Tag: News

• Ahead of the Fourth of July weekend, I tested five popular cookout foods in a slow cooker.
• I thought the Buffalo wings I made in a slow cooker were among the best I've ever had.
• I also enjoyed Martha Stewart's recipe for pulled-pork sandwiches.

When planning a summer cookout, a Crock-Pot or slow cooker is a great tool to make prepping easier.

Fourth of July weekend is one of the most popular times for Americans to host cookouts. WalletHub and the National Retail Federation reported that US households will spend $9.4 billion on food alone for Fourth of July cookouts and celebrations this year, and roughly two-thirds of Americans will attend a Fourth of July picnic. 

Ahead of the Fourth of July, I tried making five different dishes that I would typically make for a cookout, but this time I made them in my slow cooker. I loved the ease of using the slow cooker and also thought it would be an ideal way to transport hot dishes to a party.

From Buffalo-chicken dip to wings and pulled pork, all of the recipes turned out perfectly — no stove required.

The first recipe I made was potato salad, something I make for every cookout.

I started by chopping up about a pound of baby potatoes and placed them in my slow cooker.

The recipe by Eating Well called for fingerling potatoes. My local grocery store didn't have fingerling potatoes, so I substituted them for baby gold potatoes.

I made the dressing by mixing whole-grain mustard and all-purpose flour.

The dressing comes together when you add it to the same pan you use to cook bacon and add in the vinegar. I whisked the dressing until all of the ingredients had combined.

I added the dressing, a chopped sweet onion, and three chopped celery stalks to the potatoes along with the mustard dressing.

After the potatoes and vegetables had cooked for five hours, I crumbled three strips of bacon on top and served it with dill.

While I definitely enjoyed the finished potato salad, I wasn't sure if it was worth the long cooking time.

It usually only takes me 45 minutes tops to make a standard potato salad with mayonnaise and celery.

Between chopping the veggies, mixing the dressing, and boiling the potatoes in the slow cooker, this method took much longer. However, I really enjoyed this lighter, mayonnaise-free potato salad, and I liked the flavor of the mustard and crispy bacon.

The next cookout food I made was Martha Stewart's decadent three-cheese slow-cooker mac and cheese.

The recipe, which is in "Martha Stewart's Slow Cooker," calls for three cups of white sharp cheddar cheese and one cup of Gruyere in the macaroni-and-cheese mixture. The third and final cheese, Parmigiano Reggiano, is later added to the breadcrumb mixture.

As well as the three kinds of cheese, the recipe calls for milk, yellow onion, and two cans of evaporated milk. The ingredients came together to make the most decadent, creamy, and delicious mac and cheese I've ever had.

One of the best parts about this recipe is that you don't have to sit around waiting for the macaroni to boil.

Instead, you simply throw it in with the other ingredients and it cooks in the slow cooker. The mac and cheese only took an hour and a half on high to finish cooking — in addition to being delicious, it was much quicker than some other slow-cooker recipes I've tried.

The cheese packed this dish full of flavor, especially the smoked Gruyere, while the onions made it even more delicious.

This was by far the most flavorful mac and cheese I've ever had, and I thought it was very easy to make in the slow cooker.

My only complaint was that the bottom layer of macaroni and cheese could have been creamier — it was a little watery compared to the top layers.

However, it probably would have cooked through more evenly with a little longer in the slow cooker.

I also made slow-cooked pulled-pork sandwiches.

The recipe by Martha Stewart calls for a halved, two-and-a-quarter pound boneless pork shoulder onion, oregano, bay leaves, chipotle, adobo sauce, crushed tomatoes, whole tomatoes in puree, salt, and pepper. 

This isn't your typical barbecue pulled pork, but I was excited to see how it would turn out.

After cooking the meat on high for six hours, as the recipe told me to do, it still wasn't as fork-tender as I wanted.

I was able to break one piece of the meat apart with a fork, but the other was still a little tough. I would have liked to let the meat cook for another hour or two, but since it was already past dinnertime, I decided to just break it apart the best I could. 

If you wanted to make this for yourself, definitely wait until the meat is super tender before eating it.

The recipe recommends serving the pulled pork in a sandwich with coleslaw and pickles.

I made my own homemade coleslaw and served it on a white potato roll. The finished product was delicious, but I was craving a little barbecue sauce to make it even better.

I wasn't able to pull apart all of the meat easily, but the pieces that I did manage to tear off were tender and flavorful. The coleslaw and pickles also added freshness and crunch.

The next slow-cooker appetizer I made was a personal favorite for summer cookouts: Buffalo chicken wings.

While I had heard you could make Buffalo wings in a slow cooker, I was admittedly skeptical. I just couldn't see how they would turn out saucy or crispy enough. However, this recipe by Spend With Pennies called for putting the wings under my oven's broiler at the end, which intrigued me. 

I started by mixing Buffalo sauce, minced garlic, chopped yellow onion, and brown sugar. 

Then I added my chicken wings to the slow cooker and poured the sauce on top.

When you buy your chicken wings, make sure the drumsticks and flats are separated and ready to add to your slow cooker. I had to spend about 20 minutes trimming and separating my chicken wings, which took up extra time and energy since I had never done it before. 

The Buffalo wings cooked in the slow cooker for three hours on low.

After they were fully cooked, I removed them from the slow cooker and placed them on a sheet pan covered with foil. I then brushed a generous amount of the extra Buffalo sauce over the wings and put them under the broiler for about three minutes on each side until they were crispy and slightly blackened.

Once the wings were done, I served them with some blue-cheese dressing.

I was surprised at how easy these wings were to make. I loved how the slow cooker kept the meat tender and a quick finish in the oven gave them the crispy coating I crave.

The wings were some of the best Buffalo wings I've ever had.

They were perfectly crispy and flavorful on the outside, while the meat inside was beyond juicy and moist. They were honestly perfect — not too spicy and the texture was out of this world. I would definitely make these time and time again.

The last slow-cooker cookout food I made was Buffalo-chicken dip.

The base for the Buffalo-chicken dip calls for crumbled blue cheese, cream cheese, sour cream, and ranch dressing. I combined those ingredients in a medium-sized bowl before spreading the mixture in a single layer in the bottom of my slow cooker.

I then added a layer of shredded chicken to the slow cooker.

You can use rotisserie chicken or simply boil up some chicken breasts and shred them yourself with a fork, like I did.

Next, I poured Buffalo wing sauce over the chicken-and-dip mixture and added a layer of shredded American cheese.

I could already tell this dip was going to be delicious.

After cooking on low for three hours, the dip was hot and bubbling in the slow cooker.

I set the slow cooker to warm and began prepping my toppings. I added another layer of American cheese and put the lid on the slow cooker to allow the cheese to melt. Then, I chopped up one green onion and added it to the top.

The dip was perfectly creamy, spicy, and cheesy — another successful slow-cooker recipe that's perfect for a cookout.

The layers of the dip were perfectly proportioned. With each bite, I got a delicious mouthful of cheese, hot sauce, and chicken. This recipe by Taste of Home really impressed me, and I would definitely make it again.

• After dining at over 100 restaurants in Chicago, I've narrowed it down to my 11 favorites.
• My top picks are a mix of Italian, Mexican, Indian, Greek, and other cuisines.
• Two are Michelin-starred restaurants, but I'm also a big fan of two hole-in-the-wall eateries.

I don't cook, but I love eating out — so much so that I've tried over 100 restaurants in Chicago.

Some of the best restaurants in the city aren't ones I expected to fall in love with, and others are world-renowned.

Regardless, inflation has sent menu prices soaring over the last few years, so I'm not trying to waste money on a subpar dining experience. And you shouldn't either.

Here are 11 restaurants in Chicago I think you should visit if you're looking for an incredible meal.

Andros Taverna

A few years ago, I spent an epic summer island-hopping and eating my way through the beautiful Greek Islands. Since then, I've searched far and wide for anything comparable to the fresh meals of the Cyclades.

That is until Andros Taverna opened in Logan Square in 2021.

The restaurant pays homage to chef Doug Psaltis' linage with traditional Greek fare. His wife, acclaimed pastry chef Hsing Chen, masters the desserts on the menu (don't sleep on the baklava frozen yogurt).

Everything on the menu tastes fresh and transports diners straight to the Mediterranean.

Esmé

When I first walked into Esmé in Lincoln Park, I immediately felt like I was in an art gallery. The space is home to pieces and sculptures by rotating artists.

The whole place has character, and every dish is a true piece of art. The food's immaculate plating is also typically done in collaboration with the featured artists.

The experience begins with small bites at a standing table before moving to a spot in the dining room for a 16-course tasting. When I visited, one course gracefully descended from a moving fixture on the ceiling, and I painted a colorful placemat in between courses.

Esmé is certainly worthy of its Michelin star.

Indienne

I'm picky about Indian cuisine because it's my favorite. Although I was skeptical about a fine-dining Indian restaurant with a tasting menu, I was completely blown away by Indienne's flavors.

The menu at the Michelin-starred establishment in River North has a French flair — and don't even get me started about the beautiful presentation of dishes.

Although there's an à la carte menu, the six-course tasting menu is a steal compared to others in the city at $125 a person.

Duck Sel

Duck Sel is by far one of the most unique dining experiences I've ever had. After making a reservation, I was sent a code and an address because the dinner was hosted by Michelin-starred chef Donald Young at an undisclosed location in Chicago's Uptown neighborhood.

I wasn't sure what to expect. I entered a spacious apartment where a team was hard at work in an open kitchen. Rubber ducky memorabilia adorned the rooms, and I'll never forget the life-size inflatable inside the shower.

We dined at a communal table, and the entire experience was casual, fun, and whimsical. There were even games that were meant to serve as icebreakers for guests.

Duck Sel's incredible 15-course tasting menu was full of memorable, immersive experiences.

Sushi by Scratch

Sushi by Scratch was another "underground" and unique experience, but this one is also available in several other US cities.

Before my reservation time, I was emailed a location and a code.

I showed up at The Drop In bar and followed the directions of walking a few steps then turning to the right. But I totally passed the door and ended up thinking I needed to climb a ladder.

I backtracked and found the secret door, punched in the code, and walked down a set of steps before I was greeted and escorted to a super intimate room for a predinner cocktail.

After sipping on the libation, the group of 10 (there are only 10 diners per seating) was whisked even further down the stairs to a sushi counter where we began our 17-course omakase tasting.

Three sushi chefs were working in the space to calculatedly serve the incredibly fresh fish.

Café Tola

I crave Café Tola's empanadas at all times of the day, and I don't care if I just had them the day before — they're that good.

The casual chain has a few locations around Chicago and even recently expanded to New York City.

It serves a variety of fresh empanadas, from chicken tinga to chorizo with egg. Some of my favorites include spinach, ricotta, and mozzarella for lunch and guava and cheese for dessert.

The empanadas are absolutely stuffed with ingredients, always warm, and come with drool-worthy sauces.

Divan

Divan is a really cool supper club with nightly live jazz. The brick-wall interior and huge skylight make the place feel so lively.

The restaurant, located near the Mag Mile shopping area, even offers several special experiences from sommelier-led wine tastings in the cellar to Champagne service in the lounge. But all that is just supplementary to the incredible dishes in the main dining room.

Although the place is known for its chops, I can't help but be obsessed with its pasta, seafood, and veggie dishes. It's nothing like the heavily buttered steak houses we've all been to, the dishes here are refreshing and not uncomfortably heavy.

Divan will also serve caviar on literally anything, so that's a win in my book.

Tacombi

Chicago has a lot of Mexican restaurants to choose from, but Tacombi hits the spot every single time. It serves some of the best tacos, quesadillas, esquites, guacamole, and margaritas in the city.

Even though the spot isn't native to the city, it's absolutely worth including on the list.

The chain started serving food out of a "combi" bus (VW van) in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, in the 1960s, which is where it gets its name (taco plus combi equals Tacombi).

It later expanded to food trucks and brick-and-mortar establishments in cities across the US. I'm a fan of the location in Chicago's West Loop, which is housed in a garage and has a colorful painting of the menu on the wall.

Terra e Mare

Terra e Mare translates to land and sea in Italian, and the restaurant showcases just that on its menu.

The modern Italian restaurant located in The Loop is casual with a simple interior, but the food is memorable. The pasta is always perfectly al dente, and there are unique combos I've never seen anywhere else.

One dish I still dream about to this day is a burnt-flour pasta with oyster mushrooms, egg-yolk jam, and frisée.

The sourdough pizzas are also made from scratch — even the mozzarella is pulled and made in-house. I personally like the restaurant's thin-crust pies more than the classic Chicago deep dish.

Mogadishu

Mogadishu on the Near North Side offers Chicagoans a taste of Somalian food.

The restaurant is small and casual, but you can expect to eat off colorful plates and be provided with unlimited sauces.

Whether dining in or ordering for delivery, the portions are incredibly generous. I recommend the spaghetti with veggies, grilled salmon with Somali rice, and chapati flatbread.

Rose Mary

It's not every day that I come across a Croatian restaurant, and Rose Mary is not one to overlook.

Some may recognize Rose Mary's chef and owner, Joe Flamm, from season 15 of "Top Chef." He took home the win, and it shows in his food.

The Croatian, Italian, and Midwestern fusion restaurant in the West Loop is an homage to Flamm's heritage, and the name pays tribute to Flamm's two grandmothers, Mary and Mary Rose.

The menu ranges from pasta and risotto to meats, fish, and fresh veggies. The CRIN risotto — a blend of squid ink, lobster brodo, confit squid, and tarragon — is a staple dish.

This story was originally published on May 20, 2024, and most recently updated on July 2, 2024.

• Tesla sales were down nearly 5% in the second quarter.
• The performance wasn't as bad as analysts expected.
• Tesla's stock price rose in early trading following the news.

Tesla's deliveries fell for a second straight quarter, down nearly 5% compared to the same period a year ago.

Tesla reported second-quarter sales of 443,956 units Tuesday morning, down from 466,140 in the same quarter a year ago but topping analyst expectations.

While the decline in sales is yet another sign that an industry-wide EV slowdown is finally affecting Elon Musk's Tesla, Tuesday's deliveries were not as bad as some analysts had expected.

Analysts polled by Bloomberg had expected Tesla to deliver 439,302 cars in the second quarter, a roughly 6% decline compared to last year.

Tesla's stock opened up about 5% Tuesday following the news.

• Bill Gates' former assistant is now wealthier than his old boss for the first time.
• Steve Ballmer, who succeeded Gates as Microsoft CEO, is worth an estimated $157 billion.
• Microsoft stock has surged amid a broader AI boom, boosting Ballmer's net worth.

A former assistant to Bill Gates has scaled the ranks of the world's wealthiest people to become richer than his old boss for the first time.

Steve Ballmer's fortune more than doubled from $77 billion in November 2022 to $157.2 billion at Monday's close, putting him sixth on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

Gates, Microsoft's legendary cofounder and perhaps the world's best-known philanthropist, is in seventh place and worth $156.7 billion. He was $17 billion richer than Ballmer a year ago.

Ballmer is now about $5 billion behind Alphabet cofounder Larry Page, who is in fifth place on Bloomberg's rich list at ($162 billion).

The Los Angeles Clippers basketball team owner, Ballmer ranks above the likes of Oracle's Larry Ellison ($156 billion), Alphabet's Sergey Brin ($153 billion), Warren Buffett ($128 billion), Michael Dell ($116 billion), and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang ($109 billion).

Ballmer owes his wealth to joining Microsoft in 1980 as an assistant to the president — a role more akin to a business manager than a PA. He originally agreed a $50,000 base salary plus 10% of the profit growth he generated. But Ballmer's compensation soon became outsized, so he agreed to exchange it for a significant equity stake, according to Forbes.

A close advisor to Gates, he succeeded him as CEO in 2000. Ballmer stepped down in 2014 with 333 million shares, or a 4% stake, regulatory filings show.

Bloomberg's estimate of Ballmer's wealth assumes that he's retained most of his Microsoft shares. The outlet values his stake at more than $150 billion based on Monday's $457 closing price — over nine times its split-adjusted level in 2014 when Ballmer left. He's likely to have collected dividends worth billions of dollars over the years as well.

Ballmer's net worth has skyrocketed over the past 18 months or so because of the artificial-intelligence boom, which Microsoft has tapped into by investing in industry star OpenAI. The stock has jumped by over a third in the past year alone.

Gates has fallen behind Ballmer because he's diversified his personal investment portfolio away from Microsoft stock, and made large donations to his foundation and other charities.

Even so, it's striking that Ballmer is officially richer than Gates, given how rare it is for an employee to become wealthier than his company's founder.

• North Korea and South Korea are in an intensifying arms race. 
• North Korea has launched a series of missile tests. 
• Russia's new alliance with North Korea could worsen the situation. 

North Korea on Monday claimed it had tested a new weapon capable of far greater destruction than the ballistic missiles in its arsenal.

The Hwasong-11Da-4.5, which has a 4.5-ton warhead, follows South Korea's development of multi-ton warhead ballistic missiles, designed as "bunker busters" that can take out North Korean nuclear bases, amid an intensifying arms race on the peninsula.

The South Korean military called the announcement a "deception," claiming North Korea had botched a test in which a missile crashed near Pyongyang.

The situation could get more dangerous in the wake of Russian President Vladimir Putin's new security alliance with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

The UN seeks to contain North Korean aggression

For decades, the UN Security Council, of which Russia is a permanent member, has sought to restrict North Korea's nuclear weapons program, cutting off access to key technology and the global economy.

Russia appeared wary of the potential threat North Korea posed on its eastern border and worked with countries, including the US, to isolate Kim — but the Ukraine war has changed that.

Desperate for new supplies of ammunition and artillery for his army, Putin has found a willing new supplier in North Korea.

According to reports, North Korea has supplied Russia with up to 3 million shells for its campaign in Ukraine, along with ballistic missiles used to target Ukrainian cities.

In turn, Russia is helping North Korea break its diplomatic, economic, and military isolation.

It has increased food and fuel exports to North Korea and vetoed the renewal of a UN panel that monitors the sanctions against the country.

The Kremlin is also suspected of handing North Korea vital satellite technology that the rogue state could use to monitor US allies in the region and, if there were a war, target their military assets more effectively.

So far, Russia seems to have stopped short of providing North Korea with direct military support, though it has pledged to come to its aid if attacked.

But analysts at the Center for Strategic and International Studies are concerned that Kim could drive a "hard bargain" and demand more high-end nuclear and missile technology.

"North Korea would benefit from fielding a nuclear weapons force that could evade US missile defenses with high-end intercontinental ballistic missiles and nuclear submarines," they wrote in an article published June 20.

North Korea may have exaggerated how well Monday's test went, but Russia's alliance is definitely enhancing the threat the country poses to the delicate security balance in East Asia.

Improved missile technology could, in theory, enable North Korea to evade US missile defense systems and strike the US mainland, undermining the US's security pledge to South Korea.

If North Korea comes closer to being able to strike the US, it could fuel "skepticism about American nuclear guarantees" and, in turn, "spark a renewed push by South Korea to develop its own nuclear deterrent," wrote analysts from the Wilson Center in April.

South Korea's government has said it could send weapons to Ukraine in response, and Voice of America reported Monday that some South Korean politicians are questioning the effectiveness of America's nuclear deterrent.

Politician Na Kyung Won said last week that deterrence was "currently working" but "does not guarantee the capacity to respond to the future changes in the security environment," the outlet reported.

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

Hello! My last name might end in a vowel, but I still learned something from this Michelin-starred chef pointing out red flags to look for at nice Italian restaurants. (Although, I take issue with calling it "sauce" instead of "gravy.")

In today's big story, we're looking at President Joe Biden showing no signs of giving up his reelection campaign while former President Donald Trump secured a win from the Supreme Court.

What's on deck:

• Markets: One bank strategist downgrades the red-hot tech sector.
• Tech: OpenAI thinks it has a solution to ChatGPT's coding mistakes.
• Business: There's a problem with new homes in America: They are all ugly.

But first, he's not leaving.

If this was forwarded to you, sign up here.

The big story

Biden won't back down

President Joe Biden knew he'd have to put up a fight this year to keep his seat, but he likely didn't realize it'd come before November's election.

Despite a growing chorus of doubters, the president is digging in his heels over his decision to run for reelection, writes Business Insider's John L. Dorman.

Biden's campaign has been in full-blown crisis mode after the president's disastrous debate against former President Donald Trump last week.

Criticism about Biden's age and ability to serve another four years, previously only whispered about by supporters behind closed doors, was loud and public in the immediate aftermath.

Biden's aides have done their best to defend the president's performance, with one report suggesting the debate was held outside the hours when he's usually at his best. But experts said spinning Biden's struggles as a one-off to voters will ultimately backfire.

Still, the president seems intent on staying put. Despite the increased pressure to drop out, Biden's family has reportedly urged him to stay in the race. If he did give up the nomination, it would only be if he was offered a "dignified way out," according to The New York Times.

Biden bowing out wouldn't alleviate Democrats' problems.

Who would fill in for Biden on the Democrats' 2024 presidential ticket comes with its own issues.

A Biden campaign manager reportedly said if the president steps aside his war chest would mostly go to Vice President Kamala Harris. But in some Democratic circles, the VP isn't being pitched as the best substitute for Biden.

Governors Gavin Newsom and Gretchen Whitmer are among the Democrats who have been floated to fill in for Biden. That chatter has reportedly left Harris' camp frustrated that she isn't considered the obvious pick.

Meanwhile, Trump secured a big win in his immunity case. The Supreme Court ruled that former presidents don't get absolute immunity from criminal charges related to actions under the scope of the presidency, but they do get some.

That decision is set to be pivotal in Trump's January 6-related indictment, with the court making clear some areas of the case can't proceed. The president is also looking to use the ruling to throw out his Manhattan conviction.

But the case could have bigger implications than just Trump. Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote in a dissenting opinion that the ruling created a "law-free zone around the President" whereby they could order the assassination of a political rival without facing prosecution.

3 things in markets

1. Trump's policies are an "elixir for stagflation," JPMorgan's strategy chief warns. David Kelly sounded the alarm on the potential shocks Trump's trade and immigration policies could have on the economy. Sweeping tariffs and mass deportations could trigger a recession, he said.
2. How a new $1 billion hedge fund is looking to stand out. Former Millennium exec Jonathan Xiong has his work cut out for him with the launch of Arrowpoint. The Asia-based multistrategy fund has big-name backers, like Blackstone and Canada's largest pension, but faces a crowded field where heavyweights like Citadel and Millennium dominate.
3. Truist cools on tech. Keith Lerner, Truist Wealth's chief strategist and co-chief investment officer, downgraded the firm's rating on the tech sector from overweight to neutral. He's still bullish on the space but views valuations as overvalued, seeing value in communication services and utilities instead.

3 things in tech

1. Big Tech gets a big win from the Supreme Court. The court kicked two cases dealing with social media content moderation back down to lower courts. A legal expert explained why the decision is a de facto win for social media companies.
2. Humans need another bot's help to fix ChatGPT's blunders. OpenAI unveiled CriticGPT, a tool designed to help human AI trainers spot errors in code produced by ChatGPT. As the chatbot has grown more sophisticated, its mistakes have become harder for humans to spot.
3. Abnormal Security is set to be valued at $5 billion with new funding round. It's raised $374 million in venture funding, but it's unclear how much it will raise with the new round. The startup, which uses AI to guard users from cyber threats across email and apps, was valued at $4 billion in 2022

3 things in business

1. We just can't stop building these hideous houses. Most people agree America needs more houses, but why are the ones being built so ugly? A mix of soaring development costs, local rules, and changing homeowners' attitudes may be to blame.
2. How much money would you need to feel financially secure? For Gen Z, it's $200,000 a year — more than any other generation. Gen Zers, contending with rising costs, are feeling financially vulnerable. According to a previous BI poll, they're the most stressed generation when it comes to saving money.
3. Kevin Costner's bad real-estate bet. Kevin Costner mortgaged his home to put $38 million of his own money into his latest film venture, the western "Horizon." Box-office numbers suggest this was a terrible idea.

In other news

• 2 managers at the World Economic Forum, which hosts the glitzy Davos conference, said the N-word in front of staff: report.
• How Rak Garg became Bain Capital Ventures' youngest partner at just 27 years old in less than 3 years.
• VidCon 2024 showcased the internet's hottest stars you may never have heard of. Here are 7 top takeaways from the annual creator industry conference.
• Business cards are out. Instead, I use a QR code that directs to my LinkedIn profile when networking.
• Mark Zuckerberg's Meta just got some bad news.
• Ex-Moelis banker arrested on assault charges after viral punching video.
• Hot sector: solar careers are in demand.
• The iPhone 16 is less than 3 months away — here's what to expect.

What's happening today

• Major Hurricane Beryl is forecast to barrel northwest across the Caribbean islands. It's the earliest Category 4 hurricane on record for the Atlantic hurricane season.

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. Annie Smith, associate producer, in London. Amanda Yen, fellow, in New York.

• Russia's ambassador to the UN flatly disagreed with Trump's claims he could end the Ukraine war in a day.
• Vassily Nebenzia blamed Ukraine's Western allies for failed cease-fire talks.
• Trump has repeatedly said that he could quickly bring about the end of the war.

It's one of former President Donald Trump's most regular claims on the campaign trail: give him the chance, and he'd make sure Russia's war in Ukraine was over in just a day.

Russia clearly disagrees.

"The Ukrainian crisis cannot be solved in one day," Russia's ambassador to the UN, Vassily Nebenzia, said when asked about the claim on Monday.

Nebenzia went on to blame Ukraine's Western allies — naming in particular former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson — for getting in the way of cease-fire talks that took place in Istanbul in April 2022.

Political scientist Samuel Charap and historian Sergey Radchenko, who analyzed those talks closely, have said that the idea that the West forced the negotiations to close is "baseless."

They also noted that a lot more was on the table during those talks than leaders are willing to consider today.

On Monday, Nebenzia called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's recent statements — in which he called on Russia to withdraw from occupied territories before negotiations could take place — a "joke."

Instead, he said that any negotiations would have to take into account what he called "the new reality that emerged during the period between April 2022 and July 2024" — meaning Russia's territorial gains.

Russia currently controls Crimea and large areas within four regions in eastern and southern Ukraine.

Even if Ukraine were to accept a ceasefire by ceding territory, the negotiations would likely be complex, because Russia does not physically control the entirety of the regions it lays claim to.

In June, Putin also insisted on Ukraine's demilitarization, as well as the end of its ambitions to join NATO, as conditions for ending the war.

Trump has so far revealed little publicly about how he would achieve the peace he claims to be able to broker.

But many believe it would strongly favor Russia's interests.

Those attending a November meeting of the right-wing Heritage Foundation heard from former Trump White House aide Michael Anton that Trump's plan was expected to involve allowing Russia to keep Crimea and parts of eastern Ukraine, as well as limiting NATO's expansion, The Washington Post reported.

Anton later told the outlet he knew nothing of Trump's plans for Ukraine.

Critics have slammed the reported plan as emboldening to Putin and highly detrimental to the US and Europe's security interests, the Post reported.

In March, following a meeting with Trump at Mar-a-Lago, Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orbán — Putin's closest ally within the EU — claimed that Trump's plan was simply to starve Ukraine of further military aid.

The Post later reported, citing an anonymous source, that Trump had never said this to Orbán.

However, the move would be broadly in line with his own urgings of the MAGA wing of the Republican Party.

Earlier this year, Trump-aligned Republicans held up $61 billion in US military aid for Ukraine, badly straining its ability to hold off Russian attacks.

More recently, Trump has floated the idea of replacing Ukraine aid with loans.

Trump's claim that he could end the war almost overnight is one of the few areas where Russia and Ukraine seem to agree with each other.

A year ago, Zelenskyy called Trump's claim a "beautiful" notion, but said it is not grounded in "real-life experience."

• Hormonal balance is one of the many benefits of having a healthy gut microbiome, a doctor said.
• Dr. Max Nieuwdorp, a hormone specialist, researches how the gut affects our hormones. 
• To look after his gut health, he checks nutritional labels and avoids antibiotics if possible.

A scientist and doctor who researches the role of the gut microbiome in our body's hormonal processes shared three things he avoids for his gut health.

Gut health is a buzzy topic with mounting research finding that a healthy gut microbiome, the trillions of microbes that live in the colon lining, is linked to copious health benefits, from smoother digestion to improved mood and immunity. It's no surprise, then, that the global gut health supplement market has been valued at $12 billion.

In his latest book, "The Power of Hormones," Dr. Max Nieuwdorp, an endocrinologist, internist, and researcher based in the Netherlands, highlights yet another benefit of looking after your gut: hormonal health.

Nieuwdorp writes that gut bacteria play a crucial role in maintaining a healthy hormonal balance. They are involved in the release and production of dozens of different hormones and can influence the brain via the central nervous system, according to his book.

"The microbiome can really talk to the body by producing specific substances from the diet that are good or bad for you," Nieuwdorp told Business Insider. Bacteria and the substances they release during the digestive process can affect the function of hormones, he said.

Hormones are sophisticated substances released from glands that act as messengers throughout the body, Nieuwdorp said. They essentially tell parts of the body to do certain jobs. For example, the pancreas produces the hormone insulin, which allows glucose to enter cells to be used as energy. The adrenal gland, meanwhile, releases cortisol, a stress hormone, to wake us up in the morning.

Other than eating a healthy diet, exercising, easing stress, and sleeping enough, experts don't know what specific lifestyle choices people can make to boost their hormone function yet, Nieuwdorp said.

However, given the strong links between gut health and hormones he has learned of through his research, he's made some lifestyle changes to support his gut health and, in turn, his endocrine system.

Here are three things he avoids for his gut microbiome.

Red meat

Nieuwdorp has cut down on how much red meat he eats. "I try to not eat meat every day," he said.

This is because it changes the composition of the microbiome. When we eat red meat, the bacteria in the gut make "dangerous" metabolites when digesting it, he said.

Experts used to think that the increased cardiovascular disease risk associated with red meat came from the meat's high saturated fat content. But newer evidence suggests it might be linked to this microbiome response, according to 2022 study published in the American Heart Association journal Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology.

High blood levels of Trimethylamine N-oxide, or TMAO, a metabolite produced by gut bacteria to help digest red meat, may be associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, and Type 2 diabetes, the study said.

Ultra-processed foods

After reading some compelling research on the negative health effects of food processing, Nieuwdorp always checks nutritional labels to see how food has been processed. He tries to avoid ultra-processed foods and eat more fresh foods.

A diet high in UPFs has been linked to an increased risk of many health problems including gut diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease and colorectal cancer. However, the way most nutritional research is conducted makes it difficult to pinpoint whether the UPFs themselves are the cause, although the evidence is compelling.

However, food additives commonly added to UPFs, such as emulsifiers, sweeteners, and colors, appeared to affect the gut microbiome, intestinal permeability, and intestinal inflammation in a 2024 article published in Nature.

Antibiotics

Although antibiotics are crucial for treating infection and save millions of lives every year, they also disrupt the gut microbiome.

Taking a course of antibiotics decreases the number of microbes in the colon, and reduces the diversity of those microbes, according to UCLA Health.

"They drive dysbiosis in the gut," Nieuwdorp. For this reason, he tries to avoid taking them unless absolutely necessary.

• Universal basic income is in vogue with many trials underway and people like Elon Musk touting it.
• Personal finance guru Dave Ramsey criticized UBI as "straight out of the Karl Marx playbook."
• He said unconditional cash grants deterred people from working and reaping the benefits of success.

Universal basic income is having a moment with trials launching across the globe, promising early test results, and the likes of Elon Musk singing its praises.

But others recoil violently at the idea of continually doling out cash to everyone in a society, with no restrictions on how the money's spent and no need for it to be paid back.

"This is straight out of the Karl Marx playbook — this is not out of the Adam Smith playbook," Dave Ramsey said about UBI on "The Ramsey Show" last summer.

The personal-finance guru and radio star was referring to the co-author of "The Communist Manifesto" and the author of "The Wealth of Nations" — two men regarded as the fathers of communism and capitalism, respectively.

"If I thought with my 40 years-plus in the financial world that this was helpful to people, I would be for it even though I'm a staunch capitalist," Ramsey said.

But he ruled out a regular, no-strings-attached paycheck as a solution to people's financial struggles and broader economic inequality.

He argued that it would deter people from working and realizing the personal rewards that come from helping themselves and achieving their own prosperity.

"Your best quality of life is when your character is increased with grit, discipline, callouses. The ability to overcome obstacles gives you much more joy than the dull hum of communism — it puts you to sleep," he said.

Ramsey added: "If the welfare system worked, people would be sprinting out of these government funded ghettos into a wonderful life, and instead they've set up camp there generationally."

Although he emphasizes his compassion for the impoverished, based on his years of helping people with their financial problems and parsing data, he doesn't believe handouts are good for them.

Instead, Ramsey made the case that letting people eat what they kill provides a stronger incentive for them to better their lives — almost certainly an analogy for lowering taxes: "You don't get that with a universal stupid-butt communism stipend."

The Ramsey Solutions founder and CEO pointed to his personal story as an example of how America's capitalist system gives people the best chance of improving their lot in life.

"I know a guy that was so stupid that he filed bankruptcy because he was so bad at handling money, and he's made millions of dollars teaching people to live on less than they make," Ramsey said. "What a country, oh my gosh."

It's worth underscoring that many proponents of UBI disagree that it eliminates the desire or need to work. Instead they see it as a social safety net that allows people to take risks, such as having kids or quitting their jobs to start a business, without having to worry about paying their rent or buying groceries.

• Saudi Arabia is getting a Trump Tower.
• The Trump Organization and Dar Global announced plans to develop a residential project in Jeddah.
• The plans are aimed at the luxury Saudi market and international investors.

It's full steam ahead for Sauda Arabia's Neom megacity, but the kingdom is also giving the green light to other luxury projects too.

Property developer Dar Global, the international arm of Saudi developer Dar Al Arkan, announced a new deal Monday to develop a residential development in Jeddah with the Trump Organization.

The plans include the future launch of a Trump Tower in the Saudi city, which would mark the Trump company's first project in the country.

Ziad El Chaar, CEO of Dar Global, said in a statement: "The new agreement in Saudi Arabia will leverage the strengths of both organizations to attract more international investors and vacationers. This collaboration underscores our commitment to grow our footprint by elevating the standards of luxury living in the region."

Eric Trump said in a statement that the deal would expand his family company's presence in the Middle East.

The Trump Organization and Dar Global have announced a similar deal in Oman for a $500 million Trump International hotel complex.

The deal permits use of Trump branding under license to developers, but the Trump International Oman is not owned by the Trump Organization.

Saudi Arabia is aiming to woo the luxury international market, in part to differentiate itself from nearby Dubai.

The kingdom has other luxury projects on the boil, including resorts along the Red Sea. Sindalah, one of the island resorts aimed at luxury clientele, is scheduled to open by the end of the year.

Antoni Vives, Neom's chief urban planning and islands officer, said in a press release that Sindalah will be a "new model for luxury travel and living."

Representatives for the Trump Organization and Dar Global did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Business Insider, made outside normal working hours.