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☆ This $220 light switch is the latest quiet luxury status symbol
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-24 | by ( Grace Mayer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A $220 light switch is popular among ultrawealthy homeowners, The New York Times reported. The light switch is part of the growing quiet luxury trend. But a $220 light switch probably wasn't on your stealth wealth bingo card. Typical light switches, which can sell for just a few dollars, have hardly been described in such a way. While the light switch, on its own, doesn't function as a dimmer, dimmers can be added as additions alongside the switch, per the Forbes & Lomax website.

Persons: Lomax, David Hottenroth, Joseph, weren't, Dave, Lorna Hall Organizations: New York Times, Service, Forbes, Times, HBO Locations: Wall, Silicon, Buffalo , New York, Brooklyn, Lafayette , Colorado, New York

☆ Opinion: The GOP’s double standard on antisemitism
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Opinion Jay Michaelson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

It echoes 1,000 years of antisemitic conspiracy theories that Jews are responsible for, yet somehow immune to, plagues and disease – beliefs that led to actual Jews being murdered by angry mobs. No, of course, we’re in Washington, DC, where politics dictates how antisemitism is, or isn’t, tolerated by those with something to gain from it. Really, it was only a matter of time before RFK Jr. stumbled into overt antisemitism. Without exaggeration, many of my Jewish friends have remarked that this mainstreaming of antisemitism reminds them of 1930s Germany. There is no equivalence between a strident anti-Israel remark and the resurrection of age-old antisemitic conspiracy theories.

Persons: Rabbi Jay Michaelson, Jay Michaelson Beowulf Sheehan, weren’t, Pramila Jayapal, Robert F, Kennedy, Jr, Jayapal, Kennedy Jr, John Lamparski, Joe Biden, Jay Michaelson, Kennedy’s, George Soros, MAGA, Nick Fuentes, Marjorie Taylor Greene’s, ’, Adolf Hitler Organizations: CNN, Rolling Stone, US Rep, Republicans, RFK, Democratic, Democrats, RFK Jr, Synagogue, for Disease Control, National Institute of Health, Homeland Security, FBI, CIA, Twitter, Facebook, MAGA Republicans, Georgia GOP, Washington DC Locations: Israel, we’re, Washington , DC, Pittsburgh, America, Georgia, California, Rothschild, Hollywood , New York, Germany

☆ A federal watchdog is suing a tech boot camp, accusing it of loading students up with 'predatory' debt and telling them it could collect 'more than the consumer legally owed'
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The CFPB and state attorneys general sued a career boot camp that declared bankruptcy in 2022. Prehired sued nearly 300 former students last year, saying they'd defaulted on their loans. "Prehired also represented that consumers would pay nothing until they got a job and 'partner[ed] with' Prehired in their career. The lawsuit also accused Prehired of "falsely representing the amount of debt owed by consumers by stating that Prehired could collect more than the consumer legally owed." The complaint said Prehired filed more than 280 lawsuits in 2022 demanding that former students who it said had defaulted pay $25,000 each.

Persons: Prehired, they'd, Bob Ferguson, Washingtonians, bootcamps, Ben Kaufman Organizations: Service, Consumer Financial Protection, California's Department of Financial Protection, Innovation, LinkedIn, Delaware's Department of Justice, Washington Attorney General's Locations: Wall, Silicon, Prehired

☆ A viral video of Ron DeSantis talking like a toddler and saying he's 'hungwy' is fake, but his critics are dogpiling on him anyway
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Kwan Wei Kevin Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

DeSantis' critics are dogpiling on him anyway, saying the fake has more charisma than the real deal. Titled "DESANTIS FOR PRESIDENT," the viral video features DeSantis making nonsensical remarks and behaving awkwardly on the campaign trail. "This version definitely has more charisma, and social skills, than the real DeSantis," wrote one Youtuber commenter. The DeSantis campaign faced a rocky start after a botched campaign launch in May on Elon Musk's Twitter Spaces. Representatives for the DeSantis campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider sent outside regular business hours.

Persons: Ron DeSantis, DeSantis, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, DeSantis hasn't, trashing, he's, Kyle Ball, Disney Organizations: YouTube, Service, Florida Gov, Daily, Mmm, GOP, Elon, Twitter, Trump Locations: Wall, Silicon, Florida

☆ A 5G-powered app could be the solution to muddy speakers at concerts and sporting events — but it's not for everyone
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Kristina Etter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Mixhalo is an app that streams sound directly from the mixing board to concertgoers' earphones. The audio platform Mixhalo is leveraging 5G to deliver high-quality audio directly to event attendees' earbuds in real time. A user checks the Mixhalo app at an LA Football Club game. And sync issues between the live sound and the app can also happen, particularly when using wireless or Bluetooth headphones. For sports fans, Mixhalo is in use by the Los Angeles Football Club, the Sacramento Kings, and at NASCAR events.

Persons: Mike Einziger, Ann Marie Simpson, Corey Laplante, Mixhalo, Reddit, Laplante, Sting Organizations: 5G, LA Football, Apple, Incubus, Stern Grove Festival, Los Angeles Football Club, Sacramento Kings, NASCAR Locations: San Francisco, Las Vegas, Sacramento

☆ Biden raised nearly as much money as all the Republican candidates combined, showing the power of the somebody-other-than-Trump vote
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Cork Gaines | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

That is nearly as much as all the Republican candidates combined despite his low approval numbers. CNNThis haul comes in the same quarter Biden made his reelection campaign official, which likely helped to boost the total. As Republican candidates start to fall out, the real question will become how many of these donors are some-other-Republican-besides-Trump voters and how many are truly anybody-but-Trump voters? But what happens if most of Trump's Republican candidates stay in for the long haul? How long the candidates stay in will likely come down to money, and Republican candidate Chris Christie defended the fundraising numbers.

Persons: Biden, Joe Biden's, Donald Trump, Trump, George Will, Ron DeSantis, Don Gonyea, Gonyea, Chris Christie, Jake Tapper, Dana Bush, Christie Organizations: Republican, Trump, Service, Democratic National Committee, GOP, CNN, Biden, Democrats, Trump voters, Washington Post, NPR, Union Locations: Wall, Silicon

☆ After complaints about airplane seat size reached Congress, a new bill aims to address cramped conditions
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-16 | by ( Sebastian Cahill | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Travelers' displeasure with cramped airplane seating has been rising as planes pack in more seats. The bill urges the FAA to consider factors like disability or age when writing evacuation guidelines. A new bill moving through Congress aims to address airplane safety for people with disabilities or other restrictions that might make evacuating difficult. Now, Congress is trying to address the potential safety hazards with the Emergency Vacating of Aircraft Cabin, or EVAC, Act. The bill also says the tests were conducted in small groups instead of considering that some planes can carry over 200 passengers.

Persons: Sens . Baldwin, Duckworth, Tammy Baldwin, Tammy Duckworth, Baldwin Organizations: FAA, Wall Street, Federal Aviation Administration, Aircraft, National Transportation Safety, Reuters . Locations: Sens

☆ Montana GOP Senate candidate's old Facebook includes lewd photos of women, racist costumes, and homoerotic jokes
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Montana GOP Senate candidate Tim Sheehy's old Facebook profile is full of questionable photos. Screenshot/Tim Sheehy's FacebookOne week earlier, Sheehy posted a photo of a woman posing on exercise equipment with one nipple exposed. Screenshot/Tim Sheehy's FacebookOther photos appear to show Sheehy partying with friends while a student at the Naval Academy. "Well hey, at least you don't look like Sam here [sic]," Sheehy wrote, possibly referring to the woman in the photo. Screenshot/Tim Sheehy's FacebookSheehy (right) and other students posing in a homoerotic manner in a dorm room.

Persons: Tim Sheehy's, Sheehy, Tim Sheehy, They'd, Sen, Jon Tester, who've, Matt Rosendale, That's, Timothy Patrick, —, Carmen Sheehy, Carmen, Sheehy's, carmen, Saddam Hussein, Kim Jong Il, KIM, Hussein, Carmen —, weiner, Sam, Sheehy's Facebook Sheehy, Katie Martin, Tester, Ben Terris, Terris, Martin Organizations: Montana GOP, Facebook, Service, US, Republicans, Navy, Republican, US Army Ranger School, US Naval Academy, Naval Academy, Sheehy's Facebook Locations: Montana, Wall, Silicon, Georgia, Maryland, American, North Korean, Afghanistan, Fort Benning , Georgia

☆ Is It a Meal? A Snack? No, It’s ‘Girl Dinner.’
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-08 | by ( Jessica Roy | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

It’s 90 degrees outside, and you’re too hot and exhausted from a long day of work to cobble together a proper meal. Luckily you’re home by yourself — no kids, no roommates, no partners — and therefore can eat whatever you want for dinner, without having to consider the food preferences or nutrition needs of others. Welcome to “girl dinner.”According to TikTok, where the trend has more than 30 million views, girl dinner is akin to an aesthetically pleasing Lunchable: an artfully arranged pile of snacks that, when consumed in high enough volume, constitutes a meal. Typical girl dinners may include some kind of fruit, a block of cheddar, sliced salami, a sleeve of fancy crackers and a dish of olives. Girl dinner is “both chaotic and filling,” as one TikTok commenter put it, requiring none of the forethought, cooking or plating demanded by an actual meal.

Persons: you’re, commenter, Olivia Maher, ” Locations: TikTok

☆ Costco is telling Instacart shoppers: Stop lurking in the parking lot while you wait for orders
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( Alex Bitter | Dominick Reuter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Some Costco locations are asking Instacart workers to wait outside of their parking lots. "I'm sure there are some people who are doing dumb stuff in parking lots," one commenter on the Reddit post said. Instacart does not require shoppers to wait in a store's parking lot to be eligible for an order. "Shoppers who are shopping an active batch may utilize the Costco parking lot," Instacart said. "Access to batches extends beyond each Costco parking lot," the company said.

Persons: —, we're, Instacart, Alex Bitter, Dominick Reuter Organizations: Costco, Costco doesn't, Walmart, Target, Service, Shoppers, dreuter Locations: Los Angeles

☆ Influencers are under fire for praising working conditions in Shein’s clothing factory despite abuse allegations
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Daysia Tolentino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

She said she asked workers questions based on her followers' concerns about the brand. While the trip seemed to reassure the influencers about Shein's working conditions, viewers criticized the creators for pushing "propaganda" and "selling out" for a free trip. You're being called out across the internet," one commenter wrote on one of Carbonari's Instagram posts. "Was the bag worth losing your ethics and helping propaganda," another wrote under one of Butler's Instagram posts. "This is the part that they wanted you to see so you can give the socials a good report," one person wrote under one of Sudduth's Instagram posts.

Persons: Sudduth, They're, Butler, Shein, Carbonari Organizations: Bloomberg, Getty, Shein Locations: Singapore, U.S

☆ So you think they've got Trump right where they want him, eh? Wait till you hear what this former federal prosecutor turned high-end defense attorney has to say
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-10 | by ( Nicholas Carlson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

But one former federal prosecutor turned high-end defense attorney, Ken White, sees a quick path out of trouble for Trump. That's what it looks like Trump is going to get: Judge Aileen Cannon. White suspects Cannon may be imagining what she might be able to get out of a second Trump presidency. "You have a situation where it is not even remotely difficult to imagine: Her acquitting Trump, Trump getting elected, Trump elevating her to the 11th Circuit or the Supreme Court. "People are saying that by charging Trump you're riling up his base.

Persons: —, Donald Trump, Trump, Fox, Alvin Bragg's, Ken White, Aileen Cannon, Kimberly Leonard, Cannon, White, Josh Barro, Barro, She's, that's, it's Organizations: Trump, Service, New, The, Justice, Appeals, Circuit, Department of Justice, Justice Department Locations: New York, Mar

☆ A woman who works out of a tiny home and gets weekly massages at the office says her job has 'all the perks'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Kelsey Neubauer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

In January, Kylie Goodwin, who works in accounting, posted a TikTok video of offices in tiny homes. Goodwin said the workspaces within the tiny homes are just one of the perks of working there. An FHS employee responded by email to Insider's request for comment about the tiny homes but didn't provide more detail. Tiny homes are all the rage right now, from handcrafted luxury models that are over $175,000 to tiny homes sold on Amazon that cost a few thousand dollars. "My job has all the perks," Goodwin wrote.

Persons: Kylie Goodwin, Goodwin, —, Kylie Goodwin —, FHS, commenter Organizations: Service, FHS Property Management, Home Solutions, FHS Locations: Missouri, Springfield , Missouri

☆ Aubrey Plaza's satirical ad for 'wood milk' violated federal law, a new complaint says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The spot used USDA funds to disparage plant-based milk, per a complaint filed with the USDA. The ad, which was created using funding from a US Department of Agriculture program to promote dairy milk, features Plaza talking up "Wood Milk," a milk alternative made from trees. Right now, the Food and Drug Administration is seeking public comments on proposed labeling guidelines for plant-based milk. While just 15% of all milk sold in the US in 2022 was plant-based, the category is growing faster than cow's milk: Plant-based milk sales grew 8% to $2.8 billion in 2022, according to the Plant Based Foods Association. Plant-based milk companies have engaged in ad stunts of their own.

Persons: Aubrey Plaza, —, Silk Organizations: USDA, Service, US Department of Agriculture, Committee, Responsible Medicine, Food and Drug Administration, Plaza, Based Foods

☆ Temu is America's new dollar store
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-27 | by ( Mary Hanbury | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Temu is the internet's new discount store with bargain prices that rival dollar chains. Most of these products wouldn't look out of place at a dollar store. "If Amazon and Dollar Tree had a baby it would be Temu," one Twitter commenter wrote. "Temu is basically an online dollar store," another said. This is especially pertinent as stores like Dollar General and Dollar Tree continue to come under inflation-related pressures and raise their prices.

☆ 'Airbnb is our wealthy man': A booking scam left a TikTok star stranded in Italy until Airbnb intervened to put her group up in a luxurious Mediterranean villa
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-26 | by ( Jordan Hart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Her complaint video received over 6 million views in just days, and Airbnb stepped in to help. Airbnb is now receiving praise and criticism for responding so quickly and putting the group in a Positano villa. One day and 5.5 million views later, the group of about 10 women are spending their European vacation in a villa overlooking the Mediterranean Sea thanks to Airbnb. "Upon investigation, we can now confirm that this fake villa listing was not booked via Booking.com, but instead found on a fake copycat website," the statement read. Social media commentator Jack Appleby wrote in a tweet that the video of Earle thanking Airbnb garnered close to two million views in four hours.

☆ TikTok is divided after a video seemingly showing a customer telling off a Walmart cashier for not bagging her items went viral
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A viral TikTok video appears to show a customer chastising a Walmart cashier for not bagging her groceries. "'Cause that is not customer service, the way you acting." Viewers largely sided with the cashier, saying the customer was "ridiculous" and should have bagged her own items. "'Cause that is not customer service, the way you acting." The video, which has the caption "Walmart has the worst customer service," consists of the customer recording the cashier as she scans items.

☆ Ultra-cheap Chinese shopping site Temu is becoming the new online dollar store
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Mary Hanbury | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Temu is the internet's new discount store with bargain prices that rival dollar chains. Most of these products wouldn't look out of place at a dollar store. "Temu is basically an online dollar store," another said. This is especially pertinent as stores like Dollar General and Dollar Tree continue to come under inflation-related pressures and raise their prices. "You're unlikely to find the things you really need on Temu, you're much more likely to find throwaway items, which you won't perhaps always need.

☆ A New Yorker thought she found her 'dream' $8,000 couch on the curb, but her viral video raised concerned comments about bed bugs and whether it was a dupe
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( Jordan Hart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A New Yorker thought she found her "dream couch" on the side of the road, so she brought it home. Her video documenting the find garnered over 30 million views as users weighed in on the couch worth up to $8,000. While some praised Joy for the find, others raised concerns of bed bugs and its authenticity. Others were more concerned about the risk of bed bugs and mold after Joy said the couch had been rained on when she found it. "Getting rid of bed bugs can cost thousands of dollars."

☆ A lawsuit against DoorDash alleges what some users have long suspected: the company charges Apple users more than Android owners
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Alex Bitter | Geoff Weiss | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

A proposed class-action lawsuit claims that DoorDash charges iPhone users more than Android owners. Building this trust is essential, and it's why the majority of delivery orders on our platform are placed by return customers. According to the lawsuit, "DoorDash charges the expanded range fee on iPhone users more often than Android users and charges iPhone users more for 'delivering' (likely because studies reveal iPhone users earn more)." Ross Hecox, Reid Hecox, US District Court for the District of MarylandIn other cases, iPhone users were charged a slightly higher delivery fee, according to the lawsuit. Others balked at the suit's claim that iPhone users were in a higher-income bracket and thus being charged higher fees.

☆ An influencer mobilized her followers to spam Air France until they found her bag. Want to find your lost luggage? Just get 1.7 million TikTok followers.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Jordan Hart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Victoria Paris, 24, issued a very public complaint against Air France, and asked her followers to "wage war" on the airline. Her 1.7 million TikTok followers obliged and spammed the airline's social media comments with demands for her bag. The same day she mobilized her fans, Air France reached out to let Paris know that it located and shipped her bags back to her. When an airline loses your luggage, it typically results in a weeks-long process to retrieve your items — that is, unless you're an influencer with 1.7 million TikTok followers. Air France did not immediately respond to Insider's request to comment on the incident.

☆ Got milk? Not chocolate, as USDA considers banning flavored milk options in school cafeterias
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Will Gendron | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Flavored milk, like chocolate milk, could be limited to high schoolers under the new guidelines. A second proposed rule change would allow allow flavored milk for all grade levels, but the added-sugar levels would be limited. "I feel very strongly that flavored milk should continue to be offered in all grades k-12. Chocolate milk has been banned in San Francisco for elementary and middle schoolers since 2017. Correction: May 16, 2023 — An earlier version of this story misstated which organization published a study regarding added sugar.

☆ Factbox: When are the Eurovision Song Contest semi-finals and final?
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LIVERPOOL, England, May 9 (Reuters) - Eurovision 2023 has kicked off in Liverpool, northern England, where acts from 37 countries are competing to win the 67th edition of the song contest. There are 37 countries taking part with 31 competing in two semi-finals and 10 going through to the Grand Final. Ukraine, as the previous winner, automatically progresses to the Grand Final, along with the "big five", comprising the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain and Italy. Semi-final 1: viewers in the 15 countries taking part are eligible to vote, alongside France, Germany, and Italy. Semi-final 2: Viewers in the 16 countries taking part are eligible to vote, alongside Spain, Ukraine, and the UK.

☆ The editor of an online erotica site shares 3 tips to make your romance writing immediately hotter
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Julia Pugachevsky | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Carly Pifer, founder of online erotica site Aurore, edits erotica stories professionally. It was one of the reasons she started Aurore, an online erotica community where women and LGBTQ+ writers can submit confessional-style true stories. "I want something slow, meandering, I want something that's like a tease…you're not going get straight to sex," Pifer told Insider. "I don't really care what color lipstick you're wearing and like how often as women do we really wear red lips?" Building up to sex is one of the most important parts of erotica, according to Pifer — and of intimacy itself.

☆ 'Succession' fans are reading into which characters use an iPhone or an Android, and think it could hint at how the show will end
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Sindhu Sundar | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Fans are looking for easter eggs in "Succession" protagonists' clothing and accessories. Apple has been said to not want on-screen villains using iPhones, sparking theories about Tom's Android. Fans are dissecting the tiniest details from the show for hints about how the series will end. On the HBO show "Succession," where the fortunes of protagonists can shift every episode, fans are looking everywhere — in wardrobe choices and in accessories — for clues about their favorite characters' ultimate fates. Fans have also been reading into Kendall's moments in water — in a bathtub, pool, or the open water — for signs of what's next for Logan's "number one boy."

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