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☆ I spent thousands renovating my kitchen and went over budget — but there are still 3 things I wish I'd done differently
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-29 | by ( Matt Ng | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

However, during the renovation, we eventually went over budget and realized we should have done a few things differently. However, the unexpected cost of installing a new circuit board and wiring for the range cooker made us reluctant to add anything else to our tab. Matt NgI wished we had the time and space to shop around more, as we didn't feel the consultant we worked with provided the ideas to really make smarter use of our kitchen space. With all that said, we still adore our kitchen, not least our excellent range cooker and new flooring — our old slate tiles were hard, uncomfortable, and horrible to clean. AdvertisementSince it was our first kitchen renovation, we're a little more armed with experience and the pitfalls should we ever need to do a second.

Persons: —, Matt Ng, there's, we'd, we've, might've, weren't, Let's, that's Organizations: Service, Business

☆ What a generative AI iPhone could look like
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-28 | by ( Samantha Murphy Kelly | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Although artificial intelligence has powered some of the iPhone’s experiences for years, such as Live Text and improved autocorrect, generative AI could unlock new levels of interaction and personalization. The debut of an AI iPhone could also entice consumers to upgrade at a time when they’ve been holding onto older models longer. Now all eyes shift to Apple for its take on generative AI. Expediting AIBehind the scenes, Apple reportedly has been working on its on-device generative AI capabilities and acquiring companies for awhile, such as Canadian startup DarwinAI. But now it needs to show it’s going all in on artificial intelligence to stay relevant in a rapidly evolving industry.

Persons: Apple’s Siri, Siri, ”, Tim Cook, they’ve, Paul Schell, ” Schell, Thomas Husson, Forrester, Apple, Nabila, doesn’t, ” Popal, “, “ It’s, it’s Organizations: CNN, Developers Conference, Google, Samsung, ” Apple, Apple, ABI Research, Microsoft, Meta, IDC, Bloomberg, Huawei Locations: China

☆ Bob Menendez: 4 questions that could determine his legal – and political – fate
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-28 | by ( Gregory Krieg | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Prosecutors from the Southern District of New York are fighting a legal battle on two fronts. The government’s ability to sketch a clear and convincing picture for the jury despite these growing constraints will likely determine Menendez’s legal fate. “(She) communicated with the bribe payers, she passed messages to Menendez, and she collected some of the bribes,” Pomerantz said. Rob Menendez – rotten to the core.”Menendez Jr. directly addressed that line of attack in a recent spot of his own. But for Menendez, the senator and father, the will of the 8th District’s primary voters could weigh heavily on his political future – and legacy.

Persons: New Jersey Sen, Bob Menendez, Sidney Stein, Stein, Menendez, Prosecutors, –, Menendez –, Will Menendez, Donald Trump, Nadine, Nadine Menendez, Avi Weitzman, “, Lara Pomerantz, ” Pomerantz, ”, Rob Menendez Jr, Ravi Bhalla, Bhalla, Rob Menendez, Rob Menendez –, ” Menendez Jr, That’s, ” Menendez, “ I’m Organizations: New, New York CNN, New Jersey Democrat, Southern, of, US, McDonnell, United, Manhattan Criminal, Congressional, Democratic, Hoboken, Garden State Democrats ’ Locations: New York, New Jersey, Manhattan, Hudson, of New York, United States, Lower Manhattan, North Jersey’s, “ Jersey

☆ The 'Oracle of Wall Street' shares a secret sign of economic strength 'hiding in plain sight': Young Americans are outspending cash-poor baby boomers
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-25 | by ( James Faris | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Younger Americans are finally outspending baby boomers, former Wall Street bank analyst Meredith Whitney recently noted. That's an encouraging sign for the US economy, which most economists believe is healthy, though some bearish prognosticators have serious doubts. There are several possible explanations for these findings and numerous takeaways from them, the "Oracle of Wall Street" said. However, young Americans' spending power shouldn't be discounted, as Whitney suggested that they command relatively high salaries since they attend college at higher rates. A continued economic expansion would be especially crucial for Gen Zers and millennials, who are entering the workforce or establishing their careers.

Persons: —, Meredith Whitney, That's, Whitney, Zers, relaunching, boomers, it's, Gen Zers Organizations: Service, Business, Meredith Whitney Advisory Group, Target, Starbucks, BI, Walmart, American, American Express Locations: Street

☆ My son decided to go to a college across the country. I'm already dreading my empty nest, but it's time to let him go.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-24 | by ( Erika Ebsworth-Goold | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

AdvertisementI'll soon have an empty nest, with my bird nearly 2,000 miles away, and I'm already dreading it. He decided to go to college far from homeHis father and I are incredibly proud of him and know he's ready for this next big step. He's ready to be close to the ocean, meet new friends, and dive headfirst into his film studies. While our son is raring to go and ready to meet the world on his own terms, I'm not sure I'm ready for him to be thousands of miles away. In the meantime, get ready world.

Persons: He'll, whittle, I'm, raring Organizations: Service, Business, Grand Central Locations: East Coast, California, Los Angeles

☆ Ozempic reduces risk of serious illness and death in people with diabetes and kidney disease, study finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-24 | by ( Deidre Mcphillips | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Diabetes is a key risk factor for kidney disease, which is one of the leading causes of death in the United States and worldwide; about 1 in 3 people with diabetes also has chronic kidney disease, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But new research shows that weekly injections of semaglutide cut the risk of severe outcomes from diabetic kidney disease by about 24%. The new study found even broader related benefits of semaglutide treatment among people with diabetic kidney disease. “Kidney disease attributed to diabetes, or diabetic kidney disease, is one of the most common and deadly complications of diabetes. Yet, unfortunately, there’s very low awareness around it,” said Dr. Katherine Tuttle, chair of the Diabetic Kidney Disease Collaborative for the American Society of Nephrology.

Persons: ”, Vlado Perkovic, “ Semaglutide, Martin Holst Lange, Katherine Tuttle, ” It’s, Tuttle, semaglutide, It’s, Dr, Sanjay Gupta, White, ” Tuttle Organizations: CNN, Diabetes, US Centers for Disease Control, New England, of Medicine, European Renal Association Congress, University of New, University of New South Wales Sydney, Novo Nordisk, American Society of Nephrology, Providence Inland Northwest Health, Health Sciences, University of Washington, CNN Health Locations: United States, University of New South, Danish, American

☆ My husband doesn't wear a wedding ring. I don't mind, but I wish we hadn't spent money on one.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-24 | by ( Kelly Burch | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

My husband only wore his ring during our honeymoonAt first, my husband tried to wear his ring. Related storiesTwelve years later, I can't remember the last time my husband wore his ring, and that doesn't bother me at all. Just like it doesn't bother me that he doesn't wear a bracelet, I didn't care when his ring came off. He lost his wedding ring after removing it to get stitches. Over more than a decade, we've been able to move beyond what society expects from us with wedding rings and define what truly works for us.

Persons: we've, we'd, I've, they're Organizations: Service Locations: New Hampshire, Florida

☆ Walmart and Target are slashing prices. What does that mean for inflation?
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-23 | by ( Krystal Hur | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

That doesn’t mean the battle against inflation is won. Walmart saw first-quarter sales at stores open at least a year climb 3.8% from the prior year, in part thanks to its ability to keep prices low even as inflation remains sticky. “Our combination of everyday low prices plus a large number of rollbacks is resonating” with consumers, Walmart CEO Doug McMillon said on a call with analysts. Investors will get more inflation data next week from the Personal Consumption Expenditures index for April. Without that discount, the combined fine would have topped £88 million ($112 million).

Persons: Doug McMillon, Price, we’re, ”, Preston Caldwell, Scarlett Johansson, Will Scarlett Johansson, OpenAI, Johansson, OpenAI’s, Sam Altman, Brian Fung, OpenAI didn’t, Anna Cooban, “ Organizations: CNN Business, Bell, New York CNN, Walmart, Ikea, Aldi, Morningstar Research Services, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Investors, Citi, Citigroup, Financial Conduct Authority, Bank of England’s Prudential, Authority, CNN Locations: New York, United States

☆ Corporate America is going through a middle-management meltdown
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-23 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Middle managers are becoming an endangered species in Corporate America, with some companies viewing the role as obsolete , writes Business Insider's Lindsay Dodgson. Remote work, tech efficiencies, and a general push to cut costs have contributed to middle managers' demise. It's a strategy Corporate America, particularly Big Tech, deployed in 2023. The "year of efficiency," as Mark Zuckerberg dubbed it, was all about flattening organizations, and middle managers were the ones getting squished . The death of middle managers could also fuel the current dismantling of another cohort: the middle class .

Persons: —, Brooks Kraft, Insider's Lindsay Dodgson, millennials, Gen Zers haven't, Robyn Phelps, they're, Mark Zuckerberg, Gen, Jeffrey Gundlach, we're, Blackstone, Abanti Chowdhury, Jensen Huang, Hopper, Blackwell, Lilit, Tyler Le, Dan DeFrancesco, Jordan Parker Erb, Hallam Bullock, George Glover Organizations: Service, Business, Brooks Kraft LLC, Getty, America, Big Tech, Citi, Street Journal, KKR, Meta, Google, Nvidia, Paragon Intel, National Association of Realtors, FAA Locations: Corporate America, millennials, New York, London

☆ Citi fined $78 million after a European trader's fat-finger trade caused a flash crash in stocks
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-22 | by ( Matthew Fox | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A trading mistake at Citigroup in 2022 has led to a $78 million fine against the bank. The "fat-finger" trade caused a brief flash crash in European stocks in May 2022. The brief flash crash caused by the mistaken trade briefly wiped out $322 billion in market value. A trader in Citigroup's London unit entered one too many zeros in a trade in May 2022, sparking a short-lived flash crash in European stocks. AdvertisementThe $78 million fine from UK regulators is in addition to about $50 million Citigroup lost on the trade, bringing the total cost of the fat-finger trade to about $130 million.

Persons: — Organizations: Citigroup, Service, Bloomberg, Bank of England's Prudential Regulatory Authority Locations: Citigroup's London, Stockholm

☆ Fish oil supplements may cause harm, study finds. ‘Is it time to dump them?’ expert asks
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-22 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

However, a new study finds regular use of fish oil supplements may increase, not reduce, the risk of first-time stroke and atrial fibrillation among people in good cardiovascular health. Nearly one-third of those people, who were followed for an average of 12 years, said they regularly used fish oil supplements. Over-the-counter fish oil suffers from a lack of purity and consistency, as well as the potential contaminants and heavy metals such as mercury that come with fish, Freeman said. “In addition, studies over the last 10 years have not been very positive for over-the-counter fish oil,” he added. “Fish oil was either having no benefit or in some cases it may harm, such as with stroke and AFib.

Persons: ’ ”, Andrew Freeman, “, ”, Freeman, that’s, ” Freeman, sasirin, Richard Isaacson, Isaacson, Chia, ” Isaacson Organizations: CNN, Jewish Health, Costco, Food and Drug Administration, US, NSF International Locations: United States, Denver, United Kingdom, Boca Raton , Florida, Lake

☆ I've been a chef for 15 years. Here are my 6 tips for making the best grilled chicken.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-22 | by ( Alissa Fitzgerald | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewWhether you're having people over or bringing a meal to a potluck, grilled chicken is always a crowd-pleaser. Buy high-quality chicken from a trusted sourceIt's important to read the labels on your chicken. Joe Gough/ShutterstockFirst and foremost, buy a good chicken from a trusted source. AdvertisementDon't underestimate the power of marinades, cures, and brinesA good marinade or brine can add even more flavor to a chicken. Getty ImagesA good BBQ sauce can bring finger-licking qualities to your chicken, but don't add it too soon.

Persons: —, I've, Joe Gough, Shutterstock, isn't, wiggle Organizations: Service, Business

☆ When my husband lost his wedding ring, my son thought we were no longer married
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-22 | by ( Liz Alterman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewOne autumn afternoon, while raking leaves, my husband, Rich, lost his wedding ring. We hoped the ring, possibly lost amid the browning landscape, would be shiny enough to catch our eyes. Our son thought we had splitWe'd been married for a decade by that point, and while it was odd to see my husband's ring finger bare after all that time, I didn't really give it much thought. AdvertisementOur middle son, Ben, a kindergartener at the time, and I were standing in the kitchen baking together months after the ring disappeared. "It's too bad Dad can't find his ring," Ben said.

Persons: —, Rich, Nat King Cole, Rich hadn't, we'd, hadn't, azaleas, we've, Ben, Wistfully Organizations: Service, Business

☆ How AI and bionics are helping Ukrainian soldiers return to action
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-22 | by ( Ryan Bergeron | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The Esper Hand is the first product from Esper Bionics, a Ukrainian-US based company focused on next-generation prosthetics. “I think AI will be the next step in bionics,” says Dima Gazda, CEO of Esper Bionics. According to Esper Bionics, 70 Ukrainian soldiers are currently serving with Esper Hands, but the need greatly outnumbers the supply. Every morning, a group of Ukrainian veterans gather inside the clinic and go over the schedule for the day. Esper Bionics sells the Esper Hand (which normally sell for around $20,000) to Protez at manufacturing costs, and then Protez fits them to users for free.

Persons: CNN — Valera Kucherenko, I’m, ” Kucherenko, Kucherenko, who’ve, “, ”, Dima Gazda, Esper, It’s, Esper Bionics, Yakov Gradinar, ” Gradinar, Gradinar, Valera Kucherenko –, ” Gazda Organizations: CNN, Intelligence, Protez, Protez Foundation Locations: Ukrainian, Russia, Ukraine, Minneapolis, Minnesota

☆ Citi fined $79 million by British regulators over fat-finger trading and control errors
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-22 | by ( Matt Clinch | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON — British regulators on Wednesday dished out a combined £61.6 million ($79 million) in fines to U.S. investment bank Citi for failings in its trading systems and controls. "Firms involved in trading must have effective controls in place in order to manage the risks involved. The regulators said that certain system and control issues persisted during the probe period and led to trading incidents, such as so-called fat-finger trading blunders. "Deficiencies in CGML's trading controls contributed to this incident, in particular the absence of certain preventative hard blocks and the inappropriate calibration of other controls," the statement read. "We immediately took steps to strengthen our systems and controls, and remain committed to ensuring full regulatory compliance."

Persons: Sam Woods Organizations: CitiBank, LONDON, Citi, Prudential, Authority, Financial, Citigroup Global Markets, prudential, CNBC Locations: Manhattan, New York City

☆ Bob Menendez: Trump circus overshadows senator’s corruption trial
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-21 | by ( Gregory Krieg | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

So it goes for Menendez, who is likely pleased to have his legal drama playing out in relative obscurity. More recently, Fetterman mocked the senator’s defense, which relies in part on pointing the finger of blame on Nadine Menendez, his wife. Republicans in Washington, as they’ve done during these first two weeks of the Menendez trial in New York, have been consistently deferential to the New Jersey Democrat. Rep. Andy Kim, a popular Democrat from South Jersey, is expected to win the nomination to succeed Menendez. Andrew Giuliani, pressed for a thought on the senator’s trial or the allegations against him, shrugged.

Persons: New York CNN — Andrew Giuliani, Donald, ”, Rudy Giuliani squinted, “, ” He’s, Sen, Bob Menendez’s, –, Michael Cohen, Daniels, Menendez, Trump, Donald Trump Jr, Attorney Alvin Bragg, Ronny Jackson, Bob Costello, Pam Bondi, Missouri Sen, Eric Schmitt, Matt Whitaker, Sebastian Gorka, Gov, Dan Patrick, Jackson, María Elvira Salazar, Troy Nehls, Dale Strong, Daniel Webster of, Vladimir Putin’s, Cory Booker, Chuck Schumer, John Fetterman, George Santos, Fetterman, Nadine Menendez, ” Fetterman, Jake Tapper, Mitch McConnell, ” North Dakota Sen, Kevin Cramer, he’s, Andy Kim, Andrew Giuliani, haven’t, ” CNN’s Sabrina Souza Organizations: New, New York CNN, New York, Manhattan Criminal, Court, Republican, Democrat, The New, The New Jersey Democrat, Foreign Relations, Trump, Democratic, Manhattan, Attorney, Texas, Dale Strong of, Pennsylvania Democrat, New York Rep, “, Union, ”, Republicans, New Jersey Democrat, Democrats, GOP, ” North, Politico Locations: New York, Lower Manhattan, Manhattan, The, The New Jersey, Menendez’s, Florida, Sebastian Gorka , Texas, María Elvira Salazar of Florida, Texas, Dale Strong of Alabama, Daniel Webster of Florida, North Korea, Vladimir Putin’s Russia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Washington, Egypt, ”, “ State, Israel, ” North Dakota, South Jersey, New York City

☆ Mumbai, India: Billionaires, Bollywood celebrities cast their vote in the world’s largest election
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-21 | by ( Rhea Mogul | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan, along with his family, leaves a polling booth after casting his ballot in Mumbai on May 20, 2024. Sujit Jaiswal/AFP/Getty ImagesThe “King of Bollywood” Shah Rukh Khan was seen leaving a Mumbai polling booth with his family – wife Gauri, daughter Suhana, and sons Aryan and Abram. Bollywood actors Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone arrive to cast their ballots at a polling station in Mumbai on May 20, 2024. Residents queue to cast their vote on May 20, 2024 in Mumbai, India. Voters wait to cast their vote in Chandivali, Mumbai, on May 20, 2024.

Persons: Narendra Modi, Shah Rukh Khan, Sujit Jaiswal, ” Shah Rukh Khan, Gauri, Suhana, Aryan, Abram, Amitabh Bachchan, ” Khan, “ Let’s, Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh, Mukesh Ambani, Nita, Akash, Akshay Kumar, “, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Stringer, Shiv Sena —, Satish Bate, Sachin Chaudhary Organizations: CNN, Getty, Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP, Indian National Congress, Hindustan Times, Getty Images Locations: Mumbai, Maharashtra, India’s, AFP, Andheri, “, India, Mumbai’s, West Bengal, Getty Images Mumbai, New York, Chandivali

☆ I didn't change my name after I got married despite being traditional in other ways. It doesn't make me less in love.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-20 | by ( Danielle Hayden | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

I got engaged at 23 and married my college sweetheart in a big church wedding. I didn't like how that felt, seeing last names that didn't match. To this day, I still sometimes get cards in the mail from family members addressed to Danielle James or even Danielle Hayden James, his last name tacked on right after my own. That doesn't make them any less "in love" or any less of a family unit. And once, when we rented a car, an employee didn't believe we were married and, therefore, both were permitted to drive, despite our wedding rings and my insistence.

Persons: I've, James, you've, Danielle Hayden …, Danielle James, Danielle Hayden James, I'm, —, didn't, Hayden Organizations: Facebook

☆ Bob Menendez: 4 big questions as senator’s corruption trial enters its second week
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-20 | by ( Gregory Krieg | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Here are four big questions facing Menendez, his lawyers and federal prosecutors as the trial intensifies. How hard does the defense lean on Nadine Menendez? The other half of their telling, in short, is that Nadine Menendez was the one pulling the strings — and hiding it from her husband. Republicans have been surprisingly absent from the hoopla around the Menendez trial. This dynamic could change later this week or next when Trump’s trial is expected to reach its denouement.

Persons: Sen, Bob Menendez’s, —, Menendez, Nadine, Wael Hana, Fred Daibes, Andy Kim, Lara Pomerantz, “, Pomerantz, James Bret Tate, Hana’s, Prosecutors, Nadine Menendez, Avi Weitzman, ” “, ” Weitzman, Weitzman, ”, Candace E, Hana, Will, hasn’t, Donald Trump Organizations: CNN, New, New Jersey Democrat, Garden, Democratic, Capitol, US Department of Agriculture, of Agriculture, USDA, Will Republicans, GOP, Republicans Locations: New Jersey, Egypt, Qatar, New York, Manhattan, Egyptian American, Cairo, Hana’s New Jersey, New York City

Once Mr. Trump was elected, he agreed to repay Mr. Cohen for the $130,000 hush-money deal and more. And at a meeting in Trump Tower just weeks before he was sworn in, Mr. Trump signed off on the fakery, Mr. Cohen recounted from the stand. “What, if anything, did Mr. Trump say at that time?” a prosecutor asked Mr. Cohen. There, he said, Mr. Trump’s chief financial officer, Allen Weisselberg, explained how Mr. Trump would reimburse Mr. Cohen for the payoff. To reach Mr. Trump, Mr. Cohen testified, he called the candidate’s bodyguard, Keith Schiller.

Persons: Donald J, Todd Blanche, Blanche, Michael D, Cohen, Trump, Trump’s, —, Alvin L, Bragg, Cohen —, Marc F, Scholl, ”, ” Mr, Stormy Daniels, Mr, “, Michael M, Joshua Steinglass, Juan M, Merchan —, “ Trump, David Pecker, Pecker, Hope Hicks, Penny, Daniels, Allen Weisselberg, Weisselberg, Susan Hoffinger, Cohen’s, Keith Schiller, Schiller, William K, Rashbaum Organizations: Trump, Mr, Trump “, New, National Enquirer, Playboy, fixer Locations: Manhattan, New York

☆ Trump's naps at trial are a 'middle finger' to the jury deciding his fate, lawyers say
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-19 | by ( Geoff Weiss | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

"That is a proverbial middle finger to the jury," one defense attorney told BI. But could his naps sway the jury? Jurors will likely feel slighted by Trump's snoozing, legal experts told Business Insider. And while closing your eyes during a criminal trial wouldn't result in a conviction in itself, Trump's naps aren't going to help if any of the jurors are on the fence. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers.

Persons: Trump's, —, There's, Donald Trump, Trump's snoozing, Trump's naps Organizations: Service, Business

☆ Election Updates: Rubio, a Trump V.P. Contender, won’t commit to certifying 2024 election results.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-19 | by ( Maggie Astor | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +7 min

Mr. Trump addressed the group as he is on trial in Manhattan on criminal charges that he falsified business records related to a hush-money payment to a porn star. Gun safety groups hung up T-shirts with the names of people killed by gun violence in Dallas County. At the N.R.A.’s meeting, Mr. Trump, whose campaign fund-raising has lagged in Texas, urged gun owners to head to the polls to help deliver him the election. She also criticized Mr. Trump for saying, “We have to get over it” after a shooting in Iowa this year that killed a sixth grader. Mr. Trump “is catering to the gun lobby and threatening to make the crisis worse if re-elected,” Ms. Harris said.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, Biden, ”, Mr, “, Greg Abbott, John Cornyn, you’ve, Andrew Arulanandam, Abbott, Biden’s, ” “ Donald Trump, Joe Biden, ” Mr, N.R.A, ” Ana, Maria Ramos, Jill Brown, Louis, —, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Trump’s, Kamala Harris, ” Ms, Harris Organizations: National Rifle Association, Biden, “, Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, Explosives, Texas Democrats, Dallas City Hall, City Hall Plaza, Associated Press, Allen, Outlets, Republican, Trump coalition, Las, Supreme Locations: Dallas, Manhattan, Houston, Uvalde , Texas, Texas, Dallas County, United States, Pennsylvania, Las Vegas, Parkland, Fla, Iowa

☆ Toxic Political Culture Has Even Some Slovaks Calling Country ‘a Black Hole.’
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-19 | by ( Andrew Higgins | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

More than a quarter century has passed since the United States called Slovakia a “black hole in the center of Europe” — an island of autocratic malaise surrounded by spry new democracies. The insult, leveled in 1997 by Secretary of State Madeline Albright against a country that has since joined NATO and the European Union, still stings. “We are back in a black hole; I’m not sure we ever got out of it,” said Roman Kvasnica, a prominent Slovak lawyer who denounces a political culture in which threats and personal insults are routine. In his own legal work he has faced numerous threats, including a warning that he would get a “bullet in the head” from a tycoon charged with ordering the 2018 murder of an investigative journalist digging into government corruption. Mr. Havel served as the first president of post-communist Czechoslovakia, the state that in 1993 split amicably into the Czech Republic and the Republic of Slovakia.

Persons: spry, Madeline Albright, Robert Fico, Albright, ”, Roman Kvasnica, Vaclav Havel, Havel Organizations: NATO, European Union, Central, Mr Locations: United States, Slovakia, Europe, Central European, Slovak, Czechoslovakia, Czech Republic, Republic of Slovakia

☆ We donated our family car after 22 years. A piece of us is now missing.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-18 | by ( Miranda Ferrante | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

What do you know at 17 months old? But back in 2002, at 1.5 years old I knew the perfect color for the family car. My father asked which I liked best, and when I pointed my small toddler finger at the pewter colored car, he was sold. Related storiesThat would be our family car for the next 22 years. Since my brother and I were 17 months old, the pewter colored car held a space in our driveway, and a space in our hearts.

Persons: it's, you've Organizations: Service, GMC Yukon XL

☆ Why the Equal Rights Amendment Is Again a Hot Topic in New York
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-18 | by ( Grace Ashford | Claire Fahy | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The former congressman rocked back and forth, his face turning red as he jabbed his finger in the air. It had been 18 months since Lee Zeldin lost his bid to become governor of New York, and now he was back at a rally in Albany, with a new war to fight. The enemy was a proposed Equal Rights Amendment to the State Constitution. “There has been no greater attack on women’s rights and girls’ rights in the State of New York throughout any of our lifetimes than Proposition 1 in November,” he said at the rally in the State Capitol earlier this month. The amendment, he added, was an “attempt by New York Democrats to deceptively put abortion on the ballot, when in reality it was a full-fledged attack on women’s rights, free speech, girls’ sports, rule of law and much more.”

Persons: Lee Zeldin, Zeldin, ” Organizations: Republican, Capitol, New York Democrats Locations: New York, Albany, State

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