Category: Business

• A B-52 bomber crew received an award for fighting through "catastrophic" aircraft failures.
• The crew faced a string of problems while flying to Barksdale Air Force Base.
• Air Force Global Strike Command gave the bomber crew the General Curtis E. LeMay Award.

A US Air Force B-52 bomber crew received an award for pulling off an exceptional recovery during a life-threatening emergency.

"All the systems kicked off at once, and the aircraft went completely dark, engines flamed out, and controlling the aircraft became a battle," Capt. Matthew Walls, one of three aircrew members aboard the B-52H Stratofortress bomber at the time, described in a Thursday press release.

As the heavy bomber's crew was navigating around severe thunderstorms on their way to Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana on December 13, 2022, the aircraft, Scout 94 went into an uncontrolled roll.

Two of the plane's electrical generators were off, four of the bomber's engines gave out, and the aircraft was descending quickly while decelerating below normal approach speed.

Walls recalled that the emergency, which happened as they were making preparations to land the plane, "was sudden and caused brief but extreme disorientation to myself and the other crew members."

Capt. Charles Powell attempted to restart the engines and managed to bring back two of the four that had given out.

Lt. Col. John Conway, another crew member, said "the reason Captain Powell was able to recover the aircraft safely is because he has trained to a six-engine approach many times and holds himself to a high standard when he trains."

He added that "Capt. Powell and Capt. Walls both performed admirably and with immense poise that day."

The bomber lost its engines on one side. Shortly after the two engines restarted, the crew was able to make an unusual turn back against the roll, declare an emergency, and achieve a safe landing with assistance from air traffic control.

The crew's actions were significant, as they successfully recovered the unwieldy aircraft at a low altitude of just 1,200 feet while flying over a populated area in Bossier City.

"The Scout 94 crew overcame multiple catastrophic failures to safely land the aircraft, averting potential disaster in the air and on the ground," the Air Force said.

During the 2023 Air Force Global Strike Command Operations Awards, the B-52 crew received the Air Force Global Strike Command General Curtis E. LeMay Award in the outstanding bomber crew category.

"I'm very proud of how we handled the situation," Walls said of the emergency that lasted only minutes but required a quick response. "It was fast and intense, and there wasn't time for discussion, just action. In my opinion, everyone fell into their role and did what was required."

• YouTuber Alex Choi faces federal charges connected to filming a fireworks video that targeted a Lamborghini from a helicopter.
• Authorities say he was filming without a permit and illegally using fireworks on federal land. They revoked the pilot's license. 
• But whatever happened to our freedom?! (Seriously, though: Don't do this.)

We used to be a country that was founded on the immutable principles of freedom of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Now, you can't even shoot fireworks at a Lamborghini from a helicopter for a YouTube video without the nanny state getting involved!

Federal authorities arrested YouTuber Alex Choi on Thursday on charges stemming from a Fourth of July video he posted last summer. In the video, two women shoot fireworks from a helicopter at a blue Lamborghini set to Miley Cyrus's song "Party in the USA."

Choi, a car influencer with 1 million subscribers to his YouTube channel, typically posts videos of various stunts with sports cars, like using his Lamborghini to tow other cars or filming passenger reactions as he rapidly accelerates while driving on streets.

The video, "Destroying a Lamborghini with Fireworks," which contained a paid promotion, has been removed from YouTube (a mirror of it exists on Instagram).

A criminal complaint filed by the US Attorney's office in California's Central District states that Choi violated the law during the filming of his video, "Destroying a Lamborghini with Fireworks." He faces one count of causing the placement of an explosive or incendiary device on an aircraft. He also filmed on Bureau of Land Management land without a permit or insurance and used fireworks on BLM land, according to charging documents.

The charging papers also say the FAA investigated the video, which was filmed in the El Mirage Dry Lakebed in San Bernadino, California. The agency revoked the helicopter pilot's license in December 2023.

The AP reported that Choi appeared in court Thursday and was released on a $50,000 bond. He'll be arraigned July 2.

This isn't the first time a YouTuber has gotten in trouble for a stunt.

In 2021, a YouTuber intentionally crashed a plane in California for a video and had to serve six months of jail time for the stunt. A few weeks ago, the city of Seattle fined an Instagrammer $83,621 over penalties for reckless driving of a modified car he called the "Belltown Hellcat."

Choi did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider sent to his management agency.

Now, sure, the stunt was wildly dangerous not just to the Lamborghini driver — recklessly setting off illegal fireworks in California comes with a risk of wildfire. (In case it's not clear we're speaking in jest, seriously: Don't do this.)

But the spirit and creativity of this stunt? Our founding fathers would be proud.

• The Arena Group lost its license to publish SI after a takeover by 5-Hour Energy owner Manoj Bhargava.
• Bhargava's odd remarks confused and unsettled some employees of the storied sports brand.
• But Arena's lawsuit says Authentic and SI's new publisher plotted to poach employees and website content.

The former publisher of Sports Illustrated has filed a $200 million legal counterpunch against the magazine's new publisher and the owner of its intellectual property.

In late 2023, the Arena Group lost the rights to publish SI, its best-known brand, after 5-Hour Energy creator Manoj Bhargava took over Arena and missed a licensing payment to Authentic Brands Group. ABG awarded the publishing license to Minute Media and sued Bhargava for $49 million, accusing him of acting like a "gangster" in their negotiations.

On Friday, Bhargava and his company hit back — and they're seeking $200 million for what they claim was a plot by ABG and Minute Media to string the Arena Group along while making copies of its websites and laying the groundwork to poach its employees and biggest spenders.

"ABG deceived Arena by promising to work with Arena in good faith to renegotiate Arena's license so as to allow Arena to continue to operate Sports Illustrated," the complaint says. "Privately, ABG and Minute had been partnered for weeks, conspiring to steal Arena's code and publisher relationships."

The counter-suit also took aim at CVC Capital Partners and BlackRock, investors in ABG, although they weren't named as parties to the lawsuit. In the complaint and in a statement, Steve Janisse, a spokesman for Arena and Bhargava, said it was unethical for them to have assisted in what it characterized as ABG's sham negotiations.

"It's amazing that CVC Capital and BlackRock would condone this type of corporate behavior," said Janisse. "To be honest, we're surprised they aren't calling for a change of leadership at ABG." An executive at CVC didn't immediately respond to emails and a representative for BlackRock declined to comment.

Bhargava has a history of aggressive legal action. A 2012 Forbes profile noted that he had already filed more than 90 lawsuits. Bhargava, who made his billions selling 5-Hour Energy Drink, showed the Forbes reporter a "cemetery" bookcase in his office, lined with energy shot bottles from competitors his company had sued or legally bullied out of the market, calling them the "gravestones" of his vanquished rivals.

Bhargava's lawsuit adds to the morass of legal actions that have formed around Arena Group. In early April, ABG sued Arena and Bhargava for the missed licensing payment and a $45 million termination fee.

Arena, whose stock trades for less than half of what it did at the start of 2024, included that $45 million fee in a loss of nearly $91 million that it recorded in connection with the loss of the SI brand last quarter.

Ross Levinsohn, the former Arena CEO who was fired when Bhargava took over, has also sued Arena, claiming he was retaliated against. Shortly thereafter, Levinsohn, who became CEO of Arena in 2020 before being fired in 2023, became the target of a lawsuit filed by Arena's founders, who claim he mounted a "fraudulent coup" to enrich himself at the expense of Arena and other shareholders, according to Front Office Sports.

ABG and Minute Media didn't immediately reply to comment requests.

• There are three ways homebuyers can play the housing market to their advantage, according to Fannie Mae.
• The firm's chief economist gave his top tips to first-time homebuyers in a recent interview.
• The housing market remains supply-constrained, which has pushed up home prices, he said.

The housing market is historically unaffordable, but according to Fannie Mae's lead economist, prospective buyers can do a few things to make things to get a leg up.

Doug Duncan, chief economist of the government-sponsored mortgage finance giant, noted the challenging environment for first-time homebuyers, with mortgage rates hovering near 20-year highs and a dearth of inventory keeping home prices elevated.

The 30-year fixed mortgage rate has been stuck around 7% all year. Single-family home prices, meanwhile, climbed 7.4% in the first quarter.

"Supply-constrained," Duncan said of the housing market, speaking to Yahoo Finance on Thursday. "That's been a theme for several years, it's kind of repeating the story, but it's the story."

Duncan outlined his top tips for homebuyers in today's market:

1. Have a good credit score

Mortgage rates are elevated, and having a poor credit score makes borrowing costs even steeper, Duncan said.

"No matter who you talk to, there's different kinds of lenders. All of them are going to look, first of all, at what's your credit? Do you have a good credit score?" he said. "They want to know, what's your risk profile?"

Real estate economists say mortgage rates likely won't come down significantly anytime soon. Mortgage rates are influenced by real interest rates in the economy, and Fed officials aren't in a rush to cut rates while inflation remains above their target and the economy remains strong.

2. Shop around with multiple lenders

Homebuyers should talk to multiple lenders before locking in their mortgage. Buyers who shop around tend to score better deals and more affordable rates, Duncan said.

"Make them compete. They don't make money if they don't make a loan to you, so they have an interest in satisfying you, just like you have an interest in getting a good deal. So shop around for sure," he added.

3. Don't try to time the market

You be in the market for a home because you can afford it at the moment — not because you're waiting for prices or mortgage rates to come down, Duncan said.

"What I always give people as advice when they ask, 'Is now a good time to buy a house?' is if you have a family budget or a household budget. That's the most important clause, because any lender is going to ask you things that's going to come out of that budget, and if you can budget it all out, you know how to immediately answer those questions and you'll get a better deal at the end of the day," Duncan said.

People betting that mortgage rates or home prices will come down soon are taking a gamble. Some homebuyers can afford to speculate on the market, but most first-time homebuyers cannot, Duncan noted.

"You want to take a well-educated financial management approach to that decision because you'd like to be able to sustain it," he said.

First-time homebuyers accounted for 32% of all home sales in 2023, well below the historical average of 38%, according to data from the National Association of Realtors.

The good news is that some real estate experts see a recovery slowly forming for the housing market. Supply is expanding and home prices are starting to fall in key metros, Charles Schwab said in a recent note.

The offers and details on this page may have updated or changed since the time of publication. See our article on Business Insider for current information.

• I'm working hard to build wealth, and I want to make sure it lasts forever.
• My estate plan is designed to maintain my assets and ensure I don't leave any surprise debt behind.
• This article is part of "My Financial Life," a series helping people live and spend better.

Estate planning is a fancy way of saying you're planning for the future — a time when you'll be unable to manage your health and wealth.

Many people focus on financial planning, but not as many think about the broader picture. However, the process doesn't need to be complicated — it's a matter of creating legal documents appointing people to speak and act for you.

I'm an estate-planning attorney, and I've seen how important this process is and where some people's plans fall short.

I want to continue helping others after I'm physically unable to do so. A 2017 study by the Institute for Policy Studies looking at long-term projections for the racial wealth gap found that median Black household wealth could reach zero by 2053. That means my long-term goals need to factor into my estate plan to secure generational wealth.

I want to thrive today and help my future beneficiaries avoid conflicts, excessive taxes, financial burdens, and disputes that could cost time and money.

My financial plan and my estate are intertwined

I considered several questions about my estate when deciding on my financial goals:

1. When I reflect on the wealth I have — and the wealth I'm building — what do I want done with it when I die?
2. Who is or will be capable of managing my assets?
3. What will happen to my digital legacy — my online accounts, digital files, pictures, and investments?
4. What tax consequences will my choices have now and in the future?
5. How will I keep my estate plan and financial plan updated as my life changes?

My estate plan consists of a financial power of attorney, an advance directive, a guardian nomination, a will, and a trust. As an estate-planning attorney, I frequently encounter families who created a trust but didn't understand how it works and don't have a plan for its upkeep.

My estate plan is designed to support all the assets I leave behind and ensure the financial moves I'm making now stay on track. For example, if I buy a house, I have to make sure there's a plan so my trust (and the trustees I leave in charge) can continue paying for the house. I'm accounting for a mortgage, maintenance and remodeling costs, and property taxes. In one case I saw property taxes go from $3,000 to $11,000 a year following a property transfer.

I want to minimize the debt my trust will have to pay off

If your estate plan is set up correctly, some debts cannot be collected after death. I've chosen to save, invest, and pay down debts to minimize the bills my estate and trust would be responsible for. Considering my estate plan early in life will help me figure out which debts I should pay off first.

When it comes to my plans, the most important part is educating the people around me about my moves and my wishes. It's easy for your plan to fail when the people you leave in charge don't know what to do or how to do it. Having financial conversations and being transparent is the best way to ensure my financial and estate plans remain on track.

My goal is to create a comprehensive financial road map that will address my current needs and future aspirations. I've thought about my financial stability at every stage of life. I've found it helps to think about your long-term goals and values first. Then you can ask yourself the big questions — the who, what, why, and how — and get the ball rolling.

• Supreme Court Justices disclosed the gifts and outside income they got in 2023.
• Among them: Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson got "Renaissance" tour tickets from Beyoncé.
• Justice Clarence Thomas got expensive photo albums — and referenced 2019 trips paid for by Harlan Crow.

New financial disclosures for eight Supreme Court Justices reveal the outside income and gifts they received in 2023 — and made reference to the gift scandal that has plagued conservative Justice Clarence Thomas.

Stricter ethics rules adopted in March 2023 require Supreme Court Justices to disclose more gifts, trips, and meals they may have accepted.

Among the gifts and income disclosed from last year, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson said she got concert tickets from Beyoncé Knowles-Carter to the "Renaissance World Tour," with the four passes worth over $3,700.

Brown Jackson also reported $12,500 in gifted artwork for the justice's chambers.

The disclosures revealed other ways Justices are making money — including a hefty book deal advance for Brown Jackson from Penguin Random House worth nearly $900,000.

Justice Brett Kavanaugh also reported $340,000 in book royalty income, while Justice Neil Gorsuch reported $250,000 in royalty income from HarperCollins.

Justice Sonia Sotomayor pocketed nearly $2,000 for voicing a character in an animated TV show.

And while most of the Justices disclosed their investments in the stock market, Kavanaugh's report for 2023 showed none.

However, the most noteworthy gift on the disclosures wasn't one from last year.

In his 2023 disclosure, Justice Thomas amended his disclosures from 2019 to include luxury trips he received from billionaire Harlan Crow.

Thomas has been under fire in the past for accepting lavish vacations and gifts from the GOP megadonor; his report for 2023 now include references to two trips hosted by Crow in 2019 to Bali and Monte Rio, California.

Thomas has denied any conflict of interest, and Harlan Crow has said that the arch-conservative justice is simply a friend.

Thomas' last disclosure, made public in August 2023, mentioned Crow throughout, including flights, meals, and lodging he paid for on various trips.

Thomas' report this year also revealed he received two photo albums worth $2,000 from Terrence Giroux — the executive director of the Horatio Alger Association — and his wife, Barbara.

Alito is the only Justice for whom the Supreme Court did not publish a report today. He was granted a 90-day extension to file, according to the New York Times.

Alito is under his own scrutiny for flags displaying pro-Trump symbols that flew at his properties around the time of the January 6 riot in 2021. Alito has said his wife was responsible for putting the flags up and blamed a dispute with neighbors, though reports indicate the timeline doesn't add up.

• Tesla launched a $450 lightning-shaped bottle of mezcal, its priciest alcohol yet.
• The hand-blown bottle, inspired by Oaxaca pottery, features a sleek, black finish.
• Previous Tesla alcohol releases include Cyberbeer, GigaBier, and a $250 Tesla Tequila.

Tesla announced its most expensive alcohol yet on Thursday: a $450 lightning-shaped bottle of mezcal.

Tesla director of product design Javier Verdura designed the hand-blown glass bottle, which has a sleek, black finish and draws inspiration from centuries-old pottery traditions in Oaxaca, Mexico, Tesla said on its website.

The liquor has a citrusy scent with notes of lime and green apple, and a smoky finish, according to the listing. It also has some sweeter flavors with finishes of tuberose, jasmine, and chamomile, the website says.

Believe it or not, this is the third limited-release alcohol product that the carmaker has produced — and they've all been pricey.

Last year, Tesla sold a set of two 11-ounce Cyberbeers with two ceramic Cybersteins for $150. The set was designed to mimic the look of a Cybertruck, which had yet to be released at the time.

Earlier in 2023, the EV giant launched a limited edition "GigaBier," to celebrate the opening of Tesla's Gigafactory in Berlin. The Pilsner-style lager cost about $98 for a pack of three.

The EV-maker also released a $250 gold bottle of Tesla Tequila in a lightning-bolt shaped bottle, similarly designed to the latest model. The 750ml bottle came out in 2020, two years after Musk joked about "Teslaquilla" in a tweet.

Tesla Tequila sold out within hours and Tesla released a second batch in March 2021, which also sold out almost immediately. After it sold out, resellers listed empty bottles of the Tesla Tequila for thousands of dollars online.

Tesla Mezcal comes to about $498 after taxes and each customer is limited to two sets. Tesla didn't respond to BI about how many Mezcals have been sold so far. But if sales are similar to its other drinks, it'll probably go quickly.

• Robert Gigliotti and Ethan Gaskill went viral on TikTok for sharing their home decor "icks."
• They stressed the idea of working with your space's unique features, rather than against them.
• Gigliotti and Gaskill told BI that trendy, expensive furniture pieces are overrated, too.

The internet is full of interior design aesthetics — Scandinavian, Boho, Country House, Maximalist — each complete with its own set of experts and influencers explaining what must-haves you need to best accomplish the trend.

From quirky pastel candles and oblong mirrors to designer couches and industrial curtain rods, it's no wonder Americans spend an average of $1,599 on home decor annually, per a 2024 Opendoor survey.

But LA-based content creators Robert Gigliotti and Ethan Gaskill have taken a different approach to interior design influencing.

The friends and collaborators have garnered more than 3.5 million views on TikTok sharing their most disliked interior design and home decor trends in a series called "home decor icks."

Gigliotti and Gaskill are not designers but have self-taught eyes for design fostered by family experiences.

Gigliotti told Business Insider that his mother flipped houses while he was growing up in Connecticut and he became "tired of them all being builder gray," so he got involved in helping pick out tiles and other finishes.

Meanwhile, Gaskill was raised in North Carolina and drew inspiration from his father, a custom home builder, and his mother, a real-estate agent.

"My mom was always around the house and really ingrained in my brain the idea of keeping a tidy space and making sure your space is a kind of reflection of who you are, in the way that it sort of impacts your mind," he said.

Gigliotti and Gaskill said their opinions have resonated with audiences online partly because they're calling out mistakes they've made or seen themselves.

"It's all things that people kind of agree on or relate to in a way, that they can kind of laugh about," Gaskill said.

Gigliotti added, "The second anything becomes too serious, it's not fun anymore, so it's not like we would actually go in someone's home and be like, 'This is disgusting.' Honestly, it's amazing effort if you painted everything pink and did your statement wall of floral wallpaper. At least you're having fun. If you love it, we like it."

Business Insider spoke with Gigliotti and Gaskill to hear more about what they think you should avoid when decorating each room of your home, from "cringey" art prints and DIYs to overly curated shelving.

Let's start with the living room. You can skip the statement couch for something cheaper and more timeless.

Gigliotti told Business Insider he thinks trendy, statement couches are on their way out.

"I think a lot of people went in the last few years to those really funky bubble couches or the Togo sofas, like Mario Bellini. All those extravagant, huge, showcase piece sofas that aren't comfortable, are $12,000, or there's a lot of dupes that are just not good quality," he said.

Those intense pieces are hard to make work as you move from space to space and as time passes, meaning they could be a waste of money.

Gigliotti knows this from experience.

He, too, had the orange bubble sofa by Mario Bellini. "That was a lot of when I was letting social media — like I'm saying — determine, 'This is what's cool. I can't have a gray sofa. I can't have this. I have to have that really cool thing,'" Gigliotti said.

It was sold within a month.

Instead, there's nothing wrong with choosing something more classic or even using a slipcover. Gigliotti and Gaskill agreed that a linen slipcover would work in any home. And, thrifting is a great option, too.

You shouldn't rely too heavily on your interests to inform your home decor choices.

A recurring theme across the collaborators' videos has been finding the right balance between highlighting your interests, and not letting them overpower your home.

In the fourth installment of their TikTok series, Gaskill said one of his "icks" is "letting your personal interests be your interior design style" and offered an anecdote about how he once let his love of horror films seep into his home decor with an art print of a skull melting.

"Your home can speak to your interests in more subtle or timeless ways," he said.

Gigliotti elaborated, saying, "You can love fashion, but you don't need to display your Gucci and Hermès boxes as decor. Just wear cute clothes."

And it's time to get rid of those grommet curtains.

In the first edition of the duo's "home decor icks" videos, Gaskill likened grommet curtains to "a shower curtain hanging in your living room."

Enough said.

Moving on to the kitchen: Your appliances don't all need to be on display.

"You don't need a Ninja CREAMi ice cream maker on the counter, an espresso machine, a microwave, an air fryer," Gaskill said.

"Obviously, not everyone has the storage for everything, but I think some people just keep all their appliances out all the time and it takes up all your counter space," he added.

If you have storage space in your kitchen, display only your most-used appliances like a coffee maker or toaster, and bring any others out when you're actually using them.

Another note on appliances: They don't need to be a "design moment."

"Things don't need to be a focus," Gigliotti said.

"If you have a microwave, just get one that blends into the space. It doesn't need to be hot pink with cups placed on top of it and cookbooks. Just have a microwave and it is what it is. I use my microwave every single day, but I'm not making it the highlight of my space," he added.

This also means you can skip the fake vintage or retro appliances in favor of something classic like stainless steel.

It's also time to stop over-decorating your bar carts and open shelving.

"When it's overly styled, with six cookbooks stacked there and then a little jar that you're never going to use and never touch, I think that just doesn't look lived in," Gigliotti said. "It'll look like you're trying too hard."

Prioritizing functionality over aesthetics, thus, is much more practical and appealing.

"It's just like, if you're using a wooden spoon every day and it's functional for your kitchen, that's going to look so much better when it's authentic," Gigliotti added.

As for bathrooms, leave peel-and-stick tiles alone.

"Bathrooms are one of the most common victims for peel-and-stick tile, and because peel-and-stick tile is using an adhesive, when steam gets in the room, things start to peel up," Gaskill told BI.

Gigliotti added, "I almost would rather see an old ugly laminate countertop than a bubbling peel and stick. It is what it is."

Often, DIY projects are an attempt to mask or cover a disliked area of a home, but when done poorly, they can actually draw more unwanted attention, Gaskill warned.

"Most of us are still learning," he said. "I mean, not all of us are professional remodelers, so a lot of times it's not done very well, and then that's when it becomes more of an eyesore. I think you should have fun with DIYs, but at the end of the day, your home … I just don't like treating it like a craft project."

Toiletries are not decorations.

This isn't to say that you shouldn't keep your most used skincare or fragrances out, but rather that it's not necessary to install shelving specifically to display these items.

"I keep my skincare out or I'll forget to do it," Gigliotti said. Instead, the issue is when you're "making shelving just to put nail polish."

And it's time to update those "cringey" art prints.

Move over, "Live, Laugh, Love," there's another art trend that's losing its appeal: cringey, quirky art prints.

By "cringey" or "quirky," think of anything with food like bagels or pickle jars, cowboy hats, or odd phrases.

For other examples, Gigliotti told BI he recently went to a restaurant in LA that had posters in the bathroom of a giant red pepper that said, "Get spicy," and a cat that said, "This is a fat green cat that you're responsible for watching while you're peeing."

To maximize your bedroom floor space, stop placing your bed perpendicular to a corner.

When you angle your bed out from the corner of your bedroom, you create an alcove of space that will likely become a hiding spot for dirty laundry or otherwise go untouched completely.

In another installment of the series, Gaskill said, "It just kind of feels like you didn't know how to lay out the room."

"There's something about it that just doesn't sit well with me from a design perspective," he added.

You don't need to color code your bookshelves.

Color coding is a great method of organization for your closet, but it's not necessary to do the same with your bookshelves.

"A home needs character, it needs charm. Mix-match looks good," Gigliotti said on TikTok.

So, whatever order you read or place them back in is fair game.

And finally, don't force design elements into your home that weren't there originally.

Gigliotti emphasized the importance of accepting your home's characteristics and said there's no need to try to make it into something it's not by adding numerous DIY projects like fake beams, brick walls, or different tiles to the mix.

"Just let things be what they are, embrace it, and then aspire for something different in your next place," Gaskill added.

But, if you're really looking for a change or want to elevate your space, a new coat of paint and good artwork are the best places to start.

• As someone who's worked at Costco for 18 years, I know which items are worth buying.
• The bakery's s'mores cookies are a tasty summertime treat inspired by the campfire classic.
• I recommend adding home items like the iDesign three-piece cosmetic organizer set to your space.

Like many fans of Costco, the leading retailer in customer satisfaction, I love browsing the shelves to see which items are worth taking home. The store has a great rotating inventory and competitive pricing, so it's no wonder why so many shoppers love the retailer.

I've worked at Costco for over 18 years, so I'm always searching for the best-value items at the warehouse. Here are 10 things I recommend checking out at Costco in June.

Prices may vary by location.

Make an easy meal with the Meat District chuck-and-brisket beef patties.

The Meat District chuck-and-brisket patties are perfect for easy grilling because they allow you to make burgers with less prep time and no mess. According to their packaging, the patties are made from premium steak cuts and seasoned with a garlic-peppercorn rub.

Each package, which contains eight burger patties, can be found in the cooler boxes at Costco's deli. At my Costco, a package costs $17.

The Titan 26-can backpack cooler is perfect for summer activities.

As summer approaches, these Titan 26-can backpack coolers with ice-wall pockets have been selling quickly at my location. The backpack features leak-proof lining and adjustable, padded straps.

They also come with two ice packs ready to be frozen, making them a great bag for outdoor use or even lunch storage. Each backpack is $45 at my location.

The Zuru Bunch O Balloons tropical party packs are an easy way to have fun with the whole family.

If you're looking for summer fun, check out the Zuru Bunch O Balloons tropical party pack, which features 490 self-tying balloons.

The stems on these balloons make filling them super simple — just attach a stem to a hose, fill it with water, and shake to make as many as 100 balloons in less than a minute.

My Costco sells packages of the Zuru Bunch O Balloons, which are seasonal, for $25.

I recommend grabbing the Kirkland Signature beef-and-pork meatballs with pasta and sauce from the deli.

The Kirkland Signature beef-and-pork meatballs with pasta and sauce is the newest premade item in Costco's deli, and it's delicious. Each container comes with rigatoni pasta, marinara sauce, and six giant meatballs, all topped with Parmesan cheese.

This meal is so easy to prepare. Everything is measured out, so all you have to do is set the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, cover the tray with foil, place it on a cookie sheet, and bake it for 50 minutes.

The tray can feed about four people and costs $4.50 per pound, which comes out to about $20 per container.

Take care of fabric with the CHI electronic clothing iron with a retractable cord.

CHI is most popular for its hair products, but the brand also carries an electronic iron with a retractable cord. The iron features 400 steam holes and electronic temperature control.

The CHI iron costs $70 at my Costco.

Satisfy your sweet tooth with Kirkland Signature s'mores cookies.

Costco's bakery has been producing delicious seasonal items, including the Kirkland Signature s'mores cookies. The cookies are made with semisweet chocolate, graham flour, and marshmallows for a gooey first bite.

I find the best way to eat them is to microwave them for 10 seconds before taking a bite. Each package contains 24 cookies and costs $10.

Stand out among the sand with the licensed beach towels.

Costco is now carrying character-embroidered beach towels for the family. The towels come with four character designs: Hello Kitty, Stitch, Bluey, and Spider-Man.

These beach towels are 63-by-34 inches and machine washable. The sheared-velour towels are $18 at my store.

Add the iDesign three-piece cosmetic organizer set to your bedroom, bathroom, or closet space. 

If you want to tidy up a space, the iDesign cosmetic organizer three-piece set could come in handy. The organizer is great to keep in a bedroom or even the bathroom.

The set contains two three-drawer organizers and a carousel organizer with a removable tray.

These organizers aren't dishwasher safe, but cleaning is as easy as getting a damp cloth and wiping them down. The iDesign cosmetic organizers are $39 at my store.

The SkinnyDipped dark-chocolate peanut-butter cups are a tasty treat.

The SkinnyDipped dark-chocolate peanut-butter cups are a tasty sweet treat. Each confection is coated with dark chocolate and loaded with peanut butter.

I like that this sweet treat has only 2 grams of sugar and less than 100 calories per serving. My Costco sells a 30-count bag for $14.60.

The Seville Classics bamboo two-tier sliding-drawer organizers can add elegance to a kitchen or bathroom space.

The Seville Classics two-tier drawer sets are perfect for under-the-sink, bathroom, and cabinet storage and allow easy access to your items.

The drawer set also features nonslip feet and a metal frame. These drawers are $34 at my Costco.

• The US added half a million millionaires in 2023 — more than any other country.
• Stock market gains at the end of the year accounted for much of the increase, Capgemini reported.
• Government spending through laws such as the CHIPS Act also helped, according to the report.

The number of millionaires in the US went up by around 500,000 last year — more than any other country in the world.

America had 7.4 million "high net worth individuals" in 2023, up from 6.9 million in 2022, according to a new report from Capgemini. The firm's definition of a millionaire includes people with "investable assets" of at least $1 million, "excluding their primary residence, collectibles, consumables, and consumer durables," according to a summary of the report.

After troubles in the stock market in 2022, 2023 proved to be a better year for the wealthy, Capgemini wrote. The number of millionaires, as well as their cumulative worth, fell in 2022.

In 2023, by contrast, "despite ongoing interest rate uncertainty and rising bond yields, equities surged along with the tech market, fueled by enthusiasm for generative AI and its potential impact on the economy," the report reads. Stock-market gains in the fourth quarter of 2023 played an outsized role.

Government spending, such as the CHIPS Act and the Inflation Reduction Act, also led to greater spending in industries such as semiconductors and construction.

All that helped raise the collective wealth of millionaires in the US by 7.4% last year, Capgemini said.

Even with the increasing number of millionaires, wealth remained concentrated among a small group. Just the top 1% of the HNWIs covered in the report held 34% of global wealth, the report found.

The US increase in millionaires was the greatest in absolute-number terms among the top 25 countries by number of millionaires, according to Capgemini.

But by percentage, the number of millionaires in the US rose by 7.3% for the year — a rate exceeded by Australia, India, and Italy, though those countries each had millionaire populations only in the hundreds.