A man carries a child on his shoulders as they march near Central Park during a 2020 Juneteenth celebration.
Frank Franklin II/Associated Press
Business Insider is taking Juneteenth off on Wednesday, June 19.
I wrote an out-of-office message to educate people and let them know I won't be checking email.
Juneteenth recognizes the end of slavery in the US on June 19, 1865.
Business Insider is taking Juneteenth off. To prepare, I crafted an out-of-office message to let my contacts know I won't be checking email on Wednesday and educate them on the historic event.
Juneteenth recognizes the end of slavery in the US when the Emancipation Proclamation reached Texas (then the most remote Confederate state) on June 19, 1865.
I took my usual OOO template and added a link that explains what Juneteenth is. Here's what I wrote:
Hi,
Thanks for your email! Business Insider has closed today to observe Juneteenth.
I encourage you to read the linked article on the holiday if you want to know why this decision was made and why it's so important to the company and its staff.
I'll be sure to respond to your message when I'm back in the office on Thursday, 6/20.
Big-name companies like Twitter and Nike declared Juneteenth a company holiday in 2020. Other organizations like Microsoft have designated it a "day of listening, learning, and engagement" and canceled meetings.
"White fabrics, especially white leather, stain easily. This style is popular in magazines, so designers are frequently asked to do it, but people are often left with potentially exorbitant cleaning and maintenance costs," he said.
Instead of going all white, try a rich blue or sage green that imparts a cool and clean vibe without the laborious upkeep.
Open shelving is overly trendy and hard to pull off.
Sometimes it's easier to keep things organized behind closed doors.
Shutterstock
Jennifer Weisberg, interior designer and owner of JLW Interiors, told BI that the open-shelving kitchen trend usually looks a lot better on Instagram than it does in real life.
"Open shelving is so overdone at this point," she said. "It's also quite impractical, as very few people want to take the time to make sure their dishes and glassware are always perfectly organized."
If you want the airy feel of open shelving but don't want to spend hours curating your kitchen items, consider opting for light-colored wood or frosted-glass cupboards.
Vessel sinks can be unsanitary and aren't user-friendly.
They may look nice, but they are hard to clean around.
Shutterstock
A vessel sink is one where water runs from a faucet into a raised basin or bowl that is attached to a flat countertop.
Interior designer Leslie Markman-Stern of Leslie M. Stern Design told BI that these sinks are difficult to keep clean and can be hard to use.
"It can be hard to clean around vessel sinks and they're not user-friendly for most, especially short people, seniors, or those who have disabilities," she said.
To make matters worse, it's often tough to find handles and faucets that work with an existing vessel if the sink needs to be repaired.
Midcentury modern furniture may be overused.
The style has become extremely popular in recent years.
united photo studio/Shutterstock
Midcentury modern refers to a style of furniture and decor that was popular from roughly the late 1940s to the early 1960s.
Although its streamlined look has recently experienced a revival, designers feel that its ubiquity has made it feel commonplace.
"Mid-century modern furniture has been used too much. It's a shame because there are other vintage styles that have interesting qualities and may actually be better made," Markman-Stern told BI.
Since midcentury modern furniture is so simple, the designer said, many manufacturers have been churning out poorly made replicas of it for years. If you're shopping for vintage pieces, it's wise to buy from a reputable antique dealer.
Faux-distressed decor can look tacky.
Chalk-painting furniture is a tired trend.
Shutterstock
Interior designer Sally Soricelli of Nestorations told BI that the trend of decorating with heavily distressed furniture has definitely run its course.
"Everyone has been distressing and chalk-painting furniture for years now," she said. "Unfortunately, most of these mass-produced distressed pieces look cheaply made."
If you're looking to add texture and dimension to your interior, try investing in an authentic antique piece or upholstering an existing furniture item with an interesting fabric.
Dining benches look good but can be hard to actually use.
Bench seating isn't always practical.
Alan SK/Shutterstock
Dining benches can complement rustic decor while keeping a low profile, meaning they can be easily stowed away under tables.
But Karp pointed out that this seating trend can be downright uncomfortable.
"Dining benches are great until the person sitting in the middle has to get up, because that means everyone has to get up," he told BI. "They are also extremely uncomfortable to sit on for long periods of time."
Some designers wish accent walls would go away.
Painting one wall in a bold color has become a popular trend.
PlusONE/Shutterstock
Painting or wallpapering an accent wall is still a popular way to decorate a room, but some designers are over the trend.
"The trend of painting one wall of a room a different color is definitely outdated and I never recommend it to clients," said Soricelli. "If you love the color enough, paint the whole room."
You can also use accessories, pillows, or fabrics to add complementary colors to a space.
Barn doors don't block light, sound, or smells.
Barn doors aren't very practical for every house.
Breadmaker/Shutterstock
Swapping traditional, hinged interior doors for large, sliding barn doors is a mainstay of farmhouse-chic decorating.
Sadly, these doors often function as little more than wooden curtains.
"Aesthetics aside, sliding barn doors are terrible at being doors," Karp told BI. "They don't create any kind of seal between the wall and the door so they do almost nothing to block out sound, and light and odors seep in through the sides."
Shiplap is a tired interior trend.
"Fixer Upper" inspired many people to install shiplap in their homes.
ocwarfford/Shutterstock
Shiplap is a type of wooden paneling that was originally used to create a water-tight seal for the hulls of boats.
Following its liberal use on renovation shows like HGTV's "Fixer Upper," shiplap sailed into homes everywhere as interior siding. But some designers think the nautical material should catch the next wave out.
"Shiplap is way too overdone — literally everything seems to be covered in shiplap these days. There are so many other woodwork choices that I'd love people to embrace in their homes," Soricelli told BI.
Palm prints are everywhere, and not in a good way.
The palm-print trend has really taken off.
Photographee.eu/Shutterstock
Alessandra Wood, an interior designer with online design service Modsy, told BI that bold, tropical palm prints should be replaced with something more current.
"I love a good palm print. But knock-off prints seem to be everywhere, and the oversaturated use of palm print has made it lose a bit of its appeal," she said.
Terrazzo-covered everything has some designers rolling their eyes.
Terrazzo floors are fine, but it shouldn't be everywhere.
DotExe/Shutterstock
The terrazzo-print trend is still in full swing, but designers were unanimous in their dislike for the colorful material
"The use of the terrazzo pattern on everything but actual terrazzo flooring has made it feel a little overplayed," Wood said.
Weisberg added that installing terrazzo material in bright colors can make the pattern overwhelming.
"Terrazzo tends to look very busy, especially in bold color combinations. I find clients tire of this pattern quickly," she told BI.
Matching furniture sets can be pricey and boring.
Feel free to mix and match a few furniture items.
Shutterstock
Colin Haentjens, architect and interior designer, told BI that splurging on a trendy matching furniture set is usually a financial and design mistake.
"A living room filled with furniture that has matching legs, colors, and materials is boring," he said. "Manufacturers profit from this trend for matching sets, but you can save money and find more unique pieces by shopping around."
Bold "pops" of color can actually look dated.
Steer clear of adding one bold piece of furniture to a room.
Photographee.eu/Shutterstock
You might think that throwing a bright-red armchair into your all-white living room will add interest and originality. But Haentjens argued that bold pops of color can actually look unsophisticated.
"The trend of adding 'pops of color' with furniture and upholstery has actually been around for over a decade. This strategy can give a space a childish feel, especially if the color is primary or too saturated," he told BI.
Instead, the designer recommended simply painting neutral-colored walls a more interesting color.
Lights with paper shades are affordable but ubiquitous.
Opt for a more interesting lighting feature.
Olga Prava/Shutterstock
Lights with paper shades are cheap and practical, but Haentjens cautioned that they can look dull and uninspired.
"A certain affordable Swedish furniture company makes paper-shade light fixtures that can be found in every apartment," he told BI. "Steer clear of these to avoid having the same light as all of your friends."
"Living walls" are a nightmare to maintain.
House plants are great, but keep them off your walls.
Ken Schulze/Shutterstock
So-called "living" or "green" walls are vertical racks of potted plants arranged to give the illusion of a wall made of living greenery. Unfortunately, designers aren't in love with this plant trend.
"Living walls are hard to maintain, given their vertical placement. They also create the potential for mold, allergens, and unwelcome insects inside the home," Weisberg said.
Karp also decried the practice of using plastic plants to create living walls.
"Artificial green walls don't offer the air-cleaning benefits of a real living wall and actually harm the environment due to their use of plastic," he told BI. "This is one trend I'd love to see disappear."
Gray interiors can feel gloomy and dull.
Consider a warmer color scheme that brings a little life to the room.
"Gray has been everywhere. Gray walls, gray floors, gray furniture, gray everything," said Soricelli. "But the cool tones of gray can sometimes feel depressing and sterile, especially if it's all over the room."
If you're into the idea of a neutral color palette, consider incorporating some warmer beige or even blush tones to balance out the severity of gray.
The look of a tile countertop isn't worth the upkeep.
Tile countertops are hard to keep clean.
BUNDITINAY/Shutterstock
Covering your bathroom or kitchen counter with tile might add texture and visual interest, but Karp outlined several reasons this trend is a bad idea for most homes.
"In a high-humidity environment such as a bathroom or kitchen, bacteria can breed alarmingly fast on the porous surface of tiles," he told BI. They're also extremely prone to staining, and it's very hard to clean the grouting,"
Karp also noted that, in addition to their hygiene concerns, tile countertops don't provide a smooth surface for resting objects and they're prone to cracking and chipping.
This story was originally published in July 2020 and most recently updated on June 18, 2024.
Rachel Pohl, 34, who lived in San Francisco for several years, and her husband, Jesse Rosenthal, are just two of the people who left. After traveling around the US for around a year, they're happy having settled in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Pohl said while she was also happy in San Francisco and enjoyed living there, she's "grateful to call Chattanooga home" in her current phase of life. She and her husband moved to the city of more than 180,000 people in late 2021.
They had been considering moving away from California for quite some time before leaving San Francisco in the fall of 2020.
"It's very expensive, of course, difficult to buy a house, raise a family," she said. Pohl said they also wanted to live closer to family and wanted to be somewhere with a "slower pace of life" than the more fast-paced, large city of San Francisco, home to over 800,000 people.
"I think just the overall situation, livability there because of the cost of living is more difficult than smaller to mid-size cities," Pohl said.
The California wildfires in August 2020 were another reason the two decided to leave. "Around that time, we were thinking, let's get out of California. It's time," Pohl said.
'A grand nomadic tour of the US'
Amid remote work flexibility during the pandemic, the two ventured out of San Francisco and decided to explore the country to see the sights and decide where to settle down. "We did a grand nomadic tour of the US," Pohl said.
They packed up their things and put some stuff in storage. Pohl said goodbye to the city she had called home for years and where she met her husband. The two of them headed to Airbnb locations throughout the US.
Montana was one state they visited. Chattanooga was another place they got to see on their trip, and she found it was "very beautiful and lovely."
"It was springtime, and the flowers were blooming, and I thought, 'this is a nice place,'" she added. While she and her husband continued on, they eventually ended up moving there after roughly a year of travel because they wanted somewhere steady after finding out Pohl was pregnant. Pohl said she and her husband liked the size and Chattanooga's energy.
"It felt like there was enough and a lot going on for the size of the city, but not so overwhelming," she said.
They did end up in Durham, North Carolina, in the summer of 2021 before Chattanooga, partly because of its potential work opportunities. However, Pohl said they simply weren't feeling that location.
"We thought if we could pick to go anywhere, basically, in the US, we want to love it, and we want to feel great about our decision," Pohl said. "So we decided at that time to come back to Chattanooga. We hadn't been back since the spring."
The family-friendly location and other pros of being in Chattanooga
Pohl likes the access to nature in Chattanooga.
"We love to go on hikes and go by the river and go paddle boarding," she said. "We love to go to playgrounds and parks with our son. All of that is very accessible."
Pohl said people are also friendly in Chattanooga, and she thinks it's a family-friendly location. She has also found the people are more diversified in terms of jobs, as opposed to the dominance of tech in the San Francisco area.
"I was meeting entrepreneurs in the food and beverage industry and people doing all kinds of things," Pohl said about Chattanooga. "It felt approachable and accessible here to do that."
Chattanooga is also much more affordable for homebuyers than San Francisco. Realtor.com noted both San Francisco and Chattanooga as buyer's markets at the moment, where the "supply of homes is greater than the demand for homes." While that may be the case, Realtor.com also shows the median sold home price in Chattanooga is far below that across the country in San Francisco — $347,500 and around $1.1 million respectively.
"It is just much more accessible to buy a lovely larger-sized home in Tennessee and Chattanooga," she said. "Your dollar goes much further here. We had looked at potentially buying a house in California and just in the end thought this makes no sense because of the cost, because of the distance to family, and just kind of the whole situation we felt like, let's go yonder."
While Pohl is happy living in Tennessee, she misses the cuisine in San Franciso and access to some national parks nearby. Pohl noted to BI she had visited San Francisco since moving away, mainly for work. And while she does love the energy in Chattanooga, there's just something about the energy in California, too.
"It's such a beautiful state," Pohl said about California. "Sometimes I miss a little bit of the energy, but again, I feel like that was an active part of my choice to leave being in a big city, but there's so much innovation happening there around technology and AI. So sometimes, from a work perspective, I miss that."
Have you moved out of San Francisco or somewhere else in the US? Reach out to this reporter to share your moving experience at mhoff@businessinsider.com.
Andrew Bustamante spent seven years working covertly as an officer in the Central Intelligence Agency. The CIA recruited him while he was applying to join the Peace Corps after leaving the US Air Force. Bustamante possesses an intimate knowledge of the intelligence community's inner workings. He says that he orchestrated several drone strikes during the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and that he mastered the art of deception. After meeting his wife — also a CIA officer — and having children, he learned the CIA was no place for families. But leaving a life that was to most people a lie wasn't easy. Today, he runs his own company, Everyday Spy, training people in the techniques he learned as a spy. But he believes the US isn't safe enough to raise his family.
US President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Woodside, California, on November 15, 2023.
BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images
Xi Jinping said the US was trying to trick China into invading Taiwan, the Financial Times reported.
The Chinese leader made the claim to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, per the FT.
Experts told BI the accusation was meant to drive a wedge between the US and its European allies.
Xi Jinping's claim that the US is trying to trick China into invading Taiwan is aimed at driving a wedge between the US and its European allies, experts told Business Insider.
The Chinese leader made the accusation in April last year during a meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the Financial Times reported over the weekend, citing people familiar with the matter.
One person who spoke to the FT said Xi had issued the same warning to officials in his own country.
According to Andrew Scobell, a distinguished fellow with the China program at the US Institute of Peace, in speaking out in this way, Xi was trying to "sow division" between the US and its allies and "drive a wedge" into transatlantic policy toward China.
He told BI that Xi likely believed what he said and probably reached the conclusion from the "almost incessant alarmist" narrative in the US that Beijing is planning to attack Taiwan in the next few years.
But in addressing the issue with the EU leader, Xi was trying to counter the US narrative and undermine transatlantic relations, Scobell said.
Craig Singleton, a senior China fellow at the nonpartisan Foundation for Defense of Democracies, went further.
"By framing the US as provocateurs, Xi aims to rally domestic support and caution America's Western allies against escalating their support for Taiwan," he told BI.
Singleton, who spent more than a decade serving in the US government in a series of national security roles, said Xi's claim effectively portrays China as a "rational" actor in a "complex" geopolitical environment.
Part of Xi's strategy is also to "deflect parallels between Ukraine and Taiwan," he added, with China aware that such comparisons "resonate deeply with European nations who might feel compelled to intervene to protect Taiwan's democracy."
Meanwhile, Timothy Heath, a senior international defense researcher at RAND, said Xi made the accusation to von der Leyen knowing the message would "certainly" be passed to the US.
"Also, China knows that the EU is generally ambivalent about backing the United States in a war with China over Taiwan," he added.
For decades, the US has adopted a policy of "strategic ambiguity" toward Taiwan, positioning itself as the country's most steadfast ally, while declining to explicitly say whether it would come to Taiwan's aid if China attacked.
However, over the last few years, the mood in Washington, DC, has shifted toward greater hawkishness, Graeme Thompson, an analyst with the Eurasia Group, told Business Insider in November.
Former officials, including Mike Pompeo and John Bolton, have even called for Taiwan's recognition as an independent state.
This would be a red line for the EU. Under its One China policy, the EU recognizes the People's Republic of China as the sole legal government of China.
And while the US approved an $8 billion defense package for Taiwan in April, the EU has sent none.
The US has also discussed ways it could help defend Taiwan, including deploying thousands of drones if China invaded, with the "unmanned hellscape" buying time for the US military to come to Taiwan's aid, the top US admiral in the Pacific said.
The EU, meanwhile, rejects the use or threat of force, favoring the status quo and peaceful resolution of differences across the Taiwan Strait.
Despite their differences, the US and its European allies share the consensus that China represents a challenge, even a threat, and agree that de-risking, preserving the status quo in the Indo-Pacific, and opposing China's actions globally is imperative, according to a February policy paper by the UK-based Royal Services Institute.
Hawaii is a beautiful place but you should know a few things before you visit.
Jennifer Adams
I was born in Hawaii and spent 18 years living in Honolulu.
I wish tourists knew more about our history and how tourism is displacing Native Hawaiians.
Visitors should be careful to use terms like "Hawaiian" and "aloha" correctly.
I spent the first 18 years of my life in Honolulu.
When I tell people that I grew up there, they often ask me what life was like there or what they should do when they visit.
However, Hawaii is home to much more than beautiful beaches, and visitors should take it upon themselves to learn more about the rich history and culture that have shaped the state into what it is today.
Hawaii is the most culturally diverse state in the US
Hawaii is very diverse.
Jennifer Adams
Growing up in Hawaii, you could take a good look around you, and it would be easy to recognize that Hawaii is a melting pot of cultures.
I'm Japanese, Alaska Native, and white, and many of my friends were also multiracial.
In fact, nearly a quarter of people living in the state identify as multiracial, and more than a third identify as Asian alone, according to the 2023 US Census.
Such cultural diversity trickles down into the food we eat, too. Hawaii is home to foods like spam musubi, manapua, and malasadas, which have all been influenced by the rich mix of immigrant communities.
The term 'Hawaiian' is reserved for those who have native Hawaiian ancestry
I've noticed many people use the term "Hawaiian" to refer to anyone from the state of Hawaii. But a lot of people are surprised to learn that Hawaiian is an ethnicity.
Just as you wouldn't call a white person living in Japan "Japanese," the same principle applies to "Hawaiian."
If you're referring to someone who simply resides in Hawaii without Hawaiian ancestry, it's more accurate to call them a local or resident.
Tourism is displacing Native Hawaiians at a disproportionate rate
Tourism is huge for Hawaii, but it also has negative impacts on locals.
Jennifer Adams
According to CBS, every year, around 15,000 Native Hawaiians are left with no choice but to leave Hawaii, in part due to the increasing cost of living.
Growing tourism and expanding luxury housing developments, coupled with a lack of economic opportunities, are making it unfeasible for many to live in the state.
Hawaii used to be its own kingdom until the Hawaiian monarchy was overthrown
Before becoming the 50th state, Hawaii was a thriving sovereign nation. Its last queen was Queen Liliuoukalani, who led her kingdom to economic and civic success.
During her reign, Hawaii was recognized by over 80 embassies in the world, and the state enjoyed universal healthcare and a 95% literacy rate.
This all eventually changed when she was arrested and forcefully removed from the throne in 1893 in a US-military-backed coup.
When you litter, it ends up in Hawaii's oceans, threatening marine life and various ecosystems
When you carelessly toss trash on the ground, it'll likely end up polluting the pristine beaches of Hawaii, and there's a good chance you'll encounter it firsthand.
Tragically, it's not uncommon to see marine life like turtles, sea otters, and monk seals trapped in plastic or trying to eat a piece of garbage.
If you have any garbage to dispose of while you're in Hawaii, place it in a trash can.
Your TikTok has the power to ruin a beach
If you find a beautiful place, consider keeping it close to your chest.
Linka A Odom/Getty Images
Although it's OK to take plenty of photos and appreciate the beauty of Hawaii, it's important to be mindful about sharing your photos on social media.
Just one viral TikTok or Instagram post promoting a beach or hike can quickly turn a once serene spot into an overcrowded nightmare.
Therefore, it's crucial to consider the potential impact your posts will have and the importance of preserving the beauty of Hawaii for generations to come.
In Hawaii, 'aloha' has a much deeper meaning than 'hello'
You may know that "aloha" is used as a greeting to mean "hello" or "goodbye." But what you may not have realized is that aloha is also a human value that embodies love, peace, compassion, and respect.
The importance of embodying the "aloha spirit" is taught in schools, which I think contributes to the genuinely warm and kindhearted nature of Hawaii's people.
So, if you do plan on visiting Hawaii, it's important to also have aloha for the land and its people.
Elon Musk near a Falcon 9 rocket at SpaceX headquarters in Hawthorne, California in 2018.
David McNew/Getty Images
Internet satellite networks re-entering the atmosphere en masse could damage the ozone layer, a study warns.
Elon Musk's Starlink is by far the biggest player in this field.
The effects could "push pause on the ozone success story in decades to come," the scientists said.
Internet satellite networks like Elon Musk's Starlink could contribute toward the depletion of the ozone layer, a new study claims.
Scientists at the University of Southern California's Department of Astronautical Engineering warned that the massive increase in low-earth orbit internet satellites could lead to damaging chemical reactions in the atmosphere.
There are currently more than 8,000 internet satellites in low-earth orbit, of which about 6,000 are Starlink ones, a press statement said.
All are made with large amounts of aluminum and designed with a short, roughly five-year lifespan, it added.
The problem comes when the satellites fall into Earth's atmosphere to burn up, producing aluminum oxide, the scientists said, triggering a chemical reaction that's highly destructive to the ozone.
The study, published last week in the peer-reviewed Geophysical Research Letters journal, found that the presence of the oxides increased roughly eightfold between 2016 and 2022 — and could surge far more with current satellite launch plans.
SpaceX has plans to launch another 42,000 Starlink satellites, according to Space.com. Other companies, including Amazon, have plans to launch thousands more of their own, the study's authors said.
Worse, the oxides aren't consumed by the action, so the effect could last for decades as the particles drift down, they added.
In 2022, 18.7 tons of aluminum oxide nanoparticles were released into the atmosphere by falling satellites, they said.
Looking ahead to planned satellite launches, this could increase to as much as 397 tons a year and could lead to "significant ozone depletion," according to the study.
A revolution in high-speed internet
The system of placing many small satellites in low-earth orbit enables faster processing of larger volumes of data.
Earlier satellites operated much higher up — at a cost to internet speeds — but had a much longer lifespan.
A rendering of SpaceX's constellation of satellites for Starlink.
Mark Handley/University College London
Elon Musk started SpaceX, Starlink's parent company, in 2002, building it to be one of the biggest players in the space industry.
The first launch carrying experimental Starlink satellites was in 2019. Since then, the launches have continued, forming a mesh-like mega constellation that has helped meet the massive demand for fast global internet access — notably in Ukraine, where the technology has been vital to the country's defense communications.
Starlink's X account said in May that it serves three million internet customers across 100 countries and territories.
Hitting pause on a rare success story
A still from a European Space Agency video showing a multicolored visualization of the ozone layer, with Antarctica visible through a massive hole, as of September 28, 2023.
European Space Agency
In the 1970s, it was found that the widespread use of chlorofluorocarbons, or CFCs, was producing a massive hole in the ozone layer.
A 1987 ban on CFCs helped slow the process, and by 2013, authorities were projecting that the ozone layer would repair itself within a few decades.
It was a rare success story among a clutch of global climate-related issues.
But this progress could now be stalled, the USC scientists said.
"Unanticipated growth of aluminum oxides may push pause on the ozone success story in decades to come," they wrote.
In2023, observers at the European Space Agency noted that the hole in the ozone layer over Antarctica was roughly three times the size of Brazil and was "one of the biggest on record."
At the time, the agency said it was too early to know the cause, and did not mention satellite burn-up among the potential factors.
Starlink did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment, sent outside of office hours.
President Joe Biden speaks about investing in clean energy manufacturing at CS Wind in Pueblo, Colorado.
AP Photo/Andrew Harnik
The Biden administration unveiled a rule linking clean energy tax breaks to worker pay.
Projects must hire apprentices and pay prevailing wages to qualify for increased tax breaks.
The credits could boost clean energy job wages, helping close the pay gap with fossil fuel jobs.
The Biden administration wants to ensure businesses are paying their clean energy workers well — and it's using a new tax break to push for it.
The Treasury Department, alongside the Internal Revenue Service, announced a final rule on Tuesday that stipulates how clean energy projects can get their tax break from the Inflation Reduction Act multiplied by five by paying workers more.
"No developer will leave that money on the table," John Podesta, Senior Advisor to the President for International Climate Policy, told reporters.
To qualify, projects have to hire registered apprentices, who are paid for their work and earn credentials while doing it, and pay the prevailing wage to their workers, a level of minimum pay generally set for workers on government contracts. While prevailing wage has "long applied" to federal projects, according to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, this is the first time it's been applied to clean energy tax incentives.
"This is a major step to put American workers at the center of the clean energy economy. It will help to attract and strengthen a skilled workforce in partnership with our nation's labor unions and private sector companies, and it'll help make sure this workforce is well paid," Yellen said in a call with reporters.
The rule gets at one of the big issues facing the clean energy economy: It doesn't pay as well as jobs in more carbon-intensive fossil fuel energy. For instance, a 2021 paper from the University of Massachusetts Amherst's Political Economy Research Institute found that while clean energy work in California pays $86,000 — above the average national wage of $65,000 — fossil fuel work pays, on average, $130,000.
Of course, there is now more opportunity for clean energy work as the industry grows, and some jobs have robust pay — but many roles require a bachelor's degree or apprenticeship experience, underscoring the importance of hiring apprentices.
Sean McGarvey, president of North America's Buildings Trades Unions, told reporters that in the past, the average solar worker earned less than a quarter of NABTU members' total wage and benefits package.
"That's why we were so reluctant without these rules that are being put in place to embrace the clean energy transition; we were always talking about a just transition," McGarvey said. "In the fossil fuel industry, our experience has been for the last hundred years that they pay top wages and fringe benefits, and, in the renewable industries that burgeoned over the last several decades, that has not been the case."
The new rule could open up the type of federal tax support for clean energy that fossil fuel companies have enjoyed for decades.
"With these new rules in place, there will be huge increases for many, many people that are existing in this industry right now and the opportunities for hundreds of thousands of people to join this industry with middle-class family-sustaining wages and with good healthcare and post-retirement benefits," McGarvey said.
Are you considering going into clean energy for higher pay? Contact this reporter at jkaplan@businessinsider.com.
Buying a house right now is difficult for a whole bunch of reasons, Dave Ramsey said.
But some people can't afford one as they waste money and rack up debt, the radio host said.
Ramsey's tips include picking the right mortgage, repaying debts, and building an emergency fund.
Buying a house has become especially hard, but some people can't afford one because they're mismanaging their money, personal finance guru Dave Ramsey says.
"It is mathematically tough right now, it is economically tough. But I think more than those two, it's psychologically tough right now because there's just this perception, this dark cloud over the subject of buying a house right now," he said on a recent episode of "The Ramsey Show."
House prices have surged to record highs, and the interest rate on a typical 30-year fixed-rate mortgage has jumped from below 3% in late 2021 to around 7%, fueling an affordability crisis.
People are also spending more on basics like food, fuel, and rent thanks to high inflation — and paying more each month for their car loans, credit cards, and other debts after the Federal Reserve raised interest rates to curb rising prices.
Ramsay's point is that consumers face a painful combination of lofty home prices, more expensive mortgages, steeper living costs and debt payments, stagnant wages and layoffs in several industries, and ongoing recession fears.
The result is that for many people, it feels harder than ever to save enough money, secure sufficient financing, and plunk virtually their entire net worth into a single asset, even if they plan to live in it.
Overspenders can't complain
Despite those challenges, the talk show host and author called out people who make bad financial decisions and then complain they can't afford a house.
"You're spending money you don't have, to do crap you don't need to be doing, and you go in debt to do it," he said.
"You're sitting there with stinking car payments around your neck, a bass boat payment, and paying for last year's Disney vacation on your credit card, and you can't figure out why you can't afford a house," he said. "Well I just told you why you can't afford a house: Your stinking overspending."
Ramsey advised people against making a home purchase until they've paid off their debts and built an emergency fund that covers three to six months of expenses.
He recommended they make a 20% down payment if possible, never take on a mortgage with a monthly payment exceeding 25% of their take-home pay, and stick to a fixed-rate mortgage that protects them from rate increases, as they can refinance if rates fall.
Blessing, not a curse
Ramsey also urged prospective buyers to account for closing costs and ownership expenses like home insurance, maintenance, and utilities.
"I want the house to be a blessing, not a curse," he said. "When you are broke and in debt, don't have an emergency fund, and sign up for a mortgage payment you can't afford, that is not smart real estate. That's going to slow down your wealth building, bring anxiety to your home, stress to your relationships."
Ramsey also cautioned that many people's wages have risen less slowly than prices and interest rates, which means "you can probably no longer afford the home you thought you were going to get."
He said the upshot is that buyers will probably have to compromise on things like the neighborhood and commuting distance to the city if they want to secure a home in their price range.
Yet the financial expert's principles will surely remind others of Warren Buffett, the legendary investor who preaches prudence, frugality, and careful risk management when it comes to money.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and China's Leader Xi Jinping on May 16, 2024, in Beijing.
Contributor via Getty Images
China is facing the prospect of further G7 sanctions.
The G7 has accused it of helping arm Russia against Ukraine.
Balancing its support for Russia with its European trading ties is becoming tricky for China.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg this week warned China it faces a stark choice if it continues backing Russia's Ukraine invasion.
"Publicly, President Xi has tried to create the impression that he's taking a back seat in this conflict to avoid sanctions and keep trade flowing," Stoltenberg said.
"But the reality is that China's fueling the largest armed conflict in Europe since World War II.
"At the same time, it wants to maintain good relations with the West.
"Well, Beijing cannot have it both ways. At some point, and unless China changes course, allies need to impose a cost."
The US believes China has supplied Russia with equipment such as chips and integrated circuits, which can be used to produce weapons. In response, China has said it is not a party to the Ukraine war and that there should be no interference with trade between China and Russia.
At the G7 summit last weekend, the leaders unambiguously signaled their growing frustration with China in a joint statement.
"China's ongoing support for Russia's defense industrial base is enabling Russia to maintain its illegal war in Ukraine and has significant and broad-based security implications," said the leaders of some of the world's biggest advanced economies.
It came days after the European Commission told Chinese carmakers that it would provisionally apply duties of up to 38% on imported Chinese electric vehicles from next month.
And in April and May, the US imposed new sanctions on Chinese banks and companies it accused of supplying goods and services for the Russian military.
Xi's balancing act
Analysts say that China is performing a balancing act. It is backing the Russian invasion to dent US global power while also seeking to maintain the trading ties with Europe its economy depends on.
The US has long been pushing its European allies to adopt a tougher stance toward Beijing similar to its own.
But they have hesitated until now. Many retain close economic ties with China, with the European economic giant Germany long dependent on China's manufacturing might for products such as cars and electronic devices.
But at the G7 there were signs that might be about to change, and Europe's leaders are becoming increasingly exasperated with China.
In the statement, members said they were willing to punish Beijing further for its support of Russia.
"We will continue taking measures against actors in China and third countries that materially support Russia's war machine, including financial institutions, consistent with our legal systems," they said.
China-Europe tensions increase
It's not just China's support for Russia that appears to be focusing European minds on the potential threat it poses.
China has sought to exploit divisions in Europe, with Xi visiting Hungary and Serbia in May, just after visiting France's President Emanuel Macron. Both have taken a critical stance towards Ukraine and appear keen to do more business with China, in defiance of EU policy. And China also seems keen to drive a wedge between European countries and the US.
But China's attempts to sustain its balancing act appear to be getting more difficult to sustain.
A person familiar with G7 talks told the Financial Times: "The era of naivety towards Beijing is definitely gone now and China is to blame for that, honestly."