• I'm a New York City-based dietitian who shops at Trader Joe's for snacks.
• I love Trader Joe's papadums crisps and sparkling strawberry juice beverages. 
• The chain's popcorn and flavored peanuts are smart snacking choices. 

I'm a dietitian based in New York City, and I turn to Trader Joe's when I'm looking to stock up on snacks.

Trader Joe's is one of the biggest supermarket chains in the US, and the typical shopper spends just under $42 per trip. I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of that budget goes to the retailer's impressive selection of crackers, sweets, and nuts.

Here are some of my favorite snacks at Trader Joe's.

Bamba is a lighter alternative to some chips and cheese puffs.

These puffed peanut and corn snacks are light and airy. They contain a touch of dark chocolate for added minerals like magnesium, zinc, and iron.

This snack has a serving size of about 16 pieces, which I'd say is a reasonable few handfuls. With a bit of fiber (2 grams per serving) and protein (3 grams per serving), they're a great choice for a chocolate fix.

Fill up your chip-and-dip platters with papadums crisps.

These lentil and chickpea crisps from Trader Joe's are a solid snacking option. Chips made out of legumes are usually a good choice because of their increased protein and fiber content.

Each 14-crisp serving contains 5 grams of protein and 3 grams of dietary fiber.

If you don't mind dipping chickpeas in chickpeas you could pair these with hummus, but I'd probably opt for some guacamole.

Trader Joe's apple-and-mango bars have two ingredients.

These fruit bars from Trader Joe's are truly just apples and mango mushed up together, but they're much tastier than they sound.

They're easy to throw in a bag if you need a boost of vitamin C, which is found in apples and mangoes. I've also seen these bars in a few other varieties, such as apple and banana, apple and coconut, and apple and strawberry.

The sour-cream-and-onion-flavored rings are a good choice.

Trader Joe's flavored rings made of lentils and rice are tastier and higher in protein than typical sour-cream-and-onion potato chips.

They're baked rather than fried, so they're also a bit lower in fat. Each serving of about 24 pieces has 4 grams of protein.

Enjoy some sparkling strawberry juice this summer.

Trader Joe's sparkling strawberry juice beverages are a great option if you want a refreshing summer drink.

Strawberry juice is the first ingredient in these, meaning it is the most prominent ingredient by weight. Plus, the drinks are 60 calories per can and have no added sugars.

Trader Joe's also sells Barebells protein bars.

Protein bars are an easy way to consume more protein without having to do much prep. Most Barebells bars have 15 to 20 grams of protein.

Most of the bar's protein source comes from whey protein, which is the protein from the liquid that separates from curds during cheese production. It's been shown to be very effective in helping build muscle mass.

This could be a great snack to have on hand before or after workouts if you can't eat a full meal within a decent timeframe.

I enjoy the Mini (Almost) Everything Bagel Sandwich Crackers with cream-cheese filling.

The Everything but the Bagel Sesame Seasoning Blend is a Trader Joe's classic, and I'm glad it found its way into the snack aisle.

These tiny bagel bites are low in sugar (3 grams of added sugar per serving) and even contain a bit of protein (2 grams per serving).

I like the crackers with Everything but the Bagel seasoning, too.

Similar to the bagel bites, these crackers are low in sugar (2 grams of added sugar per serving) and are slightly higher in protein (3 grams per serving) and fiber (2 grams per serving).

These would pair nicely with cheese, peanut butter, or a bit of cream cheese to make them more satisfying.

For a post-meal fix, grab the chocolate-coated peanut-butter crispy-rice bites.

I tend to gravitate toward snacks with peanut butter because they can be more satisfying.

Each of these bites is pretty big, and I like to have one as a post-dinner treat. I also keep mine in the freezer because I love cold chocolate, which adds another layer of texture to the snack.

I always grab popcorn at Trader Joe's.

Popcorn is a whole grain, so it's a higher-fiber snack that you can enjoy on its own and still feel satisfied.

Trader Joe's has a lot of popcorn varieties, but I like the one with extra-virgin olive oil because it's ao versatile. I use it to make a trail mix with things like nuts, seeds, pretzels, dried fruit, and peanut-butter chips.

Trader Joe's crunchy chili-onion peanuts are high in fiber.

The crunchy chili-onion peanuts have a ton of flavor and can be a great snack to grab a handful of when you're feeling peckish.

High in fiber, protein, and healthy fats, these bags are super satisfying to dig into and easy to grab on the go.

Each ¼-cup serving contains 3 grams of fiber and 8 grams of protein.

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

• I spent about three days at an all-inclusive lodge in the Amazon rainforest for $270.
• I had to take a two-hour bus and a two-hour canoe ride to get to my overwater lodge. 
• I spent my time spotting animals, hiking, swimming, and taking in the peaceful setting.

As a child, I dreamed of visiting the Amazon rainforest, but I always envisioned it being wildly inaccessible.

Traveling, especially internationally, is expensive. Looking at lodging alone, hotel prices shot up by 1.7% between April and May, according to NerdWallet's Travel Price Index.

So when I found a three-day, all-inclusive tour of the Amazon rainforest at Green Forest Ecolodge for just $270, I knew I had to go.

The package included all my meals, bus and canoe transfers, a private lodge, and up to four activities a day.

Here's what it was like.

It was a bit of a hike to get there

After landing in Ecuador, I hopped on an overnight shuttle from Quito to Lago Agrio. Still slightly sleepy, I splurged and spent a few dollars on a taxi from the bus station to Magic Hostal, the designated meeting spot.

From there, a driver met me for a complimentary transfer to the canoe launch. The drive took about two hours, winding through suburbs and navigating a mixture of tarmac and grit roads.

After jumping off the minibus, the real adventure started. I was ushered toward the river, where a guide placed my luggage in a thick plastic bag on a canoe to keep it dry.

He then helped me board the precariously wobbling vessel and gave me a green poncho (it's not called the rainforest for nothing).

With that, we were on our way to the lodge

A driver steered the vessel while a tour guide kept a sharp eye out for wildlife. They seemed to understand that time was of the essence in my short three-day stay.

The most exciting sighting was squirrel monkeys — sociable little primates that leaped along overwater branches. But by the time the two-hour canoe ride was over, I'd already seen multiple monkey species, birds, and a sloth.

It started raining as the canoe navigated the last few bends of the Cuyabeno River. I was dry under my fancy green poncho, but not wearing waterproof mascara was definitely a poor choice.

The overwater lodges were connected by a green boardwalk

I was ecstatic as we approached the wooden dock and I got my first glimpse of the lodge I'd be staying in.

I opted for a private overwater bungalow with a terrace and hammock. The double bed inside came equipped with a mosquito net, and the bathroom was semi-open and overlooked the jungle.

It was truly beautiful.

Meals were a sociable and elaborate occasion with the other guests

Lunch was served right away. Everyone staying here ate together three times a day in the main lodge, and a bell rang to announce each meal.

Meals consisted of three courses of traditional Ecuadorian cuisine.

There was a starter, main, and dessert at lunch and dinner, and breakfast was a mixture of fruit, toast, and a hot meal. Unlimited hot drinks and bottled water were also available 24/7.

I'm vegetarian, and I was a little worried about the food and drink situation, but I didn't have any issues during my stay. The staff were very conscious of food quality and water safety, so I wasn't worried about getting sick.

I experienced so many excursions as part of my all-inclusive package

On the first day alone, I saw caimans (alligatorid species) and took a guided night hike.

I spotted all kinds of nocturnal creatures like tarantulas.

The second day was busier, starting with a hike through the thick jungle.

While treading through the wet soil — that's almost orange from the high levels of clay — I saw a snake and owl monkeys before crossing some swamp terrain.

Along the way, our guide, Elvis, taught us about the rainforest. I learned poisonous snakes in the Amazon have a triangular head and that indigenous Cuyabeno communities believe copal resin wards off negativity.

I'd been nervous about swimming in the Amazon, but it was surprisingly warm

Later on the second day, I'd scheduled a sunset lagoon swim.

On the way, we saw pink dolphins and woolly monkeys and heard roaring howler monkeys.

I wasn't sure what to expect, and I was a little nervous about swimming (it wasn't exactly balmy). But after diving into the lagoon from the canoe, everything was peaceful.

It was a refreshing bit of solitude as Elvis played music from a speaker.

On the boat ride back, we spotted adult caimans that looked straight out of "Jurassic Park." Their unnerving yellow eyes were shuddering but impressive.

The third day was short and sweet but still amazing

My final morning started with a quick birdwatching excursion. I spotted toucans, macaws, and a nesting red heron.

But after breakfast, it was time to head back out on the canoe to transfer to Lago Agrio.

I couldn't believe the value I got for my money

Visiting the Amazon rainforest was the opposite of what I expected. It was budget-friendly and serene, not expensive and uncomfortable.

After my stay, I realized $270 for three days of food, lodging, and activities was a ridiculously good deal — especially since I got to see caimans, pink river dolphins, five species of monkeys, and hundreds of insects and birds.

I'd definitely recommend the experience, even for the squeamish or those who don't think they're outdoorsy.

• Season three of "Bridgerton" wrapped up Colin and Penelope's story, but left fans with even more questions.
• Despite resolving major conflicts, several loose threads remain left to be addressed on season four.
• Business Insider rounded up the biggest burning questions we had after watching the season three finale.

Warning: There are major spoilers ahead for season three of "Bridgerton."

Season three of "Bridgerton" is over, but there's plenty of fresh gossip and drama to come when the show returns for season four.

The latest season of Netflix's hit drama series concluded on June 13, wrapping up Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) and Penelope Featherington's (Nicola Coughlan) friends-to-lovers romance and appearing to set up Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson) as the next leading man.

Even though part two resolved the biggest conflicts of the season, several loose threads remain to be addressed.

Here are all the burning questions we had after watching the season three finale of "Bridgerton."

Will we see Kanthony in India in season four?

After hearing how much Kate (Simone Ashley) misses India, Anthony (Jonathan Bailey) decides that he'd like to visit her home country and wants their future child to grow up knowing their identity as a Sharma. Anthony then suggests that they head to India immediately so that they can arrive in time for the birth of their first baby.

Kanthony doesn't stick around for Francesca Bridgerton (Hannah Dodd) and John Sterling's (Victor Alli) wedding, nor do they get a proper send-off before leaving for India.

Details about season four of "Bridgerton" are sparse, so it's unclear if Bailey and Ashley will return in any capacity next time. However, at a special screening of part two in London, Ashley told reporter Josh Rom that she'll be back for season four.

"Absolutely," she said. "Kate Sharma is here to stay."

Who's going to be head of the Bridgerton house now that Anthony and Kate are moving to India?

It's unlikely that the viscount and viscountess will be able to run the Bridgerton household from India, which means another sibling will have to step up and take on the responsibilities.

Benedict is the most obvious choice, considering that he took care of the estate while Anthony was on his honeymoon and apparently did a good job.

Who did Edwina Sharma marry?

Charithra Chandran doesn't return as Edwina on season three, but the show hints at her whereabouts.

During episode two, Queen Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel) tells Lady Danbury (Adjoa Andoh), "I hear my choice last year, Miss Edwina, has made a splendid match abroad."

Then during episode seven, Anthony asks Kate about the last letter she received from her younger sister.

"She writes that her new husband is not only a reader but has cultivated in her a love for the outdoors," Kate says. "She's even been riding with him."

Now that Lady Whistledown has been unmasked, what is Queen Charlotte going to be up to during season four?

Most of her storyline so far has revolved around her games with Lady Whistledown and trying to figure out who the writer is. Now that Penelope has come forward and spilled her secret to the town, Queen Charlotte will have to find some other source of entertainment.

Season three of "Bridgerton" is set in 1815 and in real life, Queen Charlotte died in 1818. When it comes to the Netflix version of Queen Charlotte, creative liberties are taken. But fans have been theorizing that perhaps the show may kill off the queen.

Is Cressida Cowper gone for good?

Cressida (Jessica Madsen), the town's resident mean girl, is shown to be a complex antagonist that fans could feel sympathy for.

Initially, Cressida comes forward claiming to be Lady Whistledown because she's desperate to avoid being forced into marriage with an old, repugnant man named Lord Greer. However, he rescinds the offer because of her tarnished reputation. As punishment, Cressida's cruel father Lord Cowper says he's going to send her to live in Wales with her Aunt Joanna.

Eventually, Cressida learns that Penelope is Lady Whistledown and attempts to blackmail her so she can use the money to set up a better life for herself abroad. Cressida's plan doesn't work, and instead, she's last seen reluctantly being sent away in a carriage.

It would be strange for "Bridgerton" to write the character off after she played such a pivotal role in this season's events. Perhaps there's hope for Cressida to return to town once the drama and controversy has died down. Showrunner Jess Brownell has said that it's her intention to bring the character back.

Are we going to see Francesca and John's life in Scotland during season four?

When Francesca decides to move to Scotland with John after their wedding, she reassures Lady Violet Bridgerton (Ruth Gemmell) that she'll return to town; she just needs space to learn more about who she is.

In Julia Quinn's "Bridgerton" book series, Francesca's love story is the focal point of the sixth installment, "When He Was Wicked." Fans who read the book (or looked up the spoilers) already know that John dies two years into their marriage and his cousin Michael becomes the new Earl of Kilmartin. Years later, Francesca and Michael reconnect and get married.

The show has already made a huge change in Franceca's story by introducing a gender-flipped version of John's cousin, named Michaela (played by Masali Baduza).

Season four is expected to focus on Benedict (though there hasn't been an official lead announcement yet), so it remains to be seen how heavily the episodes will show the development between Francesca, John, and Michaela in Scotland.

While we're at it, how is the show going to deal with Michaela's story?

In "When He Was Wicked," Michael is extremely reluctant to take over his cousin's title as the Earl of Kilmartin. But now that Michael is Michaela, there's another concern to contend with: She can't assume his title at all because she is a woman.

In the book, Francesca is pregnant with her and John's first child when he dies, but the title passes to Michael after she miscarries. Four years later, she only pursues a second marriage so that she can have children.

Of course, nothing is set in stone: "Bridgerton" could decide not to kill John after all. But the finale fairly plainly set up a romance between Francesca and Michaela, so it's safe to assume we'll see more of them in the future. What remains is to see how the show handles the details of their story.

How quickly is Benedict going to renounce his newfound drive for sexual exploration?

"Bridgerton" finally established Benedict's long-hinted-at queerness by setting him up in an apparently very long threesome with Lady Tilley Arnold (Hannah New) and her other friend with benefits, Paul. The encounter — specifically, seeing Benedict with another person — made Lady Tilley realize her true feelings for him. Unfortunately for her, it makes Benedict realize that he's not ready to commit to a serious relationship.

That's all well and good, but a bit inconvenient when it's probably about to be Benedict's turn to get married. His story — and that of his wife, Sophie — would have occurred in season three if the show had followed the books. But showrunner Jess Brownell told Entertainment Weekly that the show's team didn't feel like it was Benedict's time yet.

"He's such a fun character and such a fan favorite that we are really excited to play with him for a little bit more and let him have more fun before he settles down," Brownell said.

Benedict definitely did have fun in season three. But we're curious to see how his approach to romance has changed by the time season four rolls around.

What's the name of Colin and Penelope's son?

The TV series strayed from Quinn's novels in several ways throughout season three. One of these changes occurs in the epilogue scene, which shows Penelope and Colin's baby boy, who becomes the heir and new Lord Featherington since her sisters gave birth to daughters.

None of the characters mention the Polin baby by name, but in the book series, Colin and Penelope have four kids: Agatha, Thomas, Jane, and George.

Why didn't the epilogue show Kanthony's baby?

The epilogue takes place at least nine months later, considering that Penelope has already given birth to her and Colin's first child. But Kate was already pregnant before Penelope, meaning that she and Anthony had their baby by the time the show skips ahead several months.

Throughout season three, part one, Kanthony's primary focus was enjoying marital bliss and trying to get pregnant. Wouldn't it have made sense to complete their season three arc by including a scene showing the couple and their baby in India?

Is Julie Andrews' role on "Bridgerton" officially over?

Since the start of "Bridgerton," Andrews has voiced Lady Whistledown. Her immediately recognizable, warm voice is so synonymous with the show that it's difficult to hear anyone else saying "dearest gentle reader" — even Whistledown herself, Penelope.

The season three finale ends with Penelope writing her final sentence as Lady Whistledown and signing her name as "Penelope Bridgerton."

Does that mean Andrews' work on the show is finished?

How prominent will Penelope's column be on the show now that her main arc has been completed?

In the epilogue, Penelope retires her literary persona but continues her work as a columnist under her own name.

"And hopefully, dear reader, you will stay on to enjoy them with me as we begin the next part of our journey," she writes, as Coughlan takes over the narration from Andrews.

Lady Whistledown has always been a key component of the series, even before Penelope's storyline took the spotlight on season three. But with another character leading season four, Polin will likely have less screen time, as is the pattern for all the main couples once they've completed their seasons.

Coughlan and Newton already confirmed that they'll return next season. Fans will probably have to wait a while before getting any solid details about what the future holds for Polin, but Newton told Teen Vogue that he's sticking around because "there's still stuff to get sorted in season four."

Will there be a multi-year gap between seasons?

Although each season of "Bridgerton" comes out every two years, only a year passes within the show. It may not be easy to keep that momentum forever.

For starters, the younger Bridgerton actors, Will Tilston and Florence Hunt, will be growing much older than the characters they play, which may make them look out of place in later years.

In addition, some of the love stories from the "Bridgerton" books just work better with multi-year gaps between them. In "An Offer From a Gentleman," there is a two-year gap between the time Benedict meets his lover, Sophie, and when they find each other again to fall in love.

A key element in both "To Sir Phillip, With Love" and "Romancing Mister Bridgerton" is that Eloise Bridgerton (Claudia Jessie) and Penelope are in their late 20s and definite spinsters, which makes their desperation for marriage more believable.

If "Bridgerton" is going to adapt every Bridgerton book, the writers may have to start changing their timeline.

What is Will and Alice Mondrich's next goal after losing the club?

A prominent storyline in season three, part one, is Will (Martins Imhangbe) and Alice (Emma Naomi) Mondrich's promotion to nobility. But the promotion means Will must give up the Gentleman's club he built up in the previous season.

Will resists this for all of season three, part one. But in episode five, Alice tells Will that his family matters more than the club, so he gives it up. Later in the episode, the pair host a ball to integrate into society properly.

However, after this, the pair are forced to the sidelines again and not given much to do for the rest of the season.

Does this mean Will and Alice's arc is officially over, or will the "Bridgerton" writers come up with a new storyline for the couple?

It's worth noting that these characters were created specifically for the show, so the book series won't give any clues as to where they may end up. Fans will have to wait for season four.

Will we finally get a full love story for Violet Bridgerton in season four?

In "Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story," Violet Bridgerton (Ruth Gemmell) says she is ready to find a new lover after conversing with Lady Danbury (Adjoa Andoh). Her first husband, Edmund, died before the series began.

In season three, Violet meets Lord Marcus Anderson (Daniel Francis), Lady Danbury's widowed younger brother. They bond over losing a partner. Marcus tries to court Violet, but obstacles keep getting in their way.

Lady Danbury and Marcus must first settle a family dispute. Violet is too busy solving her children's love lives. The pair don't even get a chance to dance together before the season ends.

Although we will likely have another Bridgerton on the marriage mart in season four, there might be more space for Violet to sort out her own love life, too.

All episodes of "Bridgerton" season three are streaming on Netflix.

• Elon Musk is sounding much more chipper about our AI future.
• Musk has long been concerned about the risks posed by AI.
• However, in a recent interview, Musk focused on some of the positive consequences of the tech.

Is Elon Musk feeling more positive about AI?

The billionaire has long touted the technology's potentially catastrophic risks, often likening AI to destructive forces like nuclear weapons. Last year, Musk even backed a letter demanding a six-month pause on AI development.

Yet, in a Wednesday interview with WPP CEO Mark Read at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, the Tesla CEO sounded much more chipper about the tech he's been outspoken about.

"It'll most likely be good, but we want to be careful about a potential downside," he said of AI development. "Technology will help you do anything that you want to do, and more of it."

While Musk reiterated that his position was similar to that of AI godfather Geoffrey Hinton — who has been vocal about AI safety — he also encouraged the audience to "look on the bright side."

Hinton has issued several warnings about AI's potential extinction-level threat, including the risk that it could eventually learn to manipulate humans.

While Musk warned there was still a 20% chance AI would lead to something terrible happening, he also quipped that the glass was still "80% full."

"In the positive scenario, the AI will be doing its best to make you happy. So that might work out pretty well," Musk said.

"I think the most likely outcome is one where the abundance of goods and services are available to anyone; there's no shortage of goods and services for anyone on Earth," he continued. "It wouldn't be universal basic income; it would be universal high income."

Musk is working on his own AI projects within Tesla and his startup, xAI.

xAI has released Grok, an AI product to rival chatbots like Google's Gemini and OpenAI's ChatGPT. Musk has previously criticized Google and OpenAI's offerings as "woke."

He's attempted to distinguish xAI's efforts, allowing Grok to respond to users with vulgar language, humor, and sarcasm. Musk has previously said the company aims for Grok to be "maximally truth-seeking" and "maximally curious."

Musk acknowledged some of these products' potential effects on the labor force during the Cannes Lion interview, suggesting that the rise of AI could make work optional for people.

He said this shift could provoke a "crisis of meaning" and spark societal existential concerns.

Nonetheless, Musk appears to be taking his own advice about looking on the bright side. He told an audience member: "This is the most interesting time in all of history. So, enjoy the ride."

• A new book, "The Atlas of Never Built Architecture," explores the world as it could've been.
• Authors Sam Lubell and Greg Goldin explore never-built designs from over 300 global architects.
• Here's what Wall Street, Jakarta's skyline, and Ethiopia's Rift Valley could have looked like. 

All buildings begin as ideas — but not all of them make it off the page.

Unfortunately, some architects' dreamy ideas are shelved due to a lack of funds, complex political maneuvering, or the death of a major financial supporter.

It was this lost library — a collection of buildings that offer glimpses into how some corners of the world could have looked — that inspired Los Angeles-based writers Sam Lubell and Greg Goldin to write the recently released book "Atlas of Never Built Architecture."

"As we unearthed each treasure, shaking off the dust clouds of memory and the inscrutability of faded ink, we were reminded that our reality is far less fixed than we think," Lubell and Goldin wrote in the introduction. "Every decision could have resulted in something different."

Lubell and Goldin assembled the sketches for and stories behind more than 300 lost skyscrapers, hotels, casinos, government buildings, cemeteries, and even a "floating theater boat that resembles a UFO," according to a press release. The proposed structures span over 100 years and 80 countries.

Below are five building designs once proposed for sites across the world, alongside a breakdown of what currently stands where they were set to rise.

Are we better off? You decide.

In 1975, an investment group called the Xanadu Corporation proposed a new hotel on the Las Vegas Strip modeled after Shangri-La, the mythical Himalayan paradise.

The fantastical design for the proposed Xanadu hotel included a circular bar suspended in the air. It would have been supported by tucked-away columns to appear like it was floating.

Though the Xanadu hotel's original plan was approved by Las Vegas authorities, disputes over utilities and sewer lines kept it from being built.

The site intended for Xanadu is now occupied by the Excalibur Hotel & Casino. The medieval-inspired property, which opened in 1990, was once the largest hotel in the world.

In 1961, real-estate developer William Zeckendorf acquired Manhattan's historic Singer Tower, planning to knock it down and build a new home for the New York Stock Exchange.

The proposed 45-story tower, called Finance Place, was described as a "beautifully tapered Mayan temple," with a massive trading floor dominating the bottom of the tower.

Designer Henry Cobb ingeniously drew a steel structure with floors suspended from the roof, allowing the trading floor to be entirely free of columns.

Zeckendorf claimed he had the support of the stock exchange, but the building never materialized.

Today, the square block is occupied by One Liberty Plaza, the black structure in the left foreground of the photo above.

Tenants of the 54-story building include law firm Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton, New York City's Economic Development Corporation — and Business Insider.

In the densely populated Indonesian capital of Jakarta, Indonesia, plans were unveiled in 2012 for an 88-story tower that made the most of vertical space.

A complex of Tetris-like structures, Peruri 88 included spaces for offices, townhouses, a luxury hotel, movie theaters, a wedding chapel, and a mosque.

Plans for a mall included designs for escalators spanning 15 stories.

But funding never materialized for Jakarta's "city in the sky."

Instead, the space is occupied by much smaller commercial buildings in the Kebayoran Baru neighborhood of South Jakarta.

The photo above is from the neighborhood proposed for Peruri 88.

Kenyan paleontologist Richard Leakey announced plans for a "Museum of Humankind" in 2019 to honor his discovery of the most complete skeleton of an early human.

Architect Daniel Libeskind's designs for the museum were inspired by hand axes, tools used by human predecessors over 1.8 million years ago.

Unfortunately, Leakey died in 2022 and the museum's proposed site in Kenya's Great Rift Valley was deemed no longer suitable.

The design was pulled and no new plans have been announced.

In 2007, Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid was announced as the designer for the first opera house in the Persian Gulf.

Hadid's rendering for the futuristic complex in Dubai included the 2,500-seat opera house, a smaller 800-seat theater, an art gallery, and a performing arts school.

The swooping peaks were inspired by the shape of sand dunes.

The global financial crisis in 2009 thwarted plans for Hadid's Dubai Opera House complex. Hadid died suddenly in 2016.

New designs were instead completed by Janus Rostock, who took inspiration for his version of the building from a dhow, a traditional Arabic sailing boat.

The Dubai Opera House was completed in 2016.

• The Israel Defense Forces strapped a wounded Palestinian man to a jeep during a raid.
• The IDF said the incident violated protocol and that it was under investigation.
• The UN Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories said it was "human shielding in action."

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said some of its soldiers violated protocol by strapping a wounded Palestinian man to the front of a military jeep, Reuters reported.

A video shared on X by the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) shows the man lying across the vehicle as it drives past two PRCS ambulances.

Reuters said it had verified the video.

The PRCS said that Israeli forces had "prevented Palestine Red Crescent crews from providing first aid to an injured person" in Jenin, a city in the occupied West Bank territory.

"They then placed the injured person on the front of a military jeep and detained him before later allowing our crews to transfer him to the hospital," the organization said.

The IDF confirmed the incident in a statement, saying that the man, a suspect in a raid, was injured during an exchange of fire.

"This morning [Saturday], during counter-terrorism operations to apprehend wanted suspects in the area of Wadi Burqin, terrorists opened fire at IDF troops, who responded with fire," the IDF statement said, per the BBC.

"During the exchange of fire, one of the suspects was injured and apprehended. In violation of orders and standard operating procedures, the suspect was taken by the forces while tied on top of a vehicle," it continued. "The conduct of the forces in the video of the incident does not conform to the values of the IDF. The incident will be investigated and dealt with accordingly."

Francesca Albanese, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories, said the incident was "human shielding in action."

Business Insider contacted the IDF for comment.

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, more than 500 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank since October 7, when the Hamas militant group's attacks killed around 1,200 people in Israel.

Israel's subsequent war in Gaza has killed more than 37,000 people in the territory, according to Gaza's Health Ministry.

• I took the Jitney coach bus from New York City to the Hamptons for $41.
• It was a pretty standard coach bus, and the bathroom wasn't great, but it was calm and quiet.
• I appreciated the charging outlets at each seat and the bus attendant who handed out snacks.

When most people think about the Hamptons, they picture the lap of luxury — and they're not wrong. The average weeklong trip for one person can cost over $1,500.

Although there are $200 luxury buses and $1,000 helicopters out to the tip of Long Island, transportation is the last thing I want to waste money on when planning a trip. Instead, I researched the cheapest ways to get to the summer hot spot from New York City and found seats on a Jitney coach bus for under $50.

Depending on traffic, the ride is only two to three hours long.

I booked a $41 one-way ticket on the Jitney from Midtown Manhattan to the Hamptons. To my surprise, the affordable coach bus was pretty great.

This may be the first time I've ever left on time while traveling from Midtown.

I arrived at the Midtown bus stop across from Bloomingdale's 10 minutes ahead of time and boarded at 8:38 a.m. for an 8:40 a.m. departure.

No one was collecting or scanning tickets, which sped up the boarding process. The bus left right on time, showcasing impressive efficiency.

There are multiple Jitney stops in Manhattan, so the bus was already half full when I got on. If you're traveling with someone and want to sit together, I recommend boarding at one of the earlier Uptown stops.

Make sure to double-check your drop-off location before boarding.

The Jitney buses don't all go to the same place — the eastern shore of Long Island has numerous stops spread out from each other.

Before boarding in Manhattan, it's essential to double-check that you're getting on the correct bus for your final destination.

Since no one checked my ticket, I was a little confused. But I eventually figured out I was getting on the right bus.

There was nothing fancy about the seats, but they did their job.

The bus had four seats in each row with an aisle down the center.

The seats offered a standard amount of legroom, which sufficed, and there were footrests under the chairs.

You could also lean back, but I think that's the easiest way to ruin someone's day if there's a passenger behind you.

The bathroom left some things to be desired.

There was an on-board bathroom, but I'd only use it in emergencies.

It was stocked with plenty of toilet paper but didn't have a sink. Hand sanitizer wasn't provided either, so make sure to pack your own.

The vibes on the bus were different than I was expecting.

Contrary to what I'd heard about the Jitney having a young, party vibe, my Friday morning bus ride on Memorial Day weekend had a mix of people and was relatively calm.

With the shades drawn and the AC on, the bus was a pleasant escape from the heat outside.

To keep things quiet, the bus staff also encouraged minimal phone use during the ride.

I didn't have the best internet connection during my ride.

The WiFi was spotty — I noticed several passengers using their phones as hot spots. If I needed to get a full remote workday in, that's probably the only way I could've done it.

But it was a nice bonus that the bus had outlets to charge phones, laptops, and other electronics during the several-hour drive.

The unexpected hospitality was a nice touch.

The bus was staffed with a driver and an attendant, who was an excellent resource.

As I departed at the last stop, the attendant checked everyone's tickets. Riders could pay on the bus if needed, but I purchased my ticket ahead of time to save $8 off the total cost.

As we were leaving, the attendant also handed out cold water and a snack, which I thought was a nice touch.

The Jitney had all the basics to get me from point A to point B.

There's nothing super fancy about the Jitney, but it certainly does its job. It took me about three hours and 50 minutes to get to the East Hampton stop from Midtown, but that's pretty much what I expected for Memorial Day weekend.

One significant advantage of the Jitney is the multiple times and bus-stop locations every day. The bus runs every other hour, providing flexibility for travelers.

Although the Long Island Rail Road is also cheap at $20 or $30 a ride, I'd definitely suggest the bus over the crowded and often rowdy train.

Overall, for $41, the Jitney was a surprisingly pleasant and efficient way to travel from Manhattan to the Hamptons.

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

Welcome back to our Sunday edition, a roundup of some of our top stories. Goldman Sachs' 2024 summer internship class had an acceptance rate of less than 1%. Two who made the cut shared their first impressions of Wall Street and tips for success.

On the agenda today:

• Your guide to America's weird new economic tribes.
• The CEO training program that's harder to get into than Harvard.
• Andy Sieg could be Citi's next CEO. First step: fix a broken business.
• Thirty years later, Amazon's book business is thriving.

But first: On the ground at Cannes Lions, aka summer camp for the ad industry.

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

This week's dispatch

The biggest names in marketing made for the south of France last week for the annual Cannes Lions festival. Lara O'Reilly and Julia Hood were among them.

What was the overall mood?

Lara O'Reilly: Jubilant. The sun was shining, the rosé was flowing, and companies were back to spending big on their enormous setups along the beach. No signs of the so-called "ad downturn" along La Croisette this year.

What were the topics du jour?

LO: Artificial intelligence. Or, more specifically, why the industry needs to stop talking about AI — and other under-the-hood tech — and instead refocus on the kind of creative ideas that make a cultural and business impact.

Julia Hood: Sports was the star of the show. Athletes on site included Megan Rapinoe, Sue Bird, the Kelce brothers, and many more. Sports is accelerating as a convener of people across the political spectrum — a safe way to bring people together.

What did the event reveal about the industry?

LO: For all the talk of automation, advertising remains a relationship business. Yes, this place is a hedonist's playground of partying, VIP yacht experiences, and questionable ROI, but (I'm told) deals do actually get done here.

What was the hottest ticket in town?

JH: Wednesday night was the time to party for a lot of the attendees. Highlights included The Chainsmokers at Yahoo Beach and Arcade Fire at Spotify Beach. On Thursday morning, Jason and Travis Kelce recorded their "New Heights" podcast at Stagwell's Sport Beach. Despite the rumors, Taylor Swift was not seen.

Meet Business Insider's most innovative CMOs of 2024.

America's new economic tribes

You may have heard about ALICEs, DINKs, and maybe even HENRYs. But what about DIPS? Have you thought about the FIRE movement?

Coverage of America's economy is filled with acronyms and descriptors for all demographics. It can be hard to keep up with all the terms — so we built a glossary to help you out.

A guide to ALICEs, DINKs, and everyone in between.

Also read:

• Gen Z and millennial NEETS are on the rise — many say they'd rather do nothing than be unhappy at work

The MBA to CEO pipeline

Alpine Investors, a $17 billion private-equity firm, is quickly becoming one of the most sought-after workplaces for business school grads.

That's thanks to Alpine's CEO-In-Training program. The program places MBAs in leadership positions at companies within just a few weeks, and promises to turn them into CEOs in a few years. It's not easy, though: Just 1.6% of applicants got a spot this year.

Inside the highly selective program.

Citi's wealth fixer

Andy Sieg, Merrill Wealth Management's former president, took a gamble leaving its strong business for Citi's much smaller wealth division.

But according to industry insiders, including some of his colleagues, Sieg might have his eye on a bigger prize. If he's able to turn Citi's wealth unit around, he could become the bank's next CEO.

A look at Sieg's next steps.

Read it at Amazon

Despite shuttering all of its brick-and-mortar bookstores in 2022, Amazon's bookselling business is booming.

The e-retail giant sold $16.9 billion worth of books in the first 10 months of 2022, an internal document obtained by BI shows. The figure demonstrates how Amazon's original business is thriving 30 years after its inception.

The book business breakdown.

Also read:

• Jeff Bezos' plan for The Washington Post is imploding
• Amazon employees slam the company in leaked Slack messages for apparently hosting a private Foo Fighters concert for senior leaders

This week's quote:

"We try to buy our way into looking and seeming young."

— Devon Price, a social-psychology professor, on companies selling to millennials who are afraid of aging.

More of this week's top reads:

• A lawyer dreamed of disrupting the legal industry with private equity. It turned into a nightmare.
• An Amazon VP shares eight career-advancing strategies.
• Wall Street's solution to the retirement crisis: force boomers to work longer.
• Reddit's traffic is way, way up.
• There's a pipeline of former Tesla staffers to Elon Musk's new startup xAI.
• Apple Intelligence seems to have a ChatGPT-shaped problem in China.
• Elon Musk wants advertisers' money — and to keep tweeting. He can't have both.

• Businesses are rushing to use generative AI. It's about to get messy.

  ---

  The Insider Today team: Matt Turner, deputy editor-in-chief, in New York. Jordan Parker Erb, editor, in New York. Dan DeFrancesco, deputy editor and anchor, in New York. Lisa Ryan, executive editor, in New York. Amanda Yen, fellow, in New York.

• Used EVs now cost less than their gas counterparts, with the gap ballooning since February.
• Only 18% of consumers said they're likely to buy an EV, a multi-year low.
• The demand pullback has "wreaked havoc" on production, a new report said.

Consumers are pumping the brakes on electric-vehicle demand as technological limitations erase the premium buyers used to be willing to pay.

For the first time, used EVs are less expensive than their traditional gas counterparts. Not only are prices lower, they're also plummeting at a much steeper clip, a recent report from iSeeCars said.

According to the study, the average used EV fell $265 below the typical gas car in February, marking the trend's start. As of May, that difference has ballooned to $2,657.

"It's clear used car shoppers will no longer pay a premium for electric vehicles and, in fact, consider electric powertrains a detractor, making them less desirable — and less valuable — than traditional models," executive analyst Karl Brauer said in the report.

By another measure, the average price of an EV fell 29.5% between May 2023 and 2024, compared to a 6.1% slide for combustion engine cars.

An example provided by the study compared the BMW 3 Series with a Tesla Model 3: while the Tesla's price was $2,635 higher in June last year, it stood $4,806 below the BMW in May 2024.

That slide is easy to explain for the broader auto industry, where improved post-pandemic supply chains have led to declining prices.

But that's just part of the story for EVs, a market battered by an extra slew of niche headwinds.

In a June AAA survey, only 18% of consumers indicated that they would be likely to purchase an EV — a multi-year low. Leading hesitations included the higher costs, limited access to charging stations, and worries about how far an EV can drive without charging.

Instead, consumer interest leaned more towards hybrid models, which offer both a gas and electric motor. In fact, one-third of respondents indicated they would purchase this type of vehicle.

For industry players that wagered on a coming wave of EV consumption, faltering demand has not done any favors for production, Bank of America said this month.

"The unprecedented EV head-fake over the last three years has wreaked havoc on product planning. The prior acceleration in EV launches is doing a U-turn in favor of extending [internal combustion engine] programs and new hybrids," analysts wrote. "However, while there is a lot of talk about hybrids, there isn't much action."

Vanishing EV consumers have tugged on the sector in other ways. For instance, below-estimate deliveries have dented the performance of Tesla and Rivian stocks, and these companies have been among many to enact workforce cuts due to strained demand.

Elsewhere, Fisker has filed for bankruptcy, citing market issues in a statement this week. And earlier this year, the rental firm Hertz sold 20,000 of its Tesla rentals. Among a handful of reasons, requests for the vehicles were not as high as expected.

While the iSeeCars report does not, in fact, yet see where EV prices will bottom out, most analysts are not too concerned about a complete rejection of the market. If consumers don't lead an industry embrace, US emissions regulation will ensure continued production, just at a tempered pace, Bank of America said.

"Despite the apparent slowdown in the powertrain transition (EVs and Hybrids), there is still a wave, albeit smaller than before, of alternative powertrain launches from almost all automakers," the note said.

Examples includes Ford products, and GM's Cadillac as a "spearhead for EVs," it added.

• Hot honey is being added to restaurant menus and grocery store shelves across the US.
• It's being paired with pepperoni pizza, chicken sandwiches, margaritas, and even ice cream.
• The founder of leading brand Mike's Hot Honey started making it in his college apartment after trying it on a pizza in Brazil.

It's being drizzled on pizzas, added to chicken sandwiches, and even mixed into cocktails.

Hot honey is one of the buzziest ingredients this summer, appearing on menus ranging from cocktail bars in Manhattan to barbecue joints in New Orleans.

The ingredient is "basically all over menus right now," Lizzy Freier, director of menu research and insights at restaurant analytics company Technomic, said during a panel at the National Restaurant Show in May.

The condiment's origins saw it being swirled on pepperoni pizza. But it's popular to pair with chicken, too: Sweetgreen has a hot honey chicken protein bowl, Cava sells harissa honey chicken, and KFC serves Sriracha honey nuggets.

You can mix it with desserts or alcohol. At Starbucks' upmarket Reserve locations, you can get hot honey in an affogato or espresso martini.

Mike's Hot Honey was inspired by a college student's travels around Brazil

Hot honey isn't a brand-new flavor, but it's only recently that it's become super popular.

Brooklyn pizzeria Roberta's started selling its famous Bee Sting pizza topped with spicy soppressata salami and honey back in 2009, according to The New York Times.

But it was Mike's Hot Honey that really brought the ingredient to the masses.

It all dates back to the year 2003, when Mike Kurtz was a college student studying Portuguese in Brazil.

"On a weekend trip to a national park, I hiked into a little valley with some friends and there I found a tiny pizzeria that had jars of honey with whole chili peppers steeping in it for drizzling on pizza," Kurtz told Business Insider in an interview at the National Restaurant Show. "I just was blown away by the flavor and I kept on thinking about it."

So Kurtz started experimenting with chili-infused honey in his college apartment, where he created Mike's Hot Honey in 2004.

"And for six years it was just a hobby," Kurtz said. "I was making it for myself, for friends and family."

Fast forward to 2010, and Kurtz introduced his concoction to Paul Giannone of Paulie Gee's while working as an apprentice at the Brooklyn pizzeria.

"He tried it, he loved it on the pizza," Kurtz told BI. Paulie Gee's began drizzling the honey on its pepperoni pizzas.

"People started asking me where they could buy bottles and I started selling it off the bar there in November 2010," Kurtz said.

Over the years, he started working with other restaurants and specialty retailers. Whole Foods was the first large grocery store to start selling the honey in 2014.

Now, Mike's Hot Honey is available in between 30,000 and 40,000 retail stores and more than 3,000 restaurants, Kurtz said. The business's revenue is roughly 60% retail and 40% food service, he said.

Hot honey has seemingly endless applications

Hot honey is "kind of like a peanut butter and jelly thing," Matt Wessel, owner of the Milwaukee Pretzel Company, which sells a hot honey mustard, told BI over the phone. "It's just one of those things that when you pair them together, it makes a lot of sense … It's a really palatable food pairing."

Hot honey feeds into the "swicy" trend for sweet and spicy food. And its versatility means it can be used in seemingly endless combinations, encouraging chefs to get creative in the kitchen.

"Because honey is so versatile as a sweetener, but also as a topping … it's a great base to add the heat to," Wessel said. "It can be used in so many different applications." Across restaurants, grocery store shelves, and home kitchens, hot honey is being added to tacos, chicken waffles, potato chips, and ice cream.

"Hot honey has become the new American flavor," said Jacob Hadjigeorgis, owner of Maison Pickle, a bar and restaurant in Manhattan that started serving a hot honey chicken French toast in 2019. He told BI over email that it was the US's answer to other cuisines' sweet and spicy sauces.

At Zalat Pizza, a Dallas-based pizza chain, there's been a recent rise in sales of its pizza with salami, bacon-onion jam, and hot honey, first added to its menu in 2022, CEO Khanh Nguyen told BI via email.

Customers can also pay $2 to add a swirl of hot honey to Zalat's other pizzas, which Nguyen said was especially popular with its pepperoni and mixed meat pizzas.

UK canned and bottled cocktail company Tom Savano Cocktails has been experimenting with hot honey in the drinks department. It launched a hot honey margarita earlier this month — it also sells a spicy mezcal margarita with Scotch Bonnet chilies and agave.

Sweet cocktails are always in demand, and spicy flavors are very popular at the moment. "So you throw anything spicy and sweet together and that was always going to be a home run," founder James Kerslake told BI over the phone. The company developed two versions of the cocktail for consumer testing, and ended up deciding on the spicier version, even though Kerslake acknowledged it may polarize people with a low-spice tolerance.

Cooking magazines and TikTokers alike have been scrambling to find new ways to incorporate hot honey into dishes. But as for Kurtz, the man behind the best-known hot honey brand, his favorite ways to serve it are drizzled on a pepperoni pizza, used as a glaze for salmon, and paired with goats' cheese.