• At 41 years old, I moved in with my 88-year-old grandmother.
• My personal circumstances made it relatively easy for me to slip into the role of caregiver.
• My grandma and I enjoy watching TV together, but caregiving isn't easy.

A little more than two years ago, I woke up in my childhood bedroom for the first time in more than three decades.

I wasn't home just for a visit. In fact, I wasn't even back with my parents. At 41 years old, I moved in with my 88-year-old grandmother to take care of her. (I call her Mamaw as any good Texan kid would.)

All along, my family knew that one day the Mamaw would no longer be able to live alone. Since my grandmother refused to give up her own home, I offered to move in.

It made the most sense for me to move in with Mamaw

When I was a kid, Mamaw, Mom, and I lived together in this house. Mamaw became like a secondary parent to me. Over the course of four years, she taught me the joys of old musicals and playing card games that were way too advanced for 7-year-olds.

Now that I'm in my 40s, I'm living with Mamaw again because it makes the most sense. The logistics were a lot easier than my mother uprooting her life and taking on the primary caregiver role.

As someone who is single with no children and no mortgage, it made the most sense for me to move in. Not having to worry about selling a home or uprooting a family to move in with Mamaw made the process relatively seamless — aside from moving all the books.

Thankfully, I'm not doing this alone. My family has concocted its own version of the sandwich generation. A recent layoff made my working situation a little more complicated right as Mamaw needed some extra care. Now, my mom comes over most weekdays to take care of home health visits, appointments, and other caregiving tasks while I work and job hunt.

Living with my grandmother isn't easy, but there are bright moments

I'm not trying to be a martyr here. Moving in with Mamaw wasn't some selfless sacrifice for which I expect a pat on the back. I genuinely enjoy her company, and we get along great when she isn't refusing to eat lunch or using my cat napping in her lap as an excuse not to do her physical therapy.

I've introduced her to the wholesomeness that is "The Great British Bake Off "and the brutality of playoff hockey, and heck, she was even strangely fascinated by watching my marathon sessions of "Animal Crossing."

Don't get me wrong, though: it's not always easy. There are doctors' appointments, home healthcare sessions — all while trying to juggle work meetings, and the ever-present battle to keep her eating and drinking enough.

I'm enjoying the last few years I have left with her

Now at 90 years old, it's hard to ignore the changes I've seen in her health in just these two short years.

Circumstances have put us together time and time again over the years. She's been there for me more times than I can count, and I'm only too happy that I'm in the situation to be able to return that favor.

Plus, who else is going to watch "Jeopardy" with me every weeknight?

• New social, professional networking, and dating startups are coming onto the scene.
• VCs and angel investors are funding some of these promising startups.
• Here are the pitch decks 13 startups used while raising rounds from pre-seed to Series A.

A new generation of consumer social startups is emerging.

From platforms focused on getting people to meet IRL to dating apps taking on Tinder or Hinge, startups are disrupting the digital social scene.

Founders of these startups are tackling problems like loneliness, dating app fatigue, and general dissatisfaction with the current social media incumbents.

Some founders come from Big Tech backgrounds, like the Instagram-heavy team behind photo-sharing app Retro, or the ex-Google employees building the social-mapping app PamPam. Gen Z founders are also throwing their hats in the ring, like Isabella Epstein's IRL-focused app Kndrd, or Tiffany "TZ" Zhong's Noplace app.

Investors are taking notice.

For instance, the IRL-social app 222, which matches strangers over dinner or activities with a personality quiz, raised a $2.5 million seed round from venture capital firms like 1517 Fund, General Catalyst, and Best Nights VC in 2024.

"We're entering this new wave of social where people are trying to revert back to what people really use these platforms for to begin with — which is connection," Maitree Mervana Parekh, a principal at Acrew Capital, told Business Insider in 2024.

Meet 19 startups in social networking, dating, and AI that investors have their eyes on

Some venture capital funds — such as French firm Intuition VC or gaming-focused firm Patron — have made tackling loneliness and relationships part of their investment theses.

But it's not just friendship and dating that are ripe for disruption.

Startups like Khosla Ventures-backed Gigi, Yale-student-founded Series, Boardy, Filament, and Goodword have raised capital for AI tools to help people network better or maintain professional relationships.

"When people think about loneliness, they think about friends and family," Goodword CEO Caroline Dell recently told Business Insider. "But we spend most of our waking hours at work as professionals."

Meet the founders of 11 startups competing with dating app giants like Tinder

Other startups, like Diem and Spill, have opened up investment rounds to include users themselves using the platform Wefunder.

It's not yet clear how many of these investments will pan out. Some startups are pre-revenue, while others are experimenting with monetization methods (such as freemium models).

"Founders have to be honest with themselves," said Marlon Nichols, a founding partner at Mac Venture Capital. "Some of them aren't really venture-scale or venture-type investments. We're looking for the next big thing, the next category leader."

Meet 12 VCs and investors eyeing new social startups

BI spoke with several social-media and dating app founders about how they are raising capital, including the pitch decks they used to raise millions of dollars.

Read the pitch decks that helped 13 social-networking and dating startups raise millions of dollars:

Note: Pitch decks are sorted by investment stage and size of round.

Series A

• Posh, an event-based social network based in New York City: $22 million Series A (12 pages)
• Spoon Radio, a social-audio startup: $17 million (15 pages)
• Clyx, an app to make plans with friends and meet new people: $14 million (22 pages)
• Pie, an IRL social startup founded by Bonobos' Andy Dunn: $11.5 million (31 pages)
• Meet5, an IRL social app for Gen X and baby boomers: about $9 million (11 pages)
• Howbout, a social-calendar app to help people make plans with friends: $8 million (12 pages)

Seed

• Hangout, a social music platform: $8.2 million seed (26 pages)
• Goodword, an AI copilot that wants to help people make deeper professional connections: $4 million seed (11 pages)
• First Round's On Me, a dating app that prioritizes making plans over swiping and DMs: $3 million (16 pages)
• Seam Social, a Web3-inspired social network that lets users make mini-apps: $2.5 million (10 pages)
• Cerca, a dating app focused on matching people with mutual friends: $1.6 million (10 pages)

Pre-Seed

• Series, an AI professional network for college students: $3.1 million pre-seed (10 pages)

Other

• Rodeo, a social shopping platform, shared the pitch deck it used to get accepted into an A16z startup accelerator (11 pages)

Read about more social networking and dating startups raising millions:

• Airbuds, a social music app, told Business Insider in November that it has raised $10.2 million to date — including a recent check from Alexis Ohanian's VC fund.
• Sweatpals, a fitness and wellness social platform, raised $12 million in seed funding.
• Sitch, an AI matchmaking dating app, announced in April that it had raised $2 million in pre-seed funding.
• Amata, another AI matchmaking dating startup, recently launched in the US and disclosed that it raised $6 million in 2023.
• Gigi, an AI social network for making professional connections, announced in September that it raised $3 million from Khosla Ventures.
• Corner, a social mapping app for Gen Z, disclosed in September that it has raised $3.75 million to date.

• Hundreds of flights have been canceled on Sunday after a snowstorm hit the Midwest.
• Chicago's O'Hare airport has seen the most cancellations and delays.
• About 1,500 flights were canceled in Chicago on Saturday when the storm first hit.

Hundreds of flights were canceled or delayed across the United States on Sunday after a winter storm battered the Midwest over the weekend.

About 240 flights into or out of Chicago's O'Hare International Airport were canceled as of 11 a.m. ET on Sunday. Another seven were canceled at Midway Airport, according to flight-tracking website FlightAware. Hundreds of others were delayed in the Chicago area, one of the country's busiest flight hubs.

Another 1,500 flights were canceled on Saturday as heavy snow and strong winds swept across the Chicago region, according to FlightAware data.

The winter storm — and the subsequent flight cancellations and delays — come as Americans travel following the Thanksgiving holiday, typically some of the busiest travel days of the year.

The Transportation Security Administration had predicted that Sunday would be one of the busiest days in its history.

The agency said it would likely screen over 17.8 million people from November 25 to December 2, including more than 3 million on Sunday alone.

In an update, the National Weather Service said a period of "accumulating snow" was expected from Monday afternoon into Monday night in the Chicago region.

The agency said this "may produce hazardous travel conditions for the Monday afternoon commute and potentially lingering impacts for the Tuesday morning commute."

Another winter storm could hit New England and the Mid-Atlantic in the coming days, the Weather Prediction Center added.

• I'm a mom of four, and as my kids grow older, I've had to adapt my interests to bond with them.
• Things like allowing them to take over the car radio to play the music they are into connect us.
• I get to study new things with them and expand my own knowledge.

As my kids have grown up, I've tried to come to terms with the slow loss of them to the world.

While this is the natural order of parenting, it's still hard to accept. They've moved forward, and I've mourned the loss of our time together. Evenings once spent watching shows or talking have become rare. They spend more time with friends than with me, and I've wondered how to remain a relevant part of their lives.

One of the best ways I've managed to maintain my connection with my kids as they've moved into middle school, high school, and college is by adjusting my own interests.

I care about staying connected with my 4 kids

Whether it's allowing my high school daughter to take over the car radio or television or letting my middle school son pick an activity, I've had to be flexible and broaden my thinking. It's opened me up to new music and genres. My youngest daughter's obsession with Zach Bryan and Noah Kahan has become my own. I've learned every song, and we've started talking about going to her first concert at some point this year. Moments spent singing lyrics we've learned together on the morning rides to school have become a treasure.

I'm also well-versed in the vocabulary and trends of younger generations. I understand all the lingo from "huz" to "mid." I've even managed to work it into my own conversations. While I don't care about being cool, I do care about remaining connected to the four humans I brought into the world. Understanding how they talk and think helps. It also lets them know how invested I am in what's important and relevant to them.

I get to learn along with them

Adopting their interests has let me discover hobbies — both new and old. When they were younger, I'd let many personal interests slip, even giving up reading for fun. There was no time or space for my own interests. Now, I'm glad to have that back. It's a perk of their growing independence.

My other kids have also developed some really cool hobbies and interests. My 12-year-old son has developed an interest in space. With hopes of becoming an astronomer one day, we have borrowed our library's telescope. I am learning to use it with him and also how to track down stars and planets. This past summer, it was an amazing way for us to bond and stay connected. We took pictures of the moon through the telescope and shared interesting articles about exoplanets and other interesting space lore.

My eldest daughter, who just turned 19, has cultivated her growing interest in true crime for most of her teen years. It may be due in part to having watched every episode of "Criminal Minds" together as she made her way through high school. True crime books lined her bookshelf. Now she is studying criminal justice in her second year of college with the hope of transferring to Arizona State to study forensic psychology.

This was once a dream of mine. While I never pursued it, I am now studying it alongside her, watching documentaries, reading, and exploring crimes she is learning about. I've also begun listening to true crime podcasts, which was always difficult for me as a visual learner with less-than-stellar auditory skills. This has become a favorite part of getting back into working out.

My renewed interest in working out has also helped me forge a deep connection with my youngest daughter, a freshman in high school. She has taken an interest in tennis and continues to remain interested in competitive cheerleading and fitness. Our shared interest has led to a new project. We are working on building a gym in the basement. We spend time searching our local Buy Nothing Facebook group to find things to add. We recently found a stationary bike and hope to find a treadmill. Working out in our home gym has an added benefit; it will help us make it through the long, cold New England winter.

Whether it's working out at home, marveling at the night sky, or watching a true crime documentary, learning alongside my kids has been an unforgettable experience. It has allowed me to connect and grow with them, even as they grow up and away. My world has expanded just as their world has. I'm so grateful to be able to share their hobbies and interests. Instead of losing them, I've connected with them in a deeper and more meaningful way.

• In my culture, children are expected to greet everyone in the room with a hug and a kiss.
• My daughter didn't like to and often screamed when relatives tried to hug and kiss her.
• I teach my kid that she has choices and can say no whenever she feels uncomfortable.

My young daughter wasn't yet 1 years old the first time she shook her head and stretched her hands out to push away a hug from relatives. Everyone laughed it off, assuming she would grow out of it.

What they didn't realize was that, even at that age, I was teaching her that she always has a choice — something I didn't have growing up.

Every family gathering began the same way when I was a kid. I would open my grandparents' front door, and the smell of tamales, turkey, rice, and the best of our Mexican-American world would welcome me at the doorstep. I loved the laughs, food, and family, but before I could settle in, I had to brace myself for the greeting ritual.

With my shoulders tight and my steps tiptoeing along the living room, I scanned the faces of new visitors who had made a pit stop at our feast. A polite smile and a wave were considered rude, but it felt strange to show affection to people I had never met.

If I weren't eager to make my rounds, I would get a nudge on my back with an emphatic, urgent command from all the adults in unison: "¡Saluda!" That made the next step clear: hug and kiss every adult in the room as a gesture of respect.

As each year passed, my resistance became less about hugging people I didn't know and more about realizing my boundaries didn't matter. I want to teach my daughter differently.

The social reset that paved the way for new norms

In 2020, I became a first-time mom. As if postpartum chaos and sleepless nights weren't enough, the pandemic hit and left us with isolation and an unexpected reset. I was relentless about not exposing her to risk as an infant, but she still babbled and smiled on FaceTime with my family. Their connection grew despite the limitations and distance.

After being apart for so long, we were all excited about our first gathering. I walked through the door, holding my daughter, and the kitchen was lined with my white-haired elders; their faces lit up as we entered. The day they could pinch her cheeks and smother her with kisses had finally arrived.

Arms reached out, smiles widened, and baby coo sounds filled the air. My daughter took one look around, gripped my hair in one hand, my collar in the other, and let out a startled wail.

There was an immediate and collective sigh of disappointment. The matriarchs and patriarchs of my family had never been challenged by a 1 year old. They stepped closer, hoping that proximity would encourage her to leap into their arms. She cried louder.

Their arms dropped, their smiles turned to frowns, and the bribery ensued: "I got you a pretty doll, and I'm going to be so sad if you don't give me a hug." Another aunt leaned closer and said, "Don't you love me? I really love you!"

While I knew those statements came from a place of love and care, I looked my daughter in the eyes and said, "It's OK, you can stay with me." She released the grip on my hair and shirt, rested her head on my shoulder, and let out a sigh of relief.

I looked at my aunts and uncles, feeling both nervous and empowered. I reassured them that she would warm up to them on her own time and in her own way.

I took a chance and created a teaching moment

I started a conversation with my family that we never had before, and explained that what was considered disrespectful in their generation is now considered self-respect in mine.

The family gatherings continued. Sometimes my daughter would run to the door to greet them and hang on their neck with glee; other times, she would run by them, shouting "hi!" and go straight to the couch.

As the years have passed, their expectations have shifted, and their disappointment is no longer in the air. Comments have gone from "Are you going to let your daughter get away with not giving me a hug and kiss?" to "Okay, I'll be here when she wants to play."

Respect and love can now take on different forms. That's a tradition worth passing down.

• The Northeast is poised to emerge as a top real estate region in 2026.
• Cities near booming business districts like Jersey City and Brooklyn saw big jumps in the rankings.
• Markets with job diversity and an affordable cost of living remain strong in 2026.

Real estate professionals and industry experts are keeping a close eye on a few key markets heading into 2026, which means you should too.

Consulting firm PwC, in partnership with the Urban Land Institute (ULI), released its Emerging Trends in Real Estate report for 2026, highlighted by its ranking of the top markets to watch. The rankings are based on a survey of more than 1,000 industry experts who rated markets based on their investment and development prospects.

Though the Sun Belt has often been billed as an up-and-coming region boasting a mostly affordable cost of living; this list highlights the Northeast as a region with upsides going into 2026.

"There are four Northeast markets in the top 10," PwC partner Andrew Alperstein told Business Insider. "It's really a story around New York City and some of the back to office and back to living in the city that we've seen, and the accessibility of places like Brooklyn and Jersey City — which, for the millennial younger crowd, is a little bit more affordable, still proximate to New York City, and has a good amenity base."

Jersey City, New Jersey, experienced the largest positive jump among the top 10 markets, rising 17 spots from the previous year, capitalizing on its proximity to Manhattan. People returning to the office need places to eat, places to shop, and most importantly, places to live. Jersey City invested $177.4 million in the first half of 2025, and 65% of that investment volume went toward apartments, according to data from CBRE Research and MSCI.

While some Southern markets like Austin have seen major growth in recent years, they've since cooled off due to a lack of economic diversity, according to Alperstein. Only two Texas markets cracked the top 10, and only three made the top 25.

"There was almost a little bit of an exuberance around Austin with a lot of the focus on technology, and it's probably a little bit too technology centric, relative to somewhere like Dallas or Miami that has more diversification in employment and in their employment growth," he said.

The cities that are thriving going into 2026 are ones that can offer affordability, a healthy job market, and amenities without too many sacrifices.

Below are PwC and ULI's markets to watch for 2026.

10. Phoenix, AZ

2024 rank: 10

9. Manhattan, NY

2024 rank: 11

8. Tampa-St. Petersburg, FL

2024 rank: 4

7. Northern New Jersey

2024 rank: 22

6. Nashville, TN

2024 rank: 5

5. Houston, TX

2024 rank: 3

4. Brooklyn, NY

2024 rank: 14

3. Miami, FL

2024 rank: 2

2. Jersey City, NJ

2024 rank: 19

1. Dallas-Fort Worth, TX

2024 rank: 1

• The Ferdinand Magellan, also known as US Car No. 1, was used by US presidents between 1943 and 1954.
• It was the president's official transportation in the days before Air Force One.
• The car used by Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry Truman, and Dwight Eisenhower can still be borrowed.

Long before the primary transportation method for US presidents was Air Force One, they traveled the country aboard a 10-foot-wide train car.

The Ferdinand Magellan, a Pullman car rebuilt in 1942 for presidential use, was the president's official mode of transportation between 1943 and 1954. The car is also known as US Car No. 1.

The armored car was the heaviest railcar ever built in the US after it was fitted with detailed security features and enlarged spaces for President Franklin D. Roosevelt at the height of World War II.

Today, it is the only passenger train car to ever be declared a National Historic Landmark.

While it pales in comparison to the Air Force One in space and technology, the Ferdinand Magellan allowed the president to continue his duties in comfort while on the move. The car was often accompanied by other train cars dedicated to radio communications, White House staffers, and members of the press, making it a "White House on wheels."

Take a look and see how US presidents traveled in the days before Air Force One.

US Car No. 1 was presented to President Franklin D. Roosevelt in December 1942.

On December 18, 1942, the Pullman Company presented a luxury train car that had been rebuilt at the request of the US Secret Service, which had determined that the president needed a secure way to travel during wartime.

Roosevelt most often used the car to travel from Washington, DC, to his home in Hyde Park, New York. The president insisted on not surpassing a speed of 35 miles per hour when traveling aboard the Ferdinand Magellan, making his journeys less efficient and heightening security measures, per the White House Historical Association website.

He last rode the car on March 30, 1945, when he visited his Little White House in Warm Springs, Georgia, where he died a few weeks later.

During his time, the president rode over 50,000 miles aboard the presidential train car.

It was most famously used in 1948 during Harry Truman's "whistle-stop" campaign tour.

While the car was built with Roosevelt in mind, including certain designs that would allow him to use a wheelchair on the train, it was his successor, President Harry S. Truman, who used it the most.

The president, who, unlike Roosevelt, opted for a speed of 80 miles per hour, employed the car in his iconic 35-day whistle-stop tour during his reelection campaign in 1948, where he delivered 356 speeches from the back of the Magellan, per Architectural Digest.

By the time Truman's successor, President Dwight D. Eisenhower, took office, more efficient air travel was starting to replace rail travel, and the US Car No. 1 was used for the last time in 1954.

The car was last used by Ronald Reagan during a commemorative whistle-stop tour in Ohio in 1984.

In 1984, Reagan brought the Magellan out of retirement for a one-day whistle-stop tour through Ohio during his reelection campaign.

The president traveled from Dayton to Perrysburg and stopped at five locations to give speeches from the rear platform of the presidential car.

Today, the US Car No. 1 sits in a small museum near Zoo Miami.

In 1959, the Gold Coast Railroad Museum in Miami, Florida, acquired the car, which in 1958 had been declared surplus and donated to the Smithsonian, which had no way to store it.

Since then, the car has stayed in South Florida, where it is now open to the public.

The Gold Coast Railroad Museum is open Wednesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends. A regular adult ticket for the museum costs $12, and tickets for the presidential train car cost an additional $10.

To carry the president, the unique armored car had enhanced security features.

The car, which is 84 feet long, 10 feet wide, and 15 feet tall, was covered with over 1/2 an inch of nickel-steel armor on its sides and featured 3-inch-thick bulletproof glass windows.

It was also the heaviest train car built in the US. After it was refurbished for presidential use, the train car weighed 285,000 pounds, making it much heavier than modern-day war tanks, which often weigh around 100,000 pounds.

The car also had its name, Ferdinand Magellan, removed from its sides in an effort to conceal the president's presence, although its design often stood out.

Other security features included two escape hatches and a complex security protocol, which included diverting traffic on the rails to ensure that no train traveled ahead or behind the president for at least 30 minutes. Operating under the code name POTUS, the president's train always had the right of way.

Passengers boarded from the front of the train, which housed the staff quarters and kitchen.

The entrance through which presidents and their guests would've entered is at the front of the car.

In the kitchen, an onboard chef had access to ovens and refrigerators.

The train's dedicated chef prepared the president and guests' meals inside this kitchen.

On the other side of the kitchen, the staff had pantry space to plate the dishes.

The kitchen was also equipped with a pantry and a full-size metal sink.

The car housed two staff members: a chef and a porter.

Near the kitchen, the two-person staff had sleeping quarters that featured an upper and lower berth.

The dining and conference room was in the main cabin of the car.

The presidential car's main cabin featured a 6-foot solid mahogany table where the president and his guests — often diplomats or foreign leaders — could gather for dinners or meetings.

The dining room had its own set of presidential fine china.

Presidents and guests didn't have to sacrifice the White House's luxuries while they were on the move — the dining room had its own set of china decorated with the presidential emblem.

Today, the room displays an example of the glass used in the car's windows.

The 3-inch-thick laminated bulletproof glass windows were installed when the car was refurbished for the president's use.

The windows were sealed, so to keep the car ventilated there was a simple form of air conditioning in which fans pushed air cooled by blocks of ice.

The car included two guest bedrooms along with a presidential suite.

The first of two guest bedrooms aboard the US Car No. 1, Stateroom D, included an upper and lower berth, where guests could sleep, and an in-room bathroom.

In these guest rooms, Truman welcomed British Prime Minister Winston Churchill during his visit to the US in 1946, during which he delivered his iconic Iron Curtain speech.

The presidential suite included the president's sleeping area.

Designed to accommodate Franklin D. Roosevelt's wheelchair, the president's room included a full-size bed, a dresser, and an in-room toilet.

Like most rooms in the car, it was also connected to a telephone, which was extremely rare at the time.

The connecting bathroom inside the presidential suite featured a bathtub, toilet, and sink.

The presidential suite bathroom, equipped with a bathtub, toilet, and sink, connected the president's and the first lady's rooms, staterooms B and C.

The bathroom also contained an escape hatch, which was added as a security measure during the car's refurbishing.

The first lady's room was located parallel to the president's.

Inside the first lady's quarters was a bed and a dresser, although she didn't have an in-room bathroom.

The secondary guest bedroom could also be used as a breakfast or gathering room.

Located towards the back of the car, Stateroom A, the second guest room aboard the Magellan, featured convertible berths, like the other guest room, that could also be used as a breakfast, gathering, or office space for the president or his guests.

The upper berth could be raised into the ceiling, and the lower one could be converted into a sitting booth with a pull-out table.

The presidential car was often attached to train cars housing Secret Service, White House staffers, and the press.

The Ferdinand Magellan functioned as a White House on wheels, and was often attached to train cars dedicated to Secret Service, White House staffers, and reporters traveling with the president.

The US Car No. 1 was also often accompanied by two communications cars equipped with control consoles for radio broadcasts and telegraph communications so the president could be reached while he was on the move, per Atlas Obscura.

A narrow hallway led from the staterooms to the observation deck.

A slim, wood-paneled hallway led from the four staterooms to the observation deck at the rear of the car.

The observation lounge featured some of the presidential car's original furniture.

The observation room was also enlarged during the refurbishing of the car, allowing it to function as a secondary gathering room for the president and his guests.

During the refurbishment, a submarine escape hatch was added to the car.

Part of the car's security modifications included the addition of escape hatches, like this submarine hatch on the observation lounge.

Today, the observation lounge shows signs of hurricane damage that the car has sustained.

In 1992, Hurricane Andrew hit South Florida, and among its many damages were some sustained by the Magellan.

Although minor, a small window crack shows how the presidential car has stood the test of time.

Traveling presidents could address crowds from a podium on the car's rear platform.

At the end of the presidential car was an exposed podium from where the president often addressed crowds.

During Truman's whistle-stop tour, he spoke from the podium repeatedly, often addressing crowds in different cities within the same day.

The preserved train car stands as a remnant of US history and of how presidents spread their message.

Inactive as the president's main form of transportation for over 70 years, the Ferdinand Magellan stands as a memory of America's past.

However, our tour guide pointed out that the car is still on a track connected to current-day railroads and can be requested for use at any moment by the sitting US president.

Although I doubt Donald Trump would want to travel aboard the historic cabin, a modern-day president going on his own whistle-stop tour on US Car No. 1 remains a possibility.

Every morning, New Yorkers stop at chrome breakfast carts for coffee, bagels and doughnuts — a routine that fuels the city's workforce. But behind that ritual is a fragile industry built on large suppliers, early-morning shifts, and a permit system that has prompted street protests. With Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, who highlighted vendors in his campaign videos, preparing to take office, the system is getting fresh attention.

• My boyfriend and I spent just over $10,000 to update our 1950s kitchen.
• We made a few controversial design choices, like tearing down walls and choosing cheap countertops.
• Not everyone agreed with our design, but we still love our new kitchen months later.

When my boyfriend and I bought a new house this year, a kitchen remodel was at the forefront of our plans. Like the rest of the house, it hadn't been updated since the 1950s.

The 50s-style cabinets were charming, but the small space wasn't functional for us. It lacked modern amenities, such as a dishwasher, and the narrow space felt claustrophobic.

We set a $10,000 budget and made a few unpopular plans.

We tore out the old cabinets (saving them for other home projects) and set out to design a more modern kitchen. Our budget was limited, and we spent about $10,000 on the remodel.

During our design process, we made a few divisive decisions that made our family — and even a few kitchen designers — turn their heads.

Yet despite the naysayers, we have no regrets about the design, and we love cooking in our new space.

First, we removed walls and a fireplace to create an open-concept layout.

Almost immediately after getting our keys, we tore down walls in the kitchen to create an open layout.

This was the first controversial design choice we made during the remodel. We wanted to expand the tiny galley kitchen, but unfortunately, this meant removing walls — and the home's original fireplace.

The (giant) fireplace was located smack-dab in the middle of the house, which wasn't ideal for an open layout.

I like how open our space feels now.

Some of our friends and family members said we were nuts for removing a fireplace. However, a few others (including us) thought it made the space more practical.

In the end, we're glad we took the extra effort to create a more open space. The job was messy and labor-intensive, but our kitchen feels so much bigger and brighter now.

We still don't regret choosing a small fridge.

Perhaps the most controversial decision we made in our kitchen design was installing a smaller-than-average refrigerator.

Every 1950s kitchen remodel comes with its own set of challenges, and our biggest one, by far, was the layout. Due to the placement of windows and doors in the kitchen, we had few areas to put appliances like the oven, refrigerator, and dishwasher.

Notably, we couldn't find a convenient spot for a standard-sized fridge, which usually measures between 29 and 36 inches wide.

Kitchen designers suggested we move our windows and doors to accommodate a larger fridge, but this would almost certainly break our budget.

Instead, we worked with the space we had. We installed an Ikea refrigerator that measures just over 21 inches wide. It fit inside a panel-ready cabinet that matched our other cabinetry.

Friends, family, and designers we spoke to said this was a mistake. They couldn't fathom how we would fit our groceries into the narrow fridge.

After several months living in the new house, though, the smaller refrigerator hasn't been a big deal. With the nearest grocery store a 10-minute walk from our house, we never shop in bulk.

Instead, we shop for fresh ingredients several times a week, and everything fits perfectly into our small fridge.

We also chose laminate countertops over quartz to save money.

When it came time to pick our countertops, kitchen designers and family members all recommended materials like quartz and granite. They said a higher-end countertop was a must-have to raise our home's resale value.

Not knowing any better, we initially agreed with their recommendations. We set a budget of $5,000 for countertops, which, for our relatively small kitchen, was a hard price to swallow.

As the renovation continued, I stopped to ask myself whether we really needed to spend thousands of dollars on countertops. Our budget was being stretched further and further by the day, and we still had a long list of projects to complete elsewhere in the home.

So, rather than blow $5,000 on quartz countertops, we spent just $258 on laminate countertops. They may not be quite as pretty or durable as stone, but they work for us.

Perhaps the cheaper countertops could affect our home's resale value in the future, but we have no plans to sell anytime soon.

Despite making a few divisive decisions, we have no regrets.

We still have a few finishing touches to work on, such as adding rugs and artwork, but after spending a little over $10,000 to renovate our kitchen, we're happy with our design choices.

If there's anything I learned in the remodel process, it's that there's no cookie-cutter solution to designing kitchens in older homes. Our 1950s kitchen layout was unique, so we had to get creative.

The low window, for instance, limited where we could place a large fridge, but the space works well as a comfy reading bench.

Likewise, the dark, cramped layout forced us to open up the space. Now, our open-concept layout is perfect for entertaining.

We also reused the kitchen table that came with the home, helping us preserve some of the room's original touches.

Not everyone agreed with our design choices during the remodel, but ultimately, we had to follow what worked for us — and our budget.

In the end, our controversial calls led us to a kitchen we love.

• These movies had huge budgets that producers expected would turn in huge profits when released.
• However, the films lost millions of dollars for studios after hitting theaters.
• Pixar's 2025 release, "Elio," was "catastrophic" for the studio.

When "Joker" was released in 2019, it grossed over $1 billion worldwide, making it the highest-grossing R-rated movie at the time, and its star, Joaquin Phoenix, won an Academy Award.

Greenlighting a sequel was a no-brainer.

However, "Joker: Folie à Deux," which was released in October 2024, made just a fifth of what its predecessor earned at the box office, joining a long list of films that — surprisingly — nobody wanted to see.

Pixar had a similar problem this year. After a decade of domination, the animation juggernaut's grip on the box office has been slipping, and nothing made that clearer than the release of "Elio" in June.

Though producers, directors, and cast members likely assumed the films on this list would be box-office smashes, many ended up losing tens of millions of dollars. Some lost hundreds of millions.

Take a look at the films that were surprise box-office bombs.

Zoë Ettinger contributed to an earlier version of this story.

"Elio" became the lowest-grossing (non-pandemic) Pixar movie by $64 million.

Pixar movies are almost always a sure bet, box-office wise. Five have made over $1 billion, and another 12 have made at least $500 million worldwide.

However, the studio's latest offering, "Elio," a story about a lonely boy who looks to the stars to find friends — and is abducted by aliens in the process — made $154 million worldwide.

It also had the lowest wide-release opening weekend of any Pixar movie, even unadjusted for inflation, per The Numbers. It made a dismal $20.84 million. That's lower than "Toy Story's" opening weekend in 1995, a full 30 years ago.

We may never know why "Elio" bombed so hard, but we do know that production was troubled, per The Hollywood Reporter, with one source at Pixar calling the resulting low box office "catastrophic."

"Joker: Folie à Deux" was a failure for Warner Bros last year.

No matter how controversial the first "Joker" film was, it was a financial success — it was the highest-grossing R-rated movie ever (until this year's "Deadpool & Wolverine") and made over $1 billion worldwide.

If you had told anyone in 2019 that the sequel to "Joker" would barely cross the $200 million threshold, they would not have believed you.

According to estimates by Variety, the film could lose its studio anywhere from $125 to $200 million.

To make matters worse, it also earned the rare "D" on CinemaScore, meaning that nobody saw it, and the people who did hated it.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe had its first real bomb on its hands with 2023's "The Marvels."

The MCU is the most successful film franchise of all time, raking in billions of dollars for Disney. But the cracks started to show with "The Marvels," which had the lowest opening of any MCU movie at $65 million.

Forbes reported the film lost $237 million, even though it wasn't actually as bad as some people on the internet would have you believe.

The 2001 Muhammad Ali biopic "Ali" starred A-lister Will Smith as the iconic boxer, but the film lost Sony millions of dollars.

The biographical film about the life of boxer Muhammad Ali had a $107 million production cost that was raised to $118 million after director Michael Mann moved filming to Africa, according to Bomb Report.

Box Office Mojo estimates the film made $87.8 million worldwide. Sony was reportedly on the hook for over $100 million when including marketing costs.

In 2003, Brad Pitt and Catherine Zeta-Jones starred in "Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas," but not even they could prevent the movie from losing $125 million at the box office.

DreamWorks co-founder David Geffen has publicly said that the film, which centered on a legendary sailor framed for stealing a sacred book, lost the studio $125 million, the Los Angeles Times reported.

The 2004 film "Alexander" starred Colin Farrell and Angelina Jolie at the peak of their powers, but it reportedly lost about $71 million.

The film, about the life of Alexander the Great, had a reported budget of $155 million. According to the Bomb Report, the film's gross sank 65.2% in its second weekend and another 68.9% in its third week. Overall, production company Intermedia posted a $29.4 million loss for the year.

The 2004 film "Around the World in 80 Days" starred Jackie Chan straight off two successful "Rush Hour" films, but his popularity couldn't save the movie.

Based on the beloved adventure novel by Jules Verne about traveling the world in 80 days, the film had an estimated budget of $110 million, but only made $72 million worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo.

The film is most notable now, perhaps, for being the last acting role of Arnold Schwarzenegger before he became the governor of California.

In 2005, A-listers Jamie Foxx, Josh Lucas, and Jessica Biel starred in "Stealth" — it was a notorious flop.

The film is about three top Navy fighter pilots tasked with manning a drone-like plane. It had a budget of $138 million and was directed by "The Fast and Furious" director Rob Cohen, so everyone had high expectations.

However, it lost at least $56 million due to box-office deficits, and likely even more after taking out movie theaters' cuts and marketing costs, Box Office Mojo reported.

"Sahara" starred Matthew McConaughey and Penelope Cruz, but it lost an estimated $78 million at the box office in 2005.

The film follows a treasure hunter as he travels to Africa in search of a long-lost ship. It had a reported production cost of $160 million. The Los Angeles Times reported it lost the studio $78 million, and called it "one of the biggest financial flops in Hollywood history."

In 2006, Kurt Russell starred in "Poseidon," which lost an estimated $69 million.

"Poseidon" is a remake of the original beloved film, 1972's "The Poseidon Adventure." The disaster movie about a sinking cruise ship had a budget of $160 million. After everything, it lost the studio $69 million, Business Insider previously reported.

"Evan Almighty," the 2007 spin-off of the mega-hit "Bruce Almighty," lost an estimated $50 million.

The film centered around the biblical tale of Noah's ark, and it starred Steve Carell and Morgan Freeman. It had an estimated budget of $175 million and even became the most expensive comedy of all time, according to Reuters.

But, according to Bomb Report, the film lost one of its backers $50 million.

Martin Scorsese's 2011 film "Hugo" lost an estimated $80 million at the box office.

The film about a young orphan living in a train station starred young actors Asa Butterfield and Chloë Grace Moretz. It ended up going $80 million over budget, according to Bomb Report, and lost the studio $80 million — proving that not every Scorsese film is a box-office hit.

"Green Lantern" co-starred Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively, both beloved stars, but it had an estimated $75 million box-office loss in 2011.

The superhero film about a test pilot who gets a powerful alien ring had an estimated budget of $200 million, but it barely broke even at the box office. Overall, the studio took a $75 million loss, according to Bomb Report.

At the time, superhero films were in the middle of a renaissance after movies like "Iron Man" and "The Dark Knight" had proven that comic-book movies had mass appeal. But, "Green Lantern's" failure shows that a built-in fan base doesn't always lead to success.

"Pan," the 2015 reimagining of "Peter Pan," starred box office draw Hugh Jackman, but it ended up losing the studio up to $150 million.

"Pan" had an estimated budget of $150 million, but its offensive casting of Rooney Mara as the Native American character Tiger Lily, its heavy reliance on CGI, and general disinterest in another "Peter Pan" film led the movie to box-office bomb status, The New York Times reported.

 The Hollywood Reporter predicted that the film "could see losses in the $130 million to $150 million range" back in 2015.

The 2016 sequel "Alice Through the Looking Glass," which starred Johnny Depp and Anne Hathaway, lost an estimated $70 million.

A sequel to the 2010 Tim Burton film "Alice in Wonderland," "Alice Through the Looking Glass" had an estimated budget of $170 million and ended up costing Disney an estimated $70 million — it was especially shocking, considering that the first film topped $1 billion.

Steven Spielberg's 2016 adaptation of "The BFG," based on Roald Dahl's book, was estimated to have lost at least $90 million.

The film follows the Big Friendly Giant as he befriends a young orphan Sophie, even though it goes against giant nature. It had an estimated budget of $140 million, and according to The Hollywood Reporter, "lost $90 million to $100 million for partners Disney, [Steven] Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment and Participant Media."

It's one of the acclaimed director's biggest flops.

The 2017 film "King Arthur: Legend of the Sword" ended up losing an estimated $150 million.

The film follows a young Arthur after the murder of his father and his quest to gain back the throne of Camelot. It had an estimated budget of $175 million and only grossed $148 million, according to Box Office Mojo. Forbes blamed the lack of movie stars, extensive re-shoots, and an inflated budget, among other things, for the film's reported $150 million loss.

"Justice League" had a star-studded cast and an unreal amount of hype, but it lost Warner Bros. somewhere between $50 and $100 million in 2017.

DC's answer to Marvel's "Avengers" superhero team-up movie had an estimated budget of $300 million. Business Insider reported that the film could have cost Warner Bros. up to $100 million.

The 2018 fantasy would-be epic "A Wrinkle in Time" was based on a hit novel produced by Disney and starred Oprah, Reese Witherspoon, and Mindy Kaling … but it still flopped.

The mind-bending story of young Meg's journey across time and space to rescue her father from darkness had a reported budget of $103 million, and Yahoo Finance reported that Disney lost between $86 million and $186 million on the film.

Though "Star Wars" films are usually a hit, 2018's "Solo: A Star Wars Story" reportedly lost an estimated $76 million.

The film follows a young Han Solo (played by Alden Ehrenreich), the most iconic space smuggler of all time, as he meets his future partner and best friend Chewbacca, future frenemy Lando Calrissian, and a heretofore unknown love interest Qi'ra.

It had an estimated budget of $275 million. Though the film made over $392 million worldwide, that's nothing when you compare it to the $2 billion gross of "The Force Awakens," and the $1 billion grosses of "The Last Jedi" and "The Rise of Skywalker."

Based on the hit musical, the 2019 adaptation of "Cats" was a box office flop, losing between $71 and $113 million.

The CGI-heavy movie about a tribe of cats called the Jellicles had an estimated budget of $95 million and a famously cursed production. Though "Cats" is a beloved musical and ran on Broadway for years, audiences didn't show the film version the same love. Deadline calculated losses at approximately $113.6 million.

"Dolittle" was supposed to be Robert Downey Jr.'s follow-up to "Avengers," but it was the first big flop of 2020.

The film about a doctor who can talk to animals had an estimated budget of $175 million and an all-star voice cast including Tom Holland, Emma Thompson, Rami Malek, Octavia Spencer, and more. That didn't stop Vulture from calling it "2020's first official mega-flop."

The Observer estimated that "Dolittle" needed to make $500 million to turn a profit and with a final gross of just half that, you can be sure that no one at Universal was pleased with those results.