INSIDER
Fitness app Strava gives away location of Biden, Trump and other leaders, French newspaper says
Read full article: Fitness app Strava gives away location of Biden, Trump and other leaders, French newspaper saysFrench newspaper Le Monde reported that highly confidential movements of some of the worldās most powerful leaders, including Joe Biden, Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, could easily be tracked online through a fitness app used by their bodyguards.
France and Morocco announce high speed rail investments as Macron visits Rabat
Read full article: France and Morocco announce high speed rail investments as Macron visits RabatMoroccoās King Mohammed VI has welcomed French President Emmanuel Macron to Morocco, kicking off a state visit with a series of bilateral agreements, including major investments in renewable energy and transportation.
Middle East latest: Blinken in Doha to discuss Gaza cease-fire with Qatari officials
Read full article: Middle East latest: Blinken in Doha to discuss Gaza cease-fire with Qatari officialsU.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in Doha to meet with Qatari officials who have been key mediators for Hamas, as the U.S. struggles to break the logjam of cease-fire negotiations between Israel and the militant group.
The Paris conference for Lebanon raises $1 billion in pledges for humanitarian and military support
Read full article: The Paris conference for Lebanon raises $1 billion in pledges for humanitarian and military supportAn international conference for Lebanon in Paris raised $1 billion in pledges for humanitarian aid and military support.
Biden urges Western allies to keep aiding Ukraine during meeting with Europe leaders before election
Read full article: Biden urges Western allies to keep aiding Ukraine during meeting with Europe leaders before electionU.S. President Joe Biden told European partners that itās important for Ukraineās Western allies to āsustain our resolveā in supporting the country.
Biden is making quick trip to Berlin before US election to discuss Ukraine and democracy with allies
Read full article: Biden is making quick trip to Berlin before US election to discuss Ukraine and democracy with alliesPresident Joe Biden has long believed diplomacy is about personal relationships ā and heāll spend Friday in Berlin with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz as his time in office is on the cusp of ending.
Trump uses interview on economics to promote tariffs and riff on his favorite themes
Read full article: Trump uses interview on economics to promote tariffs and riff on his favorite themesDonald Trump has seized on an opening to sound his frequent argument that imposing huge tariffs on foreign goods would amount to an economic elixir ā one he claims would raise enormous sums for the government, protect U.S. firms from overseas competition and prod foreign companies to open factories in the United States.
$55 million plan to give Notre Dame area a green facelift is part of Paris-wide eco plan
Read full article: $55 million plan to give Notre Dame area a green facelift is part of Paris-wide eco planNotre Dame is gearing up to reopen its doors in December as Paris is on the verge of a remarkable eco-revival.
Ukraine's Zelenskyy city-hops across Europe, promoting 'victory plan' to allies
Read full article: Ukraine's Zelenskyy city-hops across Europe, promoting 'victory plan' to alliesUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been city-hopping across Europe to promote a āvictory planā that he said āaims to create the right conditions for a just end to the warā against Russia.
Macron says he's 'super proud' of his wife's cameo in 'Emily in Paris'
Read full article: Macron says he's 'super proud' of his wife's cameo in 'Emily in Paris'French President Emmanuel Macron says heās āsuper proudā of the cameo appearance by his wife, Brigitte, in the fourth season of the Netflix show āEmily in Paris.ā.
Franceās minority government survives a no-confidence vote, 2 weeks after taking office
Read full article: Franceās minority government survives a no-confidence vote, 2 weeks after taking officeFranceās minority government has survived a no-confidence vote, two weeks after taking office, getting over the first hurdle placed by left-wing lawmakers to bring down new conservative Prime Minister Michel Barnier.
Vigils, protests around the world commemorate the anniversary of Hamas attack on Israel
Read full article: Vigils, protests around the world commemorate the anniversary of Hamas attack on IsraelCommemorations and protests are being held across the world to mark a year since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel.
Victor Perahia, Holocaust survivor and president of French Union of Auschwitz Deportees, dies at 91
Read full article: Victor Perahia, Holocaust survivor and president of French Union of Auschwitz Deportees, dies at 91French Union of Auschwitz Deportees president and Holocaust survivor Victor Perahia has died.
France's Le Pen denies wrongdoing as she and her party go on trial accused of embezzling EU funds
Read full article: France's Le Pen denies wrongdoing as she and her party go on trial accused of embezzling EU fundsFrench far-right leader Marine Le Pen has denied violating any rules as she and her National Rally party and two dozen others went on trial accused of embezzling European Parliament funds.
New center-right government in France announced 2 months after divisive elections
Read full article: New center-right government in France announced 2 months after divisive electionsThe French presidential palace has unveiled a new center-right government more than two months after elections that produced a hung parliament and deepened political divisions.
Shocking rape trial highlights the systematic struggles French sexual abuse victims face
Read full article: Shocking rape trial highlights the systematic struggles French sexual abuse victims faceThe trial of dozens of men accused of raping an unconscious woman whose husband repeatedly drugged her has highlighted the difficulties that sexual violence victims can face in France.
The IOC needs a new president after 12 years so what is the job and who are the 7 candidates?
Read full article: The IOC needs a new president after 12 years so what is the job and who are the 7 candidates?Seven candidates are competing for one of the biggest and best jobs in world sports that traditionally becomes available only every 12 years.
French First Lady stars as surprise guest in new season of 'Emily in Paris'
Read full article: French First Lady stars as surprise guest in new season of 'Emily in Paris'Franceās First Lady Brigitte Macron is appearing as a surprise guest on the fourth season of the Netflix show āEmily in Paris,ā parts of which were released on Thursday.
Protesters rally in France against Barnierās appointment as prime minister
Read full article: Protesters rally in France against Barnierās appointment as prime ministerThousands of protesters have taken to the streets across France, responding to a call from a far-left party leader who criticized as a power grab the presidentās appointment of a new prime minister, Michel Barnier.
Macron names EU's Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier as Franceās new prime minister
Read full article: Macron names EU's Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier as Franceās new prime ministerPresident Emmanuel Macron has named EU Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier as Franceās new prime minister after more than 50 days of caretaker government.
France's Macron says giving Telegram CEO Durov French citizenship was a good thing
Read full article: France's Macron says giving Telegram CEO Durov French citizenship was a good thingFrench President Emmanuel Macron is defending his governmentās decision to give special fast-track citizenship to Telegram messaging app CEO Pavel Durov.
UK government mulling crackdown on outdoor smoking. Pubs are unhappy
Read full article: UK government mulling crackdown on outdoor smoking. Pubs are unhappyBritish Prime Minister Keir Starmer has confirmed that his government is looking at introducing tougher anti-smoking measures, which could potentially see a ban on smoking in outdoor spaces, including at pubs and restaurants.
Serbia makes a $3 billion deal to buy 12 French warplanes, in a shift away from Russia
Read full article: Serbia makes a $3 billion deal to buy 12 French warplanes, in a shift away from RussiaSerbian President Aleksandar Vucic has announced a $3 billion deal to buy 12 French warplanes, shifting his country away from its dependence on Russian arms.
Telegram CEO Durov faces preliminary charges in France of allowing crime on messaging app
Read full article: Telegram CEO Durov faces preliminary charges in France of allowing crime on messaging appFrench authorities have handed Telegram CEO Pavel Durov preliminary charges for allowing alleged criminal activity on his messaging app and barred him from leaving France pending further investigation.
France's leftist coalition fumes over Macron's rejection of its candidate to become prime minister
Read full article: France's leftist coalition fumes over Macron's rejection of its candidate to become prime ministerThe leaders of France's main left-wing coalition have accused President Emmanuel Macron of denying democracy.
France's Macron says arrest of the head of the Telegram messaging app wasnāt political
Read full article: France's Macron says arrest of the head of the Telegram messaging app wasnāt politicalFrench President Emmanuel Macron says the arrest in France of the CEO of the popular messaging app Telegram, Pavel Durov, wasnāt a political move but part of an independent investigation.
France's Macron holds talks with key political players in a bid to form a new government
Read full article: France's Macron holds talks with key political players in a bid to form a new governmentFrench President Emmanuel Macron is holding talks with key political players in a bid to form a new government.
France honors African soldiers who helped liberate the French Riviera from Nazis 80 years ago
Read full article: France honors African soldiers who helped liberate the French Riviera from Nazis 80 years agoFrance is commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Allied invasion of the French Riviera in World War II to push back the Nazis.
Israel-Hamas war latest: Iran rejects European leaders' call to refrain from any retaliatory attacks
Read full article: Israel-Hamas war latest: Iran rejects European leaders' call to refrain from any retaliatory attacksIran has rejected a call by three European countries urging it to refrain from any retaliatory attacks that would further escalate regional tensions.
Air taxis failed to get certified for the Paris Olympics. There's still hope for LA 2028
Read full article: Air taxis failed to get certified for the Paris Olympics. There's still hope for LA 2028A flying autonomous taxi has held a test flight over the former royal palace of Versailles to mark the last day of the Paris Olympics.
Cleaning up the Seine: the Olympics boosts a Parisian dream, but it's still far from fully achieved
Read full article: Cleaning up the Seine: the Olympics boosts a Parisian dream, but it's still far from fully achievedFrench authorities vow that cleanup efforts on the Seine River will allow Parisians to finally open up as a summertime swim spot.
Israel-Hamas war latest: The Israeli military orders another mass evacuation in southern Gaza
Read full article: Israel-Hamas war latest: The Israeli military orders another mass evacuation in southern GazaThe Israeli military has ordered another mass evacuation in large areas around Khan Younis in southern Gaza, saying its forces will soon operate there in response to Palestinian rocket fire.
Russian disinformation slams Paris and amplifies Khelif debate to undermine the Olympics
Read full article: Russian disinformation slams Paris and amplifies Khelif debate to undermine the OlympicsGroups linked to Russiaās government are using online disinformation to spread false information about the 2024 Olympics and portraying Paris as a crime-ridden cesspool.
LĆ©on Marchand captures 4th Olympic swimming gold, setting off a party across Paris
Read full article: LĆ©on Marchand captures 4th Olympic swimming gold, setting off a party across ParisLĆ©on Marchand completed his dominating run through the Paris Olympics, capturing his fourth swimming gold with another runaway victory in the 200-meter individual medley Friday night.
White House chef retires after nearly 30 years, 1st woman and 1st person of color to have the job
Read full article: White House chef retires after nearly 30 years, 1st woman and 1st person of color to have the jobThe White Houseās executive chef has retired after nearly three decades of serving meals and state dinners to five different presidents and their families.
France shifts Western Sahara stance, seeking closer ties with Morocco
Read full article: France shifts Western Sahara stance, seeking closer ties with MoroccoFrance has backed Moroccoās autonomy plan for the disputed Western Sahara, shifting a decades-old position and adding itself to a growing list of countries to align with Morocco as a United Nations-mediated peace process remains stalled.
Here's how Jill Biden thinks the US can match the French pizzazz at the LA Olympics
Read full article: Here's how Jill Biden thinks the US can match the French pizzazz at the LA OlympicsFirst lady Jill Biden has praised Parisā āspectacularā Olympics opening ceremony and looked ahead to how the U.S. can similarly dazzle audiences when the Games are held in Los Angeles in four years.
What we know so far about the attack on French train network ahead of Olympics opening
Read full article: What we know so far about the attack on French train network ahead of Olympics openingFrench transport has been thrust into chaos just hours ahead of the Olympics 2024 opening ceremony after a series of coordinated āmalicious actsā upended high-speed train lines.
Jill Biden meets with US Olympic athletes in Paris ā and even helps with a relay drill
Read full article: Jill Biden meets with US Olympic athletes in Paris ā and even helps with a relay drillU.S. first lady Jill Biden visited some American athletes at an Olympic training center in Paris on Thursday, wishing rugby and track and field competitors good luck and even taking part in a stationary relay drill with runners.
Workers go on strike at five-star Paris hotel where IOC members are staying for Olympics
Read full article: Workers go on strike at five-star Paris hotel where IOC members are staying for OlympicsWorkers have gone on strike at the five-star hotel in Paris where members of the International Olympic Committee are staying.
Argentine President Milei travels to France to meet Macron after outcry over racist soccer chants
Read full article: Argentine President Milei travels to France to meet Macron after outcry over racist soccer chantsArgentine President Javier Milei has arrived in Paris, where he is expected to meet French President Emmanuel Macron after tensions escalated between their countries over the Argentine soccer teamās derogatory post-match chants about French players.
IOC approves French Alps' bid backed by President Macron to host the 2030 Winter Olympics
Read full article: IOC approves French Alps' bid backed by President Macron to host the 2030 Winter OlympicsThe French Alps' bid to host the 2030 Winter Games has been approved by the International Olympic Committee with conditions attached.
France's Macron says he'll keep the centrist caretaker government on through the Olympics
Read full article: France's Macron says he'll keep the centrist caretaker government on through the OlympicsFrench President Emmanuel Macron says he'll maintain his centrist caretaker government through the end of the Olympic Games in mid-August to avoid ādisorder.ā.
Athletes enjoying their first days at the giant Olympic village ahead of the Paris Games
Read full article: Athletes enjoying their first days at the giant Olympic village ahead of the Paris GamesAustralian beach volleyball player Taliqua Clancy got an unexpected surprise walking around the athletesā village at the Paris Olympics.
France's divided National Assembly votes to keep centrist speaker as political turmoil persists
Read full article: France's divided National Assembly votes to keep centrist speaker as political turmoil persistsFranceās divided National Assembly has kept a centrist member of President Emmanuel Macronās party as speaker.
European leaders discuss migration and Ukraine at a UK summit as concern grows about direction of US
Read full article: European leaders discuss migration and Ukraine at a UK summit as concern grows about direction of USLeaders from across Europe are gathering at an English country mansion for a summit of the European Political Community.
Far-right leader Le Pen says France is in a political 'quagmire' 9 days before Olympics start
Read full article: Far-right leader Le Pen says France is in a political 'quagmire' 9 days before Olympics startFranceās far-right leader Marine Le Pen says the country is āin a quagmireā after chaotic legislative elections produced a fragmented parliament.
French president accepts prime minister's resignation but keeps him as head of caretaker government
Read full article: French president accepts prime minister's resignation but keeps him as head of caretaker governmentFrench President Emmanuel Macron has accepted the prime ministerās resignation but kept him on as head of a caretaker government.
French sports minister takes a dip in the Seine ahead of Paris Olympics
Read full article: French sports minister takes a dip in the Seine ahead of Paris OlympicsFrench sports minister AmƩlie OudƩa-CastƩra has taken a symbolic dip in the Seine in a bid to ease concerns about water quality before the start of the Paris Olympics.
The NATO summit was about Ukraine and Biden. Here are some key things to know
Read full article: The NATO summit was about Ukraine and Biden. Here are some key things to knowNATO leaders met this week to celebrate the allianceās 75th anniversary under the cloud of deep political uncertainty in its most powerful member ā the United States.
France's unions call for protests to pressure Macron into naming leftist government
Read full article: France's unions call for protests to pressure Macron into naming leftist governmentA leader of a major French union has called for mass demonstrations and possible strikes to pressure President Emmanuel Macron into ārespecting the resultsā of recent legislative elections and allow a leftist coalition to form a new government.
Zelenskyy says to win the war, US needs to lift limits on striking military targets inside Russia
Read full article: Zelenskyy says to win the war, US needs to lift limits on striking military targets inside RussiaUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is embracing the support of international allies even as he pushed for the help to arrive faster and restrictions to be lifted on the use of U.S. weapons to attack military targets inside Russia.
Macron asks political parties to build a broad coalition before he appoints a new prime minister
Read full article: Macron asks political parties to build a broad coalition before he appoints a new prime ministerFrench President Emmanuel Macron says he will give time to the countryās political parties to build a āRepublicanā majority at the National Assembly before he can decide on a new prime minister, after no party won a majority in Sundayās legislative elections.
France's leftist coalition demands the right to form a government after fractured parliament vote
Read full article: France's leftist coalition demands the right to form a government after fractured parliament voteThe leftist coalition that won the most seats in France's National Assembly in surprise results is now demanding the immediate right to form a government, even though no grouping won a majority of seats.
Elections in Europe, Iran show authoritarian march may have slowed, not halted
Read full article: Elections in Europe, Iran show authoritarian march may have slowed, not haltedAt first glance, elections in France and Britain were a triumph for leftists and reformers over authoritarians and the right.
The far right seemed to have a lock on France's legislative elections. Here's why it didn't win
Read full article: The far right seemed to have a lock on France's legislative elections. Here's why it didn't winFrench far-right leader Marine Le Pen appeared to be nearer to power than ever last week after her National Rally party triumphed in the opening round of legislative elections.
Leaders in Europe and the US express relief mixed with concern about France's election result
Read full article: Leaders in Europe and the US express relief mixed with concern about France's election resultLeaders across Europe and from the United States have reacted with relief mixed with concern to the result of the French legislative election.
The Latest | Macron asks French prime minister to stay on for the sake of stability
Read full article: The Latest | Macron asks French prime minister to stay on for the sake of stabilityFrench President Emmanuel Macron rejected the resignation of Prime Minister Gabriel Attal Monday, in the wake of a chaotic election result that left neither left, right, nor center with a majority in the National Assembly.
Macron keeps France's prime minister in place for 'stability of the country' after chaotic election
Read full article: Macron keeps France's prime minister in place for 'stability of the country' after chaotic electionFrench President Emmanuel Macron has refused the resignation of the countryās prime minister, asking him to remain temporarily as the head of the government after chaotic election results left the government in limbo.
France's election ends up with no clear majority. This is what could happen next
Read full article: France's election ends up with no clear majority. This is what could happen nextElection results show French voters have given a broad leftist coalition the most parliamentary seats in the pivotal legislative election.
The Latest | In a surprise, French leftists win the most seats in legislative elections
Read full article: The Latest | In a surprise, French leftists win the most seats in legislative electionsFinal results in France say a leftist coalition that came together to try to keep the far right from power has won the most parliamentary seats in runoff elections.
French vote gives leftists most seats over far right, but leaves hung parliament and deadlock
Read full article: French vote gives leftists most seats over far right, but leaves hung parliament and deadlockA coalition of the French left has won the most seats in high-stakes legislative elections, beating back a far-right surge but failing to win a majority.
Voters in France's overseas territories kick off a pivotal parliamentary election
Read full article: Voters in France's overseas territories kick off a pivotal parliamentary electionVoters in Franceās overseas territories and living abroad have started casting ballots in parliamentary runoff elections that could hand an unprecedented victory to the nationalist far right.
France's president called a surprise election. The result could diminish his power in world affairs
Read full article: France's president called a surprise election. The result could diminish his power in world affairsThe second round of the high-stakes legislative election on Sunday will almost certainly impact how much say France's president has in the fields of defense and foreign affairs.
Germany fears a victory for the far-right National Rally could harm its close relations with France
Read full article: Germany fears a victory for the far-right National Rally could harm its close relations with FranceThe German government has expressed concern about a possible victory of the far-right National Rally in France on Sunday.
France's government spokesperson is attacked on the campaign trail, days before decisive election
Read full article: France's government spokesperson is attacked on the campaign trail, days before decisive electionSeveral candidates have reported being attacked on the campaign trail in the final stretch before a high-stakes French legislative election.
Far-right National Rally candidates, including one who wore Nazi cap, scrutinized in French election
Read full article: Far-right National Rally candidates, including one who wore Nazi cap, scrutinized in French electionAs it stands on the threshold of power in France, the far-right National Rally is facing scrutiny about some of the candidates it hopes will help it secure a ruling majority in legislative elections on Sunday.
Renowned Nazi hunter in France advises Jews to choose far right over far left in elections
Read full article: Renowned Nazi hunter in France advises Jews to choose far right over far left in electionsFranceās renowned Nazi hunter Serge Klarsfeld is advising voters in Sundayās parliamentary elections that if theyāre faced with a duel between Marine Le Penās far-right National Rally and a far-left competitor, they should choose the far right.
In the UK election campaignās final hours, Sunak battles to the end as Labourās Starmer eyes victory
Read full article: In the UK election campaignās final hours, Sunak battles to the end as Labourās Starmer eyes victoryVoters in the United Kingdom are set to cast ballots in a national election on Thursday, passing judgment on British Prime Minister Rishi Sunakās 20 months in office, and the four Conservative prime ministers before him.
French candidates make hurried deals to try to stop far-right National Rally from leading government
Read full article: French candidates make hurried deals to try to stop far-right National Rally from leading governmentFrench opposition parties are making hurried deals to try to block a landslide victory for Marine Le Penās far-right National Rally in Sundayās second round of legislative elections.
Le Pen first had success in an ex-mining town. Her message there is now winning over French society
Read full article: Le Pen first had success in an ex-mining town. Her message there is now winning over French societyIn the former mining town at the heart of French far-right leader Marine Le Penās political strategy, her partyās electoral success came as no surprise to hundreds of supporters who gathered to see her victory speech.
French far right works to turn election win into power. Its rivals want to stop it in decisive vote
Read full article: French far right works to turn election win into power. Its rivals want to stop it in decisive voteFranceās fiercely anti-immigration National Rally and opponents of the far-right party are scrambling to capitalize on a first round of voting in high-stakes surprise legislative elections.
It's France's moment of truth. Here's how its snap elections work and what comes next
Read full article: It's France's moment of truth. Here's how its snap elections work and what comes nextFrench voters face a decisive choice in the runoff Sunday of snap parliamentary elections that could produce the countryās first far-right government since the World War II Nazi occupation.
The Latest | France's first-round voting ends. Bardella calls for rejection of 'dangerous far left'
Read full article: The Latest | France's first-round voting ends. Bardella calls for rejection of 'dangerous far left'France had held an early parliamentary election that could bring the countryās first far-right government since Nazi occupation during World War II.
French voters propel far-right National Rally to strong lead in first-round legislative elections
Read full article: French voters propel far-right National Rally to strong lead in first-round legislative electionsFrench voters have propelled the far-right National Rally to a strong lead in first-round legislative elections and plunged the country into political uncertainty.
Macron weakened at home and abroad as an early French election gives the far right momentum
Read full article: Macron weakened at home and abroad as an early French election gives the far right momentumFrench President Emmanuel Macron appeared on the political stage in 2017 as a bold, young leader offering to revive France through radical pro-business, pro-European policies.
High-stakes French legislative election hits torrid final stretch before first-round voting begins
Read full article: High-stakes French legislative election hits torrid final stretch before first-round voting beginsCandidates in France are making their last campaign pushes for the first round of voting in a pivotal and polarizing legislative election.
In France's high-stakes legislative election, a Jewish candidate faces and fights hate and division
Read full article: In France's high-stakes legislative election, a Jewish candidate faces and fights hate and divisionAntisemitism has surged as a hot-button issue in France's high-stakes legislative election campaign.
French far-right leader Le Pen questions president's role as army chief ahead of parliament election
Read full article: French far-right leader Le Pen questions president's role as army chief ahead of parliament electionFranceās landmark legislative elections are just three days away and the countryās far-right leader is asking who would be in charge of the military if her party takes over after the two-round balloting.
Britain's Rishi Sunak struggles with missteps while trying to lift Conservatives ahead of elections
Read full article: Britain's Rishi Sunak struggles with missteps while trying to lift Conservatives ahead of electionsBritish Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has portrayed himself as thorough and evidence-led throughout his relatively brief political career but thereās always been a nagging question over the keenness of his politcal antenna.
France bans extreme-right and radical Islamic groups ahead of polarizing elections
Read full article: France bans extreme-right and radical Islamic groups ahead of polarizing electionsFranceās government has ordered the dissolution of multiple extreme right and radical Muslim groups, four days before the first round of high-stakes legislative elections that may see a surge in support for political extremes.
New Caledonia independence group demands Indigenous leader's release from custody in mainland France
Read full article: New Caledonia independence group demands Indigenous leader's release from custody in mainland FranceA pro-independence movement in the French Pacific territory of New Caledonia is demanding the ārelease and immediate returnā of the Indigenous Kanak leader who was flown more than 10,000 miles to mainland France for pretrial detention.
French far-right leader Bardella seeks to reassure voters, EU partners on economic, foreign policies
Read full article: French far-right leader Bardella seeks to reassure voters, EU partners on economic, foreign policiesFrench far-right leader Jordan Bardella has sought to reassure French voters, European partners and international observers that his potential government would lead ārealisticā economic policies and ānot weakenā Franceās voice abroad.
Costly election pledges in France stoke fears of splurges that risk pushing country deeper into debt
Read full article: Costly election pledges in France stoke fears of splurges that risk pushing country deeper into debtIn France, parties of the far right and the far left are making election promises that are appealing -- and expensive.