• Gov. Wes Moore of Maryland has been one of Biden's strongest gubernatorial allies.
• But Moore said he wouldn't "sugarcoat" the president's lackluster debate performance.
• Moore told BI he's leaning in to help Biden. "I don't do disloyalty," he said.

Last week, the nation's Democratic governors met with President Joe Biden as he sought to reassure them that his candidacy remained viable after a debate that has imperiled his reelection bid.

It was one of the most critical moments in Biden's decades-long political career, as he rallied support for a campaign that several Democratic lawmakers and a sizable bloc of voters believe he should forgo in favor of another candidate.

But for Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, who was at the White House meeting, his decision is clear. He told Business Insider that he's standing with Biden.

However, Moore was also blunt in assessing his view of Biden's debate performance against former President Donald Trump.

"It was a terrible performance and I don't think you can sugarcoat it," the first-term governor said. "The problem is it was hard to watch."

Moore, a former US Army paratrooper who often relies on his military training in tough situations, said the next step was to "move on" and figure out how to help Biden.

"I remember when in the military, there's only three answers for something. Yes, no, or no excuse," he continued. "Everything else is a waste of time. And I think the answer to this is no excuse."

The governor, who was first elected in 2022, said that Biden has been a strong partner for Maryland.

So he's returning the favor.

Moore said he doesn't do 'disloyalty'

At the governor's meeting, Moore said Biden laid out a strategy for the final months of his campaign.

"The thing that we left with was that there's not only the plan, but also that there's the focus and the commitment and the energy," Moore said of the sentiment among the governors.

"And I was clear, I don't do disloyalty," he continued. "This is an administration that has been with us when we were knocked down, which I saw when I received a call from them when we were mobilizing units to respond to the Key Bridge crisis.

Moore is referencing the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore in March, which occurred after the container vessel Dali struck the bridge and sent it into the Patapsco River. Tragically, six construction workers lost their lives as they worked to repair potholes on the bridge.

The governor has worked with the Biden administration extensively following the bridge's collapse. And it's a relationship that he deeply values as the administration works to secure full federal funding for the bridge's replacement.

However, regarding the presidential race, there is no consensus regarding Biden's candidacy among the Democratic base.

Among the Democratic voters who put Biden in office four years ago and overwhelmingly supported him during the most recent Democratic presidential primaries, a significant share of them harbor reservations about him running for a second term.

In Moore's eyes, Biden has to be visible and present to reassure them.

"I think he's got to be out there," the governor said. "I think he's got to keep doing what he's doing right now. He's got to show people in unscripted moments that the agility that this job requires and the stability that this job requires … that he's best prepared to do that."

"One thing I know about elections is nothing is given and everything is earned," he continued. "You've got to win by being the most aggressive, thoughtful, and visionary campaigner out there, and you need to have people who buy your vision. So I think the president cannot take anything for granted."

• Waymo's autonomous robotaxis were made available to the public in San Francisco last week.
• I made two trips across the city during peak hours.
• Aside from a few minor hesitations, Waymo's autonomous driver offered a smooth rider experience.

Waymo, Alphabet's autonomous taxi cab company, is now available to the public in San Francisco — a culmination of more than a decade of testing and wading through regulatory hoops.

About 300 cars are operating in the city. The company has about 700 robotaxis in total — most in SF and Phoenix — but Waymo's spokesperson told Business Insider there are plans to expand access to the public in Los Angeles and Austin.

I took two rides on June 27 to and from the Financial District of SF during peak morning commute hours.

My verdict? Waymo's autonomous driver is pretty damn smart, and aside from a few hesitations, the robotaxi offers a smooth, comfortable experience with competitive pricing against other ride-hailing apps.

Here's how the rides went:

Hailing a ride

The user experience of Waymo's app is straightforward and similar to that of other ride-hailing apps: You pick a destination and adjust the pick-up location as needed.

For now, Waymo's robotaxi fleet is limited to the all-electric Jaguar I-PACE SUVs, which have a maximum of four seats. There are no other options.

A Waymo spokesperson told BI that the company plans to add the Geely Zeekr, an all-electric van, to its fleet when it rolls out the 6th-generation autonomous driver software. The van will have five seats.

A neat feature of Waymo's cars is that riders can set a unique vehicle ID or initial that appears on top of the car. This will make your ride more easily identifiable, especially since all of Waymo's cars look the same for now.

Pricing

Prices will always vary, but on that Thursday morning, Waymo's prices were competitive with Uber and Lyft, which took me a bit by surprise.

A nearly six-mile trip across SF was $24.19 with Waymo. An UberX for the same trip was $26.96, and a Lyft with standard pickup time was $23.94.

A few things to consider, however. With Waymo, riders know what vehicle experience they're going to get. For now, the Jaguars are clean and have comfortable leather seating. With Uber and Lyft, the vehicles can be a toss-up unless you pay extra for a higher-quality experience.

Uber offers an all-electric car option, while Lyft offers "extra comfort" vehicles that are supposed to be "roomier & quiet." Waymo's cars already cover both options.

Plus, Waymo riders don't have to tip a driver because there isn't one.

A Waymo spokesperson told me that the company continues to evaluate its pricing structure but anticipates staying competitive over time.

Spokespeople for Uber and Lyft noted to BI how autonomous vehicles will be integrated into the companies' existing network of ride-share drivers.

"A lot has happened in the autonomous landscape over the past two years, but one thing remains clear: Autonomous vehicles will be a part of the mobility fabric of the future," Andrew Macdonald, Uber's senior vice president of mobility, said at February's investor meeting. "Our strategy is to be the platform partner of choice for AV tech. Rather than building AVs ourselves, we are bringing developers' fleets onto our network."

Pick up

Waymo's car took about 21 minutes to arrive and pick me up that morning.

But pick-up times will vary, as my second ride showed. That time, the car arrived in less than two minutes. Riders should plan accordingly.

I stood near busy streets for both rides to see where Waymo would pull over.

Both times, Waymo found a safe place to stop and avoided double parking the car. However, this may mean walking a block or two away from the original pick-up location.

After I unlocked the car through the app, stepping inside was a jarring experience, as I quickly noticed that there was no driver.

But Waymo appeared to try its best to soothe the riders: The vehicle was automatically playing ambient neo-classical music, and the climate was set at a precise 69 degrees Fahrenheit. It's as if the car was telling me, "Relax, and welcome to the future."

All of this can be adjusted to a rider's preference, which is a plus. A little Sexyy Red during the morning commute, anyone?

Instructions are played once you press "Start Ride" on the touchscreen located at the center console, telling riders to buckle up and not to touch the steering wheel at any time.

The auto message also indicated that there was a camera inside the car. The message added that the vehicle has a microphone that only operates when passengers need to connect with rider support.

Driving in SF

Waymo's 5th generation autonomous driver could be best described as a safe but not an annoyingly cautious driver.

It maintained the city's speed limits, caught yellow lights from a reasonable distance without speeding, and could make a succession of lane changes smoothly on busy streets.

What impressed me more, however, was how it handled riskier drivers on the road and maneuvers necessary to execute in SF.

For example, double-parked cars are a common sight in the city. Sometimes, this means drivers will have to briefly move into the lane of opposing traffic to get around a vehicle.

The Waymo driver knew how to do that, recognizing that the car in the opposing traffic lane stopped to give us the right of way.

The Waymo also appeared to detect a person on an e-scooter coming from behind and inched a little to the left of the lane to give room for the scooter rider. It did the same thing to give itself more room when it detected a large parked bucket truck slightly in Waymo's lane.

In one instance, when another driver cut off Waymo, the autonomous driving system handled it with poise since the other driver had plenty of room to go in front of the Waymo.

At yellow lights, the Waymo made good judgment calls about whether it had enough space to catch the light or stop without pressing the brakes hard.

The expectation I had that the Waymo driver would be stiff, as the term "robot taxi" might suggest, was dispelled throughout the rides.

As small as it was, one moment stood out to me the most — almost a "Blade Runner" moment that convinced me that Waymo is getting close to making their autonomous driving system "more human than human."

At the intersection of Grant Avenue and Bush Street — the busy cusp of the Financial District — the Waymo stopped at a red light.

As it dutifully waited, the Waymo car inched up twice ever so slightly, almost like a human driver would to adjust her distance from the crosswalk or anticipate a light that was about to turn green.

"Why did it do that?" I wondered.

Moments of hesitation

Still, the Waymo driver isn't perfect, as BI's Peter Kafka recently noted.

I counted three moments of — let's call them hesitation — during my second ride in a Waymo.

One was when the Waymo made a right turn on a quieter street, changed lanes, and then returned to the other lane for no apparent reason. This is not to say the car swerved. The Waymo still signaled lane changes, but I couldn't immediately see why it chose to do that.

When the vehicle was driving downhill on the road, Waymo braked a few times — not harshly, but still noticeably.

Lastly, once on Pine Street, the Waymo hesitated for about a second to fully complete a lane change to the left. The vehicle appeared to ride a bit too close to the original lane it was coming from.

A Waymo spokesperson told me it's hard to determine what happened in those moments without examining the driver logs. The company continues to work out kinks as it gathers more data and feedback.

The spokesperson said it's also possible I failed to notice something the Waymo car picked up.

Fair enough, I suppose. I only have two decent eyes compared to Waymo's lidar sensors, radar system, and 29 cameras.

Drop off

As Waymo approached the drop-off, the system notified me that I was close to my destination and reminded me to take all of my belongings.

One feature I appreciate is the ability to ask Waymo to pull over — like telling an Uber driver, "Right here is good."

By pressing "pull over" on the touchscreen console or your phone, Waymo will find the closest spot to pull over.

Verdict

Waymo makes a convincing case for the autonomous driver.

Even in the hectic streets of San Francisco, where people have to deal with risky drivers and a relatively complex street grid, the Waymo delivered a smooth riding experience.

Plus, the ability to adjust the climate, blast music, and talk in the car would probably be a boon for riders — perhaps more so for introverts. I say this as someone who rolls their eyes at dudes who complain about having to talk to their Uber drivers.

Riders can also bring their service animals without worrying about a driver's discretion. Other pets are not allowed.

Waymo's service could be even more valuable if the company offered more seating. A Waymo spokesperson told BI it is testing the five-seater Zeekr vehicles, but the company has no roll-out date to share.

As I was dropped off from my second ride, a passerby noticed I was taking pictures of the Waymo.

"Cool, right?" he said. "Everything about it, I love 'em."

• China's largest coastguard ship dropped anchor in Manila's exclusive economic zone earlier this week.
• The vessel anchored there as "an intimidation," the Philippine Coast Guard said.
• Maritime relations between China and the Philippines have become increasingly tense in recent months.

The world's largest coastguard ship dropped anchor in Manila's exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the South China Sea earlier this week, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said.

Jay Tarriela, a spokesperson for the PCG, wrote on X that the authority had successfully tracked the movements of the China Coast Guard's (CCG) "165-meter monster ship" by "using Canada's Dark Vessel Detection technology."

"On July 1st, the ship departed from Hainan and entered the Philippines' Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) on the following day," he wrote.

The 12,000-ton CCG 5901 was later "radio challenged" by the PCG, which asked it to confirm its intentions and to remind it that it was operating within the EEZ, he added.

An exclusive economic zone is an area of the ocean "beyond a nation's territorial sea, within which a coastal nation has jurisdiction over both living and nonliving resources."

The Chinese ship anchored close to a Philippine vessel — "the distance between the two vessels is less than 800 yards," Tarriela wrote.

Tarriela told a news forum that the Chinese vessel's moves were "an intimidation on the part of the China Coast Guard."

"We're not going to pull out and we're not going to be intimidated," he added.

Maritime run-ins between China and the Philippines are on the rise

China and the Philippines have had frequent confrontations around the Second Thomas Shoal, an atoll located within the exclusive economic zone.

China claims sovereignty over the reef and most of the South China Sea, but an international tribunal ruled in 2016 that China's claims to waters within its "nine-dash line" had no legal basis.

The Philippines grounded a ship, the BRP Sierra Madre, on the reef in 1999 to state its own claims over the area.

But the Shoal remains what the Brussels-based think tank the International Crisis Group (ICG) has called a "dangerous flashpoint," as Chinese boats continually try to prevent efforts to resupply the grounded ship.

Earlier this month, the China Coast Guard blocked a resupply mission using "dangerous and deliberate use of water cannons, ramming, and blocking maneuvers," according to a statement provided to US Naval Institute News by a spokesperson for the Office of the Secretary of Defense.

Officials from China and the Philippines met on Tuesday and said they aimed to "rebuild confidence" to help manage maritime disputes.

But the Philippines' Department of Foreign Affairs stressed that it would be "relentless in protecting its interests and upholding its sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction" in the South China Sea.

The ICG noted in May that "relations between the two countries in the maritime domain have never been as volatile as during the last seven months."

• US presidents are driven in a heavily armored limousine nicknamed "The Beast." 
• It features a secure communications system and fridge stocked with the president's blood type.
• Military cargo aircraft transport the presidential limousine for use abroad.

When US presidents aren't flying on Air Force One or taking helicopter trips in Marine One, they're driven around in a presidential limousine nicknamed "The Beast."

Weighing in at 20,000 pounds and outfitted with advanced security and communications systems, the newest model of "The Beast" debuted during the Trump administration in 2018. It reportedly cost around $1.5 million to build.

Take a look inside the famous vehicle.

US presidents travel in a secure limousine nicknamed "The Beast."

US presidents rode Lincoln limousines for most of the 20th century until the 1980s, when the Reagan administration switched to Cadillacs.

The latest model of the presidential limousine was commissioned by the US Secret Service in 2014 and used for the first time in 2018 by President Donald Trump.

Designed to look like a longer version of a Cadillac XT6, the chassis of the car is actually that of a Chevrolet Kodiak truck produced by General Motors, NBC News reported. The vehicle weighs around 20,000 pounds and cost around $1.5 million to build.

The heavily armored vehicle is bulletproof, blast-resistant, and sealed to withstand biochemical attacks.

While details about the limousine's security measures remain classified, NBC News reported that the vehicle features a night-vision system, tear gas firing capabilities, and door handles that can be electrified to prevent intruders.

The windows are believed to be 3 inches thick and the vehicle's armor around 8 inches thick.

"The Beast" is also equipped with medical supplies, including a refrigerator stocked with the president's blood type.

The limousine's secure communications system is able to dispatch the launch codes for nuclear weapons.

The presidential seal appears throughout the design of the car.

The seal, featuring an eagle holding an olive branch and 13 arrows in its talons below a banner reading "E Pluribus Unum" ("Out of many, one"), appears on both the interior and exterior of the passenger door.

The limousine can seat up to seven people.

The interior features water bottle holders and plush leather seats. Previous presidential limousines have also included a fold-out desk, according to the US Secret Service.

"The Beast" travels with the president.

Presidential limousines are transported by military cargo aircraft, such as US Air Force C-17s, for use during the president's travels, according to the US Secret Service.

When abroad, the presidential limousine flies the American flag and the flag of the host country.

When Biden visited the UK in June 2021, the presidential limousine flew both the American flag and the Union Jack.

On Inauguration Day, Secret Service agents change the car's license plates as a new president takes power.

Some presidents have used the Washington, DC, "End Taxation Without Representation" license plates, while others have removed the slogan, Axios reported.

Accompanied by the presidential motorcade, "The Beast" remains an instantly recognizable symbol of the power of the presidency.

"It is safe to say that this car's security and coded communications systems make it the most technologically advanced protection vehicle in the world," the assistant director for the US Secret Service's Office of Protective Operations said of "The Beast, " according to the US Secret Service's official website.

• I'm a registered dietitian and my husband is a personal trainer, and we love Trader Joe's.
• The store has great, quick meal options, from burritos and stir-fries to burgers. 
• I like to stock up on sparkling water and blue-corn tortilla chips in the summer. 

Trader Joe's may feel like a kitschy neighborhood grocery store, but it's actually a multibillion-dollar chain with well over 500 locations across the US.

Luckily, despite its business successes, it's still an affordable place to pick up organic, nutrient-rich staples.

As a dietitian who married a personal trainer, here are some of our favorite things to get at Trader Joe's in the summer.

I love the Asian-style vegetable stir-fry.

Trader Joe's stir-fry kit is unique because it contains fresh vegetables, not frozen ones.

We often use preprepared packs when we run out of ideas for the evening. We also use them on days when we want to put together a 20-minute stir-fry with tofu, chicken, or shrimp on a bed of white or brown rice.

Chicken meatballs can do it all.

Trader Joe's chicken meatballs, which can be found in the refrigerated section, are more than just a nice addition to pasta.

They're low in sodium and high in protein, so my husband and I love using them to make lean meatball subs.

You can also create sweet and sour meatballs to vary the flavor profile of your meal.

Organic, firm tofu is a great plant-based protein.

Air-fried tofu is a favorite in our house.

Tofu takes on the flavor of whatever you add it to, so we can prepare it so many different ways. Plus, the plant-based protein has been known to improve heart health.

Sometimes, I'll season or marinate the tofu before tossing it in the Asian-style stir-fry to round out the meal.

I always pick up some sparkling water.

Trader Joe's has several different flavors of sparkling water, so hydration is the least of my worries this summer.

My husband and I occasionally jazz up our sparkling water by mixing in lemons, limes, or other fruits for an infused flavor. You can also blend watermelon, drain the liquid, and add it to the water for a refreshing treat.

Trader Joe's PB&J bars are a nice bedtime snack.

My husband is always looking for a late-night snack that's light but also not too sweet. I like that the store's PB&J bars are smaller than your typical granola bar, so they fit the bill for us.

The chewy snack would also be great alongside nuts or seeds for added protein.

I throw the Green Goddess Seasoning Blend on all sorts of dishes.

Trader Joe's seasoning blends are great toppers for streamed vegetables, pasta dishes, or a morning bagel.

There are so many varieties to choose from, but I like that the Green Goddess Seasoning Blend is a bit lower in sodium.

It's nice to have burritos in the freezer on busy nights.

Both of us have busy schedules, especially during the weekend, so frozen burritos help us eat regular meals on a daily basis.

As an added bonus, the beans offer fiber to assist digestion and keep your bowel movements regular.

The spicy shrimp fried rice is another quick meal.

Shrimp fried rice is a great meal starter.

Adding vegetables like mushrooms, bell peppers, onions, and spinach will increase the fiber content of your meal.

I use the multigrain blend with vegetables to bulk up dinners.

Trader Joe's frozen grain and vegetable blend has plenty of fiber, so it pairs perfectly with lean protein such as salmon, shrimp, chicken, or eggs.

I particularly like to pair this with the shrimp stir-fry to bulk and balance out the meal.

Seafood burgers are a fun twist on the classic dish.

We love seafood, so when I first saw Trader Joe's shrimp seafood burgers, I immediately checked the sodium content. Each patty has less than 300 milligrams of sodium and packs some heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, which is a win in my book.

My husband likes to grill but gets tired of eating the usual chicken, turkey burgers, and beef. These patties are great for switching things up in the summer.

I add chopped greens to everything.

Chopped greens are great for soups and stews in the winter and smoothies when the weather warms up.

I like to eat at least two to three servings of vegetables a day, and frozen spinach helps me achieve that goal.

The store's sweet-potato fries are great right out of the oven.

Regular sweet potatoes are excellent, so sweet-potato fries are fantastic.

I like to bake them in the oven with a drizzle of oil and serve them as a side for burgers and other meals.

I love sprinkling low-fat shredded cheese on things for a protein kick.

Cheese is one of our favorite, convenient protein sources, so finding a shredded version that's low in fat is a win for us.

Blue-corn tortilla chips are one of my favorite sources of fiber.

When people think of fiber, chips might not come to mind. But Trader Joe's blue-corn tortilla chips pack 3 grams a serving. That's almost as much as a serving of brown rice.

Grab a bag for your next barbecue and serve them alongside some tasty salsa.

Click to keep reading Trader Joe's diaries like this one.

• Diet culture effected me from a young age, and I always tried the latest fad diets.
• For my wedding day, I finally decided to stop dieting because I wanted to feel my best.
• I looked amazing in my wedding photos.

Diet culture doesn't first come to you when you look in the mirror at 18. It starts much younger.

For me, it began when I was a child, catching glimmers of what I thought bodies should look like. Music videos showed girls with hourglass figures, and it felt like every man's celebrity crush was Beyoncé.

Even as a child, I understood the benefits of being thinner and lighter; it was the pathway to admiration.

I followed diet culture for most of my childhood and teenage years. It wasn't until I got married in college that I decided to try something different.

I always struggled with diet culture

As a teen, I learned that dieting was not only about admiration; it was also about health…supposedly. Everywhere I looked, people described their health journeys using before-and-after photos. Some even described intense eating restrictions. The association between body image and health felt more appropriate than selfishly wanting admiration. Nonetheless, I wanted both.

Shows like "The Biggest Loser" reminded me that other people had the same goal of health and admiration. It further intensified my desire for a body I later learned I would never be able to attain.

By the time I was in college, I knew the cycle well. Starting a diet felt hopeful, and ending one felt like a failure. Every diet pushed me further from my ideal weight. It felt like I was losing my health and closing my dating prospects all in one.

But the reality was that I walked at least two miles every day between classes, and as far as dating goes, I was engaged by my senior year. It sounds silly now that I didn't realize any of this at the time, but dieting has a way of distorting your self-image.

I explored the concept of intuitive eating before my wedding day, but I saw it as admitting defeat in my dieting journey. I told myself that a bride's wedding day is when she is supposed to look her best. That meant I was supposed to be at the peak of my youth, beauty, and health.

I decided to take a different approach to my wedding

Before the wedding, I talked with my now-husband about the stress of finding the perfect hairstyle to match my face shape and the perfect dress to match my body type post-diet. That's when I learned this man had done no such planning. He was going to get a haircut and a suit. The worst part was that I knew he would look great with so little effort.

I thought: Maybe I would be fine with minimal changes, too? But it was hard to shake the feeling that everyone would be critiquing me, the bride.

However, I knew that if I did a crash diet and lost 30 pounds, I wouldn't feel good physically or mentally on a day that mattered a lot to me.

Ultimately, I needed to change my mind about dieting because I realized I had planned my dream fall wedding, and I wanted the pictures to authentically show my face, my smile, and my body. I wanted to be able to recognize myself.

So, I decided to be brave and make choices counter to the bridal industry. I chose to do what made me feel good. I chose a lipstick color that would make my smile stand out. I chose a fitted dress that matched the fall theme. I wanted sleeves, not to hide my arms, but to match the season. I chose to be bold and stay true to myself.

It's all still a work in progress

Honestly, though, I thought the photos were going to look awful. We got the photos back online first. I was too nervous to look, so I decided to wait until we received the physical photo book. I still didn't look. It wasn't until after I was deeper into my intuitive eating journey — about six months later — that I finally looked through the photo book. I took a deep breath and started to flip through the pages.

I looked beautiful. I mean, these pictures were stunning. All the brave little choices I made came together in peak allure. I had found beauty in just being me.

Now, when people come to our home, I'm proud to point them to the wedding book sitting on the coffee table and the wedding photos on the wall.

• Ukraine says Russian forces were fooled into striking dummy models of military targets. 
• Air force commander Mykola Oleshchuk said that Russia attacked the models with Iskander-M missiles.
• The Iskander-M is a short-range ballistic missile with a range of up to 500 km (around 310 miles).

Ukrainian forces say they duped Russia into striking dummy models of aircraft and air defense systems with Iskander-M missiles.

Mykola Oleshchuk, the commander of the Ukrainian air force, posted about the savvy tactic on Telegram.

He shared footage that he claimed showed recent enemy strikes with Iskander-Ms on the mock-ups, which he said were placed at an airfield close to the city of Kryvyi Rih in central Ukraine and the Yuzhne area, near the Black Sea port of Odesa.

He said the footage was captured by Russian reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicles.

"The Air Force personnel successfully conducted passive defense measures!" Oleshchuk wrote in the post.

"Thank you to everyone who helps with high-quality models of aircraft and air defense systems. The enemy has fewer 'Iskanders,' and more models will be delivered," he added.

It would not be the first time that Ukraine has used "fake" military targets since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.

Photos and videos circulating on social media in February showed what appeared to be highly realistic decoy versions of radar and air defense systems.

Russia has also employed such tactics in the war, painting silhouettes of naval vessels on land to try to fool Ukraine, the UK Ministry of Defence said in an update on the conflict in March.

Business Insider contacted the Ukrainian Air Force for comment.

The Iskander-M missile

The Iskander-M is a Russian "road-mobile short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) with a range of up to 500 km" (around 310 miles), according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies Missile Defense Project.

The missile has a launch weight of up to almost 8,900 pounds, and it was first used in combat by Russian forces against Georgia in 2008, per the Missile Defense Project.

Moscow has claimed that the missile will not be rivaled by Western rivals until 2025.

"According to designers, foreign states will be able to create its counterpart no earlier than in 2025," Russian Ground Forces Commander-in-Chief Col. Gen. Oleg Salyukov said.

• Japanese airline All Nippon Airways operates two colorful Pokémon-themed jets.
• During my flight on the Pikachu Jet NH, I found themed music, cups, and crew uniforms.
• The special onboard touches and free souvenirs made it a unique and memorable flight.

Despite seeing record-breaking travel, many airlines are struggling to turn a profit right now.

But amid Boeing delivery delays and high operating costs, some airlines may just have a leg up because of fun collaborations and unique flights.

After all, why book a boring flight when you could have a fun one?

By partnering with Pokémon Air Adventures, major Japanese airline All Nippon Airways (ANA) offers themed flights only a few airlines have. Recently, I boarded one for my three-hour flight from Taipei to Tokyo.

Since the planes fly throughout the airline's network just like any other aircraft, there's no price premium, and the fares are like those of any other flight. I paid around $500 to $700 for my round-trip ticket.

Here's what my themed flying experience was like.

There was no indication of anything special during check-in.

Although I had looked ahead online and learned that our flight would be operated by a Pokémon aircraft, I suspected a lot of passengers had no idea what they were in for when they were checking in.

As I walked toward the gate, I caught my first glimpse of the colorful aircraft with Pokémon on both sides.

ANA has two different Pokémon aircraft that operate regional flights within Asia and some long-haul flights from Japan to North America and Australia.

Our aircraft was a 246-seat Boeing 787-9 named the Pikachu Jet NH. ANA's other Pokémon-themed plane is a 212-seat Boeing 777-300ER called the Evee Jet NH.

I noticed the Pokémon theming as soon as I stepped onto the plane.

The first sign of the Pokémon theme was the music from the franchise playing on the plane during boarding.

The headrest covers featured Pikachu.

It was hard to miss the adorable headrest covers with Pikachu on them, even though they were done in a subtle blue to match the airline's colors and seat upholstery.

There was also a subtle reminder of the Pokémon theme outside the window.

Looking outside, I noticed that there was a balloon design painted on an inner part of the plane.

Given its location, it seemed like it was especially meant for passengers to see.

I was surprised that the flight attendants had themed uniform pieces.

As the cabin crew came around to start the in-flight service, I noticed that they were wearing Pokémon-themed aprons.

Drinks were served in special cups that, once again, featured Pikachu.

There were different designs for the hot and cold drink cups.

As is the norm on many full-service Asian airlines, a meal was served even though the flight was only three hours.

The tray came with a hot entrée, two side dishes, a container of fruit, and a bag of snack mix. I found the meal to be quite tasty.

Toward the end of the flight, the crew handed out envelopes with souvenirs inside.

Perhaps to avoid waste, I noticed the flight attendants asked each passenger if they wanted a souvenir packet.

Inside my envelope was a sticker, a "boarding certificate" with information about the aircraft, and a wooden luggage tag.

Looking around at my fellow passengers, it appeared that the sticker and luggage tag came in a few different designs.

The crew had a large stuffed Pikachu that they brought around to children on the flight.

Despite not being a child, I managed to snag a quick photo of the plushie after a flight attendant noticed that I was taking pictures of the souvenir items.

Our flight arrived at a remote stand, which allowed everyone to see the plane from the ground.

Airport staff tried to encourage people to get straight onto the buses that would take us to the terminal, but many people stopped to take pictures of the plane.

Overall, the themed service items, free souvenirs, and colorful paint job made for a fun and unique flight.

I'm always on the hunt for unique flying experiences, so I was impressed with the extensive thought that was put into each step of the journey.

The outside of the aircraft was nicely adorned with characters from the franchise, and the airline offered a nicely themed onboard experience.

I wouldn't actively seek out this flight experience after having done it once already, but I would definitely be excited if I saw a Pokémon plane at my gate again.

• Samantha Bosley, a single mom in Arizona, needed an extra job to support herself and her kids.
• In 2022, she started renting out her backyard as a private dog park through the app Sniffspot.
• The money she's making is helping her pay bills and do more activities with her kids. 

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Samantha Bosley, a 42-year-old account manager from Scottsdale, Arizona, who has been renting out her backyard on Sniffspot since 2022. The essay has been edited for length and clarity.

I'm from Scottsdale, Arizona. Over the past couple of years, the cost of living has gone up so much.

I've been managing bills and taking care of my kids all on my own. I didn't want to keep scraping by or have my finances tight — I wanted to have the room to take my kids on vacation or do fun stuff.

Taking on a second job that required me to be physically somewhere other than my home wasn't really an option. I'm a single mom with a full-time job and two little kids that I can't really leave them alone for more time than I spend at work.

I was researching ways to earn additional income or have a side hustle when I saw an ad for Sniffspot on Instagram. It's an app that helps homeowners rent out their backyards to people whose dogs may not get along with humans or other dogs, providing them with a private and safe space.

I thought it was a good option, so I tried it.

The money I'm making is helping me cover my bills

I started in September 2022. I created a profile, wrote a bit about myself, described my home and what to expect, and included pictures. I posted my profile, and dog owners on the site were able to book my backyard and select a time slot that worked for them.

As a homeowner, there are different rates you can charge guests to use your yard, but I typically earn $15 an hour for one dog.

So far, I've made about $7,400.

It's been very beneficial.

Although I still live paycheck to paycheck, the money I've earned is helping me cover my bills, including offsetting my car payment.

I can also afford fun experiences with my children now. Before, I couldn't just say, "Hey kids, want to go do something fun today?" But now, if we want to do something fun or eat out spontaneously, we can.

I don't have to do much as a Sniffspot host

My home was already well-prepared for hosting on Sniffspot.

I have a ranch-style farmhouse home with a pool and a backyard that sits on half an acre of land.

I have two securely closed fences in my front yard that can be accessed from either side of the house, although I don't keep them locked. People can come and go as they please, and thanks to the fences, their dogs can't roam outside the yard unless they choose to open them.

Hosting on Sniffspot has as low overhead as you can get on a side business. But there are some things that I've needed to spend money on.

For example, I had an issue with my pool filter — it blew up, and the pool cleaner said it was because of all the dogs swimming in the pool, which I don't believe. I had to spend $800 on that. But that could have happened regardless.

The guests respect my space

I have about six regular clients spanning different age ranges. The common thread among them is that they typically live in condos or apartments.

They are sometimes visitors from out of town.

Almost always, they don't have access to a backyard — and even if they do have one, it might not include a pool. They just really want their dogs to be able to run around and swim.

When the weather isn't ungodly hot in Scottsdale, I could have a full day of visitors on a weekend. During peak times, I could have back-to-back visitors on both Saturday and Sunday.

I never feel weird about people being in my backyard because everyone kind of wants to be alone. I've never had anyone I felt could be potentially dangerous or made my kids and me feel uncomfortable.

Sometimes my kids and I catch glimpses of the animals, and they'll say, "Oh, look, so cute!" But we always try to give guests their space. I remind them not to interact or make eye contact with anyone, and they understand not to go outside and play with the dogs.

It's a win-win situation for everyone

I'm a huge animal lover, which is a big reason I do this.

Many people send me messages saying, "Thank you so much for opening up your space and letting us do this. We don't have anywhere else to go." It feels really good to provide that space for them.

Plus, it's pretty much hands-off — the only downside is if you accidentally forget to block time when you want to be in your own yard. But I usually block off plenty of time on the calendar for personal yard time with my kids.

Overall, being a Sniffspot host has been great for me because I don't have to go to another job and be away from my kids. It's self-sufficient, and I don't have to do much.

I make extra money and get to help dogs. So, for the most part, it's a win-win.

As long as I don't have any issues, I don't plan on stopping.

• Jeronimo Noriega, a student from San Antonio, moved to Spain and never plans to return to the US.
• Noriega appreciates Spain's work culture, public transportation, and affordable dining experiences.
• Though he misses friends and US customer service, Noriega doesn't plan to move back.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Jeronimo Noriega, a 27-year-old student who lives in Spain. It's been edited for length and clarity.

I moved to Oviedo, Asturias in Northwest Spain after growing up in San Antonio and I don't think I'll ever move back to the United States.

If that shocks you, it surprised me too. I never thought I'd live in Europe — I'd never even been there before my siblings and I agreed to move to Spain with my parents. Although I was born in Mexico, I spent most of my life living in the US so moving to Spain was a big difference.

When my family decided we needed a change, we chose Spain because it felt like a natural fit — my grandparents spent their lives living between Spain and Mexico. Although I'm Mexican-American and fluent in Spanish, settling in Spain was initially difficult because my Spanish-speaking skills were rusty after living in America.

Once I started getting more comfortable in the local dialect, I felt more comfortable living in Spain. I've lived here for 14 months and I have a much better quality of life in Spain than I had in the US.

I feel anxious when I get in a car now because I'm so used to walking and taking public transportation in Spain

When I lived in the US, I constantly felt like I was sitting in traffic or relying on my car to get places, but in Spain I just walk everywhere. I'm never stuck in a car. It's not only better for the environment, it's healthier for me too.

The sense of community is so strong here. When I walk around my neighborhood, people say hi to each other and it's so lovely. You don't have that part of the day when you're in your car in America. I love being out in the world while I'm getting from one place to the next and not just siloed in my car.

Living in Spain has shown me there's a different way to exist

I love the work culture in Spain. In America, I felt like my only options were to rise and grind and get beat down by the machine, but everything is different here. In Spain, they seem to value their lives over their work — it's not even a work-life balance.

People take three-hour lunches and drink a bottle of wine before going back to the office or they stop in the middle of the afternoon for a leisure espresso break. It was kind of difficult to transition into that lifestyle because I was so used to the American way of life where work is everything. Even through college, I was constantly working and grinding my life away.

When I first moved to Spain, I felt like I was really lazy. I wondered, what am I doing? I should be working myself to the bone. But then I started to see how Spaniards live and I wanted that level of freedom and joy. Now, I attend a community college and spend my days studying, going to class, and drinking espresso and wine at cafés.

It's normal to go to a wonderful dinner that costs $11 per person, in Spain

I love the restaurant scene. It's not even strange to linger at a table for four or five hours — it's normal. I remember eating dinner in the US and feeling like the waitress was judging me if I didn't leave right after I finished eating. Everything is slower in Spain and it's lovely.

I can buy a coffee for the equivalent of a few dollars and not feel bad about lingering in the coffee shop for a few hours to hang out.

I don't see moving back to the US in my future

My parents asked me the other day if I'd ever consider moving back to the US and I was so struck by the question that I made a TikTok about it. The short answer is: never say never, but I don't see it in my future.

I definitely miss my friends, but I wouldn't let that keep me from life in Spain. I also miss the American customer service — it's so friendly and personable, but maybe that's because of the tipping culture. In Spain, I've noticed that customer service doesn't reflect the level of that in the States unless you're at a high-end restaurant.

Now that I've had a taste of what life is like outside the rat race, I'm not eager to get back on the wheel. Life is long, and you never know what will happen, but I'm staying here for the foreseeable future. All I have to do is take a walk to the coffee shop, have a delicious dinner for $11, or take a break in the middle of a weekday to remind myself why I'm staying.

Correction: January 9, 2024 — An earlier version of this story misspelled the name of the person who moved to Spain. His name is Jeronimo Noriega , not Geronimo.