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16 of the best celebrity couples costumes this Halloween

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Joe Jonas Sophie Turner halloween

  • A lot of celebrities got in on the Halloween spirit with their costumes this year.
  • Some celebrities dressed up as famous musicians and TV characters. 
  • Here are some of the best costumes from celebrity couples.

Halloween may have come and gone, but it’s still fun to see what celebrities dressed up as. This year, some of the best Halloween looks were brought to us by celebrity couples.

Here are some of the best celebrity couple costumes from 2018.

The Weeknd and Bella Hadid looked unrecognizable as Beetlejuice and Lydia

A post shared by 🦋 (@bellahadid) on

The makeup is pretty impressive. 

Sarah Hyland and Wells Adams made everyone laugh as a punny Taco Belle

A post shared by Sarah Hyland (@sarahhyland) on

Hyland dressed up as a taco and Adams was Princess Belle from "Beauty & the Beast." Together, they were Taco Belle. 

Beyonce and Jay-Z got all decked out as Flo Jo and Tommie Smith

A post shared by Beyoncé (@beyonce) on

Beyonce went as Florence Griffith Joyner, an iconic track star, and Jay-Z dressed as Tommie Smith, who famously gave the black power salute at the 1968 Summer Olympics.

Read More: Everything you need to know about Jay-Z and Beyoncé's real-life love story

Sophie Turner and Joe Jonas looked exactly like Morticia and Gomez Addams

A post shared by Sophie Turner (@sophiet) on

It’s impressive how much they resemble the fictional couple.

Read More: Everything you need to know about Sophie Turner and Joe Jonas' love story

Skylar Astin and Anna Camp went as Richard Simmons and someone taking one of his workout classes

A post shared by Skylar Astin (@skylarastin) on

These two completely nailed it.

Ryan Seacrest and Shayna Taylor were super chic as Karl Lagerfeld and Anna Wintour

A post shared by Ryan Seacrest (@ryanseacrest) on

Seacrest appropriately captioned his Instagram photo with "coming to a haunted haus near you."

Jesse Tyler Ferguson and husband Justin Mikita looked adorable as a beekeeper and a bee

They even dressed up their dogs to match. 

Lisa Rinna and husband Harry Hamlin stunned as Edie Sedgwick and Andy Warhol

A post shared by Lisa Rinna (@lisarinna) on

The couple wore similar wigs. 

Joey Fatone and Izabel Araujo were impressive twins from "The Shining"

A post shared by Joey Fatone (@realjoeyfatone) on

This costume choice never fails to please horror movie fans.

Mariah Carey and Bryan Tanaka took on two popular Halloween costumes as a nurse and doctor

A post shared by Mariah Carey (@mariahcarey) on

Carey wore a pink wig. 

Ariel Winter and Levi Meaden nailed it as Pamela Anderson and Kid Rock

A post shared by ARIEL WINTER (@arielwinter) on

This was only one of the multiple costumes these two pulled off for Halloween.

Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber looked on point as Debbie Harry and David Bowie

Their outfits were amazing.

Jessica Simpson and Eric Johnson went as Danny DeVito and Arnold Schwarzenegger from the movie "Twins"

The two are hardly recognizable. 

Sarah Michelle Gellar and Freddie Prinze Jr. looked great as characters from "The Royal Tenenbaums"

They definitely nailed it.

Matthew Morrison and his wife Renee Puente went as Ghostbusters characters

They even had their baby dressed up for this classic costume.

Kristin Cavallari and Jay Cutler looked great as Mario characters 

Cutler was dressed as Bowser and Cavallari was dressed as Toad. 

For more great stories, head to INSIDER's homepage.

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The 20 safest airlines in the world

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  • AirlineRatings.com released its annual list of the safest airlines in the world earlier this year. 
  • The publication's editors selected the 20 safest carriers from a pool of 409 airlines.
  • AirlineRatings did not name a "safest" airline. Just a list of the top 20.
  • Airlines from Asia and Europe dominate the top 20.

Air travel is one of the safest forms of transportation around. And things are only getting better.

That said, some airlines are still better at it than others. That is why AirlineRatings.com releases an annual list of the 20 safest carriers in the world.

"With travel today taking passengers to every corner of the globe, with hundreds of airlines to choose from and a wide variety of standards from one airline to another, it is essential that passengers get the right information about the safety ratings as well as product," AirlineRatings.com Editor-in-Chief Geoffrey Thomas said in a statement.

The publication's safety-rating system was developed with the help of the United Nations' International Civil Aviation Organization.

The 20 safest airlines are selected from a pool of 409 carriers. To compile its list, the website's team of editors evaluated each airline based on its standing with international regulators, its fatality record over the past 10 years, the age of its fleet of planes, its result from an International Air Transport Association safety audit, and whether its country of origin conforms with the International Civil Aviation Organization's eight-point safety parameter. All of the airlines on this list passed those tests with flying colors.

This year, the editors at AirlineRatings.com declined to select a single winner. Instead, they simply named the 20 safest airlines in the world in alphabetical order.

Airlines from Asia and Europe dominate the list with eight and seven entrants apiece respectively. No airlines from South America and Africa made the list. 

Here's a look at which airlines made the list:

SEE ALSO: Check out the secret compartment where flight attendants sleep on the longest flight in the world

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1. Air New Zealand has made a fine recovery after a period of financial turmoil in the early 2000s. This renaissance culminated with AirlineRatings.com recently naming it the best airline in the world for the third year in a row. Air New Zealand has not suffered any significant incidents in the past couple of decades.



2. It may be called Alaska Airlines, but it's actually based in Seattle. The carrier is a mainstay on the West Coast of the US. Alaska recently made a major splash in 2016 with the $2.6 billion acquisition of Virgin America. The Virgin America brand will cease to exist in April. The airline has not suffered a fatal crash since 2000.



3. Founded in 1954, All Nippon Airways is well regarded for its consistent and high-quality service. Last year, Skytrax ranked All Nippon sixth on its list of the world's best airlines. ANA has not had a fatal crash in more than 45 years.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Take a tour of Russia's Admiral Kuznetsov, the world's worst aircraft carrier that recently suffered a massive shipyard accident

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A photo taken from a Norwegian surveillance aircraft shows Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov in international waters off the coast of Northern Norway on October 17, 2016.

Russia's only aircraft carrier, the Admiral Kuznetsov, recently sustained massive damage from a 70-ton crane falling on it after an accident at a shipyard.

The Kuznetsov, which is considered the worst carrier in the world, now has a massive 214 square foot hole in its hull after a power supply issue flooded its dry dock and sent the crane crashing down on it.

"The crane that fell left a hole 4 by 5 meters. But at the same time ... these are structures that are repaired easily and quickly," Alexei Rakhamnov, the head of Russia's United Shipbuilding Corporation, told Russian media.

The Kuznetsov had been in dry dock for total overhaul slated to finish in 2020 after it was seen billowing thick black smoke during its deployment to Syria in October 2016.

"The main problem with the ship is that it has a very problematic propulsion system," Dmitry Gorenburg, a senior research scientist at the Center for Naval Analyses, previously told Business Insider. "It's just unreliable."

Before it was sent back to the yards for repairs, the Kuznetsov was always accompanied by a special tugboat in case it broke down, and the plumbing was said to be so bad that most of its toilets didn't work.

Check it out below.

SEE ALSO: These are the world's 7 worst aircraft carriers that are currently in service

The Kuznetsov was laid down in 1983 but not commissioned until 1990.

Source: The National Interest



Kuznetsov-class carriers are about 930 feet long, 235 feet wide, and 210 feet high. They also have a maximum displacement of about 59,000 tons.

Source: Naval-Technology.com, TASS



Kuznetsov-class carriers are powered by eight turbo-pressurized boilers, four steam turbines, and six diesel generators, bringing the carrier to a maximum speed of about 33 mph.

It also has a sea endurance of 45 days and an operating range of 3,850 to 8,500 miles, depending on the speed.

Source: Naval-Technology.com



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

'She wanted to be a meme': The racist black teen featured on 'Dr. Phil' is a fraud, according to her sister

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treasure richards dr phil

  • "Dr. Phil" recently featured a black teenager named Treasure Richards, who said she's a white supremacist and believes she's white herself.
  • Nina Richards, Treasure Richards' sister, told INSIDER the whole thing was a hoax and said her sister is just trying to go viral.
  • Nina Richards was prompted to speak out because the show implicated her white father as being an inspiration for her racist beliefs.

On Wednesday, "Dr. Phil" featured a black teenager named Treasure Richards. In front of her mother, brother, and a studio audience, Richards said black people are inferior to white people and said she was white herself.

Richards' expressions of white supremacy went viral. The 16-year-old said all black men were "dirty gang members,""gorillas," and "pigs," and said she'd be willing to join the Ku Klux Klan.

Clips of the show, which plays on the OWN network, went viral. But Nina Richards, Treasure Richards' 25-year-old sister, told INSIDER the whole thing was a hoax. She said Dr. Phil's show exploited her "poverty-stricken" mother, sister, and brother by offering them an all-expenses-paid trip to Los Angeles to film the episode.

"They preyed upon their poverty and didn't do any research," Nina Richards told INSIDER. "To cause attention and for ratings, they exploited my sister."

According to Nina Richards, Treasure Richards concocted the plan in hopes of getting a free vacation and going viral. She said she wanted to become another "cash me outside" girl, referring to Danielle Bregoli, a teenager who went viral after a 2016 "Dr. Phil" appearance. She's since become an Instagram celebrity and rapper known as Bhad Bhabie and received a Billboard Music Award in May for best female rapper.

Treasure Richards seems to have already leveraged her notoriety for viral fame. Around the time her "Dr. Phil" episode aired, she began uploading videos on YouTube and Instagram reiterating her racist beliefs, supporting President Donald Trump, and criticizing Beyoncé as a "talentless b----."

"This is all some bulls--- that she fabricated just to become the next 'cash me outside' girl," Nina Richards said. "To become a meme. That was her goal. She wanted to be a meme."

Nina Richards is speaking out — and risking alienating her family members — because the show disgraced her father, she told INSIDER. She and her sister grew up in the same household with the same mother, but had different fathers. The father Nina Richards grew up with was white. He died in 2006. But Treasure Richards grew up with her biological father, who is black, Nina Richards said.

However, on the show, Treasure Richards cited Nina Richards' father as her own and said he inspired her white supremacist beliefs. Dr. Phil also used a photo of him on the show.

"I had a great relationship with a wonderful father, who was not a white supremacist," Nina Richards said. "If they want to put my father on television and threaten his legacy, then I have to stand up for him."

treasure richards

On the show, Monique Richards, their mother, said Treasure Richards "wouldn't play with black children" when she was younger. She said Treasure Richards "would destroy or mangle her black dolls" and "pretend they were white doll slaves."

Nina Richards said the whole thing was made up and blamed her mother for going along with her sister's apparent deception just so she could enjoy a trip to California. She said Monique Richards doesn't have custody of Treasure Richards anymore.

monique richards

"It's funny to me how she can sit there and lose custody of her daughter and not take her to school, but she can take her on 'Dr. Phil,'" she said.

For her part, Treasure Richards denied she was acting.

"I am not an actor, and I never will be," she said in a video titled "I Hate Beyoncé.""My opinions will not be shut down."

Treasure Richards and representatives for "Dr. Phil" didn't immediately respond to INSIDER's request for comment.

Correction: A previous version of this article stated that Nina Richards's father died in 2016. He died in 2006.

This post has been updated.

Visit INSIDER's homepage for more.

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The 10 best places to travel on a budget in 2019

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Finding a good deal is always a great feeling, and that's especially the case when it comes to traveling.

Budgetary constraints can often make dream vacations seem out of reach. But fortunately, Lonely Planet has put together its top recommendations for places to visit that won't break the bank.

Lonely Planet's annual Best in Travel list compiles expert opinions across a variety of occupations and demographics to decide on the top travel trends, values, and overall destinations for prospective vacationers to consider each year.

Keep reading to see the 10 best places to travel on a budget in 2019.

10. Experience all the joys of Alpine traveling without its usual high price tag in Slovenia.

When you couple Slovenia's scenic mountain passes with its abundance of affordable restaurants and burgeoning wine scene, it's easy to understand how the small nation gives its neighbors in the Alps a run for their money.



9. Wander through the Amazon in Ecuador.

This South American country boasts a rich history, green pastures, and the same temperate climate of bigger neighbors like Peru along the Andes.

Ecuador is lined with Amazonian rainforests, a collection of awe-inspiring volcanoes, and the world-famous Galápagos Islands.



8. Relax on scenic beaches in Albania, minus the crowds of tourists.

Albania's picturesque rivieras, archaeological treasures, and regionally unique cuisine make it a one-of-a-kind country in the Balkans.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Netflix and other streaming services have gotten a boost from older subscribers this year, and that could mean trouble for traditional TV

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  • A new Ampere Analysis report shows that subscriptions to SVOD services have grown this year after plateauing in previous quarters.
  • Ampere senior analyst Toby Holleran attributed the growth to traditional, older consumers switching to streaming.
  • Holleran also cautioned companies against forcing bundles on users in the future.

 

Subscriptions to streaming services are growing again after a plateau in the US thanks to a boom in Netflix and Hulu subscribers this year.

According to a report from Ampere Analysis, subscriptions to streaming video on-demand services (SVOD) were steadily increasing from Q3 2015 until Q1 2017, when numbers began to stagnate. Subscriptions have been consistently rising, though, since the beginning of this year.

svod

Ampere senior analyst Toby Holleran told Business Insider that traditional viewers, an older generation that was rooted in pay TV, are beginning to catch on to the benefits of SVOD services.

"Traditional users were more ingrained in the pay-TV space and there was slightly less awareness of SVOD during that period [of plateau]," he said. "Whereas now, especially with older demographics, we're starting to see more and more growth in those. I feel the plateauing was taking place among younger demographics because they formed such a large proportion of the overall SVOD base, whereas now with older demographics slowly familiarizing themselves with SVOD, that's actually starting to grow again."

That coud be bad news for pay-TV companies, which could see cord-cutting accelerate if older generations see a viable alternative in streaming.

Read more: Data suggests that Hasan Minhaj's 'Patriot Act' could succeed where other Netflix talk shows have failed

Exclusive content is also key for streaming services, Holleran said, as Netflix has been heavily investing in its catalog of original content in an effort to have 1,000 TV original shows and movies by year's end. Hulu also has acclaimed shows like "The Handmaid's Tale," which won the Emmy for best drama last year.

As the SVOD landscape rapidly evolves, more players are entering the game. Disney is set to launch its own competitor late next year and is already developing Marvel and "Star Wars" TV series for it. AT&T recently announced that it would also roll out a service next year that would include HBO.

This could lead to a new form of SVOD bundle, but Holleran urged caution in that regard.

Holleran said the best course of action for streamers is to give users as many options as possible for the best price, rather than forcing bundles on subscribers.

"I think forcing bundles upon people might not be the best move," Holleran said. "It depends on the price point. Additional costs may turn away consumers who may only want to take one service."

SEE ALSO: Disney is reportedly developing a Marvel TV series that raises questions about Captain America's fate in 'Avengers 4'

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'Fox and Friends' host Ainsley Earhardt defends Trump calling the media 'the enemy of the people'

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  • Ainsley Earhardt, one of the hosts of President Donald Trump's favorite morning news show, "Fox and Friends," defended Trump's labeling of the press as the "enemy of the American people" on Thursday morning.
  • "He's saying if you don't want to be called the enemy, then get the story right, be accurate and report the story the way I want it reported," Earhardt said.
  • This comes just days after a Trump supporter and would-be terrorist mailed bombs to CNN, perhaps Trump's least favorite network.

Ainsley Earhardt, one of the hosts of President Donald Trump's favorite morning news show, "Fox and Friends," defended Trump's labeling of the press as the "enemy of the American people" on Thursday morning, and even argued that the media should report the news the way the president wants it reported.  

After showing a clip of the president insisting in an interview with Axios that he must "fight back" against reporting he deems wrong or unfair, Earhardt launched into a broad defense of the president's aggressive attacks on the media just days after a Trump supporter and would-be terrorist mailed bombs to CNN, perhaps Trump's least favorite network.

Earhardt sympathized with the president, who she has long argued is covered unfairly by the majority of the news media — or at least TV news.

"How frustrating would it be if you are the president of the United States and every single time you turn on the TV on most of the channels they are misconstruing what you say?" she said.

She went on, "You know your heart and you know your words and your voice and you watch what other people report on what you say and it's completely different than what you mean." 

Read more:How Fox's 'southern gal' Ainsley Earhardt became the darling of 'the most powerful TV show in America'

Earhardt then attempted to explain why the president constantly derides the media — something he says his fans love and helped pave his way to the White House — and said the president just wants the news reported from his perspective. 

"He's saying if you don't want to be called the enemy, then get the story right, be accurate and report the story the way I want it reported," she said.

Kilmeade, who has criticized Trump's labeling of the media as the "enemy," then argued that Trump may be "moderating his position" because he recently said "you have some very good people as reporters and journalists, you have some that are not good at all."

Fox did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 

SEE ALSO: How Fox's 'southern gal' Ainsley Earhardt became the darling of 'the most powerful TV show in America'

SEE ALSO: 'These aren't our kids': 'Fox and Friends' host says immigrant children shouldn't be treated like kids from 'Idaho or Texas'

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This is the difference between one, two, and three Michelin-starred restaurants

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  • Being awarded three Michelin stars is the highest accolade a restaurant can receive.
  • The Michelin Guide is famously secretive about how it decides which restaurants deserve stars and how many.
  • Essentially, it comes down to whether the food is good enough to warrant going out of your way to pay the restaurant a visit. 

For a restaurateur, there is no greater accolade than being awarded a prestigious Michelin star.

Well, except for being awarded two or, the top award, three. 

The Michelin Guide is, in the eyes of many, a fine dining bible. However, when it was launched by tire company Michelin in 1900, it was intended as a way of helping French motorists find decent places to stay and eat while on the road.

As of 2018, there are over 100 three Michelin-starred restaurants across the globe. 

Read more: The 50 best restaurants in the world in 2018

But what exactly does it take to gain a much-coveted star? And what's the difference between restaurants which have one, two, or three?

All inspectors from Michelin are catering and hospitality experts who visit restaurants anonymously and pay for their meals, meaning owners, chefs, and waiting staff never know when they're being judged.

Exactly what inspectors are looking for when assessing a restaurant is kept largely secret, but Michelin says they look at five criteria:

  1. Quality of the products
  2. Mastery of flavour and cooking techniques
  3. The personality of the chef in their cuisine
  4. Value for money
  5. Consistency between visits.

A restaurant's interior decor, table settings, or service are never factored into the equation when it comes to awarding stars, Michelin explains

Aspects such as these are scored with a less well-known knife and fork symbol — this goes from one set of cutlery ("quite comfortable") up to five ("luxury in the traditional style.")

Of course, the most revered and coveted accolade is the Michelin star, the awarding of which has the potential to boost a restaurant's fortunes more than anything else.

The star system was launched in 1933 with the aim of highlighting the most exceptional restaurants around the world.

Here's what the stars mean:

  1. One star: high quality cooking, worth a stop
  2. Two stars: excellent cooking, worth a detour
  3. Three stars: exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey.

As much as a star is a huge achievement for a chef, Michelin insists the awards are for the benefit of consumers rather than cooks. 

In 1997, Michelin introduced a "Bib Gourmand" award which it describes as "not quite a star" but a nod of approval for "friendly establishments that serve good food at moderate prices."

However, this doesn't mean a restaurant has to be expensive to win a Michelin star— in Singapore you can famously enjoy the world's cheapest Michelin-starred meal of chicken and rice from street food stall Hawker Chan (which has now expanded into a casual restaurant) for just $3 Singapore dollars ($2.20).

SEE ALSO: 19 Michelin-starred New York City restaurants where you can get lunch for $50 or less

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How emerging markets will transform the future of online shopping

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This is a preview of a research report from Business Insider Intelligence, Business Insider's premium research service. To learn more about Business Insider Intelligence, click here.

Emerging markets are going to be essential for e-commerce growth, as retailers in developed markets may soon reach saturation in terms of consumer growth.

APAC CAGR

For example, almost half of US households now have a Prime membership, diminishing Amazon's growth potential in the country. Meanwhile, in China, the world's largest e-commerce market, nearly half of the population is actively making online purchases, leaving little room for growth. 

However, India, Southeast Asia, and Latin America are worth keeping an eye on. E-commerce penetration rates in these areas hover between 2-6%, presenting a huge opportunity for future growth as online sales gain traction. Moreover, these regions are expected to grow at compound annual growth rates (CAGRs) of 31%, 32%, and 16%, respectively, through 2021.

This report compiles several e-commerce snapshots, which together highlight the most notable emerging markets in various regions. Each provides an overview of the e-commerce industry in a particular country, discusses influential retailers, and provides insights into the opportunities and challenges for that specific domestic industry.

Here are some of the key takeaways:

  • Emerging markets are going to be essential for e-commerce growth, as retailers in developed markets may soon reach saturation in terms of consumer growth.
  • India is the clear overall leader in e-commerce potential, but countries in Southeast Asia and Latin America are also worth keeping an eye on. Within Southeast Asia, Indonesia shows the most promise for retailers, as the government is loosening restrictions on foreign investments, and its massive population is gaining spending power and more access to internet. Meanwhile, Mexico is a retailer's best bet for expansion in Latin America, due to its stable economy and rising middle class, but Brazil may be gearing up to steal the top spot.
  • However, doing business in these regions can be difficult. In most of these emerging markets, infrastructure is underdeveloped and the population is largely unbanked, making digital payments a challenge.
  • If retailers can build a brand presence in these markets while online shopping is still in its nascent stages, they may become market leaders as e-commerce takes off in the regions. Moreover, these markets could provide new sources of growth for companies that would otherwise stagnate in more mature e-commerce markets.

 In full, the report:

  • Explores the e-commerce industry in India, Southeast Asia, and Latin America.
  • Highlights the leading country in each region, as well as key e-commerce players there. 
  • Outlines the challenges and opportunities each region faces.
  • Gives insight into how these emerging markets may shape the future of e-commerce.

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It looks like Turkey has dismissed a bizarre Saudi theory about Khashoggi's death that a mystery collaborator in Istanbul was given his body then vanished

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  • Anonymous Saudi officials have pushed a theory that Jamal Khashoggi's body was rolled up some kind of fabric and given to a local Turkish co-conspirator.
  • Turkish authorities do not believe this person exists at all, The Washington Post reported, citing an unnamed official.
  • Where Khashoggi's body has ended up is one of the many unanswered questions in the case, and has been raised at the highest levels.
  • Turkish investigators are pursuing an alternative theory; that Khashoggi's body was dissolved in acid.

Turkish officials appear to have dismissed a bizarre theory that Jamal Khashoggi's body was given to a mystery local collaborator in Istanbul.

Saudi officials have for weeks pushed a theory, via anonymous leaks to the media, that Khashoggi's killers rolled the journalist's body in some kind of carpet or fabric and gave it to a Turkish co-conspirator for removal.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Istanbul's chief prosecutor Irfan Fidan, separately called on their Saudi counterparts to identify the collaborator this week. But so far the Saudis have not publicly mentioned or identified this person.

Turkish investigators now do not believe such a person exists at all, The Washington Post reported on Wednesday, citing an unnamed senior Turkish official.

Jamal Khashoggi

Saudi Arabia's chief prosecutor, Saud Al Mojeb, neither provided the location of Khashoggi's body nor identified this alleged conspirator when he visited Istanbul this week, a second senior Turkish official told The Post.

Read more:Here’s everything we know about the troubling disappearance and death of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi

Mojeb and his team visited the Turkish city earlier this week, ostensibly to share intelligence on Khashoggi's death and killers.

However, they appeared unwilling to share knowledge over the investigation, and "seemed primarily interested in finding out what evidence the Turkish authorities had against the perpetrators," an unnamed Turkish official told Agence France-Presse on Wednesday.

jamal khashoggi saudi prosecutor saud al mojeb

The  Washington Post also cited officials saying that Khashoggi's body was dissolved in acid after he was strangled to death and dismembered, which contradicts the Saudi claim that Khashoggi's body was rolled up and palmed off.

Fidan, the Istanbul prosecutor, said on Wednesday that Khashoggi was strangled shortly after he entered the consulate, and his body was dismembered afterward. It was the most detailed official account of Khashoggi's death so far.

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American manufacturers are seriously worried about the 'mounting pressure' caused by Trump's trade war

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  • US manufacturing activity fell more than expected in October.
  • Tariffs are casting uncertainty over factory activity.
  • Price pressures look poised to worsen throughout the fourth quarter.

Manufacturing activity in the US slowed to a six-month low in October. And the overwhelming concern within the sector appears to be rising protectionism.

"For the consumer, the tariffs are for the most part still an abstract idea, but for manufacturers they are real, and a big problem," said Ian Sheperdson, chief economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics.

The Institute for Supply Management, a trade group of purchasing executives, said Thursday that its index of national factory activity dropped 2.1 percentage points to 57.7 in October from a month earlier. The decline was largely thanks to uncertainty related to tariffs, according to survey respondents. 

"Mounting pressure due to pending tariffs," observed one respondent in the ISM survey. "Bracing for delays in material from China — a rush of orders trying to race tariff implementation is flooding shipping and customs."

"Higher costs related to trade tariffs are starting to be passed on to the cost of goods sold," another said.

President Donald Trump has clashed with several countries on trade, including the US's biggest business partners. His administration has placed import taxes on $300 billion worth of products so far, prompting retaliatory measures from major economies.

It may be just the beginning of price pressures within the manufacturing sector. Jeffries economist Thomas Simons said some of the effects may have been masked as businesses try to rush orders ahead of anticipated price increases.

"According to comments by survey respondents, backlogs are starting to fall, so we may start to see more of the negative effects of the tariffs put downward pressure on the ISM PMI heading into the end of the year," Simons said.

Even as expectations for a meeting between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping eases some of the most high-profile concerns, the trade outlook remains far from certain.

"We also need to see significant progress with our European trade partners before the tariff clouds begin to lift," Simons added.

Trump, however, asserts tariffs will ultimately help defend the US against trade practices perceived as unfair. Bringing back jobs by reducing the trade deficit, which the president views as a general sign of economic weakness, has been one of his signature promises since the campaign trail.

SEE ALSO: Trump's next move in the US-China trade war could hit your wallet harder than the last

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19 things you didn't know about 'Twilight'

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After the first "Twilight" film hit theaters on November 1, 2018, it sent fangirls into a frenzy. The movie became such a big hit among viewers that it led to an additional four films, based on novels written by Stephenie Meyer.

Avid fans who analyzed the books, watched the flicks multiple times, and viewed cast interviews probably know a fair share of trivia about the franchise (like the fact that Taylor Lautner wore an itchy wig and Meyer made a cameo during a scene in the diner).

To celebrate "Twilight's" 10-year anniversary, INSIDER combed through "Twilight: Director's Notebook," which director Catherine Hardwicke released in 2009, to find even more details about the making of the movie.

Keep reading to learn facts about how the first movie was made, from the amount of attempts it took to master the apple shot to the chilly temperature the actors faced when filming the prom scene. 

One of Bella's favorite desserts (berry cobbler) came straight from the dessert menu of a local eatery.

Catherine Hardwicke sent the menu to screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg, who included the dish into the diner scene between Bella and her dad.



Stewart's hair was dyed and a hairpiece was added underneath her natural locks to make it look thicker.

She also wore brown contacts to match the character description. Stewart has natural green eyes.

 

 



When Pattinson first enters the cafeteria, his real life sister, Lizzie Pattinson, sings vocals on the song that plays.

She's three years older than her brother. 

Lizzie's voice can be heard faintly in "Who Are They," which is part of Carter Burwell's score for the film. 

 



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

A startup CEO who's raised nearly $500 million says business strategy isn't what you do — it's what you don't

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Jeff Raider

  • Harry's co-CEOs Jeff Raider and Andy Katz-Mayfield are intentional with every move they make — and don't make. 
  • Raider told Business Insider that while the company has a lot of opportunity, it has finite resources and a small team relative to competitors, so it has to be strategic about where it invests. 
  • That's why Harry's sells only a small number of high-quality products. "We'd rather do three things incredibly well than 100 things not so well," Raider tells his team.

Since its first round of funding in 2012, razor company Harry's has raised nearly half a billion dollars.

Harry's razors are marketed toward men who value simplicity, Jeff Raider, Harry's co-CEO, said on an episode of Business Insider's podcast "This Is Success."

And for Harry's, simplicity isn't only a marketing tool. It's also a business strategy. Raider said he and co-CEO Andy Katz-Mayfield are intentional with every move they make — and don't make. 

"One of the things we always talk about is that strategy is what you don't do, as opposed to what you decide to do, because we have all these opportunities," Raider said. "And so for us, it was about thinking about, 'OK, what are the things that we really want to do, and the things that we're not sure about,' and then getting input from our team, and board, and advisers, and other people at the right points in time, to help us where those answers may not be as clear."

As Raider said on "This Is Success," Harry's is strategic about the opportunities it chooses to pursue. "We only have a finite set of resources," he said. "And we still have a pretty small team, relative to our competition, which are these giant companies. And so for us, we need to be really intentional about the things that we decide to do, and then, in turn, the things that we decide not to do."

Unlike Harry's competitor, Dollar Shave Club, Raider and Katz-Mayfield own their razors and every aspect of the business. In the past year, Harry's raised $112 million to create a variety of personal care products for its nearly five million active users.  But rather than selling a wide variety of products, Harry's only sells one type of shave gel, one post-shave balm, and one face wash.

Read more:  I cofounded Harry's and Warby Parker. Here's the best advice I can give you about raising money

"We haven't launched a million different men's grooming products, because we care so much about the quality of each one of our products, and about the idea that we want guys to be able to really understand what we make, and how those products are different from each other," Raider said.

If Raider and Katz-Mayfield disagree on a company decision, the co-CEOs look to Harry's advisers and present the question in a unified front. 

"At the end of the day, we try to come to our team, then, with saying, 'Listen, we'd rather do three things incredibly well than 100 things not so well,'" Raider said. "And that's allowed us to be pretty deliberate in the way that we've built the brand. Harry's is now five years old. We sell in the US, Canada, and the UK only, as opposed to all over the world, which is a choice we could have made."

Listen to the full episode and subscribe to "This Is Success" on Apple Podcasts or Art19.

SEE ALSO: The cofounder of a shaving company that's raised nearly half a billion dollars to take on Unilever and Procter & Gamble explains how he's building a brand to last 100 years

DON'T MISS: I cofounded Harry's and Warby Parker. Here's the best advice I can give you about raising money

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NOW WATCH: Meet the founders of Warby Parker, the eyewear company disrupting the highly secretive Luxottica monopoly

BlackRock's president says the $6.4 trillion asset manager wants to invest in cannabis stocks, but there's one key problem

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Robert Kapito, BlackRock

  • BlackRock President Robert Kapito said on Thursday that his firm is looking to invest in cannabis stocks at a conference in Toronto. 
  • Kapito said the world's largest asset manager is sitting on the sidelines for now because most bank custodians won't clear cannabis stocks. 
  • Kapito said he's not a big supporter of cannabis, but the "world wants to go the other way."

The world's largest asset manager wants to invest in cannabis stocks — but is sitting on the sidelines for now. 

BlackRock President Robert Kapito said on Thursday morning his firm is looking to invest in the red-hot sector at the Prime Quadrant Conference in Toronto, Canada.

"We will be investing, but right now because of issues with states and the federal government in the US, some of the custodians will not clear cannabis stocks and we will have to wait until that happens," Kapito said, per Bloomberg.

Cannabis is legal for recreational users in nine states and for medical users in a further 31 states, though the US federal government considers it a Schedule I drug. 

Kapito said while he's not a big supporter of cannabis, the "world wants to go the other way." 

"I don't think the story ends well," Kapito said. "That's my personal story but this is what the world is looking at."

Until recently, institutional investors have steered clear of the volatile cannabis sector, even though Canada legalized the drug for all adults earlier in October.

Canada's largest pension funds, including the Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System (OMERS) and the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB), so far haven't invested. 

For the most part, high-net-worth individuals and family offices have put the bulk of the money into the sector. 

Hedge fund billionaire Leon Cooperman has invested personally— not through his fund — in Green Thumb Industries, an Illinois-based cannabis cultivator. And Tiger Global's venture arm invested in Green Bits, a software platform for cannabis dispensaries in April.

The sector gained mainstream attention after Constellation Brands, the beverage giant behind Corona and Modelo, sank $4 billion into Canopy Growth, a Canadian marijuana cultivator in August

Some analysts expect cannabis to be a $75 billion industry— or larger — globally by 2030. 

See also:

SEE ALSO: Top cannabis VCs give their best advice on how to invest in the booming marijuana industry

AND MORE: The CEO of Molson Coors says the market for cannabis-infused beverages could be worth billions. Here's why it's 'chasing down' that opportunity.

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NOW WATCH: The economist that predicted the housing crisis warns the Fed is engaging in behavior that's almost always caused a recession

Over half a million chunks of space trash could jeopardize space travel — but Europe has a plan to save it

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  • More than half a million chunks of space trash surround our planet — that poses a serious threat to space travel as we know it.
  • That's why a team out of Europe has developed a way to take out the space trash, and they just tested it in spectacular fashion.
  • Watch the video above to see how RemoveDEBRIS is leading one of the most important space travel efforts of this century.

Following is a transcript of the video. 

Narrator: Europe is leading one of the most important space travel efforts of this century. It's a mission called RemoveDEBRIS, and if all goes according to plan, it could save the future of space travel as we know it.

The objective of RemoveDEBRIS is just that. Demonstrate how we could remove space debris that's cluttering up Earth's orbit, including pieces of used up rockets and retired satellites. Even though you can't see it from the ground, there are more than half a million chunks of space trash flying around our planet, and most of it is concentrated in low earth orbit, where it whips around at 28,000 kilometers an hour. Fast enough to fly from LA to London, in just 19 minutes, but here's the trouble with that. Low earth orbit is our front door to the universe. To get anywhere in space, whether it's the International Space Station, Mars, or beyond, we have to cross that threshold first, but if you have a bunch of garbage blocking your path, it's gonna be difficult. Even worse, experts, like astrophysicist Donald Kessler, fear that just one collision between two large objects, could seal up that opening forever, because it would set off a chain reaction. One collision after another, after another, which could produce thousands of additional pieces of debris. This domino effect is called the "Kessler Syndrome," after Donald Kessler himself, and it predicts that low earth orbit could become littered with space trash, making it too dangerous for spacecraft to fly through, or also reduce their life spans because of collisions.

That's where Europe's RemoveDEBRIS mission comes in. In 2018, it successfully tested the first of four stages of its trash clean up technology, and it looked like this. This is not an illustration. This is actually happening in space. That's a net about the size of a large dining room tablecloth, ensnaring a small spacecraft that the mission team planted for the experiment. Now, this was just the first of what will, hopefully, be many more tests, because in the future, we're gonna need a bigger net.

Guglielmo S. Aglietti: At the end of the day, the final goal is to be able to capture very large targets, so, possibly what one of the targets that has been mentioned, as a potential one, is an old satellite, Envisat, and it is maybe the size of a bus.

Narrator: Scientists have been proposing ways to clean up space junk since the early 90s. They've thought of everything, from lasers, to robotic claws. But this is the first time any concept has actually been tested in space. The team hopes to test its other three technologies, as well, which involve a harpoon, for spearing the trash, a navigation system for analyzing the trash's size, distance, and rotation, and a sail for slowing the trash down, so it can reenter, and burn up in Earth's atmosphere. But all this technology isn't the reason this mission has come closer than any before it.

Aglietti: Everybody agrees, that to remove some of this debris, is the right thing to do, but, clearly, the issue is going to be, you know, the cost.

Narrator: The RemoveDEBRIS project has cost 15 million euro, or, about 17 million US dollars.

Aglietti: The current mission was sponsored by the European community, and, again, we had, you know, ten partners, working on this project, and, overall, the cost of this project was about, you know, €15 [million]. When you are going to do this kind of mission, for real, the cost will be higher, and, so, I think the various stakeholders around the world, have to get together, and decide how such mission could be funded. We are talking about not just, you know, the UK, or, maybe, NASA, but also, China, you know, Russia, and so on. The problem is, again, who is going to pay for it?

Narrator: So, Europe has taken the lead. Rest of the world, it's your turn now.

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The girl who went viral for staring at Michelle Obama's portrait dressed up as her for Halloween, and perfectly recreated her outfit

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parker curry obama portrait

Remember Parker Curry, the little girl who went viral in March for this adorable photo of her staring at Michelle Obama's portrait hanging in The National Portrait Gallery? 

Well, the 3-year-old continues to be inspired by Amy Sherald's painting of the former first lady. Curry dressed up as Obama for Halloween this year — wearing the exact same gown, and striking the exact same pose. 

Curry's mother, Jessica Curry, said that when October 31 rolled around, her daughter only had this costume in mind.

Jessica Curry told CNN, "We asked her a few times, 'Are you sure?'" And Curry said Parker responded the same way every time: "'Yes, I do. I want to be Michelle Obama.'"

The dress was a gift from fashion designer Alisha Welsh, according to CNN, who owns a small children's boutique in New York called Magnolia Lake Children's Clothing. Welsh was so inspired by Curry's photo at the gallery that she offered to make a toddler-sized replica of Obama's frock.

Here's an amazing side-by-side: 

Curry told CNN that some people recognized the dress while Parker was trick-or-treating. Parker loved the costume so much that she wanted to wear it the next day to school, says Curry — and there's a good chance she'll dress as Michelle Obama next year, too.

And as for the first lady herself? She loved the look, writing to Parker Curry on Twitter: "You nailed the look, Parker!"

Curry and her idol met back in March, after the original photo went viral. They had a dance party, and Obama gave important advice to Curry, and little girls everywhere. 

"Keep on dreaming big for yourself...," Obama tweeted, "and maybe one day I'll proudly look up at a portrait of you!"

This is the goal of Curry's mom, too: to teach her daughter to aspire to — and achieve — great things, much like Obama.

Curry told Buzzfeed, "In the world we live in today, I'm just trying to raise a little girl who has opportunities to see women who who look like her doing great things." 

Parker Curry is definitely on her way. 

Visit INSIDER's homepage for more.

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Salesforce Tower, the tallest skyscraper in San Francisco, was turned into the 'Eye of Sauron' for Halloween

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Sauron

  • Salesforce Tower, the tallest building in San Francisco, was lit up for Halloween to depict the infamous "Eye of Sauron" from "The Lord of the Rings."
  • The idea originated from an online petition that had more than 11,000 signatures by Halloween.
  • Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff, whose company is headquartered in the skyscraper, seemed to shoot down the idea earlier this month. But the glowing eye was widely visible Wednesday night.

As the sun set Wednesday night during Halloween, San Francisco was treated to a surprise. Salesforce Tower, the tallest building in the city's skyline, lit up in fiery colors to depict the "Eye of Sauron," the iconic symbol the Dark Lord adopted in "The Lord of the Rings."

The idea for the skyscraper's Halloween costume first gained traction through a Change.org petition penned at the beginning of the month. By Halloween, the petition had garnered more than 11,000 signatures in support of the tower getting a "Lord of the Rings" makeover.

With 11,000 LED lights making up the screen atop the tower, the glowing eye could be seen clearly against the dark sky around San Francisco.

 

However, the stunt originally didn't seem likely to happen when Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff quickly shot down the idea earlier this month.


Read more: Over 1,300 people are asking CEO Marc Benioff to turn Salesforce Tower into the 'Eye of Sauron' on Halloween night — but he's not into it


Although the 1070-foot tall building serves as the software company's HQ, the building — and the display on top — are owned by Boston Properties. The artist in charge of the LED display told reporters in May he would never portray an advertisement or holiday-themed image on the building.

But that apparently didn't stop whoever had the ultimate say for what would appear atop Salesforce Tower on Wednesday. Perhaps they were persuaded by the petition organizers' appeal to "help us unite the city, and raise the torch on Halloween night as one community, together."

Or, perhaps, it was Sauron, with his powerful will and overbearing strength, that convinced them.

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The uncensored cut of Lars von Trier's serial-killer movie that prompted 100 walkouts at Cannes will be in theaters for 1 night only this month

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the house that jack built

  • The uncensored director's cut of Lars von Trier's controversial serial-killer movie, "The House That Jack Built," will be released for one night only on November 26.
  • The R-rated cut will be released December 14.
  • The film prompted over 100 people to walk out during the Cannes Film Festival this year because of its graphic depiction of violence against women and children.

 

The uncensored director's cut of the controversial serial-killer movie that caused uproar at this year's Cannes Film Festival is getting a theater release for one night only this month.

Director Lars von Trier's "The House that Jack Built," starring Matt Dillon as a twisted murderer, prompted at least 100 people to walk out of the film at Cannes during its premiere in May because of its grotesque depiction of violence against women and children, particularly a scene in which two small kids' heads are blown off by a hunting rifle. 

According to Indiewire, that uncut version will be released to theaters for just one night on November 28, while an edited, R-rated cut will be released on December 14.

Von Trier doesn't mind the controversy and has even welcomed it, as posters for the film released in September showed people contorted into disturbing positions, including actress Uma Thurman, who also stars as one of Jack's many victims.

Some critics called the movie "unpleasant" and "torturous," while others actually liked it. The film received a standing ovation at Cannes from those who stayed until the very end. Indiewire film critic David Ehrlich tweeted this week, "i sincerely regret to inform you that THE HOUSE THAT JACK BUILT will 100% be on my list of the year’s best films. please make your peace with that now."

SEE ALSO: YouTube star Logan Paul says he lost $5 million because of the 'suicide forest' video controversy

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Trump's top economic adviser Larry Kudlow says the federal minimum wage is a 'terrible idea'

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Minimum Wage $15

  • Larry Kudlow, President Donald Trump's top economic adviser, said the federal minimum wage is a "terrible idea."
  • Kudlow said variance between states makes a federal wage level impractical.
  • Kudlow argued that corporate tax cuts are the best way to raise worker wages.
  • Kudlow also addressed the US-China trade war, Trump's attacks on the Federal Reserve, and calls by the GOP for cuts to Medicare and Social Security.

Larry Kudlow, President Donald Trump's top economic adviser, said on Thursday that he does not believe the federal government should set a minimum wage.

"My view is a federal minimum wage is a terrible idea, and will damage, in particular, small businesses," Kudlow said a Washington Post even on Thursday.

The former Wall Street economist and CNBC host argued that variances between states makes the federal standard impractical and onerous.

"Idaho is different than New York. Alabama is different than Nebraska," Kudlow said. "That’s why the federal minimum wage doesn’t work for me."

The federal minimum wage is currently $7.25 an hour (which comes out to roughly $15,000 a year), where it has been since 2009, but the buying power of that wage has eroded over the past nine years. While 29 states have increased their minimum wage above the federal minimum, Democrats and labor groups have argued that the current minimum wage does not provide a living wage and should be increased to $15 an hour. 

Kudlow said at the event that he would oppose any deal to raise the federal minimum wage and said the best way to boost average worker pay was to cut corporate taxes.

The GOP did include a large corporate tax cut in the massive tax reform law passed in 2017. But while wage growth is continuing on the post-financial crisis upward trend, there has been little evidence that wages have suddenly jumped above that long-run growth trend due to the cut.

Kudlow also addressed a series of other topics ranging from the trade war to Social Security cuts. Here's a quick breakdown.

  • On the planned meeting between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping: In an earlier interview with CNBC, Kudlow weighed in on the US-China trade war situation. While there have been reports of additional tariffs, the adviser said "nothing is set in stone right now." In addition, Kudlow expressed hope for talks between Trump and Xi that are set to take place at the G20 meetings in Argentina this month. "It is possible some good positive things could — I say could — come out of President Trump-President Xi talks," he said.
  • On the GOP's desire to cut Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid: While Republicans leaders like Mitch McConnell have suggested that Congress should cut the large programs to wrangle the deficit, Kudlow said Trump had "no plans to touch the large entitlements."
  • On Trump's attacks on Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell: Kudlow said that Trump had "not yet" called Powell directly to direct his displeasure with the recent interest rate increases. Trump has leveled a series of attacks agains Powell and the Fed.

SEE ALSO: So far, it doesn't look like the GOP tax law has prompted the investment boom Republicans promised

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NOW WATCH: Here's what caffeine does to your body and brain

Rebel Wilson is doubling down on her claim that she's 'the first-ever plus-sized girl' to lead a rom-com even though Queen Latifah did it first

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rebel wilson

  • Rebel Wilson doubled-down on her claim that she's the first plus-sized woman to lead a romantic comedy.
  • She isn't. Queen Latifah, Mo'Nique, and Nikki Blonsky starred in romantic comedies more than a decade ago.
  • Wilson is being accused of dismissing Queen Latifah and Mo'Nique because they're black.

Rebel Wilson is being criticized for claiming she's the first plus-sized woman to lead a romantic comedy while promoting her Valentine's Day film "Isn't It Romantic" on "The Ellen Degeneres Show."

She isn't.

"I'm proud to be the first-ever plus-sized girl to be the star of a romantic comedy,"she told Ellen Thursday.

While it's great that a major studio like Warner Bros. is subverting norms when it comes to what kinds of women can star in its movies, Wilson is wrong. As many people pointed out on Twitter, Queen Latifah (2006's "Last Holiday" and 2010's "Just Wright"), Mo'Nique (2006's "Phat Girlz"), and Nikki Blonsky (2007's "Hairspray," a role originally played by Ricki Lake in the 198 version) all starred in romantic comedies before her.

When people pointed to their careers, Wilson doubled down. She said she was familiar with the other movies, but said it was debatable whether the actresses were plus-sized while making their movies, or that they didn't count because they weren't marketed as the sole lead.

Some critics weren't satisfied with that explanation. When it came to Queen Latifah and Mo'Nique, in particular, fans contended they weren't getting credit because they're black.

Wilson isn't even the first plus-sized woman to lead a major studio movie. Queen Latifah's "Last Holiday" was released by Paramount.

A representative for Wilson didn't immediately respond to INSIDER's request for comment.

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NOW WATCH: 'Game of Thrones' star Maisie Williams has left Arya Stark behind to help fight nepotism in the arts industries

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