Author: openjargon

• A pilot school in Phoenix has stopped cadets from Cathay Pacific flying solo, per Bloomberg.
• It said planes were damaged in incidents that weren't properly reported.
• Cathay, one of the world's top airlines, is trying to increase pilot numbers after dropping during Covid.

An Arizona pilot school has stopped Cathay Pacific trainees from solo flights after several incidents that went unreported, Bloomberg first reported.

Cathay Pacific, the Hong Kong flag carrier, is one of the world's best airlines — one of just 10 globally to be ranked five stars by Skytrax.

In an internal memo, the AeroGuard Flight Training Center in Phoenix said it saw "an alarming increase in solo incidents during cadet training," per Bloomberg.

It added that the incidents involved a wingtip colliding with a fixed object, a "bounced landing" leading to a "substantial" propellor strike, and a complete runway excursion.

"While each situation was unique, in each case the concern was the same — required consultation did not occur," the memo reportedly said.

Bloomberg also reported that the students didn't properly report the damage in two of the three incidents.

In a statement shared with Business Insider, Cathay Pacific acknowledged the events and added, "We are taking them seriously."

"These incidents involve our sponsored students, who will become our employees upon successful graduation from the training course," it said.

"They will then need to undergo additional structured training before being assigned any flying duty."

A source familiar with the situation told Bloomberg that the decision would affect around 150 of the 250 to 300 Cathay cadets training at the school.

The decision hinders Cathay's ongoing plans to increase its number of pilots after the pandemic, when the airline instituted steep pay cuts.

Several pilots quit during that time, with some telling Reuters that strict COVID measures in Hong Kong were affecting their mental health.

In the statement, Cathay Pacific said, "Safety guides every decision we make, and we fully support the decision of the training school."

"We will continue to prioritize the safety and well-being of our cadet pilots and crew members, and we remain dedicated to upholding the highest standards in our training programs," it added.

• Aid from Ukraine's allies is reaching frontline soldiers facing strong Russian attacks.
• But Ukrainian soldiers are still massively outgunned by Russian forces.
• US aid has resumed to Ukraine, but it takes time to gather, arrive, and be distributed.

Western military aid is reaching Ukrainian soldiers on the front line, but not at a scale that enables Ukraine to challenge Russia's artillery advantage.

Ukrainian troops in Vovchansk, in Ukraine's northeastern Kharkiv region, told The Telegraph that ammunition had started to reach their lines after the long US aid hiatus ended, but that they were still being outmatched by Russia.

"If we use 10 shells, they send 50 back," one artillery gunner told The Telegraph.

"Even if we receive the shells, our artillery barrels are old and worn out."

Russia started a new offensive in Kharkiv last month, and it has become one of the most intense areas of fighting, particularly because it is close to the border, which allows Russia to easily resupply and launch attacks.

The Telegraph's report suggests that the new supplies for Ukraine come from the US, where weaponry supplies to Ukraine have restarted after a six-month hiatus after Republicans stalled further assistance.

Ukraine has been receiving military aid from its allies throughout Russia's full-scale invasion, which started in February 2022.

But Russia is larger and has more resources, meaning that Ukrainian units have often been at a disadvantage.

Western aid has often come in fits and starts, too, as Ukraine's allies debate what and how much to give, leaving soldiers on the front lines struggling with shortages over different periods.

While the overall European contribution to Ukraine has been higher than what the US has given, the US has been its single largest donor, and the absence of its support was strongly felt on the battlefield.

Ukraine's soldiers said this year, as US support remained stalled, that they had to ration supplies, sometimes being unable to go after targets that they had identified.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in April that Russia had 10 times as many artillery shells as Ukraine.

While some new weaponry from the US has already reached Ukrainian soldiers, getting supplies to Ukraine takes time.

It's unclear how much aid is expected to reach the soldiers in Kharkiv, or when it would arrive.

Washington DC-based think tank the Institute for the Study of War warned in an update this week that "Russian forces are attempting to make tactically and operationally significant gains before US military assistance arrives to Ukrainian forces at the frontline at scale."

It concluded that "the initial arrival of Western-provided weaponry will take some time to have tactical to operational effect on the frontline."

• Reddit cofounder Alexis Ohanian shared some of his secrets for success in a 2023 MasterClass episode.
• He said founders need to be generalists, build the right team, and get comfortable with rejection.
• Ohanian also emphasized the importance of shipping a product, even if it's in basic form. 

Alexis Ohanian cofounded Reddit when he was just 22 years old.

The former executive chairman started the company in June 2005 with his college roommate Steve Huffman. Just over a year later, the pair sold Reddit to Condé Nast for a reported $10 million.

Ohanian stepped down from Reddit's board in June 2020, but has kept a foot in the investing world.

Ohanian is a cofounder at Angel City, a board member of Apecoin, and has made more than 220 investments, according to PitchBook data.

In a 2023 episode of MasterClass, Ohanian explained what it's like to be on the other side of the investment table and shared his top tips for startup founders.

"Entrepreneurship is as simple as having ideas and doing them, and everyone is capable of it," he said, adding it had never been easier to become an entrepreneur.

"A founder today has more and more leverage than they did a decade ago. So many of the different components have been automated or semi-automated through software."

Being successful means being able to turn these ideas into a workable product, and having the resistance to keep going, Ohanian said.

1. Be a generalist

Part of being a successful start-up founder is being relentless and adaptable.

"Early on, you have to be willing to wear all the hats — you have to be willing to be a generalist," Ohanian said during the class.

Leaders need to be willing to take on jobs outside their comfort zone, even if they're not used to doing them. According to Ohanian, this attitude also needs to extend to early employees at start-ups.

"This scrappiness needs to infect not just the founding team but those early employees because you're going to find yourself in a situation where something just needs to get done," he said.

2. Ship something — even if it's basic

It's important to show investors that your ideas can work in the real world — even if it's a basic prototype.

"Minimum viable product" (MVP) is a term used in the start-up world to describe a product with enough features to attract early adopter customers and validate a product idea.

"It's something you can put in front of customers, or users, or potential clients, or partners. It's gives you some idea of whether or not your on the right track," Ohanian said.

This may be enough to draw in some investors, but building this foundation also means startups have something to work on and improve.

"Execution is everything," Ohanian said. "That's not just doing the work — that's doing the right work."

Figuring out your edge and continuously improving the product "is the most important thing you could spend your time on in those first six months," he added.

3. Get comfortable hearing no

Securing funding can be a lengthy process for start-ups.

Getting told no repeatedly is just a "part of fundraising," Ohanian said.

"There is not a single CEO out there who has not been told no more times than yes," he added. "The nature of being an entrepreneur is getting really comfortable hearing no."

Ohanian suggested that early founders focus on shipping something, even if it's basic, and sharing that widely on social media. Gaining a social profile could encourage investors to come directly to founders, allowing them to do less cold-calling.

4. Build the right team

Hiring the first employee is a major milestone for any startup, but it's also a decision that could make or break the company.

"Hiring well, hiring quickly is very hard to do; there's no hack," Ohanian said, noting that the rise of remote work had made the process even more complicated.

"The first 10 employees you hire are going to define the culture for the company for the rest of time. An ideal hire needs to be willing to help build the plane while you're flying it."

Ohanian recommended founders look outside their network when hiring and aggressively reach out to talent on platforms like X.

He also suggests founders focus on creating job ads that stand out: "In an environment where everyone is doing something the same way, being demonstrably different, it gives people something to want to talk about."

• NetJets has sued its pilots' union, accusing it of defamation over safety claims.
• The union took out an ad referencing the Boeing blowout, but NetJets doesn't operate any Boeing planes.
• "We view the lawsuit as an attempt to silence us," the union's president said this week.

NetJets, the private jet firm owned by Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway, is suing its pilots' union.

Filed Monday in an Ohio state court, the lawsuit accuses the union of defaming NetJets.

The company sells ownership shares in private aircraft, giving customers the right to fly for a certain number of hours with short notice.

The lawsuit claims the 3,400-member NetJets Association of Shared Aircraft Pilots (NJASAP) made false statements about the safety of the company's operations.

In 2023, NJASAP said that training is being conducted by people "who have little to no knowledge of NetJets' standard operating procedures and aircraft," per the suit.

It adds that this year, the union published an article saying NetJets "persists in its effort to draw down a once vibrant safety culture."

The suit also said that in late January, the NJASAP took out an ad in The Wall Street Journal referencing the door plug blowout on an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max, reading: "NetJets Owners: What if you looked out your window and saw a panel of the plane?"

That blowout sparked a crisis at Boeing as the planemaker works to improve its safety culture amid increased scrutiny from regulators.

However, NetJets doesn't operate any Boeing planes. Its lawyers said the ad was false and "clearly intended to alarm" customers.

NetJets is asking the court for unspecified damages and to prohibit the union from making more statements.

In a Wednesday press release, the NJASAP president, Pedor Leroux, said: "We view the lawsuit as an attempt to silence us."

"However, NJASAP has a federally protected right and an organizational and moral responsibility to our members — the NetJets pilots — and to our customers to raise safety issues, and we will continue to do just that," he added.

NetJets did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider outside US working hours.

• Michael Doolin has worked in HR for 36 years. He was an HR direct for PwC, British Airways and DPD. 
• He said employees often don't get the recognition or feedback they want from their bosses.
• The HR veteran shares what signs employees can look for that suggest they are good at their jobs. 

This as-told-to essay is based on a transcribed conversation with Michael Doolin, a former HR director at PwC, British Airways and DPD based in Ireland. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

After 36 years in HR, you realize a few things about people. I think 50% of the workforce come to do a good job and simply want a "Thank you" at the end of the day. Too many employers fail to recognize that simple acknowledgment can go a long way in keeping people engaged.

People don't always know where they stand at work regarding performance. Ambitious people focused on advancement will be looking for recognition daily. Subtle hints, like a boss inviting someone to lunch or spending more time with someone else, might generate a sense of inequality, which, at its extreme, can magnify feelings of stress, anxiety, and insecurity.

Performance management, like appraisals, should be done more regularly than once a year. It should be an ongoing debate between you and your boss. There's a great mantra from a previous boss of mine: there should be no surprises. To ensure that, employers should have discussions and performance reviews throughout the year.

For me, being good at your job is about how much you're growing, how much you're adding value, and how much you're recognized. If your boss isn't vocal about your performance, these are signs you're still performing well at work.

Working efficiently

The ease at which you can do your job — how challenging or awkward it might be — is a good indication of how you're performing. You might find that your emails are going down or you've got time at the end of the day, week, or month because you've overachieved.

Conversely, if you keep more paper in the bottom left-hand drawer because you haven't gotten to it, it may signal that you're underperforming.

That being said, having a never-ending inbox doesn't mean you're doing badly. Automate as much as possible and embrace technology and better practices. These are all signs of a proactive learner. Set up email rules so that you only see the things that are important.

Proper planning

Planning and prioritizing work is a sign that you're working well. Your boss shouldn't be getting any surprises. Leaving things to the last minute and giving rushed responses does not convey competency.

You might be giving frequent reports and updates, and you'll be showing up to work on time.

Positive feedback

If you're getting positive comments from colleagues, clients, and customers on work-related matters, it's a sign that you're doing something right.

Engagement

One of the greatest indications of performance is how engaged you are at work, informally and formally. Engagement can be evidenced in a number of ways: attendance, appearance, collaboration with colleagues, emails going up or down, and general intellectual curiosity or participation in workplace meetings, gatherings, or conversations.

For an employer, getting to know your people and how they operate is crucial. It's underrated.

People operate differently when they're under pressure. Employers can identify those stress points if they have a better sense of that person's motivations and moods. The best way to do this is by spending time with them.

A work environment should not focus solely on the workplace. We need to remember that the individual is someone who brings unique talents. Therefore, seeing the person as a whole rather than only what they bring to their daily tasks is important — both for the employer and the employee.

Bringing solutions, not problems

If you're performing well at work, you're likely to come up with solutions, not problems. You might turn up to meetings armed with ideas that you've thought of and researched. Coming up with a solution that's well-evaluated is useful. And if you make a mistake, you'll acknowledge it and have a workaround.

Curiosity

An important sign that work is going well is if you're curious. You'll ask questions and be keen to learn. You might question internal processes, like why things are run a certain way, looking to remove roadblocks and create opportunities. This shows that you're inquisitive and that you want to add value.

Ask for feedback if you're still unsure

If you feel you need feedback, ask for it. Ask your line manager or supervisor: How am I doing? What do I do well? What do I not do well? Tell them you'd appreciate regular feedback, and suggest grabbing 15 minutes at the end of the day. This can be done informally.

Like running a race, you can always establish what your own PBs look like and create your own milestones, whether it's getting your inbox down to zero or taking on a new client. You can do this by keeping a workplace diary or setting your own KPIs.

Take some perspective, too. Many people focus on self-actualization in relation to their jobs instead of their lives. Don't just define your worth and status by your position at work. Consider what a good child, partner, parent, or friend you are.

• A US veteran who fought in Ukraine described the intense, close-quarters trench warfare there.
• He said that sometimes when they took a trench they would pile Russian bodies outside like sandbags.
• Other soldiers said they slept on top of Russian bodies as it was too dangerous to remove them.

A US veteran who fought in Ukraine said that after taking trenches from the Russians, he and his comrades would pile up the bodies of the dead troops outside like sandbags for added defense and to keep the rats out.

The former soldier, who spoke to Business Insider on the condition of anonymity about his experiences fighting against Russia's invasion, said that after capturing a trench from Russian soldiers, "we would take the Russian bodies that were inside the trenches with us and then we put them on the opposite side of the trench that's facing the new Russian positions. "

"Like fucking sandbags basically is what we'd use them for."

The veteran began fighting in Ukraine after Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, and he left the country last December after engaging in combat in some of the war's most intense areas, like Kharkiv and Bakhmut.

He said they would always remove Russian bodies from the trenches because "we wouldn't want them in the trench just because that allows more rats and decay."

"We'd kind of just nudge them out a little as far as we can while staying inside the trenches."

That hasn't necessarily been the case across the front, though. He pointed to reports that Ukrainian soldiers who took Russian trenches had to sit and sleep on body bags with dead Russian soldiers inside of them because the situation made it too dangerous to remove them.

He said that "luckily" that didn't happen to him.

Some soldiers have said that the concentration of weaponry and intensity of the fight around them did, at times, make it too difficult to remove Russian bodies, as coming out of the trench would be a risky move that could leave a soldier among the fallen.

A Ukrainian soldier, Oleksandr Yabchanka, previously described to BI his experiences holed up in a dugout that had dead Russian soldiers inside it. The Ukrainians were unable to lift the corpses out because of the constant artillery fire and could only push the bodies to the dugout's edge and bury them under some dirt, he said.

Trenches like World War I

Trench warfare has become a defining feature of the war between Russia and Ukraine, with both sides building vast networks of trenches to hide in and launch attacks from.

The veteran BI spoke with said that he found fighting in them "weird as shit, man, because I never thought that we would go back to trench warfare. And, the next thing I know, I feel like I'm fighting in World War I."

In that war, trenches ran across Europe. Troops inside battled rats, injuries, diseases, and relentless artillery fire. And outside, they faced unforgiving machine-gun fire in assaults across the space in between trenches called "No Man's Land." In WWI, battles sometimes left hundreds of thousands of soldiers dead.

Other soldiers and foreign veterans in Ukraine, as well as warfare experts, have also compared elements of this conflict to World War I, due to the slow, grinding nature of the conflict, the proliferation of trenches, the high death toll, and the heavy use of artillery.

Another American veteran, with the call sign Jackie, previously told BI that fighting in the eastern city of Bakhmut looked "like World War I." The devastation and death in that broken city led soldiers on both sides to refer to the fighting there as the "meat grinder." Tens of thousands of troops are believed to have been killed in Bakhmut.

An ambulance driver in Ukraine compared that fight to the 1916 Battle of Verdun, the longest battle of WWI, in an interview with France24.

The veteran who shared his experiences with BI said that most of his fighting took place outside of trenches, compared to other units, which were much more trench-based. But he's had brutal experiences in them.

"There's been a few times where we're sitting in a trench," and there's "artillery shells just dropping around you for hours on end."

Then, at some point, you look up, and the enemy's on you. "You see fucking a dozen or more Russians bum-rushing your trench, and then you got to go to work," he said.

In the trenches, fighting was extremely close quarters. He said he fought in Iraq as a contractor before experiencing Ukraine's trench warfare. "It's very real," he said. "And it's very close, and honestly, it's more intense than fucking anything else I've ever been through."

As he was carrying out assault operations, the veteran said that he never had to sit in trenches for days on end as many others fighting for Ukraine have had to. "Thank God for that," he said.

He described assaulting trenches as extremely dangerous, saying that there wasn't a "single trench raiding mission where we didn't take multiple casualties." He said that when Ukraine is assaulting, Russia has a defensive, home-field advantage.

"You're trying to work your way through a trench that you've never been in before," the veteran said, explaining that "you're basically trying to take the home of another individual who's lived there for days, weeks, months at this point."

"They know every nook and cranny. They know every turn," he said.

He said the experience could vary wildly depending on what training and enthusiasm the Russian soldiers he encountered had.

"I've jumped in the trenches where the Russians give up immediately, like, 'Oh, fuck this shit.' Or they try running away immediately," he said. "Other times, you're literally fighting for every square inch that you go through. They do not want to give it up."

• A European advocacy group filed complaints in 11 countries over a new Meta AI policy.
• NOYB, or None of Your Business, said Meta's new policy would let it scrape user data to train AI.
• Unlike American users, Europeans have an option to opt out of sharing their information.

Meta is scrambling to compete in the red-hot AI arms race, but an advocacy group is demanding nearly a dozen European countries force Meta to pump the breaks.

The European advocacy group announced complaints in 11 European countries over an upcoming Meta policy change that would allow it to scrape old user data from Facebook to train its artificial intelligence models.

Meta "plans to use years of personal posts, private images, or online tracking data for an undefined 'AI technology' that can ingest personal data from any source and share any information with undefined 'third parties,'" the group, aptly named None of Your Business, or NOYB, said in a press announcement asking authorities to step in and suspend the policy.

Meta's updated privacy policy is scheduled to go live in late June. It would impact some 400 million European users, NOYB said. The group said it was concerning that users would have to manually opt out of providing data in the future.

"Instead of asking users for their consent (opt-in), Meta argues that it has a legitimate interest that overrides the fundamental right to data protection and privacy of European users," NOYB said. Europe has strict data privacy laws outlined in the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation, which went into effect in 2018 and has had a profound effect on Big Tech's operations in Europe.

NOYB filed complaints in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, and Spain.

A Meta spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider, but the company previously told Reuters that its new policy followed the law.

"We are confident that our approach complies with privacy laws, and our approach is consistent with how other tech companies are developing and improving their AI experiences in Europe (including Google and Open AI)," a Meta spokesperson said, according to Reuters.

In the United States, Meta AI has already had access to public user data and private chat conversations on Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, and there is no way to fully opt out of sharing your information, The Washington Post reported.

• Cheryl Sands moved from Illinois to Costa Rica, fearing retirement costs in the US.
• As costs rose, she struggled to live on her pension and Social Security despite working two jobs.
• Many Americans are relocating to Latin America for cheaper living and better quality of life.

Cheryl Sands, 69, had worked two jobs at a time for much of her life, but after seeing her two older siblings work into their 70s and 80s to afford daily costs, she knew it was time to move from Illinois — and the US.

She feared her teaching pension and Social Security wouldn't be enough to live on without continuing to work. She had saved about $300,000, but into her 60s, she had two jobs to keep her savings stable.

She looked to Costa Rica as an option, having visited a few times prior, and she knew the cost of living was cheaper and life was calmer. She moved earlier this year and has loved it since.

"What I love about Costa Rica is the freedom, work ethic, value of learning and education, taking responsibility for their and their children's actions and accepting the consequences of their actions, pride in what they have, even if it's not much, respect for others, positive attitudes, and valuing children and the elderly," Sands said.

Sands is one of many Americans who moved to Latin America for their retirement. Some recently told Business Insider they were scared they wouldn't have enough money for a comfortable retirement in the US and thought living in Latin America would be cheaper. Others said they found new income opportunities that were much more relaxed than in the US.

Life in the US got more expensive

Sands lived in northern Illinois for much of her life. At one point, she described herself as a "professional student" who accumulated various degrees but did not know what to do with them. She worked odd jobs until she was 35. Eventually, she became a chemistry teacher in Aurora, about 40 miles from Chicago.

She taught for over 20 years, and in 2007, she quit her job and put her house up for sale. She assumed that the equity on her home would be her savings for another house, but she said it lost a lot of value amid the 2008 housing crisis.

She moved to the Illinois-Kentucky border and bought a cheap house on 10 acres in Shawnee National Forest. She said the home was "deserted and isolated," and she enjoyed living in peaceful nature.

Sands received a pension from teaching, but it wasn't enough for her to live on. She worked as a substitute teacher and installed barbed wire and chain link fencing on properties in the area to help pay her bills. She said people in her area were shocked because she held two jobs even in retirement. Her 82-year-old sister and 78-year-old brother still work as well.

Sands increasingly felt out of place. She was 25 miles from the closest town, meaning going to medical appointments was a growing hassle, and taking care of her property was more challenging and expensive.

Between her Social Security and pension, she earned $30,000 a year, not nearly enough to enter an assisted living or retirement community. Her property taxes increased 165% in one year, and the cost of deliveries from stores like Walmart also spiked.

Though she had a comfortable home, she worried she wouldn't have enough money to live without constantly worrying or working two jobs. She considered moving to a more urban area but couldn't imagine paying more for a much smaller home.

"I did not see myself being able to go anywhere, and I could see myself having to fall into the public support sector after not too long because I would not have any money," Sands said.

Moving to Costa Rica

She remembered a trip to Costa Rica in 1995 and visited in 2022 and 2023 to see if escaping retirement in the US by living there was viable.

"Last fall, I sold my house, sold all my belongings, packed up my two 90-pound dogs, packed as much as I could fit in carpet bags and suitcases, and left," Sands said.

She moved to a condo in the Guanacaste region in northwest Costa Rica earlier this year. Within three weeks, she realized it wasn't big enough for her dogs, so she searched for another rental property. She chose not to buy a home as she's still waiting on her pensioner visa.

She rented another home for $1,100 a month, a one-bedroom house a short walk from the beach. Her home is in Junquillal, a town between Santa Cruz and Tamarindo.

She has a 30-foot treehouse with views of the ocean and mountains. Her property is surrounded by trees, and she has a large front yard for her dogs. Her home has reliable internet and electricity, which are included in her rent.

Sands said nearly everyone she's met has been very friendly, and she hasn't had much of an issue with the language barrier. Many residents speak some English, and she's learning Spanish to feel more at home. Still, she said many people think she's wealthy because she's from the US.

"It's incomprehensible that with the money I had, I didn't have enough money to live where I lived, and I came here because it's less expensive," Sands said. "I feel more welcomed here than I did in Southern Illinois."

She said the cost of food is much lower than the US, though portion sizes for packaged goods are smaller. She's valued the wide selection of fresh produce and fish, though the stores in her small town don't have everything she needs. Dairy products are also rather expensive, she's noticed.

The closest city is about a half-hour drive, which is $50-$75 each way via taxi. She doesn't need to worry about owning a car as she said vehicles are a luxury and "for the very brave."

While the cost of living is much lower in Costa Rica, the exchange rate between the US dollar and Costa Rican colón has worsened, meaning prices in Costa Rica have recently shot up. Her Walmart bill, for example, increased by at least a third in just a month.

Still, she's not too stressed about money anymore. She wakes up at 5:30 a.m. each morning, takes her dogs for a walk, swims for a few hours, does household chores, and reads — which she acknowledges she rarely had time for as a teacher.

"It doesn't sound like much, but my days are full," she said. "If I were back in the US, I would have to be worrying about weeding my flower beds, mowing the lawn, and chainsawing trees."

She's considered making some extra income by purchasing homes and converting them into rental properties for tourists. She also wants to move into a permanent home by August and continue learning about the local culture.

"I do attempt to plan for future financial expenses to avoid not having any money, but I don't obsess over it because life often changes things in ways you would not ever plan for," Sands said.

Have you recently left the United States for a new country? Reach out to this reporter at nsheidlower@businessinsider.com.

• Driving Tesla's Cybertruck was a mix of fun, frustration, and embarrassment. 
• The truck includes all the standard Tesla features, plus some extras not found on the Model 3 or Y.
• The speedy acceleration was a blast and the adjustable suspension made it easy to exit the truck.

I spent three days with Tesla's long-awaited Cybertruck.

It was one of the strangest — and most frustrating — trips I've taken in a while. (It was also embarrassing, with people gawking everywhere I went.) But across miles of highways, city blocks, and tight parking lots, the truck proved to be fast and fun, albeit ridiculously weird-looking.

It had all the standard Tesla features, like a huge screen for controlling almost everything, along with some extras thrown in that you can't find on the Model 3 and Model Y.

I also found some silly things that Tesla seemed to overlook (like a bad charging port design and a lack of ceiling handles for entering and exiting), but other little touches made the $100,000 truck feel luxurious.

Here are 10 features that impressed me:

The acceleration was a blast.

The acceleration was hands-down my favorite thing about the truck. Pop it into sport mode (making sure any passengers have their heads on the headrest), floor the accelerator, and hang on tight. From 0 to 60, 70, 80, and (presumably) even more, the truck doesn't hesitate while gobbling up the road ahead.

The regenerative braking, which isn't optional, took a while to get used to — and was particularly tricky for the first few miles I drove in the truck each day. Back off the accelerator to coast like you're used to in a traditional car, and you'll be in for a nauseous ride. But hold the pedal in place, and the truck cruises smoothly down the road, responding to small touches as needed.

Hidden wireless charging offered easy convenience.

Throw your phone in the slot next to the cupholder where it (or a key) needs to be to operate the truck, and quick, automatic wireless charging kicks in. It's a classy touch that surprised me when I used it, and I would definitely appreciate it if this were my own vehicle.

The lack of door handles had a surprising upside.

Although the lack of traditional door handles was strange at first, I got used to it quickly. And when my hands were full, the doors were surprisingly simple to open. To enter, you press a button on the door pillar, and the door pops ajar — just enough to grab it and open it fully (or nudge or kick or whatever it takes, depending on the situation).

Tesla’s nifty trip planner accounts for variables like the weather.

I drove to a Supercharger one day and tested out the Cybertruck trip planner's range estimation. The planner logged details like hard acceleration (my bad), strong winds, and air conditioning (a necessity in Texas) as factors contributing to changes in its assumed final charge level.

When all was said and done, its original estimate was only a few miles off from what it had projected hundreds of miles before. Impressive! Especially since some other automakers have struggled with similar software.

The Cybertruck is loaded with electrical outlets.

The truck is electric, after all, so it should be easy to sip on some of that juice. Handy plugs around the truck's bed and frunk, as well as inside the cabin for electronic devices, are a common feature of most electric trucks, and the Cybertruck was no exception.

The back seat was nearly as enjoyable as the front.

I don't think anyone would be mad about being stuck in the Cybertruck's back seat on a longer road trip.

It's much more comfortable than most pickup truck cabs, with plenty of legroom and seats that aren't completely vertical. And you get a personal entertainment screen with games and movies, total climate control, natural light from the sunroof, and cupholders.

The Cybertruck's adjustable suspension made it easier to enter and exit.

To be clear, the Cybertruck is bigger than it needs to be, but that's true for 99% of the trucks on American roads. Still, I appreciated how the truck's adjustable suspension lowered a few inches when shifted into park for an easier entry and exit.

While driving, you can adjust this suspension higher or lower for comfort, as well.

The lockable glove box didn't require a key.

Everything on this truck is supposed to be futuristic and the glove box is no exception. Even though I had full access to the truck with the keycard and app permissions, the Turo host was able to store things (what are they hiding?) in the glove box that I could not access without a PIN.

No latch or lock also delivers a clean aesthetic.

The powered bed cover was easy to maneuver.

The tonneau cover on the Cybertruck is just as important for its alien looks as it is for aerodynamics and security. It's controllable through the app, the interior screen, and buttons on the bed rails — and comes standard on the $100,000 truck.

Really fast charging was highly convenient.

The first 800-volt powertrain in Tesla's lineup charges impressively fast. Tesla has said the Cybertruck can travel up to 340 miles on a single charge and has promised to eventually release a range extender, or optional second battery pack.

Some Cybertruck reviewers have said the truck's peak power tapers off quickly. But I didn't experience this in my two charging experiences, thanks to a limit the owner had set to protect the batteries' long-term health.

• AI has been a controversial topic for teachers since ChatGPT launched.
• OpenAI, Google, and Microsoft have all tried to show how their AI assistants can help with learning.
• Educators said they're actually optimistic about using gen AI to save time.

Big Tech wants people to believe that artificial intelligence is a good idea in the classroom. Educators say that it actually is.

In May, OpenAI, Microsoft, and Google — three companies leading the charge in the AI arms race — debuted impressive demonstrations of their chatbots, and education was a talking point at each of their events.

Google highlighted Gemini Education as a tool for teachers using Workspace to create agendas, summarize meetings, and elevate presentations. When OpenAI launched GPT-4o, it featured a virtual tutor who could help with an algebra equation via video in real time.

Microsoft announced a partnership with online learning platform Khan Academy to offer teachers a free AI tool called Khanmigo for planning lessons, assignments, and tracking student performance.

Microsoft's billionaire founder, Bill Gates, has also been outspoken about his belief that AI "will enhance" education.

And despite worries — including whether students will use ChatGPT to cheat on their schoolwork — time-pressured education professionals appear to be positive about generative AI can to help teachers. One major reason: it can help them use their hours better.

Take Tierra Harris, a third-grade teacher based in Texas. Harris has taken full advantage of generative AI services this school year to access resources "in a matter of seconds."

Harris said she uses ChatGPT to help her craft letters to parents, respond to emails, and even create quizzes based on her current lesson plans — all the parts of teaching that don't involve standing in front of a room full of kids.

There's still a way to go before AI is fully integrated into public schools, but Harris, who asked BI not to name her place of work as her comments on AI are personal and not necessarily the school district's stance, said that she's also hopeful that she can soon send AI resources to parents who need assistance with helping them with homework.

"My principal has encouraged us to lean into it and not be afraid of the kids getting ahold of it," she said.

Curby Alexander, an associate education professor at Texas Christian University, said it's helped him teach his college-level students, too.

Alexander told BI that AI helps with brainstorming ideas and developing case studies — things he would've had to come up with on his own before —"without taking up a lot of class time."

His students are also learning from the imperfections of the technology, and sharpening their skills on how to spot where AI-generated content falls short.

AI can "blow the ceiling off" for students

Elsewhere, there are educators whose entire programs depend on AI.

MacKenzie Price is an advocate for disrupting the traditional eight-hour school day. Price cofounded 2hr Learning and Alpha School, a program where students learn academics for two hours using an AI tutor and spend the rest of the day developing life skills "like leadership and financial literacy and public speaking and grit," she told Business Insider.

She said that assigning academic tuition to AI lets kids have a more personalized experience and learn at their own level, avoiding lagging behind their classmates.

"It can literally raise the floor of what's possible for students, and then just blow the ceiling off and help students wherever they're at," she told BI.

Naturally, concerns about the safety and reliability of using AI in the classroom have arisen.

Beyond data worries, "educators recognize that AI can automatically produce output that is inappropriate or wrong. They are wary that the associations or automation created by AI may amplify unwanted biases," the US Department of Education said in a report published in May 2023. "They are well-aware of 'teachable moments' and pedagogical strategies that a human teacher can address but are undetected or misunderstood by AI models."

However, the report also pointed to the opportunities provided by AI, including helping adapt resources to students' needs, using AI speech recognition to increase the support available to students with disabilities, and helping teachers "extend the support they offer to individual students when they run out of time."

And though some teachers worry — like many other workers — that AI will take their jobs, "to the contrary, the Department firmly rejects the idea that AI could replace teachers," the report read.

The intersection of AI and education is seen as necessary — as necessary as teaching kids how to use AI if they want to be prepared for their adult life, according to 2hr Learning and Alpha School's Price.

Most importantly, it's seen as saving teachers' time on non-teaching work.

"Teachers in our country are overworked, they're underpaid, and they're underappreciated. They've been given this impossible task of trying to teach every single student," Price said.

Price believes AI could be the tool that finally changes that.