Author: openjargon

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Hello! I'm Jordan Parker Erb, and I'll be filling in for Dan DeFrancesco all week while he's on vacation. Have you been seeing a lot of Alo accessories and Asics sneakers lately? They're just two of the status symbols that men are obsessed with this year.

By the way — if you have a minute, consider taking Business Insider's survey. Your feedback can help shape BI's future.

In today's big story, we're looking at how new AI tools are helping workers bluff their way through interviews.

What's on deck:

• Markets: Biden's top labor official says the "coveted soft landing" is here.
• Tech: Everyone from Amazon to Uber is using artificial intelligence to gouge you on prices.
• Business: A $300,000 scam killed one septuagenarian's dreams of retirement.

But first, is it really cheating if there are no rules?

If this was forwarded to you, sign up here.

The big story

A new interview hack

It's really hard to get a job right now. After a few years of employees calling the shots, employers once again have the upper hand — and they're making sure applicants know it.

In some cases, landing a job requires personality tests, on-site assessments, and several rounds of interviews (and that's assuming you don't get ghosted midway through).

But a new cohort of AI tools and startups is looking to make the interview process easier for candidates, Business Insider's Rob Price writes — by quietly telling them the right answers to interview questions in real time.

Some people have built homemade AI tools to help interviewees, releasing them online for free. Others, like Final Round AI, are trying to bring it into the mainstream.

A startup developing AI-powered tools for job seekers, Final Round AI offers an AI résumé builder, a cover letter writing service, and a mock interview tool. More controversially, it has its Copilot: an app that listens in on an interview and feeds answers to the interviewee.

Michael Guan, the startup's CEO, called it a "magical teleprompter" — but made it clear he doesn't consider it cheating. He's not the only one looking to AI to change the interview process.

The use of artificial intelligence in job interviews is at the center of a heated debate in Silicon Valley.

Gaming the interview process is nothing new. As Rob reported in 2022, some people go as far as to hire stand-ins to do the interviews for them in risky bait-and-switch schemes.

But the use of AI, in particular, has the industry up in arms.

BI's Melia Russell found that no one can seem to agree upon the use of AI chatbots in technical interviews. Some say they want to see a candidate's abilities without a technical crutch. Others say banning AI chatbots in interviews is like prohibiting calculators during math tests — if workers can use the tech in their jobs, why not in the interview process, too?

Some startups, Melia found, are now changing their tests and asking applicants to complete chatbot-resistant tasks.

But for those who don't see AI assistance as cheating, it's irrelevant. Guan, the Final Round AI CEO, told Rob that if an applicant can use AI to ace an interview, then they should be able to use it "to become the top performer in their daily jobs."

Regardless of their take on AI-assisted interviews, several of the people who spoke with Rob and Melia said the industry's technical-interview process is broken. The question now, Rob writes, is whether chatbots will change the technical-interview process — for better or worse.

3 things in markets

1. Fed tees up for potential interest rate cut. The "coveted soft landing" is here, President Joe Biden's top labor official told BI, as the US continues to see a strong yet slowing jobs market. That could give the Fed the confidence it needs to cut rates in September.
2. Meet the Brevan Howard portfolio managers with the most capital. Since cofounder Alan Howard's departure in 2019, the $35 billion hedge fund Brevan Howard has changed considerably. Its five biggest portfolio managers are part of a much larger and diversified talent roster than when Howard had the reins.
3. TSMC rides Nvidia's hype to $1 trillion. Chip giant Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, one of Nvidia's suppliers, briefly crossed the $1 trillion valuation mark on Monday after gaining as much as 4.8%. It comes after Nvidia's meteoric rise this year, which led it to surpass Apple to become the world's second-most-valuable company.

3 things in tech

1. Personalized pricing makes it hell to pay. You might be willing to pay more for an airplane seat than the guy next to you — and airlines know it. In a world ruled by personalized pricing, you never know if you're being ripped off.
2. Robots in the real world. Startups are building robots that can perceive and react to the human world, and venture firms predict spatial intelligence will be the next big thing in AI. The goal is to develop robots that can handle a variety of complex tasks rather than a single repetitive motion.
3. Be there or be square. After pandemic-era lockdowns, San Francisco's techies are ready to hang out IRL. As they embrace an in-person culture, startup founders, venture capitalists, and tech workers are hanging out at these five hot spots.

3 things in business

1. How a scam killed a grandpa's retirement dreams. Leonid Shteyn was scammed out of $300,000 at 70 years old, forcing him to start from scratch in advanced age. He says Bank of America, which the deceptive transactions went through, and a lack of government oversight are to blame.
2. Confusion following the Paramount-Skydance merger. Paramount's top execs insisted it was "business as usual" following the mega media deal. But in the same breath, it notified employees of looming layoffs without saying who would be cut. Meanwhile, the company's CEO-to-be keeps calling it a "tech enterprise," raising doubts about his strategy.
3. How a sexting scandal rocked the romance world — and unmasked its most popular narrator. Joe Arden, known for narrating innumerable smutty audiobooks, built a career seducing women with his voice. Then, a sexting scandal turned BookTok against him.

In other news

• Read the letter: Biden tells House Democrats to stop calling on him to drop out.
• Retiring early sounds like the dream — but not achieving FIRE could actually help you live longer.
• The Arizona primary where the MAGA movement is devouring itself.
• Videos show what hit a Ukrainian children's hospital, and Russia is 'gaslighting,' war and weapons experts say.
• The Apple Watch is reportedly getting a birthday makeover.
• Gen Z doesn't know how to flirt.
• Waymo's robotaxis are better than some San Francisco drivers.
• Companies are going bankrupt at the fastest pace since the pandemic.
• This old 2020 email from Mark Zuckerberg might just be the explanation for his extreme makeover.

What's happening today

• Fed Chairman Jerome Powell testifies on the Semiannual Monetary Policy Report in Congress.
• NATO summit begins. The stakes are high for Joe Biden, whose poor debate performance last week put his political future in peril.
• Harvey Weinstein appears at court in New York. Prosecutors are seeking a retrial for the entertainment mogul's overturned rape and sexual assault conviction.

The Insider Today team: Jordan Parker Erb, editor, in New York. Hallam Bullock, senior editor, in London. Annie Smith, associate producer, in London. Amanda Yen, fellow, in New York. Lisa Ryan, executive editor, in New York.

• A "90 Day Fiancé" contestant is also one of the sperm donors in Netflix's "The Man with 1000 Kids."
• Kyle Gordy appeared on "90 Day Fiancé: Love in Paradise" earlier this year.
• Gordy, who claims to have fathered over 70 kids, also runs a sperm donation website.

Viewers who have watched the latest conversation-starting Netflix docuseries, "The Man with 1000 Kids," may be wondering what happened to the other prolific sperm donors featured.

For Kyle Gordy, the show wasn't his first brush with fame. He appeared on "90 Day Fiancé" earlier this year, and was the focus of a 2021 Vice documentary about sperm donation.

"The Man with 1000 Kids" docuseries spotlights Jonathan Jacob Meijer, a man from The Netherlands who has admitted to having 550 children around the world. In 2023, he was banned from donating sperm to new families.

The third episode suggests that Meijer was involved with a Facebook group, "Kenya Sperm Donors," made up of men who traveled the world to donate to fertility clinics. Gordy is an admin of this group.

It's unclear what motivated the men to donate repeatedly around the world, although the families who used Meijer as a donor suggest in the docuseries that they're driven by ego rather than profit or fame.

In the 2021 Vice documentary "36 Kids & Counting: The DIY Sperm Donor," he said: "Women want to have kids and I'm obviously not using my sperm so I mean… I figure I can help them out."

Fast forward three years, and Gordy was paired up with a German woman named Ani on "90 Day Fiancé." He was open with her about being a sperm donor and claimed that he had fathered over 70 children.

Gordy was criticized online after the third episode of the reality series aired, because he kept rearranging his genitals while on a date with Ani, claiming this would prevent his sperm from overheating.

"Sitting down too much kills your sperm. So I try to adjust them so they're not like getting overheated," he said. The couple broke up at the end of the series.

Kyle Gordy's social media accounts show him traveling the world

According to his Facebook and Instagram accounts, Gordy continued to travel the world after his appearance on "90 Day Fiancé."

This year, he has posted photos from Singapore, Japan, the UK, Ireland, Australia, Switzerland, France, and Norway.

It's not clear whether the photos are from consecutive trips or if some are older photos from previous vacations.

Gordy also runs a website, Be Pregnant Now, where he offers fertility advice to couples who are trying to have a baby.

"I live in Los Angeles and I have been donating for a few years and have had multiple pregnancies. I have helped create many happy families," the website reads.

It adds: "My fertility has increased since I started donating. This large increase in fertility has allowed me to help get many women pregnant; my years of being a sperm donor attribute to this success. I live a very strict lifestyle and avoid any factors that may harm my fertility."

Representatives for TLC did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment.

• Mark Zuckerberg said in a newly revealed email, "I am the most well-known person of my generation."
• It's a bold statement, and it might be true.
• But is he more popular than Taylor Swift and Cristiano Ronaldo? It's basically impossible to know.

Mark Zuckerberg, who just celebrated his 40th birthday, is a millennial. But is he the most famous millennial? He thinks so.

In a 2020 email exchange posted by the Tech Emails newsletter, Zuckerberg sent an email to Meta public policy head Nick Clegg, Peter Thiel (who was on the Facebook board at the time), Sheryl Sandberg, Antonio Lucio, and Marc Andreessen, discussing his public image as a millennial.

The emails were released as part of legal documents in Tennesee v. Meta, one of several lawsuits in which states are suing Meta over its role in harm to children.

In the email exchange, Zuckerberg said that he and Thiel have been having discussions about the future, how power will shift from baby boomers to millennials (sorry, Gen X, erased again), and how they should focus on thinking about policies that will affect the younger generation. (Meta declined to comment on these emails or Zuckerberg's fame standings.)

Then, Zuckerberg writes:

Finally, I think there's also some distinction between me and the company here. While our company has a special role in the lives of this generation, this is likely particularly important for how I show up because I am the most well-known person of my generation.

So, is he the most well-known person of his generation?

Put aside for a moment the ick of seeing someone say that in an email. And well, he does have a point. He's got to be at least one of the most famous millennials — especially if you're thinking globally, not just in the US.

Globally, there are billions of people who use Facebook. That doesn't necessarily mean everyone knows that it's run by a guy named Mark, but probably a good chunk of them do. Young people, old people, people in every country.

It's nearly impossible to fact-check his claim, however, because there isn't a clear way to quantify fame.

You can look at social media followings, focus group surveys like Q Score, or how many pages of Google results there are. There are also several academic papers that attempt to come up with new mathematical formulas to measure fame. A 2018 physics paper created a new model that attempted to calculate the fame of people who had died between 2016 and 2017, and came up with Muhammad Ali as the most famous (sounds about right).

Without a concrete measurement of fame, we can speculate on some other top contenders.

Who else could be the most well-known millennial?

Justin Bieber: Unlikely to be the most famous. Although he was intensely famous for a few years, I don't think his fame permeated enough past the membrane of his fellow millennial pop music fans.

LeBron James: He's a strong contender, but basketball isn't the most popular sport globally.

Cristiano Ronaldo: He has the most Instagram followers, although I think that's not a perfect measurement because it doesn't encompass all the young kids and others not using the app. His notoriety in the US is likely less than Zuckerberg's, but I'm pretty sure he'd beat the Meta chief on a global scale.

Lionel Messi: As a non-soccer fan, I don't want to attempt to litigate the popularity between Messi and Ronaldo, although I will say Ronaldo's Instagram stats seem to put him ahead.

Beyoncé: She is very, very famous. More famous than Zuck? Maybe. Probably? I think so.

Taylor Swift: Today, I think Swift would be the answer for most famous. But this email was from early 2020, just between "Lover" and "Folklore." Very well-known, but more so today than four years ago.

Shakira: Born in 1977! Not a millennial!

Prince William: Pretty well-known! But between him and Zuckerberg in 2020? I think it's a toss-up.

Kim Jung Un: I mean, he is a very well-known millennial.

Ultimately, reasonable people can disagree on who is the most well-known millennial. But Zuckerberg probably isn't too far off.

• John Jacob Astor built his fortune in the fur business and New York real estate.
• John Jacob Astor III and William Backhouse Astor Jr. cofounded the Waldorf-Astoria after a feud.
• Modern Astor descendants have been politicians, philanthropists, and British royal associates.

Astoria, Queens. Astor Place. The Waldorf-Astoria. Even if you're not a New Yorker, you've heard of these iconic places. You also probably know they're named for one very powerful family: the Astors.

To this day, the Astors' money and influence still make waves in society.

So how do you build a dynasty like this one, with money that lasts for generations? Take a look at how the Astors made their fortune.

This story was originally published in April 2012. It was updated in July 2024.

The Astors came from nothing.

Johann Jacob Astor worked as a butcher in Walldorf, southeastern Germany, Elizabeth Louisa Gebhard wrote in "The Life and Ventures of the Original John Jacob Astor." His ancestors are said to have been French Huguenots who'd fled to Germany after the revocation of the Edict of Nantes, which had granted protection to Protestants.

His son, John Jacob Astor, was born in Walldorf in 1763.

As a youngster, he worked for his father as a dairy salesman. He had three brothers, the eldest of whom, George, left home to work for an uncle in London who made musical instruments. Astor met up with him there after his 16th birthday.

John Jacob Astor built his fortune in the fur business and through buying and selling New York real estate.

After the Treaty of Paris was signed in 1783, he immigrated to New York and took a job with a fur trader. By 1800, he'd built up his own fur business and was worth $250,000, or about $6.2 million in 2024, according to Encyclopedia Britannica.

Astor also bought and sold acres upon acres of land in and around New York City, including what is now Times Square. 

In 1785, he married Sarah Todd. They had three children: Magdalena, John Jacob II, and William.

He was one of the wealthiest men in the US upon his death in 1848, according to the Library of Congress.

William Backhouse Astor continued his father's real-estate ventures and philanthropy.

He continued to invest in real estate by building over 700 stores and residences in New York City, according to Encyclopedia Britannica.

He also bequeathed thousands of dollars to St. Luke's Hospital on the Upper West Side and the Astor Library, which eventually became the New York Public Library.

William and his wife, Margaret, had seven children, the most prominent of which became John Jacob Astor III and William Backhouse Astor Jr.

William Jr. had some success as a developer in Florida. John Jacob Astor III, along with his wife Charlotte Gibbs, was a major philanthropist who founded the Children's Aid Society.

The iconic Waldorf-Astoria hotel in New York City was the result of a family feud between John III and William Jr.'s descendants.

John III's son, William Waldorf Astor, built the 13-story Waldorf Hotel in 1893 on 33rd Street and Fifth Avenue.

Waldorf Astor's cousin and rival, John Jacob Astor IV, built a taller hotel next door four years later to outdo him.

Eventually, the two hotels were joined together with a marble corridor, resulting in the first Waldorf-Astoria.

The simmering tensions prompted William Waldorf Astor to move to London in 1891.

There, he bought and restored the 125-acre Hever Castle in 1903, purchased the British newspaper The Observer in 1911, and obtained the rank of Viscount in 1917.

John IV perished in the sinking of the Titanic in 1912.

His body was identified two weeks later by the initials stitched into his suit and his gold pocket watch. The watch sold at auction for $1.5 million in April.

Still, the Astors remained a force. In 1931, the modern Waldorf Astoria opened on Park Avenue and became legendary for its service.

The Waldorf Astoria has hosted US presidents, dignitaries, and countless celebrities.

In 2014, the historic hotel was purchased by Chinese insurance group Anbang for $1.95 billion. In 2017, it closed for renovations to convert 375 rooms into luxury condominiums called The Towers of the Waldorf Astoria. The hotel is expected to reopen in 2025, GlobeSt reported.

Known for her charity work, Brooke Astor emerged as the matriarch of the American Astors.

Astor was the great-great granddaughter, by marriage, of John Jacob Astor.

She donated over $195 million to hospitals, cultural institutions, and community service programs in New York City through the Vincent Astor Foundation, according to The New York Community Trust. President Bill Clinton awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom in recognition of her philanthropy in 1998.

Brooke Astor died in 2007 at age 105 and was the subject of a four-page obituary in The New York Times.

Her son Anthony Marshall, was convicted of stealing millions of dollars from her in 2009 and sentenced to prison.

The British side of the Astor family continued to hold positions of power, as well.

Nancy Astor, Viscountess Astor, who was married to Waldorf Astor, 2nd Viscount Astor, became the first woman in the House of Commons in the chamber's history in 1919.

Her son, David Astor, rose to prominence as the longtime editor of The Observer and an anti-apartheid activist, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Modern members of the Astor family remain influential figures.

William Astor, 4th Viscount of Astor, is a member of the House of Lords and the stepfather of Samantha Cameron, the former British first lady married to David Cameron.

John Jacob Astor, 3rd Baron Astor of Hever, also sat in the House of Lords from 1986 until his retirement in 2022, according to the UK Parliament's official website.

William Waldorf Astor's great-great-granddaughter, Rose Astor, married Prince William's close friend, Hugh van Cutsem, in 2005. Their daughter, Grace van Cutsem, is perhaps best known as the young bridesmaid who appeared grumpy at Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding in 2011, pictured above on the left.

Another great-great-grandchild of William Waldorf Astor, Harry Lopes, married Queen Camilla's daughter, Laura Parker-Bowles, in 2006.

• The Education Department has resumed processing Public Service Loan Forgiveness applications.
• Processing has been paused since May as borrowers were transitioned away from servicer MOHELA.
• The department will prioritize debt relief for borrowers who met PSLF requirements during the pause.

A major student-loan forgiveness program is once again up and running.

As of July 1, the Education Department resumed processing applications for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, which forgives student debt for government and nonprofit workers after 10 years of qualifying payments.

Application processing had been paused since May to allow the department time to transition borrowers away from student-loan company MOHELA, which had previously been the sole servicer of PSLF. Now, the task of managing PSLF will be split among several federal servicers, and the Education Department will oversee the program through studentaid.gov.

According to Federal Student Aid, the department is now working to update PSLF payment counts to ensure any payments borrowers made while application processing was paused are accounted for. With the Education Department overseeing PSLF, borrowers will see a range of updates, including the ability to monitor the status of their application and track PSLF progress on their student aid dashboards.

Additionally, Federal Student Aid's guidance said it would prioritize loan forgiveness for borrowers who met PSLF requirements during the processing pause.

"You will first receive a notice from ED that you have been approved for forgiveness followed by a separate notice from your servicer once the discharge is complete," the guidance said.

Borrowers who believe they have reached the amount of payments required for relief but do not see that reflected in their accounts can contact their servicer to request a forbearance. However, if their application is denied, the forbearance period will not count toward their relief, and they will be responsible for payments and any interest accrued during that period.

These changes to PSLF result from the Education Department's efforts to overhaul the student-loan industry and make repayment and forgiveness programs easier for borrowers to navigate. The department is also working toward completing its one-time account adjustments, in which it evaluates payments borrowers have made on PSLF and income-driven repayment plans to ensure they are up to date, potentially bringing them to the debt relief requirements.

Other debt relief efforts are in the works, as well. The Education Department is finalizing its broader debt relief plan — intended to benefit over 30 million borrowers — with the goal of implementation this fall. However, the presidential election and likely legal challenges could jeopardize that relief, leaving the fate of broad loan forgiveness uncertain.

• I spent four nights on the new Carnival Firenze cruise ship in May.
• The ship has plenty of free activities alongside enticing up-charged options.
• Take a look at all the amenities on Carnival's new Italian-themed vessel.

Carnival's new Firenze cruise ship is filled with upcharged options. But if you look past them, you'll be pleasantly surprised by their complimentary activities.

The company's second Italy-themed ship came highly anticipated. In early April, Firenze's naming ceremony "triggered a step up in bookings," Josh Weinstein, the president and CEO of Carnival Cruise Line's parent company, Carnival Corp, told analysts in late June.

Two weeks after the ceremony, Carnival Firenze set sail on its maiden voyage from its homeport in Long Beach, California, marking the 27th vessel to join the cruise line's fleet.

This boost in bookings might not come as a surprise after seeing its prices.

New cruise ships generally command an inflated fare. But it seems the new 5,245-guest Firenze ignored this tradition, with 2024 fares currently starting at almost $360 per person for a four-night cruise.

Not too bad, given all of its amenities.

Firenze is more than just another towel animal-toting Carnival cruise.

In 2022, Carnival acquired Firenze and its sister ship from Costa Cruises. Firenze then underwent a two-month refresh to be outfitted with the "Carnival Fun Italian Style" theme.

If you're an American who loves campy European-themed venues — think a cheaper version of the Venetian in Las Vegas — Firenze could feel like an Italian getaway. The theme is hard to miss, from the white statues to the giant photos of Florence, Italy.

I went on Firenze's four-night cruise about two weeks after its maiden voyage.

I previously wrote a less-than-glowing review of Carnival Firenze, although I was impressed with the vessel's complimentary activities, a rarity on many popular cruises.

Norwegian's newer ships, for example, have $10 mini-golf courses and VR arcades that cost $29 for an hour of play. Similarly, Royal Caribbean's new ultra-giant, ultra-popular Icon of the Seas has a $49-per-person ropes course that can be completed in less than a minute.

Carnival Firenze also has a mini-golf and ropes course — but they're both free, albeit not as exciting or modern as the cruise line's competitors.

Unfortunately, the arcade isn't free. But you'd be hard-pressed to find a complimentary one anywhere.

Like Icon of the Seas, brave guests must be harnessed in before walking Firenze's ropes course.

But unlike Royal Caribbean's adrenaline-pumping walkway, Firenze's course takes several minutes to complete. And while it's less showy and dramatic than Icon's, it is free to go on as many times as you'd like — and for that, a better deal.

Want to keep the adrenaline going? Carnival's new ship has waterslides near the children's water playground.

Nearby, there's also cornhole, a giant chess set, and an outdoor sports court for an afternoon of shooting hoops. If you're lucky, you can also claim one of the open-air foosball tables.

If not, there's an indoor foosball table near the ping pong table and a collection of board games and books.

Speaking of indoor-outdoor options, Firenze has two pools, one outside and another under a glass roof.

The latter is also home to the makeshift nighttime movie theater, so long as viewers are OK with paying $4 for popcorn and the background sound of screaming children at the pool.

If you want to escape the kids, Firenze has the obligatory cruise ship spa, casino, and boutiques.

Or go to the adult-only outdoor lounge outfitted with rows of lounge seats, two hot tubs, and, most importantly, no children in sight. It's also where you'll also find the ship's salad bar — one of Firenze's 15 dining options.

Of the 15 restaurants, eight venues are complimentary

But there are some caveats.

Some included options, like the pizza kiosk and buffet, have up-charged items. Others, like the aforementioned salad bar and grill stand, remained frustratingly closed until the last day of my cruise.

But if you don't consider these stipulations, Firenze's free-to-upcharged restaurant ratio isn't abnormal. About half of competitor Icon of the Seas' 21 dining venues also cost extra.

Carnival Firenze's specialty options include an empanada stand and classics like sushi, teppanyaki, and Italian restaurants.

Travelers ready to splurge on food could pay as little as $1.50 for an empanada or almost $50 for a steakhouse dinner.

Dining at the free buffet but eyeing the up-charged chicken wings? They'll be $5 for six pieces. Having breakfast at the free main dining room? A fresh juice will be $5.

Want a dinner lobster roll from the seafood shack? It'll be another $18.

During the day, the seafood shack serves as a complimentary chicken stand, joining eight other free options.

Cruisers can live out their "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives" dreams at the Guy Fieri-branded burger counter, where heavy accouterments like fried mozzarella slabs and onion rings are commonplace.

Or, head up a deck to Il Mercato for grab-and-go Italian sandwiches.

Firenze has two main dining rooms for a more formal sit-down dinner. Just note that the dinner buffet serves the same menu as these restaurants. And while the food is fine, it's not great — and I did find a piece of plastic hidden in my pasta.

As with any mass-market cruise ship, alcohol isn't free.

Cocktails are about $13, while beers and seltzers are about $9. But if you can't cruise without booze (it is Carnival, after all), the new ship has plenty of venues for your needs.

Bars like Piano Bar 88 and Tuscan Lounge have live music.

Amari offers options that fit the ship's Italian theme, like aperitifs, digestives, and Negroni sbagliatos ("stunnin'!").

Meanwhile, Heroes Tribute Bar and Lounge is great for guests who want to sip a beer, watch sports, and surround themselves in American military garb.

If you enjoy doing karaoke, you'll love karaoke night at the stylish and contemporary Moda Bar and Lounge.

And if you crave Aperol spritzes the moment the sun comes out, you could find yourself frequently visiting the bubbly-forward, new-to-brand Frizzante.

While not technically a bar, the coffee shop also sells boozy milkshakes and floats for almost $12.

But then again, everything at JavaBlue Cafe has a price tag, from the $4.50 latte to the icy $7.25 frappe. And if you want a sweet treat with your pick-me-up, it'll be $4 for a doughnut or cupcake.

(If you don't want to pay for caffeine, the buffet has free black coffee, Bigelow's green tea, and Lipton tea.)

It wouldn't be a cruise without live entertainment, either.

The atrium hosts musicians and singers dressed in Venice Carnival — or "Eyes Wide Shut" — style masks, while the smaller Limelight Lounge is the go-to for stand-up comedy. There's also an interactive "Deal or No Deal" game show, although participation costs $25.

But if we're talking about traditional theater shows, my four-night cruise included the cheesy "Dear Future Husband" song-and-dance production and the interactive "What's Age Got To Do With It?" game show.

If laughter from the crowd indicates success, the game show — which sources participants from the crowd — was a hit.

A show where half the players are children is sure to be entertaining.

Is the entertainment better on Norwegian and Royal Caribbean’s newest ships? Yes.

Does Carnival Firenze have as many pools as its competitors' latest vessels? No.

But is Firenze's mini-golf and ropes course free? Yes.

Plus, with four-night voyages starting at almost $90 a night, Firenze's 2024 itineraries are both shorter and cheaper than several other new cruise ships on the market. (Norwegian Viva's cheapest 2024 itinerary is more than $1,520 per person for an 11-day sailing, while Icon of the Seas starts at almost $1,770 per person for eight days.)

So, if you can resist the enticing upcharges, Carnival's new Firenze could be a great pick for families looking for a cheap and fun vacation at sea.

• Meta's Threads just celebrated its first anniversary.
• The social platform broke records when it first launched — and it's still growing.
• Meta is still betting Threads can overtake X, but the platform still faces challenges. 

Mark Zuckerberg's Twitter-killer, Threads, celebrated its first birthday.

The platform became the world's fastest-growing app when it launched after hitting 100 million users in just five days.

A year on, Threads is still growing, albeit not as quickly. Zuck said last week the X rival now has more than 175 million monthly active users.

Threads owes much of its early success to its close links with Instagram.

The ability for users to sign up with their Instagram login made it easy to create an account and find contacts. It also launched when some were seeking an alternative to Twitter following Elon Musk's takeover.

In contrast, X's growth is stalling. The platform said its number of global daily active users had increased by 1.6% to 251 million in the second quarter of this year, The Financial Times reported Tuesday.

That represents a 1.6% year-on-year increase and contrasts with the double-digit growth the platform then called Twitter generally posted before Musk bought it.

In a recent interview with Platformer, Threads and Instagram boss Adam Mosseri said the aim was still overtaking X. However, Threads was focusing on differentiating itself from X in a bid to win more users.

"Another key focus is how do we double down on one of our differentiators, which is just to be a less angry space," Mosseri told the outlet, adding that undertaking some "basic content moderation" had helped.

Zuckerberg originally promoted Threads as a "friendlier" alternative to X. But a year on, it does not appear to have yet become a genuine threat to Musk's platform.

"In the short term at least, Threads does not pose a significant challenge to X," Paul Carter, CEO of telecommunications firm GWS, told Business Insider.

"Threads needs to do more to set itself apart if it's going to pose a significant challenge or even look to overtake X in the future."

Engagement issues

Meta says Threads has 175 million active monthly users. Still, data provided to the FT from analytics company Sensor Tower estimates the platform only has 38 million visitors daily, suggesting that users open the app less often than other platforms.

In April, Sensor Tower estimated Threads had averaged 28 million daily active users in the US, while X averaged 22 million.

However, according to data provided by GWS, Threads still had a problem engaging users.

"Despite recent growth, it is struggling to keep its users on the platform for a sustained period," Carter said. "As of June 2024, users spent just six minutes on the app each day, compared to X at 23 minutes or Instagram at 36 minutes."

"New entrants into the social media market can succeed — just look at the rise of TikTok. For Threads, however, the platform simply isn't sufficiently setting itself apart," he added.

An Instagram add-on

While Meta still backs Threads to overtake X, the platform still very much exists alongside Instagram.

"Threads remains highly dependent on Instagram — in fact, it is hard to see how Threads would have amassed its audience without Instagram," Carter said.

Mosseri acknowledged the platform was still "deeply integrated with Instagram," but said he planned to make it more independent.

"We're working on things like Threads-only accounts and data separation," he said. "As we iterate on the product, it's gonna differentiate more and more."

But given that it's so intrinsically linked to Meta's vastly more popular app, it's difficult to see Threads fully escaping from Instagram's shadow in the near future.

• Biden canceled a meeting with Olaf Scholz, saying he had to go to bed, according to a report.
• The meeting was an informal gathering during the G7 summit to discuss Ukraine.
• The White House has faced scrutiny over Biden's mental acuity and ability to run for a second term.

President Joe Biden canceled an early evening meeting with the German chancellor Olaf Scholz at the last minute because he had to go to bed, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal.

The newspaper reported that the event was an informal gathering in Germany amid the G7 summit in June 2022, and was meant to be a low-key meeting to discuss Ukraine.

Two unnamed people who were there told the Journal that Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced that Biden would not make an appearance because he had to rest.

According to the report, the chancellor and his aides were surprised by Biden's absence and Blinken's appearance.

In a statement to the Journal, a spokesperson for the State Department denied the report, while another official stated that the White House had informed the participants early on that Biden would be unable to attend.

Business Insider could not verify the details or the specific reason for needing to rest, and the White House did not reply to a request for comment.

Axios, citing people close to the president, has previously said that Biden worked best between the 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. window and struggled to function outside that timeframe.

The Journal report said that the White House has consistently reduced Biden's daily schedule and shielded him from impromptu meetings.

Both CNN and The New York Times have reported that Biden told governors he needed to get more sleep and stop holding events after 8 p.m. The White House has not responded to these claims.

It follows a disastrous debate against Donald Trump, which was marked by verbal gaffes and confusing statements.

Biden dismissed queries about his competence as a presidential candidate in a taped interview with ABC's George Stephanopolous on Friday, saying he would step aside only if the "Lord Almighty" asked him to.

High-profile Democratic Party donors have voiced their concerns about Biden's mental acuity.

Abigail Disney, Walt Disney's grandniece and a longtime Democratic donor, announced she would halt donations to the party until he makes way for a replacement at the top of the ticket.

Biden now faces intense scrutiny as he heads into NATO's summit this week, which was meant to draw a line under the strategy for the Ukraine crisis and discuss the shifting China-Russia dynamic.

A summit of this stature would normally not be an issue for Biden, who formerly served as the Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Now, it will serve as a public test of his mental sharpness and ability to run against Trump in the elections.

Alliance leaders will be hosted by Biden in Washington for three days of discussions and public activities, which will end with a solo press conference on the afternoon of July 11th.

• President Joe Biden is trying to "run out the clock," a former Obama advisor told CNN.
• David Axelrod said that after the NATO summit and GOP convention, time gets too short to make a change.
• Biden has come out forcefully against calls for him to step aside following last month's debate.

President Joe Biden is trying to "run out the clock" so that time becomes too short to make a change, a former Obama advisor said in an interview with CNN.

"I do think he is trying to run out the clock," David Axelrod told the outlet on Monday, citing an upcoming NATO summit in Washington, DC, as well as next week's Republican convention.

"And then time gets very short if you were to make a change," he said.

Biden has been under considerable pressure to exit the presidential race following his disastrous debate performance on June 27.

But he's come out forcefully against any suggestions that he should drop out.

In an ABC News interview released on Friday, Biden said only God might convince him to drop out of the race.

And in a call with MSNBC's "Morning Joe" on Monday, he said he was "not going anywhere" and goaded Democrats who wanted to push him aside.

Biden also sent a letter to Democratic members of both chambers, telling them to end questions about how to move forward, saying: "I am firmly committed to staying in this race."

Axelrod described the letter to CNN as "pretty dismissive," with no "real acknowledgment of the concerns or addressing of the concerns" brought up by Democrats.

Axelrod told CNN on Sunday that Biden was "dangerously out of touch" with the ground sentiment and was "not winning this race" against former President Donald Trump.

The Democratic National Convention is scheduled to start on August 19, leaving Democrats just over five weeks to pick a new nominee, if they choose to try to force Biden out.

It's not too late for Democrats to pick another candidate, although the precedent isn't one they will look at favorably.

When President Lyndon B. Johnson dropped out of the race in 1968, his vice president, Hubert Humphrey, entered the Democratic primary, won the nomination, but went on to lose the election to former Vice President Richard Nixon.

According to Reuters, if Biden stepped down after the Democratic convention, the 435 members of the Democratic National Committee would then need to select a new candidate.

Growing calls for Biden to end his bid for reelection have worried some in the Republican Party.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican and longtime Trump ally, told CBS' "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" Sunday that a new Democratic challenger would make the race "dramatically different" for Trump.

• I've worked as a sales associate at Coach for two years, and I've seen customers make mistakes. 
• Buy a bag that actually fits your essentials, not just whatever's trendy.
• Keep your receipt and don't assume highest prices means highest quality and best bag for you. 

I've worked as a Coach sales associate for two years, so I've learned a lot about designer bags.

Maybe you want one as an investment that can be resold for six figures down the road, or perhaps you just want to ferry your belongings to and from work in style. Either way, you'll definitely want to be smart when putting your card down.

Here are the five mistakes I often see shoppers make when buying designer bags and how you can avoid them.

Avoiding the outlet stores

Luxury bags can be affordable if you know where to look. Fortunately, a lot of designer brands have outlets with great deals.

The Coach Outlet features many collections and a wide variety of high-quality bags, wallets, and accessories for up to 70% off.

Overlooking practicality

Beyond aesthetics, practical features such as compartments, closures, and strap options contribute to a bag's functionality.

Ask an associate to see if they can fit your belongings inside the bag you're looking to buy. Then, try it on. Make sure you like how the bag sits on you and how it looks full of your stuff.

Overlooking key features can result in you buying a bag you won't actually use — I've seen many customers return bags they thought they could make work for their lifestyle but couldn't.

Only buying a bag because it's trendy

It's fun to keep up with the latest trends, but don't buy luxury bags based on them. Make sure it actually fits your needs and is versatile.

If the bag matches your personal style and meets your requirements, you'll feel much more confident in your purchase.

Not buying the products to maintain a good bag once you've got it

When investing in a high-quality bag, you should also consider buying items that will help you keep it in great condition, like special cleaners or leather moisturizers.

I often see customers not buy cleaners because they're not nearly as exciting, but they can really help you keep your bag looking brand new.

If you're stumped, ask an associate or research your bag's specific needs, which can vary depending on what material it's made of.

Not keeping the receipt

Keep your receipts when buying luxury bags because many companies have warranties or price adjustments that require proof of purchase.

It may also come in handy if you choose to resell your bag down the line. At Coach, you can also sign up as Coach Insider, so all your purchases will be tracked digitally, and receipts will be sent to your email.