• Axios has lost its top three technical executives, all in the past six months.
• They were heads of technology, product, and design and were key to the company delivering on its selling point of providing news in a reader-friendly way.
• The online media startup has grown rapidly through advertising, which some sources say has led to tensions with the product side.
• Axios' cofounder said the company was as obsessed with audience as ever and was on track to grow revenue again in 2019.

Axios was founded on the idea of delivering "smart brevity." In the past six months, all of the technical leadership that's key to carrying out that mission has left the company.

Those departing had been with the company since its start or early on: Matt Boggie left as chief technology officer in September after two years; Alexis Lloyd, the chief design officer, left in July after two years; and Emma Schwartz, the vice president of product, left in November after a year and a half.

They reported, variously, to the cofounders Jim VandeHei and Roy Schwartz.

Several design team members also have left, sources said.

Read more:People are buzzing about a new media company called 'Axios' — here's everything we know about it

Axios was launched in January 2017 by VandeHei, Schwartz, and Mike Allen with a plan to take the rapid-fire media model they built at Politico and apply it more broadly to serve busy professionals with tightly written business and politics newsletters, formatted for mobile devices.

They started it with $10 million in funding led by the perennial media venture-capital backer Lerer Hippeau Ventures, along with NBC News, Emerson Collective, Greycroft Partners, and the Atlantic Media owners David and Katherine Bradley. Axios' manifesto listed principles such as "reader first,""elegant efficiency," and "smart, always."

Tensions arose over product, sources said

Product has become an increasingly important function at media companies as people get news and information on more screens and platforms and expect the experience to be user-friendly and uniform regardless of where they access it.

While Axios had a product-focused mission, had product execs from the start, and built its own content-management system, tensions arose between people on the technical side and the founders over how that mission would get carried out, three former employees said.

Common refrains were that conversations about product often ended with leaders saying, "What is product?" or top staff would "bring in people with expertise and be unwilling to listen to it," the ex-employees said.

VandeHei made waves early on by saying Axios would launch a subscription product costing as much as $10,000 a year. The company has put that offering on hold indefinitely, saying it made sense to chase advertising while it was still plentiful.

Tensions between the ad and product sides at ad-driven media companies are inherent. The ad side wants to maximize revenue, which can conflict with the user experience. At Axios, former employees said, the lofty goal of serving the reader sometimes ran up against the pursuit of ad dollars.

For one thing, the company has launched multiple newsletters, 18 in total, which, as some see it, runs the risk of confusing readers. Three are devoted to finance and markets, for example: Axios Edge, Axios Markets, and Pro Rata.

And Axios just bought Kendall Baker's Sports Internet newsletter and will relaunch it as Axios Sports on January 7.

A planned mobile app was another sore point mentioned by some former employees. The goal was to make the app distinct from the website, but leaders would add web-like features that would water down the differentiation, people involved said. Months of work later, the app never came out, as the project ended up being delayed to this year.

Defenders of the company insist it is just as obsessed with the user experience as ever.

"We are obsessed with being audience first — it's literally the first tenet of our Axios manifesto and the first thing we discuss when designing a new feature or rolling out a new coverage area," VandeHei said.

Axios is on track to double revenue in 2019

And by its own accounts, Axios is still in strong growth mode. It has said revenue would double in 2018, to more than $20 million, and projects doubling revenue yet again in 2019. Axios has 145 employees, up from 35 at launch, and plans to add another 60 in 2019. Original and new investors put in another $20 million less than a year after the company’s founding.

The company is looking for heads of tech and product with an emphasis on people who have product experience as it shifts away from design. It has hired a Silicon Valley search firm to handle the searches.

"Axios has grown and changed in ways that no one could have imagined," VandeHei said. "We're grateful for our alumni, and they'll always be part of our DNA and our creation story. We're growing and hiring, and actively looking for talent."

Join the conversation about this story »

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• Washington and Beijing have placed hundreds of billions of dollars worth of tariffs on each other.
• The results have been more negative for the US than for China, according to a recent HSBC research note.
• While China has been benefiting from strong import demand in most of its other trading partners except for the US and Germany, the analysts said, the US has not.

Americans have felt relatively more pain from President Donald Trump’s trade war than Chinese consumers and businesses, according to analysts at HSBC.

Studies of trade-war impacts by the International Monetary Fund and the European Central Bank found the "likely impact on the US economy to be significantly more negative than on China," analysts Janet Henry and James Pomeroy said in a research note. "Whereas China has been benefiting from strong import demand in most of its other trading partners except for the US (and Germany, due to cars), the US has not."

After tariffs were placed on hundreds of billions of dollars worth of products between the US and China, signs of threatened growth have emerged across the global economy. On Thursday, a key gauge of factory activity in the US fell by the most in more than a decade in December as hiring and new orders slowed sharply.

"The story here is that the trade war, coupled with China’s underlying slowdown, is wreaking havoc in both countries," said Ian Sheperdson, chief economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics.  "This makes us all the more convinced that a meaningful trade deal will be done over the next few months, but the manufacturing numbers will get worse before they get better."

But aside from products facing earlier tariffs — including washing machines, solar panels and metals — Chinese exports to the US have held up better than expected. Washington's goods trade deficit with Beijing hit an all-time high of $43.1 billion in November, with shipments up by nearly a tenth from a year earlier.

"One problem for the US is that many of its large export markets are not growing as quickly," the HSBC analysts said. "Another is that, according to US customs data, it is not just the US products that China imposed its retaliatory tariffs on that have seen weakening export growth to China, but US exports to China have seen some softening across the board."

To be sure, the US is far from alone in hurting from the tariffs, which Trump asserts are necessary to force China to change business practices seen as unfair. Trade barriers come at a particularly difficult time for officials in Beijing, who are grappling with an economy that has been growing at its weakest pace in a decade.

Manufacturing data out Wednesday showed China's private manufacturing activity contracted in December for the first time in 19 months. Adding to concern, Apple CEO Tim Cook said later that day the company had underestimated the slowdown in the second largest economy.

"While we anticipated some challenges in key emerging markets, we did not foresee the magnitude of the economic deceleration, particularly in Greater China," he said in the letter lowering Apple's revenue forecast.

Still, recent equity performance suggests both countries have suffered from rising protectionism. Stock markets around the world have shuddered in wake of the trade war, recording their some of the largest annual drops in years at the end of 2018. In the US, for instance, equities had their worst year since the financial crisis. 

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Apple's brutal sales warning sparked a Wall Street debate on whether tech stocks will be dragged into a disastrous downturn

SEE ALSO: Apple just issued a warning on iPhone sales, but Google Trends saw problems years ago (AAPL)

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• Artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, and self-driving technology are helping the transportation and logistics industry finally transform by cutting costs, optimizing delivery routes, and automating mundane tasks.
• Startups will be the lynchpin of this transformation because they specifically target areas of need  with cutting-edge solutions.
• Business Insider Intelligence examined the top 5 startups within five key areas: digital freight services, warehouse robotics, AI for supply chain management, last-mile delivery robotics, and self-driving car software.

Transportation and logistics industries have operated largely the same way for decades. But the surge in e-commerce in the last several years, combined with consumers’ appetite for same-day delivery, has brought us to a tipping point.

Delivery companies are doing all they can to get orders to customers’ doors as quickly as possible, which has facilitated wholesale changes in how they operate.

Cutting-edge digital solutions (including digital freight services, warehouse robotics, AI for supply chain management, delivery robotics, and autonomous driving software) are forcing traditional delivery companies to either evolve or see their core businesses erode.

Transportation & Logistics Startups to Watch, a new report from Business Insider Intelligence, monitors the biggest change agents in the industry to offer unique insight into the development of the transportation and logistics space at large, and shows how traditional companies are adapting to their new environment.

Want to Learn More?

Business Insider Intelligence's Startups to Watch reports give a high-level overview of the funding trends for startups in a particular coverage area, as well as a list of key startups (by function, what they do, key news, and statistics). Businesses need to understand new competitive threats, technologies, and acquisition opportunities in order to thrive. These reports provide that contextual information in an easy-to-digest manner.

In full, the Transportation & Logistics Startups to Watch report dives into the top 25 companies - five startups across five key disruption areas - that are easing shipping burdens, improving order fulfillment efficiency, optimizing delivery, and automating processes.

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• While a swath of analysts slashed their price targets on Apple following the company's revenue warning, the majority are not turning all-out bearish just yet.
• Of the major Wall Street analysts covering Apple, 23 carry a "buy" rating, 23 carry a "hold" rating, and two carry a "sell" rating.
• While nearly 30 analysts lowered their price targets on Wednesday and Thursday, just three lowered their ratings. In other words, the vast majority are advising their clients to keep holding on.
• "Despite slowing iPhone sales, we still anticipate Apple will continue to grow its install base," one analyst said.

Apple was the biggest story on Wall Street Thursday as shares plunged 10% to levels not seen since mid-2017 and equity analysts slashed their price targets left and right.

But the vast majority of analysts aren't retreating into bear country, with some suggesting the company's installed base is intact, and that the problems surrounding Apple — largely slowing iPhone sales — are confined to the Chinese market. 

After US markets closed on Wednesday, Apple told investors it would report fiscal first-quarter revenue below prior estimates, warning mainly on weak iPhone demand in China. The iPhone accounts for a hefty 63% of Apple's total revenue, according to UBS (followed by services, at 14% of the company's total revenue), and the announcement spooked shareholders. Apple shares have now plummeted almost 40% from their October 2018 high.

While nearly 30 analysts lowered their price targets on Wednesday and Thursday, just three shops — Jefferies, Macquarie, and Loop Capital Markets — lowered their ratings. None dropped their rating to a "sell."Out of the major Wall Street analysts tracked by Bloomberg, 23 carry a "buy," 23 carry a "hold," and two carry a "sell." 

In other words, analysts are advising investors to keep holding on despite the losses.

Take Mike Walkley, who covers Apple for Canaccord Genuity. In a note out Wednesday, he lowered his iPhone unit sales estimates and his target price on the stock from $225 to $190 — still quite a bullish view, forecasting a 33% gain from current levels. He reiterated his "buy" rating.

"Despite slowing iPhone sales, we still anticipate Apple will continue to grow its install base and believe the company’s ecosystem will contribute to ongoing growth, particularly for higher-margin Services and Other Products," Walkley said.

"We maintain our belief Apple can expand its leading market share of the premium-tier smartphone market and the
iPhone installed base (excluding refurbished iPhones) will exceed 700M in 2018."

Read more:Apple just issued a warning on iPhone sales, but Google Trends saw problems years ago

Others echoed a similar sentiment. Angelo Zino, who covers Apple for CFRA Research, in a note out Thursday morning, maintained his "buy" rating, but took down his price target from $215 to $195.

"We note a number of potential catalysts including the release of a video streaming offering, 5G iPhones in CY 20, and more aggressive share repurchases," he wrote.

Zino told Business Insider he would be more concerned about Apple's warning if its guidance appeared to be a more broad-based issue, but it was rather "iPhone-centric," and more or less contained in China for now.

Read more: Goldman Sachs called Apple's bombshell holiday quarter miss way back in November

Meanwhile, Wedbush analyst Dan Ives called the episode the "darkest day in the iPhone era," but reiterated his "outperform" rating and slashed his price target from $275 to $200.

Finally, Instinet analyst Jeffrey Kvaal said China is the main macroeconomic challenge facing Apple right now. 

"Apple indicated the conditions in the rest of the world are a secondary factor," he wrote to Business Insider in an email on Thursday.

"Within China, I think it is right to say both macro and product cycle issues are in play. Certainly the smartphone market in China has been soft for everyone, Apple included." 

Kvaal reiterated his "neutral" rating on the stock, but took his price target down from $185 to $175. When asked whether he believed Apple's sales warning was a more sweeping sign of economic trouble, Kvaal didn't quite respond.

"This is well above my pay grade – I’m just a tech analyst."

Read more:

• 'Apple's darkest day in the iPhone era': Here's what Wall Street is saying about Apple's bombshell profit warning
• Apple is partially blaming weak iPhone sales on customers taking advantage of the $30 battery-replacement offer

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: The equity chief at $6.3 trillion BlackRock weighs in on the trade war, a possible recession, and offers her best investing advice for a tricky 2019 landscape

• The first ever Native American women elected to Congress hugged after they were sworn into office on Thursday.
• Deb Haaland (New Mexico's first district) and Sharice Davids (Kansas' third district) embraced as the new House Speaker Nancy Pelosi congratulated the 116th Congress.
• Haaland is a member of the Laguna Pueblo people, and Davids is from the Ho-Chunk (Winnebago) nation.
• This Congress has 102 women, a record, and is also the most ethnically diverse in US history.
• See photos of the 101 new House members sworn in at the ceremony here.

The first two Native American congresswomen ever elected hugged on the House floor on Thursday as they were sworn into the most diverse Congress ever. 

Deb Haaland (New Mexico's first district) and Sharice Davids (Kansas' third district) shared a tearful embrace, as new House Speaker Nancy Pelosi congratulated the 116th Congress for taking up office. 

Here's a video of the moment. After they hug, Haaland uses Davids' scarf to wipe away her tears. 

Haaland is a member of the Laguna people, and Davids is from the Ho-Chunk (Winnebago) nation.

Davids is also a lesbian, making her the first ever LGBT member of Congress from the state of Kansas. After the ceremony she tweeted: "Not a bad first day on the job."

Read more:The most diverse Congress in US history is sworn in as Democrats take the reins of power in the House

The makeup of Congress is really different this year. It's the most diverse in US history, with 102 women in the ranks, more than ever before.

There were other notable firsts, Rashida Tlaib (Michigan) and Ilhan Omar (Minnesota) were the first Muslim women to be sworn into Congress.

Tlaib also became the first Palestinian-American elected to the House, and wore a traditional Palestinian thobe to the ceremony.

Despite new records for diversity amongst the Democrats, Business Insider previously reported that 90% of House Republicans will be white men.

Ten new senators and 101 new House members were sworn-in in total on Thursday.

The results from the Midterm elections held on November 7 saw the Democrats sweep into power, after eight years in the minority.

New House speaker Nancy Pelosi — who led Thursday's ceremony — was reelected with 220 votes, becoming the first woman to hold the position twice.

Join the conversation about this story »

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

Here is what you need to know.

1. Here comes the jobs report. The US economy is expected to have added 184,000 nonfarm jobs in December with the unemployment rate holding at 3.7%, according to economists surveyed by Bloomberg.
2. The US and China have agreed to a fresh round of trade talks. Jeffrey Gerrish, the US deputy trade representative who has been mentored by Robert Lighthizer, the US trade representative who is particularly hawkish on China, will lead the US delegation for talks to be held Monday and Tuesday in Beijing.
3. China posts some surprisingly strong economic data. The IHS Markit China Composite Purchasing Managers' Index hit 52.2 in December, its highest reading in at least five months, according to a report out Friday.
4. China makes a big move to boost its slowing economy. The People's Bank of China slashed its reserve requirement ratio by 100 basis points on Friday, freeing up a net 800 billion yuan ($116.51 billion) of liquidity, Reuters reports.
5. Stock markets around the world are in rally mode. Hong Kong's Hang Seng (+2.24%) led the charge in Asia, and Germany's DAX (+1.64%) was out front in Europe. The S&P 500 was set to open higher by 1.46% near 2,484.
6. The stock market's top trade has gotten a massive makeover. The so-called momentum trade has undergone a huge shift, and Goldman Sachs lays out ways it thinks investors can take advantage of the changing tide.
7. Apple's stock just plunged, but analysts are saying to hold on for dear life. Apple plunged 10% Thursday, and is now down 40% from its October peak, after the tech giant warned fiscal first-quarter revenue would miss expectations, but the lion's share of Wall Street analysts still have the stock rated "buy."
8. The Fed chairman speaks. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell is scheduled to speak at the American Economic Association and Allied Social Science Association 2019 Annual Meeting in Atlanta at 10:30 a.m. ET. The former Fed chairs Ben Bernanke and Janet Yellen will also take part in the joint discussion.
9. Carlos Ghosn, the former Nissan chairman, gets his day in court. He is set to appear next week after requesting an open hearing to hear the reason for his detention, the Japanese news agency NHK reported Friday.
10. There's US economic data besides the jobs report. Markit Services PMI will cross the wires at 9:45 a.m. ET. The US 10-year yield was up 5 basis points at 2.60%.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: The equity chief at $6.3 trillion BlackRock weighs in on the trade war, a possible recession, and offers her best investing advice for a tricky 2019 landscape

While the world of cocktails may seem to be constantly evolving, it's the classic recipes that customers continue to demand year after year.

In its January issue, Drinks International released its list of the world's best-selling classic cocktails in 2019 — and it shows that while bartenders may put a modern spin on old recipes, the desire for established, sophisticated drinks remains.

The website asked bartenders from 127 of the best bars in 38 countries around the world (all of which have won or been nominated for global awards over the past year) to rank their 10 best-selling cocktails.

Read more:The 30 best-selling cocktails in the world in 2018

It then weighted and ranked each drink to compile the list.

From moscow mules to mai tais, scroll down to see the 50 best-selling cocktails in the world, ranked in ascending order — and to see how many you've tried.

50. White Russian

Made popular in the 90s' by "The Big Lebowski," this vodka, cream, and coffee liqueur cocktail may not be as trendy as it once was, but it still made it's way into the top 50.

49. Bellini

Invented by Guiseppe Cipriani, the founder of Harry's Bar in Venice, the bellini may not be considered to be a cocktail by some, with only two ingredients — prosecco and peach purée or nectar.

48. Champagne Cocktail

Made with sugar, Angostura bitters, Champagne, brandy, and a maraschino cherry as a garnish, the Champagne Cocktail seems a little outdated next to some of its more modern contenders.

This is a preview of The Podcast Report from Business Insider Intelligence. Current subscribers can read the report here.

• The number of US podcast consumers has more than doubled in the past decade — and there's still a long runway for growth.
• And the podcast listenership base continues to grow in the US amid declines in consumption of other premium ad environments.
• Entertainers, music streaming platforms, and smart speakers will play a role in furthering podcast listenership growth throughout the next five years.

Are your social circles and online feeds always buzzing with everyone’s latest podcast obsession? The number of US podcast consumers has more than doubled over the last decade. And by 2023, Business Insider Intelligence estimates there will be some 106 million regular podcast listeners in the US.

People are getting hooked on audio from a young age, too. Over a quarter (26%) of US consumers over age 12 now listen to podcasts on a monthly basis, a jump from just 12% five years ago.

And while the growing listener base is a huge draw for advertisers, it’s not the real reason they should be exploring podcast campaigns. After all, more than half of overall daily media consumption time in the US is now spent with video. Even so, podcasts have the upper hand.

Why should brands advertise on podcasts?

US podcast ad spend is expected to grow over 110% through 2020 — up to $659 million. But consider for a moment that TV and radio ad spend are already at $69 billion and $18 billion respectively, and this figure suddenly feels tiny. The podcast ad market’s small size implies many brands don’t recognize the valuable advertising opportunity podcasts offer.

When looking at factors beyond pure audience size, podcast listeners present several key benefits that make the medium ripe for success for advertising — and brands would be remiss to overlook them.

Here’s why brands should take podcast listeners seriously:

• The majority of regular podcast listeners complete all or most of the podcasts they start. Forty-four percent of monthly podcast listeners finish most of the podcast episodes they start, while 43% finish the entire episode, per Edison Research and Triton Digital.
• Listeners are more receptive to ads on podcasts than ads on other mediums. Of US respondents over the age of 18, 55% say they always or sometimes pay attention to podcast ads versus radio (45%), TV (44%), music streaming services (41%), and online video (34%) ads.
• Most podcast listeners don't skip past ads. Because most podcast ads are read by the host and baked into podcasts, it can be difficult for listeners to easily and accurately skip past podcast ads without missing podcast content, spurring many to listen through podcast ads entirely.

Want to Learn More?

The Podcast Report from Business Insider Intelligence explores the key drivers affecting podcast listenership growth, detailing the benefits of advertising on podcasts versus other media formats, and outlines the best practices for implementing a successful podcast ad campaign.

In full, the report discusses the barriers that will inhibit future growth in listenership and ad spending, and how these hurdles can be overcome to implement a successful podcast ad campaign and attract more big-budget brands into the space.

Join the conversation about this story »

• Online shopping continues to evolve.
• Amazon is reportedly trying to stop selling items it deems "CRaP"— consumable goods that have thin margins and "can't realize a profit," like bottled water and snacks.
• This could represent an opportunity for other players like Boxed, which employs a different sales model and relies on customers stocking up on this kind of item.
• Boxed has recently started initiatives to work closely with vendors like Coca-Cola as well.

After a rush to sell online, e-commerce players are now rethinking their strategy.

Online shopping is still evolving as customers' behavior changes, and stores have been tweaking free shipping thresholds and item selection to increase either market share or profitability.

"18 months ago — everyone thought, like, maybe selling single things of bottled water is not profitable," Chieh Huang, the CEO of Boxed, the bulk-shopping site sometimes referred to as the "Costco for millennials," recently told Business Insider.

One such tweak: Amazon is looking to move away from selling items it deems "CRaP"— which stands for "can't realize a profit"— and either shift those sales to third-party sellers or work with vendors to change the shape or size of packaged goods, the Wall Street Journal recently reported. These items are usually heavy or bulky, making them difficult or expensive to ship and resulting in slim or even nonexistent margins.

Read more:Amazon reportedly wants to curb selling 'CRaP' items it can't profit on, like bottled water and snacks

But one man's trash is another man's treasure. Huang says he sees opportunity in "CRaP" for Boxed.

"Might be crap for them, but it's OK for us," Huang said. "We make decent money on very similar stuff."

That's because Boxed has a different model from Amazon, Huang says, and how its customers shop differs, too. With its Prime membership, Amazon has taught customers not to worry about buying only one thing at a time, as all eligible items ship free in two days.

For Boxed, the story is different. The company only sells consumables like toilet paper and packaged foods, and only in bulk. It's that bulk mentality that leads to large average orders. 

"Stuff is labeled 'crap' when you ship it single in a box," Huang said.

He noted that the average order size at Boxed is between eight and 10 items. That shipping cost is divided between all of the items being sold, leading to a higher margin overall. Free shipping is only available for orders totaling more than $49.

Boxed's relatively limited selection with relation to categories also affects how people shop the website, keeping them focused on consumables.

"We see you're buying paper towels, would you like to also buy a baseball bat? Well, no not really," Huang said.

Still, Boxed is looking to expand its depth of selection, resulting in partnerships with vendors like Coca-Cola, which is selling an exclusive line of its Smartwater on the website. 

"We're working more and more with brands and even retailers," Huang recently told Business Insider's Kate Taylor in an interview."When you think about shipping bulky stuff — we've become really good at it. It's not like Coca-Cola is going to change its business model because people can't ship bulky stuff."

Amazon also works closely with Coca-Cola, including changing sizes to increase the average selling price per bottle of water and having it ship directly from the vendor to customers, according to the Journal.

SEE ALSO: Coca-Cola is debuting its new bottled water via the 'Costco for millennials' as Amazon tries to ditch water and other 'CRaP' products

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• Idris Elba is playing at Coachella.
• The news came as a shock to many who were surprised to see the actor's name on the set list.
• Elba has actually been moonlighting as a DJ since his teens and is passionate about music.
• He has collaborated with artists including Fatboy Slim and Skepta in the past.

The Coachella lineup has been announced, and there are plenty of surprises.

Childish Gambino, Tame Impala, and Ariana Grande headline this year's festival but Kanye West was nowhere to be seen despite rumours that he would headline after doing so for the first time in 2011.

Read more:The Coachella 2019 lineup is here, and Kanye West is nowhere to be found

Perhaps the most surprising name in the line-up, though, was also one of its most famous: Idris Elba.

Elba — who is known for his roles in "The Wire,""Luther," and the "Thor" films — also moonlights as a DJ and even has his own cocktail bar in London where he spins the decks.

People's current "Sexiest Man Alive" performs under the name DJ Big Driis and has been involved in music since he was a teen.

"Actors doing music is corny, I know that's what people think and I accept that,” he told The Voice in 2009. "But music has always been a way for me to express myself. Honestly, I hate pushing my music. I'm passionate about what I do, so to hear someone saying they hate it would be a bit like having someone say your child is ugly!"

Elba has collaborated with artists including Fatboy Slim and Skepta, but apparently has remained under the radar for many music fans.

"Why tf is Idris Elba on the setlist at Coachella lmfao," one person tweeted.

"WAIT THE IDRIS ELBA THING ISN'T A JOKE AND HE IS ACTUALLY A DJ!?!?!?!?!?!!" wrote another.

"What will he perform...a short play???" added someone else.

Music fans weren't the only ones surprised by the announcement — Elba's 17-year-old daughter Isan Elba, who is 2019's Golden Globes Ambassador, told E! News that her father hadn't even told her that he was playing the festival.

"I was literally looking at the lineup [...] I saw Virgil Abloh — love him — and then, right under that, I saw Idris Elba.

"He didn't tell me!" she said, adding: "We're in the same house and you can't even tell me? Why would you do that?"

Read more:10 things to know about Isan Elba, this year's Golden Globe Ambassador and daughter of Idris Elba

Not everyone was surprised though: "I guess all of the people freaking out about Idris Elba Being on the Coachella list don’t follow him on social media...where ALL HE TWEETS ABOUT IS BEING A DJ," wrote Gizmodo Entertainment Reporter Germain Lussier.

True enough, his Twitter account could be mistaken for that of any full-time DJ — he barely references his acting at all.

For any fans hoping to get a glimpse of what to expect from Elba's Coachella set, you can find his Spotify page here:

He's also appearing in a new Netflix comedy entitled "Turn Up Charlie," where he will play a struggling DJ and eternal bachelor, according to Variety. The series debuts March 15.

Join the conversation about this story »

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• A New York law firm is garnering support for a shareholder lawsuit against Apple.
• That's after the company issued a shock revenue warning on Wednesday.
• Bernstein Liebhard said Apple CEO Tim Cook can't reconcile his November optimism about iPhone sales in China with Wednesday's warning, where he blamed China's slowing economy for poorer-than-expected sales.
• Apple has been ignoring the bigger reality about smartphones, which is that demand is slowing and they have become commoditised.

Apple has had its first whiff of legal action over its shock revenue downgrade on Wednesday, with New York law firm Bernstein Liebhard trying to garner support for a class-action lawsuit on behalf of shareholders.

In a press release on Wednesday, the law firm wrote: "Bernstein Liebhard LLP, a nationally acclaimed investor rights law firm, is investigating potential securities fraud claims on behalf of shareholders of Apple... resulting from allegations that Apple and/or its executives may have issued materially misleading business information to the investing public."

It asks Apple shareholders to join the lawsuit, but isn't clear whether the firm actually has any claimants as yet. Business Insider has contacted the firm for comment.

Apple revealed on Wednesday that its fiscal first-quarter revenue would be 7% lower than expected, coming in at $84 billion. It had previously predicted revenue between $89 billion and $93 billion. The company pinned the blame on falling iPhone upgrades and the slowing Chinese economy, among other factors.

Bernstein Liebhard LLP's investigation hinges on the fact Cook failed to warn investors about any of this earlier.

The company wrote: "[On] November 1, 2018 during Apple's fourth quarter 2018 conference call, CEO Tim Cook stated that '[o]ur business in China was very strong last quarter. We grew 16%, which we’re very happy with. iPhone in particular was very strong, very strong double-digit growth there.'"

That same quarter, Apple would stop disclosing iPhone unit sales.

Read more: Apple's sweet talk about its $10.8 billion services business was totally undermined by Netflix

In interviews through 2018, Cook maintained that the US would resolve its trade dispute with China, but offered no warning it was hurting business.

"I'm optimistic because trade is one of those things where it's not a zero-sum game. You know you and I can trade something and we can both win. And so I'm optimistic that the two countries will sort this out and life will go on,"he told CNBC in September. 

Apple's troubles in China did not come as a great surprise to a number of analysts, given the open trade war and economic indicators. But it was the severity of the issues that caught some off guard. "We were surprised about the magnitude of the miss and the negative impact of China demand for iPhones," Citi said in a note this week.

As Bloomberg columnist Shira Ovide noted in a piece titled "Apple’s iPhone Warning Comes Years Too Late," Apple has also tried to ignore the bigger reality about smartphones.

Most people in the Western world probably own a smartphone of some kind and, as the devices become commoditised, it's harder for different companies to stand out.

Apple's solution to the "peak smartphone" problem was to raise iPhone prices, so it would continue generating huge revenue as and when people did upgrade. But likewise, any new innovation Apple can come up with often replicated by rivals in cheaper devices. In some cases, those rivals beat Apple to innovations like under-screen fingerprint scanning. That makes the iPhone's newer, steeper price harder for consumers to justify.

This may be why Apple talked up its services business, as a tacit admission that the iPhone wouldn't forever be the number one driver of its business.

Bernstein Liebhard is banking on the fact that disgruntled investors may have appreciated more straight-up honesty last year.

SEE ALSO: The $450 billion wipeout: Apple's value has fallen by more than Facebook's entire worth in three short months

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• China has released photos of its lunar rover leaving track marks on the far side of the moon after its historic landing.
• China's Chang'e 4 craft on Thursday became the first to successfully land on the far side.
• Its Yutu No. 2 rover has now started to make its way across the lunar surface.

New photos from China's space agency shows its lunar rover leaving tracks on the far side of the moon, at the start of a historic exploration mission.

China successfully landed the Chang'e 4 spacecraft on the moon's far side — also known as the "dark side" of the moon — on Thursday, which no nation had done before.

The new images from the moon's surface show the Yutu No. 2 rover after it left a ramp and began to move across the lunar surface.

A first image shows it at the end of the ramp:

And a second one showed it starting to drive off into the distance.

The pictures follow the first images from the landing, which were released on Thursday shortly after the landing.

China's mission is to learn more about the little-understood region of the moon, as well as to compete with the US and Russia as a powerhouse of space exploration.

Previous photos shared by China's National Space Administration show the first-ever close-ups of the far side of the moon's cratered surface.

Read More: China releases photos from the first mission to land on the far side of the moon

The rover has six powered wheels, which will let it keep working even if one of the wheels fails, according to the Associated Press.

It has a maximum speed of 0.1 miles per hour. It can climb a 20-degree hill or mount an obstacle up to 8 inches tall.

Rover designer Shen Zhenrong of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation told state broadcaster CCTV that the "surface is soft and it is similar to that when you are walking on the snow,"according to the Associated Press.

Wu Weiren, the chief designer of the Lunar Exploration Project, told CCTV that it was "a small step for the rover, but one giant leap for the Chinese nation."

China's landing was the first-ever successful "soft-landing," which means a landing without damage, on the far side of the moon. The first man-made object to hit the far side was NASA's Ranger 4 craft in 1964, which crashed after a system failure.

Read More:Humanity's coolest achievements in spaceflight since Apollo 8, from walking on the moon to touching interstellar space

CNSA said its objective to learn more about the far side of the moon, where much less is known compared to the side that humans have landed on.

The agency says it hopes to learn more about things like mineral composition and the structure of its surface, as well as learn more about the sun, other planets, and the origin of the stars.

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• An Italian man proposed to his flight attendant girlfriend on board an Emirates flight from Rome to Dubai.
• He enlisted the help of the crew and passengers, who had all decorated the cabin.
• She said yes, and called it "the most wonderful day of my life."

A couple has melted hearts across the world after a video of their engagement went viral.

Italian couple Stefano Inve and Vittoria Stabile got engaged at 35,000 feet.

Vittoria is a flight attendant for Emirates and thought she was simply working a normal shift as she boarded a flight from Rome to Dubai. Little did she know, it would turn out to be one of the most memorable flights of her life.

Stefano was on board and had enlisted the help of not only the rest of the crew but also the passengers in his elaborate proposal, which was captured on multiple cameras and posted on Emirates' social media channels.

Without Vittoria knowing, the cabin had been decorated with hearts and streamers hanging from the ceiling. 

When the flight attendant emerged from the galley, she was in complete shock at what she found — she was greeted by passengers giving her red roses, covering their faces with cardboard cut-outs of Stefano's, and holding up hearts and messages.

Read more: A male model proposed to his girlfriend with 6 different rings and let her choose which one she wanted

Clearly overcome with emotion, Vittoria walked down the aisle struggling to hold back tears.

By the time she reached the next galley, she had a full bouquet of roses and found her boyfriend waiting for her.

Stefano got down on one knee, popped the question, and Vittoria said yes, with the crowd around her blowing bubbles and holding up "S" and "V" balloons. 

The now groom-to-be slid a ring on to his fiancée's finger and the whole plane erupted in applause.

The video of the engagement has now had 550,000 views on Instagram, with many followers expressing their joy in response.

"Love is in the air," said one person.

"This is absolutely heartwarming," added another.

And the bride-to-be herself commented, "Thanks for sharing the most wonderful day of my life."

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NOW WATCH: I'm a diehard iPhone user who switched to Android for a week — here's what I loved and hated about the Google Pixel 3 XL

• WithMe Health, a startup looking to take on the middlemen in the $360 billion U.S. prescription drug industry just raised $20 million from Oak HC/FT. 
• The company is meant to be a replacement for pharmacy benefit managers, the middlemen responsible for negotiating discounts to the list price of medications on behalf of employers and health plans.
• WithMe is in talks with one employer, which spends about $300 million on medications a year, for its initial contract. 

WithMe Health, a startup that's trying to upend some of the middlemen that are part of the $360 billion drug industry, just raised $20 million. 

The funding comes from venture capital firm Oak HC/FT, where its founder and interim CEO, Chris Price is a partner. It's meant to be a "turnkey replacement" for pharmacy benefit managers, the middlemen responsible for negotiating discounts to the list price of medications on behalf of health plans and employers. 

Price said Oak had been looking to make an investment in a new PBM, but hadn't come across one. Instead, Oak decided to start a replacement of its own.

"We ended up deciding that we should build it," Price told Business Insider. Price had been at a number of PBMs over the years, seeing the cycle of them getting bought up into bigger businesses. 

The company will face stiff competition from entrenched rivals, and it isn't the first to try to disrupt the industry.  Express Scripts (now part of Cigna), CVS Caremark and UnitedHealth Group's OptumRx together make up about 90% of the PBM market.

One of the ways PBMs negotiate lower drug prices with manufacturers is by using their size to get a better deal. That automatically puts new companies like WithMe at a disadvantage.

Price said he was worried that drug manufacturers wouldn't even meet with him, but so he's had a good response. 

"They're willing to change and drive evolution of this," Price said. 

WithMe plans to start by working with self-insured employers. For many Americans, their employers are the ones picking up the tab for the healthcare. More than half of the non-elderly population is covered by an employer-sponsored plan, and almost 80% of large companies are self-insured. As healthcare costs go up, employers are tthe pressure, and some are starting to get fed up.

While WithMe doesn't yet have any clients, the hope is that companies will turn to it as they seek to shape up how they provide healthcare.

Read more: A failed deal with Boeing taught a $23 billion health system 5 key lessons about how to work with big companies to shake up healthcare

What WithMe plans to do differently

For a single prescription drug, there are often five companies involved, from development all the way to your medicine cabinet. These companies are responsible for everything from making the drug and setting its price to distribution to your local pharmacy, negotiating how much you're expected to pay for it, and covering the rest of the cost. Each company makes a profit along the way.

A big criticism of the current way that PBMs do business is that often, as drug prices increase, so do those profits. PBMs say their goal is to lower the overall cost of medications.

The rise of high-deductible health plans is also adding to the scrutiny of PBMs. That's because at the pharmacy counter, individuals on those plans can be on the hook for the full list price of drugs, which can cost hundreds of dollars.

That amount doesn't factor in a key payment that acts as a discount to the list price drugmakers set, known as a rebate. Those rebates, worth more than $100 billion a year, are a big way that PBMs generate their profits.

Where WithMe plans to be different is that it won't make money off of rebates or dispensing fees. Instead, it'll get paid a fixed fee for each of its members each month, and allow employers to go through and keep tabs on the transactions that get processed to make sure they're not taking any additional money. It'll also factor in over-the-counter medications and medications administered in the hospital. 

To start, Price said WithMe is in talks with a Fortune 100 employer, ideally to start working with them in 2019. Price said the employer spends about $300 million a year on medications. 

• Read more:
• A startup that could be Amazon's next takeover target just raised $50 million to help people manage their prescriptions
• A former Amazon executive made a big mistake when he first joined a major hospital system, and it could be a warning for tech companies trying to shake up healthcare
• 10 surprises that could rock biotech stocks in 2019, from success in Alzheimer's to a stumble in depression 10 surprises that could rock biotech stocks in 2019, from success in Alzheimer's to a stumble in depression
• Bristol-Myers Squibb and Celgene said their huge merger has about $2.5 billion in 'synergies.' That should make employees nervous.

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• The Labor Department is set to release its official December employment report Friday.
• It's expected to show an increase in hiring and wage growth after a modest November.
• The report comes at a tumultuous time in financial markets.

Providing the latest snapshot of the US economy, the Labor Department’s December employment report out Friday will likely show hiring and wages picked up at the end of 2018.

Economists expect the report out at 8:30 a.m. ET will show nonfarm payrolls rose by 184,000 jobs last month, according to economists surveyed by Bloomberg. That would come after the job market fell short of expectations in November, when 155,000 jobs were added.

The unemployment rate is seen holding steady at 3.7%, its lowest level since 1969 during the Vietnam draft. Following modest gains of 0.2% in November, economists estimate average hourly earnings rose 0.3% last month.

A strong employment report could offer some relief to global markets, which have reeled in recent months from a flood of concerns including slowing economic growth. In the US, stocks ended their worst year since 2008 on Monday.

"The drop in stock prices likely will depress the numbers somewhat over the next couple of months, but for now all the indicators of labor demand we follow are very robust," said Ian Sheperdson, chief economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics.

Data out this week have fanned fears that the nine-year economic expansion is running out of steam. Alongside trade tensions and rising rates, an increasing number of economists have even forecast a recession could begin by 2020.

On Thursday, a gauge of factory activity in the US fell by the most in a decade. That followed weaker-than-expected manufacturing figures from the eurozone and China, underscoring expectations for other major economies around the world to slow.

But employment components of the latest regional surveys and initial claims data suggest labor demand remains strong, according to Lewis Alexander, an analyst at Nomura.

"We expect the December employment report to remind markets that the US growth outlook remains stable despite financial market volatility," he said.

SEE ALSO: Global stocks are enjoying their first good day of 2019 after China and US agree fresh trade talks

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NOW WATCH: The equity chief at $6.3 trillion BlackRock weighs in on the trade war, a possible recession, and offers her best investing advice for a tricky 2019 landscape

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

Automakers are on the verge of a prolonged period of rapid change to the way they do business, thanks to the combined disruptive forces of growing on-demand mobility services and self-driving cars, which will start to come to market in the next couple of years.

By the end of 2019, Google spinoff Waymo, Uber, and GM all plan to have fleets of autonomous cars deployed in various US cities to provide on-demand rides for passengers. By eliminating the cost of the driver, these rides are expected to be far cheaper than typical Uber or Lyft rides, and even cheaper than owning a car for personal transportation.

Many industry experts are predicting that such cheap on-demand autonomous rides service will result in a long-term decline in car ownership rates — PwC predicts that the total number of cars on the road in the US and EU will drop from 556 million last year to 416 million in 2030.

This decline in car ownership represents an enormous threat to automakers’ traditional business models, forcing them to find alternative revenue sources. Many of these automakers, including GM, Ford, and Daimler, have plans to launch their own on-demand ride-hailing services with fleets of self-driving cars they will manufacture, potentially giving them a new stream of recurring revenue. This could set them up to take a sizeable share of a market that is expected to be worth trillions by 2030.

However, competing in the on-demand mobility market will pit legacy automakers against ride-hailing services from startups and tech giants that have far greater experience in acquiring and engaging consumers through digital channels. To succeed in what will likely be a hyper-competitive market for urban ride-hailing, automakers will have to foster new skill sets in their organizations, and transform from companies that primarily produce vehicles to ones that also manage vehicle fleets and customer relationships.

That will entail competing with startups and tech giants for software development and data science talent, as well as reforming innovation processes to keep pace with digital trendsetters. Automakers will also need to create unique mobile app and in-car experiences to lure customers. Finally, these automakers will face many overall barriers in the market, including convincing consumers that self-driving cars are safe, and dealing with a complex and evolving regulatory landscape.

In a new report, Business Insider Intelligence, Business Insider's premium research service, delves into the future of the on-demand mobility space, focusing on how automakers will use fleets of self-driving vehicles to break into an emerging industry that's been dominated thus far by startups like Uber and Lyft. We examine how the advent of autonomous vehicles will reshape urban transportation, and the impact it will have on traditional automakers. We then detail how automakers can leverage their core strengths to create new revenue sources with autonomous mobility services, and explore the key areas they'll need to gain new skills and capabilities in to compete with mobility startups and tech giants that are also eyeing this opportunity. 

Here are some of the key takeaways:

• The low cost of autonomous taxis will eventually lead car ownership rates among urban consumers to decline sharply, putting automakers’ traditional business models at risk.
• Many automakers plan to launch their own autonomous ride-hailing services with the self-driving cars they're developing to replace losses from declining car sales, putting them in direct competition with mobility startups and tech giants looking to launch similar services.
• Additionally, automakers plan to maximize utilization of their autonomous on-demand vehicles by performing last-mile deliveries, which will force them to compete with a variety of players in the parcel logistics industry.
• Regulatory pressures could also push automakers to consider alternative mobility services besides on-demand taxis, such as autonomous on-demand shuttle or bus services.
• Providing these types of services will force automakers to make drastic changes to their organizations to acquire new talent and skills, and not all automakers will succeed at that.

In full, the report:

• Forecasts the growth of autonomous on-demand ride-hailing services in the US.
• Examines the cost benefits of such services for consumers, and how they will reshape consumers’ transportation habits.
• Details the different avenues for automakers to monetize the growth of autonomous ride-hailing.
• Provides an overview of the various challenges that all players in the self-driving car space will need to overcome to monetize their investments in these new technologies in the coming years.
• Explains the key factors that will be critical for automakers to succeed in this emerging market.
• Offers examples of how automakers can differentiate their apps and services from competitors’.

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When I first heard about an app that promises the benefits of a sweaty bike ride or trip to the gym in seven minutes, I assumed it was all hype.

It isn't.

Designed by exercise physiologist Chris Jordan, the Johnson & Johnson Official 7 Minute Workout gets your heart pumping and helps build muscle.

The app is a great introduction to a trendy type of fitness routine called interval training, and it's ideal for weekends or days when I can't make it to my regular yoga class.

Since it first debuted five years ago, the app has soared in popularity, something Jordan told Business Insider he didn't see coming.

"To be honest I don’t think we realized the popularity that this app would have," he said. "We've been incredibly pleasantly surprised that this has worked for so many."

Here's what the latest version of the app is like.

SEE ALSO: The best ways to lose weight and keep it off, according to science

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The entire workout really takes just seven minutes. I was initially skeptical about whether I could accomplish this much in such a narrow time frame.

The program consists of 72 exercises like jumping jacks, sit-ups, and push-ups. Ten require nothing but your body, and for others, you just need a chair that can support your weight. The latest version of the app lets you do each exercise along with Jordan.

To do my workout, I set up a yoga mat on the hardwood floor of my office and used a stool.

• Freshman congresswoman Rashida Tlaib said on Thursday that the Democrats are "going to go in and impeach the motherf-----", referring to President Donald Trump.
• Rashida Tlaib made the comments at a party hosted by political advocacy group MoveOn, after being sworn in as representative for the 13th district of Michigan. 
• Tlaib said she was repeating an exchange she had with her son, who had told her "bullies don't win."
• She is an outspoken critic of Trump and got forcibly removed for heckling him at a luncheon in August 2016.

One of the first two Muslim congresswoman says the Democrats are "going to go in and impeach the motherf-----" in a strident anti-Trump speech on the evening she was sworn in.

A clip of Rashida Tlaib's speech at a MoveOn campaign party on Thursday night in Washington, was shared on Twitter by Nestor Ruiz, from the immigrant organization"United We Dream."

In the video Tlaib says: "People love you, and you win, and when your son looks at you and says 'Momma look, you won, bullies don't win.' I said, "Baby they don't, because we're gonna go in there, we're going to go in and impeach the m----- f-----.'"

Tlaib was sworn into the 116th Congress as the representative for the 13th district of Michigan a few hours before. 

During her campaign to enter Congress, Tlaib explicitly said she wanted to pursue impeachment.

She told The Hill in April:"I keep telling people this is about electing a jury that will impeach him, and I make a heck of a juror."

President Donald Trump is facing calls for impeachment over claims of obstruction of justice relating to the firing of James Comey as FBI director in 2017, as well as over Russia's role in the US election.

After the swearing in ceremony on Thursday, Tlaib — who is the first American-Palestinian woman in Congress — tweeted: "This really happened. I am US Congresswoman. Not bad for a girl from southwest Detroit who didn't speak English, daughter of Palestinian immigrants."

Read more:Women are sharing #TweetYourThobe after Rep. Rashida Tlaib wears traditional Palestinian dress for swearing-in ceremony

From the event, Washington Post reporter Dave Wiegel tweeted:"Raucous reception for @RashidaTlaib at MoveOn reception near the Hill. Her closing remarks: 'We’re gonna impeach the motherf-----'." 

Tlaib is an outspoken critic of Trump and was forcibly removed from a campaign event for heckling Trump at in August 2016.

"He doesn't love Detroit," she shouted at Trump, according to the Detroit Free Press.

"He doesn't love no one who isn't Donald Trump." She was dragged away to a mixture of boos and applause.

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• Toxic people can invade all areas of life.
• They can be your relatives, friends, colleagues, or partners.
• One thing can make it particularly hard for victims to leave: gratitude.
• This is because toxic people aren't bad all the time.
• They're also highly skilled at tricking you into focusing on the good times.

Nobody is bad all the time. Even the most evil, selfish people have their good days, and these sporadic, seemingly kind actions sometimes tend to overshadow the bad times in our minds.

But feeling grateful for the good is sometimes what keeps us trapped with bad people.

"You can always find evidence of your partner being good," said psychologist Perpetua Neo, who works with victims of narcissistic abuse. "That is the whole point... That is the way in which they operate so that you will always have selective evidence."

Abusers often follow the same pattern: idealize, devalue, discard. In the first stages, whether it's a friendship or a romantic relationship, the toxic person does something called love bombing, where they tend to their victim's every need, are highly affectionate and complimentary, and nothing but nice. But after a while, the mask slips and they become more aggressive, critical, and insulting.

Read more: Relationship experts say these are the 8 red flags to look out for when you start dating someone — and some are surprisingly common

Neo said people with high levels of empathy, or "fixers," are often sucked into these kinds of relationships, because they want to see the good in people.

"They will overinflate the gratitude and will underplay how much they are suffering," she said. "Changes are always piecemeal and transient, but [the narcissist] will always use that to hold you hostage."

Forcing someone to be grateful for something small, like not being hit for a week, is a form of gaslighting. Abusive people are highly skilled at warping their victim's mind to fit a new reality, so that they really do feel grateful when they're not abused for a few days.

"For instance, a client, he told her 'but I haven't hit you this year yet,' even though it was about three weeks into the year," Neo said. "And he made it sound like such a big deal like she was a bad person for not acknowledging it."

A narcissistic parent may say things like "look at everything I've done for you," even if they made their child's life extremely difficult and stressful. It's never their fault that things go wrong, because they expect every small gesture they make to be applauded, and every mistake ignored. But if their victim slips up, all hell breaks loose.

Catenya McHenry, author of the book "Married to A Narcissist, Enduring the Struggle and Finding You Again," told INSIDER the first step to leaving a toxic relationship behind is realizing there are more people out there who will treat you better than how you're being treated by the narcissist.

Read more: 17 steps to leaving an abusive relationship with a narcissist

"Also realize that leaving won't be easy," she said. "It will take an enormous amount of strength and bravery and it will take self-care and self-love. Leaving will be hard but you have to stick with it because you have to ask yourself, what's the alternative?"

In her book she wrote a section on how to "prepare for their unraveling," where the narcissist can become unhinged and display wild and erratic behavior and tell you more lies about yourself and why you shouldn't leave them.

"Narcissists can also manipulate you into staying by telling you they will change and they will be the a better person or promise you the world but it's a lie," she said. "Realize the truth about yourself and about the relationship and that this is not just about leaving an abusive relationship."

It's also about reclaiming your personal power and control of your own life, she added.

"Your life is yours and one sick human being cannot have and should not have that much power over someone else," she said.

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NOW WATCH: The world's largest cruise ship just landed in Miami — here's what it's like on board

• A meeting between President Donald Trump and Democratic leaders on Friday included so many expletives that Trump reportedly apologized to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
• The contentious gathering comes amid a partial government shutdown, now stretching past its second week, after Trump stressed he would not sign any short-term funding bill that does not include funding for his proposed border wall.
• Trump reportedly mentioned "f--k" during the meeting at least three times and sought to reframe the shutdown, which is affecting 800,000 federal employees, as a worker "strike."

A meeting between President Donald Trump and Democratic leaders on Friday included so many expletives that Trump later apologized to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, an official familiar with the incident told The Washington Post on Friday.

The meeting sought to break the impasse between Trump and Democratic leaders over funding for the president's proposed wall at the US-Mexico border.

The contentious gathering comes amid a partial government shutdown, now stretching past its second week, after Trump stressed he would not sign any short-term funding bill that did not include funding for his wall — despite a bipartisan group of House members passing two bills that would extend funding and buy Congress more time.

Trump reportedly mentioned "f--k" during the meeting at least three times, a source added in a Daily Beast report, and described the 800,000 federal employees who were working without pay as workers on "strike."

The president harangued Pelosi for comments made by recently-elected Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, in which she referred to Trump and said "impeach the motherf---er," according to The Daily Beast.

Democrats reportedly responded by suggesting Trump was using the government as his shield, and urged him to fund the government.

Trump said in the meeting he was not using the shutdown "for leverage," but added, "I'm not going to get a deal unless I do this," a source told The Post.

Following the meeting, Trump appeared optimistic during a press conference at the White House Rose Garden: "I thought it was really a very, very good meeting," Trump said. "We're all on the same path in terms of wanting to get government open."

Trump's comments were contrasted by the Democrats', who gave an ominous outlook for the shutdown: "We told the president we needed the government open. He resisted," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York said.

"In fact he said he would keep it closed for a very long period of time — months or even years."

SEE ALSO: Ocasio-Cortez to GOP lawmakers who she claims booed her: 'Don't hate me cause you ain't me'

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