• Every day, we lose between 50 and 100 hairs from our heads — and it's completely normal.
• The American Academy of Dermatology refers to this as "hair shedding," and differentiates it from the more serious term "hair loss," which occurs when something prevents hair from growing.
• Excessive shedding can happen as a result of stressful life events, but usually stops within six to nine months as your body adjusts.
• Trichologist Iain Sallis told INSIDER that the most important thing to do for hair health is to eat enough protein and iron every day.

Picture this: You're in the shower, lathering up with your favorite shampoo. You rinse out the suds and smooth down your locks only to discover a clump of hair in your hands. This can be a bit frightening, but it can also be hard to know how much hair loss is "normal."

INSIDER spoke to trichologist Iain Sallis to learn everything you need to know about hair loss.

Some hair loss every day is normal, so don't freak out

According to the American Academy of Dermatologists, losing anywhere from 50 to 100 hairs per day is perfectly normal.

You probably aren't going to count each hair you lose individually, but if you think you have reason to be concerned, there are some general numbers to keep in mind.

"Losing over 100 hairs per day — or 700 hairs per week — would be classed as excessive and may indicate an underlying issue which is causing the hair cycle to shorten and shed more hairs than normal per day," Sallis told INSIDER. "This will [also] cause the hair to feel fine and thin."

A few additional signs, however, can indicate abnormal hair loss as well

Telogen effluvium — the medical term for the excessive shedding of hair— can occur as a direct result of sudden stress on the person who is suddenly losing hair.

Life events such as recovering from an illness with a high fever, undergoing an operation, giving birth, or any other major life stressors can have a noticeable effect on your hair according to the American Academy of Dermatologists.

Sallis shared a few other signs we should look for:

"For women with long hair, feeling their ponytail has reduced in diameter — called the ponytail test — or noticing areas of [the] scalp which were covered but now are not — such as a receding hairline — should be classed as signals for potential hair loss problems and should be checked out."

You should think about your hair from the inside out if you want it to be as healthy as possible

"If you think about your hair like you would a piece of clothing, you can't go far wrong," Sallis said. "The hair is a fiber made from proteins and once they have been made, that's it. They are as good as they are ever going to be and whatever you do to your hair — color it, brush it, straighten it — it will have an impact on the hair fiber."

"Nothing repairs it," Sallis noted. "Conditioners can make hair feel smoother and feel 'repaired' but it has not repaired anything — just papered over the cracks."

Read more:Best drugstore products for different hair types

Sallis also advised against smoking and recommended maintaining a healthy weight since some medications associated with certain weight-related conditions can negatively impact our hair later in life.

Your diet also plays a major role in hair health

Sudden hair loss can be frightening, especially if it goes on a long time before you can slow it down. Proper nutrition can help new hair growth but, as mentioned earlier, it can't undo the damage that's already been done.

"[You need to] ensure your diet is full of iron and proteins," Sallis said. "These are the two main issues with hair when it comes to nutrition."

As always, if you're concerned about any hair loss you're experiencing, you should talk to your doctor in detail. Your doctor may suggest that you take hair-specific vitamins containing iron and protein, or may refer you to a dermatologist if you don't already have one.

Sallis advised INSIDER that a primary doctor can usually rule out other potential causes of hair loss — including thyroid and anemia issues — before referring us on to specialists.

Visit INSIDER's homepage for more.

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NOW WATCH: Trump once won a lawsuit against the NFL — but the result was an embarrassment

The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase.

• Look no further for some shopping inspiration for Black Friday 2018 than last year's list of best-selling products.
• From Instant Pots to Echo Dots to 23andMe DNA test kits, these were the 20 top sellers among Business Insider readers in last year.
• Some of these items are currently on sale for Black Friday 2018.

Black Friday is the biggest shopping event of the year, a way to make a major dent in your holiday gift shopping and perhaps treat yourself to something you've been eyeing as well. With another Black Friday quickly approaching, we wanted to show you what Business Insider readers were buying at this time last year.

Our readers' purchases last year told us a few things, namely that they're using tech in all sorts of ways to streamline their lives. Unsurprisingly, smart home device purchases, particularly from the Amazon Echo family, are on the rise — after all, when you experience the seamless interactions among all your devices, it's difficult to go back.

It's also evident that our readers care about getting their money's worth without having to spend big. The discounts offered on Black Friday are perfect for bargain hunters and deal diggers.

Based on the popularity of these items from last year's Black Friday, you can make a pretty good guess that they'll be discounted this year as well. Bookmark any that you like so you'll be ready to purchase come Black Friday 2018.

While this data tells us a lot about the types of products and services you're interested in, we still love it when you drop us a line at insiderpicks@businessinsider and tell us things you'd like to hear more about or are perhaps having trouble finding on your own.

These are the 20 products Business Insider readers bought the most on Black Friday 2017.

Looking for more deals? We've rounded up the best Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals on the internet.

DON'T MISS: Business Insider's guide to the best Black Friday sales of 2018

SEE ALSO: All of Insider Picks' holiday gift guides, in one place

1. 23andMe and Ancestry.com DNA tests

23andMe DNA Test, $69, available at Amazon ($49 when you buy 2+ kits)

AncestryDNA Test, $59 (originally $99), available at Ancestry.com [You save $40]

If the increasing popularity of DNA test kits tells us anything, it's that we're all pretty interested in learning more about our roots. So interested, in fact, that we now even have the option to test the DNA of our pets. Our ever-growing fascination with where we come from explains why these DNA testing kits were the top sellers among Business Insider readers last Black Friday.

2. Amazon Echo Dot

Echo Dot (2nd Generation), $39.99, available at Amazon

Echo Dot (3rd Generation), $49.99, available at Amazon

The Echo Dot is small but packs a punch with all its capabilities. Use it to call, shop, play music, set a timer, and control other parts of your home by connecting it to other smart home devices. With nearly 80,000 people giving this convenient device a 5-star rating, it's no wonder it was a top-selling product last year.

3. TP-Link smart plug

• After 11 weeks, the NFL season is moving towards a thrilling conclusion.
• The Rams, Chiefs, and Saints have established themselves as the teams to beat, while a worthy group of contenders will look to join their ranks.
• At the bottom, teams are fighting to avoid embarrassment, but still looking forward to next year's draft.

After a thrilling battle between two of the top teams in the league, there is more reason than ever to be excited about the 2018 NFL playoffs.

That said, there's still much to be decided before it's time to start planning for the Super Bowl.

While the top three teams in the league have established themselves, there's a glut of teams in the middle hoping to make a run in the second half and secure a spot in the playoffs. And at the bottom of the standings, teams are already planning on how they'll spend their first-round pick.

Going into a big Week 12, here's where all 32 teams stand.

32. Buffalo Bills

Record: 3-7

Last week: 28th

Week 11 result: Bye

Week 12 opponent: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

One thing to know: Head coach Sean McDermott says that rookie quarterback Josh Allen is on track to start again on Sunday after a few weeks on the sidelines due to an elbow injury, but it's unclear how much his return will help the flailing Bills offense.

31. Arizona Cardinals

Record: 2-8

Last week: 27th

Week 11 result: Lost to the Raiders, 23-21

Week 12 opponent: at Los Angeles Chargers

One thing to know: In three games under new offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich, David Johnson has totaled 294 rushing yards, 143 receiving yards, and 3 touchdowns. Welcome back, DJ!

30. Oakland Raiders

Record: 2-8

Last week: 32nd

Week 11 result: Beat the Cardinals, 23-21

Week 12 opponent: at Baltimore Ravens

One thing to know: The Raiders finally got another win, but with games remaining against the Steelers, Ravens, and Bengals, as well as two left against the Chiefs, they're still the clear favorites to land the top pick in the 2019 NFL Draft.

• Many iconic moments have occured throughout the years during the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show.
• Models like Tyra Banks and Cara Delevingne have been remembered for their dancing skills on the runway.
• Maria Borges made Victoria's Secret history as the first model to wear her natural hairstyle in the show in 2015.
• Others have risked injury onstage, like Ariana Grande who was accidentally hit by model Elsa Hosk's Angel wings during her performance in 2014.
• Multiple former couples have expressed their affections on the runway, including Anne Vyalitsyna and Adam Levine, and Heidi Klum and Seal.

The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show has come a long way since its inception in 1995.

The runway has evolved into a bold stage with modern technology, a long list of fan-favorite musicians have performed during the event, and each year, the coveted Angel wings are bigger and bolder.

Over the years, a number of memorable things have happened during the show. Past runways have seen everything from unforgettable dance numbers to performance mishaps, and the 2018 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show probably be any different.

To hold you over until the show airs on December 2, here's a look back at some of the most iconic moments from past Victoria's Secret runways.

During the 2002 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, Tyra Banks performed a memorable Flamenco dance.

Banks snagged her lingerie train as she stepped onto the stage, though the mishap appears to have been edited out of the television broadcast. Regardless, Banks continued her dance routine and shimmied down the runway without missing a step.

In 2002, model Gisele Bündchen was chased down the runway by anti-fur protesters.

Four members of PETA (the People for Ethical Treatment of Animals) rushed the stage holding signs that read "Gisele: Fur Scum." They were protesting Bündchen's contract with the fur brand Blackglama. 

At the time, Bündchen defended her contract and told CNN that she was simply doing her job.

"I'm the biggest animal lover in the world," Bündchen said. "I was just doing my job. I'm a model. I don't even wear fur. They just want attention."

Bündchen appears to have since changed her mind, and told Vogue in 2018 that the experience opened her eyes to animal cruelty in the fashion industry. 

In 2004, Victoria's Secret shocked viewers by canceling the annual fashion show.

It's still debated as to why Victoria's Secret cancelled its 2004 fashion show, but media outlets have reported that networks were skeptical to air any degree of nudity following Janet Jackson's Superbowl performance. 

In an interview with CNN, Ed Razek, the Chief Marketing Officer of Victoria's Secret's parent company L Brands, said that the cancellation had nothing to do with Janet Jackson.

"Some are saying that the show is not running because of the Super Bowl incident, but that's not really the case," Razek said. "Clearly, we could've gotten the show on air if we wanted to. It's fashion, and we can't always use the same way to promote the brand."

Instead of a fashion show, Victoria's Secret took the Angels on a tour across the country, including stops in New York, Miami, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles.

• A host of top Democratic donors wrote a letter on Tuesday expressing their support for House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi's bid to become the next House speaker.
• Pelosi's allies point to her significant legislative accomplishments, recent electoral victories, fundraising prowess, and a lack of any strong alternative leader as reasons to support her. 
• They called the anti-Pelosi movement "naive and self-destructive" in interviews with INSIDER, and warned that if Pelosi is replaced, donations to the party could drop dramatically. 

A host of top Democratic donors are making their support of House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi known as her bid for House speaker is under fire from a group of younger, largely centrist Democrats.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) donors, who include top Wall Street financiers and longtime political heavyweights, wrote a letter to Democratic leaders on Tuesday warning that without Pelosi at the helm, donations to the party could drop dramatically.

"The competence and effectiveness of the Leader is a critical component in motivating us to reach in our pockets. On that basis it is hard to imagine a replacement for Nancy engendering the same level of confidence at this critical time," they wrote in a letter obtained by Politico Playbook.

The donors argue both that Pelosi is eminently qualified for the job, pointing to her legislative achievements and specifically citing her success shepherding Obamacare through Congress and into law. 

"The skill of the leader is critically important — doesn't matter if she's a little bit to the right or the left," Richard Ravitch — a real estate developer, former lieutenant governor of New York, and a signatory of the letter — told INSIDER. "And it's more important than ever given that we have a psychopath in the White House."

Jeff Gural, a New York real estate developer who also signed the letter, chalked up the Democratic Party's midterm successes to their focus on healthcare — an issue on which the party has authority thanks to Pelosi's efforts. 

"I hear the argument, 'You would've won more seats if Nancy wasn’t the speaker' — yeah, well, we wouldn't have won any seats without healthcare," Gural told INSIDER, adding that Pelosi is "the hardest working person I know in politics." Gural added that he fears an inexperienced new leader "who could totally botch the job." 

The donors' letter was prompted by the 16 House Democrats who signed a letter this week outlining their opposition to Pelosi's re-election as House speaker. The lawmakers, five of whom are incoming members, argued that Democrats "ran and won on a message of change" this year, and that the party's leadership should respond to that mandate by handing the reins to a new, younger, guard.

Mitch Draizin — a New York hedge fund founder and another Pelosi-allied donor — called the opposition to the 78-year-old lawmaker "naive and self-destructive to the country and to the party" in an interview with INSIDER. 

"I'm a bit insulted that these freshmen and some of these younger folks ... who haven't done anything yet, have the audacity to challenge her," Draizin said, adding that Pelosi "is the personification of leadership."

The opposition hasn't put forward any substantive reasons why she should be replaced and they don't have a contender to challenge her — Rep. Marcia Fudge, a former chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, who considered challenging Pelosi, announced on Tuesday evening that she would not run after Pelosi named her the chair of the reconstituted House Subcommittee on election-related issues. 

Donors are skeptical that any challenger could rival Pelosi. 

Gural said he was first convinced to donate to the DCCC after getting to know Pelosi, and he isn't sure he'd be willing to reach into his pockets for another leader, particularly if he felt the new leadership had "thrown [Pelosi] under the bus." 

"It's easy to say that people who've been donating significant sums of money to the Democrats all these years like myself would continue to do it without a phone call from Nancy," Gural said. "I'm not so sure."

The vocal and increasingly influential progressive wing of the party — some of whom were critical of Pelosi on the campaign trail this year — are also unconvinced by the movement against Pelosi. 

"My main concern was that there is no vision, there is no common value, there is no goal that is really articulated in this letter aside from we need to change," Congresswoman-elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a democratic socialist and breakout star of the left in the Democratic Party, told MSNBC on Monday night of the anti-Pelosi letter. 

SEE ALSO: Nancy Pelosi is using gender to win over progressives in her fight to become House speaker

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Lindsey Graham once warned there would be 'holy hell to pay' if Trump fired Jeff Sessions

• Victoria's Secret currently has 13 active Angels.
• Some of these models, like Adriana Lima, have been with the company for over a decade.
• Ahead of the 2018 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, find out what each Angel wore during her first runway show for the lingerie brand.

Today, Victoria's Secret Angels are among some of the world's most well-recognized, and highest-paid, models.

Some of these models, like Adriana Lima and Candice Swanepoel, have been with the company for over a decade. Others earned their Angel wings more recently.

Currently, the brand has 13 active Angels, not including Alessandra Ambrosio, who parted ways with Victoria's Secret last year — although the Brazilian model is still listed as an Angel on the company's website.

Ahead of the 2018 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, find out what each Angel wore when she was cast in the event for the first time.

Adriana Lima wore two different looks when she made her Victoria's Secret Fashion Show debut in 1999.

In the lingerie brand's 1999 show, the model first stepped out in a white bodysuit with a ruffled polka-dot trim. She then showed off a floral-print bra with a matching sarong-style miniskirt.

Lima, who became an Angel in 2000, reportedly walked in her 19th, and last, Victoria's Secret Fashion Show this year. She was photographed looking tearful on the runway when the show was filmed in New York City on November 8.

The model also thanked the lingerie brand and fans in a heartfelt Instagram post ahead of the show.

Behati Prinsloo sported a green bra and red plaid shorts when she joined the show in 2007.

Her cozy runway look in the 2007 show also included red leg warmers, red mittens, and an olive-green jacket.

After a three-year hiatus, Prinsloo returned to the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show this year. The model, who earned her Angel wings in 2009, previously walked in the show for nine consecutive years.
 

Candice Swanepoel was also cast for the first time in 2007.

Swanepoel's debut look featured a blue bra and underwear set, a cropped, light-blue puffer coat, and leg warmers made of the same material.

The model earned her Angel wings in 2010 and has walked in 11 shows for Victoria's Secret.

• Bella Hadid and The Weeknd began dating in 2015.
• The two reportedly broke up in November 2016, but they reunited in 2018 at the Cannes Film Festival.
• Recently, the pair has gotten back together.

Bella Hadid and The Weeknd, whose real name is Abel Tesfaye, certainly aren’t shy when it comes to their relationship. The couple has been vocal about their love for one another on social media and they reportedly recently leased a penthouse together. 

Here’s a timeline of Bella Hadid and Abel Tesfaye’s relationship.

May 2015: Sources confirmed Hadid and Tesfaye were dating.

Hadid and Tesfaye were allegedly first spotted together in April 2015. Tesfaye was performing at the Coachella music festival at the time and he supposedly spent a lot of his downtime with Hadid.

"They were hanging out in Coachella and were flirting lots," a source told E! News. "They have many things in common and really enjoyed each other's company. She loves his music as well. They are hanging out for sure now."

A few weeks after Hadid and Tesfaye hung out at Coachella, multiple sources confirmed that the two had officially started dating. Hadid was 18 years old at the time and Tesfaye was 25.

July 2015: Tesfaye alluded to Hadid in an interview.

During a New York Times interview with Tesfaye, the interviewer mentioned the "quick kiss" Hadid gave the rapper before his performance at the Museum of Modern Art.

When asked if he was in love, Tesfaye gave a conflicting answer.

"I don't know, to be honest with you," he said. "I don't think so. Maybe. It's no, it's yes, it's maybe."

September 12, 2015: Hadid and Tesfaye held hands at New York Fashion Week.

During New York Fashion Week, Hadid and Tesfaye sat front row together at the Alexander Wang show. After the show, the paparazzi caught them holding hands as they left.

• Margot Robbie shared a photo of the script of her upcoming Harley Quinn movie, "Birds of Prey."
• It showed the full title as "Birds of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)."
• It's a mouthful and very real.
• Fans things the title sounds ridiculous and that there's no mention of Batgirl, the character who the comics are based around.
• INSIDER confirmed that will be the name of the movie coming to theaters February 7, 2020.

Margot Robbie shared the first photo of the script from her upcoming Harley Quinn spinoff on Instagram and it's a doozy. 

The script title reads: "Birds of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn). It's a mouthful and it's very real. 

Warner Bros. confirmed to INSIDER this is the actual title of the upcoming "Birds of Prey" movie and not just a fun thing Robbie scribbled for fans. The Hollywood Reporter was first to report the news.

The title has fans confused for more than one reason. 

First, it's unusually long-winded and doesn't feel like a real movie name.

For those unfamiliar with the comics, "Birds of Prey" is a story centered around Barbara Gordon/Batgirl and a group of female heroines and vigilantes like Black Canary, Huntress, and Katana (who appeared in 2016's "Suicide Squad"). More recently, Batman villain Poison Ivy became a part of the group in a relaunched comic. Harley's not part of that group.

Others feel like it's taking the spotlight off of another female character.

For what it's worth not everyone is displeased, some are happy to see Robbie's well-received Harley Quinn back on screen. She was one of the main highlights of "Suicide Squad." 

Read more:Photos of Joaquin Phoenix in the "Joker" movie

The movie itself will stray from the usual "Birds of Prey" comic fans may be used to which is spearheaded by Batgirl. This movie is supposed to have Harley Quinn rounding up a female group to take down Batman villain Black Mask, who will reportedly be played by Ewan McGregor.

Mary Elizabeth Winstead will play Huntress and Jurnee Smollett-Bell is playing Black Canary. The movie is being directed by Cathy Yan ("Dead Pigs").

There's no way this is going to stay the name of this movie, right?

For what it's worth, Disney's original title for the "Wreck-It Ralph" sequel was "Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2." The title was only recently shortened in the past few months to "Ralph Breaks the Internet."

There's a lot of time between now and February 2020, so we could always see a condensed, updated version.

Visit INSIDER's homepage for more.

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NOW WATCH: 7 places you can't find on Google Maps

• Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson will face off on Friday in a head-to-head match with $9 million at stake.
• While promoting the pay-per-view match on Tuesday, Mickelson and Woods started putting down some side bets, with Mickelson putting up $100,000 that he would birdie the first hole.
• Woods immediately responded by doubling the bet, an offer that Mickelson agreed to.

On Friday, Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson will face off in a head-to-head, winner-take-all match with $9 million on the line.

The two have promoted the match with appearances on various shows and increasingly sharp trash talk as the match approaches.

Read more:Tiger Woods is already doling out trash talk ahead of his one-on-one showdown with Phil Mickelson

On Tuesday, the duo sat down for a press conference in one final bit of promotion for the pay-per-view event, and it didn't take long for Woods and Mickelson to put even more money on the line.

As if $9 million wasn't enough to keep them interested, Mickelson quickly threw out that he was ready to bet $100,000 that he would birdie the first hole.

"You don't have to take it," Mickelson teased, as Woods took in his proposal.

"So you think you can make birdie on the first hole?" Woods asked.

"I know I'm going to make birdie on the first hole," Mickelson said with confidence.

Without missing a beat, Woods upped the stakes. "Double it."

Mickelson froze, but only for a second, before breaking out in a smile and asking the crowd, "Did you see how I baited him like that?" He then agreed to the bet.

From there, the two broke down just how they thought the first hole of the match would play out, getting into each other's heads. Woods brought up the water on the left of the fairway, while Mickelson boasted about his skill with short irons.

You can watch the scene play out below.

Once the two were done taking questions, they even faced off for a moment, as if preparing for a heavyweight fight.

We don't know precisely how the first-of-its-kind match will play out in terms of the broadcast, but if Tuesday's press conference was any indication, there should be plenty of action for golf fans to tune in for — even beyond the $9 million that was already at stake.

At the very least, Mickelson will almost certainly be putting for $200,000 just minutes into the match.

Woods and Mickelson tee off on Friday, November 23, at Shadow Creek Golf Course in Las Vegas, with the match available on pay-per-view for $19.99.

SEE ALSO: How Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson's longstanding rivalry turned into golf's biggest bromance

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NOW WATCH: Inside an intense training session where aspiring WWE wrestlers learn how to fight

• An E. coli outbreak has been linked to romaine lettuce, with the CDC encouraging people to stop eating romaine and throw away any that they have already purchased. 
• The strain of E. coli shares a genetic footprint with the bacteria linked to a past outbreak in 2017, which sickened at least 25 people across 15 states. 
• Investigators were unable to pinpoint the source of the 2017 outbreak, other than linking the E. coli outbreak to leafy greens. 
• Now, a food-poisoning expert says it is almost certain that the two outbreaks are linked — and that investigators will need to find the source this time around. 

As another E. coli outbreak linked to romaine lettuce sweeps the United States, experts are drawing connections to an unsolved investigation from 2017.

On Tuesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a food-safety alert warning people to stop eating romaine lettuce and to get rid of any they've purchased. 

According to the CDC, at least 32 people in 11 states have reported E. coli infections linked to romaine lettuce starting last month. Thirteen people have been hospitalized.

Read more:The CDC tells people to stop eating romaine lettuce — again — after another E. coli outbreak sickens at least 32 people in 11 states

The outbreak is separate from another E. coli outbreak, also linked to romaine, that sickened more than 190 people earlier this year. However, that doesn't mean that the outbreak is coming out of thin air. 

The strain of bacteria involved in this outbreak shares a genetic footprint with the E. coli bacteria tied to leafy greens in the US and romaine lettuce in Canada last year, according to the CDC.

In Canada, 42 cases of illness connected to the strain of E. coli were reported, including one death. In the case of the American leafy green outbreak, 25 people were sickened across 15 states, with illnesses starting in December 2017. One person died.

The source of the outbreak — such as a specific supplier or processing plant where the contamination occurred — was never discovered. While the Canadian outbreak during the same period was tied to romaine lettuce, the CDC was not even able to identify which specific leafy green was the source of the outbreak in the US. 

Now, the unsolved case is likely back. 

"It would be 90% certainty that wherever the lettuce was grown in 2017, it's the same place where this lettuce is grown," Bill Marler, a food-poisoning attorney, told Business Insider. 

That place is likely going to be in California, either the Salinas Valley or the Central Valley, Marler says. With the illnesses linked to the romaine occurring in October, the contaminated lettuce is likely from California due to the American lettuce growing and harvesting schedule. 

According to Marler, something — whether that be a water source or wild animals — has remained constant in the romaine lettuce supply chain since 2017. Now, the CDC and other investigators will likely have the opportunity to pinpoint exactly what the source was for both outbreaks. 

"I think that it's likely they'll be able to figure this one out," Marler said.

"The sooner the better, just from a public health point of view," he continued. 

SEE ALSO: These are the stores with the best Black Friday discounts

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NOW WATCH: How Alibaba turned a fake holiday into a $25 billion shopping extravaganza that's bigger than Black Friday and Cyber Monday combined

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.
  Get The Regtech Revisited Report
  

   

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• The Los Angeles Rams and Kansas City Chiefs combined to score 105 points on Monday night, meaning a big payday for people who bet the over in Las Vegas.
• A spokesman for William Hill sportsbooks said that the game ended in a "healthy seven-figure loss" for the books, as almost 70% of the public bet the over.
• Jay Kornegay of the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook told Business Insider that while pre-game wagers were fairly balanced, in-game wagering was heavily tilted towards the over, leading to a tough day for the sportsbooks and a great day for gamblers.
  

On Monday night, the Los Angeles Rams and Kansas City Chiefs battled in the best game of the NFL season thus far, with the Rams eventually prevailing in the back-and-forth tilt, 54-51.

Rams fans were undoubtedly delighted with the result, with Los Angeles winning what could be a preview of Super Bowl LIII and looking every bit the powerhouse that they hoped coming into the year.

But one group left Monday night even happier than Rams fans — the gambling public, specifically those who bet the over on the game's total.

A wager on the total is a bet on how many points the teams will combine to score in the game, and with the Rams and Chiefs putting up 105 points between them — the third-highest total in NFL history — over bettors won easily, laughing all the way to the bank.

Las Vegas prepared for a high-scoring affair. According to ESPN Stats & Information, the total (63.5) was the highest set since at least 1986, as far as their records date back.

But despite the huge number posted by sportsbooks, the Rams and Chiefs blew past the total with ease, surpassing 63.5 points before the end of the third quarter.

Michael Grodsky, a spokesperson for William Hill sportsbooks, told ESPN that the game wound up being a "healthy seven-figure loss" for their books, as almost 70% of bettors were backing the over.

But it wasn't just the pre-game betting that cost the books money.

Jay Kornegay, VP of Race and Sports Operations at the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook, told Business Insider that it was in-game betting that did the most damage.

"Pre-game wagering was fairly balanced and didn't hurt us," Kornegay told Business Insider when asked about how the total had been bet. "In-progress wagering was tough on us as the betting public couldn't get enough of the 'over.'"

In-game wagering is a huge growth opportunity for sportsbooks, as it allows for bettors to continue placing bets throughout the game beyond the usual pre-game and halftime lines.

But as Monday night showed, there's also a risk in offering bettors to keep their bets coming during the game. While books can mitigate their losses on pre-game wagers by adjusting the line to attract action on both sides of a bet, in-game wagering could prove more difficult to keep balanced.

Take last night for example — it's hard to imagine a casual bettor watching that game at a sportsbook would start putting money on the "under" side of the live total after the teams put up 46 points in the first half alone.

No matter how high bookmakers decided to set the live total, it probably wasn't enough as you can't assume a game is going to be the third-highest scoring affair in the history of the league.

The result was a massive payday for the gambling public, who recognized both before and during the game that these teams were going to start scoring and never stop.

It meant a hard day for the sportsbooks, but I wouldn't worry too much about them — they always seem to bounce back from a tough week.

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• Romaine lettuce has been linked to an E. coli outbreak that has sickened at least 32 people in 11 states.
• After more than two decades as a foodborne-illness attorney, food-poisoning expert Bill Marler says there are some items that he will never order at restaurants. 
• The food-poisoning expert eats raw fish at sushi restaurants — but says there is a reason why you should consider skipping salad when going out to eat.

A deep knowledge of thousands of food-poisoning cases across the United States means that there are some things that Bill Marler just won't order when he goes out to eat. 

With more than two decades working as a food-poisoning advocate and attorney, there are simply some things that Marler has cut out of his diet. Marler has won more than $600 million for clients in foodborne-illness cases — and has seen how restaurants are being forced to change to prevent more sicknesses. 

"Chain restaurants, post-Jack-in-the-Box, they went through a sort of rethinking about how they do stuff," Marler said. 

Today, many of the biggest risks for food poisoning at chain restaurants come from an individual worker who "picked his nose then made your burrito," Marler said. The action of a rogue restaurant worker can make a handful of people sick — but usually won't spark a huge outbreak. 

However, there are some foods that Marler avoids when he goes out to eat. That includes salad — a choice that has renewed relevance with an E. coli outbreak tied to romaine lettuce that has sickened at least 32 people in 11 states.

The most recent outbreak follows two other leafy green outbreaks earlier this year. A parasitic illness outbreak that sickened more than 500 people across 16 states was linked to McDonald's salads. And, a different strain of E. coli linked to romaine lettuce killed five people and sickened more than 200.

Here are the foods that Marler said scare him the most when he spots them on a restaurant menu: 

SEE ALSO: A parasitic illness linked to McDonald's salads has now sickened at least 500 people in 16 states, including 24 hospitalizations

Salads

Your healthy choice is actually one of the riskier options on the menu at chain restaurants. 

"I'd eat sushi before I ate a salad," Marler said. "I wouldn't eat it at a 7-11, but I've eaten sushi at a good sushi restaurant." 

While cooking veggies and meat can kill germs, salads bring together a lot of raw foods that have had countless opportunities for contamination. Restaurants that buy pre-chopped lettuce from suppliers put themselves at even greater risk.

"Not every lettuce leaf in the field is contaminated E. coli, but some of them are," Marler said of the risks of pre-washed, bagged lettuce. "And when you mix and match it at a processing facility and chop it up, you get what you get." 

Soft-serve ice cream

Cleanliness of ice and ice cream machines can cause huge problems when workers aren't following safety guidelines. There's a grossness factor of finding mold in soft-serve ice cream machines — but there are also real risks. 

"There have been a number of cases linked to listeria, where listeria will get into the inner workings of these ice cream machines and kill people," Marler said. 

Rare meat

Marler agrees with known-germaphobe President Trump on at least one thing: well-cooked meat is the way to go.

"Skip the medium hamburger and get it well done, and just add a little ketchup like the president," he said. 

According to the expert, meat needs to be cooked to 160 degrees throughout to kill bacteria that could cause E. coli or salmonella.

• Microsoft is offering a major holiday sale on the Xbox Game Pass, the Netflix-style subscription service that lets users play more than 100 games on Xbox One and PC.
• While Xbox Game Pass is usually $9.99 a month, or about $120 per year, Microsoft will start selling 12-month subscription codes for $69.99 on Thanksgiving Day — a discount of more than 40 percent.
• The codes will be carried by at least Best Buy and the Microsoft Store, but it's unclear if other retailers will participate, as well.
• Microsoft is constantly adding more titles to Xbox Game Pass library, including exclusives like "Forza Horizon 4,""State of Decay 2," and the forthcoming "Crackdown 3," giving subscribers access to new games for no extra cost.

While lots of shoppers are looking to make major purchases during the sales of the holiday season, one of the best video game deals of the year will cost about as much as a single game.

Starting on Thanksgiving Day, November 22nd, Microsoft will offer a one-year subscription to Xbox Game Pass for $69.99 a year — a discount of more than 40 percent from the $120 you'd pay for a year, billed at the normal monthly rate of $10. 

You'll be able to snap up the codes at Best Buy and the physical and online Microsoft Store, though it's unclear if other retailers will also participate. We first spotted a listing for this deal on Best Buy, though it was unavailable for shipping until Thursday. Microsoft confirmed to Business Insider that this deal is coming.

Xbox Game Pass is a Netflix-style service that lets subscribers download and play more than 100 different video games on their Xbox or PC. The service is normally $9.99 a month, with a full year costing just under $120.

Now for about the same price of a new game, Xbox owners can invest in a massive library of games to play for the next year. The deal is also a great way for those who pick up their first Xbox during the holiday season to catch up on classic titles without spending a ton on extra games. The Game Pass library includes backwards compatible Xbox 360, games as well as newer Xbox One titles.

Game Pass subscribers have no limitations on how many games they can download, and are eligible for discounts if they decide to purchase downloadable content for Game Pass titles. This year Microsoft began launching some of its own first party titles on Game Pass too, giving subscribers a cheap way to get access to brand new titles like "Forza Horizon 4,""Sea of Thieves," and "State of Decay 2." Microsoft has confirmed that the long-awaited "Crackdown 3" will launch on Xbox Game Pass the same day as its general release on February 15th, 2019.

Read more:Xbox announced a bunch of new stuff over the weekend — here are the 8 things to get excited about

With Microsoft rolling out more new games via Game Pass, and adding hits like "PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds" to the library shortly, the value of the Xbox Game Pass will only grow from here.

Beyond this deal, Microsoft is also letting new Game Pass subscribers pay just $1 for their first month until the end of the year — meaning it may be best to pay the $1 and wait until December to snap up one of these cards and pre-pay a whole year. 

SEE ALSO: Xbox announced a bunch of new stuff over the weekend — here are the 8 things to get excited about

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• President Donald Trump reportedly wanted to order the DOJ to prosecute former FBI director James Comey and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
• Trump only backed down when then White House counsel Don McGahn told him he didn't have the power to order investigations into his political rivals.
• The move is the latest in a series of documented efforts in which Trump has tried to use the DOJ as a weapon against his perceived enemies.

President Donald Trump wanted to order the Justice Department to prosecute two of his biggest political rivals but backed down when he was told he didn't have the authority to do that, The New York Times reported Tuesday.

Trump wanted the DOJ to investigate former FBI director James Comey and former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, according to the report. But when the president floated the idea to then White House counsel Don McGahn in the spring, McGahn is said to have told Trump he couldn't order the DOJ to conduct investigations.

McGahn reportedly added that Trump could request an investigation, but that the move would likely spark a public outcry and accusations that he was abusing his power.

After The Times' story broke, CNN reported that Trump also broached the topic of investigating Clinton and Comey with Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker.

One source told CNN that Whitaker came prepared to answer questions about what the DOJ was doing on matters related to Clinton, including the Clinton Foundation and the Uranium One deal. The person reportedly added that while Whitaker was trying to capitulate to the president, he did not appear to cross any line.

Read more: In a 'self-defeating and self-incriminating' slipup, Trump just indicated he installed Matthew Whitaker to kill the Russia probe

Trump exerts control over the DOJ as the Russia probe gains steam

Tuesday's revelation is the latest in a series of documented efforts Trump has made to exert control over the nation's top law-enforcement agency. The DOJ is meant to be independent of the White House, but Trump has previously shown that he believes it is a political tool to be wielded against his perceived enemies.

In addition to publicly pressuring the DOJ to prosecute his rivals, Trump once reportedly asked advisers why he couldn't have "my guys" at the "Trump Justice Department" do his bidding.

Trump has long harbored resentment toward both Comey and Clinton. When he ran against the former first lady in the 2016 election, Trump and his surrogates regularly led chants calling to "lock her up" in response to revelations that Clinton used a private email server to conduct government business when she was secretary of state.

He initially backed down after he won the presidency, but Trump soon resumed his calls for her prosecution when Clinton began criticizing him after the election, and as the FBI began investigating his campaign's contacts with Russia.

Comey, meanwhile, moved into Trump's crosshairs when he publicly confirmed the existence of the Russia investigation last March, shortly after Trump took office.

Read more: Trump rips into Mueller and Russia probe as the special counsel reportedly prepares to drop more indictments

Subsequent reporting and congressional testimony revealed that after Trump learned of the investigation, he repeatedly pressured Comey to publicly state he was not personally under investigation, or to drop the probe entirely. When Comey refused, Trump fired him and later publicly stated he ousted the FBI director because of the Russia investigation.

Comey's firing now makes up the basis of a separate inquiry, overseen by the special counsel Robert Mueller, into whether Trump sought to obstruct justice in the Russia probe.

When Comey began publicly criticizing Trump after his removal, the president called for prosecutors to investigate Comey for leaking classified information to The Times when he had his friend share a memo with the paper that documented some of what Comey believed were his most troubling interactions with the president. The memo did not contain any classified information.

He has also called for Comey and other current and former FBI and DOJ officials to be investigated over their handling of the Clinton email probe during the election.

SEE ALSO: In a 'self-defeating and self-incriminating' slipup, Trump just indicated he installed Matthew Whitaker to kill the Russia probe

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• The Camp Fire in California has decimated the town of Paradise and killed at least 79 people.
• Now, thousands of people are displaced and homeless. Many have sought shelter in Chico, a town just west of Paradise.
• Jackie Rabbit and Jill Justice are two of the Paradise residents whose homes were obliterated by the wildfire.
• Here's how they and other evacuees are grappling with the aftermath of California's deadliest and most destructive wildfire.

On November 8, the deadly wildfire known as the Camp Fire began racing through Northern California, growing at a speed of 80 football fields a minute.

It quickly leveled the town of Paradise, California. For residents of the 27,000-person town, their lives would never be the same.

Their homes destroyed and their lives upended, thousands of people are now homeless and displaced. Some have a roof over their heads and food to eat, but others don't. 

Jackie Rabbit's Paradise home was obliterated — she barely escaped — as were those of her friends. Yet just a week after fleeing the fire, Rabbit and others are now spending their days driving around Chico, a town just west of Paradise, distributing donated goods to others who were affected by the fire.

"We’re taken care of because we have resources, but there are so many people that don’t," Rabbit said.

Here's what life is like right now for evacuees dealing with the aftermath of the state's deadliest and most destructive wildfire.

The Camp Fire leveled the town of Paradise on November 8.

Two other California wildfires broke out in the state that week as well: the Woolsey and Hill Fires on the outskirts of LA.

Rabbit, a tattoo artist, fled by car with her dog Finnegan. Her husband and daughter escaped separately.

Rabbit quickly got stuck in traffic, since the entire town was also scrambling to escape. "I was sitting in my car just screaming waiting to die, but trying to tell myself, 'Okay, it may not look like it to me, but I bet they have this under control,'" she said.

• At least 50 people have gotten sick across the US and Canada after eating romaine lettuce contaminated with E. coli bacteria.
• No deaths have been reported, but one person developed kidney failure. 
• For now, the CDC recommends avoiding all romaine lettuce.

Salad eaters beware: Romaine lettuce, once again, may not be safe to eat, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

All romaine — including the pre-chopped variety, whole heads, and hearts — has been linked to a multistate outbreak of a nasty strain of E. coli that can cause bloody diarrhea, stomach cramps, vomiting, and kidney failure.

"Consumers who have any type of romaine lettuce in their home should not eat it and should throw it away,"the CDC said Tuesday. "At this time, no common grower, supplier, distributor, or brand of romaine lettuce has been identified."

At least 50 people across 11 US states and Canada developed E. coli infections in October, and at least 13 individuals in the US had to be rushed to the hospital. So far, one victim of the E. coli outbreak developed a type of kidney failure called hemolytic uremic syndrome, but no deaths have been reported.

Because it typically takes a few weeks for new illnesses to be reported to the CDC, the agency is telling everyone not to eat romaine this Thanksgiving out of an abundance of caution, since bad lettuce could still be out there. The CDC is urging shoppers and businesses to throw out any lettuce that was in the fridge and sanitize the areas where it was stored.    

When will it be safe to buy romaine lettuce?

Since ill people reported eating several different kinds of romaine lettuce, both at home and in restaurants, the CDC is suggesting a very cautious approach for now: throwing it all away.

In some cases, it may not be clear whether a mix of "spring greens" contains romaine either, so be careful about those, too.

Because the CDC is still investigating the E. coli outbreak, they're concerned that new cases may continue popping up — it can take 10 days for symptoms of E. coli show up. So the warning about romaine lettuce does not have an end-date yet. 

A nasty strain of E. coli

Leafy greens like romaine or spinach are the most common sources of foodborne illness infections, according to an analysis by the CDC. There are many opportunities for bacteria to spread to these products and they're usually eaten raw, which means bacteria aren't killed by cooking. Washing produce can reduce some contamination, but it doesn't kill bacteria.

Investigators have performed whole genome sequencing on the E. coli in question and found that this particular strain, E. coli O157:H7, is most similar to one that sickened 25 people who ate leafy greens (including romaine lettuce) last November and December. One Californian died during that outbreak. In May of last year, O157:H7 also turned up in soy-nut butter. Thirty-two people got sick, and nine developed kidney failure. Earlier this spring, another deadly O157:H7 strain sickened near 200 people and killed 5, but it was less genetically similar to this strain.

O157:H7 usually originates in the guts of cattle, but it can also be found in goats, sheep, deer, and elk as  well. It can travel from cattle farms to nearby fields where lettuce is grown and contaminate the greens in the soil. It can also get on the lettuce when food-handlers don't wash their hands properly after coming into contact with E. coli-harboring feces.

The O157:H7 strain is especially dangerous for people because it produces a nasty Shiga toxin that can make us really sick. This kind of Shiga-toxin-producing E. coli, or STEC, as it's sometimes called, spreads to humans when little bits of feces get inside our mouth. That's why a bit of undercooked meat, raw milk, or contaminated lettuce can make you ill.

So until the CDC issues an all-clear update, continue to avoid romaine.

Kevin Loria contributed to an earlier version of this story.

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• The trial of Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman has entered its second week.
• In testimony on Tuesday, a former senior Sinaloa cartel figure implicated more Mexican officials in corruption.
• Guzman's defense team is trying to cast him as a "scapegoat" for the cartel's true leaders.

A little over a week into the trial of accused Sinaloa cartel chief Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, testimony has already implicated two former presidents and other senior officials in corruption and bribery.

Jesus "El Rey" Zambada, the youngest brother of Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada, another Sinaloa cartel leader, took the stand for his fifth and final day of testimony on Tuesday.

On Monday, Zambada recounted numerous incidents of bloodshed attributed to his supposed boss, Guzman, at times meted out for minor reasons, like refusing to shake Guzman's hand.

Zambada, a senior Sinaloa cartel member until his arrest in 2008, made the latest accusation of high-level corruption on Tuesday during cross-examination by Guzman's defense team, who've said their client is a scapegoat for the cartel's real leader, "El Mayo."

Zambada said the cartel twice made multimillion-dollar payments to Genaro Garcia Luna, a Mexican security official.

Sometime between 2005 and 2006, Zambada and a lawyer for his brother met Garcia Luna at a restaurant in Mexico City, according to testimony recounted by Victor Sancho, the US correspondent for Mexican newspaper El Universal.

Garcia Luna was head of Mexico's Federal Investigation Agency at the time, and the $3 million payoff was to ensure he would appoint a specific official as police chief in Culiacan, the capital of Sinaloa state and the cartel's home turf.

The official in question was "in the pocket" of "El Mayo," one of Guzman's lawyers said Tuesday.

Zambada said he personally handed Garcia Luna the briefcase with the money.

At the time of the other payment, in 2007, Garcia Luna was public-security secretary in the government of President Felipe Calderon.

Garcia Luna got between $3 million and $5 million to make sure "he didn't interfere in the drug business" and that "El Mayo" was not arrested, Zambada said, according to Sancho.

Zambada also said that members of the Sinaloa cartel, including members of the Beltran Leyva Organization, which was a Sinaloa cartel ally until a split in the late 2000s, also pooled $50 million in protection money for Garcia Luna.

"That was said," Zambada said of the pooled money, according to Sancho.

Calderon, who left office in 2012, first deployed troops en masse in Mexico to fight drug-related violence. During that administration, Garcia Luna was criticized for the country's precipitous rise in drug-related violence.

Mike Vigil, former chief of international operations for the US Drug Enforcement Administration who worked with Garcia Luna in the 1990s and 2000s, cast doubt on allegations against the former Mexican official.

"I worked with Genaro Garcia Luna for many decades, and during that time period we shared very sensitive information," Vigil said Tuesday.

"He never, ever compromised it. He would give us access to all of the information that they had," added Vigil.

"During the time that I worked with him," Vigil added, "he never compromised any of our cases."

"If Jesus Christ were to be named head of the Federal Police in Mexico, within two weeks they would be accusing him of corruption," Vigil said

Garcia Luna was not the only official mention on Tuesday. Zambada said that in 2005, his brother paid a "few million dollars" to an adviser to Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who was at the time the mayor of Mexico City and will take office as Mexico's president on December 1.

The payment was made in the belief that the official would be public-security secretary if Lopez Obrador won the presidential election in 2006. (Lopez Obrador stepped down as mayor in mid-2005 to run for president, losing a disputed election to Calderon.)

Though the official in question was not immediately clear in court, Gabriel Regino, who was a security official during Lopez Obrador's mayorship, denied the allegation, saying on Twitter, "It is false that during my exercise of public service I have received some bribe from the trafficker Jesus Zambada."

Regino said his government position had "motivated" accusations against him and that he denied "categorically" Zambada's claims. He said he was ready to testify to any authority, national or foreign.

During opening statements last week, Guzman's defense said that "El Mayo" Zambada had maintained his freedom through "hundreds of millions of dollars" in bribes that went "up to the very top," including to the current and former presidents of Mexico, both of whom denied the allegation.

Guzman defense also said that "El Rey" Zambada would say he "paid off, at the request of Mayo, the now incumbent president of Mexico to the tune of $6 million or more on two separate occasions at a restaurant."

When Guzman's lawyer asked Zambada about the relationship between the official and Lopez Obrador, prosecutors objected and Judge Brian Cogan stopped that line of questioning, according to Reuters legal reporter Brendan Pierson, who added that earlier in the day Cogan had issued a "heavily redacted order" limiting what the defense could ask the prosecution's cooperating witnesses during cross-examinations.

Cogan said information gained from a broad cross-examination wouldn't outweigh "protecting individuals" who weren't part of the case and "would suffer embarrassment,"according to New York Times legal reporter Alan Feuer.

SEE ALSO: Drug cartels make billions in the US, but somebody else is doing the selling

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• Facebook’s Ads Manager is currently down, leaving some customers unable to create new advertisements or campaigns.
• It’s a major outage, stretching into its eighth hour — and comes right before Thanksgiving and Black Friday sales.
• It's already causing chaos.

Facebook's advertising platform is suffering from a major outage.

The company's Ads Manager, its tool that lets users create advertisements on its social network, has crashed, leaving would-be advertisers unable to create new ad campaigns just days before Thanksgiving and crucial Black Friday sales.

The outage is unusual in its duration; as of this writing, the system has been down for more than eight hours, one source who buys ads on the platform told Business Insider.

"It happens for little blips all the time," the source said. "Most [of] the time it's fixed super-fast, and it's a non-issue. I've seen it out for a 'day' before, but I don't recall a year this happened two days before Thanksgiving."

A Facebook spokesperson did not immediately respond to Business Insider’s request for comment. But a company representative confirmed the outage to Bloomberg, saying that people and companies can't create new ads or change their existing campaigns. Advertisements previously launched through the system are still running on Facebook, the representative said. 

Given Facebook's importance in the digital advertising market, the outage is already causing havoc as retailers try and prepare for what is traditionally one of the biggest shopping events of the year.

The outage will also likely mean there will be a huge backlog of advertisements that will require human approval — and further delays — once the system is back up and running, the source said. Facebook tends to manually review items with sensitive content or red-flag terms, such as "feminine products, art, copyrighted stuff, similar names to a big brand, underwear with models wearing it, etc.," the source said.

Facebook and Instagram (which Facebook owns) were also down for some users earlier on Tuesday.

"I’ve worked in social media for 5+ years and have dealt with the occasional outage here and there," said Ashley Audet, social strategy and operations director at MediaCrossing. "But this it by far the largest scale outage that I have experienced thus far."

Do you work at Facebook? Do you know more? Contact this reporter via Signal or WhatsApp at +1 (650) 636-6268 using a non-work phone, email at rprice@businessinsider.com, Telegram or WeChat at robaeprice, or Twitter DM at @robaeprice. (PR pitches by email only, please.) You can also contact Business Insider securely via SecureDrop.

SEE ALSO: Facebook investors are starting to wonder if COO Sheryl Sandberg will leave the company

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• Miami Beach's man-made Fisher Island is the most expensive zip code in Florida.
• It's a retreat for the ultra wealthy; less than 20% of the island's residents permanently reside there. 
• Residents must pay membership dues, which includes an initial contribution of $250,000 and an annual fee of $22,256.

Fisher Island, Florida, is as exclusive as it gets.

The 216-acre, man-made island sitting pretty off the coast of Miami Beach is reachable only by boat — most often yacht. It's considered America's most millionaire-dense zip code and the most expensive zip code in Florida, but less than 20% of the island's residents permanently reside there.

With its mix of condos, private homes, and hotel rooms, the lush island exists as a retreat for the ultra wealthy, who spend their days golfing, playing tennis, lounging on the beach, boating, and simply relaxing.

According to 2015 IRS data analyzed by Bloomberg, Fisher Island residents have an average annual salary of $668,900.

The illustrious Vanderbilt family were the original stewards of Fisher Island, and their penchant for opulence remains.

Below, find out how Fisher Island became America's most affluent enclave.

DON'T MISS: The 25 most expensive zip codes in America

SEE ALSO: What it's like living in the most expensive zip code in New York, where the average home price is $5.5 million

Though Fisher Island is billed as a world-class travel destination, about 650 families live in private residences on the island. More than 80% of them are seasonal residents. The median home value on Fisher Island is about $3 million as of November, according to Zillow.

Source: Zillow, Fisher Island Club

Fisher Island maintains more than 100 boat slips for yacht-owning residents. Yacht and 24/7 public ferry are the only way to access the island.

Source: Fisher Island Club

Fisher Island has been rumored to draw celebrities in search of privacy. Oprah Winfrey owned a condo on Fisher Island for several years, but listed the property for just over $2 million in 2008. Other past residents reportedly include tennis legend Boris Becker and actor Mel Brooks.

Source:Variety, Forbes