The lawsuits are piling up at the "leaning tower" of San Francisco.

Millennium Tower is a luxury residential high-rise that has sunk 17 inches and tilted 14 inches since it was completed in 2008. Though an inspection by the city showed it's safe to occupy, the situation has sparked an exodus from the building. Residents say they're selling multimillion-dollar condos at a loss, with the value of their homes tumbling $320,000 on average.

There are at least 20 parties involved in lawsuits related to Millennium Tower, according to a "60 Minutes" segment that aired on Sunday. One disgruntled resident told producers that with so many lawyers involved, it takes the court 30 minutes just to take attendance during legal proceedings.

Here's what we know about the fate of Millennium Tower.

SEE ALSO: A couple bought one of the most exclusive streets in San Francisco for $90,000 — take a look inside

Millennium Tower rises 58 stories above San Francisco's Financial District.

The city's fourth-tallest skyscraper contains over 400 multimillion-dollar condo units. It soars 645 feet, providing residents with panoramic views of the Bay Area.

Source: Emporis

Completed in 2008, Millennium Tower includes top-notch amenities, including a pool, fitness center, wine cellar and tasting room, movie theater, and concierge service.

Source: Millennium Tower

• WeWork, a $20 billion startup that leases trendy millennial-friendly office spaces around the world, is getting into the business of childhood education.
• A spinoff called "WeGrow" will open its first school in New York City in fall 2018. The startup hopes to expand from one school to many globally.
• Students in the WeGrow pilot program learn business from entrepreneurs who rent office space from WeWork, and spend one day a week at a farm.
  

Coworking startup WeWork wants to change the way people live, work, and get fit. Now the $20 billion company is tackling education with the launch of a grade school.

According to Bloomberg, WeWork will open a private elementary school called "WeGrow" inside a New York City WeWork office next fall. The goal is to mold the next generation of entrepreneurs.

"In my book, there's no reason why children in elementary schools can't be launching their own businesses," Rebekah Neumann, chief brand officer of WeWork, told Bloomberg.

WeGrow already has a pilot program with seven students underway at the startup's Manhattan headquarters.

Children ages five to eight spend one day a week at a 60-acre farm north of the city, where they learn business and bits of math and science by running their own farm stand. The other four days of the week, students engage in more traditional instruction.

On occasion, WeWork employees and entrepreneurs who rent office space from the company offer lessons. Adam Neumann, cofounder and CEO of WeWork (and Rebekah Neumann's husband), led a workshop on supply and demand. Students can also secure mentorships with WeWork customers.

In the future, there will also be classes around mindfulness through yoga and meditation.

The Neumanns join a growing list of tech entrepreneurs trying to disrupt the classroom. Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan run a private company that funnels the couple's Facebook stock into programs that improve schools. They also own a school in Palo Alto. Tech investors spent a combined $2.35 billion on education-technology startups in 2016.

There have been some missteps in Silicon Valley's attempts to revolutionize education. Last week, AltSchool, an educational software developer and network of "micro-schools" with locations in California and New York, announced it is shuttering at least two schools at the end of the academic year. Bloomberg reported that its losses are "piling up."

With WeGrow, WeWork envisions a network of micro-schools inside the company's office rentals. The first school will be located inside the startup's headquarters in Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood; when WeWork moves into its new headquarters at the flagship Lord & Taylor location on Fifth Avenue in 2018, the WeGrow school will relocate with it.

Rebekah Neumann plans to enroll about 65 students next fall.

Danish architect Bjarke Ingels' firm BIG has been tapped to design the first school. According to Fast Company, the design will break down traditional classroom environments into "more tactile and visually stimulating" work stations.

Tuition at WeGrow has not been publicly announced.

The startup has raised at least $8 billion to date, with $4.4 billion flowing in since July. At a whopping $20 billion valuation, WeWork is the sixth most valuable startup in the world.

SEE ALSO: WeWork raised $4.4 billion in 3 months — here's how the co-working giant became the most valuable startup in New York City

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: SCOTT GALLOWAY: WeWork is arguably the most overvalued company in the world

• It's not always easy to discern innocent workplace behavior from sexual harassment.
• Sexual harassment can include unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical harassment of a sexual nature, but it doesn't always.
• Use these subtle signs to to discern exactly what qualifies as sexual harassment.

Sexual harassment, especially when it's happening to you or around you, isn't always so clear-cut and obvious.

According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, sexual harassment can include unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical harassment of a sexual nature.

But it doesn't have to be of a sexual nature. Sexual harassment can also include offensive remarks about a person's sex.

And for the harassment to be considered unlawful, it has to be so frequent or severe that it creates a hostile or offensive work environment or results in an adverse employment decision, like the victim being fired or demoted.

While these parameters are helpful, it can be difficult when you're in such a situation to discern exactly what qualifies as sexual harassment.

When an issue is taken to court, for example, some courts determined that something is harassment using the standard of what a "reasonable person" would consider unwelcome and sexual, whereas other courts have used the standard of what a "reasonable woman" considers harassing when the victim is female, ABC News reports.

By these standards, sexual harassment is very much in the eye of the beholder.

As Daley Haggar, a comedy writer in Los Angeles, recently wrote in Lenny Letter, "Being sexually harassed by a sitcom writer is like being sexually harassed by your gynecologist. It can be hard to tell if the guy's being a pervert or just doing his job."

Of course, it's not just comedy writers who have a hard time discerning innocent workplace behavior from sexual harassment. The signs can be subtle. Which is why we've compiled some below:

SEE ALSO: Sexual harassment isn't an industry, workplace, or company issue — in fact, it affects nearly everyone

DON'T MISS: Gretchen Carlson says the way we handle sexual harassment 'gags' the women who confront it

You experience behavior of a sexual nature that makes you uncomfortable

Ellen Bravo, who directs Family Values @ Work, a network of state coalitions working for family-friendly policies, told Business Insider sexual comments or requests that you find unwanted or offensive and inappropriate touching are the first sign of sexual harassment.

Bravo, who has extensive experience writing and training on the subject of sexual harassment, including co-authoring "The 9 to 5 Guide to Combating Sexual Harassment" and authoring "Again and Again," a novel about date rape, said that this can include a number of scenarios.

For example, if someone:

· Stands too close and talks in an intimate way.

· Keeps looking at or commenting on your body in a way that makes you uncomfortable. There's a difference between saying "nice dress" and "that dress really shows off your curves."

· Asks you about your personal life, including your romantic or sexual experiences.

· Insists on talking about their own sexual experiences.

· Keeps trying to get you to meet alone outside of work.

· Shows you pornographic materials or tries to get you to talk about a sexually-charged movie or song or other such topic.

"The best guideline is the 'uh-oh' feeling," Bravo said. "You think the person knows they are making you uncomfortable and is enjoying that power over you."

You're unable to make it stop

"If you've tried various ways to say, 'I don't like this and don't want to participate, hear it, or be treated this way,' but the individual does not stop the behavior," Bravo says this is a clear indicator.

According to the EEOC, simple teasing, off-hand comments, or isolated incidents that are not very serious are not unlawful. But when it's become so chronic or severe that the behavior creates a hostile or offensive work environment or results in an adverse work event, that's unlawful.

You feel pressured to go along with it

"Either explicitly or implicitly, you feel you do not have permission to avoid or end the behavior," Bravo said. "You may be told that the harasser is a rainmaker and that you need to avoid him."

• The number of mass shootings in the US in 2017 reached 307 on Sunday.
• A shooter rained bullets on a church in Texas over the weekend, killing 26 people and leaving several others injured.
• There have been nearly as many mass shootings in the US as days in 2017.

On Sunday, at least 26 people were killed and several others were injured when a man approached the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, and started shooting.

The incident marked the 307th mass shooting in 2017, according to the nonprofit Gun Violence Archive, which tracks shootings in the US. To put this into perspective, we are 310 days into the year, which means the US has had nearly as many mass shootings as days in 2017.

Americans are more likely to die from gun violence than many leading causes of death combined, with some 11,000 people in the US killed in firearm assaults each year.

There is no broadly accepted definition of a mass shooting. Gun Violence Archive defines a mass shooting as a single incident in which four or more people, not including the shooter, are "shot and/or killed" at "the same general time and location."

The government also doesn't have an official definition. In 2013, a report from the Congressional Research Service, known as Congress's think tank, described mass shootings as those in which shooters "select victims somewhat indiscriminately" and kill four or more people — a higher bar than Gun Violence Archive's, as it doesn't take injuries into account.

In 2013, a federal mandate lowered that threshold to three deaths. By this definition, using data from Gun Violence Archive, the Las Vegas event was the 38th mass shooting in the US in 2017.

Data from Gun Violence Archive also shows that more than 13,000 people have died from gun-related violence so far this year and more than 26,900 others were injured.

Here's a complete list of the mass shootings— as defined by Gun Violence Archive — that have occurred in the US so far in 2017. Click the arrows at the bottom to move through the list.

You can view a report of any incident by visiting the list at gunviolencearchive.org.

SEE ALSO: Where Americans are most likely to be killed by gun violence

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Trump says the Texas church shooting 'isn't a guns situation' — watch his full statement on the attack that killed 26 people

• Many North Koreans still sustain themselves with food that comes from the state. 
• Illegal "grasshopper markets" are common, however.
• Many common street foods in North Korea are low in nutrients. 

When North Koreans need to buy groceries, they don't go to a grocery store. 

According to Reuters, 70% of North Koreans still use the state's central distribution system as their main source of food. But many also visit illegal "grasshopper markets" — which earned their name because of how fast stalls must be set up and taken down — as well as officially sanctioned ones, where traders must pay a fee to the state to sell their wares. 

The dishes you'll find there, such as "injogogibab," which is also known as "man-made meat," rely heavily on rice, kimchi, and bean paste. Lacking in essential fats and proteins, these dishes are made with ingredients that have been a staple during the country's ongoing food crisis, which has left two in five North Koreans undernourished. In the 1990s, a famine killed up to one million North Korean people.

Reporters have seen signs of chronic hunger in the country as recently as 2013, but some who have defected say the food supply has improved in recent years, according to Reuters. 

Ahead, take a look at the food that North Koreans can get from both illegal street vendors and from some of the legal, officially sanctioned markets. 

SEE ALSO: Terrifying, first-person photos show the claustrophobic conditions inside Hong Kong's 'coffin cubicles'

Injogogibab is made of the remains left from making soy bean oil. The oil is pressed and rolled into a paste, then topped off with fish-based sauce or chili paste. This dish used to be eaten as a substitute for meat, which gave it its nickname of "man-made meat."

Injogogi, pictured here, is a textured vegetable protein.

Dububab, or, tofu rice, are tofu skins stuffed with rice and topped with chili sauce.

If you're wondering whether you can come in late or leave work early to cast your vote on election day, the short answer is, it depends on where you work.

Currently, there is no federal law that mandates employers provide their employees time off to cast their ballots. But the majority of US states have time-off-to-vote laws, also referred to as voter-leave laws, and have different requirements and exceptions for employers and employees.

While some states guarantee paid time off, for example, others do not. And the time guaranteed for employees to vote varies state-by-state as well.

Of course, your own employer may offer leave to vote, even if your state does not. In 2016, for example, Patagonia announced that would close all US stores on Election Day in an effort to encourage customers and employees to vote.

But, since not everyone's employer is so generous, you'd be well-advised to learn about the specific voter leave provisions in your state.

SEE ALSO: The political job-interview question hiring managers should never ask

DON'T MISS: How to handle a particularly sticky topic in the office without ruining your professional reputation

Alabama

Time off required

One hour

Paid or unpaid

Unpaid 

Notes and exceptions 

• Unless employee has at least two hours available before or one hour after work to vote.

• Employee must provide ""reasonable notice"" before taking time off.

• Employer may specify the hours employee can take off."

Alaska

Time off required

As long as it reasonably takes to vote

Paid or unpaid

Paid

Notes and exceptions

• Unless employee has at least two hours available before or after work to vote.

Arizona

Time off required

Three hours 

Paid or unpaid

Paid

Notes and exceptions 

• Unless employee has at least three hours available before or after work to vote.

• Employee must provide notice before Election Day.

• Employer may specify the hours employee can take off." 

• Voting rights activists argue that some black and Latino voters "will be unable to vote" in elections in Virginia and Alabama because of strict voter ID laws and other restrictions.
• They say the 2013 Supreme Court decision that gutted parts of the 1965 Voting Rights Act is to blame.
• Alabama and Virginia election officials dispute this. They insist they do everything they can to protect the voting rights of all eligible citizens.

Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill didn't mince words when addressing opponents of his state's voter ID law, which requires voters show a government-approved photo ID at the polls.

"People are entitled to their own opinions. But they're not entitled to their own facts," Merrill told Business Insider. "Everybody in Alabama that wants a voter ID has one."

Voting rights activists, who have long dismissed voter ID laws as discriminatory tactics that disenfranchise minority voters, disagree. They say the time it takes people to travel to the office where they need to pick up their IDs and the added cost for the underlying documents required to get the ID in the first place are just too burdensome for many voters.

This will discourage many people from voting, civil rights defenders say, in upcoming elections across the country, including the governor's race in Virginia on Tuesday and the special election for the US Senate seat in Alabama on December 12.

Voting rights activists say the landmark 2013 Shelby v. Holder Supreme Court decision — which struck down parts of the 1965 Voting Rights Act (VRA) and helped pave the way for Virginia's voter ID law — is perhaps the most blameworthy culprit.

"We anticipate that there will be voters who are unable to vote because of the voter ID law and voters who stay home because of the voter ID law. And they will primarily be African-Americans and Latinos," Deuel Ross, a lawyer with the NAACP Legal Defense Fund (LDF), told Business Insider.

In 2015, Ross and the LDF filed a lawsuit against Alabama officials, including Merrill. The civil rights group says the state's voter ID law disenfranchises minority voters.

Merrill argues that the law hasn't, in fact, made it harder for certain groups of people to register and vote. Record turnouts in last year's presidential election help his case.

You can register to vote 'on the toilet!'

Alabama has made significant strides in recent years — often at the behest of court orders— to expand voter registration and get more people to vote.

Last year, for example, more than 2.1 million Alabamians took to the polls in what was the highest voter turnout in the state history. Another record: Donald Trump received more votes than any previous presidential candidate to appear on Alabama's ballot.

The number of active registered voters also spiked nearly 9% from 2012 to 2016, even though the state's population only increased by 1.7% from 2010 to 2016.

Merrill says those numbers, coupled with an estimated 2017 budget of $389,000 for total election awareness efforts — including a 30-second ad broadcast on radio and TV — prove voter discrimination does not occur in his state.

He also touts the Vote for Alabama mobile app, which he introduced in May 2016 to make it easier for Alabamians to register to vote. It's so convenient, Merrill said, "you can do it on the toilet if you'd like!"

Civil rights defenders welcome this progress, but note an exception.

"Even if turnout is up overall, it doesn't mean that for certain racial or economic sub-groups that it hasn't been more difficult for them to turn out," said Jonathan Brater, an expert on voting rights at the Brennan Center for Justice.

'Racism is over'

In 2013, the Supreme Court's 5-4 decision struck down Section 4 and invalidated Section 5 of the VRA, which required states to get government approval before changing local voting laws and procedures. Section 5 was written to prevent states from implementing rules, like restrictive voter ID laws, that might discriminate or disenfranchise minority voters.

While the Court ruled that Section 4 was simply outdated, many others interpreted the decision as a declaration that racism in America was "over."

In total, nine states with a history of voter discrimination against minority voters — including Virginia and Alabama — were freed to amend their voting rules without pre-clearance. Parts of six others states covered by the VRA, including California and New York, were also affected.

Merrill praised the SCOTUS ruling.

"I think that rulings that have been made or laws that have been passed in the past need to be reviewed and evaluated from time to time," he said.

Edgardo Cortés, who as state commissioner is responsible for running Virginia's election on Tuesday, told Business Insider that he thought the decision "was unfortunate."

"The pre-clearance provision had previously prevented changes in a variety of places that would've had a negative impact on voters' ability to participate," Cortés said.

He also thinks Virginia's voter ID law, which was passed by a Republican-led legislature in 2013, is an "unnecessary" requirement that doesn't solve any actual problems. Scientific research has shown that voter fraud is exceptionally rare.

While Cortés must implement the law as it stands, he says he has helped mitigate its impact. And Cortés said Terry McAuliffe, a Democrat, has been working on making it easier for eligible people to vote since he became Virginia's governor in 2014.

From extending the voter registration deadline, to restoring the voting rights of more than 200,000 convicted felons, to opposing a proposal requiring voters to show documentary proof of citizenship before registering, Cortés says McAuliffe has "done a lot to simplify and modernize" the voting process.

The 2013 Supreme Court ruling on the VRA, however, ushered in some changes that not even McAuliffe is able to challenge.

Room for abuse

For decades, the US Department of Justice deployed election observers to states to monitor potential voter discrimination or intimidation.

But after Shelby, the DOJ could no longer send nearly as many observers to protect minority voters who might have otherwise been harassed at the polls.

In Alabama alone, from 2000 to 2012, the DOJ sent trained, federal election officials to counties across the state 20 times, amounting to 233 observers, because it feared there would be discrimination against African-Americans.

The DOJ's Office of Personnel Management, which was tasked with deploying observers before 2013, confirmed to Business Insider that it will not be sending officials to Virginia or Alabama to monitor elections. But the DOJ did not confirm whether its Civil Rights Division, which deployed more than 500 personnel in the 2016 election, would be sending observers to either state.

If states like Alabama and Virginia don't have those officials specifically monitoring incidents of discrimination or intimidation anymore, the only recourse for voters facing problems on election day in those states would be to call a government complaint hotline or to reach out to a civil rights defender willing to take legal action.

While there will still be poll workers employed by the state at the local level to make sure elections run smoothly, the lack of federal oversight has left more room for abuse, according to an elections expert at Georgetown University.

"We do a very good job across the country of having lots of observers and fairly trained people watching and making sure nothing goes wrong," Hans Noel told Business Insider.

"But I do worry that in some places the only people that are going to be monitoring are local, and if they collectively want to do something about disenfranchising a certain group, they can even inadvertently make that happen."

'Rules that wouldn't have been acceptable before'

Like clockwork, many southern states moved to pass stricter voting regulations following the Shelby decision, citing concerns about voter fraud and election integrity. These included bans on same-day registration, voter roll purges, a reduction in early voting periods, and massive cuts in the number of polling locations.

States don't have free range to enact potentially discriminatory laws carte blanche. Section 2 of the VRA still stands. It allows the DOJ to sue states that discriminate against voters on the basis of race, color, or language.

But since states no longer had the federal government weighing over their decisions, they could proceed with legislation that had previously been blocked or delayed.

"It's now possible for those states to pass rules that wouldn't have been acceptable before," Noel said.

Just hours after the ruling, Texas officials, for example, said they would begin enforcing a strict photo ID law that was previously found to be discriminatory against black and Hispanic voters. Officials in Mississippi, Virginia, and North Carolina made similar moves.

Alabama made an even more aggressive push, implementing the voter ID law that Merrill now supports. The state's Republican-dominated legislature passed the measure in 2011, and was finally able to enforce it in 2014 after the Shelby ruling.

Earlier this year, the LDF commissioned Zoltan Hajnal, a professor at the University of California, San Diego, to investigate whether Alabama's voter ID law hurt minority turnout in the 2016 presidential race.

Hajnal found that it did. Turnout in minority communities fell 4.1 points more in Alabama than in similar states around the country, according to his study.

Researchers in other states, including Wisconsin and Texas, have also found voter ID laws make it harder for minorities to vote. In 2016, 300,000 eligible voters in Wisconsin lacked valid state photo IDs before the election.

Some are calling for reform, including Loretta Lynch, the former Attorney General under President Barack Obama. In a speech last year, Lynch criticized the Shelby decision and urged Congress to restore the VRA to "its full effect."

But that won't be easy, says Noel, the Georgetown professor.

"The Congress with the current majority probably is not going to prioritize trying to replace the elements of the Voting Rights Act that the court eliminated," he said. "Politically, I don't see Congress wanting to do that."

If you face any issues trying to vote in Tuesday's elections, contact the Department of Justice Civil Rights Department by phone (1-800-253-3931), email (voting.section@usdoj.gov), or submit a complaint on their website.

You can also call the non-partisan voter protection hotline (from groups including the ACLU and Rock the Vote) at 1-866-OUR-VOTE (1-866-687-8683) if your rights have been violated, or you saw someone else's were.

SEE ALSO: Wisconsin's voter ID law was insurmountable for many voters in 2016

DON'T MISS: Roy Moore: Meet the controversial Alabama Republican who upset the Trump-backed GOP establishment

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: 'Our democracy is at stake': Watch Obama return to the campaign trail to rally voters in Virginia

• Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had at least 11 princes — along with numerous ministers — arrested Saturday.

• Billionaire Alwaleed bin Talal, the richest man in the Middle East, according to Forbes, was one of those rounded up.

• The prisoners are currently being held in the five-star Ritz-Carlton Riyadh in the country's capital city.

There's just been a massive purge in Saudi Arabian politics.

Business Insider's Peter Jacobs reported Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman consolidated power by having 11 princes and numerous government ministers seized Saturday.

But the captives are receiving better accommodations than a standard prison cell.

The royal and non-royal prisoners are reportedly confined to the five-star Ritz-Carlton Riyadh in the nation's capital.

Here's a look at the luxury hotel before it was converted into an makeshift prison:

SEE ALSO: Saudi Arabia had a crazy weekend that upended the Middle Eastern kingdom

The hotel first opened in 2011 and was the first ever Ritz-Carlton in Saudi Arabia.

Source: Five Star Alliance

It boasts 493 guest rooms, including 49 two-bedroom royal suites and 50 one-bedroom executive suites.

Source: Five Star Alliance

Amenities include a male-only spa, 62,000 square feet of event space, and a bowling alley.

Source: The Ritz-Carlton Riyadh, The Ritz-Carlton Riyadh, The Ritz-Carlton Riyadh

• Adidas has launched a new app.
• The company is saying that the app will be the "hub" of digital interaction with the brand.
• It's highly personalized, and it only surfaces and suggests things that customers already care about.

Adidas is launching a new app— and this time, it's personal.

The new app features a personalized newsfeed, a chatbot to field customer inquiries, and a full online store.

It's designed to be the new centerpiece of Adidas' app-based mobile experience, Joseph Godsey, the company's global head of digital commerce, told Business Insider.

"[We] tried to create an app experience that was unique to us," Godsey said.

The app's newsfeed, which showcases things like new product announcements and events, will prioritize things that you've already told Adidas you're interested in.

This personalized experience was created to be something "meaningful enough" to draw customers back, Godsey said. The app is the "ultimate expression" of personalization because it lives on such a personal device.

The personalization features will be based on inputs like previous purchases and additions to your profile, like your birthday or gender.

For example, if you bought running shoes in the past, it will surface more running-related content, but if the app has identified you as a sneakerhead, it'll give you news on the next hot drop.

That's a way to serve customers no matter if they buy Adidas for style or function, Godsey said.

There will also be a chat function, which offers instant help for any Adidas-oriented query.

At first, the chat interaction with be one-on-one with a human. In the next two months, Adidas will start to enable an AI to handle simple queries (Does this shoe come in blue? What sizes do the Superstar shoe come in?), handing it off to a human when the question becomes too complex.

When customers settle on a purchase, they can buy it right through the app, which offers the full array of Adidas offerings.

You can also quickly buy it through Apple Pay and Android Pay.

Adidas has a stated goal of reaching €4 billion ($4.6 billion) in sales by 2020. Godsey called the new app one of the "key pillars" that will drive the company to this goal. Godsey said that over 60% of traffic to Adidas' online shopping platforms is from mobile devices, and the company expects that number to grow "substantially higher."

The app has now launched in the US and UK and will launch in more countries around the world later in the year.

SEE ALSO: Asics is partnering with DJ Steve Aoki

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: I ate like billionaire Warren Buffett for a week — and I felt awful

• Business Insider spoke to drinks giant Diageo's in-house Whisky Master.
• Ewan Gunn told use where so many whisky drinkers go wrong.
• They Gunn focus too much on age over flavour — and abide by outdated "rules" too closely.

Whether it's what brand to order, or simply the difference between whisky and whiskey, there's a lot of knowledge that goes with properly enjoying a glass of scotch, bourbon, or rye.

Business Insider spoke to Ewan Gunn, Global Brand Ambassador and Whisky Master for the global drinks giant Diageo, which produces mass brands like Johnnie Walker, and several others which he mentioned.

We asked Gunn — who has 19 years' experience in the industry — what mistakes people are making when they drink whisky, and how to fix them.

Buy based on flavour, not age

"When people buy a whisky, you do sometimes come across an obsession with age, when really, in my opinion, you should be buying based on the flavour," Gunn said.

"People have this perception older is always better, which is not always the case," he added. "We have some amazing whiskys focused on flavours and styles."

"You buy a Scotch whisky to drink it, not to look at the label," he said.

Ignore the "rules" you think you know

"People often have these rules they think they must follow when appreciating a scotch," Gunn said.

"'You should never add water, never drink it with ice, never add a mixer, you have to be older to enjoy it, it’s a man’s drink' — they're all nonsense.

"I would certainly not worry about all of these rules. The people who make it make it for you to enjoy, and they're not precious about how you enjoy it."

He said that even going back centuries people were drinking whisky in cocktails, combining it with herbs and spices.

"You're seeing scotch featuring more and more on cocktail menus," he added.

He said his favourite way to start a weekend is with Johnnie Walker and ginger ale. "It's a lovely drink, it's easy to make, and it tastes magnificent."

Don't just drink it after dinner — pair it with food

"When it comes to the holidays, people enjoy eating lots of rich and flavoursome foods, and a lot of people are increasingly enjoying Scotch whisky paired with foods," Gunn said.

He added that, while there's a preconceived idea that whisky only works with heavy food, there's actually a range of dishes you can pair it with.

"Talisker with oysters is incredible, and Lagavulin paired with blue cheese," he said. He added that Haig Club and crème brûlée is another recommended pairing.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Here’s how to stay friends with your ex

• Marks & Spencer's 2017 Christmas advert stars Paddington Bear.
• 90-second short ties in with Paddington 2 film, released on November 10.

LONDON — The Christmas advert season is upon us, with retailers spending huge sums on cinematic TV adverts in the hopes of boosting sales over the crucial festive period.

Marks & Spencer is the first of Britain's major retailers to debut its offering: an advert staring an animated Paddington Bear.

In the 90-second short, Paddington mistakes a burglar for Santa and then sets about helping him somewhat unwittingly deliver presents.

Watch the full film, called "Paddington and the Christmas visitor" and developed by London ad agency Grey, below:

Patrick Bousquet-Chavanne, M&S' executive director of marketing, said in a release: "Paddington has enchanted children and families all over the world for nearly 60 years which is why we couldn’t turn down the chance to bring the wonderfully endearing, much-loved British character and his world into the heart of our Christmas campaign this year.

"We always want to surprise and delight our customers; the timing is perfect as we’re partnering together just ahead of the release of Paddington 2."

The Paddington 2 film will be released on November 10 and the M&S advert will be shown before every screening, as well as on TV.

Marks & Spencer will be launching a £3 storybook to accompany the advert, with all proceeds going to children's charity NSPCC.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: I spent a day trying to pay for things with bitcoin and a bar of gold

Icelandic budget airline Wow Air is now selling one-way flights from London Stansted to JFK International in New York for as low as £99 ($130) — which is less than the cost of the taxes.

The low-cost carrier said it is "essentially paying for passengers to fly" as it celebrates a new service to the Big Apple’s JFK International.

As the UK has the highest taxes on airfares in the world, the airline’s £99 offering under the WOW Basic package works out £24 cheaper than the tax alone, it said.

The fares are now on sale for the new route via Reykjavik beginning in April 2018, meaning travellers could even opt to spend a few days exploring the volcanoes and hot springs of Iceland en route to the US.

Wow Air currently operates routes to Newark Liberty International Airport, Chicago, Pittsburgh, Toronto, Boston, Montreal, Washington D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Miami. It had not previously served JFK International.

The airline announced new routes earlier this year to Detroit, Cleveland, St. Louis, and Cincinnati commencing in April 2018. At the end of May it will increase the frequency of its daily service to Newark, bringing the total number of flights to 13 per week.

The budget carrier is up-front about its no-frills approach to flying and amenities such as water, food, and entertainment — which you might well expect to be included in your fare on a long-haul flight — all come at an extra charge.

The airline encourages passengers to bring their own food and drinks for the duration of the flight, and download films and TV shows onto an iPad or laptop to keep themselves entertained.

There are, however, in-flight meal options available to purchase, like this chicken risotto below.

Passengers can take a small carry-on bag on board for free, measuring 42 x 32 x 25 cm and weighing a maximum of 10 kg, can choose to pay extra for a larger carry-on bag, or can pay to put a 20 kg bag in the hold.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: A relationship psychologist reveals what you should ask yourself before getting married

• Formula One star Lewis Hamilton avoided paying tax on his £16.5 million private jet, according to the BBC and The Guardian.
• The Paradise Papers revealed that Hamilton used an Isle of Man scheme to set up businesses that rented out his own jet to himself.
• He received a 100% VAT refund on the plane, despite using the jet for personal as well as professional trips.

Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton avoided paying £3.3 million in European tax on his £16.5 million ($21.7 million) private jet, according to Paradise Papers data obtained from Appleby, an offshore legal adviser.

The British racing driver has a fortune of £130 million, according to The Guardian, and is the 10th highest-paid athlete in the world, but this did not stop him from dodging tax on his lavish purchase.

The Guardian reported that as part of an Isle of Man scheme — which will now be investigated by HM Revenue and Customs — Hamilton, accountancy firm EY, and Appleby set up "seemingly artificial looking businesses through which they rented their own jets from themselves."

Hamilton reportedly used companies in the British Virgin Islands (BVI), the Isle of Man, and Guernsey in order to get £3.3 million in VAT returned to him when he imported his red Bombardier aircraft from Canada in 2013.

He also appears to have avoided paying tax on €1.7 million (£1.5 million) motorhome he purchased by setting up a company in the Isle of Man, and "channels his earnings through tax haven companies in Guernsey, Malta and the BVI."

Legitimate tax avoidance schemes are not illegal, according to The Guardian, and Hamilton reportedly said he was told by his lawyer that the arrangement was lawful, and "was not concerned with day-to-day management of his business."

However, experts told The Guardian that the scheme appears "artificial" and is "open to challenge," with law professors adding that it was potentially "abusive" and doesn't appear to follow European laws.

Further, while jet owners are entitled to reclaim VAT on the purchase and running costs of their aircraft if they use it for business purposes, VAT must be paid if they use it for holidays or private leisure.

Hamilton admits to using the jet for leisure purposes, estimating he would use it for private use a third of the time — despite having received a 100% refund when he reportedly should have paid £1.1 million in VAT.

So how did the scheme work?

A video by the BBC shows each step that led to Hamilton's VAT refund:

1. His advisers created a jet leasing structure, and Hamilton bought the plane using a company in the British Virgin Islands.
2. The company leased the jet to a new company on the Isle of Man, also owned by Hamilton.
3. The plane was then leased to a management firm, who chartered the plane exclusively to Hamilton and another of his companies, based in Guernsey.

A number of Instagram images posted by Hamilton also show the red Bombardier Challenger 605 jet, making it clear that he is an ambassador for Bombardier — and that he is earning money thanks to the jet.

And he's certainly not shy about showing off his purchase. Here, he touches down in Mexico...

Monaco...

Toronto...

...and the US.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: The best way to make scrambled eggs — according to Anthony Bourdain and Danny Bowien

The Royal Shakespeare Company's costume workshop in Stratford-upon-Avon is home to some of the most famous outfits in British theatre history.

There are about 30,000 items inside – worn by Richard Burton, Vivien Leigh, Ben Kingsley, David Tennant, and other actors.

Some of the oldest and most valuable pieces are on display at The Play's The Thing exhibition. There is also Richard Burton's Henry V costume from 1951, the performance that launched the actor onto a Hollywood career.

In the workshop, about 2,000 costumes and props are made each year by a team of 30 people. This makes it the largest in-house costume-makers of any British theatre.

Due to the number of items, the RSC holds costume sales every 4-5 years to make space. The workshop buildings, which are from 1887, also need to be refurbished. 

The Company hopes to raise £3 million with the Stitch in Time campaign to redevelop the costume workshop to modern standards.

Produced and filmed by Claudia Romeo

Join the conversation about this story »

• Power couples balance successful marriages with high-powered careers.
• From entertainment to politics to tech, these happily married pairs span many industries.
• They're not just powerful — they also have a combined fortune of over $260 billion.
  

Some people seem to have it all.

Juggling a successful career or marriage has its challenges, but doing both well can quickly launch you into power couple status.

Devoting time to the relationship may be harder for power couples. But across many industries, from entertainment to politics to tech, these duos have managed to stay happily married while building empires together.

Scroll through to see seven of the richest power couples in the world.

SEE ALSO: Mark Zuckerberg and his college-sweetheart wife, Priscilla Chan, are worth $74 billion — see their houses, cars, and travels

DON'T MISS: Inside the decade-long relationship of Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, who met at a networking lunch and once broke up because of religious differences

Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen

Combined net worth: $540 million

Both halves of this tanned and toned power couple, who have been married for eight years, are in the top earners of their respective industries. Supermodel Gisele Bündchen is the highest-paid model in the world, raking in $30.5 million in 2016, and Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is the third-highest paid player in NFL history. His endorsement deals earn him about $8 million annually.

Perhaps the most telling example of their wide-ranging influence is the viral news of their insane diet, which is composed of 80% vegetables and 20% lean meats.

Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner

Combined net worth: Between $207 million and $762 million

The eldest daughter of President Donald Trump and unpaid adviser in the White House, Ivanka Trump just celebrated her eighth wedding anniversary with husband Jared Kushner, a senior adviser to the president and owner of a real-estate empire.

Their estimated net worth was revealed earlier this year in public filings that document the couple's assets, including a $25 million art collection, and income from the Ivanka Trump lifestyle brand and various investments.

Kushner suggests the couple, who are parents to three children, have their roles figured out: "I would say she is definitely the CEO of our household, whereas I’m more on the board of directors."

Beyoncé and Jay-Z

Combined net worth: $1.16 billion

Beyoncé and Jay-Z are entertainment royalty. The couple — who has been married since 2008 and have three children — earn their wealth primarily from music producing credits, album sales, live performances, and worldwide tours, as well as stakes in streaming service Tidal, a private jet company, and a luxury champagne brand.

This summer, they bought an $88 million mansion in Los Angeles — for which they took out a $59 million mortgage — making it the sixth priciest home purchase in LA history. Not bad for the highest-paid celebrity couple in the world.

Following is a transcript of the video.

Do you rinse your fruits and vegetables before eating? Water can't get rid of all those pesticides.

This is because some produce, like apples, soak the chemicals inside, making it impossible to wash off. Some opt for the organic ingredients but produce grown organically can still have pesticides.

A recent study suggests baking soda may be the answer. Simply mix some baking soda with water to make sodium bicarbonate, then soak your produce for 12-15 minutes.

The researchers did this to apples they treated with 2 pesticides: thiabendazole and phosmet. After the apples soaked in the baking soda mix for 15 minutes, neither of the two pesticides were left on the apple.

This is because sodium bicarbonate degraded them.

The study shows how to remove 2 pesticides from fruit.

There are still over 100 pesticides that can make it onto your food. Is a pesticide-free diet becoming impossible?

Join the conversation about this story »

• President Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe dined at the teppanyaki restaurant Ginza Ukai Tei during Trump's visit to Japan.
• The restaurant's parent company saw its stock climb by as much as 7.3% on Monday after Trump's visit.
• Ginza Ukai Tei's menu is inspired by French cuisine, and the restaurant features a dedicated dessert room.

President Donald Trump has been quick to point to the performance of the American economy, the stock market in particular, as the crowning achievement of his presidency thus far. While the extent to which he deserves credit for the economic indicators he cites is up for debate, his presence has had a tangible effect on at least one business, but it's not American.

During his trip to Japan, Trump dined with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at Ginza Ukai Tei, which specializes in teppanyaki, a style of Japanese cuisine in which chefs cook meat and vegetables on an iron griddle. The restaurant's parent company, Ukai Co., saw its stock climb as much as 7.3% on Monday after Trump's visit, according to Forbes.

Here's what it's like to eat at the restaurant.

SEE ALSO: Here's what it's like to eat at the $260-a-person restaurant where the Trumps are dining with the French president and his wife

Located in Tokyo, Ginza Ukai-Tei serves a wealthy clientele.

The restaurant pays special attention to its decor, which it describes as "an atmosphere where art-nouveau and Japanese style meet."

Source: Ginza Ukai-Tei

Diners sit at a large, circular table where the chefs cook their meals in front of them.

• Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez were recently spotted spending a Sunday together, and attending a church service.
• Bieber and Gomez both attend the megachurch Hillsong.
• Hillsong is a fairly conservative Pentecostal church that retains a very hip aesthetic and appeals to many celebrities.
• I attended a service at Hillsong's New York City chapter to see what it was like.

Shortly after Selena Gomez and The Weeknd (Abel Tesfaye) broke up, TMZ reported that Gomez and Justin Bieber spent the day together last Sunday. The pair reportedly grabbed breakfast and attended a church service together — sparking rumors that they're back together.

Bieber and Gomez are both congregants of the megachurch Hillsong, and reportedly used to frequent church services there when they were together. According to The Daily Beast, Bieber is known for bringing his love interests to services at Hillsong, making Bieber and Gomez's recent appearance at the church intriguing.

Hillsong, the mega-church that has been serving as the backdrop for Bieber and Gomez's possible rekindling, is worth paying attention to. It has chapters all around the world, and is known for its casual, concert-like approach to traditional church services.

Hillsong has attracted numerous A-listers like Vanessa Hudgens, Hailey Baldwin, and Kendall and Kylie Jenner, earning it a reputation as the celebrity church du jour.

Hillsong's NYC Pastor Carl Lentz told Business Insider that despite the church's celebrity following, Hillsong is just a "normal" church. And although Hillsong puts forth a savvy rebranding of Christianity, it is, at its heart, a conservative Pentecostal church.

Hillsong has openly opposed gay relationships and abortion in the past, and used to refer its members "struggling" with their sexuality to conversion therapy, according to The Daily Beast. While Hillsong stopped referring congregants to conversion therapy in 2011, some gay congregants have continued to feel unwelcome at the church.

So, how does a Pentecostal church with traditional Christian values rebrand the church experience? 

Curious, I went to see what one of Hillsong's services was like, and attended a Sunday service at its NYC location.

Here's what it was like to attend a Hillsong Service:

SEE ALSO: Everything you need to know about Selena Gomez and Justin Bieber's on-and-off-again romance

Waiting to get into a Hillsong service is like waiting to get into a concert.

There were four different services to choose from on Sunday: 10 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 5 p.m., and 7 p.m. — I opted to attend the 12:30 p.m. service.

The service was held in NYC's Hammerstein Ballroom. The last time I had been to the Hammerstein Ballroom was for a Death Cab for Cutie concert 10 years ago, which should give you an idea of what events usually take place at the venue.

The long line to get into the theater, and the casual dress of the churchgoers, confused me upon arrival. I could not believe I was walking into a church service and not a concert. I had to ask the volunteers shepherding people into the building several times if I was at the right place, to which a friendly "Yup!" and a "Welcome!" followed every time.

Bags were meticulously checked prior to entry, metal detector wands were waved over every single body, and gum was vigilantly confiscated. 

The feel of a Hillsong service is incredibly concert-like.

From the moment I walked into the Hammerstein Ballroom, I could hear music blaring.

As I made my way up to the second story balcony — all orchestra seating had been taken by the time I had arrived — I was overwhelmed by the number of people climbing up the stairs alongside me. (In 2014, it was estimated that 7,000 people were attending Hillsong's services every Sunday.)

On entering the theater itself, I was again taken aback by how concert-like the church was. It was honestly very impressive.

The church band was in the midst of performing a song when I entered the theater. The band looked and sounded like a pop band you might see at Panorama, or Coachella — only they were singing about God.

Hillsong has become increasingly perceived as a cool, celebrity, rock 'n roll church, and it's not hard to see why. But that's not how Pastor Lentz views the church, he said. 

"I think the bigger picture of our church is just normal, faithful people who love Jesus, who want to help others with their lives. And sometimes they happen to be famous," Pastor Lentz told Business Insider. 

Hillsong's promotional materials are ultra-chic.

A pamphlet about the post-church services, and an envelope for donations labeled 'HOME,' were placed on the arm rest of every seat.

On the back of the donation envelope, a number of ways to donate were listed: check, cash, credit card, online, or via the Hillsong App. 

The design of the pamphlet and donation envelope were chic and modern, reminiscent of posh advertising campaigns for brands like Urban Outfitters and Paper Source.

The materials provided felt like another indicator of the modern vibe that Hillsong projects.

We went into a Shake Shack kitchen during off hours to get an inside peek into what makes their famous ShackBurger so good. Mark Rosati, Shake Shack's culinary director, explains the little details that set these burgers apart. Following is a full transcript of the video.

Mark Rosati:  Cheeseburger, lettuce, tomato, Shack Sauce on a toasted potato bun. And what I like to do is right before I cook my patty is I’ll toast my bun. Brush it with a little bit of butter and toast the inside so it gets a little bit of crunch on it — which, great tip, because what you want to do is create contrast. So we use very soft potato buns. We want to get the inside just a little bit crunchy so you have that nice contrast with the soft, pillowy exterior, crunchy interior. Little details like that can really up your game.

Put all the elements on the bun so when that burger comes off and goes on the bun, you can eat it right away. You don’t want to wait, ‘cause when the burger comes off it’s going to be nice and juicy and the cheese melty and drippy.

Last thing we need to do is cook the burger, which we are going to do right now. Next we’re going to smash our patty into the griddle, creating a nice, beautiful, even sear that’s going to create a lot of flavor for us. Add salt and pepper. And what we do is take the entire steak itself and grind that to make a burger. We’re looking for good fat content. For us, that’s somewhere around 20/80 — 20% fat to 80% lean. If you really want something amazing, go a little higher — go about 22% fat.

I’m going to take my spatula, and I’m going to raise it high and try to get all that crust off, ‘cause that’s where the flavor is. And then give it a nice flip. See that nice golden-brown crust? That’s where all the flavor is, and that’s also locking in all the juices. Last thing: a slice of American cheese. See it’s all draping down nicely. It’s getting soft. That’s about the time you want to pull the burger off. You don’t want to go further than that.

Put it right down the center of the bun, and, as I was saying before, because the sauce, lettuce, and tomato are on there, I’m just going to shut it. That’s the ShackBurger.

Join the conversation about this story »

As construction booms in Manhattan and Brooklyn, New York City housing prices keep soaring.

Real estate site PropertyShark recently pinpointed where it's most expensive to live in the city now.

To compile the Q3 ranking, the company found median prices for residential properties sales closed between July 2017 and September 2017 (including single-family homes, condos, and co-ops).

Compared to last year, more Brooklyn neighborhoods made the list. Brooklyn has become one of the fastest growing NYC boroughs, which has strained its housing market in some areas.

To keep up with the city's rising population, Mayor Bill de Blasio implemented an affordable housing plan in 2014 that aims to preserve or create 200,000 units of housing with regulated rents by 2024. As of July 2017, 77,651 affordable units— with rents no higher than $3,461, depending on the household income — have been financed by the city.

Below are the 10 most expensive New York City neighborhoods, along with their median home sales prices, as of this fall:

SEE ALSO: A large part of London's busiest shopping street may soon ban cars

10. Dumbo, Brooklyn — $1.58 million

9. NoMad, Manhattan — $1.69 million

8. Red Hook, Brooklyn — $1.92 million