• Kobe and Vanessa Bryant announced they are expecting their fourth child.
• Even though Bryant is retired from the NBA and no longer the highest-paid player, he is as busy as ever.
• While Kobe has an insane work ethic and has historically been completely consumed by basketball, he has found time to enjoy life and pursue ventures off of the court in his retirement.

Kobe Bryant was once the highest-paid and most electric player in the NBA.

While Kobe has an insane work ethic and has historically been completely consumed by basketball, he has found time to enjoy life and pursue ventures off of the court in his retirement. In addition to collecting beautiful houses, fancy cars, and even a helicopter, the Black Mamba has mentored up-and-coming NBA stars, invested in projects in tech, athletics, and entertainment, and even won an Oscar. 

Needless to say, Bryant is living the life — saying and doing whatever he wants in an endlessly entertaining fashion.

Tony Manfred contributed to this report.

Let's take a closer look at how Kobe spends his millions:

He went to high school in the Philly suburbs, but he grew up in Italy. He loves Italian cars.

He once walked into a Ferrari dealership and wrote a $329,000 check for a 458 Italia.

SOURCE: TMZ

He has owned a Lamborghini, a Bentley, and a Range Rover.

SOURCE: Pricing Insider

• As a businessman, President Donald Trump was never afraid to offer a piece of his mind in private, in press conferences, and on Twitter.
• Since running for and being elected president of the United States, Trump's reputation for sharing his thoughts hasn't changed at all.
• Trump's quotes are funny, historic, controversial — and all of them are memorable.
• To commemorate Trump's second anniversary since he took office on January 20, here are 30 of his most famous quotes since being elected president.

Jenny Cheng and Pat Ralph contributed to an earlier version of this post.

SEE ALSO: 14 of George H.W. Bush's most presidential quotes

DON'T MISS: 9 quotes that famous people didn't actually say

Trump brought the country together in trying to decode what he meant in a late night tweet with the word "covfefe".

Source: Twitter

After meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump once again reiterated his belief that his campaign did not coordinate with Russia during the 2016 election.

Source: CNN

In a press conference at his Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey, Trump doubled down on his support for the US intelligence community.

Source: CNN

• President Donald Trump appears increasingly likely to declare a national emergency to get funds to build a wall along the southern border.
• He has demanded $5.7 billion from Congress, which has refused to provide it, prompting a government shutdown that's in it 21st day.
• If he declared a national emergency, he would instantly gain a slew of special powers he could use to get the funds he needs.
• Such an action would almost certainly trigger challenges from Congress and the courts, but it's unclear how the battles would play out.

President Donald Trump said Thursday he "probably will" declare a national emergency to obtain the funds he needs for his long-promised border wall.

A partial government shutdown, sparked by a dispute between Trump and congressional Democrats over the wall, reached its 21st day on Friday and is on the cusp of becoming the longest government shutdown in US history.

Trump has spent much of the last few weeks raging about a "crisis" he said has erupted at the US-Mexico border, propelled by of illegal immigration, drugs, and violent crime, which must be solved by constructing a physical barrier.

Critics, meanwhile, have argued that there is no crisis — or at least none that a wall can solve. Border apprehensions are at their lowest point in decades, drugs mainly enter the US through legal ports of entry, and studies show that unauthorized immigrants commit fewer crimes than native-born Americans.

Read more: THE TRUTH ABOUT THE BORDER CRISIS: Experts say there is no security crisis, but there is a simple way to fix immigration — and it's not a wall

Nevertheless, Trump has been locked in a stalemate with Democrats over the wall that shows no signs of stopping, making it increasingly likely that Trump will declare a national emergency to bypass Congress for the wall funding.

Here's what you need to know.

What is a 'national emergency'?

A national emergency is something that the president declares to grant him special powers under the National Emergencies Act of 1976. Trump is hoping to use those special powers to allocate funding for the border wall.

There are 136 statutes governing which special powers the president can use, according to The Brennan Center for Justice, and it's unclear at this point which ones the Trump administration has in mind.

It's not uncommon for presidents to declare national emergencies. One of the most well-known examples is the national emergency that former President George W. Bush declared after 9/11, which is still in effect and has been renewed by the sitting president each year.

Can Trump do this?

Experts are divided over whether it's legal for Trump to use a national-emergency declaration for a wall.

But he faces relatively few restrictions on declaring a national emergency. According to The Brennan Center, 96 of the 136 statutory authorities available to presidents during national emergencies need only their signature, and just 13 require Congress to also declare an emergency.

Twelve of the authorities have a small restriction, such as requiring agency officials to certify that the measures are necessary, and the remaining 15 authorities require that the emergencies relate to particular subjects.

Yale Law School professor Bruce Ackerman wrote in a New York Times op-ed that there's no way Trump could use emergency powers to build the wall — at least if he opts to use funds from the military budget and use military personnel to build it.

Though there is some precedent for presidents' use of the military to enforce domestic law — primarily former President George W. Bush's authorization of the military to respond to Hurricane Katrina — that exception has since been repealed.

"Is President Trump aware of this express repudiation of the power which he is threatening to invoke?" Ackerman wrote.

Yet other experts said it might be easier for Trump to use national-emergency powers than most think. Elizabeth Goitein of The Brennan Center wrote in The Atlantic that some of those 136 provisions available to Trump under the National Emergencies Act of 1976 appear "dangerously suited to a leader bent on amassing or retaining power."

"We are in uncharted political territory," Goitein wrote.

How would the Trump administration use these special powers?

News reports in recent days have indicated that the Trump administration is reviewing at least two options for how to best use emergency powers to secure the wall funding.

The White House has reportedly already asked the Army Corps of Engineers to review whether funds can be diverted from certain civil-works projects in order to pay for the wall. NBC News reported that one of these projects could include reconstruction in Puerto Rico, which experienced heavy damage from Hurricane Maria in 2017.

The Trump administration is also examining whether the Department of Homeland Security can request the funds from the Pentagon — an idea that former Defense Secretary Jim Mattis backed before his resignation in December, according to The Wall Street Journal.

What could happen next?

If Trump declares a national emergency, it's widely expected that he'll face major battles on two fronts: Congress and the courts.

Lawmakers from both parties have already expressed dismay over Trump's potential use of emergency powers. Some Republicans fear it sets a precedent that could later be used by a Democratic president to pursue liberal policies, while Democrats have called it a misuse of executive power.

One Democratic lawmaker, New York Rep. Grace Meng, even introduced legislation in the House on Friday to preemptively block Trump from invoking a national emergency.

"We must send a clear message to the President that creating this type of manufactured emergency for the sole purpose of securing an unrealistic campaign promise is unacceptable," Meng said in a statement.

But a legislative challenge to Trump's national-emergency powers could also hit roadblocks, thanks to a 1983 Supreme Court case that blocked Congress from using simple-majority votes to overrule a president's emergency declaration.

The National Emergencies Act of 1976 was then amended to require that both arms of Congress pass two-thirds-majority votes to override a presidential veto.

Since some Republican lawmakers, such as South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, have already expressed support for Trump's use of a national emergency to build the wall, it may be unlikely that Congress puts up an effective fight.

But Trump is certain to also face multiple legal challenges, which could meet an unpredictable fate. The Supreme Court has been reluctant to question some of Trump's executive powers — even deferring to him on the controversial travel ban he implemented.

Though plaintiffs in any lawsuits against Trump will likely try to question his administration's assertion that a national-security "crisis" is occurring along the southern border, the Supreme Court justices may well defer to his judgment on the issue, as they did with the travel ban.

"If any court would actually let itself review whether this is a national emergency, he would be in big trouble," Goitein told The Times. "I think it would be an abuse of power to declare an emergency where none exists. The problem is that Congress has enabled that abuse of power by putting virtually no limits on the president's ability to declare an emergency."

• Read more:
• Trump said he knows a border wall will work because wheels work, and the Secret Service uses 'really expensive' cars with wheels
• As the government shutdown over Trump's border wall rages, a journey along the entire 1,933-mile US-Mexico border shows the monumental task of securing it
• A lot of Republicans are worried about the dangerous precedent Trump could set with a national emergency declaration for the border wall
• The government shutdown is in a record-tying 21st day and the fight between Trump and Democrats is only getting uglier. Here's everything you missed.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: MSNBC host Chris Hayes thinks President Trump's stance on China is 'not at all crazy'

• Friday was payday for federal workers.
• But 800,000 workers received $0 because of the government shutdown.
• These workers will not be paid for the duration of the shutdown, but Congress passed a bill to give the workers back pay when the government reopens.
• The government doesn't seem to be opening anytime soon, since both President Donald Trump and Democrats are not budging from their positions regarding border-wall funding.

Friday was supposed to be payday for roughly 800,000 federal workers, but, because of the partial government shutdown, those employees have been seeing a big, fat $0 in their bank accounts.

Direct deposits for the pay period that ended on January 5 were sent out on Friday, but the entirety of the period was during the ongoing partial government shutdown — meaning that federal workers in the agencies that are closed received no pay.

A government shutdown occurs when the appropriated funding for federal agencies runs out and Congress has not passed new funding bills to allow the departments to spend more money, including on workers. A good (though admittedly simplistic) way to think about it is that the well has run dry as opposed to a dam holding up money that had already been set aside.

This shutdown does not affect all agencies, as Congress did pass funding bills for certain departments, including the departments of Defense and Energy, in September. But the shutdown has still resulted in closures for the departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Justice, Homeland Security, the Interior, State, Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development.

For employees affected by the shutdown, the lack of pay is a big deal. Employees going without pay owe more than $400 million in mortgage and rent payments, according to the real-estate portal Zillow. Federal workers have started GoFundMe fundraisers to try and cover medical costs and more during the shutdown.

Read more: Federal workers affected by the government shutdown have more than $400 million in mortgage and rent payments due this month, and it could cause chaos for the US housing market

According to the left-leaning Center for American Progress, each pay period missed means $2 billion is not going out to federal workers.

But there is some good news for these workers, though it may be of little comfort right now.

Excepted workers, the 420,000 employees who are being forced to work without pay, are automatically given back pay when the government reopens.

For furloughed employees, those who are barred from coming to work, Congress passed a bill on Friday that would provide back pay for the lost wages during the shutdown immediately after the government reopens.

But for federal contractors, employees of outside companies who are not direct government workers, may be left out in the cold. Some contractors will continue to employ and pay workers so that they are ready to get back to work as soon as the government reopens, but these third-party companies don't know when — or if — the government will reimburse them.

"With prior shutdowns, we've had instances where it's particularly hard for small businesses who have difficulty dealing with all this and fronting the money," Jessica Abrahams, a lawyer at Drinker Biddle who deals with government contracts, told NBC News.

As it stands, there seems to be no end in sight to the government shutdown — which will set the record for the longest funding lapse in history on Saturday — as President Donald Trump stands firm in his demands for $5 billion toward a wall on the US-Mexico border and Democrats stand firm on their refusal to give the president that money.

SEE ALSO: From airport lines to food inspections, here are all the ways the government shutdown is impacting the lives of average Americans

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: MSNBC host Chris Hayes thinks President Trump's stance on China is 'not at all crazy'

The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase.

Whether they're just engaged, married or have been in a relationship for years, his-and-hers gifts are a great choice for some couples for a variety of different occasions — think holidays, engagement parties, even a housewarmings. Of course, you could get them two gifts, totally unrelated to one another, but his-and-hers gifts are a thoughtful way to show you recognize and value their special bond. 

We looked high and low for clever his-and-hers gifts, and rounded up 20 of our favorites. We covered everything from classy dinnerware that's a more subtle take on the motif to sentimental home decor. Some of these can even be customized as his-and-his or hers-and-hers gifts. 

Keep reading for 20 sweet, thoughtful his-and-hers gifts for couples:

A set of cute campfire mugs for their cozy mornings inside or out

Palms and Paper “Mr. & Mrs.” Campfire Mugs, available at Etsy, $28

A decanter set for sharing all of their favorite drinks

Yours, Mine, and Ours Engraved Decanter, available at Uncommon Goods, $65

A dainty set of champagne flutes for the married couple

Kate Spade ‘Darling Point’ Champagne Flutes, available at Nordstrom, $65

• The government shutdown entered day 22 at midnight Eastern Time, setting the record for the longest shutdown of the modern budgeting era.
• The shutdown surpassed the 21-day shutdown of 1995 and 1996 as the longest ever.
• The shutdown does not appear to be close to ending as President Donald Trump and Democrats remain dug in to their positions on the president's request for $5 billion to build a US-Mexico border wall.
• The shutdown has also left 800,000 federal workers with no paychecks.
• Airport security, food inspections, mortgage services, national parks, and more are being affected by the shutdown.

The partial shutdown of the federal government officially became the longest of the modern budgeting era on Saturday, as it entered day 22 with no end in sight.

By making it into the fourth week, the shutdown surpassed the 21-day funding lapse in 1995 and 1996 as the longest since the modern budgeting system was implemented in 1974. Where the new bar will end up remains to be seen as President Donald Trump and Democrats appear to be nowhere close to resolving the standoff over money for the president's long-promised wall along the US-Mexico border, despite constant discussions and posturing.

The shutdown has forced 800,000 federal workers and millions of federal contract employees to go without pay for three weeks, and disrupted government services across the country.

Well, how did we get here?

While the fight probably started as soon as Trump declared that he would build a wall along the US-Mexico border if elected in 2016, the shutdown officially started on December 22 — after Trump refused to support a bill that extended funding for some government agencies through February 8.

The Senate had passed the clean funding bill just days before federal funding expired, and Trump was poised to sign off on the measure before pushback from conservative TV pundits, such as Ann Coulter, swayed the president. Trump suddenly declared that the clean funding bill was not agreeable, leading to a standoff with Democrats.

The two sides barely talked over the holiday break, and talks in the new year have been acrimonious at best. In fact, Trump has even gone so far as to suggest that he could try and declare a national emergency in order to get funds for the wall, bypassing Congress altogether.

The most recent round of negotiations ended when Trump stormed out of the Situation Room after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi flatly refused to fund the president's wall, even if the government was reopened. According to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, Trump slammed the table on his way out, but the White House disputed the accusation.

Trump's tweet after the encounter on Wednesday probably serves as a neat summation of the state of affairs.

"Just left a meeting with Chuck and Nancy, a total waste of time," Trump said. "I asked what is going to happen in 30 days if I quickly open things up, are you going to approve Border Security which includes a Wall or Steel Barrier? Nancy said, NO. I said bye-bye, nothing else works!"

Once in a lifetime

The shutdown marks the 21st time since the budget process was overhauled in 1974 that the federal government has experienced a funding lapse.

The previous shutdowns have averaged eight days, but the current shutdown will push that average up to at least 8 1/2 days. Shutdowns have also been getting longer recently. Excluding the nine-hour shutdown in February 2018 caused by Sen. Rand Paul, shutdowns since 1990 have averaged 11 days.

The current government shutdown is also only the 10th shutdown to have workers on furlough, with the practice becoming much more common in recent years. Every shutdown since 1990, save the Rand Paul lapse, has forced workers to go on furlough.

Additionally, Trump is the only president to place federal employees on furlough while one party controlled both chambers of Congress — which Republicans did during both the January 2018 shutdown and the current one.

The current shutdown is also the only funding lapse during which a chamber of Congress changed party control. Democrats took over the House on January 3.

The latest shutdown also marks a total of three funding lapses during Trump's presidency, giving him the third most of any president, behind former President Jimmy Carter's five and former President Ronald Reagan's eight. Trump also ranks fourth in total shutdown days for modern presidents, behind Carter's 67 days and the 28-day mark shared by former President Bill Clinton and Reagan.

And 2018 became just the second year of the modern era to have three funding lapses, tying 1977's record.

Letting the days go by

As the shutdown drags on, the effects from the government closures are becoming more and more noticeable.

The shutdown does not affect all agencies because Congress passed bills to fund some departments, such as the departments of Defense and Energy in September, but there are many departments that are closed, including the departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Justice, Homeland Security, the Interior, State, Transportation, and the Housing and Urban Development.

Some 420,000 workers at those agencies have been deemed "essential" and therefore are continuing to work without pay during the closure. The other 380,000 have been furloughed, or barred from coming into work and left without pay.

The essential workers will immediately receive back pay when the shutdown ends, and Congress passed a bill on Friday that would give the furloughed workers back pay once the government reopens. Trump still needs to sign the bill.

In addition to the lost paychecks, there is a slew of other problems caused by the shutdown, including:

• Airport security and flight safety are deteriorating.
• National parks have seen destruction of wildlife and piles of waste.
• Rent assistance for low-income Americans is frozen.
• Most food inspections by the FDA have stopped, increasing the chance of a food-poisoning outbreak.
• The US Forest Service is unable to prepare for the upcoming wildfire season.

• For more on the government shutdown, check out all of our coverage:
• From airport lines to food inspections, here are all the ways the government shutdown is impacting the lives of average Americans
• Federal workers affected by the government shutdown have more than $400 million in mortgage and rent payments due this month, and it could cause chaos for the US housing market
• Here's what happens to Social Security and disability benefits during a government shutdown
• Here's what happens to food stamps and other federal food programs during the government shutdown
• Local officials in Washington, DC, joked about cutting off the White House's running water after the shutdown forced the federal government to delay paying its bill
• Some federal workers received their first $0 paycheck Friday because of the government shutdown but there is some good news
• Here's how the government shutdown could affect the race between Amazon and Microsoft for a $10 billion Pentagon cloud contract
• Here's what would happen if Trump declared a national emergency to build his border wall
• This map shows which states have been hit hardest by the shutdown, and blue states are faring worst
• Over 80 US government websites have become insecure or completely inaccessible because there are no workers there to update security credentials
• Park rangers share fears of unemployment as national parks overflow with garbage during the government shutdown

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: MSNBC host Chris Hayes thinks President Trump's stance on China is 'not at all crazy'

• Eddie Lampert, the chairman and former CEO of Sears, has an estimated net worth of $1 billion.
• Lampert owns three homes, including one on the "billionaire bunker" island in Florida, and a $130 million yacht.
• Lampert is a member of the ultraexclusive Skull and Bones society at Yale University.
• In 2003, he was kidnapped and held at gunpoint — and negotiated his way free.

Eddie Lampert, the chairman and former CEO of Sears, has had an eventful career.

With an estimated net worth of $1 billion, Lampert was once hailed as a genius hedge-fund manager and the next Warren Buffett. He's a member of Yale's ultraexclusive Skull and Bones secret society, along with three former presidents, and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin was his college roommate.

He also managed to save Kmart from bankruptcy in the early 2000s, but not before he was kidnapped and held at gunpoint for 30 hours in a Connecticut hotel. He reportedly talked his captors into releasing him, then capped off the Kmart deal a week later.

Now, after Lampert merged Kmart with Sears, the department store is on the brink of liquidation.

Lampert has been criticized for his management of Sears, which he reportedly runs from his sprawling $38 million estate in a wealthy Florida community known as "billionaire bunker." The executive also owns houses in Connecticut and Colorado — not to mention a $130 million yacht.

Read on to see how Sears' embattled chairman made — and spends — his $1 billion fortune.

SEE ALSO: Sears is getting one last chance to save itself from oblivion

DON'T MISS: Inside Sears' death spiral: How an iconic American brand has been driven to the edge of bankruptcy

Eddie Lampert, 56, is the chairman of Sears Holdings, the company that owns Sears and Kmart.

Source: Forbes

Lampert's net worth is an estimated $1 billion, and he hasn't been shy about spending: He owns three sprawling homes and a $130 million yacht.

Source: Business Insider

But Lampert wasn't always this wealthy. Although he grew up in an affluent family in Roslyn, New York, his life changed at age 14 when his father, a successful attorney, died of a heart attack. Lampert helped his family make ends meet by taking jobs at warehouses stocking shelves and packing boxes.

Source:CNN

• Guests at luxuryhotels want to feel like they're in the comfort and familiarity of their own homes. 
• Because of that, personalized hotel services are shaping up to be one of the biggest trends in hospitality in 2019, predicts Alex Shashou, cofounder and president of hotel operations and guest management platform ALICE.
• Much of it comes down to staff — similarly to Netflix, Amazon, and Postmates' algorithms — remembering guests' preferences, and delivering on them.

As the demand for luxury shifts away from goods and increasingly toward experiences, customers don't just want any experience: They want personalized experiences that are either inherently unique or specifically tailored to them.

In fact, as travel industry intelligence platform Skift wrote in June, "Personalization in the hotel industry has ceased to be a trend. Today, it's an obligation."

The hotel industry will be taking more steps in 2019 to keep up with this demand, predicts Alex Shashou, cofounder and president of hotel operations and guest management platform ALICE.

As Shashou told Business Insider, "many industries far outpace hotels when it comes to the personalization required to deliver such luxuries — whether it's Netflix suggesting new shows, Amazon recommending new products or Postmates storing favorite orders."

Read more: Luxury hotels around the world have private rooms that are so elite they're not even listed online — and some are available only via email booking

"In a sea of people and travel," Shashou continued, "being recognized by your hotel or going on a unique experience is a luxury [that] hotels cannot afford to overlook."

So, what tangible changes can guests can actually expect to see at hotels?

Much of it comes down to staff — similarly to Netflix, Amazon, and Postmates' algorithms — remembering guests' preferences, be that a favorite drink order that a bartender can offer a guest upon arrival or a bellhop offering to book guests' favorite spa treatment while they're checking in.

At Kimpton Hotels, a boutique chain with over 65 locations primarily across the US, guests who qualify for their Inner Circle benefit receive a personal welcome amenity with their stays.

"Guests can indicate their favorite sweet and savory snacks, drink preferences, and note any special occasions," Faith Yi, senior communications manager for Kimpton, told Business Insider. She noted that they can also add in details like their favorite newspaper; upon arrival, their preferred amenities will be waiting for them in their room.

"It all helps us better understand our guest," Yi said.

Some hotels even have a substantial budget specifically reserved to best help guests resolve problems. As Inc reported, the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company encourages employees "to spend up to $2,000 per guest to solve a guest issue or improve a guest's stay."

Personalized amenities are popping up in hotel rooms

Shashou explained that this personalized attention will likely extend to every level of the hotel experience.

He noted that "guests who regularly request more towels will find the room stocked upon arrival and a VIP who always orders the same champagne at the hotel's restaurant or bar might find a complimentary bottle waiting on ice in their room."

Read more: To compete for customers, luxury brands are borrowing a tactic banking and hospitality have been using for years

And hotels are already making changes to the way they serve their guests drinks. The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, for example, features as "Cabinet of Delights" full of boutique wines on tap as a luxurious and hyper-convenient take on in-room minibars. For those travelers for whom that's still not personal enough, other high-end hotels are offering services like cocktail butlers who mix drinks in your room or drink trolleys in the hallways.

Guests may even have a say in how their rooms are decorated.

"I also anticipate that hotels will give guests a stronger voice in choosing their amenities and stylistic room choices, providing interior décor options and preferred product brands all in an attempt to make the guest feel more at home," Shashou said.

It's all part of making the hotel feel memorable

Sam Shank of HotelTonight previously told Business Insider that the best luxury hotels in the world all have two major things in common: they're photogenic, and they appeal to people's nostalgia.

"Hotels need to have things that are memorable and different," he said.

The goal with all of these personalized tweaks is, ultimately, to make high-end guests feel like they're not in a hotel, but in a home away from home. And, when it's done effectively, the guest is not the only one reaping the benefits.

As Skift writes, giving a guest a memorable and tailored experience at every step along the way — from booking to checking in to the stay itself — is an effective way for the hotel to work toward "higher booking probability, increased user satisfaction, and a greater likelihood of repeat visits to the website, leading to better brand loyalty."

SEE ALSO: A luxury hotel company with hotels in classic hotspots like Laguna Beach and Beverly Hills is taking a chance on an unexpected new destination

SEE ALSO: The 13 best hotels in America that every traveler needs to visit in 2019

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: The surprising reason Americans drop a ball on New Year's Eve

• Millionaires tend to have five characteristics in common, according to Chris Hogan, an author who studied more than 10,000 millionaires.
• They take personal responsibility, practice intentionality, are goal-oriented, and work hard in order to build wealth.
• Consistency in each of these areas, Hogan wrote, is what ties everything together.

Millionaires have more than just seven-figure net worths in common — they also tend to share several of the same habits and attributes.

Many used resilience and perseverance to build their wealth, and once they got there, forewent a budget.

But millionaires also tend to share five of the same characteristics, according Chris Hogan, author of "Everyday Millionaires: How Ordinary People Built Extraordinary Wealth — and How You Can Too." Along with the Dave Ramsey research team, Hogan studied 10,000 American millionaires (defined as those with a net worth of at least $1 million) for seven months, and he found certain attributes kept resurfacing.

"When you see these five attributes working in high gear, you'll get a clear picture of what financial independence really looks like — and what it could look like for you," Hogan wrote.

Here's a closer look at each.

1. Millionaires take personal responsibility

Average millionaires take control of their money decisions, according to Hogan. "They know their success is up to them, and they own it," he wrote.

Two millionaires he interviewed, Mike and Stephanie, particularly exemplified this — they diligently saved, avoided debt, worked with an investing professional, and committed to improving themselves and their earning potential. They're now retired and have a net worth of $2.6 million.

The majority of millionaires in Hogan's study deemed themselves optimistic and willing to try difficult things for new results — and more than 90% will quickly admit when they're wrong and actively integrate feedback from other people.

"[Millionaires] don't count on anyone else to make them rich, and they don't blame anyone else if they fall short," Hogan wrote. "They focus on things they can control and align their daily habits to the goals they've set for themselves."

Read more:Most people believe 6 myths about millionaires, and it can keep them from building their own wealth

2. Millionaires practice intentionality

Hogan found that many millionaires live on less than they make and exercise discipline when it comes to budgeting. More than half of the millionaires he studied believed the main reason people don't become millionaires is because they lack financial discipline.

"Millionaires don't accidentally live on less than they make," Hogan wrote. "They do it on purpose, because they have a plan. They're deciding. Living without a budget, though, is the very definition of sliding into misfortune."

This finding aligns with research by Sarah Stanley Fallaw, author and director of research for the Affluent Market Institute who also studied millionaires — her subjects stressed to her the freedom that comes with spending below their means.

According to Thomas C. Corley's "Rich Habits" study, living off of 80% of your income or less "will leave you with an excess you can use to build wealth," he wrote in a post for Business Insider.

3. Millionaires are goal-oriented

"They think ahead and refuse to be swept away by the current of life," Hogan wrote. He found that 92% of the millionaires surveyed develop a long-term plan for their money, and 97% almost always achieve the goals they set for themselves.

They put in a long-term plan for financial independence, which "helps them avoid distractions and the 'shiny object syndrome' the general population suffers from because millionaires aren't focused on what might make them happy today; they're focused on their long-term wealth-building plan."

Consider JP Livingston, who retired early at age 28 with a $2 million-plus nest egg. She lived frugally, tucking away 70% of her take-home pay — 40% in investments, 60% in savings. Even as her income increased each year, she didn't succumb to lifestyle inflation. Instead, she stuck to her long-term plan and saved even more money.

Read more:An early retiree who interviewed 100 millionaires discovered nearly all of them got rich using the same 3-step strategy

4. Millionaires are hard workers

"They do what it takes even when what it takes isn't easy," he wrote. Of the millionaires Hogan studied, 93% said they became millionaires because of their hard work, rather than big salaries.

"Millionaires constantly work to better themselves," he wrote. "They don't settle for what they have and who they are today; instead they work to increase their education and their skill set to build more for tomorrow."

And when it comes to work, rich people often take on jobs that they love — doing what they love and getting paid for it is what self-made millionaire Steve Siebold calls a smart strategy.

5. Millionaires know building wealth takes consistency

Consistency, Hogan wrote, is what ties everything together.

"You can take responsibility, you can be intentional, you can set goals, and you can work hard," he wrote. "But, if you don't do these things repeatedly — year after year, decade after decade — then you'll never get the results you want."

He added: "They know from experience that wealth-building is a long-term frame, and they've seen that sticking to the plan over decades leads to millions at retirement." 

But being consistent requires two things, according to Hogan: Patience for a long-term view to help you stay focused through the years, and passion to find ways to get the job done.

SEE ALSO: 2 men who studied millionaires for over 20 years developed a formula that classifies Americans in 3 different categories of wealth

DON'T MISS: A researcher who studied over 600 millionaires found they do 3 things to forge a clear path to financial independence

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: An exercise scientist reveals exactly how long you need to work out to get in great shape

• The partial shutdown of the federal government is now in day 22 and has complicated things for several government agencies and services.
• Though all essential government services remain open, Americans may feel the shutdown's wide-ranging effects.
• From airport lines and food inspections to paychecks and parks, check out the ways the shutdown is affecting average Americans.

The government shutdown is dragging into its record-breaking 22nd day, with both President Donald Trump and Democratic leaders showing no signs of backing down.

With the two sides unable to reach an agreement on funding for Trump's long-promised wall along the US-Mexico border, the shutdown is now the second-longest of the modern budgeting era, which began in 1974. While shorter funding lapses have typically resulted in minor disruptions, the near-record length of the current shutdown is starting to cause major problems for many Americans.

Read more:The government shutdown is in its 22nd day and the fight between Trump and Democrats is only getting uglier. Here's everything you missed.

While the shutdown does not close the entire federal government — Congress passed bills to fund some departments like Defense and Helath and Human Services — the closure does still impact a slew of agencies, including the departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Justice, Homeland Security, Interior, State, Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development.

This means that the shutdown directly affects the families of around 800,000 federal employees who are either working without pay or are forced to stay home on furlough. But beyond the struggles that those federal employees are going through, average Americans who do not work for the government are also likely to see some strains.

Longer lines at airports, fewer food safety inspections, and a build up of trash in national parks are only a few ways that the government shutdown is taking its toll on typical Americans. We've compiled a list of a ways that you may feel the effects of the shutdown.

Around 800,000 Americans who are employed by the government are currently furloughed or working without pay until the shutdown ends.

420,000 of those employees are deemed "essential" and are forced to work during the shutdown, while 380,000 are on furlough — meaning they are forced to stay home.

On Friday, federal employees affected by the shutdown received their first paycheck of $0 as the pay period occurred entirely during the shutdown.

The essential workers will automatically be paid back pay when the shutdown ends, but furloughed workers will need Congress to pass a bill to pay them for the lost days.

Source: Business Insider

• Read more:

Senior Trump administration officials get raises during government shutdown as hundreds of thousands of federal employees remain without paychecks

Government agency says letter advising furloughed employees to perform chores for landlords in lieu of paying rent was posted by accident

Some government contractors could go unpaid even after the shutdown ends

Tens of thousands of employees working without pay are in law enforcement departments including the FBI, Customs and Border Protection, and the Secret Service.

• Read more:
• Over 1,500 federal workers affected by the government shutdown are asking for donations on GoFundMe to help pay their bills
• SHUTDOWN SHOWDOWN: Trump threatens to close the government for 'months or even years' to get border-wall funding
• The government shutdown is in its 22nd day and there's no end in sight. Here's how Trump and Congress got into this mess.

Employees with the Transportation Security Administration were deemed essential and are currently being forced to work without pay, but the quality of security may be slipping.

A CNN report said "hundreds" of TSA officers were calling out of the unpaid work, potentially compromising airport security and increasing wait times to get through security at airports.

Business Insider reporter Benjamin Zhang reported that some TSA agents are even quitting.

Sources: CNN, Business Insider

• Of all the health tech gadgets I've ever owned, one of them has been life changing for me, a meditation device called Muse. 
• I've been using the new version, Muse 2, for a few months. It offers more types of meditation: mind, heartbeat, breath and stillness.
• This device taught me how to go from anxious to relaxed and sleepy in less than 10 minutes.

I love health tech gadgets. But my infatuation typically fades when the novelty wears off (looking at you, Fitbit).

There's one device I've been using for almost three years that has truly changed my life. And the company recently released a newer version with more features.

It's called Muse. It's a meditation sensing device. Muse uses audio feedback to guide you into a super calm, focused state. As you quiet your mind, the feedback — wind/weather sounds — grows quieter until you hear birds chirp.

The updated device, Muse 2, has added a bunch of new forms of meditation: body movement, heart rate sensing, breath sensing. Each one is better than the last.

Read: I went to the biggest tech show in the world after not going for the past 7 years — and the tech I saw was shockingly old news

This device and its accompanying app has taught me how to become truly calm on command, teaching me to go from anxious to settled, still, calm, focused, relaxed and then to sleepy — often in less than 10 minutes and sometimes in less than 5.

I not only sleep better, I sleep better when traveling or in noisy conditions. I can also calm myself if I feel panicky which happens when I'm stressed or overtired. 

I've been using Muse 2 for a couple of months and I've found a whole new level of mental peace.

SEE ALSO: 44 enterprise startups to bet your career on in 2019

Muse gives you realtime feedback that teaches you to actually meditate, as opposed to trying to relax with your mind running in the background.

I had taken meditation classes before and thought I knew how to do it.

But the device showed me there's a difference between sitting quietly thinking my mind was blank, and actually being relaxed and focused. 

The feedback is realtime and audio.

You can choose from beach, rainforest, desert or city noises, whatever calms you. The feedback sounds like wind/weather.

When you mind gets more active, the wind gets louder, nudging you relax your body and clear your mind and focus on your breath.

When your mind is truly quiet, you hear birds. There's a game element, too. You are awarded points for your meditation achievements.

Quieting my mind is easier said than done. Muse offers a series of lessons that helped.

There are introductory lessons on various forms of meditation: quieting the mind, breathing exercises, listening to your heartbeat, sitting in stillness.

You can also do a few meditation lessons from experts like Deepak Chopra, Dr. Joel and Michelle Levy.

• The government shutdown is now in day 22, setting the record for the longest shutdown in the modern era.
• There appears to be no end in sight as President Donald Trump and Democrats dig in on their border wall stances.
• As the shutdown drags on, more federal workers and agencies become affected.
• Here's your rundown on how the government ended up in a shutdown and where we go from here.

President Donald Trump and congressional Democrats seem to be dug in over the government shutdown, and after 22 days without a funding bill, there's no end in sight.

At the heart of the dispute is Trump's demand for just over $5 billion toward a long-promised wall along the US-Mexico border. Democrats insist they will allocate no money toward a wall.

As of Saturday the shutdown is also now the longest of the modern era, breaking the record set by the the 1995-1996 shutdown.

Read more:Here's a history of all the previous shutdowns in the modern era»

The shutdown only affects part of the federal government, as seven of the 12 bills that fund the government were passed in September. But a large number of departments are shuttered, including agriculture, commerce, justice, homeland security, the interior, state, transportation, and housing and urban development.

The problems caused by the shutdown are wide-ranging, from waste piling up in national parks to uncertainty for 800,000 federal workers about when their next paycheck will come. And as the shutdown drags on, the problems caused by the shutdown are expected to keep getting worse.

Read more:Here's what happens to Social Security and disability benefits during a government shutdown»

With all that in mind, here's a rundown of just how we got here:

The pre-shutdown fight

• December 6: Congress passes a short-term funding bill to delay the shutdown until after the date of President George H.W. Bush's funeral.
• December 11: Democratic leaders Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer meet with President Donald Trump to discuss the funding deadline. Trump demands $5 billion in border-wall funding, Democrats counter with an offer of $1.6 billion in general border-security funding. Trump rejects the idea and offers to take the blame for the shutdown. The president says he would be "proud" to shut down the government.
• December 19: The Senate passes a clean short-term funding bill, called a continuing resolution (CR), that does not include border-wall funding but will keep the government open until February 8. Trump supported the bill at the time, Senate GOP leaders said.
• December 20: Trump flip-flops on the clean CR after listening to attacks from conservative TV pundits and the hardline House Freedom Caucus, and he announces that he will not sign a bill with no wall funding. House Republicans then pass a CR that includes $5.7 billion in wall funds.

Shutdown kicks in and the Christmas break

• December 21: Trump demands the Senate vote for the House version of the CR and tells Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to get rid of the legislative filibuster in order to pass the vote with only GOP lawmakers, but the idea is a nonstarter. The Senate votes down the House version of the bill, and the government moves closer to a shutdown at the midnight deadline.
• December 22: McConnell announces in the afternoon that lawmakers have not reached a deal, and adjourns the Senate until December 27. Senior Trump administration officials also suggested to reporters that the White House would not back down on the wall, indicating that only Senate Democrats could end the shutdown by caving on the funding.
• January 1: After a relatively quiet Christmas break, Trump suggests Nancy Pelosi should make a deal. "Border Security and the Wall "thing" and Shutdown is not where Nancy Pelosi wanted to start her tenure as Speaker! Let's make a deal?" Trump tweets.

Democrats take control and the shutdown gets real

• January 2: Congressional leaders from both parties meet with Trump at the White House, it is the first face-to-face meeting in three weeks. The president enlists Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen to make the case for the border wall. Following the meeting, Democratic leaders reiterate that no money will be allocated for the wall.
• January 3: Democrats take over control of the House and Pelosi is elected Speaker. Later in the night, the new Democratic majority passes two bills which would both fund the government that do not include funding for the border wall. The bills even earned a handful of GOP votes. Despite the bills being nearly identical to the measures passed by the Senate before the holiday break, Republican Senate leaders reject the idea of taking up the bills.
• January 4: Congressional leaders meet with Trump at the White House, where the president told Democrats that the shutdown could last for "months or even years" if no border wall money was allocated. Democrats suggested that Trump allow the government to reopen and then fight over the wall.

Shutdown nears history

• January 5: Representatives from the White House meet with representatives from Schumer and Pelosi's offices, according to reports the talks go poorly. Trump also floats the idea of declaring a national emergency to secure the funds for the wall.
• January 6: Acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney tells NBC's "Meet the Press" that talks between the Trump administration and Democrats were difficult. "I think this is going to drag on a lot longer," Mulvaney said.
• January 8:Trump addresses the nation from the Oval Office, giving a speech that is carried by all the major networks in primetime. The president largely sticks to previous talking points regarding the situation at the border and does not declare a national emergency. Schumer and Pelosi offer a rebuttal, also sticking to previous talking points.
• January 9: A White House meeting between congressional leaders and Trump ends abruptly. Schumer claims that Trump "sort of slammed the table" and left the room when Pelosi again rejected border wall funding. Republican leaders dismiss the idea that Trump slammed the table and tell reporters Trump even "passed out candy" to the participants. 
• January 10:Trump travels to McAllen, Texas to tour the border and meet with local officials. The president once again ignites speculation that he will declare a national emergency to get money for the wall. Pelosi says Trump doesn't really want a wall, just a fight over it because "he loves the distraction that this is from his other problems."
• January 11: The shutdown ties the record for the longest shutdown of the modern era.
• January 12: The shutdown sets the record for longest of hte modern era as Trump lashes out at Democrats via Twitter. "Democrats should come back to Washington and work to end the Shutdown, while at the same time ending the horrible humanitarian crisis at our Southern Border," the president tweets. "I am in the White House waiting for you!"

SEE ALSO: From airport lines to food inspections, here are all the ways the government shutdown is impacting the lives of average Americans

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: MSNBC host Chris Hayes thinks President Trump's stance on China is 'not at all crazy'

• Clean Market is a luxury wellness center in New York City that offers treatments such as facials and vitamin IV drips. It also has an infrared sauna and a shop that sells wellness and beauty supplements, and treats like CBD smoothies.
• The center is part of a wave of businesses, in the US and beyond, that deliver health- and wellness-based services to clients — often at a high premium.
• I took a tour of Clean Market and tried some of the treatments. The experience was even more luxurious than I'd expected, and I've never felt so pampered.

In NYC's Midtown East neighborhood, just steps from the posh Upper East Side, a new holistic wellness center has opened for New Yorkers who are looking to relax and detox.

Clean Market, started by blogger and certified holistic health coach Lily Kunin, soft opened in June 2018 and had its grand opening in September.

The space is one of many businesses, in the US and abroad, that is delivering on wealthy clients' appetite for health- and wellness-based services. As Forbes reported in 2017, "wellness is the new luxury," and fittingly, treatments like cryotherapy — the super-cold treatment LeBron James swears by — and IV vitamin drips, either as hangover cures or general health boosters, have an avid fan base.

Notably, however, they also tend to come at a high premium. A one-time cryofacial at Clean Market costs $55, while whole-body cryotherapy is $85 for two to three minutes. The vitamin IV drips are included in packages that range from $109 to $359.

In addition to spa services like the ones mentioned above, Clean Market has an infrared sauna. It also sells snacks at its café, along with an array of nutritional supplements and beauty products. And, like an increasing number of restaurants, cafés, and retailers, it carries a host of CBD products, including smoothies, coffees, and tonic drinks.

Kunin said the majority of customers coming to Clean Market are neighborhood regulars who want to feel their best, boost energy and immunity, reduce stress, and increase their metabolism. She noted that the center has also had clients like NFL quarterbacks, Victoria's Secret Angels, and Real Housewives.

I visited Clean Market and tried some of its services, and I've never felt so pampered in my life. Here's what it was like.

SEE ALSO: A bygone luxury destination 2 hours outside of NYC is now attracting millennials with tiny house resorts, Instagrammable lodges, and wellness retreats

DON'T MISS: A day in the life of a luxury interior designer, who starts her day with a 'caffeine cocktail,' has designed homes for Chrissy Teigen and John Legend, and goes to a SoulCycle class every night

Clean Market is a holistic wellness center in New York City that offers services including cryotherapy, vitamin IV drips, infrared saunas, and smoothies infused with boosters such as collagen and CBD.

Source: Clean Market

It also sells an array of wellness and skincare products, as well as dietary supplements.

Source: Clean Market

"We want [Clean Market] to be a one-stop shop for all things wellness," owner Lily Kunin told me. "Wellness should be accessible and easy to reach and there should be one place that you can go to fill a lot of your needs around feeling well."

• Fourteen hotels were named the best boutique hotels in the world for 2018.
• Boutique Hotel Awards chose a series of standout boutique hotels from more than 300 nominees in 80 countries.
• The hotels were judged on dining and entertainment, design, facilities, location, service, and "overall emotional impact."
• A hotel in Bali was named the best overall boutique hotel, while hotels in Portugal, South Africa, Greece, New Zealand, and other countries also won top honors.

A hotel has the possibility to make or break your vacation — but, if it's one of the best boutique hotels in the world, chances are you'll be in very, very good hands.

In 2018's Boutique Hotel Awards, fourteen hotels around the world took home top honors in a range of categories.

The hotels were judged on "all aspects of the guest experience covering six categories: dining and entertainment, design, facilities, location and, most importantly, staff service and overall emotional impact," according to the news release.

A hotel in Bali was named the best overall boutique hotel, while hotels in Portugal, South Africa, Greece, New Zealand, and other countries also won top spots. Categories include World's Best Beach or Coastal Hotel, Best Honeymoon Hideaway, Most Stunning Views, and more.

Here are the top boutique hotels in the world, from a beachside retreat in the Maldives to a wellness resort in Austria.

SEE ALSO: Disappointing photos show what 9 top luxury destinations look like in real life

DON'T MISS: Inside the world's largest underwater restaurant, which has a 36-foot window that looks right out into the seabed so guests can watch marine life swim by as they eat

World's Best Beach or Coastal Hotel: Reethi Faru Resort

Location: Filaidhoo, Maldives
Rates starting at: $171

World's Best City Explorer: Corpo Santo Lisbon Historical Hotel

Location: Lisbon, Portugal
Rates starting at: $133

World's Best Classic Elegance Hotel: Relais & Chateaux Hotel Heritage

Location: Bruges, Belgium
Rates starting at: $222

• Phone phishing scams are becoming more advanced.
• The newest technique involves attackers pretending to call from Apple's help line.
• Because iPhones come with the number for Apple's help line preloaded in contacts, that means that Apple's logo and name pops up on the iPhone caller ID when an attacker manages to successfully fake the call's origin.
• If you get a suspicious call, the best way to protect yourself is to hang up and call Apple (or your bank or carrier) directly.

The next time you receive a call from Apple, it might not be from someone actually working there. In fact, it's much more likely that it's coming from a scammer.

Some scammers have discovered a new technique that takes advantage of the fact that it's easy to fake a call to make it appear as if it's coming from any phone number you choose — even Apple's main help line — the security journalist Brian Krebs reported. 

That means when a scam call spoofing Apple's number shows up on your phone, the lock screen will display Apple's name and logo.

It's pretty convincing. But that doesn't mean you should give the caller your password or other private information.

"Folks have a learned trust of caller ID that is unearned," Steven Andrés, who teaches cybersecurity at the Fowler College of Business and a graduate homeland security program at San Diego State University, told Business Insider. "Most consumers don’t realize that when a modern phone system places a call, it also sends along the caller ID to be displayed. That means the caller is providing the number, not the phone company."

"If I instruct my phone system to call your iPhone, and I set the caller ID to be 1-800-MY-APPLE, this will match the preloaded contact card which shows the Apple corporate logo, adding incredible legitimacy and increases the likelihood of the victim believing Apple is calling," he continued. 

It's not Apple calling. It's just someone taking advantage of the way that the phone system works. 

Apple's help line is a "1-800" number. Using widely available and easy-to-use software, a telemarketer or scammer can say its calls are coming from any number it chooses, a technique called caller ID spoofing. It's kind of like how you can write any return address you'd like on a letter.

What makes this scam so scary is that you probably have a contact for Apple in your address book, because the phone number comes preloaded on iPhones, and most people don't even know that that information is in their address book. 

"What’s broken here is the cell phone system, and attackers preying on brand loyalty," Andrés said.

According to Apple, its support division never calls up customers unexpectedly, and it's been working with authorities to stamp out these kinds of scams. It also provides some information on its website about recognizing and avoiding emails and fake support calls, along with an email address that enables customers to report likely scams. 

Hang up and call back 

There is one way to protect yourself from calls like this: don't give out personal information to incoming callers. 

Instead, you should hang up the phone and call Apple yourself. This is even more important if you get a spoofed call from your bank or wireless carrier. 

"There’s very little that everyday consumers can do on the receiving end of the phone call," Andrés explained. "My advice is to not trust that the caller ID is genuine. Say thanks for the information, then call up the number on the back of the credit card."

That's pretty similar to the advice that the FCC gives about spoofed phone calls.

From an FCC consumer guide: 

• Never give out personal information such as account numbers, Social Security numbers, mother's maiden names, passwords or other identifying information in response to unexpected calls or if you are at all suspicious.
• If you get an inquiry from someone who says they represent a company or a government agency, hang up and call the phone number on your account statement, in the phone book, or on the company's or government agency's website to verify the authenticity of the request. You will usually get a written statement in the mail before you get a phone call from a legitimate source, particularly if the caller is asking for a payment.
• Use caution if you are being pressured for information immediately.

What makes this new Apple spoof so dangerous is that it's taking advantage of the contact card likely already in your iPhone. Other scams spoof numbers from your area code, but what makes this particular scam so unique is that you're more likely to trust the Apple call because it displays the phone number and brand logo. 

The problem isn't a flaw with the iPhone; to properly fix the spoofing problem would require action from wireless carriers to create authoritative records for who is placing calls. But that would likely require a lot of work and additional systems, and it may be years before Congress or other government bodies require them to curtail this problem.

So, in the meantime, it's important to remain suspicious of incoming calls. 

"I wouldn't consider preloading the Apple contact information a security bug," Andrés said. "It’s convenient as you're very likely to need that number to call for help."

SEE ALSO: People are being victimized by a terrifying new email scam where attackers claim they stole your password and hacked your webcam while you were watching porn — here's how to protect yourself

Join the conversation about this story »

• "Overwatch" is one of the most successful esports titles in the world, with the Overwatch League and other events supporting more than 200 professional players 
• At the start of the year, a player using the name "Ellie" was added to the roster of a semi-professional team but quickly raised the suspicion and ire of male players. 
• Skeptical "Overwatch" fans questioned whether Ellie was given preferential treatment for being a woman; some demanded that her identity be made public and threatened to find and release her personal information.
• It turns out, Ellie wasn't a woman. And the incident underscores a disturbing problem within esports. 

The rise of esports has given video game players a chance to turn their passion into a profession, but every once in a while there's an incident that shows just how immature the industry can be.

For fans of the game "Overwatch," a recent controversy over a gamer posing as a woman has exposed an undercurrent of sexism that pervades the culture even as splashy corporate sponsorships and multi-million dollar prize purses have become the norm. 

"Overwatch" is one of the world's most successful esports titles, and the Overwatch League is dominated by men. 

That's why a player named Ellie attracted a lot of attention when she was added to the roster of a semi-professional "Overwatch" team called Second Wind a couple of weeks ago. Unlike the other players, Ellie's full name was not listed on Second Wind's website but her "Overwatch" account was known to be among the top ranked online. 

Some gamers demanded to know Ellie's personal information

Ellie's spot on the team seems to have been enough to raise the suspicion of her male rivals, who accused the Overwatch League of giving preferential treatment to a woman and questioned whether Ellie was in fact a woman. As time went on the tone of the demands grew more toxic, with some players threatening to find and release Ellie's personal information on their own.

Some players and fans defended Ellie's right to privacy and accused the skeptics of targeting Ellie based on gender. But Ellie told Second Wind she would withdraw from the team due to the public reaction.

This being esports however, that's not where the story ends. 

It turns out that Ellie was not a woman after all.

An investigation by Second Wind and several esports journalists determined that Ellie was a persona created by a male player using the tag "Punisher" online. "Punisher" was already known to be a top online "Overwatch" player and told friends that he convinced women to help him impersonate a female player as a "social experiment." Esports journalist Rod "Slasher" Breslau spoke to three women who said Punisher clued them into the scheme privately.

Did the social experiment prove a point or make a bad situation worse?

The goal of Ellie/Punisher's impersonation experiment is not entirely clear, and some worry that it may have actually provided more ammunition to skeptics who doubt the potential of female players.

As a male-dominated industry, esports regularly faces an undercurrent of misogyny when men and women are competing with each other. Only a select few women are willing to compete within a culture that many would call toxic, and the climate surrounding Ellie and Geguri suggests that women will only face additional skepticism as they reach the top level of play.

There is only one woman currently playing in the Overwatch League, the game's highest level of competition. Kim "Geguri" Se-yeon of the Shanghai Dragons was accused of cheating by multiple professional male players prior to her Overwatch League debut. She ultimately proved them wrong though, and three of her accusers retired.

With only a few professional opportunities available for thousands of players, jealousy among the top ranks isn't too surprising, but the goal of esports should be to create a healthy, professional environment while preserving the spirit of competition. To avoid skepticism and toxicity, professional organizations need to practice proper due diligence and present their players in the best possible light.

For women interested in esports, the scandal is another reminder that a portion of the community still refuses to believe that women can compete as professionals, and , they will always be playing to prove the doubters wrong.

SEE ALSO: Eight teams paid more than $30 million each to join the Overwatch League – here's everything you need to know before the new season starts

SEE ALSO: A 'Overwatch' hero was just revealed to be gay, and fans are freaking out

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: How Apple went from a $1 trillion company to losing over 20% of its share price in 3 months

• The LG Signature OLED TV R stole the show at last year's CES, and it was still the most impressive TV at CES 2019.
• The major TV trend at CES 2019 was 8K resolution, and it looks incredible, but at the end of the day they were essentially just TVs with upgraded resolutions.
• LG is the dominant force in OLED panels, which allow for flexible designs like the Signature OLED TV R.

CES 2019 was packed with gorgeous and amazing TVs, but the model that stole the show was last year's incredible LG rollable OLED TV, which is now called the LG Signature OLED R.

Indeed, the LG Signature OLED R was still the most impressive TV at CES this year, despite 8K resolution being the trend. It's not that 8K TVs from companies like Samsung, Panasonic, Sharp, Sony, TCL, Hisense, et al., are bad, but rather that the Signature OLED R is simply still more innovative in terms of design and technology than a resolution upgrade.

Much of the Signature OLED R's appeal comes from LG's dominance over OLED display technology, which not only looks the best but is flexible and allows for unique and innovative TV designs and functions.

No other TV that uses traditional LCD display technology can roll itself into an enclosure when you're not using it or can adjust its height to eliminate letterboxing — when a video, typically a movie, is shot in a nonstandard aspect ratio, resulting in black bars above and below the actual picture.

What it is: A TV that can also roll itself into an enclosure when not in use or can adjust its height for certain content.

Who makes it: LG Electronics

Why it's the best: OLED delivers the ultimate in picture quality, and the Signature OLED R is the most distinct in terms of design and function. No other TV does what it can do. It also comes with a built-in soundbar with one of the most highly rated audio standards, Dolby Atmos.

Where and when you can get it: No details on where yet, but it'll be available in the second half of 2019, according to LG.

How much it will cost: No price announcements as of yet, but expect something astronomical.

SEE ALSO: Samsung's new screen that clamps to your desk is incredibly simple — and it's the best thing to happen to computer monitors in years

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Apple forever changed the biggest tech event of the year by not showing up

• Amazon and Wayfair are two popular options when it comes to shopping for furniture online.
• But how do these competitors compare?
• Amazon and Wayfair boast different strengths, but Wayfair ultimately offers a more straightforward furniture-shopping experience.

These days, people who need furniture and hate shopping have a ton of options.

Plenty of retailers — both digital and store-centric — offer customers the opportunity to make major furniture purchases online. And Amazon and Wayfair are two of the biggest players in the game.

Amazon got its start shipping books, but it now offers all sorts of goods across different categories. Wayfair specializes in home goods and furnishings. Wayfair has been in the furniture business since 2002, but Amazon recently encroached on the home goods retailer's territory by unrolling private-label furniture brands Rivet and Stone & Beam.

Business Insider recently decided to compare the two companies when it comes to shopping for furniture. Here's what we found:

SEE ALSO: Wayfair's end-of-year clearance sale has some amazing finds — here are 18 deals you don't want to miss

DON'T MISS: Amazon stopped selling certain furniture designs on its website after West Elm called them 'knockoffs' in a new lawsuit

SEE ALSO: I tested out furniture from Amazon's new private-label brands — and the quality is surprisingly comparable to my higher-end furniture

Amazon, famously, functions as an "everything store."

So, unless you've recently been shopping for furniture, that category won't necessarily pop up for you on the site's main page.

On the other hand, furniture takes the top spot on Wayfair's category tabs. To effectively compare both sites, let's use the example of buying a futon.

• The 116th Congress was sworn into office on Thursday, January 3.
• The incoming House of Representatives is shaping up to be the most diverse class in history.
• There will be more women, women of color, openly LGBT members, and millennials serving in the House than ever before.
• Those gains in representation are largely concentrated among Democrats.
• See how the demographics of the House are changing with our interactive graphic.

The 116th Congress was sworn into office on Thursday, and the incoming House of Representatives is shaping up to be the most diverse House class in history.

The 2018 midterms saw historic gains in Congressional representation for women, people of color, LGBTQ+, and younger candidates — with the vast majority of those gains coming from Democrats.

A record 106 women were elected to serve in the 116th House, an increase of 15% over the 92 women who served in the 115th House. Combined with five new female Senators and 10 female Senators not up for re-election, a total of 131 women will serve in the 116th Congress.

Read more:12 records the 2018 midterm elections smashed

While 52% of the 67 incoming House Democratic freshmen are female, only two, or 4.5% of the 44 incoming Republican freshmen are women — West Virginia's Carol Miller and Arizona's Debbie Lesko. Lesko won a special election earlier this year to replace Rep. Trent Franks, who resigned in the wake of a sexual misconduct scandal.

Republicans saw their roster of female House representatives gutted 43% from 23 members to 13, as many Republican women either stepped down to run for higher office — like Marsha Blackburn in Tennessee and Kristi Noem in South Dakota — or were unseated by Democratic challengers.

As the blue wave swept through suburban America, it unseated many Republican women in its wake, including Karen Handel in the Atlanta suburbs, Barbara Comstock in the DC suburbs of Northern Virginia, and Mimi Walters in Orange County, California — formerly reliable Republican areas.

The 116th House also boasts more women of color than ever before, including the first Native American women to serve in Congress and the first African-American women to represent Illinois and Massachusetts in the House, respectively.

As with gender, the gains in representation for people of color are heavily concentrated in the Democratic Party. A full 34% of the incoming House Democrats but 2% of their Republican colleagues identify as people of color. Anthony Gonzalez of Ohio will be the only incoming non-white freshman Republican.

Read more: 2 photos show the stark difference in the new representatives Democrats and Republicans are sending to Congress

Furthermore, four of the 15 Republican representatives who were identified as Hispanic or African-American in the 115th House either retired or lost-re-election to Democratic challengers, including Florida's Carlos Curbelo and Utah's Mia Love. Among the 200 Republicans in the 116th House, 90% will be white men.

While two of the 115th House's LGBT members, Krysten Sinema of Arizona and Jared Polis of Colorado, resigned to pursue higher office, four new Democratic LGBT candidates were elected: Chris Pappas of New Hampshire, Sharice Davids of Kansas, Angie Craig of Minnesota, and Katie Hill of California. There have been no openly LGBT Republicans in the House or Senate since 2006.

The 115th House was one of the oldest in history, but 2018 midterms also ushered in a wave of younger Gen X'ers and Millennials elected to Congress. The average age of an incoming member of Congress is 47, a full decade lower than the average age of the 115th Congress. 

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• Mountains are some of the most fascinating landforms on Earth.
• The tallest mountains in the world are all in Asia, mostly in China, Nepal, Pakistan, and India.
• We compiled photos of the tallest mountain in 31 different countries.

Whether you're an adventurer, a nature lover, or just a sightseer, mountains make for some of the most fascinating landforms on Earth.

When it comes to the highest mountains in the world, Asia is where the action is — the continent is home to the 188 tallest mountains in the world, most of which are in China, Nepal, Pakistan, and India.

But with each country listed by just its tallest mountain, many other countries float up the list. Argentina has the 10th tallest national high point, Aconcagua, while the United States' tallest mountain, Denali, is 15th on the list.

Read more:The highest point in every US state

We've compiled breathtaking photos of the tallest mountains in 31 different countries, listed in reverse order. Some peaks, like the tallest mountain in the world, are claimed by two countries, so they're listed together here. Measurements were taken from Peakbagger.com.

Read on to see where each country ranks among the giants.

SEE ALSO: The highest point in every US state

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30. and 31. France and Italy — Mont Blanc, 15,781 feet

29. Indonesia — Pun cak Jaya, 16,024 feet

28. Venezuela — Pico Bolivar, 16,332 feet