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I toured the 600-room hotel with a pool and gym that American built exclusively for its employees — see inside Skyview 6
Taylor Rains/Business Insider
American Airlines opened a $250 million employee-only hotel at its Texas headquarters in 2023.The hotel features 600 rooms and numerous amenities, like a gym, an outdoor pool, and a cafeteria.The "hospitality complex" is a central space where employees can work, meet, study, and socialize.American Airlines spent $250 million to build an employee-only hotel at its sprawling Texas headquarters that opened in January 2023.
Complete with 600 rooms and heaps of amenities, the "hospitality complex" is basically a mini-city exclusive for employees traveling to the airline's main hub, Dallas/Fort Worth, on company business.
Think flight attendant and pilot training or annual conferences. Eligibility extends to employees at American's mainline operation and its wholly-owned subsidiaries like Envoy Air, Piedmont Airlines, and PSA Airlines.
American's senior manager of corporate real estate, Holly Ragan, told Business Insider during a recent tour that the hotel's purpose is to have everything in one place where employees can easily access everyday needs. It also creates community and pride among employees, she said.
"Skyview 6 is the central heart of campus where our team members can gather," Ragan said. "We have dining, corn hole, a fitness center, a pool, and just various offerings to help our employees feel a sense of normalcy when they're here."
Take a look inside American's "Skyview 6" hotel, which is not open to the public.
Taylor Rains/Business Insider
Republic Airways, a regional carrier that contracts flying from American, Delta, and United, has its own hotel in Indianapolis for employee training.
However, it's more common for airlines to book rooms at nearby hotels for employee training or business rather than running their own space.
University of North Texas Libraries/Tarrant County College NE
The Stewardess College was the airline's flight attendant training center.
Taylor Rains/Business Insider
For example, new hire flight attendants will spend about six weeks at the hotel during training and don't have to venture far for anything.
Meanwhile, Skyview 5 — American's flight academy — is just a short walk from the hotel, so trainees don't have to rely on a car or shuttle to get to class (though there is a service if needed).
Taylor Rains/Business Insider
The entire Skyview 6 complex is 550,000 square feet and is covered with unique airline memorabilia and artwork.
The private hotel can accommodate everyone from flight crews and corporate employees to airport staff and maintenance technicians.
Taylor Rains/Business Insider
"When team members arrive, we don't want them to feel like they are visiting; this is their home, too," Ragan said.
She noted that the company's maintenance team in Tulsa assembled the four engines, which include those from an Airbus A320, a Boeing 777, a Boeing 787, and a Boeing 737.
Taylor Rains/Business Insider
The staircase represents the graduation ceremony that started at the Stewardess College, where the newly winged flight attendants stood for a photo.
Taylor Rains/Business Insider
Ragan said the medallion behind the staircase is the original.
"It makes me appreciate the time period, seeing them just lying on the bed studying," she said, pointing to photos of flight attendants at the Stewardess College in the 1950s. "Especially the new hires, it helps them connect to what was originally here."
Taylor Rains/Business Insider
The entire space can be sectioned off into smaller rooms, each closed off by a giant garage door that enters into the main hallway.
Besides the CEO's annual meeting, events held here may be leadership development training or business conferences.
Taylor Rains/Business Insider
Ragan said longtime employees who may not see each other often will meet up at Skyview 6 after hours to chat over a glass of wine.
The wine bar complements the on-site tavern with a cabin-style fireplace and billiards table.
Taylor Rains/Business Insider
An elevator takes employees to one of the nine available floors, each representing a different destination in America's network — the higher the floor, the further the city.
Taylor Rains/Business Insider
Ragan said company employees stayed at off-site hotels before Skyview 6 opened.
Taylor Rains/Business Insider
There is also a motion-sensor under-counter light that helps employees find their way in the dark, as well as a hairdryer.
Taylor Rains/Business Insider
She further explained that bulk toiletries are part of the complex's effort to reduce waste, particularly plastic.
The shower door closes all the way to ensure no mess or splashing like in some hotels.
Taylor Rains/Business Insider
The art will change from room to room, but the overall layout and size of each space are exactly the same. Ragan said this ensures there isn't a hierarchy among team members.
Taylor Rains/Business Insider
Ragan said the input of American flight crewmembers, who stay in hotel rooms far more than the average person, was essential in creating the hotel design.
Taylor Rains/Business Insider
She said the curtains also have a slight drag to ensure the slit at the bottom doesn't let in any light either.
Taylor Rains/Business Insider
"Those little details that resulted from feedback from our team members will make the employee visits more successful," Ragan said.
Taylor Rains/Business Insider
Ragan said there is microwave capability on the main floor for employees who need it and that other kitchen equipment like a refrigerator and Keurig are available in the rooms.
Taylor Rains/Business Insider
There's also an iron, closet space for a suitcase, and drawers for extra storage.
Taylor Rains/Business Insider
"We wanted team members to be able to control their environment as much as possible, so there are breakout spaces throughout the entire complex, from the lobby to the floor lounges," Ragan said.
Taylor Rains/Business Insider
She noted that the floor living spaces are meant to be casual and comfortable, but there is a noise policy because people are actively studying at all times.
Taylor Rains/Business Insider, American Airlines
The cafeteria, complete with options like pizza, Chinese cuisine, and hamburgers, can be used by any American employee on the greater HQ campus and was packed with people on my visit.
According to American, the food is free for some team members, like new hire employees in training. Local team members have to pay, Ragan said.
Taylor Rains/Business Insider
The art complements the other aviation-themed pieces throughout the complex.
Taylor Rains/Business Insider
Employees have access to a basketball court, tennis court, pickleball court, and beach volleyball court.
A sign inside the fitness center posted a volleyball tournament being held later that week with a QR code to sign up — it was cool to see those community events.
Taylor Rains/Business Insider
The 12-foot stainless steel sculpture features names like Bonnie Tiburzi, the first female pilot hired by a major US airline.
The McDonnell Douglas DC-3, which was built in the 1930s after strong insistence from American then-president Cyrus Rowlett "CR" Smith, also made the globe.
Taylor Rains/Business Insider
A large locker room complete with towels and toiletries is available in the 73,000-square-foot fitness center.
Taylor Rains/Business Insider
"The gym is complimentary if you stay at the hospitality complex," Ragan said. "We have classes and a few studios for events and fitness in general."
Taylor Rains/Business Insider
The pool is likely an enjoyable perk during the Texas summer heat.
Taylor Rains/Business Insider
The hospitality complex is meant to be all-inclusive, and I can imagine employees are happy with the private space, given they were in contract hotels prior to Skyview 6's opening.
"[Skyview 6] establishes a level of pride for our employees," Ragan said. "When you are in a space like this and you walk other training centers, you have a great appreciation for the commitment this organization has made to creating such an amazing experience for its team members."
The AI revolution just took a big step forward
Getty Images
The next phase of the AI revolution has arrived.This week, OpenAI and Google revealed new developments that push the capabilities of AI forward.Between new chatbots reminiscent of the movie Her to a shake-up of Google Search, AI is evolving.There's been a simple question going around AI circles in recent months: "What's next?"
Since the launch of OpenAI's GPT-4 in March last year, each passing month has made it clear that the ChatGPT-maker's top model set a performance bar that has been curiously difficult for competitors to clear.
Big Tech giants like Google and Meta have released rival models like Gemini and Llama, which proved competitive at most. So, too, have younger startups like Anthropic and Mistral. None of them quite seemed to introduce a step-change in capabilities the way GPT-4 did, though.
Gary Marcus, a professor examining AI, suggested last month that it was a sign AI models were reaching a "point of diminishing returns."
Questions have also emerged about whether we've already seen the limits of what AI can do.
While ChatGPT has shown its usefulness in the workplace to the classroom, a technology touted by Bill Gates as something "entire industries will reorient around" should probably have more to show for it than chatbots prone to hallucinations.
AI companies seem ready to end that chatter, though; this past week, they have tried to address the "what's next?" question head-on.
OpenAI and Google present their vision
OpenAI CTO Mira Murati.OpenAI
OpenAI kicked off a week of showcases by revealing a powerful new model: GPT-4o.
Though it wasn't quite the GPT-5 many hoped for, the "o" attached to GPT-4 — which stands for "omni" — introduced some serious advances in OpenAI's technology while hinting at the direction in which it planned to take the AI revolution.
In a presentation on Monday, OpenAI's chief technology officer, Mira Murati, talked through the new flagship model's ability to "reason across audio, vision, and text in real time" to create what the company described as a "much more natural human-computer interaction."
Through several demos, OpenAI introduced a version of ChatGPT powered by GPT-4o reminiscent of the Scarlett Johansson-voice AI assistant Samantha from the 2013 movie "Her."
Nathan Lambert, research scientist at the Allen Institute for AI, wrote on his Interconnects Substack page that the reveal shows OpenAI leading us toward a world where "intelligence, attention, positive feedback," qualities "fundamentally craved by humans," come from AI.
"GPT-4o's demo showcases that we are intentionally marching toward this reality with no shadow of regret," Lambert wrote. While some have been blown away by the chance to have a slightly flirty-sounding AI by their side at all times, others have been a bit weirded out.
Google took its turn at revealing updates to its AI during the annual I/O event for developers on Tuesday.
The search giant, which has been seen as playing catch-up to OpenAI, showed off its new Project Astra agent, which aims to make AI "truly helpful in everyday life."
Project Astra is a prototype from @GoogleDeepMind exploring how a universal AI agent can be truly helpful in everyday life. Watch our prototype in action in two parts, each captured in a single take, in real time ↓ #GoogleIO pic.twitter.com/uMEjIJpsjO
— Google (@Google) May 14, 2024Like the new ChatGPT, Google's multimodal assistant — powered by its AI model Gemini — has been built to respond to queries in real time. It has vision and audio capabilities, on top of the usual text responses chatbots have become known for.
In practice, that means you can point your camera at a scene and get Astra to pretty quickly identify, say, something that walks on four legs, and then go on to have a conversation with you about said tetrapod.
Google's announcements didn't stop there. The company has also shaken up the way its core product works, integrating AI into search so that Google will "do the searching for you."
Liz Reid, head of Google Search, explained it like this: "Sometimes you want a quick answer, but you don't have time to piece together all the information you need. Search will do the work for you with AI Overviews."
Collectively, the reveals from both companies have made one thing clear: the AI revolution is about to feel a lot more real.
Chatbots will start to function more like companions who engage with you in longer periods of dialogue rather than machines that respond to ad hoc requests. Familiar services like Google Search, meanwhile, could actually begin to feel different.
The consequences of all these developments, though, are not yet clear. Social interactions could feel different in the future if people interact more with AI chatbots. Publishers might feel pain if a Google newly powered by AI diverts traffic away from them.
It's clear, though, that a new phase in the AI era is just getting started.
Mortgage Interest Rates Today, May 18, 2024 | Rates Are the Lowest They've Been in Over a Month
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Affiliate links for the products on this page are from partners that compensate us (see our advertiser disclosure with our list of partners for more details). However, our opinions are our own. See how we rate mortgages to write unbiased product reviews.
Average 30-year mortgage rates dropped to the mid-6% range this week for the first time since early April, according to Zillow data. And it's possible that rates could drop further later this year thanks to slowing inflation.
Inflation has cooled significantly since it peaked in 2022, and the Federal Reserve has indicated it could start lowering the federal funds rate later this year. This would remove some of the upward pressure off of mortgage rates and allow them to trend down.
But rates are unlikely to fall until inflation slows further.
April's Consumer Price Index data, released on Wednesday, showed that inflation decelerated last month. This is good news for mortgage rates, but we'll need to see at least a few more months of slowing inflation data before a Fed cut becomes likely. According to the CME FedWatch Tool, the first cut could come in September.
Mortgage Rates Today
Mortgage Refinance Rates Today
Mortgage Calculator
Use our free mortgage calculator to see how today's mortgage rates will affect your monthly and long-term payments.
By plugging in different term lengths and interest rates, you'll see how your monthly payment could change.
Mortgage Rate Projection for 2024
Mortgage rates increased dramatically for most of 2023, though they started trending back down in the final months of the year. As the economy continues to normalize this year, rates should come down even further.
In the last 12 months, the Consumer Price Index rose by 3.4%, a significant slowdown compared to when it peaked at 9.1% in 2022. As inflation slows and the Federal Reserve is able to start cutting the federal funds rate, mortgage rates are expected to trend down as well. But because inflation has been somewhat sticky in recent months, mortgage rates have remained elevated so far this year.
For homeowners looking to leverage their home's value to cover a big purchase — such as a home renovation — a home equity line of credit (HELOC) may be a good option while we wait for mortgage rates to ease. Check out some of the best HELOC lenders to start your search for the right loan for you.
A HELOC is a line of credit that lets you borrow against the equity in your home. It works similarly to a credit card in that you borrow what you need rather than getting the full amount you're borrowing in a lump sum. It also lets you tap into the money you have in your home without replacing your entire mortgage, like you'd do with a cash-out refinance.
Current HELOC rates are relatively low compared to other loan options, including credit cards and personal loans.
When Will House Prices Come Down?
We aren't likely to see home prices drop anytime soon thanks to extremely limited supply. In fact, they'll likely rise this year as mortgage rates drop.
Fannie Mae researchers expect prices to increase 4.8% in 2024, while the Mortgage Bankers Association expects a 4.1% increase in 2024.
Lower mortgage rates will bring more buyers onto the market, putting upward pressure on prices. But prices aren't currently expected to increase as much as they have in recent years.
Fixed-Rate vs. Adjustable-Rate Mortgage Pros and Cons
Fixed-rate mortgages lock in your rate for the entire life of your loan. Adjustable-rate mortgages lock in your rate for the first few years, then your rate goes up or down periodically.
So how do you choose between a fixed-rate vs. adjustable-rate mortgage?
ARMs typically start with lower rates than fixed-rate mortgages, but ARM rates can go up once your initial introductory period is over. If you plan on moving or refinancing before the rate adjusts, an ARM could be a good deal. But keep in mind that a change in circumstances could prevent you from doing these things, so it's a good idea to think about whether your budget could handle a higher monthly payment.
Fixed-rate mortgage are a good choice for borrowers who want stability, since your monthly principal and interest payments won't change throughout the life of the loan (though your mortgage payment could increase if your taxes or insurance go up).
But in exchange for this stability, you'll take on a higher rate. This might seem like a bad deal right now, but if rates increase further down the road, you might be glad to have a rate locked in. And if rates trend down, you may be able to refinance to snag a lower rate
How Does an Adjustable-Rate Mortgage Work?
Adjustable-rate mortgages start with an introductory period where your rate will remain fixed for a certain period of time. Once that period is up, it will begin to adjust periodically — typically once per year or once every six months.
How much your rate will change depends on the index that the ARM uses and the margin set by the lender. Lenders choose the index that their ARMs use, and this rate can trend up or down depending on current market conditions.
The margin is the amount of interest a lender charges on top of the index. You should shop around with multiple lenders to see which one offers the lowest margin.
ARMs also come with limits on how much they can change and how high they can go. For example, an ARM might be limited to a 2% increase or decrease every time it adjusts, with a maximum rate of 8%.
How to watch PGA Championship: Live stream rounds 3 and 4 from anywhere
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Scottie Scheffler plays a shot at the 12th hole of Augusta National.AP Photo/Matt Slocum
The PGA Championship heads into its final few days, and it's proving to be a tough competition at the iconic Valhalla Golf Course. Keep reading to learn how to watch the PGA Championship live streams, including cable and recap options.
The tournament officially kicked off on Thursday with Round 1. Round 2 tee times were met with delays following an accident outside the club that resulted in a death. According to a statement on X from PGA of America, a worker with one of the PGA vendors was struck by a shuttle bus and killed. The accident led to some traffic buildup for both spectators and competitors.
Scottie Scheffler, the winner of the 2024 Masters Tournament and a favorite to win this year's PGA Championship, was arrested while trying to drive into the entrance of Valhalla after traffic had been stopped for the earlier collision. Scheffler was later released and has been able to participate in Round 2 of the tournament. 2023 PGA Championship winner Brooks Koepka is also participating in the competition this year, along with Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, and others.
Keep reading to learn your watch options for the PGA Championship as it heads into the weekend for Rounds 3 and 4. Tournament coverage is spread across three channels/streamers, so we've highlighted ways to access all of them.
See also: Where to watch the Italian Open | Where to watch the Giro d'Italia | How to watch the WNBA2024 PGA Championship live stream quick links
US: ESPN+ ($10.99), ESPN on Sling TV (half-off first month), CBS on Paramount+ (one-week free trial), Peacock ($5.99)UK: Sky Sports (various)Access subscriptions from anywhere via ExpressVPN (30-day money-back guarantee)When: May 16-19, 2024How to watch the PGA Championship in the US
Over the weekend, coverage will be split among three channels/streamers. On Saturday and Sunday, ESPN+ will live stream from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. ET, followed by an ESPN broadcast from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. ET. Then CBS will take over for the rest of the day from 1 p.m. ET.
ESPN+ subscriptions start at $10.99 a month. For Paramount+, you'll need to select the Paramount+ with Showtime tier, which costs $11.99 a month, to access CBS live streams. ESPN+ doesn't live stream the ESPN channel, so you'll need to try out a live TV streaming alternative to access this portion of the tournament without cable.
Sling TV is one of the cheaper live TV streaming packages out there, with plans starting at $40 a month. Plus, you can currently get $20 off your first month. You'll need to opt for the Sling Orange plan to access ESPN.
If you can't catch any of the action until the evening, Golf Central will air nightly breakdowns and highlights of the day's events via Peacock. These live recaps will start at 8 p.m. ET each night. Peacock subscriptions start at $5.99 a month.
How to watch the PGA Championship in the UK
Sky Sports is the British home to PGA Championship live streams. You can find other international golf live streams here, like this week's LET: German Masters. Prices and contract lengths vary.
How to watch the PGA Championship from anywhere
If you'll be traveling away from home during the tournament, you can keep up with your subscriptions via VPN (virtual private network). VPNs can temporarily alter your device's virtual location so that you can access your usual websites and apps from anywhere. They're also solid ways to increase your online privacy. This recommendation will work best for people who are simply traveling away from home right now since the services we've outlined today require country-specific forms of payment.
Our go-to recommendation is ExpressVPN, which is an easy-to-use option with a 30-day money-back guarantee. You can find more information in our ExpressVPN review and see highlights of the service below:
Note: The use of VPNs is illegal in certain countries, and using VPNs to access region-locked streaming content might constitute a breach of the terms of use for certain services. Insider does not endorse or condone the illegal use of VPNs.
CD and Savings Rates Today: Explore Today's Best Rates
The offers and details on this page may have updated or changed since the time of publication. See our article on Business Insider for current information.
Affiliate links for the products on this page are from partners that compensate us and terms apply to offers listed (see our advertiser disclosure with our list of partners for more details). However, our opinions are our own. See how we rate banking products to write unbiased product reviews.
Banks are fighting for customer dollars right now, and people with cash to spare are well-positioned to benefit from a high rate environment. With rates rapidly changing, how can you feel confident that you're getting the best savings account or best CD?
We monitor rates from banks and credit unions daily to help you feel confident before you open a new account. Experts don't expect CD rates to go up in 2024, so now could be a great time to lock in a rate if you're ready. Here are the top rates for popular savings accounts and CDs on Saturday, May 18.
Featured Nationally Available Savings Rates
Account Name | APY (Annual Percentage Yield) Accurate as of 5/17/2024 | Minimum Account Opening Balance |
Western Alliance Bank High-Yield Savings Premier | 5.36% | $500 |
NexBank High Yield Savings Account | 5.26% | $1 |
UFB Secure Savings | 5.25% | $0 |
CIT Bank Platinum Savings | 5.00% (with $5,000 minimum balance) | $100 |
Barclays Online Savings Account | 4.35% | $0 |
Featured Nationally Available CD Rates
Account Name | APY (Annual Percentage Yield) Accurate as of 5/17/2024 | Minimum Account Opening Balance |
Barclays 1 Year Online CD | 5.00% | $0 |
Western Alliance Bank 3 Month CD, powered by Raisin | 5.26% | $1 |
Barclays 6 Month Online CD | 4.85% | $0 |
SkyOne Federal Credit Union 1 Year No Penalty CD | 4.75% | $1 |
Discover 18 Month CD | 4.40% | $2,500 |
Bread Savings 2 Year High-Yield CD | 4.65% | $1,500 |
Quontic 5 Year CD | 4.30% | $500 |
Savings Account Bonus
Alliant High-Rate Savings Account
Earn a $100 bonus when you deposit at least $100 a month for 12 consecutive months and have a balance of $1,200 or more at the end of the 12-calendar-month period (offer expires December 31, 2024).
See more savings account bonuses »
Leading Checking & Savings Combo Account Bonus
Earn up to $300 with qualifying direct deposit for eligible customers (offer expires 06/30/24). Earn up to 4.60% APY on savings balances (including Vaults) with direct deposit.
See more bank account bonuses »
About High-Yield Accounts
High-yield savings accounts aren't the only accounts paying favorable rates right now. You'll typically see the highest rates at online or lower-profile institutions rather than national brands with a significant brick-and-mortar presence. This is normal; online banks have lower overhead costs and are willing to pay high rates to attract new customers.
High-Yield Savings Accounts
The best high-yield savings accounts provide the security of a savings account with the added bonus of a high APY. Savings accounts are held at a bank or credit union — not invested through a brokerage account — and are best for saving cash in pursuit of shorter-term goals, like a vacation or big purchase.
High-Yield Checking Accounts
The best high-yield checking accounts tend to pay slightly lower rates than high-yield savings, but even they are strong in today's rate environment. A checking account is like a hub for your money: If your paycheck is direct deposited, it's typically to a checking account. If you transfer money to pay a bill, you typically do it from a checking account. Checking accounts are used for everyday spending and usually come with checks and/or debit cards to make that easy.
Money Market Accounts
The best money market accounts could be considered a middle ground between checking and savings: They are used for saving money but typically provide easy access to your account through checks or a debit card. They usually offer a tiered interest rate depending on your balance.
Cash Management Accounts
A cash management account is also like a savings/checking hybrid. You'll generally see them offered by online banks, and, unlike a checking account, they usually offer unlimited transfers. A savings account often limits the number of monthly transfers, while a checking account doesn't. Cash management accounts typically come with a debit card for easy access, but you may have to pay a fee if you want to deposit cash.
Certificates of Deposit
The best CD rates may outpace any of the other accounts we've described above. That's because a certificate of deposit requires you to "lock in" your money for a predetermined amount of time ranging from three months to five years. To retrieve it before then, you'll pay a penalty (unless you opt for one of the best no-penalty CDs). The longer you'll let the bank hold your money, the higher rate you'll get. CD rates aren't variable; the rate you get upon depositing your money is the rate you'll get for the length of your term.
About CD Terms
Locking your money into an account in exchange for a higher interest rate can be a big decision. Here's what you need to know about common CD terms.
No-Penalty CDs
Most CDs charge you a fee if you need to withdraw money from your account before the term ends. But with a no-penalty CD, you won't have to pay an early withdrawal penalty. The best no-penalty CDs will offer rates slightly higher than the best high-yield savings accounts, and can offer a substantially improved interest rate over traditional brick-and-mortar savings accounts.
6-Month CDs
The best 6-month CDs are offering interest rates in the mid-5% range. Six-month CDs are best for those who are looking for elevated rates on their savings for short-term gains, but are uncomfortable having limited access to their cash in the long term. These can be a good option for those who may just be getting started with saving, or who don't have a large emergency fund for unexpected expenses.
1-Year CDs
The best 1-year CDs tend to offer some of the top CD rates, and are a popular option for many investors. A 1-year term can be an attractive option for someone building a CD ladder, or for someone who has a reasonable cash safety net but is still concerned about long-term expenses.
2-Year CDs
The best 2-year CD rates will be slightly lower than 1-year and no-penalty CD rates. In exchange for a longer lock-in period, investors receive a long-term commitment for a specific rate. These are best used as part of a CD ladder strategy, or for those worried about a declining rate market in the foreseeable future.
3-Year CDs
The best 3-year CDs tend to have rates that are comparable to 2-year CDs. These are usually less popular for your average investor, but can be an important lever when diversifying investments and hedging against the risk of unfavorable rate markets in the long term.
5-Year CDs
The best 5-year CDs will offer lower rates than the other terms on our list, but are still popular options for investors. These CDs are best for those looking to lock in high rates for the long term. CDs are generally viewed as safe investment vehicles, and securing a favorable rate can yield considerable earnings in year three and beyond — even if rates fall elsewhere.
I changed my first and last name after having kids. The paperwork was complicated.
Courtesy Elliott Harrell
People knew me by a name that wasn't actually legally mine.I wanted to have the same name as my children and husband but didn't want to do the paperwork.I finally decided to, and it took nearly $500 and four months, but I'm glad I did it.Most people know me as Elliott Harrell, but that wasn't my actual name until recently. I'd see the name Jane Walker on a piece of mail or hear it called out in a doctor's office, but it wasn't a name I identified with. I finally changed it earlier this year, and it's been surreal to finally see my legal name match my identity — and, more importantly, to have my last name match my children and husband.
I didn't think I needed to change my name until I had kids
Elliott was my middle name and I'd been using it as my preferred first name for nearly 20 years, which is longer than I'd used my given first name, Jane. I started using Harrell as my last name socially when I got married five years ago, but didn't make the change official.
Not changing my name had less to do with feeling like I'd built an incredible brand at work with my maiden name and more to do with dreading the mountain of paperwork that comes with changing a name. I'd heard it wasn't necessarily a difficult task, per se, but definitely a tedious and annoying one, and I wasn't convinced it was worth it to do.
It was very important to me to take my husband's name and, eventually, to have a shared family name when we had our children. Initially, I thought I'd use Elliott Harrell socially and my given legal name when mandated and that everything would be fine.
I figured I could put up with the annoyance of being called the "wrong" name at appointments and the vexing but humorous exercise of trying to figure out what combination of names I had used to order take out with (was it Jane Walker, Elliott Walker, or Elliott Harrell?) if it would mean escaping an overly bureaucratic process.
And it was fine for a while, even after our first daughter was born. I didn't love that we had different last names, but I also didn't feel a compelling push to do the work to change my name.
That changed with our second daughter's arrival. She surprised us six weeks early, and we didn't have a name picked out. In the NICU, the nurses and doctors referred to her as baby Walker, my maiden name. They also continuously referred to me as Jane, despite reminders of my preferred name.
The whole time, I kept thinking, "Who are they talking about?" I wanted to correct them and tell them that she and I were both Harrells and that I was Elliott, but our charts told a different story.
I realized that only using my preferred name socially would mean forever feeling disconnected from my family, and I decided it was time to formally change my last name. And at the same time, I decided to legally change my first name, too.
Elliott Harrell changed her name after having her second child.Courtesy Elliott Harrell
Changing my name was a hassle, but I'm so glad I did it
Changing your legal first name is more complicated than just adding a married name. Each state is different, but where I live in North Carolina, it meant I needed to get a court order approving the change first before I could take steps like updating my social security card or driver's license.
It took almost two months to get the court order officially approving the change to Elliott Harrell after having to get two sets of fingerprints, having friends write character affidavits for me and posting a notice on the courthouse bulletin board about my intentions, among other things.
The paperwork doesn't stop after the court order. My name was legally changed over three months ago and since then I've been working on getting things like my license, passport, and even my Costco card changed over. There's still more work to do, and between getting the court order and getting new documents, I'm approaching $500 in fees.
Even though I'm still in the depths of paperwork hell, I'm so glad I decided to move forward with the process. For me, it turns out that it did matter to have my name officially match the rest of my family and I'm so happy that we'll always be linked together now. Hearing my own name called out in waiting rooms is just the icing on the cake.
'Bridgerton' fans are praising the disability representation in season 3, including an 'autistic-coded' character
Netflix
Fans are praising "Bridgerton" for including a character who is deaf and another who uses a wheelchair. Some think that Francesca Bridgerton and her love interest, John Stirling, are "autistic-coded."Francesca and John are depicted as introverted, shy, and musically inclined.Warning: Spoilers ahead for "Bridgerton" season three, part one.
Season three of "Bridgerton" is all about Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) and Colin Bridgerton's (Luke Newton) friends-to-lovers romance, but another member of the titular family is standing out among fans.
Francesa Bridgerton, played by Hannah Dodd, has much more screen time this season as she makes her debut in society and joins the marriage market.
Since season three, part one was released on Thursday, fans of the Regency-era drama have gravitated toward the character, with many saying that she seems "autistic-coded."
Here's how season three handles characters with disabilities, why fans have interpreted Francesca as autistic, and what Dodd and showrunner Jess Brownell have said about her characterization.
Fans are lauding season 3 for its representation of people with disabilities
Zak Ford-Williams as Lord Remington on season three of "Bridgerton."Netflix
During the season three premiere, Dolores Stowell (Kitty Devlin) is one of the young women who makes her debut in society and is presented to Queen Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel). After bowing to the unimpressed queen and walking away, Dolores uses British Sign Language to tell her mom, Lady Stowell (Sophie Woolley, who is deaf), that she thinks the royal hates her. In response, her mom signs back, "Impossible. You were perfect."
Another character with a disability appears when Penelope tries to talk to potential suitors at a ball in episode two after receiving lessons in charm from Colin.
One of the men she speaks with is Lord Remington (Zak Ford-Williams), who uses a wheelchair. Penelope and Lord Remington immediately get along after he admits that he enjoys gossip and is a big fan of Lady Whistledown — completely unaware that he's talking to the gossip columnist herself. Lord Remington is seen again during episode three, at the hot-air balloon presentation.
Both characters resonated with fans on X (formerly known as Twitter) and people praised the show for not marginalizing them.
I like how Season 3 has a person in a wheelchair and a deaf person but they didn't make the characters out to be oddities of society. Just regular members of the ton. Well done Shonda. Well done.#bridgerton
— BOTUS 3.29 (@KimShoeCrzy) May 16, 2024There’s a deaf character using BSL in #Bridgerton! Fantastic!
— Michelle Birkby (@michelleeb) May 16, 2024Today is Global Accessibility Awareness day and @bridgerton season 3 premier day. Very cool to see Deaf and Wheelchair User representation. Pretty cool stuff if you ask me. #BRIDGERTON
— Chanel 🏒 (@chanelly37) May 16, 2024In this house we stan Lord Remington, Lady Whistledown's number 1 fan pic.twitter.com/qUOWSMof5r
— kar: bridgerton spoilers (@renbton) May 17, 2024I see the effort to include inclusivity and diversity in this Bridgerton season.
The Lord In the wheelchair, the debutante and her mother with the sign language, the increased number of people of color playing major roles.
Not bad, really.
OMG there's a gentleman in a wheelchair, too!!
These producers are doing better and better with representation in Bridgerton. https://t.co/Qyp7OvD1wp
Some people also think that Francesa shares similar qualities as autistic and neurodivergent people
Hannah Dodd as Francesca Bridgerton and Ruth Gemmell as Lady Violet Bridgerton on season three of "Bridgerton."Netflix
Francesa, the sixth-born Bridgerton, is far more introverted and introspective than her siblings. She's less interested in entertaining potential suitors and would much rather play the pianoforte or read a book.
Her passion for music and shy demeanor attract the attention of Lord John Stirling, the Earl of Kilmartin, who has a similarly reserved disposition.
In their encounters, Francesca and John enjoy each other's company without exchanging many words, much to the bewilderment of her family.
Then during episode four, they have a slightly awkward conversation in town, in which Francesca criticizes a nearby violinist's performance because she feels the pace of the song is "too fickle" to be enjoyable. John seems impressed by her but runs off and later apologizes to Francesca at the queen's ball. He explains that he's not much of a talker, but he believes in the power of a gesture and gives her sheet music that has been rearranged exactly as she imagined it.
After watching season three, part one, fans on X and Reddit said that Francesca and John both appear to have signs of autism.
"Can we just talk about the disability representation in #BridgertonS3 for a minute? Not only is there a deaf actress using BSL to communicate on-screen, there's also an eligible suitor in a wheelchair. Not to mention the fact that Fran & John are autistic coded AF," one fan wrote.
Francesca and Lord Stirling are so autistic coded and I love every moment of their interactions
My perfect babies who just want to sit next to each other in silence ❤️❤️❤️#BRIDGERTON #BridgertonSeason3 pic.twitter.com/iWTcSCQWOq
I am absolutely loving #Bridgerton s3 which feels like it’s had a glow up in every sense. The clothes! The makeup! The acting! The script! And above all, the disability rep, both visible and invisible. Francesca is clearly autistic and I love to see it. pic.twitter.com/GMOy0tcFRs
— Kat Brown (@katbrown) May 17, 2024Thinking how John and Francesca are so autistic and ADHD coded. That scene between Fran and John where she tells him her thoughts on a musical piece and John quickly marches away as he looks at the player and later on we find out why he did that and I'm like...baby boy 🥹
— ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ (@messsolitude) May 16, 2024No one call tell me differently. Francesca Bridgerton is autistic. Like she is introverted, hates big events and meeting new people. Also she is obsessed with music. That’s all signs leading to be autistic #bridgerton pic.twitter.com/5JBL5xx1h5
— Hannah 🪞 (@polinclace24) May 17, 2024I'm sorry you're telling me that Francesca's love interest RAN AWAY mid conversation on the street so he could re-compose music she heard and made comments on and give it to her as a gift??? And she left a ball early to play it???
Autistic. The both of them. #BRIDGERTON #spoiler
"I really enjoy her character in part 1 and I find myself relating to many of her mannerisms. Which leads me to the question if anyone else thought that she has the television 'traits' of autism. I don't mind it for representation, but just wondering if I'm reading too deep into her mannerisms," one Reddit user wrote.
While not everyone thought Francesca was necessarily autistic, some just appreciated her as a relatable introvert.
"I found her very relatable. I don't know if I'm on the spectrum, but there are a few traits that overlap for me. She seems very much like an introverted person who hates loud noises and too much sensory stimulation," said one person in response.
Francesca isn't explicitly stated as being on the autism spectrum in Julia Quinn's 'Bridgerton' novels or on the TV series
Hannah Dodd as Francesca Bridgerton on season three, episode two of "Bridgerton."Liam Daniel/Netflix
Many people, especially women and gender-nonconforming people, are misdiagnosed or don't find out they're autistic until their 30s or later. Some of the more subtle signs, according to a psychologist, include feeling misunderstood by others in social situations, having difficulty maintaining conversations, and getting overstimulated.
It's unclear if Francesca is intended to be autistic. (Business Insider reached out to Netflix representatives for "Bridgerton" regarding how the character has been received by some fans, but did not receive an immediate response.)
But showrunner Jess Brownell has said that Francesa is different from her family in that she "doesn't always say what she's feeling like the rest of the Bridgertons."
"So we were always looking for little ways to clue people in on the fact that there's a lot more going on than meets the eye," Brownell told Netflix's editorial site, Tudum. "She has a very rich internal world."
Dodd shared similar comments about Francesca's disposition in the production notes for season three.
"She is slightly more shy but, as with a lot of introverts, she's grown up around these people, so she is quite comfortable and knows her place within the family," the actor said of the difference between Francesca and her siblings. "I've tried to play her so there's a difference when she's going out into society and meeting new people, and how that makes her go into her shell a bit."
"She's still quieter than her other siblings, but she is comfortable with them, she knows them, they know her, and she slots in," Dodd added. "She still has this kind of sarcastic humor that they all have, and a banter. But she's more observant."
The model for NATO defending Ukrainian airspace from Russian attacks already exists, says German politician
NurPhoto | Getty Images
Germany is showing cross-party support for defending Ukraine's border regions from NATO territories.NATO is currently focused on providing additional defense aid to Kyiv.A German politician said the Western defense of Israel from Iran is a blueprint for protecting Ukraine.The Western response to Iran's barrage of attacks against Israel represents a potential model for defending Ukraine's border regions from NATO territories, a German politician has said.
Calls have been growing for NATO countries to use air defenses based in eastern Europe to take down Russian missiles and drones targeting Ukraine.
Anders Fogh Rasmussen, NATO's Secretary-General between 2009 and 2014, told the UK's i Paper that interceptor missiles from neighboring NATO countries like Poland and Romania could shoot down Russian airstrikes aimed at Ukraine.
Voices within both ruling and opposition parties in Germany have expressed support for defending Ukraine's border regions from NATO territories such as Poland and Romania, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reported.
Roderich Kiesewetter, a Christian Democratic Union politician and former Bundeswehr general staff officer, compared defending Ukraine to Western efforts to prevent Israel from being hit by 300 missiles and drones fired at Israel in April.
Nearly all the munitions were intercepted by Israeli and partner forces in the region, including the US military.
Kiesewetter told Business Insider in a statement: "Western countries could protect part of Ukraine's airspace from NATO territory and shoot down Russian unmanned missiles. This would relieve the burden on Ukrainian air defenses and allow them to protect the front.
As in the case of Israel, where France, the UK, and others helped, which meant they did not become a warring party."
Echoing Kiesewetter, Rasmussen told the i Paper said NATO could do "exactly the same" and help Ukraine shoot down incoming Russian drones and missiles.
Ukraine believes US-made Patriot missiles are key
Members of the German Bundeswehr prepare a Patriot missile launching system in December 2012.Sean Gallup/Getty Images
Germany has emerged as a key player in the debate over NATO defending Ukraine's airspace. In April, it bolstered Ukraine's air defense capabilities and agreed to equip it with a Patriot air defense system.
Since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion, Germany has sent Patriot systems with missiles, 2 SKYNEX systems with ammunition, IRIS-T SLM missiles, and Stingers.
Germany's multipartisan calls for defending Ukraine's airspace point to a future of collaborative air defense.
Marcus Faber of the the Free Democratic Party says that after the end of the war, an "international protection force" could be organized by the EU or NATO, per FAZ.
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly called for more Patriots to defend Ukraine's airspace.
More than 100 Patriot air-defense systems could be spared by Ukraine's allies, Ukraine's foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, told The Washington Post in April.
Google games: How to find and play iconic games like Snake and Pac Man hidden in your browser
It's a wonder how many things Google lets you do. While you may think of Google as nothing more than a search engine — far and away the most used search engine on the planet — it is so much more than that. Google's search bar can serve as a calculator, a translator with Google Translate, an image archive with Google Images, and, as it turns out, a digital retro arcade where you can play various video games right there in the Chrome browser.
And we're not talking about the Google Play Store, AKA "Google Play" and "Play Store," for the record. You can download and play all sorts of games there, but there are also "secret" games hidden within Google itself, including Pac-Man, Quick Draw, Whirlybird, and more.
These games were originally released as part of the Google Doodle, which is the image that occasionally replaces the colorful Google logo atop the search bar on the search engine's homepage. Google cofounders Larry Page and Sergey Brin launched the very first doodle in 1998 in honor of that year's Burning Man festival.
Often animated, these games took the Google Doodle even further, making it fully interactive. And though all of these Google games have long since disappeared from the search engine's home page, they can still be found if you know where to look.
How can I play old Google games?
Most hidden Google games can be found simply by Googling them. Type "Snake" into the search bar and hit enter and you will be taken to a page of search results with the game Snake perched at the top. Hit "Play" and the gaming commences.
Google search "snake" to play the iconic game where you slither across the board to catch an apple without hitting the walls or the growing snake tail.Michelle Mark/Business Insider
Enter "Play Garden Gnomes" into the search engine, and you'll get a link to an enjoyable game in which you use a trebuchet to throw garden gnomes. Type "Quick Draw" into the search engine, and you'll be given a link to that game, and so on.
Once you know the names of the games you can play on Google, finding and playing them is not hard. Other games to search for and try include Soccer 2012, Tic Tac Toe, Minesweeper, Atari Breakout, Halloween 2018, and more.
The most popular games on Google
It's little surprise that the most popular games on Google are classics that have stood the test of time. They include Pac-Man, created in 1980, and Snake, a game people of a certain age will recall playing on TI-82 graphing calculators in the 1990s. (In case you were wondering, the highest score possible for Google Snake is 252. It's not easy to achieve.)
Other popular games include Solitaire — also a classic, of course — Whirlybird, Gnomes, and more. There is even a game you can play when you are not online: the T-Rex game, where you control a little cactus-jumping dinosaur. To play that game, turn off your internet connection, open Chrome, and press the Space key to begin.
How to download a game on Google Play
If you're looking to play something a little more advanced or modern than the iconic Google games, you can head over to the Google Play Store and download games onto your Android devices.
Google Play was launched in 2012. It replaced the Android Market, Google Music, and Google eBookstore as the one-stop shop for downloading music, movies, books, apps, and, of course, games.
On Google Play, you can easily access millions of apps. To download a game, simply open the Google Play Store on your device (or visit play.google.com on an internet browser), search for your desired game, click "Install" or the price, and follow the directions to download.
A millennial CEO launched a fully remote tech company. He says hybrid work is the worst of both worlds.
Courtesy Buildkite
Tech company Buildkite is fully remote, making deliberate efforts to build camaraderie crucial.Its all-employee gatherings emphasize fun activities like snorkeling to boost employee connection.The remote approach works better than a hybrid setup, according to Buildkite's founder.The last annual all-employee gathering at the Australian tech firm Buildkite lasted three days and included snorkeling at the Great Barrier Reef.
The time on the water wasn't an excursion meant to break up hourslong meetings about company priorities. The snorkeling was the plan. So was cornhole and a game of toss the shoe.
Team-building activities on the job are nothing new. Yet fostering a sense of connection among employees is a deliberate and essential effort at Buildkite, its founder and CEO, Keith Pitt, told Business Insider, because the company is 100% remote.
"The point of it was to be silly and to put people in different environments and situations where they could create new networks and pathways to people in the company," Pitt said.
Buildkite's zeal for zaniness — one employee holds the unofficial title of Dome, the director of musical entertainment — aims to drive workers' collaboration and innovation. Those are the stated aims of many CEOs when they call workers back into the office for at least part of the workweek. But Pitt sees hybrid's halfsies approach as misguided.
"It's the worst of both worlds," he said.
Keith Pitt, founder and CEO of Buildkite.Courtesy Buildkite
Pitt calls hybrid setups a "scheduling and policy nightmare." He said sitting in a meeting where some people are gathered in a room and one or more are dialed in from elsewhere can lead to people not hearing each other and virtual attendees missing out on what goes on in the room.
"In a hybrid environment, remote is always second class," Pitt said.
The connections budget
Pitt, 36, isn't anti-office. At age 17, he dropped out of high school to become a full-time programmer. He did the commute and wore a suit to work every day.
Yet in 2013, when Pitt, who lives in Perth, Australia, started Buildkite, it never occurred to him to set up an office.
The company makes a DevOps platform used by OpenAI, Airbnb, Doordash, and Slack, among others. Starting out, money needed to go to web servers, not rent.
Pitt said the 135-person company funnels part of what it isn't spending on facilities into "connection budgets." They fund the annual all-employee gathering and smaller trips throughout the year to let coworkers get on a plane, rent a coworking space, and collab IRL when needed.
The cost of the last in-person all-hands came to about 300,000 Australian dollars — about $200,000.
"It's cheap as chips," Pitt said. "Best money ever spent."
Buildkite also spends on remote activities meant to foster connection. There are virtual gatherings for doing puzzles or quizzes about music or movies. The company has held cooking events where it pays workers to buy ingredients, and colleagues make a meal together over video.
But for all the fun meant to boost camaraderie, Buildkite's culture is serious about working from home, Pitt said.
Workers are given a budget of 3,000 Australian dollars to trick out their home offices. The company asks new hires to take pictures of their setups to ensure they have a quiet space with a proper desk and chair to avoid ergonomic fails.
"We don't foster a work-from-the-couch, work-from-the-kitchen-table type environment," he said. "We encourage people to throw some paint on the walls, buy some plants, buy some new artwork, just to change it up."
Workers also need high-quality equipment: A poor camera or mic, Pitt said, is the digital equivalent of having something stuck in your teeth.
'It's easy to look busy'
Another way the company tackles remote work for an employee base spread around the world is to cluster some functions. Buildkite uses what it calls "timezone bubbles." So, for product and engineering, workers need to be plus or minus four hours from Sydney's time zone. For sales and marketing, it's the western US.
That helps to ensure coworkers are generally online simultaneously and not left waiting for responses from colleagues.
For all the work Buildkite has done to establish norms around having what Pitt refers to as 135 small offices around the world — one for each employee — he sees Buildkite's embrace of remote work as a long-term experiment.
"I'm eager to see how this thing plays out," he said. For now, it seems to be working. The company is on track to hire 50 people in 2024.
Rather than dwelling on where workers work, a big focus is on developing trust, Pitt said. He thinks one of the reasons some bosses are demanding workers be back in the office is because they don't trust their teams. But, Pitt said, "it's easy to look busy."
Pitt said building trust can be harder when people aren't face-to-face. Playing games with colleagues is the "shortcut" he's found to developing that faith in colleagues beyond completing projects together, he said.
That's part of why he occasionally gets workers together. After the last all-worker event, the number of employees who reported feeling more connected to their teams and the company more than quadrupled. Now, Buildkite runs employee sentiment surveys every couple of months. And when it dips below a certain level, the company will announce another gathering.
It's important to keep trust elevated because that's when workers do their best, Pitt said.
"Trust is a big part of being able to come up with creative ideas on things," he said.
And, Pitt said, if workers care about the mission, it doesn't matter whether they work in an office or from afar.
"People will want to do the work because it's fun and it's what they want to do with their lives," he said.
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