• Uber cofounder Travis Kalanick thinks we’re on the precipice of a golden age.
• Kalanick unveiled Atoms, his new robotics company, on Friday.
• He said automation of the physical world will lead to autonomy and abundance for humans.

The Uber-famous founder, Travis Kalanick, says a new golden age is coming — and it’s robots that are ushering it in.

Kalanick announced a new venture called Atoms on Friday in a 1,600-word screed in which he said the automation of the physical world is the next phase of the AI era.

“Software has automated tasks of language and math, but the complete automation of the physical world — autonomy — remains largely untouched territory, the principal unlock to the next era of progress and abundance,” he wrote. “History refers to this kind of moment of radical progress as a Golden Age.”

Kalanick said this “golden age” is emerging as production and transportation become driven primarily by computation, minerals, and energy. With autonomous machines building other machines and software constantly improving itself, he said, productivity could reach unprecedented levels.

“The organization of human capital becomes superhuman,” he wrote.

Kalanick later said on the tech talk show TBPN on Friday that Atoms has been operating in stealth mode for the past eight years. Now, the company aims to expand its delivery infrastructure beyond food into industries such as food service, mining, and transportation.

He said in his announcement that the company’s goal is to create “gainfully employed robots.” He defines these as “specialized robots with productive jobs that bring abundance to their owners and society at large.”

He also said humans should be careful about building robots in their own image. “I watched the half-marathon and couldn’t help but think how much better it would be if they just had wheels,” he wrote, referring to a competition in Beijing last year that pitted humanoid robots against each other.

Kalanick cofounded Uber in 2009. He led the company as CEO until 2017, when he stepped down amid reports of a toxic workplace culture and ongoing regulatory battles.

He isn’t the only tech executive who believes AI robots should extend beyond humanoid form.

The cofounder and CEO of World Labs, Fei-Fei Li, said on the No Priors podcast last year that building physical AI in a singular form is energy inefficient.

“Just an extreme and trivial example, if we put robots underwater, they should not be the shape of humans,” she said. “They better be in the shape of fish. Just think about energy efficiency. The same with flying.”

• Lisa Devine battled on and off drug addiction for a total of six years.
• The courts forced her to get sober, but, after one relapse, the real change came from herself.
• She now runs a candle-making studio that is supported by the community.

This interview is based on a conversation with Lisa Devine, 37, a candle studio owner from Queens, New York. It has been edited for length and clarity.

People often ask me why my Mom and Pop’s arts-and-crafts studio in New York is called “2nd Chance Candles.”

The answer is simple: your past doesn’t define your future, and everyone deserves a second chance.

I’m living this truth after overcoming an addiction that nearly killed me. I am now sober, running a business that brings me joy and fulfillment.

I got kicked out of the college dorms

I’d always been a great kid growing up in Putnam County, New York. I had a high GPA and planned to start a career in dental hygiene.

But the alcohol and weed in which I dabbled during my senior year of high school took hold in college.

It was a dry campus, and I got kicked out of the dorms after being caught drinking with friends. I didn’t have a car, so I couldn’t commute. At 19, I had to move back in with my parents.

Back at home, I couldn’t follow the rules. It was a small town, and I left for New York City. Real fast, I got my first job working in a café.

I’d come home after work and smoke pot. Then, in 2011, someone offered me heroin. I knew I was in trouble when my dealer didn’t pick up one day, and I started to throw up from withdrawal.

When you’re a functioning addict, your new normal is under the influence. If I didn’t have drugs, I didn’t feel normal. Still, I kept getting high while holding down my job.

I went through a 5-day detox

In 2016, I was arrested on charges relating to drugs. I had no criminal record at that point, and I was clearly an addict. The court mandated that I either go to prison or enter treatment for a year. I chose rehab.

I’d already gone through a five-day detox. It was awful and took me about six months to start feeling OK.

In the end, I remained in sober living for 19 months. Next I studied at a trade school for dentistry.

I worked as a barista during that time, which was a great opportunity to get back on my feet. It was exactly what I wanted and needed.

Things went well for five years. Then, in 2021, I stopped caring for myself and relapsed. This time, my drug of choice was cocaine.

I’ll never forget those incredibly miserable days. I hit rock bottom and found the strength to check myself into rehab. I worked hard on my recovery, and my new clean date is April 2022.

Meanwhile, my partner had read up about the candle-making business. He suggested it might be a good way to make money; a means for me to become the upstanding person in society I longed to be.

I host groups like the Girl Scouts

I started making hand-poured candles at home and opened a brick-and-mortar store in October 2023. I felt immensely proud of how far I’d come.

It made perfect sense to call it “2nd Chance Candles.” I loved telling customers about the name because it’s inspiring.

I sold my scented candles in jars. The real joy came from doing workshops for groups like the Girl Scouts. I got such a kick out of the sessions because I got to share my craft.

I’m an open book, and though I don’t particularly like talking about my past, it’s a good conversation starter. A lot of people in the community know my recovery story and give support.

I’ve vowed never to return to my addiction because I’ll always remember the horrible fog of my 20s and early 30s. It’s terrifying to think I could have died from an overdose.

As for work, I’ve hosted many fun events, including kids’ birthday parties and corporate workshops. We’ve branched out into slime-making and drop painting with acrylics, and I employ part-time staff to help in the studio.

If I could give my younger self advice, it would be this: You are not your worst mistake. Shame keeps you stuck longer than addiction does. Ask for help sooner, and know that rebuilding and success are possible.

• My daughter was invited to sleep over at her close friend’s house.
• Her friend’s mom and I talked, and we agreed that I would sleep over, too.
• It was a huge success, and later her friend and mom slept over at our place.

I was excited when my daughter Aria was invited to spend the night at a friend’s house. While I realize not everyone experiences this rite of passage or even needs to, I view it as a nice milestone.

Cozy sleeping bags, tasty snacks, movie marathons, and laughing with friends way past bedtime can make for fun, fond memories. I was not allowed to sleep over anywhere until middle school, and even then, it was a tough sell to my mom.

Despite my enthusiasm, I still had some trepidation about letting Aria sleep over. I had known her friend’s parents for a while, and I trusted them fully, so that part wasn’t an issue. Rather, I was unsure how Aria would do on her own: would she get scared in the dark, as she sometimes does at home? Would the sleeping arrangements be comfortable? Would she be warm enough? Too warm, perhaps?

These and other concerns swirled around in my head.

I want to foster her independence

Fostering independence is important to me as a parent, but it is also important that Aria feels OK. The other mom and I talked; she understood and had even more concerns for her child sleeping at someone else’s house than I did. So, we decided that I would come too. I knew I risked being called a “helicopter parent,” but my goal was to help, not hover.

I talked to my daughter and asked if she felt OK about me tagging along. To my relief, Aria was happy about this joint opportunity for mommy to come and put a new spin on the term “girls’ night”. She packed her fox-covered suitcase with clothes, her toothbrush, jammies, and way more toys than needed; I packed mine (minus the toys). When Aria and I arrived, she and her friend were thrilled to see each other and set off toward the bedroom to play.

The mom and I enjoyed chatting while the girls stretched slime, built bendable cities, and played pretend. We let them stay up a little later than usual, but nothing extreme. They brushed their teeth side by side in the mirror and got ready to lie down.

Once the girls were asleep, the mom and I each enjoyed a glass of wine and more adult conversation before she retired to her room, and I slept on the couch. All in all, the night went off without a hitch.

Then we switched houses

Months later, we did the same thing at my house. I hosted a sleepover in honor of the “Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring” anniversary (the girls know nothing of Frodo or Mordor, but the mom and I are big fans).

I welcomed them in my Arwen costume, and the girls went off to play. This time, we had a third adult present, who doesn’t have children but loves our girls (and LOTR). The three adults watched some of the trilogy, had some wine, dinner, and conversation.

That night, Aria’s friend tried to sleep in Aria’s trundle bed but soon grew scared, so she went to sleep with her mom instead, who was right there and ready to ease those nighttime fears. The following morning, I made waffles for everyone before we said goodbye and reflected on how much fun the night had been.

Tagging along for sleepovers can be fun for everyone

I think these parent-child sleepovers could be a fresh idea for caregivers and a nice middle ground between spending the night and just having a playdate. I view what we did as a compromise where the child still gets to have an overnight experience, but someone is there in case anything arises.

Admittedly, this might not work for everyone. The mother and I know each other well enough to do this. I also had the good fortune of my daughter being OK with my attendance, so there was no sour mood to spoil the evening. And I have a kid of elementary age — I’m not sure if this would work with a kid in high school.

Some people might think what I did is crazy, but I liked being around if my daughter needed me and being there when she woke up.

• Airport security checkpoints in the US are under pressure due to the partial government shutdown.
• Many now-unpaid TSA agents are skipping work, causing long lines and wait times.
• Here’s the latest on TSA delays, and how to check wait times before you travel.

Long lines are forming at some TSA checkpoints as the ongoing partial government shutdown now meets spring break.

Numerous airports are telling passengers to allow longer than usual to clear security, as staff shortages cause more congestion and longer lines.

Some 50,000 TSA agents went without their first paycheck this week as the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees the TSA, remains unfunded due to a congressional battle over its immigration enforcement policies. At the same time, many Americans have begun traveling for their weeklong spring break.

Demoralizing lines at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport continued on Saturday morning. The airport on Friday told travelers to arrive up to three hours before their flight. Photos and videos shared by travelers online showed lines stretching from the terminal building into the parking lot.

Ava Brendgord, a reporter for local NBC affiliate, KXAN News, shared a video of the line snaking out of the building at around 5 a.m. local time on Friday morning. Similar scenes played out on Saturday.

Though waits were nowhere near the three hours some passengers experienced at Houston Hobby Airport last weekend, there was significant congestion at some airports on Friday and Saturday. One Business Insider employee traveling from LaGuardia on Friday saw a lengthy line, and at JFK, wait times exceeded 20 minutes at most TSA screening points.

Atlanta Airport, the world’s busiest by passenger numbers, said it expects to serve 250,000 travelers this weekend, and advised people to arrive three hours early.

How to check wait times

The easiest way to avoid the stress of missing your flight is to arrive as early as you can. Many airports are advising travelers this week to arrive up to three hours before their flight.

To check TSA wait times, many airports, including major hubs like Atlanta, Houston, JFK, Newark, Philadelphia, Dallas-Fort Worth, and Denver, post them live on their websites.

These can also provide more specific insights. For example, DFW’s website shows the wait times at each checkpoint.

You can also use the MyTSA mobile app. It provides estimated wait times in 15-minute intervals based on average checkpoint data. The app, however, will use historical data if the live data cannot be retrieved. The TSA also says it is not “actively” managing its sites during the partial shutdown, and so the app may not always be updated.

• Spirit Airlines has filed for bankruptcy protection twice in less than a year.
• The budget airline now says it will reduce its fleet to fewer than 80. It once operated over 200.
• Spirit says it will focus on its strongest routes: Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, Detroit, and New York.

US budget carrier Spirit Airlines says it is downsizing its fleet by almost two-thirds.

The Florida-headquartered air carrier, known for its no-frills flying and ultra-low-cost fares, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in August — the second time in less than a year.

While it once operated more than 200 aircraft, Spirit now intends to run fewer than 80 by the third quarter of 2026. It anticipates adding aircraft between 2027 and 2030.

In a news release, Spirit said it will continue to align its network with consumer demand and focus on its strongest routes and markets, including Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, Detroit, and New York City. It also plans to expand its first class and premium economy options.

The company said it expected its debt and lease obligations to be reduced from $7.4 billion pre-filing to about $2 billion post-emergence.

“While we still have work to do with other important stakeholders, today’s agreements and filings are very material steps forward toward emergence,” Spirit’s president and CEO, Dave Davis, said in a press release. “I also want to thank our team members and guests for their support as we work together to build a stronger Spirit.”

Mounting financial losses

Spirit first sought bankruptcy protection in November 2024, following years of mounting financial losses and the collapse of a proposed $3.8 billion merger deal with JetBlue.

The budget airline, easily recognizable by its bright yellow planes, reported in its initial voluntary bankruptcy petition that as of September that year, it had $9.49 billion in total assets and $8.99 billion in total debts.

Spirit emerged from bankruptcy in March last year after the airline said it slashed $800 million in debt and received a $350 million equity infusion from existing investors “to support Spirit’s future initiatives,” but the rebound was short-lived.

In a Securities and Exchange Commission quarterly report filed last August, the airline’s parent company, Spirit Aviation Holdings, warned it may not be able to stay in business another year. Later that month, the airline filed for bankruptcy protection for a second time and has been cutting costs ever since. At the time of its filing, Spirit listed debt of $8 billion and assets of $8.56 billion.

• Data centers power the AI revolution, and are sprouting all over the US.
• They can also be a drain on water and energy, and face opposition in many towns.
• A new Pew Research Center survey found that Americans who know about data centers don’t like them.

There are over 1,200 data centers scattered across the United States, and thanks to the AI boom, many more are on the way.

Those data centers also, it seems, confirm the adage “familiarity breeds contempt.”

A new survey from the Pew Research Council, conducted in January and published Thursday, found that the more Americans learn about data centers — and their effects on home energy costs, quality of life, the environment, local jobs, and tax revenue — the more cynical they feel about them.

“Two-thirds of adults who have heard a lot about data centers say they’re mostly bad for home energy costs, compared with 42% of those who have heard a little,” the center reported. “And 63% of those who have heard a lot about the facilities say they’re mostly bad for the environment, compared with 48% of those who have heard a little.”

Pew found that 25% of adults know “a lot” about data centers, while 50% said “a little” and 25% said “nothing at all.” It surveyed 8,500 Americans for the report.

While data centers have been around for decades, their numbers are skyrocketing as companies like Amazon, Microsoft, Meta, and others race to develop ever more intelligent AI models.

Companies like Oracle, for example, will invest $500 billion over four years in AI infrastructure for OpenAI in a venture called Stargate, which is backed by the Trump administration. The president has made data center construction a key pillar of his administration’s strategy to defeat China in the race to develop advanced artificial intelligence.

Many Americans outside Silicon Valley, however, feel as excited about another new data center as they do about AI overall. Some communities are now pushing back, citing concerns about energy costs and the environment. Tensions have flared at protests, city hall meetings, and on Capitol Hill.

In response to these growing concerns, tech leaders said this month they would cover a greater share of data center energy costs during a visit to the White House.

“They’re going to be making their own electricity,” Trump said of the tech companies. “They’re not going to be taking from the grid.”

Those companies signed a “pledge” to provide their own power, which, in the end, is voluntary and includes no repercussions if they don’t comply.