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Travel + Leisure
12 hours ago
- Business
- Travel + Leisure
7 of the Best Freebies You Can Get in Economy—Meals, Alcoholic Drinks, and Toys Included
Key Takeaway Even in economy, passengers can score perks like alcoholic drinks, amenity kits, and Wi-Fi, depending on the airline and route. Flight attendants are more likely to grant requests after the main service, especially when passengers are polite and patient. Just because you're flying economy doesn't mean you can't enjoy a few special perks. Even if these extras aren't always widely advertised, they're often available if you ask. As Dollar Flight Club founder and CEO Jesse Neugarten points out, "Many travelers don't realize that even in economy, a polite request can get you a few helpful extras." However, Quinn English, founder of FreeQuinnt Flyer, explains that not all routes are created equal when it comes to economy freebies. For example, he notes that longer flights are more likely to offer extra perks. Similarly, Neugarten adds that "international routes almost always offer more perks than domestic ones." Additionally, English points out that "full-service airlines like Delta, United, and American are going to be the most generous with freebies in economy." On the other hand, both he and Neugarten tell Travel + Leisure that budget carriers tend to be far more limited in what they offer, which makes sense, given their focus on keeping costs (and ticket prices) as low as possible. When asking for freebies, remember that a little kindness and patience go a long way. As English notes, "The most important thing to remember is that most airlines aren't overstaffing flight attendants on each flight, so they have a pretty heavy workload, especially during boarding, getting ready for takeoff, and landing." With that in mind, those probably aren't the best times to make requests. Instead, wait until after the main service has finished and the cabin has settled down—that's when flight attendants are most likely to have the time (and bandwidth) to help. If you're ready to take your in-flight experience to the next level, keep reading to discover the best airline freebies you can score in economy.
Fox News
13 hours ago
- Sport
- Fox News
USA Fencing changes transgender policy, cites new guidance from US Olympic Committee
NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles! USA Fencing has updated its gender eligibility policy after months of criticism for allowing biological males to compete in the women's category. The organization appeared to update its policy last week to include the following requirements for competing in domestic women's competitions: "Athletes who are of the female sex, provided all other entry criteria have been met." The new policy will go into effect beginning next month. CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON The previous policy stated: "To participate in a USA Fencing-sanctioned event, athletes are to register with USA Fencing as the gender in which they identify," adding that biological males "may only compete in women's events after completing one calendar year (12 months) of testosterone suppression treatment." USA Fencing announced in late April that it was preparing to change its gender-eligibility policy to ensure that the women's category would be "open exclusively to athletes of the female sex." The new official policy does not include the "exclusively" language that was used in April's proposal. USA Fencing has declined to clarify to Fox News Digital if the new policy explicitly prevents all biological males from competing in women's events. USA Fencing also declined to specify how it will enforce the new policy, whether mandatory sex testing will be implemented or whether it will accept amended birth certificates as proof of birth sex. USA Fencing addressed the new policy in a public statement, claiming that the change came in response to new guidelines released by the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC). "On July 18, 2025, the USOPC released new athlete-safety guidelines that all national governing bodies must follow under a federal executive order issued by the president earlier this year. In response, USA Fencing will implement the updated Transgender & Non Binary Participation Policy that was first published and shared with the fencing community on April 15, 2025. This policy will be effective Aug. 1, 2025, for every sanctioned competition," the statement reads. "We remain firmly committed to respect, fairness and athlete well-being. This update, mandated by the USOPC, aligns our sport with current national standards while keeping community support at the forefront." WHO IS STEPHANIE TURNER? WOMEN'S FENCER WHO KNELT TO PROTEST TRANS OPPONENT AND IGNITED GLOBAL AWARENESS Fox News Digital has reached out to the USOPC for a response to USA Fencing's statement. The USOPC's transgender eligibility policy page now includes a note that reads, "As of July 21, 2025, please refer to the USOPC athlete safety policy." That policy does not lay out any clear guidelines regarding trans inclusion in women's sports. However, it does include one paragraph that directly cites President Donald Trump's "Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports" executive order. "USOPC will continue to collaborate with various stakeholders with oversight responsibilities… to ensure that women have a fair and safe competition environment consistent with Executive Order 14201," the policy reads. USA Fencing has been under a national microscope for its gender eligibility policy since April 2, when footage of women's fencer Stephanie Turner kneeling to protest a trans opponent at a competition in Maryland went viral. Turner was disqualified and given a black card for her refusal to face the trans opponent, prompting mass backlash against USA Fencing. The controversy was then the subject of a federal hearing on May 7. The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) Subcommittee's "Unfair Play: Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports" saw Turner testify against USA Fencing chair Damien Lehfeldt. In early June, USA Fencing's board of directors voted to amend its previous policy that prioritized states with LGBTQ-friendly laws for host sites for competitions and a policy that may have prevented the playing of the national anthem at some events. Both of those policies were also highly criticized in the aftermath of Turner's viral protest. Then, the very next week, two USA Fencing board of directors members filed a lawsuit against the other six at-large members, alleging Lehfeldt made false statements to Congress at the May 7 hearing. The plaintiffs, Andrey Geva and Abdel Salem, each have long ties to the sport and organization, previously coaching or competing for Team USA. USA Fencing acknowledged the lawsuit in a statement to Fox News Digital. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP "USA Fencing proudly serves its members – athletes, coaches, referees and clubs – across our community with absolute transparency and integrity. This derivative lawsuit misrepresents our organization, and we will vigorously defend the organization in court; any attempt to disparage them will be addressed appropriately," the statement read. "Because litigation is ongoing, we cannot discuss details. Our focus remains unwavering: advancing fencing nationwide, supporting every member's success, and upholding the values of the Olympic and Paralympic movement."
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Factories, Data Centers Will Get A Boost From The 'One Big, Beautiful Bill'
The manufacturing sector is set to get a big boost from President Donald Trump's 'One Big, Beautiful Bill,' which is likely to spur new waves of investment, especially in sectors like AI and biotechnology. The sprawling budget bill introduces a series of tax deductions and credits for businesses, especially those that invest in research and development (R&D), AI buildouts, and domestic factory construction. 'Likely beneficiaries of the law include industrial machinery manufacturers, heating and ventilation system providers, pharmaceutical innovators, semiconductor companies and major technology firms,' wrote Matt Hochstetler, equity portfolio manager at Capital Group. Bigger Up-Front Tax Breaks to Create Cash Flow One of the bill's main provisions benefiting manufacturing is a change to how quickly companies can claim tax breaks on investments in equipment, facilities, and production lines. The bill now lets companies deduct 100% of their investment in 'qualified production property' in the year it's paid for instead of spreading the deduction over several years. 'This measure could become a powerful tailwind for free cash flow and spur fresh waves of investment across multiple sectors, assuming overall debt levels don't drive interest rates too high,' Hochstetler wrote. Because both the factory itself and the machinery inside can be deducted immediately, some analysts said this could incentivize companies to build more of their supply chains in the U.S. 'This 'reshoring super-deduction' dramatically lowers the after-tax cost of domestic investment. This should encourage the onshoring of supply chains and manufacturing capacity and create more jobs for Americans,' wrote Brownstone Research Senior Analyst Nick Rokke. AI Will Be A Big Winner The bill offers immediate deductions for investments made into research and development, including retroactively from 2022. The bill also boosts the tax credit for semiconductor production to 35% from 25% previously. Together, these changes could provide a boon for AI production in the U.S., especially amid a surge in data center construction by companies like Microsoft (MSFT), Alphabet (GOOG), Amazon (AMZN), and Meta Platforms (META). 'With new data center costs reaching into the tens of billions of dollars, the short-term tax savings are enormous,' Rokke wrote. 'This change alone frees up billions in cash flow for the hyperscalers. And that cash will almost certainly be reinvested into even more compute infrastructure.' Smaller Factories Get a Leg Up Another provision that could benefit manufacturers is the restoration of deductions based on earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization, or EBITDA. The Association of Manufacturing Technology (AMT) said this would allow for greater deductibility of interest expenses related to financing investments, acquisitions and expansions. The group also pointed to higher expensing limits for small businesses, which it said would allow for larger equipment purchases. 'This change dramatically increases the ability of small manufacturers to invest upfront in critical assets, leveling the playing field against larger competitors,' wrote Amber Thomas, AMT vice president of advocacy. An increase in the estate tax exemption is another benefit for small business owners, AMT pointed out. That provision could help family-owned manufacturing businesses pass on ownership without facing burdensome taxes. Read the original article on Investopedia Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
18 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
W. R. Berkley net income jumps 8% to $401.28m in Q2
W. R. Berkley Corporation has posted net income to common stockholders of $401.28m for the second quarter of 2025 (Q2 2025), up nearly 8% compared with $371.91m a year ago. Total revenues for the quarter stood at $3.67bn versus $3.31bn in the same period a year ago. Operating income for the quarter was $420.48m, a 2.5% rise from the prior year's figures. For the quarter ending 30 June 2025, the company's net premiums written amounted to $3.35bn, reflecting growth of 7.2%. Shareholders saw a return of capital totalling $223.8m for the quarter, divided into $189.7m in special dividends and $34.1m in ordinary dividends. The company stated: 'Our focus on business with the highest margin potential resulted in record quarterly net premiums written of $3.4bn. Net investment income rose both year-over-year and sequentially to a quarterly record, fuelled by higher yields on our expanding domestic fixed-maturity portfolio. It added: 'We continue to carefully manage the underwriting cycle in each market served by our specialised businesses. This disciplined approach has supported superior long-term, risk-adjusted returns and consistently lower volatility over decades. 'We remain confident in our ability to deliver exceptional value to shareholders throughout the remainder of 2025 and well into the future.' For the first half of 2025, the company's net income to common stockholders was $818.86m, a marginal increase from $814.38m the previous year. Operating income for the period rose by 2.2% to $840.44m, while net premiums written grew by 8.5% to $6.4bn. "W. R. Berkley net income jumps 8% to $401.28m in Q2 " was originally created and published by Life Insurance International, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Geek Culture
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Geek Culture
James Gunn Confused Over 'Superman' Backlash, Says "Anti-American Sentiment" Affected Film's Global Box Office
'Despite enjoying a successful box office run, Superman director James Gunn has admitted that he is still confused over the backlash the film has sparked, and added that an apparent 'anti-American sentiment' has affected the film's global performance. Speaking to Entertainment Weekly on the topic of the film's controversial 'Superwoke' branding by some far-right groups, Gunn admits that he doesn't understand what made the film so 'woke' to begin with. 'I've heard people say it was woke, and then I've heard a lot of people say it's not. I am curious as to what in the movie is considered woke,' he explained. 'I think people took something I said… I said, it's a story about an immigrant, but mostly it's a story to me about kindness, which it is. That's the centre of the movie for me.' 'That's the thing we can all act upon, is kindness,' he continued. 'I mean, people did value kindness in the past. That was an American value, was kindness, and it doesn't necessarily seem to be that way to me anymore. So that was always the centre of the movie for me, and it wasn't about anything other than that.' Despite the 'SuperWoke' backlash, the film is still holding strong in the domestic US box office, garnering US$235 million over two weekends since its release on 10 July. It's international earnings, on the other hand, fell slightly short at US$171 million over the same time period, although Gunn remains positive that the film will continue to perform well globally. 'We're definitely performing better domestically than we are internationally, but internationally is also rising and having really good weekday numbers in the same way we are.' the director said in a separate interview with Rolling Stone. 'So obviously the word of mouth is very positive both here and everywhere else. Which is the thing that we needed to do the most.' Gunn added that there is currently 'a certain amount of anti-American sentiment around the world', which has affected the film's performance outside of the US. 'So I think it's just a matter of letting something grow. But again, for us, everything's been a total win.' he explained. Still, the fact remains that millions worldwide are enjoying Gunn's Man of Steel reboot, and not just audiences, but ex-Superman stars too, with Brandon Routh, who took on the mantle in 2006's Superman Returns , recently sharing his praise of the new movie during an interview with Variety. Superman Returns (2006) According to the 45-year-old actor, the movie was 'a lot of fun', and it even made him cry 'no less than three times'. 'I see this in a different way. I come at it from a different perspective,' Routh added. 'I really got into it as I'm watching him navigate those tricky Superman moments in the first conversation with Lois and Clark in the apartment. And then all of the family stuff for me really hit. It's a big movie. There's a lot in there. I have to go see it again.' Kevin is a reformed PC Master Race gamer with a penchant for franchise 'duds' like Darksiders III and Dead Space 3 . He has made it his life-long mission to play every single major game release – lest his wallet dies trying. DC Studios DC Universe James Gunn Superman
