• Two years ago I was diagnosed with a panic disorder.
• I've experimented with a range of coping mechanisms since then.
• Writing provides a great release when anxiety overcomes me.
• Finding a creative outlet to channel your anxiety towards can make a huge difference when dealing with it.

If there's one thing I've learned about anxiety, it's how different each person's experience is with it. A coping technique that works for one person may not work for another. Someone might react well to a certain medicine while another person had to go off it.

Although this is true, that doesn't change the fact that sharing coping mechanisms can make a world of difference. I've had things suggested to me I would have never thought of only to realize that, when implemented, they lowered my anxiety. So now I'd like to share the one thing always guaranteed to tame my anxiety.

You see, while habits like meditation and exercise generally help me cope with keeping my panic disorder at bay, they're not a guarantee. There's only one thing I do that seems to always center me and it's this, right now: writing.

Whether I'm writing directly about my panic disorder or allowing myself to free flow words onto a page, the release allows me to make sense of the chaos in my brain

Down on paper, no problem seems as big. In fact, that release may pinpoint exactly what is causing your anxiety in the first place. Writing is also an amazing release for so many people. Diaries are a thing for a reason, right?

How it works is if I notice my anxiety levels have risen — for example, if I can't think as clearly or I seem tense for unexplained reasons — I'll find whatever I can to write on. Sometimes I prefer actual pen to paper, but in 2018, if I'm not home, it's rare that I have a pen and paper with me. That means if I feel that all too familiar wave of anxiety overcome me or a dark cloud seep into my thoughts, I have to release it via whatever is around. Usually, that means the notes section on my phone. I've also found that having a Google Doc ready to divulge my thoughts into can be really helpful.

I'm not alone in this either — experts agree that journaling can be a huge help to people with anxiety

The University of Rochester pointed out that journaling is a tool often suggested to help people manage symptoms of depression, anxiety, and more. 

"When you have a problem and you're stressed, keeping a journal can help you identify what’s causing that stress or anxiety," according to the university's health encyclopedia. "Then, once you’ve identified your stressors, you can work on a plan to resolve the problems and, in turn, reduce stress."

Researchers at Harvard also found a link between writing out problems and stress reduction and cited other studies that backed up those claims as well. 

The point is to find a way to remove yourself from the anxiety and look at it from the outside

When you're enveloped in panic or worry, it's all too easy to let it overcome you. By putting it on paper, you've found a way to sort through it that also sets your mind free.

If writing it out doesn't seem to work for you, try to think about which creative release would, like painting, sculpting, making flower arrangements, or anything where you find a release and joy in. It doesn't matter what you produce, that's not why you're doing it. It's to come to terms with how you're feeling.

Unfortunately, there's no one thing that will act as a cure-all when it comes to anxiety. All you can do is try experimenting with different techniques and determine which one works best for you. The most important thing is to remember that, under no circumstances, do you have to just live with anxiety. There are always other things to try and you are never alone in trying them.

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• Target announced on Tuesday that it is removing the order minimum requirement for most items sold online during the holiday season.
• That means most items, regardless of price, will be given free two-day shipping with no membership or minimum purchase required.
• It's one of the most ambitious moves a traditional nationwide retailer has made to compete with Amazon to capture holiday sales.

Target is taking the gloves off to compete with Amazon this holiday.

Starting November 1, it's removing the order minimum requirement for most items sold online, the company announced in a blog post on Tuesday.

That means most items, regardless of price, will be given free two-day shipping with no membership or minimum purchase required. The perk will only extend through the holiday season, until December 22, and was previously only offered to holders of Target's store credit card, known as a REDcard.

"We want to make the busy holiday season easier for our guests so they can spend more time with their family and friends," Target CEO Brian Cornell said in a prepared statement.

In March, Target started free two-day shipping on all orders of at least $35 or more.

Last year, Target offered free standard-speed shipping on most items from November through December 23, meaning this year's offering is a marked upgrade.

The move is an ambitious one for a traditional nationwide retailer competing with Amazon this holiday season. Amazon only offers traditional-speed shipping for orders over $25 without a membership. There's no limit for customers who pay for Amazon Prime's $119-a-year or $12.99-a-month membership, who get unlimited free two-day shipping.

Walmart, on the other hand, requires a purchase of at least $35 for free two-day shipping.

Online shopping is predicted to capture more of holiday shopping again this year, and Amazon is again posed to capture more than half of that.

Analysts are already forecasting a strong holiday season for retailers, with most overall sales growth estimates in the high single digits or low double digits.

Most of this year's growth is likely to come from online sales, as Forrester Research is predicting 14% sales growth online but only 1.7% growth in stores. Analysts estimated that Amazon took nearly half of all online retail sales in 2017 and that it would take even more this year.

Forrester estimates that online holiday sales will account for more than 32% all online sales for the year. Targ

SEE ALSO: Walmart is offering free 2-day shipping on 'millions more' items — and it reveals a key advantage over Amazon

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• There's a new world champion of "Tetris": 16-year-old Joseph Saelee took the crown over the past weekend.
• Saelee had tears running down his face as he celebrated; he didn't expect to win the tournament.
• The new "Tetris" world champion unseats long-running champion Jonas Neubauer, who was swept by Saelee.

Over 30 years ago, the first version of "Tetris" was created in the Soviet Union. In 2018, the new world champion is just 16 years old — a young man born long after the game was created.

His name is Joseph Saelee, and he's unbelievably good at the beloved puzzle game.

That's him above, defeating long-time "Tetris" champion Jonas Neubauer at the World Tetris Championships last weekend. Neubauer was the reigning champ for years, with only one aberration in 2014 when he lost to another major "Tetris" competitor — but no longer.

Now, Saelee is again the world champ — and Saelee didn't even intend to win the tournament.

"I came into this tournament just to qualify, just to meet all these great people, and to win, that’s just amazing, I don’t know what to say," Saelee said after winning.

The version of "Tetris" Saelee was competing in looks ancient, and that's because it's the original Nintendo Entertainment System version of the gaming classic. That version of "Tetris" was first released in the mid-'80s, and features some of the most restrictive gameplay in the series.

Notoriously, once a puzzle piece touches another (or the ground), it can no longer be spun. More importantly for this competition, however, is the particularity of how "Tetris" on NES handles moving pieces horizontally while dropping.

If you push left on the d-pad and hold it down, the piece will move to the left. But if you rapidly tap left on the d-pad, the piece will move more quickly to the left — it's a method known as "hypertapping," and it's considered risky in the high-stakes world of competitive "Tetris" as it requires maniacal tapping.

The reigning "Tetris" champ, Neubauer, was holding down d-pad buttons. Saelee, however, was using the hypertap method. You can see Saelee employing the method in this image:

It's unclear if Saelee's win comes with any monetary prize, but it certainly comes with a heap of recognition. It's easy to understand why: Watching Saelee play "Tetris" is an incredible sight to behold.

See the final match for yourself right here:

SEE ALSO: Forget about 'Fortnite' — the new 'Call of Duty' makes 6 brilliant changes to the Battle Royale formula

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We're almost halfway through the 2018 NFL season, and the league still feels crowded.

While a clear group of four has established themselves as the best in football, the remainder of the playoff picture still feels like a complete mystery, with teams playing above expectations looking to keep the good times rolling, and those underperforming hoping to find a fix in the second half of the year.

And of course, at the bottom of the league, there are a few teams that are already looking ahead to the 2019 NFL Draft.

Take a look below to see where each NFL team stands heading into Week 8.

32. Buffalo Bills

Record: 2-5

Last week: 27th

Week 7 result: Lost to the Colts, 37-5

Week 8 opponent: vs. New England Patriots

One thing to know: The Bills quarterback situation remains an absolute disaster. Recently signed backup Derek Anderson was hardly an improvement over Nathan Peterman, throwing three interceptions and losing a fumble in his debut for Buffalo. Lacking a better alternative, he'll get the start again this week.

31. San Francisco 49ers

Record: 1-6

Last week: 29th

Week 7 result: Lost to the Rams, 39-10

Week 8 opponent: at Arizona Cardinals

One thing to know: After losing a heartbreaker to the Packers on Monday night in Week 6, the 49ers came out flat on Sunday. This team could have something when Jimmy Garoppolo returns next year, but until then, they're better off playing for a high draft pick.

30. Oakland Raiders

Record: 1-5

Last week: 32nd

Week 7 result: Bye

Week 8 opponent: vs. Indianapolis Colts

One thing to know: Head coach Jon Gruden is making good on reports that he planned a "fire sale" for the team, most recently shipping away wide receiver Amari Cooper to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for a first round pick. Unlike his decision to trade away Khalil Mack before the season, this time, many think the Raiders got the better end of the deal.

• "Reigns: Game of Thrones" is a strategy game that lets players rule Westeros from the Iron Throne with one of nine rulers.
  
• Much like the show, the ruler's decision making is constantly put to the test, and mismanaging the kingdom could lead to death, or worse.
• With nearly 30 different endings, the game offers some fun ideas on where the series might be headed in its final season.

The final season of "Game of Thrones" isn't due out until next year, so I've decided to bide my time by playing "Reigns: Game of Thrones." Devolver Digital's strategy game for smartphones and PC is a great match for the witty dialogue and political intrigue of "Game of Thrones" television series and it rewards dedicated fans for their knowledge of the show.

"Reigns" lets you select one of nine leaders from the series to rule the Iron Throne for as long as you can. Whether your chose Jon Snow, Cersei Lannister, or a another ruler, the king or queen is faced with nonstop decisions that impact four factors in the kingdom: military power, faith in religion, national wealth, and the people's morale. Decisions are made with a simple swap to the left or the right, but as the game goes on, consequences can quickly become dire.

If the leader dies their reign ends, and you'll need to choose a new leader to start from the beginning. In order to be successful the leader must balance all four factors; letting any one factor run empty or grow unchecked for too long will lead to the ruler being assassinated, or worse.

While playing "Reigns: Game of Thrones" doesn't require any prior knowledge of the series, those who aren't fully caught up with the world of Westeros should be ready for major spoilers. The game is set after the most recent season of "Game of Thrones" and is filled with references to major and minor events from the show thus far. Each ruler has their own perks to reflect their personality on the show, and playing to their strengths can unlock secrets and special abilities. While the game takes some liberties to place the different rulers on the Iron Throne, the storylines and dialogue from the game provides some fun ideas on where the series might be headed during its upcoming final season.

Every playthrough of "Reigns" offers a different experience, even when you pick the same ruler. Each time you start over the order of events will shift ever so slightly; changing your responses will open new paths in the story and reveal familiar characters. "Reigns" has 29 different endings for its nine rulers, ranging from gruesome deaths to total triumphs. There are another 49 "royal deeds" to accomplish during the course of the story, adding extra goals to every playthrough.

"Reign: Game of Thrones" came out for iOS, Android and PC on October 18 and is the third game in the "Reigns" series. The first game "Reigns," and the follow-up "Reigns: Your Majesty" feature the same style of gameplay without the extra "Game of Thrones" flavor.

SEE ALSO: "Reigns" is a fun smartphone game that combines Tinder with "Game of Thrones"

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According to Harvard Medical School, our bodies need an optimal level of liquids in order for our kidneys to adequately process waste, our temperature to stay regulated, and for our cells to function normally.

But even though all people need to hydrate, the manner in which some people choose to do so varies. Although some people believe you should drink eight glasses of water a day, others claim swapping traditional H2O for other beverages like sports drinks is a more effective way to maintain the body’s fluid levels.

Read more: Here's how to find out how much water you need to drink

It turns out some of these common beliefs about what’s best for keeping the body hydrated aren’t actually true.

Below is a list of some practices that you might think are helping your body’s hydration levels but actually aren't doing much at all. 

Drinking beverages that taste refreshing aren't necessarily hydrating you.

It turns out thirst isn't actually the best way to assess how hydrated you are. Brian Palmer, a science writer for Slate explained that people tend to crave drinks like lemonade and soda when the weather is hot because consuming them has an instantly recognizable physical effect. He cited research from Japan in the 1960's that stated the acidity level in these beverages stimulates saliva production, which gives our mouth the feeling that our thirst is quenched. 

Further evidence presented by a study in The American Journal of Physiology suggests that drinking soft drinks can actually worsen dehydration. This is because the sugars and caffeine contained in these drinks place additional stress on the bloodstream and kidney function.

Read more: 3 kinds of drinks that actually dehydrate you — and why

So next time you're that refreshing, cold soda, try adding some fruit to sparkling water instead. It can provide the same thirst-quenching sensation while hydrating you much more efficiently than a soft drink.

Chugging large quantities of water isn't hydrating you any more than if you sip it slowly.

It can seem like you're being proactive by gulping down a large amount of water before beginning some extraneous exercise.

But Dr. Leonard Smith, a surgeon and medical advisor for the University of Miami's Department of Integrative Medicine, told Mel magazine last year that drinking a lot of water at once is a big mistake when it comes to hydrating. The main problem is when the body takes in too much liquid at once, it causes the blood to dilute and the kidneys to process liquids much faster. When this happens your body ends up urinating much sooner than it needs to, and all that extra water you drank goes to waste.

In fact, drinking too much water at once can even be dangerous because it can lead to a condition called hyponatremia, which is a severe sodium deficiency caused by excessive amounts of water in the body.

The solution? Drink water, yes. But drink smaller amounts of it throughout the day — ideally, before you get to the point where you're so thirsty you feel like you need to chug an entire liter of it.

Swapping your regular water for sports drinks isn't necessary unless you're working out all the time.

A common belief is that sports drinks hydrate you better than regular water. Many of us have seen advertisements featuring our favorite athletes dousing themselves with sports drinks as if they contain liquid powers that will charge them into some kind of superhumans.

In some ways, these drinks do have special qualities to them because of their electrolyte content. But to say they are more hydrating than water because of this doesn't make sense. This is because electrolytes in sports drinks themselves do not hydrate you. Instead, they help your body regulate the amount of water it contains. And interestingly enough research from Canada in 2014 found that milk was more effective at hydrating people than sports drinks.

This is likely because the main purpose of sports drinks is to replenish the body's electrolytes that are lost through sweating. As noted above it can be harmful when your body's sodium levels get too low. But the ingredient in your Gatorade that actually hydrates you is actually just regular water.

So if you're not sweating as much as Serena Williams or Lebron James on a regular basis, the extra benefits that come with these sports drinks' for hydration purposes aren't really necessary.

Most people simply aren't losing that many electrolytes on a regular basis, and according to Healthline, the sugars in sports drinks can cause more harm than good for those who don't need them.

After being introduced to Tyler Baltierra and Catelynn Lowell on the MTV series "16 & Pregnant," fans have been able to follow their journey as a couple on "Teen Mom OG."And viewers have watched them go through a lot.

From middle school sweethearts to reality TV stars, here's a timeline of Baltierra and Lowell's relationship.

In 2005, Baltierra and Lowell started dating.

According to their book "Conquering Chaos,"Baltierra and Lowell met in seventh grade when they were in the same music class. They were both around 15-years-old.

In 2008, Lowell became pregnant when she was 16 years old.

When Lowell and Baltierra joined the cast of MTV's "16 & Pregnant," they decided they weren't prepared to raise a child and made the difficult decision to place their baby up for adoption.

In May 2009, their daughter Carly was born and placed with a couple named Brandon and Teresa Davis, who have chosen for their daughter not to appear on the show.

"Teen Mom" premiered in 2009.

MTV brought Baltierra and Lowell back for a new series that also included fellow "16 & Pregnant" stars Farrah Abraham, Amber Portwood, and Maci Bookout.

Boasting over 36,000 locations in over 100 countries, McDonald's has fashioned itself as one of the world’s most ubiquitous brands. That doesn't mean you'll find the same menu at every McDonald's, though. Instead, the fast-food chain seems to carefully tailor its menus to cater to the diverse communities it serves.

Staples like the Big Mac still remain at some locations, but unexpected twists on existing fare — along with surprising new additions — have become the norm in McDonald’s locations the world over. 

Before digging into your tried-and-true Quarter Pounder, take a moment to consider some of these popular staples available to McDonald’s enthusiasts around the world.

China and Hong Kong's "Taro Pie" could make you rethink dessert.

A notable twist on one of its most classic menu choices, McDonald’s locations in China and Hong Kong have long offered a neon-colored alternative to its famous apple pie. Deep fried and filled with taro — a root vegetable popular in Asian cuisine — along with a gooey filling meant to resemble ube, or purple yam, it’s a far cry from the 50-year-old pie Americans have grown up with, with reviewers describing the taste as being like a "sweetened" sweet potato.

India's "Maharaja Mac" is the Big Mac's not-too-distant cousin.

During an international expansion in the '90s, McDonald's faced an Indian subcontinent whose population largely didn’t eat beef meant either abandoning the restaurant’s most iconic item or adapting it to fit local needs — and the latter choice, as we now know, reigned supreme.

Though it might look close enough to a Big Mac, the Maharaja Mac is comprised of different ingredients. Made with a chicken patty, much of the Maharaja Mac remains familiar to Big Mac enthusiasts, save for a leaner patty and a healthy heaping of extra vegetables.

No one knows the convenience of the McRib like Germany does.

Though the McRib was invented in America, it's not available there year round, but McDonald’s serves the cult sandwich year-round in Germany. Within the McRib is a barbeque-drenched pork patty,  though there are no actual pork ribs to be found.

• Aurora Cannabis started trading on the New York Stock Exchange on Tuesday.
• It wasn't the windfall investors hoped. Shares slid close to 15% throughout the day before recovering as the market closed.
• Analysts and investors aren't worried, however. Most say the volatility is to be expected in an emerging sector like cannabis. 

Aurora Cannabis joined a select list of Canadian cannabis firms when it started trading on the New York Stock Exchange today.

It wasn't the windfall investors had hoped. Shares fell close to 15% through the day before recovering as the market closed.

Scoring a listing on a US-based exchange is coveted for Canadian cultivators (known as licensed producers, or LPs), since cannabis remains a federally controlled substance under US law. Canada legalized cannabis federally on October 17. 

The volatility mirrors Aurora's peers in the cannabis sector. Tilray and Canopy Growth, which already trade on US exchanges, fell around 2% on Tuesday.

Analysts and investors say they aren't worried about the recent sell-off, however. Most believe the volatility is to be expected in an emerging sector like cannabis — and could even present an opportunity to those who can stomach it. 

Canadian cannabis companies got smacked by a report that gave the sector a non-investment grade rating 

David Kideckel, an analyst at the Toronto-based investment bank AltaCorp Capital, said the cannabis stock sell-off could be due to a recent report released by credit-ratings agency DBRS Ltd.

The report, released Monday, gave the Canadian cannabis industry a B-rating, or non-investment grade rating.

"We view yesterday’s sell-off as a consequence of DBRS’s bearish report. While cautious in its stance, we are not surprised given the volatile nature of the cannabis sector," Kideckel wrote in a note.

The DBRS report said that there's much to be determined "regarding consumer reception, competitive behavior, regulation, taxation, and international market potential," in the cannabis industry. 

The report estimates that the adult-use cannabis industry will hit $4 billion to $6 billion in annual sales, which is still much less revenue than Canada's alcohol and tobacco sectors.

"For now, cannabis is still a relatively small-scale subsector within the context of the consumer products industry and the economy in general." analysts at DBRS said in the report.

The analysts pointed to the lack of historical data to use as a benchmark to gauge the sector's performance and highlighted the lack of positive cash flow among the publicly-traded LPs. 

But DBRS isn't totally bearish on cannabis. As the industry settles — and more data becomes available — DBRS said the "risk profile" of the cannabis industry could "improve significantly" especially for LPs that develop strong branding around their products. 

Kideckel, the AltaCorp analyst, said that for cannabis companies to achieve an investment grade credit rating, "predictable cash flow and consumer behavior pattern data will be required in addition to strong branding and international growth opportunities by the LP’s themselves.

Overall, AltaCorp remains bullish about the cannabis sector, with the caveat that it will experience volatility in the short and medium-term.

A lot of investors aren't worried 

Some analysts highlighted Aurora as one of the LPs that may win out in the long term.

Analysts at the investment bank GMP Securities said in a note that Aurora's product successes in the first days of Canada's legal market make the LP "stand out" above the competition.

"The first day of recreational sales in Canada appears to have been a success highlighted by the long lines and enthusiasm from shoppers," the analysts said. "Seeing cannabis shoppers wait in lines as opposed to take the traditional easy illegal supply route is refreshing and bodes well for the recreational market in Canada."

Read more: Some of the hottest companies in the booming cannabis sector are going on hiring sprees as Canada's legal marijuana market opens

According to some investors, the cannabis sector is still in its "early innings," so this volatility is to be expected.

"We are seeing high-profile companies, in addition to institutional investors, waking up to opportunities in the space," Ben Kovler, the CEO of the publicly traded Green Thumb Industries, previously told Business Insider.

Blue-chip companies like Molson Coors and Constellation Brands have pursued deals to create marijuana-infused beverages for Canadian consumers. Coca-Cola is also reportedly eyeing a deal with Aurora to produce beverages infused with cannabidiol (CBD), a non-psychoactive ingredient in marijuana.

Read more of Business Insider's cannabis industry coverage:

• The top 12 venture-capital firms making deals in the booming cannabis industry that's set to skyrocket to $75 billion
• The CEO of the biggest cannabis company in the US reveals what's next following a $682 million acquisition
• Hedge fund legend Leon Cooperman is investing in the marijuana industry — and it's another sign the sector is heating up

SEE ALSO: One of the largest cannabis companies is going public on the New York Stock Exchange

AND MORE: Canada has officially legalized marijuana for all adults

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• A caravan of approximately 7,000 Central American migrants has made headlines across the US as it marches toward the US border.
• The massive and unplanned caravan comes at a fever pitch for deteriorating conditions in Central America and has earned unprecedented attention.
• It's likely the largest caravan of its kind, and started all on its own as people in the Northern Triangle countries flee their homes for a better life in the US.

A caravan of approximately 7,000 Central American immigrants is headed toward the US border in a journey that has so far spanned three countries, earned several public hits from President Donald Trump, and become a major political flashpoint for November's midterm elections.

Though this caravan has garnered a lot of attention, it isn't the first — thousands of Central American migrants have been marching in caravans to escape their countries and come to the US for years. The most recent was in April.

But this caravan may be the largest of its kind, and it keeps growing as more migrants join the journey as they make their way through southern Mexico. Here's what makes this time different.

It happened on its own

In the past, non-profits that help immigrants organized caravans as a way to draw attention to the treacherous journey people have to take to come to the US. But this one started spontaneously.

Rodrigo Abeja, a lead organizer with volunteer group Pueblo Sin Fronteras, or People Without Borders, told The Washington Post that this caravan was the first that wasn't spurred by groups like his, but driven by desperate circumstances in Central America.

"For the first time a caravan didn't need to be organized by NGOs," Abeja said. "They organized themselves and decided to leave their countries, their communities."

The members of the caravan mostly come from the Central American countries known as the Northern Triangle: Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador. This collective region is considered to be one of the most dangerous in the world, with common failures among their national systems perpetuating impossible living conditions.

A combination of crippling poverty, deadly gang violence, and corrupt federal infrastructures pushed an unprecedented number of migrants to brave the several thousand-mile journey.

Twenty-eight-year-old Carlos Leonidas Garcia Urbina from Tocoa, Honduras, told the Associated Press he was cutting the grass in his father's yard when he heard about the caravan.

He says he dropped the shears right there and ran to join it with just 500 lempiras ($20) in his pocket.

"We are going to the promised land," he said.

It's the largest

Mexican advocacy groups held an annual caravan for the past several years around Easter to draw attention to the plight of Central American migrants, but the Associated Press reported that the gatherings have grown in size and furor since Trump's 2016 campaign and election.

This time, what started as a spontaneous movement of a group of 160 people in the Honduran city of San Pedro Sula grew to more than 1,600 by the time it reached the Guatemalan border as nearby migrants heard about the caravan and jumped at the chance to reach the US border.

"No one is capable of organizing this many people. Nobody," Pueblo Sin Fronteras organizer Irineo Mujica told the Associated Press. "It’s an exodus."

The last caravan to catch America's attention was a group of roughly 200 migrants who traveled through Mexico in April to seek asylum at the border. Trump painted the relatively small group as a major threat, saying they represented an "attack on the sovereignty of this nation."

It's gotten unprecedented attention

As the latest instance of Central Americans fleeing unbearable conditions for the hope of building a new life in America, this caravan first received the same condemnation Trump has directed at previous immigration movements.

Trump has spewed baseless ideas about members of the caravan as it has progressed toward the US, claiming in a Monday tweet that "criminals and unknown Middle Easterners are mixed in" to the caravan's population, and cast the movement as a "National Emergy." On Tuesday, he admitted he didn't have any proof there were Middle Easterners in the caravan.

Trump also blamed the caravan on immigration law passed by Democrats to ensure voters "remember the midterms," and characterized the group as "people illegally coming," though they had not yet reached the American border to break any US laws.

Though these tweets were some of the latest instances Trump sought to blame Democrats for illegal immigration, data show apprehensions of people crossing to the United States illegally from Mexico were at their highest in March since December 2016, before Trump took office.

Trump also threatened to cut off aid to Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador because they "were not able to do the job of stopping people from leaving their country." He has also threatened to have the US military "close" the border.

Though Mexico softened in dealing with the migrants, their legal fate is still unclear. Many in the much smaller caravan in April ended up applying for asylum once they reached the US, and their cases are proceeding through the system.

By Tuesday evening, the caravan still had at least 1,000 miles to travel before they reach the US border.

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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.

Regtech solutions seemed to offer the solution to financial institutions' (FIs) compliance woes when they first came to prominence around 24 months ago, gaining support from regulators and investors alike. 

However, many of the companies offering these solutions haven't scaled as might have been expected from the initial hype, and have failed to follow the trajectory of firms in other segments of fintech.

This unexpected inertia in the regtech industry is likely to resolve over the next 12-18 months as other factors come into play that shift FIs' approach to regtech solutions, and as the companies offering them evolve. External factors driving this change include regulatory support of regtech solutions, and consultancies offering more help to FIs wanting to sift through solutions. Startups offering regtech solutions will also play a part by partnering with each other, forming industry organizations, and taking advantage of new opportunities.

This report from Business Insider Intelligence, Business Insider's premium research service, provides a brief overview of the current global financial regulatory compliance landscape, and the regtech industry's position within it. It then details the major drivers that will shift the dial on FIs' adoption of regtech over the next 12-18 months, as well as those that will propel startups offering regtech solutions to new heights. Finally, it outlines what impact these drivers will have, and gives insight into what the global regtech industry will look like by 2020.

Here are some of the key takeaways:

• Regulatory compliance is still a significant issue faced by global FIs. In 2018 alone, EU regulations MiFID II and PSD2 have come into effect, bringing with them huge handbooks and gigantic reporting requirements. 
• Regtech startups boast solutions that can ease FIs' compliance burden — but they are struggling to scale. 
• Some changes expected to drive greater adoption of these solutions in the next 12 to 18 months are: the ongoing evolution of startups' business models, increasing numbers of partnerships, regulators' promotion of regtech, changing attitudes to the segment among FIs, and consultancies helping to facilitate adoption.
• FIs will actively be using solutions from regtech startups by 2020, and startups will be collaborating in an organized fashion with each other and with FIs. Global regulators will have adopted regtech themselves, while continuing to act as advocates for the industry.

In full, the report:

• Reviews the major changes expected to hit the regtech segment in the next 12 to 18 months.
• Examines the drivers behind these changes, and how the proliferation of regtech will improve compliance for FIs.
• Provides our view on what the future of the regtech industry looks like through 2020.
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It's been more than five years since the NBC sitcom "The Office" aired its final episode, but it's remained wildly popular, especially as it continues to stream on Netflix.

Even though the show has ended, these fun tidbits about the beloved series can help you to reminisce. 

Here are some surprising things you probably didn't know about "The Office."

Adam Scott auditioned for the role of Jim Halpert.

It's hard to imagine "Parks and Recreation" without Adam Scott as Ben Wyatt, but he could have been in a different mockumentary series instead.

Scott actually auditioned for the role of Jim, and his audition is pretty great — but ultimately, John Krasinski scored the gig.

And Seth Rogen auditioned for Dwight.

Yep, Seth Rogen's audition tape is also out there. As talented as he is, it's pretty much impossible to imagine anyone but Rainn Wilson in that role.

Michael and Oscar's kiss was totally improvised.

As Oscar Nuñez told AV Club, when Steve Carell kissed him in "Gay Witch Hunt,"it was all Carell's doing.

"He wasn't supposed to kiss me, we were just supposed to hug, and he kept hugging me. And that particular take he came in really close, and I'm like, ‘Where is he going with this?'" Nuñez said. "‘Oh, dear, yes here we go.' And then I'm just thinking, ‘Oh God, nobody laugh so we can use it.' And they didn't, and it worked perfectly. It was a lot of fun."

• Former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker recounted his two meetings with President Donald Trump during an interview with The New York Times.
• In 1987, Trump ran across a New York City street to introduce himself to Volcker.
• Later, Volcker had lunch with Trump to suggest the then-reality TV star use "The Apprentice" to raise money for charity.
• Trump did not follow Volcker's idea.

Former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker's longest meeting with President Donald Trump was not an Oval Office meeting to discuss policy, according to a new report, but rather an unsuccessful attempt to get Trump to be more charitable.

In an interview with the New York Times' Andrew Ross Sorkin about his new memoir, Volcker recounted two meetings with the now-president. They both took place well before Trump got anywhere close to the Oval Office.

The first encounter with Trump came in 1987, when the then-real estate investor yelled at Volcker from across a New York City street and then rushed across to shake the central banker's hand. Volcker had by that time already left the Fed.

The only other meeting, Volcker told the Times, came during Trump's run as the host of the reality TV show "The Apprentice." The former Fed Chairman said he tried to convince Trump to use the "Apprentice" platform to raise money for charity.

"We had a very nice lunch, and he said, ‘Interesting idea,’ but put me off otherwise," Volcker told the Times.

According to Sorkin, Volcker's suggestion was ultimately unsuccessful, though the celebrity edition of "The Apprentice" did see contestants donate winnings to a charity of their choice.

Outside of the two encounters, Trump has not asked Volcker for advice on monetary or economic policy as Barack Obama did. And the former Fed Chairman isn't particularly fond of Trump, according to the Times.

But Trump did speak to a class of people left behind economically by globalization, Volcker admitted, albeit "in kind of an erratic way."

Volcker also recounted a tense meeting with President Ronald Reagan prior to the 1984 election during which the president's chief of staff ordered the then-Fed chair not to raise rates, a move that echoes Trump's current attacks on the politically independent Fed.

Read the full interview with Volcker over at The New York Times »

SEE ALSO: Trump's attacks on the Fed may be intense, but they're nothing compared to a wild new story about Ronald Reagan from former Fed Chairman Paul Volcker

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NOW WATCH: Inside the Trump 'MAGA' hat factory

• President Donald Trump admitted on Tuesday that he has no proof of 'Middle Easterners' among a caravan of migrants headed to the US from Central America.
• Trump claimed on Monday that "criminals and unknown Middle Easterners" were "mixed in" with the caravan, with Vice President Mike Pence later echoing his assertions in a live interview.
• An estimated 7,200 migrants from Latin America are headed toward the US, fleeing rampant poverty and violence in their home countries. They had reached Hitula, Mexico as of Tuesday.

President Donald Trump conceded in a Tuesday afternoon press conference he has no proof to back up his and Vice President Mike Pence's repeated assertions that "unknown Middle Easterners" were among a caravan of migrants heading to the US from Central America.

Trump said “there’s no proof of anything, but there could very well be"when pressed by CNN reporter Jim Acosta for concrete evidence that people of Middle Eastern descent or that suspected terrorists were among the group.

After initially tweeting that claim on Monday that "criminals and unknown Middle Easterners" were "mixed in" among the estimated 7,000 migrants headed to the US, Trump doubled down later that day, telling reporters "if take your cameras and search ... you're gonna find MS-13, you're gonna find Middle Eastern, you're gonna find everything."

In a Monday interview with The Washington Post's Robert Costa, Vice President Mike Pence echoed Trump, calling it "inconceivable there are not people of Middle Eastern descent in a crowd of more than 7,000 people advancing toward our border."

Trump's denial came after White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said Trump "absolutely" had proof of Middle Eastern people in the caravan, with both she and Pence's spokeswoman Alyssa Farah emphasizing Department of Homeland Security statistics stating that an average of 10 "suspected terrorists" a day were apprehended by Border Patrol in 2017.>

The migrants in the caravan are mainly fleeing El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala, three nations riddled with gang violence, corruption, and poor economic conditions to immigrate or seek asylum in the United States. As of Tuesday, they had reached the city of Huixtla, Mexico, about 1,100 miles from the US border.

SEE ALSO: Here's how a caravan of 7,200 migrants crossed 3 countries in 1 week

SEE ALSO: Why the caravan of 7,000 migrants is marching to the US border

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NOW WATCH: Inside the Trump 'MAGA' hat factory

• People.ai raised $30 million in funding from Andreessen Horowitz and other VC firms.
• It's the second startup that CEO Oleg Rogynskyy has founded.
• The process of building a succesfull startup gets more familiar the more you do it, just like a video game, Rogynskyy reckons.

Starting a company is like playing a Super Mario game.

At least that’s what Oleg Rogynskyy, founder and CEO of artificial intelligence startup People.ai, believes.

“The more times you go through the initial levels, the more comfortable you get,” he tells Business Insider. 

Rogynskyy is progressing through an exciting level with People.ai, which he started in February 2016. Before that, he founded Semantria, a startup that analyzes the emotions behind social media posts and which was acquired by Lexalytics. 

In the last two years, People.ai has grown to just over 100 employees and acquired over 50 large enterprise customers. And on Tuesday, the artificial intelligence software startup announced a $30 million series B funding led by Andreessen Horowitz. Rogynskyy said fundraising only took four days, but also “a couple months of homework.”

Peter Levine, a general partner at Andreessen Horowitz and one of the first investors in software development platform GitHub, also joined the People.ai board.

“He’s intimately familiar with the problem we’re solving,” Rogynskyy said of Levine. “He was probably the ultimate guy to have this conversation with. We went to the same college together, we had a lot in common.”

The inspiration behind People.ai came from Rogynskyy’s experience as a salesperson when he started his career. Much of his time involved the tedious work of maintaining and updating the Salesforce customer relationship management platform.

“Our COO literally grounded me for a week and had me update Salesforce and spend the week cleaning Salesforce,” Rogynskyy said.

Taking AI to the next level

That needed to change, Rogynskyy thought. People.ai uses machine learning software to gain insights from the behavioral data of employees, improve sales and marketing, and automate time-intensive tasks, like how Rogynskyy had to update Salesforce. Rogynskyy predicts that data entry alone can take up to one day a week.

From previous experience, Rogynskyy says the most valuable lesson he learned was focus — focusing on just one type of customer. So People.ai narrowed its focus on enterprise customers.

He's also getting the knack for other challenges and potential pitfalls in founding a company, like creating an efficient hiring process and building an executive team. 

“You need to start directing and aligning your team to execute the work,” Rogynskyy said. “The challenge with having the time is correlated with how mature your team is to execute the work under your guidance.”

Going forward, People.ai hopes to go public three years from now. Like a Super Mario Game, Rogynskyy is focused on jumping into the next level of artificial intelligence. Within five to 10 years, Rogynskyy believes, artificial intelligence will allow people to free up two days out of their week to focus on creative projects and spend more time with their families.

“Machine learning AI is the software of the future,” Rogynskyy said.  “I don’t think we’ll be writing code for the next few years afterwards … We believe there’s a lot of automation that can improve the quality of life.”

SEE ALSO: Oracle's Larry Ellison says Amazon’s database is like a semi-autonomous car: ‘You get in, you start driving, you die’

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• Google Earth did not update its satellite image of an experimental military base in southwestern Nevada for eight years, according to a report from Motherboard. 
• The eight-year gap of images of the Tonopah Test Range is the longest period a stretch of the continental US has gone without an update. 
• Google would not respond to Motherboard's inquiries about why the "Tonopah Gap" exists. 
• Questions about the gap remain, including whether Google was working directly with the US government to restrict these images from its site. 

A Motherboard report on Thursday revealed that for eight years, Google Earth did not update its satellite image of a military site where experimental weapons were tested in southwestern Nevada — and the company has not answered as to why that is. 

The area in question is a series of dry lake beds in the Tonopah Test Range where extensive military weapons testing has reportedly taken place. Between 2008 and 2016, Google did not update the satellite imagery of this area, which is the longest period a stretch of the continental US has gone without an update, according to Motherboard.

Updates, according to a Google Earth blog, typically take place every 30 days. 

Motherboard was able to purchase a satellite image of the dry lake beds in Tonopah that was taken in January 2013 (which falls almost halfway between the eight-year time gap). The publication planned to sell the image to Google for $1, to see if the company would then add it into its records. If Google refused, Motherboard reasoned, perhaps that would indicate government censorship was at play at that time for this particular area in Nevada. 

However, Motherboard later learned that it had only legally "leased" the image and could not sell it to Google. Instead, it will be showing off the image in Brooklyn at an event on Thursday night. 

Google never responded to Motherboard's question about why the "Tonopah Gap" exists. 

Major questions involving this story remain, including:

• Why did satellite images of the Tonopah Test Range not exist for eight years?
• There are other weapons testing facilities around the US that have never gone that long without an update. What makes Tonopah different? 
• Was Google working directly with the US government restrict these images from its site? And if so, why? 

Google did not immediately return Business Insider's request for comment.

Read Motherboard's full report here. 

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NOW WATCH: Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales: There's going to be an 'enormous backlash' against Donald Trump's lies

The 2018 midterm election will be held on Nov. 6.

And thus far, through at least Oct. 16, defense contractors have donated $24,844,775 to federal politicians and political parties, according to an analysis from the Center for Responsible Politics, which draws on the Federal Election Commission's latest political-candidate-contribution report.

While these defense industry contributions are substantial, they are many times smaller than the financial sector, which leads all federal contributions with nearly $554 million in contributions.

The Center for Responsive Politics' numbers include all donor contributions to outside groups and political action committees, as well as individuals giving over $200.

Open Secrets also notes that donations don't come from the firms themselves but rather from their PACs, employees or owners, or those individuals' immediate families.

Here's what they found.

SEE ALSO: 3 US carriers are now in the Pacific amid tensions with North Korea — here's what they bring with them

20. DynCorp International

Contributions: $150,045. 

DynCorp International is a Virginia-based company that provides all kinds of training, intelligence, and aviation services for the military, including maintenance for the AH-64 Apache program.

Thus far in 2018, its employees and PAC have given 51.2% of its contributions to Democrats.

Dyncorp has also been accused of bilking the federal government out of millions of dollars between 2004 and 2008 for their work in the Iraq War.

Dyncorp didn't donate any money to candidates in the election cycles immediately before and after the US invasion of Iraq in 2003. The first contributions by employees came in the 2006 election cycle and increased in 2008.

19. General Atomics

Contributions: $152,900. 

General Atomics is a San Diego-based company that makes missile defense systems, aircraft launch and recovery systems and more. 

Thus far in 2018, its employees and PAC have given 76.5% of its contributions to Republicans. 

18. Cobham Management Services

Contributions: $161,000.

Cobham Management Services is a British company that manufactures a variety of technology for the military and even the refueling system for the KC-46.

Thus far in 2018, its employees and PAC have given 67.4% of its contributions to Republicans. 

Sometimes popular TV dramas and comedies draw from reality, even when it comes to politics. 

Here are some popular TV characters who were supposedly inspired by real-life politicians. 

Judy Smith inspired Olivia Pope on "Scandal."

The well-known "fixer" Judy Smith is the real-life inspiration for Kerry Washington’s fierce portrayal of Olivia Pope.

Though she herself isn't a politician, Smith is the crisis manager for many high-profile politicians and celebrities, names like Clarence Thomas and Monica Lewinsky.

Smith has been open about her role in inspiring Shonda Rhimes, the creator of "Scandal." 

"I feel very grateful," she told The Washington Post. "If I can, for whatever reason, inspire and motivate people, that’s a good thing."

Matthew Santos in "The West Wing" was partially modeled after then-Senator Barack Obama.

Matthew Santos from Aaron Sorkin’s beloved political drama holds a bit of a resemblance to another young senator.

"The West Wing" character, played by Jimmy Smits, was the youthful, minority-race candidate who based his campaign on bridging the divide across races and between the political parties.

"I drew inspiration from him in drawing this character," West Wing writer and producer Eli Attie told the Guardian. "When I had to write, Obama was just appearing on the national scene. He had done a great speech at the convention [which nominated John Kerry] and people were beginning to talk about him."

Santos memorably faced up against a conservative senator with a Maverick personality in the seventh season — which rang familiar bells for fans who saw a likeness to the 2008 presidential debates between Obama and the late John McCain.

Josh Lyman in "The West Wing" takes some inspiration from Rahm Emanuel.

The Sorkin drama’s chief of staff is known to be directly inspired by the then-special advisor to Bill Clinton during his time.

Bradley Whitford, the actor who played Lyman, says he chose to model his character after Emmanuel because he believed viewers would think, "Wow, I can’t believe somebody is actually like that."

Multiple explosive devices were sent to prominent Democratic figures, law-enforcement officials said Wednesday, including former President Barack Obama and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. 

CNN's offices in New York City also received a package with an explosive device. 

The explosives were reportedly similar to a bomb found in the mailbox of billionaire George Soros, founder of Opening Society Foundations, on Monday. 

The White House strongly condemned the attempted acts of violence, and pledged to bring "those responsible for these despicable acts to justice."

Those targeted with the explosive devices have all been vocal critics of President Donald Trump. 

Here's what we know about the multiple bomb threats:

The multiple bomb scares occurred from Florida to New York.

The Secret Service intercepted a suspicious package addressed to Clinton's residence in Chappaqua, New York.

The Secret Service also intercepted a suspicious package addressed to Obama's residence in Washington, DC.

• One person is dead and multiple others were shot inside a Kroger grocery store outside Louisville, Kentucky, local media reported Wednesday afternoon.
• A suspect is reportedly in custody, though police haven't yet released details.

One person is dead and multiple people were shot Wednesday afternoon inside a Kroger grocery store in Jeffersontown, Kentucky, on the outskirts of Louisville, local media outlets reported.

One suspect was arrested, and a covered body could be seen in a parking lot from news helicopters, local CBS affiliate WLKY reported, though police haven't yet released details. 

Dispatchers received a report of shots fired around 2:54 p.m., with reports of "multiple injuries,"the Courier Journal reported, adding that emergency responders were on the scene.

It's unclear how many victims there are and what condition they're in. 

Kroger told Business Insider in a statement that the company is cooperating with the police investigation, and that the store will be closed until the investigation is over.

"We are shocked and saddened by the shooting incident that occurred around 2:30 pm today," the statement said. "Thanks to the quick response of the local police department, the suspect was apprehended and our store is secure."

Kate Taylor contributed reporting.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

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