Category: Business

• The Silverado EV has finally hit the market.
• I drove the $96K First Edition RST, and it surprised me in a few ways.
• This is an electric truck made with truck drivers in mind.

After a long wait, the Chevrolet Silverado EV has officially entered the electric truck wars.

I got the chance to take the First Edition RST for a short drive at a press event last week on a pre-selected route that included surface roads and highway driving.

On this first drive with the truck, two things struck me immediately: its size and handling. But first, let's go over the specs.

The version I drove starts at an eye-popping $96,395, including destination fees. For all that cash, you'll get access to the Wide Open Watts (WOW) mode, which can deliver up to 754 horsepower and 785 pound-feet of torque.

Silverado EV is also built on GM's new Ultium platform, which the company engineered to underpin their next generation of electric vehicles. The RST's roughly 200 kWh battery has an estimated range of 440 miles, which is yet to be confirmed by the EPA, while the 4WT work truck variant has EPA-estimated 450 miles of range.

When it comes to towing, Chevy took advantage of its late arrival to the segment to achieve some classic one-upmanship on the competition. Chevy says the RST can tow more than 10,000 pounds, which would outdo the F-150 Lightning Lariat's 10,000-pound maximum.

Rivian and Tesla still have Detroit beat, though. The R1T and Cybertruck both boast a maximum towing capacity of 11,000 pounds.

Ultimately, I came away with the impression that the Silverado EV is built for people who love trucks — because of course it is. Trucks have always been Detroit's crown jewel, but big trucks and SUVs are going out of style in the EV segment.

In the end, the Silverado EV was fun to drive and handled well, but it's just too beefy for my taste.

The Silverado EV felt bigger on the inside than when I stood next to it.

From the outside, the Silverado EV is massive but its trapezoidal cab shortens the look of the bed and creates a bit of an optical illusion that makes the truck feel smaller on the outside than when you're behind the wheel.

I'll admit, at 5'4" (when I stand up straight), most trucks and SUVs feel massive to me. But I was somewhat unprepared for how swallowed up I felt when I first settled into the driver's seat. Once I spent some time adjusting the seat so I could see over the dash, I was ready to hit the road.

I got off to a jerky start in the massive truck

Before I even left the driveway, I hit my first snag. I wanted to drive the electric Silverado with one-pedal driving turned on, especially since most EV owners take advantage of regenerative braking to maximize range.

But I underestimated the reactiveness and when I first took my foot off the accelerator to stop at the end of the driveway, all 8,500 pounds of truck flung forward.

I readjusted my sunglasses, which had wiggled down my nose in the jerky immediate stop, and let off the accelerator a bit slower to creep out of the driveway and turn left out onto the open road.

After a few stops and turns, I basically had it down. One-pedal driving always takes a little bit of adjustment, but it felt even more hard to manage in the massive truck.

The Silverado EV’s handling was impressive

Once out on the road, I got to experience the Silverado EV's nimble handling. It was a little disorienting how responsive the steering was at first, as the size of the truck didn't quite match up with the way it moved on the road.

Ultimately this benefited someone like me who's not used to driving anything bigger than my Subaru Ascent (which I've still managed to sideswipe on the way up a narrow Detroit parking garage ramp).

I noticed this most as I nearly missed a hard right turn while I was messing around with the infotainment system. I took a hairpin turn at close to 30-miles-per-hour without incident and managed to stay on Chevy's provided route.

SuperCruise made for a stress-free ride on the highway

Anyone who has driven on Metro Detroit's highways knows how harrowing it can be to maneuver a large, unfamiliar car through four lanes of traffic among our, shall we say, offensive drivers here in Michigan.

But the latest version of SuperCruise, which has automatic lane-changing, did all the work for me after I merged onto I-75.

I set the automatic cruise speed to 73 miles per hour, and the truck maneuvered itself from lane to lane to pass slower cars and maintain my preferred speed.

Not everyone is comfortable handing over control to a system like SuperCruise, but I found it a relief not to have to swivel around checking my blind spot for the entire drive.

I'm still not on board with the choice to ditch CarPlay

I've been an iPhone user since 2011, but I've been using the Google Suite for longer, which makes me a bit of a dual loyalist.

My familiarity with Google products (my partner is a Pixel user) made it easier for me to navigate GM's new Google-based infotainment system. But it still lacks the seamlessness of simple phone mirroring.

GM made the controversial choice to ditch the largely standardized Apple CarPlay and Android Auto systems for its own Google-powered system. GM has given a few reasons for this change, ranging from encouraging drivers to stay off their phones while behind the wheel to offering a more curated experience in GM's electric vehicles.

But it's hard to ignore the influence Tesla might have had. Elon Musk's automaker has never offered CarPlay or Android Auto, instead keeping drivers on Tesla's native system where they can access or pay for apps, software updates, and other add-ons.

Overall, the Silverado EV is made for truck drivers.

After my ride in the Silverado EV, I won't be rushing to my nearest Chevrolet dealer.

But I'm not sure I'm the buyer Chevy is after anyway with this truck. Like Ford with its F-150 Lightning, Chevrolet had a lot to live up to putting an electric engine in a stalwart truck like the Silverado.

First on Chevy's mind will always be their loyal truck owners, and you can see that in the way they've built the Silverado. The best example of that I could find was when I turned off the music to test cabin noise.

While most EVs are very quiet, there a fair amount of road noise made its way in the Silverado EV.

At first this annoyed me, but then I thought about it from a truck driver's perspective. Someone switching out of the current Silverado 1500 with a rumbling 2.7-liter turbo engine isn't necessarily looking for a quiet ride. They want to feel and hear their rigs out on the road, and the Silverado EV delivers that.

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.

Affiliate links for the products on this page are from partners that compensate us and terms apply to offers listed (see our advertiser disclosure with our list of partners for more details). However, our opinions are our own. See how we rate credit cards to write unbiased product reviews.

The information for the following product(s) has been collected independently by Business Insider: CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®, Capital One Spark Miles for Business†. The details for these products have not been reviewed or provided by the issuer.

• If you own a business or do any freelancing or side gigs, there are plenty of reasons to get a business credit card instead of a personal one.
• When searching for the right business credit card, look at factors like welcome bonuses, earning categories, and purchase protection.
• Read Insider's guide to the best rewards business cards.

The best business credit cards offer a lot of benefits both in common with personal credit cards and in addition to them. Like personal rewards credit cards, many business credit cards promote attractive welcome bonus offers, extend purchase protection and travel insurance, and in the case of airline credit cards and hotel credit cards, come with day-of-travel perks like free checked bags and anniversary award nights.

Even without your own formal small business, you might still qualify for a small business credit card — and you might want to do so for a number of reasons. Using a business credit card can help you keep your personal and work expenses separate. That, in turn, can even help improve your personal credit score over time.

Business Credit Card Benefits and Advantages

There are currently a lot of great business rewards cards available, so if you've been thinking about applying for one, now might just be the right time. Before you do, though, here are five benefits you should look for in any business credit card you apply for.

A high welcome bonus offer

One of the best reasons to apply for a business credit card is that they often offer introductory bonuses that are as good as, or even better than, their personal counterparts.

For example, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, with a $95 annual fee,  is currently offering new cardholders 75,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. On the other hand, the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card is offering new cardholders 100,000 bonus points after spending $8,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening, and it has a $95 annual fee. So you could potentially earn more bonus points, if you're able to meet the spending requirement, by applying for the business card.

The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card has a $150 annual fee and its welcome bonus offer is 130,000 Hilton Honors bonus points plus a Free Night Reward after you spend $3,000 in purchases on the card in the first six months of card membership (offer ends 7/31/2024). With a $195 annual fee, The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card is currently offering a welcome bonus of 175,000 Hilton Honors bonus points after you spend $8,000 in purchases on the card within the first six months of card membership (offer ends 06/05/24). 

Bonus earning categories

Like personal rewards credit cards, many business credit cards earn bonus points on particular purchase categories. No matter which business credit card you apply for, you should make sure it earns bonus points or miles where you actually spend the most money. Some business cards even offer a certain amount of flexibility when it comes to maximizing your purchase activity.

For example, the American Express® Business Gold Card earns an excellent 4 Amex Membership Rewards points per dollar on up to $150,000 in combined purchases per year on the two categories where you spend the most each billing cycle from a prescribed list of possibilities that includes U.S. gas stations, U.S. restaurants, U.S. shipping providers, U.S. purchases made from electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system  providers, U.S. purchases for advertising in select media and transit purchases including trains, taxicabs, rideshare services, ferries, tolls, parking, buses, and subways. So even if your buying habits vary from month to month, you can still take advantage of the card's bonus earning.

Since many small businesses tend to make large one-time purchases, some business credit cards also offer bonus points or miles on big buys, too. For example, the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card earns 3 miles per dollar on eligible direct Delta and hotel purchases, but also 1.5 miles per dollar on eligible transit and U.S. shipping purchases, plus single eligible purchases of $5,000 or more, up to $100,000 per calendar year.

Day-of-travel benefits

Many of the best travel cards — both business and personal — offer perks that make the travel experience itself that much better. These can include things like free checked bags and priority boarding, like many of the best airline credit cards do, or automatic elite status and free anniversary nights, like those offered by many of the best hotel credit cards.

For example, the CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® includes a free checked bag for cardholders and up to four companions on the same reservation plus preferred boarding. The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card confers automatic Marriott Bonvoy Platinum elite status with perks like bonus points on stays and late checkout, plus an annual free night redeemable at properties that cost up to 85,000 points.

Aside from privileges with a particular airline or hotel chain, if you spend a lot of time passing through airports, you should consider a business credit card that comes with a statement credit of up to $100 to refund the application fee for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck, like the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card or the Capital One Spark Miles for Business†.

You might also want a card that gets you into airline lounges, like The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, which includes free Priority Pass airport lounge access at over 1,300 lounges around the world**, plus entry to Amex's own Centurion lounges — and Delta Sky Clubs when you're traveling on Delta.

Travel coverage

If you're a frequent traveler and use your business credit card for work trips, you need to think about whether it offers adequate coverage in case things go wrong while you're on the road. Take a look at your card's benefits and make sure it extends protection for things like trip interruption, cancellation, and delays, as well as lost luggage and primary rental car insurance.

One card that offers exceptional travel coverage is the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card. For example, if your flight is delayed by at least 12 hours (or your delay requires an overnight stay), you can be covered up to $500 for reasonable expenses such as lodging, transportation, food, etc.

The Business Platinum Card® from American Express extends trip cancellation insurance up to $10,000 per trip and $20,000 per 12-month period as well as trip delay insurance that kicks in at six hours and is good for up to $500 per trip in case you need to spend money on things like accommodations or meals.

Purchase protection

Many small business owners need a business credit card specifically to make large purchases — such as for equipment or supplies — for work. If that's your situation, it is imperative to use a credit card that offers sufficient purchase protection in case something goes wrong with the things you buy.

For example, Chase's purchase protection on the Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card and the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card will both cover you against damage or theft on eligible items up to 120 days after you make a purchase with caps of $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per account.

Certain American Express cards offer similar coverage, such as the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card whose purchase protection is good up to 90 days out on claims of up to $10,000 each and $50,000 per account per calendar year. Using a card with purchase protection like this can literally save you thousands of dollars in case something goes wrong with your work purchases.

As a side note, some credit cards offer cell phone protection (usually subject to a deductible) against damage or theft, including the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card.

What to know about business credit card benefits

There are plenty of great reasons to apply for a business credit card, and there are also some key benefits you should look for in any business credit card you are thinking of getting. Finding a product that will not only earn you thousands of bonus points or cash back through a welcome bonus offer and special earning categories, but that will also save you time and money through various travel and purchase protections, is the key to maximizing any business credit card you carry.

• President Joe Biden's campaign needs a manager for "content and meme pages."
• The role involves collaborating with podcasters, digital media firms, and social media meme pages.
• It offers up to $85,000 and requires relocation to Wilmington, Delaware.

Do you want to parlay your skibidi toilet rizz into a career? President Joe Biden's campaign has the job for you, but you'd have to move to Wilmington, Delaware for it.

Nestled in a list of jobs posted by the Biden campaign is one with the title: "partner manager for content and meme pages."

The job description says that the person will build and maintain relationships with podcasters, digital media companies, and large meme pages.

Meme pages are incredibly popular online, attracting millions of views daily on social media sites like Instagram and TikTok. In 2020, Mike Bloomberg's presidential campaign partnered with FuckJerry, an Instagram meme page with nearly 17 million followers.

It's not clear how much Bloomberg's campaign paid for posts on the page, but at the time it offered a "fixed $150 fee" to social media influencers with an audience of 1,000 to 100,000 followers to create original content.

Gen Z largely runs the internet's most popular meme pages. They are also their biggest consumers of memes.

That's key for Biden, who has struggled to capture the attention of younger voters. In polling, many young voters have said they aren't aware of the president's efforts to fight climate change or his other policies. And many young people are unhappy with Biden's handling of the war in Gaza.

Biden's campaign is offering an annual salary of up to $85,000 for its meme manager. Part of their responsibility will include identifying the best "engagement opportunities" — pages with the most followers — with which the campaign can work.

The job requires two to four years of experience in the video, media, or entertainment industry, expertise with digital media, and — crucially — a mandatory relocation to Wilmington.

The Biden campaign did not immediately return a request for comment from Business Insider on Thursday.

• The Democratic consultant who admitted to orchestrating the fake Joe Biden robocall has been indicted.
• Steve Kramer was hit with 26 felony and misdemeanor charges, along with a proposed $6 million fine.
• Thousands of voters received the AI-generated Biden call before New Hampshire's January primary election.

The Democratic consultant who admitted to masterminding a bogus Joe Biden robocall scheme has been hit with dozens of charges.

New Hampshire's attorney general announced in a press release on Thursday that the state has indicted Steve Kramer on 26 charges, including 13 felony counts of voter suppression and 13 misdemeanor counts of impersonating a candidate. Each pair of charges relates to 13 individual voters who received the call, though they weren't the only ones in the state to get it.

Ahead of New Hampshire's primary election in January, thousands of voters in the state reported receiving a robocall featuring an AI-generated voice of Joe Biden telling them not to go out and vote, NBC News first reported.

The attorney general alleges that Kramer engaged in felony voter suppression "by sending or causing to be sent a pre-recorded phone message that disguised the source of the call, deceptively using an artificially created voice of a candidate, or providing misleading information in an attempt to deter" voters.

Kramer, working for Minnesota Rep. and then-presidential hopeful Dean Phillips at the time, told NBC News in February that he was the mastermind behind the scheme. A New Orleans-based magician and fork-bending world record holder also admitted to the outlet that Kramer had hired him to generate the Biden audio but did not know it would be distributed. He has not been charged in connection with the incident.

Phillips' press secretary previously told Business Insider that the Phillips campaign did not ask Kramer to create the fake Biden robocall, and that it was "disgusted" by the call and Kramer's alleged involvement.

In a separate announcement on Thursday, the Federal Communications Commission proposed imposing a $6 million fine on Kramer "for apparently illegal robocalls made using deepfake, AI-generated voice cloning technology and caller ID spoofing to spread election misinformation."

"I am pleased to see that our federal partners are similarly committed to protecting consumers and voters from harmful robocalls and voter suppression," New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella said of the FCC's announcement. "I hope that our respective enforcement actions send a strong deterrent signal to anyone who might consider interfering with elections, whether through the use of artificial intelligence or otherwise."

Neither Kramer nor a representative for him immediately responded to a request for comment on the charges.

Kramer previously told Business Insider that "with a mere $500 investment, anyone could replicate my intentional call," adding that finding voters to reach out to was simple. "A voter list can be purchased quickly and easily through any political vendor," he said.

Robocall fraud experts also previously warned Business Insider that the New Hampshire incident is "just the tip of the iceberg," and we should expect more to come in a dangerous new era for political spam calls.

• Donald Trump's views on abortion are muddled at best and threatening at worst.
• GOP lawmakers are targeting access to IVF, IUDs, birth control pills, and emergency contraception.
• So some women are stockpiling abortion pills and contraception, activists say.

Donald Trump's views on a national abortion ban have not exactly been transparent.

In March, the repeat presidential candidate seemed to support the idea: "The number of weeks now, people are agreeing on 15, and I'm thinking in terms of that, and it'll come out to something that's very reasonable," he said during an interview.

Previously, he floated a 16-week ban because he liked the roundness of the number.

But then, in April, after Arizona's Supreme Court revived a near-total abortion ban dating back to 1864, Trump said the court had gone too far and that he wouldn't sign a national abortion ban if it came across his desk. "It's all about state's rights, and it will be straightened out," he said after the ruling.

The flip-flopping probably has something to do with the line Trump is trying to walk between many within his base who support a national ban on abortion and the women voters he'll need to show up for him on election day if he wants to defeat President Joe Biden in November.

But some women are not waiting to find out whether Trump will win and which side of the abortion issue he'll land on. Instead, they are preparing for the worst.

A step toward the worst came today when Louisiana lawmakers became the first in the nation to classify the abortion pill as a controlled substance, making it criminal to possess the medication without a prescription.

Merle Hoffman, a longtime abortion activist, told Business Insider that, in the face of all these events, some women have started to stockpile abortion pills like Mifepristone.

"Individuals may have to stockpile, and I've heard of people starting to do that, but not everybody can," Hoffman said.

How to stockpile abortion pills

Debbie McNabb, a retired gynecologist based in Texas, told Business Insider she only knows of one online source that will give patients abortion medication if they're not currently pregnant: AidAccess.

"You can get it ahead of time. You can stockpile. It is expensive," McNabb said. "I want to say it's $150, but if people had the financial resources, they could do that. In the United States, I don't think you can go to an out-of-state clinic and get medication unless you personally are pregnant."

People can also stockpile emergency contraception, which is easier to access because it is available over the counter, McNabb said.

"The only other option I'm seeing, there are women who have set up self-help groups that are bringing in Mifepristone. They're basically trafficking it under the radar, and they go to great lengths to keep their operation a secret," she said. "They acquire the pills at pharmacies in Mexico where you don't have to say that you're pregnant."

Beyond that, McNabb said, people are choosing to limit their reproductive options surgically by getting their tubes tied.

"We've already seen women going ahead and getting tubals and their partners going ahead and getting vasectomies. Maybe they thought they'd have a pregnancy in the future, but then they realize, 'No, I really don't want a pregnancy, and let's pull the trigger on that,'" she said.

The abortion rights movement is on the defensive

Aside from discussions on a nationwide abortion ban, the US Supreme Court is due to issue an opinion this summer on a case that could limit access to the abortion pill nationwide.

Though the justices appear skeptical of limiting access to the pill, their discussions have alluded to the potential revival of the Comstock Act of 1873, which banned the mailing of materials considered to be "obscene." That could be used to criminalize mailing abortion pills across state lines.

In this climate, Hoffman said the abortion rights movement is in an "extremely defensive political position" and is fighting for their rights state by state.

"So how much more will we have to do — in the richest country in the world with all the medical ability, scientific information, and knowledge — to be able to control our own fertility and determine our own life's course?" Hoffman asked.

The anti-abortion movement won't stop at 15 weeks, she added.

"The purists are not going to be happy with a 15-week ban. They're not going to be happy with anything except a total ban," Hoffman said, adding that reproductive destiny is "embedded in our bodies."

"And because it's within women's bodies, it's open to manipulation and control by the state."

• The US Navy's Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group has spent months battling the Houthis.
• In their fight, the American naval forces have expended more than 500 munitions. 
• These include air-launched weapons and missiles fired from warships, according to Navy officials.

The US Navy carrier strike group battling the Houthis in the Red Sea has fired more than 500 munitions throughout its deployment, striking the rebels directly in Yemen and intercepting their missiles and drones.

The Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group — which consists of the aircraft carrier Ike and several other warships — has spent months defending the key shipping lanes in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden from unrelenting Houthi attacks.

In their attacks, the rebels, backed by Iran, have employed a dangerous mix of anti-ship ballistic and cruise missiles, one-way attack drones, and uncrewed surface vessels.

As part of the ongoing effort to counter these attacks, the US strike group has so far gone after nearly 430 pre-planned and dynamic Houthi targets in dozens of self-defense actions, according to new information Navy officials provided to Business Insider.

These targets include static Houthi facilities and sites located across Yemen, missiles and drones the rebels were preparing to launch at ships at sea, and weapons that they already fired into shipping lanes. The strike group has leaned on its aircraft and warships to engage targets and defend against varying threats.

The Eisenhower's air wing, which includes aircraft like F/A-18 Super Hornet fighters and EA-18 Growler jets, has been involved in the release of more than 350 air-to-surface weapons and over 50 air-to-air missiles, according to the officials. Aircraft from the strike group have flown more than 27,200 hours across over 12,100 sorties.

Navy guided-missile cruisers and destroyers, meanwhile, have launched more than 100 Standard and Tomahawk missiles (surface-to-air and land-attack missiles, respectively), the officials said.

But these munitions aren't cheap; a single Standard Missile-2 interceptor, for instance, is estimated to cost around $2 million. With engagements happening on a consistent basis since the fall, the expenditure of so many missiles has added up over time.

Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro disclosed in April that the Navy had already fired nearly $1 billion's worth of missiles to counter the Houthis over the previous six months, underscoring the depth and growing financial cost of the US naval activity in the region.

The Navy's Red Sea operations have often raised questions about financial sustainability and the replenishment of all the spent munitions, especially as malign Houthi activity shows no signs of letting up anytime soon, Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines told US lawmakers earlier this month.

On Wednesday, US forces destroyed four Houthi drones in Yemen that the military had determined presented an "imminent threat" to American and coalition forces, as well as merchant vessels, in the region.

US forces are not alone in these turbulent Middle Eastern waters. Several other countries have deployed warships to the region as part of the European Union's Operation Aspides security mission, which began in February.

During the first three months of the operation, European forces destroyed at least four Houthi ballistic missiles and 13 drones, the security mission announced on Sunday. It is unclear how many munitions the participating warships and their supporting aircraft fired.

The significant Western naval presence has successfully defended ships from the majority of the many Houthi attacks, but the Pentagon and its allies continue to face pressure as the rebels retain the capacity to land hits on merchant vessels, as they did just last weekend.

"It is true that [the Houthi attacks] continue," a senior US defense official told reporters earlier this week. "It is also true that we feel, through our coalition strikes, we degraded their capability. We've also interdicted weapons that have been shipped to them for resupply."

"But this is not a resolved issue yet," the official acknowledged. "It's also an issue that really is a global concern."

• B-52 Stratofortress bombers shot down two Vietnamese MiG-21 fighter jets during the Vietnam War.
• Designed in the 1940s, the Stratofortress is considered an essential part of the US' nuclear triad.
• The B-52 is expected to outlast newer bombers, some likely remaining in service as late as 2060.

The air war over Vietnam saw some incredible dogfights, but it still may surprise you to learn that the mighty B-52 heavy bomber successfully shot down not one but two Vietnamese MiG 21 fighter jets near the tail end of the conflict.

The venerable Boeing B-52 Stratofortress has been flying since 1952, and thanks to a series of upgrades, will continue to for decades to come.

The massive jet bomber may have been designed in the 1940s (in fact, it was designed almost entirely in a single weekend), but its massive airframe and eight-jet-engine-design have proven so capable over the years that the B-52 is now expected to outlast newer bombers that were developed to replace it. As the B-21 Raider inches toward production, both America's B-2 Spirit (stealth bomber) and B-1B Lancer (supersonic bomber) are expected to be put out to pasture, while the legendary B-52 keeps right on flying.

The B-52 BUFF (as service members tend to call it) has been flying combat missions for so long that, at first, it actually used to come equipped with a tail gunner position to defend the slow and steady bomber against encroaching fighters. Of course, as fighter technology continued to improve, the United States moved away from manning guns on their heavy payload bombers and toward having them fly with their own fighter escorts.

While most people tend to think of World War II when they imagine gun turrets on a bomber, the most recent enemy fighter to be shot down by a B-52's guns was actually in the 1970s.

It was Christmas Eve 1972, and the B-52D bomber known as Diamond Lil was flying a bombing run over Thai Nguyen when its tail gunner, Airman 1st Class Albert Moore, spotted a Soviet-built Vietnamese MiG-21 closing with them fast.

"I observed a target in my radar scope 8:30 o'clock, low at 8 miles," Moore wrote six days later in a formal statement. "I immediately notified the crew, and the bogie started closing rapidly. It stabilized at 4,000 yards 6:30 o'clock. I called the pilot for evasive action and the EWO (electronic warfare officer) for chaff and flares."

For Moore, it had to be a nerve-racking moment. Only one other B-52 tail gunner had scored a successful kill against a Vietnamese fighter, though more than 30 B-52s had been shot down throughout the conflict. In fact, the first time a B-52 had ever shot down a MiG had only happened a few days prior. In other words, the odds seemed pretty squarely stacked against Moore and his crew.

"When the target got to 2,000 yards, I notified the crew that I was firing. I fired at the bandit until it ballooned to three times in intensity then suddenly disappeared from my radar scope at approximately 1,200 yards, 6:30 low. I expended 800 rounds in 3 bursts."

Those 800 rounds poured out of Moore's four .50 caliber M3 Machine Guns. The kill was confirmed by another tail gunner named Tech. Sgt. Clarence Chute, who was aboard a nearby B-52 called Ruby 2.

"I went visual and saw the bandit on fire and falling away," wrote Sergeant Chute. "Several pieces of the aircraft exploded, and the fireball disappeared in the undercast at my 6:30 position."

Moore would go down in history as not only the second B-52 gunner to score a kill against a MiG, but also as the last bomber-gunner to ever engage enemy fighters in American service, despite tailguns surviving on the B-52 until the 1990s.

Today, the B-52 remains in service as an essential part of America's nuclear triad, and believe it or not, as a close air support aircraft in uncontested airspace. The B-52's long loiter time and massive payload magazine make it an excellent choice for precision strikes against ground targets, where it's seen use in both Iraq and Afghanistan in recent years.

Thanks to a slew of cockpit upgrades and improved weapon system storage, the Air Force intends to keep flying the mighty BUFF past the century mark, with some B-52s expected to remain in service as late as 2060.

Editor's note: This article was originally published in December 2020. It has been edited for republication.

Read more from Sandboxx News

US SpecOps were the vanguard of a revolution in battlefield medicine

Alpha-male boot camps are a joke

'Spec Ops:' Navy SEAL Admiral Bill McRaven's theory and practice of special operations

'Counterculture' approach enabled C-130's 26-hour marathon flight 

5 last-ditch weapons created by a desperate Nazi Germany

• Kia introduced its new EV3 compact electric SUV on Thursday.
• The EV3 will be available with an 81.4 kWh battery pack, which helps it achieve 373 miles of range.
• The EV3 will go on sales in South Korea in July, but unclear when it will arrive in the US. 

Kia unveiled its EV3 compact electric SUV on Thursday.

The sleek model is the latest in a series of new electric offerings from the South Korean automaker, which also include the rugged EV9 SUV and the sleek EV6 crossover.

Pricing hasn't been announced, but it is slated to go on sale in South Korea this July and later in Europe in the second half of 2024. It's unclear how much it'll cost or when it may arrive on American shores.

The stylish EV3 is built on the same electric platform used across the Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis brands.

The EV3 will compete with other compact electric crossovers like the Hyundai Ioniq 5, Tesla Model Y, and the new Chevrolet Equinox EV.

The EV3 will come standard with a 58.3 kWh battery pack. However, buyers can opt for the EV3 Long Range, which will be equipped with a larger 81.4 kWh pack.

All versions of the EV3 will be powered by a single 201 hp (150kW) electric motor driving the front wheels. Kia says the EV3 can run from 0 to 62 mph in 7.5 seconds and reach a top speed of 106 mph.

With a drag coefficient of just 0.263, the EV3 is impressively aerodynamic for a boxy SUV.

The EV3's slippery design helps it achieve an estimated 373 miles of range. It won't receive an official Environmental Protection Agency rating until it is ready to go on sale in the US.

According to Kia, the EV3 Long Range can charge from 10-80% in a not-too-shabby 31 minutes.

The automaker believes the EV3's long-range and quick charging will allay consumer range anxieties.

The EV3's cabin is dominated by a large digital dash that's comprised of 3 separate displays.

Kia has become synonymous with futuristic cockpits, and the EV3 is no exception.

In front of the driver is a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster.

The center console between the front seats will feature a sliding table, allowing enough open space for drinks and bags, Kia said.

There's also a five-inch climate control screen and a 12.3-inch infotainment touch screen.

According to Kia, the EV3's interior is designed to provide occupants with an open, stylish environment with the comforts of home.

The EV3 will have 16 cubic feet of cargo room out back.

The interior will also incorporate sustainable recycled plastic fabric in the seats, headliner, styling accents, and carpets.

And just under a cubic foot of storage space in a small frunk.

Storage space in the front trunk, or frunk, has become a point of competition among EV makers.

• Elon Musk said he wasn't involved in President Joe Biden's tariff on Chinese electric cars.
• The White House announced the 100% tariff on Chinese EV imports on May 14.
• Earlier this year, Musk said the government should consider trade barriers for Chinese automakers.

Elon Musk said he was surprised when President Joe Biden announced a tariff on Chinese electric vehicles.

"Neither Tesla nor I asked for these tariffs," the Tesla CEO said during an interview at the VivaTech conference in Paris on Thursday.

"Tesla competes quite well in the market in China with no tariffs and no deferential support. In general, I'm in favor of no tariffs," he added.

On May 14, the White House said it planned to implement a 100% tariff on EVs that had been made by Chinese automakers in an attempt to combat "China's unfair trade practices."

Tesla has dealt with some headwinds recently, including in China, the world's largest EV market. The US EV maker sold 62,167 vehicles in China in April, down 18% compared with a year earlier, according to preliminary data from the China Passenger Car Association. Globally, the EV company posted its first year-over-year quarterly decline since 2020 during the first quarter of 2024.

Tesla has been facing increasing competition from Chinese EV companies. In the last quarter of 2023, Chinese automaker BYD temporarily unseated Tesla as the world's top seller of electric cars.

Musk's comments on Thursday on China tariffs seem to represent a reversal for the billionaire. As recently as January, Musk said that the US should consider trade barriers to prevent Chinese EV companies from taking over the US market, warning that the companies could "demolish" the US market if action was not taken.

In April, the Tesla CEO said "Chinese car companies are by far the most competitive."

"That's where we find the toughest competitive challenges," Musk said during a podcast with Norges Bank Investment Management CEO Nicolai Tangen. "They make great cars and they work very hard."

Do you work for Tesla or have a tip? Reach out to the reporter via a non-work email and device at gkay@businessinsider.com or 248-894-6012

• Mitch McConnell is stepping down from being Senate GOP leader after more than 17 years in the job.
• The race to succeed him is already on, even though senators won't decide until November.
• Sens. John Thune, Rick Scott, and John Cornyn are already campaigning for the job.

Mitch McConnell's reign as Senate Republican leader is set to end next January, capping off what will ultimately be an 18-year tenure — the longest of any Senate leader in American history.

Two men, among the "three Johns" who were long viewed as potential successors to the Kentucky Republican, have already been officially running for months: Sens. John Thune and John Cornyn.

Sen. Rick Scott of Florida — who challenged McConnell last time — announced another leadership bid this week.

Other candidates could emerge in the coming months, and the election isn't slated to happen until November.

Don't expect this race to bring the kind of public chaos that House Republicans have seen in the last year. The contest will take place behind closed doors, votes will be kept secret, and there's no such thing as a "motion to vacate" in the collegial upper chamber.

The race will, however, likely expose internal GOP divisions over the future of the party, and what it stands for. McConnell's penchant for bipartisanship and support for Ukraine aid in particular have rankled a segment of GOP senators, and that cohort could be influential in determining who GOP senators succeed in November.

Here's what to know about the current and potential candidates.

Sen. John Thune of South Dakota

Thune, age 63, is currently the second-highest-ranking Republican senator.

As minority whip, Thune is officially in charge of taking the pulse of rank-and-file GOP senators and knowing how votes will break down ahead of time — a position that affords him relationships across the conference.

Altogether, Thune is the most McConnell-like of the current and potential leader candidates. He's worked closely with the Kentucky Republican and shares his views on both Ukraine aid and foreign policy more broadly.

As he's begun pitching himself to fellow GOP senators, he has said in interviews that he would represent a "new generation" of leadership — he's nearly two decades younger than McConnell — and will seek to empower individual members of the conference.

He could, however, have a problem with former President Donald Trump.

Thune endorsed Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina when he ran for president last year, described Trump's conduct on January 6, 2021 as "inexcusable," and has been willing to criticize the former president over the last several years.

He was also relatively late in endorsing Trump, doing so in February long after it had become clear that he would be the party's presidential nominee.

While Trump won't be able to pick the next Senate GOP leader himself, Thune may be hoping that the former president doesn't get deeply involved in the race.

Sen. John Cornyn of Texas

Cornyn, 72, isn't currently in Senate GOP leadership — but he's got a lot of experience in that department.

The Texas Republican served as chairman of Senate Republicans' campaign arm, the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), from 2009 to 2013, then as the conference's whip from 2013 to 2019.

His biggest talking point, so far, is that the Senate is "broken," and that he has the experience to try to fix it. He has pledged to "restore the important role of Senate committees" and said there will be "no more backroom deals" if he becomes leader — a reference to the top-down way in which party leaders, including McConnell, have often run Washington.

Cornyn's most controversial proposal in that department has been term limits for the Republican leader, which already exist for other leadership posts.

One reason I am running to be the next Republican Leader is because I believe the Senate needs more engagement from all of my colleagues, and that includes the opportunity for any Member to serve in Leadership. I will support a conference vote to change the rules and institute…

— Senator John Cornyn (@JohnCornyn) March 6, 2024

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

McConnell recently dismissed that idea, saying it would be "totally inappropriate" and that senators "ought to be able to be free to choose whoever."

Sen. Rick Scott of Florida

Scott, 71, announced his own bid for leader on May 22.

This will be his second attempt: the previous NRSC chair famously launched the first-ever challenge to McConnell in late 2022.

He handily failed, winning just 10 votes, but he cemented his place as a leading figure among those who dissent from the Kentucky Republican's views.

In a letter to GOP colleagues, Scott positioned himself as a more ideologically conservative alternative to the status quo.

"Senate Republican leadership should reflect the views and aspirations of Republican voters," Scott said in the letter. "It's no secret that Republican voters believe we don't fight hard enough for the issues they care about."

The former governor is currently running for a second Senate term. His Democratic opponent, former Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, said in a statement following Scott's announcement that the "stakes of this race just got so much higher."

"Self-serving Rick Scott is a danger to Florida families, and as Senate leader, he would be a disaster for Americans," said Mucarsel-Powell.

Another potential contender: Sen. Steve Daines of Montana

Daines, 61, has not said whether he's running — but he hasn't said that he won't run either.

The Montana Republican is currently the chairman of the NRSC, and how Republicans perform in this year's Senate races could also be a key factor. If they win the majority, Daines' stock rises. If they fail, he's probably out.

Trump is reportedly a fan of Daines, which could give him a boost if he enters the race after the election in November.