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☆ Meet a boomer who retired from a 6-figure job so he wouldn't have to work remotely full time
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-07 | by ( Juliana Kaplan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

He said he didn't have the self-discipline for remote work and likes being around people. He found during those couple of weeks that something that makes remote work appealing to many — the ability to structure time away from the eyes of coworkers — didn't really work for him. Remote work is "just not for me," he said. For many people, remote work has allowed them to flex their autonomy over their working conditions and lives. But for Bond, who worried about self-discipline and a lack of separation between home and work, working in person became his ideal.

☆ I'm a Gen Xer who left my stressful engineering job for a yearlong break — and it was the best thing for my happiness and health
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-06 | by ( Rebecca Knight | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Christopher Gehring left his engineering job to take a career break and focus on his health. For me, taking a career break was the best thing I ever could have done for myself. Last year, my job — I'm an engineer who worked at a medical-device company — had become very stressful. As much as I've enjoyed this career break, I'm ready to get back to work. I'm going to give 100% of my effort during work hours, and when I'm off, I'm off.

☆ Amazon employees on performance-improvement plans have a little-known Slack channel. Leaked messages reveal anguish, despair, but also community.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Rebecca Knight | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

There's a word-of-mouth Slack channel used by Amazon employees on its performance-improvement plan. Most employees post anonymously; one former worker likened it to a virtual support group. The Slack channel, #focus-and-pivot-info, is not highly publicized, according to interviews with eight current and former Amazon employees, five of whom are or were members of the channel. Most employees post anonymously, making their comments difficult to verify or investigate further. On Slack, a sense of community — but also stressThe Slack channel does not appear to be public knowledge within the company.

☆ 43-year-old used her life savings to open a bar that only plays women's sports—it brought in almost $1 million in 8 months
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Tom Huddleston Jr. | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

When Jenny Nguyen signed the lease to create her dream bar, she wasn't sure it would stay open for more than a few months. Aptly named The Sports Bra, it's a sports bar where only women athletes appear on the TVs. The Sports Bra brought in $944,000 in revenue in the eight months it was open in 2022, according to documents reviewed by CNBC Make It. "Me, personally, I thought the idea was brilliant and that [it was] what the world needs," Nguyen says. "The very first thing that came into my mind was The Sports Bra," Nguyen says.

☆ Disney's lawsuit against Gov. Ron DeSantis has teeth, legal experts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Sindhu Sundar | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Disney's lawsuit accused Florida officials of infringing on its constitutional rights. Ron DeSantis culminated in a stunning lawsuit on Wednesday, where the entertainment giant said state officials retaliated against it, citing a lawmaker who said "You kick the hornet's nest, things come up." Schultz said Disney could even seek in the lawsuit to depose DeSantis, who is widely expected to run for president. It targets The Walt Disney Company." The position articulated by state officials — including that the bill's focus extends beyond Disney — shows Disney will likely keep drawing on more pointed material to support its retaliation claims, said Schutz.

☆ A pair of Florida crime scene cleaners handle everything from blood to feces with a smile, documenting their long days to millions of fans on TikTok
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Jordan Hart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

DeSana, 23, told Insider they spend a lot of time together as a pair of traveling crime scene cleaners. "We drive pretty much wherever our company tells us to go," DeSana told Insider. "Every single day is different," DeSana told Insider. Some were empty, but others were refilled with urine, DeSana told followers. "The pay is good, but respect is a big thing for me," DeSana, who studied criminal justice in college, told Insider.

☆ MBA professors say there is a correct way to schedule your day to get more done. Here are 5 research-backed strategies they recommend.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Jessica Love | Kellogg Insight | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

They also say stop jumping around from task to ask and be weary of collaborating with others. Specifically, Maria Ibanez and a colleague have found that inspections that occur later in the day result in fewer violations. Each subsequent hour an inspector conducts inspections during the day results in 3.7% fewer citations per inspection that day, likely due to fatigue. For instance, after an inspection that yielded a particularly high number of violations, inspectors were likelier to spot extra violations at the next joint, too. A study from two Kellogg School professors — Nicola Persico and Rob Bray — tested this idea by altering the way Italian appellate labor court judges schedule court hearings.

☆ Elon Musk appears to troll Twitter users who complain about being given blue checkmarks for free
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( Jyoti Mann | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Elon Musk is giving out free blue checkmarks to some who complain about Twitter Blue. Lil Nas X and Bette Midler are among the celebrities who say they didn't pay for Twitter Blue. Twitter users who complain about being given blue checkmarks for free or back a campaign to block those who do pay for them are being trolled by Elon Musk. It comes after some Twitter users started a movement to encourage others to block accounts that pay for Twitter Blue by tweeting with the hashtag #BlockTheBlue. "However, I will say, I think this is the very first funny thing Elon Musk has ever done."

☆ Supreme Court will rule against Biden's student loan forgiveness plan, legal experts predict
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( Annie Nova | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 27: Student loan borrowers gather at Supreme Court the evening before the court hears two cases on student loan relief to state the relief is legal and needs to happen immediately on February 27, 2023 in Washington, DC. "I expect the court will rule against the Biden administration," said Paul Collins, Jr., professor of legal studies and political science at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. "The Supreme Court is an incredibly ideological and partisan institution in 2023 — perhaps more so than at any other point in American history," he said. The White House has insisted that it's acting within the law, noting that the Heroes Act of 2003 grants the U.S. education secretary the authority to make changes to the federal student loan system during national emergencies. That act followed the 9/11 terrorist attacks, providing relief to federal student loan borrowers who'd been affected by those events.

☆ Fox has more headaches coming after agreeing to pay $787.5 million to settle Dominion's defamation lawsuit
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

After shelling out $787.5 billion to settle Dominion's lawsuit, Fox has more troubles on the way. Atop the list is a separate lawsuit from Smartmatic, another election technology company that sued Fox News Network and its parent company, Fox Corp., in the aftermath of the 2020 presidential election. Smartmatic's defamation lawsuit asks for $2.7 billion in damages and was filed against Fox Corp.; Fox News Network; hosts Jeanine Pirro, Maria Bartiromo, and Lou Dobbs; and Powell and Giuliani. Aside from the Smartmatic case, Fox News has to deal with potential shareholder lawsuits. The overall value of Fox Corp. — which also includes Fox Sports and the streaming service Tubi — is more than $17.6 billion.

☆ A New York woman lost all her belongings to a moving company scam. She got a $10,000 settlement, but is living with her parents and scraping together 5 part-time jobs to make ends meet.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Eliza Relman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

The 45-year-old lactation consultant won about $10,000 by suing the moving company. There weren't a lot of options available when it came to moving companies, but she eventually found Gold Standard Relocation. Everything seemed normal on Wagner's moving day — until the movers didn't show up and the company wouldn't answer the phone. She'd already paid the moving company about $4,300 to transport and store more than 70 boxes of her things and many furniture pieces for six months. Fraudulent moving companies will often offer customers a low estimate and deposit price, and then demand additional exorbitant fees after taking their belongings hostage.

☆ I traveled to Mexico for bariatric surgery, and my husband was not happy about it — but I have no regrets
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Jenny Powers | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Kasey Spicer traveled to Tijuana for bariatric surgery in 2021 and had a successful experience. Her husband didn't want her to go, but it went so well, he got the same surgery in Mexico in 2022. This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Kasey Spicer, a 44-year-old school teacher from Lexington, South Carolina, about traveling to Mexico for bariatric surgery. Editor's note: Mayo Clinic research found that bariatric surgery can be a safe option for obese patients with coronary-artery disease. Rob and Kasey before and after their bariatric surgery.

☆ Fewer cars qualify for $7,500 EV tax credit. Here are 2 alternatives
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Greg Iacurci | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

A $4,000 tax credit for used EVswatch nowThe Inflation Reduction Act also created a tax credit for consumers who buy used electric or fuel-cell vehicles. The tax break for used cars, which took effect this year, is worth $4,000 or 30% of the sale price, whichever is less. Those income limits are "much lower" than the one that applies to the $7,500 tax credit for new vehicles, said Katherine Breaks, a managing director in KPMG's tax credit and energy advisory services group. "If I don't have $4,000 of tax liability, what's the tax credit worth to me? A tax break for leased EVsAlternatively, consumers also appear poised to get a tax break worth up to $7,500 for leasing new electric passenger vehicles.

☆ 'Love Is Blind' is hell on earth: Contestants say producers deprived them of food and sleep, preyed on their anxieties, and refused to let them quit
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Katie Warren | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +29 min

After the 10 days, cast members must decide whether they want to get engaged to another contestant sight unseen — or go home. The season-two contestant Nick Thompson said "Love Is Blind" didn't adequately support its cast members — during or after filming. Many cast members believed "Love Is Blind" would be a cut above other reality shows. The first evening in Cancún, producers told Ruhl she couldn't attend a party for all the newly engaged couples because they thought she might have COVID-19. In a later episode he again became infuriated and threatened to leave when Reed came home late from clubbing with other cast members.

☆ Inside the Rise and Fall of Kittyhawk, Larry Page's Failed Flying Car Company
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-16 | by ( Hugh Langley | Rob Price | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +22 min

Killing off projects had become something of a tradition at Kittyhawk, the secretive flying-car startup launched by the Google cofounder Larry Page. Larry Page has used his Google money to found a series of flying car companies with one common goal: "to free the world of traffic." "When Bloomberg did their original exposé, that's when urban air mobility became a thing," a former Kittyhawk employee recalled. Everyone thought: If Larry Page is in this space, there must be something here." Interpreting "Larry-isms" or "learning to speak Larry" were essential skills for any Kittyhawk employee who wanted to retain their sanity.

☆ Meet the 31-year old VC and self-made millionaire who faced Hong Kong loan sharks and his own fear of death
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Darius Rafieyan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

31-year old Maurice Ng came to the US with nothing after his family fled loan sharks in Hong Kong. It was a simple spreadsheet that inspired Maurice Ng at 29 to quit his job to become a venture capitalist. He deducted a little over 2,000 days for commuting time, and allowed himself 255 "regular sick days" and 10 "serious sick days." Assuming 3 meals a day, 365 days a year, 1 hour per meal, he deducted 5,817 days for eating. Despite the current turmoil in the tech industry and venture capital, Maurice seems to be inoculated against self doubt.

☆ Some new offices are mini towns with their own restaurants, doctor offices, and hotels. Workers actually want to go.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Alex Nicoll | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

The idea is getting replicated from the Bell Labs location, or Bell Works New Jersey, Keating said. The spaces run by Bell Works' own coworking brand, CoLab, are nearly 100% occupied. At Bell Works New Jersey, Zucker partnered with Toll Brothers to build a 185-home 55-and-over community. At BRIC, tenants can take advantage of a dozen art galleries, some of which show the work of building tenants. A lobby area near offices at Bell Works Chicagoland.

☆ 3 successful OnlyFans creators share how they achieved financial freedom making up to $750,000 in a year on the platform
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Lola Christina Alao | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Three OnlyFans creators shared with Insider how they make money on the platform. Monica Huldt made $750,000 in a year, and Elsa Jean is in the top 1% of OnlyFans creators. Huldt, who'd pivoted from dancing to content creation, said she found "new and interesting ways" to use her OnlyFans page on Telegram and paid for coaching from successful OnlyFans content creators. Courtesy of Maddie CordobaElsa Jean is in the top 1% of OnlyFans creators in terms of earnings. Courtesy of Rebekka BlueRebekka Blue started selling her underwear on Pantydeal, an underwear marketplace.

☆ Florida is ground zero for moving scams where companies demand extra fees — or steal your stuff
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Eliza Relman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Moving company scams are on the rise, and almost half originate in Florida. But the Sunshine State is also increasingly home to scammers operating fraudulent moving companies targeting Florida residents and people across the country. No one's regulating," Susan Chana Lask, a New York-based consumer rights attorney who settled a lawsuit last year with a Florida-based moving company, told Insider. Her office announced last November that it had shut down 19 fraudulent moving companies and recovered $27 million in fines and restitution from the scammers. The sharp increase in moving scams across the country has also prompted the Biden administration to announce it's taking action.

☆ I bought 2 Airbnb tiny houses and put them in my yard. It started as an easy way to make extra cash — now it's my primary source of income.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Jamie Killin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

I became an Airbnb host after I bought a tiny house and parked it on the side of my home in Oakland, California. Before the tiny house, I had converted my garage into a studio. I had a long-term tenant there already, and getting the tiny house was my attempt to make a little extra income on Airbnb. I think the popularity of tiny homes and the minimalist movement, along with my low pricing, helped attract Airbnb viewers. Since I had extra space, I decided to buy another tiny house for $35,000I call it The Tiny Heauxtel, and I bought it in 2021.

☆ Inside Disney it's 'Revenge of the Creatives' and 'Shields Up!' against outside foes as returned CEO Bob Iger is taking no prisoners
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( Claire Atkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Since returning as Disney CEO, Bob Iger has vanquished foes and dumped many of predecessor Bob Chapek's hires. But it's a supercharged Bob Iger who is really taking command. "If I'm inside Bob's head coming back, after the downfall of Bob Chapek, this is all about taking no prisoners," said Will Schutte, a high-level executive coach. Disney World is scheduled to host a major conference on gay rights in September, according to the Miami Herald. Even if he wants to be the Bob Iger of old he can't be.

☆ Mark Cuban called this CEO a 'great example' for any 'Shark Tank' contestant—he landed 3 offers and a $200,000 deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Ashton Jackson | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

While on a camping trip, someone asked Thurmond to create a firepit that wasn't so "massive" and "cumbersome," Thurmond said. Cuban, himself a billionaire entrepreneur, seemed impressed by Thurmond's commitment to getting his product right. Thurmond asked the show's panel of investors — including Cuban — for $200,000 of funding, in exchange for a 10% equity stake in LavaBox. Then, Lori Greiner asked Thurmond a question: What's the most important thing to you in a partner? She offered Thurmond $200,000 for a 15% equity stake, adding a 75 cent royalty per product sold until making back her investment.

☆ Wall Street Elite Investors Will Profit From Banking Crisis, Stock Market Chaos
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( Linette Lopez | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Dumb because they were run by bankers who failed to do the business of banking or manage risk. But other investors, the kind of Wall Street sharks who thrive on uncertainty, stand to make a killing. While some of the sharper investors on Wall Street see this mess as an opportunity, chaos cannot suit everyone. Last week the Federal Reserve reiterated its commitment to fighting inflation and continued to hike interest rates. The new rules — higher interest rates — will remain for the foreseeable future.

☆ The second day of Tesla's racial bias trial included testimony from a former worker who said he found feces on a factory cart
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( Grace Kay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

It was part of a retrial for an ex-contractor who filed a racial discrimination lawsuit against Tesla. Wheeler was one of a handful of former Tesla workers that testified on Tuesday regarding their experience as Black workers at Tesla's Fremont factory. Wheeler said that the incident occurred one evening during his night shift at the factory after he took a 30-minute break. Wheeler had testified about the alleged incident in the initial trial in 2021. His complaints echo similar lawsuits from other Tesla factory workers.

☆ Sunlight in your bedroom could become a luxury as cities debate allowing landlords to rent windowless rooms in former office buildings to alleviate the housing crisis
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-25 | by ( Eliza Relman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Housing advocates are debating whether windowless bedrooms are the solution to the housing crisis. Enter windowless bedrooms. Journalist Matt Yglesias argued last year that windowless bedrooms would "save downtowns" by facilitating the mass retrofitting of office buildings into apartments. Supporters argue that building apartments with windowless bedrooms could both help alleviate the severe housing shortage and affordability crisis and repopulate urban business districts. But in recent years, windowless bedrooms have become somewhat normalized on college campuses.

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