• Sally Burky of Ozark, Missouri, decided to have her bridesmaids walk down the aisle at her wedding with adoptable shelter dogs instead of bouquets of flowers.
• Four of the five dogs from the Missouri-based no-kill shelter, Haven of the Ozarks, were adopted at the time of writing.
• Burky told INSIDER that the outpouring of support and attention the dogs and the shelter received far exceeded her expectations.
• Visit INSIDER's homepage for more stories.

Weddings are all about the bride, but one newlywed shared a bit of the spotlight on her big day to help promote a cause close to her heart.

Sally Burky of Ozark, Missouri, knew that she wanted her wedding to be unique in at least one aspect; she wanted her bridesmaids to carry something besides flowers down the aisle.

Read more: A man called off his wedding because his fiancée accidentally almost killed his dog

Burky turned to Pinterest to get some ideas. She quickly came across a bride who swapped out her bridesmaids' bouquets for puppies at her wedding, which inspired a plan for Burky's own wedding.

"It sparked the idea of having rescue dogs in the ceremony," Burky told INSIDER via email. "I first suggested it to my husband and he laughed and said whatever you want hunny, let's do it. He knows how much rescue means to me and couldn't have imagined our wedding any different."

Burky had been an avid supporter of Haven of the Ozarks, a no-kill shelter based in Washburn, Missouri, ever since she rescued two dogs whose "owner was threatening the worst." It made sense, then, that she would ask the shelter to provide the adoptable pups for her big day.

"I found [Haven of the Ozarks] on Facebook and without hesitation, they offered shelter for the dogs," Burky said. "Ever since then I have tried making donations as often as I can. [My husband] and I agree when the time comes for another companion, the Haven is where we will turn."

Burky reached out to her wedding venue to confirm that she would be able to incorporate the dogs into her wedding ceremony. On the day of the wedding, Haven of the Ozarks drove some dogs looking for homes to Burky's wedding venue.

Each bridesmaid was paired with a pup that she walked down the aisle with. Although Burky was not there to watch the procession, she said that she saw photos and videos after the ceremony.

"They all did so well and stood right by the bridesmaids and groomsmen as we said our vows," Burky said. "It couldn't have been more perfect."

Burky hoped that incorporating older shelter dogs into her wedding would help raise awareness for Haven of the Ozarks and help the dogs find permanent homes. She and her husband, Cary, also collected donations for the animal sanctuary on their wedding day, but the outpouring of support and attention the dogs and the shelter received far exceeded their expectations.

"The response has been incredible," Burky said. "We simply were hoping for maybe one to be adopted or for some guests to make donations."

Instead, Burky told INSIDER that four of the five dogs that participated in her wedding had been adopted at the time of writing. According to Sherah Farris, director of Haven of the Ozarks, promoting the shelter through weddings helps boost donations.

Farris said that another couple had incorporated dogs from the Haven into their wedding in the fall.

"Their wedding was beautiful and the dogs had a blast!" Farris said. "We raised over $2,000 there and it seems to have started the wedding adoption trend!"

Farris told INSIDER that the shelter is in the early stages of purchasing a new van, which it would use to bring pets to the veterinarian or to larger cities for mobile adoptions. The Haven's current van, which is more than 10 years old and "very faulty," costs around $30,000 to replace.

"The current one is on its last leg," Burky said. "It's vital for them to travel to bigger cities to get those animals homes."

Yazzy, the only dog from Burky's wedding who has yet to find a home, is a six-year-old terrier whose owner passed away.

"It would make Cary and me so happy if we could aid in finding her a family," Burky said. 

You can read more about Yazzy and Haven of the Ozarks or make a donation on the shelter's website.

• Read more:
• A woman shamed a wedding guest for wearing an 'absurdly short dress,' but a lot of people think her outfit is perfectly fine
• A bride is furious with a wedding guest who she says brought 10 containers to take food home. Here's what an etiquette expert has to say.
• A woman said she put her boyfriend's dog down without telling him first, so he asked her to move out
• A movie theater in Texas allows you to bring your dog, and the $15 ticket includes bottomless wine

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: 16 clues that foreshadowed Arya's big moment at the battle of Winterfell in 'Game of Thrones'

• All over the US, there are conspiracy theories big and small.
• UFOs are at the center of popular conspiracy theories throughout the US, especially in Roswell, New Mexico; Flora, Mississippi; and Area 51, Nevada.
• Some people believe there is more to the story around the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. in Memphis and President John F. Kennedy in Dallas.
• There's an organization in Alaska that studies the upper atmosphere, but there are people who believe the facility caused the Joplin, Missouri, tornado and other devastating weather events.
• Visit INSIDER's homepage for more stories.

Just as every state has its own urban legends, many have controversial conspiracy theories.

Throughout the US, there are people who believe the government, large organizations, or secretive companies are hiding the truth from the public. These conspiracists strive to uncover the "truth" behind some of the biggest news stories, from supposed UFO sightings to the JFK assassination to the Kentucky Derby.

These are the wildest and most bizarre conspiracy theories from around the US.

Some people believe the American military installation Area 51 is researching and experimenting on aliens and their spacecraft.

The famous Area 51 in the Nevada desert is a military installation at the Nellis Military Operations Area. But the base quickly became known as the most secretive military site in the world because it does not exist on any map or government website, leading many to craft conspiracy theories.

Some believe Area 51 is researching and experimenting on aliens and their spacecraft. More specifically, people think they are studying a crash that happened near Roswell, New Mexico, in 1947. Others theorize that the moon landing was staged at Area 51.

The government has said the facility is used to test experimental aircraft for the military.

Some believe that Truman Capote wrote Harper Lee's famous novel, "To Kill a Mockingbird."

Truman Capote and Harper Lee both grew up in Alabama and were childhood friends. They each went on to become celebrated authors. Capote wrote his crime story "In Cold Blood" and Lee the great American novel "To Kill a Mockingbird."

While Capote went on to write numerous books, Lee published only one other book in her lifetime, leading some to believe that Capote wrote "To Kill a Mockingbird," according to CNBC.

In a 2010 documentary, Lee's sister, Alice C. Lee, denied the accusation, saying Capote had been jealous of her sister's success.

Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in Memphis, but some think there is more to the story.

On April 4, 1968, Martin Luther King Jr. stepped out onto his balcony at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, and was shot. The civil-rights leader died at the Memphis Hospital at 39 years old. The killer, James Earl Ray, was caught and pleaded guilty a year later. However, many people, including King's own children, do not believe Ray acted alone.

Some believe the FBI or the Ku Klux Klan were involved in the assassination and believe Ray was framed, according to NPR. The US Justice Department investigated the death on three separate occasions. Once, they concluded that there may have been a wider conspiracy, but there is no hard evidence to support it.

Roswell, New Mexico, is a famous center for UFO-focused conspiracy theories.

On July 4, 1947, Mac Brazel went out to his sheep pasture in Roswell, New Mexico, and found some unusual objects including metallic sticks, foil reflectors, and paper scraps. Since he had no idea what the objects were, he called the local sheriff who then called the Roswell Army Air Force. The pieces were swiftly taken away in armored trucks.

A few days later, the Roswell Daily Record published an article titled "RAAF Captures Flying Saucer on Ranch in Roswell Region," sparking conspiracy theories that would last decades. Many believed that the pieces found in the field were from an alien ship, even though officials said they were from a broken weather balloon.

Years later, it was discovered that the objects were part of a secret military project called Project Mogul, which aimed to eavesdrop on the Soviet Union.

Some of the most popular conspiracy theories in the US surround the Kennedy assassination.

On November 22, 1963, President John F. Kennedy was in a motorcade in Dallas, Texas, when he was struck by two bullets. He died moments later at 46 years old. Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested for the assassination of the president, and, two days later, Oswald was killed on live television.

The Warren Commission was then created to investigate the incident and concluded that Oswald acted alone. However, some believe there is more to the story. There are theories that the CIA hired Oswald because of the president's reactions to Communism and the Bay of Pigs Invasion. Others believe the Mafia, Cuba, or the Soviet Union were involved in the assassination.

When videos of the incident were released, people claimed Oswald's location made it impossible for him to have killed the president. Most recently, however, a scientist at IMSG concluded that Oswald did assassinate JFK.

There have been 2,032 Bigfoot "sightings" in Washington state.

Although there are Bigfoot sightings all over the US, Washington state has the highest number. There have been 2,032 sightings in the state, according to Newsweek.

There are a number of theories around the mythical creature. Some believe it's a ferocious beast meant to be feared and others think it's a harmless creature that wants to be left alone. There are other theories that Bigfoot is related to humans since it walks on two legs, while others think it's an extraterrestrial being.

The original 1958 footprints were a prank by a man named Ray Wallace near Bluff Creek in Northern California, according to the Smithsonian. His children revealed it was all a joke after his death in 2002.

The world's most famous UFO sighting happened in Flora, Mississippi.

February 10, 1977, is a very important day in UFO conspiracy theory history. It was the day several police officers claim to have seen a strange object hovering in the sky in Flora, Mississippi, over the top of a forest.

"It was approximately 15 to 18 feet off the ground, blue in color, kind of metallic blue, portholes around the center of it, shaped like an old spinning top kids used to use,"one of the officers said.

The officers followed the UFO until it vanished over the treeline. Years later, there seem to be two spots in the forest that measure about 15 feet each where nothing is growing, but there has never been a formal explanation.

There have been countless sightings of a Loch Ness-like monster at Flathead Lake, Montana.

In 1889, Captain James C. Kerr and his 100 passengers aboard a steamboat reported seeing a 30- to 40-foot-long creature in Flathead Lake. As of July 2018, there have been 109 sightings of the foreign creature, according to NBC Montana.

"I remember saying, 'Look, look! That's it! We're seeing it!'" one witness told NBC. "I knew immediately because the descriptions are all the same. It was like 25 feet from what we could see and humps."

Other witnesses said the creature resembles the famous Loch Ness monster with "steel black eyes" and fins.

Johnny Gosch was abducted in 1969 from Des Moines, Iowa, and conspiracies have surrounded his disappearance for years.

On September 5, 1982, Johnny Gosch, 12, vanished without a trace from Des Moines, Iowa, while on his morning newspaper run. Without any evidence or leads, the case went cold and has remained unsolved, but there have been a number of conspiracy theories about what happened to him.

Some people believe that he was forced into a child-sex ring that was operating in Nebraska. His mother, Noreen, received pictures of a man tied up in a basement, leading her to believe the theory was true, though the man in the picture could not be proved to be Gosch and there was no other evidence to prove the theory.

In 1997, Noreen said her now grown-up son visited her with his captor. She said he told her he was all right and that he was still alive, igniting even more conspiracies that he was still alive. But police could not corroborate the mother's story.

Finally, there is a conspiracy that White House reporter Jeff Gannon is Johnny Gosch because they share similar political characteristics. This theory was also never proved.

There were a lot of Mattress Firm stores in Illinois all within a few miles of one another, leading some to believe it was a money-laundering business.

In 2018, a Reddit user brought attention to the fact that there was a high concentration of Mattress Firm stores in certain areas of the US, especially in Chicago. The Reddit thread quickly went viral, with thousands sharing photos and maps that show Mattress Firm stores within .5 miles of each other and sometimes even across the street.

This led people to theorize that the retail company is a money-laundering business.

"Mattress Firm is some sort of giant money laundering scheme," one Reddit user wrote. "I remember seeing four mattress firms all on each corner of an intersection once, and there is no way there is such a demand for mattresses."

WBUR and Business Insider debunked this theory in 2018.

Some people believe that a research facility in Alaska is a mind-control lab.

In the mountains of Alaska, you can find the High-Frequency Active Auroral Research Program that helps scientists study the farthest distances of the atmosphere. The facility sits on 33 acres of land and has over 180 antennas. The antennas have collected data about Aurora Borealis, radio waves, and other atmospheric occurrences.

But some think the antennas are an experimental weapon that can control people's minds, according to the Smithsonian. Others believe it caused the Columbia space shuttle to destruct in 2003. In 2016, however, the facility held an open house so the public could see that they were not up to anything dangerous.

The Denver International Airport is well known for a number of conspiracy theories.

The Denver International Airport is twice the size of Manhattan, New York, and almost every corner of the massive transportation hub is filled with conspiracy theories. For starters, the airport was $2 billion over budget, leading some to believe it has an underground structure that is either used as bunkers or as the headquarters of the supposed world-controlling group the Illuminati.

Others believe the building was built by Neo-Nazis because markers and plaques around the airport say it is funded by "The New World Airport Commission," but no information can be found about the organization anywhere. Some even say the runways are laid out like a swastika if viewed from above.

The art around the airport is also some people's cause for concern. Most notably, there is a 32-foot sculpture of a horse that fell on its sculptor and killed him. Murals around the airport are also troubling to some, including images of a Nazi officer in a gas mask, children near a burning building, and the devil jumping out of a suitcase.

There's a giant active volcano under Yellowstone in Wyoming, and if it erupts, it could wipe out the US. Conspiracists believe the government knows when the eruption will happen.

Yellowstone National Park is 3,500 square miles of wilderness, wild animals, and gorgeous landscapes. But under the park is something far more sinister. There is an active volcano that measures 44 miles across, and if it erupts, it could wipe out the entire US.

The volcano last erupted 630,000 years ago, but there are some conspiracists who are convinced the next eruption could happen any day. Some believe the US is drawing up contingency plans because the government knows the eruption is imminent. Conspiracists also point to videos of animals running from Yellowstone, which people think is a sign of the coming eruption. Experts say the animals are just running from tourists.

Some believe the chamber behind Mount Rushmore holds some big secrets.

Most people know Mount Rushmore as one of the most recognizable landmarks in the US as the faces of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt are carved into it.

But not many people know there is a hidden chamber behind Lincoln's head. The sculptor Gutzon Borglum created an 18-foot door behind the landmark that leads to an open room that is 74 feet long and 35 feet high. Borglum intended to place America's prized possessions in this room. It was supposed to be called the Hall of Records.

While the room does contain important historical documents like the US Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, it is now sealed off from the public, leading many to create theories. Some believe the government is hiding something incredibly secretive there, like proof of extraterrestrial beings. Others believe there are hidden treasures in the room, an idea explored in Nicholas Cage's "National Treasure: Book of Secrets."

The Georgia Guidestones is a famous monument that is known for its bizarre inscriptions, which led to a number of conspiracy theories.

In 1980, a monument was built in Elberton, Georgia, and is known as the Georgia Guidestones. There are 10 guidelines on the monument written in eight languages, which seem to be a set of rules for humans. For instance, one inscription reads, "Maintain humanity under 500,000,000 in perpetual balance with nature," while another reads, "Rule passion — faith — tradition — and all things with tempered reason."

The monument was paid for by a man who gave an alias, so no one knows who built it or why. Some think the inscriptions are telling the future and giving us a guideline for how to rebuild after an apocalypse. Others believe satanists or the New World Order (a secret, world-controlling group) built the sculpture to promote their agenda.

In 1968, the Kentucky Derby was shrouded in conspiracy theories after the winner was stripped of his title.

In May 1968, Peter Fuller and his horse, Dancer's Image, won the Kentucky Derby and were given the $5,000 trophy. But three days later Fuller and Dancer's Image were stripped of their title because traces of phenylbutazone were found in the horse's bloodstream. People believed they cheated. Fuller was shocked and categorically denied the results, eventually taking the problem to court.

The situation rocked the Derby community, leading to many conspiracy theories. Since Fuller was an outspoken supporter of Martin Luther King Jr. and even gave money to his wife, Coretta King, some think anti-civil-rights believers sabotaged the horse. According to the Lexington Herald-Leader, others say it was an FBI plot orchestrated by J. Edgar Hoover because he disliked King and always tried to discredit the Civil Right Movement. All of these theories remain unproven.

Some people in Idaho say the government is poisoning them with chemicals.

Some people in Idaho believe the state is subject to government experimentation. They believe the government is dropping chemicals from airplanes at various times throughout the year. As evidence, they point to "chemtrails," or streaks in the sky that are supposedly left over chemicals. One man on YouTube recorded video of lengthy streaks in the sky in Idaho as evidence, while another pointed to the fact that he could no longer see the mountainous landscape because of chemicals in the air.

In 2015, 2,000 geese "fell from the sky" and were found dead in Idaho. While some believed it was because of the chemtrails, environmentalists said it was most likely because of an infectious disease known as avian cholera.

John Dillinger is Indiana's most notorious criminal, and a lot of conspiracies surround his jail escapes and death.

During the 1930s, Indiana-born John Dillinger became a national sensation and was named public enemy No. 1. He was wanted for the armed robbery of over 10 banks throughout Indiana and for stealing over $300,000. When he was arrested, he escaped prison by carving a gun out of wood and tricking the guards into letting him go. He then had facial surgery to become unrecognizable.

He was killed in an alley in 1934 after the FBI put out a $100,000 reward for him. This is where the conspiracy theories begin. Some believe Dillinger was not killed in the alley because of rumors that said the body had brown eyes while Dillinger famously had gray eyes. The body also had signs of illnesses the famous robber was never known to have. In 1963, The Indianapolis Star received a letter from someone claiming to be Dillinger, leaving many to believe that the criminal survived throughout the 1900s.

A sinkhole opened up in Louisiana, sparking conspiracy theories throughout the state.

In 2012, a 34-acre sinkhole opened up in Bayou Corne, Louisiana, and it's still growing. The New York Times described the incident as the day "the earth opened up — a voracious maw 325 feet across and hundreds of feet deep, swallowing 100-foot trees, guzzling water from adjacent swamps and belching methane from a thousand feet or more beneath the surface." Some even said they "caught a glimpse of hell in it."

But others believe this sinkhole is connected to the entire Gulf of Mexico, hinting at a future cataclysmic event that will swallow the entire region. In other words, everything between Texas and Florida will be sucked into the earth. There is no scientific proof that this is true.

When people could not find the body of Maine's sixth governor, Enoch Lincoln, conspirators theorized about its whereabouts.

Enoch Lincoln was a famous poet and early advocate for black and women's rights in New England. In 1826, he was elected Maine's sixth governor and during his term, he chose the current site of Maine's capital. When he died in 1829, his body was placed in a crypt. In 1991, an inspection of the crypt found no remains. Lincoln's body was missing, and this sparked a slew of conspiracy theories.

Some say state workers might have cleaned the tomb and just forgot to put the body back, while others theorize the governor was never buried there at all. His body has never been found.

By 1988, there were 3,000 reports of UFO sightings in Wytheville, Virginia.

In October 1987, Wythe County Sheriff Wayne Pike reported that he and his deputies witnessed strange lights in the sky. It sparked a full panic in Wytheville, Virginia, prompting many conspiracy theories. By 1988, there were 3,000 reports of UFO sightings in the area.

Jimmy Hoffa, a famous labor leader, disappeared in Michigan in 1975, sparking countless conspiracy theories.

Jimmy Hoffa made a name for himself as a compassionate and driven labor leader who devoted his life to advocating for worker's rights. He started his career in Detroit, working his way up through the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, a powerful union at the time. Eventually, he became the president of the union. Secretly, however, he was making deals with the local mob and was caught. When he was released from jail, he disappeared from a restaurant in Detroit.

Many believed he was the victim of a Mafia hit, but a body was ever found. Others are convinced the Teamsters murdered him so that he wouldn't become president again. It took seven years before Hoffa was officially declared dead, which sparked even more theories about where his body was. Some believe his body is buried beneath Giants Stadium, in New Jersey, while others believe he is buried under a swimming pool in Hampton, Illinois.

For years, people across Minnesota have reported hearing low humming or roaring sounds coming from the sky.

For years, cities across Minnesota have reported hearing bizarre humming sounds that seem to be coming from the sky. In 2011, for example, many people in Alexandria, Minnesota, caught the alarming sounds on camera, bringing attention to the phenomenon and sparking conspiracies. In 2018, the theories were reignited when another higher pitch sound was heard in Minneapolis.

Some simply blame it on airplanes, but others think the sounds are far more sinister. They believe the sounds are from extraterrestrial beings or secretive military training.

Some people believe the Joplin tornado in 2011 was actually created by the military.

On May 22, 2011, at 5:41 p.m., Joplin, Missouri, was hit with a devastating tornado with winds reaching 200 mph. The tornado leveled the town and killed 161 people. However, the out-of-this-world strength of the tornado led some to create conspiracy theories.

The most popular theory is that the tornado was created by the US military at a facility up in Alaska known as the High-Frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP). The facility studies the earth's upper atmosphere but many believe it can create hurricanes and tornadoes, like the one in Joplin. Experts say this theory is false, according to ABC News.

Conspiracy theories surround a strange formation in New Hampshire known as Mystery Hill.

In Salem, New Hampshire, there is a 4,000-year-old archaeological site that no one knows how or why it was built. The site comprises chambers, walls, drains, and basins all made out of stone.

Some theorize that the rock formation was built by Native Americans in the region or by colonial settlers. When William Goodwin purchased the formations, he came up with the theory that the place was built by Vikings or Irish monks long before Christopher Columbus arrived in the Americas. Some even think the site dates to the medieval ages.

Another growing theory is that the site was used as a stop along the underground railroad to hide former slaves.

An abandoned ghost town in New Jersey became one of the internet's earliest conspiracy theories when people theorized the town was the site of a group that practiced interdimensional travel.

Ong's Hat is an abandoned town in the Pine Barrens of New Jersey. The town dates from the 17th and 18th centuries, but the population dwindled dramatically in the 20th century, ultimately making it a ghost town. Some believe the town became populated again a few decades later.

In the 1980s, a pamphlet was published saying Ong's Hat was home to a group of people that practiced interdimensional travel. The pamphlet claimed that the group started when two scientists from Princeton University moved into the abandoned town and eventually made "The Egg," which allowed people to travel to alternate universes. According to the pamphlet, the machine transported the entire group to a different dimension to escape police investigation. The theory spread throughout the internet.

Although some people have come forward to claim that they were part of this group at Ong's Hat, there is no evidence that this group existed.

People have witnessed mysterious lights floating around Brown Mountain in North Carolina, leading to a number of conspiracy theories.

September 24, 1913, marks the day the first time anyone had seen the Brown Mountain lights in North Carolina. In a Charlotte Observer article, a ball of light is described as floating through the valley and then disappearing.

"All theories as to its origin or nature have either been exploded or fall through from lack of evidence to support them,"the article reads. 

The lights became a conspiracy themselves, as people debated about their existence. But in 2016, a group of scientists appeared to capture the lights on camera.

"It was something out there. It came on and went back off virtually instantly four times over several minutes," one of the scientists told ABC. "We've eliminated all the things that are likely man-made natural sources, so we're left with no real explanation other than it's whatever the lights might actually be."

Theories as to what the lights are include ball lightning and natural gases.

The Safeguard Complex in North Dakota was built during the Cold War but some think it's related to the Illuminati.

The Stanley R. Mickelsen Safeguard Complex in North Dakota was built in the 1970s to detect incoming missiles. The $500 million building is shaped like an unfinished pyramid, much like the one you can see on the back of the dollar, and has a round circle on each face.

Mysteriously, the building was opened and in operation for only one day. It opened on October 1, 1975, and closed on October 2, 1975, when Congress decided to end the program, leading many to construct conspiracy theories. Some assume the building is actually used by the Illuminati because of its pyramid shape, which is a symbol of Freemasonry, the teachings of the largest secret society.

An astronomer at the Ohio State University recorded a signal that is theorized to be sent from an extraterrestrial being.

On August 15, 1977, astronomer Jerry Ehman recorded a radio signal using the Big Ear telescope at the Ohio State University. The sound was loud and lasted 72 seconds. Ehman wrote "Wow!" on the printout, giving it the name "The Wow! Signal." Unfortunately, the signal was never heard again, leading many to believe it might have been extraterrestrial.

Others theorize it was just a comet that the telescope was picking up, but Ehman doesn't think that is true. Some think the signal recorded was just a glitch in the telescope, according to Live Science.

The Masons hold an annual meeting in the Malheur Cave in Oregon, sparking conspiracies theories.

The Malheur Cave has a long and interesting history, dating from the precolonial era. The 3,000-foot cave was once used by Native Americans but is now owned by a Freemason group called Robert Burns Masonic Lodge. Every year, they hold a meeting inside the cave, raising a number of conspiracy theories.

Some conspirators are convinced the cave has a door to hell, while others think it connects to an underground tunnel system that stretches across the US to other Mason-focused locations. Others believe satanic worship and sacrifices occur in the cave.

Centralia, Pennsylvania, is famous for its fires that are burning underground indefinitely, making the town a ghost town. But some think the fire was government made.

In 1962, the town of Centralia lit a landfill on fire to get rid of its trash, but the fire spread throughout the coal mines that laid under the town. Eventually, the fires made the town unsafe, forcing people to move away. The fire still burns today.

Some believe there's more to the story. There are people who think the government started the fire to force people out of the town so it could collect billions of dollars worth of coal. According to local Pennsylvania news site PennLive, however, whatever coal might still be down there is worth far less.

In 2015, Rhode Island beachgoers experienced an inexplicable blast that some conspirators find suspicious.

In July 2015, a bizarre blast on Salty Brine beach in Narragansett knocked people off their beach chairs, injuring one person. Witnesses said they heard rumbling in the ground before the blast.

"There was a massive bang and I seen the actual rocks shift and move," one witness told CBS Affiliate WPRI. "And I started screaming, 'Get up, get up!' The same time I'm screaming, the sand erupted, threw my sister from there, like a live canon, face-down, unconscious 10 feet away."

Some conspirators believe there might have been explosives hidden in the sand, but there is no debris that would hint at that. Dan Bidondi of "Infowars" attempted to perpetuate the theory that the beach was unsafe because of explosives while interviewing beachgoers in Rhode Island on his YouTube channel.

According to the Providence Journal, Hydrogen from corrosion of copper cable likely caused the Salty Brine blast.

Mysterious clouds formed over Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, in 2011, prompting conspiracy theories.

On January 7, 2011, strange clouds appeared over Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. They looked as if they were a hole punched in the sky.

Utah's Skinwalker Ranch is a hotbed for conspiracy theories, especially UFO sightings.

In the 1990s, the Sherman family came forward and spoke to media outlets about years of strange occurrences at their ranch in Ballard, Utah. Terry Sherman told the press that his family had witnessed UFOs and strange lights. He also said his cows kept completely disappearing and then turning up mutilated. More bizarrely, Sherman said circular doorways would appear out of thin air. There were also reports of crop circles in the pasture. The farm quickly became famous across the US, eventually becoming known as the Skinwalker Ranch.

Over the years, more conspiracies arose about the Skinwalker Ranch, including a werewolf sighting. More strangely, reports of bizarre sightings date back long before the Sherman family. A newspaper from the '70s reported multiple witnesses in the area seeing a UFO surrounded by green light.

The Brunswick Springs in Vermont is so mysterious that there are theories about its powers.

The Brunswick Springs in Vermont has a long history surrounded by conspiracy theories. In fact, "Ripley's Believe It or Not" named the springs the eighth wonder of the world because there are six springs that each have completely different minerals despite coming from the same source. The minerals include iron, calcium, magnesium, sulfur, bromide, and arsenic.

The Abenaki Native Americans in the 1700s theorized that the springs had the power to heal illnesses. According to legend, when a soldier from the French and Indian War tried to bottle the spring, the natives cursed them.

Since then, four hotels were built throughout the years near the springs and each has mysteriously burned down. Conspiracy theorists believe it's because of the curse.

• Read more:
• The creepiest urban legend from every state
• The biggest company in almost every US state
• The best hotels under $200 a night in each state
• These are the 10 most innovative states in the US

• The Europa League final was a poorly attended affair, with thousands of empty seats at Baku Olympic Stadium.
• The final was held in Baku, Azerbaijan, leaving a 3,000-mile trek for fans from London who wished to support their favorite teams in person.
• Ultimately, many fans elected to stay home, leaving a dull scene at the final.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

The Europa League final went on with a whimper, not a bang, on Wednesday night, with Chelsea handily defeating Arsenal 4-1.

The scene should have been an electric one, with two crosstown rivals from London facing off for the opportunity to lift a trophy. It was also a chance for Arsenal to earn a coveted spot in next year's Champions League.

But despite the stakes and the history between two of London's perennial contenders, the match was something of a snoozefest, with a lack of energy in the stands that translated its way onto the pitch and then through the broadcast to all those watching at home.

Normally, such a game would be played in front of a packed crowd, but the final was played in Azerbaijan — nearly 3,000 miles from London. The stands were instead largely empty, especially when you consider that there was a trophy on the line.

On Twitter, people voiced their displeasure with UEFA's decision to give Azerbaijan hosting duties.

Making matters worse was the fact that the host stadium, Baku Olympic Stadium, is built to house more than just soccer, leaving a large amount of space between the fans and the action on the field.

With the goal of expanding the game, it's understandable that UEFA might want to spread the biggest matches the sport has to offer. Further, UEFA got about as unlucky as possible with two London teams reaching the final, as the United Kingdom is about as far away from Azerbaijan as possible while remaining in Europe.

That said, there's also plenty of reason to blame UEFA for selecting a host country that made these problems foreseeable and inevitable.

While London left fans with an especially difficult trek to Azerbaijan, none of the final eight teams competing for the Europa League trophy were within 2,000 miles of the final.

As much as UEFA might want to expand the sport, don't be surprised if they decide to select a host city that's a bit easier to get to for next year's final.

• Read more from Tyler Lauletta:

Women's World Cup 2019: Everything you need to know before the tournament kicks off in Paris

Wayne Rooney was crushed by a charging goalkeeper in a brutal challenge that resulted in a red card

A 14-year-old challenged LeBron James to a shooting contest and pushed the Lakers superstar to the brink

Businesses in Toronto are offering Kawhi Leonard free food, rides, and a luxury condo for life if he re-signs with the Raptors

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Here's what can happen if you hold your pee too long

• Home Depot employees in Georgia built a two-year-old with hypotonia a walker out of PVC pipes.
• The story went viral, but some critics took issue with outlets that presented it as a feel-good piece.
• Instead, commenters argued that families shouldn't have to turn to Home Depot to receive affordable healthcare.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Nearly one month ago, Christian Moore asked her Facebook friends where she could purchase a "cheap crocodile gait trainer" for her two-year-old, Logan.

Logan has hypotonia, also known as floppy baby syndrome, which results in low muscle tone. And Moore said that the family wasn't getting much help from their health insurance.

"His insurance is being ridiculous and they are very expensive,"she wrote. On the website MedicalEShop, the crocodile gait trainer sells for $666.

Read more: Domino's is repairing roads, and some people say it reveals a 'dystopian' truth about America

Rather than purchase a walker outright, Moore and her family decided to purchase supplies at Home Depot in order to build their own trainer.

Instead of charging the Georgia family for the supplies, the Home Depot employees ended up sending the Moores off to buy ice cream and constructing Logan a walker out of PVC pipe themselves.

"Everyone was crying to see Logan walk around with the biggest smile on his face and when the family tried to pay us we said no way this one is on us," a Home Depot employee wrote on Facebook. "Thanks to all that help and for being a blessing to this family and to this little guy."

"We're extremely proud of our associates for living our values and going above and beyond to take care of Logan and his family," a Home Depot spokesperson said in a statement to Business Insider.

 The story went viral, with NBC and NowThis descending on Moore's Facebook account and the local Fox affiliate picking up the story.

But many took issue with the story's generally positive framing. Critics took the view that Logan's story as more of an indictment of the US healthcare system, rather than a feel-good piece.

The blowback indicates an increasing amount of public skepticism toward how certain issues are packaged as sunny human interest stories.

SEE ALSO: Home Depot could have been called 'Bad Bernie's Buildall' if an early investor hadn't intervened

DON'T MISS: Home Depot is doubling down on tool rentals in a bid to win over pro builders and drive sales

SEE ALSO: 11 home-improvement chains that rose up before Home Depot and Lowe's took over the industry

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: This new solar-powered home development store is coming after Home Depot

• You can cancel your Netflix subscription at any time, but the process depends on how you are being billed — directly through Netflix, via iTunes, or through another third-party.
• Deleting your profile isn't the same as cancelling your subscription. If you delete your profile, you will still be billed until you actually cancel.
• Most subscriptions can be cancelled via the Netflix web page, but if you subscribe through iTunes, you can cancel on your iPhone or iPad.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

When you set up a subscription to an online service — whether it's cloud storage, music, backup services, or streaming video — it's often hard to remember how to cancel when that time eventually comes. If you want to cancel your Netflix service, though, the good news is that it's pretty simple to do.

How you cancel, however, depends on how you set up your service to begin with.

If you subscribed to Netflix directly, then you can cancel your service via the Netflix site in a web browser. If you used iTunes, though, you'll need to unsubscribe using an iPhone or an iPad. It's also possible that you are being billed for Netflix through a third-party company, like a smart TV service.

One thing you should not do: Simply delete your Netflix profile. This has nothing to do with your subscription or billing, and you'll continue to be billed even if you delete your profile or the app.

How to cancel your Netflix subscription using a web browser

1. Start a web browser and go to Netflix.com.

2. Click the downward-pointing arrow in the top right of the page and then click "Account."

3. Near the top of the page, under Membership and Billing, click "Cancel Membership" and confirm your decision to cancel.

4. If you still have a DVD plan, click "Cancel your DVD plan" and confirm that you want to do this.

If you don't see the option to cancel your account here, you are enrolled in Netflix through a third-party. You should see information on the page about who is billing you for Netflix, such as your Smart TV provider or iTunes; if you see a company listed, contact that company directly to cancel billing.

How to cancel your Netflix subscription through iTunes

If your Netflix account is being billed via iTunes, you can cancel it using your iPhone or iPad.

1. On your iOS device, start the Settings app.

2. Tap "iTunes & App Store."

3. Tap your Apple ID at the top of the screen, and then tap "View Apple ID" in the window that appears.

4. Tap "Subscriptions."

5. You should see Netflix in the list of active subscriptions. Tap it.

6. Tap "Cancel Subscription," and then tap "Confirm."

Related coverage from How To Do Everything: Tech:

• How to download Netflix movies and shows onto an iPad to watch when you're without internet

• How to cancel HBO or any other premium channel subscription on your Amazon Prime account

• How to log out of your Netflix account on any Roku device

• The best Roku channels you can add to watch free movies

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: We tried a fermentation-tracking device and highly recommend it to find out which foods are making you bloated

Insider Picks writes about products and services to help you navigate when shopping online. Insider Inc. receives a commission from our affiliate partners when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.

• Whether it's the basis of a bigger gift or a canvas to send Dad a nice message, a funny card is a great way to thank Dad for all he does for you and make him laugh in the meantime. 
• We scoured the web and found 15 funny Father's Day cards that'll make Dad laugh, no matter his sense of humor. 
• Check out all of our Father's Day 2019 gift ideas for some more inspiration.

He may serve up some of the best jokes in town — or, he may just think he does. Whether his humor makes you belly laugh or cringe, you have to give it to Dad's comedic talents and confidence. Remember, they're called dad jokes for a reason. 

This Father's Day, don't give Dad some generic card. Give him something that will make him laugh. A card that tells him you love him in a witty way or one that pokes fun at his quirks is a surefire way to make Dad's day. Pair with a great gift and a great hug — whatever you do, we think Dad will love it.

15 funny and cool Father's Day cards sure to make any dad laugh:

An homage to his sense of humor

Word Finders Club Dad Jokes Card, available at Etsy, $3.57

He probably calls it magic, you probably call it cringe-worthy. This Father's Day, let him believe what he wants.

A more honest review of his jokes

Top Hat and Monocle Father's Day Card, available at Etsy, $4.81

His jokes may only get two stars, but he's still a five-star Dad.

A quippy card that makes light of his carnivorous habits

Rarest of Them All Father's Day Card, available at Papersource, $5.95

Like his favorite steak tartare, Dad's pretty rare. Tell him you think so with a cute card that brings together his love for laughs and a good cut of meat.

A card that claims his most important titles

Sweet Potato Shop World's Greatest Father, available at Etsy, $5

Because he's never too old for a potty joke. 

A card that acknowledges how hip he is

Greet Yoself DJ Khaled Card, available at Etsy, from $6.10

Being an awesome dad? Major key. 

An acknowledgement of all he does for you

Sarah Burns Prints Father's Day Card, available at Etsy, $2.63

Because whether it's building a dresser for your new apartment or talking you through that job interview, Dad's always there when you need him. 

A card that shows off your sense of humor, too

Blue Thistle Prints Father's Day Card, available at Etsy, $5.75

He gave you your sarcastic humor. Now, give it back to him with this quippy card. 

A punny way to thank Dad for all he does

Dad Genes Card, available at Papersource, $4.95

Whether he's known for his style or not, he did give you some pretty good genes. 

A compliment with a grain of salt

Funny As You Think Father's Day Card, available at Papersource, $5.95

If Dad can laugh at himself, he'll definitely get a good chuckle out of this sarcastic card that pokes fun at his famous dad jokes. 

A cute card for new dads

Cheers First Father's Day Card, available at Papersource, $4.95

He's traded his beer bottles for baby bottles and that's something to celebrate this Father's Day. 

A sweet pun to make him smile

Grape Job Greeting Card, available at Papersource, $5.95

An adorable illustration and a sentimental pun make this perfect for Father's Day. 

A light-hearted way to say thank you

K Prime Art Father's Day Card, available at Etsy, $3.28

He's put up with you through the best of times, and the worst. Thank him with a little humor.

A neat card for a neat guy

Nine Two Design Father's Day Card, available at Etsy, $5.19

Keep it simple with this neat card that combines some of his favorite things — whiskey and jokes. 

A cute illustration to thank him for years of support

Pinwheel Print Shop Father's Day Card, available at Etsy, $4.50

Because he covered his car in stickers for you. 

A little poke at his extra-prepared ways

Bettie Confetti Father's Day Card, available at Etsy, from $4.27

One day, you'll thank him for making sure you never missed a flight. 

• Eden Hazard was directly involved in three goals during Chelsea FC's dominant UEFA Europa League final win over Arsenal on Wednesday.
• In a post-match interview, he then told the world it may well have been his last game in a Chelsea jersey.
• This is because he is reportedly on the cusp of transferring to La Liga powerhouse Real Madrid.
• The deal will be worth approximately $132 million.
• Visit Business Insider's home page for more stories.

Eden Hazard scored two goals and created another in a dominant Europa League final win over Arsenal, but said after the game it will likely be his last as a Chelsea FC player.

Hazard has long been linked with a high-profile move to Real Madrid.

In 2017, he said he'd consider a move to the Santiago Bernabeu team, appeared to issue a come-and-get-me-plea after excelling with Belgium at the 2018 FIFA World Cup last summer, and has once again used a significant platform to let the world know he is willing to leave West London.

Against Arsenal, at the Olympic Stadium in Baku, Hazard produced five dribbles, returned an 87% passing accuracy, tallied five goalscoring opportunities for his teammates, and scored two goals from three shots. He was, by far, the best player on the pitch.

Read more: Chelsea FC's manager kicked his hat and stormed off the pitch in a huff after 2 of his players clashed during a wild, chaotic training session

But after the game he confirmed it was "goodbye."

"I think it's a goodbye, but in football you never know,"he told BT Sport. "My dream was to play in the Premier League, I did this for seven years for one of the biggest clubs in the world. So now maybe it's time for a new challenge."

The new challenge Hazard may be speaking of, is a transfer to Real, as the Spanish tabloid publication AS recently reported that the player would be unveiled as a Madridista next week.

Earlier in the month, Goal.com reported that the transfer fee would be approximately $132 million.

Madrid has also been linked with moves for Paris Saint-Germain pair Kylian Mbappe and Neymar, as it is desperate to return to the highest echelons of European soccer.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Warren Buffett, the third-richest person in the world, is also one of the most frugal billionaires. Here's how he makes and spends his fortune.

• MapR, a cloud data management startup, said it plans to cut 122 jobs and close its Silicon Valley headquarters.
• The company said it is "actively pursuing a strategic transaction" that may allow it to keep the site open and retain some of the employees.
• MapR said it has received "more than one letter of intent from interested parties" related to this effort, though a spokesperson declined to say if the company is being sold.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories

MapR, a cloud-based data management startup that has raised nearly $300 million in funding, appears to be struggling to survive.

The Santa Clara, California based company said Wednesday that it is "pursuing a strategic transaction" that would allow it to "avoid closing its Santa Clara site."

MapR is planning to eliminate 122 jobs, according to a California WARN notice on firms that were considering job reductions. On the report, MapR's planned reduction was classified as "closure permanent."

Founded in 2009, MapR emerged as a leading cloud platform that enables businesses to store and manage huge data workloads using AI and big data analytics tools, such as Hadoop.

"MapR has been moving aggressively toward a more efficient business model," the company said in a statement to Business Insider. "That effort resulted in the elimination of many direct sales and sales supporting positions this year."

But the startup said it needs to "further increase its cost efficiencies and obtain additional funding to reposition the company for future success."

MapR said it has "received more than one letter of intent from interested parties, and today is engaging in the due diligence process in a transaction which, if consummated, may eliminate the need to close the Santa Clara site."

A spokesman declined to comment further on the types of transactions the company is considering, including whether MapR is up for sale.

MapR has raised $280 million in funding according to Crunchbase. But the company's future is now uncertain.

"While MapR is optimistic about the possibility of a strategic transaction taking place, such things are inherently uncertain," the statement said.

"For that reason, MapR concluded that the most prudent course of action was to provide Santa Clara employees with the notice required under applicable law (WARN) while it continues to pursue a transaction that if successful may permit it to keep the Santa Clara site open and retain many of the employees that might have otherwise been affected."

Got a tip about MapR or another tech company? Contact this reporter via email at bpimentel@businessinsider.com, message him on Twitter @benpimentel, or send him a secure message through Signal at 510.731.8429. You can also contact Business Insider securely via SecureDrop.

SEE ALSO: Elizabeth Warren's campaign posted a billboard calling for the breakup of Big Tech in the heart of the tech industry

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Tesla has a mini Model S for kids that costs $600, and this family bought it to teach their child about driving electric

Insider Picks writes about products and services to help you navigate when shopping online. Insider, Inc. receives a commission from our affiliate partners when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.

• Coddle's bed-in-a-box mattress features four layers of memory foam, which dampened my wife's movement in the night so she didn't disturb my snoring, and kept me comfortable even when I was on my stomach and side.
• It also comes with a long risk-free trial, is comfortable for a broad range of sleeping styles and body types, and provides great motion isolation and edge support. 
• Though it's on the expensive side (currently starting at $550 for a twin on CoddleMe.com), you can try the mattress for "60 mornings," and it comes with a 10-year limited warranty. 

One of the new players on the bed-in-a-box scene is Coddle, though founder Sean Pathiratne has nearly three decades of experience in the luxury furniture space. He launched the brand a year ago with a focus on responsive design, starting with an adjustable couch and then moving onto a chair, ottoman, couch topper, pillow, and now, a mattress.

I recently had the opportunity to test Coddle's new memory foam mattress. Here are my experiences with the Queen-sized mattress, which goes for $950.

Read more: The best mattresses you can buy

Design

One of the coolest features of the Coddle mattress is that you can flip it and have a different sleeping experience on either the soft side (made of a coconut-infused, super-plush comfort layer) or the firm side (made of a cool, firm comfort layer), depending on your personal preferences. In between is two layers of dual-core high-density memory foam.

All the layers are CertiPUR-US approved to be without heavy metals, phthalates, formaldehyde, mercury, PBDE flame retardants, and ozone depleters. 

The four layers total to an 11-inch-thick mattress covered with a soft, white micro-Tencel fabric made in Belgium. You can unzip the cover to remove and wash it too. 

The mattress is available in the six most popular sizes — Twin, Twin XL, Full, Queen, King, and California King.

Set-up process

Unlike other online retailers like Casper, Coddle doesn't have a "white glove" option, where someone comes into your home to set up the mattress up and remove your old one.

However, it was easy enough to set up and carry on my own. A Queen-sized mattress weighs 99 pounds when sealed in the box and 78 pounds when unpacked and inflated; Casper's inflated mattress weighs 85 pounds. 

The whole process took under 10 minutes. There are instructions, but I didn't find them until I was done. Apparently, I opened the wrong end of the box. However, setting up the mattress is intuitive enough that you don't need directions — just open the box, cut the vacuum seal, and let the mattress expand. 

Coddle recommends placing your mattress on a "firm, solid or slatted foundation" of your choice. Since I was in the process of testing several mattresses at once, I simply placed the Coddle on the floor for a consistent experience.

What makes it stand out

You can do all of the right research, but the best way to know if a mattress is right for your sleeping style and body type is to sleep on it so a long risk-free trial period is imperative. Fortunately, Coddle offers a "60 Mornings Trial." If you don't like your mattress, you can return it for free after 60 days.

The Coddle mattress is ever-so-slightly firmer than your average mattress. I'm a side sleeper who occasionally spends time on his stomach. On this mattress, I was more comfortable on my stomach, though sleeping on my side wasn't terrible. I should also point out that I'm heavy — I'm 6 feet tall and weigh 250 pounds. Firm mattresses tend to be ideal for husky individuals as well as back and stomach sleepers, so this was the right pick for me.

I'm also a hot sleeper and didn't have any problems with overheating while testing this mattress, despite sharing it with my wife. Memory foam tends to trap heat, but this was not an issue with the Coddle mattress thanks to the air-flow channels built into the foam.

The Coddle mattress does an exceptional job of isolating motion transfer, which is important when you share a bed and don't want a partner's tossing and turning to wake you up. My wife suffers from insomnia and is quite active throughout the night. Thanks to the motion dampening properties, I didn't even notice her coming and going.

But to objectively test the motion transfer characteristics, I dropped a 20-pound weight from four feet above the bed so that it'd land 12 inches from a can of soda. If the soda can fell over, I'd know the mattress wasn't good at dampening motion transfer. However, in each of my tests, the pop can remained upright, showing me that a significant impact on the mattress is barely felt even a foot away.

A Queen-sized mattress only weighs 78 pounds, which makes it easy for someone like me to pick up, rotate, and flip. The lightweight design is also helpful for general mattress maintenance like changing out sheets, or when the time comes to move or redecorate. 

Coddle offers a 10-year limited warranty on the mattress, which covers manufacturing defects, physical flaws, and deterioration of the mattress with a clear indentation of at least one inch. If you experience any of these issues, Coddle will repair or replace your mattress and cover any shipping costs.

Read more: The best mattress toppers you can buy

Cons to consider

While lying on the mattress, I felt that I was being drawn to the middle. It wasn't to the point where my wife and I were getting closer over the course of the night, but it was noticeable. On the other hand, there is excellent edge support so I never felt like I was going to fall off the mattress.

One of the selling points of the Coddle mattress is that you can get a different sleeping experience on each side due to the two different types of foam. However, I didn't notice a major difference in firmness, motion transfer, edge support, or coolness between the two sides. I'm fine with this because it's a comfortable mattress nonetheless, and the ability to flip the mattress without a change in comfort will increase its lifespan of enjoyable use.

Coddle doesn't have any showrooms so you can't test out the mattress either before buying it, unlike Casper which has stores nationwide and has also partnered with Target stores. Fortunately, the 60-morning trial lets you get some real-life sleeping experience in the comfort of your own home.

The bottom line

Despite these cons, I still greatly enjoyed my experiences with the Coddle mattress. Though it was slightly more firm than I'm used to, it allowed me to sleep how I wanted — on my stomach and side. Despite my hot-sleeping tendencies, the mattress kept me cool too. And when I shared the bed with my wife, it isolated our motions so our movements didn't wake each other up.

• Should you buy it? Based on my experience, it's worth considering the Coddle mattress as you shop around, especially if you're a heavier person who shares a bed with someone else, or tends to sleep hot.
• Which model should you get? Without factoring in the size of your bedroom, if you sleep alone, consider a Twin, Twin XL, or Full mattress. Twin is ideal for smaller people, Twin XL is better for tall individuals, and Full beds accommodate husky folks.

If you share a bed with someone, then go with a Queen, California King, or King. Though my wife and I shared a Queen without issue, we generally prefer a King because we're both bigger and taller than most and have big full-sized body pillows. California King is best for taller couples, though the shape is more square compared to a King. 

• What are your alternatives? I've tested several online mattress brands, and my all-time favorite is the Leesa Sapira because of its just-right combination of comfort, motion transfer isolation, coolness, and edge support. However, it's expensive.

If you want something more affordable and sleep on your back or stomach, consider the Allswell mattress, which starts at $245 for a Twin and also tends to be quite firm. For a softer option, you might turn to the new Casper Hybrid, which starts at $545 for a Twin and served my side-sleeping tendencies well while keeping me cool.

Overall, the Coddle mattress is great. And with the 60-morning trial, you can try it in your home, but if you don't like, you can get your money back. There's really no risk here, so I'd definitely I giving it a try.

Pros: 11 inches and four layers of foam, great for a variety of sleeping styles, excellent motion isolation, 60-morning trial period

Cons: Not available to test in showrooms, felt like I was being drawn to the middle of the bed

Buy the Coddle Mattress from Coddle for $550 (Twin) to $1,150 (California King)

Join the conversation about this story »

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 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

Join the conversation about this story »

• Chernin Group-owned Barstool Sports is putting $1 million in an incubator program for startups in hopes of finding the next Casper. 
• The goal is to help such companies, typically ones that share a mutual interest with sports- and culture-focused Barstool, grow their business and share in that success.
• Barstool's controversies have cost it with some advertisers, and the media company has intentionally expanded into areas that reduce its reliance on advertising.
• The first company to get funded, Roomie, provides mattresses to college students.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Media companies play a role in helping companies grow by raising their awareness through advertising, but the relationship often ends there. Chernin Group-owned Barstool Sports wants to change that equation by acting as an incubator for startups.

Barstool is earmarking $1 million to fund a handful of startups with the goal of helping them grow and eventually benefit from them by taking a stake in the company.

Read more:Barstool Sports is launching a 'premium service,' and Stoolies are already mocking it as 'officially dead'

"We've done so many ad deals with companies that have been startups, and we have such a rabid fan base, it really helps boost them to the next level," Barstool founder Dave Portnoy told Business Insider. "We thought, why not invest in these early stage companies. Hopefully it'll pay dividends."

Erica Nardini, CEO of the sports- and culture-focused company, said the program, The Big Brain, was a way to capitalize on the performance-driven, direct-response advertisers like MVMT Watches, SeatGeek, and Casper that make up the bulk of Barstool's advertisers.

"All these DTC companies, we're building them, and we saw no long-term value from the promotional muscle we put behind those companies," Nardini said.

Barstool has become a nearly $100 million company

Barstool has become a nearly $100-million-a-year media company by selling branded merchandise, events tickets, and pay-per-view access in addition to advertising. Take Rough 'n Rowdy, an amateur boxing contest Barstool bought in 2017 and turned it into a multi-city, pay-per-view boxing company.

Taking a stake in these startups also gives Barstool a way to expand into merchandise in a low-risk way. That's something that's been hard for traditional media companies to do themselves because of the specific skills required.

Another media company, The Information, created a similar program called The Information Accelerator to fund and advise subscription-based news startups like itself. In that case, The Information said it was responding to journalists who wanted to start subscription companies not reliant on advertising.

Barstool is interested in having a diverse business model for different reasons. Advertising now supplies half its revenue, but Barstool's controversies have hurt it with some brands. Getting revenue from other sources means it doesn't have to depend on pesky advertisers who are ill at ease with its reputation, as Barstool has faced accusations of toxicity and misogyny.

To that end, in addition to The Big Brain, Barstool has recently launched a membership program called Barstool Gold that's gotten 20,000 signups at $25 or $50 a year. It's pushed deeper into golf with a tournament, launched a show for women in Snapchat called "The Group Chat," and expects to do more with online sports betting.

Barstool has created a 'Shark Tank'-like show around the program

To choose the companies Barstool is funding with The Big Brain, Portnoy enlisted two friends and businessmen, Mike Repole and Jon Taffer, and turned the process into a show by the same name.

The show, which heavily borrows from ABC's "Shark Tank," consists of 10, half-hour episodes that will come out weekly through July. Like on "Shark Tank," contestants pitch startups to the panel.

In episode one, the trio heard pitches for a fruit ketchup called 'Chups ("Ketchup has this wonderful history no one knows about"); Gameday Hospitality, a tailgate party producer; and "The Neck Shaver," billed as the "first-ever neck shaving device."

But it was Roomie, a mattress company for college kids, that the team was most impressed with, and awarded $200,000 in exchange for one third of the company.

Barstool considered Roomie the ideal fit because it's aimed at the same college kids who are Barstool's target audience. Here, Portnoy acknowledged that Barstool's reputation would inform the investor relationship.

"I would ask to be silent, because the universities aren't going to want Barstool," he said on the show.

For now, Portnoy and Nardini will be doing the heavy lifting of helping advise the startups they fund.

"We're not a traditional VC, but if we see 10 to 20% of the companies have success, maybe that's a high number, maybe that's a low number," Nardini said. "We're going to learn a lot in this process."

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: 16 clues that foreshadowed Arya's big moment at the battle of Winterfell in 'Game of Thrones'

• A new study ranked the most annoying slang words, as well as those that are most confusing and most popular.
• Among the most annoying slang words analyzed were G.O.A.T., bae, hangry, Gucci, and ghost.
• Slang is often derived from drag, queer, and black culture before hitting the mainstream.
• Visit INSIDER's homepage for more stories.

As time goes on, the English language continues to evolve and change. New words are added to the dictionary every year, many of which reflect the current lingo. But before a word becomes official and makes it into the dictionary, it often starts off as a slang word. A survey by polling company OnePoll analyzed the most popular — and most "annoying"— slang words currently used, according to participants, and among them are terms like "G.O.A.T." and "Bae."

It's important to note that slang words play an integral part in language, especially when it comes to verbal language and on social media. Much of this language originates from smaller, often marginalized communities before hitting the mainstream. Some of the examples below, for instance, are derived from drag and queer culture, while others have origins in communities of color. Before it hits the mainstream, it's often used as a way to unite those in marginalized groups. 

"It confirms that we're together and it confirms that you're not one of us," Jonathon Green, a scholar in slang language, said in an interview with Time magazine. "Again, a human phenomenon. We want to put our arms around each other, as an element of self-defense."

Once these words are picked up by a wider audience, they are often used to death, and often are used incorrectly, which may have something to do with peoples' level of annoyance. 

With all that being said, we broke down the top 10 "most annoying" slang terms, according to those polled, and gave examples for "correct use." We tried to cite origins where we could, but as Green pointed out in Time magazine, language is fluid. 

G.O.A.T. means someone is the best.

This one is simply an acronym meaning "The Greatest of All Time."  It is also seen as simple "goat" or the goat emoji. 

Example: "Lebron James is the G.O.A.T."

If someone is your "bae" it means they're your loved one.

Bae is a word used to describe a romantic partner. It is believed to have started in the rap and hip-hop communities in the early 2000s, though its exact origins are unclear. 

Example: "Is bae coming to dinner?"

Being hangry is something everyone has probably experienced.

"Hangry" is a mashed-up term of the words "hungry" and "angry," used to describe that feeling when you've reached such a point of hunger that you get a bit cranky. 

Example: "I need to stop at the store now, I can feel myself getting hangry." 

Gucci means something is good.

"Gucci" is a word similar to "cool" or "chill." It's likely derived from the fashion brand of the same name, thanks to its growing popularity in hip hop and other popular modern culture. It was most recently used as a sign-off in the movie "Eighth Grade."

Example: "Yeah, I've been Gucci, just working a lot."

To ghost someone is to stop talking to them suddenly.

One of the most popular recent dating terms, "ghosting" someone means to suddenly stop talking or interacting with someone, usually someone you were romantically involved with. You simply disappear from their life, like a ghost. It's also frequently associated with dating apps. 

Example: "I matched with that guy but he ghosted me after our first date."

Fleek is frequently associated with appearance.

This is a term meaning that something, usually your appearance, is fresh and aesthetically pleasing. Viner Peaches Monroee made the term explode in popularity in 2014 after her video, in which she referred to her eyebrows as "on fleek" went viral. As many have noted, the term was embraced by the masses, but Monroee did not receive compensation from those who used it and profited off of it. 

Example: "I just went to the salon so my nails are on fleek."

Stussy is another term likely named for a clothing brand.

"Stussy" is a term that made both the annoying and most confusing list. Definitions vary, but the most popular one seems to be used to describe a mix between street style and preppy style. Its origins are likely with the clothing brand of the same name. 

Example: "That bucket hat is Stussy."

TFW has a few different meanings.

TFW is another abbreviation. It's a product of meme and internet culture and is often used with an image of someone making a funny face. It can stand for "that face when," or "that feeling when..."

Example: "TFW your mom tells you that you can't stop for fast food."

Throwing shade is a popular term that is often misused.

"Throwing shade" is a phrase that may seem new to some, but actually has a rich history in black and Latinx gay communities in ballroom and drag culture. 

Though many misunderstand the phrase to mean any insult, shade is usually an indirect insult. 

"If I were to say in a terribly condescending voice, 'Oh honey, I'm so glad you saved up to buy those glasses,' that's blatant shade. I didn't insult the glasses, or you, directly. It's implied by my voice and the context of what I said. You know they're ugly,"Business Insider's Linette Lopez wrote in 2015. 

Example: "No shade, but that coat looks cheap."

SMH rounds out the list with another abbreviation.

SMH is another simple abbreviation that simply means "shaking my head." It is often used to signal disappointment. 

Example: "You're going out with him again? SMH."

You can view the entire survey here. 

• With a huge following, Trader Joe's has become popular for its affordable products, including its ever-changing drink offerings.
• From boozy brunches to chilly winter nights, Trader Joe's has a beverage that will fit the occasion.
• Some crowd favorites include spiced cider, sparkling mineral water, and rosé hard cider.
• Visit INSIDER's homepage for more stories.

Trader Joe's is popular with many for its low prices and unique offerings, including a bevy of beverages, many of which change with the seasons. From creamy hot chocolates to crisp, bubbly fruit sodas, the grocery store chain has a variety of drink options to suit any weather and any taste preference.

Whether it is here year-round or is a seasonal variety, here are some of Trader Joe's best beverage offerings throughout the year.

The company offers an affordable and tasty Pomegranate Hibiscus Kombucha.

To take on the kombucha trend, Trader Joe's carries several brands of kombucha, including its own. The pomegranate hibiscus is light and refreshing, with a fruity flavor with floral notes. It's ideal for an office lunch break or an afternoon picnic this summer.

Spring has sprung with the arrival of Lemon Elderflower Soda.

The light lemon elderflower soda that the grocery chain released last spring is a simple treat. It offers the refreshing, bubbliness of an ice cold soda with a flavor that is ideal for warmer weather. The strawberry rhubarb flavor is another great option if you prefer berry flavors.

Almond Nog offers a vegan alternative to the classic egg nog.

When the cooler weather hits and the holiday tunes cannot be escaped, Trader Joe's has a comforting beverage you may want to try. With the rich, creaminess and spices of egg nog, this version is loved by vegans and non-vegans alike.

Henry Hotspur’s Hard Pressed for Rosé Cider is great for brunch or a party.

Weekend brunch is nothing without a good rosé, and Trader Joe's delivers with a rosé cider that is dry, so it won't overpower the meal with sweetness. It has a unique flavor profile, with hints of apple, hibiscus, and spices.

The Salted Caramel Hot Cocoa will get you through the cold winters.

While many people despise the colder months, there are a few pleasures to look forward including a steaming hot cup of Trader Joe's salted caramel hot cocoa to sip. Described by the company as a "liquid manifestation of [the] ever-popular Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Caramels," this beverage is popular when it hits shelves during the holidays.

Cold-pressed pineapple juice is refreshing and nutritional.

Cold-pressed juices are having a moment, and if you live in a larger city, you know the prices can really skyrocket. But the health benefits are there — Harvard Medical School states that these types of juices "retain more of a fruit's or vegetable's vitamins and minerals" and "don't have the added sugars or artificial sweeteners that most bottled juices contain." Trader Joe's comes to save the day with affordable cold-pressed juices, like the pineapple variety.

The Sparkling Mineral Water is a fan favorite.

The Trader Joe's fan base runs deep, with dedicated groups and accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Reddit, and more. So when customers band together and vote something into the store's annual product awards, you know it's a winner. The 10th Annual Customer Choice Awards of Trader Joe's, announced in January 2019, crowned the market's popular sparkling mineral waters as the best beverage.

The Spiced Cider signals that fall has arrived.

Fall is pumpkin's time to shine, but the season wouldn't be complete with a spicy apple cider. In the fall, the spiced cider at Trader Joe's spicy cider is great room temperature, cold, or heated up. 

Pumpkin Spice Almond Beverage can serve many delicious purposes.

Of course, fall isn't fall without a pumpkin takeover, but the all-in-one Pumpkin Spice Almond Beverage will save you money by becoming your go-to pumpkin-spiced drink. It's good as a mix-in for coffee, it tastes delicious in smoothies, it is good heated up on its own or served over ice, and it is a perfect liquid to add to overnight oats.

The Original Coconut Cream Cold Brew Latte is ideal for busy mornings.

This spring, Trader Joe's launched a vegan cold brew latte with a creamy, coconut flavor. It's ideal for a quick, on-the-go caffeine fix at a much lower cost for a similar drink at your favorite coffee shop.

The Sparkling French Berry Lemonade takes traditional lemonade to a new level.

Sparkling lemonade is good, but the sparkling French berry lemonade takes it to the next level. It's crisp and bubbly, with a sweet berry flavor that goes well with the lemon. It's delicious on its own over ice, or it makes a great mixer in a cocktail.

Stock up on Gingerbread Coffee when it hits shelves in the winter.

This festive, winter coffee will warm you to the core even on the chilliest mornings. It is a medium dark roast with the toasty flavors of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice. From the moment the smell of the brew hits your nose to the moment you take the very last sip, you'll feel delighted and cozy.

Insider Picks writes about products and services to help you navigate when shopping online. Insider Inc. receives a commission from our affiliate partners when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.

• Daily Harvest, the startup that sends frozen, low-maintenance superfoods to your doorstep, just launched three protein smoothies: Cold Brew + Cocoa, Strawberry + Vanilla Bean, and Black Sesame + Banana.
• Each smoothie has at least 10 grams of plant-based protein thanks to ingredients like almond butter and black sesame (rather than artificial powders). They're perfect for post-workouts or quick breakfasts.
• I tested the three new smoothies, and they stack up to the rest of its options: healthy, easy to make, and tasty.
• If you ask me, you should order the Cold Brew + Cacao first, the Strawberry + Vanilla Bean second, and the Black Sesame + Banana third, at least as far as taste goes.

Daily Harvest, the startup that delivers little pre-portioned cups of frozen superfood to your door, recently launched protein smoothies. 

Perfect for post-gym, pre-work, or as a blurry-eyed weekend morning meal, each one has over 10 grams of protein without any fillers, added sugars, protein powders, or anything artificial. Like all of Daily Harvest's foods, the recipes are crafted by a chef and a nutritionist to ensure a balance between taste and efficacy. For this reason, you'll find some more obscure ingredients like sacha inchi, pine pollen, lion's mane, and ashwagandha alongside classics like strawberries and bananas. 

They retail starting at $6.99 per cup and, as always, require the most minimal of prep. Simply take the top of the cup, fill it to the brim with your choice of a liquid base (Daily Harvest recommends a creamy base like almond milk, I second that), and toss it in the blender. Pour the smoothie into the same cup it came in, pop in a reusable straw, and head out the door. While taste-testing these, my morning breakfast ritual took under a minute to do.

What do they taste like?

If you're expecting them all to taste like dessert smoothies, you'll probably be surprised — though not necessarily in a bad way. Paired with a creamy base like almond or oat milk, the Cold Brew + Cocoa and Strawberry + Vanilla Bean taste like a luxury, and one that isn't so sweet you grow sick of drinking it. The Black Sesame + Banana will taste most like a protein shake. If you don't like sesame or more savory drinks, you should skip this one in favor of the other two. 

Does it keep you full?

Surprisingly, yes. As someone who typically skips breakfast because to eat a bowl of cereal is to awake some insatiable primordial hunger within me, I was very surprised to find that one smoothie around 9 a.m. kept me full until lunch, hours later. It can be tough to justify spending $6.99 on a smoothie even if it's full of the kind of ingredients you'd never be able to afford to source yourself, but this longevity is one of its best arguments. It was the same deal post-workout. 

All in all, if you're able to foot the cost and are looking for a great post-yoga protein smoothie without dumping powder into a blender, these are certainly worth a try. They taste good, have inventive, optimal ingredients, and kept me full for hours.  

Below are the new protein smoothie flavors and which ones taste the best: 

Cold Brew + Cacao

Shop the Cold Brew + Cacao

This is supposed to taste like a mocha frappé and keep your energy levels up for hours. It wasn't the same to me as drinking a cup of cold brew, but it did taste like coffee and cacao and keep me full and alert. The mix includes cold-brewed coffee and magnesium-rich cacao as well as ashwagandha (an adaptogenic herb used to relieve stress). 

If you're looking for flavors that won't pack any surprises, this is the best place to start. 

Strawberry + Vanilla Bean

Shop the Strawberry + Vanilla Bean

Daily Harvest's take on a classic pairing is more savory and cherry-forward than you may be used to. The good news is that it's still delicious, though you may want to use a creamy base like oat or almond milk if you want to hide the taste of plant-based proteins like rich, creamy almond butter and sacha inchi (a Peruvian seed that contains all essential amino acids as well as omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids). 

Black Sesame + Banana

Shop the Black Sesame + Banana

Daily Harvest describes the flavor as "a nutty, semi-savory flavor" which is accurate, with a sesame-forward taste. It's packed with black sesame, blueberries, banana, and pine pollen,  which has over 20 amino acids as well as minerals like copper, manganese, and zinc. It's believed to have adaptogenic properties. However, pine pollen may cause similar reactions for those who have a pollen or nut allergy.

Pro tip: this smoothie can taste savory and salty when mixed with water. Add a creamy base like oat or almond milk to cut the taste if that's going to bother you. 

• The current US corporate earnings season is all but over.
• While the results aren't stellar, they've topped analysts' low expectations — especially when compared with results from their overseas counterparts — and are on track to avoid a decline.
• Still, growth has markedly slowed from prior quarters.
• Morgan Stanley continues to look for a corporate earnings recession this year, starting with the quarter that's wrapping up in the coming days.
• Visit Markets Insider's homepage for more stories.

Public companies had a long list of worries in the first quarter.

The stock market was emerging from the severe late 2018 sell-off that gave way to a shaky start to 2019. Trade tensions between the US and China were simmering (and relations have only deteriorated since then). Signs of slowing growth were cropping up across the market at a late stage in the economic cycle. 

Amid the waves of uncertainty, Morgan Stanley strategists told investors in February an earnings recession was imminent, defining that by two or more quarters of flat or negative growth. The consensus called for a 2.4% earnings-per-share decline, Credit Suisse said in April. 

Now, with nearly all of S&P 500 companies' results in the books this week, the numbers have come in slightly better than expected.

A bottom-line downturn appears likely to be narrowly avoided with a first-quarter earnings gain of 1.5%, according to Bloomberg data. That's compared with a rise of about 0.5% for companies in Europe, Australasia, and the Far East, according to Credit Suisse.

So the headline numbers look OK. But a closer analysis reflects fragility under the surface as investors and companies alike grapple with slowing global growth and the perpetual uncertainty of US-China trade negotiations. 

"While the approximate 1.5 percent year-over-year earnings growth for the first quarter is above expectations, it pales in comparison to the double-digit year-over-year growth rate experienced over the past two years," Terry Sandven, the chief equity strategist at US Bank Wealth Management, told Markets Insider.

Growth 'pales in comparison' to prior quarters

Several measures of corporate earnings' health show significant weakness on a sector-by-sector basis. Here's a quick rundown of where things stand.

While the first quarter's earnings growth is the 11th straight quarterly year-on-year rise, that's a significant decline from the fourth quarter's 16.8% rise and the third quarter's 28.4% growth, according to a Yardeni Research report.

Meanwhile, the firm said just six of the S&P 500's 11 sectors have reported positive year-on-year earnings growth — with only one rising at a double-digit percentage rate. That compares with a respective 10 and seven sectors in the fourth quarter.

More granularly, real estate and utilities are the only sectors to have recorded stronger quarter-over-quarter growth.

Read more:Trump's tariffs are inflicting pain and uncertainty across the market. Comments from very different American companies show how.

And notably, earnings growth is trailing sales growth for the first time since the first half of 2016, a particularly volatile period for the financial markets, according to Yardeni Research. 

S&P 500 sales have increased by 4.4% during the first quarter compared with the same period last year, with sales in the healthcare sector leading the pack, according to Oppenheimer.

That compares with profits growth of a tepid 1.5% the same time last year. 

And Morgan Stanley strategists, led by Michael Wilson, aren't backing off their call for an earnings recession.

"With 'Better than Feared' 1Q earnings now complete, our concerns about a 2H recovery remain," the strategists led by Wilson wrote in a Monday report.

When all is said and done it looks like first-quarter earnings-per-share growth will have declined 43 basis points, according to Wilson. He maintains broadly cautious about the stock market and has a year-end target of 2,750 on the S&P 500, just 0.8% below current levels.

"We continue to recommend a combination of defensive and reasonably priced quality stocks at this stage of the economic and volatility cycle," they wrote. "However, we expect the winners to get narrower as volatility picks up."

They think the next bout of volatility in the equity market will come from "weaker growth and earnings misses from stocks that are not priced for it."

Now read more markets coverage from Markets Insider and Business Insider:

Global stocks plunge after China hints it could unleash a 'powerful' trade war weapon by limiting US rare-earth supply

Beyond Meat is leaving Uber and Lyft in its dust. Here's how 2019's mega IPOs have performed so far.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: This stunning visualization breaks down all the ingredients in your favorite processed foods

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.

Between housing costs, utilities, taxes, insurance, loans, and more, US adults paid an estimated $3.9 trillion in bills last year.

That market is growing slowly, but it’s changing fast — more than ever before, customers are moving away from paying bills via check or cash and toward paying online, either through their banks, the billers themselves, or using a third-party app.

Thanks to rising customer familiarity with digital payments, an increase in purchasing power among younger consumers more interested in digital bill pay, and a rise in digital payment options, nearly three-quarters of bills will be paid digitally by 2022, representing a big opportunity for players across the space.

In theory, banks should be in a great position to capitalize on this shift. Nearly all banks offer bill payment functionality, and it’s a popular feature. Issuers also boast an existing engaged digital user base, and make these payments secure. But that isn’t what’s happening — even as digital bill pay becomes more commonplace, banks are losing ground to billers and third-party players. And that’s not poised to change unless banks do, since issuer bill pay is least popular among the youngest customers, who will be the most important in the coming year.

For banks, then, that makes innovation important. Taking steps to grow bill pay’s share can be a tough sell for digital strategists and executives leading money movement at banks, and done wrong, it can be costly, since it often requires robust technological investments. But, if banks do it right, bill pay marks a strong opportunity to add and engage customers, and in turn, grow overall lifetime value while shrinking attrition.

Business Insider Intelligence has put together a detailed report that explains the US bill pay market, identifies the major inflection points for change and what’s driving it, and provides concrete strategies and recommendations for banks looking to improve their digital bill pay offerings.

Here are some key takeaways from the report:

• The bill pay market in the US, worth $3.9 trillion, is growing slowly. But digital bill payment volume is rising at a rapid clip — half of all bills are now digital, and that share will likely expand to over 75% by 2022. 
• Customers find it easiest to pay their bills at their billers directly, either through one-off or recurring payments. Bank-based offerings are commonplace, but barebones, which means they fail to appeal to key demographics.
• Issuers should work to reclaim bill payment share, since bill pay is an effective engagement tool that can increase customer stickiness, grow lifetime status, and boost primary bank status.  
• Banks need to make their offerings as secure and convenient as biller direct, market bill pay across channels, and build bill pay into digital money management functionality.

In full, the report:

• Sizes the US bill pay market, and estimates where it’s poised to go next.
• Evaluates the impact that digital will have on bill pay in the US and who is poised to capitalize on that shift.
• Identifies three key areas in which issuers can improve their bill pay offerings to gain share and explains why issuers are losing ground in these categories.
• Issues recommendations and defines concrete steps that banks can take as a means of gaining share back and reaping the benefits of digital bill pay engagement.

Join the conversation about this story »

This is a preview of The Podcast Report from Business Insider Intelligence. Current subscribers can read the report here.

• The number of US podcast consumers has more than doubled in the past decade — and there's still a long runway for growth.
• And the podcast listenership base continues to grow in the US amid declines in consumption of other premium ad environments.
• Entertainers, music streaming platforms, and smart speakers will play a role in furthering podcast listenership growth throughout the next five years.

Are your social circles and online feeds always buzzing with everyone’s latest podcast obsession? The number of US podcast consumers has more than doubled over the last decade. And by 2023, Business Insider Intelligence estimates there will be some 106 million regular podcast listeners in the US.

People are getting hooked on audio from a young age, too. Over a quarter (26%) of US consumers over age 12 now listen to podcasts on a monthly basis, a jump from just 12% five years ago.

And while the growing listener base is a huge draw for advertisers, it’s not the real reason they should be exploring podcast campaigns. After all, more than half of overall daily media consumption time in the US is now spent with video. Even so, podcasts have the upper hand.

Why should brands advertise on podcasts?

US podcast ad spend is expected to grow over 110% through 2020 — up to $659 million. But consider for a moment that TV and radio ad spend are already at $69 billion and $18 billion respectively, and this figure suddenly feels tiny. The podcast ad market’s small size implies many brands don’t recognize the valuable advertising opportunity podcasts offer.

When looking at factors beyond pure audience size, podcast listeners present several key benefits that make the medium ripe for success for advertising — and brands would be remiss to overlook them.

Here’s why brands should take podcast listeners seriously:

• The majority of regular podcast listeners complete all or most of the podcasts they start. Forty-four percent of monthly podcast listeners finish most of the podcast episodes they start, while 43% finish the entire episode, per Edison Research and Triton Digital.
• Listeners are more receptive to ads on podcasts than ads on other mediums. Of US respondents over the age of 18, 55% say they always or sometimes pay attention to podcast ads versus radio (45%), TV (44%), music streaming services (41%), and online video (34%) ads.
• Most podcast listeners don't skip past ads. Because most podcast ads are read by the host and baked into podcasts, it can be difficult for listeners to easily and accurately skip past podcast ads without missing podcast content, spurring many to listen through podcast ads entirely.

Want to Learn More?

The Podcast Report from Business Insider Intelligence explores the key drivers affecting podcast listenership growth, detailing the benefits of advertising on podcasts versus other media formats, and outlines the best practices for implementing a successful podcast ad campaign.

In full, the report discusses the barriers that will inhibit future growth in listenership and ad spending, and how these hurdles can be overcome to implement a successful podcast ad campaign and attract more big-budget brands into the space.

Join the conversation about this story »

• The Trump administration's addition of a citizenship question to the 2020 census was at least partly based on analysis that adding the question would help Republicans win elections, according to new evidence.
• Plaintiffs challenging the legality of the citizenship question in federal court have recently come into possession of the contents of a hard drive owned by Dr. Thomas Hofeller, a Republican operative who died last year.
• Hofeller authored a study which showed that majority-Republican parts of Texas would receive more representation only if people of voting age were counted in the drawing of electoral districts. 
• He wrote that such a plan, however, would be "functionally unworkable ... without a question on citizenship being included on the 2020 Decennial Census questionnaire," The New York Times reported.
• Three federal appeals court judges in New York, California, and Maryland have previously ruled against the administration, blocking them from adding the citizenship question to the census.
• Last month, both parties presented arguments in the Trump administration's appeal to the Supreme Court, which is expected to return a highly-anticipated final decision on the matter in late June. 
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

The Trump administration's addition of a citizenship question to the 2020 census was at least partly based on analysis that asking the question would electorally benefit Republicans.

That's according to a report in The New York Times detailing a new trove of evidence uncovered as part of an ongoing lawsuit over the question. 

According to The Times, plaintiffs challenging the legality of the citizenship question have come into possession of the contents of a hard drive owned by Dr. Thomas Hofeller, a Republican operative who died last year. Hofeller was an instrumental force in drawing up legislative maps to benefit Republicans. 

The Times reported that Hofeller's files, discovered by his daughter after his death last year, revealed that Hofeller had conducted previously unknown studies on the impact of a citizenship question on political representation. 

Read more: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez accuses Wilbur Ross of not getting congressional approval to add a citizenship question to the census and lying about his reasoning

The American Civil Liberties Union and other groups have sued the Trump administration over their addition of a citizenship question to the 2020 census, with three federal appeals court judges in New York, California, and Maryland ruling in their favor and barring the administration from adding the question to the 2020 census.

Last month, both parties presented arguments in the Trump administration's appeal to the Supreme Court, which is expected to return a highly-anticipated final decision on the matter in late June. 

In one 2015 study discovered on his hard drive, Hofeller reportedly analyzed what Texas electoral maps would look like if drawn based on population surveys that only counted the voting-age population of the state, instead of drawing districts based on the standard measure of the total population.

According to The Times' summation of the study, Hofeller found that such a plan — which would not include non-citizen Latinx Texans or their minor children in drawing districts — would "be advantageous to Republicans and non-Hispanic whites" by allocating fewer congressional representatives for majority Latinx and Democratic-voting areas, and more for majority-white and more conservative parts of Texas. 

Hofeller explicitly wrote, however, that carrying out this plan of guaranteeing more favorable district maps for Republicans would be "functionally unworkable ... without a question on citizenship being included on the 2020 Decennial Census questionnaire,"The Times reported. 

Additional documents found on Hofeller's hard-drive and previous testimony from Mark Neuman, a top advisor to Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, who has been leading the push to add the citizenship to the question, reveal Hofeller was intensely involved in the strategy behind adding the citizenship question at every step of the way.

Read more:Adding a citizenship question to the US census would be a huge power grab for Republicans that could consolidate their electoral strength for years to come

Shortly after The Times published its story on Hofeller's findings, the ACLU sent a letter to US District Court Judge Jesse Furman of New York, one of the federal judges who initially blocked the citizenship question, outlining the extent of Hofeller's influence on the administration's legal argumentation and asking him to evaluate whether "sanctions or relief" would be appropriate. 

The letter argued that Hofeller's newly-uncovered files "contradict sworn testimony of Secretary Ross's expert advisor A. Mark Neuman ... as well as other representations by Defendants to this Court, on the central issues in this case," who argued in court that a citizenship question was necessary to enforce the protections of the Voting Rights Act, not to produce political maps to benefit Republicans. 

The letter said that portions of Hofeller's 2015 study were "strikingly similar" to a draft memo the DOJ sent to the Commerce Department in 2017 laying out the Voting Rights Act as a rationale for the citizenship question, and accused Commerce officials of downplaying Hofeller's "ghostwriting" of that particular letter. 

The ACLU further accused Commerce Department advisors with deliberately omitting the favorable political outcomes for Republicans as a motive for the citizenship question, writing, "it appears that both Neuman and Gore falsely testified about the genesis of DOJ's request to Commerce in ways that obscured the pretextual character of the request" and intentionally "obscured" Hofeller's role "through affirmative misrepresentations."

Read more:

Trump's new tool for collecting stories of social-media bias has one unusual question on it: Are you a US citizen?

Trump says census is 'meaningless' without citizenship question

United States is on the way to becoming a non-white majority by 2045

Trump's controversial change to the 2020 Census could have massive political and economic consequences

SEE ALSO: The Supreme Court will decide if the 2020 Census can ask about citizenship, possibly affecting the distribution of billions of dollars in federal money

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: White House photographer Pete Souza reveals what it was like to be in the Situation Room during the raid on Osama bin Laden

• Some states in recent weeks have adopted antiabortion laws, including Georgia, which is a hub for Hollywood movie and TV productions.
• Several companies, including Netflix and Disney, have released statements about Georgia's "heartbeat bill," suggesting they could pull out of the state if the law takes effect.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Hollywood studios are starting to speak out after Georgia passed a strict antiabortion law.

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp signed the "heartbeat bill" earlier this month, which bans abortions after six weeks of pregnancy. The state is a hub for Hollywood and TV productions, and many major studios take advantage of the state's tax credits. But online public pressure for studios to take a stand has intensified.

Netflix was the first studio to release a statement on Tuesday, three weeks after the law was signed, saying "should it ever come into effect, we'd rethink our entire investment in Georgia." It's been followed by Disney, WarnerMedia, NBCUniversal, and more.

Below are each companies' statements regarding their future productions in Georgia:

SEE ALSO: 8 movie franchises that tried to copy Marvel's cinematic universe strategy — and how they fared at the box office

Netflix's content chief, Ted Sarandos, said that the streamer would work with the ACLU to fight the law in court.

"We have many women working on productions in Georgia, whose rights, along with millions of others, will be severely restricted by this law," Sarandos told Variety. "It's why we will work with the ACLU and others to fight it in court. Given the legislation has not yet been implemented, we'll continue to film there, while also supporting partners and artists who choose not to. Should it ever come into effect, we'd rethink our entire investment in Georgia."

Disney CEO Bob Iger said it won't be "practical" to continue to film in Georgia if the law takes effect.

"I think many people who work for us will not want to work there, and we will have to heed their wishes in that regard," Iger told Reuters on Wednesday. "Right now we are watching it very carefully. If the law takes effect. I don't see how it's practical for us to continue to shoot there."

WarnerMedia said in a statement on Thursday it would "watch the situation closely."

The company said: "We operate and produce work in many states and within several countries at any given time and while that doesn't mean we agree with every position taken by a state or a country and their leaders, we do respect due process. We will watch the situation closely and if the new law holds we will reconsider Georgia as the home to any new productions. As is always the case, we will work closely with our production partners and talent to determine how and where to shoot any given project."

NBCUniversal said in a statement on Thursday it expected the law to "face serious legal challenges."

The company said: "We fully expect that the heartbeat bills and similar laws in various states will face serious legal challenges and will not go into effect while the process proceeds in court. If any of these laws are upheld, it would strongly impact our decision-making on where we produce our content in the future."

Sony released a statement on Thursday saying it will "continue to monitor" the legal challenges to the law.

The company said: "As the MPAA has noted, the outcome of the Georgia 'Heartbeat Law,' and similar proposed legislation in other states, will be determined through the legal process. We will continue to monitor that process in close consultation with our filmmakers and television showrunners, talent and other stakeholders as we consider our future production options."

AMC, which films "The Walking Dead" in Georgia, also released a statement on Thursday.

The company said: "If this highly restrictive legislation goes into effect, we will reevaluate our activity in Georgia. Similar bills – some even more restrictive – have passed in multiple states and have been challenged. This is likely to be a long and complicated fight and we are watching it all very closely."

• At least 11 climbers lost their lives in Mount Everest's "death zone" last week. 
• Only about 5,000 people have ever summited Everest— the world's highest peak at 29,028 feet above sea level.
• Reaching the summit involves months of training, preparation, and time spent climbing the mountain, as well as up to $65,000 in permit fees and equipment.
• Here are the biggest misconceptions about what it's like to reach the top of Everest. 
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

About 5,000 people have reached the summit of Mount Everest since Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay first made it to the top in 1953. About 306 people have died climbing the mountain, 11 in the past week alone.

Everest's peak sits 5.5 miles above sea level. To get to the summit, climbers must brave the "death zone," the area more than 26,000 feet up, where the body cannot get enough oxygen.

But the experience of climbing Everest is probably a bit different than you'd imagine. 

Mountaineers pay tens of thousands of dollars for a chance to go to the top, and they spend months at Base Camp, making little climbs up the mountain to acclimatize to the low oxygen levels.

Read More:At least 11 people died on Mount Everest last week. But it's just the 10th deadliest mountain in the Himalayas.

The recent deaths have been attributed to overcrowding on the mountain, since people were forced to wait in line for hours in the death zone for a chance to ascend and descend from the summit. But Everest actually has more than one route up, and the mountain is far from the most dangerous Himalayan peak.

Here are 16 misconceptions about the experience of climbing the world's highest mountain.

SEE ALSO: What happens to your body in Mount Everest's 'Death Zone,' where 11 people have died in the past week

Climbing Everest isn't cheap. People who attempt to summit spend between $25,000 and $65,000 to hire Sherpa teams to carry loads up the mountain, pay for food and climbing gear, and buy the required permits to stay at Base Camp and climb the mountain.

Several companies charge customers around $65,000 for a chance to climb, which covers the cost of climbing guides, Sherpa teams, and food. 

One company, Seven Summit Treks, charges $130,000 per person for a "VVIP" Mount Everest package that includes a welcome dinner, a stay in a five-star Kathmandu hotel, a personal photographer, all meals, unlimited tea and coffee, and private helicopter service. At base camp, these climbers get a private bakery, bar, heated kitchen, shower, and toilet tents. The package doesn't include flights, required gear, or tips for the crew.

But most climbers can get away with spending far less the only fixed cost is the $11,000 permit fee paid to Nepal's government for the right to climb.

Attempting to Everest comes with myriad health risks. The mountain's fatality rate was about 4% as of 2012.

Source: Business Insider

That's just one-eighth as risky as trying to summit the nearby Annapurna.

According to NASA's Earth Observatory, Annapurna I — the 10th tallest mountain in the world — has a fatality rate of 32%.

Before attempting to reach the summit, climbers typically spend one to two months at Everest Base Camp, which is higher than nearly every mountain in Europe at 17,600 feet. They make multiple trips up and down the mountain to acclimatize.

If climbers don't give their bodies enough time to acclimate to the lung-crushing conditions in the Himalayas before attempting to summit, they could experience swelling in their brain and lungs. 

Expeditions generally make at least three trips up the mountain from Base Camp, going a few thousand feet higher with each successive trip before making a push for the top.

One woman, however, recently completed her entire Everest journey — including the flight from California to Nepal, the 40-mile trek from the airport to Base Camp, and her climb up the mountain — in just two weeks, the Washington Post reported.

To get to Everest's Base Camp, climbers have to fly from Kathmandu to the tiny airport of Lukla, then trek 40 miles.

This trek often takes two weeks, giving climbers time to acclimatize to the high altitudes of the Himalayas. People often pass through Namche Bazaar, a mountain village, to stock up on supplies.

Climbers can't scale Everest at any time of the year. Typically May is the only month when the weather is good enough to reach the summit.

Good weather conditions — free of extreme snow, rain, and windstorms — are rare on Everest. An impending "weather window" often prompts a crowded scramble to the summit.

Short windows of good weather can cause traffic jams and overcrowding on the mountain route. Last week, 11 people died waiting to ascend and descend the peak during this season's good-weather window.

Not everyone who wants to climb Everest in a given year can do so. Nepal only issues a set number of permits per year. A record 381 people were granted permits to climb Everest in 2019, and the recent deaths have given rise to new scrutiny of the permitting policies, according to The Washington Post. But overcrowding on the summit has been a consistent issue on Everest, since parts of the route necessitate single-file climbing. 

The typical route up Everest comes up from the mountain's south side in Nepal. But there there are other routes to the top, including a northern one from the mountain's Tibet side.

Typically, the north route has less traffic jams due to having fewer climbers. That route also has its own base camp, which is far less busy and built-up than its southern counterpart.

But most climbers prefer the southern route because the climbing isn't as technically challenging.

The route is mostly a long, slow, oxygen-starved ascent.

The current Everest-climbing record holder, Kami Rita Sherpa, has been up to the summit 24 times and plans to make it an even 25 next year.

One of the secrets behind Kami Rita Sherpa's success is that local Nepali and Tibetan people don't experience the same health consequences at high altitudes as most people do. That's thanks to a unique aspect of their genetic code.

When most humans reach high altitudes — where oxygen levels are lower — our bodies make more hemoglobin (the protein in red blood cells that helps carry oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body). But too much hemoglobin can make it harder for the heart to pump blood around the body. That can lead to mountain sickness and heart attacks.

Many Tibetans don't experience this issue because their bodies don't make that extra hemoglobin. Instead, their DNA contains a gene called EPAS1, which prevents that blood-thickening process. That gene, it turns out, comes from our human ancestor cousins, the Denisovans.

In order to combat the lack of oxygen at Everest's high altitudes, many climbers use supplementary oxygen, which they carry in tanks on their backs.

But not all mountaineers use supplementary "O" to climb. Some record-breakers make it to the top without supplementary oxygen. The first people to achieve that feat were Reinhold Messner and Peter Habeler on May 8, 1978.

Ropes up the mountain aren't in place year-round, so the first climbers to reach those heights have the job of anchoring the equipment and setting up the path for themselves and the climbers behind them.

Mountaineer Shaunna Burke and her Sherpa team were the first to summit during the 2005 climbing season.

That meant Burke's team had to break the trail up — setting ropes, lines, and routes for themselves and the climbers behind them. "It meant we were moving so slowly that our hands and feet start to freeze," she said. 

Everest's southern route has designated sites where climbers are allowed to make camp. They can't just pitch a tent anywhere.

Climbers leave from Base Camp at 17,600 feet, then trek through the Khumbu Icefall up to Camp 1 at about 19,500 feet. Then they pass through the area known as the Western CWM to get to Camp 2, around 21,000 feet up.

Camp 3 is another 2,500 feet up the Lhotse Face, and Camp 4 is on the Southern Col at 26,000 feet — the edge of the mountain's "death zone."

The summit is 2,500 feet above Camp 4. Summiting takes a single, almost 24-hour, day of climbing from the edge of the "death zone."

Typically, climbers attempting to reach the summit try to make it up and down in a single day, spending as little time as possible in the death zone. 

Burke's summit attempt began around 11 p.m. at Camp 4, as she and her Sherpa team started ascending in total darkness.

"You almost felt like you could touch the sky," Burke told Business Insider. "It was a cloudless night, the stars were so bright, and all you could hear was breathing sound and see the headlamps of climbers in a line going up the mountain."

While the summit push may be the hardest day on the mountain, it's far from the scariest part of the route. Most people agree that's the Khumbu Icefall.

The Khumbu Icefall consists of layers of gigantic ice blocks that are constantly shifting, creating massive crevasses between them. Climbers use metal ladders to span these cracks.

Because the Icefall is located between Base Camp and Camp 1, climbers must pass through it every time they complete an acclimatization trip.

According to Burke, as temperatures warm, the Icefall becomes more unstable.

Between 1953 and 2016, there were 44 deaths in the Icefall — roughly 25% of the total deaths on the south side of the mountain during that time period. Climbers perished after falling into crevasses, having sections of the Icefall melt and collapse around them, or being smothered by avalanches. 

In total, 306 people have died trying to summit Everest. Most of those dead bodies remain frozen on the mountain, since it's a dangerous and life-threatening task to retrieve them.

Most bodies are left on the mountain because removing them can cost tens of thousands of dollars (in some cases, around $70,000). The effort has proven fatal in the past: in 1984, two Nepalese climbers died trying to recover a body. 

Lhakpa Sherpa, who is the women's record-holder for most Everest summits, previously told Business Insider that she saw seven dead bodies on her way to the top of the mountain in 2018.

"Only near the top," she said, noting that one man's body "looked alive because the wind was blowing his hair."