• Affiliated Managers Group sold its majority stake in Andrew Feldstein's BlueMountain Capital to Assured Guaranty, a Bermuda-based municipal bond and infrastructure insurer, for $91 million.
• The deal is expected to close at the end of the year, and Feldstein will net $22.5 million in shares of Assured Guaranty as a part of the deal. 
• BlueMountain's performance struggles this year forced AMG to write-off a $415 million loss earlier this year, and the hedge fund recently lost its head of fundamental credit. 
• For more stories like this, visit Business Insider's homepage. 

For $91 million, Affiliated Managers Group has sold its share in Andrew Feldstein's struggling BlueMountain Capital roughly 12 years after buying it. 

The deal, which was reported by Bloomberg on Wednesday and then confirmed by a statement from AMG, will close at the end of the year, when Assured Guaranty, a Bermuda-based insurer of bonds and infrastructure, will take control of the credit-focused hedge fund.

Assured also bought out the partners at BlueMountain, leaving Feldstein with roughly $22.5 million in Assured shares and a new title of CIO and head of asset management.

Feldstein's co-founder Stephen Siderow will keep his title as co-president of BlueMountain. 

"We are pleased to have had a good partnership with BlueMountain over many years, and also that we worked closely with our long-term partners at BlueMountain to achieve an outcome that is in the best interests of BlueMountain's clients and employees and AMG's shareholders," said AMG CEO Jay Horgen in the statement. 

See more: BlueMountain's flagship fund is losing money so far this year even as the rest of the industry surges, and it's just the latest blow for the hedge fund

BlueMountain's tough run to start 2019 was not easy on its performance or its biggest backer. The firm's flagship fund, the Credit Alternatives fund, faltered as others in the industry notched impressive returns, and AMG was forced to take a $415 million write-down on its BlueMountain stake.

The hedge fund was working to meet profitability targets that AMG was pushing for by the end of year, which included cutting the firm's long-short equity and systematic equity strategies. The firm was also tied up in the utility PG&E, which was found to be at least partially responsible for some of California's deadly wildfires in 2017 and 2018.

BlueMountain decided to axe the two equity strategies and focus on its strengths, such as the credit investments the firm made its name on. But the firm's head of fundamental credit, Omar Vaishnavi, left just a month after giving an investment pitch on the fund's behalf at a New York conference. 

See more: BlueMountain's head of fundamental credit is leaving the firm. Here's one of the last investments he pitched.

Assured will hold its second-quarter earnings call on Thursday morning. The company plans on spending $90 million on BlueMountain's operations within a year of the deal closing, and will invest another $500 million into BlueMountain products over three years.

"We have been searching for the right asset management platform for over three years, and we found it in BlueMountain, a seasoned asset management firm with a compatible credit culture, complementary market knowledge and the scale to make a material contribution to Assured Guaranty's profitability," Dominic Frederico, Assured Guaranty's chief executive officer, said in the statement.

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NOW WATCH: Animated map shows where American accents came from

• The White House is reportedly floating several drafts of an executive order geared toward social-media companies like Facebook and Twitter.
• President Donald Trump has repeatedly accused tech giants and social-media companies of anti-Trump and anti-conservative bias.
• The executive order "remains in flux," according to several anonymous sources who spoke with Politico.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

The White House is reportedly floating several drafts of an executive order directed at tech giants like Facebook, Google, and Twitter.

The executive order, which was first reported on by Politico, is said to be "in flux," but its objective is clear: to address the allegations of anti-Trump and anti-conservative bias that President Donald Trump has repeatedly made regarding social-media companies.

"There's no doubt in my mind that I should have millions and millions of people," Trump said in mid-July at an event billed as a White House social-media summit. "But I know that we've been blocked. People come up to me and say, 'Sir I cannot follow you' … They make it absolutely impossible."

Trump has yet to present any evidence to back up these claims.

It's not clear if the executive order would address those allegations directly or how it would address the alleged bias in services owned and operated by private corporations. Sources with knowledge of the executive order's drafting told Politico that such an order shouldn't be expected "imminently."

When reached for comment, the White House press representative Judd Deere told Business Insider, "The President announced at this month's social-media summit that we were going to address this, and the administration is exploring all policy solutions."

He wouldn't confirm the report but did point to Trump's quotes at the social-media summit. "Today, I'm directing my administration to explore all regulatory and legislative solutions to protect free speech and the free-speech rights of all Americans," Trump said in July. "Big tech must not censor the voices of the American people."

SEE ALSO: Trump accuses Twitter and Facebook of censoring him and conservative commentators during bizarre 'social-media summit'

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NOW WATCH: The incredible story behind Slack, the app that's taken over offices everywhere

• Google employees have flocked to internal message boards to demand fair treatment and full-time status for the company's sizable population of temporary and contract workers, two current employees have told Business Insider. 
• Employees say that internal discussions were sparked by a recent letter sent to its CEO Sundar Pichai by ten US Senators, which urged Google to transition temporary workers to full-time status.
• "Most employees understand that the company may want some flexibility in some roles that are inherently temporary," one current employee said. "But it seems impossible to justify having more than 50% [of the overall workforce] be temporary workers due to 'flexibility.'" 
• Current employees told Business Insider that "solidarity from full-time employees with temp workers are growing as of late" and that there's a fear that Google will use its model for temp workers as a way of limiting workplace rights moving forward. 
• Click here for more BI Prime stories.

Google employees have flocked to internal message boards to demand fair treatment and full-time status for the company's sizable population of temporary and contract workers, in what two current employees described to Business Insider as a growing sense of "solidarity" between the tech giant's overall workforce as of late. 

The search giant has come under sharp criticism over the past year for its widespread practice of hiring so-called TVCs —  temporary, vendor, and contract workers. TVCs now account for the majority of Google's overall workforce, The New York Times reported. As of March, Google reportedly had around 121,000 TVCs in total, compared to 102,000 full-time employees. 

The employees told Business Insider that internal discussions on the treatment of TVCs were sparked by a recent letter sent to Google CEO Sundar Pichai by ten US Senators — including 2020 Democratic presidential candidates Kamala Harris, Bernie Sanders, and Elizabeth Warren. In part, that letter urged Google to begin transitioning temporary workers to full-time employees after being with the company for six months. 

"Making these changes to your company's employment practices will ensure equal treatment of all Google works and put an end to the two-tier employment structure you have perpetuated," the letter read, as first reported by The New York Times. 

On internal message boards, one current Googler said that employees are questioning the company's response to the Senators' letter, which was penned by Eileen Naughton, Google's VP of People Operations. In that response, Naughton said Google complied with the "highest industry standards" in regards to the treatment of its temporary and contract workers. You can read Naughton's full letter below. 

But employees are saying that's not enough. 

"Google shouldn't do the bare minimum to be barely better or the same as the industry. Of course, that is not satisfactory for many of us," the current employee told Business Insider. "Google has the capability of setting and advancing industry standards." 

TVCs are typically paid less for carrying out the same job as their full-time counterparts, don't receive the same level of perks (like free lunch and transportation to the office), and in some cases, are still subject to forced-arbitration clauses in their employment contracts that the company retroactively nullified for full-time employees.

Read more:A growing number of Google vendors are losing their free lunch privileges and are instead faced with a grim selection of pre-packaged foods that they must pay for

Google says it's making strides and that by 2022, it will require a certain baseline set of benefits for its contract workers and vendors, including comprehensive healthcare and paid parental leave. By 2020, it will require vendor employers in the US to start paying workers a $15 minimum wage. Also, on its most recent earnings call in July, the company said some of its increased headcount came from converting some contractors in "support functions" to full-time employees — meaning efforts to transition its temporary staff may already be underway. 

Still, employees within Google are objecting to the company's main reasoning for employing a temporary workforce — which has been to remain flexible and only bring on help during projects when needed. 

"Most employees understand that the company may want some flexibility in some roles that are inherently temporary," that current employee said. "But it seems impossible to justify having more than 50% [of the overall workforce] be temporary workers due to 'flexibility.'" 

Solidarity is growing 

Temp workers and full-timers have had a history of banding to together — most prominently during the November walkouts when the two groups marched together and demanded, in part, better treatment for TVCs. These current employees say the recent letter from Senators has reinvigorated the collective action. 

"The solidarity from full-time employees with temp workers are growing as of late," one of the current employees said. 

"[There's] enthusiasm that the company is being held accountable," said the other. 

One of these Googlers tells us that the timing of this pushback on the treatment of their TVC counterparts comes as a mix between the "right thing to do" and a fear that Google will use its model for temporary workers as a way of limiting workplace rights moving forward. 

"Eventually we could all have as few rights as the employee with the least rights," the employee said. "There's no reason why Google couldn't decide to hire more software engineers as temps to limit their ability to, for instance, protest company policies." 

Read Google VP of People Eileen Naughton's full response letter to US Senators: 

Dear Senators,

Thank you for your letter inquiring about our workforce.

We are proud to create economic opportunities for both the people we employ directly and our extended workforce of vendors, temporary staff, and independent contractors, and believe that our practices in this regard accord with the highest industry standards.  Respectfully, we strongly disagree with any suggestion that Google misuses independent contractors or temporary workers.   

To explain our extended workforce, I'd like to lay out the different ways we engage with various types of workers, as these categories represent different types of expertise and address different business needs. 

Google engages only a handful of independent contractors, mainly when we want to bring in highly specialized expertise that a particular individual holds - e.g., scientists with certain specialized domain knowledge. Independent contractors comprise 0.5% of our total workforce and we independently vet all of our independent contractors to ensure they meet the requirements of a 1099 worker. 

Temporary workers comprise 3% of our total workforce, and do the job of a full-time Google employee but for a short period of time, working on temporary projects, addressing quick needs in business, incubating special projects, or covering for employees who may be on short-term leave, like  parental or sick leave. If a project develops in a way that requires long-term support, then we open up headcount for a full-time Google position and anyone - including members of our extended workforce - may apply for the role and go through the same hiring process as any other qualified candidate. Being a temporary worker is not intended to be a path to employment at Google, and because we want to be clear and upfront, this is a part of our written policies and the training that all Google employees managing temporary staff must take. 

Vendors account for the majority of our extended workforce. We've found that sometimes work is best done by Google employees and sometimes it's best done by specialized companies that have particular expertise and can offer a career path to their employees. At Google, vendors often work in fields that require significant training and expertise outside Google's core areas of focus -- for example, in areas like cafe operations, medical care, construction, transportation or physical security. Most employers in almost every industry in the United States, including the U.S. Government, routinely use vendors in areas where they don't have expertise and resources. 

We're proud to work with leading vendor companies that are regularly recognized as top employers in their fields. Google has recently mandated a minimum standard for wages and benefits for the vendor companies we work with. By the beginning of next year, vendors will need to provide their U.S. workers - at a minimum - with a $15/hour minimum wage, and by January 1, 2022, these companies will need to provide their U.S. workers at least 12 weeks of paid family leave, eight days of paid sick leave, $5000/year in tuition reimbursement, and comprehensive healthcare that must be valued at the ACA's "Gold" level or above, though we expect the majority of our temporary staff and vendors to be covered by this standard by mid-2020.

We care about everyone working at Google or on Google-related projects - employees, vendors, temporary staff and contractors alike - and we're happy to meet with your staff to discuss these issues further.

Sincerely,

Eileen Naughton, Vice President, People Operations

SEE ALSO: Google employees are being encouraged by colleagues to keep silent on Trump's provocative tweets because they think any comments would be 'spun' by the far-right press

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NOW WATCH: Jeff Bezos is worth over $160 billion — here's how the world's richest man makes and spends his money

• The Cosabella Never Say Never Curvy Sweetie Bralette ($65.50) is the only bralette I've reviewed that suits my petite, large-chested frame. 
• It's comfortable and relatively supportive, especially considering the lightweight lace material it's made of and the pullover, hook-free design. 
• Available in 25 colors and six sizes, there are a ton of options built for just about any wardrobe. 

Like most people, I'm rife with insecurity about different aspects of my body, personality, and so on. But the biggest acceptance battle I've had to fight throughout my life has to do with my chest. It's relatively substantial while the rest of me is … not.

I'm 4-foot-11, but I wear a 30G bra.

I've never loved having a large chest, but the feeling was especially acute when I'd spot those flimsy little bralettes with triangle cups fanned out in a rainbow of colors by the register at every mall store from Free People to Aerie. Every time I'd cave and take one of them into the dressing room, only to end up very nearly in tears.

Over the years I've tried several promising undergarments billed as bralettes for busty people. Still, something was usually off about them. The cups would cut into me at weird angles, creating visible lumps beneath certain tops, or the closures would more closely resemble an actual bra, making the bra less suitable to pair with backless tops or dresses with spaghetti straps. But then I came across the Cosabella Never Say Never Curvy Sweetie Bralette.

This is a real bralette, with no hooks or wires and an easy pull-on silhouette, only it's designed specifically for bodies built like mine (i.e. small rib cage,large cup size). Unlike similar styles made for smaller chests, the Cosabella bralette has adjustable straps, which are helpful for me and my short shoulder span. Mesh lining, an elegant sweetheart neckline, and hidden elastic around the band and the tops of the cups subtly shape your chest and provide the added support those of us with larger chests need.

Read more: The best bralettes for a large bust

I own the bralette in black (goes with everything!), but there are 24 other colors available, ranging from Pink Lily to Tourmaline. The sizes currently run from petite to extra-large; Cosabella's size chart says the extra large is meant for 38-40 G-H busts.

Of course, this bra doesn't work under every kind of top or dress. Some of my clothing items are better served by the more pronounced lift and structure provided by an underwire bra, even if it's less cozy. But the Cosabella bralette has been a true game changer in my wardrobe. It's comfy enough to wear while lounging around at home and looks pretty underneath a light, airy top on a hot summer day.

Despite the minor drawbacks, the Never Say Never Curvy Sweetie Bralette is worth the $65.50 price tag. It's cozy and sexy, but also much more supportive and attractive under clothing than similar styles I've tried.

Pros: Supportive, adjustable straps, elastic band, wireless

Cons: Expensive, size range could be expanded

Buy the Never Say Never Curvy Sweetie Bralette for $65.50 at Cosabella

SEE ALSO: The best bras you can buy

DON'T MISS: Spanx has become synonymous with shapewear, but its bras are the company's hidden gems — here's why we love them

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• Millennials loved Ralph Lauren, Abercrombie, Hollister, and other preppy garb. They also spent a lot of time on Facebook. 
• Gen Zs tend to wear fast fashion and athleisure. They've dumped Facebook for Snapchat and Instagram.
• Read on to see the 17 brands millennials loved as teens that haven't captured today's youth.  

When hitting the mall, millennials leaned towards preppy brands like Abercrombie and Ralph Lauren.

But today's teens are all about streetwear, athleisure, and fast fashion — Nike, Adidas, and Forever 21 dominate the Gen Z shopping cart. 

Using insights from asset management firm Piper Jaffray's semi-annual Taking Stock With Teens survey and Bobby Calise, VP of brand tracking at the youth insights firm Ypulse, Business Insider curated a list of 17 companies that millennials adored as teens — but that today's kids tend to avoid. 

Here are the 17 brands, which include footwear, apparel, technology, and beverages:  

SEE ALSO: Gen Zs never watch TV, are stressed about Snapchat, and are concerned that technology has ruined their mental health — here's what it's REALLY like to be a teen in 2018

DON'T MISS: Generation Z is already moving away from Facebook, and 8 more industries could be next

Ralph Lauren

The trend among Gen Z: Gen Z teens are moving to streetwear styles. Teen boys picked Ralph Lauren as their top 10 favorite clothing brand from from 2000 to 2017 — but it fell off the ranking this year. 

Crocs

The trend among Gen Z: Among the 160-plus brands that youth-insights firm Ypulse monitors, Crocs do especially poorly for brand influence among Gen Z consumers, Calise told Business Insider. The garden shoe peaked in 2007 across all age groups. 

Facebook

The trend among Gen Z: Snapchat and Instagram are becoming the preferred social networks for teens. Only 8% of teens said Facebook is their favorite social media platform in 2018, while 45% chose Snapchat and 26% picked Instagram. 

Steve Madden

The trend among Gen Z: Steven Madden, known for its teetering heels and platform sandals, dominated as a top pick for teen girls for years, reaching No. 2 most-preferred among upper-income teens in 2007. Now, as the women's shoe industry slants from heels to sneakers, sporty options like Nike and adidas are the leading footwear options for teens.

Dell

The trend among Gen Z: Only 8% of teens told YPulse that Dell is a "popular" brand, compared to Apple at 61%. Calise told Business Insider that Dell has lost as a technology company among this teen cohort because it excels at desktop and laptop computers — but teens mostly use their smartphones to navigate the world. 

Vineyard Vines

The trend among Gen Z: Preppy looks were big in the late 1990s and 2000s, when millennials were teens, but now Piper Jaffray said Gen Z teens are preferring streetwear styles led by brands like Supreme. 

Puma

The trend among Gen Z: Puma was a top 5 teen choice for footwear in the late 2000s. But, even though Gen Zs love sneakers and streetwear brands, Puma has lost out in 2018 to brands like Vans and Adidas. (Its celebrity-studded marketing push, with ambassadors like Rihanna and Kylie Jenner, might just help a comeback, though.)

UGG Australia

The trend among Gen Z: Ugg boots, the love-to-hate footwear of the 2000s, are no longer on teens' radars, though they were a top-five choice from 2008 to 2013. Gen Zs have their own ugly shoe trend: the chunky white dad sneaker.  

Hollister

The trend among Gen Z: Hollister was the top brand among upper-income teens for much of the 2000s. Nike is the top pick for Gen Zs in 2018, followed by American Eagle and Adidas. It shows that Gen Zs prefer athleisure trends over Hollister's ubiquitous branded t-shirts, polos, and jeans. 

Pandora

The trend among Gen Z: Almost 10% of millennials say they pay for Pandora, compared with just 6% of Gen Zers, a study by the consulting firm Fluent found. Generation Z, more than any other generation, prefers subscribing to Apple Music, Spotify, and YouTube Red.

Sperry Top-Sider

The trend among Gen Z: The oldest Gen Zs and oldest millennials adored this preppy shoe in the early 2010s, but sneakers are now the go-to comfy shoe. 

Tiffany & Co

The trend among Gen Z: Gen Zs tend to be pragmatic and frugal. That quality has been pushing them away from Tiffany & Co, which teens see as too "glitzy," Business Insider previously reported. Meanwhile, the 180-year-old retailer has been making inroads in ecommerce and targeting "millennials"— but not "Gen Zs." 

Vera Bradley

The trend among Gen Z: When they were teenagers, millennials were a leading demographic group for Vera Bradley, that purveyor of quilted cotton handbags and backpacks. But today's teens named Michael Kors and Gucci as their favorite handbag makers. 

Skechers

The trend among Gen Z: While Skechers have an awareness level of more than 90% among teens, fewer than 20% actually find the brand cool, according to YPulse. Skechers is "caught in a fashion 'no man's land,' where they're offering teens neither classic nor fresh styles," Calise told Business Insider. 

Gap

The trend among Gen Z: Calise said Gap was one of the leading retailers of the 90s and 2000s for teen millennials, but now it's losing out. While 39% of teens told YPulse they would consider buying from Gap in the future, young consumer-focused stores like American Eagle and fast fashion retailers like Forever 21 are leading in the Gen Z sector. 

Abercrombie

The trend among Gen Z: While Abercrombie sales have upticked in 2018, for the first time in five years, the once-ubiquitous teen retailer is not what it used to be in the 1990s and 2000s. While much of that is owned to teens' move from preppy styles to streetwear looks, Abercrombie's corporate leadership might also turn off Gen Z, who tend to shop at places that are socially responsible. 

Red Bull

The trend among Gen Z: A fifth of Gen Z consumers told YPulse that they plan on buying Red Bull, compared to 69% with plans to buy Gatorade. Calise attributed that to teens' interest in healthier food as a whole, and a beverage space that's increasingly crowded with kombucha, coconut water, and cold brew.

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

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• The YouTube personality Brooke Houts uploaded a video on Wednesday that showed her hitting and appearing to spit at her dog.
• The video, which has since been deleted, was the unedited version of one she meant to post on her YouTube channel, on which her Doberman is often featured.
• Houts issued an apology to her fans on Twitter, saying that she was having a bad week and that she's not an animal abuser "in any way, shape, or form."
• Houts did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment. 
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

A YouTuber inadvertently uploaded the unedited version of a video to her channel that showed her hitting and appearing to spit on her dog.

Brooke Houts has since deleted the video from her channel, but YouTube users were quick to spot and upload their own versions online. In the video, Houts is seen on at least three separate occasions screaming at and smacking her dog after he playfully jumps up on her while she's trying to film the YouTube video.

Houts, who has just over 300,000 subscribers on YouTube, often uploads content to her channel featuring her dog, a Doberman named Sphinx. The most recent video was an attempt at a popular pet prank, dubbed the "invisible challenge," where owners put up plastic wrap in the frame of a doorway and see how their animals react to it.

In one clip from the video, the dog jumps on Houts while she's filming for the video. In turn, Houts holds down the dog, yells "stop" at him, and appears to spit on him just out of frame of the camera — although Houts has said she didn't do that.

Houts has since issued an apology on Twitter to "anyone who has been effected negatively by the footage." In an extensive statement written in the iPhone Notes app, Houts wrote that she had been having a "less than exceptional" week and said she was showing him "as a dog parent" that his behavior was unacceptable.

"I am not going to play the 'victim card' or anything of that sort, but I do want to point out that I am rarely as upset as what was shown in the footage," Houts wrote on Twitter. "Anyone who knows me personally know I have an immense love for animals, including my own ... He was not hurt, nor has he ever been purposefully hurt by me."

Many of the 31,000 users who have commented on Houts' apology tweet have called on the dog to be taken out of Houts' care. The YouTuber Ethan Klein, who runs the comedy channel H3H3 productions, volunteered on Twitter to adopt the dog at "any price."

SEE ALSO: How Logan Paul went from making videos in his backyard to becoming a 24-year-old millionaire and one of the most controversial stars on YouTube

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NOW WATCH: Here's why phone companies like Verizon and AT&T charge more for extra data

• A recently filed class-action lawsuit accuses Apple of violating user privacy by allegedly recording consumers and minors with its Siri digital assistant without consent.
• The lawsuit comes after The Guardian reported that the contractors Apple hires to evaluate Siri's performance regularly hear confidential interactions.
• Apple announced that it was suspending its Siri grading program globally following the report.
• Amazon also came under fire earlier this year over how it handles Alexa recordings.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. 

Apple is facing a class-action lawsuit claiming that the company's Siri voice assistant is violating customer privacy by allegedly recording users without their consent.

The lawsuit, which Bloomberg first reported, comes after The Guardian discovered that the contractors Apple hires to evaluate Siri's performance regularly hear confidential interactions that may have occurred when Siri was triggered unintentionally. Apple announced that it was suspending its Siri grading program globally following the report.

The lawsuit alleges Siri users are being recorded without their consent and accuses Apple of failing to inform consumers that could happen.

Apple did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment regarding the lawsuit.

Apple isn't the only company to come under fire for the way it manages recordings picked up by its virtual assistant. Privacy concerns over Amazon's Alexa bubbled up earlier this year after Bloomberg reported that the retail giant had hired thousands of people to listen to voice recordings captured by its Echo smart speakers to improve its accuracy. 

What happens to your Siri requests

When you ask Siri a question, your name and the request you've asked Siri is sent to Apple's voice-recognition servers. But that information is tied to a random identifier that your device generates, meaning it's not associated with your Apple ID.

The company saves voice recordings for up to six months at a time to improve Siri's accuracy. After that six-month period, it saves another copy of the data without its identifier for up to two years. Apple may also save some recordings, transcripts, and associated data beyond that two years to improve Siri, and in the past some of that data had gone through a grading process that involved human reviewers.

Apple has since suspended that grading program, but it's unclear if it made any other changes in regards to how it handles user data.

SEE ALSO: Apple's first foldable device could arrive in 2021, but it might not be an iPhone

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NOW WATCH: Why Apple's Mac Pro 'trash can' was a colossal failure

• Samsung and Microsoft are partnering to create an ecosystem that's comparable to Apple's.
• The partnership's initial phase aims to make sending and receiving text messages from your Windows computer easier by integrating Microsoft's "Your Phone" app into the newly announced Samsung Galaxy Note 10. 
• You'll also be able to mirror the Galaxy Note 10's display on a Windows computer using a simple USB-C or USB-A cable. It's another way to send and receive text messages on your Windows computer. 
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Samsung and Microsoft's partnership in building out an ecosystem that can rival Apple's is getting stronger than ever.

So strong, in fact, that Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella made a surprise appearance during Samsung's Unpacked 2019 event, where the new Galaxy Note 10 smartphone was announced on Wednesday. 

The first step of the partnership is to make certain Samsung smartphone features seamless and compatible with your Windows computer. 

The big one is text messaging. Being able to send text messages from computers is arguably one of the biggest draws of Apple's Messages app, which itself is one of the biggest reasons why many iPhone users simply can't make the switch to Android. 

Microsoft already has an app that's designed to let you send and receive texts from your Android phone on your  Windows computer called "Your Phone." But the process of connecting your Android phone to your Windows computer was clunky, and the app wasn't that great when I first tried it at launch. It worked, but its limitation were obvious, especially after experiencing Apple's own Messages on iPhone and Mac computers. 

With the Galaxy Note 10, Samsung is now building in Microsoft's Your Phone connectivity to make it easier to connect the Note 10 to a Windows computer. During Samsung's Unpacked event, Microsoft showed how the Your Phone app will also let you make calls from your Windows computer in the future. 

And you'll be able to mirror the Galaxy Note 10's screen onto a computer with a simple USB cable, whether it's USB-C or the old-fashioned USB-A.

The feature is essentially Samsung's previously available "Dex" feature, which let you plug your Samsung phone to a monitor, and use the phone as a sort of ultra-mobile computer. But instead of connecting your phone to a monitor, the new Dex lets you connect the phone directly to a computer. Through that connection, you'll be able to see your phone's screen and send text messages or make calls. You'll even be able to transfer files between the devices with simple clicks and drags. 

To be sure, Google, which is behind the Android operating system, also has its own solution to send text messages from the Chrome web browser on any computer. Google's solution is more universal, as it works on any computer running the Chrome web browser, as well as any Android device. 

The fight to free Apple users from the indispensable Apple ecosystems rages on, and Samsung and Microsoft are determined to make their own comparable ecosystem. I look forward to trying out the Galaxy Note 10's newfound compatibility with Windows computers.

SEE ALSO: Samsung just announced 2 new Galaxy Note 10 smartphones, and one of them is smaller than the very first Galaxy Note from 2011

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NOW WATCH: I've used iPhones for nearly a decade and switched to the Samsung Galaxy S10. Now I understand Android loyalty in a way I never understood before.

• Almost all men use some form of heat to make shaving easier and reduce irritation. Hot towels, running blades under hot water, and shaving in the shower are some of the most common techniques.
• Gillette developed a $200 razor that delivers heat directly to your face while you're shaving. It has 5 blades, a warming bar with two heat settings, and FlexDisc technology to contour your face and neck. 
• I usually prefer to shave with clippers or an electric razor, but I put the GilletteLabs Heated Razor to the test to see if it's worth the hype and the steep price tag — and it worked remarkably well.

From advanced face-contouring systems and multi-blade razors to soothing balms and moisturizing aftershaves, grooming companies are constantly working to come up with products that make shaving a more pleasant and comfortable experience. 

But one thing that almost all guys can agree on is that the most important thing to stave off irritation is heat. Hot towels, running blades under hot water, and shaving in the shower are just some of the tricks that help.

To make things easier on us, Gillette introduced the world's first heated razor, which brings a warming sensation right to your face.

The GilletteLabs Heated Razor is a state-of-the-art device — and it better be for $200. It features five blades for a close shave, FlexDisc technology to contour to your face and neck, and most notably, an Intelligent Heat Control System. Located directly underneath the five-blade system is a warming bar that delivers the sensation of a hot towel in every stroke of the blade. 

Designed with a high level of craftsmanship, The razor handle is made from high-grade aluminum zinc, so it feels substantial in-hand and never rusts. It also comes with a magnetic wireless charging base that almost gives the illusion of the razor floating while it's charging. Everything that goes into it equates to a $200 razor.

How it works and what it feels like to use

The first step to using the GilletteLabs Heated Razor is to set it on the charger. It takes 60 minutes to fully charge, but you can get up to six shaves on a single charge. Once you're ready to shave, simply turn it on and shave as you normally would. The warming bar heats up almost immediately, so you won't have to wait to begin. You can adjust the heat level by holding down the power button until the light indicator changes colors. The standard high-heat setting makes the lights glow in a darker reddish-orange color, while the lower heat setting glows in a pale orange color. I tried both settings and personally liked the high-heat setting better.

The heat makes every stroke comfortable and smooth. I didn't feel like I was tugging at my hair or scraping my skin, and even after my face was shaved smooth, I was tempted to do extra passes because the heat was so satisfying. I also really appreciate that Gillette designed the razor to be waterproof. You can run the blade under water without hesitation or take it in the shower if that's your preference. 

Immediately after I shaved, I was happy with the results. My face was smooth and free of any cuts. Over the next couple days, I didn't get any razor bumps as my hair started to grow back in. In my past experiences, it didn't matter what brand of razor I used or what type of preparation I did before shaving, I'd end up with bad razor bumps, which every guy knows to be uncomfortable and not a good look.

Bottom line

In short, the GilletteLabs Heated Razor is no gimmick. The heated technology makes a huge difference in comfort during and after a shave. And, although I've consistently opted for electric shaver or clippers for my grooming, the GilletteLabs Heated Razor is the exception to my rule. It's precise, easy and enjoyable to use, and as an added bonus, it looks cool.

GilletteLabs Heated Razor, $200

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• Josh Wilkerson died after taking a cheaper insulin instead of the $1,200 prescription brand a doctor recommended for his Type 1 diabetes. 
• Josh Wilkerson, who earned $16.50 an hour working as a dog kennel supervisor, had recently aged out of his stepfather's private health insurance plan and had opted for an over-the-counter $25 insulin to cut costs.
• But the insulin didn't work properly with Wilkerson's body, and he fell into a vegetative state after having multiple mini strokes. He died five days later.
• Visit INSIDER's homepage for more stories.

A 27-year-old diabetic man died after taking a cheaper insulin instead of the $1,200 prescription brand a doctor recommended for his Type 1 diabetes.

Josh Wilkerson, who earned $16.50 an hour working as a dog kennel supervisor, had recently aged out of his stepfather's private health insurance plan and had opted for a cheaper, over-the-counter $25 insulin over the pricey alternative, his mother, Erin Waver, told The Washington Post.

In June, he fell into a vegetative state after having multiple mini strokes. He died five days later.

Over-the-counter insulin known as ReliOn, takes more time to become effective than the prescribed "analogue" insulin. Analogue insulin is genetically altered to create more rapid-acting and uniform-acting insulin. It starts acting around 20 minutes after injecting and lasts four hours. Human insulin (or synthetic insulin) mimics insulin in humans, and starts working about half an hour to four hours after injection.

"Todd Hobbs, chief medical officer for Novo Nordisk in North America, said human insulin works just as well as analogue insulin if taken far enough in advance of meals," The Post reported; Novo Nordisk works with Walmart to sell ReliOn.

While Type 2 diabetes, is more manageable with diet and exercise, Type 1 is genetically driven and treated with analogue insulin.

Wilkerson's family is now speaking out about diabetes and the high costs of insulin.  

"How many more young Type 1 diabetes patients have to die before something finally changes?" his fiancee, Rose Walter, who also has Type 1 diabetes, told The Post.

Read more:7 signs you have high blood sugar even if you don't have diabetes

The couple paid $1,000 on rent each month, and struggled to pay their every day bills and save for their wedding, on top of their health coverage, Wilkerson's mother said in a blog post.

"We figured: Hey, it's $25. We can do that, and we'll just work with it and try to do the best we can," Walters told The Post about her and Wilkerson's decision to opt for less expensive insulin, noting that she was worried about how long it might take to kick in. They started taking the $25 insulin in the winter of 2018.

Weaver has become an advocate for people with Type 1 diabetes since her son's death. 

"It's pretty much a death sentence," Weaver said of people who have to ration insulin, or rely on cheaper over-the-counter options. "They have no health insurance or good jobs to afford what they need, so they're left with the pittance that is left."

• Read more:
• A new kind of cancer treatment is triggering diabetes in some patients. Scientists still don't know why.
• Outrage over the cost of the life-saving drug insulin has drugmakers scrambling, but Congress and the public demand a price cut
• For people with diabetes struggling to buy lifesaving insulin, a major health company is now offering the drug for just $25 a month
• Many diabetics struggle to afford insulin and there's little the US can do to regulate skyrocketing prescription drug prices

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Nxivm leader Keith Raniere has been convicted. Here's what happened inside his sex-slave ring that recruited actresses and two billionaire heiresses.

• Microsoft contractors are listening in on Skype calls and recordings from its voice assistant Cortana, a report by Motherboard revealed on Wednesday. 
• Privacy policies for both Skype and Cortana say that voice snippets may be analyzed to help improve the services. However, neither gives indication that the analysis would be conducted by a human contractor. 
• News of Microsoft's practices comes after an industry-wide crackdown over the past month that's forced Apple, Google, and Amazon to re-think the way each handles human audio-reviews.
• Read the full Motherboard report here. 
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Microsoft contractors are listening in on recordings of Skype calls and interactions with the Cortana voice assistant, according to a report by Vice's Motherboard on Wednesday. The company described the effort to Business Insider as an effort to improve its AI-powered services. 

With Skype — the voice-over-IP service Microsoft bought back in 2011 — the company is using human contractors, who often work from home, to analyze recordings of conversations taking place via the app's translation service, the report said. Contractors are also said to be reviewing voice commands from Cortana users, which can contain personal information, including home addresses and other sensitive details. 

The privacy policies for both Skype and Cortana say that voice snippets may be analyzed to help improve these respective services. However, as Motherboard points out, there is no indication in either policy that the analysis would be conducted by a human contractor. 

A company spokesperson told Business Insider that it "collects voice data to provide and improve voice-enabled services like search, voice commands, dictation or translation services. We strive to be transparent about our collection and use of voice data to ensure customers can make informed choices about when and how their voice data is used." 

Here's Microsoft's full statement, from a spokesperson:

"Microsoft collects voice data to provide and improve voice-enabled services like search, voice commands, dictation or translation services. We strive to be transparent about our collection and use of voice data to ensure customers can make informed choices about when and how their voice data is used. Microsoft gets customers' permission before collecting and using their voice data. We also put in place several procedures designed to prioritize users' privacy before sharing this data with our vendors, including de-identifying data, requiring non-disclosure agreements with vendors and their employees, and requiring that vendors meet the high privacy standards set out in European law. We continue to review the way we handle voice data to ensure we make options as clear as possible to customers and provide strong privacy protections." 

News of Microsoft's practices comes after an industry-wide crackdown over the past month that's forced Apple, Google, and Amazon to re-think the way each handles human audio-reviews. Amazon decided it would let users choose whether or not their audio recordings would be eligible for review. Apple and Google have both temporarily halted their review programs amid the increased scrutiny. 

Read the full Motherboard report here. 

SEE ALSO: Microsoft has found a way to hurt the partnership between Amazon Web Services and VMware by raising prices for customers using non-Microsoft clouds

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NOW WATCH: The incredible story behind Slack, the app that's taken over offices everywhere

This is a preview of the Internet of Things (2018) research report from Business Insider Intelligence. To learn more about the IoT ecosystem, tech trends and industry forecasts, click here.

The Internet of Things (IoT) is transforming how companies and consumers go about their days around the world. The technology that underlies this whole segment is evolving quickly, whether it’s the rapid rise of the Amazon Echo and voice assistants upending the consumer space, or growth of AI-powered analytics platforms for the enterprise market.

And Business Insider Intelligence is keeping its finger on the pulse of this ongoing revolution by conducting our second annual Global IoT Executive Survey, which provides us with critical insights on new developments within the IoT and explains how top-level perspectives are changing year-to-year. Our survey includes more than 400 responses from key executives around the world, including C-suite and director-level respondents.

Through this exclusive study and in-depth research into the field, Business Insider Intelligence details the components that make up the IoT ecosystem. We size the IoT market and use exclusive data to identify key trends in device installations and investment. And we profile the enterprise and consumer IoT segments individually, drilling down into the drivers and characteristics that are shaping each market.

Here are some key takeaways from the report:

• We project that there will be more than 55 billion IoT devices by 2025, up from about 9 billion in 2017.
• We forecast that there will be nearly $15 trillion in aggregate IoT investment between 2017 and 2025, with survey data showing that companies' plans to invest in IoT solutions are accelerating.
• The report highlights the opinions and experiences of IoT decision-makers on topics that include: drivers for adoption; major challenges and pain points; deployment and maturity of IoT implementations; investment in and utilization of devices; the decision-making process; and forward- looking plans.

In full, the report:

• Provides a primer on the basics of the IoT ecosystem.
• Offers forecasts for the IoT moving forward, and highlights areas of interest in the coming years.
• Looks at who is and is not adopting the IoT, and why.
• Highlights drivers and challenges facing companies that are implementing IoT solutions.

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• The U-2 spy plane lifted off for the first time on August 1, 1955.
• That first flight didn't go as planned, bu the Dragon Lady is still flying today.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

On August 1, 1955, a prototype of the U-2 spy plane sprinted down a runway at Groom Lake in Nevada, and its massive wings quickly lifted it into the sky.

That wasn't exactly how it was supposed to go. It was meant to be a high-speed taxi test, but the prototype's highly efficient wings pulled it into the air unexpectedly. The plane's first official flight happened three days later.

Lockheed Martin footage captured the moment the venerable Dragon Lady started its 64-year career.

The U-2 was developed in secrecy by Lockheed in the early 1950s to meet the US government's need to surveil the Soviet Union and other areas from a height enemy aircraft and anti-aircraft systems couldn't reach.

Renowned engineer Kelly Johnson led the project at Lockheed's advanced development lab, Skunk Works.

"Johnson's take was all right, I need to get as high as I can to overfly enemy defenses, and how do I do that? Well I put big wings on there; big wings means higher. I cut weight; cutting weight means higher, and then let me just strap a big engine on there, and that's it,"U-2 pilot Maj. Matt "Top" Nauman said at an Air Force event in New York City in May.

One thing Johnson ditched was wing-mounted landing gear. On takeoff, temporary wheels called "pogos" fall away from the wings.

"So [Johnson] basically took a glider with parts and pieces from other Lockheed aircraft and strapped an engine to it and delivered it before the anticipated delivery date and under budget," Nauman said.

The plane Johnson and Lockheed produced was well suited for flight — as the Groom Lake test showed, it didn't take much to get it off the ground.

"The pilot was out there taxing around, and [during] a high-speed taxi — we're talking about 30ish miles an hour — the plane actually lifted off on its own, completely unexpected," Nauman said.

"And they thought, 'OK, hang on, let's go back and make sure we're approaching this test phase the right way.' And they found the thing just wants to get off the ground."

Same name, new-ish plane

Throughout its career, the U-2 has been reengineered and redesigned.

The plane that took off at Groom Lake was a U-2A. The next version was the U-2C, which had a new engine; a U-2C on display at the National Air and Space Museum flew the first operational mission over the Soviet Union on July 4, 1956.

The U-2G and U-2H, outfitted for carrier operations, came in the early 1960s. The U-2R, which was 40% larger than the original and had wing pods to carry more sensors and fuel, arrived in 1967.

The last U-2R arrived in 1989, and most of the planes in use now were built in the mid-1980s.

Since 1994 the US has spent $1.7 billion to modernize the U-2's airframe and sensors. After the GE F118-101 engine was added in the late 1990s, all U-2s were re-designated as U-2S, the current variant.

The Air Force now has about 30 single-seat U-2 for missions and four of the two-seat TU-2 trainers. Those planes have a variety of pilot-friendly features, but one aspect remains a challenge.

"It's extremely difficult to land," Nauman said.

"You could YouTube videos of bad U-2 landings all day and see interview sorties that look a little bit sketchy," he said, referring to a part of the pilot-interview process where candidates have to fly the U-2, adding that the landings were done safely.

Despite its grace in flight, getting to earth is an ungainly process that takes a team effort.

Another qualified U-2 pilot in a high-performance chase car — Mustangs, Camaros, Pontiacs, and even a Tesla— meets the aircraft as it lands.

"As the airplane's coming in over the runway, this vehicle's chasing behind it with a radio, and [the driver is] actually talking the pilot down a little bit, just to help him out ... 'Hey, raise your left wing, raise your right wing, you're about 10 feet, you're about 8 feet, you're about 2 feet, hold it there at 2 feet,'" U-2 pilot Maj. Travis "Lefty" Patterson, said at the same event.

As the plane "approaches a stall and it's able to land, you have that experienced set of eyes in the car watching the airplane, because all [the pilot] can see is right off the front," Patterson said.

The absence of wing landing gear means that once it's slows enough, the plane leans to one side and a wingtip comes to rest on the ground.

"The lifespan of the U-2, the airframe, [is beyond] 2040 to 2050 ... because we spend so little time in a high-stress regime," Patterson added."Once it gets to altitude it's smooth and quiet and it's very, very nice on the airplane. The only tough part is the landing."

SEE ALSO: Here's what it takes to fly the U-2 spy plane, which soars 13 miles above the earth

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NOW WATCH: Here's how engineers tear apart U-2 spy planes — and why they do it

• President Donald Trump visited El Paso, Texas, on Wednesday in the wake of a mass shooting that left 22 dead.
• "We had an amazing day," the president said after visiting with law enforcement and victims of the shooting at a hospital. "We were there a lot longer than we were anticipated to be. We met with also the doctors, nurses, the medical staff. They have done an incredible job."
• Trump's visit to El Paso was marred with controversy given that the suspected shooter posted a racist manifesto online before carrying out the massacre. It echoed some of Trump's own rhetoric and characterized Hispanic immigration to the US as an "invasion."
• Earlier Wednesday, Trump visited a hospital in Dayton, Ohio, the site of a second mass shooting to happen over the weekend.
• He was widely criticized for attacking Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio and Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley after leaving the city, and he continued his attacks against them in El Paso.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

President Donald Trump visited El Paso, Texas, on Wednesday in the wake of a mass shooting at a Walmart on Saturday that left 22 dead.

"We had an amazing day," Trump said after visiting with victims of the shooting and law enforcement at a hospital. "As you know we left Ohio, and the love, the respect for the office of the presidency, it was — I wish you could be there to see it."

Trump added that it was "no different" in El Paso. "We were there a lot longer than we were anticipated to be," he continued. "Supposed to be just a fairly quick, we met with numerous people. We met with also the doctors, nurses, the medical staff. They have done an incredible job. Both places just incredible."

The president's visit to the grieving city was marred by controversy, particularly after authorities discovered that the suspected shooter, 21-year-old Patrick Crusius, posted a racist manifesto online hours before carrying out the shooting that echoed much of Trump's and white nationalists' rhetoric toward immigrants.

As INSIDER previously reported, some Latino residents of El Paso expressed anger at the president over his inflammatory rhetoric on immigration.

Rep. Veronica Escobar, who represents El Paso in Congress, tweeted on Tuesday that she would not join the president for his visit. She said she refused "to be an accessory" and alleged that Trump was "too busy" to take her call earlier in the week.

Trump was sharply criticized earlier Wednesday for taking to Twitter to attack Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio and Dayton mayor Nan Whaley shortly after leaving Dayton to head to El Paso.

"Just left Dayton, Ohio, where I met with the Victims & families, Law Enforcement, Medical Staff & First Responders," he tweeted. "It was a warm & wonderful visit. Tremendous enthusiasm & even Love. Then I saw failed Presidential Candidate (0%) Sherrod Brown & Mayor Whaley totally ... misrepresenting what took place inside of the hospital. Their news conference after I left for El Paso was a fraud. It bore no resemblance to what took place with those incredible people that I was so lucky to meet and spend time with. They were all amazing!"

He continued his tirade against both lawmakers in El Paso, saying he'd "had it" with Brown and Whaley.

Responding to Trump's tweets, Whaley wrote, "Not sure what the President thinks @SenSherrodBrown and I misrepresented. As we said, the victims and first responders were comforted by his presence. Let's hope he's not one of these all talk, no action politicians and actually does something on gun control. #DoSomething"

This story is developing. Check back for updates.

SEE ALSO: A Trump campaign ad featured QAnon signs weeks after the FBI warned conspiracy theories are a domestic terrorism threat

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

The average US consumer holds about three nonretail credit cards with a balance over $6,000, according to Experian. As confidence rises, spending is hitting prerecession levels. For banks, that should be a good thing, since credit cards are profitable. But the push to attract a particularly interested and engaged customer base through sign-up bonuses and lucrative rewards offerings has led banks into a rat race, with surging expenses and rising delinquencies that are hurting returns.

To make credit cards as valuable as they could be, and to bring returns back up, issuers need to direct their efforts not just toward becoming one of consumers’ three cards, but also toward becoming their favorite card. Rewards are more important than ever — three of the top four primary card determinants cited by respondents to a Business Insider Intelligence survey were rewards-related — so abandoning them isn’t effective.

Instead, issuers need to be more resourceful with their rewards offerings, focusing on areas that encourage habit formation, promote high-volume spending, and help to offset some of the rewards costs while building engagement and loyalty.

In this report, Business Insider Intelligence sizes the US consumer credit card market, explains why return on assets (ROA) is on the decline, highlights the importance of rewards in attracting customers, and lays out three next-generation rewards strategies that are popular among certain demographics, which issuers can implement to return their card business to profitability. To drive this analysis, we conducted a survey centered on users’ card preferences to over 700 US members of our proprietary panel in May 2018.

Here are some key takeaways from the report: 

• Competition driven by consumer card appetite in the US is hurting issuer returns. Consumer confidence and regulatory policy that favors credit cards should be a boon to issuers. But the competition has surged expenses to unattainable levels and increased delinquencies, which are causing returns to trend down.
• Consumers still value rewards above all when it comes to cards. Two-thirds of respondents to our survey cited rewards-related offerings as the leading driver of primary card status, but they can be pricey for issuers.
• Using resources strategically and offering rewards types that encourage high-volume spending and drive engagement through habit formation, like flexible offerings, rewards for e-commerce, and local bonuses, could be the path to success in the future.

In full, the report:

• Identifies the factors that are causing high credit appetite to hurt issuer returns.
• Explains the value of top-of-wallet status, and evaluates the factors that drive it based on proprietary consumer data.
• Defines three popular next-generation rewards options that issuers can use to drive up spending and engagement without breaking the bank.
• Issues recommendations about how to offer these rewards and what demographic groups could be most receptive to them.

Join the conversation about this story »

• RISE Products makes super flour from spent barley grain.
• Bertha Jiménez explains the process of creating value from waste in the craft beer industry.
• Visit INSIDER's homepage for more stories.

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• After embattled Puerto Rico governor Ricardo Rosselló announced his resignation, the woman named as his successor, Secretary of Justice Wanda Vázquez, began facing heat from protesters.
• Critics claim Vázquez deliberately delayed investigations into members of her own party, improperly intervened in a case involving alleged theft of government property, and didn't prioritize the needs of women on the island.
• However, Vazquez tweeted that she did not want the position and that she had notified the governor of her intention.
• The Puerto Rico House of Representatives named Pedro Pierluisi to assume the position, and he was sworn shortly after Rosselló stepped down. However, the island's Supreme Court deemed it unconstitutional, and Vázquez was sworn into the governorship Wednesday.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Puerto Rico has had three governors in less than a week.

Ricardo Rosselló, the embattled sitting governor of Puerto Rico, officially resigned from office on August 2, after weeks of massive protests around the island.

After facing heat from protesters as well, his named successor, Secretary of Justice Wanda Vázquez, also announced via Twitter that she had no intention to assume the position.

Puerto Rico's House of Representatives named Pedro Pierluisi as secretary of state and next-in-line to assume the position of governor. However, the island's Supreme Court deemed it unconstitutional, and Vázquez was sworn into the governorship Wednesday, The Washington Post reported.

Massive protests, which began after the leak of Rosselló's misogynistic and homophobic text messages, resumed the day after he announced he was stepping down from office. But this time, they were aimed at Vázquez. In tandem with the trending hashtag #RickyRenuncia as protests took place, calls for Vázquez's resignation began trending on Twitter under the hashtag #WandaRenuncia.

"I was here until about 2 a.m., and when they said through the megaphone that Wanda would be the one to take over, everybody started saying 'No' and immediately started yelling, 'Wanda resign,'" Yomarili Rosa, who protested last week outside La Fortaleza, the governor's mansion, told USA Today.

Read more:Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rosselló is expected to resign after his leaked text messages prompted massive protests on the island

Per the line of succession in Puerto Rico, the next-in-line should technically be the Secretary of State Luis Rivera Marín. However, Marín resigned on July 13 after the Center of Investigative Journalism (CPI), an investigative news outlet in Puerto Rico, published 889 pages of messages between Marín, Rosselló, and other officials revealing lewd exchanges about women and mocking their constituents.

Vázquez, who became the island's second female governor, responded to the release of the messages, saying in a statement that she recognized "the frustrations and pressures of the day-to-day can be expressed in an incorrect way within the privacy of a friendship."

"I have to express the deep regret this causes me as a woman, as a mother, as a professional and as a citizen of this beautiful island," she continued in the statement. She was not among the 11 top aids that exchanged profanity-laced messages with Rosselló about other politicians, the media, and celebrities.

Here's why people are protesting Vázquez:

SEE ALSO: Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rosselló resigns as mass protests over profane text messages force him from office

She was accused of dragging her feet on an investigation into questionable licensing of medical marijuana clinics in Puerto Rico. She responded via Twitter on Thursday, saying that the issue is "currently under active investigation" by her department.

"The interpretations that were published today correspond to vicious attacks that seek to attack our integrity," Vázquez said in the statement posted to Twitter, which was originally written in Spanish. "The interpretation that has been given to these matters is false and defamatory."

SOURCE: USA Today

She was criticized for delaying investigations into members of her own party, the New Progressive Party.

When Vázquez became secretary of justice, she faced criticism for not being aggressive enough in investigating corruption within the New Progressive Party, of which she and Rosselló are both members.

"There are documents coming out now showing she did not investigate," school teacher Miriam Melendez told USA Today. "She was not ethical."

However, her office did lead a probe into the office of Senate President Thomas Rivera Schatz following allegations of corruption. The investigation resulted in the federal indictment of a senate official for submitting fake invoices at the benefit of Rivera's political allies.

What then ensued was a heated public battle between the justice secretary and senate president, where, at one point, Rivera called Vázquez "the secretary of nothing," the New York Times reported.

Vázquez was charged for improperly intervening in a case involving her daughter and son-in-law after an alleged theft of government property occurred in their home. She was later cleared due to lack of evidence.

A complaint was filed against her with Puerto Rico's Office of Government Ethics. Prompted by his public disapproval of the justice secretary, the Office of the Independent Special Prosecutor, which Rivera is believed to run, launched an investigation following the complaints.

The probe, which took place last November, looked into allegations that the justice secretary had improperly intervened in a case involving her daughter and son-in-law, in which a suspect stole government property from their home, CBS News reported.

While Vázquez was indicted and appeared in court on charges including two violations of a local government ethics law, the judge found that there was not enough evidence to arrest her. She became the first secretary of justice to face criminal charges, according to El Nuevo Día, a daily publication in Puerto Rico.

Vázquez's husband also came under legal scrutiny at one point when it became known that he also meddled in the case, but he was cleared of any ethical violation.

Vazquez was accused of not prioritizing the needs of women on the island.

Prior to being appointed by Rosselló as Secretary of Justice in January 2017, Vazquez worked as an attorney specializing in domestic and sexual violence and led the Office of Women's Affairs since 2010.

However, she drew criticism from women's rights activists for her "lack of commitment to the protection of human rights," according to Telemundo, for maintaining her silence amid the rise of gender-based violence on the island.

Women's groups urged the governor's administration to declare a state of emergency, and even orchestrated a sit-in outside his office.

"A lot of feminist groups were very critical of Wanda Vázquez," Saadi Rosado, who works with the advocacy group the Feminist Collective, told the Times. "She failed to address gender violence issues and was another piece of government bureaucracy."

People are calling for Vazquez's resignation amid accusations of corruption.

Eduardo Garcia told USA Today that, like the other politicians that have been ousted, he also believes Vázquez is corrupt.

"She's a justice secretary who won't prosecute anybody from the party in power," he said. "She's not going to last a week and a half."

Carlos A. Suárez Carrasquillo, a Puerto Rican lecturer at the University of Florida noted to USA Today that "there is significant opposition to her," echoing Garcia's belief that she will not be in office long.

"Vázquez is unlikely to stay as a permanent governor," Suárez said. "Especially if accusations keep piling up and protest against her continue and pick up steam."

UPDATE: August 2, 2019: This story was updated to reflect new information. that Vazquez did not intend to take the position, and that Rosselló had named a new candidate for the position after stepping down on Friday, Aug. 2.

• At its 2019 Galaxy Unpacked event, Samsung unveiled its new Galaxy Note10, which now comes in two sizes.
• The company also showed off the Galaxy Book S — a Windows 10 laptop that will be available starting in September.
• Watch the video above to see highlights of everything Samsung revealed, all in six minutes. 
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. 

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• Stephen Ross, who owns popular fitness brands SoulCycle and Equinox, issued a statement Wednesday after facing backlash for planning to host a fundraiser for President Donald Trump.
• Ross said in the statement that he had known Trump for 40 years, and "while we agree on some issues, we strongly disagree on many others, and I have never been bashful about expressing my opinions." 
• Several celebrities expressed their disapproval Ross' ties to Trump, including author, host and model Chrissy Teigen, comedian Billy Eichner, and actress Sophia Bush.
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Stephen Ross, who owns popular fitness brands SoulCycle and Equinox, issued a statement Wednesday after facing backlash for planning to host a fundraiser for President Donald Trump's reelection campaign.

Several people announced that they were cancelling their SoulCycle and Equinox memberships after the news broke that Ross would host the Trump fundraiser in his home in the Hamptons, with tickets costing as much as $100,000, The Washington Post reported.

"I always have been an active participant in the democratic process. While some prefer to sit outside of the process and criticize, I prefer to engage directly and support the things I deeply care about," Ross said in a statement, per Miami Herald reporter Adam Beasley.

SoulCycle and Equinox also issued responses to the news of the fundraiser. Ross is the founder and chairman of Related Companies; its subsidiary Equinox Fitness operates the luxury fitness brands.

Read more:People are threatening to quit Equinox and SoulCycle following a report that the chairman of the trendy fitness brands plans to host a Trump fundraiser

Ross, who also owns the NFL team the Miami Dolphins, said in the statement that he has known Trump for 40 years, and "while we agree on some issues, we strongly disagree on many others, and I have never been bashful about expressing my opinions." 

"I have been, and will continue to be, an outspoken champion of racial equality, inclusion, diversity, public education and environmental sustainability, and I have and will continue to support leaders on both sides of the aisle to address these challenges."

Miami Dolphins receiver Kenny Stills expressed his frustration with Ross on Twitter, following The Post's report, saying, "You can't have a non-profit with this mission statement then open your doors to Trump."

Stills was referring to RISE, a non-profit co-chaired by Ross; it's mission statement reads, "We are a national nonprofit that educates and empowers the sports community to eliminate racial discrimination, champion social justice and improve race relations."

Several celebrities also expressed their disapproval Ross' ties to Trump, including model Chrissy Teigen, comedian Billy Eichner, and actress Sophia Bush.

Ross continued to face backlash after issuing the statement.

"Stephen Ross—The owner of @soulcycle —says 'he has always been an outspoken champion of racial equality, inclusion diversity and environmental sustainability' but is hosting a fundraiser for Trump who stands against all those things," media figure Soledad O'Brien tweeted. "Literally-a nonsensical statement from Ross."

SEE ALSO: Celebrities including Chrissy Teigen and Billy Eichner are calling for people to ditch Equinox and SoulCycle due to chairman's plans to host a Trump fundraiser

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