Category: Business Insider

  • I visited Chanel’s watches and fine jewelry boutique in NYC and saw why the brand is betting on in-person shopping

    A woman takes a selfie in front of a store with "Chanel" written on the outside.
    Chanel opened a watches and fine jewelry store in Manhattan.

    • In February, Chanel opened a watches and fine jewelry boutique on Fifth Avenue in New York City.
    • Peter Marino designed the store with nods to Coco Chanel in mind. 
    • The store is bathed in black and gold, drawing the eye to the one-of-a-kind jewelry in the space.

    As I walked down Fifth Avenue, I was surrounded by the hustle and bustle I've come to expect from one of the most famous streets in New York City.

    Home to an abundance of luxury stores like Bergdorf Goodman and Tiffany & Co., the avenue is constantly flooded with shoppers from far and wide, and the day I headed to see one of its latest additions was no different.

    My destination was Chanel's watches and fine jewelry flagship, dedicated to exclusive and vintage jewelry from the brand. According to Robb Report, it's only the fourth Chanel store in the world like it, and renowned architect Peter Marino designed the boutique.

    Chanel celebrated its grand opening with a star-studded event in February, joining other luxury brands like Saint Laurent and Gucci's parent company Kering in investing in physical retail spaces for high-end clientele.

    I wanted to see what the boutique was like without all the celebrity glitz and glamour, so I used a free Monday to head to the store.

    A Chanel store in New York City.
    The exterior had a luxe look.

    It was hard to miss the two-story boutique thanks to its asymmetrical checkerboard look made of black and textured gold paneling in massive windows. Jewelry sat on busts in the bottom corner under a gold Chanel sign.

    The store looked luxurious even from a distance, and I felt eager to go inside after I spotted it.

    A close-up of the window display at Chanel.
    A close-up shot of the window display.

    Stepping inside was like being transported to another world

    When I entered the store, the sounds of chattering tourists and honking cars immediately disappeared. Two doormen lingered by the entrance while several other employees waited nearby to assist shoppers. An employee immediately welcomed me inside as I took in my surroundings, and when I asked for a tour of the space, he seemed more than happy to help.

    The boutique was mostly empty as I made my way through it, with just a few shoppers milling around and another sitting with an employee discussing watch options. I got the impression most people came to the store with an appointment in place, though the workers I interacted with were welcoming of me even though I didn't have one.

    The exterior color scheme continued inside, with black floors, gold walls, and rugs blending both colors. The ceilings stretched high, adding to its spacious feel that contrasted with the stores I typically frequent in New York.

    Anna Weyant and Eileen Kelly at the opening of Chanel's Watches & Fine Jewelry store in February 2024.
    Anna Weyant and Eileen Kelly at the opening of Chanel's watches and fine jewelry store in February 2024.

    Between the gold detailing and sparkling chandeliers, I had the impression I had stepped inside a bottle of Chanel No. 5 as I wandered through the store. Every inch of the place seemed to sparkle.

    The boutique's distinct scent helped to create the perfume bottle illusion, which an employee told me was unique to the store and couldn't be bought, adding to the exclusivity the space exuded.

    Marino told The Hollywood Reporter that texture and luxury were crucial to the store's aesthetic.

    "Everything is tactile and gold and special; even the carpets are three-dimensional, a mixture of silk and wool, while the stucco texture on walls was made with people's hands — including my own, you'll find that in the elevator," he told the outlet.

    Marino also looked to Coco Chanel's interior design aesthetic for the store's design, which blended the simplicity of black and white decor with "ornate Venetian mirrors," he said to The Hollywood Reporter.

    The boutique emanated luxury

    As an employee showed me around, my eyes were drawn to the jewelry arranged in free-standing cases and glass displays built into the walls of the store's first floor, which was split into three spacious rooms.

    Of the three rooms on the main floor, one held watches, one had more accessible pieces from Chanel's jewelry line, and the third held rarer pieces from its collection. Workers were waiting to help shoppers in each room, and they all offered me a friendly greeting as I walked by them.

    Amandla Stenberg at the Chanel Watches & Fine Jewelry opening in February 2024.
    Amandla Stenberg at the Chanel watches and fine jewelry opening in February 2024.

    The space felt more like a cozy gallery than a store. Bottles of Chanel No. 5 were displayed alongside jewelry pieces, some of which aren't for sale. According to W Magazine, several historic Chanel pieces are currently exhibited in the boutique, like the 55.55 necklace. I was reminded of hours spent at museums with priceless art as I took it all in.

    The second floor featured private VIP rooms where buyers could meet with Chanel staff for more intimate appointments. They were just as lush as the first floor, with built-in TV screens for remote meetings and plush furniture.

    As I turned to walk back downstairs, a group of shoppers were settling into one of the rooms with an employee, appearing at ease in the luxe space. I didn't know if they were used to being in high-end stores or if the staff just made them feel comfortable, but I could see either being true because the space was somehow both luxurious and inviting.

    Chanel's careful curation of its new space — from a custom scent and attentive staff to the shades of gold bathing the property — made it feel comfortable and inviting. Visiting Chanel's watches and fine jewelry boutique is an experience, which you just can't get online.

    So, if you plan to walk down Fifth Avenue anytime soon, it's worth popping into Chanel for the look of the store alone.

    Read the original article on Business Insider

    from All Content from Business Insider https://ift.tt/pYcXzU8
    via IFTTT

  • China is getting a head start on the flying car industry: report

    image of lfying car on display with people taking photos
    Car company GAC displays its Gove eVTOL flying car in Guangzhou, China, on April 12, 2024.

    • China is pulling ahead in the flying car industry.
    • Chinese regulators are fast-tracking approval for eVTOL vehicles.
    • Chinese company AutoFlight received the world's first certification for an eVTOL over 1 tonne.

    China is leading the pack as the flying car industry tries to take off.

    Chinese regulators are racing to approve eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing) vehicles. These aircraft take off like helicopters but can also fly like planes at higher speeds.

    Kellen Xie, the vice president of Chinese eVTOL company AutoFlight Group, told the Financial Times that the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) has been "quite supportive" of the growing industry.

    Xie told FT that CAAC regulators "work longer hours" and "are determined to actually speed up the process of bringing this new technology into reality."

    China became one step closer to that reality in March when the CAAC granted certification for AutoFlight's unmanned CaryAll aircraft, the first time regulators have approved an eVTOL over 1 metric ton for flight, FT reported.

    AutoFlight is still awaiting regulatory approval in Europe, according to FT.

    In the US, several smaller eVTOLS have already received the green light.

    In July, the Federal Aviation Administration granted the first-ever US approval for Alef Aeronautics' Model A flying car, which can actually drive on city streets like a car, as well as pick up and take flight.

    As of March, the company had already received more than 2,850 reservations to purchase the $300,000 vehicle, which is expected to hit the streets (and the skies) as early as the end of 2025.

    A month later, California-based startup Aska became the second eVTOL company to earn FAA certification, but Aska's prototype is more like an aircraft than a car.

    Read the original article on Business Insider

    from All Content from Business Insider https://ift.tt/OTLUj8J
    via IFTTT

  • Russia and China’s ‘unfriendly’ space behavior is ‘concerning’ and could threaten US satellites, defense analysts say

    Satellite over the Earth's surface.
    A satellite over the Earth's surface.

    • Russia and China are investigating ways to disable US satellites, raising defense concerns.
    • China is testing satellite grappling technology that can move objects in space without debris.
    • Russia is believed to have tested projectile weapons for use in orbit.

    Russia and China appear to be actively looking into ways to watch and potentially incapacitate US satellites in space, and defense analysts are concerned.

    "China and Russia are both operating satellites that attempt to better understand high-value U.S. government satellites" and engaging in other alarming activities, analysts at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies said in the think tank's 2024 Space Threat Assessment report. "These developments are concerning and will likely continue in the coming years."

    "Both Russia and China routinely maneuver their satellites near Western government and commercial satellites, sometimes remaining close by for months at a time," the report's six expert authors said.

    China has been testing technology and mechanisms that allow satellites to grapple onto other satellites. Analysts at CSIS drew this conclusion after it was reported that China successfully used its SJ-21 satellite to grapple and direct an inoperative satellite to a new location in orbit.

    The potential grappler satellites China could be testing have an "unfriendly" connotation as they are capable of hijacking and moving objects like satellites in space "without generating any debris."

    In a February hearing, US Space Command leader Gen. Stephen Whiting described the pace of China's space expansion as "breathtaking."

    Beijing, Whiting said, is "growing its military space and counterspace capabilities at breathtaking pace to deny American and Allied space capabilities when they so choose."

    Russia likely has at least two satellites conducting "an espionage mission but may also perform other functions." Experts also believe that at points within the past decade, Russia has tested projectile weapons to be used in Low Earth orbit.

    "All of these unfriendly behaviors in space have become commonplace," the analysts wrote.

    And earlier this year, the White House sounded alarms about a Russian system that US officials told reporters involved putting some sort of nuclear capability into outer space.

    Security experts have often said that China and Russia would take down satellites as their first course of action in the event of war.

    The US currently has thousands of satellites in space. Some are capable of tracking ballistic missile threats, some serve commercial endeavors, others provide critical GPS services, and others gather intelligence.

    These satellites serve US economic and national security interests, and in a great power conflict, these space assets are critical. But they're at risk as rivals China and Russia advance their respective counterspace capabilities.

    A senior Marine Corps officer in information, Lt. Gen. Matthew Glavy, warned last year that the US has to be ready for challenges in space. "I'm telling you right now: We don't win the space domain? Don't even bother," he said. "No space, no chance."

    Read the original article on Business Insider

    from All Content from Business Insider https://ift.tt/7abwK4c
    via IFTTT

  • Mark Zuckerberg did not see the GenAI wave coming. He prepared anyway.

    Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg pointing
    Mark Zuckerberg

    • Meta acquired a horde of GPUs in order to change its algorithm, not to build generative AI tools.
    • However, Mark Zuckerberg decided to buy twice as many GPUs as Meta needed just in case
    • "Our normal principle is there's going to be something on the horizon that we can't see yet."

    When Mark Zuckerberg started amassing a large amount of GPUs in 2022, it was not for anything related to generative AI.

    Instead, the Meta CEO and co-founder was still focused on the metaverse and thought the graphics processing units, mostly from Nvidia, would be used for ranking content and a big change to its algorithmic system for Reels, Instagram, and Facebook.

    The algorithm went from one based on a user's following to one based on "unconnected content," or a system that shows a user content from all over an app, typically based on anything they've interacted with. It's an algorithmic style made famous by TikTok, which for a time was growing faster than Meta's apps.

    Zuckerberg started to buy up GPUs and change Meta's algorithms and related training infrastructure so Reels could "catch up to what TikTok was doing," he told the podcaster Dwarkesh Patel in an interview where the CEO promoted last week's expanded release of the Meta AI chatbot tool and Meta's Llama 3 model.

    "Did I think then that it would be about AI, well, we thought it was going to be something that had to do with training large models, but at the time…I was so deep into just trying to get the recommendations working for Reels and other content," Zuckerberg said. "That's such a big unlock for Facebook and Instagram, being able to show people content that's interesting to them, from people they're not even following."

    Despite generative AI not being on Zuckerberg's mind until OpenAI's ChatGPT tool exploded onto the tech scene, he did what he could to be ready for the unexpected. Having been caught off guard amid other step changes in tech — the shift to mobile, political manipulation of content, short-form video — Zuckerberg did not want to be unpleasantly surprised, yet again.

    "I basically looked at [needing to catch up with TikTok] and I was like, 'Hey, we have to make sure that we're never in this situation again,'" Zuckerberg said. "'So let's order enough GPUs to do what we need to do on Reels and ranking content and feed, but let's double that.' Because again, our normal principle is there's going to be something on the horizon that we can't see yet."

    The CEO admitted that doubling Meta's investment in GPUs on the off chance the company would need them "was a good decision in retrospect," — one that he made because of so many perceived mistakes in the past.

    "It came from being behind…it wasn't like, oh, I was so far ahead," Zuckerberg added. "Actually, most of the time, I think where we kind of make some decisions that end up seeming good is because we messed something up before and just do not want to repeat the mistake."

    Are you a Meta employee or someone with a tip or insight to share? Contact Kali Hays at khays@businessinsider.com or on secure messaging appSignal at 949-280-0267. Reach out using a non-work device.

    Read the original article on Business Insider

    from All Content from Business Insider https://ift.tt/w4je3Ii
    via IFTTT

  • A millennial with side hustles as a startup founder booking 6 figures and a professional dancer shares her tips for balancing both

    Danielle Cruz poses in a white top and black heeled boots.
    Danielle Schulz, 36, is a dancer with The Metropolitan Opera.

    • Danielle Schulz is a professional dancer and runs her own corporate wellness business.
    • Schulz is one of many Americans who don't work a typical 9-to-5 and leans on side hustles for income.
    • Her business, The Triangle Sessions, has landed contracts with Google, Meta, and Deloitte. 

    When Danielle Schulz has rehearsal at The Metropolitan Opera, she starts her commute from Philadelphia to New York City at 7 a.m.

    The 36-year-old professional dancer catches up on work emails on the train, picks up an egg sandwich at her favorite New York breakfast cart, then heads to ballet class. Sometimes she doesn't arrive back home until after midnight.

    Dancing is just one of Schulz's jobs. She also runs her startup The Triangle Sessions, which offers corporate wellness and team-building events. But for her, it's all worth it.

    "I got really creative with how I could support myself," Schulz said. "I have done a lot and always have a hustling mentality to make ends meet."

    Schulz is one of man Americans who have careers outside the traditional 9-to-5. Thirty-nine percent of Americans have a side hustle, and half of Gen Zers and millennials have more than one stream of income, according to a survey of 2,505 US adults conducted by YouGov Plc — and commissioned by Bankrate — in April 2023.

    Freelancing, side hustles, gig work, and overemployment have become popular as people look to boost their income on a flexible schedule.

    Schulz has been dancing with The Metropolitan Opera for a decade, working part-time in shows like "The Magic Flute" and "Der Rosenkavalier," along with taking regular training classes. She has always had to supplement her dance income, she said. In the past, she's done this through work in restaurants, as a cruise ship performer, and as a yoga teacher.

    She planned her first event for The Triangle Sessions in 2019, and the business took off during the pandemic as companies were looking for virtual employee activities. When she's not at dance rehearsal, Schulz teaches Triangle Sessions classes on topics like relaxation and terrarium building. She also helps companies plan their corporate retreats.

    The Triangle Sessions now makes up between 60% and 80% of Schulz's annual income, she said, and the business books between five and six figures a year from contracts with major companies like Google, Meta, and Deloitte. Her income breakdown fluctuates each year depending on how much time she spends on dancing versus The Triangle Sessions, she said.

    "I've learned that no experience is wasted," Schulz said. "And sometimes, when you feel a little bit lost or you're not on a traditional path, it just makes your life a little bit richer and more interesting."

    A crowded balcony at The Metropolitan Opera
    Danielle Schulz, 36, is a dancer with The Metropolitan Opera and runs her own corporate wellness business.

    Balancing two careers takes patience

    Schulz typically knows which shows she will be cast in at The Met a year in advance, she said, and the intense rehearsal period usually last for a few weeks at a time. She plans her work with The Triangle Sessions around her show seasons.

    Schulz largely grows her business through word-of-mouth and companies usually hire her to lead employee team-building activities — both virtually and in person. For example, Schulz recently taught a workshop where she connected the history of bonsai trees to employee milestones.

    Although Schulz will sometimes hire outside contractors to teach workshops she doesn't specialize in, most of Triangle Sessions content is created and taught by her. She has worked with insurance companies, law firms, technology companies, and healthcare workers.

    As some companies shift from virtual to hybrid or in-office work, she said many of her events and planned retreats have become popular.

    "There's this universal need to connect with one another, all while taking care of ourselves individually," she said.

    Schulz has had to learn to be patient with herself and the continuous changes in her career, she said. But the flexibility of Triangle Sessions allows her to continue performing, spend time with her two young children, and take a break when she needs one.

    "Nothing is ever 50/50," she said. "It's not going to be in perfect balance, especially if you want to make progress in any one direction."

    Retirement is on the horizon

    Schulz encourages others thinking about nontraditional careers to embrace both the busy times and quiet times.

    When her schedule is packed, Schulz said she is grateful to keep building her business. And, when her rehearsals and Triangle Sessions events slow down, she said she spends extra time with her family and focuses on keeping herself healthy.

    "That is going to be a guiding compass for the rest of my life," Schulz said.

    Schulz loves her career at The Met, but said she plans on retiring soon. After that, she would work for Triangle Sessions full-time. But, Schulz even if she's no longer on stage, she won't stop dancing.

    "I will always keep moving," she said.

    Do have a career that isn't a traditional 9-to-5? Are you willing to share how you make and spend your money? Reach out to this reporter at allisonkelly@insider.com.

    Correction: April 22, 2024 — An earlier version of this story misspelled Danielle Schulz surname.

    Read the original article on Business Insider

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

  • How Africa’s first caviar won over Michelin-starred restaurants in Europe

    Correction: An earlier version of this story misstated the amount of feed Acipenser produces each month. It is about 60 metric tons per month, not kilograms. Business Insider also misstated that Acipenser released male Sturgeon into Lake Mantasoa. This has been removed.

    Read the original article on Business Insider

    from All Content from Business Insider https://ift.tt/ba6RDov
    via IFTTT

  • Ozempic influencers are angry after TikTok’s crackdown on weight loss content

    tiktok logo and weight loss community guideline
    TikTok is taking a stand against weight loss content.

    • Ozempic influencers could soon be extinct on TikTok.
    • The video platform is cracking down on weight loss-related content in a new set of guidelines.
    • The changes will restrict or outright ban certain types of weight loss videos.

    TikTok is phasing out weight loss content, and thousands of creators will have to find a new niche to post about.

    The new guidelines, which will go into effect on May 17, prohibit content centered on "extreme" diets, the misuse of medications for weight loss, and more.

    Creators who post about restrictive diets, "using medication or supplements for weight loss or muscle gain," or promoting weight loss products will find the content restricted to users 18 years and older, according to the guidelines. This also applies to content related to anabolic steroid use.

    Weight loss influencers are sharing their reactions to the change and explaining to followers what it means for their future content.

    Over the past two years, weight loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy have taken social media by storm. Viral videos and a catchy jingle can be found all over TikTok.

    "I guess I'm going to be bringing my content to Instagram," one creator with about 10,000 TikTok followers said in a video.

    For content creators, restricted videos hinder their chances of reaching a larger audience outside their followers and can lead to their accounts being banned in more extreme cases. It's prompted some to say they're taking their weight loss-related posts to another platform.

    One user who shares videos about drugs like Ozempic called it "100% discrimination" against diabetics and those with other chronic diseases.

    "I will not remain on a platform that discriminates against people," he said in the video.

    TikTok did not respond to Business Insider's request for comment.

    Although the guidelines aren't effective yet, TikTok is already promoting a more positive experience around weight loss content.

    Tiktok message
    Looking up weight loss content on TikTok will trigger a supportive message about body image.

    Searching "weight loss" on TikTok will prompt a supportive message before showing videos related to your query.

    "You are more than your weight," the message reads.

    Read the original article on Business Insider

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

  • Vintage photos taken by the EPA reveal what American cities looked like before pollution was regulated

    Smog over Denver in 1974.
    Smog over Denver in 1974.

    • Before President Nixon created the EPA in 1970, water and air pollution weren't federally regulated.
    • In the 1970s, the EPA enlisted 100 photographers to document environmental conditions in the US.
    • The result was 81,000 photos, often filled with smoke, smog, acid, oil, trash, and sewage.

    Don't let the soft, sepia tones fool you — the United States used to be dangerously polluted.

    Before President Richard Nixon created the Environmental Protection Agency in 1970, the environment and its well-being was not a federal priority.

    In the early 1970s, the EPA launched the "The Documerica Project," which leveraged 100 freelance photographers to document what the US looked like. By 1974, they had taken 81,000 photos. The National Archives digitized nearly 16,000 and made them available online.

    Many of the photos were taken before water and air pollution were fully regulated. The Clean Air Act was passed in 1970, and the Clean Water Act was passed in 1972.

    This Earth Day, we've selected 35 of the photos to reflect on how cities across the US have changed — Baltimore, Birmingham, Cleveland, Delaware, Denver, Kansas, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New Jersey, New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and San Francisco all feature here, in shots filled with smoke, smog, acid, oil, trash, and sewage.

    None of the photos we've selected are pretty, but it's worth remembering what US cities used to be like before we cared what we put into the air, soil, and water.

    In Baltimore, trash and tires cover the shore at Middle Branch beside the harbor in 1973.
    Trash and Old Tires Litter the Shore at the Middle Branch of Baltimore Harbor, 01/1973.
    Trash and old tires on the shore of Baltimore Harbor.

    The EPA regulates waste now, and sets criteria for landfills. While the open dumping of waste is banned, it still happens.

    Baltimore City did have some simple techniques to keep the harbor clean.
    A SCREEN PLACED ACROSS JONES FALLS TRAPS TRASH AND KEEPS IT OUT OF BALTIMORE HARBOR. ALTHOUGH NOT FOOLPROOF-A HEAVY RAIN CAN BREAK THE SCREEN-IT IS EFFECTIVE WHEN CLEANED REGULARLY
    Jones Falls, near Baltimore Harbor.

    Here, a screen has been placed across the water to trap trash. A heavy rain could break it, but it was effective when cleaned often.

    In Birmingham in 1972, a boy throws a Frisbee against hazy skies.
    TOSSING A FRISBEE ON A SMOKE-FILLED STREET IN NORTH BIRMINGHAM, MOST HEAVILY POLLUTED AREA OF THE CITY
    North Birmingham was the most heavily polluted area in the city.

    Truckers in the 1960s called Birmingham "smoke city," Bham Now reported.

    A house in North Birmingham is barely visible in industrial smog coming from the North Birmingham Pipe Plant.
    Industrial Smog Blacks Out Homes Adjacent to North Birmingham Pipe Plant, this is the Most Heavily Polluted Area of the City
    North Birmingham in 1972.

    North Birmingham was the most polluted area of the city.

    In Cleveland, in 1973, billowing smoke casts a gloom over the Clark Avenue bridge.
    Clark Avenue and Clark Avenue Bridge. Looking East from West 13th Street, Are Obscured by Smoke from Heavy Industry, 07/1973.
    Clark Avenue Bridge in Cleveland in 1973.

    Because Cleveland was an industrial city, the pollution was severe.

    Cleveland's inner city was also a dumping ground.
    EMPTY LOT IN CLEVELAND INNER CITY, ON SUPERIOR AVENUE, BECOMES A DUMPING GROUND
    Superior Avenue, Cleveland.

    In this photo from 1973, an empty lot on Superior Avenue, Cleveland, was filled with trash.

    In Delaware, the city incinerator billows out smoke over the river.
    CITY INCINERATOR ON THE DELAWARE RIVER
    Delaware City's incinerator on the river.

    In 2016, a report released by New York University said 41 people living in Delaware still die because of air pollution every year, The News Journal reported.

    In Denver, murky light brown sewage is discharged into the South Platte River.
    THE DENVER METRO SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANT DISCHARGES INTO THE SOUTH PLATTE RIVER
    Sewage discharged into the South Platte River.

    The sewage came from the Metro Sewage Treatment Plant, per the EPA.

    Here's a billboard against Denver's smoky skies in the 1970s. The city was known for having a brown cloud of pollution.
    A billboard in Denver.
    A billboard in Denver.

    In the late 1980s, the air pollution got so bad, the city developed a visibility standard — it asked whether downtown workers could see mountains that were only 35 miles away, The New York Times reported.

    In Kansas City's harbor, on the Missouri River, a local EPA worker points out a dying fish.
    LOCAL EPA WORKER ON A FIELD TRIP POINTS OUT A DYING FISH AT THE INNER CITY VIADUCT AREA JOINING KANSAS CITY, KS, AND KANSAS CITY, MO
    A local EPA worker points out a dying fish in Kansas City.

    While the river has been much cleaner since the Clean Water Act was passed, trash and industrial contaminants still end up in it, The Kansas City Star reported. In 2023, NPR reported that volunteers with Missouri River Relief have picked up more than 2 million pounds of trash from the river since the organization began in 2001.

    In Los Angeles, the outline of the sun can be clearly seen because air pollution creates a buffer.
    Los Angeles sun above a railroad near the Salton Sea.
    Los Angeles sun above a railroad near the Salton Sea.

    In 1943, 30 years before this photo was taken, the smog was so bad, the city's residents thought there was a gas attack, according to the California Sun.

    Los Angeles county monitored pollution on the roads, at least.
    AIR POLLUTION CONTROL DEPARTMENT OFFICERS CHECKING FOR VIOLATORS ON HIGHWAY
    Air pollution control department.

    In this photo from 1972, the air-pollution control department checks for violators.

    In New Orleans, fumes spread over the streets.
    New Orleans KAISER ALUMINUM PLANT SMOKESTACK SPREADS FUMES ABOVE ST CLAUDE AVENUE IN THE CHALMETTE SECTION
    Kaiser Aluminum Plant's smokestack blows out fumes over New Orleans.

    Fumes billow from Kaiser Aluminum Plant's smoke stack in 1973.

    In an illegal dump in New Orleans, garbage turned to sludge when a lake overflowed into it.
    New Orleans, LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN SPILLS OVER ONTO ILLEGAL DUMPING GROUND THE LAKE IS OVER FULL FROM HEAVY RAINS AND WATER DIVERTED FROM THE FLOODING MISSISSIPPI RIVER BY THE OPENING OF THE BONNET CARRE SPILLWAY
    New Orleans, Lake Pontchartrain.

    In the 1970s, the EPA found 66 pollutants in the city's drinking water. And the city's water is known for its oily taste, per The Washington Post.

    In New Jersey, a photo shows raw and partially digested sewage.
    INDUSTRIAL CONTAMINATION OF THE ARTHUR KILL RIVER AT BAYONNE, NEW JERSEY IN THE NEW YORK METROPOLITAN AREA. RIVERS IN THE REGION CARRY RAW AND PARTIALLY DIGESTED SEWAGE, AND CHEMICAL AND INDUSTRIAL WASTES INTO THE WATERS OF THE BIGHT. ACCUMULATION OF THESE WASTES INTO THE WATERS BORDERING THE BIGHT PRESENT ONE OF THE MOST CRITICAL STRESSES TO ITS ENVIRONMENT
    Sewage in Bayonne.

    The sewage was photographed darkening the water in Bayonne, New Jersey, in 1974.

    New York is one of the most photographed cities for "The Documerica Project."
    Illegal Dumping Area off the New Jersey Turnpike, Facing Manhattan Across the Hudson River. Nearby, to the South, Is the Landfill Area of the Proposed Liberty State Park, 03/1973.
    Illegal dumping area off the New Jersey Turnpike.

    Here, a pile of illegally dumped trash ruins the view of Manhattan and the Twin Towers in 1973.

    A photographer snapped this image of an abandoned, waterlogged car in Jamaica Bay, New York.
    An abandoned car sits in Jamaica Bay in New York City in 1973. Landfills and auto salvage yards fall under the EPA's regulations now, though improper disposal still occurs.
    An abandoned car in Jamaica Bay in New York City.

    The abandoned Beetle was photographed in 1973.

    Another car has sunk halfway into the beach at Breezy Point, south of Jamaica Bay.
    All kinds of trash used to be dumped outside New York City, like this car at Breezy Point, south of Jamaica Bay. The EPA helped institute regulations for how the city disposed of trash to prevent dumping in the Atlantic.
    A car dumped at Breezy Point, south of Jamaica Bay.

    The EPA now helps regulate how the city disposes of trash to prevent dumping in the Atlantic.

    Though it might not be clear, this is the George Washington Bridge going over the Hudson River, covered in thick smog.
    The George Washington Bridge in Heavy Smog. View toward the New Jersey Side of the Hudson River.
    The George Washington Bridge over the Hudson River.

    In 1965, a study by New York City Council found breathing New York's air had the same effect as smoking two packets of cigarettes a day, The New York Times reported.

    Seen here is the Statue of Liberty surrounded by oil. It was the result of one of 300 oil spills in the first six months of 1973.
    An oil slick surrounding the Statue of Liberty
    An oil slick surrounding the Statue of Liberty.

    Between April and June of that year, 487,000 gallons of oil were dispersed in the New York Harbor and its tributaries, The New York Times reported.

    The EPA estimated about 6 million gallons of coal were dumped into the New York Bight by the Edison Power Plant in Manhattan in the early 1970s.
    CONSOLIDATED EDISON POWER PLANT IN MANHATTAN, NEW YORK. IT HAS BEEN ESTIMATED THAT ALL ITS PLANTS DUMP SOME SIX MILLION GALLONS PER YEAR OF RESIDUAL COAL INTO THE NEW YORK BIGHT. STRESS FACTORS GENERATED ON THE BIGHT INCLUDE AIR AND WATER POLLUTION DESTRUCTION OF WETLANDS WHICH ARE NURSERIES FOR MARINE LIFE COASTAL OVER-DEVELOPMENT, AND OCEAN DUMPING OF MUNICIPAL AND INDUSTRIAL WASTES
    Edison Power Plant in Manhattan.

    The New York Bight is a triangular area that reaches from Cape May in New Jersey to the eastern tip of Long Island. The city allowed a ConEd plant to burn coal in the 1970s amid a fuel shortage, The New York Times reported. But coal has caused air and water pollution and destroyed wetlands, according to the National Archives.

    Barges, filled with New York's waste, are pulled down the East River to a Staten Island landfill.
    PART OF THE 26,000 TONS OF SOLID WASTE THAT NEW YORK CITY PRODUCES EACH DAY. TUGS TOW HEAVILY-LADEN BARGES DOWN THE EAST RIVER TO THE OVERFLOWING STATEN ISLAND LANDFILL
    Tugs towing barges filled with New York's waste.

    In the 1970s, New York produced 26,000 tons of solid waste every day, according to the National Archives.

    Rubble is loaded into barges before being dumped offshore, on a debris dump site, in the New York Bight.
    CONSTRUCTION RUBBLE IS LOADED ON BARGES IN THE EAST RIVER IN MANHATTAN, NEW YORK. IT WILL BE DUMPED AT A CONSTRUCTION DEBRIS DUMP SITE OFFSHORE IN THE NEW YORK BIGHT. SLUDGE IS DUMPED 12 MILES OFFSHORE, WASTE ACID 15 MILES AND CHEMICAL WASTES 106 MILES. DREDGE SPOILS AND DERELICT VESSELS ALSO ARE DISPOSED OF IN THE BIGHT
    Construction rubble loaded onto a barge in the East River.

    There were different distances for dumping different substances.

    This is one of four New York City-owned vessels on its way to dump sludge 12 miles into the bight. In 1973, 5.8 million cubic yards of sludge was dumped, according to the National Archives.
    ONE OF FOUR NEW YORK CITY OWNED VESSELS DUMPING SLUDGE INTO WATERS OF THE BIGHT. IN 1973 THERE WERE 5.8 MILLION CUBIC YARDS OF SEWAGE SLUDGE DUMPED IN THE BIGHT. THE VOLUME IS EXPECTED TO TRIPLE IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS. DREDGE SPOILS ARE DUMPED SIX MILES FROM SHORE SLUDGE 12 MILES, WASTE ACID 15 MILES AND CHEMICAL WASTES 106 MILES CONSTRUCTION DEBRIS AND DERELICT VESSELS ALSO ARE DISPOSED OFFSHORE
    One of four New York City owned vessels dumping sledge into the Bight.

    The sludge would settle on the bottom of the ocean, like mud, killing plants, and creating a dead sea, The New York Times reported.

    Acid waste lightens the water here. It was also dumped in the New York Bight, 15 miles offshore, and made up 90% of industrial waste dumped in the area.
    CLOSEUP OF ACID WASTES DUMPED 15 MILES OFFSHORE IN THE NEW YORK BIGHT. THEY MAKE UP 90 PER CENT OF ALL INDUSTRIAL WASTES DUMPED INTO THE BIGHT. MORE THAN THREE MILLION CUBIC YARDS OF ACID WASTES WERE DUMPED IN THE BIGHT DURING 1974. DREDGE SPOILS ARE DUMPED SIX MILES FROM SHORE, SLUDGE 12 MILES AND CHEMICAL WASTES 106 MILES
    Acid waste in the New York Bight.

    In 1974, more than 3 million tons were dumped in the bight, according to the National Archives.

    Some roads in Manhattan, like 108th Street and Lexington Avenue, were covered with piles of trash.
    EMPTY LOT STREWN WITH TRASH AT 108TH STREET AND LEXINGTON AVENUE, MANHATTAN
    Empty lot strewn with trash.

    A photo shows trash strewn across New York City streets in 1973.

    But it was worse in the Bronx. Here, the Bronx's Co-Op City housing development is beside a landfill that was still being used, even though it had exceeded its dumping capacity.
    APARTMENTS OF "CO-OP CITY," A VAST HOUSING DEVELOPMENT IN THE BRONX, NOT FAR FROM PELHAM. THESE BUILDINGS STAND ON THE EDGE OF A LANDFILL DUMP, WHERE GARBAGE CONTINUES TO PILE UP ALTHOUGH THE AREA HAS ALREADY EXCEEDED ITS DUMPING CAPACITY
    A landfill beside the Bronx, New York.

    If you look closely you can see scavenger birds flying over the trash.

    In Philadelphia, the sun is setting, but because of the smog it's hard to tell.
    CENTER CITY, PHILADELPHIA AT SUNSET
    Philadelphia at sunset.

    In 2018, a study found the city was becoming more polluted between 2014 and 2016, after several years of decreasing pollution, Philadelphia magazine reported.

    In Pittsburgh, thick smoke creates a haze over the city.
    SMOKE FROM INDUSTRY CREATES A HAZE WHICH LINGERS OVER THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ON THE HORIZON. IN THE FOREGROUND ON BOTH SIDES OF THE MONONGAHELA RIVER, ARE PLANTS OWNED BY THE JONES AND LAUGHLIN STEEL CORPORATION. THE POLLUTION HAS CONTINUED SINCE THIS PICTURE WAS TAKEN. CLEANUP EFFORTS HAVE BEEN SCHEDULED AT THE JONES AND LAUGHLIN PLANTS
    Smoke over Pittsburgh.

    The city was once called "Hell with the lid off," per The Allegheny Front.

    A junkyard looms in front of the Monongahela River, which runs through Pittsburgh.
    Pittsburgh JUNKYARD ACROSS THE MONONGAHELA RIVER CONTRASTS WITH THE MODERN OFFICE BUILDINGS AND SEEMS TO BRING THE TWO LOCATIONS CLOSER THAN REALITY BECAUSE OF THE USE OF A TELEPHOTO LENS. THE URBAN RENEWAL RENAISSANCE PROGRAM WAS BEGUN IN THE CITY IN THE EARLY 1950'S
    A junkyard in front of the Monongahela River in Pittsburgh.

    According to Mayor Tom Murphy in 2001, the biggest complaint he heard about the city was that it was too dirty, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported.

    Near Pittsburgh, oil-coated trees on the shore of the Ohio River show the damage done by spills and industry.
    SCENE SHOWING THE HIGH WATER MARK WHICH REVEALS EVIDENCE OF TREES BEING COATED BY OIL ALONG THE SHORE OF THE OHIO RIVER NEAR PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA. BOOMS HAVE BEEN PLACED NEAR VARIOUS OUTFALLS TO TRAP POLLUTION WITH OIL ACIDITY CONTENT AND LOW PH
    Oil along the shore of the Ohio River, near Pittsburgh.

    NPR reported that the river is much cleaner today, 50 years since the Clean Water Act.

    In San Francisco Bay, the Leslie salt ponds gleam at sunset. The ponds were built to extract salt from the bay water. The photographer behind this photo said the "water stinks."
    In San Francisco, LESLIE SALT PONDS AT SUNSET. "WATER STINKS," WRITES THE PHOTOGRAPHER ABOUT THIS SCENE
    Leslie Salt Ponds in San Francisco.

    In 2019, the EPA ruled the land, owned by Cargill Salt, was not bound by the Clean Water Act, Mercury News reported.

    In San Francisco, industrial black smoke billows out of a stack.
    INDUSTRY HAS TAKEN OVER THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA FOR ITS OWN PURPOSES
    Industry in the San Francisco Bay.

    During the 1970s, the biggest problem for the city was ozone pollution, which mainly comes from cars, industrial plants, power plants, and refineries.

    Here is one of the factories that polluted San Francisco.
    MASSIVE CONCENTRATION OF INDUSTRY IN THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA HAS RESULTED IN SEVERE POLLUTION PROBLEMS
    Concentration of industry in San Francisco.

    The photo was taken in 1972, according to the National Archives.

    In Washington DC, raw sewage flows out into the Potomac river. In 1970, a hot summer resulted in a "stomach-turning" smell coming from the Potomac, due to the mixing of sewage and algae.
    The Goergetown Gap, Through Which Raw Sewage Flows into the Potomac. Watergate Complex in the Rear, 04/1973.
    Raw sewage flows through the Georgetown Gap, in 1973.

    The pollution was blamed on a "hundred years of under-estimates, bad decisions, and outright mistakes," a director of the Federal Water Quality Administration told The New York Times.

    His description can be applied to a lot of the US before the EPA.

    This story was originally published in August 2019 and has been updated.

    Read the original article on Business Insider

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

  • Tesla’s $100,000 Cybertruck needs a hole drilled through the accelerator pedal for safety

    Tesla Cybertruck
    Tesla's solution to a gas pedal problem involves securing the pad with a rivet.

    • Tesla has a solution to the Cybertruck gas pedal issue that caused a recall. 
    • A user on X posted a 35-second video drilling a hole into the gas pedal to fix the issue. 
    • The solution requires reworking the accelerator pedal on Cybertrucks made on or after November 13.

    Tesla has a solution to the gas pedal problem that caused the company to hit the brakes on Cybertruck deliveries.

    According to Tesla's recall bulletin, when a high amount of force is applied to the gas pedal, the pad may slip off and get trapped in the interior rim above the pedal.

    This weekend at a Cybertruck event in California called "Cybertakeover," which was hosted by the Tesla Owners Club of Santa Clarita Valley, a user posted a video of the pedal problem being fixed on X, formerly Twitter. The "35 second recall fix," shows a worker drilling a hole into the gas pedal and securing the pad with a rivet.

    https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

    The user said the fix takes 35 seconds, although the video starts with the drill in place, which is over halfway through the list of steps. Tesla's recall bulletin lists 15 steps guiding owners on the installation process, with the actual drilling being the eighth step on the list.

    Tesla technicians use the pedal rework kit to perform the drilling, and some of the steps require exact measurements of the parts. If the bottom of the pad is 5 millimeters or more from the bottom of the pedal, technicians have to replace the pedal.

    Tesla recalled about 3,878 of the vehicles manufactured from November 13, 2023 until April 2024, according to a report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Cybertrucks cost upwards of $100,000.

    The report said the issue occurred because of an "unapproved change" to the vehicle's production. Residual soap that was added to its assembly "reduced the retention of the pad to the pedal," according to the report.

    The NHTSA report said Tesla first received notice of customer claims of the issue on March 31 and April 3. Tesla engineers began to review the issue on April 2 and by April 12, Tesla wrapped up its assessment and decided to voluntarily recall impacted vehicles, according to the report.

    By April 17, the vehicles in production were equipped with a new accelerator pedal component, the report said. Cybertruck vehicles at delivery centers and in transit to delivery centers will receive the new component prior to being delivered to customers, the report said.

    As of April 15, Tesla did not know of any injuries related to the issue, the NHTSA report said.

    Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

    Read the original article on Business Insider

    from All Content from Business Insider https://ift.tt/1Sc2IaU
    via IFTTT

  • Nancy Pelosi says she respects Mike Johnson and hopes Trump isn’t ‘his puppeteer’

    Nancy Pelosi and Mike Johnson look ahead during their respective days on Capitol Hill.
    Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi's muted praise for House Speaker Mike Johnson is a stark contrast to how she treated former Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

    • Nancy Pelosi offered muted praise for Speaker Mike Johnson.
    • The former House speaker said Johnson is "a person of integrity."
    • Pelosi had a famously fraught relationship with fellow Californian and former Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

    Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she respects Speaker Mike Johnson even if she strongly disagrees with his politics, a sign that the top Republican holds some sway with congressional Democrats.

    Pelosi did offer one potential qualm amid her muted praise for the speaker who is facing potential ouster due to efforts led by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Georgia Republican.

    "I hope that what is said about Donald Trump being his puppeteer is not true," Pelosi, who Democrats formally declared as their Speaker Emerita, told the Atlantic as part of a lengthy profile on Johnson.

    Pelosi's words are a stark contrast to how she viewed former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, a fellow Californian. As The New York Times once pointed out, Pelosi publicly called him a moron while McCarthy got in trouble for joking about hitting her with the speaker's gavel.

    The former speaker told The Atlantic that she viewed Johnson as "a person of integrity," adding she was "not here to criticize him."

    Pelosi, widely regarded as one of the most consequential speakers in history, also referenced the current speaker's inexperience. Johnson was first elected to Congress in 2016, making him the least experienced speaker since 1883.

    "Personally, I respect his authenticity; I disagree with his politics, but that's okay," Pelosi said.

    She added, "If you're just sitting in the back bench, and then they tap you to become the speaker, they shouldn't complain when you don't know how to be speaker from day one."

    Other House Democrats shared Pelosi's skepticism of McCarthy, which helped fuel the party's decision to join Rep. Matt Gaetz, a Florida Republican, and seven other Republicans in voting for McCarthy's historic ouster.

    The expectation is that if Greene follows through with her threat to force a vote on Johnson, standing Democrats will help protect him.

    Greene recently added two more Republican supporters, Reps. Paul Gosar of Arizona and Thomas Massie of Kentucky.

    House lawmakers are now on recess after the chamber voted 311 to 112 in favor of a legislative package that includes more than $60 billion in aid to Ukraine.

    Read the original article on Business Insider

    from All Content from Business Insider https://ift.tt/iwDN26E
    via IFTTT