The new mandate would require all electronics makers to adopt USB-C ports - including Apple's iPhone, which uses a proprietary "Lightning" port. Apple's latest lineup of iPhones, from the iPhone 13 to the iPhone 13 Pro Max. Apple Apple's iPhone uses a proprietary charging cable and port, known as "Lightning." The smartphone giant may be forced to switch iPhones to USB-C under a new European Union proposal. Apple would have two years to make the change - but it could switch to wireless charging by then. Visit the Business section of Insider for more stories. Apple's iPhones are notorious for using proprietary cables and ports - electronics that work exclusively with Apple devices. But that could all be coming to an end with Apple being forced to switch from its proprietary Lightning cables and ports to the universal standard USB-C, under a new European Union proposal."USB-C will become the standard port for all smartphones, tablets, cameras, headphones, portable speakers and handheld video game consoles," the proposal by the EU's executive arm, the European Commission, said. "In addition, the Commission proposes to unbundle the sale of chargers from the sale of electronic devices."If adopted by the European Parliament and the Council, electronics makers would have 24 months to reach compliance. Given that the vast majority of consumer electronics devices already use USB-C, from Android smartphones to Nintendo's Switch game console, the proposal would disproportionately impact Apple. If you buy an iPhone 13, it comes with a USB-C to Lightning conversion cable. Apple Though the company has adopted USB-C for some of its devices in the past few years, including laptops and tablets, the iPhone lineup has stuck with the Lightning cable and port.The reason for the standardization, the EU Commission said, is twofold: To "improve consumers' convenience and reduce the environmental footprint." In a statement, Apple said it agreed with the Commission's proposal in terms of its goals, but disagreed with the method."We share the European Commission's commitment to protecting the environment," the statement said. "We remain concerned that strict regulation mandating just one type of connector stifles innovation rather than encouraging it, which in turn will harm consumers in Europe and around the world." Notably, electronics makers could instead choose to skip a charging port altogether and make the device entirely wireless via wireless charging. "If the electronic device is capable of being charged via wired connection...then there [are] no requirements to integrate a USB-C charging port," a spokesperson for the EU Commission told The Verge.Got a tip? Contact Insider senior correspondent Ben Gilbert via email (bgilbert@insider.com), or Twitter DM (@realbengilbert). We can keep sources anonymous. Use a non-work device to reach out. PR pitches by email only, please.Read the original article on Business Insider.....»»

Omarova previously served under President George W. Bush's administration as a special adviser for regulatory policy in the Treasury Department. The White House. Ken Cedeno/Reuters President Joe Biden is set to nominate Cornell University law professor Saule Omarova to head the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, according to a Bloomberg report. The banking law professor has been a critic of cryptocurrencies and envisions a larger role for the government in overseeing banks. Omarova needs Senate confirmation to serve a five-year term. See more stories on Insider's business page. President Joe Biden is preparing to nominate a Cornell University law professor who has been critical of cryptocurrencies and envisions a larger role for the government in overseeing banks to run the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, according to a Bloomberg report.Biden as soon as this week will name Saule Omarova as his choice to head the OCC, Bloomberg reported late Wednesday, citing three unnamed sources familiar with the nomination process. The OCC is a key regulator overseeing consumer banking and supervises large lenders such as Bank of America and JPMorgan Chase.Omarova, a banking law professor, is expected to push for tougher oversight and rules in the industry. A native of Kazakhstan, Omarova in an October 2020 academic paper wrote about a blueprint for a "People's Ledger," or a comprehensive restructuring of the central bank balance sheet to democratize money and finance the world's largest economy. By separating the lending function from their monetary function, a proposed reform for banks would "effectively 'end banking,' as we know it," with Omarova making a direct play on the title of the 2014 book, "The End of Banking: Money, Credit, and the Digital Revolution". Biden's aides were vetting Omarova in August, according to The New York Times, noting that Omarova has said cryptocurrency operations could allow banks to conduct more trading activity out of oversight of the Federal Reserve and other regulators. Bloomberg reported that Omarova contends that digital tokens threaten to destabilize the economy and are vulnerable to abuse by private firms at the expense of public safeguards. Omarova served in President George W. Bush's administration as a special adviser for regulatory policy in the Treasury Department. She's practiced law at Davis Polk & Wardwell, specializing in corporate transactions and advisory work in financial regulation.If confirmed by the Senate to a five-year term, Omarova would take over from Michael Hsu, a former Fed official who has been running the OCC on an acting basis since May. Hsu this week told a blockchain panel that crypto and decentralized finance look similar to the financial instruments that sparked the 2008 global financial crisis.Read the original article on Business Insider.....»»

"We need to make changes, and we're going to do that as a consequence of this," Powell said. "This will be a thoroughgoing and comprehensive review." Jerome Powell. Pool/ Getty Images Fed Chair Jerome Powell said he wasn't aware of "specifics" behind stock trades made by two top policymakers while in office. He avoided saying he has confidence in Dallas and Boston Fed presidents Robert Kaplan and Eric Rosengren in a press conference Wednesday. Powell pledged to review the rules for Fed officials, saying: "We need to make changes, and we're going to do that as a consequence of this." Sign up here for our daily newsletter, 10 Things Before the Opening Bell. Federal Reserve boss Jerome Powell has said he wasn't aware of the specific trading activity carried out by two regional Fed presidents, and brushed off the chance to back the top policymakers facing questions about apparent conflicts of interest.Powell was asked Wednesday whether he still has confidence in Dallas Fed President Eric Rosengren and Boston Fed President Robert Kaplan being able to do their jobs."In terms of having confidence and that sort of thing, I think, no one is happy. No one on the (Federal Open Market Committee) is happy to have these questions raised," he responded in a post-Fed meeting press conference.Financial disclosures first reported by The Wall Street Journal showed Kaplan and Rosengren made multimillion-dollar trades, some in popular stocks such as Apple and Tesla. These came as the Fed significantly expanded its asset purchases to provide unprecendented support for the pandemic-hit US economy.Both have expressed regret for their investment decisions and have pledged to divest their money by the end of this month to avoid any possible conflict of interest. Some advocacy groups have called for the Fed presidents to resign from their positions, arguing that their actions could make Americans lose trust in the central bank.Powell said that before media reports of their stock trades, he hadn't known of the policymakers' actions."I was not aware of the specifics of what they were doing," he said.Pointing to three existing restrictions, Powell noted Fed officials are already subject to certain rules around securities. First, ownership of certain assets, such as bank securities, is not allowed. Second, there are specific times - such as around FOMC meetings - when officials are not allowed to trade at all or to buy or sell financial assets. Third, officials must make annual financial disclosures."This has been our framework for a long time, and I guess you'd say it's served us well," Powell said. "The other thing you would say: that it is now clearly seen as not adequate to the task of really sustaining the public's trust in us.""We need to make changes and we're going to do that as a consequence of this," he added.The Fed will carry out a thoroughgoing and comprehensive review and consider ways to further tighten rules and standards, Powell promised. However, he would not be drawn on a timeline or to suggest what changes could be made.When it came to talking about his own holdings, Powell said he has owned municipal securities - which the Fed bought last year for the first time - for many years.But Powell said the holdings were a "coincidence," because he hadn't expected the Fed to buy munis to prevent a collapse in the market. He isn't an active trader, he added, saying he had cleared any conflicts of interests with ethics officials."Munis were always thought to be a pretty safe place for a Fed person to invest because the law was that the Fed would never buy municipal securities," he said.Read More: JPMORGAN: Buy these 16 housing stocks to partake in the ongoing boom, with fears of a 2008-style crash overblown despite some real risksRead the original article on Business Insider.....»»

The Biden administration has continued to use a Trump era public health law known as Title 42 to expel migrants. CIUDAD ACUNA, MEXICO - SEPTEMBER 20: Haitian immigrants cross the Rio Grande back into Mexico from Del Rio, Texas on September 20, 2021 to Ciudad Acuna, Mexico. As U.S. immigration authorities began deporting immigrants back to Haiti from Del Rio, thousands more waited in a camp under an international bridge in Del Rio while others crossed the river back into Mexico to avoid deportation. John Moore/Getty Images Biden is facing rampant criticism over an evolving crisis involving Haitian migrants at the border. Republicans are falsely accusing Biden of allowing open borders. Top Democrats and activists are comparing Biden to Trump as he moves to deport thousands. See more stories on Insider's business page. The Biden administration is facing criticism from all angles over its handling of an influx of Haitian migrants at the US-Mexico border.Republicans baselessly accuse President Joe Biden of opening America's borders to immigrants. Meanwhile, as Biden moves to deport thousands of Haitians, top Democrats and activists are comparing his immigration policy to former President Donald Trump's. "Joe Biden is presiding over lawless open borders," GOP Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas said in a tweet earlier this week, even as the administration began actively deporting Haitian migrants who've fled violence, poverty, and political turmoil."There is a growing crisis in Del Rio, Texas and across the southern border. Biden's open borders policies created this mess," the Republican National Committee tweeted on Thursday. Seemingly regardless of what Biden does on immigration, Republicans and their right-wing media allies continue to falsely accuse him of opening America's doors to anyone and everyone. "You've got to ask yourself, as you watch the historic tragedy that is Joe Biden's immigration policy, what's the point of this? Nothing about it is an accident, obviously. It is intentional. Biden did it on purpose. But why? Why would a president do this to his own country? No sane, first-world nation opens its borders to the world," Fox News host Tucker Carlson said on his show on Wednesday, while peddling the white supremacist "Great Replacement" conspiracy theory.-nikki mccann ramírez (@NikkiMcR) September 23, 2021 The GOP's primary talking point on immigration has been that Biden's desire to offer a pathway to citizenship to roughly 11 million undocumented immigrants has induced a crisis at the border. "As tens of thousands of illegal immigrants come across the border, Joe Biden promises them citizenship," GOP Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas tweeted last on Friday. "He's making this crisis much worse."But as Biden uses a Trump era rule to deport Haitians, his allies are accusing him of reneging on his pledge to take a more humane approach to immigration than his predecessor. Democrats and activists compare Biden to Trump"The question that's being asked now is: How are you actually different than Trump?" Marisa Franco, the executive director of the Latino civil rights organization Mijente, told the New York Times. "You campaigned that immigration was one of the places where Trump was inhumane and failed. And last time I checked, Trump is not the president."The Biden administration has continued to use a Trump era public health policy, a law known as Title 42, to expel migrants and deny them an opportunity to apply for asylum - and it's defended the law in court. The Trump administration began invoking the law in March 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic began to spiral out of control (and as Trump simultaneously downplayed the threat of the virus). A New York Times review of government data found that officials caught people crossing the southwestern border roughly 1.24 million times from February to August, and Title 42 was used to turn them away 56% of the time.Democrats like Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer have called on Biden to halt expulsions and end the use of Title 42."I urge President Biden and Secretary Mayorkas to immediately put a stop to these expulsions and to end this Title 42 policy at our southern border," Schumer said. "We cannot continue these hateful and xenophobic Trump policies that disregard our refugee laws. We must allow asylum seekers to present their claims at our ports of entry and be afforded due process."-CSPAN (@cspan) September 21, 2021"Haitians fleeing violence & the lack of a credible government in Haiti are being treated like animals," Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters of California said in a tweet on Tuesday. "U.S. government cowboys on horses used whips on Haitians as they sought refuge. Why are we following the Trump policies? This horrendous treatment of Haitians must STOP NOW."Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, one of the most prominent progressives in Congress, in a tweet described the situation at the border as a "stain on our country."The White House this week fervently decried images of Border Patrol agents on horseback whipping at Haitian migrants."What I saw depicted about those individuals on horseback treating human beings the way they were, was horrible. And I fully support what is happening right now, which is a thorough investigation into exactly what is going on there," Vice President Kamala Harris said on Tuesday.But the administration's words have seemingly been insufficient to top civil rights organizations."The humanitarian crisis happening under this administration on the southern border disgustingly mirrors some of the darkest moments in America's history," Derrick Johnson, the president of the NAACP, said in a statement. "If we were to close our eyes and this was occurring under the Trump administration, what would we do? The inhumane treatment of the Haitian refugees seeking help is utterly sickening." A United States Border Patrol agent on horseback tries to stop a Haitian migrant from entering an encampment on the banks of the Rio Grande near the Acuna Del Rio International Bridge in Del Rio, Texas on September 19, 2021. Paul Ratje/Getty Images 'Inhumane, counterproductive'Thousands of Haitian migrants have crossed the border in recent weeks, gathering in a makeshift camp in terrible conditions under a bridge in Del Rio, Texas. Haiti's president was assassinated in July, launching the already embattled country into further turmoil. Its capital, Port-au-Prince, is overrun by violent gangs. And the country is also still reeling from a devastating earthquake that killed over 2,000 in August. But the Biden administration has been adamant that Haitians, and other migrants, should not come to the US. "If you come to the United States illegally, you will be returned," Homeland Security chief Alejandro Mayorkas said earlier this week.Deportation flights to Haiti began on Sunday. As a result of the Biden administration's approach to the massive influx of Haitian migrants, the US special envoy to Haiti resigned. Ambassador Daniel Foote, a career diplomat, wrote to Secretary of State Antony Blinken and said he won't be associated with the US's "inhumane, counterproductive decision to deport thousands of Haitian refugees and illegal immigrants to Haiti, a country where American officials are confined to secure compounds because of the danger posed by armed gangs in control of daily life."The evolving crisis at the border comes on the heels of the Afghanistan withdrawal, which also led to widespread, bipartisan criticism.Read the original article on Business Insider.....»»

Newsom last week survived the biggest test of his political career, but with nearly all of the votes in, the results reveal some intriguing dynamics. Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks to the press while visiting Melrose Leadership Academy in Oakland, Calif., on September 15, 2021. Jane Tyska/Digital First Media/East Bay Times via Getty Images Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom of California last Tuesday survived the biggest test of his leadership by rallying voters against a gubernatorial recall election fueled by grievances over COVID-19 restrictions, housing affordability, uneven economic opportunities, and homelessness.While the eventual recall was a blowout in the governor's favor, there were underlying issues that seriously threatened his standing earlier in the summer - the lack of urgency among Democratic voters, minimal engagement with the state's growing Latino population, and the conservative buzz surrounding radio talk show host and first-time political candidate Larry Elder, who was able to channel the frustrations of millions of state residents.As California continues to count its remaining ballots, a fuller picture is emerging of Newsom's win.With 92% of the vote in, voters rejected the recall effort by a 63% to 37% margin, nearly identical to the 2018 gubernatorial election results, when Newsom defeated Republican businessman John Cox by a 62% to 38% spread.But the huge victory also exposed Newsom's vulnerability in not connecting with more voters on a personal level.Dan Schnur, who teaches political communication at the University of Southern California and the University of California-Berkeley, pointed out that Newsom was able to win despite his fairly average standing among many Democratic voters."The final results obscure the fact that he's never been particularly well-loved, even by the base of his own party," he said.This account, based on interviews with California political observers and the recount data, focuses on the governor's broad victory and what it says about the future of Golden State politics. President Joe Biden speaks during a rally in support of California Gov. Gavin Newsom at Long Beach City College on September 13, 2021. David McNew/Getty Images Newsom overcame complacency and turned out Democrats California has become such a Democratic stronghold at the presidential level that now-President Joe Biden's win over former President Donald Trump (63.5% to 34%) last fall was a foregone conclusion.While Biden received over 11 million votes - a record for a presidential candidate in the state - Trump received over 6 million votes, which was the highest number of votes for any Republican candidate in state history.Democrats currently make up 46.5% of all registered voters in California, while Republicans make up 24% and independents comprise of 23%, according to the Public Policy Institute of California - which by the numbers would indicate a huge advantage for Newsom.However, voter turnout is key, and tepid party support, combined with Republican enthusiasm about Elder's candidacy, threatened to derail Newsom, especially as he struggled to connect with some of the very same voters who sent him to the Governor's Mansion nearly three years ago.In a Berkeley-IGS survey that was released in July, registered Democrats, by a nearly 30% margin, were less likely than Republicans to demonstrate a high level of engagement in the recall election - one of many polls that caused consternation among Democratic leaders.Conservatives, incensed by what they felt were heavy-handed COVID-19 restrictions that hurt small businesses and stifled the economy, were animated over potentially recalling Newsom, a former San Francisco mayor and lieutenant governor. The July Berkeley survey showed that 33% of the voters who were likely to vote in the recall would be Republicans - a troubling sign for the governor.After recalibrating and partaking in a rigorous campaign schedule, including rallies with President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, Newsom was able to to change the dynamics of the race by emphasizing Elder's opposition to key issues including abortion rights and COVID-19 vaccine mandates. California gubernatorial recall election candidate Larry Elder speaks at his election night party in Costa Mesa on September 14, 2021. ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images Larry Elder was not an appealing candidate to non-RepublicansIn the previous California gubernatorial recall election in 2003, then-Democratic Gov. Gray Davis was booted from office and replaced with Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger.Schwarzenegger - a Hollywood leading man famous for action movies like "The Terminator" represented a moderate wing of Republicanism that was still influential in the state at the time - won over his party and peeled off independents and even some Democrats. This year, Democrats overwhelmingly opposed against the recall on the first ballot question and largely abandoned picking another candidate to become governor if the recall was successful.Elder, a fierce advocate of small government who opposed the minimum wage, dismissed gender wage gaps, balked at gun-control measures, and supported charter schools and school choice, was unable to garner much support beyond the Republican base, which comprised of roughly 25% of the electorate in the recall election.According to exit polling conducted for CNN and other outlets by Edison Research, 94% of Democrats opposed the recall, while 89% of Republicans supported it, with independents narrowly rejecting the effort by a 52%-48% margin.While Elder currently sits at 47.8% of the vote, having earned over 3.1 million votes on the ballot question designating a gubernatorial successor, the rejection of the recall effort at the top of the ballot kept Newsom in office.Schnur told Insider that Elder's positions allowed Newsom to effectively use Trumpism as a political foil."Newsom was originally having some trouble framing this as a campaign against Donald Trump, primarily because Trump wasn't on the ballot or in the White House," he said. "Elder gave Newsom a way of framing the anti-Trump argument in the present tense. Instead of talking about the former president, he was able to talk about something that voters were facing now, and that helped him immeasurably." A sign at the Modoc National Forest. Bernard Friel/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images California has 'shades of blue in many communities of red'The modern image of California is largely shaped by its glittering Los Angeles skyline and the tech corridors of the San Francisco Bay Area, but the state is much more conservative in its interior stretches, where the election results of many counties largely mirrored the 2020 election.In rural northern California, counties like Lassen (84%), Modoc (78%), Tehama (69%), and Shasta (67%), voted overwhelmingly in favor of the recall - and subsequently these counties strongly backed Elder as their top choice in the second ballot question.While Elder's strong conservative views, including his opposition to broad COVID-19 restrictions, appealed to many in these counties, as well as a significant number of residents in the state's exurban communities, it wasn't enough to appeal to a wider audience - which has been the dilemma of the California GOP for years.The state party, which launched the careers of former Presidents Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan, has not won a gubernatorial race since Schwarzenegger's reelection bid in 2006.Mindy Romero, the founder and director of the Center for Inclusive Democracy at the University of Southern California, told Insider that while the state's political ideology is more multifaceted than its reputation suggests, the GOP in recent years has continued to elevate candidates that lack appeal on a statewide level."The problem for the Republican Party is that politics is local," she said. "I actually say that we're not deep blue. I say that we're shades of blue in many communities of red. In those red communities, we have a lot of elected officials, including members of Congress, who are Republicans. Some of the messaging that they use that works in those communities is antithetical to many Democrats. But at a local level, the messaging works and helps them politically."She added: "It's hard for Republicans to make ground, because locally, they're going to put forth candidates that are going to be more to the right." Gov. Gavin Newsom greets volunteers who were working the phone banks to help campaign against the gubernatorial recall at Hecho en Mexico restaurant in East Los Angeles on August 14, 2021. Los Angeles City Councilman Kevin de León, California state Sen. Maria Elena Durazo, California Assemblyman Miguel Santiago, and other Latino dignitaries were on hand to support the governor. Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images Latino voters, a growing slice of the electorate, backed NewsomLatino residents now make up 39% of California's population and are the largest ethnic group in the state - according to the exit polling conducted by Edison Research, they made up 24% of the electorate in the recall election.For much of the summer, Democrats fretted that they weren't doing enough to appeal to this critical slice of the electorate, especially as Elder campaigned hard for Latino, Black, and Asian votes.However, in representing nearly a quarter of the vote in the recall election, the Latino vote was key in the eventual outcome.According to the Edison exit polling, Latino voters rejected the recall effort by a 60%-40% margin.But there were signs of concern for Democrats, even with the broad victory.Newsom actually lost ground with Latinos, albeit slightly, from his 2018 gubernatorial victory, when he carried the group with 64% of the vote, according to NBC exit polling.For Democrats, the question remains: How can the party engage with this diverse slice of the electorate in a meaningful way?Romero told Insider that both parties have a chance to improve their relationship with Latinos, but said that Democrats, who count on the group as part of their base, should have done more outreach this year."Both parties have a chance with the Latino vote because it's not monolithic," she said. "Newsom's campaign did not reach out to Latinos as it could have. There was lot of work by community organizations and by unions that it looks like helped bring out a lot of Latinos, but in terms of the party-driven work, it was either late or it didn't happen in the way that you would expect."She added: "Democrats will have to work on addressing Latino issues and having better relationships with Latino organizations, and essentially not taking the Latino vote for granted."Read the original article on Business Insider.....»»

Former Defense Secretary James Mattis testified Wednesday at Elizabeth Holmes' fraud trial about his $85,000 investment and Theranos' military pilot. Former Defense Secretary James Mattis in 2017. Associated Press/Jacquelyn Martin James Mattis took the stand Wednesday in Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes' fraud trial. He said he invested $85,000 in Theranos and shared details about its military pilot project. The former defense secretary also said Holmes was his "sole" source of information about Theranos. See more stories on Insider's business page. Former US Defense Secretary James Mattis has revealed how much he invested in the now-defunct blood-testing startup Theranos. Mattis took the stand Wednesday in the fraud trial of Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes, testifying that he invested nearly $85,000 in the company, an amount he said was significant for someone who had worked in government for 40 years. Mattis also recalled the moment Holmes asked him to join Theranos' board. "I cautioned her I was not a medical person," he said, noting that Holmes said she valued a variety of backgrounds among board members.Mattis ultimately joined the board after leaving active duty in 2013. He said he received $150,000 a year to serve on the board. He testified that he invested and joined the board to "have skin in the game."The retired four-star general also said Holmes was his "sole" source of information about the company. During his testimony, several emails between Mattis and Holmes were shown as evidence. They showed the two discussing plans to test out Theranos' technology for potential use in the military. In an email in late 2011, Mattis told Holmes, "I'm trying to find a way to employ your device on a swift 'pilot project' or 'proof of principle' to expedite its entry to our forces."Holmes later responded, "It is on us to drive forward to get a pilot. Will do all it takes to make this happen and work though this process."Mattis went on to say that he wasn't aware when he joined the board that some of Theranos' tests were being run on third-party machines rather than the company's own Edison machines. After the Wall Street Journal published a bombshell investigation about the limits of Theranos' tests, Mattis began to question "whether or not Edison worked.""There came a point when I didn't know what to believe about Theranos anymore," he testified. "Looking back now I'm disappointed at the level of transparency...I couldn't see why we were being surprised by such fundamental issues."Mattis is one of more than 200 people listed as potential witnesses in the trial. Read the original article on Business Insider.....»»

Cohen told Insider that Trump wanted to keep raising money and retain "some semblance of power, importance, and relevance, none of which he has." Michael Cohen. Spencer Platt/Getty Images Michael Cohen said Trump was bluffing about a 2024 run in part because "he's making more money doing that than anything he has ever done." Trump wants to retain "some semblance of power, importance, and relevance," Cohen said, "none of which he has." Cohen said Trump wouldn't run because he can't "stomach the notion of being a two-time loser." See more stories on Insider's business page. Former President Donald Trump's former lawyer and fixer said on Wednesday that he thought Trump was bluffing about launching another presidential run."His insatiable need for attention is one reason he continues to flaunt this disingenuous 2024 run," Michael Cohen told Insider in an interview. "The other is he's making more money doing that than anything he has ever done before."Trump has repeatedly teased a 2024 campaign since leaving office in January. The former president raised more money than any other Republican in the first half of the year and had a war chest of more than $100 million by the end of June, The New York Times reported over the summer, citing federal campaign filings.Despite claiming the 2020 election was rigged and promising to help more Republicans get elected, Trump hasn't spent any of the money on audits or GOP-led campaigns, according to Politico. He's largely used it to promote his own interests, cover event and travel expenses, and pay the salaries of his aides and advisors, the report said. He's also used some of the funds to cover legal expenses in his baseless effort to overturn the 2020 election results.Cohen on Wednesday described Trump as "the greatest grifter in the history of American politics," adding that Trump would ultimately come up with a "handful of reasons why he won't run again and blame others for his decision.""He'll say he's not going to run again because of bipartisan hatred for him or because of the Democrats or because he doesn't want to put his family through any more," Cohen said. "He cannot stomach the notion of being a two-time loser, but he will continue to grift until the very last second."A spokesperson for Trump did not immediately respond to a request for comment.The former president is "trying to retain some semblance of power, importance, and relevance, none of which he has," said Cohen, who is serving a three-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to an array of felonies in 2018.He pleaded guilty in August 2018 to eight counts of campaign-finance violations, tax evasion, and wire fraud. He also pleaded guilty that November to one felony count of lying to Congress as part of the special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russia's interference in the 2016 US election.Trump defended Cohen earlier in 2018, describing the FBI's raids on his home and office as "disgraceful" and a "total witch hunt." But the president changed his tune when it surfaced that Cohen was cooperating with the feds - he called his former lawyer and longtime fixer a "rat," a term commonly used by Mafia bosses to describe former loyalists who flip on them.Cohen postponed his congressional testimony in early 2019; his legal team cited "ongoing threats against his family from President Trump" and Rudy Giuliani. Trump had repeatedly tweeted that Cohen's father-in-law should be investigated, a statement Cohen's lawyer and some Democratic lawmakers interpreted as witness intimidation.Cohen argued last December that he should be released from home confinement early under the First Step Act, a criminal-justice-reform bill that Trump signed into law in 2018. But prosecutors said in March that Cohen should serve the rest of his sentence in home confinement.Cohen said he was "frustrated" and "exhausted" but looked forward to being released on November 22.Asked about the first thing he'd do after completing his sentence, Cohen joked, "Go to Disneyland.""In all honesty, I don't know," he said. "In 60 days I have to rebuild my life, which is not easy when you're 55 years old."That said, Cohen has begun laying the groundwork for a return to public life. In addition to frequently appearing on cable news to comment on the latest developments in Trumpworld, Cohen launched a podcast, "Mea Culpa," described as part of his effort to "right the wrongs he perpetuated on behalf of his boss."The podcast's latest episode featured Stormy Daniels, the adult-film star whose allegations of an affair with Trump were at the center of Cohen's first guilty plea in 2018. Once he gets out of home confinement, Cohen will take "Mea Culpa" on a "live national tour" to mark the end of his prison sentence, a press release said.Read the original article on Business Insider.....»»

Sorry "Fortnite" fans: It's starting to sound like the world's biggest game may never return to Apple's iPhones. Epic Games It sounds like "Fortnite" isn't coming back to the iPhone anytime soon. Epic says it won't bring the game back to the iPhone unless Apple allows alternate payment forms. Apple says it won't even consider allowing Epic back until the the companies' legal spat is over. Visit the Business section of Insider for more stories. It sounds like "Fortnite" won't be back on Apple's iPhone anytime soon. Based on the most recent exchanges between "Fortnite" maker Epic Games, Apple's App Store leader Phil Schiller, and a member of Apple's legal team at Gibson Dunn, relations between the two companies are as icy as ever.In a letter sent by Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney to Apple App Store leader Phil Schiller, things start out friendly enough. Sweeney started by asking Schiller to reinstate Epic's development account, which is needed for "Fortnite" to operate on Apple's iOS."Epic has asked Apple to reactivate our 'Fortnite' development account," Sweeney said to Schiller. "Epic promises that it will adhere to Apple's guidelines whenever and wherever we release products on Apple platforms." He added that this "depends on whether and where Apple updates its guidelines to provide for a level playing field between Apple In-App Purchase and other methods of payment." In other words, "Fortnite" will only return to iPhones when Apple allows Epic to circumvent Apple's App Store payment system - an argument that was at the heart of the recent lawsuit between Apple and Epic.In a response, Apple's attorney said the company isn't even considering that reinstatement until the legal spat between the two companies, "becomes final and nonappealable." And that may not be for another five years, Sweeney said."'Fortnite' will be blacklisted from the Apple ecosystem until the exhaustion of all court appeals," he tweeted on Wednesday, "which could be as long as a 5-year process." An image of the "Fortnite" update that included the ability to pay Epic Games directly rather than paying through Apple. Epic Games Apple has repeatedly refused to allow alternative payment methods on the App Store, citing security concerns, and kicked "Fortnite" off the iPhone last year when Epic quietly added a way to pay Epic directly rather than paying through the App Store.Subsequently, Epic sued Apple.The result of that lawsuit, which Epic is appealing, was relatively minimal: In Apple's case, the App Store is being forced to allow app makers the ability to link out and sell items directly to their users via external payment methods. That means app makers will be allowed to directly link out to alternative ways for purchasing, giving them a new way to avoid App Store commissions.Apple has charged app makers on its iPhone and iPad App Store a commission for sales, ranging from 15 to 30%, which Epic Games sought to circumvent in an update to its hit game, "Fortnite," in August 2020.Epic, meanwhile, was ordered to pay millions in royalties to Apple, and Apple doesn't have to allow alternative forms of payment on the App Store. Moreover, Epic is missing out on untold millions of dollars from potential "Fortnite" players on iPhone and iPad. Apple declined to comment for this story, but confirmed the veracity of the letter from its lawyer. Epic Games representatives highlighted a post on Epic's blog published on Wednesday that built on Sweeney's tweets."Apple lied," Sweeney said in the blog post. "Apple spent a year telling the world, the court, nd the press they'd 'welcome Epic's return to the App Store if they agree to play by the same rules as everyone else.' Epic agreed, and now Apple has reneged in another abuse of its monopoly power over a billion users."Got a tip? Contact Insider senior correspondent Ben Gilbert via email (bgilbert@insider.com), or Twitter DM (@realbengilbert). We can keep sources anonymous. Use a non-work device to reach out. PR pitches by email only, please.Read the original article on Business Insider.....»»

Italian fashion house Valentino took a different approach to fashion trolls than Nike did with MSCHF's "Satan shoes." Pierpaolo Piccioli, the creative director of Valentino. Pierpaolo Piccioli/Handout via Reuters Valentino is releasing a $690 sweatshirt with the word "Vaccinated" across the front. It's a collaboration with an LA company called Cloney, which originally produced a bootleg version. The approach is noticeably different than how Nike dealt with MSCHF's "Satan shoes." See more stories on Insider's business page. Luxury fashion designers have dealt with knockoff companies recreating their wares for years.But in today's world, high-end wares are almost as likely to be repurposed into a statement-making shoe, or sweatshirt. Such is the case for Valentino, the 60-year-old Italian fashion house known for its dramatic gowns and ubiquitous Rockstud heels. The company's serif branding, "V" logo, and penchant for the color red are highly recognizable in the fashion world - so much so that, according to The New York Times, a Los Angeles-based company called Cloney repurposed the branding onto a simple black sweatshirt emblazoned with a single word: "Vaccinated." The sweatshirt caught the eye of Valentino creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli, who bought one and wore it in a post on his Instagram account along with a caption that read, in part: "Getting vaccinated is not a choice." The sweatshirt was an instant hit among Piccioli's followers, which include the likes of actress Zoey Deutch, Instagram fashion chief Eva Chen, activist and TV host Janet Mock, and fellow designer Marc Jacobs. According to the Times, Piccioli bought five more sweatshirts, the last of Cloney's stock, and distributed them to friends, family, and Lady Gaga. A post shared by Lady Gaga (@ladygaga) Now, Valentino is working with Cloney to produce luxe versions of the design which will retail for 590 euros, or about $690. According to the Times, all of the proceeds will go to UNICEF to support the COVAX program, a World Health Organization initiative to supply vaccines and supplies to countries that need them. But the "Vaccinated" sweatshirt also capitalizes on the pandemic-themed fashion trend that began cropping up early last year. Fashion labels like Erdem and Fendi introduced luxury face masks and hand sanitizer holders, respectively, and a company called Cala recently introduced another way to prove your vaccination status: with a simple white t-shirt complete with a plastic pouch for your vaccine card. As the Times points out, however, Valentino could have sued or ripped off the design altogether. But by collaborating, it's taking a vastly different approach to fashion trolls than Nike did earlier this year, when it filed a lawsuit against MSCHF over its so-called satan shoes.The shoes were a collaboration with rapper Lil Nas X that involved tricking out a pair of Air Max 97s with "666" in red ink and a drop of human blood to the midsole. Nike alleged that it had suffered "significant harm to its goodwill, including among consumers who believe that Nike is endorsing satanism." Nike and MSCHF later settled the suit for an undisclosed amount with MSCHF issuing a voluntary recall of the shoes. Read the original article on Business Insider.....»»

COVID-19 vaccination mandates are increasingly popular among Americans, particularly for teachers and government workers, polls show. A 12-year-old receives their first dose of the Pfizer vaccine at a Los Angeles County mobile clinic on May 14, 2021. Patrick Fallon/AFP/Getty Images Three recent polls show that a majority of Americans support vaccine mandates. The popularity of vaccine requirements has risen as the Delta variant surged. Hardline opposition to getting vaccinated has fallen to a new low. See more stories on Insider's business page. Though Americans remain divided about vaccine mandates, poll after poll shows that their overall popularity is rising - particularly for workers in specific industries, like education and government.Three surveys conducted between August 3 and September 15 - from CNN, Axios/Ipsos and Fox News - have all found the same thing. More than half of Americans support making COVID-19 vaccination a requirement for participating in public life. Such mandates have gained favor during the period Delta infections have surged. Among the three polls, the Axios/Ipsos survey found the highest support for vaccine mandates among the general population, with 60% of respondents saying they supported vaccine mandates. In CNN's poll, 51% voiced support. In Fox News' poll, the most recent of the bunch, 54% of respondents did.Democrats like mandates more than Republicans do Italy is one of the countries requiring a COVID-19 pass for travel. Stefano Guidi/Getty Image Democratic survey respondents were more likely to say that requiring proof of vaccination for everyday activities outside of the home, such as attending a concert or going grocery shopping, was an acceptable way to raise the vaccination rate.In CNN's poll, 80% of Democrats said they supported mandates, compared with 44% of Independents and 23% of Republicans. The survey, conducted by the independent research company SSRS between August 3 and September 7, relied on a nationally representative group of more than 2,000 adults.The Axios/Ipsos survey, which was conducted between September 10 and 13, found that more than 80% of Democrats support the Biden Administration's federal mandate that businesses with 100 or more employees require them to be vaccinated or get tested weekly. But support for those measures fell to roughly 60% among independents and 30% among Republicans. The poll included a nationally representative sample of more than 1,000 adults.Americans want teachers and government workers to be vaccinated Army medics fill syringes with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine in Orlando, Florida, April 10, 2021. Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images The Fox News poll, conducted between September 12 and 15, found that among more than 1,000 registered voters, 54% said they supported cities requiring proof of vaccination in order to participate in indoor activities. By contrast, 44% said they opposed such vaccine mandates.The percentage of respondents who said they supported vaccinations rose four percentage points since a prior Fox News poll conducted in early August. In that survey, 50% said they supported vaccine mandates.Respondents to the Fox poll were more enthusiastic about vaccine mandates for frontline workers: 61% said they supported vaccine mandates for teachers. For government workers, 58% were in favor of mandates, and 55% were in favor of workplace requirements that employees to be vaccinated. The poll also found that 56% of respondents supported the Biden Administration's vaccine mandate for businesses with 100 or more employees.The CNN poll similarly suggested that Americans are warming up to vaccination requirements in workplaces and schools: 54% of respondents said they approved of those requirements for in-office workers, and 55% supported them for students attending in-person classes. In the Axios/Ipsos poll, too, 57% of working Americans said they supported their employer requiring vaccination.Strident opposition to vaccination has fallen to a new lowBetween April and August, hardline resistance to COVID-19 vaccines has steadily declined, Axios/Ipsos found.In the spring, 19% of respondents to an Axios/Ipsos survey said they were "not at all likely" to get vaccinated. By the end of August, that group had shrunk to 14%, and 72% of respondents reported that they'd already been vaccinated.As of Tuesday, 64% of the US population had received at least one dose of the vaccine and 55% were fully vaccinated, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.After a slight uptick in vaccinations at the start of September, when the CDC reported a seven-day average of more than 954,000 vaccinations per day, the number had fallen to an average of about 761,000 per day as of Tuesday. That's down from an average of more than 3 million vaccinations per day during the April peak.Read the original article on Business Insider.....»»

Iceland is in a valuable location, and the stealth bomber's deployment there reflects the US military's increasing focus on the region. A US Air Force crew chief prepares a B-2 for departure from Keflavik Air Base, September 8, 2021. US Air Force/Airman 1st Class Victoria Hommel US B-2 stealth bombers spent two and half weeks operating out of Iceland in August and September. It was the first time B-2 bombers have operated continuously from Iceland. Iceland is in a valuable location, and the deployment reflects the US military's increasing focus on the region. See more stories on Insider's business page. US Air Force B-2 stealth bombers left Iceland this month after operating from Keflavik Air Base for two and a half weeks in a first-of-its-kind deployment that reflects the US military's increased focus on the high north.Three B-2s from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri arrived at Keflavik on August 23 for a Bomber Task Force deployment. BTFs began in 2018 and are part of dynamic force employment, which for bombers has meant more short-term deployments overseas or non-stop flights to and from distant regions for training.The B-2s trained with US and British fighter jets over the North Sea in late August and early September. On September 8 they trained with Norwegian F-35s over the North Sea in an "advanced mission designed to test escort procedures, stand-off weapon employment and the suppression and destruction of air defenses."The bombers returned to Missouri on September 11, after conducting more a dozen multinational missions over the preceding month, the Air Force said. A US Air Force crew chief prepares a B-2 for departure from Keflavik, September 11, 2021. US Air Force/Airman 1st Class Victoria Hommel B-2s first flew to Iceland in September 2019, but that was just one of their stops as they operated out of the UK."This is the first time the B-2 has operated continuously from Iceland," according to Lt. Col. Matthew Howard, commander of the 110th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, who called it a "historic deployment."The B-2s "did significant integration with our NATO partners" including "a lot of work with the Norwegians," Gen. Jeff Harrigian, commander of US Air Forces in Europe and Africa, told reporters during the Air Force Association conference on Tuesday.The US aircrews and their counterparts were able to continue refining "tactics, techniques, and procedures," building interoperability and demonstrating the importance of what Harrigian described as "muscle memory being built just by the fact that they're there and working through how we're actually going to execute with" NATO allies.The deployment to Keflavik also "provides a new forward operating location to operationalize bomber agile combat employment and maintain favorable regional balances of power" in support of the Pentagon's Arctic Strategy, the Air Force said in a release.'Part of the competition' A B-2 undergoes a routine maintenance inspection after returning to Keflavik, August 26, 2021. US Air Force/Airman 1st Class Victoria Hommel Naval Air Station Keflavik was US Navy base during the Cold War. Iceland's location in the center of a chokepoint known as the Greenland-Iceland-UK Gap allows aircraft there to monitor waters through which the ships and submarines of Russia's powerful Northern Fleet would have to pass to reach the Atlantic Ocean.The US closed its base there in 2006, but Keflavik has seen renewed activity in recent years as the US and NATO militaries seek to counter Russia's increasingly capable and active military.The 2018 defense budget included $14.4 million to refurbish the base's hangars. In late 2020 the Air Force awarded another $38 million to improve airfield infrastructure there.In addition to US Air Force aircraft, US Navy P-8 Poseidons, considered the best sub-hunting plane in use, have also resumed operating out of Keflavik. A B-2 prepares to depart Keflavik Air Base, September 11, 2021. US Air Force/Airman 1st Class Victoria Hommel As the Arctic has gotten more accessible, it has been a venue for heightened tensions between Russia and NATO. Air and naval forces from both sides have increased their presence and activity there significantly.The historic BTF deployment to Iceland comes just six months after B-1 bombers conducted the first bomber deployment to Norway.Norwegian forces have worked more closely with the US and other NATO militaries amid those tensions, and the deployment was meant to give US airmen experience operating in the region, which has been an ongoing goal for Harrigian's command.On September 15, Harrigian hosted senior defense officials from seven of the eight Arctic nations - all but Russia - at the first Arctic Air Chiefs Symposium, where they discussed Arctic-focused campaigns and initiatives.The Iceland deployment is "part of the competition" that senior Air Force officials often talk about, Harrigian said Tuesday. "It really relates to the deterrent value that those capabilities bring, particularly when we leverage that with our partners."Read the original article on Business Insider.....»»

Mike Schroepfer has been Facebook's tech chief since 2013. His departure is one of its first major leadership changes in nearly a decade. Facebook CTO Mike Schroepfer. Greg Sandoval/Business Insider Mike Schroepfer is leaving his role as CTO next year, being replaced by Andrew Bosworth. Bosworth is Facebook's leader on all things AR and VR. "This is a difficult decision because of how much I love Facebook and how excited I am about the future we are building together," Schroepfer said. See more stories on Insider's business page. Facebook's chief technology officer and longtime Facebook employee is stepping down from the role, headed to a new part-time position in a much different role.Mike Schroepfer said Wednesday in a post to his own Facebook page that he is leaving next year his role as CTO, which he's held since 2013. He will be replaced by Andrew Bosworth, currently the leader of Facebook's augmented and virtual reality division and one of the earliest execs at the company, further signalling the Facebook's push into that business. The news was first reported by Bloomberg."This is a difficult decision because of how much I love Facebook and how excited I am about the future we are building together," Schroepfer wrote. But he is not leaving the company entirely. He said he is to become a "senior fellow" within Facebook next year, a first-of-its-kind role at the company.As for his replacement, Bosworth, Schroepfer pointed out that he is responsible for the creation of Facebook's entire AR and VR organization, thus far, now called Facebook Realty Labs, "where he drives all of Facebook's efforts in augmented reality, virtual reality and consumer hardware across Oculus, Portal, and Facebook Reality Labs Research.""These contributions are foundational components of our broader efforts to help build the metaverse," Schroepfer added. "I'm confident and grateful for Boz's leadership and the deep and talented technical bench of leaders we have at the helm."Bosworth has been with Facebook since 2006. A representative of Facebook could not be immediately reached for comment.Are you a Facebook employee with insight to share? Contact this reporter at khays@insider.com or via secure messaging service Signal at 949-280-0267. Reach out using a non-work device.Read the original article on Business Insider.....»»

Here are the nine hard-to-put-down young adult books on Reese Witherspoon's Book Club list so far, from "Furia" to "Tokyo Ever After." When you buy through our links, Insider may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more. The young adult books on Reese's Book Club list include "Furia," "You Have a Match," and "You Should See Me in a Crown." Amazon; Rachel Mendelson/Insider Reese Witherspoon's Book Club has recommended over 55 books so far, all with female protagonists. Nine of them are young adult books, all of which you'll find below. Want more books? Check out the best young adult romance novels. Disappearing into a great young adult book feels like magic. We're swept away into different lives and worlds for hours at a time, finding stories that can help strengthen our values, cultivate our imagination, and learn how to approach a spectrum of emotions and experiences -all from the comfort of a book.If you're looking for your next YA book (or a great gift for a teen), you might want to consider these nine from Reese's Book Club. Each title, like all 58 Reese Witherspoon book picks, focuses on female protagonists, whether they're moonlighting as an advice columnist or reluctantly campaigning for Prom Queen to win the college scholarship of their dreams.The 9 YA books selected for Reese's Book Club so far:Descriptions are from Amazon and edited for length and clarity. "The Downstairs Girl" by Stacey Lee (Summer 2021) Amazon Available on Amazon and Bookshop from $8.79By day, 17-year-old Jo Kuan works as a lady's maid for the cruel daughter of one of the wealthiest men in Atlanta. But by night, Jo moonlights as the pseudonymous author of a newspaper advice column for the genteel Southern lady, "Dear Miss Sweetie."When her column becomes wildly popular, she uses the power of the pen to address some of society's ills, but she's not prepared for the backlash that follows when her column challenges fixed ideas about race and gender. While her opponents clamor to uncover the secret identity of Miss Sweetie, a mysterious letter sets Jo off on a search for her own past and the parents who abandoned her as a baby. But when her efforts put her in the crosshairs of Atlanta's most notorious criminal, Jo must decide whether she, a girl used to living in the shadows, is ready to step into the light.  "Tokyo Ever After" by Emiko Jean (Summer 2021) Amazon Available on Amazon and Bookshop from $15.99Izumi Tanaka has never really felt like she fit in — it isn't easy being Japanese American in her small, mostly white, northern California town. Raised by a single mother, it's always been Izumi — or Izzy, because "It's easier this way" — and her mom against the world. But then Izumi discovers a clue to her previously unknown father's identity… and he's none other than the Crown Prince of Japan. Which means outspoken, irreverent Izzy is literally a princess.In a whirlwind, Izumi travels to Japan to meet the father she never knew and discover the country she always dreamed of. Izumi soon finds herself caught between worlds, and between versions of herself — back home, she was never "American" enough, and in Japan, she must prove she's "Japanese" enough. Will Izumi crumble under the weight of the crown, or will she live out her fairy tale, happily ever after? "Firekeeper's Daughter" by Angeline Boulley (Spring 2021) Amazon Available on Amazon and Bookshop from $10.2318-year-old Daunis Fontaine has never quite fit in, both in her hometown and on the nearby Ojibwe reservation. She dreams of a fresh start at college, but when family tragedy strikes, Daunis puts her future on hold to look after her fragile mother. The only bright spot is meeting Jamie, the charming new recruit on her brother Levi's hockey team.Yet even as Daunis falls for Jamie, she senses the dashing hockey star is hiding something. Everything comes to light when Daunis witnesses a shocking murder, thrusting her into an FBI investigation of a lethal new drug.Reluctantly, Daunis agrees to go undercover, drawing on her knowledge of chemistry and Ojibwe traditional medicine to track down the source. But the search for truth is more complicated than Daunis imagined, exposing secrets and old scars. "You Have a Match" by Emma Lord (Winter 2021) Amazon Available on Amazon and Bookshop from $10.11When Abby signs up for a DNA service, it's mainly to give her friend and secret love interest, Leo, a nudge. After all, she knows who she is already: Avid photographer. Injury-prone tree climber. Best friend to Leo and Connie...although ever since the B.E.I. (Big Embarrassing Incident) with Leo, things have been awkward on that front.But she didn't know she's a younger sister. When the DNA service reveals Abby has a secret sister, Instagram star Savannah Tully, it's hard to believe they're from the same planet, never mind the same parents. The logical course of action? Meet up at summer camp (obviously) and figure out why Abby's parents put Savvy up for adoption. "The Light in Hidden Places" by Sharon Cameron (December 2020) Amazon Available on Amazon and Bookshop from $10.99It is 1943, and for four years, 16-year-old Stefania has been working for the Diamant family in their grocery store in Przemysl, Poland. She has even made a promise to one of their sons, Izio — a betrothal they must keep secret since she is Catholic and the Diamants are Jewish.But everything changes when the German army invades Przemysl. The Diamants are forced into the ghetto, and Stefania makes the extraordinary decision to hide Max Diamant, and eventually 12 more Jews. Then they must wait, every day, for a knock at the door. When the knock finally comes, it is two Nazi officers, requisitioning Stefania's house for the German army.With two Nazis below, 13 hidden Jews above, and a little sister by her side, Stefania has one more excruciating choice to make. "A Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea and Tomorrow" by Laura Taylor Namey (November 2020) Amazon Available on Amazon and Bookshop from $11.49For Lila Reyes, a summer in England was never part of the plan. The plan was 1) Take over her abuela's role as head baker at their panadería, 2) Move in with her best friend after graduation, and 3) Live happily ever after with her boyfriend. But then the Trifecta happened, and everything — including Lila herself — fell apart.Worried about Lila's mental health, her parents make a new plan for her: Spend three months with family friends in Winchester, England, to relax and reset. But with the lack of sun, a grumpy inn cook, and a small town lacking Miami flavor (both in food and otherwise), what would be a dream trip for some feels more like a nightmare to Lila…until she meets Orion Maxwell. "Fable" by Adrienne Young (October 2020) Amazon Available on Amazon and Bookshop from $14.69As the daughter of the most powerful trader in the Narrows, the sea is the only home 17-year-old Fable has ever known. It's been four years since the night she watched her mother drown during an unforgiving storm. The next day, her father abandoned her on a legendary island filled with thieves and little food. To survive, she must keep to herself, learn to trust no one, and rely on the unique skills her mother taught her. The only thing that keeps her going is the goal of getting off the island, finding her father, and demanding her rightful place beside him and his crew. To do so, Fable enlists the help of a young trader named West to get her off the island and across the Narrows to her father. "Furia" by Yamile Saied Mendez (September 2020) Amazon Available on Amazon and Bookshop from $11.49A powerful contemporary young adult for fans of "The Poet X" and "I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter" set in Argentina, about a rising soccer star who must put everything on the line — even her blooming love story — to follow her dreams.In Rosario, Argentina, Camila Hassan lives a double life. At home, she is a careful daughter, living within her mother's narrow expectations, in her rising-soccer-star brother's shadow, and under the abusive rule of her short-tempered father. On the field, she is La Furia, a powerhouse of skill and talent. When her team qualifies for the South American tournament, Camila gets the chance to see just how far those talents can take her. In her wildest dreams, she'd get an athletic scholarship to a North American university.Filled with authentic details and the textures of day-to-day life in Argentina, heart-soaring romance, and breathless action on the pitch, "Furia" is the story of a girl's journey to make her life her own. "You Should See Me in a Crown" by Leah Johnson (August 2020) Amazon Available on Amazon and Bookshop from $9.99Liz Lighty has always believed she's too Black, too poor, too awkward to shine in her small, rich, prom-obsessed midwestern town. But it's okay — Liz has a plan that will get her out of Campbell, Indiana, forever: Attend the uber-elite Pennington College, play in their world-famous orchestra, and become a doctor. But when the financial aid she was counting on unexpectedly falls through, Liz's plans come crashing down… until she's reminded of her school's scholarship for prom king and queen. There's nothing Liz wants to do less than endure a gauntlet of social media trolls, catty competitors, and humiliating public events, but despite her devastating fear of the spotlight she's willing to do whatever it takes to get to Pennington. The only thing that makes it halfway bearable is the new girl in school, Mack. She's smart, funny, and just as much of an outsider as Liz. Will falling for the competition keep Liz from her dreams… or make them come true? Read the original article on Business Insider.....»»

Nobody should assume the Federal Reserve can help if Congress fails to lift the debt limit ahead of a mid-October deadline, Powell said. Fed Chair Jerome Powell. Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images Nobody should assume the Fed can save the US economy if Congress fails to raise the debt limit, Jerome Powell said. If the ceiling isn't raised, the US could default on its debt and enter a self-inflicted recession. A debt-ceiling downturn is "just not something we can or should contemplate," the Fed chair said. See more stories on Insider's business page. The Federal Reserve won't come to the economy's rescue if the US defaults on its debt, central bank chair Jerome Powell said Wednesday.Congress is, once again, coming dangerously close to a debt-ceiling crisis. Lawmakers have until mid-October to either raise or suspend the borrowing limit or allow the US to default on its debt. The latter outcome would freeze spending on several critical public programs, spark massive job losses, throw financial markets into chaos, and likely plunge the US into a self-inflicted recession.In other words, defaulting on government debt is "just not something we can or should contemplate," Powell told reporters in a press conference. Failure to raise the ceiling could spark "severe damage to the economy," and the ball is solely in lawmakers' hands, the Fed chair added."I think we can agree the United States shouldn't default on any of its obligations and should pay them when due," he said. "No one should assume that the Fed or anyone else can protect the markets or the economy in the event of a failure."Debt scares aren't anything new to those on Capitol Hill. The ceiling has already been suspended or lifted 57 times in the last five decades. But the 117th Congress is on track to be the first to break the threshold.Republicans have been adamant that raising the ceiling is Democrats' responsibility alone. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell reiterated his opposition to the effort on Wednesday, saying Democrats shouldn't "play Russian roulette with our economy."On the other side of the aisle, Democrats are pinning the blame on Republicans' past actions. Lifting the limit only allows the government to cover its past spending. After the GOP and President Donald Trump added roughly $8 trillion in debt through tax cuts and stimulus, Republicans "are threatening not to pay the bills," Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer tweeted Wednesday.Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi revealed on Monday a measure that would suspend the limit through December. Yet fervent GOP opposition, a fragile Democratic majority in the Senate, and a looming deadline stand in the way of its passage.What's at stake if the US defaultsAs lawmakers barrel toward the threshold, experts have painted a dismal picture of what a US default would look like. The White House told state and local governments on Friday that failing to lift the ceiling would swiftly freeze funding for programs including Medicaid, the Children's Health Insurance Program, and FEMA disaster relief. The resulting recession would prompt "economic catastrophe," Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen added Monday.Outside the White House, assessments have been even bleaker. Failure to lift or suspend the ceiling would power a downturn reminiscent of the 2008 financial crisis, Moody's Analytics economists led by Mark Zandi said Tuesday. The US would shed nearly 6 million jobs, and the unemployment rate would leap to 9% from 5.2%.The resulting market crash would also cripple everyday Americans. Stock prices would tumble more than 30% before recovering, the team said. Losses from the selloff would total $15 trillion in household wealth, according to Moody's.Such a slump would also come as the country remains mired in a COVID-slammed economy. The Fed held its ultra-accommodative policy intact on Wednesday, leaving key supports in place as 8.4 million Americans remain unemployed. Powell hinted that a pullback could start in November, but even then, it will likely take years for Fed policy to fully return to pre-crisis norms.Read the original article on Business Insider.....»»

The federal funds rate is the interest banks charge each other for overnight loans. Set by the Federal Reserve, it's a basis for other interest rates. While it technically applies only to banks, the federal funds rate impacts interest rates on a variety of loans and investments. Richard Drew/Associated Press Set by the Federal Reserve, the federal funds rate is the interest banks charge each other to borrow money overnight. Changes in the federal funds rate impact the interest rates on consumer loans, credit cards, and bank accounts. The federal funds rate is the key tool the Federal Reserve uses to stimulate or slow down the economy. Visit Insider's Investing Reference library for more stories. The major mandate of the Federal Reserve - the central bank of the US - is to keep the nation's financial system solvent and manage its money supply (the amount of cash and readily available funds in circulation). It does this through a balancing act involving interest rates - specifically one called the federal funds rate. The federal funds rate ("fed funds rate," for short) is only used between banks; it's not an interest rate an individual can apply for or a financial account will earn. But it's a key benchmark. After the Fed sets it, the federal funds rate becomes the basis for interest charged on loans and credit card purchases, and the return offered by fixed-income investments, like bonds and annuities. The level of interest rates - how cheap or expensive it is to borrow money - affects business and consumer spending. So, through the federal funds rate, the Fed tries to keep the entire economy on course. Here's how it works, and the ways it can affect you.What is the federal funds rate?The federal funds rate, also known as the overnight rate, is the interest commercial banks charge when they lend money to one another for extremely short-term periods - literally, overnight. The Fed mandates this activity between banks to ensure they meet their reserve requirements. That is, it requires that each bank must maintain enough cash on hand, plus a reserve balance with the central bank, to cover a certain percentage of its deposits and other liabilities on every business day. These regulations are to make sure that a bank's account-holders always have ready access to their money. If banks are short on funds to maintain their reserve requirement, they borrow from another - at (or very close to) the fed funds rate.There are two types of federal funds rates:The federal funds effective rate is the weighted average of all the interest rates banks pay when they borrow from other banks in the country.The federal funds target rate is the rate set by the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), the monetary policy-making body of the Federal Reserve, to serve as the guidepost by which banks charge each other. Made up of the Fed's Board of Governors and five regional Federal Reserve Bank presidents, the FOMC meets at least eight times a year to decide the federal funds rate based on prevailing economic conditions.When people refer to the Fed "slashing the interest rate" or "raising interest rates," they usual mean the federal funds target rate.What is the current federal funds rate?On September 22, 2021, the Federal Reserve maintained the federal funds rate at a range of 0% to 0.25%. This remains unchanged from the first time the Fed lowered the benchmark rate to almost 0% on March 15, 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The fed funds rate averaged 5.59% from 1971 until 2020.How does the federal funds rate affect the economy?During its eight meetings a year, the FOMC can raise, lower, or keep the fed funds rate the same. But what motivates the committee to periodically change it? How does the Fed use it as an economy-adjusting tool?When it needs to stimulate economic growth - production, spending, expansion - the Fed lowers the fed funds rate. This move makes it cheaper for banks to borrow money and maintain their reserves. So these banks can then lend out their extra funds at lower financing costs, encouraging companies and individuals to take out loans to expand, invest, and buy things. It increases the money supply in the system, in technical terms.In contrast, when the Fed needs to slow down the economy - say, because prices are climbing too fast, causing rampant inflation - it raises the fed funds rate. To prevent their required reserve balance from going into the red, member banks have to pay more interest. They then raise their interest rates to clients, which tends to slow down any form of borrowing activity. When banks don't finance as much, the money supply contracts, and economic growth goes back to more sustainable levels. !function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var e in a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var t=document.getElementById("datawrapper-chart-"+e)||document.querySelector("iframe[src*='"+e+"']");t&&(t.style.height=a.data["datawrapper-height"][e]+"px")}}))}();How does the federal funds rate affect you?The federal funds rate is an interbank interest rate. But it has a ripple effect throughout people's financial lives, the interest they pay, and the money they earn. Among its effects:Prime rate: How the fed funds rate moves influences the movement of a number of interest rates, one of the most significant being the prime rate. The prime rate is the rate a bank can offer its best corporate or high-net-worth individual clients. Consumer loans and accounts: A shift in the prime rate influences consumer interest rates as well. When the prime rate rises or drops, you can expect a corresponding adjustment on the monthly charges of your personal loans, credit cards, and adjustable-rate mortgages. If they pay fluctuating interest, your bank accounts and CDs also earn more or less.US Treasuries and other bonds: Changes in the fed funds rate can be paralleled in the interest rates paid by newly issued Treasury notes and bonds. These in turn serve as a benchmark for corporate bond rates. Stocks: A decrease in the feds fund rate can send markets soaring, while an increase can push the markets to decline. Employment: When interest rates go down, it encourages consumers to buy more goods and services. In turn, this propels businesses to meet the demand by expanding production, hiring more workers, and raising wages.The financial takeawayThe federal funds rate is an important tool - the tool, some would say - the Federal Reserve uses to stimulate or slow down the economy. Not to mention, maintain the solvency and reliability of the nation's banks.Financial institutions, corporations, and individuals are all affected by the federal funds rate one way or another. There's not much you can do to alter the Fed's moves or even anticipate them, but it's good to understand how it can influence your daily life and finances. The Federal Reserve is the central bank of the US - here's why it's so powerful and how it affects your financial lifeWhy the Federal Reserve uses contractionary monetary policy to curb the inflation that accompanies an overheating economyWhat is a bond? How to earn a steady stream of income by loaning money to a business or governmentWhat is inflation? Why the cost of goods rise over time and what it means for the value of your moneyRead the original article on Business Insider.....»»

Disney Plus members can buy "Jungle Cruise" to stream at home. Premier Access movies each cost $30 to unlock. When you buy through our links, Insider may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more. "Jungle Cruise" stars Emily Blunt and Dwayne Johnson. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures With Premier Access, Disney Plus members can pay $30 to unlock select movies while they're in theaters. "Jungle Cruise" is the latest Premier Access title. A Disney Plus subscription costs $8 a month or $80 a year. Table of Contents: Masthead Sticky(Disney Plus Premier Access) (small)With the release of "Mulan" in September 2020, Disney Plus introduced a new purchase option called "Premier Access." This feature allows subscribers to pay a $30 one-time fee in order to watch a movie early before it's released to all Disney Plus members. "Jungle Cruise" is the latest Premier Access movie. "Black Widow" also debuted through Premier Access, but the movie is no longer available to buy on Disney Plus. It will be unlocked to all subscribers without an extra fee on October 6.Below, we've detailed everything you need to know about Premier Access, including how it works, how much it costs, and how long the option will be available. What is Disney Plus Premier Access?Disney Plus Premier Access is a purchase option for Disney Plus subscribers, enabling members to pay an extra $30 one-time fee to gain early streaming access to a movie that's still playing in theaters. Once purchased, Disney Plus members can continue to stream or download a Premier Access movie for as long as they remain a subscriber. You can think of Premier Access as a way to buy a virtual ticket to a brand-new Disney movie to watch at home instead of a theater. And, unlike a one-time theater viewing, you get to watch as many times as you like as long as you stay a Disney Plus subscriber. That said, it's important to note that Premier Access movies eventually become available to all Disney Plus subscribers without an extra fee. As such, Premier Access is best for people who like to watch new films as soon as they come out. If you don't mind waiting a couple months, you can simply hold out for the wide release and save a lot of money.How do you get Premier Access on Disney Plus?To get Premier Access, you first need to be a Disney Plus member. Once subscribed, you can follow these simple steps to purchase a Premier Access title:Log in to your Disney Plus account.Browse the Disney Plus library to find Premier Access titles like "Jungle Cruise."After you select the film you want, click "Unlock Now" on the movie's title page.Enter your credit card information to pay the $30 Premier Access fee.The Premier Access movie will now be available to stream on Disney Plus.How much does Disney Plus Premier Access cost?The Disney Plus Premier Access fee is $30 in the US. In order to buy a Premier Access movie, you also need to have a Disney Plus subscription, which costs $8 a month or $80 a year.Disney Plus is also available as part of a bundle with Hulu Basic and ESPN+ for $14 a month. That's about $6 less per month than you'd pay if you subscribed to all of those services without the bundle.How long does the Disney Plus Premier Access window last?The Premier Access window typically lasts around three months. After that period, Premier Access titles become available to all Disney Plus subscribers.This three-month period is similar to the release window that studios typically use for theatrical movie premieres before they're allowed to debut on home video. What movies are on Disney Plus Premier Access?Disney has released five movies via Premier Access on Disney Plus. Three of those titles are now available to all Disney Plus subscribers without an extra fee.Below is a full rundown of Premier Access titles released so far, along with details on when all members can watch them without paying extra.Premier Access movie release dates Premier Access release dateWhen can all Disney Plus subscribers watch?"Mulan"September 4, 2020Now available to all subscribers"Raya and the Last Dragon"March 5, 2021Now available to all subscribers"Cruella"May 28, 2021Now available to all subscribers"Black Widow"July 9, 2021Available to all subscribers on October 6"Jungle Cruise"July 30, 2021Available to all subscribers on November 12What other movies will be available for Disney Plus Premier Access?Disney has not announced any new Premier Access titles. Instead, the studio has committed to debuting the rest of its 2021 lineup exclusively in theaters.Upcoming Disney movies will play in theaters for a minimum of 45 days before hitting streaming services like Disney Plus. The one exception is "Encanto," which will have a reduced 30-day window before arriving on Disney Plus.Can you buy or rent Premier Access movies on other services?Though all Premier Access movies debut at home exclusively on Disney Plus, their exclusivity periods are only temporary. The movies typically become available to buy on other streaming platforms without a Disney Plus subscription around one month after they premiere. Will 'Shang-Chi' be available with Premier Access on Disney Plus?Marvel's "Shang-Chi" will not be released through Premier Access on Disney Plus. Instead, the movie debuted exclusively in theaters on September 3."Shang-Chi" will be released on Disney Plus on November 12. All members will be able to watch the movie without any extra fees.Product Card (small)Jungle Cruise (small)Read the original article on Business Insider.....»»

A Scott's Cheap Flights Elite subscription alerts you to deals on premium economy, business class, and first class airfare. Here's how it works. When you buy through our links, Insider may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more. Scott's Cheap Flights Scott's Cheap Flights is a free newsletter and website for cheap flight deals. The best deals are for Premium members, while business and first class fares are for Elite level. Elite costs $199 per year and includes Premium. I tried it out to see how it works. Table of Contents: Masthead StickyElite service (per year) (small)They say once you fly first class, you can never go back to coach. There's nothing like going past the first class curtain to plush, and in some cases, lie-flat seats, while tucking into chef-prepared meals and sipping champagne.I know personally that the saying is true. But unfortunately, I've made the long walk back to economy many times after experiencing the indulgent front of the plane.That's because for most fliers, business or first class is often prohibitively expensive and a rarity saved for special occasions or occasional upgrades.However, Scott's Cheap Flights, a newsletter and website for finding the best flight deals, has an Elite tier specifically for cheap premium economy, business class, and first class flights. It's not free like their basic newsletter, but if you like to stretch out in style, it's worth checking out.I tried out an Elite subscription, comped for review purposes, and for just under $17 per month, think it's one of the best ways to find good deals on upgraded cabins. Here's how it works, how it compares to the free service, and some of the best deals I spotted.What is Scott's Cheap Flights?Scott's Cheap Flights is a newsletter and website that shares incredible flight deals, in some cases, even 90% off a typical flight price. They have a team of researchers who religiously research flights and if you opt in to email subscriptions, you'll be alerted when airlines have sales or mistake fares. Basic membership is free, but for tailored and exclusive deals, you'll have to upgrade to Premium, while Elite (which includes Premium) is exclusively for premium economy, business class, and first class flight deals. Here's a full breakdown of how it works.What is Scott's Cheap Flights Elite?While a standard membership shares limited deals, and Premium alerts you to significantly more deals on international and domestic economy flights, mistake fares, and some of the most popular destinations, Elite focuses specifically on premium economy, business class, and first class flights.However, because it also includes Premium membership, you'll enjoy the best of both worlds - in other words, all the best deals without limitations. Deals are available based on membership levels. Scott's Cheap Flights Deals arrive daily in your inbox or can be found on the website. Online, you'll see deals reserved only for Premium or Elite members.To find the best cheap flights for you, you'll want to "follow" airports where you typically depart. Free members may select up to five airports, premium members can follow up to 10, and Elite members have unlimited choices. Tailor your search results by setting "home" airports. Scott's Cheap Flights How much does an Elite subscription cost?Elite is $199 per year, which is significantly more than Scott's Cheap Flights' Premium service that costs $49 for an annual subscription. Regular memberships are free.But if you travel often, love to jump on good deals, and specifically want to fly in upgraded cabins, that's just under $17 a month, which is pretty cheap.You may also try it for free for 14 days at no cost if you decide it isn't for you.How do I sign up for Scott's Cheap Flights' Elite subscription?Signing up for a Scott's Cheap Flights Elite account is easy:First, create an account, by going to their homepage where you'll submit your name, email, and create a password. You'll also answer prompts to make sure you see the best deals.For Elite, you'll then be prompted to input your credit card information.That's it. Signing up for Elite, or any membership, takes only a few minutes. Scott's Cheap Flights Is Elite better than Premium or Free?That depends on how often you fly or plan to jump on deals, and how important elevated cabins are to you. However, to see how many more deals an Elite member receives (which, again, includes Premium), I also signed up for a free account on another email to track how many I received for each tier. Over a five-week period, here's how they compared:Free service: 30 email deals for economy domestic and international flights16 emails with destination-related content, travel tips, and offers for discounts on paid memberships Newsletter and Deals (small)Premium service:121 email deals for economy domestic and international flights16 emails with destination-related content, travel tips, and offers for discounts on paid membershipsPremium service (per year) (small)Elite service:9 email deals for domestic and international premium economy class flights26 email deals for domestic and international business and first class flights126 email deals for economy domestic and international flights16 emails with destination-related content, travel tips, and offers for discounts on paid membershipsElite service (per year) (small)So, looking at deals specifically, since all members receive similar promotional emails, being a Premium member earned significantly more deals than a basic membership.Elite included all the same Premium emails, with the addition of upgraded cabin deals, which were mostly for business class over any other. While I didn't receive nearly as many premium or business class deals as I did for economy flights through Premium, the number of premium/business/first class sales totaled just about the same as all the emails I received in entirety as a free member, which is a pretty good showing. Flying first, business, or premium economy comes with lots of plush perks. Scott's Cheap Flights What are some of the best deals Elite members receive?While I received a lot of great deals as an Elite member, these offered some of the most significant savings to popular destinations. Do note that these were tailored to my residence on the East Coast:New York City to Quito, Ecuador in premium economy: $505New York City to Barcelona, Spain in premium economy: $778Boston to Copenhagen, Denmark in premium economy, $990New York to Bangkok, Thailand in premium economy, $1,186New York City to Nassau, Bahamas in business class, $623New York City to Quito, Ecuador in business class: $755Boston to Seattle in business class, $997Boston to Rome, Italy in business class, $1,568Hartford to Madrid, Spain in business class, $2,210New York, to Cape Town, South Africa, $2,704The bottom lineMost major travel requires a flight, which can be a long, uncomfortable journey. Flying business or first class is an indulgence that removes many pain points, but is also expensive and discounts are hard to come by.However, Scott's Cheap Flights Elite service hones in specifically on them, offering major savings. If you fly often and are open to paying more for premium economy, business class, and first class, then Scott's Cheap Flights Elite service is one of the best ways to find cheap airfare on these cabins. And at roughly $17 per month for a year, this price is cheaper than buying dinner. While I didn't purchase airfare during my testing period (I have a baby and we're trying to limit travel with her during the pandemic), I would definitely sign up for Elite if I were flying at pre-pandemic levels, or knew I'd be traveling on long haul routes. However, if you don't fly much or are perfectly comfortable in coach, you're better off trying Premium, which still nets great deals for about $4 per month. Or, start with the free version and upgrade if you like what you see.Elite service (per year) (small)Read the original article on Business Insider.....»»

Shopping for a new TV? You can test out one of Hisense's new displays and get a full refund within 100 days. Here's how the promo works. When you buy through our links, Insider may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more. Hisense Hisense has launched a limited-time campaign that lets you test drive one of its new 4K or 8K TVs. If you're not happy with your purchase, you can send the TV back and get a full refund. Refund requests must be made within 100 days of receiving the TV, and purchases must be made by October 31. Table of Contents: Masthead StickyAre you on the fence about purchasing a new 4K TV? Well, Hisense could have the perfect solution to help you upgrade without any risk of buyer's remorse. The TV manufacturer just launched a new "100-Day No Regrets Guarantee."As the name suggests, the new promotion allows you to buy a brand-new Hisense TV and test it for 100 days. If you're not happy with your purchase, you can send it back for a full refund within that time frame. That's more than triple the time that retailers like Amazon typically offer in their standard return policies. Hisense's latest displays are known for offering impressive bang-for-your-buck performance. In fact, the company's U6G and U8G are our current picks for best budget and best mid-range 4K TV, respectively. Both models are included in this special promotion.Below, we break down all the ins and outs of this new Hisense TV promotion, including how long it will last and which retailers and models are eligible.What TVs are eligible for the Hisense '100-Day No Regrets' trial?Hisense' risk-free 100 day trial is available for several models across the company's 2021 TV lineup, including 4K and laser projector displays. Hisense's new 75-inch U800GR 8K TV will also be included in the campaign, but it's not available for purchase just yet.All screen sizes are eligible for each model included. Here's a full rundown of eligible Hisense TV models:65-inch U8G 4K TV (medium)65-inch U7G 4K TV (medium)65-inch U6G 4K TV (medium)100-inch L9G TriChroma Laser TV (medium)Which retailers are participating in the Hisense TV trial?The Hisense 100-day promotion is supported by most popular retailers that sell Hisense displays, including Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart. Here's a complete list of participating retailers:AafesAmazonBeach CameraBest BuyBrandsMartElectronic ExpressPC RichardWalmart.comProjector ScreenWorld Wide StereoValue ElectronicsWalt'sABC WarehouseHiDEF LifestyleHow do I claim a refund for an eligible Hisense TV?To be eligible for the Hisense "100-Day No Regrets Guarantee" promotion, you must purchase a qualifying Hisense TV between September 10 and October 31. Once purchased, you must register your TV within 14 days of the delivery date. If you decide to return the TV, you must initiate a return request within 100 days of receiving the product. After your return request is approved, you have 21 days to return the TV.Returned TVs must be undamaged and include all original packaging and accessories, so make sure you hold onto everything for the 100-day period.Once processed, you will be sent a refund as a prepaid Visa card or a PayPal transfer. You can view full terms for the promotion at Hisense's website.Is anyone else offering a deal like this?Samsung previously offered a similar 100-day risk-free trial for select TVs, but that promotion is no longer active.Instead, Samsung has a new "Try Now, Pay Later" program that lets shoppers try select TVs, smartphones, and soundbars for 21 days. If you don't want to keep the product, you can return it within the trial period free of charge. Check out Samsung's "Try Now, Pay Later" website to learn more.Read the original article on Business Insider.....»»

The Wild Alaskan Company is a wild-caught, sustainable seafood delivery service founded by a member of a third-generation Alaskan fishing family. When you buy through our links, Insider may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more. Wild Alaskan Company/Instagram The Wild Alaskan Company is a wild-caught, sustainable seafood delivery service. Its mission is to make access to sustainable fish easy and convenient. It operates on a monthly membership model, in which you can get 12 pieces of fish for $132/month. Table of Contents: Masthead StickyWild Combo Box Subscription (small)Table of Contents: Masthead StickyWhile other kids grew up playing soccer or riding bikes in their backyard, Arron Kallenberg was raised on his family's commercial fishing boat in Bristol Bay, Alaska, home to the largest sockeye salmon fishery in the world. After spending 15 years working at internet startups, Kallenberg returned to these fishing roots, incorporating his knowledge of technology to create the subscription-based Wild Alaskan Company. Its mission is simple: the service delivers wild-caught seafood from Alaska and the Pacific Northwest to everywhere in the US except Hawaii.Related Article Module: Where to buy the best-tasting, highest-quality seafood online in 2021And the seafood from these regions of the country isn't just delicious, it's also more environmentally friendly than your typical supermarket fish selection. That's because Alaska mandates directly in its constitution that seafood must be maintained on the sustained yield principle, which prevents the long-term depletion of natural resources. How it works and what to expectAll year long, the company offers sockeye salmon, coho salmon, Alaskan halibut, and Pacific cod. Depending on availability, it also stocks rockfish, wild Alaska pollock, sablefish, and weathervane scallops.You can't get this seafood a la carte. Instead, items are bundled together into various plans: the Wild Salmon Box (6-ounce portions of salmon), Wild White Fish Box (6-ounce portions of white fish), and Wild Combo Box (6-ounce portions of both types). You have the choice between 12 single portions ($10.99 each) or 24 single portions ($9.99 each), to be delivered every month or two months. The 12-portion plan has an additional $9.95 shipping charge, while shipping is free for the 24-portion plan. Connie Chen/Insider The fish arrives frozen in a dry ice-packed, insulated cooler, ready to be stashed in your freezer or cooked immediately. Review of Wild Alaskan CompanyI love eating fish but don't buy it often when I go grocery shopping due to either lack of availability at my local market or confusion about the fish's background and sourcing.While I think Wild Alaskan Company could be even more transparent about its suppliers and processors, I liked at least knowing that the service sources from sustainably managed fisheries and was created by people who care about the wellbeing of natural food systems. Senior reporter and resident fisherman Owen Burke also advises using Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch consumer guide and complete recommendation list to look up the safety and sustainability of the specific fish you receive. All in all, I felt like I could spend more time and energy simply enjoying the fish. Wild Alaskan Company sent me its Wild Combo Box to test out. The monthly assortments can vary, but at the time, my box contained sockeye salmon, coho salmon, Pacific cod, halibut, and pollock. The fish isn't "fresh" in the traditional sense - it isn't sent to you shortly after being caught. Rather, it's "fresh-frozen," (otherwise known as flash-freezing), which means it's frozen shortly after it's caught and handled. This method, used by indigenous Inuit communities, actually helps retain the taste and texture of your fish, plus it lets you enjoy all types of seasonal fish year-round. By comparison, some of the seafood you see at grocery store counters may be older than you think, and it's not unlikely that it was previously frozen. Some seafood departments, such as the one at Wegman's, even throw out their fresh fish after two days.In the end, eating fish that's frozen properly is less wasteful, and you don't have to sacrifice taste and texture. My box of fish tasted great: flavorful, tender, and flaky. Wild Alaskan Company The monthly membership design is meant to ensure you'll always have a flaky piece of salmon or halibut ready to cook for dinner. However, if at any point you want to pause, skip, or cancel your membership, you can do so in your account settings. The bottom lineAs we've already seen with the online meat boom, there's a greater urgency to think more consciously and carefully about where your food comes from and its effects on the planet.Wild Alaskan Company is the direct-to-consumer equivalent in the fish and seafood industry, so whether you already love eating seafood or wish you had more guidance picking out the right types, it's a service you should consider trying. Wild Combo Box Subscription (medium)Read the original article on Business Insider.....»»

Even though it costs $100 more, it's now easier to recommend the iPhone 11 than the iPhone SE for most people. When you buy through our links, Insider may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more. The purple iPhone 11’s glass back Antonio Villas-Boas/Insider Apple reduced the price of the iPhone 11 to $500 after announcing the iPhone 13. The iPhone 11's lower price and superior design, camera, and battery life makes it a better deal than the $400 iPhone SE. The iPhone SE is still the obvious choice for people who specifically prefer smaller screens. In a smart move to draw in anyone who likes a good deal, Apple kept the iPhone 11 on its roster and reduced its price from $600 to $500 after announcing the iPhone 13. Back when the iPhone XR was still around as the "big budget iPhone" option, it was easily argued that the iPhone SE 2020 posed better value. Mainly, the iPhone SE had a newer and more powerful A13 Bionic processor compared to the A12 Bionic in the iPhone XR. The iPhone XR also didn't sweeten the deal with extra camera performance, and it had a single-lens camera, like the iPhone SE 2020.Indeed, the $500 iPhone XR was an awkward phone to recommend when the iPhone SE 2020 was $100 less and had a better processor. Apart from a larger screen, longer battery life, and a newer design, the iPhone XR didn't really have that much going for it last year.The iPhone 11, originally released two years ago in September 2019, has dethroned both the iPhone XR and SE as budget iPhone king. It has the same A13 Bionic processor as the iPhone SE, and comes with suitable reasons for costing $100 more, which isn't a terrible amount to even save up for.iPhone 11 (small)Here's why the iPhone 11, not the iPhone SE, is the new king of budget iPhones for most people: The iPhone SE 2020 is for people who like smaller screens, whereas the iPhone 11 is for 'most people' The purple iPhone 11, shown held in hand, is arguably the perfect size that can please those who prefer smaller screens, as well as those who prefer larger screens. Crystal Cox/Business Insider The iPhone SE 2020 and its 4.7-inch screen is a dream come true for iPhone fans who like the smaller form factor. Meanwhile, the iPhone 11 and its 6.1-inch screen suits a wider range of users. It's the "Goldilocks" screen size that fans of both smaller and larger screens can feel comfortable with. That's why we say the iPhone 12, not the iPhone 12 Mini, is the best iPhone "for most people." The iPhone 11 has better battery life The glass back of the yellow iPhone 11. Crystal Cox/Business Insider The smaller the phone, the shorter its battery life. Reviewers and users alike have noticed that the iPhone SE's battery life often has them wanting more. We found that the iPhone SE would last about a work day with above-average usage, but we'd need to charge it so it would last until the end of the day more comfortably. The iPhone 11, on the other hand, lasted us a day and a half before we felt the need to plug it in. The iPhone 11 has better cameras than the iPhone SE Taking a photo of a purple flower via the iPhone 11's camera app on-screen viewfinder Crystal Cox/Business Insider The biggest difference between the two phones' cameras is that the iPhone SE has a single camera, while the iPhone 11 has a dual-lens camera that includes a standard wide lens and an ultra-wide lens with a 120-degree field of view. That ultra-wide lens gives the iPhone 11 more versatility for taking beautiful photos, but the iPhone 11 also takes better photos in general. We found that the iPhone SE's camera is similar in quality to the 2018 iPhone XR. That's to say that the iPhone SE's camera is still pretty good, but not as good as the iPhone 11's. There's no comparing the selfie camera between the two phones, either. The iPhone 11's 12-megapixel selfie camera with Smart HDR takes decidedly superior selfies than the iPhone SE's 8-megapixel selfie camera without Smart HDR. The iPhone SE's design really is getting old The iPhone 12 Mini on the left and iPhone SE 2020 on the right shows how the iPhone SE's design is dated. Business Insider/Lisa Eadicicco You could easily mistake the iPhone SE 2020 for the iPhone 6 that came out in 2014. The big borders above and below the screen give the iPhone SE a dated look that doesn't really belong in 2021. Some people won't care, but the reality is that more people do. Meanwhile, the iPhone 11 looks like a modern iPhone with its edge-to-edge screen. The iPhone SE is still a great budget phone that shouldn't be dismissed The iPhone SE's Touch ID sensor. Apple The iPhone SE has a time and a place for those of you who "just want a new iPhone" for as little as possible, and don't mind so much about fancy ultra-wide cameras or edge-to-edge displays. Plus, there's a small but vocal minority who do not like Face ID on the newer iPhones and swear by the old-fashioned and reliable Touch ID. Chances are there won't be another iPhone released with Touch ID.iPhone 11 (small) Read the original article on Business Insider.....»»