• Kylian Mbappe and Neymar both scored and created a goal each in Paris Saint-Germain's dominant victory over Red Star Belgrade.
• The 4-1 win ensured PSG topped Group C in the UEFA Champions League, but will also help bury the wild rumours that they do not get along.
• Mbappe had even said before the game that he and Neymar are getting along "better and better."
• Read all of Business Insider's coverage for the 2018-2019 European soccer season right here.

Kylian Mbappe and Neymar ran rampant over Red Star Belgrade on Tuesday, burying wild rumours that they do not get along.

Mbappe, the 19-year-old wunderkind, and Neymar, the world record transfer fee holder, were at their devastating best as Paris Saint-Germain dominated in the UEFA Champions League, winning 4-1 on the night, and topping Group C in emphatic fashion.

By far the best players on the pitch, they began tormenting Red Star as early as the ninth minute when Mbappe used his extraordinary pace to release Edinson Cavani for the game's first goal.

Five minutes before half-time, Mbappe got his second assist of the night when he he received the ball in the middle of the pitch, took two touches, and sensed Neymar launching a lung-busting run down the left wing so played him in with an accurate ball. Neymar ran direct at the defence, cut across the penalty box and then casually lifted the ball over the goalkeeper to double PSG's lead. 2-0.

Read more: An 18-year-old soccer player's transfer value has risen over 800% in 3 months because he's playing like the 'new Neymar'

Angel di Maria and Marquinhos combined for the third in the 74th minute, before Neymar fed Mbappe with an incredible pass in the final minute, with the Frenchman sending the ball home to make it 4-1. Game over.

Mbappe and Neymar played so well, it will help squash the reports that they are not on the friendliest terms away from the pitch when the cameras are not rolling.

Mbappe had even attempted to bury the rumours before the Red Star game. "It is up to us to step it up and show that we can play better than what we have shown so far," he said earlier this week, according to Goal.com. "I am getting along better and better with Neymar."

Based on performances like Tuesday's, it may not matter what happens behind-closed-doors. Especially when they do their talking on the pitch.

SEE ALSO: An 18-year-old soccer player's transfer value has risen over 800% in 3 months because he's playing like the 'new Neymar'

DON'T MISS: Cristiano Ronaldo just challenged Lionel Messi to leave FC Barcelona and join him in Italy

UP NEXT: 2 moments of Messi magic guaranteed Barcelona victory, and proved he's finally dominating Ronaldo as the main man in Europe

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Why Harvard scientists think this interstellar object might be an alien spacecraft

• YouTuber Felix Kjellberg AKA PewDiePie lashed out at critics who condemned him for recommending a YouTube channel that posts anti-Semitic and misogynistic content.
• Kjellberg said he just liked the channel for its videos about anime.
• Regardless, he removed his recommendation from his previous video and said he'd be more careful in the future.
• Kjellberg himself has a history of anti-Semitic comments.

Felix Kjellberg — the enormously popular YouTuber known as PewDiePie — hit back at his critics on Tuesday after he was widely condemned for posting a video that told viewers to subscribe to an anti-Semitic YouTube channel.

Kjellberg said he wasn't familiar with the channel, which slips anti-Semitic and misogynistic commentary into videos about anime and movies.

"This is all you have?" Kjellberg said. "Anyone with the level-headed brain can tell that I don't know this guy. [It's] a shame campaign to smear my name."

Kjellberg is YouTube's biggest celebrity, known for making videos about gaming. He has 76 million subscribers, more than anyone else on the site, and is one of its top earners. 

In his video published Sunday, Kjellberg said his followers should subscribe to E;R (also known as "EsemicolonR"). E;R posts videos where he discusses anime and "Star Wars" movies alongside mocking political commentary.

Read more:29 moments that went viral and dominated the internet this year

E;R's videos often include anti-Semitic, sexist, and homophobic language, according to The Verge, and has been called"neo-Nazi propaganda" by critics. E;R has used footage of Heather Heyer's death at Charlottesville's "Unite the Right" rally to joke about death in anime shows. The account's subscribers jumped by more than 10,000 after Kjellberg suggested it to his followers. Kjellberg himself has made numerous remarks over his career that have been viewed as racist, anti-Semitic, and nationalist.

But in his new video, PewDiePie said he regretted promoting E;R, and said he wouldn't have done it if he was more familiar with the user's videos. He edited the previous video to remove the recommendation.

"I removed E;R from that video," he said. "If I knew then what I knew now, I wouldn't have put him in there... I'll be more careful in the future."

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Why Harvard scientists think this interstellar object might be an alien spacecraft

• Columbia University student Julian von Abele was filmed going on a racist rant on Sunday.
• He said Europeans "built the modern world" and "invented science and industry."
• Student groups condemned his remarks, and Columbia's Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards is reportedly investigating the incident.
• In an interview with The Daily Beast Tuesday, von Abele denied he was racist.

A Columbia University student's white supremacist rant went viral this weekend after it was posted to Twitter Sunday.

The student, identified by the Columbia Spectator as Julian von Abele, was filmed yelling about how Europeans "built the modern world" and "invented science and industry" to an audience of mostly people of color.

"We invented the modern world. We saved billions of people from starvation," he said. "We built modern civilization. The white people are the best thing to ever happen to the world."

Von Abele is a physics major set to graduate in 2021, according to ResearchGate. In 2015, he wrote a 218-page self-published book about "QCI Theory," which he invented and he says explains how parallel dimensions work. He is also a member of Facebook's "Official Flat Earth and Globe Discussion" group, although many members join it as a joke. Von Abele didn't immediately respond to INSIDER's request for comment. 

In an interview with The Daily Beast Tuesday, von Abele denounced racism.

"I am not a white supremacist or racist, nor do I subscribe to any views that support that ideology. I unequivocally denounce all groups that support racism," he said. "My reaction that evening grew out of my distaste for the overuse of the term 'white privilege' and similar divisive rhetoric as a means of dismissing views of others."

Von Abele's rant was widely condemned across campus after the video of him went viral on Twitter. He was denounced in a statement signed by three of Columbia University's deans and a number of campus organizations that represent students of color, according to the Columbia Spectator.

Students themselves also criticized von Abele on Twitter. Some students said the university is responsible for creating an environment they view as hostile to students who are minorities.

The incident is also being investigated by Columbia's Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards, according to the New York Post.

This post has been updated with von Abele's comments to The Daily Beast.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: The true story behind the name 'Black Friday' is much darker than you may have thought

The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase.

Everyone has a fitness goal whether it's to gain muscle, tone up their core, or increase their flexibility. No matter what goal they have for 2019, we've got a gift that'll help them get there. 

From ugly Christmas sweater-inspired sneakers to grippy pilates socks and even ready-to-blend smoothies, there are plenty of gift ideas that work within your budget and their fitness level. And if their fitness level is nonexistent, there's a boutique gym membership to get them started too.

Help them carry out their fitness goals for 2019 — or at least until the end of January — with these 22 picks.

Looking for more gift ideas? Check out all of Insider Picks' holiday gift guides for 2018 here.

SEE ALSO: All of Insider Picks' holiday gift guides, in one place

DON'T MISS: 32 last-minute gifts that are Amazon Prime-eligible and guaranteed to arrive in time

Grippy socks perfect for pilates, barre, or just walking around their apartment

Gaiam Grippy Yoga Socks, from $4.95, available at Amazon

These socks have durable grips along the bottom for stability during pilates or lounging around the apartment. No judgments here.

A membership for delicious ready-to-blend smoothies

Daily Harvest Subscription, $6.99-$7.99 per cup, available at Daily Harvest

If they're not switching up their diet along with their workout regimen, all that cardio and weightlifting might just be going to waste. Encourage them to eat healthier with a membership to Daily Harvest for delicious smoothies, harvest bowls, chia bowls, and more.

A cooling towel that'll feel so good after hot yoga

Frogg Toggs Chilly Pad Cooling Towel, $8.04, available at Amazon

This cooling towel will be so appreciated after a serious hot yoga or cardio class. They can just rinse the towel in cold water, wring it out, and it'll stay cool for hours.

• Trip Advisor ranks the best amusement parks based on visitor comments.
• Visitors have shared how to get the most for your money and what's great about each park.
• While Disneyland continues to be one of the most popular, other parks are also popular.

Love them or hate them, a day spent at a theme park almost guarantees a memorable outing. As such, TripAdvisor’s users have named their favorite amusement parks of their year.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, a few names dominate the list, but there are likely some parks on there that you've never heard of.

Universal Studios Japan in Osaka, Japan is themed after popular movies.

Modeled after Universal Studios' American locations, Universal Studios Japan in Osaka features rides and attractions themed after popular movies like Jurassic Park, Spider-Man, Jaws, Back to the Future and The Terminator.

Paultons Park in Romsey, United Kingdom has a good deal.

The only British theme park on the list, Paultons Park in Romsey, England is also known as the Home of Peppa Pig World. The park's best feature may be its two-for-one deal, which allows guests to return to the park for free the day after their first visit.

Leolandia in Capriate San Gervasio, Italy has unique attractions.

Just 20 minutes from fashion capital Milan, Leolandia in Capriate San Gervasio, Italy offers a variety of unique attractions. Along with roller coasters and rides, the park features an aquarium, a farm, and a Leonardo Da Vinci Museum.

Warning: There are mild spoilers ahead for "Aquaman."

Here we go again.

Warner Bros. is making another go around with its DC Comics characters. This time around, Aquaman gets his time center stage in a standalone origin story.

Taking place after the events of "Justice League," Arthur Curry/Aquaman finds himself tasked with begrudgingly heading to Atlantis to stop his half-brother Orm (Patrick Wilson) from declaring war upon the humans of Earth. Why? Because the people of Atlantis and beyond have essentially had it with wasteful humans polluting their waters. (When you watch the film, it seems rooted a bit more deeply in family conflict, but it's mostly centered around the pollution problem.)

Early buzz surrounding the film has been immensely positive and "Aquaman"debuted to $94 million in China.

Does it live up to the hype? Yes and no.

Director James Wan brings a fresh eye to the DC universe with some great and intense visual moments on screen, Jason Momoa is an excellent Aquaman, and the underwater sea world of Atlantis looks like something out of "Avatar." But there are some things that feel too cartoonish, some jokes don't quite land, and the film continues to make some mistakes of past Warner Bros.' DC entries.

For better or worse, the film is parts "Splash,""The Lion King,""National Treasure," and an original Wan horror flick.

At the least, it should be a crowd pleaser.

Why you should see it: Warner Bros.' top horror director and Jason Momoa's performance as the man of land and sea, Aquaman

If you don't recognize director James Wan by name, you definitely know his work. He's responsible for horror movies "Saw,""The Conjuring," and "Insidious." He also directed a little movie called "Furious 7," which grossed over $1 billion at theaters. Wan brings a fresh take to the action scenes in "Aquaman" and his flair for horror gets a nod late in the film as well. "Aquaman" may not be the best DCEU entry in the franchise, but there's no denying Wan knows how to make a popcorn flick.

The main reason to see "Aquaman" is for Jason Momoa (but more on him in a minute). What you may not realize is that Aquaman was turned into something of a joke for the longest time. A guy with the ability to speak with fish? He became the butt of a lot of jokes in comics, TV shows, and even the LEGO video games. Momoa has really turned around people's impressions of him to make Aquaman feel like a force to be reckoned with in the DC universe. 

Amber Heard, who plays Princess Mera, is also a standout and you'll get to see Willem Dafoe in a role that's a bit outside his usual default villain status. 

What's hot: Jason Momoa, Amber Heard's Mera, the ocean visuals, and Nicole Kidman 

Have you ever wanted to see "Avatar," but underwater? That's how it looks just about every time you're taken underwater in "Aquaman." The world of Atlantis is lit up in a gorgeous palette of soft blues, purples, and greens.

If you've visited Pandora at night in Disney's Animal Kingdom theme park, it feels just like that. It's not just the ocean scenes that look beautiful, there are just some very, very gorgeous scenes in this superhero movie. A favorite comes in the film's last leg when Momoa and Heard are swimming down in almost a sea of red light. There are major spoilers if I mention anything else. 

The main reason to see "Aquaman," though, is for Jason Momoa. This guy truly believes he's Aquaman and is a joy to watch on screen as he delivers one-liner after one liner. Not all of his jokes land, but you can tell Momoa is having a good time. If you miss Momoa on "Game of Thrones" and enjoyed his recent hosting stint in "SNL," this is for you. 

And if all of that doesn't intrigue you, the film has plenty of shirtless Aquaman scenes. 

Aquaman isn't the only standout character. Mera (Heard) should become a favorite as well. The actress was briefly introduced in "Justice League" in a pretty unforgettable moment, but she shines here. Mera has this really cool ability which lets her control water and it's a marvel to see each time it's executed onscreen.

Heard delivers a perfect balance to Momoa's big, burly but somewhat dimwitted (something he owns up to) Arthur Curry. She's graceful, intelligent, and is always thinking three steps ahead of Curry. Their budding relationship is a highlight of the movie.

If the DC extended universe has anything over Marvel's movies, it's the introduction of powerful, strong female characters ranging from Wonder Woman to Harley Quinn and now Mera. (Sure, we'll get Captain Marvel next year, but it's taken over 20 movies to get a standalone female movie in the MCU.) I think a lot of little girls are going to want a Mera doll. Grab one for the holidays ASAP. 

Nicole Kidman also surprisingly plays a larger role as Atlanna, Aquaman's mom and Queen of Atlantis. I also didn't know I needed Kidman kicking butt in my life, but here we are.

What else? There's a moment which comes near the film's end when Momoa and Heard find themselves in a dire predicament I won't spoil. Wan gets to flex and show off why he is one of the best in the horror genre right now. Aquaman and horror? That doesn't sound like it should work. It does.

What's not: Some jokes that miss their mark, a story that's just a bit too long, and falling into some of the pitfalls of previous DC movies.

"Aquaman" is a long, long movie at two hours and 22 minutes. It's slightly shorter than "Wonder Woman" but almost a half hour longer than "Justice League." A lot of that is because of the introduction of so many characters.

While a nice introduction to a DC villain, I think Black Manta didn't need to be in this movie as much as he was or maybe at all. The movie probably would've been a bit more grounded if it was solely focused on the strained family relationship between Aquaman and his half brother, something that earned Marvel a big win with "Black Panther" earlier this year because of the surprise relationship between the film's hero and antihero. 

For what it's worth, Wan finds an entertaining way to keep the story moving during its long runtime. Every time a scene felt like it was about to drag on too long or became too sentimental, an explosion happened. I'm not joking. I'm not sure if that was intentional, but I thought it was hilarious, in a good way. I counted it happening at least four times that I came to expect it at certain points and I was never let down.

That said, some of the stakes don't feel that high in Aquaman. Curry spends the majority of the movie searching for a trident to overtake his brother as king of Atlantis; however, posters and marketing for the movie have already indicated Curry is most likely winding up with this trident. This has been an ongoing trend with Warner Bros. spoiling its movies in marketing ahead of release. (We're looking at you, "Ocean's 8.")

There are also some tonal issues early in the film. The movie starts out feeling like 1984's "Splash" with Kidman's Atlanta washing ashore and being baffled by the human world before we meet Aquaman. The movie had tones of "The Lion King" as Curry was told he needed to return to Atlantis to take his place as king and "National Treasure" when he and Mera go on a hunt for a trident lost long ago. Most of it shockingly works, but a lot of the humor in the movie simply doesn't. 

"Aquaman" tries oh so very hard to be funny and many of the jokes fall flat. I saw this film with a crowded audience Monday morning at 10 a.m. and it wasn't only film critics in attendance from a scan of the room. There were no big laughs from the audience during the entire film. And it wasn't that they didn't like the film, there were a lot of claps at the film's end. The jokes just didn't seem to work here. Some of the them felt awkward and forced. 

The biggest mistake of "Aquaman" is that it falls into some of the pitfalls of previous DC films. Some of the movie and its characters just come off as too cartoonish. I know that sounds silly for a superhero movie, but Aquaman's half-brother Orm comes off like an over-the-top cartoonish version of a villain I'd see on a Saturday morning "Justice League" cartoon. It's fine to have these larger-than-life characters, but there's a way to make them feel grounded in reality. Nolan succeeded at that with the "Dark Knight" trilogy and "Aquaman" succeeds at that with Arthur Curry and so many other characters. Some of the sea characters just feel like they missed the mark. 

Like most DC movies, "Aquaman" also contains a huge fight sequence near the end and it feels somewhat unnecessary and clunky with where the rest of the film was at. Frankly, it felt pulled out of "Justice League." DC likes doing big, flashy CG action sequences, but they don't always feel earned. The one in "Aquaman" felt like it was simply added for the sake of doing a big action sequence.

Bottom line: If you're a fan of Jason Momoa or James Wan, see this.

You have to give some props to Momoa and Wan for being able to take one of the biggest jokes in the superhero world and making him feel like one of the most formidable heroes in the DC universe now. Watch out Batman. Go for Momoa's performance of Aquaman and stick around for some of the incredible shots and visuals. 

There are some bumps in the road and the film overstays its welcome a bit, but it contains a surprisingly relatable story about family if you don't always see eye to eye with your siblings. I teared up at one point for what it's worth near the end. 

Stick around for one post-credits scene and try to spot the secret Julie Andrews cameo in the film. 

Grade: B-

"Aquaman" is in theaters Friday, December 21 with early Amazon Prime screenings Saturday.

Watch a trailer below.

Visit INSIDER's homepage for more.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Here's how easy it is for the US president to launch a nuclear weapon

• The selfie is made up of 11 images.
• NASA's InSight lander touched down on Mars on November 26.
• NASA will determine where to place InSight's instruments over the next few weeks.

NASA's InSight lander has taken its first selfie on Mars.

The selfie, released on Tuesday and shown above, is made up of 11 images that were stitched together. The resulting photo shows InSight's solar panels and deck, along with the scientific instruments on top of the deck and the lander's weather sensor. 

InSight landed on Mars on November 26 after a nearly seven-month journey from Earth. Since then, scientists have gotten their first look at InSight's "workspace": a 14-by-7-foot area in front of the lander. The image scientists have of that workspace is also a mosaic, created out of 52 separate images.

The $830 million InSight mission to Mars is the first since thenuclear-powered Curiosity rover reached the red planet more than six years ago. But InSight is not made to roam around. Instead, NASA scientists are hoping to use the lander's tools to study Mars' internal structure and the history of the planet's formation. 

InSight is equipped with a seismometer that will listen for seismic movements on the red planet, which are known as Mars quakes. And a heat probe will dig down 16 feet to measure Mars' temperature and help scientists better understand the planet's geology. 

Over the next few weeks, scientists and engineers at NASA will determine where those instruments should go within the lander's workspace. Then, the lander's robotic arm will grab the heat probe and seismometer and carefully place them on the Martian surface. 

InSight was launched to Mars along with two briefcase-sized satellites collectively called Mars Cube One, which helped record and relay crucial landing data to NASA mission control. 

NASA chose to land InSight in a region of Mars called Elysium Planitia because the area is relatively free of boulders and craters.

"The near-absence of rocks, hills and holes means it'll be extremely safe for our instruments," Bruce Banerdt, InSight's principal investigator, said in a press release. "This might seem like a pretty plain piece of ground if it weren't on Mars, but we're glad to see that."

Elysium Planitia is located just north of the Martian equator, where the sun's rays remain strong throughout the year. That solar power is expected to allow InSight to operate on Mars for two Earth years using its solar panels. 

• Read more about NASA's InSight lander:
• NASA just dropped a solar-powered lander onto Mars — here's what InSight will do on the red planet
• Watch NASA scientists freak out after landing a probe on Mars for the first time in 6 years
• NASA can hear the 'haunting' sound of dust devils tearing across Mars with its new $830 million lander
• NASA’s InSight lander may not be as sexy as a Mars rover, but here’s why the mission matters for Earthlings

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: NASA sent an $850 million hammer to Mars and it could uncover clues to an outstanding mystery in our solar system

• Cowen Equity Research analyst John Blackledge called Amazon his "best idea for 2019." 
• Blackledge is bullish on all the major parts of the company's business.
• He think its advertising and cloud efforts will drive sales and cash flow.
• But he thinks even its older e-commerce business will give it a significant boost.

If you ask John Blackledge, a financial analyst at Cowen Equity Research, you can't find a better bet for next year than Amazon. 

The company has numerous opportunities ahead of it that could boost its revenue and swell its profits, including not just widely watched areas like its cloud-computing business, but also more obscure ones, such as its business-to-business marketplace, Blackledge said Tuesday in a new research report. What's more, its stock is significantly undervalued, he said; Blackledge's price target of $2,250 a share is 37% higher than Amazon's current price. 

"Amazon has multiple levers to drive further upside," Blackledge said in his report, in which he reiterated his "outperform" rating on the company's shares. He continued: "Amazon is our best idea for 2019."

Read this: Amazon has quietly taken a big and fast-growing stake in a $7 trillion market

Blackledge is bullish on Amazon's prospects pretty much across the board. The company's overall revenue should grow at compounded annual growth rate of about 17% over the next five years, he said. He expects its earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization— a widely watched measure among analysts that serves as a proxy for how much cash companies generate — to grow even faster, jumping 34% next year, 31% in 2020, and 25% on average over the next five years.

Amazon's advertising and cloud businesses are booming

Much of that growth will come from Amazon's nascent advertising business, he said. The company has collected a wealth of data on its consumers via its e-commerce site over the last 20-plus years. Other companies are eager to take advantage of that data to target Amazon's customers with ads, Blackledge said. 

Amazon's ad business is on track to generate about $9 billion in revenue this year, he said. But because of that demand, it will be pulling in about $43 billion in sales by 2023, he said. 

Even better for the company and its investors, it doesn't cost the company all that much to run ads, so as that business grows, so too will its cash flow and profits, he said.

The company will also benefit from Amazon Web Services, its cloud arm, Blackledge said. The growing number of companies moving their computing processes from their own data servers to cloud services such as AWS should continue to boost its sales, he said. AWS's revenue should grow by 31% on average over the next five years, he said. And because cloud services are generally less costly to operate than running an online store, Amazon's profits should boom as AWS becomes bigger, he said.

"AWS should enjoy years of secular tailwinds ... as further workloads migrate to the cloud," he said.

Don't underestimate the power of e-commerce

Many analysts have based their optimism about Amazon on AWS and its advertising business. But Blackledge has high hopes for its core e-commerce business too, even though the growth of that business has slowed of late. 

On the consumer side, the company is poised to take market share away from incumbents in the apparel, grocery, and consumables sectors, he said. Amazon should also benefit as more consumers sign up for its Prime membership service, which offers free shipping and other perks. The number of US households with Prime is now 60 million, up 9% from a year ago. By contrast, the US has some 126 million total households. 

About two-thirds of the US consumers who bought goods from Amazon in September were Prime members, and about 80% of Prime members buy goods from the site every month, according to Blackledge. What's more, they buy more frequently than non-members and purchase goods across more categories, he said. 

"The impact of Prime and path for further penetration are perhaps under-appreciated," he said. 

Amazon Business is becoming a big business

But the company has big e-commerce opportunities outside the US also, Blackledge said. Over the last five years, it opened up or made widely available its online store in India, Mexico, and Australia. The combined retail market in those countries is $1.8 trillion, giving the company plenty of room to generate new sales by taking share from traditional players. 

Meanwhile, Amazon's business-to-business marketplace — where companies and organizations buy parts and other supplies from corporate vendors — is already growing rapidly. Amazon Business is on pace to have some $10 billion of goods sold through it this year, up from just $1 billion two years ago. And Amazon is quickly expanding the service; it's now available in seven countries, including Germany, France, the UK, and the US. 

Amazon "is one of the few global companies capable of adding $100+ [billion] in addressable opportunity consistently by entering and scaling in massive domestic and/or [international] markets," Blackledge said.

• Read more about Amazon:
• The business school prof who predicted Amazon would buy Whole Foods now says an AWS spinoff is inevitable — and the standalone company could be worth $600B
• Amazon's ad sales are up 150% in just the last month — and it looks like it will be a happy holiday season for Google and Facebook, too
• The cloud-computing market is set to double to $116 billion by 2021 — these 3 charts show why that's probably good news only for Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and Alibaba
• Amazon's got its eyes set on yet another market — and one high-flying upstart should be worried

SEE ALSO: Amazon's cloud CEO just pooh-poohed employee concerns about selling its facial-recognition software to ICE and law enforcement

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Amazon wants to open 3,000 cashier-less grocery stores — and they'll have a major advantage over their competitors

• President Donald Trump told House Speaker-designate Nancy Pelosi that Mexico would pay for a wall along the US-Mexico border through the updated North American Free Trade Agreement.
• The deal does not include any provisions compelling Mexico to pay for a border wall.
• Trump also argued that increased economic growth from the agreement would pay for the wall, but Democrats pushed back on that idea.

President Donald Trump told House Speaker-designate Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer that Mexico would pay for his proposed wall along the border, but the president made a head-scratching claim about how that would happen.

According to sources with knowledge of private portions of Trump's contentious meeting with the Democratic leaders, Trump insisted that Mexico would eventually pay for the wall. He said that would happen via the newly updated North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), now named the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).

One person familiar with the meeting told Business Insider that the president said the USMCA will bring so much money into the US that it would be almost as if Mexico paid for the wall.

A Democratic aide told Business Insider that the idea, as put forth by Trump, has a lot of holes.

"The proposal doesn’t make sense, and it's unclear how it would work," the aide said.

In the public portion of the meeting, the president and the two Democratic leaders repeatedly clashed over the issue of funding the border wall as part of a package to keep the government open.

If Congress does not pass a funding bill by December 21, or if Trump does not sign it, the federal government will enter a partial shutdown.

The Democratic leaders were quick to push back on Trump's line of thinking. Pelosi later told Democrats at a meeting of the party's Steering and Policy Committee that she argued diverting money to fund a border wall would still mean Americans were losing out on the benefits, according to a person present for her remarks.

"I said, 'You're going to take the money we made from the trade agreement. Well that's an opportunity cost, Mr. President, for American workers and our economy that's supposed to benefit from that. They did not know you are passing a bill so that you could pay for a wall and say Mexico paid for it with our profits from our workers and our businesses and the rest,'" Pelosi said, according to the person.

Schumer also pushed back on the idea, arguing new money from a trade deal isn't the same thing as the Mexican government funding the construction of a wall. Studies have also shown that the USMCA is likely to do little to budge the US GDP needle.

The Democrats are correct that increased economic activity because of the trade deal would not be the same thing as Mexico directly allocating funds for the wall.

Pelosi also seemed to note that spending these revenues on a border wall, as opposed to some other government program, would represent an opportunity cost. The economic fallout from building a wall would likely outweigh the stimulus from its construction, according to the Brookings Institution.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Anthony Scaramucci claims Trump isn't a nationalist: 'He likes saying that because it irks these intellectual elitists'

• There are lots of snacks that are tasty but also aren't high in fat for you.
• These snacks are low in fat but will fill you up.
• Reach for these snacks the next time you are feeling the need for a snack break.

Of course, a snack can help satisfy your hunger quick, but if you are tired of relying on the office vending machine for a sweet treat, you'd probably love to know that there are plenty of snacks available which are healthy, filling, and are low in fat.

To bring these kinds of yummy snacks to your radar, we spoke to a handful of dietitians about all the fulfilling snacks that won't pack on excess fat. Below are some of the yummy and not to mention nutritious snack picks they recommend giving a shot.

Munch on some popcorn.

"Three cups of air-popped popcorn is only 100 calories and contains about 2.5 grams of fat," said registered dietitians Lyssie Lakatos, RDN, CDN, CFT and Tammy Lakatos Shames, RDN, CDN, CFT of the Nutrition Twins. It's a good source of fiber to help keep you feeling full, and it contains magnesium for muscle and bone strength, potassium, and antioxidants, they explained.

Add Greek yogurt to a lite whole grain toaster waffle.

"A lite whole grain toaster waffle topped with two tablespoons of nonfat Greek yogurt and some mandarin orange pieces is an easy way to get a fast and balanced snack," said registered dietitian Summer Yule, MS, RDN. The protein and fiber in this snack are filling without the fat, she added.

Eat two cups of diced watermelon.

"Two cups of diced watermelon offer a large volume for under 100 calories and (almost) zero fat," Yule explained. Other melons such as cantaloupe and honeydew also offer a large volume and no or low fat for the calories, she said.

The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase.

Fine jewelry — pieces made with high-quality materials like solid 14-karat gold or precious stones (or both) and a high-level of craftsmanship — costs a lot of money, understandably so when you consider the process. The high price tag on these products makes them reserved for special occasions, like the holidays. So, if there's someone in your life who you want to splurge on this season — be it your wife, mother, sister, or friend — a piece of jewelry is a thoughtful gift she'll be sure to appreciate. 

Whether you're looking to dazzle her with diamonds, go for more minimal metals, or pick a statement piece covered in stones, we've got you covered. There are plenty of fine jewelry pieces you can get for $1,000 or less this season, and she'll love to add any of them to her collection. 

Keep scrolling for 23 pieces of fine jewelry you can get her for $1,000 or less. 

Looking for more gift ideas? Check out all of Insider Picks' holiday gift guides for 2018 here.

SEE ALSO: 25 beautiful and affordable fine jewelry gifts she'll love — all under $500

DON'T MISS: 64 cool, unique gifts for her — for every budget

A delicate circle bracelet

Circle Bracelet, available at Vrai & Oro, $200

A delicate circle bracelet has a timeless appeal. Whether worn on its own or layered with others on her wrist, this will become an everyday essential. 

A unique black diamond ring

Maleficent Ring, available at Catbird, $364

Available in 14k yellow and rose gold

A direct contrast to Catbird's brighter Sleeping Beauty Ring, this ring has a darker, more mysterious look, but the black diamond set between two white ones is particularly striking. 

Earrings with a unique shape and stones

WWAKE Opal Circle Earrings, available at Nordstrom, $534

The sleek design of these 14k gold earrings is accentuated by the opal stones, which cast a beautiful glimmer in the light. 

• Citigroup announced its 2018 managing-director promotions last Friday.
• The MD distinction, the highest title at the firm, was earned by 125 employees.
• Business Insider got a hold of Citi president Jamie Forese's internal memo announcing the full list of names.

Citigroup is promoting a new class of 125 managing directors — the highest rank at the firm — in its Institutional Clients Group, effective January 1 of next year. 

Citi is promoting 40 workers in its banking unit, 55 in its sales and trading unit, and 30 more across other units, including its private bank, according to a memo from Citi president and Institutional Clients Group (ICG) CEO Jamie Forese viewed by Business Insider.

"A promotion to Managing Director is a career-defining accomplishment and each of these individuals makes a remarkable, differentiated contribution to Citi, embodying our Mission of Progress by working each day to Be the Best for Our Clients and embracing our Leadership Standards," Forese wrote in the memo, which was sent out internally last Friday and confirmed this week by a Citi spokeswoman. "I look forward to their continued leadership and contributions in the years ahead."

The 125 promotions in ICG is up from 120 last year.

How does that compare with competitors? Bank of America Merrill Lynch promoted nearly 140 employees to MD in late November. Morgan Stanley promoted 153 employees to MD in January— up from the 140 it promoted in 2017.

At Goldman Sachs, where MD is one rung below the prestigious role of partner and the classes are announced every two years, 509 employees were promoted to MD in 2017 and 69 were promoted to partnerin November.

Here are all the names in the 2018 Citigroup managing-director class:

Banking, Capital Markets, and Advisory

• Iman Abdel Khalek
• Ashwani Khubani
• Aaron Saperstein
• Alex Allegos
• Matt Kudla
• Millie Schild
• Jeff Ard
• Muhammad Laghari
• Steven Summers
• Narjess Aschi
• Mark Litz
• Matt Sutton
• Mohammed Baabde
• Kevin Lundquist
• Ali Syed
• Sarah Bayer
• Tim Michael
• JX Toh
• Nicolas Bendersky
• Pedro Palma
• Michael Tortora
• Ben Connolly
• William Pang
• Christopher Tubeileh
• Antonio Coutinho
• Frederico Pinto
• Arvind Vashistha
• Tom Cribb
• Javier Pollan
• Chercher Yang
• Richard Duffield
• Friederike Preuss
• Georgi Yordanov
• Robert Jahrling
• Eric Quanbeck
• Johnny Zhao
• Adi Jayaraman
• Nicolas Roca
• Mourad Jeddi
• Pedro Sanso

Markets and Securities Services

• Fatah Adour
• Ryota Kawai
• Thiago Silva
• Istiaq Ali
• Davy Kim
• Robert Smolen
• Olaf Auerbach
• Agam Kothari
• Robert Stewart
• Juan Bissone
• Mike Leffler
• Krishna Subrahmanian
• Michele Cancelli
• John Loizides
• Chris Suozzo
• Paul Cangro
• Matt Long
• Assad Syed
• Yi Hahn Chin
• Marino Lorza
• Vivian Tang
• Will Cobbett
• Ian Nissen
• Sabes Teofilo-Sanchez
• Nicolas Cons
• DH No
• Bobbie Theivakumaran
• James Conway
• Raul Orozco
• Gunsel Topbas
• Robert Crossley
• Vikram Rai
• Stephanie Van Den Boogaerde
• Julio DaGraca
• Ernesto Revilla
• Pete Verdult
• Tessen Fuerstner
• Sam Rich
• Ziska Wagiu
• Imene Ghanoudi
• Ted Rydesky
• Maggie Wang
• Mark Gleason
• Kevin Sarver
• Allison Weed
• Robert Grundy
• Scott Schundler
• Henry Yeh
• Ulrik Hesselballe
• Alexis Serero
• Judy Zhang
• Prodipto Hui
• Vikas Sharma
• Seok Jeong
• Mark Sherman

Private Bank

• Philip Brass
• James Heddle
• David Rabideau
• Tommy Campbell
• Chuck Leitzell
• Gretta Rusanow
• Sudhir Dhingra
• Jeffrey Locke
• Seamus Yin
• Andrea Galbiati
• Brad Pollard
• Isiah Zhang
• Louise Hartley
• Murali Potluri

• Julia Roberts has been in Hollywood for 30 years. 
• She's starred in some box office hits and some flops. 
• She's also appeared on TV and on Broadway. 

It quickly became clear that Julia Roberts wasn't simply an actress, but a movie star, soon after she began working in show business more than 30 years ago. Roberts has since appeared in at least 50 films, and just made the leap to television with a starring role on the new Amazon series "Homecoming."

After paying her dues in the late '80s, Roberts' career exploded when audiences fell for her in 1990's "Pretty Woman."

Now, her films are estimated to have grossed a total of $2.9 billion in ticket sales, which is part of the reason she made history as the first woman to earn a $20 million paycheck for a single movie.

Though Roberts has certainly participated in her share of flops and missteps, she's remained mostly in a league of her own when it comes to Hollywood success stories.

Here's how Julia Roberts a Hollywood superstar:

Julia Roberts grew up in a creative family and decided to pursue acting right after high school.

She moved from her home state of Georgia to New York City, following in the footsteps of her older siblings, Lisa and Eric, who were also actors.

''I had convinced myself that I had three choices: I could get married, I could go to college, or I could move to New York. Nobody was asking to get married and I didn't want to go away to school, so I moved," Roberts told the New York Times in 1990.

She quickly made a name for herself after landing her first roles in 1987.

Roberts made her professional debut as an actress playing a survivor of sexual assault on an episode of "Crime Story" in 1987. That same year, she also made her film debut in a blink-and-you'll-miss-it role in the  "Firehouse." She continued to land small parts throughout the late '80s, including an appearance on an episode of "Miami Vice" and a supporting role in the movie "Satisfaction."

Roberts earned critical praise for her performance in 1988's "Mystic Pizza."

Roberts played a waitress at a pizza shop alongside Lili Taylor and Annabeth Gish in the 1988 coming-of-age story "Mystic Pizza." Her performance caught the attention of critics, who foresaw stardom in her future.

"I have a feeling that 'Mystic Pizza' may someday become known for the movie stars it showcased back before they became stars. All of the young actors in this movie have genuine gifts," Roger Ebert wrote in his 1988 review. "Roberts is a major beauty with a fierce energy."

• Meng Wanzhou, the daughter of Chinese telecom equipment manufacturer Huawei's founder and its CFO, has been granted bail by a Canadian court.
• Meng will go into private custody as Canada awaits news of Michael Kovrig a former top diplomat, reportedly detained in China, Tuesday night.
• Meng's release was welcomed with applause in the British Colombian court, but her release on bail may not entirely remove the rot at the heart of deteriorating China-US relations.
• A judge in British Columbia has set bail at $7.4 million, according to the BBC.
• Meng, known as Sabrina, arrested by Canadian authorities at the behest of Washington following her alleged involvement in over five years of Iran sanction violations.
• While there is no official link connecting Kovrig's predicament with Meng's, China can lay claim to a rich history of tit-for-tat hostage diplomacy. 

Reuters reports that the Canadian court where Huawei's Sabrina Meng Wanzhou, was just granted bail erupted into spontaneous applause when the judge handed down his decision to release Meng into private custody.

On the third day of tense bail hearings in Vancouver, Meng, also known as Sabrina and previously as Cathy, was granted bail while she awaits a hearing for extradition to the US.

The news comes as Canada awaits to hear the fate of a former diplomat, reportedly taken in Beijing on Monday night.

Michael Kovrig of the International Crisis Group, was detained Monday "during one of his regular visits to the city," an anonymous source told Reuters.

Tears and hugs

Meng the chief financial officer of Chinese telecom company Huawei and the daughter of its founder Ren Zhengfei, has been at the center of a global maelstrom after she was arrested by Canadian authorities in Vancouver airport on December 1, infuriating Chinese netizens and roiling global financial markets.

Meng is staring down US fraud charges following her alleged involvement in over five years of Iran sanction violations. US prosecutors allege she used Skycom a subsidiary of Huawei to evade sanctions, and that she misled multinational banks about it.

Supreme Court Justice William Ehrcke in British Columbia set bail at $7.4 million (C$10m including C$7m in cash), the BBC reported.

SEE ALSO: Here's why its so hard to buy Huawei in the US

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Anthony Scaramucci claims Trump isn't a nationalist: 'He likes saying that because it irks these intellectual elitists'

• Most CEOs tend to choose their words carefully, fearing the consequences of saying anything that could be deemed controversial.
• But Elon Musk is not nearly as cautious, sometimes appearing to speak his mind and deal with the consequences later.
• The CEO of Tesla, SpaceX, and The Boring Company has inspired intense devotion and attracted controversy as a result of his public statements.
• How Musk handles himself in the future will determine, in part, how effective of a leader he is as his companies move from upstarts to established players in highly competitive industries.

Most CEOs tend to choose their words carefully, fearing the consequences of saying anything that could be deemed controversial. For better and for worse, Elon Musk is not nearly as cautious. 

The CEO of Tesla, SpaceX, and The Boring Company sometimes appears to prefer speaking his mind and dealing with the consequences later, like when he mocks his critics or opens up about his personal life. Musk's candor has endeared him to the fans and customers who find him more relatable than other famous executives, while also frustrating some analysts and investors who argue that he is temperamental and reckless. 

Read more: Elon Musk says Tesla vehicles will soon be able to drive without any human input

The intense devotion and criticism Musk has provoked with both public and private statements have contributed to his status as one of the most scrutinized figures in American culture. This year, Musk's remarks have more often tended to get himself in trouble, hurting Tesla's stock price, spurring investigations from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Department of Justice, and attracting lawsuits from investors. How Musk handles himself in the future will determine, in part, how effective of a leader he is as his companies move from upstarts to established players in highly competitive industries.

Below are 36 quotes that illustrate why Musk attracts so much attention.

SEE ALSO: Elon Musk says Tesla will 'retire' the board chairman title in 3 years

"Seems like an opportune moment to bring up the Fermi Paradox, aka 'where are the aliens?' Really odd that we see no sign of them."

In 2015, Musk said on Twitter that it was strange humans have yet to see evidence of aliens. He later said Egyptian pyramids were not evidence of aliens visiting Earth.

"Btw, please don't mention the pyramids. Stacking stone blocks is not evidence of an advanced civilization," he said. "The ancient Egyptians were amazing, but if aliens built the pyramids, they would've left behind a computer or something."

Source: Twitter

"If there was a way that I could not eat, so I could work more, I would not eat. I wish there was a way to get nutrients without sitting down for a meal."

In Ashlee Vance's 2015 biography of Musk,"Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future," Christie Nicholson, who met Musk in college, said Musk told her he wished he didn't have to eat so he could carve out more time for work.

Source: The Washington Post

"My mentality is that of a samurai. I would rather commit seppuku than fail."

This quote is also from Vance's book, though Musk has disputed it. According to Vance, Musk said this when speaking with an investor.

Source: The Washington Post

• CBS News has settled a lawsuit with three women who claimed former host Charlie Rose sexually harassed them.
• The case against CBS News was discontinued Friday, and the terms of the settlement are confidential.
• The lawsuit against Rose remains open.

CBS News has settled a lawsuit with three women who accused former CBS anchor Charlie Rose of "blatant and repeated sexual harassment" and "subsequent unlawful retaliation."

The suit against CBS News was discontinued Friday, and the terms of the settlement are confidential. The suit against Rose remains open. A CBS News spokesperson told Business Insider the matter was resolved and that the plaintiffs requested that the financial amount remain confidential.

The women who filed the suit — Katherine Brooks Harris, Sydney McNeal, and Yuqing "Chelsea" Wei — worked at CBS between 2016 and 2018. They filed a suit against CBS and Rose in May in the New York Supreme Court. The suit alleged harassment, including unwanted physical touching, that they said they experienced while in their professional jobs.

Rose "sexually touched Ms. McNeal, including placing his hands on her thigh and kissing her cheek,"the lawsuit alleged. It said Rose referred to Ms. Wei as "China Doll" and alleged Rose suggested that Harris and McNeal should have sex with each other. The suit alleged Rose threatened to fire the plaintiffs and "verbally abused them as part of his predatory behavior, sexual dominance over them, and retaliation against them."

The complaint also alleged CBS was aware of Rose's harassment but failed to take action and "allowed Mr. Rose and others to continue to engage in sexual harassment for decades."

Bob Bodian, an attorney for Rose, previously told news outlets that claims in the lawsuit were "without merit." Bodian did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: The inside story behind the Marvel movie you were never supposed to see

• Two Russian strategic bombers landed in Venezuela on Monday.
• Their arrival comes amid increased tensions between the US and Russia and a US-led pressure campaign on Venezuela.
• Russia remains one of Venezuela's most important allies, but there are limits to its support.

Two Russian Tu-160 nuclear-capable strategic bombers arrived in Venezuela on Monday, and their presence has already prompted dueling statements from Washington and Moscow.

The bombers landed at Maiquetia Airport outside Caracas after a 6,200-mile flight, the Russian Defense Ministry said. They were accompanied by an An-124 military transport plane and an Il-62 long-range aircraft.

The Defense Ministry said the journey took the bombers through the Arctic and Atlantic oceans, but the flight was "in strict compliance with international rules of the use of airspace."

Moscow didn't say if the bombers carried weapons, but they are capable of carrying conventional or nuclear-armed missiles with a range of 3,400 miles.

Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez has said the Russian aircraft would conduct joint flights with Venezuelan planes. Moscow hasn't said how long this trip would last, but it has already drawn a response from the US, which views Venezuela as its most significant foe in the region.

"Russia's government has sent bombers halfway around the world to Venezuela," Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Twitter. "The Russian and Venezuelan people should see this for what it is: two corrupt governments squandering public funds, and squelching liberty and freedom while their people suffer."

Read more: A former top national security official says Venezuela is one of Trump's top 3 priorities — alongside Iran and North Korea

The Pentagon also criticized the deployment, contrasting it with the US dispatching the hospital ship USNS Mercy, which treated tens of thousands of patients, many of them Venezuelans, on a tour of South America this year.

"As the Venezuelan government seeks Russian warplanes, the United States works alongside regional partners and international organizations to provide humanitarian aid to Venezuelans fleeing their crisis-racked nation," Pentagon spokesman Eric Pahon said Monday. "We maintain our unwavering commitment to humanity."

The Kremlin rebuked Pompeo, with Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov telling reporters that Pompeo's comments were "rather undiplomatic" and that Moscow "consider[s] this statement to be totally inappropriate."

He also chided the US for labeling the deployment as a waste of money. "It is not appropriate for a country half of whose defense expenditure would be enough to feed all of Africa's people to make such statements," Peskov said.

Read more: Trump is reportedly considering putting Venezuela on the state sponsors of terror list

Russia's Foreign Ministry also joined the fray. In a statement released Tuesday, the ministry said it acknowledged that "tweets" did not "bind anyone to anything in the US in general."

"However in this situation an official is involved, so this disregard of the rules of diplomatic ethics cannot be seen as a statement 'to dismiss,'" the ministry added. "What the secretary of state said is inadmissible, not to mention that it is absolutely unprofessional."

Good friends, but not best friends

Tu-160 bombers last visited in Venezuela in 2013 and 2008, the latter trip coming during heightened tensions over Russia's war with Georgia. Tensions between Washington and Moscow are again heightened, amid Russia's intervention in Ukraine and meddling in the 2016 US presidential election, but Moscow's ties to Caracas are longstanding.

"In the Chávez era, Russia was a major arms supplier to Venezuela, and Russia’s state-owned oil company, Rosneft, remains a major player in Venezuela’s collapsing oil sector," Benjamin Gedan, former South America director on the National Security Council and a fellow at The Wilson Center, said in an email.

"In recent years, as once prosperous Venezuela became an international panhandler, Russia renegotiated loans to postpone sovereign default," Gedan added.

Russia remains one of the most important international allies for the increasingly isolated regime of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, Gedan said, but that support is not as robust as it may appear.

Russia's own oil industry has faced headwinds, and its economy has been strained by sanctions imposed by the US and European Union after its 2014 annexation of Crimea. While Russian President Vladimir Putin remains broadly popular, backlash to a government plan to raise pension ages has dented his standing.

"Russia’s generosity is motivated in part by its desire to prop up a Latin American regime that is hostile to US interests," Gedan said. "That said, Moscow does not have the wherewithal to bail out Venezuela. Given the impacts of sanctions and relatively low oil prices, Russian support for Venezuela these days mostly involves purchases of oil assets priced to sell by the desperate Venezuelan government."

Read more: Millions of Venezuelans have fled their homes, and it's affecting the entire region — here's where they're going

Maduro returned from a three-day visit to Russia last week touting $6 billion in investments, including a $5 billion pledge for joint oil ventures and a Russian agreement to send 600,000 metric tons of wheat to Venezuela in 2019.

But officials in Russia questioned those deals, with one Rosneft official telling the Financial Times that the amount of new oil investments mentioned by Maduro sounded "suspiciously close" to the amount of the existing agreement.

SEE ALSO: The US Army is gearing up for a potential fight with Russia, and it just put a crucial defensive weapon back in Europe permanently

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: What it's like to live in Putin's Russia, according to an investigative reporter who lived there for 4 years

This story was delivered to Business Insider Intelligence "E-Commerce Briefing" subscribers hours before appearing on Business Insider. To be the first to know, please click here.

Retail store associates are frustrated about being overworked and unable to help customers as effectively as they'd like, with 55% saying they agree that their company is understaffed, according to a survey by Zebra Technologies.

Additionally, 42% of associates report that they have little time to help shoppers due to pressure to finish other tasks, and 28% said it’s hard for them to get information to help shoppers when they can’t find what they’re looking for.

Equipping store associates with technology may help address customer service issues. Eighty-three percent of retail decision makers and 74% of store associates believe that customers would have a better shopping experience if employees were equipped with technology — especially handheld mobile computers and barcode scanners.

This would give workers access to more information that could enable them to better aid shoppers — a big advantage, given that over a quarter of associates say there's no customer information available to them.

Retailers already seem to be realizing the importance of equipping their store associates with the tools they need to be more effective. Around 60% of retailers are planning to increase their spending on handheld mobile computers by more than 6% over the next three years, and 21% are planning on spending more than 10% on tablets.

Additionally, some companies are giving their employees the ability to carry out more functions from anywhere in the store. For example, both Walmart and Target recently introduced a mobile checkout feature that allows associates to check customers out from anywhere in a store. And Walmart even debuted a service that allows customers to place an online order through store employees, which they can then pay for in-store at a register using any payment method.

Going forward, more effective store employees could permanently streamline the in-store shopping experience. If customers can get better, more accurate help finding what they need, their visits will be more streamlined and efficient. This change may be further emphasized by new features like mobile checkout and ordering online from within a store, as these services may minimize the pressure on the checkout area, lowering wait times.

Since 34% of shoppers cited long checkout lines as the top reason to abandon the in-store shopping journey, according to Zebra Technologies data sent to Business Insider Intelligence, this could have a large impact on retailers' sales. Companies seem to be preparing for this evolution, as about half of retail decision makers (52%) are converting point-of-sale (POS) space into self-checkout, and 62% are transforming it for online order pickup space.

Subscribe to a Premium pass to Business Insider Intelligence and gain immediate access to:

	Content like this delivered straight to your inbox daily
	Access to 250+ expertly researched reports plus all future reports
	Forecasts of new and emerging technologies in your industry
	And more!

Learn More

SEE ALSO: Amazon is taking aggressive action to counter seller scams

Join the conversation about this story »

• At a New York charity event last week aimed at increasing the number of women and minorities in investment management, hedge fund manager David Abrams told attendees he doesn't know why more women are not in the industry. 
• Abrams said 43% of employees at $8.7 billion fund Abrams Capital are women, but his investment team skews heavily male. 
• "I don't have a silver bullet to fix" the gender disparity issue, Abrams said.

Investment teams at big hedge funds are overwhelmingly male, a well-known problem the industry has acknowledged for years.

The problem managers are now running into is that they do not know how to fix it — especially as, in their eyes, the industry is more than ready to accept women.

"Out-and-out prejudice" against women and minorities that used to be common is nearly nonexistent in finance and investment management, said David Abrams, managing partner of $8.7 billion Abrams Capital. Abrams was speaking in a rare public appearance at the Project Punch Card Value Investing Conference last week in New York aimed at boosting the number of women and minorities in the industry.

“I’m not totally sure what exactly is going on," Abrams said, in a comment reminiscent of those Pershing Square's Bill Ackman made in 2016 about not being able to find any female investors to hire. 

Abrams said he has seen a more equal gender split at business schools, and the two-year programs investment banks run that pull their ranks from fresh college graduates.

“Somehow the women are falling off after that," Abrams said. 

His firm is 43% female, Abrams said, and includes women in senior leadership positions, such as general counsel, but noted his investment team is more heavily skewed to men, though he declined to give the exact gender breakdown on the unit. Abrams said he had an opening five years ago on his investment team, and received roughly 50 to 60 resumes after hiring a search firm. But none of the resumes belonged to a woman.

Investing teams in the hedge fund space are notoriously low on women portfolio managers. A Wall Street Journal analysis of the industry from August found that just two of the 50 biggest funds were managed by women. A Money Management Institute report from 2017 found that women and minorities only run 1.1% of the entire asset management industry's money. 

Abrams acknowledged that he still hears "complete horses---" opinions from some in the industry, like "women aren't good risk takers," but believes most of that prejudice "has disappeared." 

The challenge many firms may be running into is that senior leaders at firms are often overwhelming white and male. This may make it hard for young, diverse candidates to see their career path, according to some top investors. 

Ariel Investments' CEO John Rogers, one of the most prominent black investors in the US, said his firm has been able to attract "dynamic young talent" precisely because the upper levels of his organization is diverse.  

“They see people that look them in our organization," he said at the conference. 

For his part, Abrams said he is driven to change the status quo and that he is open to "people telling me to do x, y and z to fix it."

He said he was recently at a wedding and spoke with a female portfolio manager about the gender disparity in investment teams.

“She said ‘well when you had 50 or 60 resumes, and you didn’t get any women, did you ask specifically for women's resumes?’ and I said ‘I didn’t, but next time I will.’ I thought I had done what I was supposed to be doing, and somehow I came up short," he said.

"I don't have a silver bullet for this issue." 

Join the conversation about this story »

• Brian Winchester testified against Denise Williams in a Florida court on Tuesday. 
• The pair are accused of plotting the murder of Mike Williams — Denise Williams' husband and Winchester's childhood best friend — so that they could be together.
• Winchester has confessed to police that he shot Mike Williams during a fishing trip in 2000.
• Denise Williams was arrested in May on charges of murder, conspiracy, and accessory after the fact.

A Florida man accused of killing his childhood best friend so he could be with the man's wife cried in court as he described the murder.

Brian Winchester testified on Tuesday against Denise Williams, who is on trial for allegedly plotting the death of her first husband, Mike Williams, The New York Post reported.

Williams disappeared on a boating trip to Lake Seminole in 2000, and Williams and Winchester are accused of plotting his murder by staging it as a boating accident and collecting his $1.75 million life insurance policy.

Mike Williams's body wasn't found for 17 years, and police initially thought he was eaten by alligators after falling off of a fishing boat, according to CBS News.

It was revealed years later that Mike Williams had died from a shotgun wound to the head and was buried by the lake north of Tallahassee.

Winchester confessed last year to killing Mike Williams and repeated the confession in court on Tuesday.

He said he first pushed his friend overboard in an attempt to drown him, but Mike was able to stay afloat by swimming to a stump in the lake.

"He started to yell and I didn't know how to get out of that situation," Winchester testified. "I had my gun in the boat, and so I loaded my gun and I just made one or two circles around and I ended up circling closer towards him and he was in the water, and as I passed by, I shot him."

Prosecutors allege that Denise Williams and Winchester were involved in a three-year affair at the time of Mike's death.

Winchester had known Mike Williams since middle school, but said he didn't fall for Denise until he and his first wife, Kathy, started going on double dates with the Williamses in Tallahassee. 

"We just connected like nobody else," he said of their relationship. "It snowballed really fast."

Denise and Winchester married in 2005, five years after Williams' death. They later divorced in 2016.

He broke down in tears as he described taking part in the search for Mike's body after he was reported missing.

"I think [my dad and I] were the last ones. My dad didn't want to give up," Winchester said. "He loved Mike."

Read more:A high-school-football player was arrested after the body of a pregnant 17-year-old cheerleader was found in a dumpster

Mike Williams's body was found last year after Winchester pleaded no contest to kidnapping Denise at gunpoint in 2016 and was sentenced to 20 years in prison.

Prosecutors offered him immunity from murder charges in Mike's case if he revealed information about the man's disappearance.

The details led to Denise Williams being arrested last May on charges of murder, conspiracy and accessory after the fact.

"Denise really didn't have to do a whole lot other than come up with an alibi for herself and make sure that Mike went," Winchester said in court on Tuesday, WCTV reported.

Williams faces life in prison if she's convicted. Her lawyers have denied Winchester's claim that Denise played a role in the murder plot.

"There is no tangible evidence or physical evidence tying Denise Williams to this crime," attorney Philip Padovano said. "All you will have to go on is the word of the man who actually committed the murder."

• Read more:
• 'He didn't give a flying flip': Shanann Watts' mother speaks about how emotionless her daughter's husband was when she was first reported missing
• Prosecutors say a woman in Utah snuck into her ex's apartment and then shot his new girlfriend dead in front of their 3-year-old twin sons
• Police arrested a husband over a 1982 cold case murder after a podcast brought it back to prominence
• A 300-pound woman pleaded guilty to crushing her 120-pound boyfriend to death with her own body weight

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: The reason some men can't grow full beards, according to a dermatologist