Tag: News

• Career coach Marlo Lyons told BI that a big part of being a successful entrepreneur is in your mindset.
• But there are also concrete steps to take to improve the odds of your bet on yourself.
• Here are Lyons' top tips she gives clients when they're gearing up to give entrepreneurship a try.

Since the pandemic overhauled our needs and expectations for work, more and more people are choosing to open their small businesses — but entrepreneurship isn't for everyone.

According to statistics from the Center for American Progress, rates of new likely employer business applications shot up 34% between 2021 and 2023 compared to the three years prior. Though the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that 20% of small businesses will fail within the first two years, successful entrepreneurs often say they made it by sheer grit.

Career coach Marlo Lyons told Business Insider that mindset is huge when betting on yourself, but it isn't everything. You can have all the positivity in the world, but if you aren't actively working toward success, you're not likely to stumble into it.

Here are Lyons' top three tips for coaching clients gearing up to try entrepreneurship.

Start with a side hustle — one you're an expert in

OK, maybe you don't have to be an expert now, but pick a field you can reasonably develop expertise in by yourself. You can't really start an innovative bioengineering company without any background knowledge, and you don't need to go back to school to become an entrepreneur.

But there are tons of platforms to develop and showcase your expertise, Lyons noted, like Upwork and Fiverr — which she said are great ways to build a ramp-up to launch your own small business.

"When I was first coaching, when I was getting certified, I would charge people five bucks an hour. I needed the hours for certification more than the money because I was working full-time but then, even for years, I was supercheap," Lyons said. "While you're getting started, you don't have to charge a lot of money to get the experience, build up your clientele to show that you're capable — and then you'll get referrals."

Set concrete goals and become obsessive about meeting them

Once you've dipped your toe in the water and decided the entrepreneurial road is for you, don't expect success to come to you without effort.

That's when the rubber meets the road, Lyons said, and you must start defining what you want your business to look like and what you'll have to do to get there.

"I am super huge on a planner. I mean, like, I'm obsessive about my planner. When getting your business going, set your yearly and quarterly goals for yourself," Lyons said. "Every quarter, what are you going to accomplish that quarter? Break it down week by week —what will you accomplish to hit your goals? Reflect upon that week, and look and see what you accomplished. What didn't you accomplish? What's been held over to the following week? How can you do better?"

Get comfortable with ambiguity

"When I was writing my first book, I was stuck every single step of the way," Lyons said. "I needed to find an editor, which probably took me three months. Then I realized, OK, now I need a book designer. How am I going to do that? I don't know how to do that. Then, oh wait, I need an ISBN number."

You don't know what you don't know along the path of building a business, so get comfortable admitting you don't have all the answers and even more comfortable finding out who to ask. This is really where the importance of your mindset sets in, Lyons said.

"You have to believe that if you have the ambition and keep moving one step forward every step of the way, you will get there."

• Trump plans to headline a campaign event in the Bronx on Thursday.
• Trump has little chance to win the NYC borough but saw a jump in support there from 2016 to 2020.
• His campaign is working to attract more minority support by leaning into the economy.

Former President Donald Trump is set to make an unusual pit stop for a Republican candidate later this week.

On Thursday, the native New Yorker will headline a campaign event in the Bronx, one of New York City's five boroughs and one of the bluest jurisdictions in the country.

The Bronx is so thoroughly Democratic that the borough is generally an afterthought for Republican presidential candidates and even most statewide GOP candidates.

So why bother?

While it might not help him win the Bronx, it will serve as an opportunity for the former president to further pursue his national strategy to win over minority voters.

Trump makes inroads with Black and Latino voters

There's virtually no chance that Trump will actually win the Bronx in November. The borough has backed every Democratic presidential nominee since 1928.

In 2020, Trump managed to improve his standing with Bronx voters, if only slightly, winning nearly 30,000 more votes in the Bronx than he did in 2016. Meanwhile, the Democratic presidential vote share went up by only 2,000 votes.

While Biden ultimately clobbered Trump in the Bronx (355,374 votes to 67,740 votes) in 2020, the boost for the ex-president was similar to gains he made with working-class minority voters — especially Latino voters — across the country that year.

It's a political shift that in 2020 allowed Trump to easily win Florida, including the pivotal Miami-Dade County, a Latino-heavy jurisdiction that Democrats have to carry by a substantial margin in order to win statewide elections.

While New York City isn't Florida, Trump's campaign event in the Bronx is part of a larger strategy to win over minority voters who have drifted away from the Democrats in recent years.

Trump's pitch to minority voters

Trump's expected appearance in the South Bronx will attempt to reinforce his polling edge on the economy.

He will likely also, perhaps ironically, make a pitch that he's the right candidate to reduce crime. Trump's hush-money trial is unfolding in neighboring Manhattan, but New York City itself has seen a series of high-profile crimes recently.

"President Trump will ease the financial pressures placed on households and re-establish law and order in New York!" the Trump campaign said when it announced the Bronx event.

With millions of Americans concerned about inflation and the cost of living, Trump wants to position himself as the candidate who can better address those issues, especially for minority voters.

The Trump campaign is especially targeting Latino voters, who will be key in battleground states like Arizona, Georgia, and Nevada. The former president is also looking to make inroads with Black voters, especially Black men.

It's a strategy that the Biden campaign is working to counter. The president is also wooing Black and Latino voters across the country, pointing to low unemployment under his tenure, as well as the administration's work on issues like housing affordability and infrastructure.

So even though Trump won't win the Bronx anytime soon, his appearance in a place voters wouldn't normally expect to see him could be an effective showcase for his larger national strategy.

And even though the former president is also unlikely to win New York State this fall, he still hopes that his positions on fiscal matters and immigration can give him an opening.

"We're going to come into New York, we're making a big play for New York," he said during an appearance in Manhattan last month.

• There's a new mantra in the corporate world: sleep > caffeine. 
• "Sleep is the new coffee," longevity enthusiast Bryan Johnson told the Journal.
• Experts say workers who sleep more are likely to be more productive and focused.

Some tech execs aren't starting their days anymore with a jolt of caffeine — they're betting on sleep instead.

"I think sleep is the new coffee," Bryan Johnson told The Wall Street Journal.

Johnson, who built his fortune founding companies like payments platform Braintree and neuroscience startup Kernel, is best known these days for his antiaging regimen. His doctors say it has helped him achieve the heart of a 37-year-old and the lung capacity of an 18-year-old — even though he's 46.

A good night's rest is a crucial component of his routine. Johnson has said that he is usually in bed by 8:30 p.m. and up before 6 a.m. He has his last meal by 11 a.m., so his resting heart rate is between 46 and 50 beats per minute when he goes to bed.

The notion that sleep can replace your morning coffee speaks to a growing focus on self-care in the corporate world. Workers are pushing back on the idea that they must get by on just a few hours of rest and work long, grueling days to climb the ladder.

"Now the pendulum is swinging the other way," Shane Health, the founder of Mud/Wtr, told the Journal. "How much are you taking care of yourself? Do you feel energized? Do you feel full of vitality?"

Mud/Wtr makes coffee alternatives from Ayurvedic herbs and adaptogenic mushrooms and recently opened its first non-coffee cafe in Santa Monica, where it sells smoothies and elixirs and offers yoga, breathwork classes, and cold plunge parties, the Journal reported.

And workers who prioritize their sleep and well-being are likely to be more productive, focused, and more articulate in their speech, experts say.

• The quest for longevity has gone mainstream as more people seek ways to reverse the aging process. 
• People are resorting to IV treatments, saunas, and luxury longevity clinics to extend their lifespan. 
• Here are some of the top longevity trends right now, according to industry experts. 

The quest to live longer has long been a focus of the world's wealthiest entrepreneurs. But now it's gone mainstream.

People across the country are taking prescription pills, getting specialized injections, and implementing a range of behavioral practices in the hopes of reversing aging. Research shows that these trends can slow down cellular aging, increase cognitive function, and even delay the onset of chronic diseases.

Still, it's important to view these practices simply as tools, similar to "hammers or screwdrivers," said longevity specialist Dr. Anant Vinjamoori. Their value ultimately depends on the context in which they're implemented, and it's worth tailoring your approach to suit your individual needs, he said. 

Whether you prefer the luxe atmosphere of a longevity clinic or the rush of a cold plunge, take a look at some of the most popular longevity trends sweeping the country. 

There is a growing body of scientific evidence that supports cold exposure as an anti-aging hack.

Whether you plunge into a pool of ice-cold water or try cryotherapy — which involves spending a few minutes in a below-freezing chamber — cold exposure has benefits that may help slow down the clock. 

Anant Vinjamoori, chief medical officer of longevity-focused healthcare company Modern Age, told Insider that cold exposure produces effective results in the short and long term.

A plunge into an ice-cold bath results in "a surge in the production of neurotransmitters such as epinephrine and dopamine," which have immediate rejuvenating and energizing effects, he said.

"Over the medium to long term, there is some evidence that cold exposure may reduce systemic inflammation, which is known to be a driver of many chronic diseases," Vinjamoori added. 

High-end longevity clinics that offer everything from genetic testing to cocktails of supplements are growing in popularity — especially among high-income groups.

Many of these longevity centers offer packages or retreats that can be pretty pricey — sometimes upwards of tens of thousands of dollars a week — but longevity experts contend that they are some of the best places to get practical longevity guidance. 

"The truth is that most people are probably wasting time and money on products that will never materially help them," Matt Fellowes, an advisory council member at the Stanford Center on Longevity and cofounder of health insights platform BellSant, told Business Insider by email. "One exception are some of the clinics that cater to high-income adults, which are actually science-based and, most importantly, create highly personalized assessments and guidance for people – meaning, they only focus on what their specific bodies need." 

At Clinique La Prairie — a more than 90-year-old longevity center in Switzerland — the seven-day, six-night "premium revitalization" package includes longevity consultations, sleep quality assessments, DNA tests, personalized nutrition guidance, and personal training sessions, alongside luxury accommodation and limousine service for about $53,000. The program "stimulates cell regeneration, fights the signs and causes of aging, and reinforces the immune system through a four-pillared approach of medicine, nutrition, wellbeing, and movement," a spokesperson for Clinique La Prairie previously told BI.

There are less expensive options, however.

Time-restricted eating has been shown to have a host of health benefits.

Research suggests that time-restricted eating patterns can result in health benefits for those with diabetes and obesity or even enhance the body's defenses against oxidative stress.  

"For me, the primary benefit of time-restricted eating is regulating circadian rhythms. Sleep quality almost always improves by limiting the consumption of calories in the evening hours," said Modern Age's Vinjamoori. 

Try skipping the meat and adopting a plant-based diet, instead.

Those who cut out animal protein— and stick to a relatively plant-based diet— are likely to live longer and healthier lives, according to studies. 

David Sinclair, a Harvard Medical School professor and longevity researcher, said that high animal protein diets really only help people feel better in the short term. 

"I'm convinced, and the data shows it from population studies, that a carnivorous diet is not a longevity-producing diet in the long run," he said on an episode of "The Knowledge Project Podcast."

In many of the world's Blue Zones— areas where people tend to reach the age of 100— people are likely to have a relatively plant-focused diet. 

Red light therapy uses LED lights or lasers to expose the body to red light— the longest wavelength of light on the visible spectrum.

There is research to suggest that exposing oneself to red light for five to 20 minutes may increase production of adenosine triphosphate, which is a compound that provides and stores energy for the cells. 

"While more research is needed to understand the full benefits and mechanisms of red light therapy, there is evidence to suggest it may be beneficial in improving certain skin conditions including acne, aging, hair loss, wound care, and sun damage," dermatologist Laura Buford previously told Insider. 

Supplements like NMN can help boost critical enzymes in the body to improve cellular function.

NMN, or Nicotinamide Mononucleotide, is a supplement that can help boost levels of a critical coenzyme in the body called NAD+. 

NAD+ is vital in facilitating metabolic processes and maintaining healthy cellular function.

Harvard Medical School professor Sinclair — who has studied the relationship between NAD+ and aging — said in an interview with the YouTube channel Reverse Aging Revolution that the human body uses NAD+ as "a measure of adversity." As humans get older, NAD+ levels decrease, which means the body's defense enzymes and repair enzymes take a hit, and humans "succumb to aging," Sinclair said. 

Since NAD+ is a large molecule, it's difficult to take it directly. Sinclair recommends taking its building blocks like B3, Nicotinamide riboside (NR), or NMN. 

"What we've discovered in people, in clinical trials, is that the closer you get to the NAD itself, the better the boost in NAD that you get," Sinclair said, which is why he recommends NMN. 

 

 

Or try Ashwagandha, an herb that's long been used for anti-aging in Ayurveda, an ancient system of holistic medicine originating in India.

The herb, often classified as an adaptogen, has a host of health benefits that range from easing anxiety and stress to soothing arthritis to boosting cognitive function. Modern Age's Vinjamoori said that ashwagandha has been shown in research studies to reduce cortisol, a hormone associated with stress, and improve sleep in people with insomnia. 

Recent research has also shown that ashwagandha could be a promising agent in anti-aging treatments. A study published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine in 2020 found that ashwagandha may help maintain the length of the key proteins at end of chromosomes known as telomeres. Telomeres are often shortened in the process of DNA replication which has been pointed to as the main factor that "speeds up cell ageing and promotes degeneration processes" the study noted. 

 

People that are serious about aging are also turning to prescription pills like Metformin.

Metformin, a pill prescribed for diabetes, is increasingly being used by biohackers as a way to improve how humans age and slow the onset of diseases like cancer, cognitive decline, and vision loss. 

The drug helps regulate blood sugar and decrease appetite, essentially giving the metabolism a boost and stimulating a cellular clean-up process known as autophagy, Insider reported. 

In his book Lifespan, Harvard professor Sinclair said he takes a gram of metformin every morning along with his yogurt in the hope that it will regulate his metabolism and help his organs remain younger and healthier, Insider reported. 

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman also said his personal antiaging regimen includes metformin. 

And Rapamycin, an immunosuppressive drug used to help treat some cancers.

It's also used in kidney transplants to help an organ recipient's body accept new kidneys, Insider reported.

The pill can slow down cellular growth and reproduction which means it might be a way to "turn down troublesome age-related inflammation," which can contribute to age-related diseases like cancer and Alzheimer's, Business Insider reported.

Business Insider also previously reported that researchers have already seen rapamycin slow aging in flies, crustaceans, yeast, and mice. In humans, studies have shown that it may help improve immune function, especially in older adults.

Despite its potential to be a "fountain of youth," no one has really nailed down the right way to regulate the drug for aging.

Matt Kaeberlein, a longevity researcher studying rapamycin's effects on humans, previously told Insider that "the doses that people are taking off-label are all over the place," adding that, "it's the wild west."

Treatments like hormone therapy, in the form of pills or injections, have also surged in popularity.

The body's balance of hormones can shift with age and spur a variety of age-related conditions like weight gain, mood swings, fatigue, and lower sex drive, two longevity-focused doctors told Insider. As a result, they've seen an increasing patient interest in hormone therapy.

Modern Age's Vinjamoori told Business Insider that testosterone replacement has gained popularity among men and women as it has become clear that optimal testosterone levels can impact mood, libido, and even metabolism. 

"The importance of testosterone for women, in particular, is underappreciated — testosterone is actually the most abundant hormone in a woman's body and is the first hormone to decline with age," Vinjamoori told Business Insider. 

It's not just testosterone, but also sex hormones like estrogen and progesterone that are being sought out by patients. Vinjamoori said the options for hormone therapy range from pills to creams to patches to pellets.

Peptides are another buzzy anti-aging treatment these days.

Peptides, a broad class of anti-aging and performance-enhancing treatments, have taken off in recent years among bodybuilders, athletes, and biohackers.

They're essentially short chains of amino acids that neuroscientist Andrew Huberman has described as a "new kind of wedge in between supplements and prescription pills." Some of the most popular peptide treatments are ones that release human growth hormone and can improve fat loss and muscle repair. 

"Indeed, biohackers are very excited about it because you can practically make your body do certain things," Christian Angermayer, a major investor in the longevity sector, previously told Insider. 

 

Intravenous treatments have surged in popularity for their immediate and long-term benefits.

Intravenous treatments have long been used in hospitals to administer drugs to patients. In recent years, they've become a fixture at spas, longevity clinics, and even luxury residential buildings as a way for clients to hydrate or get a boost of minerals or supplements.

At Six Senses, a luxury resort in Ibiza,  intravenous infusions are among the most popular treatments. "The direct delivery of certain nutrients via the bloodstream serves to have an instant impact on vitality whilst forming part of a broader approach to living well for longer," Dr. Tamsin Lewis, RoseBar's medical advisor, previously Business Insider.

Saunas could be a way to improve depression.

A happy and healthy mind is essential for a long life. And a new study finds that spending time in a sauna can help those battling depression. 

The study involved a clinical trial of 12 adults with major depressive disorder. Over a period of eight weeks, researchers treated them with a combination of cognitive behavioral therapy and sessions in a sauna heated to about 101.3 degrees Fahrenheit for up to 140 minutes. After the trial, 11 out of the 12 participants no longer met the criteria for major depressive disorder. 

Individuals with depression often have a higher-than-average body temperature. When someone's symptoms improve, their body temperature normalizes, too. The study analyzed the question: If you drive up body temperatures, can you get the body's cooling systems to work faster and mitigate the symptoms of depression?

It's a little early to make definitive claims, but the study's lead researcher, Ashley Mason, eventually wants to gather enough clinical evidence for insurance companies to cover saunas as a depression treatment.

• Regular sauna sessions may help alleviate depression, a new study shows.
• The study followed 12 adults over eight weeks.
• 11 out of 12 no longer met depression criteria after the study. 

The next time you need to boost your mood: Head to the sauna. 

According to a new study conducted by Ashley Mason, a clinical psychologist at the UC San Francisco Osher Center for Integrative Health, regular sauna sessions might benefit individuals with depression.

Mason and her team conducted a clinical trial on 12 adults with major depressive disorder over eight weeks. They treated them with a combination of cognitive behavioral therapy and sessions in a sauna heated to about 101.3 degrees Fahrenheit for up to 140 minutes. By the end of the trial, 11 out of the 12 participants no longer met the criteria for major depressive disorder.

One of the study's key ideas concerns body temperature. Research shows that individuals with depression often have a higher-than-average body temperature. When someone's symptoms improve, their body temperature normalizes, too.

That raises the hypothesis: If you drive up body temperatures, can you get the body's cooling systems to work faster and mitigate the symptoms of depression? 

This idea has long been circulating among researchers.

A paper published in 2016 found that people with major depressive disorder who went through "infrared hyperthermia"— increasing their body temperatures in an infrared chamber— saw an improvement in depression symptoms.

Mason told Wired she was "bewitched" by those findings, so as part of her work, she and her team analyzed daily temperature readings and depression symptoms from over 20,000 people to confirm the link between the two. All participants in Mason's study also saw their body temperature increase by 1.5 degrees above the average human temperature during their sauna sessions.

Mason said there's still more research that needs to be done before she can confirm that sauna therapy can combat depression. But "a mind and body treatment with that kind of outcome is surely worthy of further study," she told Wired.

She eventually wants to gather enough clinical evidence for insurance companies to cover saunas "so that when a person with depression is considering a menu of treatment options, this is on the menu."

Some therapists are already recommending sauna therapy to their clients. "My clients have reported positive mood-enhancing benefits, including some alleviation of their depression symptoms during and in the time after using saunas," Annie Wright, a licensed psychotherapist who's been practicing for over 14 years in the Bay Area, told Business Insider.

If possible, she recommends her clients combine sauna therapy with cold plunges, which can also increase the production of mood-enhancing neurotransmitters like norepinephrine. "I love partaking in both of these experiences because of the profound mental health benefits I experience."

• Trump is alleged to have sought $1 billion from oil executives at Mar-a-Lago for his 2024 campaign.
• He promised to lift drilling barriers, gas export moratoriums, and pollution regulations.
• Oil companies risk losing $110 billion in tax breaks if Biden's budget is enacted, said The Guardian.

Donald Trump is alleged to have made a $1 billion fundraising pitch to oil executives in a closed meeting, The Washington Post reported earlier this month, in exchange for $110 billion in savings, according to The Guardian

Trump's forward approach came as reports suggested the size of his reelection campaign war chest lags behind his Democratic opponent. Meanwhile, the former president, who is facing 88 criminal counts, indicted in four separate prosecutions, has been spending millions on legal fees and drawing on campaign funds to pay his lawyers.

A billion dollars would dramatically exceed Biden's fundraising. In March, the president's campaign said it had $192 million in the bank.

The Guardian reports that Trump assured these executives that in return for the campaign cash he would eliminate barriers to drilling, lift the moratorium on gas exports, and overturn regulations designed to reduce automotive pollution in exchange for substantial campaign donations.

The alleged offer could save the oil industry $110 billion, The Guardian said. The exclusive dinner, held at the Mar-a-Lago last month, hosted more than 20 executives from leading oil companies, including Chevron, Exxon, and Occidental Petroleum was the scene of the transactional deal, Per The Washington Post.. 

The primary incentive for the oil and gas companies to back Trump lies in preserving about $110 billion in tax breaks, which would be at risk if President Joe Biden is re-elected, reported The Guardian.

Trump was on a quest to woo oil and gas tycoons

Since taking office, Biden has placed a high priority on climate issues as he's touted tax credits for Americans to purchase electric vehicles and promoted rebates to make homes more energy efficient.

On his first day in White House, Biden rejoined the Paris climate accord, bringing the United States back into fold among nearly 200 countries that have pledged to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

Biden, in also canceling the Keystone XL oil pipeline and also canceling oil and gas leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) in northeastern Alaska, that Trump says have weakened the United States on energy policy.

Lukas Ross, a campaigner at Friends of the Earth Action, who conducted the analysis shared with The Guardian, emphasized the stakes: "Big oil executives are anxious about losing $110 billion in tax benefits under Biden's policies in 2025. Trump's promise to safeguard these subsidies during tax negotiations could make his $1 billion fundraising effort seem like a minimal investment for the industry."

Trump's 2017 tax cuts significantly benefited the oil and gas sector. With some of these cuts set to expire next year, intense lobbying efforts are underway. Records show that major oil companies and the American Petroleum Institute (API) have actively engaged lawmakers to oppose Biden's tax proposals.

The high-stakes Mar-a-Lago event featured executives from smaller firms specializing in areas like fracking and gas exporting, which are particularly vulnerable to regulatory changes.

Trump is continuing to court oil industry donors, holding high-cost fundraisers with figures like John Catsimatidis, whose refinery has a poor safety record, said The Guardian.

In November, BI's John L. Dorman reported that Trump was on a quest to woo oil and gas tycoons into backing his presidential campaign.

"Trump 2024 is actively courting the right people and trying to get them on board, but specifically the oil industry," Canary LLC chief executive Dan Eberhart told the Washington Post last year.

• Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky spoke to NBC News in an interview set to air on Sunday.
• Chesky said it is "hard" to enforce a carbon monoxide mandate across 220 countries and regions.
• NBC News reported that at least 19 deaths at Airbnbs involved carbon monoxide poisoning.

Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky said enforcing certain safety measures, like carbon monoxide detectors, across all listings worldwide is "very hard."

Chesky's comments came during an interview on NBC Nightly News, which is scheduled to air on Sunday. NBC said Chesky will discuss a range of challenges facing his multibillion-dollar company.

NBC reported in November 2023 that there had been 19 deaths on Airbnb properties related to carbon monoxide poisoning. Airbnb responded to the initial deaths in 2014 by asserting it would mandate carbon monoxide detectors in all its listings but that's yet to happen, the outlet said.

While Airbnb has tackled issues like indoor security cameras with outright bans, Chesky said during Sunday's interview that addressing carbon monoxide poisoning has been a tougher obstacle.

"It is very hard to verify whether or not a property has a carbon monoxide detector, but we're working really, really hard to make sure that every single property has a verified address," he said.

He added: "It's really hard to mandate things in 220 countries and regions and cities all over the world, and then if you mandate something, you have to have a mechanism to verify that it happens."

Airbnb has 7.7 million listings worldwide and 5 million hosts. The company says that — as of December last year — it has hosted some 1.5 billion guests. Since Airbnb is a global company, it must adhere to various carbon monoxide laws and regulations.

When asked if Airbnb is "walking away" from that mandate because it may not be "realistic," Chesky said tackling carbon monoxide poisoning and enforcing detectors is still a priority.

"There's a really good question about, 'Is a mandate the right approach?'" Chesky said. "But what is absolutely the right approach is to make sure that every single listing is safe. Every single person is safe."

Airbnb began offering free combination carbon monoxide detectors and smoke alarms to hosts in 2014. Chesky also said Airbnb provides travel information to guests visiting "high-risk" areas.

Representatives for Airbnb did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

• Sean "Diddy" Combs apologized in an Instagram video on Sunday. 
• Video footage showed Combs physically assaulting his ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, in 2016.
• Combs called his behavior "inexcusable."

Sean "Diddy" Combs broke his silence after video footage showed him physically assaulting his former girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, at a California hotel in 2016.

Combs posted an Instagram video on Sunday, writing in the caption, "I'm truly sorry."

"It's so difficult to reflect on the darkest times in your life, but sometimes you got to do that," Combs said. "I was fucked up. I mean, I hit rock bottom, but I make no excuses."

Combs called his behavior in the video "inexcusable."

"I take full responsibility for my actions in that video. I'm disgusted. I was disgusted then when I did it. I'm disgusted now," he said.

Combs said he began therapy and rehab following the events of that video.

"I'm committed to be a better man each and every day," he added.

Representatives for Combs did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

Combs' statement comes after CNN published video footage from March 2016 that showed him physically assaulting Ventura at the now-closed InterContinental Hotel in Los Angeles. The footage appeared to match an incident Ventura described in a 2023 lawsuit against Combs. The lawsuit said Combs got intoxicated before punching Ventura and giving her a black eye.

The footage, compiled from several camera angles, shows Ventura leaving a hotel room and approaching a set of elevators.

Combs, dressed with only a towel around his waist, then exits the hotel room and runs toward Ventura, whom he grabs by the neck and throws to the ground. The footage showed Combs shoving, dragging, kicking, and throwing an object toward Ventura.

Ventura's attorney, Douglas H. Wigdor, called the footage "gut-wrenching" in a statement to CNN.

"The gut-wrenching video has only further confirmed the disturbing and predatory behavior of Mr. Combs. Words cannot express the courage and fortitude that Ms. Ventura has shown in coming forward to bring this to light," Wigdor said.

Representatives for Combs declined to comment on the video footage at the time, CNN reported.

Ventura's lawsuit against Combs accused him of rape and abuse during their decadelong relationship. Combs denied the allegations at the time.

The two reached a settlement just one day after the lawsuit was filed, according to The New York Times.

Although Ventura and Combs' legal battle was cut short, he's still embroiled in other legal troubles after several other women accused him of sexual misconduct.

The fallout has begun to affect Combs' business ventures, which span a range of industries. Revolt, a cable TV network, announced on Instagram that Combs would step down as a chairman.

According to Rolling Stone, more than 20 brands cut ties with Combs' marketplace for Black-owned businesses, Empower Global, following the accusations. The outlet also reported that Hulu canceled a planned reality TV show based on his family called "Diddy+7."

• Donald Trump hinted at extending his presidency for a third term at an National Rifle Association meeting.
• It was the former president's ninth time addressing the US's top gun lobby.
• The speech ended with a pessimistic monologue from Trump set against dramatic music.

Donald Trump hinted at extending his stay in the White House to a third term if he wins in November.

Speaking to a crowd at the National Rifle Association (NRA) annual meeting in Dallas on Saturday, he said: "You know, FDR 16 years — almost 16 years — he was four terms. I don't know, are we going to be considered three-term? Or two-term?"

Some members of the crowd cried back: "Three!"

It was the former president's ninth time addressing the US's top gun lobby, which contains some of Trump's most fervent supporters and donors.

It isn't the first time Trump has hinted at going for a third term.

On the campaign trail in 2020, he told a rally in Oshkosh, Wisconsin: "We are going to win four more years. And then after that, we'll go for another four years because they spied on my campaign. We should get a redo of four years."

But last month, in an interview with Time magazine. he seemed to dial back on his desire for a third term.

"I intend to serve four years and do a great job. And I want to bring our country back. I want to put it back on the right track. Our country is going down. We're a failing nation right now. We're a nation in turmoil," he said.

Trump also used the event on Saturday to slam President Joe Biden for increasing restrictions on gun ownership, promising the crowd that he would reverse any gun safety provisions that Biden had implemented, per Politico.

"Crooked Joe Biden has a 40-year record of trying to rip firearms out of the hands of law-abiding citizens," he said.

The speech ended with a pessimistic monologue from Trump set against dramatic music.

"Now we are a nation in decline," Trump said. "We are a failing nation. We are a nation that has the highest inflation in 58 years, where banks are collapsing, and interest rates are skyrocketing."

"We are a nation that is begging Venezuela and others for oil," he went on. "We are a nation whose leaders are demanding all-electric cars, despite the fact that they don't go far…"

The music was compared to the QAnon anthem — the conspiracy-theory-led movement that baselessly claims Trump is fighting a deep-state cabal of pedophiles.

Trump has leant hard into his support of QAnon in recent years.

The New York Times reported in September 2022 that music sounding like a QAnon song had been played at a Trump rally in Youngstown, Ohio. During the rally, the former president's supporters were also seen pointing their fingers to the sky in a one-finger salute, which experts said might have been a nod to the movement's slogan, "Where we go one, we go all."

• Biden appeared to applaud after a Morehouse graduate called for a "permanent" cease-fire in Gaza.
• The invitation for the president to speak at Morehouse was criticized by many students.
• Many young people are unhappy with the Biden administration's handling of the Israel-Hamas conflict.

President Joe Biden on Sunday appeared to clap after the valedictorian of Morehouse College called for an "immediate and permanent cease-fire" in Gaza during the school's commencement ceremony.

In the lead-up to graduation at Morehouse, a prestigious historically Black men's college in Atlanta, many students opposed Biden speaking at the ceremony, frustrated by his administration's handling of the Israel-Hamas war.

DeAngelo Fletcher, the Morehouse valedictorian, gave an impassioned speech during the commencement, where he didn't shy away from his stance regarding the conflict.

"From the comforts of our homes, we watched unprecedented numbers of civilians mourn the loss of men, women, and children, while calling for the release of all hostages," he said. "For the first time in our lives, we've heard the global community sing one harmonious song that transcends language and culture. It is my stance as a Morehouse man — nay, as a human being — to call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in the Gaza strip."

Biden appeared to applaud Fletcher's comments, which also attracted cheers from many of the graduates.

"Hear the people of this world. Sing the song of righteous justice," Fletcher concluded in his remarks.

The graduation ceremony revealed a stark generational divide. Many young alumni questioned the Biden invitation while older alumni and top university figures were largely supportive of Biden coming to Morehouse.

Morehouse College President David Thomas indicated during a recent NPR interview that he was prepared to end the ceremony if disruptions became so severe that they could warrant police intervention.

"The last thing that we want to do is create a moment where someone is taken out of commencement by law enforcement because they are being disruptive," he told the outlet last week. "Faced with the choice of having police take people out of the Morehouse commencement in zip ties, we would essentially cancel or discontinue the commencement services on the spot."

During the interview, Thomas said that "silent non-disruptive protests" would be permitted during Biden's speech.

Some graduates turned their backs on the president as he spoke, The Atlanta Voice reported. Several Morehouse graduates also wore keffiyeh scarves, a symbol of Palestinians, around their shoulders as part of their graduation regalia.

Biden, during his speech, said he "heard" the voices of the graduates regarding Gaza.

"I promise you, I hear them. It's a humanitarian crisis in Gaza," he said. "That's why I've called for an immediate cease-fire to stop the fighting. Bring the hostages home."

The widespread destruction and loss of life in Gaza have diminished Biden's standing among young voters, as many oppose his administration's initial support of the Israeli government in the conflict.

Georgia is a key swing state that Biden won in 2020, but the issue could go a long way in impacting enthusiasm for his campaign, especially among young and Black voters — two groups that he needs to turn out for him if he wants to win the state this time around.