• Business Insider asked interior designers which living-room trends are in and out this year.
• The experts said earthy tones and brass accents will be popular throughout 2024. 
• Barbiecore accents, all-white interiors, and large armchairs will be phased out this year.

There's not much we can do about rising home prices and high rent costs — but we can control how we decorate the space we live in.

And now, we're starting with the living room. Business Insider asked interior designers which living-room trends are in and out this year.

Here's what they said.

Custom upholstery is here to stay in 2024.

Alex Bass, interior designer and founder and CEO of Art Advisory & Interior Design Studio Salon 21, told Business Insider using custom upholstery to personalize a living room without buying new furniture is so in.

She said more and more people will try "refreshing an old ottoman or making new pillows with some fun prints to bring color and texture" to a home.

Earthy tones are on the rise.

Claire Paquin, interior designer and founder of Clean Design, told BI that in 2024 we'll see more earthy tones in living-room spaces.

"My clients are attracted to rich hues like forest green, berry, and rust, which make spaces feel inviting and warm," she said.

Grays and cool neutrals will continue to find their way into designs but with less regularity.

LED lighting is trending.

Paquin said LED lighting will continue to be used in room designs this year because it can be used "for both form and function."

It can give homeowners and renters a chance to explore different ambiance and mood lighting in their space.

She said she's also seen LED lighting used to back-light floating mirrors and placed within walls and ceilings for a custom look.

Brass accents will continue to rise in popularity.

Kellie Sirna, interior designer and founder of Studio 11 Design, said brass accents will remain popular this year.

"Brass always adds a bit of glam to a space and warms up the room," she said, adding that we'll likely see the finish on knobs, light fixtures, and even cutlery.

Statement rugs are so in.

Denise Davies, interior designer and founder of D2 Interieurs, said uniquely shaped rugs are on trend for 2024.

"I'm seeing a lot now with different-shaped rugs — rounded, egg-shaped, etc. — as opposed to just a rectangle," she said. "This immediately gives a space more interest and allows the eye to wander the room rather than fixate on one piece."

We'll continue to see furniture with storage in living rooms.

Elana Cline, designer and founder of Carta Creatives, told BI that visual clutter is out, so furniture with clever storage solutions is in.

She said hiding visual clutter "can help keep the mind focused and the room more tranquil."

On the other hand, all-white rooms are still out of style.

Amy Youngblood, founder and lead designer at Amy Youngblood Interiors, said all-white rooms are still out for 2024.

"All-white everything gives the home a sterile look, which lacks coziness and comfort," she said. "Without some pops of color, texture, or contrast, your space will not feel inviting for everyday living and entertaining."

Barbiecore was a fleeting trend.

Kathy Kuo, interior designer and founder of Kathy Kuo Home, told BI that buzzy trends like Barbiecore are on their way out.

"It's not realistic or sustainable to overhaul your entire home's aesthetic each time a new buzzword hits the social-media sphere or a popular new movie comes out," she said.

Monochromatic color schemes are fading out.

Youngblood said we'll see fewer monochromatic color schemes in living spaces this year. They're just not exciting enough.

"It's so important to mix textures and blend in contrasting and bolder elements to create an interesting space," she said.

Black interiors won't be back in 2024.

Young said we won't see the color black in living rooms much this year.

"People are increasingly drawn to calming, brighter, more carefree colors in their homes as a way to relax and recharge in their space, so I think we'll see less use of black as the primary color in a room," she told BI.

Chunky armchairs are a thing of the past.

Interior designer Kate Dawson told BI that furniture with big arms will not be trendy by the end of the year.

"Furniture with huge arms won't be sticking around in 2024," she said. " … it feels clunky and dated, and people want more refined and elegant pieces these days."

• Glass Lewis has advised Tesla shareholders to vote against Elon Musk's $56 billion pay package.
• The proxy advisor also urged them to reject a proposal to reincorporate the EV maker in Texas.
• Glass Lewis said in a report that the share options deal was of "excessive size" and "dilutive."

A top proxy advisory firm has urged Tesla shareholders to vote against Elon Musk's $56 billion pay deal and a proposal to reincorporate the EV maker in Texas.

Glass Lewis said in a report that the compensation package was of "excessive size" and "dilutive" while also raising concerns over Musk's numerous other projects — particularly the social media platform X.

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

The Tesla CEO also runs SpaceX, Neuralink, and the Boring Company.

Glass Lewis added that the proposed move to Texas offered shareholders "uncertain benefits and additional risk," the Financial Times reported.

Proxy advisor firms guide shareholders on how to vote at shareholder meetings, helping them "make educated decisions that benefit the company as well as their own investments," Glass Lewis says on its website.

A report published on the Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance said that proxy advisory firms can have "significant influence" over institutional investors voting decisions as well as the governance choices of publicly traded companies.

The Glass Lewis report comes ahead of Tesla's annual meeting on June 13, when investors will vote on the proposed package of share options, which was initially outlined in 2018.

Musk has previously threatened to develop future products elsewhere if his bid to gain more control of Tesla by increasing his stake is blocked.

"I am uncomfortable growing Tesla to be a leader in AI & robotics without having ~25% voting control. Enough to be influential, but not so much that I can't be overturned," he wrote on X in January. "Unless that is the case, I would prefer to build products outside of Tesla."

Tesla's board has been attempting to persuade investors to support the controversial package since it was struck down by a Delaware judge in January over concerns about its size and the board's independence.

In the ruling, Court of Chancery Judge Kathleen St. J. McCormick said, "The process leading to the approval of Musk's compensation plan was deeply flawed," adding that "Musk had extensive ties with the persons tasked with negotiating on Tesla's behalf."

The SpaceX CEO was quick to express his view on the ruling on X, writing, "Never incorporate your company in the state of Delaware."

In 2018, 73% of investors approved Musk's pay proposal, per the FT.

If Tesla's board can now prove investors still back the deal, it may help an appeal case against the decision to void it.

Losing the vote would be a major blow to the board and could call Musk's leadership into question.

Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider, which was made outside regular working hours.

• Housing experts were betting on mortgage rates to decline this year on looser Fed policy.
• Yet, the 30-year mortgage rate has been stuck around 7% all year. 
• Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae say they expect mortgages to stay in the 7% range through 2024.

Interest rate forecasts have been volatile through 2024, as early bets for a policy pivot have consistently been let down.

With the Federal Reserve looking unlikely to ease rates before September, housing market analysts are recalibrating mortgage rate outlooks, as home loan rates are heavily influenced by the Fed funds rate. 

Following the excitement of waning inflation at the end of 2023, which prompted calls for as many as seven Fed rate cuts in 2024, a string of discouraging consumer price index reports in the first quarter has prompted a shift.

The Fed has grown more cautious since the start of the year. Public remarks from central bankers in recent weeks have signaled no rush to loosen policy, and some market commentators have said they're even eyeing another rate hike before a dovish pivot. 

That's complicated the outlook for all kinds of borrowing costs for consumers and businesses, and notably, it has made the outlook for mortgage rates much less rosy for potential buyers this year. 

Government-sponsored mortgage finance giants Fannie Mae and Freddi Mac have pushed their forecasts for mortgage rates back up.

In a report this month, Fannie estimated that the 30-year mortgage could creep up to 7.1% in the coming quarters, before easing slightly by the end of the year. That's well above the 6.4% forecast it held in April. 

Freddie Mac has also adjusted its prediction. 

"Our baseline scenario has one Federal Reserve rate cut towards the end of the year. As a result, we expect mortgage rates to remain elevated through most of 2024," the government-sponsored enterprise wrote in its midyear outlook.

"The question our economics team is asked most frequently by industry participants remains where we think mortgage rates are headed," chief economist Doug Duncan said in the report. "For now, we see rates remaining closer to 7 percent through the end of the year – before trending downward in 2025 – but note potential downside to that forecast given recent actual movements in rates."

High rates have added to a number of market burdens for both buyers and sellers, and consumers have largely stuck to the sidelines as a result. While there are some encouraging signs for prospective buyers, such as more inventory and less price appreciation, the market is still tight. 

Many homeowners originally bought their property when mortgage rates were as low as 3%, and the steep rise since has disincentivized selling. According to Freddie Mac, six out of 10 mortgages have a rate below 4%, locking those owners into their lower costs. 

With fewer existing homes on the market, a dearth of housing supply has caused prices to soar in the last 18 months.  

"Move-up buyers feel stuck because they're ready for their next house, but it just doesn't make financial sense to sell with current interest rates so high," Redfin Premier agent Sam Brinton said in a recent report. 

Home prices hit a fresh record this month, reaching $387,600 in the four weeks through May 19, Redfin said. Between that and mortgage rate highs, median monthly housing payments are sitting just $20 below recent all-time highs.

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

Hello! Welcome back to our Sunday edition, a roundup of some of our top stories. Ever wonder how much money you need to make to be considered middle class? What about the incomes of the upper class? We crunched the numbers.

On the agenda:

• How Oracle's biggest-ever acquisition turned deadly.
• Robots and AI might just be the future of IVF.
• Millennials are redefining the FIRE movement.
• Neighborhoods have really dumb names these days.

But first: OpenAI's in the spotlight (again).

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

This week's dispatch

When OpenAI's GPT-4o started chatting during the AI startup's livestream event, I was immediately reminded of "Her," the Spike Jonze movie from a decade ago. I wasn't the only one. 

Scarlett Johansson, who voiced the AI Samantha in that movie, said last week that she had hired lawyers after she heard GPT-4o using a voice that sounded "eerily similar" to her own. This was after Sam Altman tried to hire her to voice the AI bot, and she declined. 

OpenAI paused the voice, saying a different actress was behind it, and that the voice was cast before Altman reached out to Johansson. That one of the AI voices sounds a great deal like a Hollywood star who declined to work with OpenAI is purely coincidental. OK!

It's not a good look for OpenAI, which is facing continued questions over its truthfulness right as it tries to become a fixture in all of our lives.

Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai said OpenAI might have breached YouTube's terms when training its Sora model. Authors are taking legal action over breach of copyright. There have been multiple high-profile departures in recent months.

Six months on from his brief ouster as CEO, Altman is under pressure again.

Oracle's deadly gamble

Larry Ellison bet $28 billion that he could revolutionize healthcare. With the purchase of medical-records company Cerner, the billionaire planned to pump its vast trove of medical data into Oracle's AI models and develop an electronic health record system of the future. 

So far, it's been a disaster.

Inside Ellison's disastrous bet on healthcare.

The future of fertilization

Conceivable Life Sciences, a startup in Guadalajara, Mexico, is building robots and AI models to automate crucial parts of IVF. Though they're just in the prototype stage, the robots can suck sperm into needles and place them into eggs.

The cofounders say automation will challenge an industry rife with arbitrary decision-making — and it could wind up saving patients tens of thousands of dollars. 

Here's how it works.

FI, not RE

For some millennials, the FIRE movement — financial independence, retire early — isn't just about riding off into the sunset early. 

A portion of the generation is focused more on financial independence than cutting out work completely. The result means they can create their own version of life after work.

Millennials throw some cold water on FIRE.

Also read:

• An early retiree shares 3 money moves he made to save seven figures, quit work at 48, and still live comfortably: 'You don't have to live on ramen'
• A 50-year-old retiree says his 'biggest mistake' was saving too much in his 401(k)
• An early retiree shares the advice he received in his early 20s that helped him retire at age 48

Welcome to DumBro

Cities on the rise have a weird trend these days: Really dumb neighborhood names. Take Denver, where you can find RiNo, SoBo, LoDo, and LoHi. Two-syllable names for neighborhoods used to be an oddity.

But now it's become a full-blown epidemic as builders try to redevelop portions of cities into their image. And it's not just an innocent name game. Oftentimes it's about erasing the history — and pushing residents out — of the original neighborhood.

The great neighborhood renaming.

This week's quote:

"I channeled a thick-skinned character who thrived in a man's world."

— Lindsay MacMillan, a former Goldman Sachs VP who was driven out by the company's "boys only" culture.

More of this week's top reads:

• These are the top 15 places to live in the United States.
• Baby boomers have been America's secret weapon for fending off recession.
• Homes on Nantucket are falling into the ocean — but the wealthy won't stop buying them.
• Companies are "unbossing" the workplace. Millennial managers are getting axed.
• How Khaby Lame, the world's most-followed TikToker, built his business.
• Deleting Slack and Gmail helped one woman become a better parent — and worker. 

• Google AI said to put glue in pizza — so I made a pizza with glue and ate it.

  ---

  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.

• Noland Arbaugh is the first human to receive Neuralink's brain-chip implant.
• The 29-year-old quadriplegic man said it's helped him regain independence and reconnect socially.
• He spoke to Business Insider about how it's impacted his life since he got it inserted in January.

This as-told-to essay is based on a transcribed conversation with Noland Arbaugh, Neuralink's first human patient to receive its brain-chip implant. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

I wasn't scared going into the surgery to get Neuralink's implant inserted in January.

I was at peace with it all; it had much to do with my faith in God. I knew that whatever was to come was God's plan for my life, and that really put me at ease.

I also had complete faith in the teams working on this, including the surgical staff and nurses. They were all excellent people in their fields, and all my questions were very well answered.

There were a lot of risks involved, especially being the first to have it. The one thing I was worried about was getting brain damage. That was the one thing that gave me a bit of a pause beforehand. I told my parents that if I became mentally handicapped, I wouldn't want them to take care of me anymore and to put me in an assisted care home. That was probably the hardest thing I had to prepare for.

The idea of giving up the implant was really hard

About a month after I got it, some of the device's wires, or threads, retracted from my brain. This was not Neuralink's fault. There is not a lot of literature or studies about the subject and how much the brain moves when it pulses.

The team talked to a lot of brain surgeons and came to the conclusion that the brain moves about a millimeter. Then, after they implanted it in my brain, they found that it moved three millimeters, which is three times as much as what they had expected. The components and threads that they built weren't intended to take on that kind of load, which caused them to retract a bit.

When I found out what happened, my initial response was to ask if they wanted to go in, remove it, and insert a new one, but they told me they weren't considering it at the time. They wanted to see if they could work around what happened in the software, which they ended up doing instead of fixing it through another surgery. They handled it really well.

It didn't physically hurt, and it wasn't dangerous. But it hurt emotionally because I thought that I wasn't going to be able to use the device anymore. I was just down in the dumps for a few days, but I tend to roll with the punches. It took me a few days, but I came around.

I use the implant to interact with people on social media

I've been using it to message people on X, use Instagram, reply to emails, play fantasy sports, read comics online, and access a site I use to learn Japanese. I also used it to book a hotel for when I visited Neuralink's headquarters.

One time I fell asleep while using it, and the cursor still moves when I'm asleep and still clicks stuff. I fell asleep for about five minutes and when I woke up, there were around 10 different applications open on the computer. You can turn the cursor off so that doesn't happen, but I didn't on this occasion.

The device connects to my computer using Bluetooth, and there's a Neuralink app that allows the implant to access the computer, so I can connect and disconnect from it at will.

Sometimes, I start my day at 7 a.m. and use the implant until 11 p.m. I know it's a long day, but it's fun for me, so it doesn't really feel like work.

I have study sessions with a brain-computer interface team in Maryland for four to eight hours a day. Outside those, I have structured sessions where I have personal time to use the device.

This helps us learn things that the researchers otherwise wouldn't, like different ways in which it doesn't quite work as intended. It can be a bug in the software, for example, that they need to address, which helps to make it better.

It's served to make my life just a bit better

It's allowed me to reconnect with the world, my friends, and my family. It's made me a better texter and more capable of interacting with people such as on social media.

One of the big things about being a quadriplegic is just how powerless you are, and so I wanted to take back as much control as I could.

There were times in the days after my accident in 2016 that led to a spinal cord injury when I didn't want to do anything, where I was sad, and I was like, 'This sucks.' I didn't know what I was doing for a few months and didn't feel like I was being very productive.

But I've always been the kind of person who accepts what is, and finds a way to move forward, and that's exactly what I did. I didn't wallow so much as I looked forward and thought, 'How can I make my life better? How can I improve my life even a little bit today?' That helps a lot. It gives me a drive and a purpose.

The two-year mark after my accident was pretty hard. They say after two years, you won't recover any more movement or sensation, and that's basically what you're going to be left with for the rest of your life. It was hard for a day or two, and then I moved on.

The implant has definitely given me more purpose when I get up, and I feel I'm doing meaningful work. I feel like what I'm doing every day is going to affect people forever after this, and that's enough to keep me going all the time.

Since getting Neuralink's implant inserted in January, the quality of my life has improved significantly. Since my accident, finding different ways to stay productive has been an uphill battle. The device has ultimately allowed me to become more independent.

• Donald Trump faced boos and heckles at the Libertarian National Convention Saturday night.
• When he called Joe Biden a "tyrant" the crowd responded saying "That's you."
• Trump said he would commute the sentence of the founder of Silk Road, a the drug-selling website.

Donald Trump battled through boos and heckles as he addressed the Libertarian National Convention on Saturday night.

There were some signs of support as he took to the stage at the Washington Hilton in Washington, DC, with a few supporters, sporting MAGA hats and T-shirts, cheering, "USA! USA!" said reports.

But the former president's speech quickly descended into chaos.

When Trump tried to get the Libertarians on side by calling President Joe Biden a "tyrant" and the "worst president in the history of the United States", he was met with cries of: "That's you."

Libertarians, who tout small government and individual freedoms, are generally skeptical of Trump.

The former president tried to make light of the fact by referring to the four criminal indictments against him.

"Well, in the last year, I had been indicted by the government on 91 different things, so if I wasn't a Libertarian before, I sure as hell am a Libertarian now," Trump said. "I don't like Joe Biden, I don't throw people in jail for disagreeing with me."

Trump went on to receive a large cheer when he promised to commute the life sentence of Ross Ulbricht, the convicted founder of the drug-selling website Silk Road who has been imprisoned since 2013.

Ulbricht's case was a major topic during the Convention, and many in the crowd held up "Free Ross" signs. Libertarians say his case exemplifies government overreach and the need for criminal justice reforms.

"Now I think you should nominate me or at least vote for me because the Libertarians want to vote for me, and most of them will," Trump yelled over a mix of boos and cheers.

As the heckles continued, Trump hit back, saying, "You don't want to win," adding that many Libertarians want to "keep getting your 3% every four years."

Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson got roughly 3% of the vote in the 2016 presidential elections. Nominee Jo Jorgensen received just over 1% of the national vote in 2020.

Despite the pushback, Trump said he had come to the convention "to extend a hand of friendship" with Biden as a common enemy.

That prompted a cry of "We want Trump!" from supporters, but more cries of "End the Fed!" — a common slogan from Libertarians who oppose the Federal Reserve.

One person held a sign saying, "No wannabe dictators!" He was taken away by security.

Trump is the first former president to address the Libertarian Convention, which will select their White House nominee before the Convention ends on Sunday.

This past week has seen an ongoing effort from the former president to reach potential supporters outside his MAGA base. On Thursday, Trump addressed a crowd in the Bronx, New York — a Hispanic and black neighborhood considered a Democratic stronghold.

• Sajjaad Khader studied intelligence in undergraduate and graduate school at Georgia Tech.
• He said you may want to rethink majoring in AI if you struggle with attention, math, and commitment.
• If you don't major in AI, you can still get a job in tech or take courses on it later on.

22-year-old Sajjaad Khader knew he wanted to go into software engineering when he started college — but he has some advice for people considering studying AI at university.

In three years, he received his Bachelor's and Master's degrees in computer science from Georgia Tech and finished both programs by 2022.

In his undergrad degree, he concentrated on intelligence and modeling simulations. In grad school, he specialized in interactive intelligence. Now, he works as a software engineer at a tech company on an intelligence-based team.

With the AI race in full fledge, schools like the University of Pennsylvania are starting to announce new curriculums dedicated to AI. Other universities, like MIT, offer online AI certificates. Although the name of the degree may be changing, schools have been offering courses and concentrations in AI for several years.

Khader said he thinks computer science, especially with a concentration in artificial intelligence is one of the best and most valuable degrees at the moment.

But that doesn't mean it's for everyone. Khader posted a video on TikTok to tell college students about some of the not-so-glamorous aspects of the field.

In a conversation with Business Insider, Khader outlined who might not be well-suited to studying AI at college.

1. You have a low attention span

If you don't like boredom, Khader said majoring in AI may not be for you.

Khader said when he was getting his undergrad degree, he worked on an AI research project that entailed trying to develop a genetic algorithm that could save lives in a disaster-struck third-world country. Khader said the project sounded cool at first, but most of the four months were spent developing the simulation, which had nothing to do with AI. It wasn't until the last month that he dealt with genetic algorithms.

"It was kind of like irking me through it," Khader said. "Like I kept asking my research mentor like, when do we get to it."

Once he started working on the algorithm, he had to hyper tune it by tweaking certain variables to improve it. A large part of the simulation part and afterward was making slight enhancements and improvements.

"The flair, flashy things is very small," Khader said.

2. Math isn't your thing

It turns out that AI isn't just about coding. Khader said many courses labeled as computer science were actually focused on math. Khader said in his TikTok video that his first assignment in an undergrad machine learning course had zero code and was "six pages of pure math."

"It's kind of deceptive in that regard," Khader said. "So the formal number might be five or six but the actual number might be closer to 15."

One of the AI math courses he had to take was "automata complexity," and as he describes it, "a lot of letters and barely any numbers" mixed in with graphs and charts. Even if you are good at analytical math or problem-solving, Khader said it takes to get used to this form.

"Theoretical math, I feel like, is a different beast in a sense," Khader said. "A lot of people aren't familiar with it until you get to college."

3. You struggle with commitment issues

AI is all about playing the long game, according to Khader.

In his video, he said that to become successful at a top tech company, you may have to get more than one degree. You also have to be committed to the long-term vision of the project because it can take time to get the results you want, he told BI.

This can be the case in many evolving tech sectors. Meta's CTO Andrew Bosworth said in an interview on Lenny's Podcast in March that when he worked as an engineer in the early days of Facebook, he had to wake up every four hours to check an anti-spam device that he was developing.

Khader said you also have to commit to the mindset of being in a constant state of not knowing what's next and still being willing to learn until you get the right result.

"It's that commitment," Khader said. "Physically in terms of the work you're doing, but also mentally."

Remember, you don't need to study AI to work in tech

If he hadn't chosen computer science as his major, Khader said he would have chosen industrial engineering with a minor in computer science or artificial intelligence.

"I think this degree gives you an excellent opportunity to get into tech, while also learning logistical operations of a business," he told BI.

Even if AI is the hottest field in the tech industry right now, there is still a need for tech jobs that don't apply directly to AI.

Allen Tran graduated from San Jose State University with a degree in computer science in 2023. While he took an AI elective, he decided to stick with web application development over AI because he enjoyed seeing tangible progress in his work.

Now, he works at Amazon and he said he doesn't feel concerned about job security just because he's not in a role that focuses on AI.

"In very AI-centric companies, they still need someone to build a website. They still need someone to build tools," Tran said. "They still need someone to support services and metrics and other things that are not related to AI."

Even if you may eventually want to work in AI, you don't necessarily need to pick it as a major.

Harper Carroll is a former Meta employee who received her Master's at Stanford in computer science in 2022 and specialized in AI. She said getting a degree in AI gives you a solid foundation that may help you be more effective at your job.

But there are coding bootcamps and online courses available now if you want to learn the skills, she said.

"But as AI becomes more ubiquitous it makes sense that for many roles," Carroll said. "A boot camp or similar experience should suffice."

Are you studying AI in college? We want to hear from you. Email the author at aaltchek@insider.com.

• Defense tech startup Blue Halo was founded five years ago by Jonathan Moneymaker, a Gold Star Brother. 
• Its high-energy laser systems are now officially being deployed overseas by the Army to shoot down drones.
• Moneymaker told BI why succeeding in defense tech isn't just about having the most groundbreaking solution.

"Our job is to keep men and women that are putting themselves in harm's way safe and bring them home."

It's the kind of patriotic mission statement echoed by plenty of eager young defense startups. But for Blue Halo CEO Jonathan Moneymaker, it's personal.

"I'm a gold star brother, which means my brother was killed in the Navy," Moneymaker told Business Insider. "Technology could have saved his life. And part of this is making sure that others have that opportunity."

Moneymaker is now five years into running Blue Halo. In that time, and with the backing of private equity firm Arlington Capital Partners, it has designed, tested, and fielded the Army's first major laser weapon system. It's a rapid rate of turnaround, practically unknown to the bigger, more established defense contractors.

After securing a $1 billion contract from the Pentagon this year, Blue Halo is now delivering its Palletized High Energy Laser (P-HEL) system to the Army, enabling them to blast drones out of the sky with AI-powered pinpoint accuracy.

But it's not just lasers. Blue Halo also produces autonomous systems, counter-drone technologies, space technology, and cyber warfare solutions, all underpinned by its machine learning software, Metis.

"If you look across our portfolio of focus and offerings, there are very few [competitors] that can rival us in that totality," CEO Jonathan Moneymaker told BI.

The Virginia-based startup is not quite at the level of defense tech unicorns like Shield AI, Anduril, or Epirus — which are increasingly biting at the heels of defense primes — but following a merger this year with Eqlipse Technologies, Blue Halo is fast approaching $1 billion in revenue and has 2,400 employees across 11 states.

And the contracts keep flowing in. This week, it secured a $95.4 million contract with the Space and Missile Defense Command (SMDC) to develop prototype directed energy (DE) solutions.

As the Department of Defense (DoD) has slowly come around to the idea that it should buy commercial military tech, numerous tech startups are hoping to follow the same path, providing solutions for US national security while getting a share of the $842 billion defense budget.

Industry experts have cautioned that grappling with the legendary complexity of the defense industry makes it unlike entering any other growth market.

"Primes are not particularly innovative because they mastered the acquisition process rather than the technology process. However, startups lack a couple of things," Steve Blank, Professor of Defense tech innovation at Stanford and creator of the Lean Startup method, told BI.

They typically lack a go-to-market strategy and fail to understand the complexity of getting an order from the Department of Defense, said Blank.

The DoD buys to satisfy what's called a requirement, where someone has specifically requested something. Writing that requirement is a long process that primes themselves typically help out with, Blank explained. Startups are often clueless about that process and completely out of the loop.

Next comes the actual acquisition process, which can take two or three years to even show up in a budget — a problem if you're a startup in need of a flow of orders and cash to satisfy your investors.

"If you don't understand this process, then the primes tend to win," Blank told BI.

Unlike the swathe of Silicon Valley tech firms eyeing up defense, Blue Halo has its roots on the other side — Moneymaker has spent the last 25 years in the defense industry base.

It's that insider know-how combined with the operational speeds typical of the tech world that Blue Halo says has enabled its success.

"We have the experience, know-how, and sophistication of some of the traditional primes in our space, but we have the entrepreneurial and innovative speed and spirit of some of the newer entrants."

What has been critical, said Moneymaker, is understanding not just what the military needs but how to earn the trust of defense officials and navigate the procurement process to get it into their hands.

Silicon Valley is facing "some learning curves" in this regard, he noted.

Often, tech companies will have exquisite groundbreaking technology, but it's not actually what the military needs, or it will be incredibly hard to actually field, he told BI.

"Knowing where it's applicable and where it's not is incredibly important. Frankly, if you haven't grown up in this environment, sometimes that just takes a little longer to get familiar with," said Moneymaker. "We listen better than a lot of our competition."

Another factor Moneymaker sees as an advantage is Blue Halo's lack of Silicon Valley ego.

"We lead without ego," said the Blue Halo CEO. "We've all done exciting things in our careers, but this is about being part of something bigger."

But despite its industry-insider knowledge and an Arlington base, there are still some sides of Blue Halo that it shares with traditional tech — like a somewhat cringy company community name: Halo Nation.

Next, like any successful startup, it is planning a path to IPO, hoping to be ready within a year. If all goes to plan, the "ring of protection" that Moneymaker says Blue Halo represents will only be getting bigger.

• Closing arguments in Trump's Manhattan criminal trial are expected next week.
• The jury will then consider whether to render a historic verdict.
• Polls show that the proceedings may change few votes, but there's potential peril ahead for Trump.

Former President Donald Trump has turned his legal woes into a conservative cause celebre.

The greatest test of that strategy could arrive as soon as next week. Closing arguments in Trump's Manhattan hush money criminal trial are expected to occur on Tuesday. Twelve New Yorkers will then weigh the possibility of a historic verdict: finding the first-ever former president guilty in a criminal trial.

Polling shows that a guilty verdict has some potential peril. But the strongest possibility is that voters will tune it out entirely in favor of economic issues, on which Trump scores far higher than President Joe Biden.

Voters are paying attention to the trial but have thus far largely discounted it.

Trump and his allies might not have to spin much.

In a recent Quinnipiac University nationwide poll, 62% of voters said a guilty verdict would not affect their vote in November. In comparison, just 21% said it would change their minds.

A Cook Political Report polling partnership that surveyed seven battleground states found that 40% of voters said Trump's legal woes had no impact on their support or were unsure. Interestingly, the same survey found voters were broadly aware of Trump's problems when asked about the hush money trial, a previous civil fraud trial, and a separate civil trial that found the former president liable for sexually assaulting columnist E. Jean Carroll decades ago.

Voters were also asked by the Cook partnership whether they were more concerned about Biden's age or Trump's temperament and legal issues. Narrowly (53% to 47%), they said Biden's age was more concerning.

Trump has rallied Republicans, but the broader public isn't entirely convinced.

Trump has repeatedly shown he can rally Republicans to his side when his legal problems mount. But the average voter is not a GOP member of Congress nor responding to Trump's fundraising appeals.

Despite Trump's and allies' efforts to cast doubt on the entire prosecution, some polls have found that Americans see legitimacy in the process. A Yahoo News/YouGov poll found that since last month, the hush money trial's approval has increased slightly; there's now a 12-point margin of approval (49%-37%).

That's not to say many voters are sympathetic to some of Trump's claims. A recent New York Times/Siena College poll of voters in key battleground states found that among registered voters, slightly more (49%) thought that the former president would not get a fair trial than those who did (45%).

And if there is one clear takeaway from recent polling it's that the American people do think the former president did something wrong, even if he may not have broken the law. The same Yahoo poll found that a majority of Americans (52%) believe Trump falsified business records " to conceal a hush money payment to a porn star" — the charge at the center of the Manhattan case. The Quinnipiac survey that showed voters may not be motivated by the trial also found that 46% of voters believe Trump did something illegal — another 27% believe he did something unethical but not illegal.

Those responses are in stark contrast to the GOP officials, led by Speaker Mike Johnson, who have slammed the trial as a sham.

Trump's reaction will loom over the verdict.

Trump has never been one to take setbacks lightly. He's under a gag order that does not allow him to criticize witnesses, the jury, or Merchan's daughter. Once the verdict is in, Trump can unleash whatever criticism he desires.

It's not hard to imagine that in responding to a potential guilty verdict Trump lashes out in a way that causes him more problems. His attacks on judges have historically triggered some of the rare instances when Republicans speak out more broadly against him. It was then-Speaker Paul Ryan who called Trump's suggestion that a federal judge couldn't fairly adjudicate a case because of his Mexican heritage the "textbook definition" of racism.

But Trump has constantly been able to count on almost all of his fellow Republicans. The FBI's decision to search Mar-a-Lago marked another point of vulnerability for Trump. Almost immediately, top GOP officials rallied to his side.

Then-House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy proclaimed that the Justice Department had reached an "intolerable state of weaponized politicization." Even former Vice President Mike Pence, who had been harshly critical of Trump, expressed concern about the FBI's search of Mar-a-Lago.

The repeated shows of unity in the face of a new Trump indictment became so common that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis later complained that they "distorted the primary."

The easiest prediction is that Trump's verdict will likely spawn a wave of donations. According to a Politico analysis, Trump's legal woes are among his most effective fundraising appeals. Trump had one of his best fundraising days since launching his presidential campaign on March 22 when the former president warned his followers that New York Attorney General Tish James might try to seize his assets in connection with a civil fraud verdict.

During the Manhattan criminal trial, Trump has sent repeated fundraising appeals, including when Justice Juan Merchan found Trump in contempt for violating his gag order.

There are obvious costs to such efforts. Trump has relied on his network of political groups to help pay his legal bills. President Joe Biden mounted a significant early cash advantage. While other parts of Trump's orbit have been forced to come to the aid of Save America, the main outfit that has paid Trump's legal fees. According to its most recent filing, the leadership PAC owes over $1.1 million to Trump's lawyers. If the former president is found guilty, his almost certain appeal would likely further draw on this fund for support.

Still, there may never be another day in American history like the one about to unfold.

• Building a good relationship with your boss is imperative for any ambitious achiever.
• Employees have more power than they may think in cultivating positive experiences with the boss.
• Here are five things you should avoid saying to your boss, according to workplace experts. 

Bosses: they hire us, fire us, and approve our PTO requests.

Cultivating a good relationship with the head honcho is imperative for both the high-achieving striver seeking an off-cycle promotion as well as the laid-back slacker just trying to skirt through their 40 hours each week.

"In the world of business, annoying your boss is akin to poking a beehive with a stick," Kraig Kleeman, CEO of The New Workforce, said.

Employees have more power than they may think in winning their manager's favor. Business Insider spoke to several career coaches, workplace experts, and bosses themselves about the phrases employees should avoid when communicating with their superiors.

1. 'That's not my job'

This phrase can be particularly frustrating for managers because it suggests a lack of flexibility and an unwillingness to contribute to the team, Prerika Agarwal, founder and CEO of Inspiration Careers, told BI.

"It's like nails on a chalkboard," said Nguyen Huy, founder of Hawaiin T-shirt company Trendy Aloha. "We're all in this together, and a little flexibility goes a long way."

Bosses value employees who are willing to go above and beyond their defined roles when a situation calls for it, according to Alvina Miller, a career advisor at Career Success Australia.

There's a fine line between "acting your wage" and being a dependable team player. Workplace experts suggest asking clarifying questions instead of stonewalling your boss with bullet points from your job description.

"Employees should focus on how they can help or suggest someone who might be better suited for the task," Agarwal said.

2. 'That's how we've always done it'

Routines may be comfortable, but employees who resist change can find themselves in hot water with the boss.

In today's rapidly evolving business landscape, workplaces across all industries are embracing innovation and challenging the status quo in an attempt to stay competitive, Stephen Greet, CEO and cofounder of BeamJobs, said.

"Managers look for team members who are willing to challenge conventional wisdom, welcome fresh ideas, and never stop looking for methods to make procedures run more smoothly," he told BI.

Employees who cite the "old" way of doing things are often using the phrase as an excuse to continue doing a task in an inefficient way, Allan Vu, founder of Work Remote Now!, said.

3. 'I don't know'

It's perfectly OK for employees not to have all the answers, but "I don't know" should always be followed up with "I'll find out," Agarwal said.

Citing ignorance shows a lack of initiative and problem-solving skills, both of which are highly desirable employee traits, she added.

"Information is very important, and nowadays, it is usually easy to find," Kleeman said. "If you don't know something, find out. It's as simple as that."

4. 'I was never told that'

Bosses can't stand the "I was never told that" defense, Mark Pierce, an attorney, businessman, and founding partner at Wyoming Trust, told BI.

"Sometimes, an employee may genuinely not have been told something, but if it becomes a pattern, it can become a big source of management frustration," he said.

The phrase can suggest an employee is trying to shirk responsibility, Pierce added. Placing the blame on someone else also robs employees of the chance to learn and improve.

Alina Samchenko, a workplace expert and COO at HireDevelopersBiz, said the phrase also indicates an employee expectation of being micromanaged, which can be frustrating to managers who value self-motivation.

5. 'I can't…'

Any sentence that starts with "I can't" can be a trigger for managers, Kleeman said. That includes employees saying they can't work with a particular colleague, Miller added.

"Openly refusing to collaborate can be seen as unprofessional and disruptive," she said. "It's better to address conflicts with a solution-oriented approach."

Instead of crying "can't," employees should suggest alternatives and solutions to their manager.