• A Russian company said it paid 12 soldiers a combined $195,000 for shooting down an F-16 jet.
• Fores said it presented the soldiers the cash at a ceremony near the Russia-Ukraine border on Thursday.
• Kyiv had long coveted the US-made F-16. It received its first of the jets in 2024.

A Russian oil company said it had awarded a total of 15 million rubles (around $195,000) to Russian soldiers who it credited with downing the first US-made F-16 fighter jet in Ukraine.

In a press release, Fores, a fracking parts manufacturer, said it had presented 12 servicemen with the cash at a ceremony near the Russia-Ukraine border on Thursday.

"Fores fulfilled its earlier promise and paid 15 million rubles to Russian servicemen for destroying the first F-16 fighter jet in the special operation zone," the company said.

The firm announced the bounty system in 2023, promising cash rewards for soldiers who destroyed certain Western-supplied military equipment.

The company said it had so far paid out just over 52 million rubles (around $670,000) for the destruction of the F-16 and an unspecified number of Leopard 2 and Abrams tanks.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had long coveted the F-16 as he sought to bolster Ukraine's air defenses, and Kyiv received its first delivery of the jet in the summer of 2024.

Ukraine's forces have so far lost at least three F-16s in combat, with the General Staff confirming the first loss in August last year.

The F-16 has nevertheless seemingly proved a hit over the battlefield.

Gen. Christopher G. Cavoli, the US's top general in Europe, told a Senate Armed Services Committee in April that F-16s were flying "every day" in Ukraine and that they had been successful in both air defense and offensive operations.

"They've defeated a large number of cruise missile threats, and they've delivered an awful lot of offensive attacks as well," he said, adding: "Specifically, bombing attacks in the east."

• I realized our family spent $2,500 in one month on food delivery.
• We immediately made changes, including strict rules around delivery and planned dinner alternatives.
• After just a few weeks, our spending is down to less than $400, with more savings to come.

My husband and I don't have many major vices. We don't drink, smoke, or do drugs, but we do have one consistent decadence: ordering takeout and delivery.

The luxury of ordering from any restaurant we want instead of cooking is one that we indulge in regularly. After all, my husband works full time, I handle our home and schooling for our teens, and I live with a chronic illness that zaps the rest of my energy. So, a night free from cooking is always a much-needed win.

However, we recently noticed that our spending had gotten extreme. At the beginning of the year, we were ordering dinner to be delivered several days a week. By March, we were ordering in for lunch most days, too. Come April, I realized we hadn't cooked anything more substantial than frozen pizza in our kitchen since February. Looking at our bank statement, I worked out that all this liberal spending was starting to add up to big bucks.

When I saw the total amount spent, the wasted expenses were sickening. In April alone, we spent $2,500 through a single delivery service. To put that into perspective, our monthly mortgage is only $1,500. We were spending $1,000 more than our house payment on delivered food. The realization was shameful and more than a little embarrassing. Something had to change.

How we got into this mess

Having three teenagers already means accommodating their never-ending appetites, but we also have an issue with pickiness. Two of our three kids are exceedingly choosy about what they will and won't eat, making planning for shared meals more complicated. Ordering food to be delivered seemed like the quick fix to that problem, but it really just created more trouble.

Instead of ordering from one restaurant for everyone, we began ordering from multiple places per day to keep the kids happy. But they began to expect this accommodation regularly, adding more cost to each meal.

The other contributor to our food delivery weakness was the effort needed to cook meals regularly. As I mentioned, my husband works full time as a network operations manager for a local school district. He manages a team of 14 employees and oversees the network for about 70 campuses. It goes without saying that he's pretty tired by the end of the day.

While I don't have a typical 9-5 job, I do write freelance, which can be time-consuming when I'm on deadline. I'm also in charge of education for my two high school students and handle daily after-school pick-up and extracurriculars.

On top of these responsibilities, I also have fibromyalgia, a chronic pain and fatigue disease. Affecting my body and mind, it sometimes minimizes my ability to do something as basic as cook dinner for my family.

We devised new solutions for savings

After I told my husband the truth about our food delivery spending, we devised a plan to eliminate the waste.

First, we talked to our kids about cutting back on food delivery and refocusing on cooking at home. We set new rules around when we could and couldn't order. We eliminated delivery orders for desserts and after-school snacks. We would no longer be allowed to order from multiple places for one meal.

We had to cook dinner on the weekdays, with the exception of Mondays, to accommodate our extracurricular schedule. We could also choose one day during the weekend to order food, as long as we followed the other rules.

To make dinner prep less of a chore, we began planning menus a week out. This allowed the kids to decide on alternatives for days when they didn't like family dinner and helped simplify grocery shopping.

Additionally, we added alternatives such as pre-made meals, salads, sandwiches, and frozen entrées to our fridge and freezer spaces, so having no food at home wouldn't be used as an excuse.

We've only been trying this new spending habit since the start of May, but in the first few weeks, our total spending was under $400. It's a massive improvement over $2,500 a month, and as long as we follow our rules, we're guaranteed to save even more.

• I quit my corporate job to open a laundromat business, which is now worth millions.
• I had to learn to be resilient and how to keep pushing forward when the business gets difficult.
• Success doesn't always come in dollar amounts; you have to discover what it means for you.

When most people think about entrepreneurship, they envision hoodie-clad coders building the next tech unicorn. My startup story? It began with dirty socks and a delivery van.

My unusual passion began in my freshman year of college when I started running a laundry pickup and delivery service called Wake Wash. The business was a success, but when graduation approached, my partners wanted to pursue investment banking. Not wanting to be branded as the embarrassing "laundry guy," I sold Wake Wash for $200,000 and reluctantly joined the corporate world.

Management consulting pleased my parents and offered me great colleagues, but it was soul-crushing work. By late 2015, I had quit to launch 2ULaundry, a business inspired by the surge of on-demand services like Rover and Instacart. I thought, "Someone is going to revolutionize laundry and dry cleaning. Why not me?"

In less than a decade, 2ULaundry has become a multimillion-dollar enterprise. We secured about $33 million in funding and established 29 laundromats nationwide.

Here's what I think all entrepreneurs need to know.

First, you have to ignore shiny object syndrome

I could never have imagined that my embarrassing college side hustle would grow into a nine-figure business. But by rejecting the conventional corporate path and mustering up the courage to forge my own, it did exactly that.

My advice to any aspiring entrepreneurs is to ignore "shiny object syndrome" and think independently. Your idea doesn't have to be the most groundbreaking, but it must solve a genuine problem.

Sometimes, the more "boring" businesses that aren't shiny have more stability.

From there, consider what truly motivates you. Is it developing new skills, creating a side hustle while maintaining your day job, achieving financial independence, being a digital nomad, or building a legacy for your family?

The entrepreneurial landscape offers many opportunities, from franchise ownership to real estate investment to creating digital products. The key is to find a balance between market opportunities, your personal passion, and honesty about your time and financial constraints.

Cultivate resilience and be adaptable

Entrepreneurship resembles a hero's journey filled with late nights, sacrifices, and disappointments. Yet I believe people find greater fulfillment, learning opportunities, and societal impact as business owners than as employees.

Working for myself has provided me with purpose and fulfillment far beyond anything I experienced in the corporate world working for someone else. However, success requires extraordinary resilience. Most aspiring entrepreneurs quit when the going gets tough.

I call this mindset "cockroach mode" — the ability to survive and persist when others quit. This is often the difference between failure and success. The entrepreneurs who are ultimately successful aren't always the most innovative or brilliant; they're the ones who refused to abandon their vision or quit when difficulties arose.

Equally important is the willingness to pivot. With 2ULaundry, we pivoted three to four times. What began as a marketplace connecting customers with gig workers who collected their laundry ended up evolving into a physical laundromat franchise with hundreds of delivery vehicles and locations nationwide.

Redefine success on your own terms

Today's culture worships entrepreneurial celebrities like Warren Buffett, Mark Cuban, Elon Musk, and Jeff Bezos for their wealth, influence, and success. But the true prize isn't necessarily becoming a billionaire; it's controlling your destiny and building something meaningful.

I'm incredibly grateful I took a chance on myself by leaving my unfulfilling desk job to pursue entrepreneurship.

The entrepreneurial path isn't easy, but it offers unparalleled opportunities for growth and financial independence. Whether your venture becomes a popular local business or a multinational corporation, the courage to bet on yourself and create a life on your own terms will serve you for a lifetime.

Alex Smereczniak is the cofounder and former CEO of 2ULaundry. He's now the cofounder and CEO of Franzy, a platform for franchise discovery and acquisition. Connect on LinkedIn.

• I found out in 2021 that I had diabetes.
• My first concern was what the diagnosis would mean for my on-the-go lifestyle.
• Now I'm the healthiest I've ever been, and I'm calling 2025 the "year of yes."

When I found out I had diabetes in February 2021, I thought it was a death sentence. I was in denial, especially since I ate a healthy diet and exercised.

Still, for months, I felt exhausted and run down to the point where some days it was hard to get out of bed. Part of me was relieved to understand why I was experiencing these symptoms, but I was mostly overwhelmed and scared about the unknowns of how this could change my life.

I knew about type 1 and type 2 diabetes, but like many people, I didn't fully grasp how they're different. And what threw me for a bigger loop: I have the less common type, 1.5.

My diagnosis hasn't slowed me down

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition, while type 2 diabetes is more related to lifestyle factors like obesity and lack of exercise, along with genetics. Type 1.5 diabetes is when your pancreas slowly stops producing insulin in adulthood, usually around age 40, which is what happened in my case.

As you might expect, my social media algorithm has gotten much more health-focused since I've been grappling with my diabetes diagnosis. I've seen hundreds, maybe thousands, of videos offering tips and tricks to manage glucose levels. It can be overwhelming, especially when the diagnosis is still fresh.

One of my primary worries when I was diagnosed was what this would mean for my on-the-go lifestyle. Would I have to slow down? I found out the answer was no. I could still be just as social and fulfilled as ever.

Between *NSYNC reuniting for Dreamworks' Trolls, children's book press tours, new TV projects, and hosting the Christmas tree lighting at The Grove — or even volunteering at the local animal shelter — I've realized diabetes didn't hold me back. It's just something I manage along the way.

Integrating my family into my diabetes management routine has been helpful, too. My husband always asks me if I've packed my insulin before I leave the house, knowing that I can be forgetful in packing my supplies.

My two 3-year-old kids also think it's fun to watch me change my CGM sensor, used to measure glucose levels providing real time readings, and like to see my glucose levels on my phone. I try to explain my diabetes to them in a kid-friendly way. Even though they might not fully understand it yet, I think it's important to be open about it with them.

Fun fact: I've also learned that people with diabetes can still consume sugar. However, they need to manage it carefully. Sure, I can have the birthday cake, but just a few bites. It's about balance, checking my glucose levels, monitoring the way I eat, and portion control. And now I can get away with housing Reese's Peanut Butter Cups on my nightstand in case my glucose levels drop in the middle of the night.

I've figured out my new lifestyle

I feel lucky to have diabetes during a time when it's much easier to manage than it was five years ago. The first time a CGM sent information to a cellphone was in 2015, and since then, they've gotten more accurate and discreet.

At the beginning of my diagnosis, I was constantly pricking my finger to measure my blood sugar. It was incredibly time-consuming and challenging to keep up with.

Now I use a Dexcom G7 continuous glucose monitor (CGM) — which I am now an ambassador for — that has made it easier to manage my diabetes. This small wearable measures my blood glucose and helps me identify factors that maintain my glucose levels, such as incorporating electrolytes and weightlifting.

With the help of doctors, I've figured out what lifestyle adjustments work best for me. I'm increasingly wary of the health information I see on social media, especially if it isn't coming from a licensed professional. Now that I'm blocking out the noise, I'm the healthiest I've ever been and feel confident managing my diabetes.

I'm calling 2025 my "year of yes," which to me means taking every opportunity to travel and experience everything I can. This is a 180 from how I felt in the early days of my diabetes diagnosis.

• Voice AI is already part of restaurants' drive-thru and phone ordering systems.
• Now, some companies are trying to make their AI assistants sound more like real people.
• Domino's, for instance, uses different accents for its AI in different parts of the US.

AI is finding its voice — and using it to take your weeknight pizza order.

Restaurants, including Domino's and Wingstop, have used voice AI assistants for years to chat with customers on the phone and take their orders. Lately, though, they've been finessing those assistants by adding region-specific accents, adjusting their tone, and making other changes that make them more natural for customers to converse with.

"If someone hears a really off-putting, unrelatable voice, they're going to hang up," said Lily Clifford, the CEO and founder of Rime Labs, which developed the text-to-voice model that Domino's and Wingstop use.

Multiple restaurant chains are using voice AI to take customers' orders. But Rime's experience shows that it's not as easy as shoving an AI assistant with a robotic voice in a drive-thru or on one end of a phone line.

Rime develops the text-to-voice technology that Domino's uses for phone ordering. Another company, ConverseNow, provides the AI assistant itself.

When ConverseNow started working with Domino's about five years ago, it used a different voice that many customers didn't want to speak with, said Akshay Kayastha, director of engineering at ConverseNow.

"There was one point where 50% of the people were just saying they just didn't want to talk to it," and asked to be transferred to a human, he said.

Rime's technology has pushed that number closer to 100%, Clifford said. Domino's uses the text-to-voice feature in about 80% of its phone orders in North America, she added.

"It should sound like someone who could work at Domino's and not someone who is a 20th-century American broadcast radio announcer," Clifford said.

To develop its technology, Rime built a recording studio in San Francisco and recorded a variety of people having conversations with a friend or a family member. The goal, Clifford said, was to capture what day-to-day speech sounds like instead of using voice actors reading rehearsed lines.

The resulting technology can use a variety of speech patterns.

Domino's customers who order by phone in Atlanta, for instance, are likely to reach an AI assistant that speaks with a Southern accent. Rime says that it has also developed a voice that speaks using African-American Vernacular English. The voices that Rime uses don't belong to real people, though, Clifford said.

Tone is another area where Rime's technology has improved voice AI, Kayastha said.

One restaurant chain that ConverseNow works with pointed out a problem with an earlier version of the startup's voice AI: It sounded more chipper than most fast-food workers. Rime's technology helped match the tone to the situation, Kayastha said.

"No one in real life speaks so cheerfully at a drive-thru," he said. "You've got to turn it down."

The voice-to-text technology also correctly pronounces specific menu items, such as MeatZZa, a Domino's pizza with pepperoni, ham, Italian sausage, and beef. That's key for restaurants, Clifford said, given all of the unconventional spellings and limited-time offers that appear on their menus.

Domino's has grown its online ordering options lately. Customers can place orders on Domino's website, through its app, or through third-party services like Uber and DoorDash.

But phone orders remain a key part of the pizza chain's business, CEO Russell Weiner said during an earnings call in late 2023.

"We have a large number of our customers coming in on online ordering, but we still need to make sure that the phones are there operationally," Weiner said.

Domino's and Wingstop did not respond to requests for comment from Business Insider.

Workers across many industries are worried that their bosses will use AI to replace them. Clifford said that Rime's restaurant clients aren't using its AI voice technology to replace employees, though.

Restaurant workers are often too busy preparing food, helping customers who show up in-store, and completing other tasks to take phone orders, she said. In that sense, voice AI that can field orders is taking a task off their plate.

"If you're at the restaurant making pizzas and wings, you do not want to answer that phone," Clifford said. "You have a million other things to do."

• Israel's military is the first to use laser weapons to shoot down drones in war.
• The systems were prototypes and are being integrated into the country's air defenses.
• Videos and photos show the system, made by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems.

Israel's military used new laser weapons to kill enemy drones, making it the first country to do so in a war.

It marks a major development in the fielding and use of these experimental weapons, which militaries worldwide are developing to deepen their defenses against drones and missiles, reducing the strain on other missiles and other projectiles.

Israel's Ministry of Defense announced that soldiers from Israeli Air Force Aerial Defense Array deployed and operated a high-power laser system prototype, which successfully intercepted enemy threats. It is a big step closer to strategists' vision of a future battlefield where the expanding threat of missiles and drones can be countered by the zaps of laser weapons that have an unlimited magazine.

A video shared by the Israeli Ministry of Defense showed the laser systems in action, in at least 3 interceptions. One engagement shows the laser igniting the drone's wingtip, causing it to spiral and crash.

Brig. Gen. Yehuda Elmakayes, head of the ministry's defense and research directorate, said prototypes have previously been deployed "culminating in the world's first successful high-power laser interceptions on the battlefield."

Feedback from the use of the weapons will continue to inform their use and development, he and other officials said in a statement shared with BI.

The systems are made by Israeli-based defense company Rafael Advanced Defense Systems. They're directed energy weapons that point an intense beam of light at a target and use heat to damage or destroy it; these processes demand pinpoint accuracy and high power.

The defense ministry said the weapons "complement the more powerful Iron Beam system," a larger network of similar systems that's in the works.

Iron Beam is estimated to cost $500 million and would add another layer to Israel's layered air defenses — one especially useful against the kinds of drones that Hamas and Hezbollah wield.

Laser weapons have been a priority for militaries around world, especially in the Middle East, where countries are racing to field the technology. Besides Israel, Saudia Arabia is using Chinese systems to develop laser air defense capacities, while the United Arab Emirates is working on its own system.

The US, too, is actively working on laser prototypes, such as the AN/SEQ-3 Laser Weapon System made by Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, as well as microwave emitters and other directed-energy weapons.

Officials have suggested lasers are particularly useful for taking out cheaper enemy targets like drones rather than expending expensive missile interceptors. That's been at the forefront of conversations around conflicts in waters around the Middle East, where the US has expended over a billion dollars in munitions to shoot down Houthi drones.

With Israel's landmark use of the weapon, Rafael CEO Yoav Tourgeman said the system "will fundamentally change the defense equation by enabling fast, precise, cost-effective interceptions, unmatched by any existing system."

There remain issues, though, surrounding the amount of power and accuracy needed for a laser to destroy its target.

Lasers have struggled to work around water or through clouds or smoke, because moisture or other particles diffuse the laser's beam. And even a functional laser weapon requires a high-voltage energy source and an accurate sensor system that are likely to become targets of attack.

Staff writer Jake Epstein contributed to this report.

• My partner Liam and I used to bicker over chores fairly frequently.
• However, after making a joke relating to astrology to which tasks we prefer, we made a new system.
• Now, we choose our chores by our zodiac signs, and our house runs much more smoothly.

My partner Liam and I were in an endless cycle of bickering over household chores before we stumbled upon an unconventional solution: astrology. A lighthearted joke about my partner's meticulous cleaning habits being related to his zodiac sign quickly evolved into an effective system for dividing tasks. Now, our house is not only cleaner, but also happier.

We often bickered about household chores

During one of our routine squabbles, I was complaining yet again about feeling like I was doing all the cooking. Liam, halfway through folding a towel with suspicious precision, sighed. Searching for an explanation for why that particular task always fell on me, he said, "Maybe it's because I'm a Virgo and you're... well, you." We laughed, but it stuck. Later that night, we went down an internet rabbit hole of zodiac traits, half-mocking, half-curious. And something clicked.

Until then, we had no real system, just vague expectations and mounting resentment. We both worked full-time, so the plan was just to "share the chores," but in practice, it felt like I was always chasing dishes while he was obsessing over perfectly aligned couch cushions. We argued about the little things: who forgot to take the trash out, who left wet laundry in the machine, and why the sink was still full. It wasn't toxic, but it was tiring.

We decided to try dividing chores by zodiac sign

After that night, we decided to experiment. Instead of pretending we were equally good at (or interested in) every task, we leaned into what came naturally. I'm a textbook Sagittarius and tend to crave freedom and spontaneity, so monotonous tasks like folding towels bore me. I need room to improvise, and tasks that feel more like play than work, so I took over the cooking and big, messy projects, like organizing a chaotic fridge.

Liam, a classic Virgo, loves order and finds peace in tidiness. He claimed the tasks that provided structure, like laundry and tackling the budget. Suddenly, our division of labor wasn't a battleground, it was a custom-built peace treaty, drafted in the stars.

Of course, we still encountered our share of challenges. Even though laundry was technically Liam's domain, one week, he was swamped with work, and I forgot I'd agreed to take it on. I got caught up in a last-minute dinner with friends and came home to find him ironing at midnight. That's when we realized that astrology was a great baseline, but we still needed to communicate better when things didn't go according to plan.

We realized we needed more than just a cute system, we needed flexibility. Now, when one of us is too tired, overwhelmed, or sick, we'll swap chores or do the task together, no questions asked.

Our new system has led to a cleaner, happier house

As we continued to embrace our zodiac-inspired chore system, we noticed a significant reduction in resentment. Though it's unconventional, assigning everything that needs to get done based on our personalities allowed us to both take on tasks that we preferred.

What feels mundane to him feels fun to me, and vice versa, so not only are we no longer stuck with so many dreary to-dos, but we also are more deeply connected; we appreciate each other more for doing what we don't want to spend energy on. With this system, I no longer feel overwhelmed by the thought of decluttering the house, while Liam has found satisfaction in his laundry rituals.

This system didn't just help us keep our floors clean or our laundry folded — though it did help us do that — it helped us create more understanding and collaboration in our partnership. And it all started with a joke about astrology.

• Ultra-processed foods are consistently linked to bad health outcomes, but they can be hard to avoid.
• A cardiologist writing a book about longevity decided to quit UPFs almost entirely.
• He shops the perimeter of the grocery store and enjoys more salads and yogurt.

When cardiologist Eric Topol goes to the grocery store these days, his cart stands out among the crowd. It's no longer filled with boxes or packaged goods, he says it's largely just fresh produce — a big change from what he used to buy.

"I was reading a lot of labels, and now I avoid things with labels," Topol told Business Insider. "When I'm in the grocery store and I'm only buying produce, people look at me like, 'what's wrong with this guy?'"

It all happened about a year ago, as he was deep into research for his new bestselling book "Super Agers: An evidence-based approach to longevity." That's when he overhauled his relationship with packaged and mass-produced foods, cracking down on any ultra-processed food (UPF).

"I call 'em UFOs," Topol said. "A lot of those things I didn't realize were so full of bad things."

A key reason ultra-processed foods are bad: they're anti-fiber

Topol shops now using the common nutritional rule-of-thumb to stick to the perimeter of the grocery store, the area where the fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, bulk grains, and frozen veggies are stored. It's those middle aisles full of ultra-processed products that he generally avoids.

As Topol explains in his new book, ultra-processed foods are "the polar opposite" of fiber, a key nutrient abundant in fresh foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts, beans, and grains, which we know is great for our long-term health in all different kinds of ways.

For example, fiber slows down and aids digestion, improves cholesterol, fosters the health of the gut microbiome, and even helps stabilize blood sugar. UPFs generally don't.

"What is referred to as the 'Western diet,' rich in ultra-processed foods, is pro-inflammatory and linked with metabolic dysfunction, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and colon cancer," Topol's book says. His diet wasn't wildly unhealthy before, but he's become a more rigorous shopper as a result of his latest research.

"If it's packaged or boxed or canned, I know it's probably gonna be a problem," Topol said. "I'll check it out. Sometimes, you can be surprised."

Not all packaged foods are created equal

Ultra-processed food researchers say not all UPFs are equally unhealthy. Studies show that whole grain breakfast cereals and ultra-processed yogurts aren't as bad for you as hot dogs, packaged desserts, or sugar-sweetened drinks like soda and juice. That second group of foods is more consistently linked to poor long-term health outcomes, like higher rates of type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

Some cans and boxes in the grocery store aren't even ultraprocessed at all. A can of chickpeas or some black beans seasoned with salt, frozen vegetables, canned fish — these are simply processed foods. They aren't linked to all the same bad health outcomes as UPFs, instead, they're great shortcuts to help encourage more healthy eating at home.

Topol says his new shopping routine has morphed his daily diet in a near-effortless way. Plus, he doesn't have to spend so much time reading labels anymore, looking for the long list of ingredients he tries to avoid like high-fructose corn syrup, palm oil, artificial sweeteners, and more.

"I eat salad at night, I eat yogurt and some berries in the morning, and not a whole lot in between," he said. "It's a pretty healthy diet, I think."

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

Happy Saturday! How would you feel if you were invited to a wedding on a Thursday? While some guests were pretty angry, this writer thinks it's pretty smart. Find out why!

On the agenda:

• The most common sign of colon cancer is one that can be hard to talk about.
• The "Taylor's Version" era is officially over.
• A cosmetic surgeon says she has to steer some clients away from "ab etching."
• Sex work was supposed to be a fast track to financial freedom. Not anymore.

But first: Summer sing-alongs.

If this was forwarded to you, sign up here. Download Business Insider's app here.

This week's dispatch

The great outdoor jam session

Beyoncé kicked off my live-music summer earlier this week, turning New Jersey's MetLife Stadium into a proper rodeo when she brought her tour, Cowboy Carter, to town.

Even though it's nearly June, it sure didn't feel like it last Thursday. In fact, Beyoncé performed in the pouring rain. (Thank God for ponchos.) Still, a little bad weather wouldn't stop me from having a good time. I'm a die-hard concert lover.

And I'm not alone.

According to EMARKETER, a market research company owned by Business Insider's parent company, Axel Springer, Gen Z and millennials are more likely to attend a live event this summer than other generations.

In fact, nearly three-quarters of people age 18 to 29 and 59% of consumers who are 30 to 44 are expected to attend at least one concert this summer.

If you want to grab a ticket, there's no shortage of acts to see perform this summer, no matter what type of music you're into. From Kendrick Lamar and SZA to Mumford & Sons, Lady Gaga, and Oasis, you're in for a treat.

Let's just hope the weather is better for you than it was for me and Bey.

An embarrassing sign of colon cancer

Colon cancer diagnoses are on the rise among young people, and stigma is one reason it can be hard to catch.

Symptoms like rectal bleeding and changes in bowel movements are early signs of colon cancer, but some people don't know how to talk about it with their doctors. Fortunately, there's a movement to destigmatize words like "poop" and "stool."

The push to make poop talk less taboo.

All the versions are Taylor's

After a record-setting tour and plenty of NFL game appearances, Taylor Swift noticeably disappeared from the public spotlight this year. The superstar's vacation even seemed to frustrate some fans, who had grown accustomed to seeing her in public for the past year-plus.

But on Friday, Swift showed them what had kept her so busy: acquiring her original music catalogue. The deal ended the musician's long fight to own and control her art.

It won't be a cruel summer for Taylor.

Also read:

• Not even Taylor Swift can take a vacation without backlash

The rise of "ab etching"

More men are requesting cosmetic procedures, and their abs aren't off limits. "Ab etching" is a type of targeted liposuction that makes abdominal muscles more pronounced.

This kind of fat removal can be painful and requires an ab-defining lifestyle to maintain. BI spoke with cosmetic surgeon Dr. Giselle Prado-Wright about who may be the right fit for this procedure.

Some should steer clear, though.

Also read:

• The one filler this cosmetic surgeon is begging you not to get

Stuck in sex work

Faced with a brutal job market, some Gen Zers turned to sex work to make ends meet. For many of them, it was the quickest way to achieve financial freedom.

Because of the economic downturn of the past few years, many strippers, escorts, and camgirls have had to slash rates to compete for clients. What was supposed to be a backup plan or temporary gig now looks like a job they can't quit.

"It's a lot quieter in the club."

What we're watching this weekend

• "Mountainhead": Steve Carell and Ramy Youssef play billionaires in an elite friend group in a new satirical comedy on HBO Max.
• "The Handmaid's Tale": After six seasons, the Hulu original starring Elisabeth Moss has concluded this week.
• "And Just Like That…": Sarah Jessica Parker returns as Carrie Bradshaw in season three of the "Sex and The City" reboot streaming on HBO Max.

What to shop

• Essential summer shorts: After giving them a shot, we've loved Patagonia's Baggies for everything from hiking to lounging. Our style editor recommends them for their comfort, quick-dry material, and timeless style, making them a go-to pick for summer.
• Retro sneakers for modern feet: We've tried dozens of styles to find the best retro sneakers that blend old-school vibes with modern comfort. Check out our list if you're looking to add timeless, stylish sneakers to your wardrobe.
• Air fryers worth the hype: You've got a lot of choices when it comes to air fryers. We've tested over 60 options to find the best models on the market, so whether you're cooking for one or a whole family, you can trust these picks with your meals.

More of this week's top reads:

• Stimulating your vagus nerve could help you live longer. A top scientist shares three easy things he does to activate his.
• The "Lilo & Stitch" box office numbers show Disney learned a major lesson after the "Snow White" debacle.
• Gen Z and millennials are thirsty for luxury bag dupes. Here are the brands they're after most.
• Four things you should never order in front of your boss or coworkers, according to an etiquette expert.
• Royal Caribbean and Carnival are racing to grow their private islands and resorts. Here's how their new cruise destinations compare.
• The New York City apartment from "Breakfast at Tiffany's" is on the market for $15 million. It features a Tiffany-blue door.
• Victoria Beckham says she stopped her fashion brand from bleeding cash through two big changes.
• Good men are harder than ever to find, which is good news for good men.

The BI Today team: Dan DeFrancesco, deputy editor and anchor, in New York City. Grace Lett, editor, in New York. Lisa Ryan, executive editor, in New York. Amanda Yen, associate editor, in New York. Elizabeth Casolo, fellow, in Chicago.

• I've interviewed 10 people who have built an accessory dwelling unit, or ADU, on their property.
• Many can't move for various reasons; ADUs are a way to add more space without physically relocating.
• ADUs are becoming a go-to for homeowners up against higher home prices, mortgage rates, and taxes.

My husband and I are in our second year of marriage and are finally starting to think seriously about homeownership.

Between scanning Zillow, reading housing studies, and even scrolling through social media, one thing is clear: buying a new home has never felt so out of reach, even for two working people with decent salaries.

For my job as a real estate reporter, I've interviewed 10 people who built accessory dwelling units, or ADUs. Many of them did so because moving to a new or bigger home wasn't an option for them or their loved ones, so they resorted to a workaround that, while not cheap, is less expensive than a typical house.

Todd Kuchta, an engineer from Northern California, spent $248,000 building one for his adult son who has special needs — a bargain given that typical homes in the area sell for over $1 million. Justin Mauldin, the CEO of an Austin-based PR agency, added a backyard office to free up space in the main house. The total price tag? $41,500, much less than upsizing to a new home in the Texas capital.

Sure, building an ADU is not an option for my husband and me just yet. But hearing how people have turned to them as an alternative to moving — as ways to house a relative and add square footage without a full-on renovation — is inspiring.

ADUs aren't just tiny homes, and their popularity is still rising

ADUs are small backyard homes that typically range from 150 to 1,200 square feet, depending on local regulations. The average cost to build one falls between $100,000 and $300,000, not including permitting fees. Some states, including California, Colorado, New York, and Vermont, offer grants to help homeowners offset these costs.

Sheri Koones, an author and expert on ADUs and home construction, told me that the nation's severe shortage of homes for sale is driving ADU popularity.

"It is a particularly difficult market for young people and baby boomers trying to find housing," Koones said. "Multigenerational housing situations are becoming more common. Parents will have adult children live in the ADU on their property, and when the 'children' have their own children, they swap housing with each other."

A 2024 study from the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco estimates that there are now at least 1.6 million ADUs in the US. The Fed indicates that the number of single-family homes with an ADU is nearly one-third the number of owner-occupied condos nationwide. Of all states, California has the most, with at least 201,000, followed by Washington, with over 77,800.

California resident Selma Hepp, chief economist at Cotality, formerly known as CoreLogic, and an ADU owner herself, told me that as long as soaring home prices and mortgage rates keep housing affordability at an all-time low, ADUs will continue gaining traction.

"When you look at the markets that are least affordable, in the future, you may see people thinking of alternative ways to maximize their land use," Hepp said. "Potentially down the road, you'll see them in more areas."

ADUs are a solution for homeowners wanting more space

Last fall, I spoke with Kuchta, 58, about building an ADU in his backyard for his son, Jacob.

Jacob, who is in his mid-20s, wanted more independence and a place of his own. But because he has autism, he still relies on his parents for help with daily tasks like cleaning, taking medication, and preparing meals.

With his monthly medical support costs exceeding $9,000, buying a larger home or moving to an assisted living facility was out of the question.

I completely understand why. The Kuchtas live in Napa County — one of the most expensive real estate markets in the country. The region is dotted with multimillion-dollar estates and wineries. As of February, the median home sale price was $1.1 million, according to Redfin.

Rather than purchasing a new property, the Kuchtas are making the most of what they already have. To build a 480-square-foot tiny home on their 6,000-square-foot lot, they took out a second mortgage on their home, valued at over $800,000. That gave them $160,000 to work with. They also received a $63,000 forgivable loan from Napa County's Affordable ADU program.

Jacob's new place — a one-bedroom unit with a full bathroom and kitchen — cost $248,000 to build. It's a fraction of what the Kuchtas would have paid for a larger, separate home.

"That's the reality of the housing market in California," Jacob's dad told me. "Buying a new house is very expensive unless you got into it before prices skyrocketed. If we sold our home and moved, we would also face increased property taxes, from around $3,000 a year to as much as $12,000 a year."

Why move when you can build?

As someone who doesn't own a home and is still paying off student loans, building an ADU feels just as out of reach as buying a new house.

But for homeowners with built-up equity, it can make a lot of sense. I can see how, for them, the cost of an ADU can feel like a bargain compared to purchasing another, probably more expensive property that might also come with higher insurance premiums and property taxes.

For Mauldin, who built a nearly 200-square-foot ADU in his Austin backyard for $41,500, it probably felt like a steal.

The married father of two wanted a dedicated home office, but his 1,200-square-foot main house didn't have enough room. He told me that moving to a larger home in the city, where the median sale price was $512,500 as of February, was also well beyond his budget.

"Of course, we'd love a bigger home, but with prices still unaffordable, it's tough," Mauldin said. "When we bought our home, our interest rate was locked at 2.5% — rates now are much higher. Most homes in desirable areas are in the $1.5 million range, and with the high property taxes here, it's just not realistic."

Mauldin told me the ADU has been a "game changer."

"The office has certainly made living in our house much more comfortable," he said. " For now, we're happy with our place, and maybe we'll add a bathroom one day."

When I hear stories like the Mauldins', I'm reminded that even if I can't afford the home of my dreams today or tomorrow, I can still shape one in its image.

ADUs are as much about comfort as they are about affordability

My conversations have given me a lot of insight into the financial reasons homeowners don't want to move. They've also revealed that, for many, the decision is just as emotional as it is practical.

If I had lived in a neighborhood for decades, I don't think moving would be easy. I've rented in my apartment building for more than three years now, and I dread the day I'll have to say goodbye.

It's a feeling that Christine Wilder-Abrams, a 72-year-old woman from Oakland, California, wanted to avoid at all costs. Although she found it difficult to climb the stairs of her two-story house, she wasn't ready to give up the home or neighborhood she'd lived in for nearly 35 years.

Instead, she built a 560-square-foot accessible ADU in her backyard for $350,000, and her 34-year-old daughter and young granddaughter moved into her 2,000-square-foot main home.

Koones told me that this type of ADU, also known as a granny pod or granny flat, has become a popular solution for older people wanting to age in place.

"Years ago, a lot of older people just moved into senior facilities, but people are living longer," she said. "An ADU gives them an opportunity to live close to their children, help with childcare, meals, and be close by."

The ADU has been a win-win situation for both Wilder-Abrams and her daughter.

She didn't have to buy a new house in the city, where the median sale price was $749,000 as of February, and now has support as she ages. Her daughter, a single mom, also has an extra pair of hands to help raise her child.

"I get to live close to my daughter and granddaughter," she said. "It's nice that I'm here for them."

Wilder-Abrams makes me think of my parents and in-laws.

I'm still early in my homebuying journey, and like many others, I wonder about the basics: how much will the down payment be? How much will the home cost? Where will I live?

But these conversations about ADUs have also raised new questions, like: will the home I buy one day have enough space for a granny pod in my backyard?

• The Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America is an all-new $7.6 billion EV factory.
• HMGMA, located near Savannah, Georgia, opened its doors in March of this year.
• The factory will be able to build 500,000 EVs and Hybrids for Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis every year.

The $7.6 billion Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America, or HMGMA, is one of the newest and most technologically advanced car factories in the world.

The plant, located near Savannah, Georgia, opened its doors in March and will be a key production facility for Hyundai's EVs and PHEVs, as well as those belonging to its Genesis luxury brand and sister company Kia.

In a recent interview with Business Insider, Genesis North America COO Tedros Mengiste cited the investment as an example of Hyundai's track record for "visionary and strategic, and long-term thinking."

I recently took a behind-the-scenes tour of Hyundai's new megafactory packed with autonomous robots and state-of-the-art tech.

The Hyundai Metaplant is situated on a 3,000-acre campus in the south Georgia town of Ellabell.

Located just 20 miles from the Port of Savannah, one of the busiest in the US, the plant not only gives Hyundai much-needed manufacturing capacity in the US to avoid import tariffs, but it also affords the company the flexibility to export vehicles abroad.

It also gives Hyundai the production footprint to compete against rivals like Tesla, GM, and Rivian, which is also building a new factory in Georgia.

Driving up to the factory, it's easy to be wowed by the sheer scale of the sprawling complex.

It's Hyundai Group's second car factory in the state. The company also operates a $3.2 billion, 2,200-acre facility in West Point, Georgia, that builds Kia EV and ICE SUVs.

I drove to the factory in a new 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9 EV SUV, which is one of the vehicles assembled at the Metaplant.

The only other model assembled at the plant is the Hyundai Ioniq 5 EV.

My tour began in the plant's modern main lobby.

Hyundai broke ground on the facility in the fall of 2022 and took just two years to complete construction on the main production buildings.

The Metaplant site consists of 11 buildings totalling 7.5 million square feet of space.

The Metaplant is a marvel of vertical integration, with the goal of having as many key components, ranging from battery packs to seats, made on-site.

Here's a Hyundai XCIENT hydrogen fuel cell semi truck used to transport parts and supplies to the factory.

It's one of 21 emission-free XCIENT trucks deployed around the Metaplant site.

The production process starts in the stamping shop, where sheet metal is cut and stamped into parts that will make up the frame of the car.

The sheet metal is supplied by the on-site Hyundai Steel facility.

Stamped parts are transported by automated guided vehicles, or AGVs.

The plant employs almost 300 AGVs to shuttle everything from spare parts to partially assembled cars.

The stamped metal panels are then stored in these massive racks.

The Metaplant was originally expected to produce up to 300,000 electrified vehicles annually. However, Hyundai announced at the plant's grand opening in March that its capacity will be expanded to 500,000 units in the coming years as part of a new $21 billion investment in US manufacturing.

Here are parts of the Ioniq 9, Hyundai's new flagship three-row EV SUV.

The plant is expected to start production of its first Kia model next year.

The next part of the tour is the welding shop.

Here, the stamped metal pieces are welded together by robot to form the body of the vehicle.

The work done by the welding robots is then inspected by the plant's human employees known as Meta Pros.

The Metplant employees more than 1,300 Meta Pros, nearly 90% of whom were hired locally.

There are employee meeting and break areas located along the inspection and assembly areas.

An employee cafeteria with remote ordering capability is located in the main assembly building.

In addition to human eyes, the vehicles are also inspected by a pair of Boston Dynamics robot dogs called Spot.

In 2021, Hyundai acquired an 80% stake in Boston Dynamics in a deal that valued the company at $1.1 billion.

After the inspections are complete, a robot loads the partially assembled vehicles onto a conveyor system.

Next stop, the paint shop.

Unfortunately, my tour did not get access to the paint shop due to concerns that outside visitors may compromise the quality of the paint application.

After receiving a fresh coat of paint, the vehicles travel through a bridge to the assembly building.

Here, the painted bodies are married with their battery packs and skateboard chassis.

Hyundai Mobis produces the skateboard chassis in a building next door to the general assembly facility. The Metaplant's on-site battery factory, operated in a joint venture with LG, is expected to come online next year. The plant currently sources its batteries from Hyundai's other facilities, including one in North Georgia that's a joint venture with SK.

The vehicles' interiors are then assembled by hand.

The further along the production process, the more you see human workers on the assembly line.

Partially assembled EVs are shuttled through from area to area by the automated robots.

The entire facility was immaculately clean, quiet, and felt beautifully choreographed.

Assembled vehicles are loaded onto different AGVs that navigate the facility by reading the QR codes embedded into the floor.

These AGVs shuttle the vehicles through the plant's various quality control tests.

At the end of the assembly line, completed EVs are put through their paces at the on-site test track before being sent to the vehicle preparation center, or VPC, to get them ready for shipping.

Vehicles destined for dealerships in the region are put on trucks, while those traveling more than 500 miles are shipped by rail at the Metplant's on-site train terminal.

• Greg Petronzi was a psychologist and professor when he got into watchmaking on the side.
• Now he repairs vintage Rolex watches and works on pieces worth six figures.
• Petronzi said his watchmaking out-earns his work in psychology.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Greg Petronzi of True Patina, a watchmaker specializing in vintage Rolex repairs. He is also a licensed psychologist and professor at New York University. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

I've always had a fascination with watches, starting at a young age. Around middle school, I had a Swatch with a see-through plastic case and an automatic movement. You could see all of the parts of the watch as it was working, and I always found that so interesting.

In college, I pursued psychology. That was my practical career path. I got a master's and a Ph.D. Overall, it was a 12-year path to becoming a licensed psychologist. But I never lost my interest in watches.

After I finished school, I got into watchmaking, which ended up becoming my main gig. Psychology became my part-time gig, which I never anticipated happening, but it's super exciting. I love both disciplines.

I got into watchmaking with an informal apprenticeship

Watchmaking was never really on my radar. As a grad student, I started getting involved in the world of watches and meeting other watch enthusiasts through forums and meetups.

I made friends with a watchmaker out of Florida named Rik Dietel, who has 35-plus years of experience in watchmaking and specifically with vintage Rolex, which is the niche that I was very passionate about. I started asking him how to fix this or change that on my own watches. Little by little, Rik started teaching me, and it turned into an informal, remote apprenticeship.

Over the next several years, while I was working as a psychologist and professor, my skillset started to really develop, and it started to become apparent to me that this might be more than just a hobby. I was working on my own stuff, then friends' watches, then friends of friends' watches. Then I started getting requests from people I didn't know. That's when I said, "I'd better take this a bit more seriously."

During the pandemic, my psychology work went remote, and I was able to put more time and energy into watchmaking. I also had an income, which helped me afford the tools. I just recently spent about $15,000 on one tool to do a very nuanced repair.

I built up my watchmaking workshop and started to develop a niche in cosmetic repair — dials and hands. Because I started as a watch collector, I understand the importance of preserving the originality of a watch. While a lot of more modern watchmakers have the disposition of "repair and replace," I have the disposition of "restore and retain."

I started to showcase my work on Instagram and build trust in the community. I ended up working with some really important watch collectors and dealers, like Eric Wind of Wind Vintage, and auction houses like Phillips.

There was a moment when I realized I'd made a name for myself in the watch world: Someone sent me an eBay listing that said, "Watch just serviced by True Patina." I had no idea who the seller was, but I thought, "Wow, my company name is actually carrying so much weight that people are using this as a flex toward selling their watch." That felt really good.

Watchmaking can be challenging to get into, but it's really rewarding

Watchmaking has more often than not outperformed what the Ph.D and psychology have allowed me to earn, which I'm astounded by and grateful for.

If someone's interested in learning watchmaking, I'd say it's possible, but there are some challenges. The tools are expensive, and the formal education options are limited. Most people either find an apprenticeship or start by working for an established brand while slowly building up their own workshop.

My pricing varies a lot based on how much restoration is needed. Repairs typically range between $1,000 and $2,000, but some go up to $6,000 or more, especially if a rare part needs to be sourced.

I service watches that range in price from a few thousand dollars upward to six-figure watches. It's not uncommon for me to work on a watch that costs $200,000 and occasionally even up to $500,000. Most commonly, they are a few thousand up to $20,000. But what's most meaningful to me is working on sentimental pieces — watches that have been in families for generations.

Becoming a watchmaker never crossed my mind as a kid or even as a college student. But all of a sudden, it organically became reality for me, and it's a very, very meaningful and enjoyable existence.

Watchmaking is a very rewarding field. It can be very stressful, especially when the repair might not be cooperating the way you want it to, but when things do fall in line, it can be a very mindful activity. You get into this flow where time just sort of ceases. It's kind of ironic.

Do you have a story to share about watches or watchmaking? Contact this reporter at [email protected].

• Austin Mark and his husband decided to buy a house with another couple in 2024.
• Buying a house together allowed all four people to get more bang for their bucks.
• Here's how they split their mortgage payment and manage their finances.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Austin Mark, 39, who bought a house in July 2024 with three other people — his husband and another couple, Nate and Stephanie. Business Insider has verified Mark's home ownership. His words have been edited for length and clarity.

My husband Bryan and I moved from Chicago to the West Coast 14 years ago. We decided to move back to Chicago last year, and our friends Nate Hanak and Stephanie Strother asked if we wanted to purchase property together.

They're the only people on the planet who we could imagine doing it with. We have a very balanced relationship with them.

We hear a lot of people tell us they've always wanted to buy a big house with their friends, and we've also heard a lot of people say we're absolutely crazy.

When we decided to proceed, we started having Zoom calls frequently to ensure everybody was on the same page.

Conversation one was, "Let's talk about finances." We wanted to have all of our personal finances on the table so that we knew what everyone was comfortable with. It was helpful to have a really open and honest conversation about where everybody was at.

We put 40% down

In July 2024 we found a multi-unit building that we all liked.

The house was around $800,000. Each couple split the down payment 50/50, and we decided to put down 40% of the total home value.

We wanted to put down more to lower our monthly payments since mortgage rates were so high. The 40% down brought us to a place where neither couple would see a significant increase in their monthly housing costs before and after buying the house.

For our monthly payments now, instead of each couple paying half of the mortgage every month, we actually switch off. One couple pays the whole mortgage for the whole building every other month. It all breaks down to being the same, but it definitely simplifies things.

Not everything is bundled together, though. We decided to separate our taxes and insurance.

With what we are each paying, we never could have found something similar separately, even if each couple had something half the size of this house.

We have an operating agreement

If you buy a house with other people, it's important to treat it as a business as much as it is a living situation. We had gone through the process with a lawyer of talking about creating an LLC and then ultimately decided that it wasn't necessary because we don't intend to rent any parts of our house. Our operating agreement lays out the terms of how finances are split.

The wording of our operating agreement includes all of the legal stuff that you would find in any agreement among business partners purchasing property. We have HOA meetings just like we would if we didn't know each other before doing this. We take care of things by voting.

Anything to do with our individual units, like a personal aesthetic choice, is with each couple's own money. We split anything that has to do with common areas or the yard.

It's a very old building, so we did run into a plumbing emergency not long after purchasing the building. We split the cost of the sewer line clean out. The property has very large trees on it, so we also paid an arborist to come and clear up the trees and split that evenly.

Each couple has two floors

The building at present has four kitchens, four full baths, two half baths, and six bedrooms.

Each couple has a primary unit with an identical footprint, and then we have a secondary unit that's pretty different. Stephanie and Nate have an attic unit, and my husband and I have the basement unit.

The two primary units have the same footprint, but they look completely different. Mine has all dark wood trim and a very old Chicago prairie style, while theirs is much lighter and a bit more modern. Their attic unit has a really cool skylight, and they like how bright and open it is, while I like playing video games in the basement.

The fact that we're not sharing kitchens and bathrooms makes it really easy to feel like we're living our own lives and not in each other's space.

We refer to it as the "forever home," which might have been a joke at first, but since we've gotten in here, it does feel like it's a very long-term living solution. We have a ton of space.

If anybody ends up having kids, there's room to grow within the building already. Because the apartments are separate, it doesn't feel at all like we're roommates.

• Kyle Fraser won $1 million on "Survivor" season 48.
• Fraser shared with BI what he learned and what happened after filming.
• He's returning to the show for its 50th season, which will premiere in 2026.

When "Survivor" host Jeff Probst announced Kyle Fraser as the winner, it took some time for his new financial status to set in.

The 31-year-old attorney won the $1 million prize for season 48, with his winning moment at the final tribal council airing on May 21. Although filming wrapped in July 2024, Fraser has only been allowed to brag since last week.

"It's incredible. The money is in the bank account — it's so fun," Fraser told Business Insider.

He's also now free to spend his earnings. Fraser told BI that the prize money didn't hit his account until after the finale aired. That's when the real excitement began after the "difficult" 10-month period of waiting and keeping it a secret.

His checking account features a graph that tracks his wealth, Fraser explained. His graph went from the "gutter" due to law school debt to almost off the charts when the prize money hit his account.

"I was with my wife when it happened, and we were both incredibly excited," Fraser said.

As his then-fiancée, he was allowed to tell Maggie Turner he won when he got home from Fiji along with his parents and brother. He shared the moment he told Turner on social media Monday.

"I told you I'd figure out a way to get rich somehow," he told his wife in the tearful video.

He's already used a chunk of his winnings to pay off some of his student loans with the highest interest rates. The rest of his financial plan includes helping his parents live a comfortable life and generating passive income.

"It's really cool to be able to sort of see a bright future for my family and loved ones," he said.

Fraser has a new outlook on life since leaving the show, and he's interested in finding new ways to make money outside his law career. He mentioned public speaking gigs, investing, and writing a book (but that's more for pleasure, he said).

"I love my job, but 'Survivor' opened my eyes to the fact that I could do a bunch of different things. That would be such a cool life to live," Fraser said.

CBS confirmed to BI that "Survivor" players receive psychological, medical, and nutritional help when they leave the show. The network also confirmed that Fraser didn't have access to the money until the finale aired.

Fraser told BI that he hired his own financial and tax advisors to plan for the next few years. It's unclear if the $1 million prize was pre-taxed.

He said he learned to block out the noise after his time on the show, with so many diehard fans praising, criticizing, or debating his season. However, the winner said he marketed himself "in a way that everyone would agree is very well-rounded."

CBS announced Wednesday that Fraser will return to "Survivor" for its 50th season, along with "White Lotus" creator Mike White and other veterans of the show.

• Joshua Lee spent 13 years as an accountant at EY before leaving to launch his own business.
• Lee took away five lessons from EY that he applied to his career as an entrepreneur and investor.
• He learned to take calculated risks, prioritize family, focus on the people who matter, read more, and be adaptable.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Joshua Lee, a 45-year-old serial entrepreneur and venture partner in Brea, California, who started his career at EY (then called Ernst & Young). The following has been edited for length and clarity.

I graduated from UCLA in June 2000 with a degree in business economics and a minor in accounting.

My accounting minor led to unexpected opportunities. I spent a lot of time with professors who advised me to apply for companies recruiting on campus, which included Ernst & Young (EY).

But the real inspiration came from my uncle Jack. After my father passed away when I was young, Uncle Jack stepped in as a father figure. He worked at BDO Global and encouraged me to speak with consultants and shadow his colleagues so I could decide for myself if the Big Four path was right for me.

It was — EY turned out to be the best place to launch my career

Working there came with the good, the bad, and the ugly. The learning curve was steep, but the personal growth was exponential. I'd walk into rooms feeling like the least experienced person there and walk out knowing I brought real value. My confidence built with each client and project.

Another highlight was the people. I formed deep bonds of friendship and camaraderie in the trenches — dealing with impossible due dates and late nights, and surviving board meetings that go off the rails. I'm still friends with my classmates from my first year at EY, and my colleagues from over 12 years ago.

But burnout is real. The long hours, tight deadlines, and constant pressure to perform can drain you if you don't set firm boundaries to protect your mental, physical, and spiritual well-being. And like any large organization, the politics and bureaucracy can be draining. At the end of the day, it's an accounting firm run by accountants. Metrics often win out over strategy.

In 2013, after 13 years, I decided to quit and launch my own business after I realized staying would only be about the money and title. My faith played a significant role, showing me EY wasn't where I was supposed to be. Working on the EY's Entrepreneur Of The Year Award — a global program that recognizes outstanding entrepreneurs — opened my eyes to how much I admired people who took leaps of faith, and I knew I had to do the same.

Still, my experience at EY became rocket fuel. It gave me the grit, confidence, and the playbook to succeed in any professional arena.

After selling my fintech startup Ardius to Gusto in 2021, I took a sabbatical to redefine what "retirement" means to me. It's less about the absence of work and more about doing what I love with people I care about. I'm now back to building and investing, having co-founded both Gumshoe Ventures and a new startup with my 15-year-old son called Admisio, which helps streamline the college admissions process.

Here are the five biggest lessons I took with me from my time at EY:

1. Take calculated risks

At EY, you're trained to identify risk. However, success stems from learning to identify opportunities and capitalize on them. You can't succeed unless you're willing to step outside your comfort zone. Some of my proudest moments came when I felt like I was teetering on the edge of failure.

That pressure pushed me to accomplish things I didn't think I could, such as launching and scaling my fintech startup entirely remotely during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. With no in-person meetings, we built the team, closed our seed round, managed compliance, and got acquired, all while navigating a highly regulated space.

As an investor, identifying risk has helped me determine the best founders. Some people run toward risk and can see the opportunities that others don't. We love founders who take educated risks and want to solve really big problems, because these are the game changers.

2. Family first

I've seen too many colleagues miss birthdays, weddings, and other significant milestones due to work. It's easy to get caught up in the hustle. Of course, I struggled with this as well. But friends come and go. Jobs change. Family is forever. If you don't have close family nearby, build a community that feels like one and show up for them.

I don't regret missing specific events as much as I regret being physically present but mentally checked out and thinking about work. Today, I prioritize family first. I've been married to my wife for 20 years, and have four kids. I create harmony by building structure into my day, like committing to school drop-offs, team sports, and homework.

Over time, I stopped chasing "work-life balance" and instead focused on "work-life harmony." Some weeks are intense, others are lighter, and that's OK. What matters most is setting consistent expectations so both your team and your loved ones know what to expect from you.

3. The 80/15/5 rule

Former senior partners at EY gave me this framework early on: 80% of people will love you, 15% are undecided, and 5% just won't, no matter what you do or say. Focus on that 15% and try to win them over. Don't forget to nurture the 80%. But stop losing sleep over the 5%.

It still affects me today. However, it's gotten better as I get older, perhaps because I still care but don't have as much time or energy to worry about what others think about me.

4. Read — it's a superpower

Reading is the single most underrated key to success. I recommend "The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership" or any book by John C. Maxwell. Like all of John Maxwell's books, I love this book because it's practical, timeless, and grows with you as your leadership evolves. One of the first lessons that stuck with me was, "Sometimes you win, and sometimes you learn," which reframes failure as learning.

This mindset was a game changer when it came to venture capital and startups; where "losses" are inevitable, viewing them as lessons instead of failures has kept me resilient, curious, and always moving forward.

Some of the most impactful laws for me include the Law of the Lid (your leadership ability can limit your organization's growth), the Law of Sacrifice (you have to give up to go up), and the Law of Connection (take time to understand personal motivations before pushing your team for more).

5. Be adaptable

At EY, we had this theory called the chaos theory: in chaos, there is order. We were trained to see the chaos and live in it. That meant staying calm and level-headed, and learning how to pivot quickly. Over time, that mindset builds muscle memory.

Startups operate the same way; they're unpredictable. Markets shift, but the best founders know how to adapt. Investors see it too. We're not looking for perfection; we're looking for people who learn, adapt, and pivot.

Waiting for perfect conditions slows you down. The better aim is precision. The best leaders make smart, timely decisions with the data they have, and know they can adjust quickly.

I keep in touch with partners from Big Four accounting firms. They all know we're in the early stages of an AI arms race that's already redefining how they work, who they hire, and how they make money. The firms won't say it outright (yet), but entry-level roles are quietly being replaced by AI. The demand is shifting toward tech-savvy talent — data scientists, AI engineers, and consultants who can manage bots as easily as clients.

The firms that win won't just use AI; they'll have to build around it. The future of professional services isn't human vs. machine; it's human plus machine. As such, the Big Four are racing to figure out the formula and who will get there first.

EY representatives did not respond to requests for comment.

Do you have a story to share about working in the Big Four? Contact this editor, Jane Zhang, at [email protected].

• June marks the start of many summer internship programs on Wall Street.
• BI asked industry insiders where interns hang out when they're not pulling all-nighters.
• From bars to coffee shops, see 5 top places summer interns will go to see and be seen this summer.

In the next two weeks, hundreds of college students will descend upon New York City to begin summer jobs on Wall Street.

To kick off the annual ritual, we asked half a dozen industry insiders to tell us the top hangouts for Wall Street interns, known for planning out their career paths years in advance.

We focused on New York City because it's the financial capital of the world, boasting top investment banks like Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, and Morgan Stanley. The people we spoke to include recent interns who are starting investment banking jobs or now work in private equity, as well as some who are still students but live in New York.

They told Business Insider that summer analysts will be spending most of their time in their office. That's because the No. 1 goal of an investment banking internship is to get an offer for a full-time job after graduation, known as a "return offer." To do that, interns have to prove their work ethic and commitment — often by joining the full-time junior bankers in clocking in 80- to 100-hour workweeks.

"I don't think I ever went outside of the office except to sleep that summer," one second-year investment banker said of their intern experience.

Still, it's summer — and even busy interns would be wise to find time to network with other future rainmakers. So where will they be in the few hours a week they manage to break away from Excel spreadsheets and the whims of their bosses?

From bars and clubs to coffee shops — here are 5 spots (plus a few honorable mentions) where you'll be sure to find Wall Street interns this summer in New York City.

Brass Monkey

This bar was mentioned most among BI's sources. Four industry insiders, from newly anointed bankers who were interns last summer to more senior professionals, said Brass Monkey was popular among finance interns. It's in the trendy Meatpacking District on Manhattan's west side, and offers three indoor bars plus a rooftop terrace.

An incoming investment banker who interned last summer in NYC described it as a popular place to begin a night out "for people going to and from dinner in the West Village" and other nearby hot spots.

"The first Friday and Saturday night, the line is crazy long. It's so funny," said an incoming intern who lives in New York.

The food menu offers standard American bar fare like nachos, chicken tenders, and buffalo wings, while the drink list features a ton of beers and $16 cocktails with names like "Summer Stock" and "Swizzle Me Timbers."

Phebe's Tavern

Four people told us about Phebe's, an East Village spot that's been around since 1968. It's an eatery during the day, offering standard bar fare, but also pasta and steak. (It also randomly claims itself as the top bar for Cincinnati Bengals fans in NYC.) But it's open until 4 a.m. on the weekends, when it turns into a "known intern bar," according to a former junior banker who works in private equity.

Indeed, this spot has been featured in plenty of memes on Wall Street social media pages and online forums, including Instagram account Overheard on Wall Street.

"It's an early-in-the-night spot that just fills up with interns," said the person who previously worked at a bulge bracket investment bank. "It's right next to the Bowery Hotel and always full of early-20s people running around everywhere."

Hair of the Dog

Established in 2012, Hair of the Dog describes itself as a place "where old school watering hole meets big time sports bar" on Manhattan's Lower East Side.

"It's a pub slash spots bar vibe for all the finance bros to hit," said a person who previously worked at a bulge bracket investment bank.

The incoming investment banker described it as a late-night spot for interns and people in their early 20s, saying it's "small, crammed, loud," with "old/new music mixes in a grungy location."

Blue Bottle & Black Fox coffee chains

Networking is a must for Wall Street interns, who are eager to make a lasting impression in an effort to score a full-time job. That tends to lead to 1-1 coffees with employees and managers during the work day. The people who spoke to BI said there are two go-to networking hotspots for the finance ilk, both of them coffee chains.

Black Fox Coffee is a New York company with three Manhattan locations — one of which is particularly popping with bankers.

"For midtown/Park Ave people, Black Fox Coffee at 550 Madison is popular for chats," said the former junior banker who works in private equity.

This person also mentioned Blue Bottle Coffee, a cafe chain that got its start in California, but which now has about 20 locations in the New York metro area. This chain is more ubiquitous, but you'll find the most finance folks at the ones closest to office hubs — like in Midtown on 52nd Street. (It's even been a standout for this Business Insider reporter to catch up with industry sources across Manhattan.)

Swingers & Spin sports venues

While their names may conjure up images of promiscuous night clubs, Swingers is an indoor mini golf course and Spin is a "ping pong social club," according to its website. The people who spoke to BI said they're spots for team events (the kind that companies will put on and pay for) in the summer.

"We would just have random intern social events there," said the former junior banker who works in private equity.

Some honorable mentions

Honorable mentions included Mr. Purple, another rooftop bar on the Lower East Side that a former junior banker who works in private equity described as a "classic meme-y NYC club." It's "a place for interns to feel like they can see and be seen," added the person who previously worked at a bulge-bracket investment bank.

Pianos, yet another Lower East Side bar, "has live music and usually a line out the door of people who are way too young," said the person who previously worked at a bulge bracket investment bank.

• Notable speakers have taken the stage at college graduation ceremonies in recent weeks.
• They've given new grads advice on taking risks, building community, and navigating AI at work.
• Here are some highlights.

High-profile writers, doctors, entrepreneurs, and actors are making their annual rounds through college commencement ceremonies.

They're dispensing some of their best advice to new grads preparing to take on the challenges that lie ahead, talking about everything from taking chances, surrounding yourself with the right people, and understanding your place in an AI-enabled workplace.

Here are some standout pieces of advice to the Class of 2025 from 10 commencement speakers.

Tech journalist Steven Levy

"You do have a great future ahead of you, no matter how smart and capable ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Llama get," author and tech journalist Steven Levy told graduates at the Temple University College of Liberal Arts on May 7.

"And here is the reason: You have something that no computer can ever have. It's a superpower, and every one of you has it in abundance," he said, according to Wired.

"The lords of AI are spending hundreds of billions of dollars to make their models think like accomplished humans. You have just spent four years at Temple University learning to think as accomplished humans. The difference is immeasurable," he said.

"Everything you have learned in the liberal arts — the humanities — depends on that connection. You bring your superpower to it."

Actor Jennifer Coolidge

"When you find the thing that you want to do, I really want to highly recommend — just friggin' go for it," Jennifer Coolidge, the star of HBO's White Lotus, told graduates at Emerson College on May 12.

"You really have to psych yourself up into bleeding absurd possibilities, and you have to believe that they are not absurd because there's nothing foolish or accidental about expecting things that are unattainable for yourself."

Kermit the Frog

Everyone's favorite Muppet shared "a little advice — if you're willing to listen to a frog" at the University of Maryland's commencement ceremony on May 22.

"Rather than jumping over someone to get what you want, consider reaching out your hand and taking the leap side by side. Because life is better when we leap together."

Actor Elizabeth Banks

"You're about to enter the incredibly competitive job market, so I can understand why you believe that life is a zero-sum game, that there's only so much opportunity to go around," actor Elizabeth Banks told graduates of the University of Pennsylvania on May 19.

"And if one person takes a bigger slice, everyone else has to make a smaller slice, and the total size of the pie remains the same. And that is true with actual pie," she said.

"But not with life, not with opportunity. So my advice to you is, as much as possible from here on out, take yourself out of that mindset."

Physician and author Abraham Verghese

Physician and author Abraham Verghese told Harvard graduates on May 29 to "make your decisions worthy of those who supported, nurtured, and sacrificed for you."

"The decisions you will make in the future under pressure will say something about your character, while they also shape and transform you in unexpected ways," he said.

Verghese also encouraged the Class of 2025 to read fiction.

"To paraphrase Camus, fiction is the great lie that tells the truth about how the world lives," he said. "And if you don't read fiction, my considered medical opinion is that a part of your brain responsible for active imagination atrophies."

Actor Henry Winkler

Actor Henry Winkler spoke about the power of positive thinking in his May 17 address to graduates of the Georgetown University College of Arts & Sciences.

"A negative thought comes into your mind, you say out loud — you say out loud — 'I am sorry, I have no time for you now,'" he said. "Yes, people will look at you very strangely. But it doesn't matter. Because it becomes your habit."

Instead, when faced with doubts and negative thoughts about your goals, "you move it out; you move a positive in," he said.

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell told graduates of Princeton University on May 25 that "the combination of luck, the courage to make mistakes, and a little initiative can lead to much success."

"We risk failure, awkwardness, embarrassment, and rejection," he said. "But that's how we create the career opportunities, the great friendships, and the loves that make life worth living."

He reminded graduates that "each of us is a work in progress" and "the possibilities for self-improvement are limitless."

"The vast majority of what you need to know about work, about relationships, about yourself, about life, you have yet to learn," Powell said. "And that itself is a tremendous gift."

Y Combinator cofounder Jessica Livingston

Jessica Livingston, cofounder of startup accelerator Y Combinator, told Bucknell University graduates to "find the interesting people."

"Talk to people. Get introduced to new people. Find the people that you think are interesting, and then ask what they're working on. And if you find yourself working at a place where you don't like the people, get out," she said in her May 18 speech.

She also advised the Class of 2025 that "you can reinvent yourself" at any time.

"If you want to, you can just decide to shift gears at this point, and no one's going to tell you you can't," she said. "You can just decide to be more curious, or more responsible, or more energetic, and no one's going to look up your college grades and say, 'Hey, wait a minute. This person's supposed to be a slacker!'"

S&P Global CEO Martina L. Cheung

"Don't collect promotions. Collect experiences," S&P Global President and CEO Martina L. Cheung told graduates of George Mason University.

In her May 15 address, Cheung shared how lateral moves in her own career later prepared her for promotions.

"Most people think of their careers as a ladder," she said. "They see the goal as climbing the ladder with promotions or leaving one job to take a bigger one elsewhere. The truth is, moving up is not the only direction. It's not even always the best direction. Sometimes it's the lateral move."

YouTuber Hank Green

Writer and science YouTuber Hank Green reminded MIT graduates in his May 29 speech to stay curious.

"Your curiosity is not out of your control," he said. "You decide how you orient it, and that orientation is going to affect the entire rest of your life. It may be the single most important factor in your career."

Green also emphasized the importance of taking chances on your ideas.

"Ideas do not belong in your head," he said. "They can't help anyone in there. I sometimes see people become addicted to their good idea. They love it so much, they can't bring themselves to expose it to the imperfection of reality. Stop waiting. Get the ideas out. You may fail, but while you fail, you will build new tools."

He closed his speech on this inspiring note: "Do not forget how special and bizarre it is to get to live a human life. It took 3 billion years for the Earth to go from single-celled life forms to you. That's more than a quarter of the life of the entire universe. Something very special and strange is happening on this planet and it is you."

• Americans eat a lot of ultra-processed foods, but they've been linked to many health problems.
• Part of their appeal is convenience, but you can make some dietary staples from scratch in minutes.
• A chef who never eats UPFs shared easy recipes for bread, pesto, and mayo.

You've probably heard that eating lots of ultra-processed foods isn't great for your health. They've been linked to a host of chronic diseases, but with a busy schedule, it can be hard to find the time to make a home-cooked meal to replace convenient foods like protein bars or a store-bought burrito.

Rory O'Connell, a chef and cofounder of the prestigious Ballymaloe Cookery School in Ireland, has a remedy: dietary staples you can make from scratch in around 10 minutes, which can help you eat fewer UPFs overall.

O'Connell spends most of his time at the cooking school, which sits on a 100-acre organic farm complete with a dairy, chicken coop, bakery, and fermentation shed. He and his colleagues are in a unique position, being in such proximity to fresh ingredients and working a job dedicated to making delicious food. The salad they serve is made of leaves freshly picked from their fields, and the yogurt they eat for breakfast, made from their own cows' milk, is fermented on-site.

Most people who live and work in cities don't have the opportunity or time to eat this way, but there are some simple recipes O'Connell shared that could help.

Irish soda bread

"Knowing how to make a simple bread is a phenomenally useful skill," O'Connell told Business Insider. And soda bread, an Irish staple, is quick to make and doesn't require any yeast.

Ingredients:

• 8 oz/ 2 cups plain white flour
• 8 oz/ 2 cups brown wholemeal flour
• 2 oz kibbled wheat
• 2 to 3 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 1 rounded teaspoon dark soft brown sugar
• 1 rounded teaspoon salt
• 1 level teaspoon bicarbonate of soda, finely sieved
• ½ oz butter
• 1 small egg
• 16 fl oz/ 2 cups buttermilk

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F

2. Grease one 5 in x 8 in loaf tin

3. In a large, wide bowl, mix the flours, kibbled wheat, sesame seeds, brown sugar, salt, and bicarbonate of soda together, then rub in the butter. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients.

4. Break the egg into the bottom of your measuring jug and add the buttermilk to the 17 fl oz line, with the egg forming part of your total liquid measurement. Whisk to combine, then pour most of this mixture into the dry ingredients.

5. Using one hand, with the fingers open and stiff, mix in a full circle, drawing in the flour from the sides of the bowl, adding more milk and egg mixture if necessary. Avoid over-mixing to keep the dough light and airy — the mixture should be soft and almost pourable. Transfer to a well-oiled bread tin, then sprinkle the top with the extra kibbled wheat and sesame seeds.

6. Bake in the fully preheated oven for 50 to 60 minutes. Remove the tin 10 to 15 minutes before the end of cooking time and return to the oven to continue baking. Tap the base of the bread to check it's cooked — it should sound hollow. Cool on a wire rack.

Pesto

You can make pesto in minutes, and it keeps for weeks covered with a layer of olive oil in a jar in the fridge, O'Connell said. It also freezes well, but for best results, don't add the Parmesan cheese until it has defrosted.

"If you can make pesto, you have a sauce for chicken, fish, lamb, beans. You can have it just on toast with a poached egg," he said.

Typically, pesto is made with basil and pine nuts, but you can substitute these for lots of different things. "There's always going to be something in season at any time of the year that you can use in that recipe," he said.

Variations he likes include parsley, wild garlic, watercress, or kale pesto. Cashews and almonds are both great alternatives to pine nuts, he said.

Makes about 2 x 7 fl oz jars

Ingredients:

• 4 oz fresh basil or watercress
• ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 oz cashews or fresh pine nuts, chopped
• 2 large garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 oz finely grated Parmesan cheese
• Sea salt, to taste

Method:

1. Whizz the basil (or watercress) with the olive oil, chopped cashews or pine nuts, and garlic in a food processor or pound in a pestle and mortar.

2. Remove to a bowl and fold in the Parmesan cheese. Season to taste.

Mayonnaise

Mayonnaise is another versatile sauce that takes under five minutes to make at home. "So useful. And it keeps in your fridge for up to three weeks," O'Connell said.

"If you can make a bit of bread, hard boiled eggs, and a blob of mayonnaise, it's delicious and nutritious," he said.

You only need a handful of ingredients that you've probably already got in your kitchen.

Ingredients:

• 2 egg yolks, preferably free range
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• A pinch of English mustard or 1/4 teaspoon French mustard
• 1 dessertspoon white wine vinegar
• 225ml oil (sunflower or olive oil or a mixture) - we use 175ml sunflower oil and 50ml oil

Method:

1. Put the egg yolks into a bowl with the salt, mustard, and the white wine vinegar.

2. Put the oil into a measuring jug. Take a whisk in one hand and the oil in the other and drip the oil onto the egg yolks, drop by drop, whisking at the same time to create an emulsion.

3. Within a minute, you will notice that the mixture is beginning to thicken. When this happens, you can add the oil a little faster, but don't get too complacent or it will suddenly curdle (split) because the egg yolks can only absorb the oil at a certain pace.
4. Taste and add a little more seasoning and vinegar if necessary.

• BI observed Finnish and Polish forces in an exercise simulating a tactical air landing operation.
• One team seized a strategically located airfield while another had to counterattack and retake it.
• These kinds of operations are a top Russian military tactic and could prove decisive in a conflict.

PYHTÄÄ, Finland — The young soldiers wear dark camouflage and green and black face paint to blend in with the dense forest common on NATO's eastern flank.

These conscripts, members of the 3rd Jaeger Company, a unit within the Finnish Army's Pori Brigade, carry anti-tank missile launchers, large mines, and assault rifles. One soldier looks at a paper map, and another calls in instructions on the radio as they scout out recently seized enemy positions. From the nearby road, they cannot be seen.

The Finnish soldiers are conducting surveillance operations, but the enemy is not real. It's part of an exercise simulating their reaction to the capture of a strategic airfield, a critical operation that's an expected element of a Russian invasion.

Lively Sabre 25, which took place in southern Finland over the past few days, is an element of NATO's larger Swift Response 25 exercise. This event is a series of joint military drills across the Baltic and Nordic regions designed to facilitate cooperation among allies and deter what they see as a serious Russian threat to the east.

During Lively Sabre, a "red team," consisting of Polish airborne forces and Finnish troops, executed a tactical air landing operation at an airstrip in the forest. Paratroopers rapidly seized a strategically located airfield, aiming to hold it and bring in the infantry and heavy weapons to launch a lightning assault from it; Russia used similar tactics in a close battle outside Kyiv in 2022.

The 3rd Jaeger Company was part of a "blue team" made up entirely of Finnish troops whose mission was to contain the so-called airhead and then mass strength to retake the site — an operation where time is of the essence.

Finland doesn't have an airbone brigade in its military structure, so the exercise is a good opportunity to train on battling paratroopers and learn from skilled professionals — in this case, the Polish forces — how to prepare for a tactical air landing, set up a perimeter around the airfield, and defend the site. Establishing an airhead is not an easy operation, especially in an era of widespread sensors and sophisticated air defenses that can detect and destroy an assault force before it lands.

"It's extremely difficult," Col. Matti Honko, the commanding officer of Finland's Guard Jaeger Regiment and the director of Lively Sabre, told Business Insider on the sidelines of the exercise. "There needs to be suppression of the air defense, and there has to be air superiority. You have to be able to actually do lots of things before you can do that."

Brig. Gen. Michal Strzelecki, the commander of Poland's 6th Airborne Brigade, which led the tactical air landing, said these operations have become even more difficult now than they were in past years. But having the airborne capabilities is still crucial, especially in the early phases of a conflict, when enemy air defenses aren't necessarily ready. The rapid deployment of troops could make all the difference.

"Having that kind of capability is essential," Strzelecki told BI at the Pyhtää airfield.

The ability to seize an airstrip and hold the position is important, as is the ability to dislodge it from under enemy control. NATO knows this because Ukraine demonstrated it three years ago, early on in its defense against Russia's full-scale invasion.

Russian forces tried to capture the Hostomel airport on the outskirts of Kyiv amid their initial push to capture the Ukrainian capital city. This would have given Moscow a decisive advantage, as the Kremlin could have then airlifted more troops, artillery, and fighting vehicles to strike Kyiv from a minimal distance.

Russian helicopters carrying assault troops made an initial assault, but they were met with fierce resistance from Ukraine's military. After hours of heavy fighting and counterattacks, Kyiv eventually controlled the airfield.

Swift Response 25, which falls under NATO's larger series of exercises this summer, called Defender, comes as the military alliance grows increasingly concerned with Russia and its behavior across Europe, which Western officials have described as malign and aggressive.

Allies, especially those along the northern and eastern flanks, like the Baltic states, are watching the Ukraine war closely. They are investing a lot in their defense capabilities by increasing their military spending, buying up weapons, and reinforcing their borders. European nations are also anxious about US reliability.

Finland joined NATO just over two years ago, while Poland has been a member for more than two decades. Both share borders with Russia, so they bring an important perspective to the alliance as countries on its front lines. They are well aware of the Russian threat.

Strzelecki said the Lively Sabre exercise helps Poland better integrate its forces with Finland.

"Finland is a new member of the alliance, so we want to interact with them, we want to train with them, we want to share our experience and also learn from the Finnish Army," he said. "Finland has a long tradition of defending against possible aggression from their neighbor."

Indeed, Russia has recently increased its military presence along its shared 830-mile-long border with Finland. Should a clash occur between NATO and Moscow, the region could become a major hot spot.

Honko said Finland's accession to NATO in 2023 has already lifted the threshold of threats, and exercises like Lively Sabre are a key element of deterrence that's needed to avoid a real shooting war.

"We are in the first line, but then, I think we have a very long tradition of defending our own area by ourselves, and that hasn't changed. In a way, we are a security provider, and not a security consumer," Honko said. Still, he added, "We need the alliance if the day comes, and we can deal with the problem together."

• A Houston family is selling the house they bought three years ago to become renters again.
• Homeownership has been an expensive headache for Roxanne and Kristina Werner.
• They're excited to ditch home repairs and live in a more walkable neighborhood.

Roxanne Werner and her wife, Kristina Werner, bought their Houston home in early 2022 when, like many white-collar workers, they were still working remotely and wanted more space. Buying felt relatively affordable — they paid about $390,000 for their three-bedroom house with a pool and snagged a 3.75% mortgage interest rate.

But the hidden costs of homeownership quickly reared their ugly heads. First, there was a gas leak. Then, a $10,000 air conditioning repair. A costly pool leak, new garage doors, and plumbing issues came next. It felt like they're playing whack-a-mole with never-ending home maintenance. And that's all on top of their $2,600 monthly mortgage payment.

"The amount we pay monthly for our mortgage is totally reasonable," said Werner, who's 38 and works in communications for local government. "But then once we moved in, it just feels like it's been one thing after another, after another, after another."

So the couple, who have a combined income of about $185,000, is selling their house and going back to renting.

They're not alone. Some homeowners are weighing the burdens of owning and deciding they'd prefer the flexibility and lack of liability that renting offers. This has helped push the age of the typical tenant higher, driven also by both Gen Zers and millennials renting for longer and boomers renting as they age.

Rethinking the American Dream

As interest rates and home prices have surged in recent years, renting has become a better deal than buying in many places — a reversal of the historic norm. Indeed, homebuyers purchasing starter homes in 50 major cities in 2024 spent over $1,000 more on housing costs each month than tenants do.

There are all kinds of phantom costs associated with owning a home beyond the mortgage, insurance, and taxes. Buying and selling fees, home maintenance and repairs, insurance, and taxes can all be more than a homeowner bargained for.

And unlike other major purchases, like a car, homebuyers tend to treat their home as an investment that will appreciate over time. But turning a profit on a home — or just breaking even — is far from assured.

Werner and her wife, who works for the University of Houston, are looking forward to putting more money aside each month for long-term savings, vacations, dinners out, and their 11-year-old son's college fund. Buying another, lower-maintenance home feels like a bad deal now, Werner said, with interest rates around 7% and home prices elevated.

"It just feels like the whole housing market is kind of a scam," Werner said. "You buy the house, you sell it, and then you make a bunch of money, but then you also want to be able to afford to buy another house."

The couple listed their house for $429,000 in early May and are out of the option period with a buyer who has offered just below their asking price. Now, they're looking for a rental townhouse in a more walkable neighborhood that's closer to downtown Houston.

Werner estimates that she and her wife, who works at the University of Houston, will end up spending a bit more on their future rent — they think around $2,800 — than they do on their mortgage. But they expect to spend less on their overall housing costs when they factor in repairs and maintenance, she added.

Ultimately, though, Werner wants to abandon the social norms and traditions that make owning a home "synonymous" with the American Dream.

"Do we mean buy a home, or do we mean that you can build any life you want to, and maybe, for some people, that doesn't mean owning a home?" she said.