DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ An off-duty Alaska Airlines pilot accused of trying to turn off the plane's engines during a flight is now facing dozens of attempted murder charges
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( Natalie Musumeci | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

An off-duty pilot on an Alaska Airlines flight accused of trying to turn off the plane's engines was arrested. He had hitched a ride in the flight deck "jump seat" of the cockpit, Alaska Airlines said in a statement on Monday. AdvertisementAdvertisementAt some point, crew on the flight "reported a credible security threat" related to the off-duty pilot, Alaska Airlines told Insider. In audio posted to LiveATC.net, the pilot on board the Alaska Airlines flight can be heard telling air traffic controllers about the incident. AdvertisementAdvertisementIf you were a passenger on this Alaska Airlines flight, we'd love to here from you.

Persons: —, Joseph Emerson, We've, Emerson, It's Organizations: Alaska Airlines, Service, Horizon Air, Portland Police Department, Portland International Airport, Portland Police, FBI, Detention, Horizon Locations: California, Oregon, Everett , Washington, San Francisco , California, Port, Portland, Multnomah

☆ The SEC is asking questions about Boxabl, the tiny-home startup that boasts Elon Musk and Post Malone as fans
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( Daniel Geiger | Alex Nicoll | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

In its six years of existence, Boxabl has captured the public's imagination with its innovative tiny homes and celebrity endorsements from the likes of Elon Musk and the musician Post Malone. Three former company employees, meanwhile, said they had been contacted and interviewed in recent weeks by the SEC to speak about Boxabl, including the company's business practices. In its recent financial statement, Boxabl noted that the remaining units "that were previously reserved for that project can now be sold for other projects." In its recent financial filing, Boxabl said it paid Firooznia $210,000 in 2022 for "consulting services." Leader Capital would have netted roughly $3.7 million in the deal, which it said fell apart because of the delay.

Persons: Boxabl, Elon Musk, Post Malone, cofounders, Paolo, Galiano Tiramani, Cory Jarvis, Dave Cherry, Travis Hess, Hess, Pronghorn, it's, Hamid Firooznia, Firooznia, Caroline Larkin, Paolo Tiramani, Larkin Organizations: Securities, Exchange, SEC, Arizona's Department of Housing, Staff, Pronghorn, Leader Locations: Salt Lake City , Utah, North Las Vegas, Guantánamo, Arizona, Arizona , California, Nevada, New York City, Portland , Oregon

Typically, it’s the faithful who carry the various likenesses of Mary in similar festivals across the world. A century ago, the Vatican formally granted special permission for animals to pull the floats with life-sized statues of the Virgin Mary, said the Rev. Another uncommon aspect of the procession is the iconic century-old sacred image standing on the bow of a boat-shaped float – the Virgin Mary breastfeeding infant Jesus. At least 50 were women dressed in pink and blue like the Virgin statue, carrying Jesus dolls or real babies. One of this year’s floats represented Our Lady of Peace, her statue framed by flags of conflict-ridden countries like Ukraine and Libya.

Persons: ”, Antonio Faustino, Virgin Mary, “, Pope Francis, Mary, Fernando Albano Cardoso, Faustino, Jesus, Albano, Julieta Pereira, ” Pereira, Filipe Mendonça, he’s, Alfredo Teixeira, Peace, –, gingerly, Francisco Lopes, Jennifer Esteves Organizations: Catholic, Vatican, Catholic Church, Catholic University of Portugal, Lamego’s, Lilly Endowment Inc, AP Locations: LAMEGO, Portugal, Portugal’s, Nossa Senhora, ”, Lisbon, Douro, Switzerland, Ukraine, Libya, Portuguese, Germany

☆ A device on NASA's Perseverance rover generated enough oxygen on Mars for a small dog to breathe for 10 hours. Astronauts could be next.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Grace Eliza Goodwin | Jenny Mcgrath | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A device on NASA's Perseverance Rover converted Mars' thin air into oxygen. That's where the microwave-sized device called the Mars Oxygen In Situ Resource Utilization Experiment, aka MOXIE, comes in. AdvertisementAdvertisementMOXIE hitched a ride to Mars on NASA's Perseverance Rover in 2021 and has been hard at work ever since. A photo of NASA's Perseverance rover just feet above the Martian surface — part of a video several cameras recorded of the landing on February 18, 2021. Technicians at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory lower the Mars Oxygen In-Situ Resource Utilization Experiment (MOXIE) instrument into the belly of the Perseverance rover.

Persons: we've, Trudy Kortes, MOXIE, Michael Hecht, Space.com, Pam Melroy Organizations: Rover, Service, NASA, JPL, Caltech, Space Technology, Jet Propulsion Locations: Wall, Silicon, Mars

☆ Video of a Ram truck flying through Burning Man's mud trap while hauling an RV is the best ad a car company could ask for
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Jordan Hart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The driver of a Ram 1500 TRX defied the odds in a video of the vehicle driving over mud. Amid rainstorms and flooding at Burning Man, the pickup truck managed to escape the muddy playa. While others trudged through ankle-deep mud at Burning Man, the driver of a truck made by Stellantis's Ram brand appeared to power through the wet grounds of Black Rock City, Nevada. The Burning Man festival was hit with rainstorm over the weekend that left more than 73,000 stranded. AdvertisementAdvertisementEach year, Burning Man attracts over 70,000 attendees that include the average Silicon Valley tech bro, models, and billionaires.

Persons: TRX, Stellantis's Ram, Brendan Cogbill, hine, ake Organizations: Service, ust Locations: Wall, Silicon, Black Rock City , Nevada

☆ Neanderthal flower burial theory called into question by new study
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Faye Chiu | Kate Golembiewski | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Archaeologist Ralph Solecki discovered the flower burial, as it came to be known, while exploring Shanidar Cave in the Kurdistan region of northern Iraq. However, elements of the flower burial theory didn’t seem to add up. “That was, for us, an indication that maybe there was something going on with the flower burial,” Hunt said. Shanidar Cave in the Kurdistan region of northern Iraq is seen in May. Its presence is due to the activity of bees and not flower burial, suggests a study led by Chris Hunt, professor emeritus at Liverpool John Moores University in the UK.

Persons: Ralph Solecki, Solecki, ”, Chris Hunt, Hunt, ” Hunt, Christopher Owen Hunt, they’re, Christopher Owen Hunt Hunt, “, Paul Pettitt, Pettitt, Hunt “, Fred Smith, it’s, Grandma, Joe, ’ ” Hunt, Shanidar Organizations: CNN, Liverpool John Moores University, Archaeological Science, Durham University, Illinois State University Locations: Kurdistan, Iraq, United Kingdom, Shanidar

☆ Live updates: Burning Man festival rain strands thousands in Black Rock Desert
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-03 | by ( Maureen Chowdhury | Matt Meyer | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Comedian Chris Rock and DJ Diplo hitched a ride out of the rain-soaked Burning Man festival in the bed of a fan's pickup truck, but not before hiking miles through thick mud, videos posted to social media show. Rock shared a short video on Instagram Stories of the swampy conditions at the festival grounds on Saturday. A heavy rainstorm battered Nevada’s Black Rock Desert Friday evening and made the typically arid "playa" a "mucky, muddy" mess, attendees said. Diplo then posted a series of videos showing him board a flight — muddy and shoeless. "No one was making it out of burning man they didn’t believe we would walk 6 miles in the mud.

Persons: Chris Rock, DJ Diplo, Diplo Organizations: DC, Labor Locations: Washington, Echostage

☆ 40% of millennials and Gen Zers think marriage is outdated—but 'it's important to be realistic' about the financial benefits, says CFP
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Ryan Ermey | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

After all, 85% of respondents in the same survey say you don't need marriage to have a fulfilled and committed relationship. "Marriage brings about 1,200 rules, tweaks and changes to how people are treated compared to unmarried people," he says. Getting married comes with tax benefits that unmarried couples don't enjoy. In the case of death or incapacitation, unmarried couples (especially those in the LGBTQ community) could have the legitimacy of their relationship questioned by family members. CHECK OUT: The ‘most successful’ relationships follow these 8 rules, say psychology experts who studied couples for 50 years

Persons: Frank Summers, Gen Zers, Summers, you'll, Couples, Kendall Meade, haven't, you've, you'd, Warren Buffett Organizations: Cetera Advisors, Psychology, SoFi, Social Security

☆ The 10 U.S. places with the shortest average marriages—Texas is No. 3
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( Aditi Shrikant | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

In 2021, there were only four divorces for every 10 marriages in the U.S. — a drop of about 20%. Not all states report annual data to the CDC. In 2021, California, Hawaii, Indiana, Minnesota and New Mexico did not report divorces, and in 2000, California, Indiana, Louisiana and Oklahoma did not report divorces. New York comes in second for least amount of married people, with 66.29% of the population married. The state where the biggest portion of the population is married is Idaho, with 72.6% of people being hitched.

Organizations: CNBC, U.S . Centers for Disease Control, CDC, Census, Washington , D.C, . Census Bureau, Washington Locations: U.S, California, Hawaii , Indiana, Minnesota, New Mexico, California , Indiana , Louisiana, Oklahoma, Midwest, People, Utah, Washington ,, New York, Idaho

☆ Trump: Why a third indictment of the former president could be such a profound stain on his legacy
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Smith has not tipped his hand over what charges Trump could face. Former Trump lawyer Ty Cobb told CNN’s Erin Burnett on Tuesday that any potential indictment relating to election interference ought to be viewed as a particularly historic stain. How a new indictment could impact the GOP presidential raceThe possibility of another indictment against Trump also raises new political questions. “If you notice recently, President Trump went up in the polls and was actually surpassing President Biden for reelection. A third indictment would also further fuse Trump’s legal campaign and political one.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, Jack Smith’s, Smith, who’s, –, “, ” Trump, Joe Biden, ”, Trump’s, Ty Cobb, CNN’s Erin Burnett, ” Cobb, J, Michael Luttig, Jack Smith, ” Luttig, Jeffrey Sloman, Dana Nessel, CNN’s Jake Tapper, Ron DeSantis, we’ll, I’ll, ” DeSantis, Nikki Haley, ” Haley, Kevin McCarthy –, Biden, ” McCarthy, he’s, he’d, Hillary, Aileen Cannon, Cannon, David Harbach Organizations: CNN, Justice Department, GOP, Democratic, Congress, Trump, Law, Southern, Southern District of, Democrat, Wolverine State, Florida Gov, ” Former South Carolina Gov, Fox News, Republican, Capitol, Oval, Republican National Convention Locations: Manhattan, Lago, Florida, Iowa, United States, Southern District, Southern District of Florida, ”, Trump’s, Georgia, Trump

☆ Opinion: With their leader still missing, who will control Wagner forces in Africa?
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Joyce M. Davis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Wagner forces appear to despise the Russian military, as Prigozhin’s reckless march from Ukraine toward Moscow made abundantly clear. That’s why when Wagner forces started withdrawing from Ukraine last month, many feared the same might happen in Africa. And who can guarantee Wagner forces won’t turn on African leaders who decide to side with Putin? “Don’t worry, we aren’t going anywhere.”It’s not as if Russia could repatriate and replace Wagner forces with verifiably loyal Russian troops — even if it wanted to. And quite frankly, Africa will only emerge better-off if democratic governments emerge after Wagner forces are shown the door.

Persons: Joyce M, Davis, CNN —, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Vladmir Putin, Dan Gleiter Prigozhin, Putin, Prigozihin, Putin wouldn’t, Khalifa Haftar, Faustin, Burkina Faso’s, Ibrahim Traore, Prigozhin, didn’t, Prigozhin’s Wagner, Assimi Goita, won’t, Haftar, ”, “, It’s, Sergey Kostelyanyets, ” Kostelyanyets, obeisance, Traore —, they’re, Abdel Fattah al, Burhan, They’re, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, Sudan’s, Wagner weren’t, Washington, Wagner “, there’s Organizations: Patriot -, World Affairs Council, CNN, Wagner Group, Wagner, Central African Republic, Burkina, Guardian, Libyan, Russian Academy of Sciences ’ Institute for African Studies, Newsweek, Russia’s Ministry of Defense, Support Forces, Moscow, US Treasury Department, Twitter, Facebook, Central African Locations: Harrisburg , Pennsylvania, Africa, Crimea, Ukraine, Moscow, Libya, Mali, Sudan, Russia, Eastern Libya, Russian, Benghazi, Dubai, Touadéra, Prigozhin, Central African Republic, United States

☆ A record-high number of 40-year-olds in the US have never been married, study finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-01 | by ( Ashley R. Williams | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —If you’ve made it to your 40th birthday without tying the knot, you’re not alone, according to a recent report from the Pew Research Center. A look at 2021 US Census Bureau data found a quarter of 40-year-olds in the United States had never been married, the research center announced Wednesday. The findings were a “significant increase” from the 20% of unmarried 40-year-olds in 2010, according to the study. The findings, which suggest a shift in Americans’ views of the importance of getting hitched, differed widely to the statistics reported decades ago in 1980, when just 6% of 40-year-olds had never married, Pew reported. If the pattern continues, the research center anticipated that “a similar share” of never-married 40-year-olds would also get married in the coming years.

Persons: you’ve, you’re, Pew, ”, Richard Fry, ” Fry Organizations: CNN, Pew Research Center, Pew, University of Virginia’s Locations: United States

☆ Why any M&A boom in banks will mirror shale oil in 2020 — all-stock offers and small premiums
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Scott Schnipper | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Pioneer Natural bought Parsley Energy at an 8% premium. Devon Energy bought WPX Energy at a 3% premium. Bilson points to Yellen last week highlighting a likely decline in earnings when banks report second-quarter earnings next month. That's already reflected in plenty of well-known banks "now trading with mid-single digit forward EPS multiples" as they are suddenly forced to pay more for their deposits, Bilson wrote. There are other hurdles standing in the way of bank deals, Bank of America analysts led by Ebrahim Poonawala said Monday.

Persons: Janet Yellen, there'll, Don Bilson, Gordon Haskett, Bilson, Ebrahim Poonawala, dealmaking, Poonawala, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: Silicon Valley Bank, Signature Bank, First, Federal Reserve, Dominion, Chevron, Noble Energy, ConocoPhillips, Concho Resources, Energy, Devon Energy, WPX Energy, Yellen, Bank of America, Regulators, U.S . Department of Justice, Federal Trade Commission, MTM Locations: U.S, Wall, Silicon, Toronto, Concho

☆ This couple got married for $1,700 on a cruise ship – 30 years after they first met on another cruise
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-25 | by ( Jyoti Mann | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Michelle was working on a P&O Cruises ship in 1992 when she met Paul, who was a passenger. 30 years later they got married on a cruise ship to commemorate how they first met. Three decades after first meeting on a P&O cruise, Michelle and Paul Veal tied the knot on a ship aptly named the Pacific Encounter. The wedding package cost them 2,500 Australian dollars (about $1,700) including a wedding cake, champagne and photography. "We had an absolute ball – it was the best way for us to get married," Michelle said.

Persons: Michelle, Paul, Paul Veal, they'd, They've, Paul Veal's, Brisbane Michelle, Paul Veal Michelle, hitched Organizations: O Cruises, Facebook, Airlie Locations: Australia, Queensland, Brisbane

☆ NASA scientist says there could be microbial life hiding in dark craters on the moon's south pole
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-11 | by ( Jessica Orwig | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A NASA planetary scientist said conditions on the lunar south pole could be ripe for microbial life. The lunar south pole has craters of ice and possible microbial lifeThe lunar south pole has had lots of attention in recent years because it's where NASA hopes to land its Artemis III astronauts in 2025. NASANo human has ever set foot on the lunar south pole. A map of "cold traps" inside shadowy lunar craters at the moon's south pole (left) and north pole (right). Even if microbes don't exist on the moon right now, they almost certainly will if humans start walking around on its surface.

Persons: —, there's, Prabal Saxena, Space.com, Saxena, he's, Leonard David, radiodurans, Tardigrades, We're Organizations: NASA, Service, Goddard Spaceflight Center, Artemis, International Space

☆ Naomi Watts marries ‘The Morning Show’ actor Billy Crudup
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-11 | by ( Alli Rosenbloom | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Naomi Watts and Billy Crudup are officially married. Watts confirmed the news on Saturday by sharing a photo on her verified Instagram page showing her with “The Morning Show” actor on the steps of what appears to be a Manhattan courthouse. “Hitched,” the caption read, alongside a photo of the newlyweds standing arm in arm with beaming smiles. Watts was previously married to actor Liev Schreiber for 11 years before announcing their split in 2016. Crudup previously dated “Weeds” actor Mary-Louise Parker, with whom he shares a son.

Persons: Naomi Watts, Billy Crudup, Watts, “, la, Crudup, Mark Ruffalo, Sunny Coigney, King Kong, Liev Schreiber, Schreiber, Mary, Louise Parker, Andy Cohen, ” Watts, Jennifer Coolidge, Katie Holmes, Octavia Spencer Organizations: CNN, Netflix, Screen Locations: Manhattan, King

☆ Formula 1 is making its first scripted TV show in a move to build on the success of 'Drive to Survive' and expand the sport's media prowess
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( Ashley Rodriguez | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The motorsport is expanding its media reach after the docuseries "Drive to Survive" brought it to new audiences. Felicity Jones is set to star in and co-produce the show, which comes from Bedrock Entertainment. Formula 1 is moving into scripted TV following its success with the docuseries "Drive to Survive" with a new family drama set in the racing world. As with "Drive to Survive," F1 plans to offer producers access to the sport to help make the show a success. Bedrock Entertainment and F1 said they will "leverage the combined access and power of F1 to create a seamless and authentic world, blending fiction with the real world."

Persons: Felicity Jones, Tony, Dan Sackheim, Felicity Jones —, Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Joseph Kosinski, Jerry Bruckheimer, Lewis Hamilton, Peyton Manning's, Will Arnett, Daniel Ricciardo Organizations: Bedrock Entertainment, ITV Studios, Entertainment, Pictures, B Entertainment, Netflix, Peyton Manning's Omaha Productions, ESPN, Paramount Locations: Hollywood, Austin

☆ Contraceptive injections for cats show promise
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Kate Golembiewski | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Now, scientists have announced a potential new method of feline contraception that’s shown early promise: long-lasting contraceptive injections that prevent ovulation. “That’s what led us to start collaborating with Bill (Swanson).”The Cincinnati Zoo, Swanson says, is home to the widest array of wild cats in North America, including lions, tigers and tiny sand cats. Three cats were a control group, while six received injections of the gene of the hormone in question, hitched to a mild virus. The three control-group cats all became pregnant, but none of the six cats in the experimental group did. “We’re really focused on adopting these cats out,” said Swanson, who’s adopted three cats from earlier studies.

Persons: ”, Bill Swanson, “, David Pépin, Pépin, ” Pépin, Bill, Swanson, ” Swanson, Michelle, Betty, Abigail, Nancy, Dolly, Barbara, Rosalyn, Jacque, Mary, We’re, can’t, we’ll, it’s, Pierre Comizzoli, It’s, ” Jacque, Jacqueline, Jackie, Kennedy Onassis, who’s, they’ve, Kate Golembiewski Organizations: CNN, Cincinnati Zoo, Botanical, Nature Communications, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, Animals Foundation, Michelson, Conservation Biology Institute, Kennedy Onassis . Cincinnati Zoo Locations: Massachusetts, Boston, Angeles, North America, Cincinnati, Chicago

☆ The average wedding just hit $29,000
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Parija Kavilanz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The average cost of a wedding, nationally, this year is $29,000, up $1,000 from 2022, according to online wedding planning site Zola. It said searches for alternative weddings – especially underwater weddings – have jumped 305% on its platform. “Though slightly challenging logistically, it should be interesting to see the data for underwater weddings in 2023,” she said. “Wedding photographer Kimber Greenwood, who specializes in underwater wedding photography, is booked to photograph 20 of them this year. The wedding industry should enjoy the recovery, because it may not last.

Persons: Zola, they’re, Emily Forrest, San, Esther Lee, ”, Knot’s Lee, “, Kimber Greenwood, Pinterest, Jenna Landi, “ There’s, Greenwood, they’ve Organizations: New, New York CNN, CNN, New York, Big Apple, Jewelers Locations: New York, New York City, San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose, Boston, Philadelphia, Miami, Ft . Lauderdale, Washington, Chicago, Los Angeles, Gainesville , Florida

☆ Casey DeSantis' mission on the 2024 campaign trail is to bring suburban women back to the GOP after Trump lost them
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +16 min

Ron DeSantis' wife, Casey DeSantis, is a chief confidant key to his political rise. He finished boasting about his "Florida Blueprint," and then his wife, Florida first lady Casey DeSantis, glided onstage. In the geography was Casey DeSantis' autobiography: raised in Troy, Ohio, and college-educated at the University of Charleston. As Florida's first lady, Casey DeSantis' initiatives included childhood emotional resiliency, child welfare, and — as a breast-cancer survivor herself — cancer research. "They did not want woke ideology shoved down the throats of their five years olds while they were in school," Casey DeSantis said.

☆ The DeSantis campaign will test whether Casey DeSantis can bring suburban women back to the GOP after Trump lost them
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-27 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +16 min

☆ Unbowed, Proud Boys are planning now for their biggest Pride Month disruptions ever, extremism watchdogs warn
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( Laura Italiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

But this year, the Proud Boys are redoubling their anti-LGBTQ+ efforts, and are laser focused on Pride month. "It's a dangerous thing, because the Proud Boys are all about violence, and so are the Patriot Front, she said. A banner shared to a Proud Boys Telegram channel by someone calling himself a member of the Middle Tennessee Proud Boys chapter. A banner posted on several Proud Boys Telegram channels by an individual identifying themselves as a member of the Proud Boys Michiana (Michigan/Indiana) chapter. The Proud Boys' planned propaganda promoting anti-LGBTQ+ "Proud Day" celebrations timed for Juneteenth, an annual commemoration of the end of slavery in the US.

☆ Rome, Sacred Ground for Nearly 3,000 Years, and Counting
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( David Laskin | Martin Pauer | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

“There is not a corner of it that is not full of our cults and our gods.”Rome, in a sense, has been sacred ground right from the start. To many, Rome is the epicenter of Catholicism, the seat of the Vatican and home to a seemingly infinite number of churches. Rome has sheltered polytheistic pagans and monotheistic Jews, adherents of Middle Eastern cults, and, in more recent times, a sizable multinational Muslim community. All have left traces — altars, temples, shrines, mosques, inscriptions — some hauntingly beautiful, others erased to stubs. But Rome and its environs conceal many holy places beyond the ken of the Bible.

☆ It’s OK to Spend $12.50 on a Wedding Dress Now
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-30 | by ( Rachel Wolfe | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

More brides are saying “No” to the dress. At least the one that costs thousands of dollars. Breaking with the tradition of tearful try-ons portrayed in reality shows like TLC’s “Say Yes to the Dress,” brides-to-be are cutting budgets, wearing hand-me-downs and even hitting Goodwill for gowns. Around 27% of those getting married in 2023 said they are willing to splurge on attire, compared with 47% of those who got hitched in 2022, according to planning site Zola’s annual survey of roughly 4,000 engaged couples.

This year, those who can are making a frantic escape from Khartoum, driven out by war. Both sides in the conflict agreed to a ceasefire but it was not immediately clear when it would begin. Ahmed Mubarak, 27, said he felt "extreme anxiety" after the violence erupted on April 15 and before he decided to leave Khartoum on Thursday, taking with him only the clothes he was wearing. Makram Waleed, a 25-year-old doctor, was hoping to leave Khartoum with his family but was worried about the dangers to his three younger sisters. And if we leave, will we be able to go back to our house and our lives in Khartoum?

Search resuls for: "hitched"

25 mentions found