• Hurricane Florence is hurtling toward the US East Coast.
• It strengthened to a Category 4 storm on Monday afternoon. Its wind speed is 130 mph.
• It is expected to hit the Carolinas on Thursday morning and move farther inland.
• The National Hurricane Center said it would likely bring devastating storms, rain, and floods.
• The governors of North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia have declared states of emergency.
• Residents are stockpiling bottled water, plywood, and power supplies.

A hurricane bringing 130 mph winds and the risk of devastating storms, rain, and floods to the US has strengthened to a Category 4 storm.

Hurricane Florence strengthened to a Category 4 about midday Eastern Time on Monday, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) announced.

It was poised to make landfall early Thursday somewhere around North and South Carolina and is likely to keep strengthening as it approaches. Those two states, as well as Virginia, have declared a state of emergency as they make preparations.

The NHC said on Monday morning that the storm could remain powerful as it passes over the US mainland, and could penetrate as far as Pittsburgh. It also warned of a "life-threatening freshwater flooding" and "exceptionally heavy rainfall" over the East Coast.

Read more: Astronauts in space just photographed 3 threatening hurricanes lurking in the Atlantic

Forecasters also said it could unload one or two feet of rain in some places, causing devastating inland flooding, the Associated Press reported.

As of Monday morning, the hurricane was centered near Bermuda and moving west at 130 mph.

The map below, published by the NOAA, shows the most likely arrival time over the next few days.

It suggests that the winds are likely to hit North and South Carolina on Thursday morning and Pennsylvania by evening.

Read more: The 16 most destructive hurricanes in US history

The NHC said on Monday morning:

"Life-threatening freshwater flooding is likely from a prolonged and exceptionally heavy rainfall event, which may extend inland over the Carolinas and Mid Atlantic for hundreds of miles as Florence is expected to slow down as it approaches the coast and moves inland.

"Damaging hurricane-force winds are likely along portions of the coasts of South Carolina and North Carolina, and a Hurricane Watch will likely be issued by Tuesday morning.

"Damaging winds could also spread well inland into portions of the Carolinas and Virginia.

"Large swells affecting Bermuda and portions of the US East Coast will continue this week, resulting in life-threatening surf and rip currents."

A rip current forms when high wind and breaking waves push water from the sea to the land.

Read more: Hurricane Florence and 2 other hurricanes are swirling in the Atlantic. Here's what they look like from space.

The NHC said it was still too soon to specify the exact timing, location, and size of the storm surge and flooding, but it did tell authorities to monitor the storm's progress.

Shifts in the hurricane's path are still possible, The Washington Post said.

The governors of North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia declared states of emergency over the weekend.

Residents have also started stockpiling supplies like bottled water, plywood, and power supplies.

Ryan Deeck, a Walmart grocery department manager in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, said, according to Myrtle Beach Online, "Literally, they are filling buggies full of water, shopping carts full of water.

"They're coming in and buying water and plates and that's about all they're buying. They're buying six and seven of everything."

He added: "Every store is seeing an about 100 percent increase versus [this time] last year."

SEE ALSO: Here's what Category 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 labels for hurricanes really mean

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Medical breakthroughs we will see in the next 50 years

• President Donald Trump reportedly wanted to raise the top individual income tax bracket to 44%.
• Former National Economic Council Director Gary Cohn reportedly talked him out of it.
• Their exchange on the topic was reported by journalist Bob Woodward in his upcoming book,"Fear: Trump in the White House." 
• Business Insider obtained a copy of the book, published by Simon & Schuster and set to be released Tuesday.

President Donald Trump reportedly wanted to raise the top individual income tax bracket by more than four percentage points, but former National Economic Council Director Gary Cohn talked him out of it, according to journalist Bob Woodward's upcoming book,"Fear: Trump in the White House."

Business Insider obtained a copy of the book, published by Simon & Schuster and set to be released Tuesday.

The exchange reportedly happened as the two were debating tax reform legislation prior to its passage late last year. Trump insisted on having the top corporate tax bracket dropped to 15% from 35%, which Cohn said he would try to achieve.

Trump then offered a suggestion that could make it easier to drop the top corporate rate to 15%: Raise the top individual rate to 44% from 39.6%.

"I'll take the personal top rate to 44% if I can get the corporate rate to 15%," Trump said, Woodward wrote.

"Sir, you can't take the top rate up," Cohn reportedly responded. "You just can't."

"What do you mean?" Trump reportedly replied.

"You're a Republican," Cohn, a Democrat, apparently explained, adding that Trump would "get absolutely destroyed" if he raised the top rate.

Woodward, of Watergate fame, reported that Trump "seemed to understand" Cohn's point.

The 44% number was pushed publicly last year by former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon.

That didn't end up happening. Republicans dropped the top individual income tax bracket from 39.6% to 37% while dropping the top corporate tax rate from 35% to 21%.

Trump has attacked the book and challenged Woodward's credibility, citing a number of denials from top officials such as White House chief of staff John Kelly and Defense Secretary James Mattis, who said the scenes portrayed in the book are not accurate. Woodward has pushed back, saying the denials are being driven by political necessity and not the truth.

Here are more details from the book so far:

• Trump hits back at bombshell Bob Woodward book, calls it 'just another bad book' and claims Woodward has 'had a lot of credibility problems'
• Woodward's book reportedly spurred Trump to look to replace Mattis — here's who's at the top of that list
• 'It's either that or an orange jumpsuit': Explosive Bob Woodward book reportedly recounts Trump's lawyer's effort to keep him from interviewing with Mueller
• Trump denied calling Jeff Sessions — or anyone — 'mentally retarded,' but old records show he has
• Ivanka Trump and Steve Bannon reportedly clashed over proper White House protocol, and she told him 'I'm not a staffer! ... I'm the first daughter'
• Trump reportedly told Mattis that he wanted to assassinate Bashar al-Assad after his chemical weapons attack on Syrians last year
• Gary Cohn reportedly snatched documents off Trump's desk to prevent him from wrecking 2 massive trade deals
• John Kelly was reportedly enraged with Trump over his handling of Charlottesville, said he would have taken a resignation letter 'and shoved it up his ass 6 different times'
• Trump has reportedly said that his speech after the deadly white supremacist rally in Charlottesville was the 'biggest f---ing mistake' he's made
• 6 alarming passages from Bob Woodward's book show Trump's inability to properly lead the military
• Trump thanks Kim Jong Un for 'unwavering faith' with his own White House in open mutiny
• Trump reportedly went to extraordinary and unusual lengths to console grieving military families
• Bob Woodward book says Trump offered advice to a friend who admitted 'bad behavior' toward women: 'Deny, deny, deny'
• Bob Woodward book: Trump told Gary Cohn he 'hired the wrong guy for Treasury secretary' right in front of Steven Mnuchin
• Bob Woodward's book lays out how one New York Times story changed the entire course of the Trump campaign

SEE ALSO: Bob Woodward book says Trump offered advice to a friend who admitted 'bad behavior' toward women: 'Deny, deny, deny'

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Everything we know about Samsung’s foldable phone

• Being unhappy about something or having a bad day is different from the long-term sadness and loss of interest in life that are associated with depression.
• A simple four-word checklist can help you decide if you or a loved one is at risk.
• It's always best to get a professional opinion, but these words can help start a conversation.

Mental health experts are worried: Depression is on the rise in the US, especially in teenagers. From 2005 to 2015, depression rates in kids between the ages of 12 to 17 spiked, and the suicide rate for teenage girls is now the highest it's been in four decades. 

Experts aren't sure what's causing the disturbing trend, but they're concerned about the mental health of the country. 

In New York City, coaches are working to recruit and train a kind of civilian mental-health army of 250,000 volunteers. The hope is that people trained in "mental health first aid" will be better able to start conversations, lend a helping hand, and share compassion for friends, colleagues, neighbors, and other fellow New Yorkers who are dealing with mental health issues. 

New York residents who volunteer get a free, day-long training — I recently participated in one. My fellow volunteers and I were taught some simple ways to spot the difference between someone experiencing a bad mood or a few bad days and a person with more serious, long-term depression. 

The coaches suggested a four-word approach to checking in on friends and loved ones.

If you're worried that you or someone you care about may be suffering from depression, but you're not quite sure how serious it is, ask yourself how the person is doing when it comes to four key happiness measurements.

Is you/your loved one's mental state having an impact on the person's ability to:

• Live
• Laugh
• Learn 
• and Love?

If these four pillars of life are feeling compromised by a persistent cloud of sorrow or indifference, it may be a sign that depression is at hand. 

It's pretty likely that you know someone dealing with depression.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that around 5.9% of the US population is dealing with a diagnosable depressive disorder. That means more than 1 in every 20 Americans are suffering from depression at any given time.

Depression is the single largest contributor to "non-fatal health loss" worldwide, according to the WHO. It affects around 4.4% of the globe, though those rates vary from place to place. Some of the highest depression rates in the world are among women in Africa, while some of the lowest are in men in the Western Pacific islands, the WHO says.

When health care professionals in the US diagnose depression, they use a manual called the DSM-5, or "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders." It lists several common signs of depression, and defines depression as a condition that lasts for more than two weeks and impacts a person's ability to go about their life, enjoying the activities that typically make them happy.

Depression might change how a person thinks and feels about the world, and can uproot how they would otherwise go about an average day. In some cases, it can make it impossible for a person to get out of bed in the morning. And it can have an impact on other daily routines, like how a person sleeps, eats, and works.

Only a trained mental health professional can officially diagnose depression, but when it comes to on-the-fly "first aid" for depression, these tell-tale signs can be a first warning that it might be good to ask for help or see a counselor.

If you're worried about depression, here are some additional resources:

In New York, you can contact health care professionals at this link. They're available by text message or online chat there as well.

If you're having suicidal thoughts, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.

There are also new apps coming online that aim to provide some of the benefits of therapy on the go. These include Woebot, a texting-based system, but they're untested and by no means a substitute for a mental health professional.

The National Institute of Mental Health also offers a full list of resources for depression on its website.

SEE ALSO: Rare blue ice usually only seen in the Arctic has come to US shores — and photographers are capturing stunning images

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: How to know if you're actually depressed

• During a meeting with his top economic adviser, President Donald Trump suggested that since interest rates were going up the US government should simply borrow massive amounts of money.
• That's according to Bob Woodward's new book, "Fear: Trump in the White House."
• When Gary Cohn explained that increasing borrowing would push up the federal deficit, Trump suggested simply printing money to pay off the debt.
• Cohn explained that could be seriously harmful to the US fiscal and economic situation, but Trump did not appear to understand, the book says.

During the first meeting between President-elect Donald Trump and his former economic adviser, Trump appeared confused by elements of the federal debt and US monetary policy.

Veteran journalist Bob Woodward's new book, "Fear: Trump in the White House," describes a conversation between Trump and Gary Cohn, the former director of the National Economic Council.

During the meeting at Trump Tower in November 2016, Cohn touched on a series of economic issues, including the Federal Reserve. Cohn told Trump that the Fed would likely increase interest rates during his term. Trump then offered an idea of how to deal with the rising rates.

"We should just go borrow a lot of money, hold it, and then sell it to make money," Trump said.

While Trump was correct that many private businesses issue debt at a time of low interest rates, Cohn was "astounded at Trump's lack of basic understanding" about what the government borrowing would mean, Woodward wrote.

During the campaign, Trump ran on a promise to eliminate the entire federal debt during his presidency. Borrowing more would increase the deficit and add to that debt, Cohn explained. The president-elect offered a solution.

"Just run the presses — print money," Trump said, according to Woodward.

Cohn suggested that would be detrimental to the fiscal and economic health of the US, since vast amounts of money printing is thought to lead to inflation. But Trump returned to the idea of simply printing money later in the conversation.

Cohn also pointed to the federal debt ceiling, a statutory limit to the amount of debt the federal government can have outstanding. Even approaching the debt ceiling can be harmful to the stock market and US economic growth.

But according to Woodward, Cohn's message did not seem to connect.

"It was clear that Trump did not understand the way the US government debt cycle balance sheet worked," Woodward wrote.

Trump's view on the debt is perhaps best espoused by Modern Monetary Theory, a burgeoning theory among some economists that posits the federal debt is not an economic restraint for the US. But MMT is not generally accepted by lawmakers of either party, likely making it politically untenable at this point.

The back and forth over the debt was just the first clash between Cohn and Trump on economic policy, according to Woodward's book. The pair fought over Trump's desire to place tariffs on imports, and Cohn reportedly stole documents off of Trump's desk to prevent the president from pulling the US out of major trade deals.

Business Insider obtained a copy of Woodward's book, which is being published by Simon & Schuster and is set for release on Tuesday. 

The White House has denied the contents of "Fear," calling Woodward's book "nothing more than fabricated stories." 

Here are more details from the book so far:

• Trump hits back at bombshell Bob Woodward book, calls it 'just another bad book' and claims Woodward has 'had a lot of credibility problems'
• Woodward's book reportedly spurred Trump to look to replace Mattis — here's who's at the top of that list
• 'It's either that or an orange jumpsuit': Explosive Bob Woodward book reportedly recounts Trump's lawyer's effort to keep him from interviewing with Mueller
• Trump denied calling Jeff Sessions — or anyone — 'mentally retarded,' but old records show he has
• Ivanka Trump and Steve Bannon reportedly clashed over proper White House protocol, and she told him 'I'm not a staffer! ... I'm the first daughter'
• Trump reportedly told Mattis that he wanted to assassinate Bashar al-Assad after his chemical weapons attack on Syrians last year
• Gary Cohn reportedly snatched documents off Trump's desk to prevent him from wrecking 2 massive trade deals
• John Kelly was reportedly enraged with Trump over his handling of Charlottesville, said he would have taken a resignation letter 'and shoved it up his ass 6 different times'
• Trump has reportedly said that his speech after the deadly white supremacist rally in Charlottesville was the 'biggest f---ing mistake' he's made
• 6 alarming passages from Bob Woodward's book show Trump's inability to properly lead the military
• Trump thanks Kim Jong Un for 'unwavering faith' with his own White House in open mutiny
• Trump reportedly went to extraordinary and unusual lengths to console grieving military families
• Bob Woodward book says Trump offered advice to a friend who admitted 'bad behavior' toward women: 'Deny, deny, deny'
• Bob Woodward book: Trump told Gary Cohn he 'hired the wrong guy for Treasury secretary' right in front of Steven Mnuchin
• Bob Woodward's book lays out how one New York Times story changed the entire course of the Trump campaign

SEE ALSO: Gary Cohn reportedly snatched documents off Trump's desk to prevent him from wrecking 2 massive trade deals

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: The world's most dangerous venomous animals are all in Australia

If you ever find yourself strolling around Manhattan's Financial District, you might miss the small schist and brownstone church tucked in between the towering skyscrapers.

Make sure you don't.

St. Paul's chapel is one of the oldest and most historically significant buildings in the city — in fact, it's the only colonial-era church still standing in Manhattan.

Built in the 18th century, the Georgian Classic-Revival style church has seen a lot.

It's where President George Washington prayed after being sworn in at Federal Hall. It's where President James Monroe's funeral service was held. It's where General Marquis de Lafayette saw the New York Choral Society perform.

It also witnessed and survived the September 11th attacks, serving as a relief center for first responders.

And in honor of the 17th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, we recently took a tour of the beautiful, old church. See inside:

SEE ALSO: Aerial images of the World Trade Center show the site's evolution from 1966 to now

DON'T MISS: We spent 3 nights in the NYC underbelly with a crime reporter to see how safe the 'safest big city' in the US really is

Located on Broadway in Manhattan's Financial District, St. Paul's Chapel has seen over 250 years of New York history.

Built in 1766, St. Paul's Chapel has no known architect, but the master craftsman was Andrew Gauthier.

Source: Trinity Church

Back then, St. Paul's was on the outskirts of the city, surrounded by farmland. Today, about 1 million visitors tour the chapel every year.

Source: Trinity Church

• A lavish, thoroughly updated SoHo loft with six terraces is on the market for $65 million.
• No single residential unit has ever sold for that amount in downtown Manhattan.
• The penthouse, which was renovated for four years and which listing agents call "bespoke," is filled with oversized windows and skylights.
• There are six irrigated and landscaped terraces — including one with a hot tub. 

A rigorously renovated 8,000 square foot loft in Manhattan's SoHo hip neighborhood, located in the building where actor Heath Ledger once lived before his death in 2008, is on the market for $65 million.

If sold at its asking price, the penthouse would break the record for the most expensive single residential sale in downtown Manhattan, according to The New York Times. The current record is held by a West Chelsea penthouse that sold for $59.06 million, according to the Times.

The property, which a is co-listing between Corcoran and CORE real estate, was sold to its current owners in 2011 for $17 million, according to Curbed. The couple spent four years making gut renovations but ultimately decided it was too much space for them, Curbed reported. 

"The penthouse at 421 Broome is truly incomparable," J. Eric Becker of Corcoran told Business Insider. "In all of my years in real estate, I have never seen such a stunning home, with incredible attention to detail and unmatched design sophistication."

Here's a look inside the updated luxury penthouse.

SEE ALSO: Nobody wants to buy 'Versailles in Manhattan,' a $19.75 million Upper East Side townhouse that has been on and off the market for 15 years

SEE ALSO: This $85 million NYC condo comes with 2 tickets to outer space, a $1 million yacht, 2 Rolls-Royce Phantoms, and a Lamborghini

The apartment is on Broome Street in New York City's SoHo neighborhood, which was once an industrial district.

Source: Corcoran

It's now a hip shopping area filled with designer boutiques.

Source: NYC Go

The owners of the luxurious four-bedroom, 6.5 bathroom penthouse spent four years renovating the home, which resides in a landmarked cast-iron condominium dating back to 1873.

Source: Corcoran

• Young Russians living and working in Washington, DC, are facing an increasingly suspicious climate in the Trump era, and their Tinder dates reportedly keep asking if they're spies. 
• They've also reportedly faced discrimination from landlords and employers, according to Politico. 
• Counterintelligence experts are warning young people in Washington with security clearances to be wary of matching with Russian or Chinese nationals on dating apps. 

Swiping right in Washington, DC, has apparently become an issue of national security. 

Young Russians living, working, and studying in the nation's capital are facing an increasingly suspicious climate in the Trump era, and their Tinder dates reportedly keep asking if they're spies, according to Politico.

Russia's interference in the 2016 presidential election has been the catalyst for a lot of the rekindled anti-Kremlin paranoia. But this trend seems to have escalated after the July arrest of Maria Butina, a 29-year-old alleged Russian spy who's accused of offering to trade sex for political access. 

In many cases, these young Russians believe questions about whether they're spies are just playful jokes, but they've also reportedly faced discrimination from landlords and employers, Politico reported. Moreover, the counterintelligence community seems to view dating apps as a legitimate threat in this regard. 

In this context, young people in Washington with security clearances are being warned by counterintelligence experts to be wary of connecting with Russian or even Chinese nationals on apps like Tinder. 

"If she has a Russian last name, that doesn't mean don't engage, especially if you're really attracted to her," Frank Montoya Jr., a former FBI special agent and former director of the Office of the National Counterintelligence Directorate, told Politico.

But Montoya added people who think they could be targets should be on the lookout for "red flags."

"Are they asking specific questions about what you do? Do they persist in those questions? And when are they asking you about those things? Is it after a drink? After a lot of drinks? Is it pillow talk?" Montoya said.

Indeed, it seems dating apps and social media are part of a new battlefield in the world of espionage as Russian and Chinese intelligence services, among others, look for novel means of recruiting assets. 

Correspondingly, William Evanina, the top counterintelligence official in the US, in late August warned that China is using fake LinkedIn accounts to try to recruit Americans with access to government and commercial secrets.

SEE ALSO: San Francisco is a 'nirvana' for China's main intelligence agency — and the center of an intensifying spy war

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: I woke up at 4:30 a.m. for a week like a Navy SEAL

• Naomi Osaka, 20, beat Serena Williams, 36, to win the US Open on Saturday.
• On Monday, the newly crowned champion appeared on the "Today" show to discuss the highly contentious final.
• The chair umpire took a game away from Williams in the second set after she got into an argument with him over earlier penalties.
• The trophy ceremony featured a chorus of boos, causing Osaka to cry and tell the crowd, "I'm sorry it had to end like this."
• Osaka said on the "Today" show that she felt as though she had to apologize for beating Williams because it was so emotional in the stadium.

The newly crowned US Open champion Naomi Osaka appeared on the "Today" show on Monday morning and explained why she felt the need to apologize for beating Serena Williams in the final.

The mood at Arthur Ashe Stadium turned bitter on Saturday night after Williams was penalized for receiving coaching, slamming her racket, and then getting into an argument with the chair umpire, which cost her a game in the second set.

Osaka, 20, from Japan, went on to win the match in straight sets, 6-2, 6-4.

During the trophy ceremony, Osaka was asked what it felt like to beat Williams, 36, a player she's idolized her whole life. She declined to answer, saying only, "I'm sorry it had to end like this."

When asked on Monday why she apologized, Osaka said the match and the mood in the stadium made her emotional.

"I just felt like everyone was sort of unhappy up there," she said on the "Today" show. "I know that it wasn't really — the ending wasn't how people wanted it to be. I know that in my dreams I won in a very tough, competitive match. I don't know. I just felt very emotional. I felt like I had to apologize."

Osaka also spoke about what it felt like to have her trophy ceremony marked by a chorus of boos. During it, a tearful Osaka covered her face with her visor.

"I felt a little bit sad, because I wasn't really sure if they were booing at me or if it wasn't the outcome that they wanted," she said. "I also could sympathize, because I've been a fan of Serena my whole life, and I knew how badly the crowd wanted her to win."

The booing got so loud that at one point Williams put her arm around Osaka and offered words of encouragement, something Osaka on Monday said made her feel "really happy."

Williams also told the crowd to stop booing and to celebrate Osaka's win.

As for her thoughts on the drama that unfolded between Williams and the chair umpire, Osaka said she hadn't done enough research to give a full opinion.

"For sure I want to watch everything, and I want to know what happened, because this is sort of one of the biggest things that happened to me," Osaka said.

Osaka said that during the arguments on the court, she had her back turned and didn't hear anything until the penalty was announced.

"I was a little bit confused throughout the whole thing," Osaka said.

In addition to the in-game penalties, Williams was fined $17,000 by the tournament's referee office for her on-court outbursts.

Many in the tennis community have called Williams' punishment evidence of a double standard in the sport.

"When a woman is emotional, she's 'hysterical' and she's penalized for it. When a man does the same, he's 'outspoken' and there are no repercussions," the 39-time Grand Slam winner Billie Jean King tweeted on Saturday.

Watch Osaka's full interview on the "Today" show:

SEE ALSO: An Australian newspaper printed a cartoon showing Serena Williams as an angry baby

DON'T MISS: 20-year-old Naomi Osaka defeats Serena Williams in a chaotic US Open final racked by violations

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: What it takes to be a World Cup soccer player

• Walmart, Target, and Costco employees— as well as workers at all retail stores — sometimes come up against pretty difficult customers.
• Business Insider spoke with a number of retail workers about some memorable and negative experiences they've had on the job.
• Their stories just go to show that it's always a good idea to be courteous while shopping.

Walmart, Target, and Costco employees have seen some pretty gnarly things on the job. Many retail workers, in fact, can probably think up at least one or two less-than-positive incidents they've experienced while working a shift.

Oftentimes, customers are at the center of these troubling situations. A study from the University of British Columbia found that we tend to treat retail workers worse when we're hunting for bargains.

The website SiteJabber surveyed 1,032 current retail employees with Amazon's Mechanical Turk, to get a better sense of how customers antagonize retail workers. They found that retail workers' biggest pet peeve was watching customers toss "trash on the shelves instead of throwing it away" — a total of 86.6% of respondents said they were irked by that habit. And 27.9% of survey participants said they would ask shoppers to treat them with respect, if there were no consequences to doing so.

Business Insider has also heard from a number of current and former retail employees who had stories to share about particularly gross, bewildering, or nightmarish scenarios that unfolded during their shifts.

The employees we corresponded with have experience working at Walmart, Target, Costco, McDonald's, Macy's, Home Depot, and other retailers. Their stories just go to show that it's always a good idea to be nice, even if you're not having the greatest shopping experience.

Here's what retail employees had to say about the horror stories they've experienced on the job:

SEE ALSO: Costco employees share 21 things they'd love to tell shoppers but can't

DON'T MISS: Costco employees share the 20 things they wish shoppers would stop doing

SEE ALSO: Target employees share the most ridiculous returns they've seen customers make

A luggage store employee was cursed at over a suspicious return

"It never ceases to amaze me that the stupidest people I've encountered are the ones with university educations," a former retail employee from Ontario told Business Insider. "And the smartest ones have at least five years of retail under their belts."

One day, while working at a small luggage store, a customer came in to return a bag.

"Like any place nowadays, there is a form to fill out, and the purchase must be returned to the credit card used," the former employee said. "Store policy."

The shopper, however, gave the employee a phone number instead of a credit card number. She said the card was at home with her husband.

"I informed the woman that we cannot do a return onto a credit card over the phone, we need the card there to swipe through the machine," the former employee said. " She proceeded to call me a stupid b****."

An A&P employee witnessed a woman getting thrown out of the grocery store

A former employee of A&P, a now-defunct chain of grocery stores, described watching a parent leaving her two children in line at the register for an extended period of time. The cashier ultimately had to skip over her purchases and ring up the people in line behind her.

"She returned and not only demanded to be served immediately — despite the fact that this would mean voiding a large transaction — but also began loudly chastising her kids for not keeping their place in line."

The situation escalated to the point where the store manager intervened and told the woman to leave and not come back, according to the former employee.

A former Victoria's Secret manager had to reject a shopper's ancient return

A former Victoria's Secret manager told Business Insider about a time when a shopper came in to return a bra.

At the time, the former manager said that any Victoria's Secret bra could be returned, as long as the item wasn't excessively worn or defective.

"This customer comes in with a bra in a grocery bag and turns it out on the counter, saying that she wanted to return it," the former manager told Business Insider. "The bra was totally worn. It used to be red and now looked gray. Plus, it had deodorant stains all over it."

The customer explained that the bra was her mother's. The former manager asked the shopper to provide a receipt.

"She looked at me like I was crazy and said she didn’t have her receipt because it had been years since she bought the bra," the former manager said. "I explained to her that we did not even carry that style any more and that I could not take it back."

The customer proceeded to snatch back the bra and storm out of the store.

"I had to run to the bathroom and scrub my hands with hot, soapy water after touching that nasty bra," the ex-manager said.

Months ahead of November's midterm elections, 2018 is set to be a landmark year for women in politics as a record number of female candidates are running, and winning, in offices across the US government.

Women have had a long history making their mark in the political spotlight, with or without a formal position, as one half of political power couples that have left lasting impressions on the world.

Take a look at some of history's most iconic political couples:

SEE ALSO: Prince William and Prince Harry are the most famous members of a family that goes back 100 years — see the British monarchy's full family tree

DON'T MISS: Here's how much money 19 rich and famous power couples are worth

Cleopatra and Julius Caesar

Though Mark Antony and Cleopatra have gotten star treatment from Shakespeare and the silver screen, the Egyptian ruler's romantic relationship with Roman general Julius Caesar was the most historically significant power move.

Cleopatra was the richest and most powerful ruler in the world when she became the pharaoh of Egypt in 51 BC.

When the Romans marched into her territory, she became Caesar's lover as a means of staying in power. She had his son, Caesarion, in 47 BC.

After Caesar's assassination in 44 BC, Cleopatra entered into a relationship with Caesar's commander Antony, which ended tragically in their double suicide.

Source: Smithsonian Magazine, Britannica

Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand

After Spain's Catholic monarchs Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I eloped, they assumed their thrones in the 1470s.

The pair exercised stern control during their late-18th Century reign, as they oversaw the Spanish Inquisition that tortured and killed thousands and expelled hundreds of thousands more.

They also established themselves as an imperial force by sending Christopher Columbus on his 1492 voyage to the New World.

Sources: CBS, Britannica

Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan

This couple is perhaps more easily recognized by what they left behind than their work during their lives.

Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan's wife Mumtaz Mahal was known during her life as a close adviser and head of their family, which included 14 children.

After Mumtaz died in childbirth in 1631, Shah commissioned the Taj Mahal in his late wife's honor, which is still hailed as a masterpiece of Muslim art and became a modern addition to the Seven Wonders of the World in 2007.

Sources: CBS, Business Insider, UNESCO

• Judge Brett Kavanaugh sat through several days of hearings last week, during which senators on the Judiciary Committee probed his record and positions to determine his fitness to serve on the Supreme Court.
• The hearings were routinely interrupted by protesters each day, while Democrats and Republicans on the committee fought with each other about procedure and transparency.
• Kavanaugh did answer a lot of questions in a number of key areas, including abortion, gun rights, and special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation.
• The makeup of support and opposition to Kavanaugh's confirmation in the Senate appears to have held relatively steady throughout the marathon testimony.

WASHINGTON — The confirmation hearings for Brett Kavanaugh were a long four days in which lawmakers grilled President Donald Trump's nominee to serve on the Supreme Court.

And while Kavanaugh's judicial record was widely known beforehand, the hearings revealed new information and insight into how the final vote for his confirmation will fare in the coming weeks — and what Kavanaugh thinks about some key issues.

Kavanaugh, whose hearings were swarmed with protesters from various activist groups opposed to his nomination, revealed a trove of information about himself, while concealing just as much. He said his favorite writing from the Federalist papers is Federalist No. 69, in which Alexander Hamilton details how the US presidency is not a monarchy, he showed that he can list every name and age of the players on the girls basketball team he coached, and more. 

On a policy level, which could provide key insights into how he might rule should he be confirmed to the highest court in the US, answers were mixed. While judges of Kavanaugh's caliber often try to avoid revealing such positions, he had to answer questions from senators looking to understand a number of different areas. Here is what he said:

Abortion

Kavanaugh hammered in the importance of precedent, which has been a major sticking point for Democrats looking to preserve abortion access and the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision.

A key point about Kavanaugh's stances on abortion came on Thursday, when The New York Times revealed an email exchange from Kavanaugh's tenure working for the George W. Bush administration.

In the email, Kavanaugh appears to balk at the suggestion that Roe is settled law.

"I am not sure that all legal scholars refer to Roe as the settled law of the land at the Supreme Court level since Court can always overrule its precedent," Kavanaugh wrote in 2003, adding that at least three of the justices on the court at the time would hold that view.

But Kavanaugh tampered the email during an exchange with Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, telling him that he was not asserting his own views, but that many legal scholars hold such a position on Roe.

"I think that's what legal scholars have ― some ― some legal scholars have undoubtedly said things like that over time, but that ― that's different from what I as a judge ― my position as a judge is that there's 45 years of precedent and there's Planned Parenthood v. Casey, which reaffirmed Roe," he said. "So that's precedent on precedent, as I've explained, and that's important. And that's an important precedent to the Supreme Court."

Gun rights

The right to own firearms was a frequent topics throughout the week of hearings.

On Tuesday, Kavanaugh got into a tense back-and-forth with California Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the ranking Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, about what kinds of firearms would fall into the category of "unusual" weapons not suitable for public ownership.

"Again this is all about precedent for me, trying to read exactly what the Supreme Court said. And if you read the McDonald case, and I concluded that it could not be distinguished as a matter of law that semiautomatic rifles from semiautomatic handguns, and semiautomatic rifles are widely possessed in the United States," he said. "There are millions and millions and millions of semiautomatic rifles that are possessed. So that seemed to fit common use and not be a dangerous and unusual weapon."

In response, Feinstein tried to draw distinction between "use" and "possession" of firearms, again probing Kavanaugh as to how semiautomatic rifles could be considered common use. Kavanaugh responded that "they are widely-possessed in the United States" and "they are used and possessed."

"But the question is are they dangerous and unusual?" he added, noting their prevalence in the US. "They're certainly dangerous — all weapons are dangerous — but are they unusual?"

Kavanaugh's answers, including his past rulings on gun-related issues, showed that he is very much in the mold of the late-Justice Antonin Scalia, who penned the majority decision in the landmark 2008 case District of Columbia v. Heller, which held that individuals have the right to possess firearms in the US.

The special counsel investigation

The special counsel investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 elections, headed by former FBI Director Robert Mueller, was a significant focus of much of the confirmation hearings with Kavanaugh.

Questions arose about whether Kavanaugh had any conversations about the special counsel with employees at Kasowitz Benson Torres, a law firm co-founded by Trump's personal attorney Marc Kasowitz.

California Sen. Kamala Harris probed Kavanaugh about the matter.

"I'm sure you've noticed your lack of a clear answer to a question I asked you last night has generated a lot of interest," Harris said during Thursday's hearing. "I received reliable information that you had a conversation about the special counsel or his investigation with the law firm that has represented President Trump."

Kavanaugh denied having conversations about the special counsel with individuals at Kasowitz Benson Torres, and the firm also denied that anyone from their office spoke to him about it.

In addition to the special counsel, Kavanaugh's views on executive authority were a constant focus throughout the hearings. But in many cases, Kavanaugh refused to answer hypothetical questions from Democrats on the panel, a common practice for judicial nominees.

The bottom line: Will Kavanaugh have the votes?

After most senators settled in to their usual roles and the chaos of protests and political infighting subsided, the support for Kavanaugh among the Republican ranks is the same. In addition, Democrats fiercely opposed to his confirmation have remained in their hardened stance.

In the coming weeks, as the final vote for Kavanaugh's confirmation draws near, the handful of Democrats on the fence who are in a potential political bind depending on how they vote will begin to maker their positions known. Kavanaugh only needs 51 votes, which, as of right now, appear to be holding in place.

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

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Everything we know about Samsung’s foldable phone

• Money advice from those you trust can steer you in the right direction of reaching your short- and long-term goals.
• Some of the best money advice you can receive may come from an expert or someone who has successfully reached an important financial milestone.
• Here, 10 people share the best money advice they have ever received, like understanding needs versus wants and living on less than you make.

Your relationship with money takes a lifetime of maintenance. Making smart choices throughout your life can lead to financial stability and growth, as well as help you reach your short- and long-term goals.

Just as you may go to friends or family for advice after a fight with your partner, you may also seek out financial advice from those around you.

"Some of the best advice is from people in your social circle who have overcome debt or made major financial improvements," Andrea Woroch, a consumer expert, told Business Insider.

However, always keep your situation in mind, because different money saving and spending practices could work differently with your particular lifestyle. "Compare options and decide what's best for you," Woroch said.

Here, 10 people share the best money advice they've ever received.

SEE ALSO: 12 clever ways to save money every day, according to financial experts

Live on less than you make

Live on less than you make. If you do, you will always be able to save something — even if it's just a little.

— Cornelius Davis, 44

Track your cash flow

Track your incomings and outgoings on a daily basis and look at your bank account to ensure that you're not spending more than you're making. Also, identify anything you are investing in that you aren't using and cancel it. I learned this from money mindset mentor Denise Duffield-Thomas.

— Ruth Kudzi, 40

Don't up your spending when you get a raise

Do not up your spending when you get a raise — up your savings instead. Also, make sure to save something from every paycheck. Just get in the habit and funnel a set amount directly into an investment account, because you do not spend what you do not see.

— Paige Arnof-Fenn, entrepreneur

• "The Bling Ring" author Nancy Jo Sales debuts her first documentary, “Swiped: Hooking Up in the Digital Age,” on HBO at 10 p.m. Monday.
• The doc paints a bleak picture of modern dating, and captures remarkably candid interviews with 20-something men and women on their experiences, as well as experts and dating-app execs.
• "Swiped" bloomed from reporting Sales did for a 2015 Vanity Fair article, which provoked the rage of Tinder and spurred a public debate about dating apps.
• The film's main flaw is that, in its focus on the changes dating apps have made to the lives of young people, it ignores those who use them in more prosaic (read: boring) ways.

No journalist has gotten under Tinder’s skin quite like Nancy Jo Sales.

In 2015, a story Sales wrote for Vanity Fair that probed the dark side of dating apps and hookup culture — provocatively titled “Tinder and the Dawn of the ‘Dating Apocalypse’” — went viral. Tinder was not pleased, to put it mildly. The dating app’s official Twitter account had a public meltdown, tweeting at Sales dozens of times in the next 24 hours about the article.

“They attacked the piece,” Sales recounted in a recent interview with Business Insider. “They tweeted at me over 30 times. Attacked me personally. Attacked my chops as a reporter.” Tinder cofounder Sean Rad even did an interview going after Sales personally, and suggested he had done opposition research on her.

Rad “sent me a private email and he apologized” later on, Sales added, though he declined to do so publicly.

But Sales did not consider the subject of dating apps finished, particularly elements she explored in that article related to the way women are treated on apps like Tinder — “harassing messages, unsolicited nude pictures, and all that,” she said. Not by a long shot.

At the time, Sales had also been eager to make her first documentary, and had hired a cameraman to film interviews in tandem with her reporting for a book on American girls and social media (American Girls: Social Media and the Secret Lives of Teenagers). The way her Vanity Fair article captured the public’s (and Tinder’s) attention gave her a chance to shift focus to that particularly, and with backing from HBO to turn it into a full-length doc, she began shooting new interviews in the summer of 2016.

The resulting film, “Swiped: Hooking Up in the Digital Age,” premieres at 10 p.m. Monday on HBO. And it is bleak.

The first thing that jumps out about “Swiped” is how gifted an interviewer Sales is. Much of the doc revolves around interviews with 18 to 25-year-olds who talk about their experiences using various dating apps. Sales said she wanted broad representation of diverse voices and she certainly succeeds. The interviews veer from sweet to sad to mildly sociopathic — but their defining quality is candor, which is a testament to Sales' technique.

The most effective moments of the doc highlight how the technology that has become central to modern dating has stripped away bits and pieces of people’s humanity.

“I was hearing a lot about ghosting and heartbreak,” Sales said of her interviews for the film. “People feeling like they weren’t being treated as a human being.” And it comes through.

But that ends up being the weakest part of the doc as well. Many of the experts interviewed by Sales speak about how rapid the change in dating culture has been since the introduction of apps, and particularly the famous swipe by Tinder in 2012 (Sales even interviews the man who invented the swipe interface, Tinder cofounder Jonathan Badeen).

But in focusing on the change in the dating landscape, “Swiped” sometimes feels like an episode of “Black Mirror.” In particular, while there is something undeniably resonant about the experiences of the subjects, you get the sense you are missing out on the ones that are, well, a bit boring.

For instance, the main long-term relationship highlighted in the movie is one in which the couple actually uses Tinder together to find other sexual partners. It is interesting and shows a way some couples continue to use these dating apps, even as their relationship progresses. But it’s not exactly prosaic, and when strung together with the other elements of the film, gives the impression that there aren’t really people who use dating apps — either effectively or ineffectively — in an undramatic way.

But that might simply be the downside of trying to make a compelling movie. It’s not an academic study, after all. And to Sales’ credit, she is always fair to her subjects, even the dating-app execs who put their foot in their mouths on more than one occasion, and show the twisted way corporations sometimes think about customers.

“This film, it was never something that I had in my mind ever to blame or judge anyone,” Sales said. “If it’s a critique of anything, it’s a critique of corporate culture.”

On that note, it succeeds in a way that might leave you more than a little bit depressed.

SEE ALSO: How Burt Reynolds felt about his iconic 1972 nude spread in Cosmopolitan magazine

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: How actors fake fight in movies

Insider Inc. has a number of editorial openings across both Business Insider and INSIDER. If you're interested in joining a fast-paced, growing newsroom, apply at the links provided below. Unless otherwise stated, positions are located in our New York City headquarters.

Editorial internships

• Business Insider editorial intern, retail
• Business Insider editorial intern, science, San Francisco
• Business Insider editorial intern, tech
• Business Insider editorial intern, tech, San Francisco
• Business Insider video intern, animation
• Business Insider video-writing intern
• Business Insider video-writing intern, science
• Graphic-design intern
• INSIDER editorial intern, food and travel
• INSIDER editorial intern, wellness
• INSIDER social media intern
• INSIDER video production and editing intern
• INSIDER video-editing intern
• INSIDER video-writing intern, design
• INSIDER video-writing intern, parenting
• Markets Insider editorial intern
• Tech Insider video-editing intern
• Visual features intern

Full-time positions

• Airlines reporter
• Associate producer, animation
• Associate producer, Tech Insider
• Associate editor
• Associate editor, lifestyle
• Associate producer, Business Insider
• Associate video producer, design
• Business reporter, UK
• Business news video producer
• Careers and strategy editor
• Copyeditor
• Director of booking
• Enterprise tech reporter, San Francisco
• Exec life reporter
• INSIDER associate editor
•  
• INSIDER health and wellness reporter
• INSIDER video editor
• Lifestyle reporter
• Managing editor, UK
• Politics editor
• Retail reporter
• Strategy reporter
• Transportation editor
• Weekend news editor
• Your Money editor

For a constantly updated list of openings, see our careers page.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: The Samsung Galaxy Note 9 is a $1,000 phone that's actually worth it

• Kevin Hassett, chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers, on Monday told reporters that President Donald Trump tweeted an incorrect claim about the economy. 
• Hassett briefed reporters amid a debate over how much credit Trump deserves for current economic growth, or whether it's a continuation of growth under former President Barack Obama. 
• When asked about another Trump tweet that misquoted Obama, Hassett told reporters, "I'm not the chairman of the Council of Twitter Advisers."

Kevin Hassett, chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers, on Monday told reporters President Donald Trump tweeted an incorrect claim that US gross domestic product had surpassed the rate of unemployment for the first time in more than a century.

"The GDP Rate (4.2%) is higher than the Unemployment Rate (3.9%) for the first time in over 100 years!" Trump tweeted Monday morning.

Hassett told reporters the GDP growth rate is higher than the unemployment rate for the first time in 10 years, not 100 as the president suggested in his tweet. The chief White House economic adviser said he wasn't sure how the error occurred but speculated that an adviser "added a zero" when conveying the information to the president.

Hassett was also asked to provided clarification on a separate tweet from Trump in which he misquoted former President Barack Obama. 

"'President Trump would need a magic wand to get to 4% GDP,' stated President Obama. I guess I have a magic wand, 4.2%, and we will do MUCH better than this! We have just begun," Trump tweeted.

The president seemed to be imprecisely referencing remarks made by Obama at a town hall event in 2016, in which he questioned promises from Trump regarding manufacturing jobs, not economic growth.

At the time, Obama said, "He just says, 'Well, I’m going to negotiate a better deal.' Well, what, how exactly are you going to negotiate that? What magic wand do you have? And, usually, the answer is he doesn’t have an answer."

When Hassett on Monday was asked to expand on Trump's tweet and his apparent error, he said to reporters, "I'm not the chairman of the Council of Twitter Advisers."

Hassett briefed reporters amid a raging debate over how much credit Trump deserves for current economic growth, or whether it's a continuation of growth under Obama. 

SEE ALSO: 'Let's just remember when this recovery started': Obama hits back at Trump taking credit for strong economy

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Medical breakthroughs we will see in the next 50 years

• What is a microaggression? It is an unconscious expressions of racism or sexism.
• That unconscious bias is everywhere — especially in the workplace.
• To avoid a toxic workplace culture, it's important to know which phrases and actions can make employees from different backgrounds or identities feel uncomfortable and targeted.

Microaggressions are unconscious expressions of racism or sexism. They come out in seemingly innocuous comments by people who might be well-intentioned. 

From telling a new female worker that she "looks like a student" to asking a black colleague about her natural hair, microaggressions often exist in the workplace, too. And they can make a workplace feel unsafe and toxic. 

"Because microaggressions are often communicated through language, it is very important to pay attention to how we talk, especially in the workplace and other social institutions like classrooms, courtrooms, and so on," Christine Mallinson, professor of language, literacy, and culture at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, told Business Insider.

Because microaggressions are so subtle, it's often hard to know if you're committing one or if you're on the receiving end.

"One thing is that they are in a sense ambiguous, so that the recipient is apt to feel vaguely insulted, but since the words look and sound complimentary, on the surface (they're most often positive), she can't rightly feel insulted and doesn't know how to respond," Robin Lakoff, Professor Emerita of Linguistics at the University of California, Berkeley, told Business Insider.

Here are some of the most common microaggressions:

SEE ALSO: Here's the presentation Google gives employees on how to spot unconscious bias at work

DON'T MISS: There's a war on the way women talk — and it needs to end

'You're so articulate'

"When a white colleague tells a colleague of color 'You're so articulate' or 'You speak so well,' the remark suggests that they assumed the person in question would be less articulate — and are surprised to find out they aren't," Mallinson told Business Insider.

Commenting on a black person's language or speaking habits has a complicated history, and this is a problem that African-Americans especially encounter in the workplace or school.

"We (a white-dominant society) expect black folks to be less competent," wrote A. Gordon in The Root. "And, speaking as a white person, when we register surprise at a black individual's articulateness, we also send the not-so-subtle message that that person is part of a group that we don't expect to see sitting at the table, taking on a leadership role."

What to say instead: Nothing. You can commend people on their specific ideas or insights, but commenting on how people speak is unnecessary.

'You're transgender? Wow, you don't look like it at all'

Telling a transgender person that they don't "look trans" might appear to be a compliment.

But trans people like Elliot Wake know that while these people have good intentions, it's an offensive comment that implies being trans isn't desirable. 

"(T)hey assume if I'm trans, my ultimate goal must be to look as much like a binary cis male as possible — and that trans masculine folk who don't look like cis men have somehow failed that unstated goal," Wake told Bustle. 

It indicates that the speaker feels looking as close as possible to cisgender (those who identify with the gender they were born with) should be what trans people aim for.

"Trans women can be beautiful in our own way without being judged on ridiculous cis beauty standards," Katelyn Burns told Bustle. 

What to do instead: Say nothing. 

'Oh, sorry, wrong person'

• Omarosa Manigault Newman on Monday suggested Vice President Mike Pence's chief of staff Nick Ayers is behind the anonymous New York Times op-ed that claims there's a "quiet resistance" in the White House. 
• Pence has vehemently denied any involvement in the op-ed.
• The White House has denounced the op-ed, describing whoever wrote it as a traitor and coward.

Former White House adviser Omarosa Manigault Newman on Monday suggested Vice President Mike Pence's chief of staff Nick Ayers is behind the controversial anonymous New York Times op-ed that claims there's a "quiet resistance" in the White House. 

"I've been very vocal about the fact that I believe that it is a senior staffer in Pence's office," Manigault Newman said on ABC's "The View."

"I went through every email that came out of Pence's office, because the tone of the op-ed sounded very much like his chief of staff," she added. "And sure enough there's consistency in the writing style, the language that they have chosen."

The former White House adviser made a similar claim several days ago in an appearance on MSNBC. 

Pence has vehemently denied any involvement in the op-ed, which said there's a cohort of people in the Trump administration actively working to keep the president in check. 

"I'm 100 percent confident that no one on the vice president's staff was involved in this anonymous editorial," Pence said during an interview on Sunday.

"I know my people," he added.

The White House has denounced the op-ed, describing whoever wrote it as a traitor and coward.

Manigualt Newman has been highly critical of the Trump administration over the past month or so as she's promoted her memoir, "Unhinged," which paints an unflattering picture of the White House under President Donald Trump.

The credibility of Manigualt Newman's claims in the book have frequently been called into question, particularly given her untimely departure from the White House. 

SEE ALSO: Omarosa claims that she walked in on Trump eating a piece of paper in the Oval Office and that it surprised her since he's a 'germaphobe'

DON'T MISS: People are obsessing over this one word in the explosive NYT op-ed written by an anonymous Trump official — and they think it might be a clue about who wrote it

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: One bite from this tick could ruin red meat for the rest of your life

• In the wake of President Donald Trump's response to the violence in Charlottesville, Virginia, many CEOs resigned from positions on the White House's manufacturing and business councils.
• Trump attacked the CEOs and was ultimately forced to disband the two councils.
• According to Bob Woodward's new book, "Fear: Trump in the White House," GOP leaders Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell contacted some of the departing CEOs and "privately praised them for standing up."

In the aftermath of President Donald Trump's disastrous response to the violence in Charlottesville, Virginia, Republican congressional leaders privately praised CEOs quitting the president's business councils, according to Bob Woodward's explosive new book.

Trump held a now-infamous press conference during which he appeared to equate white nationalists with counter-protesters. Merck CEO Kenneth Frazier quit the White House's council of manufacturing leaders. A cascade of executives soon followed in exiting from the manufacturing council, including Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank, Intel CEO Brian Krzanich, and AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka.

Trump attacked Frazier and the other departing CEOs. But the cascade of departures eventually forced Trump to scrap both the manufacturing council and a separate business council that included JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon, General Motors CEO Mary Barra, and Walmart CEO Doug McMillon.

According to Woodward's book, "Fear: Trump in the White House," the business reaction also caused a break among GOP leadership.

"Most significant, however, were the private reactions from House Speaker Ryan and Senate majority leader McConnell. Both Republicans called some of the CEOs and privately praised them for standing up," Woodward wrote.

While both Ryan and McConnell condemned Trump's response to the Charlottesville violence, neither weighed in on the departures of the executives at the time.

A spokesperson for Ryan declined to comment. A spokesperson for McConnell also declined to comment, saying they hadn’t seen or read the book.

Both GOP leaders declined to answer questions about the specifics of the book during press conferences last week, but did say they had not spoken to Woodward.

Business Insider obtained a copy of the book, which is being published by Simon & Schuster and is set for release on Tuesday.

The White House has attacked the contents of "Fear," calling the book "nothing more than fabricated stories."

Here are more revelations from the book so far:

• Trump told Gary Cohn he 'hired the wrong guy for Treasury secretary' right in front of Steven Mnuchin

• Trump hits back at bombshell Bob Woodward book, calls it 'just another bad book' and claims Woodward has 'had a lot of credibility problems'
• Woodward's book reportedly spurred Trump to look to replace Mattis — here's who's at the top of that list
• 'It's either that or an orange jumpsuit': Explosive Bob Woodward book reportedly recounts Trump's lawyer's effort to keep him from interviewing with Mueller
• Trump denied calling Jeff Sessions — or anyone — 'mentally retarded,' but old records show he has
• Ivanka Trump and Steve Bannon reportedly clashed over proper White House protocol, and she told him 'I'm not a staffer! ... I'm the first daughter'
• Trump reportedly told Mattis that he wanted to assassinate Bashar al-Assad after his chemical weapons attack on Syrians last year
• Gary Cohn reportedly snatched documents off Trump's desk to prevent him from wrecking 2 massive trade deals
• John Kelly was reportedly enraged with Trump over his handling of Charlottesville, said he would have taken a resignation letter 'and shoved it up his ass 6 different times'
• Trump has reportedly said that his speech after the deadly white supremacist rally in Charlottesville was the 'biggest f---ing mistake' he's made
• 6 alarming passages from Bob Woodward's book show Trump's inability to properly lead the military
• Trump thanks Kim Jong Un for 'unwavering faith' with his own White House in open mutiny
• Trump reportedly went to extraordinary and unusual lengths to console grieving military families

SEE ALSO: Bob Woodward book: Trump told Gary Cohn he 'hired the wrong guy for Treasury secretary' right in front of Steven Mnuchin

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Apple might introduce three new iPhones this year — here’s what we know

• President Donald Trump is rapidly losing favor among independent voters and has a low approval rating in general despite a strong economy, two new polls show.
• Recent reports have suggested independents could comprise up to 30% of the electorate in this year's midterms, meaning they could make or break the GOP's majority in Congress. 
• The midterm elections are on November 6. 

President Donald Trump is rapidly losing favor among independent voters and has a low approval rating in general  despite a strong economy, two new polls show, providing fresh warning signals for the president and the Republican Party ahead of the midterm elections.

A new CNN poll found Trump's approval rating at just 36% and put his approval among independents at 31%, a new low and dropped all the way from 47% last month. 

Recent reports have suggested independents could comprise up to 30% of the electorate in this year's midterms, meaning they could make or break the GOP's grip on its majority in Congress in November.

A separate poll from Quinnipiac University, also released Monday, showed Trump's approval rating at 38% and found 54% of American voters disapprove of the job he's doing. It also found just 36% of independent voters approve of Trump. 

The poll did show, however, that Trump's approval with his base remains strong. Overall, 84% of Republicans approve of the job Trump is doing, the poll found. 

Strong economic growth also doesn't seem to be winning over new voters for Trump, however.

"The economy booms, but President Donald Trump's numbers are a bust. An anemic 38% approval rating is compounded by lows on honesty, strength and intelligence," Tim Malloy, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University poll, said in a statement.

The Quinnipiac poll found just 32% of Americans feel the president is honest, which it said was his lowest grade for honesty since he was elected. In addition, Trump received low grades from American voters on an array of character traits. 

Trump's low approval ratings nationwide come as his administration fights off allegations of chaos within his administration in Bob Woodward's new book, "Fear," as well as claims in a recent anonymous New York Times op-ed of a "quiet resistance" against the president in the White House.

Historically, midterm elections often serve as referendums on the incumbent president, which makes Trump's overall unpopularity a liability for Republicans. 

The midterm elections are on November 6. 

SEE ALSO: All the revelations that have come out so far from Bob Woodward's explosive book on Trump

SEE ALSO: 'I suspect it is Pence’s chief of staff': Omarosa thinks Nick Ayers wrote the New York Times op-ed trashing Trump

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: I woke up at 4:30 a.m. for a week like a Navy SEAL

The September 11th attacks took the lives of more than 3,000 Americans, and transformed the US in countless ways.

It sparked the Global War on Terror (which the US is now fighting in 76 countries), and the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq.

It led to the creation of the Department of Homeland Security, the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the Patriot Act.

And it also fundamentally changed New York City.

In honor of the 17th anniversary of the horrific attacks, we compiled 17 photos showing how Manhattan's Financial District and skyline have changed since 9/11 as the city rebuilt Ground Zero. See for yourself:

SEE ALSO: Inside St. Paul's chapel, where George Washington prayed after taking the oath of office — that remained standing when the Twin Towers fell across the street

DON'T MISS: Aerial images of the World Trade Center show the site's evolution from 1966 to now

Here's an aerial view of the Twin Towers on a peaceful June day in 1999.

But that skyline was horrifically shaken a little more than two years later.

You can see the stark difference between this August 30, 2001 photo and a photo taken from the spot 16 days after the attacks. It would take several months for rescuers to go through the rubble.