• I live about five minutes from my mom and have never really left.
• I dream about living far away in Australia or Mexico, but my anxiety prevents me from leaving.
• I'm raising my child differently. I hope she doesn't consider my feelings when choosing where to live.

Over breakfast, a friend told me she wished she'd slept around more before getting married. I passed the syrup and nodded, then surprised myself by saying, "I wish I'd moved around more."

I live in Denver, about five minutes away from my mom. And I've never really left.

I went to college an hour away. I traveled a little in my 20s, but never for long, and always with the knowledge that I'd return.

"Don't fall in love and move away" was my mother's one rule before any trip. And I followed that rule.

Never mind that my parents moved away from their small towns in Indiana in their 20s, or that my close friends from high school moved to London and Sydney. Their lives make me feel a complicated mix of envy and awe.

Of course, I've felt the call to move. One of my favorite activities on vacation is to look at homes nearby for sale on Zillow. Cannon Beach, Oregon; Sydney, Australia; Guanajuato, Mexico; even the Twin Cities — they're all places I've visited and thought, "I could live here."

But that's not my lot in life.

Responsibility was baked into my childhood

Clinically, it might be called "parentification" or "codependence," but I knew it as love.

My dad struggled with mental illness and holding a job. He was exciting but also known to bankrupt us with one manic trip to Williams and Sonoma.

My kid sister had chronic health issues. My mom worked for a nonprofit and, despite her best efforts, we struggled financially.

Being the oldest daughter, I was the one who took myself to school and kept things quiet at home when they needed to be. I sat beside my sister in hospital rooms and explained to teachers why my parents couldn't come to conferences.

Walking on eggshells and anticipating people's needs are what I know.

My parents might have seen my decision to stay as an act of love, but it was also driven by my own anxiety and the gnawing feeling that if I left, my family might fall apart.

I believed my presence would prevent disaster. That by staying nearby, I could keep the people I loved safe.

So I stayed.

Now, I'm a mom myself

My daughter is seven and she's already making plans to leave.

When she grows up, she wants to design a house to live in with her best friend and "lots of cats." She's considering Vail or maybe California.

Like my mother, I also (secretly) hope that my daughter will live near me forever. I even considered delaying her start in kindergarten just to get an extra year with her, but didn't go through with it.

When she grows up, I think I need to be nearby in case she needs me. There's that codependence again — but I catch myself.

More than anything, I hope my daughter grows up without my same anxiety and has the peace of mind to leave, if she wants.

I want her to trust that she's allowed to grow out of me and her dad. If she never once considers my feelings when choosing where to live, I'll have succeeded (and hate it).

I regret never moving away, but I have found the silver lining

I attend family dinners and get to watch my nephews grow up — not in jarring leaps between holidays, but in the slow unfolding of ordinary days.

I know what they look like when they're sleepy before bedtime or proud from playing a tough soccer game. My kid knows her grandparents, and someone is always around to lend a rake or give a hug.

I didn't move. I bought into the idea that love meant staying close. However, I hope my daughter knows that love knows no boundaries. It can mean building a full and joyful life from anywhere — and that I'll be just fine watching her go.

• We spoke to fashion designers and stylists about which sandal trends are in and out this summer.
• According to the pros, fisherman sandals are making a big comeback thanks to their versatility.
• On the other hand, lace-up gladiators and chunky platforms are being replaced by minimalist styles.

Summer is almost here, which means it's time to break out your warm-weather wardrobe — including sandals.

But before you reach for last year's go-to pairs, keep in mind that some styles are fading while others are taking a step back into the spotlight (hello, '90s revival!).

To help you navigate what's trending now, Business Insider spoke with fashion designers and stylists about which sandal styles are in and which you may want to leave in your closet.

Warm and understated, brown sandals are redefining summer neutrals.

Brown sandals are stepping in as a softer, more versatile alternative to black this summer, according to Natalie Tincher, founder and principal stylist at BU Style.

She told BI that sandals are becoming popular in "shades from light tan to deep espresso" and "taking a cue from Pantone's Color of the Year, 'Mocha Mousse.'"

These earthy tones pair well with natural fabrics, relaxed tailoring, and minimalist looks, grounding an outfit without overpowering it, the stylist said.

Fisherman sandals are back in a big way.

Offering a stylish balance of structure, breathability, and comfort, fisherman sandals are going strong this summer

"Characterized by their closed toe and interwoven straps, they're ideal for city wear or summer holidays," Hellana Mardasian, personal stylist at Styled by Hellena, told BI. "They suit both tailored and relaxed summer looks."

The stylist recommends looking for fisherman sandals in neutral colors that are made from quality leather for a modern and elevated feel.

Leather slides remain a polished wardrobe staple.

Tincher said leather slides continue to trend as a refined alternative to flip-flops.

"They're incredibly versatile and comfortable, and come in a range of silhouettes — some more substantial, others sleek, which makes them a go-to for many of my clients," she told BI.

Sleek leather slides are an easy way to add polish to everything from tailored shorts and resort-inspired outfits to breezy dresses or a classic jeans-and-tee combo, the stylist said.

Raffia sandals can bring an elegant touch to any summer outfit.

Celebrated for their breezy texture and artisanal vibe, raffia sandals are another popular summer trend, both Mardasian and Tincher told BI. They blend lightweight comfort and effortless style, making them an easy upgrade for warm-weather looks.

"The woven texture adds dimension and visual interest without overwhelming an outfit," Tincher said.

Mardasian recommends styling them with linen or denim for a polished but relaxed summer outfit.

However, chunky platforms are on their way out.

Towering flatforms and mega-platform espadrilles are likely to be less popular this season, according to Danielle Yates, fashion designer, stylist, and cofounder of Headcovers Unlimited.

"After a few summers of rolled ankles and cobblestone mishaps, shoppers are gravitating toward lower, more stable soles that still provide a bit of height," the designer said.

Sleek silhouettes, like minimalist walking sandals or low-profile heels, offer a more wearable update that fits seamlessly into 2025's shift toward functional, everyday style.

Many are swapping PVC sandals out for jelly shoes.

All of the professionals we spoke to agreed that PVC sandals are out this summer as shoe trends move toward comfort, breathability, and more tactile materials.

"While they had a fashion-forward moment, their synthetic feel and lack of wearability in heat made them a tough long-term sell," Tincher told BI.

Instead, many will opt for woven-leather or jelly sandals, which can offer more personality and practicality.

Velcro "dad" sandals had their moment.

Bulky Velcro "dad" sandals — the ultra-padded, rubber-soled kind — are starting to fall out of favor, Yates said.

"With quiet-luxury dressing still going strong, shoppers want a sleeker silhouette that doesn't shout 'hiking shop,'" Yates told BI.

For an updated look, the designer recommends a slim sport sandal or a leather fisherman instead, as both can serve a similar purpose with less heft.

It's time to retire the lace-up gladiators.

Once a go-to for festival season in the 2010s, lace-up gladiator sandals are starting to feel overly complicated next to 2025's more streamlined shoe aesthetic, according to both Yates and Mardasian.

For a fresher take, the stylists suggest opting for sleek Grecian silhouettes or minimalist leather slides instead.

• TSA PreCheck is an airport-security express lane that can save you time while traveling.
• The program has more members than ever — over 20 million passengers are enrolled.
• Travel expert Gilbert Ott said these etiquette tips can keep you from holding up the line.

Those of us who've had TSA PreCheck for a while have seen the express airport security line moving slower than it should. We've had our patience tested by first-time users fumbling for passports at the counter, removing their coats when it's their turn to be scanned, and waltzing on through with a belt on.

These days, you're more likely to encounter newbies in the fast-pass lane than ever.

The TSA reported in August 2024 that program enrollment reached a record 20 million travelers. And roughly 2 to 3 million flight passengers used the faster security line per day so far in 2025.

In the TSA PreCheck line, pre-screened travelers can go through security quickly without taking off their shoes or removing electronics or liquids from their carry-on bags. With more travelers than ever signing up for the program, you're likely to encounter more newbies in the express lane these days.

It costs about $80 to enroll for five years, but you can get the service essentially for free through credit cards such as Capital One Venture, Capital One Venture X, Chase Sapphire Reserve, Delta SkyMiles, and American Express.

Gilbert Ott, who says he flies more than 200,000 miles a year and has been blogging about flying for the past decade, told Business Insider that the express airport security lane makes his life easier. Ott's blog, called God Save the Points, covers everything from airline news and flight reviews to travel tips and money-saving hacks, such as how to best use credit-card points. 

"I spend too much time in airports. As much as I may love them, sometimes the less time I spend in them, the happier I am," Ott said. "So the quicker I can get through and just be on a plane, the better."

While the TSA PreCheck line is often full of frequent flyers, those new to the program, which requires a background check, may not be as savvy about security etiquette, especially during busy travel times like summer. Ott said this can cause the line to move more slowly, but he shared his best tips for TSA PreCheck travelers.

Pre-strip before you even get to the airport

Pre-stripping is removing everything you may need to take off at security, from big jackets to the contents of your pockets, before you get in line.

"When I go to the airport, I take my belt off before I get there. I have it in my backpack, knowing I'll put it on as soon as I get through PreCheck," Ott told BI. "So keep the jewels and the watch in your bag. Then, when you get to the other side of security where you're not holding people up, you can do the glamour."

Ott said this process will make people move through the line quicker. 

"My routine is somewhere along the lines of comfy jeans, a T-shirt or hoodie, and then a bomber jacket," he said. "Essentials like my phone and passport go in my bomber jacket pockets while I wait in the queue so that when I step up to the scanners, my jacket is off, pockets are empty, my bags go on the trays, and off we go."

Leave the flashy shoes in your bag

TSA PreCheck passengers aren't required to take off their shoes. But in Ott's experience, passengers who wear fancy loafers or shoes with buckles or studs often get stopped because they set off the scanner. 

"The main thing is metal, either as part of the shoe or in the boot or heel of the shoe," Ott said. "Ceramic and rubber are usually fine. Basically, sneakers tend to always work."

Be ready before it's your turn

When you first get in line, Ott recommends having your boarding pass and identification out before it's your turn to show them. That way, you won't spend time searching for these documents while others wait behind you. 

If everyone followed Ott's advice, he thinks we'd all get through security faster. 

"If you think of the 20 seconds it takes somebody to do this very basic thing, and you'd multiply that by 50,000 people going through an airport's screens a day, you could pretty much just walk through an airport without stopping," Ott told BI. "We can all have a better time."

• Jensen Huang, the CEO of Nvidia, believes Chinese AI researchers are "world class."
• US-based AI companies like Anthropic and OpenAI are hiring them, he said in an interview with "Stratechery."
• International competition is healthy — but only if regulations don't prevent the US from keeping up, he said.

Jensen Huang, the CEO of Nvidia, thinks that China's AI researchers are some of the very best in the world — so it's no surprise that US companies are bringing them on board.

"The researchers, the AI scientists in China, they're world-class. These are not Chinese AI researchers, they're world-class AI researchers," Huang said in an interview with Ben Thompson, author of "Stratechery." "You walk up and down the aisles of Anthropic or OpenAI or DeepMind, there's a whole bunch of AI researchers there, and they're from China. Of course, it's sensible, and they're extraordinary, and so the fact that they do extraordinary work is not surprising to me."

As a whole, the country is doing "fantastic" in the AI market, Huang said, with models from Chinese-based companies — such as DeepSeek and Manus — emerging as powerful challengers to systems designed in the US.

"Let's face it, DeepSeek is deeply excellent work," Huang said. "To give them anything short of that is a lack of confidence so deep that I just can't even tolerate it."

The challenges presented by international rivals, Huang added, are absolutely essential to the continued improvement of AI companies in the US.

"Everybody loves competition. Companies need competition to inspire themselves, nations need that, and there's no question we spur them," he said. "However, I fully expected China to be there every step of the way. Huawei is a formidable company. They're a world-class technology company."

Intense competition could become problem though, Huang said, if US-based companies don't have all the tools they need. Building out the "ecosystem" required to support AI, he said, is already difficult — and Huang believes operations could be kneecapped by restrictive regulations. He was particularly critical of the "Diffusion rule," a Biden-era policy that would've established limits on exports of US-made AI chips come May 15.

"You can't just say, "Let's go write a diffusion rule, protect one layer at the expense of everything else." It's nonsensical," he said. "The idea that we would limit American AI technology right at the time when international competitors have caught up, and we pretty much predicted it."

On May 12, the White House announced it would rescind the rule, mere days before it was set to go into effect.

"The idea of AI diffusion limiting other countries access American technology is a mission expressed exactly wrong. It should be about accelerating the adoption of American technology everywhere before it's too late," Huang said. "If the goal is for America to lead, then AI diffusion did exactly the opposite of that."

Competition flows both ways, he said — and American companies should be battling it out in the Chinese market.

"The idea that we would have America not compete in the Chinese market, where 50% of the developers are, makes absolutely no sense from a computing infrastructure, computing architectural perspective," Huang said. "We ought to go and give American companies the opportunity to compete in China, offset the trade deficit, generate tax income for the American people, build, hire jobs, create more jobs."

• Some of the most beautiful sights in nature are also mysterious.
• These include sand dunes that seem to sing and a dazzlingly pink lake in Australia.
• While researchers have theories for many of them, questions remain.

Whether it's the cause of a flamingo-pink lake or the source of splotchy circles in the desert, nature holds countless secrets that scientists are still trying to figure out.

While people have cited UFOs or legendary creatures to explain some aspects of these unusual sights, scientists have called on physics, genetic testing, and other scientific methods to develop theories.

Such research has gone a long way in solving some of these mysteries, but often, questions still remain.

Here are nine natural mysteries across the world that scientists have yet to fully explain.

Eternal Flame Falls, New York

In New York's Chestnut Ridge Park, a flickering fire lends its name to the Eternal Flame Falls. Protected from the waterfall in a rocky alcove, it can burn on its own indefinitely, though it does sometimes go out.

It's an extremely rare phenomenon. There are fewer than 50 eternal flames around the world, geologist Giuseppe Etiope told National Geographic in 2024. Flammable natural gas, created when extremely high temperatures cook organic materials, seeps out from underground, constantly fueling the flame. Humans, forest fires, or lightning might set them alight.

What's unusual about the flame in New York is that its source, over 1,300 feet below the surface in the Rhinestreet Shale formation, is comparatively cool.

"The traditional hypothesis of how natural gas forms is, you have to heat to more than boiling water," researcher Arndt Schimmelmann told State Impact Pennsylvania in 2013. "But our rock here is not that hot and has never been that hot."

One of the researchers' theories was that minerals like iron or nickel could provide the flame's catalyst.

European eels, Sargasso Sea

Ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle wrote, "Eels are derived from the so-called 'earth's guts' that grow spontaneously in mud and in humid ground."

Over 2,000 years later, scientists knew that wasn't true, but they still had no idea how eels reproduced. Danish biologist Johannes Schmidt traced migrating European eels to what he believed was their spawning location in the Sargasso Sea. Some travel over 3,000 miles to reach the region of the North Atlantic bounded by four currents.

That discovery was over 100 years ago, and scientists still have questions about how European eels travel, including how they navigate, their routes, and how quickly they swim.

Learning more about how these eels reproduce is critical because the number arriving in Europe has plummeted by 95% since the 1980s.

In 2022, scientists published a paper describing how they had tagged eels and confirmed that adults do migrate to the Sargasso Sea, possibly to spawn. Despite years of research, no one has found adult eels or eggs at the location, causing some to doubt it's the site of reproduction. Slippery as an eel, indeed.

Savonoski Crater, Alaska

Fly over Katmai National Monument in southwestern Alaska, and you'll see a lake that looks almost too perfect not to be human-made. It's over 1,600 feet across and more than 360 feet deep.

Melting snow and rain have filled in a crater, which formed sometime during or before the last ice age. In the 1960s and '70s, scientists studying the Savonoski Crater tried to find evidence of a meteoric impact. It does seem possible a meteor caused the deep, round hole.

However, receding glaciers likely took any remnants of the impact with them.

The crater could also be the result of a volcanic maar, which University of Alaska Fairbanks professor T. Neil Davis described as a "volcano that tried but failed" in a 1978 article on the mysterious Savonoski puzzle.

When a magma pipe hits a water table near the earth's surface, it erupts in an explosion of steam, forming a rock pit. The maar continues to spew smoke and ash before subsiding due to a lack of pressure.

Singing sand, China

In Josephine Tey's 1952 novel "The Singing Sands," a police inspector gets caught up in a murder investigation involving an enigmatic poem: "The beasts that talk, The streams that stand, The stones that walk, The singing sand…"

While the story is fiction, singing sand is very real, found in Indiana, Japan, Egypt, and California. Many, like those in Dunhuang, China, have become tourist attractions.

A low, vibrational hum emanates from sand spilling down dunes in these locations, sometimes loud enough to be heard 6 miles away. Certain conditions, like the size, shape, and silica content of the sand, have to align to produce the singing, according to NOAA.

Just why the frequencies of the tumbling sand sound like music is still a mystery, according to a 2012 study.

Fairy Circles, Namib Desert

For decades, barren patches in the Namib Desert's arid grasslands have baffled scientists. Nicknamed "fairy circles," they stand out against the surrounding Southern Africa's green vegetation.

Some scientists have suggested that colonies of termites consume the plants and burrow in the soil, creating a ring that grows larger and larger. In a 2022 study, a group of researchers said they found no evidence of the insects in the circles they studied. Instead, they used sensors to monitor the plants' moisture uptake.

Their results suggested that ecohydrological feedback caused the bare circles. Essentially, these patches sacrificed having vegetation to divert more water to areas with grasses.

"These grasses end up in a circle because that's the most logical structure to maximize the water available to each individual plant," Stephan Getzin, an ecologist who led the study, told CNN in 2022.

Other researchers have posited that microbes could be a potential culprit for similar circles in Australia.

Devil's Kettle, Minnesota

For years, curious visitors to Judge C. R. Magney State Park flung sticks, ping-pong balls, and colorful dyes into the Brule River to try and trace its flow. As it moves through the park, it spills out into several waterfalls, including the Devil's Kettle.

Part of the water cascades into a hole, and no one knew exactly where it went afterward. Some thought it might stream underground toward Canada or Lake Superior.

In 2017, hydrologists compared the amount of water above and below the falls, and it was almost identical. In other words, the water wasn't leaving at all but fed right back into the river at the base of the waterfall.

Scientists think they have a pretty good idea where the water reemerges, but they don't know for sure, hydrologist Jeff Green told Vice's "Science Solved It" podcast in 2018.

So where did all those ping-pong balls end up? The powerful, swirling currents would have smashed them to pieces, Green said.

Earthquake lights, Mexico

When a 7.0 magnitude earthquake hit near Acapulco in 2021, people in Mexico City, hundreds of miles away, used their phone cameras to capture strange lights in the sky. Blue flashes lit up the sky like lightning.

Not all experts are convinced that earthquake lights exist, though they've been documented for centuries all over the world. Some scientists thought the flickers were from a damaged power grid or rainstorm, NPR reported.

Others are studying the phenomenon in hopes of using the lights, which sometimes occur prior to the earthquake, as a kind of early warning signal.

First, though, they would need to figure out why these flashes occur. A recent paper examined several possible causes of the lights, including escaping methane gas ignited by static electricity.

Lake Hillier, Australia

Off the coast of Western Australia is the vibrantly pink Lake Hillier. It looks surreal, as if someone dumped a massive amount of Pepto-Bismol into its super-salty waters.

Biologists have hypothesized that pigment-producing microbes are responsible for the lake's bright shade. In 2022, researchers published a study after looking at the water's microbiome. They found a number of bacteria, viruses, and algae. Some produced purple sulfur, and others were associated with a red-orange color. Together, they combined to make the pink color.

Researchers noted that other organisms could contribute, and further studies would have to be done.

That same year, there was a huge amount of rainfall, diluting the saltiness that's also a key factor in the color. Today, the lake is only tinged pink, but scientists think the brightness will return as more water evaporates, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported earlier this year.

Fosse Dionne, France

People have used the Fosse Dionne for centuries, drinking in the turquoise waters without ever knowing where the rushing spring originated. In the 1700s, residents built a laundry around it to take advantage of the flow, which pours out over 82 gallons a second.

Located in Tonnerre, France, the spring feeds into a basin. Depending on the weather and other factors, its hue can change from green to blue to brown, the city's mayor told the BBC in 2019. Local legends said a mythical, snake-like basilisk once made the pit its home.

About a quarter mile of its course is known, but divers have lost their lives exploring the flooded cave along the route.

A professional diver, Pierre-Éric Deseigne, has reached unexplored areas of the cave but couldn't find the Fosse Dionne's origin, the BBC reported in 2019.

• Wendy McMahon is quitting CBS News, citing disagreement with Paramount's direction.
• Her exit follows that of the "60 Minutes" vet Bill Owens and raises concerns about the show's future.
• CBS is facing legal issues with Trump, which could affect its merger plans with Skydance.

The prestigious news program "60 Minutes" is left without another key ally as CBS News' head, Wendy McMahon, has quit, citing disagreement with the company's path forward.

Her exit is the latest shocking turn of events in the face-off between CBS's parent company, Paramount, and President Donald Trump.

"It's become clear that the company and I do not agree on the path forward," McMahon, the president and CEO of CBS News and Stations and CBS Media Ventures, wrote in a memo obtained by Business Insider. "It's time for me to move on and for this organization to move forward with new leadership."

Her departure comes a month after the longtime "60 Minutes" executive producer Bill Owens quit the show, saying he could no longer run the program independently.

At the time, Owens said McMahon had the show's back, while McMahon praised Owens as having "unwavering integrity, curiosity, and a deep commitment to the truth." She said then that CBS remained committed to "60 Minutes" and would ensure that its mission and the work remain a priority.

"It is not a good sign," a "60 Minutes" employee told BI. "She and Bill were very close. Feels like he was the first target and they wanted her gone, too. But they spread it out. Also, they waited until the '60 Minutes' season was over, by hours."

The employee expressed concern that McMahon's promises to preserve the work of "60 Minutes" and promote from within to replace Owens could fall by the wayside.

CBS is in talks to settle a $20 billion legal battle with Trump. Last year, he sued the network over its "60 Minutes" preelection interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris.

The legal trouble has cast a shadow over Paramount's long-standing plan to sell to the Hollywood production company Skydance, which requires Federal Communications Commission approval.

Trump and his allies have repeatedly targeted the mainstream press.

George Cheeks, a co-CEO of Paramount and the CEO of the broader CBS organization, praised McMahon in a memo that was also seen by BI, saying her contributions improved the network's local news, competitiveness, and streaming operations. He said CBS News' president Tom Cibrowski and CBS Stations' president Jennifer Mitchell would report directly to him going forward.

For CBS Media Ventures, which McMahon also oversaw, Cheeks said Scott Trupchak, who heads advertising sales, and John Budkins, who oversees programming and production, would report to Bryon Rubin, CBS's chief operating officer and CFO.

Here's the text of McMahon's full memo to staff:

Hi everyone,

Today, I am stepping down from my position as president and CEO of CBS News and Stations and CBS Media Ventures.

This has been one of the most meaningful chapters in my career. Leading this extraordinary organization has been the honor of a lifetime because I got to work alongside all of you. Your commitment to truth, fairness and the highest standards is unassailable.

Championing and supporting the journalism produced by the most amazing stations and bureaus in the world, celebrating the successes of our shows and our brands, elevating our stories and our people ... It has been a privilege and joy.

At the same time, the past few months have been challenging. It's become clear that the company and I do not agree on the path forward. It's time for me to move on and for this organization to move forward with new leadership.

I have spent the last few months shoring up our businesses and making sure the right leaders are in place; and I have no doubt they will continue to set the standard.

You are in incredibly good hands with Tom, Jennifer, John, Matt and Robert. They are phenomenal leaders and people who will continue to protect and celebrate your work. I am sure of it.

To George: Thank you for this opportunity.

To our viewers: Thank you for your trust. You hold us accountable, and you remind us why this work matters.

To the CBS News and Stations and CMV teams: Thank you for your passion, your professionalism and your partnership. It has been a privilege to walk this path with you.

Wendy

• Nearly 2 million student-loan borrowers are still waiting for their income-driven repayment applications to be processed.
• Trump temporarily removed the online forms in March, saying it was in compliance with a court order blocking SAVE.
• An Education Department spokesperson told BI the department hopes to clear the backlog in a few months.

Millions of student-loan borrowers are still waiting for cheaper monthly payments.

President Donald Trump's Department of Education wrote in a legal filing on May 15 that, as of April 30, nearly 2 million student-loan borrowers' income-driven repayment applications were still pending. The department said just over 79,000 applications were processed during the month of April.

This data is the first glimpse into the Department of Education's work to process income-driven repayment applications since the department initially removed online access to the forms for a couple of weeks beginning in late February.

The department said at the time that it took down the applications to comply with a federal court's preliminary injunction on SAVE, one type of income-driven repayment plan created by former President Joe Biden. The court did not explicitly direct the department to remove the online forms.

An Education Department spokesperson told Business Insider that Biden's administration caused the backlog.

"The Trump Administration is actively working with federal student loan servicers and hopes to clear the Biden backlog over the next few months," the spokesperson said.

In the meantime, some borrowers have been placed on processing forbearance, during which servicers recalculate their monthly payments, and interest still accrues. In contrast, borrowers enrolled in the SAVE plan are in a forbearance during which interest will not accrue, and they will not receive credit toward loan forgiveness.

It is possible that the backlog began last summer when a federal court blocked implementation of Biden's SAVE plan, which was intended to give borrowers cheaper monthly payments and a shorter timeline to loan forgiveness. The ruling also blocked income-driven repayment plan processing, and while Biden's Department of Education said in December that processing had resumed for some repayment plans, it would take time for servicers to work through the applications.

The American Federation of Teachers filed a lawsuit against the Department of Education for initially removing online access to income-driven repayment applications. These applications allow borrowers to receive more affordable monthly payments that count toward Public Service Loan Forgiveness.

As part of the ongoing litigation, the department is required to provide updates on the number of applications it processes every 30 days. AFT President Randi Weingarten said in a statement that the backlog is "outrageous and unacceptable."

"It is all the more concerning that until their applications are processed, these borrowers are being denied credit toward debt cancellation under the PSLF program," Weingarten said.

This data came just 10 days after the Trump administration restarted collections on defaulted student loans after a five-year pause that began under Trump and was continued under Biden. The department already sent notices to nearly 200,000 borrowers that their federal benefits are at risk of garnishment in early June, and 5 million defaulted borrowers could see wage garnishment later this summer.

Are you a student-loan borrower with a story to share? Reach out to this reporter at [email protected].

• I'm a chef who has tips for making a perfectly cooked, juicy burger with great flavor.
• Choose ground beef with an 80% meat to 20% fat ratio for optimal taste and texture.
• Only salt your patties right before grilling, and pay attention to their temperature as they cook.

As a chef, I strongly believe the best way to feed a crowd is to have all of your party foods prepped and ready to go — and that includes your burger patties.

When I worked as a line cook a few years ago, I learned the subtle art of working with ground meat and making the perfect burger that's nice and juicy.

As you prepare to make those burger dreams a reality, remember these tips.

Thaw your meat completely

Whether you ordered good-quality ground meat from your local farmer or stocked up at the grocery store during a sale, the most important thing to do is fully defrost it before cooking.

There are three main ways to defrost ground beef: in the refrigerator, in the microwave, or in cool water.

I recommend the refrigerator method, which is great if you're planning a day or two in advance. Simply place your frozen meat into a bowl or container, leave it on the bottom shelf of the fridge, and your meat should be fully thawed the next day.

If you're using a microwave, use the defrost setting and thaw the meat in three- to four-minute increments, remembering to turn it over. Microwave for as long as 12 minutes or until the meat is thawed.

For the cool-water method, place the sealed package of meat in a large bowl and weigh it down. Fill the bowl with cold, running water, turning it on and off. Refill the bowl with fresh water every 20 to 30 minutes until the meat completely softens.

Pay attention to the grind of your meat — and consider trying to do it at home

If possible, ask your grocery-store butcher if they'll grind fresh beef chuck to medium-coarse to coarse, about ¼ inch, for you.

This grind allows the fat to appropriately integrate with the meat and retain a beefy texture and moisture, even when it's dripping juice on a hot grill.

You can also ask your butcher if they suggest any other meat combination or if they can throw in some fancy scraps at a lower cost. 

If you can, try grinding it at home with a hand-crank meat grinder, food processor, or attachment on a KitchenAid mixer.

Simply dice cold meat into 1-inch chunks, freeze on a sheet pan for about 10 minutes, and then grind.

Pay attention to the meat's fat percentage

Good beef just tastes better, and the best butchers know how to balance tender or sinewy meat with fat to enhance its potential.

If you can, try to find a local farm that sells whole cuts or its own frozen ground meat. The most common burger cut is chuck steak, which has 80% meat and 20% fat.

In a pinch, 85% ground meat will do just fine, but be very cautious about overcooking, and don't go higher than a medium-level temperature to retain moisture and flavor.

Remember that the shapes of the patties matter

To avoid dry patties or ones that bulge and resemble meatballs, you want to be careful shaping your burgers.

Gently shape your meat into evenly round, 1-inch-thick, flat discs. Once those patties are formed, press your thumb in the center to make a dimple to help it cook evenly.

Be careful not to overwork the meat when forming your patty, since this can lead to a dense, tough burger.

Only use salt right before cooking

Once you've got your formed burger disks, it's time to add some salt.

Right before placing it on the grill, take a large pinch of kosher salt and gently cover the outside of the patty with a thin layer. Add the burger salt-side down on the grill and sprinkle some on the other side.

This shouldn't make the burger overly salty — it should help the meat be more flavorful.

Cook everything to the right temperature, or just below

Keep in mind that a big burger's temperature will go up a few degrees after cooking. So, you may want to stop grilling your patty just before it hits the ideal internal temperature.

Medium-rare burgers are cooked to 130 degrees Fahrenheit and have a cool, pink center with a charred exterior and a beefy taste with tons of juices.

A medium-well burger is cooked to 150 degrees Fahrenheit and has a hot pink center. However, this can quickly lean toward tasting dry, especially if the fat content is low.

Feel free to go above those temperatures to enjoy a well-done burger, but don't expect it to be the juiciest of the bunch.

This story was originally published on July 1, 2022, and most recently updated on May 19, 2025.

• My daughter and I spent four nights at The Crane, a luxurious resort in Barbados.
• Our two-bedroom deluxe suite was huge and had a private garden with a pool.
• The resort is family friendly and I was impressed by the on-site day-care center.

I love connecting with my 3-year-old daughter through travel. We've been exploring together since she was six months old and have been everywhere from Orlando to Morocco.

We enjoy staying at resorts, so when I found a deal for 40% off a stay at The Crane Resort in Barbados, I knew I had to book a trip.

The resort, which was founded in 1887 and is the oldest continuously operating hotel in the Caribbean, was charming, serene, and unexpectedly child-friendly. Here's what our $2200 four-day stay was like.

We stayed in a two-bedroom deluxe suite.

As soon as I entered our deluxe two-bedroom suite, I thought, "Wow." The space was massive, and I felt we got so much value for what we paid.

The elegant space was outfitted with mahogany furniture, a raised four-post king bed, wide wooden shutters, and coral stone walls.

The primary room had a king bed and the secondary had two twin beds and a crib for my daughter. There was also a fully equipped kitchen, a bathroom, and spacious dining and living room areas.

The best part of our room was the private outdoor garden with a pool.

Our favorite part of our room was the private tropical garden with a patio deck, gazebo, and pool. Because we were surrounded by greenery, it felt like our own private little getaway.

There was so much to do on the property that we didn't use this as often as I'd have liked, but we did spend some time relaxing out here.

We enjoyed many of the resort's restaurants.

On our first night at the resort, we tried Zen, a restaurant that serves Japanese and Thai cuisine.

Although the restaurant didn't offer a kid-friendly menu, my daughter absolutely loved the chicken katsu dish, which included fried cutlets with white rice. My sushi rolls also tasted incredibly fresh and delicious.

My daughter really enjoyed eating at D'Onofrio's, a restaurant serving Southern Italian fare. The staff immediately noticed I had my little one with me and quickly asked to take her order, which I appreciated.

We didn't love the breakfast buffet, so we spent a lot of time at the café instead.

One thing I was disappointed by was the resort's breakfast buffet. Although the views of the beach were spectacular, I found the food to be inconsistent and thought the service was slow.

Eventually, we decided to go to the café for breakfast, which had quick service and everything we needed to start our day on a good note — fresh fruit and granola for my daughter and a croissant and an oat milk latte for me.

The resort's beach was gorgeous.

My daughter and I both enjoyed spending time on the resort's beach. Watching the waves crash against the shore was the perfect way to unwind.

I only wish the resort offered some loaner beach toys for my daughter to play with. I usually don't like to pack these items because they take up too much space in our luggage.

However, I ended up buying a shovel set for her at the gift shop.

I thought the day-care services were top-notch.

As a single parent, the complimentary on-site day care was a lifesaver. Whenever I needed some me time, I could leave her with the team to play games, make crafts, and have storytime.

Although the service is usually reserved for kids ages 4 to 12, they made an exception for my daughter since she's been in day care for years.

One night, I also took advantage of the resort's $ 15-an-hour private babysitting service. The same people from the day care worked as babysitters, so it was nice for my little one to be greeted by friendly and familiar faces.

We loved our stay at The Crane.

Overall, I cherished the time my daughter and I spent together at The Crane.

The resort had genuine and patient staff members who made my daughter feel welcome, a spacious and affordable suite that gave us our own space, and lots of activities for us to do.

I'd definitely return to The Crane in the future and take advantage of any sales they may offer.

• Jennifer Cohen, Schonfeld's onetime top HR executive, is joining the $38 billion hedge fund Point72.
• Cohen is set to start in January as the 2,900-person firm's chief human resources officer.
• She previously worked for the private equity firm Global Atlantic and Goldman Sachs.

The talent war between the industry's biggest hedge funds is not just over investing professionals — even if they're the ones being lured in with nine-figure pay packages.

Firms are also raiding each other for operations, human capital, and technology leaders. The latest big move is Jennifer Cohen's decision to join the $38 billion hedge fund Point72 from Schonfeld Strategic Advisors.

Cohen has been the head of human capital management for Steve Schonfeld's eponymous fund since 2022. An internal Point72 memo seen by Business Insider said she'd join Steve Cohen's fund in January as the firm's chief human resources officer.

"Jenn will play a pivotal role in advancing our human resources strategy, focusing on enhancing talent management, supporting organizational growth, and reinforcing our culture of excellence," Gavin O'Connor, Point72's chief operating officer, wrote in the memo.

"She is uniquely positioned to lead these efforts, bringing a data-centric and process-oriented approach honed over 25 years of experience across business operations and human capital," he added.

Cohen worked at the private equity firm Global Atlantic and Goldman Sachs before joining Schonfeld. At the multistrategy fund, she was a part of the leadership group that guided the manager through an unsteady 2023, which included rumors of a takeover by its rival Millennium and culminated in the layoff of 15% of the firm's total workforce.

The manager has since rebounded, with strong performance in 2024 and so far in 2025. Schonfeld did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Point72 has a larger head count than Schonfeld, with more than 2,900 employees, according to the Stamford, Connecticut-based manager's website. Schonfeld had 872 employees as of May 12, according to a regulatory filing.

• JPMorgan Chase is telling managers to "resist head count growth" and boost efficiencies.
• CFO Jeremy Barnum told shareholders that AI will help the firm tamp down its hiring.
• Another exec promised staffing reductions of 10% in a unit that handles fraud and account support.

JPMorgan Chase's hiring spree over the past five years may finally be winding down.

The bank's CFO on Monday told investors that starting this year, less of its $95 billion in annual spending will go toward hiring as the bank seeks to do more with less, thanks in part to AI.

"At the margin, we're asking people to resist head count growth where possible and increase their focus on efficiency," CFO Jeremy Barnum said at the company's annual presentation to investors in New York City.

Barnum said the bank will continue to hire strategically in what he called "high-certainty areas," including bankers, advisors, and branches.

"It should go without saying that we'll never compromise on safety and soundness and we'll continue to hire and invest in the high- certainty areas where there is a link between adding employees and growth revenue," Barnum said.

Despite economic headwinds brought on by tariff turmoil, Barnum told investors that America's biggest bank by assets is on track for 17% ROTCE (a measure of returns for shareholders) and annual spending of $95 billion.

The comments echo remarks made by CEO Jamie Dimon earlier this year when he told workers at a town hall meeting that "attrition is your friend" and encouraged them to welcome job-stealing AI.

JPMorgan's head count has grown by more than 23% in the past five years. The company reported it had more than 317,000 employees at the end of 2024, up from 256,981 at the end of 2019.

Following Barnum's presentation, Marianne Lake, the CEO of consumer and community banking, took the stage and predicted a 10% head count reduction in operations, a division focused on fraud, statement and payment processing, and account services.

Lake, who said advancements in AI would enable a reduced workforce, said 10% was a conservative estimate.

"I would take the over on this projection and bet that we will deliver more," she said.

Artificial intelligence efficiencies

Barnum said that artificial intelligence would be key to cutting down redundancies.

"It's actually pretty amazing, and from what certain of my colleagues tell me who are actually trained professional computer scientists, it actually helps them quite a bit too with their efficiency," Barnum said. "It's not just the amateurs who are helped by these tools. It's amazing stuff and we have high hopes for the efficiency gain."

Firms like Goldman Sachs have also been making deep investments in their AI tech stacks.

Improving efficiencies has been a key theme at the bank this year as Dimon seeks to convince workers that returning to their desks Monday through Friday will help clients, including by boosting productivity.

In one slide shown to investors, the bank predicted a boost in productivity in its home lending unit while reducing head count.

The comments come as Wall Street deals with an erratic market tied to President Donald Trump's tariffs and trade war pronouncements. While that's buoyed equities trading volumes, it's threatened bonus projections for others in the financial industry and hurt investment bankers and those affected by the stalled dealmaking landscape.

As of Monday, the bank's stock was trading at about $267 per share, up about 37% over the past year. Last year, the bank earned a record $58.5 billion in net income.

This story is developing. Please check back for additional updates.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Big bags of Kingsford charcoal are a necessity.

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

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

Tents can make barbecuing easier.

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

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

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

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

Swift pork-loin backribs cook up beautifully.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Folding wagons are incredibly helpful.

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

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

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

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

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

I always get my foil in bulk.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I buy water in bulk at Costco, too.

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

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

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

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

Click to keep reading Costco diaries like this one.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Lake Express did not respond to a request for comment.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

There were even fake flower pots decorating the cabin.

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

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

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

The cabin included a cart with more free coffee.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Centenarians tend to be active and curious

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

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

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

Joyce Preston, who's from the UK and turned 100 in March, told BI that her morning routine included yoga or gentle exercise. She also enjoys short walks.

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

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

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

By nailing these health basics, Cruise's dream of making films into the 2060s might not be mission impossible.