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• Israel and Hamas are engaged in tense cease-fire talks despite fighting in Rafah.
• Israeli PM Netanyahu rejected the latest proposal, saying it fell "very far" from Israel's demands.
• Israel wants to keep its right to conduct more operations in Gaza, an analyst told Al-Jazeera.

Cease-fire talks to end the fighting in Gaza are still taking place in the background, despite Israel's military incursion into Rafah.

Negotiators from both Israel and Hamas are in Cairo, having arrived hours after Israeli tanks and troops entered the city of Rafah, according to The New York Times.

Israel Defense Forces said Tuesday it had taken operational control of the Gazan side of the Rafah border crossing after carrying out what it described as "targeted" strikes against Hamas in the city's eastern sector.

In a military update on Tuesday, IDF international spokesperson Nadav Shoshani said it had urged local residents to "temporarily" evacuate the eastern part of Rafah to a humanitarian area ahead of what he called a "counterterrorism" operation.

Shoshani said that IDF troops eliminated 20 Hamas militants in the first hours of the operations, adding that humanitarian aid will continue to flow inside Gaza.

The IDF's ongoing military operation comes as Israel and Hamas are engaged in tense talks to broker a cease-fire deal.

On Monday, Hamas said it had accepted a deal proposed by Egypt and Qatar.

That deal guaranteed the release of all Israeli captives in Gaza, civilians or military, alive or otherwise, from all periods, in exchange for a number of prisoners held by Israel, per a copy of the proposal obtained by Al Jazeera.

The deal also called for the return to a "sustainable calm" that would lead to a permanent cease-fire and a withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip, its reconstruction, and the lifting of the siege, per the outlet.

But in a statement on Tuesday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected the proposal, saying it was designed to "torpedo" the entry of IDF forces into Rafah and fell "very far" from Israel's core demands.

Israel's government press office didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of Hamas' political wing, accused Netanyahu of "sabotaging the efforts made through the mediators," per Sky News.

Since Israel started its military operation in Gaza following Hamas' terror attacks on October 7, an estimated 2.3 million Palestinians have been driven out of their homes, and more than 34,500 civilians killed, AP reported Saturday, citing local health officials.

Over 1,100 people were killed in Hamas' attacks, and hundreds were captured. Many are still missing.

According to Mairav Zonszein, a senior analyst on Israeli domestic politics at the International Crisis Group, Israel wants to retain the authority to carry out further operations in Gaza.

"If you enter a cease-fire deal, then you will [eventually] need a cease-fire," she told Al Jazeera.

Yossi Mekelberg, an associate fellow at Chatham House's Middle East and North Africa Program, made a similar statement, saying the Israeli government is biding its time to continue military operations in Gaza.

"Netanyahu knows — as most of us do — that if there is a cease-fire in 6-7 weeks, it's most probable the pressure will mount to end the war altogether," he told BI.

This could lead to Netanyahu, Israel's longest-serving prime minister, losing power and an investigation into how Hamas' October 7 terrorist attacks were allowed to happen on his watch, he said.

It could also result in the International Court of Justice potentially ruling that Israel committed genocide, Mekelberg added.

"If he leaves now, this is his legacy," Mekelberg said.

• Panera Bread is discontinuing its controversial Charged Sips that contain high levels of caffeine.
• The drinks were tied to at least two wrongful death lawsuits against Panera.
• These lawsuits accused the chain of not clearly displaying the drinks as highly caffeinated.

Panera Bread is discontinuing its controversial, highly caffeinated Charged Sips range that was linked to at least two wrongful death lawsuits in the US.

The sandwich and coffee chain is phasing out the three drinks and replacing them with other beverages in the next two weeks, Bloomberg first reported, citing a company memo. Business Insider has approached Panera for confirmation.

Panera told Bloomberg that the change was part of its "menu transformation" and that it would be introducing a blueberry lavender lemonade, a pomegranate hibiscus tea, a citrus punch, and a tropical green smoothie.

Panera currently sells two flavors of Charged Lemonade — strawberry lemon mint and mango yuzu citrus — and a blood orange "charged" splash.

At least three lawsuits have been filed against Panera, accusing the chain of not clearly showing customers that the Charged beverages are high in caffeine.

Two of these were wrongful death lawsuits. Another was filed by a competitive athlete who said she had "permanent cardiac injuries" after drinking two-and-a-half cups of the beverage.

Some social media users called the drinks "crack in a cup," saying that Panera's free refill policy means customers could consume huge amounts of caffeine in one sitting.

The company previously told BI that it thought the wrongful death lawsuits were "without merit" and that it stood by the safety of its products.

Panera changed how the drinks were labeled and displayed after the first lawsuit was filed.

The sandwich chain says on its website that customers should drink the beverages "in moderation" and says they're not recommended for children, people sensitive to caffeine, and pregnant and nursing women.

When served with ice, the strawberry lemon mint Charged Lemonade contains 233 milligrams of caffeine for a 30-fluid-ounce cup, the mango yuzu citrus contains 237 milligrams, and the Charged Splash contains 302 milligrams, though this varies depending on how much ice is added.

The drinks were all previously advertised as containing around 390 milligrams of caffeine per 30-fluid-ounce cup, which CNBC reported was for a beverage served without ice.

The US Food and Drug Administration says 400 milligrams of caffeine is a generally safe daily limit for a healthy adult.

At Panera, a 20-fluid-ounce latte or cappuccino has 147 milligrams of caffeine, while an 8.4-fluid-ounce can of Red Bull contains 80 milligrams of caffeine.

• Microsoft has developed a secret AI model exclusively for US spy agencies, Bloomberg reported. 
• The GPT-4-based model is "air-gapped," meaning it's not connected to the internet. 
• It's part of a broader effort by intelligence agencies to use AI for more efficient data handling.

Microsoft created a secret AI model for US spy agencies that is not connected to the internet.

William Chappell, its strategic missions and technology CTO, told Bloomberg that Microsoft spent 18 months working on the model, which is "air-gapped" so it's secure and can only be accessed by the US government.

Chappell told the outlet that the model based on GPT-4 is now live, can answer questions, and will be able to write code. It can read and analyze files but cannot learn from them to stop sensitive information entering the platform, he reportedly said. It is yet to be tested and accredited by the intelligence agencies.

In an article published by the CIA in December, Dennis J. Gleeson, Jr, a former director of strategy, wrote: "Today's chatbots are not intelligent, but they are innovative, exciting, and full of potential in the context of the volumes and varieties of information the [intelligence community] collects, processes, triages, and uses in support of its global mission."

He added that AI is a "strategic shift in how we think about interacting with massive volumes of data."

Sheetal Patel, assistant director of the CIA for the Transnational and Technology Mission Center, reportedly told a security conference last month that countries are racing to "get generative AI onto intelligence data," adding that she wants the US to win the race.

Intelligence agencies have long wanted to use AI to handle data more efficiently. The Directorate of National Intelligence, which acts as the head of the intelligence community, launched the AIM Initiative in 2019 to help agencies, including the CIA, to process large amounts of data and "fundamentally change the way it produces intelligence."

The CIA is even hiring an "Artificial Intelligence Specialist," according to the careers section of its website, to help realize its AI ambitions. The role involves lending a hand with data processing for an annual salary of up to $172,000.

Microsoft and the CIA didn't immediately respond to requests for comment from Business Insider, made outside normal working hours.

• EV company Nio is launching a new affordable EV brand in China. 
• Competitor BYD will reportedly supply batteries for the new range, which will compete with Tesla's Model Y. 
• The alliance between the two companies will likely intensify pressure on Tesla in China.

Two of Tesla's biggest rivals in China are joining forces in yet another blow to Elon Musk.

Local EV giant Nio is launching a new affordable EV brand that will compete directly with the Model Y in China — and it has reportedly turned to Tesla rival BYD to provide batteries for one of these new EVs, according to a Reuters report.

Three sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters that BYD has agreed to provide batteries for the new mass-market brand called Onvo, which Nio confirmeded to Reuters on Monday.

BYD will reportedly provide a small battery pack for one version of the Onvo EV, with Chinese battery maker CALB supplying a larger 85-kilowatt-hour battery pack.

Nio disputed the report, describing it as "inaccurate" in comments to Reuters.

Business Insider contacted BYD and Nio for comment but didn't immediately hear back.

Nio, known for its battery-swapping technology, is set to unveil the first Onvo vehicle at the end of the month and is also planning a second smaller EV that will sell in Europe for under $30,000, per Reuters.

It marks a strategy shift for the EV startup, which has previously focused on the premium market, and it comes as it faces fierce competition in China.

The alliance between Nio and BYD will likely intensify pressure on Elon Musk in China, where Tesla sales have slumped amid brutal competition for EVs.

Deliveries from Tesla's Shanghai factory dropped 18% in April from a year ago, according to preliminary data from China's Passenger Car Association reported by Bloomberg.

The move poses a fresh challenge to Musk as he embarks on a shake-up at Tesla.

The automaker is simultaneously trying to secure EV dominance in China and expand its autonomous driving operations — all while slashing its workforce with ongoing job cuts.

Musk secured a big win in a surprise trip to Beijing last month, sealing a vital deal with Chinese tech giant Baidu that moved the automaker closer to rolling out its Full Self-Driving technology in the country.

The Tesla CEO is now reportedly eyeing up plans to deploy the company's forthcoming robotaxis, which the company plans to unveil in August, to China.

Once again, however, he is likely to face stiff competition from BYD and Nio, who are developing their own driving assistance software.

The past few years were very good to people who decided to sell their homes. The massive relocation shuffle meant most homes hitting the market were the subject of bidding wars. Rich baby boomers jumped in with all-cash offers, and sellers scored huge windfalls as weary buyers pushed prices to new heights. There was no question who had the upper hand.

Now, sellers' fortunes are changing. Home prices are still rising, at a modest pace, around most of the country, but gone are the days of throwing up a for-sale sign and waiting for the feeding frenzy to begin. As buyers' options slowly increase, sellers may have to slash asking prices or wait longer for a viable offer to come along. Today's home shoppers aren't so willing to pass on inspections or give up other contingency rights to expedite a sale, either. Unlike their predecessors at the height of the pandemic, buyers can now afford to kick the tires before jumping into a deal.

Most painfully, mortgage rates have spiked to 7% from their record lows of less than 3% in 2021, which has not only deterred prospective buyers but also changed the calculus for many sellers. Since most people have to turn around and buy another property to live in, even the ones who profit handsomely off a sale are finding it hard to upgrade their digs, given the increased borrowing costs. It's shaping up to be a cruel summer for sellers who aren't ready to come to terms with this new reality.

Of course, it could always be worse. There are no signs that home prices are on the verge of collapse, and more sales are happening now than a year ago. After all, people have to move for a wide variety of life reasons; mortgage rates be damned. The number of homes for sale at any given moment is also growing, which means we're inching closer to a "normal" market. The Housing Ice Age is slowly thawing.

But the peak months of home selling, which last from the spring into the middle of summer, may come with a rude awakening this year. Those who hoped that lower mortgage rates would grease the wheels of the housing market, nudging more buyers to get off the sidelines and bid up home prices, are realizing that dream scenario won't come to pass. Sellers may still have an advantage, but it's getting slimmer.

When hopeful sellers call up Eric Peterson, a real-estate broker in Austin, he usually asks them how much they think their home could fetch on the market. In 2021 or 2022, before rising mortgage rates squashed buyer demand, people typically thought their homes were worth a lot less than what they could sell for, Peterson told me. Now when he poses the same question, "they're usually overshooting it by a little bit," he said. The whiplash can leave today's sellers crestfallen in comparison. Austin was among the cities hit hardest by the pandemic hangover, with local home prices in March down roughly 12% from the peak in May 2022, according to the Freddie Mac House Price Index. But while the city may be on the extreme end of things, sellers around the country face similar circumstances: There are fewer buyers out there, and the ones who are on the hunt have more options.

"The further and further we get from the peak of the market," Peterson told me, "the harder it is to deny what's happened."

The start of 2024 seemed to have all the ingredients of a second home-seller heyday. Inflation was cooling, meaning the Federal Reserve could soon declare victory in its war on rising prices and start to cut interest rates. This, in turn, would bring down mortgage rates, theoretically encouraging more buyers to jump into the housing market. Sellers would have the upper hand in two ways: A new wave of demand would drive up the value of their homes, while lower borrowing costs would make the jump to their new places less painful. Unfortunately for prospective sellers, this Goldilocks scenario was not meant to be. Inflation has been hotter than expected, and the Fed has signaled it's comfortable keeping interest rates higher for longer. Mortgage rates haven't fallen — in fact, they've gone up about 0.6 percentage points since the start of the year. Selma Hepp, the chief economist at the property-analytics firm CoreLogic, calls this "the year of the head fake."

The further and further we get from the peak of the market, the harder it is to deny what's happened.

Now, prospective sellers are staring down the reverse of the hoped-for scenario. On the one hand, their cheaper mortgage rates now seem like a gift that won't come along again, which makes it hard to commit to a move. About 58% of outstanding US home loans had interest rates below 4% at the end of last year, according to the Federal Housing Finance Agency. If you put 20% down on a $400,000 house, the difference between a 4% mortgage and a 7% one would be $600 in payments every month. You can see why this is bad for both buyers and sellers — buyers can't stomach paying that much more for the same house, while sellers hold on to the rates they snagged when money was cheap during the COVID-19 health crisis.

But many people still have to move even if they don't necessarily want to, and some sellers may be coming to terms with the fact that rates aren't dropping. Once they've swallowed this reality, these sellers will face a less favorable real-estate landscape. As more listings hit the market in the spring and summer, the number of homes for sale at any given moment, otherwise known as active inventory, is expected to grow. Nationwide inventory is up 33% from a year ago, according to the housing-data firm Altos Research, giving homebuyers better odds of bargaining down prices and scoring concessions.

Sure, sale prices in March were up about 6.6% from last year, according to Freddie Mac, but the leading indicators for deals that will close this summer "aren't nearly that strong," Mike Simonsen, the president of Altos Research, said in a recent weekly update. Prices on new listings across the country are basically flat from a year ago, and 33.5% of single-family homes on the market have seen a cut from their original asking prices, the most of any April in a decade. Moody's Ratings now expects home values to rise a measly 1% this year after a 6.5% increase in 2023.

Even once a price is agreed upon, sellers may have to shoulder more of the costs to complete the transaction than before. Unlike during the height of the pandemic, a buyer might be able to get the seller to pay for closing costs or pricey repairs that come up during an inspection. More than one-third of sellers gave concessions to buyers in the three months ending October 31, Redfin found, up from 27.6% two years earlier.

Sellers across the country won't feel the pain equally — in fact, many will do just fine for themselves. In the Northeast and the West, active inventory is still more than 30% below 2019 levels, keeping competition for homes tight. The situation will be toughest in places like Austin or Boise, Idaho, where wealthy out-of-towners drove up prices amid the pandemic. Now that people aren't moving across the country as much, it's harder to find the kinds of buyers willing to make outrageous bids for their slice of the Sun Belt.

"When we were listing homes for sale and they were selling for so much over asking price, there often wasn't a second buyer that was offering close to that final price," Peterson told me. "So the market was very emotional in one direction. And I was warning everybody: All it takes is that one buyer to go away."

Libby Levinson-Katz, a broker in Denver and the chair of the local Realtor association's market-trends committee, said she's advising sellers there to price their homes conservatively and take care of big-ticket items, such as large repairs, before listing. Price-conscious buyers are already battling high rates and home prices — they don't want to take on more expenses as soon as they get the keys.

"I think sellers need to kind of buckle the seatbelt and know that it's not necessarily going to be a quick sale," Levinson-Katz told me. "It could take awhile because buyers are being really discerning right now."

Lost in all this talk of sellers' woes is the simple fact that more home inventory is good for everyone. Sellers simply had too much power during the pandemic — the pendulum swinging in the other direction just means we're slowly making our way toward a more balanced market.

For one thing, many sellers end up also being buyers themselves: A whopping 78% of homeowners say they plan to buy again right after they sell, John Burns Research and Consulting found. So while it might be nice for sellers to watch their home values climb with each desperate bid, they'll probably have to join the masses clamoring over listings or worrying about the new reality of mortgage rates.

Sellers need to kind of buckle the seatbelt and know that it's not necessarily going to be a quick sale.

Because Americans see their homes as not only shelter but also investment vehicles, a weak sellers' market can be a problem, too — if prices plummet, buyers might not want to purchase homes for fear of catching a falling knife. This is why economists talk so much about the need for a balanced market, rather than one that simply favors affordability for buyers. It's a fine line to walk.

While the slowdown for sellers may be good for the country's housing market in the long run, the sudden switch-up can leave homeowners feeling like they missed the boat. About 79% of recent sellers in a survey from Realtor.com said they wished they had listed their home sooner to take advantage of a hotter market. But Peterson told me he tries to keep things in perspective for his clients — home prices are still up almost 50% from early 2020 nationwide, according to Moody's, and about 42% in Austin. He warns sellers against comparing themselves with those who sold at the market's peak, when cheap money drove up prices. Back then, it didn't matter if you mispriced your home or neglected repairs — low interest rates and booming buyer interest practically ensured you'd find a more-than-willing taker.

"It can always be tricky telling somebody that they were just lucky because it makes you sound envious," Peterson told me. "But 2.5% interest rates can hide a lot of mistakes."

James Rodriguez is a senior reporter on Business Insider's Discourse team.

• Donald Trump has stamped his name on a variety of products since leaving office.
• The former president has continued to hawk items while also balancing his 2024 campaign.
• Trump has sold shoes, NFTs, and even a bible. 

Former President Donald Trump's campaign might be cash-strapped, but that hasn't stopped him from hawking merchandise that will benefit him directly.

As a former reality TV star, Trump has put his name on everything from board games and steaks to the sides of buildings. According to his most recent financial disclosure, Trump is the manager and president of an LLC that has been the vehicle for many of his post-White House dealings.

Former presidents have long found ways to profit after leaving office. But unlike Trump, no modern one-term president has seriously sought to reclaim his old job.

President Ulysses S. Grant's widow, Julia Grant, made $450,000 off of the memoirs that he penned shortly before his death. More recent former presidents have found other avenues beyond just book sales.

Gerald Ford is regarded for kick-starting the trend of serving on corporate boards after the "accidental president" accepted seats from blue-chip companies like 20th Century Fox and American Express. Ronald Reagan caused a stir when he accepted $2 million for a series of appearances in Japan. Bill Clinton later electrified the speaking fees trend.

It's estimated that he and former former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton amassed a staggering $100 million fortune after she left office. Not to be outdone, Netflix reportedly paid Barack and Michelle Obama into the high eight figures.

As President George W. Bush explained his approach upon leaving office, it was time to "replenish the ol' coffers."

"I don't know what my dad gets," Bush told journalist Robert Draper. "But it's more than 50, 75" thousand dollars a speech. He added, "Clinton's making a lot of money."

Congress once feared former presidents living in destitution. Former President Harry Truman personally wrote to key members of Congress after he left office that he might have to resort to taking welfare. (New York Magazine uncovered evidence that strongly undermines Truman's widely attributed image of meager post-White House wealth.) After Truman's lobbying, lawmakers passed financial support for former presidents that continues to this day.

In addition to receiving lifetime Secret Service protection (a perk that briefly appeared to be going away and is now enshrined again in law), former presidents enjoy perks that cover office space, staff funding, and travel reimbursement.

Trump's businesses primarily include golf courses, hotels, resorts, other real estate holdings, and licensing his name. Both his campaign and his family's business have official stores selling various products. As has been previously reported, some Trump-branded products have been made in other countries, including China and Canada. His campaign appears to only sell merchandise made in the US. Trump-owned companies have filed for bankruptcy six times, including the Trump Taj Mahal, the Plaza Hotel, Trump Hotels and Casino Resorts, and Trump Entertainment Resorts.

Here's how Trump is trying to make some extra money in 2024.

Truth Social

While not a product, Truth Social, Trump's social media platform, looms the largest in his post-presidential portfolio. The initial surge in share prices when the Truth's parent company went public caused Trump to soar back onto Bloomberg's Billionaire Index. (His status has sometimes changed amid the volatility in share prices.)

Trump's stake in Trump Media & Technology Group, Truth's parent company, is worth billions. The platform also illustrates the blend between Trump's business interests and campaign. He is undoubtedly Truth's greatest asset, a testament to the fact that he uses the platform almost exclusively even though major social companies have since reversed their post-January 6 bans on his accounts.

In a nod to his role, Trump Media & Technology Group is listed on Nasdaq under "DJT," the former president's initials.

Trump is selling a copy of his favorite book: The Bible.

For $60, Trump's edition of the religious text includes "a "handwritten chorus to 'God Bless The USA' by Lee Greenwood.'" The former president frequently features the Greenwood patriotic anthem at his rallies.

The Trump Bible also includes a copy of the US Constitution, Pledge of Allegiance, Declaration of Independence, and Bill of Rights.

Shoes

Three pairs of shoes emblazoned with a T are selling under Trump's umbrella. They range in price from the nearly all-gold "Never Surrender" high tops at $399 to the lower cut "Red Wave" and "POTUS 45."

According to the website that offered them for sale, only 1,000 pairs of the "Never Surrender" shoes were made. The company says that pairs have sold out. Like other current Trump products, the shoes come with the disclaimer that Trump himself is not selling the shoes but that the company licensed his name, image, and likeness. Trump is president of the LLC that sold his likeness rights.

The former president also attended SneakerCon, a shoe-focused convention in Philadelphia, to promote the shoe line.

NFTs

Trump has licensed multiple editions of digital trading cards since leaving office. The most recent set, "The Mugshot edition," offered collectors a chance to own a physical card that included a swatch of the suit the former president wore for his Fulton County Georgia mugshot.

Cards were available for $99 a piece or $4,653 for the full set, which included an invitation to a dinner at Trump's Mar-a-Lago club.

According to his most recent disclosure, Trump reported income of between $100,001 and $1 million from past NFT sales.

Cologne and perfume

The same company selling Trump shoes also sells cologne and perfume stamped with the former president's name. The "Victory47" bottles are each listed for $99 respectively. The cologne bottle's image, subject to change, has a Trump head topper.

Victory 47 is a nod to Trump's hope that he will win in November, making him both the 45th and 47th president.

• Warren Buffett discussed AI fraud, fiscal woes, and bad bets at Berkshire Hathaway's annual meeting.
• The 93-year-old investor said he fully expects his successor, Greg Abel, to work long past 65.
• Buffett hailed his late business partner, Charlie Munger, and offered a raft of life advice.

Warren Buffett rang the alarm on the federal deficit, warned about AI-powered fraud, and owned up to a losing bet on Paramount during Berkshire Hathaway's annual shareholder meeting on Saturday.

The 93-year-old CEO ruled out retirement at 65 for his successor, paid tribute to his late business partner, Charlie Munger, and offered advice about role models, quality relationships, and giving back.

Here are Buffett's 15 best quotes, lightly edited for length and clarity:

1. "Insurance always looks easier than it is, and it's so much fun because you get the money at the start, and then you find out whether you've done something stupid later on."
2. "I have no idea how the iPhone works, there may be some little guy inside or something. But I know what it means to people, and I know how they use it. And I know enough about consumer behavior to know that it's one of the great products, maybe the greatest product of all time. The value it offers is incredible."
3. "I was 100% responsible for the Paramount decision. We sold it all, and we lost quite a bit of money. I'm smarter now than I was a couple years ago. But I also think I'm poorer because I acquired the knowledge in the manner I did."
4. "There have been times in my life that I've been awash in so many opportunities that I could have invested everything by nightfall. But this is not a time when the phone is going to be ringing often. We haven't seen anything that makes sense that moves the needle."
5. "I can't help thinking about the fiscal deficit. It's what we should be focused on. Jay Powell is not only a great human being, he's a very, very wise man, but he doesn't control fiscal policy. And every now and then, he sends out a kind of disguised plea of, 'please pay attention to this because that's where the trouble will be if we have it'."
6. "We let a genie out of the bottle when we developed nuclear weapons. The power of that genie is what scares the hell out of me. I don't know any way to get the genie back in the bottle. And AI is somewhat similar."

7. "Scamming is going to be the growth industry of all time. Based on the one I saw recently, I practically would send money to myself over some crazy country."

   

8. "If you copy the right people, you're off to a great start. And I don't mean a great start about making money. I mean a great start about living your life."
9. "If you're lucky in life, make sure a bunch of other people are lucky, too."
10. "There's more fun having somebody that's your partner in digging your way out of a foxhole, than there is just sitting there and watching an idea that you got 10 years ago just continually produce more and more profits."

11. "Charlie [Munger] always said that, 'Just tell me where I going to die, so I'll never go there.' Well, the truth is he went everywhere with his mind, and therefore he was not only interested in the world at 99, but the world was interested in him."

    

12. "Ask yourself, 'Who would you want to spend the last day of your life with?' Then figure out a way to start meeting them today, or tomorrow, and meet them as often as you can — because why wait until the last day and not bother with the others?"
13. "This place, if anything happened to me, it would be working extremely well the next day. I don't get any phone calls. We can rig something up so we got some answering machine that people think I'm still around or something."
14. "Anybody that wants to retire at 65 would be disqualified from being CEO of Berkshire. They might get retired the next day if they were the wrong person."
15. "Thank you very, very much for coming, and I not only hope that you come next year, but I hope I come next year. "

• Melinda Binkley, 56, struggles to afford basics but earns 'too much' for assistance.
• Binkley is part of a growing group who live above the poverty live but can't afford necessities.
• The federal poverty line doesn't account for cost-of-living differences, leaving many without help.

Melinda Binkley, 56, has tried to apply for safety net programs before — like SNAP — but she's told her household makes too much money, usually by less than $100.

"I go through all that legwork, and I get everything that's on the application," Binkley said."Then, within days, they are either emailing me or calling saying 'you're too high'… I feel like it wastes my time."

Binkley lives in Stillwater, Minnesota and said she receives around $1,500 a month in Supplemental Security Income benefits. She doesn't currently work due to medical reasons, but has in the past. She estimates her husband brings home under $4,000 a month from his job at a medical supply company, but his income varies because he has health issues and is not always able to work a full-time schedule.

The couple is part of a growing number of Americans who live above the federal poverty line but struggle to afford basic necessities. The poverty line isn't adjusted to reflect cost-of-living differences in individual cities or states and is set at $20,440 a year for a family of two.

About 29% of US households are now ALICEs — people who are asset-limited, income-constrained, and employed. This compares to 13% of Americans who live below the federal poverty level, according to the Census Bureau's American Community Survey data and cost-of-living estimates analyzed by United Way's United For ALICE program.

"There is nothing in between that allows people to get assistance or help of any sort," Binkley said, referring to the gap between the poverty line and middle class. "We always tend to fall right in that part of the economy."

Binkley is trying to "make ends meet," hopes to leave Minnesota one day

Primarily, Binkley said she struggles with her rent and utility bills. She has worked out a deal with her landlord where she can make different payments for rent whenever she and her husband have the funds, but she worries that they might face eviction if they fall any further behind, she said.

Binkley said extreme temperatures in Minnesota and limited insulation in her home also mean she can pay almost $5,000 dollars anually in electricity bills to keep the heat on.

For food, Binkley said she is especially thankful for her local food pantries, where she often goes to pick up canned goods. However, she said there used to be more food pantry options available during the pandemic when "everybody was having issues."

Binkley added that she can afford to go to the grocery store sometimes, but only for basic, perishable goods like milk and bread.

Although Binkley is enrolled in Medicare and her husband gets a basic healthcare plan through work, she estimates they pay at least $350 a month out-of-pocket for medications — and it's often more.

"My husband will go without his meds, especially the more expensive ones," she said. "He will go without to make sure that I have mine, and I don't like that."

Binkley hopes she can leave Minnesota soon for Idaho. Her sister, whom she says is her biggest supporter, lives there and Binkley wants to be closer.

She's slowly trying to prepare herself and her husband for the move by sorting through their belongings and trying to stabilize finances. In the meantime, she's doing her best to "make ends meet."

"That is one thing that keeps driving me to make my payments, get things caught up, and set a little bit aside each week or each month, Binkley said. "Being able to use a big UHaul and finally get out of here."

Are you making above the poverty line but still struggling to afford daily life? Reach out to this reporter at allisonkelly@insider.com.

• An influx of over 175,000 migrants in New York City has further exposed the city's housing crisis.
• Mayor Eric Adams warned the migrant influx could 'destroy' the city.
• But the US relies on immigrants to fill key jobs – and they've long boosted the housing market.

No country in the world attracts more immigrants than the US — and no place symbolizes this better than New York City.

The convergence of the Big Apple's historic housing affordability crisis and an influx of asylum seekers has created a perfect storm that threatens to further marginalize the city's most vulnerable newcomers.

Over the last two years, New York City has struggled to handle more than 175,000 new migrants — part of an influx of asylum seekers on the Southern border. Many new arrivals don't have family members or other connections in New York, and tens of thousands of them don't have a place to live when they arrive.

But the city has a policy that's exceedingly rare in the US: it must provide a shelter bed for every unhoused person — a policy known as right-to-shelter, enforced by a 1981 state Supreme Court ruling. About 65,000 migrants are now living in about 200 emergency shelters, thousands more are in tent complexes, and others are staying in former hotels and jails.

The fact that New York — and other communities across the country — are so unprepared to handle new arrivals is further evidence of their failure to address a long-running housing affordability crisis. In New York City, underbuilding homes for years — particularly affordable units — has meant skyrocketing housing costs and the lowest home vacancy rate in decades. It's also helped the city's homeless population grow larger than it's been since the Great Depression. An influx of new residents, regardless of their immigration status, could be a wake-up call for the country that solving the housing crisis is a prerequisite for growth.

However, some New Yorkers aren't interested in welcoming asylum seekers. Mayor Eric Adams last year warned the influx of migrants "will destroy New York City," pointing to an estimated $12 billion the city is expected to spend on housing and other services between 2023 and 2025. He's repeatedly demanded more funding from the state and federal governments.

Some public figures who've opposed efforts to support migrants explicitly stoke fear that New Yorkers' homes are at risk. Elon Musk recently warned in a post on X that migrants will "come for your homes" after hotels and other emergency shelters fill up.

But an uptick in immigration isn't the problem. Immigrants have long played a key role in improving communities across the country. And the US depends on immigrants to keep the economy running. Experts say the country desperately needs an influx of immigrants to fill jobs in key sectors, like the construction industry, in order to build the homes that are in such short supply.

Immigrants boost home values

While politicians with anti-immigrant views and others have long sought to stoke xenophobia by demonizing immigrants, immigrant-heavy neighborhoods across the US have thrived.

Foreign-born residents make neighborhoods safer and wealthier, in part by boosting home values. Immigrants have long helped keep the US housing market strong and played a major role in stabilizing it following the Great Recession.

Not only do newly immigrant-heavy neighborhoods tend to see their home prices and rents increase, but surrounding areas see their housing costs and values rise even more, Susan Pozo, a professor of economics at Western Michigan University, and her colleagues found in one study. One reason behind this uptick is likely that many native-born residents leave for surrounding areas, pushing up demand there, Pozo said.

What's more, immigration might have a disinflationary impact on the housing market because new arrivals disproportionately work in the construction industry, helping solve the housing shortage.

"Immigration tends to raise local rents but slow inflation modestly in other core categories, resulting in little net impact," researchers at Goldman Sachs wrote in a research note published on May 5. "Since housing construction has been constrained for the last decade by labor shortages, it is possible that new immigrants will eventually do more to boost housing supply than housing demand."

Pushing migrants out of shelters

New York City has managed to absorb much larger influxes of immigrants in the past. In 1907, 3,400 people were processed at Ellis Island every day, on average. Right now, an average of about 600 migrants are arriving in the city each day.

But last month, the city government amended its right-to-shelter law, announcing it will begin forcing single adult migrants out of shelters after 30 days, while some families with children will be limited to 60 days in a shelter.

The New York City comptroller's office says the Adams administration is intentionally making life more difficult for asylum-seekers as a way to force them out of the city. Without legal documents, migrants aren't eligible for other government housing assistance, like vouchers or public housing.

"The policies are intentionally designed basically to just make it frustrating for people," said Celeste Hornbach, director of housing policy in the New York City comptroller's office. "It is just a system that is meant to really discourage people from getting help from the city and from exercising their rights that they have as residents of New York City."

The city has also failed to provide proper case management for thousands of migrants, and rarely follows up with families and individuals after they've left the shelter system, experts in the comptroller's office said.

"The case management the city has stood up is more focused on just getting people out of the shelter, rather than stabilizing them and helping them succeed once they're gone," said Sam Stanton, a senior policy researcher in the comptroller's office.

It's unclear where many go once they leave the shelters, Hornbach said, but some likely end up in substandard "gray market housing," including in basements or other potentially unsafe, overcrowded places.

Without local, state, and federal efforts to build more housing — including affordable homes — communities across the country won't be able to sustain dynamic economies and vibrant neighborhoods.

• Germany plans to send Ukraine a prototype artillery shell that can travel 62 miles, Handelsblatt reported.
• They'd be part of a planned package of hundreds of thousands of conventional rounds. 
• Germany previously announced a $5.3 million military aid package for Ukraine.

Germany is gearing up to send Ukraine a prototype artillery shell that can travel up to 62 miles, German newspaper Handelsblatt reported.

That would more than triple the reach of the conventional 155 mm artillery rounds Ukraine is heavily reliant on, depending on what system is used to fire it. Shells fired by a Howitzer can travel around 20 miles, per the Associated Press.

It's not clear what the prototype munition actually is. The manufacturer, Rheinmetall, declined to provide further information to BI, citing Ukraine's security interests.

Rheinmetall, Germany's largest arms manufacturer, is currently focusing heavily on artillery production for Ukraine, with a plan to send hundreds of thousands of rounds — including some of the new prototype — within the year, Handelsblatt reported.

The longest-range munition supplied by Germany to Ukraine so far is the Vulcano, according to Ukrainian military news site Defense Express. Berlin has sent an unconfirmed quantity of this munition to Ukraine since the start of the conflict.

According to its manufacturer, the Vulcano is highly compatible with existing artillery systems and its guided version can travel up to 43 miles.

Before Russia's full-scale invasion, Rheinmetall was producing 70,000 rounds a year — a figure that is expected to balloon to 700,000 this year, Handelsblatt reported.

That figure would likely lead to a significant increase compared to Germany's ammunition supplied to Ukraine thus far. As of late April, the country had sent 81,500 155mm rounds in total.

Ukraine gets through a reported 6,000-8,000 rounds a day, per the AP.

But much of the company's capacity to ramp up production in the future depends on investment from the German government, Rheinmetall's CEO Armin Papperger told Handelsblatt.

Earlier this year, Germany announced a $5.3 million military aid package for Ukraine, including 10,000 artillery rounds from its own stocks, Politico reported.

Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz has trod a careful line in his country's provision of military aid.

Behind only the US and European institutions as a bloc in terms of the dollar value of aid, Scholz has nonetheless hesitated to provide more-lethal weapons to Ukraine.

Germany only allowed the transfer of Leopard tanks after months of international pressure, and it now faces continued calls to follow the UK and France's example in sending long-range cruise missiles.