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Before food influencers were deep-frying Chipotle burritos, putting an entire serving of mac and cheese on their Chick-fil-A sandwich, and making McDonalds hash browns into ice cream sandwiches, there was another food-hack-slash-Frankenfood that ruled the internet: the quesarito. This week, Taco Bell brought it back to its official menu. The quesarito is exactly what its name implies: a fully loaded burrito that, instead of being wrapped in a regular tortilla, has been lovingly sealed inside a giant quesadilla. Its the epitome of fast-food gluttony, and as of December 18, its back in Taco Bell stores for a limited time for $6.70 (and a relatively modest 570 calories). The quesarito feels like the glaringly modern invention of view-farming TikTok food scientists, but its actually been around for more than a decadeand before it ever hit Taco Bells official menu, it started as a humble secret menu item at Chipotle. In honor of the quesaritos fleeting return, heres a look back at the history of one of the weirdestand most forward-thinkingfast-food creations to ever grace our palates. The hunt for a quesarito It was December 2013, and Fast Company editor Mark Wilson was going to get his hands on a quesarito, come hell or high water. That year, the concept of a secret menu was already popular at joints like In-N-Out and Starbucks, but company executives werent exactly embracing the idea. There was a bit of a wink-wink culture surrounding these off-menu creations, led by intrepid fast-food lovers: the internet could create a name for them, determined customers could order them, but CEOs would steadfastly deny their existence. [Photo: Mark Wilson] That was the case with the quesarito, which, according to its dedicated Wiki page, is a concept that dates back to as early as 2011. While the very first coining of the term quesarito is unclear, we do know that it started as a menu hack at Chipotle. In one viral Reddit thread from 2012, a former Chipotle employee left a comment about the quesarito in which it was described as a full-blown Chipotle burrito wrapped inside a quesadilla, or, as Wilson put it in a feature story at the time, a 1,540-calorie fallen angel. But when Wilson tried to order the quesarito at a Chipotle, he was swiftly deniedand when he talked to Chipotles then-communications director, Chris Arnold, about the experience, Arnold denied the existence of a secret menu at all. Taco Bell eats Chipotles lunch Chipotle never did acknowledge the quesarito as a true part of its menu. But where it faltered, Taco Bell picked up the slack. After some initial testing in 2013, the beloved fast-food chain introduced the quesarito as an official menu item in 2014, complete with seasoned beef, rice, Chipotle sauce, reduced-fat sour cream, all wrapped up in a grilled quesadilla loaded with melted cheeses and nacho cheese sauce. The item immediately received press after Taco Bells ad campaign to launch it accidentally interrupted the live draft of basketball star Nikola Jokić; but it soon became iconic in its own right. Taco Bell didnt respond to Fast Companys request for specific sales data, but, according to a press release, the quesarito was an instant sensation. Despite its popularity, the quesarito was slowly phased out of the limelight and onto Taco Bells back burners, becoming an app exclusive in 2020 and getting cut from the menu entirely in 2023. Per Taco Bells recent press release, After it left the menu, the demand only intensified, sparking tributes, fan petitions and countless pleas for its return. A quick search for quesarito on TikTok confirms that the glorified cheese bomb has a genuine fanbase. Taco Bell brought back my favorite item of all time! popular FoodToker Steph Pappas says in a new video on the rerelease. I have been doing food videos for a long, long time, and this was always my go-to. A fast-food harbinger of micro-trends to come The quesarito feels exactly like the kind of item thats primed to go viral on todays TikTok algorithm. That might be because, compared to 2013, the secret menu is a lot less secret these days. Internet menu hack culture got a major boost from the micro-trend economy on platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reelsmeaning that, every few days, a new popular food combination picks up steam and starts to feel unavoidable. Brands are picking up on this, too: Starbucks launched an official secret menu this summer; followed by Taco Bell, which debuted a feature called Fan Style that let users build their own menu items; and, most recently, Chipotle, which just unveiled an Ozempic-optimized, protein-packed menu inspired by TikTok hacks. Before all of this brand maneuvering, there was a humble, elusive creation that captured the cultural zeitgeists attention. Welcome back, quesaritoyou were always ahead of your time.
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A 911 call about a man resembling “the CEO shooter.” Body-camera footage of police arresting Luigi Mangione and pulling items from his backpack, including a gun that prosecutors say matches the one used to kill UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, and a notebook they have described as a “manifesto.” Notes about a “survival kit” and “intel checkin,” and testimony about alleged statements behind bars.A three-week pretrial hearing on Mangione’s fight to exclude evidence from his New York murder case ended Thursday after revealing new details about his December 2024 arrest in Altoona, Pennsylvania, steps prosecutors say he took to elude authorities for five days, and what he may have revealed about himself after he was taken into custody.Mangione watched from the defense table as Manhattan prosecutors called 17 witnesses, many of them police officers and other personnel involved in his arrest. Mangione’s lawyers called none. Judge Gregory Carro said he won’t rule until May 18, “but that could change.”Mangione, 27, an Ivy League graduate from a wealthy Maryland family, has pleaded not guilty to state and federal murder charges. The pretrial hearing was in the state case, but his lawyers are trying to exclude evidence from both. Neither trial has been scheduled. Here are some of the things we learned from the hearing: Body cameras give a close-up look at Mangione’s arrest The public got an extensive, even exhaustive view of how police in Altoona, about 230 miles (370 kilometers) west of Manhattan, conducted Mangione’s arrest and searched his backpack after he was spotted eating breakfast at McDonald’s.While there were quirky moments and asides about holiday music, a hoagie and more the point of the hearing was to help the judge assess whether Mangione voluntarily spoke to police and whether the officers were justified in searching his property before getting a warrant.For the first time, body-worn camera video of Mangione’s arrest was played in court and some excerpts were made public. Taken from multiple officers’ cameras, the footage put ears and eyes on critical interactions that played out against the incongruously cheerful sound of “Jingle Bell Rock” and other Christmas tunes on the restaurant’s sound system.Officers on the witness stand were quizzed about what they said and did as Mangione went from noshing on a hash brown to being led away in handcuffs, as well as what they perceived, where they were standing and how they handled evidence after bringing him to a police station.Mangione’s lawyers argue that neither the results of the search nor statements he made to police should be mentioned at his trial. Prosecutors disagree. Carro didn’t hint at his conclusion. He invited both sides to submit written arguments and said he planned to study the body-camera video before issuing a decision. Differing views of Mangione’s statements and bag search Mangione’s lawyers noted that one officer said “we’ll probably need a search warrant” for the backpack, but his colleagues had already rifled through it and later searched the bag again before getting a warrant.Prosecutors emphasized an Altoona police policy, which they said is rooted in Pennsylvania law, that calls for searching the property of anyone who is being arrested.The two sides also amplified some contrasting signals, in officers’ words and actions, about their level of concern about whether the backpack contained something dangerous that could justify a warrantless search.The officer searching the bag, Christy Wasser, testified that she was checking for a bomb. But Mangione’s lawyers pointed out that police didn’t clear the restaurant of customers some even walked to a bathroom a few feet away and that Wasser stopped her initial search almost immediately after finding a loaded gun magazine wrapped in a pair of underwear.The find appeared to confirm officers’ suspicions that Mangione was the man wanted for Thompson’s killing.“It’s him, dude. It’s him, 100%,” Officer Stephen Fox said on video, punctuating the remark with expletives as Wasser held up the magazine. What happened before Mangione was read his rights Mangione’s statements to police prior to his arrest matter mainly because, as shown on body-worn camera video, he initially gave officers a fake name, Mark Rosario. He eventually acknowledged the ruse and gave his real name after police checked his phony New Jersey driver’s license against a computer database.The fake name promptly gave Altoona police a reason to arrest him and hold him for New York City police. “If he had provided us with his actual name, he would not have committed a crime,” Fox testified. An NYPD lieutenant testified that the Rosario name matched one the suspected shooter used to purchase a bus ticket to New York and gave at a Manhattan hostel.Mangione told police early on he didn’t want to talk, but officers engaged him for almost 20 minutes before getting him to admit to lying about his name. After that, a supervisor urged Fox to inform Mangione of his right to remain silent.An important factor in whether suspects have to be read those rights known as a Miranda warning is whether they are in police custody.Prosecutors elicited testimony from officers suggesting Mangione could have believed he was free to leave when he gave the false name. But one of the first officers to encounter Mangione testified that he “was not free to leave until I identified who he was,” though Mangione wasn’t told so. Defense lawyers also underscored that body camera video showed multiple officers standing between him and the restaurant door. 911 caller: Customers concerned ‘he looks like the CEO shooter’ For the first time, the public heard the 911 call that drew police to the Altoona McDonald’s.“I have a customer here that some other customers were suspicious of that he looks like the CEO shooter from New York,” the restaurant’s manager told a dispatcher.Still, the manager, whose name wasn’t released, initially told the dispatcher: “It’s not really an emergency.”The manager said Mangione was wearing a medical mask and a beanie pulled down on his forehead, leaving only his eyes and eyebrows visible. She said she searched online for a photo of the suspect for comparison. A hoagie reward and getting ‘the ball rolling’ with the NYPD At first, Altoona police officers were skeptical that Thompson’s killer might be in their city of about 44,000 people.Joseph Detwiler, the first officer to arrive at McDonald’s, sarcastically responded “10-4” when a dispatcher asked him to check on the manager’s 911 call, a police supervisor testified.The supervisor, Lt. Tom HanellyJr., testified that he texted Detwiler a reminder to take the call seriously and offered to buy the officer his favorite hoagie a large turkey from local sandwich shop Luigetta’s if he nabbed “the New York City shooter.”Though, Hanelly acknowledged on the witness stand, “it seemed preposterous on its face.”Hanelly said he searched for a direct line “to get the ball rolling” with NYPD investigators but ended up calling New York City’s 911 center.“We’re acting off a tip from a local business here. We might have the shooter,” Hanelly said in a recording played in court.Hanelly said an NYPD detective called him back about 45 minutes later. Mangione in court: Pumping his fist and scribbling notes Mangione stayed active throughout the hearing, taking notes, reading documents, conferring with his lawyers and occasionally looking back toward his two dozen or so supporters in the courtroom gallery.He watched intently as prosecutors played a surveillance video of the killing and viewed footage of his interactions with Altoona police. He pressed a finger to his lips and a thumb to his chin as he watched footage of two police officers approaching him at the McDonald’s.He gripped a pen in his right hand, making a fist at times, as prosecutors played the 911 call.Mangione was brought to court each morning from a federal jail in Brooklyn, wearing gray or dark blue suits instead of jail garb. His hands were uncuffed throughout the proceedings.One day, he pumped his fist for photographers. Another day, he shooed away a photographer he felt had gotten too close to him. A backpack full of ‘goodies,’ including to-do lists and travel plans Along with the gun and notebook, police officers said Mangione’s backpack was stuffed with food, electronics and notes including to-do lists, a hand-drawn map and tactics for surviving on the lam items Altoona Police Sgt. Eric Heuston described as “goodies” that might link the suspect to the killing.“Keep momentum, FBI slower overnight,” said one note. “Change hat, shoes, pluck eyebrows,” said another.One note said to check for “red eyes” from Pittsburgh to Columbus, Ohio, or Cincinnati (“get off early,” it reads). The map showed lines linking those cities and noted other possible destinations, including Detroit and St. Louis.Other items found on Mangione or in his bag included a pocketknife, driver’s license, passport, credit cards, AirPods, a protein bar, travel toothpaste and flash drives, police said.Heuston testified that he read portions of the notebook to NYPD detectives by phone and suggested that the finds “made it more likely than not that he was the shooter.” Mangione talked behind bars, prison officers say Before he was moved to New York City, Mangione was held under close watch in a Pennsylvania state prison.Correctional officer Matthew Henry testified that Mangione volunteered that he had a backpack with a 3D-printed pistol and foreign currency when he was arrested.Correctional officer Tomas Rivers testified that Mangione asked him whether the news media was focused on him as a person or on the crime of Thompson’s killing. He said Mangione expressed that he wanted to make a public statement.Rivers said Mangione also talked about his travels to Asia, including witnessing a gang fight in Thailand, and discussed differences between private and nationalized health care.Rivers said Mangione was under special supervision partly because the prison superintendent had said he “did not want an Epstein-style situation,” referring to Jeffrey Epstein’s suicide at a Manhattan federal jail in 2019. Michael R. Sisak and Jennifer Peltz, Associated Press
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With the last weekend before Christmas upon us, the holiday travel period has begun. This year, the American Automobile Association (AAA) says a record number of Americans will be making journeys122.4 million of them in total. While millions of those journeys will be made by plane or other forms of public transportation, the overwhelming majority109.5 millionwill be made by car. If youre one of those making your Christmas trip by car, here are the best and worst times to hit the road over the holiday travel period, which AAA defines as running from December 20 to January 1. Best times to hit the roads The 2025 holiday period spans 13 days this year, running from Saturday, December 20, 2025, to Thursday, January 1, 2026. The good news is that for four of those daysChristmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve, and New Year’s Dayroad traffic is expected to be minimal. Unfortunately, on the other nine days, traffic could become quite congested as people take to the roads to get to or come back from their holiday destinations. However, even on busy days, there are specific times of day when congestion is expected to be lighter. Here are the best times, according to information compiled by AAA from transportation data and insights provider INRIX: Saturday, December 20: After 9 p.m. Sunday, December 21: Before 11 a.m. Monday, December 22: Before 10 a.m. Tuesday, December 23: Before 10 a.m. Wednesday, December 24: Minimal Traffic Impact Expected Thursday, December 25: Minimal Traffic Impact Expected Friday, December 26: Before 11 a.m. Saturday, December 27: Before 11 a.m. Sunday, December 28: Before 11 a.m. Monday, December 29: Before 10 a.m. Tuesday, December 30: Before 10 a.m. Wednesday, December 31: Minimal Traffic Impact Expected Thursday, January 1: Minimal Traffic Impact Expected Worst times to hit the roads Now for the bad news: INRIXs data shows that on most days during the travel period, roads are likely to be congested for most of the 24 hours. Some of the busiest days are expected to be this weekend, as people set off on their holiday journeys, and December 26, when they begin returning. Here are the worst times to be on the road during the holiday travel period, according to AAA and INRIX: Saturday, December 20: 12:00 PM 8:00 PM Sunday, December 21: 1:00 PM 7:00 PM Monday, December 22: 1:00 PM 7:00 PM Tuesday, December 23: 1:00 PM 7:00 PM Wednesday, December 24: Minimal Traffic Impact Expected Thursday, December 25: Minimal Traffic Impact Expected Friday, December 26: 11:00 AM 8:00 PM Saturday, December 27: 11:00 AM 8:00 PM Sunday, December 28: 11:00 AM 8:00 PM Monday, December 29: 12:00 PM 8:00 PM Tuesday, December 30: 12:00 PM 7:00 PM Wednesday, December 31: Minimal Traffic Impact Expected Thursday, January 1: Minimal Traffic Impact Expected A record 122.4 million people will travel this holiday period A staggering 122.4 million people in America are expected to travel over the 13-day holiday period. Thats a record, according to AAA. To put that number in perspective, itt 2.2% more than the 119.7 million travelers last year, and 2.8% more than the 119.3 million who traveled in 2019, the year before the pandemic. When looking at automobile travel by itself, 109.5 million are expected to make the journey by car this year, a 2% increase from the 107.4 million car journeys last year and a 1.4% increase from the 108 million auto journeys in 2019. But cars arent the only mode people will be traveling by. AAA says air passengers will hit 8.03 million this holiday period. Thats up 2.3% from the 7.85 million who took to the skies last year, and 12% more than the 7.33 million who made car journeys in the 2019 holiday period. Finally, AAA says 4.9 million Americans are expected to make this years holiday journeys by bus, train, or cruise. Thats up 9% from the 4.49 million who did so in 2024, and up a whopping 24.9% from the 3.89 million who made similar journeys in the 2019 holiday period.
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