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☆ I pay $1,550 in rent and spent nearly $14,000 renovating my NYC apartment. Before and after photos show why it was worth it.
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Joe Yatco is an architect in New York City who pays $1,550 per month for his Brooklyn apartment. Yatco spent nearly $14,000 renovating the apartment, including building a bar, bookshelf, and new sink. AdvertisementAdvertisementThis as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Joe Yatco, a New York City-based architect whose apartment renovation recently went viral. Renovating a rental is worth itSome people are all upset, like, "Why would you spend $14,000 not on your own place?" When you move into a place, you're just inheriting what it is, and a lot of people don't make changes to their place and it doesn't truly reflect them.

Persons: Joe Yatco, Yatco, —, I've, It's, it's, they're, hasn't, it'll, I'd, I'm, Kelsey Vlamis Organizations: Service, Eagle Scouts Locations: New York City, Brooklyn, Williamsburg , Brooklyn, It's, Philippines, kvlamis@insider.com

☆ A woman and her dog were swept away by flash flooding that suddenly surged through a Utah slot canyon. They were saved after the SOS emergency feature on her iPhone notified rescuers.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A woman was hiking with her dog in a Utah slot canyon Thursday when she heard flash flooding coming. Rescuers were able to find them after she used the emergency satellite SOS feature on her iPhone. AdvertisementAdvertisementShe then used the emergency satellite SOS feature on her iPhone to send a message for help. However, the woman got a message back to her phone that said, "Emergency Services: Message Send Failure." It's unclear why the woman received a message to her iPhone that said her request for help was not sent.

Persons: Mary Jane Canyon, GCSAR Organizations: Rescuers, Facebook, Apple Locations: Utah

☆ Russia's ruthless minefields aren't just handcuffing Western tanks. Each day the war drags on the mines get more buried — and are likely to haunt Ukraine for many years to come.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-26 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Ukraine is now believed to be one of the most mined country in the world since the Russia invasion. Some of the worst injuries coming out of the war have been amputations, many caused by the countless land mines Russia placed across broad swaths of Ukraine. Despite having signed the treaty, Ukraine has been accused by Human Rights Watch of using banned "butterfly" mines against Russia. Epstein said that the mines are only going to get more and more buried under dirt and snow. While Epstein said Ukraine has a good medical system, the demand for care will likely be overwhelming.

Persons: Dr, Aaron Epstein, Epstein, GSMSG, Rebecca Gonzalez, Spencer Platt, Fazal Organizations: Service, Global, Group, The Washington Post, Human Rights, Staten Island University Hospital, Getty, Wall Street, University of Minnesota Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Wall, Silicon, Florida, Ukrainian, New York City, New York

☆ Paris Hilton joins lawmakers introducing a bill to end abuse in the 'troubled teen' industry: 'What I went through will haunt me for the rest of my life'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Paris Hilton joined lawmakers Thursday to announce a bill aimed at the troubled teen industry. Hilton spoked about her personal experiences of abuse at residential treatment centers in her teens. "From the ages of 16 to 18, I was sent to four troubled teen industry facilities, each one more horrific than the last. The "troubled teen" industry refers to a range of residential treatment centers nationwide that are aimed at kids struggling with emotional or behavioral issues. Have a news tip or a story to share about residential treatment centers?

☆ DeSantis threatened to put a prison next to Disney, but it may not be as scary an idea as he thinks — and in fact small Florida towns could probably use it way more
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

But it's unclear how much, if at all, a prison would actually impact Disney. A prison could also bring jobs to small towns that don't have a local employer as large as Disney. Ron DeSantis's threat to put a state prison next to the "Happiest Place on Earth" may not be as menacing as he thinks. But it's unclear how much a state prison close to Disney would actually impact the resort and theme park. As for how a prison could impact Disney World, she speculated that the primary factor would be how it impacts the company's brand and tourists' perception of safety.

☆ 20-pound rodents with big orange teeth, rat-like tails, and no necks are wreaking havoc in the US and landing on 'most unwanted' lists
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-15 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The aquatic rodents has since spread, destroying wetlands and threatening flood infrastructure. The orange color of their teeth, a trait they share with beavers, comes from having a special, strong enamel that includes iron. The rodents often carry pathogens and parasites that can contaminate water supplies and potentially spread to humans. As of November 2022, 3,330 nutria have been removed from California, according to state wildlife officials. Wildlife officials across the country encourage the public to report nutria sightings to their local agencies to aid in management and eradication efforts.

☆ An Asian elephant learned to peel her own bananas with her trunk — and may have figured it out after watching her caretaker do it for her
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

An elephant named at the Berlin Zoo really likes peeling her bananas. The study said Pha would only engage in peeling if handed a yellow banana with brown spots. When given a green or yellow banana, she will eat the entire thing, peel and all, similar to other elephants. In that setting, she will typically eat spotty yellow bananas whole, just like everyone else — except for one. Though elephants have been documented using their trunks in many interesting ways, researchers said peeling bananas appeared to be a rare behavior.

☆ A cross between domestic pigs and wild boars was intentionally bred in Canada. The resulting 'super pigs' escaped captivity and could be invading the US.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

When the market collapsed, the "super pigs" escaped and have spread rapidly across the country. The environmentally destructive pigs may be invading the US, where feral pigs already pose problems in the South. Then the boar market peaked, collapsing in 2001, and many of the super pigs were simply let go. Others escaped, as the super pigs were stronger and more adept at getting under or over fencing. But the super pigs from Canada could easily survive the frigid winters of places like Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, or Minnesota.

☆ Don't buy a backyard chicken to combat inflation
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

More people are turning to backyard chickens, but experts warn it's not as easy or cheap as it seems. Earlier this year, The New York Times, Insider, and others wrote about people turning to backyard chickens to address inflation. Some people are buying backyard chickens to combat eggflation. Some think they are buying hens and end up with roostersAnother challenge with buying backyard chickens is that you may unintentionally end up with a rooster. She tries to discourage people from buying backyard chickens on a whim, to avoid having more roosters with nowhere they can go.

☆ California's 'zombie forests' are 'cheating death' as the climate has changed so drastically it's no longer able to support them
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A new study found some of the forests in California's Sierra Nevada no longer match their climate. About 20% of conifers in the Sierra Nevada are experiencing "vegetation climate mismatch." The lead author said the trees are "cheating death" but that they won't survive a major disturbance. When trees or other plants are no longer suited to the environment they are in, it's called a "vegetation climate mismatch." The conifers of the Sierra Nevada include ponderosa pine, sugar pine, and Douglas fir.

☆ Video shows the moment dozens of frantic sharks in the middle of a feeding frenzy surrounded a fishing boat off the coast of Louisiana: 'Never seen anything like it'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A TikTok video showed a fishing boat off the coast of Louisiana surrounded by feasting sharks. One of the fisherman told Storyful he'd "never seen anything like it." The frantic sharks appeared to be eating a pod of small fish that could be seen in the water. At some points in the video, small fish can be seen frantically swimming below the surface in the midst of the sharks, which were even causing water to splash up onto the boat. Some of the sharks most commonly found along the coastlines include bull, thresher, hammerhead, nurse, and blacktip, among others.

☆ The Great Salt Lake in Utah is disappearing, leaving behind a toxic bowl of dust and potentially one of the greatest environmental disasters in US history
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Scientists have warned that the Great Salt Lake in Utah could disappear within five years. "Great Salt Lake is facing unprecedented danger. When clouds of dust roll into Salt Lake City, they can make the air toxic. The Great Salt Lake is used for recreation, natural resource extraction, and brine shrimp fishing, a multimillion-dollar industry. Agriculture is the largest user of water in the Great Salt Lake watershed, accounting for 85%, according to the Utah Rivers Council.

☆ Idaho lawmakers are seriously considering absorbing Oregon's conservative rural counties if they can secede from the blue state
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The Greater Idaho movement seeks to redraw state boundaries so rural Oregon can join Idaho. Moving the state boundary would require the approval of Oregon, Idaho, and the US Congress. Matt McCaw, a spokeperson for the group behind the Greater Idaho movement, told Insider they were confident the bill would pass Idaho's Senate in the coming weeks as well. McCaw said the Greater Idaho proposal would be a solution to the "longstanding problem" of the urban-rural divide. Proponents of Greater Idaho have said their plan is a way to avoid conflict, but it's unclear the impact moving the border would actually have.

☆ Rep. Lauren Boebert suggested God used her to stand up to to 'demons' including 'a speaker of the House'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Rep. Lauren Boebert told a crowd God may use them to stand in front of "demons," or a "speaker of the House." Boebert, though she was coy about what House speaker she referred to, tried to block McCarthy's bid. Boebert has previously invoked religion and politics, saying "the church is supposed to control the government." After negotiations within the party and 15 rounds of voting, McCarthy was finally elected speaker last month, kicking off the new Congress. Andrew Whitehead, a sociologist at IUPUI and co-author of "Taking America Back for God: Christian Nationalism in the United States," told Insider at the time her comments touched on Christian nationalist imagery that's linked to violence.

☆ A 16-year-old girl killed in a shark attack was swimming in a river, not the ocean. Bull sharks — considered by some experts the most dangerous — are the rare species that swims in fresh water.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

But when a 16-year-old girl in Australia was killed in a shark attack on Saturday, she wasn't swimming in the ocean. Bull sharks are considered by many experts to be the most dangerous sharks in the world. Still, although you are more likely to encounter a bull shark in a river than another species, attacks remain uncommon. In 2022, there were 57 unprovoked shark attacks on humans worldwide, according to the Florida Museum of Natural History's International Shark Attack File. Bull sharks, great white sharks, and tiger sharks are the most common species to be involved in an attack.

☆ 6 western states agreed on a plan to make major cuts to water usage from the shrinking Colorado River, but California — the largest user of them all — wouldn't get on board
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-04 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The federal government has called on western states to come to agreement on water cuts. California couldn't come to an agreement with six other states on the Colorado River. The proposed cuts come as decades of drought have dwindled water supplies relied on by millions. Well, six of the seven states that are part of the Colorado River basin did come to an agreement, but California — the largest user of water from the river — wouldn't get on board. "The challenge is that we need to get back to balance in relation to water usage and what the system is producing," she said.

☆ The US promised the Cherokee Nation a seat in Congress in a treaty that fueled the Trail of Tears. 188 years later, the Cherokee say lawmakers may finally fulfill that promise.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-04 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

The Cherokee Nation was promised a seat in Congress in the 1835 Treaty of New Echota. The Cherokee Nation appears closer than ever to finally seating a delegate. She said lawmakers asked tough questions, but she felt "very optimistic" the Cherokee delegate was something the committee ultimately supported. The Cherokee Nation is continuing to galvanize support and encourages US citizens to reach out to their representatives in Congress and tell them to fulfill the treaty promise. "I think the stars are aligned for a Cherokee Nation delegate to be seated," she said.

☆ The Biden administration gave Southwest a deadline to issue refunds for the flight chaos over Christmas. A month later, some passengers were still waiting to be paid.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Pete Buttigieg gave the airline a deadline for refunds, but it came and went. John Erickson, a Southwest passenger who was stuck in Denver for three days after Southwest canceled his flight, told WFLA the airline told him it would take months to receive his refund. In a statement provided to Insider, Southwest rebuked the possibility it engaged in unrealistic flight schedules. Southwest previously told Insider last week it was still working daily to process refund and reimbursement requests from passengers. The spokesperson said DOT "will hold Southwest accountable if it fails" to issue timely refunds or reimbursements.

☆ Over 2,000 Ukrainians have spent the past 5 months living on cruise ships off the coast of Scotland: 'It was like a small social experiment'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-15 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

About 2,400 have spent the past five or six months living aboard cruise ships docked in Scotland. One family told the BBC they made a "small community of Ukrainians" on the boat in Glasgow. Andriy and his family are among the nearly 1,200 Ukrainians who have called the cruise ship MS Ambition home since September. There are people who like to sing together, it was like a small social experiment, a small community of Ukrainians," he added. The Scottish government extended the contract for the MS Victoria until June, a decision that was met with some criticism.

☆ A teacher in Wisconsin who missed her $4,000 honeymoon cruise after Southwest canceled her flight still hasn't gotten her luggage back after 11 days
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Two teachers from Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, were among thousands to have Southwest flights canceled. Marcus and Andrea Grasenick said they missed their honeymoon cruise after a canceled flight. Eleven days later, Andrea Grasenick was still waiting on her two suitcases to be returned. "I could see our bags outside in the snow from inside the airport," Andrea Grasenick told Insider. The airline canceled over 2,900 flights on December 26, accounting for about half of all canceled flights across the world that day.

☆ Storms in California have led to high snowpack and great skiing conditions — but the deluge still may not be enough to fill the state's empty reservoirs after years of drought
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

California has faced heavy precipitation in recent weeks, leading to a high snowpack. The snowpack provides a third of California's water needs, but it's too soon to assess the impact on the drought. The snowpack in the Sierra Nevada, the mountain range that runs along the eastern part of the state, is often called California's "frozen reservoirs." Though the high snowpack this early in the season is promising, if the precipitation doesn't continue, it may not be enough to significantly address the drought. "It's great for the state of California to get out of this drought, and it's great for skiing."

☆ A family who was headed to Tokyo to visit Disney and celebrate their son's 21st birthday is 'devastated' and out $7,000 after Southwest cancelled their flight
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-31 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

But after Southwest cancelled their flight from Tuscon to LAX, they missed their flight to Tokyo. They were going to visit Tokyo Disney and the Pokemon Cafe in Tokyo, take a train to Kyoto and go sightseeing at historic temples. But Tokyo Disney, which is not owned by The Walt Disney Company, generally does not issue refunds. Tokyo Disney, which is owned by The Oriental Land Company, could not immediately be reached for comment. The Walt Disney Company, which licenses intellectual property to Tokyo Disney, did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

☆ 2 teachers missed their $4,000 honeymoon cruise after their flight was cancelled and they were met with 'radio silence' from Southwest
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-30 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The teachers from Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, were among thousands to have Southwest flights canceled. Marcus and Andrea Grasenick said they missed their honeymoon cruise after a canceled flight. Southwest canceled more flights than any other airline after storms hit the US over Christmas. Marcus and Andrea Grasenick of Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, told local outlet TMJ4 that they flew to Nashville on Monday where they waited for word on their connecting Southwest flight. Southwest canceled more than 2,900 flights on Monday, accounting for around half of all canceled flights throughout the world that day.

☆ Trump, Kanye West, and Nick Fuentes pushing antisemitism to the forefront of the GOP could pull the Christian nationalist movement apart
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

But they also exposed a darker side of Christian nationalism that was always there, experts say. Americans who support Christian nationalist ideas may not identify as Christian nationalists. Andrew Whitehead, a sociologist at IUPUI and co-author of "Taking America Back for God: Christian Nationalism in the United States," has found similar connections between Christian nationalism and antisemitism. Additional research has also found close connections between Christian nationalism, antisemitism, QAnon followers, and supporters of Trump. Greene has said the GOP should be the party of Christian nationalism and even sells merch adorned with the term.

☆ Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez tells pissed-off Swifties to demand the Justice Department break up Ticketmaster after Taylor Swift tickets debacle
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Lawmakers have previously called for the Justice Department to investigated the company. Take action with @MorePerfectUS," Ocasio-Cortez tweeted after the news broke, directing her followers to a tweet that said: "Tell the DOJ to break Ticketmaster up here." The tweet also included a link to a form that allowed users to sign up to send an email to the Justice Department requesting the investigation. It's time for the Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate their conduct and move to break them up." The White House has not indicated whether it plans to investigate Live Nation Entertainment, although President Joe Biden indicated last month federal regulators were working to address "junk fees" tacked onto things like entrainment and travel.

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