• The US Navy aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman is finally going home after an eventful deployment.
• A defense official said the ship is in the Mediterranean after recently leaving the Red Sea.
• Truman lost three fighter jets during its combat-packed Red Sea deployment.

The US Navy aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman is at last making its way home after an eventful extended deployment that saw the ship participate in combat operations against the Iran-backed Houthis but also lose three aircraft.

A US defense official told Business Insider on Monday that the Truman had left the Red Sea and is now in the Mediterranean Sea on its way home. It's unclear when, exactly, the carrier will arrive back at its homeport in Norfolk, Virginia.

NATO's Allied Joint Force Command Naples wrote on social media earlier that Truman and its strike group were participating in maritime exercises in the Mediterranean. Open-source intelligence accounts spotted the carrier heading north in the Suez Canal over the weekend.

The Truman entered the Middle East in December and experienced a string of unfortunate mishaps over the following months, including the loss of three F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jets, which are estimated to cost roughly $60 million apiece.

In late December, the missile cruiser USS Gettysburg, part of Truman's strike group, shot down an F/A-18 over the Red Sea in what the US military described as an "apparent case of friendly fire." The details of that incident remain limited.

In mid-February, the Truman collided with a large commercial vessel in the Mediterranean, near Egypt's Port Said. The carrier was damaged and had to sail to a US naval base for repairs. That incident led to the firing of the ship's commanding officer.

Several months later, in late April, when Truman was back in the Red Sea, an F/A-18 and a tow tractor fell overboard while the fighter jet was actively under tow in the carrier's hangar bay. A sailor was forced to jump from the cockpit just before the plane went into the water. Some reports indicated the ship was taking evasive action at the time of the incident.

A little over a week later, in early May, an F/A-18 was landing on the flight deck of the Truman when the arresting cable, the thick black wires used to catch the tailhook on the back of carrier-based aircraft and slow them down, unexpectedly failed. The fighter jet went overboard. Both naval aviators safely ejected and were rescued by a helicopter.

The Truman was one of two Navy aircraft carriers that participated in combat operations against the Houthi rebels in Yemen during the military's weekslong bombing campaign known as Operation Rough Rider, which the Trump administration abruptly put on pause earlier this month.

Truman's departure from the Red Sea means that only one aircraft carrier, USS Carl Vinson, is left in the Middle East. The Vinson features a mixed air wing that includes the fifth-generation F-35C, a stealth fighter made for carrier operations.

• A new report points to households with kids as "power users" of apps like Uber.
• Families tend to use the apps more often than other groups and spend more on them, TransUnion found.
• Uber and other ride-hailing apps are trying to increase how often users turn to them.

If you have kids, there's a good chance that you rely a lot more on gig delivery and ride-hailing services than most people, according to a new report.

Families with children are more likely to use a range of gig services more often than people without kids, making them "power users," a report from TransUnion this month found.

Sixty-one percent of respondents with kids said they order food for delivery from a service like DoorDash "once or multiple times a week," according to a survey of 1,051 adults that TransUnion conducted in February. About 40% of respondents without children said the same.

Households with children also spent more than those without kids. About 5% of childless users spent more than $500 a month on gig services. For people with kids, 23% spent at least that much.

Families represent exactly the kinds of users that many gig apps want: People who use the apps frequently and spend a lot on them. While apps like Uber focused on getting customers to start using their services last decade, many now want to become part of users' daily routines, providing rides to work and delivering grocery hauls.

"It's not only usage in terms of frequency, but usage in terms of just sheer amount of money that's spent as well," Mark Rose, senior director, market strategy for TransUnion's retail business, told Business Insider in an interview.

Some delivery and ride-hailing apps have added features specifically for families. In 2023, for instance, Uber started offering accounts specifically for teens to order food for delivery or call a ride — with parental oversight of their spending and confirmation that they made it to their destination.

Gig apps could do even more to cater to families, TransUnion's Rose said.

For example, TransUnion's survey found that promotions — think limited-time discounts or coupons — were one of the top factors that users with kids considered when deciding which app to use.

That means gig apps could offer more promotions specifically for families, especially given their growing businesses in advertising and helping restaurants and brands market to specific types of customers, Rose said.

"Could I help a restaurant target certain promotions based on family meal deals or other sorts of options that would appeal to a family?" Rose said. "I think there's more to be done there."

Spokespeople for Uber and DoorDash did not respond to requests for comment from BI.

Do you have a story to share about gig work? Contact this reporter at [email protected] or 808-854-4501.

• I'm a creative director and writer, but I'm also a barbecue pitmaster who loves shopping at Costco.
• I get barbecuing essentials at Costco like Kingsford charcoal and Kirkland's Stretch-Tite wrap.
• I also buy yard games, foil, water bottles, and meat in bulk. 

My day job is as a creative director and writer, but my "delicious job" is as a barbecue pitmaster and competition cook. 

In Buffalo, New York, I take advantage of the beautiful spring and summer weather by grilling and smoking food as much as possible. During the fall and winter, it's all about tailgate season. 

I love picking up my ingredients and supplies at Costco because the quality of proteins and products is usually fantastic. Plus I can also stock up on things that'll last for months. 

Here are 13 of my Costco essentials when it comes to barbecuing. 

Editor's Note: Item price and availability may vary.

Big bags of Kingsford charcoal are a necessity.

In my experience, Costco is also one of the few places where I can find the highest quality briquettes at such a low price. Typically, I pick up a 36-pound package of Kingsford charcoal. 

This brand is my favorite for searing because the briquettes burn extremely hot and clean. I use these when cooking steaks, burgers, and even hot dogs. 

Tents can make barbecuing easier.

Instead of fighting the sun or wet weather while I barbecue, I always have at least one or two tents up. Tents also keep food from sitting in the sun or getting rained (or snowed) on. 

I'm always ready to bring out some folding tables.

Folding tables are essential and extremely useful when it comes to barbecuing and prepping food. I always have two or three of these up on my patio — one for prep, one for tools, and the last for plating. 

Because the tables fold up compactly, they also fit into a car or truck for easy transport. 

Swift pork-loin backribs cook up beautifully.

When I season up and put a rack of ribs on the smoker on the first nice day of the year, I know it's officially barbecue season.

These Swift backribs at Costco usually come in packs of three, which fit perfectly on my smoker.

I cook mine to the point where I can get a perfect clean bite that comes off the bone without all of the meat falling off with it. 

Costco's Kirkland Signature label has solid meat options for when I want to try something new.

I'm always looking for something new to cook, and Kirkland Signature usually has some decent options, like a rack of lamb.

I like making a rub with a few herbs, searing the rack, and then cooking it to a perfect medium. I finish the meat at an internal temperature of around 125 degrees Fahrenheit.

And, in my opinion, if you don't think you like lamb, it's probably because it was overcooked. 

Big, sturdy coolers are an absolute must if you're barbecuing.

Coolers are a must for any barbecuer — and they do more than just keep meat and beverages cold.

When I cook something that finishes early, like a brisket or pork shoulder, I cover the meat in foil so it can rest, wrap that with a towel, then place it in a cooler.

This way, the meat holds its temperature for a few hour,s and I can pull it out when everyone's ready to eat.

Folding wagons are incredibly helpful.

Folding wagons are such a great help, especially if you're cooking at a park or location that's not your home base.

I'll fill it with things like ingredients and utensils to roll from the parking lot to the barbecue spot. 

Costco is also a decent place to pick up cookers or smokers.

Of course, we can't forget the actual grill or smoker. I'm a charcoal cooker, but some of my barbecue buds love cooking on pellet, propane, and electric smokers.

In my opinion, though, just choose whichever cooker helps you get the job done right. 

I always get my foil in bulk.

It's amazing how much foil I go through when I'm cooking outdoors.

First off, I use it to overcome the stall — when you're smoking a large piece of meat and the internal temperature of it stops rising or goes down — on big cuts of meat. Wrapping the meat with foil can help. 

I also use foil to cover raw meat, pack in flavor, and dish out leftovers.

Kirkland Signature Stretch-Tite wrap is also a must-have when it's time to barbecue.

Of course, with meat, we also have side dishes. Instead of leaving the sides out unprotected, I like to use Stretch-Tite to cover bowls and serving dishes.

It's also a great place to get gloves for food prep.

I'm big on food safety, so I always have boxes of nitrile gloves handy for handling meat. 

I choose nitrile because they're durable, stretchy, and never have a powdery substance or aroma that can transfer to food.

I buy water in bulk at Costco, too.

It gets hot when you're standing by the grill or smoker all day. These big packs of water keep me hydrated. 

Lastly, Costco is a solid spot to buy yard games that keep me and my group entertained while I barbecue.

Sometimes it takes an hour or two to finish cooking, so I make sure to have something fun for everyone to do while we wait.

Yard games, like cornhole, are a safe bet — and Costco usually has a decent selection of them.

Click to keep reading Costco diaries like this one.

This story was originally published on June 18, 2023, and most recently updated on May 19, 2025.