• Short-term rental hosts are facing more competition from listings on Airbnb and other sites.
• Some hosts with large-scale operations turn to direct bookings to avoid fees and pocket more money.
• Others hire or give free stays to content creators to post about their listings with links to book. 

Last summer ushered in a new normal for hosts on Airbnb and other short-term rental booking websites.

Travelers are still choosing short-term rentals in large numbers, but there is a glut of places to stay left over from the Airbnb gold rush of recent years.

Ahead of summer 2024, hosts face pressure to stand out from all the other listings in their areas. Adding additional stress is the increased unpredictability of travelers themselves — hosts say guests are booking trips more last-minute than the advance-planning of years past.

As recently as March, listings across Airbnb and Vrbo stood at 1.57 million across the country, a 12.3% increase even from the same time last year, according to analytics site AirDNA. Average occupancy for hosts, or the number of nights they're booked each month, improved slightly by 2% compared to last year, though March 2023 represented a 4% drop from 2022.

To protect their margins, hosts are turning to different strategies to bring in returns.

Some hosts are turning to social media to lure summer guests, hiring local influencers to create video reviews of their properties and trading free getaways for promotional photos. Meanwhile, professional hosts, which AirDNA defines as anyone with more than 20 listings, look to leverage their brands and manpower into booking directly with guests — bypassing the fees associated with the major platforms.

"If I could, I would want them all to be direct bookings," said Emily Burke, a host who manages 40 listings in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Big-time hosts turn to direct booking, but it comes with risks

Direct booking is when a guest reserves their stay on a property's personal website instead of through a major platform like Airbnb, Vrbo, and others.

Arizona host Rick Kenworthy, who manages 91 listings in the Scottsdale area near Phoenix, said he's made direct booking a priority.

Kenworthy said he increased the percentage of direct bookings to 25% in the first quarter of 2024, up from 10% during the same period last year — which he said translates to $500,000 more in revenue. Kenworthy offers a 5% discount if guests book direct, bringing a $350-a-night stay down to $330.

The proposition in direct bookings is that both parties save on fees, creating a lower price per night for guests and allowing hosts to keep the entirety of the earnings.

Kenworthy's strategy has been twofold. First, he tripled his property-management company's email distribution list by using Wi-Fi capture technology that stores emails when guests log in during their stays. He then emails out special offers with links to the direct-booking site. Second, he's invested in branded items like coffee cups and pens that fill each of his properties, hoping to build familiarity with customers.

"We're not force-feeding anybody," he told Business Insider. "But at the end of the day, it comes down to dollars and cents."

For some hosts, though, the prospect of striking out on their own is too daunting. They may be wary of stepping away from Airbnb, Vrbo, Expedia, and others, both for the insurance protection offered through those sites and the exposure that comes from their massive pool of travel-hungry users.

Missouri host Ryan Villines, who volunteers for Airbnb as a community leader for his region, believes the risk of direct booking is greater than the reward.

With direct bookings, hosts are responsible for collecting the proper paperwork for background checks and payment information, and they don't have the additional insurance offered by the major platforms.

"If something goes sour or someone lights your house on fire, there's some protection," said Villines, who manages four properties near the popular vacation destination Lake of the Ozarks. "If you're doing direct booking, that's super risky."

Hosts turn to influencers to tour their properties on social media

Burke, the host with 40 listings in Tulsa, said guests have been shifting toward last-minute stays — which is stressful for hosts relying on their business.

Burke predicts she'll end May with around 58% occupancy, but just weeks ago she was only booked for 30% of the nights in May.

In an effort to attract more bookings overall, she's begun working with a local influencer with 50,000 followers. So far, they've already filmed one of Burke's short-term-rental properties near the popular Tulsa park known as the Gathering Place and have plans to film another near a "hip shopping district" known as Cherry Street.

"Both of those are location, location, location. So people know they can stay in really cool areas and at beautiful properties with our business," Burke said.

Burke declined to disclose how much she is paying the influencer to feature her properties but said comparable digital marketing services cost $1,000 a month and still require Burke to do much of the editing, posting, and content strategy.

"That's not my jam," Burke said. "I'm not a video editor. I don't have a big following."

Villines, the host with four Lake of the Ozarks properties, said he has struck deals with influencers, trading free stays at his listings for packages of content.

Villines said that even though he expects his 2024 summer bookings to drop by about 10% from last year, he's able to use those unbooked nights for content swaps to improve his marketing.

He's given content creators who've reached out to him through Airbnb two- or three-night stays in exchange for up to 50 professional photos he can use for the property's Airbnb profile or a well-composed marketing video that might otherwise cost $500 to $1,500.

"Because I'm down in numbers, I have more availability for nights that I could swap services," he said.

Influencers can also help promote direct booking, Burke said.

When the influencer eventually posts a link to one of her properties, Burke asks that it direct viewers to her business website instead of the Airbnb listing.

Burke said she hopes Tulsans following the influencer are inspired to book through her and save on fees.

"My approach is that she's really focused on bringing guests to our houses that are booking directly," she said.

• Since last year, home prices fell 0.3% in and around Austin, and 4.6% in and around San Antonio.
• Real-estate agents in those Texas spots said home sellers are slashing prices to attract buyers.
• One house in Austin listed for $1.25 million and was sold for $850,000, Nicole Marburger said.

After years of sellers calling the shots in the real-estate market, the balance may finally be tipping towards homebuyers in some US cities.

Since 2022, high mortgage rates and expensive home prices have created a potent cocktail of unaffordability, sidelining many would-be buyers in some of the country's most popular cities.

But with fewer prospective buyers in the market for homes, home prices are now declining in several cities across the US.

The National Association of Realtors found that home prices dropped in 15 of 221 markets across the United States in the first quarter of 2024 compared to the same period last year, including two in the Lone Star State: Austin-Round Rock (-0.3%) and San Antonio-New Braunfels (-4.6%).

The Austin-Round Rock area had a median home price of $466,700 in the first quarter of 2024, down from $467,900 in 2023. The median home price in the San Antonio-New Braunfels area — New Braunfels is a satellite city of San Antonio between it and Austin, and one of the fastest-growing cities in the US — was $320,500 in the first quarter of 2023, and has now fallen to $305,800 in 2024.

The reason homes are getting a bit cheaper is because demand has slowed, real-estate agents in Austin and New Braunfels told Business Insider.

Over the past few years, Texas has lured hundreds of thousands of transplants with its relatively affordable housing and abundant job opportunities. Cities including Austin and New Braunfels have attracted many Californians and tech professionals enticed by remote work and the state's lower cost of living.

Demand from movers and other buyers, buoyed by record-low interest rates from 2020 to 2022, fueled a surge in home prices, driven by heightened competition.

But the higher prices and higher mortgage rates diminished affordability for many locals, leading to lower home-buying demand. Without eager buyers lined up at open houses, homes listed for sale are lingering on the market longer than they have in the recent past.

In April, the average time for homes to sell in Austin increased to 40 days from 38 days the previous year, according to Realtor.com. Similarly, in New Braunfels, homes are now staying on the market for an average of 53 days, compared to 49 days in April 2023.

The trend, has led many sellers to lower their prices — though prices still remain significantly higher than a decade ago.

Some Texas home sellers are slashing prices and offering concessions

Austin real-estate broker Nicole Marburger told Business Insider that the city's real estate market is finally coming down to earth.

From 2020 to 2022, Austin saw a huge boom in its real-estate market, marked by intense competition, bidding wars, and quick sales. But now, the market has changed.

"Most homes are no longer selling within a matter of hours or days," said Marburger, the founder and owner of Austin-based Legacy Real Estate Group at Compass. "Some might sell in two to three weeks, while for others, it could take two to three months — it just depends what area a home is listed."

As homes linger on the market, sellers are reducing their prices to draw buyers, she added.

Marburger said she recently worked with a client who purchased a home initially listed for $1.25 million for just $850,000 — it even came with a concession, which is when a home seller offers a buyer additional incentives such as money for home repairs or mortgage-rate buydowns.

As homebuyers become more choosy, she said more sellers have to adjust their expectations.

"Sellers who are holding out for peak market prices may unfortunately find that, unless their property truly stands out, today's reality does not align with their aspirations," she said.

Some Texas cities have become buyers' markets

New Braunfels — an up-and-coming area located about 47 miles from Austin and 35 miles from San Antonio — is experiencing a similar shift in its housing market.

Broker Mercy Boatright, the owner and founder of real-estate agency House Hunters, told Business Insider that New Braunfels' homebuyers now have the upper hand.

"It's definitely a buyers' market right now," Boatright said. "Prices are going back to the norm. Homes are no longer being appraised at sky-high prices."

Boatright said that homes in New Braunfels with higher price tags are struggling to attract offers. Sellers who resist reducing their listing prices are learning their lesson, she added.

"Homes aren't selling unless the seller's price goes down," Boatright said.

On the other side of the closing table, Boatright said she encourages her buyer clients to consider submitting offers on homes even if they're beyond their budget — a seemingly modest bid could still potentially secure a sale.

"I'm like, 'Hey, if it's the house you want, let's make an offer. I don't care if it's $30,000 off,'" she said. "We try it, and I've been getting them every time."

• A new video shows Ukraine's special forces navigating enemy fire to transport reinforcements to Chasiv Yar.
• The Kraken unit, formed by Azov Brigade veterans, has become one of the country's best-known units.
• Russia has stepped up its attacks on Chasiv Yar, a strategic hilltop town in the east of Ukraine.

One of Ukraine's special forces units has revealed what it takes to replenish frontline troops under constant enemy shelling.

In a new video posted on Telegram by the Kraken regiment, a special forces unit in the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine, appear to be driving a light tactical vehicle along dirt tracks, navigating enemy fire and mortar attacks as they go.

A caption accompanying the video reads: "Maneuvering in difficult conditions under constant enemy artillery fire, [the Kraken regiment is] responsible for the personnel and fire support for the units in Chasiv Yar."

Business Insider was unable to independently verify the video's content, though Ukraine's Defense Ministry confirmed that it was taken in Chasiv Yar, a strategic town on elevated ground that has been relentlessly attacked by Russian forces in recent months.

According to The Washington Post, the Kraken Regiment, which has become one of Ukraine's better-known volunteer forces, was formed by Azov Brigade veterans on the day Russia invaded Ukraine. The Azov unit became known worldwide in 2022 for its heroic stand inside the Azovstal steel complex in the port city of Mariupol.

Like the Azov fighters, whose name comes from the Sea of Azov, the regiment's name and insignia evoke the mythical sea monster, the Kraken, which resembles a giant squid.

Militarnyi reports that the vehicle in the video is a Turkish-made Cobra II.

The manufacturer, Otokar, describes the Cobra II as a "4×4 Tactical Wheeled Armored Vehicle."

Its modular platform has superior technical and tactical characteristics, allowing the vehicle to maneuver easily across difficult terrain.

"COBRA II provides higher ballistic and mine protection, increased payload capacity and internal volume," the description reads.

Chasiv Yar and surrounding areas have become highly contested in recent weeks as Russia steps up its offensive in the east, as well as launching a second front in the northern Kharkiv region.

The Washington DC-based think tank the Institute for the Study of War said in its latest update that Russian forces had "intensified their effort" to seize Chasiv Yar, seeking to "exploit how Russian offensive operations in northern Kharkiv Oblast and ongoing offensive operations throughout eastern Ukraine have generated greater theater-wide pressure on Ukrainian forces."

In response to Russia's increased attacks, Ukrainian forces have transferred elements of a Ukrainian brigade defending in the Chasiv Yar area to the Vovchansk area, which has also come under increased fire, the ISW reports.

As a result, "Russian forces have likely intensified offensive operations near Chasiv Yar to quickly take advantage of weakened Ukrainian defenses."

A breakthrough in the frontline is most likely to come in Chasiv Yar, "where Russian forces have the most immediate prospects for an operationally significant advance." The front west of Avdiivka, the town that fell to Russia in February, is also a possibility.

One of Ukraine's top intelligence officials said earlier this month that Chasiv Yar was very likely to fall to Russian forces.

"Not today or tomorrow, of course, but all depending on our reserves and supplies," said Major-General Vadym Skibitsky, the deputy head of military intelligence.

In his nightly address on Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked soldiers who successfully repelled a Russian assault on Chasiv Yar.

"Our warriors destroyed more than twenty armored vehicles of the occupier. Well done, guys!" he said.

• Morocco has spent the last two decades transforming into Africa's auto-manufacturing hub.
• The country produced 535,825 vehicles in 2023, per data company CEIC.
• The kingdom is now looking to make the transition to electric vehicles.

In the labyrinthine streets of Marrakech's bustling medina, it is hard to imagine that you are standing in one of the world's biggest car-producing countries.

The sun-baked Kingdom of Morocco is renowned as a tourist destination, with its vibrant souks, iconic Moorish architecture, and surreal Saharan desert dunes.

But the country is now also making a name for itself in the automotive industry, having spent roughly the last two decades transforming into Africa's auto-manufacturing hub.

According to data company CEIC, Morocco produced 535,825 motor vehicles in 2023, up from 464,864 in 2022, and it has the capacity to see that number jump to 700,000, the Associated Press reported.

The country has even overtaken China, India, and Japan, as the main automotive supplier to the European Union (EU), according to the Spanish outlet Atalayar.

Morocco is now looking to consolidate its position as a major player in the industry and stay ahead of major regulatory changes — such as the EU's plan to phase out petrol and diesel cars by 2035 — by preparing to transition to electric vehicles.

Morocco's minister of industry and trade, Ryad Mezzour, told Reuters that by 2030, the Moroccan government hopes that up to 60% of its exported cars will be domestically produced EVs.

And the kingdom seems to be in a good position to make the transition, according to Rafiq Raji, a non-resident senior associate with the Africa Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, DC.

"Quite literally in Europe's backyard, Morocco's tariff-free trade access to the United States and European Union, relatively better infrastructure, battery minerals endowment, a relatively robust automotive industrial base, as well as currently being the only African country eligible under America's Inflation Reduction Act, has made it quite attractive for EV-related investment, especially from China," Raji told Business Insider.

Morocco has also spent on infrastructure and training skilled workers, which means it could be in a favorable position to attract investment from car makers looking to expand their electric vehicle supply chains, Abdelmonim Amachraa, a Moroccan supply chain expert, told AP.

And it appears the kingdom is already making moves in the EV space.

This week, Moroccan officials revealed that Chinese auto battery manufacturers Hailiang and Shinzoom would build two separate battery plants in the country's Tanger Tech industrial zone.

Another Chinese battery maker, BTR New Material Group, will also build a factory near Tangier — a coastal city with strong links to a host of American writers — to produce key component cathodes, it was announced in April.

CNGR Advanced Material is also expected to set up a cathode plant in the country.

"BTR and CNGR or other plants will be able to supply gigafactories in Morocco and abroad," Mezzour told Reuters.

• After decades of decline, Detroit registered its first population increase since 1957.
• From July 2022 to July 2023, the Census estimated that Detroit's population grew by 1,852 residents.
• Since taking office in 2014, Mayor Mike Duggan has taken on Detroit's long-standing blight problem.

For decades, Detroit was an international symbol of urban decay: abandoned neighborhoods, decrepit former factories, and a population exodus.

But in recent years, Detroit has turned a corner. There's been a stream of investment across the city, but especially in the city's downtown, where Art Deco buildings have been given new life as residences and modern office spaces. Detroit's restaurant scene is also now one of the most vibrant in the country. And core city services, many of which were deemed unreliable when Detroit filed for Chapter 9 bankruptcy in July 2013, have improved.

The result? From July 2022 to July 2023, the US Census Bureau says Detroit's population grew by close to 2,000 residents, bumping the city's population to 633,218.

The 2023 estimate means that for the first time since 1957, the city grew, a monumental achievement for Detroit — which in the 1940s was one of the country's most prosperous and influential cities.

With Detroit's latest population numbers, the city also jumped from the 29th-largest to the 26th-largest city in the United States, overtaking Memphis, Louisville, and Portland.

Detroit's numbers are still far from 1950, when the city's population peaked at about 1.85 million. Back then, it was the fifth-largest city in the United States, behind only New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles.

Detroit was heavily impacted by rapid suburbanization in the 1950s and 1960s and lost tens of thousands of manufacturing jobs. The 1967 Detroit riot led to an unimaginable loss of life and the destruction of hundreds of buildings, reshaping the city's destiny for generations.

White flight then fueled many of Detroit's businesses to flee the city, and later, much of the city's Black middle-class population also began to decamp for the suburbs, frustrated by the decline in services and the state of the public school system.

That Detroit would register such a population increase years after enduring some of its biggest challenges is a culmination of decades of both public and private investment in Michigan's largest city — one that continues to serve as the nexus of the American automobile industry. And it's also a reflection of the relative affordability of Detroit — which has a lower cost of living compared to the coasts — while offering a climate with less extreme weather than many of its more populous Sun Belt counterparts.

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, in office since 2014, has focused on reigning in the city's blight. Abandoned homes had become the source of crime in many outer neighborhoods.

Duggan last year said that under his tenure the city had removed roughly 25,000 abandoned homes. And thousands of homes have been renovated or are slated for renovations.

"As we remove blight, more and more people are moving into the good houses," Duggan told the Associated Press. "Right now, it doesn't seem like we can build apartments fast enough."

• My parents gave me good financial advice while I was growing up.
• They helped shape how I think about and spend — or save — money today. 
• As baby boomers they had a different perspective than the parents of many of my other Gen Z friends.

As a Gen Zer in my early 20s, I'm starting my career and thinking about my future, and money is an important part of that. Many factors have influenced how I view and handle money, like my education, socioeconomic status, and being raised by baby boomers who are first- and second-generation immigrants. I've also realized that being raised by older parents has given me a different perspective than that of many of my peers.

There's so much personal finance advice out there, but as I settle into adult life, I rely more and more on the fundamentals my parents taught me. Though the economy has changed since they were young, my baby boomer parents' lessons of hard work and the importance of saving still ring true for me today living as an independent young adult.

They encouraged me to work hard

One of the most critical values my parents encouraged — and still do today — is to work hard. I started babysitting as my first job as soon as I could, went on to work part-time jobs in high school, and eventually got full-time jobs during my summer breaks.

Aside from birthday and holiday gifts, the money I saved or spent was money that I worked for. When I went to university, my parents had saved for my tuition (which lasted me a while, thanks to being an only child) and I also applied for scholarships at my school.

When I first started living on my own at 18, my parents would help me if I was ever in a pinch, but most of the money to pay rent and bills was that which I saved. Nothing was ever handed to me. This encouragement to learn how to manage what I earn and work hard is a value that extends not just to the number in my bank account but to my work ethic and career.

They taught me to save what I earned

It's undisputed that saving money is smart, and it's true that you can find this particular financial advice anywhere. But this is another one of the key money lessons my baby boomer parents taught me. It can't be overstated how easy it is to spend these days any time you walk out your door, and this is a fundamental practice, regardless of how obvious it may be.

Ever since I can remember, when I received money as a kid, my parents would encourage me to save it. I even saved up enough and bought our family dog with my own money when I was eight. This practice of saving and reflecting before spending shaped my perception of money as something valuable, finite, and worth safeguarding.

I learned from watching their relationship with money

Observing my parents' relationship with money and their reflectiveness when it came to spending throughout my childhood has also shaped my consumption patterns. For example, eating out at restaurants was a rarity growing up, an added expense saved for special occasions or travel — including fast food (though that may not have been entirely about money). It wasn't until I moved out that I realized how normalized dining out or picking up food is. But often, for my parents, it came down to the good old excuse, "We have this at home."

I also began formally managing my personal finances at a young age. I opened my first checking account when I was 13. I distinctly remember going to the branch with my mom and getting my first debit card. Going through this banking process at a young age gave me the independence to monitor how I was handling my money and learn how to navigate the basics of financial literacy as a teen.

Being economical often gets a bad rap, but I think it's one of the most valuable money habits my baby boomer parents instilled in me, especially given the cost of living today. Now that I'm older and have more expenses, my experience and relationship with money influenced by my baby boomer parents have hopefully set me up for success.

• Some gig workers use third-party apps to claim high-paying orders on Instacart and other apps.
• Using so-called "bots" goes against the delivery apps' policies.
• Still, they can be essential to making money, one worker who has used them told Business Insider.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Ted Rosner, a gig delivery worker in the Washington, DC metro area. Business Insider has verified his identity and his use of two bots designed for gig delivery apps. The story has been edited for length and clarity.

I acquired my first bot back in February 2023.

I found this guy who writes some articles on gig work, and he talked about having access to bots for Instacart. I reached out to the guy's WhatsApp since I had seen multiple postings about it.

The cost for the bot, called ShopperX, was $400 up front, plus $150 per every $1,200 worth of orders that you shopped. Once you had shopped that much, you had to buy another code to keep using the bot.

The biggest reason I purchased it was because you just have to keep refreshing the screen to get orders on Instacart. That's not great while you're driving. I also have neuropathy in my hands, and it hurts to keep refreshing the screen. This Android bot would just do it for me.

There were other features I used a lot. One was spoofing my GPS location. I had Diamond Cart status on Instacart, so I had to be near stores to see orders that I could claim.

But with the bot, I could spoof my location so that it appeared I was back at the store in order to claim another order. That way, I knew I had one and didn't have to waste time waiting in the parking lot to claim an order.

I could set the criteria for the batches: how much I'd earn, the number of customers I'd have to deliver for, the miles I'd have to drive, the number of items in each order, and how far from the store I was. I could say "I want to take a $50 batch that's only one customer that's up to three miles from the store, but an unlimited amount of items," and it would only serve me those orders.

Eventually, Instacart caught on to ShopperX. We got a message from the developer saying, effectively: "If you log out, you will not be able to log back in."

After that, I started asking around about other bots, including for other apps. That's how I found Lucky. I got access from someone who used the bot — apparently, some of these bots are pyramid schemes where users get rewarded for selling other gig workers codes for it.

You can use this bot for a variety of apps, from Instacart to Spark to Shipt. The user interface is different, but it pretty much works the same as ShopperX. You also got to shop $200 worth of orders for free to start, so you can try it and know that you're not being scammed.

My thinking is: If you can't beat them, join them. Normally, I would never see the notifications for the huge, high-paying batches. The only way to get them was with the bot, because the bot was quick enough to catch them. So, the fees are a lot, but if I'm grabbing $200 batches, it's worth it.

As far as I'm concerned, Instacart is only concerned about getting the orders filled. They don't care about anything else. They can figure out we're using bots; they just don't want to. How did I get from DC to Tysons Corner in three seconds? Why can't Instacart detect that we're spoofing back and forth between locations so quickly?

There are so many people out there who are anti-bot, or they think that they're fake. There are a lot of people out there that are attempting to sell fake bots. But I've never heard of anybody being deactivated for bot use. I was recently deactivated from Instacart, but it was because I emailed an Instacart executive about some of the bugs I ran into on the app — their justification never brought up bots.

If Instacart went after bot use aggressively, it would become a fair platform. But right now, it's not fair.

Are bots a good option? You don't have a choice.

An Instacart spokesperson told BI: "This shopper was deactivated from our platform for blatant and abusive violations of our terms of service."

Instacart makes sure that its app "stays secure by removing and banning bad actors from the platform, taking legal action where necessary, and deactivating shoppers found to be misusing the platform," the spokesperson added.

"We have been successful in shutting down these services through both technical and legal interventions, and we will continue to be vigilant in enforcing security measures to ensure the safety, reliability, and fairness of our platform."

Do you work for Instacart, DoorDash, Walmart Spark, or another gig delivery service and have a story idea to share? Reach out to this reporter at abitter@businessinsider.com

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

Welcome back to our Sunday edition, a roundup of some of our top stories. If you're interviewing for a job in the coming weeks, check out these five questions to ask at the end. They could help you seal the deal.

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On the agenda:

• WiFi Money promised the easy life. Investors wound up ruined.
• Blue-collar jobs are booming right now.
• The man leading the fight to legalize MDMA therapy.
• Inside Google CEO Sundar Pichai's big leadership shakeup.

But first: Markets are throwing off déjà vu vibes.

---

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

---

This week's dispatch

Investors go back to the future

Stocks hit record highs. Roaring Kitty is moving markets. Crypto adverts are on TV. It's like the past two years never happened.

The Dow closed above 40,000 for the first time on Friday, driven by signs of slowing inflation.

Keith Gill, the retail trading personality known as Roaring Kitty, tweeted for the first time in three years. The tweet didn't say much, but it was enough to send GameStop's shares spiking.

And with bitcoin hovering near record highs and the crypto winter seemingly behind us, crypto companies are on the front foot once more.

The market euphoria stands in stark contrast to what's going on away from Wall Street.

War rages on in Ukraine and the Middle East. Consumers still feel downbeat about the economy. We're headed for what's likely to be a deeply contentious US election.

For now, investors are shrugging off those concerns.

---

WiFi Money's risky allure

WiFi Money promises its followers "the ability to make money anywhere in the world, by doing one simple action…. connecting to WiFi." It sold Americans the idea that with a bit of hustle, they could soon live the easy life.

But since its founding in 2020, the company has left a trail of lawsuits alleging fraud, bankruptcies, mental breakdowns, and financial devastation.

Meet the ultimate Instagram hustlers.

---

The hottest jobs right now are blue

Want a six-figure salary? You don't need to go to Wall Street or Silicon Valley to land one. Instead, blue-collar jobs are booming right now.

Jobs that don't require sitting in front of a computer are in high demand. Demand is high, opportunities abound, and companies like Walmart and UPS offer six-figure salaries and lucrative benefits.

It's getting hot under the blue collar.

Also read:

• Meet the HIFIs: High-income earners who feel financially insecure but can't quit their luxury spending
• AI analyst says plumbers' and electricians' jobs are safe but AI models like GPT-4o 'will impact any job that has data'
• In a white-collar recession where $100,000 jobs are hard to find, women are winning out

---

One man's mission to legalize MDMA

For decades, Rick Doblin and MAPS, the nonprofit he founded, have been pushing to legalize medical MDMA. Now, the FDA could issue its approval as soon as this summer.

However, insiders have begun voicing concerns about possible ethical lapses in clinical trials and questioning whether MAPS can effectively lead the movement into the future.

Why some advocates are sounding the alarm.

---

Google's leadership shakeup

In April, Google CEO Sundar Pichai executed one of the most dramatic executive shakeups in the company's 25-year history.

Pichai combined two of the company's major units — platforms and devices — into a supergroup focusing on Android, Chrome, and gadgets, like the Pixel phone.

How Pichai redesigned his leadership team.

Also read:

• Google just gave us a tantalizing glimpse into the future of AI agents
• Google's Android chief says AI will reset the battle with Apple for mobile supremacy

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This week's quote:

"They're just three years late giving the right person the job honestly."

• A former Amazon executive on AWS boss Adam Selipsky's successor.

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More of this week's top reads:

• High prices have risen from the dead — and some economists are scared witless.
• I left JPMorgan and escaped the "golden handcuffs." I have no regrets.
• Apple needs a revolutionary new product. Is Tim Cook up to the job?
• A millennial investor feels happier after ditching most of her Zoom meetings.
• AI bots are battling it out over job searches. It's total chaos.
• Peloton's demise is another in a long line of failed fitness fad.
• Adam Neumann is now in the publishing business.
• A Trump voter proved Mike Lindell wrong. Now he wants his $5 million.

• Heads-up, Apple and the rest of Big Tech: Disney wants better app store deals.

  ---

  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.

• After graduating college, I couldn't get a full-time job, so I am working several part-time gigs.
• I am frustrated because I didn't know it would be this hard to make ends meet after college.
• I am trying to look on the bright side and understand that I am learning financial lessons.

After the initial thrill and excitement of graduation wore off, the first few months as a recent college graduate were quickly followed by a blur of job applications, rejections, and figuring out budgeting basics.

I quickly realized that the financial independence I longed for now seemed like a far-off dream.

On the one hand, I gained my independence, but on the other, I now had to navigate issues like rent, groceries, and basic utilities. But since I couldn't land a full-time job in my desired field — as a biotechnologist — I struggled to make ends meet.

I realized I had a lot to learn.

I couldn't get a full-time job, so I struggled to make ends meet

I rarely considered the comfort and stability that being in college had provided. While in school, I could always rely on my family — and even friends — to quickly jump in to support me if I needed financial help. But soon after graduation, I realized I was on my own. I had to quickly understand that the support I once enjoyed had finally dwindled.

The possibility of getting a full-time job seemed almost impossible, so I had to take what was available. I took any odd job: I waited tables, babysat, and even became a part-time receptionist at a hotel.

With the measly paychecks I got, I then had to figure out how to negotiate between my needs and wants. I had to plan every single bit of my income and spending.

I remember sitting in bed, surrounded by bills and a spreadsheet that refused to balance. The uncorrelated numbers on my spreadsheet were a stark reminder that my survival jobs weren't cutting it. My pay barely covered what I needed monthly.

That's when I decided I needed at least two part-time jobs to cover my basic needs.

I don't understand how I got here

In the midst of all that was happening, I couldn't quite get my head around the fact that I couldn't secure a future or land a job. I went to college and followed every step I needed to; my future felt like a guarantee. But I'm realizing I was wrong.

I felt like a failure for not being able to get a job, and I also felt let down by the system.

But I am trying to look on the bright side. Learning to manage my finances at such a young age has taught me invaluable lessons. The challenge of having every penny already spent before receiving the paycheck makes saving an impossible but interesting task. I am learning how to save money and how far a dollar can truly go. I am becoming stronger and wiser through this process.

I am still looking to the future

It's been a year since I graduated. Though I am still looking for a full-time job and struggling to make ends meet, I try to remind myself that this is just a phase in a tough labor market. It will just take some patience and practice.

But while I wait for that to happen, I am quickly learning to adapt to my reality and figure it out one day at a time.

I hope that one day, I will look back at these struggles as the foundation of my financial wisdom. The lessons taught me not just how to survive but how to thrive.

• Rudy Giuliani was served an indictment notice at his 80th birthday party in Palm Beach, Florida.
• The notice relates to alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election results in Arizona.
• Giuliani had tweeted that the notice servers wouldn't find him.

Rudy Giuliani was served an indictment notice during his 80th birthday party after bragging on social media that he would avoid the law officials.

The notice related to alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election results in Arizona.

Giuliani was served at a party on Friday night hosted by GOP operative Caroline Wren in Palm Beach, Florida, with guests taken aback by the intrusion, reports said.

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes confirmed the indictment service via social media with a tweet, "Nobody is above the law."

Giuliani had tweeted, "If Arizona authorities can't find me by tomorrow morning: 1. They must dismiss the indictment; 2. They must concede they can't count votes."

Mayes shared a screenshot of the former mayor of New York's post, with Giuliani smiling and surrounded by a group of women, that had been deleted.

Prosecutors charged Rudy Giuliani, Mark Meadows, and a slate of Arizona Republicans with multiple felonies in a 58-page indictment made public in April.

The indictment notice requires Giuliani to appear before a judge, marking a significant step in a case that has been developing for weeks.

Richie Taylor, a spokesperson for Mayes, indicated that tracking down Giuliani had been challenging, but the attorney general's office remained persistent.

This indictment is part of a broader legal struggle for Giuliani and other Trump allies involved in the alleged election subversion activities. The charges outline Giuliani's role in spreading false claims of voter fraud and urging fake GOP electors to cast votes for Trump-Pence in several contested states, including Arizona.

John Eastman, another figure implicated in the scheme, has already pleaded not guilty in Phoenix. Giuliani and other defendants will appear in court over the coming weeks.

Giuliani was mayor of New York from 1994 until 2001 and more recently was part of Donald Trump's inner circle and worked as the former president's lawyer after the 2020 election.

As a result of his attempts to prove Trump's baseless claims that the 2020 election was rigged, Giuliani's legal troubles have been mounting.

He faces multiple lawsuits and charges, including defamation claims from Dominion and Smartmatic, and significant financial penalties from previous defamation cases involving Georgia election workers.

Additionally, he remains an unindicted co-conspirator in Trump's federal election subversion case and faces numerous charges in Georgia.

A source told the Daily Mail that guests at the party Giuliani was served the notice were "visibly angry as they shouted at the individuals that served the former mayor."

Ted Goodman, a spokesman for Giuliani, said he was unfazed by the episode "and enjoyed an incredible evening with hundreds of people," ABC News reported.

Giuliani, who led Trump's legal challenge to the 2020 election outcome in Pennsylvania, had his law license suspended in both Washington, DC and New York in 2021.

Business Insider contacted Rudy Giuliani for comment.