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• When I landed a job, I started dating a guy from the interview panel shortly after. 
• We were outed as a couple, so the company struggled to promote us; we became targets for ridicule. 
• We eventually got married and left the company together. 

I smoothed down the pink fabric of my blazer as I slid into the office chair for my job interview. On the other side of the rectangular meeting table, three young men dressed in polo shirts and khakis settled in with yellow notepads.

"So, tell us a little about yourself."

I started rambling on about my education. As a recent graduate, it didn't seem like there was anything else I could talk about.

I felt less nervous a few questions later, and my interviewers also seemed to relax. The serious-looking man with dark hair slicked back led the questioning while the blonde-haired one made witty cracks. But the last guy on the panel with a deep, rich laugh caught my eye.

The blue polo he wore set off the sapphire of his eyes, and when he laughed, his whole body shook with amusement. His voice was deep and washed over me with a slow southern drawl. I found myself hoping I'd get the job just so I could spend more time with him.

I was hired and learned more about the guy from the panel

Thankfully, I landed the job. The position was entry-level, and the pay was peanuts, but at least I had my foot in the door. The blonde jokester was my supervisor.

At the end of the first week, I was taken on an official department tour, where I met the man with a deep laugh again. His name was Jason, and he was a team lead training his own new hires. I found myself sad that I wasn't assigned to him.

The tour included meeting the other new hires, all three female. We became fast friends. We'd all eat lunch together and gossip about our bosses and complex job tasks. The shared frustration helped us bond.

Three weeks in, one of the girls commented that Jason seemed interested in me. "You have to tell us if he asks you out," one of the others commented. "That would be hilarious," another said. They assumed that I would reject him, so I kept silent.

One Friday evening, it happened. Jason walked me to my car and asked if I wanted to grab a drink. I said yes. We spent hours chatting on that first unofficial date, and I knew then that the attraction was more than surface-deep.

We started dating

We kept our budding romance secret for the first few weeks but were outed at the company Christmas party. Some of the looks I got were friendly; others were outright hostile. The company president, however, was almost encouraging.

Once our relationship became public, the dynamics at work shifted. The friendly lunches ceased, as I was now dating the enemy. I felt a growing sense of isolation as many in the department seemed to go out of their way to avoid me — while others started actively teasing me.

As an added insult, several coworkers outright asked me why I was dating Jason. I didn't know how to answer. I got the impression they believed I was trying to sleep my way to the top.

Thankfully, things were smooth sailing with management — at least at first. I even got a small promotion. Then, the department head quit, leaving my boss and Jason in charge. Word came from above that I could not report to my boyfriend, so the teams were split accordingly.

This essentially halted both our careers. Jason would never be promoted any further lest he become my boss; this also stunted my upward mobility.

I transferred departments

An opportunity arose in the IT department that I was uniquely suited for, and I jumped on it. The move definitely relieved some day-to-day tension — both at work and in my relationship with my now-fiancé.

The switch, however, opened up a new can of worms. My old boss and new boss didn't get along, which meant Jason was fussed at when he was caught at my desk. Coworkers started timing how long I spent in Jason's office. Any in-person communication between us was considered a waste of the company's time. We took to emailing one another to avoid confrontation.

Our careers were once again on track, but our every move was watched like a hawk.

We left the company

Two years after we married, my husband received an outside offer he couldn't turn down.

When we announced we were leaving, we were greeted with surprise. "I thought you were lifers," said one woman. All the other married couples at our workplace stayed long-term; we were breaking the trend.

Leaving the company was bittersweet, but it brought a sense of relief. We had no more arguments about work and there was no more tiptoeing around our managers.

My husband and I are much happier now not working together, but we still chuckle whenever someone asks, "So, how did you guys meet?"

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• Icon of the Seas and Wonder of the Seas are Royal Caribbean's newest and largest cruise ships.
• I stayed in both of their balcony staterooms — a $130-per-person-per-day difference.
• Icon's pricier cabin looked more modern but lacked the functionality and comfort of Wonder's.

Do you know what $900 could buy you? More than three years of Netflix's premium plan, a new Gucci purse, or 2,059 spicy chicken McNuggets.

Or, in the case of Royal Caribbean's two largest and newest cruise ships, the cash could mean the difference between a cheap but functional balcony cabin and, ironically, a more expensive but less comfortable one.

Staterooms with balconies are the most popular cruise cabin category. After all, if you're going on a vacation at sea, wouldn't you want to be able to feel its breeze from your room?

But not all cabins with private outdoor spaces are created equal, even on two new mega-ships owned by the same cruise line.

I sailed on Royal Caribbean's Wonder of the Seas in 2022 and its larger successor, Icon of the Seas, in January.

Royal Caribbean assigned me an ocean-view balcony cabin for both complimentary sailings, the longest of which was three nights on Icon.

Both ships are operating seven-night cruises around the Caribbean in 2024.

About 66% of Wonder's cabins fall under the 'balcony' category. On Icon, they make up half of the staterooms.

Wonder of the Seas' balcony cabins start shy of $1,110 per person in 2024.

Even with nearly identical itineraries, the ones on Icon are, at their cheapest, a little more than $2,000 per person this year — or double that for the a New Year's cruise.

Wonder and Icon are the most boisterous, flamboyant, and overwhelming vessels I've ever boarded.

The pool decks were intensely colorful, the crowds were inescapable, and the long lists of activities and dining options were paralyzing.

So imagine my surprise when I unlocked my doors to find surprisingly bland rooms.

The neutral tans, blues, and whites did not scream "we belong on the world's biggest and most colorful cruise ships."

The vessels have an almost two-year age difference, as evidenced by some of their decor (mainly Icon's recessed mood lights and the more chic, darker wood tones).

But besides the light fixtures, rugs, and — frankly negligible — wall art and pillows, both cabins were fairly underwhelming compared to everything outside their front doors.

Aesthetics aside, let’s talk functionality.

Both had furnished 50-square-foot balconies.

Regarding the interior space, my 204-square-foot cabin on Icon of the Seas was 22 square feet larger than mine on Wonder.

In retrospect, I would've thought Icon's was smaller. More on that in a bit.

Both king-sized beds faced a television and some wall storage.

And both were flanked by light fixtures with built-in USB outlets, as is expected on most modern cruise ships.

The cruise line says the ships' balcony cabins use two twin mattresses that have been "converted" to make a king bed. It's a common practice I've never had an issue with — until Icon.

On Wonder, the plush pillows enveloped me the moment I laid down. I slept great. No complaints.

Unfortunately, I can't say the same for the new ship.

I (my back pain) could feel the hard ridge where the two mattresses met, making for a pretty miserable and uncomfortable sleep.

So much for starfishing — I kept to one side of the bed to avoid rolling over the bony bump.

For the most part, the living “rooms” were the same.

Both had the same furniture I see on almost every mass-market ship: a couch that could convert into a bed and a desk that extended into a dresser.

But storage, a high priority for cruisers, was organized differently.

Two thin wardrobes with drawers, hangars, and shelves surrounded either side of my bed on Wonder.

Icon, on the other hand, had one large wardrobe next to the living room.

Unfortunately, it had noticeably less shelving. And the metal bins let out ear-piercing screeches at every move — a lazy and annoying detail that the designers could've easily fixed with cheap felt pads.

So far, the differences have been small. But not for long.

I had two gripes with my Wonder bathroom: the lack of hair conditioner and the ill-positioned faucet that flooded the counter whenever I washed my hands.

I had the same issues on Icon. But that was the least of my concerns.

My bathroom on the older ship was well-sized for 1 person, but maybe too small for 2.

On Icon — the world's largest cruise ship — my bathroom was too compact for even one body.

Michael Bayley, the president and CEO of Royal Caribbean International, told reporters in January that 80% of Icon's 2,805 cabins were designed for families, a sharp increase from previous vessels like Wonder.

I'm not sure a family of four could coexist in Icon's balcony cabin — solely because of the bathroom size. There's no way two people could fit in there simultaneously. A fight over who gets priority access to the toilet could ruin a peaceful family vacation! (Which is to say, I'm glad I was traveling alone.)

With the bathroom door closed, I accidentally elbowed the walls more times than I could count.

The spare towels had to be stored on a shelf inside the shower. Because the counter was so small, I had to keep most of my toiletries and products on the shelves or in the drawer.

Surprisingly, that's where Icon excelled. Its bathroom had more storage options than its older counterpart, which didn't even have a drawer.

However, the older ship's shower had a clothesline perfect for drying swimwear. It's a small but crucial amenity, especially on a vessel with so many pools and waterslides.

Unfortunately, both were stocked with two-in-one body wash and shampoo — and no hair conditioner

Let’s go through our checklist.

My balcony cabin on Wonder looked less modern than its successor (the TV on Icon had Chromecast, after all).

But it was significantly more functional and comfortable. The bed was incomparably more pleasant, the closets had more defined storage components, and the bathroom was considerably larger, even if it lacked additional shelving and drawers.

The question is: Which one is more worth its price?

Icon's cheapest balcony cabins are currently $900 more than the most affordable ones on Wonder — an almost $130 per person and day difference.

Based on the quality of the staterooms alone, if you prioritize functionality, comfort, and affordability over modern decor, consider saving money and going with the two-year-old ship.

But let’s not forget that cruise fares include unlimited food, on board activities, and nighttime entertainment.

Both ships have a fairly similar list of amenities. But only the newer one has a waterpark, an adult-only infinity pool club, and a swim-up bar, to name a few unique amenities.

So yes, Icon's balcony cabins are more costly. But the staggering price difference — and tiny bathroom — could be worth it if you think the its surplus of additional amenities is worth paying for.

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• Ceramics maker Maruwa is helping cool data centers amid the AI boom.
• The company has seen its shares double over the past year, the FT reported.
• Maruwa's 200-year history in ceramics contributes to its competitive edge.

The AI boom is driving a surge in data center construction that's sucking up tons of energy.

By 2030, data centers are expected to consume 35 gigawatts of power annually, up from 17 gigawatts in 2022, according to McKinsey & Company. For context, one gigawatt is enough energy to power 750,000 homes, according to CNET.

About 40% of that energy goes toward keeping the servers cool, according to estimates from McKinsey.

This is welcome news to perhaps no one more than a centuries-old Japanese ceramics maker that got its start making dinnerware.

Maruwa, which builds ceramics for circuit boards and semiconductors, has seen its shares double over the past year, according to the Financial Times. And since April, its shares have been at an "all-time" high.

The company says its strength is building materials that dissipate heat — moving heat from sources operating at high temperatures into their surrounding environments.

"The demand for heat dissipation is rapidly increasing due to high-speed communication in data centers, and our company has a strong competitive advantage in heat dissipation," a Maruwa spokesperson told Business Insider.

"We expect that next-generation high-speed communications, including those related to generative AI, will be the biggest driver of our business growth over the next few years," according to the company.

Maruwa's competitive advantage stems from its long history. The company traces its origins to the early 19th century and originally manufactured dishes for Japanese cuisine before shifting to electronics components in the 1960s, according to its website.

"As the company has more than 200 years of history as a ceramic supplier, all the knowledge and technology accumulated since the early 1800s is the core competitiveness of the company," Goldman Sachs analyst Mitsuhiro Icho told the FT.

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• A college enrollment crisis is likely coming this fall.
• It's a result of complications with the FAFSA form, along with a lower supply of high school seniors.
• The impact of the enrollment decline could be long-lasting for both students and colleges.

High school graduates aren't going to college like they used to.

Katharine Meyer, a fellow at the Brown Center on Education Policy at the nonprofit Brookings Institution, told Business Insider that colleges are "very worried."

Over the past decade, a range of challenges have hit higher education: More jobs have become available in the past few years that don't require college degrees, Gen Zers have started to rethink whether the degree is worth the student debt, and, of course, the pandemic prompted some students to press pause on college or even drop out.

Overall enrollment for 18- to 24-year-olds declined from 41% in 2010 to 38% in 2021, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. While enrollment saw a resurgence following the pandemic, per the National Student Clearinghouse — undergraduate enrollment grew 1.2% in fall 2023, and freshman enrollment grew 0.8% — trouble could again be on the horizon.

The immediate concern for colleges and students is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, form. The Education Department announced last year that it was overhauling the form to make it easier for parents and students to access, but at the outset, the form's rollout was delayed. There were errors with some aid calculations, forcing some schools to push back their commitment deadlines to allow for more time for students to evaluate their award packages.

The delays and errors have meant fewer students are completing their FAFSA forms. According to the National College Attainment Network, 32.9% of high school seniors have completed the FAFSA through April 19, down 29% from the last academic year.

Based on how a drop in FAFSA submissions during Covid impacted enrollment in the fall of 2020, that's a pretty good indicator that college enrollment will be much lower this fall, MorraLee Keller, senior director of strategic programming at NCAN, told BI.

"At the rate that FAFSAs are being submitted this year, we can project out, unless something major happens, maybe a 10 to 15% drop in FAFSAs," Keller said, though she emphasized that there's still time for students to apply for financial aid if they haven't yet.

But it's not just the FAFSA. There's also a limited supply of high school seniors right now due to lower birth rates during the Great Recession. With a growing number of young people questioning the value of a college degree, enrollment-dependent institutions could suffer financial setbacks — or even shut down.

"I think all colleges are worried," Meyer said. "They're worried on different margins. Even the large institutions, the well-resourced institutions that have large endowments, they're still worried about getting their students through the door."

Students could face lasting setbacks

Most of the FAFSA issues will likely be resolved by this time next year. But some of the delays in early 2024 could have lasting implications. For example, enrollment is still down from pre-pandemic levels, which indicates that if students do not enroll this year due to issues accessing financial aid, they might choose never to enroll down the road.

That would mean that not only will colleges miss out on some graduating high school seniors — but they could also lose currently enrolled students who are forced to drop out because they could not navigate the financial aid system.

Meyer said this especially applies to "students at community colleges or less well-resourced four-year institutions where they're not able to get in touch with somebody to process financial aid."

"The institution doesn't have the ability to do some of the workarounds that other institutions are doing, and we'll see that retention rate go down as well," Meyer said.

FAFSA issues hit low-income families the hardest because they don't have the resources to assist them with the process, and they could lose out on higher education altogether because of it.

"We have across-the-board impact this year," Keller said. "There's so many less FAFSAs in that it's obviously affecting everybody. But the families that need the aid absolutely to pay for school have to be the largely impacted group."

Colleges will be forced to adjust — or shut down

It doesn't help matters that there's also a lower supply of 18-year-olds. The national birth rate declined by nearly 23% from 2007 to 2022, falling at a quicker rate right after the Great Recession.

Meyer said that colleges have been aware of this enrollment dip for a while, and said colleges have two options: convince more high school graduates to enroll or entice older adults back to school.

"Universities are thinking about this as more of a business model and thinking about how do they sustain enrollment so they could stay open," Meyer said. "And so those are sort of the numbers games of enrollment efforts."

However, enrollment declines have already stunted financial growth at some schools. Hodges University — a private Florida school — announced in August 2023 that it would be shutting down in 2024 due to enrollment declines "despite continuous efforts to adapt to changing educational landscapes and provide innovative programs."

Cazenovia College, a private school in New York, shut down in fall 2023, citing financial challenges from the pandemic and that "the population of college-aged individuals had been shrinking."

Meyer said she expects "there will be more closures than usual this year, particularly among these small, private liberal arts colleges."

Beyond that, as BI previously reported, 46% of Gen Zers don't think college is worth the cost, according to a July BI/YouGov survey — meaning colleges will have to put in the work to show that degrees from their institution will pay off. Some schools, like the Texas community college system, are already doing this by working to implement a school structure with funding based on student outcomes.

But the immediate enrollment shock will likely come this fall — and both students and colleges will feel the impact.

Are you a recent high school graduate not going to college? Share your story with this reporter at asheffey@businessinsider.com.

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• A three-bedroom, four-bathroom home has hit the market in Connecticut for $2.9 million. 
• The home features the only FAA-approved private paved airstrip in the state. 
• It also features an airplane hangar among other amenities. 

Connecticut's only home with an FAA-approved private paved airstrip is selling for $2.9 million.

The three-bedroom, four-bathroom home is located down a long, winding driveway intersected with the 1,800-foot-long airstrip in Bristol. Property records viewed by Business Insider showed the land is owned by Barbara Hackman Franklin, a former US Secretary of Commerce, and her late husband, Wallace Barnes.

Ellen Sebastian of Sotheby's International Realty shared the listing in December 2023.

The home sits on a 49-acre lot that includes two garages, including one hangar that can hold a small plane, a car collection, or a helicopter.

Take a look inside.

The home — dubbed Sky Bight — spans thousands of square feet in the Chippens Hill neighborhood.

According to the listing, the contemporary-style home measures 5,654 square feet and was built in 1988.

People arriving at Sky Bight will notice the natural charms and scenic views. The home is surrounded by a sprawling yard that offers privacy via nearby trees.

Chippen Hills is in the city's north corner near the Chippanee Golf Club.

The home's windows have "strategic" placement for optimal views.

The windows were strategically placed around the home with the surrounding views and Connecticut's weather in mind.

"In every room, the strategic placement of windows frames the landscape like a living masterpiece, ensuring that the beauty of each season is celebrated year-round," the listing reads.

The outdoor deck is another great spot to enjoy the seasons each year.

The home's airstrip is a unique feature ideal for pilots and aviator enthusiasts.

Living at Sky Bight can revolutionize how its future homeowners will travel. The Zillow listing said Sky Bight is officially registered as Green Acres Airport.

Bristol is about 30 minutes away by plane from New York City and 90 minutes from Washington, DC, according to the listing.

One garage at Sky Bight doubles as a small airplane hangar.

The hanger — a standout feature — is designed as part of the main home.

In addition to a small airplane, the hangar can also hold a helicopter or a car collection.

Natural light filters into the living room, where future homeowners can enjoy modern amenities.

The living room has high ceilings, wood floors, and an eye-catching curved arch above a fireplace. Sky Bight has two fireplaces in the residence.

Large windows complement the room, allowing people to enjoy the captivating landscape.

Future homeowners can expect modern amenities throughout the home, including heating, laundry features, and energy sourced from solar power.

The home also features a greenhouse, kitchen, basement, office, study, and gym.

The home has an indoor gym with a decent amount of room.

The home boasts a resistance pool and space to incorporate several exercise machines.

The spa is the perfect place to relax after swimming laps in the pool.

The indoor spa is a calming sanctuary with a sauna, which is a perfect transition after hitting the gym.

The jetted tub is next to several large windows overlooking the property.

Future homeowners will get access to an office and a study.

The home has an office with wood bookshelves and plush carpets. One end of the office appears to faces the house, while the other leads to the backyard.

There's also a study at Sky Bight, where people can find solitude and tackle tasks from home.

Sky Bight offers a once-in-a-lifetime living experience.

The accessible private airstrip, hangar, and other features make this home a rare find.

"This is not just a home; it is a lifestyle—an invitation to elevate your living experience to new heights," the listing says.

A video tour of Sky Bight is available on its official website.

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• Many Fortune 500 CEOs have previously worked at McKinsey.
• These include Google's Sundar Pichai and ex-Meta COO Sheryl Sandberg.
• The firm has become known as a CEO factory, but has sparked controversy in the past, too.

McKinsey is back in the headlines.

The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday that the Department of Justice is conducting a criminal investigation into the management consultancy, related to how it had previously advised opioid firms on sales strategies.

The "Big Three" firm has previously raised eyebrows over some of the work it's carried out, including advising Enron and helping Saudi Arabia's government diversify its economy.

But another, perhaps equally notable thing to know about the management consultancy is its history as an incubator for top leadership talent.

Fortune reported last year that 17 Fortune 500 CEOs were McKinsey alumni at the time, including Alphabet boss and man of the moment Sundar Pichai.

Liberty Media chairman John Malone, former Meta Platforms COO Sheryl Sandberg, ex-Morgan Stanley CEO James Gorman, and Louis Vuitton executive Delphine Arnault are among others who've worked there. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) also had stints at the firm.

Last year, leadership professor Graham Ward told The Financial News that McKinsey had earned its status as a CEO factory by instilling good analytical skills in employees and spending heavily on its learning and development programs.

"McKinsey partners have three things going for them — they are deeply analytical, have broad industry coverage by getting parachuted into customer service teams in a variety of situations and a massive internal investment in their learning and development," said Ward, who was also a former head of European equities at Goldman Sachs and now works at France's INSEAD business school.

In the post-pandemic era, employees might not be developing their skills in the same way.

Last year, The Wall Street Journal reported that there isn't enough work for new recruits at top consulting firms anymore, leaving some employees earning $175,000 to sit around and do nothing.

Meanwhile, one former McKinsey associate recently told Business Insider that the firm had clearly overhired in recent years, with rising interest rates causing client demand to dry up.

McKinsey did not immediately respond to a BI request for comment.

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• Chris Pratt and his wife demolished a 1950s LA house to make way for a new mansion.
• The couple paid $12.5 million to acquire the "Zimmerman House," designed by architect Craig Ellwood. 
• Ellwood's daughter said it could have been shown "some honor" before its demolition.

Chris Pratt and his wife, Katherine Schwarzenegger, faced backlash last week following reports that they had demolished a historic 1950s house in Los Angeles to build a sprawling new mansion.

Now, the daughter of the architect behind the original house has weighed in, saying the home could have been shown "some honor" before its unceremonious demolition.

The property, situated in Brentwood, was designed by Craig Ellwood and is known as the "Zimmerman House."

Pratt and Schwarzenegger paid $12.5 million for the house in an off-market deal last year, per Robb report.

Speaking to The Los Angeles Times, Ellwood's daughter, Erin Ellwood, called the house a "time capsule" that preserved a "beloved" midcentury modern design that's said to be vanishing across the US.

However, she said she didn't "feel bitter" and could understand why the Hollywood couple wanted to live there, as Schwarzenegger's mother, Maria Shriver, reportedly lives on the same street.

"I understand the love of family, I understand wanting to be close to my mother or my mother-in-law," she said. "I understand being a multimillionaire and wanting to build exactly what I want and keep my family close. I get all that."

"Unfortunately, it involved tearing something down," she added.

With the demolition complete, Pratt, 44, and Schwarzenegger, 34, are now in the process of building a 15,000-square-foot, two-story home on the lot, Architectural Digest reported. It will designed by architect Ken Ungar.

On their plans to transform the lot, Ellwood said: "I think it would have been really cool to keep it and do something … add to it in a really interesting, innovative way. But you know, maybe this just isn't their style. I mean, it clearly isn't if they're building a farmhouse."

Representatives for Pratt and Schwarzenegger did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Business Insider.

The Zimmerman House

The Zimmerman House was a 2,770-square-foot home named after its first owners, Martin and Eva Zimmerman. It had all of the hallmarks of a midcentury modern home: Floor-to-ceiling glass windows, open floor plans, and a stone fireplace.

The home also featured a garden curated by celebrated landscape designer Garrett Eckbo. It has likewise been razed to make way for Pratt and Schwarzenegger's new mansion.

The Eichler Network, a website focusing on midcentury modern homes in California, has shared photos of what appears to be the leveled Zimmerman House.

Ellwood said she would have appreciated it if the house was given some kind of sendoff so that architectural students and enthusiasts could see it one last time.

"Is there something more creative that could've been done in the process of taking it away that could've given it some honor?" she said, also suggesting that Pratt and his wife could have given back to the architecture community by donating materials.

"I think what people are responding to is [the home] is like this time capsule," Ellwood added. "I think that's what hurts people so much — is that there aren't that many great ones."

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• Aisha Canfield is a single mom of two daughters aged 6 years and 22 months
• She moved from California, to Lisbon, Portugal in August 2023.
• She says it's hard to parent in the US when there's so much individualism. 

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Aisha Canfield. It has been edited for length and clarity.

I had been playing with the idea of moving to Portugal when I was still married, and my first child was very young. The end of my marriage and the birth of my second child really tore down the structures I was a part of, and the loss of my life as I knew it made room for me to dream again.

I had this sense of freedom that I could create a life for my daughters and me that my marriage and the US couldn't provide. I had been to Portugal a few times and felt drawn to the shared value of community.

I wanted something different for my daughters

In the US, individualism really makes it difficult to parent, especially as a single parent. There is an expectation of martyrdom for mothers, shaming of single mothers, and praise for working like we don't have children and raising children like we don't work.

I realized I wanted a break from the socialization and messaging of capitalism, and Portugal offered that. I wanted to break the generational expectations of women and the mothers in my family. I wanted to model something different for my own daughters.

I had spent 18 very happy years in the San Francisco Bay Area, and while I loved it deeply, I needed to be in a place that allowed me to begin reimagining motherhood. I knew I needed to feel a sense of wonderment. I wanted somewhere I could feel and see the culture. I needed somewhere that embraced diversity. Importantly, I also knew I needed to live somewhere with some shared socio-political values.

I also wanted safety for all of us

As a gay woman, I wanted to live somewhere where I could have rights, community, and safety. For my children, being able to sit in a classroom and learn without the threat of being murdered was a driving force out of the US. My oldest at the time was 4 and in Pre-K and was already participating in active shooter drills. The idea that gun rights take precedence over children's rights is unconscionable.

Children's well-being and safety aren't something that's politicized or even up for debate in Portugal — there are no school shootings here, and I can't imagine there ever would be. As a country, it seems like Portugal makes decisions based on the collective well-being.

Children are integrated into life here

Children are much more integrated into adults' daily lives in Portugal than in the US, where parents are constantly juggling their own lives with their children's under this unnecessary delineation. In Portugal, children of all ages are found in restaurants at all hours with their families, and parks have kiosks for parents to enjoy drinks while their children play.

While life with children is hectic under any circumstance, the integration in Portugal eases the anxiety I have as a single mother to show up as multiple people every day. There isn't an expectation for single moms to show up as if they aren't single moms. We are offered a lot of grace that isn't widely extended to us in the US beyond our immediate friends and family.

I've been invited to so many homes where I'm not expected to bring anything except two hungry children. I've had people bring meals and groceries to give me respite. Children are coveted so much so that we don't always wait in line at the grocery store if the baby is screaming. Strangers stop to soothe the baby on the street, sometimes even offering to hold her to give me a break.

At the airport here, there is a line just for families. When airport employees see that I'm alone, they personally leave their posts, grab all my luggage, and take me to where I need to be next. In general, time is enjoyed much more slowly here, so I am not expected to always be punctual, which helps with two little kids.

More so, Portugal is allowing me to be conscious of my parenting style and gives me an opportunity to recreate myself as a mother. I'm aware of when I'm parenting from a place of survival, and I'm working on pausing. The slower and more present lifestyle in Portugal reminds me of how unnecessarily urgent everything was in the US and how, in turn, I became an "urgent" parent.

I am grateful that Portugal models other ways of being a parent: prioritizing ourselves, our children, and our time.

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• Fisker has warned it faces the possibility of bankruptcy.
• Fisker Ocean owners are worried their cars might be bricked if the company goes under.
• Some owners have experienced multiple software issues with the car since its release last year.

Fisker is poised to break ground in the EV market, just not the way it wanted to.

As the electric-vehicle startup founded by millionaire car designer Henrik Fisker teeters on the verge of bankruptcy, no one is quite sure what will happen to the roughly 6,000 vehicles already delivered to customers since June 2023.

If Fisker folds — as it warned is possible for the third time on April 16 — it will be among the first EV startups of the modern age to go belly-up, testing the longevity of a fleet of vehicles dependent on proprietary software and technology to keep them running.

"We're running into uncharted territory," said Sam Fiorani, the vice president of global vehicle forecasting at AutoForecast Solutions. "Nearly any mechanic can work on a traditional internal combustion engine, but when you have a software-defined vehicle, it takes somebody who understands all the lines of code to keep it up to date."

Business Insider spoke with seven Fisker Ocean owners who shared their anxieties about what will happen to their cars if Fisker is no more.

"If Fisker goes bankrupt, who is going to keep the software running?" said Kurt Mechling, who returned his Fisker Ocean in January after a series of technology failures that he said left the car so undrivable he had to put soap under the locked wheels to get it on a tow truck bed.

"These cars are basically computers, and they need software updates," Mechling said. "If they get stuck on what's out there right now, pretty quickly they'll be bricked just like mine was."

Since the Ocean's release last year, owners have raised several safety-related concerns, including ADAS errors, issues with the car's seat monitor not recognizing a driver's weight for airbag activation, and shifting issues. In other cases, owners reported difficulties charging or instances when the vehicle's 12-volt battery, which powers the vehicle's infotainment system and lock and unlock functions, died altogether.

Fisker has also stopped giving customers new key fobs, due to a shortage of available equipment, two current employees who spoke on the condition of anonymity told Business Insider. At the time of delivery, owners were only given a single key fob to access the car in addition to the Fisker app which can lock and unlock the vehicle. Multiple owners told BI their key fobs have died repeatedly or failed to connect with the car, making it difficult to access the vehicle.

A spokesperson for Fisker did not respond to a request for comment.

The deadline is approaching to get your Fisker repaired

Chris Salvo, the CEO of EV repair shop Electrified Garage, told BI his company has received more than a dozen calls from Fisker Ocean owners asking whether his shop could service the vehicle if Fisker went out of business. Salvo said they likely won't.

Aside from minor servicing like tire fixes, Salvo said it would be difficult to diagnose the car because Fisker hasn't open-sourced its software.

"There's no real financial incentive for repair shops to spend the money it would take to fix it," Salvo said.

Fisker has been struggling to respond to a backlog of customer service complaints, one of the employees who spoke to BI said, especially as owners rush to get repairs done before any potential bankruptcy filing.

"People are now acknowledging that we are probably going bankrupt and asking for service/parts before we do so they can have working cars," the employee said. "People are genuinely worried they won't have a working car if we go under."

It's unlikely that every Fisker will be bricked overnight if the company goes bankrupt, Fiorani said, but some cars may stop working over time due to bugs or other maintenance issues that can't be fixed by a company that doesn't exist anymore.

Some Fisker owners said they are already struggling to get service and parts.

Three Fisker ocean owners described instances where the vehicle was bricked for days after their 12-volt battery died. The owners were only able to access their vehicle after a Fisker technician installed a new battery — a process that took up to nine days, the owners said.

Patrick Burrell, a Fisker owner in California, said his car has been in a Fisker-approved repair shop for 10 weeks for a minor repair to a portion of its trim and paint job.

What Fisker's failure would mean for its competitors

If Fisker files for bankruptcy, there are likely to be ripple effects for other EV startups, Fiorani said.

The high-profile failure of an electric car startup couldn't come at a worse time for the EV market, which is already experiencing a new wave of pressures that have thrown industry executives through a loop.

Electric car shoppers are becoming a more practical group — favoring legacy car companies over unproven startups. That change in attitude, plus a renewed interest in hybrids, is already taking a toll on newer EV companies, including industry leader Tesla.

Fisker's contemporaries, like Rivian and Lucid, should be taking note of the worry among Fisker owners and doing their best to reassure their customers and potential buyers that they have the money to take care of their fleets for the long run, Fiorani said.

"If Fiskers start falling off the side of the road in the next few months because there's no one to update them, that's going to put fear into a lot of electric vehicle owners — not just Fisker owners," Fiorani said.

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• New regulations will require airlines to provide refunds for delayed or canceled flights.
• The refunds, which airlines have to implement over the next six to 12 months, must be automatic and prompt.
• Passengers can also get refunds for delays to checked bags. Here's which situations will be eligible.

Airlines are going to be required to provide automatic refunds for delayed or canceled flights under new Department of Transportation regulations, announced on Wednesday.

The regulations, which airlines must adapt to over the next six to 12 months, define a range of criteria that they say constitutes a "significant change" to a flight that would entitle a customer to a refund.

The new rules also entitle passengers to automatic refunds for delays to checked bags and for airlines' failure to provide extra services that customers have paid for.

The airlines will have to provide refunds that are automatic, meaning passengers don't have to request them, and prompt, which the DOT describes as within seven business days for credit card purchases and 20 calendar days for other payment methods.

The refunds must be in whatever payment method the passenger originally used, whether cash, credit card, or airline miles. The refunds should only be provided as vouchers or travel credits if the passenger explicitly accepts them.

The DOT says that the refund must also be paid in full, including all government-imposed taxes and fees and airline-imposed fees.

Passengers will be eligible for a refund in the case of:

• A canceled flight.

• A domestic flight delayed by at least three hours.

• An international flight delayed at least six hours.

• A domestic flight scheduled to depart at least three hours earlier than the original departure time.

• An international flight scheduled to depart at least six hours earlier than the original departure time.

Customers will be eligible for a refund in the case of the following if it means that they no longer wish to undertake the journey:

• A change in the departure or arrival airport.

• An increase in the number of connections.

• A downgrade to a lower class of service.

• A change to a connection at a different airport that is less accessible for a person with a disability.

• A change to an aircraft that is less accessible for a person with a disability.

Passengers will be eligible for a refund of their checked bag fee if their bag is delayed and they file a mishandled baggage report, provided:

• The checked bag isn't delivered within 12 hours of a domestic flight arriving at the gate.

• The checked bag isn't delivered within 15 hours of an international flight that's 12 hours long or less arriving at the gate.

• The checked bag isn't delivered within 30 hours of an international flight that's more than 12 hours long arriving at the gate.

Passengers will be eligible for refunds of paid-for extra services that then aren't provided by the airline, including:

• Advance seat selection.

• Seat upgrades.

• Transportation of checked or carry-on baggage.

• Airport lounge access.

• In-flight entertainment and WiFi.

• In-flight meals, beverages, and snacks.

• In-flight blankets and pillows.

Customers will be eligible for travel credits or vouchers in the following cases related to serious communicable diseases:

• If they're restricted or prohibited from traveling by a governmental entity or are required to quarantine for a substantial portion of the trip.

• If they're advised by a medical professional not to travel during a public health emergency to protect themselves from a serious communicable disease, in the case of the ticket being purchased before the public health emergency was declared.

• If they're advised by a medical professional not to travel, irrespective of a public health emergency, because they have or are likely to have contracted a serious communicable disease.

The travel credits or vouchers must be valid for at least five years. Airlines have 12 months to meet the new DOT requirements.

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