• Some universities have gone hybrid or canceled graduation ceremonies amid pro-Palestinian protests.
• During the Vietnam War, they did the same thing.
• One expert said colleges end the year earlier in the Spring now in part to avoid "protest weather."

April showers bring May flowers — and idyllic protest weather.

Pro-Palestinian demonstrations have erupted at universities across the country in recent weeks, prompting harsh responses from some college administrators.

The University of Southern California and Columbia University, most notably, called in the police to clear protest camps. Police this week also took back a lecture hall occupied by pro-Palestinian protesters at the Univerity of California, Irvine.

Some schools, including Columbia, canceled graduation and commencement ceremonies, citing security concerns.

Ralph Young, an expert on American dissent, told Business Insider that it's not the first time colleges have made major scheduling adjustments to avoid a protesting crowd.

While students nationwide protested the Vietnam War in the 1960s and 70s, colleges shut down their semesters prematurely — a decision that has impacted academic calendars to this day, Young said.

The change came after the National Guard fired on student protesters at Ohio's Kent State University on May 4, 1970, killing four students and wounding others.

"One of the interesting things about Kent State is that after that happened, almost all the universities in the country closed down for the rest of the semester," Young said. "It used to be that college semesters usually ended in maybe the third week of June, and now they all end in early May."

Before canceling its school-wide commencement ceremony, Columbia University also offered students a virtual learning option in late April. On Thursday, hundreds of faculty members passed a vote of no-confidence against university president Nemat Shafik, who previously authorized police to clear the student encampment on campus, The New York Times reported.

"One of the thinkings behind closing the schools early back then was that May and June are good protest weather," Young said. "They're nice days and it'll get more people out and protesting, and that was one way to try to put a break on all that."

• Billionaire entrepreneur Josh Kushner is married to supermodel and coding advocate Karlie Kloss.
• Kushner's brother is Jared Kushner, Donald Trump's son-in-law and a former White House advisor.
• Kushner and Kloss have each revealed they didn't vote for Donald Trump in the 2016 election.

Model Karlie Kloss and venture capitalist Josh Kushner may seem like an odd pairing on the surface, but they've been together since 2012 and have become partners in both life and business.

The couple has kept their relationship under the radar since they first started dating. Kloss and Kushner got married in October 2018 and held a second Western-themed wedding eight months later.

Kushner also happens to be the younger brother of former White House advisor Jared Kushner, whose father-in-law is former President Donald Trump. Josh and Jared Kushner's father, real estate developer Charles Kushner, was also pardoned by Trump in 2020.

Charles Kushner pleaded guilty to tax evasion, retaliating against a federal witness, and one count of lying to the FEC in 2005 and served two years in prison. As chairman of Kushner Companies, Charles Kushner admitted to filing false tax returns and recruiting a prostitute to seduce the husband of his sister, who cooperated with authorities, and film the encounter.

Although Kushner and Kloss haven't publicly spoken out against Trump, they have said they didn't vote for him in the 2016 election.

Here's a look at the relationship between Josh Kushner and Karlie Kloss, including their ties to former president Donald Trump.

This story was originally published in March 2018. It was updated in 2020 and 2024.

Josh Kushner, 38, founded a venture capital firm called Thrive Capital in 2009 that helped make him a billionaire.

Thrive Capital has made some of its biggest investments in tech startups like grocery delivery service Instacart, stock-trading app Robinhood, and insurance company Lemonade, according to PitchBook.

Because of his investments, Kushner sits on the boards for shaving product maker Harry's and wedding planning platform Zola.

The firm has also invested in companies like Instagram, Stripe, and ClassPass.

Kushner's savvy investments have made him a billionaire with a net worth of $3.6 billion, Forbes reported. Thrive Capital is valued at $5.3 billion.

Kushner has also helped start two companies: He cofounded health-insurance startup Oscar in 2012 and real-estate investment company Cadre in 2014.

Oscar, which aims to use tech to provide a more consumer-friendly insurance option, secured $375 million from Alphabet, Google's parent company, in 2018. It is now the third-largest for-profit health insurance company in the US, Forbes reported.

Meanwhile, Cadre was valued at $800 million in 2019, according to Forbes. Kushner founded it with his brother, Jared Kushner.

Meanwhile, 31-year-old Karlie Kloss began working as a model in her teenage years and went on to become a coding advocate.

Kloss skyrocketed to prominence as a Victoria's Secret Angel and became one of the highest-paid supermodels in the industry, Forbes reported.

She also runs a free coding camp for girls. In 2015, Kloss started Kode With Klossy, a charity that encourages girls to get involved in coding and tech.

Kloss and Kushner met and began dating in 2012.

On June 8, 2016, Kloss shared a photo on X, formerly known as Twitter, of her and Kushner revealing that she had met Kushner exactly four years before, placing their first encounter on June 8, 2012, although it's not known exactly how they met.

Their relationship became public when Kushner was spotted on Kloss' arm at a Victoria's Secret Fashion Show after-party in November 2012, Us Weekly reported.

They have tried to keep their relationship relatively private since then.

In 2013, Kloss said she appreciates Kushner is "so not in fashion" in an interview with People.

"It's really refreshing to leave all the fashion shows and shoots and chaos totally behind," Kloss told People magazine.

Kloss deflected questions about her relationship in a 2016 interview with Elle.

Elle magazine's Lotte Jeffs asked Kloss if she and Kushner have a "no phones in the bedroom" rule. Kloss answered by shaking her head and saying, "I keep my phone pretty close to me." She added that she tries to digitally detox once a week.

When asked if technology ever causes arguments in their relationship, Kloss "deftly deflects the question," Jeffs wrote.

The couple has largely avoided talking about politics, which is notable given their ties to the Trump family.

Kushner is the younger brother of Jared Kushner, son-in-law to former president Donald Trump and former senior White House advisor.

Josh Kushner told Forbes in April 2017 that he and Jared Kushner spoke every day, but refused to comment for an Esquire article about his brother in 2016 because he "did not want to say anything that might embarrass him."

However, the couple has publicly stated they didn't vote for Trump in 2016.

Kloss posted a photo of herself on Instagram in November 2016 filling out an absentee ballot. She included the hashtag #ImWithHer in support of Clinton.

Kushner's spokesperson told Esquire he's a lifelong Democrat and that he didn't vote for Trump.

"It is no secret that liberal values have guided my life and that I have supported political leaders that share similar values," Kushner told Forbes in 2017. 

Neither Kushner nor Kloss were present at Trump's inauguration in 2017. Instead, Kushner was spotted at the Women's March in Washington, DC, that weekend.

Kushner told other marchers he was there to observe, The Washingtonian reported.

Kloss also posted a photo on Instagram from the same Women's March, along with an Audre Lorde quote: "Women are powerful and dangerous."

In a 2018 interview with Vogue, Kloss made it clear she doesn't agree with the Trump family's conservative political views.

"At the end of the day, I've had to make decisions based on my own moral compass — forget what the public says, forget social media," Kloss told Vogue. "I've chosen to be with the man I love despite the complications."

Kloss also pointed out the sexism in the questions she's frequently asked about her relationship with Kushner. 

"It's frustrating, to be honest, that the spotlight is always shifted away from my career toward my relationship," she said. "I don't think the same happens in conversations with men."

Kloss and Kushner have also shown their support on social media for gun control.

The couple was spotted in March 2018 at the anti-gun-violence March for Our Lives protest in Washington, DC.

Kloss and Kushner didn't hide their presence at the march: They posted photos on Instagram from the March for Our Lives rally. A few weeks earlier, Kushner made a $50,000 donation to the anti-gun-violence group, Axios reported.

While Trump's presidency was unpopular in Silicon Valley, Kushner's proximity to the White House didn't appear to slow his career as an investor.

"There is a lot of discussion in the Valley about political tests on both who you'll take money from and who you'll work with," the venture capitalist Marc Andreessen told Forbes in 2017. "Having said that, I haven't yet seen an instance of anyone hesitating to take money from Josh because of the affiliation with his brother."

In July 2018, Kloss and Kushner got engaged after six years of dating.

Kushner proposed "during a romantic weekend together in upstate New York," People magazine reported at the time.

"I love you more than I have words to express," Kloss captioned a photo on X announcing their engagement. "Josh, you're my best friend and my soulmate. I can't wait for forever together. Yes a million times over."

Kloss converted to Judaism shortly before getting engaged to Kushner, who is Jewish.

Kloss confirmed she had converted to Judaism in a March 2019 appearance on Andy Cohen's "Watch What Happened Live."

The couple got married in October 2018 in upstate New York.

The wedding was a small Jewish ceremony with fewer than 80 people in attendance, including Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump.

"So much love for you both as you begin forever together," Ivanka Trump wrote in a post on X. 

Kloss wore a custom Dior wedding gown with lace sleeves and a flowing train.

"The wedding was intimate and moving," a friend at the ceremony told People magazine. "The couple was beaming with happiness."

 

In June 2019, the couple held a second wedding celebration at a ranch in Wyoming.

Kushner and Kloss' second wedding celebration was held at Brush Creek Ranch, an all-inclusive ranch resort near the Wyoming-Colorado border. The weekend included activities such as horseback riding, paintball, and off-road ATVing.

Photos shared from the wedding show that guests wore Western-themed outfits instead of traditional gowns and tuxedos. Attendees included Diane Von Furstenberg, Orlando Bloom, Katy Perry, Ellie Goulding, Princess Beatrice, and Ashton Kutcher.

Kloss and Kushner's relationship was publicly flamed on a 2020 episode of "Project Runway," which Kloss hosted for two seasons.

Brandon Maxwell, a judge on the fashion design reality competition show, criticized contestant Tyler Neasloney's creation. The assignment had been to design a look for Kloss to wear to a fashion event in Paris, but Maxwell told Neasloney that he couldn't see Kloss wearing the outfit "anywhere."

"Not even to dinner with the Kushners?" Neasloney replied, eliciting gasps from other contestants.

"Keep it to the challenge," Kloss responded. "You really missed the mark here, on all accounts."

When asked about the viral moment on "Watch What Happens Live" with Andy Cohen, Kloss said "the real tragedy of this whole thing is that no one is talking about how terrible that dress was."

She added: "Andy, I'm sure I'm not the only person in this country who does not necessarily agree with their family on politics. I voted as a Democrat in 2016 and I plan to do the same in 2020."

The couple has two sons, Levi and Elijah.

Kloss and Kushner welcomed their first child, Levi, in March 2021.

Kloss revealed her second pregnancy on the red carpet of the 2023 Met Gala while wearing a black Loewe dress designed by Jonathan Anderson. Their son Elijah was born a few months later in July 2023.

Kloss occasionally shares photos of Kushner on Instagram, where she has more than 12.6 million followers, but she doesn't show her children's faces.

Kloss has posted photos of the couple traveling the world and celebrating Kushner's birthday, but she doesn't share much else about their relationship. She also keeps the faces of her young sons hidden in photos.

"I know in my life what really matters to me," Kloss said in an interview with Harper's Bazaar in 2018. "I'm not trying to hide that from the world. I just really like having a more private life."

In 2024, Kushner and Kloss bought Life magazine and announced their plans to revive the iconic photography publication.

Kushner and Kloss bought the publication rights to Life magazine through Bedford Media, their media startup that also acquired i-D Magazine. They plan to revive the brand as both a print and digital publication.

"We see Life as an uplifting and unifying voice in a chaotic media landscape," Kloss, who serves as CEO of Bedford Media, said in a statement. "While Bedford is a new media company, we are deeply inspired by Life's iconic legacy and ability to connect diverse audiences with universal narratives of humanity."

• Elon Musk has a lot going on in China right now.
• Amid dwindling Tesla sales, he's building closer relations there and putting focus on robotaxis.
• It's a move that present a lot of uncertainty for his EV company.

Elon Musk has plenty on the line in China right now.

A global slowdown in demand for Teslas has been exacerbated in the country, where consumers have been presented with a parade of electric vehicles from domestic rivals like BYD and Xiaomi at a time when they're watching their spending.

China is Tesla's biggest market outside the US, which means dwindling interest has had a clear knock-on effect.

The company delivered about 387,000 vehicles in the first three months of the year, marking a 20% drop from its previous quarter. Tesla's earnings last month also raised concerns, as it reported a nearly 9% year-on-year drop in quarterly revenue to $21.3 billion.

So Musk's response in recent weeks — a seeming boost in focus on the Far East — is at least grounded in some logic.

A trip to Beijing last month to meet China's premier, Li Qiang, came along with news that the billionaire had managed to pull off a huge deal for Tesla to partner with Chinese internet giant Baidu on robotaxis.

The deal, which has been reported to give Tesla access to mapping and navigation software that supports full self-driving (FSD) cars, has clearly helped. Tesla's stock jumped 15% following news of a tie-up that supports Musk's fresh focus on autonomy.

It's a move that Musk now seems intent on doubling down on.

According to a Reuters report on Friday, Tesla is seeking to build a data center in China that could be used "to train the algorithm needed for more fully autonomous vehicles."

Musk's reasons for doing this are getting clearer. As the billionaire recently wrote on X, "Going balls to the wall for autonomy is a blindingly obvious move. Everything else is like variations on a horse carriage."

But in heading in this direction, Musk risks walking a fine line.

For one, self-driving technology has proven tricky to produce at a global scale. One of Tesla's main challenges is the brutal price war it's waging with Chinese competitors that are trying to win buyers with cheaper vehicles.

But by prioritizing a lofty goal of millions of self-driving Teslas cruising streets worldwide, Musk pursues a high-risk bet that might only pay off in the distant future.

Using China as a test bed for self-driving technology may spark anxieties in Washington, too. Competent FSD capabilities for Teslas globally could depend on using quality data transferred between the US and China — a complex proposition during times of heightened tensions.

Tesla has not shared any details about the reported tie-up, let alone how it would manage the security fears that could be triggered if Beijing gets oversight of the data being fed into its vehicles in the name of FSD.

What many investors have pleaded for instead is the long-awaited, sub-$30,000 Tesla model Musk has previously talked about as a means of opening up Tesla to the mass market.

Indeed analysts at Wedbush last month said it's "crucial" that Tesla delivers a more affordable model in the next 18 months, calling a pivot to robotaxis a "risky gamble."

But with China seemingly at the top of Musk's mind, Tesla is driving into an uncertain future.

• Google is one of America's most highly sought after companies to work for.
• But Google is also notoriously competitive and selective about employees.
• Google hires people with relevant job skills, intelligence, leadership abilities, and "Googleyness."

For years, Google has cultivated a reputation for being one of the best US companies to work for. 

With consistently high rankings in areas like compensation, office perks (the Googleplex famously boasts amenities like swimming pools, gardens, massage rooms, and more), innovative and meaningful work, and low stress, it's no wonder tech industry workers have clamored for roles at Google.

Google's parent company, Alphabet, had more than 182,500 employees as of 2023, and not all of them were tech jobs. Google also offers roles in sales, marketing, business strategy, finance, maintenance, legal, and more.

It's not all roses, though. Like much of the tech industry, layoffs at Google have become more commonplace in recent years. Alphabet laid off 12,000 employees in 2023, and CEO Sundar Pichai warned of more layoffs in 2024.

Still, the Google Careers website lists hundreds of job openings worldwide, across all sorts of divisions — some roles are specific to Google's search engine, others are for YouTube, and others are for projects within Google's suite of productivity apps, like Google Classroom.

Here's what you need to know to land one of Google's open jobs.

How to get a job at Google

Getting hired at Google is notoriously competitive.

One former Google recruiter said the company primarily uses an internal database to find candidates, but the second-most popular way to scout potential employees is LinkedIn — build out your profile and use it to connect with people who already work there and can give you a referral.

The recruiter said one of the best ways to stand out among Google's candidate pool is to network with a "giving approach." For example, job candidates should email hiring managers directly to make a connection and then steer the conversation to express interest in a specific role.

The recruiter also encouraged job applicants to tailor their resumes to individual job descriptions and, during the interview process, describe details of how they solved a problem in a past role.

Is it difficult to get hired at Google?

Google is known throughout the tech industry for having a lengthy, difficult hiring process, and for being ultra-selective about its candidates. Of the 2 million job applications Google receives each year, it hires roughly 4,000.

Google bases its hiring decisions on four key metrics: job-related skills, general cognitive ability, leadership abilities (even for non-managerial roles!), and what the company calls "Googleyness" — meaning how well your personality will fit in at Google.

Former Google executives and recruiters have defined "Googleyness" as a mixture of proactiveness, positivity, humility, playfulness, conscientiousness, and openness to learning.

Google also has a multi-step hiring process. It encourages people to start by self-reflecting on what they truly want out of a career. Then, search and apply for a job on the company's website.

Google suggests applicants build a job-specific resume that ties their skills and experience to the job requirements. Including data to illustrate your successes in managing projects will help your resume stand out. 

One Google engineer who shared the resume that helped him land a $300,000 job at the company recommended de-emphasizing educational credentials, emphasizing items that are more relevant, and adding a section for interests or hobbies — you never know if it could spark conversation and help break the ice.

Google's hiring process has been revamped in recent years to reduce delays, particularly for tech roles like software engineers and UX designers. Candidates used to labor through months of interviews, then fail at the stage where Google matches the candidate with a team.

Now, candidates are assigned teams much earlier, and some can skip over certain stages. It's common for applicants to undergo at least three or four interview rounds before receiving an offer, however.

Can I work at Google from home?

Like most companies, Google allowed employees to work remotely throughout the pandemic. But Google cracked down on remote work in 2023, and implemented a new policy requiring workers to return to the office at least three days a week on a hybrid schedule.

Google now offers remote opportunities by exception only. The company has even said it would tie in-office attendance to an employee's performance review. 

Do you need experience to work at Google?

The experience Google requires for job candidates varies by role, as does education. 

There's no one particular college degree that will get you in the door at Google — and, in fact, company executives have said they'll hire "exceptional" candidates who have no college degree at all. But don't get too excited; experts say college degrees are still the most reliable pathways to high-paying tech jobs.

If your goal is to become a software engineer at Google, it makes sense that a computer science degree might be beneficial. But Google does not explicitly require one for most software engineering roles.

Google offers jobs with a range of experience requirements, from interns, to mid-career, to executive level. Here are some examples:

• A data center technician role requires two years of experience in "operating systems and networking protocols," with maintenance and monitoring of server systems and troubleshooting servers and network hardware.
• A supply chain program manager requires five years of experience in program or project management and systems and hardware product design or manufacturing. A supply chain, manufacturing, or similar degree is also required.
• A staff software engineer requires a bachelor's degree, eight years of software development experience, five years of testing and launching software products and machine learning algorithms and tools, and three years of software design.

• Tiny EVs like the Nissan Sakura and BYD's Seagull are challenging Tesla in Japan and China. 
• But these minuscule motors are unlikely to come to the US anytime soon.
• That's a shame, as data suggests drivers would quite like their EVs to be smaller and cheaper.

Tiny EVs are having a moment.

In markets like China, Japan, and Europe, ridiculously small EVs are selling in large numbers, with vehicles like BYD's Seagull and the Nissan Sakura challenging the likes of Tesla.

That's in contrast to the US EV market, where SUVs like the Tesla Model Y and pickups like the Ford F150 Lightning rule the roads.

This may be changing, with consumer data showing that US drivers are increasingly asking for smaller vehicles and automakers like Ford and Tesla vowing to build cheaper models.

Tens of thousands of cars manufactured in China are sold in the US every year, but it's unlikely anyone in the US will be able to get behind the wheel of a Seagull or Sakura anytime soon.

The government's tariff hikes on Chinese EVs and regulations restricting the ability to import smaller vehicles make it harder still.

Here are some of the tiny EVs making a splash in Asia and Europe.

BYD Seagull

BYD has rapidly eclipsed its rivals in China — and become Elon Musk's primary challenger in the country — thanks to its massive range of EVs, including several smaller, cheaper options.

Chief among those is the Seagull, a tiny EV that can go 305 km on a single charge and costs $11,000.

The Seagull, which launched last year, has proven predictably popular in BYD's home country — but it's unlikely to come to the US anytime soon after the US government hiked tariffs on Chinese EVs.

Hongguang Mini

The Hongguang Mini EV, which was developed by Chinese automakers SAIC Motor and Wuling Motor in partnership with General Motors, caused a sensation when it launched in 2020.

The diminutive people carrier was the bestselling EV in China in 2022, and continues to outsell the Tesla Model 3 four years after being unveiled.

It's not hard to see why. The Hongguang Mini has a range of around 170 km on a single charge and reportedly costs between 28,800-38,800 yuan, or $3,955- $5,375. Plus it's adorable.

Nissan Sakuru

Japan has long had a soft spot for tiny EVs, known as Kei cars — and the Nissan Sakura is one of the most popular.

The 11-foot-long electric car, which costs around $13,000, was Japan's best-selling EV in 2023.

Drivers previously told Business Insider the Sakura, which is only available in Japan, is perfect for navigating Tokyo's narrow streets and taking day trips to the countryside.

"It takes off like a rocket from a standing start and can climb hill and mountain roads like a full-sized car with all that torque," said one.

Citroen Ami

Technically speaking, the Citroen Ami isn't an electric car at all, but an "electric quadricycle."

The cute four-wheeler, which costs $12,285 in the UK, was first launched in France in 2020 and is widely available in Europe.

With a top speed of 28 miles per hour and a range of just 46 miles, the Ami (which means "friend" in French) is very much an urban vehicle — but it certainly turned heads when BI gave it a test drive in London.

Microlino

The best thing about this "bubble car" is how you get into it — the Microlino has a fridge-style door that allows you to enter and exit from the front.

The Microlino is designed by Swiss scooter company Micro. It offers a maximum range of 228 km and starts at $19,900.

The tiny microcar has been on sale in Europe since 2021, with a UK launch mooted for later this year.

You can't buy one in the US, but Micro has just unveiled a more stripped-back version dubbed the Microlino Lite, which CMO Merlin Ouboter told The Verge the company hopes to have on sale in the US by the end of 2024.

• I grew up in Miami and didn't think I'd end up staying in Florida for long.
• As an adult who's traveled around the US, I've grown to appreciate living in Florida.
• I love our culture and our cuisine — and I really like living so close to a beach. 

I grew up in sunny — and very hot — Miami. When I was younger, I dreamed of living anywhere else in the country that had four seasons instead of year-round heat.

Now that I'm an adult, and I've traveled all around the state and country, I've grown to appreciate where I'm from. I also get why people are moving to Florida in record numbers.

I spent the first 24 years of my life in Miami, and now live in a smaller Central Florida town off of the Space Coast. Although I wouldn't live in Miami again, I'll happily keep a quaint old Florida town near the beach as my forever home.

Here's why I wouldn't want to live anywhere else but Florida.

For half of the year, Florida is set to the perfect temperature

As a kid, I fantasized about living where it snowed and having to get bundled up in a coat, boots, hat, and gloves.

I thought those things were so stylish, but now that I've actually experienced having to pack on layers on cold vacations, I'll take a hard pass on having to do that for months every year.

Fortunately, I'd say it's really only brutally hot in Florida for three months out of the year, from July through September.

From November to April, the weather is perfect — the outside feels like I've set my AC to the ideal temperature. As an adult, I understand the appeal — and privilege — of being able to toss on a light sweater when it gets chilly instead of having to bust out puffer coats.

As much as I enjoy a trip to see fall foliage or a snowy getaway, I now know that I enjoy them on a temporary basis. Eventually, I always want to come home to Florida's warm weather.

Living near a beach is important to me

I'm embarrassed to admit that I used to take the beach for granted. Now, I think of visiting the beach as having a therapy session and I try to make it there at least every other week.

I like hiking up and down the shore, collecting shells, admiring the surfers, and birdwatching. I couldn't ever live far from the beach and I love living just 20 minutes from one.

Even at the center of the state, the closest beach is about two hours away at most. And if you live anywhere along the coast like I do, you'll often be no more than 45 minutes away from the nearest beach.

Florida cuisine is great — it combines seafood, Southern influences, and international flavor

I've lived in Central Florida for over 10 years, but I grew up in Miami. Fortunately, no matter where you go in Florida, you're going to find a wide variety of delicious food.

You'll find dishes with Southern influences from our neighboring states and cuisine with international flavors, as the Sunshine States attracts people from all over the world. We also have some pretty great seafood.

Although I've learned how to cook many of my favorite local comfort foods myself, dining out is one of my favorite things to do, and I've yet to find any other place where it's as pleasing to do as it is in Florida.

I've developed an affinity for our widely misunderstood culture

There are many misperceptions and preconceived ideas about Florida. Some say it's only home to snowbirds, who live here for just a few months a year to avoid their cold home states.

Others reference the "Florida Man" meme, which seems to suggest the people here are more likely to act strangely and do wild things. Some outsiders think going to Disney World is the only thing worth doing in Florida.

I used to hate the way other people thought of Florida, but I have actually come to like knowing that my state is far from what other people imagine it to be.

For starters, many don't even know about Florida's rich history — it's home to St. Augustine, which is considered the oldest city in America. Plus, the famous writer Ernest Hemingway wrote some of his best novels when he lived in Key West!

Florida is not for everyone, but between our swamp gators and intense hurricane season, you've got to be tough to tough it out here. And I'm proud of that.

• Boeing could be set to face more whistleblowers.
• A union for engineers at the firm is offering free training on federal whistleblower laws.
• It said union members continue to report being punished for speaking up about safety concerns.

Boeing could be set to face more whistleblowers because a labor union for engineers at the firm is offering guidance to its representatives on whistleblowing laws.

In a Wednesday post on its website, the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace (SPEEA) announced a Zoom webinar with free training on federal whistleblower laws.

The training is open for the union's shop stewards at Boeing and its supplier Spirit AeroSystems, which manufactured the door plug that came off an Alaska Airlines 737 Max in January.

It will be led by attorneys from Katz Banks Kumin, the law firm representing Boeing whistleblower Sam Salehpour.

SPEEA said it organized the training because it has spent two years "unsuccessfully trying to negotiate strong anti-retaliation language with the Boeing Co. in particular."

"Strong anti-retaliation measures are necessary because SPEEA members continue to report being punished by their managers for speaking up about quality and safety concerns," it added.

The union hopes the seminar will help those who are considering speaking up about problems at the planemakers but don't trust internal systems.

"When we find issues, we go as far as standing down a team to make sure that everybody on the team or everybody in the area is aware of the issue," Mike Fleming, a senior vice president at Boeing Commercial Airplanes, said in a statement given to Reuters.

Salehpour, who's been an aerospace engineer for 40 years, went public with his concerns about Boeing in April. He said he observed "shortcuts employed by Boeing to reduce bottlenecks during the 787 assembly process."

In a Senate hearing last month, Salehpour said Boeing threatened him and other engineers to keep quiet about safety concerns.

Boeing has denied that Salehpour's allegations present safety issues. "We continue to monitor these issues under established regulatory protocols and encourage all employees to speak up when issues arise. Retaliation is strictly prohibited at Boeing," it said in a statement after Salehpour's comments.

The prospect of more Boeing employees coming forward with safety concerns could further harm the planemaker's reputation. Public awareness of the firm's problems has been heightened by the deaths of two whistleblowers in recent months.

The crisis at Boeing could also escalate further. The Justice Department said in a Tuesday court filing that Boeing is "subject to prosecution," alleging that it broke the terms of a 2021 agreement related to the deaths of 346 people in two 737 Max 8 crashes.

• Ray Dalio sees up to a 40% chance that political division in the US escalates into civil war.
• The hedge fund billionaire has repeatedly warned about US debt and internal and external conflicts.
• Dalio half-jokingly endorsed Taylor Swift for president, citing her ability to unite people.

Ray Dalio warned the probability of a US civil war is as high as 40% — and said he might back Taylor Swift if she ran for president.

"We are now on the brink," he told the Financial Times in a recent interview, raising the prospect of "much more turbulent times."

Dalio is the billionaire founder of Bridgewater Associates, the world's largest hedge fund, and the author of "Principles for Dealing with the Changing World Order: Why Nations Succeed and Fail."

He pegged the chances of a civil war at 35% to 40%, adding that it may not necessarily be a shooting war.

Dalio, the official mentor to Bridgewater's three co-chief investors, has been sounding the alarm on political polarization and economic upheaval in the US for years.

The financial historian has repeatedly underscored that extreme levels of government debt, massive wealth inequality, rising internal divisions, and raging external conflicts can pave the way for war, revolution, and a new world order.

In late 2020, he cautioned the US was "seeing a form of civil war" as masses of people moved states for reasons ranging from politics to taxes.

He bemoaned that America was in a "terrible financial state and terribly divided" in early 2021.

After the Israel-Hamas conflict ignited in October, he declared the risk of a world war involving the US and China had surged from 35% to about 50%.

No more bad blood

Dalio told the FT that after attending a Swift concert, he believed the pop star might be the solution to American division.

"I saw how she brought people of all sorts — and many nationalities — together," he said. "I say this partly as a joke, but if she ran for president and would listen to great advisers, I'd consider supporting her."

Dalio revealed himself to be a Swiftie when he posted a selfie from one of the singer's "Eras Tour" concerts in March.

He clarified in a follow-up post that he was joking about endorsing her. But he was serious that "she can bring people together a lot better than either of the presidential candidates."

Even if Dalio was just having fun with his talk of a T-Swift presidency, he clearly recognizes the need for a unifying leader at a time when the world is on edge and people seem further apart than ever.

• Ukraine may have launched its biggest drone attack ever, per the Kyiv Independent.
• Russia shot down a total of 102 aerial and six naval sea drones overnight, it said.
• Two of its major ports, Sevastopol and Novorossiysk, were affected, per reports.

Ukraine appears to have launched its biggest drone attack ever, with reports of explosions at two major Russian ports.

In a Telegram post, Russia's Defense Ministry said its air defenses intercepted 51 drones over Crimea, 44 drones over the Krasnodar region, and six drones over the Kursk region on Thursday night.

It also said its naval aviation and Black Sea Fleet patrol boats destroyed six uncrewed surface vessels, or USVs, in the Black Sea.

This would amount to a total of 102 aerial and six naval drones shot down in just one night, and if true, would be Ukraine's largest drone attack since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, according to the Kyiv Independent.

Business Insider couldn't independently verify these numbers.

The independent Russian media outlet Astra, citing its own sources and footage, reported drones hit at least two oil depots and two terminals in the port city of Novorossiysk and neighboring villages on Thursday night.

Novorossiysk residents told the outlet that more than 35 explosions occurred in the city, causing power outages. The outlet shared multiple videos of what appeared to be the blasts.

The outlet also shared a photo of a refinery on fire in Tuapse, east of Novorossiysk.

Veniamin Kondratyev, the regional governor, said Russian air defense forces shot down more than 10 drones over Novorossiysk on Thursday night.

Meanwhile, Russian forces shot down dozens of drones and more than five sea drones in the port of Sevastopol last night, with drone debris hitting the city's substation and causing power outages, Mikhail Razvozhaev, the Russian-installed regional governor, said in a Telegram post.

A video shared by Astra appears to show blasts in Sevastopol. BI could not independently verify the footage in the reports.

The Security Service of Ukraine SBU and Ukraine's intelligence agency GUR launched a joint operation to strike Russian military and logistics facilities in Novorossiysk and occupied Sevastopol, the Associated Press reported, citing an unnamed Ukrainian intelligence official.

Ukraine has ramped up attacks on Russian warships in occupied Crimea, inflicting significant losses on Russia's Black Sea Fleet and forcing it to relocate some maritime activities to Novorossiysk.

Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, the head of the UK Armed Forces, said in February that 25% of Russia's Black Sea boats had been sunk or damaged.

The fleet was "functionally inactive" after Ukraine claimed to have struck two of its ships in March, the UK's Ministry of Defence said at the time.

Satellite images from April shared by the UK's MoD showed Russia upgrading the defenses of its Black Sea Fleet naval base in Novorossiysk, confirming that most of its ships and submarines have been relocated further eastwards.

Ukraine's GUR did not immediately reply to a request for comment by BI.

• An Arizona woman is accused of aiding North Koreans in securing US remote-work jobs.
• They gained employment at Fortune 500 companies, including a TV network and a Silicon Valley firm.
• Prosecutors say the scheme involved 300+ companies and led to $7 million being sent to North Korea.

An Arizona woman has been accused of aiding North Koreans in securing remote-work jobs in the US and funneling their wages back to North Korea, which is subject to US sanctions, according to federal prosecutors.

The US Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia announced in a press release on Thursday that Christina Marie Chapman, 49, was arrested on Wednesday and charged with nine counts, including conspiracy to defraud the US.

According to prosecutors, the scheme began sometime in 2020 and used the stolen identities of about 60 US citizens.

They said it impacted more than 300 companies and generated more than $6.8 million in revenue, which was sent back to North Korea.

In the charging document, prosecutors allege that Chapman facilitated overseas IT workers posing as Americans using the stolen or borrowed identities of US citizens.

Chapman was first approached in March 2020 by an unknown individual asking her if she wanted to be the "US face" of their company, according to a recently unsealed indictment against Chapman and three North Korean citizens.

According to prosecutors, the scheme saw overseas workers apply for remote jobs at well-known US companies, including Fortune 500 companies.

These included a major television network, a leading Silicon Valley tech company, an aerospace manufacturer, and an American carmaker, the indictment said.

According to the indictment, the workers used IP addresses to make it appear that they were operating from Chapman's house and within the US.

Prosecutors said that Chapman received and forged payroll checks and that the wages of the foreign workers were paid into her bank account.

They added that much of the income, though to be at least $6.8 million, was falsely reported to the IRS and Social Security Administration under the names of US citizens whose identities were stolen or borrowed.

In exchange, prosecutors said in the indictment that Chapman charged the workers monthly fees for her services.

An attorney for Chapman was not listed in court documents.

In a separate criminal complaint, unsealed on Thursday, a Ukrainian man, Oleksandr Didenko, was also accused of operating "laptop farms."

In the press release, Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department's Criminal Division, said that these charges should serve as a "wake-up call" for American companies employing remote IT workers.

In 2016, the US passed the North Korea Sanctions and Policy Enhancement Act, which aimed to improve the enforcement of sanctions against North Korea.

It cut North Korea from the US financial system, which led to various schemes to try to circumvent it.

The assistant director of the FBI's Counterintelligence Division, Kevin Vorndran, said in the press release that although the allegations may seem like "typical white-collar" crime, they represent a broader trend.

He described it as a "new high-tech campaign to evade US sanctions, victimize US businesses, and steal US identities."