The sanctuary state of California released an illegal alien drug trafficker from jail after he was arrested for car theft, Breitbart News has learned. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents lodged a detainer, but it was ignored.
Instagram is offering some creators six figures to help make it a long-form video hub.
The Meta platform is reviving its IGTV ambitions, allowing horizontal videos of up to 90 minutes.
Creators are required to cross-post their long-form YouTube content to Instagram as part of nonexclusive deals.
Instagram wants what YouTube has — and it's willing to pay up to get it.
In an effort to persuade content creators to post long-form video on Instagram, the company is paying a select number of creators hefty sums, according to people familiar with the deals.
Not every deal is equal. The Meta-owned platform has offered select creators $50,000 to post long-form video to its new "Features" product, while others have been offered six-figure deals, some of which have reached $500,000, Business Insider exclusively learned.
"We've been public about the fact that we are funding Features content directly with some creators right now to support them," a Meta spokesperson told Business Insider. "The details of those deals are confidential, but we're excited to see the content going live."
On Monday, Instagram unveiled an overhaul of its video formats. Most importantly, it's resurrecting IGTV — a long-form video product Instagram launched in 2018 and sunset in 2022 — in the form of Features. The horizontal, wide-screen videos will exist within the Instagram app, and can be as long as a feature film: 90 minutes.
Instagram is expanding its offerings for long-form video content.
Meta
Long-form video isn't exactly what people are used to watching on Instagram. Reels, the platform's answer to TikTok's meteoric rise, has redefined the Instagram experience and is driving time-spent and revenue across Meta's apps.
YouTube, however, reigns king as the internet's destination for sit-down, longer-form videos.
Instagram knows this. The deals do not require exclusivity to Instagram, multiple people familiar with the agreements said; one person familiar with the offers said it's asking creators to post to Instagram any of the long-form content they publish to YouTube that same day.
Reza Izad, partner at Underscore Talent, which reps clients like "Subway Takes'" Kareem Rahma and Noah Beck, called the deals an "exciting opportunity" for creators.
"Every time there's a new feature in these apps that the company's promoting, people will have more opportunity to be seen because there's going to be algorithmic preference to this kind of content," he said. "And unlike short-form, there's not a lot of abundance."
Money, money, money
This isn't the first time Instagram has inked paid deals with creators to lure them to post more on Meta's apps.
Last year, Meta was paying creators thousands of dollars to post short-form videos to Instagram and Facebook in the midst of TikTok's potential ban. The company has tested several bonus programs paying creators for the performance of their Reels on Instagram, though those programs have dwindled.
Back in 2021, when IGTV was still part of Instagram's big video bet, it inked deals with creators, funding long-form episodic shows from creators like TikTok's "Sway Boys" and "Dance Moms" alum Nia Sioux. Briefly, IGTV had its own monetization program, too, which let some creators earn a cut from ad revenue on the format.
While Instagram is paying some creators directly, a big question looms over the creator economy: What about the rest of them?
A major draw of YouTube is its long-standing Partner Program, which pays eligible creators a share of the ad revenue generated by their videos. Even though YouTube has increased its eligibility requirements, the potential to turn a hobby or passion project into a cash-earning career has kept YouTube on top as the go-to video platform for creators.
It's no surprise, then, that when Instagram announced its video overhaul, creators immediately had questions about monetization.
"We understand the economics matter a ton, and are exploring multiple options to help long-form creators get paid," Instagram's top executive, Adam Mosseri, wrote in an X post on Wednesday.
Kathy Villalba sent an "urgent" memo asking residents for financial support.
Suy SE / AFP via Getty Images
The boss of Villa Vie Residences sent passengers an "urgent" appeal for financial help in August.
Three months before the cruise halted in Cambodia, CEO Kathy Villalba warned of soaring fuel costs.
"We have now reached a critical point," she wrote. Read the full message to residents below.
Almost three months before Villa Vie Residences suspended operations on Tuesday, leaving residents of the "never-ending" cruise stranded in Cambodia, the company had already warned the Odyssey's residents that it was running out of money for fuel.
In an August 1 memo to residentslabeled "urgent," Villa Vie CEO and founding partner Kathy Villalba asked residents for financial contributions to buy fuel.
The memo, which Business Insider reviewed, said the company needed to make"immediate and creative operational decisions to preserve the voyage."
The company behind the 509-cabin ship had promised a permanent life at sea and a voyage around the world every three-and-a-half years for its residents. That came to an abrupt halt on Tuesday, when residents were told to disembark with only a few hours' notice.
In a Tuesday statement announcing it had halted operations, Villa Vie said it had taken "significant steps to reduce fuel consumption" after prices rocketed following the onset of the US-Israel war with Iran in February, but that these steps had not been enough.
Villa Vie founder Mikael Petterson told Business Insider in a phone call on Wednesday that the fuel price surge triggered a "cascading effect" that culminated in the suspension of operations.
Financial pressures became clear to residents in April, two months after the war in Iran began, when Villa Vie asked residents to loan the company money, offering interest rates of 12% to 24%, according to a separate letter viewed by Business Insider.
And by August, Villa Vie had reached a "critical point," according to Villalba's message, which you can read in full below.
Villalba, Petterson, and Villa Vie did not respond to multiple requests for comment from Business Insider.
URGENT OPERATIONAL UPDATEConfidentiality Reminder: This communication contains confidential and proprietary information intended solely for current Residents and authorized participants of the Villa Vie community. It is being shared through Circle as part of our commitment to transparency and open communication. We respectfully ask that you do not repost, forward, or otherwise distribute this information outside of Circle without the prior written consent of Villa Vie Residences.Dear Residents,We want to provide you with a direct, straightforward update regarding Odyssey's current operational realities.When the fuel contribution was requested several months ago, participation was not universal. The contributions received helped some, but they covered only part of the extraordinary increase in fuel costs. Since then, the company has exhausted its available reserves covering the remaining shortfall and keeping Odyssey moving.We had hoped that improving conditions in the region would begin to stabilize fuel prices. Unfortunately, the continued conflict and renewed market disruption have caused prices to rise sharply again. This is not simply an itinerary issue. It is an immediate cash-flow challenge that directly affects our ability to purchase the fuel required to continue the voyage.Odyssey currently needs approximately 650 metric tons of fuel. Under normal market conditions, that fuel would cost approximately $450,000. At today's prices, the cost is nearly double ($800,000).We have now reached a critical point. The lack of full participation, combined with the unprecedented increase in fuel costs, means we must make immediate and creative operational decisions to preserve the voyage.We are working toward receiving a partial fuel delivery as early as Monday. Our berth is available until Friday, August 7 at 4:00 p.m., subject to final confirmation from the port agent and Singapore Port Authority. The current recommendation is to remain alongside until August 7 and then sail at a slower, more economical speed to Nha Trang for our scheduled arrival on August 12.We are asking every Resident who did not previously contribute to please do so now. We are also asking those who are able to provide additional support to consider helping with this immediate fuel requirement.While every Resident has a contract with Villa Vie, this international crisis has created costs far beyond the circumstances contemplated when those agreements were made. The financial need is real, immediate, and necessary to keep Odyssey moving. This is a moment when preserving our home and continuing the voyage requires support beyond contractual minimums from those who are able to provide it.To conserve fuel and reduce operating costs, we will cancel Brunei and proceed directly from Singapore to Nha Trang. This will help reduce the expense, but it does not eliminate the need to fund the required bunkering.We will provide another update as soon as the fuel, berth, and departure arrangements are confirmed.Thank you for your understanding and support.— VVR Management."
From the high-stakes action of "Lioness" to the holiday adventure of "A Very Arctic Christmas," Jill Wagner is taking on two very different worlds.
But off camera, the actress has traded Hollywood's hustle for a quieter life raising her two daughters on a Tennessee farm in a town of just 800 people — where horses and buggies are still a familiar sight.
"First of all, I love Tennessee … I'm from the South. I'm from North Carolina," she told Fox News Digital. "I love the people here but especially love the small-town mentality."
"I was at the post office this morning and one of the Mennonites was in front of me … I got to look at their horse and buggy," she said.
Wagner said the small-town atmosphere has become an important part of the childhood she and her husband want to give their girls.
The actress explained why she hopes her daughters will eventually appreciate the slower pace, even if they someday follow in her footsteps and move to bigger cities.
WATCH: JILL WAGNER TRADES HOLLYWOOD HUSTLE FOR TENNESSEE FAMILY LIFE
"In some ways, going back to a simpler, slower pace … I think as we get older, or at least I know I can speak for myself, as I get older, I really value that," she added.
Wagner knows the pull of Hollywood firsthand. She left home at 17 to pursue a career in entertainment and suspects her daughters may one day be eager to spread their own wings.
But she hopes they'll always remember what their upbringing gave them.
"And I'm sure they'll do the same, but I hope what it does is bring them back to the simple-ness of life and what it can be … That's a gift that my husband and I gave them, and they probably don't even know it yet," she said.
Away from the action of "Lioness," Wagner is embracing the holiday spirit in "A Very Arctic Christmas," reuniting with Cameron Mathison for a festive adventure.
Wagner plays Jane, a wildlife conservationist who helps a father and daughter navigate an unexpected Arctic adventure after their holiday cruise goes off course.
The actress said working with Mathison brings plenty of laughs to "A Very Arctic Christmas" set.
"There's never any dull moment when you have Cameron Mathison and I on set together. In fact, it's hard for us to get through a scene without laughing, I'm sure. Robin Dunne, the director, is always rolling his eyes, like, ‘Oh, guys, guys, guys, guys, bring it in,'" she laughed.
WATCH: JILL WAGNER DISHES ON THE ON-SET CHAOS WITH CO-STAR CAMERON MATHISON
For Wagner, the holiday films also have a personal connection.
The actress has found ways to include her daughters in her Christmas-movie tradition.
When Wagner's daughters were younger, she included them in one of her films as extras, giving them a chance to sit on Santa's lap.
Now that they're older, Wagner said they understand that Christmas movies are a genre of their own — and she hopes the experience becomes a lasting family tradition.
"And I just hope that one day when I'm long and gone, that is a tradition with each other's families is that they get on Christmas, and they get to watch that movie and just kind of laugh at the fact that we're all in a movie together at Christmas," she added.
While Wagner's career continues to take her between intense action roles and feel-good holiday projects, she values sharing those experiences with her daughters while giving them a childhood rooted in small-town life.
When Fox News Digital asked whether her daughters were becoming the Tennessee farm girls she had envisioned, Wagner admitted there's still some work to do.
"So, I don't know about farm girl. I know that … they love outdoors. They don't necessarily like doing farm work. So, we're trying to still work on that," she laughed.
"They do love running around barefooted in the dirt, and they can play outside all day long, which I love for them," Wagner said.
The family hopes to add chickens and goats when Wagner's work schedule allows more time at home.
"Maybe one day we'll get a horse or a pony for them," she added.
But for Wagner, the biggest perk of small-town life isn't just the farm — it's the neighbors who show up when it matters.
Her family owns Scott Mansion Farms, where they host charitable events benefiting the Special Operations Warrior Foundation and Dolly Parton's Children's Hospital. Wagner said the community's support has been especially meaningful.
"But the fact that people just show up at the gate and say, ‘What can we do to help?’ I think it just reminds me of how amazing humanity is … and how very special it is to have good neighbors," she said.
Wagner also hopes her daughters inherit her love of local festivals and community traditions.
Zach Reitano, co-founder and chief executive officer of Ro.
Aaron Schwartz/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Telehealth company Ro is launching an AI agent trained on customer data.
The agent can recommend prescription changes, schedule deliveries, or write memos to a doctor.
Eventually, Ro hopes to make it a "quarterback" for care. Will it improve outcomes?
Wouldn't it be great if we all had a little, digital minion handling all the small back-and forth chores of our medical care?
On Thursday, Ro is officially announcing the launch of its new AI health agent, designed to do more than a health inquiry on ChatGPT. It's the latest in a long lineup of healthcare agents — from insurers, telehealth providers, electronic health record systems, and regular chatbots — promising to cut down patient wait times, increase access to care, and improve personalized health recommendations with AI.
Ro CEO and co-founder Zach Reitano gave Business Insider an exclusive preview of Ro's new agent, called Robin, showing us how the tool could be used to perform routine tasks like managing side effects, meal planning, or making medication changes.
Ro's new AI agent, named Robin, is like a "quarterback" for healthcare, Reitano said. Will it work?
Ro
A founder's mission: disrupt healthcare delivery with AI agents
Reitano said this isn't just about making life more convenient for Ro's current subscribers, though that is the starting point. His long-term goal is to identify pain points where Ro customers need to seek out specialists for common conditions or prescriptions, then start offering more and more of that care in-house, becoming your go-to "quarterback" for the entire American healthcare system.
"I think it's very unlikely to me that one provider or one system handles 100% of someone's care, but I do think it is quite likely that there is one place in someone's life that serves as that quarterback and helps them navigate the rest of the healthcare system," he said. "We hope to be able to just continue to increase those concentric circles, where instead of saying you might be better suited outside of the Ro ecosystem, we would want you to be better suited in it."
When I asked him if his "ultimate goal" is to become a full-service virtual clinic, he said yeah, that's the hope.
For now, Ro's AI agent uses information that's already stored in the app, including notes from doctors, patient feedback, prescriptions, and Apple Health data to try to personalize recommendations for medication changes, dosing tweaks, or habits that might improve side effects.
It's meant to be more instinctively knowledgeable about your health than ChatGPT — requiring less prompting or uploading health data, since it already has information about patients on file. It can suggest a change in medication, and then go ahead and write a first draft of a note to your doctor, if you want it to.
"The underlying premise is: If I have your underlying health information, I can provide more informed and better things, better recommendations," telehealth researcher Dr. Ateev Mehrotra, chair of the health policy department at Brown University, said.
Only issue is, we don't yet know if that's true.
"People are giving up a lot of data for this, and so you really have to say that it truly is going to give you something," Mehrota added. "It sounds cool in theory, I'm not saying it's a bad idea. I would love some evidence before millions of Americans start doing this."
Personally, Mehrotra says he'd be much more likely to try out one of the AI agents embedded into an official electronic health record system, which has access to everything he's told his regular doctors and specialists within a specific hospital system and which — critically — has to abide by strict privacy rules. (Business Insider did not see Ro's privacy policy for Robin.)
"My health system doesn't have the weird financial incentives that we're worried about with Ro," he said. "More data, less financial incentives, I might use that."
Reitano says ultimately, it's not in his company's interests to go after short-term profits at the expense of a good patient experience.
"We fight for patients, and we serve you, and if we don't, then we go out of business," he said.
Charles Lamanna, head of Copilot, Agents, and Platform, just took over Office and Teams.
Teams within his new combined unit have adopted flatter structures amid the rise of AI agents.
He's also enforced a stricter RTO for senior staff, and offered employees relocation to major hubs.
Microsoft's head of the Copilot platform, AI agents, and now Office is making good on his promise to reshape how his teams work.
"The most important thing my team will do this year won't be any single product or feature we ship: instead, it will be changing how we work," Charles Lamanna, the new boss of this key Microsoft unit, wrote in August.
Lamanna has started requiring senior staff to work in offices four days a week, and he's offering relocation to major hubs, according to people familiar with the changes. Teams within his organization have also reorganized to a flatter structure removing middle managers in line with Lamanna's views about how agentic AI is changing engineering.
"We're rethinking where managerial layers are critical and where flatter structures can enable faster decision-making, clearer ownership and greater autonomy," a Microsoft spokesperson said.
The moves offer an early look at how Microsoft is reworking its software empire for the AI age. Lamanna, who already oversees the company's Copilot and AI agent platforms, now controls the Office productivity software and Teams workplace chat service that are used by millions of workers.
Lamanna took over those groups earlier in October when the previous boss, Ryan Roslansky, announced plans to leave at the end of the year. Roslansky was seen as a successor to Microsoft veteran Rajesh Jha, who retired in July. Roslansky and Lamanna were two of the three executives who made up the new Copilot leadership team.
The changes come as CEO Satya Nadella reshapes the company around AI. Microsoft has been consolidating responsibility for its AI products, and a wave of senior executive departures has made way for a new generation of leaders.
"Span of control"
Lamanna's expanding responsibilities make him a key player in this leadership transition, giving him oversight of Microsoft's flagship workplace software and the AI tools that could change how customers use its products.
Recently, the Teams unit now under Lamanna reorganized by increasing the "span of control" for managers in engineering, according to two of the people familiar with the changes.
This refers to the number of employees who report to each manager, and it's become common for tech companies to flatten engineering organizations like this in the AI era, as coding tools and agents write more software.
The reorganization included converting managers to individual contributors, the people said. The idea is that agentic coding capabilities mean Microsoft needs fewer managers, according to one of the people. The team will now have a ratio of one manager per 12 individual contributors.
"Agentic coding capabilities have changed every level of the engineering function," Microsoft's spokesperson said. "Software engineers are no longer hand-assembling every line of code. Instead, they are now designing and directing the 'agentic coding machine' that helps build the product."
As AI makes it easier to build software, skills like making sound technical decisions, designing systems, ensuring quality and security, and understanding customer needs become more valuable.
"At the same time, some tasks that traditionally required managerial coordination, such as managing handoffs and orchestrating work across teams, become less central," the spokesperson said.
Other teams have implemented similar restructuring, the spokesperson confirmed.
RTO and relocation
Lamanna has also started reshaping where employees work. Last week, Lamanna's Copilot, Agents, and Platform (CAP) organization offered select US employees the option to relocate to offices at Microsoft's Redmond, Washington headquarters, San Francisco, or New York, according to three people familiar with the plans.
The people who spoke with Business Insider for this story asked not to be identified discussing internal matters.
Lamanna has also asked employees at the "partner" level and above — some of Microsoft's most senior staff — to start working in physical offices at least four days a week. The companywide standard is three days a week.
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