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☆ US travelers describe chaotic scenes inside Israel's 'completely mobbed' Ben Gurion airport amid war with Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-10 | by ( Talia Lakritz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Over 40 airlines have canceled flights in and out of Israel amid the ongoing war. AdvertisementAdvertisementTravelers at Israel's Ben Gurion airport attempting to get home amid escalating violence are facing a chaotic atmosphere with extensive delays, long lines, and canceled flights, several travelers told Insider. The ongoing war has thrown Israel's travel industry into chaosMore than 40 airlines have canceled flights to and from the country. A sign pointing to a bomb shelter inside Israel's Ben Gurion airport. Long lines inside Israel's Ben Gurion airport.

Persons: they've, —, Benjamin Netanyahu, Lia Hershkovitz, Israel's, Daniel Rosehill Muki Portnoy, Portnoy, Hannah Zucherman, Ben Gurion's, Zucherman, Daniel Rosehill's El, El Al Organizations: Travelers, Service, Hamas, Health Ministry, El Al, El, Turkish Airlines, Jerusalem, Airports Authority Locations: Israel, Israel's Ben Gurion, Gaza, Ben Gurion, New Jersey, Madrid, Iberia, San Francisco, Barcelona

VATICAN CITY (AP) — A few years ago, Pope Francis told the head of the main Vatican-backed Catholic women's organization to be “brave” in pushing for change for women in the Catholic Church. “Not only because of these events in October in Rome, but because the church has found a different way of being church,” Zervino said in a recent interview in her Vatican offices. It's the culmination of an unprecedented two-year canvasing of rank-and-file Catholics about their hopes for the future of the institution. But the voting reform is nevertheless significant, tangible evidence of Francis’ vision of the Catholic Church as being more about its flock than its shepherds. Zervino’s group, the World Union of Catholic Women’s Organizations, a Vatican-based umbrella organization of 100 Catholic associations, conducted a survey earlier this year of Catholics who participated in the synod consultations.

Persons: Pope Francis, Maria Lia Zervino, Francis, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, “, ” Zervino, Cardinal Raymond Burke, Francis ’, ”, Sheila Pires, ” Pires, ” Francis, Nathalie Becquart, Becquart, ” Becquart, Kate McElwee, Zervino, they'll, Sebabatso Mosamo Organizations: VATICAN CITY, Catholic, Catholic Church, World Union of Catholic, Bishops, Associated Press Locations: Argentine, Rome, Africa, Johannesburg, Vatican, North America, Europe, “

☆ How Instagram's expansion of 'Close Friends' to feed posts could signal a new strategy to boost growth
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Sydney Bradley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Instagram is testing a "Close Friends" feature for the feed, the company confirmed. The Meta-owned platform is starting to test a feature that will allow users to post content in their feed to a "Close Friends" audience — similar to the Close Friends feature the app rolled out for stories. "We're testing the ability for people in select countries to share feed posts with their Close Friends," a Meta spokesperson told Insider in an email. Coming to Instagram 🔥 Close Friends feed post. Instagram's push to expand "Close Friends" could signal a bigger change in how the company is thinking about what users want.

Persons: Instagram, Alessandro Paluzzi, Lia Haberman, —, haring Organizations: UCLA

☆ Social Media Is Dead: Instagram, TikTok Replaced by Group Chats, Messaging
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( Sydney Bradley | Amanda Perelli | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +15 min

Frustrated with the state of the platform, Breuning launched the "Make Instagram Instagram Again'' crusade in 2022. Influencers, marketers, average users, and even social-media executives agree: Social media, as we once knew it, is dead. Social media to social mediaNo app better defines the changing nature of social media than Instagram. "I'm honestly just tired of social media," said 23-year-old Walid Malb, who works in the creator economy. Amanda Perelli is a senior creator economy reporter covering social media influencers, advertising and marketing trends for Insider.

Persons: Tati, everyone's, Bruening, Breuning, algorithmically, Kylie Jenner, Adam Mosseri, Instagram, Jeffrey Gerson, Sarah Frier, Influencers, Mosseri, Hannah Stowe, Andrea Casanova, Casanova, I'm, Walid Malb, —, Gerson, Nina Haines, Victoria Johnston, Johnston, Lia Haberman, Alpha, they're, Haberman, wouldn't, Amanda Perelli, Bradley Organizations: Bloomberg, Apple, Twitter, UCLA, American Influencer Council, Social, . Locations: Instagram, New York, Similarweb, Castro, Geneva

☆ This town is relocating to higher ground due to sea-level rise. Here's what that entails
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( Katie Brigham | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

The Quinault Indian Nation, located about 150 miles west of Seattle, has experienced severe flooding because of sea-level rise over the past few years. "If I want to move, I'm assuming that I'm going to be responsible for a whole new house payment and a whole new home," Frenchman said. Now, the first phase of construction in the upper village is nearly complete. "The only thing that I'm going to miss is the view of the river," said Mail. Frenchman is hoping to relocate to the upper village, but doesn't know how she'll be able to afford a new home.

Persons: I've, Lia Frenchman, Frenchman, we've, Indian Affairs Bryan Newland, Ryan Hendricks, Quinault, Newland, Larry Workman Frenchman, Hendricks, that's, there's, she'll, Katie Brigham Organizations: Resilience, National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, NOAA, U.S . Department of, Indian Affairs, Department of, Infrastructure Law, U.S . Army Corps of Engineers, Indian Health Service, Federal Emergency Management Agency, FEMA Locations: Seattle, Washington, Quinault Nation, Taholah, Quinault, U.S, Taholah , Washington, apace

☆ How a YouTube Sensation Spends His Sundays
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-22 | by ( Lia Miller | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

And it was a really, really awesome show. It was the Brooklyn United, they’re an all-Black marching band, kids who are basically raising money for the organization. And we hear in the distance, “ra-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta.” Some people in the back clued me in that it was a marching band. I was like, “Get over here!” And people made way and they came right in. They came right on in and just killed it.

Persons: they’re Organizations: Brooklyn United

☆ Read a leaked 13-page document Instagram is sending creators about Threads that reveals upcoming features
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Sydney Bradley | Amanda Perelli | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Instagram's new app, Threads, already has more than 100 million users. Insider is sharing the 13-page document Instagram is sending to some creators explaining the app and upcoming features. The 13-page document shared with Insider specifically names three updates coming to trends and topics, search, and messaging. The document shared with content creators and talent managers hints that integration with Mastodon should be coming soon. Here's a look at the exclusive 13-page document:

Persons: Instagram, Lia Haberman, Adam Mosseri, Mosseri, We're, Meta Organizations: Meta, UCLA, ActivityPub

☆ AI is making a big impact on influencer marketing and industry insiders are debating how to label and regulate it
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-03 | by ( Marta Biino | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

According to a survey from influencer-marketing agency Izea, 86% of internet users believe that AI-generated content broadly should be disclosed. And regulating AI disclosure might be easier said that done, industry insiders said, as AI might soon pervade nearly all aspects of content creation. There's a very fine line between AI-generated virtual influencers and AI-assisted real influencers, so where does the labeling begin and end?" On the platform side, it's unclear if or when any steps will be taken to label AI content. "AI content is so easy to mass produce and improving so rapidly that we will struggle with labeling all the AI content out there, it will be easier to label what isn't made by AI," he said.

Persons: Ogilvy, Ogilvy influencer, — Ogilvy, Shah Rukh Khan, Lu —, Cameron Ajdari, It's, Izea, pervade, Emma Downer, Downer, Cynthia Ruff, Lia Haberman, There's, Avi Gandhi, Pinterest, Alasdair Mann, Mann Organizations: WPP, UCLA, YouTube, Meta

☆ Giving New York a Try, and Leaving the Big Stuff to Fate
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-03 | by ( Lia Picard | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Living in New York is busy, Ms. Stefanatos said, and there’s so much going on. “I’m in a job where I’m speaking to people a lot,” Ms. Stefanatos said. “I didn’t look at anything else,” Ms. Stefanatos said. “That was a bit of a pain, to be completely honest,” Ms. Stefanatos said. “If anything, I didn’t realize how extensive the co-op process is, even for a tenant,” she said.

Persons: Chelsea Adriana Stefanatos, Stefanatos, ”, “, Ms Organizations: Chelsea, Amazon Web, ” Locations: New York, SoHo, bookshelves

☆ Efforts to label AI content in influencer marketing are gaining steam, but industry insiders warn regulation will face hurdles
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Marta Biino | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

☆ Barbiecore Is Surging Its Way into Home Décor and Interior Design
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-25 | by ( Lia Picard | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Hot pink made waves when Italian designer Elsa Schiaparelli released her own iteration, called “Shocking pink,” in the mid-1930s. The original Barbie doll didn’t even wear pink when it first debuted in 1959, wearing, instead, a black and white chevron bathing suit. Barbie’s pink shades evolved over the years, and in 2008 the vibrant “Barbie Pink” became an official Pantone color. Gifty Walker, Joybird’s director of merchandising and sourcing in Los Angeles, noted that Joybird had a hot pink couch that was popular in 2016. Now hot pink is back and customers are using it to eschew traditional neutrals like grays, browns, and tans.

Persons: wasn’t, Elsa Schiaparelli, Barbie, ”, Kim Culmone, Pink ”, Barbie Dreamhouse, Gifty Walker, Joybird, Walker Organizations: Mattel Locations: Los Angeles

☆ Ready for a Nice, Soothing Bath? Just Head to the Backyard.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( Lia Picard | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

To run the lines and add the concrete slab under the tub was about $8,000, Mr. Lynn said. The bathtub isn’t the yard’s focal point, but looks cohesive with the outdoor space that suggests a wine country resort. “We were trying to maximize what we could with a limited income and limited lifestyle,” said Mr. Burns. Christina Chaccour, 33, counted an outdoor bathtub as a “nonnegotiable” when she and her husband renovated their backyard in Danville, Calif., about five years ago. The double slipper tub sits on black-and-white tile with a star print, and a concrete privacy wall separates it from the side yard.

Persons: It’s, Lynn, ”, Burns, “, Christina Chaccour, Chaccour, doesn’t Locations: Danville , Calif

☆ Three Israeli soldiers and an Egyptian policeman killed in rare border crossing incident
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-04 | by ( Pierre Meilhan Richard Allen Greene Salma Abdelaziz Allegra Goodwin Hadas Gold Amir Tal | Pierre Meilhan | Richard Allen Greene | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Jerusalem/London CNN —Three Israeli soldiers and an Egyptian policeman have been killed in a rare border crossing incident. They say the Egyptian policeman shot two Israeli border guards – and that when Israeli back-up arrived later, a firefight ensued that killed both the policeman and a third Israeli. The first two IDF soldiers killed were discovered dead by their lieutenant when they did not answer their radio, according to the spokesman. An ambulance leaves a military base following a deadly shootout in southern Israel along the Egyptian border on June 3, 2023. Tsafrir Abayov/APIsraeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said on Twitter that Israeli and Egyptian defense ministers have agreed to work together to prevent attacks along their shared border following the incident.

Persons: –, Ohad Danan, Izhad Iluz, Lia Ben, Herzi Halevi, Israel, Tsafrir, Yoav Gallant, “, Mohamed Zaki, ” Gallant, Zaki, Gallant “ Organizations: London CNN —, Israel Defense Forces, Islamic, Staff, AP Israeli, Twitter Locations: Jerusalem, London, Egypt, Sinai, Israel

☆ Fact Check-Claims the NCAA stripped Lia Thomas of National Championship stem from satire
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) has not stripped transgender athlete Lia Thomas of the National Championship following “unfavorable” test results, the organization said in an email. The posts link to an article titled, “NCAA Strips Lia Thomas Of National Championship After ‘Unfavorable’ Test Results.”Reuters found no credible reporting on the claim. A search for Lia Thomas yields two results, one of which mentions the swimmer directly (here). No release regarding stripping of the National Championship can be found. Claim that NCAA has stripped transgender athlete Lia Thomas of National Championship stems from a satirical website.

☆ Instagram is reportedly testing a Twitter competitor — and the first leaked images indicate a summer release
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Aaron Mcdade | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Meta is reportedly pitching celebrities and influencers to join its "Instagram for your thoughts." A new report from the Substack of Lia Haberman cites conversations with a creator who met with Meta about the app. Initial images of the app in marketing materials make it look like a mix of Twitter and Instagram. Haberman posted in a Friday newsletter and on Twitter what appear to be the first images of the still-unnamed app. The app may be compatible with other apps like Mastodon, allowing users to search across apps, Haberman reported.

☆ Fact Check-Claim transgender athlete Lia Thomas wants to ‘transition back’ stems from satire
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

There is no evidence that transgender swimmer Lia Thomas said she wants to “transition back” – posts on social media quote an article published by satirical website Patriot Party Press. “‘I’ve accomplished my goals’ - Lia Thomas wishes to transition back to male after feeling 'guilt'. Reuters did not find any credible reporting that suggests Thomas ever made such a public statement. The comments attributed to Thomas originated from a satirical website called Patriot Party Press (here). Transgender swimmer Lia Thomas did not say she wishes to transition back to male; claim originated on a satirical website.

☆ For Aging Homeowners, Elevators Give Luxury Properties a Major Lift
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Lia Picard | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

In 2020, Russell Franchi’s clients liked many features of a beach home in South Walton County, Fla., but it was missing one thing: an elevator. The clients, who had limited mobility, considered retrofitting an elevator, but ultimately walked away from the deal before finding a house that already had one installed. Kaitlind Meeks-Price, a sales representative of Delaware Elevator in Salisbury, Md., said that elevators are typically 3 feet by 4 feet, but she’s seen them go up to 15 square feet. A basic, three-stop elevator, including installation, typically starts around $32,000 to $35,000. When it comes to maintaining the lift, Ms. Meeks-Price suggests having it serviced at least once a year for the first five years.

☆ First photo of a black hole resembles 'skinny' doughnut
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —The first photo ever taken of a black hole looks a little sharper now. The central region is darker and larger, surrounded by a bright ring as hot gas falls into the black hole in the new image. The Event Horizon Telescope Collaboration, called EHT, is a global network of telescopes that captured the first photograph of a black hole. Computers using PRIMO analyzed more than 30,000 high-resolution simulated images of black holes to pick out common structural details. But if heated materials in the form of plasma surround the black hole and emit light, the event horizon could be visible.

☆ Artificial intelligence may have just given astronomers a better idea of what black holes really look like
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Aaron Mcdade | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Researchers released a new, clearer image of what they believe the M87 black hole looks like. They developed a machine learning algorithm to provide clearer images of the black hole first released in 2019. The algorithm used data from thousands of simulated black holes to fill in gaps of data that created the 2019 images. The new images, published Thursday in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, could provide important information for scientists studying the M87 black hole and others in the future, researchers said. "Since we cannot study black holes up-close, the detail of an image plays a critical role in our ability to understand its behavior."

☆ Facebook plans to expand its revenue-sharing program as it tries to cozy up to content creators — and avoid falling behind YouTube, TikTok, and others
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Sydney Bradley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

While creators and Instagram often go hand-in-hand, Meta wants to make one thing clear: Facebook is not dead. In particular, Facebook has been showcasing its creator ad-revenue-share model, called Ads on Facebook reels. "Especially with everything recently between YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram, Facebook never gets mentioned in those same conversations when we talk about creators and what platforms they're choosing between." Meta also declined to share the eligibility requirements for Facebook's reels ads program — except that it is invite-only. A robust ad-revenue-share program for reels across Instagram and Facebook, in theory, could be a win-win for both Meta and creators.

Supplemental life insurance is a type of coverage you can purchase in addition to a whole or term life insurance policy. Supplemental life insurance is a life insurance policy that can be purchased in addition to a traditional life insurance policy. If you are on staff with a company, your employer may offer supplemental life insurance as part of its overall benefits package. Before signing up for supplemental life insurance, it's worth considering an increase in coverage through your primary life insurance provider. Just as it's important to understand what supplemental life insurance is, it's equally as important to understand what it is not: A supplemental life insurance policy should never take the place of a solid life insurance policy, whether that's a term or whole life policy.

☆ That Famous Black Hole Just Got Even Darker
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Dennis Overbye | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Four years ago, astronomers released the first ever image of a black hole: a reddish, puffy doughnut of light surrounding an empty, dark hole in the center of the giant galaxy M87, which lies 55 million light-years away in the constellation Virgo. The image made visible what astronomers, and the rest of us, had only been able to imagine: a celestial entity so massive that its gravity warped space-time, drawing matter, energy and even light into its bottomless vortex. The image was released on April 10, 2019, by an astronomy squad called the Event Horizon Telescope, so named for the boundary of no return around a black hole. The new image, they say, will sharpen constraints on how well the black hole in M87 fits with Einstein’s general theory of relativity, which first predicted the existence of black holes. Dr. Medeiros and her colleagues published the new image on Thursday in Astrophysical Journal Letters.

☆ Scientists unveil new and improved 'skinny donut' black hole image
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Will Dunham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

WASHINGTON, April 13 (Reuters) - The 2019 release of the first image of a black hole was hailed as a significant scientific achievement. There is also a larger "brightness depression" at the center - basically the donut hole - caused by light and other matter disappearing into the black hole. This supermassive black hole resides in a galaxy called Messier 87, or M87, about 54 million light-years from Earth. The M87 black hole image stems from data collected by seven radio telescopes at five locations on Earth that essentially create a planet-sized observational dish. "The image we report in the new paper is the most accurate representation of the black hole image that we can obtain with our globe-wide telescope."

Diverse hiring helps life insurance companies connect with underserved communities. Life insurance companies are focusing on community and product development. Many of the largest insurance companies have historically denied Black applicants, given them lower-value life insurance than white applicants who paid the same amount, and engaged in other discriminatory activity. Research from William G. Gale, a Brookings Institution economics expert and co-author of "Racial Discrimination in Life Insurance," found that while Black families were 3% more likely than their white counterparts to have a life insurance policy, the differences in inheritances (often including life insurance payouts) accounted for 10-20% of the wealth gap. Aside from eliminating blatantly discriminatory underwriting, Guardian Life has opened the door to life insurance for people with HIV.

Travel insurance weekly rates at a glance:Average premium: $336.52Average trip cost: $6,758.36Average trip length: 15 daysWhat is travel insurance? See Insider's picks for the best travel insurance »Some credit cards offer a limited amount of travel insurance annually. Policy type Average days between purchase to trip Average trip length (days) Average trip cost Average cost of travel insurance Cancellation 53 13 $6,758.36 $403.47 Non-cancellation 16 19 N/A $91.33Source: SquareMouthWhen is the best time to travel? When calculating your travel insurance premium, travel insurance providers consider the likelihood of a medical emergency. Travel Insurance Rates FAQsHow much does travel insurance cost?

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