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Delhi continued to battle with air pollution for the 10th consecutive day post-Diwali as a dense layer of smog blanketed parts of the national capital on Sunday. Several parts of the national capital recorded very poor air quality levels on Sunday morning as per the data issued by the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR-India). Today morning, Anand Vihar recorded an AQI of 351, Bawana 383, CRRI Mathura Road 323, Dwarka Sector 8 at 341, IGI Airport at 326, ITO 328, Lodhi Road 319, Mundka at 358, Najafgarh at 341, New Moti Bagh at 394, Okhla phase-2 at 339, RK Puram at 368, and Wazirpur at 366, as per SAFAR-India data. As of 5 pm on November 10, Delhi's AQI stood at 334, with Anand Vihar at 353, Dilshad Garden at 262, and Jahangirpuri at 377. For tomorrow, AQI in adjoining cities of Noida and Gurugram is forecasted to be at 208.92 and 77.51, respectively. Multiple visuals from Delhi's Kartavya Path showed the area surrounding India Gate engulfed by a layer of smog. The AQI in the area was recorded at 357 as of 7 am. High-rise buildings were also covered in smog in the Kalindi Kunj and surrounding locality, as the AQI was recorded as 323 in the area. An AQI is considered "poor" between '200 and 300', "very poor" at '301 and 400', "severe" at '401-450," and 450 and above is "severe plus." As the air pollution levels in the national capital reach "very poor," doctors say that even people with no history of respiratory diseases are suffering from breathing issues. Dr. Nikhil Modi, Senior Consultant for Respiratory Critical Care at Apollo Hospital, told ANI that apart from the regular patients, those who haven't had any respiratory issues in the past are showing up with symptoms such as runny noses, sneezing, coughing, and having increasing difficulties breathing. As it is, respiratory illnesses in the national capital are estimated to have shot up by around 15-20%. The Apollo doctor further suggested that the government close the schools for children as they remain vulnerable. Whenever the pollution levels have gone beyond a certain limit, the government has opted to close the schools, Dr. Modi said. "For the last few years, we have been seeing that the government has taken action. Whenever this pollution level has gone beyond a certain limit, they have opted to close the schools. This is important because children are from a vulnerable group. As adults, we are masked and can protect ourselves better, but children usually are not that effectively taking these measures. Secondly, their lungs are still in developing stages, so they are bound to have more harm due to this pollution," the doctor told ANI. Siddharth Singhal, Head of Health Insurance, Policybazaar.com, notes that while most standard health plans in India cover pollution-related ailments, it is always advised to also go for an OPD plan along with a health insurance plan to cover consultations, medications, and diagnostic tests that may be required frequently due to pollution. "Pollution levels in Delhi-NCR and some other parts of India have shot up post Diwali. Effects of this are very evident in the form of sore throats and breathing problems, among others. This can also result in respiratory ailments and chronic conditions like asthma, bronchitis, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), pneumonia, and severe cases of respiratory or bronchial obstruction. Health insurance becomes critical to cover such expenses. Most policies typically cover emergency hospitalization for respiratory issues like asthma or COPD exacerbations requiring ICU or critical care," he adds.

Layer of smog covers Delhi as air quality remains 'very poor'. Here's why you need an insurance cover for this

Imagine taking a deep breath, expecting fresh, clean air, but instead, inhaling particles so tiny they’re invisible but powerful enough to change your life. For millions worldwide, that’s the reality — and it’s taking a toll on their lungs. A new global study shows that nearly 30% of <keyword id="22476122" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="asthma-cases" source="keywords">asthma cases</keyword> can be traced back to long-term exposure to <keyword id="20147117" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="fine-particulate-matter" source="keywords">fine particulate matter</keyword>, or <keyword id="20573061" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="PM2-5" source="keywords">PM2.5</keyword>, the kind of pollution that often comes from cars, factories, and even cooking fires. <h2>How PM2.5 impacts asthma</h2>Asthma is a chronic respiratory condition characterised by recurring symptoms like wheezing, coughing, and difficulty breathing. While the exact causes of asthma remain complex and varied, this new study underlines that PM2.5 pollution is a significant risk factor. The study brings together insights from 68 epidemiological studies conducted across 22 countries, spanning regions from North America to South Asia. This comprehensive meta-analysis demonstrates the consistent impact of PM2.5 on asthma development. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="114504550" title="Most people miss THIS warning on their mosquito repellent vaporizer’s label" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>Lead author Dr Ruijing Ni explained, “We estimate that globally in 2019, almost a third of asthma cases are attributable to long-term PM2.5 exposure, corresponding to 63.5 million existing cases and 11.4 million new cases.” <h2>The Indian asthma problem</h2>India, one of the world’s most polluted countries, faces a particularly severe burden from <keyword id="19900550" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="air-pollution" source="keywords">air pollution</keyword>. Studies have shown that PM2.5 levels in many Indian cities far exceed the <keyword id="19896311" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="World-Health-Organization" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="World Health Organization" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="World Health Organization">World Health Organization</keyword>'s safe limit of 5 µg/m³. This exposure is especially dangerous for children, whose lungs and immune systems are still developing. The numbers are worrying: around 15-20 million Indians suffer from asthma, making up a significant portion of the estimated 339 million cases worldwide. Children are disproportionately affected; a 2019 report indicated that approximately 6% of children aged 1 to 5 in India show asthma symptoms. This exposure often results in airway inflammation and oxidative stress, which increases vulnerability to <keyword id="19923193" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="respiratory-diseases" source="keywords">respiratory diseases</keyword>. <h2>What the data says</h2>The research team employed exposure-response curves to better understand the link between PM2.5 levels and asthma cases. By considering data from both high-income and low- and middle-income countries, the researchers could provide a more accurate global assessment of PM2.5’s <keyword id="21037424" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="health-impact" source="keywords">health impact</keyword>. The study found that in Germany, for instance, PM2.5 may be responsible for about 11% of new asthma cases — roughly 28,000 people. However, the burden is even higher in low- and middle-income countries like India, where higher levels of pollution are coupled with limited healthcare access. This disparity highlights the need for global action to reduce PM2.5 emissions, especially in regions where pollution levels and health impacts are most severe. <h2>Policy implications and recommendations</h2>The findings have clear implications for policymakers. Strengthening <keyword id="19918941" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="air-quality" source="keywords">air quality</keyword> regulations, especially in high-exposure regions, could prevent millions of new asthma cases and reduce healthcare costs. “Our findings highlight the urgent need for policymakers to enforce stringent legislation to continuously combat air pollution,” emphasised another study author Prof. Yafang Cheng. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="114695519" title="Are your green firecrackers really ‘green? Here’s all you need to know before doing your Diwali shopping" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>In addition to governmental measures, personal protective actions like wearing masks and installing air purifiers in homes can also help individuals reduce their exposure to PM2.5, particularly during high-pollution periods. This study adds to the growing evidence that reducing air pollution is critical for public health. While global challenges like PM2.5 pollution may seem daunting, each step toward cleaner air can bring significant health benefits. For countries like India, where asthma rates and pollution levels are both alarmingly high, these findings underscore an urgent need for both policy and community action to protect the most vulnerable — particularly children.

Air Quality Alert: Nearly 30% of asthma cases tied to fine particulate matter exposure from bad air

What started as a Sunday afternoon tweet by comedian <keyword id="20947562" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Kunal-Kamra" source="keywords">Kunal Kamra</keyword> criticising <keyword id="19897349" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ola-Electric" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Ola Electric" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Ola Electric">Ola Electric</keyword>’s S1 series scooters quickly escalated into a fiery exchange with <keyword id="19914967" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bhavish-Aggarwal" source="keywords">Bhavish Aggarwal</keyword>, CEO of <keyword id="19945904" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Ola" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Ola" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Ola">Ola</keyword>. It all began when <keyword id="23458070" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="kamra" source="keywords">Kamra</keyword> had posted a picture showing several Ola scooters gathering dust at a dealership, highlighting concerns over poor service. However, the situation intensified when Aggarwal responded, accusing Kamra of posting a “paid tweet” and launching personal digs at the comedian’s career. The feud between the two public figures has sparked a wave of reactions on social media, dividing Twitter users. While some users echoed Kamra’s frustrations about Ola’s <keyword id="21440362" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="service-quality" source="keywords">service quality</keyword>, others defended Aggarwal’s sharp retorts. The argument has moved beyond the two individuals, turning into a broader debate about the state of customer service in India’s <keyword id="19906970" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="electric-vehicle" source="keywords">electric vehicle</keyword> sector. <h2>Internet complains about Ola’s Service Quality </h2> Several users shared their experiences with Ola’s service issues, siding with Kamra’s criticisms. One Twitter user wrote, “It’s all fun and all, Bhavish sir, but with all the complaints, the ‘Bhavishya’ of OLA Scooters is not looking good. Rather than hitting out at Kunal, tell people the plan to solve the 80k and growing complaints.” Many shared similar sentiments, recounting personal stories of service delays and unresolved issues. For instance, one customer revealed, “It’s been only 4 months since my brother bought the Ola S1 Pro, and he’s gone to the service centre at least 6-7 times, sometimes due to software issues, sometimes due to quality issues. Every day, a new problem arises.” Another wrote, “A friend of mine bought an ola scooter, after eight months it started giving trouble, he followed up to the service centre for 6 months but they didn't resolve his issue, In the end he paid 24000/- to get the issue resolved.” Yet another user expressed their dissatisfaction bluntly, saying, “Pay your staff properly first! Instead of calling out Kamra, put that money to better use—expand your service infrastructure, fix quality checks, then show off your wealth on social media!” Meanwhile, another X user said that they can only imagine “how badly customer service behaves with individuals, if this is how top management reacts to criticism.” <h2>Support for OLA CEO </h2> On the other hand, some users supported Aggarwal, praising his leadership and dismissing Kamra’s criticisms as an attempt to stay relevant. “Kunal, you missed the comedy gig and now think you're leading the charge? What bhavish and ola are doing is clearly out of your sight, that is solving "real problems". Feel free to visit one—maybe learn some skills beyond just creating nuisance,” a user wrote. Another user commented, “Kunal Kamra has a rare disease of poking everywhere to revive his sinking career! Ignore these stunts, Bhavish, you’ve built an amazing company.” Another echoed this sentiment, adding, “Founder mode on.” Some, on the other hand, took a more balanced stance. A user wrote, “Reply might sound arrogant here, but sometimes you have to show people their place. Bhavish did the right thing,” one person tweeted. However, he also acknowledged there are real issues with Ola’s service. “Let’s agree there’s an issue with service,” he added. Here are some reactions: <div type="image" title="google (5)" msid="114007569" hostid="261" sizebytes="643332"></div> As the feud unfolds, it has highlighted deeper concerns around accountability in the electric vehicle market. The war of words may have begun with Kamra’s tweet, but the chorus of complaints from Ola customers underscores the broader dissatisfaction with after-sales service. This exchange, while entertaining for many, has become a focal point for customers demanding better support from companies as India pushes towards a greener transportation future.

'Pay your staff properly, solve the 80,000 complaints first': Internet reacts on Ola CEO Bhavish Aggarwal and Kunal Kamra feud

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Airbus reported a third-quarter profit of $1 billion on Wednesday. Boeing lost $6 billion in the same period. </li><li>The European company has more orders and appears to be coping better with supply-chain issues.</li></ul><a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/airbus-struggling-outsider-beating-boeing-737-max-a320neo-2024-1">Airbus</a> reported its third-quarter earnings on Wednesday, which showed its strength over rival Boeing.The European planemaker posted a quarterly profit of 983 million euros ($1 billion) — a sharp contrast to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/boeing-q3-results-earnings-loss-ceo-vows-iconic-again-2024-10">Boeing's $6.1 billion loss</a> for the same period it announced last week.UBS analyst Ian Douglas-Pennant said investors should be reassured by Airbus' profit margins, "although commentary on supply chain weakness may offset this."The stock dipped on Thursday before turning positive. Although the shares are flat for the year to date, Airbus is worth about $123 billion — $28 billion more than Boeing. Its shares have slumped almost 40% this year. Here are four key ways Airbus has been outshining its American rival this year.<h2 id="8c6b07dc-d532-4fcd-adc6-83b4bbcde314">1. Customer confidence</h2>Airbus has outsold Boeing since 2019, when the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/boeing-crashes-groundings-timeline-737-max-777-air-force-tanker-2024-1">737 Max</a> suffered the longest grounding for a US airliner following two fatal crashes that killed almost 350 people.Customers grew frustrated with Boeing in the wake of January's Alaska Airlines 737 Max blowout because it signaled <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/boeing-737-max-quality-control-company-culture-merger-finances-2024-1">quality-control problems</a> and affected production.In the first nine months of this year, Airbus' 667 gross orders were more than double Boeing's tally of 315.The Airbus A320 family leads the industry in single-aisle planes and looks set to gain further with its game-changing <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/wizz-airbus-a321xlr-no-frills-economy-cabin-seats-range-2024-10">A321 XLR</a>, which will unlock longer routes. The first was delivered to Spain's Iberia on Wednesday.<div type="image" title="The first Airbus A321XLR delivered to Iberia" height="1125" width="2000" msid="114820649" hostid="261" sizebytes="64566"></div>On the same day, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/saudi-arabia-riyadh-air-airbus-a321neo-order-blow-boeing-2024-10">Riyadh Air ordered</a> 60 Airbus A321neos despite speculation late last year that the new Saudi airline would opt for Boeing 737 Max jets for its single-aisle fleet.<h2 id="d89e6722-c912-4b49-b3df-ef65ced4d1f7">2. Coping better with huge backlogs</h2>Sales are one part of the puzzle, along with delivering planes on time."We believe the primary focus among investors is the execution of aircraft deliveries," Royal Bank of Canada analyst Ken Herbert said in a note to clients.Both planemakers have huge backlogs: Boeing has more than 5,400 orders, while the Airbus total is about 8,750.<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/neither-boeing-nor-airbus-won-this-years-farnborough-airshow-2024-7">Supply chain constraints</a> on labor and raw materials have hampered the industry this year, but Airbus has been coping better. It has delivered 497 planes this year compared with Boeing's 291."Airbus' main task is ramping up production of its popular airliners beyond even prepandemic rates," Morningstar's Nicolas Owens said in a note.Like last year, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/airbus-lowers-targets-after-benefiting-from-boeing-struggles-2024-6">Airbus expects deliveries</a> to increase in the final three months of the year, meaning it will meet its goal of 770 planes. The guidance confirmation was "arguably the biggest surprise of the release," Deutsche Bank analyst Christophe Menard said in a note.<div type="image" title="Airbus employees work on the A321 assembly line of the Airbus plant in Cornebarrieu, France" height="3628" width="5442" msid="114820646" hostid="261" sizebytes="1052908"></div>A prime issue for Airbus is a scarcity of jet engines, which Bank of America analysts said remained "concerning," but added: "It appears Airbus has much of what they need to meet the guidance."Boeing has far more problems. Regulators <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/boeing-secures-737-max-order-but-delays-getting-worse-2024-7">capped 737 Max production</a>, and assembly lines have slowed down following scrutiny of its manufacturing processes. <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/boeing-strike-rising-tension-complaint-union-nlrb-2024-10">Boeing workers have also been on strike</a> in a dispute about to enter its seventh week.<h2 id="4e9147dd-bb52-4b3a-b888-4d2c66cebfde">3. Defense and space</h2>Commercial airplanes make up the bulk of both company's businesses, but both have defense and space divisions.Boeing's operation was in the red to the tune of $2.3 billion this quarter, which it largely blamed on losses on military programs.It also took a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/boeing-lost-250-million-on-starliner-2024-10">$250 million hit on the Starliner project</a>. The spacecraft suffered helium leaks and its astronauts are set to return to Earth after eight months rather than eight days — and courtesy of Elon Musk's <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-elon-musk">SpaceX </a>instead.<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/airbus-european-aviation-cutting-jobs-space-defence-boeing-rival-2024-10">Airbus' defense and space</a> division has suffered too, and the company announced up to 2,500 layoffs earlier this month and took a charge of 989 million euros ($1.08 billion) in the second quarter.This quarter, Airbus recorded earnings on the EBIT measure of 143 million euros ($155 million), including a 51 million euro gain from acquiring the remaining 50% of OneWeb — a satellite constellation similar to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-starlink-qatar-airways-productivity-bosses-video-call-meetings-2024-10">Starlink</a>.It appears SpaceX could threaten business for both Boeing and Airbus. Faury did not name Musk's company on Wednesday's earnings call, but said the European space industry "needs to transform in order to remain competitive against other global players, including some new players."<h2 id="015da783-2764-4dd1-8be6-57e225e53ebe">4. Stability</h2>In a duopoly, it might be tempting to twist the knife and criticize a struggling rival's problems, yet Airbus has been careful with its words in the face of Boeing's woes.Faury said in February the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/airbus-ceo-boeing-737-max-blowout-makes-very-humble-safety-2024-2">Alaska Airlines blowout "makes us very humble"</a> and it's "never good when an incident is happening, whatever the type of plane."Commercial aircraft CEO Christian Scherer said at the Farnborough Airshow in July: "When one of the players loses its way, first and foremost, we're focused on what we have to do at Airbus."<div type="image" title="A collage of Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury and Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg" height="1080" width="1440" msid="114820651" hostid="261" sizebytes="97462"></div>Investors and customers can also find confidence in more stability at Airbus, with CEO Faury announcing in the earnings call that shareholders will vote on renewing his contract.Since Faury took over at Airbus in 2019, three people have run Boeing.Dennis Muilenburg and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/boeing-dave-calhoun-failed-to-turn-boeing-around-737-max-2024-3">Dave Calhoun</a> were both ousted from Boeing following different 737 Max crises. <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/boeing-terrible-24-hours-turnaround-analysts-union-vote-production-backlog-2024-10">Kelly Ortberg</a> has only been in charge since August but has a plan to turn things around after a turbulent time with the strike, layoffs, and regulatory scrutiny.

4 ways Europe's Airbus is faring better than Boeing

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Xyndi Lomboy and her family moved to the Bay Area from Atlanta for a better quality of life.</li><li>Lomboy said most things are more expensive in California, but it's worth it for the lifestyle.</li></ul>Xyndi Lomboy and her family <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/moved-family-michigan-california-best-decision-ever-bilingual-diversity-2024-6">moved to California</a> from Georgia in 2023. She said they couldn't be happier with the decision, despite the increased costs.Lomboy and her husband Eric briefly lived in the Bay Area from 2014 to 2017, before relocating to Roswell, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta. While in Roswell, they bought a home and had a son, but something didn't feel right, Lomboy said."We were not really happy," Lomboy said. "We just felt like we were stuck."When they made the decision to move back to California, they sold their Roswell home and drove across the country to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/moving-to-california-weather-minneapolis-minnesota-cost-of-living-boomer-2024-1">start anew on the West Coast</a>. Now, the family resides in Millbrae, a city near San Francisco. And while things like groceries to housing are less affordable, the family feels much happier <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/moving-to-seattle-leaving-georgia-atlanta-cost-of-living-millennial-2024-1">than they did in Georgia</a>.While the Lomboys moved last year, California has seen an influx of new residents between 2021 and 2022 — 475,803 people moved into the state during this time, including 11,002 people making the journey from Georgia, according to the most recent available data from the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/geographic-mobility/state-to-state-migration.html">US Census Bureau</a>. California had the third-largest influx of residents behind Florida and Texas during that time.To be sure, 817,669 <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/top-states-americans-are-moving-to-florida-texas-california-2023-10">people left California</a> between 2021 and 2022, according to Census data.The Lomboys <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/leaving-california-moving-to-las-vegas-living-in-seattle-2023-12">moved</a> to California because they said they enjoyed the Bay Area's tame weather, diversity of cuisines, and access to state forests and parks.Furthermore, as they raise a family, Lomboy said she prefers California's policies toward maternity leave and healthcare to Georgia.<h2 id="cf38f0e7-bf8d-4b72-903d-edc546da64d1">Real estate in California is more expensive than in Georgia</h2>The Lomboys bought their home in Georgia for about $455,000 in 2018. It was a 4,200-square-foot house with five bedrooms and three-and-a-half bathrooms. They paid a monthly mortgage of about $2,300.Lomboy said they enjoyed living in Roswell because of the school system and pleasant neighborhood. However, she said the family felt stuck and were uncertain about their long-term careers in Georgia. In 2021, they began conversations about moving.While they love Georgia, she said they frequently reminisced on life in California and wanted their son to experience the West Coast. Lomboy is from the Philippines and said the diversity in the Bay Area is more reflective of home.In 2023, they sold their house in Roswell for $655,000. Lomboy said they sold for $15,000 less than their asking price but were able to sell the home in just a week."We were just kind of ready to go, so we were OK with it," Lomboy said.Eric is from Georgia, and his family lives throughout the state. Lomboy also has family in Georgia, and living further away from them was the most difficult aspect of moving, she said.<h2 id="15dab06e-e6ae-4c98-bedc-881b1e1dc716">Life in California is costly but worth it</h2>In Millbrae, the Lomboys rent a 1,380-square-foot townhouse with three beds and two bathrooms. They pay $4,700 monthly, more than double their mortgage in Georgia.Groceries are more expensive, too. For example, their son drinks soy milk, which costs about $5.49 in California compared to about $4.39 in Georgia, Lomboy said. Gas in California is also <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://gasprices.aaa.com/state-gas-price-averages/">more expensive than in Georgia,</a> she said.What's more, California has the highest state-level sales tax at 7.25%, compared to Georgia's 4%, <a target="_blank" href="https://taxfoundation.org/data/all/state/2024-sales-taxes/">according to the Tax Foundation</a>, a policy institute.<div type="image" title="Photo shows Xyndi and Eric Lomboy with their son and their two dogs in their home in Millbrae, California." height="1737" width="2316" msid="112836887" hostid="261" sizebytes="124450"></div>Lomboy and her husband both work at Sutter Health, a healthcare company that operates clinics throughout Northern California. Lomboy is an occupational therapist who treats hand injuries, while Eric is a gastrointestinal nurse.She makes 50% an hour more in California than in Georgia, and Eric makes 76% an hour more, which slightly eases their concerns about the cost of living.However, to adjust to higher expenses, the Lomboys have also learned to scale back. She said they love to eat out but have cut back on restaurant dining since moving to California.<h2 id="c16685da-7298-4c68-9304-60b8890e9b08">The influence of state politics</h2>Lomboy said one of the most unexpected parts of moving states was the practical cost of the move, from boxing up the house to transferring their belongings to California from Georgia.Nonetheless, Lomboy said they feel they made the right decision as they feel happier and more fulfilled in California.While they'd like to eventually own a home, they are set on renting for the foreseeable future. And Lomboy said there are positive surprises to renting.As homeowners, repairs and maintenance were much more of a headache, she said. Having a landlord in Millbrae has helped simplify things as they adjust to new jobs.In California, the Lomboys are active and spend time outdoors, which has improved their quality of life. The year-round weather is more tame in California than in Georgia, and they enjoy camping, hiking, and snowboarding.One of the biggest benefits of California is the state policy toward paid maternity leave, Lomboy said, especially since Georgia does not have a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.axios.com/2024/07/24/paid-family-leave-laws-us">mandated state-wide paid parental leave law</a>.She also said she felt her family had <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/rankings/health-care">better healthcare insurance options in California</a> than in Georgia. As she and Eric raise a family, she said state policies toward employees were paramount.Are you a new parent managing maternity leave? Is it paid or unpaid?This reporter wants to hear about your experience. Please reach out at <a target="_blank" class="" href="mailto:jtowfighi@businessinsider.com">jtowfighi@businessinsider.com</a>

A family moved to the Bay Area from Georgia for a better quality of life. They pay more than double for housing but they're happier.

A recent study has uncovered that the quality, not just the quantity, of <keyword id="22058820" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="good-cholesterol" source="keywords">good cholesterol</keyword> (HDL-C) plays a critical role in a woman’s risk for Alzheimer’s disease as she transitions through <keyword id="20007297" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="menopause" source="keywords">menopause</keyword>. Conducted by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh, the study found that larger <keyword id="23527804" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="HDL-particles" source="keywords">HDL particles</keyword>, which increase during menopause, are less effective in supporting <keyword id="20068868" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="cognitive-health" source="keywords">cognitive health</keyword> than their smaller, phospholipid-rich counterparts. Published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, the research demonstrates that women who maintain a higher concentration of these smaller HDL particles during midlife may be more likely to retain better episodic memory in later years. Episodic memory, or the ability to recall specific events, is often one of the first cognitive functions to deteriorate as Alzheimer’s progresses. “Even as early as midlife, we observed that women with more small, phospholipid-rich HDL particles had a better chance of preserving memory function as they aged,” explained lead researcher Samar R. El Khoudary, professor of epidemiology at Pitt Public Health, as per a report in IANS. The research team followed women over a 16-year period, from 2000 to 2016, repeatedly assessing cognitive function and tracking changes in the composition and functionality of their HDL particles. While higher levels of total HDL-C are often associated with cardiovascular benefits, the study found that as women age, the size and composition of these particles become more critical to brain health. Previous studies by the team have shown that certain health behaviours, such as adopting a balanced diet and staying physically active, can enhance the quality of HDL particles by increasing phospholipid concentrations in the bloodstream, which may help reduce Alzheimer’s risk. El Khoudary noted, “Although higher HDL-C levels might not protect against cognitive decline later in life, especially after menopause, lifestyle changes that improve the quality of these particles could be key to better brain health in the long run.” This study challenges the traditional view that higher HDL-C levels are always beneficial and introduces a more nuanced understanding of cholesterol’s role in women’s health. It highlights the importance of early intervention and lifestyle adjustments during midlife, a critical window when cognitive health can be influenced. While many women focus on managing overall cholesterol levels, this research suggests that the key to reducing Alzheimer’s risk may lie in improving the composition of HDL particles, starting as early as one’s 40s. (With inputs from IANS)

Quality of good cholesterol might impact Alzheimer’s risk in women, study finds

India's corporate credit landscape is showing positive trends that are expected to persist, according to a recent report by <keyword id="19990557" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="SP-Global" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="S&amp;P Global" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="S&amp;P Global">S&amp;P Global</keyword>. The report highlights strengthening credit quality across various sectors, driven by enhanced <keyword id="20994126" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="financial-discipline" source="keywords">financial discipline</keyword>, broad-based <keyword id="19899597" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="earnings-growth" source="keywords">earnings growth</keyword>, and robust liquidity profiles. S&amp;P Global's analysis reveals that one in three ratings within India now shows a positive outlook, marking a significant shift after three years of net positive rating actions. The report indicates that corporate India has built greater resilience against downside risks, reflecting a more stable and robust credit environment. However, corporate leverage in India is expected to decline marginally, even as capital expenditure (capex) rises by 30% compared to pre-pandemic levels. This improvement is attributed to more entrenched financial discipline among companies, which have managed to balance rising capex with prudent financial management. The report forecasts a 10% growth in aggregate EBITDA in 2024, driven by strong performance in sectors such as telecommunications, airports, commodities, and chemicals. This broad-based earnings growth underscores the resilience of corporate India and its ability to generate substantial cash flows despite a challenging global environment. Indian companies are benefiting from strong onshore liquidity and the absence of large debt maturities, which support their liquidity profiles. The resilience of these companies to foreign exchange and interest rate volatility further strengthens their liquidity positions. Corporate India's positive credit trends are closely linked to broader economic drivers such as GDP growth. Increased consumer spending is bolstering sectors like airports, automobiles, and telecommunications. Meanwhile, infrastructure investment is significantly boosting the commodities, utilities, and commercial automotive sectors. S&amp;P Global notes that both infrastructure and non-infrastructure sectors are experiencing reductions in leverage, with absolute debt reduction more pronounced in non-infrastructure sectors. However, infrastructure entities are slower in reducing debt due to higher capex, particularly in energy transition initiatives. Operating cash flows across sectors are outpacing capex, supporting further deleveraging. While capex intensity remains higher in infrastructure sectors, the neutral free operating cash flow is seen as a positive trend, indicating that companies are managing their capital expenditures efficiently while maintaining cash flows. The transportation infrastructure sector is benefiting from traffic growth and tariff increases, with rising cargo volumes supporting port revenues and improved operating efficiencies boosting margins. Airports are also experiencing higher traffic levels and tariff increases, contributing to better operating cash flows and overall credit quality. In the utilities sector, rising demand and new capacity are driving earnings growth, though capex remains high, particularly for energy transition projects. The steel sector is expected to see increased operating cash flow due to falling input prices and new capacity additions. Earnings in the oil and gas sector are expected to remain stable, supported by a favorable price outlook and consistent production levels. The telecom sector is also on a path to significant deleveraging, with capex expected to moderate following the 5G auctions in 2023. The auto sector is witnessing sustained operating performance as volumes stabilize after the supply chain disruptions of 2022. S&amp;P Global notes that debt levels in the auto sector are expected to remain low following sharp deleveraging, while normalized growth in auto sales and stable margins support the sector's positive outlook. In the chemicals sector, falling input costs and stabilized product prices are expected to drive earnings recovery following a downturn in 2023. Improved signals show a broader trend of recovery across various industrial sectors in India. S&amp;P Global concludes that with the highest proportion of positive credit outlooks in the region, India's corporate sector is well-positioned for continued <keyword id="22758432" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="credit-quality-improvement" source="keywords">credit quality improvement</keyword>. SEE ALSO:<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/webstories/saraswati-saree-depot-ipo-price-band-to-risk-factors-all-you-need-to-know/slidelist/112457330.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/webstories/saraswati-saree-depot-ipo-price-band-to-risk-factors-all-you-need-to-know/slidelist/112457330.cms" target="_blank">Saraswati Saree Depot IPO – Price band to risk factors, all you need to know</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/indias-wearables-market-decline-for-the-first-time-as-smartwatch-shipments-fall/articleshow/112397246.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/indias-wearables-market-decline-for-the-first-time-as-smartwatch-shipments-fall/articleshow/112397246.cms" target="_blank">India’s wearables market decline for the first time as smartwatch shipments fall</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/ola-wants-to-re-enter-the-quick-commerce-business-to-take-on-blinkit-and-swiggy-instamart/articleshow/112364583.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/ola-wants-to-re-enter-the-quick-commerce-business-to-take-on-blinkit-and-swiggy-instamart/articleshow/112364583.cms" target="_blank">Ola wants to re-enter the quick commerce business to take on Blinkit and Swiggy Instamart</a>

India's corporate credit quality is getting stronger: S&P Global

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Jeffrey Park, 63, has worked in Germany since 2005 and plans to retire there.</li><li>Park is an example of an American who moved abroad as an empty-nester looking for new experiences.</li></ul>Jeffrey Park, 63, hasn't been to the US in 13 years and has no immediate plans to return.Park was born and raised in Baltimore, but his wife Kerstin is from Munich. After starting a family in the US, the duo settled in Germany in 2005. And Park said he's planning on retiring abroad.Park is an example of an <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/move-from-us-to-france-without-visiting-first-worth-it-2024-1">American who moved</a> abroad <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/empty-nester-traveled-alone-first-time-2023-8">as an empty-nester</a> looking for new experiences and job opportunities. While <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/baby-boomer-retire-medicare-benefits-living-abroad-germany-healthcare-2024-7">some Americans</a> are <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/boomer-military-veteran-raised-kids-germany-retired-texas-social-security-2024-8">returning to the US</a> for retirement, Park said he's certain he's retiring in Germany. He said the free public healthcare and quality of life are better than in the US.<h2 id="5414171f-4f3f-42f0-91f7-2585ddb42227">A stint in Germany sets the stage for later life</h2>As an undergraduate at the University of Pennsylvania in the early 1980s, Park met Kerstin, who is German and was visiting the US on vacation.Park took a break from college and lived with Kerstin in Munich in 1982 and 1983 before returning to the US to finish his studies. The two married in Baltimore in 1983.Park transferred to Johns Hopkins University and graduated with bachelor's degrees in English and German in 1986.At that time, Park and Kerstin had their first daughter. Park worked as a movie theater manager for a few years and then landed a job at Giant Food, a grocery store in the Baltimore area, where he worked for 13 years.In 2002, Park earned his Master's in education from Towson University in Maryland and taught English at a middle school for three years.In 2005, when Park and Kerstin's youngest daughter graduated from high school, they moved to Germany. Kerstin's family had lived in Munich, and their newly established empty nest made it easier to go abroad.<h2 id="4134d731-43d1-4c6c-bad9-28d6c8badcb7">Homeownership and renting in Germany</h2>Park and his wife moved abroad without job offers, but he said they found employment soon after arrival. Park found work as an English language coach, and Kerstin — who studied biology — found a job at the Gene Center Munich.They lived in Munich for nearly a decade, renting an apartment for the first five years. He said rent was about $720 (€650) a month. In 2010, they bought an apartment in Munich for about $243,850 (€220,000).Homeownership in German cities is rare compared to the countryside, Park said, and Munich is one of the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.jll.de/en/trends-and-insights/research/housing-market-overview#:~:text=Munich%20remains%20the%20most%20expensive,cities%20are%20much%20more%20moderate.">pricier housing markets</a>.In 2014, Kerstin received a job opportunity at the Max Planck Institute in Göttingen, which is located in central Germany. They moved to Göttingen but still own and rent out their apartment in Munich. Today, Park works as an English lecturer at the University of Göttingen.<h2 id="6be99e2d-9786-49db-9e4b-f70e9ebd2f18">Life in a bucolic village near Göttingen</h2>After renting in Göttingen for four years, Park and his wife moved to Ebergötzen, a small village south of the city with a population of less than 2,000 people.Park said it's a beautiful, bucolic village, and he enjoys the outdoorsy lifestyle. When they moved to Ebergötzen in 2018, they bought a house for about $498,780 (€450,000).The property has a barn, pear trees, apple trees, and a walnut tree. The village has a great bakery and butcher shop, and things feel more calm than in the US, Park said."Everything's just a little bit more personal, or smaller, or a little bit old-fashioned, compared to American life," Park said.Park takes the bus to work daily, which he said runs every 30 minutes and is efficient — he said he hasn't driven a car in about 15 years.Attracted to Park's ease of life in Germany, his two daughters both moved to the country in the past decade. In fact, one daughter, her husband, and their three children live with Park and Kerstin in their house in Ebergötzen, along with three dogs, four guinea pigs, and chickens.<h2 id="adfb0d2e-e50e-4888-8d0e-d915da6f129a">Retiring in Germany for healthcare and quality of life</h2>In Germany, the mandatory retirement age for civil service workers depends on the year they were born. As a university teacher, Park's mandatory retirement will be in August 2027, when he will be 66 years old.He said his wife makes more than he does working in biology, and the couple feels financially stable. He said they hope to be able to pay off their mortgage on the Munich apartment and Ebergötzen house by the time he retires.As a US citizen with a permanent residence visa working at a public university, Park said the healthcare system is efficient and easy for him.He has a public healthcare insurance card and said he doesn't pay anything for care. While in Germany, Park broke his collarbone, had a cataract operation, and had a detached retina that required emergency surgery."In all three cases, there was not a single insurance form I had to fill out and zero out-of-pocket charges," he said. "As far as I can tell, the quality of care was just as good as I would have gotten in the US."Park also said he thinks Germany is better for raising a family than the US. He enjoys watching his grandchildren grow up bilingual, and he said Germany feels much safer than the US, particularly because there isn't the same level of fear around gun violence and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/school-shootings-by-country">school shootings</a>.Park retained his US citizenship and residency, so he's eligible for Social Security. Americans can claim Social Security at 62, but the extent of their benefits varies until they reach their full retirement age, which depends on a person's birth year. For Park, that will be 67. He said he is waiting to collect his benefits to earn the maximum amount.Park said he hasn't been to the US in over a decade because he's conscious of the carbon footprint of flying back and forth across the Atlantic and has plenty of travel options in Europe.His father, who is 97, lives in Baltimore and visits Park in Germany once a year.Park said that while he's lived abroad for nearly two decades, he certainly feels American. In fact, he enjoys sharing American culture with his students and neighbors in Germany.Are you an American who moved abroad? This reporter wants to hear your story. Please reach out at <a target="_blank" class="" href="mailto:jtowfighi@businessinsider.com">jtowfighi@businessinsider.com</a>

A baby boomer from Baltimore moved to Germany 19 years ago and plans to retire there. He says free healthcare and quality of life are better than in the US.

Capitalism may have a lot of ramifications, but one very pervasive side-effect to the system is eye-bags. Many a man — and woman — has had to trade their valued sleep-time for coin, after all. But what if there was a way to get paid FOR sleeping? In 2023, <keyword id="22966515" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="saishwari-patil" source="keywords">Saishwari Patil</keyword>, an auditor based in Bengaluru, clinched the title of ‘<keyword id="22966518" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="sleep-champion-of-the-year" source="keywords">Sleep Champion of the Year</keyword>’ and took home a prize of INR 9 lakh. But how? <keyword id="21339903" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="wakefit" source="keywords">Wakefit</keyword> has been hosting a “Sleep Internship” for a while now, drawing attention from across the country. The company calls upon applicants to participate in their program for 60 days where they’re mostly expected to hit the 9-hour sleep KPI, take power naps and test a new Wakefit mattress. And suffice to say that last year’s competition was intense. First, the winner had to get selected from a massive pool of 5 lakh applicants vying for a spot in the <keyword id="22966519" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="wakefit-sleep-internship" source="keywords">Wakefit Sleep Internship</keyword>. After that, they had to compete with 11 other participants that were shortlisted — all of whom were paid a stipend of Rs 1 lakh. Over the course of the 2-month-long program, these sleep interns logged a combined total of 7,000 hours of sleep, with their progress monitored and evaluated based on their sleep efficiency. The competition reached its peak with a live “sleep-off,” where the top four finalists slept in custom sleep pods, competing for the ultimate prize. And Saishwari emerged victorious with a remarkable sleep efficiency score of 99%, securing her position as the season’s top sleeper. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="112794594" title="The former Twitter director who went viral for sleeping in the office was deeply concerned about employee burnout" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>The Wakefit <keyword id="22966514" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="sleep-internship" source="keywords">Sleep Internship</keyword> is not just a quirky contest; it’s also a part of the company’s broader mission to address a growing issue in India. According to the Great Indian Sleep Scorecard 2024, nearly 50% of Indians wake up feeling tired, with factors like long working hours, stress, and poor sleep environments contributing to widespread sleep deprivation. By creating the Sleep Internship, Wakefit aims to shine a light on the importance of <keyword id="20334530" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="quality-sleep" source="keywords">quality sleep</keyword> and encourage people to prioritise rest in their daily lives. The internship is a tongue-in-cheek way to promote better sleep habits, offering participants not just money, but also insights into improving their <keyword id="20760931" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="sleep-health" source="keywords">sleep health</keyword>, the company said. The good news is that you may have a chance at being crowned the next <keyword id="22966517" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="sleep-champion" source="keywords">Sleep Champion</keyword> of the Year! Building on the success of the previous seasons, Wakefit has already opened registrations for the fourth edition of its Sleep Internship. This time, the stakes are even higher, with the winner standing to earn up to Rs 10 lakh! Wakefit promises that this season will be more engaging than ever, with participants receiving a state-of-the-art Wakefit mattress and advanced sleep tracker. Additionally, the interns will undergo a series of sessions with sleep experts, fitness professionals, and wellness coaches, all aimed at enhancing their sleep quality. As the conversation around sleep continues to evolve, this initiative, while playful, underscores a critical message: quality sleep is not just a luxury, but a necessity for overall well-being. In the meantime, candidates interested in the program can fill in their entries <a href="https://www.wakefit.co/sleepintern/">here</a>. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="95275829" title="Wakefit.co announces &amp;#39;No Questions Asked&amp;#39; wellness leave policy for staff" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>

A Bengaluru auditor earned Rs 9 lakh just for sleeping, and here’s how you can too!

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Business Insider asked <a href="https://www.insider.com/best-desserts-to-try-out-in-an-air-fryer">professional chefs and bakers</a> for their best tips for home cooks.</li><li>Swap water for vodka in your <a href="https://www.insider.com/ways-to-make-a-pre-made-pie-look-and-taste-better">pie dough</a> for a flakier crust, but don't add the liquid all at once. </li></ul>Whether you're a first-time cook or just looking to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/easiest-and-most-difficult-dishes-to-make-at-home">take your kitchen skills</a> to the next level, there's always more to learn about preparing delicious meals — especially around the holidays. Business Insider spoke with professional chefs and bakers to find out how people can improve their skills in the kitchen.<h2>Stay away from novelty measuring cups</h2><a href="https://www.milkywayla.com/">Phil Kastel</a>, executive chef at the Milky Way restaurant in LA, told BI that he doesn't recommend using novelty measuring cups in the kitchen because they aren't always precise. "Although they're cute and may look nice on your shelf, they tend not to be as accurate as standard <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/kitchen/best-measuring-cups" target="_blank" rel="noopener">measuring cups</a> you find in cooking supply stores or in test kitchens, where recipes are actually written," he said. <h2>Try the mise-en-place technique to make cooking less stressful</h2><div type="image" title="mise en place chopped vegetables kitchen prep" height="1386" width="1853" msid="114558942" hostid="261" sizebytes="173972"></div>If you're someone who often forgets to add ingredients or hates the mess of making an elaborate meal, mise en place could help. Mise en place is the practice of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/things-to-avoid-when-meal-prepping-mistakes-2019-6">preparing ingredients before</a> starting the actual cooking process. It can reduce kitchen clutter and help you stick to cooking times more precisely."I always recommend taking the extra time to thoroughly read the recipe and measuring out all your ingredients into separate bowls beforehand," Kastel told BI. "This is the best way to avoid silly mistakes."<h2>Invest in an oven thermometer</h2>Kastel told BI that an oven thermometer is one of his must-have kitchen tools. "You probably have temperature controls on your oven at home, but most ovens are typically off by a few degrees and actually need to be recalibrated from time to time," he said. Having an oven thermometer is a great way to check if it's really at the temperature indicated in a recipe.<h2>Practice your knife skills before starting to prepare a big meal</h2>Chef <a href="https://www.underbellyhospitality.com/team/chris-shepherd/">Chris Shepherd</a>, winner of a 2014 James Beard Foundation award, told BI that <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/foods-that-you-dont-know-how-to-slice-or-cut-2020-3">mastering knife skills</a> can make a big difference in the kitchen — no matter what you're cooking. "Knife skills can improve the quality and presentation of any dish, as well-chopped ingredients cook more evenly," he said.When it comes to chopping like a pro, practice makes perfect. Use a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/kitchen/best-kitchen-knives" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sharp knife</a> on a flat, sturdy work surface and keep your ingredients toward the back of the knife for the smoothest chopping action.<h2>Learn how to break down a chicken before you move on to a turkey</h2>Before tackling larger poultry, Shepherd recommended learning how to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ways-youre-cooking-chicken-wrong-2019-5">properly break down a chicken</a>."If you can master breaking down and roasting a chicken, you can successfully roast a turkey," he told BI.The basic process of <a href="https://www.seriouseats.com/2010/05/knife-skills-how-to-break-down-a-chicken.html">preparing a chicken</a> involves removing the wishbone and legs, trimming the wing tips, breaking and removing the back, and splitting the breastbone.<h2>Broil meat after roasting or baking to add color</h2><div type="image" title="Meat in Oven" height="910" width="1214" msid="114558943" hostid="261" sizebytes="154310"></div>Take advantage of the broiler to quickly brown meat and vegetables in the oven."One of my favorite tricks is to switch from baking to broiling to finish off a dish in the oven and give meat a bit of color," Shepherd said. <h2>When baking pastry, keep fats like butter or shortening very cold</h2><a href="http://maui.hawaii.edu/culinary/">Teresa Shurilla</a>, pastry chef and program director at the University of Hawai'i Maui College Culinary Arts program, told BI that temperature is key when baking with fats. "Whether you're <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-butter-chef-recommended-everyone-should-buy-2019-4">using butter</a>, solid vegetable shortening, or lard, you should keep the fat very cold," she said. "It's the bits of cold fat flecked through the dough that make it flaky."Shurilla added that the best way to incorporate fat into flour is by rubbing it in with your hands rather than mixing it with a spoon or whisk.<h2>When making pastry dough, never add all of the water at once</h2><div type="image" title="pie crust dough baking" height="667" width="889" msid="114558939" hostid="261" sizebytes="39844"></div>If you're baking something <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/apple-pie-recipes-taste-test-2019-3">that involves dough</a>, pay attention to its consistency as you add water or other liquids. "Never add the entire quantity of water called for in a recipe at once," Shurilla told BI. "Add it gradually and stop as soon as the dough holds together."Also, be careful not to overmix your ingredients. For example, dough with wheat flour can become tough and leathery when it's mixed too much. <h2>In pie dough, substitute vodka instead of water for a flakier crust</h2>"Pie dough only contains one wet ingredient and it's usually water, but vodka is actually a good substitute," Shurilla said. Unlike water, alcohol doesn't stimulate the formation of gluten bonds in mixed or kneaded flour. Fewer gluten bonds mean the finished pie crust is more likely to be flaky than rubbery.<h2>Always chill your dough before rolling it out </h2><div type="image" title="dough baking" height="2400" width="3199" msid="114558940" hostid="261" sizebytes="318904"></div>For the best texture and flavor, don't roll <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ways-to-make-a-pre-made-pie-look-and-taste-better">your pastry dough</a> out immediately after mixing it. "You should always chill your dough before rolling," Shurilla told BI. "This ensures that any fat that has warmed up gets cold again."This tip also <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cookie-baking-mistakes-people-make-2019-3">applies to most cookie doughs</a>. After rolling or cutting the dough into portions, pop the loaded baking sheet into the refrigerator for 30 minutes before baking.<h2>Don't add too much flour when rolling or kneading dough</h2>Be careful when using flour to keep your pastry crust or bread dough from sticking to your work surface. "Don't put too much flour on your rolling or kneading surface," Shurilla said. "The additional flour will make your dough tough."Using a nonstick silicone mat can help you avoid overloading your dough with extra flour.<h2>You can often bake your pie for longer than the recipe says</h2><a href="https://piedaho.com">Rebecca Bloom</a>, professional chef and founder of Piedaho, told BI that home bakers shouldn't be afraid of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/pies-around-world-2018-10">baking their pies</a> until they're golden brown, no matter what the recipe says."If needed, tent your pie with foil and bake it a little longer than the recipe states," she said. "You want a sturdy pie."Bloom said a pie crust shouldn't be translucent when you take it out of the oven.<h2>Use an egg wash to avoid soggy pie bottoms </h2>A pie can develop a soggy bottom when the liquid in its filling seeps into the crust, making it spongy or soggy. Soggy bottoms can also strike if there is too much fat in the pie crust itself. Bloom told BI that you can use an egg to reduce the odds of this happening. "To help prevent soggy-bottom pies, brush the bottom of the dough with egg wash," she said. "This will give your dough a bit of a seal when baking."To make an egg wash, whisk a single egg with a tablespoon of milk or water.<h2>Let your pie cool before cutting for cleaner slices</h2><div type="image" title="pecan pie" height="2661" width="3548" msid="114558948" hostid="261" sizebytes="808158"></div>If you want that <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/which-famous-chef-has-the-best-pumpkin-pie-recipe">picture-perfect pie slice</a>, Bloom said, don't slice your pie right out of the oven. "For the best-looking pie slice, you need to let your pie cool completely before slicing," she told BI. "Some thickeners, like tapioca starch, will only set completely when cool."Place your finished pie on an elevated wire rack or in a cool room to speed up the cooling process.This story was originally published in December 2020 and most recently updated on October 24, 2024.Read More:<ul class="read-more-links"><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/take-nice-family-photos-for-the-holiday-season-2020-11">How to capture professional-quality family photos for the holidays when you can't go to a studio</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-make-working-from-home-space-better">How to make your home into an office, classroom, and more without sacrificing a calm living space</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com.au/furniture-decor-worth-splurging-on-when-you-buy-a-home-2020-8" title="Read more">When buying that first home, it's important to think about what furniture is worth investing in</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/baking-hacks-favorite-recipes-from-duff-goldman-2020-8">Food Network star and pastry chef Duff Goldman shares his secrets to baking like a pro</a></li></ul>

14 simple tricks for becoming a better home cook, according to professional chefs and bakers

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The CEOs of Southwest Airlines and American Airlines both want Boeing to deliver planes on time.</li><li>Both CEOs, in the past week, say their companies have been affected by Boeing delivery delays.</li></ul>The chiefs of two major airlines have a message for <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/boeings-ceo-facing-challenges-management-test-2024-10">Boeing</a>: Do better.In the past week, Southwest CEO Bob Jordan and American Airlines chief Robert Isom have both talked about the challenges their airlines have faced with Boeing."Boeing has been a great partner for the whole 53 years of Southwest Airlines, but we need Boeing to be strong. We need Boeing to be better," Jordan said in an interview with <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://finance.yahoo.com/news/southwest-airlines-ceo-we-need-boeing-to-be-better-205703080.html">Yahoo Finance</a> on Monday.Jordan said Southwest had originally expected more than 80 plane deliveries from Boeing in 2024 but now will receive only 20. He added that while 2024 was especially tough, it's been years since Boeing deliveries went as expected for the airline."With the strike lingering on, you know, it looks like 2025 could be affected as well," he said."The heart of an airline is the flight schedule, and the flight schedule depends on getting your aircraft on time," he added.Jordan also said that Southwest, which exclusively uses Boeing aircraft, is "constantly reviewing" the market but is not actively looking into working with other plane manufacturers.Southwest's fleet consists of 228 Boeing 737 Max 8s, 381 Boeing 737-800s, and 207 Boeing 737-700s, according to aviation website <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.flightradar24.com/blog/the-southwest-airlines-fleet-in-2024/">FlightRadar24</a>.Jordan's comments echo those Isom made last week."For Boeing — it's just, I look forward to the day when they're not just a distraction," Isom said during a Thursday <a target="_blank" rel=" nofollow" class="" href="https://www.cnbc.com/video/2024/10/24/american-airlines-ceo-robert-isom-on-q3-results-our-team-performed-incredibly-well.html">interview</a> on CNBC's "Squawk Box.""We've been struggling with them for over the last five years," Isom added.Isom told CNBC that his company needs Boeing "to be strong" — and that he's communicated that message to the planemaker's new CEO, Kelly Ortberg."At the end of the day, though, we need them to deliver quality aircraft on time, and I'll be welcoming that phone call when Boeing says: 'We're going to do that,'" he added.When contacted for comment, a Boeing spokesperson said the company has previously acknowledged delivery delays and that future deliveries are dependent on the strike being resolved.<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/southwest-leaving-these-4-airports-amid-boeing-737-max-crisis-2024-4">Southwest</a> reported earlier this year that it expected to receive around 20 Boeing 737 Max 8. The announcement followed a production slowdown at Boeing after a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/alaska-boeing-737-max-9-door-blowout-company-response-earnings-2024-1">door plug blew off a Boeing jet</a> during an Alaska Airlines flight in January.Adding to the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/boeing-strike-costing-50m-per-day-as-negotiations-restart-2024-10">challenges at Boeing</a>, employees have been on strike since mid-September, with analysts estimating the work stoppage is costing the company $50 million a day. The company reported a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/boeing-19-billion-share-offering-boost-financials-liquidity-2024-10">third-quarter net loss of $6.1 billion last week</a>.The crisis has made Boeing bleed cash. The manufacturer <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/boeing-19-billion-share-offering-boost-financials-liquidity-2024-10">announced on Monday</a> that it is offering 90 million common shares and about $5 billion worth of depositary shares for sale. Based on Friday's closing share price of $155.01, the new offering is worth around $18.95 billion.Its stock is down 40% year to date.This month, Boeing <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/12927/000119312524237177/d871346ds3.htm">made an SEC filing</a>, saying it may sell up to $25 billion worth of securities, including bonds, new shares, and stock options.That's in addition to the <a target="_blank" rel="" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/boeing-raising-10-billion-strike-job-cuts-2024-10">$10 billion credit agreement</a> it entered into with Bank of America, Citibank, Goldman Sachs, and JPMorgan Chase, described in a <a target="_blank" rel="" class="" href="https://www.sec.gov/ix?doc=/Archives/edgar/data/0000012927/000001292724000068/ba-20241014.htm">regulatory filing on October 14</a>.Southwest did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

2 major airline CEOs have issued a clear message to Boeing in the past week: Do better

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Baron Durable Advantage Fund, managed by Alex Umansky, is up 136% in five years.</li><li>The fund focuses on high-quality companies with competitive advantages and reasonable valuations.</li></ul>Baron Capital is synonymous with growth investing. Its founder, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ron-baron-portfolio-stocks-to-buy-where-to-invest-funds-2023-11">Ron Baron</a>, is well-known for successfully betting on high-flying stocks like Tesla and Spotify. As of 2023, the firm has had 31 stocks return at least 1,000% throughout its four-decade history.But believe it or not, amid its myriad of high-growth strategies, the blue-chip investment management firm has a more cautious product. It's the Baron Durable Advantage Fund (<a target="_blank" href="https://affiliate.insider.com?h=7454ceebc60f0af3e0173f53c429b883000835f5773cb3085c56160bc1b5b58a&amp;postID=66f485ab0c43543ec7981b8e&amp;postSlug=top-stocks-to-buy-ai-competitive-advantage-baron-capital-umansky-2024-10&amp;site=bi&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.morningstar.com%2Ffunds%2Fxnas%2Fbdaix%2Fquote">BDAIX</a>), overseen by one of the firm's star managers, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/stocks-to-buy-500-percent-upside-where-invest-baron-funds-2023-12">Alex Umansky</a>. The strategy is focused less on stocks with huge upside and more on safer, mature companies. It's "the closest thing we have to an all-weather fund," Umansky told Business Insider."Baron Capital is a growth shop," he continued. "This is probably one of the lowest-growth strategies we have."Don't let that description fool you, however. Despite its more careful, lower-volatility approach, the Durable Advantage Fund is up 136% in the last half-decade, dwarfing the S&amp;P 500's 93% gain over that time. Year-to-date, the fund is also beating the S&amp;P 500, returning 24.7%.Umansky has a couple of parameters for which stocks get included in the fund. First, they have to be high-quality. For Umansky, that means the firms regularly generate returns on the capital they invest, their management teams are proven, they are industry leaders, and — as the name of the fund implies — they are well-positioned for the future thanks to their competitive advantages.The second main component is valuation. Valuations need to be reasonable enough to expect solid returns going forward. Many of the stocks in the fund, like Nvidia, for example, weren't added until they had pullbacks large enough to make them compelling, Umansky said.When putting a stock in the fund, Umansky said he has so much confidence in the quality and advantages of the business that he intends to hold it forever.Business Insider asked Umansky about some of the holdings he's particularly excited about — including some recent additions, and some that have resided in the fund for a few years now.<h2 id="61220cb3-3a46-4a1d-b58a-a05562417b81">8 stocks Umansky is betting on</h2>Umansky, who also manages the Baron Fifth Avenue Growth Fund (BFTHX), which is up 47% over the last 12 months, said that artificial intelligence is a pervading theme in many of his picks these days."Our research suggests that this is going to dramatically change the way people do business," he said.While Umansky said it's too early to pick some of the winners in areas like software and services, there are clear winners emerging in hardware.Broadcom (<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/avgo-stock">AVGO</a>) and Taiwan Semiconductor (<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/tsmc-stock">TSMC</a>) are two examples, Umansky said. The semiconductor producers make up 4.1% and 4.3%, respectively, of the Baron Durable Advantage Fund."They do the plumbing, basically," he said. "They sell the ammunition."Both of the firms have very strong balance sheets with free cash flow yields above 5%. Umansky said the two stocks were recent additions to the portfolio.But there are some software-oriented firms whose revenues are already seeing a boost from AI, Umansky said.Meta (<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/meta-stock">META</a>), Microsoft (<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/msft-stock">MSFT</a>), and Amazon (<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/amzn-stock">AMZN</a>) are three included in his fund."Meta is already generating billions of dollars from artificial intelligence by being able to target better, by improving engagement, and by getting better click-through rates," Umansky said."Amazon is one of the leaders in AI, and this will accelerate growth for their cloud computing," he continued. "Microsoft has a partnership with OpenAI, and so they already have billions of dollars coming in from their copilot."The firms also have relatively low valuations, Umansky said. Meta's 12-month forward price-to-earnings ratio is 23.5, while Microsoft's is 32.6 and Amazon's is 32.5. The three stocks are the largest holdings in the portfolio, with Microsoft taking the top billing at an 8.6% weighting.Microsoft has long been a constituent of the fund, while Meta and Amazon were added during the bear-market pullback of 2022.But the fund isn't only AI-adjacent stocks. Umansky highlighted three financial services companies he likes, one being insurance firm Arch Capital (<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/acgl-stock">ACGL</a>)."Best-in-class management team, the best execution that we have seen in that space for probably 10 years," he said. "That's been a home run for us."The two others are Blackstone (<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/bx-stock">BX</a>) and Apollo Global Management (<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/apo-stock">APO</a>), both investment management companies.Lower interest rates should benefit Blackstone because of its real-estate investments, Umansky said, and the bearish sentiment around the commercial real-estate space has the stock trading at an attractive valuation.Growing interest in alternative investments like real-estate and private equity should boost Apollo, meanwhile. And Umansky is bullish on its leadership team."We think it's an exceptionally well-managed business," he said.Apollo was recently added to the fund, while Blackstone and Arch have been in the fund for at least a couple of years.

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