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☆ Can tiny homes save California? 4 villages illustrate their potentials and pitfalls.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( Kelsey Neubauer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

While this is the first time the state is providing this many tiny homes directly, the solution is not a new phenomenon. Here is a list of some of the municipalities that have built tiny homes to solve this issue and how they have fared. Justin Sullivan/Getty ImagesSan Jose was quick to adopt tiny homes as temporary shelters, per the East Bay Times. It's set to send tiny homes to cities already constructed, eliminating much of the cost and process for local governments. It — like many cities in California — has turned to tiny homes as temporary shelters for people living on the streets.

☆ Matte car colors in muted earth tones are suddenly taking over — but the trendy paints come at a cost
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-18 | by ( Bethany Biron | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Earthy, muted shades are becoming increasingly popular among car buyers, according to the LA Times. The muted cars are suddenly popping up everywhere, lining freeways and parking lots in unassuming shades of gray, black, brown, tan, and green. "The term 'stealth' comes to mind when we see a car in matte gray or matte black. Derek Joyce, a spokesman for Hyundai Motor North America, told the Los Angeles Times that the muted shades of its Hyundai Santa Cruz model are outselling more traditional hues. The styles are also picking up steam on TikTok, where users are sharing videos of their matte cars, or of transforming old models using the new trendy paints.

☆ Uber Eats mystery is leaving this LA neighborhood with countless, food deliveries. But nobody knows why, and residents are over it
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( Aidan Pollard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Residents of an LA neighborhood have been receiving unwanted food deliveries for weeks. No one has been able to get to the bottom of a mystery, but Uber Eats has opened an investigation, ABC7 reported. One resident told ABC7 that the deliveries 'haunt my dreams.' "Before you knew it, the whole street was lined with bags of McDonald's and Starbucks, and nobody could explain where it was coming from," Morgan Currier told ABC7. "I've been getting 20-piece nuggets with sweet and sour sauce," Morgan Currier, a vegetarian, told the LA Times.

☆ The top breakout TikTok stars of each year since 2019 show how the app has evolved over time
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( Amanda Perelli | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

When TikTok first gained popularity, it was known for lip syncing, dancing, and viral challenges. We used data from Famous Birthdays to see the breakout TikTokers each year since 2019. TikTok's first homegrown influencers, like Charli D'Amelio and Addison Rae Easterling, grew in popularity with dancing and lip syncing videos filmed from their childhood bedrooms. It identified Addison Rae Easterling, who now has 88 million TikTok followers, as a breakout creator when she first gained momentum on TikTok, contacting her when she had just 300,000 followers, she told the LA Times. Here were the rising stars on TikTok each year since 2019, according to data from Famous Birthdays:

☆ From using multiple banks to managing VC relationships, these are the 5 lessons every founder should have learned from the Silicon Valley Bank nightmare
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( Julie Bort | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

If something happens to one bank, such as a bank run, your company won't face ruin. Silicon Valley Bank famously required such clauses as CNBC reported, for at least some of its loans. Why Silicon Valley Bank failed: SVB's management surprised the market by unveiling bad news coupled with a planned capital raise that failed, among other factors. How Silicon Valley Bank imploded: There was lots of blame to go around. More of our Silicon Valley Bank coverage can be found here.

☆ 'Flamin' Hot' producer DeVon Franklin reveals why he tapped Eva Longoria to direct the film and why he's unfazed by questions over whether it's true to the origins of the fiery Cheetos flavor
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( Reed Alexander | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

The movie "Flamin' Hot" celebrates Mexican heritage and the invention of Flamin' Hot Cheetos. Impressed with the unlikely entrepreneur, Enrico gave it a try — and thus, Flamin' Hot Cheetos were born, and Montañez's career took off. "Flamin' Hot" stars actor Jesse Garcia as Richard Montañez. Eva Longoria directed the new film "Flamin' Hot." The LA Times article, amongst journalists and amongst this small group of people, may get some traction.

☆ 'River in the sky' forces thousands to evacuate as floods hit California, leaving 2 dead
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-12 | by ( Bethany Dawson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A "river in the sky" has poured down on California, causing flooding. Thousands are under evacuation orders as another storm is set to come on Monday. First responders and the California National Guard had to save over 50 people overnight from the water overnight, AP reports. Approximately 15 million people are under flood watches in California and Nevada as a second "river in the sky" approaches, CNN reports. They added that it "won't take long once the steady heavy rain gets started for flooding impacts to resume."

☆ TikTok's rising stars every year since 2019 show how much the app has changed — and stayed the same
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( Amanda Perelli | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

When TikTok first gained popularity, it was known for lip syncing, dancing, and viral challenges. We used data from Famous Birthdays to see the breakout TikTokers each year since 2019. TikTok's first homegrown influencers, like Charli D'Amelio and Addison Rae Easterling, grew in popularity with dancing and lip syncing videos filmed from their childhood bedrooms. From analyzing searches on its platform, Famous Birthdays is able to identify which creators are rising in real time. Here were the rising stars on TikTok each year since 2019, according to data from Famous Birthdays:

☆ With 'Flamin' Hot' movie set to premiere at SXSW, its producer tackles claims about the central character's role in creating the spicy Cheetos flavor and reveals how Eva Longoria won the director job
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( Reed Alexander | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

The movie "Flamin' Hot" celebrates Mexican heritage and the invention of Flamin' Hot Cheetos. An LA Times report raised doubt about the role of the film's protagonist, Richard Montañez, in creating the flavor. Impressed with the unlikely entrepreneur, Enrico gave it a try — and thus, Flamin' Hot Cheetos were born, and Montañez's career took off. Eva Longoria directed the new film "Flamin' Hot." The LA Times article, amongst journalists and amongst this small group of people, may get some traction.

☆ Elon Musk sides with Dilbert cartoonist after newspapers dropped him for making a racist rant
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Elon Musk made the comments in defence of "Dilbert" creator Scott Adams. Adams was dropped by newspapers after making racist claims about Black Americans. Musk said the media is racist against white people, and made no criticism of Adams' claims. "For a *very* long time, US media was racist against non-white people, now they're racist against whites & Asians," Musk tweeted in response to the move. Musk's tweets came after the Dilbert creator suggested white Americans "get the hell away from Black people" in a YouTube video.

☆ A California man set a new world record after making 2,995 visits to Disneyland, going every single day for more than 8 years
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-26 | by ( Stephanie Stacey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Jeff Reitz, 50, made 2,995 consecutive visits to Disneyland between 2012 and 2020. He began his daily trips while he was unemployed to distract himself from job-hunting, per LA Times. Jeff Reitz, 50, from Huntington Beach, California made 2,995 consecutive visits to Disneyland in Anaheim between 2012 and 2020. His achievement was finally enshrined as a world record last week after Guinness World Records created a new category to honor Reitz's Disneyland devotion. That left him just five days shy of his initial goal of 3,000 consecutive visits, per the LA Times.

☆ A man who rates Google search results said he makes $3 less per hour than his daughter working in fast food
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Britney Nguyen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A man who rates Google search results told the LA Times he makes $3 less than his daughter who has a fast food job. "There are times that I have seen some of the graphic content replayed in my dreams," Stackhouse told the Times. Stackhouse didn't tell the Los Angeles Times how much his daughter makes or what her role at her fast food job is. Four Sama workers told Time they were paid $2 or less per hour. Sama also works with Google and Microsoft, and told Time it would stop working with graphic content by March 2023.

☆ The house that helped secure Sam Bankman-Fried's $250 million bail package reportedly sits on land his parents leased from Stanford
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Sindhu Sundar | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Sam Bankman-Fried's parents lease the land for their home from Stanford, the LA Times reports. They'd put up the $4 million home as collateral for the former FTX CEO's $250 million bail release. Bail terms are about flight-risk rather than if collateral can cover the full amount, legal experts said. The revelation once again prompts questions about how and why courts set bail terms, which are meant to ensure that a defendant doesn't flee while awaiting trial. Prosecutors are now also arguing that Bankman-Fried's bail restrictions must go further, and impose limits on whom he communicates with and how.

☆ Tesla driver taken from hospital to jail without bail after being accused of intentionally driving his family off a cliff
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( Grace Kay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A man accused of intentionally driving off a cliff was moved from a hospital to jail, local news reported. The San Mateo District Attorney's Office said the driver was booked without bail. Authorities are seeking to rule out any mechanical issues with the Tesla, including brake failure. The San Mateo District Attorney's Office did not respond to a request for comment from Insider ahead of publication. The San Mateo County Sheriff's Office said in a tweet on January 2 that the children were "unharmed" at the time of rescue.

☆ Onions are now so expensive in the Philippines that they've become a luxury item — and people have been trying to smuggle them across the border
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Aditi Bharade | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Onions are now a luxury item in the Philippines. The price of onions soared to $12.80 per kilogram in December, three times the price of chicken. Local authorities seized between $9 million and $11 million worth of smuggled onions in 2022. According to the country's Department of Agriculture, on January 9, onions were going for 600 pesos, or $11, per kilogram. Local authorities seized between $9 million and $11 million worth of smuggled onions in 2022, The Guardian reported.

☆ The Oscars snubs of 'The Woman King' and 'Till' shows why #OscarsSoWhite is still trending in Hollywood
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Marguerite Ward | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

"The Woman King" and "Till" got zero nominations for this year's Academy Awards. The snubs show Hollywood still undervalues Black creatives, especially Black women. The film led box-office charts when it debuted in September, and had some in Hollywood expecting the movie to nab spots for best picture, best director, or best actress. And this is the second year in a row in which no Black woman was nominated for the best actress trophy. For critics, the snubs of "The Woman King" and "Till" are proof that the Academy still doesn't give Black talent, particularly Black women, a fair chance to be recognized.

☆ Police attend shooting in Los Angeles area, multiple casualties - LA Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Screenshot from a viodeo shows police officers standing guard at the scene of a shooting at Monterey Park, California, U.S. January 22, 2023. TNLA/Handout via REUTERSJan 22 (Reuters) - Police were attending a shooting in Monterey Park, California with multiple casualities on Saturday night, the Los Angeles Times reported, citing a law enforcement source. The shooting took place after 10 p.m. (0600 GMT) around the location of a Chinese Lunar New Year celebration held in Monterey Park, the newspaper said. Monterey Park is a city in Los Angeles county, around 7 miles (11 km) from downtown Los Angeles. Writing by Raissa Kasolowsky Editing by Frances KerryOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ A Los Angeles restaurant chain was fined $1.6 million for failing to pay overtime to 83 staff and for keeping false records
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-08 | by ( Ryan Hogg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A Thai-restaurant chain in LA was fined more than $1.6 million after failing to pay staff overtime. The DOL found that 83 employees at Ocha Classic and Vim Restaurant were owed more than $800,000. The DOL personally fined Boonyindee, who operates six Ocha Classic chains and one Vim Restaurant outlet, an additional $62,000 for the "willful nature" of his violations. According to an LA Times report from last year, diners often queue up for an hour for a table at Ocha Classic. Ocha Classic didn't respond to a request for comment from Insider.

☆ The Pool of Siloam, where the Bible says Jesus healed a blind man, will be open to the public for the first time in nearly 2,000 years
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-07 | by ( Joshua Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The Pool of Siloam will be fully excavated and open to the public for the first time in almost 2,000 years. The New Testament says it is where Jesus performed the miracle of healing a blind man. The pool originally functioned as part of Jerusalem's ancient water system, later becoming a site of religious significance for ancient Jewish people. A water company carrying out infrastructure work for a sewage pipe accidentally discovered steps to the pool, Israeli authorities said in the statement. Moshe Lion, Jerusalem's mayor, described the Pool of Siloam in a statement as "a site of historic, national, and international significance."

☆ Tesla needs to separate itself from Elon Musk's personality to win back investors after 75% crash, NYU's 'dean of valuation' says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Matthew Fox | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Tesla needs to separate itself from Elon Musk's personality to win back investors, according to NYU's Aswath Damodaran. Shares of Tesla have cratered more than 70% from their record high as investors grow concerned about Musk's focus on Twitter. "You're no longer buying a company, you're buying a human being," Damodaran said. "It's a danger buying a company that's so closely tied to a personality that you're no longer buying a company you're buying a human being," Damodaran said. Meanwhile, a Tesla shareholder in Iceland submitted a resolution for Tesla investors to vote on in May as to whether the board of directors should prepare and maintain a key-risk report, according to the LA Times.

☆ I tried to buy a week's worth of groceries at Erewhon, a high-end grocery store in Los Angeles. I quickly blew through my budget, but I'd shop there again.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-28 | by ( Samantha Delouya | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

Some may poke fun at LA's obsessive health culture, but Erewhon seems to have a legion of loyal fans, and it's setting its sights on expansion: the grocery chain is reportedly looking to open a new store on the East Coast. "We are looking at New York City; it's definitely on the plate," owner Tony Antoci told the LA Times last year. Samantha DelouyaSource: LA Times

☆ These top deputies of Sam Bankman-Fried were former regulators who tried to expand FTX's reach in Washington, report says
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( Brian Evans | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Some of Sam Bankman-Fried's top advisers were former officials at the CFTC and SEC, according to the LA Times. And in August 2021, Wetjen requested a meeting with CFTC Chairman Rostin Behnam and his chief of staff. "Reaching out to seek some time to discuss with you a LedgerX matter of considerable urgency," Wetjen wrote to Behnam. Behnam was forthright about his meeting with Bankman-Fried when asked on December 1 by the Senate Agriculture Committee, and said the meeting was related to FTX's clearinghouse application. Bankman-Fried."

Fans of Megan Thee Stallion are trying to shift the public’s attention away from what they believe to be a misogynistic narrative around the current trial against Tory Lanez, who is accused of shooting the rapper in the foot. Digital alchemy is the practice of Black women and women of color using the internet to combat and counter misogynoir. “Especially for Black women, violence against women in our community is very common.”She noticed that online a lot of fans are calling out people who are highlighting Pete’s sexual history. “People have called it the Meg and Tory trial when she’s not on trial for anything,” Lindsey, who is author of “America Goddam: Violence, Black Women, and The Struggle for Justice,” said. “When people talk about Megan Thee Stallion getting shot, all the headlines are Megan Thee Stallion is on trial and I’m not on trial!”Hernandez said supporters recognize that slut shaming is being used to discredit Pete and paint her as an imperfect victim.

☆ A topless bar unlawfully fired strippers after they complained about unsafe working conditions, labor board finds
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-10 | by ( Jyoti Mann | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Star Garden bar strippers were unlawfully fired, the National Labor Relations Board said . They dancers said they worked in unsafe conditions including rat infestations and rusty nails. The group of strippers were blocked from working at the Star Garden in February and have since been staging regular demonstrations outside the venue. They claimed that Star Garden committed 30 breaches of OSHA regulations that "protect workers' rights to safe and healthy workplaces." The women submitted a petition in March calling for the Star Garden to treat them with "basic dignity and humanity."

☆ An ex-senior Twitter employee laid off by Elon Musk says the way job cuts were executed was 'inhumane'
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Kate Duffy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Elon Musk's handling of Twitter's layoffs was "inhumane," an ex-Twitter worker said, per the LA Times. Some Twitter staff found out they'd been laid off when they were locked out of work laptops. Since losing his job, Shevat has filed arbitration claims against Elon Musk with the help of attorney Lisa Bloom, per the LA Times. "The way Elon Musk executed the layoffs was really inhumane," Shevat said in the conference, cited by the LA Times. Thousands of Twitter employees have been laid off, resigned, or fired since Musk took over.

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