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Almost Friday! Distance makes the heart grow fonder, but don't let it fool you into thinking the old TV bundle was a good deal. Navigating streaming services is a better bet than getting stuck with a take-it-or-leave-it package.

In today's big story, inflation is cooling just in time for a US presidential election that will likely focus heavily on the economy.

What's on deck:

• Markets: How giant quant funds like Renaissance Technologies and Two Sigma did in April.
• Tech: Inside Google's big reorg to prepare for the AI era.
• Business: Jobseekers and recruiters are all using AI. It's chaos.

But first, cool (inflation) for the summer.

If this was forwarded to you, sign up here.

The big story

The economy and the election

Sometimes, the biggest surprise is when there isn't one at all.

Market experts haven't seemed much like "experts" this year, with their economic predictions mostly missing the mark. Nowhere is that more obvious than their recent inflation estimates, which have been off target.

Both sides finally connected on Wednesday, as April's inflation report aligned with what experts expected. The Consumer Price Index increased 3.4%, a slight cooling from March's 3.5% year-over-year increase, writes Business Insider's Madison Hoff.

But don't start counting your summer interest-rate cuts before they're announced. As much as investors are begging for the Fed's policy to loosen up, rushing things could spell trouble, writes BI's Jennifer Sor.

Market vet Ed Yardeni warned a June or July rate cut would create a market "meltup." Think of it like a sugar high: Stocks surge initially from the relief but eventually suffer a steep drop.

The first cut seems more likely to come in the fall. After all, Fed Chair Jerome Powell hasn't indicated he's in a rush.

CME's FedWatch Tool seems to agree, with interest-rate traders viewing the September Fed meeting as the favorite for rates to drop.

That timeline means the first rate cut will precede the US presidential election.

Powell has said the election won't influence the central bank's decision. And he does have ties to both candidates — former President Donald Trump nominated him, President Joe Biden renominated him. But it's hard not to see how lowering rates for the first time so close to the election couldn't have an impact.

The economy always weighs heavy on the mind of the American voter, but even more so now. Inflation, home prices, and the cost of education and healthcare are top concerns for many voters heading into November.

On Wednesday, Biden and Trump agreed to face off in two debates, the first coming in June. But you don't have to wait to see where they stand on these economic topics.

BI's economy and politics team detailed Biden and Trump's plans across eight major economic categories by analyzing their time in the White House and their campaign promises.

While the two are far apart on some issues (student-loan debt) there is common ground (tax cuts for low- and middle-income households).

Still, chasms exist between both sides' perceptions of how their candidate ran the economy.

Take a KFF poll, which found 91% of Democratic voters believe Biden has done more to address healthcare costs.

Meanwhile, 91% of Republicans believe Trump did better while in office.

3 things in markets

1. Roaring Kitty's back, but it's all starting to feel weird. Keith Gill's return sparked a massive rally among meme stocks in what felt like a revival of 2021's wild short squeeze. But as the stocks fall back down to Earth, the random video compilations he's been posting feel more like a mid-life crisis than a return to the glory days.
2. Quant hedge funds' April report cards are in. Renaissance Technologies, whose founder Jim Simons passed away earlier this month, saw its largest fund up 1.8% in April. Meanwhile, other quantitative giants like Two Sigma and D.E. Shaw had more modest gains. Check them all out here.
3. Stocks have peaked for the year, Goldman Sachs says. The equity-market rally has run its course and the S&P 500 won't end 2024 above its current level, according to the bank's chief US equity strategist David Kostin. There's no economic, valuation, or earnings argument for further upside right now, he said in an interview with Bloomberg TV.

3 things in tech

1. AI is changing the battle between Android and iPhone. Sameer Samat, Google's Android chief, said AI marks a massive opportunity for the Android ecosystem — ultimately reinventing what smartphones can do.
2. How Google reshuffled its top ranks to get ahead in AI. CEO Sundar Pichai redesigned his leadership team with a mixture of long-timers and established leaders to speed up decisions. Now he has 18 direct reports, according to an internal org chart seen by Business Insider.
3. AI companies are pivoting away from the largest, most-advanced models. Microsoft, Google, Apple, and OpenAI all recently released smaller, cheaper AI tools. They're likely betting that enterprise customers will prioritize affordability over cutting-edge technology.

3 things in business

1. Getting a job is getting really weird. On the business side, AI is being used to write job descriptions, judge applicants' skills, and rate candidates' responses. On the applicant side, people are using AI to write their résumés and apply to hundreds of jobs at a time. It's total chaos — and only getting worse.
2. Netflix just solidified your Christmas plans. The streamer inked a three-year deal with the NFL to show its football games, two of which will be aired on Christmas this year. While the deal is a boost for the streamer, it's also another subscription fans will need to pay for to catch games.
3. Meet AWS's new "bulldozer" boss. Matt Garman will become the new CEO of Amazon's cloud division in June. The 18-year veteran is known for being direct and earlier this year completed a major organizational shake-up that eliminated overlapping roles and redundancy.

In other news

• Brands aren't hurt by advertising on hard news, a new report finds.
• I have spent entirely too much time thinking about Mark Zuckerberg's outfit at his birthday party.
• Adam Neumann is now in the publishing business, with his residential real estate company buying a quirky Montauk surfing magazine.

What's happening today

• Today's earnings: Walmart is among the companies reporting.

The Insider Today team: Dan DeFrancesco, deputy editor and anchor, in New York. Jordan Parker Erb, editor, in New York. Hallam Bullock, senior editor, in London. George Glover, reporter, in London.

• McDonald's is reportedly planning to offer a $5 meal deal for a month this summer.
• But some customers are already saying that the promotion isn't worth it. 
• Diners are cutting back on fast food because of costs, eating at sit-down restaurants or at home.

McDonald's is trying to win back customers with a $5 meal deal this summer. But some diners are already lampooning the offer.

The fast-food chain will start offering the deal for about a month beginning June 25 at its US restaurants, the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday. The meal will come with customers' choice of a McDouble or McChicken, as well as a small fries, four McNuggets, and a small soft drink.

But while the deal doesn't start for over a month, some consumers already say it isn't worth it.

One X user replied to the company's official account to criticize the fact that it's only a temporary promotion:

Another called the deal "skimpy," referring to an earlier-reported version of the promotion that wouldn't have included chicken nuggets:

McDonald's is offering the promotion as a way of boosting foot traffic at its restaurants, according to the Journal. However, some franchisees are skeptical of the plan and have expressed doubt that they can offer the meal profitably at just $5.

They're not alone. On TikTok, user sources_say questioned how McDonald's is even able to offer the deal, citing a jump in food prices over the last few years.

"I'm not going to get that," he says in the video. "How is this food so cheap due to inflation?"

A spokesperson for McDonald's did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment.

The promotion is the latest example of how the chain is trying to cater to customers looking for good deals as food prices have spiraled during a broader sustained period of inflation. McDonald's is limiting price increases overall in light of customers the company thinks are "price weary," executives said on an earnings call earlier this month.

Some customers are turning to sit-down chain restaurants instead of fast food to get more for their money. Some of those chains are even taking aim at fast-food joints with new offerings, such as a new smash burger at Chili's.

• Neuralink reported a malfunction in its patient's brain-chip implant weeks after insertion.
• Noland Arbaugh told Bloomberg he "cried a little bit" after he found out about the malfunction. 
• He thought his "journey was coming to an end" despite getting used to using the implant. 

The first person to get a Neuralink brain implant said he "cried a little bit" after finding out there had been a malfunction with the device.

Noland Arbaugh told Bloomberg he realized the implant had malfunctioned weeks after he had the device inserted in January.

The 29-year-old said he noticed a delay between his thoughts and moving the computer cursor, and he was told by Neuralink that the device's wires, or "threads," had pulled away from his brain.

"At first, they didn't know how serious it would be or a ton about it. It was really hard to hear. I thought I'd gotten to use it for maybe a month, and then my journey was coming to an end," Arbaugh said.

Neuralink used a blog post last week to disclose the implant had malfunctioned, and give a progress update.

The implant, called "The Link," has more than 1,000 electrodes and 64 threads, each thinner than a strand of human hair. Some of the threads pulled out of position, and The Wall Street Journal reported that the company has considered removing the device entirely.

Arbaugh added: "I thought they would just keep collecting some data but that they were really going to move on to the next person. I cried a little bit."

Elon Musk's neurotech firm also said in the blog it had fixed the issue and the implant was now functioning better than before.

Since Arbaugh had surgery to get it inserted, the quadriplegic has been using it to surf the web, play computer games, and control his laptop while lying in bed — something he wasn't able to do before.

Neuralink didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

• Fed Chair Jerome Powell said that he expects interest rates to stay higher for longer.
• He said his confidence that inflation will slow "is not as high as it was."
• Still, the slowing job market is a sign that the economy is moving in the right direction.

Inflation and interest rates are still high, but Americans shouldn't count on any relief just yet.

Since July 2023, the Federal Reserve has held interest rates steady as it continues to work toward its 2% inflation target, and it looks like rates might stay the same for longer than previously expected.

The year-over-year increase in the Consumer Price Index, which measures inflation, came in at 3.4% in April, per a news release from the Bureau of Labor Statistics out Wednesday. That's just below March's 3.5% increase and shows that despite the slight cooling, inflation is still remaining stubbornly high. Core CPI, which excludes food and energy prices, increased 3.6% from April 2023 to this past April, a small dip from the 3.8% year-over-year rise in March.

Mark Hamrick, Bankrate senior economic analyst, said in a statement that those rates "remain irritatingly high."

"The status of the battle against inflation requires that interest rates remain elevated in the near-term," Hamrick said.

Fed Chair Jerome Powell elaborated on the implications of this year's inflation readings during a Tuesday panel discussion in Amsterdam. While his comments were before Wednesday's release, his message is still relevant: Americans should get used to interest rates being higher for longer until the Fed feels confident enough that inflation is moving in the right direction.

"The first quarter in the United States was notable for its lack of further progress on inflation," Powell said during the panel.

"We did not expect this to be a smooth road, but these were higher than I think anybody expected," Powell added. "What that has told us is that we'll need to be patient and let restrictive policy do its work."

He added that his confidence that inflation will slow "is not as high as it was, having seen these readings in the first three months of the year."

While the Federal Open Market Committee projected three interest rate cuts for 2024 in December, it's looking more likely cuts will not happen until the second half of this year, at the earliest. Still, Powell maintained on Tuesday that the most likely outcome is that the Fed will just continue to hold rates steady.

Survey results highlight how consumers are feeling about inflation and the overall economy. University of Michigan Surveys of Consumers data published this past Friday shows consumers are feeling pretty gloomy about the economy; the results also imply that Americans are still worried about inflation.

"Year-ahead inflation expectations rose from 3.2% last month to 3.5% this month, remaining above the 2.3-3.0% range seen in the two years prior to the pandemic," Surveys of Consumers Director Joanne Hsu said.

Markets and investors, based off the CME FedWatch Tool as of Wednesday afternoon, think there's roughly a 10% chance of a cut in June, a one in three chance by July, and a roughly three-quarters chance by September.

The economy is settling down

Data about the labor market and spending show the US economy is robust but slowing into a steady groove.

Powell said policy is weighing on the labor market and interest-rate-sensitive spending, and said the Fed's "policy is the highest it's been in quite some time."

Job growth has moderated. There were 175,000 jobs added in April, far below the gains seen earlier this year. But while job seekers and workers may find this cooldown concerning, that moderation is also welcome and the labor market is still strong.

"Compared to expectations, definitely was a disappointing report," Nick Bunker, the economic research director for North America at the Indeed Hiring Lab, told Business Insider. "But, I think if the underlying trend in the labor market is toward moderation, you're going to have reports like this from time to time that come in a little bit weaker than expected or what you'd want to see."

New data out Wednesday showed the change in retail and food services sales from March to April was flat after a 0.6% increase in March and a 0.7% increase just before that in February. The year-over-year change in April was also less than the change in March — 3.0% in April versus 3.8% in March.

Ted Rossman, senior industry analyst at Bankrate, told Business Insider that while the retail sales numbers weren't stellar, they are also far from being disastrous.

Rossman said spending has "remained surprisingly strong" and that if consumers are beginning to pull back on their spending, that could perhaps be "a good decision at the household level."

"It's not necessarily great for the economy, but hey, we don't want you to be in credit card debt at that average interest rate over 20%," Rossman said. "So, maybe the fact that people are eating out a little bit less and they're pulling back on bigger ticket purchases like furniture and cars, maybe that's a good rational thing in the long run."

Elizabeth Renter, a data analyst at NerdWallet, said in recent commentary that some "consumers may be pulling back slightly on spending, and who can blame them?"

"Paired with high borrowing costs — like high interest rates on your credit cards — and the current economy can feel quite uncomfortable," Renter added.

So, while Americans are likely on track for higher interest rates longer than they might have hoped, Powell said on Tuesday that it's not all bad, and things are gradually moving in the right direction.

"At the beginning, we were very concerned that the very high inflation we saw might be quite difficult to bring down without a very significant decline in employment and weakening economic activity," Powell said on Tuesday. "That didn't happen, that's just a great result."

• Christina Farr, who invests in healthcare tech startups, has ditched most of her Zoom meetings.
• Farr, 36, said she's "happier" and "healthier" after switching 90% of her meetings to the phone.
• Video calls can be more exhausting because being on camera is harder, recent research has found.

If anyone is ready to kick Zoom to the curb, it's Christina Farr.

The 36-year-old healthcare tech investor said on X, formerly Twitter, earlier this month that 90 percent of her meetings are phone calls, while 10 percent are on Zoom.

"I'm healthier, happier, and the benefits derived from taking meetings on a walk far outpace my enjoyment of seeing someone's face over a screen," wrote Farr, who also writes a Substack newsletter on healthcare technology called "Second Opinion" for 20,000 subscribers.

Other desk workers have moved away from video calls, a decision that is also backed up by recent research on Zoom fatigue.

Switching video meetings to phone calls

Speaking to Business Insider — over the phone, of course — Farr said the choice to switch to mostly phone meetings with her network of startup founders, investors, and operators happened after she developed sciatica, or nerve pain, while working remotely for a venture-capital fund in 2021.

"Suddenly, I was six months pregnant, sitting at home during a pandemic, and on these back-to-back Zoom calls," said Farr, who now mostly works a hybrid schedule. "I was just sitting all the time."

She said her condition "got so bad" that she struggled to move toward the end of her pregnancy. Though sciatica can have various causes, Farr said she firmly suspects the hours on Zoom sans physical activity was one of the main culprits.

Farr started moving her video meetings to phone calls so that she could take walks during them. She recalled some people she asked to switch formats reacted with surprise, "You feel like you're that annoying person that's like, 'Hey, do you actually mind if we don't do video?'"

But the more she asked, the more Farr — who said she has up to seven hours of meetings each weekday — realized how many other people also hated Zoom.

"People almost want to talk to me because it's the one break in the day when they don't have to be sitting," she said. "I have been getting responses like, 'Oh my God, thank you so much. I really don't want to do that either.'"

Farr knows phone calls don't work for every type of meeting, especially when visuals are crucial — like when a slide deck is being presented. However, she said, it's usually a viable option.

There's a perception that being off camera is rude

Alyssa Jaffee, a friend of Farr's who is also a healthcare-tech investor, also prefers to use the phone for most of her meetings — which can take up to 10 hours during her workday, depending on the day.

Jaffee, a partner at Chicago-based VC fund 7wireVentures, believes the pandemic propped up the idea that it's "rude" to be off-camera because "you're not present if you're not on video."

"There is a challenge around the perception that is hard to break free from," Jaffee, 37, said.

But she said it's a false narrative.

"When I am on audio only, I am often moving, I'm often walking in my neighborhood, I'm walking on the treadmill in my basement, and I'm only focused on the conversation I'm doing now," she said, adding that being on the phone mitigates the chance of being distracted by incoming notifications, emails, or other browser tabs. "There's no universe that just sitting in front of a screen looking at your own face is better for you."

Jaffee also said that some meetings that people think need to be on video because they involve presentations could actually be conducted audio-only.

"We did this long before Zoom existed for pitch calls," she said. "People used to be good storytellers."

Zoom haters have research to justify their stance

Farr's and Jaffee's criticisms of video conference calls are backed up by a recent academic journal article by Stanford professor Jeremy Bailensonon why people typically find video meetings exhausting.

Bailenson's report, which expands on his Wall Street Journal opinion piece from 2020, argues that the primary cause of "Zoom fatigue" is "nonverbal overload," because people work harder to communicate with body language.

In his newer report, Bailenson said the overload may be caused by aspects of video calls including unnatural and "intense" prolonged eye contact, constantly being able to see yourself, reduced mobility, and unconsciously having to work harder to execute "nonverbal communication."

Bailenson concluded the report with a simple suggestion: "Make 'audio only' Zoom meetings the default, or better yet, insist on taking some calls via telephone."

For Zoom haters like Farr, reports like Bailenson's are vindicating.

"I don't want to see my face. I don't particularly need to see anyone else's face," Farr said. "I certainly don't want to see your face at the expense of my own health and well-being."

• April Schultz and her husband struggle financially despite a $130,000 combined income.
• The couple, once stable with one income, now work four jobs and feel financial strain.
• They spend $200 a week on groceries for their family of seven and cut most subscriptions.

April Schultz, 40, and her husband Kevin, 45, bring in $130,000 a year in gross income combined between their four jobs and side gigs. Still, Schultz said it shocks her that such an income "feels like poverty."

"With $100,000, I feel like we should be able to do a little extra with it," Schultz said. "We should be able to have a little bit more entertainment. We should be able to shop at Costco and not worry about it."

She said a few years ago, her husband was the sole breadwinner while she stayed home with the kids, and there were few financial worries. However, now they don't have enough to comfortably pay for a Netflix subscription, which costs $15.49 a month for a standard subscription.

"We shouldn't have to have four jobs in one family," Schultz said. "I feel like that's crazy when, in 2017, we had one income and we were doing just fine."

Despite making much more than the federal poverty line — which is $47,340 for a family of 7 — Schultz and her husband are considered at the higher end of ALICE — or asset-limited, income-constrained, employed. This population often makes above the income limits to quality for government social benefits like food stamps but not enough to comfortably afford their daily expenses. Many are living paycheck to paycheck and are forced to cut back spending on some essentials to afford others.

"It's hard to get in data the frustration, the stress, the ongoing day in day out, having to make some really bad choices," Stephanie Hoopes, national director at United For ALICE, previously told BI. "Are you going to get the medicine for your kid, or are you going to have dinner tonight? Are you going to keep the electricity on? Are you going to go to childcare?"

Simpler, less expensive times

For her first two kids, finances were very tight, and they relied on assistance like Medicaid. After her husband got a government contractor job with the Department of Defense, she said finances were much more stable, even after having three more kids.

For 12 years, she was a stay-at-home mom, and she returned to work after her youngest started school in 2016. She's held bookkeeping and secretarial jobs for the last six years while the family moved around for her husband's job to states including California, Arizona, and Minnesota.

"We were able to make those moves on our own dime, and it was really comfortable living," Schultz said. "We made less than we do now."

Her husband took a second job at the airport last year, helping load and unload planes a few nights a week. Schultz took a day job at the local school, a coaching role, and she temporarily held a bookkeeping position.

In October 2023, the family sold their home in Idaho and bought a home in Mascoutah, Illinois, a small city about a half hour from St. Louis and near the Scott Air Force Base. Most residents are either in the military or are married to someone who is, she said. Still, she said the topic of affordability is a "constant conversation" in her city, as she's noticed home prices in her area skyrocket recently.

Her husband makes slightly over $100,000 before taxes between his two jobs, while she makes around $30,000. She said that while there are job opportunities in her area, most don't pay enough for the area's cost of living. She's content with her current role, which allows her to be in closer proximity to her kids.

She said some of the financial burden comes from their decision to live in Illinois instead of Missouri and to have a larger family. They pay $600 a month in property taxes in Illinois, which has the second-highest effective tax rate of any state. Still, she said the last few years have been jarringly more difficult for them.

"We can pay our bills, but there's never anything extra," said Schultz, noting that they don't go out to dinner, see movies in theaters, or travel. "We've never been on a vacation with our family."

Cutting back on extra costs

They cut cable and canceled subscriptions to platforms like Amazon Prime and Netflix. Their cars are over 15 years old and have over 200,000 miles. While they don't have car payments, they're worried one of them will break down, and they won't be able to buy another one. Additionally, they purchase clothes and furniture secondhand.

They're both still paying off student loan debt, and they've been forced to use credit cards for everyday purchases, which she said they hate doing. They mostly use an all-cash system to budget every single dollar, to see what they can save for an emergency fund. However, there hasn't been much left over, especially with rising utilities costs that are controlled by the city.

Schultz said she's desperately trying to bring food costs for the family down to just $200 a week — less than what the USDA recommends a family of four spend for a thrifty food plan. She shops at Aldi and often watches YouTube recipes for inexpensive meals. They canceled their Costco and Sam's Club memberships since they calculated that they would spend more there even though they would buy ingredients in bulk.

"Ever since COVID, we just never have been able to get ahead," Schultz said. "It's just constantly trying to struggle to get to a place where we can live without always worrying."

A few years ago, she had a cancer scare that cost $500 to get checked out. She said she shouldn't have to take a large amount out of her savings to make sure she's healthy.

She said they will not budge on investing in their kids' sports, which quickly adds up. They will always buy their kids equipment or clothes for cheerleading or choir to allow them to excel academically. However, she's told her kids they have to get scholarships to college if they want to attend or figure out a way to pay for it themselves, as they have no way of paying for any college funds.

She's not too worried about retirement, as her job has a mandatory 401(k), though her employers don't put in anything beyond their requirements. Her husband will receive retirement benefits from the government, which gives them peace of mind. They both anticipate downsizing once their kids have moved out and relocating to a more rural and cheaper place.

Still, she fears they won't be able to give their kids much down the line. She's encouraged her kids to look for ways to make money through odd jobs, as she doesn't give them an allowance and only buys them gifts for their birthdays and Christmas.

"Trying to think of 20 years down the road when we've got kids about to go to college next year, it's kind of a 'future us' problem, unfortunately," Schultz said.

Are you an ALICE struggling to make ends meet? Are you worried about retirement? Reach out to this reporter at nsheidlower@businessinsider.com.

• We spoke to interior designers to learn the common mistakes people make when decorating a bathroom.
• Shower curtains and liners that don't fit properly can distract from your room's overall design.
• Most bathrooms should have multiple light sources, including one in the shower. 

You spend a decent amount of time in the bathroom, so it's important to make it look good. 

Unfortunately, it's pretty easy to stumble upon a few design mishaps while planning out this much-used space.

Here are some of the most common mistakes people make when decorating a bathroom, according to interior designers. 

A bathroom that doesn't have sensible storage options could just become cluttered.

Gena Kirk, vice president of design at KB Home, told Business Insider that sometimes a customer's "design aesthetic" can prevent them from actually thinking practically about their bathroom, especially when it comes to storage. 

She suggests using a medicine cabinet that incorporates lighting, electrical outlets, and integrated mirrors for a space that's both beautiful and functional.

She also suggests adding extra storage through built-in cabinetry near the sink or toilet.

Ideally, bathrooms should have multiple light sources.

Proper lighting is a must throughout your home, especially in your bathroom, Kirk told BI.

"We all do a lot of close-up work in the bathroom, from brushing and flossing to plucking and applying. If you do not have proper lighting this could go horribly wrong," she said.

Ideally, she sai,d you should include three forms of it in your space — overhead, close-up, and task lighting, which can be moved or adjusted so you can use it for specific activities.

Not incorporating a universal, functional design into your bathroom could be costly down the road.

Jessica Lagrange, founder and principal designer of Jessica Lagrange Interiors, told BI that low toilets and high tubs are just a few of the design faux pas that can cause problems in the bathroom.

"These things can be lethal to not only older household members or guests but anyone who isn't being cautious every moment they use the bathroom," Lagrange said.

She said that it's important to have a bathroom that's safe and sustainable, especially since major renovations can be expensive — so you may want to be especially careful when choosing the height and measurements of your most-used bathroom pieces. 

Short mirrors are impractical and they can make your space seem smaller.

Many people spend time in the bathroom styling their hair, applying makeup, and getting dressed — all of which require the right mirror. 

"My pet peeve in any bathroom are mirrors that are too short," Ami Austin, principal designer at Ami Austin Interiors, told BI. "It is always best to take the mirror to the ceiling or crown molding from the vanity. It allows for a more spacious bathroom.

Shower curtains and liners that don't fit properly can distract from your room's overall design.

If your shower curtain is too long or too short it can distract from the room's overall design, Austin told BI.

She said she prefers hanging shower curtains high up to help add depth to a room, which can also be a wise idea if you've bought a shower curtain that's a bit too long. 

 

 

Shiny floors might look nice, but they're often too slippery for a bathroom.

Gail Barley, principal designer at Gail Barley Interiors, told BI that bathrooms often get wet and slippery, which can be a safety hazard. 

Because of this, she said you should avoid slick finishes on your bathroom tiles, opting for rough or matte ones instead. If you already have a slippery floor, try topping it with washable rugs that can be held in place with carpet tape. 

Not having storage solutions in your shower could lead to a cluttered mess of bottles on your floor.

Without proper storage solutions, your shower can quickly become cluttered with bottles and sponges. 

"When designing your shower, you should always consider where your shampoo bottles and other bathroom accouterments will go," Barley said.

Even if you are unable to redesign your entire shower, you can use a caddy or adjustable shelf to affordably add more storage to the space. 

If there are no lights in or near your shower, your bathroom may be less functional.

"No one wants to shower in the dark, but so many people neglect to place lights in their showers thinking that a central fixture will put out enough light," Barely told BI.

Because of this, you may want to invest in having a light fixture installed in your shower, especially if your space has a dark shower curtain or no window. 

A themed bathroom with too many colors can be overwhelming, not relaxing.

Colorful bathrooms can be fun, but you might be better off adding pops of color with art instead of using vibrant tiles, tubs, and sinks that can be costly to replace. 

"Unless you are decorating for a child's bath, themed baths are also busy and uninviting," Austin told BI. "Instead, use neutrals with a pop of color from art to bring out the best look."

This story was originally published on December 30, 2019, and most recently updated on May 16, 2024.

• The UK has unveiled a new radio frequency-directed energy weapon under development.
• The Ministry of Defence said it could take out a swarm of drones for just $0.12 a shot.
• Countries are racing to develop these kinds of weapons, to try to combat drones and missiles.

Britain is developing a new radio-wave weapon designed to take out a "swarm" of drones for just $0.12 a shot, the UK's Ministry of Defence said in a press statement.

According to the MOD, the Radio Frequency Directed Energy Weapon, or RFDEW, uses radio waves to detect, track, and disable electronic components at a range of up to 1000 meters.

It touted it as a far more affordable option than traditional missile-based air-defense systems and said that thanks to its high level of automation, it can be operated by a single person.

"The war in Ukraine has shown us the importance of deploying uncrewed systems, but we must be able to defend against them too," James Cartlidge, the UK's Minister for Defence Procurement, said.

According to the MOD, the weapon can be mounted on a range of military vehicles and produces pulses in a beam that can be expanded to engage multiple threats or quickly fire sequential bullets at specific targets.

Soldiers will field test it over the summer, it added.

The conflict in Ukraine has highlighted the growing importance of unmanned aerial vehicles to modern warfare.

Ukraine and Russia have both deployed thousands of drones, and in an interview with Foreign Policy last month, a NATO official said that Ukrainian drones were responsible for two-thirds of recent Russian tank losses.

Ukraine has also sent drones far into Russia to target oil facilities.

Drones have also been used by Houthi rebels against ships in the Red Sea, and last month Iran used drones and missiles in a thwarted attack on Israel.

Paul Hollinshead, the CEO of one of the companies developing the new weapon, said the system will provide the UK armed forces with a "decisive" operational advantage, saving lives and neutralizing "deadly" threats.

Directed-energy weapons, including high-energy lasers and high-power radio frequency or microwave devices, have taken on renewed importance as they are considered the future of anti-drone and anti-satellite warfare.

The Pentagon is spending $1 billion a year on directed-energy weapons to counter drones and missiles, according to a report published by the Government Accountability Office last year.

Other countries, including France, China, Germany, Russia, India, and Israel, are also racing to develop their own directed-energy weapons.

In January, the UK MOD tested-fired its DragonFire, a powerful laser cannon that can shoot drones out of the sky.

Turkey was the first country to use directed-energy weapons in combat, to destroy a combat vehicle in Libya in 2019, according to the military and defense website Army Recognition.

• Business Insider spoke to a former Costco employee to learn how to get the best deals at the store. 
• Robinson said price codes will tell you if the item has been discounted or not. 
• She also said to check the Costco app for coupons and to split bulk items with friends and family.

There are plenty of killer deals to find at Costco, but shopping smart is key to saving the most cash. 

Business Insider spoke to Tess Robison, former Costco employee, to figure out how to get the best deals at the members-only wholesale giant. 

Here are some of the top ways to save money at Costco and maximize your membership.

Learn the price codes Costco uses.

Robison told BI that savvy shoppers can often tell if a product is a good deal by paying attention to the last digit of the price. 

She said that if a price ends in 99 cents, this means it's the regular wholesale price, and a price ending in 97 cents is the final discount price, meaning the item won't get any cheaper. 

"Whether you barely shop at Costco or you're there every day, it's helpful to know this tip so you can save some money," Robison said. "Plus it's not that difficult to memorize."

If a price sign has an asterisk on the upper-right corner, this means that the item will likely not be restocked, and you may want to stock up. 

Watch out for rotating monthly sales.

If your favorite brand of window cleaner or frozen pizza isn't on sale this month, it may be worth waiting a few weeks to catch an upcoming price reduction.

"My biggest piece of advice to just wait until an item goes on sale. Costco rotates which brands will be on sale just about every month," Robison told BI. 

 

Learn the layout of your local store to prevent impulse buys.

Robison said Costco stores are actually organized in a way that can force shoppers to walk through as many aisles as possible. 

"Costco stores are designed to make you wander around, so try not to get caught up in doing that," she said. "If you are trying to stick to a budget, I would definitely recommend heading straight to the aisles you want."

Noting where your favorite products are shelved can also help you optimize your next shopping trip and avoid unplanned purchases. 

Always stock up on items after the holiday season.

Though many people may try to give their credit card a break after the holidays, you can actually score steep discounts on items at Costco if you shop during the first few weeks of January. 

"Costco gets so many returns after the holidays, and the returned items are usually discounted by 50%, so they will sell quickly," Robison said. 

January is also a great time to stock up on seasonal decor at Costco due to the post-holiday sales.

Opt for Kirkland products when possible.

Costco stocks many name-brand products, but it also carries its own line of goods under the Kirkland label.

"The Kirkland brand is almost always cheaper and almost identical to the name brands on the shelf," Robison said.

But, she said, not every item is worth saving on. 

"The only thing that I have noticed that isn't the same, or as good of quality as other brands, is the toilet paper," she told BI. "It's not the cheapest thing you could buy, but it's not the greatest quality either."

When possible, grab a deal booklet instead of asking an employee about current deals.

If you want to quickly identify the best bargain buys, Robison recommends picking up a current sale booklet on your way into the store. 

"I wouldn't recommend asking an employee about current sales, as they won't know every single one in the store," Robison said.

If you want to go paperless, checking the price history of a Costco item with an online price-tracking tool or using the Costco app are good alternatives. 

 

Calculate whether the cost of membership is worth it for you.

Costco may be a great place to pick up discounted products, but the price of a membership may outweigh the savings if you don't do enough shopping there. 

"If you never or rarely shop at Costco, or if you live far away from one, then it's just not worth it," Robison said. 

 

Split bulk items with friends and share the cost.

Buying in bulk at a wholesale store like Costco means that though the cost of each individual item may be lower, you can end up with more items than you need. 

Robison told BI that divvying up larger sets of items, like mega-packs of toilet paper or batteries, with other people is a good way to reduce waste while still taking advantage of bulk pricing. 

 

Check out the gift cards to get "free money" at other stores.

It's worth checking out the gift card offers to see if you can leverage your Costco membership to net savings outside the store. 

The company often sells gift cards to other chain stores and restaurants at discounted prices. For example, you may be able to buy a gift card worth $80 for just $50 or save big on a multipack of event tickets. 

This story was originally published on July 23, 2020, and most recently updated on May 16, 2024.

• At the SBC Summit in May, gambling influencers broke down how they make money from content.
• They described their revenue from affiliate marketing and YouTube advertising.
• The creators also opened up about the challenges of promoting gambling and working with operators.

The expansion of legal gambling in the US has kickstarted the growth of gambling influencers who play and promote sports betting, slots, and other casino games online.

Josh Duffy, known for his gaming channel Slotaholic, plays slot machines on YouTube for his 27,000 subscribers. Kelly Koffler, who has nearly 60,000 subscribers across her YouTube channels Casino Kelly and Beyond Blackjack, plays casino games such as slots and Blackjack. And, Jon Della Terza, also known as the "NJ Slot Guy," creates content on high-limit slots.

On Wednesday at the SBC North America Summit in New Jersey, the three gambling influencers broke down how they make money from their content and the challenges of promoting gambling online.

The creators said they generated revenue mainly from affiliate-marketing deals with gambling brands and advertising on their YouTube channels.

Unlike some other content niches, restrictions on gambling content can limit the ways influencers earn and how much they can make. Platforms like YouTube and Twitch restrict gambling on certain sites, while others, including Instagram and TikTok, limit how gambling content is distributed.

With affiliate deals, where influencers are paid for referring customers to gambling operators, the creators said they preferred to be paid flat fees instead of signing revenue-share agreements. They said they did not want to profit directly from someone's losses.

"It's a flat rate for me," said Koffler. "I did not personally want to take a rev share or a per click because I just felt gross about that. I felt like it would be me preying on my audience."

Even with flat rates, the influencers said affiliate contracts typically brought in more revenue than YouTube, which requires creators to have at least 1,000 subscribers and a certain number of watch hours to earn a cut of the ad revenue from their videos.

"You typically get maybe $8 to $12 per a thousand views, depending on your content and what commercial ads get placed," Duffy said.

While YouTube can be a steady revenue source, the revenue these influencers generate from the platform doesn't always cover the cost of creating the content — they're gambling, after all.

Duffy said he has two affiliate deals to supplement his YouTube income, for example. He creates game-review videos for Light & Wonder's SidePlay, which makes instant-win games for lottery and gambling operators. He also does weekly livestreams where he plays casino games on sites like McLuck.com and Wow Vegas, which pay him a flat monthly fee.

The pros and cons of affiliate deals for gambling influencers

Duffy said he likes doing affiliate deals because he can be a positive influence in the industry.

"It shows us that we're appreciated in this arena, that they can rely on us to be a good influence and market their product," Duffy said. "I feel like I'm doing a service to the industry that's respected and my viewers understand it's coming from a good place."

But, while affiliate jobs can be fruitful, the influencers said some contracts could promote activities that are ethically murky.

For example, the companies often include time restrictions in contracts that dictate how long the influencer has to spend gambling, which could encourage harmful gambling behaviors.

"It takes away from the responsible gaming aspect, for sure, because let's say you lose within 30 minutes your full bankroll that you started with, you're having to keep rebuying and rebuying. And as a gambler, we all know you can't predict the outcome," said Koffler. "So putting those time restraints on whoever you are working with is not the best idea."

Koffler said gambling companies should instead trust their influencer partners more to create content that benefits them, the brand, and the audience.