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<keyword id="22675776" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Hurricane-Debby" source="keywords">Hurricane Debby</keyword> made landfall in <keyword id="19929575" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Florida" source="keywords">Florida</keyword>, US, on Monday, claiming at least four lives and plunging hundreds of thousands into darkness. Along with catastrophic rain, howling winds and perilous storm surges, the cyclone also delivered an unexpected cargo: 25 tightly-wrapped packages of <keyword id="14727" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="cocaine" source="Orion">cocaine</keyword>! The storm, which struck the northern <keyword id="22690135" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Big-Bend-region" source="keywords">Big Bend region</keyword> as a Category One hurricane before weakening to a tropical storm, inadvertently delivered a cache of drugs along Florida's southernmost tip. The packages, weighing about 31 kilograms, are valued at over $1 million! The substantial drug haul was found by a vigilant beachgoer, who promptly alerted the authorities. <div type="twitter" handle="USBPChiefMIP" handlename="USBPChiefMIP" favoritecount="0" retweetcount="0" id="1820458017386647772"></div> Interestingly, this is not an isolated incident. Back in July 2023, the mayor of Florida’s Tampa had also stumbled upon 31 kgs of cocaine, washed ashore in the same region. Florida’s southern region, especially Florida Keys—a chain of islands off the state’s southern coast—lie near Caribbean countries that are key transit points for <keyword id="916313" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="cocaine-trafficking" source="Orion">cocaine trafficking</keyword> from South America to Europe and North America. The combination of the Keys’ geographical location and the prevalence of drug trafficking networks has made it a frequent site for such discoveries, particularly during storm seasons, when the ocean's turbulence can disrupt illicit shipments and wash them ashore. Beyond human encounters, this influx of drugs poses risks to local wildlife as well. The notorious tales of Florida sharks ingesting cocaine discarded into the Atlantic by smugglers add to the broader ecological consequences of such pollution. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="111980511" title="Udta Machhli: Cocaine-infused sharks have been found infesting Rio’s waters in Brazil!" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>

As Hurricane Debby battered Florida, it delivered catastrophic rain, howling winds—and $1 million worth of cocaine!

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Hurricane Milton's estimated damage to Florida's agriculture could go up to $2.5 billion.</li><li>That's according to estimates from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.</li></ul>Hurricane Milton singlehandedly wrecked as much havoc on Florida's agriculture as three other major hurricanes combined, according to new estimates from the state's agriculture department.Milton, a Category 3 hurricane that made landfall on Florida's western coast on October 9, has severely damaged the state's crops and farming infrastructure, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) said.The department on Thursday said that based on its initial damage assessment, the estimated total losses to the Sunshine State's agriculture industry now range "between $1.5 and $2.5 billion."The commodities affected by hurricane damage include animal products, citrus and non-citrus fruit farming, field crops, greenhouses, and vegetable farming, per the damage assessment.The FDACS said in its damage assessment that Milton created "major structural impacts" on cattle ranches. Separately, a majority of the citrus acreage in Florida was situated in counties hit by Milton, which means "significant production losses" from farmers are expected, per the FDACS.The FDACS added in its Thursday statement that three major hurricanes that hit the state in the last 13 months — <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/before-after-satellite-photos-hurricane-helene-destruction-florida-2024-10">Helene</a>, Debby, and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hurricane-idalia-first-severe-hurricane-hit-florida-big-bend-2023-8">Idalia</a> — caused more than $1.5 billion in damages combined.Florida's commissioner of agriculture, Wilton Simpson, urged the US Department of Agriculture to issue a disaster declaration for counties affected by Milton, which would hasten aid and assistance for impacted farmers.In a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://ccmedia.fdacs.gov/content/download/117392/file/secretary-tom-vilsack-letter.pdf">letter</a> to Tom Vilsack, the secretary of the US Department of Agriculture, on Thursday, Simpson said, "We are a major agricultural producer and exporter, with $8.88 billion in agricultural products sold annually as of the latest USDA agricultural census.""Agriculture makes up one of the largest portions of Florida's $1.2 trillion gross domestic product, and it is critical that this engine of our economy has the resources they need to continue to operate."He said that the hurricane had devastated livestock, nurseries, crops, and agricultural equipment and infrastructure."If immediate action is not taken, we are at risk of losing significant agriculture, aquaculture, and silviculture operations in this region due to circumstances beyond our farmers' control," Simpson added in the letter.Florida's agricultural industry is a major driver of the state's economy. It has around 44,400 farms and ranches, spanning over 9.7 million acres, per <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/Florida/Publications/Annual_Statistical_Bulletin/2024/FloridaAgriculturalOverview.pdf">numbers</a> from the Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service.In 2023, Florida accounted for 20% of the country's orange production, 34% of its watermelon production, and 28% of its grapefruit production, according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service.According to an October 10 note from analysts from Fitch Ratings, Hurricane Milton has resulted in an <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hurricane-milton-insurance-fitch-50-billion-losses-2024-10">estimated $30 billion to $50 billion of insured losses</a> in Florida<a target="_blank" rel=" nofollow" href="https://www.fitchratings.com/research/insurance/hurricane-milton-effect-on-global-re-insurance-ratings-likely-limited-10-10-2024">.</a>Before the hurricane made landfall, Moody's Analytics estimated that <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hurricane-milton-crashing-into-trillion-worth-of-property-moodys-2024-10">$1.1 trillion worth of commercial property</a> would be exposed to dangerous hurricane winds.According to an estimate by Moody's Analytics on October 8, more than 235,000 commercial real estate properties in Florida had a greater than 50% chance of being exposed to wind speeds of at least 50 miles per hour.Milton came just days after Hurricane Helene hit Florida and other southeastern states, leaving more than <a target="_blank" rel=" nofollow" class="" href="https://apnews.com/article/hurricane-helene-death-toll-asheville-north-carolina-34d1226bb31f79dfb2ff6827e40587fc">200 people dead</a>.In a report on September 30, Moody's Analytics projected the damage from Helene to be between <a target="_blank" rel="" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/analysts-estimate-up-to-34-billion-damage-from-hurricane-helene-2024-10">$20 billion and $34 billion.</a>Representatives of Florida's Department of Agriculture didn't respond to a request for comment from Business Insider, sent outside business hours.

3 major hurricanes in the last 13 months did billions of dollars of damage to Florida's farmlands — and that was before Milton

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Hurricane Milton is probably not the last hurricane we'll see this season, experts told BI.</li><li>NOAA predicted up to 13 hurricanes before the season's end. We've had nine so far.</li></ul>After an unseasonably quiet August, the Atlantic hurricane season is ramping up. Hurricane Milton, now a Category 4, is forecast to land over Florida Wednesday night as the state is still cleaning up the damage <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hurricane-helene-milton-tampa-florida-desantis-clean-disaster-dangerous-2024-10">from Hurricane Helene</a>, which hit less than two weeks prior.These <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hurricane-milton-category-five-threatens-florida-fema-funding-2024-10">back-to-back storms</a> aren't the end of what we may see this year, experts told Business Insider."I wouldn't be surprised if we see a few other storms forming before the season ends," <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://x.com/knubez">Kelly Núñez Ocasio</a>, assistant professor with Texas A&amp;M University's Department of Atmospheric Sciences, said.<h2 id="c2710d4b-cbdc-4635-a9f3-a23a12954f6a">What's going on with this year's hurricane season</h2><div type="image" title="graphic of NOAA's 2024 atlantic hurricane season outlook" height="2373" width="3840" msid="114096563" hostid="261" sizebytes="328050"></div>October's sudden uptick in storms isn't a surprise to scientists. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted a high chance of a more active season this year than normal in May and reiterated its prediction in August after the season kicked off to a violent start with Hurricanes Beryl, Debby, and Ernesto.Then hurricane season went quiet. There were no named storms between August 13 and September 3 — typically around when hurricane season is reaching its peak. As Hurricanes Helene and Milton suggest, it was the calm before the storm.Weather patterns — like Africa's monsoon season and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-el-nino-la-nina-weather-hurricanes-storms-2017-10">La Niña</a> — that typically fuel hurricanes during peak season, were behaving unexpectedly over the summer, which likely contributed to the unseasonable lull. Those patterns have since shifted, which could bring more storms in the coming weeks.Over the summer, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-causes-hurricanes-irma-harvey-jose-sahara-africa-easterly-atlantic-2017-9">Africa's monsoon season</a>, which feeds the Atlantic with moisture and waves for forming storms, made an unusual move and migrated north to drier conditions where storms are less likely to form, according to a September <a target="_blank" href="https://tropical.colostate.edu/Forecast/2024_0903_seasondiscussion.pdf">report</a> from Colorado State University's Department of Atmospheric Science.La Niña, the periodic cooling of ocean temperatures in the tropical Pacific, typically reduces vertical wind shear in the tropics, which <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.weather.gov/jan/el_nino_and_la_nina">can help</a> Atlantic storms form and grow. This year, La Niña was forecast to begin in August but it's only just now showing signs of ramping up."We're kind of sliding into La Niña now," Matthew Rosencrans, the lead hurricane season forecaster with the NOAA's Climate Prediction Center, told BI. The West African monsoon has also settled back toward its typical position, he added. Both are signs that hurricane season is not over and more storms could be on the horizon.<h2 id="8d706f10-6a4f-4170-a002-98ad0a58af88">More storms to come</h2><div type="image" title="picture of coastal houses surrounded by debris from other houses that were demolished around them by hurricane helene" height="1334" width="2000" msid="114096564" hostid="261" sizebytes="707320"></div>At the start of the Atlantic hurricane season in June, NOAA predicted up to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.noaa.gov/news-release/noaa-predicts-above-normal-2024-atlantic-hurricane-season">13 hurricanes</a> by the season's end. So far, there have been nine.Conditions, especially in the Gulf of Mexico, have been ripe for storms over the last few weeks. Rosencrans expects those conditions to shift south toward the Caribbean in the coming days, as a result of La Niña ramping up.That could also shift storm formation slightly more south, according to NOAA's <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/precip/CWlink/ghaz/gth_full.png">Global Tropics Hazards Outlook</a> for the rest of October.The Gulf is still in a unique place this year for storms. Every square inch of the Gulf of Mexico has abnormally warm surface temperatures, high enough to support tropical storm development, Rosencrans said.This can also help storms rapidly intensify like <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hurricane-milton-timeline-see-storm-evolution-from-space-satellite-imagery-2024-10">Hurricane Milton</a>. "Those warm waters act as fuel for the hurricanes, and the warmer the water, the faster these storms can intensify," Stephanie Zick, an associate professor for Virginia Tech's Department of Geology, told BI in an email.It's not just storms over the Gulf and Caribbean regions, though.Núñez Ocasio expects to see more storms form over the Atlantic in the coming weeks, since Africa's monsoons are still active and have shifted into a better position to spin up storms.<h2 id="63956a9a-1352-447b-9e25-abc2367f6255">Hurricane season may be shifting</h2><div type="image" title="St Petersberg Florida Hurricane" height="3774" width="6000" msid="114096566" hostid="261" sizebytes="688604"></div>This year's unusual hurricane season may be a sign of things to come.In a <a target="_blank" href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2023MS004070">study</a> published in June, Núñez Ocasio and colleagues simulated how increasing levels of moisture in the atmosphere — a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-the-climate-crisis-could-feel-like-in-your-city-2024-9">consequence of climate change</a> — may affect Africa's climate and Atlantic hurricanes in the coming years.Typically, more moisture can lead to more storms, but the study found a tipping point where too much moisture can cause an abnormally wet and active African monsoon. That shifts the energy north away from the zone where it would normally spark a tropical storm — similar to what happened this year."What the study shows is that there's a delay," in hurricane formation, Núñez Ocasio said, adding that, "we may start to see a shift in the peak of the Atlantic hurricane season."Rosencrans said that there's a large window for peak hurricane season, and the peak varies each year. This year's peak appears to be a couple of weeks later than average, but he's yet to see a trend that would confirm a concrete shift."What we have to do is prepare, because in the end, what we do is to save life and property," Núñez Ocasio said of herself and the hurricane research community.

Hurricane Milton isn't the end of our destructive storm season. There's likely more to come.

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="385066" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="tropical-storm">Tropical Storm</keyword> Isaias made landfall as a Category 1 <keyword id="16422" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="hurricane">hurricane</keyword> Monday night near Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina.</li><li>Isaias led to more than 2 million power outages and caused <a href="https://www.insider.com/isaias-storm-3rd-largest-outage-in-con-edison-history-2020-8">Con-Edison's second largest outage</a> in company history. </li><li>The storm killed at least five people.</li><li>It was the earliest named storm starting with "I" in history.</li></ul>After hitting <keyword id="124657" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Puerto-Rico">Puerto Rico</keyword> and several other Caribbean islands last week, Tropical Storm Isaias swept up the East Coast on Monday and Tuesday, spurring tornadoes and cutting power to millions. The storm made landfall as a Category 1 hurricane in North Carolina on Monday night then moved north, but by Wednesday, <a href="https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/">Isaias had dissipated</a>, according to the National Hurricane Center. Felled trees crushed drivers in New York City and St. Mary's County, Maryland. Tornadoes killed at least two people in a mobile home park in Bertie County, North Carolina. And at least one resident of Puerto Rico died last week, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/01/us/hurricane-isaias-track.html">the New York Times</a> reported.The storm caused more than 2 million households to lose power by Tuesday evening, according to the tracking site <a href="https://poweroutage.us/area/regions">PowerOutage.us</a>. More than half of those were in New Jersey. Con Edison said the storm <a href="https://www.insider.com/isaias-storm-3rd-largest-outage-in-con-edison-history-2020-8">caused the second-biggest outage in company history</a>, after Superstorm Sandy.<h2>Isaias left a trail of damage </h2><div type="image" title="AP20217264078411" height="1500" width="2000" msid="77350724" hostid="261"></div>Isaias came ashore around 11 p.m. ET on Monday with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph. It was downgraded to a tropical storm early Tuesday. (The difference between a tropical storm and hurricane is a matter of wind speed: A tropical storm's winds blow at 39 to 73 mph, while a hurricane's are 74 mph or greater.)In North Carolina, the hurricane triggered flooding and started fires at four homes, Ocean Isle Beach Mayor Debbie Smith told <a href="https://www.wect.com/2020/08/03/multiple-fires-spark-ocean-isle-beach-isaias-moves-shore/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WECT-TV</a>. Smith said flood waters reached 3 feet in some areas. Then as it moved north, the storm caused damage in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York. On Tuesday afternoon, some residents of Doylestown, Pennsylvania, reported that tornadoes hit a hospital and adjacent daycare center, causing cars to pile up in the hospital's parking lot and partially ripping off the center's roof.In Belmont Hills, Pennsylvania, crews made several rescues after heavy rains caused roadways to flood, <a href="https://6abc.com/weather/major-flooding-across-pennsylvania-suburbs/6352935/">according to Philadelphia's ABC affiliate</a>. Cars stalled in other parts of the state, including Philadelphia and Bryn Mawr. Isaias caused similar damage last week in the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, where it flooded roads, felled trees, and caused landslides. Hundreds of thousands of Puerto Rican residents experienced power outages, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/01/us/hurricane-isaias-track.html">the Times</a> reported.More than 1 foot of rain fell in the Bahamas, then the hurricane's edge grazed <keyword id="6357385" type="LOCATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="florida">Florida</keyword> over the weekend.As of Wednesday morning, the storm had moved towards southeastern Canada before finally dissipating. <h2>The earliest named storm starting with 'I'</h2>Isaias was the earliest named storm starting with "I" ever to form in a hurricane season. Because storms are named in alphabetical order, that means nine tropical storms have already formed — the first time that's happened before August 1 since the US began recording hurricane data in the 19th century.<div type="image" title="AP20217217268061" height="1350" width="1011" msid="77350727" hostid="261"></div>The season's first hurricane, Hanna, made landfall in Texas on July 25, with wind speeds reaching 90 mph. Forecasts <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/atlantic-hurricane-season-start-forecast-above-average-2020-5">for the season overall</a> predict a high activity, with up to six major storms (category 3 or higher).Hurricanes are increasing in intensity due to climate change; they are expected to grow even <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/atlantic-hurricane-season-start-forecast-above-average-2020-5">stronger and more frequent</a> as the planet continues to warm.Because hurricanes use warm water as fuel, they have more to feed on as oceans warm. A 2013 study found that for each degree the planet warmed over the previous 40 years, the proportion of category 4 and 5 storms — the strongest hurricanes — increased by 25% to 30%.Research from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, meanwhile, shows that each new decade over the last 40 years has brought an 8% increase in the chance that a storm turns into a major hurricane.In addition to making hurricanes stronger, climate change is also making them <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/climate-change-hurricanes-why-storms-are-wetter-stronger-slower-2019-7">slower and wetter:</a> Over the past 70 years, the speed of hurricanes and tropical storms has slowed about 10% on average, <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-018-0158-3">according to a 2018 study</a>. Slower hurricanes, like <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/climate-change-hurricanes-why-storms-are-wetter-stronger-slower-2019-7">Dorian last year</a>, linger longer over the same area, causing greater damage than a faster-moving storm would.Aylin Woodward contributed reporting.

Tropical Storm Isaias led to more than 2 million power outages and killed at least 5 people

<ul class="summary-list"><li>This post originally appeared in the Insider Today newsletter.</li></ul>Hello there! Here's a comeback absolutely no one wants. Nuclear weapons are on the rise amid increased US-China tension. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nuclear-weapons-era-comeback-china-us-russia-experts-2024-8">Experts explain why</a>.In today's big story, a CMO said <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cmo-tried-google-ai-tools-stopped-using-them-2024-8">Google's AI tools left them disappointed</a>.What's on deck:<ul><li>Markets: At Blackstone's internship, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-succeed-at-blackstone-schwarzman-gray-career-advice-2024-8">nice people finish first</a>.</li><li>Tech: OpenAI's brain drain is a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/openai-brain-drain-isnt-great-for-sam-altman-competition-2024-8">bad look for Sam Altman</a>.</li><li>Business: Gyms have <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/gen-z-loves-gym-weightlifting-workout-fitness-trends-planet-fitness-2024-8">a Gen Z problem</a>.</li></ul>But first, is this thing even worth it?If this was forwarded to you, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/subscription/newsletter/insider-today">sign up here.</a><h3 id="7fa5f018-5b05-4a37-a8dc-d3f89138bcb3">The big story</h3><h2 id="5fd547b9-ec52-41fc-8e08-4f4b27dd8097">A lack-of-demand problem</h2><div type="image" title="google ai on a computer with scribbles and glitches on a red background." height="892" width="1189" msid="112380048" hostid="261" sizebytes="62584"></div>The tech industry's big plans for AI have hit a roadblock: Some of their customers don't find the tools useful.Business Insider's Alistair Barr spoke to a chief marketing officer about <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cmo-tried-google-ai-tools-stopped-using-them-2024-8">their less-than-stellar experience using Google's AI tools</a>.On paper, this should be an easy win. In the pantheon of industries set to be upended by AI, marketing is <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-artificial-intelligence-is-used-in-marketing-strategy-2024-5">somewhere near the top</a>. (Don't feel bad, marketers. Media is not far behind.)From personalized emails to determining where ads should run, AI could supercharge a company's marketing department in plenty of ways.Except… it hasn't yet.At least that's what the CMO told Alistair. One tool disrupted its advertising strategy so much they stopped using it. Another was no better at the job than a human. And a third was only successful about 60% of the time.An entire industry can't, and shouldn't, be judged by one person's experience. But the CMO isn't alone in their frustration.A pharma company stopped using Microsoft's Copilot AI tool after an exec compared its work to "<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/pharma-cio-cancelled-microsoft-copilot-ai-tool-2024-7">middle school presentations</a>." And this isn't an age thing. Morgan Stanley's interns don't love using <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ai-customer-service-morgan-stanley-interns-2024-8">AI chatbots in customer service</a>.<div type="image" title="Photo illustration of a robot hand with cash." height="833" width="1111" msid="112380046" hostid="261" sizebytes="109502"></div>AI will get better, but the clock is ticking for tech firms racking up big bills.I'm old enough to remember when a phone call to your house might kick you off the web and your mobile phone's form of entertainment was Snake. Tech has a way of evolving and fine-tuning its products.But <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-much-big-tech-spending-on-ai-investments-2024-7">AI development isn't cheap</a>. The hardware, people, and power requirements are a big financial drain. So while it's only fair to give the industry time to work out the kinks, the bills aren't going to slow down anytime soon.Still, tech has the ultimate trump card. As much as the industry wants AI to prove useful, the rest of us need AI to prove useful.For over two decades, tech has been the rocketship investors have strapped themselves to.The internet. Social media. Cloud computing. Tech has consistently found new trends to ride to exponential returns, and we've all gladly gone along for the ride.AI is the latest, and everyone has bought in, leading the stock market to new record heights this year.Should that falter, it's not just tech that'll tumble. The pensions, 401(k)s, and other retirement plans built on the promise of tech's continued rise will drop with it.<h2 id="f4b54806-7f81-450c-ba32-92560d4fae9b">3 things in markets</h2><div type="image" title="Photo of Wall Street with huge US flags" height="667" width="1000" msid="112380039" hostid="261" sizebytes="72454"></div><ol><li>Bank of America wants everyone to take a chill pill. Michael Gapen, the bank's chief US economist, said <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/is-a-recession-coming-us-economy-risks-rate-cuts-bofa-2024-8">a recession is "highly unlikely."</a> Gapen said a misreading of the economic data — like Hurricane Beryl's impact on the jobs report — led to the overreaction and threw cold water on the possibility of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/emergency-rate-cut-fed-recession-july-jobs-report-unemployment-powell-2024-8">an emergency rate cut</a>.</li><li>Gov. Tim Walz doesn't appear to be slinging tendies or checking r/wallstreetbets. The Democrats' VP pick <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tim-walz-kamala-harris-personal-finances-2024-8">doesn't own a single stock</a>, according to financial disclosures. In fact, when he was in Congress he sponsored the bill formally banning insider trading by government officials.</li><li>At Blackstone, niceness is a secret weapon. Blackstone COO Jon Gray recently shared career advice with the private-equity giant's summer analysts. BI spoke to four Blackstone insiders to understand more about how to succeed at the firm. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-succeed-at-blackstone-schwarzman-gray-career-advice-2024-8">Here's what they had to say</a>.</li></ol><h2 id="545818b4-6561-4465-a6aa-94bbe2d1ae4f">3 things in tech</h2><div type="image" title="sam altman" height="950" width="1440" msid="112380041" hostid="261" sizebytes="167996"></div><ol><li>OpenAI's castle has no moat. Having one could have kept OpenAI from losing key members over the past few weeks. Instead, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/openai-brain-drain-isnt-great-for-sam-altman-competition-2024-8">the company is facing a brain drain</a> — and it's not a great look for Sam Altman.</li><li>The hidden objective in Elon Musk's X advertising lawsuit. Many legal experts think the platform's antitrust lawsuit against a group of advertisers is baseless. But a legal win isn't the point. Musk's true goal is to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-x-advertiser-lawsuits-silence-opponents-2024-8">sap his opponents' resources and hinder their work</a>, BI's Lara O'Reilly writes.</li><li>Early testers share their thoughts on OpenAI's up-and-coming generator for creatives. Sora, OpenAI's forthcoming text-to-video generator, turned heads when it was teased in February. Visual artists and designers granted early access to the tech shared what they think <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sora-openai-text-video-generator-testers-pros-cons-2024-8">Sora's strengths and weaknesses are</a>.</li></ol><h2 id="9260fa45-d397-4b3c-b4f8-4bb193976216">3 things in business</h2><div type="image" title="A crowded gym filled with young people hanging out" height="2869" width="3833" msid="112380043" hostid="261" sizebytes="1124446"></div><ol><li>Gen Z's love of lifting pushes gyms to their limits. Thanks to the rise of "gymfluencers" and a shrinking number of places to meet new people, Gen Zers are flocking to gyms in droves. But gyms aren't built to host that kind of capacity, forcing many of them to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/gen-z-loves-gym-weightlifting-workout-fitness-trends-planet-fitness-2024-8">rethink their business models</a>.</li><li>How much are we willing to pay for convenience? A lot, apparently. Americans are still having a lot of stuff delivered from DoorDash and Uber, even as we pull back spending on other goods. We may have witnessed the demise of the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/millennial-subsidy-uber-airbnb-prices-surge-pricing-dynamic-2024-8">millennial lifestyle subsidy</a>, but it turns out <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-doordash-instacart-still-delivering-lots-as-consumers-pull-back-2024-8">convenience isn't dead yet</a>.</li><li>For Disney, theme parks are out and streaming is in. Disney reported lower-than-expected earnings from its theme parks division, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/disney-theme-parks-struggle-another-warning-sign-for-the-economy-2024-8">a bad sign for the economy</a> as consumers look to rein in spending. On the other hand, Disney <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/disney-streaming-profitable-price-hike-earnings-2024-8">made money in streaming</a> for the first time ever, thanks to hefty price hikes. Execs also announced a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/disney-password-sharing-crackdown-is-coming-third-quarter-earnings-call-2024-8">password-sharing crackdown</a>, effective next month.</li></ol><h2 id="1ad7b482-3f4b-44b4-81b6-a864aa386478">In other news</h2><ul><li>Taylor Swift's 3 Eras Tour concerts in Vienna are canceled after police say <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/taylor-swift-vienna-eras-tour-concerts-canceled-terrorist-attack-2024-8">they thwarted a terrorist plot</a>.</li><li>Flop era: How the British behemoth Burberry became fashion's <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-burberry-became-fashions-biggest-fail-stock-drop-ceo-ousting-2024-8">biggest fail of the year</a>.</li><li>The minimum wage is dead — so now is <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jobs-labor-market-federal-minimum-wage-raise-small-business-2024-8">the perfect time to increase it</a>.</li><li>Google Workspace VP Bob Frati has left <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/google-workspace-robert-frati-left-ai-gemini-2024-8">after just over a year at the company</a>.</li><li>There's a double-edged sword high performers face at work, and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/double-edged-sword-high-performers-face-at-work-feedback-managers-2024-8">it's costing employers their talent</a>.</li><li>Olympic couples are <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/olympic-couples-competing-together-not-necessarily-bad-says-relationship-expert-2024-8">mixing romance with competition</a>. That's not necessarily a bad thing, a psychologist says.</li><li>Boosting worker well-being doesn't have to be pricey. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/flexibility-can-increase-worker-well-being-2024-8">Simple flexibility</a> can do the trick.</li><li>Warner Bros Discovery says <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/warner-bros-discovery-9-billion-tv-networks-breakup-merger-2024-8/">it overpaid for its TV networks by $9 billion</a>.</li><li>Costco is leaning into its Netflix-style <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/costco-leaning-into-netflix-style-membership-crackdown-2024-8">membership crackdown</a>.</li><li>A guy who bought <a target="_blank" href="http://HarrisWalz.com">HarrisWalz.com</a> in 2020 <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guy-who-bought-harriswalz-site-2020-says-got-huge-payday-2024-8">just got a huge payday</a>.</li></ul><h2 id="9f5d80ac-3466-429f-a50a-2ffbb70c65ff">What's happening today</h2><ul><li>Paramount, News Corp, and <a target="_blank" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/earnings-calendar">other companies</a> report earnings.</li><li>Tropical storm Debby is forecast to hit the Carolinas.</li><li>San Diego Zoo unveils two new pandas to the public. A win for panda diplomacy!</li></ul>The Insider Today team: Dan DeFrancesco, deputy editor and anchor, in New York. Jordan Parker Erb, editor, in New York. Hallam Bullock, senior editor, in London. Annie Smith, associate producer, in London. Amanda Yen, fellow, in New York.

Big Tech is hyping up the power of AI tools. Some of their clients aren't as impressed. 

<ul class="summary-list"><li>House Democratic leaders released the "Combatting Financial Conflicts of Interest in Government Act."</li><li>The text comes after months of back-and-forth between Pelosi and lawmakers, and a vote may come this week.</li></ul>House Democratic leaders late Tuesday <a href="https://cha.house.gov/sites/democrats.cha.house.gov/files/documents/EIGA-Reform_Bill%20Text%202022%2009%2027.pdf">released the text of a bill</a> to ban members of Congress and other government officials — including Supreme Court justices — from owning or trading stocks ahead of a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/stock-ban-congress-us-house-lawmakers-trading-investing-2022-9">possible vote this week</a>.The 26-page-long "Combatting Financial Conflicts of Interest in Government Act" would also increase penalties for violating federal conflicts-of-interest law and strengthen several transparency provisions.It comes after <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/financial-conflicts-congress-members-rated-2021-12">Insider's "Conflicted Congress" investigation</a> found <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/congress-stock-act-violations-senate-house-trading-2021-9">widespread violations</a> of the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/congress-stock-act-violations-penalties-consequences-2021-12">Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge (STOCK) Act</a>, as well as <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/congress-tobacco-stocks-philip-morris-altria-vaping-cigarettes-2021-12">countless</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/congress-members-are-trading-defense-stocks-while-shaping-military-policy-2021-12">potential</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/lawmakers-investing-in-crypto-as-congress-weighs-regulations-2021-12">conflicts</a> of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/congress-democrats-with-fossil-fuel-stocks-investments-2021-12">interest</a> among <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/congress-holding-stocks-facebook-twitter-disney-fox-news-2021-12">lawmakers.</a>While these violations are decidedly bipartisan, with Republicans and Democrats alike breaking the rules that Congress set for itself, numerous high-profile Democrats are among the stock-disclosure scofflaws.They <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/congress-stock-act-violations-senate-house-trading-2021-9">include</a> Sens. Dianne Feinstein of California and Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, Assistant House Speaker Katherine Clark of Massachusetts, and Reps. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, Tom Malinowski of New Jersey, and Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida.Members of Congress in both parties and across both chambers have proposed <a href="https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/TE/TE10073/2">legislation to ban the practice</a>, and the Committee on House Administration <a href="https://cha.house.gov/committee-activity/hearings/examining-stock-trading-reforms-congress">held a hearing</a> to examine the issue in April.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, after <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/we-are-free-market-economy-pelosi-rejects-stock-ban-congress-2021-12">initial opposition to the idea</a>, tasked Committee on House Administration Chair Zoe Lofgren with writing the legislation, which led to an insular process where the California Democrat — who's close to Pelosi — <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nancy-pelosi-stock-ban-september-skepticism-2022-9">largely did not consult with lawmakers who've written their own ready-to-go bills,</a> leading to months of wrangling and delays.Pelosi's husband, venture capitalist Paul Pelosi, is <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nancy-pelosi-stock-trades-congress-investments-2022-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">one of the most active traders among congressional spouses</a>, having bought and sold tens of millions of dollars worth of stock and stock options during the current congressional session.Members of Congress won't have much time to consider the details of the bill; the House is set to be in session only from Wednesday evening until Friday afternoon, with other <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bernie-sanders-republicans-defeat-joe-manchin-permitting-reform-2022-9">must-pass government funding legislation</a> also on the legislative calendar. Hurricane Ian, a massive and potentially deadly storm, is also about to strike Florida's Gulf Coast, prompting widespread evacuations and government mobilization.Further complicating matters is House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer's <a href="https://twitter.com/heatherscope/status/1574805421386235905?s=20&amp;t=jxgsqzBLJIIunGib55OLZw">reported</a> <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/democrats-struggle-to-craft-stock-trading-ban-for-congress-judges-11664302828?st=24pxkhu0mkqs5rd">opposition</a> to the legislation, which will add to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elaine-luria-opposes-stock-trade-ban-lawmakers-2022-2">existing opposition from some corners of the party</a>. While the House leadership bill is driven by top Democrats, some notable Republicans have, in principle, supported the idea of a congressional stock ban; Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri and Rep. Chip Roy of Texas have sponsored or co-sponsored bills calling for such a ban, though other Republican have <a href="https://mcusercontent.com/67fba463240fdd948eb636b35/files/3e9b3b3d-9136-daf0-681e-faf0798fa46a/FINAL_STOCK_Letter.pdf">complained of being shut out of the legislative process.</a>House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, who himself does not trade stocks, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kevin-mccarthy-considers-barring-lawmakers-trading-stocks-2022-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">said earlier this year</a> that he'd consider barring members of Congress from trading stocks if the GOP wins the House in November.The Senate, for its part, is <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/senate-bill-ban-congress-trading-stocks-after-midterms-merkley-2022-9">unlikely to take action on its own proposal</a> until after the November midterm elections.<h2>Here's what the bill includes:</h2>The bill would ban top officials across all three branches — as well as the spouses and dependent children of members of Congress — from owning or trading stocks, as well as cryptocurrencies.In addition to cryptocurrencies, the bill also bans covered government officials from owning other "digital assets." The bill doesn't expressly ban "non-fungible tokens," or NFTs, by name, but does state that "coins and tokens" are subject to prohibitions, and that other digital assets that rely on blockchain technology may be subject to regulation by government ethics offices.Along with lawmakers and their senior staff, the president, vice president, political appointees, Supreme Court justices, and the rest of the federal judiciary are included in the sweeping, wide-ranging ban.The inclusion of the Supreme Court has been a source of contention — some advocates have warned that including the judiciary is likely to garner Republican opposition, making it a so-called "poison pill." But Hawley told Insider at the Capitol on Thursday that he was not generally opposed to the judiciary's inclusion."That doesn't bother me," he said. "I'm fine with that."In order to comply with the ban, members of Congress may place holdings into qualified blind trusts, though the bill would allow lawmakers to put their money in range of other investments including diversified mutual funds and exchange traded funds; US Treasury bills, bonds, and notes; and state and municipal bonds.One ethics watchdog — Walter Shaub, a senior ethics fellow at the Project on Government Oversight who's worked with some members on stock ban legislation — <a href="https://twitter.com/waltshaub/status/1574942472064487424?s=20&amp;t=RMH1bHKQwK6u0i48IZ9xJg">immediately questioned</a> whether the qualified blind trusts described in the House leadership bill would truly be blind to those who establish them.The legislation would require individuals to comply with the ban within 180 days of the bill's enactment, or when they become a member of Congress (or President, or federal judge).The bill also increases fines for violating the STOCK Act to $1,000, increasing the penalty from the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/congress-stock-act-violations-penalties-consequences-2021-12">meager $200 fine currently in place,</a> and provides for the penalty to be adjusted by inflation.Members of Congress would also be required to file financial disclosures electronically, eliminating a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spanberger-johnson-bipartisan-bill-digitize-financial-disclosures-stocks-2022-9">long-standing problem with lawmakers submitting illegible information about their personal finances</a>.The bill would likewise require the government to disclose, on a public website, the identities of members of Congress or other covered government officials who paid a fine for violating financial trading laws. The amount of the fines would also be public.Today, it's <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/congress-stock-act-violations-penalties-consequences-2021-12" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">impossible to comprehensively review</a> who has paid such fines, as the government does not make such information a matter of public record and most members of Congress, for their parts, refused to volunteer the information to Insider when asked.<h2>Here's the text of the bill:</h2>

House Democratic leadership finally released the text of their bill to ban members of Congress from trading stocks. Here's what's in it.

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Evan Vucci/APPresident Donald Trump arrives to speak at a campaign rally at Erie Insurance Arena, Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2018, in Erie, Pa. As Hurricane Michael pounded the Southeast on Wednesday, Trump took shelter at the campaign rally in Pennsylvania, where he sought to boost Republicans before the midterms.</div></div></div><ul class="summary-list"><li>President Donald Trump on Thursday blamed the "Mainstream Media" for "purposely false and inaccurate reporting" that contributed to a "hateful" atmosphere.</li><li>It came after CNN and a several of Trump's his political opponents received pipe bombs in the mail on Wednesday.</li><li>The recipients include Bill and Hillary Clinton, former President Barack Obama, and the offices of Democratic Reps. Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Maxine Waters, former Vice President Joe Biden, former Obama Attorney General Eric Holder, and actor and Trump-critic Robert De Niro.</li><li>Days earlier, Trump tweeted a <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1053355470449127424" target="_blank" rel="noopener">video compilation of Congresswoman Maxine Waters, Hillary Clinton, and former Attorney General Eric Holder</a> all calling for Republicans and Trump administration figures to be treated without civility.</li></ul>President Donald Trump blamed the "Mainstream Media" for "purposely false and inaccurate reporting" that contributed to a "hateful" atmosphere after CNN and a large group of his political opponents received pipe bombs in the mail on Wednesday.Trump's comments came <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1055418269270716418">in a tweet on Thursday morning</a> which followed a Wednesday that saw top Democrats and Trump critics targeted by pipe bombs mailed to their addresses.At a campaign rally on Wednesday, Trump said the media "has a responsibility to set a civil tone," while condemning the acts of attempted political violence. Trump has declared the media the "enemy of the people," and has even <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-body-slam-greg-gianforte-montana-jamal-khashoggi-2018-10" target="_blank" rel="noopener">celebrated violence against reporters while in office</a>. CNN President <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cnn-chief-jeff-zucker-slams-trump-for-his-attacks-on-the-media-2018-10" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jeff Zucker called out Trump</a> for a "a total and complete lack of understanding at the White House about the seriousness of their continued attacks on the media." Zucker said that contributed to the attempted bombing. "A very big part of the Anger we see today in our society is caused by the purposely false and inaccurate reporting of the Mainstream Media that I refer to as Fake News. It has gotten so bad and hateful that it is beyond description. Mainstream Media must clean up its act, FAST!" Trump tweeted on Thursday morning. Bill and Hillary Clinton, former President Barack Obama, and the offices of Democratic Reps. Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Maxine Waters, former Vice President Joe Biden, former Obama Attorney General Eric Holder, and actor and Trump-critic Robert De Niro all recieved suspicious packages on Wednesday and Thursday. Days earlier, Trump tweeted a <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1053355470449127424" target="_blank" rel="noopener">video compilation of Congresswoman Maxine Waters, Hillary Clinton, and former Attorney General Eric Holder</a> all calling for Republicans and Trump administration figures to be treated without civility. <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/oysters-still-alive-eaten-raw-vibrio-vulnificus-2018-9">Raw oysters can still be alive when we eat them, but not for the reason you may think</a></h3> <div> </div> </div>

Trump blames 'Fake News' media for 'hateful' atmosphere after CNN, Democrats bomb scares

<div class="image-container float_right click-to-enlarge" style="width:400px"><div class="image"><a title_source="University of Florida" title_caption="Entomologist Phil Kaufman shows the size difference between the invasive Asian tiger mosquito, right, and the native species Psorophora ciliata, sometimes called the gallinipper." class="zoomin" href="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/51378a146bb3f76c5d000002-960/gallinipper-1.jpg"></a></div>University of <keyword id="6357385" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="60" keywordseo="florida">Florida</keyword>Entomologist Phil Kaufman shows the size difference between the invasive Asian tiger <keyword id="65563" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Mosquito">mosquito</keyword>, right, and the native species Psorophora ciliata, sometimes called the gallinipper.</div>If you dislike mosquitoes, you'll really have daggers for the gallinipper — a giant mosquito that is about 20 times the size of a regular mosquito. It's big enough to cover a quarter. 
The insect lives in low-lying areas that overflow with water. They are native to the eastern half of North America, but come out in large numbers when an area is hit by heavy rain, such as in a tropical storm or hurricane.
Florida was invaded by the gallinipper last summer after Tropical Storm Debbie. The case is likely to be the same this year, <a href="http://news.ufl.edu/2013/03/04/big-skeeter/">University of Florida entomologist Phil Kaufman said in a statement</a>.
The whopper of a bug has an equally big bite, which can really hurt when its mouth pierces the skin, says Kaufman. As with other mosquitoes, only the females bite and feed on blood.
The female gallinipper lays her eggs in soil, in areas that are prone to flooding. The eggs can hang out for several years if they stay dry. The eggs hatch when they get wet caused by heavy rains. 
Fortunately, the gallinipper is not known to carry diseases. They can be warded off with bug spray, although due their size, the spray may not be as effective as it is with a smaller biting mosquito.

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