• Apollo's chief economist said there's "zero evidence of AI-related job losses."
• A parade of tech leaders celebrated that take over the weekend.
• At least a dozen major companies, meanwhile, have cited AI in their decision to lay off workers this year.

Anyone worried that AI will replace them should take a deep breath, at least according to Apollo Global Management's chief economist.

In a blog post on Friday, Torsten Sløk said there is "zero evidence of job losses because of AI," citing the ADP National Employment Report. Instead, he said, companies are hiring candidates who have AI skills.

"Many firms are hiring AI implementation experts, and the data center buildout is putting upward pressure on salaries for AI experts and on prices of semiconductors, equipment, and energy," Sløk said. "The bottom line is that the AI spending boom is stoking both employment and inflation."

Sløk echoed that sentiment in an April blog post, writing that "cheaper inputs don't shrink industries. Instead, AI is going to increase both productivity and employment."

The latest ADP report found that private companies added almost 110,000 more people to their payrolls in April.

Anxiety that AI will eradicate the average job is everywhere, stoked in part by those behind the technology. While Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman have recently changed their tune as they gear up for their respective IPOs, they have both warned for years that AI could upend entire job categories. Amodei famously said last year that AI could wipe out half of all entry-level white-collar jobs.

Sløk's analysis resonated with some figures in the AI industry, including Box CEO Aaron Levie, Dell CEO Michael Dell, and White House AI and Crypto Czar David Sacks, who all agreed with his view in X posts over the weekend. David Solomon, CEO of Goldman Sachs, also made a similar argument last week in a New York Times opinion piece.

An EY survey of 240 financial service CEOs, meanwhile, found that about 60% thought investing in AI would maintain or increase their staff head count in 2026.

These optimistic takes, however, seem to clash with recent reality. At least a dozen major companies have cited AI as a factor in staff layoffs this year. In February, Block CEO Jack Dorsey said the company was slashing its workforce from over 10,000 to under 6,000.

"We're already seeing that the intelligence tools we're creating and using, paired with smaller and flatter teams, are enabling a new way of working which fundamentally changes what it means to build and run a company," Dorsey said in a memo shared to X. "i had two options: cut gradually over months or years as this shift plays out, or be honest about where we are and act on it now."

Cisco, Atlassian, Cloudflare, Coinbase, IBM, and Snap are also among the companies that have cited AI as a reason for layoffs.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, one of the pillars of the AI industry, has criticized companies that blame AI for layoffs. "I think the narrative that connects AI to job loss for many of the CEOs that are doing it is just too lazy," Huang told a media outlet in Singapore last week.

Altman has called the practice of blaming AI to reduce staff "AI washing."

In his blog post on Friday, Sløk said that, in his view, the current employment climate is an example of the "Jevons paradox," an economic theory that says as new technology increases the efficiency of a resource, the more that resource is consumed.

In this case, that resource would be human workers.

"It is Jevons paradox playing out in real time: cheaper technology is creating more demand and more jobs," Sløk wrote.

• Erin Vlack was 280 pounds overweight and resolved to get in shape and change her lifestyle.
• She took things further when she moved from North Carolina to Spain to be closer to her son.
• The single mom told Business Insider that she is much happier and healthier after the switch.

This story is based on an interview with Erin Vlack, 48, a pharmaceutical supply chain consultant living in Valencia, Spain. It has been edited for length and clarity.

In April last year, two months after leaving my steady job in pharmaceuticals, I was in discussion with another company about a full-time position.

It was tempting to accept the senior directorship they offered, but I dismissed the idea at the last minute.

My 25-year-old son, Gavin, was studying medicine in Spain, and I missed him so much. "What if I moved to Europe to be with him?" I asked myself.

I spoke to immigration lawyers

I reached out to immigration lawyers that very afternoon. I'm a great believer in striking when the iron is hot, before excuses creep in.

Now, just over 12 months later, I'm renting a three-bedroom house less than 20 minutes away from Gavin in Valencia, the happiest and healthiest I've ever been.

Still, I'm no stranger to reinvention. A decade ago, at 5ft 5in, I weighed 430 pounds — 280 pounds overweight for my height — and wore size 28 clothing. I struggled to catch my breath when I did anything active, like taking my kid to the park.

Both my parents died within a year of each other, and I binged and comfort ate out of grief. I was a single mom, and there were financial issues that left me unable to afford fresh food all the time.

I'd buy things from Walmart and the Dollar Store, which weren't very healthy. Before long, I looked in the mirror and thought, "Oh my God, what have you done to your body?"

I had a mastectomy

The shock was enough to make me follow the Keto diet and start exercising. I lost 172 pounds before having gastric bypass surgery in 2022, which helped me get down to 140 pounds and size six jeans.

In 2024, I had a bilateral mastectomy and reconstruction because breast cancer runs in both sides of my family.

But the biggest change by far was selling my home near Raleigh, North Carolina, donating my property to charity, and arriving at the airport in Madrid with three suitcases.

I quickly found my bearings and my house with Gavin's assistance. I traveled on a so-called "non-lucrative visa," which means you come to Spain with only your passive income and savings.

Now, I'm waiting to convert to a highly qualified, high-value immigrant status that will allow me to be a digital nomad.

I'm fluent in Spanish now

As soon as I get my new visa, I'll plow my energy into the clinical trials supply company I founded. It feels exciting to be working for myself.

I'm in it for the duration and plan to stay in Spain, where I'm fluent in the language, until I can apply for long-term residency. The only things I really miss about the US are my friends and my sports car.

It's great to be so close to Gavin again. Although he's busy with his studies, we make time for meals and hugs.

We recently returned from a weekend trip when we talked, cooked, and enjoyed a couple of glasses of wine.

Food here is healthy

Everything is easygoing here. You'll walk through a plaza where a group of kids is playing while parents enjoy a coffee and casually kick the ball back to them.

The produce is fresh, and people walk everywhere. I look after my health by going to the gym six times a week and doing yoga outside on my terrace.

Every morning, I wake to the magnificent views of the mountains near the city. I've never felt more content and settled in my life.

Luxury crossbody bags embody the utilitarian aesthetic. You can sling one on and carry it hands-free, and because their weight is distributed more evenly than with a shoulder bag, they're also the most comfortable travel purse.

Beyond their high-quality materials and stylish designs, our favorite luxury crossbody bags we've tested also come with intuitive pockets to keep you organized whether you're exploring a new city, running a quick errand, or attending a formal event.

I used to stuff everything in my pockets so I wouldn't have to carry anything while I'm out. Now, I pretty much only wear crossbody bags. Below are 12 splurge-worthy styles that will work hard while complementing your outfit.

See more in our guide to the best luxury totes and best luxury work bags for women.

Advice from your tester

My credentials are that I'm based in New York, and am constantly putting my collection of crossbodies to the test on crowded subway cars, busy checkout lines, and walks in the park. This is to be sure their design and quality can match the pace of daily life in the city. Living here also means I'm witness to the parade of well-dressed people flowing through the streets, so I have front-row seat to this season's handbag trends.

In conversation with my fellow style editors (plus some lurking on r/handbags and various style Substacks), here are some lesser-known brands we agree make excellent luxury crossbody bags:

• Parisa Wang: It partners with the same manufacturer that's worked with Prada, Yves Saint Laurent, and Celine.
• DeMellier London: Its design language is the epitome of quiet luxury. I also can't get over how good the embossed leather smells.
• KAAI: Each bag is lined with a blue suede that is the softest suede you will ever feel. It's great protection if I'm carrying something delicate, like wire-rimmed sunglasses or a naked iPhone.
• Strathberry: The structured, Spanish-made bags are fit for royals (among others), and they have some of the best color variety in the fine leather goods game.

Best overall: Parisa Wang Gabrielle 27

What we love: The wide main compartment is flanked by well-placed slip pockets for easy organization. This bag is like if The Row's Margaux came at a fairer price.

Drawbacks: It doesn't lie flat, so it's not ideal to pack in a suitcase.

I brought along this luxury crossbody bag from Parisa Wang when I traveled to Rhode Island for my best friend's wedding. Parisa Wang partners with artisans who typically work with top luxury brands like The Row and Prada, and you can tell by the elite craftsmanship. It starts at the very bottom with tiny gold feet that protects the yummy chocolate suede from coming into contact with the floor.

On its sides are slip pockets that snap shut on their own with a satisfying magnetic closure, and inside is a wide main compartment where you can easily fit a variety of bulbous items (overpackers rejoice). The long strap is removable, so I carried it is as a handbag anytime I wasn't wearing it slung over my shoulder.

The Gabrielle comes in two larger sizes, as described by style editor Samantha Crozier in our guide to the best work bags for women. "The Gabrielle 35 looks and feels like the ultra-coveted suede Margaux bag from The Row, which will run you $5K or more," she writes. '"But dare I say that the Gabrielle is cuter?"

Best boxy: DeMellier Vancouver

What we love: It weighs just over a pound, and the embossed Italian leather contrasts beautifully against its unique clasp.

Drawbacks: The edge paint peels at the flap joints, and it's too narrow to fit more than the essentials.

The sleek, boxy shape of the Vancouver reminds me of an Hermès Constance or the Celine Classic. Its rigid structure is well reinforced by layers of support materials enveloped in small-grain Italian leather, which is coated in a heavy embossed finish.

I found it very lightweight and comfortable to carry for a bag this size (9 inches wide, 7 inches tall). You can also adjust the strap to wear it as a shoulder bag or crossbody, so it gets even more points for versatility.

I got the Dark Taupe with Ecru Stitching, and the color looks just as rich in person as it does in photos. The only material flaw I found was some weak coating on the edge paint, which starts to peel when you open the flap all the way.

The Vancouver's interior lined with cotton, making it easy to clean. The inside is pretty minimal — besides the main compartment, there's just one zippered pocket and slip pocket. I'd prefer if it had one more on the outside, since it's too narrow to carry more than my bare necessities.

The main event of this bag is the double bar clasp, which keeps the bag closed and secure. All the hardware details are polished with a reflective, scratch-resistant finish, but not in a way that looks too brassy or shiny. You have to use both hands to undo the lock, which is a bit of a nuisance if you're trying to access your phone in a hurry.

Overall, I'd say DeMellier London has created another classic with the Vancouver. It's timelessly sophisticated, with just the right amount of unique embellishments to stand on its own.

Best minimalist: Longchamp Le Foulonné S Crossbody Bag

What we love: The bag fits much more than we expected, and it has an understated crescent shape that's easy to style.

Drawbacks: The leather pulls if you're carrying too many bulky items at once.

"Longchamp is known for its classic nylon totes, but the brand also has some really elegant leather bags we've come to love. There's a mini leather version of its signature bag which is instantly recognizable, but for a more 'quiet luxury' approach, we prefer this understated crescent bag.

The Foulonné's design is so simple and elegant. It's not trying to be flashy, but the craftsmanship is excellent and you know it's a luxurious bag when you feel the leather. Unlike Polène's crescent-shaped bag, this one relies on streamlined detailing. The oval gold buckle allows you to adjust the strap and adds a little bit of interest to the bag without screaming at you.

It's nice to know that I can carry it a little tighter against my body for secure travel, or let the strap down for more casual outings. It even features a small hoop on the buckle that you can attach a (very thin) bag charm to.

This bag carries way more than it looks like it can hold. I was able to fit a phone with a thick wallet case, a bottle of hand cream, several lip products, a pack of tissues, my small pill case, and a claw clip for my hair. When the bag is packed full, you can see some of the pulling in the leather, but I didn't mind that at all because it just showed how flexible the bag is for oddly shaped items." — Sally Kaplan, executive editor, Insider Reviews

Best edgy: Hammitt Kyle Med

What we love: It packs flat, so it's easy to travel with. It also comes with two straps, letting you wear it as a shoulder bag or crossbody.

Drawbacks: The interior lacks compartments besides its single card sleeve.

It's a rare I ever find a luxury crossbody bag that's both alternative and elevated, but the Hammitt Kyle Med fits that aesthetic perfectly. I've lived in New York for seven years, during which my personal style has evolved from hokey transplant to "edgy with a corporate job." A structured pocketbook with brassy hardware works great at brunch, but come nighttime, I love how this loosely structured, moto-inspired bag looks with a leather jacket and some spiky boots.

First off, this bag is the perfect size for everyday wear. It comes with two detachable straps, so you can easily convert it from an adjustable crossbody to shoulder bag. In the rear is a long zippered pocket for your phone and wallet, and on the front there's a diagonal one to add some intrigue. Inside it's lined red cotton twill, which makes it much easier for me to see what's in my bag (even on a dark dance floor).

I've worn this bag clubbing from Brooklyn to Berlin, and the supple pebbled leather has held up beautifully. It's incredibly soft and smooth, and because it packs flat, you can easily bring it on a trip. Hammitt's signature rivets make it stand out against mainstream designer bags, yet it's as functional as it is cool.

Best trendy: Tory Burch Lee Radziwill Double Bag

What we love: The belted accent feels current, and the double compartments keep your items separated.

Drawbacks: It's too small to fit more than the basics.

Tory Burch debuted the Lee Radizill line in 2018, but it's had a big comeback lately in tandem with the belted handbag trend. These bags cost between $520 and $1,320 each and can be found in Napa leather, suede, pebbled leather, and croc-embossed leather.

Burch named this trending crossbody bag after socialite Caroline "Lee" Radzwill, the younger sister of First Lady Jackie Kennedy. This petite style really deserves to be called a pocketbook, due to its miniature size and square shape. The lock-and-key hardware details give it a more modern flair, and as with many of our favorite luxury crossbody bags, it comes with tiny metal feet on the bottom to protect its base.

Best for work: Strathberry Tote

What we love: The music bar hardware detail and its gold feet that kept its bottom clean.

Drawbacks: It doesn't contain a padded laptop sleeve.

This brand is literally fit for royals, as it's been spotted on Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle. It's not a traditional work bag — you won't find a padded laptop sleeve or built-in tech compartments — but the Strathberry Tote is considered a holy grail over on the Reddit's r/handbags forum as a luxury office purse.

The mid-tier luxury brand has a reputation for delivering exceptional materials and meticulous construction at a price that, while still a splurge, feels justified in the luxury space. Each Strathberry bag takes an artisan at least 20 hours to complete, and that care is evident the moment you see it up close. The stitching is precise, the leather feels rich and substantial, and the suede lining is soft to the touch.

Its signature music bar hardware is weighty, polished, and unmistakably luxe — the kind of detail that elevates even the simplest outfit. It also comes in Midi and Mini sizes.

Best for travel: Lo & Sons Aoyama 2

What we love: The convertible straps lets you wear it three different ways, it has a clever vertical pocket, and it stowed neatly under an airplane seat.

Drawback: The Ivory colorway stained easily.

The Aoyama 2 is our favorite travel purse because it's actually three bags in one. You can convert it to a shoulder bag, clutch, or crossbody with its smart buckled straps. I brought it with me as my personal item on a flight to Florida, and ended up wearing it throughout my entire trip while hiking and attending a wedding rehearsal dinner.

Travel writer Maria Yagoda flew with hers on a 19-hour flight from New York to the Maldives. "The interior organization is elite," she writes. "The Aoyama 2 has many smart internal pockets, including mesh ones so you can see what's inside without rummaging. As an inherently disorganized person, these made it easy to keep everything (lip gloss, passport, pens, a book, gum) in its proper place. Inside are four webbed pockets, one zip pocket, and three card slots. The zippered external pouch for my phone also cut down on rummaging time."

Read more in our full Lo & Sons Aoyama 2 review.

Best sporty: Kaai Rebel Crossbody

What we love: The interior suede lining is softer than any suede we've ever felt.

Drawbacks: It's too narrow to fit anything bulky.

"KAAI's Rebel Crossbody is the Rolex of functional purses," writes style editor Samantha Crozier. The Belgian brand created this luxury crossbody bag with a unique, asymmetrical design and a long strap that can easily fit over a puffy jacket.

"Like all of KAAI's beautifully made bags, it's lined with a blue suede material that feels luxurious to the touch. On the outside, the single-source leather is treated to be resistant to weather and stains. This is super important to me, since I wouldn't carry a bag this nice outside without trusting how well the leather can stand up to the elements. But all my KAAI bags have remained like-new, even though they're some of my most used pieces," continues Samantha.

"The only issue with this bag is that it is relatively narrow and structured, so you won't be able to stuff it," she advises. "A phone, wallet, lipstick, and keys fit perfectly, but anything bulky or irregular would prevent the bag from closing."

Best slouchy: Clare V. Moyen Messenger

What we love: It comes with two straps and has a relaxed shape that stretched around bulky items.

Drawbacks: It only has a single interior pocket.

I tested the Petite version of one of Clare V's bestselling styles, the Moyen Messenger. The Petit is one of my favorite crossbody bags I own, but the larger size has a more practical advantage with the same relaxed, woven leather look. And I know this bag is a hot commodity because sure enough, Quince has its own dupe.

Clare V. is a Los Angeles-based brand that makes what I call 'character bags.' You can build an outfit around them and make them your own with their extensive collection of interchangeable straps. I'm not a huge bag charm person myself, but the D-rings on this luxury crossbody make it the perfect backdrop for colorful key chains.

The medium-sized Moyen Messenger comes with two straps, so you can wear it as a shoulder bag or a crossbody. It has a slouchy, curved construction like the hobo bags that are making a return. Even better: the soft, flexible leather lies flat, so I'm easily able to pack it in my carry-on.

Read more in our full Clare V. review.

Best convertible: Senreve Mini Maestra

What we love: The 4-in-1 design is majorly versatile and it comes with a lifetime warranty.

Drawbacks: It bounces off your lower hip as you walk when it's not weighed down enough.

The Mini Maestra from Senreve takes modular design to another level. This 4-in-1 luxury crossbody can also be worn as a tote, satchel, or backpack, depending on whatever you need it to be. The top features a flap and the Senreve's signature studded belt closure, and inside is a zipper to secure your belongings.

Executive editor Sally Kaplan tested out the full-sized Maestra as a luxury work bag and confirmed it to be worth the splurge. Besides its fashion-forward shape, the 100% leather is seriously high-quality. It comes in both pebbled and long-grain finishes, and inside it's lined with smooth suede. This premium leather is also water-repellent, so you can wear it out in the rain without fussing over stains. Plus, it comes with a lifetime warranty.

See similar styles in our guide to the best convertible backpack tote bags.

Best crescent: Polène Numéro Dix

What we love: The flared base let us store wider items at the bottom, and the strap adjusts so you can wear it as a shoulder bag or crossbody.

Drawbacks: The smooth leather was prone to scratches.

I was inspired to test out this style when I was getting ready to go out with my friend, and she asked me if my bag was a Polène. In fact, it was from Quince. But when a Quince dupe can pass for French luxury, it makes me skeptical that the real deal could be any good to begin with.

Instead, I was happily proven wrong. The 'Cognac' shade of the Numéro Dix is the perfect color for people who wear similar gourmand shades like chocolate and almond. It's made with a single panel of structured, full-grain leather that has a deliciously rich sheen.

It also beats out the Quince dupe in terms of storage capacity. Because the crescent shape has a flared base, I can fill it from the bottom up with my everyday carry. I've only worn mine as a crossbody or shoulder bag, but it also converts to a belt bag and the adjustable strap extension means it can fit a tall frame. There's now a JW Pei dupe of the same style.

The real Numéro Dix feels worth the splurge because it's a true heritage piece and the materials are primed to age gracefully. The simple, stylish shape puts an elevated twist on the contemporary saddle silhouette.

Best mini: Milaner The Grazia Mini Woven Bag

What we love: It's so lightweight that we've worn it as a wristlet.

Drawback: It's too tiny to fit more than the basics.

"Despite its teeny-tiny silhouette, this miniature crossbody can hold a surprising amount of items," writes freelance style reporter Talia Ergas. If you're getting your looks together for vacation season, Talia found the artisan-made Milaner Grazia Mini to be the perfect little clutch for tying your whole outfit together.

"My iPhone fits effortlessly across the bottom, and there's plenty of room for my sunglasses, a small wallet, and some odds and ends like mints and a chapstick," Talia writes. "I love this hand-woven leather bag because it has the elegance of a clutch with the ease and comfort of a crossbody bag. The strap is removable, though, which is convenient for occasions when I might prefer to swap in its shorter strap for a wristlet."

FAQs on luxury crossbody bags

What makes a crossbody bag "luxury"?

You can tell a luxury crossbody bag by its intuitive design details, artisan-level craftsmanship, and longevity. Our favorites are typically made from high-quality leather and feature layered edge paint, precise stitching, and durable hardware with scratch-resistant polish.

What's the best size for a luxury crossbody bag?

Between small and medium is best if you want something to comfortably weigh on your shoulder. A small bag that's about 8 inches wide will fit only the essentials, but be more streamlined to carry. Medium crossbody bags of about 14 inches offer a bit more space for a small tablet or a bulky sunglasses case.

Why invest in a luxury crossbody bag instead of a more affordable one?

A luxury crossbody bag typically uses higher-quality materials (full-grain leather, suede lining, and solid metal accents) that hold up significantly better over time. Cheaper bags will instead use bonded leather or flimsy hardware that can peel, scratch, or tarnish quickly. If you carry a bag daily, think about in terms of cost-per-wear. The durability of a luxury crossbody bag will prove itself in the long run.

What makes a luxury crossbody bag better than other purse styles?

Crossbodies are already practical by design — they keep your hands free, and many of our favorites can be converted into a shoulder bag. A luxury version elevates that functionality with easy-to-carry proportions, reinforced stitching, smooth straps that don't dig into your shoulder, and scratch-resistant, water-repellent materials.

Are luxury crossbody bags worth it if I don't carry much?

I say yes. As someone who used to try and carry everything in my pockets, I found that luxury crossbody bags are the easiest gateway into stylish personal organization — especially if you prefer a lighter load. A well-designed crossbody prioritizes smart compartments and a streamlined shape, so you don't feel the bulk as you go about your business.

Read how the Reviews team tests clothing, shoes, and accessories at Business Insider.

• Many of my favorite hair, skin, and hygiene products are from Trader Joe's and cost less than $10.
• I use Trader Joe's fluoride-free toothpaste and lemongrass-coconut body oil every day.
• The best Trader Joe's beauty products include Enrich moisturizing face lotion and hair oil.

I used to think I had to spend a lot on beauty products if I wanted quality, but Trader Joe's has completely changed my mind.

Typically, I stick to food when I shop at the grocery chain, but on one trip, a $6 hair oil caught my eye. Although I follow a tight budget, it felt like a great price, and I decided to try it.

I couldn't believe how much it seemed to improve the health of my hair after just one use.

After that, I became hooked on trying Trader Joe's hair, skin, and hygiene products. Fortunately, many of them are under $10.

There have been a few misses, but here are the ones I've loved enough to make part of my daily and weekly routines.

Trader Joe's hair oil is a key part of my morning routine.

Each morning, I massage a drop of this oil throughout my hair. It makes it look so shiny in between washes, rather than greasy.

The moisturizing mix of ingredients, including argan oil, moringa seed oil, chia seed oil, and vitamin E, has also been helping my hair recover from when I ironed it daily while I was teaching.

Speaking of ironing, the oil is also designed to help protect hair against heat damage up to 450°F.

Some beauty fans even say this is comparable to the popular Ouai hair oil that costs about $30 for 1.5 ounces. Meanwhile, a 1-ounce bottle of Trader Joe's costs $6.

The Enrich moisturizing face lotion doesn't break me out.

At just $4 for a 4-ounce bottle, I was skeptical about Trader Joe's Enrich face lotion.

However, I've lived in Florida my entire life and have never found a facial moisturizer with SPF that doesn't break me out — until this one.

In addition to SPF 15, the fragrance-free lotion also contains vitamins A, C, and E.

I've been using Enrich under my makeup in the morning, and since it's so inexpensive, I don't feel bad applying it to my arms as well for some extra TLC.

Trader Joe's lemongrass-coconut body oil doesn't leave me feeling greasy.

I've been on the hunt for the perfect body oil to apply after the shower when my skin is damp. This is the first one I've tried that leaves me feeling moisturized, not like a layer of grease is sitting on top of my skin.

It's made with lemongrass oil, virgin coconut oil, sweet almond oil, jojoba oil, and olive oil, and I appreciate the natural ingredients.

The scent feels cheery and uplifting, and many consider lemongrass oil to be a natural mosquito repellent. With summer around the corner, that's a real perk.

Best of all, Trader Joe's body oil feels super affordable at $4 for a 4.8-ounce bottle.

I use Trader Joe's bonding shampoo and conditioners for a salon-level wash.

This shampoo and conditioner duo from Trader Joe's leaves my hair feeling utterly healed from that aforementioned heat damage.

I wash my scalp first with a gentle dandruff shampoo, then shampoo and condition with Trader Joe's bonding set. This is a strategy my dermatologist told me to try — the medicated shampoo cleans my scalp, while the regular shampoo nourishes my hair.

This routine makes my hair feel and look like I got a salon wash and blowout when it's dry. It may be because these products contain ingredients like hydrolyzed keratin and silk, which can help strengthen hair and make it shine.

At $8 per 12-ounce bottle, this duo cost me $16 total, but the quality reminds me of the expensive salon sets I've bought from my hairdresser in the past.

Some shoppers even swear these are dupes for more expensive bonding shampoos, which can cost twice (or even three times) as much.

I've been using this $1 find as a luxurious hand soap.

I couldn't believe how luxurious Trader Joe's Next to Godliness oatmeal-and-honey vegetable soap feels when I wash my hands with it. After all, I paid only $1 for a 4-ounce bar.

Since I've started using this as a hand soap, I haven't had to use as much hand lotion — it's that moisturizing. I love the lather, too, but it's the scent that stole my heart. This soap smells like oatmeal-spiced cookies right from the oven.

If I ever see this on shelves again, I'm stocking up.

This Trader Joe's fluoride-free toothpaste feels like a treat that's good for my teeth.

I've been looking for an affordable fluoride-free toothpaste that leaves my mouth feeling just as clean as its fluoride counterparts for some time — and this one from Trader Joe's has been a winner for me.

The 6-ounce bottle of peppermint toothpaste costs $4, and I appreciate that it has calcium hydroxyapatite, which some studies suggest can help protect teeth from erosion, cavities, and decay.

My favorite part is that it tastes like York Peppermint Pattie filling, but leaves my teeth feeling clean all day long.

Keep reading Trader Joe's diaries to see what other must-haves shoppers have in their carts.

• Environmental activist Erin Brockovich has adopted a new cause: the impact of data centers.
• She said residents are especially angry about NDAs between developers and local leaders.
• That lack of transparency, she said, is fueling anger among residents who feel ignored.

Big Tech is expanding into communities across the country — and they aren't all that happy about it.

Many residents in cities and towns where tech companies are looking to build large data centers to power their AI products are mobilizing against them, concerned about a possible drain on water supplies, a surge in electricity costs, and a decline in their overall quality of life.

Now, legendary environmental activist Erin Brockovich, famously played by Julia Roberts in the 2000 film about her work, has joined the fight.

Brockovich said on a recent episode of "The Jim Acosta Show" that communities are angry because they feel shut out of the decisions being made in their own backyards — and that the projects are being "shoved down their throat in secrecy."

Brockovich said that residents learn about projects in the proposal stage, only to find that local officials are limited in what they can say because of nondisclosure agreements. In other cases, she said, projects are presented as warehouses rather than data centers.

"There's a lot of secrecy and NDAs at a very proposal stage," Brockovich said.

That lack of transparency, she said, is fueling anger among residents who believe their concerns are being ignored.

High-profile data center projects have faced backlash in recent months. A massive data center project in Utah backed by "Shark Tank" investor Kevin O'Leary has sparked statewide opposition, for example, leading Utah Gov. Spencer Cox to unveil a new "framework" for data center development on Friday that addresses many of the community's concerns.

"Utahns deserve confidence that water resources, air quality, utility rates, wildlife, and quality of life will be protected. This framework helps ensure that data center development aligns with Utah's long-term interests and reflects Utah values," Cox wrote in an X post.

Microsoft, which once relied on NDAs in the early stages of data center development, said earlier this year that it would stop requesting them after local opposition.

"We've made the decision that being transparent with the communities where we operate or seek to operate is paramount," the company said. "This shift is about strengthening public trust, enabling better dialogue, and ensuring that our growth is matched by meaningful engagement."

Microsoft has adopted its own framework for building data centers called the "Community-First AI Infrastructure Plan." It promises to pay for its own electricity, minimize water usage, and create local jobs, among other things.

Brockovich, who has spent decades working with communities on environmental fights, said residents are not opposed to hearing difficult information. What they object to, she said, is being excluded from the process.

"I've worked in communities for 30 years," she said. "They handle the truth."

The best Bluetooth speakers make it easy to take your music anywhere, whether you're moving from the kitchen to the backyard or packing up for a weekend trip. No cords, no hassle. Just wirelessly pair your phone, tablet, or laptop and hit play. And top options aren't just about portability. They deliver room-filling sound, stylish designs, smart features, and batteries that actually last.

I've been reviewing audio gear and consumer tech for more than 25 years, so I've had plenty of hands-on time with speakers of all shapes and sizes. That experience informs every pick in this guide. My top recommendation, the retro-inspired JBL Authentics 300, strikes a sweet spot between power and detail. But if you're after something more affordable and easy to throw in a bag, the Cleer Scene is a great little speaker that punches well above its size and price.

Every speaker in this guide has been tested for sound quality, features, and design. Bluetooth is a given, of course, but a lot of my picks go further, with extras like WiFi support and voice assistant compatibility that make them even more useful day to day.

Our top picks for the best Bluetooth speakers

Best overall: JBL Authentics 300 - See at Amazon

Best portable smart speaker: Bose Portable Smart Speaker - See at Amazon

Best on a budget: Cleer Scene - See at Amazon

Best premium: Devialet Mania - See at Amazon

Best multi-room: Sonos Move 2 - See at Amazon

Best battery life: Lodge Solar Speaker 4 Series 2 - See at Amazon

Best overall

The JBL Authentics 300 is my pick for the best Bluetooth speaker overall. It's an impressive option that combines substantial power, stellar performance, extensive functionality, and a stylish design.

Its unique waffle (or, as JBL calls it, "Quadrex") grille gives it a fun, retro look that distinguishes it from other speakers. It also has a built-in battery and a convenient handle.

Backed by its classy style, the Authentics 300 delivers a clean, refined sound across the frequency spectrum. Convenient dedicated knobs on top of the speaker let you dial in the exact bass and treble flavors you want. And 100 watts of power makes it rock at whatever volume your ears can handle.

Although the Authentics 300 is portable and designed for on-the-go use with up to eight hours of battery life, it's a bit bulky. So, if you're using it at home, you may just want to find a good spot for it and leave it plugged in, knowing you can move it somewhere else if needed.

Its companion app is packed with features, including the ability to adjust the EQ, toggle battery saver mode, set the auto power off time, and disable feedback tones. In addition to Bluetooth, the app lets you stream music via a WiFi connection for higher-quality playback. WiFi also enables you to set up multi-room listening (with additional speakers) and to configure Amazon Alexa and/or Google Assistant, allowing the Authentics 300 to function as a smart speaker.

At the end of the day, JBL's Authentics 300 is not only a handsome device but also a highly adaptable and adjustable speaker with great connectivity. In addition to the platforms already mentioned, it plays well with both AirPlay and Chromecast. It's available in either black or white. And though it retails for $450 to $500, it's sometimes on sale for as low as $350, a grab-it-while-you-can bargain price.

Best portable smart speaker

Bose's aptly named Portable Smart Speaker is the successor to its older SoundLink Revolve+ II, a Bluetooth speaker included in previous versions of this guide. True to its lineage, this newer model is versatile and well-featured while adding perks like WiFi support.

Roughly twice the volume of the Cleer Scene and half that of the Sonos Move 2, the cylindrical Portable Smart Speaker is about the size of an oil can. In other words, it's not tiny, but still relatively light and compact. It also boasts support for both Google Assistant and Alexa when connected to WiFi. Though other options in this guide are also compatible with those assistants, this is the easiest to transport, making it the most mobile smart speaker of the bunch.

In terms of the speaker's sound profile, true to Bose's reputation, the mids and treble are clean and sparkly. But I don't love the bass. Unlike the Cleer Scene, Bose's speaker is unexpectedly thumpy, muddying the mids and distracting from its otherwise pristine audio. Still, its overall performance compares well to other smart speakers of this size, offering sound that is bigger than expected.

The app is pretty basic but works well. It allows you to enable additional features, such as Chromecast and voice control, and stream services like Spotify, iHeartRadio, SiriusXM, and Pandora.

One cool proprietary feature is that you can group this model with other Bose speakers and soundbars, allowing you to fill your home with sound. You can even send synchronized audio to a pair of Bose headphones.

Design-wise, the Portable Smart Speaker errs on the side of simplicity and subtlety. It's available in black or white, so it's a bit average-looking. However, it's a compact, powerful smart speaker that delivers substantial sound, considering its size. I just wish it were a little less boomy and that a wireless charging cradle were included.

For more product recommendations from Bose, check out our guides to the best Bose soundbars and best Bose headphones.

Best on a budget

Although you may not have heard of Cleer Audio, the brand has been around for over a dozen years, churning out competent ANC headphones that rival Sony and Bose for sound quality (but cost less), great wireless earbuds, and innovative speaker designs.

Case in point: the Cleer Scene. This unique Bluetooth speaker doesn't have a typical boxy or cylindrical build. Instead, it's shaped kind of like a cannoli. According to the designer, this style was chosen to guide listeners to position the speaker horizontally rather than vertically.

Other than its shape, the Cleer Scene stands out in this list as the only speaker under $100. But it definitely performs beyond its price. In fact, nothing in this range even comes close to it.

It features deeper, more controlled bass than JBL's more affordable Clip 5, and it's a lot less expensive than Bose's similarly portable SoundLink Flex. The sound is crisp, bright, and smooth. Despite its tiny stature, the speaker easily fills a small area with dulcet tunes.

The Scene is available in a subtle gray or a stunning red. Unlike other speakers of its size, it features a microphone, so you can use it for calls. And it's IPX7 waterproof, so it can survive an honest-to-goodness dunking.

That utility and durability, along with its light and compact body, make it highly portable. It's definitely the kind of Bluetooth speaker you'll want to bring with you everywhere around the house and on the go.

Best premium

The French company Devialet (pronounced "D-V-allay") has made a name for itself in the luxury audio market. Though the brand has released a soundbar, amplifier, and earbuds, it's best known for its multi-thousand-dollar Phantom speakers.

Aside from their distinctive cyber-egg shape and notoriously high price tags, the Phantoms are known for their "implosive" speaker arrays, which can produce high volumes without a hint of distortion. Although Devialet has introduced smaller, more affordable versions, these have all required plugging in. The Mania is its first battery-powered speaker.

Despite its portability, the Mania is a powerful and stylish piece of tech, as if the company somehow turned the all-seeing Eye of Sauron from "The Lord of the Rings" into a speaker. One thing's for sure: it definitely looks and feels premium.

Furthermore, this relatively compact yet heavy speaker performs remarkably well, delivering rich, 360-degree stereo sound. It does so by performing a scan every time you power it on, which requires patience that's amply rewarded. The Mania uses its four microphones to determine its position in the room and automatically adjust its audio imaging and directionality accordingly.

More than handsome, smart, and adept, the speaker is also plenty loud. At every volume, the Mania delivers clean, tight, bright sound. Even at up to 95 decibels, it sounds big but never distorted, bloated, or muddied. It's just tight and snappy, right up through the middle and upper registers.

Its companion app offers basic functionality, displaying charging information, product tips and info, and an adjustable volume slider with three equalizer presets. The app also provides access to the speaker's voice assistant and allows you to disable the microphone.

To add to its accolades, the Mania offers great connectivity, with optional WiFi support in addition to Bluetooth streaming. It's available in five opulent colorways on Devialet's site. And it can be paired with another Mania, if your pockets are deep enough and you want an even better stereo presentation.

Best multi-room

The Sonos Move 2 is an excellent Bluetooth speaker that stands out thanks to its robust multi-room support. It's compatible with Sonos' wireless ecosystem, which (with the help of its app) allows you to discreetly control all Sonos speakers connected to your WiFi network.

You can have one set of speakers that you've grouped playing one stream at a particular volume and a separate speaker (or set of speakers) playing a completely different source at another volume. Although the brand's app was plagued by glitches during a botched revamp last year, these issues have now been corrected. There are still some kinks here and there, but overall, Sonos' multi-room capabilities are top-notch. And if you just want straightforward playback to the Move 2 on its own, a Bluetooth connection offers a simple solution that works anywhere.

If you were to judge the Move 2's sound based on its beefy size, you might assume it'd be bold and brutish. But it's actually more of a gentle giant. Make no mistake, it gets plenty loud. But the sound is rich, warm, and surprisingly brighter than that of the Bose Portable Smart Speaker. It certainly doesn't lack in bass, but it rumbles with more finesse than the Bose — and many other speakers, for that matter.

The Move 2's shape is cylindrical, and it's available in black, white, or olive. So it's not the flashiest speaker out there. Design-wise, it seems more about blending into the background than making a statement. But it's still nice and curvy with a subtle, tasteful personality.

I also like that it comes with a charging base. However, it's certainly not lacking in battery capacity, with up to 24 hours of playtime and the ability to provide spare juice to charge your phone or tablet as needed via a USB connection.

As with other Sonos gear, the Move 2 is admittedly on the pricey side. But it occasionally goes on sale, so keep an eye out. If you're already a Sonos user, this is a great speaker for the house. It's also a good one to get you started on that path, even if you have no immediate plans to add more speakers.

Sonos also sells two other portable speakers worth considering: the Roam 2 and the Play. The Play can't match the sound quality of the Move 2, but its smaller size makes it more versatile for those who want a Sonos speaker that's easy to move around the house and to take on the go. You can learn more in our Sonos Play review. Meanwhile, the Roam 2 is even more compact, which further limits audio performance but makes it a better fit for those who want a travel-only speaker.

For more Sonos product recommendations, check out our guide to the best Sonos soundbars.

Best battery life

The Lodge Solar Speaker 4 stands out from its rivals in this guide thanks to its four solar panels (on the top, back, right, and left sides) that can provide power from the sun. It also has an IP66 rating, making it suitable for outdoor use, even in wet conditions. The speaker even features a magnetic stake mounting system, allowing you to easily position it above a patch of dirt, grass, or mulch.

To charge the device for the first time, you can either juice it up via its hidden USB-C port and then leave it outside to top off in the sun, or strategically place it outside for a few days to let the sun do all the work.

As long as you have sunlight, the Lodge offers virtually unlimited playtime. And without solar charging, it still offers 22-plus hours of battery life, so it's sure to play through darkness and rain as well. You don't have to worry about the weather ruining your camping trip or patio party.

Once powered up, the Solar Speaker 4 sounds amazing. It's clear, bright, and plenty loud. Its bass is adequate, if not a bit understated. So it may be a letdown if you crave truly bone-rattling rumble or heart-stopping thump. In that way, its sound signature could be described as "audiophile-friendly," meaning that it's clean, balanced, and relatively "neutral" throughout its frequency response.

There is an app, but it's only used to initiate firmware updates. However, it's possible to pair two of these speakers for a superwide stereo soundstage. If you happen to have the budget and acreage (and amenable neighbors), you can even wirelessly connect up to 30 of these bad boys.

Having said all this, the Lodge Solar Speaker 4 can also be used indoors. After all, it offers stellar sound. But it's really meant as a long-lasting outdoor speaker you can set up without worrying about power.

What about home Bluetooth speakers without batteries?

For this guide, we primarily focused on the best Bluetooth speakers with built-in batteries for portable playback. Most people shopping for a Bluetooth speaker want the option to take it on the go. However, there are several great speakers designed for home use that also support Bluetooth but require a power outlet. Here are a few good options our team has tested.

Sonos Era 100 - See at Amazon
The Sonos Era 100 is the quintessential multi-room speaker. It's not portable, but it supports Bluetooth and WiFi playback, along with built-in Alexa or Sonos Voice Control. Sound quality is fantastic for its size, and it's reasonably priced, often discounted to just under $200. The Sonos app has had some growing pains over the last couple of years, but the latest version has ironed out most issues.

Bose Lifestyle Ultra - See at Amazon
This wireless speaker is part of Bose's new Lifestyle Audio lineup, which also features a soundbar and subwoofer. The Lifestyle Ultra is designed as a stationary home speaker and delivers excellent sound quality, with an added sense of height thanks to its upfiring audio driver. Alexa and Alexa+ are built-in for voice control, making it a very capable smart speaker. We do give the Sonos Era 100 an edge in overall value, but this is a strong alternative.

Read our Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker review.

Denon Home 200 - See at Amazon
The Home 200 is Denon's new take on a wireless home speaker, and it holds up well against rivals from Sonos and Bose. We were especially impressed by the speaker's sound quality, which delivers a deep, spacious soundstage with virtual Dolby Atmos playback. It also supports Siri voice control, but only when paired with a separate Apple HomePod. As a Bluetooth speaker meant to be placed in one spot, this is a worthy and room-filling audio solution.

Harman Kardon SoundSticks System - See at Amazon
This gorgeous 2.1 Bluetooth speaker package is designed for desktops. It features a cool, transparent design and includes a pair of stereo satellite towers and a dedicated subwoofer shaped like a bundt cake. In terms of power, it's second only to the Devialet Mania. All those watts mean you can crank up the volume to fill even the largest of rooms in your house. So it'd be good for parties. However, the subwoofer's bass is so strong that it overpowers the mid and upper frequencies, resulting in a darker, slightly muffled sound than we'd like.

How we test Bluetooth speakers

To find the best Bluetooth speakers, I started by researching a wide range of popular models and narrowing them down to a list of promising contenders. I focused on speakers versatile enough for everyday listening at home and outdoors. From there, I conducted hands-on tests with dozens of models to compare their performance and determine which ones truly stand out.

When reviewing each speaker, I paid close attention to sound quality, connectivity options, smart features, and overall value. My approach is shaped by decades of experience reviewing personal audio gear, so I know what separates a decent speaker from a great one.

Beyond sound, I looked at real-world usability. That includes on-speaker controls, companion app design, portability, and overall aesthetics. The best Bluetooth speakers aren't just functional — they're thoughtfully designed. Whether they blend into a room or make a visual statement, they should feel purposeful and well executed.

For listening tests, I played a wide mix of content, including multiple music genres, podcasts, and audiobooks. I evaluated bass depth and control, midrange clarity, and treble detail to get a clear sense of each speaker's overall balance. My source material came from streaming services like Amazon Music, Qobuz, Spotify, and iHeartRadio. I also conducted extensive side-by-side comparisons to highlight differences in tone, volume capability, and overall performance.

To go beyond quick impressions, I lived with these wireless speakers for weeks. I primarily tested them over Bluetooth, but I also explored WiFi streaming and multiroom features when available. I listened in rooms of different sizes, at various distances and volume levels, to reflect how each speaker is realistically meant to be used based on its size and power.

For more details on our review process, check out our breakdown on how we test tech products.

What to look for in a Bluetooth speaker

Intended use - Think about where you'll actually use the speaker — specific rooms, the backyard, or on trips. That context helps you determine how much power you need and whether you require a speaker with omnidirectional sound.

Portability - If your speaker is too heavy or awkward to pick up, you'll likely leave it in one spot. Grips or built-in handles make moving a speaker around much easier.

Battery life - For any speaker you plan to take outside or away from an outlet, look for at least eight to 12 hours of playtime before needing to recharge.

Connectivity - Bluetooth 5.2 offers stronger, more flexible connections, including Auracast, multi-device pairing, and public audio broadcasts. Some Bluetooth speakers also offer WiFi, which lets you stream higher-quality audio anywhere your home network reaches.

Sound quality - Test speakers with music you know well at different volumes and from a normal listening distance. That's the best way to judge detail, distortion, and overall character. Blasting unfamiliar tracks from inches away won't tell you much about real-world performance.

Value - Don't start with the price tag. First, decide which features and performance matter to you, then look for models that deliver them within a reasonable budget.

Durability - Match the speaker to your lifestyle. Kitchen use might mean spills, while living-room use might not, and travel or beach trips call for something that can withstand a beating — or something affordable enough to replace easily.

Ease of use - A speaker should be simple from setup to daily controls. That's one reason we love the JBL Authentics 300: its buttons and knobs feel intuitive, and the companion app adds useful features without being complicated.

Style - Looks matter. From the JBL Authentics' retro waffle grille to the Cleer Scene's bold colors or the Devialet Mania's sculptural design, a speaker's aesthetic can play just as big a role as its sound.

Meet the expert behind this guide

Scott Tharler, contributing reporter: I've been writing about tech for more than 25 years, with hundreds of reviews and guides published along the way. Audio gear has always been a sweet spot for me, especially Bluetooth speakers — the kind you bring to the backyard, the beach, or just move from room to room. For this guide, I tested dozens of models across different sizes, price points, and styles to figure out which ones actually deliver great sound, solid battery life, and the features that matter. After all that listening, comparing, and living with them day to day, the speakers included in this list are the ones I confidently recommend.

Learn more about the Reviews team at Business Insider.

Bluetooth speaker FAQs

What are the best Bluetooth speaker brands?

No Bluetooth speaker brand nails everything, but many have clear strengths.

Bose, best known for its comfortable noise-canceling headphones, also makes excellent soundbars and portable speakers. The Portable Smart Speaker and the SoundLink lineup (Micro, Plus, Flex, and Max) deliver impressive clarity and build quality for their size — though you'll pay a premium for it.

If you want great sound for less, JBL is a go-to. Its retro-styled Authentics line is a standout, while the tiny Go and Clip models make solid budget picks. The Flip, Charge, and Xtreme remain fan favorites, and the PartyBox series is the benchmark for big, wireless party speakers. Across the board, you get JBL's punchy V-shaped sound, handy app controls, durable builds, and reliable battery life.

Sonos is best known for its top-tier soundbars and multi-room audio ecosystem. Its app is one of the best for managing networked speakers, and the company recently expanded into headphones with the Sonos Ace.

These are among the strongest brands in Bluetooth audio, but they are not the only ones worth considering. We also like picks from Devialet, Cleer Audio, and Lodge. And while they didn't make this particular guide, brands like Ultimate Ears, Beats, Anker, LG, Sony, and Marshall also offer solid Bluetooth speakers for a range of needs.

Are all Bluetooth speakers portable?

While a lot of Bluetooth speakers are designed to be portable, not all of them are. Some models are larger, meant to stay in one place, and may even need to be plugged in for power. They still use Bluetooth for wireless music, but prioritize bigger sound over grab-and-go design.

All of our best Bluetooth speaker picks in this guide feature integrated batteries, so they're all technically portable, but smaller options, like the Cleer Scene, are better suited for travel than bigger speakers like the JBL Authentics 300.

What is Bluetooth?

Bluetooth is a technology that allows audio to be transmitted wirelessly between compatible devices. If you have a Bluetooth speaker and a Bluetooth-compatible source device, such as a phone or computer, you can play music from your source device to your speaker without cables. The wireless range can vary, but typical Bluetooth products can transmit audio at up to 33 feet.

Can you pair multiple Bluetooth speakers together?

Often, yes, but it depends on the brand and model. Many of the best Bluetooth speakers offer a "party mode" or stereo pairing feature that lets you connect two (or sometimes more) speakers for bigger, more immersive sound. Some even let you spread speakers throughout your home for multiroom audio. All of the speakers we recommend in this guide support stereo or multiroom pairing.

Is Bluetooth audio quality good?

Although Bluetooth can provide good audio quality, it has some downsides. Bluetooth compresses audio during transmission, which means there is some loss of quality compared to a wired or WiFi connection.

That said, modern Bluetooth technology, utilizing the latest audio codecs, can minimize this degradation. In many cases, casual listeners would struggle to distinguish between a high-quality Bluetooth signal and wired audio playback. This is especially true when listening to music on smaller portable speakers.

However, audiophiles who want the absolute best sound quality on larger speakers are better off sticking to a wired connection or opting for WiFi playback from a lossless audio source.

Are Bluetooth speakers waterproof?

Some of the best Bluetooth speakers use water-resistant designs, but the effectiveness of their water resistance varies. If a speaker's specifications include a waterproof rating with a last digit of 5 or 6 (such as IP66 for the Lodge Solar Speaker 4), it's suitable for splashes and rain. And if the last number is a 7 or 8 (like IPX7, for the Cleer Scene), that means its water resistance is more heavy-duty and won't get damaged even if fully submerged (for a certain period of time).

Are all Bluetooth speakers also smart speakers?

No. A Bluetooth speaker only needs to play audio wirelessly from your phone, tablet, or laptop via Bluetooth — that's its core job.

Smart speakers go a step further: they need WiFi and a built-in voice assistant like Alexa or Google Assistant.

Many newer wireless speaker models offer both Bluetooth and WiFi, so they can work as smart speakers too, but Bluetooth alone doesn't make a speaker "smart."

Check out our guide to the best smart speakers for recommendations that all support WiFi and voice assistants.

• Lori Bufka, 64, cares for her aging mother in Arizona due to high assisted living costs.
• Bufka's mother lives in a nearby trailer, reducing care costs and enabling family support.
• Tech aids Bufka in remotely monitoring her mother, enhancing her caregiving abilities.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Lori Bufka, 64, who is caring for her mother with dementia in Arizona. Assisted living became too expensive for her mother, so Bufka moved her into a trailer next to their home, where her mother would have enough space and safety. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

I was a college professor and retired from a community college in Florida. I raised two boys, both of whom are married, and I have five grandchildren. I had retired to do van life with my partner, who has been with me for seven years. I realized, though, that you can only do so much van life before you need a place to come home to. So we bought a tiny house in Arizona.

I'm an only child, and my mom was in assisted living in California. When she went into assisted living, her veteran benefits and Social Security were enough to cover the cost of her care. She was in assisted living for over seven years, and she had sold her house and had some savings. The rate kept going up and up, and it was draining her savings.

The cost was about $4,700 a month, and it was about to go up to $5,200, which was a couple of thousand dollars more than what she earned.

She's 88, and I wanted to keep her there as long as she could. When I got the notice that the rate was going up again, and that they were going to raise her quality of care cost because her dementia was getting worse, her savings were down to almost nothing. They said that she would be moved to a dementia unit with four other people, and I didn't want that to happen to her.

Additionally, as her dementia got worse, she would get so many scam calls. She was savvy her whole life and worked as a lead for a law firm and a real estate agent, but it came to a point where I had to turn off her phone.

It was cheaper to take care of Mom at home

My partner and I decided that we could probably take care of her. It would be a lot cheaper. We started making the moves to bring her here so that I could take care of her. I brought my mom in to live by us in November.

There wasn't going to be room for her and my partner, so I had to give her a little model home in the same trailer park. Hers is about 700 square feet and is about a minute's walk from me. There are a lot of older people here, and the owner keeps a good eye on everyone. I knew that she wasn't going to be with me, but she needed care as if she were.

The trailer was in the low five figures, and we bought it using two-thirds of her savings and one-third of my savings. The rent for the space a little over $500 monthly. It's so much cheaper this way because my partner and I split the caregiving. Her utility bills run about $200 monthly in the winter and $70 in the summer. Caring for her started to become a little much for me, but because we're in the mountains, there aren't many home health organizations here, and none take her insurance.

She went into hospice care, and we hired someone to come for a few hours a week. It was supposed to be $37 for two hours, but when I got the bill, they tacked on mileage, so it became $92. We figured it wasn't worth it, so now hospice volunteers visit every now and then, and hospice covers medically necessary appointments. We know we're probably going to take care of her until she dies, unless she gets to a point where I can't take care of her.

It was a huge change in our lifestyle

We haven't been traveling since November, and I haven't been away from her for more than three hours at a time. My mom is deaf, and it would've been challenging to deal with that from afar.

My mom is somewhat independent still. She can dress herself and go about her day. I wake up every morning and make sure she's still in bed, then I turn on her coffee maker. I bring her breakfast over and leave notes about what she should do, like how to use the microwave. I check on her every half hour until she finally gets up. I come over before lunch to give her pills, eat lunch with her, and then sit with her until the afternoon, when she watches TV by herself. She can't cook dinner, so my partner cooks all her meals, and we bring them over.

The trailer has a bedroom at the back, then a small bathroom, kitchen, and living room. The rooms are big enough for her to guide her walker through, and because of how narrow it is, it lessens the fall risk. They had an old-fashioned bathtub that you had to step over to get in, but the woman who owns the trailer park hired a guy to lower the height. We also had to install railings on the porch. The kitchen has an electric stove, which is great because a gas stove isn't good when someone has dementia, because they can accidentally light a fire.

Tech has helped me take care of her remotely

One of the biggest nightmares is that people with dementia can't work the TV and telephone. She got to the point where she could barely use the remote, and she would start pushing buttons and would not stop.

I had come across JubileeTV, a TV system that lets you change channels remotely. The price wasn't prohibitive for us. The Jubilee remote replaced the Roku remote and came with a cover, so the buttons she can actually press are limited to volume and channels. If I'm out at the store, I can use the telescope function to see what she's done with the TV and get it back to what she wants to watch.

I often call her, so it comes up on the TV, and she uses closed captioning so she can read what I'm saying. The app has an automatic connect function because my mom wouldn't be able to answer a call or find the buttons to do so. The communication function also allows my sons to call her, and her hospice nurses can do the same.

I have used the app's drop-in function to look in and see if she's OK. I use that in conjunction with Blink cameras to make sure she doesn't fall. Those have been important because my mom has fallen a lot since she moved here. I probably check on her three or four times during the night and frequently during the day. One time, she put Dawn dishwashing soap in her glass of water because she wanted to add flavor, so I've had to stop her from doing unsafe things a few times.

I also have smart plugs from Alexa that let her control her radiator heater and other electronics. She has a cheap laptop that I put the Google Live Transcribe app on.

Tech has helped me in so many ways, and seeing her age at home has been somewhat stress-relieving.

• Classic Ferraris have always been my passion. Now they're my retirement fund.
• The backlash to Ferrari's new EV, the Luce, shows how passionate its fans are.
• It has driven up the value of my classic Ferrari collection.

I love the Ferrari Luce. Not because I'm a Ferrari fan or want to buy one, but because it's made me richer.

Since the Luce was unveiled earlier this week, a storm has raged across the internet. It's clear there's no brand in the world that's as much a religion, and no product that's worshipped as passionately, as a Ferrari. Even, and especially, by people who'll never be able to afford one.

Why does that make me richer? Because classic Ferraris have become even more attractive and valuable. Classic Ferraris have always been my passion. Now they're becoming my retirement fund.

A love for the classics

I've been driving Ferraris for 25 years. As a child from a modest background, I bought my first Ferrari with my first severance pay. It was a fiery red Ferrari 328 GTB, and although the car was pretty mediocre, the whole thing seemed like an incredible adventure to me — the kid from a rough neighborhood — in a car with that prancing horse on the steering wheel.

Twenty-five years later, there are four black Ferraris in my garage, and there is hardly anything in my life — aside from my sons — that brings me such joy as these useless but magnificent sports cars. In their restless irrationality, they shake every cell of my otherwise rational and rigorous life.

Enzo Ferrari once said that with Ferrari, you're really just buying the engine — and getting the rest of the car for free. That has always been the brand's Archimedean point. And perhaps that is precisely what explains the confusion surrounding the new electric Ferrari Luce.

A dislike of the new

An electric car has, at first glance, nothing to do with the heroism of the old Lampredi or Colombo engines. It no longer possesses fascinating mechanics, no vibrating heart of metal. It rather resembles a digital device on wheels. The moral significance of modern mobility simply looks like the Luce. The heroization of mobility, on the other hand, looks like a Challenge Stradale, an F40, or a 250 GTO.

How much Ferrari is a brand close to people's hearts is evident in the fierce reactions of those who may never own one yet still feel a deep emotional connection to it. For them, it is not reality that is crumbling, but a myth. There are few brands worldwide that evoke such quasi-religious reactions.

Ferrari's concept has always been to translate the brutal and the raw into the most elegant and sophisticated aesthetics imaginable and bring them into the present. The Luce, on the other hand, employs a form of mimicry that borders on the childish.

In places, the car is reminiscent of a Flintstones car or those Playmobil vehicles with which children embark on their first imaginary highway rides through the sandbox. Of course, both CEO Benedetto Vigna and Chairman of the Supervisory Board John Elkann were likely aware of the potential for sacrilege inherent in such a design.

With Marc Newson and Jony Ive, Ferrari brought in two designers from the digital world. They didn't want to hide the electric innards behind nostalgic forms. On the contrary, they built, in a sense, an anti-Ferrari. The logo is no longer proudly displayed, but almost demonstratively embossed. A clever, almost philosophical punchline.

The Luce seems almost deliberately alien in places, almost like an object without geographical origin, without cultural memory. While older Ferraris looked as if they belonged on country roads around Lake Como or among the curves of southern French coastal roads, the Luce seems to come from the abstract space of the digital present — from a world that is everywhere and nowhere at the same time.

That "everywhere and nowhere" nature of digital space is coolly acknowledged and consistently implemented in this car. While the old entrepreneurs were still heroes of an analog industrial age — men who, even after work, would take breakneck drives in their Ferraris (and I still very much enjoy doing so) — today's digital founders and multimillionaires often define their worldview precisely in contrast to this old-school entrepreneurship. It is a car for emotionally detached intellectuals with no need for compensatory status symbols.

The memes about the Luce ultimately show one thing above all: How emotionally charged this brand remains to this day. Everyone loves Ferrari. The Luce seems to violate the realm of dreams and desires.

The value of the classics

Perhaps the Luce will go down in Ferrari history as its boldest gamble. Or perhaps as a spectacular dead end. The only certainty is this: Ferrari has decided to attempt this transformation not cautiously, but radically. And in that alone lies a remnant of that old Ferrari megalomania that has always made this brand so fascinating.

The Luce is, at the same time, a car of radical anti-distinction. Precisely because it looks like a Nissan, it makes itself small, almost inconspicuous — even though highly valuable technology is hidden beneath its exterior: a powertrain concept with over 1,000 horsepower, designed to accelerate the Luce to up to 310 km/h on the highway.

Who cares, though? Somebody recently called and offered me a lot of money for my black Testarossa. He saw the video of my triumphant ride the day after the Luce presentation.

"I don't sell," I replied. I never will. I'm the guardian angel of Enzo Ferrari's spirit.

Ulf Poschardt is the publisher of WELT, POLITICO Germany, and Business Insider Germany.

This story is courtesy of the Axel Springer Global Reporters Network, which harnesses the resources of the company's newsrooms to publish ambitious scoops, investigations, interviews, opinion pieces, and analysis. It allows journalists — including those from POLITICO, Business Insider, WELT, BILD, Onet and Fakt — to collaborate on major stories for an international audience of hundreds of millions across platforms.

• I booked an Infinite Veranda cabin on my Celebrity cruise and was surprised by how much I loved it.
• The polarizing design replaces a traditional balcony with more of a windowed "sunroom."
• Despite lacking a true outdoor space, the cabin's flexibility and privacy made it worth the price.

My husband and I recently went on a 12-night cruise to New Zealand aboard Celebrity Edge — and, despite reading polarizing reviews online, we decided to splurge on an Infinite Veranda cabin.

The stateroom design has been a topic of debate since it debuted in 2018, as Celebrity replaced a traditional balcony with floor-to-ceiling windows that open with the push of a button.

Honestly, I had a hard time understanding the concept until I experienced it myself. Think of a traditional cruise balcony like an outdoor patio, while the Infinite Veranda is more like a (sometimes open-air) sunroom.

For some, the lack of true outdoor space dilutes the cabin experience, while others appreciate the added versatility.

I hadn't experienced anything like it before, but after 12 nights in the cabin, I'm convinced it was worth the cost.

The biggest benefit was having added space and flexibility.

Instead of dedicating space to an outdoor balcony, the Infinite Veranda layout brings the seating space inside the cabin. So, our room felt extra spacious.

I'm a chronic overpacker, but even with five suitcases, we had no issues finding storage. We were also pleasantly surprised by the extra space along the side of the Infinite Veranda, where we could store some of our luggage without our cabin feeling cluttered.

The extra space also made our cabin more functional. Throughout the cruise, we used the Infinite Veranda as a second seating area.

With two chairs and a small table, it was the perfect spot to have our morning coffee or a glass of wine at sunset. We ended up spending more time in our stateroom than usual because it was so comfortable.

The Infinite Veranda felt more private than a traditional balcony.

One of the most unexpected benefits of the Infinite Veranda was the added sense of privacy it provided.

On a standard balcony, your outdoor space is more exposed, with only a small divider separating you from your neighbors. They can also feel less secluded.

Depending on the ship's design, a standard balcony might even be visible from other decks. On a previous cruise, for example, a stranger on an upper deck yelled things at me while I was taking photos on my standard balcony. It was pretty embarrassing.

Thankfully, we didn't have to worry about that while using our Infinite Veranda. Even with the window open, the space felt enclosed and much quieter.

Unlike on traditional balconies, where you can often hear chairs moving or conversations next door, we never heard our neighbors.

All of this gave us a greater sense of privacy while we enjoyed the ocean views.

We didn't need to step outside to see the breathtaking scenery.

Because the Infinite Veranda is built into the room rather than separated by a sliding door, we didn't have to go outside to take in sweeping views of New Zealand's fjords, cascading waterfalls, and jagged coastlines.

With the country's cooler temperatures, bundling up to sit on a traditional balcony wasn't especially appealing. Instead, we loved lowering the window and enjoying the scenery from the comfort of our cabin.

Unlike a standard balcony, which exposes you to wind, rain, or noise, the Infinite Veranda let us enjoy the views from anywhere in the room, even from bed.

Whether we were sailing through Fiordland National Park or just wanted fresh, cool air in the cabin after dinner, we used the space constantly.

Still, I can see why this room style is controversial.

One of the biggest drawbacks of the Infinite Veranda is the lack of a true outdoor space. At times, it can feel more like sticking your head out a car window than stepping onto a balcony.

Additionally, the air conditioning shuts off automatically when the window is open. This can make the room stuffy or humid in warmer climates — luckily, though, this wasn't an issue for us with New Zealand's cooler weather.

Some travelers also prefer the separation between indoor and outside space that true balconies with a door can offer. For example, it can be convenient if someone wants to hop on a phone call while their cabinmates are napping. This wasn't an issue for us, though.

Ultimately, the Infinite Veranda won us over, and we feel it was a great value.

I can understand why the Infinite Veranda is polarizing, but for us, it was worth the money.

In total, we spent $6,826 on an Infinite Veranda stateroom in Celebrity's AquaClass, which included wellness-focused perks such as access to a thermal spa and an exclusive restaurant.

Infinite Veranda rooms typically cost more than standard veranda cabins, but prices vary widely — and I've even seen them cost slightly less on some itineraries.

Although I was hesitant to book such a highly debated cabin, it turned out to be one of the highlights of our cruise. In fact, I've already booked another Infinite Veranda cabin for my cruise to Norway this summer.

• Since I'm the mother of three boys, I'm the only woman in a crowded house.
• I rarely had space just for myself, so I decided to declutter the attic.
• I turned the attic into my peaceful, feminine sanctuary, reflecting who I am as a woman.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy life as a boy-mom. Having three sons, my days are filled with excited talk of superheroes, villains, and video games. In summertime, epic battles play out in the backyard until dinner. On family movie nights, "Star Wars," "The Hobbit," and "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy run on infinite loops. Life is never boring.

Although the "Boom! Crash!" of their younger years has now shifted to more nuanced language like "Bro! That's sus," I still can't help but feel, as our family of five gathers for meals, that I'm often the odd "man" out.

Their shared spoken code reminds me that I'm the only female at the table, and that I'm fundamentally different in highly important ways.

That's when I realized I needed my own space.

I wanted my own space — away from the boys

These past few years, I've stepped deeper into midlife — when women, often having spent decades as caregivers, ask, "Who am I really?" and "Why don't I feel like myself anymore?"

I longed for a quiet space to explore these questions and others — like "What does it mean to be a woman in today's world?"

My challenge was space. In 2019, wanting a home office/creative space, I transformed an unused room on our second floor. Then the pandemic hit. My husband, who'd always commuted, ended up working remotely for several years. My home office became his workspace.

Since every bedroom was occupied, I set up a desk in the living room. But the central location invited constant interruption: my husband, the boys, the dog, and even the cat who regularly photobombed Zoom calls.

I needed space. Quiet space. Feminine space.

Having run out of options, I considered the attic. Part of it was finished, even though we'd never used it as a "living space." We'd moved into the house when I was already seven months pregnant —dumping boxes, storage items, and inherited things in a frenzy before the baby arrived. Then, we shut the door.

I decluttered the attic to make room for me

I climbed the narrow steps to the third floor and peeked inside. In my head, a mantra from Kaizen philosophy: How do you move mountains? One stone at a time.

I took a deep breath and decided this would become my feminine sanctuary.

One stone at a time, I repeated with every box, every folder, every container, every piece of paper I pulled from the attic. I gifted usable things to Goodwill. I used a tip I'd read in a women's magazine to part with sentimental items by snapping photos to serve as memories, while tears streamed down my face. I placed toddler-sized sneakers into a big, black Hefty bag.

It took weeks, but the mountain became a small hill. The small hill shrank to little piles. Until, at last, the attic was empty, ready, waiting.

Designing from the inside out

Most of my life, I realized, I had to share space. Growing up, I shared a room with my sister. After college, I shared houses and apartments with roommates until I moved in with my now-husband. The opportunity to have my own space — to design it in a way that reflected the woman I was becoming — felt exciting and empowering.

As I envisioned the design of my space, I reflected on all that makes me uniquely me. The idea of a cairn came to mind — a structure built one stone at a time with intention and meaning.

One stone — meditator: a space by the window for my meditation pillows, mats, incense, and singing bowls.

One stone — writer/avid reader: a corner nook in which to curl up with books and journals.

One stone — solopreneur: a white, glass, L-shaped desk with plenty of space for my laptop.

One stone — mindfulness practitioner: walls adorned with inspiring art, affirmations, and symbols reflecting my growth.

I now have my own feminine sanctuary

A sign hangs on the door to the attic that reads, "The Zen Den — Meditation in Progress, Please Do Not Disturb."

I place it when I want quiet — while meditating, reading, writing, hosting Zoom calls, creating, practicing origami, or simply being.

For the first time in years, I have a space that reflects who I'm becoming as a woman. And I can hear my inner voice again.

No one intervenes or interrupts, except the cat. And I've given him a feline pass.

• Moving to Japan from New Zealand gave my family cheaper living and better healthcare.
• Inexpensive flights and Japan's rail network made frequent travel part of everyday life.
• Less financial stress and a slower lifestyle improved my mental health and overall quality of life

Three years ago, my family of three left New Zealand for Kobe, Japan, desperate for a total reset. We were running on empty, exhausted by skyrocketing living costs, limited career growth, and relentless financial stress.

We already loved Japan as tourists, but moving here permanently felt like a massive gamble. Instead, trading hemispheres didn't just change our coordinates; it completely rewrote our quality of life.

Same-day medical care is possible

Back in New Zealand, my husband once waited months for an MRI after a severe work injury, while I spent years and thousands of dollars chasing answers to chronic health concerns through a clogged public system.

When his back pain returned, I braced for the same exhausting delays in Japan. Instead, I laughed out loud when the clinic doctor asked if he'd prefer his MRI in three hours or later in the day, after he'd had some lunch. The total cost was just ¥6000 (around $38 USD).

While New Zealand's healthcare is technically free, accessibility was often the real issue. I now feel an enormous sense of relief knowing affordable and timely care is available when we need it. My 10-year-old daughter's monthly pediatric specialist appointments cost just ¥280 — less than $2 USD.

Ditching our car improved our lives

We don't own a car, so movement is embedded in our daily life. Between train stations, school runs, and grocery trips, I easily clear 10,000 steps a day.

In my first four months here, I lost 10 kilograms (about 22 pounds), though I quickly found them again thanks to Japan's incredibly delicious bakeries.

Increased walking has also changed how I connect with my environment. In a car, seasonal changes passed me by. Now, I slow down to notice spring buds, cherry blossoms hanging over train tracks, or autumn maples turning a deep crimson. I even took extra winter walks just to feel snowflakes settle on my cheeks as the hills behind my home turned white.

We can travel frequently

In New Zealand, international trips were a rare and expensive treat. In Japan, cheap flights across Asia and an extensive rail network make travel effortless and affordable.

Last summer alone, we visited Vietnam, Taiwan, Singapore, Bali, and the Setouchi Islands. Our multi-stop summer itinerary — flying from Osaka to Singapore and Bali before heading back to Japan — cost just 212,587 Yen ($1,332 USD) for all three of us on budget carriers.

Traveling to Beppu this May made me realize just how lucky we are. As I rode the Yufuin no Mori scenic train past mountains covered in vivid green cedar and purple wisteria, I looked out the window and actually cried out of pure gratitude for this new life.

Having affordable international flights at our doorstep and a domestic transit system that makes spontaneous weekend trips easy has turned travel from an occasional luxury into a normal part of our lives.

Our housing and grocery bills plummeted by more than half

In New Zealand, we paid NZ $1,680, or about $985 USD, a month for a small two-bedroom unit outside Christchurch's city center. In Kobe, we now pay around $450 a month for a much larger three-bedroom apartment.

The first time I did a week's worth of grocery shopping in Japan, I walked into the supermarket with ¥50,000 (about $315 USD) in my wallet, expecting to spend most of it. When the total came to just ¥15,000 ($95 USD), I genuinely thought there had been a mistake at the register.

While rising prices and the weak yen have made everyday life more expensive for many families in Japan, it still feels far more financially manageable for us than life in New Zealand did, especially when it comes to housing, groceries, internet, and eating out.

Living in Japan has reshaped my perspective and improved my mental health

Starting over in Japan wasn't a magical fix; navigating a new language and culture was lonely at times. Yet immersing myself in a completely different way of living reshaped my perspective, teaching me to appreciate more and fight the current less.

They say money can't buy happiness, but the financial stability and lifestyle shift here reduced my stress so drastically that eight months ago, I finally came off antidepressants after relying on them since I was 17.

Japan didn't cure me, but it created the conditions for recovery, which reignited my curiosity for learning about the world.

• Author Kimberly Wilson was a traveler who always had an itinerary and a long list of to-gos while vacationing.
• During a girls trip with her mom, she decided to not plan anything — for once.
• Wilson found that when she didn't create moments for social media, she could actually rest.

I've always considered myself to be a hustler, since my first lemonade stand, in fact.

Growing up in New York, I was raised on a mentality that in order to live the life you dream, the work ethic has to match. That idea followed me through undergrad, then law school, then a career, mostly in travel writing, that practically runs on coffee and momentum. I constantly live a life on go-mode.

It's probably why when people find out how much I travel for work and in my personal life, they assume I love it. It's my natural way of being. And I do, mostly. I'm the one who scours TikTok, Google Reviews, and travel sites to ensure that I'm able to perfectly curate my itinerary from the moment I step foot off the plane, train, or automobile.

But in this season of life, as I'm navigating personal and professional life changes, I've learned that rest can't be my reward. So I wanted to try something new: see what happens when there's nothing to plan. And so I did just that.

How I created rest during travel

This past Mother's Day, I took my mom to Grenada. There was no spreadsheet, no color-coded schedule with a long list of plans and things to do (my mom hates that anyway), and nowhere for us to be. We had our flights, a hotel, and an intention to show up and figure it out. For someone like me, that last part was harder than it sounds — believe me.

We stayed at The Beach House at Silver Sands, and I think the property did half the work for me. Tucked away on the southwest coast of the island, it doesn't have the sprawling amenities, a packed pool bar or an activity desk of a mega-resort that's trying to curate every second of your trip. Still, it was just what we both needed — quiet, a stretch of beach that felt like it belonged to just us, comfort, and luxury.

The property itself is small by design, and ours was only one of 28 rooms and suites. When we walked into our king room, which featured wide windows and a private canopied terrace, we were stunned. The room sat on Portici Beach, which is framed by a stone bluff and water that shifts between shades of blue depending on the hour.

There's also a main infinity pool that we had access to, a spa (at the sister property, Silversands Grand Anse, which we gladly enjoyed one day), kayaks, and beach yoga if we felt so inclined. The options existed, but we didn't feel pressure to partake in them one way or another.

For the first day, I won't pretend I wasn't restless. I kept reaching for my phone to look something up, to find the "best" local spot, and who I knew on the island. Old habits die hard, is what they say, right?

For example, the woman who sat next to me on the plane — a stranger — informed me that a mutual friend was also on the island celebrating their birthday that weekend. They were hosting a themed party, to which she invited us to join, along with a list of activities to participate in while we would be there. My mom, who has watched me operate at this pace my entire life, just looked at me and said, essentially, stop.

So I did. Spoiler alert: I also skipped the party.

By day two, we were in our groove. We ate when we were hungry. We sat on the beach without a plan to leave it. One afternoon we ventured out to Port Louis Marina for lunch at Chez Louis, which felt like exactly the right amount of outside world. A good meal, a change of scenery, and then back to the quiet that Beach House offered. That ratio ended up being the whole trip in miniature.

I worked out every morning, either at the outdoor gym on the beach or over at the main Silversands property, which has more equipment. I'm training for HYROX, so completely switching off for that was never really on the table, and I didn't try to force it. What I noticed was that the workouts felt different there, less obligatory and more like something I actually wanted to do because they weren't rushed or had to fit within a schedule.

We had dinner one night at Grenadian Grill, where the coastal cuisine matched the unhurried pace we'd finally settled into. But honestly, the food was secondary. My mom lives in New York and I'm in Maryland, so we just enjoyed catching up for girl time with zero distractions because that seems to be what is always the first thing that gets sacrificed when life picks up speed (on my end, not hers as a retiree, of course).

I removed the pressure to perform on vacation

I've taken a lot of trips. I've seen a lot of places, but I can't say I've always allowed myself to fully be where I was. Grenada was different.

We all know the travel industry sells rest as a product. And the products are really good most of the time, really, really good actually: a spa package, a swim-up suite or butler service. I'm not going to say, I don't love all of those things. But what I found was that rest isn't really something a hotel gives you, it's something you have to decide to receive. The hotel's seclusion removed the temptation to keep moving and the simplicity of Grenadian life removed the pressure to perform a vacation for anyone, including myself.

I came back to Maryland without a single TikTok video or restaurant video saved for a future trip to Grenada (I scrolled and moved on, folks). Just some photos of my mom and I laughing having a good time on what I hope is many more girls trips to come.

I'm still a hustler, by all means. That's not going anywhere anytime soon, even despite no longer living in "the concrete jungle." But I understand now that rest isn't the opposite of ambition. You need it as part of the infrastructure. And sometimes all it takes is a secluded beach in Grenada, your mother telling you —sternly, I might add — to put the phone down, and a place that's quiet enough to let you hear yourself think.

• I'm a Canadian mom who drives to the US just to stock up on my family's favorite Trader Joe's items.
• My kids love the store's fettuccine Alfredo, mango juice smoothies, and vanilla meringues.
• The Middle Eastern-style kebabs and Mandarin-orange chicken make weeknight dinners a breeze.

As a mom of three picky eaters, I will do whatever it takes to find foods that my kids enjoy. Luckily, Trader Joe's offers dinner options my whole family loves at affordable prices.

There's only one problem: the complete lack of Trader Joe's locations in Canada.

So, twice a month, I drive nearly an hour from our home in Canada to Bellingham, Washington, to stock up on all my family's favorites.

Crossing the border for groceries might sound extreme, but the quality of the products and rave reviews from my kids make the drive worthwhile.

Here are nine items from Trader Joe's that always end up in my cart.

Prices may vary by location.

My whole family is obsessed with Trader Joe's Mandarin-orange chicken.

One of my family's favorite meals is Trader Joe's Mandarin-orange chicken, so I make sure to buy four packages each time I shop.

This chicken, battered in a delicious orange-ginger sauce, is great on its own or with stir-fry noodles.

If I'm feeling fancy, I'll serve it with broccoli, carrots, and white rice, sprinkled with some sesame seeds on top.

My son never liked fettuccine Alfredo until he tried the Trader Joe's version.

Even though my son has never been a fan of fettuccine Alfredo, served in a restaurant or cooked at home, he absolutely loves Trader Joe's take on this dish.

For my family of five, I typically heat up two packs of the frozen pasta. I also love adding Trader Joe's breaded chicken tenderloin breasts for extra protein.

To elevate the dish even more, I add some high-protein milk and butter, then top it with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and parsley. The result is always a resounding success in our household.

Trader Joe's take on kebabs is delicious.

I'm originally from Egypt, so I always make sure to pick up a bag of Trader Joe's Middle Eastern-style kebabs, which remind me of home.

A bonus: my oldest daughter loves them, too.

These kebabs take about 20 minutes to grill and are my secret for whipping up shawarma in a flash.

I like combining them with tomatoes, a homemade tahini sauce, and onions seasoned with sumac and parsley. Then, I pack it into the Trader Joe's Egyptian-sourdough Baladi pocket bread.

I can't get enough of Trader Joe's chocolate-covered wafer cookie bars.

My secret indulgence is Trader Joe's chocolate-covered wafer cookie bars. This sweet treat tastes exactly like my favorite childhood snack I had back home in Egypt.

Each bar costs only $1.20, so I normally grab anywhere from five to seven during my grocery trips.

Trader Joe's vanilla meringues are a sweet treat that always come home with me.

My haul always includes Trader Joe's fat-free vanilla meringues, which are my youngest daughter's favorite treat.

At only $4.50 per container, these fluffy meringues offer the perfect amount of sweetness in each bite.

Trader Joe's rolled corn tortilla chips are my son's go-to snack.

My son loves Trader Joe's chili-and-lime-flavored rolled corn tortilla chips, so I always make sure to pick up a bag whenever I visit the store.

I highly recommend these extra-crunchy chips for anyone who likes spicy snacks, since they're packed with zest and heat.

I always pick up Trader Joe's mango juice smoothies for my daughter.

My teenage daughter's favorite item from Trader Joe's is the store's mango juice smoothie.

These non-dairy smoothies are made with mango purée, apples, banana purée, and lemon juice, and are a staple in our fridge.

Along with great flavor, each smoothie is full of vitamins A and C, and costs only $3.

Trader Joe's pork gyoza potstickers are a great appetizer for hosting.

Whenever we have guests over, I love to serve Trader Joe's pork gyoza potstickers.

Each pack of these potstickers has about 20 pieces, making it the perfect appetizer for any get-together.

I like to pair them with some soy sauce mixed with rice vinegar, and garnish with green onions.

I can't believe how awesome Trader Joe's cultured salted butter is.

So many of my favorite Egyptian recipes rely heavily on butter, so I'm always on the hunt for one that's high-quality with an affordable price tag.

Trader Joe's cultured salted butter is my personal favorite, as it tastes amazing, softens in minutes, and elevates every dish.

• I spent two nights on Amtrak's California Zephyr train and booked a $2,200 bedroom with two bunks.
• I spent the first night in the top bunk and the second in the lower cot.
• I slept well in both, but I preferred the top bunk because it made the room feel bigger.

With two nights on the California Zephyr and two beds to choose from, I picked both.

In February 2026, I took the Amtrak sleeper train's full route from Chicago to Emeryville, California. For the 53-hour train journey, I booked a $2,200 bedroom with a foldout couch and an upper bunk. As a solo traveler in a room for two, I spent one night in each cot to see which I preferred.

I got roughly the same amount of sleep in each bunk, but some key differences led me to prefer the top one.

And honestly, you probably won't agree with me.

My Amtrak bedroom was 50 square feet and had two beds.

Inside the bedroom, there was a bathroom on the left, a foldout couch on the right, and a table and chair against the back window. Above the couch was a lever to pull the top bunk down from the ceiling.

Train attendants offer turndown service to set up both beds, but as an experienced overnight train traveler (I've spent 193 hours on them), I did it myself.

I spent my first night in the top bunk.

When I pulled the top bunk down from the ceiling, I found a ladder, straps to hook to the ceiling, and bedding. I hooked the ladder to the end of the bed and climbed up to fix the straps. There was also a pair of pockets on the wall where I stored my water bottle and phone.

The shakiness of the train felt more prominent in the top bunk, but I didn't mind it.

If you're new to overnight train travel, I wouldn't recommend the top bunk. The shakes and rumbles of the rails felt more intense up there than on the couch below. But I've slept on so many trains that this motion rocks me to sleep now.

I slept for seven hours and woke up feeling well rested.

Sleeping up top made me feel like a kid again.

I slept in the top bunk above my brother growing up. Back then, it felt like just another mundane detail of my day. But as an adult, lying up there in that Amtrak bed, I was overwhelmed with nostalgia. It was like traveling back in time and having the chance to appreciate something I never did as a kid.

The best part of the top bunk was that it made the room feel bigger.

With the couch still intact, adding the top bunk gave the tiny space another piece of furniture without taking up more square footage. I stored my belongings on the couch below and used the bunk as a loft throughout the next day.

On the second night, I slept in the bottom bunk.

Beneath each corner of the couch was a pedal that read "Push for bed." With my foot on the pedal, I pulled the bar spanning each cushion to make the bed. I had easy access to the power outlets and a cupholder by the window.

The bottom bunk felt larger than the top bunk, but it made the room feel smaller.

The bottom bunk was wider than the top bunk, so I had more room to stretch out. At the same time, the lower bunk took up a lot of the floor space. I suddenly felt cramped. There was no longer space to stand in front of the sink, so I brushed my teeth in bed. I stuffed all of my belongings in the corner of the room.

I slept for eight hours in the bottom bunk and felt just as well rested as I did the day before.

In the bottom bunk, I woke up with a view.

The window in my room was only visible from the bottom bunk. So I appreciated waking up, opening the curtains, and seeing the sunrise without leaving my bed.

It may have been smaller and shakier, but the top bunk has my heart.

I'm sure most would prefer the bottom bunk for its size and slightly smoother ride, but on future overnight Amtrak trips, I'll always take the top bunk.

If I'm riding solo, it'll make the room feel bigger. But even if I'm not, I'll give my partner the bigger bed and enjoy feeling like a kid again.

• I was laid off after 10 years working at the media company.
• I'm unemployed in my 50s and can't find a job; instead, I'm doing side gigs.
• I wonder where I fit in the current job market as an unemployed 50-something-year-old.

I was one of the first Twitter "influencers" back before it even had an app. When Facebook launched pages, I was the first gay journalist to have one after they helped me set one up, complete with the blue "verified" checkmark that actually meant something before they started selling them.

I grew another Facebook page to over a million followers, and the Library of Congress archived my old blog as an important part of the internet.

I spent 20 years helping to build the online journalism ecosystem into what it is today. So why can't I find a job in digital journalism now that I'm unemployed for the first time in 20 years?

I have a sneaking suspicion it's because of my age.

I was laid off after decades in the media business

I started my own site in the early days of blogging, back in 2004. After 10 years, I sold it to a media company and went to work for them.

I stopped focusing on my own social media presence to build the media company's accounts. The publications needed the awards and recognition more than I did, I thought. I invested in them instead of myself.

They laid me off a few days before I'd have been there for 10 years.

I know I'm not the only one. Editors, journalists, and professional copywriters are laid off weekly. LinkedIn is now chock-full of professionals bemoaning that they're on layoff lists.

Many have most likely been replaced with AI programs. AI doesn't want paid holidays, vacation time, or health insurance. It definitely doesn't need to plan for retirement.

I wonder how much my age is factored into my struggles

Now I'm scraping by on Substack subscriptions, monetized social media content, and freelance writing. None of those are 401(k) boosters.

During the one interview I've landed, a person half my age told me that my résumé was impressive, but the follow-up question was, "When do you see yourself retiring?"

When will I retire? When I hit the lottery.

There's a particular type of despair that arises when you realize that you have to justify 20 years' worth of work in one paragraph that will impress an AI bot.

Toss in the fact that I never finished my college degree, and I've got even less of a chance of bypassing the AI screeners who always tell me I forgot to enter my higher education qualifications.

Job listings I'm now seeing require a master's degree and an active TikTok account to land a minimum wage job pitching influencers to shill a corporation's latest product. Sure, I've got thousands of followers across multiple platforms, but have I done the latest TikTok dance trend? That's considered experience now.

Add in that I moved to Mexico City three years ago

Most job listings for remote positions require you to be based in the US. While my bank account is American and I pay American taxes, companies don't want to deal with a cross-border hire.

Now I'm not just older, I'm complicated.

I don't want to retire; I want to pay my bills. I miss leading teams and being useful in a way that feels more immediate.

Until I can again, I tweak résumés, rebuild my social media presence, grow my newsletter, write the best cover letters I can, and hope for the best.

It's been challenging, but I'm hopeful that my best years aren't behind me.

• The US Army and industry partners are making drones, sensors, and weapons talk to one another.
• Decades-old barriers prevented systems from connecting, forcing personnel to be the link.
• Lessons from Ukraine and the Army's new warfighting software have inspired the changes.

US Army leaders are trying to break down the decades-old technology barriers that have kept weapons, sensors, and command systems from easily sharing information, a critical step as the service pushes to make battlefield decisions faster.

A recent exercise, the Project Jailbreak hackathon, brought top defense companies and the Army together to connect counter-drone systems, air and missile defenses, command systems, drones and uncrewed systems, and other weapons, getting these disparate systems speaking the same language.

Updates were made and are already being pushed out to soldiers, including those deployed in the Middle East.

"If you're not a technologist, think about your daily life. Imagine if every accessory you have — light bulbs, toaster, TVs — had a different way to connect," Alex Miller, the Army's chief technology officer, told reporters on Thursday. Imagine "your toaster didn't plug into the outlet," he said, and "you had to find a special adapter."

That condition is what the Army's dealt with for decades, forcing soldiers to be what Miller described as the "integration point" between different systems, "which does not scale well if you are cold, tired, wet, and hungry operating on 20-hour days." Troops would have to manually input data for battlefield decision-making, spending more time going back and forth between all the different systems.

That slows the decision-making process when speed matters.

The service's new approach builds on the Army's commercial software-inspired approach to developing its new command and control system, as well as lessons from Ukraine.

Army Secretary Dan Driscoll said that the "aha" moment for the hackathon came after seeing how Ukraine integrated drones, sensors, and weapons into its battle management program Delta during a trip in Germany.

"A lightbulb went off," he said. "Everything I had seen over the previous 16 months was simply not as integrated, simple, or effective for the warfighter. I realized we had to move right now."

Defense firms Anduril, Boeing, General Dynamics, L3Harris, Leidos, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Palantir, Perennial Autonomy, and RTX were all apart of the hackathon. Engineers from the firms came together with the Army, cracked open the technologies behind their systems, and began sorting out how to have them talk to one another.

While some vendors have done this before, this was the first time the Army had approached the problem at this scale and taken on the older technical standards that shaped how those systems connect.

"We crippled our partners by stating their systems were classified at inception, which impedes modern development practices, and mandating they interface directly with decades-old standards instead of implementing new technology," Miller said.

Some fixes have already been sent to soldiers, including forces in the Middle East. Miller said the Army's goal is to have the rest deployed within the next 30 days. Future hackathons will bring in other weapons, like long-range precision fires. And the Army will start applying these approaches to the new systems it acquires.

"This is the foundation," Brent Ingraham, assistant Army secretary for acquisition, logistics, and technology, said. "As we go beyond the scope of this sprint in integrated air and missile defense and get into fires, current ground vehicles, and intel platforms, we will perform similar functions to ensure backward compatibility."

Over the past year, the Army has undergone rapid transformation as it adopts new weapons, commercial software development practices, and tries to break down data silos, the isolated systems that prevent information from moving quickly across the force. A leading program in this effort has been Next Generation Command and Control, the service's new warfighting software.

NGC2, which has been in continual development with both the Army's 4th Infantry Division at Fort Carson in Colorado and the 25th Infantry Division in Hawaii, uses open architecture, meaning it is designed so new tools from different vendors can be added more easily. NGC2 has also helped the Army move data faster and add automated tools for tasks such as estimating ammunition needs.

Army leaders have said the speed of future war will require technology that can be updated quickly, features more streamlined communications between different weapons and systems, and employs artificial intelligence to help match pace and relieve some cognitive load for soldiers sorting through the data.

• My family of five moved in with my parents earlier this year.
• It took my parents a bit of an adjustment period to get used to us in their space.
• Now, they don't want us to leave.

When my siblings and I moved out of home in our late teens and early 20s, my mom really struggled with the empty nest syndrome. Even years later, when we were getting married and having babies of our own, she would talk about how much she missed her four kids.

Never in a million years did she ever think any of us would be back living at home as adults. But as fate would have it, here I am, age 41, living with my mom and dad, along with my three kids and husband.

In January, my family of five moved from country Victoria, Australia, to the Gold Coast, my hometown. To save money, my folks offered us the bottom level of their double-story home. For the first couple of months, they were overseas traveling, and then in March, our multigenerational living story began.

I'm not going to lie — it did take time for my folks to adjust to sharing their space. After all, they had lived alone in the family home for 20-odd years. Suddenly, there were boisterous (and often messy) kids tearing around, and two extra adults in the house.

However, after setting a few ground rules, we soon got into a nice daily rhythm, and they are now genuinely loving having us around. The other day, my mom even said she didn't want us to leave.

I know that my folks are the ones doing us the favor, not the other way around. We haven't had to pay rent for four months or worry about buying furniture after the interstate move. But funnily enough, I think my parents are also benefiting from the multigenerational living arrangement in various ways.

More security and safety

My parents are doing pretty well for their age, but their health has still declined in recent years. I think having my husband and me around has improved their sense of safety, as we can offer care and assist during emergencies.

The other day, my 81-year-old dad took a tumble at the top of the stairs. Ordinarily, my 77-year-old mom would have had to heave him up on her own or call my brother or sister to dash over. But because I was downstairs working and heard the thud, I ran upstairs and checked he was OK.

Likewise, when my mom deteriorated rapidly from a bacterial lung infection recently, my husband and I made the decision to call an ambulance. I'm glad we did, as she ended up staying in the hospital for a week. If we weren't around, my dad would have had to deal with the situation on his own or call my siblings to assist.

Built-in companionship

We try to give each other plenty of space, but we still spend a lot of time together throughout the day. Every morning, I have tea with my dad, and during my lunch break, I eat with my folks. We also share nightly meals and chat about the day's events.

When us kids left, I think mom struggled with grief, loneliness, and a loss of purpose. But now, their home is filled with laughter and grandkids. My parents don't get a chance to feel lonely, and they are still very much needed.

Household help and shared responsibilities

Being a double-story house, Mom and Dad's home takes a lot of energy to maintain, especially for two older people. But having two extra adults taking care of the property has eased the burden on my folks.

My husband handles most of the yard maintenance and any heavy lifting, while I cook, do housework, and assist with tech issues. I really didn't want to create any extra strain on my folks, so we are trying our hardest to be of value to them.

Everybody wins

Overall, multigenerational living has been deeply rewarding to both us and to my folks. It has injected vibrant new energy into our old family home, created extra support for my parents, and made us feel like we are 'part of the village.'

I'm sure there are times when my parents long for a bit of peace and quiet, or when they want to scream after sitting down on the couch, only to find a Nerf bullet or stray Barbie arm poking into their backside. But there have been so many unexpected upsides, and I'm really glad I returned to the nest, 41 and all.

• When my son was young, I let myself dream one day and made a list of what I'd do with endless money.
• Those things seemed impossible when swirling around in my head, but on paper, they didn't.
• The list became a vision board, and then, it helped me plan and build my future.

By the time my son was almost 1, I had a small amount of savings and a part-time job, but I wasn't exactly flush with cash. Still, I was slowly emerging from the financial survival mode I had been in for most of my 20s, focusing solely on caring for my first baby.

Finances began to dominate my concerns as I became serious about building a stable future for us. I didn't want to be so worried about money forever. But first, I wanted to fantasize — just for a moment — about what I'd do with my life if money were a non-issue.

Just for a moment, I wanted to pretend I didn't have to worry about money

I sat down at the kitchen table while my son took his afternoon nap. He was about 10 months old then. With a cup of coffee, I allowed myself to dream. I wrote "Wishlist" at the top of a blank spiral notebook sheet, and then started listing bullet items. It took less than five minutes.

When I was done, I started examining each item on its own: Go to Paris, Buy my own house, Finish my degree, Become a teacher, Get us whatever we need without worrying, Get a dog, Start a business. When they'd been stirring around in my mind all together, these things seemed outlandish. Own my own home as a single person? It didn't seem possible — until I saw it written down on that paper, and started truly thinking about what it would take to make it happen.

Broken down individually, these things suddenly looked much more attainable. Yes, it'd still take a lot of time and effort to achieve, and I may not get them all — or all at the same time — but it wasn't impossible for me to build the life I wanted for myself and my son. For example, finishing my degree wasn't really that crazy when I started thinking about it. By applying for financial aid or loans and saving up for tuition, I knew it wouldn't be impossible to complete just two years of college to finish my Bachelor's degree.

My wishlist started looking more like a blueprint for our future

I saw that college was really one of the first steps to getting the rest of the things that I had written down. With a degree, I knew I could earn more money. With the possibility of a dependable income in mind, I could now visualize us in our own house — with that dog! I foresaw less worry about expenses, like clothes, groceries, and even extras, such as more travel and eating out.

My son is 12 now. Since I wrote that list over a decade ago, I have started a couple of businesses while finishing my degree. And yes, I even bought my own house, and we got a dog. It was by no means easy or fast. After I sat down at my kitchen table, it took a total of five years — and very little rest — to achieve all of that.

We haven't yet made it to Paris, but I was so proud to take us on a "real" vacation — with airplanes, rental cars, and hotels — to Vermont one summer. While I was able to work for some of the things that I once thought were far-fetched, the financial concern never went away. I still worry about paying for things we need sometimes, but I also try to alleviate the anxiety by reassuring myself that I always figure it out.

Without realizing it, I was designing our future that day

After I finished my degree, I taught English for six years. I now know that what I did that day with my wishlist was backward planning, a strategy in which you start with the final goal or assessment and work backward to determine the steps needed to get there. All of my bullet list items were final goals. Once the goals were clear, it was easier to determine the steps to get there.

Or maybe when I allowed myself to dream that day and wrote down my desires on that piece of paper, part of me was manifesting my future. By taking that small step, I could see that the things I wanted weren't really that out of reach — with the right amount of foresight and planning, of course. For the next several years, that list was basically my vision board.

Money makes things easier sometimes, but I no longer view it as a barrier

I thought money stood in the way of everything I dreamed of, but it didn't. Once I saw that there was a way to get to where I wanted to go, with the right plan, the world opened up a little more for me. My wishlist was powerful, because I saw that with enough drive, nothing should really stop me from going after my dreams.

• I went to Las Vegas for a work conference and met my future husband there.
• Within 24 hours, I told him I'd follow him anywhere.
• Thirteen years later, I'm married to him and raising our children in Trinidad and Tobago.

Thirteen years ago, I flew from Atlanta to Las Vegas for a work conference. I thought I was going to learn how to build a business: strategies, contacts, maybe some motivation. I did not know I was walking into the room where I would meet the man I would eventually marry.

I was 25 and tired of dating men who looked good on paper but didn't feel right in real life. From the outside, some of the men I dated seemed impressive: money, status, ambition, the kind of résumés many women are told to want. But something was always missing.

So when I received an invitation to a work conference for a direct-selling business I'd recently joined, I was more than willing to meet someone new.

I was ready to settle down and find my partner

Before the trip, I made changes that felt dramatic at the time. I cut off the locs I'd been growing for more than four years. I stopped dating. I changed the names of several men in my phone to "Do Not Answer." I made a private vow to stop entertaining almost-right men while praying for the right one.

On the flight to Las Vegas, I couldn't sleep, which almost never happens. I kept shifting in my seat, restless in a way I couldn't explain. Eventually, I pulled out my cream-colored journal and jotted down everything I wanted in a husband.

Nine bullet points. Not a fantasy list — an honest reckoning with the kind of man I wanted to love, trust, and follow.

I met my husband while waiting in line at the conference

The next morning, I woke up late. One hour before the conference doors opened, I rushed downstairs in four-inch heels to find the line already wrapped around the corner.

The conference had attracted people from many countries, and the hallway was full of accents. One caught my attention: warm, rhythmic, unfamiliar. A man smiled at me, which was enough of an invitation to make an instant friend. I joined him in line, grateful for the rescue.

We made small talk, but then I looked up and saw another man standing nearby.

Tall. Handsome. A Caribbean rhythm in his voice. Something about him stopped me. It was an immediate knowing — the kind that sounds ridiculous when you say it out loud.

I was looking at my husband.

He was from Trinidad and Tobago and had only arrived in America three days earlier. This was his first time in the US. He wasn't trying to impress me with what he had or who he knew. He was calm, sure of himself, and something about him made me feel safe.

We've since built a life together

The next day, after barely 24 hours, I said something that still shocks me.

"I don't know where Trinidad is on the map," I told him. "But I'll follow you wherever you go."

I meant it. Thirteen years later, I am married to him and raising our children in Trinidad and Tobago. I moved here because it felt like a beautiful place to raise my children.

They get to grow up climbing mango, coconut, and plum trees in our backyard, connected to nature in a way I didn't experience growing up in inner-city Baltimore.

The hardest adjustment has been being far from my immediate family, but the peace and simplicity here have been worth it.

I went to Las Vegas looking for business advice. I left with a future I could never have planned for myself.

• Russia hunts Ukrainian drone operators, units, and command centers.
• As a result, Ukraine tries to keep them on the move and concealed and underground.
• A Ukrainian defense official said the West should take heed, even though it makes things expensive.

RIGA, Latvia — The West would do well to make sure that its future drone units and command centers are mobile and ideally underground because they are such high-value targets, a Ukrainian defense official said.

The West is investing heavily in drone warfare and tactics after seeing how effective they have been in the war in Ukraine, and Ukraine has hard-earned lessons to offer.

One of the lessons Taras Berezovets, the head of the military cooperation department of Ukraine's Territorial Defense Forces, a branch of the country's armed forces, said the West can learn from its experiences is just how high-value drone units and command centers are as targets and how much effort is required to protect them.

"This war, especially in terms of the drone war, is like a cat-and-mouse game. The Russians are always searching for the locations of our drone units," he said, so Ukraine is always relocating them, especially if there is a chance they have been exposed.

Speaking at a drone summit in Latvia attended by Business Insider, he said that Western allies also need to consider building drone command centers "deeper underground."

"This is much more expensive, but with Russians and our Ukrainian experience, you can believe that it's always better to hide these command centers and training centers deeper underground," Berezovets said.

He said, "They should be as deep as possible."

Berezovets said that the lesson may be harder to apply in the smaller NATO countries, which have less room than Ukraine to keep relocating drone units and command centers. Ukraine is nearly 10 times the size of Latvia, and in smaller countries, he said, "it would be much harder for you to find these locations."

As an alliance, NATO gains more depth by dispersing units across its members, but in a wartime situation, moving command centers, training sites, and combat drone units across borders would bring its own complications, from logistics and communications to permissions and coordination.

Many of Ukraine's drone command centers are kept concealed and operate underground when they can. Some centers have been built as mobile vehicle-based systems, with the command apparatus established inside trucks and armored vehicles.

Drone operators also regularly operate from concealed or underground positions, flying their drones as remotely as possible to stay safe.

Drone command centers, which can range from small to large operations, are high-value targets because they coordinate the work of high-impact weapons. Ukraine says drones are causing 90% of Russia's front-line losses. Ukraine has also publicly celebrated when it has hit Russian drone command centers.

And it's not just command posts that are in the crosshairs. Individual Ukrainian drone operators are also priority targets.

Ukrainian soldiers and officials have described drone pilots as Russia's top targets, and Berezovets called them "the primary targets for Russian units," saying that "they are trying to kill them." The threat extends up the chain as well. The head of Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces said last year that Russia had tried to strike multiple Ukrainian drone unit leaders at once.

These warnings align with growing realizations that for future fights, Western militaries will need to be more mobile, discreet, and dispersed.

Sir John Stringer, NATO's Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe, told Business Insider that Ukraine demonstrates that what the West has become used to in the decades since the Cold War, the "big single air operation center, which a lot of people have grown up with over the last sort of 35 years," is no longer viable.

Force dispersal comes with complications though. "The more distributed it becomes, the more difficult and challenging it is," he said.

Some Ukrainian defense companies have said their Western counterparts should consider no longer producing in a single large site, but instead break up their efforts across multiple locations. It makes the work harder, they say, but it's safer.

Many Ukrainian companies break up their work like this to avoid being a target, and some also work underground.

Achi, the CEO of Ukrainian defense firm Ark Robotics, told Business Insider that the company makes sure to keep different parts of "manufacturing independently from the other" and is flexible about location.

"We try to avoid building a gigafactory. I would love that, to be honest, I think this is literally the best way to do it. You build a huge factory, everything is in there," he said, speaking using a pseudonym as a security precaution.

But even as the company explores manufacturing in other parts of Europe, it still wants to keep that principle, and thinks the wider defense industry there should learn that lesson.

Achi said that "as default for defense-based manufacturing going forward, you don't want to have huge factories in one place because they are these targets. " He called it "a much deeper long-term lesson" rather than something that only companies in Ukraine need to pay attention to.

Karmo Saar, the head of sales for Estonian company Krattworks, which makes drones used by Ukraine, told Business Insider that some of Ukraine's big drone makers have more than 15 production sites, even though it would be easier and cheaper to run everything in one big facility. He said the rest of Europe needs to learn from that, warning that if a war starts, "I think we're going to be punished."

• This post originally appeared in the BI Today newsletter.
• You can sign up for Business Insider's daily newsletter here.

California vs. Texas

It's one of America's longest-running debates: Which state is better, and in particular, the better place to live?

The pandemic turbocharged this discussion, as people moved from California to Texas in droves. Recently, my colleague Alcynna Lloyd reignited the debate for BI readers.

She wrote about a family that left California for Texas in search of a lower cost of living. Instead, they found themselves unhappy with much of the experience and are now planning a return to the Golden State.

The piece struck a nerve.

Readers left nearly 700 comments on our recently launched comments section, which gives you the chance to engage directly with our journalism and each other. Alcynna also got roughly 100 emails from people eager to weigh in.

Some said the family made a mistake leaving California in the first place. Others said the family's experience didn't reflect the reality of life in Texas.

We used AI to analyze sentiment in the reader comments on Alcynna's story and found pro-Texas takes seemed to hold a slight majority.

"Texas is very diverse, and not all parts of Texas are the same," one commenter said, adding that life in El Paso — where the family Alcynna spoke to currently lives — can be pretty different from the state's other cities.

Of course, there were plenty of pro-California takes, too.

"As a 4th-generation Texan that moved to California, all I can say is Welcome Back!" wrote a commenter. "Yes, its cheaper to live in Texas, but you get what you pay for."

The reactions got me thinking why this debate remains so heated. For many Americans, the California-versus-Texas question is shorthand for broader societal issues, like affordability, jobs, politics, taxes, culture, and housing.

I'm a New Yorker, but my in-laws are in Dallas. Every time we visit, they make their pitch for us to move there permanently. (Sorry, it isn't happening.)

California or Texas, what's your preferred state to live and why? Let me know what you think at srussolillo@insider.com.

• Some DoorDash and Walmart customers are asking their delivery drivers about their tips.
• Some prefer to give drivers cash tips rather than go through the app.
• DoorDash and Walmart have settled claims that they didn't always pass along tips to drivers.

Some people placing food or grocery delivery orders are asking their drivers: Did you get my tip?

Delivery services from DoorDash to Walmart Spark often ask customers at checkout whether they want to add a tip for the worker delivering their order. High-profile recent settlements have drawn customer attention to the possibility that the full amount may not reach the delivery driver, prompting some customers and drivers to strike up conversations about tips.

Four delivery drivers, three who work for Spark and one who works for DoorDash, told Business Insider that the conversations about tips have become more common over the past year.

Both Spark and DoorDash have settled claims over their tipping practices.

In the latest example, Walmart agreed this year to pay $16 million to settle claims from the Federal Trade Commission, including that it misled its Spark workers "by falsely claiming that 100% of customer tips would actually go to drivers."

Walmart has sent adjustment payments to drivers over the last several months, with the latest tranche going out over the past week, and some drivers receiving several hundred dollars at once, according to screenshots seen by Business Insider.

"Drivers retain 100% of customer-confirmed tips in addition to the base pay for the trip," a Walmart spokesperson said, adding that workers who think a tip has gone missing can contact Spark for support.

"We continue to improve the platform and identify and remedy any issues found," the spokesperson said.

A DoorDash spokesperson said its delivery workers "keep 100% of tips given to them by customers in the DoorDash app. Period." The spokesperson said DoorDash "will immediately investigate" instances where customers or delivery workers believe there was an error.

Some customers are giving cash tips

Tips are a key source of income for gig workers, with gratuities making up most of the earnings for many food delivery workers.

One Virginia Spark driver, who also orders delivery through the Walmart service as a customer, included a $20 tip on an order he placed earlier this month. When it arrived, he asked the delivery worker whether the tip had gone through. The driver showed him his Spark app, which indicated the tip was about $10.

"I was just like, 'Wow, what do we do with this information?" he said.

Two other delivery workers — one who delivers for Spark and another who works for DoorDash — told Business Insider that they regularly get questions from customers about whether they received their tips.

"They'll usually ask me something like, 'Now, I tipped on the app, but does that all go to you?'" said one of the workers, who delivers for Spark in Tennessee.

Some drivers said there are workarounds for customers concerned about their tips.

One Spark driver in South Carolina said some customers have tipped him in cash when he drops off their order. On one recent delivery, he said, a customer handed him a $5 bill and said that she had read about Walmart's settlement with the FTC.

Another worker, who delivers for DoorDash in New Hampshire, said that he encourages customers to tip drivers in cash upon delivery. Besides avoiding questions about who actually receives the gratuity, it also lets customers tip based on how well the driver did with the delivery.

"No other business gets a tip first before service," he said.

Do you have a story to share about Uber, DoorDash, Spark, or another delivery service? Contact this reporter at abitter@businessinsider.com or via encrypted messaging app Signal at 808-854-4501. Use a personal email address, a nonwork WiFi network, and a nonwork device; here's our guide to sharing information securely.

• Graphic artist Julius von Brunk said he learned about job scams when he worked on a cybersecurity team at a bank.
• Desperate to find work, he said he encountered two scams while job-hunting and initially ignored red flags.
• The scams included someone impersonating a bank recruiter and a fake post on LinkedIn.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Julius von Brunk, a 41-year-old graphic designer in New York City who encountered two recruitment scams during a recent job search. His identity and background have been verified. This story has been edited for length and clarity.

I've spent most of my career in graphic design, and from 2023 to 2025, I worked in the cybersecurity department of a large bank. My job was to design newsletters, presentations, and other content about cybersecurity.

Last summer, I began looking for a new job, and I encountered two scams along the way. The first happened early on. I had just left the bank and noticed that some former colleagues from my team had gotten jobs at another bank. I wanted to work there, too. I thought we could get the band back together. But I applied several times and got rejected, including for a position that sounded identical to the one I had previously held.

Out of desperation, I went on LinkedIn and searched for recruiters at the bank. I found somebody whose profile said they were a hiring manager there. The person's account was set to private, so I couldn't tell much about them, but their bio said that if you're looking for a job at the bank, email them at a Gmail address. I thought it was weird that they didn't list a company address.

I emailed this person, and I got a reply within minutes asking me to send over my résumé. I did that and included a brief spiel about who I am, where I'm from, and what I'm looking for. They ignored everything. They wrote back asking me where I'm from and what kind of job I'm looking for. That seemed fishy.

Their grammar was bad, too, which I also thought was weird. Why would an HR person type an email as if they're texting?

Eventually, the person got back to me and came across as angry. They said my résumé was unacceptable. I replied and asked what was wrong with it. They said that to get my résumé up to the bank's standards, I'd need to go to a certain website and pay around $100 for a professional review. I'd then be given a special referral link.

I sensed something was up, but I looked at the website anyway, and it was obviously a scam. I felt kind of embarrassed because I had been emailing with this person for about an hour.

I then dug deeper on LinkedIn and found the actual person that the scammer was trying to impersonate. I messaged her to let her know. I didn't hear back, but maybe 20 minutes later, the fake account disappeared.

The second scam

I discovered the second scam a few months ago, when I found a job listing on LinkedIn for a graphic-design position at Meta. It had the Meta logo, but it wasn't from Meta's LinkedIn page. It was from one called "MetaCareers," and it had zero followers. It was as if they put up the page that same day. It was also full of emojis and seemed to be AI-generated.

I clicked a link in the listing to apply, which took me away from LinkedIn to another site. I then checked a domain registry and found out the site had been purchased the day before from a company that wasn't Meta.

To confirm my suspicion that the job ad wasn't legit, I went back to the new site and followed the instructions to click another link to apply for the job. It took me to a phishing page to try to get my Facebook login. I immediately flagged the original LinkedIn listing to LinkedIn, and within minutes, it was shut down.

After that, I continued searching for graphic design jobs. I applied to hundreds. I would check LinkedIn like a hawk. I would just refresh it every 10 minutes or so and apply to every job within my pay rate.

A brutal job market

Eventually, I got a response from a financial-services firm, which led to a phone screening with a recruiter. The next day, the recruiter called back and asked me if I recognized a person's name, and I did. By sheer coincidence, that person was my former supervisor from a job I had earlier in my career, and she was the hiring manager for the position I was seeking.

I later found out that my former supervisor told the recruiter I was the right person for the role, in part because it required a creative thinker. She knew that I build Lego creations and paint portraits of pop-culture characters in my spare time.

I got the job in April and started earlier this month.

When you're desperate for work, it's easy not to notice these scams at first. You might blindly click on something because all you're doing is searching for jobs from the moment you wake up.

I wrote a lot about my job search on LinkedIn, Reddit, and Facebook, not to get sympathy, but because people may not understand how bad the job market is. There are a lot of scammers. I have 16 years of experience in graphic design, I've worked for big banks, and I couldn't get a job anywhere for months.

A spokesperson for LinkedIn told Business Insider via email:

"Our teams and technology work behind the scenes to spot and stop most scams before they even reach our members. If members do come across anything suspicious, we encourage them to report it so we can quickly take action like we did in both of these scenarios."

• Retail CEOs have a big, complex job — one they are paid handsomely for.
• Publicly traded companies disclose executive compensation details in annual proxy statements.
• Here's what the CEOs of 25 top retail chains made each day last year and how it compares to worker pay.

Leading a major retail company is no small job.

CEOs are responsible for balancing the demands of thousands of workers, customers, and suppliers.

Still, the high stakes are handsomely rewarded, often with eight-figure compensation packages comprising a base salary, company stock, and perks such as corporate jet use and personal security services. (Costco's CEO also gets an Executive Membership to the warehouse club.)

To view that total compensation through another lens, Business Insider reviewed the annual executive pay in recently filed proxy statements from large retailers for 2025 and calculated how much each CEO earned each day of the past year.

By comparison, the median annual pay for retail salespersons in the US was $34,750 in 2024, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

In most cases, these leaders made as much or more in a single day as their average employees earned in an entire year. Some CEOs earned their median worker's pay in a matter of hours. (One notable exception was Costco, due to the company having the highest median worker pay.)

Here's what the CEOs of 25 large retail and restaurant companies made per day last year, in ascending order.

Todd Vasos of Dollar General: $22,365 per day

CEO annual compensation: $8,163,197

Median worker annual compensation: $18,876

Shane O'Kelly of AutoZone: $24,992 per day

CEO annual compensation: $9,121,929

Median worker annual compensation: $25,492

Gerald Morgan of Texas Roadhouse: $29,650 per day

CEO annual compensation: $10,822,133

Median worker annual compensation: $20,524

Jack Sinclair of Sprouts Farmers Market: $31,554 per day

CEO annual compensation: $11,517,223

Median worker annual compensation: $32,554

William Stengel of Genuine Parts Company: $35,242 per day

CEO annual compensation: $12,863,479

Median worker annual compensation: $38,901

Ron Vachris of Costco: $38,171 per day

CEO annual compensation: $13,932,597

Median worker annual compensation: $49,186

Ronald Sargent of Kroger: $39,452 per day

CEO annual compensation: $14,400,108

Median worker annual compensation: $34,552

Michael Creedon of Dollar Tree: $40,480 per day

CEO annual compensation: $14,775,215

Median worker annual compensation: $16,214

Lauren Hobart of Dick's Sporting Goods: $41,380 per day

CEO annual compensation: $15,103,545

Median worker annual compensation: $11,259

Joshua Kobza of Restaurant Brands Inc.: $41,534 per day

CEO annual compensation: $15,159,780

Median worker annual compensation: $11,075

Kecia Steelman of Ulta Beauty: $42,202 per day

CEO annual compensation: $15,403,663

Median worker annual compensation: $11,883

Scott Boatwright of Chipotle: $42,356 per day

CEO annual compensation: $15,460,000

Median worker annual compensation: $17,446

Ted Decker of Home Depot: $44,359 per day

CEO annual compensation: $16,191,127

Median worker annual compensation: $37,881

Bob Eddy of BJ's Wholesale Club: $45,693 per day

CEO annual compensation: $16,678,036

Median worker annual compensation: $26,797

Corie Barry of Best Buy: $47,524 per day

CEO annual compensation: $17,346,126

Median worker annual compensation: $32,018

James Conroy of Ross Stores: $47,690 per day

CEO annual compensation: $17,406,705

Median worker annual compensation: $10,059

Chris Turner and David Gibbs of Yum Brands: $49,054* per day

CEO annual compensation: $17,904,655*

Median worker annual compensation: $15,346

*Chris Turner took over as CEO from David Gibbs in October 2025, and the company presented the combined amount that each individual received for the portion of the year served in the role.

Chris Kempczinski of McDonald's: $56,369 per day

CEO annual compensation: $20,574,525

Median worker annual compensation: $19,020

Marvin Ellison of Lowe's: $59,128 per day

CEO annual compensation: $21,581,889

Median worker annual compensation: $37,371

Brian Cornell of Target: $59,808

CEO annual compensation: $21,830,088

Median worker annual compensation: $27,506

Ernie Herrman of TJX Companies: $72,886 per day

CEO annual compensation: $26,603,537

Median worker annual compensation: $14,994

Doug McMillon of Walmart: $80,112 per day

CEO annual compensation: $29,240,930

Median worker annual compensation: $30,520

Brian Niccol of Starbucks: $84,912 per day

CEO annual compensation: $30,992,773

Median worker annual compensation: $17,279

Hal Lawton of Tractor Supply Co: $88,431 per day

CEO annual compensation: $32,277,194

Median worker annual compensation: $24,376

Laura Alber of Williams-Sonoma: $91,226

CEO annual compensation: $33,297,422

Median worker annual compensation: $24,943

• Substack wants to be a place where people come to watch TV.
• Cofounder Hamish McKenzie pitched Substack's vision of interactive, creator-led TV.
• Substack faces stiff competition ranging from free streamers like YouTube to paid ones like Netflix.

What if your favorite TV show was also a blog? With a livestream? And you could interact directly with the creators and stars in the comment section?

That's part of Substack cofounder Hamish McKenzie's vision for how the platform can expand beyond newsletters. Substack wants its HBO moment.

Substack launched a TV app in January, and McKenzie said he sees a future where people use the platform to subscribe to their favorite channels, studios, or independent filmmakers — along with listening to podcasts, reading the written word, and commenting.

"It's already happening," McKenzie told Business Insider in an interview during an all-day event this week.

Feet away from McKenzie was Ben Sinclair, the creator and star of HBO's "High Maintenance," which aired from 2016 to 2020. His latest project, "The SUR Experience," isn't dropping weekly episodes on a streaming service. It's not on YouTube, either. It's on Substack.

Substack's major move into video began last year when it rolled out a live video feed and Jim Acosta, formerly of CNN, started broadcasting from the platform.

"The opportunity is to help their customer base of creators deepen and embolden paid audience relationships through another medium, which is video," Brandon Katz, an entertainment strategist and director at Greenlight Analytics, said of Substack's foray into video.

Substack has grand ambitions, but it has an uphill battle competing with other free and paid video streamers, from Netflix to TikTok, and it would have to train users to think of it as more than a newsletter platform.

The biggest obstacle to Substack's success in video might be how much of a juggernaut YouTube has become. YouTube is no longer just a fixture on phones. It's also the top streaming service on TVs in the US, and it's aggressively pitching advertisers to win TV budgets.

"You go home, you sit on your couch, you open the YouTube app, and you watch this television show the same way that you would any other television show," Kareem Rahma, the "Subway Takes" creator, said this month at a premiere for his new YouTube show, "Keep the Meter Running."

'There'll be people in the comments every show'

McKenzie said Substack isn't trying to replicate the old TV model, built around half-hour episode series funded by 30-second spots.

Instead, the Substack version of television he has in mind is more like a web series, funded by sponsorships. He pointed to the original episodes of "High Maintenance," which varied in length from a few minutes to 15 minutes, for example.

Part of his pitch to creators is that, unlike traditional TV companies, Substack offers commenting tools that let creators build a direct relationship with their show's fans.

Imagine, he said, if a series like "Succession" had aired on Substack instead of HBO.

"There'll be people in the comments every show, there'll be live chats all the time about it," McKenzie said. "There'd be behind-the-scenes Substack lives going on every so often."

Creating an interactive TV experience is no easy feat, however. TV has largely been a lean-back phenomenon — in part because of consumer preference.

"Media has been trying to get interactive TV right for years, and nobody has quite nailed it yet," Katz said.

Then there's the question of whether "Succession" could have gotten anywhere near the buzz it did had it not had the backing — both financial and cultural — of HBO. It had an estimated production budget of around $90 million per season, according to TheWrap.

HBO's brand and audience reach are key to creating viral shows.

McKenzie said a big draw for creators would be the ability to keep making money from a show's community even after it ends.

"The show makers would be continuing to make the money from those subscriptions, and they'd be keeping the 90% of the revenue," he said.

Will the subscribers stick around, though? That remains to be seen.

Substack's TV era is upon us

At Substack's "The Once and Future Media Forum" conference in New York City, Sinclair presented the backstory of his show to a crowd of writers and other media figures.

Sinclair initially made a Substack to document his journey weaning off of marijuana (notably, his HBO series was all about the substance). Then he started posting content about a cult.

"What's interesting about Substack is that you are able to get something that writing can only give you," Sinclair said. "Which is a clear, undisturbed inner monologue of what's going on with the character, and people come to Substack because they want to get into somebody's head and into somebody's subjective experience."

The show's concept is, frankly, too meta to summarize accurately.

In one video posted to Substack, Sinclair pitches a web series to McKenzie (starring as himself) alongside one of the show's characters (the cult's leader) and asks for millions of dollars. The plea is rejected, and McKenzie reassures Sinclair that Substack is a useful platform for building an audience and earning money from those fans.

In reality, Substack is funding some shows to seed the ecosystem (although not Sinclair's).

Caroline Chambers, Substack's top creator in the food and drink category, is gearing up to launch a cooking show series on YouTube and Substack.

Behind the scenes, Substack is funding some of the production costs for Chambers' show. Substack is also helping connect creators with production crews.

"We see ourselves as providing infrastructure," McKenzie said. "We're not editorially in control. We don't own anything. We're not putting the thumbs on the scale in terms of distribution, but we can help certain people like Caroline who really want to do a show."

As the platform pushes the boundaries of what type of media it supports, McKenzie knows that not every Substacker wants to, or will, turn to video. Creators on the platform can "pick and choose" from a smorgasbord of formats — maybe that's video for some, newsletters for others.

"History has shown us that cost-controlled experimentation and expansion is the way forward," Katz, the strategist, said. "Remaining static in a constantly changing and volatile media ecosystem is not an option."

• Everyday investors say they have one concern about SpaceX's IPO.
• Three traders told Business Insider they don't see how SpaceX's 13-figure valuation can be justified.
• The company is expected to make its historic debut in the stock market in June.

SpaceX will make a historic stock-market debut in the coming weeks, but some retail traders say there's one thing stopping them from buying on day one.

Everyday investors speaking with Business Insider said that the colossal valuation is hard for them to get behind. Elon Musk's rocket company will likely be the largest IPO in history, with an expected valuation of $1.75 trillion to $2 trillion and $75 billion raised when it offers shares to investors.

For some retail traders watching from the sidelines ahead of the IPO, those numbers are tough to swallow. A big concern is that SpaceX stock will ride the hype of its IPO to stratospheric levels, before potentially plummeting as early investors and insiders cash out and other shareholders sour on the narrative that's boosting the valuation of a company that's not profitable.

Neil Rozenbaum, a 32-year-old retail investor with stakes in other tech giants, including Elon Musk's Tesla, said he believes SpaceX is an "amazing company," but overhyped heading into its IPO.

Rozenbaum speculated SpaceX's IPO could look like a lot of other IPOs that soared out of the gate and then tumbled. He pointed in to Cerebras Systems, a chipmaker that kicked off this year's AI-linked IPO boom earlier this month. The stock soared 68% on its first day of trading, but has dropped more than 20% since.

"You start comparing how much revenue a company generates, how much profit, and then you start seeing the big difference and something doesn't make sense," he told Business Insider in an interview. "Would I want to own SpaceX eventually? Yes, but probably not on day one."

"To me, an ideal scenario, if I could buy it at $500 billion, I would be very happy, but I don't know if that's going to happen," he added, referring to the valuation.

Rozenbaum said he's looking at better opportunities in the market in the meantime, such as beaten-down software stocks that haven't joined in the latest rally.

Bilaal Dhalech, a 30-year-old investor based in Toronto, also said he was wary about the valuation. He's "very bullish" on the company long-term, but said he would also be sitting on the sidelines for its coming IPO.

Dhalech pointed to the company's nearly $5 billion loss on $18.7 billion of revenue in 2025.

Other tech giants, such as Nvidia, Meta, and Microsoft, are generating "significantly larger" cash flow and show better profitability relative to valuations, he said.

"I'd rather wait for volatility to settle and potentially look for a better entry after a pullback," he said.

Other investors are skeptical of the business more broadly. Marko Greguric, a 27-year-old trader, said he believes SpaceX's prospectus to go public — which detailed, among other projects, the company's ambitions to mine asteroids and build a small community on Mars — read like a "crazy sci-fi book."

"I think the prospectus is just too crazy," he said, adding that he had no plans to invest unless it produced tangible profits.

He added that he was considering dumping his shares of Tesla, out of fear that SpaceX's decline could also drag down Musk's car company.

He also worried that the IPO would be an opportunity for current investors to leave retail holding the bag.

"The main purpose of the IPO is for the smart money, the early investors, to dump their bags on the retail," Greguric said, adding that he believed the firm was "absolutely" overvalued at $2 trillion.

Reservations about SpaceX's lofty valuation have also swirled on prominent investing forums, like Reddit's r/WallStreetBets.

"I'm genuinely trying to understand the bull case, not argue. At a potential $1.5T+ valuation, what is the actual revenue and profit path that gets SpaceX there?" one user wrote last week as SpaceX filed to go public.

"We don't care if the business generates profit," another user replied. "We only care if WE generate profit."

"It is hilarious how even the bulls realize the business case is just smoke and mirrors," another user wrote. "The bull case is Elon musk can convince people to dump a ton of money into this ipo and you need to get out before the first rug pull."

• I went to Makris Athens, a Michelin-starred restaurant in the shadow of the Parthenon.
• Chef Petros Dimas' playful and imaginative dishes are a breath of fresh air in the world of fine dining.
• Dimas is committed to showcasing Greek ingredients and cuisine, and he delivers beautifully.

What dishes come to mind when you hear the words "Greek cuisine"? I bet I could guess.

A thick pita overflowing with gyro meat, fries poking out like spikes from glistening white tzatziki. Maybe a colorful horiatiki salad of cucumber, tomato, and red onion, topped with a thick square of feta. Or perhaps you have a sweet tooth and are fantasizing about baklava, with its flaky phyllo and glossy syrup.

As a proud Greek American, I grew up with (and love) all of the above. I also know there's so much more to Greek cuisine than the same few things.

So on a trip back to my parents' homeland, I decided to explore the world of Greek fine dining. I went to dinner at Makris Athens, a Michelin-starred restaurant that explores Greek gastronomy through the kind of wildly playful and imaginative dishes you'd expect to see on "Chef's Table."

It was a meal where nothing was as it seemed — and that was a good thing.

Makris Athens is steeped in Hellenic history.

Located in Athens' Thissio neighborhood, in the shadow of the Parthenon, the three-story restaurant is in a building that once housed the country's first inn. You can eat above its ancient ruins in Makris' private dining room, where the dinner table sits on a glass floor.

If the Acropolis is more your thing, the one-star Michelin restaurant also has a rooftop terrace with views of the famous Greek landmark.

Chef Petros Dimas wanted the restaurant's menu to illustrate the "depth and beauty" of Greek ingredients.

As a young boy, Dimas loved spending time in the kitchen with his mother and grandmother, watching them transform a few simple ingredients into "something beautiful and delicious," he told me. He quickly ditched his toys and started his own garden.

"I wanted to understand where food really came from," he said. "So, I started planting herbs and vegetables, just small things, but it felt magical to grow something with my own hands and then cook with it."

Dimas' parents still take care of the land where he first learned to grow ingredients, but now it's used as a small farm for Makris.

"They grow what's in season — tomatoes, zucchini flowers, herbs, figs. We talk almost every day about what's ready or what's coming next," Dimas said. "It's a beautiful circle. What started in my childhood now directly feeds my restaurant."

My dinner at Makris Athens began on the rooftop.

Not every seat on the roof has a direct view of the Acropolis, and I spotted a few couples trying to negotiate a different table with the staff throughout my two-hour dinner.

I was happy to just enjoy dinner under the sky, but if the view is important to you or you're coming for a special occasion, I'd recommend calling the restaurant ahead of time to secure a prime table.

We ordered cocktails while perusing the different menu options.

A server came by to deliver what, at first, appeared to be small mints. As they poured hot water from a tea kettle onto them, the tiny circles began to bloom like flowers. Our server revealed that these were aromatic napkins, infused with lemongrass.

Delighted and refreshed — summer in Athens is always a little sticky —my fiancé Peter and I began to look at the menu.

Makris Athens has three tasting menus — Genesis (125 euros, or about $146), Utopia (175 euros, or about $204), and the meat-free Physis Vegan (135 euros, or about $157) — as well as the option to order dishes à la carte. Business Insider received a media rate for the meal.

We opted for the eight-course Genesis menu, which Dimas told me "represents beginnings — the roots, the land, the first spark of flavor and life." The Utopia menu explores "dreams and evolution, where creativity takes over, and we explore what's possible."

"Together they tell a story of creation, growth, and imagination. It's almost like a journey from earth to sky," he added.

Our tasting menu began with an amuse-bouche inspired by Dimas' childhood.

The bright-red bite resembled a peony, but our server revealed it was actually a truffle-topped pancake with flavors of cheese and oak honey. It paid homage to a dish that Dimas used to eat with his grandma.

"My childhood memories are always in the background of what I do," Dimas told me. "The smells, the tastes, the feelings of those days — they all come back when I cook."

"With Makris Athens, I wanted to tell a story of returning home, but through a new lens," he added. "It's about rediscovering Greek nature and childhood simplicity, but with the creativity and precision I've learned over the years."

Then came a dish bursting with colorful flowers, with small bites hidden beneath the petals.

Concealed among the yellow, lilac, and white chrysanthemum daisies were mushroom and venison tartlets. The skinny branch shooting past the flowers was made of mushroom scraps.

Dimas told me he frequently tries to capture the garden of his youth through his cooking.

"It's full of memories," he said. "The smell of the soil, the sound of bees, everything."

My favorite dish of the night was the third course, a mushroom soup disguised as a cappuccino.

I've always believed that the best fine dining is about surprise and delight, and the cappuccino course at Makris Athens easily accomplishes both.

Our server dropped off two mugs with an inviting bubble of foam filled to each brim, instantly bringing us back to the morning cappuccinos we had been drinking in Florence, Italy, just a week prior. When he revealed that mushroom soup was waiting inside each cup, our mouths dropped in happy shock.

"Mushrooms remind me of foraging trips in the mountains with my father," Dimas later told me. "The foam on top is made from milk infused with truffle and mushroom, to mimic the look of coffee but taste completely different."

The soup tasted rich and deep, each sip full of umami thanks to the truffle shavings. The accompanying brioche feuilletee pastry was crunchy and airy, the perfect balance of texture and flavor.

The scallop course was another standout.

Our fourth course was a scallop swimming in an incredible sauce of pumpkin and lime. The combination was unexpected but extremely delicious, with the lime adding a zing of acidity that balanced the sweetness of the pumpkin and scallop.

"I want to bottle it up," Peter said as we tried to capture every last drop.

Our bread course came with a menu of olive oils to choose from.

I've never seen an olive oil menu at a restaurant before, and I thought it was a lovely way to show off the bounty of one of Greece's most famous ingredients.

Our server recommended Dr. Kavvadia — an olive oil from the island of Corfu — and poured it into a glass bowl decorated with leaves from Dimas' farm.

It paired beautifully with the warm sourdough bread, as did the butter plated to look like a flower.

The meat and fish courses were beautifully presented, although less memorable.

Dimas' dishes told a clear story throughout the first half of Genesis, showcasing his love for Greek ingredients in a playful way that felt refreshing in the space of fine dining.

Our seafood and meat courses — a supplemental red mullet cooked with its scales and a Hellenic pork iberico — were more traditional. They were cooked well and had a nice flavor, but were pretty forgettable. Both dishes are no longer on Makris' menu, which I think was the right decision.

The chocolate chessboard dessert was a return to playful form, and a magical way to end the meal.

After a refreshing palate cleanser of strawberry and balsamic vinegar sorbet, our server presented Makris Athens' signature dessert with theatrical flair.

The chessboard, which featured a chocolate rook and horse scattered among real pieces, unlocked my own childhood memory. My uncle had taught me how to play chess during my summers in Greece, and I often played matches with him and my dad. To see the board again on my first trip back in over a decade felt kismet.

Our night ended with one last illusion, gold coins made of chocolate. It was a delightful end to an even more delightful dinner.

Dimas is all too aware that Greek cuisine, beloved as it may be, is frequently underestimated.

"For a long time, Greek food wasn't seen as something that could stand behind the great cuisines of the world," he said. "But I've always believed in the depth and beauty of our ingredients and traditions."

That conviction shines brightly throughout Dimas' dishes, constantly tickling the imagination and taste buds. I felt a surge of pride as I ate his food, just as he did when Makris Athens received its first Michelin star in December 2024.

"Getting that recognition showed that Greek cuisine can be refined, creative, and world-class without losing its soul," he told me.

Makris Athens is full of soul, for sure, plus plenty of surprises and nostalgia. I think it's a worthy stop on your next trip to Athens — just get gyros for lunch.

• Christiane Schroeter moved from Germany to the US to pursue higher education and stayed for work.
• High housing and childcare costs in California have significantly affected her family's budget.
• Even with the high expenses, she loves the lifestyle, being near the ocean, and the produce in California.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Christiane Schroeter, a 49-year-old professor of innovation and entrepreneurship and leadership strategist in San Luis Obispo, California. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

I moved from Limburg, Germany, to the US in 1999 as an exchange student for my M.S. degree before returning to Germany to complete additional graduate work. I returned to the US in 2001 as a Fulbright Scholar to pursue my Ph.D. at Purdue University.

After I earned my Ph.D. in 2005, I decided to build my career and my life in the US rather than return to Germany. I had met my husband during my graduate school years, and together we chose to put down roots on the West Coast.

I joined the faculty at Cal Poly in September 2007 and gave birth to my daughter in December of that year. I started a new job, pregnant, while moving across the country. Building a career and a family at the same time, far from my home country, shaped everything I came to understand about the real cost of relocating.

Today, I'm a leadership strategist, professor of innovation and entrepreneurship at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, author of several books about leadership, and a podcaster.

The new country feels last longer than you expect

I was 23 years old when I first moved to the US. I expected the obvious expenses, such as flights, paperwork, and the starter purchases you don't think about until you need them.

What surprised me was how long the newness stayed expensive. Even when your income is objectively higher, fixed costs rise so quickly that it takes very little to feel financially stretched.

I spent hours learning basics I had taken for granted in Germany, like opening bank accounts, building credit from zero, and figuring out what to do when you're asked for a Social Security number before you have one.

I also had to learn how rental contracts, deposits, phone plans, and transportation work in places where you need a car, including registration, insurance, and DMV requirements. Time becomes money fast when you're studying, working, and trying to build a future at the same time.

In Germany, I knew how life worked. In the US, I had to rebuild that knowledge piece by piece.

Housing in California made me realize how quickly additional money gets absorbed

Many people underestimate how dramatically living in California can affect their budget.

For me, one of the highest unexpected monthly costs was the mortgage. Housing was not slightly more expensive. It became the financial anchor that shaped everything else. My husband and I had to make monthly decisions around that number.

Living in California was a genuine upgrade with bigger houses and bigger yards. California's abundance of fresh produce, gorgeous weather, and proximity to the ocean fit my lifestyle better than Germany ever did. The cold, rainy days and a culture I never fully connected with were not the life I wanted.

I would honestly say I live in a "Goldilocks place."

The cost of childcare changed how I thought about security

The hardest trade-off was realizing how expensive support can be when you live far from friends and family. After I delivered my first child, I faced the childcare scramble almost immediately. I remember touring childcare centers and wondering how families afford monthly costs for multiple children. I spoke with mothers who realized that their earnings would nearly match what they were paying for childcare.

At the same time, I was adjusting physically and emotionally to becoming a mother, and when you're far from family, there's no built-in safety net for the unpredictable moment, such as a sick day, a last-minute meeting, or an emergency.

I learned that many US families create a fragile patchwork of childcare and babysitting. If you have children, distance from family is not only emotional but also logistical. It can become one of your highest monthly costs, and one of your biggest mental loads.

On a lesser note, one bill shocked me: our cellphone bill. Our family plan with four phones, two watches, and two iPads is about $300. That may sound routine, but over a year, it feels like a luxury purchase hiding in plain sight.

Healthcare and benefits reshaped my definition of stability

Healthcare in the US introduced another layer of financial awareness. Even with insurance, you still have to pay premiums, deductibles, co-pays, navigate provider networks, and prepare for potential surprise costs.

I remember debating whether to schedule a specialist appointment because I wasn't sure how much it would count toward our deductible. In Germany, that decision would have been straightforward. In the US, it required reviewing the provider network, estimating out-of-pocket costs, and preparing for an unexpected bill.

The upside is real, but so is the pressure

I built the life for which I came here. I built a stable academic career. I built a business. California became home.

In Germany, Sundays were true rest days. Life paused by design. In California, Sundays easily became catch-up days. I realized I had to intentionally create what I now call "Serenity Sunday." It is my way of honoring the German philosophy of working to live while living in an American culture that often feels like living to work.

I don't think I'd move back to Germany now. When I visit, I enjoy it more like a tourist looking in than a native who feels at home. For me, the cost of living in California is worth it, because what I've gained is hard to put on a spreadsheet: independence, a career I couldn't have built anywhere else, and a family rooted in a place I chose.

The price is real, but so is the payoff.

• Zohran Mamdani announced a new plan this week to boost affordable housing in New York City.
• The plan includes building 200,000 new homes, supporting tenants, and rezoning city land.
• The mayor said other cities, like Minneapolis, Seattle, and Vienna, are successful policy examples.

New York City has gone YIMBY.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced his new housing plan on May 26, with an agenda to build 200,000 new affordable homes, convert existing hotels and office buildings into low-cost apartments, and support the city's tenants against "bad landlords." He has endeared himself to the pro-housing, "yes in my backyard" cohort.

The scale of the mayor's affordable housing plans is ambitious, especially for a city as populous and expensive as New York. But City Hall has some tangible inspiration. As Mamdani repeated in a series of press conferences this week, NYC needs to be more like Austin and Minneapolis. Seattle, Vienna, and Auckland also got honorable mentions.

What these cities have in common is fewer zoning regulations and more housing investment from local governments. One of the biggest drivers of skyrocketing housing costs in New York and cities across the country is simple supply and demand: There isn't enough housing for everyone who wants it, allowing home sellers and landlords to hike prices for scarce goods. Some cities that built big have seen rent and home price growth slow or even reverse. Mamdani and pro-building advocates hope that the same can happen in the Big Apple.

"Let the lessons other cities have learned guide our future," the mayor said to a crowd in Astoria, Queens. "Let our size be our strength. Let us implement these policies at scale. Let the largest city in the nation deliver the largest housing transformation this country has ever seen."

Other cities show that increased housing supply lowers cost

Other big cities — both in the US and internationally — have tried similar strategies to boost housing access. Mamdani has pointed to the success of Minneapolis' "2040 plan," which focused on growing housing supply with new, denser builds and increased options for low- and middle-income residents. A paper by researchers at Middlebury College estimated that rents and home prices in the Twin City were 17% to 34% lower than they would have been without the reforms.

Austin successfully lowered median rents by 18.2% between their 2022 peak and 2026 — a difference of $302 per month, a Realtor.com report found. The key reason was an increase in supply coupled with slowing demand: The city invested in building more homes, and migration to Austin dipped compared to COVID-era highs.

Seattle, meanwhile, made zoning reforms to encourage affordable housing and protect tenants. Vienna heavily subsidizes more than half of the city's housing supply, keeping rents low. And Auckland passed legislation to make it easier to build homes and invest in urban infrastructure.

Nikolai Fedak, president and founder of the organization New York YIMBY, told Business Insider that Mamdani's plan is "an excellent first step" to address the housing crisis, and he would like to see the mayor push more market-rate development in neighborhoods with easy access to train and bus lines.

"It is fantastic to see a Mayor begin to embrace the reality of supply and demand curves but we have much farther to go," he said. "And the best and easiest step to make this happen would be razing and replacing neighborhoods of single-family mansions sitting on some of the most valuable and transit-accessible real estate in the entire country."

Mamdani has committed billions of dollars to increase NYC's housing supply, which may help meet demand and encourage more affordable rents. His plan to freeze the rent on the 44% of the city's apartments that are stabilized, however, risks pushing up prices for unstabilized units. St. Paul tried something similar, and one study found that the policy largely cut costs more for higher-income renters, and the rent control was eventually walked back in favor of building new homes.

Alex Jacquez, chief of policy and advocacy at the nonprofit Groundwork Collaborative, told Business Insider that Mamdani's plan "centers around one goal: growth," and the success of these housing projects depends on buy-in from the public and private sectors. Cutting outdated regulations is a good start, he said.

Realtor.com Senior Economist Jake Krimmel — a NYC resident himself — added that he appreciates Mamdani's "yes, and" approach to housing, and said that the mayor has done a solid job with policies that both incentivize developers to build more affordably and appeal to the YIMBY contingent: "To thread that needle is difficult," he said.

Building large-scale affordable housing is a heavy lift. There are funding hurdles at both the City Council and state level, alongside longstanding zoning restrictions that can prevent new construction or the conversion of existing commercial buildings. In NYC, where half of renters spend more than 30% of their income on housing, it's also challenging to make that housing accessible.

The recent overturning of a longtime state cap on home construction in NYC will allow more homes to be built, City Hall has said, and the mayor is working with the state and federal government to ensure future funding for housing projects. The administration also plans to build dense housing on property the city already owns, reducing some cost and regulatory barriers.

"New York City will build," Mamdani said. "And then New York City will build some more."

• AI is a hot topic at 2026 graduations, sparking mixed reactions from graduates and speakers.
• Eric Schmidt faced boos at the University of Arizona for mentioning AI.
• Comedians like Conan O'Brien have found it's a great source for material.

College graduates know they are entering a world reshaped by AI. With few exceptions, they don't want to be reminded about it just before they accept their diplomas.

Across the country, graduation speakers are finding out that AI is one of the most polarizing topics to discuss before the class of 2026.

Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt was roundly booed at the University of Arizona. Journalist Fareed Zakaria felt compelled to give "a trigger warning" before addressing Bard College. The mere announcement of Chris Duffey, head of Adobe's artificial intelligence products and platforms, as Marquette's commencement speaker sparked backlash before the Marquette alum could even return to campus.

AI has become so unpopular that comedians like Conan O'Brien are finding it to be a useful foil.

Here is how business leaders, tech executives, and celebrities are talking about AI at graduations.

Eric Schmidt

Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt received audible boos from students at the University of Arizona's commencement ceremony.

"The question is not whether AI will shape the world. It will," Schmidt said. "The question is whether you will have shaped artificial intelligence."

Schmidt said no one intended to build technology "that would polarize democracies and unsettle a generation of young people," but that's what occurred anyway.

"I know what many of you are feeling about that. I can hear you. There is a fear," Schmidt said, stopping briefly as the shouts intensified. "There is a fear in your generation that the future has already been written, that the machines are coming, that the jobs are evaporating, that the climate is breaking, that politics are fractured, and that you are inheriting a mess that you did not create."

Steve Wozniak

Apple cofounder Steve Wozniak received cheers for a clever wordplay he made about AI during Grand Valley State University's graduation ceremony.

"You have AI — actual intelligence," Wozniak said.

Wozniak said AI was one of many efforts "to create a brain."

"It would take too long to go deeply into what I think about AI, but we've been trying to create a brain," Wozniak said. "Is there a way we can duplicate a routine a trillion times and have it work like a brain? AI is one of those attempts."

Ed Bastian

Delta CEO Ed Bastian said he asked AI to lend him a hand when he was crafting his speech to Emory University graduates. He said the results lacked "soul or warmth."

"You want to hear from me, not some algorithm of me," he told the graduates. "So, don't worry, I threw it away, and took pencil to paper."

Bastian was applauded for his anecdote, which he included as a warning to graduates about taking the easy way out of situations.

"Many times, doing the right thing comes at a cost," he said. "I must admit, taking a shortcut or pushing the 'easy button' can sometimes be more tempting. But they never yield an enduring result or an effective solution."

Scott Borchetta

Record executive Scott Borchetta told Middle Tennessee State University that AI was already rewriting the rules, much like streaming had upended the music business.

"Streaming rewrote the economics. Social media rewrote the discovery model," he said. "AI is rewriting production as we sit here."

As the boos began, Borchetta, who signed Taylor Swift to her first contract and later had a falling out with the superstar over rights to her masters, remained defiant.

"I know it. Deal with it," Borchetta replied, adding, "Like I said, it's a tool."

Borchetta refused to back down.

"Hey, like I said, You can hear me now, or you can pay me later," he said. "Hey, then do something about it, okay? It's a tool. Make it work for you."

Conan O'Brien

Comedian Conan O'Brien leaned into AI's growing unpopularity during his address at Harvard's commencement.

"Don't worry, despite your fears, trust me when I say AI cannot replace you," O'Brien said, adding, "It'll be too busy replacing those creeps from Princeton, anyway."

O'Brien also poked fun at the ways he imagined Harvard professors were catching students using AI.

"Luckily, AI is not a problem at Harvard," O'Brien said. "Here, professors have been able to quickly flag students' use of AI thanks to the sophisticated AI software they use to grade papers."

Jeremy Scott

Fashion designer Jeremy Scott took ripping AI literally when he spoke at the Kansas City Art Institute's commencement ceremony.

Scott congratulated students on reaching the "threshold of a new beginning."

"Sounds kind of cliched, right? Doesn't sound authentic, does it? Sounds like you've heard it before, right? It's because it's AI," he revealed.

Scott then ripped up his AI speech to cheers and applause from the audience. He then extolled what makes human artists truly different.

"Because you know what AI can't do? It can't do what you do. It can't have an original idea," he said. "It can't even differentiate the difference between a good idea, a unique idea, and one that's mediocre."

Magic Johnson

Basketball legend and billionaire Magic Johnson impressed upon Tuskegee University graduates the importance of learning AI.

"AI is not going to replace you at your job," Johnson said. "But somebody who knows AI will replace you at your job."

Johnson, who delivered similar advice during a second commencement address at Stillman College, said students at historically Black colleges and universities need to recognize that AI is "such a huge opportunity for our people."

"This is going to be a $15 trillion global opportunity by 2030," Johnson said. "You have to be involved in AI. Very important."

Ronny Chieng

Comedian Ronny Chieng had a simple message for Harvard students: "Fuck AI."

"I'm here to tell you the mission of your generation is to destroy AI," Chieng said to cheers. "Kill it."

Chieng told attendees at Harvard's 2026 class day event that other graduation speakers telling students to master AI are missing the point.

"The creating is the fun part," he said. "I know this platitude is almost worthy of AI, but the reason shortcuts to skip to the end aren't always good is because the journey isn't just how we acquire skills. The journey is the point of all of this."

Fareed Zakaria

Journalist Fareed Zakaria told Bard graduates that society is asking the wrong questions about AI.

"So people naturally ask: 'What will be left for human beings to do?'" he said. "But, perhaps that's the wrong question. The better question is, 'What does AI tell us about all the things we humans already do — and that are distinctive and irreplaceable?'"

Zakaria gave students "a trigger warning" that he was going to talk about AI in light of the response to Schmidt and other commencement speakers around the country who had been jeered when bringing up the technology.

"Feel free to get the booing out of the way," he said.

The rest of Zakaria's speech focused on HI, or human intelligence, the biology and resulting characteristics that make humans exceptional.

"A machine can write a sad poem, but it cannot weep at a funeral," he said. "The more powerful AI becomes, the more we may rediscover how much we value the distinctly human."

• Older business-class cabin configurations give traveling parents something that pods can't.
• My favorite older cabins to fly so far are Japan Airlines and LOT Polish Airlines.
• Pairs of seats by the window, ones I used to avoid, are my favorite for traveling with little kids.

After nearly a decade of flying in premium cabins, I thought I had business-class travel figured out. Then I became a dad.

Over the past 18 months, my wife and I have traveled extensively with our son from our home on Vancouver Island, Canada, taking advantage of policies that let children under two fly free or at a steep discount.

It's been a major shift from my more than a decade of flying solo. Back then, I cared most about things like direct aisle access, uninterrupted sleep, and working my way through elaborate onboard menus.

But after countless hours of family time at 35,000 feet, my priorities have flipped. The private suite-style pods I once sought out are no longer my favorite — the older seats I used to avoid are.

What those older cabins lack in privacy, they more than make up for in floor space, wider beds, and the ease of entertaining my son during long flights.

So far, he's joined us on 29 flights to nine countries, including France, Georgia, Australia, and Japan. We exclusively use points for long-haul business class tickets, which means we pay a fraction of what can easily run $5,000 to $10,000 per seat.

Cabin layout matters more than the seat itself

As a family, we've flown business class on Air Canada, LOT Polish Airlines, Qatar Airways, and Japan Airlines, and one thing has consistently defined the experience: the cabin layout.

My Qatar and Air Canada flights use a 1-2-1 configuration, with one seat by each window and two seats side-by-side in the center.

One of the biggest advantages of this setup is that every passenger can freely access the aisle, so no one has to climb over a seatmate to get up or move around.

This more premium layout has become the gold standard in modern business class as airlines revamp their cabins to meet booming demand for upscale inflight comfort.

But after several long-haul flights as a parent, I've realized I often prefer the older cabins with a 2-2-2 configuration like on LOT and JAL. These older layouts are generally considered less desirable because window-seat passengers may have to climb over a seatmate if the other person is lying flat.

For families, though, that setup can be a huge advantage.

Having a guaranteed pair of seats together makes it much easier to spread out, pass items back and forth, and manage naps, bottles, and toys during a long flight.

It's also far easier and often cheaper to find award seats, meaning paying with points, in the lower-demand older cabins than in the newest suite-style business class products.

With a baby under two, he travels as a lap infant, which is typically 10% of the adult fare plus taxes and fees on international flights (these costs can vary with point redemptions).

Floor and bed space are everything

One of the main things we've noticed is that there's a lot more real estate for three people to share in open layouts than in closed layouts like the pod-style I previously preferred.

In cabins with 2-2-2 configurations, there's a good amount of floor space shared by the two seats. When the seatbelt sign was off, we'd put down a blanket on the floor, as it's not the cleanest part of a plane, and he'd have space to play.

In most pods, this just isn't an option since there's typically a small space between the bed and the aisle. This means he spent most of his awake time sitting on our laps, and when toys or books fell, it was hard to reach them.

The extra space also translated into a better sleep experience, which was especially helpful on our 16-hour ultra-long-haul flight between Doha and Montreal or a nine-hour overnight flight from Tokyo to Vancouver.

Initially, we were excited to try out bassinets on international business-class flights before our son could sit upright on his own; however, we didn't have good luck with them.

Some were positioned high up on the wall (which made them difficult to access), while others were just tricky to reserve in the first place. He's since grown out of bassinets, which are usually weight and size-restricted.

Business-class seats, when in lie-flat bed mode, tend to be a few inches wider in a 2-2-2 configuration than in a pod setup. My wife, who is quite petite, found it much easier to get some rest when she co-slept with our son on the wider seats.

Even an extra couple of inches made a big difference, and there's also more legroom without restrictive footwells. For our sake (and for everyone else in the cabin), our son is a great sleeper on planes, and we managed to get a reasonable amount of rest on long-haul flights.

I am guaranteed to have two side-by-side seats in older cabins

One of the most underrated advantages of older business-class layouts is how much logistically easier they make flying with a small child.

With 1-2-1 configurations, there's sometimes a wall between the middle seats that may or may not retract, and the seats are often angled rather than facing forward.

If you're in a window seat one behind the other, communicating and sharing the parental load is also more difficult.

In older configurations, it's easier to pass him between parents to give each other breaks, or so we could each take a turn enjoying the meal service.

Flying with a little one can be exhausting — even in the best circumstances — and I've found that having easy access to each other allowed us both to enjoy the experience more.

Our favorite cabins

So far, we've had the best experiences flying with our son on LOT Polish Airlines and Japan Airlines.

On LOT, it was the first overseas flight with our son, and we found that the seats were wide enough to share space and appreciated how easy it was to pass our son to each other.

On Japan Airlines Sky Suites, there was a sliding window between our two seats, and our son enjoyed standing on one of our seats and looking through to the other parent.

When older cabins aren't available, I look for center seats that keep our family close together — for example, I prefer Qatar's QSuite for its side-by-side "honeymoon" seats, which make logistics easier because they don't angle away from each other.

Overall, pods certainly have their place.

Travelers flying solo may prefer the privacy of a sliding door and guaranteed aisle access. But after dozens of flights with an infant, I've found those same features can make business class feel surprisingly cramped for families.

The older cabins I once avoided now offer what matters most: extra shared space, easier teamwork between parents, and a more comfortable setup for sleeping and playing on long-haul flights.

T.J. Dunn is a freelance travel, loyalty program, and credit card expert based on Vancouver Island, Canada. He is the former editor in chief at Prince of Travel and has published digital and print articles in major publications across Canada, including the National Post and The Toronto Star.

Every time I see someone opening ChatGPT on the subway or at the grocery store, I feel a tinge of dread. Surely, our basic questions can be answered with a bit of thinking, or a search that surfaces information that we can critically assess.

Most evidence suggests that I'm simply falling behind the times. About a third of Americans interact with AI several times a week. Plenty of people I respect use it in cool and interesting ways, and basic AI usage has become a fact of life.

When I was assigned to work on a project about the rise of vibe coding, where non-coders use AI programs to create apps, I had that same skepticism. What I discovered instead was a group of vibe coders of all ages and professions having a quaint, fun time — and a vision for how AI could meaningfully improve the lives of ordinary people. Rather than a source of brain rot or an all-conquering vision of a new economic world order, vibe coding seemed more reminiscent of coding a custom theme for your Tumblr — a type of useful tech for normies.

In college, Shayan Mirzazadeh failed computer science twice. A decade later, the 31-year-old account manager is vibe coding solutions for pain points at work and home, like an app to help his fiancée track her Pilates flows. Mirzazadeh's co-worker and fellow vibe coding "side quester," Jayne Ingram-Roberts, whipped up a fantasy-league-style app for the TV show "Big Brother." Their biggest and latest project is called "Seatbee," a website for crafting wedding seating plans. It's something Ingram-Roberts struggled with planning her own wedding two years ago.

Users can input rules for who should (and shouldn't) sit by each other. "It's super important that all my work friends sit together, or it's important that my sister and this drunk uncle are on opposite sides of the room," Ingram-Roberts says. Once the rules are in, you click generate, and boom: out comes a seating plan. The duo says the website already has over 200 users.

Wedding seating plans may sound fairly specific, but they point to a larger vibe coding reality: These AI hobbyists aren't creating tech that will blow up the world. They're making apps for hyper-specific or singular purposes. Like many hobbies, most people are happily losing money. They're really in it for the fun.

The vibe coding vibe shift

The vibe coding vibe shift started in November 2025, longtime coder and writer Paul Ford tells me. Before that point, AI could maybe produce a webpage, but the quality was hit-or-miss. It couldn't necessarily debug itself along the way. AI coders still needed hand-holding. The tipping point came when models started being able to write code, run it, identify bugs, and then debug all on their own, seeing their own task through. That was turbocharged by the launch of coding-focused models from the big AI companies like Anthropic's Claude Opus 4.5, Google's Gemini 3, and OpenAI's GPT-5.1.

This unlocked a whole new world. Unlike AI-generated essays or photos, where we dissected the use of em-dashes or examined the number of fingers on the computer-generated hands, vibe coding either works, or it doesn't. The AI either outputs a working program or goes back and tries again.

"That really is this baseline that doesn't exist when it makes prose or art," Ford says. "With coding, it was like, no, actually this works, and the computer doesn't care whether it's slop or not, it runs it."

And unlike run-of-the-mill chatbot usage — which can worsen long-term critical thinking or deskill workers who use it to power through the day — vibe coders aren't using AI as a one-to-one substitution for their brains. Instead, they're using it to do something they otherwise couldn't — and picking up skills along the way. One study of vibe coding likened the process to making pottery: The manipulation of the material — whether it be clay or code — is "inseparable from the potter's thinking and the development of skill and intention." Rather than just asking a chatbot for a fully formed pot, iterating on code with an AI model is akin to guiding a robot's hand as it shapes the clay, learning when to stop it and when to tell it to adjust.

The vibe coders we've interviewed at Business Insider said they've learned about new coding languages, processes for getting apps up and running, and what debugging looks like. Jonathan Butler, a 56-year-old entrepreneur and vibe coder who used to rely on others to help him build websites, likened it to another craft. "It's like being in your wood shop making something," he says. His newest project is vibe coding the construction management process for his new home.

But the hyper-nicheness of vibe coding — and the doors it opens — is part of what makes it exciting. Enterprise apps are always reaching for scale, creating blunt instruments by adding features that might alienate users or putting favorite widgets behind a paywall. Vibe coding sets out to do the opposite: instead of starting with a big problem and winnowing it down to one solution, it starts with one small problem and comes up with an appropriately scaled solution.

Software engineers Maya Miller, 28, and Chloe Garden, 29, run the SiSTEM Collective, a New York-based group for Black and Latina women working in tech. Part of the group focuses on community-building workshops for the less tech-savvy. A recent workshop centered on vibe coding, where women came in with an idea for an app and left with a working prototype. Around 30 people showed up, with five or so complete amateurs, and about a quarter who had never really delved into the nitty-gritty. For those newbies — and the slightly more experienced — vibe coding allowed them to address the very specific problems that they face in their day-to-day lives.

"Two people were working on hair wash day routines — so just tracking the products, if it's actually helping their hair goals, if they want to grow length or increase the elasticity of their hair," Miller said. "I feel like that's a really good example of a bespoke software that wasn't really accessible."

It's the virtual version of finally fixing that leaky sink, or setting up a system for who feeds the cat so it doesn't swindle its way into a double-dinner. Vibe coding tools have given folks like Scott Klipper the ability to book one-off nannies for school pickups, or saved firefighter Joe Poynton a few moments at the grocery store with a list that sorts items by location. It's (kind of) bringing software to the masses: Those who get engrossed might pick up some actual coding hacks and learn more with time. But it's more so stepping in to solve little daily problems. It's not going to clean your house or automate your life completely, but it'll tell you that, based on your workouts and brunch plans, it's a good day to wash your hair.

Vibe coding won't magically resolve the structural and societal questions that come with the AI boom. But it does give us real-world examples of how it can work for the average person. People can solve their own problems, or, at the very least, create micro-apps that won't suddenly be enshittified by new paywalls and bloated features.

After talking to vibe coders and AI hobbyists, what struck me was their love for the game. Vibe coders aren't trying to dominate app stores or become billionaires. They're not creating never-ending customer service bot loops designed to annoy and extract money from you. They're in it for, literally, the vibes. It's a bit reminiscent of the older web — a more decentralized, bespoke version of the internet, where we made programs devoted to sending our friends the word "Yo," or "drinking" a virtual beer.

Kyle Jensen, a developer and director of entrepreneurial programs at Yale's School of Management, recently vibe coded an SAT prep app for his kid, made research apps for his wife, and search apps for his colleagues. He's seen a "massive explosion" in interest in vibe coding in his circles — which are admittedly made up of people studying management or similarly attuned to the world of software. Even so, he says there are all sorts of services that could help more laypeople embrace the vibe-coding revolution.

"That probably points to a future where normies, regular people, are deploying apps pretty regularly," Jensen says.

It's all about threading the AI needle. Ford, the coder and writer, sees vibe coding as one way to give the masses more control over AI — people who don't want to talk to robots all day but want to actually build something or get work done.

To cap off this story, I decided to try my hand at vibe coding. I wanted to solve a hyper-specific New York City conundrum: I have two grocery stores within walking distance, but one is up a fairly steep hill. I wanted to compare the weekly deals at the two, so I could make an informed decision on when to hoof it uphill.

What I learned was that it's still very hard to scrape weekly circular PDFs — grocery stores are accidentally AI-resistant — but I did learn a lot about how scraping works and the systems code can use to decode information from archaic supermarket sites. And, as an AI Luddite, I learned a lot about effective prompting: I began by treating my Codex like a fellow reporter or editor brainstorming an app. Unfortunately, it wasn't capable of understanding that level of nuance. The whole practice required me to critically think about what exactly I wanted — a win for making me rely on those unique folds in my brain! And yes, it harkened back to when I did a crash course in HTML so I could make the cursor on my Tumblr page into a sparkly doughnut: Was it necessary? Of course not, but it added whimsy.

Ultimately, my app wasn't as successful as I hoped. It ended up being defeated by the PDF circulars, but, like any good tech founder, I pivoted. I made an app that weighed whether a deal was worth the extra walk to get an item at the higher-altitude supermarket. Is this a bit silly? Yes, and I'm sure that many loved ones will mock me when I tell them about it. Will I be using it? Absolutely. My discount mozzarella and I will be laughing all the way down the hill.

Juliana Kaplan is a senior reporter on the economy team, where she covers the labor force, kitchen table economics, and the people behind the numbers.

• Greg Lindgren co-owns three bars in San Francisco. He's noticed the sobriety kick in tech.
• "There's a herd mentality to tech, especially when so many people have arrived so recently," Lindgren said.
• Lindgren said that companies aren't pulling back from bars at corporate events — but they want more mocktails.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Greg Lindgren, a 57-year-old bar operator from San Francisco. He co-owns 15 Romolo, The Cordial, Rye Cocktail Bar, and the events company Rye on the Road with Jon Gasparini. It's been edited for length and clarity.

In San Francisco, you throw a rock, and you hit a laptop.

We started in the industry at the adolescence of the 1.0 boom. I have friends who worked for Webvan. Over the years, we've worked for all of the household names in the PayPal Mafia that survived the first crash and created the second wave.

When we opened Rye, we went to Google ourselves. The first result was a Yelp review. This was 2006. The person who made the review was the sixth hire at Yelp. I recognized his name, because there's a lot of convergence between real-life social and tech.

We have a warehouse in SoMa. We're a half block away from where Twitter was founded. This building was a temporary place where Airbnb, pre-IPO, was building its business. We get mail for Brian Chesky.

We've had a front row seat. "Silicon Valley" is a documentary. It's a lot of fun to watch and be a part of it.

The trend toward abstaining from drinking has been ongoing for a while. Around the time that people started looking at alternative forms of eating, they were toying around with cutting back on alcohol.

It's been gaining momentum over the last few years. It's not just health, and it's not just trying to have that edge.

There's a new gold rush happening. The miners in the last year and a half are mostly young men. Some of them are abstaining from a health-maxxing standpoint. Other people just didn't drink; they're already of that generation.

There's a herd mentality to tech, especially when so many people have arrived so recently. Smart people adopt this lifestyle and say, "I need to signal to everyone around me that I have all the edge, and that we're not going to succumb to distraction." One of the things in that conversation is alcohol consumption.

Those same people are taking other things. It's more of an older generation, but people of the VC class are getting one-shotted on ayahuasca.

There are still groups that hit it hard. An example: young parents. When you have kids, you stop going to bars and restaurants, and you hunker down for a few years. Once their kids are preschoolers or elementary schoolers, those parents come roaring back. It's like they've been let out of prison.

The same thing holds true for various tech cultures. We work with a company that's in-person five days a week and is heavily sales-driven. They built a whole bar within their corporate headquarters, and we're the contract bar that services that. There's a social bonding aspect.

Mocktails are all the rage at tech events

More than a few years ago, we saw the writing on the wall, and that's when we went into mocktails.

We work with a company that's a household name. We've gone there on several occasions with beer, wine, and a cocktail available. We'll watch as the mocktail that we brought is the thing that everybody's drinking. We're happy to be there.

Everything is better and more professional by having a service like ours there, whether or not they're drinking alcohol at 4 in the afternoon. It helps with breaking the ice to have something in your hand. It's not going to be a cigarette, and you can only have so much caffeine.

The people who assemble these events look at reactions. It's similar to having a cool photo booth; it's something people remember.

The business model hasn't shifted. I can count on one hand the number of times we've been hired to do just non-alcoholic drinks. There has not been a reduction in price or a rejection of the offering as people change their event curation.

So far, companies are not fixating on: "Hey, we noticed that a lot of people are drinking less alcohol." They're asking: "Did we have a great event? Did we get everyone together, whether they drank sparkling water or an old-fashioned?"

That's what we see in the current landscape. It hasn't slowed our business down.

• An Illinois man said he tried to organize a protest around a data center development opportunity.
• He was arrested 12 hours later after police said he made threats to a local official.
• Data center proposals across the US have faced increased public opposition.

The arrest of a data center protester is drawing public attention to a rural town in northwestern Illinois, where a roughly 400-acre plot of land is being pitched as a "data center development opportunity."

Harley Delander of Dixon, a small city about two hours west of Chicago, was arrested on Wednesday outside his home after the local police department accused him of making threats against former state representative Tom Demmer. Demmer is now the head of a local business association that's trying to attract a data center operator into the region.

About 10 miles west of Dixon, a 387-acre plot of farmland is being pitched to potential operators as a "prime data center development land" by the Lee County Industrial Development Association (LCIDA). Demmer, the former state representative, is the association's president.

Delander posted a TikTok video of his encounter with local law enforcement on Thursday. It has garnered a quarter of a million views, along with a slew of commenters who have thrown their support behind the Dixon resident.

The Dixon Police Department said on Thursday that Delander was charged with two felonies, intimidation and stalking, after it received information about his communication with the former lawmaker. The department alleged that Delander "knowingly and willfully communicated threats and engaged in a course of conduct that caused concern for the safety of Demmer and his family."

In an interview with Business Insider, Delander said he started organizing a protest on Facebook on Wednesday that would take place near Demmer's house, using an address he found on the internet. He also said he sent an email to the former representative asking him to recuse himself from his position, along with the wording "if you know what's good for you and your family." Business Insider did not review the email.

"What I meant by that was, the sentence prior to that, I said, 'Your address is public information and I can protest in front of your house all day and night until you gain humanity and ban this data center.'" Delander said.

Delander said he was arrested about 12 hours later at his home.

"We'll be carefully evaluating the important First Amendment issues that stem from a case of this nature," James Mertes, a Sterling-based civil attorney who is representing Delander, told Business Insider. "Cases involving data center opposition are going to be more prevalent as more and more data centers pop up."

The case is another example of how the recent proliferation of data centers amid the AI boom has sparked heightened tensions between developers and local communities — often in small towns or rural areas — where the facilities are being built.

It's not immediately clear if a data center operator has expressed interest in the site. A brochure for the plot of land from a real estate firm, Peoples Company, maps nearby sites where hyperscalers like Meta and Microsoft are also developing computing facilities.

Demmer and a representative for Peoples Company did not immediately return a request for comment.

Nationwide data center backlash

The prospect of data centers coming to the backyards of communities has drawn intense clashes with residents and local officials who are often responsible for approving development plans.

Residents have expressed concerns about rising utility bills, water usage, environmental impact, and ambient noise. Operators and proponents of data centers have pointed to the economic development potential and water efficiency of the facilities, while also saying that data centers are essential infrastructure.

In a small New Hampshire town of about 5,300, a developer abruptly withdrew plans for a data center after residents opposed the project and a Change.org petition drew more than 25,000 signatures.

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox on Friday issued an executive order establishing a standard for developing data centers in the state after community members protested a massive data center project backed by "Shark Tank" investor Kevin O' Leary.

The growing opposition has also drawn attention from local and federal law enforcement groups: Wired reported that an intelligence report from the New York Intelligence and Counterterrorism Bureau highlighted "anti-tech violent extremist activity" resulting from the rise of AI technology.

• Healthy food should be tasty as well as nutritious.
• Registered nutritionist Sophie Gastman believes enjoying your food is the gateway to a healthy diet.
• She uses lots of pickles, spices, and oils to add flavor to her dishes in seconds.

A balanced plate of food consists of carbs, healthy fats, protein, and fiber, but to Sophie Gastman, this formula is missing one key nutrient: Vitamin P (pleasure).

"I'm a big advocate of making food taste nice, and then the healthy part follows," Gastman, 28, a registered nutritionist dedicated to debunking nutrition misinformation myths, told Business Insider.

After spending years trapped in cycles of food restriction and following diet "rules" as a teenager, Gastman believes life is too short to eat food you don't enjoy. " Ultimately, if your diet isn't something that you enjoy, then it's not healthy," she said.

She thinks about adding protein, fiber, and a variety of plants to dishes — and doesn't overdo it on ultra-processed foods — but emphasizes that nutrition is just one element of food. "If something doesn't taste good, I don't want to eat it," Gastman, the author of "Find Your Healthy," said.

To make her meals taste good, Gastman leans on the flavor boosters that she always has in her kitchen. "I always have a lot of jars of various things like chili oils and various kind of saucey things," she said.

She shared her four favorite flavor boosters.

Chili oil

"I've got about 15 million different chili oils," Gastman joked.

She has two favorites. The first is Lao Gan Ma Spicy Chili Crisp, an umami Chinese chili oil containing dried chili, crispy fried onions, fermented soybeans, and Sichuan peppercorns. She likes to use it on dumplings, eggs, noodles, fried rice, soups, and avocado toast.

The second is White Mausu Peanut Rayu, a crispy chili oil with peanuts and sesame. "This one's brilliant if you want something a bit nuttier and less spicy," she said. It goes well with spooned over greens, eggs, and noodle dishes, she said.

Pickled anything

Gastman keeps her fridge stocked with different types of pickles to add acidity and saltiness to her food. "They can completely transform a dish," she said.

She likes adding pickled cucumbers to sandwiches, burgers, and potato salad for a bit of crunch, and has a dill pickle hummus recipe in her cookbook, which calls for pickle brine in the hummus itself and chopped pickles on top.

Pickled onions make an "amazing garnish" on salads, tacos, or with avocado and eggs on toast, she said, and olives are delicious stirred through Mediterranean-style dishes like pastas and traybakes.

She also makes good use of capers, often chopping them finely into salad dressings, stirring them through potato salad or pasta dishes, or pairing them with smoked salmon and cream cheese.

Pickled jalapeños and anchar, a type of South Asian pickle, are staples for Gastman too.

Herbs and spices

Gastman loves to add herbs to all sorts of dishes. Not only do they add flavor, she said, but they also help her eat a wider variety of plant foods a week, which is understood to boost gut health.

Her two most-used herbs are cilantro and parsley. "I add them to everything from curries to salads," she said. She also loves Thai basil in a stir-fry or noodle dish as it adds a really fragrant, almost licorice-like flavor.

She also uses spices to zhuzh up a dish in seconds. She "constantly" uses cumin in curries and on roasted vegetables for an earthy, warm flavor.

She thinks smoked paprika is brilliant for adding depth and a smoky flavor to traybakes, beans, stews, or roasted potatoes. And cinnamon is more versatile than people think, she said, "I use it in porridge and baking, but also in savory dishes like tagines, chilis, and slow-cooked stews."

Anchovies

Anchovies, the salty, tiny preserved kind, put a lot of people off because they associate them with a strong fishy flavor, Gastman said, but when cooked, "the flavor melts into the background, leaving your dish with a new level of depth and umami that tastes like it's been cooked for hours."

Gastman uses them mainly in pasta sauces and salad dressings, and thinks people are sleeping on them.

There's a lot of confusion about the safest way to transport dogs in a car, but letting them roam free isn't advisable. Dr. Jessica Bell, associate professor at Washington State University's College of Veterinary Medicine, says that unsecured pets can be injured during sudden stops or collisions and may distract drivers. The best dog car seats can help minimize these risks by securing your pet in the back seat. Some dogs may even find a car seat calming, says Allie Bender, a certified dog trainer, behavior consultant, and owner of Pet Harmony. Every dog is different, but many find comfort in the confinement, cushioning, and traction that a pet car seat provides.

As a dog guardian myself, I was personally invested in learning about safe car travel and where dog car seats fit in. So I tapped into my experience as a pets reporter and consulted veterinarians, pet safety experts, and a dog behaviorist. Based on my experts' feedback, I chose seven seats for hands-on testing. Ultimately, I landed on recommendations for small and large dogs.

While a car seat keeps pets secure, it's important to acknowledge their inherent safety limitations. Aside from the Sleepypod, none are crash-test certified by the Center for Pet Safety (CPS), a nonprofit organization that conducts independent crash testing of pet travel products. With no official safety standards in place, CPS is widely regarded as the gold standard when it comes to safe pet transportation. Lindsey Wolko, founder and CEO of CPS, says if you're going to use a travel seat, it should be paired with a CPS-certified harness that connects directly to the vehicle seatbelt system. The dog should not be tethered directly to the car seat. For this review, I used the CPS-certified Sleepypod Clickit Sport Plus Harness, which kept my pup Olive restrained yet able to lie down in the larger car seat if she wanted.

Read more about how Insider Reviews researches and tests pet products.

Our top picks for the best dog car seats

Best for small dogs: Sleepypod Mobile Pet Bed - $225 at Chewy

Best for medium and large dogs: PawsPik Ultra Large Premium 2-in-1 Convertible Travel Dog Bed and Car Seat - $150 at Chewy

Best budget: Kong Ultimate Safety Tether and Car Seat - $90 at Chewy

Best for small dogs

For the smallest of dogs, the Sleepypod Mobile Pet Bed is a versatile car seat that also functions as a pet carrier and portable bed. It’s CPS crash-test certified and secures pets with the brand’s Pet Passenger Restraint System (PPRS). This refers to the carrier’s three-point seatbelt connection, which helps distribute forces more evenly and prevents pets from being ejected during a collision. Note that the dome cover must be closed during travel to maintain crash-proof integrity.

Sleepypod is continually working to enhance the safety of its travel carriers. The brand’s Research and Development team has made a number of improvements to its crash-test dog dummies, and materials undergo tensile-strength testing to ensure durability. In 2015, Sleepypod added a PPRS Handilock to this carrier. This is a small plastic slide that goes over the carrier’s velcro closure to help keep it in place.

Dr. Patricia de Carvalho I. Obeid, a veterinarian and assistant professor at the Midwestern University College of Veterinary Medicine, says the Sleepypod’s enclosed, stable design reduces visual motion, which helps minimize nausea during travel. The circular design is ideal for pups who like to curl up, and the interior cushion is plush and lined in a cozy faux fur.

This seat also wins points for practical ease of use. Since there are no latches to fuss with, I found it easy to install. If you run into a snag, the brand provides plenty of installation videos to guide you through the process. The water-repellant liner is easy to remove and toss in the wash.

If your dog is used to looking out the window or roaming freely in the car, you should plan for an adjustment period. Since Olive was too big for the Sleepypod, I tested it with her friend, Frances, an 11-pound miniature dachshund. Frances expressed her displeasure with being restrained, loudly and clearly, whining during the 10-minute drive. To minimize stress, I advise spending some time acclimating your dog to this method of travel. (See my instructions at the end of this article.)

Available in 11 colors, the Sleepypod is backed by a one-year warranty and a 30-day return policy. Unfortunately, this system will only work for dogs up to 15 pounds. But if you have a smaller dog, it’s hard to beat in terms of safety.

Best for medium and large dogs

Most dog car seats are designed for small pets. The PawsPik, however, spans the entire backseat and can accommodate your larger pooch. This seat connects to the vehicle with two headrest straps. While I'd rather see it utilize the LATCH system, I was happy to see that the PawsPik includes seatbelt slots, so you can use it in conjunction with a crash-tested harness. This seat also features a nonslip bottom and two anchors that wedge under the back of the seat to keep it in place.

Since it takes up the entire back seat, I liked that the front panel can be lowered, allowing a human passenger to sit next to their pet. My dog and I found this seat very comfortable. It's plenty roomy and has a soft polyfill interior. Plush bolsters create a boundary and give your dog a place to rest their head. My pup tends to be nervous in the car, but she seemed content and relaxed in the PawsPik.

The water-resistant cover helps manage spills and messes. It's also removable and machine-washable for easier cleanup after muddy outdoor adventures. On the downside, this seat only comes in one size and one color (black). But it outshone other car seats in many areas. PawsPik also offers a one-year warranty and a 30-day return policy.

Best budget

The best dog car seats don't come cheap, but this Kong seat offers a more affordable ride for dogs up to 20 pounds. It connects to the vehicle's LATCH system and can be used with a crash-tested harness. It also has a tether that connects to the back of the seat for added stability. During our driving test, the Kong seat stayed put without any shifting, even during sharper turns.

This seat is super plush and gives smaller dogs a good boost to see out the window. Even though test pup Olive technically exceeded the weight limit by 4 pounds, she's a compact dog. At 16 inches long, she seemed to fit comfortably in this seat. That said, we don't recommend exceeding a manufacturer's weight limits. Outside of testing, I would choose a different option for Olive's safety. The fabric has a soft, suede-like texture. The cover is also machine-washable, but you'll need to remove five separate pillows to do so.

Installation was fairly easy. You do need to feed the LATCH hooks through a fabric loop on the back of the car seat, which I found a little tricky. I also wish this came in a bigger size. But the brand says it's working on releasing a larger size, so guardians of big dogs may have an option in the future.

What to look for in a dog car seat

If you're looking for the best dog car seat, safety should be your No. 1 priority. Below, I've laid out a few important features that make a car seat safer than others. You'll also want to consider your dog's comfort. To guide your search, here's what experts recommend prioritizing in pet travel seats.

Crash-test certification: The best dog car seat will be crash-test certified by the Center for Pet Safety. Currently, only the Sleepypod Mobile Pet Bed carries this certification. The good news is that Wolko says a few brands are working toward certification. You'll also find brands that have their seats crash-tested by other independent facilities, and some that conduct their own testing, but CPS certification is the ideal.

Compatibility with a CPS-certified harness: Wolko advises against connecting dogs directly to a car seat. She says most connections are not strength-rated and failed at low forces during CPS testing. Instead, Wolko recommends securing dogs to the vehicle seatbelt system with a CPS Certified Crash Protection harness and using the travel seat as a riser only. Currently, there are only three CPS-certified harnesses: the Sleepypod Clickit Sport Plus, the Sleepypod Clickit Range, and the Saker Bomber Harness. Check that a car seat's design leaves the seatbelt accessible and usable.

Safe connection points: Wolko says a car seat should not share connection points with your dog's harness. "The ideal travel seat will connect directly to the LATCH/ISOFIX anchors," she says. LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren) is a method for installing child car seats using built-in metal anchor bars, standard in cars made after 2002. Europe has a similar system, called ISOFIX. Usually, you can find LATCH anchors in the crease of the backseat, where the seat's bottom cushion meets the seat back.

Safe materials: Since plastic can fracture on impact, Wolko says seats made with plastic should be covered with a sturdy fabric layer to minimize the risk of injury. Look for soft materials that won't shatter and that provide plush cushioning.

Size limits: Bell says a car seat should be appropriately sized for the dog's comfort and able to fit in your vehicle's seat. Many seats are designed for smaller dogs, so check the weight limitations and dimensions if you have a bigger dog.

Warranty and return policy: The best dog car seats are pretty pricey, so a solid warranty and return policy offer financial protection and peace of mind. Two out of the three seats featured here come with a warranty of at least one year. All have a minimum 30-day return policy.

How we tested dog car seats

Based on the expert-backed criteria above, I chose seven seats for testing with my own vehicle and dog. I developed a methodical rating system and awarded points based on each product's performance in several key areas. Here's a rundown of my testing process.

Crash-testing protocols: First, I learned about each brand's approach to crash testing. The only car seat crash-test certified by CPS received the highest score, followed by seats tested by other third-party facilities. Brands that conducted their own testing received lower scores, and seats that had not undergone any crash testing received zero points in this category.

Safety test: I also looked at how brands incorporated additional safety features. Most importantly, I wanted to see seats that attach to the vehicle's LATCH system and can be used with a CPS-certified harness (I used Sleepypod's Clickit Sport in testing). I also checked for any exposed plastic or sharp edges and yanked forcibly on each strap multiple times to verify secure connection points.

Durability test: To learn how these seats held up under heavy use, I subjected them to a series of durability tests. I simulated dog nail scratching by scraping the fabric in one area 50 times with a fork. I also tugged strongly on each connection point and ran zippers back and forth to check for smooth operation.

Washability test: Since dog car seats are subject to muddy paws, fur, and the occasional accident or upset stomach, I wanted to see how easy or difficult they were to clean. First, I used a lint roller to see how effectively I could remove loose hair from the seats. Then I smeared dirt onto the fabric along with a mix of water and kibble to simulate vomit and left them overnight. Afterward, I washed the covers according to the manufacturer's instructions, noting any stains, compromised material, and the overall ease or difficulty of the cleaning process.

Comfort test: To minimize stress during travel, a dog car seat should be comfortable. I checked for softness and cushioning by pressing down onto each seat. I also took a 10-minute test drive with my dog, Olive, in each seat. Since the Sleepypod only accommodates pets up to 15 pounds, I test drove it with an 11-pound Miniature Dachshund. While these short test drives cannot evaluate comfort during long-distance travel, I observed the dogs' reactions and whether the seats shifted during turns.

Installation test: If you've ever installed an infant car seat, you know it can be a tricky undertaking. For this test, I set a timer to see how long it took to set up each seat. During the process, I took note of any challenges, like stubborn hardware or unclear instructions. Seats with clear directions and fast, easy installation received the most points.

Meet the expert behind this guide

Liz Coleman, pets reporter: My work is informed by extensive research, consultations with experts in the field, and hands-on testing. To find the best dog car seats for this review, I interviewed several veterinarians, a certified dog behaviorist, and two pet safety experts, including Lindsey Wolko, founder and CEO of the Center for Pet Safety. I also read the 2015 CPS Pet Travel Seat Pilot Study and reviewed many crash test videos. In addition, I communicated directly with brands to learn about their testing and development protocols. To make my final recommendations, I tested seven highly rated car seats with my own dog, Olive, evaluating key factors like ease of installation, pet comfort, and practicality of use.

Dog car seat FAQs

Are dog car seats safe?

They can be. Wolko says the Center for Pet Safety technically classifies dog car seats as "distraction prevention tools." For the safest setup, CPS recommends securing your dog to the vehicle seatbelt system with a CPS Certified Crash Protection harness and using the car seat as a booster only. "Pet owners should never secure their pet directly to the travel seat due to the inferior connection strength," Wolko says. Additionally, the ideal travel seat will connect directly to the vehicle's LATCH anchors.

Where should a pet car seat be placed in a car?

It is recommended to place a pet car seat in the back seat of the vehicle. Wolko says CPS does not recommend car seats that secure pets in the front seat or center console area.

Can a dog ride in the front seat?

No, it is not considered safe for dogs to ride in the front seat. Denise Fleck, a pet safety expert and pet first aid instructor, advises against putting pets in the passenger seat due to the risk of injury posed by airbag deployment. Instead, she suggests using properly fitted gear (i.e., a CPS-certified harness, carrier, or crate) in the back seat or cargo area.

How can I get my dog used to a car seat?

Bender recommends starting training in the house. She suggests setting the dog up with a long-term calming project (for example, a lick mat, stuffed Kong, or chew) in the seat until they get used to it in that context. Then, move the seat and calming project to the car and see how the dog behaves in that setting. "If they can work on their project proficiently, awesome! Our work is done," Bender says. If they struggle or seem nervous, lower the criteria. This might mean working with a shorter duration or keeping the car off or stationary.

If your dog has never used a car harness before, they may need to get used to that, too. Bender says the process will look similar. Set up a calming project while your dog is wearing the harness indoors, then move on to using it in the car. Dogs sensitive to handling may need to take a step back and work on being OK with simply putting on a harness, generally.

Finally, some dogs are comfortable with the seat but are not OK with being picked up and placed in it. For these dogs, Bender says it can help to teach them to use a ramp or stairs to get into their car seat.

What are the best options for car-sick or anxious dogs?

For small dogs weighing 30 pounds or less, de Carvalho I. Obeid says CPS-certified carriers like the Sleepypod Mobile Pet Bed are ideal. These enclosed, stable carriers reduce visual motion, helping minimize nausea. For medium and large dogs, she says a CPS-certified travel crate, like our pick from Gunner, is recommended as it provides the most stable environment and prevents sensory overload.

• Gov. Spencer Cox issued an executive order on data center developments in Utah.
• It establishes a framework that includes protections for water resources.
• Utah residents have protested a huge data center development backed by Kevin O'Leary.

Utah's governor is all for new AI data centers — under certain conditions.

After a massive data center project backed by "Shark Tank" investor Kevin O'Leary outraged many Utah residents, the governor is issuing new parameters around its development.

In an executive order on Friday, Gov. Spencer Cox established a "higher bar for data center development in Utah."

"Utahns deserve confidence that water resources, air quality, utility rates, wildlife, and quality of life will be protected. This framework helps ensure that data center development aligns with Utah's long-term interests and reflects Utah values," Cox wrote in an X post.

The framework contains eight principles that address a range of issues, including protecting water resources such as the Great Salt Lake and mitigating the impact on wildlife. Protecting utility rate payers, leaning into "human-led AI development," and providing "transparent, meaningful and thorough opportunities for public comment" were also among the outlined principles.

The executive order, which directs agencies to adopt the framework, is effective immediately.

Tensions in Utah have been high for months, particularly in Utah's Box Elder County, where commissioners approved plans for the Stratos Project, a hyperscale data center campus spanning 40,000 acres, despite community opposition. The development, also dubbed "Wonder Valley" after O'Leary, who calls himself "Mr. Wonderful," could reach 9 gigawatts of power when all is said and done.

Many residents have fiercely opposed the development, crowding local council meetings and circulating petitions. Recently, some critics protested the data center outside the Utah State Capitol.

While supporters say the data center will create jobs and spur economic growth, opponents are concerned about its environmental impact, noise levels, air quality, traffic, and the overall quality of life for nearby residents.

O'Leary has defended the development several times. Earlier this month, he suggested — without evidence — that "professional protesters" orchestrated much of the controversy, that AI amplified some opinions, and that Chinese funding was fanning the outrage.

A webpage for the Stratos Project said residents submitted over 2,000 questions and concerns that included "a mix of supportive and critical feedback."

In a May X post, Cox said the developers behind the Stratos Project agreed to use a phased approach to development, meaning they'll need to apply for new permits for every planned addition.

Data centers are becoming a major political issue ahead of November's midterms. Communities across the country are rallying against them, pressuring local politicians. In February, residents in a New Jersey city, for instance, successfully blocked a data center development.

• I've always made a point to travel with my kids so they could experience and enjoy new places.
• When they were younger, it was draining and not as enjoyable for me.
• Once they turned 10, things changed, and family vacations became something we could all appreciate.

It was one of those days that only parents of younger kids can truly relate to. We were on our annual family beach vacation in Mexico, where the beaches are beautiful, meals are included, and the goal is to relax.

No one really knew what set the kids off (do we ever?), but I remember saying to myself, "This was supposed to be a vacation."

If I'm being honest, I didn't really enjoy family vacations as much when my kids were younger. I was so focused on packing and planning for them that I didn't really stop to think about what the vacation meant for all of us. I had an idea of what trips would be like: connecting with each other, having new experiences, and making those core memories that get stored in an orb like in the movie "Inside Out."

Unfortunately, trips became more about what to pack, what we forgot, how to make it until the next nap, and planning evenings so kids can go to bed at a reasonable hour. It was a lot — until one day, things finally changed.

Travel was so much work

The logistical stress of packing, schedules, snacks, and gear is enough to deter a parent from going on vacation in the first place. Then there is the emotional burden of constantly having to watch your kids to keep them safe.

The lack of downtime as parents, as we are always "on," means there is no time to enjoy that drink or sleep in the morning after a busy day.

But the most daunting task of a family vacation is the pressure to make it magical. Young kids are filled with wonder and amazement, and I wanted to expose my own to as much as possible. After all, we are the gatekeepers of what the world has to offer, and are usually the first in line to get to see that discovery. I didn't want to miss those opportunities.

Age 10 was a turning point

There was an interesting shift that happened around the age of 10 that I remember vividly on one of our family trips. My daughter asked if she could go explore a bit by herself, and I let her.

At first, I was hesitant, but I trusted that she would come back or find an adult if there was a problem. She came, happy to tell me everything she saw, beaming with a new sense of independence.

As my kids enter their tween years, the desire to do things on their own grows exponentially. They gain a sense of independence by figuring things out, and I get a bit of a break. The longer attention span has helped us engage in activities for longer, so we can connect and learn together instead of rushing.

While vacations used to be planned around naps, meal times, and early bedtimes, now our days are filled with activities we're all invested in. This is where those core memories are made, and vacations become easier and more enjoyable.

Now we're all enjoying ourselves

While those trips when my kids were younger had their own kind of magic, looking back, I can say they weren't as enjoyable for me. I loved having the opportunity to introduce them to the world, but it really did feel like parenting in a different location.

It's OK if parents don't love every stage of travel. For me, travel finally feels like a vacation now that every member of the family gets a say on what to do. In the end, getting to relax and recharge together is the best kind of trip you can hope for.

• DoorDash's corporate communications team is hiring an executive social strategy and operations lead.
• The company described the role as a "fight promoter meets growth hacker meets clip merchant."
• Compensation ranges between $136,000 and $200,000.

DoorDash is hiring an "executive communications professional" who's maybe not your typical PR person.

Specifically, the delivery service is looking for someone who embodies a "fight promoter meets growth hacker meets clip merchant."

In a May job posting, DoorDash said it's trying to build the "next generation of local commerce," which includes autonomous robots, agentic commerce, and in-store software.

"These efforts require a nimble 'build in public' mentality to reach and engage with technical talent, the terminally online, policymakers, market observers, and prospective partners," the company said.

DoorDash is looking for an experienced candidate who can help its social media accounts participate in real time conversations on X.

"This is not a traditional executive communications role. It is not press-office PR. It is not brand social," DoorDash said. "It's a judgment-heavy, social-first role at the intersection of corporate strategy and internet culture focused on influence, credibility, and distribution."

Compensation for the new position ranges from $136,000 and $200,000 in addition to a benefits package.

For many companies, social media is an invaluable marketing tool that connects them with customers and gives them opportunities to shape the public's opinion about their products.

Brands are increasingly becoming bolder with their social presence, using snark and sarcasm to capitalize on online conversations, especially on X.

Wendy's was one of the first to embrace this strategy when, in the late 2010s, its X account regularly roasted other users and got into lighthearted spats with other companies.

Duolingo took a similar approach, replying to users with cheeky responses, participating in viral trends, and leaning into what some industry professionals describe as "unhinged marketing."

Recently, the internet had a lot of opinions about fast-food chain cheeseburgers, for example, after McDonald's CEO Chris Kempczinski took a devastatingly small bite of the Big Arch burger during a taste test in February.

Although social media users mocked Kempczinski — and a wave of rival CEOs jumped at the chance to join the conversation — the taste test sent McDonald's online engagement skyrocketing. The footage has gained 16.5 million views on Kempczinski's Instagram, not counting views from accounts that reshared the video.

DoorDash now appears to want a piece of that action. In its job posting, it notes that "traditional comms or PR experience is not required."

As professional product reviewers, our editors are looking at hundreds of products a month. Frankly, only a handful can earn the title of being our favorite.

In May we crowned a new best air fryer, stress-tested the best luggage in our travels, debated graduation gift ideas, realized just how useful a portable power station can be, walked a lot to find comfortable heels that are wedding-guest ready, found relief in cooling pajamas, and dived into easy summer workwear refreshes. Outside of our everyday coverage, we also looked at new launches and brands that caught our attention.

This month, our product experts loved products that made travel easier, comfy style essentials, beauty holy grails, and hobby items that got us off our phones. Keep reading to see the best products we tried in May that our editors can't stop talking about.

A leather travel bag that can be styled multiple ways

The Aoyama 2 by Lo & Sons just earned the top spot in our guide to the best travel purses, overtaking its predecessor thanks t the addition of an elasticated key leash, and best of all, there's no more logo on the convertible strap. The smart 3-in-1 design is so subtly executed that it doesn't appear as utilitarian as it is. I flew with mine to Florida and wore it on my shoulder as my personal item. I then styled it as a clutch to a rehearsal dinner, and again as a crossbody on a swampy hike. The roomy leather bag easily held my hardcover book, wallet, passport, earbuds, and charging port, with space left over. My favorite pocket is the vertical exterior one, which lets me access my phone without having to sling the entire bag off my shoulder. — Gabrielle Chase, senior associate style editor

Hardshell luggage with a a top-side opening

For as long as I can remember, hard-shell suitcases have had a clamshell design, and frankly, I hate them. They require twice the floor space when opened, and juggling to open a full half design is clunky and not user-friendly. I've much preferred soft side luggage, where I can easily flip open the lid or slip something inside at the last minute.

Away has created the perfect hybrid, called the Topside, offering hardshell durability with softside convenience, available in a Medium Trunk check-in and a Bigger Carry-on. In addition to the flip-top lid, Away has thought of other conveniences like a wheel brake system, which is useful for when on public transportation. Alongside the launch, they released a PackAway Closet system with collapsible shelves that can be packed and directly hung in a closet. I'm looking forward to traveling with them on a cruise later this month and reporting back on handling. — Jaclyn Turner, senior home editor

Size-inclusive wide leg pants

I fractured and sprained my ankle on a run last month, so I've been looking for pants that are easy to move around in, comfortable, don't hug the ankle, and still look nice enough that I don't feel like I'm wearing sweatpants every time I leave home. Enter the Halara Flex Wide Leg Micro Waffle Work Pants, which are the budget pick in our guide to the best stretchy work pants and the best travel pants. These are light and breathable enough that I can wear them to physical therapy, but I can just as easily wear them out to dinner with the right shoes. I like the breezy feel, flattering fit, and elastic waist of the pants, and the sizable pockets add an extra layer of utility. They're available in 5 inseams in sizes XS-3X. — Lillian Brown, senior associate editor of streaming

Butter yellow linen bedding for warmer weather

I tested this butter yellow set from Australian sleepwear brand Hommey, and it's one of the easiest ways I've refreshed my bedroom for summer. The color was the first thing that won me over — it's bright and dopamine-boosting without feeling too loud — and the blue border piping ties in perfectly with the blue tones I already have in my room.

I was originally skeptical because I'd never tried linen sheets before, but these completely changed my mind. They came out of the wash incredibly soft, with none of the scratchiness or stiffness I expected, and they've been easy to clean without losing that breezy, lived-in feel. The linen also stays cool to the touch, which makes it especially nice for warmer nights. Between the washable, low-maintenance fabric and the way the yellow instantly changes the mood of the space, this is exactly the kind of sheet set I want on my bed all summer. — Samantha Crozier, style editor

Korean skincare staples

I have very sensitive skin. I flare up easily with rashes, dry patches, and redness, so I have to be very careful when I try new products. I gave this one a shot on a whim: the ingredients seemed simple, the brand is a Korean skincare brand on my radar, and I needed a new moisturizer. I'm so glad I did.

When it comes to simple, rich moisturization, the Nacific Uyu Cream Moisturizer and Toner are my favorites. I've used them both almost daily for over a year, and loved how they make my skin feel and how effective they are against dry California weather. The cream moisturizer is a bit heavy for morning use, but at night time, it hydrates without feeling overbearing and absorbs quickly. My skin always feels so bouncy and refreshed the morning after. The toner is more versatile, and its creamy formula makes a great base under my makeup. — Sarah Saril, deals editor

4-inch sandals you can dance in all night long

I broke in these 4-inch peep-toe sandals on a recent walk through Central Park. I know that height sounds intimidating if you're not used to heels, but it doesn't feel as high as you'd think — the Inez Camillas have block heels to steady your gait, and their shallow pitch means you're not putting all your weight on your tiptoes. My fellow style editor, Samantha Crozier, put me onto this pair after she wore hers to three weddings. On my walk, I discovered they were easy to maneuver in, even on grass, gravel, cobblestone, and hilly pathways. I came away with no blisters and will certainly be wearing these dress shoes to my friend's wedding in June. I'm ready to crown them as the comfiest wedding guest shoes. — Gabrielle Chase, senior associate style editor

The next-generation of a beloved crafting machine

Whether you're a parent upping your party prep game, a teacher making hand-me-outs for your students, or just a crafty gal like me, a Cricut makes a big difference.

When it comes to Cricut cutting machines, there are two you can choose from in terms of "big" machines: the Explore and the Maker. Between the two, the Explore is the mid-range model, best for folks cutting thinner materials like sticker paper, cardstock, and vinyl — perfect for my casual recreational usage. I recently upgraded to the new Cricut Explore 5, and having used both the 3 and 4, I'm a fan of this new generation. I love using mine to create fun stickers.

The new model has a smaller footprint, taking up less horizontal space, though you'll still need enough room for the cut mat to pass through entirely from the front to the back. It's also notably faster at reading registration marks, most often used with "Print to cut" projects, so the amount of time spent babysitting a cut before it starts is considerably less. — Sarah Saril, deals editor

Plant-based laundry care in heavenly fragrances

My guilty pleasure is elevated laundry detergent. Fresh linen and meadow breeze scents are great, but I love crawling under freshly laundered sheets scented with a layer of nuance.

The creator of The Laundress launched her next venture, Lindry Lab, with a focus on performance, clean materials, and fragrance. Working with master perfumers, the plant-based laundry detergent is made with USDA biobased ingredients, plant surfactants, 5 highly concentrated enzymes, a biodegradable preservative, and natural-origin fragrances, and contains no known endocrine disruptors, phthalates, parabens, BPA, or alkylphenols. The Scent 01 Laundry Detergent is a blend of bergamot, petitgrain, lavender, and ambrette musk. It smells heavenly and, perhaps more importantly, brightened my whites and erased some long-set-in sweat stains. The launch spans laundry detergent in six scents, including fragrance-free, as well as a suite of fabric care products, including scent sprays, delicates detergent, wool wash, and stain sprays. I like that the website goes into detail about all the ingredients they use and how they work in laundry care. — Jaclyn Turner, senior home editor

Chic flip-flops

I love a chic flip-flop, but I often find that simple leather silhouettes lack support. I started testing these Solei Sea sandals for a forthcoming guide to comfortable flip flops, and I've been wearing them nonstop since they arrived. The arch support wouldn't be sufficient for someone with plantar fasciitis or high arches, but there's just enough of it for someone like me who needs a little bit of support and isn't doing a ton of walking. — Sally Kaplan, executive editor, Insider Reviews

An OLED TV that made a lasting impression

I test lots of TVs year-round, and with so many displays coming in and out of my testing room, it's hard for any one model to really stand out. The LG C6H OLED, however, left an immediate impression. This submodel in LG's popular C Series is available in 77 and 83 inches and delivers one of the biggest year-over-year upgrades the brand has offered in a long time. Its bright, high-contrast image makes it one of the most impressive big-screen TVs on the market, and it's easily a contender for one of the best LG TVs and best OLED TVs available. Its launch price is a bit high, but once regular discounts start popping up, I expect this model to earn a spot in several of my best TV guides. — Steven Cohen, senior tech editor

A clever way to get in more veggies and fiber

I ordered these Liquid+ Salad pouches myself after a clever Instagram ad reminded me how bad I am at eating fiber. The pouches each contain 8 grams of prebiotic fiber, and the ingredients list reads like an overengineered salad. You'll find familiar fruits and veggies like apple, cucumber, kale, and celery, along with supplemental ingredients like broccoli and wheatgrass powders, konjac root, and chicory root inulin. As the name suggests, they taste a lot like green juice. The texture is totally smooth and more gel-like than applesauce-like, so they can be eaten quickly or even mixed into a big glass of water. It's nice to have something quick and easy to grab between or alongside meals if I'm otherwise not doing a great job balancing my nutrients for the day. — Sally Kaplan, executive editor, Insider Reviews

A lightweight carry-on that fit enough for a 9-day trip

I was impressed by the lightweight design and smooth wheels of this Victorinox Carry-on during a trip to Italy earlier this month. It was easy to maneuver over Rome's treacherous cobblestone streets and the uneven slab sidewalks of Florence. What makes this carry-on suitcase especially noteworthy is its packability: I fit enough clothing and a pair of sneakers for a nine-day trip, with room to spare for another pair of jeans and two lightweight tops later on. It also held up to abuse, including my preliminary tests pre-trip, which included tossing it several feet into the air over a concrete floor. All this said, it's easily one of the most practical and reliable pieces of luggage I've used. — Lisa Sabatini, senior pets editor

A fresh look at a streaming subscription

I've been streaming Apple TV shows since the service first launched in 2019, but I've been using the app more and more lately, and the streamer has impressed. Over the past year, it has climbed its way to the top of the pack when it comes to original TV shows, launching hit after hit with genre-defying series like "Pluribus" and "Widow's Bay." Apple TV even dethroned Netflix as the top option for originals in our guide to the best streaming services. The acquisition of live sporting events, including all MLS matches and Formula 1 races, has helped give it a competitive edge in an increasingly crowded market, but one of its most impressive features is its relatively low price. The service has one tier, ad-free, which costs $13 a month (cheaper than most of its ad-free peers, even after a recent price hike). — Lillian Brown, senior associate editor of streaming

Stretchy work pants with polish

There's nothing like stretchy pants that feel like pajamas but look like you actually meant to wear them out of the house. These ones from M.M. Lafleur Barrel Pants are unbelievably comfortable, but the silhouette is office-ready and super chic. I think I've worn them every week since I first tested them for our M.M.LaFleur review, and I can tell they'll remain a staple in my wardrobe for years to come. Plus, they're machine washable! — Sally Kaplan, executive editor, Insider Reviews

Effortlessly chic ballet flats

I knew I needed to try the M.Gemi Una after hearing senior associate style editor Gabrielle Chase rave about them in her guide to the best flats, and now I fully get the hype. The leather is the softest and most pliant I've ever tried — it genuinely feels like butter and molds to your feet without any stiffness or break-in period.

They're also so lightweight that it almost feels like wearing nothing on your feet. I love them so much that I've started keeping them in my bag while I'm out testing heels for my guide to the most comfortable heels, just so I have something to slip into if a pair starts getting uncomfortable. They take up barely any space, feel amazing right away, and have quickly become my go-to backup shoe. — Samantha Crozier, style editor

A device to help with neck pain

I carry a lot of tension in my shoulders and neck — always have. It's due to poor posture and a lack of muscle strength in the area, I'm sure, but on a daily basis, it's a real nuisance. Especially during the last few very stressful months in my life, I've found that the pain has kept me from getting a good night's rest. I gave this cheap chiropractic pillow a shot, and it really helped more than I can put into words. I'll wedge it at the base of my normal bed pillow or spend 15 minutes stretching on it before bed, and find that it helps alleviate a lot of the soreness I carry there. It's not a long-term solution, but for a quick stretch, this pillow for neck pain is indispensable. — Sarah Saril, deals editor

A clarifying shampoo and deep conditioner set

Recently, a "celebrity shampoo" left my hair feeling bizarrely greasy, clumpy, and coated, no matter how much I rinsed. After a little beauty detective work, I realized I was dealing with product buildup, likely from protein-heavy ingredients that don't always play nice with my hair type — or Los Angeles water. So I ordered Malibu C's Un-Do-Goo shampoo. It's a brand I already trusted after falling hard for their Swimmers Wellness shampoo years ago. One wash with Un-Do-Goo was enough to make my hair feel like hair again. It cuts through the residue without stripping, which is a tricky balance. If your locks are feeling waxy, stiff, or still dirty after washing, this is the reset button I'd reach for. — Bronwyn Barnes, deputy editor, Insider Reviews

The perfect accessory for mahjong lovers

Like much of the country, I've been swept up in mahjong mania. (Here's my go-to set— and it's under $200) While the game is fun, the real draw for me is the people. I've played everywhere from my mom's buttoned-up group of rule-followers to my regular weekly game, which is considerably more chaotic. This mahjong journal gives me a place to capture all of it: memorable wins, inside jokes, new strategies, and the cast of characters who make each game different. I bought it thinking I would be a scorekeeper, but it has become more of a time capsule. — Bronwyn Barnes, deputy editor, Insider Reviews

A limited edition sweet and spicy fruit snack

What fruit snack could be worth $82 is the question I'm dying to answer. Flamingo Estate's Limited Edition Spicy Strawberry Fruit Snack is quite literally a delicacy: comprised of organic small-batch Harry's Berries strawberries (yes those iconic California farmer's market staples), key lime, and guajillo chile for a spicy kick. These dehydrated berries are chewy, the right blend of sweet and tart, and leave an exciting mouth tingling feel. While definitely not an everyday snack, these make a great gourmet gift or an addition to a charcuterie board.

• My sister is married, recently bought a house, and is pregnant with her second child.
• I'm two years older, single, child-free, and renting in a shared community house.
• I'm happy for my sister, but sometimes feel jealous. I'm learning to embrace my own path.

I'm a single 30-something renting in a community house in central Vancouver, where I can enjoy everything the city offers. I work a flexible freelance schedule, and fill my time with friends, new hobbies, and traveling.

In so many ways, I truly love my life. I know I'm lucky.

But I'm also ready to find a partner and start building a life together.

This dream sometimes feels far away, especially when I start comparing myself to other people, like my sister, who is married, has recently bought a house, and is pregnant with her second child.

She's one of my best friends, and I am genuinely thrilled for her. But I still feel jealous at times.

I struggle with comparison sometimes

My sister and I have always been close and see each other weekly. Having her, my brother-in-law, and nephew is a privilege, and I'm genuinely so happy for them.

Sometimes, when I compare our lives, jealousy creeps in. I look at her beautiful family and think, "Why can't I have that?" It's hard to admit this; I sometimes feel guilty that I can't just "be happy for her."

I think it's common to fall into this comparison trap. When looking at other people's lives, it's easy to see where I'm "behind" in terms of career, family status, income, house, or other areas. It's particularly hard when cultural or societal standards dictate where I "should" be in my thirties, even if it's an outdated expectation.

But there's really something behind the truism, "comparison is the thief of joy." Getting caught up in it can cause unnecessary pain, which is something I never want to impact my relationship with my sister.

Both things can be true at once

While comparison is human nature to some degree, I don't want to get stuck there. A helpful mindset shift for me is recognizing how two things can be true at once.

I can be excited for my sister's life, and I can feel disappointed that I don't have the same. I can even feel both grateful and sad over things in my own life.

One emotion doesn't negate the other — both things are true at the same time. And by acknowledging all emotions, I can stop dwelling so much on the negative ones and embrace the good.

I'm learning to live my life as it is now

I'm not perfect at it, but this mindset has helped me embrace where I am today, instead of wasting energy comparing myself to my sister or anyone else. I can embrace my unique story and appreciate all the good things in my own life, and in my sister's life, too.

While I still want a partner, a house, and a family one day, I'm also grateful for what my life without them affords, like time freedom and opportunities to travel or have new experiences.

Ultimately, learning to accept the mixed emotions we all experience in life is helping me embrace my own path and make the most of life today.

• It's the start of hurricane season, and with it comes the risk of home damage.
• Cotality ranked states with the biggest risk of hurricane damage, and some of the results were surprising.
• Gulf states have more homes susceptible to hurricane wind damage, but the Northeast's damage can hit harder.

For a lot of homeowners, summer means more than vacations — it also means staying vigilant during hurricane season.

A problem most associated with Southern states hugging the Gulf Coast, like Florida and Texas, hurricanes also pose a serious threat to the Northeast.

Property data and analytics firm Cotality found that while Florida and Texas have the highest amount of homes with moderate or greater risk of hurricane wind damage, the damage in the Northeast can be more devastating.

"While hurricanes hit the Northeast less frequently than the Gulf Coast, the region's immense population density and property value mean the stakes are incredibly high," Cotality vice president of insurance market insights Maiclaire Bolton-Smith said in a release.

"It's critical that homeowners in the Northeast understand that while landfalling hurricanes may not be as frequent as other states, the risk is still real."

As for metropolitan areas, New York City ranks ahead of any Florida city, with a reconstruction cost value of more than $1.9 billion. The metro also has the most homes with a moderate or greater risk of hurricane wind damage.

In total, more than 32.2 million homes across the United States are at moderate or greater risk from hurricane winds alone, accounting for over $12.26 trillion in reconstruction cost value, according to Cotality.

Below, see the states where homeowners are at the highest risk of hurricane damage.

Median home price data is from Redfin.

15. Maryland

Number of homes with moderate or greater risk: 479,881

Reconstruction cost value: $179.6 billion

Median home price: $446,900

14. Alabama

Number of homes with moderate or greater risk: 768,390

Reconstruction cost value: $232.7 billion

Median home price: $299,000

13. Pennsylvania

Number of homes with moderate or greater risk: 781,797

Reconstruction cost value: $360 billion

Median home price: $308,500

12. Connecticut

Number of homes with moderate or greater risk: 813,066

Reconstruction cost value: $426 billion

Median home price: $445,100

11. Georgia

Number of homes with moderate or greater risk: 836,172

Reconstruction cost value: $243.1 billion

Median home price: $373,700

10. Mississippi

Number of homes with moderate or greater risk: 837,860

Reconstruction cost value: $241.8 billion

Median home price: $265,200

9. Virginia

Number of homes with moderate or greater risk: 1,146,781

Reconstruction cost value: $426.4 billion

Median home price: $462,400

8. South Carolina

Number of homes with moderate or greater risk: 1,482,345

Reconstruction cost value: $476.9 billion

Median home price: $397,600

7. Louisiana

Number of homes with moderate or greater risk: 1,657,255

Reconstruction cost value: $515.7 billion

Median home price: $260,300

6. Massachusetts

Number of homes with moderate or greater risk: 1,785,383

Reconstruction cost value: $1 trillion

Median home price: $645,400

5. New Jersey

Number of homes with moderate or greater risk: 2,208,651

Reconstruction cost value: $1.2 trillion

Median home price: $545,300

4. New York

Number of homes with moderate or greater risk: 2,213,104

Reconstruction cost value: $1.2 trillion

Median home price: $595,900

3. North Carolina

Number of homes with moderate or greater risk: 3,165,030

Reconstruction cost value: $1.1 trillion

Median home price: $381,700

2. Texas

Number of homes with moderate or greater risk: 4,763,476

Reconstruction cost value: $1.5 trillion

Median home price: $341,800

1. Florida

Number of homes with moderate or greater risk: 8,249,592

Reconstruction cost value: $2.3 trillion

Median home price: $416,800

• Packing my 11-year-old's lunch box with healthy food she'll actually eat isn't easy.
• As a dietitian and mom, I rely on budget-friendly, nutritious staples from Aldi.
• Some of my go-to purchases for school lunches are peanut butter and whole-grain bread.

Mornings in my house feel like a race against the clock. Getting out the door on time requires a tight schedule, one that doesn't allow for an entire morning preparing a healthy meal.

As a dietitian and a mom, I aim to feed my 11-year-old daughter foods that keep her energized throughout the day without blowing our grocery budget or requiring too much time in the kitchen.

Whether I'm making a school lunch for my kid or sending her off to summer camp, I rely on easy, packable foods from Aldi to stay on track.

The Reggano classic pasta salad kit requires minimal effort.

The Reggano classic pasta-salad kit is one of my favorite time-savers. It comes with semolina pasta along with seasonings like garlic and parsley and vegetables like onion and red bell pepper.

All I have to do is boil the noodles and mix everything together. After that, lunch is ready.

Sometimes, I toss in extra vegetables, mozzarella pearls, or leftover chicken for an extra protein boost. It makes enough for several lunches, and everyone in my family loves it, including my daughter.

Goldhen eggs are a simple protein source.

Eggs are a staple in my refrigerator.

I cook a batch of them at the beginning of each week and peel them right away. They're a low-effort protein source (each one has 6 grams of protein) that requires zero preparation on busy mornings.

Sometimes, I mash them up with a little mayonnaise to make a quick egg salad that my daughter loves as a sandwich filling. If I put it in her freezable lunch box, the egg salad stays chilled until midday.

Slices of the Dave's Killer Bread with 21 whole grains and seeds are perfect for sandwiches.

When I make sandwiches, I look for whole-grain bread that isn't too dense. This thin-sliced bread from Dave's Killer Bread fits the bill perfectly.

Each slice has 3 grams of fiber, which supports digestion and satiety, and 14 grams of carbohydrates, which help support energy.

My daughter enjoys the bread's soft texture, and I appreciate the nutrient-dense ingredient list, which includes organic flax seeds, organic sunflower seeds, and organic pumpkin seeds.

Simply Nature organic creamy peanut butter is a versatile plant-based protein packed with healthy fats.

Peanut butter is a reliable addition to my daughter's lunch box.

The Simply Nature organic creamy peanut butter is a plant-based protein with healthy fats that keep my daughter full until she gets home. Each 32-gram serving has 16 grams of fat and 8 grams of protein.

I use it for peanut butter sandwiches or as a dip for apples and celery.

My daughter loves how crisp and sweet Pink Lady apples are.

Whenever possible, I try to include produce in my daughter's lunch, and Pink Lady apples are one of my most frequent purchases. Each one has about 3 grams of fiber along with micronutrients like vitamin C and potassium.

My daughter loves the apples' crispiness and sweet flavor, and I love that they're reasonably priced at Aldi.

When I'm preparing her lunch, I usually pack a sliced apple and pair it with a small container of nut butter for a boost in protein and healthy fats.

Simply Nature freeze-dried strawberries snack packs deliver the nutrition of fresh fruit.

Fresh berries are great, but they often end up squished by the time the lunch bell rings. These Simply Nature freeze-dried strawberries solve that problem completely.

The freeze-drying process removes water while leaving nutrients like iron and potassium intact. These snacks stay perfectly crisp in my daughter's lunch box and never turn mushy.

The BelGioioso fresh mozzarella snacking cheese is a delicious source of calcium.

I try to include a source of calcium in my daughter's lunches to support bone health, and these individual mozzarella packs make that easy.

I just grab one from the fridge and toss it into her freezable lunch box. She loves the mild flavor, which pairs nicely with crackers, raw vegetables, or pasta salad.

Baby carrots add a satisfying crunch to my daughter's meals.

Peeling and chopping vegetables can be time-consuming, but these baby carrots are a breeze to pack.

They deliver a satisfying crunch and healthy dose of vitamin A, which supports vision and immune health.

They also maintain their texture well throughout the day and taste fresh when my daughter reaches for them hours after I pack them. It's an added bonus that Aldi sells them at a great price point.

Curious what other shoppers are loving? Keep reading our Aldi Diaries!

• Multi-cancer blood tests are generally seen as the future of cancer detection.
• The promise is that with a few vials of blood, you could test for dozens of cancers at once.
• For now, the tests seem far better at picking up some cancers than others.

Is a $950 test that searches for upwards of 50 types of cancer in your bloodstream worth it? That depends on who you ask.

Grail, the Silicon Valley healthcare company developing blood tests to pick up early cancer, presented its largest study to date on Saturday at the American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting (ASCO) in Chicago.

The study, tracking more than 140,000 older people in the UK, assessed whether people who took Grail's $950 Galleri test each year for three years could catch cancer before it hit the later stages (Stage 3 and Stage 4).

The study was unsuccessful at its stated goal of meaningfully curbing more late-stage cancers. Still, the company says these results are a clear signal that their test is working.

"When you add Galleri to single cancer, standard-of-care screening, we found four times more cancer in the population," Grail President and incoming CEO Joshua Ofman told Business Insider, shortly before the results were released.

The fresh data from ASCO shows the sticking point: while an additional 937 were picked up by Grail's Galleri, the test is still not the best at detecting early-stage cancer, the kind that is generally easier to treat and cure. While Grail's testing did pick up some new cancer cases, it missed a lot more, and the majority of those it did find — 54% — were in Stages 3 and 4.

Grail's test is not yet approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, but it is available across the country with a doctor's prescription, or through telehealth services like Hims & Hers.

Business Insider has zeroed in on five key data points to keep in mind as you weigh whether the test is worth your time and your money:

1: If Grail says you have cancer, you probably do.

The test is designed with high specificity, so that it doesn't scare people into thinking they have cancer when they don't. More than 70,000 people took this test, and the odds of any individual without cancer getting a false positive test were very low, at less than 0.5%.

But there were at least a few false alarms in the crowd. 864 people were given a cancer "signal" who were not diagnosed with cancer afterwards. That's hundreds of people who worried about cancer alongside their doctors, and ultimately couldn't find anything wrong.

Grail's founding CEO Jeff Huber said that may not mean the test failed. Previous research has shown that about a third of Grail's "false positive" tests, when followed over longer periods of time, do become cancer diagnoses that doctors simply couldn't identify right away.

"When you get a Grail test result, and it says you have cancer, you can be highly, highly, highly confident you have cancer," Huber said. "If Grail says you have cancer, unfortunately, you should freak out and do something about it as quickly as you can."

Dr. Scott Ramsey, who directs the Institute for Cancer Outcomes Research at Fred Hutch Cancer Center, and who was not involved in this study, agreed with Huber.

"If I did Grail and I had a positive test, I would be worried, I would be looking for cancer," he said.

2: Grail missed 2,114 cancers

Getting a negative Grail test does not mean you're in the clear.

In the study, 2,114 people with "negative" Grail test results were diagnosed with cancer in the following 12 months, through traditional oncology methods like regular screenings and biopsies.

This means Grail's test is not yet a viable safety net — it's missing twice as many cancers as it is finding, with a sensitivity around 30%.

"If it's a negative test, you should not feel safe because they are not very sensitive," Ramsey said.

3: The test caught most cancers before they were terminal.

People who took Grail had fewer Stage 4 diagnoses, and more cancer cases were picked up in Stage 3. Grail says that's a good thing, because it means doctors can catch cancer before it progresses to the metastatic, and often terminal stage. Ideally, that should mean Grail helps make cancers easier to treat, and patients can live longer lives. But that's all speculation for now.

"This is where it gets so complicated," Ramsey said. "In theory, and intuitively, detecting cancer in an early, curable stage is what you want to do because it should work. But the devil ends up being in the details because most of these cancers that Grail is screening for — the ones that aren't screened for now — we don't know the behavior of those cancers."

In general Stage 1 and Stage 2 cancers are the easiest to treat, then things get a little more challenging in Stage 3, depending on the cancer, and in Stage 4, survival is generally very low. But that's not universally true.

"Stage 4 to Stage 3? For some of these cancers, that might be a good thing, but for others it may make no difference at all," Ramsey said.

4: The test appears best at identifying a few specific early-stage cancers

After three years of running Grail, Stage 1 and 2 cancer detection improved by 16%.

For some cancers, like lung cancer and bladder cancer, there wasn't a huge surge in detection after three annual tests. But for some that cannot be routinely screened for, the test really made a dent in early detection:

• Ovarian cancers: Grail doubled the number of Stage 1 and 2 cases detected in the study
• Myeloma/plasma cell neoplasm: There was a 118.2% increase in Stage 1 and 2 diagnoses
• Esophagus cancers: And a 92.3% increase in Stage 1 and 2 diagnosed

"Those are horrible cancers that kill you when they're detected late," Huber, the former Grail executive, said.

5: Should you do it? Maybe as an add-on

Ultimately, none of these new figures tells cancer researchers what they really want to know: can Grail testing save lives?

In the meantime, patients are left to decide on their own if the testing is worth adding to their annual medical routine.

When friends ask Ramsey if they should do Grail, he tells them to keep two things in mind: "I say they're very promising tests that I think someday will be part of screening. But right now, I don't have any data to tell them that getting this test will reduce their risk of dying from cancer. And that's the whole reason you do screening."

Huber, a true believer in this technology, says he gets a Grail test every year. But he also gets regular full-body MRIs and colonoscopies. He believes the Galleri test should be part of comprehensive clinical care. But it will be some time before we can tell whether that extra vigilance saves lives.

• Mattie Gardner is a content creator in her early 30s who lives in New England with her husband.
• They racked up $63,000 in credit card debt, but are only $17,000 away from paying it off.
• She has been sharing her debt journey on social media to hold herself accountable.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Mattie Gardner. It has been edited for length and clarity.

My husband and I are in credit card debt. We started at $63,227, and our current balance is $17,401.

Back in 2022, we took a big risk and jumped into a building business opportunity offered to us by an acquaintance. I was working full-time then, but we decided to leap, and I quit my job. My husband also walked away from his career for this business.

We had no income. It was a combination of bad timing, not great choices, and an inability to face the reality of our situation. We racked up $65,000 in credit card debt in a year. Our personal finances were a mess because we were relying on credit cards for our normal expenses.

We gave it a year, and then both said we cannot do this anymore. In 2023, we both got full-time jobs shortly thereafter and slowly began rebuilding our lives. But the damage had been done.

I started a social media account to hold us accountable for the payments

In October 2025, my husband got three paychecks in one month; it was just the way it landed that month. I remember thinking that if we didn't take action right now, we'd miss the window of opportunity to start paying down the debt.

We had been kicking the can down the road for way too long, thinking that something might save us. Finally, I realized nothing was coming to save us. So I created the account in November 2025 to document the debt payment progress and what the journey would look like; I also thought it would be cool to look back on the videos and see how far we'd come once we paid it off.

I was hoping along the way we'd also find a community with people in a similar situation because I had seen creators post about debt, and it made me feel seen. One day, I uploaded a video about our debt, and it went viral.

We had to make serious sacrifices and create new mindsets

We had to sell our house. We didn't make nearly as much as we thought we would. We put everything we made from the sale toward the credit card debt. We are currently living at my parents' house; they moved out of state, and we pay the mortgage. We have accepted that we likely won't own a home for many years. We also only have one car, which we have to make work.

I wasn't involved in our finances before this. I avoided them. I didn't want to be involved because numbers and money scared me. That's a belief I had built up, that I'm bad at math, so I shouldn't be involved in finances. I've had to overcome that fear. There's very little to do with money that scares me now.

This has strengthened our relationship because we've had to work as a team to get it done. We still fight about money and budgeting all the time, but we're not afraid to have these conversations anymore. We know they need to be had.

The biggest thing that got us to where we are — $40,000 paid down — is doing a personal audit. We know our finances really well and are budgeting now. We know what's in our budget and what's in our bank accounts every day. We think about it all the time, which we didn't previously do. We use a spreadsheet I bought from Etsy and an app called EveryDollar.

We hope to pay off the remaining credit card debt by the end of the summer. It's optimistic, but we're certain we can do that and then begin tackling other debt that needs to be paid off, like student loans. We want to shift into saving mode as well, start contributing to a high-yield savings account, and make that a higher priority.

The Champions League Final has arrived, and last year's reigning champions will make another bid for the title. We've compiled everything you need to know about where to watch PSG vs. Arsenal, including free and global live streaming options.

If you don't want to scroll any further, you can live stream the games on CBS via Paramount Plus in the US, TNT Sports via HBO Max in the UK, and for free in several other regions around the world. You can access your favorite streaming options from anywhere by using a VPN.

Where to watch PSG vs. Arsenal for free

It's good news for folks in several countries. The PSG vs. Arsenal match will live stream for free in multiple regions, including Australia (9Now), Belgium (RTL Club), Ireland (RTE2), Italy (TV8), and Luxembourg (RTL2).

How to watch PSG vs. Arsenal from anywhere

If you're away from the location where your streaming service works, you can still access your free streaming option with the help of a VPN. Short for virtual private networks, VPNs are handy tech tools that let people temporarily alter their device's virtual location. They're especially popular among those hoping to keep up with their usual services while traveling abroad or looking to boost their cybersecurity.

ProtonVPN is one of the best VPNs we've tested. It's fast, user-friendly (even for beginners), and has a 30-day money-back guarantee if you find it's not helping you out.

Where to watch PSG vs. Arsenal in the US

PSG vs. Arsenal will air on CBS in the US, so if you have an antenna, you'll most like be able to get it over-the-air. The match will live stream on Paramount Plus. You only need the Essential tier, which costs $9 a month, to access Champions League games.

Where to watch PSG vs. Arsenal in the UK

In the past, the Champions League Final has been available for free in the UK. However, this year, you'll need a paid subscription to watch TNT Sports on HBO Max to live stream the PSG vs. Arsenal match. One nice thing is that you won't need the pricey £31 a month TNT Sports on HBO Max tier to watch (which is the case for the rest of Champions League matches in the UK). Instead, the final match will be shown on HBO Max's cheapest £6 a month tier.

Where to watch PSG vs. Arsenal in Australia

While most Champions League matches this season required a paid Stan Sport subscription in Australia, the final will go out for free on 9Now for those Down Under. 9Now is a free streaming option that just requires account creation to use, for those who don't already have a login.

Where to watch PSG vs. Arsenal in Ireland

Select Champions League matches have been shown for free in Ireland throughout the season, typically split between two streaming services. The PSG vs. Arsenal game will be available to live stream for free on RTE2.

Where to watch PSG vs. Arsenal in Belgium

Belgium's RTL Club has shown a substantial selection of games throughout the Champions League season, and the final is no exception. PSG vs. Arsenal will be available for free through the service.

Where will PSG vs. Arsenal take place?

The Champions League Final will take place at the Puskás Aréna in Budapest, Hungary. This is the Puskás Aréna's first time hosting the Champions League Final.

Who is favored to win PSG vs. Arsenal?

PSG are the favorites to win against Arsenal. PSG is +140 on the moneyline, while Arsenal is a +210 underdog, according to DraftKings at the time of writing.

When was the last time PSG and Arsenal played?

PSG and Arsenal last played each other in the 2025 Champions League semifinals. PSG beat Arsenal 3-1 on aggregate, advancing to the final, where they defeated Inter Milan 5-0.

What teams did PSG and Arsenal beat in the semifinals?

PSG beat out Bayern Munich on a 6-5 aggregate in the semifinals, winning the first leg and coming to a draw in the second. Arsenal beat out Atlético Madrid on a 2-1 aggregate in the semifinals, going 1-1 in the first game and winning 1-0 in the second leg.

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• Andrew Schnipper has been opening restaurants for decades, but he builds menus differently now.
• Early on, he and his brother offered a broad menu that ranged from salads to hamburgers.
• He says if he could start over, he would have built a more focused concept from the beginning.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Andrew Schnipper, cofounder of multiple restaurants, including Schnipper's and Hamburger America. The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

When my brother and I opened Schnipper's in 2009, we thought having a broad menu made sense. We were focused on burgers, but we also served salads, sandwiches, and other comfort food.

At the time, we thought people would want variety because, honestly, even we were asking ourselves how many burgers someone could eat every week.

What I've learned over the years is that today's customers are looking for specialists. They want restaurants that do a few things really well. That's one of the biggest reasons our newer concept, Hamburger America, has such a focused menu.

If you look at Hamburger America, there are a couple of burgers, a couple of sandwiches, and that's pretty much it. We're very focused there, and as a result, we do those things very well.

I think one of the hardest things about running a large menu is that almost everything sells to somebody. You'll have a few blockbuster items, but even the lower-volume dishes develop loyal customers. That makes it difficult to remove anything once the menu grows too large.

Looking back, I probably would have built a more focused concept from the beginning.

How my brother and I built our restaurant business

My brother and I first got into the restaurant business in 1990 when we opened Hale and Hearty, a soup concept in New York City.

We eventually built 18 locations before selling our interest in the business in 2006. Later, we launched Schnipper's, and eventually, we partnered with George Motz to open Hamburger America.

George had spent decades documenting hamburger history through books, documentaries, and pop-ups, but he didn't want to open a restaurant without experienced operators. My brother and I already had experience building and running restaurants, so we decided to partner with him.

Our partnership works because we have different strengths. My brother trained as a chef and focuses heavily on the food and culinary side of the business. I focus more on operations, accounting, and building restaurants.

We trust each other in our respective areas, and I think that level of respect is critical in any partnership, especially a family business.

Rising costs have changed the restaurant industry

The restaurant industry has changed a lot since I started. Food and labor costs have gone up dramatically, especially since the pandemic.

We've never seen prices increase the way they have in the last several years. We're paying about double for meat compared with when we first opened our burger business, and prices have also gone up significantly since the pandemic. Labor costs have increased, too.

Most restaurateurs I know want customers to feel like they got a good value. That creates a challenge because ingredient costs and labor costs keep rising, but there's only so much you can pass along to customers before prices become too high.

I think most of us in the industry are absorbing part of those increases ourselves. We're making a little less money than we used to.

Why I still love restaurants after all these years

Even with those challenges, I still love the business.

However, there's not a week that goes by that I don't look at my brother and ask, "Why would anybody voluntarily do this for a living?"

Then you watch customers come in and enjoy what you built, and it reminds you why you're doing it.

There's something extraordinarily satisfying about putting out a product that people love and come back to. Especially in the lunch business, you realize you're part of somebody's day. People enjoy the experience, and that gives us a huge amount of satisfaction.

I really believe you either have hospitality in your DNA or you don't. If you're doing this just to make money, I think it's probably a terrible idea. You really have to love hospitality, love food, and enjoy making people happy. That's what has kept my brother and me doing this for decades.

• A military spouse had a common symptom of colon cancer for years, but doctors dismissed it as pregnancy-related.
• She eventually had a colonoscopy that found a golf-ball-sized tumor, and was diagnosed with stage 3c colon cancer at 32.
• Now five years cancer-free after treatment, she said a big challenge was learning to ask for help.

Monica Trott was about to turn 30 when she started to notice blood in her stool.

As a gastroenterology nurse who helped people prepare for colonoscopies, she was deeply familiar with common symptoms of colon cancer and knew rectal bleeding was serious.

During 2019, however, she was well into her second pregnancy. When her doctor said it was likely hemorrhoids related to pregnancy and being on her feet all day, Trott went along with it. She ate more fiber, as instructed. The blood went away temporarily, but kept coming back.

Then, in 2021, during her third pregnancy, the symptoms returned worse than ever, even as the doctors treating her insisted nothing was out of the ordinary.

"I'm seeing blood. I'm seeing mucus now. I'm so tired all the time. So I was bringing them all these symptoms. And every time they would just tell me, 'It's hemorrhoids. You're pregnant, and there's not much else we can do,'" Trott told Business Insider.

Weeks after she gave birth in 2021, she insisted on a colonoscopy. The procedure found a golf ball-sized tumor in her rectum at age 32. She was diagnosed with stage 3C, meaning the cancer had spread to nearly a dozen lymph nodes.

After successful treatment, Trott is now 38 and celebrating five years cancer-free alongside her husband and three children. As a military spouse, the family adapted to unique challenges during her diagnosis and treatment.

She shared what everyone should know about colon cancer, from screening to survivorship. "You have to advocate for yourself," Trott said. "Learn to ask for help and accept help."

Coping with a young cancer diagnosis

After months of reassurance from doctors, the last thing Trott had expected was a cancer diagnosis. Still, she was grateful it hadn't spread to her liver or elsewhere beyond the lymph nodes.

"It was a big shock," she said. "It does feel like a miracle that it did not spread to other organs."

Trott scheduled a surgery two weeks after receiving her diagnosis, followed by six months of chemotherapy.

She grappled with uncertainty about what to tell her children, and if she'd miss out on seeing them grow up. Her family, including her husband, parents, and sisters, became a source of strength, a reason to endure the side effects of chemo and stay focused on healing.

"My kids, at the very beginning, it was so hard because they were so little, and the depression was just telling me, 'Don't get close to them. There's no use," Trott said. "Thinking of my kids alone is what eventually got my mindset that, OK, I need to fight. Whatever is next, I'm going to do it."

To manage the side effects of chemo and surgery, she relied heavily on her community, moving back in with her parents in Texas while her oldest daughter stayed in Alabama with her husband, stationed there at the time. Her sisters also helped.

"That was a crazy family dynamic," Trott said. "I think about it now, how it must have been and how hard it must have been to see their daughter going through this. But thankfully, my parents are the strongest people, so they were there for me through it all."

She now lives with her husband and three kids — ages 9, 7, and 5 — in San Antonio.

Trott's takeaway from the experience: Don't be afraid to seek support, whether that's screening for colon cancer at the earliest sign of symptoms, or leaning on your community to manage daily life.

"I've seen so many people…that they don't want to be a burden, or they're the helpers," she said. "Just learn to ask for and accept help. There's no benefit in saying you did it all by yourself."

Life after cancer

Six months after starting chemotherapy, Trott got to "ring the bell," signaling she had finished treatment. Scans at the time showed she was NED — short for no evidence of disease — meaning her scans were cancer-free.

It started a countdown to five years, the milestone when the risk of colon cancer recurrence drops significantly. Trott hit the five-year mark in May and is still reflecting on what being a cancer survivor means to her.

After taking a few years to focus on her health and her family, Trott is gradually returning to work, subbing as a school nurse at her kids' school. She's also considering a move to oncology nursing.

Reclaiming her life after cancer, Trott said she has been navigating the stigma of colon cancer and the misconception that she was somehow to blame for getting the disease. All the while, she's still dealing with the effects of treatment, as she's experiencing early menopause symptoms, which can be a side effect of chemo.

"When I first was diagnosed, I was almost embarrassed to tell people, and I never shared my stage at the beginning. I almost felt like it was my fault, and people were going to look at me like, 'Oh, well, you must have been eating really bad food.' Like this is an old people's disease," she said.

Now, Trott is finding meaning in her experience by urging others to listen to their bodies, and to be aware of the most common symptoms of colon cancer, like abdominal pain and changes to bathroom habits.

"Now I'll meet a stranger, and I'm like, 'Hey, how are your bowel movements?'" she said.

• When my kids were younger, they needed my wife and me for everything.
• Now, they're 9 and 11, and they've gotten more independent over the years.
• My role as a parent has changed, and I have to embrace the time we have together.

When our two kids were little, my wife and I were needed for everything. Every snack, every bedtime routine, every scraped knee, every middle-of-the-night wake-up. Our days revolved around the rhythm of theirs.

Now my daughter is 11, and my son is 9, and something has changed. They still need us, of course, but not in the same constant, physical way. Increasingly, their lives exist just beyond the edges of ours. They spend more time with friends. They ride bikes around the neighborhood without us. They close their bedroom doors for alone time. Sometimes they disappear outside for hours and come back only when they're hungry (which in the age of screens and distraction, is amazing).

I knew this stage was coming, but I wasn't prepared for how strange it would feel while living inside it.

Parenting has become less physical and more emotional

When kids are small, parenting is tangible. Your time is dominated by tasks like packing lunches, tying shoes, and carrying sleeping children from the car to bed. Your parenting role is obvious: Keep them alive!

Now, much of the work happens in subtler ways. My wife and I spend less time actively doing things for our kids and more time paying attention to them. For example, listening carefully when they casually mention a friendship issue, noticing changes in their mood, or trying to create space for them to still want to talk to us. I like to bring one of my kids with me when I walk the dog, as it's an excellent opportunity to talk and be present.

The questions they ask are changing, too. They're less concrete and more layered. Conversations drift toward social dynamics, insecurity, growing independence, and trying to figure out who they are becoming.

I've realized that parenting older kids requires a different kind of restraint. You can't solve every problem for them anymore. Sometimes the best thing you can do is stay calm, stay available, and resist the urge to be a helicopter parent by giving them space to step up on their own.

I miss parts of the earlier years more than I expected

There are things I don't miss about early parenting. The lack of sleep, the constant chaos, the feeling that someone always needed something from me physically.

But there are other parts I miss intensely. I miss how uncomplicated our relationship used to be. Back then, connection was automatic. Our kids wanted to be near us all the time. Family time happened naturally because their worlds were still so intertwined with ours.

As they get older, our connection requires more intention and effort on our part. There are evenings when both kids are off doing their own thing while my wife and I sit quietly in the kitchen, realizing how much the house has changed. Not worse, exactly. Just different.

I've started to understand why parents always talk about time moving so fast. It's not because childhood disappears all at once, but instead because they slowly become less dependent on you.

I'm making sure we embrace the small moments

As my kids grow up, I find myself being more protective of small moments, whether that's driving them to soccer or gymnastics, doing the dishes together after dinner, or hearing about some random thing that happened at school. Those conversations are often brief and unpredictable. But more often than not, these are when the most meaningful connections happen, and they share their thoughts or feelings about their days.

Plus, older kids can easily tell when your attention is divided. If I'm half-listening while checking my phone or thinking about work, the conversation ends pretty quickly. That's why being present matters more now than ever, because attention is no longer guaranteed.

My role as a parent is changing

Whether I'm emotionally ready for it or not, I have to accept that my role as a parent is changing. My kids don't need constant supervision anymore. What they seem to need most is consistency, guidance, and, of course, our unconditional love and support. A parent who's emotionally available, calm, and paying attention — even as they become more independent.

I spend less time with my kids than I used to, but I'm learning that parenting older children isn't necessarily about maximizing time together. It's about creating enough trust, steadiness, and openness that they still want to come back and share pieces of their world with you as it expands beyond your reach.

• My husband and I decided to live and work out of a camper van for one year.
• That one year quickly became seven, and we have traveled outside the US.
• We love working on the road and have no plans to retire.

My husband and I had been married for two years when we sold most of our belongings on Facebook Marketplace, bought a van, and hit the road to explore the world outside our doorstep.

One year. That's what we committed to justify the cost of converting the van into a home on wheels.

At the time, we were working fully remote as self-employed contractors. My husband, Chris, designed websites for a living, and I was working as a contracted event planner for a company 3,000 miles away from our home in Seattle. Our jobs were only restricted by WiFi availability, which in 2018 was already widespread and accessible pretty much everywhere in the US. So off we went.

We drove through all of the US (including Alaska), through much of Canada, and developed a love for life on the road. One year has turned into a seven-and-a-half-year adventure with no plans of stopping anytime soon.

We've continued traveling for years

We grew a life and a business that was sustainable while always on the go. We shared our stories on YouTube and Instagram, and our jobs slowly became about telling stories from the road.

After we finished traveling through all 50 states, we decided to take our adventures a step further: we wanted to drive from the US to Panama along the Pan-American Highway.

We loaded our 1988 Land Cruiser camper with the essentials and headed straight for the border, nervous and unsure what working and living internationally would look like, but ready to give it a go.

It took us all of a week in Mexico's Baja California Sur before we realized we wanted to travel slower than we ever had before. We wanted to learn about a country and its culture in a way that a vacation would never allow us to. We knew our favorite grocery stores, our favorite local dishes in each region, and how to drive like a local.

Our time in Mexico brought challenges like language barriers and bribes, and car trouble that left us with no brakes on a rainy, flooded mountaintop in Oaxaca. When life threw us curveballs, and car trouble kept us still for a month in Oaxaca, we made ourselves at home in a campground on the outskirts of the city full of other overlanders from all over the world.

Work looks different for us

Being self-employed on the road, we don't get paid vacation days, but we do get to take our work with us.

I've written work emails on my phone in incredible places like Copacabana Beach in Brazil, a hot spring in Iceland, and from the back of a motorbike in Thailand.

Some may view this as never truly escaping work, but for us, it's a life without ever having to return to a cubicle in a fluorescent-lit office.

Our office view changes daily, and we're in charge of our hours, job descriptions, and location. Every lifestyle comes with give-and-takes, and for us, we'd rather prioritize the present while still working for the future.

We often connect with older retirees on the road

The thing about van life is that you're really just an RVer with a more trendy name attached to the activity. Since most RVers are generally retirees, we found ourselves in countless conversations with fellow travelers 60+ years old that first year on the road.

Many of the conversations ended with something like, "You're doing it right traveling while you're young and still able to enjoy it before your knees are too worn out."

Between in-person conversations and YouTube comments on our videos, we have heard that statement in various forms hundreds of times now. When someone in their 70's approaches you and says, "Wow, I wish I had done what you're doing," you take it to heart.

The more it's repeated, the more seriously we take the advice, and the older we get, the more urgent the challenge becomes.

Maybe one day we will retire, but right now, we have no plans to. We're already living the life we always dreamed of.