A New Zealand Army soldier tries a US military MRE — or Meal, Ready-to-Eat — and compares it to New Zealand MREs. An MRE is designed to sustain soldiers during training or an operation while food-service facilities are inaccessible.
Sam, a bombardier serving in the New Zealand Army’s 16th Field Regiment, asked us not to use his full name for operational-security reasons.
While much of the American MRE Sam tries resembles a New Zealand MRE, he shared some terms that many Americans may not be familiar with, such as “scroggin.” We asked Sam to heat up an MRE’s main course of creamy spinach fettuccine using the flameless ration bag. He also reveals what he plans to eat once he’s back home in New Zealand.
In November 2023, the New Zealand Army participated in the Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center training exercise hosted by the US Army’s 25th Infantry Division in Hawaii.
Several hundred employees in the division will be laid off, per the Journal. The cuts represent about 1% of the total wealth-management division.
The wealth-management division has seen some slowing down in recent months. Net new assets in the division, which helps customers manage their investments and money, are down about 8% from a year ago, and revenue in the fourth quarter was flat compared to last year, according to the Journal.
While sources close to the layoffs told the Journal that financial advisors aren’t expected to be impacted by the layoffs, managing directors and non-customer-facing employees should be getting notices if they’re affected.
A company spokesperson declined to comment in response to Business Insider’s request.
This story is developing, check back for more information.
Under renewed management, Air India has vowed to improve its reputation, which has been plagued by broken seats and filthy planes.
Among its most important projects is improving the experience for its premium passengers, particularly those flying business class on its brand-new Airbus A350.
The plane started flying in January on domestic routes in India, with international routes still yet to be announced — though it’s likely customers can expect the US as a destination.
I toured Air India’s new A350 product in Hyderabad last month after flying its legacy Boeing 777 business class from New York to Delhi to see the improvements, and it’s a night and day difference.
When Badgley Mischka took over the Starrett-Lehigh Building in New York City, one thing was clear: quiet luxury is here to stay.
Influencers, celebrities, and friends of the designers packed into the industrial venue on Saturday, carrying designer purses in hand and wearing chic coats on their backs.
“Gossip Girl” star Kelly Rutherford mingled with Jonathan Cheban of “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” fame, and Adrienne Bailon-Houghton shared a bench with model Madisin Rian.
The duo behind the brand — Mark Badgley and James Mischka — greeted such guests via notes left on each seat, explaining how the fall 2024 line was inspired by the luxury and reality of living in New York City.
“This collection is about the precision and drama of Park Avenue glass towers and the velvet-lined floral cocoons in their lobbies,” the note read. “It is a dance we love to do, of control and extravagance.”
With that in mind, it’s probably not surprising that those in attendance told Business Insider that they’re in line with Badgley Mischka — luxury is best served subtly.
A model walks the Badgley Mischka runway during New York Fashion Week.
Amanda Krause/Business Insider
“Quiet luxury speaks for itself. I feel like less is more,” influencer Daisy Marquez told BI.
Elizabeth Woods, the mom and manager of Jordyn Woods, agreed. Because she usually prefers shopping on a budget, she doesn’t flaunt her more expensive pieces when she wears them.
“I’m always quiet luxury,” she said while pointing to her Cartier glasses, which were a gift from her daughter Jordyn.
Elizabeth Woods attends the Badgley Mischka runway show during New York Fashion Week.
Amanda Krause/Business Insider
And Dhaval Bhanusali, the dermatologist behind Hailey Bieber’s skincare line Rhode, was right there with her.
“I think there’s a fine appreciation for art that’s important, but a lot of times, you don’t necessarily have to shout it from the rooftops,” he said. “I will always go with quiet luxury.”
The loud rise of quiet luxury
A few months into 2023, quiet luxury emerged as a major trend.
Thomaï Serdari, the director of the fashion and luxury MBA program at NYU’s Stern School of Business, previously told BI that the trend consists of “the highest quality” clothing that’s timeless, sophisticated, and simple.
Think neutral colors and thick fabrics. Now pair them with classic accessories: gold jewelry, black sunglasses, and leather purses. You’ve got yourself the ultimate quiet-luxury look.
Some also describe it as the “old money” aesthetic, or dressing like a wealthy fashion icon from decades past. Members of Gen Z, like Sofia Richie, are especially fond of the style.
Sofia Richie in New York City on September 9, 2023.
Jeremy Moeller/Getty Images
Of course, it hasn’t risen to the top without competition. Though quiet-luxury status symbols are everywhere in 2024, some fashion fans are making the case for loud luxury looks — or outfits that feature logos, out-there silhouettes, and bolder colors more prominently.
“Quiet luxury had its moment, and the moment has passed,” costume designer and stylist Molly Farrell-Savage told BI. “I’m from Connecticut, where quiet luxury is the thing, so I just see so much that I’m over it.”
But even fashion fans who understand loud luxury say it’s still not the best look.
Eva Marcille, a former “America’s Next Top Model” winner and “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” star, told BI that quiet luxury will always remain the ultimate sign of style.
“I think people want to go loud luxury because, after COVID and everything that’s happened, there’s fashion from two seasons that we couldn’t wear,” Marcille said. “But less is more. It’s still all about simplicity.”
Republican lawmakers in Idaho are looking to expand the definition of cannibalism.
State Rep. Heather Scott said she was inspired after learning about human composting.
Scott said she was also inspired by a fake video of a man feeding people human meat.
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Republican lawmakers in Idaho introduced an anti-cannibalism law to address fears that human composting could lead to accidental cannibalism.
State Rep. Heather Scott of Blanchard, Idaho, introduced the bill on Thursday. It would expand the state’s already existing cannibalism laws.
Cannibalism is the practice of eating another person’s body with or without consent. There are no federal laws that specifically outlaw cannibalism, but most states have laws that indirectly make cannibalism impossible, such as laws against the desecration of a corpse, according to a report by Cornell University.
Idaho is the only state that specifically outlaws cannibalism, according to Encyclopedia Brittanica. Cannibalism is punishable by up to 14 years in prison in the state unless it’s done in “extreme life-threatening conditions as the only apparent means of survival.”
Scott’s bill, simply titled “Cannibalism,” looks to broaden the definition to include people who “willfully provide the flesh and blood” of a person to another person for consumption under the law.
Scott said on Thursday when she introduced the bill that she was inspired by the use of human composting in nearby states, which she said “disturbed” her, according to the Idaho Statesman.
Scott also said that she watched a clip online of a chef serving unsuspecting guests human flesh, which outraged her. News outlets later confirmed that the clip Scott referred to was from a prank show by comedian David Spade from nearly 10 years ago, Boise NBC affiliate KTVB reported.
Human compositing is legal in seven states, including Washington, Vermont, Colorado, Oregon, California, New York, and Nevada.
Soil gathered from composted human remains can be used in yards, flower gardens, trees, house plants, and other natural environments, according to Recompose, a human composting nonprofit.
In Washington State, laws for scattering human compost soil are the same as those for cremated remains, meaning you must have the landowner’s permission to scatter the soil, according to the company.
Sen. Chris Murphy said in an interview that “no one” is leading Senate Republicans.
“You can’t make policy if no one is in charge,” Murphy told Politico Magazine.
The Democratic negotiator’s remarks came after GOP lawmakers blocked the border security package.
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Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut, the chief Democratic negotiator of the scuttled bipartisan border security package, recently said that “no one is in charge” of the Republican conference after the bill only received four GOP votes in the upper chamber.
Murphy, who spent months working with GOP Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma and Independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona to design immigration legislation that could pass in the narrowly-divided Senate, told Politico Magazine in a recent interview that he collaborated well with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s staffers.
But Murphy questioned the Kentuckian’s leadership.
“I think they were good-faith actors. They helped get this bill to the point where we could release it on Sunday night,” Murphy said of McConnell’s staffers. “I just think it’s really worrying that the leader of the Republican Party can’t deliver more than four votes.”
“I mean, no one is in charge over there right now,” he continued. “That is not good for the country. That’s not good for the Senate. That’s not good for Democrats. You can’t make policy if no one is in charge.”
The Senate vote on Wednesday failed 49-50. The tally was far short of the 60 votes needed to advance the measure, which also faced a murky future in the GOP-controlled House. While six Democrats opposed the bill, four Republicans — Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Mitt Romney of Utah, and Lankford — backed the legislation.
McConnell voted against the bill, which would have overhauled the US asylum system, among other measures.
“It’s not up to me who leads them,” the second-term lawmaker told the magazine. “They just need someone to lead them. We can’t make policy if the Republicans don’t have a leader.”
But despite the setback, Murphy told the magazine he remained a “hopeless optimist” regarding the upper chamber.
“We unveiled a massive comprehensive border reform package,” he said. “We didn’t get it passed, but we got further than anyone in 10 years has gotten. … I still believe in the Senate.”
Dolby Atmos and DTS:X are popular immersive audio formats that can bring 3D audio to a soundbar.
Ryan Waniata/Insider
Are soundbars better than TV speakers?
Generally, even cheap soundbars deliver better audio quality than the speakers you’ll find built into most TVs. To keep costs down and ensure that the speakers fit within a flat-screen design, TVs usually include small divers and poor placement that can result in thin, muddy sound. The best soundbars can add more dimension, clarity, and bass to your TV-watching experience.
Soundbars can also improve the definition of dialogue and other effects for those with hearing issues. That’s especially true for soundbars with a dedicated center channel, where most dialogue and other important movie and TV sound effects are directed.
How many speaker channels should a soundbar have?
The best soundbars can support multiple audio channels. These channels refer to how many directions sound can be sent through the device. Entry-level soundbars support two channels for basic left and right stereo playback, but high-end models can support five or more channels, including a center channel for dialogue, as well as surround channels via extra audio drivers, satellite speakers, or advanced virtualization techniques.
Channel specifications are listed as a string of up to three numbers separated by decimal points. The first number represents how many standard ear-level channels are included (left, right, center, surrounds). The second number indicates if the device includes a dedicated low-frequency channel or separate subwoofer for extra bass. The final number indicates how many height channels are included for Dolby Atmos support.
Buyers who just want a simple upgrade from their TV’s integrated audio will likely be satisfied with a compact 2.0 or 2.1 soundbar system. But if you’re looking for a more complete home theater experience, you’ll want to opt for a 5.1 system or above.
What is Dolby Atmos?
Dolby Atmos is an immersive surround sound format that uses object-based audio mixing. In practice, this means that sounds can be more precisely positioned around your room, with effects placed in all directions, including overhead. For instance, when rain falls from the sky, or a helicopter flies overhead, you can actually hear the sound coming from above.
Dolby Atmos soundbars can use one of two methods to create overhead sound effects. The first involves using audio processing to create a simulated sense of height from regular ear-level speakers. The second method uses up-firing drivers angled up instead of forward to bounce sound effects off your ceiling. Generally, good upward-firing drivers provide a much more convincing sense of overhead sound than audio processing can produce alone.
A subwoofer can be an integral part of your cinematic and musical experience. Due to basic physics, soundbars alone can’t offer the power and authority you’d get in dedicated bass frequencies from even a moderately sized subwoofer. If you’re looking for earth-rattling thunder, the deep boom of explosions, and hefty bass beats, you’ll want to highly consider a soundbar that either includes a subwoofer or, at the very least, allows you to add one later.
US special counsel Robert Hur’s newly released report cites President Joe Biden’s memory and advanced age as a reason not to charge him for mishandling classified documents.
In Hur’s yearlong investigation, his team found several classified documents improperly stored outside the White House stemming from Biden’s time in the Senate and vice presidency.
And while Biden’s likely 2024 presidential challenger, former President Donald Trump, was charged with 37 felony counts in 2023 for similarly holding onto documents, Hur’s report cited several reasons not to charge the current, sitting president, such as his age and declining memory.
“We have also considered that, at trial, Mr. Biden would likely present himself to a jury, as he did during our interview of him, as a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory,” the report said, noting potential jurors would likely want to give him the benefit of the doubt. “It would be difficult to convince a jury that they should convict him — by then a former president well into his eighties — of a serious felony that requires a mental state of willfulness.”
Responding to the report, White House counsel Richard Sauber emphasized the fact that charges weren’t recommended.
“We disagree with a number of inaccurate and inappropriate comments in the Special Counsel’s report,” Sauber said. “Nonetheless, the most important decision the Special Counsel made—that no charges are warranted—is firmly based on the facts and evidence.”
Ned Davis Research said economic indicators suggest the odds of a global downturn are diminishing.
Growth signals are accelerating in 2024, and Red Sea supply chain snags have had minimal impact.
“The global economic lull we saw in the second half of 2023 appears to be abating.”
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What recession?
Wall Street has broadly ramped up its soft-landing calls to start the year, and Ned Davis Research strategists seem to agree that a downturn is looking unlikely.
In a note published Tuesday, they highlighted that economic indicators across manufacturing, supply chains, and equities suggest the odds of a global recession have come down.
“The global economic lull we saw in the second half of 2023 appears to be abating as we start the new year,” chief economist Alejandra Grindal and senior analyst Patrick Ayers wrote in the report.
Economic momentum appears to be accelerating, in their view, as measured by the global composite PMI, a gauge of services and manufacturing. The metric climbed for the third straight month in January to hit 51.8, its highest in eight months.
On a historical basis, it’s still below the long-term average of 53.2, but the global composite PMI has a recession threshold of 47.8. The current positive trend implies near-term concerns can be shrugged off.
At the same time, the report’s leading indicators also suggest constructive growth ahead. The new orders index, for example, showed its strongest expansion in seven months, NDR noted, and the future output index hit its highest mark since June.
“Manufacturing, which has been an economic laggard for some time, pulled out of contraction territory for the first time in 17 months,” strategists said. “Meanwhile, services, the largest chunk of the economy, remains strong. Breadth in both sectors picked up, indicating that the expansion is broadening.”
Global services PMI, which notched its strongest growth since July 2023 as it climbed 0.7 points to 52.3 in January, is still below its long-term average of 53.6, but it’s moving in the right direction.
Plus, new business jumped for the third month in a row, and export orders saw their first expansion in five months.
“The percentage of economies with expanding services sectors jumped ten points to 77%, the highest share in six months,” the strategists maintained. “This puts our breadth measure closer to pre-pandemic levels, when global expansions typically saw services breadth at 85% or higher.”
Across all countries, emerging markets outside of China have seen the strongest growth, with India and the Middle East leading the way. The US, Japan, UK, and China are seeing “moderately constructive” growth, the firm said, while Canada and the eurozone are seeing weaker performance.
The US in particular saw its S&P Global composite PMI hit 52.0 in January, a six-month high. US manufacturing grew for the first time in nine months, and by its widest margin in more than a year, NDR said.
To that point, Goldman Sachs analysts recently forecasted that any spikes in freight costs won’t spur a fresh rise in inflation and that the situation is entirely different from the supply-chain disruptions seen during the pandemic.
People are moving to Orlando for cheaper homes and activities beyond Disney World.
Orlando draws residents from pricier Florida spots like Miami, said real-estate agent Freddie Smith.
The city also attracts movers from New York and California.
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It’s not just snowbirds and retirees: All generations are flocking to Florida for a number of reasons, including no income tax and nice weather.
About 730,000 people moved to Florida between July 2021 and July 2022, according to the latest census data available. The typical mover to Florida is not a baby boomer, but a millennial or a Gen Xer from New York and California, according to Business Insider’s Noah Sheidlower.
Cities in South Florida — like Miami or Fort Lauderdale — are often movers’ top destinations, but Orlando is sneakily gaining popularity, according to real-estate agent Freddie Smith, who moved from Los Angeles to Orlando himself in 2022.
Orlando’s housing market is booming, real-estate agent Freddie Smith said. Shay Walker
Data from moving company Pods shows that Orlando ranked third in long-distance moves in 2023, up from ninth in 2022. According to Census data, between 2017 and 2021 more than 100,000 people moved to Orange County, where Orlando is located, from a different country, state, or county — and 50,000 of those 100,000 people moved from other parts of Florida.
Orlando offers less expensive homes than other Florida cities and is still a short drive away from the beach for tranquility and relaxation, Smith said. It also has entertainment and recreation options, including concerts and sporting events, that you’d expect from a large city, one local told Business Insider.
“Orlando is a very hot place,” said Smith, who posts about the Orlando market as well as national real-estate trends on TikTok, where he has more than 500,000 followers. “You might only think of Walt Disney World, but Orlandohas expanded so widely in the past three years that you can enjoy the tourism if you’d like, but there are so many pockets.”
Census data shows that the population is steadily growing, from 238,300 in 2010 to 307,573 in 2020. According to the University of Florida’s Bureau of Economic and Business Research, Orlando ranked fifth among Florida cities in population change, with an addition of 19,415 residents from 2020 to 2023.
And while Orlando (where Redfin found the typical home sells for $394,950) might still be more affordable than Miami (where one goes for $500,000) or New York City (where it costs $800,000), its popularity has boosted the housing market.
According to a Zillow report from September, Orlando was one of the top six housing markets that gained the most value since the start of the pandemic. It was valued at $382 billion as of June 2023, up 72.3% since 2019.
South Floridians are heading north to Orlando for affordable starter homes
Orlando’s homes remain cheaper than in other large cities in Florida — which makes it a great place to buy your first house, Smith said.
“When it comes to people who can’t get a starter home in South Florida, they’re coming to Orlando,” Smith said. “You can still grab one for $375,000-ish, maybe $350,000 if you’re lucky. That’s a huge difference compared to $700,000 in South Florida.”
A housing development in Orlando. jodi jacobson/Getty Images
It’s getting more expensive to live in Florida overall, though, thanks to rising insurance rates across the state due to the increasing risk and cost of damage from climate disasters like hurricanes and flooding. Skyrocketing homeowners insurance premiums make already-pricey cities like Miami even more costly. Insurance is getting more expensive in Central Florida as well, but the lower home prices in Orlando soften the blow.
It’s still tough for retirees and people with more modest incomes, Smith said.
“The thing that’s hurting them is the increasing HOAs, property taxes, and insurance,” he said.
Out-of-state movers are attracted to savings on bigger homes
Smith added that people from states like New York and California are making their way to Orlando to snatch up luxury homes at what they view as discounted prices.
“If you come from a place like Los Angeles, like I did, $1 million is a shoebox,” he said. “But if you move to Orlando, Florida, with $750,000 or $800,000, you’re like, ‘I get a yard? I have a pool, palm trees, and no state tax?’ So affluent neighborhoods are selling so fast here.”
More than 140,000 of the nearly 739,000 people who moved to Florida between 2021 and 2022 came from California and New York, according to Census data.
A few examples: Native New Yorker Jenna Clark moved to Orlando in 2023 to be closer to Disney World. Mark Kaley, meanwhile, moved from New York to Orlando in 2004 for a bigger house — and found that there’s much more to Orlando than Disney.
An aerial view of Disney World in Florida. Joe Raedle/Getty Images
If it continues on an upward trajectory, Orlando could look very different in the coming years, Smith predicted.
According to Census Bureau and Department of Housing and Urban Development data compiled by moving company MoveBuddha, Orlando ranked fourth in new home construction in 2023.
“Orlando is massive. You’ll see an entire city and community, and then you’ll see just acres and acres. There’s so much room to expand here,” Smith said. “Orlando is expanding now because of the affordability and the space to do so.”
