download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Tech: A "social walkie-talkie" app is the newest thing tech insiders are excited about . Tesla's awful 2024 got much worse this week when the company cut 10% of its workforce , and a major executive resigned after 18 years at the EV maker. AdvertisementSlaven Vlasic/Getty Images for The New York Times; Chelsea Jia Feng/BIIn the meantime, Tesla's stock keeps falling. Even worse, people who are in the market for EVs aren't necessarily interested in Teslas .

On Wednesday, Senate Democrats voted to declare as unconstitutional both articles of impeachment against Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas — effectively ending the trial. It put a swift end to what had been a monthslong process by House Republicans, championed originally by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia. Democrats agreed with Schumer's move, effectively rendering the articles moot and the trial over before House Republicans could present their case. Senate Republicans were also unsuccessful in their effort to pressure vulnerable Democrats to back their push for a longer trial. Greene forced her colleagues to vote on moving forward with Mayorkas' impeachment last November.

CNN —It took less than six months for Speaker Mike Johnson to reach his existential moment. His tiny majority means he can’t afford to lose more than one GOP vote to pass a bill on a party-line vote. But a GOP speaker dependent on Democratic votes will be seen by many Republicans as a tool of the minority party and would be on borrowed time. In this way, those who oppose Ukraine aid on principle could vote against it, allowing Democrats who support it to ensure its passage. These are important responsibilities,” Johnson told Tapper.

Read previewPresident Joe Biden on Wednesday pitched his version of US-China relations to steelworkers in Pennsylvania — that Beijing isn't only failing to catch up, but struggling on its own. "They've got a population that is more people in retirement than working," Biden said of China. Those were some of the harshest comments Biden has ever made about China, though it's unclear how the president calculated his retirement figures. Instead of posturing himself a Mr. Fix-It, or a lone warrior fighting the good fight against a strong Beijing, Biden on Wednesday told blue-collar workers that the competition, as it stands, already favors America by a landslide. AdvertisementThe metals industry provides more than 120,000 jobs in Pennsylvania and some $33 billion in economic output, per an April 2023 report published by the Pennsylvania Steel Alliance.

CNN —There is a major disconnect between two CNN stories on Wednesday about Russia and the US. While it is mostly Republicans who oppose additional funding for Ukraine, they are still a minority, even within their own party. In February, 22 Republicans in the Senate joined all but three Democrats to form a 70-vote majority in favor of the funding. Asked about that propaganda comment by Tapper earlier this month, Rep. Mike Turner of Ohio, who chairs the House Intelligence Committee, agreed. The two appeared together at Mar-a-Lago last week, and Johnson has bought into Trump’s proposal to structure some Ukraine aid as a loan rather than direct aid.

Read previewTwelve of Donald Trump's peers — 7 men, and 5 women — have been chosen to decide the first-ever criminal trial of a former US president. On Thursday afternoon, New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan selected the 12th juror in Trump's Manhattan criminal case. AdvertisementTwo men chosen in the afternoon filled seats that had been vacated earlier in the day. One out of six alternate jurors, a woman, was also chosen. AdvertisementThere's a man who says he knows "little" about Trump's criminal cases and gets his news from The New York Times, The Daily Mail, Fox News, and MSNBC.

In all, Tesla said it would cut more than 10% of its workforce, amounting to more than 14,000 people. Tesla is also losing some key top executives: Drew Baglino and Rogan Patel announced this week they would leave the company. AdvertisementIt's unclear what, exactly, Tesla plans to show off in August as a self-driving, revenue-generating new product. He also reportedly said Tesla robotaxis would be able to do 100 hours of work a week for their owners. According to Reuters, Tesla has ended plans for another one of Musk's longtime pet projects: a truly affordable EV.

Ukraine's most significant aircraft kills in 2024 are two Russian A-50 command planes. AP PhotoThe MainstayAEW&C aircraft are aerial radar stations meant to detect and track enemy weapon systems — namely aircraft, missiles, and naval ships. An E-3 Sentry takes off at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada in January 2024. Last November, the Russians threatened to destroy a French Air Force E-3 that was operating over the Black Sea in what a French military spokesman described as "a particularly aggressive radio exchange." AdvertisementLast year, the US Air Force announced that it had selected the Boeing E-7 Wedgetail as the E-3's intended replacement.

She was the first of the prospective jurors who were challenged by Trump's defense team on Tuesday over their "anti-Trump" social media. AdvertisementThe prospective juror, identified only as "B-133," had clearly "attended an "anti-Trump rally," defense lawyer Susan Necheles protested. When it was released in 2016, the clip was shared on the Facebook account of the husband of prospective juror B-330. "I would have to say that politically, yes, I do," the prospective juror answered. "Boys request to return to cave"The final prospective juror questioned on their social media posts was a retired grandmother from Manhattan's Lower East Side.

AdvertisementHere are five things that are hard to do even if you're considered rich. The tournament is a favorite of the rich, and wealthy golf fanatics flock to Georgia during the first full week of April to attend. AdvertisementSecuring an apartment in this New York City co-op buildingThe River House sits along the East River of New York City. The 26-floor Art Deco River House is considered one of the most exclusive places to live in New York City. Its original location in New York City is one of the toughest reservations to secure.

Washington CNN —Speaker Mike Johnson announced Wednesday he is sticking with his plan to put a series of foreign aid bills on the floor, including funding for Ukraine, after facing significant pressure from hardliners. The loan structure around aid comes after a meeting and news conference with Johnson and former President Donald Trump, who said in February that the US should stop providing foreign aid unless it is structured as a loan. The speaker has been facing mounting pressure to make tweaks to the foreign aid package proposed earlier this week – and not just from his most right-wing members. Other Republicans also expressed anger and wouldn’t rule out voting against Johnson on procedural motions that could upend the bill. “Let’s just hope that that does not happen, and that we can do our responsibilities, protect and defend our own democracy as we protect theirs,” former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas testifies before the House Homeland Security Committee about the Biden Administration's FY2025 budget request in the Cannon House Office Building on Capitol Hill on April 16, 2024 in Washington, DC. Senators voted to dismiss both articles of impeachment and end the trial, with Democrats arguing that the articles were unconstitutional. Still, Republicans similarly moved to dismiss former President Donald Trump's second impeachment trial in 2021, weeks after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. Johnson had said he would send them to the Senate last week, but he punted again after Senate Republicans said they wanted more time to prepare. The impeachment trial is the third in five years.

Elon Musk apologized Wednesday to laid-off Tesla employees for incorrect severance packages. Some workers previously told Business Insider they were offered two months' pay as severance. AdvertisementElon Musk apologized in an email to some laid-off Tesla employees after their severance packages were found to be "incorrectly low," according to a screenshot of the email viewed by Business Insider. "As we reorganize Tesla it has come to my attention that some severance packages are incorrectly low," Musk said in the brief email sent Wednesday. Other workers told BI that as of Wednesday night, they'd yet to receive any information about severance packages.

Read previewHow the US handles its shaky relationship with China will affect the future of the world, says JPMorgan chairman and CEO Jamie Dimon. "It's the thread from Ukraine, oil and gas, food, migration, all our relationships, the most important one being China," Dimon told Bloomberg's Emily Chang in an interview that aired Wednesday. Related storyDimon's fresh remarks on China come as the world's second-largest economy finds itself in a fraught relationship with the US. And in January, CIA chief William J. Burns said China is a far bigger threat to the US than Russia. But while Dimon did single out China as a significant risk to the world, he told Chang that he is optimistic that the US could manage them.

But of course, Birkins, Kelly bags, and other Hermès pieces are nothing new. Jasmine Rasco and one of her Birkin bags. Richard Rodriguez/Stringer/Getty ImagesName: Tiffany MoonAdvertisementAge: 39Her first Birkin: Moon's first Birkin bag was a celebratory purchase. "I see these huge, palatial closets filled with lots of different Hermès bags. Why she loves them: The exclusivity factor plays a part in Millen's love for Hermès bags, but for her, it's about the quality.

On the front line in east and south Ukraine, reports say the situation is increasingly desperate, with Russia outfiring Ukraine at a rate of three to one. Senior Ukrainian military officials, talking to Politico, said that Russia could break through wherever it focuses its anticipated summer offensive. AdvertisementThe role of the WestUkraine is on a "starvation diet" for aid, George Barros, an expert at the Institute for the Study of War, told BI. Anadolu/Getty ImagesAnalysts also say that weaknesses in Russia's military are limiting the Kremlin's ability to take advantage of the situation. "For Ukraine to suffer total defeat, we'd need to see a major collapse in Ukrainian lines and morale," he said.

Nemat "Minouche" Shafik, Columbia's president, appeared before the Republican-led House Committee on Education and the Workforce on Wednesday. But there was a big difference between what those presidents said at their hearing and what Shafik said at hers. Related storyHarvard President Claudine Gay answered with, "It can be, depending on the context," while MIT President Sally Kornbluth said, "I have not heard calling for the genocide for Jews on our campus." In a similarly soft response, UPenn's president Elizabeth Magill responded, "If the speech turns into conduct, it can be harassment." AdvertisementIn Wednesday's hearing, Shafik also commented on a few controversial professors.

In February, Google and Reddit announced a blockbuster deal that would let Google train its AI models on Reddit content. Google said the deal, reportedly worth $60 million, would "facilitate more content-forward displays of Reddit information," leading to some speculation that Google promised Reddit better visibility in exchange for the valuable training data. Per Sistrix data, Reddit is now as visible in top Google Search results as Instagram. Google CEO Sundar Pichai on stage at Google IO 2023 JOSH EDELSON/GETTYGoogle's Reddit deal and its endorsement of Reddit content in Search show how much it sees Reddit as a crucial part of the future of search. AdvertisementYouTube already has heaps of videos offering advice on hijacking Reddit to rise to the top of Google Search.

Read previewManhattan prosecutors in Donald Trump's criminal hush-money case asked the judge presiding over the case to sanction him for attacking prospective jurors in the trial, arguing the former president had repeatedly violated his gag order. Related storiesMerchan issued a gag order in the case forbidding Trump from making statements about trial jurors, witnesses, staff prosecutors, and family members of Merchan and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. Prosecutors accused Trump of violating it on Monday with attacks on Daniels and Michael Cohen, Trump's former lawyer. On Thursday, Conroy said Trump violated the gag order seven more times, with attacks on Cohen on social media and on his campaign website. Merchan previously scheduled a hearing for next Tuesday to determine whether Trump violated his gag order.

Iran and Israel have fought a deadly shadow war for decades. The two enemies have relied on proxy forces, assassinations, and strikes abroad to hit each other. AdvertisementA decades-long shadow war between Iran and Israel has been thrust into broad daylight. Iran's unprecedented attack on Israel last weekend has notably changed the dynamics of this conflict, and it's now more dangerous. Any Israeli military response to the attack risks an all-out confrontation with Iran and could plunge the region into even more violence.

Asked for proof of his claim that Mr. Biden was personally directing the local cases against him, Mr. Trump pointed to purported ties between prosecutors and “Washington,” but provided no evidence that Mr. Biden had been involved in any of the hiring decisions, conversations or meetings that Mr. Trump cited. The writer E. Jean Carroll filed her first lawsuit against Mr. Trump in November 2019, accusing him of defamation. Faulty and irrelevant comparisonsWhat Mr. Trump Said“I got indicted more than Al Capone.”— in a rally in Ohio in MarchFalse. Mr. Hur described Mr. Biden as a “well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory” who had “diminished faculties and faulty memory.” He did not declare Mr. Biden mentally incompetent to stand trial. Inaccurate attacks on judgesWhat Mr. Trump Said“Judge Juan Merchan is totally compromised, and should be removed from this TRUMP Non-Case immediately.

WWE and its parent company, TKO, have said that they take Grant's allegations "very seriously." Staying in touchMcMahon has also talked to Trump, according to two of the people close to the wrestling impresario. The two billionaires have been in touch regularly, according to a person close to McMahon, although it isn't clear what they've discussed. Another person close to McMahon said that the two men don't discuss their legal problems and that Trump doesn't provide legal advice. Publicly, Johnson has thanked TKO and WWE executives regarding his addition to the TKO board earlier this year.

Todd Miller retired at 53 because he did not want his life to be defined by his career. "I didn't have the vocabulary back then of 'financial independence,' but I said I wanted optionality," Miller told Business Insider. He picked age 50 to retire — what the personal finance industry now calls FIRE, which stands for Financial Independence, Retire Early. In 2019, just three years after the initial age target he had set for himself, Miller took the plunge and retired at 53. His passive income now funds the family's lifestyle in Phuket, Thailand, where they live.

Read previewChina's leader, Xi Jinping, played the role of Ukraine's peacemaker during talks on Tuesday with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. At the meeting in Beijing, Xi presented his German counterpart with four principles for peace in Ukraine, according to Chinese state media. AdvertisementThe principles are vague and similar to a Ukraine peace plan proposed by China last year. But despite these public statements, analysts say that Xi's claims to be a peacemaker are a charade and that in reality, China is increasing support for Russia's military. AdvertisementThis is in addition to the diplomatic and economic support China has already given the Kremlin.

A Team USA bodysuit is reigniting a conversation about the design of women's athletic outfits. Following the reveal of the showy unitard, athletes quipped that they would definitely need a thorough wax to wear the women's piece. Jordana Katcher, Nike's vice president for global sports apparel, also told the Post that several women athletes had requested the unitard specifically. Black women athletes are often hyper-sexualized or painted as angry or evil. Women athletes in sports like gymnastics, volleyball, and track and field are sometimes expected to wear bikini bottoms or short leotards.

House Speaker Mike Johnson is splitting Ukraine and Israel aid into separate votes. AdvertisementHouse Speaker Mike Johnson's unconventional plan to hold separate votes on Israel and Ukraine aid is designed primarily to appease House Republicans who don't want to vote for more aid to Ukraine. But it's also garnering applause from an unusual place: progressive Democrats who don't want to vote for more Israel aid. "I think it is a great plan," said Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, who supports Ukraine aid but won't vote for unconditional Israel aid. Related storiesThat's led some progressives to refuse to get on board with the Senate-passed bill, even if they support Ukraine aid.

AdvertisementBut after filing a Freedom of Information Act request, The Washington Post obtained National Park Service documents from 2015 where Sheehy said that a shooting had occurred at Glacier National Park. The newly-released National Park Service report said that "a park visitor called park dispatch" and stated that a firearm had discharged at Glacier National Park, which seemingly contradicts Sheehy's current statement that he was shot in Afghanistan. Related storiesThe National Park Service summary didn't reveal the name of the individual who reported that a firearm had discharged at the park, according to The Post. And Watkins suggested that hospital staff in Kalispell, Mont., told park dispatchers about the incident at Glacier National Park after Sheehy's initial lie about the shooting. Still, the lawmaker has successfully fought back his GOP opponents over the years, beginning with his first Senate election in 2006.

He said his unit had good support from HIMARS — a long-range, high-precision rocket launcher that can hit targets 50 miles away — but its effectiveness was degraded as rockets ran low. AdvertisementUkrainian soldiers watch a rocket fire from a HIMARS launcher in May 2023 in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine. AdvertisementCongress approved $300 million for Ukraine last month, which would have included HIMARS rockets. M142 HIMARS launches a rocket on Russian position on December 29, 2023 in Unspecified, Ukraine. "Support Ukraine, help us win this war."

AdvertisementFor months, the House has been sitting on a bill that would provide aid to Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan, and humanitarian funding for Gaza. But many, if not most, House Republicans are opposed to further Ukraine aid, and House Speaker Mike Johnson now has to deal with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene's threat to call a vote on his ouster if he allows more Ukraine aid to pass. AdvertisementMany Republicans oppose Ukraine aid, while Democrats are increasingly skeptical of Israel aidJohnson's plan is aimed at addressing two separate pockets of opposition to the foreign aid package. After October 7, the Biden administration and Senate leaders insisted on tying Israel and Ukraine aid together, with the idea being that including Israel aid would incentivize Republicans to swallow more Ukraine aid. Johnson's plan is designed to allow progressive Democrats to vote against Israel aid, while hard-right Republicans can vote against the Ukraine aid — all while allowing the whole package to move forward.

Since late October last year, the S&P 500 has risen as much as 27% on strong economic data and excitement about AI. Losses were steepest last week when Iran fired missiles at Israel, exacerbating regional and global tensions. But as more labor market and inflation data has come out, investors now believe a cut is off the table until at least July. The S&P 500 has now dipped below its 20-day moving average, like it did last summer when yields rose above 4.35%. "The VIX, SKEW and Put/Call Ratio all indicate that sophisticated investors are on edge and volatility could explode to 52-week highs in the weeks ahead," Essaye said.

So the Fed can keep interest rates higher for longer to cool price rises — although the central bank also has room to cut should the labor market "unexpectedly weaken," Powell added. Related storyHigher interest rates make borrowing more expensive for anything from mortgages to credit cards — it encourages people to save rather than spend, which in theory, helps bring down prices. AdvertisementConversely, lower interest rates encourage borrowing and spending — thus driving the economy when growth slows, such as during the COVID-19 pandemic when the Fed cut rates massively and pumped money into the system. But Reid thinks the excess money could be drained from the economy later this year, when money supply in the economy normalizes. AdvertisementDemand, supply chain snarls, and fiscal stimulus also contribute to inflationTo be sure, money supply isn't the only thing that contributes to inflation.

Read previewA veteran Boeing engineer told a panel of lawmakers that he received verbal and physical threats for voicing safety concerns to the company. In a Senate hearing on Wednesday, Sam Salehpour, a veteran Boeing employee turned whistleblower, said the company repeatedly ignored his reports of safety lapses during the production of at least 1,400 widebody airplanes. Salehpour said a Boeing quality manager told him not to document concerns or notify experts of the gaps he said exist on the fuselage of hundreds of Boeing 787 Dreamliners. Salehpour — who said he still has his job thanks to whistleblower-protection laws — told lawmakers that has has also received threats against his physical safety. He told lawmakers that although he has "no proof" of where or who the nail came from, he believes it happened at work.

It's the next step in implementing a broader version of debt relief for borrowers. Comments can be submitted to the Federal Register here, which the Education Department will then review. While lawsuits have yet to be formally filed against Biden's administration, Missouri's Attorney General Andrew Bailey wrote on X in response to Biden's relief proposals: "See you in court." And some experts said a conservative Supreme Court could likely rule like they did with Biden's first debt relief plan, striking it down. Following the public comment period, the Education Department will review comments and could choose to adjust their proposals based on the feedback they receive.

Fearing that its Stryker armored vehicles were outgunned by Russian and Chinese designs, the US Army had an idea for a quick fix: Develop an unmanned Stryker turret with a 30-mm autocannon. The Army obliged in 2018 with the Infantry Carrier Vehicle-Dragoon, which added a remote-controlled 30-mm gun turret — manufactured by Norwegian firm Kongsberg — to 91 flat-bottom-hull versions of the Strykers. This would be enough to upgrade Strykers in three brigades of 83 vehicles each, plus an additional 20 for testing. Instead of a Kongsberg MCT-30 turret, the vehicles would receive a Samson turret made by Israeli firm Rafael. A big red flag should have been the glitches in the turret software that degraded the 30-mm cannon's accuracy.

And that's, that's the whole idea of it. Tom ChittySo if I go and buy bitcoin, the bitcoin I buy is fresh bitcoin that's been mined, not someone who's selling bitcoin is that right? Arjun KharpalThe likelihood is if you buy bitcoin, if we go on an exchange and buy bitcoin, we're selling bitcoin that's in existence already. And so what they say is, well, with the halving, you know, bitcoin will not be devalued. That's that's really what so many of the enthusiasts and proponents love about it.

New York CNN —Despite overcoming a crisis in 2023, the pain isn’t over for America’s regional banks. Shares of New York Community Bank have tumbled 71%, Bank OZK shares have slid 16% and Webster Financial shares have lost 11%. Regional banks reported wide losses on their profits during the first quarter. PNC projects that its net interest income will fall between 4% to 5% in 2024 from last year. “I’m worried about a handful of [regional banks],” Bair told CNBC on Tuesday.

Boeing's corporate planes collectively flew about 4,500 hours across some 1,800 flights last year, according to data from the aviation-tracking website JetSpy. Jet Edge InternationalThe fleet's top airports include Chicago International Airport, Washington Dulles International Airport, and Boeing Field King County International Airport — all located near Boeing's corporate offices and factories. AdvertisementThe locations of Boeing's corporate fleet on April 12, according to JetSpy data. For instance, JetSpy data shows aerospace company Lockheed Martin collectively flew its five private jets for about 2,700 hours in 2023. AdvertisementBoeing wrote in the filing that its CEO "is required to use company aircraft for all business and personal travel for security reasons."

Right-wing lawmakers are ramping up their threats to remove Speaker Mike Johnson from his role after Johnson’s supporters pushed him to make it harder to oust him from the speakership. The House is finished with floor action for the day, which means that the earliest that Greene could make a motion to oust Johnson would be on Friday. At one point, Johnson was surrounded on the House floor by a number of far-right lawmakers in a heated discussion. Democrats weigh how to proceedThe House Rules Committee is meeting Thursday morning to begin considering the foreign aid bills. One thing that is hanging over discussions is that many Democrats view Johnson as a more honest broker than McCarthy.

An earlier version of the TikTok bill sailed through the House in March, but it has become bogged down in the Senate. Opponents, including TikTok and a range of civil society groups, have argued the bill risks violating TikTok users’ First Amendment rights. President Joe Biden has said he would sign the House TikTok bill if it reaches his desk. The latest version of the TikTok bill contains some updates. One key senator who was doubtful of the initial House TikTok bill appeared satisfied.

My family moved from Maryland to Florida over 7 years ago, when my teens were in elementary school. From hurricane parties to political protests, I've experienced a lot and I love living here. Florida is more than just Walt Disney World and gators, but both of those exist here. AdvertisementIt's been over seven years since my husband and I chose to relocate our family from Maryland to Florida. It's a decision I've never regretted once, but living in the Sunshine State is very different from life in the Northeast.

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Read previewAn employee who'd been working at Tesla for about a month learned he'd been laid off on Monday, local news station KVUE reported. This includes quietly removing inventory discounts for its EVs in the US, as Tesla investor Sawyer Merritt noted on X.AdvertisementMusk responded, "We are simplifying and streamlining the whole Tesla sales and delivery system. Musk announced his latest moonshot on X earlier this month and said Tesla would launch a self-driving taxi called "Robotaxi," which it would reveal on August 8. Tesla didn't immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment made outside of normal working hours.

He has cited Robert F. Kennedy Sr. as a personal inspiration in his political career. And Biden invited Maria Shriver, a niece of John F. Kennedy and Robert F. Kennedy, to attend his State of the Union address to highlight her work on women’s health. In public statements, some members of the Kennedy family have already made clear they are backing Biden in November. In a CNN interview last month, another sister of RFK Jr., Rory Kennedy, said she’s concerned he could undermine Biden’s chances of defeating Trump. I don’t know anybody in America who’s got a family who agrees with him on everything.”The Kennedy family members attending Biden’s event Thursday include Rory Kennedy, Kerry Kennedy, Joe Kennedy II, Beth Kennedy, Joe Kennedy III, Christopher Kennedy, Maxwell Taylor Kennedy, Vicki Strauss Kennedy, Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, Kerry Kennedy Meltzer, Max Meltzer, Ted Kennedy Jr., Stephen Kennedy Smith, Peter McKelvy and Rebeca McKelvy.

Several teams across Google's finance and real estate units have been affected, according to two current employees, who said staff had been informed of the cuts this week. One said that the affected teams in finance include Google's Treasury, Business Services, and Revenue Cash Operations teams. AdvertisementA Google spokesperson confirmed the cuts but declined to elaborate on the number of affected staff. "As we've said, we're responsibly investing in our company's biggest priorities and the significant opportunities ahead," said a Google spokesperson. They said that impacted employees could apply for open roles inside Google.

Russian hackers are suspected of causing a Texas town's water tank to overflow earlier this year. Cybersecurity experts say the likely culprit is Sandworm, a Russian hacking group. AdvertisementIn January, a Texas town's water tank suddenly started overflowing, spewing a torrent of water to the ground below. But it's raising concerns this week, after the cybersecurity firm Mandiant said Wednesday that Russian hackers were likely behind it. Mandiant, which is owned by Google, attributed the attack in Muleshoe, Texas to Sandworm, a Russian hacking group.

Viewership for the women's NCAA basketball championship surpassed the men's final for the first time. Over the next three years, the TV audience for the women's final grew by 23% to an average of 3.7 million. Women's basketball popularity goes beyond championship game ratingsWe have seen other evidence of women's college basketball's emerging dominance in the sports landscape. Meanwhile, merchandise sales related to women's college basketball are also soaring. JuJu Watkins celebrates with USC fans following a win during the 2024 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament.

Read previewMembers of a disabled basketball team were left with "chaos" and hours of delay after Southwest Airlines dismantled dozens of their wheelchairs on a recent flight. Wheelchair basketball teams typically travel with two chairs each —their sporting ones and their everyday ones, Shields told BI. It "was just complete chaos," despite the attempts of the pilot and a stewardess to help out, Shields told BI. In a statement to BI, Southwest Airlines said that there had been a delay in its staff reassembling the chairs, and that it had reviewed the situation and was addressing it. AdvertisementWalker also said that airlines need to stop treating the loss of wheelchairs as equivalent to a mere luggage issue.

Russian hackers caused a Texas town's water tank to overflow in a suspected hack earlier this year. AdvertisementIn January, Russian hackers caused a small Texas town's water tank to overflow in what was a rare but worrying attack on US infrastructure. The Russian hacking group Sandworm is likely responsible for the attack on the water system in Muleshoe, Texas, the cyber-security firm Mandiant said on Wednesday. AdvertisementHackers posted a video to Telegram of themselves manipulating Muleshoe's water system, showing how they overpowered it and reset the controls, according to The Washington Post. Ramon Sanchez, Muleshoe's city manager, told CNN that the city's water tank overflowed for about 30 to 35 minutes.

NASA chief Bill Nelson accused China on Wednesday of secretly working on military projects in space. Nelson told lawmakers that NASA believes Beijing is masking these projects as civilian efforts. "We believe that a lot of their, so-called civilian space programs is a military program," Nelson continued. Related storiesThe NASA chief alluded to the Spratly Islands, an archipelago in the South China Sea claimed by several nations. Meanwhile, China has repeatedly denied that it intends to establish any military presence in outer space.

Conservatives are fleeing blue states in favor of red states. Conservatives are fed up with the cost of living, and the politics, in blue states. AdvertisementConservatives are flocking en masse from blue states to one Republican stronghold in particular: South Carolina. Chabot said blue states need to take a page out of red states' playbook. "And so if these blue states want to get better, then they need to look at what red states are doing to retain their populations and their businesses."

Read previewGoogle issued a warning to any employees considering participating in any future sit-in protests within the company's offices: "Think again." Google fired 28 employees on Wednesday following in-office protests against the company's $1.2 billion contract with Israel. "If you're one of the few who are tempted to think we're going to overlook conduct that violates our policies, think again," Google said in the memo. Read the full memo below:AdvertisementGooglers,You may have seen reports of protests at some of our offices yesterday. If you're one of the few who are tempted to think we're going to overlook conduct that violates our policies, think again.

Read previewFederal Reserve officials heaped more doubt on the timing of rate cuts this year, echoing Chair Jerome Powell in stating that the path to 2% inflation looks uncertain. The Fed has projected three rate cuts to come by the end of 2024. Fed Chair Powell suggested earlier in the week that rate cuts could be delayed, causing stocks to slide. Inflation risks haven't been lost on investors, who have been steadily dialing back their expectations for Fed rate cuts over the last few months. Markets are now expecting just one or two rate cuts by the end of the year, according to the CME FedWatch tool, down from six cuts that were anticipated at the start of 2024.

The Georgia Republican filed an amendment to a $26.38 billion Israel aid bill that would divert some of that funding toward "the development of space laser technology on the southwest border" of the United States. Related storiesIn the case of the "Jewish space lasers," she connected the wildfire to the Rothschild family of Jewish financiers, a favorite target of antisemitic conspiracy theories. The "Jewish space laser" theory has become a staple piece of mockery for those attacking Greene, and is often brought up by reporters. Greene has voted against Israel aid in the past, and she's long been one of the most outspoken opponents of Ukraine aid. She also introduced seven amendments to the Ukraine aid bill, including provisions that would divert money to US disaster zones or force any members of Congress who support the bill to enlist in the Ukrainian military.

House conservatives have organized a crack team to monitor to potential ways to undermine their power. The House Freedom Caucus has formed a Floor Action Response Team. AdvertisementThe far-right House Freedom Caucus has formed a crack team of conservative lawmakers to monitor the House floor lest Speaker Mike Johnson or other Republicans try to limit their power. Massie is also not a member of the Freedom Caucus, whose membership is technically secret, but he does support many of the caucus' broader aims. Gaetz teamed up with seven other House Republicans and House Democrats to boot McCarthy from power.

TIME released its list of the 100 Most Influential People for 2024 on Wednesday. The annual list, which asks cultural and political icons to highlight the changemakers of the past year, features dozens of athletes, entertainers, artists and politicians. Beninese music legend Angélique Kidjo wrote about Nigerian artist Burna Boy, who in turn wrote about rapper 21 Savage. Shawn Fain, UAW PresidentPresident Joe Biden wrote about Shawn Fain, president of the United Auto Workers, for TIME. Mohammed Abed/AFP/Getty ImagesAt just 25 years of age, Motaz Azaiza is the youngest person on this year’s TIME list.

The commercially successful ‘Eras’ tourThe Eras tour was massively successful in 2023 and it’ll stretch through the end of this year. John Shearer/TAS23/Getty Images Swift performs in Glendale, Arizona, during the opening weekend of "The Eras Tour" in March 2023. John Shearer/TAS23/Getty Images Swift performs during the "Evermore" section of the show in Sydney in February 2024. John Shearer/TAS23/Getty Images Fans apply jewels on their way to Swift's show in Foxborough, Massachusetts, in May 2023. John Shearer/TAS23/Getty Images In pictures: Taylor Swift's 'Eras Tour' Prev NextShe is a generous boss, too, awarding $100,000 bonuses to Eras Tour truck drivers during the summer.

AdvertisementThe management style made the job difficultAt the beginning of my career journey, I tried many different things. Ultimately, I quit after less than a year without any job lined up. I left my problematic job during a bad job market, which greatly stressed me. Mental health is beyond important, but it's also important to have a sense of financial security during these tough times. I also recommend that workers continuously look toward future job opportunities and look at their careers as a staircase.

Read previewArtificial intelligence is redefining what it takes to be a software engineer on Wall Street. A typical software developer holds a computer science degree. Goldman Sachs' chief information officer, Marco Argenti, recently encouraged his daughter, a college student, to concentrate her education on philosophy if she wants to pursue a career in engineering. AdvertisementZafar said he's paying more attention to people with "a computer science degree and an English minor," or "a psychology major and a computer science minor." Advertisement"That software engineer might get replaced by a sort of prompt engineer," Vyas said.

Read previewToni Braxton, 56, is speaking up about how her lupus diagnosis has impacted her life and career. "I was told to hide I had lupus," Braxton said, adding that it was her management's idea. AdvertisementBraxton, who was diagnosed with lupus in 2008, added that being upfront about her illness hurt her career. "You would not get work, because the second I told I had it, I didn't get work at first. In April 2023, Braxton told Today that lupus "attacked" her heart and that she had narrowly avoided a deadly heart attack because she decided not to skip her doctor's appointment.

CNN —Former Vice President Mike Pence on Thursday warned that if Russian President Vladimir Putin were to “overrun” Ukraine, he would then attack a NATO nation, forcing the US to become directly involved. Pence commended Johnson for proceeding with the foreign aid bills despite the potential for right-wing members of their party to attempt to oust Johnson over it. Speaker Mike Johnson has decided to do what he believes is right and trust the American people with the outcome in this moment. As a candidate for president, Pence visited Ukraine last year and met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. He remained steadfast in his support for Ukraine while other GOP candidates, including his former boss Donald Trump, questioned the amount of US aid.

A millennial moved from the South to Montreal in 2015 to "get cultured" and attend graduate school. He said food, safety, healthcare, and quality of life are the biggest perks of living in Montreal. But he said he wants to move back to Texas for the weather, lower cost of living, and his family. In recent years, millions of Americans have moved south. "I wish we lived in Texas now and moved to Canada later in life," Linton said.

Read previewWhen my oldest son, Sam, joined his high school baseball team, I began tracking his location through Find My Friends on my iPhone. my husband asked. AdvertisementI finally asked my son what he'd preferI realized I should've asked Sam how he felt about it first. I told Rich that if Sam didn't have a problem with it, neither should he. It's not something I check regularly, and if my son asked me to stop, I would.

Read previewUS stocks may have already peaked, warns a Morgan Stanley investment chief with a penchant for making successful market predictions. Jim Caron, who oversees Morgan Stanley Investment Management's portfolio solutions group, may want to consider buying a lottery ticket. And considering how much could go wrong in markets, stocks may take a while before rebounding to record highs. Quality stocks in those less-loved sectors should stand out once markets bottom, he said. "The best cure for high yields is high yields because as yields go higher, it becomes like a high-quality hedge to a downturn in the market," Caron said.

UK Taylor Swift fans have lost over $1.2 million to Eras Tour ticket scams, Lloyds Bank says. Most of the ticket scams targeted 25- 34-year-olds through fake ads on Facebook. AdvertisementIt looks like it's heating up to be a Cruel Summer — at least for Swifties in the United Kingdom seeking Eras Tour tickets. Fans of Taylor Swift have already been scammed out of over $1.2 million trying to purchase concert tickets, mostly through Facebook, according to Lloyds Bank. "For her legion of dedicated Swifties, the excitement is building ahead of Taylor's Eras Tour finally touching down in the UK this summer.

Tesla has laid off 280 workers at its Buffalo, New York facility. Elon Musk told Tesla staff he was cutting more than 10% of the company's workforce. The Buffalo site is used for training Tesla's driver-assist software, and energy storage products. On Sunday night, Tesla CEO Elon Musk told staff the company was cutting more than 10% of its workforce. AdvertisementTesla's Buffalo site is used as a site for the company's data analysis to train its Autopilot and so-called Full Self-Driving software.

Ukraine said on Tuesday that it used 7 exploding drones to destroy a Russian radar system. Ukrainian media said the destroyed system was a Nebo-U, which monitors hundreds of miles of airspace. Ukraine assessed that the Nebo-U, downed by cheap drones, was worth $100 million. Ukrainian outlets reported that the destroyed Nebo-U was worth about $100 million. Multiple variations of the Nebo, which translates to "sky" in Russian, are used by Russian air and ground forces.

CNN —After a disastrous year marked by high costs, accusations of environmental harm and project cancellations in 2023, there’s a sense the US offshore wind industry is on a rebound. But offshore wind is increasingly Trump-proof, according to a top White House climate official, wind CEOs and an industry analyst. “This year will be a significant year for offshore wind development,” BOEM director Elizabeth Klein told CNN in a statement. The US supply chain for offshore wind is still being built; therefore, projects are turning to European manufacturers to get blades, gearboxes, and other components. Now, he said, Northeast governors “just want to make sure their states have energy.”New York has been aggressively pursuing offshore wind projects, rebidding previously canceled projects and accepting those projects at higher prices.

Read previewFour months into 2024, Sarah J. Maas is having quite the year. Circana, which tracks book sales, also reported that it's currently the bestselling novel of 2024. Weiss Eubanks/NBCUniversal via Getty ImagesForbes reported on Wednesday that Maas has sold 3.1 million copies of her books in 2024, making her the bestselling author of the year so far. Likewise, Forbes reported that Circana data shows nine of the 10 bestselling books sold in March fell into either the romance or fantasy genres. Publisher's Weekly reported sales of Maas' books increased 86% in the 2022 fiscal year — the same period TikTok experienced massive growth.

CNN —President Joe Biden called on his administration to ratchet up pressure on the Chinese steel industry as he brings his economic competition pitch to Pittsburgh, the heart of the American steel industry, on Wednesday, part of a three-day campaign trail swing through battleground Pennsylvania. The trip comes after Biden last month publicly opposed a controversial $14 billion deal for Japan’s Nippon Steel to purchase US Steel. President Biden will not impose ineffective, across-the-board tariffs that would increase costs and harm hundreds of thousands of jobs,” the official said. The United Steelworkers, a key union representing workers in the steel industry, endorsed Biden’s reelection campaign last month. Trump made tariffs against China a central feature of his global economic strategy, and Biden has largely maintained them, despite external criticism.

A big contributor to that was its limit on password sharing and its cheaper, ad-supported tier. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementNetflix said it grew subscribers by 9.33 million worldwide in Q1 — double what Wall Street had expected. Boosting its performance was the company's crackdown on password sharing, which has led to new signups, as well as its cheaper, ad-supported option. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers.

Sundar Pichai said in a blog post the office isn't a place to "debate politics." Google fired 28 workers involved in protests against its $1.2 billion contract with Israel. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . The CEO's message, which comes only two days after in-office protests, is loud and clear: the office isn't a place for politics. That separate memo had told workers to "think again" before violating company policies with sit-in protests.

New York CNN —Jury selection in Donald Trump’s hush money business fraud case began Thursday looking like the task of finding 12 jurors had run aground. Juror 11 was seated on the jury after Merchan denied Trump’s challenge to the juror for cause. Trump’s lawyers argued she should be dismissed because she said she does not like Trump’s “persona.”“I don’t like his persona,” she said. The district attorney’s office refused. Trump’s attorneys and the district attorney’s office also will get additional peremptory challenges for the alternate jurors.

Donald Trump's hush-money criminal trial opened April 15 in a Lower Manhattan courtroom. Courtroom sketch artists have captured the former president's many moods during the trial. AdvertisementFormer President Donald Trump's historic hush-money criminal trial officially got underway inside a Lower Manhattan courtroom on April 15. AdvertisementIt's the first-ever criminal trial of a former president — and the courtroom sketch artists have already captured many moods of Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, during the jury selection process. I will not tolerate that," Merchan told Trump's lead lawyer, Todd BlancheFormer President Donald Trump sat while his lawyer Todd Blanche spoke during the second day of jury selection in his hush-money criminal trial.

The Senate is set for a showdown over the articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas as Democrats are expected to move quickly to dismiss the articles, while Republicans insist there must be a full trial. The House transmitted the articles of impeachment to the Senate on Tuesday and senators are expected to be sworn in as jurors Wednesday. Every time there’s a policy agreement in the House, they send it over here and tie the Senate in knots to do an impeachment trial? Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said on Tuesday that senators have a “rare” and “solemn” responsibility to consider the impeachment articles and said he would oppose any effort to table the articles. The deal faced a torrent of attacks from former President Donald Trump and top House Republicans.

Read previewAustin Walters started SpringTide Ventures in 2018 to disrupt healthcare by democratizing access to health innovations. The firm just closed its second $65 million fund to make more of those bets. A tough fundraising environmentAfter closing on its first $20 million fund, which the firm began investing out of in 2019, SpringTide originally set a $100 million target in 2021 for its second fund, Walters said. SpringTide picks a different focus area each time — most recently, home health, where the firm has invested in companies like family primary care startup Nest Health. By solving significant problems with advanced technologies, these companies have natural competitive advantages that allow them to drive outsize returns for the firm, Walters said.

Elon Musk's mega pay packet will be taken back to Tesla shareholders for another vote. The $47 billion package, first approved in 2018, was voided by a Delaware court in January. A statement filed with the SEC Wednesday says Musk hasn't been paid for his work at Tesla in six years. AdvertisementTesla will ask shareholders to vote again on Elon Musk's enormous pay package, which was previously overturned by a court. The carmaker announced its plans for another vote in a proxy statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Wednesday.

Here are six things I'd never do on a cruise after working on them for three years. So, even though I enjoy lobster, I stick with the items without the upcharges. Related storyI prefer to buy as I go and take advantage of happy hour and other drink specials that are available on certain cruise lines. AdvertisementSome cruise lines are better than others at wiping down commonly touched surfaces, but I don't take any chances. Wear my room key around my neckI never walk around the ship with my room key around my neck, and I especially never do this when on land.

New Gallup data reveals the US has fallen behind many G7 countries in key indicators. 26% of Americans struggled to afford food in 2023, and confidence in the military has fallen. Related storiesThe US spends more on its military than most of the G7 countries combined, though confidence has progressively fallen over the last few years. US confidence in the military fell to a new low of 81% — and for the first time, US confidence fell below another G7 nation, France. Japan, the lowest of the G7 countries, was only 8%.

A major private student-loan company is leaving the servicing industry. But before that happens, a group of Democratic lawmakers want it to give some borrowers debt relief. On Wednesday, Sen. Elizabeth Warren led eight of her Democratic colleagues in sending a letter — first reviewed by Business Insider — to Navient's CEO David Yowan, requesting that the company cancel "decades-old predatory private student loans" using a consumer protection law established by the Federal Trade Commission. AdvertisementBut there might be an avenue to still get those borrowers debt cancellation. "Navient should stop making borrowers apply for relief and instead automatically cancel student debt using information the company already has about whether borrowers attended schools that would entitle them to relief," they wrote.

Buying a home was a historic challenge last year because of sky-high listing values and the highest mortgage rates since the turn of the century. Heading into 2024, the consensus among real-estate mavens is that affordability will get substantially better, largely due to declining mortgage rates. In turn, mortgage rates are now headed in the wrong direction, steadily rising from 6.6% late last year to nearly 6.9% as of mid-April. AdvertisementHome prices are persistently high — especially in these 27 real-estate marketsAll else equal, higher borrowing costs should translate to lower property prices because of lower demand from buyers. Only a dozen real-estate markets fitting that description saw property prices fall by more than 1%.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle seem like lovely people. Netflix dropped "Pearl," an animated children's series Meghan created through her and Harry's production company, Archewell Productions, before it even premiered. The audio-streaming company signed a deal with Harry and Meghan in 2020 reportedly worth $20 million. As Michael Pachter, a managing director at Wedbush Securities who's covered movies, entertainment, and tech for two decades, explained, it's because they've still got that $100 million deal. A public breakup with Meghan and Harry may also be a mess Netflix doesn't want to deal with.

In this week’s mammoth New York trial of former President Donald Trump on charges of falsifying business records in connection to hush money paid to an adult film star, the yawning gap between “Us” and “Them” is along partisan lines. After all, making hush money payments, as Trump is alleged to have done with former adult film actress Stormy Daniels, isn’t illegal. For decades, Trump has been a fixture on our airwaves, social media sites and political coverage. But they didn’t, and now many are feeling a rally-round-the-flag effect in what is likely the first and potentially only Trump criminal case that’s going to trial before Election Day. Bragg’s decision to bring this case, with its attenuated connection to an actual crime, can’t be taken out of its political context.

Now, private equity firms are swooping in to help while taking majority stakes in exchange. Last week, the company announced that it would partner with California-based private equity firm Nexus Capital Management and move its test into a for-profit company. A company owned by private equity can obfuscate what the company actually does to the public and potentially to regulators. Private equity firms “come into industries that are already suffering from a lack of funding,” said Creeks. They’ve had a lack of funding and support and so sometimes private equity is the only viable option.

Google is merging more parts of the company in an effort to move faster in AI. Google's DeepMind chief has gained more power, while the head of Pixel will also oversee Android. The changes put more firepower behind some key Google products, and could help it launch faster. CEO Sundar Pichai announced a series of re-orgs in a memo to staff on Thursday, and — surprise, surprise — Google says it's all happening because of artificial intelligence. Pichai said the changes, which include merging different parts of the company, would help Google "simplify decisions" and move faster.

Both Alaska and United Airlines reported quarterly losses this week. But the airlines' bosses said they would've turned profits if it weren't for Boeing's door plug fiasco. AdvertisementThe Boeing door blowout in January tanked Alaska Airlines' first quarter earnings — and it's not the only airline to have been hurt by the incident. Alaska said Thursday its results were "significantly impacted" by the door plug blowout and subsequent grounding of its fleet of 737-9 MAX planes. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers.

An Iranian ship suspected of providing intelligence to the Houthis is sailing home. The MV Behshad spent several months near Yemen as the Houthis launched attacks. Shipping data shows its back near Iran as Tehran braces for a potential Israeli retaliation. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . The vessel has been at sea for nearly three years and spent several months earlier this year lingering near Yemen.

Read previewA California franchisee has warned that some of his customers think fast food is becoming a "luxury" as restaurants increase prices to cover the state's new $20 minimum wage for fast-food workers. AdvertisementThe new wage in California comes amid rising prices of fast food across the US more generally. A combination of wage and food inflation pushed prices up during the pandemic, and some diners say they're cutting down on how much fast food they eat because it's no longer affordable. "The appetite that my customers have for price increases is not unlimited," Scott Rodrick, a McDonald's franchisee with 18 restaurants in northern California, previously told BI. Is fast food no longer affordable?

For the last decade, Singapore’s Changi International Airport and Doha’s Hamad International Airport have been going back and forth, battling over the title of ‘world’s best’. European airports dominateNine of the top 20 best airports are in Europe, including Vienna, Madrid and Istanbul. Kansai International Airport (KIX), which serves the Osaka area, scored the award for the world’s best airport baggage delivery. El Dorado International Airport (BOG), which serves Bogota, Colombia, was voted the best airport in South America, while Panama Tocumen Airport (PTY) won the honor of best airport for Latin America and the Caribbean. The world’s best airports for 20241.

Chadwick Burnaw, the owner of an event company, hosted the Sazón Latin Food Festival in Austin. This article is part of "Festivals of Flavor," a series celebrating Latin festival cuisines. Festivalgoers danced to music at the Sazón Latin Food Festival in March. Cat Cardenas for BIHe'd scope out San Francisco's nightlife scene, looking for clubs that would play the merengue and bachata music he was familiar with. They served Jamaican-Latin fusion dishes alongside their kids at the Sazón Latin Food Festival.

Amazon Prime had 180 million members in March, according to new data. AdvertisementNow more than ever, you're more likely than not to be an Amazon Prime member. It also brings the share of US consumers who have Prime to 75%, per the report. Amazon did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers.

Amazon's Prime membership hit a record 180 million US shoppers in Q1, according to new estimates. Now a record 75% of Americans use the subscription service. AdvertisementJust over a year ago, Amazon's Prime subscription service looked like it had plateaued. Prime reached a record 180 million US shoppers in the first quarter, data from Consumer Intelligence Research Partners suggests. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers.

An IndyStar sports columnist apologized for his exchange with Caitlin Clark at a press conference. Gregg Doyel made Clark's hand heart towards her, making what he called a "clumsy and awkward" remark. 1 WNBA draft pick Caitlin Clark, saying in a column that he was "part of the problem." Doyel and Clark interacted at Clark's welcome press conference for the Indiana Fever, where she will play professionally in the WNBA, on Wednesday. Doyel, per NBC News, made a hand heart symbol with Clark, prompting her to ask, "You like that?"

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Chriss — who joined the long-running quant-focused multi-strategy firm in May of 2023 — is "no longer with Paloma," according to a letter sent to the firm's investors Monday. Chriss had been at Millennium for five years prior to joining Paloma and founded his own hedge fund, Hutchin Hill, in 2007. Paloma declined to comment on the rationale for his departure, and Chriss did not respond to requests for comment. But it was not all growth for Paloma while Chriss was at the helm.

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Karthik Shanadi and Luke McGurrin did just that — and they started their brand, Greek House, out of their fraternity house with a slim $500 budget. Since launching Greek House in 2013, the cofounders have added three more apparel brands. Courtesy of Karthik ShanadiIt helped that Shanadi and McGurrin eventually expanded into what he considers a "high barrier niche": licensed merchandise. In 2016, about three years after starting Greek House, they received a notice from a licensing agency.

Big River sold items like t-shirts, shoes, and beach chairs on competitors' platforms. Its goal was to get information from rivals that Amazon could then use to inform its own business decisions, according to the Journal. Executives viewed printed copies of the Big River team's reports and weren't allowed to keep them, though they were allowed to take notes, the Journal reported. "Benchmarking is a common practice in business," an Amazon spokesperson told Business Insider, using an industry term for comparing itself to rivals. Big River also developed its own brands to sell through rivals' marketplace websites.

Whistleblower Sam Salehpour's concerns about the Boeing 787 and 777 were first made public last week. Salehpour, a quality engineer, told NBC on Tuesday he believes all 787 Dreamliners should be grounded. AdvertisementA Boeing whistleblower told NBC he believes all 787 Dreamliners should be grounded in an interview that aired Tuesday. It was Sam Salehpour's first on-camera interview since his allegations were made public last week. He says that parts of the Boeing 787 and 777 were misaligned during production, posing safety threats.

Read previewTesla has started sending out severance information to laid-off employees. In the individual layoff notices to impacted workers that were sent in the hours after Musk's companywide email, Tesla told workers they'd receive their severance information "within 48 hours," according to emails viewed by BI. Related storiesThe carmaker appears to be offering workers two months of severance — meaning the workers will be paid through June 14, five former workers told Business Insider. Tesla said the severance agreement must be signed within five business days of its receipt and workers will receive their severance pay 45 days after their termination date, according to a severance agreement viewed by BI. AdvertisementWhile the severance information appears to have started going out overnight, several Tesla workers who were impacted by the layoff told BI they had yet to receive a severance information as of Wednesday morning.

Read previewLinkedIn released its annual US list of the best big employers for career growth this week, and JPMorgan Chase & Co. ranked No. A few kinds of employers emerge among LinkedIn's top 15 large companies for US career growth including financial-services giants like JPMorgan and Wells Fargo, telecom companies AT&T and Verizon, and the Big Four accounting firms Deloitte and PwC. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. "This year's honorees are proving that investment in the employee experience is vital in today's workplaces," the report said. "Our methodology uses LinkedIn data to rank companies based on eight pillars that have been shown to lead to career progression," the report said.

"Sex and the City" premiered 25 years ago, on June 6, 1998, and is now available on Netflix. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . "Sex and the City" is undoubtedly a cultural phenomenon, and made actors like Sarah Jessica Parker and Cynthia Nixon household names. Its movie spinoffs were also huge moneymakers: The first film, which was released in 2008, earned over $418 million at the worldwide box office, while 2010's "Sex and the City 2" earned over $290 million, according to Box Office Mojo data. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers.

The tariffs Mr. Biden will propose raising on Wednesday were initially imposed by Mr. Trump when he was president. Mr. Biden’s stop in Pittsburgh is part of a three-day swing through Pennsylvania, a crucial battleground state that he narrowly won in 2020 and has visited more than any other. The president’s campaign is hoping to mobilize support from organized labor, a traditionally Democratic constituency from which Mr. Trump has pulled some support. On Tuesday, Mr. Biden spoke at the local union of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners in Scranton, Pa., his hometown. “Donald Trump looks at the world differently than you and me,” Mr. Biden said in a speech that signaled his campaign’s intention to make the 2024 election a referendum on Mr. Trump.

Squatters have taken over the former headquarters of 20th Century Fox in central London. It's the latest example of squatters occupying buildings in the city, including a Gordon Ramsay restaurant. AdvertisementThe former London headquarters of 20th Century Fox has been taken over by squatters, The Evening Standard reported. It's the third high-profile London address taken over by squatters in recent weeks. Last week, London's Metropolitan Police was made aware of a group occupying the site of a Gordon Ramsay Restaurant, the York & Albany, in Camden.

CNN —This week sees the opening of the Venice Biennale, an 8-month-long festival of art and culture staged every other year. For 2024 — the show’s 60th iteration — Brazilian curator Adriano Pedrosa has chosen the topic of “Foreigners Everywhere,” and announced an intention to spotlight artists from diverse and historically marginalized backgrounds. With the main event running from April 20 to November 24 2024, here’s our pick of what to see if you’re headed to Venice. “Willem de Kooning e l’Italia” — Willem de KooningThe show at Gallerie dell’Accademia will include 75 Willem de Kooning works, including "Screams of Children Come from Seagulls (Untitled XX)," 1975. Yoo Youngkuk Art FoundationThe first exhibition in Europe of one of Korea’s most influential artists, including many works never exhibited before outside Korea.

Read previewSingaporean Xian Jie Lee, 33, moved to Japan in 2012 to study political science. Xian Jie LeeShu told Lee that he could rent a farmhouse in a village called Ryujinmura. "I removed the tatami (traditional straw floor covering) in the inner room and fell through the floor," Lee said. Xian Jie LeeWhile renovating the guesthouse, Lee turned his own home into a café three days a week to earn extra income. Xian Jie LeeLee has also been able to participate in unique experiences himself.

He was a model to me of artistic labor and discipline, even if those early paintings were painfully amateurish. IT WASN’T MY intention to start an essay about artistic beginnings with a story of artistic death. No one captured the massive cultural and economic disparities of my life in Delhi (and his in Lahore) like Toor. But quite unbeknown to me, Toor’s life in New York had opened up a new vein of material. Not everyone who sees a Michelangelo can go off and paint a Michelangelo.”THERE ARE SO many ways to begin.

Nine Google employees were arrested after protesting the company's contract with Israel. AdvertisementA small group of Alphabet employees' long-simmering protests against the Google parent company's work with Israel ended with more than two dozen terminations on Wednesday. Google fired 28 employees who participated in office protests in New York and California on Tuesday, the company said on Wednesday. Last month, a Google employee protesting the contract was fired for disrupting a talk in New York by the company's head of Israel. Related storiesMore than 100 people, including Google workers, protested the project outside the company's New York office in 2022.

The United Arab Emirates experienced torrential rainfall and severe flash floods on Tuesday. NEW LOOK Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementTorrential rainfall pummeled the United Arab Emirates this week, resulting in flash floods that have caused air travel delays, closed schools, and deluged homes. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers.

"We realized we couldn't afford the mortgage and the car payments and everything," Stonestreet told me. Americans work more, vacation less, spend more on healthcare, and die sooner than people in other high-income economies. These factors likely explain why some Americans are moving to countries that aren't generally considered low-cost-of-living locales. She said that living abroad afforded her a degree of flexibility and spontaneity that would be out of reach back home. From their temporary perch in Tirana, Albania, the couple told me via WhatsApp that their only regret about moving abroad was not doing it sooner.

Americans' top concerns about buying an EV are finding chargers and "range anxiety." Google is updating in-car maps and its travel site with more information about EV chargers. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementFinding a charger is one of the top concerns about buying an electric vehicle, whether drivers are running errands or planning a longer road trip. Google is trying to make that easier with several new updates to its maps and travel site.

Tesla sent notices canceling some separation agreements, according to two laid-off employees and a notification seen by Business Insider. The cancellations came after some workers received severance offers for two months of pay. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementSome laid-off Tesla workers received a notification that their separation agreements had been canceled on Thursday and to expect new ones, two laid-off workers told Business Insider. The workers received a notification about a document titled "Your separation agreement," with "status: canceled," according to one of the emails obtained by BI.

Liz Humphreys moved to Europe with her husband and raised her son in Berlin until he was 6. AdvertisementMy family has been back in New York City for a year and a half, and we're still struck by all the "rules" surrounding kids here. JF GrossenBerlin was affordable for raising a family and had great childcareIn 2012, my husband and I moved to Europe from New York City for work. He also had difficulty adjusting to all of the structure around the school day. In the 2024 Safety Index by Global Residence Index, Berlin ranked 46, while New York City was 107.

Many ALICEs are workers whose wages typically aren't enough to cover their bills, meaning they live paycheck to paycheck. And while those measures might reach the most financially distressed Americans, the benefit cut-offs leave behind the still-precarious group of ALICEs. Some state-to-state benefits are often available to individuals and families earning 200% to 250% of the Federal Poverty Level. Simultaneously, over the last 12 years, ALICEs have been falling behind on wage increases. AdvertisementIndeed, many Americans aren't necessarily falling into poverty, but they are increasingly teetering toward becoming ALICEs.

Ukraine said its forces took out multiple S-400 launchers during an attack on a Russian base. The strikes on the Dzhankoi base in Crimea this week destroyed or damaged four launchers, Kyiv said. The S-400 is a prized Russian air-defense system, and relatively few have been lost during the war. AdvertisementUkraine's military intelligence agency says Kyiv took out several of Russia's prized S-400 air-defense launchers during an attack on an airbase in the occupied Crimean peninsula this week. "The occupiers believed in their newest air-defense system so much that they placed warehouses with missiles directly next to the launcher," Atesh claimed in a Telegram statement.

Saudi Arabia's Neom is planning its first bond sale, Bloomberg reported. The issuance could take place later this year and raise up to $1.3 billion, per the outlet. AdvertisementSaudi Arabia's Neom project is set to issue bonds for the first time as its developers seek new funding sources, Bloomberg reported. The $500 billion desert megacity could raise up to $1.3 billion by selling Islamic bonds, or sukuk, the outlet reported on Wednesday, citing unnamed sources. The sukuk issuance may take place later this year, according to Bloomberg.

Queer and transgender Muslims came together to break their Ramadan fasts. But for queer and transgender Muslims, this practice of ummah, or the connectedness Muslims feel while exercising their faith together, has often made them feel excluded from traditional Ramadan celebrations. Courtesy of Dinean RobinsonThe iftar — which included prayers led by a queer Muslim community member named Shiffa, and joyful drag-queen performances — was just one of many ways queer and transgender Muslims fostered community this Ramadan. Dena Igusti celebrated this Ramadan with fellow queer Muslims, saying it helped them get back in touch with their faith. In New York City, queer Muslims joined in song and dance at the LGBT Community Center's iftar to celebrate their layered identities.

A Russian tank has gone viral after being spotted with a metal roof during an attack. Dubbed the "turtle tank" online, it's become a meme-like fascination for those interested in the Ukraine war. Related storyCyberBoroshno later posted that based on the footage, its team geolocated a hangar that housed the "turtle tank." A day after the "turtle tank" became internet famous, open-source X account Ukraine Battle Map posted a photo of another tank clad in a tent-like metal structure. AdvertisementSternenko said the Russian vehicle was spotted near Krasnohorivka, where the original "turtle tank" was seen.

Qatar hosts Hamas’ political office, but it is also home to a 10,000-troop US military base. Experts say it is unlikely Qatar will end its mediation role. Qatar's Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani gives a press conference with his Turkish counterpart in Doha on Wednesday. And on Monday, Democratic US Congressman Steny Hoyer accused Qatar of “blocking” progress in the talks. The Gulf state was also a Major Non-NATO Ally, as well as key energy supplier to Western states.

Read previewWith benefits like increased longevity, improved sleep, and a strengthened immune system, physical activity is a key component of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. The Department of Health and Human Services' "Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans" recommends adults do 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity a week, at minimum. To determine adults' physical inactivity levels, the CDC used data collected by the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System from 2017 to 2020. AdvertisementAdults from 52 jurisdictions were included in the survey, including 49 states, as well as Washington, DC, Guam, and Puerto Rico. Here are the 10 least active and 10 most active states in the US based on the prevalence of physical inactivity as determined by the CDC.

A new Gallup and Lumina Foundation report delved into the impact of college costs on adults' lives. It found that student-loan borrowers often delay key milestones, like having kids, because of the debt. Even borrowers with balances smaller than $10,000 have pushed off life events. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementMany student-loan borrowers—even those with relatively small balances — can't progress in life because their debt is holding them back.

Photos show how the UAE, United States, and other countries have been seeding clouds for decades. Historic floods in Dubai didn't come from cloud seeding, but humans' climate impacts are playing a role. Related storiesAccording to several scientists, cloud seeding isn't the driving force behind Dubai's historic floods. Packets of salt are pictured during a cloud seeding operation at a military airbase in Subang, Malaysia. The real threat behind Dubai's floodsMany atmospheric scientists have dismissed the idea that cloud seeding was behind Dubai's floods.

Curtis Ried, a longtime career foreign service officer who has served under two presidents at the White House, who currently serves as chief of staff and counselor of the White House National Security Council is being nominated for the post, CNN has learned. As Congress grapples with next steps on Ukraine aid, Biden administration officials have warned of the consequences if Ukraine doesn’t receive billions in additional funding, citing losses on the battlefield and ceding ground to Russia. The OSCE is the world’s largest regional security organization and is made up of 57 members, including Russia. The move to nominate Ried comes as the US seeks to reaffirm leadership on the world stage amid political wrangling in Washington that’s stalled aid to Ukraine. It’s unclear, however, when Ried would assume the post as the nomination still needs to work its way through the Senate.

I stayed in a houseboat in Amsterdam for four nights. Even though it was on the pricier side, it was worth it to live like a local for a few days. NEW LOOK Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers.

Mimicking the style, they built three overwater bungalows to join the garden and pool bungalows that also filled the Raiatea property in 1967. Overwater bungalows in the lagoon of Bora Bora. But building an overwater bungalow in the Caribbean can be a hard task to accomplish, Danny Kalenov, the developer behind Six Senses Belize, an overwater bungalow resort that's set to open in 2026, told BI. In 2016, the Sandals Resort in Montego Bay, Jamaica, became the first overwater bungalow resort in the area. AdvertisementToday, Dream Overwater has cataloged nine Caribbean locations home to more than a dozen overwater bungalow resorts.

That's a boost for the regional air defense network the US wants. AdvertisementThe United States shot down more of the incoming Iranian drones than Israel and played a central role in the "multinational air defense operation" consisting of British, French, and Jordanian air forces. An anti-missile system operates after Iran launched drones and missiles towards Israel, as seen from Ashkelon, Israel on April 14, 2024. "Russia will seek to offset the US success in backing Israel by looking to buttress Iran's defense with advanced Russian systems such as the Su-35," Heras said. There were also reports last year indicating Iran also seeks the advanced Russian S-400 air defense missile system.

The Allied Pilots Association says safety problems are increasing at American Airlines. It said incidents include tools left in wheel wells and increased collisions between towed planes. AdvertisementThe union for American Airlines pilots has warned that safety problems are increasing at the carrier. In a Saturday statement, the Allied Pilots Association said it "has been tracking a significant spike in safety- and maintenance-related problems in our operation." It listed incidents like tools being left in wheel wells, and more collisions between towed or tugged aircraft.

Russia's economy is predicted to grow by 3.2% in 2024, outpacing all advanced economies, including the US, the IMF said. Despite the war, high investment and robust private consumption have driven Russia's economy forward. The IMF expects the momentum to fade in 2025, with Russia growing at a rate of 1.8%. AdvertisementRussia's economy is expected to grow significantly faster than major developed economies this year, including the US, according to the International Monetary Fund. The country's war-time economy is forecast to grow by 3.2% in 2024, largely outpacing expected growth for other advanced economies including the US (2.7%), Germany (0.2%), the UK (0.5%), and Japan (0.9%), IMF said in a report published on Tuesday.

The more time adolescents spend on screens and social media, the greater the likelihood that they will be bullied about their weight, according to the study. An X spokesperson said the social media platform’s policies had evolved since the data was first collected. “Weight stigma and bias are common on social media,” Ganson said in an email. “Social media use is ubiquitous among adolescents,” he added. Then, you can come up with solutions together on how to handle social media moving forward, Hanson said.

New York Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchan, who is overseeing the trial, told news outlets to watch how they report on the jurors and forbade the press from reporting where jurors are employed. The ruling came after one juror was dismissed from the trial after expressing concerns that portions of her identity had been made public by the news media. The juror told the judge she had concerns that she could not be impartial after those close to her asked if she was a juror on the case. Christine Cornell“We just lost what probably would’ve been a very good juror,” Merchan added. Former federal prosecutor Jeffrey Toobin told CNN that Merchan could hold news outlets in contempt if they publish identifying information about a juror.

CNN —Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. officially qualified for the ballot in Michigan, a key battleground state that could prove pivotal in deciding the outcome of the 2024 presidential election. Natural Law Party of Michigan chair Doug Dern told CNN the party nominated Kennedy in a convention on Wednesday. The Michigan Secretary of State’s office confirmed to CNN the party’s nomination has been approved and Kennedy will appear on the state’s ballot. In a hypothetical head-to-head matchup between Trump and Biden, Trump earned 48% support from Michigan voters, while Biden earned 45% support. Michigan is the second state where Kennedy has officially qualified for the ballot.