• Elon Musk posted a list of his favorite audiobooks on X. 
• The self-professed history buff recommends several lengthy works including "The Story of Civilization."
• "Admittedly, this is a list that appeals to those who think about Rome every day," Musk wrote on X. 

Elon Musk has come up with a list of recommended audiobooks — but they may not make terribly relaxing listening by the pool or beach this summer.

The Tesla CEO's first pick is "The Story of Civilization" by Will and Ariel Durant, an 11-volume collection covering the history of European and some Eastern civilizations that was published between 1935 and 1975.

The 10th volume, "Rousseau and Revolution," won the Pulitzer Prize for general nonfiction in 1968. It was described by one Amazon reviewer as "extremely heavy."

"The first one on the list will take a while to get through, but is very much worthwhile," Musk wrote of the Durants' history on X.

That could be something of an understatement: Audible lists the duration of the 11 volumes at about 400 hours in total — or more than 16 days without sleep.

Next up is the ancient Greek epic poem, "The Iliad" (Penguin edition), which would take a mere 17 hours and 49 minutes to listen to, according to Audible.

Musk also suggests "The Road to Serfdom" by economist and philosopher Friedrich Hayek, which was first published in 1944 and argues in favor of individualism and liberal economics.

Also featured on the list of 11 audiobooks is a biography of General Douglas MacArthur, "American Caesar," and the story behind the creation of video game company id Software.

"Masters of Doom: How Two Guys Created an Empire and Transformed Pop Culture," by David Kushner was first published in 2003 and focuses on cofounders John Carmack and John Romero.

"Admittedly, this is a list that appeals to those who think about Rome every day," Musk wrote on X, referring to the viral internet craze questioning how often men dwell on the Roman Empire.

Indeed, one of his recommendations was written by Caesar himself. "The Gallic Wars" covers the Roman Emperor's campaign against the Gauls from 58 to 50 BC.

Musk is known to be fascinated by history, particularly the study of warfare and civilization.

The SpaceX and Tesla chief has been outspoken about the need to fight population decline and has said the issue poses a major risk to the future of civilization.

"For me, it is just fascinating to read about history. I mean, learn the lessons of history, such that we do not repeat the mistakes of the past," Musk said in a 2022 interview with Mathias Döpfner, the CEO of Business Insider's parent company, Axel Springer.

The list also includes "Twelve Against the Gods" by William Bolitho, a 1929 title that examines the lives of 12 adventurers including Alexander the Great and Christopher Columbus, and "Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World" by Jack Weatherford from 2004.

Musk concludes his X post with an appeal for audio versions of the 1986 title "The Encyclopedia of Military History from 3500 BC to the Present" by Richard Ernest Dupuy and Trevor Dupuy, and "The Fifteen Decisive Battles of the World" by Edward Shepherd Creasy from 1851.

What do you think about Musk's list? Get in touch: pthompson@businessinsider.com

Lucy Lawless is well aware of the "long shadow" her iconic role in "Xena: Warrior Princess" has cast over her career.

The series, which aired 134 episodes across six seasons, is what introduced her to the masses. And while Lawless wasn't particularly fond of performing the show's grueling action scenes at the time, she carried that fighting spirit along with her well after "Xena" wrapped in 2001 — particularly in her drive to create stories she believes in.

Her latest, the Acorn TV series "My Life is Murder," is one example of a project Lawless fought to bring to life. In it, the actor plays private detective Alexa Crowe, who has a talent for solving bizarre murders that unfold in Australia and New Zealand.

While Lawless, 56, was immediately drawn to the charming, bread-baking PI, not everyone felt as strongly about bringing the character's story to the screen. But Lawless was determined to make it happen and opted to sign on as an executive producer.

"When you have the idea, but no money, you have to go fight for it," she says.

For the latest interview in BI's Role Play series, Lawless talks about hating her stuntwork on "Xena," why a reboot wouldn't be all that groundbreaking now, and what it was like grappling with the "culture of anxiety" when she joined the "Battlestar Galactica" cast.

On why getting cast as Xena was 'a great big cosmic joke'

It's been over 20 years since "Xena: Warrior Princess" ended. If you had the chance to do it all again, what would you do differently about the series?

Well, there's some things I probably would've left to early CGI, like fire-breathing… I just blew my eyebrows off! Crazy stuff like that. I wouldn't have done all the things where I got injured — I broke my pelvis on the Jay Leno show doing a "Xena" skit that I could have lived without. But not much else. It was great fun.

Is there anything about the show that you originally weren't keen on, but over time you've kind of come around on?

Yes, the action! I hated it every day of my life, and now I will say I don't want to do it ever again either, but it did me the power of good because I was forced to learn things that I'd been so hopeless at school.

My nickname at school was "Unco," for uncoordinated. Then suddenly to find myself cast as "Xena: Warrior Princess" was a great big cosmic joke.

Xena has become a queer icon because of her unofficial relationship with Gabrielle. If they ever managed to get a reboot off the ground again, would you prefer to see an outright gay Xena?

I don't think that would even be particularly mark-worthy these days, would it? The kids seem to be so down with all that stuff. It would be completely fine. Would I prefer it? Yeah, well I think the case was settled on that by the end of the series. We were like, "No, she's totally gay."

But they didn't say it because in those days, people for whom that would've been against their beliefs, or whatever the hell, and who didn't want to see it, they didn't have to. People who did want to see it could. So it was sort of working on all levels in those days. But I think she definitely was gay, and that was part of the master plan.

Now I look back, and the writers all knew what they were doing and the fans picked up on it immediately. Renee [O'Connor] and I were the last to know. We saw it coming over the wire from the Village Voice that our characters were being held as a couple of gay icons. We were like, "What? Isn't that hilarious?" Well, we thought it was cool, and interesting, and edgy. But we had no idea that that was always the plan.

It seems like you get asked about the possibility of a "Xena" revival in every interview. I've just done it too. But do you feel like audiences now know you more for your other work?

It is interesting. I would say predominantly that "Xena" is the thing that's cast the longest shadow. But "Parks and Rec" has people who don't know what "Xena" is, but they do know "Parks and Rec" or "Curb Your Enthusiasm" or something. So that's lovely. I've covered a lot of different bases of related, but not necessarily overlapping, pools of audiences.

On the spoiler culture on 'Battlestar Galactica' and where Ron Swanson and Diane would be now

You also joined "Battlestar Galactica" in season two to play D'anna Biers. How did you handle establishing yourself in that kind of environment when the cast and crew have already figured out their working relationships?

That was a weird one. Because in my opinion, the actors were kept in a state of insecurity, which I don't agree with as an executive producer. I don't agree with that at all. Because they didn't want any spoilers getting out there at the time — people didn't know if they were going to be killed off, and they were extremely nervous.

So there was a culture of anxiety on that show.

Plus you're filming all day in the dark. You get to work in the dark, you are in space all day, and then you come out, and it's dark again. That isn't conducive to a very joyful, lighthearted environment, because human beings need the green of trees and the blue of the sky and all that stuff to be truly mentally happy and nourished on some level.

It was difficult coming in, because they felt if I was coming in, then one of them was on the way out. They were really nice people so I could tell it wasn't because they were awful, but there was a little bit of a culture of fear. And that was a shame.

Ten years ago you also played Diane, Ron Swanson's third wife in "Parks and Recreation." What do you think those two are doing in 2024?

I don't know, getting out the vote, I guess! That would be interesting because Ron would be on this crazy libertarian attack and I wonder if he would be… That might break them up actually, this election in America.

On 'Ash vs. Evil Dead' and wearing prosthetic entrails to lunch on set

In terms of your characters, Ruby in "Ash vs. Evil Dead" is a personal favorite.

Really?!

Yeah. The wild, campy horror is great. What are the biggest challenges when working with gory prosthetics? I'm just thinking of season three when a demon baby eats its way out of Ruby…

It's just another day at the office. We didn't think twice about it. It was quite fun. I've got a lot of photos of me sitting about with four kilos of guts hanging out at the front of that dress.

Having to sit around in that all day and people having to eat with you, with your guts hanging out… it was kind of amusing. Bruce Campbell would think nothing of it.

The show wrapped up after three seasons, but Sam Raimi is still producing "Evil Dead" movies. What would you do with Ruby if you got the chance to revisit her?

I think we'd have the Ron Swanson relationship, where she could be Bruce's hideous wife. They'd have such a terrible relationship. It would be hilarious. They'd be incredibly unsupportive of one another and yet it'd be inescapable.

On thinking directing was a 'crap job' before she tried it herself

You've got nearly a hundred credits to your name. What's the one project you wish got more attention?

"My Life is Murder" and my new film, "Never Look Away," which is my directorial debut.

How did you come onto that project? Because a documentary about a war journalist is not something fans would typically associate you with.

I've been offered many times to direct, and it always looked like such a crap job. But I got an email from a guy called Joe Duran, who was the subject's best friend, and he said, "Do you want to make a film about Margaret Moth? I'm the heir to her estate and I've got all her photographs."

My mind flew back to 1992 when all of New Zealand was glued to CNN because one of our own, a CNN camera person, had her face shot off in Sarajevo and wasn't expected to survive. Well, Margaret did survive.

I wrote back and said, "Yes, I will find the money, and I will find the producers, and we will make this." A month later, we were saying, "Who do we get to direct this?" And somebody said, "Well, why don't you do it?"

And I was like, "No, come on. I don't direct." And then it became, "Well, yes, why don't I? Because nobody cares about this in the way that I do and nobody believes in it in the way that I do."

I was there before the money on that one, just like I was with "My Life is Murder." When you have the idea, but no money, you have to go fight for it. That's real producing.

Shooting "My Life is Murder" is like a ray of sunshine because I'm working with three of my best friends, and we laugh like idiots all day long. But then working on a film is incredible torture. It's terrifying, exciting, stressful, and I crave it.

So yeah, it's the best of both worlds.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

"My Life is Murder" season four is now streaming on Acorn TV.

• Three people were left on the tarmac as their plane took off without them, the Washington Post reported.
• Liz Weir, an author who uses a wheelchair, said the plane left with her luggage on board.
• She couldn't get another flight until nearly eight hours later, and missed a speaking event.

Two people in wheelchairs were left on the airport tarmac as their flight took off without them, The Washington Post reported.

Liz Weir, an author from Northern Ireland, was due to fly from Belfast to Edinburgh with easyJet last month. She told the Post she arrived several hours early for the 30-minute flight — anxious not to miss an event she was due to speak at.

Weir, who uses a wheelchair due to a heart condition, was wheeled from the gate to the tarmac by airport staff, the Post reported. There was also another passenger in a wheelchair who was with their husband.

As they reached the tarmac, the jet stairs were taken away. The passengers and staff tried to wave to get the pilots' attention, but the plane taxied away and took off.

"You always say, 'Oh, they won't go without us,' but they actually did. They went without us and took my luggage as well," Weir told the BBC.

"I would obviously like some sort of compensation; I lost earnings last night, there's appointments there, the damage to my reputation is there," she added.

"But it's more an important point that needs to be stressed that they need to be taking better care of people with mobility issues."

Having missed her flight, the next available tickets were for a flight eight hours later, the BBC reported. Weir told the outlet she didn't arrive in Edinburgh until 11 p.m.

Once there, she was able to retrieve her suitcase that had taken off on the earlier flight.

A spokesperson for Belfast International Airport said it was a situation for the airline to comment on.

easyJet did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

In a statement shared with the Post, the airline said there was a "misunderstanding by our ground handling team and crew on board."

It added that "we are sorry for the impact this disruption will have had" and said it will provide compensation.

• El Al said a plane en route from Warsaw to Tel Aviv made an emergency landing in Turkey.
• The Israeli airline said local staff at Antalya airport refused to refuel the plane.
• Tensions between the two countries have escalated since Israel's invasion of Gaza.

Israeli flag carrier El Al says local airport workers refused to refuel one of its planes after it made an emergency landing in Turkey on Sunday.

Flight LY5102 from Warsaw to Tel Aviv landed in Antalya almost three hours into its journey, data from flight-tracking website FlightAware shows.

FlightAware data shows that the plane then flew to Rhodes International Airport, stopping for about an hour, before proceeding to its final destination.

In a statement to The Times of Israel, El Al said that local workers in Turkey "refused to refuel the company's plane, even though it was a medical case."

El Al did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment.

The newspaper said a passenger requiring medical treatment was evacuated. The airline confirmed to The Times of Israel that the plane ultimately took off for Rhodes in Greece and refueled there before flying on to Israel.

According to Israeli news outlet Mako, the plane was on the tarmac at the Turkish airport for about two hours.

A passenger on the flight, identified only as Avner, told Mako that passengers were informed that local airport workers would be refueling the plane, but "the ground crew was not cooperating."

An unnamed Turkish diplomatic source told The Times of Israel that "fuel was to be provided to the plane due to humanitarian considerations, but as the relevant procedure was about to be completed, the captain decided to leave of his own accord."

Last year, Antalya was one of Israeli tourists' most popular vacation destinations, according to Mako.

However, since the Hamas terror attacks on October 7 in Israel, and the subsequent invasion of Gaza, all direct flights between Israel and Turkey have been canceled.

In May, Turkey stopped all trade with Israel over the war in Gaza and sought to join South Africa's genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan has also ratcheted up his criticism of Israel, calling it a "terrorist state" in November last year.

In response, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he wouldn't be lectured by a leader who "bombs Kurdish villages."

• Many millennials and Gen Zers are incurring debt to finance their summer travel plans.
• Post-pandemic travel is booming despite inflation.
• Experts say that remote work and "bleisure travel" have increased spending on travel experiences.

Young Americans are having the summer of their dreams — just don't ask to see their bank balances.

A Forbes Advisor survey of 1,000 Americans who plan to travel in 2024 showed the post-pandemic "revenge travel" boom is in full force, despite rising inflation.

An estimated 92% of those surveyed said they plan to travel as much as they did in 2023, and more than half of Gen-Zers and millennials surveyed said they planned to travel more.

Millennials and Gen Zers are even willing to take on debt to fund their summer travel, according to three new surveys by Credit Karma, Bankrate, and Bank of America cited in a recent Business Insider report.

"Now that travel is back, younger travelers want to make the most of the time they have and prioritize spending on experiences versus tangible items," Johannes Thomas, CEO of Trivago, told BI.

The stats weren't surprising to Thomas, who told BI that this new trend could be partly attributed to the rise of remote work.

To work from home — or abroad

In a recent survey reported by BI in April, 34% of US CEOs said they expect workers whose roles were once tied to an office to be back in their commuting five days a week in the next three years. That's down from 62% who held that view in 2023, according to the study released Thursday by KPMG US.

"Remote work and flexibility are the new normal," Thomas said, adding that taking vacations while working has been made easier for younger people entering the workforce.

The ability to work from anywhere is appealing to those looking to fit more travel into their schedule, regardless of their bank balance.

It may be easier, but that doesn't necessarily mean cheaper. Around 62% of millennials and 61% of Gen-Zers surveyed by Forbes Advisor said they plan to spend a minimum of $4,000 on travel in 2024.

Ivan Saprov, founder and CEO of Voyagu, told BI that the rise of "bleisure travel" — the combination of business and leisure travel — has encouraged young people to prioritize taking trips during economic uncertainty.

For example, he said the rising combination of hotel chains and coworking spaces has made it "convenient for young professionals to work remotely while traveling."

"With the rise of remote and hybrid work formats, it is now easier than ever to mix work with pleasure," Saprov said.

Revenge travel and other loans

It's not just remote and hybrid working that may have contributed to a rise in travel spending.

Travel experts previously told BI they had noticed an uptick in clients opting for luxury air travel experiences, from private jets to first-class and premium-class plane tickets.

Oliver Bell, cofounder of luxury travel company Oliver's Travels, said this trend could be partly attributed to "revenge travel," where people are "willing to spend more for incredible experiences" in the aftermath of the pandemic.

Social media may also be playing a role. Thomas and financial expert Julie Beckham told BI that young people are likely to be influenced by peers who are showcasing their travel experiences online.

"FOMO (or fear of missing out) has a lot to do with saying yes to travel we can't afford," said Beckham, an AVP/Financial Education Development and Strategy Officer at Rockland Trust.

"We are very uncomfortable talking about finances as a society and it can cause people to overspend to keep up with their friends or appearances on social media," she added.

Debt is also a burden many people are used to carrying. According to Experian data, the average American owes $104,215 in mortgage loans, home equity lines of credit, car loans, credit card debt, student loan debt, and other debts like personal loans.

Of course, you don't have to sacrifice financial stability to travel if it's within your means.

Beckham recommends creating an international spending plan for future trips.

She said it's worth being open and honest with your travel companions about your budget expectations so that you can plan for cheaper alternatives if required.

"It feels a lot better to save for a year to go away than to go away and spend the next year paying for that vacation plus interest," Beckham said.

"When possible, avoid the temptation to just charge it and deal with it later. While your tan fades, your debt will grow, and so might your stress."

• Janet Sussman moved from the US to Panama after a series of personal tragedies.
• She found the cost of living in Panama much lower and the community more supportive.
• Her new life involves house-sitting and enjoying a simpler, healthier lifestyle.

Janet Sussman had her eyes set on her dream home: a cabin in the woods of upstate New York. But after a series of catastrophes, she decided to move far from the US to the coast of Panama.

In 2006, her son died in a construction accident, six months after her husband had a major stroke. Sussman scrambled to return to school, take up multiple jobs, and move so her husband could live out his last years peacefully. After years of stress, she decided to relocate to Panama in 2012.

Living costs are much cheaper, people are much more respectful and less overworked, and the country's nature is what she desired. After working as a teacher for a few years, she now house-sits full-time, traveling the country while making some money.

"We all have tragedies in our lives, and we need those," Sussman said. "If not, you don't appreciate the good things, and that's why I think I have such a child-like awe of my travels."

Moving to Panama

Sussman grew up in Philadelphia, but she and her husband wanted to move away before her kids grew up. They settled in Tarpon Springs, Florida, and Sussman got a job in the catering department for several hotels. She worked her way up to regional catering director for five hotels.

She opened a nonprofit organization that ran a catering company training at-risk youth to obtain food safety certification licenses.

However, as her organization was growing, her husband had a major stroke. Six months later, her eldest son died in a construction accident in 2006. Her son had planned to help Sussman and her husband build a log cabin on five acres in upstate New York, their "dream house" where they would retire.

Around this time, she applied for a teaching position in Florida, but her offer was canceled. She worked three jobs, went to school, traveled two hours to see her husband each weekend, and struggled to pay her mortgage.

Her husband decided he wanted to live his last years on the property where they would have their dream home, and they put a manufactured home on the property. He died in 2010. The 2008 recession was not particularly friendly to their wallets, either.

"It was just one thing after another, and I was beside myself, but I still had to function. My other two children had already found their significant other," Sussman said. "I didn't know who I was in this new role. I didn't know where to go from there."

In 2009, she first decided to visit Panama, taking a $79 round-trip Spirit flight. She felt she had lived there in a past life, and she almost instantly knew she wanted to move there. After a few more years of stress and overwork, she moved to Panama in 2012, though she knew she had to keep working.

To stay afloat, she had started a shuttle service in Panama between the airport and hotels. She bought a van in the US and shipped it to Panama, along with spare parts that could not be found in the country.

She traveled between the two countries for a few years, but she wasn't happy in the US and still unable to make enough to keep her head above water.

She got a job as a teacher at an international school in Panama, which she said she thought would be a one-year temporary gig, though she stayed for over four years. She then started a language school, which she sold because she didn't want to work too hard as she approached retirement.

She still needed some income, so she became a house sitter for ex-pats, traveling the country full-time while getting paid — which she does to this day. She sold her apartment and stayed at Airbnbs between house visits.

Getting adjusted to Panama

Sussman remembers her "a-ha" moment for moving to Panama. She was exploring Panama City with locals, who took her to one of the lowest-income neighborhoods. She was invited to a small two-room home where she said 10 people lived, and she was offered whatever food they had. Some didn't have the money for a bus ride the next day, but she said they were willing to sacrifice any stability to be with each other.

"My takeaway from that was, by United States standards, some people have less than nothing, but they're happy and they're generous. They share what they have," Sussman said. "That's what I needed at that time. I was feeling sorry for myself because I felt I had lost so much, but it was nothing in comparison to how they have to live every day in buildings that would be condemned in the US."

She said she saw simple acts of kindness all the time when she first moved, and she said the people were why she settled long-term.

She said Panama City is getting much more expensive in the expat areas, particularly in more touristy beach locations. Many don't want to learn the language, which has led some communities to feel isolated from the rest of the city. Learning Spanish helped her become much more immersed in local culture and better respect her neighbors, as well as pick up on certain gestures or traditions.

"It's our job to adapt, not them to us," Sussman said.

Cost of living in Panama

For her 18th-floor apartment in Panama City, which had 24/7 security, she paid about $850 a month. Meanwhile, her daughter in Clearwater, Florida, was excited to find a $1,400-a-month apartment with few amenities. She paid $40 a month for her electric bill, while she said her daughter paid about $350 in Florida during the summer. She added Airbnbs are cheaper in Panama — she stayed at one for $455 a month in a beach town.

Most of her daily expenses are much lower than in the US, though her costs are more variable now as she constantly moves. She often gets fresh produce from stands on the side of the road, which keeps costs down as she rarely buys imported products. She said she eats much healthier in Panama than in the US.

She said she bought five pineapples a few weeks ago for $1, and often her produce is free if it falls from the tree. For chains like McDonald's, she said prices are about half as much in Panama for the same order she gets in Florida when visiting.

"A lot of people are saying that Panama is getting so expensive, but to me, if you want all your name-brand shampoos and all that other stuff, you're going to pay for it," Sussman said. "But then why move? If you're going to complain, then why are you here?"

Her health insurance is $71.50 a month with a $10 copay, and it was as low as $31.50 a month with a $3 copay until she turned 65. During the pandemic, she paid $26 for foot surgery. Her auto insurance is $179 a year for her 2017 Chevrolet Spark, while her phone bill is just $14 a month.

Once women residents turn 55 and men turn 60 in Panama, they get 25% off at restaurants, 30% off transportation, 15% to 20% off doctor's bills, and an import tax exemption of up to $10,000 for household goods. This has helped Sussman keep her finances down for daily expenses and lengthier travel.

Some costs are a little more expensive in Panama, such as gas. But overall, she said she's found her peace in Panama.

"You don't know about tomorrow, so you enjoy today," Sussman said. "You might travel around if you're looking to go someplace for a reason, but you know when you get there, and you just breathe in and say, this is it."

Have you recently left the United States for a new country? Reach out to this reporter at nsheidlower@businessinsider.com.

• Sophie Kihm is the editor in chief at Nameberry.
• Here, she shares seven trends that she's seeing in baby names.
• These include character names and giving boys names that would traditionally be given to girls. 

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Sophie Kihm is the editor in chief at Nameberry. It has been edited for length and clarity.

Naming another human is no small feat. And yet, names are impacted so much by trends in pop culture. This year, I'm seeing more parents naming children after the parents' interests, whether that's with names of characters in their favorite anime or STEM-inspired names from parents who work in science, technology, and math.

Parents are also embracing names typically given to girls — for their daughters and sons — and choosing names that are easy to pronounce in various languages.

Here are seven trends I'm seeing in the world of naming— and believe it or not, the name Seven (which has Turkish origins) is on the rise for both boys and girls.

Girl's names for boys

Historically, names have migrated from predominantly male to predominantly female. Think Leslie, Ashley, and Dana.

But these days, we're seeing parents bestow names typically given to girls on their sons. John Legend and Chrissy Teigen named their son Wren, while Rihanna used Rose as a middle name for her son Riot. This generation of parents loves to play with gender roles and social expectations, and it shows.

Here are some examples of boys' names that we're seeing rise despite the fact that they're more often used for girls:

• Willow
• Harlow
• Cleo
• June
• Juniper
• Jade
• Robin
• Winter

Adult-sounding name

These names are usually associated with older generations, having been popular decades ago. This trend can be tied right to social media, and the naming experts who remind parents that they're naming an eventual adult, not just a baby. Parents who choose these names think it's better to grow into an adult-sounding name than outgrow a baby-ish name.

For girls, these baby women names are popular:

• Marjorie (helped along by the Taylor Swift song of the same name)
• Martha
• Georgine
• Florence
• Dolores

Popular names for little men include:

• Lionel
• Arthur
• Duncan
• Cedric
• Harold
• Ray

Names ending in '-ai'

So many modern families are multicultural, which contributes to this trend. Names that end in "ai" are easily pronounced in many languages, including indigenous languages, European languages, Japanese, and African languages. I like to say these names travel light, meaning they're easy to understand and pronounce anywhere.

Some of these names, like Kai, have existed for a long time. Others are modern inventions. Some of the more popular options for names are:

• Jakai
• Zakai
• Adlai
• Lorelai
• Mordecai
• Ozai
• Azakai

Insta-ready names

We're all familiar with the old-time Ivy League names that portray wealth and privilege. The more modern spin on this is what I think of as "natural glamour" names. To me, these names have the same feel as the "Ballerina Farm" Instagram account: very effortless and pastoral until you pull back the layers.

Some examples for girls include:

• Mable
• Flora
• Talia
• Phoebe
• Petra
• Asha

For boys:

• Killian
• Harris
• Magnus
• Harvey
• Orson
• Archie

Names based on the parents' interests

Many parents name their children after the things that they (the parents) love, including names inspired by a favorite musical icon, book, or Anime series.

For girls, these include:

• Collins
• Lennon
• Joanie
• Marceline
• Raya
• Ophelia

For boys:

• Zeppelin
• Guthrie
• Elton
• Jiraiya
• Cassian
• Anakin
• Chozen

Sky and space names

Another area where interest is sky-high (ha!) is names inspired by the atmosphere and weather. Sometimes, these can include space-inspired names given for a parent's love of science.

For girls, we're seeing:

• Araceli
• Astra
• Cielo
• Icelynn
• Nova
• Lumi
• Sole
• Sky
• Stormy

For boys, the popular options include:

• Kepler
• Darwin
• Edison
• Cosmo
• Air
• Lightning
• Zephyr
• Storm

Girly girl names

For a while, it felt feminist to give girls traditionally masculine or gender-neutral names. But now we're seeing parents embrace that names can be girly but still strong. We're seeing a rise in long, elaborate names but also in shorter, cutesy names for girls. These include:

• Winslow
• Dorthea
• Talula
• Guinevere
• Lulu
• Pippa
• Honey

We can never quite predict what names will be popular (I didn't think Chozen would be on this list!), but the changes and trends in baby naming keep me on my toes.

• More than half of baby boomers have less than $250,000 in assets, per Retirement Income Institute. 
• With limited savings, older adults are dependent on just over $1,000 monthly in Social Security.
• For many, Social Security income is insufficient to cover groceries, healthcare, and bills. 

Virginia Hambrick, 66, is retired but worried she will have to return to work. Her savings are long gone, and her $1,625 monthly Social Security check isn't nearly enough to support her and her husband's expenses.

The couple lives in a rural area about 50 miles outside Tulsa, Oklahoma. Hambrick had a long career in the manufacturing and hospitality industries but retired in the early 2010s with limited savings. Her husband has been caring for sick relatives for the past several years and doesn't have an income. Additionally, he's 57 and his Social Security check won't kick in until he's at least 62.

Hambrick needs more money. Every day, it's difficult to scrape together enough food to eat and her bills feel never-ending. But, even if she were to find a job, Hambrick worries about maintaining it. She can't afford a car or gas to drive anywhere, and she doubts she could work in retail or food service because she struggles to stand for hours at a time.

"If somebody wants to work around my limitations, then they would have a totally dedicated employee," Hambrick previously told Business Insider.

Hambrick's story echoes that of many American baby boomers. The country is facing a retirement crisis, and millions of older adults don't have the savings or assets to support themselves when they are no longer earning a paycheck.

Per Northwestern Mutual, it costs about $1.5 million per person to comfortably retire in America, more if you live in a high-cost-of-living city.

But there's a disconnect. Fifty-two percent of boomers have $250,000 or less in retirement assets, per an April report from the Retirement Income Institute, the retirement-focused research arm of the Alliance for Lifetime Income. And, the Census Bureau's Current Population Survey found that more than half of Americans over 65 have an annual income of $30,000 or less. This pushes some older adults close to the federal poverty line.

Perhaps most vulnerable to this retirement crisis are "peak boomers," the last members of the generation who turn 65 this year. They are feeling the fallout of America's 1980s switch from government pensions to employee-funded 401(k)s, and hope not to be financial burdens on their adult children. The group also faces uncertainty over Social Security — the average check in 2024 is $1,907 but the federal fund could start shrinking by 2030.

With drained savings accounts, growing debt, and limited assets, some older adults like Hambrick are clinging to their monthly Social Security checks. But for many, it isn't enough.

"I never imagined being in this position," Hambrick said.

With no savings, older adults depend on Social Security

Mary Dacus, 69, thought she would have a savings account at this point in her life. She and her husband, Stephen, felt comfortable for a few years after they stopped working several years ago. But, as their retirement funds depleted and inflation drove up their expenses, Dacus said they now barely have enough money to live every day.

Dacus and Stephen live in Robinson, Illinois, on their combined monthly Social Security income of $2,140. They have no money in case of an emergency and are nearly $10,000 in debt because they feel forced to pay grocery, housing, and healthcare bills on their credit cards.

Dacus often has to rely on food pantries to make sure she and Stephen have enough to eat — they only receive $23 a month in SNAP benefits and it "barely covers one meal," she said. Sometimes, she has to request an advance on their Social Security checks so they can pay for their meals or utilities.

And, Dacus worries that Stephen's recent cancer diagnosis could be financially "catastrophic" because they don't have Medicaid and Medicare won't cover long-term treatment.

Looming Social Security cuts in the next decade are a source of constant anxiety for Dacus.

"It scares us to death because we'll still be here, God-willing," she previously told BI. "How are we to survive?"

To be sure, some older adults feel financially secure in retirement. Due to strong company 401(k) matches or savvy investments, they have savings and assets, and aren't dependent on Social Security — some are even able to retire early.

It can be difficult for boomers to qualify for assistance, even with a low-income

Angela Babin feels stuck. The 62-year-old lives alone in a mobile home in Houma, Louisiana, about 60 miles southwest of New Orleans. She receives $1,104 a month in Social Security.

Babin lost most of her would-be retirement savings and assets in a divorce about 16 years ago, and stopped working earlier than she planned because of health complications. She now lives paycheck to paycheck — and $1,000 a month it isn't enough to cover her food, car, or utility bills. Her home was also badly damaged three years ago by Hurricane Ida, and she can't afford the necessary repairs, which she said state emergency funds won't fully cover.

"I don't want to be rich, I just need to be comfortable," she previously told BI. "I just want to know that I can have food when I need it and a nice roof over my head."

Babin said it's especially difficult for older adults to qualify for government assistance even if their Social Security income doesn't cover basic necessities. She's often worried about having enough to eat: the $28 a month she receives from SNAP covers bread, milk, and coffee, but little else. When she can visit a food pantry, the food is often spoiled, she said.

Even without savings, Babin doesn't qualify for many of America's safety nets. Programs that could supplement her income, like Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), and some tax credits are set up for parents with dependent children.

As an older adult, she doesn't know who to ask for help. She said she "has to survive" but is losing hope that her situation will change.

Some older adults didn't expect to struggle in retirement

Boomers are staring down an uncertain future. Hambrick, Dacus, and Babin all told BI that they don't feel like they are overspending. But limited government assistance, insufficient funds from Social Security, and no savings to fall back on aren't enough to pay bills.

In retirement, Hambrick thought she would be "traveling to new places and having fun with my husband." She never thought she would have to start submitting job applications.

"A lot of people think that, with Social Security, you get this big check, and you can move to Florida, and you could buy a boat and go fishing," Dacus said. "That's not what it is."

Are you an older adult living on Social Security? Are you open to sharing how you're saving for retirement? If so, reach out to this reporter at allisonkelly@businessinsider.com.

• Americans, in a Bankrate survey, said that they need nearly $200,000 annually to feel financially secure.
• Gen Zers, who already tend to feel financially vulnerable, said they need the most to feel secure.
• Gen Z is also coming up against rising costs other generations didn't contend with.

Americans think they need a whole lot more money than they're making to feel comfortable, according to a new survey.

The latest survey from Bankrate, which polled 2,407 US adults from May 16 to 20, looks at how much Americans think they need to make to feel financially secure. And, on the whole, workers said they'll need nearly $200,000 annually — on average, $186,000 — just to feel comfortable.

But some generations said they'll need more than others to feel secure. Gen Z is particularly worried.

According to the survey, Gen Z respondents said a $200,000 annual salary would ensure their financial security. Millennials said they'd need $199,000, and for Gen Xers and baby boomers, their financial security targets were at $183,000 and $171,000, respectively.

The survey comes after 44% of Gen Zers said in a previous Business Insider survey they're feeling financially vulnerable;, and are the most stressed about saving money. According to the Survey of Consumer Finances, the median net worth of Americans under the age of 35 is $39,040, and their median income is $60,530.

While it's difficult to pinpoint an exact dollar amount that would ensure financial security for any generation, the latest responses are a sign of the continued impact of inflation and other economic stressors continuing to hit Americans particularly hard. The Consumer Price Index rose 3.3% year over year in May — a slight decrease from April's 3.4% reading — but despite the cooling, recent surveys have shown the economy and inflation are top concerns for Americans.

"We define 'financial security' as synonymous with 'living comfortably' — a subjective term for most Americans, no doubt, but in our research/talking with Americans individually, they all seem to arrive at similar definitions," Bankrate analyst Sarah Foster told BI. "Overwhelmingly, they say it's the financial state of not having to worry about money. Comfort is when one can cover their expenses/needs and occasional wants, while also saving for the future."

That seems to ring true for Gen Z, specifically. The Washington Post recently reported that the generation is doing worse than millennials regarding high housing costs and rising debt loads. According to the Post's analysis of data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Gen Zers are paying 31% more on housing, adjusted for inflation, than what people were paying a decade ago at the same age.

Additionally, according to a May TransUnion report viewed by BI, nearly 10% more Gen Zers are 60 or more days past due on their auto and credit card loans compared to millennials a decade ago.

"Gen Z consumers have seen their finances significantly impacted by the pandemic and its aftermath, even more so than the challenges faced by Millennials as a result of the Global Financial Crisis," Michele Raneri, vice president and head of US research and consulting at TransUnion, said in a statement alongside the May report.

To be sure, it's not all bad for Gen Z. TransUnion's latest Consumer Pulse Study found that Gen Z is "the most stable of any generation" in this year's second quarter, with 45% of them reporting wage increases over the past three months. They're also outpacing other generations with regard to retirement savings and homeownership, but even so, inflation remains at the back of their — and every other generation's — minds.

"Even if prices are up 5% and wages are up 5%, I feel really good about the 5% that I'm making, but it feels like someone just took that away from me in the form of inflation," Charlie Wise, senior vice president and head of global research and consulting at TransUnion, previously told BI. "And that's got people not just concerned but, in many cases, pretty upset."

Are you a Gen Zer worried about financial security? Contact these reporters at asheffey@businessinsider.com and jkaplan@businessinsider.com.

• Ukraine's F-16s now look set to arrive when they can be particularly impactful.
• That's because they'll arrive when Ukraine has permission to use other weapons on targets in Russia.
• This means that Russian air defenses that could target them can be taken out, experts told BI.

New rules from Ukraine's allies about how it can use weapons they've supplied could have a strong impact on its long-awaited F-16s.

The first of the US-made fighter jets are due to arrive this summer, at a time when they can be particularly impactful in the fight against Russia, experts told Business Insider.

That's because Ukraine now has permission to use weaponry given by its allies to hit targets on Russian soil.

George Barros, a Russian military expert at the US-based Institute for the Study of War, said this will make the F-16s more effective.

A month or so back, he viewed the F-16s as "sort of a mixed bag" — Ukraine needed the capabilities, but Russia had a stronger air force and a major air defense network.

"Now, I'm actually a lot more optimistic," he told BI.

Ukraine can hit targets in Russia

Until May, Ukraine was prevented by its allies from using weapons they'd supplied to strike into Russian territory.

This was a major disadvantage, as Russia could gather troops and equipment just across the border, and launch attacks from places Ukraine was not able to hit.

Many analysts said it meant Ukraine was fighting with one hand behind its back.

But in May, many of its allies loosened the restrictions.

Barros said the long-standing assumption that Ukraine could not hit into Russia meant the expected impact of the aircraft was seen as limited.

"But now I see this glimmer of hope where we're so close to getting all the pieces of the puzzle together where now we can start evaluating air power," he said, "because basically we've written off air power for the last two years."

Peter Layton, a fellow at the Griffith Asia Institute and a former Royal Australian Air Force officer, said that for F-16s to be most effective, Russian air defenses need to be taken out.

Being able to target air defenses stationed in Russia is therefore a major help.

Barros said Ukraine will likely have too few F-16s this summer to make a huge change. But over time, he said, it could "cascade into a large effect."

He added that the US removing more of its restrictions would make a bigger difference. (The US will still not let Ukraine use long-range munitions to strike deep inside Russian territory, where some of Russia's longest-range weaponry can fire at Ukraine from.)

Ukraine's president has also urged its allies to further relax restrictions on using long-range weapons to strike military targets in Russia, saying Ukraine still can't stop its deadly glide bomb attacks.

Ukraine can fight again

Ukraine spent the first months of this year managing critical shortages of equipment and ammunition.

But the US resumed aid in April after Republicans stalled it for six months, and supplies have started reaching frontline soldiers.

That should give a boost to Ukraine's first F-16s, some experts said, though it's not clear how long US support will last compared to when further F-16s may arrive.

Layton said that "on a tactical level" the F-16s arriving alongside replenished arsenals is a boost for Ukraine, but he added that some of Ukraine's shortages might not have been so pronounced if the F-16s had arrived earlier to aid Ukraine's air defenses.

F-16s should soon arrive

Ukraine has asked for F-16s since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, but US permission to send the US-made jets didn't come until May 2023.

Experts say that Ukraine's allies should have given F-16s sooner if they wanted to see the jets making a battlefield impact this year, as issues with pilot training and integrating them into Ukraine's military would likely have been fixed by now.

"If the West donated F-16s a year earlier, then most of these problems would be solved by now," Michael Clarke, a Russia and Ukraine expert and a British national security advisor, told BI.

"But as usual, we left it until the last possible moment when it would make a difference, and then expected the Ukrainians to work miracles with them, which is not going to happen," he added.

Experts also say that Ukraine needs more jets than what has been promised, since having smaller numbers means it needs to be extra cautious with the ones it gets.

Mark Cancian, a retired Marine Corps colonel and a defense strategy expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told BI that "the problem is that there's not going to be very many F-16s."

He said it's unfair to expect Ukraine to achieve massive breakthroughs without significantly more of the planes.

The US has such dominance in the air because it employs "hundreds of aircraft with extensive support systems on the ground," he said.

Ukraine has been promised an estimated 85 jets by Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway and Belgium, but it is not clear how many are due to arrive in the initial wave, or when more will be delivered.

Clarke said that without more jets, "in terms of defending Ukrainian airspace and being able to deal all the way across the front with Russia's numbers, the F-16s are a long way from being able to do that."

To be really effective, he said, Ukraine needs at least 200, along with the support they require.

Even so, the experts said that the F-16s will make a difference for Ukraine, without being a total game changer on their own.

The jets will help replenish lost aircraft, deter Russian jets, and act as air defenses.

Tim Robinson, a military aviation specialist at the UK's Royal Aeronautical Society, told BI the aircraft will also "make Russian pilots there a little bit more kind of wary, a little bit more careful about what they're going up against."