• 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.

• Regeneron Pharmaceuticals will acquire 23andMe's assets for $256 million, both companies said.
• 23andMe filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy earlier this year.
• The DNA testing company has faced major challenges including a data breach and mass lay-offs.

The assets of failed DNA testing firm 23andMe are being bought for $256 million.

Biotechnology firm Regeneron Pharmaceuticals said on Monday it would acquire 23andMe's personal genome service, total health, and research services business lines, and its biobank of customers' genetic samples.

Regeneron said San Francisco-headquartered 23andMe would continue to offer all consumer genome services.

"We believe we can help 23andMe deliver and build upon its mission to help those interested in learning about their own DNA and how to improve their personal health, while furthering Regeneron's efforts to use large-scale genetics research to improve the way society treats and prevents illness overall," said George Yancopoulos, cofounder, chief scientific officer, and president of Regeneron, in a statement.

Mark Jensen, chair of 23andMe's special committee of directors, said the deal "maximizes the value of the business and enables the mission of 23andMe to live on, while maintaining critical protections around customer privacy, choice and consent with respect to their genetic data."

Under the agreement, Regeneron must comply with the firm's privacy policies and applicable law regarding customers' personal data. The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of this year.

In March, 23andMe filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, with CEO and cofounder Anne Wojcicki stepping down immediately.

The firm that offered a popular saliva sample service for analyzing ancestry and health risks went public in 2021 and was briefly valued at $6 billion.

However, it never turned a profit and faced major challenges last year, including a $30 million settlement in a class-action suit following the data of some users becoming compromised, two failed attempts by Wojcicki to take the company private, and about 40% of employees being laid off to cut costs.

23andMe said in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing in November it had debts of $2.3 billion, about $126 million in cash and cash equivalents, and would need additional liquidity.

23andMe did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

• Chris Englert, 58, started planning to retire early when she was in her 20s.
• She spent years saving and investing to build a $2 million portfolio, then retired early at 49.
• They sold their home and most of their belongings and now travel full-time on a budget.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Chris Englert, 58, a woman who retired early after building up her savings and investment portfolio. Now, she travels full-time with her husband. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

At my first job out of college, I attended an orientation session about 401(k) matching and investing.

I was just 22 years old, and my mind was blown by all these financial tools I hadn't thought about before. That's when I decided I wanted to make the most of them and that I'd do everything I could to try to retire early.

At that job and each after, I put away as much money as I could from every paycheck by living below my means. I checked my savings often, invested in mutual funds, and bought stock purchase plans at discounts through companies I worked for.

Although I originally hoped to retire at 55, I felt ready to do it once I'd accrued $2 million in savings and investments. It happened faster than I thought.

At 49, I retired and started making plans to travel the world.

Once our kids were grown, my husband and I sold our house to travel full-time

Although I retired six years earlier than anticipated, I didn't start doing a ton of travel right away.

I wanted to wait for my husband to retire, too. We keep our finances separate, and he wanted to hit a certain amount in his savings and investments before joining me. We also wanted to wait to start traveling until our kids were older, at least college-age.

In the meantime, I took a five-month solo trip to South America and tried living in different cities for one month at a time. I realized that this model of spending 30 days in one place and then heading to the next one could be fun to do full-time.

After doing some math, I realized it could also be financially feasible for my husband and me to live that way.

Between bills like our mortgage, utilities, and car insurance, we were spending about $6,000 a month to live in Denver. If we eliminated our biggest expenses, like our house and car, we could travel and live comfortably on less every month.

So once my husband retired a few years after I did and our kids were grown, we sold almost everything we owned and packed the rest of our belongings into two carry-on suitcases and backpacks.

Once we were "home-free," as we like to call ourselves, we began traveling full-time in May 2021.

We try to spend about $4,000 a month and have strategies for keeping costs low

We've since traveled to more than 40 countries across places like Africa, Southeast Asia, South America, and Europe.

Our budget is about $4,000 a month — half for housing and the other half for things like health insurance, entertainment, food, and any transit we use.

Our travel plans vary, but we usually try to chase warm, 72-degree Fahrenheit weather and stay in each place for 30 days. We save money by not having to move so often and we're usually able to negotiate with renters for discounts on longer stays.

In more expensive cities, we do house-sitting to save money on accommodations. It's extra nice because the houses often come with a car we can use throughout our stay.

To cut costs when switching continents, we try to skip flights and instead take repositioning cruises, which are discounted sailings when cruise lines move their fleets from one market to another.

Above all, we love the excitement of this lifestyle and plan to keep it up

So far, traveling so much has been great. Every day is different, and we love having new challenges to keep our minds active. In many ways, frequent travel helps keep us young.

Although we're away often, we stay connected to our family and talk to them often. Our travels have only made us appreciate our visits back to the US even more.

We don't have grandkids yet, but when we do, that might be part of the rub of this lifestyle. For now, though, we have no plans to slow down.

If we can stick to our budget of about $4,000 a month, we should have the funds to continue traveling for many more years.

• The "Godfather of AI," Geoffrey Hinton, has said he trusts chatbots like OpenAI's GPT-4 more than he should.
• "I should probably be suspicious," Hinton told CBS in a new interview.
• He also said GPT-4, his preferred model, got a simple riddle wrong.

The Godfather of AI has said he trusts his preferred chatbot a little too much.

"I tend to believe what it says, even though I should probably be suspicious," Geoffrey Hinton, who was awarded the 2024 Nobel Prize in physics for his breakthroughs in machine learning, said of OpenAI's GPT-4 in a CBS interview that aired Saturday.

During the interview, he put a simple riddle to OpenAI's GPT-4, which he said he used for his day-to-day tasks.

"Sally has three brothers. Each of her brothers has two sisters. How many sisters does Sally have?"

The answer is one, as Sally is one of the two sisters. But Hinton said GPT-4 told him the answer was two.

"It surprises me. It surprises me it still screws up on that," he said.

Reflecting on the limits of current AI, he added: "It's an expert at everything. It's not a very good expert at everything."

Hinton said he expected future models would do better. When asked if he thought GPT-5 would get the riddle right, Hinton replied, "Yeah, I suspect."

Hinton's riddle didn't trip up every version of ChatGPT. After the interview aired, several people commented on social media that they tried the riddle on newer models — including GPT-4o and GPT-4.1 —and said the AI got it right.

OpenAI did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

OpenAI first launched GPT-4 in 2023 as its flagship large language model. The model quickly became an industry benchmark for its ability to pass tough exams like the SAT, GRE, and bar exam.

OpenAI introduced GPT-4o — the default model powering ChatGPT — in May 2024, claiming it matched GPT-4's intelligence but is faster and more versatile, with improved performance across text, voice, and vision. OpenAI has since released GPT-4.5 and, most recently, GPT-4.1.

Google's Gemini 2.5-Pro is ranked top by Chatbot Arena leaderboard, a crowd-sourced platform that ranks models. OpenAI's GPT-4o and GPT-4.5 are close behind.

A recent study by AI testing company Giskard found that telling chatbots to be brief can make them more likely to "hallucinate" or make up information.

The researchers found that leading models —including GPT-4o, Mistral, and Claude — were more prone to factual errors when prompted for shorter answers.

• Growing up in Staten Island, my last name made me stand out.
• I thought I'd change my name once I got married, but that didn't happen.
• My husband and I eventually decided to hyphenate our last names when it came to our kids.

In my predominantly Italian hometown of Staten Island, New York, you were Irish if your last name didn't end in a vowel. And if you weren't Irish, you were other. I fell squarely into that category. Couple that with the fact that my last name, though short, was hard to pronounce and easy to make fun of (butt kiss, body gas, so many options), and marriage seemed like my only salvation — a socially acceptable path to a more socially acceptable last name.

I even found my husband early in middle school. I liked him for many reasons, not least of all his possession of a lyrical Italian last name with an equal amount of vowels and consonants. It's welcome in Staten Island and elsewhere and seemingly impossible to mock everywhere.

I never expected to keep my name and give it to our kids.

I didn't think my husband's name was an option for me

Fast-forward 12 years, when we were finally getting hitched. A long courtship gave me lots of time to think about how only a handful of people in the world have my last name. Of that handful, I was the only one of the youngest generation planning to have children. Letting this last name die felt worse than my children potentially being on the receiving end of body gas taunts.

Separately, my husband's last name lost some of its appeal. One night during our engagement, we were paying for our meal at our neighborhood Italian joint. When our server returned to our table with my husband's credit card, the server muttered my husband's last name with disgust and then pretended to spit on our receipt. We figured he was joking, but we didn't get the joke. Eventually, we learned my husband's last name meant he likely descended from Pontius Pilate, aka the Roman who demanded Jesus be crucified. Not the greatest branch of a family tree, nor a name I could continue to believe was categorically better than mine.

On the other hand, my last name came from the German word for "bathhouse." Whether this meant my ancestors owned one, just frequented one, or used it to get clean or engage in more scandalous activities, this felt like a hilarious part of my identity I couldn't lose.

Our wedding came and went. My name stayed the same.

I had a harder time with last names than first names when it came to our kids

Five years later, I was expecting our first child. It was tougher to choose his last name than his first. Around this time, we were also trying to sell our apartment and buy a house. Then we got some bad news from our real estate attorney: There was a lien on our apartment.

We were flummoxed when our lawyer gave us the unfamiliar name of the person who placed the lien. What was more confusing: The person lived nowhere near us. The one thing we knew was that until we removed the lien, no one was going to buy our apartment.

It turned out the lien was intended for some ne'er-do-well with my husband's exact same name, a guy who owed a lot of people a lot of money. A couple of affidavits later, the lien problem was resolved. But then I got a threatening social media message from a different creditor in upstate New York, convinced they'd found a way to get a note to the apparently hard-to-reach ne'er-do-well. I told the messenger they had the wrong guy. He didn't apologize, but he never contacted me again. With my almost-unique last name, my kids would never be the wrong guy. That felt like a nice gift to pass down.

After much back-and-forth, my husband and I decided to hyphenate our kids' last names. This ensured they would each be the one and only, impossible to confuse with any other individual. It also guaranteed rude comments: "How are they going to be able to spell all that?" "Did you name them that on purpose?" and the especially astute, "Wow, that's a long name."

Despite those real rude comments and some relatives who refuse to acknowledge both parts of their names, we're happy with our decision. Our kids, now 7 and 10, have fewer issues with their long name than I did with my short one. We live in a much more diverse area than my husband and I grew up in, so there are all kinds of names here, even other hyphenated ones. We talk all the time about how cool it is that there's no one else out there with their name, and they seem to appreciate that. I only wish I had done the same sooner.

• I took the Lake Express ferry across Lake Michigan from Milwaukee to Muskegon, Michigan.
• I booked the premier cabin tier for $279, but ended up driving home because I got so seasick.
• I didn't get to enjoy perks like more spacious seating or table service that came with my ticket.

As I looked up at the ceiling of the Lake Express ferry, lying on the floor while cradling a barf bag, I realized I'd made a mistake.

I grew up boating on smaller lakes around Wisconsin, so I thought I'd be fine on my ferry ride from Milwaukee to Muskegon, Michigan. After all, I was cutting my travel time in half by crossing the lake instead of driving through four states.

I didn't anticipate that as the fifth-largest lake in the world, Lake Michigan's waves can be just as powerful as the open seas. I'd splurged on a premier cabin ticket, but felt so seasick that I wasn't able to enjoy the perks.

I did enjoy some parts of the journey despite my motion sickness, but I definitely came away from the experience knowing that I'm not cut out for cruises.

Follow along on my Lake Express ferry trip across Lake Michigan.

Lake Express did not respond to a request for comment.

The Lake Express ferry transports passengers across Lake Michigan between Milwaukee and Muskegon, Michigan, in half the time it takes to drive.

Instead of driving around the lake, which can take about 4 ½ to five hours, the Lake Express ferry brings passengers and their cars across the water in about 2 ½ hours.

An adult round-trip ticket starts at $199 for the classic cabin and $245 for the higher-tier premier cabin. To bring a vehicle along as well, round-trip tickets start at $236 on top of the passenger fees.

I paid a total of $279 for my round-trip premier ticket without a vehicle, including taxes and additional fees.

I arrived at the Milwaukee ferry terminal for my 6 a.m. trip to Muskegon, which was scheduled to arrive at 9:30 a.m. local time.

Michigan's eastern time zone is an hour ahead of Wisconsin. Even though the trip only took 2 ½ hours, the time difference meant we'd lose an hour on the way.

When I checked in at security, the guard handed me a motion-sickness pill. That was the first red flag.

I'd checked the National Weather Service's Great Lakes Portal and found that waves were expected to be around 1 foot high throughout the journey, which didn't sound that bad.

Receiving free motion-sickness medicine immediately upon checking in made me feel a bit concerned about how choppy the waters would actually be. I took the pill to be safe.

All passengers waited in the same area, regardless of cabin class.

Unlike the Amtrak lounges available to first-class train passengers, there was no separate waiting area for those with premier cabin ferry tickets.

The waiting area featured free coffee for all passengers, a perk not usually offered on flights or trains.

There were also drinks, snacks, and souvenirs available for purchase.

When it was time to board, the lounge led straight out onto the dock.

An announcement told those traveling with cars to board first by driving their vehicles onto the ferry.

I was surprised by how spacious the classic cabin was compared to trains and planes that I've traveled on.

The classic cabin was laid out in clusters of eight seats around two tables, with a few tables on the edges ending up with more space.

Screens around the ferry showed the route, weather, and live feed of the outside.

The screens appeared in both cabins, showing our approximately 82-mile journey across Lake Michigan.

The concession stand was located at the front of the cabin for easy access to food and drinks.

Next to the checkout counter, condiment packets and plastic utensils were available for passengers to grab for themselves.

There were even fake flower pots decorating the cabin.

The faux flowers added a whimsical touch to the ferry ride.

The premier cabin featured even more space to spread out, with four to six seats to each table.

The ferry wasn't very crowded on my trip, so I got an entire table with four seats to myself.

The cabin included a cart with more free coffee.

There was also a screen with a credit card reader to order additional concessions.

Unlike in the classic cabin, each table came with a menu to order food and drinks while seated instead of waiting in a line at the counter.

Breakfast burritos cost $10 while sandwiches and pizzas ranged from $11 to $12. There was also alcohol available for purchase, including local beers such as New Glarus Spotted Cow and Miller Lite.

Outlets seemed hard to come by in both the classic and premier cabins.

Unlike newer plane and train models that have outlets at every seat, the Lake Express ferry only had outlets every few rows.

I enjoyed watching the sunrise on the lower deck as the crew prepared for our departure.

Even while docked, the up-and-down movement of the ship on the water felt stronger than I'd anticipated. I hoped that once we started moving, the motion would feel smoother.

I explored the upper deck as the boat pulled out of the terminal, but it was too cold to stay outside for very long.

A factor that likely contributed to my impending seasickness was that it was too cold for me to sit outside on the deck in the fresh air.

In true Midwest spring fashion, it was 44 degrees on that early May morning. Strong winds over the open water made it feel even colder once we started moving. I got a little bit queasy from the sensation of the boat pitching up and down, but focusing on the horizon and feeling the wind against my face kept it from getting worse.

I lasted about half an hour outside before I got too cold and returned to the warmth of the premier cabin.

The waves felt even stronger as the trip progressed, and my seasickness became debilitating.

The Lake Express crew was clearly well-trained and used to passengers becoming seasick. As soon as they saw me looking a little green, they provided me with ginger ale, ginger chews, saltines, anti-nausea wristbands, and sickness bags.

Even though I was having a rough time, I felt well taken care of.

On the bright side, the bathrooms were spacious and clean.

The bathroom looked similar to bathrooms I'd encountered on Amtrak, with a few additional touches like decorative tile and a trash can with a weighted lid to keep it closed as the boat rocked back and forth.

I'd been excited to enjoy the luxury of my premier seat. Instead, I spent most of the journey lying on the floor with a barf bag handy.

The premier cabin where I'd booked my seat was located in the back of the ferry, where the motion of the boat was stronger. I couldn't last more than a few minutes there without feeling like I was going to throw up.

A crew member told me that lying on the floor in the middle of the boat would help me feel more like I was swinging in a hammock or rocking in a chair. It worked. Kind of.

I spent the next two hours regretting the money I'd spent on a seat I wasn't even using, for perks that I didn't feel well enough to enjoy.

Land ho! I felt better once I disembarked in Muskegon, but the nausea and dizziness lingered throughout the day.

I managed to keep a few plain applesauce packets down around lunchtime, but had no appetite to eat anything else for the rest of the day.

In Muskegon, I spent the afternoon at the USS Silversides Submarine Museum with newfound respect for the conditions that sailors endured.

The Lyft driver who drove me from the ferry terminal to the submarine museum was a US Navy veteran himself. He told me that enlisted sailors often got seasick, too, which made me feel less pathetic.

"Some people I served with were just lucky — didn't get seasick at all, ate all of their meals," he said. "And some walked around with buckets."

When it came time to return home, I couldn't bring myself to get back on the ferry. I rented a car and drove home instead.

After a few hours of fresh air and fascinating World War II history, some of the color returned to my cheeks. However, I knew if I got back on the ferry, I would immediately feel awful again. The mere thought of being tossed around by the waves on the journey home made my stomach churn.

Unfortunately, since it was less than 24 hours before my return trip, my ferry ticket home wasn't refundable.

I shelled out $123.27 for a rental car from Muskegon's tiny airport and hit the road.

The drive from Muskegon to Milwaukee took about 4 ½ hours, but it was worth it to me.

The route took me down the Michigan coast, across Indiana and Illinois, and back up into Wisconsin, totaling around 300 miles.

I returned my rental car in Milwaukee and resolved to appreciate Lake Michigan's beauty from its shores in the future.

About one in three people experience motion sickness, and genetics are a determining factor, according to a 2015 study published in the Oxford University Press' Human Molecular Genetics.

The simple truth is that some people get seasick and some don't, and I do. Even though I took motion sickness medicine ahead of the trip, it wasn't effective enough to quell my symptoms.

If you're one of those lucky people who doesn't get seasick, the Lake Express ferry is a great option to cut across Lake Michigan for a shorter, more scenic trip than driving.

If you're a landlubber like me, learn from my mistakes. Don't spring for the more expensive cabin. Check the weather and wave heights ahead of time. And keep your options open for your return trip in case you end up on the floor.

• Tom Cruise, 62, said he wants to keep making movies until he's in his 100s.
• The "Mission: Impossible" star said he stays young by doing a range of activities.
• Working the mind and body, and maintaining a zest for life are common traits in centenarians.

Tom Cruise said he wants to keep making movies until he's in his 100s. If he stays as active and curious as he is now, he may well succeed.

The 62-year-old actor, who is best known for his adrenaline-fueled stunts in the "Mission: Impossible" franchise, said in 2023 that he was inspired by Harrison Ford, who still works at age 82.

But he told The Hollywood Reporter on Sunday: "Actually, I'm going to make them into my 100s. I will never stop. I will never stop doing action, I will never stop doing drama, comedy films — I'm excited."

"Mission: Impossible: The Final Reckoning," the eighth movie in the franchise that is out this week, sees him doing a lengthy scuba dive and wing-walking on a bi-plane, among other impressive stunts.

When asked how he stays young by Men's Health in 2023, he said: "Sea-kayaking, caving... fencing, treadmill, weights... rock-climbing, hiking... I jog... I do so many different activities."

Centenarians tend to be active and curious

Business Insider has spoken to many experts in healthy aging as well as healthy older people, including centenarians.

A common theme among them is keeping their minds and bodies active, including with new hobbies. One 2023 study based on interviews with 19 people aged between 100 and 107 published in the journal Journal of Happiness Studies identified eight traits in the centenarians. They included: being active, challenging your mind, taking commitments seriously, and being curious.

A person's chances of living a long, healthy life are partly down to their genetics and environment — and Cruise has more resources than the most to take care of his health and try new things. But research suggests that a person's diet, exercise, and lifestyle can have a significant impact on their longevity.

Joyce Preston, from the UK, who turned 100 in March, told BI that her morning routine included yoga or gentle exercise, and she also went on short walks.

Meanwhile, John Tinniswood, who died age 112 in November 2024, said: "Always do the best you can, whether you're learning something or whether you're teaching someone. Give it all you've got. Otherwise, it's not worth bothering with."

Some centenarians also prioritize diets of fresh, whole foods over processed ones. One 2022 study found that eating whole grains, legumes, fish, fruits, vegetables, and nuts could add 10 years to a person's lifespan.

Meanwhile, an expert in healthy aging previously told BI that 30 minutes of activity a day, particularly a mix of cardio and resistance training, could help prevent chronic illnesses.

• This post originally appeared in the Business Insider Today newsletter.
• You can sign up for Business Insider's daily newsletter here.

Welcome back! In case you missed it, our new newsletter, Tech Memo, written by the great Alistair Barr, launched on Friday. Check out the first edition here. And if you aren't already, subscribe here.

In today's big story, we're looking at Big Tech's obsession with cutting out middle managers and flattening their orgs.

What's on deck

Markets: When companies like Facebook and Zillow IPO, they turn to this man

Tech: How one of the hottest coding startups almost died.

Business: Gen Z is turning to blue-collar jobs.

But first, no longer stuck in the middle.

If this was forwarded to you, sign up here.

The big story

Flat techies

Technology can quickly become outdated, but it's a job title in tech that's an endangered species: the middle manager.

Big Tech is flattening its ranks to thin out layers of management in a bid to reduce bureaucracy, writes Emma Cosgrove, Tim Paradis, Eugene Kim, and Ashley Stewart.

Middle managers have had to keep their heads on a swivel for a while. At the end of last year, BI's workplace expert Aki Ito detailed Corporate America falling out of love with the role.

But the tech industry has taken the trend into overdrive, as is often the case. From Microsoft to Intel and Amazon, companies are shedding managers to make themselves as quick and lean as possible.

The biggest immediate impact of flattening orgs is managers overseeing more workers. Some argue that will limit micromanagement. Others say you'll burn out the managers who are left behind.

Big Tech is willing to take its chances, though.

As Amazon CEO Andy Jassy said last fall: "I hate bureaucracy."

"The goal again is to allow us to have higher ownership and to move more quickly," Jassy added.

Big Tech's middle-management purge speaks to a larger trend: Let the stars shine and get rid of anyone else.

Part of tech companies' efficiency push is to identify top performers and weed out underachievers.

With that approach, you could argue there is less of a need for managers. No weak links in the chain means managers don't have to do as much hand-holding. Get out of the way and let your top performers do what they do best.

This isn't a foolproof strategy, though. Someone being extremely capable at their job doesn't always correlate with them being an easy employee to manage. In fact, sometimes the opposite can be true.

But what other options do these tech giants have? The pressure from startups like OpenAI and Anthropic is undeniable. Their smaller size also gives them a massive leg up to move quickly.

And when it comes to AI, speed is the name of the game. Meanwhile, middle managers seem to only be slowing companies down.

3 things in markets

1. Trump's "Big, beautiful bill" could cause some big chaos. Market pros say the president's tax bill would add $4 trillion to the US deficit, stoking mayhem in the bond market. That means another Trump vs. bond market showdown could be headed our way.

2. Bankers tell startups wanting to go public: "Go, go, go." Startups like Hinge Health put their IPO plans on hold when Trump introduced sweeping tariffs. Now that the stock market has recovered, bankers are telling companies to go public while they still can.

3. This "hick from Ohio" is a big deal for IPOs. Pat Healy could be the forefather of getting stock exchanges to compete for the right to get a company to list with them. From free Davos advertising to NFL star appearances, here's how Healy lands companies major marketing perks.

3 things in tech

1. "Appstinence" is a virtue. Raised in the age of the smartphone, a growing cohort of people, mostly millennials and Gen Zers, are opting for dumb tech instead. As the evidence of our collective phone addiction adds up, even tech lovers are embracing the digital detox movement.

2. How Silicon Valley's favorite startup came back from the edge of disaster. StackBlitz was at death's door when Anthropic released its AI model Sonnet 3.5 in 2024. That led StackBlitz to create Bolt.new, a product that could write code based on prompts written in English — and the company's gold mine. BI's Alistair Barr has the full story.

3. Is AI coming for teachers? Duolingo CEO Luis von Ahn thinks so. On a recent podcast appearance, he told venture capitalist Sarah Guo that schools will still be necessary in an AI-driven future — but mostly just for childcare. He thinks AI will do the actual teaching.

3 things in business

1. Gen Z is dyeing white collars blue. The cost of college is skyrocketing, and the white-collar job market is unstable. That's led many young people to turn to trades instead, which can offer six-figure salaries and have a high demand for workers.

2. Selling a merger to Trump? MAGA-ify it. Cable giant Charter is merging with Cox, posing a bigger rival for Comcast. The merger still needs the green light from the Trump administration, and it seems like Charter is leaning into pro-American rhetoric to get it, BI's Peter Kafka writes.

3. LA investor Jessica Mah is in a legal battle with DGV investor Justin Caldbeck and two ex-employees. In a lawsuit, Mah has accused Caldbeck of sexually harassing her, which he denies. The lawsuits against Mah, meanwhile, accuse her of misusing company funds, harassment, and age discrimination, BI's Rob Price reports.

In other news

• No one seems to know if AI will take our jobs or make us productive superstars.
• Joe Biden was diagnosed with an 'aggressive form' of prostate cancer.
• Boeing was the real winner of Donald Trump's trip to the Middle East.
• I was an HR manager at Meta who helped guide the layoff process. Then they cut my role too — here's what being laid off taught me.
• We put Tesla's FSD and Waymo's robotaxi to the test. One shocking mistake made the winner clear.
• Trump's EPA is trying to reverse a Biden climate initiative that would have provided financing for new housing projects.

• Dairy Queen CEO explains what a job interview with Warren Buffett is like.

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  What's happening today

• WNBA season begins.

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• The Business Insider Today team: Dan DeFrancesco, deputy editor and anchor, in New York. Hallam Bullock, senior editor, in London. Grace Lett, editor, in Chicago. Amanda Yen, associate editor, in New York. Lisa Ryan, executive editor, in New York. Ella Hopkins, associate editor, in London. Elizabeth Casolo, fellow, in Chicago.

• Michael O'Leary is set for a 100 million euro windfall if Ryanair stock stays above 21 euros for a month.
• It's been there for 17 days, and rose again on Monday after reporting earnings.
• Ryanair's profits fell 16%, but passenger numbers were up and a big share buyback was approved.

The CEO of Europe's biggest airline is set for another shot at one of the continent's biggest windfalls.

Ryanair's Michael O'Leary stands to receive stock options worth 100 million euros ($113 million) if the Irish budget carrier's share price trades above 21 euros for 28 days.

The stock has done well recently, staying above that price since May 2. It added another 3.3% in Dublin on Monday to just over 23 euros, valuing the company at more than 24 billion euros ($27 billion.)

While it spent a few days at this level last March and April, this is O'Leary's most promising rally yet.

In Monday's full-year earnings, Ryanair reported profits of 1.61 billion euros — a 16% fall compared with the previous 12 months.

While it reached a record 200 million passengers, tickets were 7% cheaper. O'Leary cited consumer spending pressure and "a big drop off" in bookings from online travel agents, following a dispute with them.

The airline also warned growth would slow due to delayed deliveries of Boeing planes. Having fewer planes than expected also meant that staffing costs were 17% higher this past financial year.

Ryanair also announced a share buyback worth 750 million euros.

Analysts at Peel Hunt said the airline traded at a "significant premium" to its peers and they maintained a "hold" rating with a target price of 21.50 euros.

The Financial Times previously reported that O'Leary's bonus deal was supposed to expire last year before being extended until 2028.

The potentially enormous payout isn't without its controversies, as Ryanair is known for its ancillary fees of up to three figures for changing a name or for hold baggage. The airline is getting rid of paper boarding passes later this year, however.

Such fees allow it to keep airfares as low as $20, but on some routes, tickets can still cost hundreds of euros.

When The Wall Street Journal asked about the potentially huge payout in an interview last year, the Ryanair chief gave a characteristically outspoken response.

"If premiership footballers are earning fucking 20 million a year and [Kylian] Mbappé is being paid 130 million to go play football for fucking Real Madrid, then I think my contract is very good value for Ryanair shareholders," O'Leary quipped.

• Xiaomi boss Lei Jun said his company would start making its own mobile chips.
• He said his company was ready to spend billions of dollars on chip design over the next decade.
• It's an approach that its rival Apple largely popularized.

One of Apple's top rivals in China is taking a page out of its own book, again.

On Monday, Xiaomi's billionaire cofounder and CEO, Lei Jun, said that his company was implementing a 10-year plan to invest 50 billion yuan, roughly $7 billion, into chip design as it looks to make chips of its own for its smartphones. To date, it has relied on US firm Qualcomm and Taiwanese firm MediaTek for chips.

In a post to Chinese social media site Weibo, Lei said his company "made a major decision" back in 2021 to restart the process of developing its own silicon for smartphones after an initial effort in the previous decade faced setbacks.

Apple has largely popularized the so-called system-on-a-chip (SoC) approach, spending the past 15 years powering products like iPhones and Macs with its own silicon, which company executives believe gives their products an edge.

Lei also said on Weibo that the first chip from its new mobile efforts, Xring 01, would be unveiled on May 22.

"Chips are the underlying core track for Xiaomi to break through hardcore technology, and we will definitely go all out," Lei wrote, while acknowledging that his company had previously suspended its work on SoC research and development.

The move comes as Chinese companies increasingly seek to develop their own know-how and expertise in key technologies.

Lei said Xiaomi would chase "the latest process technology" as part of its ambitions for its renewed work on mobile chips. Chips for the Xring 01 will be developed using 3 3-nanometer process, Lei said, an advanced way of producing some of the most powerful chips.

He said that at least a decade of fresh investment would be needed, given "the difficulty of chip manufacturing."

"Xiaomi has always had a 'chip dream' because, in order to become a great hardcore technology company, chips are a peak that must be climbed and a tough battle that cannot be avoided," he wrote.

It's not the first time Xiaomi has looked to emulate a rival like Apple.

The Chinese firm, known primarily for selling smartphones, unveiled its first electric vehicle last year, a month after Apple ditched its multi-year effort to release its own EV.

• Former President Joe Biden has been diagnosed with "aggressive" prostate cancer.
• It's relatively easy to treat if caught early, but symptoms often don't show until it is advanced.
• Changes in how often you need to pee are among the signs that are easy to miss.

Former President Joe Biden has been diagnosed with "aggressive" prostate cancer that has spread to his bones, after experiencing urinary symptoms, his private office said on Sunday.

Prostate cancer is the second-deadliest form of cancer in men in the US, after lung cancer, and affects the gland that sits beneath the bladder and in front of the rectum in males. About one in eight men will get prostate cancer, but most will not die of the disease, according to the American Cancer Society.

It is a somewhat paradoxical disease: when caught early, it is often curable — but symptoms typically don't appear until it's more developed and harder to treat.

When found at more advanced stages, treatment options are more limited, and at stage 4, which is where the cancer has spread from the prostate to other parts of the body, "treatment won't cure your cancer, but it can help keep it under control and manage any symptoms," Chiara De Biase, director of health services, Equity, and Improvement at the charity Prostate Cancer UK, told Business Insider.

Biden's team has not shared what stage of cancer he has or his prognosis, but said it was "hormone sensitive," meaning it uses hormones to grow and has the potential to be managed with drugs that block hormones in the body.

Easy to miss symptoms of prostate cancer include changes in how a person pees

Changes in urinary habits tend to be the earliest sign that a person has prostate cancer. If the tumor grows near and presses against the tube we urinate through (the urethra) it can change the way the person pees. But early prostate cancer usually grows in a different part of the prostate away from the urethra, so it doesn't tend to cause symptoms until much later.

Changes in how a person with prostate cancer pees can include:

• Difficulty starting to pee or emptying your bladder
• A weak flow when you pee
• A feeling that your bladder hasn't emptied properly
• Dribbling urine after you finish urinating
• Needing to pee more often than usual, especially at night
• A sudden need to pee or sometimes leaking pee before you get to the toilet.

It's important to note that these changes can also be a sign of a common non-cancerous condition called enlarged prostate.

If prostate cancer spreads, other symptoms can include:

• Back pain, hip pain or pelvis pain
• Problems getting or keeping an erection
• Blood in the urine or semen
• Unexplained weight loss
• Weakness or numbness in the legs or feet, or even loss of bladder or bowel control, from cancer in the spine pressing on the spinal cord

Men are diagnosed with prostate cancer at the age of 67, on average

Biden is 82. The ACS recommends that men with an average risk of prostate cancer consider getting screened at age 50. The test involves taking a blood sample and checking for higher-than-normal prostate-specific antigen levels.

"It's so important for men to know their own risk, and what they can choose to do about it," De Biase said.

• I wanted to sign my kids up for after-school activities because I didn't do many when I was young.
• But when I had kids, it felt overwhelming.
• At first, I felt guilty, but I realized being present with them was enough.

Growing up, I hardly participated in any activities after school. I did cross-country for a bit until I injured my ankle too badly to continue, and I tried cheerleading for a few years in elementary school, but that was it.

When I got pregnant, I told myself that I was going to be the mom who signed her kids up for everything. I was thinking about dance classes, gymnastics, instruments — the works. But when the time came and I had three girls, that's not what happened.

We tried ballet lessons for a few months, but it was exhausting

My girls did ballet lessons for about five months before the pandemic hit and in-person activities were shut down, and it was exhausting. It was just one activity, and I was still in over my head. When it restarted again a year later, I hid my face every time I saw the instructor, praying she wouldn't ask when we were coming back.

The kids didn't seem to miss it, and I sure didn't miss rushing them home from school to get dressed just to race to the studio and then stay up all night doing homework. We did that routine three times a week. Weekends? Swamped with studying and catching up.

While my friends' kids and their peers were zipping off to karate or piano or STEM camp, mine were at home with me — watching movies, helping with dinner, or just lying around doing nothing in particular. At first, it didn't feel like a choice; it felt like a failure to keep up because I was overwhelmed. Not in a dramatic, falling-apart kind of way, but I was constantly tired in that quiet way no one really sees. How did anyone else find the time to do that stuff?

Between freelance work, co-running a household, and trying to be emotionally available to my kids, adding even one more thing felt impossible. I kept telling myself, "Next month, I'll sign them up for something." But then the month would pass, and then another, and I hadn't done it.

I watched other parents juggle it all and wondered if I was falling behind

My husband and I often discussed whether there was something else we could be doing. I'd scroll through photos of other people's kids taking swim lessons or playing weekend volleyball games and feel a gnawing sense of inadequacy. Other parents seemed to be juggling so much — and doing it well. I felt like I was letting my kids miss out on something essential, some rite of passage that would make them more confident, social, or well-rounded.

Sometimes I'd ask my oldest if she wanted to join an activity, and she would shrug. "Maybe," she'd say. But there was never a strong yes, and I didn't have the energy to push it. The idea of finding the right program, coordinating drop-offs and pick-ups, and buying the gear was all too much. So I did nothing.

And that nothing started to weigh on me.

Was I lazy? Uninvolved? Selfish? Was I doing my kids a disservice by not filling their calendars the way other parents did? I didn't know. We had already established our own little family traditions, but I also wondered if our kids would be less cultured than others if we didn't get more active.

I've started to see that the way I'm parenting is good enough

Over time, I've started to see that being present was enough. The shift didn't come all at once. It came slowly — in bedtime conversations, in shared jokes, in the way my kids still came to me for comfort or to tell me about their day. I realized they weren't lacking anything in those moments. They weren't counting missed soccer goals or music lessons; they were counting on me.

We made cinnamon rolls together, my husband took them on long walks, and they talked about everything from how digestion works to their biggest fears. I was there when they woke up and when they went to sleep. I knew their friends' names, their favorite snacks, and that "Roys Bedoys" was the funniest cartoon to them. I didn't need a calendar to tell me I was showing up, because I just was.

There's this pressure to perform parenthood. It feels as though you've got to post the carousel of photos filled with every milestone and accomplishment, as well as the hustle of it all from day to day. But the quieter stuff — the long hugs, the shared silence, the way your kid looks for you in a crowded room — doesn't get a certificate or applause. It matters just as much, though.

I still sometimes wonder if I should be doing more, and maybe one day I will. But for now, though my kids may not have a full extracurricular résumé, they have me, and I'm finally starting to believe that's enough.

• One of tech's biggest celebrities, Jensen Huang, spoke on Monday at a major industry show in Taiwan.
• Huang said Nvidia is building a new office in northern Taipei.
• He also introduced a new desktop system and talked about China's DeepSeek R1 model.

Taiwan's biggest tech celebrity — clad in his signature black leather jacket — ran onstage in Taipei on Monday morning with a lot to talk about.

Jensen Huang's 100-minute keynote at the tech show Computex featured Nvidia's usual assortment of high-tech videos, complete with a cute robot, and praise for semiconductor hub Taiwan.

The tech titan also outlined new products and a significant regional expansion. Business Insider was in the audience while Huang spoke — here are the top four takeaways from his speech.

1. Nvidia's new office

Speculation about Nvidia's new office in Taiwan has been brewing since Huang said in January that the company's current building was too small and that it was "looking for real estate."

On Monday, Taipei's mayor, Chiang Wan-an, generated buzz when he showed up at Huang's keynote. Huang went on to announce that Nvidia is eying the Beitou Shilin area — home to a science park — in northern Taipei for the tech giant's new Taiwan office, named "Nvidia Constellation."

The announcement was met with applause and cheers from the audience.

Chiang said in a media interview following Huang's keynote that the city government welcomes Nvidia's move and will provide any necessary assistance.

2. New computer systems

Huang introduced Nvidia's DGX systems, which are designed for users who want heavy-duty AI without dedicating significant storage space to a weighty server system.

The physical workstation can be used as a single computer or as a central node for multiple users.

"This computer is the most performance you can possibly get out of a wall socket. You could put this in your kitchen. But just barely, if you put this in your kitchen and then somebody runs the microwave, I think that's the limit," he joked.

Huang said the cloud-based system — DGX Spark — will be ready in a few weeks. Nvidia is working with companies including Dell and HP on the systems.

"I'll let all of our partners price it for themselves, but one thing's for sure: Everybody can have one for Christmas," Huang said.

3. DeepSeek praise

Huang talked software, too.

He praised the DeepSeek R1 model, saying that it's "genuinely a gift to the world's AI industry."

"The amount of computer science breakthroughs is really quite significant and has really opened up a lot of great research for researchers in the United States and around the world," Huang said.

He said DeepSeek R1 — owned by the Chinese hedge fund High-Flyer — has made a "real impact" in how people think about AI and that it has made a "great contribution to the industry and the world."

Shares of Nvidia and many of its peers were clobbered in January, as Wall Street grappled with how to price in the new, seemingly cheaper technology.

Huang said in February that investors got it wrong because the industry will still need computing power for post-training.

4. New AI supercomputer for Taiwan

Huang announced an Nvidia collaboration with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Foxconn — the world's largest electronics contract manufacturer — and the Taiwanese government to build an AI supercomputer for the island.

Nvidia's joint effort with the Taiwanese government and Taiwan's top tech giants highlights the Santa Clara-based company's close ties to the hub of global chipmaking.

Born in Tainan in southern Taiwan before he moved to the US as a child, Huang's meteoric rise to the top of tech royalty has captivated Taiwan and catapulted him to folk hero status.

In Taiwan, Huang is surrounded by local media and fans who ask for selfies and autographs. The celebrity factor has also rubbed off on Nvidia, the company he cofounded, at home and abroad. The chipmaker's stock is up nearly 43% in the last year.

• The yield on US 30-year Treasurys rose above 5% on Monday.
• The increase follows Moody's downgrading of the US credit rating on Friday.
• Stock futures are down in premarket trading.

The US lost its last remaining top-tier credit rating on Friday, and investors responded on Monday by reviving the "sell America" trade.

Everything from bonds to stocks to the US dollar ticked lower to start the week, with markets assessing the impact of Moody's decision to downgrade the US debt rating from Aaaa to Aa1.

The yield on the 30-year Treasury bond was up as much as 12 basis points to 5.02%, the highest level since late 2023.

The 10-year yield also rose about 10 basis points to surpass 4.5%. Bond yields rise when prices decline.

"If we stay at these levels this would be a higher yield than that seen at the worst close after Liberation Day," Jim Reid, managing director and head of global macro and thematic research at Deutsche Bank, said in a note on Monday.

The previous triple-A rating signifies top-tier creditworthiness, with the US at minimal risk of not being able to meet its obligations to debt investors. Other countries with the top rating include the European Union, Canada, and Germany.

Aa1 is the second-highest rating and still indicates a very low credit risk of a borrower.

The ratings agency's decision highlights a growing concern in the bond market. Market pros tell Business Insider that any fiscal package that adds substantially to the deficit could be met with protest from "bond vigilantes" and send yields spiking to painful levels.

"The combination of diminished appetite to buy US assets and the rigidity of a US fiscal process that locks in very high deficits is what is making the market very nervous," George Saravelos, Deutsche Bank's head of FX research, said in a note on Monday.

He added that a key problem for the US was bond and currency markets failing to properly price in fiscal risks.

Here's how other assets were moving on Monday.

US stocks

The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq 100 fell 1%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 285 points.

"The US credit rating downgrade adds to a long list of uncertainties that the stock market is weighing right now, including tariff, fiscal, inflation and economic ones," Clark Geranen, the chief market strategist at CalBay investments, wrote in a note.

"US-related stocks and investment trusts dominated the list of losers on Monday morning in London, while precious metals miners were higher as gold and silver prices moved up and the dollar weakened," AJ Bell investment director Russ Mould wrote in a Monday note.

"Significantly, the US 30-year Treasury yield flashed a warning signal as it hit the 5% mark for the first time since April, with the proposed tax cuts making their way through Congress, expected in some quarters to increase the US deficit."

The dollar

The US dollar continued to decline amid the sell-off in US assets. The US dollar index, which weighs the greenback against a basket of other currencies, traded around 100 on Monday, nearly 1% lower than its intraday peak on Friday. The index is down 7% since the start of the year.

In the past, US credit downgrades have had a "short-lived" impact on the value of the dollar, according to Kit Juckes, a chief FX strategist at Societe Generale.

"At most, it's something else to nibble away at the confidence of foreign holders of US assets," Juckes said of the downgrade in a note on Monday. "For now, the economic data is just about keeping the idea of US exceptionalism alive, but if the economy does weaken in the coming months as higher tariffs finally arrive, hindsight geniuses will look back at days like today and say it was obvious the dollar was setting itself up for a sizeable fall."

• Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang praised DeepSeek R1 for significant contributions to AI research.
• DeepSeek has made a "real impact" in how people think about inference and reasoning AI, Huang said.
• Nvidia's stock fell sharply amid January's DeepSeek selloff, but Huang said investors got it wrong.

Jensen Huang heaped praise on the Chinese AI model that briefly upended the tech world, calling DeepSeek's R1 "a great contribution to the industry and to the world" on Monday.

Shares of tech and semiconductor companies, including Nvidia, tumbled in January following the meteoric rise of DeepSeek R1, the Chinese AI model that investors viewed as being globally competitive and cost-effective.

But Huang has good things to say about DeepSeek, which he said on Monday was "genuinely a gift to the world's AI industry."

"The amount of computer science breakthroughs is really quite significant and has really opened up a lot of great research for researchers in the United States and around the world," Huang said at the opening keynote of the Computex Taipei tech conference in Taiwan.

In January, open-source chatbot DeepSeek R1 took the world by storm, raising questions about Silicon Valley's massive spending spree on the technology.

"Everywhere I go, DeepSeek R1 has made a real impact in how people think about AI and how to think about inference and how to think about reasoning AIs," Huang said.

US AI-related shares tanked across the board in the wake of DeepSeek's rise. Nvidia's stock lost as much as $600 billion in market capitalization, hitting 20% of Huang's personal net worth at one point. The stock has recovered most of these losses and is up nearly 43% in the last year.

Huang said in February that investors got it wrong because the industry will still need computing power for post-training.

At the time, Huang said that post-training is the "most important part of intelligence" and "where you learn to solve problems."

The tech titan also seemed upbeat about DeepSeek, saying the open-sourced model created "energy around the world."

• Walt Disney World is building its first-ever affordable housing development.
• The 1,400 units will be built in Horizon West, a master-planned community in Central Florida.
• Housing insecurity is a problem in Central Florida — for residents and Disney cast members alike.

I don't typically spend my Friday afternoons flitting across Orlando in search of undeveloped plots, but nearly 80 acres of land have become a source of tension for some residents of Horizon West.

The master-planned community, complete with five villages and a town center, spans over 20,000 acres and is about 20 minutes from the Magic Kingdom.

Construction for nearly 1,400 mixed-income housing units — developed by The Michaels Organization on land owned by Walt Disney World — will begin this year. More than 1,000 units will be dedicated to affordable housing.

"We selected this land because it is part of a thriving community, close to employers, shopping, services, public schools, and areas of rest and recreation," Disney says about the development on its website. "We feel there is no better-positioned community in Central Florida to provide residents the opportunity to start a new chapter of their story."

Disney said the "critical" need for affordable housing units prompted it to pursue the project. "The lack of affordable housing is affecting many people across our country, including those who live and work in Central Florida," the company says.

Housing insecurity continues to impact Central Florida.

Residents across various industries are still reeling from the increased cost of living and the dicey housing market that emerged after the COVID-19 pandemic. That includes hospitality and tourism workers — like Walt Disney World cast members — who are vital to the area's economy. Former cast members have told local Florida outlets and BI that they've struggled with housing insecurity and securing living wages.

Walt Disney World has made strides to address the issue. In 2021, the company set a $15 minimum wage for cast members and increased it to $18 in 2023.

Critics of the privately funded project said the fast-growing area is already crowded and does not have the infrastructure to handle an influx of residents. Supporters said it's an opportunity to address the housing insecurity in Central Florida. Orange County expects the population, now over 1.5 million, to increase by 500,000 by 2050.

Orange County District 1 Commissioner Nicole Wilson, who represents residents in Horizon West, opposed a proposal for the housing units last year.

"We are not in a position to put more human beings in an area that isn't ready for them. I think we have this perception that affordable housing is the goal. And yes, it should be affordable, but it should also come with all the things we need for it to be successful," Wilson told WMFE, a local public radio station.

In response to concerned citizens, a Disney spokesperson told Newsweek, "Orange County leaders continue to identify affordable housing as one of the most significant priorities for our region, and we take great pride in bringing a plan to the table that can contribute to the solution."

Residents told BI that Horizon West used to be a hidden gem, but now it's attracting people in search of camaraderie and what they call the "village lifestyle."

I toured the community to see what all the hype was about.

Each Horizon West village has a distinct vibe

As I walked through Horizon West, one thing became clear: It's a lively, family-focused community that is quickly expanding.

Parents pushed strollers, couples walked dogs, and packs of laughing children sped down the sidewalks on electric scooters. Palm trees dotted the grassy landscape alongside several apartment buildings and retail spots. It's a far cry from when citrus farmers and their groves dominated the area.

Orange County began to develop Horizon West in 1995 after a series of freezes decimated the citrus groves in the area. Inspired by the new urbanism movement, developers created a master plan that envisioned each village having housing, shops, a place to work, a school, parks, and other things essential to daily life.

That "village lifestyle" is one reason Heather Parker and her family moved to Horizon West from Missouri in 2020. Parker is the culture & engagement manager for Horizon West Happenings, a community initiative focused on empowering residents.

"When we decided to move to Florida, my kids were in elementary school and middle school, so having the school was a very big draw to us," Parker said. "As we started researching, we found a couple of options that were a good fit."

It was also appealing that residents have easy access to green spaces and often forgo cars for bicycles or scooters, she said.

"Everything is open and connected," Parker said. "I can go to the grocery store on my scooter to pick up a couple of items or go to the dentist. The hospital is two minutes down the street from me. There are so many great things about everything being so close."

Although each village appears similar at a glance, Lindsay Turner, the director of marketing for Horizon West Happenings, said each "has its own unique vibe."

Hamlin, for example, acts as the downtown and offers a nightlife element attractive to young professionals. Bridgewater is "family-oriented," while Village I attracts many Disney employees due to the close commute. There's also a Brazilian influence prevalent in some villages that isn't in others, which Turner said shows how each area is distinct.

Horizon West's population boomed during the pandemic

Florida became a top destination for people moving states during the COVID-19 pandemic, giving it an economic boost but also increasing living costs. When I explored Horizon West, it seemed like there were signs and banners advertising real estate options on every corner.

Real estate agent Nicole Mickle said the influx of new Floridians was felt in Horizon West. She and her family moved to the area in 2018. "I sold many homes through FaceTime," Mickle said.

The US Census Bureau reported that 14,000 people lived in Horizon West in 2010, and that number rose to over 58,100 in 2020. The community is now about 75,000, according to the Census Reporter.

"The rumors are true," Turner said."The growth is exponential. It's insane how quickly and how fast things grow here. You can leave Horizon West for a month or two and come back to areas that are completely unrecognizable."

Horizon West has various housing options at different price points, which the developers specified in the master plan.

"Apartments could be around $2,500 a month, and homes could be multimillion-dollar over here," Mickle said. "I think the homes are still affordable for what Horizon West offers. You can't find this in other areas of Orlando at the moment."

Disney moves in

Mickle said the recent population boom, in tandem with residents' passion for Horizon West, could explain the stir around the Disney-backed housing units.

"What some want to do is keep the integrity of the community," Mickle said.

Residents circulated a petition last year saying they "strongly opposed" the construction because it threatened "the local environment and quality of life due to the inappropriate location and lack of adequate infrastructure." Some residents told local media outlets that the housing units would bring more traffic to the area, while others wondered how affordable the units would actually be.

Although the units have drawn criticism, Parker said they've also generated excitement from those looking for new housing opportunities. The units are meant for Central Florida residents across many industries and backgrounds, including firefighters, teachers, and hospitality workers.

"Not many teachers in Horizon West live in the area," Parker said. "It is an upper-middle-class area, and teachers in Florida may not make enough money to live here otherwise."

Parker said the project is designed to fit aesthetically with the surrounding Horizon West properties and will have coveted amenities like pocket parks.

"Disney has done a great job of holding community meetings, opening up the dialogue, listening, and trying to make sure everybody's on the same page," Parker said.

• Incat launched the world's largest electric ship — the biggest EV ever built — this month.
• Electric vessels are only suited to routes of less than 200 miles, Incat's founder told Business Insider.
• Demand is rising, but scaling up production poses a major challenge for Incat, Robert Clifford said.

Electric shipping has reached a major milestone, but long-haul routes remain a distant dream.

This month Australian shipbuilder Incat launched Hull 096, a 427-foot fully electric ferry built for South American operator Buquebus.

The vessel, now docked in Hobart, Tasmania, is the largest electric vehicle ever built. It is designed to carry 2,100 passengers and 225 vehicles across the Río de la Plata between Buenos Aires and Uruguay and is powered by about 275 tons of batteries.

Incat's chairman and founder, Robert Clifford, said ships like Hull 096 are still best suited for short distances — not the open ocean.

Density dilemma

"There's not the slightest doubt that under 50 miles, electric will be virtually 100%," Clifford told Business Insider. "When you're talking 200 miles, it might only be 50%. Over that, it'd be zero at the moment."

He said the main issue was the limited energy density of batteries, which still don't offer the same storage capacity per weight and volume as fossil fuels.

That's why Incat is focusing on ferries for high-density, relatively short routes like those in the English Channel or the Baltic Sea instead of oceangoing ships.

"We're ferry boat builders," Clifford said. "Even a very large ferry for most routes would not go over about 160 meters."

Still, Clifford believes Hull 096 marks a turning point for clean maritime transport.

"The ship changes the game," he said in a press release earlier this month. "We've been building world-leading vessels here in Tasmania for more than four decades, and Hull 096 is the most ambitious, most complex, and most important project we've ever delivered."

The ferry boasts a 40 megawatt-hour battery — the largest installed on a ship — feeding eight waterjets designed by Finnish firm Wärtsilä.

The interior, which includes a 2,300-square-meter duty-free shopping deck, is set to be completed this year ahead of trials on Tasmania's Derwent River.

Buquebus had originally commissioned Hull 096 as a liquid natural gas-powered ferry, but Incat convinced the company to go electric.

And while Clifford is bullish on the tech, he said real-world adoption depends on port infrastructure and customer readiness. "We simply need the shipowner to do their sums."

He said there's been strong demand since Hull 096's launch and was in talks with a dozen "serious" clients from Europe and South America.

"I've been in this entrepreneurial business for 30-odd years, and we've never had so many serious potential orders," he said.

Growth challenge

Still, scaling production in Tasmania is a massive leap. "We've been building one or two boats a year," Clifford said. "Building four or more large boats a year is a massive increase in the size of the company," which would require going from 500 to 3,000 staff, he said.

"That's today's challenge — how do we transition to a significant shipbuilder?"

Whether Tasmania becomes a global hub for electric shipbuilding remains to be seen.

William "Boeing, for instance, had a small shipyard in Seattle," Clifford said. "It probably wasn't the best place in the world to start building airplanes. But he did, and then he sold 100 to the US Army.

"He suddenly went from a small boat builder to a leading aircraft manufacturer all in a period of about a year or two. That sort of challenge is ahead of us."

• Anduril is competing with General Atomics for the US Air Force's drone wingman program.
• The startup says it's designed its drone, Fury, with commercial parts like a business jet engine.
• The Air Force has cited the project as a way to bring "affordable mass" to its aerial missions.

Anduril Industries has revealed new details on how it plans to keep costs down for the US Air Force as it competes with defense heavyweight General Atomics for the drone wingman program.

The defense startup, cofounded by Palmer Luckey, was featured in a CBS "60 Minutes" segment on Sunday. During the segment, Anduril's CEO, Brian Schimpf, said the firm designed its AI-powered fighter jet, Fury, to be built from commercial parts to make manufacturing easier.

"We tried to eliminate really every bottleneck we could find around what makes an aircraft hard to produce," said Schimpf.

Schimpf said the Fury's designers, for example, chose to go with a commercial business jet engine instead of a military one.

The Warzone reported in 2023 that the Fury was designed with a Williams International FJ44-4M turbofan engine, which is popular in light business jets such as those in the Cessna Citation Series. Anduril didn't say in the Sunday CBS segment if the Fury still uses the same engine.

Schimpf also said that the Fury avoids "very exquisite, big aircraft landing gear" in favor of a simpler model.

"We designed it so that it can be built in any machine shop in America," he said of the landing gear.

"We've designed nearly every part of this that can be made in hundreds of different places within the US from lots of different suppliers," Schimpf added.

The Fury, designated YFQ-44A by the Air Force, is Anduril's bid to win the Pentagon's Collaborative Combat Aircraft contract, which seeks to build large autonomous or semi-autonomous drones that can fly in tandem with piloted advanced fighter jets for Next Generation Air Dominance.

The service wants these new aircraft to be much cheaper than regular fighter jets. Gen. David Allvin, the Air Force Chief of Staff, said in November that the purpose of the drone wingman program was to bring "affordable mass" to aerial missions.

It's a priority that reflects mounting concerns in the US that the American military could run out of weapons and ammo in a matter of weeks or even days if it were to go to war with a rival such as China.

Now, the Air Force says the drone wingman program is a core part of its mandate to recalibrate itself for near-peer conflict.

Frank Kendall, who served as Air Force Secretary until January, said he'd accelerated plans to develop Collaborative Combat Aircraft when analyses showed the drones would "change air warfare in some very fundamental ways."

Anduril was one of two contractors selected to be the drone project's lead in April 2024, meaning it already beat Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman to reach this phase of development.

General Atomics, which manufactures the MQ-9 Reaper and MQ-1 Predator, has also billed its offering — the XQ-67A — as a "low-cost, modular" uncrewed system.

Both companies' prototypes were shown on May 1 at California's Beale Air Force Base, which Allvin said would be the home site for initial testing and assessments. The Air Force is expected to make early selection decisions in its fiscal year of 2026, which starts in October.

Anduril and General Atomics did not respond to comment requests sent outside regular business hours by Business Insider.

• On Sunday, Capital One acquired Discover Financial, becoming the sixth-largest US bank by assets.
• Online-focused Discover stands to gain a big physical footprint from the deal.
• A pair of top Democrats warned last month that the deal could spell trouble for customers.

Capital One has acquired Discover Financial, becoming the sixth-largest bank in the US by asset size.

In an earnings call last month, Capital One's CEO, Richard Fairbank, said the goal was to "preserve the best" of what Discover does, such as its advertising and focus on customer experiences.

Capital One's $35.3 billion acquisition of Discover was first announced in February 2024.

The deal was approved by regulators last month, despite pushback from top Democrats and consumer advocates who raised concerns about lower competition and risks to low-income customers and those with poor credit scores.

Representatives of Capital One and Discover didn't respond to a request for comment. On Monday, both banks said that "customer accounts and banking relationships remain unchanged" at this time.

Here's what customers of each of the two companies stand to gain and lose from the deal.

What does the merger mean for Capital One customers?

A much bigger Capital One could mean more products, but some Democrats have warned of higher fees.

Capital One previously said the merger would increase competition with the transaction giants Visa, Mastercard, and American Express and improve access for lower-income customers.

In a white paper published in July, four economists and lawyers at the International Center for Law & Economics wrote that the merger might finally end the Visa and MasterCard "duopoly."

They added that the merger would let Capital One switch its debit cards to Discover's payment networks, and it might offer "more attractive products to depositors." This could include free checking accounts with no minimum balance rules and debit cards with cash back for lower-income customers.

Cost savings and other benefits from the acquisition could also make Capital One a stronger competitor to "behemoths such as JPMorgan Chase, Citibank, and Bank of America," the ICLE group wrote.

What does the merger mean for Discover customers?

The merger doesn't appear to mean any big immediate changes. Discover has said accounts aren't linked to the new corporate owner, so Capital One branches and customer service can't help with Discover products.

Eventually, Discover customers may have greater access to the bank through Capital One's branches and ATMs. Right now, Discover has just one physical outpost in Delaware.

Michael Shepherd, the interim CEO of Discover, said on an earnings call last month that the deal would "increase competition in payment networks" and "offer a wider range of products."

Reactions to the deal

In a letter written to the Federal Reserve System earlier this month, Rep. Maxine Waters of California and Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts argued that the merger would hurt Capital One customers.

Warren and Waters are top Democrats on the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee and the House Financial Services Committee, respectively.

"These are not two traditional banks — they are credit card giants," they wrote.

Waters and Warren said post-merger Capital One would have 40% of the general-purpose credit card issuance market share. This would give Capital One the power to increase fees for merchants and reduce rewards and other benefits for customers.

"Merchants would have no choice but to accept the terms dictated by Capital One's network, since they need to access the customers of the largest credit card issuer in the country," they wrote in the letter.

Warren and Waters said it was "doubtful" that Capital One could fix the "myriad issues" that Discover faces.

"For roughly 17 years, Discover misclassified millions of consumer credit cards as commercial, resulting in higher interchange fees for transactions," the politicians wrote.

In the white paper, the ICLE economists and lawyers wrote that a merger could improve data protection because the combined company would have the capacity to increase "financial investments in security."

A bigger company also means access to more data, which can be a plus, they wrote.

"The ability to capture and analyze more data on more customers may also permit the larger and more competitive company to develop and offer new innovative products," the ICLE experts wrote.

• Google CEO Sundar Pichai said, "all of us are going to do well" when it comes to the AI race.
• He said he met with Elon Musk and thinks his ability to build future technologies is "unparalleled."
• Pichai said success in AI will depend on innovation and execution, which is driven by top talent.

The launch of ChatGPT set off a race among Big Tech companies and startups to scale AI, but Google CEO Sundar Pichai doesn't see it as a situation where only one player wins.

"I think all of us are going to do well in this scenario," Pichai said during an episode of the "All-In Podcast," published Friday.

Podcast host David Friedberg agreed with Pichai and said there seems to be a misconception that there's one winner "and everyone else is a loser." Friedberg said AI is introducing "an entirely new world" that's bigger than that.

Pichai's comments came after former Googler and Podcast host David Friedberg asked for his thoughts on rival companies like Microsoft, xAI, OpenAI, and Meta and their leaders. The Google CEO acknowledged that "by definition, it's a very impressive group."

"I think maybe only one of them has invited me to a dance, not the others," Pichai said, referencing Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella's comments that the "new Bing" will make Google "come out and show that they can dance."

Pichai added that he spent time with Elon Musk about two weeks ago and described the billionaire's ability to build future technologies as "unparalleled." He said that while there is competition among the companies discussed, there is also respect and partnerships.

Pichai said that AI offers a much larger "opportunity landscape" than any previous technology combined. He added that there may be companies that enter the playing field that haven't been established yet. Pichai raised the point that when the internet came out in 1983, Google hadn't even been launched as a company yet. Now, it's become the dominant search engine.

"There are companies we don't even know, haven't been started yet, their names aren't known," Pichai said, adding that those "might be extraordinarily big winners" when it comes to AI.

Pichai said that the companies that end up doing well will be those that are able to "innovate and execute with the best talent." That is what will be the driver for success, Pichai said.

Google is actively investing in that belief. Last year, the tech giant reportedly spent $2.7 billion on a deal largely intended to get AI scientist and startup founder Noam Shazeer back at the company. Other companies are following the same path: OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has directly called candidates to persuade them to join his startup.

OpenAI also poached dozens of Googlers last year, and Zuckerberg has reportedly written personal emails to AI researchers at Google's DeepMind as a recruitment attempt. Even if Pichai is right that there's room for multiple companies to win the AI race, the competition hasn't shown signs of letting up anytime soon.

Google declined a request to comment from Business Insider.