The FBI identified the suspect in the Congregation Beth Israel hostage situation as 44-year-old British national Malik Faisal Akram. US President Joe Biden speaks about the hostage incident at a synagogue in Texas as he arrives with US First Lady Jill Biden (R) to pack food boxes while volunteering in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr., Day of Service, at Philabundance, a hunger relief organization, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, January 16, 2022.SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images Biden said the man who took four people hostage at a Texas synagogue bought his gun off the street.  The FBI identified the suspect as 44-year-old British national, Malik Faisal Akram. Biden said Akram had been in the US for a few weeks and spent his first night in a homeless shelter. President Joe Biden said the man who took four people hostage at a synagogue in Colleyville, Texas, on Saturday purchased his gun on the street. The FBI identified the suspect in the Congregation Beth Israel hostage situation as 44-year-old British national Malik Faisal Akram.In a press statement, Biden said Akram had been in the US for only a few weeks and had spent his first night in a homeless shelter. Biden said he doesn't have all the details yet but speculated that Akram might have "purchased it from an individual in a homeless shelter or a homeless community," because that's where he said he was. "It's hard to tell. I just don't know," Biden said. While Akram alleged he had bombs, the president said there were none "that we know of."Biden added that while background checks are "critical" they don't work when someone buys a gun off the street. "But you can't stop something like this if someone is on the street buying something from somebody else on the street.  Except that there's too — there's so many guns that have been sold of late; it's just ridiculous," Biden said. "And it's because of the failure of us to focus as hard as we should and as consistent as we should on gun purchases, gun sales, ghost guns, and a whole range of things that I'm trying to do."The hostage situation lasted for 11 hours. The synagogue was live-streaming a morning service via Facebook and Zoom, authorities said, when Akram entered and took the four hostages.All four were released unharmed and Akram was killed at the scene. No details about his death have been released. Biden said he did not know the specific motive behind the attack or why the specific synagogue was targetted. FBI Special Agent in Charge Matt DeSarno said that Akram was focused on an issue not linked to the Jewish community, AP reported."Well, no, I don't. We don't have — I don't think there is sufficient information to know about why he targeted that synagogue or why he insisted on the release of someone who's been in prison for over 10 years, why he was engaged — why he was using antisemitic and anti-Israeli comments. I — we just don't have enough facts," Biden said.Akram reportedly made demands that convicted terrorist Aafia Siddiqui, dubbed "Lady Al-Qaeda," be released from the Carswell Air Force Base in Texas, during the hostage situation.Siddiqui is serving an 86 year sentence after being convicted for attempting to kill a US soldier in 2010.  Read the original article on Business Insider.....»»

"Even the White House economist is using the past tense when referring to Build Back Better. It's dead," CBS's Margaret Brennan told Sen. Tim Kaine. Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia campaigns for gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe at a rally in Richmond, VA on October 23, 2021. (Photo byRyan M. Kelly/AFP/Getty Images Democratic Senator Tim Kaine said there's hope the social and climate spending bill will pass.  Kaine said while the current version of the bill is dead, core elements of it may still go through.  Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin has opposed the passing of the bill.  Democratic Senator Tim Kaine pushed back on the idea that President Joe Biden's social and climate spending bill is completely "dead."In a CBS "Face the Nation" interview with host Margaret Brennan, Kaine said while the most recent version of the measure is "dead," core elements of the bill could still pass. "Even the White House economist is using the past tense when referring to Build Back Better. It's dead. You don't have the votes in the Senate," Brennan told Kaine.  "I don't agree with you, Margaret. You're right that it's dead. The most recent version of it is not going to happen but if you look at the core of the bill, I think the core is education and workforce and things like reduce childcare and education expenses, workforce training, and then support for the workforce in areas like health care," Kaine replied. The social spending bill faced numerous blows to getting passed as Sen. Joe Manchin has blocked support of it. Manchin said he opposed the sprawling $2 trillion legislation, mostly based on opposition to the expanded child tax credit, which provides up to $300 a month per child to most families. Manchin has also opposed the total price tag. Earlier this month, Manchin said he's no longer supporting his proposal of a $1.8 trillion plan after a breakdown in the negotiation process with Biden's administration.Read the original article on Business Insider.....»»

Sources said Trump made a point of saying he isn't worried that DeSantis will run for president in 2024. President Donald Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in Sunrise, Fla., on November 26, 2019.Joe Raedle/Getty Images Trump has been trash-talking Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in private, per an Axios report. Behind closed doors, Trump has been saying that DeSantis has a "dull personality."  According to Axios, Trump is also sore about DeSantis' not publicly ruling out running for president in 2024. Former President Donald Trump trash-talked Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis behind closed doors, slamming him for his perceived ungratefulness and saying the governor has a "dull personality." According to sources who spoke to Axios' Jonathan Swan, Trump has criticized DeSantis multiple times in private."In the context of the 2024 election, he usually gives DeSantis a pop in the nose in the middle of that type of conversation," said one source, who spoke to Swan under the condition of anonymity. "He says DeSantis has no personal charisma and has a dull personality."The source also told Axios that Trump goes out of his way during these conversations to say that he isn't fussed about having to potentially take DeSantis on to clinch the GOP nomination in 2024. A second anonymous source who spoke to Swan said that Trump was irritated with DeSantis because the latter had not yet publicly ruled out a 2024 presidential run. Axios reported that the former president also said in private that he doesn't understand what the "big deal" is for DeSantis to make a declaration that he won't be running in 2024, saying: "Why won't he just say he's not going to run against me?"The second source also told Swan that the former president was particularly annoyed over perceived ungratefulness from DeSantis, telling people in private that "there's no way" that DeSantis would have been elected governor without his endorsement.According to Axios, Trump has been keeping tabs on who has ruled out running in 2024. Several prominent Republicans have not publicly ruled out running in 2024, including former Vice President Mike Pence, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, who said in December that he would run for president again "in a heartbeat," and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who in recent months has become an outspoken critic of Trump's fixation on election fraud. DeSantis is viewed as a prominent frontrunner to challenge Trump for the Republican presidential ticket. Insider's Kimberly Leonard reported that DeSantis' name kept coming up among Trump supporters gathered outside Mar-a-Lago on January 6, 2021, the first anniversary of the Capitol attack, with people picking the Florida governor as their second favorite for the ticket. DeSantis said in October that he is not considering a presidential run because he's "busy trying to make sure people are not supporting critical race theory."DeSantis also dismissed rumors that there is any tension between him and Trump. However, on a conservative podcast this week, he admitted he wished he'd been "much louder" in his opposition to Trump when the former president issued COVID-19 stay-at-home-orders.Despite criticizing DeSantis, Trump has signaled that he would be open to having the Florida governor as a vice-presidential running mate.Trump has not yet announced a presidential run and said in November that he will "probably" wait until after the midterm elections to confirm if he will make a presidential bid in 2024. Read the original article on Business Insider.....»»

American Students Organize Classroom "Walk Outs" To Demand Return To Remote Learning.....»»

Morgan Stanley: As The Fed's Balance Sheet Runoff Begins, The Withdrawal Of Liquidity Will Have Profound Impacts By Vishwanath Tirupattur, head of Quantitative Research at Morgan Stanley The Devil Is in the Details The first two weeks of the year have reinforced the key message from our 2022 Strategy Outlook – the policy training wheels are indeed coming off, and fast! The hawkish shift in the minutes of the FOMC’s December meeting, reinforced by the rhetoric from a number of Fed officials, signals policy tightening through more hikes. They are coming sooner than expected, and the timeline between the first rate hike and the beginning of balance sheet runoff will be compressed. Our economists now expect the Fed to deliver four 25bp hikes this year, at its March, June, September,and December meetings, in addition to an August start for the balance sheet runoff announced last July. Market pricing already reflects this hawkish shift, with the March liftoff nearly fully priced in along with 3-4 hikes in the subsequent 12 months. Given the size of the Fed’s balance sheet (US$8.2trillion, consisting of US$5.6 trillion in Treasuries of varying maturities and US$2.6 trillion of agency MBS), the runoff has important market implications. However, quantifying its impact is far from straightforward. One could look to the balance sheet expansion in the post-GFC years with the view that if the buildup lowered interest rates, the runoff should have the opposite effect. A rule of thumb (with a lot of handwaving) suggests a 4-6bp change in the 10-year interest rate from a US$100 billion change in the balance sheet. However, we would argue that the market effects are unlikely to be symmetric and a simple sign reversal between the buildup and the runoff ignores the complexity of the modalities. We expect different impacts for Treasuries and agency MBS, given the different ways they were acquired during the buildup and the share of the Fed’s holdings in their respective markets. During the balance sheet buildup, Treasury securities were predominantly acquired through the US Treasury’s new issue process. The Fed consciously decided how much duration to take out of the market by picking securities with varying maturities. In contrast, we expect the balance sheet runoff to be implemented by allowing securities to mature without reinvestment. That means the impact on the yield curve depends on how the Treasury responds to its increased issuance needs as the Fed decreases its Treasury holdings. Our interest rate strategists estimate that US Treasury issuance needs will rise by ~US$850 billion by the end of 2023and ~US$1,300 billion by the end of 2024. If we assume that the Treasury follows the advice of the Treasury Borrowing Advisory Committee, the optimal targets for increased issuance would be at the 7-year and 10-year points of the yield curve. Consequently, our strategists now forecast 10-year rates to reach 2.30% by the end of 2022. The story with agency MBS is quite different. Agency MBS were purchased in the secondary market,and we expect their runoff to come through paydowns resulting from prepayments and amortizations of the underlying mortgages. Since the Fed has been a non-price-sensitive and programmatic buyer, the Fed's portfolio of agency MBS would have received faster-prepaying mortgages (cheapest-to-deliver, in mortgage parlance). In addition, Fed holdings constitute a much larger share of the outstanding agency MBS market than of the Treasury market, hence the runoff will have a greater negative impact on agency MBS. In 2021, the Fed bought US$575 billion of agency MBS versus net issuance of US$875 billion, resulting in US$300 billion of MBS that the market absorbed. Our agency MBS strategists project that in 2022 the runoff will remove US$15 billion from the Fed’s balance sheet against projected net issuance of US$550 billion, implying that the market needs to absorb US$565 billion in mortgages, the largest amount of mortgages the private market would ever digest. What’s more, the market will have to find a more price-sensitive buyer for the cheapest-to-deliver mortgages. Putting it all together, the balance sheet runoff clearly will have more impact on agency MBS than other asset classes. Of course, the markets have already begun to price in some of these effects,as mortgage spreads have widened about 20bp in the last two weeks. Still, our agency MBS strategists have advocated being short the mortgage basis for some time,and they think there is still room for modest widening (~10bp) in the mortgage basis from here, with mortgage rates rising towards 4%. Do not underestimate the effects of liquidity withdrawal. The mammoth balance sheet the Fed has built up was a key determinant of liquidity across markets. As balance sheet runoff is put into motion, the withdrawal of liquidity will have profound impacts. Determining how it plays out is far from straightforward and will be determined by a variety of factors. Understanding the details matters. So hold on tight – there’s volatility ahead. Tyler Durden Sun, 01/16/2022 - 19:30.....»»

The married woman from Tokyo, Japan, who had sex with the sperm donor ten times is now suing for $2.8 million for mental distress. A pregnant stomachGetty Images A woman in Japan has given up her baby to the state's care and filed a lawsuit against the sperm donor. Whilst pregnant, she learned the sperm donor lied about his education, nationality, and marital status.  She has filed a 330 million yen ($2.86 million) lawsuit and is suing for emotional distress. A Japanese woman is giving up her child to the state and suing her sperm donor after he lied about his ethnicity and educational background.The woman, in her thirties, who lives in Tokyo with her husband and first-born child, had sex with the sperm donor ten times due to conceive a second child, after it came to light her husband had a hereditary disease, according to the Tokyo Shimbun. The donor told her he was Japanese, single, and a graduate of Kyoto University, one of the best universities in Japan. The woman, who has remained nameless in Japanese news reports, got pregnant in June 2019. However, during her pregnancy, she learned that the donor was, in fact, Chinese, went to a different university and was married. As a result, she decided she no longer wanted the child she had conceived with this man, but it was too late to terminate the pregnancy. After giving birth, she gave the child up to the state and last month filed a 330 million yen ($2.86 million) lawsuit against the sperm donor for emotional distress. Tokyo Shimbun reports that the woman said he tricked her for the sake of sexual gratification.The woman's lawyer spoke to Japanese broadcaster TBS News, stating that she is suffering from intense mental distress and sleep problems due to the sperm donor's misrepresentation. The lawyer said that the lawsuit is a way to prevent similar ordeals from happening in the future, taking aim at the thriving underground sperm donor industry in Japan. 　There are no laws in Japan to regulate sperm donation. That, and the fact that there is only one official sperm bank in Japan, has created a black market for sperm. Japan's one sperm donation center opened in June 2021, and only 12 hospitals nationwide that carry out artificial insemination procedures, reported The Telegraph. As a result, there is a thriving black market in sperm on social media and 10,000 children have been born from sperm obtained through these unofficial arrangements, according to media reports.The woman's choice to give up the baby has received much criticism, with child welfare worker Mizuho Sasaki telling Vice World News that it is  "unacceptable to treat the child like an object, but I think it's better to leave the kid with someone who can be a good foster parent."Read the original article on Business Insider.....»»

Hogan said that the Biden administration appeared to be buying up tests that had already been ordered for distribution by states. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan on CBS News' "Face the Nation."CBS News/"Face the Nation" Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan on Sunday criticized President Joe Biden's plan to distribute at-home COVID-19 tests to Americans who request them. Hogan said it appeared the Biden administration had purchased the same tests already ordered by states. The Biden administration on Wednesday plans to launch a website for Americans to order up to four tests. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan on Sunday criticized President Joe Biden's effort to offer free at-home COVID-19 tests to Americans, claiming the plan caused issues for states already planning to purchase kits."The president announced nearly a month ago before Christmas that he was going to distribute these half a billion rapid tests out across the country," Hogan, a Republican, said during an appearance on CBS News' "Face the Nation." "And so far we haven't seen any," he added. "We were acquiring our own, you know, the states have been on the front lines throughout this crisis. And now it appears as if, rather than producing more of these rapid tests, the federal government is just purchasing the ones that we had already contracted for."The Biden administration on Wednesday plans to launch a website to allow Americans to sign up to receive rapid COVID-19 tests in the mail in order to improve access as the Omicron variant of the coronavirus surges. Each person will be eligible to request up to four tests, according to the White House. In addition to the website, the White House said it would set up a phone line "to help those unable to access the website to place orders."Biden in December announced the federal government would purchase 500 million COVID-19 tests to be sent to Americans. According to a Friday USA Today report, a Biden administration official said the White House had secured 420 million tests and was in the process of finalizing a contract for the remaining 80 million. Last week, the president said his administration would order an additional 500 million tests, bringing the total number of tests ordered to 1 billion. The tests from the federal government will take 7-12 days to arrive once ordered and will be sent via the USPS, according to the White House."You know, so now it's sort of hijacking the tests that we already had plans for, and we're now getting some of those providers to tell us they no longer have the rapid tests," Hogan said on Sunday.Read the original article on Business Insider.....»»

A photo of a Proud Boy modeling underwear helped civilian investigators identify the Capitol rioter they dubbed the "RayBanTerrorist," per HuffPost. Alan Fischer is seen at the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021.US District Court for the District of Columbia Online sleuths identified a Capitol rioter they dubbed "RayBanTerrorist," per HuffPost. The facial recognition hit led them to old modeling photos of Alan Fischer, 28, from Florida. Fischer was arrested and charged with assaulting federal police officers, among other offenses. A 28-year-old man who is accused of involvement in the January 6 insurrection with the Proud Boys was identified by social media detectives thanks, in part, to a photo of him modeling underwear on a catwalk, according to HuffPost.Alan Fischer III, also known as AJ Fischer, was arrested in Florida on Friday.He is charged with assaulting, resisting, or impeding an officer, violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds, and civil disorder, among other offenses, court records show.According to his arrest warrant affidavit, Fischer was seen in footage marching with the Proud Boys on January 6, 2021. Screenshots of videos included show him throwing traffic cones, chairs, and a pole towards a line of police.—#SeditionHunters (@SeditionHunters) May 20, 2021 Social media detectives dubbed the man in the photos as the "RayBanTerrorist," due to the sunglasses he was wearing and set about trying to identify him by name.According to HuffPost, Fischer was no. 222 on the FBI's list of individuals most wanted in connection with the Capitol riot.Fischer had deleted much of his social media, the media outlet said. The online sleuths used facial recognition software to match an image of the so-called "RayBanTerrorist" to an Instagram post of Fischer featured in a local Tampa Bay newspaper.From there, they found more photos of Fischer, across different social media platforms, from during his days working as a model. A post shared by 3BBM (@threebbm) One image shows Fischer, who has distinctive tattoos on his arm, on a catwalk modeling black underwear with a gold pouch. —#SeditionHunters (@SeditionHunters) January 14, 2022Fischer's arms were covered in photos from the Capitol, but HuffPost reported that his tattoos were identifiable in a photo of him with a group of Proud Boys from December 2020.It is not known whether the work of the civilian investigators led directly to Fischer's arrest but, according to court documents, a witness at the Proud Boys' Florida events also helped identify him to them.Investigators were then able to link Fischer to a flight from Tampa to DC on January 4 by using a phone number believed to belong to a current or former girlfriend.Frank W. McDermott, Fischer's attorney, told Insider he was unable to comment on the case.Read the original article on Business Insider.....»»

Massive ships that made it through the Suez Canal this year, including Ever Given and its even larger sibling, Ever Ace. Zhang Jingang/VCG via Getty Images More ships sailed through The Suez Canal this year than ever before. The record number comes amid supply-chain chaos, the coronavirus pandemic, and the Ever Given's 6-day grounding.  See the massive ships that made it through, including the Ever Given's larger sibling, "Ever Ace." A total of 20,694 ships traveled through The Suez Canal this year, the SCA's chairman announced on Sunday.Container ships sail in Suez Canal, during the 150th anniversary of the Suez Canal.Gehad Hamdy/picture alliance via Getty ImagesSource: BloombergThe record-breaking feat defies a year riddled with supply-chain chaos, the pandemic, and of course, the Ever Given's dramatic 6-day blocking of the canal.Touring the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.Thomas Pallini/InsiderAmong the tens of thousands of ships that made it through the Suez Canal this year was the recently repaired Ever Given and its even-larger sibling, Ever Ace.Yu Fangping / Costfoto/Barcroft Media via Getty ImagesIn a tale of redemption, the Ever Given successfully journeyed through the canal four months after it blocked the global waterway in March 2021.A view shows the container ship Ever Given, one of the world's largest container ships, after it was partially refloated, in Suez Canal, Egypt March 29, 2021Suez Canal Authority via ReutersSource: InsiderThe successful voyage was fantastic news for the global shipping industry — the Ever Given saga cost the global economy an estimated $400 million per hour.Container ship Ever Given stuck in the Suez Canal, Egypt on March 27, 2021.Kristin Carringer/MaxarSource: InsiderIn October, it was spotted in Qingdao, China, as its underwent repairs.Yu Fangping / Costfoto/Barcroft Media via Getty ImagesSource: InsiderPhotos revealed how six days stuck inside the canal destroyed the ship's famous red "bulbous bow."The Ever Given container ship which blocked the Suez Canal for nearly a week in March arrived in Qingdao on Monday for repair.Li Ziheng/Xinhua via Getty ImagesSource: InsiderMore than 1 million cubic feet of sand and mud had to be removed from around the ship as workers worked round-the-clock to dislodge both the bow and stern.Suez Canal Authority via APIn November, photos showed the repaired bow with a fresh coat of paint at a shipyard in China's Shandong Province.Yu Fangping / Costfoto/Barcroft Media via Getty ImagesSoon, the Ever Given reappeared on shipping schedules and began transporting freight between Europe and Asia once again — just in time for holiday shipping surges.Containers loaded onto the recently repaired Ever Given ship.Zhang Jingang/VCG via Getty ImagesThe "mega" container ship is larger than the Titanic and longer than the Empire State Building is high, but its new sibling is even bigger.Container ships are getting larger every year — the Ever Given is longer than three football fields.Zhang Jingang/VCG via Getty ImagesMeet Ever Ace: the world's largest container ship. According to American Bureau of Shipping records, the two ships are the same length, but the Ever Ace is wider and deeper.The Ever Ace has room on board for 23,992 boxes and 200,000 tonnes of cargo.Georg Wendt/picture alliance via Getty ImagesSource: InsiderThe Ever Ace is an Evergreen A-class, which can hold up to 23,992 cargo units. This is up from the 20,124 cargo units that the Ever Given, which is an Evergreen G-class ship, can carry.The "Ever Ace", one of the largest container ships in the world, is guided by tugs on the Elbe into the Port of Hamburg to moor at the Burchardkai container terminal.Georg Wendt/picture alliance via Getty ImagesSource: InsiderThe Ever Ace made its maiden voyage this summer, sailing through The Suez Canal for the first time on August 28, 2021.People gather as ship Ever Given is seen in Suez Canal, Egypt March 29, 2021.REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El GhanyEleven other mega container ships are being built in the make of the Ever Ace, three of which could become operational this year.A dockworker directs container ship CSCL GLOBE.Yu Fangping/VCG/Getty Images"Mega" container ships like these have more than doubled in size over the past decade to keep up with global trade demand.Associated PressThe vessels' larger-than-life size is contributing to the supply-chain crisis that's caused record-breaking backlogs at US ports, Kip Louttit, executive director of the Marine Exchange of Southern California, told Insider.Jeff Gritchen/MediaNews Group/Orange County Register via Getty ImagesEgypt's Suez Canal Authority announced plans to widen and deepen the waterway in May to help prevent future container ships from getting stuck.Stranded ships waiting in the queue to cross the Suez Canal on March 27, 202, as it's blocked by the Ever Given ship.MAHMOUD KHALED/AFP via Getty Images/InsiderThe deepening project will likely be complete in July 2023, Bloomberg reported.The Ever Given is accompanied by Suez Canal tugboats as it moves in the Suez Canal, Egypt, Monday, March 29, 2021.Suez Canal Authority via APSource: BloombergSCA Chairman Osama Rabie said even more ships are expected to pass through the canal next year due to increased ship production, according to the outlet.Seafarers on a ship waiting for their vaccinations.Sina Schuldt/DPA/Getty ImagesSource: BloombergRead the original article on Business Insider.....»»

"There's nobody that can see the end of this crowd," Trump told his supporters at a Saturday rally. "That's not somebody that lost an election." Former President Donald Trump reacts to the crowd prior to speaking at a "Save America" rally in Florence, Ariz., on January 15, 2022.AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin Former President Trump on Saturday continued to raise doubt on his election loss to President Biden. During an Arizona rally, Trump pointed to the crowd size and heavy traffic to justify his opinion. Trump often uses rally figures to guage electoral success, despite them having no clear connection. Former President Donald Trump on Saturday bragged about the crowd size of an Arizona rally and pointed to heavy traffic leading into the event venue as evidence that he — and not President Joe Biden — won the 2020 election.Nearly a year after Trump departed the White House after losing his reelection bid to Biden, the former president continues to maintain that the election was fraudulent despite there being no evidence of mass irregularities and after repeated court losses by his campaign legal team.During his "Save America" rally in Florence — the first large-scale Trump-helmed public gathering of 2022 — the former commander-in-chief once again called the election "fake" before equating the breadth of his in-person rallies to the presidential election results."A person that comes here ... and has crowds that go further than any eye can see ... there's nobody that can see the end of this crowd," Trump told thousands of cheering supporters.He continued: "And has cars that stretch out for 25 miles. That's not somebody that lost an election, and now because of it, our country is being destroyed."While Trump sported his trademark "Make America Great Again" hat and spoke to roughly 15,000 supporters, per an Arizona Republic estimate, the former president went down a laundry list of grievances with the 2020 election and Biden's presidency, especially as it pertained to the state of the economy and the US-Mexico border.—Liz Harrington (@realLizUSA) January 16, 2022The Republic also reported that traffic for the Florence rally "was backed up for more than an hour," with attendees waiting in lines that traversed from the front of the venue to a dirt parking lot.Trump has long equated crowd sizes to electoral support and frequently blasted Biden's scaled-down events during the presidential campaign, linking it to a lack of support for the then-Democratic nominee. Meanwhile, Biden — who had sought to adhere to social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic — generally stuck with hosting outdoor events like drive-in rallies.Trump has teased a 2024 presidential run for almost a year, notably at the multiple rallies that he held in support of Republican candidates last year, and during the Saturday event.During a Fox News interview last November, Trump said that a final decision was still up in the air."I am certainly thinking about it and we'll see," he told the outlet at the time. "I think a lot of people will be very happy, frankly, with the decision, and probably will announce that after the midterms."Arizona was one of the hardest-fought states of the 2020 presidential election — and the longtime conservative stronghold will be hotly contested again in 2024 as well. Last year, Biden became the first Democratic presidential nominee since Bill Clinton in 1996 to win the state's electoral votes, edging out Trump by 10,457 votes out of nearly 3.4 million ballots cast.Read the original article on Business Insider.....»»

Dr. Ashish Jha, the dean of the Brown University School of Public Health, said "the White House needs to get its messaging discipline together." Dr. Ashish Jha on "Fox News Sunday."Fox News/"Fox News Sunday" A top US doctor said the Biden administration needed to get its messaging together on COVID-19. Dr. Ashish Jha, the dean of the Brown University School of Public Health, said different agencies haven't always been on the "same page."  "I think that part has been a real problem," Jha said in a Fox News interview. Dr. Ashish Jha, the dean of the Brown University School of Public Health said on Sunday the Biden administration has inconsistent messaging on its COVID-19 response, creating a "real problem." "We have different agencies that have not been on the same page, John," Jha said during an appearance on Fox News' "Fox News Sunday." "And I think that part has been a real problem."While Jha said that the administration of former President Donald Trump put out inaccurate information related COVID-19, he said that Trump's administration had stronger consistency between agencies than the Biden administration.Jha's remarks drew backlash online, prompting Jha to clarify that he believed both messaging and accurate mattered to different degrees. The "Trump administration cared little about accuracy and often spread misinformation," he said, adding the "Biden team needs to work on consistency. They are not equivalent." —Ashish K. Jha, MD, MPH (@ashishkjha) January 16, 2022  Jha said during the Fox News interview on Sunday the White House, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the US Food and Drug Administration, and the National Institutes of Health have sometimes had different messaging during the Biden administration. "I think the White House needs to get its messaging discipline together, needs to make sure that people are speaking from the same page," Jha said. "My sense is that that has not been happening consistently. And it would be enormously helpful to the American people if that messaging was more consistent."Federal agencies have recently been criticized for shifting and inconsistent guidance and communication on topics including the rollout of vaccine booster shots, face masks, and isolation guidance for when someone is exposed to or tests positive for COVID-19.Jha last week said Americans who need to return to society after testing positive for COVID-19 should get a negative antigen test or wear a "high-quality mask" after the CDC said people only needed to isolate for just five days upon a positive test, rather than the previous 10 day recommendation. Read the original article on Business Insider.....»»

Crypto enthusiasts are increasingly moving to Puerto Rico. Under Act 60, residents do not have to pay any taxes on capital gains. Condado Beach in San Juan, Puerto Rico.Bill Ross/Getty Images Puerto Rico is becoming a crypto hub as entrepreneurs flock to the lush island.  Startups and bitcoin companies are finding a comfortable home there, CNBC reported. Generous tax breaks for residents are considered a significant benefit. Puerto Rico has become a magnet for crypto entrepreneurs in search of tax breaks and a picturesque environment.As CNBC reported, the island offers huge tax breaks to people who spend at least 183 days there every year, making it highly popular among the "crypto contingent."According to Act 60, bona fide residents do not have to pay any taxes on US source capital gains if they bought assets after establishing residency there. This law prompted crypto investor David Johnston to move his company and his family to Puerto Rico in March 2021, CNBC reported. "That's where all my friends are. I don't have one friend left in New York, and maybe the pandemic accelerated this, but every single one of them has moved to Puerto Rico," he told the outlet."Pantera Capital (a crypto fund) is on the fifth floor and then there's a co-working space on the sixth floor. My company, DLTx, we took over the eighth floor, and NFT.com took over the twelfth floor. That's all happened in the last 12 months," Johnston said. Over the past few years, Puerto Rico has been recovering from the devastation of Hurricane Maria, which hit in 2017.Insider's Katie Warren wrote in 2020 that the island's tourism industry, which accounted for 6.5% of its GDP, was decimated, and that once-popular areas became deserted. But the island has since rebounded. In July 2021, tourism organization Discover Puerto Rico reported that revenue from visitor spending and taxes were at an all-time high.In a press release, Discover Puerto Rico's CEO said: "Despite facing many challenges stemming from the pandemic, the tourism community in Puerto Rico is once again showing the world its strength and resiliency. We are achieving a high rate of return on our marketing, sales and promotional investments." Crypto-friendly policies are being implemented elsewhere, too. Recently, a nonprofit in Northwest Arkansas said it was offering $10,000 worth of free bitcoin to attract newcomers to the state. The offer includes a free bike too and has garnered more than 35,000 applicants so far.  Read the original article on Business Insider.....»»

Ultra-wealthy travelers booking a private flight on the exclusive aircraft have access to a private bedroom and entertainment center. A VistaJet Bombardier Global 7500 at the Dubai Airshow 2021.Thomas Pallini/Insider Private aviation firm VistaJet boasts the world's largest charter fleet of Bombardier Global 7500 aircraft. The Global 7500 offers a range of 7,700 nautical miles with seating for up to 19 passengers. VistaJet offers the aircraft with a private entertainment suite and bedroom for passengers.  Being wealthy means being able to travel to the ends of the earth in style, luxury, and with as few stops for fuel as possible. And that's exactly what the Bombardier Global 7500 seeks to offer.A VistaJet Bombardier Global 7500 at the Dubai Airshow 2021.Thomas Pallini/InsiderCanadian aircraft manufacturer Bombardier currently holds the title for having built the largest and longest-ranged purpose-built private jet that's currently in flying service with its flagship Global 7500.A VistaJet Bombardier Global 7500 at the Dubai Airshow 2021.Thomas Pallini/InsiderIt's a travel experience that only a privileged wealthy few will be able to enjoy, especially as the majority of aircraft in service are privately owned. But rather than purchase the $75 million jet outright, private aircraft charter firm VistaJet wants the wealthy to use its aircraft.A VistaJet Bombardier Global 7500 at the Dubai Airshow 2021.Thomas Pallini/InsiderVistaJet is the largest private airline to fly the Global 7500 and has been steadily filling its stables with more of the long-range aircraft. A maximum range of 7,700 nautical miles allows the wealthy to fly nearly anywhere in the world in one stop or less.A VistaJet Bombardier Global 7500.VistaJet"We knew this aircraft would be popular, it's a game-changing aircraft," Ian Moore, VistaJet's chief commercial officer, told Insider.A VistaJet Bombardier Global 7500.Dominick Gravel/VistaJetTake a look inside one of VistaJet's Bombardier Global 7500 private jets.A VistaJet Bombardier Global 7500.Vista JetBombardier developed the Global 7500 to seat a maximum of 19 passengers. But VistaJet opted to only include seating for 14 as there's often no need to fill a private jet with as many seats as possible, as is often the case in the commercial airline world.A VistaJet Bombardier Global 7500 at the Dubai Airshow 2021.Thomas Pallini/InsiderA cabin length of 54 feet and five inches gave VistaJet lots of flexibility in configuring the aircraft and the result is a cabin with four distinct living areas, including a private bedroom.A VistaJet Bombardier Global 7500 at the Dubai Airshow 2021.Thomas Pallini/InsiderThe club suite is the first living area to welcome passengers comprised of four seats in total. The configuration is standard on all large-cabin private jet aircraft like the Global 7500.A VistaJet Bombardier Global 7500 at the Dubai Airshow 2021.Thomas Pallini/InsiderEach seat in the area is Bombardier's new "nuage" seats that aim to take a new approach to the classic private jet seatA VistaJet Bombardier Global 7500 at the Dubai Airshow 2021.Thomas Pallini/InsiderIts features include a unique tilt system that offers a deep recline, floating base, and tilting headrest.A VistaJet Bombardier Global 7500 at the Dubai Airshow 2021.Thomas Pallini/InsiderEach seat pair also has its own side table that's ideal for working on a laptop, enjoying a meal, or even playing a game of cards.A VistaJet Bombardier Global 7500 at the Dubai Airshow 2021.Thomas Pallini/InsiderAnd to control surrounding functions including seat lighting, Bombardier crafted a unique circular touch-screen control panel. A flyer need only wave their hand above the panel for it to rise up from its base and activate.A VistaJet Bombardier Global 7500 at the Dubai Airshow 2021.Thomas Pallini/InsiderThe club suite also offers storage space that's ideal for small personal items including phones and other devices.A VistaJet Bombardier Global 7500 at the Dubai Airshow 2021.Thomas Pallini/InsiderIn-seat power is offered through 110v AC power outlets and USB charging ports.A VistaJet Bombardier Global 7500 at the Dubai Airshow 2021.Thomas Pallini/InsiderThe principal passengers will typically utilize the club suite during takeoff and landing. And once in-flight, the rest of the aircraft awaits.A VistaJet Bombardier Global 7500 at the Dubai Airshow 2021.Thomas Pallini/InsiderDirectly behind the club suite is the conference suite, comprised of six seats with three on each side of a large table that's separated by the main aisle.A VistaJet Bombardier Global 7500 at the Dubai Airshow 2021.Thomas Pallini/InsiderThe conference suite doubles as a dining area and is ideal for meals and meetings, as the situation requires.A VistaJet Bombardier Global 7500 at the Dubai Airshow 2021.Thomas Pallini/InsiderThe two halves of the table can be connected by a leaf during meal times, meetings, or other times when needed.A VistaJet Bombardier Global 7500 at the Dubai Airshow 2021.Thomas Pallini/InsiderAn oven and microwave in the forward galley of the aircraft allow flight attendants to craft and serve high-quality meals during the flights.A VistaJet Bombardier Global 7500 at the Dubai Airshow 2021.Thomas Pallini/InsiderOnce the meals and meetings have ended for the day, the entertainment suite awaits passengers with a veritable home living room experience in the sky.A VistaJet Bombardier Global 7500 at the Dubai Airshow 2021.Thomas Pallini/InsiderA three-place divan sits opposite a massive entertainment screen capable of playing movies or displaying a moving map with the aircraft's location.A VistaJet Bombardier Global 7500 at the Dubai Airshow 2021.Thomas Pallini/InsiderCloseable doors on each side of the cabin also allow for a truly private experience.A VistaJet Bombardier Global 7500 at the Dubai Airshow 2021.Thomas Pallini/InsiderAnd even in the brightness of day, all the window shades can be closed to create the feeling of a night at the movies.A VistaJet Bombardier Global 7500 at the Dubai Airshow 2021.Thomas Pallini/InsiderThe large screen can also be used for presentations if the aircraft is being used for business.A VistaJet Bombardier Global 7500 at the Dubai Airshow 2021.Thomas Pallini/InsiderThe final living space of the aircraft is the private suite containing a private bedroom that is typically reserved for the principal flyer.A VistaJet Bombardier Global 7500 at the Dubai Airshow 2021.Thomas Pallini/InsiderInside the private suite is a full bed capable of sleeping two people, as well as a single club seat.A VistaJet Bombardier Global 7500 at the Dubai Airshow 2021.Thomas Pallini/InsiderA full bed is rare on a large-cabin private jet aircraft but the sheer size of the Global 7500 allows for such extravagances.A VistaJet Bombardier Global 7500 at the Dubai Airshow 2021.Thomas Pallini/InsiderOwners can even opt to have a shower installed on the aircraft to complete the feeling of a flying home away from home.A VistaJet Bombardier Global 7500 at the Dubai Airshow 2021.Thomas Pallini/InsiderBusiness travelers, in particular, benefit from having the bedroom as it allows them to be well-rested upon landing to attend meetings and other activities.A VistaJet Bombardier Global 7500 at the Dubai Airshow 2021.Thomas Pallini/InsiderThe space is most often used as a private enclave for the principal flyer as it's tucked away from the main living areas and only features one seat.A VistaJet Bombardier Global 7500 at the Dubai Airshow 2021.Thomas Pallini/InsiderSome business leaders will also retreat to the private suite to use it as their office.A VistaJet Bombardier Global 7500 at the Dubai Airshow 2021.Thomas Pallini/InsiderAlso included in the suite is a sizeable entertainment screen alongside a small bookshelf that VistaJet always keeps well stocked.A VistaJet Bombardier Global 7500 at the Dubai Airshow 2021.Thomas Pallini/Insider"It's a little bit of analog in a digital world," Moore said of the books, one of which was the American classic "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott.A VistaJet Bombardier Global 7500 at the Dubai Airshow 2021.Thomas Pallini/InsiderAttached to the private suite is the en suite bathroom complete with a full sink, closet, and toilet.A VistaJet Bombardier Global 7500 at the Dubai Airshow 2021.Thomas Pallini/InsiderAll the required amenities and toiletries come pre-stocked, just as if flying first class on a commercial airliner.A VistaJet Bombardier Global 7500 at the Dubai Airshow 2021.Thomas Pallini/InsiderVistaJet even stocks a shower robe for passengers.A VistaJet Bombardier Global 7500 at the Dubai Airshow 2021.Thomas Pallini/InsiderAnd a window feeds natural light into the bathroom.A VistaJet Bombardier Global 7500 at the Dubai Airshow 2021.Thomas Pallini/InsiderThe entire aircraft has an at-home feeling which is necessary given the long flights of which the Global 7500 is capable.A VistaJet Bombardier Global 7500 at the Dubai Airshow 2021.Thomas Pallini/InsiderCrafting a timeless interior was also required to keep repeat flyers from growing tired of the aircraft.A VistaJet Bombardier Global 7500 at the Dubai Airshow 2021.Thomas Pallini/Insider"We're constantly adapting cabin experience so that we're never boring," Moore said. "You never want to get to the point where you're flying and you go 'I don't really want to get in that cabin again.'"A VistaJet Bombardier Global 7500 at the Dubai Airshow 2021.Thomas Pallini/InsiderEach section of the aircraft also has a dual purpose between business and leisure, according to Moore. The entertainment suite, for example, can be a relaxing setting in which to watch a movie or it can be used for business presentations.A VistaJet Bombardier Global 7500 at the Dubai Airshow 2021.Thomas Pallini/InsiderThe six-person dining table is primarily used for meals but it can also be used to host meetings.A VistaJet Bombardier Global 7500 at the Dubai Airshow 2021.Thomas Pallini/InsiderBombardier itself was also present at the Dubai Airshow trying to sell Global 7500 aircraft to prospective owners. But VistaJet only wants to sell the flights.A VistaJet Bombardier Global 7500 at the Dubai Airshow 2021.Thomas Pallini/Insider"If you're flying an aircraft 800 to 900 hours per year, buy an aircraft, you'll need the flexibility," Moore said of owning an aircraft. But the upside to charter, he stated, is the ease of use by not having to be concerned with crew and maintenance expenses.A VistaJet Bombardier Global 7500 at the Dubai Airshow 2021.Thomas Pallini/InsiderVistaJet's pool of pilots also enables users to fly the aircraft to its fullest 7,700-nautical mile potential as ultra-long-haul flights require an extra set of pilots on board.A VistaJet Bombardier Global 7500 at the Dubai Airshow 2021.Thomas Pallini/InsiderThe downside is that private aircraft availability has varied as more wealthy travelers book private flights, a problem VistaJet is trying to hedge by taking on as many Global 7500 aircraft as it can.A VistaJet Bombardier Global 7500 at the Dubai Airshow 2021.Thomas Pallini/InsiderVistaJet first placed its first Global 7500 order in 2013, long before the pandemic changed how people travel. "We believed that a global airline was what was missing in private aviation," Moore said.A VistaJet Bombardier Global 7500 at the Dubai Airshow 2021.Thomas Pallini/Insider"We took the risk and we're reaping the rewards now," Moore said. "We're saying no to flights at the moment."A VistaJet Bombardier Global 7500 at the Dubai Airshow 2021.Thomas Pallini/InsiderBut booking an aircraft with the size and capabilities of the Global 7500 isn't for the average private jet flyer.A VistaJet Bombardier Global 7500 at the Dubai Airshow 2021.Thomas Pallini/InsiderCustomers have to commit to paying a minimum of five hours of flight time when booking the Global 7500 as VistaJet is looking to encourage long-range bookings for the long-range aircraft.A VistaJet Bombardier Global 7500 at the Dubai Airshow 2021.Thomas Pallini/InsiderThe best pricing for the aircraft is for those flyers booking in excess of seven hours.A VistaJet Bombardier Global 7500 at the Dubai Airshow 2021.Thomas Pallini/InsiderVistaJet's average duration for Global 7500 flights is between eight and 10 hours currently but once more countries around the world open, namely in Asia, the possibilities for the aircraft are endless.A VistaJet Bombardier Global 7500 at the Dubai Airshow 2021.Thomas Pallini/InsiderRead the original article on Business Insider.....»»

The crowd laughed at the impersonation, which also included the former president moving his hand in an attempt to impersonate Biden's gestures. Former President Donald Trump speaks at a "Save America" rally in Florence, Ariz., on January 15, 2022.AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin Former President Trump on Saturday blasted President Biden's handling of the coronavirus pandemic. "Remember, I'm gonna get rid of COVID," the former president mockingly said while imitating Biden. Trump was widely criticized for downplaying the severity of COVID-19 during his White House tenure. Former President Donald Trump on Saturday tore into President Joe Biden's handling of the coronavirus pandemic, pointing to the rising numbers of cases fueled by the Omicron variant and attempting to mimic the president's voice.During a "Save America" rally in Florence, Arizona, Trump relished in attacking Biden, who made the defeat of COVID-19 a priority during the 2020 presidential campaign and has tried earnestly to battle the virus through increased vaccinations among the general public."We all knew that Joe Biden would be not so good but few could have imagined that he would be such a disaster for this country," the former president said. "There are four times more COVID cases."He continued, mimicking Biden's voice: "Remember, I'm gonna get rid of COVID."The crowd — filled with many of Trump's most passionate supporters — laughed at the impersonation, which also included the former president moving his hand in an attempt to impersonate Biden's gestures.In his dig at the president, Trump was likely referencing the increased number of COVID-19 cases that the country faced as a result of the highly infectious Delta variant — which was the dominant strain headed into the Labor Day weekend last September. Despite over 60% of the US population having received at least one dose of the vaccine at the time, there were four times as many COVID-19 cases and a higher number of hospitalizations than in the same period in 2020.—Newsmax (@newsmax) January 16, 2022A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study last summer revealed that unvaccinated Americans were 11 times more likely to perish from COVID-19 than those who were fully vaccinated.From mid-June until mid-July last year, when the Delta variant was gaining a larger foothold across the country, unvaccinated Americans represented 82% of new cases, 86% of hospitalizations, and 84% of deaths, which reflected how those individuals remained the most at risk for serious infection or death.Last May, the Biden White House felt confident that it had made huge strides in "crushing" the coronavirus, touting the new CDC recommendation at the time that fully-vaccinated Americans could ditch their masks indoors and outdoors. However, the high transmissibility of the Delta variant forced the administration to adjust its expectations and retool to face the emerging health threat.During a November interview on the Fox Business Network program "Varney & Co.," Trump said that he wanted Biden to succeed in tackling the coronavirus, which has caused societal upheaval across the globe since 2020."I wanted him to be successful. He's been totally unsuccessful. It's a disaster what's happened," the former president said at the time.Trump — who has been roundly criticized for downplaying the severity of the virus and who reportedly saw mask wearing as a "sign of weakness" while in office — never acknowledged the challenges that stemmed from the new variants during the interview.The former president has consistently opposed vaccine mandates, while Biden has strongly supported such measures to reduce hospitalizations and deaths.Last week, the Supreme Court struck down the Biden administration's vaccine-or-test mandate for companies with over 100 employees, but allowed mandates to stand for health care workers at facilities participating in Medicare and Medicaid programs.In recent weeks, Trump has been critical of politicians who have been coy about whether or not they have received COVID-19 booster shots, which he has defended while speaking with conservative media outlets.As of January 16, more than 850,000 people have died of the coronavirus in the US, with 65.4 million confirmed cases, according to Johns Hopkins University.Read the original article on Business Insider.....»»

The plush seating, free snacks and booze, attentive attendant, and fast WiFi made traveling on the Jet an absolute joy. The Jet on a cold January morning.Brittany Chang/Insider I tried the Jet, a luxury bus startup that travels between New York City and Washington DC. Tickets start at $99, which is more expensive than a comparable Amtrak ticket or a ride on a budget bus service.  The snacks, drinks, kind attendant, and comfortable motion-canceling seating made my carsickness worth it. I took a luxury bus service from New York City to Washington DC for $99, and it was one of the plushest travel experiences I've ever had.The Jet on a cold January morning.Brittany Chang/InsiderI've never had a pleasant intercity bus experience (until now), but the complimentary snacks and beverages, fast WiFi, and motion-canceling seats made the ride enjoyable and comfortable.The seats.Brittany Chang/InsiderThat is until I got carsick. But more on that later.The seats at the front of the bus.Brittany Chang/InsiderI, like many other travelers in the US, do not have fond memories of sitting in intercity buses like Greyhound or Megabus.A Greyhound bus in Texas in 2021.Jose Luis Gonzalez/ReutersEnter the Jet, a luxury bus startup looking to provide another option different from those sometimes-uncomfortable budget bus experiences.The Jet on a cold January morning.Brittany Chang/InsiderUnlike the classic Flixbus or Greyhound, the Jet has comfortable seats, in-ride treats, and fast Wifi, among other bonuses. It's more expensive, but the company is betting riders who can afford to will pay for the luxury and exclusivity.The seats.Brittany Chang/InsiderChad Scarborough, the Jet's founder and CEO, predicts the company's passengers are the top one to 2% of bus riders, or "people who want a nicer option" but don't want to pay for an Amtrak, he said the first time I toured one of its buses in late 2021.The galley at the rear of the bus.Brittany Chang/InsiderThe startup isn't a new concept: Luxury coaches like Vonlane have fared well in other markets, Scarborough noted.The back of the bus.Brittany Chang/InsiderBut unlike Vonlane, which operates primarily in Texas, the Jet targets two cities with low car ownership: New York and Washington, DC.A view out the windows while we were still in Manhattan.Brittany Chang/InsiderSource: Titlemax Tripperbus, which also calls itself a "first-class bus service," runs a similar route from Arlington, Virginia, and Bethesda, Maryland to New York City.Rachel Mendelson/InsiderSource: Tripperbus But the Jet drops off and picks up its passengers right in the heart of DC at Metro Center, about a 10-minute walk to the White House.The White House south facade, in Washington, D.C.Raymond Boyd/Getty ImagesOn January 7, the morning after New York's first snow in the new year, I decided to take a ride on the Jet for a roughly five-hour ride from New York City to Washington, DC to test its offering.The Jet on a cold January morning.Brittany Chang/InsiderThe Jet only has two departure times from New York: 11 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. I booked the former hoping to get some work done on my Friday afternoon ride.The seats.Brittany Chang/InsiderThe Jet departs from Hudson Yards. This outdoor departure away from any terminal means I didn't have to navigate the large, often busy corridors of an indoor station. It also means passengers board from the curb, just like discount carrier Megabus.The Jet on a cold January morning.Brittany Chang/InsiderThe 45-foot-long black coach with "THE JET" embossed on side told me I was in the right place. I arrived earlier, so I had plenty of time to pick up breakfast before checking in with the bus attendant, who operates like a flight attendant.The Jet on a cold January morning.Brittany Chang/InsiderI already reserved my spot on the 14-seat bus so there was no need to rush onto the vehicle in hopes of getting a prime seat or space in the luggage compartment.My messy seat.Brittany Chang/InsiderAnd the rows of seats are six feet apart as per COVID-19 protocols, providing ample legroom and space for my bags.The back of the bus.Brittany Chang/Insider"We've had some people tell us [this] feels safer than taking a train or a plane because there's so few people," Scarborough said in 2021.The bathroom.Brittany Chang/InsiderAnd I agree. Besides me, there were only nine other people on the bus including the driver and attendant. Everyone was required to mask up unless they were eating or drinking.Snacks on the Jet.Brittany Chang/InsiderThere's also a UV filtration system that sanitizes the air every 10 minutes, according to the company.The galley at the rear of the bus.Brittany Chang/InsiderOther than the person sitting next to me (who I live with) everyone felt distanced from my seat, making the Jet feel safer than any plane ride I've been on during COVID-19. And unlike planes, the Jet is also now enforcing a vaccine mandate.The seats.Brittany Chang/InsiderThe pre-booked seats, ample spacing, and warm attendant made for one of the safest-seeming and most relaxing boarding experiences I've ever had on any mode of transportation.Inside the Jet.Brittany Chang/InsiderAll I had to do was get on the bus, throw my bags on the floor in front of me, confirm my seat with the friendly attendant, and I was all good to go.My messy seat.Brittany Chang/InsiderThroughout the bus ride, the attendant checked on the passengers and offered us a selection of complimentary snacks, water, wine, beer, coffee, and soda. And at the end of the bus ride, she collected our trash.Snacks on the Jet.Brittany Chang/InsiderI don't drink soda, and I passed on the free booze (I was, after all, still working), but just having these options made the Jet feel more luxurious than an economy seat on a plane.The galley at the rear of the bus.Brittany Chang/InsiderWe were offered The Jet-branded blankets to use during the bus ride, but I was already bundled in a thick sweater, so I passed.The seats.Brittany Chang/InsiderThere's also a bathroom at the rear of the bus next to the attendant's galley. The clean bathroom — although smaller than Amtrak's — had the basics: a toilet, sink, mirror, and hand sanitizer.The bathroom.Brittany Chang/InsiderBut because it was freezing the night before, the bathroom pipes were frozen, putting the porcelain throne out of commission for the first half of the ride.The bathroom.Brittany Chang/InsiderLuckily our driver scheduled a quick bathroom stop halfway through the journey, which was perfect for a quick stretch.The Jet on a cold January morning during out bathroom stop.Brittany Chang/InsiderSnacks and a clean bathroom are great, but the Jet has an even stronger standout feature that sets it apart from any other luxury bus competitor or mode of travel: the motion-canceling "hoverseats."Inside the Jet.Brittany Chang/InsiderSource: Insider These seats are the Jet's pièce de résistance and its biggest draw.A reclined seat.Brittany Chang/InsiderThe seats use a suspension technology developed by Bose to block 90% of the bus ride's uncomfortable bumps and movements.The seats.Brittany Chang/InsiderThe tech can be more commonly found in the long-haul truck industry, making the Jet the "world's first" bus with motion-canceling seats, according to the company.Buttons to adjust the seating.Brittany Chang/InsiderSource: The Jet These seats made road traveling feel more like flying, but better.The seats.Brittany Chang/InsiderThe gel and memory foam seats are 22-inches wide and plusher than my couch at home.The seats.Brittany Chang/InsiderWhen my seat was fully reclined 45-degrees, I could have comfortably fallen asleep.A reclined seat.Brittany Chang/InsiderAnd because there's six feet between each row, I didn't have to worry about reclining too far.The seats at the front of the bus.Brittany Chang/InsiderLuckily, the seats' armrests have a built-in tray table, allowing me to lay back while tapping away on my laptop.The seats.Brittany Chang/InsiderBut unfortunately, I had to work, and couldn't take the nap I so longed for.Working on the Jet.Brittany Chang/InsiderThe coaches are equipped with the same WiFi used on Google and Facebook's employee shuttles, Scarborough previously explained.The galley at the rear of the bus.Brittany Chang/InsiderThe WiFi was no joke. It was reliable and the fastest I've ever used on a mode of transportation.The galley.Brittany Chang/InsiderAlmost every passenger was pattering away on their laptops during the bus ride, but I never encountered disruptions with the network, even when I was streaming music and videos.Inside the Jet.Brittany Chang/InsiderThe seats also have outlets that kept my laptop running throughout the entire journey.Working on the Jet.Brittany Chang/InsiderSo far so good, until around two hours into the ride. That's when I hit my first metaphorical bump in the road.The bathroom.Brittany Chang/InsiderThe motion-canceling seats did a great job of blocking the smaller bumps, but I could still feel the rocking motion of the bus. This was expected and would have otherwise been fine if I hadn't been staring at my laptop.The seats.Brittany Chang/InsiderThe longer I stared at the screen, the harder it became to read smaller blocks of text, a side effect that brought me back to my concussion four months ago.The galley at the rear of the bus.Brittany Chang/InsiderThe longer I worked, the worse my carsickness-induced nausea — a familiar feeling from stop-and-go traffic but never from long bus rides — became.The bathroom.Brittany Chang/InsiderThe headache, woozy uneasiness, and churning stomach made the remaining almost two hours more difficult to kill.The galley at the rear of the bus.Brittany Chang/InsiderBut when I looked around, most other passengers were still on their laptops and phones, a sign that nobody else was feeling as sick as I was.A view out the windows while we were still in Manhattan.Brittany Chang/InsiderFinally, after about five hours on the road, we arrived in DC at around 4 p.m. I quickly gathered my belongings, said my thank yous, and ran out to get some fresh air.The seats at the front of the bus.Brittany Chang/InsiderBut honestly, despite my carsickness, the Jet was the most comfortable intercity travel experience I've ever had (noting that I've never used a luxury bus service before).The Jet on a cold January morning.Brittany Chang/InsiderBoarding and departing the bus in an uncrowded outdoor area was an underrated luxury.The Jet on a cold January morning.Brittany Chang/InsiderIt seems like I'm not alone in enjoying the Jet.The galley at the rear of the bus.Brittany Chang/InsiderIn December, the startup averaged at above 70% ridership, peaking at 86% during the week of Thanksgiving, Scarborough told Insider in a statement.The bathroom.Brittany Chang/InsiderJanuary has been "slower" at around 40% ridership ahead of a mid-month weekend, but this is still above the company's initial projections.The bathroom.Brittany Chang/InsiderScarborough believes the Jet is "well-positioned" for the spring and summer travel boom.The galley at the rear of the bus.Brittany Chang/InsiderThe Jet ranges from almost $100 to up to almost $150. As of January 14, tickets for an 11 a.m. departure on Friday, January 28 start at $99.The galley at the rear of the bus.Brittany Chang/InsiderA business class ticket for Amtrak's Acela departing at 11 a.m. starts at $90, while a coach ticket for the 11:35 a.m. Northeast Regional sits at almost $50. It's also worth noting that an Amtrak on the same route is about one-and-a-half to two hours faster and won't have to stop for traffic or bathroom breaks.An Amtrak train pulls out of Union Station on Wednesday, April 7, 2021.Photo By Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty ImagesSource: Amtrak Meanwhile, the cheapest 11:00 a.m. bus ticket (Flixbus) on the same day is a mere $18, making it about one-fifth as costly as a ticket for The Jet.A FlixBus at Nice International Airport in 2019.Eric Gaillard/ReutersSource: Wanderu If you're looking for luxury, the Jet may be your best choice. Though it's slower and more expensive, there's no arguing it's the most comfortable option.The galley.Brittany Chang/InsiderRead the original article on Business Insider.....»»

Critical Race Theory was not part of Virginia's K-12 schools standards of learning, the commonwealth's department of education said last year. GOP Gov. Glenn Youngkin of Virginia.AP Photo/Steve Helber, File Virginia's new Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed 11 executive actions on his first day in office. One of them banned the teaching of Critical Race Theory while another targeted school mask mandates. There is little evidence that Critical Race Theory was taught in Virginia's K-12 schools. Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin quickly set the tone for his administration on Saturday, signing numerous executive actions, including one that bans the teaching of "divisive concepts" in schools and another that targets school mask mandates.As Insider's John L. Dorman previously reported, Youngkin was sworn in Saturday after he in November last year beat out former Gov. Terry McAuliffe, a Democrat, to replace outgoing Gov. Ralph Northam, a Democrat who was prohibited for running for re-election due to term limits. Youngkin is the first GOP governor of Virginia since 2014.  "The work is only beginning," Youngkin said in a statement alongside the 11 executive actions he signed Saturday."The important steps we are taking today begins the work of restoring excellence in education, making our communities safer, opening Virginia for business and reinvigorating job growth, and making government work for the people, and not the other way around," he added.As Insider previously reported, part of Youngkin's campaign strategy involved his lobbing attacks on Critical Race Theory in public schools, which the Virginia Department of Education said last year was not part of its state standards of learning, WDBJ reported.The "divisive concepts" executive action specifically bans the teaching of CRT. CRT is centered around the idea that American society is presently impacted by the legacy of slavery and how that legacy factors into US laws and polices. Despite the fact there has been little evidence to suggest CRT is taught in K-12 schools in the US, Republicans in state legislatures have crafted legislation banning it and railed against in on the campaign trail. "Inherently divisive concepts, like Critical Race Theory and its progeny, instruct students to only view life through the lens of race and presumes that some students are consciously or unconsciously racist, sexist, or oppressive, and that other students are victims," the executive order reads.In a series of interviews while on the campaign trail last year, Youngkin claimed, with little evidence, that CRT was being taught in Virginia high schools, according to Politifact. According to the report, numerous Virginia school systems had, on the contrary, released statements claiming they didn't teach students about CRT.Youngkin also on Saturday signed an executive action that banned schools from requiring that students wear masks to stem the spread of COVID-19, instead allowing parents to decide when their children wear masks during the school day."The way that Virginia works is that the governor cannot ban mask mandates. Schools make those decisions," he told WTKR-TV in an interview last week. "We will in fact, then, also make sure that schools allow parents to exercise their rights for what's best for their children, to opt-out of those mandates."While schools can still require masks, parents can opt their child out of them without providing a reason, according to the executive action.Read the original article on Business Insider.....»»

Best hybrid-work advice for managers, Google Cloud's latest compensation changes, and how to make passive income on Airbnb. Welcome back to Insider Weekly! I'm Matt Turner, editor in chief of business at Insider.Maybe the future of work isn't all that complicated.That's the message at the heart of Rebecca Knight and Shana Lebowitz's latest story encouraging managers to stop catastrophizing. Yes, we're two years into a pandemic, and much still seems to be up in the air. This latest Omicron wave has emphasized the state of uncertainty we've been living through. Much has been written about the challenges of retention, of mentorship, and of evolving a company's culture when many of us are communicating via video calls. But as Rebecca and Shana report, to build a successful hybrid workplace, you need trust, boundaries, flexibility — and not much else. Read on for a Q&A with them both.Also in this week's newsletter:Google Cloud just changed how it compensates salespeople for working with partners.An Airbnb "superhost" making $4,000 a month in passive income shares how to get started.A woman says she cofounded the $800 million fintech Petal — and is inching toward a trial.Let me know what you think of all our stories at mturner@insider.com.Subscribe to Insider for access to all our investigations and features. New to the newsletter? Sign up here.  Download our app for news on the go — click here for iOS and here for Android.How to make hybrid work … actually workAlyssa Powell/InsiderRebecca Knight and Shana Lebowitz share how employees are feeling about hybrid work — and what companies should do to make the model viable.Why are knowledge workers so interested in a hybrid-work format?Shana: In many cases, a hybrid model allows employees to be more productive and effective at their jobs. That's because they can choose the work environment that makes sense for the type of tasks they're doing. For example, they might opt to stay home on days when they're doing focused work and want to minimize distractions. But on days when they have a bunch of internal meetings, they might choose to come into the office to capitalize on opportunities for team bonding.Why are so many companies really struggling when it comes to executing a viable hybrid model?Shana: Many employers are approaching hybrid work as a free-for-all, giving people full discretion over where, when, and how they work. The problem here is that employees who come into the office regularly may benefit from "face time" with their managers and may therefore have an advantage over groups like caregivers and disabled workers, who are more likely to work from home. So the hybrid model winds up threatening inclusion, as opposed to increasing employee autonomy.What's the most interesting piece of advice for managers that you heard when working on this piece?Rebecca: The managers who are having the most success with hybrid, based on our reporting, are the ones who exhibit trust — full stop. They trust their employees' intentions, trust them to get their jobs done, and trust that they're committed to their organizations.What should employees expect next in the world of hybrid work?Rebecca: Expect messiness. Lots of companies are still trying to figure out how to make hybrid work work. There are going to be some false starts. Be willing to experiment and be patient. But don't be bashful about stating your preferences, too. Workers have more leverage today. Use it.Read the full analysis here: Managers, stop catastrophizing. To build a successful hybrid workplace, you need trust, boundaries, flexibility — and not much else.Google Cloud changed how salespeople are compensatedGoogleGoogle Cloud is walking back a key part of its sales-compensation structure, which used to compensate salespeople equally for selling its own products and those from partners. Now, the company has introduced a 30% cap on how much selling a partner's product via the company's marketplace will count toward a salesperson's quota.Here's what insiders told us about the changes.How to start an AirbnbGenesis HinckleyGenesis Hinckley, a policy product specialist at Google, runs an Airbnb with her husband in Colorado. Between cleaning and answering messages, they put in about 10 hours of work a month — and bring home about $4,000 a month, or $35,000 a year, in passive income. Hinckley shared her advice for starting an Airbnb, from choosing the right property to "Airbnb-ifying" the home. Read the rest of her advice.An entrepreneur says she cofounded PetalCassandra Shih, an entrepreneur who claims to have co-created the fintech start-up Petal in 2015.Cassandra ShihThe entrepreneur Cassandra Shih said she cofounded Petal, an $800 million fintech backed by Peter Thiel's Valar Ventures. Shih said she had written evidence to prove her case — including an email in which one cofounder called her "this chick I banged a few months ago who came up with the idea."If the company had been split 50-50, as she claims it should have been, her claim could amount to hundreds of millions of dollars.Inside her lawsuit against Petal.More of this week's top reads:It's possible to start with only $5,000 and end up owning 207 cash-flowing properties — just look at Matthew Tortoriello's portfolio.Wall Street banks are gearing up for a massive bonus season. Here's when each of the big players will tell employees how much they made.Amazon's slow vesting period has pushed staffers out of the company. Now, the giant is changing its stock-distribution policies.According to leaked documents, the ghost-kitchen startup Reef is closing down about one-third of its kitchens.Thousands of dollars in tips in a night? This is what it's like to work as a Las Vegas bottle girl.Cannabis startups are drawing the attention of investment firms — and their money. Here are the top 14 putting millions into the sector.Event invite: Join us on January 25 at 12 p.m. ET for "Multi-Cloud Powers the Future of IT," sponsored by Dell Technologies, to learn how innovative businesses are leveraging multicloud technology. Register here.Compiled with help from Jordan Parker Erb and Phil Rosen.Read the original article on Business Insider.....»»

"We don't think we are in a market that is ready to cycle back into speculative tech," DataTrek Research co-founder Nicholas Colas said. Spencer Platt/Getty ImagesInvestors shouldn't buy the dip in disruptive innovation stocks, according to DataTrek Research.The steep decline in speculative tech names is akin to the meltdown after the dot-com bubble in the 2000s."We don't think we are in a market that is ready to cycle back into speculative tech," DataTrek said.Sign up here for our daily newsletter, 10 Things Before the Opening Bell.The steep decline in speculative stocks championed by Ark Invest's Cathie Wood doesn't yet represent an opportunity for investors to buy the dip, according to a Friday note from DataTrek Research.Ark Invest's flagship fund has fallen 50% from its record high, with some of its top holdings like Teladoc and Zoom Video down 74% and 64%, respectively. The decline has led to Ark's fund losing $14 billion in assets under management, while the Short ARK ETF has seen a surge in both performance and assets. The carnage in disruptive innovation, clean energy, and Chinese tech stocks might remind some investors of the unwind of the 2000 dot-com bubble, in which the Nasdaq ultimately plummeted 80% from its record, the note said. But despite the destruction in smaller tech names, the broader Nasdaq 100 index is still down less than 10% from its recent high."Regardless of how rough markets get in 2022, we do not expect the NASDAQ to melt down the way it did in 2000 to 2002. The companies in the index are an order of magnitude better than what we had on offer in the 1990s," DataTrek Research co-founder Nicholas Colas explained.Still, that doesn't mean investors should rush to buy the new lows made in beaten-down tech stocks. He listed two big reasons:"First, we never recommend [buying] 52-week lows. Better to wait for prices to stabilize," Colas said. The iShares Clean Energy ETF and ARK's Disruptive Innovation ETF both traded to new 52-week lows on Friday."Second, we don't think we are in a market that is ready to cycle back into speculative tech names. The narrative has changed to old-school cyclicals," he added.That shift has occurred thanks to a more hawkish Fed that is keen on raising interest rates and reducing its balance sheet to tame inflation. Such a monetary recipe hasn't historically been rewarding for barely profitable speculative growth companies."Bottom line: while we love disruptive innovation, we also believe in respecting price action. And, at the moment, respect trumps love by a wide margin," Colas concluded.Read the original article on Business Insider.....»»

A tip-off email included images of Mackenzie Fierceton sky-diving and riding a horse from the yearbook of her expensive private school, per reports. The Radcliffe Camera at Oxford University, England.Getty Images A 24-year-old Rhodes Scholar has left the prestigious program after being accused of lying about growing up poor, reports say. Mackenzie Fierceton described herself as s a "queer, first-generation, low-income" student, per The Times. But according to reports, she attended a $29,875-a-year private school. A 24-year-old Missouri woman who won a prestigious Rhodes Scholarship to study at Oxford University has left the program following accusations that she misrepresented her life experience on her application form about being poor, according to The Times.Mackenzie Fierceton described herself as a "queer, first generation [to go to college], low-income" student at the University of Pennsylvania, The Times reported. She also claimed to have grown up in the foster care system in an interview published by The Philadelphia Inquirer after she was named as a recipient of the scholarship in November 2020.The prestigious Rhodes Scholarship, which takes on 32 US students a year, is the oldest graduate scholarship in the world. It counts former President Bill Clinton and US Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg among its recipients.But an anonymous tip-off to the University of Pennsylvania in response to that glowing Inquirer article led to questions as to whether she deserved to be listed among the distinguished past scholars.The tip-off alleged that Fierceton had, in reality, enjoyed a privileged upbringing. According to an investigative report by Tom Bartlett of The Chronicle of Higher Education, the email said that Fierceton used to go by Mackenzie Morrison and had lived in an affluent suburb in St Louis, Missouri while attending the $29,875-a-year Whitfield private school.It also said that her mother was a college-educated radiologist, per The Chronicle.A similar email to the Rhodes Trust described Fierceton as being "blatantly dishonest in the representation of her childhood," and included images of her in the private school's yearbook of her skydiving and riding a horse, The Chronicle said.An investigation was launched into her application, led by a Rhodes Trust committee, and found that she had spent less than a year in foster care as a 17-year-old, the newspaper reported.Fierceton was placed into foster care in 2014 after she accused her mother of pushing her down the stairs in their $750,000 home, The Times said. According to the Chronicle, she also spent time in hospital after the incident. Charges against her mother, who denies this happened, were dropped due to lack of evidence, according to the newspaper.The committee said that evidence showed that Fierceton had "created and repeatedly shared false narratives about herself" and used these "misrepresentations" to "serve her interests as an applicant for competitive" academic programs, The Chronicle reported. It recommended that her scholarship be rescinded, but Fierceton reportedly withdrew from it herself.University students walking on pedestrian road , near University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USAStock Photo/Getty ImagesThe University of Pennsylvania conducted a follow-up report and also concluded that Fiercton had not been honest about her background. The university is withholding her master's degree pending the final outcome of its disciplinary process, The Chronicle said.According to The Times, Fierceton claims that she did not lie on her application and that the Rhodes Trust is targeting a "survivor" of abuse. She filed a lawsuit last month accusing her university and investigators of the trust of victimizing her, the newspaper reported.Supporters at the University of Pennsylvania say Fierceton is the victim of an injustice. Anne Norton, a professor of political science and comparative literature, allowed the student to live in her house during the pandemic. "The worst you can say about her is that retrospectively she exaggerated her injuries," Norton told The Chronicle. "Injuries that nevertheless kept her in the hospital for a long time and resulted in her being placed in foster care."Norton wrote in a letter to Rhodes: "The idea that she has been dishonest about her experience of foster care or her economic status is not consistent with her character, nor is it in accord with the evidence," per The Chronicle.Fierceton could not be reached for comment.Read the original article on Business Insider.....»»

When it comes to our careers, we're rarely taught how to practice self-awareness, according to Sarah Ellis, a careers coach and author. Sarah Ellis is a careers coach, author, and podcaster.Penguin Random House / The Amazing If It's common to suffer from a lack of confidence or the feeling of being an imposter at work.  Reframing your doubt and saying your name aloud can help, says careers coach Sarah Ellis. Ellis, who is also the author of "You Coach You," explains why. Many people suffer from a lack of confidence at work. Even those seemingly at the top of their game aren't immune to feeling like they're an imposter, or stealing a wage. Although some manage to put their doubts aside, for others the long-term impact can be detrimental, stopping them from pursuing promotions or leaving jobs altogether. The reason many people can suffer from a lack of confidence  — even if they're deemed by others to be doing really well — is that we're rarely taught how to think about our careers in a practical way, said Sarah Ellis, a careers coach and presenter of the Squiggly Careers podcast. When it comes to guidance about how to practice self-awareness, this is particularly the case. But it is possible to learn. Ellis is the co-author of "You Coach You: How to Overcome Challenges and Take Control Of Your Career," which provides practical coaching advice and coping techniques.When helping clients cope with their "confidence gremlins," as Ellis calls them, she always recommends these two techniques. Reframe your perspectiveThe psychologist Susan David first promoted the idea of "seeing your doubts as data," in a 2017 TEDTalk, which has been viewed nearly 10 million times.  The perspective with which we view them can affect how we feel, suggested Ellis. If you're reflecting back on a situation where maybe you're giving yourself a hard time, or you feel like you didn't do as good a job as you liked, try to view it from the perspective of an objective bystander."Sometimes just seeing your situation from the perspective of a fly on the wall can be really helpful, "Ellis said. Distancing ourselves from a situation or our own actions can help someone see a situation more realistically and resist being too hard on themselves. Say your own name out loud or in your headIt sounds ridiculous, said Ellis, but sports stars or people working in high-pressure environments will often use this technique to calm their nerves. It's one of the techniques that's also recommended by the University Of Michigan neuroscientist Ethan Kross, in his book "Chatter," which focuses on handling the internal monologue of thoughts that go on inside our head. "Rather than thinking 'I'm not going to be good enough' or 'I'm really nervous', actually say 'Sarah, you know you can do this' or 'Sarah, you know you've got a good record' — be positive" Ellis said. Of course, blind optimism is no antidote to the many, very real barriers that can impact people's career paths, but flipping how you approach some situations to view your own capabilities more positively can help you build mental strength and feel more confident in some situations.In a similar way that giving yourself distance can change your perspective, saying your own name can frame how you think about it, according to Ellis. Even if you just say it in your head it can be a small way of reminding yourself what you can do, versus what you feel like you can't.Ellis said the best leaders now are much more prepared to be empathetic and vulnerable. They give their colleagues the ability to do so too.  "I can promise you, everybody has those doubts," she added. "We don't need to present perfection, because no one is perfect."Read the original article on Business Insider.....»»