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S&P 500, Nasdaq Composite Close at New Highs as Airline Stocks Soar After Strong Delta Earnings Report; Bitcoin Surges to Record

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Jensen Huang is Almost as Rich as Warren Buffett

19 minutes ago

Jensen Huang’s wealth could soon overtake famed investor Warren Buffett’s, as Nvidia’s rising stock has made the AI chipmaker the most valuable company in history. 

Nvidia (NVDA) on Wednesday became the first company to hit a market capitalization of $4 trillion, though it finished the day just below that level. The shares added another 0.8% Thursday to close just above $164, putting the market cap back above $4 trillion. The stock is 21% higher for 2025 and up roughly 1,400% over the past 5 years.

Huang, Nvidia’s CEO, owns about 3.5% of the AI boom’s poster child. He’s seen his net worth climb to an estimated $142 billion as of Wednesday, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, rising $2.47 billion yesterday alone, and swelling over $27 billion since the start of the year.

Huang speaking at the VivaTech trade show in Paris last month.

Chesnot / Getty Images


 This week’s gains have made Huang the 10th richest person in the world in Bloomberg’s ranking, just behind Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.ABRK.B) CEO and “Oracle of Omaha” Warren Buffett at an estimated $144 billion.

At that level, it wouldn’t take much for Huang’s wealth to overtake Buffett’s. Wall Street’s analysts are largely bullish on Nvidia’s potential for more gains, with a mean target near $175 compiled by Visible Alpha.

A Nvidia spokesperson declined to comment on the stock’s gains and Huang’s net worth.

Kara Greenberg

Estée Lauder Pops as BofA Issues ‘Buy’ Rating

1 hr 22 min ago

Shares of Estée Lauder Cos. (EL) surged Thursday after Bank of America reinstated coverage of the stock with a “buy” rating and a bullish price target, citing optimism about the cosmetics giant’s recovery efforts.

BofA Securities analysts gave the stock a price objective of $110. Estée Lauder shares were among the top S&P 500 gainers today, rising 6% to around $92.

BofA analysts wrote that Estée Lauder is the “#2 player in attractive market, where cyclical upside exists,” adding that the firm’s “Beauty Reimagined” turnaround plan would “drive efficiency & rebuild volumes.”

Last month, Deutsche Bank upgraded the stock to “buy” from “hold” and lifted its price target to $95 from $71, with analysts writing that Estée Lauder was “in a far better position to at least keep pace (if not surpass) market growth rates.”

With today’s sharp gains, Estée Lauder shares have added nearly a quarter of their value this year.

Aaron Rennie

Autodesk Sinks on Report It’s Looking to Buy Rival PTC

2 hr 24 min ago

Autodesk (ADSK) was among the worst-performing stocks in the S&P 500 Thursday, a day after a report that the engineering-software company was mulling an acquisition of rival PTC (PTC).

Citing people familiar with the matter, Bloomberg  reported Wednesday that Autodesk “has been working with advisers to evaluate a cash-and-stock deal for Boston-based PTC.” The news site added that “no final decision has been made and Autodesk could opt against pursuing a deal for PTC.”

Autodesk has a market capitalization of about $60 billion, while PTC has a market value of roughly $23 billion.

Neither Autodesk nor PTC immediately returned an Investopedia request for comment.

Autodesk shares were down nearly 7% in recent trading to move into negative territory for the year. PTC shares were also down about 7% but remain up 6% for 2025.

Aaron Rennie

Why Wall Street Might be Underestimating Palantir

2 hr 49 min ago

Palantir’s (PLTR) stock has been one of the biggest beneficiaries of the AI boom this year, with one longtime bull expecting it still has room to rise, amid some worries on Wall Street the stock could be overvalued.

Wedbush analysts led by Dan Ives raised their price target to $160 from $140 on Thursday, implying roughly 12% upside from Wednesday’s close, anticipating Palantir could be a “core winner in the trillions of AI spend over the next few years.”

However, Wedbush’s bullish stance stands out on Wall Street, with most of the 11 analysts surveyed by Visible Alpha divided between neutral and “sell” ratings. Their targets lean decidedly more bearish than bullish, with a mean of $97, amid some concerns the stock may have already climbed too high, too fast.

Palantir is the biggest gainer in the Nasdaq 100 so far in 2025.

TradingView


Palantir shares have added almost 90% in 2025 so far and are worth roughly five times today what they were a year ago as demand for Palantir’s Artificial Intelligence Platform has surged. 

“We believe the Street is underestimating the $1 billion+ revenue stream that [Palantir’s Artificial Intelligence Platform] US commercial business can evolve into over the next few years and the technology competitive moat that (CEO Alex) Karp & Co. have built,” Wedbush told clients Thursday.

Wedbush added Palantir could be in a “sweet spot” to benefit from federal spending in North America and Europe, with the Trump administration’s focus on AI initiatives presenting another tailwind for the stock.

Last month, Palantir said it was partnering with professional services firm Accenture (ACN) to “deploy commercial-grade, AI-powered solutions to address federal agencies’ highest priority operational challenges.” The federal government has reportedly integrated Palantir’s software into multiple agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security and the Health and Human Services Department.

Palantir shares were down slightly at around $142 in late trading Thursday.

Andrew Kessel

AMD Jumps as HSBC Upgrades Stock on AI Chip Strength

4 hr 9 min ago

The performance of Advanced Micro Devices’ (AMD) latest AI chips is on par with those from Silicon Valley rival Nvidia’s (NVDA), HSBC analysts said.

In a note Thursday, HSBC analysts upgraded their rating on AMD to a “buy” from a “hold” and doubled their price target to $200, noting that AMD’s latest series of chips can compete with Nvidia’s Blackwell GPUs. AMD launched its Instinct MI350 Series GPUs last month, claiming the chips offered four times more computing power than its previous generation.

AMD shares were up more than 4% in recent trading, pacing Nasdaq 100 gainers.

“With the recent launch of the MI350 series, we were pleasantly surprised with the performance upgrades which imply that the MI350 series can compete with Nvidia latest-gen HGX B200 AI GPU,” HSBC analysts wrote. “Owing to the performance enhancements, the pricing premium is much higher than expected earlier which could help drive upside to earnings in 2025 and 2026.”

AMD CEO Lisa Su and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman arrive at a Senate hearing in May.

Nathan Howard / Bloomberg / Getty Images


The analysts, led by Frank Lee, also wrote that there was further upside possible for AMD shares when the chipmaker launches its MI400 series next year, which could compete with Nvidia’s next-generation Vera Rubin platform—scheduled for the second half of 2026. AMD unveiled the MI400 last month in an event hosted by CEO Lisa Su and Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, which has signed on as a customer for the next-gen chips.

Nisha Gopalan

Bitcoin Price Levels to Watch After Latest Record High

5 hr 16 min ago

Bitcoin (BTCUSD) hit an all-time high on Thursday after powering past $112,000 yesterday for its first new high since late May.

In recent months, the cryptocurrency has received a boost from more companies adding it to their corporate treasuries and lawmakers working towards passing pro-crypto legislation.

Bitcoin’s price nudged above the top trendline of a descending channel on Wednesday, paving the way for a continuation move higher. Moreover, the relative strength index confirms bullish momentum and remains below overbought levels, providing ample room for the digital asset to move into price discovery mode.

Source: TradingView.com.

However, it’s worth pointing out that trading volume continues to dwindle on Coinbase (COIN), the largest U.S.-based crypto exchange, suggesting that larger market participants, such as institutional investors, may be accumulating the asset through spot bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) rather than exchanges.

The measuring principle projects an upside target if $146,400. Investors should also watch major support levels on bitcoin’s chart around $107,000 and $100,000.

Bitcoin was trading at $112,900 recently.

Read the full technical analysis piece here.

Timothy Smith

Kellogg Pops as Ferrero Buys Cereal Giant for $3.1 Billion

5 hr 59 min ago

Shares of WK Kellogg (KLG) surged 30% Thursday as the maker of Froot Loops and Frosted Flakes announced it had reached a deal to be acquired by Italian sweets company The Ferrero Group for $23 per share in cash, or about $3.1 billion.

WK Kellogg stock had soared overnight on a report from The Wall Street Journal that the companies could finalize a deal “as soon as this week.” Shares were recently trading for $22.85—a level they hadn’t hit in more than a year as shifting attitudes towards diet and price increases in the category ate into cereal sales. The stock had entered Thursday trading slightly negative for 2025.

Lindsey Nicholson / UCG / Universal Images Group / Getty Images


“We believe this proposed transaction maximizes value for our shareowners and enables WK Kellogg Co to write the next chapter of our company’s storied legacy,” CEO Gary Pilnick said, adding that joining Ferrero would provide the firm “with greater resources and more flexibility to grow our iconic brands in this competitive and dynamic market.”

The transaction is expected to close in the second half of 2025. The New York Stock Exchange-listed cereal giant said once it does, it would become a privately held subsidiary of Ferrero, which has more than 14,000 employees in North America, where its portfolio includes Nutella, Tic Tac, and Butterfinger.

“Over recent years, Ferrero has expanded its presence in North America, bringing together our well-known brands from around the world with local jewels rooted in the U.S.,” Ferrero Group Executive Chairman Giovanni Ferrero said. “Today’s news is a key milestone in that journey, giving us confidence in the opportunities ahead.”

WK Kellogg emerged in 2023 when Kellogg split up its cereal lines and snack business, which became Kellanova (K).

Sarina Trangle

Robotaxi Expansion, Grok Chatbot in Teslas Coming Soon

6 hr 31 min ago

Tesla (TSLA) will likely expand its robotaxi service in the coming weeks and months, and will also soon have Grok, the chatbot made by another Elon Musk-owned company, added to its vehicles likely by next week.

Musk made the statements in a pair of posts on X, the social media platform he owns, Wednesday night and into Thursday morning, responding to users discussing whether Grok would come to Tesla vehicles, and about Tesla’s robotaxi service that launched last month.

Musk said the area around Austin where its robotaxis can operate will get bigger this weekend, and said the EV maker is awaiting regulatory approval to expand to California’s Bay Area, which Musk said will likely happen in the next two months. The robotaxi launch has been relatively smooth, with some reported issues like vehicles stopping in the middle of an intersection and briefly driving on the wrong side of the road.

The looming addition of Grok to Tesla vehicles comes at a tense point for the chatbot, as earlier this week it was the center of its latest controversy surrounding dozens of antisemitic posts where the large language model referred to itself as “MechaHitler” and praised the German dictator.

The company removed the posts, and briefly took Grok offline for the public. In the days since, X CEO Linda Yaccarino announced her departure, with reports suggesting tensions were rising between her and Musk, and xAI also unveiled the newest version of the chatbot, Grok 4, on Wednesday night.

Former X CEO Linda Yaccarino speaking at the CES consumer electronics trade show in January.

Artur Widak / NurPhoto / Getty Images


Also on Wednesday, Tesla said in a regulatory filing that it will hold its annual shareholder meeting on Nov. 6. The filing came after pressure from shareholders and elected officials as it remains uncertain whether Tesla’s meeting taking place in November violates a Texas law requiring annual meetings to take place within 13 months of the previous meeting, as Tesla’s was held last July.

Tesla shares were up nearly 3% in recent trading. They have lost a quarter of their value since the start of this year, with some analysts calling for Tesla’s board to act to curb Musk’s involvement in politics.

Aaron McDade

MP Materials Stock Soars on Rare Earths DOD Deal

7 hr 59 min ago

Shares of MP Materials (MP) surged more than 50% in early trading Thursday after the rare earths miner announced a multibillion-dollar agreement with the Department of Defense.

The DoD is set to become MP Materials’ largest shareholder at 15% following an initial $400 million purchase of a new class of “preferred stock convertible into shares of the Company’s common stock, and a warrant permitting DoD to purchase additional shares of the Company’s common stock.”

MP Materials will use the government investment, along with a $1 billion funding line from JPMorgan Chase (JPM) and Goldman Sachs (GS) to fund the construction of its second domestic magnet manufacturing facility at a yet-to-be-decided location.

The company also agreed to a 10-year deal with the DoD establishing the government as a long-term customer of MP’s rare earths with a price floor of $110 per kilogram.

The Trump administration has stated that becoming less dependent on other nations like China for rare earths—metals used in production of a variety of commercial and military products—is a top priority and national security concern. Shares of MP and USA Rare Earth (USAR) have been boosted this year by that commitment.

MP Materials shares were up 56% recently, trading at their highest level in more than three years. USA Rare Earth shares were up about 15% this morning.

Aaron McDade

Delta Leads Airline Stocks Higher After Strong Earnings Report

8 hr 18 min ago

Delta Air Lines (DAL) was the top-performing stock in the S&P 500 early Thursday after the carrier reported better second-quarter results than analysts had expected and reinstated its full-year outlook.

Delta posted adjusted earnings per share of $2.10 on revenue that was roughly flat year-over-year at $16.65 billion. Analysts polled by Visible Alpha had projected $2.08 and $16.41 billion, respectively. Last quarter, Delta said it expected revenue to be down 2% to up 2%, with adjusted EPS within a range of $1.70 to $2.30.

For the third quarter, the airline sees revenue between flat and up 4%, with adjusted EPS between $1.25 and $1.75. Analysts expect revenue roughly flat at $15.69 billion, with adjusted EPS of $1.36.

Delta also reintroduced its full-year projections, saying it expects adjusted EPS of $5.25 to $6.25, with the midpoint well above analysts’ consensus of $5.31. Last quarter, it said it would provide an update to its outlook once the “current uncertainty” passed.

Delta CEO Ed Bastian speaking at an event in May.

Samuel Corum / Bloomberg / Getty Images


“As we look to the second half of our centennial year, we remain focused on executing our strategic priorities and managing the levers within our control to deliver strong earnings and cash flow,” Delta CEO Ed Bastian said, adding that restoring its full-year guidance reflects “our confidence in the business.”

Delta shares were up roughly 13% recently, but they remain down about 6% since the start of the year. Shares of rivals United Airlines (UAL) and American Airlines (AAL) were also up sharply this morning.

Aaron McDade

Microsoft Levels to Watch as Stock Above $500 for 1st Time

8 hr 56 min ago

Microsoft (MSFT) shares hit another record high on Wednesday as the tech giant’s market capitalization moves closer to $4 trillion. 

The stock closed at around $503 yesterday, putting its market cap at $3.74 trillion, trailing only Nvidia (NVDA), which briefly surpassed the $4 trillion level on Wednesday.

Investment bank Oppenheimer believes Microsoft has room for further upside, placing a $600 price target on the stock yesterday, in part due to the company’s AI revenue growth prospects. Meanwhile, Wedbush analyst Dan Ives told clients in a note Wednesday that he anticipates Microsoft to reach the $4 trillion mark this summer.

The stock has risen 46% from its early-April low and is nearly 20% higher year-to-date as of Wednesday’s close.

Source: TradingView.com.

After bottoming near the 200-week moving average in early April, Microsoft shares have remained in a strong uptrend, gaining in 12 of the past 14 weeks.

While the relative strength index confirms bullish price momentum, it has recently crossed into overbought territory, an area on the indicator that has previously coincided with consolidation phases in the stock.

It’s worth noting that the volume has trended downward during the stock’s move higher in recent months, indicating that some larger institutional investors may be waiting for the tech giant’s next earnings report before deploying more capital.

Investors should watch crucial support levels on Microsoft’s chart near $468 and $425.

Read the full technical analysis piece here.

Timothy Smith

Major Index Futures Holding Steady

9 hr 43 min ago

Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average were down 0.1%.

TradingView


S&P 500 futures fell fractionally.

TradingView


Nasdaq 100 futures were up less than 0.1%.

TradingView




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Rubio meets China’s foreign minister as US-Chinese tensions mount

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KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio wrapped up his second and final day at a Southeast Asian security conference in a high-stakes meeting with his Chinese counterpart as tensions grow between Washington and Beijing over issues from trade to security and China’s support for Russia’s war in Ukraine.

After discussions with regional countries at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations forum in Malaysia, Rubio on Friday ended his first official trip to Asia with his first face-to-face talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

Neither man nor the delegations spoke to journalists as they posed for photos at the top of the meeting.

The meeting was held less than 24 hours after Rubio met in Kuala Lumpur with another rival, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, during which they discussed potential new avenues to jumpstart Ukraine peace talks.

The meetings come against a backdrop of global and regional unease over U.S. policies, notably on trade and large tariffs that U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to impose on friend and foe alike.

While Rubio heard complaints about the tariffs from his Southeast Asian counterparts, he told reporters Thursday that many of them focused their discussion on security issues, their concerns about Chinese domination and desire for cooperation with the U.S.

“Of course, it’s raised. It’s an issue,” Rubio said. “But I wouldn’t say it solely defines our relationship with many of these countries. There are a lot of other issues that we work together on, and I think there was great enthusiasm that we were here and that we’re a part of this.”

However, Trump sees China as the biggest threat to the United States in multiple fields, not least technology and trade, and like previous U.S. presidents has watched the country greatly expand its influence globally while turning increasingly assertive in the Indo-Pacific, notably toward its small neighbors over the South China Sea and Taiwan.

Trump has warned of massive tariffs that he could impose on Chinese exports to the United States and preliminary discussions between the two sides have yet to produce significant progress.

Since former President Joe Biden was in office, the U.S. has also accused China of assisting Russia in rebuilding its military industrial sector to help it execute its war against Ukraine. Rubio said the Trump administration shares that view.

“I think the Chinese clearly have been supportive of the Russian effort, and I think that generally they’ve been willing to help them as much as they can without getting caught,” Rubio said Thursday, suggesting the topic would be discussed if he and Wang met.

Rubio and Wang have been shadowboxing during the two-day ASEAN meeting, with each touting the benefits of their partnership to Southeast Asian nations.

Rubio has played up cooperation, including signing a civil-nuclear cooperation agreement with Malaysia, while Wang has railed against Trump’s threatened tariffs and projected China as a stable counterweight in talks with Southeast Asian counterparts on the sidelines.

“The U.S. is abusing tariffs, wrecking the free trade system and disrupting the stability of the global supply chain,” Wang told his Thai counterpart Maris Sangiampongsa, according the Chinese foreign ministry.

In a meeting with Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Prak Sokhonn, Wang said that the tariffs are “an attempt to deprive all parties of their legitimate right to development.”

“In the face of turbulent global situation, China is willing to be Cambodia’s trustworthy and reliable friend and partner,” he added.

On Thursday, Wang and Lavrov met and delivered a subtle but unmistakable warning to the United States over Southeast Asia.

“Russia and China both support ASEAN’s central role in regional cooperation, are committed to maintaining peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region, and are wary of certain major powers creating divisions and instigating confrontation in the region,” they said, according to Russia’s foreign ministry.

But Rubio found support from Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, who said Friday that continued U.S. engagement was crucial for regional stability.

“We want to see a region where no one country dominates and no country is dominated,” Wong told reporters when asked about China’s rising might in the region. “We want to see a region where there is a balance of power… where there is no coercion or duress.”

At the same time, Wong said Australia is committed to maintaining a stable relationship with China, noting that engagement remains the best path forward.

___

Associated Press writers Huizhong Wu in Bangkok and Eileen Ng in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, contributed to this report.





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Prime Day Ends Tonight — 167+ Best Deals Actually Worth Shopping

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Prime Day officially ends tonight… seriously. Prime members officially have less than 24 hours to take advantage of exclusive discounts across tech, beauty, home essentials, kitchen and more. And even if you’ve already bought a few things, it’s worth scrolling Amazon’s discounts one final time — the retailer just added brand-new discounts, including fresh Lightning Deals.

A word of wisdom from someone who’s been covering Prime Day for six years: once you add a few last items to your cart today, check out ASAP. More people tend to shop on the last day of a sale, which makes products more likely to sell out. You don’t want to miss out on a deal before prices jump back up tomorrow, so don’t dilly-dally.

Up until the clock strikes midnight, I’ll update this list live with all the discounts worth knowing about. Since not every deal is necessarily good, I only recommend those below that are at least 20% off, highly rated and at their lowest price in at least three months.

Want more from NBC Select? Sign up for our newsletter, The Selection, and shop smarter.

Best Prime Day deals 2025

Stocking up on essentials during Prime Day is one of the best ways to save long-term. These dishwasher detergent pods, which you constantly need to buy more of, are made with Dawn soap to remove grease and other ingredients to break down dried food and residue. You don’t need to pre-rinse your dishes since this detergent is so powerful, according to the brand. There’s 71 pods in a pack.

These are our all-time favorite wireless earbuds for listening to music, taking calls and exercising. You can use them in active noise cancellation to completely block out sounds, transparency mode to hear the world around you or adaptive audio, which automatically swaps between the two depending on your environment. The headphones, which come with four pairs of silicone tips to customize your fit, are water-resistant, according to the brand.

LifeStraw’s personal filter can remove over 99% of bacteria, parasites and microplastics from water, making it ideal to bring with you while camping or hiking, or pack in an emergency kit. The tool can filter up to 1,000 gallons of water before you need to replace it. It has a cap to protect the part you sip from, and a layard so you can put it around your neck.

It’s always a good idea to have extra batteries at home, especially to put in your emergency kit and power kids toys, remotes and flashlights. This pack comes with 32 AA alkaline batteries, which last up to 10 years if they’re unused, according to the brand.

You’ll eventually need more garbage bags, so you might as well buy them on sale. This box comes with 110 13-gallon trash bags, which have two layers for added leak protection and a Febreeze scent.

Out of all the teeth whitening strips we’ve tested, these are our favorite because they’re easy to use and highly effective. Strips are coated in a layer of hydrogen peroxide to remove stains, and they’re flexible, so they mold to the shape of your mouth. There’s 44 strips in the box, which is enough for 22 treatments — 20 are 45-minute standard treatments, and two are 60-minute express treatments.

As someone who doesn’t have a dishwasher, I’m very picky about dish soap, and Dawn’s Platinum Powerwash Spray is my all-time favorite option. The sprayer helps me cover a lot of dishes with soap at once, and it comes out foamy, so I don’t need to turn the faucet on until it’s time to rinse.

Once you plug devices like fans, air purifiers and small kitchen appliances into this smart plug, you can control them via the Amazon Alexa app or voice commands. The plug is compact, so it won’t block your second outlet. Using the app, you can set up schedules, timers and routines for your devices.

If it weren’t for these little trackers, I’d lose everything I own. I keep them in my wallet and bag, attach one to my keys and always put one in my suitcases while traveling. The AirTags pair with the Find My app on iPhones and iPads, which shows you where they are and gives you directions to locate them. You can also make trackers play a sound through the app, and share them each with up to five people if needed so everyone can track items.

“I’ve been using ColorWow’s Dreamcoat Spray for over two years and I don’t remember what it was like to blow dry my hair without it,” says associate commerce social editor Caitlin Cusack. “I have super frizzy hair and this product makes a noticeable difference in frizz and leaves my hair feeling soft for days between washes.” The brand recommends reapplying it every three to four shampoos, and there’s also a version for curly hair that I swear by.

Once you plug this Fire Stick into your TV’s HDMI port, you can enjoy your favorite shows, movies and music via streaming services or cable. It comes with an Alexa Voice Remote, and you can bring the device with you on trips to use in hotels or rental homes.

See, hear and speak to visitors with Blink’s Video Doorbell. It runs on AA batteries, has a two-year battery life and doesn’t require wiring, according to the brand. The camera gives you a head-to-toe view when you livestream footage through the Blink app, which also sends you real-time notifications when it detects people at your door.

You’ll wake up with smooth, moisturized lips when you leave this mask on overnight, says NBC Select updates editor Mili Godio. “I use Laneige’s lip mask on days when my lips are super dry and it makes my nighttime routine so much more luxurious,” she says. “My lips feel so soft after I apply it, and I love using the little included spatula.” The lip mask is made with hydrating ingredients like vitamin C, murumuru seed and shea butters, antioxidants and coconut oil.

Bring these protein shakes to work or school, or keep them in the refrigerator at home to drink after a workout or when you need a quick snack. They have a smooth, creamy texture and 30 grams of protein per bottle; they’re shelf-stable until you open them. The shakes come in packs of 12 and are available in flavors like chocolate, vanilla, cafê latte and caramel.

Each laundry detergent pod in this 76-pack is filled with soap that has a built-in color protector, odor fighter and stain remover. The pods are HE-compatible and dissolves even in cold water.

I’m tossing my decade-old, stained, ripped oven mitts and buying this pair from KitchenAid. They’re covered in soft, ribbed silicone that’s grippy, heat-resistant up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit and water-resistant, according to the brand. The oven mitts also have a cotton cuff that feels soft against your skin.

This travel adapter is compatible with plugs in over 200 countries, according to the brand. It has AC, USB-A and USB-C ports so you can charge five devices simultaneously, and its pins are foldable and retractable, making it compact.

I use this kitchen gadget to make fresh popcorn at home or the office. There’s a built-in cup on its lid to help you measure kernels, and you can also put butter inside so it melts over your snack. The glass, dishwasher-safe popper also doubles as a bowl once you remove the lid and let it cool down.

This is one of my favorite water bottles — I actually like it better than Stanley’s popular Quencher because it doesn’t leak and is more convenient to travel with. It has a 30-ounce capacity, a flip-up straw, a large handle and a tapered bottom so it fits in most cup holders. The dishwasher-safe water bottle is made from stainless steel and has double-wall vacuum insulation — it can keep your beverages chilled for up to 12 hours, according to the brand.

La Roche-Posay’s fragrance-free moisturizer is a top-pick among those on our team with dry skin, myself included. It’s made with hydrating ingredients like ceramides, niacinamide and thermal water, and has a lightweight texture. It sits nicely under makeup, so I typically apply it in the morning, but you can wear it at night, too.

You get three boxes of 10 mini granola bars with this pack, and they come in three flavors: caramel almond and sea salt, dark chocolate nuts and sea salt, and peanut butter dark chocolate. Each gluten-free, low-sugar bar has three grams of protein.

Vital Proteins’ collagen peptide powder, which I’ve used for years, helps support hair, skin, nail, bone and joint health, according to the brand. One serving has 20 grams of collagen peptides, as well as vitamin C and hyaluronic acid. The unflavored powder seamlessly blends into hot or cold liquids once you scoop it in. (Remember to consult your doctor before taking anything.)

The snail secretion filtrate in this essence, one of our favorite K-beauty products, can help soothe damaged skin, repair dark spots, reduce the appearance of fine lines and moisturize, according to the brand. It has a lightweight feel and quickly absorbs into the skin.

Our team tested 100 face sunscreens this year and Round Lab’s came out as our number 1 winner. “This sunscreen feels like a moisturizer and leaves my skin hydrated,” says NBC Select editorial projects manager Rebecca Rodriguez. “It blends in seamlessly and doesn’t leave behind that sticky sunscreen feeling.” The broad-spectrum SPF is oil-free, making it suitable for acne-prone skin, too.

I always keep Liquid I.V. electrolyte powder at home to drink before a long run. The pre-measured, single-serve packets make it easy to add to my water, and after I give it a stir, the powder blends right in. Each serving has 500 grams of sodium. You can buy Liquid I.V. in numerous flavors like arctic raspberry, strawberry lemonade and orange vanilla dream, plus there’s sugar-free options.

The Little Green Machine helps you get stains out of upholstered furniture, carpets, area rugs, car seats and more. It has two 48-ounce tanks to separate cleaning solution from dirty liquid, and the head on the end of its long hose lets you spray cleaner on messes, scrub and suction them. You get a bottle of Bissell’s Oxy Formula with your purchase, as well as a tough stain tool, self-cleaning hose tool and spraying crevice tool.

Mielle’s hair oil targets thinning hair and dry scalps with biotin and essential oils like rosemary, mint, tea tree and peppermint oil. The ingredients work to strengthen your strands, improve circulation and nourish skin to reduce flaking, according to the brand. The oil is suitable for all hair types and textures, and you use it pre-wash, post-wash or as a 10-minute treatment with a shower cap.

This organizer comes with three bins to separate different items. The handle allows you to remove each bin from the turntable base. The bottom has non-slip feet to keep the Crazy Susan sturdy while you rotate it.

I use a pair of these under-eye masks almost every day to depuff and refresh my skin. They’re soaked in a serum made with hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and glycerin, and made from a gel-like material that has a cooling effect. There’s 24 pairs of individually-wrapped patches in each pack.

This kit comes with everything you need to collect a saliva swab and send it to Ancestry’s lab. Then, six to eight weeks later, you’ll get your results online, which includes information about your origins across the world, ethnicity estimate and genetic traits you may have a propensity for.

I’ve been a loyal Orgain customer for years and its protein powder is the only one I’ll buy. There’s 21 grams in each serving, and less than one gram of sugar, plus it blends into my smoothies almost instantly, making them extra creamy. The powder is also gluten-free and vegan.

This mini Bluetooth speaker connects to music, audiobook and podcast platforms, letting you play entertainment throughout your home. It also has Amazon Alexa built-in — you can ask the personal assistant to set alarms and timers for you, check the weather, give you traffic updates, control compatible smart home devices and more. I have an Echo Pop in my bedroom, and since it’s so small, I easily hid it on my dresser.

This corded vacuum can clean dirt, pet hair and other messes on all floors in your home. It has a detachable pod and long nozzle, letting you clean hard-to-reach areas like above door frames, on stairs and under furniture. The vacuum is built with a HEPA filter to trap allergens like dust and pollen, and it comes with crevice and upholstery tools.

Reuse these absorbent, dishwasher-safe clothes up to 100 times to clean your home, dry dishes and more, making them an eco-friendly alternative to paper towels. They come in a pack of 10 and are safe for all surfaces, according to the brand.

You can massage Sol De Janiero’s highly rated body cream onto your butt, legs, arms and stomach area to moisturize and tighten skin, according to the brand. The viral scented formula has notes of salted caramel, pistachio and vanilla, and once you run out, you can refill the container instead of throwing it out.

This rechargeable device diffuses mosquito repellent to keep bugs away, creating a 20-foot protection zone around you in about 15 minutes, according to the brand. It works for about nine hours on a full battery. This pack comes with a repeller and one refill — you can buy additional refills separately.

This rechargeable electric toothbrush has all of the features dentists told us to look for while shopping: a pressure sensor, a two-minute timer and brush head change alert. You can also choose from three cleaning modes. The toothbrush comes with a travel case and two extra brush heads.

“The Kindle really is impossible to live without once you try it,” says NBC Select editor Lindsay Schneider, who’s used a number of models over the years, courtesy testing samples from Amazon. “It makes it a whole lot easier to read on the go and outside. The battery is quite impressive too. I feel like I never have to charge it.”

The Kindle Paperwhite gives you 12 weeks of battery life on a single charge, according to the brand, and it’s thin and lightweight, making it easy to travel with. It also has a 7-inch glare-free screen and an adjustable warm light so you can clearly see text in any environment. The e-reader is water-resistant, too — you can use it at the beach, by the pool or in the bath without worrying about splashes.

“This shower oil completely soothes my skin and gives me that silky soft effect,” says Schneider. “It lathers really nicely and never feels oily despite its initial consistency. The formula, while scented, is quite subtle.” You can use the shower oil as a body wash or to prep your skin before shaving, plus it doubles as a soak when you pour it into warm bath water.

Thanks to its internal organization system, my Samsonite luggage holds an impressive amount of clothes, and it never breaks down despite how much I beat it up during my travels. This set comes with a hard-sided carry-on and a medium checked bag. Both suitcases have built-in TSA locks, expandable storage, 360-degree spinner wheels, and adjustable handles.

Track workouts, daily activity, sleep, health metrics like heart rate and more with this smartwatch. It’s water-resistant, so you can swim with it, and it connects to your phone, letting you answer calls and texts. The watch’s battery lasts for about 18 hours when it’s fully charged, and 30 minutes in the included charger gives you about 80% battery, according to Apple.

These food storage containers come in a pack of five, and each has a 2.85-cup capacity with two compartments. They’re made from a clear stain- and odor-resistant material, so you can always see what’s inside. The containers’ lids have an airtight seal and secure latches, and if you flip the latches up, they act as vents — that means you can keep the lid on while microwaving to avoid splatters.

Keurig makes some of our favorite coffee makers, and this one is compact, so it won’t take up much room on your counter. You can brew 8-, 10- or 12-ounces of coffee at a time and remove the 48-ounce water reservoir to refill it.

The Dyson Airwrap simultaneously dries and styles your hair, letting you create curly, wavy and straight styles without causing heat damage, according to Dyson. It comes with three interchangeable attachments: a smoothing dryer, round volumizing brush and long barrel. The Airwrap also has a cool shot button.

The camera built into this bird feeder livestreams video to an app so you can watch critters visit for a snack. The water-resistant feeder has a 1.5-liter container you fill with feed, and there’s a wide perch on the front you can add accessories to as you learn what the birds in your area like. The app stores videos for up to 30 days so you can download and share them.

Best Prime Day Lightning Deals

These limited-time deals are live until stock runs out, so make sure you checkout before they’re gone.

  1. 40% off Waterpik Cordless Water Flosser
  2. 30% off Sol de Janeiro Hair & Body perfume
  3. 60% off Blink Outdoor 4
  4. 25% off Nippies Nipple Covers for Women
  5. 30% off the Away Large Trunk Luggage
  6. 50% off Philips Sonicare Toothbrush
  7. 44% off Advanced Clinicals Retinol Lotion
  8. 20% off H&M gift cards
  9. 33% off Coway Airmega AP-1512HH(W) True HEPA Air Purifier

Best overall Prime Day sales

Here are the best Prime Day sales to know about. Keep in mind, not every item from a brand is discounted as described below.

  1. Up to 51% off Apple and Beats tech
  2. 40% off Lego roses
  3. Up to 46% off Dyson vacuums, air purifiers and hair tools
  4. Up to 50% off Premier Protein shakes and protein powders
  5. Up to 50% off Away luggage and travel accessories
  6. Up to 40% off Elemis skin care
  7. Up to 44% off Poppi Prebiotic Soda
  8. Up to 50% off Samsonite luggage
  9. Up to 25% off Liquid Death water, teas and more
  10. Up to 40% off Tushy bidets, toilet seats and more
  11. 36% off Philips Sonicare ProtectiveClean 5300 Rechargeable Electric Toothbrush
  12. Up to 33% off Huggies diapers and baby accessories

Best household essentials sales

  1. Up to 34% off Dawn dish soaps and sprays
  2. Up to 35% off Duracell batteries
  3. Up to 34% off laundry detergent and supplies from Tide, Dreft, Gain and more
  4. Up to 22% off Cottonelle toilet paper and wipes
  5. Up to 33% off Seventh Generation cleaning supplies
  6. Up to 48% off Mrs. Meyer’s soap, laundry detergents, candles and more
  7. Up to 37% off Swiffer cleaning supplies

Best Prime Day skin care sales

  1. Up to 30% off Laneige skin care
  2. Up to 30% off Tatcha skin care
  3. Up to 50% off First Aid Beauty skin care
  4. Up to 50% off Grace & Stella skin care
  5. Up to 20% off EltaMD sunscreen
  6. Up to 36% off Opalescence Go teeth whitening products
  7. Up to 20% off Supergoop! sunscreens
  8. Up to 20% off Clean Skin Club towels
  9. Up to 25% off La Roche-Posay skin care
  10. Up to 40% off Dove soaps, scrubs and more
  11. Up to 40% off Vacation sunscreen
  12. Up to 20% off Hero Cosmetics’ pimple patches

Best Prime Day apparel, footwear and accessory sales

  1. Up to 68% off Levi’s apparel
  2. Up to 60% off Vera Bradley bags and backpacks
  3. Up to 20% off Bogg Bags
  4. Up to 29% off Crz Yoga activewear for men, women and children
  5. Up to 29% off Brooks sneakers and running apparel
  6. Up to 25% off BedHead pajamas
  7. Up to 43% off Rothy’s shoes
  8. Up to 66% off Adidas athletic apparel, shoes and accessories
  9. Up to 45% off Ray-Ban sunglasses
  10. Up to 72% off Ryka footwear
  11. Up to 53% off Hey Dude footwear

Best Prime Day tech sales

  1. Up to 55% off Ring doorbells, cameras and alarms
  2. Up to 65% off Blink smart home tech
  3. Up to 43% off Bose headphones, speakers and other tech
  4. Up to 37% off Sony tech
  5. Up to 39% off Shokz headphones
  6. Up to 33% off Sonos headphones and speakers
  7. Up to 50% off Anker tech accessories
  8. Up to 47% off Govee indoor and outdoor smart lights
  9. Up to 33% off Asus Rog gaming devices and tech
  10. Up to 50% off Belkin chargers and tech accessories
  11. Up to 50% off TCL TVs
  12. Up to 39% off Epson printers
  13. Up to 38% off FitBit smartwatches

Best Prime Day hair care sales

  1. Up to 30% off Tangle Teezer hair brushes and hair care products
  2. Up to 30% off Color Wow hair products
  3. Up to 30% off Ouai hair care
  4. Up to 30% off Olaplex hair care
  5. Up to 30% Nioxin hair thickening products
  6. Up to 30% off Amika hair products
  7. Up to 29% off Nutrafol hair growth supplements
  8. Up to 32% off Ouidad curly hair products
  9. 25% off the Dyson Supersonic Origin Hair Dryer
  10. 37% off the T3 SinglePass Curl X
  11. Up to 40% off Dae hair styling products
  12. Up to 33% off Pantene shampoos, conditioners and more

Best Prime Day pet sales

  1. 20% off the Woof Pupsicle
  2. Up to 58% off Furbo pet cameras
  3. Up to 35% off Full Moon dog treats and food
  4. Up to 26% off Hill’s Science Diet dog and cat food
  5. Up to 25% off Seresto flea and tick preventatives for dogs and cats
  6. Up to 49% off Petlibro automatic feeders, fountains and more
  7. Up to 30% off Wuffes dog supplements
  8. Up to 25% off Temptations cat treats
  9. Up to 29% off Greenies treats for dogs and cats
  10. Up to 42% off Merrick dog and cat food
  11. Up to 30% off Stella & Chewy’s dog and cat food, treats and more
  12. 33% off the Chom Chom Roller Pet Hair Remover
  13. Up to 24% off Uproot Clean pet hair removing products and more

Best sales at other retailers

  1. Target: Shop Target Circle Week through Jul. 12
  2. Walmart: Shop the Walmart Deals event through Jul. 13
  3. Best Buy: Shop the Black Friday in July sale through Jul. 13
  4. Nordstrom: Shop the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale through Aug. 3
  5. Williams Sonoma: Up to 50% on select kitchenware and appliances
  6. Wayfair: Up to 70% off during Wayfair’s Four Day Flash Sale
  7. Saks Fifth Avenue: Up to 70% off during the Designer Sale
  8. Ulta: Up to 40% off during the Big Summer Beauty Sale through Jul. 19
  9. Lululemon: Save on athletic apparel, workout equipment and more during the Summer Scores even
  10. Crane & Canopy: Up to 70% off bedding and decor
  11. Macy’s: Up to 60% on clothing, shoes, home, kitchen and more during Macy’s Star Deals Week
  12. Anthropologie: Up to 40% on home goods and up to 30% seasonal fashion
  13. KitchenAid: Up to 25% off countertop kitchen appliances through Jul. 19
  14. Ana Luisa: Up to 25% off sitewide
  15. BaubleBar: Up to 20% off sitewide through Jul. 11
  16. DSW: Up to 25% off most items sitewide with code PRIMEDEAL (online only)
  17. The Company Store: Up to 45% off epic deals and up to 25% off everything else sitewide
  18. Dermstore: Up to 25% off select beauty
  19. Backcountry: Up 70% off sitewide
  20. Buffy: Up to 20% select bedding and pillows
  21. Hulken: 20% off sitewide
  22. Knix: Up to 50% up off sitewide during the warehouse sale
  23. Ruggable: 20% off sitewide with code EIGHT
  24. Lo & Sons: Up to 50% off during the Jet Set July Sale

Frequently asked questions

Most Prime Day deals last through the duration of the sale (it ends tonight, Jul. 11), but some are limited-time offers. For example, Lightning Deals are typically a few hours long — once a product sells out, the deal is over. Amazon is adding new deals each day of the sale, so make sure you’re constantly browsing. It’s also important to check out as soon as you see something you want since prices can go up any time.

For the first time ever this year, Amazon Prime Day is four days long. It’s typically a 48-hour event, so you have double the amount of time to shop this year.

Prime Day 2025 ends tonight, Friday, Jul. 11 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time (2:59 a.m. ET on Saturday, Jul. 12).

Amazon has not announced when the next Prime Day is. For the past few years, the retailer hosted its Prime Big Deal Days in October, which is nearly identical to July’s sale with slightly different products on sale to focus more on the holiday shopping season.

How I found the best Prime Day deals

All of my recommendations above are based on NBC Select’s previous coverage and reporting. I also included products the NBC Select staff tested, including Wellness Award and Giftable Tech Award winners. I ran each deal through price trackers like CamelCamelCamel to ensure products are at their lowest price in at least three months. All the products I recommend are 20% off or more, and highly rated with at least a 4.0-star average rating from hundreds of reviews.

Why trust NBC Select?

I’m a reporter for NBC Select who has covered Amazon Prime Day since 2020. In addition to writing about the best deals, I also wrote about what’s included in a Prime membership, the history of Prime Day and what to buy and skip this year. Prior to Amazon’s flagship sale, I previewed a list of deals from the retailer and sorted through them to find worthwhile sales you should know about.

Catch up on NBC Select’s in-depth coverage of tech and tools, wellness and more, and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok to stay up to date.





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Meet the Real Meg Stalter, Star of Lena Dunham’s New Show ‘Too Much’

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M
eg Stalter was fighting in a hot tub. She had come to a water park in Wisconsin to relax between stops on her comedy tour, which was styled as a series of fake rallies for a rich, famous, and clueless person running for president. (I know this is a difficult political scenario to imagine, but please stay with me.) While Stalter soaked, she became enraged by a group of hot-tub dwellers who were not embodying what she considered to be the spirit of the aquatic center, and she began screaming back and forth with them. “Wow, you seem like a lot of fun,” Stalter yelled, informing them that there were three other sections of the park they could move to if they had a problem with this particular one. Then she stood up, said, “You know what? I’m going to show you that if you don’t like to be around someone, you get up and leave,” turned, and banged her head on the wall.

This is probably tracking for those who know Stalter from her live performances, or Hacks, on which she plays the indefatigably clueless nepo-agent Kayla, or Stalter’s Instagram, which showcases her myriad well-­meaning, clueless characters, such as the personification of a business attempting to project allyship to the LQBTQIA+ community. (“Hi, gay! Happy Pride Month. We are sashaying away with deals.”) These talents are deployed to great effect on Too Much (July 10), the new Netflix series from married co-creators Lena Dunham and Luis Felber, in which Stalter plays a fictionalized version of Dunham, a voice of a clueless generation.

But Meg Stalter is not so much clueless as compassionately guileless. See, she was at the water park with her girlfriend, and there was a tiny child swimming alone in the hot tub. Some adults started sticking their arms out and pushing the boy away so he couldn’t enter “their area” because he was allegedly “scratching and splashing.” (At an all-ages water park, this seems like a barrier of entry.) When Stalter told them they could not touch another person’s kid but could feel free to steep elsewhere in the massive facility, the man in the group started cursing at her. And then she was so upset, actually shaking with anger as she went to go find the little boy’s parents, that she clonked her skull in front of those assholes. “It was so embarrassing,” Stalter says. “It was, like, out of a movie.”

Stalter’s protective instincts for the innocent extend to her own inner child, who is close enough to the surface as to be visible; her grooming tends toward pigtails and the kind of glittery makeup job one applies after receiving a fully stocked Caboodles makeup kit from Santa. Today, sitting in the empty audience of her favorite Los Angeles performance spot, Largo, before it opens, Stalter is wearing Hello Kitty Crocs and a one-shoulder dress in Lisa Frank-lite pastels. When we greet each other, she gives me tangerines she’d picked the day before on a trip to a farm with her girlfriend. The produce bag is sweetly tied with a sextuple-looped yellow ribbon.

Outfit by Reformation. Scarf by Mads Allen. Jewelry by Loren Stewart

In person, with her comedic cutie-brat persona tucked away, Stalter is earnest and vulnerable, frequently invoking the importance of her faith. “I’m very, like, a God girl,” she says. “So I believe that God has a plan for me, and if something happens, then he’ll have another plan.” Stalter is also, against all evidence, quite soft-spoken. “If I was in a store and someone shushed me in a scary way, that would affect me,” Stalter says. “If someone was mean to me, I could feel like the little girl. ‘Why would they be mean to her?’ ”

During Stalter’s childhood in Ohio, they were mean to her. After graduating from Catholic elementary school, she attended civilian middle school and struggled to understand why everyone wasn’t friends. The popular girls “tortured” her, she says. In an effort to facilitate the missing camaraderie, Stalter invited everyone to a Hawaiian-themed party at her house. She discovered invitations she’d lovingly handed out tossed in the trash at school. Two people wound up attending.

Stalter’s mom was (perhaps unsurprisingly) an early ally. She found Stalter funny for the things she still perceives to be true about herself: being “embarrassing or nervous and confident at the same time.” Stalter would do interpretive dances on the sidewalk; the joke was that her mom was the only one who knew she wasn’t crazy.

That tension of not everyone getting it is Stalter’s comedic modus operandi. She recalls a show at the Laugh Factory in Chicago, before she was famous, where the audience was full of drunk tourists — and a lone friend of Stal­ter’s. She had a bit where she would take the stage with blood pouring out of her mouth and open by saying, “Sorry if my mouth bleeds tonight. My mouth bleeds when I get nervous, but I think I’m OK tonight.” The only person who laughed at that show, and hysterically, was her buddy. It was a great night.

“It’s fun if it’s even just one person,” she says of connecting with an audience. “And sometimes that could be me.”

When she performs, Stalter says, “It’s something that comes over me like a trance. One of my best friends, [Saturday Night Live star] Sarah Sherman, told me that when she does stand-up, it feels like meditation. And I was like, ‘Oh, my God. It feels like that.’ ” Stalter says when she’s performed with a headache, she stops feeling it until she leaves the stage. “I think that’s when [I know] I’m meant to do that,” Stalter says. Any pain goes away while she enacts God’s purpose for her. 

In Too Much, Stalter’s Jessica is a celebration of the show’s title. The character is caught between a manic id fueled equally by a painful breakup and the lust of new love, and the debilitating superego induced by the same life events. Jess records a series of videos she doesn’t intend to release, directly addressing the woman her ex is now engaged to (played by the comically hot Emily Ratajkowski), and whips herself into self-­sabotage by questioning her new relationship with Felix (Will Sharpe of The White Lotus Season Two fame), who is loosely based on Felber. Any time you fear things are getting unsustainably tumultuous, you need only remind yourself that every episode is a play on the title of a famous rom-com (e.g., “Notting Kill”) and that its creators are now happily married enough to want to work together.

“When I’m performing, something comes over me like a trance. That’s when I know I’m meant to do it.”

The show gives Stalter her first major leading role. She is perhaps the only person besides Dunham who could have played it, which is why Dunham wrote it for her. 

Andrew Scott, who also appears in Too Much, introduced Dunham to Stalter’s work. Dunham says he’d shown her Meg’s videos “in the heart of Covid and said, ‘Do you know this girl? She’s your sister.’ ” (Dunham does play Stalter’s onscreen sister, hilariously despondent after her husband decides to explore bisexuality and polyamory while she languishes in a series of increasingly sedentary supine positions.) “I became totally transfixed,” Dunham says. “Someone whose characters operate on the edge of delusional, on the edge of cringe, but is always ultimately in on the joke — that, to me, is my comedy DNA.” Dunham cites the characters David Brent on the U.K. Office, Patsy and Edina on Absolutely Fabulous, and Valerie Cherish of The Comeback as Stalter’s fictional ancestors.

Around 2022, Dunham DM’d Stalter on Instagram and said she had a project in mind. Stalter was a mega Girls fan and had felt a kinship with Dunham through the screen. “I’d connect to this person,” she’d thought about a hypothetical but unlikely future meeting while watching Dunham play Hannah Horvath, the series’ divisive protagonist. 

When Stalter and Dunham got on Zoom, Stalter’s instinct was confirmed. Dunham had made a deck of the show — kind of a mood board/game plan for a television series — and there were photos of Stalter on it as the main character. Then Dunham told Stalter, “Girls was about sex, and this is about love.” It was kismet; Stalter had met her now-partner only four months earlier and refers to her this way: “No one’s perfect except for my girlfriend.”

“We’re very different, just like Lena and Luis,” Stalter says. “When me and Lena first talked, we were bonding over that. I feel like I’m the Lena, and I’m the one bringing home a thing.

Stalter is referring to the chaos of her life, but sometimes the “thing” is literal. Imagining a conversation between Felber and Dunham, Stalter riffs, “She could be like, ‘Honey, I bought a pig today.’ And then he’s like [affectionately], ‘Oh, Lena.’ ” Working with the couple proved the premise of the show. “It just feels like Luis fully lets Lena, and Lena lets Luis, be exactly who they are,” Stalter says. “I think sometimes you could be with someone who likes all the differences.”

Top and Shoes by Reformation. Bra by Norma Kamali. Scarf by Mads Allen. Jewelry by Loren Stewart.

In her own menagerie, Stalter currently has two cats — one rather more aloof, and one hairless snuggler named Suki — and a dog called Bunny, who manages an anxiety disorder with medication and as much physical contact with Stalter as possible. On Too Much, Jess, like Dunham, has a bald dog, procured after giving up a rescue (in this case named Cutesie) because of behavioral issues. 

In 2017, Dunham went through several heinous press cycles, including one around the saga of her and then-partner Jack Antonoff’s real-life dog, Lamby, whom they surrendered to a canine rehabilitation center after multiple instances of aggression. In Too Much, Jess’ boyfriend forces her to “get rid” of their dog after it nearly bites someone. It’s one of many moments that invite a close read, especially in the context of Dunham’s autobiographical pieces of writing about her wrenching breakup with Antonoff and her subsequent move to London — the city where Stalter’s character decamps after the end of a relationship with a Jewish ex-boyfriend.

“People love when they see something and they’re like, ‘Is that from that person’s real life?’ ” Stalter says. “Even if it’s not all factual or it’s not literally a biography, someone so open about sharing their real experiences or at least putting them into certain characters, it’s really beautiful, because we get to learn about her. That’s why when I saw Girls, even though [Lena is] not Hannah, there’s parts of her in her stuff. That’s the most beautiful thing to see, someone who’s putting their heart and energy into something and you get to learn about them — but then you’re not taking everything that happened as truth.”

At the precipice of her highest-profile role yet, Stalter is contemplating what the project might mean for nonconsensual probing into her own life. People watching her videos is fine, because she has complete control over them, and people are seeing them in their homes. When audiences come to her stand-up shows, well, that’s what she’s always wanted, and the work is begetting fans who want to see more work. “It feels contained or something,” Stalter says. “And then with Hacks, it’s been so huge and life-changing. But in my mind, I could be safe because I’m not the lead in it.

“Lena is someone I’ve been such a huge fan of, so it was really crazy to wrap my mind around being in the show,” Stalter says slowly. “But then when I got to know her, she felt like a sister and a friend. So now the show feels like a play that we did for each other, and that this really contains a special thing.”

“Getting to know Lena, she felt like a sister and a friend. So now the show feels like a play that we did for each other.”

Sharpe remembers filming an episode — one of the best of the series — that takes place over one night, in Stalter’s character’s apartment. The couple has had sex too many times, and Sharpe’s character has hit his refractory limit. Sharpe’s line after aborting the encounter was supposed to be something like, “I’m in my thirties, queen. I’m all out.” After an exhausting day of filming, it came out, in a posh accent, as, “That’s me done for the evening, I’m afraid.” Stalter named this imaginary interloping gentleman “the Midnight Man,” and pointed out every time Sharpe strayed into Midnight Man territory during production. Then she made him a shirt with the moniker on it. “Because of the energy of Lena — and Meg, in particular — it put you in quite a positive, hopeful, loving mindset,” Sharpe says of shooting the series. “Just seeing the best in everything and in everyone.”

The setting allowed Stalter the confidence and space to play a role that both exercises her obvious comedic virtuosity and shows previously untapped dramatic ability, from dealing with insecurity (not a state expressed by a typical Stalter character) to a breakdown during a breakup. “Some of the stuff that’s in the show I feel is like, Oh! Nobody would ever see me do this if it wasn’t on TV,” Stalter says. “When you’re crying in your room alone, people don’t see that unless it’s on TV. I’m really crying.”

Embodying what Dunham describes as Stalter’s “incredible mix of warm/fuzzy and boundaried strength,” Stalter explains how she approached fictional sex with the advice of intimacy coordinator Miriam Lucia: “During kissing scenes or during vulnerable stuff, it’s not actually you, and you don’t have to do it the way you do, because you can save that part for yourself.” As for Stalter’s corporeal being — beautifully showcased on a series in which her character is implicitly contrasted with one played by an actual supermodel — she says, “I’m very about taking care of my body and being healthy, but I have not wanted to be skinny or lose weight for cosmetic reasons since high school.” A beacon for us all.

To make public the kind of deeply personal moments fostered by Dunham’s writing is, by definition, exposing. “It just feels really vulnerable,” Stalter says. “It’s hard or strange to think of it being on such a huge platform. It’s exciting … but also, just, Netflix is so big.”

Stalter points to her career-long luck of collaborating with people like Dunham and the Hacks team. “I’ve not worked with evil people,” she says. “I don’t know how.” But she also considers the world this project is opening her up to. “I think there is power in Hollywood that is gross,” she says. “There’s a lot of darkness in the industry, and things that can corrupt you, like money and power.” 

Stalter isn’t particularly concerned. “I feel so connected to God and grounded that I feel like I would not get swept up by anything in Hollywood,” she says.

Stalter sees herself representing — in her life, in a movie she’s developing called Church Girls, and in the “evil, crazy, weird villain” version of herself she plays onstage — people like her, who grew up with God in places like the Midwest, and who maybe didn’t finish college either. “Their lives are just as big as ours,” she says, finally daring to group herself in with her famous peers.

“I’m always going to be sensitive,” Stalter says. “I am still that little girl in middle school being like, ‘Why don’t they want to come to the Hawaiian party?’ But it’s like, there’ve been so many other parties.”

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Production Credits

Produced by PATRICIA BILOTTI at PBNY PRODUCTIONS. Styled by KAT TYPALDOS. Hair by ERICKA VERRETT at A-FRAME using ROZ. Makeup by MELISSA HERNANDEZ at A-FRAME using HAUS LABS. Photo assistants: SCOTT TURNER and SANDRA RIVERA. Styling assistant: LYDIA GINGRICH. Photographed at DUST STUDIOS



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