Tag: News

• Some women are earning higher incomes and becoming the primary breadwinners in their marriages.
• This shift is creating more stay-at-home husbands but can also cause jealousy and resentment.
• Communication is key for couples to navigate these changes and maintain relationship balance.

Women typically make less money than men in the workforce, but there are many professions where women earn more on average than their male counterparts. And as women's salaries increase, some become the breadwinners in their marriages and relationships.

This steady income growth for women can also create more stay-at-home dads and husbands, and the shift in responsibility can require some serious adjusting and getting used to.

Business Insider spoke with five women earning more than their husbands about the biggest obstacles they faced when they became breadwinners. For the most part, feelings of jealousy, resentment, and guilt formed, but ultimately the relationships grew stronger, and communication seemed to be the resolution.

Amy Porterfield is a breadwinner who retired her husband and was worried she'd resent him

"When I started my business, my husband was still a general contractor and contributed to the family finances while working to become a firefighter," Porterfield told BI.

Her husband eventually became a firefighter and earned up to $100,000. But within three years of launching her social media consultancy, Porterfield was earning $1 million in revenue and it became clear her husband didn't need to work.

When the opportunity to relocate from California to Tennessee came, it only made sense for Porterfield's husband to leave his job, even though he loved it. They decided he would retire from firefighting.

Porterfield said her husband was proud, celebrated her successes, and kept moving forward, but he expressed some concerns about not having a job that gave him purpose.

Meanwhile, Porterfield was afraid she'd resent her husband's free time, and eventually, she did.

Porterfield admitted that she occasionally became jealous of her husband's less stressful days when she felt overwhelmed with work. Still, the experience forced them to communicate more, which positively affected their marriage.

"Creating a life unlike most people's status quo forces you to communicate more, say the things you don't want to say but are necessary to grow, and show up in ways that stretch you."

Last year Porterfield's company earned $20 million in revenue, and she feels her family dynamic made her a better leader.

Karina Daves' income is four times larger than her husband's. Therapy helped him deal with it.

Once Karina landed her first tech job, the financial dynamics between her and her husband quickly shifted. "When we got married 11 years ago, Terrance made more money than me," she told BI. He was a master auto technician at Nissan, and Karina was a social worker.

Now, Karina is a regional manager of employee experience at a tech company, produces a podcast, owns a coaching business, and is a social media influencer. Her paystubs show that she makes four times more money than her husband.

To adjust to Karina's schedule and help out more with their two children, Terrance agreed to take a more flexible job at Princeton University and took a 50% pay cut. But he told his wife the transition was difficult and sought out therapy to help him make sense of it all.

Karina said that her husband's therapy sessions eventually helped him realize he was jealous of her and had started viewing her as an individual rather than a teammate. But through healthy communication they got back on the same page.

Katie Matthews' husband quit his job and made her the breadwinner, now they feel like they can breathe

In May, Matthews wrote about her experience as the breadwinner in her marriage for BI. She reported that her husband quit his job of 10 years at the end of 2023 after burning out.

"It was our sole source of income, but by the end, the money just wasn't adding up anymore," Matthews wrote. "So, six months ago, we did what many others dream of doing. We quit the job with no backup plan."

Matthews has stepped into the role of financial provider, earning money as a freelance writer while her husband is in charge of the housework and kid duties. Now that they've reversed roles, she says they're kinder to each other and better understand what the other person contributes. They also realize how much pressure they've put on themselves over the years, and she appreciates the support she now has to advance her career.

But this understanding doesn't stop Matthews from feeling resentful at times.

"Admittedly, I can feel resentful that I'm working while he isn't, especially when I've never had a clean break from work, not even when our babies were born."

Still, Matthews believes switching roles has expanded the couple's mutual empathy and made them a better team.

Andrea Mac loves being the breadwinner but feels like the second-choice parent

After Mac gave birth to her third child, her husband decided to leave his electrical engineering job and became a full-time stay-at-home dad. He takes care of 90% of their home life, while Mac earns 100% of the income.

This arrangement works for their family of six, but it doesn't come without some sacrifices that traditional moms don't typically face — especially when Mac has to take long work trips.

"For days and weeks at a time, my husband was effectively a single parent," Mac told BI. "It wasn't easy when I finally returned home."

Sacrificing parenting moments to be a provider has turned Mac into what she calls the "second-choice parent." It's also led to her questioning if she's just a paycheck sometimes, but she loves her work. Her company made just under $550,000 last year.

Mac considers herself and her husband incredibly hardworking and committed to providing for their family's needs. They believe in shared decision-making and an equitable division of responsibilities, which keeps their marriage balanced.

Betsy Grunch is a surgeon, and her husband is a stay-at-home dad

Work-life balance has been difficult for Betsy, an active mom and neurosurgeon with an unpredictable work schedule. Fortunately, she's able to split childcare responsibilities with her husband, Ray, a stay-at-home dad and private investigator.

"Even before I got pregnant, my husband wasn't working that much and did a lot of the chores at home, so we knew he'd mostly be the one to stay home with the kids," Betsy told BI.

But this arrangement doesn't come without the guilt of missing out on family moments. Betsy said her son and daughter, who are 9 and 6 respectively, understand that she has to work. At the same time, Betsy notices her kids can get jealous when she has to step away to focus on work tasks.

Betsy said she's learning to ask for help juggling both worlds. She's even hired extra staff at her job and extra help managing household chores. This allows her to be more present when she's with her family

"Outsourcing certain responsibilities has been life-changing and helpful. I can spend a lot more time with my kids now."

If you're a wife earning more than your husband and want to share your story, please contact Manseen Logan at mlogan@businessinsider.com.

• Joe Biden and Donald Trump will debate Thursday night.
• Their face-off is the earliest major debate on record.
• There are other notable changes, including commercial breaks and no studio audience. 

President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump are set to face off Thursday night in the earliest major presidential debate on record.

Both men enter their first faceoff of 2024 locked into a race that remains too close to call nationally. According to Real Clear Politics' polling averages, Trump holds narrow leads in key swing states that could decide the race.

In an era where Americans watch few live events besides football, the evening offers both campaigns a chance to get their message in front of millions.

Here are the vital facts you need to know before Thursday night's debate.

When is it and how can I watch it?

The first presidential debate of the 2024 election will be Thursday, June 27 at 9 p.m. ET. CNN will host the debate, but all major broadcast and cable networks will offer simulcasts. You can also stream the debate through Max. If you can't access the debate any of those ways, CNN is also streaming it through its website here. You don't even need a cable login.

The debate will last 90 minutes.

How is this debate different?

Beyond taking place in the summer, this debate will differ from any other recent memory. Instead of a live audience, Trump and Biden will square off at CNN's studios in Atlanta. There will be moderators, but both campaigns effectively killed off the bipartisan organization that has hosted debates for years. So, CNN chose anchors Jake Tapper and Dana Bash.

At Biden team's urging, CNN has also pledged to mute the mic of the candidate who is not speaking. You might recall that in 2020, Biden asked then-President Trump, "Will you shut up man?" during their raucous first debate. The first debate was considered by just about everyone involved to be an abject disaster.

Trump is set to get the last word this time since Biden elected to choose his podium position after winning a coin toss. As a result, Trump will be the last to deliver a closing statement. There will be no opening statements.

Wait, there are going to be commercials?

Yes, there will also be two commercial breaks. This, too, is a major departure from traditional debates.

What about fact-checking?

CNN correspondent Daniel Dale rose to fame fact-checking Trump, but don't expect him, Tapper, or Bash to chime during the debate. David Chalian, CNN's political director, told The New York Times that the debate "is not the ideal arena for live fact-checking." The fact-checking will have to wait until after the debate finishes.

What's Robert F. Kennedy Jr. going to be doing?

It's not entirely clear yet. We know he won't be joining the two presidents on the stage. CNN confirmed that Kennedy failed to reach their twin thresholds of 15% in four selected national polls and qualifying for the requisite number of ballots in each state. Billionaire attorney and philanthropist Nicole Shanahan, Kennedy's running mate, has promised "a few surprises" with their own live broadcast.

Kennedy's campaign is in a critical moment. He previously announced that he raised less money in May than in any month this year, mainly due to Shanahan's decision to tap into less of her fortune. The noted vaccine skeptic is also in the thick of trying to qualify for the ballot in all 50 states.

A third-party presidential hopeful hasn't made a debate stage since 1992, so Kennedy's failure is far from unprecedented.

How is Trump approaching the debate?

After years of suggesting Biden is too feeble to do the job, Trump has been slightly complementary of the man who beat him in the 2020 election.

Republicans seem to recognize that setting the bar for Biden's performance at practically not dying on the stage is, uh, a low bar. So, instead, Trump is engaged in the very traditional game of trying to shape the media narrative before the showdown begins.

What about Biden?

Biden has spent days prepping for the debate at Camp David, the presidential retreat. History shows that incumbent presidents typically struggle in the first debate, a fact both President Obama and Trump can attest to. Biden's lawyer, Bob Bauer, is expected to reprise his role of playing the former president in mock debates. Former White House chief of staff Ron Klain, who has prepped Democrats for general election debates for decades, is taking time off from his new perch at AirBnb to help as well.

What topics can we expect?

Only Tapper, Bash, and a few select people at CNN know the exact questions. That being said, a few issues seem almost guaranteed to come up. Polls show that Americans have deep concerns about Biden's age. Some national polls have also showed support for Trump dropping slightly in the wake of him becoming the first former president to be convicted of a felony. Tapper has also grilled Republicans, who, like Trump, continue to try to raise doubts about the 2020 election. The former president never directly conceded the race.

Trump's comeback campaign is also surging due to views about the US economy. Traditional metrics show Biden has much to be proud of, but while inflation has cooled, voters are still angry about high prices. Voters are also deeply skeptical of Biden's immigration policies, one of the biggest areas of disagreement between the two hopefuls.

Wasn't it possible there would be no debates?

Yes, that was a very real possibility. In 2022, The Republican National Committee formally withdrew from the Commission on Presidential Debates after years of tensions with the organization that has organized general election debates since 1988. It became an open question of how debates would move forward this time.

Trump, who easily dispatched his primary opponents, began goading Biden to debate him anyplace and anytime. In late April, Biden told radio host Howard Stern he would debate Trump. Weeks later, Biden's campaign delivered the final blow to the commission, confirming that Biden would not participate in any of its scheduled debates. The president's team said the debates had become too unruly and were scheduled too late in the calendar.

Trump and Biden then quickly agreed on the CNN debate and another contest in September, operating without any help from the commission. For now, the pair hasn't agreed to a third debate. Traditionally, the commission held two formal debates and one town-hall-style debate.

What's next after the debate?

Both sides are set to campaign on Friday. Biden will be in North Carolina. Trump will be in Virginia, a state that hasn't gone for the GOP in a presidential election since 2004. Trump is optimistic he can expand the list of potential swing states.

At least one more debate is on the calendar; ABC News will host a September 10 debate. Vice President Kamala Harris and Trump's yet-to-be-named running mate are also expected to debate. As of now, they haven't settled on one network to host that debate.

• ChatGPT put OpenAI at the forefront of the drive to build human-like AI.
• But the momentum of that hugely impactful launch has been tough to maintain.
• The company has had PR setbacks and development snags.

"Try talking with it here," Sam Altman wrote on X, linking to an "early demo" of ChatGPT.

He gave some thoughts on "language interfaces" and how people would soon "talk to the computer" with voice or text to get what they want, "for increasingly complex definitions of want!"

That thread marked what turned out to be one of the most impact launches in Silicon Valley history.

ChatGPT' prompted a surge of interest in generative AI. Tech giants like Microsoft, Apple, Google, and Meta poured billions of dollars into the technology, and venture capitalists pumped even more into startups focusing on it.

It made OpenAI the poster child of the race to create human-like artificial general intelligence, which has become Altman's stated mission.

But getting there from the ChatGPT demo he debuted in November 2022 is a long road. Few would've mistaken the chatbot — with a tendency to hallucinate and get basic facts wrong — for a human. The company is struggling under the weight of expectations the initial launch created — and following up with launches as smooth and impactful is getting tougher.

Meanwhile, rivals like Google, Meta, and smaller companies have tried to catch up by unveiling their own AI models, such as Gemini Ultra and Llama 3.

OpenAI's new products have had issues

On Tuesday, OpenAI said it was delaying a highly anticipated upgrade to its chatbot's "voice mode" feature, which had been due for imminent release.

The existing voice feature, first introduced in September 2023, had suffered delays in responding to users' attempts to have a back-and-forth conversation and struggled to "directly observe tone," as well as multiple speakers and background noises, the company said.

The upgrade was set to roll out to a small group of ChatGPT Plus users in late June until the company announced it needed to work on "the model's ability to detect and refuse certain content" and to prepare "infrastructure to scale to millions while maintaining real-time responses."

The hiccup came after OpenAI made headlines when Scarlett Johansson accused the company of touting a voice — "Sky" — that, she claimed, was "eerily similar" to hers.

Though Altman later claimed it "was never intended to resemble" Johansson's, the company decided to pause using the voice.

The voice feature isn't the only one having a hard time.

OpenAI still has no release date for Sora, the model that generates videos based on users' text prompts and was first demonstrated publicly in February. In May, Google boss Sundar Pichai said OpenAI's training of Sora may have violated YouTube's terms and conditions.

Open AI released GPT-4o, its most advanced multimodal AI model and the successor to GPT-4, in May but rival AI lab Anthropic showed data on Claude 3.5 Sonnet, which it released last week, that suggest its model beats GPT-4o on "graduate-level reasoning," "code," and "reasoning over text" benchmarks.

According to Chatbot Arena, a widely followed performance table, Claude 3.5 Sonnet beat GPT-4o in coding. GPT-4o maintains the overall top spot on the table but only by a narrow margin.

This month did give OpenAI something to celebrate; Apple announced that it was partnering with the company to bring ChatGPT to iPhones, iPads, and Macs. This gives OpenAI access to Apple's huge install base of more than 2 billion active devices.

But OpenAI isn't getting paid for the integration, and Apple didn't guarantee exclusivity, as it has signaled it's open to partnering with other companies on AI.

ChatGPT gave OpenAI a headstart in the race to make AGI. But in a race that long, anyone could win.

• Another whistleblower has come forward with complaints of Boeing's safety lapses.
• Richard Cuevas said that he saw holes drilled improperly, which could lead to "catastrophe."
• The airplane mechanic said he was fired from his job shortly after raising concerns. 

Another Boeing whistleblower has come forward, saying that he witnessed 787 Dreamliner planes being built in a manner that could lead to a "catastrophe down the line."

Richard Cuevas was a Strom airplane mechanic who used to work as a contractor for Boeing and Spirit AeroSystems. He said that in 2023, he witnessed substandard manufacturing of the 787 planes' forward pressure bulkheads, which help maintain air pressure.

In a complaint filed by his lawyers on Tuesday to the Federal Aviation Administration, Cuevas said Spirit AeroSystems workers were drilling holes into the fasteners of the plane's forward pressure bulkhead, which were bigger than what Boeing had specified.

They did this to "clear excess paint from the holes and speed up a slow process," per the complaint. Cuevas said that the faults could lead to a loss of air pressure in the flight and run the risk of power failure.

However, in March, a few months after he reported his findings to Boeing and Spirit AeroSystems, he was fired from his job, the complaint said.

In a statement to CNN, Boeing said it had investigated Cuevas' concerns and determined that they were not safety threats.

"A subcontractor's employee previously reported concerns to us that we thoroughly investigated as we take seriously any safety-related matter," the company said to CNN. "Engineering analysis determined that the issues raised did not present a safety concern and were addressed."

Latest in a long list of Boeing whistleblowers

Cuevas is the latest whistleblower to allege that the aircraft manufacturer has been lax with safety and quality control.

A sprawling 204-page report by the Senate subcommittee investigating Boeing's safety and quality practices, released on June 17, cited accounts from numerous other whistleblowers.

These include Sam Mohawk, a quality assurance inspector for Boeing, who alleged that the company lost track of hundreds of faulty 737 parts and ordered staff to conceal improperly stored plane parts so that FAA inspectors would not see them.

Merle Meyers, a former Boeing quality manager, said that Boeing's manufacturing team regularly tried to retrieve bad parts from a "reclamation" area even after they were thrown out.

John Barnett, a Boeing manager turned whistleblower, said that safety procedures were ignored in the interest of speed and efficiency in building the planes.

Just days before he was supposed to give a deposition, Barnett was found dead from a"self-inflicted gunshot wound," the Charleston County coroner's office told BI's Matthew Loh. No further details were provided.

Boeing's troubles

Boeing planes have been plagued by technical issues in recent months.

On Saturday, a Korean Air 737 Max 8 flight bound for Taiwan had to turn back and make an emergency landing after detecting a fault with the aircraft's pressurization system.

Earlier in March, a United Airlines Boeing 777 taking off from San Francisco International Airport lost a tire just after takeoff, which crushed a car in the airport parking lot.

Most prominently, in January, a door plug came off a Boeing 737 Max 9 Alaska Airlines jet at 16,000 feet, resulting in a gaping hole in the plane.

Cuevas' lawyers and representatives of Boeing and Spirit AeroSystems didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider, made outside regular working hours.

• Ayo Edibiri directed episode six on season three of "The Bear." 
• The actor said she tried her best to stay in a good mood and "talk decently to people" on set.
• Studies show that employees want to feel valued and appreciated at work.

Ayo Edebiri stepped into the director's chair for an episode on season three of "The Bear," and she says her focus was on bringing positive energy to the set.

"I tried my best to just be in a good mood, try to talk decently to people, because that I think can do a lot for how the workday flows," Edebiri told The Hollywood Reporter on Tuesday.

Edebiri has won an Emmy, Golden Globe, and Critics Choice Award for her role as chef Sydney Adamu on "The Bear," where she acts alongside Jeremy Allen White.

In an interview with Variety in December, White, who plays chef Carmen "Carmy" Berzatto, explained that since the focus of the second season was on transforming The Original Beef of Chicagoland into an upscale restaurant named The Bear, there was less cooking on set.

"But now, in the third season, I think we're going to go back to that functioning kitchen atmosphere that we had in the first," he said.

Edebiri, a comedian, writer, producer, actor, and now director, said she turned to the show's creator Christopher Storer for inspiration while directing the episode. "Energy kind of goes from top down," she said, per The Hollywood Reporter.

And it's not just actors who need positive energy. Employees also want to feel valued and appreciated at work.

A 2021 study by the global management-consulting firm McKinsey found that one of the top reasons people quit their jobs is because they don't feel valued by their company or their manager.

"CEOs need to invest more time, energy, and resources into developing their culture, into developing their employees," Jasmine Hill, the CEO of Radiant Slate Consulting, told Business Insider.

Being pleasant to people at work has benefits at home, too. According to research published in the Journal of Applied Psychology in 2018, behaving well at work can even help you sleep better.

• General Mills will boost product flavors to attract price-conscious customers amid inflation.
• The company said it expects little sales growth in the next year.
• General Mills' shares were down 4.6% at closing on Wednesday after it reported earnings.

General Mills is turning up the flavor to attract price-conscious customers.

The snack and cereal maker said it will improve the taste of some of its biggest products to boost sales as inflation continues to hit consumers.

"In tough economic times, consumers can't afford to waste, so they're looking for great-tasting products they know their family will eat," CEO Jeff Harmening said on an earnings call on Wednesday.

"Pillsbury biscuits will be flakier, Annie's mac and cheese will be cheesier, and Betty Crocker fudge brownies will be fudgier," Harmening said.

Sales growth for the year ending May 25 fell 1%. General Mills predicted sales growth for the next fiscal year to be between zero and 1%, below what investors expected.

General Mills' shares were down 4.6% at closing on Wednesday after the company reported earnings.

Americans are feeling the burden of rising prices at grocery stores and food items in general. They're buying fewer things in supermarkets and at fast-food restaurants alike, CEOs in both industries have said in recent months.

Along with higher-flavor iterations, General Mills' CEO said that the company will also introduce value or bulk packs on some products and will spend more on coupons — over 20% more in the next six months.

As part of its attempt to remain top-of-mind, General Mills is working with NFL stars Travis and Jason Kelce and comedian-actor Pete Davidson. The company is also sponsoring Canadian, British, and Australian athletes in the upcoming Olympics.

General Mills is not the only company that is being forced to get creative.

Earlier this year, rival breakfast giant Kellogg's faced backlash for encouraging cash-strapped shoppers to eat cereal for dinner. Some people noted that even if they were trying to save on groceries, they would not opt for relatively expensive name brands like Kellogg's.

• Houthi rebels say they've fired a locally made hypersonic missile as they target ships in the Red Sea.
• Dubbed the "Hatem-2," the Houthis said the missile is a solid-fuel warhead fired at a Liberian-flagged ship.
• The Houthis aren't known to have advanced arms manufacturing, and the missile resembles Iranian designs.

Yemen's Houthi rebel group said on Wednesday that it targeted a Liberian-flagged ship in the Arabian Sea with a "homemade hypersonic missile," saying it unveiled the weapon for the first time.

"It is a homemade hypersonic missile that possesses advanced technology, is accurate in hitting, and reaches long ranges," wrote Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sare'e in a post on X.

Sare'e said the missile was launched at the MSC Sarah V, a Greek-managed civilian vessel that he alleged was linked to Israel. He did not say if the ship was hit.

Tracking data shows that the vessel was bound for Abu Dhabi and entered the Persian Gulf on Wednesday evening, indicating that it is still functional.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, run by the British Royal Navy, reported that a ship was attacked on Monday but that its crew is safe after an explosion near its hull. A map showing the attack's location indicates it is one of the longest-range assaults launched by the Houthis so far.

Houthis posted footage of the missile

Houthi-linked channels posted footage of the purported launch, calling the missile the "Hatem-2" or "Hadim-2."

The video's text claims it is a solid-fuel missile with an intelligent control system and that multiple generations of the missile exist with various effective ranges.

Business Insider could not immediately verify the authenticity of the footage. In some of the clips, parts of the frame are blurred.

Sare'e said in a statement that the missile was developed by the Yemeni Military Industrialization Corporation.

The Houthis are not known to have the capability to manufacture advanced arms, bringing into question whether the "Hatem-2" was truly "homemade."

However, the group has been found to repeatedly be receiving weapons from Iran, a contravention of a United Nations arms embargo.

Indeed, the missile shown in the Houthis' Wednesday video appears to resemble Iranian-made munitions such as the Fattah-1, which Tehran says can travel at an effective speed of up to Mach 13, or 13 times the speed of sound.

Is the 'Hatem-2' really a homemade hypersonic missile?

Missiles that travel at Mach 5 or faster are generally considered hypersonic, and their speeds can make it difficult for defense systems to intercept. The term is sometimes used loosely to describe hypersonic glide vehicles and cruise missiles — warheads that can maneuver unpredictably in the sky at hypersonic speeds — that are at the forefront of military development for major powers like the US and China.

Given the footage published by the Houthis, it is unlikely that the "Hatem-2" possesses that kind of advanced capability.

The announcement by the Houthis comes just weeks after it said it launched another advanced missile, dubbed the "Palestine," on June 8. Like with the "Hatem-2," this missile was claimed by the rebels to be locally made but also resembled Iranian warhead designs.

These launches happened about three months after the Houthis were reported in March by Russian state media to have a hypersonic missile that could reach speeds of up to Mach 8.

The rebel group has been attacking dozens of ships, primarily in the Red Sea, which it says is a response to Israel's recent bombardment and occupation of Gaza. The Houthis claim to be attacking ships linked to Israel, but it is often unclear how the targeted vessels might be related to Tel Aviv.

Naval assets stationed in the region by the US and its allies have so far taken down almost all missiles and drones fired out of Yemen.

Notably, Yemen's latest launch occurred as the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group left the region on Saturday after defending the area for about eight months. It is due to be replaced by the USS Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group.

With the Roosevelt strike group — the third group since October 2023 to be stationed in the Middle East — departing South Korea on Wednesday, the Red Sea region has been without a US aircraft carrier for at least several days.

• Temu and Shein have been giving Amazon a run for their money with their ultra-low prices.
• But Amazon might just have a plan to fend them off — starting its own discount section.
• The Seattle-based giant is looking to ship a range of unbranded items directly from China to the US.

You know what they say, "If you can't beat them, you join them."

That appears to be the gist of Amazon's new plan to fend off its Chinese rivals, Temu and Shein.

The Seattle-based e-commerce giant plans to start a new discount section on its website, The Information reported on Wednesday, citing slides the company had shown to Chinese sellers.

According to the outlet, Amazon wants to ship a range of unbranded items directly from China to the US. Customers can expect to receive their orders within nine to 11 days.

Chinese sellers were told in a recent closed-door meeting with Amazon that the new marketplace will start accepting products this fall, per The Information.

The move is widely seen as a response to the increased competition it's facing from Temu and Shein, which have lured customers with their ultra-low prices and aggressive marketing campaigns.

"We are always exploring new ways to work with our selling partners to delight our customers with more selection, lower prices, and greater convenience," a spokesperson for Amazon told The Information.

Temu and Shein did not immediately respond to requests for comment from BI sent outside regular business hours.

To be sure, winning customers through competitive pricing has long been a part of Amazon's playbook.

In 2009, Amazon launched its own private-label business, AmazonBasics. The company started by selling electronics like batteries and power cords at a lower price point before expanding its efforts into other product segments like pet food and clothing.

The strategy might be even more relevant today, given how American consumers may be becoming more prudent with their spending.

In April, Amazon CFO Brian Olsavsky told journalists that the company noticed that its customers were "buying a lot more consumables and everyday essentials," which tend to be cheaper.

"Customers in the US are being very thoughtful about their spend," Olsavsky said. "They look for deals, they trade down and look for lower ASP (average sale price) products."

And unlike most companies, which could find themselves bleeding cash when they try to wage a price war, Amazon might just have the heft to survive the bloodbath.

On Wednesday, the company's market capitalization surpassed $2 trillion for the first time, joining the ranks of other tech colossuses like Microsoft and Apple.

• SpaceX has been chosen to drag the International Space Station out of orbit.
• NASA will give Musk's space exploration company $843 million for the mission. 
• The project will take place after the ISS is retired in 2030. 

NASA has tasked Elon Musk's SpaceX with building a vehicle powerful enough to pull the International Space Station (ISS) out of orbit.

SpaceX will be given $843 million to build the structure before the ISS reaches the end of its operational life in 2030, NASA said in a statement on Wednesday.

"NASA announced SpaceX has been selected to develop and deliver the U.S. Deorbit Vehicle that will provide the capability to deorbit the space station and ensure avoidance of risk to populated areas," per the statement.

The vehicle will attach itself to the ISS and pull it out of its path, which is about 250 miles above Earth's surface.

NASA started asking for proposals from aerospace companies for the US Deorbit Vehicle (USDV) in September, asking for price quotes.

Upon securing the contract, SpaceX responded to the news on X, saying: "SpaceX is honored to be entrusted by @NASA to support this critical mission."

As the ISS is decommissioned, NASA intends to transition into smaller, privately owned space stations closer to the Earth's surface, or in Low Earth Orbit.

"U.S. industry is developing these commercial destinations to begin operations in the late 2020s for both government and private-sector customers," NASA's website states.

The ISS, launched in 1998, is a 925,000-pound structure that measures 357 feet end-to-end, almost the length of a football field.

It has been managed by five space agencies since its launch: NASA, CSA (Canadian Space Agency), ESA (European Space Agency), JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency), and Russia's State Space Corporation Roscosmos.

The statement said that the US, Canada, Japan, and participating countries of the ESA have remained committed to operating the ISS until it retires in 2030. Russia has committed to maintaining operations until at least 2028.

The structure has much to show for its years in operation, having supported 3,300 experiments that could not have been possible on Earth, per NASA's statement on Wednesday.

SpaceX has been NASA's commercial partners for years. It was one of the two American companies NASA tapped in 2014 to explore commercial space transport.

SpaceX and NASA didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider, made outside normal working hours.

• The iconic 23-ounce cans of Arizona Iced Tea still sell for 99 cents after 32 years.
• Arizona founder Don Vultaggio told Today he doesn't want to raise prices on consumers.
• The strategy is unique as grocery prices rise and some brands use shrinkflation to profit more.

Don Vultaggio, the cofounder and CEO of the company behind Arizona Iced Tea, still sells his product for the same price as when it launched 32 years ago — 99 cents.

Vultaggio decided to get into tea and founded the Arizona beverage company in New York in 1992 after seeing the success of Snapple. Arizona's signature big cans of iced tea were a quick success, and Vultaggio still runs the company to this day with the help of his sons.

While groceries have gotten more expensive and some brands engage in "shrinkflation" — keeping their price the same while decreasing the amount of product in a package — Arizona has managed to offer its iconic 23-ounce cans for the same price it always has.

In an interview with Today that aired this week, Vultaggio said people ask him how they can sell their classic products, like their green tea or iced tea with lemon, for such a low price.

"We make it faster, we ship it better, we ship it closer, the cans are thinner," he said.

NBC's Savannah Sellers noted that Arizona's competitors charge more than that, and asked him why he doesn't raise their prices and pull in more profit.

"We're successful. We're debt-free. We own everything. Why? Why have people who are having a hard time paying their rent have to pay more for our drink?" he said. "Maybe it's my little way to give back."

When asked if he'd ever raise their prices, he said he couldn't say never, but at least not for the foreseeable future.

"We're going to fight as hard as we can for consumers because consumers are my friend," Vultaggio said.