Astroworld is back in the news, and social media has some thoughts.
In November 2021, a deadly crowd surge at Travis Scotts Astroworld music festival claimed the lives of 10 people. The then-annual event, held in the rappers hometown of Houston, became one of the worst concert tragedies in U.S. history. Now its the subject of the new Netflix documentary Trainwreck: The Astroworld Tragedy.
With renewed interest in the incident, survivors have taken to social media to share their own footage from the event.
Only if I knew bro, one attendee posted on TikTok over footage of himself in the crowd. The audio accompanying the clip is taken from the documentary: It started getting pretty hectic, one survivor says. Im like, Oh my god, I cant take a deep breath, adds another.
@nnsquad4 #viralvideo #fyp #astroworld astroworld – Mi$$ing (-.-)Zzz
Since everyone else is sharing their Astroworld experience, another TikTok user wrote in the caption of a clip, which shows him tightly packed in the crowd as Scott performs. Not too long after this I got bumped into due to the crowd swaying and ended up falling on top of someone in the fetal position, he wrote. We ended up getting out but man it was a struggle.
In other horrifying footage, the panicked audience can be heard calling for help. Ive never posted this video before, rest in peace to all innocent lives lost, the caption reads over the video.
@adammendozaa In the moment I didnt know what else to do, so I just got out of that spot for the rest of the concert. After watching the documentary I am very grateful to still be here today. #travisscott #astroworld #fyp #concerts original sound – Adam Mendoza
Even before Scott took the stage, the crowd seemed to sense something was wrong. We are gonna die, one attendee filming the unsafe conditions jokes in a clip that now has 10.3 million views. Saying this as a joke but on the inside this was a real feeling, she wrote in the closed captions. This about to be bad when it starts, another can be heard saying. Bro literally called it, the captions add.
@goomba2105 @Joe Geesbreght This documentary is about to be wild. #astroworld #travisscott original sound – Zach
I believe Astroworld 2021 was not an accident, crowd safety expert Scott Davidson says in the new documentary. It was an inevitability due to the lack of foresight and the abandonment of basic safety protocols. Nearly 5,000 people were injured as a result of the crush. The Netflix documentary, which premiered on June 10, features interviews with several survivors.
In total, 10 people died: Axel Acosta, Danish Baig, Rudy Pea, Madison Dubiski, Franco Patio, Jacob Jurinek, John Hilgert, Bharti Shahani, Brianna Rodriguez, and Ezra Blount. Blount was just 9 years old.
The cause of death for all 10 victims was compression asphyxiation.
The summertime beaches of 1975 were empty, but the movie theaters were full thanks to Steven Spielbergs thriller Jaws. Considered by film historians to be the first-ever summer blockbuster, Jaws put the young director on the map and was the highest-grossing movie of all time until Star Wars was released two years later.
June 20 marks the 50th anniversary of Jawss cinematic debut. To celebrate, NBC is airing the film, complete with an introduction by Spielberg. Before we get into specifics about how to tune in, lets take a look at some fun facts about the flick, and what summer 2025 offers in the way of potential blockbusters.
It all started with a true story
The movie Jaws is based on the 1974 novel of the same name by Peter Benchley.
The reporter-turned-novelist was inspired by two powerful forces: his fond memories as a child fishing for sharks in Nantucket with his dad, and a newspaper article that told the real-life story of Frank Mundus, a Montauk, New York, fisherman who hooked a 2-ton-plus great white shark, as NBC notes. The childhood nostalgia and stranger-than-fiction story combined to make a bestseller.
Benchley cowrote the films screenplay with Carl Gottlieb. Each has a cameo in the film (Benchley as a reporter and Gottlieb as Meadows, the newspaper editor).
Spielberg was not the first director attached to the film
Its hard to imagine today, but the name Spielberg wasnt always synonymous with storytelling excellencethat reputation had to be earned.
Spielberg was just 27 when he devoured Benchleys novel and decided he wanted to be a part of the film version. However, his r�sum� at the time included only the television movie Duel and the theatrically released The Sugarland Express.
Jaws producers Richard Zanuck and David Brown had already offered the project to another director, as Far Out magazine reports. When that individual kept calling the shark a whale in a production meeting, Benchley was not impressed, and Zanuck and Brown gave the job to Spielberg.
Filming was not smooth sailing
The set of Jaws saw problem after problem. The films budget was originally $4 million but grew to $9 million. Principal photography was scheduled for 55 days but ended up lasting 159.
Being on Jaws became a living nightmare, and not because I didnt know what I was doing or because I was struggling to find the movie in my head,” Spielberg recalled to Vanity Fair in 2023. “I knew the film I wanted to make. I just couldnt get the movie I had in mind on film as quickly as I wanted.
Much of this was due to Spielbergs insistence on filming at sea off the coast of Marthas Vineyard instead of in a studio tank. A mechanical shark, nicknamed Bruce, was notoriously breaking down. The script was constantly reworked, and actors didnt always get along.
Jaws was a fun movie to watch but not a fun movie to make,” Spielberg added in the Vanity Fair interview.
50 years later: Special Jaws screenings and streaming
To revisit this classic filmor perhaps to see it for the first timetune in to NBC Friday, June 20, at 8 p.m. ET.
If that doesnt work with your schedule, the film and its three sequels are available to stream on Peacock. Its also heading back to select big screens across the U.S. beginning August 29, according to NBCUniversal.
2025 summer blockbuster offerings
Another roundabout way to honor the legacy of Jaws is simply by seeing any movie in a theater this summer.
The industry is still trying to find its footing after the COVID-19 pandemic, multiple Hollywood labor union strikes in 2023, and devastating Los Angeles wildfires in January 2025. It could use the support. Plus, movie theaters have air-conditioning!�
Domestic ticket sales were roughly $8.6 billion last year, compared to $11.3 billion in 2019.
While changing media consumption habits like streaming and endless smartphone scrolling have further challenged the notion of the summer blockbuster in recent years, 2025 still has many contenders that will vie for the crownand there really is something for everyone.
This includes Jurassic World Rebirth, on which Spielberg serves as an executive producer, scheduled for release on July 2. Already on the big screen is Tom Cruises latest addition to the Mission: Impossible franchise, The Final Reckoning, complete with death-defying stunts.
Families can enjoy the live-action remake of How to Train Your Dragon. Spielberg has his fingerprints on this one, too: While he was not directly involved with this iteration of the story, he cofounded DreamWorks, which led to the creation of DreamWorks Animation, the studio that produced the original films.
The power always comes back on.
It did at Londons Heathrow Airport earlier this year after a fire at a substation disrupted some 1,400 flights at the global hub, upending the plans and lives of 200,000 passengers. It did again on the Iberian Peninsula in April after a power outage, whose cause is still undetermined, knocking out transit in Barcelona, Madrid, and Lisbon and grounding flights even as back-up generators kicked on. And it did in May after the air traffic control tower at Houston Hobby lost power for an hour and backup generators kicked on.
Some might say the missed business meetings, the vacations disrupted, and the cargo delayed are unfortunate costs of doing business, collateral damage in a system that supports $4.1 trillion in world economic activity.
Others might think the airport power outages are so rare or brief that the fixa power source not reliant on the existing electric gridis a cost-prohibitive solution.
Critical role in global connectivity
The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) surveyed 24 commercial airports in 2023 and found a total of 321 electrical power outagesi.e., an unplanned loss of power lasting five minutes or longerfrom 2015 through 2022. Eleven of the airports reported six or more outages over this eight-year period.
The GAO study came after Atlantas Hartsfield-Jackson International Airportthe worlds busiesthad a power outage in 2017 and LAXthe worlds seventh busiesthad one in 2019. Because of the interconnected nature of commercial aviation, the effects of those outages rippled across the nation and world.
Airports play a critical role in global connectivity, in local and regional economic growth, and in the event of disastersthe most likely place where aid and rebuilding supplies will first arrive. They are also where transplant organs, high-value, time-sensitive goods, and critical machinery/parts needed for hospitals and utility companies arrive. Reliably functioning airport infrastructure matters. Our lives and livelihoods depend on them.
New energy solutions
At Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT), we started to think about options after Atlantas outage and took decisive action after Los Angeles outage. Our goal was to ensure resiliency and redundancy so we could have power, no matter what. Four years ago, we commissioned a first-in-the-world airport microgrid that fully powers a major airport.
Since then, we have achieved site-hardened infrastructure, lowered our cost of energy (in the millions, annually) and contributed to cleaner air by sourcing our energy very locally. PIT’s microgrid, powered by a 20 MW energy plant using on-site natural gas and a 3MW solar facility with nearly 10,000 panels built on top of a landfill, allows us to operate independently if outside disruptions occurand they have. A recent regional power loss that impacted commercial customers throughout the region had no effect on the airport. Our microgrid provided full power to our airport and airfield, without any disruption.
Not every airport is blessed with huge supplies of natural gas on property, but by adopting innovative solutions to provide energy security, we can make our world a better place for everyonewhether they fly or not. There is no one-size-fits-all solution. Airports must analyze the resources available that make the most sense for their circumstanceswhether its solar power, natural gas pipelines, or other creative options.
The industry has faced threats and found solutions time and time again. As a result, air travel is safer and more secure. Now is the time for airports to lead with a vision that sees beyond runways and terminals and create plans for resilience and build a future that withstands the loss of power.
Because wouldnt it be better and safer for us all if the power never went out?
Christina Cassotis is CEO of Pittsburgh International Airport.
In todays media environment, even the most compelling stories risk being drowned out by the sheer volume of breaking news, commentary, and developments. Each hour seems to bring a new wave of headlines and alerts. The pace and amount of information in this nonstop news cycle makes it increasingly difficult for mission-driven organizations to rise above the noise and make their voices heard.
For Meals on Wheels America, the leadership organization supporting more than 5,000 community-based organizations delivering vital services to vulnerable seniors, breaking through this noise isn’t just a communications challengeits critical to our mission to ensure that every senior in America can live a nourished life with independence and dignity.
Fortunately, Meals on Wheels is a well-known and respected brand. But with that recognition comes responsibility, to communicate with clarity, purpose, and precision. We must remain relevant while creating lasting impact. Often, this means rapidly assessing how new developments or decisions affect our network as a whole, then striking a careful balance in our messaging. We need to inform without alarmingcommunicating clearly when actions would harm Meals on Wheels providers, without sensationalizing the message or creating unnecessary chaos across the network. Were always thinking about the seniors we serve and avoiding undue panic that could make them worry about where their next meal will come from.
The changing rules of engagement
The rules of engagement have changed in todays environment. Its not just what you say, but how, when, and where you say it that determines whether your message sticks or gets lost amid the overwhelming barrage of content. Ive learned in recent months that the noise isnt going to stop, so we must become more strategic, agile, and intentional in our communication.
Here are four key lessons Ive learned in our efforts to make Meals on Wheels America stand out in this media landscape:
1. Lead with authenticity
In a world fatigued by constant misinformation, people crave honesty. While urgency is often necessary, overreliance on crisis language can desensitize audiences. Instead, clearly articulating why an issue matters nowgrounded in authentic, relatable experiences and storiesbuilds a stronger, lasting connection that will resonate with your audiences.
2. Elevate your organizations unique value
With countless causes and organizations competing for attention, differentiation is crucial. What makes your organization essential and why should people care? For us, its not just that we deliver meals, its that we provide a lifeline that keeps seniors healthier, connected, independent at home, and out of more costly alternatives. When I explain that for many seniors, a Meals on Wheels volunteer is the only human contact they have all week, something clicks for people and they get it.
3. Be transparent, especially when you dont have all the answers
Trust is earned and built through honesty, even when the picture is incomplete. Acknowledging what you dont yet know while sharing how you’re working toward solutions builds far more credibility than pretending to have all the answers. Transparency positions you as a reliable sourcesomeone who values truth over conjecture, choosing to gather facts before offering conclusions.
Our organization recently had to leap into action when a leaked government memo suggested our networks sources of federal funding would be frozen. We were receiving conflicting reports and couldnt get a clear answer on whether we would be impacted. When journalists started coming to us for clarity, we had to be honest: We didnt know, and that was the root of the problem! Leaked information was causing chaos, and suddenly, we were working with reporters to be a resource to one another, sharing information as we learned it.
4. Embrace creativity
In a crowded landscape, its often bold and unconventional storytelling that yields the biggest impact. By stepping outside the bounds of traditional advocacy, organizations can capture attention and inspire action. Equally important is humanizing your messageputting real faces to the challenges you highlight. This not only contextualizes complex issues, but also makes them more relatable, urgent, and emotionally resonant with everyday audiences.
Rethink messaging
Consider our recent message highlighting the positive economic impact for U.S. tax payers of investing in Meals on Wheels. While compassion drives our mission, data matters too, especially in policy-focused environments. By framing our work in terms of cost savings to taxpayers, like reducing the need for hospital and long-term care facility stays, were adding a pragmatic, fact-based layer to our story. Its messaging that resonates among policymakers and the media.
Additionally, we built our new creative campaign, On Hold around a universally relatable experience, to break through and drive increased awareness and urgency around senior hunger and isolation. The campaign creative brings this to life by matching all the hallmarks of being on holdthe annoying music, the impersonal prerecorded responsewith growing frustration. The feeling becomes so visceral that our seniors start physically manifesting it. This unexpected approach brings cultural relevance to a serious issue while reinforcing our key message: Our seniors have been left on hold, waiting for America to care for far too long. It’s time to answer the call and start prioritizing our seniors.
In this congested media environment, we also need strategic storytelling, delivered intentionally across the right channels, in the right format, to the right audience. For organizations like ours, success means staying authentic while continuously emphasizing both the emotional and practical value of our work. Its equally vital to illustrate the why and to clearly show whats at stake if local providers dont receive the federal funding on which they rely.
Ultimately, the noise isnt going away, but neither will our determination to ensure that the needs of the seniors we serve are heard loud and clear. By optimizing and refining our messaging strategies, embracing creative risks, and staying attuned to what audiences truly care about, we can and will continue to make a meaningful impact, even amid the most turbulent news cycles.
Ellie Hollander is president and CEO of Meals on Wheels America.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has placed new restrictions on Congressional visits, a policy change that is likely to escalate tensions between the controversial federal law enforcement agency and its critics.
ICE detailed the policy changes in a memo published to its website. Under the new rules, ICE asserts that lawmakers must give 72 hours of advance notice before visiting an ICE field office. Lawmakers are explicitly allowed by law to visit ICE facilities that detain or otherwise house aliens unannounced, but the agency wants to stop surprise visits to its broader constellation of immigration enforcement centers across the country, which it claims do not meet that criteria.
The new guidance comes as Democrats clash with the Trump administration over its immigration crackdown, which has targeted refugees who were offered legal status during the Biden administration, mistakenly deported a Maryland resident to a mega-prison in El Salvador and expanded immigration raids at farms, hotels and restaurants.
The policy also states that Congressional staffers must now provide 24 hours of notice before entering a detention facility. Visitors attempting to circumvent entry requirements may be subject to arrest or other legal action, the agency warns.
Under its new visitation policy, the agency tries to draw a distinction between its detention facilities and field offices, the latter of which it claims arent used to detain people.
ICE does not house aliens at field offices, rather these are working offices where Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) personnel process aliens to make custody determinations based on the specific circumstances of each case, the memo argues, adding that anyone brought to a field office who needs to be detained is transferred to a purpose-built facility.
ICE operates 25 field offices across the country. According to the agencys field office directory, the Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), the ICE law enforcement arm that conducts deportations, manages all aspects of the immigration enforcement process through those offices.
ICE clashes with elected officials are escalating
In Trumps second term, ICE officers have not hesitated to handcuff, arrest and even press charges against elected officials. Earlier this week, New York City comptroller Brad Lander was arrested at a Manhattan immigration court while escorting a man sought by immigration agents. In a video of the incident, Lander is shown repeatedly asking a group of plainclothes agents if they have a judicial warrant before being wrestled against a wall and removed from the building.�
In another recent confrontation, California Senator Alex Padilla was forcibly removed from a press conference when he tried to interrupt Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem with a question.
On Friday, Congressional Democrats sent a letter to Noem and the acting director of ICE accusing the agencies of continued obstruction of legal oversight visits by members of Congress. The lawmakers specifically named a Manhattan field office that normally serves as a brief stop for immigrants moving through the system but is now reportedly overcrowded and forcing people that are detained for multiple days to sleep on the floor.�
ICEs deputy field director in New York confirmed that multiple detainees slept on the floor or on benches in the facility, an admission the group of Democrats pointed to in their letter demanding access. The lawmakers also demanded that ICE rescind its new guidance claiming that its field offices are not subject to unannounced visits by members of Congress.
Given the overaggressive and excessive force used to handcuff and detain elected officials in public, DHSs refusal to allow members of Congress to observe the conditions for immigrants behind closed doors begs the obvious question: what are you hiding? the group of lawmakers wrote.
Anshul Ramachandran knew theyd landed on something special when engineers started having opinions about color palettes. Probably one of my favorite moments was when we showed other people at the company the brand book for the first time and I heard the audible wows and ahs, the cofounder and head of product and strategy at Windsurf says. If you can get a bunch of engineers in a room to do that about colors and lines, you probably did something that works.Windsurf, formerly known as Codeium, is an AI-based development environment that was bought last month by Open AI for $3 billion30 times its valuation. Ramachandrans clients are mainly engineers, and so any redesign needed to speak directly to them. So Windsurf enlisted Vancouver design agency Metalab to create a visual identity that looks more like athletic gear than business software. The result breaks every rule about how tech companies are supposed to look. [Image: courtesy Metalab]Back to the humanWindsurf builds AI tools for more than a million software engineers, helping them accelerate their coding workflows through what the company calls seamless AI collaboration. But their previous brand identitya black background with teal accentsfelt limiting for a product that was expanding beyond basic code generation.The previous branding iteration. [Image: Windsurf]Theres sort of a very grayscale, kind of boring treatment to a lot of [technology] products, says Allison Butula, marketing director at Metalab. The standard tech aesthetic had become a liability for a company positioning itself at the intersection of human creativity and machine intelligence. When machines seem to be taking over our world, it makes sense that a brand should work to make technology feel more human.[Image: courtesy Metalab]The timing of the redesign aligned with broader changes at Windsurf. The company released the Windsurf Editor in November, which generated such momentum that users began identifying the company by its product name rather than its corporate name. The company officially renamed to Windsurf in April. It was a natural time as we were also changing the name of the company, Ramachandran says.[Image: courtesy Metalab]The big creative riskYash Mittal, lead designer at Windsurf who oversaw the project internally, tells me the team was deliberate about taking creative risks. At the end of this process, where do we want to be? And were like, we want to take this big risk. And even if it fails, were okay with that because we dont want to end up with a brand that looks just like any other tech brand, he says.[Image: courtesy Metalab]Metalab has helped to turn technical products into emotionally resonant brands in the past (including Slack). Jordan Darbishire, brand director at Metalab, anchored the visual identity in a core emotional concept. It was the idea of feeling this unlimited potential. So its all about flow state. Its all about doing your best work and the tool affording you time, which is obviously a very precious resource, she says.[Image: courtesy Metalab]The brand flows indeed. The flat white logomark is a stylized W that makes it look like waves in the ocean. Its smooth thickness variations give it a hand-drawn quality, but at the same time it is precise, recalling an engineers calligraphy on a blueprint. The variable width typographyhow the W letterform grows wider, then thinner, then wider again, creating visual rhythm that suggests energy and movementtransmits a flow state, Mittal says. The logomark also visually echoes the wordmark: The Ws curves literally repeat the delicate thin ligatures of the brands typeface, Tomato Grotesk, adding to the repetition and the flow Mittal speaks aout.[Image: courtesy Metalab]The design process required balancing seemingly contradictory elements, Darbishire says. We want to really meld the natural and the technical, she says. To achieve that, the team created wavelike gradients that guide the eye through compositions while incorporating blueprint elements that communicate technical sophistication, which are at the same time a big contrast to the flat nature of the Windsurf brand and, at the same time, extend its human nature.Early design concepts and inspiration [Image: courtesy Metalab]Surfing UX AIThese pretty gradients are a key part of the brand book. Metalab developed a comprehensive gradient system with dotted line language and dash patterns that Windsurfs designers could use to build new shapes and applications. The color palette drew inspiration from actual windsurfing sails. A lot of them utilize these bright neon colors so you can see them on the water. Its also sort of the design language of that sport, Darbishire says. It looks like it could be a windsurf, like a windsurfing athletic company. And we really want to lean into that because its just so unique.[Image: courtesy Metalab]It wasnt the most aggressively sporty option, however. The team explored directions that felt too fashion-forward, too technical, or too vibrant before finding the balance point. We arrived at the sweet spot where we were very creative and expressive, but also we communicated our product values extremely clearly, Mittal notes. The gradients and colors will be an element that permeates the entire UX.[Image: courtesy Metalab]Luke Des Cotes, CEO of Metalab, says his company has had a front row seat of these kinds of waves in technologythe big boom of crypto companies that all come forward. And now its been AI companies that have kind of come forward. Creating a unique brand is key during a gold rush, he adds. There is going to be like this real renaissance of value put towards brand as being a core differentiator, he says.While Windsurf launched its new logo in mid-April, testing market reception before the full brand rollout, the complete rebranding across the site and all materials happens today (a day before International Surf Day). The logo has been a success so far, Ramachandran says. Almost all of our customers, especially on the enterprise side, theyre like, okay, yeah, thats great. You see the W, I see the wave, I see the flow. It makes a lot of sense.
Aflac Incorporated (NYSE: AFL) was the most recent target of a sophisticated cybercrime group that has led a campaign against a number of insurance companies in recent weeks, according to a statement issued by the company today.The cyberattack, which was first identified by the company June 12, was stopped within a few hours and business operations were not impacted. However, the number of Aflac insurance-holders affected by the breach is still unknown. Files containing personal information, such as Social Security numbers, health information, and insurance claims information, could have been compromised during the attack, the company said.
We regret that this incident occurred, the company wrote in a statement. We will be working to keep our stakeholders informed as we learn more and continue investigating the incident.
During the investigation, Aflac is offering credit monitoring, identity theft protection, and a two year Medical Shield policy for free to any customers who call their incident-dedicated call center.
The company suspects social engineering helped the cybercrime group infiltrate its networks. Social engineeringwhich includes tactics like phishing emailsinvolves deceiving a victim into revealing personal information or providing access into otherwise secure systems.
Aflac is only the latest insurance company impacted by these cybersecurity incidents. Erie Insurance and Philadelphia Insurance Companies issued statements about similar cyberattacks earlier this week, exposing a growing threat to the insurance industry.
The insurance industry is a recent target of a cybercrime group called Scattered Spider, John Hultquist, chief analyst of Googles threat intelligence group, shared Monday on X.
Scattered Spider, also known as UNC3944, is reportedly a group of hackers who target large organizations primarily in English-speaking countries. The group previously gained attention targeting U.K. retailers, such as Marks & Spencer and Harrods.
To defend against attacks by Scattered Spider, Googles threat intelligence group suggests companies should educate employees about social engineering tactics and strengthen security measures, such as identity verification and authentication procedures.
Aflac did not immediately respond to a request for comment about which social engineering tactics were used in the attack and whether additional cybersecurity measures would be put in place to ward off future attacks.
After a 1.37% drop between the close of trading Wednesday and opening on Friday, Aflacs stock price is looking up as the dust settles following the incident.
If you value critical thinking, you may want to rethink your use of ChatGPT.
As graduates proudly show off using ChatGPT for final projects, and with 89% of students admitting to using it for homework, have you ever wondered what effect this is having on our brains?
A new study conducted by researchers at MIT split 54 participants (aged 18 to 39 from the Boston area) into three groups. Each was tasked with writing 20-minute essays based on SAT prompts using either OpenAIs ChatGPT, Googles comparatively more traditional search engine, or their own brains.
Researchers then used electroencephalogram (or EEG) to record brain activity across 32 regions. Of the three groups, those assisted by ChatGPT engaged their brains the least and consistently underperformed at neural, linguistic, and behavioral levels.
The study found that using ChatGPT reduced activity in brain regions associated with memory and learning, as some human thinking and planning was offloaded to the LLM. Unsurprisingly, ChatGPT users felt less ownership over their essays compared to the other groups. They also struggled to recall or quote from their own essays shortly after submitting themshowing how reliance on the LLM bypassed deep memory processes.
Over several months, those using ChatGPT became lazier with each essay. By the end of the study, their work amounted to little more than copy-and-paste. Two English teachers who assessed the essays called them largely soulless. The papers lead author, Nataliya Kosmyna, told Time: It was more like, Just give me the essay, refine this sentence, edit it, and Im done.
By comparison, the group using their own brains showed the highest neural connectivity, were more engaged and curious, and expressed greater satisfaction with their essays. The Google Search group also showed high satisfaction and active brain function.
Given how frequently ChatGPT is now used in educational settings, these findings give cause for concern. A February 2025 OpenAI report on ChatGPT use among college-aged users found that more than one-quarter of their ChatGPT conversations were education-related. The report also revealed that the top five uses for students were writing-centered: starting papers and projects (49%), summarizing long texts (48%), brainstorming creative projects (45%), exploring new topics (44%), and revising writing (44%).
The MIT paper has not yet been peer-reviewed, and its sample size is relatively small. However, the authors believed it was important to release the findings to draw attention to the damaging long-term impact that use of large language models may have on our brainsas more and more people outsource everything from work tasks to texting.
What really motivated me to put it out now before waiting for a full peer review is that I am afraid in 68 months, there will be some policymaker who decides, Lets do GPT kindergarten. I think that would be absolutely bad and detrimental, Kosmyna told Time. Developing brains are at the highest risk.
Next time you are struggling with a writing task, stick with it. Your brain will thank you.
It seems Americans cant get enough of Olive Gardens never-ending soup or salad and breadsticks: The chains parent company reported quarterly results on Friday that buck a broader slump in dining out trends.
Darden Restaurants reported stronger-than-expected sales and earnings growth in its most-recent quarter that slightly beat analysts estimates. The Orlando-based company reported that same-store sales increased 6.9% at Olive Garden and 6.7% at LongHorn Steakhouse, which both beat analysts expectations. Across the companys 11 brands, same-restaurant sales rose 4.6%.
The company, not surprisingly, credits its model for its success. Rick Cardenas, Dardens president and CEO, said the company has been very prudent in keeping its price changes below inflation.
What we believe is happening right now in the casual dining space is our consumers are figuring out that casual dining is a great value, he said Friday on a call with Wall Street analysts. Consumers want to go out and spend their hard-earned money, and we think were taking some wallet share from fast food and fast casual.
Americans have soured on fast food lately, as both McDonalds and Chipotle reported declines in same-store sales during their first quarters, albeit for different timeframes than Darden. Traffic at U.S. quick-service restaurantswhich includes the likes of McDonalds and Chipotlehas been steadily declining, and fell again in May versus last year, according to figures from Revenue Management Solutions (RMS), which provides insights about the restaurant industry.
Saving money is the main reason keeping people from heading out to eat, as 69% of Americans say theyre eating at home more often, according to KPMGs Consumer Pulse Summer 2025 report. And consumers surveyed said they expect to spend 7% less at restaurants each month this summer.
Olive Garden’s Momentum
Despite weakness elsewhere in the industry, Darden is forecasting solid growth in its 2026 fiscal year thats now underway. The company forecast total sales growth of 7% to 8% following gains of 6% in the 2025 fiscal year.
One thing thats helped Olive Garden, Dardens biggest brand, is a delivery partnership with Uber Direct. In the most-recent quarter, Uber Direct accounted for about 3.5% of Olive Gardens total sales.
And more broadly, Cardenas said that Darden is focusing on how to keep up its recent strength, particularly for Olive Garden. Were going to continue to find ways to keep that momentum going.
Dozens of Kirkland’s Home stores will close as part of the retailers recently announced rebranding efforts. Some existing stores will be converted to Bed Bath & Beyond Home stores as part of the transformation, the company said this week.
Kirkland’s will streamline its footprint by closing at least two dozen of its 313 existing Kirkland’s Home stores.
The company will launch its first Bed Bath & Beyond Home store in Brentwood, Tennessee, in August 2025, with five stores to follow. Pending the initial market launch, the retailer intends to open approximately 75 additional stores through 2026.
The Tennessee-based retailer also plans to open its first physical Overstock store location in Nashville, with about 30 additional stores to open after the initial launch. These plans align with Kirklands broader goal to be a multi-brand retail operator.
“By consolidating real estate and leveraging underperforming store closures to reduce excess inventory, we believe we will drive faster inventory turn and maximize return on assets,” the retailer said in a press release. “Following the consolidation, we expect to move forward with approximately 290 of our current store locations as the foundational footprint for Kirkland’s Home, Bed Bath & Beyond Home, and Overstock.”
Fast Company contacted the brand to request a list of locations that will close. We will update this story if we receive a reply.
Kirkland’s Home rebrand reflects a broader transformation
Kirklands corporate name will officially change to The Brand House Collective pending shareholder approval at the company’s next annual meeting on July 24, 2025. Its ticker symbol will also change from “KIRK” to “TBHC,” pending approval next month.
Kirkland’s CEO, Amy Sullivan, explained the intention behind the rebrand in the company news release: “We’re aligning our identity with our vision to become a multi-brand merchandising, supply chain and retail operatorand backing it with decisive actions to strengthen our foundation: reducing excess inventory, closing underperforming locations, optimizing real estate assets, and enhancing talent across the organization.”
Amy Sullivan will lead as the CEO and chief merchant and creative officer of The Brand House Collective. The company announced the following additions to its corporate team:
Chief Operating Officer Jamie Schisler will oversee operations.
VP General Merchandising Manager of Bed Bath & Beyond Home Kerri Dlugokinski will lead all merchandising efforts.
VP of Supply Chain Courtenay Adolf is responsible for global sourcing, transportation, and distribution centers.
The retailer also announced changes to its board of directors. Effective June 24, 2025, appointees Eric Schwartzman, Neely Tamminga, Tamara Ward, and Steve Woodward will serve as board members.
In October 2024, Kirkland’s announced a strategic partnership with Beyond, Inc., which owns brands Bed Bath & Beyond, Overstock, and buybuy Baby.
