Tag: News

• Google has recently undergone its largest-ever spree of layoffs, and has warned of more to come.
• Google's layoffs came from over-hiring during the pandemic and broadly restructuring toward AI.
• The job cuts have led to criticism of Google's leadership and a shift in the company culture.

Getting a job at Google has long been synonymous with a stable career and luxurious perks. The tech giant is known for providing its employees with generous salaries and lavish amenities like on-site laundry rooms, massages, and gyms at the Googleplex headquarters and other office sites.

Over the last 25 years, the company has built a culture of pride among its employees and has undergone few rounds of layoffs. But recent years show that Google is far from immune to the economic pressures and workforce adjustments in the tech industry.

Google is one of many tech companies to implement layoffs in 2023 and 2024. Here is a timeline of Google's job cuts and where the company is headed with layoffs and hiring.

Google laid off over 12,000 employees in 2023

Google layoffs in 2023 affected about 6% of the company's global workforce, or about 12,000 people, starting in January.

Google also conducted several smaller rounds of layoffs in divisions related to recruiting, Google News, and Google Assistant later in the year.

The tech giant paid staff during the 60-day minimum federal notification period, severance of at least 16 weeks salary, and two weeks for each additional year at the company.

Laid-off employees were also offered accelerated restricted stock units vesting, 2022 bonuses, and remaining vacation days. Google also offered six months of healthcare, job replacement services, and immigration support if needed.

The layoffs affected Google's earnings, costing the company $2.1 billion, according to the fourth-quarter report from parent company Alphabet.

Hundreds more were laid off in January 2024

Google layoffs kicked off 2024 also, beginning January 10. The company cut thousands of jobs across core engineering and hardware teams.

The company encouraged some impacted employees to apply for open positions at Google. According to the email, April 9 was the last day for those unable to secure a new position.

Google did not respond to Business Insider's inquiries about how many of those employees have found new positions at the company.

More layoffs are coming in 2024

In January, CEO Sundar Pichai warned of more Google layoffs in 2024.

The upcoming cuts, he said in an internal memo to employees, are about "removing layers to simplify execution and drive velocity in some areas."

The "role eliminations" would not reach the same scale as 2023. Teams in sales, advertising, product, and in the YouTube division are set to be impacted by the cuts.

Future changes can be expected as teams take steps to focus on the company's priorities. These decisions will be made at the team level.

Google did not specify the number of jobs that would be affected.

Why so many job cuts in 2023 and 2024?

Google's layoffs aren't necessarily a signal that the company isn't doing well. The company's market cap has nearly quadrupled since 2015, reaching $1.7 trillion.

Like many other tech companies, the layoffs are rooted in two main areas: over-hiring during the pandemic and restructuring for the AI boom.

In his 2023 layoff announcement, Pichai said the company experienced "dramatic growth" over the last two years. To match that growth, Google hired "for a different economic reality than the one we face today," he said.

"A number of our teams made changes to become more efficient and work better, remove layers, and align their resources to their biggest product priorities," a Google spokesperson told BI.

The spokesperson said the changes give employees a chance to work on Google's most innovative advances while reducing bureaucracy, which 45% of employees said was slowing down their work in a 2023 companywide survey reviewed by BI.

Google continues to hire talent, even amid the layoffs, and currently has a number of open listings on its site, most of which are in engineering and technology.

But it's clear Google is shifting priorities — the main one is advancing AI.

With 80% of Google's parent company Alphabet's revenue still coming from advertising, the company is at a critical inflection point of solidifying other revenue sources.

Google has been developing AI for over a decade, slowly incorporating it into its search engine, ad products, and YouTube recommendations.

But Google has still trailed behind competitors like Microsoft and Amazon, particularly when it comes to Google's chatbot Gemini and AI voice assistant Google Mic.

Now, Google is ramping up its AI efforts with a series of cloud advancements, like an Arm-based CPU, the general availability of TPU v5p, the new release of Gemini 1.5, and a swath of AI changes to Google Workspace.

Pichai admits Google could have handled its layoffs better

Leaked audio from a Google's all-hands meeting in December 2023 revealed Pichai saying it was not the best idea to inform all employees impacted by the layoffs simultaneously.

"I think it's something we could have done differently for sure," he said.

He also said the decision to cut off access to work accounts immediately after announcing the cuts was very difficult.

Google continues to support impacted employees in line with local requirements outplacement services, and severance offerings in its most recent round of layoffs. Specific details like severance vary by role and location.

A shift in company culture

As of its last earnings call, Alphabet has over 182,000 employees globally. And some of those employees say Google's year of efficiency has shifted the company culture at Google.

After thousands have been laid off in the last two years, some employees are questioning the family-like culture the company preached.

Pichai has acknowledged that the layoffs had a "clear big impact on morale," which was reflected in feedback and comments on the "Googlegeist," the company's internal survey that measures employee satisfaction.

Most Google employees are still proud to work at the tech giant, according to over three-quarters of respondents from a 2023 companywide survey obtained by Business Insider.

But some are pushing back.

One Google software engineer, Diane Hirsh Theriault, even took to LinkedIn in January to complain about the company's leadership, referring to its management as "profoundly boring and glassy-eyed."

Another ex-Googler wrote a letter on his blog in 2023 slamming the company. The former employee said Google lacked visionary leadership and was destroying transparency between staff and executives.

The Alphabet Workers Union also planned protests in January at five Google campuses across the US to challenge Google's rationale in decision-making.

Pichai has also received criticism for his leadership.

After Gemini's image generator released inaccurate racial depictions of historical figures in 2024, industry leaders called for Pichai's removal as Google's CEO.

Many critics, including industry experts, laid-off Googlers, and even some of Google's very first employees, have assailed Pichai's pace in the AI race and called for him to step down because he hasn't acted quickly enough.

• iMessage, FaceTime, and HomeKit experienced outages for nearly an hour Thursday afternoon.
• The outages, rare for Apple services, affected many users from 2:49 pm to 3:35 pm PT.
• Android users mocked the iMessage outage, highlighting the ongoing Apple-Google rivalry.

You texted her and she didn't reply. Like, for a whole 30 minutes.

Don't worry. iMessage went down for almost an hour, so it's not you.

It's Apple.

On Thursday afternoon, the tech giant posted on its System Status dashboard that "Users were unable to use" iMessage, along with FaceTime and HomeKit.

The outages lasted from 2:49 p.m. to 3:35 p.m. Pacific Time, according to the update from Apple.

"apple ruining relationships by turning off iMessage," @onlydioria posted on X during the technical trouble.

It's extremely unusual for iMessage to go down like this. The service has become an integral part of the social fabric of the US, with teens who don't have iPhones agonizing over their green text bubbles not showing up properly in group messages.

Google, the company behind the Android smartphone platform, has been trying to coax Apple into scrapping this stressful form of social stigma. But, you know, blue bubbles sell iPhones, so no dice. Even the DOJ in it's antitrust lawsuit against Apple, zeroed in on the green vs. blue bubble stigma.

This didn't stop some Android phone users from mocking the iMessage outage on Thursday.

"imessage is down. embrace the green bubble," Phillip Lewis wrote on X.

Or, you could just try WhatsApp, which the rest of the world uses easily. That works on both iOS and Android. Incredible. It's like living in the future.

• OpenAI and Google each held major events this week announcing AI updates, one day apart.
• Sam Altman said he "cannot stop thinking" about the aesthetic difference between Google and OpenAI.
• The post led a Google engineer to call out Altman for timing OpenAI's event just before Google's.

Sam Altman isn't afraid to stir the pot a bit in the AI race, and his latest post took aim at Google.

OpenAI and Google held their biggest events of the year so far, a day apart from each other — and AI was the theme of both.

OpenAI announced its new flagship AI model, GPT-4o, which "can reason across audio, vision, and text in real time." A day later, Google announced various updates to its AI models — including a new AI agent called "Project Astra," and the future of Google Search.

But instead of coming after Google's AI offerings, Altman threw some shade at Google's aesthetic. The CEO posted a side-by-side image on X, formerly Twitter, of OpenAI's event with Google I/O next to it.

"I try not to think about competitors too much, but I cannot stop thinking about the aesthetic difference between OpenAI and Google," he wrote.

On the left, OpenAI researchers are sitting on a couch in dim lighting trying out the new GPT-4o in a vaguely midcentury modern office space. On the right, Google's vast outdoor stage almost resembles a movie set. The image shows a small crowd in front of a brightly lit stage with fake windows and clouds, and Google's famous rainbow colors on the wall behind it.

Altman's point is clear: OpenAI's event looks sleeker and more intimate, while Google looks like a large-scale production.

The general structure and style of both events also differed. Google's event was nearly two hours long and featured music looper Marc Rebillet of TikTok and YouTube fame warming up the crowd with the help of AI. OpenAI's was under 30 minutes and held in its offices.

Google I/O featured over half a dozen speakers, including CEO Sundar Pichai, who opened the event and spoke again at its closing. Meanwhile, OpenAI only had a few speakers and Sam Altman never made an appearance in the livestream.

At least one Google employee was quick to clap back at the OpenAI CEO.

Less than two hours after Altman's post on X, Zachary Nado, whose profile lists him as a research engineer at Google Brain, posted a response. The Googler wrote that, for a CEO who claims he doesn't think about competitors much, it's "interesting how all your launches are timed with ours then."

Touché.

Of course, it's also worth noting that Google tried to have the last laugh 30 minutes before OpenAI kicked off its event, posting a demo video of Google's own AI agent and its impressive image recognition.

While the Google engineer said that he was just "bantering" and has a lot of respect for OpenAI researchers, the back-and-forth highlights the rivalry between the two companies as they race to create the top AI products.

OpenAI may not have announced a search engine at its event on Monday, but it's reportedly in the works of creating its own web search product. Meanwhile, Google is in the process of improving its Gemini AI suite, which has trailed behind OpenAI's ChatGPT — but has quickly gained market share.

• Second Lt. Madison Marsh juggles duties as an active-duty US Air Force officer and Miss America.
• In January, the 22-year-old became the first active-duty service member to be crowned Miss America.
• She is now pursuing her master's degree at Harvard and assisting in pancreatic cancer research.

Madison Marsh has had a whirlwind few months balancing her duties as a US Air Force officer and Miss America.

In January, the 22-year-old Arkansas native became the first active-duty US Air Force officer to compete in — and win — the national pageant competition.

Fort Smith homecoming

Marsh returned to her hometown of Fort Smith, Arkansas, over the weekend, welcomed with a homecoming parade. She also visited local schools — including her old middle and high school — to talk about her journey to the Miss America stage from those very halls.

"I mean, I've been saying all day that winning Miss America has never been about me," Marsh said, according to local news station KHBS. "It's been about the people that are in my community, who have backed me and the people that we can impact."

"And so, if I can hopefully open up the mind of another young woman or another young man to chase their dreams, to do something different, then it's a job well [done]," she continued. "And I'm so extremely lucky to have the position that I have."

Air Force officer, pageant winner, and now Harvard student

Over the span of a year, Marsh graduated from the US Air Force Academy with a degree in physics, was crowned Miss Colorado and later Miss America, and earned a full-ride scholarship to Harvard University.

Marsh earned her civilian pilot's license at 16, which inspired her to apply to USAFA. After she received her commission as a second lieutenant, she was selected for the flight school pipeline to become a military pilot.

However, Marsh decided to defer flight school last September to pursue a master's degree in public policy at Harvard Kennedy School.

Advocate for pancreatic cancer research

She also works as a graduate intern at Harvard Medical School, working with researchers at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute on the early detection of pancreatic cancer using artificial intelligence.

Her mother died from pancreatic cancer in 2018, just nine months after her diagnosis, which led Marsh to become an advocate for patient care and research through the Whitney Marsh Foundation, the nonprofit her family founded after her mom's death.

"We are leaps and bounds ahead of where we were when my mom was diagnosed five years ago, and I think that speaks volumes to the type of strides we're making across the entire pancreatic cancer community," Marsh told Healthline in an interview.

A future in public policy

Marsh said she hopes to apply insights gained from her Harvard research toward shaping public policy at Capitol Hill that will better support patients.

"Now I understand the science side and [how to ask] medical professionals, 'What do you think needs to be done for patients, and how can we get that done through legislation?'" Marsh said at a United Service Organizations event on Capitol Hill in February. "Because through Harvard, even though I only got to do one semester there, I have learned that it is really easy to make bad policy."

"I think the best way to making good policy is by intimately understanding from the source — with patients — and intimately understanding that scientifically so we're enacting it properly," she added. "Now that I have all of those communities able to give me that knowledge, I'm really excited to get to use that piece to come forward here on the Hill and maybe get some things done."

Balancing active duty with pageant duty

Marsh is taking the rest of the year off from her degree and research to focus on her commitments with the Air Force and Miss America. To coincide with her pageant duties, the Air Force kept Marsh on active duty by assigning her to a public affairs and recruiting position.

"The Air Force has been really, really wonderful with me," Marsh said. "Basically, anytime I go and do Miss America events, I'm also giving back to the Air Force to ensure people know about the message of what it means to serve as 2nd Lt. Marsh — the different ways that they can get involved in the military, whether it be in the Air Force or other branches or different jobs."

Never the same day at work

The 22-year-old certainly has her hands full as she travels to a new city every few days to make a public appearance or attend events for both the Air Force and Miss America, some of which may vary greatly from each other.

"One event may include putting on my [Air Force] uniform to speak to classrooms of students about what it means to serve our country," she said, according to Dayton Daily News, "and 10 minutes later, I could be changing into something like this," referring her black jumper, high heels, tiara, and Miss America sash, "to attend a speaking event or the Super Bowl."

'Put me in coach!'

But Marsh's professional sports cameos aren't just limited to the NFL. Earlier this week, Marsh threw the first pitch at the Mets baseball game at Citi Field in New York.

"Put me in coach!" Marsh wrote in an Instagram post after the game. "Grateful for the military community and the team at the Mets that made this happen!"

A day in the life of an Air Force cadet

In February, Marsh and 27 fellow state delegates visited her alma mater, the US Air Force Academy, to tour the facilities. Delegates experienced a day in the life of an Air Force cadet, flying flight simulators, packing parachutes, and sitting in a TG-16A glider.

"My Miss America class was floored by the entire experience," Marsh said in an article published by USAFA's Strategic Communication office. "They truly got the whole cadet experience — dorm tours, flight simulators, hopping in planes, eating with cadets, and more. I really couldn't have thought of a better day to show them my home."

Mike Peterson, outreach division director for USAFA's Strategic Communications office, said he hopes the visit will inspire the Miss America delegates to promote the academy in their home states.

"We're hoping that one of the things that the delegates will talk about is how they participated in Miss America's homecoming at her college, the US Air Force Academy," Peterson said. "They are going to represent their states for the rest of their lives. We hope they will continue to spread the word about the Academy and their positive experience here."

'I serve as 2nd Lt. Marsh, and I serve as Miss America simultaneously'

By serving in both crown and uniform, Marsh said she hopes to empower young women to lead in any space, regardless of any gendered misconceptions.

"I hope that women are able to see that they can define their own role in the military — whether they want to take it in the more feminine path or not — knowing that they are empowered to make that decision," Marsh told DOD News in February. "I hope young girls can see that you can lead in the military, or you can lead in a board room, in the courthouse, in medical boardrooms — whatever it might be — and you can be taken seriously.

"Whether I'm in a crown and sash or whether I'm in my uniform, I serve as 2nd Lt. Marsh, and I serve as Miss America simultaneously, and they do not take away from one another."

• The US and its allies are focused on preventing a Chinese invasion of Taiwan. 
• A new report argues there's a lack of readiness for other ways China could take control of Taiwan.
• An aggressive Chinese coercion campaign is far more likely than an invasion and already happening, experts warn.

With the US and its allies focused on what a Chinese invasion of Taiwan could look like, and how American forces could defend Taiwan if necessary, they're missing a glaring alternative strategy China could employ to capture Taiwan, a new report argues.

Defense experts say that an aggressive Chinese coercion campaign, short of war but still threatening, is more likely than a full-scale invasion and the US needs to prepare for such an event.

A new report co-authored by war experts from the American Enterprise Institute and the Institute for the Study of War explores a scenario where China undergoes a "coercion campaign that remains far short of invasion but nevertheless brings Taiwan under Beijing's control," identifying such an event as a "significant gap in US strategic thought."

Elements of such a campaign are already underway and include China's military exercises both in the Taiwan Strait and around the island, which are growing in scale and raising worries about escalation. Economic and diplomatic pressure is notable, and Chinese misinformation operations and the potential to slowly set up a blockade of Taiwan are also concerns.

The increasing Chinese military presence around Taiwan, the report says, could exhaust and overwhelm Taiwan's military and fuel a narrative that it is unable to defend the island, decreasing "trust in the military and feelings of security among the Taiwanese populace."

The report identifies four things key to resisting Chinese coercion. The first is a US-Taiwanese strategic relationship that foregoes concerns that "cooperation directly precipitates further escalation, whereas peace and prosperity are just around the corner if this partnership is halted."

Second, Taiwan's government must function despite Chinese efforts to undermine it in the eyes of the Taiwanese people through things like "economic warfare, cyber warfare, sabotage, rigorous (and pseudo-legal) inspections of ships carrying goods to Taiwan, air and sea closures, electronic warfare, and propaganda critical of government mismanagement."

These efforts include significantly degrading Taiwan's essential services, like clean water and electricity.

The third point is that Taiwanese people must resist Chinese "cognitive and psychological campaigns" aimed at breaking their rejection of the Chinese government, including "intimidating supporters of resistance, sowing doubt and fear among the population, and generating demands to trade political concessions for peace."

And lastly, there has to be resistance against "widespread information campaigns" that "aim to decrease the US public's and political leadership's willingness to support Taiwan." Such campaigns are already occurring, prompting anxiety that the US public and government may see getting involved in defending Taiwan as heightening risks of war at a significant cost with little to gain. The AEI and ISW experts argue that is not the case.

Notably, the report says that "Taiwan is strategically vital to the larger US-led coalition to contain" China, arguing that a US-friendly Taiwan links America's allies in the northwestern Pacific with US partners and allies to the south."

A China-controlled Taiwan, however, "would become a springboard for further PRC aggression and would seriously compromise the US-led coalition's ability to operate cohesively."

The authors of the new report present coordinated actions China could pursue to prompt Taiwan and its partners to accept reunification, referring to it as a "short-of-war coercion course of action."

Some of Beijing's biggest problems are Taiwanese resistance to China, which continues to grow, especially after the historic election of Democratic Progressive Party candidate Lai Ching-te, who is currently the vice president, in January, and continued support from the US and its regional allies.

The new report looks at a hypothetical timeline that begins with the inauguration of Lai this month and leads into 2028, imaging how China and Taiwan could, by that point, come to a "peace" agreement. China could ultimately be successful in such a campaign, the authors say, if the US and its allies fail to recognize Beijing's coercive tactics or strategically plan to deter them.

The US must clearly "recognize the possibility and danger of a coercion campaign that is far more intense than the one currently ongoing against Taiwan and develop ways to prevent Taiwan's isolation through means short of war," they write.

The report's authors argue that "increased efforts in the information domain will be key to ensuring that the US government and friendly international audiences do not fall prey to [Chinese] information operations intended to reshape the way Americans and key international actors think."

US-Taiwanese relations and concerns about an aggressive China in the Pacific region are often at the forefront of the minds of US officials and experts, but the focus is frequently on hard power elements, even if there is recognition of some of the coercive aspects of Chinese behavior.

In March, US Navy Adm. John Aquilano, then the commander of US Indo-Pacific Command, stressed that China was pursuing a massive military build-up not seen since World War II and "all indications" pointed to it "meeting President Xi Jinping's directive to be ready to invade Taiwan by 2027." He also told the US Armed Services House Committee China's actions indicated it would ready to unify Taiwan by force, if necessary.

Aquilano urged lawmakers to intensify the US' military development and posturing in the Pacific in order to deter such a fight.

And, earlier this month, over a dozen US lawmakers wrote to US Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro and Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall, raising concerns about what preparations were being made to harden the US presence in the Pacific and deter military action from China.

Of the lawmakers' concerns, the most prominent appeared to be the lack of active and passive defenses protecting US bases in the area, specifically on Guam and in Japan. "We are concerned about the alarming lack of urgency by the Department of Defense in adopting such defensive measures," they wrote, adding that "it is apparent that the Pentagon is not urgently pursuing needed passive defenses" to harden US bases and airfields from a vicious, preemptive strike by China's threatening missile force.

• OpenAI and Reddit are teaming up together in a new partnership.
• Reddit's content will help train OpenAI's models, the companies announced Thursday.
• Reddit, meanwhile, gains a new advertising partner in OpenAI. 

OpenAI and Reddit announced a new partnership on Thursday in a move that will bring the social media platform's popular content to ChatGPT.

The mutually beneficial deal will help Reddit to further diversify its revenue streams and give OpenAI more data to better train its AI models.

"OpenAI will bring enhanced Reddit content to ChatGPT and new products, helping users discover and engage with Reddit communities," the companies said in a joint statement.

OpenAI will also gain access to Reddit's Data API, which will enable the company's AI tools to "better understand and showcase Reddit content, especially on recent topics," according to the announcement.

Reddit, meanwhile, will gain a new advertising partner in OpenAI. The value of the deal was not disclosed.

The news sent Reddit shares soaring $12 in extended trade, Reuters reported.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, who holds a sizable stake in Reddit, already reaped a windfall earlier this year when the company went public in March. The Thursday announcement included a disclosure of Altman's shareholder status, confirming the partnership was led by OpenAI's COO and approved by its independent board of directors.

This is a breaking story. Check back for updates.

• Former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen spent his third day on the stand in the NY hush money trial.
• As his testimony droned on, the real show was outside, where political stunts were plentiful.
• There were penis-shaped balloons, and chants of "Beetlejuice!" during a speech by Lauren Boebert.

It was just after noon when giant, agitprop penises began flying past the sooty limestone facade of the criminal court in Manhattan.

It was just one of the political pranks seen outside the hush-money trial Thursday — and it was a heck-of-a-lot more interesting than the testimony droning on inside.

Up on the 15th floor, Donald Trump was on trial for falsifying business records. Key prosecution witness and former Trump attorney Michael Cohen calmly batted away a second day of defense questions about his honesty and motives.

But on the street right outside the front doors, a prankster tried to release dozens of pro-Trump helium balloons from the back of a U-Haul truck.

He managed to send only a dozen or so sailing slowly skyward before court officers ordered him to cut it out.

The balloons were shiny and pink, and bore images of judges and prosecutors who have offended Donald Trump over the past two years, including special prosecutor Jack Smith and the hush-money judge, New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan.

Others depicted Alvin Bragg, the Manhattan district attorney who won the felony indictment now on trial.

There were anti-Trump antics outside court on Thursday as well.

At one point, hecklers yelled "Beetlejuice" at Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado, and one tried to hand her a copy of a "Beetlejuice The Musical" playbill to autograph.

They were not trying to summon Michael Keaton's famous character, but rather trolling the Trump ally over her now-infamous episode, in which she was kicked out of a Colorado production of the "Beetlejuice" musical after being loud and getting handsy with her date.

She later apologized for her actions at the theater.

Republican members of the far-right House Freedom Caucus became the latest group of loyal Trump followers to mount an al fresco show of support for the former president.

Their presence is about more than just loyalty. As Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida outlined, they can attack witnesses in ways Trump cannot due to his gag order. Merchan has threatened to jail Trump if he runs afoul of the order again.

"We're here of our own volition because there are things we can say that President Trump is unjustly not allowed to say," Gaetz told reporters.

By day's end on Thursday, one deflated penis balloon had switched sides.

It wound up as part of a "Convict Trump" sign being waved outside the nearby federal courthouse, where another jury had just heard opening statements in the corruption trial of Sen. Robert Menendez, a Democrat from New Jersey.

Other political protests around the courthouse have been more muted during the trial's five weeks. (Testimony may conclude as early as Monday, the judge said Thursday.)

Pro-Trump crowds there rarely exceeded 50 people.

But that was not the case on Thursday, when even the trash cans were themed.

• Ukraine's Western allies have promised to send it more long-range missiles.
• Kyiv has already demonstrated it can use ATACMS and Storm Shadows to hit high-value Russian targets.
• Former US military officers say more of these missiles will expose Russia on the battlefield.

NATO countries are outfitting Ukraine with additional long-range precision missiles that have already been used by the country to strike Russian airfields, naval headquarters, bridges, and other high-value targets.

These Western-provided missiles give Ukraine's deep-strike capability a major firepower boost. Former US military officers told Business Insider that the munitions could help Kyiv go after locations that are essential to Russia's operations, and leave its combat and support forces with "nowhere to hide."

Ukraine is facing Russian offensives that may get more intense going into the summer, but these weapons could help hamstring Moscow's efforts.

"If you're worried about Russian forces overrunning your defenses, you want to go after the headquarters and you want to go after the logistics that would enable Russian attacks," said Ben Hodges, a retired lieutenant general and former commander of US Army Europe.

The US last month acknowledged that it had secretly shipped Ukraine a number of MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile Systems, also known as ATACMS — earlier this spring as part of a $300 million weapons package it announced in March. The number of missiles isn't publicly known, but ATACMS missiles average about $1.3 million each.

Jake Sullivan, the Biden administration's national security advisor, said in late April that the US would send Ukraine more ATACMS after passing a $61 billion aid package that spent months held up by Republicans in Congress. The legislation required that Washington transfer the munitions.

ATACMS are tactical ballistic missiles that come in several variants. Ukraine previously received ones that have a range of 100 miles and can disperse nearly 1,000 submunitions over a large area, making them particularly damaging to airfields. Last fall, Kyiv used the missiles for that exact purpose.

The US also has ATACMS that can travel up to 190 miles; one variant has a unitary warhead, while the other can scatter some 300 submunitions. Ukraine has long pressed Washington for these extended-range missiles, though it's unclear what Kyiv has actually obtained.

Around the same time, in late April, the UK announced it would send Ukraine additional Storm Shadow cruise missiles as part of the country's largest-ever weapons package (£500 million, or $633 million), which included over 1,600 strike and air-defense munitions.

Days later, Britain's defense minister Grant Shapps disclosed for the first time that Italy had, at some point, also supplied Kyiv with Storm Shadow cruise missiles (France has sent Kyiv its own version of the munition called SCALP-EG).

These air-dropped missiles can fly at low altitudes to avoid detection and have been used to strike Russian naval headquarters and vehicle-repair depots in the occupied Crimean peninsula. Their 155-mile range puts them in between the ATACMS variants.

It's unclear exactly how many ATACMS and Storm Shadow missiles have already arrived in Ukraine this spring, nor is it known how many more the country can expect to receive in the coming weeks as it tries to stall Russia's momentum on the ground. Kyiv previously obtained a limited number of both munitions from the US and its European allies.

A larger arsenal of missiles could strip Russia of its ability to stage crucial assets within 100 miles of the front lines, said Dan Rice, a former US Army artillery officer who previously served as a special advisor to Ukrainian military leadership. "That puts tremendous pressure on all of their key high-value targets."

"You have a 600-mile front and then you've got a hundred miles deep — where do you hide everything?" said Rice, a longtime advocate for sending cluster munitions to Ukraine and now the president of American University Kyiv. "Your transportation nodes, your railway stations, your supply depots, command and control — most importantly, your anti-aircraft systems."

Ukraine's battlefield reach has steadily grown throughout the full-scale war. What started out with short-range artillery improved over time with the arrival of US-provided High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, or HIMARS. These game-changing weapons suddenly put Russian logistics centers, ammunition dumps, and command and control nodes within firing range.

Russia adapted to the HIMARS by moving its critical assets out of reach and jamming the munitions. The arrival of Storm Shadow missiles — and, several months later, ATAMCS — presented new challenges for Moscow, but Ukraine has received so few it has had to bee choosy over what to target.

Hodges and Rice say a larger arsenal of ATACMS and Storm Shadows can give Ukraine both the reach and inventory to smash the high-value targets that sustain Moscow's war efforts like supply depots and maintenance facilities. Indeed, Kyiv has used the American missiles in recent weeks to strike Russian airfields and troop gatherings.

"When you start taking those off the board, then it doesn't matter how much untrained, mass infantry — cannon fodder — that the Russians have," Hodges said. "I think long-range precision strike is becoming the dominant factor on the battlefield."

Missiles like ATACMS and Storm Shadow "will enable Ukraine to neutralize Russia's advantages and eventually enable them to regain the initiative," he added. Ukraine has also long sought Germany's Taurus missile, whose range is more than a 100 miles farther than ATACMS, but Berlin has so far declined to provide them.

The increased arsenal comes at a critical point. Russia is making gains on the battlefield as its bigger war industry shifts to mass-producing the drones and glide bombs that are pounding Ukraine's defenses.

Ultimately, however, the effectiveness of Kyiv's long-range strike regime depends on how many munitions it receives — and how it uses them. Ukraine had long been restricted to using ATACMS and Storm Shadow missiles only inside occupied territory, although the UK recently agreed to let Kyiv use its weapons to strike inside Russia.

Whether or not the US follows suit remains to be seen. Analysts and officials have said that US restrictions went on to prevent Ukraine from putting up an effective defense and have essentially allowed Russia to conduct a new assault in the northeastern Kharkiv region.

The advances appear to be the start of Moscow's anticipated summer offensive, as Ukrainian forces are increasingly stretched out across the front, Jack Watling, a senior research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute think tank, warned in an analysis this week.

"The outlook in Ukraine is bleak," Watling said. "However, if Ukraine's allies engage now to replenish Ukrainian munitions stockpiles, help to establish a robust training pipeline, and make the industrial investments to sustain the effort, then Russia's summer offensive can be blunted, and Ukraine will receive the breathing space it needs to regain the initiative."

• Biden is withholding some military aid to Israel over concerns with its war in Gaza.
• House Republicans put forward a bill designed to force Biden to deliver that aid anyway.
• All but a handful of House Democrats voted against it.

16 House Democrats on Thursday voted for a bill designed to force President Joe Biden to provide all military aid to Israel — or risk the defunding of crucial national security-related offices.

That included Reps. Matthew Cartwright of Pennsylvania, Greg Landsman of Ohio, Jared Golden of Maine, and Tom Suozzi and Ritchie Torres of New York.

Three Republicans — including Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, and Warren Davidson of Ohio — voted against it.

The bill easily passed the House on an otherwise party-line vote, with almost every Republican voting for it and the vast majority of Democrats voting against it.

But it will not be taken up in the Democratic-controlled Senate and President Joe Biden has threatened to veto the bill, which was proposed by Republicans after Biden revealed that he was withholding some offensive weapons from Israel over concerns about the Jewish state's invasion Rafah, a city in southern Gaza where hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees are located.

Republicans in particular have sought to hit Biden for that move, including Rep. Cory Mills of Florida, a Republican who voted against Israel aid but has now introduced articles of impeachment against Biden for withholding that aid.

Specifically, the "Israel Security Assistance Support Act" does the following:

• condemns Biden's decision and calls on him to provide all of the approved aid to Israel;
• strips the salaries of any State Department or Pentagon employees who assist in withholding aid;
• withholds funding for the Secretary of Defense, Secretary of State, and the National Security Council until all of the withheld aid has been delivered.

The White House told members of Congress on Tuesday that it strongly opposes the bill, arguing that it "would undermine the President's ability to execute an effective foreign policy" and that it could "lead to spiraling unintended consequences" by constraining the president's ability to adjust assistance levels in the future.

House Democratic leadership also pushed rank-and-file members hard to vote against the bill, prompting at least one Democrat to avoid stating his position ahead of time.

"I know how I'm gonna vote, and nothing's gonna move me off of that," said Rep. Jared Golden of Maine, one of the most vulnerable swing-district Democrats in the House.

Jewish Democrats ended up being split on the bill, with several of them arguing that Republicans were merely attempting to use Israel as a wedge to divide Democrats.

Among them was Rep. Greg Landsman of Ohio, who told Business Insider in a statement that he would vote for the bill while calling on Republicans to amend it. He also argued more "clarity" is needed from the Biden administration on its Israel policy.

Since October 7, the House has taken a variety of Israel-related votes that have split House Democrats, including one that equated anti-Zionism with antisemitism and another that was designed to crack down on campus antisemitism but faced free speech-related criticism.

Last month, 37 House Democrats voted against a bill to provide the military aid to Israel that Biden is now partially withholding.

This story will be updated with a full list of the House Democrats who voted for the bill when it becomes available via the House Clerk.

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Apple's AirPods are among the most popular wireless headphones on the market thanks to their solid audio quality, easy pairing with iPhones, and sleek designs. But with four different models to choose from, picking the best AirPods for your needs can be tricky. That's why we've tested the entire lineup to break down the strengths and weaknesses of each option. 

The best Apple AirPods for most people are the AirPods Pro (2nd generation), which offer active noise cancelation (ANC) and a case that charges wirelessly or using a USB-C cable. Buyers on a budget might prefer the standard AirPods (2nd generation), which lack ANC but still have many of the same core features for a lot less money.

Below, you can find details on all the pros and cons of every AirPods model that Apple sells, including its premium over-ear headphones, the AirPods Max. 

Our top picks for the best AirPods

Best overall: AirPods Pro (2nd generation) – See at Amazon

Best for casual users: AirPods (3rd generation) – See at Amazon

Best on a budget: AirPods (2nd generation) – See at Amazon

Best for audiophiles: AirPods Max – See at Amazon

Best overall

The second-generation AirPods Pro are Apple's flagship wireless earbuds. These are the best AirPods to buy if you want great sound quality and active noise cancelation in a compact design.

Offering a nice step up from the first-gen model, the latest AirPods Pro use a new custom driver that delivers a big improvement in audio performance. Sound is noticeably richer than what we heard on the original AirPods Pro, which offered a more hollow and distant quality. 

These are also the first AirPods to use the new H2 processing chip, which Apple claims can deliver twice as powerful noise-canceling as the H1 chip housed in the first-generation AirPods Pro. Good noise canceling isn't just useful during a commute or while traveling. It's a key feature for blocking out distracting noise during day-to-day tasks, like working at a desk.

Though ANC is one of the reasons the AirPods Pro cost more than other Apple earbuds, we think it's worth splurging for. The AirPods Pro also have an excellent transparency mode, which uses microphones to let in outside noises when you want to stay aware of your surroundings. However, the AirPods Pro can't quite match the overall noise-canceling performance of some competing earbuds we've tested from other brands, like the Bose QuietComfort Ultra. But if you're set on sticking with the Apple brand, these are your best bet. 

The second-gen AirPods Pro also have a secure in-ear design, which makes them the best AirPods for people who've had issues with other Apple headphones staying in their ears. This model fits more snugly than regular AirPods, thanks to customizable tips that go deeper into your ear. And unlike standard AirPods, the case included with the latest AirPods Pro is now dust-resistant, in addition to water- and sweat-proof. 

Note: The AirPods Pro are available with either a Lightning or USB-C charging case. Since USB-C is the more universal charging standard, we recommend that edition as our top pick.

Read our full Apple AirPods Pro (2nd generation) review.

Check out our guides to the best AirPods Pro cases and best wireless earbuds.

Best for casual users

Apple's third-generation AirPods are an excellent alternative to the AirPods Pro if you want a less expensive pair of earbuds. And unless you're on an especially tight budget, we think they're worth the extra money over their cheaper second-generation counterparts. 

This model includes many of the same premium audio features found on the AirPods Pro, like Adaptive EQ and Personalized Spatial Audio with head tracking. That latter option can give the impression that music is coming from all around you. However, not everyone likes the resulting surround sound effect, so it's good that this feature can be easily toggled off.

But while the third-gen AirPods don't sound quite as good as the AirPods Pro, they do have higher quality drivers and amplifiers than the second-gen AirPods. They have a contoured design and shorter stems as well, which makes them look more like the AirPods Pro. However, they don't include active noise canceling, so you still have to pay extra for the more expensive AirPods Pro if you want that feature. 

In your ears, the third-gen AirPods fit a lot like the second-gen AirPods. They have a semi-open build that rests by the opening of your ear canal, rather than using an in-ear design like the AirPods Pro. f you've had problems with past AirPods falling out, the third-gen AirPods won't be any better.

However, some people prefer this kind of looser fit since it doesn't plug your ears and still lets you hear your surroundings. All things considered, we recommend these as the best Apple AirPods to get for casual listeners who want good audio quality but don't care about ANC.

Read our full Apple AirPods (3rd generation) review.

Best on a budget

Apple's second-generation AirPods aren't as advanced as the brand's more expensive offerings. You won't find perks like noise cancelation, spatial audio, or water resistance here. However, the second-gen AirPods still retain all the core features AirPods are known for — like quick pairing with iOS devices and automatic playing and pausing — in a more budget-friendly package. 

When it comes to sound quality, the second-gen AirPods sound decent, but they're not on par with Apple's pricier earbuds. While they get the job done for basic needs, they aren't a good fit for enthusiasts who want the best audio performance when listening to music. 

Like the third-gen AirPods, this second-gen model has a semi-open fit. Rather than creating a true seal in your ear, they rest more loosely at the opening of your ear canal, which keeps your ears from feeling plugged. While this style is great for hearing your surroundings, it hurts sound isolation and can make these AirPods hard to stay in place when paired with certain ear shapes. 

The second-gen AirPods have longer stems than their third-gen and Pro counterparts. This makes them look like Apple just snipped the wires off its wired EarPods headphones. It's not a bad look — they have become iconic — but it's not as sleek as the shorter stems on Apple's other models.

Generally, we think most people are better off paying more for the third-gen AirPods or AirPods Pro, but this second-gen model remains a solid budget option, especially when it goes on sale for under $100. 

Read our full Apple AirPods (2nd generation) review.

Best for audiophiles

The AirPods Max deliver first-rate audio performance and noise cancelation, all wrapped in an elegant package. Unlike Apple's other AirPods, which are all earbuds, the AirPods Max uses a larger over-ear headphone design. This makes them better suited for people who prioritize high-end audio quality and want a pair of headphones that make a statement when worn in public. 

The AirPods Max use Apple-designed drivers and 10 audio cores for delivering computational audio and adaptive EQ, which allows the headphones to adjust their sound based on the fit of the ear cups. Like the AirPods Pro, the AirPods Max also support spatial audio and other features like quick-pairing. 

During our tests, the AirPods Max sounded significantly crisper, bolder, and louder than the Bose Noise Canceling 700 headphones. They also outperformed the Sony WH-1000XM4, although Sony's headphones came impressively close. 

The AirPods Max also deliver when it comes to noise cancelation. When we sat underneath an elevated subway that runs above a very busy street, the AirPods Max significantly dulled the sound of the train screeching to a halt and nearby traffic. They're not the absolute best noise-canceling headphones we've tested, but they work incredibly well.  

The downside is that the included case doesn't charge the AirPods Max. Instead, it puts them in low-power mode. It's also less of a traditional case and more of a wrap. Check out our guide to the best AirPods Max accessories to see our recommendations for more heavy-duty protective cases you can buy. 

There's no doubt that the AirPods Max are excellent, but their high price makes them inaccessible to many people. However, if you're an Apple loyalist who prioritizes top-notch audio with an over-ear design — and are willing to splurge for it  — the AirPods Max are the best Apple AirPods to get. 

Read our full Apple AirPods Max review.

Check out our guide to the best over-ear headphones.

How we test AirPods

To compare the best Apple AirPods we evaluated various performance elements, including design, fit, sound quality, extra features, and ease of use. To test sound quality we listen to an assortment of tracks across genres and from various sources, including many of the best music streaming services. For AirPods that support spatial audio, we also listen to Dolby Atmos tracks.

Likewise, if an AirPods model supports noise-cancelation, we evaluate that feature in a real-world noisy environment near heavy traffic outside, noting how well the feature is able to reduce ambient sounds. We also sample transparency modes to see how well the AirPods are able to let in surrounding noise in a natural way.

For this guide, we focused on how each AirPods model compares to other AirPods in order to determine each options strengths and weaknesses within Apple's headphones lineup. 

FAQs

When will Apple release new AirPods?

Apple's standard AirPods are now in their third generation, the AirPods Pro are in their second generation, and the AirPods Max are still in their first generation. The release cycle for AirPods isn't as easy to predict as the iPhone's, but here's what we know based on reliable reports. 

• AirPods: Apple's third-generation AirPods launched in October 2021 and rumors indicate that an updated fourth-generation model could be released this fall. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports that there could actually be two new fourth-gen models. Both are rumored to have USB-C cases and improved designs, while the more expensive option could include noise cancelation.
• AirPods Pro: Apple released the second-generation AirPods Pro in September 2022, so we don't anticipate a new model soon. In 2023 Apple re-released the AirPods Pro (2nd generation) with a new case but made no updates to the earbuds themselves. Keep in mind that the original AirPods Pro were released in 2019, giving them a three-year life cycle. We might have to wait a similar amount of time for a new AirPods Pro model, meaning they'd drop in 2025.
• AirPods Max: Apple released the AirPods Max in December 2020, and we haven't heard any official news about when a successor will launch. But some industry insiders, including Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, have reported that an updated Max model with USB-C charging could launch in 2024. We don't know whether this new model will just be a refresh of the original or an entirely new AirPods Max successor.

What are the top AirPods alternatives?

Apple's AirPods are popular headphones, but they're not suited for all needs. This is especially true if you plan to use your earbuds primarily with an Android phone or PC. Thankfully, there are many brands that sell headphones with similar features as the AirPods while being less rigidly tied to the Apple ecosystem. Check out our guide to the best AirPods alternatives for our top picks. 

Best overall: AirPods Pro (2nd generation)

Pros: Best sounding Apple earbuds, excellent noise canceling, Adaptive Transparency Mode blocks sudden loud noises, most universal fit, water resistant

Cons: Only average battery life

The second-gen AirPods Pro are Apple's flagship wireless earbuds. These are the best Apple AirPods to buy if you're seeking superior sound quality and noise cancellation in a compact design.

The second-gen AirPods Pro easily offer the best sound quality out of all of Apple's earbuds. A new custom driver results in a big improvement with a noticeably richer sound over the original AirPods Pro, which always sounded hollow and distant.

These are the first AirPods to use the new H2 processing chip, which Apple claims can deliver twice as powerful noise-canceling as the H1 chip housed in the first-generation AirPods Pro. Good noise canceling isn't just useful during a commute or while traveling — it's a key feature when simply working at a desk to hush distracting noise. It's the kind of feature worth spending on if your budget allows it.

The second-gen AirPods Pro also have a secure in-ear tip design, which makes them the best AirPods for people who have experienced issues with other Apple earbuds staying in their ears. The second-gen AirPods Pro fit more securely than regular AirPods thanks to the customizable tips that go deeper into your ear.

Note: The AirPods Pro are available with either a Lightning or USB-C charging case. Since Apple has made the switch to USB-C for its other products, we recommend the USB-C version.

Read our full Apple AirPods Pro (2nd generation) review.

Best for casual users: AirPods (3rd generation)

Pros: Good sound quality, includes premium audio features, sleek design similar to AirPods Pro, water resistant

Cons: May not fit all ears, only average battery life, no ANC

Unless you're on a tight budget, Apple's third-generation AirPods are worth the extra money over the second-gen AirPods. 

They include many of the premium audio features found on the AirPods Pro, like Adaptive EQ and Personalized Spatial Audio, which gives the impression that music is coming from around you (in stereo) rather than directly into your ears.

Not everyone likes the surround sound aspect of Personalized Spatial Audio, so it's good that it's only an option. What can't be denied is that the third-gen AirPods have higher quality drivers and amplifiers than the second-gen AirPods for better sound quality. 

The third-generation AirPods have a contoured design and shorter stems as well, which makes them look more like the AirPods Pro. However, they don't include noise canceling, so you still have to step up to the more expensive AirPods Pro if you want that feature. 

In your ears, the third-gen AirPods fit a lot like the second-gen AirPods, and they lack the in-ear tip design of the AirPods Pro. If you've had issues with AirPods staying in your ears, the third-gen AirPods won't help. However, if the fit isn't an issue, these are the best AirPods to get for listeners who want good audio quality but don't care about ANC.

Read our full Apple AirPods (3rd generation) review.

Best budget: AirPods (2nd generation)

Pros: Convenient pairing features, lightweight design, hands-free Siri access, quick device switching

Cons: May not fit all ears, audio quality is lacking, only average battery life, not water resistant, no ANC

Apple's second-generation AirPods package all the core features — like quick pairing with iOS devices and automatic playing and pausing — in a more affordable set of wireless headphones. 

However, the audio quality is only decent and not on par with Apple's pricier earbuds. These are the best AirPods for people who primarily listen to podcasts and other voice-based audio rather than music. They're also a good choice if you'd rather sacrifice features like noise cancellation, spatial audio, and water resistance to save a few bucks.

The second-gen AirPods have longer stems than the third-gen AirPods and AirPods Pro. This essentially makes them look like Apple just snipped the wires off its wired EarPods headphones. It's not a bad look — they have become iconic — but it's not as sleek as the shorter stems on Apple's other models.

The second-gen AirPods have Apple's standard earbuds fit that works fine for many, but for some, they're impossible to keep in their ears. If you've ever had issues with AirPods fitting, you're better off looking elsewhere.

Read our full Apple AirPods (2nd generation) review.

Best for audiophiles: AirPods Max

Pros: Top-notch audio quality, noise cancellation, premium design, comfortable fit, long battery life

Cons: Expensive, no charging case, included case doesn't protect entire headset, no input options or included cables for other audio connections

The AirPods Max deliver first-rate audio performance and noise cancellation, all wrapped in an elegant design. 

The biggest difference you'll notice between the AirPods Max and Apple's other AirPods is the over-ear design. That alone suggests these headphones are designed for people who care more about audio quality than the average person and also want a pair of headphones that make a statement when worn in public. 

The AirPods Max come with an Apple-designed driver and 10 audio cores for delivering computational audio and adaptive EQ, which allows the headphones to adjust their sound based on the fit of the ear cups. Like the AirPods Pro, the AirPods Max also support spatial audio and other features like quick-pairing. 

Our testing found that the AirPods Max sound significantly crisper, bolder, and louder than the $379 Bose Noise Canceling 700 headphones. They also outperformed the $350 Sony WH-1000XM4, although Sony's headphones came impressively close. 

The AirPods Max also deliver when it comes to noise cancellation. When we sat underneath an elevated subway that runs above a very busy street, the AirPods Max were able to significantly dull the sound of the train screeching to a halt and nearby traffic.  

The downside is that the included case doesn't charge the AirPods Max. Instead, it puts them in low-power mode.

There's no doubt that the AirPods Max are excellent, but their price makes them inaccessible to many people. If you're an Apple loyalist who cares about having top-notch audio and prefers over-ear designs — and are willing to splurge for it  — the AirPods Max are the best Apple AirPods to get. 

Read our full Apple AirPods Max review.

When will Apple release new AirPods?

Apple's standard AirPods are now in their third generation, the AirPods Pro are in their second generation, and the AirPods Max are still in their first generation. The release cycle for AirPods isn't as easy to predict as the iPhone's, but here's what we know based on reliable reports. 

• AirPods: Apple's third-generation AirPods launched in October 2021, and we don't expect a new model anytime soon. We haven't seen reliable reports that Apple is planning to release a successor.
• AirPods Pro: Apple released the second-generation AirPods Pro in September 2022, so we don't anticipate a new model anytime soon. In 2023 Apple re-released the AirPods Pro (2nd generation) with a new case but made no updates to the earbuds themselves. Keep in mind that the original AirPods Pro were released in 2019, giving them a three-year life cycle — we might have to wait a similar amount of time for a new AirPods Pro model, meaning they'd drop in 2025.
• AirPods Max: Apple released the AirPods Max in December 2020, and we haven't heard any official news about when a successor will launch. But some industry insiders, including Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, have reported that an updated Max model with USB-C charging could launch in 2024. We don't know whether this new model will just be a refresh of the original or an entirely new AirPods Max successor.
• Moving from Lightning to USB-C: Although there may not be any new AirPods on the horizon, Apple is making changes to the AirPods' cases. Like the iPhone 15 and iPad Pro, new AirPods Pro models charge using a standard USB-C cable instead of an older Lightning cable. So far, the AirPods Pro are the only AirPods to see this change, but expect more to transition in the future.