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Chipotle quietly filed FEC paperwork to form a political action committee.Illustration by Igor Golovniov/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty ImagesChipotle has filed to form a PAC, allowing the company to donate directly to federal candidates.The move is a departure from the Mexican Grill's prior "Government Affairs Engagement Policy."The move comes ahead of the midterms, which are expected to be hotly contested.Chipotle Mexican Grill has filed paperwork to form a political action committee, marking a shift in how the burrito chain engages in US politics.The filing, a Statement of Organization submitted to the Federal Election Commission early this month, establishes a corporate PAC, a vehicle that allows companies to collect voluntary political donations from employees and executives and give that money to federal candidates.Two corporate governance and political campaign finance experts said that, for a consumer-facing brand that has previously kept its distance from direct campaign giving, the move signals a more formal and proactive approach to federal politics — just as the 2026 midterm elections are heating up.The decision also represents a departure from Chipotle's prior stance. In versions of its Government Affairs Engagement Policy dating from 2021 and 2024, the company said it did not operate a PAC, though it noted that it could form one in the future."As Congress debates critical issues in 2026, the PAC is a meaningful way to give our 130,000 employees a voice in the political process that impacts their lives, communities, and our business, on a day-to-day basis," Laurie Schalow, Chipotle's Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, told Business Insider.Why now?The timing of Chipotle's move is notable. The 2026 midterm elections are expected to be exceptionally competitive, in part because several states have undertaken mid-decade redistricting — a move that can make races more unpredictable and more expensive."When elections are heavily contested, they tend to cost more money," Ciara Torres-Spelliscy, a professor of law at Stetson University College of Law and a Brennan Center fellow, told Business Insider. "Candidates for Congress are subject to hard money limits, so they may want money from corporate PACs to run their campaigns."Corporate PACs can also serve longer-term strategic goals. Companies may give to lawmakers with influence over issues that affect their business, or to candidates they believe will appoint regulators aligned with their interests."Rather than just lobbying, a PAC allows a company to directly influence the election of officials, ensuring that legislators understand the company's specific business interests," Anat Alon-Beck, an assistant professor at Case Western Reserve University School of Law, whose research focuses on corporate law and governance, said.While corporate PACs are common across many sectors, restaurants have historically been smaller players in federal campaign finance. Trade groups like the National Beer Wholesalers Association and companies like American Crystal Sugar have been among the more active PACs in the food and drink space, but restaurant brands themselves have not ranked among the top corporate PAC spenders.That context makes Chipotle's filing less about joining a dominant political force and more about signaling a shift in posture.By forming a PAC, Chipotle's strategy is a more direct and structured way to engage with federal candidates at a moment when control of Congress is likely to be up for grabs. What remains to be seen is how active the PAC will become — and which candidates it ultimately supports.Some clues can be found in Chipotle's previous government affairs contribution reports, which outline the company's contributions to political organizations and in support of state and local ballot measures.In 2023 and 2024, Chipotle as a company gave $50,000 each to both the…

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Dr Pepper's commercial was featured during the College Football Playoff Championship game.G Fiume/Getty ImagesTikToker Romeo Bingham's viral Dr Pepper jingle was featured in a national primetime TV commercial.Their TikTok video gained over 44 million views and sparked widespread social media praise.Brands like Buffalo Wild Wings and Vita Coco have also reached out to Bingham.The power of TikTok propelled one user's content to primetime television, and people are loving it.TikToker Romeo Bingham, 25, is receiving an outpouring of support after their viral Dr Pepper jingle was picked up by the brand and used in a commercial that aired during Monday's College Football Playoff National Championship game. Social media users quickly caught onto the audio and praised the partnership. @kaitlynn_stone SO proud of you @Romeo!! Well deserved! 🥹❤️ #drpepper #goodandnice #drpepperjingle #nationalchampionshipgame #espn ♬ original sound - Kaitlynn Stone 🩵 "Dr Pepper, baby, it's good and nice," Bingham sang in a TikTok video posted December 23.As of Wednesday afternoon, the post had over 44 million views and 50,000 comments from users and brands alike. Bingham's video gained traction on TikTok before the jingle was featured in a TV commercial, prompting some users to predict a collaboration was on the horizon."I am waiting for Dr Pepper to offer a massive contract," one commenter said on December 29. @romeosshow @Dr Pepper please get back to me with a proposition we can make thousands together. #drpepper #soda #beverage ♬ original sound - Romeo Bingham and Dr Pepper did not reveal the terms of their deal and did not respond to requests for comment.Several companies, including Buffalo Wild Wings, Panera Bread, and Hyundai, have also pounced on Bingham's comments and requested jingles for their brands.Bingham created a song for Vita Coca, which the beverage brand posted on TikTok on January 16. @vitacoco @Romeo jingle stays on repeat #vitacoco #fyp #coconutwater #jingle #vitacocotreats ♬ original sound - Romeo The partnership between Bingham and Dr Pepper appeared to be in the works for a few weeks leading up to the game, which ESPN reported attracted over 20 million viewers in 2025. On December 31, Dr Pepper commented under Bingham's video, telling them to check their DMs. @speedymorman nah congrats queen @Romeo ♬ original sound - speedy Support for Bingham has continued, with users sharing videos and comments congratulating them on the collaboration. Others have chimed in, saying they hoped Bingham got a good payday.I hope that girl who did the Dr. pepper jingle got paid very well. Cause I just saw the commercial.— tyler (@tcas25) January 20, 2026 And the marketing strategy seems to be working for Bingham. As of Wednesday, Bingham is operating a website offering the Dr Pepper effect to brands."I'm buying a Dr Pepper just because," one user wrote on TikTok.Read the original article on Business Insider

Tesla CEO Elon MuskReutersElon Musk is looking for tech talent to work on Tesla's latest AI chip.On X, he told job seekers to list the toughest technical hurdles they've overcome in 3 bullets.The approach is a way to focus on results and avoid "the noise of the job market," a recruiter said.Elon Musk wants to see your results, not your résumé.The Tesla CEO this week requested that people who want to work on the company's Dojo3 AI chip email three bullet points describing the "toughest technical problems you've solved."Musk's just-the-facts approach, outlined in a post on X, reflects a focus on problem-solving over fancy résumés or cover letters."He's basically just trying to cut through the noise of the job market," said Michelle Volberg, a longtime recruiter who is the founder of Twill, a startup that pays tech workers to recommend peers for key jobs.She said that résumés or LinkedIn profiles don't always make it clear to employers where a person's skills lie. Asking a job seeker to lay out a trio of battles won can help hiring managers get to the meat of someone's abilities, Volberg told Business Insider.It's a way of thinking that she expects more employers will adopt."Elon is showing the way that the job market is going to go," she said.Already, some tech companies are eager for job candidates to demonstrate their abilities by highlighting how they arrived at an answer. It's part of what appears to be a show-your-work ethos in Silicon Valley, where hefty spending on AI projects and a hangover from the pandemic-era staffing boom are driving hiring austerity in all but the hottest areas.The AI effectVolberg said that hiring managers at large companies have told her that they're sick of relying on résumés so tailored to a job opening that they reveal little about candidates themselves. Asking job seekers to identify a small number of concrete problems they've solved can help overcome that challenge and help bring clarity for hiring managers, she said."They don't want to see fluffy résumés that have been written by ChatGPT," Volberg said.Bullets over bona fides is, of course, a departure from the conventional approach of stuffing a résumé with bolded job titles, years of experience, and skills.Asking applicants to summarize the value they would bring by sharing vignettes of success can elevate technical accomplishment over pedigree or background, she said. It's an example of what some HR types call "skills-based hiring."Musk's no-frills call for applicants appears to build on his prior statements about being open to candidates from nontraditional backgrounds. For years, the billionaire has said that people didn't need a college degree to work for Tesla. Musk has said that he's more focused on evidence of "exceptional" ability or achievement.He also requested bullet points in 2025 when he oversaw efforts by the Department of Government Efficiency group to remake swaths of the US federal government. A nearly year-old post on X said that DOGE was seeking "world-class" software engineers, product managers, and data scientists, among other roles.An application portal linked to the post contains a field instructing applicants to include two or three bullets "showcasing exceptional ability," and to upload a résumé.A focus on outcomesVolberg said the bullet method is similar to guidance that her company already gives job seekers: Focus less on adjectives and more on outcomes.From a hiring manager's perspective, she said, the central question is whether a candidate can make their job easier by solving real problems.The corollary, Volberg said, is fakers beware: "If you say that you've solved these three things, you'd better be able to talk about them in detail."She said that it's often immediately clear to tech recruiters whether someone has actually done the work they…

Spain deployed EF-18 fighter jets to Lithuania last month to support NATO air policing operations.Joan Valls/Urbanandsport/NurPhoto via Getty ImagesBusiness Insider visited an air base in Lithuania where Spain has deployed fighter jets.The jets are deployed in support of NATO's air policing mission to protect the Baltic states.Spanish pilots have just 15 minutes to scramble their jets when responding to a potential threat.ŠIAULIAI AIR BASE, Lithuania — The fighter pilots quickly grabbed their gear and stormed out the door of the small command building as alarm bells wailed from a loudspeaker. The countdown had started.The Spanish pilots and the support crew piled into two vans, which swiftly shuttled them down snow-covered roads to the hangars. The powerful EF-18 jet engines roared to life, and with pre-flight checks complete, the fighters taxiied out onto the runway.As the planes took off into the frigid January sky, the air base fell silent.Fighter pilots from the 15th Wing of the Spanish Air Force deployed to NATO's forward edge have just 15 minutes to get airborne once a quick reaction alert mission is activated, usually in response to a nearby aircraft flying without identification or purposefully dodging international regulations.Fighter jets are frequently sent out on very short notice to intercept Russian military aircraft over the Baltic Sea. NATO’s Air Command recorded more than 500 such rapid-response launches, known as scrambles, across allied airspace last year as part of air policing missions and other operations.At Šiauliai Air Base in Lithuania, Business Insider observed Spanish fighter jets taking off for what began as a training sortie. Once they were airborne, though, the flight became an "alpha scramble," meaning they were tasked with responding to something suspicious — potentially a real threat. Lt. Col. Fernando Allen, the commander of the Spanish detachment, could only say that the target was an unidentified aircraft. Recent NATO scrambles have intercepted Russian aircraft, including fighter jets and surveillance planes.Allen said that he and his fellow airmen are deployed to Lithuania "to make safe skies for partner nations and allies."Life on alertNATO launched the Baltic Air Policing mission in 2004 following the accession of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia into the alliance. Member states take turns deploying fighter jets to Šiauliai and two other bases in the region on a four-month rotational basis.The mission is to protect the airspace above and around the three Baltic states — often referred to as NATO's front lines — amid anxiety over Russian activities in and near allied skies.Spain's 15th Wing deployed at the start of December to Šiauliai Air Base, where it is contributing to the air policing mission and the Eastern Sentry operation that NATO launched in September after Russian drones violated Polish airspace.The Spanish detachment arrived with just over 200 personnel and 11 EF-18M fighters, upgraded versions of the American-made F/A-18 Hornet that only Madrid operates. The jets are armed with air-to-air missiles and equipped for round-the-clock operations, including night flights, with pilots using night-vision goggles.A Spanish EF-18 on the tarmac before takeoff at Šiauliai. Some elements of the image have been obscured for security reasons at the request of the Spanish Air Force.Jake Epstein/Business InsiderAlpha scrambles follow a step-by-step procedure. Control centers are monitoring the airspace 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If crews detect an unidentified radar track or an aircraft failing to follow international rules, they relay the information to one of NATO's combined air operations centers.When commanders decide to launch an alpha scramble, the pilots receive an order to take off and must be airborne within 15 minutes. They normally complete the task well ahead of time.The scramble alert can come in at any moment, so…