ships.

Marilda claimed that her sons were Laenor Velaryon's bastards. But Mushroom, who provides one of the historical accounts referenced in "Fire and Blood," posits that Corlys was their father instead. After Addam successfully bonded with Seasmoke, Corlys asked Rhaenyra to legitimize him as a Velaryon. She did so, making Addam Velaryon the heir to Driftmark.

As a dragonrider, Addam played a crucial part in the war. He eventually helped to claim King's Landing for Rhaenyra, and defended it while Daemon sought out Aemond and Vhagar.

Later in the war, Addam's fate is loosely tied to that of the other dragon riders, some of whom betray Rhaenyra. Eventually, he and Seasmoke die in a dragon fight.

Alyn of Hull becomes Corlys Velaryon's heir

After failing to locate the wild dragon Grey Ghost, Alyn unsuccessfully tried to claim another dragon called Sheepstealer. He was wounded in the process when Sheepstealer set his cloak aflame, but Addam and Seasmoke saved him.

Later, Corlys asserted that both Alyn and Adam were Velaryons, and suitable heirs to his throne. After Rhaenyra's death, and with Corlys sequestered in King's Landing, Alyn assumed control of the Velaryon fleet.

Eventually, Alyn became Corlys' chosen heir. After Corlys' death, he became the new Lord of the Tides, and eventually wed Baela Targaryen.

• Taylor Swift brought Travis Kelce to the stage during a London Eras Tour show on Sunday.
• Kelce, clad in a tuxedo and top hat, carried Swift during "I Can Do It With a Broken Heart."
• Engagement rumors have intensified recently for the pair, who've been dating since last summer.

Taylor Swift surprised her London fans on Sunday by bringing her boyfriend, Travis Kelce, onstage during her performance at Wembley Stadium.

Kelce, wearing a tuxedo and top hat, carried Swift across the stage during her outfit change for the song "I Can Do It With a Broken Heart."

Adoring fans went wild as a video posted on X by journalist Brian Hernandez shows.

The pair, dating since the summer of 2023, have faced increasing engagement rumors, intensified by Kelce's outfit and Swift's bridal white ensemble.

"That's husband for sure," one commenter wrote on X under a video of the pair dancing together onstage.

The London leg of Swift's Eras Tour has attracted high-profile fans, including Prince William — whose family snapped a selfie with the pop star on Saturday — as well as "Top Gun" star Tom Cruise and "Barbie" director Greta Gerwig.

Swift's presence in the UK has prompted a similar economic boom to her US shows, sending hotel room rates skyrocketing and injecting more than a billion dollars into the local economy, Business Insider previously reported.

• US prosecutors recommended the DOJ file federal criminal charges against Boeing, Reuters reported.
• In May, officials found the company violated a 2021 settlement agreement related to two fatal crashes.
• The DOJ has until July 7 to decide whether to charge Boeing.

US prosecutors have recommended that the Justice Department file federal criminal charges against Boeing for violating the terms of a 2021 settlement related to two fatal crashes, Reuters reported, citing two sources familiar with the matter.

In May, officials found that Boeing had violated the terms of a 2021 settlement related to two fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019. The $2.5 billion settlement deferred prosecution against the company, shielding Boeing from allegations it had defrauded the Federal Aviation Administration as long as it adhered to strict compliance regulations.

After officials determined Boeing had violated the terms of the agreement — which Boeing denies, per Reuters — prosecution was back on the table.

Reuters reported that the DOJ has until July 7 to decide whether to charge Boeing, and officials are not guaranteed to move forward with charges despite the recommendation from prosecutors. The outlet also reported that the DOJ could extend the terms of the existing settlement or propose new, stricter terms.

Business Insider previously reported that the families of the 346 victims of the two 737 Max crashes in 2018 and 2019 are calling for the planemaker to pay a fine of nearly $25 billion.

Representatives for Boeing and the DOJ did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Business Insider.

• Nadia Rose and her partner, Steve Willis, left Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in 2022 to move to Bali, Indonesia.
• One of the biggest struggles they faced was giving up big city comforts for island living.
• Over time, they learned to be more fluid and embraced the island's slower pace of life.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Nadia Rose, a 31-year-old feminine embodiment guide and creative director in Bali. She also runs a YouTube channel with her partner, Steve Willis, about their life on the island. This essay has been edited for length and clarity.

My partner, Steve, and I moved to Bali two years ago, in July 2022.

I grew up in Malaysia and started my career working in fashion in Kuala Lumpur. While living in the capital, I met Steve, who had moved over from Sydney to work in education in 2015.

After dating for a month, we decided to live together. We started in his apartment and found a better-located one-bedroom service apartment six months later. We were in the heart of the city, near the botanical garden, and happily called it home for six years.

That's when I suggested the move to Bali. I had been running my own digital content business on the side for 8 years and working at a women's retreat company. I've always been passionate about empowering women, and those retreats opened up a whole new world to me.

I wanted to meet like-minded women and build a community with coaches who I could learn from. I wanted a new challenge, and Bali seemed like a place ripe with creative opportunities.

We were drawn to Bali because it was an international hub between Kuala Lumpur and Sydney, where our families lived. We also really wanted to connect with nature, especially after the pandemic.

Since Steve was also looking to make a career switch, it felt like the right time for us to start the next phase of our lives.

So we took the plunge. Looking back, it was a quick process: We made the decision in January 2022, and six months later, we were in Bali.

The possibilities ahead of us felt boundless, and we couldn't wait to explore new sides of ourselves. In hindsight, it took us longer to find our footing than we expected.

We jumped in and tried to learn how things worked

The bureaucratic stuff was tough, and we soon realized there was no how-to manual. We ended up learning everything the hard way.

For instance, we were used to having our bill payments automated. In Bali, we paid them in person for a few months before we finally learned how to do it online.

We missed the convenience of our service apartment, which had an amazing gym and easy access to public transport.

In Australia, it's easy to walk everywhere. In Malaysia, we could also jump into a car, but here, although it looks like you can walk to your destination, there are hardly any sidewalks. You have to hop on a motorbike to get around, and it took us 10 months before we could get our own.

The challenges we faced trying to get used to our new lives started adding up.

We even had health concerns because mold was growing in the house we leased. After three doctor visits and one hospital visit, we had to travel back to KL before we finally got a diagnosis.

Being surrounded by overwhelming change daily was draining and distracted us from enjoying the process. It didn't help that we were our own biggest critics.

We didn't celebrate ourselves enough for the milestones we achieved during our move

Looking back, we were too focused on getting our lives in Bali started right away. Quitting our jobs and leaving our homes were huge risks, and we were determined to ensure that we'd made the right decision.

But slowly, over the last two years, living in Bali has taught us to go with the flow more.

Coming from cities, we're used to efficiency and getting things done quickly. But here, you just have to lean back and allow things to unravel in their own time. Even the never-ending traffic.

We've also realized that we weren't alone.

Many others I've spoken to in Bali are experiencing similar challenges of building a life and career here while transitioning from a 9-to-5 schedule. After all, having a routine was a huge part of life in the city.

Life in Bali constantly challenges us to grow. It feels like we're different people every quarter. And at the end of each day, we're glad we made the move.

• Yun-Yu Lin's career evolved from semiconductor engineer to senior product manager at Google.
• Lin's résumé strategy emphasizes customizing by career level and segregating applications.
• His résumé helped him secure roles at Meta, Visa, PayPal, and Google.

In his 18-year tech career, Yun-Yu Lin changed careers three times.

As a computer science graduate in Taiwan, getting into the semi-conductor industry was a natural path.

He spent nearly five years as an engineer at a Taiwanese chipmaking company before realizing hardware was not his passion. He shifted to work as a software engineer at Yahoo in 2011, where he first saw a product manager in action and was inspired to take up the role down the line.

Three years into Yahoo, he craved a change and decided to explore a career in a new country.

"I was like: okay, maybe I can relocate to a different country or even try to be a PM myself," Lin told Business Insider.

He moved to the US to pursue a MBA at the University of Southern California and landed a data science role at Meta after graduation.

After three years at Meta, he remembered his long-held goal of getting into product management.

In 2018, he joined Visa as a data platform product manager. Over the next five years, Lin worked at PayPal and then Google, where he is a senior product manager.

Throughout his career journey in the US, he has been updating one résumé he first created as an MBA student.

This is the résumé that landed Lin his roles at Meta, Visa, and PayPal, and, in 2022, a $350,000 annual pay package at Google. The pay includes a base salary and restricted stock units.

Looking back on the résumé he created in 2015, Lin said there are four components of the document that worked in his favor.

1. Connect the dots

As Lin looked for jobs in different countries and industries, and changed roles from engineer to data scientist to product manager, he tried to highlight a common thread between his experiences.

"I'm always trying to look back, trying to find the right intersection — what I can leverage from my past experience," he said. "I was always focused on one specific domain, which is data."

2. Customize according to career level

It is important for résumés' structures to evolve, said Lin.

"When I just graduated from school, I didn't have much experience with real work, so I tried to put my school education higher," he said.

In recent years, he pushed his education to the bottom and replaced it with his most recent job.

He also changed how much he emphasized each role. When he applied to Meta in 2015, he described his roles at Yahoo and Sunplus in three to four bullet points. Now, "my first company, Surplus Technology, it's basically just one sentence."

3. Additional information section

This section at the bottom of Lin's résumé serves two purposes, he said.

First, he uses it to show additional capabilities or certifications that companies don't expect from product managers, but which he has because of his diverse experiences.

Second, the section is his way of tailoring to the job description.

"If you see any specific call out that may be unique for the position or for the company, then you certainly need to find a correlation — add either a certificate or any previous class you have studied into your résumé to do a little bit of customization."

4. Segregate your applications

As an immigrant in the US, Lin knew that he would have to apply for many roles to find one that could sponsor a work visa.

"As a candidate, your biggest enemy is time," he said. When he applied for jobs as an MBA he devised a system to categorize every opportunity into one of three tiers and changed his résumé in different ways.

"Tier one is about 20 to 30 different positions that I really, really want," Lin said. For these companies, he customized not only the "additional information" section but also the bullet points under work experience.

"Tier two is about 30 to 50 positions. They're highly correlated to the tier one positions, but maybe the company or the industry is not my top tier, but I will still take it if I get lucky enough to get out to get the offer," he said. "I don't have so much time to really customize every single tier two application — so that's the type when I customize only 'additional information.'"

Tier three includes the remaining 200-300 positions, which Lin saw as relevant but more of a plan B.

"I pretty much just use one single résumé to apply for all the tier three positions."

Lin is now a senior product manager at Google's San Francisco office. BI has verified his employment and compensation history.