Tag: News

• Trevon Gripper has applied for 493 jobs since he was laid off from a tech role a year ago.
• He said he has worked remotely his whole career and didn't expect to find so few remote jobs.
• He is now moving to Seattle, where he hopes to maximize his chances of landing a job.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Trevon Gripper, a 32-year-old job seeker in Texas. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

When I found out in February 2023 that I was getting laid off in June 2023, I started doing some applications, thinking, "Oh, by June, something will turn up."

Fast-forward to today, and I've applied for 493 jobs. It's been a wake-up call.

Since starting in 2014, I've worked remotely in some capacity. In 2017, I went fully remote.

I hadn't seen how much the market had changed. I was kind of naive about how long I thought the process would take. There's been a huge change from when I started applying a year ago, when I was like, "remote, remote, remote."

I never had to consider looking for an on-site or a hybrid job before.

Getting a remote job has become so hard

I started a spreadsheet to track my applications and stay organized. I wanted to know the number of applications I had submitted. I went through my emails and started counting rejection dates.

I never thought it would get up to 493.

I stopped tracking for a bit because it was demoralizing. I was constantly crossing out lines, and it started getting depressing.

Four years ago, when I got into corporate learning and development, even before the pandemic, remote jobs were popping up everywhere.

Working remotely was a new thing.

Now, it's not as easy because I'm limited geographically, and if there aren't any roles around where I am in Houston, that puts a big wrench in the plans.

I applied for a Seattle-based company that I knew someone at.

They were kind of walking me through the process, and they got back to me and said the hiring manager said that they can't hire you because you're not in Seattle.

I said in my application that I was relocating to Seattle, but they didn't look at it. All they saw was that my address was in Texas.

Remote is still a thing, but it has fewer options.

I have multiple job alerts set that I can try to hop on if something pops up. I literally got a LinkedIn notification at 9 p.m. one night, and I was like, "Okay, let me get on this real quick." And the position had already been closed.

The post had been up for eight hours, and they closed it because there were 300 applicants.

That's the other side of this. If it is a remote role, you're already fighting hundreds, if not thousands, of people who are trying to get the same role.

Upskilling, freelancing, and networking

I think what's kept me going is trying to upskill.

I got my project management certification and my disciplined agile scrum master certification. I am watching YouTube videos to learn how to use software, like Python, that I see as a requirement for these job postings.

I've also freelanced and designed tools for friends who work in education so that I could have a real story and a real piece of content for my portfolio.

I haven't charged them. I'm using that as more of a creative way to build out my brand.

But I think the biggest thing I learned about this whole process is that you need to network.

Since I posted about my job situation on social media, I've been overwhelmed by people in my inbox saying: "I know a recruiter here," "Send me your application," and "Let's connect on LinkedIn."

Networking is such a big part of it.

During this whole time, my husband has been carrying the load for the two of us. I am in a very fortunate position.

I am relocating for on-site jobs

My husband and I are getting ready to move to Seattle. We haven't rented a place yet, but we're going to do a short-term rental starting July 15.

There have been a lot more opportunities in my field there.

Hopefully, that will make the process a little bit easier.

At some point, you have to say, "All right. Odds are, I'm already struggling in the school of candidates. I probably need to look elsewhere."

And seeing roles in Seattle that are on-site or hybrid, you know, maybe 40 people apply to that role. I feel better about those odds.

Maybe an actual human will look at my application.

• A new Illinois law mandates parenting influencers set aside 15% of earnings for kids in videos.
• The law aims to combat child exploitation in family vlogging and social media content.
• Experts believe it's about time.

A new law passed in Illinois on July 1 requires parenting influencers to set aside 15% of their earnings for their kids who appear on camera.

Parents are now obligated to save this much of the gross earnings from their content posted on YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and other social media platforms if their children feature in 30% or more of their footage.

The money set aside is to be kept in a trust that the children can access once they reach 18 years old. At this time, they can also request that the videos they appeared in be deleted.

There will be no direct enforcement, but children can choose to sue their parents once they reach adulthood if they do not comply.

Illinois has been leading the charge in combating child exploitation on the internet through family vlogging channels, introducing the legislation last year.

The social justice activist Shreya Nallamothu first championed the law, telling the Associated Press in August 2023 that there was "absolutely zero legislation" to protect children in the world of "kidfluencing."

Jessica Maddox, a University of Alabama professor of journalism and creative media also told AP "the law has not caught up to practice" of "sharenting."

She told the outlet that influencers "are in desperate need of the same protections that have been afforded to other child workers and entertainers."

'It's a very difficult conversation'

The amount of money influencers earn varies, but at the top end of the scale, it can be millions, according to The New York Times.

The publication said that on Instagram, smaller influencers can still earn around $600 per post, and large accounts can get up to $20,000.

Many parenting influencers have good intentions. Some are stay-at-home moms, for instance, who post content about parenting online to earn an income without needing a job away from home.

But experts say the risks of "sharenting" outweigh the benefits.

Illinois' law is the first of its kind in the US, but the states of Washington, Maryland, and California are also considering following suit.

Naomi Cahn, co-director of the University of Virginia's Family Law Center and a professor in the School of Law, told UVA Today that the law "clearly sends a message that you should not be exploiting children in this way."

"And it brings a lot more attention to this issue," she said. "It's an amazing example of civics in action."

Katya Varbanova, a social media and marketing consultant who is the CEO of Viral Marketing Stars, told Business Insider it's about time children who appear on family vlogging channels are paid.

There are heated conversations online about where the line is with children being part of the entertainment world. Some children love performing, starting their acting careers young by appearing in commercials and taking on small roles in television shows. But there's a growing movement of people who believe child actors shouldn't exist at all.

"It's a very difficult conversation," Varbanova said, adding that there are a lot of gray areas about how much say a child really has in their future. "But this conversation about the income, I think that is very black and white."

Alarm bells ringing

For a few years now, viewers have been starting to question what happens behind the scenes with family vlogging channels.

Concerns were raised when influencer Jordan Cheyenne went viral in 2021 for a clip where she was shown encouraging her son to cry and look sad for a thumbnail on a video about their sick puppy.

She told BI in a statement at the time she was "disgusted and horrified" at her actions and there was "no excuse."

"It's terrible on so many levels," she said. "I love my child more than anything and will regret this moment forever."

A peak behind the momfluencer curtain was also offered when TikTok duo Lilly Davis and her husband Paul showed off their filming schedule last year and were accused of making their children work while on vacation at Disney World.

At the time, they called the allegations "egregious" and said their children are always given a choice about whether they want to appear in videos.

Some family vloggers have also been accused of serious crimes.

In August 2023, family vlogger Ruby Franke was arrested and accused of abusing her children.

She was later charged and sentenced to up to 30 years in prison after details of the horrific abuse emerged about how the young children were beaten, bound with rope and duct tape, forced to do manual labor in the sweltering heat, and had open wounds treated with cayenne pepper.

Another tipping point was when viewers started to speculate that videos of the mother-daughter duo Wren & Jacquelyn Paul on TikTok were purposefully attracting predators. (Paul has never responded to these allegations).

This was a sign "something sinister" may be going on, Varbanova said.

But, there is a market for family content because it gets good engagement, Varbanova added.

"The only reason they keep posting is because people keep watching," she said. "If people stopped watching family content, family vloggers wouldn't exist."

Because family content is so successful, it's also tough to give it up.

"When you create content for a long, long time, getting no likes, no comments, and suddenly you find something that consistently gives you attention, it is very, very, very addictive," Varbanova said.

"They can internalize that as a good thing. And it's very, very, very dangerous for some of those kids."

The long-term impacts of children being so publicly visible are still being studied, but experts previously told BI there are potential mental health and privacy issues that may have negative repercussions later in life.

It will take some time before society figures out where the line is when it comes to kids being internet stars, but Varbanova thinks giving children 15% of the content's earnings is a good start.

"If they appear in all of the videos, they should get at least 50% of the revenue," Varbanova said. "I think 15% is quite low, but I think it's a step in the right direction."

• To welcome summer, I made barbecue ribs with my oven, grill, and air fryer to see which tastes best.
• The air fryer seriously cut down the prep time, which is a win.
• But nothing compared to the flavor I got when making ribs on the grill.

When prepared correctly, ribs are an incredible treat, especially in the summer.

Although a lot of groceries are still expensive right now, pork prices are actually falling, according to the Weekly Pork Price Summary. There's never been a better time to perfect your ribs recipe for the next barbecue.

To test out the best cooking method, I made ribs with my grill, oven, and air fryer.

Here's how the appliances stacked up.

I kept the ingredients simple.

I went to Aldi to pick up the main ingredient. It's the most budget-friendly store for meat in my area — I bought two racks for about $20.

For the sauce, I went with Kansas City Joe's. I'm a big fan of the sauce's sweetness and thought it would translate well across appliances.

To keep things easy, I just used one of the spice mixes I already had in my cabinet. After sifting through my shelves, I landed on a staple favorite: Omaha Steaks' classic seasoning blend. It contains onion, garlic, salt, pepper, and paprika.

The grill required sauce upfront.

After unwrapping the meat, I used a sharp knife to cut ⅓ off each rib rack, using ⅔ of a rack for each recipe. Then, I prepped them all similarly by adding the dry seasoning to the top of the meat.

The oven and air-fryer recipes called for adding sauce later, but my family has always slathered it on before grilling, so that's what I did.

I wrapped the sauced ribs in foil before throwing them on.

After adding the seasoning and sauce to the ribs, I wrapped them in foil and took them to the charcoal grill, which I had prepped and lit. After the heat was up and running, I set the foil pack on top of the grate.

I watched it for the next hour and 40 minutes, flipping the ribs every few minutes to ensure an even cook.

I finished everything off with a nice sear.

Once the ribs looked nice and cooked, I removed them from the foil and put them directly on the grill to give them a nice sear.

Depending on your preference, you can leave them on for anywhere from five to 10 minutes on each side. I seared them for seven minutes per side.

The grilled meat was falling off the bones.

The grilled ribs were incredibly flavorful — I think it has a lot to do with adding the sauce during the initial prep.

The meat flaked off the bone cleanly, which also made it easier to eat without making a mess.

To bake the ribs, I set the oven to 350 degrees.

After averaging out cooking directions from several online recipes, I set the oven to 350 degrees.

I wrapped the seasoned ribs in foil, placed them on a baking sheet, and put them in the oven for 65 minutes.

I added the barbecue sauce toward the end of the cooking time.

Once the timer went off, I pulled the ribs out of the oven and added barbecue sauce to the top of the meat. Then, I broiled the ribs without foil for another five minutes.

The oven-baked ribs were the juiciest of the three.

In my experience, oven-cooked pork is plump, juicy, and a tad chewy. This was no exception.

It was also the sauciest option, probably because it didn't have much time to cook into the meat. If I were to use the recipe again, I'd add the sauce much earlier in the process.

I had to use smaller pieces for the air-fryer method.

When it came time to test out my air fryer, I took the two smaller pieces of ribs that had been cut off the main racks. I wanted to ensure the meat could sit in a single layer.

I placed a layer of foil on the bottom of the basket and set the seasoned meat inside.

The instructions were incredibly simple.

I set the air fryer at 360 degrees for 20 minutes.

Once done, I brushed the sauce across the meat and put it back in the air fryer for another five minutes.

The air-fried ribs were done in record time.

Although the air-fried ribs were the toughest to chew, they were my second favorite for flavor.

The short cooking time alone makes this recipe worth keeping in my back pocket. Being able to make ribs in under 30 minutes is huge.

The grill produced the best ribs by far.

I think all three appliances produced quality ribs. But the grill is the clear winner if you want the most flavorful meat with the best texture.

My first runner-up is unquestionably the air fryer because of how quick it was. Although I enjoyed the oven ribs, I'd prefer to save that particular chewy texture for my pork chops.

Click to check out the other appliances we've put head-to-head so far.

• Eton College is swapping out first year student's smartphones for Nokias.
• The policy comes as the boarding school is trying to cope with an increasingly digital world for students.
• Students will also receive an iPad to use for academic studies to access the internet.

Eton College, one of the world's most prestigious boarding schools, is planning to ban smartphones for its incoming first-year students and replace these with old-school Nokia phones instead, a spokesperson for the school confirmed to Business Insider.

The new policy comes as the UK-based school grapples with managing student's educations alongside technological developments.

"Eton routinely reviews our mobile phone and devices policy to balance the benefits and challenges that technology brings to schools. a spokesperson told BI.

"From September those joining in Year 9 will receive a 'brick' phone for use outside the school day, as well as a School-issued iPad to support academic study. Age-appropriate controls remain in place for other year groups," they added.

Eton College is an exclusive boarding school located outside London, near Windsor. Prince William, Prince Harry, Tom Hiddleston, and Eddie Redmayne are among its best-known alumni.

The school is also known for educating several future prime ministers, including David Cameron and Boris Johnson.

The new policy goes a step further than Eton's previous rules on smartphones.

In 2018, it brought in a policy that required first-year students to hand over their smartphones overnight.

"Dumb phones," or "brick phones," allow people to make calls and send messages but not access the internet.

There has been a resurgence in the popularity of these devices in recent years, partly driven by young people involved in emerging movements to disconnect from social media.

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

Hello! The Labour Party is back in power in the UK after 14 years. In recent months, the UK's new prime minister has made a concerted effort to appear more relatable to voters — and he's been helped by an unlikely mentor: former US President Barack Obama.

In today's big story, we're looking at the mounting pressure President Joe Biden is facing to forgo his reelection campaign.

What's on deck:

• Markets: For one group of stocks, a bad forecast is a good thing.
• Tech: Power-hungry AI data centers are threatening to put a massive strain on the power grid.
• Business: "Hawk Tuah Girl" wants her 15 minutes of fame to become a viable business.

But first, decision time.

If this was forwarded to you, sign up here.

The big story

A campaign on the brink

"Should I stay or should I go?"

The Clash's 1982 hit could be President Joe Biden's anthem these days as rumors swirl about his reelection bid.

The president is reportedly questioning the future of his campaign as his support continues to wane. And it's getting harder to see how Biden can stay in the race, writes Business Insider's Bryan Metzger.

Biden's disastrous debate performance on June 27 is proving hard to shake. And voters aren't buying the myriad of excuses — a cold, bad prep, jet lag — offered up by his campaign.

Recent major national surveys show Biden falling behind former President Donald Trump. And states that have long been Democratic strongholds, like New Mexico and Virginia, could be up for grabs.

His own party has even started to turn on him. Reps. Lloyd Doggett and Raúl Grijalva were the first two sitting Democratic members of Congress to call on Biden to drop out.

Meanwhile, Biden's most likely replacement — Vice President Kamala Harris — hasn't elicited a strong response.

Some Democrats have begun voicing their support for her, albeit a bit ironically.

In many ways, Harris represents the only viable option for Democrats. Under campaign finance law, the VP is the only candidate who can easily inherit the hundreds of millions of dollars raised by Biden's campaign.

Biden's first post-debate interview could ultimately decide his fate.

The president is scheduled to sit down with ABC News' George Stephanopoulos today in an interview that will air in primetime tonight.

One Biden ally told The New York Times the president is aware of how crucial the next few days are for the future of his campaign.

Biden's team, however, has pushed back on the notion that the president is considering walking away. The White House flatly denied such reports. Biden is "absolutely not" considering bowing out, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters Wednesday.

There is one group in Biden's corner: Republicans.

Many on the right believe a Biden ticket gives Trump the best chance to return to the White House. In fact, some Republicans reportedly might even take legal action to keep Biden on the ballot.

3 things in markets

1. Tough times ahead for the real-estate market. A longtime strategist predicts the real-estate market is headed for a correction that could hit mortgage-holders particularly hard. "People are going to have to start to sell their homes," he said.
2. Bad weather = good returns. CFRA pointed to insurance stocks, like Berkshire Hathaway and Progressive, that stand to benefit from what experts predict will be a "very active" hurricane season. More storms "will likely buoy pricing for many lines of property-casualty insurance and reinsurance," CFRA said.
3. S&P 500 to 7,000 next year? Capital Economics is forecasting a 27% increase for the benchmark index through 2025. But chief economist Neil Shearing predicts the bubble will eventually pop as investor enthusiasm outpaces earnings growth.

3 things in tech

1. AI's huge electric appetite. In the next two years, generative AI is expected to add demand equal to three times the amount of energy New York City uses. The US needs to expand the power grid to keep up, and that's a big opportunity for firms in construction, power, and data-center cooling.
2. Big Tech admits AI's big threats. Google and Meta have been loud and proud in their commitments to the AI race. But privately they've expressed concerns about the ethical, legal, and regulatory issues AI could cause for their "brands and demand." Misinformation and data privacy were among the top worries.
3. There's a new plot twist in Apple's deal with OpenAI. According to Bloomberg, Apple gets an observer role on OpenAI's board. The move puts Apple on equal footing with Microsoft, OpenAI's biggest backer. However, the two companies have very different arrangements with OpenAI.

3 things in business

1. Women's sports merchandise has an underdog champion. Demand is high for kits and jerseys repping female sports stars like Caitlin Clark and Alex Morgan. But problems like low inventory, lack of retailers, and minimal options plague the market. To answer the call, smaller companies are stepping up.
2. Can she "hawk tuah" her way to the top? Hailey Welch, dubbed the "Hawk Tuah Girl" for her viral answer to an R-rated street-interview question, wants to cash in on her newfound fame. But it's unclear if — and how — she'll be able to make her 15 minutes last.
3. Saks Fifth Avenue is buying Neiman Marcus. The $2.65 billion sale shows just how challenging things are getting in the luxury-retail space. That's not all: Both Amazon and Salesforce are getting in on the deal, with both taking minority stakes in the new company, Saks Global.

In other news

• These are McKinsey's top 9 recommendations for business books this year.
• As Europe teeters further to the far right, the UK is doing the opposite.
• Whole Foods isn't a "whole paycheck" anymore, its cofounder says. Here's what I found buying groceries.
• John Oliver was right — the Conservative Party just faced an epic wipeout at the polls.
• Russia's frenemy China is quietly trying to dampen Putin's influence.
• Legendary iPhone designer Jony Ive opens up about what it was like working with Steve Jobs.
• I'm the son of a billionaire who forged my own career path.

What's happening today

• A first look at Biden's interview with George Stephanopoulos airs on ABC.

The Insider Today team: Dan DeFrancesco, deputy editor and anchor, in New York. Jordan Parker Erb, editor, in New York. Hallam Bullock, senior editor, in London. Amanda Yen, fellow, in New York.

• Rachel Wells moved into being fully self-employed after a hard job search.
• Wells plans to keep working for herself partly because of the creative freedom it offers.
• Wells, who has made money from different income sources, shares advice for others.

Rachel Wells, 24, is fairly new to being fully self-employed after a contract job got cut short and a tough job search.

Wells, who lives in the UK, was already job searching a few months before her project manager job was supposed to end in the spring of 2023. She told Business Insider when the job ended a couple of weeks earlier than anticipated, she panicked more "because now I've got less money than what I would've expected to last me a bit longer."

Wells decided to be fully self-employed in the summer of 2023. She said this career pivot "wasn't a willful decision."

"I remember my mom said to me, 'Maybe you're not supposed to get a job. Maybe you're just supposed to go out on your own,'" Wells said. "And for me, that sounded uncomfortable because I like the structure of having an employer and being in a team and an office, and I didn't think I was ready."

But now, Wells said she's grateful she ultimately didn't get a job offer, considering that she can happily pursue her calling and considering how much she earns.

"We're able to move house and things like that because of what I'm earning now," she said.

Wells is a career coach under her business, Rachel Wells Coaching, and writes articles as a Forbes contributor, among other self-employed income streams. She said her client work has been with people from around the world, although her client base is largely in the US now, and she has worked with people of different job levels. She said she doesn't do career coaching as often now and is working on building her presence "as a YouTube influencer, teaching others how to launch side hustles and thrive in their careers and finances."

According to the UK government website, 13.3% of UK workers were self-employed in 2021. Wells doesn't see herself leaving behind being fully self-employed, partly because of the freedom it provides.

"I can't imagine myself back in the constrictions of working for an employer again," Wells said. "Because I just love being a leader and being able to express myself and share my thoughts and to be able to use my creative ideas to just, 'Hey, let me just try this new angle for the business without getting approval for it.'"

Why one should have multiple income sources

Wells finds it important to diversify income sources regardless of who employs you — whether working for yourself or an employer. She finds one benefit of this is you have another source of income if one ends up tapering out. Wells also finds your income streams can be in the same type of work.

Take digital marketing work. If that's your expertise, Wells said you could consult while also running client campaigns, create a bot that helps people with marketing, or write a blog focused on marketing strategies that has affiliate links within posts to help make some passive income.

"Through one main idea, through one side hustle, it kind of branches out into different diversified sources of income," she said. "And that's kind of what I'm doing inadvertently without realizing it. I have this one main passion, which is about leadership and career development. But through that, I'm doing different things. I'm doing freelance writing. I'm consulting. I'm public speaking. I'm coaching."

Wells said her career coaching work, which she started as a teenager, has "definitely evolved, especially being in the actual world of work, in the corporate world and working as a manager."

Wells said it's important to work on your professional development and personal brand, as well as to identify what you have a passion for and where your expertise lies. She finds prioritizing building a network and working on your expertise and brand helpful in case of a layoff or quitting a role because then you have something to fall back on.

"Never be so comfortable and cushy within your role that you don't seek to develop yourself outside of the job," Wells said.

• I spent five nights on Silversea's new ultra-luxury cruise ship, Silver Ray. 
• Fares in 2024 start at $4,550 per person for a seven-day cruise.
• My favorite amenities on Silver Ray included a sauna with ocean views and a fun cooking class.

The hardest part about your Silver Ray cruise could be deciding what you want to indulge in first.

Silversea, Royal Caribbean Group's most luxurious cruise line, recently welcomed its 12th ship, the 728-guest Silver Ray. But as with any new floating five-star hotel, the cost to sail won't be ultra-cheap, with weeklong cruises starting at a whopping $4,550 per person in 2024.

I might've scoffed at this cost before boarding Silversea's second Nova Class vessel. But after experiencing all it has to offer on a complimentary five-night test cruise in mid-June, the price tag now makes more sense — and might even be justifiable.

Take a look at my 10 favorite amenities on Silver Ray, all of which shed some light on its steep fare.

1. The butler-delivered caviar you can eat on your couch while wearing pajamas

Room service isn't always free on mass-market cruise ships.

On Silver Ray, not only are the hot dogs and hamburgers delivered to your suite complimentary — but caviar is, too.

Simply call the room service line or ask your butler for caviar, and before you know it, a tin of the expensive fish eggs will be presented at your door.

You don't want to know how pretentious and insufferable I felt as I shoveled the tiny pearly bites into my mouth while lounging on the couch.

It wasn't the best caviar I've ever had (it's one of Calvisius' cheapest options). But it definitely added the unnecessary, theatrical, and extravagant touch I had been seeking on a $650-a-day cruise.

2. The sushi lunch

Dinner at Silver Ray's Japanese restaurant, Kaiseki, costs $80 per person. But it's complimentary during lunch, making it a great place to gorge on free sushi, sashimi, beef-filled bao buns, and ramen.

Alcohol is complimentary on Silversea, too. So feel free to have a glass of sake and Japanese beer with your raw fish feast.

Like the caviar, the sushi quality wasn’t comparable to Michelin-rated omakase restaurants.

The scallop nigiri in my sushi and sashimi combo tasted more lightly poached than raw, the uni was served on unevenly cut cucumbers, and the octopus in the octopus roll was too chewy.

But complaints aside, the portions were gracious, the fish quality was acceptable, and the rolls were diverse. The spicy tuna roll had the perfect allium punch, while the vegetarian one stood its ground among the raw fish. It was far better than I expected for a cruise ship lunch.

Best of all, it was complimentary. And while it didn't change my life, it certainly satisfied my craving.

3. The upscale café without the upscale prices

Many popular cruise ships have an onboard Starbucks. Silver Ray goes one step further with a café comparable to your overpriced neighborhood coffee shop (and this one won't make you pay extra for oat milk).

At the centrally located Arts Cafe, guests can order latte art-topped espresso drinks and uncommon tea varieties — all served with Mepra spoons that cost $40 each.

If you're a fan of cucumber sandwiches and cakes, the Art Cafe is also a great place to grab a mid-day snack or host an impromptu afternoon tea.

4. The entertaining cooking class

Silversea's SALT — an acronym for "sea and land taste" — program weaves cuisines local to the ship's destination into the cruise.

At SALT Lab, this takes the form of a complimentary cooking class.

You might think, 'I'm on vacation — I don't want to cook!'

I hear you. But SALT Lab is nothing like cooking at home.

For starters, the instructor and their assistant do all the cleaning and prepare all your mise en place for you. And I guarantee they're funnier, wittier, and more lighthearted than your partner who yells at you for not following the recipe.

All you have to do is listen to their instructions, assemble, cook, and eat.

5. The restaurant showcasing dishes from the itinerary

SALT isn't just a cooking class. It's a lifestyle. (Just kidding — but not really.)

Silver Ray offers SALT cooking classes, SALT shore excursions, a $180 SALT Chef's Table dinner, a SALT Bar, and a SALT Kitchen.

If you hate repeating meals, the latter could be your savior. Half of its menu changes almost daily according to the ship's destination. So, if you didn't have time to explore a port's cuisine, you could go to SALT Kitchen instead.

When Silver Ray was docked in Lisbon, the restaurant had options like roasted pork loin with a Portuguese red bell pepper sauce, and travesseiros, a popular dessert from nearby Sintra, Portugal.

6. The half-restaurant, half-jazz bar

Silver Note is where you go to chow down on small plates of beef tenderloin and octopus tentacles while being serenaded by live jazz vocalists and pianists. If you can overlook the purple and red spotlights that give the venue a cheap dive bar feel, you'll be delighted by Silver Note's talented performers, tapas-style food, and fun plating.

The plates were pre-warmed, the lobster tail was perfectly cooked, and the musicians were world-class. I ate alone and stayed for about two hours, fully engaged by the impressive vocalist.

7. The spa’s view

Access to spa facilities like saunas is often complimentary on high-end cruises.

Silver Ray's was admittedly bare-boned, with only three rooms (a steam room, sauna, and thermal pool). But you'll quickly forget about the lack of options when you see the ocean views inside the pool and sauna.

The latter is a great place to balance your yin (peacefully staring at the passing waves) with your yang (feeling like you're about to have a heat stroke).

Unfortunately, the steam room doesn't have any views. However, it does offer complimentary scented scrubs that will leave you with baby-soft skin.

8. The pool

You're probably wondering how an amenity as commonplace as a pool could be so special.

There is, in fact, nothing spectacular about the pool itself. What is special, however, is its placement toward the starboard-side edge of the ship, giving swimmers a photogenic view of Silver Ray's surroundings instead of sunbathers' toes.

Don't worry, fellow loungers. We get a perk, too.

No need to walk to the pool bar to refill your piña colada. The waitstaff will do it for you.

9. The elevators

Before Silver Ray, I would've scoffed if you had told me one of my favorite amenities on a cruise ship would be the elevators. But alas, it seems not all of them are created equal.

On most cruise ships, the elevators are located at the center of the vessel and flanked by corridors on either side.

Like the pool, all six of Silver Ray's elevators are located by the edge of the ship — half port side, half starboard side — and lined with glass walls, giving riders sweeping views of the ship's surroundings.

Not to be dramatic, but I've never seen a more beautiful elevator.

Once inside, travelers can select their desired floor on the touchscreen.

The screen's floor descriptions are updated on port days to indicate where guests must disembark. It's a small but convenient touch I've yet to see on other cruises, saving travelers the panicked "where do I get off this ship?" question.

10. The tablet-phone-TV connectivity

The best part about my Deluxe Veranda suite wasn't the walk-in closet or balcony. It was the seamless connectivity between my phone, the in-room tablet, and the TV.

Silver Ray's cabins have portable touchscreen tablets that function as a vacation guidebook, daily scheduler, and suite control center.

The TV has the same functions, for when you're sitting on the couch and too lazy to retrieve the tablet. Or, if you're not in your cabin, your mobile Silversea profile has the same options.

As someone who religiously studies menus before going to a restaurant, I loved having every onboard restaurant's menu at my fingertips.

But the real winning feature was the "sleep" setting. No more hitting your knee on furniture as you navigate back to bed after turning the lights off. The sleep setting slowly dims the suite's light fixtures, giving guests plenty of time to saunter back to bed before everything goes dark.

• Biden's allies are begging him to get out in public.
• On Friday, he'll sit down for a taped interview debuting during primetime on ABC.
• But even the slightest gaffe could torpedo his campaign.

On Friday night, President Joe Biden will make his highest-profile appearance yet since his disastrous debate last week.

The pre-taped interview with ABC's George Stephanopoulos will give the president his best shot yet to steady his wavering campaign as Democrats increasingly question whether he's up to the task of beating Donald Trump.

Biden's supporters have been calling for him to get out into the public eye after he flopped in last Thursday's debate by mumbling his answers, losing his train of thought, and staring off vacantly at times.

Friday's high-stakes interview gives Biden that opportunity — but will also pose a serious threat.

A risky — but needed — move

Friday's interview was originally supposed to air in multiple parts, but ABC announced earlier this week it would air the interview in full on Friday at 8 p.m.

Biden will need a strong performance in order to wipe away the memory of his debate fiasco and reassure voters that he's capable of running a winning campaign.

But the president is facing a political narrative that's highlighted his biggest weakness: voters' concern about his age.

While his opponent Trump is also a historically old candidate at 78 years old, Biden is three years older still. Republicans have seized on his stiff gait, stuttering speech, and verbal gaffes for months as they went on the attack.

Biden's campaign and administration have told voters that concerns about his age were overblown, noting that some videos were deceptively edited to make him look lost.

But Biden's own performance at the debate not only failed to reverse Trump's lead in 2024 swing state polling, but also reinforced the GOP's lines of attack.

Team Biden has since tried to explain away his performance: he was sick, he was jet-lagged, he hasn't been getting enough sleep. Meanwhile, the crisis around his campaign has only intensified.

Since the debate, even some Democrats and Biden allies have anonymously claimed the president has lost a step, forgetting their names and stumbling over his talking points in private. Some donors are bailing on him.

The concerns have sparked an all-out panic among the Democratic Party as it faces the prospect of an electoral loss to Donald Trump — newly emboldened by Supreme Court rulings that could encourage him to expand his presidential power.

Biden must avoid missteps

Biden's campaign is in serious danger. Some Democratic lawmakers are openly calling for him to drop out of the race and hand the nomination to other rising, younger stars in the party.

A strong interview on Friday night without Biden's usual verbal flubs could send a strong message that he's strong enough to continue his reelection run.

Yet small mistakes could be amplified. A stumble in one of his answers will almost certainly be seized on by Biden's opponents and detractors. Republicans have already cut up his debate answers into an attack ad. It's likely any further missteps would be more ammo used against him.

A rock-solid performance by Biden may not be enough to erase the damage caused by last Thursday's debate. At best, it might stem the bleeding; at worst, it could open up fresh wounds. And even if he's perfect on Friday, he's one bad speech or interview away from being right back where he is now.

Biden, for his part, remains defiant. He's chalked up his awful debate to being "one bad night" and has vowed to fight on.

He could prove he's ready for that fight on Friday night.

• Sands Point Preserve is a 216-acre park in New York.
• The preserve sits on what used to be the Guggenheim Estate on Long Island's North Shore.
• The property has four mansions, including an Irish-inspired castle built in 1902.

There are many mansions scattered across the North Shore of Long Island, New York, that date back to the Roaring '20s.

In Sands Point, a village at the tip of Cow Neck Peninsula, there lies a 216-acre park and conservancy that dates even further back to 1900, when the land was purchased by Howard Gould, the son of the railroad tycoon Jay Gould.

Over 100 years later, the four separate homes built on this property — Castle Gould, Hempstead House, Falaise, and Mille Fleurs — are still in pristine condition. Three have been converted to museums, and much of the land has been cut through with hiking trails.

I visited in June 2024 to take an informative self-guided tour of two of the homes, and I felt like I was traveling back in time to the era of F. Scott Fitzgerald and Jay Gatsby's neighborhood, West Egg.

Here's what it's like to visit the Sands Point Preserve today.

On a June afternoon, I made the drive to Sands Point, a village on Long Island. It costs $15 per car or $4 per person to walk into Sands Point Preserve.

Here's where Sands Point lies on the map. The other circled locations are other mansions from the same era across Long Island.

After I parked, I was greeted with a map of the preserve, including the locations of its four mansions and multiple hiking trails.

The first structure I saw was the oldest on the property: Castle Gould, completed in 1904.

Castle Gould, which spans 100,000 square feet, is based on the medieval Irish castle Kilkenny, which was built starting in 1192.

Source: Sands Point Preserve, Business Insider

Financier Howard Gould commissioned it to please his wife, the actor Katherine Clemmons, according to the preserve.

The medieval vibes continue inside. This room serves as a lobby — in Gould's time, the entire castle served as a stable and carriage house.

Much of Castle Gould isn't available to tour, but the Great Hall, seen here, can be used for private events.

You might wonder why Castle Gould was just used as a carriage house. That's because Gould's wife, Katherine, didn't like the finished product.

Source: Sands Point Preserve

So, the family constructed another mansion just across the lawn in 1912.

That home is called Hempstead House. It's smaller but still measures an incredible 50,000 square feet. It has 40 rooms.

Gould and Clemmons never actually lived here together. They divorced in 1909, with Gould accusing his wife of having an affair with Buffalo Bill Cody.

Gould finished the estate but sold it in 1917 so he could move abroad.

He sold it to Daniel and Florence Guggenheim — yes, those Guggenheims. His brother, Benjamin, died on the Titanic. Another brother, Solomon, founded the NYC museum of the same name.

Hempstead House is only available for tours on Wednesdays in July and August. I'll be coming back to get a better look at the interior.

I was able to see one room through the door and was already impressed by the design.

But the Rose Garden behind Hempstead House is open to any visitors.

Now, instead of roses, there are dozens of native flowers to help facilitate pollination.

The home also has a view of the Long Island Sound, seen here in the distance.

The third mansion at Sands Point is Falaise, which was built on 90 acres of land Daniel gave to his son, Harry, upon his wedding to Caroline Morton in 1923.

Harry had a fascinating life. He was an avid aviator and friends with legendary pilot Charles Lindbergh. Harry also founded the Long Island newspaper Newsday with his wife in 1940.

Source: Library of Congress

His home, Falaise, is available to see via private tours offered on weekends from May through October.

"Falaise" means cliffside in French, an apt name for the cliffside mansion.

Daniel and Florence Guggenheim lived in Hempstead House until he died in 1930.

Upon his death, Florence moved to the fourth and smallest mansion on the property, Mille Fleurs, French for "1,000 flowers." It's private to this day.

In 1940, during World War II, Florence reopened Hempstead House for refugee children.

Source: Sands Point Preserve

By 1946, 162 acres of the land had been gifted to the US Navy, which operated the Naval Training Device Center there through 1967.

In 1971, Harry Guggenheim died, leaving his personal 90 acres to Nassau County. That same year, the county acquired the unused Naval land. Together, this reformed the estate.

Source: Sands Point Preserve

Now, you can tour two of the four mansions, hike, and even go to the beach.

To the west, you can see Westchester County in the distance.

To the east: the Long Island town of Glen Cove.

Even without the mansions, Sands Point Preserve would be a beautiful park. But with them, you can feel like you're stepping back into the time of Gatsby and the Roaring '20s.

• Taylor Swift's Eras Tour raked in over $1 billion in 2023 and will break more records this year.
• Swift is set to take home hundreds of millions of dollars — which is helped by "mini-residencies."
• Inside her touring strategy and how it's making Swift so rich.

From the dance moves of a literal prince to her very own prince charming taking to the stage, Taylor Swift's first three shows at Wembley Stadium proved people aren't sick of the Eras Tour yet.

Swift and her economic impact have swept Europe. The European Central Bank is monitoring how the tour will affect inflation; hotels across the continent have sold out around her tour dates; and in the UK alone she's expected to pump $1.26 billion into the economy, according to a Barclays report.

The Eras Tour was always set to be immensely profitable for Swift, but she's set to make even more money thanks to one key business move. Swift is set to play eight nights in London and six in cities like Toronto — and she's skipping nearby cities that she's hit on past tours like Ottawa.

These mini residencies are likely adding millions of dollars to her bottom line. The underlying business assumption is that Swifties will travel and pay big bucks for tickets, so the shows will likely be sold out no matter where they are. Playing in fewer cities means less money spent on production, travel, and labor — which in turn means more profits.

"It significantly reduces the overhead of a tour," Nathan Hubbard, the former CEO of Ticketmaster who founded the management firm Firebird, told Business Insider. "Think about the cost of taking down an entire stage, packing up 50 trucks, moving it all to another town. Every night you can avoid striking the set saves millions of dollars."

Swift's representatives did not respond to a request for comment.

She proved this theory worked during the US leg of the tour when she played six shows in Los Angeles but skipped San Diego. Harry Styles also tested it with his 15-night runs at New York's Madison Square Garden and Los Angeles' Kia Forum, an extension of the Las Vegas residencies that have long minted millions for stars.

"Coming out of Covid, the largest artists understand that their fan bases will travel to be with them," Hubbard said. "Previously, this was just happening in Las Vegas. But so many of these cities can be a fun excursion for a fan and their friends. That's driving a lot of what we're seeing in the evolution of touring right now."

The math is working out for Swift: BI spoke with several fans who said they traveled out of state to see Swift last year. Many American fans are traveling to Europe to get to see her abroad.

"I probably would've come to Scotland at one point, but it was the concert that got me here," one Swiftie from Minneapolis told BI.

"We said to ourselves, 'Let's just go and have an adventure," her friend added. "Tickets are outrageously expensive in the US, and this entire trip for both of us was cheaper than our friends back home paid."

Of course, it's a delicate balance. Swift is considered among the pop stars most in touch with her fans and wouldn't want to alienate anyone by skipping over their local venues. But with more than 150 shows in 50-plus cities, it would be hard to complain about her doing a few extra nights in one place and passing over another.

Plus, she's charging less — an average of about $250 per ticket, per Pollstar — than she could, especially considering the average resale price of $3,801 that Pitchfork reported.

And, again, she's not the only one profiting.

The Common Sense Institute said that "the totality of Taylor Swift's US tour could generate $4.6 billion in total consumer spending, larger than the GDP of 35 countries." In Europe, the total figure will surely be impressive as well.

Turns out that she's an industry disruptor — if not the smooth-talking huckster — after all.