Ghost town glow-up

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• How you rack up credit-card points could change forever.
• A Malaysian city labeled a ghost town is trying to reimagine itself as a tourist destination.
• Beyoncé’s new album is upending country music.
• Americans have leisure time, but they don’t know how to use it.

I knew to wear layers because the plane can be cold at 34,000 feet in the air.

I knew to download podcasts in case my in-flight entertainment didn’t work. (Thank goodness it did. I finally got to watch Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie.” And yes, America Ferrera’s monologue moved me to tears, just like everyone else on the set).

I knew to wear comfy clothes and pick an aisle seat.

But let’s face it, long-haul flights are still just that: very long. What got me through it was having patience and knowing I’d wake up in a city with amazing food, great art, and good weather.

It made those sluggish 15 hours — and a bit of jetlag — worth every second.

A recent settlement between two of the biggest credit card networks — Visa and Mastercard — and US merchants focuses on the fees retailers pay for handling transactions. Under the agreement, the fees, known as interchange, would be lowered and capped for a few years.

Another part of the settlement allows merchants to charge consumers more for using specific credit cards. That could be a blow to cards that offer better cash-back benefits and rewards since they typically come with higher interchange.

The new era of credit-card points.

Also read:

• You may have to pay more at checkout when using your Visa or Mastercard

Now the city has reimagined itself as a tourist destination, with a waterpark, an artificial beach, and a golf course.

Business Insider’s Marielle Descalsota spent 48 hours in Forest City to see how much has changed.

Malaysia’s $100 billion ghost town is trying to pivot.

Her hot new album “Cowboy Carter” was just released yesterday — and five Black country artists, two of whom are featured on the 27-track project, unpacked its impact.

“Buckle Bunny” singer Tanner Adell, who’s featured on “BLACKBIIRD,” told BI that she’s “grateful” to Beyoncé for enticing more people to dig into the genre. Shaboozey, whose voice is on two songs, says he hopes this moment isn’t a mere trend, but a turning point.

Here’s what country’s rising Black stars are saying.

According to one estimate, Americans actually have about four to six hours of leisure time every day. But screen time, especially watching television, sucks up a majority of the hours.

And there’s also a societal aspect to us eschewing leisure time, as many Americans pride themselves on being busy.

Americans have more leisure time than they realize.

• “A Gentleman in Moscow”: The first episode of Ewan McGregor’s historical drama is available on Paramount+.
• “Lisa Frankenstein”: Zelda Williams, Robin Williams’ daughter, makes her directorial debut in a fresh take on the “Frankenstein” story on Peacock.
•  “Is It Cake?”: The show about hyper-realistic cakes is back for a third season on Netflix.

• 5 best exercises for building upper-body muscle when you’re short on time at the gym, according to a top coach.
• An Italian town wants to sell its abandoned homes for $1 but the owners won’t let it.
• A ‘Dragon Ball’ theme park is Saudi Arabia’s latest attempt to become the world’s playground. Some fans aren’t happy.
• 5 signs you should quit your therapist — or therapy in general.
• People pay a $200K initiation fee and $15K a year to join the Aman Club, the most expensive private members’ club in NYC. Take a peek inside.
• 10 things to never do at all-inclusive resorts, from a frequent traveler.
• This product manager got a $40,000 raise using a ‘lazy girl strategy’.
• How to fit in at a dinner with a billionaire, according to an etiquette expert.

Joi-Marie McKenzie, editor in chief of life, in New York. Jordan Parker Erb, editor, in New York. Dan DeFrancesco, deputy editor and anchor, in New York City. Lisa Ryan, executive editor, in New York.

Get in touch. Email us at insidertoday@insider.com

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