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Here's how fintech is taking over the world — and what's coming next

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global fintech funding

Digital disruption is affecting every aspect of the fintech industry.

Over the past five years, fintech has established itself as a fundamental part of the global financial services ecosystem.

Fintech startups have raised, and continue to raise, billions of dollars annually, pushing incumbent financial institutions to get in on the action. Legacy players have begun using fintech to remain competitive in a rapidly evolving financial services landscape.

So what's next?

Business Insider Intelligence, Business Insider's premium research service, explores recent innovations in the fintech space as well as what might be coming in the future in our brand new exclusive slide deck, The Future of Fintech: How Fintech Is Taking Over The World and What Comes Next.

To get your copy of this free slide deck, click here.

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15 home upgrades you won't believe are this easy to install

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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.

bed frame

You've looked around your room and decided it's time for some upgrades. After getting some inspiration online and even seeing how your furniture or decor will look in your space, the new piece arrives at your door. The fun and games are over now. While the thought of a new couch or shelf is always exciting, the actual installation process is usually no walk in the park. 

It might require more tools than you expected or ones that you don't even own (but should), or contain convoluted instructions that just lead to frustration. 

We found furniture pieces and decor that take minimal effort to put together but still dazzle with maximum effect. No one would ever guess that it took you less than half an hour to install these home upgrades. 

The only place where you should be breaking a sweat is the gym — make life easier with these pieces of furniture and decor.

SEE ALSO: 15 collapsible kitchen tools that are perfect for small apartments

A floating shelf

Installing new shelves has never been easier. Just place, press, and hang this floating shelf into drywall without using any tools. The shelf can hold up to 15 pounds. 

High & Mighty Floating Shelf, $22.97, available at Home Depot



A curtain rod

Available in bronze, nickel, and brass, this rod takes the hassle out of a frustrating process. Simply align the brackets to the window, secure the rod with curtains attached, and style your curtains to cover the hidden brackets. 

Smart Rods Easy Install Drapery Window Rod, $26.61-$49.39 available at Target



A sofa

Each piece of this adaptable sofa comes in a separate box and you can assemble the whole thing, tool-free, in minutes. When it comes time to move, it's just as easy to disassemble. 

Burrow Sofa, $1,195, available at Burrow



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'It's history repeating itself': Experts say the Trump-Cohen situation is reminiscent of Nixon era

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Nixon resignation speech

  • Historians, members of Congress, and legal experts are reacting to a bombshell BuzzFeed News report on President Donald Trump and Michael Cohen by referencing the first article of impeachment against former President Richard Nixon.
  • The story said Trump instructed Cohen to lie to Congress about his involvement in a plan to build a Trump Tower in Moscow. 
  • Presidential historian Jon Meacham on Friday tweeted, "The first article of impeachment against Nixon was just this: obstruction by directing others to lie. This is not hysteria or hyperventilating. It's history."

A bombshell BuzzFeed News report said President Donald Trump instructed his former personal lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen to lie to Congress, prompting historians, members of Congress, and legal experts to draw parallels to the days that led up to the resignation of former President Richard Nixon. 

In an apparent reaction to the damning allegations in the BuzzFeed article, presidential historian Jon Meacham on Friday tweeted: "The first article of impeachment against Nixon was just this: obstruction by directing others to lie. This is not hysteria or hyperventilating. It's history."

Presidential historian Michael Beschloss also tweeted about the first article of impeachment against Nixon shortly after the BuzzFeed report was published.

Meanwhile, Democratic Rep. Ted Lieu, a former prosecutor who sits on the House Judiciary Committee, referenced Nixon as he reacted to the report in a tweet on Thursday.

"This stunning Trump Tower Moscow story establishes a clear case of Obstruction of Justice, a felony. I've lost count now how many times @realDonaldTrump has engaged in Obstruction of Justice," he said.

Lieu added: "Oh, fyi the first Article of Impeachment for Richard Nixon was Obstruction of Justice."

Read more:Trump has been implicated in several federal crimes, but here's why experts say he hasn't faced legal consequences

Similarly, Watergate prosecutor Nick Akerman on Thursday told MSNBC the overall Trump-Cohen saga is "history repeating itself" and has "echoes of Watergate."

"You've got another lawyer, a personal lawyer ... basically being a bag man for the President," Ackerman said, referencing a recent Wall Street Journal story that said Cohen paid a tech firm in an attempt to rig two online polls in favor of Trump. 

Ryan Goodman, a law professor at the New York University School of Law and former special counsel to the general counsel at the Defense Department, wrote in an op-ed for Just Security that the situation could be "far worse than Watergate."

"What makes the Cohen lies even worse – and yes, far worse than Watergate – is that it exposed any U.S. officials who were involved in orchestrating his false testimony to blackmail by Russia," Goodman wrote. "If Trump suborned false statements, the President would have exposed not only himself to Kremlin blackmail, but also other members of his team who, according to court documents and reporting, helped orchestrate his personal lawyer’s congressional testimony."

Nixon famously resigned in August 1974 as he faced the prospect of impeachment over the Watergate scandal.

The month before, the House Judiciary Committee had approved three articles of impeachment against Nixon: obstruction of justice, abuse of presidential powers, and contempt of Congress. 

Read more:Trump reportedly fears the prospect of impeachment, but experts aren't convinced his legal troubles have reached a 'tipping point' yet

The first article of impeachment against Nixon stated: "Richard M. Nixon, using the powers of his high office, engaged personally and through his close subordinates and agents, in a course of conduct or plan designed to delay, impede, and obstruct the investigation of such illegal entry; to cover up, conceal and protect those responsible; and to conceal the existence and scope of other unlawful covert activities."

The article of impeachment listed nine different cases of obstruction, including four that appear to be pertinent in relation to the BuzzFeed News report:

  • "Approving, condoning, acquiescing in, and counselling witnesses with respect to the giving of false or misleading statements to lawfully authorized investigative officers and employees of the United States and false or misleading testimony in duly instituted judicial and congressional proceedings"
  • "Interfering or endeavouring to interfere with the conduct of investigations by the Department of Justice of the United States, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the office of Watergate Special Prosecution Force, and Congressional Committees"
  • "Making or causing to be made false or misleading public statements for the purpose of deceiving the people of the United States into believing that a thorough and complete investigation had been conducted with respect to allegations of misconduct on the part of personnel of the executive branch of the United States and personnel of the Committee for the Re-election of the President, and that there was no involvement of such personnel in such misconduct: or"
  • "Endeavouring to cause prospective defendants, and individuals duly tried and convicted, to expect favoured treatment and consideration in return for their silence or false testimony, or rewarding individuals for their silence or false testimony"

In late 2018, Cohen pleaded guilty to lying to Congress about his involvement in a plan to build Trump Tower in Moscow amid the 2016 presidential campaign season. The BuzzFeed News story alleges that two federal investigators said Cohen told them he was instructed to lie to Congress by the president. 

Read more:Here's a glimpse at Trump's decades-long history of business ties to Russia

Some Democrats in Congress are already calling for the House Judiciary Committee to get the ball rolling on impeachment proceedings and investigate the charges in the BuzzFeed report. 

House Intelligence Committee chairman Rep. Adam Schiff on Friday said "we will do what's necessary to find out" if the allegations in the report are accurate. 

Read more:Everything Michael Cohen told Mueller about the Trump campaign's contacts with Russia, according to the memo that could land Cohen a 'substantial' prison sentence

The developments came amid special counsel Robert Mueller's ongoing investigation into Russian election interference and the Trump campaign's alleged collusion. Cohen has been cooperating with Mueller, but was still sentenced to three years in prison in December.

A memo released by Mueller's team on the nature of Cohen's cooperation late last year said that Trump's former lawyer provided a"detailed account of his involvement and the involvement of others in the Moscow Project."

The memo also said Cohen "described the circumstances of preparing and circulating his response to the congressional inquiries, while continuing to accept responsibility for the false statements contained within it."

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

40 celebrities that have appeared on 'Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt'

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unbreakable kimmy schdmidt cameos tina fey jon hamm lisa kudrow

  • "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt's" final episodes are airing on Netflix on January 25.
  • To celebrate the end, we combed through the series to spot every celebrity appearance in the show's 45 episodes so far.
  • There are many "SNL" stars, since co-creators Tina Fey and Robert Carlock wrote for the show.

When "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" first premiered in 2015, people were unsure what to think. How could a show about a woman who had been kidnapped as a child and held in a bunker for years be funny? Thankfully, with the help of Tina Fey, Robert Carlock, and the show's all-star cast (Ellie Kemper as Kimmy, Tituss Burgess as her roommate, Carol Kane as her landlord, and Jane Krakowski as her boss) it became one of the most hilarious shows of the decade.

Before Kimmy and her friends leave us for good, scroll down to see 40 celebrity appearances on "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" that are still making us laugh.

Jon Hamm appears in 11 episodes as "Reverend" Richard Wayne Gary Wayne, Kimmy's kidnapper.

For almost the entirety of season one, The Reverend's face was kept obscured, leading fans to wonder what iconic actor Tina Fey had surely cast as Kimmy's kidnapper/cult leader/husband.

Hamm immediately showed off his comedic chops when he appeared towards the end of season one, and has periodically popped up to cause trouble in Kimmy's life.



Show co-creator Tina Fey plays two separate characters: Marcia and Andrea.

In season one, Fey first shows up as Marcia Clark, one of Kimmy's inept lawyers (a clear reference to OJ Simpson prosecutor Marcia Clark, perm and all) in her trial against the Reverend.

Fey later reappears in season two as an alcoholic therapist, Andrea, that Kimmy starts seeing. The two work together to deal with their respective issues: Andrea's alcoholism and Kimmy's issues regarding her captivity and kidnapping.



Greg Kinnear plays himself in season four, and helps Titus impress his ex-boyfriend Mikey.

Kinner shows up in the season four premiere as himself, and gets involved in a harebrained scheme from the minds of Jacqueline and Titus in which he films a fake TV show called "The Capist."



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BIG TECH IN HEALTHCARE: How Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, and Microsoft are shaking up healthcare — and what it means for the future of the industry (GOOGL, AAPL, AMZN, MSFT)

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

bii big tech in healthcare ALL Four

The healthcare industry is undergoing a profound transformation. Costs are skyrocketing, consumer demand for more accessible care is growing rapidly, and healthcare companies are unable to keep up. 

Health organizations are increasingly turning to tech companies to facilitate this transformation in care delivery and lower health expenditures. The potential for tech-led digital health initiatives to help healthcare providers and insurers deliver safer, more efficient, and cost-effective care is significant. For healthcare organizations of all types, the collection, analyses, and application of patient data can minimize avoidable service use, improve health outcomes, and promote patient independence, which can assuage swelling costs.

For their part, the "Big Four" tech companies — Google-parent Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, and Microsoft — see an opportunity to tap into the lucrative health market. These same players are accelerating their efforts to reshape healthcare by developing and collaborating on new tools for consumers, medical professionals, and insurers.

In this report, Business Insider Intelligence explores the key strengths and offerings the Big Four will bring to the healthcare industry, as well as their approaches into the market. We'll then explore how these services and solutions are creating opportunities for health systems and insurers. Finally, the report will outline the barriers that are inhibiting the adoption and usage of the Big Four tech companies’ offerings and how these barriers can be circumvented.

Here are some of the key takeaways from the report:

  • Tech companies’ expertise in data management and analysis, along with their significant compute power, can help support healthcare payers, health systems, and consumers by providing a broader overview of how health is accessed and delivered.
  • Each of the Big Four tech companies — vying for a piece of the lucrative healthcare market — is leaning on their specific field of expertise to develop tools and solutions for consumers, providers, and payers.
    • Alphabet is focused on leveraging its dominance in data storage and analytics to become the leader in population health.
    • Amazon is leaning on its experience as a distribution platform for medical supplies, and developing its AI-assistant Alexa as an in-home health concierge.
    • Apple is actively turning its consumer products into patient health hubs.
    • Microsoft is focusing on cloud storage and analytics to tap into precision medicine.
  • Health organizations can further tap into the opportunity presented by tech’s entry into healthcare by collaborating with tech giants to realize cost savings and bolster their top lines. But understanding how each tech giant is approaching healthcare is crucial.

 In full, the report:

  • Pinpoints the key themes and industry-wide shifts that are driving the transformation of healthcare in the US.
  • Defines the main healthcare businesses and strategies of the Big Four tech companies.
  • Highlights the biggest potential impacts of each of the Big Four’s healthcare strategies for health systems and insurers.
  • Discusses the potential barriers that will challenge the adoption of the Big Four tech companies’ initiatives and how these hurdles can be overcome.

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

This report and more than 250 other expertly researched reports
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Here's what the cast of Netflix's 'Carmen Sandiego' series looks like in real life

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Carmen Sandiego

  • A new show based around the famed thief Carmen Sandiego is now available on Netflix.
  • The series is based on the old PBS '90s game show, "Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?"
  • Gina Rodriguez is the voice behind the lead mystery woman. Other cast members include Kari Wahlgren and "Stranger Things" star Finn Wolfhard.
  • Here's what the actors look like in real life, compared to their animated characters.

A Netflix original series about the famed thief Carmen Sandiego is now available to stream, for old and new fans alike.

The animated series is based on the PBS '90s game show, "Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?," where each episode revolved around locating one of Sandiego's accomplices somewhere in the world.

The new show will follow Sandiego as "a modern day Robin Hood," though she's perceived as "a master criminal," according to the official description. It features "Jane the Virgin" heavy hitter Gina Rodriguez as the voice behind the lead mystery woman, as well as experienced voice actress Kari Wahlgren and "Stranger Things" star Finn Wolfhard.

Here's what the actors look like in real life, compared to their animated characters.

Gina Rodriguez is the voice behind the lead mystery woman, Carmen Sandiego.

On Netflix, Sandiego is a "master thief who uses her skills for good." Though she attended the V.I.L.E. (Villains' International League of Evil) training academy for thieves, she quickly realized that her new talents could hurt people and decided to turn the tables, giving back to its victims.



Finn Wolfhard voices Sandiego's right-hand man, Player.

Player is the codename for Sandiego's best friend and most important ally: A young hacker who follows her missons using GPS tracking, constantly updating her with valuable information.



Abby Trott stars as Sandiego's trusty sidekick Ivy.

Ivy assists Sandiego on her capers using various disguises, well-laid plans, and a thick Boston accent.



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I slept with this $70 memory foam body pillow for 60 nights, and my back has never felt more supported

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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.

snugglepedic

  • Full body pillows are excellent for side and stomach sleepers who want to balance comfort with good posture.
  • Snuggle-Pedic has built a reputation for producing high-quality, US-made memory foam products, including mattresses and mattress toppers.
  • I appreciated how tucking the Snuggle-Pedic body pillow between my knees kept them from knocking together, which helped with my lower back pain.
  • Though it costs more than your average body pillow (currently $69.99 on Amazon), the Snuggle-Pedic Shredded Memory Foam Full Body Pillow comes with a 120-night risk-free trial and 20-year warranty.

Recently, I wrote an article detailing the top body pillows currently available. The article was based on expert and buyer experiences. While our guides definitely provide excellent value to readers who are comparison shopping, I wanted to go a little deeper and perform a firsthand review of some of the top options, especially since, as an athlete and side sleeper, I've tried countless body pillows over the past few decades.

This led me to Snuggle-Pedic, a subsidiary of Relief-Mart, which produces an array of health products. Snuggle-Pedic's body pillow is currently one of the most highly rated on Amazon with a 4.7-star average customer rating based on nearly 4,000 reviews. The company sent me the pillow for free to test it out. Below are my experiences and recommendations.

My first experiences with the Snuggle-Pedic Body Pillow

The Snuggle-Pedic full body pillow arrived in a box that was closer to standard pillow-size. But, with a few cuts – careful to avoid poking a hole in the fabric cover – the memory foam was free from the packaging and slowly began to expand.

Most memory foam items let off an odor when you first remove them from their vacuum packaging. The stench is harmless and typically dissipates in a few days if aired out correctly. This body pillow didn't have any odors. I asked Jennie Katz, who handles public relations for Snuggle-Pedic, what their secret was for avoiding the "off-gassing" smell. Katz said, "We use a very high-quality foam that uses a process that is far cleaner than the foam used by competitors."

Within 10 hours of the unboxing, the pillow had reached its full size. But, if you don't feel like waiting that long, you can toss the pillow in the dryer with high heat, and it should fluff up in under 20 minutes.

How the Snuggle-Pedic Body Pillow performed

I'm a side and stomach sleeper who has a history of lower back pain. If my body isn't aligned just right during the night, I pay for it the next day. I particularly liked tucking the Snuggle-Pedic body pillow between my arms and knees. This position provided comfort, support, and allowed for good circulation. I didn't wake up with the pins and needles feeling in any of my extremities during the testing period.

The pillow is filled with eco-friendly Biogreen- and CertiPUR-US-certified shredded memory foam. Shredded memory foam has a couple of benefits. First, it breathes better than a single memory foam pad, which tends to trap heat. Secondly, you can move the foam around within the pillow to get support where you need it most. I found the body pillow was incredibly breathable and malleable.

I would often fold the pillow in half to provide cushioning for my back while watching TV in bed. Or, if reading in bed on my stomach, I could easily readjust the filling to support my chest and arms. And, if the pillow gets uncomfortably clumped up, you can get back to a more uniform shape by putting it in the dryer on high heat for 10 to 20 minutes.

The cover of the Snuggle-Pedic body pillow also breathed well and felt incredibly soft. It is 43% viscose of bamboo, 56.4% polyester, and .6% lycra. All of the materials are machine washable. I washed the pillow once, and I did not have any trouble. However, it does take up most of the washer and dryer space.

snuggle

Since a pillowcase is much easier to clean than a giant pillow, I recommend buying a body pillowcase with a zipper. I used a 20" by 54" non-zipper pillowcase, and the pillow would try to make an escape each night. A zipper will prevent this.

Some concerns about the body pillow

What struck me about the Snuggle-Pedic body pillow is its weight. At over seven pounds, it can be a bit much to casually move around during the night when I want to switch the side I'm sleeping on. However, I was surprised to find that some nights I did not change sides. I was so comfortable that there was no need to move.

Another issue was just the sheer size of the pillow. When first testing this, I was sharing a queen-sized bed with my wife. There was barely enough room for the three of us. Our situation improved once we switched to a king-sized mattress, but with this body pillow in the mix, it's like having another person in the bed.

Lastly, I want to touch on the customization process. The Snuggle-Pedic body pillow comes fairly firm, but the company will adjust the filling based on your needs. This is how Dr. Rick Swartzburg, D.C., vice president of product development for Relief-Mart, described the pillow customization process to me:

"If you need any type of customization, whether it is addition or removal of foam, as well as needing a change in the actual foam mix to produce a different type of feel, we would send you a small questionnaire to fill out and you would send it in with the body pillow shipping label we give you that will help us determine the corrections needed and there are no shipping costs whatsoever to get this done. We would open the pillow and change the foam, then re-sew it back up, and this does get done in a special area that is solely devoted to customizations."

To me, this sounds like a bit of a hassle, especially since there are brands out there that allow self-customization. Yet, self-customizing pillows feature zippers, which may scratch you as you sleep or could corrode in a washing machine.

Bottom line

Overall, if you sleep on your side or stomach, I would recommend using a body pillow to keep your spine properly aligned. And, you will have a hard time finding a better solution than the Snuggle-Pedic full body pillow. It's comfortable, breathable, malleable, and it comes with a 120-night trial so you can try it risk-free. Plus, with its 20-year-warranty, you get decades of comfortable sleep for just $70.

Buy the Snuggle-Pedic Ultra-Luxury Bamboo Combination Shredded Memory Foam Full Body Pillow on Amazon for $69.99

DON'T MISS: I've slept on several different 'beds-in-a-box' — and this luxury hybrid mattress is by far the most comfortable

SEE ALSO: The best body pillows you can buy

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A low-flying military plane zoomed through downtown Nashville without warning, leaving residents terrified

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nashville plane

  • Nashville residents panicked on Friday after a low-flying military plane circled the downtown core, appearing to narrowly miss buildings.
  • Residents took to social media Friday afternoon, complaining they had received no warning of the flyover and that the plane was far too close to buildings and landmarks.
  • The flyover was reportedly a training exercises for Governor-elect Bill Lee's inauguration — but the inaugural flyover has already been canceled due to weather.

A low-flying military plane zoomed between buildings in downtown Nashville, Tennessee, for roughly half an hour on Friday, panicking residents who said they had no warning of the flyover, and feared it might strike a building.

Residents took to social media Friday afternoon, sharing photos and videos of the sight. The large, dark gray plane could be seen circling the city's skyline, flying just over the tops of buildings and past office windows.

But local news outlets reported that the flyover was just part of a training exercise ahead of Governor-elect Bill Lee's inauguration on Saturday.

One Nashville resident, Madison Smith, told INSIDER she works on the 16th floor of the Fifth-Third Bank building in downtown and her colleagues phoned the police, and later evacuated the building, when they realized the plane kept weaving through the city's downtown core.

"You kept seeing it circle around downtown," she said. "So it came back by our building a second time, and the whole building shook."

Smith said she and her colleagues realized it was a military plane, due to the size and color, and figured it must have been some sort of government operation. But they couldn't help but think of 9/11, she said.

"What if something malfunctioned and the wing came into one of our buildings? That wasn't far-fetched because of how low it was," she said. "Definitely people were concerned. I was concerned. My colleagues were concerned."

Nashville residents complained on Twitter that the plane was flying too low over the city, and appeared to just barely miss certain buildings and landmarks.

People in the videos can be heard exclaiming and cursing as the plane draws closer. One person can even be heard speculating which buildings the plane might strike.

But the test run may all have been for nothing — The Tennessean reported that Saturday's inaugural flyover has already been canceled due to weather concerns.

Smith said the idea was "ridiculous in the first place," adding that she hoped Lee would release a statement reassuring the residents who panicked.

"Congrats on your inauguration, I don't think that's a great start. Just to frighten your people straight off the bat," she said. "A military operation in a city is just striking to me. Especially to have it all for nothing, I wouldn't have wanted him to do it in the first place. Let's just have a parade."

Lee's transition team did not immediately respond to INSIDER's request for comment.

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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


'Riverdale' star Mark Consuelos wants his entire family to be on the show after his wife guest-stars as his mistress

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mark consuelos  Kelly Ripa, daughter Lola Consuelos, sons Michael Consuelos and Joaquin Consuelos

  • Mark Consuelos told INSIDER that he wants his entire family to star on "Riverdale" at some point.
  • His son Michael Joseph played a young version of his character during a flashback episode.
  • His wife, Kelly Ripa, is playing his "alleged" mistress on an upcoming episode.  

Mark Consuelos would like for "Riverdale" to be a family affair.

"If I have anything to do with it, my whole family will be on the show," the actor, who plays Hiram Lodge on The CW series, told INSIDER while promoting his partnership with McCafé at Home to encourage people to stick with their New Year's resolutions.

Two family members have joined Consuelos on set so far: his wife, Kelly Ripa, and their 21-year-old son, Michael Joseph.  

Ripa is playing Mrs. Mulwray, Hiram's "alleged" mistress on an upcoming episode of season three. 

Read more: Kelly Ripa is joining her husband, Mark Consuelos, on 'Riverdale' in a steamy role

She announced her role with an Instagram post in November 2018.

"Hiram's mistress," she wrote. "23 years of auditioning for a role I was born to play."

It’s a family affair........Hiram’s mistress. 23 years of auditioning for a role i was born to play. Coming soon to the @thecwriverdale

A post shared by Kelly Ripa (@kellyripa) on Nov 6, 2018 at 2:55pm PST on

Consuelos told INSIDER that it was showrunner and creator Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa's idea to have Ripa appear on the series.

"They'd been communicating on other roles but the timing wasn't right," Consuelos said. "This one worked out."

The husband and wife actually met on the set of "All My Children" during a screen test in 1995 and starred on the soap opera together until they both left in 2002. Consuelos said he always enjoys working with his wife. 

Read more:Mark Consuelos and Kelly Ripa have been married for 22 years. The 'Riverdale' star shares his 2 simple tips for a successful marriage.

"It was funny. It was entertaining. I love working with my wife in any capacity," he said. "She knows the cast pretty well and had a few of them on her show ["Live With Kelly and Ryan"], and they come to visit New York as well, so it was really cool. ... We worked a couple of days and then we got to have a nice weekend in Vancouver together." 

Their son Michael played a young version of his father's character during a flashback episode of "Riverdale." 

Read more: The young stars of 'Riverdale' played the parents on the '90s flashback episode — here's how they compare

michael consuelos mark consuelos

Read more:Mark Conseulos and Kelly Ripa surprised their son on the 'Riverdale' set

With Michael's role, that just leaves his siblings 17-year-old Lola Grace Consuelos and 15-year-old Joaquin Antonio Consuelos to complete the family appearances.

"Riverdale" airs on Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on The CW.

Visit INSIDER's homepage for more.

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NOW WATCH: Japanese lifestyle guru Marie Kondo explains how to organize your home once and never again

23 pieces of trivia that only true 'The Office' fans will know

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the office

  • "The Office" finale came out over five years ago, but that hasn't stopped fans from reliving the fun on streaming services.
  • The US version of "The Office" came from the original British one of the same name, created by Ricky Gervais.
  • From people who almost played Michael Scott, to John Krasiniski's unknown role in the show, these are things you didn't know about the show.

The final season of the mockumentary sitcom "The Office" may have aired over five years ago, but if anything, fans now love it even more than they did when new episodes were premiering each week. With a stellar cast that includes actors and actresses like Steve Carell, John Krasinski, Mindy Kaling, and Rainn Wilson, just to name a few, this show was known for being hilarious and heartwarming all at once.

You might already know that this version of "The Office" is actually a play on the original show, which aired in the United Kingdom and was created by British comedian and actor Ricky Gervais, but there are lots of other facts about this show that you probably never knew — and they could change the way you binge watch it forever. Check out some interesting facts about "The Office" that will make you love this show even more.

Seth Rogen could have been Dwight Schrute.

It's hard to imagine anyone else playing Dwight aside from Rainn Wilson. But when old audition tapes for the show were released on YouTube, they showed that Rogen had also auditioned for the role as well. 



John Krasinski shot the opening credit footage.

If you've ever seen "The Office," then you're familiar with the iconic opening credits: they feature scenes of Scranton, Pennsylvania, where the fictional office is supposed to be located. That footage looks amateur because it is.

Krasinski took a trip to Scranton as research for his role of Jim, where he shot that footage himself as part of his research.



A lot of the actors were hesitant about the show being a success.

Many people were worried about how the American version of "The Office" would fare against the British version, the cast included.

Oscar Nunez, who played Oscar on the show, told The Hollywood Reporter he didn't think they'd make it past the pilot. He said, "I didn't think an American version could do justice to what Ricky Gervais did." He explained that he kept waiting tables because he was sure the show would get canceled.



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Marie Kondo's Netflix special 'Tidying Up' has gone viral after seemingly changing people's lives, but experts stress a clean space isn't for everyone

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Marie Kondo

  • Ever since Marie Kondo's "The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up"topped the New York Times Best Seller list in 2014, her cleaning method has gone viral and inspired others to organize their homes.
  • Kondo's method sets itself apart from other cleaning styles in that it focuses on organizing by item type rather than by each room of your home.
  • The method, however, is not one-size-fits-all and it may not be helpful to everyone who tries it. 
  • Some people, in fact, are organized even if they aren't "tidy."

Ever since Marie Kondo's "The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up"topped the New York Times Best Seller list in 2014, her cleaning method has gone viral, inspiring others to organize their homes. It became so popular that Netflix recruited Kondo for the show, "Tidying Up with Marie Kondo," in which she walks people through her method, seemingly transforming their lives in the process.

Kondo's method sets itself apart from other cleaning styles in that it focuses on organizing by item type rather than the room. This method, Kondo told Business Insider, allows people "an opportunity to reflect on yourself."

While Kondo's Netflix series has inspired hundreds of thousands to clean up their clutter and remove all non-joy-sparking items from their lives, some have taken to criticizing her method.

"I deeply regret Marie Kondo-ing my books a few years ago, just in case anyone is toying with doing the same!" one Twitter user, D.L. Mayfield, wrote. Another Twitter user said she regretted discarding some of her children's baby toys using Kondo's method.

Others have pointed out that Kondo's method comes from a place of privilege. In The Atlantic piece "Marie Kondo and the Privilege of Clutter," author Arielle Bernstein wrote that, for many, the ability to even ask "does this spark joy?" isn't possible since everything they own is out of necessity, rather than want. "It's particularly ironic that the KonMari method has taken hold now, during a major refugee crisis, when the news constantly shows scenes of people fleeing their homes and everything they have," Bernstein wrote.

In addition to the question of privilege associated with Kondo's KonMari method, experts suggest tidying up isn't for every personality type.

A massive purge can create anxiety for certain people

messy closet

While purging a space of superfluous objects may fulfill some people's needs, the action can have a negative effect on others, Dr. Daniel Levitin, a neuroscientist and author of "The Organized Mind," told INSIDER. 

Read more: 19 things you should immediately throw in the trash

"Some people take comfort in knowing 'I have a hammer I haven't used in five years and have a handyman, but if I ever do need that hammer, it's there,'" Levitin explained. Kondo's method focuses on the opposite personality, the person who is unburdened by the purging process, which Levitin said is problematic.

"I'm wary of a prescription for everyone because we are all different and need different things," he told INSIDER. "I want public figures to embrace diversity rather than saying we have to [organize] a certain way."

Some people are organized without being tidy

messy desk

Another problem with the KonMari method, Levitin said, is that "the program isn't distinguishing between tidiness and organization." In "The Organized Mind," he dives into this idea that a person can be organized without appearing so to others.

Read more: 5 organization tips for people who hate organizing

Take, for example, a professor whose office is piled high with stacks of papers. To someone else, it may appear the professor is unorganized because their space isn't tidy. That professor, however, could know exactly where everything is in their office, meaning they are indeed organized.

Unless your profession makes it mandatory to have a specific organization method that others understand, like a research scientist or police detective, Levitin said tidying isn't going to necessarily make your life better or easier.

Your inherent values will help determine if tidying up Kondo-style is right for you

Instead, the best organizational method for each person depends on their inherent values, Marla Deibler, a clinical psychologist and executive director of The Center for Emotional Health of Greater Philadelphia, told INSIDER. "When it comes to possessions, it is individualized what meaning people give to stuff," she explained.

Additionally, some people actually find joy in the clutter. Deibler explained that the Konmari method appeals to people who, "can feel overwhelmed and struggle by being around clutter."

The key to determining whether you should KonMari or not comes from realizing which of these two people you are. At the end of the day, however, Deibler says Kondo's method is a fad and warns people that decluttering has no research-backed benefit.

Read more:16 of the best organizing tips from Marie Kondo's new Netflix series 'Tidying Up'

Still, if tossing objects and clearing space in your home makes you feel better, go for it.

"If things like clutter get in the way of moving towards your values, like not inviting friends over for dinner because you're embarrassed of your space, [cleaning] is a way to move towards your values," Deibler said.

The core of Kondo's approach, reflecting on one's self, gets at just that, but maybe the way we all achieve that state of reflection isn't as concrete as a five-step method.

Visit INSIDER's homepage for more.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: 7 science-backed ways to a happier and healthier 2019 that you can do the first week of the new year

Here are all the known contacts between the Trump campaign and Russian government-linked people or entities

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  • Since May 2017, special counsel Robert Mueller has been investigating Russian government interference in the 2016 election and possible coordination between the Trump campaign and Moscow. 
  • There are at least 101 known points of contact between people associated with the Trump campaign and Russian government-linked individuals or entities from November of 2015 all the way up to January of 2017. 
  • Here is the full timeline of all the Trump campaign and transition team's communications with Russia. 

So far, the special counsel Robert Mueller's probe into Russian election interference and possible coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia has indicted 34 people and three Russian companies, convicted one person in court, and flipped five cooperating witnesses — three of which are from the Trump campaign.

As it currently stands, there are now more than 101 known points of contact between the Trump campaign and Russian-government linked people or entities, including 23 meetings or calls.

Sixteen Trump campaign officials are known to have had direct contact with a Russian government official or a  Russian-linked operative, and at least an additional nine campaign officials were aware of these contacts.

Trump campaign officials had meetings, calls, and digital correspondence with high-level Russian government officials, billionaires linked to Putin, an accused Russian spy, and hackers enlisted by Russian intelligence to meddle in the 2016 elections.

Here is a timeline of the Trump campaign's known contacts with Russia, compiled with the help of resources from the Moscow Project and the Washington Post:

SEE ALSO: Here's everyone who has been charged in Mueller's Russia probe so far

DON'T MISS: Here are all the ongoing investigations and lawsuits involving Trump and his businesses

November 2015: Trump's personal attorney Michael Cohen reaches out to Russian weight-lifter Dmitry Klokov in an attempt to secure a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin to build a Trump Tower in Moscow.

Ivanka Trump, daughter of President Donald Trump, reportedly first put Cohen and Klokov in contact, according to emails Buzzfeed News reviewed.

In one email, Klokov claimed "he could arrange a meeting between Donald Trump and Putin to help pave the way for the tower."

Cohen then refused the offer, telling Klokov there was an existing agreement to build a Trump Tower between Russia and the Trump Organization.

The nature of Klokov's relationship to Putin is unclear, but he and Cohen exchanged several emails in the fall of 2015.

In December 2018, Cohen pleaded guilty in the special counsel probe for lying about the timing during which the Trump Organization pursued the Trump Tower deal to the House Intelligence Committee in his 2017 congressional testimony. 

Mueller's sentencing memo said that"in or around November 2015, Cohen received the contact information for, and spoke with, a Russian national who claimed to be a "trusted person" in the Russian Federation who could offer the campaign "political synergy" and "synergy on a government level," with the Russian national believed to be Klokov. 

Source: BuzzFeed, Business Insider



January 2016: Cohen reaches out to Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov asking about the Trump Tower deal.

The Kremlin has since confirmed that they received Cohen's email, but did not reply. Cohen then called Peskov's assistant on or around Jan. 20, describing to her his position at the Trump Organization and how the Kremlin could help arrange the Trump Tower deal.

Cohen "requested assistance in moving the project forward, both in securing land to build the proposed tower and financing the construction," prosecutors say. 

The Trump Tower deal is coming under renewed scrutiny in light of a recent bombshell Buzzfeed News report claiming that Trump personally directed Cohen to lie about the deal in his September 2017 testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee.

Sources: Washington Post, US Department of Justice, Buzzfeed News



March 14, 2016: Trump campaign foreign policy adviser George Papadopoulos first meets with Joseph Mifsud in Italy.

Papadopoulos, 29, joined the Trump campaign as an unpaid adviser in March 2016.

But from his low-level position, Papadopoulos took on an outsize role in trying to facilitate communications and set up meetings between the Trump campaign and Russia.

One of his main contacts was Joseph Mifsud, the director of the London Academy of Diplomacy, a for-profit college program that was later shut down. Mifsud boasted of having "substantial connections to Russian officials," according to court documents.

Despite having scant credentials or expertise on Russia, Mifsud became active in elite Russian political circles after one of his interns, a 24-year-old Russian woman, introduced him to several high-level diplomats and scholars, The New York Times reported.

Mifsud even gained admission into the prestigious Valdai Discussion Club, a group of foreign policy scholars who host an annual meeting with Putin.

Sources: The New York TimesLawfare, Washington Post

 



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

A Southwest flight caused an airport in Nebraska to close after it slid off the runway (LUV)

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  • Southwest Airlines Flight 1643 slid off the runway at Eppley Airfield in Omaha on Friday, the airline confirmed in a statement to Business Insider.
  • No injuries were reported.
  • Eppley Airfield closed as a result of the incident, and all flights are suspended as of Friday afternoon, the airport said on its Twitter account.

Southwest Airlines Flight 1643 slid off the runway at Eppley Airfield in Omaha on Friday, the airline confirmed in a statement to Business Insider. No injuries were reported.

"Initial reports indicate Southwest flight #1643, a Boeing 737-800, traveling from Las Vegas to Omaha, slid onto a runway overrun area after landing and while taxiing to the terminal. There are no reports of injuries, and the Customers — all whose final destination was Omaha — are being moved into the airport terminal on buses. There were 150 Customers and six Crew Members onboard the aircraft. We are working quickly to retrieve their luggage," the airline said.

Read more: This $83 million private jet has a stunning Art Deco interior that looks straight out of 'The Great Gatsby.' Take a look inside.

Eppley Airfield closed as a result of the incident, and all flights are suspended as of Friday afternoon, the airport said on its Twitter account.

"Eppley Airfield is currently CLOSED after Southwest Airlines flight 1643 exited the end of Runway 14R following a landing in Omaha. All flights are currently suspended," the airport said in a later tweet.

Passengers posted photos of the incident on Twitter. You can see some of the images below.

 

SEE ALSO: Plus, Premier, or Priority: We break down which Southwest Airlines credit card gets flyers the most value

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: What it's like to win the Gumball 3000 where drivers party until 2 am every night and drive 3,000 miles in 7 days

This is how insurance is changing for gig workers and freelancers

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

Most Commonly Used Platforms bu UK Gig Economy Workers

The gig economy is becoming a core element of the labor market, pushed to the fore by platforms like Uber and Airbnb. Gig economy workers are freelancers, such as journalists who don’t work for one publication directly, freelance developers, drivers on platforms like Uber and Grab, and consumers who rent out their apartments via Airbnb or other home-sharing sites.

Gig economy workers are not employed by these platforms, and therefore typically don't receive conventional employee perks, such as insurance or retirement options. This has created a lucrative opportunity to provide tailored insurance policies for the gig economy. 

A number of insurtech startups — including UK-based Dinghy, which focuses on liability insurance, and US-based Slice, which provides on-demand insurance for a range of areas — have moved to capitalize on this new segment of the labor market. These companies have been busy finding new ways to personalize insurance products by incorporating emerging technologies, including AI and chatbots, to target the gig economy.

In this report, Business Insider Intelligence examines how insurtechs have begun addressing the gig economy, the kinds of policies they are offering, and how incumbents can tap the market themselves. We have opted to focus on three areas of insurance particularly relevant to the gig economy: vehicle insurance, home insurance, and equipment and liability insurance.

While every consumer needs health insurance, there are already a number of insurtechs and incumbent insurers that offer policies for individuals. However, when it comes to insuring work equipment or other utilities for freelancers, it's much more difficult to find suitable coverage. As such, this is the gap in the market where we see the most opportunity to deploy new products.

The companies mentioned in this report are: Airbnb, Deliveroo, Dinghy, Grab, Progressive, Slice, Uber, Urban Jungle, and Zego.

Here are some of the key takeaways from the report:

  • By 2027, the majority of the US workforce will work as freelancers, per Upwork and Freelancer Union, though not all of these workers will take part in the gig economy full time.
  • By personalizing policies for gig economy workers, insurtechs have been able to tap this opportunity early. 
  • A number of other insurtechs, including Slice and UK-based Zego, offer temporary vehicle insurance, which users can switch on and off, depending on when they are working.
  • Slice has also developed a new insurance model that combines traditional home insurance with business coverage for temporary use.
  • Other freelancers like photojournalists need insurance for their camera, for example, a coverage area that Dinghy has tackled.
  • Incumbent insurers have a huge opportunity to leverage their reach and well-known brands to pull in the gig economy and secure a share of this growing segment — and partnering with startups might be the best approach.

 In full, the report:

  • Details what the gig economy landscape looks like in different markets.
  • Explains how different insurtechs are tackling the gig economy with new personalized policies.
  • Highlights possible pain points for incumbents when trying to enter this market.
  • Discusses how incumbents can get a piece of the pie by partnering with startups.

 

SEE ALSO: These were the biggest developments in the global fintech ecosystem over the last 12 months

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50 beautiful photos of traditional wedding guest attire from around the world

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  • Getting dressed up in something special is part of the excitement that is going to a wedding.
  • Around the world, people wear a variety of clothing to get married or attend a wedding.
  • While in the UK it's common for guests to wear hats when attending a wedding, traditional Peruvian dress for wedding guests typically includes wearing multiple skirts at a time. 

The ways people dress for weddings can differ around the world.

And the bride and groom aren't the only ones who can wear traditional wedding outfits. In many countries, guests will also don outfits that can reflect their customs and religious beliefs.

Of course, traditions may vary by region, and not everyone from a certain culture or country practices the same things.

Take a look at what traditional wedding guest attire may look like around the world. 

Traditional female dress for a Mandarin wedding typically features a qipao — also known as a cheongsam.

Source: Walking in May and Little Qipao



Traditional Qipao can be a one- or two-piece, knee-length, or floor-length silk dress, and will often feature an embroidered floral pattern. You can also spot a high or low collar around the neckline.

Source: Difference Between, Little Qipao



Malaysia is made up of several different cultures. But for the Malay people in particular, women sporting traditional wedding attire might wear a baju kurung.

Source: The Star and Her World Brides



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Princess Nokia thinks Ariana Grande's new song '7 Rings' sounds 'really familiar' and implied the singer stole her style

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  • Ariana Grande released a new song Friday morning called "7 Rings," along with an accompanying music video.
  • The song was inspired by the time Grande spontaneously bought seven diamond rings for herself and six friends. Four of those friends are credited as co-writers on the track.
  • Princess Nokia posted a video on Twitter comparing "7 Rings" to her 2016 song "Mine."
  • "That sounds really familiar to me," she says in the video. "Wait, ain't that the little song I made about brown women and their hair? Hm, sounds about white."
  • Many fans on Twitter seem to agree with her, while others have noted that similar flows and lyrics have been interpolated many times before.

Princess Nokia recently posted a video comparing Ariana Grande's new single "7 Rings" with her own 2016 song "Mine," heavily implying that Grande ripped off her style.

"That sounds really familiar to me," she says in the video. "Wait, ain't that the little song I made about brown women and their hair? Hm, sounds about white."

Grande dropped the hip-hop infused "7 Rings" on Friday, which is the third single from her upcoming album, "Thank U, Next." It was inspired by the time Grande had "too much champagne" and spontaneously bought seven diamond rings for herself and six friends.

"You like my hair? Gee thanks, just bought it. I see it, I like it, I want it, I got it,"Grande sings in In "7 Rings."

The chorus of Princess Nokia's "Mine" repeats the phrase, "It's mine, I bought it," over a similar beat. The song also references buying hair like Grande's song and appears to allude to the cultural significance of hair for black and brown women: "How we choose to wear our hair is our personal choice, ok? We bought it, it's ours."

Okayplayer music editor Ivie Ani noted that Nokia's argument seems to be "more about the hair lyric/content than the flow."

"I think ppl's concern here is specific," she wrote on Twitter. "Less about the sonic origins of 'spend it'/'mine' & more about the context of Ariana being white & rapping about buying hair and Princess Nokia rapping about buying hair and the policing of+fixation with black and brown image by white ppl."

Four of Grande's co-ring owners, two of whom are women of color — Njomza, Kaydence, Tayla Parx, and Victoria Monét — are credited as co-writers on the track. The song's producers, TBHits, Scootie, and Mikey Foster, are also credited as co-writers.

watching ourselves

A post shared by Ariana Grande (@arianagrande) on Jan 15, 2019 at 7:00am PST on

The song samples "My Favorite Things" from"The Sound of Music," interpolates The Notorious B.I.G.'s"Gimme The Loot," and pays homage to artists like Lil Mama and Destiny's Child.

Some listeners have noted that Grande appears to be intentionally drawing from a large swath of inspirations — possibly including Princess Nokia.

It's certainly true that the current state of both hip-hop and pop is one of collaboration and sampling.

Similar flows and lyrics to both "7 Rings" and "Mine" have been interpolated many times before, with many citing 2 Chainz's "Spend It" and Soulja Boy's "Pretty Boy Swag" as more possible inspiration.

Many, however, seem to agree with Princess Nokia's assessment of the similarities, with some going so far as to call it a "rip off" or "plagiarism."

Neither representatives for Nokia nor Grande immediately responded to INSIDER's request for comment.

Visit INSIDER's homepage for more.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Japanese lifestyle guru Marie Kondo explains how to organize your home once and never again

8 ways to combat your fear of flying, according to experts

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  • There are lots of things that happen during flights that can be anxiety producing.
  • There are things you can do to make the trip a little bit smoother if you still want to try flying.
  • We talked to people who work on planes to get tips on making flights easier.

When it comes to phobias, aviophobia, or "fear of flying" counts among the most widely-held. The tight cabin quarters, unpredictable turbulence, and fluctuating temperatures can all contribute to an unpleasant environment, and if you're already prone to anxiety, these factors will only exacerbate the problem.

Luckily, plenty of options exist to help ease your flight-related fears and get you from Point A to Point B with your serenity intact. INSIDER asked nine medical professionals and flight specialists for their favorite flight medications and relaxation techniques, and here's what we learned.

Be sure to test any medications at home before taking them aboard your flight.

Whether you choose to use an over-the-counter medication or a prescription pill to smooth out your flight anxiety, it's important to try the drug at home before relying on it while you're in the air. According to co-founder Dr. Polly Meyers of Break Free from Anxiety, "people with genetic anxiety (which is most of us) are generally very sensitive. [Because of] this genetic variation, we can overreact or have a bad response to medications."

Also, a University of Cincinnati report indicated that high altitude can affect the potency of certain medications, citing an increase in red blood cells and a reduction in plasma proteins as the culprit.

For these reasons, you'll want to establish a strong baseline with your anti-anxiety medication before trying them out in flight. Obtaining your OTC or prescription medication a couple of weeks before your flight and beginning your regimen in advance will acclimate your body to the drugs and make their in-flight effects less unpredictable.



Xanax and Ativan are fast-acting prescription options for combating anxiety.

If you're in the market for a prescription anti-anxiety medication to take on your travels, a version that works quickly and can sustain your level mood for the duration of a cross-country or international trip will likely be your best bet. Los Angeles-based psychiatrist and travel blogger Dr. Brian Cassmassi of The Ambitious Trekker particularly recommends two popular prescription meds for this purpose: Xanax and Ativan.

"Physicians can prescribe medications as needed for flight anxiety. The most common class includes benzodiazepines like Xanax and Ativan, which are relatively fast-acting to relieve anxiety and stay in the body for several hours, which is the duration for most cross-country flights. Some people may feel a bit groggy after the flight with these medications. They can become addictive with frequent use, so caution is advised, and they should not be mixed with alcohol, as the effects are additive and can lead to over-sedation or decreased breathing," Cassmassi told INSIDER.



Melatonin can help you sleep on the flight and can also reduce jet lag when you arrive at your destination.

Overnight flights can prove particularly stressful for the anxiety-prone, due to the potential for sleep disruption. In these circumstances, the use of melatonin, a natural supplement that can be purchased over-the-counter, may prove useful.

"I recommend melatonin as a natural supplement to my patients with flight-related anxiety. Melatonin induces sleep and adjusts your circadian clock to help you function better when you reach your destination. I suggest taking melatonin a few days before your trip so that you're ready to sleep thirty minutes to an hour earlier than normal. It will decrease jet lag if taken close to your target bedtime at your destination, and there are no major side effects to worry about. Plus, your flight will be over before you know it!" advised Dr. Khalid Saeed of Tampa Bay Concierge Doctor.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

THE VOICE APPS REPORT: The top issues with voice discoverability, monetization, and retention — and how to solve them

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bii voice app skills growth over time

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

The voice app ecosystem is booming. In the US, the number of Alexa skills alone surpassed 25,000 in January 2018, up from just 7,000 the previous January, in categories ranging from music streaming services, to games, to connected home tools.

As voice platforms continue to gain footing in homes via smart speakers — connected devices powered primarily by artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled voice assistants — the opportunity for voice apps is becoming more profound. However, as observed with the rise of mobile apps in the late 2000s, any new digital ecosystem will face significant growing pains, and voice apps are no exception. Thanks to the visual-free format of voice apps, discoverability, monetization, and retention are proving particularly problematic in this nascent space. This is creating a problem in the voice assistant market that could hinder greater uptake if not addressed.

In this report, Business Insider Intelligence, Business Insider's premium research service, explores the two major viable voice app stores. It identifies the three big issues voice apps are facing — discoverability, monetization, and retention — and presents possible short-term solutions ahead of industry-wide fixes.

Here are some of the key takeaways from the report:

  • The market for smart speakers and voice platforms is expanding rapidly. The installed base of smart speakers and the volume of voice apps that can be accessed on them each saw significant gains in 2017. But the new format and the emerging voice ecosystems that are making their way into smart speaker-equipped homes is so far failing to align with consumer needs. 
  • Voice app development is a virtuous cycle with several broken components. The addressable consumer market is expanding, which is prompting more brands and developers to developer voice apps, but the ability to monetize and iterate those voice apps is limited, which could inhibit voice app growth. 
  • Monetization is only one broken component of the voice app ecosystem. Discoverability and user retention are equally problematic for voice app development. 
  • While the two major voice app ecosystems — Amazon's and Google's — have some Band-Aid solutions and workarounds, their options for improving monetization, discoverability, and retention for voice apps are currently limited.
  • There are some strategies that developers and brands can employ in the near term ahead of more robust tools and solutions.

In full, the report:

  • Sizes the current voice app ecosystem. 
  • Outlines the most pressing problems in voice app development and evolution in the space by examining the three most damning shortcoming: monetization, discoverability, and retention. 
  • Discusses the solutions being offered up by today's biggest voice platforms. 
  • Presents workaround solutions and alternative approaches that could catalyze development and evolution ahead of wider industry-wide fixes from the platforms.

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10 backhanded compliments that aren't compliments at all

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  • Commenting on someone's body size is generally not appropriate, and pregnancy isn't an invitation to comment on a woman's body.
  • Telling a person of color that they're articulate or pretty for a [insert minority here] makes insulting assumptions.
  • Don't tell a person with disabilities that they're "inspiring" just for living their life.

Some "compliments" are best left unsaid.

Even if someone intends for a remark to make someone feel good, the underlying assumptions driving it can do the opposite.

Here are 10 backhanded compliments that are actually offensive.

"The way you've overcome your disability is so inspiring!"

It shouldn't be shocking when someone with a disability is able to accomplish just as much as their able-bodied peers, and the fact that they perform mundane tasks such as grocery shopping or going to the gym shouldn't be held up as brave or inspiring. Doing so reduces people with disabilities to their disabilities.

"I want to live in a world where we don't have such low expectations of disabled people that we are congratulated for getting out of bed and remembering our own names in the morning," comedian and activist Stella Young said at TEDxSydney.



"You're so articulate!"

"When a white colleague tells a colleague of color 'You're so articulate' or 'You speak so well,' the remark suggests that they assumed the person in question would be less articulate— and are surprised to find out they aren't,"Christine Mallinson, professor of language, literacy, and culture at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, previously told Business Insider.



"You don't even look pregnant!"

Everybody experiences carrying a baby (or babies) differently, and pregnancy is not an invitation to comment on or scrutinize women's bodies.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

This is what a workday looks like for a CEO who runs his entire 40-employee tech company from a farm in New Zealand

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  • Christian Mairoll is the CEO of Emsisoft — a company with no offices, where every single employee works remotely. 
  • Mairoll now lives in New Zealand, where he manages employees in the U.S. and Europe in the early morning, and employees in Asia in the late afternoon.
  • During midday, his work quiets down, so he'll take time to check on his sheep and chickens, do some gardening with his wife, or even go to the beach.
  • For people looking to start a remote company, Mairoll advises them to hire employees they can trust who have strong self-management skills.

Christian Mairoll, founder and CEO of anti-malware company Emsisoft, spends most of his day in meetings and brainstorming sessions — but always makes time to feed his sheep and chickens in between. 

He's able to do that because his company has no offices at all— every single one of Emsisoft's 40 or so employees, including the CEO, works completely remotely from their homes, their RVs, and in Mairoll's case, their farms. 

Originally from Austria, Mairoll bought his land in rural New Zealand in search of a more relaxed lifestyle and warmer winters. Because of Emsisoft's setup, barely anyone at his company noticed when he moved.

At first Mairoll had intense jet lag, but he found that running a company from remote New Zealand worked out for him because the time zones gave his waking hours more overlap with his teammates from Europe, the U.S. and Asia. And he has plenty of time to tend to his animals and fruit trees, too. 

"Things are just much simpler in New Zealand," Mairoll told Business Insider. "We wake up with the sun, never get stuck in a traffic jam, enjoy that our nearest neighbor is more than 100 yards away, grow our own fruits and vegetables around the house, live in tranquility. You get the picture."

Emsisoft hit on the all-remote concept for a very practical reason, he told Business Insider: A lack of capital.

Mairoll didn't want to take venture capital funding to get the company off the ground. But without it, he couldn't afford to compete with Silicon Valley giants like Google or Facebook for talent. So rather than try, he decided to instead hire developers in places like Russia and Siberia, and offered competitive rates for those areas. Soon, Emsisoft was off the ground and hiring even more employees.

Read more:Startups are betting that letting people work from home, an RV, or a New Zealand mountaintop will lure top talent away from Silicon Valley

Ultimately, Mairoll says despite the challenges of running and scaling a global company without ever seeing his employees in the flesh, he never plans on opening an office. Rather, he believes the remote working culture has become a core aspect of Emsisoft. 

This is what Mairoll's workday looks like.

Waking Up

Mairoll starts his workday around 5 or 6 a.m., where he'll work in a small, 110-square foot home office that he built himself, right next to his house. He calls this "the box."

Living in New Zealand, starting early helps his waking hours overlap with those employees in other time zones. When he logs on, he faces a flood of emails and Slack messages that he needs to go through one by one.

Team meetings often take place in the morning as well, because that's when New Zealand has some overlapping daytime hours with eastern Europe, where a huge chunk of Emsisoft's developers are from.

Once noon rolls around, things start to get less hectic for Mairoll. His European teammates are already fast asleep as it's late at night there, while his American colleagues are starting to log off for the day. 

Quiet Time

As his inbox and Slack notifications quiet down around this time, Mairoll takes a break. Sometimes he'll work on project planning. Other times, he'll check on his sheep and chickens, go to the supermarket, or help his wife with gardening and housework.

"I generally try to avoid calendars and regular schedules as much as possible to preserve the personal freedom I was looking for when I decided to become self-employed 15 years ago," Mairoll said. "That's the moments when I feel free and kind of privileged, running a remote only business."

Occasionally, he'll go to the beach and take some photos, just because he can.  He doesn't work from the beach, though, although theoretically he could. Instead, he uses this quiet time to take a break.

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"People often use the catchy phrase 'work in the park or at the beach' when they promote remote work, but the truth is, working outside is mostly a terrible idea," Mairoll said. "Especially with direct sunlight, contrast levels of laptop displays get very bad, so it's impossible to do any creative work that requires true colors."

Later in the afternoon, his teammates in Asia will start waking up and logging on, so he will answer messages from them.

He tries to be off his computer no later than 7 or 8 in the evening. Once he's done with his workday, he'll spend time with his family by cooking, watching movies or relaxing.

Advice to Remote Founders

Mairoll says he can't imagine working any other way now.

"When I started doing all-remote, it was a special thing," Mairoll said. "I don't see it as an unusual thing anymore. By now, it's a well-known concept of businesses."

When it comes to following in Emsisoft's footsteps, Mairoll's advice is to go big or go home. If you can't commit to having your whole entire company work remotely, don't do it at all. A team can't be successful if a company is only partially remote, because the office workers will end up making the remote workers feel isolated.

Mairoll also says to trust the employees you work with and to hire people have strong self-management skills. Being careful with the hiring process can weed out people who get easily distracted or can't work on their own.

"Find people who are dedicated to work from home and are self-motivated to keep up the workload," Mairoll said. "I would say when I'm doing a job interview with someone, I can easily tell within a couple of minutes if someone can do the job properly or not, and also, if they fit in our team culture and business culture."

The biggest challenge is that it can be difficult to connect with people on a personal level when you're only talking through a computer screen. Last year, Mairoll tried to remedy the lack of social interaction by renting a desk at a shared coworking office, but he stopped after half a year. Although he enjoyed meeting other people at the office, he felt like the environment was too scheduled for him.

Emsisoft itself has special chat rooms for talking about non-work related topics, and some teammates will play online games together after work. But otherwise, Mairoll doesn't see his colleagues on a day-to-day basis, and he's only met four of them in person.

That's why when it comes to remote working culture, it's especially important to remember that your colleagues are human, not just words popping up on a screen, Mairoll says.

"The social component gets cut a bit short at times," Mairoll said. "Everyone’s focused on working efficiently and there’s not much time for unnecessary fluff, so things can get a bit impersonal if people don’t pay attention to the fact that their colleagues are real humans as well. I think it takes slightly more effort in team building to establish strong team bonds over the internet, but I don’t see it as a major blocker at all."

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