Rene Byrd did IVF to have her baby. Courtesy of Rene Byrd 2025-06-14T21:23:01Z Save Saved Read in app This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now. Have an account? Rene Byrd is a 49-year-old singer-songwriter in London who had her first baby at 48. She had held on to hope for a baby throughout her 40s, undergoing IVF for over two years. Being an older mom has had several benefits, like financial security and contentment. This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Rene Byrd. It has been edited for length and clarity.When I turned 40, I went on a seven-day retreat full of meditation and massage to fall in love with myself. I'm a strong believer that to find love, you first have to love yourself.I had wanted to settle down with someone and build a family, but it just hadn't happened. Three years prior, I had frozen my eggs because I knew that I wanted a family someday.On the retreat, I felt deep in my spirit that I would one day find my person and hold my child in my hands. I wouldn't give up hope.I met someone at a barReturning home, I continued dating, but it wasn't until a chance meeting at a bar that I finally found the man who would become my husband. I hadn't quite turned 41, and he was 34.I remember not wanting to scare him off by talking too much about my desire for kids, but we did have discussions about the future. When love started to bloom between the two of us, we started looking at what our options were for having a child together.After trying holistic methods to no avail, we decided to go down the IVF route. I'd heard horror stories about IVF — that it was never straightforward — but as I already had my eggs frozen, it was the best option for us at the time.I felt guilty for waiting so longTwo-and-a-half long years later, I was given the news from the IVF clinic — I was pregnant. I fell apart, phoning my husband to tell him we would be having a baby. Rene Byrd got pregnant at age 48 thanks to IVF. Courtesy of Rene Byrd Throughout my pregnancy, I remember being scared of what this new life as a mother would look like. I had little panic attacks considering how different life would be, as compared to the decades of life without a child. And then I felt guilty, telling myself I had waited so long for this. There was a lot of grappling with these thoughts until I realized my child would just be an extension of me.Once our little boy, Crue, was born in November 2024, I felt ready for his arrival in theory. Having spent years hearing from friends with children, I had an idea of what to expect. Even still, those early days were a lot to deal with. All these things were being thrown at me about what I should and shouldn't do with a baby.Being a mom in my late 40s has so many beautiful benefitsI joined online mother and baby communities and in-person baby groups, finding my tribe of mothers like me, ones that were "older."There is a stillness within me that grounds me as I take care of Crue. I have this playbook of mothering, developed from years of research and observation, that has given me assurance that even when things don't seem to be going to plan — like breastfeeding or sleeping — I was OK, and so was he.Having built up financial security, I didn't worry about how I was going to provide for a baby. Established in a career, I could plan for all baby-related expenses, including IVF.And since I had gotten so much out of my system in my younger years — corporate working, parties, nice restaurants — I felt content to settle in at home with my baby and husband. I never feel like I'm missing out.The only concern I've heard quietly whispered in different circles is that of my health. I know that as I get older, little issues with my body could pop up — issues that I might not have had as a younger mother. This has forced me to look after my body more than I ever have so that I can fully enjoy time with Crue as he gets older.Becoming a mother had always been a dream of mine. I trusted the process, holding on to hope, and although delayed, my dream finally came true.

The US House of Representatives just narrowly passed a budget bill, which has been referred to by President Trump and others as "one big, beautiful bill." Hidden amongst the cuts to health care, debt add-ons and tax breaks for the rich is a ten-year ban of state AI laws. You read that right. States would be banned by the federal government from enforcing laws that regulate AI for the next decade.The vote fell largely along party lines, with nearly every Republican member of the House approving the bill. This marks one of the most significant federal actions on technology policy in decades and it was buried in a budget bill that has nothing to do with AI.This isn't law just yet. The budget bill has to pass through the Senate and it could have a difficult road. It's expected that Democratic lawmakers will challenge the AI regulation ban under what's called the Byrd Rule, which prohibits "extraneous" provisions to the federal budget during the reconciliation process.To view this content, you'll need to update your privacy settings. Please click here and view the "Content and social-media partners" setting to do so.Even some Senate Republicans seem wary of the ban. Sen. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee expressed concern that it would override state legislation that protects artists from deepfakes in her state. Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri has also pushed back on the idea on the grounds that it could "tamp down on people's efforts to address" issues posed by AI.ADVERTISEMENTAdvertisementSupporters of the ban argue that it would stop a potentially confusing patchwork of differing state AI laws until Congress can craft its own federal legislation. This is pretty odd coming from the "states' rights" crowd, but whatever.Opponents, like many Democratic lawmakers and advocacy organizations like the Electronic Frontier Foundation, call it a dangerous giveaway to big tech firms, as these companies stand to benefit the most from a completely unregulated market. They also say it poses a serious danger to Americans, as it would leave the citizenry unprotected from any associated risk. Current state laws address issues including deepfakes and discrimination in automated hiring.“Make no mistake, the families who have come to this committee and begged for us to act won't benefit from this proposal,” said Democratic Rep. Lori Trahan during a subcommittee hearing on the matter. “But you know who will? The big tech CEOs who are sitting behind Donald Trump at his inauguration."To view this content, you'll need to update your privacy settings. Please click here and view the "Content and social-media partners" setting to do so.The budget bill, as passed by the House, also includes cuts to Medicaid totaling an estimated $625 billion and cuts to SNAP, otherwise called food stamps, totaling $300 billion. It could also force $500 billion in cuts to Medicare, which serves senior citizens, as a byproduct of adding nearly $4 trillion to the national deficit. It also ends the EV tax credit. All of this pays for an extension and expansion of previous tax cuts that disproportionately favor high-income earners.If you buy something through a link in this article, we may earn commission.

The “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” that House Republicans narrowly passed early Thursday would strip state legislatures of AI oversight and scale back consumer protection and climate initiatives while funding border surveillance, among many other provisions.The budget reconciliation bill still needs to be approved by the Senate, where some Republicans have voiced concerns with aspects of the text. But with President Donald Trump pushing for its passage into law, they could face an uphill battle in fighting for changes.Here are some of the key tech and science provisions in the House version of the text:Moratorium on state AI lawsStates would be stripped of their power to enforce laws regulating artificial intelligence models and “automated decision systems” for 10 years under the budget package. That would likely preempt hundreds of AI-related bills being considered in 2025, as well as dozens that have passed into law — and on top of that, the broad “automated decision” language could nix regulating all kinds of computer systems not frequently classed as AI.Republican supporters say the rule is necessary to let US companies innovate and keep up with rivals in China, and the idea has been promoted by OpenAI. More than 60 AI-related state bills have been enacted so far, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), many of which could be impacted by the proposed pause. The bills do everything from addressing algorithmic discrimination to regulating how AI can be used by government agencies.Critics worry the definition could also hamstring laws covering all kinds of systems that feature automation or use machine learning. That might include rules championed by state-level Republicans, who have passed numerous social media regulations in recent years. “Until we pass something that is federally preemptive, we can’t call for a moratorium”A couple Republican senators have expressed concern over the moratorium. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), eyeing a run for governor, spoke at a recent congressional hearing about her state’s AI law that seeks to protect a musician’s right to their voice’s likeness. “We certainly know that in Tennessee we need those protections,” Blackburn said, according to The Washington Post. “And until we pass something that is federally preemptive, we can’t call for a moratorium.”Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO), who publicly opposed Medicaid cuts in the House bill, also pushed back on the state law pause. “I would think that, just as a matter of federalism, we’d want states to be able to try out different regimes that they think will work for their state,” Hawley recently told Business Insider. “And I think in general, on AI, I do think we need some sensible oversight that will protect people’s liberties.”The provision could also face a challenge in overcoming the “Byrd rule,” which bars “extraneous” additions in reconciliation bills. Cuts to green energy tax creditsBiden-era tax credits for electric vehicles would be deprecated within two years if the House package is signed into law, and wind and solar energy credits would be phased out by 2032. The slashed credits include a $7,500 credit for purchasing eligible EVs, or $4,000 for an eligible used one, as well as credit for home refueling infrastructure.Updates shortly before the vote also rolled back key climate programs from the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act even further than the bill initially did, though they also pared down an effort to roll back credits for nuclear reactors.Scaling back funding for consumer financial protectionThe Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), which had already been decimated by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), would see its funding capped further under the bill. House Republicans seek to cap the amount it can receive from the Federal Reserve at 5 percent of the system’s total operating expenses, rather than the current 12 percent. That would reduce the resources the consumer protection agency would have to respond to consumer complaints over things like imminent foreclosures and credit card fraud, and regulate digital payments services.Border tech fundingThe bill includes billions of dollars to lock down US borders, including $12 billion to reimburse states for border security. In addition to the $46 billion it would invest to build and “modernize” the wall between the US and Mexico, the bill would also provide $1 billion in funding for technology to detect drugs and other contraband being brought across the border. Another $2.7 billion would go toward surveillance systems that House Homeland Security Republicans described as “ground detection sensors, integrated surveillance towers, tunnel detection capability, unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), and enhanced communications equipment.”Limiting gender-affirming careHealth care plans beginning in 2027 that are purchased through the Affordable Care Act marketplace would be barred from offering gender-affirming care, including hormone therapy and surgery. Similarly, the bill would prohibit Medicaid from covering “gender transition procedures” for minors and adults while requiring coverage for detransition.See More:

Farshid Moussavi has shared an inside look at their new Ismaili Center project in Houston. The first U.S. location for the Aga Khan Foundation and considerable local Ismaili Muslim community is 150,000 square feet and sits on an axis parallel to the city’s Waterway.  Its program contains, among other inclusions, a black box theater, exhibition halls, a library, and traditional Jamatkhana sanctuary. Nelson Byrd Woltz was included to complete the project’s 11-acre landscaped component. The Center opens later this fall. Moussavi, who won the Arnold W. Brunner Memorial Prize in March, will curate this year's Royal Academy Summer Exhibition in London after earning recognition at the American Academy of Arts and Letters 2025 Architecture Awards earlier this year. Photo: @farshidmoussavi via InstagramPhoto: @farshidmoussavi via InstagramPhoto: Elliott Hodges/@farshidmoussavi via Instagram

Republicans want to stop states from regulating AI. On Sunday, a Republican-led House committee submitted a budget reconciliation bill that proposes blocking states from enforcing “any law or regulation” targeting an exceptionally broad range of automated computing systems for 10 years after the law is enacted — a move that would stall efforts to regulate everything from AI chatbots to online search results. Democrats are calling the new provision a “giant gift” to Big Tech, and organizations that promote AI oversight, like Americans for Responsible Innovation (ARI), say it could have “catastrophic consequences” for the public. It’s a gift companies like OpenAI have recently been seeking in Washington, aiming to avoid a slew of pending and active state laws. The budget reconciliation process allows lawmakers to fast-track bills related to government spending by requiring only a majority in the Senate rather than 60 votes to pass. This bill, introduced by House Committee on Energy and Commerce Chairman Brett Guthrie (R-KY), would prevent states from imposing “legal impediments” — or restrictions to design, performance, civil liability, and documentation — on AI models and “automated decision” systems. It defines the latter category as “any computational process derived from machine learning, statistical modeling, data analytics, or artificial intelligence that issues a simplified output, including a score, classification, or recommendation, to materially influence or replace human decision making.”That means the 10-year moratorium could extend well beyond AI. Travis Hall, the director for state engagement at the Center for Democracy & Technology, tells The Verge that the automated decision systems described in the bill “permeate digital services, from search results and mapping directions, to health diagnoses and risk analyses for sentencing decisions.”During the 2025 legislative session, states have proposed over 500 laws that Hall says this bill could “unequivocally block.” They focus on everything from chatbot safety for minors to deepfake restrictions and disclosures for the use of AI in political ads. If the bill passes, the handful of states that have successfully passed AI laws may also see their efforts go to waste. “The move to ban AI safeguards is a giveaway to Big Tech that will come back to bite us.”Last year, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law preventing companies from using a performer’s AI-generated likeness without permission. Tennessee also adopted legislation with similar protections, while Utah has enacted a rule requiring certain businesses to disclose when customers are interacting with AI. Colorado’s AI law, which goes into effect next year, will require companies developing “high-risk” AI systems to protect customers from “algorithmic discrimination.”California also came close to enacting the landmark AI safety law SB 1047, which would have imposed security restrictions and legal liability on AI companies based in the state, like OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, and Meta. OpenAI opposed the bill, saying AI regulation should take place at the federal level instead of having a “patchwork” of state laws that could make it more difficult to comply. Gov. Newsom vetoed the bill last September, and OpenAI has made it clear it wants to avoid having state laws “bogging down innovation” in the future.With so little AI regulation at the federal level, it’s been left up to the states to decide how to deal with AI. Even before the rise of generative AI, state legislators were grappling with how to fight algorithmic discrimination — including machine learning-based systems that display race or gender bias — in areas like housing and criminal justice. Efforts to combat this, too, would likely be hampered by the Republicans’ proposal.Democrats have slammed the provision’s inclusion in the reconciliation bill, with Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) saying the 10-year ban will “allow AI companies to ignore consumer privacy protections, let deepfakes spread, and allow companies to profile and deceive consumers using AI.” In a statement published to X, Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) said the proposal “will lead to a Dark Age for the environment, our children, and marginalized communities.”RelatedThe nonprofit organization Americans for Responsible Innovation (ARI) compared the potential ban to the government’s failure to properly regulate social media. “Lawmakers stalled on social media safeguards for a decade and we are still dealing with the fallout,” ARI president Brad Carson said in a statement. “Now apply those same harms to technology moving as fast as AI… Ultimately, the move to ban AI safeguards is a giveaway to Big Tech that will come back to bite us.”This provision could hit a roadblock in the Senate, as ARI notes that the Byrd rule says reconciliation bills can only focus on fiscal issues. Still, it’s troubling to see Republican lawmakers push to block oversight of a new technology that’s being integrated into almost everything.See More:

Look below for Archinect's latest curated selection of architecture and design firms currently hiring on Archinect Jobs. This week's featured employer highlight includes openings in NYC, LA, Philadelphia, and San Francisco. For even more opportunities, visit the Archinect job board and explore our active community of job seekers, firms, and schools. Landscape architecture firm Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects is hiring for a Studio & Business Coordinator in New York City. Candidates should possess a bachelor's degree in business administration, accounting, or a related field, be proficient with Microsoft Office Suite and accounting software, and have strong organizational and time management skills. One should also have proven experience in an executive assistant, administrative coordinator, or similar role. Kinder Land Bridge and Cyvia and Melvyn Wolff Prairie at Memorial Park by Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects.AUX Architecture has an opening for a Designer with one t...