Category: Business

• Palestinian Islamic Jihad released videos of the hostage Alexander Troufanov.
• Troufanov, an Amazon cloud engineer, was abducted by Hamas on October 7.
• Around 240 people were taken hostage in the terror attacks, many still captive months later.

Palestinian Islamic Jihad released two videos this week showing Russian-Israeli hostage Alexander Troufanov, an Amazon cloud engineer.

The videos prompted Troufanov's family to call on Israeli officials to do more to secure his release.

PIJ, a militant group that operates in Gaza alongside Hamas, released the first video on Tuesday.

In the short clip, Troufanov speaks calmly and in Hebrew.

He said: "In the next few days, you will hear the truth of what happened to me, as well as the other prisoners in Gaza," per a translation by The Jerusalem Post.

"Wait patiently," he said.

The context in which he is speaking was not clear. Hostages are rarely able to speak freely in such videos.

The Hostage and Missing Families Forum, an advocacy group for the hostages, released a statement on X in response to the video, saying: "The Trufanov family has authorized the use and publication of the video released today by the Islamic Jihad, after 235 days in captivity, showing Alexsander Trufanov."

(The statement used a variant spelling of Troufanov's name.)

It argued that the apparent evidence that he is alive should prompt the Israeli government to do more to strike a deal for the return of the hostages in Gaza.

Troufanov was kidnapped from Nir Oz kibbutz alongside his grandmother Irena Tati, his mother Yelena, and his girlfriend Sapir Cohen during Hamas' October 7 attacks on Israel, The Times of Israel reported in December.

His mother, grandmother, and girlfriend were released in November, the Israeli outlet Haaretz reported.

Troufanov's father was killed in the attacks, the report added.

The first video showing Troufanov did not provide any indication of when it had been filmed.

In a second video, released by PIJ on Thursday, Troufanov appears to refer to the Israeli government shutting down the Al Jazeera news channel's operations in the country on May 5, per The Times of Israel, suggesting that the footage was taken after that date.

Troufanov worked as an engineer at Annapurna Labs, a subsidiary of Amazon, according to his LinkedIn profile.

The Israeli chipmaker was acquired by Amazon Web Services in 2015 in a deal that reports suggested was worth up to $370 million.

Russia's TASS news agency reported that the country's Chief Rabbi, Berl Lazar, said in February that Russian President Vladimir Putin was aware of Troufanov's situation and was working to help free the hostages in Gaza.

Putin "has all the information about the hostages who have Russian citizenship. There are three of them, and Alexander Trufanov is only one of them," the rabbi said, per Tass.

It comes as President Joe Biden unveiled a new Israeli proposal to end the conflict in Gaza.

The three-stage proposal offers a "roadmap to an enduring ceasefire – and the release of all the hostages," a post on the president's X account reads.

The plan, which was delivered to Hamas by Qatar, would begin with a ceasefire and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from populated areas of the Gaza Strip.

It would also include an exchange of Palestinian prisoners for Israeli hostages, a "surge" of humanitarian aid, and a reconstruction plan for Gaza.

Hamas has said that it viewed the proposal "positively."

More than 36,000 Palestinians have been killed in the conflict so far, according to figures from Gaza's healthy ministry. Around 1,200 people were killed in Israel during Hamas' October 7 attacks, with roughly another 240 taken hostage in Gaza.

PIJ is the second-largest armed group in Gaza after Hamas

According to the US Director of National Intelligence, PIJ is a "Sunni Islamist militant group seeking to establish an Islamist Palestinian state."

The group's military wing, the al-Quds Brigades, has been involved in multiple attacks on Israel since the 1990s — mostly small-arms, mortar, and rocket attacks launched from Gaza, per the DNI.

While PIJ has frequently worked with Hamas, the two groups remain rivals, with ideological differences and occasional disagreements over their strategies toward Israel.

• Five senior figures in Russia's defense establishment have been arrested on corruption charges.
• A former UK defense attaché in Moscow described corruption as a "cancer" within Russia's MOD.
• The arrests follow the replacement of Sergei Shoigu as defense minister.

It began with Timur Ivanov, Russia's then-deputy defense minister, who was arrested after being accused of taking bribes "on a particularly large scale."

Then came Lt. Gen. Yuri Kuznetsov, head of the defense ministry's personnel directorate. He was arrested after more than 100 million rubles (over $1 million), gold coins, and other valuables were seized from his residences.

That was followed by the arrests of the ex-commander of the 58th Guards Combined Arms Army, Ivan Popov, and later Lt. Gen. Vadim Shamarin and defense ministry official Vladimir Verteletsky.

The wave of arrests came as part of a push to stamp out corruption in Russia's defense ministry, which, according to the UK Ministry of Defence, "is deeply rooted."

John Foreman, a former British defense attaché in Moscow, described corruption as a "cancer" within Russia's MOD, adding that the arrests and ministry reshuffle suggest that things aren't going to plan for Russia.

"You don't remove your defense minister and replace all your generals if everything is going well," Foreman told Business Insider.

Mark Galeotti, an honorary professor at University College London and senior research associate at the UK-based think tank the Royal United Services Institute, told BI he believed the clear-out was connected with the change in defense minister.

"Putin has been very disinclined to reshuffle the top tier of his security agencies in the middle of a war," Galeotti said.

But his inauguration for a fifth presidential term "provided a moment where he really felt he had to move Shoigu on," he added.

"If they're bringing in Belousov with a mandate to get absolute control of the defense ministry's finances, to cut down on waste and embezzlement, then now is the time to tackle the whole problem," he continued.

In a 2022 report, experts told the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project that corruption was so rife among Russian forces that it could ultimately save Ukraine.

Following the launch of Russia's full-scale invasion of the country in February 2022, a former Russian foreign minister also claimed that widespread corruption was among the reasons for the Russian military's poor performance in the early days of the conflict.

Andrey Kozyrev, who served as the foreign minister under President Boris Yeltsin in the 1990s, wrote on X: "The Kremlin spent the last 20 years trying to modernize its military. Much of that budget was stolen and spent on mega-yachts in Cyprus. But as a military advisor you cannot report that to the President. So they reported lies to him instead."

Belousov's appointment is, therefore, an attempt by Putin to gain control of these high levels of corruption that Shoigu and, until now, Putin himself, have allowed to occur, Foreman told BI.

"Putin has tolerated Shoigu building his empire, taking money from the defense budget, installing his corrupt cronies in return for loyalty," he said.

Putin now needed someone who would bring "more bang for the buck," he added.

Echoes of Wagner criticisms

Yevgeny Prigozhin, the former leader of the mercenary Wagner Group who was killed in a plane crash in August last year, had previously hit out at Shoigu and Valery Gerasimov, Russia's Chief of the General Staff, accusing them of incompetence and corruption.

"Shoigu! Gerasimov! Where the fuck are the munitions?!" he shouted in one video, blaming the officials for some of the losses suffered by his Wagner Group.

While Putin stood with Shoigu at the time, it was likely his "nail in the coffin as defense minister," Foreman said.

"The drip of accusations of corruption, the blatant nature of it at a time when Putin was demanding more and more sacrifice for the cause of the war, was not good," he said.

For a while, it meant that Shoigu was safer than ever because "Putin couldn't seem to be giving into Prigozhin's demands," Galeotti said. There needed to be "time for the dust to settle."

But Prigozhin "was actually telling the truth about some of these things. And for an authoritarian regime that depends on information control, nothing is more dangerous than the truth," he added.

Russia's top general could be next on Putin's list

Valery Gerasimov, Russia's top general, has been found wanting in his role as Russia's Chief of the General Staff, defense experts say.

"He's 68, unpopular and incompetent and there's a new defense minister: he has lost his cover," Foreman said, adding that there are also "credible alternatives."

Both Galeotti and Foreman said they would be surprised if Gerasimov remained in place by the end of the year.

Witn Shoigu gone, the speed and frequency of arrests in the defense ministry can now pick up.

Last week a Kremlin source told The Moscow Times that "the FSB is mopping up Shoigu's team. It's to be expected. This kind of operation can only be carried out with approval at the very top."

"Criminal cases have been piled up. But while Shoigu was a minister and had enormous influence, investigators were not allowed to pursue them," a second government official told The Moscow Times.

The UK MOD has also said that it "is likely that there will be further arrests," while one acting Russian government official told The Moscow Times that the moves could become part of the "largest purges" in modern Russian history.

Galeotti said that any such further arrests would likely aim at sending senior military figures a clear message: "You could be next."

But a solution to the problem would require a complete upheaval of the whole defense structure, and "that's not going to happen," Galeotti said. "It is an attempt to redefine the acceptable levels of corruption."

• Institutional Shareholder Services recommends Tesla shareholders vote against Musk's huge pay deal.
• It comes after Glass Lewis, another proxy advisor, made the same recommendation.
• Investors will vote on the $56 billion package at Tesla's annual meeting on June 13.

Influential proxy advisor Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) has recommended that Tesla shareholders vote against Elon Musk's proposed $56 billion pay package.

The ISS said in a report that the Tesla CEO's share options deal, initially outlined in 2018, was "outsized from the start," Bloomberg reported.

"Some investors may find the board's argument compelling, that it would be unfair for Musk not to receive the award," the report continued.

"However, the concerns raised, both back in 2018 and in the interim, have not been sufficiently mitigated, particularly given that the board has effectively only offered shareholders an 'all or nothing' option in this vote," it added.

It comes after Glass Lewis, another leading proxy advisory firm, also urged Tesla investors to vote against the deal.

Glass Lewis said the deal was of "excessive size" and "dilutive" and raised concerns over Musk's many "time-consuming projects" — particularly the social media platform X, formerly Twitter.

"Mr. Musk's slate of extraordinarily time-consuming projects unrelated to the Company was well-documented before the 2018 grant and only expanded with his high-profile purchase of the company now known as X," Glass Lewis said in its report.

Tesla was quick to respond to the report in a letter to shareholders titled "What Glass Lewis Got Wrong About Tesla."

The letter, published on Wednesday, said that the proxy advisor had relied on "speculation and hypotheticals," used "faulty logic," and omitted "key considerations."

ISS gave "cautionary support" for a proposal to reincorporate Tesla in Texas, but it noted that the board's process toward the move left "something to be desired," per Bloomberg.

On the other hand, Glass Lewis urged shareholders to reject the proposed move, saying it offered them "uncertain benefits and additional risk.

Musk has previously hit out at the power of proxy advisors

Proxy advisors help shareholders decide how to vote at shareholder meetings, and they can have "significant influence" over investors' voting decisions, according to a report published by the Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance.

Musk has previously hit out at the amount of influence such firms have.

"Far too much power is concentrated in the hands of 'shareholder services' companies like ISS and Glass Lewis because so much of the market is passive/index funds, which outsource shareholder voting decisions to them," he wrote in a post on X in January 2023.

"ISS and Glass Lewis effectively control the stock market," he added.

Investors will vote on his pay package at Tesla's annual meeting on June 13.

Musk, who also runs SpaceX, Neuralink, and the Boring Company, has previously warned that he would develop future products outside of Tesla if his bid to increase his stake in the EV maker were blocked.

Musk's controversial compensation package was initially approved by 73% of investors in 2018, but a Delaware judge struck it down in January over concerns about its size and the board's independence.

Tesla's board has since been working to persuade investors to support the deal.

If the board can prove investors still support it, it could help in an appeal of the decision to void it.

However, a loss would be a major blow to the board and could raise questions about Musk's leadership.

• Robert De Niro will not be honored at the National Association of Broadcasters ceremony, a report said.
• The film star called Trump a "clown" outside the former president's criminal trial in New York City.
• De Niro's recent "high-profile activities will create a distraction," said a NAB statement.

Robert De Niro will no longer be honored at the National Association of Broadcasters award ceremony after making a slew of anti-Trump comments outside the former president's criminal trial, said a report.

The Oscar-winning actor was set to receive the NAB's top individual honor, the Leadership Foundation's Service to America Award, next Tuesday in Washington, DC.

In a statement to The Hill, a spokesperson for the group said, "While we strongly support the right of every American to exercise free speech and participate in civic engagement, it is clear that Mr. De Niro's recent high-profile activities will create a distraction from the philanthropic work that we were hoping to recognize," the statement said, per The Hill.

"To maintain the focus on service of the award winners, Mr. De Niro will no longer be attending the event."

In a statement to the Hill in response to the NAB's decision to rescind the award, De Niro said, "I support the work of the NAB Leadership Foundation and would like to express my appreciation and gratitude for what the Foundation has done and will continue to do for the good of us all, and I wish them well for their continued good work," it said.

De Niro has been feuding with Trump for 13 years, according to a report by Business Insider's Ayomikun Adekaiyero.

The two New Yorkers first came to verbal blows Trump after questioned the citizenship status of then-president, Barack Obama.

Outside the courthouse on Tuesday, De Niro said he had joined the Biden campaign because it was the only way to "preserve our freedoms."

"If Trump returns to the White House, you can kiss these freedoms goodbye that we all take for granted."

De Niro, who recently voiced an ad for the Biden campaign, called Donald Trump a "clown," adding that "we've forgotten the lessons of history that showed us other clowns who weren't taken seriously until they became vicious dictators."

"With Trump, we have a second chance, and no one is laughing now. This is the time to stop him by voting him out once and for all."

"If he gets in, I can tell you right now, he will never leave," said De Niro.

Trump responded to De Niro's comments on his Truth Social platform on Wednesday.

"I never knew how small, both mentally and physically, Wacko Former Actor Robert De Niro was," the former president wrote.

"Today, De Niro, who suffers from an incurable case of TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME, commonly known in the medical community as TDS, was met, outside the Courthouse, with a force far greater than the Radical Left – MAGA."

Trump later posted what appeared to be a deep-fake video of De Niro speaking at the podium outside the courthouse.

"'I'm speaking to you today because I'm a scared little man, a washed up actor with lots of skeletons in my closet. People like me need Joe Biden and power not because he's any good, but because he enjoys the same sick perversions," it said.

.

• Drones targeted Russian soldiers crossing the Dnipro River on a jet ski, said Ukraine.
• The video, released by Ukraine’s 79th State Border Guard Service, appears to show the attack.
• Russia has been using an eclectic mix of vehicles, including motorcycles and golf cart-style buggies.

Footage shared by the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine appears to show Russian soldiers crossing the Dnipro River on a jet ski being taken out by a drone.

The video, released by Ukraine's 79th State Border Guard Service, appears to show the Russian soldiers being targeted by Ukrainian FPV drones.

The drone tracks the jet ski as it crosses the river. When the Russian soldiers reach the opposing bank, the drone hones in and hits the jet ski.

The caption accompanying the video reads: "The SBGSU aerial reconnaissance unit struck at an enemy crew on a jet ski in the Kherson region with FPV drones. The deaths of the invaders are being clarified."

Business Insider could not independently verify the video or details of the attack.

The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine later posted the video saying, "The occupiers tried to cross the Dnipro and received a "warm welcome" from the warriors of the 79th detachment."

Former Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced in March formation of the Dnipro River "Flotilla" and a "riverboat brigade."

The Dnipro, a natural barrier, forms much of the frontline in southern Ukraine.

Russian forces have adopted various eclectic vehicles in recent months in an attempt to replenish dwindling equipment and adapt to the continued challenges and threats posed by Ukrainian attack drones.

In April, a Russian-backed battalion from the breakaway Luhansk People's Republic posted a video in which they appeared to attack Ukrainian positions on motorcycles.

In the video, several troops can be seen on motorbikes riding over rough, cross-country terrain. According to the post, the Russian assault was successful.

Quad bikes have also been used in Russian assaults, according to reports.

Russia has also used Chinese-built open-top golf cart-style vehicles near the frontline in Ukraine.

In March, Forbes reporter David Axe noted that the vehicles lack armor and weaponry and are typically seen on farms and construction sites, not on the battlefield.

"It's reckless, if not insane, to deploy an open-top, unarmored all-terrain vehicle — in essence, a heavy-duty golf cart — in combat just a quarter mile from the front line," Axe wrote at the time.

The vehicles were being used to transport infantry to the frontline, per Forbes, and the video shows them being struck by shells and explosives dropped from drones.

Russians have also been seen modifying their armor in an attempt to protect them from drones and anti-tank fire.

Since the early days of the war, Russia has fitted crude metal structures on their tanks to protect occupants from anti-tank fire better.

This tactic has evolved into what has been dubbed a "turtle tank," so extensively covered with metal sheeting that the vehicle can barely turn its gun.

The ever-present threat of drones on the battlefields of Ukraine has pushed troops to experiment to boost their chances of survival. On April 5, Ukrainian forces said they captured a Russian tank covered completely in electronic jamming equipment. However, the vehicle was still seen being taken out by a first-person view drone.

• Tim Schultz won the lottery in 1999 while working as a gas station attendant when he was 21. 
• Schultz put himself through college and retired immediately, but some of his relationships suffered.
• He said money doesn't buy you happiness, but it can buy you time, opportunities and reduce stress. 

This as-told-to essay is based on a transcribed conversation with Timothy Schultz, who won the Powerball Lottery in 1999. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

A few months before I won the $28 million Powerball jackpot, I had a vivid dream that I'd already won. It felt so real that it convinced me it was going to happen.

It was 1999, and I was a gas station attendant studying part-time at a liberal arts university in Iowa. I lived in my parents' basement, making minimum wage.

I started playing the lottery once or twice weekly, buying a single ticket. I visualized winning and told people about it. They said, "Well if anyone's going to win, you're going to win."

Then I did.

After I won, I was walking on cloud nine

I woke up to my father banging on my bedroom door on February 10, 1999, screaming that someone won the Powerball lottery. He asked whether I purchased a ticket. I immediately remembered telling several people I had the winning ticket the night before.

I was frantic, rummaging through papers, and eventually found the ticket crumpled in a little ball. After unraveling it, I ran upstairs to the kitchen and compared the numbers to those in the newspaper.

When they matched, it felt like I was still dreaming. My father hugged me, and we jumped up and down like kids in a candy store.

I called my mom, who initially thought I was joking. We also called financial advisors and attorneys. They said to put the ticket somewhere secure and set up a time to redeem it at the lottery office; I felt like I was walking on cloud nine.

A press conference announced I had won the $28 million Powerball lottery. After that, our phone was inundated with messages. People I knew congratulated me, but there were stacks of letters from strangers, some of whom asked for money.

At the press conference itself, I felt like a deer in headlights. It was exhilarating and terrifying. I'd never been the center of attention for millions of people. However, part of me enjoyed it. I think it helped inspire my pursuit of broadcast news and podcasting.

I'd always imagined what I'd do if I ever won: pay off debt and put myself through college, but I'd never thought about how it would change my life.

From gas attendant to millionaire

Suddenly, I'd gone from a gas station attendant to retired at 21. I felt like I was holding a magic wand. Everything was possible, but I also wanted to be financially responsible.

Before turning in the ticket, I consulted with wealth professionals to understand how much I could afford to spend and give to others. I helped many people but also wanted to live within my means.

Before I received the money, I set up a plan with advisors to invest it. We invested conservatively so the returns could last me over a lifetime.

But as a 21-year-old, the first thing I bought was the latest video game system. A luxury I couldn't afford before winning.

I mostly invested in stocks, bonds, and mutual funds with my money. I helped my family, bought vehicles, and traveled. I went back to college to study film and broadcast journalism, a dream come true.

How it impacted my relationships

I was a struggling college student, just like my peers, and then I became an outlier: the rich kid. At the time, I felt obligated to pay for friends' vacations, meals, or anything we did together.

Most people didn't ask for money, but I felt that I could and, perhaps morally, should pay for them because I had won the lottery.

People were supportive, but some treated me differently. Some tried to get closer to me, which made me feel like a walking, talking ATM. I constantly feared people didn't want to be friends with me for the right reasons. When people didn't change how they behaved around me, I knew I could trust them. I also had family and friends who seemed concerned about how wealth would impact me, which further cemented my trust.

When you win the lottery, people don't view the money as something you've earned. A family member explicitly told me I got something for nothing by winning the lottery and should keep giving them and others money.

I had to learn to say no to stay fisicially responsible. When I put my foot down, it damaged my relationships with some family members who I loved very much.

After winning, I initially felt isolated and lonely. I had a really hard time opening up to new people. My dating life was better before I won the lottery. I moved to a different house in a new state because so many people knew my story, and I felt uncomfortable.

It was a steep learning curve navigating the social aspect of winning the lottery.

How I spent the money

Within the first year of winning, for fun, my friends and I threw a dart at a map and said we'd go wherever the dart landed. It landed in the middle of Canada, so we went on an outdoor adventure trip north.

I retired instantaneously, but I've kept working on passion projects.

After winning the lottery, I thought hard about what makes me happy. Sitting on a beach drinking margaritas is fun, but the novelty wears off.

I needed a reason to wake up in the morning and a goal to achieve. That is why I went back to college to earn a degree, work on several productions, and pursue my desire to entertain and inspire people positively; I love it, and it drives me.

I produced a documentary and a couple of animations, helped with other people's independent films, and created a film festival. I also started my "Lottery, Dreams and Fortune" podcast where I interview other major prize and lottery winners. It's very cathartic for me to meet and interview people and understand their lottery journeys.

These days, I spend most of my free time working on my podcast and YouTube channel or exercising. I'm typically running, lifting weights, or training if I'm not producing a video. YouTube brings in some money, but I can live off my investments.

Reflecting on his win

People ask all the time, "Does money buy happiness?" Money doesn't necessarily change who you are. It can affect happiness by buying time, providing opportunities, and alleviating stress about debt. But it doesn't change who you are. Some very wealthy people are very unhappy as well.

I wish I had invested in bitcoin a few years ago, but that's my only regret about how I've spent the winnings. Shortly after winning, I purchased new vehicles and other big purchases.

These days, I don't buy anything too crazy. Like many people, I live within a budget. If you win hundreds of millions, your budget could be quite different. It's all relative. I am just grateful for what I got.

At 21, I had no idea what to do with that kind of money and was lucky I sought professional guidance. I didn't want to become a statistic of lottery winners going broke within a few years.

While I didn't have a choice in 1999 whether I wanted to claim the prize publicly, knowing where I am now, I wouldn't do it differently. I have spoken to media outlets and can talk about my experiences publicly.

But if I were 21 now and had the option, I would consider claiming the prize anonymously, especially if it was a large prize. You never know what impact that would have on your life.

When you win the lottery, your whole world instantly turns upside down. I encourage people to play responsibly; it only takes one ticket for a chance, but anything is possible.

• The Hyundai Palisade SUV is a three-row family SUV that was updated with fresh looks in 2023.
• I was impressed by the Palisade's smooth driving experience, luxurious cabin, and tech features.
• The Hyundai Palisade in Calligraphy trim is one of the finest family SUVs I've ever experienced.

Hyundai introduced its flagship Palisade SUV in 2019, competing against rival three-row family SUVs from Honda, Toyota, and Nissan.

Since then, the Palisade and its corporate sister, the Kia Telluride, have been sales darlings that critics love.

Hyundai updated the Palisade in 2023 to help it remain competitive with newer offerings from Honda, Mazda, and Chevrolet. The update included revised styling, new convenience features, and updated tech.

The updates seem to have worked. Palisade sales jumped 8% in the US in 2023 compared to the prior year.

I recently spent a week driving a 2024 Hyundai Palisade in Calligraphy trim with all-wheel-drive around suburban Atlanta.

I was genuinely impressed by the premium look and feel of the Palisade. The big Hyundai also offers a great complement of tech and safety features.

The Palisade is available in six different flavors, with the base front-wheel-drive SE trim starting at $36,650. The lineup tops out with the all-wheel-drive Calligraphy Night edition at $53,850.

My fully loaded Hyundai Palisade Calligraphy AWD test car starts at $52,100. With fees, the Ulsan, South Korea-built SUV's as-tested price is $53,650.

The most noticeable update is the stylish chrome grille.

The updated grille work brings the flagship Palisade in line with Hyundai's new corporate aesthetic that debuted with the compact Tucson SUV's parametric jewel pattern grille.

The XRT and Calligraphy Night trims have their chrome grilles blacked out.

Like on the smaller Hyundai Tucson, the Palisade's headlights are on either side of the front grille.

The LED daytime running lights are located on the outside the round headlights.

When not activated, the turn signals above them blend in as part of the chrome grille.

The Palisade's rear-end received minimal changes.

The primary updates to the rear end include a redesigned bumper and relocated reverse lights.

The Palisade's maximum towing weight remains unchanged at 5,000 pounds when a hitch is installed.

The updated Palisade is half an inch longer than before, mostly due to the new front grille.

At 196.7 inches longer, the Palisade is about two inches longer than the Toyota Highlander and four inches shorter than the Honda Pilot.

The Palisade boasts 7.9 inches of minimal ground clearance, which is on par with the Toyota Highlander but falls behind the Subaru Ascent's 8.7 inches.

The only engine available on the Palisade is Hyundai's 3.8-liter, naturally aspirated Lambda II V6 engine.

The 3.8-liter V6, shared with the Kia Telluride, produces 291 horsepower and 262 lb-ft of torque. It's paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission.

The Palisade boasts Environmental Protection Agency fuel economy figures of 19 mpg city, 24 mpg highway, and 21 mpg in combined driving.

The quiet, smooth-revving V6 delivers competitive fuel economy for the segment, matching the Subaru Ascent's turbocharged four-cylinder and the Honda Pilot's 3.5-liter V6.

To help save fuel, the Palisade is equipped with the universally loathed automatic stop-start system. A button on the center console temporarily defeats the system, but it will reset after the vehicle is turned off. Fortunately, Hyundai's system is one of the less abrupt and intrusive systems I've encountered.

The Palisade puts that V6 power to the pavement through Hyundai's HTRAC all-wheel-drive system.

Hyundai Palisade is naturally a front-wheel-drive crossover SUV.

HTRAC is available as a $2,000 option on all trim levels except the top-of-the-line Calligraphy Night Edition, which gets it as a standard feature.

HTRAC operates in front-wheel-drive when cruising around but can send up to 50% of the engine's power to the back wheel when needed. At low speeds, the driver can activate an AWD Lock function that forces the system to send at least 20% of the power to the back wheels. This is useful for driving in poor road conditions or when driving off-road.

The driver can choose from five drive modes using a rotary dial on the center console.

The five modes are Snow, Eco, Comfort, Sport, and Smart.

I did not notice any appreciable performance and fuel economy difference when using the different give modes.

It's pleasant and refined to drive.

The 4,500-pound SUV handled winding mountain roads with relative ease. Steering was quick and more direct than expected for a vehicle in this segment.

The naturally aspirated V6, which makes most of its power higher up in the rev band, doesn't quite have the low-end grunt of a turbo or the instant torque of an electric-assisted hybrid. However, this minor shortcoming is only truly noticeable under hard acceleration.

According to Motor Trend, the AWD Palisade Calligraphy can sprint from 0 to 60 in a respectable 6.9 seconds.

But aggressive acceleration is not really what the Palisade is geared to do.

Smoothness is the name of the game here.

Hence, in most daily driving situations, the Palisade delivers effortless power and more than sufficient acceleration.

Honestly, in a segment that's increasingly moving toward turbocharged four-cylinders or hybrids, it's refreshing to experience a good old-fashioned V6.

The Palisade's cabin impressed as well.

The quiet, isolating cabin contributes to the Palisade's refined, smooth driving experience. Hyundai did a great job with cabin ergonomics with a sensible mix of touch controls and physical switchgear. There's also a variety of useful storage scattered throughout the cabin.

The interior's fit and finish are excellent.

The leathers, plastics, and soft-touch materials used in the cabin are exceptional, especially for a mass-market vehicle. The multi-color ambient lightning adds a little extra panache to the cabin, especially at night.

The Palisade Calligraphy also comes standard with noise-reducing acoustic side glass.

Instead of a single panoramic glass roof like those found in the Subaru Ascent or Honda Pilot, the Palisade has two individual sunroofs.

The smaller front sunroof opens, but the larger rear glass roof does not.

In front of the driver is a heated leather-wrapped steering wheel with paddle shifters and a 12.3-inch digital instrument display.

The configurable digital instrument cluster changes based on the drive mode the car is in or can be manually adjusted to suit the driver's taste.

The digital instrument display is also where the blind spot view monitor lives.

The system uses side mirror-mounted cameras to give the driver a live view of the vehicle's blind spot when the turn signal is activated.

Also, in front of the driver is a color head-up display.

The HUD can be configured to present various information, including speed, the status of the advanced cruise control, and the speed limit.

The leather-trimmed seats, exclusive to the Calligraphy trim, were soft and supportive.

The driver's seat's Ergo-Motion function uses self-adjusting inflatable air pockets to support the driver's posture and combat fatigue on long drives. When the Palisade is in Sport Mode, the air pockets inflate to provide additional lumbar support.

The top trim comes standard with heated and ventilated front seats.

The front dash is dominated by a 12.3-inch touchscreen.

The Palisade comes standard with a built-in navigation system that can receive updated maps remotely and a wifi hot spot.

It also comes standard with wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The Calligraphy trim comes with front, rear, and side cameras.

The cameras come together to provide the driver with a 360-degree view of the Palisade and its surroundings.

The Palisade's rearview mirror is equipped with a smart rear-vision camera display, which comes in handy when the cabin is loaded up with cargo.

The actual camera is located near the top of the rear window.

Right above the rearview mirror is a retractable panoramic mirror.

The panoramic mirror gives the driver a clear view of the action in the back of the vehicle. The Palisade also has a Passenger Talk feature that amplifies the driver's voice through the speakers in the rear cabin.

Atop the center console is a stand-alone, touch-sensitive climate control screen.

I really liked this setup. It's a prime example of finding the perfect balance between virtual touch controls and physical buttons.

Instead of a shift lever, the Palisade uses push button controls to put the vehicle into gear.

Hyundai's choice of a push-button shifter over a lever opens up the center console, giving the driver easier access to the drive mode selector and climate controls.

Open up the center console's sliding cover reveals a large story area.

The compartment is home to the Palisade's trick foldable cup holders that tuck away when not used. This is also where you'll find a wireless charger and the USB-A plug for Apple CarPlay.

A hidden storage area under the center console is perfect for bags or small purses.

The storage nook is also home to USB-C and 12V plugs.

There's also storage, a 12V plug, and a USB-C plug under the armrest.

I enjoyed the sound quality of the Palisade's surround sound system.

The 12-speaker Harmon Kardon system is standard on higher trims and available as an option on the SEL trim.

One of my favorite features is Quiet Mode, which limits the volume of the front speakers and mutes the speakers in the rear cabin, allowing its occupants to rest without disruption on a road trip.

All Palisades except the base SE trim come standard with captain's chairs.

The captain's chairs on the Calligraphy trim are equipped with folding "wing-out" headrests, similar to those found on airplane seats.

The Palisade's second-row offers an impressive 42.4 inches of legroom which is nearly four inches more than the Subaru Ascent and Toyota Highlander and about an inch and a half more than the Honda Pilot.

The Calligraphy's second-row seats are also heated and cooled.

The rear cabin climate and seat heat/ventilation controls are between the front seats.

There is also an AC power plug for laptops and a 12V plug.

Instead of its traditional location next to the climate controls, the second USB-C plugs are placed on the back of the front seats.

I'm still undecided as to whether this placement of the plugs is an improvement over their traditional spot.

The Palisade third-row bench seat has room for three.

The third row boasts 31.4 inches of legroom. It's roughly the same as the Subaru Ascent but trails the Honda Pilot by about an inch. However, the Palisade beats out the Toyota Highlander by about 3.5 inches.

As with most third rows in this vehicle class, it's best reserved for short trips around town or for children.

Fortunately for Palisade owners, the third-row seats have power recline and are heated. There are also two USB-C plugs back there.

The Palisade is equipped with Hyundai's smart hands-free tailgate.

The Palisade's liftgate triggers if you stand within 3 feet of the rear bumper for more than three seconds while possessing the key fob. This is a departure from rival systems that require the driver to swing their leg under the back bumper.

The feature is standard on all trim levels except the base SE.

Open up the liftgate, and you'll find a roomy cargo area.

The Palisade boasts 18 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third row. That's half a cubic foot smaller than the space in the Honda Pilot and three cubic feet smaller than the Kia Telluride. But two cubic feet larger than the Toyota Highlander.

There's also an additional underfloor storage area behind the third row.

The underfloor storage area is home to the Palisade's tool kit, wheel jack, and the access point for the spare tire located under the vehicle. It also offers a handy place to put items you want out of sight.

Here's the panel of buttons in the cargo area that fold away the second and third-row seats.

Unlike many of its competitors, the Palisade relies upon electric motors instead of manual latches or handles to get the job done.

The Palisade boasts 45.8 cubic feet of cargo room with the third row folded.

That's roughly the same as the Kia Telluride, but three cubic feet less than the Honda Pilot and Toyota Highlander.

In total, the Palisade boasts 86.4 cubic feet of cargo room behind the front seats.

This figure is about half a cubic foot less than the Telluride and Pilot but two cubic feet more than the Toyota Highlander.

The Palisade is equipped with a host of advanced safety features.

All Palisades come standard with blindspot collision warning, rear cross-traffic collision avoidance assist, rear occupant alert, rear park distance warning, forward collision avoidance assist, lane keeping assist, lane following assist, driver attention warning, trailer sway control, and highway driving assist.

The Calligraphy trim gets forward park distance warning, parking collision avoidance assist, and upgraded forward collision avoidance assist.

The verdict: It's one of the finest family SUVs I've ever driven.

I've long heard the praise consumers and the automotive media have heaped on the Palisade, but I hesitated to buy into the hype.

After all, it's incredibly rare for an automaker to get things this right on their first shot in a hyper-competitive segment where the margin between success and failure is razor-thin.

Boy was I wrong.

As a mass-market family SUV, the Palisade was impressive and massively punched above its weight.

Or in this case, its price tag.

For just over $50,000, Hyundai's Palisade Calligraphy delivered a degree of refinement, quality, and feature content that wouldn't feel out of place on one of its Genesis models.

• Chevy's latest launches will put EV aspirations to the test.
• The Silverado EV is a late entry to the electric pickup truck market.
• The Equinox EV is solid, but might not win up against a hybrid.

Chevy's electric aspirations are about to meet their toughest test yet with the launch of the Silverado EV and the Equinox EV.

The GM sub-brand is pressing forward with its launches this year despite a slowdown in EV adoption — a risk the brand's chief marketing officer says could pay off.

CMO Steve Majoros's argument: Chevrolet is in a sweet spot for a new crop of practical EV shoppers who want to buy from legacy brands instead of startups or Tesla.

EVs are also nothing new for Chevrolet. The bowtie brand has been General Motors' electric poster child since the launch of the plug-in hybrid Chevy Volt more than a decade ago. Chevy is taking its biggest swing yet this year, launching all-electric versions of its stalwart Silverado pickup truck and Equinox crossover.

Along with these vehicle launches, GM's Ultium brand is selling a new lineup of home charging solutions designed to help residential EV drivers get the most out of their electric cars.

All of this adds up to the security that today's EV shopper is looking for, Majoros told me in an interview.

"To really appeal to that psychology and to those kinds of customers, you've got to reassure them," he said.

But after a day with both of these new electric cars and some of Chevrolet's executive team last month, it's still not clear to me if all of this is enough to convince today's green car shopper to go all-in on EVs the way the brand has.

Silverado EV is late to the party

The electric Silverado is a somewhat late entry to the electric pickup truck market, trailing behind crosstown rival Ford's F-150 Lightning launched in 2022 as well as Rivian's R1T and even Tesla's long-delayed Cybertruck.

While Chevrolet is optimistic about the truck's chances — and took advantage of its late arrival to achieve some classic truck market one-upmanship — the critical electric Silverado may be arriving at the worst time.

In addition to an overall slowdown in the rate of EV sales growth that has thrown car companies for a loop in the past year, the electric Silverado adds to a fleet of big, expensive electric SUVs out of Detroit that buyers aren't all that excited about.

The RST First Edition Silverado EV, which is on sale now, goes for $94,500. More affordable work trucks are on the way, Chevrolet says.

My time behind the wheel of the truck didn't sell me on the vehicle, as it seems more aimed at the typical truck buyer (that's not me).

Equinox EV is a step in the right direction, but can it beat a hybrid?

The Equinox EV's size and price are a better fit for today's electric car shopper. It's clearly designed to be a Tesla fighter, with some design nods to Elon Musk's brand like flush mechanical door handles.

I enjoyed my time behind the wheel of the Equinox EV, which I found to be a solid addition to the electric crossover market. Of the two electric Chevys I drove last month, it's the one I'd be more likely to put in my own driveway.

The price is right too, starting at $43,295. A more affordable LT trim, starting at $34,995, will be available for order later in the year, Chevy says.

But when placed up against a hybrid, which GM doesn't sell in the US yet, shoppers might not be convinced.

Hybrids are more popular than ever right now as the rate of EV sales growth slows. A more practical and frugal group of green-car shoppers is more interested in hybrids — which tend to be slightly less expensive than EVs and come in plug-in varieties or with hybrid engines that don't need to be hooked up to a charger at all.

While GM reversed its plans to skip hybrids in the US market earlier this year, it's still not clear when these cars will arrive. That could be bad news for Chevy dealers and Equinox EV, which might lose out in a comparison with Ford's or Toyota's hybrids.

• Moments after his verdict, a court clerk gave Trump a "Court Order for Investigation and Report." 
• The form directs Trump to "Report immediately to the department of probation."
• If he does go, he'll submit to an interview called a "pre-sentence investigation of the defendant."

Moments after those 34 "guilties" rolled in on Thursday — making him the first former president convicted of a felony — Donald Trump was handed two copies of a standard New York City Department of Probation form.

Titled "Court Order for Investigation and Report," it would have been quickly filled out by the judge's clerk with Trump's name, address, and the trial results, according to attorneys and court staff familiar with such documents.

And according to a copy of the standard form obtained by Business Insider, the bottom would read in all capital letters, "The defendant/respondent is instructed to report immediately to the department of probation" on the courthouse's 10th floor.

There, in a time-worn office just down the hall from the NYPD's Sex Offender Monitoring Unit, newly-minted criminals schedule and then sit for what's known as a "pre-sentence investigation."

Conducted by a city probation officer, these brief interviews are then memorialized in a "pre-sentencing report" — also known as a "probation report" — that both sides and the judge see shortly before the sentencing.

Pre-sentencing reports include input from prosecutors and make a recommendation to the judge for what punishment — including jail, probation, fines, and community service — would be appropriate.

This is what state Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan was referring to on Thursday when, after taking Trump's verdict and dismissing the jurors with his thanks, he announced to the crowded courtroom, "We will order a probation report."

"Mr. Blanche," the judge then added, as Trump remained seated at the defense table with attorneys Todd Blanche, Susan Necheles, and Emil Bove.

"The clerk of the court will give you instructions on how to go about scheduling that probation interview and getting that probation report," the judge said. Then, he set a July 11 sentencing date.

"Mr. Trump remains ROR'd" — released on his own recognizance, meaning without bail — the judge added.

This became the final utterance in the 5,000-page trial transcript, which does not record any conversation that followed between Trump and the clerk who handed him his "Court order for investigation and report" form.

A pre-sentencing interview is not mandatory under state criminal procedure law.

Trump and his entourage of attorneys and Secret Service did not, in fact, then "immediately" march four floors down from Merchan's 15th-floor courtroom to probation, according to multiple court sources, who spoke to Business Insider Friday on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to give media interviews.

Trump's lawyers can simply call probation on the phone to schedule the interview, said Diana Florence, who served for 30 years as a white-collar crime prosecutor in the Manhattan District Attorney's Office.

"I think a privilege of being a former president is that you can get any appointment you want," said Florence, now in private practice.

But the interview itself cannot be done over the phone, said Florence and other attorneys who spoke to BI. "One thousand percent, it has to happen in person, just like the trial and sentencing has to be done in person," she said.

Unless it doesn't happen at all.

"I've had many clients just refuse to be interviewed," said veteran Manhattan defense lawyer Ron Kuby.

Kuby was one of two attorneys who noted to BI that the state criminal procedure law requires the judge to order a pre-sentencing report, but does not require that the defendant participate in the process.

"Most first-time, white-collar criminals are so utterly shocked by their conviction and so completely terrified as to what comes next, that they will crawl to the probation offices and begin the process of begging for mercy," joked Kuby.

But Trump won't do a penitent probation interview — or any at all, Kuby predicted. "There's no benefit for him," he said.

"If he wants to show remorse, then certainly the probation report is a good place to start doing that," he added. "But Donald Trump has not shown remorse and insists everybody else are the wrongdoers."

Still, by not cooperating, Trump would lose his chance to plead his case for leniency and run the very high risk of angering the judge.

Merchan would see it as Trump's latest nose-thumb at the criminal justice system, said Angel Rodriguez, founder of Avenues for Justice, a program that advocates for young people facing incarceration. Rodriguez said he has helped thousands of clients through the pre-sentencing process.

"It would piss the judge off to no end," Rodriguez predicted of Trump failing to submit to a pre-sentencing investigation, especially given his history of gag order violations and disruptive courtroom behavior.

If he does do a pre-sentencing interview…

If he does submit to a pre-sentencing interview in the next month or so, Trump would not have an attorney with him as he sits face-to-face with a probation officer, said Arnold Levine, a longtime public defender with the Legal Aid Society of New York's Homicide Defense Task Force.

If Trump were just another defendant, the interview would take place on the 10th floor of the same Lower Manhattan courthouse where he stood trial for a month and a half.

He'd sit beforehand in a waiting room with other probationers. But given Trump's unique security needs, other accommodations — including an off-site or video interview — are always a possibility.

It's not a long interview, said Levine and others. During the first part of the interview, Trump would be asked for standard, so-called "pedigree" information — name, aliases, address, profession, marital status, that kind of thing.

He'd also be asked if he has any health, substance abuse, or domestic violence issues and whether he owns a firearm.

During the rest of the interview, Trump would be offered the chance to speak about his conviction and make a plea for leniency.

"It's perfectly fine to say the matter is on appeal, and I maintain my innocence," Florence said. "What's not fine is to say the judge is corrupt and the jury is corrupt, and the witnesses must die," she joked.

What does a probation report look like?

"I've seen hundreds of probation reports," said Florence, the former Manhattan white-collar crime prosecutor.

"They kind of look like almost a passport application, white with black lines, all typed," she said, guestimating that Trump's would run about five to seven pages long.

"It would be a narrative that would say something like, 'based on the facts and circumstances, we recommend a sentence of at least one to three years,' or maybe a split jail-probation sentence, or straight probation, or community service," she said, ticking off the possibilities that await the former president.

It's possible that Trump, his lawyers, the prosecutors, and even the judge would not get their copies in advance.

"Generally speaking, they'll all be flipping through it at the defense and the prosecution tables right before the sentencing," Florence said.

An attorney for Trump did not respond to a request for comment.

• Houthi rebels say they downed a US MQ-9 Reaper drone in Yemen, the third lost in May, AP reported.
• The Houthis have been targeting ships in the Red Sea corridor to pressure Israel and the West.
• Debates continue over the MQ-9's cost, efficiency, and vulnerability in contested airspaces.

Another US MQ-9 Reaper drone came down in Yemen, images appear to show, marking the third loss during the conflict with Houthi rebels in the last month, an Associated Press report said.

Houthis have been targeting ships in the Red Sea corridor with missiles and drones as part of a campaign that aims to put pressure on Israel and the West over the war in Gaza. A US Navy carrier strike group and warships from European nations have defended the key shipping lanes.

Footage released by the rebels appeared to show the Reaper drone virtually intact in a desert with no identifiable marks, the Associated Press said.

The military affairs website, Army Recognition, said the Reaper's GPS might have been hijacked.

Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree claimed his fighters shot dow the US Reaper drone in northern Yemen.

"The drone was downed with a locally made surface-to-air missile while carrying out hostile missions in the skies of Marib province," he said in a statement. "This drone is the sixth of its kind to be downed during the Promised Victory and the Holy Jihad in support and backing of the Palestinian people," he said.

AP said it was the third report of a downing of an expensive Reaper drone in the last month.

Business Insider could not independently verify the reports, and the US Department of Defense did not immediately respond to a request for comment from BI.

A Defense Department spokesperson, speaking under the condition of anonymity to AP, denied that the US military had not lost a drone. The news agency also approached the CIA regarding the downing of the Reaper drone, but it declined to comment.

Debates over the Reaper drone's cost and efficiency

The MQ-9 Reaper is an unmanned aerial vehicle developed by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) for use primarily by the United States Air Force. The UK has also been supplied with the drone.

According to the GA-ASI website, the Reaper drone "has an endurance of over 27 hours, speeds of 240 KTAS, can operate up to 50,000 feet, and has a 3,850-pound payload capacity."

Each unit costs around $30 million. By comparison, the war in Ukraine has shown how military forces can use large quantities of low-tech, cheap drones rather than relying on a few highly expensive ones.

Many of the drone components and explosive warheads used in Ukraine can be purchased and compiled for as little as $500, according to Reuters.

Brandon Tseng, the president of drone and software firm Shield AI, criticized the Reaper drone before the recent string of downings by Houthis as "too expensive and too slow to regenerate to continue operating within range of surface-to-air missiles."

"MQ-9 is a great aircraft, I've used it. But for the future fight, its role needs to be re-defined to quarterbacking intelligent teams of attritable aircraft," he wrote on LinkedIn.

According to Dr Liam Collins, founding director of the Modern War Institute at West Point and defense advisor to Ukraine from 2016 to 2018, the MQ-9 was "designed in an era in which US air supremacy was assumed.

"The United States designed these platforms to maximize their ability to loiter while carrying a limited payload," he wrote.

"They did not have to invest in building an aircraft capable of conducting evasive maneuvers because such maneuvers were not necessary.

"The MQ-9 Reaper may not be survivable in an environment characterized by large-scale combat operations."

Collins' comments came in response to a March 2023 incident in which a Russian fighter jet forced down a MQ-9 Reaper drone over the Black Sea after initially damaging its propeller.

In 2021, the Air Force sought to curtail procurement of the drone in the fiscal 2022 budget.