• I've lost 70 pounds, but keeping weight off has been tough. Luckily, my air fryer makes it easier.
• I use my air fryer to make lighter alternatives to dishes I love, like chicken tenders and chips.
• Even foods I once disliked, like Brussels sprouts, have become reliable air-fryer snacks.

Growing up, managing my weight was a challenge. Years later, I'm 70 pounds lighter and have much to thank for the transformation.

My calorie-tracking app helps keep me accountable and my gym workouts have been great for helping me create balance in my life.

However, my air fryer has been my unsung hero throughout my journey. I love using the appliance to prepare lighter versions of indulgent dishes and make vegetables taste better.

Here are my go-to meals and snacks to make in the air fryer when I'm hungry but looking for something light.

Large explosive eruptions occur in Yellowstone around once every 700,000 years, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

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• We spent three days in Germany's Black Forest, which is said to have inspired famous fairy-tales.
• It has some of the best hiking trails and castle ruins in Germany, and I loved its eponymous cake.
• Baden-Baden is a great home base to explore the northern part of it, but I wish we also went south.

My husband and I recently spent almost a month exploring Germany, and three days of our trip were dedicated to its Black Forest.

The Black Forest is said to have famously inspired many Grimms' fairy-tales, including Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, and Hansel and Gretel.

It's easy to see why, with its castle ruins and lush green landscape complete with swirling fog, thick moss, and mountain-fed rivers. Plus, it's a hiker's paradise with delicious cake and famous cuckoo clocks.

Here's what we loved about our experience in the Black Forest — and two of the mistakes we made.

A Class I recall is used when "a violative product will cause serious adverse health consequences or death," according to the FDA.

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Rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels of the Washington Commanders currently leads Pro Bowl QB voting over the likes of Joe Burrow, Josh Allen, and Lamar Jackson.

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The push and pull between remote, hybrid and office work has persisted since companies started to call their staff back in person.

Why it matters: Corporate employees and employers across industries have been in conflict over what style results in the most productive work, while allowing balance.

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By the numbers: 32% of U.S. firms require full time in office for corporate employees, per the Flex Index Q4 report, which analyzes the state of flexible work.

• Over the past two quarters, the percentage of companies requiring three days per week in office increased to 28% from 19%.

Zoom in: Office foot traffic differs widely between cities.

• As of July, Miami and New York office visits were over or close to 90% of July 2019 levels, while San Francisco barely breached 50%.

Here are corporate RTO mandates across industries:

Tech and software

Amazon: Employees are mandated to return five days per week at the start of 2025, CEO Andy Jassy announced in September.

• Employees with an "extenuating circumstance" or with specific exceptions may continue to work remote or hybrid.

Apple: CEO Tim Cook ordered employees to start returning to the office three days a week in 2022.

AT&T: The company announced in December announced a policy that will require employees to work from the office five days per week starting in January, multiple outlets reported.

• Its operations have already been streamlined to nine core office hubs, per HR Grapevine, including Dallas, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Seattle, Washington, St. Louis, and New Jersey's Middletown, N.J., and Bedminster, N.J.

Dell: The tech company told staff with just a few days' notice in September to return to the office five days per week, per Business Insider.

Google: Many employees ignored the company's request to work in-person three days per week in 2023, Axios' Emily Peck previously reported.

• Office attendance would be considered in performance reviews, chief people officer Fiona Cicconi told staff.

IBM: The company told managers they needed to either be on site three days per week or leave their jobs, per CNBC.

Meta: The Facebook and Instagram parent company ordered workers to return to the office three days per week in 2023.

Salesforce: Many employees returned for four days per week in October, per NBC.

Snap: Snapchat's parent company told employees they had 60 days to return to the office or leave the company, The Information reported.

X: Elon Musk in 2022 announced the end of remote work for the social media company after he acquired it. It became the first company in tech to force RTO, per Business Insider.

• CEO Linda Yaccarino attempted to motivate workers with incentives.

Zoom: The bastion of remote work ordered staff back to the office in 2023 for a "structured hybrid approach," per the BBC.

• Any employee living within 50 miles of an office was expected to work in person at least twice a week.

Finance

BlackRock: The world's largest asset manager called employees back to office at least four days per week in 2023.

Citigroup: The banking and trade company asked its 600 U.S. employees who were eligible to work remotely to return to the office full time in May, per Reuters.

Goldman Sachs: The company early on had a hard time enforcing its five-day RTO policy, per Business Insider. Leaders said they'd further crack down on attendance.

JPMorgan: In 2023, the company asked its managing directors to work from the office five days per week, per Reuters.

• The company said managers could include attendance in performance reviews and threatened "corrective action" for not meeting requirements.

Media and entertainment

Disney: CEO Bob Iger ordered a four-day work week in 2023 after retaking his job at the helm of the company.

Washington Post: The news outlet announced in November that all employees were expected back five days per week by June.

• Managers must be in full time by Feb. 3.

Transportation

Boeing: The aerospace company called all workers back to the office five days per week in early 2024, per CNBC.

Tesla: Musk in 2022 said that employees must work from the office at least 40 hours per week.

• "If you don't show up, we'll assume you have resigned," he wrote in an email, per Business Insider.

What we're watching: The workplace conversation is set to continue into 2025.

• 86% of CEOs said they will reward employees who come into the office, per a survey conducted by accounting and audit firm KPMG over the summer. 79% said they believe corporate employees will work in person over the next three years.
• Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, who will lead the Trump administration's new Department of Government Efficiency, said they support requiring federal employees to work in-person five days per week.

Go deeper:

• Return-to-office mandates spark tensions as workers still want flexibility
• Whether you're back in the office may depend on where you live

• Costco opened its first location in Seattle in 1983, building off Price Club's warehouse format.
• Today's company is the product of a 1993 merger between Costco and Price Club, which opened in 1976.
• Costco provided Business Insider with historical photos of the chain's inaugural warehouse. 

Costco is a staple of the big-box-store landscape. Since its beginning in 1983, it has attracted a devoted flock of members thanks to its low prices and bulk sizes.

But the wholesale retailer's origin story is a bit complicated.

The Costco of today is in fact the result of a 1993 merger between Costco and its predecessor, Price Club, which was founded in 1976 by legendary entrepreneur Sol Price.

Costco provided Business Insider with a number of photos of the company's first warehouse from 1983.

These images provide a glimpse into what making a Costco run would've looked like back when Ronald Reagan was in the White House.

• As a dietitian, I follow the Mediterranean diet, but that doesn't mean my family never eats out.
• Dunkin' is an easy place to grab breakfast when we're in a rush.
• I try to avoid overly sugary drinks, but I do order the occasional doughnut as a treat.

As a dietitian who tries to follow the Mediterranean diet, I eat a lot of veggies, beans, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats.

However, in a pinch, my family and I sometimes have to lean on fast food, especially when we're traveling.

When I visit Dunkin' with my 9-year-old daughter and my husband, I opt for protein-rich options and try to limit any added sugar and sodium.

Here's what I ordered for everyone on our last Dunkin' run.

Egg prices in California have soared nearly 70% due to a severe bird flu outbreak that has decimated poultry flocks, leading to shortages and economic strain.

Around 15% of Puerto Rico is still without power after a staggering "island-wide" outage cast the population into darkness Tuesday.

The big picture: The island has grappled with a faulty power grid and repeated outages for years, sparking frustration and protests.

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• Energy company LUMA, which took over control of the U.S. territory's power transmission and distribution in 2021, said in a statement the exact cause of the New Year's Eve blackout remains under investigation.
• Early investigations pointed to a fault on an underground power line, the company reported.

The latest: As of LUMA's most recent update Wednesday morning, just over 85% of customers have had their service restored.

• The company reported Tuesday that power had also been restored to the Centro Médico and el Hospital Municipal de San Juan.
• LUMA initially predicted it would take one to two days to return power to every customer on the island.
• At the outage's peak, nearly 90% of 1.47 million LUMA clients were in the dark.

State of play: Puerto Rico's Gov. Pedro Pierluisi said Tuesday that President Biden and Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm assured the island it would have federal assistance in "continuing and speeding up" the reconstruction of its electric system.

• In a separate Tuesday post, Pierluisi wrote that he is "demanding answers and solutions" from LUMA and Genera PR, another company that handles private electricity production on the island.
• Governor-elect Jenniffer González Colón, who is set to be sworn in Thursday, wrote in a Tuesday post that stabilizing the island's energy grid will be her top priority once she assumes office.
• "We can't keep relying on an energy system that fails our people," she wrote. "Today's blackout and the uncertainty around restoration continue to impact our economy and quality of life."

Catch up quick: The U.S. territory's energy was privatized after Hurricane Maria ravaged the grid in 2017, leaving hundreds of thousands in prolonged darkness.

• Operational control was transferred to LUMA, in hopes it could help remedy the damaged system. But the challenges have persisted.

Go deeper: Puerto Rico's grim outlook

The newest generation — Beta — will see its youngest members be born roughly from 2025 through 2039.

The big picture: Many within the generation will live to the 22nd century. Even more than their nearest predecessors, this cohort's experience will be defined by unpredictable technological advancements and climate crises.

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• It'll be the second generation besides Alpha — whose births span from about 2010 through 2024 — born entirely in the 21st century.

State of play: Projected to reach about 2.1 billion people, Beta would be the second largest cohort following Alpha's 2 billion, per Mark McCrindle, a social researcher and demographer who coined "Generation Alpha" and determined its bounds.

• By 2035, the age group will make up 16% of the global population, according to McCrindle, who founded Australia-based McCrindle Research.

Yes, but: We don't know what's entirely in store for the Betas.

• Specific boundaries between generations become more clear as each cohort grows up, said Jean Twenge, the author of "Generations: The Real Differences Between Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, Boomers and Silents — and What They Mean for America's Future."
• "Technology is what really causes the differences between the generations," she said.

The intrigue: Generative AI is defining the moment the Betas enter the world. Ultimately, their lived experience will be determined by what sticks and how.

• The tech that shapes social relationships ends up having the biggest impact on an age group, Twenge said. With Gen Z, that was social media, and for Gen Alpha, it's "virtual worlds" like Minecraft or Roblox.
• If generative AI becomes so ingrained that young people with "AI friends and AI boyfriends and girlfriends" becomes widespread, "that could have an enormous impact on social development," she said.

Between the lines: This might also come with more tech legislation and regulation. The European Union has enacted tighter rules that have led to policy changes at major tech firms, Axios' Ina Fried previously reported.

• Meanwhile, U.S. legislators have been working to pass the Kids Online Safety Act for more than a year.
• TikTok could also be banned in the U.S. in less than a month after Congress and the White House passed a bill that will force the popular platform's Chinese parent company to divest from its U.S. operations or face a ban.

What we're watching: Misinformation, disinformation and the adverse outcomes of AI are projected to be some of the top global risks over the next 10 years, the World Economic Forum predicted in January.

• Those followed climate, environment, biodiversity and natural resources crises.

Zoom in: Gen Z and younger millennials will mostly parent Gen Beta children.

• They're expected to be parents who recognize the volatility of the economy and focus on sustainability, both economically and environmentally.
• "Generation Beta will be shaped by parents who, in a lot of ways, lived through economic and social challenge," McCrindle said. "And that creates a resilience, a grit, an ability to respond to uncertain times but a conservative outlook — a desire to save, a desire to reuse, a focus on not just growth and ever more accumulation."

Zoom out: Gen Beta is also expected to witness significant demographic change within its lifetime as fertility rates fall worldwide and life expectancy increases.

• "As the Gen Betas are coming of age, the talk will not be overpopulation," McCrindle said. "It'll be population sustainability."

The bottom line: Governance, media, business and global geopolitics are undergoing massive upheaval, Axios' Jim Vandehei and Mike Allen recently wrote.

• Coming of age in this environment will, no doubt, shape the generation.

Go deeper: "A landmark generation": Introducing Gen Alpha

• For Christmas, I was gifted a lunch at Disneyland's elite Club 33, an invite-only club in the park.
• The holiday prix-fixe meal featured roasted salmon, lobster tail, filet mignon, and specialty pastries.
• As a foodie and Disney fan, I had high hopes for Club 33 — and the meal still exceeded expectations.

This year, as a Christmas present, I was gifted a rare experience I doubted I'd ever get a chance to try: dining at the exclusive Club 33 at Disneyland.

As a Disney fan and a foodie, I'd long heard rumors about the elite, members-only club with a secret entrance on Royal Street in New Orleans Square. Business Insider previously reported that, in addition to a yearslong membership waitlist, there is a $25,000 to $100,000 initiation fee to join Club 33, as well as an annual price tag ranging between $12,500 and $30,000, depending on the membership level.

This year, the mysterious club again made headlines after an Arizona couple said they spent $400,000 on legal fees pursuing a lawsuit to regain entry after their membership had been revoked.

And while that's far too rich for my blood, after thoroughly enjoying my lunch there, I can see why they'd fight so hard to maintain access.

Here's a glimpse at the seasonal holiday experience being offered this year at Club 33's Le Grand Salon restaurant, which — despite my already high expectations — left me feeling surprised and delighted at every turn.

Dining at Le Grand Salon, you won't ever forget you're having a luxurious — and exclusive — experience. The park's staff is already known for their commitment to customer service, but Club 33 takes things to another level.

Guests enter the club through a secret door across from La Mascarade d'Orleans, a store in New Orleans Square, using a buzzer to check in for their reservation. After passing through the Court of Angels — a pristinely appointed courtyard where you can get your picture taken — you're greeted by hosts who already know your name and seat you for your meal.

Photos are allowed in the dining area and courtyard but not in the bathrooms or members-only lounge.

The hosts whisk any nonessential items you're carrying to a complimentary coat check — no hoodies allowed inside, or yoga pants, or dirty tennis shoes, for that matter.

The club's iconic "33" logo is featured prominently throughout the venue, including on its dishware, menus, and artwork on the walls and floor.

While you wait for your food, you're encouraged to explore the balcony overlooking New Orleans Square, interact with the animatronic turkey vulture Alfred, the club's mascot, and admire the concept art and handpainted vintage harpsichord Walt Disney gifted his wife, Lillian, which now decorates the lounge.

The three-course prix fixe meal costs $140 per person for lunch, with an optional wine pairing available for an additional $75. The cocktail menu is just as thoughtfully curated as the rest of the experience, with classic options like mint juleps and whisky sours available alongside seasonal re-imaginings like the "Winter Solstice Spritz" and "Butter Rum Drummer Boy."

Alcohol is still served only in a few select locations at Disneyland, and Club 33 offers the largest variety of options anywhere in the theme park.

Though it was difficult to choose — everything looked delicious, and there were more options than we had diners at the table — I decided on roasted salmon for my appetizer, a filet mignon cooked medium for my entrée, and a hot chocolate affogato for dessert.

My partner, who graciously called in a favor of a family friend to get us into the club, had the shrimp appetizer, lobster stew entrée, and warm sticky toffee cake for dessert.

We'd had such a difficult time deciding on the details of our meal that our server, Beth, suggested we order her favorite dish — the sweet potato ravioli — à la carte.

While the option came with a $100 price increase, we were ultimately glad we splurged because the dish was one of the best things we tasted all day.

Each dish was executed perfectly. The salmon was flaky, the steak was juicy with a beautifully seared crust, and the pasta was smooth and flavorful.

Throughout the meal, my partner and I traded surprised exclamations. While we occasionally enjoy fine dining experiences, we've sometimes found more pomp and circumstance than flavor in high-end restaurants. Not so at Club 33, where every dish prepared by Chef Gloria Tae, the chef de cuisine, was both beautifully presented and delicious to boot.

I used to work in a bakery and have a particular fondness for desserts. When I tell you I was blown away by Club 33's sweet offerings, I mean it — from the moment I took my first bite, I couldn't wipe the smile off my face.

I'd ordered the hot chocolate affogato, which came topped with peppermint ice cream and served alongside warm chocolate chip cookie bars. My partner's choice of sticky toffee cake was also exceptionally tasty, with a brown sugar streusel and eggnog sauce.

The dessert offerings were so surprising that I ended up asking our server who Club 33's pastry chefs are — and she mentioned they also cook for the Grand Californian, which means I'll have to plan a visit to the 4-star hotel in the future to try more of their creations.

Before we left, our server presented us with Club 33-themed macaroon cookies, which allowed me to continue enjoying the experience the next day when I finally caved and cracked open the box they were served in.

Overall, the experience of dining at Club 33's Le Grand Salon lived up to the hype I'd heard over the years. I'd half expected that I'd have built it up in my head to an unattainable standard, but I really should have known the magic that Disney is capable of pulling off.

And while I haven't been invited to join the club myself — nor do I have $30,000 lying around to join if I did — I now completely understand why Club 33 has earned the reputation it has.

The scene with Glinda and Elphaba unfolds in a classroom just before Madame Morrible receives her invitation to meet the Wizard.