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WhatsApp’s former security chief is ‘not done fighting’ after his lawsuit got dismissed

A man holding a phone with the WhatsApp logo on the screen.
Messaging platform WhatsApp.
  • A lawsuit filed by an ex-WhatsApp security head was dismissed for lacking “sufficient facts.”
  • In the suit, Attaullah Baig said Meta fired him for raising concerns about serious cyber risks.
  • Baig’s team says he’s “not done fighting.” Meta says the claims are meritless.

A lawsuit filed by WhatsApp’s former chief of security, Attaullah Baig, was dismissed by the US District Court in Northern California last month for lack of evidence, and Baig’s team says that they plan to refile.

In the suit, Baig alleged he was fired as part of Meta’s performance-based layoffs for raising concerns about what he described as gaping security holes inside the Meta-owned chat app. His lawsuit said his firing violated SEC rules that protect whistleblowers from termination.

“The complaint does not contain sufficient facts to show that the plaintiff reported violations of SEC rules or regulations,” Judge Laurel Beeler wrote in the dismissal on March 19.

Baig had alleged that his concerns were ignored as hackers took over more than 100,000 accounts a day and that thousands of employees had access to sensitive user data, such as locations and profile photos.

Meta’s focus on performance reviews also imperiled security at WhatsApp, as employees focused on optimizing their review scores and padding numbers rather than addressing genuine security threats, Baig said in the lawsuit.

The court said it found details lacking in multiple aspects of the case. For example, Baig said he filed a form internally at Meta about serious cybersecurity issues, though he didn’t include more details about its contents in the lawsuit. The judge also ruled that Baig’s allegations don’t show retaliation by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, whom Baig had raised security concerns with.

“This ruling reaffirms what we’ve said all along: These claims have no merit,” said Andy Stone, a spokesman for Meta. “We’re proud of our strong record of protecting people’s privacy and security, and will continue building on it.”

The group representing Baig, whistleblower advocacy organization Psst.org, says they plan to refile the case and that the dismissal was based on narrow technical grounds.

The judge made no finding whatsoever on the factuality of Baig’s claims, said Jennifer Gibson, the cofounder and executive director of Psst.org. Instead, the dismissal was partly because the judge declined to consider a 90-page filing Baig made to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, she said.

“Mr. Baig discovered that billions of WhatsApp users’ data was at risk. He reported it internally, escalated to Mark Zuckerberg, and went to federal regulators. He was fired anyway,” Gibson said in a statement.

“He is not done fighting. The judge dismissed on technical pleading grounds, not merit, and we look forward to addressing those deficiencies to ensure Meta has to finally engage with the substance of Mr. Baig’s allegations,” she added.

The judge’s ruling said that Baig had “sufficient pleadings” regarding Nitin Gupta, Meta’s head of engineering at WhatsApp. Baig had alleged that Gupta denied him stock grants and sidelined his team in retaliation for raising security concerns.

“Thus, if the plaintiff’s claim for retaliation were not dismissed, the individual claim against Gupta would survive,” Beeler wrote.

Read the original article on Business Insider

Latest Trump administration email pushes SAVE student-loan borrowers to find a new repayment plan — now

President Donald Trump
Millions of student-loan borrowers on the SAVE repayment plan will soon have to pick a new plan.
  • Student-loan borrowers on SAVE are receiving emails from the Education Department on next steps.
  • With SAVE eliminated, the department is encouraging borrowers to enroll in a new plan as soon as possible.
  • Servicers are set to notify borrowers of their deadline to find a new plan beginning in July.

There’s no time like the present to get off of SAVE, the Department of Education is telling millions of student-loan borrowers.

On March 27, the department began emailing more than 7 million borrowers enrolled in the SAVE student-loan repayment plan, informing them that the plan is dead and they should prepare to restart payments on a new plan.

The emails, reviewed by Business Insider, had the subject line: “Action Required: The SAVE Plan has ended, and you must select a new repayment plan.”

Borrowers’ student-loan servicers will contact them with specific deadlines to enroll in a new plan, the email said, with those communications set to begin July 1. Borrowers will then have 90 days to restart payments. However, the department said borrowers should not wait until July and instead switch plans and begin payments as soon as possible. It outlined five reasons borrowers should make the switch now:

  1. Interest charges restarted on SAVE accounts in August 2025, and making payments now would prevent the balance from increasing
  2. Starting payments sooner would allow for a quicker debt payoff
  3. Borrowers will have more time to plan for new payments and reshape their budgets
  4. Those enrolled in the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program can resume their progress toward relief if they restart payments
  5. Switching to an income-driven repayment plan will put borrowers back on track for a discharge once they’ve reached the qualifying threshold.

The SAVE plan, created by former President Joe Biden, offered lower monthly payments and a shorter timeline to loan forgiveness. The plan was blocked in July 2024 amid legal challenges, during which enrolled borrowers were not required to make payments. While President Donald Trump’s “big beautiful” spending legislation would have phased out SAVE in 2028, a federal court approved a settlement to end the plan earlier, requiring borrowers to transition to new plans — and face higher monthly payments — years ahead of schedule.

Borrowers who do not select a new repayment plan within their given timeline will be automatically moved to a new plan. Beginning in July, borrowers will have the option to enroll in a standard repayment plan or the new Repayment Assistance Plan, which calculates monthly payments based on income and provides forgiveness after 30 years. It’s less generous than existing income-driven repayment plans, which Trump’s spending legislation eliminates.

“The plan you will be moved to depends on your circumstances,” the email said. “ED and your loan servicer will provide details about which repayment plan you will be moved to if you don’t choose a plan by the deadline set by your servicer.”

Borrowers who received the Department of Education email told Business Insider they have not yet been contacted by their servicers regarding the transition.

Read the original article on Business Insider

The 9 best movies coming to Netflix in April

Chloe East and Sadie Sandler on a bed looking at a laptop in Roommates
(L-R) Chloe East and Sadie Sandler in “Roommates.”
  • The first “Mission: Impossible” and the sequels up to “Rogue Nation” are hitting Netflix.
  • So are horror movies like “A Quiet Place Part II” and the 2022 version of “Scream.”
  • The Netflix original comedy “Roommates” also premieres this month.

Here are the best movies on Netflix in April.

“Atonement” (April 1)
Keira Knightley holding onto James McAvoy's hand in Atonement
Keira Knightley and James McAvoy in “Atonement.”

James McAvoy, Keira Knightley, and a young Saoirse Ronan star in this drama set around World War II about how the lives of three people are disrupted by a lie.

“Kindergarten Cop” (April 1)
Arnold Schwarzenegger sitting next to small kids in an office in Kindergarten Cop
Arnold Schwarzenegger in “Kindergarten Cop.”

Arnold Schwarzenegger is at his 1990s peak in this Ivan Reitman-directed comedy playing a tough cop who has to show his soft side when he goes undercover as a kindergarten teacher.

“Mission: Impossible” (April 1)
Tom Cruise hanging off the floor in Mission Impossible
Tom Cruise in “Mission: Impossible.”

Long before the “M:I” franchise was synonymous with Tom Cruise doing outlandish stunts, he teamed up with legendary director Brian De Palma for a movie that combines the memorable elements from the TV show with De Palma’s masterful cinematic eye.

The rest of the movies in the franchise up until “Rogue Nation” are also now on Netflix.

“Money Talks” (April 1)
Chris Tucker next to Charlie Sheen in Money Talks
(L-R) Chris Tucker and Charlie Sheen in “Money Talks.”

After his breakout role playing Smokey in “Friday” and scene-stealing appearances in “Dead Presidents” and “The Fifth Element,” Chris Tucker scored the lead role opposite Charlie Sheen in this action comedy in which he plays a petty criminal run from the law. Sheen plays the reporter trying to land the story.

“Smokey and the Bandit” (April 1)
Sally Field sitting on Burt Reynolds while he's driving in Smokey and the Bandit
Burt Reynolds and Sally Field in “Smokey and the Bandit.”

Burt Reynolds took a gamble starring in his stuntman Hal Needham’s directorial debut, and it led to a classic 1970s movie.

Reynolds shows off his charm and charisma opposite Sally Field playing a bootlegger who must transport 400 cases of Coors beer to Atlanta while a crazed sheriff (Jackie Gleason) is in hot pursuit.

“Scream” (April 10)
Jenna Ortega keeping Ghostface from coming in in Scream 2022
Jenna Orgeta in “Scream.”

The 2022 version of “Scream” gives a shot in the arm to the franchise birthed by horror master Wes Craven in 1996. The return of franchise favorites Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, and David Arquette, plus the additions of Melissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega, and Jack Quaid made for a perfect fusion of legacy and new blood for this classic horror IP.

“A Quiet Place Part II” (April 11)
Noah Jupe, Millicent Simmonds and Emily Blunt in a forrest in A Quiet Place Part II
(L-R) Noah Jupe, Millicent Simmonds, and Emily Blunt in “A Quiet Place Part II.”

If you need more horror, check out the sequel to the hit film “A Quiet Place.” In this chapter, the Abbott family faces the terrors of the outside world after surviving an alien home invasion in the first movie.

“Roommates” (April 17)
Jaya Harper, Bella Murphy, Sadie Sandler, and Chloe East taking a selfie in Roommates
(L-R) Jaya Harper, Bella Murphy, Sadie Sandler, and Chloe East in “Roommates.”

This Netflix original comedy follows Sadie Sandler as Devon, an introverted college freshman who becomes roommates with the confident Celeste (Chloe East). Humor and conflict ensues.

“Him” (April 19)
Tyriq Withers throwing a football and Marlon Wayans pointing in Him
(L-R) Marlon Wayans and Tyriq Withers in “Him.”

Produced by Jordan Peele, “Him” follows Cam (Tyriq Withers), a quarterback on the verge of turning pro whose life is turned upside down when he’s invited to train with his idol, played by Marlon Wayans.

Read the original article on Business Insider

Legal AI startup Legora hits $100 million in annual recurring revenue

Max Junestrand
  • Legal AI startup Legora says it’s reached $100 million in annual recurring revenue.
  • The metric helps explain why investors just priced the startup at $5.55 billion in a new financing.
  • Law firms are pouring money into AI tools that promise to reshape how lawyers work.

Legora, the Swedish startup chasing Harvey’s lead in selling artificial intelligence software to law firms, has hit $100 million in annual recurring revenue, a milestone that shows law firms are willing to spend serious money to retool how lawyers work.

Legora told Business Insider exclusively that it went from $1 million to $100 million in ARR — the revenue a company expects to collect over a year — in less than 18 months after its public launch.

The company’s software promises to help lawyers tear through data rooms, compare contracts, draft briefs, and do other legal work faster and at lower cost than junior lawyers.

“This is a reflection of how quickly our customers are pushing the industry forward,” Max Junestrand, Legora’s cofounder and CEO, said in a statement. “They’re redefining how legal work gets done, and AI is becoming the core infrastructure for the profession.”

Legora’s revenue helps explain why investors just priced it at $5.55 billion in a new financing, but it still leaves legal AI rival Harvey out in front. That company, which was last valued at $11 billion, said last week it had crossed $200 million in ARR, and it remains deeply embedded among the biggest law firms.

Legora says it now serves over 1,000 customers, including Cleary Gottlieb, HSF Kramer, White & Case, and Linklaters.

Have a tip? Contact this reporter via email at mrussell@businessinsider.com or Signal at @MeliaRussell.01. Use a personal email address and a non-work device; here’s our guide to sharing information securely.

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Alaska is rolling out a new business-class experience as it expands further into Europe and Asia. Here’s what to expect.

Alaska Airlines new 787 amenities.
Alaska wants its 787s to have a distinct Alaska identity and better compete with rivals American, Delta, and United.
  • Alaska Airlines is further upgrading its Boeing 787 business class with new amenities and food.
  • The suite-style cabin already boasts sliding doors and lie-flat beds.
  • Alaska wants to lean on premium revenue as it competes long-haul with US mainline carriers.

Alaska Airlines is making a bigger push onto the global stage — and now it has a business class to match.

The carrier this week unveiled the full experience of its first international business class suites, set to debut this spring on Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners. The jet flies long-haul between Seattle and Tokyo and Seoul, with service to London and Rome expected in the coming months.

Alaska’s high-dollar 787 seat, Elevate Ascent, will feature its usual amenities: lie-flat beds, 18-inch seatback screens, high-end meals, and privacy doors — a fast-growing must-have in premium cabins.

The airline is also adding more entrée options, upgraded linens and amenity kits, and a dessert cart to give the plane a more distinct Alaska identity after its 2024 merger with Hawaiian Airlines and to better compete long-haul with rivals American, Delta, and United.

“We set out to design a Business Class experience that is both sophisticated and authentically Alaska: premium, comfortable and thoughtfully created for our guests,” Alaska executive vice president and chief commercial officer Andrew Harrison said in a statement.

Alaska and Hawaiian are under the same parent company but continue to operate as separate entities with individual branding.

Alaska’s overall 787 experience will be a step up from business class on its Airbus A330 aircraft, which lack the suite-style seats, privacy doors, and new amenities of the 787. The A330s are former Hawaiian planes that Alaska uses on transpacific routes.

Alaska has been slowly building out its international presence since the merger. The upgrades to the 787 particularly reflect its shift toward premium cabins to attract deep-pocketed customers willing to pay more for better comfort, in line with industry trends.

Delta and United have similarly leaned heavily on premium cabins, reporting year-over-year premium revenue growth of 7% and 11%, respectively, in their 2025 results. American didn’t break down its 2025 premium revenue but also said it “performed exceptionally well.”

Here’s what Alaska’s future 787 business class experience looks like from the inside:

There are 34 suite-like pods with doors and lie-flat beds.
Alaska Airlines 787 business class.
The seat has headphones, a cubby, power outlets, and a divider between the middle section seats.

The 787 hard product — meaning anything physically attached to the plane — is the same as when it first flew in January. Linens and food that can be easily replaced or removed are examples of soft products.

Doors make Alaska competitive with rivals like American and Delta, which already fly door-equipped business cabins. United is adding doors to its Dreamliners this summer, though their pending FAA certification means they can’t be closed quite yet.

Everyone has direct-aisle access.
A man sitting in Alaska 787 business class.
The Dreamliner windows can dim.

The 1x2x1 layout means nobody has to climb over their neighbor to go to the bathroom.

This is different from Alaska’s A330s, where premium is in a 2x2x2 configuration — meaning window-seat passengers are trapped when their neighbor lies flat.

The first meal will start with a charcuterie board and end with sundaes.
Alaska's future dessert cart.
Alaska plans to have a dessert cart on its future 787s.

Alaska said the cheese board will be served first and paired with wines from the West Coast and Europe, Roederer Champagne, cocktails, craft beer, and non-alcoholic beverages.

The dessert cart is brand new. Passengers can customize their own sundae or choose from other treats. It appears similar to the ice cream cart in United Polaris business class.

Some entrées are tailored to the route.
Examples of some entrees.
Examples of some of the entrées.

Alaska said passengers will have up to six entrées to choose from, reflecting the plane’s destination. For example, roasted chicken with pasta carbonara may be offered on flights to Rome; Gochujang chicken with traditional banchan may be offered on flights to Seoul.

Flyers can also choose to preorder their meals via the Alaska app instead of doing so after boarding.

Flyers get upgraded amenities and lounge access.
Alaska Airlines' new amenities.
The new amenities are a way for Alaska to distinguish itself from the Hawaiian branding.

Alaska said the West Coast-inspired amenity kits will have Salt and Stone skincare products and other travel necessities; the bedding includes a mattress, two pillows, and a huge duvet. Flyers will also receive a reusable water bottle.

It’s easy to see Alaska’s outdoorsy blue-and-green branding on the new kits.

International business-class flyers can access Alaska’s lounges and those of its Oneworld partners. Alaska operates lounges in Anchorage, Los Angeles, Seattle, San Francisco, and Portland, Oregon.

Alaska’s 787 will soon have Starlink.
Alaska's first 787.
Alaska’s first 787 at an event in Seattle in January.

Starlink is already on select Alaska aircraft, but the airline said the free service will deploy on 787s this fall. The full experience will only be available to Atmos Rewards members come May, which is free to join.

Starlink is gaining momentum across US carriers; United and the semi-private air carrier JSX, for example, also offer it.

The 787 is a significant step up from Alaska’s A330.
Premium on Alaska, former Hawaiian, A330.
The premium cabin on the company’s A330s doesn’t offer direct-aisle access to all passengers.

The A330s are older aircraft originally operated by Hawaiian Airlines before the merger and do not have privacy doors.

Travelers booking business class on Alaska should note which aircraft they’re flying, as the on-board experience will differ significantly once the more premium 787 product rolls out with upgraded amenities and food.

Read the original article on Business Insider

The first Japanese destroyer to get Tomahawks will begin live-fire tests of the missiles this year

A large, grey, Japanese warship sits at a dock.
The JS Chokai will conduct live-fire Tomahawk tests this summer.
  • Japanese destroyer JS Chokai has completed modifications to carry Tomahawk missiles.
  • The warship will conduct live-fire training with the missile this summer.
  • Japan is ordering 400 Tomahawks, with the first already arriving.

The first of Japan’s destroyers is ready to carry Tomahawk missiles, with live-fire testing planned in the coming months.

Modifications for launching Tomahawks mark a major development in Japan’s defenses, providing the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force with a new, powerful weapon for its arsenal. Tokyo is also developing its own stand-off missile capabilities, paving the way for more ranged firepower.

Japan’s Ministry of Defense announced the completion of the Tomahawk modifications on the JS Chokai, a Kongo-class destroyer, on Monday. The milestone caps off years of work and acquisition plans between Tokyo and Washington regarding the missile.

Chokai sailed to the US last fall to receive modifications to carry Tomahawks and training for the ship’s crew. At the time, the JMSDF said it would take about a year to complete the process. Prior to departing, Chokai’s crew conducted a mock loading drill with US Navy personnel using dummy Tomahawks.

Now, the Japanese warship is ready for the next step: testing with the real thing.

“By around this summer, through live-fire drills and other tests, Chokai will attain its full operational capability,” the defense ministry said on social media.

Japan has also begun receiving some of the Tomahawk missiles it’s ordered. The total sale of 400 Tomahawk missiles — 200 Block IVs and 200 Block Vs — is expected to be completed sometime in fiscal year 2027. It’s also acquiring domestic stand-off missiles.

Men stand around a truck with missile launchers on the back located in a field.
Other new weapons like an upgraded long-range missile indicate Japan’s investments in offensive capabilities.

Tomahawk cruise missiles, made by RTX Corporation, are long-range weapons with precise targeting. The Block IVs have a range of 1,000 miles, while Block V variants are expected to extend beyond that. The Tomahawks also feature upgrades for effects against maritime targets.

Tomahawk missiles have been a weapon of choice for US forces in recent conflicts, including the US war in Iran, reports on which suggest around 850 Tomahawks have been fired so far.

Experts and analysts have warned about expending Tomahawks the US may need for a potential Indo-Pacific conflict with a formidable adversary like China, even as RTX has announced plans to ramp up production of the missile and its variants.

For Japan, fielding the Tomahawks aboard the Chokai and other Aegis-equipped destroyers will give its forces an additional combat-proven weapon.

The Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force also announced new capabilities this week. On Tuesday, the JGSDF said two new stand-off defense weapons had been deployed. The first is Japan’s homegrown upgraded Type 12 ground-launched missile, which extends the range of the munition from about 125 to 620 miles, and the second is its Hyper-Velocity Gliding Projectile for Island Defense.

“The HVGP is a combination of ballistic missile and hypersonic glide vehicle,” the International Institute for Strategic Studies think tank noted earlier this month. “Once fired, the projectile separates from its rocket at a high altitude and glides to its target.”

These weapons — along with Japan’s new ability to launch Tomahawk missiles — are among the clearest signs of Tokyo’s shift toward a larger, more flexible arsenal as it prepares for the possibility of conflict in the Pacific.

Read the original article on Business Insider