• The Mediterranean diet is not an actual "diet," but the keto diet is, according to Rachael Hartley, a registered and licensed dietitian.
• The keto diet involves counting and numbers, but the Mediterranean diet is more of a general guideline for eating.
• Both diets include fats, but the types of fats are not the same.

It seems like everyone is talking about the ketogenic diet these days. On the other hand, the Mediterranean diet was just voted the best of the year. But, how do you know which one is right for you? It's important to understand how each diet works — and what sets them apart.

The ketogenic diet involves eating high-fat foods with moderate amounts of proteins and a low amount of carbohydrates. This diet tricks the body into burning fats and ketones over carbohydrates. The Mediterranean diet focuses on plant-based foods, fresh fruits and vegetables, and eating lean proteins. This diet shifts the emphasis away from processed foods and is considered more of a way of eating than a traditional diet.

Read more: 10 things you should know before starting the Mediterranean diet

Rachael Hartley, a registered and licensed dietitian, explained some of the key differences between the trendy diets.

Keto is a true diet, while the Mediterranean diet is actually an eating pattern

By definition, a diet includes the kinds of food that a person eats — or doesn't eat — on a very regular basis. A diet limits your food options and may be used for weight loss, medical purposes, or personal reasons. This is one of the main ways where the keto diet and the Mediterranean diet differ.

"The keto diet is based on more rigid rules about what you can and can't eat and it uses grams as a measurement tool," Hartley told INSIDER. "While certainly people can use the Mediterranean diet pattern and turn it into a diet, research-wise it is based on a dietary pattern of eating and has much less like riding rules about what you can and can't eat like the keto diet. The Mediterranean diet pattern is a pretty big picture model."

One diet restricts what you can eat, the other does not

The keto diet focuses in on restrictions such as foods you can't consume, unlike the Mediterranean dietary pattern, according to Hartley.

"The Mediterranean is focused on inclusion and emphasizes olive oil and other healthy fats, whole grains, legumes, leafy greens," said Hartley. "The keto diet follows a very high-fat, moderate protein, very low-carbohydrate way of eating."

She continued, "Unlike the keto diet, there are not rigid rules attached to the Mediterranean diet pattern. That's why we call it a dietary pattern and not a diet. Really no foods are off-limits on the Mediterranean diet plan. With keto, that are very specific foods that you aren't allowed to eat or don't have room to eat because your carb grams are so limited. The Mediterranean diet allows you to work in any food that you like."

Both diets encourage foods with fat, but not the same types of fats

Those embarking on the keto diet may find themselves eating foods such as cheese, bacon, and butter. These foods, which are high in fat, are encouraged on the keto diet. While the Mediterranean diet also encourages followers to eat foods containing fat, the two recommendations are not the same.

"From a nutritional standpoint, the keto diet is much higher in fat, although, both diets emphasize fat," said Hartley. "The Mediterranean diet plan used to be called high fat. But, compared to keto, it's definitely nowhere close. Most diets emphasize fat, but the keto diet is significantly higher in fat where fats make up the vast components of energy that you're getting from the diet."

The Mediterranean diet plan encourages followers to consume healthy fats like avocados and olive oil. Hartley added, "The keto diet also emphasizes fats to the point that it can be challenging to get adequate amounts of other macronutrients."

The Mediterranean diet calls for nutrient-rich food groups; keto does not

The two styles of eating are built on a foundation of different food groups.

"Another nutritional difference between the Mediterranean diet pattern and the keto diet is that the Mediterranean emphasizes whole grains, legumes, and other fiber-rich carbohydrate foods that have a ton of evidence supporting the health benefits of eating them," said Harley. "The keto diet does not emphasize these nutrient-rich food groups."

The keto diet requires you to track your food, while the Mediterranean diet does not

The Mediterranean diet takes less planning than the keto diet. Followers of the Mediterranean diet plan do not need to count calories or carbs, but participants of the keto diet need to keep a close eye on what they are eating in an effort to be successful.

"With the keto diet, there's a lot of numbers and counting involved. In order to supposedly maintain ketosis, you have to count grams of carbs, grams of protein, grams of fat, and be a human calculator when it comes to food," said Hartley. "With the Mediterranean diet pattern, the emphasis is really on foods rather than on numbers."

The Keto diet can help treat people who suffer from epilepsy

According to Hartley, the keto diet was originally created to help epilepsy patients. According to the Epilepsy Foundation, studies show that the ketogenic diet can help ease seizures for certain children in instances when prescribed medications don't work. In fact, the organization reports that more than half of children who follow the diet saw their seizures reduced by at least 50%. These benefits have not been linked to the Mediterranean diet.

"There is evidence that the keto diet can help certain people who have seizures and are not responding to other treatments. This is a real benefit for this certain population. The often have life-threatening seizures and following this rigid diet is not fun for them, but it is saving their life and very important. While the Mediterranean diet has many health benefits, this is not one of them," said Hartley.

Read more: 6 unexpected benefits of the Mediterranean diet

The sustainability rate for each diet is very different

Lisa De Fazio, a registered dietitian nutritionist, told INSIDER that she sees patients who have followed the keto diet and now have high cholesterol as a result.

"You cannot eat large amounts of meat, cheese, and fat without consequences. You can't eat this way until you die," said De Fazio. "When you stop keto eating and eat carbs you gain the weight back and more because you have screwed up your body's metabolism."

Hartley agreed, and said, "There's research that shows the adherence rate for the keto diet is around 45%. I think that's actually significantly higher than what it is in the real world because this was a population that did have severe epilepsy. I imagine the adherence rate if you're just attempting the keto diet for general health or weight loss, that the attempt would be quite lower, especially when you start to think about long-term. I don't think it's super viable for most people to adhere to the keto diet long-term."

The keto diet may have more health risks than the Mediterranean diet plan

Hartley said that the ketogenic diet can cause high cholesterol, low blood pressure, and hypoglycemia from not eating carbohydrates.

Read more: These biggest pros and cons of the keto diet, according to a nutritionist

"There are significantly more health risks associated with keto than the Mediterranean. It is possible for someone to take any nutritional advice too far — including with the Mediterranean diet pattern — but with the ketogenic diet, there is much more risk for health concerns," said Hartley. "Also constipation from not getting enough fiber, because those fiber-rich carbs are restricted."

Aside from what foods are and aren't included, Hartley tells INSIDER that the setup of the ketogenic diet may be triggering for someone at risk of developing an eating disorder.

"I think many people who are at risk of eating disorders and attempt a diet pattern that's very rigid and numbers-focused can be very triggering for them," said Hartley. "Even for people who don't have an eating disorder, adhering to a rigid diet can often trigger eating disorder behaviors."

Both diets moderate your sugar intake but in a different way

The Mediterranean diet does not necessarily restrict your sugar consumption, but rather it emphasizes other fresh foods, per Hartley. This isn't really the case when it comes to the keto diet, though, she said.

"The principle is more crowding out the sugar. The Mediterranean diet pattern highlights lots of other fresh foods like fruits, and veggies. So, there is a lower intake in sugar but there aren't rules like 'you can't have this or that' on the Mediterranean diet," said Hartley. "With the keto diet, I'd imagine a very small amount of sweets that would chip into your total daily allowance pretty quickly. I can't imagine you could realistically work in something that has actual sugar in it."

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Earth's north magnetic pole is on the move — here's what will happen when our poles flip

• A flurry of news reports Wednesday said Lyft is almost ready to begin the IPO process. 
• The ride-hailing firm could make its confidential filing public as early as next week, with a road-show beginning in March. 
• Beating Uber to public markets could be huge for the smaller rival, experts have told Business Insider. 

Lyft may beat Uber to public markets, according to multiple news reports published this week.

Both Bloomberg and the Wall Street Journal reported the company was planning to make its confidential filing with US regulators public as soon as next week, with a roadshow beginning the week of March 18. A separate Reuters report on Wednesday also noted the roadshow date for that week. All of the reports cited anonymous sources. 

The company plans to start trading in early April, sources told the New York Times.

A Lyft spokesperson declined to comment. 

If the three reports pan out, Lyft could easily beat its larger rival Uber to going public. Being first could be a huge advantage, experts have told Business Insider, especially given that no similar companies are currently listed on public markets. One analyst says the most apt comparisons right now are Etsy and Alibaba, as platform companies.

Read more: Lyft is counting on Middle America as the key to beating Uber in the race to an IPO

As a private company, Lyft has hit a valuation of $15 billion. That could increase as high as $30 billion, according to Bloomberg, still much smaller than Uber's $72 billion valuation, according to PitchBook data. 

WSJ also reported that Lyft had chosen Nasdaq to list its shares. That could be a key victory for the uptown exchange, which missed out on several high-profile offerings that chose the New York Stock Exchange, including Spotify and Snap. Nasdaq did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

According to Bloomberg, Lyft has enlisted JPMorgan and Jefferies to help with the offering. Business Insider has confirmed that Credit Suisse is also involved.

Do you have information about Lyft’s public offering or another news tip? Get in touch with this reporter at grapier@businessinsider.com. Secure contact methods available here.

SEE ALSO: Lyft has a 'clear early-mover advantage' in beating Uber to an IPO

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Watch what happens when you put a 240cc Honda dirt bike engine in a toy Barbie car

"I thought I'd photographed everyone, all the great names that populated our lives and our post-war history. There was no-one left I wanted to photograph – and then I met Mandela and it took me back, all the way back, to that street in 1962 when Winston gave me a wave."

It is surprising that it took 50 years before O'Neill himself realized the extent of his legacy when it was obvious to all who had followed his career. Photographers always looked to the next assignment, the next shoot, tomorrow paid the rent, tomorrow's subject was how you were judged, yesterday's photographs were quickly consigned to filing cabinets and cardboard boxes in dusty cellars.

Hardly a box or a file could be opened without revealing the intriguing, the compelling, the mesmerizing. O'Neil l's photographs told stories, historical insights into a cultural heritage long forgotten, or mislaid. 

How did he do it? How did O'Neill conjure an uncharacteristic guffaw from HM The Queen, or persuade Margaret Thatcher to soften her image and delicately hold a flower under her chin, or persuade the controlling and difficult Frank Sinatra to allow him to photograph him in private and in public without EVER ordering him to put his camera away? Why would he, or Elton John or David Bowie or countless others feel so comfortable working with O'Neill that his archive can cover decades of their lives and careers?

The secret to O'Neill's access was simple – it wasn't just modesty and charm that unlocked doors, but a deliberate policy of making himself invisible once inside; he was a ghost in their presence when so many others invaded the limelight of stars. He was THERE. In the right place at the right time, camera loaded, as he says himself, taking pictures in his head that the camera translated – pictures that were honest, intimate, insightful, historic.

And even now, 10 years after the first ground was broken, digging into those boxes, a rich seam of images still remains to be mined, a vein of silver gelatin so deep it just keeps on throwing up nuggets.

At book signings and in gallery openings, O'Neill will sign or say simply "Enjoy."

There's nothing more to say.

Purchase "Terry O'Neill Rare and Unseen"here.

Truncated foreword by Robin Morgan, co-founder and CEO of iconic images.

Diana Ross

Original press print, 1972.

Carrie Fisher

Julie Andrews

On the set of the film "Star!" in the South of France, 1968.

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

The first Amazon Go store opened over a year ago and there are now 10 locations across Seattle, Chicago, and San Francisco. These stores offer prepared foods, items regularly found at a convenience store, and, in some cases, groceries. And they’re proving popular with shoppers, with many making return visits.

The emergence and relative success of Amazon Go and its convenient cashierless shopping experience that bypasses physical checkout has some retailers concerned Amazon will use its innovative technology to compete with their stores.

Amazon Go customers are more likely to shop at fast-casual restaurants and convenience stores than big box retailers. Consumers who shop at Amazon Go overindex at fast-casual restaurants like Freshii and Chipotle and other speedy retailers including Starbucks and 7-Eleven, according to a report from inMarket sent to Business Insider Intelligence.

This overlap is likely because the other retailers’ speed is part of their value, just like it is for Amazon Go, and also because some of them offer similar products to Amazon Go. Meanwhile, Amazon Go shoppers underindex at big box retailers including Walmart, Target, and Costco.

These types of stores offer a very different experience and product selection compared with Amazon Go stores, generally requiring a longer trip and more purchases, so Amazon Go doesn’t appear to be competing with these retailers as directly.

This means that Amazon Go should have quick-service restaurants (QSRs) and convenience stores on high-alert. Amazon Go is directly competing with these types of stores in Seattle, Chicago, and San Francisco because it offers similar products and can often serve as a substitute.

And considering some consumers turn to QSRs and convenience stores for their speed, Amazon Go is a serious threat to their future success. Amazon Go’s technology saves consumers time since they don’t need to stop to check out of a store, and if Amazon follows through on its reported interest in opening 3,000 Go stores by 2021, a significant number of retailers will be facing competition from stores with superior shopping experiences.

But other retailers should also be wary of Amazon Go as it expands, if it’s able to scale its technology. Amazon Go’s physical checkout-less experience should hold appeal for all types of product categories, potentially threatening any store.

But autonomous shopping technology hasn't been scaled for large stores yet: Neither Amazon Go nor its competitors in the space have opened or outfitted a store bigger than a convenience store with autonomous checkout technology.

Doing so would be difficult since the technology needs to track all people and products in a store at once. Amazon is reportedly working on this process, but considering the e-tailer has been building new stores for its Go locations, even if its technology gains the ability to track a large store it'll still have to make the significant investment of building them.

SEE ALSO: If we're living through a “retail apocalypse,” why are e-commerce leaders like Amazon, Alibaba, and JD.com so focused on building brick-and-mortar stores?

Join the conversation about this story »

• DC Comics and Warner Bros.' streaming service, DC Universe, launched five months ago, and just debuted its third original program, "Doom Patrol," to critical acclaim.
• The mobile app has passed 1 million installations on the App Store and Google Play, according to mobile markets insights company Sensor Tower, and has momentum behind it.
• DC Universe told Business Insider that the biggest upticks in free-trial sign-ups, aside from the initial launch, have corresponded with the premiere of new originals, and more than 7 million comics have been read on the service. 
• The platform has so far been directed at a specific fanbase, but experts say attracting casual viewers and exclusive content will be a key to its longevity.

When DC Comics and Warner Bros.' DC Universe streaming service launched in September, it labeled itself as the "ultimate DC membership" for fans, a place where the DC Comics fandom could watch their favorite movies, read their favorite comics, and gain access to exclusive original content for $7.99 a month.

That focus was a contrast to prominent streaming services like Netflix, which has nearly 140 million subscribers worldwide and appeals to wide range of audiences. And DC Universe launched into an uncertain market for niche streaming services, some of which have shut down in recent years, including classic film service FilmStruck, Korean drama service DramaFever, and comedy-centric Seeso.

Five months later, has DC Universe proved it's here to stay? Experts say the momentum is there, but it will have to evolve like any other streamer.

READ MORE: How Dark Horse is building its own movie and TV empire out of comic books, from Netflix to a 'Hellboy' reboot

On the originals front, the service has hit the ground running. A spokesperson told Business Insider that the biggest upticks in free-trial sign-ups, aside from the initial launch, have corresponded with the premiere of new series. DC Universe's first two original programs, the live-action "Titans" and the animated "Young Justice: Outsiders," have consistently been among the seven most in-demand streaming shows in the world, according to weekly data provided to Business Insider by Parrot Analytics.

The shows have been praised by critics, too. "Titans" has 84% Rotten Tomatoes score and the new season of "Young Justice" has a 91%. The latest series to debut on the service, "Doom Patrol," is sitting at 93%.

Unlike Netflix, which drops entire seasons at once, DC Universe releases episodes on a weekly basis. "Doom Patrol" showrunner Jeremy Carver said this gives the service an advantage in sustaining buzz with only a few originals out.

"I love to binge as much as the next person, but there is something exciting about rolling it out," he told Business Insider. "All of these episodes are unique from one another, and I think, particularly when you pair that with launching a new service, the hope is that you're building momentum with each and every episode and folks are talking about it, and other folks want to be part of that."

By the end of January, the DC Universe mobile app had passed 1 million installations on the App store and Google Play combined, and revenue was up 53% in January compared to December, according to data from mobile-insights company Sensor Tower provided to Business Insider (this is only for the mobile app, and doesn't include other platforms such as desktop and Roku).

Sensor Tower cofounder Alex Malafeev told Business Insider the mobile app's revenue growth "paints a positive picture for the service when looked at in comparison to other niche subscription offerings on mobile which have grown more modestly in their first several months of availability."

How DC Universe can survive for years to come

DC Entertainment CCO Jim Lee told Business Insider in August ahead of the DC Universe's launch that it wasn't trying to compete with Netflix. Lee said that DC Universe was "not an attempt to be everything to everyone," but rather "an attempt to be the most immersive experience for fans of the DC characters and stories."

Malafeev said DC Universe will have to keep delivering original content that "resonates as strongly with its target audience" if it wants to continue its success.

READ MORE: Netflix's Marvel TV universe is dead, and it's unlikely the shows will be saved by Disney 

Upcoming DC Universe originals in 2019 include "Swamp Thing" and an animated "Harley Quinn" series. It also doubled the amount of digital comics available to read in February, and a spokesperson said that over 7 million comics have been read since launch. It also recently made the animated movie "Reign of the Supermen" available to stream on the same day it released on Blu-ray.

But it can't just appeal to its loyal users. Brice Clinton, a senior engineer at CSG with expertise in streaming services, said attracting casual users will be essential. He said the service should leverage hit movies beyond its original programs, like "Wonder Woman" and "Aquaman," and stream them exclusively (the service currently includes classic "Superman" and "Batman" movies).

"It doesn't need Netflix numbers," Clinton told Business Insider. "Think about it like sports. With football, there's always the rabid fan. But the NFL is really trying to attract the casual fan, because the hardcore fan is always going to be there anyway. Does it need to have mass appeal? No. But to attract the casual fan, I think that's important for them. It's always going to have that ingrained base, but can it get one other set of people?"

"I always hope that we can bring more people in with a story that’s even more universal than just superheroes,""Doom Patrol's" Carver said in regards to bringing in casual viewers. "But I say that with a certain amount of naivety because I think superhero stories are relatively universal."

Have a tip about DC Universe or anything else? Email the author at tclark@businessinsider.com.

SEE ALSO: Gwyneth Paltrow, who had never seen an 'Avengers' movie before 'Infinity War,' will exit the Marvel Cinematic Universe after 'Endgame'

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Sea cucumbers are so valuable that people are risking their lives diving for them

• A fire is raging inside Anthony Joshua.
• The four-belt world heavyweight boxing champion defends his titles against Jarrell Miller, dubbed the division's "best talker," on June 1 in New York City.
• Miller has already proven provocative, and Joshua did not hold back in return as he called Miller a "rotting disease."
• This may seem out of character for Joshua, who is normally mild-mannered, but the man is a fighter by trade and fights fire with fire.
• Joshua has dealt with trash talkers and pre-fight posturing before, and there is one constant — the results are always the same, a violent knockout win for the Brit.
• Against Miller, an American who is far less experienced and skillful than fighters Joshua has already slayed, the result will be no different.

A fire is raging inside the world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua, and it's all because of Jarrell Miller.

Miller, the challenger, lit those flames at a media event in New York City on Tuesday when he shoved Joshua so hard that the Brit was knocked off balance and had to take numerous steps back to regain his composure.

We are used to seeing an ambassadorial Joshua, the athlete with a winning smile who is fan-friendly, media-savvy, and attracts blue-chip sponsors like Under Armour, Beats by Dre, and Vodafone.

But, by trade, Joshua is a boxer and makes most of his money by repeatedly ramming his huge fists through an opponent's body, temple, or chin, usually never resting until that man is defeated, concussed, and lying on the floor of a blood-stained canvas.

Joshua, after all, got off the canvas to knock out former long-reigning heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko in 2017, overcame a headbutt and busted nose to defeat Carlos Takam in the 10th round in 2008, and, most recently, he almost sent the 2004 Olympic gold medalist Alexander Povetkin through the ropes en route to a thumping stoppage win just six months ago.

Read more: Anthony Joshua's next fight confirms he's this era's Floyd Mayweather

Yes, Joshua speaks well… but at heart he is a fighter, a man who simply thrives when it comes to competition, the stage, and above all, unarmed combat.

This is why it's not too surprising that this fighting spirit comes out to play every now and then outside of a boxing ring, when an opponent talks trash or does what Miller did earlier this week when he pushed him in front of reporters and camera crews in a clip that will have now been seen by fans all around the world.

By doing this, all Miller has done is provoke anger from Joshua.

Joshua has called the American a "little b----" and a "rotting disease" who he just wants to "murder".

But the feud is sure to end like countless others.

Joshua has dealt with trash-talkers and pre-fight posturing before, but the result every time — from Dillian Whyte to Dominic Breazeale — has been a savage knockout victory for Joshua.

Joshua, for instance, laughed off an in-ring riot to flatten old amateur rival Dillian Whyte with a crushing right uppercut in 2015. He also silenced Dominic Breazeale, who had been mercilessly trash-talking him in the build-up to their 2016 bout, when he stopped the American in the seventh round in London.

Miller, another American challenger, will be no different.

Miller, described by The Ring magazine as "the best talker" in the heavyweight division, has an intimidating record of 23 wins against zero losses, 20 of those wins coming by knockout, with only one draw.

But peek beyond the numbers and you see a fighter who has only ever mixed it up at a national level, rather than a true world level against the very best the sport can offer.

His biggest wins are against Gerald Washington (who had just come off a knockout loss) in 2017, against Mariusz Wach (who had been shown up twice by Wladimir Klitschko and Povetkin) six months later, and Tomasz Adamek last year, a talented cruiserweight who has struggled to impose himself in boxing's glamor division.

The reason why he has so many knockouts is because his record flatters him unlike Joshua who has shown off his undeniable power against Whyte, Klitschko, and Povetkin, all of whom he bombed out with aplomb.

Miller is an aggressive, come-forward fighter who likes to box on the inside — from close range, that is. This plays into one of Joshua's biggest advantages as one of his top punches is an uppercut — a punch he has used to KO fighters who had a far greater pedigree than Miller.

At approximately 300 pounds, Miller is obviously slow-footed and one-paced. Again, this will prove a nightmare for him against Joshua who, though a robust figure himself, can prove to be fast and dangerous against a guy who is there to be hit.

Joshua is used to walking to the ring while an expensive pyrotechnic display propels flames all around him. Against Miller, in what is his debut on an American canvas, you can expect him to be so good that he leaves the ring in a similar blaze of glory, having violently silenced the man famed for his big mouth.

SEE ALSO: Jerrell Miller shoved Anthony Joshua so hard he almost fell over because the Brit was smiling

DON'T MISS: Anthony Joshua's next fight confirms he's this era's Floyd Mayweather

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Why hosting the Super Bowl isn't worth it, according to an economist

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.

• Tea is the most popular beverage in the world after water. It’s also one of the oldest, and it's the center of a wide range of traditions all around the globe.
• There’s a variety of tea that’s perfect for every time of the day from the first cup of the morning to your before-bed relaxation brew.
• Because there are so many different types of tea out there, we gathered up a collection of the 10 best teas to carry you through the entire day.
• Our top picks include teas from Bigelow, Vahdam Teas, Guayaki, Twinnings, Harney & Sons, Tealyra, Celestial Seasonings, and Traditional Medicinals.

All true teas, including black, green, white, and oolong, are brewed from the leaves of Camellia sinensis. This evergreen shrubby tree is native to China, where tea originated several thousand years ago, but now grows in many areas of the world, especially in semi-tropical climates.

The leaves take on a slightly different flavor depending on where they are grown, and there are quite a few cultivators of Camellia sinensis as well, each with its own unique characteristics, so although all tea is from the same plant, there are seemingly endless varieties to choose from.

There are four main categories of true tea. While all are made from the leaves of Camellia sinensis, they differ in the way the leaves are processed.

• Black tea, the most common and popular type in the west, is brewed from withered, oxidized (exposed to oxygen to break down the plant’s cells), and dried tea leaves. It’s dark in color, strong in flavor, and contains roughly 60-90 milligrams of caffeine per 8-ounce cup. By comparison, coffee has approximately 100 milligrams of caffeine per cup.
• Green tea is not oxidized but simply withered and dried, producing a pale gold or green tea with a mild flavor. There’s around 35-70 milligrams of caffeine in an 8-ounce cup. Matcha is made from powdered green tea leaves.
• White tea is the least processed. The leaves are picked and dried without first withering. White tea has a delicate, fresh flavor and roughly 30-50 milligrams of caffeine per cup.
• Oolong tea is somewhere between black and green tea in flavor and caffeine content. It’s only partially oxidized before it’s dried, and the leaves are often rolled or stretched.

Note that herbal brews, while commonly called herbal teas, aren’t technically tea at all, but rather, herbal infusions. And of course, there are several other plants brewed into “teas,” including yerba mate and rooibos.

As a tea enthusiast, I would be remiss in not adding a caution that the water you use is nearly as important as the tea. For the very best results use filtered or pure bottled water rather than tap, which tends to unpleasantly alter the flavor of the brewed tea. And don’t pour boiling water over your teabag. You’ll get the best taste from water that’s below 200 degrees for most types of tea.

Here are the best teas you can buy:

• Best teas for early mornings: American Breakfast or Guayaki Traditional Yerba Mate
• Best teas for late morning: Twinings Irish Breakfast or Vahdam Original Chai
• Best afternoon teas: Harney & Sons Paris or Tealyra Imperial Dragon Jasmine Green Tea
• Best after-dinner teas: Harney & Sons Peppermint Herbal Tea or Decaffeinated Constant Comment
• Best before-bed teas: Tension Tamer or Organic Chamomile with Lavender

Read on in the slides below to check out our top picks.

The best teas for your first cup of the morning

Why you'll love them: Wake yourself up with a mug (or two) of Bigelow’s American Breakfast or Guayaki Traditional Yerba Mate.

When morning hits you hard, a cup of hot, steaming, liquid caffeine is the antidote. I’m a tea drinker. A big tea drinker. None of those dainty six-ounce teacups for me — I prefer my morning brew in a mug that holds at least 15 ounces. And the tea that is usually filling up that mug is American Breakfast from Bigelow.

This strong black tea is basically English Breakfast, but with 50% more caffeine. That gives American Breakfast the same kick as a cup of coffee. The extra caffeine is from concentrated black tea extract, it’s not an artificial additive.

While it’s a classic black tea, with the characteristic somewhat malty flavor, American Breakfast lacks any unpleasant bitterness. Even if I forget to take the teabag out at the five-minute mark, it tastes great. I prefer mine with sugar and half- &-half, but a squeeze of lemon is also good. It’s also a delicious iced tea, if you prefer a chilled beverage.

If you want a naturally caffeinated alternative to black tea or coffee, give Guayaki Traditional Yerba Mate (pronounce it yer-bah mah-tay) a try. Yerba mate is a traditional drink of South America, where the shrubby yerba mate tree thrives.

For many outside South America, yerba mate is something of an acquired taste. Newcomers to the drink often describe it as tasting like smoky grass, or as earthy. But once you take to it, you’ll appreciate the smooth kick of the caffeine — around 30 to 40 milligrams per cup — which doesn’t give you the jitters or an after-caffeine crash.

Steep it no more than five minutes to avoid bitterness. Many people add honey, sugar, or agave to sweeten the brew, and a dash of milk is another option. It’s also good iced.

Guayaki Traditional Yerba Mate is organically grown in South America and fair-trade certified.

Buy American Breakfast (60 teabags) at Walmart for $6.84

Buy Guayaki Traditional Yerba Mate (75 teabags) on Amazon for $10.36

The best teas for late morning

Why you'll love them: Looking for a pick-me-up before lunchtime, or a clear head to help you tackle a tough work project? That’s exactly what you’ll get with Twinings Irish Breakfast or Vahdam Original Chai.

When it’s time to sit down at my desk and start writing, my "coworker" is generally a mug of Twinings Irish Breakfast. This bold and just a bit smoky brew is a mixture of Assam, Kenyan, Chinese, and Indonesian teas, creating a smooth, strong, traditional black tea flavor.

It has enough caffeine to clear my head without any jitters and tastes wonderful with a bit of sugar and a splash of milk. A squeeze of lemon is another option, as is icing the tea on a hot day. I let it steep for five minutes, which produces strong flavor and dark color without bitterness.

If chai tea is your thing, you’ll love the traditional flavor of Vahdam Original Chai. Chai is the favored drink of India, where Assam black tea grows. While recipes vary, the typical blend of spices that give the tea its characteristic flavor include cinnamon, cardamom, black pepper, ginger, and cloves. Vahdam Original Chai is grown and packaged in India and is certified fair-trade.

The authentic way to make chai tea is to boil the tea in one part milk to two parts water, but you can just as easily use water alone, or steep the tea in water the usual way, and then add milk once it’s ready (my preference). The rich spice flavor is perfect on its own, or you can add just a little bit of sugar to heighten the taste. So good. It makes a perfect chai latte, as well.

Buy Twinings Irish Breakfast (50 teabags) at Target for $6.59

Buy Vahdam Original Chai (loose tea, enough for 50 cups) on Amazon for $9.49

The best afternoon teas

Why you'll love them: A flavorful blend like Harney & Sons Paris or Tealyra Imperial Dragon Jasmine Green Tea is just the thing to overcome that afternoon slump. 

You don't have to be English to love the tradition of afternoon tea. I don't always have an afternoon cup of tea, but when I do, these days it's usually Harney & Sons Paris.

The wonderfully smooth and creamy flavor almost makes me feel like I'm sitting at a little café in France, instead of my much more humdrum desk in California. Paris is a black tea enlivened with a touch of vanilla and caramel, as well as the lightest touch of citrus. The result? A complex-and-yet-delicate flavor that's the perfect accompaniment to a cookie or biscuit.

As with all my teas, I like to add a bit of sugar and half & half, but this is a delicious tea all on its own. Packaged in a silky sachet, rather than the usual paper teabag, the tea brews to perfection in just five minutes or so.

Green tea sweetly scented and flavored with jasmine blossoms is a favorite drink in Asia, especially China, and Tealyra's Imperial Dragon Jasmine Green Tea makes the perfect cup of this traditional brew. Like all green teas, it's somewhat delicate in flavor, with a fresh, uplifting taste and a wonderful fragrance. Brew it with water that's hot but not boiling, and let it steep for just three or four minutes for the best flavor.

The teabags contain tea "pearls," which are small balls of rolled tea leaves. They'll unfurl as the tea steeps. Tealyra's tea is organically grown, and is best enjoyed without any additional sweetener or milk, although it that's your preference, have at it.

Buy Harney & Sons Paris (20 sachets) on Amazon for $6.91

Buy Tealyra Imperial Dragon Jasmine Green Tea (25 sachets) on Amazon for $13.98

• Consumer-focused private-equity firm L Catterton has invested in some of the biggest names in fitness, including Peloton, ClassPass, and Equinox.
• It recently led a $20 million round of investment into Hydrow, a high-tech indoor rowing machine that costs north of $2,399.
• A managing partner at L Catterton who worked on the deal told Business Insider he believes that indoor rowing and weight training are the next big trends in fitness. 

Private-equity firm L Catterton has a reputation for investing in some of the most disruptive names in fitness — Peloton, ClassPass, and Equinox, to name a few — so when it flags a new trend in the industry, people pay attention.  

Business Insider recently spoke to Michael Farello, a managing partner at L Catterton whose fund led a $20 million round of investment in Hydrow, the startup behind a new high-tech rowing machine. Farello said that indoor rowing will become the next big success story in home fitness. 

"Rowing as a fitness activity has been growing in the US," he said. "And we think Hydrow has created the most compelling experience."

Hydrow estimates that there are roughly 250,000 active outdoor rowers in the US and that 4.3 million people use indoor rowing machines daily, and according to industry research, the global rowing machines market will grow by 5% by 2022.

Read more:These innovations revolutionized home fitness in 2018

The machine, which is slated to launch this summer and costs north of $2,399 — including three month's worth of membership fees, which cost $38 a month — is the brainchild of former US national rowing coach Bruce Smith.

Smith has put a different spin on the traditional rowing experience by offering classes that are broadcast live from the rivers of New York and Miami. Some of these classes are taught by members of the US national rowing team.

"If you look to create that Peloton style of experience — highly engaging and highly interactive — [Hydrow is] really in a unique position at this point," Farello said. 

Peloton launched in 2012 with its high-tech indoor bike. It's now valued at $4 billion and reportedly making plans to file for an IPO. L Catterton is constantly on the lookout for the next version of this.

Finding the next Peloton

"We do an inordinate amount of consumer research," Farello said. "We are constantly investing in understanding which categories are likely to grow materially based on underlying consumer trends, independent of the macroeconomic environment."

Farello said that the firm has broadly invested in the health and wellness industry over the course of the last decade. This has included everything from organic food to athletic apparel, and fitness is a logical extension of this, according to Farello.

"It then became a question of: within fitness, where do you see the more differentiated concepts?" he said. 

In addition to rowing, Farello is expecting interactive weight-training solutions to have success. He mentioned Tonal, a digital weight machine that uses artificial-intelligence technology to coach users through a session and make recommendations and adjustments to their workout.

"That level of artificial intelligence is really bringing the personal trainer into the home," Farello said. "I think that is the next big wave."

SEE ALSO: Peloton is reportedly exploring plans to go public. Here's how this high-tech fitness company compares to SoulCycle.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Why this rose gold watch costs $400,000

This is a preview of a research report from Business Insider Intelligence,  Business Insider's premium research service. Current subscribers can read the report here.

Until now, healthcare was the only remaining industry that had yet to feel the rapid impact of digitization endured by retail, banking, and media. But consumer adoption of digital tech, regulatory overhauls, and a shifting reimbursement model are forcing healthcare players' hands.

Digital health innovation offers market incumbents new opportunities to combat constricting margins, labor shortages, and rising costs.

But it also poses a threat to slow movers, as new entrants lean on their digital prowess and lack of legacy infrastructure to cut costs and remain nimble. As such, incumbents are turning to acquisitions, partnerships, and new investments to strengthen their digital health services.

The first Digital Health Ecosystem Report from Business Insider Intelligence explores the current healthcare ecosystem, industry trends that are driving digital transformation, and where the industry is headed.

We outline the role of each of the industry's major players — including payers, providers, and manufacturers — and how they're affected by healthcare's digital disruption. 

Here are some of the key takeaways from the report:

• Digital health is at the forefront of transformation in the healthcare industry — both as a driver of and an answer to the challenges industry players are grappling with.
• All of the industry's major players — including payers, providers, and manufacturers — are affected by healthcare's digital disruption.
• A confluence of forces induced healthcare's embrace of digital health, including changing consumer expectations, a new and disruptive reimbursement model, and rising healthcare costs
• Tech-focused entrants are also breaking into healthcare, acting as catalysts for change and threatening legacy players' bottom lines.
• Key digital health solutions like EHRs, digital therapeutics, telehealth, AI, wearables, and blockchain are the foundation of the industry's digital awakening.
• Early evidence that digital health can address many of the industry's myriad challenges has fueled a vibrant US digital health funding market in 2018, with overall funding hitting $6.8 billion at the end of Q3. 

 In full, the report:

• Details the US healthcare landscape by the role that payers, providers, manufacturers, and distributors play in the healthcare ecosystem.
• Gives an overview of how digital health is enabling incumbents to overcome industry challenges.
• Outlines how tech-focused healthcare entrants are pressuring incumbents and accelerating healthcare's digital transformation
• Identifies promising digital health funding areas to illustrate what the future of digital health will look like.

Interested in getting the full report? Here are two ways to access it:

1. Purchase & download the full report from our research store. >>Purchase & Download Now
2. Subscribe to a Premium pass to Business Insider Intelligence and gain immediate access to this report and over 100 other expertly researched reports. As an added bonus, you'll also gain access to all future reports and daily newsletters to ensure you stay ahead of the curve and benefit personally and professionally. >>Learn More Now

The choice is yours. But however you decide to acquire this report, you've given yourself a powerful advantage in your understanding of the fast-moving world of the Digital Health.

The companies mentioned in this report are: Aetna, Alphabet, Amazon, American Well, AmerisourceBergen, Anthem, Apple, Arizona Care Network, Arterys, Babylon Health, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Bay Labs, Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, Blue Mesa Health, Bright Health, Cardinal Health, Cedars-Sinai, Cleveland Clinic, Clover Health, CVS, DePuy Synthes, Devoted Health, Dexcom, Doctor on Demand, Express Scripts, Fitbit, Fresenius Medical Care, GE Healthcare, Geisinger, Glooko, GSK, healthfinch, IBM, IDx, Johnson & Johnson, Mass General, McKesson, Medtronic, Merck & Co., Merck KGaA, Microsoft, NewYork-Presbyterian, Northwell Health, Novartis, Olive, Omada Health, Optum Rx, Oscar Health, Pear Therapeutics, Pfizer, Philips, PillPack, ResMed, Rite Aid, Roche, Samsung, Sanofi, Senseonics, Suki, Tallahassee Memorial Hospital, T-Mobile, UnitedHealth Group, Verily, Viant, Walgreens, Walmart, Wellpepper, Zocdoc

SEE ALSO: Patients are transforming from passive recipients of healthcare services to active participants in their own health

Join the conversation about this story »

• Hoda Muthana, an ISIS bride who was denied a request to return to the United States, is one of hundreds of Americans who have tried to join ISIS since 2011. 
• While the majority of the recruits are men, many women have traveled or attempted to travel to Syria to fight for ISIS or wed ISIS fighters. 
• An American woman fighting for ISIS was the first American killed in the Syrian conflict in 2013. 
• The whereabouts of some of the women are unknown, and others, including three teens from Colorado, were stopped by police before they could make physical contact with ISIS.

The State Department announced on Wednesday that a US-born woman who left Alabama to join the Islamic State would not be welcomed home. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that Hoda Muthana"does not have any legal basis, no valid US passport, no right to a passport, nor any visa to travel to the United States."  

But she's not the only American woman who has traveled to Syria further the ISIS cause. Muthana is one of hundreds of Americans who have attempted to join the Islamic state and other radical Islamist groups, according to a recent report from George Washington University's Program on Extremism.

Of the 300 attempts, the report names 72 Americans who have successfully traveled to Syria or Iraq and joined ISIS and other jihadist groups since 2011. Just 12% of the travelers have been women.

In recent weeks, several women from across the world who are now living in Syrian refugee camps have identified themselves as ISIS brides, asking to return home to the US, Europe, and Canada. 

Audrey Alexander, the author of the GWU Program in Extremism's report "Cruel Intentions: Female Jihadists in America," told INSIDER that while many of the women have different motivations for joining extremist groups in Syria and Iraq, many marry ISIS fighters for safety and security while building the Islamic State. 

Read more: ISIS brides from Canada, the US, and Europe are asking to return home years after fleeing for Syria. Here are their stories.

"Once you’re in ISIS-controlled territory, being married brings you security, money, goods, status, and treatment. So there are real incentives to be married while you’re there," she said, adding that being married is one of many auxiliary roles many women have in the society, like raising children and running social media pages. 

"What women want to do there, and what the mission is, is to create an Islamic State," Alexander said. "And women's roles in that is to serve in a domestic role in some capacity, but it's really a broader state building effort, an  experiment in so many ways."

Alexander's report profiles several women who moved or attempted to move from the US to join ISIS in Syria and Iraq. Some of the women moved to the countries with their husbands, while others went alone. 

At least one woman has died, two have been sent to jail, one is begging to return to the US, and the whereabouts of others remain unknown.

Here are some women's stories. 

Hoda Muthana left Alabama for ISIS in December 2014, and is now asking to return.

Hoda Muthana was 19 when she left her home in Alabama to join ISIS in Syria in November 2014.

She was radicalized online, according to a 2015 BuzzFeed report, and used a phone given to her by her father to access conservative Islamic lectures online.

Once in Syria, she started a popular Twitter account where she made violent calls to action.

One tweet read: "Go on drive bys, and spill all of their blood, or rent a big truck and drive all over them. Veterans, Patriots, Memorial, etc day … Kill them."

She has had three ISIS-connected husbands since arriving in Syria, according to The Guardian.

First she married Australian jihadi Suhan Rahman, who was killed in March 2015. She then married a Tunisian ISIS member, who fathered her son before being killed in Mosul. In 2018, she married a Syrian fighter.

Muthana was captured by Kurdish fighters in January 2019 and is now living in the al-Hawl Syrian refugee camp in northeast Syria, which holds about 39,000 people.

She has asked to return to the US, saying she regrets her actions.

The State Department announced on Wednesday that Muthana "will not be admitted into the United States."

Samantha Elhassani is accused of aiding ISIS while living in Syria with her late husband.

Samantha Elhassani is accused of supporting ISIS fighters and using her son as a trainee while living in Syria with her husband and children.

Elhassani has pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to provide material support to ISIS and to aiding and abetting individuals in providing material support to ISIS, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Elhassni married Moroccan-born Moussa Elhassani in July 2012, and together they raised Samantha's 4-year-old son from a previous relationship and their daughter in Elkhart, Indiana.

In November 2014, Moussa told Elhassani that he and his brother wanted to join ISIS, and the couple "began making financial and logistical preparations for a trip to Syria," according to court documents seen by The Tribune.

Elhassani stopped sending her son to school, telling his biological father that they were traveling to Paris and his informing his teacher that the boy would be home-schooled.

In 2015, Elhassani, Moussa, Moussa's brother, and Elhassani's two children crossed into ISIS-controlled territory in Syria through Turkey.

Videos obtained by the FBI that were taken in Syria show Elhassani's young son in propaganda videos, and assembling and disassembling rifles and suicide belts.

Elhassani told The Frontline that her husband was killed fighting for ISIS, and she fled the terror group in late 2017.

Shortly after fleeing, Elhassani and her children were taken into custody by Kurdish forces.

In July 2018 she was extradited to the United States and is now in an Indiana jail where she awaits trail. Her children have been placed in foster care. 

Elhassani has claimed that her husband coerced her into traveling to Syria and backing ISIS.

Her trial is expected to start in 2020.

Nicole Lynn Mansfield, 33, became the first American to die in the Syrian conflict in 2013.

Nicole Lynn Mansfield was a white woman who grew up Baptist in Flint, Michigan.

Mansfield converted Islam shortly after her grandfather died in October 2007, her father told USA Today in 2013. Other family members said Mansfield converted after marrying a Muslim man.

It remains unclear when she started supporting extremest views, but Alexander said many Americans who support jihadist groups are self-taught. 

"What the internet tells you sometimes is the most drastic easy to find and accessible thing," Alexander said. "And we have to think about that kind of information can happen with ideological materials."

According to Alexander's report, Mansfield likely traveled to Syria in 2013, prior to the official declaration of the self-proclaimed caliphate.

Family members told USA Today that Mansfield first traveled to Tunisia before going to Syria.

According to Alexander's GWU report, Mansfield may have assumed a media coordinator role within an Islamist rebel group.

Mansfield was killed in a 2013 firefight in the Syrian city of Idlib.

According to The Guardian, Mansfield died alongside two other fighters and was carrying her driving license and her US passport.

Mansfield is the first American woman thought to be killed in Syrian conflict.

• Mark Consuelos confirmed that he and Kelly Ripa briefly broke up one week before the two eloped in Las Vegas back in 1996. 
• During an appearance on Bravo's "Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen" Wednesday, Consuelos said both of them had to make an appearance on a Mother's Day episode of "Live With Regis and Kathie Lee" after splitting, but Ripa wouldn't talk to him. 
• "That made me go crazy," he said. "So I followed her into Central Park. I stalked her, and then we went back to my place and got married the next day."
• The two have been married for 22 years and have three children. 
• Ripa also told the same story while on the "Comments By Celebs" podcast in July 2018. 
• Neither Ripa nor Conseulos explained what caused their brief breakup.
• Watch Consuelos tell the story below.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Roger Stone explains what Trump has in common with Richard Nixon

Join the conversation about this story »

• Entrepreneur and author Susie Moore started waking up at 5 a.m. after years of sleeping until 8 or 9 every morning.
• She's been doing it for more than two months, and she's found that the habits she's built for her entire day make her wake-up call much easier.
• For instance, she spends five minutes prepping for the next day each night, and makes a point of meeting friends for dinner no later than 6:30 p.m. on a weeknight.

Let me begin by saying there is nothing better than sleep. And there is nothing worse than the sleep-deprived fog you feel at the office, in a meeting, heck — even on the sofa at the weekend.

Science shows that most of us all need an average of seven to eight hours of sleep per night. We all know this now, right? Good. Because burning the midnight oil is not gonna fly if you wanna be an early bird. And if you want to get up at 5 a.m. consistently? Well that means a 10 p.m. curfew (latest!), my friend.

I've been waking up at 5 a.m. for more than two months now, and I have no plans to stop. Since I started working for myself in 2014, my usual wake-up time had been 8 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. But after reading Robin Sharma's "The 5 a.m. Club" and hearing about all the benefits early risers receive — plus that fact leaders like Richard Branson, Tim Cook, and Michelle Obama rave about waking up early — my husband and I challenged ourselves to do it.

Here’s how I manage (most days!) to stay in the 5 a.m. flow:

I always start with the same morning routine

Because I like to take my day slowly — while still accomplishing a lot — I love to give decision fatigue the boot and pretty much follow these steps:

• Fire up the Nespresso first!
• Tap (EFT), journal, and meditate to some Abraham Hicks to kick into peak positivity state.
• Crack open the computer. I like to dive straight into work. It’s the most potent two to three hours of my day. These “golden hours” have been proven to be the most powerful hours where your best work is done is the most minimal time possible. Everything creative for me happens here. Then the afternoon is for any meetings and email correspondence which don’t require the same morning Midas touch.
• Leisurely walk to a workout class around 9 or 10 a.m. (at which point I’m pretty much ready for lunch).

I spend 5 minutes prepping for the next day

I spend five minutes – yes, just five minutes the night before (ideally before 8 p.m.) reviewing the next day’s plan. It reminds me why I want to be up before the rest of the world, and I'd tell anyone to try it. Got a side hustle that needs some, well… hustle? Great — you’ll have hours to get busy. Want to work out more consistently? Well, that alarm clock is your best accountability, bud.

Read More:I've started waking up at 5 a.m. after years of sleeping in

Spending just five minutes knowing how much I will achieve in my morning solitude fires me up to put on the PJs. So, I put my laptop and phone on charge outside of the bedroom. I have my “get to do” list for the next day set. I have my Classpass workout booked.

Are the lights out yet? A day of badassery awaits!

I instituted a party policy

As an extroverted socializer in NYC, this was surprisingly easier to institute than I thought. I simply meet friends at 6 p.m. (6:30 p.m. latest) or at the weekend. Easy peasy. When you have a transparent 5 a.m. start, people get it. Some applaud it. Some are even fascinated by it.

I explain I have to exit by 8:30 p.m. I’m coming to realize not too much great stuff happens after then, anyway (you might save yourself a hangover, too)!

Read More:I've started waking up at 5 a.m. after years of sleeping in, and it's easier than expected thanks to a critical mental shift

I created an environment worth waking up to

This is subtle, but it makes all the difference. When there’s coffee in the cupboard, milk in the fridge, a fancy candle to light and fresh fruit for smoothies, putting those feet on the floor first thing becomes a whole lot easier. A tidy, clutter-free apartment is the ultimate morning embrace from your home.

We all need enough shut-eye on the daily, yes. And sadly, it’s not up to us how much sleep we actually need. That’s why I choose my bedtime with intention. Because come late morning, when most people are getting fired up on their second or third coffee, I’m walking my pup in the park or winding down with the remote control.

Susie Moore is an author and confidence coach based in New York. She’s been featured in Oprah, Forbes, the Today Show and more. Sign up here for her free confidence boosting advice.

SEE ALSO: I started waking up at 5 a.m. after years of sleeping in, and I can tell you the hardest part has nothing to do with the pre-dawn alarm

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: The worst thing people do to wake up in the morning, according to a sleep scientist

• "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett was arrested by Chicago police early Thursday, the department said.
• Prosecutors are charging Smollett with disorderly conduct and filing a false police report in connection with his allegations that he was targeted in a hate-crime attack.
• Smollett alleged last month that two men assaulted him and shouted racist and homophobic slurs.
• But skepticism of his allegations have mounted in recent weeks, and detectives pivoted to focus on whether Smollet himself staged the attack.

In recent weeks, a startling allegation of a violent hate crime against a star of the hit show "Empire" has evolved into a police investigation into whether the actor staged the attack against himself.

Chicago police arrested Jussie Smollett, 36, on Thursday. Prosecutors are charging him with disorderly conduct and filing a false police report, according to Chicago police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi. 

Smollett alleged that two men assaulted him in late January, shouting racist and homophobic slurs and tying a rope around his neck. Smollett is black and gay, and plays an LGBT character on the Fox series.

But cracks in the story quickly emerged, and investigators began looking into whether Smollett paid off two men to assault him in an elaborate hoax.

Here's what has happened so far in the rapidly moving case.

January 22: An anonymous letter reportedly arrives at the "Empire" set, addressed to Smollett and using letters clipped from magazines to spell out, "You will die black f-g." The letter lists "MAGA" as the return address.

Tweet Embed:
//twitter.com/mims/statuses/1097651817855574016?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
THE LETTER: “When the letter didn’t get enough attention, he concocted the staged attack” - CPD sources.

Jussie Smollett received a hate letter Jan. 22. It's that letter, the mail angle, that brought in the FBI. "That makes any potential case a Federal one, if they want it."pic.twitter.com/dTk2ECBvhU

January 29: Smollett's manager calls Chicago police at 2:42 a.m. to report an attack on Smollett that they said occurred roughly 40 minutes earlier.

When officers arrive at Smollett's apartment, they find him with a "thin, light rope" still around his neck. Smollett tells the officers the men attacked him as he was walking back to an apartment from a Subway restaurant.

He alleges they yelled racist slurs, hit him in the face, poured an unknown chemical substance on him, and tied the rope around his neck.

January 29: Later that morning in a follow-up interview, Smollett told officers the men also yelled "This is MAGA country" after the attack. Chicago police said they are investigating the attack as a hate crime, and that Smollett is "fully cooperating."

Tweet Embed:
//twitter.com/mims/statuses/1090295113228734465?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Statement on #ChicagoPolice hate crime investigation. We are taking these allegations very seriously and encourage anyone with information to report anonymously to https://t.co/yYAqzcVIfupic.twitter.com/DxipALHXaz

Source: The Chicago Sun-Times

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.

Subscribe to an All-Access pass to Business Insider Intelligence and gain immediate access to:

	This report and more than 250 other expertly researched reports
	Access to all future reports and daily newsletters
	Forecasts of new and emerging technologies in your industry
	And more!

Learn More

Purchase & download the full report from our research store

Join the conversation about this story »

• Jeff Bezos has been considered the The Washington Post's savior since he bought it in 2013.
• But recent scandal around his personal life has shaken some Post employees' image of him.
• Post employees expressed mixed feelings, with some saying the scandal humanizes him and others being less forgiving.

Jeff Bezos has been credited with rejuvenating The Washington Post since he bought the paper a little more than five years ago. Amid great angst about the future of traditional news media, he’s been heralded as the ideal steward, using his billions to save the paper while leaving the editorial side alone. Top editor Marty Baron said under Bezos, the paper has enjoyed “complete independence” on the editorial side, hired 150 news staffers, and added “a lot” of engineers.

But in January, the tycoon became embroiled in scandal when sexy photos and texts he sent to his girlfriend were leaked to the National Enquirer. 

He also got a black eye earlier this month when Amazon scrapped controversial plans for a big expansion in New York City.

Read more:Amazon decided to shut down HQ2 in New York but advertisers see no sign of the e-commerce giant slowing down its attack on Madison Avenue
 
Against that backdrop, we decided to ask some Post employees across the paper if the recent headlines have changed their view of Bezos. It wasn’t scientific, and we granted anonymity to let people speak freely about their employer and its owner.

The Post declined to comment and Amazon didn't respond to a request for comment.

Here’s what seven Post employees said:

Bezos may not be as smart as he appeared to be

Some said they credited Bezos with saving the paper and worried what Bezos’ divorce news would mean for the Post’s fate. Some also were challenged to reconcile the tabloid revelations with their image of Bezos as a genius and a family man who whipped up pancakes for Post executives in his kitchen after the paper’s sale.

“It’s mixed. He’s still the savior here. But it’s awkward,” one person in editorial said. “There’s a sense that he was the smartest guy in the room, and wow, he goes out and does a really dumb thing.”

Bezos is an obscure figure for many Post employees. He’s limited his contact to its business side and rarely addressed the entire staff. He’s also been portrayed as a ruthless boss at Amazon. To some, his newly exposed fallibility softened his image.

“He’s flawed; it humanizes him a little,” one said.

Bezos has stayed out of editorial decisions, but one question that always hangs over his ownership is how the Post can cover the world’s richest man who also happens to be its owner. So the recent scandal had a silver lining of letting the Post show the world it can cover its owner as aggressively as any news outlet, one journalist there said.

After Bezos accused the CEO of the Enquirer’s parent company of blackmail in a Medium post, one called the move “gutsy” and said they were glad he published his attack on Medium and not the Post itself, sparing the paper an awkward situation.

Others unhappy with Bezos spotlight 

Others took a harsher view. Bezos had already lost some popularity with Post employees who have demanded better pay and benefits. Shortly after he took over, the paper made big cuts in retirement benefits.

One journalist also looked poorly on the owner of a high-profile media institution becoming the story himself. (In his Medium post, Bezos hinted at political motivations behind the leak to the Enquirer.)

“People lost thousands of dollars,” this person grumbled of the retirement benefits cuts. “And to see him drag the paper into a political dispute, it’s disturbing. The president wants to attack him, he should be quiet.”

One factor that might make it easier for people to criticize Bezos is that the Post is on firmer footing than it’s been in a long time. It’s passed 1 million subscriptions and is growing its technology-licensing arm. It just won a prestigious Polk award, and is said to be profitable.

“Things still feel pretty positive,” one employee said. “It doesn’t feel like we have to go to the magic Bezos well.”

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Roger Stone explains what Trump has in common with Richard Nixon

• INSIDER spoke with the voice of Princess Ariel, Jodi Benson, ahead of the "The Little Mermaid's" 30th anniversary last year.
• Benson recalled how the film's iconic song "Part of Your World" could've been cut from the film.
• According to Benson, then-Disney chairman Jeffrey Katzenberg wanted to cut the song after an early screening of the film.
• Oscar-winning lyricist Howard Ashman fought to keep the song in the movie.

Could you imagine "The Little Mermaid" without the song "Part of Your World"? 

That's what could have happened if former Disney chairman Jeffrey Katzenberg had gotten his way after a test screening of the 1989 movie.

"The song was going to be possibly cut because kids were getting restless during the testing of the movie and dropping popcorn in the aisles and stuff like that," Benson told INSIDER last year while speaking about the classic's 30th anniversary. "Jeffrey Katzenberg said, 'You know, I think we're going to have to cut this song.'"

Benson said that didn't go over well with lyricist Howard Ashman. If you don't recognize his name, you certainly know the songs he wrote during his short tenure at the studio. Before his death in 1991 at the age of 40, Ashman wrote the lyrics for songs in "The Little Mermaid,""Beauty and the Beast," and "Aladdin."

"Howard was like, 'No,' kind of over my dead body," Benson continued. "'We've got to have this song to be able to set up the whole story as to what she's trying to achieve.'... I can't imagine. Had that song been cut, I wouldn't be here today."

"Part of Your World" was considered one of Disney's "I Want" songs, which tells you about the protagonist's wants and wishes to set up the rest of the film. The song takes place early in the 1989 movie showing Ariel longs for more than her life as a princess and wishes to walk among the humans on land.

Beneath the surface, the song featured empowering lyrics for young girls and women that stand three decades of time.

"Bet you on land, they understand. Bet they don't reprimand their daughters. Bright young women, sick of swimming. Ready to stand."

 You can watch it here or below: 

According to Time, "The Little Mermaid" writer-directors John Musker and Ron Clements reminded Katzenberg at the time that Disney's first animated feature, "Snow White," contained a similar song, "Someday My Prince Will Come."

The version of "Part of Your World" that you know today is in its original form in the 1989 classic. That isn't always the case. When the live-action version of "Beauty and the Beast" hit theaters in 2017, it contained additional, original lyrics written by Ashman that didn't make it into the original 1991 classic. 

When asked if there were ever any more lyrics she knew of that may have been cut from the original version of "The Little Mermaid," Benson told INSIDER she had only ever sang the version we hear in the final movie.

"No. In fact, the cassette tape that I had to learn the song [from] was exactly word for word. Nothing had changed," said Benson.

When she auditioned for the part of Ariel, directors Ron Clements and John Musker told her she was selected from a group of women simply because of her voice. At the time, Benson had been a part of one of Ashman's Broadway shows, "Smile," which closed quickly after its 1986 opening. Benson said Ashman invited some of the women from the show to audition for "The Little Mermaid" because they were looking for Broadway singers who could do both the singing and the speaking voice.

"I went in and recorded an old-fashioned reel to reel at A90 Broadway Studios here in the city. About a year passed, and my name was sort of still in the running, I guess," said Benson. "I got the call a good year plus afterwards that the powers that be had selected my tape. It was unattached with names and head shots. It was strictly just listening to the voices."

"It was an incredible surprise," she continued. "I started working on it for about two and a half years. I recorded for about 14 days over the course of two and a half years... It has just been an incredible 33 years for me now."

Just because she voiced the character decades ago, doesn't mean the work is done. Benson says she still voices Ariel all the time. 

"I do all the ancillary products and the toys and constantly, every week. I'm either re-recording stuff or we're just lifting from the original or other projects that I've done," she said.

Benson recently reprised her role as Ariel in "Ralph Breaks the Internet" in a popular scene where all of the Disney princesses are united for the first time on screen. At New York Toy Fair, Hasbro showed off a new 30th anniversary collection of "The Little Mermaid" dolls. Among them is an Ariel doll who sings a portion of "Part of Your World."

The 30th anniversary of "The Little Mermaid"will be available on Blu-ray and DVD February 26.

• Read more:
• Disney and Hasbro are releasing a bunch of new 'Little Mermaid' toys in honor of the movie's 30th anniversary this year — here they all are
• 19 things you probably didn't know about "The Little Mermaid"
• Every Disney movie coming out in 2019
• 10 Disney movie plot holes you may not have noticed as a kid that will bug you as an adult

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Roger Stone explains what Trump has in common with Richard Nixon

• Hoda Muthana is one of two former ISIS brides fighting to return to the US, who told their stories to The New York Times on Tuesday.
• On Thursday, the New Jersey-born woman's lawyer Hassan Shibly spoke to INSIDER about how her 18-month-old child is being held in limbo by the Trump administration's efforts to block her repatriation.
• Secretary of State Mike Pompeo released a statement on Wednesday saying Muthana would not be allowed back in the country because she is not a citizen. He later said it's because her father was a diplomat when she was born.
• Shibly showed INSIDER a document that he said proves her father's diplomat status ended before her birth in October 1994.

While 24-year-old Hoda Muthana is trying to return to the US after fleeing to join ISIS, the fate of her 18-month-old son is also in limbo.

The New Jersey-born woman shocked her family when she fled home in 2014 to join the terrorist group in Syria. Now, the ISIS bride and her young son are essentially stateless, living in a Kurdish refugee camp in northern Syria. 

Muthana was one of two former American ISIS brides who spoke to The New York Times in a story published Tuesday about their regrets about joining the caliphate and their efforts to return home now that the terrorist group has fallen.

The Trump administration has taken a hard stance when it comes to Muthana's repatriation.

President Donald Trump tweeted Wednesday: "I have instructed Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and he fully agrees, not to allow Hoda Muthana back into the Country!"

Pompeo also released a statement on Wednesday, saying she's not a US citizen and won't be allowed back in the country.

While he didn't initially say why Muthana wasn't a citizen, he later clarified in an interview on the "Today" show Thursday that it was because her father was a diplomat at the time of her birth, which he said would exempt her from birthright citizenship.

Muthana's lawyer, Hassan Shibly, refuted this conclusion, showing INSIDER a document that he said proves Muthana's father stopped being a diplomat a month before she was born in October 1994.

If Muthana is a US citizen as her lawyer says, that means her son was born with Islamic State citizenship — and a right to claim his American citizenship.

As ISIS claimed territory in Iraq and Syria, the terrorist organization started acting as the de facto government, issuing birth certificates, driver's licenses, and marriage certificates.

Read more:The State Department says the ISIS bride begging to return to the US is not a citizen and isn't coming back

'I don't think he should have to pay for his mother's crime'

Shibly lamented the fact that Muthana's son is bearing the burden of his mother's mistake.

"He's the son of a woman born in New Jersey," Shibly said. "And through that, he himself has a right to citizenship. I don't think he should have to pay for his mother's crime."

Since Shibly said Muthana knows she faces serious jail time in the US if she returns, it appears her efforts to come back are largely motivated by the welfare of her child — to give him a better life.

"She's not saying 'I want to come back home as if nothing happened'," he said. "She realizes that she's probably going to have to come back in handcuffs .... and I think for Hoda, the most painful moment that she's worried about is those last few moments she will have with her child."

Shibly said he doesn't think Muthana's parents have been able to meet their grandson over Skype, and he hasn't had conversations with them about what they hope to happen with him.

"I know the mother is still extremely hurt, just not on talking terms with her daughter," he said. "I think there's a great sense of shame and disappointment, pain and hurt."

But he said that if Muthana came back to the US, the "goal would be to have the child taken care of by family members" so that Muthana could go through the justice system.

If they aren't allowed to return to the US, Shibly said another country could possibly accept Muthana and her son as refugees, or the worst-case scenario:
They could be handed over to Syrian President Bashar al Assad's regime.

"She literally had bullets fired at her, so she's taken the risk to do things by the book at this point, now that she's remorseful," he said. "She's not necessarily choosing the easier way out [by trying to come back to the US], but she is choosing the way I think she feels is most right at this point."

Shibly went to far as to say that the Trump administration was giving Muthana a "free pass", since she's asking to come back and be tried so she can repay her debt to society, and they're denying to prosecute her in the US by denying her citizenship status.

• Read more:
• ISIS bride from Alabama who urged people to drive pick-up trucks into crowds on Veterans Day wants to come back to the US: 'Please forgive me'
• ISIS brides from Canada, the US, and Europe are asking to return home years after fleeing for Syria. Here are their stories.
• 11 American women who left the US to become ISIS brides and fighters

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Sea cucumbers are so valuable that people are risking their lives diving for them

• The Airbus A380 superjumbo, the largest and most expensive commercial airliner in history, turned out to be a failure, and Airbus announced this month it will stop producing the plane.
• For my 14-hour flight to New York from Dubai, I decided to fly business class for $5,400 on an A380 operated by Emirates Airlines, Airbus's biggest A380 customer.
• The flight was my first time flying business class. From the chauffeur service and extravagant pre-flight lounge to the inflight cocktail bar and spacious pod seat, it was unforgettable.
• With business class far from full on my flight, it's clear why the A380 was not a success. As Business Insider's senior reporter Benjamin Zhang has written, the plane is "too big, expensive, and inefficient for most operators."

With tickets costing thousands of dollars, it's never made sense for me to fly business class.

Until last week, that is, when Airbus announced that in 2021 it will stop producing the A380, the largest and most expensive commercial airliner in history.

For most of the A380's decade in service, Airbus has struggled to find buyers. The exception to that is Emirates, an airline ranked as the Middle East's largest, the world's fourth largest, and rated the fourth best in the world. Operating over 100 A380s, Emirates delivered on the $445.6 million plane's promise of unprecedented luxury in air travel.

The second deck of Emirates' A380 is dedicated solely to first-class and business class. Each passenger gets a pod with a flatbed seat, a minibar, a tablet, and a widescreen television. There's even a dedicated lounge where flight attendants mix up cocktails.

For many travel junkies, flying business class on an A380 operated by Emirates is considered the crème de la crème of flight experiences.

SEE ALSO: I flew 13 hours nonstop on the world's biggest passenger plane, the $446 million Airbus superjumbo jet, and it's about as good as economy can get

DON'T MISS: I tried economy class on Etihad, the airline famous for its $23,000 apartment-in-the-sky ticket, and I was surprised to find it wasn't anything special

Good morning! My journey last week started in Dubai. Though it's my first time flying business class, I've been traveling for business for the last year, as evidenced by my very compact luggage (if I say so myself).

I was staying at Zabeel House Mini by UAE-based hotel chain Jumeirah. Like Emirates Airlines, Jumeirah is owned by the Dubai government. Since my flight wasn't until 2:35 a.m. (!), I had a lot of time to kill.

Source: Zabeel House Mini

Thankfully, Zabeel let me use the facilities until my flight. I spent a not insignificant amount of time studying this plane diagram to pick the absolute best seat. It's not everyday you fly business class, friends.

Source: SeatGuru

• The National Weather Service reported 1 inch of snow at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas, Nevada, early on Thursday.
• Combined with Wednesday's half an inch, this Vegas snowfall has made history as the first the city has seen since 1937.
• People in Las Vegas have been sharing photos of the weather on social media. One person was even able to make a snowman. 

The iconic deserts of Las Vegas, Nevada, have been coated in white for the past week. The National Weather Service reported that 1 inch of snow fell at 4 a.m. on Thursday morning, to top the half an inch that fell on Wednesday.

Combined, this week's precipitation is the first of its kind since Las Vegas started keeping records in 1937. All morning, people in the area have been posting evidence of the surprise snow on social media.

Here's a roundup of some surprising photos of the Las Vegas snow from Instagram and Twitter.

In the Echo Canyon subdivision on Mt. Charleston, snowfall has surpassed an inch.

According to NBC News, "the weather closed down state route 160 between Las Vegas and Pahrump" until snow plows were utilized. 

This Las Vegas home was able to make a snowman. 

ABC's Las Vegas news affiliate KTNV has been encouraging locals to send in their photos of the snow.

Snow flurries are blurring the views of otherwise dry streets.

A reported 2,600 people in Nevada were out of electricity, as of late Wednesday night.

Many people on Instagram are hashtagging #WinterInVegas or #VegasSnow to document the unbelievable weather.

This photo, shared with the Fox 5 Vegas Instagram account, shows a good inch of snow piled up on a car.

And over on Twitter, homeowners are in shock.

Snow is starting to accumulate in driveways, front lawns, and on suburban streets.

This surreal photo shows the famous Las Vegas sign — and surrounding palm trees — covered in snow. 

Has anyone seen a palm tree in the snow before? 

And this video showing a 360-degree view of snow falling on the Strip went viral on Twitter.

Screams, yells, and lots of rushing. 'Tis the season, Vegas.

• Read more:
• Winter storm Gia is battering the Midwest with snow and ice. Here's what it looks like for people on the ground.
• Parts of the Midwest are colder than Antarctica due to a polar vortex. Can you guess which photo was taken where?
• From frozen lakes to indoor icicles, here are the most dramatic polar vortex photos from around the US that will make you want to stay inside

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Roger Stone explains what Trump has in common with Richard Nixon