• We moved our family from San Diego to northern Spain and now have a lower cost of living.
• We've really enjoyed living in a walkable area instead of one that's heavily reliant on cars.
• Socializing feels like a priority in Spain, which has made it easier to have a work-life balance.

When we moved our family from sunny San Diego to rainy northern Spain, the weather wasn't the only major change.

Although some cultural differences took time to incorporate into our lives, there are others that we adopted immediately. Fortunately, many of these changes have allowed us to slow down and be more present in our lives — something we're grateful for each day.

Here are some of the biggest differences we've experienced between our life in California and our life in Spain.

We've enjoyed not having to rely on cars

Although there's public transit available in California, it's generally very challenging to get around the state without a car.

However, where we live in Basque Country, a region between northern Spain and southwestern France, we can get almost anywhere on foot.

It's nice to be able to get exercise and enjoy fresh air while running errands. If it's raining or we want to explore other coastal villages, we take the bus.

Fortunately, our local bus system is incredibly efficient and affordable (usually under 3 euros per ride).

We also have a local commuter train that takes us to surrounding towns or to the border of France. From there, we can easily explore French Basque villages, or hop on the train to Paris, our main European railway hub.

During a recent visit back to California, I spent 80% of my time in the car, in traffic, which is something I don't miss at all.

It's easier to make time for resting and socializing in Spain

In Spain, there's generally more work-life balance and a cultural emphasis on socializing, which takes place in the streets, cafés, bars, and plazas.

On Sundays, the majority of shops are closed so people can rest and spend the day with loved ones. At first, we found it frustrating and inconvenient to be unable to run errands and shop.

Soon, we began to appreciate that so many stores would lose a day of business in order to prioritize connection and relaxation.

Now, we use our Sundays for lengthy four- or five-hour lunches with family and friends, restful walks on the beach, and peaceful hikes in the local mountains.

Our meal schedules have completely shifted

Americans marvel at how late Spaniards eat dinner, but now that I live here, it makes perfect sense.

Our children start school between 8 and 9 a.m. and also get a two-hour lunch break. Kids can either eat at school or go home to have lunch with their families. Working parents can often take part in this, too, as most businesses in Spain close from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. for a midday break.

This has been a huge difference for us. In the US, we would usually eat a quick deskside lunch at work and not see our kids until the end of the day since they had just 30 minutes for lunch and recess.

The school day is also longer here because of that lunch break. Elementary school finishes at 4:30 p.m., and kids typically have their afternoon snack around 5 p.m.

In the evening, people often meet friends for a glass of wine or beer and a pintxo (bite-sized snack) before heading home for dinner around 9 p.m. … or later.

We have a lower cost of living

One of the biggest differences between life in California and Spain is our cost of living. In general, our money seems to go farther in Spain.

We've seen prices rise since we've been here, but they still remain incredibly reasonable to us, with the euro hovering near parity with the dollar.

For example, a café con leche (latte) is typically under 2 euros in Spain. In cafés that cater more to tourists, it can run between 3 and 4 euros. Still, both are a far cry from a latte in San Diego that'd usually cost us $7 (or $8 with a tip).

A glass of wine, on average, ranges from 2 to 4 euros here. In the US, a decent glass runs upward of $18 (similar to the cost of an entire bottle in Spain).

Spain's tipping culture has also helped save us money.

In the US, tipping for a service is expected. Here, rounding up or leaving 10% when you really enjoyed the service is appreciated but not expected.

Local hospitality workers tend to make a higher, more livable wage and thus don't heavily rely on tips — which isn't the case for many in the US.

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Hi, friends! Welcome to Installer No. 72, your guide to the best and Verge-iest stuff in the world. (If you’re new here, welcome, hope you like gadgets, and also you can read all the old editions at the Installer homepage.) 

This week, I’ve been reading about Hasan Piker and calculator apps and car thieves and the real economics of YouTuber life, using my month of Paramount Plus to watch Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and Yellowjackets, replacing my big podcast headphones with the Shure SE215 in-ear headphones, switching all my reading out of the Kindle ecosystem for increasingly obvious reasons, and taking copious notes on Kevin Kelly’s 50 years of travel tips.

I also have for you Apple’s slightly confusing latest smartphone, a couple of new things to watch this weekend, the best new Xbox game in a while, and much more. Also, the first part of our group project on all the ways we listen to music. Let’s do this.

(As always, the best part of Installer is your ideas and tips. What are you watching / reading / playing / listening to / hot-gluing this week? Tell me everything: [email protected]. And if you know someone else who might enjoy Installer, forward it to them and tel …

Read the full story at The Verge.

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Jesus Guerrero, a celebrity hairstylist whose clients included Kylie Jenner, Katy Perry and Jennifer Lopez, among others, has died.

The death was confirmed on Saturday, February 22 by Guerrero’s sister Gris Guerrero, who set up a GoFundMe page following his passing. His cause of death was not stated.

“My name is Gris, Jesus’s younger sister,” she wrote in the description. “It is with a heavy heart that we let the world know that Jesus Guerrero has gone to heaven. He is a son, a brother, an uncle, an artist, a friend, and so much more.”

Gris went on to share a little about Jesus’ life and achievements and wrote that his death was unexpected and his family are now working through the logistics of bringing him home to Texas from Los Angeles.

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“Born and raised in Houston, TX to immigrant parents, Jesus learned how to work hard and dreamt of taking his skills to the top. Unfortunately, his passing came very suddenly and unexpectedly,” she continued. “Currently, his family is taking care of his personal belongings and accommodations to bring him home to Houston. We hope that you find it in your heart to help in any way and/or share this GoFundMe.”

At the time of publishing, the GoFundMe had raised more than $35,000 of its $60,000 target.

His friends and social media followers have flocked to his most recent Instagram post to send their condolences and express their sadness at the loss.

“Rest in peace Jesus I love you and all the joy you brought every time you graced me with your presence,” one person wrote. “You were so up lifting always and such a hype man in any situation. Your heart was pure. Fly high legend I know for a fact you’re in heaven.”

Another added, “Always the sweetest & such a bright light taken too soon. rest in power ”

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During his career, Guerrero worked his magic on the locks of plenty of A-listers. In April last year, he appeared in a social media clip giving Katy Perry a spiky chop that featured strands poking out in contrasting directions.

“Thoughts, comments, concerns?” Perry captioned the post showing off her bob.

In 2020, Kylie Jenner publicly poked fun at Guerrero as she jokingly accused him of cutting her hair shorter than she expected.

Posting a black-and-white video right after the haircut with a towel still draped over her shoulders via Instagram, she wrote on the clip, “@jesushair said he was giving me a trim and cut off all my hair.”

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Three years after Russia invaded Ukraine, Washington is shifting its pressure from Moscow to Kyiv as the Trump administration tries to end the war.

Why it matters: President Trump's dramatic change in U.S. policy toward Russia shocked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and is fueling fears among U.S. allies that the Trump administration will side with Moscow as it tries to negotiate an end to the conflict.

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• At any other time in the past 80 years, it would have been unimaginable that the U.S. president would be pressing for a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin while calling Zelensky a dictator.
• Trump's approach stands in stark contrast to that of his predecessor former President Joe Biden who he claims was "played like a fiddle" by Zelensky and allowed the war to start and continue for so long.

Driving the news: Trump has been pressing Zelensky in recent days to sign an agreement that would give the U.S. and Ukraine equal shares of revenue from mining minerals and other natural resources in Ukraine.

• The agreement was Zelensky's idea and he raised it first with Trump in September.
• But while the Ukrainian president sees it as an economic partnership, Trump views the deal as a way to get back the hundreds of billions of dollars the U.S. gave Ukraine in assistance over the last three years.
• Trump said he expects the U.S. will receive $400 billion to $500 billion through the agreement.

"We are either going to sign a deal or there are going to be a lot of problems with them," Trump said in a speech on Friday.

• On Saturday, Trump said the parties were close to a deal. "We are asking for rare earth [elements] and oil — anything we can get ... we better be close to a deal," he said.
• A U.S. official involved in the negotiations confirmed a deal could be reached fairly soon. "The two sides continue to engage constructively in the process. Top officials on both sides are focused on getting this done," the official said.

Between the lines: The mineral deal isn't directly related to the negotiations to end the war but it has exacerbated tensions between the U.S. and Ukraine amid Trump's outreach to Russia about negotiations to end the conflict.

Catch up quick: Ending the war in Ukraine was one of Trump's key campaign promises.

• Since he assumed office, Trump began criticizing Ukraine and alienating NATO allies while warming up to Russia.
• After Trump spoke over the phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier this month, senior U.S. and Russian officials met in Saudi Arabia in a significant breakthrough in frozen U.S.-Russia relations.
• The renewed engagement with Russia launched a diplomatic process to end the war, but its fast pace and initial focus on Moscow created anxiety in Ukraine and among U.S. allies in Europe.

As the U.S. began engaging with Putin, Trump cranked up pressure on Zelensky and began attacking him personally.

• Trump falsely claimed Ukraine started the war, called Zelensky a dictator and said he doesn't think it's important that the Ukrainian president be part of meetings between the U.S. and Russia about how to end the war.

The big picture: The U.S. position is also applying diplomatic pressure on Ukraine and its Western allies at the UN and in other international forums.

• The Trump administration is trying to push back on a UN General Assembly resolution presented by Ukraine marking three years for the Russian invasion.
• European diplomats say the U.S. is pushing numerous countries to not support the Ukrainian text, and instead get behind a U.S. text that doesn't refer to the Russian invasion and doesn't put any responsibility for the war on Russia. The U.S. draft resolution calls for ending the conflict between Ukraine and Russia.
• U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in a statement on Saturday said supporting the "simple, historic resolution ... affirm[s] that this conflict is awful, that the UN can help end it, and that peace is possible."

What they're saying: White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Saturday evening that Trump "believes very strongly that Russia is willing to make a deal, and he's fighting to make a deal" to end the war.

• She said national security adviser Mike Waltz is going to "work around the clock" all weekend to get a deal.
• "The President [and] his team are very much focused on continuing negotiations with both sides of this war to end the conflict and the President is very confident we can get it done this week," she said.

What to watch: On Monday, the leaders of the G7 countries are expected to hold a virtual meeting marking three years since the Russian invasion. European diplomats said the U.S. currently opposes the draft statement for the meeting because it refers to Russia as "the aggressor."

• The U.S. is also planning to bring a draft resolution about the war in Ukraine to a vote at the UN Security Council on Monday, according to European diplomats who say the proposed text also doesn't hold Russia accountable for the invasion and only calls for ending the conflict.
• The diplomats said France and the UK will face a dilemma about whether to veto the U.S. resolution on the same day French President Emmanuel Macron meets Trump in the Oval Office and the same week that British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will visit the White House.

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Truckers are "very hopeful" about the trajectory of the auto industry under President Donald Trump after years of feeling like the Biden administration "completely fell asleep behind the wheel," a trucking executive told Fox News Digital.

"We're excited, hopeful, because the new administration will help with the issues that we're having," Mike Kucharski, co-owner and vice president of JKC Trucking, told Fox News Digital as the Trump administration walks back on Biden-era regulations mandating the sale of more electric vehicles (EVs).

Former President Joe Biden granted California a waiver allowing them to enforce emissions standards that are more stringent than other states, including the Advanced Clean Trucks regulation, which mandates that truck manufacturers sell more zero-emission heavy-duty trucks. However, in February, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sent the previously granted waiver to the Republican-controlled Congress for review.

If Congress decides to strike down the waiver, California could lose its ability to enforce the independent emissions standards, which truckers believe would be "a huge win for the industry," according to Kucharski.

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"California doesn't dictate the nation," the trucking executive told Fox. "And the frustrating part is, we're in Illinois, we're not in a much better state than California. But we need a technology that we can use across the whole U.S., not one state demanding that they do it."

Kucharski says that truckers are in support of green energy alternatives, but that the industry does not have the infrastructure for such strict mandates, citing the 2023 California heatwave when residents were told to avoid charging their electric vehicles due to the heat. 

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The big-rig executive also raised concerns over the ability to charge a large quantity of electric big-rig trucks in California if the emissions standards remain in place.

"Where's that power going to come from? We would need a miracle or some super-alien technology to make that work," he told Fox News Digital.

California's standards, which are the strictest in the country, also "cost truckers money," he said.

"Right now, we don't have the money, we're still dealing with aftershocks of COVID," Kucharski told Fox. "We hope that this administration can pull us out of this black hole."

"Truckers are seeing a light at the end of the tunnel. I'm very hopeful," Kucharski said. "This administration, they're at least looking out for the good of the American people and for the truckers. And I hope they can get this economy roaring again, as they did in the first administration."

As the EPA pulls back on the green energy push, Kucharski said there are three issues truckers hope to see addressed under the Trump administration: overregulation, the cost of diesel and achieving energy independence.