Tag: News

• Companies are rapidly integrating generative AI technology to boost productivity.
• Experts, however, are concerned that efforts to manage the risks of AI are lagging.
• Responsible AI efforts are moving "nowhere near as fast as they should be," a BCG senior partner said.

Companies have been racing to deploy generative AI technology into their work since the launch of ChatGPT in 2022. 

Executives say they're excited about how AI boosts productivity, analyzes data, and cuts down on busy work.

According to Microsoft and LinkedIn's 2024 Work Trends report, which surveyed 31,000 full-time workers between February and March, close to four in five business leaders believe their company needs to adopt the technology to stay competitive.

But adopting AI in the workplace also presents risks, including reputational, financial, and legal harm. The challenge of combating them is that they're ambiguous, and many companies are still trying to understand how to identify and measure them.

AI programs run responsibly should include strategies for governance, data privacy, ethics, and trust and safety, but experts who study risk say the programs haven't kept up with innovation.

Efforts to use AI responsibly in the workplace are moving "nowhere near as fast as they should be," Tad Roselund, a managing director and senior partner at Boston Consulting Group, told Business Insider. These programs often require a considerable amount of investment and a minimum of two years to implement, according to BCG.

That's a big investment and time commitment and company leaders seem more focused instead on allocating resources to quickly develop AI in a way that boosts productivity.

"Establishing good risk management capabilities requires significant resources and expertise, which not all companies can afford or have available to them today," researcher and policy analyst Nanjira Sam told MIT Sloan Management Review. She added that the "demand for AI governance and risk experts is outpacing the supply." 

Investors need to play a more critical role in funding the tools and resources for these programs, according to Navrina Singh, the founder of Credo AI, a governance platform that helps companies comply with AI regulations. Funding for generative AI startups hit $25.2 billion in 2023, according to a report from Stanford's Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence, but it's unclear how much went to companies that focus on responsible AI.

"The venture capital environment also reflects a disproportionate focus on AI innovation over AI governance," Singh told Business Insider by email. "To adopt AI at scale and speed responsibly, equal emphasis must be placed on ethical frameworks, infrastructure, and tooling to ensure sustainable and responsible AI integration across all sectors."

Legislative efforts have been underway to fill that gap. In March, the EU approved the Artificial Intelligence Act, which assigns the risks of AI applications into three categories and bans those with unacceptable risks. Meanwhile, the Biden Administration signed a sweeping executive order in October demanding greater transparency from major tech companies developing artificial intelligence models. 

But with the pace of innovation in AI, government regulations may not be enough right now to ensure companies are protecting themselves.

"We risk a substantial responsibility deficit that could halt AI initiatives before they reach production, or worse, lead to failures that result in unintended societal risks, reputational damage, and regulatory complications if made into production," Singh said.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Arizona

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Michigan

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Businessman Nasser Beydoun is also seeking the Democratic nomination.

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

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

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

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

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

Montana

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nevada

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

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

Senate candidates on the Republican side include former US ambassador to Iceland Jeffrey Gunter; Army veteran and businessman Sam Brown; former state lawmaker Jim Marchant; attorney Ronda Kennedy; retired Army Lt. Col. Bill Conrad; retired Air Force Lt. Col. Tony Grady; and real estate broker Stephanie Phillips.

Ohio

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

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

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

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

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

Pennsylvania

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

Casey, who has won all three of his prior Senate races with relative ease, will likely benefit from running in a presidential year when turnout in the Democratic strongholds of Philadelphia and Pittsburgh is poised to be very high.

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

David McCormick, who narrowly lost the 2022 Republican Senate primary to Dr. Mehmet Oz, jumped into the 2024 race last September.

Texas

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wisconsin

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

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

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

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

• In a bitter public feud, hip-hop stars Drake and Kendrick have exchanged personal slurs.
• Since March, the two have traded increasingly personal and aggressive diss tracks.
• An attorney told BI what it would take for one of them to sue for defamation successfully.

After weeks of the bitter public feud between Drake and Kendrick Lamar finally looks like it's over — or at least dying down.

The two rap artists' long-running beef was reignited in March with the release of Future and Metro Boomin's track "Like That," which featured a verse from Lamar that aimed at Drake and another contemporary, J. Cole.

It sparked responses from both Drake and Cole, but the latter quickly excused himself, leaving just Drake and Lamar to duke it out. And the rap stars didn't hold back trading a series of increasingly aggressive and unpleasant diss tracks.

First, Drake dropped "Push Ups" and "Taylor Made Freestyle," two tracks aimed at Lamar.

Their legions of fans encouraged the beef and eagerly awaited the responses.

Less than 72 hours later, Lamar released "6:16 in LA," sparking another response from Drake ("Family Matters"). It provoked two more jabs from Lamar ("Meet the Grahams" and "Not Like Us"), which led to another rebuttal from Drake ("The Heart Part 6").

The latter of these songs got excruciatingly personal, with both stars dropping into their lyrics serious — although crucially, unverified — allegations about domestic violence, pedophilia, and harboring secret children.

The Diss tracks that rappers use to prove themselves while also lyrically decimating their rivals have largely gone out of style since their heyday in the 80s and 90s.

But while the Drake-Kendrick feud was initially seen as some friendly competition between the two hip-hop heavyweights, the fact that they have leveled potentially career-ending accusations at each other has opened up the possibility that their war of words could move out of the recording studio and into the courtroom.

There is no precedent of rappers suing for defamation over the contents of a diss track

"Has anyone ever filed a defamation lawsuit over a diss track before?" Matt Ford, a legal reporter at the New Republic, joked on X earlier this week, seemingly referring to the increasingly salacious aspect of Drake and Kendrick's feud.

While the answer is no, that's not to say it couldn't happen.

Daliah Saper, a principal attorney at Saper Law who specializes in defamation cases, told Business Insider that while either one of them — especially Drake, given the serious, repeated accusations of pedophilia from Lamar — might be tempted to get the law involved to mitigate any reputational damages.

However, the legal benchmarks for a successful defamation suit are high for public figures.

"Because they're both famous, then they would have this added heightened pleading standard," Sapar said.

She explained that, unlike private individuals who only need to show that their alleged defamers acted negligently, public figures must prove that those making defamatory statements against them acted with "actual malice," meaning they knew their statement was false or they acted with reckless disregard for the truth.

Saper said the key to any suit is ascertaining "if the listening public — people who hear these songs — construe them to be just jabs or actual allegations." The real question is, 'Do people now think Drake is a pedophile?'" she said.

In the days after Lamar released his back-to-back diss tracks "Meet the Grahams" and "Not Like Us," a video of the Canadian rapper appearing to fondle a 17-year-old fan onstage has resurfaced online,

On the former song, Lamar accused Drake of being a "predator" who keeps "sex offenders … on a monthly allowance" at his record label, OVO.

In the latter, Lamar outright called Drake and his entourage pedophiles:"' Certified Lover Boy'? Certified pedophiles," he raps in an apparent reference to the singer's 2021 album.

Saper said: "If he was my client, I would have that serious conversation: 'Are you so adamant about the falsity of the statements that a mere PR campaign or responsive rap is insufficient to mitigate the harm? Or are you at rock bottom now and you can't come back from this?'"

So far, Drake has chosen to go for the option of a responsive rap, addressing the criticism head-on in "The Heart Part 6."

However, his defense — that he is "way too famous for this shit you just suggested" and would have already been arrested if there was any veracity to the claims — has been received as a somewhat tone-deaf move,.

The #MeToo movement has proved that famous sex offenders, such as Harvey Weinstein, operated in plain sight thanks to the protection and power their fame and success afforded them.

On the comeback track, Drake also addressed Lamar's claim that he secretly fathered a daughter with another woman five years before the birth of his son, Adonis, 6, whom he shares with French artist Sophie Brussaux.

"The ones that you're getting your stories from, they're all clowns," Drake raps. "We plotted for a week and then we fed you the information/ A daughter that's 11 years old, I bet he takes it."

However, by admitting that he intentionally passed Lamar fake intel about a secret daughter in the hope that his opponent would turn it into fodder for a rap, Saper said Drake may have jeopardized any standing he would have in court.

If what Drake raps is true, it "would just undermine any claim that Lamar acted with reckless disregard for the truth," she noted.

Ultimately, it seems unlikely that either rapper will end up suing for defamation over the slur-laden diss tracks. Any reputational damage suffered is survivable compared to the career suicide of being the first rapper to for defamation over the contents of a diss track.

Indeed, their careers have benefited from this high-profile feud, with both enjoying boosted streams and sales over the last few weeks.

"I do think it's giving them each notoriety. They're already incredibly famous, but this is elevating their music to another level," Saper noted. "It's probably ultimately a great PR play for both of them."

• Saudi Arabia's sprawling megacity, Neom, is billed as a chance to live in the "new future."
• Officials want to fill 262 vacancies. The unusual roles show what it will take to run the city.
• The responsibilities for one role involve creating a cheetah management plan. 

Saudi Arabia is pushing ahead with its ambitious plans for Neom, a futuristic metropolis spread across 26,500 km² in the northwestern region of Tabuk.

First announced in 2017, Neom is the flagship project of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's Vision 2030 — an initiative to diversify Saudi Arabia's economy and reduce its reliance on oil revenues.

If construction goes to plan, Neom will include Oxagon, an octagonal port city; Sindalah, a luxury island resort; Trojena, a ski and adventure resort; and a tourism hub in the Gulf of Aqaba.

But the centerpiece of Neom is The Line — a planned zero-carbon city of two huge mirrored skyscrapers that extend 170 km across Tabuk.

Officials say Neom will be a "cognitive city." The idea is similar to a smart city, but expands on the concept. In this case, the idea is to use tech such as AI and robotics to provide an optimum experience for residents.

But once — or if — Neom is finally up and running, it will require a whole slate of unusual jobs to fulfill its vision as a revolutionary city.

Recruitment is already underway.

"Join us on a journey of visionary minds where you seek to understand, embrace culture, make a difference, and create a legacy," the project's jobs board invites prospective candidates.

There were 262 vacancies on Neom's website at the time of writing. Some would be common in any city planning project: construction manager, engineer, digital marketing web ops, and, maybe at a stretch, golf course design manager.

Other roles required to run Neom suggest just how futuristic, and perhaps a little dystopian, the city could be.

Tech services and system manager

Though it sounds like a standard tech job, this role is a managerial position for the NEOM Community School. Candidates for Arabic and Islamic teachers, music teachers, and an "individuals and societies teacher" are also wanted for the city's wide-ranging education system.

The school is part of the wider Neom U project, a vast education arm that appears to be crucial to the city's vision as a hub of research and innovation.

Neom is also searching for someone to fill of "head of student attraction role."

Job responsibilities include "ensuring that Neom is considered to be the most attractive place to live and work" and preparing the "brightest young minds" for careers within Neom.

Director of personalized health

Officials say The Line aims to prioritize its citizens' health and well-being over transportation and infrastructure and it will "harness innovative technology" to do so.

The personalized health director is expected to play a crucial role in delivering those promises by "steering and defining Neom's strategy for integrating genetics into personalized healthcare."

The job description says genetic data will be used to pinpoint health risks and develop health interventions.

It's unclear whether providing your genetic data will be a requirement for living in Neom. However, some experts have raised ethical issues about the plans, warning that Neom could become part of a sweeping surveillance program.

Water mobility station professional

Advanced, zero-emission transport systems are core to Neom's strategy; and the project's waterside estates, Oxagon and Sindalah, are planned to be equally futuristic.

The water mobility station professional is a role on offer for those willing to oversee the smooth running of Neom's "water mobility station," or in other words, boat services.

While this job doesn't seem to differ that much from traditional marina management, you'll need to speak fluent Arabic and English and be prepared to handle autonomous, futuristic vessels.

Aquaculture fish laboratory and biosecurity professional

Not a job that most cities deem to be a requirement, the aquaculture fish laboratory and biosecurity professional was one of the more unexpected roles on offer at Neom.

The chosen candidate will control and operate the fish laboratory, ensuring high standards of fish welfare and supporting surveillance and investigation activities into fish health and disease control.

The role falls in line with Neom's sustainability ambitions, where humanity progresses without damaging the health of the planet.

Plus, a thriving fish population would also support diving tourism. Developers have said they want the island resort Sindalah to act as an "exclusive gateway to the stunning Red Sea."

Lead rewilding

Another job that highlights Neom's supposed ecological considerations is lead rewilding.

This job requires someone willing to get involved in Neom's "trophic rewilding strategy." They will help build wildlife corridors, monitor species, and conduct vegetation assessments in order to "address historical degradation that left the land in a desolated state."

Perhaps the best job offered at Neom, the lead rewilding hire will develop and implement a cheetah introduction and management plan.

Those with a degree in conservation, ecology, natural sciences, or a related field can step forward.

Despite Neom's proclaimed efforts towards environmental protection, some have criticized the treatment of people who have reportedly been driven from the construction site.

In May 2023, three men from the Howeitat tribe were charged with terrorism and sentenced to death for resisting evictions in the area where Neom is being developed.

Neom officials did not immediately respond to BI's request for comment.

• A US commander appeared to suggest UK special forces were operating in Ukraine.
• Gen. Bryan Fenton told The AP that the US was "taking a lot of lessons" from UK special forces in Ukraine.
• The UK Ministry of Defence declined to comment on the report.

A US commander has appeared to suggest that UK special forces were operating in Ukraine.

In an interview with The Associated Press, Gen. Bryan Fenton, the Commander of US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), spoke about plans to restructure Green Beret teams based on lessons from British special forces in Ukraine.

"A 12-person detachment might be up-gunned," Fenton said, explaining that as warfare becomes more high-tech, there may be a need for teams to have a cyber expert, an Air Force pilot, or a cryptologist, for example.

He said the ideas had come from "lessons learned out of the experience in Ukraine, mostly through the eyes of our UK special operations partners, who not only have done that in their formations, but they've also learned very quickly that they needed other elements of their joint force."

Fenton said that British commandos have required Royal Air Force pilots' advice on drone operations and needed navy personnel "to help them understand, more than a SOF (special operations forces) teammate could, the way a ship in the Black Sea navigates."

There has been much speculation over the covert presence of Western troops in Ukraine. Indeed, the possibility of Western powers openly sending military units to fight Putin's forces has gained momentum in recent months, with President Emmanuel Macron saying he'd consider dispatching French soldiers.

In a statement to Business Insider, a Ministry of Defence spokesperson said: "It is the long-standing policy of successive governments not to comment on UK Special Forces."

United Kingdom Special Forces comprises several elite units, including the Special Air Service, the Special Boat Service, the Special Reconnaissance Regiment, the Special Forces Support Group, 18 Signal Regiment, and the Joint Special Forces Aviation Wing.

The Royal Marine Commandos and the Ranger Regiment also include special operations–capable forces.

Ukrainian commanders told The Times of London in April 2022 that special forces were in Ukraine to train Ukrainian recruits on British-supplied anti-tank missiles known as NLAWs.

One senior European defense official told the Financial Times in February: "Everyone knows there are Western special forces in Ukraine — they've just not acknowledged it officially."

Meanwhile, the radical idea of Western troops being officially sent to Ukraine has been floated by French President Emmanuel Macron.

Speaking to The Economist at the end of April, Macron said: "I'm not ruling anything out because we are facing someone who is not ruling anything out."

"We have undoubtedly been too hesitant by defining the limits of our action to someone who no longer has any and who is the aggressor," he added.

Macron said he'd consider sending troops "if the Russians were to break through the front lines" or "if there were a Ukrainian request—which is not the case today."

Russia had previously issued stark warnings in response to some of Macron's claims, saying troops sent to Ukraine would meet the same fate as Napoleon's army, which lost more than 300,000 men when it invaded Russia in 1812.

In a post on X, formerly Twitter, earlier this week, Dmitry Medvedev, a former prime minister of Russia, also threatened that Russia would use nuclear weapons against Western states if NATO sent troops to Ukraine.

• Psychological warfare, or PsyOps, aims to influence public opinion and wage the war of words.
• PsyOps missions range from leaflet drops to deceiving the enemy and shaping opinion on foreign soil.
•  The US Army, struggling to fill the ranks of its PsyOps units, released a haunting recruitment video.

In late 2021, the Army Special Operations Command leaders and special forces recruiters had a problem: they needed more enlistees for their Psychological Operations groups.

Experts in persuasion and influence, psychological warfare, or PsyOp, soldiers don't often fit the stereotypical mold of an Army recruit. These individuals tend to live and think outside the norm, and recruitment must meet them via non-traditional means.

In May 2022, recruiters released their first eerie recruitment video: "Ghost in the machine: Psywar." Last week, they released their second: "Ghost in the machine 2."

"Ghosts in the Machine 2" takes the viewer on a journey of introspection. Quotes, both spoken and on screen, music, images and ideas are layered on top of one another to create tension and draw the viewer in.

While the first video focuses on psychological warfare and the shadows, "Ghosts in the Machine 2" emphasizes that words and ideas can be powerful weapons.

The final scene in the second video displays the text "See you at Selection" and provides viewers with the web address of the US Army Special Operations Recruiting website (GoArmySOF.com).

"We're all nerds for sure"

The videos are designed to garner curiosity from the specific type of recruit that they're looking for.

"We're all nerds for sure," the Army major who created the ad and a member of the 8th Psychological Operations Group based at Fort Liberty, North Carolina, told the Associated Press. "But we're all nerds in different ways."

Usually, those who are drawn to the job are "planners," he said. "They're writers, they're great thinkers. They're idea people."

He said they are often creative — artists and illustrators — but others are tech experts who can bring ideas to life in online messaging.

Trying to make PsyOps understood by potential enlistees

In March, a report found that due to "burnout" issues among psyop soldiers, units were unable to fight both China and Russia in the information war.

But part of the recruitment issue is that people who could be good candidates don't fully understand what PsyOps is or what it involves.

The video aims to recruit future PsyOps soldiers and show applicants what their jobs will entail.

" 'Ghost in the Machine' tells you what psychological operations is, and shows you it, without telling you in words," Lt. Col. Steve Crowe, commander of the Special Forces Recruiting Battalion, told AP.

"You watch the video, and you're like, OK, this is how I'll influence and change behavior."

Recruiters told AP that about six months after the first video was released, 51% of soldiers who applied for the PsyOps mission and got into the assessment and selection course said the video had a medium to high influence on their decision to try out for the job.

The US has been using PsyOps for years

One of the most renowned psychological operations occurred during World War II. The US Ghost Army deceived the Germans using inflatable tanks, radio deception, disguises, and impersonations.

In what was known as Operation Viersen, they deployed inflatables, sound trucks, and fake headquarters to divert German forces from the actual crossing point of the Rhine River.

PsyOps soldiers have more recently advised Ukrainian troops in their attempts to counter Russian disinformation campaigns since the annexation of Crimea in 2014. 

After the Russian invasion in 2022, Ukrainian forces used a variety of tactics to convince Russian soldiers to surrender. Leaflets and social media posts told Russian troops how and where they could give themselves up.

• LongHorn Steakhouse and Texas Roadhouse are two chains serious about serving the best meat.
• I visited both chains in August to see how each handled the ultimate steak lover's cut, the bone-in rib eye.
• Even though LongHorn delivered the better meal this time, I'd sooner go back to Texas Roadhouse.

It's no secret that Americans love steak.

Look no further than the booming growth of national chains such as LongHorn Steakhouse and Texas Roadhouse, which have both seen substantial gains in new locations and sales in the past year, even as other full-service restaurants are having a rougher time.

Although neither brand has actual origins in the Lone Star state — LongHorn was founded in Georgia in 1981 and Texas Roadhouse in Indiana in 1994 — both have adopted Texas-inspired identities and a mission to serve the best meat.

To put the two porterhouse powerhouses to the test, I visited locations of both chains near Madison, Wisconsin, in August to see how each handles the ultimate steak lover's cut, the bone-in rib eye.

This prime cut is one that every grill master worth their seasoning salt takes great care and pride in getting right, making it a sure measure of a kitchen's talent. Of course, that's only one (obviously important) piece of the puzzle in the restaurant business.

I started off with LongHorn Steakhouse.

This location is open for lunch on weekdays, unlike the Texas Roadhouse nearby.

I was promptly greeted and seated by an exceptionally friendly staff.

My server took my order and quickly brought me ice-cold sweet tea and bread to snack on.

As a Southerner, I like my iced tea with a pronounced flavor, a lot of sugar, and a fresh lemon. LongHorn gets it right.

I had to resist stuffing myself with the bread, which was a warm, fresh multigrain loaf served with whipped butter.

The dimly lit dining rooms in the 572 locations the company operates look about the same.

Darden Restaurants, which also owns Olive Garden, opened 18 LongHorn locations in the past year.

The decor evokes a Western ranch lodge, with cowboy chaps and bull horns adorning the walls.

The styling feels a bit dated compared with recent refreshes at other brands, but other diners seemed comfortable with the consistency.

I was impressed by the size and heft of the steak knife — it was huge!

The blade was a bit cumbersome for spreading butter, but it definitely got me in the mood for meat.

My medium-rare bone-in rib eye landed with a sheen of lemon butter and a side of corn on the cob. It smelled delicious.

I had intended to get fries on the side for a better comparison and to keep the focus on the steak, but this corn simply looked too good to pass up.

The color and char looked just right, and I carved off a large piece to check the temperature.

The pink was more on the "medium" side of "medium rare" but still within the range of what I'd expect from a major chain.

With the first bite, my taste buds were hit with juicy steak flavor, enhanced by bright notes from the peppery rub and citrus butter.

Dubbed the "Outlaw Ribeye," this steak packs a whopping 1,250 calories (790 from fat), according to LongHorn's nutrition guide. The 22-ounce LongHorn porterhouse is slightly larger but leaner.

The texture was nice and firm, with bits of grill char and marbled fat complementing one another.

Turning the bone over, I noticed it was cut to reveal the marrow, which helps transfer some flavor to the meat.

The fire-grilled corn was laden with a crème sauce and panko seasoning, pairing nicely with the steak.

Other sides that caught my eye included the crispy Brussels sprouts, steakhouse mac and cheese, and fried okra. I'll have to go back for those.

Having eaten my fill, I requested the check and a box for the remaining steak.

The steak cost $29.29, plus the tea and a markup for the corn, for a total of $35.47 before tax and tip.

After a genteel pause — about two hours to digest and catch up on emails and phone calls — I headed to Texas Roadhouse for round two.

This location is one of 29 new ones to open in the past year, bringing the total to 647.

Even though it was before dinnertime, the well-staffed restaurant was getting busy with diners.

The average Texas Roadhouse location does roughly $164,000 in weekly revenue, significantly higher than LongHorn's $106,000 average.

The famous display of hand-cut steaks, which are prepared in-house daily, stood near the entrance.

I didn't see a rib eye on display, but the offerings looked tempting.

A host grabbed a basket of warm, sweet rolls and led me to a booth.

Each table had an electronic mini kiosk for ordering, paying, and even playing video games.

The dining-room ambiance was more New Country than Old Western, with exposed wood and neon signs instead of leather and paintings.

The layout was centered on a U-shaped bar, with plenty of TVs showing sports and one playing music videos of the country hits booming over the speakers.

My server brought over an iced tea, which was plenty sweet but less flavorful than the one at LongHorn.

The rolls were also sweeter and less flavorful than LongHorn's loaf, and the steak knife was disappointingly basic, too, but I digress.

My medium-rare bone-in rib eye arrived quickly, with servings of corn and green beans on the side.

I went with corn to try to match the LongHorn meal, but unfortunately, it was not served on the cob. The green beans were generously flecked with pieces of bacon.

The steak had a lighter color, less char, and larger fat portions than the Longhorn version.

Rib eyes get most of their flavor from the marbling of fat, but that can cause the steak to have more gristly bits than some diners like.

A similar initial cut revealed a temperature that was more on the "rare" side of "medium rare."

I interpreted the rareness as a sign the chef was averse to overcooking a steak.

The first bite was phenomenally tender, with an aroma and flavor that had a more pronounced garlic and onion profile.

The seasoning was also a bit salty for my taste, and the sides were somewhat bland.

The restaurant's manager stopped by my table a few minutes later to see how I was enjoying the meal and told me he had cooked my steak personally.

The manager later told me the saltiness of the seasoning is a common critique, but it's one of the only food items that is delivered as is rather than made from scratch in-house. He also said meat prices had been going up, but he was doing his best not to pass that on to customers all at once.

I could also see how the same seasoning and cooking process that would lift a more common steak cut could be a bit of overkill on one as rich as the rib eye.

Plus, I'd bet the seasoning pairs nicely with one of the restaurant's signature margaritas.

At the end of the day, LongHorn came out on top in terms of preparing a more satisfying meal for die-hard steak lovers.

LongHorn's seasoning allowed more of the meat and fire flavors to take center stage, and the sides were more interesting.

The knife wasn't bad, either.

Seriously, just look at that thing.

But when I think about which one I'd rather come back to first — and bring my kids — my choice would be Texas Roadhouse.

The difference between the rib eyes wasn't dramatic, and the prices were comparable. The Texas Roadhouse steak cost $28.99 with two sides — $0.30 less than Longhorn — and the tea was $2.99 for a total of $31.98 before tax and tip. Beyond price, Texas Roadhouse felt more lively and welcoming, with a wider variety of menu options to try for different diners.

That could be why, even as both chains post strong growth, Texas Roadhouse is ahead and extending its lead.

For the most recent quarter, Texas Roadhouse saw same-store sales increase by 8.4% on a 4.3% increase in guest traffic compared with the same period last year. Meanwhile, LongHorn's delivered a very respectable 5.2% sales increase, even with a 2.7% decline in guest counts.

For Texas Roadhouse, the slowdown affecting other casual dining brands is proving to be an opportunity to gain share — and I can definitely see why.

• Alma Rex-Ezonfade took a yearlong sabbatical after years of working non-stop.
• She saved $51,300 for her sabbatical, which she spent on travel and exploring personal interests.
• Despite initial struggles, she found joy in her time off and plans on taking more sabbaticals in the future.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with 31-year-old Alma Rex-Ezonfade based in Toronto, Canada. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

On my 29th birthday, I opened a savings account and put $500 in it. I had told myself that for my 30th birthday, I would gift myself a one-year sabbatical, and this was my first step in making that dream of taking an "adult gap year" a reality.

I was tired of working and always being on top of things. I immigrated to Canada from Nigeria when I was 22 for my master's degree and started working right after graduating. It felt like I had been running on a hamster wheel, and I was just going, going, going, going.

I calculated my budget for the year

Before taking my gap year, I was a customer success manager at Astreya, making around 110,000 CAD ($80,500). I was also a content creator and was making nearly 200,000 CAD ($146,600) a year between my 9-to-5 salary and my income from working with brands and doing campaigns.

I calculated how much I actually needed to save based on my spending at the time.

For necessities like rent, car payments, groceries, gas, phone bill, and utilities, I estimated around 4,200 CAD ($3,100) a month. I also decided I wanted to travel, which I knew would be a bit pricey because I'm not a budget traveler. I planned for 18,000 CAD ($13,200) for two big trips and a number of smaller ones.

Altogether, I calculated that I would need to save around 70,000 CAD ($51,300) for my sabbatical, which I did by putting most of my content creator income into my sabbatical fund. If I didn't have my job as a content creator, I would've picked up a part-time job to generate that supplemental income.

I also cut back on expenses. I was never too shy to just say, "I can't afford that" or "I can't do that activity," because I was planning for something that had way higher priority than going out and spending $200 in one night.

I left my job but struggled to not do anything

Saving up took me a little longer than I had planned, but in April 2023, I quit my job.

The day I quit, I just spent the whole day at home, watching the TV blankly. I didn't do anything else; I just needed my brain to shut off.

On Monday, I woke up at 8 a.m. as usual because I forgot that I didn't have a job. Then I remembered I could sleep in, but I was already awake, so I tried to figure out what my new routine would be.

I started to put together a plan, and then I realized that would just defeat the whole purpose. The plan was to let go.

Still, I didn't feel like I could just not do anything. I found myself planning for my upcoming trips, brainstorming content ideas for my YouTube channel, and posting more regularly on my Instagram page. I had thought about starting my own clothing brand for years, so I started working on ideas for that too.

One of my friends said to me, "The whole point was for you to not work. Why can't you not work?"

The week after I quit, I checked myself into a hotel for a couple of days, ordered room service, and cried the entire time. They were tears of gratitude, tears of exhaustion, tears of relief. I was letting myself feel like, "Okay, I did it, and I'm here."

I was used to being a high performer, managing a team, having deliverables, and doing all these things. I had to get used to the idea of not working and get over feeling like I wasn't useful because I wasn't being productive. I had to shift to having my validation come from my own happiness and seeing my value beyond my work output.

Three weeks into my sabbatical, one of my former bosses reached out to me to tell me about a contract role at Google that she wanted me to interview for. Honestly, I almost took it because I wasn't used to the idea of not having work.

It took some getting used to, but eventually, I was able to go a whole week without doing any work.

Did I make the right decision?

The first few months when I was on sabbatical, I was so sad.

I looked at all the money that I had put in my sabbatical account and thought of everything else that I could have done with that money rather than lounge for a whole year.

Maybe I should just take it out and buy a house, I thought. I even asked my real-estate agent friend to look up properties for me, but I knew that if I bought the house instead, I'd be miserable, always wondering what I could've achieved if I just took the year off.

I remember talking to my therapist and trying to validate the decision time after time. At the end of the day, I realized that I was at the best point of my life to give this gift to myself. And when I settled with that a few months later, I started to have fun with the idea that I was on a sabbatical.

I learned to enjoy myself

I enjoyed having the luxury of time to do whatever I wanted.

I fell in love with working out again. I started coloring, drawing, and doing ceramics. I started reading again and got back into writing. I spent more time with myself and with my family. I picked up childhood hobbies again, like building Legos and taking Polaroid photos. I also cooked more and tried new coffee spots in Toronto.

Some of my favorite memories from my sabbatical are the many days I spent just sitting on my couch watching TV and only getting up to eat. I finished all six seasons of Downton Abbey in one week. I also watched all of Schitt's Creek as well as a lot of Korean shows.

Working on my clothing brand became a passion project. I learned about fabrics and the fashion industry — I enjoyed just learning things for the sake of learning.

I visited friends and family in other countries, did some birthday trips with friends, went on a seven-day cruise to the Caribbean, and spent four weeks traveling Europe.

I plan to take many more sabbaticals

After a full year of my sabbatical, my sabbatical funds are almost fully drained, and my income as a content creator is keeping me afloat now. I thought I would be panicking about my finances, but taking this time off helped me develop a mindset shift; I know I'll figure it out one way or another.

My fashion brand is launching this month, so I'm giving myself until around September to figure out what's next. My plan is to then work in a corporate job for another three years to get more experience and knowledge, and then take another year off at 35, and I'll repeat that cycle until I retire.

One of the biggest things I'm taking away from this sabbatical is realizing that a lot of things are not that serious. When you're an immigrant, a lot of things are that serious; I had to start life over again in Canada and I had to excel at this life. But I realized that I needed to enjoy life.

I've never been this happy, and I'm the most broke I've ever been. To me, this year has really been about redefining what happiness looks like at different points in my life. My loved ones have pointed out that I'm less grumpy and controlling, and I shout less.

I just feel kind of sad that I had to take a whole year off of work to find joy in my life.

If you took a sabbatical and would like to share your story, email Jane Zhang at janezhang@businessinsider.com.

• A military unit called "Bars Kaskad" is recruiting Russia's elite, the UK Ministry of Defence said.
• The unit is mostly involved in drone operations far from the front lines in Ukraine.
• It likely allows recruits to "sidestep" usual service requirements "with guaranteed safety," said the MoD.

A special Russian military unit is recruiting Russian elites, the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

According to the department, the unit, called "Bars Kaskad," was created by the Russian State Duma, the lower house of the Russian parliament, and it contains an "unusually high" number of pro-Putin United Russia Party members and sons of Kremlin elites — "up to 10 in total."

The unit is primarily involved in unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) operations far from the front lines in Ukraine, likely allowing Russian VIPs to "sidestep usual military service requirements with guaranteed safety," the MoD said.

Members of the squadron are also thought to be provided with bodyguards.

Sitting in the rear and drinking tea

Some analysts believe Russian officials see the unit as a way to exploit publicity opportunities.

"Kaskad is specially created for all kinds of famous people and officials who are looking to publicly demonstrate that they have gone to war and stood up for their country," Ruslan Leviev, a military analyst with the Conflict Intelligence Team, told The Guardian.

"You sit somewhere in the rear, drink tea, come back with a medal and titles, and go on to build your political career as a participant in the war," he added.

The unit, which has been active since around October 2022, rose to prominence in April after it emerged that the husband of Russian influencer Yelena Blinovskaya had enlisted to try to prevent her from going to prison on tax evasion charges.

Alexei Blinovsky was pictured serving with Bars Kaskad on April 16, per the MoD.

While thousands of Russian convicts have joined Vladimir Putin's forces in a bid to atone for their crimes and secure their freedom, Blinovsky's case is thought to be the first time someone enlisted in the war to help a family member avoid prison.

• More than a dozen car brands have been discontinued over the past 25 years.
• Some of the brands fell victim to corporate restructuring, while others came from failed startups. 
• Dead brands include Pontiac, Plymouth, Oldsmobile, and Mercury.

Over the last 25 years, as a slew of new carmakers have popped up —such as Tesla, Lucid, and Rivian — while more than a dozen other car brands have disappeared.

Pontiac and Plymouth are long-standing American car brands that fell victim to corporate restructuring, while Oldsmobile and Mercury failed to generate fresh consumer interest.

Saturn and Scion were created by their corporate owners as experiments to reach new customers that ran their course.

CODA was a novel EV startup that simply ran out of cash.

Regardless of the reason for their failure, each one of these brands still created memorable vehicles that helped move the automotive industry to where it is today.

Here's a closer look at 15 car brands that disappeared over the past 25 years.

Eagle

Eagle was launched by Chrysler Corporate in 1988 following its acquisition of American Motors Corporation (AMC) one year earlier. The Eagle name was pulled from AMC's eponymous line of crossovers. In the early years, it became a place where Chrysler could sell models developed by AMC such as the Eagle Premier and the still AMC-badged Eagle Wagon. Eagle also sold re-branded Mitsubishis such as the Eagle Talon and Eagle Summit, which were re-badged Mitsubishi Eclipse and Mirages. Chrysler shuttered the brand in 1999 due to lagging sales.

Plymouth

Chrysler originally introduced Plymouth in 1928 as an entry-level brand in the marketplace. Over the years, Plymouth was home to a litany of iconic models, including the Barracuda muscle car and Prowler roadster, as well as popular family offerings like the Neon sedan and Voyager minivan. Chrysler shuttered the Plymouth brand in 2001 following its merger with Daimler.

Oldsmobile

Ransom E. Olds brought his original Oldsmobile to the market in 1897. General Motors purchased the automaker in 1908, and it served as one of the company's leading luxury brands for nearly 100 years before it was shuttered in 2004 due to declining sales.

Rover

For a century, Rover was a consummate presence in the British car industry. However, the Rover brand struggled to compete in the two decades before its demise in 2005.

Even though Land Rover continues today as part of India's Tata Group, the Rover name has remained dormant.

Pontiac

Pontiac, one of America's most storied automotive brands, was first incorporated in 1926. Pontiac was responsible for some unforgettable cars in American lore, such as the Firebird and the GTO. Unfortunately, Pontiac was one of three brands dissolved as part of GM's financial crisis restructuring in 2010.

Mercury

Ford Motor Company established Mercury in 1938 to bridge the gap between its mass-market Ford brand and luxury-focused Lincoln line. Ford discontinued the Mercury line in 2010 due to diminished market share.

Hummer

GM launched the Hummer division in 1999 to sell the AM General-made H1, a civilian version of the US military's High Mobility Multipurpose Wheel Vehicle (HMMWV). In the subsequent years, GM introduced the H2 and H3 models before shuttering the Hummer division in 2010.

GM revived the Hummer name in 2021, but not as a stand-alone car brand. Instead, it's an EV truck made by GMC.

Saturn

Formed in 1982 and branded in the '90s as "a different kind of car company," Saturn was created mainly to compete with smaller Japanese brand models. By the early 2000s, GM had stopped developing standalone models for the brand and re-badged existing GM products. After years of lagging sales, production was halted in October 2009.

Scion

Toyota's Scion experiment attempted to create a smaller car that appealed to younger customers. Its lineup of small, quirky economy cars failed to make as much of an impact as Toyota had originally hoped. Sales declined substantially following the 2008 recession, and the brand was dissolved in 2016.

Daewoo Motors

Daewoo Motors was once one of South Korea's largest carmakers before a financial scandal at its parent company, followed by a bankruptcy in 1999. General Motors acquired Daewoo Motors in 2002. The company was rebranded as GM Daewoo before becoming GM Korea in 2011. Daewoo vehicles continued to be sold for years after its acquisition by GM, but the brand has been dormant for more than a decade.

Fisker Automotive

Before the current Fisker Inc. there was Fisker Automotive. Fisker Automotive was founded in 2007 and came to market in 2011 with a stylish range-extended EV called Karma. However, slow sales strained the company's finances, which worsened after much of its inventory was destroyed during Hurricane Sandy. Fisker Automotive filed for bankruptcy in 2013 before being sold to China's Wanxiang Group in 2014.

Saab

The Swedish automaker was founded in 1945, and GM took a $600 million stake in 1989, acquiring the remaining shares in 2000. After years of poor financial results and a global recession, GM sold the brand in 2009. A collection of European car companies owned the troubled brand until it dissolved in 2016.

CODA Automotive

CODA Automotive was an American EV startup that was founded in 2009. In 2012, the company launched an affordable EV based on a small Chinese internal combustion economy sedan but fitted with an all-electric drivetrain. CODA Automotive went bankrupt in 2013 after only a handful of customer deliveries.

Holden

Holden was arguably Australia's most iconic car brand. It was founded in 1856 as a saddlemaker and moved into the car business in 1908 before becoming a part of General Motors in 1931. Holden had a popular lineup of muscle cars and utes, but it wasn't popular enough for GM to keep it in business. GM ended automotive production in Australia in 2017 and shuttered the Holden brand at the end of 2020.

Borgward

Borgward was once one of Germany's largest carmakers before going bust in 1961. The Borgward brand remained dormant until Chinese automaker BAIC revived the brand in 2015. The new Borgward proceeded to launch a line of modern crossover SUVs. But the brand struggled to gain traction in the marketplace and filed for bankruptcy in 2022.