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Hit true-crime podcast 'Serial' is coming back this month with season 3

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  • The true-crime podcast "Serial" has a set a premiere date for its anticipated third season. 
  • The first two episodes of the season will debut on September 20, with subsequent episodes released weekly on Thursdays. 
  • Season three of "Serial" will focus on a year's worth of stories within the Cleveland, Ohio, court system. 

The hit true-crime podcast "Serial" has announced a premiere date for its anticipated third season. 

The first two episodes of the season will drop on September 20, with subsequent episodes released weekly on Thursdays. 

The third season of "Serial" will focus on a year's worth of stories within the Cleveland, Ohio, court system. Its telling of many different stories will differ from the podcast's first and second seasons, which focused on one story over the course of a season. Some of the stories in season three will span two or three episodes, according to Variety

"We chose Cleveland because they let us record everywhere," host Sarah Koenig said in an audio trailer for the new season. "Courtrooms, back hallways, judges chambers, the prosecutor's office. And then we followed those cases outside the building into neighborhoods, into people's houses, and into prison."

"Serial's" first season, released in 2014 as a spinoff of NPR's "This American Life," centered on an investigation into the 2000 murder case of Adnan Syed in Baltimore, Maryland. The second season followed the story of Bowe Bergdahl, a U.S. soldier who was captured by the Taliban in Afghanistan.

The first two seasons of "Serial" have been downloaded more than 340 million times.

The third season of the podcast is expected to be 10 episodes long but may be subject to change, according to Variety. It will be available for free on podcast apps including Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts, and on the music streaming service Pandora, starting on September 20.

Listen to the 7-minute trailer for the third season on podcast apps or the "Serial" website.

SEE ALSO: The 5 most anticipated TV shows returning in September

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NOW WATCH: How a black cop infiltrated the KKK — the true story behind Spike Lee's 'BlacKkKlansman'


Trump tweets that Nike is 'getting absolutely killed with anger and boycotts' over its Colin Kaepernick ad (NKE)

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President Donald Trump used Twitter on Wednesday morning to weigh in on Nike's polarizing new ad featuring Colin Kaepernick.

"Nike is getting absolutely killed with anger and boycotts," Trump tweeted. "I wonder if they had any idea that it would be this way?"

Trump also referred to the NFL's declining TV ratings and said he found games "hard to watch" and "always will" until players "stand for the FLAG!"

Kaepernick is the star of Nike's new "Just Do It" ad, which the former NFL quarterback tweeted and Nike retweeted on Monday. The ad features a close-up photo of Kaepernick with the words "Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything."

The reference to sacrifice most likely links Kaepernick's going unsigned in the NFL to his kneeling during the national anthem before games to protest police brutality and racial injustice. He began the protest in 2016, and other players have continued it.

Trump weighed in on Nike's ad for the first time during an interview with the conservative news outlet The Daily Caller on Tuesday, saying it "sends a terrible message."

It's true that Nike has been the target of anger from some customers, with many on social media expressing support for a boycott and burning their Nike apparel in protest. Whether that anger is outweighed by the positive reaction of others remains to be seen, but most business and brand observers say that Nike most likely weighed the risks of a polarizing ad like this and decided to release it anyway, which makes sense when you look at Nike's core demographic of young, diverse urbanites. Millennials also tend to be "belief-driven buyers," which dovetails well with Nike's ambitious ad.

Read more about Nike's Colin Kaepernick ad:

SEE ALSO: Nike ignited a firestorm of fury with its new Colin Kaepernick ad, but it's still a brilliant strategy

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The Senate is tearing into Google for refusing to send a top exec to testify — and even left an empty chair and name tag to highlight its displeasure

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WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 5: (L-R) Facebook chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg and Twitter chief executive officer Jack Dorsey arrive for a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing concerning foreign influence operations' use of social media platforms, on Capitol Hill, September 5, 2018 in Washington, DC. Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey and Facebook chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg faced questions about how foreign operatives use their platforms in attempts to influence and manipulate public opinion. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

  • Alphabet CEO Larry Page declined to attend Wednesday's Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on election security, despite appearances from Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey and Facebook's chief operating officer, Sheryl Sandberg.
  • The committee left an empty chair to highlight Google's absence, and senators tore into the company in their opening remarks.

WASHINGTON — Larry Page, the chief executive of Alphabet, declined the invitation to appear before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Wednesday, despite testimonies from two of his industry peers.

The absence of Google was a major disappointment for lawmakers on the committee, who kept a seat open in the hearing room to exhibit the company's lack of participation alongside Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey and Facebook's chief operating officer, Sheryl Sandberg.

Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey and Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg testifying before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence on September 5, 2018.

Sen. Richard Burr of North Carolina, the chairman of the committee, immediately tore into Google for not participating.

In a jab at Google as it relates to election security, Burr said, "The committee takes this issue very seriously, and we appreciate that Facebook and Twitter are represented here this morning with an equivalent and appropriate measure of seriousness."

Burr also acknowledged Google's "commendable work" in past participation with the committee and election security.

The ranking Democrat on the committee, Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, said in his opening remarks that he was "extremely disappointed" that neither Page nor Google CEO Sundar Pichai attended.

The empty name tag left for Google's absence at the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence's hearing on election security on September 5, 2018.

"I know our members have a series of difficult questions about structural vulnerabilities on a number of Google's platforms that we will need answered," Warner said. "From Google Search, which continues to have problems surfacing absurd conspiracies … To YouTube, where Russian-backed disinformation agents promoted hundreds of divisive videos … To Gmail, where state-sponsored operatives attempt countless hacking attempts, Google has an immense responsibility in this space."

"Given its size and influence, I would have thought the leadership at Google would want to demonstrate how seriously it takes these challenges and to lead this important public discussion," Warner added.

Later in the hearing, Sen. Marco Rubio, a Florida Republican, chided Google for not showing. When Rubio thanked Sandberg and Dorsey for their time, he added that "there's an empty chair next to you for Google."

"They're not here today," he said, "and maybe it's because they're arrogant or maybe it's because there's a report that as of last night — this just posted at 3:36 yesterday — this group went on, basically pretending to be Kremlin-linked trolls. They used the details of the Internet Research Agency, which is a Kremlin-linked troll farm, and were able to buy ads online and place them on sites like CNN, CBS This Morning, HuffPost, Daily Beast. So I'm sure they don't want to be here to answer these questions."

Though the company did not send its top brass to testify before the committee, Google's senior vice president of global affairs and chief legal officer, Kent Walker, submitted a written testimony for the record. It did not address their absence.


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SEE ALSO: Here's an evolving count of which senators are voting for Trump's Supreme Court pick

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California's warnings that coffee is linked to cancer are misleading, according to the FDA. Here’s what we know about the health benefits of coffee.

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  • Earlier this year, a California judge ordered coffee retailers in the state to post cancer warnings where their customers can see them.
  • The FDA argues California's coffee warnings are misleading and unscientific, and they should be scrapped.
  • We don't have any good evidence that coffee causes cancer. In fact, the opposite may be true.
  • A growing body of evidence suggests there are serious benefits to drinking coffee, for our bodies, our brains, and even our colleagues.

The US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) says no matter what California judges may think, the science is clear: drinking coffee won’t give you cancer.

The federal agency is butting heads with a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge, who ruled earlier this year that coffee sellers must post warnings along with all coffees served up in that state.

Starbucks visitors in the Golden State, for example, will often see cancer warnings printed on store signs, placed out on the counter under the milk and sugar:

ca cancer warning

The question of whether to warn people about cancer and coffee hinges on the potentially harmful effects of a single chemical in roasted coffee beans called acrylamide.

FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb believes there's only one scientifically accurate answer to the chemical debate. 

"Requiring a cancer warning on coffee, based on the presence of acrylamide, would be more likely to mislead consumers than to inform them,” he said in a statement posted on the FDA's website last week. 

California's new coffee warnings are also being challenged by the state's Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment because there's no solid scientific evidence that the amount of acrylamide present in coffee causes cancer. A final decision on the fate of the warnings should be in by the end of 2018, according to the Los Angeles Times

We don't have any evidence acrylamide in coffee causes cancer

Acrylamide is present naturally in lots of toasty, roasted foods. The chemical compound is created when chips, bread, coffee, and cookies are cooked at high temperatures through processes like frying, baking, and roasting. It's true that in extremely high doses, acrylamide can lead to cancer in animals. But Gottlieb says "current science indicates that consuming coffee poses no significant risk of cancer."

Others agree. 

"There is no evidence that acrylamide intake is related to cancer in humans," Frank Hu, the chair of the nutrition department at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, recently told The Seattle Times

This is in line with what a group of 23 other scientists determined back in 2016 at the International Agency for Research on Cancer, publishing their findings in the journal Lancet Oncology.

The ways that cancer develops in humans are complex and not fully understood. It's tough for scientists and oncologists to tease out direct cause-and-effect relationships when it comes to cancer, because (fortunately) humans don't live their lives in a lab, under a microscope. 

People used to think coffee might contribute to higher cancer rates in part because researchers didn't take into account the fact that many coffee drinkers were also smokers. Small numbers of study participants and inconsistent findings also hampered previous research on coffee. 

Once scientists started taking those factors into consideration, they realized there’s virtually no scientifically sound evidence to date that coffee can cause cancer. 

Instead, researchers have discovered that coffee-drinkers may derive health benefits from their buzzy beverage of choice. The benefits of coffee drinking include:

The benefits of coffee drinking aren't unlimited

Too much of a good thing can be a recipe for disaster. People who drink a lot of coffee, like more than six cups a day, can quicken their heartbeats (and be rather jittery colleagues, to boot).

Researchers also warn that people who have been diagnosed with tumors may want to limit coffee intake, because it can make blood vessels larger, and thus feed more oxygen into hungry tumors.

Finally, there is some evidence that drinking very hot coffee is not a good idea, and could contribute to esophageal cancer. But that has more to do with the searing hot temperature of the liquid than the brew itself. Oral cancer rates spike in people who drink beverages that are too warm, no matter what kind of boiling hot liquid they pour in their mouths. A cup of coffee isn't going to hurt you more than any other kind of steaming drink. 

"If you're otherwise healthy, it will not harm you, and it might help your heart and circulatory system stay better functional for a longer time," Molecular biologist Joachim Altschmied recently told Business Insider. Altschmied published research in June suggesting that coffee might improve the way cells inside older blood vessels work, making them more youthful and possibly protecting cardiovascular cells into old age.

He says that four cups of strong coffee a day might be an ideal dose. 

Meanwhile, the number of coffee sippers is skyrocketing. More and more people around the world are making the toasty caffeine jolt a part of their daily routines.

Research to date suggests that they have a hefty dose of science on their side, in spite of what California requires.

SEE ALSO: There's even more evidence that coffee is good for your heart — and 4 cups a day might be the ideal amount

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NOW WATCH: Yes, coffee is actually good for you — here's what science has to say about it

Science says people decide these 9 things within seconds of meeting you

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Psychologists call it "thin slicing." 

Within moments of meeting people, you decide all sorts of things about them, from status to intelligence to promiscuity.

If you're trustworthy

People decide on your trustworthiness in a tenth of a second

Princeton researchers found this out by giving one group of university students 100 milliseconds to rate the attractiveness, competence, likeability, aggressiveness, and trustworthiness of actors' faces.

Members of another group were able to take as long as they wanted. While other traits differed depending on time spent looking, trustworthiness was basically the same.

 



If you're high-status

A Dutch study found that people wearing name-brand clothes — Lacoste and Tommy Hilfiger, to be precise — were seen as higher status than folks wearing non-designer clothes. 

"Perceptions did not differ on any of the other dimensions that might affect the outcome of social interactions," the authors wrote. "There were no differences in perceived attractiveness, kindness, and trustworthiness." 

Just status.



If you're straight or gay

People can read a man's sexual orientation in a twentieth of a second — the minimum amount of time it takes to consciously recognize a face. 

"The rapid and accurate perception of male sexual orientation may be just another symptom of a fast and efficient cognitive mechanism for perceiving the characteristics of others," wrote study authors Nicholas O. Rule and Nalini Ambady.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Democrat Ayanna Pressley scored a huge upset win in Massachusetts, becoming the latest progressive insurgent to topple the establishment

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Ayanna Pressley delivers her victory speech after winning a Democratic congressional primary in Massachusetts.

  • Ayanna Pressley, a Boston city councilwoman, scored a landslide victory over 10-term Rep. Michael Capuano, a progressive mainstay with deep establishment support. 
  • The 44-year-old is set to become the state's first black congresswoman. 
  • Running on the slogan "change can't wait," Pressley framed herself as fresh, bold leadership for a deep-blue district in a moment when, she argued, voting the right way isn't enough. 

Democratic voters are ready for new leadership — at least in Massachusetts, where Ayanna Pressley scored a landslide victory over 10-term Rep. Michael Capuano, a progressive mainstay with deep establishment support. 

In a state where the primary is also effectively the general election, Pressley, 44, is set to become the first black woman to represent Massachusetts in Congress.

Political observers in Massachusetts say Pressley's 17-point victory is a testament to voters' hunger for a new generation of Democrats, particularly in a state where leadership has remained much whiter and more male than the base. 

"It's hard to overestimate what a big deal her win is," said Erin O'Brien, a political-science professor at University of Massachusetts Boston. "[Pressley]'s ability to run against a popular, incumbent progressive and to crush him is huge because it changes candidate selection and it should shake up the Democratic party is Massachusetts dramatically." 

Not an ideological fight

The battle in Massachusetts was more about what kind of candidates were on the ballot in the deeply blue district than about the policy platforms they ran on.

Both Pressley and Capuano agreed that the two have very similar policy positions on most issues, and Pressley had little room to run to the left of Capuano's deeply progressive record. (Capuano is a longtime supporter of Medicare-for-All, opposed the Iraq War, and voted against the Patriot Act). 

"If you're a progressive Democrat, it was sort of an embarassment of riches," O'Brien said. "Rarely do you get to choose between two quality candidates." 

So Pressley framed her candidacy as one about change — her campaign slogan was "change can't wait" — and argued that her district, the only majority minority in the state, is in need of a leader on the forefront of the progressive movement and the anti-Trump "resistance." That her life experience — as a black woman, a survivor of sexual assault, with a father who was incarcerated and struggled with addiction — would help make her a better, more empathetic politician. 

"Voting right is a good place to start, but it's not enough," John Walsh, a former Democratic Party chairman and operative, told New York Magazine in August. "In the room where the decisions are being made, is the congressperson from this district pushing the party to the left?"

Pressley emphasized that point during her victory speech on Tuesday night. 

"With our rights under assault, with our freedoms under siege, it's not just good enough to see the Democrats back in power, but it matters who those Democrats are," Pressley told supporters.

Pressley will also be one of just two women in the state's nine-person congressional delegation.

"It's been the same old guys for so long," O'Brien said of the state's Democratic party. "I think she has real coattails to shake up the Democratic party in terms of who it looks like and who it best represents." 

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, whose victory against Rep. Joe Crowley in a New York congressional primary many say helped fuel Pressley's win, pointed to the Massachusetts candidate, who she's called her "sister in service," shortly after her own win. 

In a tweet encouraging her supporters to get behind Pressley, Ocasio-Cortez cited one of the councilwoman's most popular stump speech lines: "The people closest to the pain should be closest to the power."

Like Ocasio-Cortez's Queens-Bronx district, Massachusetts' 7th district is one of the country's most liberal. Pressley calls the district, which includes Boston, the most diverse and the most unequal in the state. 

Taking on the establishment

Pressley shocked the Democratic Party establishment when she announced in January that she would primary the 20-year incumbent. 

While Pressley found support in the state's celebrated attorney general, Maura Healey, Capuano was backed by nearly all of the state's establishment, including Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, Rep. Joe Kennedy III, former Gov. Deval Patrick, and the Congressional Black Caucus. (But Pressley was likely aided by the state's two senators, Elizabeth Warren and Edward Markey, remaining neutral in the race.)

But this the not the first time Pressley has beaten the odds — and the establishment. In 2009, she became the first woman of color elected to Boston's City Council, despite party operatives telling her she wasn't ready for prime time. In the subsequent years, she became one of the top vote-getters on an increasingly diverse council. 

She's also not new to the national spotlight. In 2015, EMILY's List, a powerful Democratic group that supports pro-choice women in politics, gave Pressley its rising star award — and her rousing acceptance speech made waves among Democrats across the country.

Capuano conceded early in the night, with less than 20% of the votes counted.

"I'm sorry it didn't work out, but this is life, and this is ok. America's going to be ok," he told his supporters on Tuesday evening. "Ayanna Pressley is going to be a good congresswoman, and I will tell you that Massachusetts will be well served."

Pressley was filmed by an aide breaking down in tears when she learned the news of her upset win.

In another victory for a black woman on Tuesday night, Rachael Rollins defeated four other Democrats in the primary for Suffolk County district attorney.

But two other insurgent female House challengers in the state, including video game developer Brianna Wu and civil rights lawyer Tahirah Amatul-Wadud, both failed to beat incumbent congressmen. 

SEE ALSO: Democrats take a double-digit lead over Republicans just 2 months before the midterms

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The 55 worst movies made by iconic directors — from Spielberg to Scorsese

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Most of the greatest film directors in history have swung and missed on occasion. 

Francis Ford Coppola, Steven Spielberg, and numerous other critically acclaimed directors have directed at least one movie that critics tore apart. 

For this list, we chose 55 directors who have largely been praised by critics as masters of their craft, and we turned to the reviews aggregator Rotten Tomatoes to find out which of the films they've directed was the most critically panned.

We excluded a number of great directors who did not have a film in their catalog with a critic score under 70%. (Stanley Kubrick, for instance, is not on this list, as his "worst" film, "Eyes Wide Shut," has a 74% "Fresh" rating on the site.)

Here are the 55 worst movies made by iconic directors, ordered from the (relative) best to worst, according to their critic scores:

SEE ALSO: The 50 best movies of all time, according to critics

Alejandro G. Iñárritu — "Biutiful" (2010)

Critic score: 65%

What critics said: "It's the kind of film that congratulates the viewer on her tolerance for the spectacle of unrelieved misery." — Slate



Guillermo del Toro — "Blade II" (2002)

Critic score: 57%

What critics said: "The only dread it inspires is in the possibility that its director prefers turning human flesh into CGI-enhanced mush over exploring genuinely frightening material." — The Village Voice



Sergio Leone — "The Colossus of Rhodes" (1961)

Critic score: 57%

What critics said: "This ludicrous costume epic complete with hambone acting is interesting to film buffs because it is an early work by the king of the spaghetti Westerns, director Sergio Leone." — TV Guide



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The first photos of Brie Larson as the Marvel Cinematic Universe's Captain Marvel have arrived

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  • The first image of Brie Larson as Captain Marvel debuted Wednesday from Entertainment Weekly, as well as other photos from the production of her standalone movie.
  • Larson's costume is very accurate to the comics.
  • "Captain Marvel" comes to theaters March 8.

 

Brie Larson is suited up in the first official look at the Oscar-winning "Room" star as Captain Marvel.

Entertainment Weekly debuted the first, very comics-accurate (see above) image of Larson on Wednesday as the next big thing in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and the Avengers' best hope at stopping Thanos.

The image is below:

entertainment weekly brie larson captain marvel

Captain Marvel's debut is highly anticipated given the events of "Avengers: Infinity War." After Thanos wiped out half of humanity, Nick Fury sent an emergency message to Captain Marvel in the film's after-credits scene before disappearing himself, setting her up as a game changer in the battle with Thanos.

But before she joins the remaining Avengers in the "Infinity War" sequel in May, she'll make her debut in her own movie in March, which is set in the 1990s and features Samuel L. Jackson as Fury and Clark Gregg as Agent Phil Coulson. The movie's star-studded cast also includes Jude Law, Ben Mendelsohn, Annette Bening, Gemma Chan, and Lee Pace, who's reprising his "Guardians of the Galaxy" role of Ronan.

EW released a few more images of the production:

Larson said this about her character to EW: “She can’t help but be herself ... She can be aggressive, and she can have a temper, and she can be a little invasive and in your face. She’s also quick to jump to things, which makes her amazing in battle because she’s the first one out there and doesn’t always wait for orders. But the [not] waiting for orders is, to some, a character flaw.”

Learn more about the character by reading our explainer on her comic book history and how she'll play a big role in "Avengers 4."

"Captain Marvel" comes to theaters March 8, 2019. 

SEE ALSO: Dave Bautista wants a 'Guardians of the Galaxy' spin-off movie starring Drax, even if he doesn't return to the role after the James Gunn firing controversy

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NOW WATCH: How a black cop infiltrated the KKK — the true story behind Spike Lee's 'BlacKkKlansman'


Marco Rubio and conspiracy theorist Alex Jones got into a heated exchange in the Senate hallway

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  • Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida and the conspiracy theorist Alex Jones got into a heated exchange in the hallway of the Senate on Wednesday morning.
  • Videos showed Jones crashing Rubio's interview with reporters, repeatedly interrupting and insulting him.
  • At one point, Jones touched the Republican senator's shoulder, prompting Rubio to tell Jones to not touch him again. 

Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida and the conspiracy theorist Alex Jones got into a heated exchange in the hallway of the Senate on Wednesday morning.

Videos show Jones, the host of the radio show Infowars, crashing Rubio's interview with reporters and at one point touching Rubio's shoulder.

"Don't touch me again, man," Rubio, a former GOP presidential candidate, told Jones. "I'm asking you not to touch me."

"I just patted you nicely," Jones replied.

"I know, but I don't want to be touched," Rubio said. "I don't know who you are."

Jones then asked whether Rubio would have him arrested.

"You're not going to get arrested, man," Rubio said. "I'll take care of you myself."

The Infowars host called Rubio a "frat boy" and "gay."

During their exchange, Jones said: "The Democrats are raping the Republicans! The Democrats are raping Infowars!"

After trying to answer reporters' questions over Jones' interruptions, Rubio wrapped up the press conference and told journalists they could interview "this clown," referring to Jones.

Rubio was headed to the Senate Intelligence Committee hearing where executives from Twitter and Facebook were appearing to testify on election security.

Apple, Facebook, Spotify, and YouTube removed Jones' accounts from their platforms in early August, citing his content as "hate speech" or accusing him of "glorifying violence." Following days of inaction after the crackdown by the other tech giants, Twitter hit Jones with a seven-day ban on August 15. His account was active again as of Wednesday.

President Donald Trump and other conservatives have accused social-media platforms of bias against them.

Jones has for years promoted conspiracy theories on his show, including claiming that the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting was a hoax.

Here are photos and video from the Rubio-Jones spat:

SEE ALSO: Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey reportedly overruled staff on decision to ban Alex Jones

DON'T MISS: Apple, Facebook, Spotify, and YouTube shut down Infowars' Alex Jones

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NOW WATCH: A North Korean defector's harrowing story of escape

The 7 best movies in theaters right now, according to critics

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A new wave of films hits theaters every week, but a lot of them aren't worth seeing.

To help you sort out which movies are must-see material, we turn to the reviews aggregator Metacritic each week to compile this list of the most critically acclaimed films that are currently in theaters on a wide release. 

On this week's list, Tom Cruise's franchise hit "Mission: Impossible - Fallout" contends with Bo Burnham's directorial debut "Eight Grade" and Spike Lee's satirical true-crime thriller "BlacKkKlansman." 

Here are the 7 best movies in theaters right now, according to critics:

SEE ALSO: The 55 worst movies made by iconic directors — from Spielberg to Scorsese

7. "Searching" — 71%

Critic score: 71%

Date released: August 24, 2018

What critics said: "Impressively, first-time filmmaker and former Google commercials creator Aneesh Chaganty has also made a real movie, the story of a family that morphs into a crime drama that gradually ratchets up the tension as all good thrillers must, one that’s well constructed and acted as well as novel in its storytelling techniques." — The Hollywood Reporter



6. "Crazy Rich Asians" — 74%

Critic score: 74%

Date released: August 15, 2018

What critics said: "It’s a reinvented romantic comedy, sassy and fun, that doesn’t necessarily rely on obvious tropes and is worth the wait." — Time Out



5. "Incredibles 2" — 80%

Critic score: 80%

Date released: June 15, 2018

What critics said: "Though it would be unrealistic to expect 'Incredibles 2' to have quite the genre-busting surprise of the original, it is as good as it can be without that shock of the new — delivering comedy, adventure and all too human moments with a generous hand." — Los Angeles Times



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Trump, who once said America needed a 'good' government shutdown, says he doesn't 'like the idea of shutdowns' as deadline looms

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  • President Donald Trump suggested to The Daily Caller that he would not force a government shutdown at the end of the month to secure more money for a promised wall along the US-Mexico border.
  • "I don’t like the idea of shutdowns," Trump said.
  • Trump has previously threatened to shut down the government, saying the US "needs a good 'shutdown.'"

President Donald Trump suggested he wants no part of a government shutdown at the end of the month, despite previous threats to use a shutdown as leverage with Congress.

In an interview with The Daily Caller on Tuesday, Trump dismissed the idea of shutting down the government to extract more funding for the promised wall along the US-Mexico border.

"Well, I want to keep, I don’t like the idea of shutdowns," Trump said.

The federal government will enter a shutdown at the end of September unless Congress passes a new funding bill.

The border wall was one of Trump's signature campaign promises and a focal point in previous government funding battles during the president's tenure. But Trump didn't seem willing to go to the shutdown option to get more money for the wall.

"Border security is a very important issue," the president said. "I don’t see even myself or anybody else closing down the country right now."

In previous shutdown fights, Trump has repeatedly suggested that a shutdown could be beneficial to the country.

"Our country needs a good 'shutdown' in September to fix mess!" Trump tweeted in May 2017 after signing a short-term funding bill.

In March, Trump also threatened to veto the omnibus spending bill which would have plunged the government into another shutdown but gave in at the last minute. But while signing that bill, Trump also threatened to "never sign another bill like this again."

Part of Trump's problem with the previous omnibus spending bill, in addition to the slapdash nature of its passage, was the lack of funding for the border wall in the bill. While the measure included additional funding for border security, there were no funds to build a new wall.

In the Daily Caller interview, Trump claimed to have received $3.2 billion in funding for the border wall and said the administration has already "done a lot of work on the wall." But the previous funding bill allocated just $1.6 billion worth of funds for border security, which could only be used to secure existing fence.

Another $1.6 billion is in the Senate's proposed funding bill for fiscal year 2019, which starts in October, while the House is looking to allocate more. Those bills are not guaranteed to pass.

While Trump was reluctant to shut the government down over border funding at the end of the month, the president left the door open to a similar showdown in the future.

"I think that after midterms, we're going to have a very serious discussion because we want border security, we have to have it," Trump said. "It's going to be a big part of — it is a big part of this country. We have to have border security."

SEE ALSO: Trump is losing the trade war with China and the EU, based on his favorite report card

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NOW WATCH: A North Korean defector's harrowing story of escape

Anheuser-Busch trolls Starbucks' Pumpkin Spice mania with new Busch Latté beer cans

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  • Beermaker Busch has rolled out a new marketing campaign making fun of Starbucks' Pumpkin Spice Latte.
  • As the PSL returned to shops last week, Busch unveiled a new design for their Busch Light beer can — showing the name changed to "Busch Latté."
  • While the can redesign won't be hitting stores, "Busch Latté" merchandise is being sold online.

Anheuser-Busch is taking aim at the cult of the Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte, by rebranding their Busch Light beer as "Busch Latté."

On the day that PSLs returned to Starbucks shops last week, the beermaker tweeted out several photos of their renamed Busch Light cans.

The new cans were set up against backdrops of fallen leaves and gourds, or wrapped in plaid fabric, to evoke an autumnal theme.

"#PumpkinSpiceLatte kills it this time of year, but we figured there was room for one more this fall," one of the tweets read, above a picture of a Busch Latté mobile billboard parked outside of a Starbucks café.

Unfortunately for die-hard Busch Light fans, the rebranded cans will not be hitting stores and are simply a marketing scheme.

But Busch Latté-themed merchandise, from T-shirts to Koozies, are being sold online.

According to Marketing Dive, Busch got the idea for the campaign from their drinkers, who already refer to their beer on Twitter as Busch Latté and tweet that hashtag hundreds of times a month.

SEE ALSO: The inventor of the Pumpkin Spice Latte speaks out on the iconic drink's 'basic' reputation

DON'T MISS: Starbucks is bringing back the Pumpkin Spice Latte earlier than ever, and it reveals the coffee chain's desperate need for a win

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'Bring it': Cory Booker says he's releasing a confidential document on Kavanaugh, risking expulsion from the Senate

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Cory Booker

  • Democratic Sen. Cory Booker on Thursday said he's releasing a committee confidential document on Judge Brett Kavanaugh during his confirmation hearing, which would violate Senate rules and risk penalty of expulsion.
  • The document Booker wants to release is an email regarding Kavanaugh and racial profiling.
  • Many of Booker's Democratic colleagues in the committee stood by him and said they'd join him in risking expulsion by releasing committee confidential documents.

Democratic Sen. Cory Booker on Thursday said he would release a committee confidential document on Judge Brett Kavanaugh during his confirmation hearing, which would violate Senate rules and risk a penalty of expulsion.

The document Booker wants to release is an email regarding Kavanaugh and racial profiling.

The New Jersey senator said, "I openly invite and accept the consequences." He said he was aware he could be "ousted from the Senate."

After the dramatic moment, Republican Sen. John Cornyn accused Booker of grandstanding as part of his suspected plans to run for president in 2020.

"Running for president is no excuse for violating the rules of the Senate," Cornyn said. "This is no different from the senator deciding to release classified information that is deemed classified."

As Cornyn read the rules of expulsion to Booker, the New Jersey senator said, "Bring it."

Many of Booker's Democratic colleagues in the committee stood by him and said they'd join him in risking expulsion by releasing committee confidential documents.

The email that Booker said he would release is among thousand of documents handed over to the Senate Judiciary Committee by a lawyer for former President George W. Bush. The documents have been deemed committee confidential, which mean they cannot be made public. The documents relate to Kavanaugh's time as a lawyer in the Bush administration, and reveal his views on everything from abortion to affirmative action.

Several of the documents were leaked to The New York Times late on Wednesday.

Democrats contend that the documents should be released so the public is fully aware of Kavanaugh's stances on an array of major issues as his nomination for the Supreme Court is considered.

Booker ultimately released several documents on Thursday.>

View the documents Booker released »

SEE ALSO: What it looks like inside Brett Kavanaugh's raucous confirmation hearing, filled with loud protesters and testy senators

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NOW WATCH: A North Korean defector's harrowing story of escape

A 5-star boutique hotel in Switzerland with a world-famous infinity pool no longer has to pay for advertising, thanks to Instagram

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villa honegg infinity pool

  • A luxury hotel in Switzerland with a world-famous infinity pool no longer has to pay for advertising — thanks to Instagram.
  • Guests are obsessed with getting photos of the hotel's infinity pool, which has a stunning view of Lake Lucerne and the mountains. 
  • Rooms at the hotel, Villa Honegg, cost between $500 and $12,000 a night. 

 

A five-star hotel in the Swiss countryside has become so Instagram-famous that it doesn't even need to pay for advertising anymore.

Thanks to the popularity of its infinity pool on Instagram, Villa Honegg hasn't paid for advertising since 2011, according to Forbes.

"Social media is our advertising," general manager Sebastian Klink told Forbes. "We haven't had paid media since our renovation in 2011." 

According to Klink, the hotel first blew up on social media when a Brazilian blogger posted a video on YouTube of the pool at night — and it went viral.

"When this video went live online we saw that emails were coming in from around the world,” Klink told Forbes. He said that the spa was always popular, but the video prompted an influx of bookings from guests from Australia, the United States and Korea.

Many visitors come for only one night because they "really just want to take a picture with the pool," Klink said.

Here's a look at the mountain hotel and its famed infinity pool. 

SEE ALSO: The 31 hotels everyone should stay at in their lifetime

DON'T MISS: I visited Singapore, the outlandishly wealthy setting of 'Crazy Rich Asians,' and was surprised by how much fun you can have even without billions

Villa Honegg is a 5-star, 23-room resort in Ennetbürgen, Switzerland.

Source: Villa Honegg



It's perched high on the Bürgenstock mountain.

Source: Villa Honegg



Visitors are greeted by a cozy fireplace and warm tones in the lobby.

Source: Villa Honegg



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Senior official responds to NYT op-ed about a 'resistance' inside the White House: 'I hope Trump knows ... that there are dozens and dozens of us'

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President Donald Trump.

  • In the wake of a scathing New York Times op-ed written by an anonymous senior member of the Trump administration, officials say the president's paranoia and distrust of his own staff are deepening.
  • "He would basically be like, 'We've gotta get rid of them. The snakes are everywhere but we're getting rid of them,'" a person close to Trump told Axios. 

In the wake of a scathing New York Times op-ed written by an anonymous senior member of the Trump administration, officials say the president's paranoia and distrust of his own staff are deepening. 

Officials say Trump has reason to fear members of his own administration, some of whom believe he's unstable and unfit to lead. 

"I find the reaction to the NYT op-ed fascinating — that people seem so shocked that there is a resistance from the inside," a senior official told Axios. "A lot of us [were] wishing we'd been the writer, I suspect ... I hope [Trump] knows — maybe he does? — that there are dozens and dozens of us."

The president has long been paranoid about disloyal staffers, vowing to hunt down and fire aides who leak to the media. And he appears convinced by conspiracies that a "deep state" — an anonymous cabal of unelected bureaucrats — are working to undermine his presidency. 

"He would basically be like, 'We've gotta get rid of them. The snakes are everywhere but we're getting rid of them,'" a person close to Trump told Axios. 

On Wednesday, the president responded to the Times op-ed with a simple tweet: "TREASON?"

The person close to Trump added that the president's paranoia will only grow as many of his longest-serving aides leave the administration. 

"People talk about the loyalists leaving," the person close to Trump said. "What it really means is [that there'll be] fewer and fewer people who Trump knows who they really are. So imagine how paranoid you must be if that is your view of the world."

SEE ALSO: Democrats are looking to Delaware for the next Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez-style insurgent upset

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NOW WATCH: A North Korean defector's harrowing story of escape


Domino's offered Russians a lifetime of pizza if they got tattoos of the company's logo — and then it had to end the offer because too many people got inked

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dominos tat

  • Domino's Pizza in Russia offered 100 years of free pizza to people who tattooed the company's logo on their body and shared an image of the tattoo on social media.
  • The promotion started on August 31 and was supposed to last two months — but the company had to end it after just five days, The Moscow Times reported.
  • The company said it would instead promise pizzas to the first 350 people who shared their Domino's tattoos, according to The Times.

Domino's Pizza in Russia was forced to end a viral marketing promotion offering a lifetime of free pizza to fans who got the company's logo tattooed "in a prominent place" after too many people participated, The Moscow Times reported.

The promotion, posted on VKontakte, Russia's Facebook-like social-media network, offered 100 years of free Domino's pizza to anyone who tattooed the company's logo on their body and shared an image on social media.

The promotion started on Friday and was supposed to last two months — but the company had to end it in just five days after too many people took it up on the offer, The Times reported.

Russian social media was flooded with images of the Domino's logo tattooed on fans' legs, arms, and elsewhere as people tried to join the promotion.

#доминоснавсегда

A post shared by Маленький Павлик (@detskie_fotki) on Sep 2, 2018 at 7:02am PDT on

#доминоснавсегда

A post shared by @ easy_anthony on Sep 3, 2018 at 3:04pm PDT on

Что не сделаешь ради халявы #доминоснавсегда

A post shared by Руся💨 (@steamforse) on Sep 3, 2018 at 11:34am PDT on

БУДУ ЕСТЬ ПИЦЦУ ВСЕГДА #доминоснавсегда

A post shared by Tattooartist (@kinky_chick) on Sep 3, 2018 at 11:20am PDT on

#доминоснавсегда

A post shared by @ nazarovtema on Sep 3, 2018 at 12:59pm PDT on

#доминоснавсегда

A post shared by Коваленко Василий (@kovavas) on Sep 3, 2018 at 2:52pm PDT on

А вы уже слышали про акцию #доминоснавсегда от @dominospizzarussia ?!) ⠀ По условиям акции каждый участник, сделавший татуировку с логотипом Домино’с Пицца получает сертификат на 100 подарочных промокодов в год в течение 100 лет (с правом приобретения любой бесплатной средней пиццы в сети Домино’с на территории РФ.) Период проведения акции с 01.09 по 31.10.2018г. Ребята из нашей студии участвовали и кто то уже получил сертификат 🤪🎉🎉В акции участвуют первые 350 человек, предоставившие фото татуировки в социальных сетях Instagram, Facebook или Vkontakte с хэштегом #доминоснавсегда. ⠀ Татуировка может быть цветной или монохромной (черной). Обязательно четкое соблюдение пропорций логотипа! Минимальный размер татуировки – 2см в длину. ⠀ Вот такие дела, вот такой редрам 🍷#redrumtattoocollective

A post shared by 🍷RedRum Tattoo Collective (@redrumtattoo) on Sep 3, 2018 at 1:40pm PDT on

Domino's announced on VKontakte on Tuesday that the promotion was ending early.

"An urgent message to all those sitting at the tattoo artist's right now: We'll include you in the list of participants, but we're waiting for photos up to midday today," it said, per The Times.

According to The Times, the post said the company would promise pizzas to the first 350 people who shared their Domino's tattoos, adding, "To those with appointments scheduled for later, we recommend canceling them."

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Joe Biden's former top economist thinks Bernie Sanders' bill attacking Amazon and Jeff Bezos 'may backfire'

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bernie sanders

  • Sen. Bernie Sanders introduced a bill, the Stop BEZOS Act, which would force companies to pay a tax equal to the federal assistance their workers receive.
  • The goal of the bill is to increase worker pay at large companies like Amazon and Walmart.
  • Jared Bernstein, the former chief economist for Vice President Joe Biden, said the plan could backfire.
  • Bernstein said employers could decide not to hire workers believed to be on federal assistance, making it harder for low-income Americans to find a job.

Sen. Bernie Sanders says he wants to help lower wage workers at Amazon make more money, but one left-leaning economist says his plan to do so could backfire.

Sanders on Wednesday introduced the the Stop Bad Employers by Zeroing Out Subsidies Act, or Stop BEZOS Act, a shot at Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos. The bill is designed to force large employers to pay back, in the form of a new tax, federal assistance their workers receive. Rep. Ro Khanna, a California Democrat, introduced a House version of the same bill named the Corporate Responsibility and Taxpayer Protection Act.

The goal is to force employers to increase wages to a level at which workers do not need to rely on programs like food stamps or housing assistance.

"In other words, the taxpayers of this country would no longer be subsidizing the wealthiest people in this country who are paying their workers inadequate wages," Sanders told reporters at a press conference.

But Jared Bernstein, the former chief economist for Vice President Joe Biden and a senior fellow at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, says the bill could actually end up hurting the very workers it is trying to help.

The most troubling potential consequence, in Bernstein's opinion, is that the Stop BEZOS Act could further the stigmatization of worker benefits.

"My concern is that there is already a political movement afoot to vilify public benefits and even though I know for a fact that the main sponsors of this bill — Sanders and Ro Khanna — don't feel that way, I worry that this idea unintentionally provides the hard right with another argument," Bernstein told Business Insider.

Many Republicans have already attempted to curtail public benefits to cut spending and address the federal debt, and Bernstein believes Sanders' bill could in turn provide fodder for their argument.

Bob Greenstein, the founder of CBPP, wrote in an analysis that the move could also result in corporations joining the anti-benefits fight.

"In addition, the legislation would likely lead to substantial corporate lobbying efforts to restrict eligibility and cut benefit levels for core low-income assistance programs, because doing so would reduce companies’ tax bills — effectively making a cut in Medicaid, SNAP, school meals, or rental subsidies akin to a direct corporate tax cut," Greenstein wrote.

'Statistical discrimination'

Bernstein's second concern is that the bill could encourage what he called "statistical discrimination," or employers actively avoiding hiring people they suspect could be on federal assistance.

"If you're an employer with a job applicant who you fear is going to draw public benefits, whether you're right or wrong, you may try and avoid hiring that person," Bernstein said.

This could result in companies simply hiring fewer workers or workers that will work for cheaper while not drawing benefits. As Greenstein noted, the measure would favor married workers over single parents since benefits are determined on household income and a married couple would have two incomes.

"Workers who receive these benefits would thus become thousands of dollars more expensive to employ than other workers who are paid the same wage but don’t qualify for these benefits," Greenstein said. "This would create strong, problematic incentives for employers in deciding whom to hire — and whom to lay off when a firm’s sales hit hard times."

Many states are already attempting to institute work requirements for some benefits, like Medicaid. The current iteration of the House GOP's farm bill would do the same for SNAP, or food stamp, benefits. These work requirements would require able-bodied Americans to work at least 2o hours a week to qualify for benefits.

While Bernstein said the work requirements are a "a far worse idea" than Sanders' bill,  he said he feared that under the Stop BEZOS Act, many low-income Americans could be stuck between a rock and a hard place.

"They could face 'statistical discrimination' at work and if therefore it's harder for them to find a job, they risk not meeting a work requirement and losing the benefit that they very much need," he said.

Instead, Bernstein suggested using simpler method to boost worker pay at companies like Amazon: maintaining a strong economy and tight labor market, increasing the minimum wage, and securing strong support for work assistance benefits, like the earned income tax credit.

While Sanders has long advocated for strengthening worker protections, including an increase in the minimum wage, Bernstein said the Stop BEZOS Act could end up being counterproductive to that cause. 

"They have identified an absolutely valid target, which is companies that pay well below a living wage to employees who need precisely that," Bernstein said. "But the way you solve that problem matters a great deal and my concern here is that this solution will backfire."

SEE ALSO: Bernie Sanders says Amazon's workers aren't paid enough. Here's how their pay stacks up to the rest of the industry.

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What North Korean experts don't understand about the country, according to a defector who lived there for 20 years

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north korea

  • After living in North Korea for 20 years, defector Kim Young-il told Business Insider that North Korean experts focus exclusively on misleading North Korean government propaganda. 
  • Kim says that because those experts tend to discount the testimony of defectors like himself, they can't accurately represent what life in North Korea is like.
  • "The official announcements of North Korea is all false," Kim said.

Little is known about day-to-day life in North Korea, even among people who study the country.

According to one defector, government propaganda in North Korea is pervasive, and even self-proclaimed North Korean experts often don't realize how much. 

In 1997, North Korean defector Kim Young-il escaped while the country was experiencing a four-year-long famine and economic crisis that some estimates suggest claimed the lives of between 240,000 and 3.5 million North Koreans, out of a population of 22 million — despite the government claiming it was a prosperous time with plenty of food.

Now 39, Kim is the founder of a nonprofit, People for Successful Corean Reunification (PSCORE), to help raise awareness about human rights issues in North Korea, promote reunification, and help defectors adjust to life in South Korea. 

Even though Kim escaped the dictatorship, he told Business Insider in a recent interview that life remains the same in North Korea: Citizens are lied to and have to accept it. Within Korea, people major in North Korean studies in school, which Kim finds "silly." He says these experts research North Korea and send information to the South Korean government, like reports that several factions are competing for power in North Korea, which could lead to the country's downfall. 

But Kim says this is false. "There is no difference between factions. There is only the family and the people. Kim Jong Un has total power. None of these factions are important. They just have a name. They have no power." Kim continued: "Experts say there are two different factions that control North Korea, but it is only the dictator and his family that controls everything."

Powerful people in South Korea are able to employ people who are loyal to them, but that's not an option in North Korea because the highest levels of government choose who works where, said Kim. 

"People in North Korea have no idea if the person working underneath them is a spy who is checking up on him or her. They have no idea who is trustworthy. People can't form factions because everyone is spying on everyone else. Everyone distrusts each other," Kim said.

And as a defector, Kim said experts discount his experience. "These experts don't see any value in the testimony of defectors," he said. "They want to focus on the official documents of the North Korean government." But Kim says these documents and official announcements "are not true. It's propaganda." 

"The official announcements of North Korea is all false," Kim said. "I experienced 20 years of North Korea and whenever there was a season of drought, the news would say there is a season of prosperity. What they officially say is all lies."

SEE ALSO: North Koreans understand their government lies, but there's one thing they don't know, according to a defector

SEE ALSO: A North Korean defector says Trump understands Kim Jong Un better than South Korea does, but the summit won't solve anything

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NOW WATCH: A North Korean defector tells us what life was like under a dictatorship

21 photos of North Korea that Kim Jong Un wouldn't want you to see

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Kim Jong Un

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un keeps a close watch over the media in his country, controlling much of what citizens know of the outside world, and vice versa.

Though Kim has fought to present the Hermit Kingdom to the world as a bastion of military might, nuclear power, and anti-West sentiment, the reality of daily life is grim.

Much of the country lives in poverty, tens of thousands of people are held as political prisoners, and the government tightly controls most aspects of life.

Here's what Kim's North Korea looks like:

SEE ALSO: The mysterious life of Kim Jong Un's wife, Ri Sol-ju, who probably has 3 children and frequently disappears from the public eye

DON'T MISS: Mystery children and sibling rivalries — this is Kim Jong Un's family tree

READ MORE: A photographer captured these dismal photos of life in North Korea

Day-to-day life in North Korea can be bleak. Sanctions put in place to punish the nation for its nuclear weapons tests have crippled the economy.

Source: Business Insider



The Hermit Kingdom, one of the most closed-off places in the world, has experienced increasingly severe food shortages in recent years.

Source: Business Insider



Childhood in North Korea can be difficult. Many children in rural areas have to work on farms, and forced labor drives much of the country's economic output.

Sources: Business Insider, Human Rights Watch



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

I taught myself how to cook — here are 8 tips if you feel hopeless in the kitchen

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Cooking

  • Cooking is an art that comes effortlessly to some, but for others, it's a foreign language that takes time to master.
  • Whether you're fed up with the frozen isle or trying to impress your family, learning to cook is a beneficial skill you can pick up with practice.
  • After growing up on pre-packaged meals and takeout, author Jennifer Still decided to give cooking a try and relied on basic cookbooks and equipment to get her started.
  • Here are eight tips if you feel hopeless in the kitchen.

 

Growing up in a single-parent household, my mom's idea of "cooking" was throwing together a pan of Hamburger Helper, picking up fast food, or ordering takeout.

These culinary habits followed me through college and into my early 20s, when I finally decided enough was enough.

While I didn't feel completely hopeless at cooking— I believed that anyone who can read should be able to follow a recipe — I knew I had a lot to learn about mastering the art of food preparation.

After some research and a little practice, I now consider myself to be a pretty solid home chef.

Whether you're fed up with the frozen isle, trying to impress your partner, or looking to add cooking to your skillset, here are some tips for those feeling hopeless in the kitchen.

SEE ALSO: 8 tricks for doing the keto diet without driving yourself crazy

1. Start with one or two basic cookbooks

It might be tempting to load up on every cookbook under the sun when you start cooking yourself, but try and hold back from doing so.

It's not necessary to buy Gordon Ramsay's entire catalog— find one or two simple cookbooks with basic recipes you think you'll like.

I started off with Mark Bittman’s "How To Cook Everything," "The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook," by Deb Perelman, and Jamie Oliver’s "15-Minute Meals," all of which still get plenty of use in my kitchen.



2. Keep the fancy equipment to a minimum

When you're just learning how to cook, you definitely don't need a sous vide cooker or a food dehydrator to produce beginner meals.

Beginner's cookbooks, like "How to Cook Everything" by Mark Bittman, generally don’t require expensive, fancy equipment to complete recipes. Maybe one day, but you don't need them as a novice.

Keep it simple, with basic supplies like a food scale and meat thermometer (if you're a carnivore). These will help you gauge the doneness of meat and perfect amount of flavor, as unlike the pros, beginners need to carefully measure ingredients to produce quality meals.



3. Don't go off-recipe until you're more confident

Professional chefs develop new recipes from scratch, while competent home cooks likely feel comfortable adjusting recipes with their own variations.

You should be able to do this one day, depending on your commitment to advancing your skills. Until then, it's important to stick to the measurements and ingredients as they're written in the recipes.

With practice, you'll learn how the components work together and which ingredients can be substituted for others without ruining the dish.



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