Category: Tech

To achieve its aims, which might not even be possible, Israel will need to fight with the same intensity in Gaza’s south as it did in the north if it is to have any hope of degrading Hamas’ capabilities, but this aspect of the conflict is exactly what has caused so many problems, a retired general told Business Insider.

“They’re damned if they do, and they’re damned if they don’t, because if they don’t, they’re not going to achieve the objectives that they set out to,” said Maj. Gen. Charlie Herbert, a former officer in the British army. It’s not an ideal situation.

The ongoing war, which was triggered by Hamas’ Oct. 7 massacre in southern Israel, has featured a devastating Israeli aerial bombing campaign followed by a ground invasion of Gaza. Operations began in the northern half of the coastal enclave but have since transitioned to the south, which has seen the bulk of recent fighting. Now, Israeli officials are signaling the movement toward a third phase that they say will be more targeted and surgical.

In a document released last week, Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant outlined his vision for the transition. Northern Gaza, he wrote, will see a “new combat approach” that includes raids, unspecified aerial and ground activities, special operations, and destruction of Hamas’ vast tunnel network that permit its hit-and-run tactics.

Gallant said efforts in the south will focus on decapitating Hamas’ leadership, who remain at large in Gaza and beyond, and returning the more than 100 hostages who are still held captive by the militants.

“This is a cross-stage effort. It will continue for as long as is deemed necessary,” he wrote, adding that the fight will continue until Israel achieves its goals: returning all the hostages, eliminating Hamas’ military and governing capabilities, and demilitarizing Gaza.

War analysts say that for Israel to achieve its goals, it will need to continue operating with the same intensity that it has over the past three months. But it is exactly that intensity that has led to a soaring death toll in Gaza, international condemnation, widespread calls for a ceasefire, and even pressure from the US, a key ally, to lower the temperature of the conflict.

“Israeli forces have degraded several Hamas units and rendered others combat ineffective, particularly in the northern Gaza strip, since the beginning of the clearing operations,” analysts at the Institute for the Study of War think tank wrote in an early January assessment after the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced they would pull some troops from the northern part of the enclave.

“But Hamas’ military forces are neither defeated nor destroyed at this time. Decreased Israeli pressure would, in fact, allow Hamas to rebuild its military capabilities and infrastructure,” ISW analysts said, adding that any “reconstitution is inconsistent with the stated Israeli war aims, which are to destroy Hamas militarily and politically.”

Israel says it has killed or captured up to 9,000 of the estimated 30,000 Hamas militants, and some experts warn that the death and destruction of Israel’s campaign could create more terrorists by radicalizing survivors. Gaza’s health ministry pegs the death toll at over 22,000 — it doesn’t distinguish between civilians and combatants, but a majority are believed to be women and children.

More than 180 IDF soldiers have been killed in the ongoing hostilities, adding to the more than 370 who were murdered on Oct. 7 alongside some 700 civilians.

An Israeli military spokesperson said on Monday that Hamas no longer functions as an “organized military framework” in the north and confirmed that the IDF is operating differently there. The main focus is now central and southern Gaza, especially areas around the city of Khan Younis, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said at a briefing, adding that fighting will continue into the new year.

The IDF did not respond to Business Insider’s request for comment on the challenges as it enters a new phase.

Herbert, the former officer in the British army who completed several tours in Afghanistan and served as the senior NATO advisor to the country’s interior ministry, said that the IDF’s overwhelming force and firepower are essential to accomplishing it goals, but also are what precisely has triggered the growing pressure to scale down the campaign.

While it is entirely possible that Israel can defeat Hamas’ military wing, the al-Qassam Brigades, it is less likely that the IDF can actually eliminate Hamas as a political organization or quash what it stands for, Herbert said.

A more effective approach, he argued, would have involved diplomatic and economic efforts rather than solely the military element. And even if Israel does manage to completely eradicate Hamas, an unlikely outcome, this still opens the door to an alternative group filling the void in the future.

Questions remain over how Israel is planning for a post-war Gaza. Some fear that the IDF is doomed to reoccupy the enclave, something it hasn’t done in nearly two decades and could set the stage for violent resistance.

Others have voiced concerns that the country may repeat US mistakes following its 2003 invasion of Iraq: failing to create a solid post-conflict plan, which led to an array of consequences like the expansion of Iranian power in the region and a prolonged insurgency.

In Gallant’s document outlining the future of the war, there is a fourth phase dubbed the “day after.” It’s broken down into visions for security and civil life: Hamas won’t pose a threat to Israel, Gaza will be fully governed by Palestinian civilians without ties to militant groups, and the IDF will have operational freedom of action there.

Among the other details, Gallant also wants a multinational task force charged with “rehabilitation” and “restoration” active in the enclave.

Gallant’s plan was reportedly met with disapproval by some of Israel’s more right-wing lawmakers, some of whom have received international condemnation for plans of their own. But it did touch upon some — though not all — of what the Biden administration hopes to see in the region when the war is over.

Speaking to reporters on Monday amid his latest trip to meet with Middle Eastern leaders, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said there’s “broad agreement” on a few objectives for the future of the region. These include that Israel can live without fear of terror attacks, unity between the West Bank and Gaza under local governance, and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.

“No one thinks that anything will happen overnight,” Blinken said. “But we agreed to work together and to coordinate our efforts to help Gaza stabilize and recover, to chart a political path forward for the Palestinians, and to work toward long-term peace, security, and stability in the region as a whole.”

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The Super Bowl is about a month away, and we’re starting to see some great TV deals just in time for the event. Displays from top brands like LG and Samsung are on sale, giving shoppers the perfect chance to snag a new big-screen set for the big game. 

We anticipate even bigger discounts as we get closer to the Super Bowl on February 11, but some top models are already seeing price drops. The best TV deals right now include a massive 98-inch TCL 4K display for $1,000 off. The 65-inch Hisense U6K, our pick for the best TV you can snag on a budget, is also holding steady at a great deal price of $550.

Below, our experienced deal hunters and tech experts are keeping track of all the best TV deals across a range of sizes and budgets. We expect even more deals to pop up over the coming weeks, so if the TV you’ve been eyeing isn’t on sale yet, check back for all the latest price drops.

Best TV deals on 24- to 50-inch models

Best TV deals on 55-inch displays

Best TV deals on 65-inch sets

Best TV deals on 75- to 100-inch displays

Is now a good time to buy a TV?

The weeks in mid-January and early February leading up to the Super Bowl are typically an excellent time to buy a new TV, especially if you’re shopping for a big-screen display. Many TVs are expected to drop back to their Black Friday prices, and we could even see a few models dip down to new all-time lows. 

The best TV deals of the season will likely arrive at the end of January, giving buyers just enough time to get their new displays to watch the Super Bowl on February 11. However, some great discounts have already started to pop up, so if you’re aiming to stream the NFL playoffs on a new 75-inch set, you can find some worthwhile deals right now.

Want to browse more TV sales?

The TV deals we highlight above are only a fraction of what’s available across all our recommended retailers. Best Buy, Walmart, Amazon, and more have a vast selection of models to fit your unique needs. Below, we’ve also listed a few other great sources to check if you need more options.

How do I choose the right TV?

Choosing the right TV can be tricky. There are lots of sizes, brands, and display types to pick from, and prices vary considerably depending on the features you want.

On the low end, you can find some small HDTVs for as little as $100 with either a 720p or 1080p screen. Decent 4K TVs tend to start at around $300 to $500 depending on size, and generally, you can expect better quality for each extra hundred you spend. On the high end, the best 4K TVs in bigger screen sizes can cost $1,500 or more. 

When choosing a TV, you’ll want to start by establishing how much you want to spend, typically tied to how big you want your display to be. Also, think about whether you’re willing to spend extra to get the best picture quality.

If you prioritize high-end image performance, you’ll want to opt for a 4K TV with an OLED panel or a QLED screen that includes features like local dimming and quantum dots. These technologies enable the richest colors and highest contrast for a gorgeous HDR image.

Are you a gamer? Make sure to get something with a 120Hz screen and variable refresh rate to fully support the latest features on the Xbox Series X and PS5. And movie and TV buffs will want Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos for the best cinematic flare.

On the other hand, buyers who just want a simple smart TV for casual viewing will be satisfied with any reliable entry-level model. These options use standard, budget-friendly LED screens. Though picture quality won’t be as impressive as pricier models, there are plenty of cheap 4K TVs with solid performance, including budget picks that still manage to offer 4K, HDR, and plenty of apps.

OLED vs. QLED: What’s the difference?

If you’re in the market for a midrange or high-end TV, you’ll likely find yourself deciding between two display types: OLED vs. QLED. They each have pros and cons, but we think the best OLED TVs deliver the top image performance for home theater fans. 

OLED TVs use self-illuminating screens that precisely dim and brighten each pixel to create an infinite contrast ratio. This makes an OLED display the top choice for buyers who want the absolute best picture quality for watching movies or playing games in a dark home theater room.

One major downside to OLED TVs is that they can suffer from image retention or burn-in. However, current models are equipped with hardware and software tools to combat this, and you can mitigate the chances of producing burn-in by ensuring certain static elements (like heads-up displays in games or news tickers) don’t remain on the screen for excessive hours. 

On the other hand, QLED TVs rely on older LCD panel technology that uses a backlight to illuminate their screens. These backlights can have multiple zones to dim specific areas, but even the best QLED displays can’t match the pixel-level contrast of an OLED. This can cause an uneven look in dark scenes with halos around bright objects or washed-out black levels that look gray. 

Where QLED TVs have an edge, though, is with peak brightness. Midrange and high-end QLED TVs can get brighter than most OLEDs. This makes a QLED TV a better fit for rooms that let in a lot of light, and they give an extra bit of HDR pop when very bright highlights are on-screen. QLED models also tend to be less expensive than OLED TVs and present no risk of burn-in.

For his part, Musk has refuted the report, saying that “not even trace quantities” of drugs or alcohol were identified during three years of testing after Musk smoked weed during an interview with Joe Rogan in 2018. In the past, the billionaire has said he has a prescription for ketamine after the Journal reported Musk was microdosing ketamine.

Gene Munster, a managing partner at Deepwater Asset Management, told Bloomberg most Tesla investors are unlikely to bat an eye at the Journal’s report.

“A small percentage of investors will sell their stock over the next week and put some pressure on shares,” Munster said. “Most investors won’t care, because it falls into the category that if you want to profit from Elon, you have to put up with his controversies.”

Wedbush tech analyst Dan Ives told Business Insider that it’s far from good news for investors but unlikely to make a material impact.

“Tesla investors are immune at this point to the negative Musk headlines,” he said.

A spokesperson for Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Musk’s personal attorney Alex Spiro told the Journal Musk is “regularly” drug tested and has “never failed a test.”

Shares of Tesla’s stock were up slightly on Monday afternoon from when the markets closed on Friday before the Journal released its report. Shares closed at $237.49 on Friday.

Musk has been known to bounce back in the past. Tesla investors have weathered their fair share of controversies, including the CEO, over the years — from when Musk told X advertisers to “Go fuck yourself” and appeared to boost an antisemitic post on social media last year to when the billionaire called a diver who was attempting to rescue boys trapped in a cave a “pedo” in 2018.

All the while, the carmaker’s stock has continued to climb. Shares of Tesla have soared nearly 1,000% since 2018.

Do you work for Tesla or own an EV? Reach out to the reporter from a non-work email and device at gkay@insider.com

• The NTSB chair said the Alaska Airlines flight that had a door rip off could have been “more tragic.”
• NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said the passengers were “fortunate” no one was seated next to the door.
• Homendy also noted that the plane was not at cruising altitude yet, so most people were seated.

The National Transportation Safety Board said the Alaska Airlines flight that lost a door mid-flight could have been “much more tragic.”

At a news conference on Saturday, NTSB chair Jennifer Homendy said things could have gone much worse during the flight if people were seated next to the door that dislodged from the plane.

“We are very, very fortunate here that this didn’t end up in something more tragic,” the NTSB chair said. “No one was seated in 26A and 26B, where that door plug is.”

Alaska Airlines flight 1282 from Portland to Ontario, California Jennifer Homendy returned to the airport in Portland after a “mid-cabin door plug” broke away from the plane, resulting in “rapid decompression,” according to Homendy.

Homendy added that this was a “pretty terrifying event” for those on board, noting that “we don’t often talk about psychological injury, but I’m sure that occurred here.”

Emma Vu, who was on board the flight, sent terrified texts to her family after the door dislodged, according to a now-removed TikTok seen by the Daily Mail.

“The masks r down; I am so scared right now; Please pray for me; Please I don’t want to die,” she messaged them, according to the now-deleted TikTok.

Homendy said the passengers were fortunate that the plane was at only around 16,000 feet in the air and only 10 minutes from the airport when the door blew, so most people were still seated.

“Think about what’s happening when you’re up in cruise,” Homendy said. “Everybody’s up and walking, folks don’t have seatbelts on, they’re going to restrooms, the flight attendants are providing service to passengers. We could have ended up with something so much more tragic.”

The NTSB is investigating what went wrong that caused the chunk of the plane to break away, headed by lead investigator John Lovell.

“Our goal, always, is to save lives so at the end of our investigation we issue safety recommendations that are aimed at preventing tragedies from reoccurring,” Homendy said.

The Federal Aviation Administration announced on Saturday that it is grounding 171 Boeing 737 Max 9 planes until they can be inspected. Each inspection will take around eight hours to complete, the agency said in a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Several court officials rushed to aid Holthus and attempt to subdue Redden, who was screaming obscenities, the outlet reported. In the scuffle, one officer tripped, dislocated his shoulder, and cut his head in an injury that required 25 stitches, KSNV reported, citing the arrest documents.

In those documents, Holthus told officers that a “big, strong and angry” Redden slammed her head into the wall behind her bench, struck her multiple times, and pulled out her hair. Officers later reported that Redden told them — unprompted — that he had a bad day and had attempted to kill the judge, KSNV reported, citing the arrest report.

Redden faces a litany of new charges following the most recent assault, including coercion with force, extortion, intimidating a public officer, and seven counts of battery on a protected person, among other charges, court records show.

Redden is being held at the Clark County Detention Center, records show, and he is due back in court on January 9. Holthus, who returned to work the day after the assault, has ordered Redden to re-appear in court “by any and all means necessary,” local CBS affiliate KLAS reported, citing court documents.

The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department did not immediately respond to an inquiry from BI on Saturday, nor did Redden’s attorney.

Around half of the 96 homes in the community have already sold, Ober said. The success may come as a surprise given that local coverage of the project in the past few months has highlighted a debate over whether the price tags are too steep.

The controversy resurfaced on Tuesday after a Texas-based entertainment TikTok account shared a satirical real-estate tour of an Elm Trails property priced at upwards of $140,000.

Kicking off the video, which has over 213,000 views, the user said there have been plenty of jokes about Elm Trails and the people who have bought homes there.

“Personally, I’m not sure how you can make fun of somebody for investing in themselves and their future,” he says.

He then gives viewers a lackluster run-through of the small home before ending the video by saying: “Change of plans, we actually are going to make fun of people buying these.”

The video comes after Texas-based real-estate agent Billy Rojo, who goes by Billy the Realtor on TikTok, shared a serious tour of one of the properties in Elm Trails in November. At the time, the home was being marketed for $136,900.

In his TikTok, which has over 776,000 views as of Friday, Rojo described the tiny house as “the most affordable home in San Antonio, Texas.”

It’s safe to say that not everyone was convinced. “This home should never exceed 50k,” one skeptical user wrote.

“It’s basically a Home Depot shed,” another commented.

Despite the comments, Rojo told BI that he stands by his video. He also suggested that Elm Trails skeptics don’t know what a good property deal is in today’s housing market.

“It’s $1,000 a month. It’s very, very affordable compared to your average home right now,” Rojo said.

According to Realtor.com, the median listing price for a home in San Antonio is $300,000 — substantially more than the cost of an Elm Trails tiny home.

However, the website also reported that the median home price per square foot in San Antonio is $171. Rojo said the Elm Trails home he toured was 692 square feet, making the price per square foot roughly $198.

The cost of Elm Trails homes could also be considered steep compared to the average cost of a tiny home in the US. In 2023, Forbes reported that tiny-home prices averaged around $50,000.

Pricey or not, Lennar’s tiny-home venture appears to be a success with buyers. Ober told BI that only one floor plan (called the Henley) is still available for purchase in the community. According to the Lennar website, the starting price of the 661-square-foot home is $159,999.

Ober also said people from “all over” have expressed interest in buying in the community and that similar communities will likely be developed in other states Lennar operates in, such as South Carolina and Florida.

“This is the first of its kind,” Ober said. “Lennar San Antonio is very innovative about how they are thinking.”

• A man from Idaho stole a plane from a Las Vegas hangar and flew it 100 miles to southern California.
• The man was arrested and is facing charges of possession of a stolen airplane.
• He may also be behind other attempted plane burglaries in the days leading up to his arrest.

NORTH LAS VEGAS, Nev. (AP) — An Idaho man was arrested after stealing a plane from a North Las Vegas hangar, flying it over 100 miles into a southern California airport and eventually running into a desert area after officers inquired about the aircraft.

The man, who is currently in custody in San Bernardino County, faces charges of possession of a stolen airplane and taking stolen property across state lines from the incident, which occurred on Saturday, according to the county sheriff’s department. There could be additional charges in Nevada, according to KSNV-TV.

North Las Vegas officials said the man could also be behind attempted airplane burglaries in the three previous days before his arrest, according to the station.

The aircraft was valued at about $80,000, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.