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A Chinese billionaire is the richest self-made woman in the world. Here's how she went from making $16 a month in a factory to controlling a $9.4 billion real estate empire

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Wu Yajun longfor

  • Wu Yajun is the world's richest self-made woman, worth an estimated $9.4 billion, according to Forbes.
  • The Chinese billionaire started out making $16 in a factory and made her fortune after founding the real-estate-development company Longfor Properties in the early 1990s with her husband.
  • She stepped down as chair of her company in November and handed her shares to her daughter.

Wu Yajun once worked in a factory for $16 a month. Now, she's the world's richest self-made woman, worth $9.4 billion, according to Forbes.

The Chinese billionaire spent years working in a factory and as a journalist before founding Longfor Properties, a real-estate development company that brought in $10.7 billion in revenue in 2017, according to Bloomberg.

Wu stepped down as Longfor's chair in November and transferred her shares to her daughter, Forbes reported.

Here's how Wu went from working as a factory technician to amassing an $9.4 billion real-estate empire.

SEE ALSO: After her divorce from billionaire Jeff Bezos, MacKenzie Bezos could become the world's richest woman

DON'T MISS: These are the 50 richest people in the world right now

Wu Yajun is worth $9.4 billion, making her the world's richest self-made woman.

Source: Forbes



Wu is the cofounder of Longfor Properties, a property-development company now called Longfor Group Holdings. She was the company's CEO for six years and was chair of the board from 2007 to 2018.

Source: Bloomberg



Longfor, which is based in Hong Kong but operates in 47 cities, brought in $10.7 billion in revenue in 2017.

Source: Bloomberg, Longfor



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How the Waltons — America's wealthiest family and heirs to the Walmart empire — live their lives (WMT)

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the walton family walmart

  • The Walmart heirs' combined worth is more than $155 billion, according to Forbes
  • The family grants money and resources to support education, environmental efforts, and their home community through the Walton Family Foundation.
  • In public, the Waltons live pretty modest lifestyles despite their wealth. Here's how they spend their fortune.

The combined wealth of the Walmart heirs — which includes Rob, Jim, and Alice, as well as John's wife, Christy, and their son Lukas — is more than $155 billion, according to Forbes, which released its 2019 Billionaire's list on Tuesday. The Walton's saw their net worth drop from the previous list. 

While some work in the family business — whether that's serving on the company board or working to manage the family's wealth — others chose to pursue areas of personal passion.

Sam Walton, the original man behind the company that now encompasses both Walmart and Sam's Club, set his family up for financial success when he divided the ownership before he died.

He wasn't a man of flashy luxury, but you can see how his children are living a slightly more lavish life now. 

SEE ALSO: Walmart is eliminating the most dreaded part of holiday shopping

Sam Walton opened the first Walmart store in Arkansas in 1962.



He married Helen Robson on Valentine's Day in 1942, and together they had four children: Rob, John, Jim, and Alice.



By the time Sam died in 1992, he had set up the company ownership in a way that minimized the estate taxes anyone on the receiving end of his will had to pay.

Source: Fortune



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The 7 richest retail billionaires in the world (AMZN, WMT, LVMHY, ITX)

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Jeff Bezos Amazon

  • There's a fortune to be made in retail.
  • Forbes' 2019 ranking of the 20 richest people in the world features seven individuals who owe their billions to major retail brands.
  • Check out which noteworthy individuals made their money off companies like Amazon, Walmart, and Zara.

The realm of retail sure has produced a slew of billionaires.

At least, that's what Forbes' 2019 report on the 20 richest people in the world seems to indicate.

Read more: A day in the life of the richest person in the world, Jeff Bezos — who runs the second US company to join the $1 trillion club and still washes the dishes after dinner

Seven of the names on the list got their money from major companies in the retail space. The only industry that fared better was tech, which boasted 10 billionaires.

From Jeff Bezos to the surviving children of Sam Walton, check out which billionaires owe their vast fortunes to retail:

SEE ALSO: The incredible career of MacKenzie Bezos, an acclaimed writer who's been with billionaire husband Jeff Bezos since Amazon's first days

DON'T MISS: Jeff Bezos thinks there's not enough humans in the world for all the potential jobs, according to tech investor Sam Altman

SEE ALSO: A look inside the 25-year marriage of the richest couple in history, Jeff and MacKenzie Bezos — who met at work, were engaged in 3 months, and together own more land than almost anyone else in America

7. S. Robson "Rob" Walton

Final net worth: $44.3 billion

Origin of wealth: Walmart



6. Alice Walton

Final net worth: $44.4 billion

Origin of wealth: Walmart



5. Jim Walton

Final net worth: $44.6 billion

Origin of wealth: Walmart



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Save up to $300 on Vizio smart TVs — and more of today's best deals from around the web

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

Since you don't have all day to scour the web for noteworthy sales and discounts, we rounded up the best bargains for you to shop in one convenient place. For even more deals and savings across the web, check out our coupons page.

6259874_rd

1. Save up to $300 on Vizio TVs

In celebration of March Madness, Vizio is running some promotions on TVs for the entire month. While there are deals on TVs of all sizes, one of the best deals is $300 off a 75-inch 4K Ultra HD Smart TV at Best Buy. You'll also find more deals at Walmart and Target. Whether you need a big screen for watching college basketball or you're just due for an upgrade, this is a good time to save. For more deals and promotions at these three retailers (and more), visit Business Insider Coupons.

Shop Vizio deals at Best Buy, Walmart, and Target now. 

Gap

2. Save 40% sitewide plus an extra 10% at Gap

Gap is a dependable place to find affordable wardrobe essentials, as they regularly have sales — and one is going on right now. Until March 6, you can save 40% on everything including denim by using the promo code "BIGUPS" at checkout. You can also save an extra 10% by using the promo code "ALLYOU" at checkout. No matter what your style is, you'll be able to find pieces to work into your wardrobe. Find more deals and coupons for Gap by visiting Business Insider Coupons here

Shop the Gap sale now.

Nordstrom

3. Save up to 75% on designer sunglasses at Nordstrom Rack

If you want to head into spring with a stylish pair of designer shades, Nordstrom Rack is easily the best place to shop for a deal. Right now, you can save up to 75% on designer sunglasses for men and women. The selection includes brands like Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, Tom Ford, Jimmy Choo, Fendi, and more. Check out additional Nordstrom Rack coupons and promo codes at Business Insider Coupons here.

Shop men's sunglasses and women's sunglasses at Nordstrom Rack now.

Anker

4. Save up to 45% on Anker charging accessories on Amazon

Keeping all of your electronic devices fully charged can be hard to do when you're on the go, but Anker makes a great selection of products for fast and efficient charging. As an Amazon Deal of the Day, you can save up to 45% on charging accessories, including power banks, USB-C and Lightning charging cables, car chargers, and wireless charging pads. Whether you want to use a normal wall outlet, your car's 12-volt socket, or an external source, you'll find it all here.

Shop all Anker charging accessories on Amazon now.

Lands' End

5. Save 40% on one full-price item at Lands' End

New arrivals usually mean paying full price, but at Lands' End that's not the case — at least for now. Currently, you can save 40% on one full-price item by using the promo code "SHIMMER" at checkout. So, if you're shopping for spring and don't want to wait for an item to hit the sales rack, you're in luck. You might not be able to rack up as big of a deal as you would during a clearance sale, but this is a good chance to spend a lot less than you would otherwise. For more deals at Lands' End, visit Business Insider Coupons here.

Shop the Lands' End sale now.

Jomashop

6. Save up to 75% on luxury watches at Jomashop

Jomashop is wrapping up the season with a massive winter sale. For a limited time, you can save up to 75% on watches from brands like Omega, Hamilton, Seiko, Movado, Rolex, Timex, and Tag Heuer. And if you spend more than $1,000, you can get free next day air delivery by using the promo code "FREENDA" at checkout.

Shop the Jomashop sale now.

The North Face

7. Save up to 30% on sale styles at The North Face

The North Face rarely holds sales, but right now you can save up to 30% on past-season sale styles. This sale is particularly great because it includes some spring-appropriate styles along with the heavier winter pieces. You'll find rain jackets, lightweight mountain jackets, hoodies, fleeces, hiking shoes, and more. For more deals and coupons for The North Face, check out our coupons page here.

Shop The North Face's winter sale now.

Purple

8. Buy any Purple mattress and get the accessory of your choice for free

With over 10,000 five-star reviews, Purple is an online mattress startup you can depend on for comfort. Right now, the brand is offering a deal for anyone in need of a new mattress: Buy any mattress and get a free item, including the Purple sheets, pillow, mattress protector, blanket, or seat cushion (which one of our editors swears by after receiving as a Christmas gift).

Shop all Purple mattresses now.

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NOW WATCH: There's a secret room behind Mount Rushmore that's inaccessible to tourists

A high-school senior who got vaccinated against his mother's wishes just testified before the Senate — and accused anti-vaxxers of weaponizing her love

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Ethan Lindenberger testimony

  • High-school senior Ethan Lindenberger, who recently turned 18, has been vaccinating himself against his mother's wishes.
  • Lindenberger testified before a Senate committee on Tuesday, saying his mother's "love, affection, and care as a parent was used" by anti-vaxxers on online platforms, including Facebook. 
  • He said there aren't two sides to an issue like vaccines: Study after study shows no link between vaccines and autism, despite misinformation online. 
  • The measles is making a comeback in rich countries around the world, including the US, as more parents forgo vaccines for their kids. 

There may be two teams on every high-school debate stage, but there are not two sides to every issue.

That's the lesson that Ethan Lindenberger said he learned after taking it upon himself to research vaccines. His findings led the 18-year-old to get vaccinated against his mother's wishes. 

In a testimony before the Senate's Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee on Tuesday morning, Lindenberger said, "my mother is an anti-vaxx advocate. I went my entire life without numerous vaccines." 

But starting in December 2018, shortly after he turned 18, Lindenberger began "catching up on immunizations," as he put it, despite what his mother wanted. 

"There seems to always be two sides to a discussion," he said. "This is not true in the vaccine debate."

Scientists have been saying the same thing for years, since studies of hundreds of thousands of children show there is no link between autism and vaccines, as some people believe. Still, misinformation continues to spread on social media, and vaccination rates are falling in certain pockets of the country. That has led to measles outbreaks, the most notable of which is still ongoing in the Pacific Northwest.

The title of the Senate committee hearing was "Vaccines Save Lives: What is driving preventable disease outbreaks?"

Lindenberger told the Senate committee members that when he tried to approach his mother with facts and information from reputable sources like the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and scientific studies, she did not believe the numbers and facts.

"Her love, affection and care as a parent was used," Lindenberger said of his mother. 

In one instance, he said, "she responded with 'that’s what they want you to think.'" 

Vaccine skepticism is surging, despite the facts 

Lindenberger said his mother often shared misinformation with others through her Facebook page, serving as a kind of maternal foot-soldier of false news.

Such parents are increasingly opting out of shots for their kids. A 2018 report listed potential "hotspots" for a disease outbreak because of the high rate of unvaccinated kids. The cities of Portland, Seattle, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, Houston, and Detroit were all high on the list. Religious communities who avoid vaccines because of their beliefs — such as the Amish and Orthodox Jews in New York— are also at risk.

Today, 47 states allow vaccine exemptions for religious reasons, philosophical reasons, or both. Jonathan McCullers, pediatrician-in-chief at Le Bonheur Children's Hospital in Memphis, told Senators at the hearing that if those states continue to allow these types of exemptions, we can expect to see more dangerous outbreaks in the future. 

vaccine exemptions every state map

The measles are already making a comeback in the US and other countries, including Japan, France, and the UK. Last year, the measles killed 72 people across Europe. 

So far this year, over 200 people in the US have contracted the measles, a rate that would have been unheard of in 2000, when the country declared measles was eradicated.

In the Pacific Northwest, which is battling the biggest US measles outbreak of the year so far, more than 70 people have been infected — most of them unvaccinated kids under 10 years old. One person had to be hospitalized with the potentially deadly condition, and the state has spent over $1 million so far battling the outbreak.

Parents may not fully understand the risks of skipping vaccines

child with measles CDC

An unvaccinated person doesn't just put themselves at risk; they're also a threat to people who can't get vaccines for medical reasons.

"My school viewed me as a health threat," Lindenberger said. 

Babies who are too young for their shots are vulnerable if they spend time around unvaccinated people. Some individuals with weakened immune systems, like cancer patients and those with HIV, also can't get vaccines. So these people rely on others to get their shots, because if enough people in a population do so, that keeps dangerous and communicable diseases from spreading within a community. This is called "herd immunity."  

The US has had strong herd immunity against diseases like measles for decades, but that has meant that many people don't see or fully understand how bad these viruses and communicable diseases can be.

Lindenberger said more needs to be done to share the scary stories of people suffering from preventable diseases to help convince parents that vaccinating their kids is the right thing to do. 

"When you convince parents that — not that information is incorrect — but that their children are at risk," he said, "that’s a much more substantial way to change their minds."

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Watch Jeff Sachs destroy the anti-vaccine movement in under two minutes

An often-overlooked hotel credit card with a 120,000-point sign-up bonus can offer a ton of value, even for people who don't travel a lot

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Personal Finance Insider writes about products, strategies, and tips to help you make smart decisions with your money. We may receive a small commission from our partners, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.

hong kong intercontinental hk harbourview bedroom

  • IHG, the parent brand of hotel chains like Holiday Inn and InterContinental, has a rewards program that's often overlooked, but can provide excellent value.
  • Right now, the IHG Rewards Club Premier Credit Card has a sign-up bonus of up to 120,000 points, broken down into two tiers — you get 80,000 points when you spend $2,000 in the first three months, and 40,000 more points when you spend a total of $5,000 in the first six months.
  • That's potentially enough for 12 free nights at a budget hotel, or two free nights at a luxury property.

IHG might not be on many people's radars when it comes to hotel choices or loyalty programs. But overlooking the brand, which owns mainstay chains like Holiday Inn, is a mistake.

IHG hotels encompass a wide range of quality — from the utilitarian Holiday Inn Express to luxurious top properties like InterContinental — offering options for all budgets.

Plus, the IHG rewards program, simply named IHG Rewards Club, can offer substantial value — and a tremendous amount of different redemption options.

That range of value and flexibility is what makes a current deal so enticing. 

Right now, the IHG Rewards Club Premier card is offering the biggest sign-up bonus ever available on an IHG card. You can earn up to 120,000 bonus points when you open a new card and meet the spending requirements. The bonus is broken up into two parts. First, you'll earn 80,000 points if you spend $2,000 in the first three months. Then, you'll earn the remaining 40,000 points when you spend an additional $3,000 within the first six months for a total of $5,000.

The card was compelling enough with the previous bonus — a total of 80,000 points — but the current 50% increase turns this card into an especially lucrative offer.

120,000 points can be redeemed for everything from 12 nights in a Holiday Inn  in Sao Paulo, Brazil (and that's without factoring in the fourth night free — see below), to two nights at the luxurious InterContinental hotels in Sydney, Australia or Los Angeles.

Looking toward Europe, where IHG has centrally located hotels in most major cities, the bonus could cover five nights in the central Holiday Inn Alexanderplatz, Berlin, or three nights in the luxurious InterContinental Budapest.

Putting aside the sign-up bonus, the IHG Premier card offers benefits that can be useful for any traveler, not just IHG loyalists.

Here's what makes the card worthwhile.

Free night certificate

The Premier card offers an annual anniversary free night certificate that can be used at any category 1-7 hotel (hotels that cost 40,000 points per night or less). While that means that some of IHG's most premium locations are excluded, the certificate is still valid at a ton of locations all around the world.

For instance, I had no trouble finding properties in major cities like New York and Chicago during peak travel season, all charging well upward of $200, which accept the free night certificate. That more than makes up for the card's $89 annual fee.

Automatic elite status

The Premier gives cardholders automatic complimentary Platinum status without any spending requirement. Platinum offers a 50% bonus on points earned during a stay, complimentary room upgrades, late checkout when available, and guaranteed room availability with 72 hours' notice — helpful if you have a last-minute trip.

High earning rates

The IHG Premier earns 10x points per dollar spent at IHG hotels, 2x points on gas, groceries, and dining, and 1x point on everything else. 

Travel website (and Personal Finance Insider affiliate partner) The Points Guy subjectively values IHG points at 0.5¢ each. Using those valuations, you'd earn means a return of 5% at IHG hotels, 1% on gas, groceries, and dining, and 0.5% on everything else.

That's solid return on IHG hotels, but you might want to pair the IHG Premier with another card for everyday spending.

Keep in mind that those spending rewards are on top of the 5–10 points per dollar you'll earn for being an IHG Rewards Club member, plus the 50% bonus you'll get for holding Platinum status thanks to the card.

Other benefits

The card offers a handful of other useful benefits, as well.

For instance, when you have the card, you'll get a free fourth night whenever you book award nights (nights booked with points, rather than cash). 

It also offers a 20% discount if you choose to purchase points from IHG. While spending money usually defeats the whole purpose of earning and using points, there are times when you're this close to having enough for a big redemption and it's worth buying a few extra to carry you over the edge.

You'll also get 10,000 bonus points every year you spend at least $20,000 on the card, as well as a statement credit to cover enrollment or renewal in Global Entry.

Bottom line

The IHG Rewards program is one that's often overlooked; I'm guilty of this, too, usually looking at the Marriott Bonvoy program or Hilton Honors, instead.

There's some significant value to be had from the program, whether you're looking to subsidize a stay at a top InterContinental resort, or you want to cover a few weeks at a budget hotel during an extended vacation.

Before applying, make sure to note that Chase won't usually approve you for the card if you've opened five or more cards in the past 24 months.

Click here to learn more about the IHG Rewards Club Premier from Insider Picks' partner: The Points Guy.

SEE ALSO: American vs. Delta vs. United — we compared the 3 most popular airline credit cards and named a winner

Join the conversation about this story »

I got a behind-the-scenes tour of a luxury building in NYC — and even though it's still under construction, I could clearly see why buyers would drop $2 million or more to live there

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40 Bleecker Penthouse

  • 40 Bleecker Street is an upcoming luxury residential building in downtown New York City.
  • The 12-floor residence will include 61 residences, a 58-foot swimming pool, a sculpture garden, private underground parking, and lighting that's specially designed to be "selfie-friendly."
  • Prices start at $1.9 million for a one-bedroom and go up to more than $10 million for a four-bedroom penthouse.
  • I took a tour of the construction site and a model unit at the sales gallery, and it was clear the much-anticipated building is going to be a hotspot for celebrity buyers. 

On a recent February afternoon, I headed to NoHo in New York City for a behind-the-scenes look at a luxury residential building in New York City set to open in the fall of 2019.

The 12-floor residence at 40 Bleecker Street will include 61 condos starting at $1.9 million and going up to more than $10 million for a four-bedroom penthouse. 

Read more: I toured the first residential building to open in Hudson Yards, NYC's new $25 billion neighborhood — and it was clear it's selling much more than just real estate

The condos were designed with special lighting to be "selfie-friendly." The building includes amenities such as a 58-swimming foot pool, a 5,600-square-foot sculpture garden, and private underground parking. 

I got a tour of the under-construction building as well as a model unit in the nearby sales gallery. Sales are being handled by "Million Dollar Listing" star Fredrik Eklund and his partner, John Gomes, both of Douglas Elliman. 

Here's what it looks like now.

SEE ALSO: I toured the first residential building to open in Hudson Yards, NYC's new $25 billion neighborhood — and it was clear it's selling much more than just real estate

DON'T MISS: 5 terms to look for instead of 'penthouse' if you're on the hunt for a luxury apartment with a unique layout, high ceilings, or outdoor space

40 Bleecker is a highly anticipated luxury building under construction in downtown New York City. The 12-story residence is expected to be finished in the fall of 2019, although several condos have already been sold.



It's in a neighborhood called NoHo, which stands for "North of Houston Street," an area that channels "the prestige coursing down Park Avenue, the chic emanating from SoHo, the energy of nearby Washington Square, and the artistic history of the neighboring East Village," according to 40 Bleecker's press materials.



On a recent February afternoon, I went to get a sneak peek at 40 Bleecker. I took the train from my office in the Financial District to NoHo, getting off at the Bleecker Street station.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

This $19 million custom Bugatti is now the most expensive new car ever sold

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Bugatti La Voiture Noire

  • Bugatti unveiled a one-of-a-kind hypercar called La Voiture Noire at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show on Tuesday.
  • The custom-built hypercar was created to commemorate Bugatti's110th birthday.
  • At $18.89 million, it's the most expensive new car ever sold. 
  • La Voiture Noire is powered by a 1,480 horsepower, 8.0-liter, quad-turbocharged, W16 engine. 

On Tuesday, Bugatti unveiled its latest creation at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show. It's a one-of-a-kind custom-built hypercar called La Voiture Noire.

It was created to commemorate the 110th anniversary of the brand's founding. 

At $18.89 million, it's also now the most expensive new car sold eclipsing the record set by the $13 million Rolls-Royce Boat Tail in 2017. 

Bugatti La Voiture Noire"Bugatti arouses passion and emotions throughout the world," company president Stephan Winkelmann said in a statement. "Customers expect us to continually surprise them and to raise the goalposts beyond the limits of their imagination. We have just succeeded in doing so with 'La Voiture Noire.'"

Read more: Bugatti boss reveals what kind of people buy its $3 million hypercars.

La Voiture Noire, French for the black car, is an homage to a Type 57 SC Atlantic of the same name designed by Jean Bugatti, the son of company founder Ettore Bugatti, in the late 1930s. 

The company did not identify the car's buyer, only saying it was purchased by a Bugatti enthusiast who was fascinated by the original Type 57 La Voiture Noire. 

Bugatti La Voiture NoirePower for La Voiture Noire comes from Bugatti's now world-famous 8.0-liter, quad-turbo W16 engines. Here, it produces 1480 horsepower. 

Read more: 18 hot cars we can't wait to see at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show.

Aesthetically, the front end of the hypercar is dominated by Bugatti's iconic horseshoe grille while its rear end is highlighted by six exhaust outlets and a continuous LED tail light bar. 

According to Bugatti designer Etienne Salome, every component of the car is handcrafted while its body is made of exquisitely finished carbon fiber.  

Bugatti La Voiture Noire

SEE ALSO: We flew on Honda's new $5.25 million private jet. Here are its coolest features.

FOLLOW US: On Facebook for more car and transportation content!

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NOW WATCH: Porsche's factory in Germany manufactures over 160,000 vehicles per year. Take a look inside.


Attorney General William Barr will not recuse himself from the Russia probe, setting up a possible showdown with Democrats over Mueller's report

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william barr 2

  • Attorney General William Barr will not recuse himself from the Russia investigation.
  • "Following General Barr's confirmation, senior career ethics officials advised that General Barr should not recuse himself from the Special Counsel's investigation," a Justice Department spokesperson told INSIDER.
  • Barr's decision comes as the special counsel Robert Mueller's team is close to completing a lengthy report of their findings in the Russia investigation. A person with knowledge of the matter told INSIDER that senior Justice Department officials expect to have a draft of the report by the end of the month.
  • Barr has been consulting closely with aides over how much information from Mueller's findings to report to Congress.
  • Two congressional aides told INSIDER that if lawmakers in the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives feel that Barr inappropriately concealed or omitted information from Mueller's report in his summary to Congress, they would take "appropriate legal actions" to obtain Mueller's original report from the Justice Department.
  • Asked whether Democrats would subpoena Mueller's report if necessary, one aide said "all options are currently on the table."

Attorney General William Barr will not recuse himself from the Russia probe, a Justice Department spokesperson told INSIDER on Tuesday.

Barr was confirmed as attorney general last month after a contentious confirmation hearing during which Democratic lawmakers grilled him about whether he would recuse himself from overseeing the special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russia's interference in the 2016 US election.

Their concerns stemmed from a controversial memo Barr sent last year to the Justice Department and President Donald Trump's legal team — as well as lawyers representing other defendants in the Russia probe — in which he argued that Mueller's obstruction-of-justice investigation was "legally unsupportable" and should not be sanctioned by the department.

At his confirmation hearing, Barr said he wrote the memo because he was concerned Mueller's obstruction investigation was based on an overly broad interpretation of the law and could have far-reaching ramifications down the road.

During his testimony, Barr committed to seeking the advice of ethics officials at the Justice Department regarding potential recusal from the investigation. He did not commit to following their advice.

"Following General Barr's confirmation, senior career ethics officials advised that General Barr should not recuse himself from the Special Counsel's investigation," the department spokesperson said.

robert mueller

Read more: We might get the Mueller report soon, but the Russia probe is nowhere near finished

Barr's decision also comes as Mueller's team is close to completing a lengthy report of their findings in the Russia investigation. A person with knowledge of the matter told INSIDER senior Justice Department officials expect to have a draft of the report by the end of the month.

Once the report is complete, Barr will review it and submit his summary of Mueller's findings to Congress, which can then make the information available to the public. It's unclear how much of Mueller's report Barr will eventually choose to make public, but he's been consulting closely with his aides about the decision in recent weeks.

Two congressional aides told INSIDER that if lawmakers in the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives feel that Barr inappropriately concealed or omitted information from Mueller's report in his summary to Congress, they would take "appropriate legal actions" to obtain Mueller's original report from the Justice Department. Asked whether Democrats would subpoena Mueller's report if necessary, one aide said "all options are currently on the table."

Even the completion of a Mueller report does not mean the Russia probe will be over, however.

Read more:In an 'investigative blitz,' the House Judiciary Committee requested documents from 81 people and entities tied to Trump

There are currently over a dozen ongoing investigative threads and court cases that will continue long after the report is made public. There are also several witnesses who are still cooperating with prosecutors, and legal scholars said there may even be potential future indictments connected to the Mueller investigation and the Manhattan US attorney's investigation into Trump's business dealings.

FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump attends the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) annual meeting at National Harbor near Washington, U.S., March 2, 2019. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas

Meanwhile, congressional Democrats just kicked off a sprawling investigation into what House Judiciary chair Jerry Nadler characterized as Trump's "obstruction of justice, corruption, and abuse of power."

On Monday, the House Judiciary Committee sent document requests to 81 people and entities connected to Trump.

The list of people and entities the committee requested documents from signals the broad nature of its investigation; it included people and agencies linked to the Trump campaign, the Trump Foundation, the White House, the Justice Department, Trump's inaugural committee, the Trump Organization, and dozens of Trump's closest aides and senior campaign officials who were in his orbit while he launched broadsides at top FBI and Justice Department officials.

One committee aide, who requested anonymity because they were not publicly authorized to divulge details about the investigation, characterized it to INSIDER as an "investigative blitz."

This person added that Democrats wanted to collect any evidence of wrongdoing in the event that Mueller and, separately, federal prosecutors in New York were unable to publicize the details of their investigations into Trump.

SEE ALSO: In an 'investigative blitz,' the House Judiciary Committee requested documents from 81 people and entities tied to Trump

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: 8 key takeaways from Trump's State of the Union address

How much your healthcare costs in all 50 states

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doctor health insurance

  • Healthcare is costly — but costs also vary tremendously based on where you live.
  • Workers in some states paid potentially as little as $4,700 for healthcare in 2017, while costs in several other states topped $8,000, a report from The Commonwealth Fund found. 
  • Read on for the 10 most expensive states. 

Healthcare in the US is expensive, and the cost is increasing faster than wages are growing.

A report from The Commonwealth Fund paints a picture of just how expensive. It also shows how much costs vary based on where you live. 

In 2017, healthcare cost as little as $4,700 in Hawaii or $5,500 in Michigan, for example. Meanwhile, costs were much higher in other states, and several topped $8,000.

The report looked specifically at how much workers could be paying for health insurance coverage and for out-of-pocket costs like medical procedures and prescription drugs.

your healthcare burden in every state 2017 map

Researchers Sara Collins and David Radley did this by adding each state's average premiums, or monthly health insurance fees, with average deductibles, or the amount people may pay for health services before their health insurer starts picking up the tab. 

People in the US get health coverage in a variety of ways. This report looked at those who get health insurance through a plan from an employer, which about 50% of people in the US do. Government programs like Medicaid and Medicare are other big sources of health coverage in the country. 

The study's researchers concluded that middle-income families are getting squeezed by rising health costs and stagnating incomes. And though the study didn't look at lower-income families, they're affected too, they said.

"People across the United States are not experiencing health care costs equally," the researchers wrote. 

Read more: The US spends twice as much on healthcare as other developed nations and gets worse outcomes — and the reasons why show what it’s going to take to reform healthcare

The report relied on data from the "most comprehensive national survey of U.S. employer health plans," the federal Medical Expenditure Panel Survey–Insurance Component (MEPS–IC), which reached out to more than 40,000 businesses in 2017, and had about 66% respond overall. 

Here are the 10 most expensive states:

10. Nebraska: $7,897.

This figure represents 11.3% of Nebraska's median income. About 9% of the state's population is uninsured, according to data from the nonprofit Kaiser Family Foundation. 



9. Tennessee: $7,900.

This represents 13.9% of the median income in Tennessee. Some of the highest potential healthcare costs in the country are focused in the south, the Commonwealth study pointed out. About 9% of the population in Tennessee is uninsured. 



8. North Carolina: $8,015.

North Carolina is one of eight US states where the average potential cost of healthcare topped $8,000, according to the report. The figure represents 13.8% of the median income in North Carolina, and about 11% of the state population is uninsured. 



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32 science-backed ways to reduce your risk of developing cancer

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cancer microscope

Cancer is a dangerous and common class of diseases: it's the second-leading cause of death in the US, and you probably know at least a few people who have been diagnosed. More than 15.5 million Americans — nearly one in 20 — have had cancer in the past or currently do, according to the American Cancer Society.

Yet nearly half of US cancer cases and deaths are linked to preventable risk factors. Similarly, experts in the UK estimate that 4 in 10 cancer cases there are preventable with lifestyle changes. 

Cancer fundamentally messes with the way our bodies function, perversely changing the way cells grow and divide inside the body. All cases of cancer are the result of damage or changes in our DNA. Some cancers are genetic — there are certain genes that make it more likely people will develop cancers like breast and colon — but many aren't.

So a healthy diet and way of life can go a long way towards reducing your risk. Here is a rundown of some of the simplest and most effective ways that science suggests you can lower your risk of cancer right now.

SEE ALSO: 32 of the most dangerous things science has strongly linked to cancer

The number one thing you can do to reduce your risk of developing cancer: stop smoking, or don't start.

Smoking is the biggest cancer-causer around.

There's no debate that it causes lung cancer, which is the deadliest cancer in the world. Lung cancer kills more people every year than breast, colon, and prostate cancers combined.

In the UK, smoking causes 7 of every 10 lung cancer cases. Worldwide, it's is associated with 80% of lung cancer diagnoses.

The cancer risks associated with smoking don't stop at your lungs. Smoking can also cause cancers of the mouth, nose, sinus, voice box, esophagus, liver, pancreas, stomach, kidney, ovary, bladder, colon, and cervix, as well as some forms of leukemia. There's also some evidence that women who start smoking heavily in their teenage years dramatically increase their risk of developing breast cancer.



Less is known about the cancer risks associated with vaping, but early studies suggest it is not an ideal replacement for smokers.

E-cigarettes haven't been around long enough for scientists to say much conclusively yet about whether they have any associations with cancer risk. 

But high-voltage e-cigarette vapors can contain formaldehyde gas, a known carcinogen, as well as cancer-causing benzene.

Switching over from regular cigarettes to e-cigarettes can reduce a smoker's exposure to toxins and some potentially cancer-causing compounds, but studies in animals suggest that long-term e-cigarette use might still increase cancer risk.



After curbing smoking, the second most important thing is to maintain a healthy weight.

According to the World Cancer Research Fund, being overweight or obese increases your risk of developing 11 different kinds of cancer: colon, throat, pancreatic, liver, kidney, breast (post-menopause), stomach, womb, ovarian, advanced prostate, and gallbladder.

One reason for this is that our fat cells release hormones like estrogen that can up your odds of developing certain cancers, like breast and womb cancer. 



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Meet the Ambanis, the richest family in Asia, who live in a $1 billion skyscraper and mingle with royals, politicians, and Bollywood stars

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richest family Asia ambanis

The richest family in Asia is an Indian family who threw one of the most lavish wedding celebrations in recent memory, which included a private Beyoncé concert and celebrity guests including Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas, Hillary Clinton, and Arianna Huffington.

The Ambani family is behind the oil-to-telecom conglomerate Reliance Industries. The company's chairman and largest shareholder is Mukesh Ambani, the richest man in Asia, who is worth an estimated $50 billion, according to Forbes.

That makes him the 13th-richest person in the world.

Mukesh's daughter, 27-year-old Isha Ambani, married Anand Piramal, 33, heir to a real-estate and pharmaceutical business, in December at the Ambani family home in Mumbai, a 27-story skyscraper that cost an estimated $1 billion to build.

Here's a look at the Ambani family's fortune, relationships, friends, and lavish lifestyles.

SEE ALSO: The 25 richest American families, ranked

DON'T MISS: Everything we know about Isha Ambani, the Indian heiress who got Beyoncé to perform at her wedding

The Ambani family in India tops the Forbes list of Asia's Richest Families. The family patriarch, Mukesh Ambani, has a net worth of at least $50 billion.

Source: Forbes



The Indian family's massive wealth began with Dhirubhai Ambani, who founded Reliance Industries to manufacture fabrics and textiles.

Source: BloombergFortune



It's now a Fortune 500 company worth $100 billion, and one of the most valuable companies in India.

Source: BloombergFortune



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A sprawling, 3,500-acre cliffside ranch with 2 luxury villas and 120 cows could break the Santa Barbara real-estate record — here's a look inside

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california ranch

  • A 3,500-acre ranch in southern California is on the market for $110 million.
  • It is currently owned by the CEO of Luxembourg holding company TAG.
  • The property, known as El Rancho Tajiguas, includes two luxury villas with five bedrooms each.

One of the most expensive properties in California is now for sale: a working ranch on the Gaviota coastline.

Located just outside Santa Barbara and known as El Rancho Tajiguas, the property sprawls across 3,500 acres. The Wall Street Journal previously reported that the ranch is linked to billionaire Mansour Ojjeh, who purchased the estate in 1981. Ojjeh is the former CEO of TAG, a Luxembourg holding company and a major shareholder in McLaren's racing team.

Read more: Here's what the most expensive house for sale in every US state looks like

The home is listed through Compassreal estate. With a price tag of $110 million, El Rancho Tajiguas is in the same price range as the most expensive homes in America. As Forbes reports, the ranch will set a new record for the area if it sells at listing price.

Each of the ranch's two Spanish-style villas — Villa Della Costa and Villa Del Mare — includes five bedrooms and an additional guest house, along with extra amenities such as wine cellars and helipads.

Additional buildings are scattered throughout the property, as the ranch is a working farm for avocados and persimmon. Much of the land is also used for cattle grazing, and workers currently maintain a herd of around 120 cows.

Keep reading for a complete look at the property.

SEE ALSO: This $245 million Los Angeles mansion is the most expensive home for sale in the US — and it costs 960 times more than a typical US home

NOW READ: The iconic mansion from ‘The Godfather’ is on the market for $135 million — here's a look inside the 29-bedroom Beverly Hills estate

Located on a massive 3,500-acre piece of land, the center point of the property is an oceanfront cliff containing the El Rancho Tajiguas' main rooms.

Source: Aaron Kirman Partners, Wall Street Journal



The ranch is situated on the Gaviota Coast ...

Source: Aaron Kirman Partners, Google Maps



... just outside the city of Santa Barbara.

Source: Aaron Kirman Partners, Wall Street Journal



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I've spent nearly 300 nights in hotels and Airbnbs over the past year, and there's a small detail I check to see how clean a room is

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HotelRoomCleanliness (2 of 2) copy

  • A year ago, I left New York to travel around the world as Business Insider's international correspondent. Over that time, I've visited over 20 countries, taken dozens of flights, and stayed in nearly 100 hotels.
  • I am constantly staying in hotels that run the range from ultra-budget to mid-tier to luxury. Depending on the country and the hotel company, those categories could mean very different things in terms of amenities, quality, and cleanliness.
  • Every time I enter a hotel room or an Airbnb, I check the electric kettle or coffee maker— a standard item in nearly every hotel room — to see how clean it is. Poorly maintained or sloppily cleaned hotels will often have dirty, rusted, or outright moldy electric kettles.

Travel long enough and you develop strange habits.

Hotel rooms are notoriously unclean places. One recent study found that 81% of hotel surfaces sampled contained at least some amount of fecal bacteria. 

I'm by no means a germaphobe, but I do avoid certain parts of a hotel room. I say goodbye to the throw pillows, forget about sitting on the armchair or ottoman, wipe down the TV remote, and walk around in socks or flip-flops.

As I've traveled over the past year, I've experienced hotels and Airbnbs with varying standards of upkeep, maintenance, and cleanliness, regardless of how many stars it has; a five-star hotel in one country does not necessarily mean the same thing as a five-star hotel in another.

HotelRoomCleanliness (1 of 2)

But over those nearly 300 nights I've spent in hotels and Airbnbs, I have found that consistently the best barometer of cleanliness is the coffeemaker or electric kettle. Almost every hotel room has one and it can tell you a lot about how detail-oriented the housekeeping is.

Because coffeemakers and electric kettles constantly have water or moisture in them, they can be a haven for bacteria, rust, and mold. If they aren't cleaned regularly — and I mean with vinegar, not rinsed with hot water — they quickly become gross. As such a small item and a tedious one to clean, I've found that coffeemakers and electric kettles are frequently overlooked by less diligent hotels.

Even if the kettle is cleaned regularly, with frequent use, some amount of rust is unavoidable. But that's frequently a signal that a room or rental needs some sprucing up. 

When I get to a new hotel room, I pop open the top to the appliance. If I see mold or rust, which happens often, I ask for a new room or shorten my stay to one night and move on to a different place.

If they're leaving a rusted kettle in the room, it's a signal to me that no one is keeping a close eye on the room's long-term upkeep. If there's mold in the coffeemaker or kettle, what else hasn't gotten a thorough cleaning?

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

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This $35 handheld clothes steamer I found on Amazon may be the most useful item I own

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handheld steamer

I never thought that I would be the kind of person who needed to steam her clothes. But then again, I never thought that I was the kind of person to go to business school either (and yet, alas, here I am). But now that I am feigning adulthood in earnest, it seems only appropriate that I stop going about my business in wrinkled clothes. And as it turns out, the best way to get rid of wrinkles in your clothes is not with an iron, but rather with a clothes steamer.

I first discovered the magic of steam when I found my favorite dress off its hanger and unceremoniously balled in a corner of my closet approximately 60 minutes before I planned on donning said dress for an interview. In a panic, I scurried over to the nearest clothing purveyor, and asked if they might have a device that could remove wrinkles. To my confusion, the clerk revealed a large device that looked an awful lot like a vacuum cleaner (I wanted you to fix my dress, not suck it away). Of course, I soon discovered that this machine was not meant to destroy my dress, but rather to steam it straight. And my life was never the same.

Of course, investing in a full-size garment steamer is neither reasonable nor practical for most people, but that doesn't mean that we shouldn't be privy to the magic of steam. That is precisely where the Glamfields Garment Steamer ought to come into your life. This portable, handheld clothes steamer may just be the best investment I've made in the last 12 months (and yes, that includes returning to school in August). It's proven to be absolutely indispensable when it comes to keeping my clothes looking freshly pressed and me looking professional.

Read more: 21 products we were hesitant about at first but ended up really liking

The Glamfields steamer is surprisingly small, especially considering its capabilities. Its ergonomically designed handle fits easily in the palm of one hand, and you can easily move the head of the device along blazers, trousers, dresses, and any other article of clothing that may be in need of a refresh. The steamer holds up to 4.6 ounces of water, which is more than enough to steam an entire outfit — more specifically, it allows for 10 minutes of uninterrupted use, or the equivalent of about five minutes of ironing.

I'm a huge fan of the innovative nozzle design, which allows you use the steamer both as a steam iron and a traditional iron.

Either keep your clothes hanging and move the Glamfields vertically along the creases of your garments, or lay your articles down and use the steamer as you would a familiar iron. Either way, Glamfields is able to even distribute steam, resulting in quick, effortless wrinkle removal. And unlike a traditional iron, you won't have to worry about accidentally burning your clothes or using starch — plus, because only water is involved, your clothes won't take on any after-iron smells either.

Despite the diminutive size of the Glamfields steamer, it packs quite the punch. With just 4.6 ounces of water, it's capable of achieving 900 watts of power, and I've been consistently impressed by just how quickly the device is able to return clothes to their original, wrinkle-free state. I've also been able to use the steamer on some of my most delicate items, which has saved me quite a hefty chunk in terms of dry-cleaning fees. Glamfields notes that the device is safe to use on satin, nylon, blends, cotton, polyester, silk, wool, linen, and sequins.

Glamfields says its steamer takes 25 seconds to heat up entirely, but I've been able to use the steamer on my clothes almost as soon as I've plugged in the device. I also particularly appreciate the no-drip technology of the steamer; whereas other portable steamers leak water, resulting in unattractive splash patterns across your clothes, I haven't had an issue with my Glamfields in my many months of ownership.

Best of all, the Glamfields is extremely easy to take on the go.

It comes with its own carrying case and is lightweight enough at 1.5 pounds to throw in a suitcase. If you decide that it's not just your clothes that need a steam treatment, you can easily use the Glamfields steamer on your curtains. I've done this a number of times (frankly, because it's fun), and while it'll certainly clean your curtains, you'll need to refill the water tank with the included measuring cup a few times.

The Glamfields comes with a brush attachment, should you prefer to brush certain fabrics into their prime. I haven't found the brush to be all that useful, as the naked nozzle works just as well when it comes to de-wrinkling.

Reviewers on Amazon have also been impressed by the steamer, with an average rating of 4.2 out of 5 stars from the 100-plus customers who have reviewed it. Even if you're not as taken by the steamer, it comes with a 60-day money-back guarantee, and a one-year warranty to boot. But for less than $35, I imagine you'll feel like you're getting more than your money's worth.

Buy the Glamfields Garment Steamer on Amazon for $34.99

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This $180 down jacket is so thin it can pack into its own pocket — but it keeps me surprisingly warm during NYC winters

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outdoor vitals

  • A high warmth-for-weight jacket is an essential for outdoor adventurers and commuters alike. Thin construction means more mobility and less weight to carry.
  • I discovered the Outdoor Vitals StormLoft Ultra Down Jacket for $180 on Amazon, and it's become my favorite affordable alternative to the pricier brand-name options. It's extremely lightweight and surprisingly warm.
  • The jacket features a durable, water repellent outer, 800-fill-power goose down insulation, adjustable drawcords on the hem and collar, and a packable design.
  • At $180, the Outdoor Vitals StormLoft Ultra Down Jacket is a good value. Similar packable jackets sell for about $100 more.

While warmth is at the top of my list of requirements for cold weather clothing, I despise having to wear heavy and bulky pieces. I don't like the feeling of being weighed down or immobile while commuting, and I'm sure anyone who likes spending time outdoors in the cold gets where I'm coming from. No one wants to feel like a heavy marshmallow while trecking through train stations or the backwoods.

One of my favorite jackets that answers the call of being warm and lightweight is the Patagonia Micro Puff Hoody, but as much as I love all of its functions, the bright blue color I have isn't exactly made for wearing every day. I needed something that was black, but I didn't want to spend $300 on another Micro Puff strictly for the color.

So, I began searching the internet for cheaper lightweight alternatives and I came across the StormLoft Ultra Down Jacket from an up and coming outdoors brand called Outdoor Vitals on Amazon. I had never heard of the brand, but a lightweight jacket with a water-repellant outer shell, responsibly sourced down insulation, and a packable design seemed like a good choice — so I decided to reach out to learn more and give it a try.

Outdoor Vitals StormLoft Ultra Light Jacket

Founded in 2014 by Tayson Whittaker while studying finance at Southern Utah University, Outdoor Vitals was created to challenge outdoor adventurers to "live ultra-light" by buying fewer wasteful products and physically lightening their camping packs. To help them do so, the brand makes affordably-priced essential gear like sleeping bags, tents, and hammocks — and recently added jackets to its product lineup.

Typically, outdoor and camping gear aren't the type of products you cheap out on, but Outdoor Vitals maintains affordable prices by avoiding retail markups and selling directly to consumers, not by cutting corners and producing low-quality items.

Outdoor Vitals sent me the StormLoft Ultra Down Jacket to review and it turned out to be a lot better than I expected. I was pleased with its warmth-for-weight ratio and compact design. If the same jacket were sold from a more well-known brand like The North Face or Patagonia, it could easily sell for $100 more.

Outdoor Vitals

My initial concern before receiving the jacket pertained to the sizes available and the fit. The jacket is available in sizes medium through extra-extra-large, and since I usually wear a size small, I was worried that none of them would fit me. But the brand stated that the StormLoft Ultra Down Jacket has a slim, tailored fit and that it's recommended to size up anyway. Based on that advice, I went with a medium and it turned out to fit like a small. In my opinion, the sizing could effectively be listed as small through extra-large, but since it's not, you'll have to go up from your normal size.

Once I received the jacket, I was impressed with just how light it was considering the 800-fill-power rating. Fill power measures the fluffiness and volume of down insulation. The higher the rating, the more capable it is of trapping air and retaining heat. Just to give you an idea on where it stands against other jackets, it's rated higher than most of the super-warm winter parkas we recommended at the end of last year. Usually, I would never wear a jacket this thin in 30-degree weather, but I did during testing and was completely blown away by how warm I stayed. 

As important as warmth is, it's not the only thing that makes this jacket great. Some of my favorite features include thumbhole sleeves for warmth that extends to your hands, a high-neck collar with an adjustable hood for a secure element-blocking fit, adjustable hem cords, and a design that packs and zips away into its own left pocket. It's also worth noting that many of these features aren't included on comparable styles from brands that cost more.

Outdoor Vitals Jacket

Priced at $179.97, the Outdoor Vitals StormLoft Ultra Down Jacket is a really good value. Don't let its weight fool you into believing it's poorly made or too expensive for such a light jacket — it's supposed to be this light, comfortable, and compact. Whether you're wearing it on its own, layered under a heavier coat, or you're carrying it in your bag while it's packed away, you won't feel weighed down. You can get good value out of more expensive competitors, but paying upwards of $300 for a jacket of any kind is out of many people's budget. If such is the case for you, the StormLoft Ultra Down Jacket is a great choice. Alternatively, if you're simply shopping for a lightweight jacket for fashion and not warmth or protection, you very well could find a cheaper alternative.

In case you need any more convincing, even with affordable prices and a business model free of retail markups, Outdoor Vitals dips into its profit margin by donating 1% to people in need who are living in developing countries. Although it doesn't make the product any better, I always enjoy finding new brands doing good things for other people.

Outdoor Vitals StormLoft­ Ultralight Down Jacket, available on Amazon, $179.97

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Mazda just introduced a new small SUV that will take on rivals from Nissan, Honda, and Subaru

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Mazda CX 30

  • Mazda introduced the new CX-30 crossover SUV at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show.
  • In Mazda's lineup, the new CX-30 will slot in above the subcompact CX-3 and below the compact CX-5. 
  • A selection of Skyactiv four-cylinder engines will be available for the CX-30.
  • The CX-30 is expected to take on the Nissan Rogue Sport (Qashqai), Honda HR-V, Subaru Crosstrek, and Hyundai Kona.
  • The CX-30 will go on sale in Europe this summer. 

Mazda unveiled the new CX-30 crossover SUV at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show. 

"We designed the CX-30 to be an essential partner in the customer's daily life," Mazda CEO Akira Marumoto said in a statement.

Mazda CX 30With the arrival of the CX-30, Mazda now has four crossovers in its lineup, ranging from the subcompact CX-3 all the way up to the three-row midsize CX-9.

In Mazda's lineup, the new CX-30 will slot in above its CX-3 and below the compact CX-5. 

Read more: This $19 million custom Bugatti is now the most expensive new car ever sold.

The Hiroshima, Japan-based automaker's decision to bring another small crossover to market makes a tremendous amount of sense. According to data compiled by Kelley Blue Book, compact and subcompact crossovers accounted for just less than 22% of the 17.3 million vehicles sold in the US during 2018. 

Mazda CX 30As a result, competition is fierce. The CX-30 is expected to take on the Nissan Rogue Sport (Qashqai), Honda HR-V, Subaru Crosstrek, and Hyundai Kona. 

A selection of four-cylinder engines that feature Mazda's fuel-saving Skyactiv technology will be available for the CX-30. In European trim, the CX-30 will be available with both a six-speed automatic and a six-speed manual transmission. 

Read more: 18 hot cars we can't wait to see at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show.

The small crossover will also be available with Mazda's i-Activ all-wheel-drive system and G-Vectoring Control chassis-management system. 

Mazda CX 30According to Mazda, engineers have also worked to improve cabin noise, a common complaint on older CX-5s, in addition to reducing noise and vibrations from the road.  

The CX-30 will go on sale in Europe this summer. 

SEE ALSO: Volvo's high-performance Polestar brand just unveiled Sweden's answer to the Tesla Model 3

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B Corps are businesses committed to using their profit for good — these 10 are making some truly great products

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37733370_10156229980480831_2026779171308437504_n

  • B Corps are for-profit businesses that volunteer to be graded by the nonprofit B Lab each year to ensure they're meeting the highest standards of social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability. 
  • They're among the most impressive of companies that are willing to conceptualize "good business" as including both profit and purpose (and have the third-party vetting to prove they really mean it). To B Corps, sustainable business isn't charity, it's better business.
  • Below, I've rounded up a few of the B Corps we love shopping at most. If you like the sound of them, they're good companies to support. 

As the past can attest, not all of society's ills can be solved by well-meaning government or nonprofits alone. While invaluable, they won't reveal themselves as silver bullets capable of single-handedly eradicating poverty, inequality, and infusing the workforce with jobs that make workers feel their lives have dignity and purpose.

For that caliber of change, we'll need to consider the importance of businesses. The economist Milton Friedman famously wrote in 1962 that "there is one and only one social responsibility of business...to use its resources and engage in activities designed to increase its profits", and while that sentiment remains largely unchanged, there are companies willing to bet on a different conceptualization of "good business."

Perhaps most impressive of this group are B Corps — businesses that volunteer to be graded by the nonprofit B Lab each year to ensure they're meeting the highest standards of social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose. 

Companies that get awarded B Corp status have committed to using their business to work towards a more inclusive and sustainable economy. Together, the companies and their communities work to reduce inequality, lower poverty levels, and create a healthier environment, stronger communities, and jobs with purpose.

In short, B Corps leverage their resources (creativity, manpower, and profits) to pay into a better world for people in general — creating a definition of success that includes the commonwealth and positive impact as necessary aspects of sustainable consumerism. It's not charity, it's better business.

Below, we've rounded up 10 companies we love to shop at that also happen to be certified B Corps. They make great stuff we love to buy, but they're also helping drive a global movement that uses business as a force for good. 

Check out 10 stores we love to shop at that also happen to be "business for good" B-Corps:

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Allbirds

Shop Allbirds here

Allbirds are often referred to as the "world's most comfortable shoes" and we'd be inclined to agree. We also love that each collection seems to get even better at optimizing natural materials — without ever raising prices or changing the quality that has made these shoes such a cult favorite.

Allbirds' classic sneakers and loungers are made from moisture-wicking, temperature-regulating, odor-resistant merino wool that is ZQ-certified (meaning it meets stringent standards for sustainable farming and animal welfare) and uses 60% less energy than synthetics. Their second collection was comprised of sneakers and skippers made from cooling, eco-friendly eucalyptus pulp. Both collections are ultra-comfortable, low-maintenance, made from sustainable materials, and cost $95 for a pair. 

The company recently expanded on their thesis of great shoes that also just happen to be good for the environment with a line of $35 flip-flops made from the first carbon-negative EVA foam ever developed— a breakthrough three years in the making for the company. The foam is made from sugar cane rather than harmful petrochemicals, and it's not proprietary: Allbirds is making a concerted effort to encourage even its competitors to adopt the new material.



Patagonia

Shop Patagonia here

Patagonia is a beloved outdoors company for many reasons — the main two being their superior and innovative products, and the other being their conservation efforts, including giving 100% (yes, 100%) of their profits from Black Friday in the past directly to grassroots nonprofits working to protect air, water, and soil quality for future generations. In 2016, this amounted to $10 million. 

Patagonia was the first California company to sign up for B certification back in 2012, and the company also participates in 1% for the Planet, meaning they contribute 1% of annual net revenue to nonprofit charity organizations focused on conversation and sustainability. 

Since 1985, the company has donated $89 million to environmental work. In their 2017 Annual B Corp Report, Patagonia acknowledges that activism can be polarizing because it can cross over into what is perceived as political. Regardless, the company says "activism and advocacy are critical to achieving our mission. We'll always act, even if we lose some business along the way."

 



Cotopaxi

Shop Cotopaxi here

Cotopaxi is an outdoors brand with social purpose built into its DNA. The gear itself is superior: clever, intuitive, and consistently bringing a fresh, necessary perspective to an outdoor staple. (I count their packable jacket and 35L travel pack as among my all-time best finds). But, somehow, it's almost more exciting to talk about the work the company is doing outside of its own great products.

From its inception, Cotopaxi has been founded upon the idea that the interests of profit and people could not only coexist, but also enjoy a mutually beneficial relationship.

The B Corp values can be found at all levels of operation. Employees spend 10% of their work time in their local communities, adventuring outdoors, or doing service. the company donates 2% of its yearly revenue to ending poverty by funding local organizations working on sustainable solutions. Cotopaxi also puts out a Repurposed Collection of limited-edition gear made out of scraps. 

The company has also created a skills-based volunteering initiative that leverages the time and talent of employees to respond to community needs, such as a card writing program that provides a paid 'first job' for refugees in Salt Lake City. The program provides youth with professional development, work experience, a competitive wage, and the opportunity to practice their English language skills. 



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Kylie Jenner is officially the youngest self-made billionaire. Here are 9 other self-made billionaires who crossed the $1 billion milestone before 30.

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Kylie Jenner

  • Kylie Jenner is officially the world's youngest self-made billionaire, according to Forbes' and Bloomberg's calculations.
  • Jenner follows in the footsteps of some of the most famous billionaires in the world, including Mark Zuckerberg and Evan Spiegel, who both passed the $1 billion benchmark before age 30. 
  • Here are the 10 youngest self-made billionaires. 

Kylie Jenner is officially the world's youngest self-made billionaire.

On Tuesday, Forbes and Bloomberg reported that the makeup entrepreneur and reality star had officially crossed the $1 billion milestone. 

Some people were less than pleased with the designation of Jenner, whose ritzy upbringing was documented on "Keeping Up with the Kardashians," as "self-made." Forbes uses the "self-made" designation as a way to distinguish between extremely rich people who inherited wealth and those whose fortune was made primarily in other ways.

Read more:Forbes crowned Kylie Jenner the youngest 'self-made' billionaire, and it's sparked an outcry online

Jenner follows in the footsteps of some of the most famous billionaires in the world — including Mark Zuckerberg and Evan Spiegel, who each made their first billion before reaching the age of 30. A few high-profile names, including Larry Page and Bill Gates, just missed the cutoff, achieving documented billionaire status at age 31. 

Here are the select few self-made billionaires who made $1 billion before age 30. 

SEE ALSO: How Kylie Jenner became the world's youngest self-made billionaire, from starring in a reality TV show at age 9 to running a $900 million cosmetics empire at 21

Sergey Brin, 30

Brin was just days away from his 31st birthday when Google went public in 2004 with a valuation of $27 billion.



Elizabeth Holmes, 30

In 2014, Forbes estimated Holmes had a net worth $4.5 billion at age 30 because of the massive valuation of her blood-testing startup, Theranos. At the time, she was the youngest woman to become a self-made billionaire — and held that status until Jenner's recent triumph. 

In 2016, Forbes dropped its estimate of Holmes' net worth to zero because of allegations of fraud at Theranos. 



Eduardo Saverin, 28

The Facebook cofounder had a messy break with Mark Zuckerberg, but he crossed the $1 billion milestone in 2010 thanks to his 5% stake in the social network.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

These 6 startups are incredibly successful on social media — and they all have one thing in common

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daniel wellington

  • Social media is an indispensable platform where brands can engage with current fans and get in front of potential new fans. 
  • Startups that make effective, memorable products — from fashion to food — often receive user-generated content from highly satisfied customers.  
  • In turn, they can use this content as proof of the quality of their product to new audiences. It's more authentic and helps them compete against larger brands. 
  • Retail startups Banza, Glossier, Maelove, BarkBoxDaniel Wellington and MVMT operate in different industries, but have found common success in the social media world thanks to user-generated content. 

Sometimes a product is so good you just have to snap a photo of it and share it with the world. You probably do it more often than you even realize — the new coffee special from your daily haunt, held up against a blue sky backdrop, or the shoes that complete your outfit of the day, taken from a direct overhead angle, are a couple examples of how products make their way onto the social media feeds of family, friends, and strangers.

Forms of visual fan mail like this are the ideal scenario for social media and marketing strategists at companies everywhere. Your declarations of love act as free advertisements in disguise, and more authentic, believable ads at that.

So if you're on the marketing team at a new startup, how do you build brand awareness and get people to post about your product?

The most obvious and simultaneously difficult place to start is to make a great product.

Food startup Banza, which makes healthy chickpea pasta that you might mistake for traditional wheat noodles, has seen firsthand what happens when you put a tasty, well-made ingredient out into the world. In 2018, the 5-year-old company says it received around 30,000 pieces of user-generated content from home cooks eager to share how they incorporated the gluten-free, protein-packed pasta alternative into delicious dishes.

Banza

These stomach grumble-inducing photos, attuned to a "camera eats first" society, gave potential buyers a firsthand look at the versatility and imagined taste of Banza noodles. According to the company, 80% of content from a given month in the past year came from users who had never posted about Banza before, indicating a steady stream of new fans. 

Read more: I tried pasta made from chickpeas that has half the carbs of regular wheat noodles — and this stuff is the real deal

Customer-devised dishes aren't only a way to engage current fans and attract new ones. They're also informing product development strategies. After seeing its community use pasta in grain bowls and rice dishes, Banza released a new chickpea rice. Because it already gleaned initial interest from social media posts, the company could more confidently launch this new product. 

The interplay of good product, aesthetic, and creative potential is also no stranger to the beauty industry.

Filled with fan photos of dewy complexions and barely-there makeup looks, beauty brand Glossier's Instagram is one endless scroll of converted customer after converted customer.

Built into Glossier's ethos is the idea of a "people-powered ecosystem," meaning that how you use its light, glow-inducing Cloud Paint ($18) or fluffy, natural Boy Brow ($16) won't yield the same outcome as how your friend uses it. The ability of Glossier products to "adapt" to and bring out each individual's best features dovetails perfectly with the beauty community's penchant for sharing personalized looks. 

glossier

Meanwhile, another startup Maelove— not quite yet at Glossier cult status but growing rapidly — is being shown off in skincare routine lineups alongside legacy beauty brands like Chanel and SK-II. Its perpetually sold out, carefully concocted Glow Maker Serum ($28) does the hyperpigmentation-reducing, smoothing, and hydrating work of products six times its price, making its existence feel like a secret you should carry to your grave, but can't resist telling your fellow skincare obsessives about. 

Read more: This $28 vitamin C serum that was developed by MIT scientists makes my skin glow — and it's available for preorder after selling out 4 times

By doing the most basic, important work of first making a product worth talking about, these startups are able to set in motion a social, buzz-driven cycle of success. 

Products with personality also tend to do well online. 

BarkBox, the monthly dog treat and toy subscription box, dominates the social media scene, boasting over 11 million followers across its social accounts and over 3.4 million uses of the hashtag #BarkBox. We all know owners are already prone to posting (and perhaps over-posting) photos of their dogs as they are, but BarkBox's design team makes the inclusion of a BarkBox product in a photo too easy.

Alexis Nelson, Social Media Lead at parent company Bark, says, "Every BarkBox and Bark Original toy is designed for irresistible photo moments for dogs and their humans to share together. Whether we're trying to make the toy irresistibly cute, the punch line to a joke, or delightfully surprising, all Bark toys have a beautiful design [and feature] playful language."

barkbox

In the accessories world, watches, while not exactly playful, deliver their own personality of stylish sophistication to every photo. Minimalist watches from newcomers Daniel Wellington or MVMT, which have 4.5 million and 1 million Instagram followers respectively, are beacons for well-dressed travel and adventures.

Read more: Popular watch startup Daniel Wellington has sold over 11 million watches to date — after wearing one, I understand their universal appeal

Daniel Wellington CMO Anders Hedman says, "We stay true to the idea that elegant and minimalistic design is the best route to creating timeless watches that appeal to a global audience. We have enough variety in styles thanks to our interchangeable straps, which allows for our community to seamlessly change up their style at an affordable price point." DW's social media community, he continues, is "the cornerstone of our brand." 

Evidently, social media communities are the cornerstone of many different brands, from fashion to food. As they leverage social media to level the playing field with large, traditional competitors, they're learning that if they make an effective, memorable product, the buyers — and the social media advocates — will follow. 

Learn more about the startups mentioned in this article:

Shop Banza pasta here: Amazon, Jet, Walmart, Target, Thrive Market

Shop at Glossier

Shop at Maelove

Shop at BarkBox

Shop Daniel Wellington watches here: AmazonNordstromRevolveBloomingdale's

Shop MVMT watches here: Amazon, Nordstrom, MVMT

SEE ALSO: 

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