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Visa is acquiring Earthport, a UK-based firm that provides an API to remittance firms and banks to streamline their cross-border money transfers, for $250.6 million, according to Reuters.

Earthport enables banks and remittance firms to have a relationship with one company rather than with several payments channels globally — and could enable them to do so at a lower cost. Visa initially made a bid to acquire Earthport — which boasts clients like Bank of America (BofA), Hyperwallet, and TransferWise, as well as banks in 87 countries — in November and just revised its bid after an undisclosed US company made a bid as well.  

Acquiring Earthport can allow Visa to not only enhance its existing cross-border services, but also capitalize on the massive opportunity presented by the digital remittance space.

• Earthport addresses two primary areas of concern with remittances: cost and speed. Firms can get ahead in the remittance space by addressing expensive money transfers. Sending money cross-border can be pricey — the global average cost of sending $200 during the first quarter of 2018 was $15, for example — which often pushes cost-conscious consumers and businesses to seek out more affordable options. And beyond lower costs, consumers want faster remittances — especially because they’re a lifeline for many people globally — as sending and receiving transfers can be tedious for both the sender and recipient. Building speed into offerings through an API to provide customers with more efficient ways to conduct transfers can improve the experience for both the sender and recipient of a transfer. Enabling companies to improve in those two key areas can be a promising volume opportunity for Visa in a fast-growing space: Business Insider Intelligence expectsdigital remittances to grow at an 11.5% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) from $225 billion in 2018 to $387 billion in 2023.
• Access to Earthport’s technology could ultimately allow Visa to accelerate its own cross-border push. Visa’s cross-border payment volume grew by 10% annually, according to its fiscal Q4 2018 earnings, which is consistent with the year earlier. And Visa has been focused on building out its cross-border services, specifically Visa B2B Connect, its cross-border business-to-business (B2B) payment platform, which it plans to launch in full during the first quarter of 2019. In Visa’s fiscal Q4 2018 earnings call, Visa CEO Alfred Kelly noted that B2B — which reached $950 billion and represented 11% of the firm’s total payment volume in its fiscal year — is Visa’s “top priority.” This acquisition could give Visa access to the technology to streamline its own cross-border initiatives to continue growing volume.

   

SEE ALSO: The digitization of daily life is making phones and connected devices the preferred payment tools for consumers — here's what that means for stakeholders

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• Former sales executive Daryl Robinson is suing Marriott Vacations Worldwide for alleged unlawful race discrimination, unlawful race harassment, failure to prevent race discrimination and harassment, and retaliation for opposing forbidden practices.
• Robinson worked at the company from February 2017 to January 2018, when he resigned after being placed on medical leave for anxiety.
• Robinson was the only African-American employee in his Palm Desert, California, office, NBC News reported.
• In his lawsuit, he claimed colleagues would ask him to dance to Michael Jackson during meetings and compared him to the "Little Rascals" character Buckwheat.

A former sales executive for Marriott Vacations Worldwide claimed he was racially discriminated against while working at the company, where he was reportedly the only African-American employee in his office, according to a lawsuit obtained by NBC News.

Daryl Robinson claimed colleagues would ask him to dance to Michael Jackson during meetings and compared him to the "Little Rascals" character Buckwheat.

He is now suing Marriott Vacations Worldwide for unlawful race discrimination, unlawful race harassment, failure to prevent race discrimination and harassment, and retaliation for opposing forbidden practices.

He filed the lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court on Tuesday.

Robinson worked as a sales executive with Marriott Vacations Worldwide in Palm Desert, California, selling timeshares to vacation properties from February 2017 to January 1, 2018.

Marriott Vacations Worldwide is a timeshare company that separated from the hotel chain Marriott International in 2011.

Read more:A hotel in Portland called the police on a black guest who was taking a phone call in the lobby

In his lawsuit, Robinson claimed a director of sales asked him to dance for employees on multiple occasions.

John Dalton, Robinson's attorney, told NBC News that Robinson was singled out and "completely humiliated" while working at the office.

"Admittedly, one time, he did get up and dance," Dalton said. "There were a number of times he was asked and he was like, 'No, no thanks.' And when he did get up, he was the new guy. He didn't want to make waves."

Robinson also claims that during an activity in which employees had to share baby photos, a colleague displayed a photo of "Little Rascals" character Buckwheat and asked the team: "Who do you guys think this is?"

Robinson had not submitted a photo, and claimed that the colleague had told him before the meeting that she would use an image of Buckwheat, despite him telling her it was inappropriate and offensive.

Robinson, who is seeking unspecified compensatory and punitive damages, reportedly resigned after his doctor put him on medical leave because of his anxiety.

Marriott Vacations Worldwide spokesman Ed Kinney told NBC News in a statement: "We are aware of the allegations of this suit but as a policy, do not comment on legal issues and matters."

Marriott Vacations Worldwide did not immediately respond to INSIDER's request for comment.

• Read more:
• The New Jersey Civil Rights Division will investigate a white referee who forced a high school wrestler to cut off his dreadlocks or forfeit a match
• A former NBA player is suing United Airlines for $10 million and alleging racial discrimination after he said a flight attendant wouldn't let him sit in an exit row
• French super club Paris Saint-Germain admits young footballers were racially profiled to limit the number of black players

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• Elo and Cortana have made their picks for Week 17.
• Cortana leads the overall race, correctly picking 65% of the games this season.

Week 17 of the NFL season is here, and Cortana is back to make picks in a head-to-head showdown with Elo.

We looked at two popular systems used to pick NFL games: Cortana, Microsoft's digital assistant, and Elo, the modeling system used by Nate Silver's data-journalism site, FiveThirtyEight.

In both cases, the computers are picking outright winners and not against the spread. Each gives a likelihood that a team will win, however, which in theory could help measure the strength of certain lines.

Cortana is having another strong season, correctly picking 65% of the games, including an 11-5 record in Week 16. Elo has nailed 60% overall.

Here are the picks for Week 17, with each team's percent chance of winning in parentheses. Point spreads are for reference, via Vegas Insider as of Friday morning.

Sunday afternoon — early-window games

• Miami Dolphins at Buffalo Bills (-5.5) — BILLS (Elo 59%, Cortana 60%)
• Detroit Lions at Green Bay Packers (-8) — PACKERS (Elo 65%, Cortana 74%)
• New York Jets at New England Patriots (-13.5) — PATRIOTS (Elo 89%, Cortana 77%)
• Carolina Panthers at New Orleans Saints (-7) — SAINTS (Elo 87%, Cortana 58%)
• Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants (-6) — COWBOYS (Elo 62%); GIANTS (Cortana 66%)
• Atlanta Falcons (-1) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers — FALCONS (Elo 54%); BUCS (Cortana 51%)
• Jacksonville Jaguars at Houston Texans (-6.5) — TEXANS (Elo 71%, Cortana 74%)

Sunday afternoon — late-window games

• Los Angeles Chargers (-6.5) at Denver Broncos — CHARGERS (Elo 64%, Cortana 72%)
• San Francisco 49ers at Los Angeles Rams (-10) — RAMS (Elo 85%, Cortana 75%)
• Arizona Cardinals at Seattle Seahawks (-13.5) — SEAHAWKS (Elo 88%, Cortana 61%)
• Oakland Raiders at Kansas City Chiefs (-14) — CHIEFS (Elo 88%, Cortana 79%)
• Chicago Bears at Minnesota Vikings (-4.5) — VIKINGS (Elo 56%, Cortana 64%)
• Cincinnati Bengals at Pittsburgh Steelers (-14.5) — STEELERS (Elo 83%, Cortana 75%)
• Philadelphia Eagles (-6.5) at Washington Redskins — EAGLES (Elo 65%, Cortana 69%)
• Cleveland Browns at Baltimore Ravens (-5.5) — RAVENS (Elo 81%, Cortana 66%)

"Sunday Night Football"

• Indianapolis Colts (-3.5) at Tennessee Titans — TITANS (Elo 62%); COLTS (Cortana 57%)

• As winter continues, staying inside to play board games might be seeming appealing.
• Some of the most fun board games are trivia-based, where you can test your knowledge against your friends’.
• From Trivial Pursuit to Battle of the Sexes, INSIDER has found some of the most popular trivia board games, based on the history of the games and their Amazon reviews.

Even as the holiday season comes to an end with the New Year, winter is just getting into full swing and the thought of being outdoors might be seeming less and less appealing. A great solution is board game nights with your friends, especially trivia board games where you can test your knowledge against your friends’.

If you’re looking for great trivia games, INSIDER has found some of the most popular trivia board games, based on when the game was invented and its Amazon rating. 

Trivial Pursuit is almost 40 years old and has tons of versions.

Invented in 1979 and released commercially in 1981, Trivial Pursuit is a trivia board game classic that was even added to the "Games Hall of Fame" by Games Magazine in 1993.

Today, the game has tons variations includingDisney Edition,Star Wars Classic Trilogy Collector's Edition, andWorld of Harry Potter Edition.

OnAmazon, Trivial Pursuit's Classic Edition from Hasbro has a 4.2-star rating with 107 customer reviews; 62% of reviewers gave the board game 5 stars.

Wits & Wagers has won multiple awards.

First released in 2005,Wits & Wagers is the game where everyone guesses the answers to ridiculous trivia questions and then bets whose answer will be closest. Published by North Star Games, Wits &Wagers has won theGolden Geek Award for Best Party Board Game in 2007 and Games Magazine's Best New Party Game in 2007.

The original game has been updated to the Deluxe Edition and thewebsite has two other versions, the Party Edition, and the Family Edition, as well as extra question packs for each version.

OnAmazon, Wits & Wagers has a 4.5-star rating with 328 customer reviews; 81% of reviewers gave the game 5 stars.

Smart Ass has sold more than 2.5 million copies.

Smart Ass (also released as Smart A**), was first released in 2006 by University Games. In this fast-paced board game, players simply yell out the answers to clue cards. According to the game'swebsite, a new edition was released this year with all new questions.  

OnAmazon, Smart Ass has a 4.4-star rating with 1,084 customer reviews; 68% of reviewers gave the game 5 stars.

• Sir Martin Sorrell said WPP's recent mergers spell the "death" of the Y&R and J. Walter Thompson brands and that the Y&R name should have come first in the merged company.
• The former head of WPP also said he thinks the agency holding companies will survive, but there will be more consolidation.
• He said that with his new company, S4 Capital, he's not concerned with competitors but with whether he can meet clients' data-related needs.

After Sir Martin Sorrell's sudden departure as chief of WPP earlier this year, he set up S4 Capital to create a global-advertising, marketing, and ad-tech company by acquisition. That was followed by two big deals — MightyHive and MediaMonks.

Business Insider caught up with Sorrell offstage at its IGNITION Conference in New York in December, where he weighed in on the agency-holding-company model, WPP, and advertising measurement. Our interview has been edited and condensed.

Tanya Dua: With MediaMonks and MightyHive, S4 seems to have the programmatic and digital-production side of the equation figured out. What's next?

Sir Martin Sorrell: We almost have the complete train set — probably about three-quarters to seven-eighths of the set. I'd like to see a little bit more in content and a little bit more in first-party data. But it's difficult to find good assets, and they're expensive. On the data side, there's stuff that I really like, but pricing is hard. When IPG bought Acxiom, they seemed to leave behind the best asset [LiveRamp], and I wonder why that was.

Dua: The agency holding companies are making huge changes as well. Will that model as we know it survive?

Sorrell: They'll survive, but there will be more consolidation. I can't remember a time when it's been more revolutionary.

Dua: What is your opinion on the VMLY&R and Wunderman-J. Walter Thompson mergers at WPP?

Sorrell: VMLY&R was something that I initiated. [VMLY&R CEO] Jon Cook and I fully agreed that it was going to happen. We were going to put Geometry [Global] into it as well. But I think it was a mistake for Jon not to have been more magnanimous. He would have done himself and his people at VML a lot of good by calling it Y&RVML.

I can understand the idea of making it digital-first by implication, so you put Wunderman before Thompson and VML before Y&R, but it means the death of the Y&R and Thompson brand. I was in Argentina when it was announced, and Y&R and JWT in Argentina mean something.

These decisions are difficult to make, but when you make them, you have to blend them in. You have to go out and talk to the troops and explain why you're doing it, because if you don't, you will lose their hearts and minds.

Read more: Sir Martin Sorrell says the advertising industry reminds him of Burning Man, and it should embrace 'radical change'

Dua: Do these moves signal the death of creative agencies? You don't seem to be shopping for creative assets for S4.

Sorrell: You're living in the 19th century if you define creativity like Don Draper. The definition of creativity is shifting. Believe it or not, data analysts can be creative. People who do digital can be creative. Data doesn't destroy creativity, but enhances it, informs it, and makes it more effective.

Dua: So who is S4 competing with? The consulting firms?

Sorrell: I don't worry too much about the industry. What I worry about is what does S4 deliver in terms of data, driving content, and driving media planning, buying or programmatic. Several clients have said to me that is their model. They have their first-party data at the core, and that drives what they do from a content point of view and what they do on the media-planning and buying side.

The acid test of S4 will be whether the combination works effectively and has correctly analyzed what clients want. The mantra — it's a terrible mantra in many respects — is doing it faster, better, cheaper, and more efficiently.

Dua: You've said before that measurement needs to be improved. Some advertising executives have gone over to the measurement side recently. What are your thoughts on that?

Sorrell: Comscore is a tragedy. We invested in Comscore when I was at WPP, and they had a massive opportunity. I was really disappointed with the way that was handled. I'm just as hopeful now as I was before. With Nielsen, I think [new CEO] David Kenny will make a difference. It's too early to tell. But there's a big opportunity there.

Dua: Has Amazon started to challenge Google and Facebook's dominance?

Sorrell: In terms of market cap, it has already. In terms of advertising, Amazon has a long way to [go], but it will challenge on advertising and search. Fifty-five percent of product searches in the US, according to Kantar, are delivered or initiated through Amazon. Those are the three, the troika, if you ignore the Eastern challenge, which includes Tencent and Alibaba.

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NOW WATCH: A Harvard psychologist reveals the secret to curbing your appetite

Who would have thought the Costco food court had good food? Not me! But Marina and Hollis begged to differ, so I took a train into Brooklyn's Sunset Park and checked it out. I ordered Costco's BBQ brisket sandwich, hot dog, chicken bake, churro, and a soda. The whole thing cost just $12, and I was blown away by the food.

This video was originally published in March 2016.

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• The 76th annual Golden Globe Awards will air on January 6.
• The Golden Globes recognize outstanding achievements in television and film.
• Unfortunately, there are many deserving actors like Octavia Spencer and Constance Wu who have not won any or many Golden Globe awards even though they deserve more.

Not everyone can win as many Golden Globes as Meryl Streep; the notable actress currently has nine Golden Globes awards and 21 nominations under her belt. But there are some actors who have taken on many impressive, potentially Golden Globe-worthy roles over the years.

Considering some of these actors have been nominated for awards (and have even won some in the past) and they've received a lot of critical acclaim for their roles, they don't have has many Golden Globes as they may deserve. 

From television to film, here are 10 actors who have proved themselves worthy of critical praise and seem to be deserving of more Golden Globes 

Constance Wu could win her first Golden Globe for "Crazy Rich Asians."

In terms of her career, Constance Wu had a fantastic 2018. On top of her successful comedy "Fresh Off the Boat" entering its fifth season, Wu had the leading role in "Crazy Rich Asians," a critically acclaimed film with an all-Asian cast that became the top-grossing romantic comedy of the decade.

Her performance earned her a nomination for the upcoming 76th Golden Globe Awards and her first nomination could very well become her first win.

Ann Dowd has been nominated once for her work on "The Handmaid's Tale."

Ann Dowd is an actress who has been praised by critics for her work in such films as "Compliance,""Hereditary," and "Garden State." One of her biggest roles to date has been her riveting turn as Aunt Lydia in "The Handmaid's Tale."

Last year, she received her first Golden Globe nomination for her portrayal of Aunt Lydia in the series, but she has yet to win a Golden Globe. 

Octavia Spencer has only won one Golden Globe for "The Help."

Octavia Spencer is an actress who has drawn heaps of praise for her acting work over the course of two decades. She won a Golden Globe for "The Help" in 2012 and has since been nominated for "The Shape of Water" and "Hidden Figures." Although all three nominations were for supporting actress,  Spencer has proven herself a talented actress who is more than capable of shining in a leading role and as an actress deserving of additional Golden Globe awards. 

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NOW WATCH: Anthony Scaramucci claims Trump isn't a nationalist: 'He likes saying that because it irks these intellectual elitists'

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• KitchenAid stand mixers have become a bit of a status symbol for bakers in kitchens across America.
• Thanks to the broad range of attachments made for the mixer, you can use your KitchenAid to do much more than craft doughs or batters.
• Recently, KitchenAid released a metal meat grinder attachment that utilizes the mixer's power hub to produce affordable ground meats and sausages.
• If you already own a KitchenAid stand mixer, the meat grinder attachment is relatively affordable (currently $75 on Amazon), and it's built to last and easy to clean.

As someone who mainly focused on cooking savory meals and avoided making sweets, I didn't know much about the wonders of the KitchenAid stand mixer until I married one. Well, I married my wife, and she had the Professional 5 mixer. When we were looking for ways to save money, I started making bread from scratch every week. With the ice cream attachment, I could make hard-to-find ice cream flavors. There's a reason the KitchenAid mixer gets comments when people see it sitting on your counter: Home chefs know it's an awesome appliance.

KitchenAid recently contacted me to see if I wanted to try out their new Metal Meat Grinder Attachment. Here are my experiences with it.

My first experiences with the KitchenAid Meat Grinder Attachment

The KSMMGA, the model number for this product, is not the first meat grinder attachment put out by KitchenAid. The company has a popular "Food Grinder Attachment" (model FGA), which currently sells for about $33 on Amazon. The big differences are that the new model is made entirely of metal, it comes with plates and stuffer tubes, and the food tray is larger.

The grinder comes in a convenient hard Styrofoam case where you can fit all of the implements that it come with:

• Fine (3 mm), medium (4.5 mm), and coarse (8 mm) grinding plates
• A sausage stuffer plate
• Small (9.5 mm) and large (19 mm) sausage stuffer tubes
• Cleaning brush
• Food pusher

The package includes the main housing, a grind screw, a blade, and a removable food tray.

Out of the box, the grinder feels heavy duty and durable. It weighs about two and a half pounds. After doing a little research, I found it's best to put it in the freezer a few hours before you plan to use it for sanitary purposes. This decreases the chance of bacteria growth from an increase in meat temperature. Consequently, instead of storing my grinder in the nice Styrofoam case, I keep it in my freezer.

How the KitchenAid Meat Grinder Attachment performed

I mainly used the KitchenAid Meat Grinder Attachment to grind large slabs of meat and to create my own twisted concoctions. For example, one of the first dishes I made was a half beef, half bacon burger. I used black Angus top sirloin and pork jowl bacon. The results were delicious but incredibly salty. I'd recommend a 75% beef to 25% bacon ratio.

Using the attachment is simple. You choose the grinding plate size you want (I mainly used the coarse plate, which is recommended for burgers and chili meat), and then you insert the grinding screw into the main housing and cap it with the blade and grinding plate. Next, secure them with the collar, and turn the mixer to four and start feeding your meat through the hole in the food tray. You're supposed to cut the meat into one-inch cubes or smaller, but I didn't have any trouble feeding in long one-inch strips.

As a hamburger addict, I was impressed with the flavor of the burgers produced by grinding my own beef. I like figuring out ways to make cheap cuts of beef taste great. If it's lean, I put it in the sous vide for a long time. If it's fatty, I grind it up for burgers. And, compared to buying ground beef at the store, my cost-effective, home-ground patties were much more flavorful.

My wife liked that we were able to make fairly lean beer brats, too. We ground up a London broil roast and pork tenderloin, mixed the meat with plenty of seasonings and a can of beer, and let it mellow overnight. The next day, we used the sausage plate and stuffer to make our own "healthy" bratwurst.

Overall, the grinder elements are easy to clean if you rinse visible debris off immediately after you are done grinding. Unfortunately, there were a couple times when I was in a hurry and didn't have time to rinse the housing, grinding screw, et al., and it was much harder to get the little bits of ground meat off. The cleaning brush was useful in these instances. The plastic parts — the food pusher and sausage making accessories — are dishwasher safe.

Some concerns about the attachment

My biggest issue with the KitchenAid Metal Meat Grinder Attachment is that there's usually a one-ounce chunk of meat left over at the end between the blade and the grinding plate. This goes to waste unless you're on the ball enough to freeze the chunks after each grinding job and maybe make a stew sometime down the road. This is only a minor gripe.

Making sausage wasn't as simple as I wanted it to be, but I can't really blame the attachment. This was my first time making sausage, and the casings kept breaking. Even with two people working on it, I was frustrated. Regardless, the actual meat was delicious, and I will likely give sausage-making another shake in the near future.

Overall, there wasn't much not to love. I suppose a wider feeding mouth would have been nice when stuffing in sausage. With a wider mouth, I also wouldn't have to cut the pieces of meat as small and could have allowed the KitchenAid to do more of the work.

The bottom line

If you own a KitchenAid stand mixer and like to eat ground meat and sausages, this attachment is a must. It's intuitive to use, gives you the freedom to make unique concoctions, and it cleans up easily. And at $75, the KitchenAid KSMMGA Metal Food Grinder Attachment is much less expensive than a dedicated meat grinder and takes up less space.

Buy the KitchenAid KSMMGA Metal Food Grinder Attachment on Amazon for $75

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

The smartphone is getting smarter as tech and internet companies inject increasingly sophisticated computer vision and object recognition functions into their hardware and software. The ability to “understand” what the user is pointing their mobile camera at and “read” the image has opened the door for visual search.

Foreseeing the potential for mobile visual search to create new revenue opportunities, brands are attempting to harness the smartphone camera’s increasing sophistication to engage with consumers and drive sales.

In this report, Business Insider Intelligence analyzes the developing technologies behind mobile visual search and its value to businesses and brands. The report also assesses risks and opportunities inherent in developing a visual search strategy, provides a list of companies that are working in the space, and discusses what they've accomplished so far.

Here are some of the key takeaways from the report:

• There is strong evidence that mobile visual search technology will take off in the near future, including growing access to technology, strong usage rates of camera-related apps, and early indication of potential revenue growth. 
• In some instances, visual search is faster and more accurate than text or voice, as it cuts through consumer-introduced ambiguities. 
• The mobile visual search ecosystem is growing, with a slew of enabling platforms, native apps, and internet companies all broadening their expertise in the field.  
• Leading internet search companies, including Google and Baidu, are in a race to capture the mobile visual search market as it begins to eat into traditional forms of search.   
• The smartphone is the perfect launchpad for visual search technology, but new form factors, like smartglasses, hold great potential.

 In full, the report:

• Provides an argument for the potential uptake of mobile visual search technology by tech companies, brands, and consumers. 
• Outlines the current mobile visual search landscape.
• Explains how startups and tech companies with mobile visual search products are evolving their business strategies. 
• Provides an outlook for the future of the mobile visual search industry. 

Interested in getting the full report? Here are two ways to access it:

1. Subscribe to an All-Access pass to BI Intelligence and gain immediate access to this report and over 100 other expertly researched reports. As an added bonus, you'll also gain access to all future reports and daily newsletters to ensure you stay ahead of the curve and benefit personally and professionally. >>Learn More Now
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• Barack Obama has released his annual list of favorite books, songs, and movies. 
• He chose 15 movies from 2018, including Marvel's "Black Panther."
• Bo Burnham's "Eighth Grade" is also on the list. 

Former President Barack Obama has chosen his favorite books, songs, and movies of the year. 

He picked 15 movies that hit theaters in 2018. 

From Marvel's blockbuster "Black Panther" to sci-fi horror "Annihilation" to Korean drama "Burning," Obama's list shows a wide range of interests.

Here are his favorites: 

"Annihilation"

"Annihilation" is a sci-fi horror film led by an incredible group of women, including Natalie Portman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Gina Rodriguez, Tessa Thompson, and Tuva Novotny. The adaptation of Jeff VanderMeer's novel of the same name follows a group of scientists who investigate a "shimmer," a mysterious area caused by an alien force.  

"Black Panther"

Marvel's "Black Panther" is a blockbuster smash centered on T'Challa (Black Panther) after he returns to Wakanda in the wake of his father's death and takes the throne. The film is a masterpiece and features a remarkable cast including Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong'o, Danai Gurira, Letitia Wright, Winston Duke, and Angela Bassett. It even earned Marvel its first Golden Globe nomination for best picture. 

"BlacKkKlansman"

Spike Lee directed this comedy-drama based on the true story of Ron Stallworth, a black detective who infiltrated a local Ku Klux Klan chapter in 1970s Colorado. With the help of a white detective who would impersonate him at Klan meetings, they managed to expose the organization. 

• The "Jeopardy!" website offers different categories of practice tests to see how well you'd do on the show.
• The regular adult test consists of 30 questions on a variety of subjects including geography, literature, and science.
• The real online test is offered a few times a year, followed by auditions.

If you've ever played along while watching "Jeopardy!" and wondered how you'd fare on the show, there's an easy way to find out.

The official "Jeopardy!" website offers practice tests to help aspiring contestants get a feel for the kind of questions that appear on the show. It contains 30 questions on a variety of subjects including geography, literature, science, and even a bit of pop culture.

The real online test is offered a few times a year. A few lucky people who pass it are randomly selected to audition, and those who show off both their knowledge and personality at auditions get to appear on a taping of the show.

Here are the questions from the adult practice test. How many can you answer correctly?

BOTANY: This green pigment is necessary for plants to carry out photosynthesis.

Answer: What is chlorophyll?

CITIES OF THE WORLD: Mosul and Ramadi can both be found in this Middle East country.

Answer: What is Iraq?

ANIMALS: Its name is from the Greek for "river horse."

Answer: What is the hippopotamus?

• A total lunar eclipse will occur on January 20. 
• This "super blood wolf moon" gets its name because the eclipse will occur when the moon is full (called a wolf moon in January) and closer to Earth than normal (a super-moon). The Earth's shadow will make it appear reddish.
• The lunar eclipse is slated to last one hour and two minutes.

On January 20, the Earth will pass between the sun and moon, block light from the sun and casting a shadow on the moon.

This is a total lunar eclipse, and it will be the last one we see until May 2021 (though there will be partial lunar eclipses before then). 

Total lunar eclipses are not that rare — the last one occurred in July 2018— but this one stands out as a "super blood wolf moon." 

That name is based on the eclipse's timing and the moon's position relative to Earth. Total lunar eclipses make the moon look orange-red because of the effect that Earth's atmosphere has on the sunlight that passes through it, which is why they are often called blood moons. Full moons that occur in in January are known as "wolf moons" (each month gets its own full-moon name), and this one will appear especially bright and big because the moon will be a little closer to Earth than normal — hence the label "super."

The total lunar eclipse will be fully visible to people in North America, South America, Greenland, Iceland, western Europe, and Africa. People in other parts of the world will see a partial eclipse.

According to NASA, the total lunar eclipse will last one hour and two minutes. For those on the US East Coast, the total eclipse will begin around 11:41 p.m. local time with a peak at 12:16 a.m.  

During a lunar eclipse, the moon first touches Earth's outer shadow, called a penumbra, then moves into the full shadow, called the umbra. It then goes back into the penumbra.

About 80% of Earth's atmosphere is nitrogen gas, and the rest is mostly oxygen. After our atmosphere takes in white sunlight, that gas mixture scatters around blue and purple colors, which is why the sky appears blue to our eyes during the day. 

During a lunar eclipse, Earth's atmosphere scatters blue light and refracts the red — a process similar to what we see during sunrise and sunset. That's why the moon appears to turn red when in Earth's umbra.

Watching a total lunar eclipse is not dangerous — unlike looking at a solar eclipse without protection— so you don't need any special glasses.

• Read more about total lunar eclipses:
• A NASA satellite revealed what a lunar eclipse looks like from Mercury
• An astronaut photographed a 'blood moon' from the International Space Station, and his pictures are haunting
• A total lunar eclipse would look stunning from the moon — Earth's sunrise and sunset would connect in a ring of fire
• How to take the best possible photo of the 'blood moon' with your phone

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• Sears has until 4 p.m. ET on Friday to secure bids for the company to save it from liquidation after filing for bankruptcy in October. 
• Chairman Edward Lampert and his hedge fund, ESL Investments, outlined a plan earlier this month to buy up the rest of Sears for up to $4.6 billion in cash and stock. However, sources told CNBC that as of Thursday afternoon Lampert had not submitted his bid or rounded up financing.
• Sears has been losing money and closing stores for years. Many employees and analysts blame Lampert for the retailer's decline.
• These photos show how Sears went from being the largest and most prominent retailer in the United States to the struggling company that it is today. 

Sears is hours away from possible liquidation. 

The century-old department-store chain has until 4 p.m. ET to secure a bid for the company, without which it faces closing down completely.

Sears chairman Edward Lampert and his hedge fund, ESL Investments, outlined a plan earlier this month to buy up the rest of Sears for up to $4.6 billion in cash and stock. However, sources told CNBC that as of Thursday afternoon Lampert had not submitted his bid or rounded up financing. Despite this, sources said that it could be possible that he meets the deadline. 

A spokesperson for ESL Investments declined to comment to Business Insider.

Sears filed for bankruptcy in October and announced that Lampert would be stepping down as CEO. 

"Over the last several years, we have worked hard to transform our business and unlock the value of our assets," Lampert said in a statement to the press at the time. "While we have made progress, the plan has yet to deliver the results we have desired, and addressing the Company's immediate liquidity needs has impacted our efforts to become a profitable and more competitive retailer."

Since then, American consumers have been lamenting the loss of what was at one point the world's largest store and considered to be an early innovator of the shopping landscape.

Keep scrolling to see the story of its downfall in photos:

SEE ALSO: Decaying stores, plunging sales, and a remote CEO: How Sears was driven to the edge of bankruptcy

Sears started off as a mail-order catalog company selling watches and jewelry in 1888. It became the largest catalog company in the United States after expanding its assortment.

In the 1920s, as catalog shopping started to fade out, Sears adapted to the changing times and opened stores. According to Investopedia, sales at its stores outpaced catalog sales by 1931.

Source: Investopedia

The company grew from being only a retailer to offering financial services, including setting up an insurance arm with Allstate and acquiring various financial brokerage firms.

It also began rolling out its own brands such as Craftsman, DieHard, and Kenmore.

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.

Your mom has one. Your boss has one. If you're reading this right now, you either have one already (and have no idea how to work the contraption) or just ordered one (and can't wait to tear open the packaging and start cooking right away).

The humble 6-in-1 Instant Pot was first introduced in 2012, and its popularity quickly led the company to make the Duo 7-in-1 version, which now graces the countertops of enthusiastic home cooks nationwide and has more than 22,000 five-star Amazon reviews. 300,000 Instant Pots were ordered on Prime Day 2018 alone, proving that the hype has only gathered steam over the years. 

That's not all too surprising because the multi-use electric pressure cooker provides fantastic value for its price: it's fast, convenient, and versatile. But its accompanying manual and recipe booklet leave much to be desired.

Confused, frustrated, or uninspired Instant Pot owners will want to take a look at these cookbooks to make sure they're using their appliances to their full potential. 

The following cookbooks all start with introductions to the Instant Pot and explainers on how pressure cooking works — and why it's so great. Then, they'll show you how to master all the settings and combine ingredients so you can make breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert, all in one pot. 

Owning the much-coveted Instant Pot is useless if you don't know how to use it or what to cook with it. These 10 best-selling Instant Pot cookbooks will provide the inspiration you need. 

The Instant Pot Electric Pressure Cooker Cookbook: Easy Recipes for Fast & Healthy Meals

Buy it here >>

This official cookbook has sold more than 500,000 copies and contains more than 100 recipes for breakfast, dinner, and dessert. 

Recipes include:

• Brown Butter and Asparagus Risotto
• Sea Salt Dulce de Leche
• Sweet Potato, Sausage, and Kale Soup 

How to Instant Pot: Mastering All the Functions of the One Pot That Will Change the Way You Cook

Buy it here >>

Instead of organizing recipes by meal or ingredient type, this cookbook organizes them by function, so you can quickly find a rice or steamed dish instead of flipping through the entire book. 

Recipes include: 

• Lemon-Thyme Steamed Shrimp
• Beef Barbacoa Tacos
• French Onion Soup 

Indian Instant Pot Cookbook: Traditional Indian Dishes Made Easy and Fast

Buy it here >>

Indian cooking might seem intimidating if it's not something you're used to, but the Instant Pot provides an easier and healthier way to prepare classic Indian dishes that the whole family will love. All 50 recipes are ready in one hour or less. 

Recipes include:

• Aloo Gobi
• Pork Saag
• Masala Chai 

• Toyota has relied on a "just in time" manufacturing philosophy since the 1970s. That means the company makes only what is needed, when it's needed, and in the amount needed.
• You can apply the same logic by focusing on abundance instead of scarcity in your life, writes life coach Martha Beck in Oprah magazine.
• Doing so can help you lose weight, build wealth, and improve your relationships.
• For example, if you believe love is scarce you may micromanage people, and thereby push them away.

An old issue of Oprah magazine has some great advice for anyone trying to lose weight, get richer, or improve their relationship — basically anyone trying to be a better version of themselves — in the new year.

Martha Beck, a life coach, speaker, and author, draws inspiration from a manufacturing philosophy at Toyota Motor Co. called "just in time." The idea, according to Toyota's website, is to make "only what is needed, when it is needed, and in the amount needed," thereby eliminating waste and inconsistencies and boosting productivity.

According to the University of Cambridge's Institute for Manufacturing, the just-in-time philosophy has been in practice since the early 1970s in many Japanese manufacturing organizations, to help meet consumer demands with minimal delays.

The more traditional alternative to just-in-time manufacturing is "just in case," meaning companies keep large inventories on hand so that products don't go out of stock.

Beck writes that a key to improving your life is shifting from a just-in-case mindset to a just-in-time one.

She writes:

"Most of us are living in some kind of excess; we work too much, eat too much, rack up debt buying too much stuff. Yet, driven by the unconscious, just-in-case assumption that ‘everything good is scarce,' we just keep doing and accumulating more."

Perhaps the best example Beck shares to illustrate the perils of the just-in-case mindset has to do with love.

She writes:

"Anxious lovers have their partners followed. Parents micromanage children. People-pleasers try to manipulate everyone into liking them. This behavior isn't love; it's a fear-based outcome of believing love is scarce."

The problem is that this hoarding-type behavior can backfire. Beck says, "If you've ever been on the receiving end of such anxious machinations, you know they make you want to run, not bond."

Read more: There's one big reason to break up with someone, even if you love them

Focus on areas of abundance in your life

Instead, Beck urges readers to "focus on the abundance of your environment" by listing 10 areas of your life where you have too much, not too little.

In the case of love, focusing on abundance might ultimately mean saying, in Beck's words, "I'll always love you, and I really don't care what you do,"— that is, I'm not dependent on your choices.

Interestingly, this isn't the first time someone smart has applied a Toyota manufacturing principle to life in general.

Charles Duhigg, author of "Smarter Faster Better" and "The Power of Habit," wrote in The New York Times about how he used the "Five Whys" strategy to finally stop skipping dinner with his family.

The Five Whys process is straightforward: Ask "why" five times and you'll find the core issue that needs a resolution. Using this process, Duhigg was surprised to learn that he was missing dinner because the kids took a long time getting ready in the morning.

As for Beck, she writes in Oprah that, years ago, she started listing "wonderful things" that materialized at "just the right time," without any effort from her, and she still hasn't finished.

SEE ALSO: I'm borrowing a simple strategy from a productivity expert to be healthier in 2019

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• Larry Ellison, the founder and CTO of Oracle, just joined his "close friend"Elon Musk on Tesla's board of directors. 
• It's the latest development in one of the most interesting careers in Silicon Valley and beyond. 
• Here's how Ellison went from two-time college dropout to an international jet-setting, yacht-racing playboy. 

On Friday, Larry Ellison, the 74-year-old billionaire cofounder of Oracle, officially joined his "close friend" Elon Musk on the board of directors at Tesla — putting another feather in the cap for one of the most interesting men in tech.

Whether yacht racing or buying whole Hawaiian islands or trash-talking competitors, there's always a good chance we'll be surprised with what Ellison does next. At the time of writing, Forbes pegs his net worth at about $56 billion.

Here's how he went from two-time college dropout all the way to international playboy and tech titan:

SEE ALSO: The rise of Satya Nadella, the game-changing CEO of Microsoft

Lawrence Joseph Ellison was born in the Bronx on August 17, 1944, the son of a single mother named Florence Spellman.

When he was 9 months old, baby Larry came down with pneumonia. His mom sent him to Chicago to live with his aunt and uncle, Lillian and Louis Ellison.

Louis, his adoptive father, was a Russian immigrant who took the name "Ellison" in tribute to the place in which he entered the US: Ellis Island.

• The NFL has been full of fantastic touchdown celebrations ever since the league chose to relax the rules surrounding excessive and group performances. 
• The Pittsburgh Steelers' hide-and-seek celebration, the Minnesota Vikings' post-touchdown game of duck, duck, goose, and the Philadelphia Eagles' Electric Slide all stood out as memorable celebrations from 2017, but this year's crop far exceeded its predecessor.
• Check out whether or not your favorite team made the list.

After the 2016 season came to an end, the NFL decided to relax league rules surrounding excessive and group celebrations, allowing teams and players to get creative with their post-touchdown performances.

As a result, 2017 was full of memorable touchdown celebrations, like the Pittsburgh Steelers' hide-and-seek celebration between wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster and running back LeVeon Bell, the Minnesota Vikings' post-touchdown game of duck, duck, goose, and the eventual Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles' group rendition of the Electric Slide.

Still, it feels as though it took the league a year to get comfortable testing the new rules and going big on touchdown celebrations. Once 2018 came along, players began taking turning touchdown celebrations into a full-blown performance.

Without further ado, here are the best touchdown celebrations of 2018.

Dallas Cowboys — Amari Cooper impersonates Markelle Fultz's free throw

Tweet Embed:
//twitter.com/mims/statuses/1065755919064141826?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Amari Cooper really did Markelle Fultz's latest FT routine as a TD celebration.

📺: FOX #WASvsDALpic.twitter.com/09RdV8iXRA

Newly-minted Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Amari Cooper poked fun at Philadelphia 76ers guard Markelle Fultz, who has struggled with his shooting form since he was drafted first overall in the 2017 NBA Draft.

To his credit, Fultz took the joke in stride and said "Good shot boy" in response on Snapchat.

Seattle Seahawks — Tyler Lockett reenacts the Allen Iverson step-over

Tweet Embed:
//twitter.com/mims/statuses/1066788743942615040?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Lockett hit em with the Iverson stepover 😱😱😱 @TDLockett12pic.twitter.com/JhvxIHTvCk

In yet another homage to the NBA, Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Tyler Lockett did a near-perfect impersonation of Allen Iverson's famous step-over of Tyronn Lue.

Kansas City Chiefs — Tyreek Hills operates the CBS TV camera

Tweet Embed:
//twitter.com/mims/statuses/1061698513854128131?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Another one!@PatrickMahomes5 to the @Cheetah... SIX!

📺: CBS #ChiefsKingdompic.twitter.com/9E81WaWpLp

After scoring his second touchdown of the game, Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek "Cheetah" Hill jumped into the stands and took over operations of the CBS TV camera just in time to record the referree throwing his unsportsmanlike conduct penalty flag.

• Mollie Tibbetts was found dead in a cornfield near her home in Poweshiek County, Iowa, on August 21.
• Cristhian Bahena Rivera, an unauthorized immigrant living in the area, was arrested and charged with her murder. He has pleaded not guilty.
• After Mollie's death, her mother, Laura Calderwood, took in 17-year-old Ulises Felix, a friend of her teenage son and a child of Mexican immigrants.
• Ulises' parents fled after political tensions flared in Brooklyn, Iowa when politicians used Mollie's death to call for tougher immigration laws.

The mother of murdered University of Iowa student Mollie Tibbetts has taken in the son of Mexican immigrants.

Laura Calderwood took in 17-year-old Ulises Felix, a friend of her teenage son, after the boy's parents left Brooklyn, Iowa for Illinois after political tensions flared following Mollie's death, The Washington Post reported in a profile of the family published Friday.

Felix, a friend of Calderwood's son Scott, wanted to finish high school in the town where he'd lived for more than half of his life.

He moved in with Calderwood after Mollie's disappearance and murder gained national attention, with politicians including President Donald Trump using her death to rail against illegal immigration.

Read more: Mollie Tibbetts' father pleads in op-ed: 'Do not appropriate Mollie's soul in advancing views she believed were profoundly racist'

Felix's parents, who are from Mexico, worked at Yarrbee Farms alongside the man charged with killing Mollie, Cristhian Bahena Rivera, an unauthorized immigrant.

Bahena Rivera had trained Felix at the farm, and had a daughter with his cousin before they separated, according to the Post.

Calderwood told the Post she took in Ulises after debating what Mollie would have done in the same situation.

Mollie's father, Rob Tibbetts previously told the Des Moines Register that his daughter "vehemently opposed" anti-immigrant views.

Mollie was found dead on August 21 in a cornfield in Poweshiek County, a month after she disappeared while going for a run.

Bahena Rivera has pleaded not guilty to Mollie's murder. If he is convicted, he could serve life in prison.

Read the full story from the Washington Post »

• Read more:
• Ulises' parents, who are from Mexico, worked alongside the man suspected of murdering Mollie, Cristhian Bahena Rivera — an unauthorized immigrant — at a dairy farm in Brooklyn before they moved.
• Members of a conservative student group apologize to Charlie Kirk, Candace Owens over 'misunderstanding' on Mollie Tibbetts event
• Trump and his allies are seizing on Mollie Tibbetts' murder to crack down on illegal immigration, but data show native-born Americans commit way more violent crimes
• Mollie Tibbetts' death is being used to push debunked ideas about illegal immigration and violent crime

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