• Private messaging app Fizz suspended a Vermont high school from using its app after an outcry.
• The app allows students to share anonymous posts and is meant to be "uplifting."
• But students shared posts mocking each other instead.

Fizz touts itself as a private messaging app meant to be a judge-free zone for Gen Z to connect. But a high school in Vermont had a much different experience.

The app became available to the 1,300 students at Champlain Valley Union High School this May. Within weeks, an outcry from parents and faculty forced Fizz to "temporarily" remove access, according to The Wall Street Journal.

"It was really chaotic. You started to feel like you couldn't trust anyone," one student, Lio Miller, 15, told the outlet.

Miller is part of the school's Dungeons & Dragons club. One student shared a picture of the club from the yearbook and called them "nasty." Another student said that Fizz was advertised to them as a "gossip app."

Fizz allows students at colleges and high schools to post anonymous messages on a private news feed. The app is introduced to campuses by students who register with Fizz and become ambassadors. Fizz is not affiliated with any educational institutions.

To gain access, students must use an email address associated with their school.

Two former Stanford students, Ashton Cofer and Teddy Solomon, launched the app in 2021 after noticing students struggling to connect during the COVID-19 pandemic. It's now available at more than 240 colleges.

"By the end of the Fall Quarter, over 80% of Stanford undergraduates had made Fizz their one-stop shop for campus life, including memes, events, meeting classmates, commerce, and just a place to speak their mind," the app's website says.

When Champlain Valley Union High School students downloaded the app, the messages were initially innocuous. But that didn't last long.

The Journal reported that students uploaded pictures of their peers to mock their looks and disabilities. Some posts speculated about students' sexual orientation, while others shared photos that suggested underage drinking or smoking.

Some posts also targeted faculty members, including Principal Adam Bunting, the outlet said.

Bunting told the Journal that students began reporting Fizz to administrators within hours of its launch. He described students arriving at the guidance counselors' office in tears and having to convince one upset senior to finish the school year.

"I was shocked and dismayed by how quickly the app created harm," he said, adding that some posts were written about him.

Fizz isn't the first anonymous messaging app to rattle schools. Yik Yak launched in 2013 and found early success, but it became bogged down by instances of cyberbullying and harassment.

An April 2023 study by the McKinsey Health Institute found that more Gen Z respondents felt social media had a negative impact on their mental health compared to other generations.

Fizz's website said the app is meant to be an "uplifting digital space for GenZ." It has strict guidelines against bullying and harassment.

Solomon told the Journal that the Champlain Valley Union High School incident was an anomaly. He said 90% of high school and college users indicated that the app fostered inclusivity, leading to feeling connected.

"What happened at Vermont was an outlier," he said.

Fizz echoed its anti-bullying sentiment in a statement to Business Insider.

"To confirm, we suspended the Champlain Valley Union Fizz community after working directly with school administrators," the statement read. "Our mission is to combat loneliness for Gen Z, and we have a zero-tolerance policy for bullying on Fizz."

A Champlain Valley Union High School representative did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

• US customers want more affordable EVs. 
• They might soon get their wish, with a host of cheaper electric models coming in the next few years.
• Chevy and Volvo are launching new EVs, and Ford and Tesla are also hinting at cheaper models.

EVs have an affordability problem.

Demand for electric vehicles has slowed in recent months amid a lack of cheaper options, and carmakers are now scrambling to develop more affordable EVs.

According to Edmunds data, the average transaction price of an EV in 2023 was $61,702 versus $47,450 for other vehicles.

That affordability gap seems to be deterring would-be EV buyers, with some opting to go for hybrid vehicles instead, which are typically cheaper than fully electric vehicles.

Luckily for these consumers, the next few years should see a range of more affordable electric vehicles released. Big hitters like Tesla and Ford are teasing the release of cheaper models to join the likes of Nissan and Mini, who already offer lower-cost options.

Here are some other new affordable EV options coming soon:

Volvo EX30

The Volvo EX30 is set to hit US shores this summer — and it will boast a competitive $35,000 price tag.

The EX30 has an estimated 275-mile range and can go from zero to 60 mph in under four seconds.

One Volvo sales manager described it as a "game-changer," telling Reuters that his dealership had already taken deposits for every EX30 they expect to receive.

Volvo's latest offering also has a stylish design and a high-tech interior — as Business Insider found when we got an early look last year.

Kia EV3

Kia and its South Korean parent company, Hyundai, have seen US sales surge this year as they cash in on demand for more affordable EVs.

Kia is planning to take advantage of that with the EV3, a compact electric SUV with 373 miles of range and can charge from 10% to 80% in 31 minutes.

Deliveries of the EV3 are expected to begin in Korea and Europe later this year, with the EV reportedly expected to cost around $35,000.

US customers will have to wait a little longer, however — a company spokesperson confirmed to BI that the EV3 will be coming to the US, but did not say when it will go on sale.

Chevy Equinox and Bolt

Chevy, the GM sub-brand, aims to release a new lineup of electric models over the coming years.

The company has set its target on more affordable EVs, too. Chevy's $43,295 Equinox EV went on sale in May. It also has a $35,000 version of the 319-mile range electric crossover coming later this year — which could sell for less than $30,000 with the $7,500 federal tax credit for US-made EVs.

Chevy also plans to relaunch the Chevy Bolt, formerly America's cheapest EV, after it halted its production last December.

The automaker has said the new Bolt will be available next year and will be the "most affordable" EV on the market — suggesting a sticker price below $30,000.

VW ID. 2all

German automaker VW abandoned plans to build affordable EVs with European rival Renault last month, and is planning to go solo.

In May, the company said it plans to produce EVs priced at around 20,000 euros ($22,000) by 2027.

In a step toward that, VW revealed its ID. 2all battery-powered hatchback last year. When it enters production in 2026, it expects it to cost 25,000 euros ($27,000) or less.

US customers hoping to buy one will be disappointed, however. A VW spokesperson told BI at the time that it has no plans to bring this model to the US right now.

Rivian R3

Rivian founder RJ Scaringe pulled off a Steve Jobs-style "one more thing" when he unveiled two new affordable EVs in March.

The Tesla rival announced its R2 SUV, which is expected to start at $45,000 when deliveries begin in early 2026 — a big upgrade on the R1S, which currently starts at $75,900.

That lower sticker price will allow Rivian to compete with Tesla in the mass market.

However, it was the R3 — which Scaringe also unveiled in March — that turned heads.

Few details have been revealed about the new vehicle, but the company confirmed the R3 would cost less than the R2, and that deliveries will start sometime after 2026.

• Leviathan Productions enlists "Fauda" creators for "October 7th" film on Noam Tibon's rescue.
• The film covers Noam Tibon's daring rescue during Hamas' attack on Tibon's family's kibbutz.
• Noam Tibon, armed only with a handgun, saved his family and others, gaining global attention.

Leviathan Productions has tapped Avi Issacharoff and Lior Raz, who created the hit Israeli political thriller series, "Fauda," to write the script for a new film titled "October 7th," say reports.

The film will recount the true story of Noam Tibon, a retired Israeli general who gained international attention when he rescued his family from Hamas gunmen during an attack on Nahal Oz, their kibbutz in southern Israel, on October 7, 2023, Deadline reported.

Hamas launched an assault on Israel from the Gaza Strip, resulting in nearly 1,200 deaths, primarily among Israeli citizens.

Noam's son, award-winning journalist Amir Tibon, was sheltering in their kibbutz in southern Israel from Hamas gunfire with his wife and their two daughters.

He described the gunfire as "the most chilling noise" he had ever heard.

Amir rang his parents. His father, who had spent his military career in counterterrorism, replied, "Trust me, I will come. This is my profession; nobody can stop me," per NBC Nightly News.

Amir's parents set off, driving south from Tel Aviv to help as best as they could.

Armed only with a handgun, Noam battled Palestinian gunmen along the way and rescued survivors of the music festival massacre. He also helped wounded Israeli soldiers, his son said.

Amir told The Atlantic, "After 10 hours, we hear a large bang on the window, and we hear the voice of my father. Galia, my oldest daughter, says, 'Saba higea' — 'Grandfather is here.' And that's when we all just start crying. And that's when we knew that we were safe."

Tibon's heroics made waves on social media, with some users likening Tibon to Liam Neeson from the film "Taken." Neeson's character, Bryan Mills, rescues his teenage daughter from human trafficking kidnappers.

Many compared Tibon's comment, "This is my profession, nobody can stop me," to the oft-quoted line from Mills to one of his daughter's captors: "What I do have are a very particular set of skills, skills I have acquired over a very long career, skills that make me a nightmare for people like you."

Noam and Amir Tibon will contribute as consultants to the project.

• The Walmart heirs' combined net worth is over $293 billion, according to Bloomberg.
• In public, the Waltons live relatively modest lifestyles despite their wealth. 
• Here's how they spend their fortune.

The combined wealth of the Walmart heirs — which includes founder Sam Walton's children, Rob, Jim, and Alice, as well as his grandson Lukas — is more than $293 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

While some have worked in the family business — whether that's serving on the company board or working to manage the family's wealth — others chose to pursue areas of personal passion.

Sam Walton, the original man behind the company that now encompasses both Walmart and Sam's Club, set his family up for financial success when he divided the ownership before he died.

He wasn't a man of flashy luxury, but you can see how his children are living a slightly more lavish life now. Here's a look at how the Walton family empire spends its money: 

Sam Walton opened the first Walmart store in Rogers, Arkansas, in 1962.

He married Helen Robson on Valentine's Day in 1942.

Together, they had four children: Rob, John, Jim, and Alice.

By the time Sam died in 1992, he had set up the company ownership in a way that minimized the estate taxes anyone on the receiving end would have to pay.

Source: Fortune

He set up his ownership of Walmart's stock in a family partnership — each of his children held 20% of Walton Enterprises, while he and Helen each held 10%. Helen inherited Sam's 10% tax-free when he died.

Source: Fortune

Samuel Robson "Rob" Walton is the oldest Walton child. He is 79 years old.

He served as chairman of Walmart from 1992 until 2015 and remained on the board after.

He's stepping down from the board at the end of his current term in 2024.

Rob made a splash in 2022 by leading an ownership group to buy the Denver Broncos.

The group purchased the NFL team for a $4.65 billion in summer 2022 in a record-breaking sale at the time.

Rob has purchased a house in Paradise Valley, Arizona, near the base of Camelback Mountain.

In the past, protesters have rallied outside of his Arizona home to advocate for better wages and benefits for Walmart workers.

Besides real estate, Rob has a large collection of vintage cars.

In 2013, he ran his Daytona Coupe, which was worth $15 million at the time, off the tracks and wrecked it. The car was one of only five ever made.

Sam Walton's second-oldest child, John Walton, died in a plane crash in 2005.

He was 58 years old.

He was married to Christy Walton and had one son, Lukas.

John left about 17% of his wealth to his wife, and he gave the rest to charity and to his son.

Source: Business Insider

John served in Vietnam as a Green Beret. When he returned from the war he held a series of jobs — like the Walmart company pilot, a crop duster, and the owner a few yachting companies — before becoming a Walmart board member.

Source: Fortune

In 2013, Christy decided to sell their Jackson Hole mansion. She also sold the family's ranch for an undisclosed price in 2016 after listing it for $100 million in 2011.

Source: Curbed and Ranch Marketing Associates

The 8,606-square-foot home was put on the market for $12.5 million.

Source: Curbed

James "Jim" Walton is the youngest son of Walmart founder Sam Walton. He is 75 years old.

He is chairman of the board of the family's Arvest Bank Group. One of the state's largest banks today, Arvest Bank has assets totaling more than $27 billion.

Source: Bloomberg

He also served on the Walmart board, starting in 2005 to fill the vacancy after his brother John died. Jim Walton's son, Steuart, took over his father's seat on the board in 2016.

Now, he presides over Walton Enterprises — the private company that deals with the investments and finances of the Walton family only — from modest offices in Bentonville, Arkansas.

Source: Fortune

The youngest of founder Sam Walton's children, Alice Walton is worth $86.3 billion, according to Bloomberg. She has been divorced twice and has no children. She is 74 years old.

Alice has never taken an active role in running the family business.

Instead, she became a patron of the arts, which she fell in love with at a young age.

When she was 10, she bought her first work of art: a reproduction of Picasso's "Blue Nude" for about $2, she told The New Yorker.

Source: The New Yorker

She has an immense private art collection, with original works from Andy Warhol and Georgia O'Keeffe. Alice opened a museum in Bentonville called Crystal Bridges in 2011 to house her $500 million private art collection.

When it opened, Crystal Bridges had four times the endowment of the famous Whitney Museum in New York.

The collection includes a Georgia O'Keeffe painting that Alice spent $44.4 million on in 2014 — the biggest sale for a woman's piece of art in history.

Source: The Observer

Alice also breeds horses.

Her Millsap, Texas, property, Rocking W Ranch, sold to the Three Amigos Investment Group of Kermit, Texas, in September 2017 for an undisclosed amount.

Source: Star-Telegram

It had an initial asking price of $19.75 million, which was reduced to $16.5 million. The working ranch had over 250 acres of pasture and outbuildings for cattle and horses.

Source: WilliamsTrew

Her other, 4,416-acre Texas ranch was previously listed at a reduced price of $22 million.

The modest, three-bedroom, two-bathroom home overlooks the Brazos River.

Alice also bought a two-floor condo on New York's Park Ave. for $25 million in 2014.

Source: Business Insider

It has more than 52 large windows overlooking Central Park plus a media room, a winding staircase, and more than 6,000 total square feet of space.

Source: Business Insider

In January 2016, Alice donated 3.7 million of her Walmart shares — worth about $225 million at the time — to the family's nonprofit, the Walton Family Foundation.

Sam and Helen started the foundation as a way to teach their children how to give back and how to work together.

The charity awards millions of dollars in grants to causes that align with the foundation's values.

The foundation awarded $566.5 million in grants in 2022, according to its website.

The foundation has three main areas of focus:

The foundation's focus on education was led by John. His brother Jim said John was really interested in being able to give parents choices when it came to their child's schooling.

Source: Walton Family Foundation

Rob spearheaded the foundation's venture into environmental protection. One of the first grants they gave helped develop a sustainable fisheries label.

Source: Walton Family Foundation

A commitment to the family's home of Arkansas is another large part of the foundation. The website says this area of focus is about "advancing our home region of Northwest Arkansas and the Arkansas-Mississippi Delta."

Source: Walton Family Foundation

Walmart Inc., which owns Walmart and Sam's Club, is the largest retailer in the US in terms of revenue.

 In fiscal year 2023, Walmart reported $648.1 billion in revenue.

When Walmart has a good quarter, the Waltons make hundreds of millions of dollars in dividends.

Even though the Walton family is raking in billions as a result of the company's success, they remain relatively under-the-radar in terms of flashing their wealth — much like their patriarch, Sam, did in the early years.

Source: Fortune

• Read more:
• Walmart is testing higher starting salaries for some employees in 500 stores as the war for talent heats up
• What Walmart, Costco, and other famous retailers looked like when they first opened
• The average Amazon shopper still earns more than Walmart's, and it reveals a key challenge for the e-commerce giant
• Walmart's ad execs to know, hot DTC companies, iHeartMedia breaks hearts

• Two shark bite incidents in Florida on Friday occurred within 90 minutes of each other.
• The attacks left two people in a severe condition and a third in a stable condition.
• Florida has consistently topped global rankings for the number of shark bites.  

Two shark bite incidents just 90 minutes apart at two separate beaches on Florida's Gulf coast, left three people injured on Friday.

Two people are in a critical condition, and a third is in a stable condition, South Walton Fire District Fire Chief Ryan Crawford said at a news conference.

The first incident left a 45-year-old female with "significant trauma to the midsection and pelvic area as well as amputation of the left lower arm," said Crawford. The woman, who had been swimming just past the first sandbar with her husband, was airlifted to a local hospital for treatment, he said.

The second attack involved two girls, 15-17 years old, who had been swimming with friends just inside the first sandbar in waist-deep water. One victim received "significant injuries to one upper and one lower extremity," and the other had "flesh wounds on her foot," said Crawford.

While the risk of being attacked by a shark is extremely low, Florida, famous for its beaches and all-year-round sunshine, has consistently topped global charts for the number of shark bites.

According to a comprehensive database of all known shark attacks compiled by staff at Florida's Museum of Natural History, in 2023, there were 69 unprovoked shark bites on humans and 22 provoked bites worldwide.

Florida's 16 cases in 2023 represent 44% of the US total and 23% of unprovoked bites worldwide.

Volusia County on Florida's east coast — which includes the renowned Daytona Beach and New Smyrna Beach — has been dubbed the "shark bite capital of the world," with 343 recorded shark bites from 1882-2023.

In an interview with Business Insider last year, Gavin Naylor, the director of The Florida Program of Shark Research, said in an email that a combination of factors off the coast of Volusia increased the likelihood of a shark attack.

They included a high density of mullet and menhaden baitfish and a lot of good waves for surfing. The churning water resulted in poor visibility for sharks, which, on rare occasions, bite at arms and legs "dangling off" surfboards by mistake as they chase their natural prey in the murky water, said Naylor.

Blacktip and bull sharks are responsible for most of the attacks in Florida.

September is the most common time of year for shark attacks in the Sunshine State, and the place with the highest chance of being bitten is in Volusia County, between 2 p.m. and 3 p.m., ISAF statistics suggest.

• Declining workforce participation among younger men could weigh on the US economy for years.
• The trend could be a drag on economic growth, housing, and Social Security funds, experts say.
• The effects could last decades as there are no clear ways to spark a turnaround. 

America's job market is mysteriously short of young men.

It's a trend experts say will drag on the economy and could take years to fix, mainly because men have already been dropping out of the workforce for decades.

According to Carol Graham, a senior fellow of economic studies at the Brookings Institute, the labor force participation rate of prime working-age men has been declining over the last twenty years. Today, 11% of men aged 25-54 don't have a job and aren't looking for one, more than triple the percentage recorded in 1955, when just 3% were out of the workforce, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

That amounts to around 7.2 million prime working-age men who aren't working. That's introduced a host of problems for the economy, leaving key industries understaffed, and adding to the strain on government services and social safety nets, Graham and other experts told Business Insider.

"Some of them drop out [of college] and are just sort of forlorn and have no purpose or meaning in life. They're not very likely to be married. They're very likely to be living in their parent's basement," Graham said. "They're lonely, they're isolated."

The economic burden can also compound through generations, she added, given that men who have exited the workforce tend to be lower-income and are more likely to report mental and physical health problems, which impact their children's ability to build wealth.

Zack Mabel, a research professor at Georgetown University, theorizes that falling labor force participation among young men could impact the economy for at least several decades.

"At this point, it's a long trend over the course of multiple decades that does not appear to be improving, and could have real long-term consequences," he said.

Straining the economy

The economy appears to already be feeling the decline in male workforce participation. Despite a small post-pandemic rebound, US GDP per employee fell 1% in 2022, the first decline seen since the World Bank began recording productivity data over 30 years ago.

The overall labor force participation rate, meanwhile, has slumped to 62%. Besides the years following the pandemic, US workforce participation rate hasn't been that low since the 70s, World Bank data shows.

The trend could weigh on key industries, like infrastructure and manufacturing, where women are often less likely to seek work due to social stigma, Mabel said. That means it could be hard for those industries to find workers, which is a big problem considering the need for labor in growing areas like semiconductors, he added.

"In a situation where you have millions of men … foregoing college, and as a result are less productive and less able to hold onto a stable job, yes, that certainly would raise concerns our national productivity would suffer as a result," Mabel said.

And while the housing market may be booming now, it is also possible that men leaving the labor force will weigh on that market as well. Meredith Whitney, a longtime Wall Street forecaster, predicts home prices could drop as much as 30% over a period of years thanks to men working less, being less interested in starting families, and being more likely to live with their parents.

Those trends all weigh on household formation, which is the most important factor in determining home prices over the long term, Whitney said.

42% of men who have exited the workforce live with at least one parent, a 2017 Brookings study found.

"This is such a seismic shift in the social structure," she told BI. "It's hard to say how long it lasts."

Government benefits are also hugely taxed by men who are not in the workforce.

Men who have dropped out of the workforce, for one, are significantly more likely to suffer from opioid addiction, Graham said. 44% of men who were out of the workforce said they needed to take pain medication — more than double the portion recorded in employed men, where just 20% took pain meds, a separate Brookings study found.

57% of men not looking for work said they had a physical, mental, or behavioral reason, according to a survey conducted by BPC-Artemis.

11% of men who have exited the labor force rely entirely on government welfare programs for income, according to Brookings data.

"They cost the health system. They go to the emergency room and they're sick, they're not going to be able to pay the bills," Graham said. "That's coming out of somewhere."

The welfare burden is exacerbated by the fact that unemployed men aren't contributing to benefit programs such as through Social Security taxes.

"Potentially, more and more people would benefit and depend on resources that we don't actually have the means to provide … And that then would really present itself as a huge societal conundrum," Mabel warned.

There's no clear answer for how to get young men back into the workforce. The causes appear to be multifold — disabilities, incarceration, and wages not being enticing enough, to name a few —but possible solutions could lie in helping train men for the jobs that are available, according to Graham, or finding ways to give young men role models, such as by hiring more male teachers, Mabel said.

"There's clearly an economic cost for more than one generation if the trends continue," Graham told BI. "There are lots of ways it costs society in addition to their individual human lives."

• Ukraine claims to have struck an advanced Russian Su-57 stealth fighter jet.
• Ukraine says the aircraft was targeted at an airfield 360 miles from the front line.
• Ukraine has intensified attacks deep inside Russia in recent weeks.

Ukraine hit a prized Russian Su-57 fighter jet stationed deep inside Russian territory for the first time, Ukraine's main intelligence directorate (GUR) reported Sunday morning.

Ukraine says the aircraft was damaged following a strike on the Akhtubinsk airfield in the Astrakhan region in southern Russia, 360 miles from the front line.

Satellite imagery provided by Ukraine's military intelligence appears to show the aircraft standing intact on June 7 and damaged on June 8.

Ukraine's military intelligence said the Su-57 is Moscow's "most modern fighter, which can attack with Kh-59 and Kh-69 missiles."

A pro-Kremlin Telegram channel, Fighterbomber, often used as a source to confirm Russian military losses in lieu of official confirmation from Moscow, reported that there was shrapnel damage to a Su-57. "Whether [the bomber] can be restored or not is currently being determined," the channel wrote.

Unlike Russia's Su-25 and Su-35 aircraft, Moscow's fifth-generation Su-57 fighters have not been widely used since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.

"The defeat of the Su-57 is the first such case in history," Ukraine's military intelligence said.

David Axe, a military correspondent, and blogger, wrote in an article for Forbes that if confirmed, the loss of the Su-57 "would represent only the second stealth warplane any country has lost in combat in the four decades since the US Air Force deployed the very first stealth plane—the Lockheed Martin F-117."

In 1999, a Serbian air defense battery shot down an F-117 as it was flying a NATO mission in the Kosovo war, Axe wrote.

Russia is stepping up its attacks deep inside Russian territory

In recent weeks, Ukraine appears to be increasing the range of its strikes into Russia's hinterland.

On Saturday, just a day before news of the Su-57 was made public, a video surfaced across open source intelligence channels appearing to show a Ukrainian long-range attack drone diving toward Mozdok air base in Russia's southern region of North Ossetia, 450 miles from the front line in eastern Ukraine.

It is not known if the drone caused any military damage, but in April, satellite imagery revealed that the base was home to 6 Tu-22M bombers, 4 Su-24M/MR strike aircraft, and 20 military helicopters.

Mick Ryan, a retired Australian army general, wrote on Substack earlier this year that such attacks deep inside Russian territory will "force a Russian reassessment of their air defense resources as well as having to redeploy these assets further from where they are most needed."

Axe said on Sunday: "Russia's air defenses are spread so thin by Ukraine's escalating drone campaign that they can't protect all of the Kremlin's most valuable assets."

The last major attack on Russian warplanes came on May 17 when Ukraine hit the Balbek Airfield in occupied Crimea. The attack damaged three planes stationed there: one Su-27 and two MiG-31s.

• Trump and Biden are set for a rematch this fall, and the stakes couldn't be higher.
• Yet some voters are likely to sit out the election for a variety of reasons.
• They include anger over the war in Gaza and an unhappiness with both choices.

President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump are set for a rematch this November — and most Americans aren't happy about it.

An April survey from the Pew Research Center found that 49% of voters would replace both candidates if they could. Poll after poll has shown that the race is essentially tied at the national level.

The stakes of the election couldn't be higher. Voters face a choice between a continuation of the status quo — and perhaps a more aggressive slate of progressive reforms, if Democrats regain control of both chambers of Congress — and a radically different vision for America that could bring mass deportations and fewer restraints on executive power. Some believe that American democracy itself is at stake.

Yet plenty of voters are likely to choose neither candidate in November, either casting protest votes for third-party candidates or staying out home altogether.

Voter apathy and non-voting are very common

We've never had an election where voter turnout is 100%.

In the last six elections since 2000, between one-third to one-half of eligible voters have failed to cast ballots, either because they chose not to do so, forgot to do so, or were prevented from doing so for some other reason.

It's difficult to make generalizations around why some Americans don't vote, but there are some broad theories that could apply. One theory posited by the 2017 book "The American Nonvoter" is that a sense of uncertainty, especially driven by a national crisis such as a pandemic, plays a key role in motivating less engaged people to vote.

This year's election presents a scenario that's relatively rare: Both Biden and Trump have been president, they have both been fairly unpopular, and everyone knows who they are.

More importantly, almost every voter — aside from the most recent immigrants — has a sense of what life in America is like when one or the other is in office.

While a Trump versus Biden presidency has massive implications writ large, some Americans may not feel especially impacted in their day-to-day lives by who sits in the Oval Office.

Some are intentionally sitting out over the war in Gaza

Aside from pre-existing reasons of voter apathy, some voters are intentionally planning to stay home out of protest.

The single biggest driver of such protests this year are left-wing voters who would otherwise support President Joe Biden but wish to protest his support for Israel's war in Gaza, which has killed over 35,0000 people and led to dire humanitarian conditions.

In the Democratic presidential primaries this year, hundreds of thousands of voters have cast "uncommitted" ballots to signal their displeasure.

Depending on whether a cease-fire agreement is reached before the election, those voters could sit out November, at least at the presidential level. And more radical groups like "Abandon Biden" are already pushing for voters to do that, regardless of what happens between now and then.

These voters, many of whom are Arab or Muslim Americans, say that they know what a Trump victory would mean for them. The former president has long made Muslims a scapegoat for his brand of politics, and he has vaguely pledged to expand upon the so-called "Muslim ban" that he enacted when he was president.

Yet they're preparing to stay home anyway, arguing — in the words of Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud — that "a genocide outweighs all of this."

• Israel's June 8 hostage rescue was aided by US intelligence, The New York Times reported.
• US specialists provided key intelligence and logistic support to Israel's military.
• The operation that freed four hostages caused over 200 Palestinian casualties, Gaza officials said.

Israel's rescue operation that freed four hostages on June 8 was supported by intelligence from US sources, The New York Times reports.

A team of US hostage recovery specialists stationed in Israel provided key intelligence and logistical support to the Israeli military, assisting a daytime operation that brought the hostages back to Israel after being held captive for eight months in Gaza, said several unnamed US and Israeli officials, the report said.

Noa Argamani, Almog Meir Jan, Andrey Kozlov, and Shlomi Ziv were rescued in the special forces operation, which IDF spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari called "daring."

Palestinian gunmen kidnapped around 240 hostages following the terrorist attacks on Israel on October 7, which killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians.

Argamani's ordeal went viral on social media when she was kidnapped on October 7. She was abducted from the Nova festival via motorbike, and footage of her pleading "Don't kill me!"

The Pentagon and CIA has been providing real-time intelligence from drone surveillance over Gaza, communications intercepts, and other sources, supplementing Israel's capabilities, said the NYT report.

"The United States is supporting all efforts to secure the release of hostages still held by terrorists," National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said in a statement.

"We won't stop working until all the hostages come home and a cease-fire is reached," said President Joe Biden.

The hostage rescue operation took place in central Gaza's Nuseirat refugee camp.

Gaza's Government Media Office said at least 210 people were killed in the raid, per Al Jazeera.

Hamas' armed al-Qassam Brigades said that Israel's operation also killed some hostages.

Israel, "by committing horrific massacres, was able to free some its hostages, yet it killed some others during the operation," Briades' spokesperson, Abu Ubaida, said on Telegram, per Reuters.

Israeli military spokesperson Peter Lerner called the allegation a "blatant lie," per CNN.

It is not the first time Israel has been accused of killing hostages accidentally.

Efrat Katz, an Israeli grandmother who died on October 7, was likely killed by her own military in a friendly-fire incident.

She was in the process of being abducted from her kibbutz by Hamas militants when her own military opened fire on the vehicle she was traveling in.

In December, the IDF killed three Israeli hostages they mistakenly perceived to be threats.

More than 37,000 people have been killed in Gaza since October 7, according to Gaza's health ministry that Hamas runs.

• This post originally appeared in the Insider Today newsletter.
• You can sign up for Business Insider's daily newsletter here.

Welcome back to our Sunday edition. It seems everyone has their own brand of tequila or mezcal. The latest to get in on the act: Tesla, which is selling a $450 bottle of mezcal on its website.

On the agenda:

• Inside the spectacular rise, and fall, of a Texas bankruptcy court.
• Welcome to the golden age for rich renters.
• Goldman's star bankers reveal their plan to keep winning in M&A.
• Brave startups are trying to usurp Nvidia's AI throne.

But first: Shock election results in India will shake up the world's fifth-largest economy.

If this was forwarded to you, sign up here. Download Insider's app here.

This week's dispatch

Modi misses

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi claimed a third term this week, but his Bharatiya Janata Party failed to secure an overall majority. He'll now have to rely on allies to form a government.

The election result was a blow to Modi, who has governed India for a decade with an increasingly firm grip. The rebuke arrived despite Modi's record of lifting hundreds of millions of Indians out of poverty, which won praise from business titans like Jamie Dimon. Indian stock indexes fell sharply on the election results before recovering.

India watchers expect the country's new government to move slower on some issues following the surprise election result. But experts believe Modi will be largely undeterred in his economic and foreign policy efforts.

One pain point is India's rising unemployment rate. That could see Modi supercharge his efforts to turn India into the new factory of the world. Apple is among those investing in manufacturing in the country.

He has also positioned India as a leader of the Global South, strengthening diplomatic ties with the US and pushing for a permanent position on the UN Security Council.

That puts India in direct competition with China, with Modi wasting no time in needling his rival shortly after claiming victory.

The fall of a bankruptcy juggernaut

New details have emerged about the tight-knit circle of attorneys and judges within one of the country's most powerful courts: the Southern District of Texas bankruptcy court.

Rampant conflicts of interest fueled the court's meteoric rise — and its spectacular fall.

Inside the court where conflicts of interest ran deep.

Rich and still renting

A wave of apartment construction has flooded metros like Salt Lake City, Nashville, and Atlanta with new studios and two-bedroom apartments. To lure tenants, landlords are hawking deals left and right, from comped parking to discounted rent.

The apartments are still expensive. But compared to the price of a down payment, they can feel like a bargain. And with amenities like pools and gyms, they are keeping wealthy Americans renting.

Why some Americans are sticking to renting.

Also read:

• I'm a multimillionaire who chooses to rent rather than buy a house. I'm glad I'm not wasting money on a mortgage.

Inside the Goldman deal machine

Goldman Sachs recently celebrated 25 years since it went public, and the bank's future has been a hot topic on Wall Street. Goldman's latest moves show its core business of advising companies and the ultrawealthy has retaken center stage.

A dozen Goldman insiders and bank watchers spoke to BI about how the bank is positioning itself to succeed in the long run and how it'll ultimately withstand recent top-partner departures.

How Goldman plans to keep winning.

Climbing Mt. Nvidia

Going up against Nvidia is generally considered a pretty bad idea for startups in Silicon Valley. "Betting against Nvidia is viewed as a very stupid investment," one VC said.

But Silicon Valley often thrives when true technologists keep hacking away at something they believe in, even if everyone else thinks it's dumb.

See the startups coming for Nvidia.

Also read:

• AI just catapulted Nvidia into the $3 trillion club at lightning pace

This week's quote:

"You just leave it alone, and you look up 40 years later, and it's a really nice number."

A 65-year-old retiree who saved $2 million for retirement.

More of this week's top reads:

• Jack Dorsey gave $10 million to an anonymous founder with a deep devotion to a fascist "guru."
• Six tips from Satya Nadella on how to run a company and manage your team.
• Why big musical acts can't sell out concerts anymore.
• An unchecked AI could usher in a new dark age.
• HR exec: If you get put on a PIP, find a new job as fast as possible.
• Microsoft is laying off hundreds in its Azure cloud business.

• Apple alerted Amazon about a potential cloud security risk, prompting a change in AWS's data-deletion process.

  ---

  The Insider Today team: Matt Turner, deputy editor-in-chief, in New York. Jordan Parker Erb, editor, in New York. Dan DeFrancesco, deputy editor and anchor, in New York. Lisa Ryan, executive editor, in New York.