Category: Business Insider

• Karen Edwards has traveled to 93 countries, and 57 of them have been with her young children.
• Edwards said that her family has had more fun exploring underrated spots than the popular ones.
• Her favorites include Tanzania for its safari tours and Abu Dhabi for its vibrant festival scene.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Karen Edwards, who blogs about her family's travels around the world. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

Since 2000, I've visited 93 countries and 57 of them have been with my four children who are all under the age of 10.

I am a nurse by background, but I have been blogging about traveling with my husband and kids since 2014. I cover a lot of off-the-beaten-track destinations and write itineraries for places I've been to, explaining how they work for families with children.

Many popular family destinations tend to be overcrowded. They're usually the ones that get a lot of media exposure or are shown in viral videos on social media. In America, it'd be places like Disneyland in California or Disney World in Florida, while for Europeans, it might be some of the Spanish resort areas.

Although my family and I have visited these places, we have always come away disappointed. They often lack educational experiences, feeling like pointless affairs.

I think traveling to underrated spots makes trips feel more exclusive and you can learn more about the cultures of the countries you visit — it also keeps you away from tourist traps.

We went on a safari tour in Tanzania

Our family visited Tanzania in 2019 in collaboration with a tourism brand. We were there for 12 days.

Our flights to the country were kind of expensive; we paid about $9,000 for our then-family of four, including a stop in Zanzibar at the end of the trip for a few days. However, overall, the entire trip didn't end up costing us that much.

We had some really unique experiences in Tanzania. We went to Mto Wa Mbu village, which is beneath a banana plantation, and we went on a safari tour in its Lake Manyara National Park.

Interestingly, Tanzania is one of the few places in the world where lions are known to climb trees. I remember seeing them sit in tall trees; it was quite unusual, but my kids really enjoyed how close they were to the animals.

Throughout our trip, we actually felt like we were experiencing life in Tanzania. Our campsite was on a river's edge in the depths of nature. It was nice not to feel surrounded by tourists.

My kids fell in love with Abu Dhabi's culture

Many people mistakenly believe that Dubai is a country, but in reality, it's a city in the United Arab Emirates, with Abu Dhabi being its capital.

My family and I moved to Abu Dhabi in 2021 and lived there for 18 months. The city does have a lot of similarities to glitzy and glam Dubai, but you get a more down-to-earth experience.

There are amazing festivals in Abu Dhabi where they display their culture in different formats, whether that be through local food or crafts. It does feel authentic because it's usually mainly locals participating and organizing them.

The city sits at the foot of Jebel Hafeet, one of the tallest mountains in the region. Along the way up, you'll find many ancient artifacts, such as beehive huts, which have been there for thousands of years. At the top, you can watch incredible sunsets.

The city also has the Al Ain Oasis, which uses an ancient irrigation system. It has these beautiful paved pathways that look like cobbled streets.

My kids loved Abu Dhabi and are constantly asking me to go back — they really liked all the cultural celebrations.

We love Sri Lanka so much, we're building a villa there

In 2022, my family and I moved to Sri Lanka from Abu Dhabi. We thought we'd have more family time here, and it was going to be an affordable place to live.

We're building a family-friendly villa here that should be completed by August. The area where we are building has a lot of nice cafes, bars, and restaurants nearby.

Overall, Sri Lanka is an amazing country that has so many diverse experiences. There are tea plantations, mountains, and beaches. As for wildlife, their national parks have loads of elephants and leopards.

On one occasion, we went on a safari boat tour to an isolated national park where we watched elephants swim across a lake and onto a tiny island. It was amazing.

The beaches in Sri Lanka are pristine. They have beautiful scenery with swaying coconut palm trees, clear water, and perfect waves. Our favorite is Kabalana Beach.

Because we're always on the beach, my children have learned how to surf. I think it's the most fun thing that we do on the weekends as a family.

The ski resorts and spas are amazing in Andorra

We visited Andorra in 2018 for about six days. It's a tiny country nestled in the Pyrenees between Spain. It's a two-hour drive from Barcelona and three hours from Toulouse, France.

The city has a unique fusion of cultures, though I think Catalonian is the strongest influence. During our trip, my family and I toured many ancient churches.

We also went to some amazing spas and resorts in Andorra. The hotel and ski system there is really family-friendly.

During our visit to the Grandvalira ski resort, my daughter learned how to ski and my husband got to snowboard — the resort has a kindergarten at the foot of its mountain, where kids can play or ski.

Andorra also has amazing spa facilities that are suitable for families and are sectioned off for different age groups.

Our trip was in collaboration with Andorra's tourism board, but I feel like it wasn't overly expensive in comparison to some other places around the world.

I was treated like family in Macedonia

Macedonia is a Balkan country just north of Greece. I haven't been there with children, but I wouldn't have any issues taking my kids there.

It has many beautiful small villages and it's great for skiing too.

The country is also home to one of the oldest and deepest lakes in Europe named Lake Orchid, which borders Albania. There's this beautiful, small village on the lake that has charming restaurant and a lovely atmosphere for relaxing and enjoying good food.

I visited the country in 2008, and then again in 2012 with my then-boyfriend and now-husband.

The first time I visited, I went with two girlfriends, and we were backpackers. We arrived in the middle of the night by bus and had no idea what we were doing. The bus driver just made a call, and a stranger came and picked us up in his car — I thought I was going to die.

The opposite happened. He took us back to his home with his family, and we stayed there with them for a few days. We ended up extending the trip because he and his family were so amazing.

They didn't speak a word of English, and we couldn't speak a word of their language either. We'd just gesture at each other, and they'd give us food and red wine.

I just totally fell in love with them and their country.

from All Content from Business Insider https://ift.tt/RHy47nZ
via IFTTT

• Palantir has taken an unusual approach to sales, traditionally avoiding hiring a large salesforce.
• It's been putting on boot camps to attract customers, per Bloomberg.
• CEO Alex Karp has likened them to "a rock concert;" they've included perks like racetrack drives.

Palantir has shunned the traditional means of software sales for many years, and though the company has a salesforce now, it's still using a bit of an unconventional approach to drum up business.

The data mining company, cofounded by PayPal Mafia member Peter Thiel, has been holding software boot camps to recruit new customers, Bloomberg reported Tuesday.

At one such camp in Pontiac, Michigan, speakers gave presentations, attendees tried out Palantir's software for themselves, and happy hour even featured a professional driver taking attendees for rides on a racetrack outside, according to Bloomberg.

Palantir has been leaning into the events to sell its Artificial Intelligence Platform, or AIP. The company put on over 500 boot camps last year and expects to average five camps a day globally this year, according to Bloomberg.

"We can't do enough of them," CEO Alex Karp said in the company's Q4 earnings call. "We're limiting the number of people who can come. It's like a rock concert. It's like, yeah, yeah, if you know somebody, we can get you backstage."

"We're already overfilled for our AIP boot camp," he added in the earnings call. "And it's just we don't know how to deal actually with this demand."

Still, one thing Palantir is hoping for is that the people who attend the camps then go away knowing how to use its tools — and how to show others how to use them. But some analysts think they need to do more to support growth.

"Right now they need more manpower," Morningstar analyst Malik Ahmed Khan told Bloomberg. Meantime, Rishi Jaluria, managing director of software for RBC Capital Markets, pointed out that "this is very complex software."

from All Content from Business Insider https://ift.tt/glWzo5V
via IFTTT

• Andrew Ibrahim moved from Florida to Portugal for a better life for himself and his family.
• The cost of living wasn't adding up for Ibrahim, so he got more bang for his buck in Portugal.
• The inviting culture and beautiful weather are reasons why he's enjoying his decision so far.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Andrew Ibrahim, 31, who moved from Gainesville, Florida, to the most southern region of Portugal, the Algarve, in November 2023. Ibrahim still owns a business consultancy firm for property owners in Florida and also sells luxury real estate in Portugal. The conversation was edited for length and clarity.

Moving to Portugal was a decision that was basically like an early midlife crisis.

At the time, I was 30, and I said, "Thankfully, I've accomplished what I've wanted to do before I was 30, but I'm not necessarily happy day-to-day with the direction that I see that the country's going."

I wanted to be able to find a place where it would be perfect for me to raise my children — and that decision came fairly easy.

I was tired of the personalities in Florida. There are a lot of social issues that I'm not in line with, and the cost of living has just skyrocketed.

And over time, and I'd say after the pandemic, it just became worse.

When I rented in South Florida, I rented a one-bedroom apartment that cost me about $2,600 a month. When I moved to Gainesville, I was able to purchase a four-bedroom property of my own, and mortgage, insurance, and taxes cost close to $3,000 a month — which was a little bit expensive for a normal middle class.

Then I moved to a much bigger, 5,900-square-foot, five-bedroom house. It was on 1.2 acres of land, which was very nice, but that was costing me close to $4,500 a month.

Thankfully, I lived a very good life, but I could have lived a 10 times better life for 50% of the cost of living in Portugal.

I can have a similar quality of life to Florida for a fraction of the price

Originally, I was born and raised in Montreal, and I moved to Florida when I was 17 years old, but I have Portuguese citizenship through my mother, who is Portuguese. So, it was fairly easy for me to get paperwork to be able to move and become a citizen.

Portugal checks the box for safety, for the potential of new businesses, and it also checks the box for me being able to provide the best future for my children and, in turn, myself.

My family has had real estate here for a few years — and it's fully paid off — so it was a little bit easy for us, but we've looked at purchasing a property for ourselves.

For groceries, if I'm spending 200 euros (or about $213) here, I'm able to eat for close to two weeks. But if I were to spend $200 or $250 in Florida for groceries, I'd be eating for a week at best.

If I want to go to a very nice restaurant in Portugal with top quality steaks or top quality meat or fish for my wife and me, I'm spending maybe $70 with a glass of wine.

In the United States, that's not really possible.

The food options in Portugal are not as abundant as in the US. In South Florida, you have so many different options for different cultures of food. Here, you do have options, but it's not like having a Southern restaurant on every corner. Or if you want to go and eat Peruvian food or ceviche, you're going to get something similar to it, but it's not going to be as authentic as if you were in South Florida.

Public education here is free. My daughter, luckily, doesn't have to pack her own lunch — the school provides lunch. That's a cost savings for us over time.

Health insurance is also very, very economical here. We pay about 50 euros a month; in the United States, I was paying close to $300 a month and not really getting the best healthcare that I thought the United States touts. In Portugal, the doctors are incredible. It's cheap and it's top quality service.

I'm enjoying the culture and values in Southern Portugal

The south of Portugal is, I'd say, 350 days a year of sunshine. That was a big factor because it's absolutely beautiful here. Christmas feels a little bit different because there's no snow around — and maybe I miss a little bit of hockey — but other than that, I don't miss the freezing rain, and I also don't miss having to shovel my driveway every day.

Also, it's one of the golfing capitals of Europe, so just from a demographic standpoint, there are a lot of good people that live here, and it has an incredible culture.

Southern Portugal is kind of like island living because you have so many beaches around you, so it's very similar to living in South Florida. However, there's a completely different culture that's been preserved over so many years.

The Portuguese culture is just incredible, and you're by beautiful beaches, beautiful real estate, beautiful golf courses, and it's not densely populated. It's different than living in a big city because it's quiet.

There's also the family aspect. When you go out to a park, you see families playing together. When you go to a restaurant, you see families eating together. You go to church on Sunday, and families are all together. That's something that I think has been lost over time from my experience living in Florida.

The Algarve has always been very popular amongst tourists. They've been, for many years now, really accustomed to foreigners and tourists coming to visit and purchasing property. A lot of people come from other European countries to retire here.

Generally, I'd say the Algarve is more of a melting pot of cultures. It preserves the Portuguese culture but is much more welcoming to foreign culture than the north or Lisbon.

I see a lot of Americans visiting. If you're going to a golf course in the Algarve, I'd say 90% of the people are American. You have a lot of English as well, so it's a nice mix here, but it's growing.

As much as people have said the area cooling down, I don't see it cooling down.

And based on what's happening with elections coming up in the States next year, we are seeing in the last few months that people are calling and making decisions to move. I think it is starting to pick up again.

from All Content from Business Insider https://ift.tt/RGfVnDj
via IFTTT

• Modern robotics technology is providing innovative ways to restore forests.
• Companies are using drones and special software to plant trees and overcome reforestation pain points.
• This article is part of "Build IT," a series about digital tech trends disrupting industries.

A quiet revolution is taking root. As the world grapples with deforestation and environmental decay — Earth lost almost 70,000 acres of forestland in 2023 alone, according to Global Forest Watch — modern robotics technology provides innovative ways to restore forests.

Technology and land-management companies, in particular, are harnessing tech such as drones and seed-tracking software to plant seeds and seedlings — an approach that excels over the time-consuming method of manual planting.

Robotics making reforestation more efficient

The tech-driven company Mast Reforestation uses drones and biotechnology to help landowners restore forestland after wildfires. Matthew Aghai, the company's vice president of research and development, said that as wildfires and other disturbances hit more areas, conventional reforestation methods, such as planting nursery-grown seedlings, face setbacks, including poor germination and low survival rates once seedlings are transferred to reforestation sites.

Wildfires' immense heat, Aghai added, limits the forests' natural abilities and compromises the growing environment. "That is why we need innovative solutions to intervene and ensure regeneration," he said.

To ensure seedlings survive and grow in nurseries — and in a forest, once replanted — Mast Reforestation plants its FirePlug seedlings, a biological and logistical solution for growing plant stock from native tree seed in a more controlled environment.

These seedlings are optimized for growth before they're transferred to a site that needs reforestation. Mast Reforestation leverages maneuverable, battery-powered drones to survey those sites, taking high-quality aerial images to assess areas and landscape conditions before planting. This helps the team identify the best spots to plant the seedlings.

Another company using robotics to plant trees is Flash Forest, which employs automated drones to restore burn sites and other damaged forest areas. Chris Ireland, its senior vice president of product, said Flash Forest uses heavy-lift drones with advanced features such as terrain following, obstacle avoidance, and ground control.

One pilot can navigate four drones, which can fly far, even in treacherous terrain, with a payload of up to 150 pounds. How far they fly depends on factors such as regional aviation regulations, obstacles, and operational requirements. Ireland told Business Insider the Flash Forest team stayed within 2 kilometers of a planting site in Canada based on payload, battery depletion, and safe-operation requirements.

According to Flash Forest's website, its drones can plant an average of 1,000 to 2,000 trees per hectare, or 405 to 809 trees per acre. Ireland added that 22,000 trees could be planted a day per pilot, as opposed to traditional methods of 2,000 to 4,500 trees planted a day per person.

The company's reforestation projects also provide communities with employment opportunities such as seed acquisition and harvesting, as seed banks don't always have the inventory required for specific areas. "It's seen as a spinoff benefit," Ireland said.

Flash Forest has a partnership with the Indigenous-owned natural-goods company Boreal Heartland, an initiative of the Keewatin Community Development Association in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan.

Ireland said Flash Forest offered opportunities for Indigenous-community engagement, including seed harvesting and planting operations. Rather than purchase seeds from seed banks, Flash Forest extends these opportunities to the community to help meet the demand.

"The Indigenous people of boreal regions are concerned with the impacts of increased wildfires," Randy Johns, Boreal Heartland's manager, told BI.

Ireland said Flash Forest hopes to scale to larger Indigenous-land reforestation projects and provide more jobs and STEM opportunities. "We also have purchased Indigenous products like teas and spices, which these communities have harvested and produced," he added. "We give these products to our commercial partners to increase appreciation and awareness of our reforestation efforts."

Using tech to bolster seed supply and growth

Even with efficient, tech-driven methods of mass tree planting, there's still a major issue: a shortage of seed supply.

To combat this issue, Mast Reforestation uses its custom-built software as a seed-inventory and seed-collection logistics platform. It lets the team view real-time conditions of its seed-bank inventory and a map that shows information such as seed zones and soil-related conditions.

Aghai told BI the proprietary system also provides data and insights to help Mast Reforestation capture seeds at the right time, such as during periods of mast seeding, a large and synchronized production of seeds from plant populations.

The software helped Mast Reforestation collect enough seeds last year to reforest about 2,100 acres on Sheep Creek Ranch in Montana. The seeds were collected on and near the project site, making them more resilient and adaptable to the climate. "Without this software, it would have been very difficult to collect seed for Sheep Creek, Montana, delaying the reforestation efforts significantly, if not forever," Aghai said.

Meanwhile, Flash Forest uses technology to produce high-quality seedpods, which are carried by drones to target sites and planted with precision. Each eight- to 12-minute flight plants about 10,000 seedpods, with drones reloaded, recharged, and rechecked in under 90 seconds for seamless operations.

The pods are made of "water-retention polymers that improve resistance to drought conditions in the early stages of germination," Ireland said. The self-sustaining seedpods are also formulated and field-validated to give seedlings a jump-start during the critical phase of the early growth cycle. "This type of tech allows for small footprints, extreme output, and minimal operators," he added.

Time is of the essence

Jeff Renton, Flash Forest's silviculture director, told BI tech integration means improved reforestation timelines. Traditional planting projects take eight to 26 months, while Flash Forest can complete projects, including planning and execution, in less than six months, he said.

Recent research underscores the critical need for effective and timely reforestation. Understocked forests inhibit valuable ecological processes such as timber production and carbon sequestration. But using technology to accelerate reforestation shows promise of revitalizing land for a healthier, more vibrant planet.

"We can save our planet faster," Ireland said.

from All Content from Business Insider https://ift.tt/Jzk4P5f
via IFTTT

• Amazon Prime members can now get unlimited grocery deliveries for $9.99 per month.
• Shoppers can get free delivery on orders over $35 from Amazon Fresh, Whole Foods, and more.
• The cost is still higher than comparable offerings from Walmart and Target.

Summer is approaching, and the competition for same-day grocery delivery is heating up.

Amazon is now the latest major retailer to enter the fray with a new subscription option for Prime members to get unlimited delivery on orders over $35 from stores, including Whole Foods, Amazon Fresh, and other local shops.

Starting Tuesday, Prime members can sign up for a free 30-day trial of the $9.99 a month service, and customers with a registered EBT card can use the service without a Prime membership for $4.99.

"We have many different customers with many different needs, and we want to save them time and money every time they shop for groceries," Amazon's senior vice president of worldwide grocery stores, Tony Hoggett, said in a statement.

The news out of Seattle follows a similar offering from Target, which launched its Circle360 membership earlier in April for an introductory price of $49 a year.

And the highlight of the Bullseye's first-ever paid membership option? Unlimited free delivery of groceries (and other stuff) via the company's Shipt service on orders over $35.

Of course, both are following the course set by grocery juggernaut Walmart, whose $98-per-year Walmart+ membership includes grocery delivery among its perks. Walmart, like Target and Amazon, requires a minimum purchase of $35 for the free delivery option. Walmart also offers a half-price option for qualifying recipients of government aid.

The company will even have a blue-vested associate put your produce and perishables right into your fridge for an extra $7 a month.

At $259 a year — between the $139 annual Prime membership and the $120 total delivery membership — Amazon's offering is by far the most expensive of the three companies.

Even so, considering the fact that 75% of shoppers already have a Prime membership, that all-in number might not make much of a difference.

from All Content from Business Insider https://ift.tt/9Zjh6Jx
via IFTTT

• I've sailed on Royal Caribbean's newest and largest cruise ships, Wonder of the Seas and Icon of the Seas.
• Both mega-ships are jam-packed with amenities, dining options, and people.
• They might not be for you if you want a quiet cruise to unique destinations.  

Before booking a vacation at sea, travelers should always research the best cruise line and ship for their needs.

If you're looking for an ultra-cheap and fast trip, try Margaritaville at Sea. Craving something more upscale? Consider Oceania Cruises.

And if you're looking for high-end sailing to unique destinations, I'd suggest avoiding Royal Caribbean's mega-ships.

Royal Caribbean has become synonymous with giant, family-friendly cruise ships

According to its current expansion plan, by 2028, about a third of Royal Caribbean's fleet will consist of mega-ships.

The latest addition, the 1,196-foot-long and 248,663-gross-ton Icon of the Seas, set sail in January, unseating its less than two-year-old predecessor, Wonder of the Seas, as the world's largest cruise liner.

Together, the two vessels can accommodate a whopping 19,238 people — 4,554 crew and 14,684 guests.

At almost all times of the year, these throngs of travelers can be seen running around the ships' eight neighborhoods, lining up for waterslides, and indulging at a combined 29 bars and 48 eateries.

I've attended complimentary sailings on Wonder and Icon, the longest being three nights on the latter. From their colorful pool decks to their inescapable crowds, as a solo adult traveler, I was equal parts entertained, overwhelmed, and overstimulated the entire time.

But admittedly, I had fun. I do love a good waterslide — and Wonder has three of them, while Icon has six.

If you plan on cruising with your children — and if they, like me, love activities like rock climbing and mini-golfing — Royal Caribbean's mega-ships could be your best option.

Its two largest and newest vessels are jam-packed with things to do. They each have more than 20 dining options and dozens of unique activities, a shortlist of which includes ice-skating rinks, ziplines, and shopping mall-like walkways.

But don't expect a peaceful retreat. The rowdy bar-hopping adults and screaming children at the water playground aren't exactly conducive to a relaxing vacation.

Mega-vessels might not be for you if you want a quiet, itinerary-focused cruise

If you want a relaxing and upscale vacation — maybe one that doesn't involve crowds of children — Royal Caribbean's behemoth vessels shouldn't be your top choice.

There are many ways to have a luxury vacation on Icon of the Seas. But unless you want to pay for upcharged amenities at every turn, you might be better off spending more upfront to reserve a more premium cruise line — especially if you're interested in cruising for the destinations, and not the ships.

After all, like most of Royal Caribbean's largest vessels, both Icon and Wonder are exclusively sailing in the Caribbeans.

Many desirable destinations like French Polynesia have set restrictions on cruises, including limits on ship size, amid concerns of pollution and overcrowding.

If stopping at these ports — or really anywhere outside the Caribbean — is at the top of your vacation wish list, you'll have to prioritize a smaller Royal Caribbean ship or go with higher-end companies like Oceania, Silversea, and Regent Seven Seas.

You might not get a waterpark, but at least you'll get a quieter vacation to destinations no mega-ship will likely ever be allowed to visit.

from All Content from Business Insider https://ift.tt/J96keK4
via IFTTT

• California hit a record last week as battery storage became the biggest power provider in the state.
• Batteries beat out renewables, nuclear, natural gas, and other sources two evenings in the past week.
• It's the latest example of growing battery capacity in US power grids.

Batteries briefly became the biggest source of power in California twice in the past week.

The first time — Tuesday last week around 8:10 p.m. PT, according to GridStatus.io — batteries reached a record peak output of 6,177 megawatts. For about two hours, that made electricity generated earlier and stored in batteries the single largest source of power in the Golden state, eclipsing real-time production from natural gas, nuclear, renewable sources like wind and solar, and all other sources of energy.

The news was reported earlier by Renew Economy.

It happened again on Sunday evening, this time for a few hours around 7:10 p.m. PT, per data from GridStatus.io. In that instance, which broke Tuesday's record, batteries reached a peak output of 6,458 megawatts.

Battery storage has become a key part of the push to produce more electricity using renewable sources. By connecting huge, rechargeable batteries to power grids, power utilities can store energy generated during the day by solar panels and wind turbines.

Then, they can distribute the energy during later periods of high demand — think evenings, when people fire up appliances to make dinner, flip on the TV, or turn on lights as it gets dark.

California had about 6.6 gigawatts of battery storage last October, the state's energy commission said. By 2045, state officials want all of California's power to come from carbon-free sources, a goal that will require about 52 gigawatts of battery storage, Renew Economy reported.

California isn't the only state where battery storage is growing quickly. Oil-rich Texas is challenging California for battery capacity and is expected to have 30 gigawatts of storage by the end of this decade, Business Insider reported last year.

from All Content from Business Insider https://ift.tt/NG8Uf7M
via IFTTT

• Trump's hush money trial is in its second week in Manhattan.
• AttorneyTodd Blanche struggled Tuesday to defend Trump's online attacks on witnesses and the jury.
• "You're losing all credibility," the judge railed when Blanche insisted Trump was "careful" online.

A judge verbally excoriated a defense attorney for Donald Trump during the Manhattan hush-money trial on Tuesday, questioning the lawyer's ethics and calling his arguments unsupported and "irrelevant."

"You're losing all credibility," New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan angrily told the lawyer, Todd Blanche.

"You're losing all credibility with the court," Merchan repeated, his voice frustrated.

The remarkable tongue-lashing came during a hearing on whether the GOP frontrunner was in contempt of court for violating his gag order more than ten times in the past three weeks.

The judge said Tuesday morning that he would issue a decision later — he didn't say when — on prosecutors' request that Trump be fined $10,000. Prosecutors also want Trump warned of possible jail should his attacks on jurors and witnesses continue.

"We are not yet seeking an incarceratory penalty, though the defendant seems to be angling that," prosecutor Christopher Conroy said in a hearing held before testimony began for the day.

In addition to the hush money trial, now in its second week, Blanche represents Trump in his Florida classified-documents case and his Washington, DC, 2021 election-interference case.

His credibility came under fire Tuesday as he struggled to argue that Trump had not violated his gag order, as prosecutors claimed — and that, in fact, his client is being "careful."

"We are trying to comply with it," Blanche told the judge, referring to the gag.

"President Trump is being very careful," the lawyer added.

It was at this point that the judge accused Blanche of "losing all credibility."

"We don't read the order that way," Blanche was left to stammer, calling the gag order "ambiguous."

"We'll take down the posts, of course we will," the lawyer added.

Merchan's April 1 order bars Trump from making statements against witnesses and jurors, among other categories of people, if those attacks could interfere with the trial.

The alleged gag violations argued about on Tuesday included Trump's April 10 Truth Social post attacking key witnesses Michael Cohen and Stormy Daniels as "sleaze bags," and another "truth" that claimed "undercover liberal activists" were infiltrating the jury.

Blanche's arguments at Tuesday's hearing, in defense of Trump's posts, fell roughly into three categories.

None of the arguments were supported, the judge soon noted.

"I've asked you eight or nine times, show me," the judge said, referring to the times he asked Blanche for supporting case law. "And you were not able to do that — even once."

Blanche's first argument was that Trump is allowed to make purely political attacks on political opponents.

His second was that Trump is somehow protected because prosecutors waited three weeks to start complaining.

"There is a history here of posting and reposting that has gone unchecked," the lawyer fumbled.

But the fact that prosecutors "did not come running in here" after the first few posts "is not probative of anything," the judge snapped back.

Blanche's third argument was that reposting attacks on trial witnesses that were originally made by others was somehow exempt.

It was here that Merchan really hit the proverbial roof.

Where is the caselaw exempting repeated or "reposted" speech from gag orders? the judge demanded.

"I've asked you eight or nine times, show me, and you were not able to do that even once," the judge said.

"You're not giving me anything to hang my hat on," he added.

Brushing some of the 10 posts off as reposts "somehow washes his hands?" the judge asked.

What if someone was walking around with a placard saying "terrible things" about jurors, Merchan asked Blanche, as a hypothetical.

"Is it your position that if your client was to grab that placard and walk around with it, and it says terrible things about the jury, that he did nothing wrong?" the judge asked the lawyer.

"Is that what you're saying to me?" the judge repeated, his voice impatient.

"Are you testifying under oath that this is your position?" the judge demanded at another point.

"Is it your client's position that when he reposted something, he did not believe that he was violating the gag order?"

Prosecutors are demanding a $10,000 fine — the maximum allowed — for three weeks of Truth Social and campaign website posts attacking two trial witnesses, Daniels and Cohen.

A Truth Social post from April 10 called both the porn star and Trump's former fixer "sleaze bags."

A Truth Social post from April 17, the second day of jury selection, was "very troubling," prosecutor Christopher Conroy told the judge.

It cited Fox News commentator Jesse Watters and claimed that "undercover liberal activists are lying to the judge in order to get on the Trump jury."

Trump could be thrown in jail for a maximum of 30 days jail for each gag violation, but Conroy said Tuesday that a warning that jail is possible if Trump does not stop would suffice — for now.

Other witnesses, beyond Cohen and Daniels, see these posts and are also intimidated, the prosecutor said, calling it "sort of the undertow effect."

"The defendant is having his day in court," Conroy said in successfully arguing for the fines and warning levied by Merchan.

"Unfortunately," the prosecutor added, "he is doing everything he can to undermine this process."

Catch and kill

After the morning hearing, jurors were called into the courtroom to hear the continued testimony from the trial's first witness, former National Enquirer executive David Pecker.

"I met him in the '80s at Mar-a-Lago," Pecker told the five-woman, seven-man jury.

Pecker described the "beneficial relationship" he enjoyed with Trump since taking control of the tabloid in March of 1999.

Stories attacking Trump's enemies — in particular stories about Hillary Clinton "enabling" her philandering husband — were good for both of them, Pecker said.

The two spoke daily during Trump's 2016 run for president, he said, when the tabloid's headlines included "Ted Cruz sex scandal five different mistresses." 

In describing the origin of the tabloid's "catch-and-kill' campaign on Trump's behalf, Pecker offered jurors an important narrative to the Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's case.

Prosecutors say that just 11 days before the 2016 election, Trump paid $130,000 in hush money to bury Daniels' story of a 2006 extramarital affair with the then-Apprentice star in 2006.

It was a story that Pecker "caught" when Daniels tried to sell it to the Enquirer and then "killed" by alerting Cohen, prosecutors said.

Cohen, then a Trump Organization vice president, acted as bag man, taking out a home equity loan to pay Daniels' lawyer the $130,000.

Prosecutors say that in reimbursing Cohen in monthly installments throughout 2017, Trump falsified 34 Trump Organization business documents.

Each of the falsified invoices, checks, and business ledger entries claimed the reimbursements were "legal fees," rather than what they were, prosecutors allege: illegal campaign expenditures meant to influence the 2016 election.

Pecker's testimony is expected to continue when court resumes Wednesday.

from All Content from Business Insider https://ift.tt/9PO10Ys
via IFTTT

• The US debt is pushing the country toward a financial crisis, Leon Cooperman said. 
• He criticized the Fed for its abrupt monetary policy shift after keeping rates low for over a decade. 
• He's said that markets are overvalued and investors should expect a steep decline. 

Mounting national debt is pushing the US toward a financial crisis, billionaire investor Leon Cooperman said this week. 

The Omega Family Office CEO said that too little has been done since the 2010 Simpson-Bowles Commission, which was formed under President Barack Obama and proposed a series of long-term strategies to slash the national debt. 

"I think we have a system of leadership in this country that's evolved to a leadership crisis," he told CNBC on Tuesday. "Deficits matter, and I think we're headed into a financial crisis in this country."

Cooperman said he gave the Federal Reserve a "low grade" in terms of how abruptly it shifted its monetary policy approach from holding rates at near zero for over a decade to raising rates by over 500 basis points in about a year. 

"Now they're talking about cutting rates, and the Fed is too restrictive. There's no sign that I could tell from the economy and the market that the Fed is restrictive," he said, adding that there's a lot of speculation going on that has sent the stock market to record highs.

The billionaire investor has been consistently bearish. He said in February that the stock market seemed too richly valued and would eventually go down this year. 

from All Content from Business Insider https://ift.tt/Wq5O8ya
via IFTTT

• Tesla employees say they've been left in limbo after a week of layoffs.
• Elon Musk announced a more than 10% cut in staff numbers at Tesla last week.
• After mass jobcuts on Monday, some layoff notices continued to trickle in.

In the wake of Tesla's mass layoffs last week, some workers who are still at the carmaker say they feel as if they've been left in limbo.

"I keep waiting for Elon to send another email and tell us they're finally done firing people," one current Tesla worker, who requested anonymity to speak on the conditions of their employment, said. "We need some level of closure or a sign that we can stop worrying about losing our jobs."

Tesla workers have been put through the wringer ever since layoffs started on Sunday, April 14. Even before the cuts started, some staff said they were nervous about potential downsizing because of a post on the anonymous site Blind that warned layoffs were coming. The post, which can only be viewed by verified Tesla employees, said that the EV company had asked some managers to identify workers for a cut that could impact as much as 20% of the company's workforce. Some of the workers said they spent much of the weekend before layoffs refreshing their email, waiting to see if the rumors were true.

Then the hammer fell on Sunday night when Tesla CEO Elon Musk told staff in an internal email that the company planned to axe more than 10% of its workforce. Within a few hours, some workers learned they'd been laid off when they received a generic email that led with "Dear Employee," others learned they'd been terminated when their access was cut off to Tesla's internal systems or when they showed up at work, only to find out their badge didn't work.

One worker compared the abrupt layoffs to a "Thanos snap."

"It was like all at once, people you'd seen every day were just erased from the company," the worker said.

The layoff notices kept trickling in

While many workers were notified they'd been impacted by the layoffs on that Sunday night or early Monday morning, the layoffs continued throughout last week, five workers told Business Insider. Last Tuesday, the layoffs hit some workers in China. On Friday, Tesla's layoffs impacted its recruiting staff in the US. And on Monday, Bloomberg reported that Tesla's new marketing team in the US had also been laid off.

Some teams that had been impacted during the round of layoff notices last Monday, were hit again later in the week when a few additional staff were cut, three workers from separate parts of the company told BI.

"On Monday were were all waiting to see if we'd been hit and then by Tuesday we thought we were in a good position and the worst was over. By the time I got the email Wednesday night, it came as more of a shock," a worker, who was laid off last Wednesday, said.

One worker, who is in charge of a handful of direct reports, said that after the layoffs last Monday, they were told by their manager that upper-level management was unhappy with the number of people that had been laid off and wanted to make deeper cuts.

Several workers said the multiple days of layoffs created a level of uncertainty for workers and pushed some surviving staff to begin looking for work elsewhere.

"I wake up every morning and I check my email because I know if I can't it means I've gotten the boot," one worker said.

Another worker said they feel Musk and Tesla haven't treated the issue with the proper respect, especially when it comes to the company's decision to ask shareholders to vote on a $55 billion pay package for the Tesla CEO only a few days after laying off thousands of staff.

"The timing on Tesla asking voters to reinstate Elon's pay package stings," the worker said.

While some workers say the layoffs have created a major distraction at the company, at least two other current workers told BI they see it as a normal part of doing business.

"Layoffs are nothing new at Tesla. There was a purge in 2022 and this is probably just part of that natural cycle," one current worker said.

Do you work for Tesla or have a tip? Reach out to the reporter via a non-work email and device at gkay@businessinsider.com

from All Content from Business Insider https://ift.tt/0ChNWVl
via IFTTT