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• Prince Andrew gave up his royal titles following discussions with his family.
• The prince has been subject to scrutiny for his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.
• Court documents and British media have also raised questions about his contact with an alleged spy.

He’s still a prince, but that’s about it.

Prince Andrew announced Friday that he has given up all of his “titles and honours” after discussing it with his older brother King Charles of England and other members of the royal family.

“In discussion with The King, and my immediate and wider family, we have concluded the continued accusations about me distract from the work of His Majesty and the Royal Family,” Prince Andrew said in a statement.

The decision comes amid ongoing scrutiny into the British royal family member’s relationship with the now-dead pedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein, as well as court documents and reports in the British media raising questions about his interactions with an alleged Chinese spy.

“With His Majesty’s agreement, we feel I must now go a step further. I will therefore no longer use my title or the honours which have been conferred upon me,” Prince Andrew’s statement said. “As I have said previously, I vigorously deny the accusations against me.”

As the son of the monarch, Prince Andrew will continue to use the title “prince,” but he will no longer be known as the Duke of York.

In lawsuits and depositions, several of Epstein’s accusers have accused Prince Andrew of sexual abuse, which he has denied.

Prince Andrew previously lost some of his royal titles in early 2022, after he was sued by Virginia Giuffre, who accused him of sexual assault.

According to Giuffre’s lawsuit, Prince Andrew, Epstein, and Epstein’s associate Ghislaine Maxwell forced her to have sexual intercourse with the prince in Maxwell’s London home, Epstein’s New York mansion, and Epstein’s private island in the US Virgin Islands.

Prince Andrew settled the lawsuit in March of 2022 without admitting wrongdoing. He said he regrets his association with Epstein.

A memoir by Giuffre, who died earlier this year, is scheduled to be released on Tuesday.

The prince has also come under scrutiny for his relationship with Yang Tengbo, a Chinese businessman who UK authorities banned from entering the country, believing he was a spy. According to British court documents made public following Yang’s legal challenge to the ban, Yang recruited Prince Andrew for a project that would connect Chinese and UK-based businesses.

Prince Andrew’s relationship with Epstein has come under renewed scrutiny as pressure mounts for President Donald Trump to release the government’s files about Jeffrey Epstein, as members of his administration previously said they would do.

Epstein died in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges. Maxwell is serving a 25-year prison sentence for trafficking girls to Epstein for sex.

• Marc Andreessen said AI will create a new type of filmmaker in Hollywood.
• “The filmmaker with no visual skill, or access to a set, or to a camera, or to actors, but with an idea,” he said.
• AI has divided the entertainment industry as it threatens jobs and copyright holders.

Didn’t go to film school? Don’t worry. Legendary investor and movie buff Marc Andreessen doesn’t think that will be an issue for future creatives.

During an episode of “Monitoring the Situation,” the podcast for the venture capitalist firm that Andreessen cofounded, A16z, he said advancements in AI technology — like OpenAI’s Sora 2 — have made it possible for a new type of filmmaker to emerge.

“The filmmaker with no visual skill, or access to a set, or to a camera, or to actors, but with an idea,” Andreessen said on Friday. “It’s going to start with shorts and animated things and so forth, but it’s going to work its way up to full movies.”

Andreessen said AI has made the art of filmmaking more accessible to people who may have creative skills but lack the financial resources or technical expertise.

“People who otherwise would be limited to only being novelists or people who do graphic novels but are creative geniuses are going to be able to actually make full movies with AI,” Andreessen said. “I think that’s a reason for profound optimism. I think we’re going to get completely new kinds of film and entertainment from people who otherwise never would have been able to access the medium. I’m very positive on that.”

A16z announced last year that it had invested in Promise, a studio that uses AI to create films and other projects.

While some industry leaders view AI as an opportunity to cut costs and speed up projects, others worry it could wipe out jobs.

Skeptics have also expressed concern over potential copyright issues related to how companies train AI models and use copyrighted IP.

Outside of film, other segments in the entertainment industry are also grappling with AI and its impact on creatives. On Thursday, Spotify announced a partnership with major record labels and music companies to develop “artist-first AI music products.” In a press release, the streaming platform criticized the tech industry.

“Some voices in the tech industry believe copyright should be abolished. We don’t. Musicians’ rights matter. Copyright is essential,” the company said. “If the music industry doesn’t lead in this moment, AI-powered innovation will happen elsewhere, without rights, consent, or compensation.”

Representatives for Andreessen Horowitz did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

• The US Army is starting to really prioritize integrating drone technology into the force.
• But not every soldier needs one, a commander argued this week.
• These systems can be enablers, he said, but they can also be overwhelming.

When it comes to fielding drones in the US Army, one commander said giving too many to soldiers could be overwhelming.

While Army leadership has been pushing new drone technology, much of the learning — including how many drones small units can realistically handle — is happening on the fly.

At the Association of the US Army’s annual event in Washington, DC, this week, Col. Dave Lamborn, commander of the 2nd Mobile Brigade, 25th Infantry Division in Hawaii, said there’s an upper limit on the “number of devices to field out to tactical formations.”

There has been a lot of discussion about getting enablers, like drone tech, down to the squad level. “I certainly want to enable squads, but I also don’t want to encumber squads,” Lamborn said. “There’s enough stuff for these guys to do.”

A squad leader, for example, would end up with even more responsibilities, while fire teams could wind up managing devices instead of leading their riflemen. Soldiers already juggle plenty of gear, like night vision, thermal optics, radios, and weapons, that demand constant attention, Lamborn said.

The lowest level that Lamborn envisions using drones is the platoon, which is composed of more soldiers than squads that are more capable of handling drone operations without it becoming a burden.

Drone distribution isn’t just about workload, he added. It’s also about key resources, such as batteries, charging stations, spare parts, 3D-printing gear, and power generation. Each adds a new layer of logistical hurdles to overcome.

By limiting that distribution, Lamborn said, he can better tackle those resource demands, “which prove to be a great challenge for us in a jungle environment, quite frankly,” back a bit.

Brig. Gen. Travis McIntosh, the deputy commanding general of the 101st Airborne Division out of Fort Campbell, Kentucky, raised similar concerns. “Now, how many can you effectively employ?” he asked. “Do I bring ammunition on the helicopter, or do I bring batteries on the helicopter?”

Those limits may change with time though. When the technology advances, the number of drones a unit could handle might be “unlimited,” he said.

The Army is still figuring out how to make small, cheap drones work in the real world. In the Indo-Pacific’s heat and humidity, for instance, keeping them operational is a challenge. The 25th Infantry Division has taken a leading role in testing, especially with small drones and 3D printing gear.

Across the US Army, soldiers are learning to build, fix, and fly uncrewed aerial vehicles and even conduct drone-on-drone kills as the service and the broader US military embrace drone warfare. Many of these lessons draw from the war in Ukraine, and close work with industry partners has created an iterative feedback loop between soldiers and drone developers.

There are some growing pains, though, including a shortage of soldiers with the specialized skills needed to operate drones, conduct electronic warfare, and manage other tech the Army sees as critical for future wars.

• Amex said new account acquisitions for its elite Platinum card doubled since a recent revamp.
• Amex is seeing strong spending among younger cardholders and has geared some perks toward them.
• Chase said it had its best year for new account acquisitions on its elite card earlier this week.

Not even multi-hundred-dollar fee hikes have stifled the consumer appetite for elite credit cards.

American Express executives said that early demand for its revamped Platinum card beat their expectations on Friday’s third-quarter earnings call.

“New Platinum account acquisitions are running at twice the level before the refresh,” CEO Stephen Squeri said on the company’s third-quarter earnings call on Friday. So far, he said it’s the “strongest start” the company has seen for a US Platinum refresh (this is the third in the last decade).

Amex unveiled its new Platinum card in September, which has an annual fee of $895. Squeri said that retention rates for existing cardholders “have been stable post refresh,” adding that the $200 price hike won’t go into effect for them for a few months.

As the luxury credit card wars have heated up — Chase upped its Sapphire Reserve fee and Citi introduced its Strata Elite card this summer — some have grumbled over the ever-climbing fees. According to JPMorgan Chase CFO Jeremy Barnum, however, they’re not having any trouble convincing people to pay the now $795 fee for its refreshed card.

“This has already been the best year ever for new account acquisitions for our Sapphire portfolio,” he said on Chase’s third-quarter earnings call on Tuesday.

For Amex, the Platinum perks “appeal broadly across generations, including millennial and Gen Z consumers,” Squeri said on Friday. He added that they seem to especially appreciate the wellness and entertainment bonuses.

Young cardholders have become a key Amex customer in recent years. In the first quarter of last year, the company said millennials and Gen Zers made up 75% of its new platinum and gold accounts.

Squeri also said in an interview last year that the company used to target millennials and Gen Zers with no-fee cards, but has since tried to woo them with fancier and more expensive ones. This quarter, millennial and Gen Z consumers across Amex cards tended to complete about 25% more transactions than older cohorts, CFO Christophe Le Caillec said on Friday’s call.

Amex reported $421 billion in billed business — the value of transactions on Amex products — during the third quarter. The company’s stock was up more than 7% by mid-afternoon on Friday.

• The US Chamber of Commerce sued Trump over a new $100,000 H-1B visa fee.
• The fee was introduced by Trump via an executive order last month.
• The lawsuit argues that the fee is “unlawful” and would hurt American businesses.

The United States Chamber of Commerce sued the Trump administration on Thursday over the new $100,000 fee for H-1B visas.

The lawsuit said the fee, which President Donald Trump put in place with an executive order last month, was “unlawful” and that it would harm American businesses.

“The United States is unique in its ability to attract the brightest talent from across the globe. For more than 70 years, what is now known as the H-1B visa program has enabled the United States to harness this magnetic draw,” the lawsuit said, adding that as a result of the new fee businesses would have to “dramatically increase their labor costs or hire fewer highly skilled employees for whom domestic replacements are not readily available.”

It also argues that the executive order is unlawful because it “blatantly contravenes the fees Congress has set for the H-1B program.”

The lawsuit pits the business association against Trump, who has fashioned himself as a pro-business president.

The White House and the Chamber of Commerce did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Business Insider.

This story is breaking. Check back for updates.

• My husband loves a good deal and is always looking for ways we can save money.
• In 2025, he has saved us about $300 a month with his wild habits.
• He tracks the prices of items we regularly purchase at five stores and optimizes cash back from credit cards.

“Pears were on sale today, Mom! And we got your favorite protein bars!” my daughter exclaimed one morning after grocery shopping with her dad.

My husband is obsessed with grocery shopping deals, from watching prices across five different stores to finding the best credit cards with cash back on groceries. Sometimes I get annoyed at how much time and energy he spends grocery shopping, but then I look at the receipts and see how much he saves.

Over the past year, he’s saved us over $300 a month on his wild (but sometimes fun) habits.

He follows prices and products at 5 stores

Joe’s typical grocery route looks like this: Stops at Aldi for 12 containers of Greek yogurt, runs to Meijer (a Midwest chain) to get protein powder because it’s buy one, get one half off, then pulls into Costco for protein bars and peanut butter.

He looks across ads, sales, and coupon programs to find the best prices on items our family regularly eats — and specialty items that are nice to have (but usually out of our budget).

He also knows what products we all like better than other brands, like Aldi’s string cheese and fish sticks, so he watches for when the price drops, then stocks up. We even bought a second fridge to store dairy products and drinks. We use the extra freezer space to stockpile bacon and ground beef when they go on sale.

By spending time comparing prices and products, Joe has developed an intimate knowledge of where to shop for certain items, saving us a significant amount of money every month.

He uses credit cards that offer cash back on groceries

In his spare time, Joe researches the best credit cards for our family, including the ones that offer the most cash back on groceries.

His favorite is the American Express Blue Cash Preferred Card that offers 6% back on supermarket purchases for the first $6,000 spent. He also uses the Citi Custom Cash Card to get 5% back on our biggest spend category (which is always groceries). Plus, our local credit union card gives us 2% back at wholesale places like Costco.

Together, his credit cards earn us over $650 cash back every year on groceries alone.

He times purchases with sales and seasonal items

About once a month, a package of raspberries goes on sale for $0.99 at Meijer. When that happens, Joe buys at least six, because he knows I love them. But if grapes are the sale fruit, that’s what we have that week. We explain to the kids that we can’t always get the item we want, because it’s not on sale, and we can wait until it is.

Joe has learned that sales often follow a cadence based on seasonality and the store (such as protein powder deals once a month). Right now, apples are a great price in Michigan, so we buy several bags at a time and store them in a cool place.

He signs up for each membership

Most grocery stores offer memberships or loyalty programs, often at no cost. It takes a few minutes to sign up, but it offers lower prices and exclusive deals.

He says that signing up only takes up a little time but always pays off.

He even paid more for us to have the Costco Executive Membership, because it gives us 2% back. He calculated that we would save about $20 a month, which would more than offset the extra $65 cost a year.

He stocks up on non-perishables

Sometimes I get frustrated when the pantry is overstocked with sale-priced olive oil, crackers, and diced tomatoes. But on the other hand, I often have what I need to make a soup or put out a spread for guests.

Plus, I know everything he buys is a good deal, which makes the overcrowding more tolerable.

He teaches the kids how to save and budget

My oldest two boys enjoy the challenge and game of shopping deals with Dad. Joe takes the kids along on his grocery goose chases, filling them in on what they’ll need from each store and why. It’s often a fun Thursday night or Saturday morning excursion.

“Oh man, the Goldfish aren’t on sale, we’ll have to wait for next week,” our 6-year-old said on a recent trip.

The kids are learning from dad how to be smart with their money: waiting to buy something until it’s on sale, being selective and patient, and knowing how to make the most of their money.

For helping dad shop and save, they always get to pick out a treat that’s just for them. The Pringles and popsicles make everyone happy — just the cherry on top of a very low receipt.