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• Air India is rebuilding its reputation after falling into disarray under state ownership.
• The carrier recently started flying its brand new Airbus A350 with an improved business class.
• I found the cabin a major upgrade after flying Air India’s old legacy business class for 13 hours. 

Air India is completely rebranding after years of decline — and it’s finally giving business-class travelers something to look forward to. 

The Tata Group — which first founded Air India in 1932 before it was nationalized in 1953 — bought back the carrier in 2021.

Under renewed management, Air India has vowed to improve its reputation, which has been plagued by broken seats and filthy planes.

Among its most important projects is improving the experience for its premium passengers, particularly those flying business class on its brand-new Airbus A350.

The plane started flying in January on domestic routes in India, with international routes still yet to be announced — though it’s likely customers can expect the US as a destination.

I toured Air India’s new A350 product in Hyderabad last month after flying its legacy Boeing 777 business class from New York to Delhi to see the improvements, and it’s a night and day difference.

The duo behind the brand — Mark Badgley and James Mischka — greeted such guests via notes left on each seat, explaining how the fall 2024 line was inspired by the luxury and reality of living in New York City.

“This collection is about the precision and drama of Park Avenue glass towers and the velvet-lined floral cocoons in their lobbies,” the note read. “It is a dance we love to do, of control and extravagance.”

With that in mind, it’s probably not surprising that those in attendance told Business Insider that they’re in line with Badgley Mischka — luxury is best served subtly.

“Quiet luxury speaks for itself. I feel like less is more,” influencer Daisy Marquez told BI.

Elizabeth Woods, the mom and manager of Jordyn Woods, agreed. Because she usually prefers shopping on a budget, she doesn’t flaunt her more expensive pieces when she wears them.

“I’m always quiet luxury,” she said while pointing to her Cartier glasses, which were a gift from her daughter Jordyn.

And Dhaval Bhanusali, the dermatologist behind Hailey Bieber’s skincare line Rhode, was right there with her.

“I think there’s a fine appreciation for art that’s important, but a lot of times, you don’t necessarily have to shout it from the rooftops,” he said. “I will always go with quiet luxury.”

The loud rise of quiet luxury

A few months into 2023, quiet luxury emerged as a major trend.

Thomaï Serdari, the director of the fashion and luxury MBA program at NYU’s Stern School of Business, previously told BI that the trend consists of “the highest quality” clothing that’s timeless, sophisticated, and simple.

Think neutral colors and thick fabrics. Now pair them with classic accessories: gold jewelry, black sunglasses, and leather purses. You’ve got yourself the ultimate quiet-luxury look.

Some also describe it as the “old money” aesthetic, or dressing like a wealthy fashion icon from decades past. Members of Gen Z, like Sofia Richie, are especially fond of the style.

Of course, it hasn’t risen to the top without competition. Though quiet-luxury status symbols are everywhere in 2024, some fashion fans are making the case for loud luxury looks — or outfits that feature logos, out-there silhouettes, and bolder colors more prominently.

“Quiet luxury had its moment, and the moment has passed,” costume designer and stylist Molly Farrell-Savage told BI. “I’m from Connecticut, where quiet luxury is the thing, so I just see so much that I’m over it.”

But even fashion fans who understand loud luxury say it’s still not the best look.

Eva Marcille, a former “America’s Next Top Model” winner and “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” star, told BI that quiet luxury will always remain the ultimate sign of style.

“I think people want to go loud luxury because, after COVID and everything that’s happened, there’s fashion from two seasons that we couldn’t wear,” Marcille said. “But less is more. It’s still all about simplicity.”

• Republican lawmakers in Idaho are looking to expand the definition of cannibalism.
• State Rep. Heather Scott said she was inspired after learning about human composting.
• Scott said she was also inspired by a fake video of a man feeding people human meat.

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Republican lawmakers in Idaho introduced an anti-cannibalism law to address fears that human composting could lead to accidental cannibalism.

State Rep. Heather Scott of Blanchard, Idaho, introduced the bill on Thursday. It would expand the state’s already existing cannibalism laws.

Cannibalism is the practice of eating another person’s body with or without consent. There are no federal laws that specifically outlaw cannibalism, but most states have laws that indirectly make cannibalism impossible, such as laws against the desecration of a corpse, according to a report by Cornell University.

Idaho is the only state that specifically outlaws cannibalism, according to Encyclopedia Brittanica. Cannibalism is punishable by up to 14 years in prison in the state unless it’s done in “extreme life-threatening conditions as the only apparent means of survival.”

Scott’s bill, simply titled “Cannibalism,” looks to broaden the definition to include people who “willfully provide the flesh and blood” of a person to another person for consumption under the law.

Scott said on Thursday when she introduced the bill that she was inspired by the use of human composting in nearby states, which she said “disturbed” her, according to the Idaho Statesman.

Scott also said that she watched a clip online of a chef serving unsuspecting guests human flesh, which outraged her. News outlets later confirmed that the clip Scott referred to was from a prank show by comedian David Spade from nearly 10 years ago, Boise NBC affiliate KTVB reported.

Human compositing is legal in seven states, including Washington, Vermont, Colorado, Oregon, California, New York, and Nevada.

Soil gathered from composted human remains can be used in yards, flower gardens, trees, house plants, and other natural environments, according to Recompose, a human composting nonprofit.

In Washington State, laws for scattering human compost soil are the same as those for cremated remains, meaning you must have the landowner’s permission to scatter the soil, according to the company.

• Sen. Chris Murphy said in an interview that “no one” is leading Senate Republicans.
• “You can’t make policy if no one is in charge,” Murphy told Politico Magazine.
• The Democratic negotiator’s remarks came after GOP lawmakers blocked the border security package.

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Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut, the chief Democratic negotiator of the scuttled bipartisan border security package, recently said that “no one is in charge” of the Republican conference after the bill only received four GOP votes in the upper chamber.

Murphy, who spent months working with GOP Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma and Independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona to design immigration legislation that could pass in the narrowly-divided Senate, told Politico Magazine in a recent interview that he collaborated well with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s staffers.

But Murphy questioned the Kentuckian’s leadership.

“I think they were good-faith actors. They helped get this bill to the point where we could release it on Sunday night,” Murphy said of McConnell’s staffers. “I just think it’s really worrying that the leader of the Republican Party can’t deliver more than four votes.”

“I mean, no one is in charge over there right now,” he continued. “That is not good for the country. That’s not good for the Senate. That’s not good for Democrats. You can’t make policy if no one is in charge.”

The Senate vote on Wednesday failed 49-50. The tally was far short of the 60 votes needed to advance the measure, which also faced a murky future in the GOP-controlled House. While six Democrats opposed the bill, four Republicans — Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Mitt Romney of Utah, and Lankford — backed the legislation.

McConnell voted against the bill, which would have overhauled the US asylum system, among other measures.

Murphy, who also noted former President Donald Trump’s opposition to the bill, said the GOP had to “figure out” who was leading their party in the Senate.

“It’s not up to me who leads them,” the second-term lawmaker told the magazine. “They just need someone to lead them. We can’t make policy if the Republicans don’t have a leader.”

But despite the setback, Murphy told the magazine he remained a “hopeless optimist” regarding the upper chamber.

“We unveiled a massive comprehensive border reform package,” he said. “We didn’t get it passed, but we got further than anyone in 10 years has gotten. … I still believe in the Senate.”

Soundbar FAQs

Are soundbars better than TV speakers?

Generally, even cheap soundbars deliver better audio quality than the speakers you’ll find built into most TVs. To keep costs down and ensure that the speakers fit within a flat-screen design, TVs usually include small divers and poor placement that can result in thin, muddy sound. The best soundbars can add more dimension, clarity, and bass to your TV-watching experience. 

Soundbars can also improve the definition of dialogue and other effects for those with hearing issues. That’s especially true for soundbars with a dedicated center channel, where most dialogue and other important movie and TV sound effects are directed.

How many speaker channels should a soundbar have?

The best soundbars can support multiple audio channels. These channels refer to how many directions sound can be sent through the device. Entry-level soundbars support two channels for basic left and right stereo playback, but high-end models can support five or more channels, including a center channel for dialogue, as well as surround channels via extra audio drivers, satellite speakers, or advanced virtualization techniques. 

Channel specifications are listed as a string of up to three numbers separated by decimal points. The first number represents how many standard ear-level channels are included (left, right, center, surrounds). The second number indicates if the device includes a dedicated low-frequency channel or separate subwoofer for extra bass. The final number indicates how many height channels are included for Dolby Atmos support.

Buyers who just want a simple upgrade from their TV’s integrated audio will likely be satisfied with a compact 2.0 or 2.1 soundbar system. But if you’re looking for a more complete home theater experience, you’ll want to opt for a 5.1 system or above.

What is Dolby Atmos?

Dolby Atmos is an immersive surround sound format that uses object-based audio mixing. In practice, this means that sounds can be more precisely positioned around your room, with effects placed in all directions, including overhead. For instance, when rain falls from the sky, or a helicopter flies overhead, you can actually hear the sound coming from above.

Dolby Atmos soundbars can use one of two methods to create overhead sound effects. The first involves using audio processing to create a simulated sense of height from regular ear-level speakers. The second method uses up-firing drivers angled up instead of forward to bounce sound effects off your ceiling. Generally, good upward-firing drivers provide a much more convincing sense of overhead sound than audio processing can produce alone.

For more specifics, see our What is Dolby Atmos explainer.

Do I need a subwoofer?

A subwoofer can be an integral part of your cinematic and musical experience. Due to basic physics, soundbars alone can’t offer the power and authority you’d get in dedicated bass frequencies from even a moderately sized subwoofer. If you’re looking for earth-rattling thunder, the deep boom of explosions, and hefty bass beats, you’ll want to highly consider a soundbar that either includes a subwoofer or, at the very least, allows you to add one later.