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The 20 safest airlines in the world

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Qantas Airbus A380

  • AirlineRatings.com released its annual list of the safest airlines in the world earlier this year. 
  • The publication's editors selected the 20 safest carriers from a pool of 409 airlines.
  • AirlineRatings did not name a "safest" airline. Just a list of the top 20.
  • Airlines from Asia and Europe dominate the top 20.

Air travel is one of the safest forms of transportation around. And things are only getting better.

That said, some airlines are still better at it than others. That is why AirlineRatings.com releases an annual list of the 20 safest carriers in the world.

"With travel today taking passengers to every corner of the globe, with hundreds of airlines to choose from and a wide variety of standards from one airline to another, it is essential that passengers get the right information about the safety ratings as well as product," AirlineRatings.com Editor-in-Chief Geoffrey Thomas said in a statement.

The publication's safety-rating system was developed with the help of the United Nations' International Civil Aviation Organization.

The 20 safest airlines are selected from a pool of 409 carriers. To compile its list, the website's team of editors evaluated each airline based on its standing with international regulators, its fatality record over the past 10 years, the age of its fleet of planes, its result from an International Air Transport Association safety audit, and whether its country of origin conforms with the International Civil Aviation Organization's eight-point safety parameter. All of the airlines on this list passed those tests with flying colors.

This year, the editors at AirlineRatings.com declined to select a single winner. Instead, they simply named the 20 safest airlines in the world in alphabetical order.

Airlines from Asia and Europe dominate the list with eight and seven entrants apiece respectively. No airlines from South America and Africa made the list. 

Here's a look at which airlines made the list:

SEE ALSO: Check out the secret compartment where flight attendants sleep on the longest flight in the world

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1. Air New Zealand has made a fine recovery after a period of financial turmoil in the early 2000s. This renaissance culminated with AirlineRatings.com recently naming it the best airline in the world for the third year in a row. Air New Zealand has not suffered any significant incidents in the past couple of decades.



2. It may be called Alaska Airlines, but it's actually based in Seattle. The carrier is a mainstay on the West Coast of the US. Alaska recently made a major splash in 2016 with the $2.6 billion acquisition of Virgin America. The Virgin America brand will cease to exist in April. The airline has not suffered a fatal crash since 2000.



3. Founded in 1954, All Nippon Airways is well regarded for its consistent and high-quality service. Last year, Skytrax ranked All Nippon sixth on its list of the world's best airlines. ANA has not had a fatal crash in more than 45 years.



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Take a tour of Russia's Admiral Kuznetsov, the world's worst aircraft carrier that recently suffered a massive shipyard accident

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A photo taken from a Norwegian surveillance aircraft shows Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov in international waters off the coast of Northern Norway on October 17, 2016.

Russia's only aircraft carrier, the Admiral Kuznetsov, recently sustained massive damage from a 70-ton crane falling on it after an accident at a shipyard.

The Kuznetsov, which is considered the worst carrier in the world, now has a massive 214 square foot hole in its hull after a power supply issue flooded its dry dock and sent the crane crashing down on it.

"The crane that fell left a hole 4 by 5 meters. But at the same time ... these are structures that are repaired easily and quickly," Alexei Rakhamnov, the head of Russia's United Shipbuilding Corporation, told Russian media.

The Kuznetsov had been in dry dock for total overhaul slated to finish in 2020 after it was seen billowing thick black smoke during its deployment to Syria in October 2016.

"The main problem with the ship is that it has a very problematic propulsion system," Dmitry Gorenburg, a senior research scientist at the Center for Naval Analyses, previously told Business Insider. "It's just unreliable."

Before it was sent back to the yards for repairs, the Kuznetsov was always accompanied by a special tugboat in case it broke down, and the plumbing was said to be so bad that most of its toilets didn't work.

Check it out below.

SEE ALSO: These are the world's 7 worst aircraft carriers that are currently in service

The Kuznetsov was laid down in 1983 but not commissioned until 1990.

Source: The National Interest



Kuznetsov-class carriers are about 930 feet long, 235 feet wide, and 210 feet high. They also have a maximum displacement of about 59,000 tons.

Source: Naval-Technology.com, TASS



Kuznetsov-class carriers are powered by eight turbo-pressurized boilers, four steam turbines, and six diesel generators, bringing the carrier to a maximum speed of about 33 mph.

It also has a sea endurance of 45 days and an operating range of 3,850 to 8,500 miles, depending on the speed.

Source: Naval-Technology.com



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'She wanted to be a meme': The racist black teen featured on 'Dr. Phil' is a fraud, according to her sister

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treasure richards dr phil

  • "Dr. Phil" recently featured a black teenager named Treasure Richards, who said she's a white supremacist and believes she's white herself.
  • Nina Richards, Treasure Richards' sister, told INSIDER the whole thing was a hoax and said her sister is just trying to go viral.
  • Nina Richards was prompted to speak out because the show implicated her white father as being an inspiration for her racist beliefs.

On Wednesday, "Dr. Phil" featured a black teenager named Treasure Richards. In front of her mother, brother, and a studio audience, Richards said black people are inferior to white people and said she was white herself.

Richards' expressions of white supremacy went viral. The 16-year-old said all black men were "dirty gang members,""gorillas," and "pigs," and said she'd be willing to join the Ku Klux Klan.

Clips of the show, which plays on the OWN network, went viral. But Nina Richards, Treasure Richards' 25-year-old sister, told INSIDER the whole thing was a hoax. She said Dr. Phil's show exploited her "poverty-stricken" mother, sister, and brother by offering them an all-expenses-paid trip to Los Angeles to film the episode.

"They preyed upon their poverty and didn't do any research," Nina Richards told INSIDER. "To cause attention and for ratings, they exploited my sister."

According to Nina Richards, Treasure Richards concocted the plan in hopes of getting a free vacation and going viral. She said she wanted to become another "cash me outside" girl, referring to Danielle Bregoli, a teenager who went viral after a 2016 "Dr. Phil" appearance. She's since become an Instagram celebrity and rapper known as Bhad Bhabie and received a Billboard Music Award in May for best female rapper.

Treasure Richards seems to have already leveraged her notoriety for viral fame. Around the time her "Dr. Phil" episode aired, she began uploading videos on YouTube and Instagram reiterating her racist beliefs, supporting President Donald Trump, and criticizing Beyoncé as a "talentless b----."

"This is all some bulls--- that she fabricated just to become the next 'cash me outside' girl," Nina Richards said. "To become a meme. That was her goal. She wanted to be a meme."

Nina Richards is speaking out — and risking alienating her family members — because the show disgraced her father, she told INSIDER. She and her sister grew up in the same household with the same mother, but had different fathers. The father Nina Richards grew up with was white. He died in 2006. But Treasure Richards grew up with her biological father, who is black, Nina Richards said.

However, on the show, Treasure Richards cited Nina Richards' father as her own and said he inspired her white supremacist beliefs. Dr. Phil also used a photo of him on the show.

"I had a great relationship with a wonderful father, who was not a white supremacist," Nina Richards said. "If they want to put my father on television and threaten his legacy, then I have to stand up for him."

treasure richards

On the show, Monique Richards, their mother, said Treasure Richards "wouldn't play with black children" when she was younger. She said Treasure Richards "would destroy or mangle her black dolls" and "pretend they were white doll slaves."

Nina Richards said the whole thing was made up and blamed her mother for going along with her sister's apparent deception just so she could enjoy a trip to California. She said Monique Richards doesn't have custody of Treasure Richards anymore.

monique richards

"It's funny to me how she can sit there and lose custody of her daughter and not take her to school, but she can take her on 'Dr. Phil,'" she said.

For her part, Treasure Richards denied she was acting.

"I am not an actor, and I never will be," she said in a video titled "I Hate Beyoncé.""My opinions will not be shut down."

Treasure Richards and representatives for "Dr. Phil" didn't immediately respond to INSIDER's request for comment.

Correction: A previous version of this article stated that Nina Richards's father died in 2016. He died in 2006.

This post has been updated.

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The 10 best places to travel on a budget in 2019

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Finding a good deal is always a great feeling, and that's especially the case when it comes to traveling.

Budgetary constraints can often make dream vacations seem out of reach. But fortunately, Lonely Planet has put together its top recommendations for places to visit that won't break the bank.

Lonely Planet's annual Best in Travel list compiles expert opinions across a variety of occupations and demographics to decide on the top travel trends, values, and overall destinations for prospective vacationers to consider each year.

Keep reading to see the 10 best places to travel on a budget in 2019.

10. Experience all the joys of Alpine traveling without its usual high price tag in Slovenia.

When you couple Slovenia's scenic mountain passes with its abundance of affordable restaurants and burgeoning wine scene, it's easy to understand how the small nation gives its neighbors in the Alps a run for their money.



9. Wander through the Amazon in Ecuador.

This South American country boasts a rich history, green pastures, and the same temperate climate of bigger neighbors like Peru along the Andes.

Ecuador is lined with Amazonian rainforests, a collection of awe-inspiring volcanoes, and the world-famous Galápagos Islands.



8. Relax on scenic beaches in Albania, minus the crowds of tourists.

Albania's picturesque rivieras, archaeological treasures, and regionally unique cuisine make it a one-of-a-kind country in the Balkans.



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Netflix and other streaming services have gotten a boost from older subscribers this year, and that could mean trouble for traditional TV

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grace frankie netflix

  • A new Ampere Analysis report shows that subscriptions to SVOD services have grown this year after plateauing in previous quarters.
  • Ampere senior analyst Toby Holleran attributed the growth to traditional, older consumers switching to streaming.
  • Holleran also cautioned companies against forcing bundles on users in the future.

 

Subscriptions to streaming services are growing again after a plateau in the US thanks to a boom in Netflix and Hulu subscribers this year.

According to a report from Ampere Analysis, subscriptions to streaming video on-demand services (SVOD) were steadily increasing from Q3 2015 until Q1 2017, when numbers began to stagnate. Subscriptions have been consistently rising, though, since the beginning of this year.

svod

Ampere senior analyst Toby Holleran told Business Insider that traditional viewers, an older generation that was rooted in pay TV, are beginning to catch on to the benefits of SVOD services.

"Traditional users were more ingrained in the pay-TV space and there was slightly less awareness of SVOD during that period [of plateau]," he said. "Whereas now, especially with older demographics, we're starting to see more and more growth in those. I feel the plateauing was taking place among younger demographics because they formed such a large proportion of the overall SVOD base, whereas now with older demographics slowly familiarizing themselves with SVOD, that's actually starting to grow again."

That coud be bad news for pay-TV companies, which could see cord-cutting accelerate if older generations see a viable alternative in streaming.

Read more: Data suggests that Hasan Minhaj's 'Patriot Act' could succeed where other Netflix talk shows have failed

Exclusive content is also key for streaming services, Holleran said, as Netflix has been heavily investing in its catalog of original content in an effort to have 1,000 TV original shows and movies by year's end. Hulu also has acclaimed shows like "The Handmaid's Tale," which won the Emmy for best drama last year.

As the SVOD landscape rapidly evolves, more players are entering the game. Disney is set to launch its own competitor late next year and is already developing Marvel and "Star Wars" TV series for it. AT&T recently announced that it would also roll out a service next year that would include HBO.

This could lead to a new form of SVOD bundle, but Holleran urged caution in that regard.

Holleran said the best course of action for streamers is to give users as many options as possible for the best price, rather than forcing bundles on subscribers.

"I think forcing bundles upon people might not be the best move," Holleran said. "It depends on the price point. Additional costs may turn away consumers who may only want to take one service."

SEE ALSO: Disney is reportedly developing a Marvel TV series that raises questions about Captain America's fate in 'Avengers 4'

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19 things you didn't know about 'Twilight'

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twilight things you didn't know

After the first "Twilight" film hit theaters on November 1, 2018, it sent fangirls into a frenzy. The movie became such a big hit among viewers that it led to an additional four films, based on novels written by Stephenie Meyer.

Avid fans who analyzed the books, watched the flicks multiple times, and viewed cast interviews probably know a fair share of trivia about the franchise (like the fact that Taylor Lautner wore an itchy wig and Meyer made a cameo during a scene in the diner).

To celebrate "Twilight's" 10-year anniversary, INSIDER combed through "Twilight: Director's Notebook," which director Catherine Hardwicke released in 2009, to find even more details about the making of the movie.

Keep reading to learn facts about how the first movie was made, from the amount of attempts it took to master the apple shot to the chilly temperature the actors faced when filming the prom scene. 

One of Bella's favorite desserts (berry cobbler) came straight from the dessert menu of a local eatery.

Catherine Hardwicke sent the menu to screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg, who included the dish into the diner scene between Bella and her dad.



Stewart's hair was dyed and a hairpiece was added underneath her natural locks to make it look thicker.

She also wore brown contacts to match the character description. Stewart has natural green eyes.

 

 



When Pattinson first enters the cafeteria, his real life sister, Lizzie Pattinson, sings vocals on the song that plays.

She's three years older than her brother. 

Lizzie's voice can be heard faintly in "Who Are They," which is part of Carter Burwell's score for the film. 

 



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A startup CEO who's raised nearly $500 million says business strategy isn't what you do — it's what you don't

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Jeff Raider

  • Harry's co-CEOs Jeff Raider and Andy Katz-Mayfield are intentional with every move they make — and don't make. 
  • Raider told Business Insider that while the company has a lot of opportunity, it has finite resources and a small team relative to competitors, so it has to be strategic about where it invests. 
  • That's why Harry's sells only a small number of high-quality products. "We'd rather do three things incredibly well than 100 things not so well," Raider tells his team.

Since its first round of funding in 2012, razor company Harry's has raised nearly half a billion dollars.

Harry's razors are marketed toward men who value simplicity, Jeff Raider, Harry's co-CEO, said on an episode of Business Insider's podcast "This Is Success."

And for Harry's, simplicity isn't only a marketing tool. It's also a business strategy. Raider said he and co-CEO Andy Katz-Mayfield are intentional with every move they make — and don't make. 

"One of the things we always talk about is that strategy is what you don't do, as opposed to what you decide to do, because we have all these opportunities," Raider said. "And so for us, it was about thinking about, 'OK, what are the things that we really want to do, and the things that we're not sure about,' and then getting input from our team, and board, and advisers, and other people at the right points in time, to help us where those answers may not be as clear."

As Raider said on "This Is Success," Harry's is strategic about the opportunities it chooses to pursue. "We only have a finite set of resources," he said. "And we still have a pretty small team, relative to our competition, which are these giant companies. And so for us, we need to be really intentional about the things that we decide to do, and then, in turn, the things that we decide not to do."

Unlike Harry's competitor, Dollar Shave Club, Raider and Katz-Mayfield own their razors and every aspect of the business. In the past year, Harry's raised $112 million to create a variety of personal care products for its nearly five million active users.  But rather than selling a wide variety of products, Harry's only sells one type of shave gel, one post-shave balm, and one face wash.

Read more:  I cofounded Harry's and Warby Parker. Here's the best advice I can give you about raising money

"We haven't launched a million different men's grooming products, because we care so much about the quality of each one of our products, and about the idea that we want guys to be able to really understand what we make, and how those products are different from each other," Raider said.

If Raider and Katz-Mayfield disagree on a company decision, the co-CEOs look to Harry's advisers and present the question in a unified front. 

"At the end of the day, we try to come to our team, then, with saying, 'Listen, we'd rather do three things incredibly well than 100 things not so well,'" Raider said. "And that's allowed us to be pretty deliberate in the way that we've built the brand. Harry's is now five years old. We sell in the US, Canada, and the UK only, as opposed to all over the world, which is a choice we could have made."

Listen to the full episode and subscribe to "This Is Success" on Apple Podcasts or Art19.

SEE ALSO: The cofounder of a shaving company that's raised nearly half a billion dollars to take on Unilever and Procter & Gamble explains how he's building a brand to last 100 years

DON'T MISS: I cofounded Harry's and Warby Parker. Here's the best advice I can give you about raising money

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BlackRock's president says the $6.4 trillion asset manager wants to invest in cannabis stocks, but there's one key problem

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Robert Kapito, BlackRock

  • BlackRock President Robert Kapito said on Thursday that his firm is looking to invest in cannabis stocks at a conference in Toronto. 
  • Kapito said the world's largest asset manager is sitting on the sidelines for now because most bank custodians won't clear cannabis stocks. 
  • Kapito said he's not a big supporter of cannabis, but the "world wants to go the other way."

The world's largest asset manager wants to invest in cannabis stocks — but is sitting on the sidelines for now. 

BlackRock President Robert Kapito said on Thursday morning his firm is looking to invest in the red-hot sector at the Prime Quadrant Conference in Toronto, Canada.

"We will be investing, but right now because of issues with states and the federal government in the US, some of the custodians will not clear cannabis stocks and we will have to wait until that happens," Kapito said, per Bloomberg.

Cannabis is legal for recreational users in nine states and for medical users in a further 31 states, though the US federal government considers it a Schedule I drug. 

Kapito said while he's not a big supporter of cannabis, the "world wants to go the other way." 

"I don't think the story ends well," Kapito said. "That's my personal story but this is what the world is looking at."

Until recently, institutional investors have steered clear of the volatile cannabis sector, even though Canada legalized the drug for all adults earlier in October.

Canada's largest pension funds, including the Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System (OMERS) and the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB), so far haven't invested. 

For the most part, high-net-worth individuals and family offices have put the bulk of the money into the sector. 

Hedge fund billionaire Leon Cooperman has invested personally— not through his fund — in Green Thumb Industries, an Illinois-based cannabis cultivator. And Tiger Global's venture arm invested in Green Bits, a software platform for cannabis dispensaries in April.

The sector gained mainstream attention after Constellation Brands, the beverage giant behind Corona and Modelo, sank $4 billion into Canopy Growth, a Canadian marijuana cultivator in August

Some analysts expect cannabis to be a $75 billion industry— or larger — globally by 2030. 

See also:

SEE ALSO: Top cannabis VCs give their best advice on how to invest in the booming marijuana industry

AND MORE: The CEO of Molson Coors says the market for cannabis-infused beverages could be worth billions. Here's why it's 'chasing down' that opportunity.

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Over half a million chunks of space trash could jeopardize space travel — but Europe has a plan to save it

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  • More than half a million chunks of space trash surround our planet — that poses a serious threat to space travel as we know it.
  • That's why a team out of Europe has developed a way to take out the space trash, and they just tested it in spectacular fashion.
  • Watch the video above to see how RemoveDEBRIS is leading one of the most important space travel efforts of this century.

Following is a transcript of the video. 

Narrator: Europe is leading one of the most important space travel efforts of this century. It's a mission called RemoveDEBRIS, and if all goes according to plan, it could save the future of space travel as we know it.

The objective of RemoveDEBRIS is just that. Demonstrate how we could remove space debris that's cluttering up Earth's orbit, including pieces of used up rockets and retired satellites. Even though you can't see it from the ground, there are more than half a million chunks of space trash flying around our planet, and most of it is concentrated in low earth orbit, where it whips around at 28,000 kilometers an hour. Fast enough to fly from LA to London, in just 19 minutes, but here's the trouble with that. Low earth orbit is our front door to the universe. To get anywhere in space, whether it's the International Space Station, Mars, or beyond, we have to cross that threshold first, but if you have a bunch of garbage blocking your path, it's gonna be difficult. Even worse, experts, like astrophysicist Donald Kessler, fear that just one collision between two large objects, could seal up that opening forever, because it would set off a chain reaction. One collision after another, after another, which could produce thousands of additional pieces of debris. This domino effect is called the "Kessler Syndrome," after Donald Kessler himself, and it predicts that low earth orbit could become littered with space trash, making it too dangerous for spacecraft to fly through, or also reduce their life spans because of collisions.

That's where Europe's RemoveDEBRIS mission comes in. In 2018, it successfully tested the first of four stages of its trash clean up technology, and it looked like this. This is not an illustration. This is actually happening in space. That's a net about the size of a large dining room tablecloth, ensnaring a small spacecraft that the mission team planted for the experiment. Now, this was just the first of what will, hopefully, be many more tests, because in the future, we're gonna need a bigger net.

Guglielmo S. Aglietti: At the end of the day, the final goal is to be able to capture very large targets, so, possibly what one of the targets that has been mentioned, as a potential one, is an old satellite, Envisat, and it is maybe the size of a bus.

Narrator: Scientists have been proposing ways to clean up space junk since the early 90s. They've thought of everything, from lasers, to robotic claws. But this is the first time any concept has actually been tested in space. The team hopes to test its other three technologies, as well, which involve a harpoon, for spearing the trash, a navigation system for analyzing the trash's size, distance, and rotation, and a sail for slowing the trash down, so it can reenter, and burn up in Earth's atmosphere. But all this technology isn't the reason this mission has come closer than any before it.

Aglietti: Everybody agrees, that to remove some of this debris, is the right thing to do, but, clearly, the issue is going to be, you know, the cost.

Narrator: The RemoveDEBRIS project has cost 15 million euro, or, about 17 million US dollars.

Aglietti: The current mission was sponsored by the European community, and, again, we had, you know, ten partners, working on this project, and, overall, the cost of this project was about, you know, €15 [million]. When you are going to do this kind of mission, for real, the cost will be higher, and, so, I think the various stakeholders around the world, have to get together, and decide how such mission could be funded. We are talking about not just, you know, the UK, or, maybe, NASA, but also, China, you know, Russia, and so on. The problem is, again, who is going to pay for it?

Narrator: So, Europe has taken the lead. Rest of the world, it's your turn now.

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The girl who went viral for staring at Michelle Obama's portrait dressed up as her for Halloween, and perfectly recreated her outfit

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parker curry obama portrait

Remember Parker Curry, the little girl who went viral in March for this adorable photo of her staring at Michelle Obama's portrait hanging in The National Portrait Gallery? 

Well, the 3-year-old continues to be inspired by Amy Sherald's painting of the former first lady. Curry dressed up as Obama for Halloween this year — wearing the exact same gown, and striking the exact same pose. 

Curry's mother, Jessica Curry, said that when October 31 rolled around, her daughter only had this costume in mind.

Jessica Curry told CNN, "We asked her a few times, 'Are you sure?'" And Curry said Parker responded the same way every time: "'Yes, I do. I want to be Michelle Obama.'"

The dress was a gift from fashion designer Alisha Welsh, according to CNN, who owns a small children's boutique in New York called Magnolia Lake Children's Clothing. Welsh was so inspired by Curry's photo at the gallery that she offered to make a toddler-sized replica of Obama's frock.

Here's an amazing side-by-side: 

Curry told CNN that some people recognized the dress while Parker was trick-or-treating. Parker loved the costume so much that she wanted to wear it the next day to school, says Curry — and there's a good chance she'll dress as Michelle Obama next year, too.

And as for the first lady herself? She loved the look, writing to Parker Curry on Twitter: "You nailed the look, Parker!"

Curry and her idol met back in March, after the original photo went viral. They had a dance party, and Obama gave important advice to Curry, and little girls everywhere. 

"Keep on dreaming big for yourself...," Obama tweeted, "and maybe one day I'll proudly look up at a portrait of you!"

This is the goal of Curry's mom, too: to teach her daughter to aspire to — and achieve — great things, much like Obama.

Curry told Buzzfeed, "In the world we live in today, I'm just trying to raise a little girl who has opportunities to see women who who look like her doing great things." 

Parker Curry is definitely on her way. 

Visit INSIDER's homepage for more.

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Salesforce Tower, the tallest skyscraper in San Francisco, was turned into the 'Eye of Sauron' for Halloween

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Sauron

  • Salesforce Tower, the tallest building in San Francisco, was lit up for Halloween to depict the infamous "Eye of Sauron" from "The Lord of the Rings."
  • The idea originated from an online petition that had more than 11,000 signatures by Halloween.
  • Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff, whose company is headquartered in the skyscraper, seemed to shoot down the idea earlier this month. But the glowing eye was widely visible Wednesday night.

As the sun set Wednesday night during Halloween, San Francisco was treated to a surprise. Salesforce Tower, the tallest building in the city's skyline, lit up in fiery colors to depict the "Eye of Sauron," the iconic symbol the Dark Lord adopted in "The Lord of the Rings."

The idea for the skyscraper's Halloween costume first gained traction through a Change.org petition penned at the beginning of the month. By Halloween, the petition had garnered more than 11,000 signatures in support of the tower getting a "Lord of the Rings" makeover.

With 11,000 LED lights making up the screen atop the tower, the glowing eye could be seen clearly against the dark sky around San Francisco.

 

However, the stunt originally didn't seem likely to happen when Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff quickly shot down the idea earlier this month.


Read more: Over 1,300 people are asking CEO Marc Benioff to turn Salesforce Tower into the 'Eye of Sauron' on Halloween night — but he's not into it


Although the 1070-foot tall building serves as the software company's HQ, the building — and the display on top — are owned by Boston Properties. The artist in charge of the LED display told reporters in May he would never portray an advertisement or holiday-themed image on the building.

But that apparently didn't stop whoever had the ultimate say for what would appear atop Salesforce Tower on Wednesday. Perhaps they were persuaded by the petition organizers' appeal to "help us unite the city, and raise the torch on Halloween night as one community, together."

Or, perhaps, it was Sauron, with his powerful will and overbearing strength, that convinced them.

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The uncensored cut of Lars von Trier's serial-killer movie that prompted 100 walkouts at Cannes will be in theaters for 1 night only this month

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the house that jack built

  • The uncensored director's cut of Lars von Trier's controversial serial-killer movie, "The House That Jack Built," will be released for one night only on November 26.
  • The R-rated cut will be released December 14.
  • The film prompted over 100 people to walk out during the Cannes Film Festival this year because of its graphic depiction of violence against women and children.

 

The uncensored director's cut of the controversial serial-killer movie that caused uproar at this year's Cannes Film Festival is getting a theater release for one night only this month.

Director Lars von Trier's "The House that Jack Built," starring Matt Dillon as a twisted murderer, prompted at least 100 people to walk out of the film at Cannes during its premiere in May because of its grotesque depiction of violence against women and children, particularly a scene in which two small kids' heads are blown off by a hunting rifle. 

According to Indiewire, that uncut version will be released to theaters for just one night on November 28, while an edited, R-rated cut will be released on December 14.

Von Trier doesn't mind the controversy and has even welcomed it, as posters for the film released in September showed people contorted into disturbing positions, including actress Uma Thurman, who also stars as one of Jack's many victims.

Some critics called the movie "unpleasant" and "torturous," while others actually liked it. The film received a standing ovation at Cannes from those who stayed until the very end. Indiewire film critic David Ehrlich tweeted this week, "i sincerely regret to inform you that THE HOUSE THAT JACK BUILT will 100% be on my list of the year’s best films. please make your peace with that now."

SEE ALSO: YouTube star Logan Paul says he lost $5 million because of the 'suicide forest' video controversy

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Trump's top economic adviser Larry Kudlow says the federal minimum wage is a 'terrible idea'

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Minimum Wage $15

  • Larry Kudlow, President Donald Trump's top economic adviser, said the federal minimum wage is a "terrible idea."
  • Kudlow said variance between states makes a federal wage level impractical.
  • Kudlow argued that corporate tax cuts are the best way to raise worker wages.
  • Kudlow also addressed the US-China trade war, Trump's attacks on the Federal Reserve, and calls by the GOP for cuts to Medicare and Social Security.

Larry Kudlow, President Donald Trump's top economic adviser, said on Thursday that he does not believe the federal government should set a minimum wage.

"My view is a federal minimum wage is a terrible idea, and will damage, in particular, small businesses," Kudlow said a Washington Post even on Thursday.

The former Wall Street economist and CNBC host argued that variances between states makes the federal standard impractical and onerous.

"Idaho is different than New York. Alabama is different than Nebraska," Kudlow said. "That’s why the federal minimum wage doesn’t work for me."

The federal minimum wage is currently $7.25 an hour (which comes out to roughly $15,000 a year), where it has been since 2009, but the buying power of that wage has eroded over the past nine years. While 29 states have increased their minimum wage above the federal minimum, Democrats and labor groups have argued that the current minimum wage does not provide a living wage and should be increased to $15 an hour. 

Kudlow said at the event that he would oppose any deal to raise the federal minimum wage and said the best way to boost average worker pay was to cut corporate taxes.

The GOP did include a large corporate tax cut in the massive tax reform law passed in 2017. But while wage growth is continuing on the post-financial crisis upward trend, there has been little evidence that wages have suddenly jumped above that long-run growth trend due to the cut.

Kudlow also addressed a series of other topics ranging from the trade war to Social Security cuts. Here's a quick breakdown.

  • On the planned meeting between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping: In an earlier interview with CNBC, Kudlow weighed in on the US-China trade war situation. While there have been reports of additional tariffs, the adviser said "nothing is set in stone right now." In addition, Kudlow expressed hope for talks between Trump and Xi that are set to take place at the G20 meetings in Argentina this month. "It is possible some good positive things could — I say could — come out of President Trump-President Xi talks," he said.
  • On the GOP's desire to cut Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid: While Republicans leaders like Mitch McConnell have suggested that Congress should cut the large programs to wrangle the deficit, Kudlow said Trump had "no plans to touch the large entitlements."
  • On Trump's attacks on Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell: Kudlow said that Trump had "not yet" called Powell directly to direct his displeasure with the recent interest rate increases. Trump has leveled a series of attacks agains Powell and the Fed.

SEE ALSO: So far, it doesn't look like the GOP tax law has prompted the investment boom Republicans promised

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Meet Jacob Wohl, the 20-year-old who allegedly tried to take down the Mueller Investigation — and failed spectacularly

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  • Jacob Wohl is a 20-year-old conservative conspiracy theorist famous for his pro-Trump Twitter personality.
  • Before that, he gained notoriety for running a financial fund using money from people in his high school, which ended when he was banned from securities trading.
  • Wohl was recently implicated in an alleged plot to take down Special Counsel Robert Mueller. The plot involved paying off women to fabricate sexual assault allegations against him.

Jacob Wohl is an accomplished young man.

Only 20, he's already been sanctioned by the Arizona Corporation Commission, investigated by the Securities and Exchange Commission, and may soon be the subject of an FBI investigation.

He's also one of President Donald Trump's biggest supporters.

On Monday, Wohl dominated the news when he was reportedly linked to a plot to take down Special Counsel Robert Mueller by paying off a woman to fabricate sexual assault allegations. Mueller's office found out about the plan and referred the matter to the FBI.

But who exactly is Jacob Wohl? Where did he come from? And how did he get involved in presidential punditry and political dirty tricks?

Jacob Wohl became famous on Twitter for constantly tweeting at Trump

If you've ever clicked through one of Trump's tweets and looked at the replies, there's a good chance you'll find Wohl there.

He first made his name on Twitter in the early days of Trump's presidency by incessantly replying to almost every tweet and touting his unflagging support. In the replies of almost any Trump tweet you'll find Wohl lavishing praise and spreading conspiracy theories.

Through his replies to Trump, Wohl's own tweets frequently went viral, and he ultimately built his own following, which now hovers around 179,000. It didn't hurt that Trump himself sometimes retweets Wohl's praise.

Wohl then built his Twitter punditry into a larger media career. He's been on Fox Business news and writes for the Gateway Pundit, a far-right propaganda site that frequently publishes hoaxes and conspiracy theories.

He also started his own publication, Offended America, which was later renamed to The Washington Reporter. It's most famous for apparently plagiarizing its code of ethics from the investigative journalism publication ProPublica. He also has a YouTube channel where he espouses conspiracy theories, such as the false claim popular on the right that people in the movie industries are covering up a massive pedophilia ring.

Before all that, Wohl was implicated in alleged financial fraud

Wohl wasn't always famous for being a Trump supporter. When he was a student at Santiago High School in Corona, California, he ran a money management group called Wohl Capital Investment Group. He told Bloomberg that he took investments from fellow students, teachers, and the school principal — and ultimately raised around $500,000 from people around the country. He called himself the "Wohl of Wall Street."

It didn't work out. One client, David Diedrich, alleged that Wohl told him his $75,000 investment increased to more than $89,000. But when he asked for the funds, Wohl sent him a check for just $44,000, according to Bloomberg.

jacob wohl smoking

Diedrich filed a complaint with the National Futures Association, which regulates derivatives trading. Other investors filed complaints to the Arizona Corporation Commission, saying that Wohl misrepresented the scope and operations of his funds. In some promotional materials, for example, Wohl said he had nine years of trading experience, which meant he would have been working in financial markets since he was eight years old.

In 2017, The National Futures Association banned Wohl from NFA membership for life. A few months later, the Arizona Corporation Committee ordered him and a business partner, Matthew Johnson, to pay a $5,000 penalty for committing securities fraud, also alleging they illegally participated in a house-flipping scheme. The committee also ordered Wohl to pay $32,918 in restitution.

jacob wohl business

"Wohl and Johnson, posted advertisements on Craigslist in connection with a promissory note offering to fund a house-flipping venture, making several misrepresentations regarding company size, the experience of the employees, and risk associated with the investment,"the committee said in a statement. "The Commission found that Wohl, Johnson, and their affiliated companies were not licensed to provide investment advice or registered to offer and sell securities in Arizona."

The federal Securities and Exchange Commission also investigated Wohl's businesses, according to Bloomberg. But it ultimately decided not to take any enforcement action, according to a document from July 2017 Wohl provided to the financial news site Benzinga.

Wohl is also known for tweets in which he claimed to have overheard liberals quietly supporting Trump 

One famous genre of Wohl tweet is where he purports to be at a local "hipster coffee shop" and overhears people on the left secretly conspire to support Republicans. He's tweeted variations on this same idea several times over.

Where is this coffee shop? Are all these tweets about the same one? Wohl didn't immediately respond to INSIDER's requests for comment.

It's possible that Wohl doesn't take his own tweets seriously. He tweeted out a link to a Daily Dot article making fun of him for the trope in July.

Wohl's currently embroiled in a scandal over possibly creating false sexual assault claims against Special Counsel Robert Mueller.

This week, Wohl was reportedly connected to a plot to take down Special Counsel Robert Mueller.

Records show that Wohl appears to run the company Surefire Intelligence. Along with the right-wing lobbyist Jack Burkman, Surefire Intelligence offered women five figures to falsely accuse Mueller of sexual assault, according to NBC News and The Atlantic. Despite the fact that Surefire's phone number is registered to Wohl's mother, Wohl first deniedhe had no connection to Surefire Intelligence.

In a video posted to YouTube Thursday morning, Wohl confirmed he ran Surefire Intelligence.

Wohl published documents that purport to prove the allegations on The Gateway Pundit on Tuesday. But Jim Hoft, the conspiracy theorist who runs the site, retracted the article and said he'd address the allegations against Wohl on Thursday.

Robert Mueller

Mueller referred the case to the FBI for investigation, and legal experts told Business Insider that Wohl could face charges that include obstruction of justice, witness tampering, and false statements.

Meanwhile, Wohl continues to push the baseless theory that Mueller sexually assaulted women. Like President Trump and other right-wing media figures, he views the special counsel investigation into Russian election interference as illegitimate.

If the FBI launches an investigation into Wohl, he won't have to look far for a lawyer. In addition to being a Trump surrogate himself, David Wohl, Jacob's father, is a criminal defense attorney.

This post has been updated.

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20 of the most stylish couples on TV

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Carrie and Big Sex and the City

We've all been made to envy couples on television — maybe for their romance, their on-and-off dynamic, their caring abilities. But sometimes the most oggle-worthy part of a fictional relationship is how couples manage to pull off amazing fashion. 

We rounded up some couples who deserve some props for their fashion chops. 

Charlotte and Trey from "Sex and the City" didn't end up together, but they did always look great.

A couple full of their own number of quirks, Charlotte and Trey showed they at least had a penchant for dressing right for any occasion. Despite a string of strange occurrences (one that included a cardboard baby), this couple never let others see them sweat in terms of dressing up for every occasion.



Danny and Mindy from "The Mindy Project" were quirky and fashionable in their own ways.

This dysfunctional, on-and-off couple had the style to match.

Mindy was a fan of loud, fun prints — just like her personality, and Danny kept things classic with muted colors and lots of button-down shirts.

But just like them, their styles always worked perfectly together.



Seth and Summer from "The O.C." rocked that classic early 2000s California style.

A lovable match-up between the nerd and the popular girl, this couple was quintessential Cali cool. The pairing finally got together after years of living next door. But throughout their couple arc, they always kept up appearances in the romance departments, especially on big holidays, where they notched up their outfit choices and general cuteness to 10.



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A viral rumor after the Lion Air crash claims the airline already had the worst possible safety rating — but it isn’t true

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Fake safety rating Lion Air

  • A hoax after the Lion Air crash that likely killed 189 people claimed that there were serious red flags about the airlines safety.
  • It said the International Air Transport Association (IATA) had given the airline the lowest possible safety rating.
  • A fake screenshot of the IATA's website said Lion Air had one star out of a possible seven.
  • But it isn't true — the IATA confirmed to Business Insider that it does not rank or rate individual airlines, and said "airline safety rankings are inherently flawed."

A viral post claims that Lion Air had been ranked with the lowest possible safety record, but is an untrue forgery which emerged in the wake of a fatal crash this week.

Lion Air flight JT 610 crashed into the sea on Monday and killed everyone on board. It has a history of occasional safety issues, but was widely considered safe to use before Monday's crash.

However, a faked screenshot purporting to be from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) website says otherwise.

It listed Lion Air among a number of other Indonesian airlines, claiming that they all have a one-star rating and the "lowest safety performance". The post has been spreading on social media, particularly in Indonesia itself. 

But the IATA told Business Insider that the ranking was not from them, and that it does not even publish airline safety ratings.

An IATA spokesperson told Business Insider: "We would like to clarify that it is not an IATA document."

In a statement earlier this year, the IATA said that "does not consider airline safety ratings or rankings to be a valid measure of an individual organization’s safety performance."

It also says that there "no objective criteria or metrics exist by which it is possible to do this" and questioned the validity of rankings produced elsewhere.

Read more: What we know about the victims of the Lion Air plane crash off Indonesia, where there were 'likely no survivors'

It says that "airline safety rankings are inherently flawed" and instead it considers the overall safety of the commercial airline industry.

Twitter user Alvin Lie drew attention to the hoax, sharing an image of the screenshot which lists the airlines as "non recommended." The tweet, which is in Indonesian, urged people to not spread hoaxes.

It also included a statement from the IATA's office in Indonesia that says the organization "has never made this kind of statements [sic] especially for public consumption."

 

Lion Air performs well in other airline safety rankings. It gets six out of seven stars by AirlineRatings.com, which considers things like its fatality record and whether the airline is endorsed by the US Federal Aviation Authority.

It is not clear whether this rating has been updated since Monday's crash.

But the safety record of Lion Air and of Indonesian airlines generally has come under increased scrutiny since the flight plunged into the Java sea en route from Jakarta to Bangka Island in what was the worst airliner accident of 2018.

Lion Air flight relatives debris

Lion Air previously had one fatal accident, in 2004, and has recorded at least a dozen since 2002, Quartz reported. A Lion Air flight also crashed into the sea in 2013, but all on board survived.

Read more: Divers found the black box from the Lion Air flight that crashed into the Java Sea

Indonesia's aviation record was so poor for years that the US and EU had blacklisted the country's carriers from flying into their countries. The bans have since been lifted. The EU only lifted its ban in June, though it allowed Lion Air to operate from an earlier date.

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Millennials are buying the Apple dip ahead of earnings (APPL)

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Tim Cook Apple CEO

  • Apple will report its third-quarter results after Thursday's closing bell.
  • Shares have fell as much as 11.5% from their October 3 peak as the Nasdaq witnessed its heaviest selling since the financial crisis.
  • Investors on Robinhood, a free-trading app popular among younger traders, have been snapping up shares.
  • Watch Apple trade live.

Apple is set to report its third-quarter earnings after Thursday's closing bell and investors on Robinhood, a no-fee trading app popular among younger traders, are buying the stock's dip ahead of the results. 

The smartphone giant faced a brutal sell-off in October, when the tech-heavy Nasdaq index tumbled 9.2%, posting its worst month since the financial crisis. During the selling, Apple dropped as much as 11.5% from its record peak of $233.47 set on October 3. While shares have rebounded a bit, they are still 6.4% below their all-time high. 

And while the market began to take a turn for the worst in early October, Robinhood investors waited until October 10 to begin buying shares. According to Robinhood data tracked by Business Insider, more than 6,000 users have added Apple shares over the past three weeks. A total of 185,208 Robinhood investors currently hold the stock, making it the second most-popular stock on the app, just below Ford.

It has been a memorable year for Apple, which became the first publicly traded US company to hit a $1 trillion valuation. Since crossing the milestone, Apple announced a slew of new iPhones including the iPhone XSApple Watch 4, and an updated iPad Pro. 

And in a recent note sent out to clients, Wedbush analyst Daniel Ives said the tech giant has the chance to be a $1.5 trillion behemoth based on his analysis of "the monetization potential of its unparalleled consumer installed base over the coming years coupled by further multiple expansion around the services business."

When Apple's results are released after the bell on Thursday, traders will be paying close attention to whether the company's fundamentals can support a continuing boost. So far among FAANG companies that have already reported, Facebook and Amazon both warned of a potential slowdown ahead. 

Apple is expected to earn an adjusted $2.78 a share on revenue of $61.4 billion, according to analysts surveyed by Bloomberg. Their average price target is $237.60 — 8% above where shares are trading on Thursday.

Apple was up 27% this year.

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Lowe's is kicking off an entire month of Black Friday deals (LOW)

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Lowe's

  • Lowe's is opting to spread its Black Friday discounts throughout November.
  • The home-improvement retailer will also close its doors on Thanksgiving this year.
  • The strategy reflects the continued decline of Black Friday's importance to the retail sphere.

Forget Black Friday — Lowe's is rolling out its first ever Black November this month.

Black Friday-style deals will be offered at Lowe's online and in stores throughout the month of November. The stores will also close on Thanksgiving itself.

So why swap out Black Friday for Black November? According to the company, the idea is to reduce stress for shoppers and employees alike.

Read more: Walmart is bucking a major holiday hiring trend, and it could be a brilliant move

"We hope that by providing our customers with excellent opportunities to save from November 1 onward, they'll feel more prepared for holiday gatherings and special time with friends and family ahead," Chief Marketing Officer Jocelyn Wong said in a statement.

Deals have already begun on products like Roomba vacuums, Samsung refrigerators, and Craftsman cordless drills.

The home-improvement store's Black November push highlights the rapid decline of Black Friday itself. At many retailers, discounts are no longer constrained to the day after Thanksgiving.

And Lowe's isn't the only retailer to switch up its approach to the holiday season. Target is offering free two-day shipping throughout the holiday season — not just around Black Friday. And Amazon and Walmart are also offering early deals starting November 1.

More on Black Friday 2018:

SEE ALSO: From entire lawn sets to used toilets, these are the most ridiculous returns employees from Costco, Walmart, and Target say they've ever gotten

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MORGAN STANLEY: Juul, Silicon Valley's favorite vaping startup, is drawing in young users who don't smoke

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  • Morgan Stanley research finds that while Juul helps smokers lower their cigarette consumption, it's still drawing in plenty of young non-smokers, too.
  • The report also finds that non-smokers are typically drawn to Juul primarily by social marketing
  • Analysts think the FDA will roll out a series of policies by year-end to better control the rising rates of teen e-cigarette usage.  

Popular e-cigarette startup Juul Labs has been facing controversy recently over the appeal of its products for minors. 

In September, the US Food and Drug Administration  announced that it was taking steps to crack down on the sale of e-cigarette products — like the increasingly popular Juul — to minors. JUUL responded that it planned to work with the FDA, and that its "mission is to improve the lives of adult smokers by providing them with a true alternative to combustible cigarettes."

But evidence has been mounting that Juul's products have significant appeal to young people.

The latest comes in a Morgan Stanley research report published Thursday. It found that about 15% of Juul users weren't smokers before they started vaping, and that group tended to be younger than other vapers.

On Tuesday, a different survey found that a higher portion of young people aged 15-17 are using the Juul at least once a month compared to those aged 25-34. 

Morgan Stanley surveyed 402 Juul users above age 18, so the bank's survey doesn't provide information about users younger than that. Among the youngest group in the survey, those 18-24, a third hadn't smoked before starting to use Juul. 

There were some positive findings for Juul in the survey, according to the research report. Juul helped almost half of its users who also smoke cigarettes cut down on their cigarette consumption. About 16 percent stopped smoking entirely.

Some moved in the other direction. Of the nonsmokers, 20% became smokers after using Juul. The report highlights this as "a potential area of concern as the FDA is evaluating Juul's prevalence among youth and its role as a gateway to cigarettes."

CNBC has reported that preliminary data from the government's National Youth Tobacco Survey found a 75% rise in teen e-cigarette usage in the last year, to about 3 million high-school users.

FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb has said that new policies to regulate e-cigarette usage will be put out by the agency by the end of this year. The analysts said these policies may include moving up the pre-market tobacco product application deadline for e-cigarettes from 2022 to an earlier date, restrictions on the range of e-cigarette flavors, and possible limits on distribution.

SEE ALSO: We just got our first look at how many minors are using Silicon Valley's favorite e-cig, and it doesn't look good

SEE ALSO: The FDA is cracking down on wildly popular e-cigarettes like Juul — and threatening to pull products from the market if teen use isn't controlled

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