Locally sourced Greek yogurt. Artisanal ketchup. Grass-fed beef jerky.

These are the types of foods you'd expect to find in a hipster café or fancy grocery store — definitely not on an airplane.

But that's changing. United Airlines recently unveiled an upgraded menu with gourmet foods that are tasty, good for you, and environmentally conscious.

“Our aim is to design creatively inspired menus using the highest-quality seasonal, regional, and unique ingredients," says Irina Pilon, director of global product design and delivery for United Airlines.

By focusing on small brands that use natural ingredients and are sustainable, United wants to address the needs of all its passengers: those who have dietary restrictions, those who care about sustainability — and those who are just hungry for some quality bites.

“Our hope is that every United passenger finds something that catches their appetite," says Rob Bradford, managing director of global product design and delivery at United.

So next time you're traveling with United, skip the fast food at your gate and opt for one of these fresh onboard choices instead.

Chobani® yogurt 

Founded by a Kurdish-Turkish immigrant in upstate New York, this company's thick and creamy Greek yogurt became a household name in less than a decade. In addition to tasting great, Chobani® is committed to its employees, giving them a 10 % stake in the company, and to animals and the environment, using only non-GMO, hormone-free milk from local dairy farms.

When flying United, you can sample Chobani's mixed berry Greek yogurt drink, which is served with fresh berries, nuts and seeds, and vanilla granola to create an ideal breakfast.

Think Jerky®

Love traditional jerky, but hate the excessive amounts of sugar and salt? So did Think Jerky® founder Ricky Hirsch. As a welcome alternative, his version uses grass-fed beef, is paleo-friendly, and free of nitrates, gluten, antibiotics, and hormones.

Though Think Jerky® is one of the fastest-growing snack companies in Chicago— and has partnerships with major brands like Starbucks — United will be the first to carry it at 35,000 feet. Onboard, passengers will be able to sample the sweet chipotle flavor, which was crafted by local farm-to-table chef and Baconfest champion Matt Troost, and uses raspberry concentrate from a small American farm.

Lillie's Q® 

Food & Wine named Chicago-born Lillie's Q® the best new BBQ restaurant in the country when it opened in 2010. Since then, it's become a national powerhouse, backed by creator and Chef Charlie McKenna’s multiple wins at the Memphis in the May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest (basically the world’s most prolific BBQ competition).

The company uses all-natural ingredients to highlight the distinct heritage and flavors of BBQ regions around the American south: cayenne from Memphis, vinegar from Eastern Carolina, and mustard from South Carolina, to name a few.

For Lillie's Q®'s in-air debut, United will showcase the Sea Salt and Black Pepper Kettle Chips. 

Mezze Sampler

Looking for something a little lighter? Maybe even vegan?

Try United's Mezze Sampler, which features almonds, sun-dried tomato and basil hummus, and a wheat berry salad with quinoa, edamame, and corn.

It also includes pita bread from California Lavash, a family-owned company that's been baking artisanal flatbreads for 25 years. All the bakery's products are non-GMO and free of artificial preservatives, chemicals, and animal byproducts —but full of flavor. The company won the City of Gilroy’s Recycling Award for waste-reduction efforts. It also delivers bread daily to local organizations who feed the hungry, as well as provide healthy lunches to kids.

Sir Kensington's condiments

You might not think there's a difference between condiment brands, but that's just because you haven't had the good stuff.

New York-based Sir Kensington's offers a variety of unique condiments — all made with real, non-GMO, gluten-free ingredients. Its mayonnaise, for example, is the only food-service mayo on the market that uses certified humane free-range eggs.

One place you'll be able to sample it is on top of United's smoked Gouda cheeseburger. Not only is it delicious, it also features another shout out to NYC: a BROOKLYN BRED® bistro bun.

SMASHMALLOW® marshmallows

Last but certainly not least: dessert, in the form of artisan marshmallows. NorCal's SMASHMALLOW® was founded in 2016 by Jon Sebastiani, the founder of Sonoma Brands, a dual venture fund and new products incubator.

With his new product, Sebastiani wanted to revamp the traditional marshmallow — while still maintaining its nostalgic character. To that end, SMASHMALLOW® offers all-natural, gluten-free “snackable" marshmallows in a variety of innovative flavors like cookie dough and mint chocolate chip.

Though roasting s'mores isn't exactly flight-friendly, you're guaranteed to bring back some childhood memories when you sample the root beer-float flavored marshmallow in your United Classic snack box.

Find out more about United's food offerings. 

This post is sponsored by United Airlines.

SEE ALSO: 5 global tech hubs you can easily reach from Silicon Valley

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• Millennials are generally defined as people born between 1981 and 1996.
• In some ways, their life is harder than it was for their parents at the same age.
• Many millennials are struggling financially and emotionally. Even online dating isn't as easy as it might seem.

Everyone likes to think their life is hard — that their problems are bigger and less solvable than anyone else's.

But for millennials, generally defined as people born between 1981 and 1996, that might be true.

Many of these 20- and 30-somethings are struggling financially, emotionally, and even in the love department in ways that their forebears weren't.

Here are some of the most significant ways in which life is harder for millennials than it was for their parents.

SEE ALSO: 11 things millennials do completely differently from their parents

Millennials are less financially stable than previous generations were.

Business Insider's Linette Lopez reported on some disappointing data from Young Invincibles, a think tank based in Washington, DC.

Among white Americans aged 25 to 34, median income decreased by 21% between 1989 and 2013 — though it increased among Latinos, who started at a disadvantage.

What's more, as Steven Rattner described in a 2015 New York Times op-ed article, millennials also have a lower net worth ($10,400 in 2013) than Gen X had ($18,200 in 1995).

Perhaps the most startling finding comes from a 2017 paper by social scientists at Harvard, Stanford, and the University of California, Berkeley: Economic mobility has decreased significantly since the 1940s.

Specifically, about 90% of Americans born in the 1940s outearned their parents by the time they hit 30. That figure dropped to 50% among Americans born in the 1980s.

The authors largely attribute the change to growing income inequality.

Millennials are saddled with student debt — but a college education is more necessary than ever.

Rattner also says that "college is becoming less affordable even as it has become increasingly necessary." (According to the Young Invincibles data, even college grads with debt earn more than people without a degree.)

Between 1993 and 2015, average tuition increased by 234% — when the inflation rate was just 63%. According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 46% of grads left college with debt in 1995, compared with 71% in 2015.

That makes it harder for millennials to hit those traditional "adult" milestones, like having kids or buying a house.

Millennial men are more likely to live at home with their parents than previous generations were.

Pew Research Center data shows that among men ages 18 to 34, living at home with parents has been the most common living arrangement since 2009. (Women in this age group are more likely to be living with a spouse or a romantic partner than they are to be living with their parents.)

The main culprit seems to be unemployment. Pew says research suggests that employed young men are less likely to live at home than unemployed young men, and employment among young men has decreased significantly in the past few decades.

Living at home isn't a bad thing per se, but it can make it harder for millennials to feel independent.

• The world debates whether Meghan Markle will wear a tiara during her wedding to Prince Harry.
• Queen Elizabeth II has one of the world's best jewel collections from which to loan Markle a tiara.
• It's speculated the future Her Royal Highness Princess Henry of Wales could wear the Strathmore Rose Tiara or the Spencer Tiara.
• Markle could also wear a custom-designed tiara, which one expert says would cost about $687,360.

Will she or won't she?

Besides the wedding dress, one of the biggest speculations regarding the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle is whether the future Her Royal Highness Princess Henry of Wales will walk down the aisle at Windsor Castle in true royal fashion — donning a dazzling tiara. 

If Markle does opt for this regal look, she has plenty of diamonds and gems to choose from. Queen Elizabeth II has a famed, well stocked royal collection of tiaras — one of the best in the world.

The Queen lent the Queen Mother's Cartier Halo Tiara to Kate Middleton as a "something borrowed" for the Duchess' wedding to Prince William. If tradition dictates anything, she'll also loan a princess' ultimate treasure to her future granddaughter-in-law.

While it's not expected that Markle will wear the same tiara as the Duchess of Cambridge, rumors are circulating about what possible tiaras she could wear — such as the Strathmore Rose Tiara or Princess Diana's Spencer Tiara. The latter would be fitting considering Markle's engagement ring contains two diamond stones from Princess Diana's collection, and that she and Harry plan to honor his mother on the big day.

Then again, she and Harry are a modern-day couple — she could also have her own tiara made for her.

Whether Markle goes for an heirloom tiara or a custom tiara, there's no denying the jewels and metals that will sparkle atop her head go for a pretty penny. 

We took a look at some of the most famous weddings in the British royal family and their equally famous tiaras — and just how much those tiaras might be worth.

SEE ALSO: Meghan Markle will have loads of tiaras to choose from on her wedding day — and she could pick one worn by Princess Diana

DON'T MISS: The royal wedding is a month away — here's how much Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are expected to spend on their big day

Queen Elizabeth and Princess Anne — Queen Mary's Fringe Tiara

When Queen Elizabeth II (then Princess Elizabeth) married Philip Mountbatten, Duke of Edinburgh, in 1947, she sparkled underneath the Queen Mary's Fringe Tiara. It was gifted from Queen Mary to her daughter-in-law, Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, who loaned it to Elizabeth as a "something borrowed." In tune with tradition, the tiara was then loaned to Elizabeth's daughter, Princess Anne, to wear as she tied the knot to Mark Phillips. 

This dazzler is actually the product of dismantled jewelry — it's comprised of 47 diamond bars using diamond stones taken from a necklace Queen Victoria gifted to Queen Mary. Jeweler Garrard & Co. set the stones in gold and silver and separated the bars with smaller diamond spikes.

There's no word on its value, but a 0.5 carat diamond averages around $1,500 while a 2-carat diamond can range from $18,000 to $21,000, depending on cut and clarity.

Princess Margaret — Poltimore Tiara

Princess Margaret departed from tradition and wore a tiara that wasn't already part of the royal collection, acquiring it shortly before her wedding to Lord Snowdon in 1960. The Poltimore Tiara, another Garrard creation, boasts cushion-shaped and old-cut diamond clusters and diamond-set scroll motifs surmounted by old-cut diamond terminals, all mounted in silver and gold. 

It was auctioned for £5,500 (roughly $7,570) at the time it fell into Princess Margaret's hands, and was recently sold at a 2006 auction for £926,400 (around $1,275,154) — about four times its estimate. 

Princess Diana — Spencer Tiara

When marrying Prince Charles in 1981, Princess Diana donned a tiara not from the royal treasure troves, but from her family's own aristocratic archives — the Spencer Tiara. This diamond encrusted piece shaped into tulips, stars, and scrolls belonged to her father and was worn by her mother and sisters on their wedding days.

This dazzler is made of a variety of other jewelry — the central portion was part of a wedding present to Lady Cynthia Hamilton (Diana's grandmother) when she married Albert, Viscount Althorp; the topper was given to Cynthia by Albert's great aunt, Lady Sarah Isabella Spencer; and the ends come from a tiara once belonging to Frances Manby, the last known Viscountess of Montagu. The current version was reportedly finalized in the 1930s.

There is no estimate on how much it's worth, but a similar headpiece with 800 cut diamonds and an estimated weight of 48 carats was recently sold by the Spencer family for $225,000.

Alligator attacks don't happen often, but when they do, they can be fatal. According to the Florida Fish & Wildlife Commission, there have been 23 fatal alligator attacks since 1973. So, what should you do if you find yourself face-to-face with one of these apex predators? 

We talked to wildlife expert Corbin Maxey, who owns two alligators. Maxey told us that even though alligators can get aggressive, they are likely to leave you alone as long as you don't disturb them. He has some simple instructions for what to do if something goes wrong. Following is a transcript of the video. 

Graham Flanagan: For years, Hollywood movies have shown humans at war with alligators. And their crocodilian cousins. Either they're attacking us, or we're attacking them.

Alligators don't often attack humans. But it does happen, and if one attacks you, what should you do? And perhaps more importantly, what shouldn't you do? American alligators have been around for over 150 million years, since the age of the dinosaurs. But alligators stuck around. There are nearly five million alligators in the United States. They live throughout the southeast, from Texas to North Carolina. But most of them are concentrated here, in Florida. In fact, the sunshine state is home to around 1.3 million alligators, And that's where the majority of alligator attacks take place. The first fatal alligator attack recorded in the United States occurred in 1973 near Sarasota. Since then, 23 more deaths have been reported.

Corbin Maxey: You're more likely to be attacked by a dog, or even killed by a cow than have an encounter, a negative one, with an alligator.

Flanagan: Corbin Maxey is a biologist, wildlife expert, and owner of two alligators.

Maxey: Alligators, they can be dangerous, but just like with wildlife, if you leave them alone, they will more than likely wanna leave you alone.

Flanagan: Sure, alligators can be vicious, technically they're apex predators, albeit very patient ones.

Maxey: They're ambush predators, usually all you'll see, if you're really even lucky to see, 'cause they're so good at camouflage, are the little eyes above the water. They would be eating mammals like raccoons, waterbirds, turtles, and deer on occasion. And they literally will sneak up to their prey and then whack! The prey won't even know usually what gets it, but they are incredibly fast.

Flanagan: Alligators are usually pretty chill, as long as you respect their space.

Maxey: There are rare instances of course, where females might be guarding a nest, and if you're in Florida, or you're in an area where alligators are found, and you come across a nest with a female, she is going to be angry, and she will come after you.

Flanagan: If an alligator charges after you, the first step you should take, is to run. Alligators are quick, and can run up to a speed of 11 miles per hour, but they can't sustain that very long. But what if it's too late? And that gator sinks it's teeth into you? Fight back!

Maxey: You wanna fight back, you wanna give it your all, because that will more than likely allow the alligator to release you, they're gonna realize, oh gosh, I don't wanna deal with this.

Flanagan: Don't try to pry open the jaws. You're dealing with a bite force of three thousand pounds. Some experts say that while fighting back, you should smack the gator's sensitive snout, and also try to gouge the gator's eyes.

Maxey: I feel like that's easier said than done. When you have something sudden happen to you, it's gonna be very hard to be like, oh wait, where are the eyes, you know? So I think the best thing to do would be to fight back, put up a fight, definitely don't play dead. If you play dead, you might become dead.

Flanagan: So, in review, if you're attacked by an alligator, run away. If it's too late, fight back, don't try to pry open it's jaws. Attack the sensitive snout, and gouge the eyes, and definitely do not play dead. But perhaps most important, stay out of their territory.

Maxey: When alligators do attack humans or bite them, it's mainly by mistake, and then usually they'll let go, 'cause they'll realize, ah, this isn't a deer, this isn't a raccoon, this is foreign object, this is not something that I would want to eat.

Flanagan: Lucky us.

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• Wedding planning can be stressful — no matter how organized you or your family may be.
•  A wedding planner can help you meet deadlines, make informed decisions, and ensure your wedding day is as special as possible.
• I have no regrets about paying extra for a wedding planner — here's why.

My husband and I weren't looking for a luxurious wedding. We had generous contributions from both sets of parents, but we wanted to spend our money on tangibles that our guests would enjoy: food, beverages, and a venue with a great dance floor. The idea of hiring a wedding planner seemed crazy.

I'd always thought of a wedding planner as a tool for the wealthy bridezilla. It wasn't until after a week or so of scouring wedding forums that I had a change of heart. One thing that everyone on the internet seemed to agree on was that not only were wedding planners an invaluable part of the wedding experience, but they were also more affordable than I'd anticipated.

So I went ahead and hired a wedding planner for our wedding, and it was one of the best decisions I've ever made. Here's why you should consider it, too.

What our wedding planner handled

There are multiple tiers to wedding planning, from full-on planning to day-of logistics. We only hired a day-of planner, and our package included the following:

• Three one-hour planning meetings
• Six hours of services the day before
• 16 hours the day of
• Two planners on-site for the rehearsal and wedding

Starting about 10 months before the wedding, our planners kept us on track with a list of goals to meet each month. We knew when we needed to send out save the dates cards, finalize vendor contracts, and book honeymoon flights. They took care of everything, ranging from the important issues to the smallest of details.

As the big day grew closer, my partner and I realized that we had a potential problem: Our beloved beagle would be stuck at the kennel during the hours of our pre-ceremony photos. It was really important to us to have her present for our wedding, but all of our friends and family were unable to pick her up, as they'd be at venue with us.

Our  planners saved the day by arranging for  a friend of theirs pick up our dog from the kennel and drop her off at the venue. Then, someone else came to pick her up after the photos were done. Every time I see a wedding picture of us with our sweet pup, I remember how amazing it was to have her there.

Our wedding rehearsal ran smoothly due to the careful planning and foresight of our wedding planners. They ran minor errands that relieved us of stress, such as picking up the flowers for our centerpieces and arranging them on the tables. They told us exactly where to stand and when to enter and exit during the ceremony. Our officiant couldn't make it to the rehearsal, so they filled him in before the wedding.

The planners also ensured that my wedding day was as stress-free as possible. On the day of the wedding, a few guests were locked out before the ceremony because our venue had a gate with a special access code. The planners went down there and relayed the code to those who were stuck outside. Without them, some guests would have missed the ceremony entirely.

Why I have no regrets about paying extra for a planner

No matter how organized you, your family, or your bridesmaids are, you'll never be able to stay on top of everything the way a wedding planner can. After all, they're professionals! I was amazed at all of the little tasks they assisted with, like helping my bridesmaids steam their dresses or packing up all the cards and gifts at the end of the night.

Though these details seem trivial, without our planners, the burden would have fallen on my mother or mother-in-law. Instead, everyone got to relax and enjoy the evening.

I was lucky. Our planners only cost $650, though I know they have since raised their rates significantly since our 2015 wedding. According to Angie's List, the average cost of a day-of planner is $1,500, and a full-service planner costs more than $5,000.

I regret certain aspects about our wedding, such as not having enough pie for our guests, but I've never regretted hiring a wedding planner.

SEE ALSO: What the average wedding budget looks like in America, from the engagement ring to the wedding dress to the venue

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• Walt Disney World employees are all referred to as "cast members."

• This includes everyone from the costumed character performers to the ride operators to the people working in retail.

• The park also reflects a show business-like environment by requiring cast members to stay "in character" while in the presence of guests.

Walt Disney World has a rep for being the "most magical place on Earth."

But what's it really like to be one of the people responsible for making the magic happen?

Walt Disney World employs 70,000 "cast members"— the term the company uses to refer to all employees. They all help to run a world-famous park that attracted a record 68 million visitors to Orlando in 2016, according to The Orlando Sentinel.

It's fair to say that these thousands of cast members come to learn a number of secrets about the park that the rest of us tourists might miss.

Business Insider spoke with a number of former Walt Disney World cast members, as well as authors who've written extensively about the park.

Here's what they had to say about the secrets of working at Walt Disney World:

SEE ALSO: 20 cities are left in the running for Amazon's second headquarters — and the story of Disney's secret hunt for land nearly 60 years ago could predict how Amazon's HQ2 will change its home city

You learn quickly that it's all about the guests

The guest experience is everything at Disney. That's drilled into you from day one.

Former Disney College Cast program attendee and "Devin Earns Her Ears: My Secret Walt Disney World Cast Member Diary" author Devin Melendy told Business Insider that, even though her job consisted of working in retail in Frontierland, she was encouraged not to stand behind the register whenever possible.

Instead, cast members are directed to spread some magic by passing out stickers, fast passes, birthday pins, and free bags and shirts.

Mike Fox, author of "The Hidden Secrets & Stories of Walt Disney World," "Disneyland Details: The Magical Hidden Secrets & Story Elements of Disneyland," and "Disneyland In-Depth" and founder of the site Disney-Secrets.com, told Business Insider that a "deep commitment to the guest experience" is "instilled within the company.

"So it always impresses me, especially at the cast member level, the training that goes into helping these folks to provide that superior experience and to see it out on stage and see it executed," he said.

Name tags are an absolute must — even if you're using an alias

Melendy said it's considered "bad show" for a cast members to not wear a name tag. But if you lose your tag, no worries. There's a whole stockpile of gender neutral names like Chris, Sam, and Pat to choose from.

"I lost my first name tag, so I was Chris from New York for two weeks while I waited for my new one," Melendy told Business Insider.

"It's a major deal if you don't have one," Chantelle Judd, a former cast member who worked in Frontierland, told Business Insider. "If this happens — it's easy to forget sometimes — you have to make sure you can borrow one — costuming has spares."

If you want to play a Disney character, you'd better be good at charades

Melendy said she auditioned to become a costumed character but ultimately didn't make the cut. She said that these performers must go through loads of auditions and costume fittings in order to land the role.

People who are good at improvising have a leg up. During the process, you're asked to pantomime activities, like making a sandwich and washing a dog.

"You were supposed to make these gestures big and dramatic, because if you're in a costume you have to parlay what you're saying without saying anything," she said.

Going on a diet is a losing game. Some research suggests more than nine out of every 10 people who try to diet will fail.

Even people who are able to diet successfully often fight a tough battle against the body's evolutionarily savvy attempts to store up extra energy. In fact, scientists have found that the bodies of severely overweight people who lose weight can actively work against them: as they slim down, their metabolism drops, making it harder to lose more weight. 

Experts agree that extreme diets and juice cleanses aren't a long-term strategy for maintaining a healthy weight. To that end, the US News & World Report's 2018 ranking of the best diets put the trendy ketogenic diet dead last. 

But there are a few simple things you can do to stay trim and satisfied for the long run. 

We asked dietitian Jason Ewoldt from the nation's #1-rated hospital, the Mayo Clinic, for his simplest, sanest ideas for staying lean this summer without going insane. Here's his advice:

SEE ALSO: The most surprising foods Weight Watchers considers zero points — and why

Stay hydrated. If you hate drinking water, zest it up with citrus or drink it carbonated (ideally without adding empty calories into your diet).

Ewoldt says patients often end up "misinterpreting" thirst for hunger.

"A lot of times people just seem to be a little dehydrated," he said. 

They'd probably all do better if they drank a little more H2O. One 2016 study of more than 18,000 people in the US found that those who drank more water were consistently more satisfied and ate fewer calories on a daily basis. They also consumed lower amounts of sugar, fat, salt, and cholesterol than more dehydrated participants. 

Whatever you drink, it's probably best to steer clear of artificial sweeteners.

Scientists are starting to discover that slurping fake sugar doesn't give people a free pass when it comes to obesity and diabetes.

Scientists studying the blood vessels of rats have discovered that while sugar and artificial sweeteners act in very different ways inside the animals' bodies, they can both up the odds of developing obesity and diabetes.

The researchers think that artificial sweeteners may mess with the way our bodies process fat. 

Aim for 7 to 8 hours of shut-eye per night.

Most of us like to think we can operate well without a full night's sleep. But neuroscientist and sleep expert Matthew Walker says that's wrong. According to Walker, lack of sleep is literally killing us.

And it makes us eat more bad food, too. 

Research published in 2013 in the journal Nature Communications revealed that sleep-deprived eaters are more likely to reach for high-calorie foods and gain weight than well-rested people are. That's because being sleepy also snoozes the region of the brain that helps tell us when we're full.

• DJ and producer Avicii killed himself, multiple sources told celebrity site TMZ.
• The news comes after a statement from his family alluded to suicide last week.
• WARNING: The reports include details of how he is said to have killed himself, and may be upsetting.

DJ and producer Avicii killed himself, according to multiple sources who spoke to US celebrity site TMZ.

Avicii, who was 28, was found dead in Muscat, Oman, on Friday April 20. Police there said is "no criminal suspicion" in the case, and a statement from his family also alluded to suicide.

TMZ's report described in some detail the alleged circumstances leading to Avicii's death, which some readers may find upsetting. 

Multiple sources reportedly said that Avicii, whose real name is Tim Bergling, took his own life using a shard of glass "that caused massive bleeding." Two sources said the shards came from a broken bottle.

The statement from Bergling's family released last last week said that he "could not go on any longer" and "wanted to find peace."

Avicii had previously warned that he was "going to die" in a documentary released in October.

He had retired from touring in 2016, citing a series of health concerns that included acute pancreatitis, in part due to excessive drinking.

In a documentary titled "Avicii: True Stories," released in October last year, he also repeatedly warned that the touring lifestyle was going to kill him — but that he was being pressured to continue.

The family's previous statement, issued early last week, said: "We would like to thank you for the support and the loving words about our son and brother. We are so grateful for everyone who loved Tim's music and have precious memories of his songs."

An official police report and cause of death have not yet been released.

SEE ALSO: Avicii's family has implied his death was a suicide, saying 'he could not go on any longer'

SEE ALSO: DJ and producer Avicii warned 'I'm going to die' in a documentary released 6 months before he was found dead at 28

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NOW WATCH: Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump tried to cut a secret deal with Planned Parenthood — here's what happened

• Brian Kelly and his team at The Points Guy are hiring a summer intern.
• They'll pay someone $20 (£15) an hour to hang out with their office pups — Miles, Hootie, and Swisher, aka 'The Points Pups' — and grow their social media following. 
• Based in the New York office, the successful candidate will research what it's like travelling with pets — and the role will also involve some travel.

Air miles blog The Points Guy is hiring a summer intern — but not to do what you might expect.

CEO Brian Kelly and his points-obsessed team have announced they are looking for a dog-lover to work with their three office pups Miles, Hootie, and Swisher, aka "The Points Pups" — and you'll get paid for your troubles, $20 (£15) an hour to be exact.

Based out of TPG's New York office, the successful applicant will be responsible for growing the Insta-famous pups' social media following and developing TPG’s pet travel content, according to the company.

The role will involve primary research into what it’s like travelling with a pet these days — and this means it'll involve some travel, possibly to South Florida, according to the job description.

Day-to-day you'll be charged with capturing and posting all content to the pups' Instagram account @ThePointsPups which currently has an 11,000-strong following.

Here's a look at some of their Instagram snaps so far:

You’ll also get to write for the main TPG blog from time to time. Over the course of the internship you'll help to create TPG’s pet travel report, which will guide people on the best hotels and airlines for pet travel.

You can expect to work between 25 and 40 hours per week.

For the full job description and how to apply, read the full listing here.

SEE ALSO: This man quit his job at Morgan Stanley to embrace his obsession with air miles — and he now flies first class for a living

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• A new study has found certain foods can increase the risk of early menopause.
• Oily fish and legumes were associated with reaching menopause later, while white pasta and rice were linked to early menopause.
• The scientists believe their findings are important as early and late menopause are linked with increased risks of diseases like osteoporosis and certain cancers.

What we put in our bodies often directly affects our health. For example, time and time again, research has shown how the best diet for your health is one rich in vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats.

But this doesn't halt research looking into whether some foods are particularly good — or particularly bad — for us.

A new study, published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, has found that certain food groups could affect the age at which the menopause starts.

Researchers from the University of Leeds used data about the health and reproductive history of more than 14,150 women living in the UK. They were asked to complete a questionnaire about their diet, then the researchers followed up with them four years later.

Out of the whole group, about 900 women between the ages of 40 and 65 had experienced the start of their menopause by the time of the follow up.

When analysing their diets, the researchers found women who had a diet rich in oily fish and fresh legumes like chickpeas and lentils were more likely to have a delayed start to the menopause by an average of nearly three years.

A higher intake of vitamin B6 and zinc were also linked with later menopause, and eating meat was associated with menopause arriving almost a year later than a vegetarian diet.

In particular, childless women who ate more grapes and poultry reached menopause significantly later as well.

Women who ate a lot of refined (white) pasta and rice were more likely to start the menopause one and a half years earlier, on average.

According to the study's discussion, fresh legumes and oily fish are good sources of antioxidants, which could partly explain the association, as egg maturation and release are harmed by chemicals containing oxygen.

Also, eating lots of refined carbs can increase the risk of insulin resistance, which can interfere with sex hormone activity and boost oestrogen levels. This can increase the number of menstrual cycles and deplete egg supply faster, the researchers said.

"This study is the first to investigate the links between individual nutrients and a wide variety of food groups and age at natural menopause in a large cohort of British women," said Yashvee Dunneram, a postdoctoral researcher at the School of Food Science and Nutrition, and lead author of the study. "But further studies are needed to improve understanding on how this may impact health and wellbeing."

The study was observational, and questionnaires can contain errors, especially when self-reported. However, the researchers still believe the findings are important for future research and healthcare, especially as women who go through early menopause have an increased risk of osteoporosis and heart disease. Those who go through it late are at increased risk of breast, womb, and ovarian cancers.

"Our findings confirm that diet may be associated with the age at natural menopause. This may be relevant at a public health level since age at natural menopause may have implications on future health outcomes," they wrote.

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• Streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime are growing exponentially compared to cable and satellite TV, according to research by The Convergence Research Group. 
• Convergence estimates that revenue from TV subscriptions will decline slightly over the next three years, while streaming service revenue will increase rapidly over the same period.
• US revenue for video streaming services grew 41% in 2017, while revenue for TV access grew just 1%, amid an increase in cord-cutting.

The growth of streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime is vastly outpacing the revenue growth for cable and satellite TV, which are projected to be on a steady decline in the coming years, according to research by The Convergence Research Group.

The US revenue for video streaming services, otherwise known as over-the-top (OTT) providers, grew 41% in 2017, while revenue for cable and satellite TV access grew just 1% last year.

While Convergence estimates that revenue from TV subscriptions will decline slightly in each year between 2018 and 2020, the firm is forecasting that streaming service revenue will grow substantially over the same period — 39% in 2018, 32% in 2019, and 26% in 2020.

The expected growth of streaming services corresponds with existing streaming companies amping up their production of original content, while other major players enter the game.

Netflix, for instance, will have spent roughly $8 billion on content in 2018. Meanwhile, Disney is set to launch its own OTT service in the fall of 2019. 

"We expect especially for the US market going forward fewer content deals between programmers and independent OTT providers," Convergence wrote. "2017 saw Disney choose not to renew with Netflix and embrace OTT, HBO not renew with Amazon in the US, Hulu (which is spending more on content on a per US subscriber basis than Amazon or Netflix) continue to bolster its offerings compete & more directly against TV access providers, and A+E, AMC, Discovery, Scripps, and Viacom back & supply Philo."

Despite the projected drop in overall TV access revenue, the amount that the average household spends on TV access and OTT access are both expected to steadily increase each year from 2o18 to 2020:

Convergence also predicts a growth in "cord-cutters" and "cord-nevers," or households that don't hold a traditional TV subscription and instead rely on mediums like streaming services for video.

The firm estimates that there were 32.13 million US households without traditional TV packages at the end of 2017, an increase of 4.57 million from the year prior. Convergence forecasts that 2018 will see an addition of 4.63 million cord-cutters and cord-nevers.

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Debates about "best" and "worst" cities elicit strong feelings. It's a tricky issue because such debates are largely subjective.

So Business Insider attempted to use data to definitively prove which are the most exciting and most boring cities in every state across America.

To do that, we took counts of the number of establishments for 66 different types of businesses — like breweries, art dealers, and museums — that can make a city more "interesting." We sourced data from the Census Bureau's 2015 County Business Patterns program and picked the metro areas with the highest and lowest count of these businesses for our interesting and boring cities.

For example, the New York City metro area has 62 breweries, 762 art dealers, and 305 museums, based on federal data. That ended up being the "most exciting" city in New York. Elmira, the "most boring" city in New York, has two breweries, zero art dealers, and four museums. Of course, this means that bigger cities tended to rank better as "exciting" cities, but that is a trend for most lists of this nature.

The list below breaks out cities by each of the 381 Metropolitan Statistical Areas recognized by the federal government. You will see that some of the metro areas span more than one state (e.g. New York City includes Jersey City and Newark, New Jersey). We have made it clear in the slides below which metro areas span more than one state.

And two states — Rhode Island and Vermont — are not included in the list because they don't have at least two metro areas as defined by the federal government.

Read below to see the most exciting and most boring city in every state in America.

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Alabama

Most Exciting

Birmingham, Hoover, Alabama

Population: 1,144,857

Most Boring

Gadsden, Alabama

Population: 102,873

Alaska

Most Exciting

Anchorage, Alaska

Population: 399,432

Most Boring

Fairbanks, Alaska

Population: 99,639

Arizona

Most Exciting

Phoenix, Mesa, Scottsdale, Arizona

Population: 4,567,857

Most Boring

Sierra Vista-Douglas, Arizona

Population: 126,395

Many of the worst television shows originate from some highly questionable concepts that make you wonder how they ever got approved.

ABC's "Cavemen" series in 2007, for instance, was based on characters from a short-lived Geico commercial. And Fox's 2014 reality show "I Wanna Marry Harry" saw 12 women compete for the chance to marry a Prince Harry look-alike who they thought was the real Prince of Wales.

Both shows were critical disasters, and each lasted only one season — as many of the worst reality shows, dramas, and sitcoms have.

To find out which programs critics have hated the most, we turned to the review aggregator Metacritic for its list of the worst TV shows, which goes back to 1995. The list ranks show seasons by their composite critical reception.

Check out the 50 worst TV shows from least to most objectionable, according to critics:

SEE ALSO: All 65 of Netflix's notable original shows, ranked from worst to best

50. "Twenty Good Years" (NBC, Season 1)

Critic score: 29/100

User score: 5.9/10

What critics said: "It is a male version of 'The Golden Girls,' but with weaker writing." — The New York Times

49. "South Beach" (UPN, Season 1)

Critic score: 29/100

User score: 8.6/10

What critics said: "A preposterous and pretentious drama series." — The Washington Post

48. "Hidden Hills" (NBC, Season 1)

Critic score: 29/100

User score: Unavailable

What critics said: "This series reflects the way wealthy, neurotic, overly busy and sex-obsessed TV executives and producers think America lives, in other words, the way they live. They're wrong." — The Detroit News

• Hotels including Marriott, Holiday Inn, and Kimpton are killing the tiny shampoo and conditioner bottles they've long stocked in guest rooms. 
• Hundreds of hotels are replacing the miniature toiletries with larger containers that are attached to the bathroom wall. 
• Not everyone is pleased by the decision, with one business traveler telling The Wall Street Journal that the change is "incredibly cheap" on the part of the hotel industry.

Hotels are ditching one of the best perks of traveling: the tiny toiletries visitors receive for free. 

Hundreds of hotels owned by the largest hospitality companies in the world are swapping mini shampoo and conditioner bottles for larger bottles attacked to the bathroom wall, The Wall Street Journal reports. 

"Marriott is switching to larger bottles in wall-mounted racks in 450 hotels at five brands and plans to expand to 1,500 hotels in North America by January," The Journal's Scott McCartney writes. "InterContinental Hotels Group is rolling out wall-mounted bulk dispensers at four brands this year. IHG's upscale Kimpton brand already uses big bottles in showers."

There are environmental reasons to ditch the tiny bottles. And, hotels told McCartney that many families were looking for more toiletries in the room to allow everyone to properly wash their hair. 

However, for others, the loss of tiny shampoos is the end of an era — and a hard loss. 

Many people donate these miniature toiletries, while others save them for future travels. Critics told The Journal that the change will make the hotel experience less enjoyable. 

"What's next, getting rid of the packs of coffee and making us scoop out of a can?" Dennis Lennox, who reportedly spends more than 200 nights a year in hotels on business travels, told The Journal. "I think it's cheap, incredibly cheap."

Executives said that costs weren't the primary motivator, despite what customers' perception might be. A Marriott executive said that the change is only going to save the chain $2,000 per hotel a year. 

SEE ALSO: 7-Eleven has a new strategy for dealing with 'riffraff' — and it reveals a growing problem that's plaguing chains like Starbucks and McDonald's

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It’s time to step up your shoe game for the next wedding you attend. Look smart in the right pair of dress shoes. A fashion faux pas? Not here, gentlemen. Here are the top five styles for any type of wedding, from casual affairs to black tie only. These are the most popular men’s dress shoes this wedding season — and they’re guaranteed to impress.

1. Wholecut oxfords

These shoes are definitely your best bet for black tie and cocktail attire dress code. Wholecuts are made from a single piece of leather, meaning they look sleek and gorgeous. You’re going to be on your feet all night, so opt for a lightweight, flexible shoe. Don’t forget to wear your new shoes a few times to ensure they’re broken in and ready for action.

2. Cap-toe oxfords

Keep it classy with cap-toe oxfords that will pair exceptionally well with that new tailored suit. A handsome cap-toe oxford has cocktail attire written all over it. Pro tip: let these bad boys double as your work week warriors. Versatility, it’s a beautiful thing.

3. Double monk straps

It’s time to turn up the volume. Double-monks should most certainly not be worn at black tie events, so keep this stallion in your closet for more casual weddings and pair it with suit or slacks.

4. Loafers

Slide into a comfortable penny or Belgian loafer for a dapper look at that summer beach wedding. Tempted to show some ankle? We’ll allow it, but promise you’ll wear your no-show socks (moisture ruins leather).

5. Boots

You can’t go wrong in a pair of chukka or Chelsea boots for an outdoor wedding this fall. Paired with expertly tailored slacks, boots are just the right amount of sprezzatura (that’s Italian for casually cool). Just make sure it’s dress code appropriate.

If you’re looking for the perfect pair of shoes to get you through the wedding season, Paul Evans has you covered. It’s time to step up your shoe game.

Find your next pair of shoes here.

This post is sponsored by Paul Evans. | Content written and provided by Paul Evans. 

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• In a behind-the-scenes video for the making of his new single, "Ye vs. The People," Kanye West explains his vocal support of President Trump in a conversation with rapper T.I., the song's featured artist.
• In the video, West defends his decision to wear a "Make America Great Again" hat on social media, while T.I. presses West on the motivations underlying his support for Trump.
• "Me putting the hat on forces an evolution," West says. "If I had not done what I felt, and I just thought, then it would have never happened. And when I wear that hat, it’s like a fight for equality."

After sparking controversy and losing prominent Twitter followers for his vocal support of President Trump last week, Kanye West turned the public debate over his apparently fervent political stance into a new song, "Ye vs. The People."

The track features rapper T.I. as "The People," trading verses with West while questioning West's motivations in wearing a "Make America Great Again" hat in posts on social media, and questioning his expressed "love" for Trump. 

In a new behind-the-scenes video of the track's creation, West and rapper T.I. argue about West's Twitter antics before recording the song. 

At one point, West defends wearing a "Make America Great Again" hat in after T.I. presses him on the subject.

"Me putting the hat on forces an evolution," West says. "If I had not done what I felt, and I just thought, then it would have never happened. And when I wear that hat, it’s like a fight for equality. Like, 'Oh, I can wear this hat too.'"

West later adds, "Half the s--- Trump does, I don’t agree with," to which T.I. counters: "What half do you agree with? Let’s get that out."

"Just the ability to do what no one said you can do, to do the impossible, is the most inspiring thing to me," West responds, describing Trump's rise to the presidency. 

Watch the video below:

SEE ALSO: 13 music stars who unfollowed Kanye West on Twitter after his support of Trump

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• Walmart was one of the first major international brands to enter China, having opened its first store in 1996.
• Despite the early start, the brand has struggled to dominate in China as it has in the US, stalling out with a little over 400 stores.
• I visited a branch in Beijing recently. From the poorly designed store to the confused inventory of products, it was obvious why Walmart has struggled in the country.

Walmart was one of the first big international brands to enter China, drawn by the promise of big profits from the country's exploding middle class, which is projected to grow to 550 million people by 2022.

Walmart opened its first store in China in 1996, in the city of Shenzhen, and has grown to 424 stores in the intervening years.

But despite this growth, it has stumbled mightily in its expansion efforts. By most accounts, Walmart failed to properly read Chinese consumers' desires and cater its stores to the market. The resulting middling sales, combined with food safety scandals, rapid turnover of CEOs, and scuffles with the government, prevented the US retail giant from capitalizing on what many thought was a golden opportunity.

In recent years, Walmart has recovered some by investing in and partnering with JD.com, China's largest e-commerce retailer after Alibaba. That the retailer has placed its eggs in JD's e-commerce basket isn't a bad strategy, as Chinese consumers shift their spending to online. 

By the most recent measures, e-commerce accounts for a whopping 21.4% of total retail in China. By comparison, the US is hovering around 12%. In recent years, Walmart has built out a robust online grocery business.

During a recent visit to China, I decided to check out a Walmart in Beijing. The store — which was in many ways nothing like its US counterpart — provided a clear indication why the retailer's China strategy has been failing for so long.

Here's what it was like.

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I went to a Walmart in Beijing's Chaoyang district, a popular shopping area in the city. It's not far from the swanky Sanlitun area, as well as many foreign embassies. But the entrance to Walmart was a bit dingy.

Many of the pictures I've seen of Walmarts in China show products like pigs' heads and crocodiles. I was surprised to hear that Walmart has been criticized for not catering to the China market.

But once I got inside, the retailer's mistakes (at this location at least) became apparent. The Walmart was located in the basement of a dingy shopping mall

• North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un rarely leaves his country.
• But when he does, observers have noted some of his unusual travel habits.
• They include his insistence on having a "personal toilet" and bringing a special noodle machine from Pyongyang.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un has reportedly agreed to meet with President Donald Trump in the Korean demilitarized zone, according to news reports on Tuesday.

For Kim, the meeting will mark a rare moment in the public eye. The enigmatic leader visited the DMZ last week to meet with South Korean President Moon Jae-In, and in March he traveled to China to meet with President Xi Jinping, but otherwise has not left his native country since he took office in 2011.

Kim's previous turns on the international stage have revealed some of his curious travel habits, like his need for a "personal toilet" to accompany him and his insistence on bringing a special noodle machine on trips.

Read on to read about the unusual things Kim does when he goes on international trips.

SEE ALSO: Kim Jong Un reportedly agrees to meet Trump at the Korean DMZ

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A human motorcade surrounded his car

As Kim's car arrived at the start of peace talks with South Korean president Moon Jae-In last week, cameras caught an unusual sight: a fleet of 12 bodyguards, dressed in full suits and black dress shoes, surrounding the vehicle and running alongside it.

The "human motorcade," as some news outlets called it, kept pace with the vehicle and stayed in perfect formation as it drove around turns in the road until it finally came to a halt, giving the bodyguards a moment to catch a breath.

He rides a slow-moving, bulletproof train

Most world leaders travel by airplane, but much like his father and grandfather, Kim Jong-Un's preferred mode of transportation is private train.

Whenever Kim travels, as he did to China last month, three trains are needed: an advance security train, Kim's train, and another train for bodyguards and supplies, according to The New York Times.

Each carriage on Kim's 90 high-security carriages is bulletproof, and with all the extra weight, the trains top out at just 37 miles per hour, the Times reported.

He doesn't use public restrooms when he travels — he uses a 'personal toilet' instead

Apparently, Kim Jong-un doesn't use public restrooms when he travels, instead opting for a "personal toilet," Lee Yun-keol, a former member of the North Korean Guard Command unit, told The Washington Post. And the reason has nothing to do with cleanliness.

"Rather than using a public restroom, the leader of North Korea has a personal toilet that follows him around when he travels," Lee told The Post. "The leader’s excretions contain information about his health status so they can’t be left behind."

In 2015, South Korean news agency DailyNK reported that a customized bathroom is built into one of the cars of Kim's convoy of armored vehicles.

• The penthouse inside New York City's landmarked One Hundred Barclay building is currently on the market for $59 million.
• With a 96-feet by 33-feet living room area, it boasts the largest living room in New York City.
• Its massive floor-to-ceiling windows make you feel like you're up in the clouds.

The penthouse inside One Hundred Barclay is a stunning sight.

Manhattan's Tribeca neighborhood is home to some of the most expensive real estate in the world — and now, it's also home to the largest living room in all of New York City inside the penthouse of the landmarked building at 100 Barclay Street, which borders Tribeca and the financial district.

Measuring 96 feet by 33 feet, the great room that makes up much of the penthouse has majestic views of uptown. While peering downtown through its floor-to-ceiling windows, you can almost spot your own reflection on the glass of One World Trade.

Altogether, the $59 million penthouse is 14,500-square-feet, and spans both the 32nd and 33rd floors. The luxury residences inside One Hundred Barclay have been under redevelopment by Magnum Real Estate Group and the CIM Group — who have worked carefully to preserve the building's rich history.

Originally built as the headquarters for New York Telephone Company in the 1920s, the Barclay's building was designed by Ralph Walker and was the first Art Deco skyscraper. Its 6,000-square-foot lobby remains intact with the original 12 murals that depict the evolution of human communication by New York artist Hugo R.B. Newman.

Ahead, a look at the incredible penthouse, which was imagined by interior designer Brad Ford, of Brad Ford ID.  

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Listed by the Corcoran Group, the penthouse has an asking price of $59 million.

The home has a perfect view of uptown and the Empire State Building.

Massive industrial-style windows surround the entire living room area, and are up to 21 feet high — just a foot below the ceiling.

• Martin Scorsese spoke about "the devaluation of cinema itself" while accepting an award at the TCM Classic Film Festival.
• He also called out Rotten Tomatoes and CinemaScore for causing movies to be "reduced to content."

Martin Scorsese hates the word "content."

While accepting the inaugural Robert Osborne Award at the TCM Classic Film Festival over the weekend, Scorsese took the moment to lay into the things he said are leading to, as he called it, "the devaluation of cinema itself."

The legendary Oscar-winning director said that though it's an amazing time to have easy access to movies that were so hard to get decades ago, the result has led to something very troubling.

“It can all be summed up in the word that’s being used now: content,” Scorsese said while accepting his award, according to Entertainment Weekly. “All movie images are lumped together. You’ve got a picture, you’ve got a TV episode, a new trailer, you’ve got a how-to video on a coffee-maker, you’ve got a Super Bowl commercial, you’ve got 'Lawrence of Arabia,' it’s all the same.”

Scorsese said that because there's "no sense of value" tied to a movie, it's all now being sampled in bits and pieces.

He also went on to call out popular review aggregators Rotten Tomatoes and CinemaScore for their contribution to devaluating movies.

"The horrible idea they reinforce [is] that every picture, every image is there to be instantly judged and dismissed without giving audiences time to see it. Time to see it, maybe ruminate and maybe make a decision for themselves," he said. "So the great 20th-century art form, the American art form, is reduced to content.” 

Though this is not the first time Scorsese has addressed his dislike for how movies are no longer cherished as they once were, it comes at an interesting time in his career. He's currently working on his next movie, "The Irishman," for Netflix, which arguably is one of the greatest disrupters of the traditional moviegoing experience he's so fond of.

It will be interesting to get his take on things once he does press for that movie.

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