• I dined at the Chez L'Ami Louis in Paris, which was just bought by the richest man in Europe. 
• The bistro's famous $130 roast chicken was incredible, and the portion was large.
• The food was delicious, and I wasn't mad that our meal cost 272 euros (just under $300).  

As a local to Paris for 15 years, I've often passed by the red-checkered curtains of Chez L'Ami Louis.

The seemingly exorbitant prices displayed on the menu by the door have long kept me from heading inside, but it's no secret this 100-year-old Haut Marais hot spot is among the city's most famous bistros.

It's even said to have welcomed famous patrons like Bill Clinton, David Beckham, Francis Ford Coppola, Keanu Reeves, and Brad Pitt.

With such a reputation, it's perhaps not surprising Europe's richest man, LVMH CEO Bernard Arnault, bought a majority stake in the bistro in June. Financial details of the deal were not disclosed.

In a statement, LVMH (the French luxury-goods conglomerate that owns big names like Louis Vuitton) called Chez L'Ami Louis "a go-to destination for those seeking an authentic culinary experience in the capital."

Even so, the bistro has famously had mixed reviews — it has 3.5 stars on Yelp, and a common criticism is that its prices are far too high.

Either way, I was curious to try Chez L'Ami Louis and form my own impression.

It was easier to make a reservation in person than by phone

The restaurant only has about 12 tables, so I knew making a reservation was my best bet if I wanted to get dinner here.

Reservations can't be made online, and I tried to make one by calling but was unsuccessful. (After reading many reviews, it seems it can be hard to get someone from the bistro on the phone).

Since I live nearby, I tried my luck visiting in person on a Wednesday morning in late June. Even before the lunch seating, the atmosphere at Chez L'Ami Louis appeared inviting.

As I entered the pre-war space, I was greeted by crates of fresh fruits and vegetables covering the aged wooden tables. Half a dozen staff were bringing the bistro back to life following its two-day repose (it's closed on Mondays and Tuesdays).

I walked to the back counter, where a solemn man asked if he could assist me. I asked for a reservation in French — a table for two, s'il vous plaît.

He studied his notebook and suggested a dinner seating for the following week. I eagerly booked a table for two on Sunday night.

Our reservation almost fell through, but we got lucky

My husband and I arrived at Chez L'Ami Louis promptly at 8 p.m. on the night of our dinner date.

The wait staff was in the midst of their nightly plating performance as I slinked past the 12 buzzing tables to let the host know we'd arrived.

After glancing at the reservation list, he looked back up at me and shook his head. He asked if I'd called yesterday to confirm my table, and my heart sank.

I'd misunderstood when I made my reservation: I had been expecting a confirmation call from them, as is the standard practice by many top restaurants.

Maybe the maître d' was moved by the dumbfounded, desperate look on my face, or we just got lucky. He told us to come back at 9 p.m.

When we returned, all eyes were on us

After a convivial apéritif in the neighborhood, we returned to the same curious stares from diners who were now onto their next courses. I smiled graciously as a nook was cleared, and we settled into the salmon-cloth-covered table.

Oval mirrors lined the brown lacquered walls, and the trippy black-and-white tiled floor felt like a statement. Near the open kitchen, baskets overflowing with ripe fruit looked prepped for a royal banquet.

A server in a white button-down and black tie brought us menus, and asked if we preferred still or sparkling water.

The prices were still a bit tough to swallow

I was tempted to order the fish of the day, but the price seemed so high — 150 euros (about $163) — that I'm not sure I would've been able to really enjoy it.

Was the côte de bœuf (rib steak) for two more reasonable at 205 euros? I wasn't sure. I've seen fish and meat dishes cost less at even Michelin-star restaurants.

We settled on the signature dishes of escargot (50 euros) and roast chicken (clearly for two with a price tag of 120 euros), then asked for the wine list.

A leather-bound tome arrived with an extensive selection of wines from around the country.

The bistro's well-stocked cellar apparently has thousands of bottles. With house wine at 25 euros a glass, we ordered a half bottle of Bordeaux at 65 euros, which felt like a bargain.

An international crew of locals and tourists surrounded us

While devouring a sky-high plate of toasted baguette with heavenly demi-sel (slightly salted) butter, I scanned the animated space to discover a room filled with faces both local and foreign.

At a nearby table, I recognized a fashion model used in a campaign by a Parisian brand whose clothing I happened to be wearing. The ladies next to us were from Toronto and eager to share details of their stellar meal.

To our other side sat a group of Frenchmen who appeared to be regulars, engaged in spirited conversation with the person who seemed to be running the bistro.

Our first dish arrived — and every buttery bite of it was sensational

Our anticipation grew along with our appetites as we observed overflowing trays of grilled beef and roast chicken passing overhead.

At last, our escargot arrived dripping in butter and garlic. We savored every one of our dozen succulent snails.

Once the bread and butter were deftly whisked away and the silverware refreshed, the main act began.

I quickly learned why the roast chicken is one of the bistro's famous dishes

After a brief acquaintance with our roast chicken, it was returned to us in parts and accompanied by a towering plate of shoestring fries.

With his first bite, my husband announced, "This is the best roast chicken I've ever had."

With a mouthful of tender, wood-oven-roasted chicken, I nodded in agreement. I also couldn't resist dripping the fries into the rich gravy composed of goose fat and butter.

By the second serving of the chicken (which, in its entirety, I think could've easily fed a family of four), my husband accurately described the meal as "French traditional eating at an excess."

Perhaps it's the excess that makes this restaurant worthy of its elite status.

I wish I'd saved more room for dessert

After our meal, we were so full that I understood why the lighter triple serving of seasonal red fruits with freshly whipped cream (26 euros) was a popular dessert choice.

But tempted by chocolate, we ordered the rich gateau au chocolat (25 euros) and were not surprised by the generous portion. It was more than enough for the two of us.

The chocolate cake was creamy, decadent, and very much on the sweet side. It was easy to inhale, and I particularly enjoyed its crunchy bottom layer.

Our meal cost nearly 300 euros, but I left with a smile on my face

Without cleaning my dessert plate, we paid the bill totaling 272 euros and left the still-bustling bistro smiling and satiated.

Maybe Arnault was just as charmed by his own Chez L'Ami Louis dining experience — so much so that he felt inspired to add the bistro to his portfolio.

But as for me, I'd definitely recommend Chez L'Ami Louis to those looking for an authentic French bistro experience. Just make sure you confirm your booking, dine with gourmands, and stay open to asking for a doggie bag.

• Elon Musk is ready to make Texas his home state.
• The billionaire wants to move X and SpaceX's headquarters to Texas, where Tesla is already based.
• It remains to be seen if others will follow his lead.

When Tesla shareholders took Elon Musk's side in a vote last month to reincorporate the company in Texas, the world's richest person sounded a hopeful tune: "I think we're not just opening a new chapter for Tesla, we're starting a new book."

He'll be hoping his people side with him again on his latest brainwave. Musk said on Tuesday he was ready to shift the headquarters of two of his other companies — X and SpaceX — from California to the Lone Star State.

In a post on X, he claimed the trigger was the passing of a new gender identity law in California on Monday that attacked "both families and companies," though it's clear Musk's exit from the Golden State has been on the cards for some time.

Plans for X to sublease its San Francisco offices emerged this month, while a broader vexation about "violent crime" in the city has weighed on Musk for more than a year.

Musk has already undertaken this relocation exercise before, moving Tesla's headquarters from California to Austin in 2021. But by shifting his two other major companies there, he will look to establish Texas as Musk Country.

Musk is betting others will follow suit. In an X post he confidently asserted that "many will follow" him to Texas in response to a post from venture capitalist Jason Calacanis saying he was "done with California" for the same reason Musk cited.

The Tesla chief already knows the shareholder base is very animated about Texas, of course.

More votes poured in from shareholders on the topic of the electric vehicle maker's reincorporation in the state than they did for a decision on Musk's multibillion pay package, per charts he shared on the shareholder resolutions presented at last month's Tesla annual meeting.

Musk seems to have succeeded in rallying others around other causes in recent times, too. Some tech leaders have boosted support for Donald Trump following Musk's loud tirades on X in support of the Republican presidential nominee.

A Wall Street Journal report that Musk would donate about $45 million a month to a pro-Trump political action committee has been followed by reports of other tech leaders, such as Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz, preparing to do the same.

However, it remains to be seen whether Musk can rally others to follow his companies to Texas for the long haul.

While some tech firms opted to move to Texas during the pandemic, there have been signs of growing frustrations among workers who have found that places like Austin have struggled to meet the high expectations they had of a post-Silicon Valley life.

Other tech companies, like Oracle, meanwhile, have decided to do the opposite. The tech giant led by Larry Ellison shifted its headquarters from Redwood City, California to Austin in 2020, but announced in April that it was moving again to Nashville.

Ellison — who's seventh on Bloomberg's list of billionaires worth $158 billion — chose Nashville because it was a "fabulous place to live," raise a family, and have significant exposure to the healthcare industry Oracle is invested in.

Time will tell if Musk follows through on his vow to move X and SpaceX south. Failing to do so would not be the first time he's said one thing and done another, though.

• Cruise prices are rising, and the added costs are impacting my family's travel budget.
• Despite the heftier price tags, I continue to book cruises because they're an excellent value.
• On a recent trip to Europe, I saved thousands sailing instead of doing a similar land-based trip. 

Although the cost of a cruise is going up, this form of travel is still the best value for a family vacation right now.

The average price of a cruise is up more than 40% since 2019, according to Cruise Critic data reviewed by CBNC. Pent-up demand has contributed to record-breaking bookings and advance ticket sales.

Inflation hasn't slowed the industry down, and costs might not be done rising, either. In December, Carnival CEO David Bernstein told investors the cruise line is "well positioned" to drive its prices up this year.

As a frequent cruiser who's sailed more than 50 times, I've navigated these increases over the past few months and found cruises are still a better deal than trips on land.

Cruise accommodations can be cheaper than hotel rooms, especially in popular destinations

Last summer, my family of three booked a 10-night European cruise to Norway and Iceland on the Norwegian Prima.

Our cruise fare alone amounted to just over $5,000. Although I secured a discounted price by booking during a last-minute sale, this was the most I've ever paid for a cruise.

Before I booked, I priced out hotel rooms throughout Norway and found that even basic stays in most destinations topped $300 a night.

Food costs were equally staggering: A basic medium McDonald's meal in Norway can be nearly $15. Finer fare, similar to what's included on cruise ships, costs even more.

After adding the train tickets, rental cars, and tour buses needed to get around the country to see as many places as we'd see on the cruise, my daily costs jumped even higher.

By comparison, my cruise offered a nearly all-inclusive experience that bundled dining, transportation, and more into one straightforward fare for about $500 a night.

It also included access to Broadway-style shows, pools, water slides, and family-friendly activities as we sailed between our itinerary's seven ports of call. And as a mom, having access to a ship's complimentary kid's club was priceless for getting alone time.

A side-by-side analysis of costs and ease of travel makes cruising a no-brainer

As I broke down my costs for a potential land-based trip through Norway, it became even more obvious that cruising was the less expensive option for my family.

Estimated costs for a 10-day Norway land-based trip for my family of three:

• Hotels: $300 per night = $3,000
• Transportation: $150 per day = $1,500
• Excursions & Entertainment: $200 per day = $2,000
• Dining: $200 per day = $2,000

• Total: $8,500

  (I excluded airfare, a necessary cost for both land and sea trips.)

Although my cruise's $5,000 initial price tag felt steep, this breakdown showed me it was far cheaper than the alternative.

Plus, I'd save so much hassle by not having to map out logistics myself and keep track of a slew of independently booked activities every day.

Sailing on a cruise can also get you premium ocean-front views at a palatable price

As a Floridian, I live near a major cruise port and don't always have to fly to go on a cruise. However, when comparing the costs of a beachfront hotel close to home and a Caribbean cruise setting sail from a local port, the latter still generally comes out ahead.

An ocean-view room at a nice hotel can cost upwards of $450 a night, and that price doesn't include dining or entertainment. Plus, hotel prices are also on the rise, up 40% to 50% compared to 2019.

Meanwhile, a three-night sailing on the Utopia of the Seas, Royal Caribbean's newest cruise ship, can cost $533 a night. Given newer ships command more premium prices, I could likely snag a sailing on one of its other ships for even less.

In fact, the average price for a five-night Caribbean cruise in December was $736 — less than $150 per night.

At sea, I can enjoy included dining and entertainment, ocean views, and stops at beaches for an overall cost that rivals land-based hotels.

Cruise pricing and demand have changed the way I book, but I'm still sailing

With high demand for cruises, I've found deals are getting harder to come by.

Although I snagged a last-minute booking to Europe last summer, this year's search yielded mostly high prices and sold-out sailings.

But given everything included in these types of vacations, I'm still willing to pay for them, even if they cost me much more than before.

That said, my days of cruising on a whim are over. Travelers need to make reservations early to secure spots on in-demand ships.

I just booked my family on a cruise around New Zealand that's not setting sail until December 2025. It feels strange to book a trip this far out, but at least I have time to save up for the cruise's eye-watering $9,000 price tag.

• Donald Trump on Monday selected Ohio Sen. JD Vance as his 2024 running mate. 
• Vance has suggested the US should focus on the threat presented by China, rather than Russia. 
• But Russia and China are working together against the US, say analysts. 

Donald Trump unveiled his vice president pick and likely political heir, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, to a rapturous welcome at the RNC conference in Milwaukee this week.

But in European capitals, Trump's selection of Vance was greeted with deepening concern.

Vance, like Trump, has long cast doubt on the necessity of the US commitment to NATO, which for decades has been the main bulwark against Russian aggression in Europe.

He has also questioned US support for Ukraine in its battle against the Russian invasion.

A US withdrawal from NATO could pave the way for a Russian victory in Ukraine and, European leaders fear, an attack on NATO itself.

Instead, Vance, in common with other so-called "Asia First" Republicans, wants the US to instead focus on what he views as a far greater challenge to US security: China.

In a Monday interview with Fox News, Vance called China the "biggest threat" to the US, adding that Ukraine was a distraction.

Vance claims that the US needs to counter China's economic might, and has backed an increase in tariffs on China that he claims would help boost US industry.

Supporters of refocusing on the China threat believe that the US needs to pick its battles carefully. They believe Ukraine is draining resources the US might need in a confrontation with China, which has the world's largest military.

"China's rapid military build-up has changed the calculus, especially for the 'Asia First' crowd, who see US allies in Europe as more than capable of carrying a heavier burden when it comes to their own defense," said Graeme Thompson, an analyst with the Eurasia Group.

But there's a major problem with that view, say analysts.

China and Russia are working together

Focus solely on the threat posed by Beijing ignores the extent to which China and Russia are interlinked.

"Retrenchment in the face of Russian aggression in Europe would undermine US strategic competition with China in the Indo-Pacific, not enhance it," wrote Michael Green, an analyst at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and Gabriel Scheinmann, the executive director of the Alexander Hamilton Society, in an article in Foreign Policy in the wake of the 2022 Russian invasion.

Far from being isolated threats that the US can separate and prioritize, Russia and China are, in fact, working closely together to topple US global power.

China has provided Russia with diplomatic, economic, and military support in the form of dual-use goods for its war in Ukraine.

In the past month alone, China has held joint military exercises with Belarus, a Russian ally, on NATO's border, and the Chinese and Russian navies have engaged in joint naval exercises.

"Though one could certainly articulate putting a region first in terms of resources and effort, ignoring one of the threats altogether makes little strategic sense," Paul Cormarie, an analyst at the RAND Corporation, told Business Insider, pointing to the close cooperation between the authoritarian powers.

Experts, such as Hal Brands at Johns Hopkins University, believe that China is watching the Ukraine war carefully for signs of Western weakness and will likely launch a campaign to seize control of Taiwan if Russia is victorious.

According to critics of Vance's position, by allowing Russia to seize territory and build its military power in Europe, the US would be helping embolden China's aggression.

It's a threat that US allies in East Asia understand clearly, with Japan having provided Ukraine with billions in aid, knowing that a defeat for the European country directly increases the threat it faces from China. Taiwan and South Korea have also provided Ukraine with support.

Will Trump and Vance follow through?

It remains to be seen whether, if elected, Trump and Vance will follow through on their rhetoric, reduce US NATO support, and compel Europe to pay for its own security.

Despite his incendiary claims on the 2016 campaign trail, Trump, while in office, continued to support NATO. Vance himself has said that US allies in Europe should not be entirely abandoned but simply placed lower on the list of US security priorities.

But this time, observers say, Trump likely won't be retrained by figures such as HR McMaster or James Mattis, officials in his administration who acted as "guardrails" diverting the president from acting on rash impulses.

Instead, he'll likely be surrounded by figures such as Vance, who back his hardline brand of nationalism and narrow focus on China.

Indeed, Trump's former national security advisor, John Bolton, believes that Trump would almost certainly seek to withdraw the US from NATO if elected.

A second Trump term could lead to celebrations not just in Moscow, but in Beijing if Trump and Vance act on their declared hostility to NATO and US support for Ukraine.

• Catering is a major wedding expense, with an average cost of $85 to $86 per person.
• Common mistakes couples make include overspending on the cake and using out-of-season produce.
• It can also be a mistake to stick to standard "wedding food" like chicken, fish, or steak.

When planning a personalized wedding menu, some couples make simple mistakes that could leave a bad taste in their guests' mouths.

Catering can be one of the biggest costs associated with weddings, so it's important for couples to communicate their needs and make sure they work well with their chosen caterer.

According to The Knot 2023 Real Weddings Study, the average catering price was $85 per person for weddings with under 50 guests and $86 per person for weddings with over 100 guests. However, pricing can vary depending on your location and the planner you choose.

Business Insider spoke to Lexi Ritsch, the cofounder of Hamptons Aristocrat, a catering, events, and design company based in the Hamptons, New York, and Palm Beach, Florida, about her biggest tips for couples planning their wedding menu.

Here are the six biggest mistakes she sees couples make.

One of the most common mistakes is choosing dishes that rely on out-of-season or non-local ingredients.

Ritsch said that of all the mistakes she sees couples make when starting to plan their wedding menu, choosing produce that isn't available is one of the most obvious.

"If someone is passionate about some sort of, like Brussels sprouts in June, I would roll my eyes immediately," she joked, saying she tries to guide couples toward ingredients that are more in-season and from local farms.

"A tomato that's been on a plane, and on a plane and in a box for a week, is not going to taste as good as something plucked off the vine two hours ago," she said.

Couples should stay away from unoriginal menu choices like basic salads.

Ritsch said that one of her least favorite wedding menu trends is a simple salad as the first course.

"Can we not do a salad for the first course? Or at least if we're going to do a salad, let's do a sexy one that's got whipped ricotta and Carissa's croutons and shaved summer squash with a basil vinegarette and farm greens," she told BI. "The days of the simple salad can die for me … I just hate boring, especially non-local salads, or 'preset' salads."

Family-style buffets are another played-out choice for weddings.

"I think people are starting to get away from the family-style buffet, which is interesting, and kind of going a little more back to traditional, but traditional with a high-end flare," Ritsch said, adding that more clients are coming to her looking for a restaurant-style menu and service.

"It gives our clients the confidence to do things that are a little more fancy and a little more kind of like things that they would enjoy at a five-star restaurant or a Michelin-star restaurant," she continued.

Couples often overspend on a wedding cake.

Ritsch said that one wedding trend she's "seeing kind of going out the door" is the wedding cake.

"Back in the '80s, '90s, and the early 2000s, the cake was the kit and caboodle. Everyone was getting these cakes the size of your body, spending two grand on an enormous cake," Ritsch said. "I'm finding that budgetarily, clients are kind of bailing on that."

Ritsch said that big giant traditional cakes and cake-cutting ceremonies are things she sees taking a back seat to an ice cream sundae bar or dessert options "that are a little more interactive and fun," such as personalized nods to the couple with their favorite dessert, family recipes, or seasonal-inspired pies.

It can also be a mistake to stick to standard "wedding food" like chicken, fish, or steak.

Ritsch told BI that while the standard chicken, fish, or steak menu options at weddings are still common, she thinks couples — and caterers — can get more creative than "fish over mashed potatoes."

"With big-scale events, a lot of the catering companies will cut corners," she said. "So they're like, 'OK, do you want the salmon or the steak? But both are going to come with mashed potatoes and grilled asparagus.' What? Why would you ever do that? Instead of doing that, all of our dishes are fully curated, fully designed."

Be wary of choosing a caterer who offers little opportunity for personalization.

Ritsch said one of the biggest red flags couples should look out for when choosing their wedding caterer is sample menus with little room for customization.

"So I think any caterer that really just has a, 'Pick six hors d'oeuvres off of this menu and then pick two proteins off of this menu and pick a side dish for each, and then pick a dessert' — anytime that you're doing a build off of an existing catering menu, it just appears to me that maybe that's all that company can do," she said.

Instead, she suggests looking for a caterer who can be more creative.

"Not once have any of my wedding clients had the same menu because they're all different," Ritsch said. "They all have different preferences. Even despite the allergies, despite the dietary stuff, it's really about what they want to eat."

• The Houthis shared a video of a claimed sea drone strike on a crude oil tanker in the Red Sea.
• A spokesperson for the Yemeni Armed Forces said the vessel had violated its entry ban.
• The Iran-backed rebel group has become more adept at targeting commercial vessels, experts told BI.

Yemen's Houthi rebel group shared a video of what it claimed was one of its sea drones striking a crude oil tanker in the Red Sea.

In an X post on Tuesday, Ameen Hayyan, the director of the Yemeni Armed Forces Spokesperson's Office, said it had targeted the Chios Lion on Monday.

The Yemeni Military Media, or MMY, also published the video on its website, saying that it showed the MT Chios Lion being targeted by a drone.

Hayyan said the vessel was struck because the company that owns it violated its decision to ban entry into the "ports of occupied Palestine."

Footage of the alleged sea drone attack shows a blurred vessel approaching the front of the Chios Lion and exploding on impact.

US Central Command, or CENTCOM, reported on the attack on Monday, saying the Houthis attacked the Liberian-flagged, Marshall Islands-owned, and Greek-operated crude oil tanker with an unmanned surface vehicle in the Red Sea, causing damage to the vessel.

It said the Houthis also launched multiple attacks on the MT Bentley I, a Panama-flagged, Israel-owned, Monaco-operated tanker vessel, using one USV, two small boats, and an anti-ship ballistic missile.

It said no damage or injuries were reported related to that vessel.

The Houthis have used naval drones in a string of recent attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea.

The Houthis have characterized their campaign as a response to the Israel-Hamas war, but they are also attempting to position themselves as a big player in Iran's proxy network.

The Iranian-backed group scored its first hit with a naval drone in June, striking the M/V Tutor, a Liberian-flagged, Greek-owned bulk carrier, CENTCOM reported at the time.

Since then, it has ramped up its attacks, deploying one or more sea drones almost every day last week. CENTCOM said its forces destroyed all of those drones.

Between October and April, the Houthis carried out at least 53 attacks on commercial vessels, the US Department of Transportation and Maritime Administration reported in April.

And between December and March, Houthi attacks damaged at least 19 commercial ships, according to a June 13 report published by the Defense Intelligence Agency.

Experts told BI last month that the spike in successful attacks was proof that the Houthis were picking up lessons from their monthslong campaign of attacks on maritime lanes in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, and that Iran, their primary military and financial backer, was still supporting them.

"Every single Houthi attack, the Houthis are probably learning something about what works and what doesn't," Brian Carter, the Salafi-Jihadism team lead and an analyst at the American Enterprise Institute's Critical Threats Project, told BI.

"If you think about how a military organization operates, they're definitely taking away lessons from the different strike packages that they're using," he added.

Following the attacks on Monday, Yahya Sare'e, a spokesperson for the Yemeni Armed Forces, said in a statement that the operations will not stop "unless the aggression is stopped and the siege on the Palestinian people is lifted in Gaza."

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

Hi! If you've heard anything about the Denver Airport, it's probably a wild conspiracy theory about it housing aliens or secret societies. But we got a behind-the-scenes tour that debunked some of the far-out theories.

In today's big story, Amazon wants to stop employees skirting in-office mandates by tracking their hours spent in the office.

What's on deck:

• Markets: A Q&A with a Goldman partner about her path from intern to exec.
• Tech: After accusations of sexual harassment surfaced, a founding father of Utah's VC industry is stepping back.
• Business: Inside the messy feud between the divorced founders of the trendy fitness juggernaut Pvolve.

But first, did you swipe in?

If this was forwarded to you, sign up here.

The big story

Punching the clock

At Amazon, coffee is for closers people who spend at least 2 hours in the office.

The tech giant has launched a new strategy in its ongoing fight to get employees to come to the office: tracking individual hours spent there.

Business Insider's Eugene Kim has a report on Amazon monitoring the hours its corporate employees spend in the office. As frustrating as that sounds — one Amazon employee likened it to being treated like a high schooler — it's not without reason.

Amazon is trying to crack down on "coffee badging," or swiping into the office just to satisfy an in-office mandate without doing actual work there. Currently, most of Amazon's corporate staffers must be in the office at least three times a week.

Amazon and its employees have been in an ongoing battle over its return-to-office mandate, which was first announced early last year. There were internal petitions, blocked promotions, and forced relocations as both sides have dug their heels in.

From Amazon's perspective, the business operates better when people are in the office. A spokesperson told Eugene returning to the office meant "more energy, connection, and collaboration."

For Amazon employees, the RTO mandates have been shrouded in mystery and confusion. And for some, the number of days they're in the office doesn't feel like a metric worth being judged on.

Either way, don't expect the fight to stop anytime soon. At least one Amazon employee thinks they've figured out a workaround by swiping into their local Whole Foods, which is an Amazon subsidiary.

Amazon's RTO battle isn't the only one in Corporate America.

Computer giant Dell is butting heads with employees over its strict RTO mandate, which excludes fully remote workers from promotion.

Workers voiced their anger in Dell's annual employee engagement survey. A key measure of the likelihood employees would recommend Dell as a great place to work dropped by double digits from last year, writes BI's Polly Thompson.

But getting angry is really the only thing employees fighting RTO mandates can do. The white-collar job market is brutal these days. And you can forget about finding a fully remote job.

Maybe that's why employees who still work from home have been willing to push the limit of what's possible.

For some that means quietly taking a vacation while they are still on the clock. For others it's outsourcing your entire job to a shadow stand-in.

3 things in markets

1. A Goldman partner details her climb to the top. Elizabeth Reed is a partner and leads a team that helps price IPOs at Goldman Sachs. In a Q&A, she reflected on the beginning of her 17-year career at the bank, where she started as an intern.
2. Take a look inside JD Vance's investment portfolio. Former President Donald Trump's running mate is pro-bitcoin and has stakes in more than 120 private companies. Walmart, gold, and Treasury bonds are some of his largest publicly traded investments.
3. Small caps, big returns. Fundstrat's Tom Lee is bullish on the potential for smaller stocks as the Fed considers easing rates. The Russell 2000 Index, which tracks small-cap stocks, could rally 40% as the S&P 500 starts to slowdown, he said.

3 things in tech

1. A high-profile Utah VC has been accused of routinely making female employees feel uncomfortable. Half a dozen women told BI they faced unwanted touching from Greg Warnock, a titan of the mountain state's tech scene, while working at the VC firm he cofounded. In June, Warnock told employees he was stepping back from day-to-day management of the company.
2. Netflix and Amazon enter a new stage of the streaming wars. The streamers are vying for brand partnerships with advertisers, which include everything from product placements to joint marketing campaigns. Though brands are eager to be featured in streaming content, not all of them are happy about the way Netflix and Amazon have courted them.
3. Musk dumps California and moves two more businesses to Texas. Elon Musk announced he's officially moving SpaceX and X's headquarters to Texas, citing laws in California "attacking both families and companies." He moved Tesla to the Lone Star State in 2021.

3 things in business

1. Who gets the company in the divorce? Stephen Pasterino and Rachel Katzman's personal breakup sparked a legal battle. But despite a saga involving a billionaire father-in-law, a 911 call, and a defamation lawsuit, the company that now calls Jennifer Aniston an advisor and owner is soaring to new heights.
2. Your friendly, neighborhood landlord is about to get a lot meaner. Mom-and-pop landlords are often held up as a contrast to the big private-equity firms that gobble up real estate. But these small, individual owners are increasingly copying the big corporations' strategies to raise rents and profits, a foreboding sign for renters.
3. Pig roast prizes for the best AI rollouts. The private-equity firm THL uses friendly competitions and prizes to incentivize portfolio companies to implement generative AI. And the tech has helped its companies' engineers increase productivity by up to 30%.

In other news

• Amazon Prime Day 2024: 140+ best deals worth buying.
• Trump is considering giving Jamie Dimon, who he once called a 'highly overrated globalist,' a prime Cabinet position.
• Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz have reportedly told employees they're going to donate to Trump PACs.
• JD Vance could be the first tech guy in the White House. But it's way too early to say what that means.
• Why you're going to be hearing a lot about tariffs on China for the next 4 months.
• Photos show the biggest moments from the Republican National Convention.
• Amazon warehouse workers get injured because of Prime Day rushes, according to a Senate report.
• Wall Street 'bake offs' are back. Here's what it means for dealmaking, according to Morgan Stanley CEO Ted Pick.
• A personal trainer at a longevity clinic says you should care about 3 fitness markers if you want to live a long, youthful life.
• 5 mistakes to avoid when you're posting about your new job on LinkedIn, according to an HR expert.
• Donald Trump still isn't tweeting — no matter how much Elon Musk gives him.

What's happening today

• The Fed's Beige Book is released.
• The mayor of Paris swims in the Seine, where Olympic swimmers are still expected to compete. Paris invested more than $1 billion to clean up the river, but rainfall keeps polluting it.
• United Airlines, Johnson & Johnson, and other companies are reporting.

The Insider Today team: Dan DeFrancesco, deputy editor and anchor, in New York. Jordan Parker Erb, editor, in New York. Hallam Bullock, senior editor, in London. Annie Smith, associate producer, in London. Amanda Yen, fellow, in New York.

• Trump allies are reportedly drafting plans for an executive order on AI.
• The order could lead to "Manhattan Projects" for AI military tech, according to The Washington Post.
• Agencies will be created to study AI models and protect them from foreign powers, the report said.

Donald Trump's allies are believed to be drafting plans to create "Manhattan Projects" that will develop AI military technology and review regulations put in place by President Joe Biden.

According to The Washington Post, several people close to the former president are writing up an AI executive order to advance US interests in the technology.

It will include the creation of industry-led agencies that will study AI models and protect them from foreign powers, the report said.

The Post noted that the framework also contains a section called "Make America First in AI," which aligns with the 2016 Trump Administration's commitment to "strengthening American leadership" in the field.

Trump's former chief economic advisor, Larry Kudlow, who now heads the America First Policy Institute, is believed to be involved in the plans.

If such plans go ahead, they will likely benefit the former president's tech donors, including Tesla billionaire Elon Musk.

Musk endorsed Trump in July following the assassination attempt on the former president. Soon after, it was reported he would donate $45 million to a new super PAC called America PAC, which has garnered support from others in Silicon Valley.

Republicans have previously pledged to repeal Biden's executive order on artificial intelligence.

The order demands that major tech companies communicate the risks of their AI models with the federal government. It also limits the government's use of AI systems in high-risk situations and includes programs to study potentially harmful AI healthcare practices.

"We will repeal Joe Biden's dangerous Executive Order that hinders AI Innovation, and imposes Radical Leftwing ideas on the development of this technology," the GOP platform says. "In its place, Republicans support AI Development rooted in Free Speech and Human Flourishing."

Hilton Beckham, spokeswoman for the America First Policy Institute said in a statement to the Post that the document does not represent the organization's "official position", and must not be taken as representing the views of the Republican Party either.

In 2019, the Trump Administration established the American AI Initiative via Executive Order 13859, which aimed to "develop and implement an action plan, to protect the advantage of the United States in AI and technology critical to United States economic and national security interests against strategic competitors and foreign adversaries."

The order also directed officials, including the Secretary of Defense, to "prioritize the allocation of high-performance computing resources for AI-related applications."

Representatives for Larry Kudlow and Donald Trump did not immediately reply to a request by Business Insider for comment.

• In a private 2016 message to an old Yale roommate, JD Vance said Trump could be "America's Hitler."
• Josh McLaurin, the former roommate, released the message after Trump endorsed Vance in 2022.
• McLaurin, now a Democratic lawmaker, told BI he did it to expose Vance's "hypocrisy."

JD Vance, now former President Donald Trump's running mate, once speculated in a 2016 message to a former college roommate that Trump could end up being "America's Hitler."

Vance had also written that year that Trump was "unfit" to be president, called him an "idiot," and described him as "cultural heroin."

At the time, Trump was running for the presidency for the first time.

Josh McLaurin, Vance's former roommate at Yale and now a Democratic state senator in Georgia, sat on the "America's Hitler" message for years before deciding to publish it in 2022, shortly after Trump endorsed Vance's Senate run.

In an interview with Business Insider, McLaurin said he released screenshots of the message to expose Vance's "hypocrisy" and the "gross inconsistencies" in his political career.

Now, the message, which also speculated that Trump could simply be a "cynical asshole like Nixon," is being used to highlight Vance's dramatic journey from "Never Trump" to loyal ally and running mate.

McLaurin told BI that he decided to leak it once Vance accepted Trump's endorsement for the Senate primary in Ohio in April 2022.

"I thought at that moment his reversal was complete, and the hypocrisy of what he had done would be the most apparent," he said.

McLaurin said he wanted to hold Vance accountable for "gross inconsistencies" in his conduct prior to his candidacy, believing it was crucial to do so when he was on the precipice of power.

Reflecting on their time at Yale Law School together, between 2010 and 2013, McLaurin said that he had a "small degree of faith" that Vance might one day be able to steer the Republican Party toward a more moderate path.

"He was very thoughtful; he did not tow the party line aggressively," McLaurin said.

He said Vance's comments about Trump in 2016 demonstrated that same thoughtfulness and a "deep amount of insight," which is why he felt comfortable reaching out to him in the first place.

Shortly after the conversation, McLaurin said they stopped communicating, and he observed Vance's shift to supporting Trump from afar.

"I guess he was radicalized to some extent by media and Democratic opposition to Trump," McLaurin said. "I think he was more upset by what he saw as attacks on Trump than he was in any way convicted by Trump's approach to politics."

Vance's team did not immediately respond to BI's request for comment.

McLaurin suggested that a personality trait he had observed in Vance could also have influenced the dramatic political evolution.

"I think that both JD and Trump derive a great deal of pleasure out of violating norms or rules that other politicians in the establishment were afraid of violating," he told BI.

"Anybody can go up onstage with Trump and say, 'Make America Great Again,' wear a red hat, and try to play the part," McLaurin said. "But only a handful of people genuinely enjoy dismantling the norms and the institutions that Americans have come to rely on."

He said he saw this behavior recently when Vance blamed President Joe Biden's campaign for the Trump assassination attempt, without evidence.

"What JD really wants to do most of all, I think, is prove that nobody can tell him not to say that," McLaurin said.

• Earlier this year I left my job of seven years to go full time freelance. 
• With my regular wages gone, I had to ask my parents for financial help. 
• My parents are not well-off and are helping me pay my mortgage for six months. 

If anyone asks how I would describe myself, "independent" would be at the top of the list. I've always been focused and hardworking, having been employed since I was 15 years old.

How I earn my money has changed over the years, from working in retail, selling prom dresses and skinny jeans, to writing for a living.

Yet, at 31 years old, I'm more broke than I've ever been.

I left my job to go freelance

In March, I left my job of seven years to go freelance. It was something I'd been working toward since 2021 when I went part-time — after securing a mortgage and my first apartment — so I could properly dip my toe in self-employed waters. In the two days a week I wasn't working at a glossy publishing house, I built up contacts, wrote for different titles, covered new areas, and experienced the joy of controlling my own time.

But being my own boss for two days a week is a lot different from five, something I didn't properly appreciate until my last pay cheque ran out. Until then, I'd been able to focus on writing what I wanted to, often poorly paid but good for my portfolio, with the safety of a good monthly salary. But when my regular wages were gone, writing op-eds about race and identity or hot takes on Hollywood's latest releases wasn't cutting it, and I hadn't yet established consistent income streams. I did something I'd never done before — asked my parents for money to help pay my mortgage.

My parents are helping me for 6 months

I hoped to only ask once, but the next month was tight, too. Now, my parents have committed to paying my mortgage for six months without me asking. They've witnessed how unhappy I was in my 10 years of corporate employment and how my mental health suffered. They've seen me bullied by a former manager and face racial and gender-based micro and macro aggressions. They've seen me apply for endless jobs, mostly to be beaten to the role by someone already covering the vacant position.

They say they're glad to be able to support me, knowing that I'll work hard to be self-sufficient again and that I don't take this gift for granted.

The money is a relief in a world where titles are closing every day, budgets are being slashed, and the pay per piece of work hasn't increased in almost a decade. But my parents' help means more than that — it's a vote of confidence at a time when I'm scared to jump into this new way of working. It's a message that they're here for me, despite living three hours away, and an encouragement to make my goals happen.

They don't expect me to pay them back

It's also special for its singularity, my parents not expecting to be able to help me in this way. While I lived a comfortable childhood and never wanted for anything, we weren't particularly well off. Sometimes, the stars align — my move to freelancing coincided with them receiving a small lump sum, hence their ability to pay my mortgage.

My parents haven't been able to sustain me in such a significant way before, and their insistence that they don't begrudge giving me this money, nor expect me to pay it back, despite my offers, makes it easier not to feel embarrassed or like a failure. After all, it's a tough time to be a journalist. I know that I've done as much as I can to lay the foundations for a sustainable career in a struggling industry in a country deep in a cost-of-living crisis.

I know that this support isn't an ongoing offer nor something I want to rely on. I've got six months to earn enough to build up some savings and start paying into a private pension, hopefully no longer anxious about every penny I spend or in my overdraft after a direct debit I forgot about.

I want to stand on my own two feet, but I can't feel too guilty when the world's not the same as it was for my parents' generation. Until then, I'm taking the money.