• Kristina Knighten and Paul Cordier bought a fixer-upper listed for $27,000 by a lake in Italy.
• The couple are teachers and stumbled upon Lago Iseo, the town, during a European road trip in 2018.
• They ditched plans to move to the US after falling in love with the area — and have no regrets.

Kristina Knighten was never interested in a conventional life. Luckily, neither was her husband, Paul Cordier.

The couple, who are both English-as-a-second-language (ESL) teachers, met while working in Vietnam in 2014. Bustling Ho Chi Minh City was a far cry from the suburbs of Chicago, where Knighten, 38, grew up.

But the move made sense for Knighten.

"I need to see new things, and my wanderlust needs to be satiated," she told Business Insider.

After a few years in Asia, Knighten and Cordier, who is 46, got teaching jobs in the UAE with annual salaries just shy of $70,000.

"Making $1,500 a month was not going to cut it for the rest of our lives," she said.

They decided to save for a down payment on a house in Chicago, where the typical home sells for about $350,000, according to Realtor.com.

It would have been tough, even with their new salaries, as many young Americans struggle to buy homes amid a challenging housing market with low supply, high prices, and relatively high mortgage rates — but it wouldn't have been impossible.

Nevertheless, a fateful European road trip in 2018 led Knighten and Cordier to abandon their plans. Take a look.

Knighten and Cordier fell in love with a lakeside town in northern Italy.

As teachers, Knighten and Cordier get summers off. In 2018, they spent it driving a rundown car that cost £250, or around $315, on a road trip through Europe.

Eventually, the couple ended up in Italy.

After a brief stay in San Remo, a coastal city they found too touristy, they found a travel blog with a photo of Monte Isola, an island in the middle of a lake close to the Alps.

The couple drove to the lake and stayed for a few days, getting to know the area and meeting locals.

Knighten and Cordier booked a small bed-and-breakfast on Monte Isola, a roughly five-square-mile island dotted with small villages in the middle of Lago Iseo, a glacier lake surrounded by lush green mountains.

They were awestruck — and shocked an island this beautiful wasn't better known.

"We've traveled all over the world together, through South America, the Middle East, and Asia," Knighten said. "And this place blows our minds."

At a small bar on the island, Cordier, whom Knighten describes as "gregarious," approached a few locals to ask what there was to do.

"They were like, 'We're actually going to a party tonight on a boat. Do you want to come?'" Knighten said.

The couple went and ended up making lasting friendships.

Within days, Knighten and Cordier were scouting properties on the island and even considered buying a pig shed.

Knighten said she and Cordier had nearly saved $40,000 to put toward a down payment on a house in Chicago, even though that sum could only buy them a property "not in a great neighborhood."

But stunned by the lake's beauty, Knighten and Cordier were curious about the cost of buying a home there. Quickly, they realized they could afford a fixer-upper in Lago Iseo with the cash they already had in their bank accounts.

On that first trip, Knighten and Cordier toured two properties for sale.

One was an old pig shed listed for €34,000, or around $36,000. They seriously considered converting it into a tiny home but decided against it because it was too remote and would have cost too much money to fix up.

Undeterred, they came back in 2019 and found a house for sale for €25,000, or $27,000.

Knighten and Cordier returned to Monte Isola on a house-hunting mission in the summer of 2019.

They eventually found a house listed for €25,000, around $27,000.

"It didn't have any photos of the interior. It was one of those with one photo of the outside of the house," she said. "You're like, 'Is this a bait property?'"

Thankfully, it wasn't, but they were told other buyers had beaten them to the punch.

But when those buyers fell through, the couple went to see it.

The house was beautiful but had an "eerie" feel because the previous owner had suddenly died.

The previous owner, who died a few years before Knighten and Cordier came to Lago Iseo, primarily used the home for vacations.

Walking in for the first time, Knighten said it seemed that the owner's death was unexpected.

"There were nightgowns hung in the wardrobe, a toothbrush in the bathroom, salt and oil and stuff in the kitchen," she said. "You almost felt like you were trespassing."

Even though it was a little "eerie," Knighten and Cordier fell in love with the house, which had a kitchen and a multipurpose room on the ground floor and two bedrooms and a bathroom on the second floor.

Unlike the pig shed, it was closer to the lake and public transportation.

It needed a lot of work, but the couple ended up putting up a €500, or $540, deposit the day they saw it.

Knighten and Cordier signed an agreement to buy the house in July 2019 and put down a €500, or $540, good-faith deposit.

At the time, they were thinking of using it as a summer house, as Knighten said they didn't think they could afford to move to Italy full-time given her $730-a-month student loan payment and how much less they thought teachers made in Italy.

The plan was to continue living in the UAE and visit Italy in the summers, when Cordier, who worked in construction before going into teaching, could gradually renovate the house.

But, yet again, the plan changed.

When the couple got married in 2022, their families got a chance to see the magic of the lake.

Knighten said she and Cordier got engaged before their first trip to Italy in 2018 but had never given much thought to when or where they'd actually tie the knot. That changed when they saw Lago Iseo.

"That's the first time we kind of got excited about 'Oh yeah, let's get married, let's have a wedding,'" she said.

After a delay due to COVID-19, they finally hosted their wedding in Italy in 2022 with loved ones and friends they'd made on their first visit to the lake in 2018 in attendance.

No one was surprised that they had bought the lakeside house.

"We both have always wanted an unconventional life and made choices to live an unconventional life. So it didn't surprise anyone in our family," she said. "When they came to the wedding, everyone was like, 'This place is magic.'"

Around the same time, the couple began thinking their fantasy of living in Italy could become reality.

Before their wedding in 2022, Knighten and Cordier had the idea of starting an online subscription-based exam preparation business for the UAE's equivalent of the SATs.

The growth of their business eventually gave them the confidence to quit their teaching jobs in the UAE and move to Italy full-time during the summer of 2023.

Although their test-prep business, which they finally launched in the fall of 2023, has yet to turn a profit, Knighten said the teaching jobs they ended up finding in Italy paid better than they'd anticipated.

"We're really happy," she said.

The renovation kicked off in full swing in March — and it's still ongoing.

The house required a lot of TLC, which isn't cheap. Knighten said she and her husband estimate the project will cost roughly $100,000.

But the budget is expensive because they're making significant changes, Knighten added. For example, they're adding ensuite bathrooms to both bedrooms and structural upgrades like a new roof and skylights.

While they're renovating their house, they're living in a rental apartment nearby.

They've hired professionals to help with major changes, but Cordier also lends a hand whenever he's available. Knighten said it's still taken longer than they expected to move in.

They'd hoped to be living in the house by June, but it's looking closer to December as most people in Italy don't work full-time in August, she added.

During renovations, Knighten and Cordier discovered their house is a lot older than they thought.

Knighten said a real-estate agent told them the house was probably built in the 18th century.

But during the renovation process, the couple found a stone window hidden behind plaster that their architect said indicated the property was potentially medieval.

The discovery was all the more exciting because Knighten and Cordier love old artifacts.

"We're both really into history, and particularly history you can touch and feel," she said.

They also kept a lot of furniture the previous owner left behind to add character and save money.

When the couple was sold the home, the real-estate agent offered to get rid of all of the previous owner's furniture for them, which didn't sit right with Knighten or Cordier.

"There were loads of really cool vintage pieces," she said. "We went through everything in the house, and we've kept a lot."

Doing so has helped them cut down on costs and get creative with the renovation process.

For example, the couple can't afford new kitchen cabinets, so they've decided to use old wooden dressers that were already in the house for kitchen storage instead.

Knighten and Cordier might have been happy in the US, but she has no doubts Italy was the right choice.

Knighten has no regrets about choosing their slice of Italian paradise over a chance to move back to the US.

"The quality of life here is beyond. It's incredible," she said. Benefits they're enjoying include better grocery produce, how walkable everything is, and, of course, free healthcare, which the couple can enroll in because they are residents.

It's a game changer for Knighten, who recalled experiencing an ovarian cyst rupture when she was living in the US without health insurance. Despite having two jobs at the time, she hesitated to go to the hospital because of how much it would cost.

"Looking back at it, I'm like, how is America considered the developed world?" Knighten said.

Given the great deal they have as teachers in Italy and how poorly many teachers are paid in the US, Knighten and Cordier have no plans to move stateside.

But Knighten wouldn't rule anything out.

"Five years ago, I didn't expect to be doing this, and 10 years ago, I did not expect to be in the UAE or Vietnam," she said. "I'd 100% live in Chicago again. But I just don't see that happening for me, especially in my profession."

• Andrea Mac, a business owner who made $550,000 last year,  refuses to pay her daughter's tuition.
• Mac questions the value of investing such a significant amount of money into a college education.
• She and her husband want to instill independence, responsibility, and success in their children.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Andrea Mac, a growth strategist at Prequal from the Greater Chicago area. It's been edited for length and clarity.

For the last seven years I've built a business that made just under $550,000 in 2023. I'm projecting that I'll make seven figures in 2024.

Despite this income, my husband and I have not agreed to — nor do we plan to — pay for the college tuition of our oldest daughter, a sophomore at the University of Iowa.

Stating that feels vulnerable and unpopular because, within our network, this is an uncommon or less commonly talked-about choice. But we didn't make this decision lightly, and we considered many factors.

Seven key considerations went into our decision.

1. Fostering autonomy and independence in our children.

When everything — including school choice, scholarships, performance, and even access to grades — is dictated or overseen by parents, students can become passive participants in their education. By not paying for college, we want our children to own their academic journey fully. This means they'll need to make crucial decisions, seek scholarships, and manage their finances, which will help them truly understand the value of their education.

To be fair, we've decided that we, as parents, don't get to choose which college our children attend. If they spent our money on tuition, we'd need a say in that decision. Instead, we've told our college-age daughter: you can choose to attend a college that costs $5,000 or $100,000 a year, but we're not writing a blank check.

2. Making sure they understand the privilege of attending college

My husband and I feel that pursuing a college degree is not a rite of passage but a choice and commitment to higher education.

As a young adult transitioning from high school, it's the perfect opportunity to evaluate the opportunity cost critically, investment of both time and money, and projected return on investment from such a commitment.

If they choose college, this sense of ownership can drive them to perform better and take their studies more seriously. Knowing they've worked hard to contribute to their education can instill pride and accomplishment.

3. Keeping our financial future secure

We've worked very hard to achieve economic mobility and to live in a neighborhood that offers the best educational opportunities we can afford. I've worked, and continue to work, diligently to provide for our family of six.

Committing about $800,000 — an average of $200,000 per child for a four-year university degree — could jeopardize our future financial security. We prioritize living within our means, and paying for college for four children would stretch our finances beyond what we're willing to risk.

For example, investing $200,000 over four years into scaling my consultancy firm could produce more revenue and provide more significant long-term benefits for our family. Likewise, with an average annual return for stock market investments at about 10%, that same $200,000 could yield almost an additional $100,000 in return over that same four-year time period.

4. Living within our means

Financial prudence is a core value for us. We're not willing to take on debt to pay for college. We believe in financial stability and the importance of living within our means.

This decision aligns with our commitment to avoid debt and maintain a healthy financial position, which benefits our entire family.

5. Considering the Return on Investment

Education is an investment, and we consider the potential return like any investment. With rising tuition costs, my husband and I think it's essential to evaluate whether the outcomes in terms of ROI justify the financial outlay for college.

We question the value of investing such a significant amount of money into a college education, especially when there are alternative paths to success that don't involve incurring massive debt.

6. Maintaining equality between siblings

We have four children aged 5 to 19, and we care about equality among siblings. Committing to paying for one child's college education means we must do the same for all of them to maintain fairness.

This long-term financial commitment could span many years, potentially affecting our ability to support our younger children in other meaningful ways. We want to ensure our financial decisions don't create inequality among our children.

7. Avoid fostering a sense of entitlement in our children

By making them responsible for their college expenses, we hope to instill a strong work ethic and a sense of responsibility in our kids. We also hope our choice will help them understand the value of hard work and the importance of making prudent financial decisions.

We're encouraging our children to take responsibility for their education and financial choices

Our children must evaluate cost-effective options, seek scholarships, and consider alternative education paths like community college, vocational training, or starting their careers earlier. This approach teaches them to be pragmatic and resourceful, skills that will serve them well throughout their lives.

Evaluating whether to pay for our kids' college tuition was a challenging decision, but it's rooted in our desire to foster autonomy, responsibility, and financial prudence.

Ultimately, by empowering our children to take charge of their education and finances, we feel we're helping to set them up for a lifetime of independence, responsibility, and success. 

If you are teaching your children a unique financial lesson and would like to share your story, email Manseen Logan at mlogan@businessinsider.com.

• Stevie Howell is an artist who has lived in LA for about five years.
• She enjoys the city's creative scene and the many produce that can be grown in the area.
• Howell says the isolation, dullness, traffic, and lack of green spaces and community is bad in LA.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Stevie Howell, an artist and business owner who lives in Los Angeles. It's been edited for length and clarity.

I moved to Los Angeles about five years ago from San Francisco, and I previously lived in New York City and Chicago.

I expected my move would be easy since I'd still be living in California — but I've been surprised that I haven't seen a lot of things in LA that I've seen in a smaller city like San Francisco. 

LA has many positives beyond the great weather that lets you do outdoor activities year-round. The city also attracts creativity — it's home to great design, art, and comedy. This area also has amazing produce — you can grow almost anything here, so it's lemon trees and passion fruit vines galore.

But these are the five of the worst things that I've experienced while living in Los Angeles.

1. LA has horrible urban planning 

LA's urban planning could be so much better. Decades ago, the planners made huge mistakes that destroyed this city. They removed most of the canals that made Venice, Venice; took away the streetcars; built freeways that cut through all the low-income areas; made too many huge streets that aren't walkable and buildings that aren't human-scaled; and put strip malls everywhere instead of charming storefronts to walk by and window shop.

In general, it seems as though LA doesn't value urban beauty. Beauty happens inside here, behind walls, and in private homes. 

I've noticed that there aren't enough green spaces. LA lacks great parks compared to other cities like San Francisco and New York City. If only Frederic Olmstead had made a couple of trips to Southern California.

Driving around LA I can see how the neighborhoods change. Some areas receive more attention and infrastructure while others don't. 

2. The city feels dull 

For a bustling city, life in LA can have a surprising lack of vibrancy. It doesn't feel urban the way cities like NYC or SF do — I don't feel an urban buzz or excitement.

People-watching is a rarity here unless I count DIY photoshoots set up in front of pink walls. While I love overhearing the occasional only-in-LA style conversation or hearing my neighbors practice lines in their backyard, the conversations generally involve too much talk about traffic. 

The traffic makes it so hard to get places that I end up doing a lot less than I'd do in other big cities. For me, this means less going to museums, galleries, shows, talks, or even just a dinner on the other side of town. Often the same museum shows exhibited in LA will travel to other cities, and there have been times when I've missed the entire duration in LA but see it on a quick trip to NYC or Chicago. 

3. I feel isolated 

LA felt socially distant even before COVID and before "socially distant" was a thing. It feels like a sprawling mass of suburban enclaves next to each other. People are kind of in their own worlds, doing their own thing.

It's common for me to go months without seeing my closest friends here. This is another thing that mostly has to do with traffic and how sprawling the city is — people seem to stay in their neighborhoods and homes.

4. Driving sucks here 

We all know traffic is a huge problem in LA — after all, LA is home to 11 of the top 25 worst traffic corridors in the US. Good luck ever seeing your best friend who lives 12 miles away. Going from the east to the west side or vice versa can be excruciating, even with an arsenal of great podcasts loaded up.

Walking isn't really an option in most cases because of huge streets and extreme distances, and every time I try, I almost get hit by a driver who just doesn't expect there to be someone walking — even in a crosswalk.

And on the rare day it rains, everyone forgets how to drive. A drizzle adds about double the commute time.

5. I don't feel any sense of community 

I don't feel a strong sense of community in LA. It lacks cohesion that brings the whole city together, and I think this is why people have to work to find a sense of community.

Because it's such a driving culture, I don't interact with people as much as I do in other cities I've lived in. I don't ride the subway and get to sit next to someone who lives a completely different life than I do.

Because of this lack of interaction with a wider demographic range, it's hard to feel connected to the city as a whole. 

If you moved to a new city or state and want to share your experience, email Manseen Logan at mlogan@businessinsider.com.

• Google Lens uses image recognition to identify landmarks, plants, animals, and more.
• Google Lens also facilitates reverse image searches and can translate text.
• Google Lens is available as a standalone app for Android users and incorporated as a feature in other Google-owned apps.

Google Lens is a tool that uses Google's image recognition technology to help you navigate the real world. 

It can help you recognize a brand logo, pinpoint a location, figure out who someone is, identify a product, and so much more. It's useful, fun, and almost unnervingly effective to implement.

Here's what you'll need to do to start using this helpful tool to identify images around you:

What images can Google Lens identify?

You can use Google Lens to identify images on your camera and gain more information about landmarks, plants, animals, products, and other objects. It can also be used to scan and auto-translate text. You can use Google Lens to scan images already in your photo library or, with an Android phone, you can activate Google Lens directly as you snap a new image.

Google Lens is also incorporated into Google Images: Snap a photo with it to perform a reverse image search.

Google Lens has numerous useful applications. You can use it to look up plants or insects you encounter to see if they're dangerous; you can use it to translate foreign street signs; and you can even use it to check out that funky rash you've developed (though Google points out that its technology should not be considered a medical diagnosis). 

Google Lens is also deeply embedded in the Google ecosystem, making it convenient to use it through other apps like Google Photos, Google Assistant, and Google's search engine.

Google Lens also has its disadvantages, however. Critics have complained that the technology is not yet sophisticated enough to be useful. It sometimes struggles with accuracy and fails to recognize products or brands.

How to use Google Lens

Google Lens should be enabled by default on Android phones. If not, the standalone Google Lens app is available for download for Android phones in the Google Play store. While iPhone users can't download the standalone app, Google Lens is still incorporated into other iOS-compatible apps like Google Translate or Chrome.

Here's how to use the Google Lens app to identify images on an Android phone:

1. Open the Google Lens app and swipe down.

2. Select "Open Camera" and grant the app approval to use the camera.

3. Take a photo of whatever you want Google Lens to identify by tapping the search button in the bottom-center section of the screen.

Once you snap the photo and Google Lens identifies the image, you'll get a list of relevant information about it.

You can select from a number of different options depending on the content your photo; use the document icon to scan text, the character icons to translate text, the shopping cart icon for shopping information, or the fork and knife icon for restaurant info, to name several useful examples.

How to use Google Lens through Google Photos

You can also access Google Lens via the Google Photos app.

First, snap a photo of whatever you want to identify (or you can have an image already in your camera roll that you want to inspect with Google Lens). Next, open the Google Photos app, select the relevant photo, and then tap the Google Lens icon.

From there, you will be able to access many of the tools and features mentioned above on in relation to Android phones. You will be able to identify locations (including screenshots from Google Street View), people (both friends and family in your own photos, and famous people like Google CEO Sundar Pichai), products, logos and more, all to the best of Google Lens' ability.

Just remember, while you can use Google Lens via Google Photos on your iPhone or iPad, some of your options will be limited; for instance, you won't be able to identify products via their barcodes. Overall, the user experience will be mostly the same for Android and iOS users, though.

• Three Black men sued American Airlines, alleging racial discrimination on a January flight.
• The men were removed because of a body odor complaint from a white flight attendant.
• American Airlines said it was investigating the incident.

A trio of Black men sued American Airlines on Wednesday, saying they faced racial discrimination on a flight in January.

Alvin Jackson, Emmanuel Jean Joseph, and Xavier Veal filed a lawsuit in federal court about their removal from and eventual reinstatement on the plane.

The three men, along with five other Black men, were flying from Phoenix to New York. None of them knew each other or were seated together.

Just before takeoff, they were individually ordered off the plane because of a complaint about body odor, an American Airlines representative told them, per the lawsuit.

Cellphone video from one of the men shows a man telling an American Airlines employee that they were taken off because of their skin color. She responds, "I do not disagree with you."

After an hour of waiting, during which American Airlines could not find later flights for the men, they were allowed to reboard.

They then had to "endure the stares of the largely white passengers who viewed them as the cause of the substantial delay," the complaint said.

The body odor complaint came from a white male flight attendant, the lawsuit said. One of the plaintiffs asked to be seated away from the flight attendant. Staff moved an Asian woman to first class and directed the man to her coach seat.

The other two plaintiffs were served by that unnamed flight attendant, who "continued to behave in a rude and discriminatory manner" during the flight.

American Airlines told one of the plaintiffs that he could speak with a representative inside the terminal after the flight landed in New York. After he disembarked, there were no employees available.

The trio of plaintiffs, represented by New York attorney Lindsay Goldbrum, are seeking a jury trial.

American Airlines did not respond to Business Insider's request for comment, sent outside normal working hours. The company did not file an immediate response to the lawsuit.

The company told NPR in a statement that it takes discrimination claims very seriously. "Our teams are currently investigating the matter, as the claims do not reflect our core values or our purpose of caring for people."

The lawsuit comes amid a series of high-profile incidents for American.

Last month, a former judge, who is Black, said she was racially discriminated against on a February flight. Seated in first class, she said a flight attendant made her use an economy-section bathroom and she alleged he falsely accused her of hitting him and threatened her with arrest.

And last year, two high-profile Black passengers — track star Sha'Carri Richardson and involving musician David Ryan Harris — were involved in disputes with the carrier.

In 2017, the NAACP issued a travel advisory, warning Black passengers of potential discriminatory and unsafe practices at American Airlines. The civil-rights organization lifted the warning the following year.

• Greg Bockman is the Senior Events Manager at AT&T.
• His mom, Kathryn Bockman, is the company's Assistant Vice President of Accounting.
• Greg said Kathy sometimes acts as his mentor and sometimes acts as his mom.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Greg Bockman, senior events manager at AT&T, and his mother Kathryn Bockman. It has been edited for length and clarity.

Sometimes when I'm at work in the AT&T office in Dallas, the elevator will open and my mom will stroll out. It's not a crazy coincidence or an issue of mom overstepping: we both work for the same company and in the same building.

If I bump into my mom coming out of the elevator or in the hall, we'll give a quick embrace, but not the type of mother-son hug we save for family events. Since we work in different departments it's rare that we're in a meeting together. If we are, we acknowledge each other with a polite smile or nod — the same way we greet coworkers who aren't family.

We've learned that it's important to keep up professionalism. And yet, working with my mom has been a really cool growth opportunity. I know her better because I get to see her as a professional and mentor, not just a mother.

I wouldn't want to report to my mom directly

I never expected to be working with my mom. Growing up I knew she worked at AT&T and had a lot of loyalty to the company, but our interests were totally different: I love planning events, while she's focused on numbers and finance.

Even after I graduated college and looked for a job in the corporate world, my mom didn't intervene. She didn't want anything to be spoon-fed to me. And yet, I felt a familiarity with life at AT&T, and when a job presented itself at the company where my mom is in leadership, I took it.

Luckily, I've never had family or coworkers give me a hard time about working with mom. I don't report to her and we rarely cross paths professionally. I'm glad we maintain that division.

I see my mom a lot more since we work together

Like most moms, mine would appreciate it if I saw her more. Outside work we get together probably two to three times a week. I'll head to her house for dinner and catch up with the rest of the family, including the dogs.

That doesn't give us too much time. So, bumping into her once or twice a week at work has really strengthened our relationship. We even have the opportunity to put a lunch date right on each other's company calendar, which makes keeping in touch much easier.

Having a mom and mentor in one can be complex

In our situation, I get a mentor and a mother. There's no doubt that my mom is good at her job, and seeing her in this environment as a career woman has really enriched my understanding of who she is.

Because of that, I really value her professional mentorship. There's a definite difference in her tone when she's speaking to me as a mom, versus as a mentor. As a mother, she tries to be understanding and soften the blow of any tough love. As a mentor, she's a straight shooter, reminding me to buckle up and get the job done.

There's love in both deliveries, but sometimes it can be hard to take advice from my mom. Once or twice she's told me things I didn't want to hear. I might get annoyed with my mom about that, but at the same time I appreciate the honesty from my mentor.

My mom has a great understanding of my work

In a big company like AT&T, it's easy to let other departments handle their areas of expertise, without really understanding why they're important. The same can happen with family — we often only have a vague idea what our loved ones do.

My mom has told me that since we work together, she has a better understanding of the value that my area of the company has. It's taught her about an area that she might not be aware of, if she didn't have family working within it. That can strengthen the organization because we recognize the potential for collaboration, and the value that everyone brings to the table.

• A new 155mm factory in Texas aims to produce 30,000 rounds a month, per The New York Times.
• It's part of the US plan to manufacture 100,000 rounds a month by the end of 2025.
• But that pales to Russia's annual production estimates, which go up to 3 million to 4.5 million.

The US has opened a new factory for Howitzer ammo near Dallas, which aims to pump out 30,000 of the 155mm shells a month as the Ukraine war chews through Western stocks.

The factory, run by General Dynamics in Mesquite, Texas, was built from scratch in just 10 months with the help of technologies from Turkish arms manufacturer Repkon, The New York Times' John Ismay reported on Wednesday.

Ismay noted that one of its production lines would be next to a Frito-Lays distribution center that appeared to be taking deliveries from Cheetos trucks.

The Texas plant's monthly manufacturing goal of 30,000 shells falls under a new push by the US Army to make 100,000 rounds a month by 2025.

Before the invasion of Ukraine, the US produced only 14,000 shells a month, but by the end of 2023, this had doubled to 28,000.

According to Ismay, the most updated production figures show that 36,000 shells are made monthly at two factories in Pennsylvania. The new facility at max capacity would bump total production to 66,000 shells a month for the US.

That might be two-thirds of the way to the US' 2025 goal but still pales to Russia's current production rate — underscoring a major advantage in artillery capacity for Moscow.

The Kremlin was estimated to be producing 250,000 shells a month, or 3 million a year, according to NATO assessments reported by CNN in March.

It is also unlikely that all of the forecast 100,000 monthly shells produced by the US would be reserved for Kyiv. Washington is also sending ammo to Israel, for example, and needs to think about replenishing its own stock.

NYT cited Michael Kofman, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, saying: "Let's say a year and a half from now both the US and Europe are making, or buying, over a million shells each. That's still probably less than Russia is going to produce this year."

Kofman told the outlet that while the Mesquite plant would be important for long-term production, Russia would likely still be producing more ammo than the West even if the US hits its 2025 goal.

The US and Europe have sent Ukraine more than 3 million 155mm artillery shells since the war began. Ukraine has said the munitions are critical to its defense. Though Kyiv is burning through thousands of shells per day, Russia is estimated to be firing multiple times more shells back.

In March, the European Union earmarked another $2.15 billion to boost its production after only being able to supply about half of the 1 million 155mm rounds it promised to deliver by that month.

Meanwhile, the US Army said it would need some $3.1 billion to hit its 100,000-rounds-per-month goal and received $6 billion instead.

"So that, I think, is a vote of confidence as we make our way to 100,000 shells a month," said Doug Bush, the Army's top official for acquisitions, in March.

On Sunday, Sky News reported on a Bain & Company analysis that said Russia is on pace to manufacture about 4.5 million shells this year, at a cost of about $1,000 per round.

The US, on the other hand, spends about $3,000 to $4,000 to make a single 155mm round. With Washington and its allies expected to produce about 1.3 million rounds in 2024, that would be about a third of Russia's forecast capacity at triple the cost.

Press teams for the Pentagon and the US Army did not immediately respond to requests for comment sent outside regular business hours by Business Insider.