• Luxury senior living communities are rising in popularity around the United States.
• These communities charge retirees entrance fees of up to $1 million, plus monthly fees in the thousands, and offer a variety of lifestyle options, from independent living to nursing care.
• The hallmarks of these luxury communities are their hotel-like amenities and concierge-level services.

Retirement is looking a little more glamorous these days.

According to a recent New York Times story, senior living communities with an emphasis on luxury are rising in popularity around the United States.

"These upscale communities offer a continuum of care from independent living to failing health, allowing people to age in one place for a relatively fixed price, but with amenities common in exclusive hotels and high-end cruise ships," writes the Times' Scott James.

But these aren't retirement communities for the average American. Known as Continuing Care Retirement Communities, about 2,000 around the US house some 700,000 people, James wrote. According to AARP, they're "the most expensive of all long-term care options"— entrance fees can range from $100,000 to $1 million and monthly charges can run in the thousands.

These communities typically offer a tiered care system, which ranges from independent, single-family homes up to full-time nursing care facilities, according to AARP. The entrance fees are often refunded to the resident's estate upon death.

Read more: It's about to get easier for millions of California workers to save for retirement

At Fountaingrove Lodge, an LGBT retirement community in Sonoma, California, the largest units — two-bedroom bungalows — command an entrance fee of $1 million, plus monthly installments of more than $6,000.

Included in the cost is continental breakfast as well as 21 flexible meals, plus weekly housekeeping and wellness and fitness programs, according to the website. In addition, residents get access to a fitness center, wine cellar, art studio, swimming pool, salon, movie theater, and even a restaurant helmed by a classically trained chef who's worked with Wolfgang Puck. James reports that Fountaingrove Lodge has 100 residents and a 70-person wait list.

Business Insider's Katie Warren previously reported a similar preference for hotel-like living taking hold among wealthy Americans: "More and more people are staying in luxury extended-stay hotels for months at a time, choosing the convenience and amenities over apartments and Airbnbs."

Upscale "apartment hotels" offer wealthy families and individuals the comfort and coziness of a private home, without the commitment of a lease or the hassle of a hotel check-in process. Concierge-like services are a huge draw, even if they come with a steep price tag.

Private real-estate firm Related Companies is looking to bring luxury senior living to the masses. The company recently announced a $3 billion joint venture with Atria Senior Living to build and operate "modern, urban communities catering to seniors" with an emphasis on luxury in New York City, San Francisco, Boston, Los Angeles, Miami, Washington, DC, the Times reported.

Read more: 22 American cities where $1 million goes the furthest during retirement

Brad Breeding, a retirement blogger from North Carolina, told the Times most of the Continuing Care Retirement Communities are offering more than just extended medical care for aging Americans. Many are pouring their life savings into these communities, looking for a full-spectrum, all-inclusive lifestyle.

"You're selling somebody's complete lifestyle in a retirement housing plan, and they're putting a lot of money into this," Breeding said.

In Dallas, construction is underway on a $140 million luxury complex with 186 apartments, fine dining options, and high-end amenities and services, the Times reported. The community, called Ventana, is set to open next year, charging entrance fees from $400,000 to $1.8 million and monthly fees up to nearly $11,000. Already, 81% of the units are claimed.

The executive director, Rick Pruett, told the Times that their goal is to "completely treat everyone like a VIP ... like you'd see at some of the finer operating hotel chains and resort centers."

Read the full New York Times story here »

SEE ALSO: Forget Portland and Seattle — people priced out of expensive California cities are buying homes in Idaho for 'Monopoly money'

DON'T MISS: 5 people explain how their life unexpectedly changed after retiring early

Join the conversation about this story »

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• Semiconductors have been a beacon of stock-market outperformance for months, even years.
• But recent headwinds have started to pile up, putting unprecedented pressure on the sector. And many of the issues facing chipmakers can be tied into problems facing the broader market.

As the stock market melts down, a great deal of attention is being paid to the obvious culprits: banks, oil, and President Donald Trump's continued insistence upon ratching up trade tensions.

But in a less publicized corner of the equity market, selling pressure has raged, driven by an unfortunate confluence of factors. We're referring to the previously dominant semiconductor sector, which can't seem to sidestep a seemingly endless barrage of negative headlines.

The most glaring example on Thursday was the controversial arrest of Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou. The news rippled through global equities as traders braced for more trade-war tensions. And since Huawei is among the world's biggest producers of smartphones, the chipmaker supply chain took a beating.

In terms of specific semiconductor companies, $23 billion Lam Research added to industry-wide pressure on Thursday after its CEO announced he was resigning. Martin Anstice agreed to step down amid an inquity into alleged workplace misconduct.

But no discussion of semiconductors is complete without the golden goose itself: Apple. Chipmakers frequently find the fates of their stock prices tied to the latest developments at Apple. And as reports started to trickle in that demand for the new iPhone XR was far weaker than expected, chipmakers absorbed heavy losses.

As a result of all that, the wreckage in chipmakers has piled up quickly — and it's been quite severe. The bellwether Philadelphia Semiconductor Index has plunged roughly 18% since reaching a record high in March. For evidence of the sector's dominance prior to that decline, look no further than its 118% return since the start of 2016, through March 12.

On a single-stock basis, beloved companies like Nvidia and AMD have been unable to escape the carnage. Both stocks were up more than 45% on a year-to-date basis through the start of October, with Nvidia surging more than 200% over the period. They've both since dropped to multiyear lows.

The struggles facing semiconductors are symptomatic of a broad risk aversion that's seeping into global markets. To that end, experts on Wall Street are now recommending cash as a viable asset allocation for the first time in years.

And while some strategists have an idea what could save the day in 2019, others are decidedly more pessimistic, with Bank of America Merrill Lynch saying the "big low" hasn't yet occurred.

In the end, there's no denying it's a tough environment out there right now — one that seems to have turned its back on formerly beloved semiconductors. Which begs the question of which previously embraced industry will be next.

Now read:

As the market hurtles toward disaster in 2019, one expert reveals the 'deus ex machina' that could save the day — and breaks down how it could happen

Wall Street's biggest firms are suddenly embracing an asset class that has languished since the financial crisis — and it's a competitive threat to stocks

Investors are staring at the bleakest future since the Great Depression — here's why one market bear thinks a crash could wipe 60% from stocks

SEE ALSO: An investment director at a $150 billion firm warns that US companies are engaging in a risky, unsustainable practice — and explains why traders should be looking overseas

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NOW WATCH: Beautiful time-lapse videos show how much China has changed over the years

• In North Carolina's 9th district, month-long voter fraud accusations have forced the state's GOP to agree to a public hearing and, potentially, a new election. 
• Though Republican Mark Harris declared victory in November, the state's election board is declining to certify the result as it investigates mail-in ballots from two rural counties that have been called into question.
• House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi got involved Thursday, saying Congress can refuse to seat Harris

The congressional race in North Carolina's 9th district might head to a new election following reports of voter fraud that could have given Republican candidate Mark Harris the lead over Democrat Dan McCready during the midterm elections. 

Harris' victory has not been certified by the North Carolina's Board of Elections and Ethics Enforcement due to what the board's vice chair, Joshua Malcome, called "unfortunate activities" in the eastern part of the district. These, he said, include "claims of numerous irregularities and concerted fraudulent activities related to absentee mail ballots."

Read more: Democratic lawmaker cites 'real election fraud' in North Carolina House race and demands hearing

Though Republicans at first called foul, the party has now relented. In a statement to INSIDER, Dallas Woodhouse, executive director of North Carolina's Republican Party, said the state's GOP believes the Board of Elections should hold a public hearing and "fully lay out the facts" regarding the fraud accusations.  

"If they can show with certainty that the outcome could NOT have been changed, they need to certify Dr. Harris and continue to support all state and federal criminal investigations," he said. "If they can show a substantial likelihood it could have changed the race, then we fully would support a new election. If they hold a public hearing and simply can’t determine one way or the other then, we would not oppose a short delay on the question of certification until they have more answers."

Just last week, Woodhouse accused the state's bipartisan election board of  abusing "their discretion" after declining to certify Harris' win. However, proof of potential fraudulent operations might have softened his stance.

On Monday, the Observer reported that Leslie McCrae Dowless, an "independent contractor" for Harris' campaign, was accused of committing absentee ballot fraud by directing his workers to directly collect mail-in ballots, which is against the law. Dowless, court records show, is a convicted fellon who has faced jail time for fraud and perjury. He denied any wrongdoing in this election cycle.

However, at least two people have come forward saying Dowless paid them to pick up absentee ballots. Speaking to local news station WSOC, Cheryl Kinlaw, a woman who said she was paid $100 to pick up the ballots, said she didn't think this was illegal because Dowless "has been doing it for years." 

"I feel bad now that I know that it wasn't legal, but I didn't know at the time," she said.

An analysis by the Observer found that across the 9th district, 24% of the requested mail-in ballots were unreturned, the majority of them associated with minority voters. More than 40% of the ballots requested by African-American voters and more than 60% requested by Native American voters were not sent back to election officials. For white voters, the Observer found, that number was 17%. 

On Thursday, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said Congress can refuse to seat Harris.

"Any member-elect can object to the seating and swearing-in of another member-elect. We'll see how that goes," she said. 

The 9th district's alleged fraud scandal comes as the state's Republican legislature passed a voter ID law during a lame duck session on Thursday. The law would prevent in-person fraud and is similar to a law passed in 2013 that was struck down by courts for its intent to discriminate against minority voters. 

SEE ALSO: A hotly contested congressional race in North Carolina remains in limbo amid an investigation over possible election fraud–here's what we know so far

Join the conversation about this story »

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• Some hallmarks of borderline personality disorder (BPD) involve wide mood swings, varying self-image, and resulting behavioral problems that especially affect relationships.
• According to the National Institutes of Mental Health, scientists aren't sure what causes BPD, but a combination of family history, brain factors, and environmental factors may all play a role.
• BPD can only be diagnosed by a professional, and ongoing psychotherapy is currently regarded as the most effective approach to BPD management and improved quality of life.
• Family and friends of someone suffering from BPD are an important support system. In this case,  knowledge is very much power to deal with this difficult and often frustrating condition.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness describes borderline personality disorder as "a condition characterized by difficulties regulating emotion."

That may sound incredibly simple, but ask anyone who either has BPD or knows someone who has BPD and you'll find that it's anything but "simple."

With BPD and other mental health issues, it's important to seek qualified professional help and guidance if at all possible — although unfortunately, sometimes available resources don't permit this.

If you notice that someone you care about is struggling, it is on all of us to offer our support and understanding to break down the social stigmas that seem to swirl around even discussing this stuff.

Here's the current best estimate of the number of BPD sufferers in the US

Approximately 1.6% of adults in the US may have BPD, although NAMI says it's possible the actual number may be as high as 5.9%.

Additionally, NAMI says that 75% of sufferers of BPD are women, but as Mayo Clinic psychiatry professor Dr. Brian Palmer pointed out, that number comes from clinical samples. He stated in this presentation that, in community samples, the gender breakdown tends to be more evenly split.

Misdiagnoses are common with BPD, but there are some symptoms that can be indicative of this disorder.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), people with BPD may experience mood swings, fluctuating interests and values, and a tendency to see things in extremes — either entirely good or all bad.  They might also experience shifting feelings which can lead to unstable relationships.

The NIMH also lists the following signs and symptoms as indicators of BPD: 

• Efforts to avoid real or imagined abandonment, such as rapidly initiating intimate (physical or emotional) relationships or cutting off communication with someone in anticipation of being abandoned
• A pattern of intense and unstable relationships with family, friends, and loved ones, often swinging from extreme closeness and love (idealization) to extreme dislike or anger (devaluation)
• Distorted and unstable self-image or sense of self
• Impulsive and often dangerous behaviors, such as spending sprees, unsafe sex, substance abuse, reckless driving, and binge eating. Please note: If these behaviors occur primarily during a period of elevated mood or energy, they may be signs of a mood disorder—not borderline personality disorder
• Self-harming behavior, such as cutting
• Recurring thoughts of suicidal behaviors or threats
• Intense and highly changeable moods, with each episode lasting from a few hours to a few days
• Chronic feelings of emptiness
• Inappropriate, intense anger or problems controlling anger
• Difficulty trusting, which is sometimes accompanied by irrational fear of other people’s intentions
• Feelings of dissociation, such as feeling cut off from oneself, seeing oneself from outside one’s body, or feelings of unreality

Note that you or a loved one need not show every symptom on this list and that only a professional can give you an accurate diagnosis.

A person can battle BPD while also battling additional conditions that require treatments of their own.

According to NAMI, a person with BPD may also simultaneously be dealing with a range of other conditions, from bipolar disorder to depression to eating disorders to substance abuse.

Because it can be so complicated and tricky to manage, it's extremely important to try to get professional help if you or someone you care about is trying to carry this exhausting mental health burden alone.

Psychotherapy is currently the most effective treatment for BPD.

In fact, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy— also known as DBT — was specifically developed to help patients diagnosed with BPD to learn effective coping mechanisms and improve their quality of life.

Patients undergoing DBT typically see their therapist for a normal one-on-one session, and then also participate in a group session during the week. The two sessions work together to teach and reinforce effective coping skills for individuals who are battling BPD.

In this video, licensed therapist Kati Morton offers a brief outline of the four pillars of DBT: mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness.

It's important to note that self-harm and attempted suicide rates are higher among BPD sufferers than in the general population.

Dr. John M. Oldham, an expert in personality disorders and professor of psychiatry in the Menninger department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Baylor College of Medicine wrote in the American Journal of Psychiatry that an estimated 60 to 70% of individuals diagnosed with BPD make suicide attempts.

According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, no complete record of suicide attempts among the general population in the US is currently kept. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention does, HOWEVER, collect data from hospitals on non-fatal injuries that resulted from self-harm. Specific information varies by demographic, but collective rates of attempts were under 20% as of 2016, which was the most recent data available.

It's tough for family and friends of someone struggling with BPD, too — here's how you can help your loved one and yourself.

Understanding and supporting someone going through something as volatile and difficult as BPD isn't always easy — but it can be done.

NAMI has some helpful tips for anyone who is supporting someone with BPD. Since this adds additional stress to your life, you may also want to consider seeking therapy for yourself if you aren't already regularly seeing a therapist.

If you are struggling with mental illness and need help finding treatment, visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or call their free 24/7 helpline at 1-800-662-HELP.

Visit INSIDER's homepage for more.

Join the conversation about this story »

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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.

It's an exciting time to be in retail — as a brand, as a consumer, and for us as product writers. The Insider Picks team tested countless new products, learned the stories of many new startups, and followed the growth of dozens of our now-favorite companies. 

A select few retail companies really impressed us in 2018, and for a variety of reasons — from superior product launches to admirable social initiatives with quantifiable impact.

They're a standout representation of what it takes to succeed in retail today: the puzzle pieces of mission, product, branding, customer service, and other key business components fitting together to create a cohesive solution to the needs and wants of consumers. 

Learn more about the all-stars of 2018 retail below. 

Everlane

Shop Everlane here

Everlane has much to celebrate this year, including the opening of its first brick-and-mortar stores, which were welcomed with open arms in San Francisco and New York; stellar product drops like basic but comfortable underwear, the soft leather flats we can't stop talking about, and an outerwear collection made from recycled plastic water bottles; and another successful anti-Black Friday initiative that sent $260,000 to help fund beach cleanups across the country.

The brand impressed us throughout the year for its continued commitment to ethical, transparent manufacturing practices and almost-eerie grasp of the styles customers crave — and how to fill the gaps with its own minimalist, carefully curated take. 

Dagne Dover

Shop Dagne Dover here

It's not just you — we've been seeing a lot more Dagne Dover bags in the streets of urban jungles, too. This might be because of its increased but carefully managed offline presence in select Nordstrom stores, Equinox boutiques, and BANDIER shops, or confident push into styles and textures you wouldn't expect from a women's work bag company.

Whether it's a work tote, gym and travel bag, or laptop bag, the women of Insider Picks have agreed that Dagne Dover hits it out of the park every single time with a consistent track record that's not always easy for experimental startups to achieve. 

Patagonia

Shop Patagonia here

More so it seems than other clothing industries, outdoor brands share a special connection with the environments they design for. With the push into recycled materials like down and cashmere, and the no-hesitation decision to send its $10 million 2018 tax cut to grassroots environmental activist groups, Patagonia ramped up its efforts to protect the outdoors. 

The ubiquity of its vests and sweaters might inspire joke Instagram accounts, but at least they're the products of a highly-rated B Corp with a conscience. In February, it launched Patagonia Action Works to connect individuals to events, petitions, and organizations they might be interested in, and on Election Day, stores across the country closed as a reminder for citizens to vote.

• It's not uncommon for food trends to be all the hype one year and die out the next. 
• "Bowl food" and glitter-covered food are two trends that likely will disappear in 2019. 
• Many people say gold-covered food is a waste of money. 

As inyears past, a lot of the food trends of the year were based on creating perfectly photogenic dishes. An aesthetically pleasing dish, however, doesn't mean it will stand the test of time. In fact, it's not uncommon for food trends to be all the hype one year and die out the next. 

From broccoli coffee to "bowl food," here are 10 food trends that you likely won't see in 2019. 

Tide Pod-themed foods probably aren't a good idea.

The"Tide Pod challenge" hit the internet at the beginning of 2018 and had teens posting videos of themselves eating pods of toxic laundry detergent. While the detergent company (and pretty much everyone else)condemned the viral trend, restaurants decided to create Tide Pod-themed foods such asTide Pod donuts,Tide Pod pizza, andTide Pod shots.

Just as the "Tide Pod challenge" thankfully ended, this trend likely will, too. 

Glitter might not even be safe to eat.

In the spirit of unicorn and mermaid food trends of years past, a glitter food trend was the next logical step.

This year,bagels,pizza,coffee, and evenproseccogot a shimmery makeover. Unfortunately, that trend also led people toput glitter into their own food, which could actually be quite hazardous, since craft glitter is made with plastics that shouldn't be consumed. Even if the glitter is "nontoxic"that doesn't make it safe to eat.

Pickle-flavored food will most likely die out soon.

Take them or leave them, dill pickle potato chips have been around for a while.

But this year, a number of other pickle-flavored foods hit the market, including soda, popsicles, candy, and popcorn.

Pickles are tasty and all, but do they need to be in everything? Can't we just enjoy pickles on their own instead of on pizza?

• Meghan Markle is pregnant and due in spring 2019.
• People are analyzing the size of her baby bump, even speculating that she might be having twins.
• Pregnancy is not an invitation to scrutinize or comment on women's bodies.

Even before Meghan Markle announced her pregnancy, fans and interviewers alike were asking intrusive questions about when she and Prince Harry were going to have kids. Now that she's pregnant, people can't stop talking about the size of her baby bump.

It seems that the Duchess of Sussex's baby bump has "officially popped" and grown larger, igniting speculation that she might be having twins, or that her due date is earlier than expected. 

It's one thing to pay attention to Markle's style — the outfits she chooses sell out instantly and even create new jobs at small companies due to increased demand. But it's another to scrutinize her body or "bump shame" her for getting bigger.

She's pregnant. Pregnant people's bumps often increase in size. This should be news to no one.

Pregnancy is not an invitation to scrutinize or comment on women's bodies, even if they're in the public eye.

Author and feminist Chimamanda Nogozi Adichie kept her pregnancy to herself to avoid such unsolicited attention, only revealing that she was breastfeeding in a 2016 interview with The Financial Times.

"I have some friends who probably don't know I was pregnant or that I had a baby," she said. "I just feel like we live in an age when women are supposed to perform pregnancy. We don't expect fathers to perform fatherhood."

As public figures, members of royal family are expected to perform pregnancy and motherhood. Why else would Kate Middleton greet photographers outside the hospital mere hours after all of her children were born with blown-out hair and heels?

Just because pregnancy is visible doesn't mean it's fair game.

Every body experiences carrying a baby (or babies) differently, so there's no way to deduce anything about someone's pregnancy just by looking at them. Some baby bumps remain small throughout the process, and some are the size of watermelons by the first trimester. Some people have retroverted uteri, causing their pregnancies to grow backwards and barely show at all.

Markle probably won't have to deal with strangers in the supermarket touching her bump without permission given her royal security detail. Still, "bump shaming" her by fixating on her body during pregnancy needs to stop.

Visit INSIDER's homepage for more.

• Read more:
• Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's cutest moments of the year
• George Clooney's cousin says he'd make a 'wonderful godfather' to Harry and Meghan's royal baby, and insiders say he's 'a shoe-in'
• Meghan Markle's best outfits during her pregnancy so far
• Amy Schumer said it's 'not fun' being pregnant at the same time as Meghan Markle, who is 'walking around in heels' while Schumer is 'barely wearing underwear'

Join the conversation about this story »

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The attack on Pearl Harbor, which catapulted the US into World War II, happened 77 years ago on Friday. 

The Japanese attack on the US naval base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii killed more than 2,400 American sailors and civilians and wounded 1,000 more. 

Japanese fighter planes also destroyed or damaged almost 20 naval ships during the attack. 

But the US sailors and civilians didn't standby without putting up a fight. 

Here are 7 Pearl Harbor heroes you’ve never heard about. 

SEE ALSO: Intense photos show the USS Enterprise, the decorated WWII aircraft carrier that the Japanese just couldn't sink

SEE ALSO: 9 photos of the USS Wolverine, a strange WWII aircraft carrier that was originally a luxury paddlewheel steamer

1. Phil Rasmussen, who raced into his plane to attack Japanese Zero fighters.

Lt. Phil Rasmussen was one of four American pilots able to get in the air and engage Japanese fighters during the attack on Pearl Harbor. 

When the attack was launched, Rasmussen was still in his pajamas when he ran out to the flight line and jumped in an then-old Curtiss P-36A Hawk fighter plane — the only US planes the Japanese hadn't yet taken out. 

Once in the air, Rasmussen shot down one Japanese Mitsubishi A6M2 Zero fighter planes, and damaged another before he was targeted by two more.

The two Japanese fighters shot up his plane, and took out his radio, hydraulic lines and rudder cables, but he was able to fly away and hide in the clouds before landing without brakes, a rudder or tailwheel. 

Rasmussen received the Silver Star for his actions, and retired from the Air Force in 1965. 

Sources: US Air Force, We Are The Mighty

2. Doris Miller, who fired a machine gun at attacking fighters.

Cook Third Class Doris Miller was stationed on the USS West Virginia battleship when the Japanese attacked. 

Awake at 6 a.m., Miller was collecting laundry when the attack was launched. He went to his battle station, which was an anti-aircraft battery magazine in the middle of the ship, only to find it had been taken out by a torpedo. 

Miller then went to the deck, where he was assigned to carry away wounded sailors before he was ordered to the bridge to help the mortally wounded Mervyn Sharp Bennion (who later received the Medal of Honor). 

After helping deliver ammunition to two .50 caliber Browning anti-aircraft machine gun crews, and without any weapons training, he manned one of the guns himself and fired until the ammunition was spent. 

"It wasn't hard," Miller later said.

"I just pulled the trigger and she worked fine. I had watched the others with these guns. I guess I fired her for about fifteen minutes. I think I got one of those Jap planes. They were diving pretty close to us."

He received the Navy Cross for his actions, the first ever given to an African American. 

Miller was killed in 1943 while serving on the escort carrier USS Liscome Bay, which was sunk by a Japanese torpedo.

Source: US Navy

3. Annie G. Fox, who worked ceaselessly to care for the wounded.

First Lieutenant Annie G. Fox was the head nurse at the hospital at Hickham field, which was Hawaii's main army airfield and bomber base, when the attack on Pearl Harbor was launched.

Fox "administered anesthesia to patients during the heaviest part of the bombardment, assisted in dressing the wounded, taught civilian volunteer nurses to make dressings, and worked ceaselessly with coolness and efficiency, and her fine example of calmness, courage and leadership was of great benefit to the morale of all with whom she came in contact,"according to her Purple Heart medal citation. 

Fox was the first US service woman to receive the Purple Heart, which she received for her actions during the attack. 

At the time, the US military awarded Purple Hearts for "singularly meritorious act of extraordinary fidelity or essential service." When the requirement of being wounded was added, her Purple Heart was replaced with the Bronze Star, since she had not been wounded. 

Fox was promoted to the rank of major before retiring from the service in 1945. 

• Carrie Underwood and husband Mike Fisher have been together for a long time now, but some fans may not be aware of how they met and fell in love in the first place.
• From their first meeting to living in different countries, their son, and their new baby on the way, a lot has happened for Underwood & Fisher over the last decade or so.
• Here's a look at how their lives have changed.

Carrie Underwood and Mike Fisher have been country music royalty for a while. Whether you're a hockey fan or not, chances are good that you know that Mike Fisher is married to one of country music's biggest superstars (and one of "American Idol's" biggest success stories).

The couple has a son and another baby on the way. But even some big fans may not know all of the ins and outs of their relationship timeline. Here's what you need to know.

2008: They were set up.

Carrie Underwood and Mike Fisher met after being set up. According to Refinery29, Underwood's bassist, Mark Childers, tried to set the two up on a blind date, but that Underwood wasn't so sure initially since he lived so far away. Instead, Fisher and Underwood met backstage after one of her shows.

She then texted Childers, "hot, hot, hot," according to Refinery29. 

After that, the two had dinner together, according to E! Online, and Fisher determined that things were "kinda going OK" when Underwood helped herself to some of his dessert.

2008: It was three months between the first time they saw each other and the next time they saw each other.

After they first met, it took three months before they saw one another again because Underwood was living in Tennessee and Fisher was playing hockey for the Ottawa Senators, meaning she was living in the United States and he was living in Canada.

"I mean, can I make dating more difficult?"Underwood later said on VH1's "Behind the Music.""Let's get a hockey guy who lives in another country, awesome."

According to Taste of Country, Underwood and Fisher's first truly official date was on New Year's Eve in 2008.

2008-2009: Their first kiss was on New Year's Eve.

That night, the couple also shared their first kiss as the ball dropped, ringing in 2009. Underwood shared the details of the kiss with Glamour, as Taste of Country noted. "We talked on the phone for almost three months before we actually got together," Taste of Country reported she told Glamour. "That was good for us. Then our first real date was on New Year's Eve, and our first kiss was when the ball dropped."

"We were in front of people, and he's not a big PDA guy," Underwood reportedly continued. "I figured, I'll go in for it because he can't leave me hanging, right? So I made him kiss me in public."

• A housekeeper who says she has worked illegally for President Donald Trump for years told The New York Times that she's tired of Trump's "insults" toward immigrants.
• Victorina Morales said she's not the only unauthorized immigrant employed at one of the president's properties, adding that she knows coming forward could mean she loses her job or gets deported.
• Morales said she suspects Trump knows about her immigration status, and asked, "Why wouldn't he figure it out?"

A woman who has worked for President Donald Trump for years as a housekeeper at his New Jersey golf resort told The New York Times that she's not the only unauthorized immigrant who works for the president, and that she feels hurt by his rhetoric on immigration.

"We are tired of the abuse, the insults, the way he talks about us when he knows that we are here helping him make money," Victorina Morales told The Times. "We sweat it out to attend to his every need and have to put up with his humiliation."

Morales reportedly immigrated to the US illegally from Guatemala in 1999 and in 2013 began working at the Trump National Golf Club, where she is still on the payroll. Morales said her job is to tidy Trump's residence, making his bed and cleaning his toilet when he stays at the resort.

She told The Times she expects she'll lose her job for going public with her story, and she knows being deported is a possibility. But she added that she suspects Trump is aware of her immigration status.

"I ask myself, is it possible that this señor thinks we have papers? He knows we don't speak English," Morales said. "Why wouldn't he figure it out?"

Read more:Step inside Trump's private golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, where the president spent his summer vacation

Morales also recalled one incident where she told him she was from Guatemala. She said he complimented Guatemalans as "hard-working people," tipped her $50, and helped her wipe a glass window she was too short to reach.

"I told myself, 'God bless him.' I thought, he's a good person," Morales said.

She also said managers at the golf resort tried to implement new "immigration compliance" rules after Trump launched his presidential campaign in 2015, but that she was just told to obtain new forged documents.

Read more: 81 migrant children have been forcibly separated from their parents since June, despite Trump's executive order

The White House declined to comment to Business Insider on Morales' interview, but the Trump Organization told The Times in a statement that the company uses "very strict hiring practices."

"If an employee submitted false documentation in an attempt to circumvent the law, they will be terminated immediately," said Amanda Miller, the Trump Organization's senior vice president for marketing and corporate communications.

Trump has previously come under fire for employing unauthorized immigrants, despite denying the allegations and frequently raging against illegal immigration.

According to legal documents and former employees, Trump used to employ unauthorized immigrants at Trump Tower in New York City and at his modeling agency.

• Read more of INSIDER's immigration coverage:
• This stunning visualization of US immigration over 226 years will make you rethink how America's population has evolved
• Denmark wants to isolate its 'unwanted' migrants on a remote island that once housed contagious animals
• Conditions are so dire at the US-Mexico border that migrants are getting sick and contracting lice and chicken pox
• Nancy Pelosi says funding for Trump's 'immoral, ineffective, expensive' border wall is off the table

Join the conversation about this story »

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

• INSIDER spoke to an expert to see whether or not you should pee after sex.
• If you have a vagina, urinating after sex can reduce your risk of getting a urinary tract infection.
• You don't have to pee immediately after you're done having sex.
• If you get recurrent UTIs and are in an established relationship you should make sure you and your partner aren't passing the infection back and forth.  

If you have a vagina you've probably heard many times that you should always pee after sex. But given that running to the bathroom isn't necessarily what you want to do after a hookup, you've probably wondered why you should even bother.

We spoke to a Dr. Frederick Naftolin, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology and co-director of interdisciplinary grogram in menopause medicine at New York University to get to the bottom of what happens if you don't pee after sex.

People with a vagina should urinate after sex to reduce the risk of getting an infection.

People with a vagina have a higher risk of getting an infection because of its proximity to the urethra and the anus. In this case, the urethra is shorter compared to that of someone with a penis, making it a lot easier for bacteria to get from the anus to the urethra and then to the bladder.

According to Dr. Naftolin, sex increases the likelihood of this happening because "when people have intercourse or even foreplay, the rubbing around the urethra inflamed it and it begins to secrete lubricants and fluids as a response-and those fluids then are good conduits for the bacteria to get up there."

Because of the ease with which people with a vagina can get infections, it's especially important that they pee after sex so any bacteria can get flushed out before it can get into the bladder.

Not peeing after sex can lead to a UTI.

The most commonly known infection that can be avoided by peeing after sex is a Urinary Tract Infection (UTI).

UTIs are caused when E.-coli are moved from the rectum to the bladder via the urethra. The urine in the bladder is sterile so the "bladder doesn't have very much defenses against [bacteria]," explained Dr. Naftolin.

As a result, you may experience frequent and painful urination. The best way to try to avoid this discomfort is to flush everything out post-sex before it can reach the bladder and wreak havoc.

It's a good idea to urinate after sex that isn't between a penis and vagina too.

Because of the anatomy of a person with a vagina, in other words, their short urethra, it's important for them to pee after sex even when they haven't had penis in vagina sex.

"The same rules apply if two women are having either vaginal sex or oral sex, then those areas are exposed in the same way," said Dr.Naftolin.  

People who have a penis are also not completely immune from infection.

As Dr. Naftolin explained to INSIDER, it is possible for those people to get a prostate infection that feels similar to a UTI through penis to rectum sex, during which the penis is in constant close contact with the anus. In this case, he would advise to evacuate the rectum before sex and wear a condom during to avoid infection.

• We sampled seven brands of maple syrup to find out which one tastes the best.
• The brands we tried were Aunt Jemima, Mrs. Butterworth's, Hungry Jack, Log Cabin, Super A, 365 Everyday Value, and Trader Joe's.
• 365 Everyday Value, and Trader Joe's were the only two syrups that were actually maple syrup.
• Hungry Jack won in the non-maple syrup category and 376 Everyday Value won in the maple syrup category.

No pancake or waffle breakfast is complete without a hearty helping of maple syrup drizzled on top.

While we've already provided you with a guide to the best boxed pancake mix, we're now helping you pick the tastiest syrup as part of an ongoing INSIDER taste test series.

The brands we sampled were:

• Aunt Jemima — $5.99
• Mrs. Butterworth's — $4.99
• Log Cabin — $3.49
• Hungry Jack — $5.29
• Super A — $2.69
• Trader Joe's — $4.99
• 365 Everyday Value — $7.99

We bought all seven syrups at grocery stores in New York City, spending anywhere from $2.69 to $7.99 per bottle.

Trader Joe's and 365 Everyday Value were the only syrups we tried that were actually maple syrup. The five others are labeled simply as syrup, something that we kept in mind during our tasting.

To avoid sipping syrup straight from the bottle, we decided to sample the syrups with Eggo waffles — the ideal combo.

Aunt Jemima's consistency fell squarely into the middle — it was neither overly thin nor thick.

Mrs. Butterworth's had a similar taste and consistency, although it was more buttery — hence the syrup's name — and a tad less sweet.

Both Aunt Jemima and Mrs. Butterworth's instantly transported us back to our childhood. The taste reminded us of diner meals and homemade Sunday breakfasts.

If you're looking for a more authentic taste — and are willing to spend a little more — go for 365 Everyday Value's maple syrup.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: The legendary economist who predicted the housing crisis says the US will win the trade war

• The Boeing 717 is a slightly offbeat aircraft that went out of production in 2006.
• Boeing chalked it up as a failure, a result of absorbing some McDonnell Douglas planes when it acquired the planemaker in the mid-1990s.
• But the 100-seat 717-200 is now in serious demand as carriers move away from regional jets.
• I recently flew on a Delta Air Lines Boeing 717 from Newark to Detroit.

I've flown on many big aircraft and plenty of small ones. I've flown on Boeings, Airbuses, and Embraers, Bombardiers and a host of more obscure names.

But until recently I'd never set foot on a Boeing 717, a smaller aircraft that Boeing inherited when it bought McDonnell Douglas in 1995 for $13 billion.

I tend to like really small jets, tolerate regional aircraft, richly enjoy big planes — and dislike the narrow-bodies that do most of the grunt work of hauling passengers around the US on domestic routes these days.

The 717-200, in Delta livery, that I boarded last month for a flight to Detroit from Newark, New Jersey, was a mystery. I wasn't sure what I was strapping into. I had forgotten to quiz Business Insider resident aviation authority, Senior Reporter Ben Zhang, before my flight. 

But I figured out quickly what I was dealing with — and then settled back to enjoy the ride. Which was unexpectedly thrilling.

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The Boeing 717-200 is actually a rebranded McDonnell Douglas MD-95. Boeing acquired McDonnell in 1995 for $13 billion.

Sadly, as Business Insider's Ben Zhang reported, "On May 23, 2006, Boeing delivered the last two 717-200 jetliners to customers at its Long Beach, California, factory."

"It marked the end of a program filled with promise but that had ultimately failed to capture the interest of airlines. Even Boeing's well-oiled sales operation could only manage to muster up 156 orders for the little 100-seat, short-haul-airliner."

Despite being an apparent business failure with just 156 examples ever made, the 717 is now in high demand as a short-hauler, a 100-seater that can replace regional jets.

"What is this plane?" I asked myself.

• Comcast CFO Michael Cavanaugh gave an initial indication of how Comcast's offerings might inform decisions at its newly acquired Sky.
• Sky execs expressed interest in Comcast's Xfinity xFi mobile app, which lets customers access and control their Comcast broadband service, Cavanaugh said.
• Comcast sees xFi as a differentiator that attracts and retains broadband customers. 

After a blockbuster summer of media bidding, Comcast walked away with the crown jewel of British broadcasting, Sky.

Sky, a pay-TV business that serves 23 million customers in the UK, Ireland, Germany, Austria, Italy, Spain, and Switzerland, is seen as a rarity in that it owns premium content and a broadband service to distribute it. Comcast, the largest US cable-service provider, serves 22 million video customers and 26 million internet customers.

But details about Comcast's plans for Sky have been sparse. Speaking at a UBS investor conference in December, Comcast CFO Michael Cavanaugh gave an initial indication of how Comcast's offerings may inform those plans.

Sky executives expressed interest in Xfinity xFi, a mobile app that lets Comcast customers access and control their network. With xFi, customers can set up wifi networks, troubleshoot network issues, see what devices are connected to their networks, and block or pause connected devices. 

Cavanaugh said Sky executives were like "kids in the candy store in terms of how can they take that and ... use it to differentiate themselves as a broadband reseller, basically in the Italian market," according to a transcript of the conference.

"In markets [where Comcast offers its X1 video platform], you hear a lot more about xFi, you see a lot of advertising about our differentiated broadband product and what xFi is and examples of the app," Cavanaugh said.

Sky and xFi also share a history; Comcast exec Fraser Stirling, who oversees product development for xFi, worked at Sky for eight years, leading emerging product strategy and hardware.

Read more:Comcast's bid for Sky throws uncertainty into Hulu, Disneyflix and Now TV

Differentiation is important to telecom companies

The ability to differentiate their broadband product is important to telecom companies, which are increasingly concerned about retaining customers. That Comcast, the largest pay-TV provider in the US, has more broadband customers than video customers shows just how vital broadband service is to the company as traditional linear TV subscribers decline.

Sky is similar to Comcast in that it has the ability to bundle video and broadband offerings. Here, Comcast has an advantage over telcos by virtue of the coaxial cable it uses to deliver broadband. In telecom, the cheapest option for broadband access is typically DSL. DSL — digital subscriber line — is a service that's provided over a copper wire. This type of service is slow and unreliable with limited ability for streaming. The cheapest option at cable companies, on the other hand, is coaxial cable, which delivers broadband at faster speed and more reliably. Fiber is the fastest and often most costly option.

Sky has both DSL and fiber offerings, though it launched fiber-only service in Italy this year.Sky has an advantage over traditional satellite companies with its ability to bundle through Openreach, a UK telecom company that connects nearly all homes in the UK to a national broadband network.

"Sky does sort of have a double play because in the UK ... through Openreach,"Greg Williams, an analyst at Cowen, told Business Insider. "The UK allows Sky to get really good broadband for cheap. The government allows it for really good rates, wholesale prices, so they get the copper connection or even the fiber connection under UK regulation."

On top of potentially building out an xFi-like product at Sky, Comcast seems eager to expand its newly acquired international footprint.

"[Sky] can expand, we think, and are trying to, in early days in Spain, and some other markets, they can expand into adjacent geographies," Cavanaugh said.

SEE ALSO: Verizon CEO Hans Vestberg explains the company's massive reorganization

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: The true story behind the name 'Black Friday' is much darker than you may have thought

• You're never too young to begin investing, and you don't have to be rich to open your first investment account.
• Don't let your emotions rule your investment decisions. When the market turns down, smart investors wait it out.
• Understand your investment goals. That will help you decide where to put your money.
• Angela Moore, a certified financial planner (CFP), has some advice to get you started.

Angela Moore's first job after college was as a finance director for a car dealership. She spent all day looking at other people's credit and, she said, "I quickly realized that there was a huge financial literacy problem in the community."

Moore decided to go back to school so she could help people close this gap. She is now a CFP and a certified financial education instructor with her own firm.

Whether you have a little money saved up or you just got a windfall, Moore thinks "everybody should look at opening some type of investment account." She noted that most bank accounts pay interest rates that don't keep up with inflation, so your savings lose value over time.

Your investment account can be an IRA, 401k, or any brokerage account that hold funds made up of stocks, bonds, and other investments. Here are six things to think about before you open your first investment account.

SEE ALSO: How to easily find a savings account that will earn you more money

Create a rainy day fund first.

"You don't want to take all your cash and put it in investments and then not have any cash in case of an emergency," Moore said. That could force you to withdraw money from your investment account when the market is down.

Instead, set aside between three and 12 months of living expenses in an emergency fund, Moore suggested, noting that "the amount that you need depends on the stability of your income." Freelancers need a bigger cushion than someone with secure employment. Plan on having at least a couple months of emergency savings before you begin investing.

Understand the costs associated with investing.

There are two primary types of costs associated with investment accounts, according to Moore: management fees, charged by your investment manager, and fees charged by the funds you invest in.  

Total fees are usually in the range of 1% to 2%. If you start investing at a young age, Moore said, those fees will "add up over time."

Don't let this discourage you from investing – just understand the costs associated with your accounts and look for low-cost alternatives.

Get investment help from a robot.

Moore has a suggestion that can save you some management fees: "There's a lot of robo-advisors where there's a very little fee or no fee at all." A robo-advisor is AI that asks you a set of questions about your goals and your tolerance for risk then uses an algorithm to recommend investments.

"For the average investor who's just getting started, a robo-advisor is great," Moore said. "I'm a financial advisor with a master's degree, and I use robo-advisors for myself."

She noted that accounts associated with robo-advisors often have lower minimums than accounts managed by humans. Some have no minimums, so you can start building your portfolio with a small monthly investment.

Nerdwallet has a list of the top robo-advisors for 2018.

• Even celebrities have to use pick-up lines once in a while.
• A good pick-up line can make or break a great relationship.
• Here's just a few that have been used by celebrities, whether they're successful or not.

First impressions are important, and when it comes to dating, a good "pick-up line" can be important.

Even some of Hollywood's most elite have a good pick-up line to thank for their successful relationships. For others, their initial chat-ups haven't always blown over well.

Here are just 10 pick-up lines used by celebrities to give you some inspiration in your dating life.

Jason Sudeikis used a mysterious line to woo his now-fiance.

Olivia Wilde evidently looked like she was missing something when Sudeikis flagged her down at a party with the line: "Whatever you're looking for, you don't need it."

In an interview with Howard Stern, the "House" star said it wasn't long before she was "head over heels" for her comedian beau. The pair has been engaged since 2013.

Ice-T made sure his now-wife Coco Austin knew what she was getting into.

The actor and rapper told NUVOtv he "struggled to remain calm" after spotting Austin on a set they were working on together. He decided to make the "gangster" outfit he wore for the role the focus of his pick-up line.

"I said, 'Would you ever consider dating a gangster rapper?'" he explained. After Austin said she'd consider if he was "nice," he fired back: "Well, baby, you take the 'n' off 'nice,' you get Ice."

Before getting married, Bruce Willis went especially racy with his pick up lines.

In the years between his marriages to Demi Moore and his current wife, Emma Heming, the "Die Hard" star revealed to Access Hollywood the rather blunt line he liked to use.

"I'll give you my best line, my old line, my old single guy line," Willis said. "You say, 'Hey… what are you doing for sex later?'"

• Women are serving in larger numbers in American politics and government today than ever before. 
• Here are some young rising stars in government. 

Women are serving in larger numbers in American politics and government today than ever before. 

A record number of women will serve in Congress next year after a surge of female candidates ran for office in this year's midterm elections. And the House's freshman class will be the most diverse in history. 

But women are also making strides in local and state government — in both elected and non-elected offices. 

Here are a handful of the most influential young women in American government, according to Apolitical's 100 most influential young people in government around the world. 

SEE ALSO: 7 things you might not know about the George HW Bush administration

Rep.-elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a Democratic Socialist from the Bronx and the youngest woman ever elected to Congress.

Bronxite Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez stunned the world when the political novice and Democratic Socialist defeated Rep. Joe Crowley, one of the most powerful and entrenched Democrats in Congress, in the New York primary last June.

In November, the 29-year-old Latina became the youngest woman ever elected to Congress. 

Ocasio-Cortez campaigned on a deeply progressive platform that included supporting single-payer healthcare, abolishing the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, and introducing a Green New Deal for the environment — while rejecting corporate donations to her grassroots-powered effort. 

Rep. Elise Stefanik, a New York Republican and the second-youngest woman ever elected to Congress.

New York Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik is, at 30, the second-youngest woman ever elected to Congress (after Ocasio-Cortez). During her four years in the House, Stefanik has voted to loosen gun control, repeal Obamacare, and expand federal Pell grants for low-income students. She also leads candidate recruitment for the National Republican Campaign Committee and has voiced frustration about the GOP's small — and shrinking — number of women in Congress. 

"I will continue speaking out about the crisis level of GOP women in Congress & will try to lead and change that by supporting strong GOP women candidates through my leadership PAC," she tweeted this week. 

After facing opposition to her efforts to diversify the Republican caucus from male colleagues, Stefanik responded that she "wasn't asking permission" to make change. 

A Harvard graduate, Stefanik got her start in politics in President George W. Bush's White House and later worked for Mitt Romney's 2012 presidential campaign. 

Anna Valencia, Chicago's city clerk.

Anna Valencia was appointed Chicago's city clerk in Dec. 2016 by Mayor Rahm Emanuel. 

The 33-year-old runs an operation that serves 1.2 million Chicagoans and works to make government services more accessible to residents, championing the city's effort to provide a municipal ID card to streamline access. She's also advocated for more gender and racial diversity in government and politics. 

The first in her family to graduate from college, Valencia previously served as Emanuel's director of legislative counsel and government affairs (the second woman in Chicago's history to serve in that role) and ran US Sen. Dick Durbin's 2014 campaign. 

• Beards have long been a cultural sign of masculinity, but for men who can't grow thick facial hair, does that make them "less manly"? 
• We asked a dermatologist to explain the scientific reasons that some men aren't able to grow thick, dense facial hair. 
• Dr. Jennifer Chwalek explained that an inability to grow thick facial hair is not directly related to low levels of testosterone.
• Facial hair growth is largely determined by genetics— watch the video above to learn more.

Narrator: Look at that beard. The density. The thickness. It's what a beard is supposed to be! Not this. This is my beard, if you even want to call it a beard. This footage was taken after I let it grow for two weeks. Two weeks! It's thin, patchy, and in some spots there's no hair at all. Sad. But let's look at this one again. This is Kevin. We're around the same age, both Caucasian males of Irish descent. You could say we have a lot in common, except in the facial hair department. So, I asked a dermatologist about why he's able to grow a beard and I'm not.

Dr. Jennifer Chwalek: It's based on genetics as well as hormones. Some men, you know, have more hair follicles, so they can grow denser, coarser beards than others. Testosterone gets converted in the hair follicle to a more potent form called dihydrotestosterone. Some hair follicles have receptors on them that are very sensitive to this higher form of testosterone, dihydrotestosterone, and that will stimulate hair growth.

Graham Flanagan: How would you characterize my facial hair?

Dr. Chwalek: I'd say it's like, sparse, and you have light-colored hair, so it doesn't show up quite as much.

Flanagan: I can't really grow a great beard. It's been a problem. I want one. I wanna look like my colleague, Kevin. I mean, look at that beard. It is just glorious. Why can't I grow a beard like Kevin?

Dr. Chwalek: Well, Kevin has some good hair genes, so because of that, the hair follicles on his face are more sensitive to the effects of a form of testosterone called dihydrotestosterone which can help to stimulate thicker, coarser, longer hair growth in some areas of the body like the beard area.

Narrator: Beards and facial hair have long been associated with masculinity and virility. I began to wonder if my inability to grow thick facial hair like Kevin makes me less of a man.

Flanagan: Does the fact that I can't grow a beard, does it make mean that I have low testosterone?

Dr. Chwalek: No. Men who can't grow a beard or have patchy beards usually have normal testosterone levels. It isn't a reflection of having low testosterone or being deficient in testosterone.

Flanagan: So, you can still be virile —

Dr. Chwalek: Right.

Flanagan: And grow a crappy beard like this?

Dr. Chwalek: Yes.

Flanagan: Okay, good.

Narrator: And in fact, there are some ways to increase the chances of growing facial hair, but shaving more often isn't one of them.

Dr. Chwalek: So, the idea that shaving can impact hair growth is actually a myth. When you're shaving, you're just cutting the hair off at the surface of the skin, and what's controlling the hair growth is really occurring deeper in the skin. So, it shouldn't have any impact on how quickly the hair grows, or how dense the hair grows. People have tried topical Rogaine or Minoxidil. These things may stimulate a little hair growth, but assuming it's due to genetics, then you're kind of stuck with what you have.

Flanagan: It's all about the sensitivity of the hair follicles and how they interact with this —

Dr. Chwalek: Dihydrotestosterone or androgens in the blood.

Flanagan: So, you're saying that, that his hair follicles are "sensitive."

Dr. Chwalek: Yes.

Flanagan: See, mine aren't.

Dr. Chwalek: Right.

Flanagan: They aren't sensitive. They're like rocks. They have no sensitivity at all. Okay, so I win that!

Dr. Chwalek: Right.

Join the conversation about this story »

• Shorly before midnight, CNN commentators reporting from the New York City streets reported they were given the "all clear."
• The New York Police Department is investigating an alleged bomb threat at Columbus Circle, according to a tweet from CNN host Brian Stelter.
•  An "unsubstantiated telephone threat" came through to the Time Warner Center, according to NBC New York. The caller said there were five bombs in building.
• In a tweet, the NYPD asked the public to "please avoid this area."

The New York Police Department is investigating an alleged bomb threat at Columbus Circle, according to a tweet from CNN host Brian Stelter. When reached by INSIDER, the NYPD said they are investigating an incident.

Shortly before 12 a.m. ET, CNN's Don Lemon announced on air that they were given the "all clear" to return to the building after being evacuated.

The twitter account for NYPD Midtown North tweeted the following at 11:54 p.m.: "UPDATE: Out of the abundance of caution, 25 Columbus Circle was evacuated. Members of NYPD ESU & SRG have completed a sweep of the building & deemed it safe. The building has been reopened. The pedestrian freeze has been lifted & traffic on W 58th St. will be opened shortly."

An "unsubstantiated telephone threat" came through to the Time Warner Center, according to NBC New York. The caller said there were five bombs in building. An initial sweep of the building by security did not find a threat, but the NYPD are now investigating.

"Around 10:35pm, a bomb threat was called into the Time Warner Center & the building was evacuated," NYPD News tweeted. "The threat has not been substantiated at this time; we’re on scene performing a comprehensive sweep-and-search of the facility. We’ll share more info as it becomes available."

In a previous tweet, the NYPD asked the public to "please avoid this area."

It's not clear if the threat was specific to CNN. The NYPD commented to INSIDER that there are many businesses in the building not just CNN.

At 10:42 p.m ET, Stelter tweeted saying that the office had been evacuated, interrupting host Don Lemon's live show, which briefly went to already recorded programming, before Lemon resumed his show from the streets of New York.

The report came shortly after President Donald Trump tweeted in all caps "FAKE NEWS - THE ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE!" at 10:08 p.m. ET.

In October, a series of suspicious packages, alleged to be pipe bombs, were sent to prominent officials— including one addressed to the Time Warner Center and former CIA director John Brennan, who currently works as a CNN commentator. The suspect Cesar Sayoc was taken into custody.

This is a developing story.

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NOW WATCH: 6 airline industry secrets that will help you fly like a pro this holiday season

The cost of healthcare keeps on rising, and a new report shows just how much of a squeeze it's putting on family budgets.

Researchers at The Commonwealth Fund added up the cost of health insurance with the size of deductibles, or how much people would have to spend if they got sick before their insurance kicks in. They then compared that dollar figure with median incomes in every state. 

You can think of the resulting figure as providing a rough measure of the financial burden of healthcare spending in every state. The burden is growing because healthcare costs are increasing faster than incomes.

Nationwide, the combined cost of insurance premiums and deductibles was about $7,240, or about 11.7% of income, in 2017. A decade ago, it was 7.8% of the median income.

The researchers, Sara Collins and David Radley, used data on the health insurance plans typically offered by employers, which are the most common type of coverage for people under age 65.

As you can see in the graphic above, the states where healthcare has the potential to eat up the most of a family's earnings are concentrated in the South and Southwest. In Louisiana, the combined cost of premiums and deductibles is equivalent to 15.5% of median income. In Mississippi, it's 15%. Those states face a combination of relatively high health costs and lower incomes.

Hawaii faces the lowest total cost, at 7.8% of median income. 

• Read more:
• Amazon is threatening the future of independent pharmacies. Here's how they're fighting back.
• A top healthcare executive pointed out what's broken about America's health-insurance system in a single sentence
• 'Waiting for its Uber moment': America's biggest companies are shaking up the healthcare system
• Massive companies like Apple and Amazon are exploring new ways to care for the health of their employees — and it could upend the way healthcare's done

Join the conversation about this story »

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