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people couple

Whether or not your relationship is struggling, almost everyone can benefit from a few relationship tips for a strong start in the new year.
INSIDER spoke to a relationship expert and discovered that bettering yourself on an individual level can actually have positive effects on your relationship.
Focusing on your own role is a vital step in bettering the relationship as well as decreasing the urgency for sameness and spending time together.

All relationships have their ups and downs, even the best ones, which means we could all probably benefit from a January-reboot. And though all couples are different, there are a few universal fundamentals that could make you and your partner's relationship even better.

In speaking to a relationship expert, INSIDER discovered that there are several ways to improve your relationship that not only benefit you as a couple but also you individually, which may come as a surprise.

Here are a few expert tips on how to strengthen your relationship in the new year.

Adopt a growth mindset.

It's important to adopt a growth mindset, according to Anthony Chambers, Ph.D., chief academic officer of The Family Institute and director of the Center for Applied Psychological and Family Studies at Northwestern University.

See your relationship as an opportunity for becoming a better version of yourself, Chambers told INSIDER. Often, the best learning about who we are occurs when we are with a romantic partner.

Don't focus on changing your partner — focus on yourself.

One of the most vital steps in improving your relationship is by focusing on your role as an individual, Chambers said. It's essential to concentrate on what you can do to change, not on what you can do to change your partner, he explained. Ultimately, the only person you have the ability to change is yourself.

"Think about how hard it is to change yourself. To think you are going to change another human being is likely not going to work," Chambers told INSIDER.

Spend time together.

In order to nurture the friendship, it's important to spend time together, according to Chambers. This is the foundation of the relationship, he added.

Couples who do things together become more bonded and in turn, learn to enjoy each other's company. When you have these shared experiences, it gives you something in common and that just feels good.

See the rest of the story at Business Insider

donald trump

Most economists agree that the government shutdown will weigh on US economic growth.
But according to one economist, if President Donald Trump follows through on his threat to keep the government closed for "months," the hit could be severe.
Pantheon Macroeconomics' Ian Shepherdson says if the shutdown lasts through March, then first quarter US GDP could be negative.
While the prediction is a worst-case scenario, it highlights the dangers of a long-term shutdown.

While the now record-breaking government shutdown is causing serious upheaval on Capitol Hill, economists say that the closure of large portions of the government is already weighing on the US economy.

But it could get even worse. According to one economist, if the shutdown lasts for "months"— as President Donald Trump threatened in a meeting with Democrats— the US economy could actually shrink in the first quarter of the year.

Ian Shepherdson, chief economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics, laid out a worst-case scenario based on the partial closure of the government lasting through the end of March.

While most economists predict that the shutdown will shave a bit off first quarter GDP due to lost wages to the 800,000 federal employees going without pay, Shepherdson pointed out the compounding effect on federal contractors and businesses that rely on the spending from federal employees.

"We have no way of estimating the impact on government contractors, or the second round effects when those businesses fail, or have to delay paying their employees, subcontractors, suppliers, and creditors, but it will not be trivial," Shepherdson said in a note to clients. "Accordingly, if the shutdown were to last through the whole quarter, we would look for an outright decline in first quarter GDP."

A negative GDP print for the first quarter would be a monumental fall and drastic surprise given that most economists expect a reading between 2.5% and 3.0%. But as Shepherdson argued, there is only so much slack that can be given to businesses and consumers hit by the shutdown.

"But firms and farms which go bust as a result of the shutdown can't be magically resurrected when it's over," the economists wrote. "Not every business owner will have lenders as accommodating as those which bailed out President Trump's failing enterprises."

Most research shows that for every week of a shutdown, 0.05 to 0.1 percentage points are taken off of that quarter's growth, meaning the shutdown has chopped off as much between 0.1 to 0.2 points from the first quarter. Given that research, JPMorgan economist Daniel Silver also lowered projections for first quarter GDP growth to 2% from 2.25%.

Silver also said the pain could pick up if Congress and Trump aren't able to come to an agreement soon.

"Thus far it is hard to convincingly detect a macro effect on private sector activity, though risks of spillover to the private sector increase the longer the shutdown lasts," Silver said.

Bank of America economists Joseph Song, Michelle Meyer, and Anna Zhou also reduced their outlook for growth in the first quarter due to the shutdown, but worried that additional downside could occur if uncertainty about government dysfunction starts to leak into consumer sentiment and American expectations.

"Additional drag could be felt if the shutdown generates uncertainty shocks in the economy leading to a decline in business and consumer sentiment and/or a decline in US equity markets," the BAML team wrote. "So far, the indirect impacts have been limited, but they will be become a greater drag on growth as the shutdown continues."

So in the event of a prolonged shutdown, the pain first hits federal employees and businesses that rely on a government program. Then the pain is spread to businesses, landlords, and employees of companies that rely on the people missing out on the government payments.

As that pain builds, Americans and businesses throughout the country get nervous about the dysfunction and missing money, ultimately producing a broader drag on the economy.

While Shepherdson's prediction is a worst-case scenario and such a terrible GDP number would also be an unprecedented economic bite from a government shutdown, the length of the shutdown is also unprecedented and as the economist said, the pain is already starting to build.

"Still, even if the shutdown is over by the end of the month, the hit to growth will be material, and it will hurt first quarter earnings, to say nothing of the costs and misery imposed on government employees, contractors and their families," Shepherdson concluded.

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Bernie Sanders

Sen. Bernie Sanders is reportedly set to meet with former female campaign staffers who've alleged they were sexually harassed and mistreated during his 2016 presidential campaign.
Sanders has claimed he didn't know about the harassment at the time.
The Vermont senator is mulling over running again in 2020 and has faced criticism for not addressing the allegations more forcefully.
Sanders last Thursday issued a formal apology to the women who've come forward.

Sen. Bernie Sanders is reportedly set to meet with former female campaign staffers who've alleged they were sexually harassed and faced gender discrimination along the campaign trail in 2016.

Sanders will meet with the women in Washington, DC, on Wednesday, and has paid for their travel to the nation's capital as well as their accommodation, BuzzFeed News reported.

The meeting will reportedly be facilitated by Jenny Yang and Pamela Coukos of Working IDEAL, a consultancy group that focuses on making workplaces more inclusive and diverse.

Sanders did not immediately respond to a request for comment from INSIDER.

As he mulls a potential 2020 run, Sanders has come under fire over reports female campaign staffers were harassed by male staff in 2016. He's claimed he knew nothing about the harassment at the time.

One of Sanders' top aides during the campaign, Robert Becker, now 50, has been accused of attempting to forcibly kiss a 20-something female staffer. Becker has been accused of misconduct by several other former campaign staffers as well.

Dozens of other former staffers have also made complaints about the mistreatment of female staffers and pay disparities between women and men on the campaign.

Some of the ex-staffers who've come forward with complaints said they were given virtually no support by a largely male-dominated staff when they attempted to address the alleged harassment during the campaign with senior aides.

Former Sanders campaign staffers and supporters recently sent the senator a letter stating they wanted to meet with him to discuss some of these issues in the near future as he considers another presidential run.

The Vermont senator last Thursday issued a formal apology to the women who've come forward in recent weeks. He also claimed he didn't know about a $30,000 settlement paid two former staffers who filed a federal discrimination lawsuit after being terminated by the campaign.

"To the women on my 2016 campaign who were harassed or mistreated, thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for speaking out. I apologize," Sanders tweeted. "We can't just talk about ending sexism and discrimination. It must be a reality in our daily lives. That was clearly not the case in 2016."

Sanders has faced criticism over some of his initial reactions to the reports of harassment and mistreatment.

During a CNN interview in early January, Sanders apologized "to any woman who felt that she was not treated appropriately" during the campaign. But he also drew ire from some for saying he didn't know about the harassment allegations because he was "a little bit busy running around the country trying to make the case."

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white dell xps 13 ces 2019

CES 2019, the biggest tech show of the year, was light on funky futuristic laptops that will likely never come to market.
What it did have were some great-looking laptops that are either already available for sale, or else will come out later this year.
Dell, Lenovo, HP, and Huawei all had strong outings this year, with new models that look great, offer great specs — and that are often cheaper than a comparable Mac from Apple.

CES 2019, the largest tech convention of the year, got me excited about laptops in 2019.

I didn't see any crazy concept laptops, with weird designs and funky features that are unlikely to make it to store shelves — unusual, because those are usually out in force at CES.

What I did see was a good range of perfectly reasonable and practical models that we're definitely going to see come to market in 2019. In a way, these "reasonable" new laptops are actually more exciting than the far-out concepts, mostly because they'll actually be available to buy at some point this year.

This year, there was a great showing by Lenovo, Dell, HP, and Huawei.

Check out our favorite laptops of CES 2019 that we can't wait to try:

Huawei MateBook 13

The latest MateBook 13 from Huawei sports a beautifully minimal design, great specs, and a pricetag that'll make anyone question Apple's $1,200 asking price for the new MacBook Air.

The $1,000 base model of the MateBook 13 comes with an 8th-generation Intel Core i5 processors, 8GB of RAM, 256GB of storage, a fingerprint scanner, and a sharp 13-inch 1440p display. Overall, those are very similar to — if not better than — the specs in the 2018 MacBook Air, but for $200 less.

The $1,200 MateBook 13 model comes with a power 8th-generation Intel Core i7 process, 8GB of RAM, 512GB of storage, a fingerprint scanner, as well as a sharp 13-inch 1440p display. Essentially, for the same price as the MacBook Air, you're getting a significantly more powerful processor, and more storage.

The MateBook 13 series also only come with USB-C ports, which isn't ideal. However, Huawei is including a USB-C adapter for more traditional USB ports, which is something that Apple expects you to buy separately.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 7th-generation

In several respects, Lenovo's 7th generation of its ThinkPad X1 Carbon laptop is just another great Lenovo laptop with that beautifully classic IBM-inspired design and fantastic keyboard. What makes this specific laptop special is just how lightweight it is. The new 7th-generation X1 Carbon weighs in at 2.4 pounds, which is 0.35 pounds lighter than the 2018 MacBook Air's 2.75 pounds.

Once available in June 2019, the 7th-gen ThinkPad X1 Carbon can be had with an 8th-generation Intel Core processor, up to 16GB of RAM, up to 2 terabytes of SSD storage, a 15-hour battery life (or so Lenovo claims), a fingerprint sensor, and all the ports that the MacBook Air should have but doesn't. That includes two regular USB 3.1 ports, two USB-C Thunderbolt 3 ports, and an HDMI port.

Lenovo estimates a starting price of $1,710, which seems on the high side, but we'll have to wait to see what kind of specs comes with the asking price when its fully released in June this year.

Frost White Dell XPS 13 9380

The new Dell XPS 13 comes in a new color scheme — white on the inside with a rose gold exterior. In this photo, it all looks pretty pink, but that's because of the lighting...trust me, it's white.

It looks absolutely stunning, and it makes a strong case for other laptop models to offer their wares in white, too. Dell also moved the camera from the bottom of the screen to the to top, which fixes the XPS series' webcam viewing angle that used to look up a user's nostrils.

As with other top laptops, the Dell XPS 13 is moving up to an 8th-generation Intel Core i7 processor, up to 16GB of RAM, various storage option, and up to a 4K display when it's available in February 2019 starting at $900.

See the rest of the story at Business Insider

waffie

Have trouble deciding where to eat? Pick one of the US's top 100 restaurants.
Most of Yelp's top 100 US restaurants are less than $30 per person.
90% of the picks are 5-star restaurants.

Finding a great place to eat can be tough unless you have some insight into the restaurant you can to try.

Luckily, Yelp has just released its top 100 restaurants for 2019 based on user reviews and volume of reviews. We rounded them up here.

Mariscos Jalisco in Pamona, California

This taco joint in Pamona, California is famous for its shrimp tacos. Best of all, this fresh fare will cost you $10 or less for a meal on average.

Guy's For Lunch in Roseville, California

What's not to love about soup, salad, and sandwiches? The portions are apparently huge — so you might want to order a half sandwich when you stop by or bring the rest home for later.

Everyday Thai in Springfield, Missouri

Everyday Thai offers delicious Thai cuisine in the Midwestern US. Spring rolls, Pad Thai, and papaya salad are all popular choices.

See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The government shutdown is now in its 24th day, setting the record for the longest of the modern era.
This is the 21st time the federal government has had a funding lapse since the modern budgeting process began.
Most of those times, the shutdown has been short and not involved employees being sent home, but that has changed in recent years.

President Donald Trump and Democratic leaders have yet to come to an agreement to reopen the government, pushing the government into a historic 24th day.

No shutdown ever lasted past the 21st day, with the 1995-1996 as the previous standard bearer. But the current, drawn out shutdown fight has eclipsed the record and shows no signs of ending.

The trouble started just before Christmas when Trump's sudden reversal on a bipartisan funding extension forced a sizeable portion — but not all — of the government into a partial shutdown.

This is 21st time since the modern budget process began with the Budget Act of 1974 that the federal government has entered a shutdown or had a funding lapse.

On average, the 20 previous shutdowns lasted eight days, though they have been longer in recent decades. The six shutdowns since 1990 have lasted nine days on average. And removing the short, nine-hour funding lapse caused by Sen. Rand Paul in February, recent shutdowns have averaged 11 days. The longest shutdown in history, lasting 21 days, came in 1995-1996.

Most of these shutdowns weren't severe, with 11 of the 20 lasting five days or fewer, and seven lasting three days or fewer.

Gov shutdowns by President 27 DAYS

The current shutdown also bears some major differences from the past because federal employees aren't working. Around 380,000 federal employees are now on furlough, meaning they do not report to work or get paid. In 11 of the previous shutdowns, employees were not placed on furlough.

Sending employees home has become more frequent in recent shutdowns, with furloughs occurring during five of the last six funding lapses (the only exception being the short Rand Paul lapse).

Another newer wrinkle is the fact that this is just the second shutdown during which employees were placed on furlough while one party controlled both chambers of Congress and the White House, which was the case for the beginning of the shutdown. The other instance was the three-day shutdown in January 2018.

Additionally, with the changeover to the 116th Congress, which has a Democrat-controlled House, this is the first shutdown in which control of a chamber of Congress changed parties during the funding lapse.

The current shutdown also means the president has set some historic firsts as well.

Trump is the only president to furlough employees while his party controlled both chambers of Congress, the only one to achieve that dubious feat multiple times, and is second in total shutdowns for a president whose party controls chambers of Congress. Jimmy Carter presided over five shutdowns while Democrats controlled both the House and Senate, none of which resulted in furloughs.

The latest shutdown also moved Trump into third place with three total funding lapses during his presidency, behind Carter's five and Ronald Reagan's eight. Trump also ranks fourth in totals shutdown days for modern presidents behind Carter's 67 days and the 28 day mark shared by Clinton and Reagan.

2018 also became just the second year of the modern era to have three funding lapses, tying 1977's record.

Here's a breakdown of all the previous shutdowns:

Gov shutdowns 23 DAYS

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NOW WATCH: MSNBC host Chris Hayes thinks President Trump's stance on China is 'not at all crazy'

swedish fish hearts

Swedish Fish has released heart-shaped candy for Valentine Day.
The candy appears to taste the same as the original Swedish Fish, although the heart-shaped version is smaller than the fish shapes.
The candy is available to purchase at Target, Walmart, and other retailers in 10-ounce bags and it's already been spotted in stores.

As pink and red decor and heart-shaped candy starting to take over store shelves, it looks like fans of Swedish Fish are going to have something extra to celebrate this Valentine's Day. Swedish Fish is releasing heart-shaped candy in honor of the holiday and it’s already available in select locations.

The new candy recently appeared on the Target website and it seems to have the same flavor and texture as the original Swedish fish, just in a different shape. For $2.69, you can purchase a 10-ounce bag of the candy, which offers nine servings of 11 pieces each, which comes out to 140 calories per serving.

They're similar to the original Swedish fish candies

Swedish Fish Wrapper Small Since the product is new, there aren’t many reviews out there, but it seems safe to assume that people who like the original Swedish Fish will also be fans of the heart-shaped version, which is slightly smaller than its fish-shaped counterpart.

These new shapes mean that Swedish Fish is joining the ranks of many other candies that go heart shaped for the holiday, including Starburst and Sweetarts. With one month left until Valentine’s Day, there are plenty of options for sweet gifts — and plenty of choices for those of us who just really, really love heart shaped snacks.

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

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NOW WATCH: China made an artificial star that's 6 times as hot as the sun, and it could be the future of energy

Special thanks to Dorchester Collection’s 45 Park Lane for providing interview footage: https://www.dorchestercollection.com/en/london/45-park-lane/

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Mark Zuckerberg leaves the EU Parliament

Facebook users are using Facebook less — but that's not necessarily the end of the world for the company.
An analyst argues that television's revenues increased for years after it hit peak viewership, suggesting a way forward for Facebook.
And the company also has Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger at its disposal — all of which could be considerably more monetized than they are now.

A key question confronting Facebook in 2019 is whether Facebook's nightmare year of scandals will have real consequences for its users' behavior.

There are already indications that people are using the 2.2 billion-member social network less than they used to — and there are fears among some observers and investors that usage could continue to dwindle over the coming months.

But even if that's the case, that's not necessarily any reason to worry, according to Rob Saunderson, an analyst at MKM Partners.

In a new research note for clients on Monday, Saunderson argued that Facebook can continue to grow its revenues even if it can't convince users to spend more time on the social network, and points to television as a historical example of this.

"While we think ad 'engagements' on television maxed out earlier, pay-TV subs in the US peaked in 2010," he wrote. "We think it's conservative to say that television advertising revenue has continued to grow for at least six years past the peak in engagement."

Adding to this, Facebook the company isn't just Facebook the app. It has a plethora of other social apps — namely Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp — that are largely free of the reputational issues plaguing Facebook's core product. Even as Facebook dwindles, these other services are likely picking up the slack, Saunderson reckons.

"Cumulative engagement across the family of apps remains very healthy and much of the reported engagement decline on Facebook is likely fuelling engagement growth on other [Facebook] properties," the analyst wrote.

In other words: The television industry's continued good health even after viewership started to go into reverse shows that a drop in engagement isn't necessarily the end of the world for Facebook — and the company also has a bevvy of other lucrative properties to support it. Some of these, like WhatsApp, are extremely early in their path to monetization, and are likely to see significant revenue growths for years to come.

Facebook doesn't break out data on how much time people are spending on the social network on a regular basis. Third-party estimates abound, many of which paint a negative picture for Facebook — one from Pivotal published in late 2018 estimate a 7% decline year-on-year. But they're ultimately estimates and educated guesswork, and Saunderson is largely skeptical of all these figures: "There is no reliable data on total engagement or time spent metrics in our view," he wrote.

"[Facebook's] management did say that the 5% reduction in time spent in Q4’17 was 50mn hours per day of engagement, suggesting more than 90bn hours of total engagement for the quarter."

MKM Partners remains highly bullish on Facebook's prospects, and has set a 12-month price target of $190 — far above the level it's currently trading, around $146. Of course, even this bullish target remains below Facebook's 52-week high of $218.62.

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NOW WATCH: We tested out $30 tiny spy cameras from Amazon by spying on our co-workers

The federal government is in the record-shattering 24th day of a partial government shutdown.
Social Security and disability checks will still go out for the duration of the shutdown.
In contrast to previous shutdowns, no Social Security Administration employees will be placed on furlough and all services will remain open.

The federal government is now in the 24th day of a partial federal shutdown, as President Donald Trump and congressional leaders have still not been able to come to a deal to reopen the government.

While parts of the government are still funded, nine of the 15 federal agencies are affected by the shutdown and problems are beginning to pile up. Roughly 800,000 federal employees are also going without pay during the shutdown.

But while the problems caused by the shutdown are significant, essential services, such as public safety operations and Medicare payments have continued.

Additionally, the shutdown should have little effect on Social Security checks. According to the Social Security Administration's shutdown contingency plan, most core programs and benefits would continue in the event of a shutdown.

"Funding for the programs under Titles II, XVI, and XVIII of the Social Security Act will continue, even in the event of a lapse in appropriations," the plan says.

A shutdown only affects funds annually appropriated by Congress, not funding that is sustained long-term. The Social Security trust fund is paid for through a combination of taxes and long-term investments.

Other core functions like disability claims or appeals over benefits would continue to function.

For the military and veterans, VA disability payments, Survivor Benefits Plan payments, and retiree payments would all be made because those funds also come from non-annual appropriations. Additionally, the VA was included in the departments that were funded in September, so no services offered by the agency are affected.

While previous shutdowns have led to the furlough of Social Security employees and some services, a full-year funding agreement for the Social Security Administration was reached in September so the agency is not affected this time around.

Congressional leaders are scheduled to meet with Trump on Wednesday to try and hash out a deal to end the shutdown, but so far there is little progress towards a deal to reopen the government. The shutdown is now the second-longest in the modern budgeting era.

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NOW WATCH: MSNBC host Chris Hayes thinks President Trump's stance on China is 'not at all crazy'

Putin submarine

Russian media appeared to threaten Europe and the world by saying that a new nuclear torpedo could create towering tsunami waves and destroy vast swaths of the Earth's population.
A Russian professor told a Russian paper that the new torpedo could create 1,300-1,600 foot high waves and wipe out all life nearly 1,000 miles inland with a purported 200 megaton nuclear warhead.
The US has no defenses against such a weapon.
Russia and its media often overstate the capability and meaning of their nuclear weapons, but Russia really did build this new nuclear weapon, which suggests they take the hype seriously.

Russian media appeared to threaten Europe and the world with an article in MK.ru saying that a new nuclear torpedo could create towering tsunami waves and destroy vast swaths of the earth's population.

Russia's "Poseidon" nuclear torpedo, which leaked in 2015 before being confirmed by Russian President Vladimir Putin in March 2018, represents a different kind of nuclear weapon.

The US and Russia have, since the end of World War II, fought to match and exceed each other in a nuclear arms race that resulted in both countries commanding fleets of nuclear bombers, submarines, and silos of intercontinental missiles all scattered across each country.

But Russia's Poseidon takes a different course.

"Russia will soon deploy an underwater nuclear-powered drone which will make the whole multi-billion dollar system of US missile defense useless," MK.ru said, according to a BBC translation, making reference to the missile shield the US is building over Europe.

"An explosion of the drone's nuclear warhead will create a wave of between 400-500 (1,300-16,00 feet) meters high, capable of washing away all living things 1,500 (932) kilometers inland," the paper continues.

Previously, scientists told Business Insider that Russia's Poseidon nuke could potentially create tsunami-sized waves, but pegged the estimate at only 100 meter (330 feet) high waves.

While all nuclear weapons pose a tremendous threat to human life on Earth due to their ouright destructive power and ability to spread harmful radiation, the Poseidon has unique world-ending qualities.

What makes Poseidon more horrific than regular nukes

minuteman iii 3 icbm nuclear missile us dod

The US designed its nuclear weapons to detonate in the air above a target, providing downwards pressure. The US's nuclear weapons today have mainly been designed to fire on and destroy Russian nuclear weapons that sit in their silos, rather than to target cities and end human life.

But detonating the bomb in an ocean not only could cause tsunami waves that would indiscriminately savage an entire continent, but it would also increase the radioactive fallout.

Russia's Poseidon missile is rumored to have a coating of cobalt metal, which Stephen Schwartz, an expert on nuclear history, says would "vaporize, condense, and then fall back to earth tens, hundreds, or thousands of miles from the site of the explosion."

Potentially, the weapon would render thousands of square miles of Earth's surface unlivable for decades.

"It's an insane weapon in the sense that it's probably as indiscriminate and lethal as you can make a nuclear weapon," Hans Kristensen, the director of the Nuclear Information Project at the Federation of American Scientists, told Business Insider.

Can Russia take over the world with this weapon? No.

Russian status 6 nuclear torpedo dirty bomb

MK.ru quoted a professor as saying the Poseidon will make Russia a "world dictator," and that it could be used to threaten Europe.

"If Europe will behave badly, just send a mini-nuclear powered submarine there with a 200 megaton bomb on board, put it in the southern part of the North Sea, and 'let rip' when we need to. What will be left of Europe?" the professor asked.

While the Russian professor may overstate the importance of the Poseidon, as Russia already has the nuclear firepower to destroy much of the world and still struggles to achieve its foreign policy goals, the paper correctly states that the US has no countermeasures in place against the new weapon.

US missile defenses against ballistic missiles only have enough interceptors on hand to defend against a small salvo of weapons from a small nuclear power like North Korea or Iran. Also, they must be fired in ballistic trajectories.

But the US has nuclear weapons of its own which would survive Russia's attack. Even if Russia somehow managed to make the whole continent of Europe or North America go dark, submarines on deterrence patrols would return fire and pound Russia from secret locations at the bottom of the ocean.

Russia's media, and especially MK.ru, often engage in hyperbole which overstates the country's nuclear capabilities and willingness to fight.

But with the Poseidon missile, which appears custom-built to end life on Earth, Russia has shown it actually does favor spectacularly dangerous nuclear weapons as a means of trying to bully other countries.

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NOW WATCH: The US Air Force refuels combat jets in midair with a 'flying boom system' — watch it in action

trader

Stocks fell Monday after China posted dismal trade data.
The results underscored expectations for global economic growth to slow.
Watch stocks trade in real time here.

Wall Street ended lower Monday as dismal economic data out in Beijing raised concerns that China’s economy could slow more than previously thought, adding to risk-off sentiment amid a global trade war and Washington’s longest government shutdown on record.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed down about 90 points, or 0.38%. The S&P 500 shed 0.54%, and the Nasdaq Composite was 0.94% lower.

The Chinese government said early Monday that China’s exports fell by the most in two years in December, shedding 4.4% from a year earlier, while imports fell 7.6% in their largest drop since 2016.

With a slew of companies around the world recently warning of weakening Chinese demand, the figures underscored expectations for tariffs to add to a policy-engineered slowdown in the second largest economy.

China’s trade surplus with the US widened to a record high in 2018, according to Monday’s General Administration of Customs data, a development that could complicate trade negotiations as the two countries race to reach a deal before a March 1 deadline.

Shares of Apple, which recently warned that a slowing Chinese economy would hurt its sales, dropped 1.5% early Monday. Chipmakers, whose sales are highly-exposed to China, were also lower.

Citigroup posted earnings that fell short of analyst expectations, reporting a surprise drop in revenue in the fourth quarter. Other major banks will help kick off earnings season this week, with analysts expecting an increased focus on results.

“With earnings season kicking off its bound to get interesting—Good earnings could be just what the doctor ordered to let it power through,” said Chris Larkin, senior vice president at E-trade. “On the flip side, bad earnings would do the opposite, and signs aren’t exactly encouraging given the revised guidance we’ve seen lately.”

Concerns about a slowdown are also increasing in the US as a partial shutdown of the federal government continues into its fourth week, officially the longest on record. It is expected to start to chip away at the largest economy, with economists dimming their outlooks for figures like monthly employment and quarterly gross domestic product.

“Even a one-month shutdown would seriously hit growth, to say nothing of the misery caused,” said Ian Sheperdson, chief economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics.

On the commodities front, worries about weakening global demand dragged oil further into a bear market early Monday. Prices shed more than 2%, with West Texas Intermediate trading around $50.68 per barrel and Brent just above $59.

Treasury yields pared losses, and the dollar was mostly flat against a basket of peers.

Now Read:

The market is flashing a scary new parallel to the financial crisis that should have everyone worried

SoftBank spent $900 million in investment banking fees in 2018. The only entity it lagged — the People's Republic of China.

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NOW WATCH: The equity chief at $6.3 trillion BlackRock weighs in on the trade war, a possible recession, and offers her best investing advice for a tricky 2019 landscape

This is a preview of a research report from Business Insider Intelligence, Business Insider's premium research service. This report is exclusively available to enterprise subscribers. To learn more about getting access to this report, email Senior Account Executive Chris Roth at croth@businessinsider.com, or check to see if your company already has access.

New data shows that mobile features have become a key factor that customers weigh when choosing a bank.

Screen Shot 2018 11 30 at 4.34.28 PM In Business Insider Intelligence's second annual Mobile Banking Competitive Edge study, 64% of mobile banking users said that they would research a bank's mobile banking capabilities before opening an account with them. And 61% said that they would switch banks if their bank offered a poor mobile banking experience.

For channel strategists, the challenge in attracting mobile-minded customers is knowing when to bet budgets and political capital on developing emerging features. It's complicated by most flashy features — such as voice assistants, smartwatch banking, and bank-offered mobile wallets — being deemed a "must" by analysts, media, and rival banking executives.

4by3cat The Mobile Banking Competitive Edge Report uses data to inform channel investment decisions by highlighting which mobile banking features are most valuable to customers. Our study has data on consumer demand for 33 in-demand mobile capabilities across six key categories.

Using that consumer data, the study benchmarks the largest 20 banks and credit unions in the US by whether they offer the cutting-edge mobile features that customers say they care about most. What sets our benchmark apart is that it weights every feature according to customer demand data — not subjective analyst opinion.

Channel strategists within financial institutions use our report to see which innovative features they should prioritize in development pipelines and to find out how they compare with rival banks and credit unions in offering those features.

Business Insider Intelligence fielded the Mobile Banking Competitive Edge Study to members of its proprietary panel in August 2018, reaching over 1,200 US consumers — primarily handpicked digital professionals and early-adopters, making our sample a sensitive indicator of emerging features.

Here are a few key takeaways from the report:

Citi snagged first overall. The bank led the account access section, tied for first in account management, and ranked highly in all the other categories of the study. Wells Fargo took second place, leading in security and control and transfers. USAA came in third, NFCU was fourth, and Bank of America rounded out the top five.
Demand for security features is sizzling. Following a year of huge breaches being announced at companies like Facebook and Google, consumers' security concerns jumped to become the most important category. The category included the No. 1 feature overall: the ability to turn a payment card on or off.
Digital money management features are also highly demanded. Chase and Wells Fargo may be onto something with their millennial-focused banking apps, Finn and Greenhouse, as the generation had sky-high demand for the six features in the category. The most popular feature in the category was the ability to separate recurring payments, such as Netflix and gym memberships.

In full, the report:

Shows how 33 mobile features stack up according to how valuable customers say they are.
Ranks the top 20 US banks and credit unions on whether they offer each of those features.
Analyzes how demographics effect demand for different mobile features.
Provides strategies for banks to best attract and retain customers with mobile features.
Contains 63 pages and 30 figures.

The full report is available to Business Insider Intelligence enterprise clients. To learn more about this report, email Senior Account Executive Chris Roth (croth@businessinsider.com).

Business Insider Intelligence's Mobile Banking Competitive Edge study includes: Ally, Bank of America, BB&T, BBVA Compass, BMO Harris, Capital One, Chase, Citibank, Fifth Third, HSBC, KeyBank, Navy Federal Credit Union, PNC, Regions, SunTrust, TD, Union Bank, US Bank, USAA, and Wells Fargo.

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split james mcavoy characters

"Glass" is a sequel to "Unbreakable" and "Split" out Friday, January 18.
James McAvoy will reprise his character of Kevin Wendell Crumb in "Glass" who has 24 different personalities.
While we never see him play all two dozen characters, McAvoy seamlessly transitions between several different identities in the 2017 film.
If you don't have time to rewatch "Split," INSIDER rounded up the 24 different identities of McAvoy's character ranging from a nine-year-old boy Hedwig to a polite, but calculating older woman named Ms. Patricia.

"Glass" is in theaters Friday and M. Night Shyamalan's latest movie will reunite Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson's characters from his 2000 film, "Unbreakable." It will also introduce both of them to James McAvoy's Kevin Wendell Crumb from "Split."

McAvoy's performance became a standout of 2017 for playing a young man with dissociative identity disorder who has 24 different personalities. Though he never plays all two dozen characters in "Split," we do see him effortlessly transition between eight significant roles.

Audiences learn the names of all the other identities Crumb can take on near the end of "Split" via a computer found in his lair beneath the Philadelphia Zoo. Collectively, they're known as the Horde.

computer split

"Glass" will introduce viewers to several more of the characters, though all of their names are never spoken aloud. If you don't have time to revisit "Split" before "Glass" comes to theaters, INSIDER rounded up the two dozen identities associated with Kevin Wendell Crumb that you should know before seeing the new movie.

1. Kevin Wendell Crumb

kevin wendell crumb glass james mcavoy

Kevin is the main character James McAvoy plays who has dissociative identity disorder.

Through flashbacks in "Split," we learn Kevin's mother was abusive and suffered from obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). After Kevin's father mysteriously disappeared on a train one day, the young boy grew up suffering from abuse at the hands of his mother which caused Kevin to retreat into other personalities to protect him. We will see Kevin again in "Glass."

When Kevin appears in "Split," he has no recollection of what has happened while his other personalities have emerged.

2. Barry S.

barry james mcavoy split

In "Split," Barry regularly visits a therapist, Dr. Fletcher, to keep the Horde in check. For a long time he was the identity in charge of which personalities could come out and take control of Kevin's body until he was overtaken by several others. Barry also has a deep understanding of fashion and design. We see him carry around a portfolio of sketches.

Throughout the movie, he tries to send emergency emails to Dr. Fletcher to warn her about other, dangerous personalities taking control.

3. Dennis

split james mcavoy

Dennis is the first of Kevin's other identities we're introduced to in "Split." At the start of the film, he kidnaps three teenage girls and asks one to dance for him. As the movie progresses, we learn he likes to watch young girls dance naked and, for that reason, the others try to keep him from emerging.

Similar to Kevin's mother, Dennis has OCD and is obsessed with cleanliness. According to Dr. Fletcher's files briefly seen in "Split," Dennis is one of two caretakers of the group. The other is Patricia.

4. Ms. Patricia

ms patricia glass james mcavoy

Ms. Patricia is an orderly, older woman who tries to keep the other personalities in check. For the most part, she’s a calm and polite motherly figure, but her perfectionism causes her to be considered unstable. This is best seen when Patricia gets upset after cutting a sandwich unevenly and needing to start over.

For that reason, Ms. Patricia was banned from controlling Kevin until she and Dennis overthrew Barry. Patricia will appear again in "Glass," as seen in the photo above.

5. Hedwig

james mcavoy split

The naive, nine-year-old child who can take control of Kevin's body whenever he wants. Hedwig befriends Casey while she's captured by Dennis in "Split" and he divulges that he's a big Kanye West fan along with a dancer. He often repeats several things over, including the fact that he has red socks.

Most noticeable about Hedwig is that he speaks with a lisp. Expect to see more of him in "Glass."

6. Jade

jade split james mcavoy

Jade is one of several identities we see appear on video logs. We're not given an age for the character, but she acts like a teen. (Her vlog is labeled with a heart next to her name.) Jade says she has diabetes and takes insulin shots to manage it.

7. Orwell

orwell james mcavoy split

Orwell is also one of the characters who appears on a video log before speaking briefly to Casey. He appears to be a historian, and is not in favor of unleashing the Beast.

8. The Beast

the beast glass james mcavoy

Kevin's 24th personality first shows itself near the end of "Split" after Dennis leaves flowers for Kevin's father at a train station terminal. The Horde transforms into what they refer to as the Beast. He appears more physically built than Kevin and has the ability to climb walls, run quickly, and, near the film's end he bends steel bars. He also kills and eats two of the girls he kidnaps in "Split."

A police report at the end of the movie claimed the beast's identity was a blend of animals from the Philadelphia zoo where Kevin worked. In "Glass," Elijah Price (Samuel L. Jackson) wants to team up with the Beast.

9. Mary Reynolds

mary reynolds james mcavoy glass

This newer personality is seen in a trailer for "Glass" as he's on a bed.

10. Heinrich

Though never seen, it's mentioned that Heinrich is among the personalities who's worried about the Horde.

11. Samuel

Samuel is never seen, but it's mentioned briefly in "Split" that he's also concerned about the Horde.

The remaining identities remain to be seen on screen.

Some of the below will appear on screen in "Glass":

12. Norma

13. Goddard

14. Bernice

15. Polly

16. Luke

17. Rakel

18. Felida

19. Ansel

20. Jalin

21. Kat

22.. B.T

23. Ian

24. Mr. Pritchard

Visit INSIDER's homepage for more.

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Wingstop 10

Wingstop CEO Charlie Morrison said that the chain is cutting sides from its menu and investing in tech such as ordering kiosks to cut labor costs.
In late 2018, Wingstop swapped out potato salad, coleslaw, and baked beans for loaded fries and fried corn, which take workers less time to prepare.
Many fast-food chains are increasingly turning to technology such as ordering kiosks to cut the number of workers needed as wages rise and unemployment rates hit record lows.

ORLANDO, Florida — As wages rise and unemployment drops, chains are increasingly turning to technology to save money.

At the ICR Conference in Orlando, Florida, on Monday, Wingstop CEO Charlie Morrison discussed how the company is keeping labor costs low

"In 2018, one of the simple decisions that we made that proved very effective for us was the elimination of our three core side menu items, which had been with the brand a very long time," Morrison said.

Wingstop replaced potato salad, coleslaw, and baked beans with two new loaded fries (the chain now serves cheese fries, Buffalo ranch fries, and Louisiana voodoo fries) and Cajun fried corn. The combined sales of the new menu items are four times that of the discontinued sides, according to the chain. Additionally, the change reduces time spent during meal preparation by roughly five hours in each restaurant.

Wingstop is also looking to replace workers with ordering kiosks and lockers where customers can pick up orders to cut labor costs.

"Because our business is 75% carryout, our customers prefer to come in, skip that line, get their food, and get out," Morrison said.

Morrison says the company plans to test more ways to use tech to cut costs, streamline customers' experience, and cut wait times in 2019.

Wingstop is far from alone in trying to cut labor costs through technology. As unemployment rates hit 48-year lows, it is increasingly difficult to find enough workers to fill open positions. And, employing these workers is getting more expensive as wages rise.

"You've got an environment where, really, the economy is strong," BTIG analyst Peter Saleh told Business Insider in 2018. "People are trading up into better jobs. There aren't as many employees or capable employees to do the jobs these companies need."

On Monday, El Pollo Loco CEO Bernard Acoco said in a presentation at the ICR Conference that the chain is using tech to "simplify" kitchen operations, in order to move workers from the kitchen to more customer-facing tasks. Shake Shack, Taco Bell, and McDonald's are all rolling out ordering kiosks across the country. Arby's has installed ovens that automatically roast beef, while Dunkin' Donuts has roasters that independently grind coffee, the Wall Street Journal reports.

"The only way to truly deal with this is to reduce the number of labor hours that are required to run your concept," Saleh said. "And, I feel like the only way to really do that is to implement technology."

On Monday, Wingstop released preliminary sales results for the fourth quarter. In fiscal 2018, domestic same-store sales increased 6.5%, marking the 15th consecutive year of same-store sales growth. System-wide sales grew 16%, reaching roughly $1.3 billion.

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Aicha Evans

Intel veteran Aicha Evans has been named the new CEO of the self-driving car company Zoox, according to the company on Monday. Evans will assume her new role as Zoox's CEO on February 26.
Evans comes from a 12-year career at Intel, where she was serving as Chief Strategy Officer.
The company has 700 current employees and is valued at $3.2 billion after a $500 million funding round in July.
Evans replaces former Zoox CEO and co-founder Tim Kentley-Klay, who left the company last year under mysterious circumstances.

Intel veteran Aicha Evans has been named the new CEO of the self-driving car company Zoox, the company announced on Monday. Evans spent 12 years at Intel, most recently as its chief strategy officer.

Zoox — a Foster City, California based startup founded in 2014 — is building both self-driving software and its own vehicle with the vision of creating fully autonomous, zero-emission fleet focused on ridesharing in cities. Zoox has 700 current employees and is valued at $3.2 billion after a $500 million funding round in July.

“I’m thrilled to join Zoox and challenge the status quo with an autonomous mobility system built from the ground up,” Evans said in a company press release. "Mobility is approaching a major inflection point, and Zoox has set itself apart from entrenched players as the only company creating a solution purpose-built to meet the needs of a fully autonomous future."

Zoox declined to make Evans available to Business Insider for an interview.

Evans will replace former Zoox CEO and co-founder Tim Kentley-Klay, who was apparently ousted by the company's board of directors in August "without a warning, cause or right of reply," he said in a statement on Twitter at the time. The reason for Kentley-Klay's removal remains unknown to the public.

Evans has some experience in Zoox's industry — at Intel, she led the company's long-term strategy, including its push into autonomous vehicles.

Carl Bass, Zoox’s executive chairman and a member of its board, said that Evans is "an accomplished business leader and a strategic thinker with the right mix of skills to help turn Zoox’s ambitious vision into a reality."

Evans will assume her new role as Zoox's CEO on February 26.

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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.

Especially for engagements, there's something incredibly special about shared, customized gifts.

Instead of two of everything, a couple can begin seeing their lives — and the things they own — as being created with one unit in mind. Even the most mundane objects become a cause for excitement and celebration: Those are now our towels, our cutting board, and our invitation stamps.

For gift-givers, personalization is an easy way to celebrate the commitment of loved ones, shower them with keepsakes, and try to make each gift feel as unique as the love between two people.

Below, you'll find 22 thoughtful and useful engagement gifts that you can personalize for the happy couple:

DON'T MISS: 27 engagement gifts under $100 for couples who don't have a registry yet

Personalized mugs with the year the couple was established

Personalized Mugs, available on Uncommon Goods, from $30

These cute mugs can be personalized to fit the couple, making for a special weekend morning coffee routine or just a nice reminder in the kitchen cabinet. On the back, you can add a family name and the year the couple was established.

A professionally framed photo of one of their favorite memories or engagement photos

Photo Framing, available on Framebridge, from $39

Framebridge Gift Card, available on Framebridge, from $25

Frame one of their favorite engagement photos or memories to have at home. If you'd rather leave the final decision up to them, you can give a gift card.

A monogrammed decanter set

Tipsy Whiskey 5-Piece Decanter Set, available on Nordstrom, $84

A decanter set is a pretty safe bet for adults who like to enjoy a nice alcoholic drink from time to time. It's also something that they're probably unlikely to buy for themselves, but will love owning.

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Life insurance is fundamentally hard to sell; it’s morbid to think about, promises no immediate rewards, and often requires a lengthy paper application with minimal guidance.
Despite the popularity of personalized products in other areas of finance and fintech, life insurance largely remains unchanged.
A small, but growing pocket of insurtech startups are shaking up the status quo by finding ways to digitize life insurance and increase its appeal.

Life insurance is a fundamentally difficult product to sell; it requires people to think about their deaths without promising any immediate returns.

And, despite tech innovations and the development of personalized services in other areas of finance, life insurance remains largely unchanged.

Luckily, there is a small but growing pocket of insurtech startups looking to modernize it. These companies are finding ways to digitize life insurance to appeal to consumers — and they’re giving incumbents the opportunity to revamp traditional offerings, either by partnering with them or using their technology.

Business Insider Intelligence, Business Insider's premium research service, has forecasted the shifting landscape of life insurance in the The Future of Life Insurance report. Here are the key problems insurtechs are tackling:

Lack of education: Forty percent of US consumers told the Life Insurance and Market Research Association (LIMRA) that they feel intimidated by the life insurance application process, often drastically overestimating its cost and facing uncertainty about how much or which type of coverage to buy.
Inconvenient application process: It can take weeks or months for coverage to take effect because of the sheer number of meetings and parties combing through paperwork in each round of the application process. The risk for the insurer often warrants reviews from the carrier, a team of underwriters, a broker, and even a medical examiner.
Low customer loyalty: Life insurance tends to be a “set it and forget it” type of purchase, with very few people revisiting it after buying. Insurers and consumers therefore have limited contact for most of the relationship — with the exception of an annual bill, of course.
Inefficient data management and processing: The aggregate data life insurers rely on is typically fed into algorithms that make broad assumptions about particular populations, and often incorporate outdated medical documentation — all of which can delay applications and result in unnecessary rejections.

Want to learn more?

The need for modernization in life insurance is clear: Overall sales are slowing and policy ownership is hitting record lows. And because it’s such a tightly-regulated space, innovation from incumbents has stagnated — but they’re not helpless. Consumer-focused and insurer-focused startups have emerged to offer new technologies and process improvements.

The Future of Life Insurance report from Business Insider Intelligence looks at the two main strategies life insurtechs are adopting to drive change in this market, for the benefit of both buyers and sellers. In full, the report discusses best practices incumbents and startups should adopt to steer clear of the risks attached to applying emerging technologies to such a tightly regulated product.

Insurtech startups will soon set new industry standards and consumer expectations around this complex product. That, in turn will serve as a catalyst for innovation among legacy players.

Companies included in this report: Ladder, Haven Life, Getsurance, Tomorrow, Fabric, Atidot, AllLife, Royal London, Polly, Life.io, Legal & General, Vitality, Discovery, John Hancock, Dai-ichi Life.

Get The Future of Life Insurance

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Screen Shot 2019 01 14 at 3.48.18 pm

Shaving giant Gillette knew that its new ad addressing the #MeToo movement would be divisive. But the brand still went ahead with it in order to continue to appeal to future generations of customers.
The ad is part of a broader brand repositioning, and turns Gillette's 30-year-old tagline "The Best A Man Can Get" on its head, making it a call for men to take an inward look and placing the onus on them to be the best versions of themselves.
Pankaj Bhalla, brand director for Gillette and Venus, called it it "a statement of self-reflection" from the brand.
Gillette first started brainstorming the repositioning in the spring of 2018, and ran several qualitative tests before running it.

Gillette was well aware that its new ad would ruffle some feathers.

But it still went ahead with it because it knew it needed to reposition itself to continue to resonate with the next generation of its customers, and wanted to leverage its position as a 117 year-old brand and a market leader to spark dialogue.

"We knew that this particular commercial would trigger a conversation," Pankaj Bhalla, brand director for Gillette and Venus, told Business Insider. "The idea was to get people thinking, because the belief was that good advertising does trigger a healthy debate."

"We Believe," which debuted on Monday, minces no words in attempting to address toxic masculinity. The minute-and-a-half spot opens with a montage of news anchors covering the #MeToo-related movement, followed by a narrator asking: "Is this the best a man can get? Is it?" The narration then continues over scenes of men changing their behavior, whether it is how they respond to bullying or how they interact with women.

It turns Gillette's 30-year-old tagline "The Best A Man Can Get" on its head, repositioning it as a call for men to take an inward look — placing the onus on them to be the best versions of themselves. The idea was to make the tagline relevant in the current day and age in a way that appeals to people emotionally, not just practically, said Bhalla.

While certainly a deliberate move, Gillette insisted that the ad is not a political statement.

"It isn't a social statement or a political one at all," said Bhalla. "It is a statement of self-reflection from a brand that caters primarily to men — that one of the ways they can be the best version of themselves is by being great role models to the next generation."

The ad is the first one by a mainstream brand to tackle the #MeToo movement head-on, and comes on the heels of a string of other marketers taking a stand on hot-button issues in recent years. But it isn't first time that parent company Proctor & Gamble has promoted its stance on social issues like gender equality. Its "Like a Girl" campaign for feminine-care brand Always, for example, made waves as well.

"This new spot from Gillette continues our effort to spark conversation on issues of bias and equality, which drives reflection and understanding," a P&G spokesperson told Business Insider. "We take seriously our role as one of the world’s largest advertisers to use our voice to be a positive force for good in society."

"We Believe" was also backed by months of qualitative research and testing. Gillette first started brainstorming with its agency Grey in the spring of 2018, said Bhalla, followed by qualitative research across both men and women around the notion of masculinity. It also tested creative before greenlighting the final creative.

"Masculinity is a complex topic," said Bhalla. "It's still in the early days, but we feel good about the direction we've taken as a brand."

Gillette also teased the topic in other commercials encouraging men to be the best version of themselves in the run-up to the launch of the latest ad. "Your Best Never Comes Easy" featured Seattle Seahawks' Shaquem Griffin overcoming adversity to reach where he is, while "Handle With Care" showcased its assisted shaving product in recent months.

In recent years, Gillette has been facing stiff competition from direct-to-consumer upstarts like Dollar Shave Club and Harry's and declining sales as fewer men choose to shave. With this ad, the brand hopes to be both "a force for good, and a force for growth," ultimately helping it boost sales.

"The long term objective is that Gillette continues to grow, that its equity continues to get stronger at the hands of those young men that we're grooming now," said Bhalla.

Gillette will continue to address the issue and put it at the center of upcoming ads as well.

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Airbus A321neo WOW air

Wow Air is offering one-way flights from the US to Europe for as little as $49.
The discounted fare will be available on select flights from Boston; Detroit; Washington, DC; and New York to Reykjavik, Iceland; Dublin; Brussels; Frankfurt, Germany; and London.
Only 1,000 seats will be available at the $49 price point.
The sale ends at midnight on January 18 or until the discount tickets sell out.

Wow Air launched a weeklong fare sale on Monday with one-way flights from the US to Europe for as little as $49.

The Icelandic ultra-low-cost airline will offer the discount on select flights from Boston; Detroit; Washington, DC; and New York to Reykjavik, Iceland; Dublin; Brussels; Frankfurt, Germany; and London.

"We are excited to offer our lowest price ever to travelers dreaming of a Eurotrip this year," Skúli Mogensen, founder and CEO of Wow Air, said in a statement. "At Wow Air, we are committed to making travel more affordable and accessible to all as traveling is a culturally enriching, enjoyable and enlivening experience."

However, only 1,000 seats will be made available at the $49 price point, and they are available only if booked as part of a round-trip reservation. The sale ends at midnight on Friday, January 18, or until the discount tickets sell out.

The sale fare is for flights between January 21 and March 11, 2019.

The 7-year-old airline, known for its brightly painted purple plane and rock bottom tickets, has been struggling to find solid financial footing.

In November, Wow Air failed to complete a merger with Icelandair in a deal that valued the carrier at $18 million to $25 million.

Last month, the airline announced layoffs for 111 employees. It has also returned all of its leased wide-body Airbus A330 jets, which were used on flights to the West Coast of the United States. The airline also sold four Airbus A321 jets to Air Canada.

The airline is discussing investment opportunities with the private-equity firm Indigo Partners, which owns the low-cost carriers Frontier Airlines and JetSmart.

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