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Allbirds' sustainable 'Tree' sneakers were a game changer when they debuted in 2018 — here's what they feel like after a year of regular wear

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Stone Runner

  • Sneaker startup Allbirds became famous for their cloud-like, super comfortable Merino wool sneakers.
  • The direct-to-consumer brand has a deep commitment to sustainability, and as such, released a line of sneakers made from Eucalyptus pulp called the Tree collection. 
  • The collection features four styles, the Runners, the Skippers, the Loungers, the Toppers. We tried the the Runners and Skippers to see if they're just as comfortable as the originals. You can find our separate review of the Toppers here
  • Spoiler alert: They're amazing, and now they come in limited-edition colorways. Read our reviews, plus an update after a year of wear, below.

Chances are you've heard about Allbirds, the internet-famous $95 sneaker made from a soft, almost cashmere-like Merino wool. 

Currently, Allbirds makes three types of wool shoes — the wool "Runners" (which is also available in a water-resistant style), the wool slip-on "Loungers," and the wool high-top "Runner-Up Mizzle" (which is water-resistant as well).

We've tested all of them before, and our team universally feels that they're pretty much the most comfortable shoes out there (read our review on the wool Loungers here, the Runners here, and the Runner-Up Mizzle here). In fact, an Insider Picks survey last year showed that Allbirds was one of our readers' favorite products that they have purchased as a result of an article we wrote. 

There are a lot of reasons people like these shoes beyond just how comfortable they are. They're also relatively affordable at $95 a pair — a low price they're able to maintain as a direct-to-consumer retailer — and they're easy to clean with a simple spin in washing machine. But for some, the biggest draw is the fact that the company maintains a deep, unshakable commitment to sustainability.

It's this commitment that led the brand in early 2018 to develop and introduce an even more sustainable set of shoes made from trees — or more specifically, from a textile engineered using Eucalyptus pulp.  

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According to Allbirds, this new material uses 5% of the water and one-third of the amount of land when compared to traditional footwear materials. The brand also committed to using the "most rigorous sustainable forestry standard, Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification, to protect trees, wildlife, and people."

Naturally, considering that Merino wool prices have been steadily climbing, we wondered if the production of these shoes was intended to offset the increased cost of producing their wool line. After all, Allbirds is beloved in part because their shoes have maintained a steady and reasonable price since the very start. But the brand assured us that the idea for new, sustainable textiles had been in the works since before they even launched their original Runners in 2016. 

We spoke with the founders of Allbirds, Tim Brown and Joey Zwillinger, who told Business Insider that they've always envisioned Allbirds as a sustainable material innovation company. "For us, it was about creating a brand that challenges the status quo and redefines what it means to make something 'better.'"

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The line, aptly named the "Tree collection," includes four styles — the Runners and Loungers which we already know and love, a pair they call the "Skippers," which are basically a thinner-soled boat sneaker, and a high-top "Topper" sneaker. This textile has more breathability, which Allbirds says was a response to customer concern:

We are always listening to our customers, and heard from them that there are moments when they needed a different type of experience than Wool. We developed Tree to address these situations and create a more comfortable warm-weather experience.

The material creates a cooling effect by wicking moisture away, making them perfect for summer, and the price has stayed consistent at $95 a pair. The makeup of the insoles has stayed consistent, so you can still expect the same comfort level of their classic pairs. The women's styles come in up to eight colors, and the men's styles come in up to nine colors. 

As long-time fans of the brand, our team was given the chance by Allbirds to test out the Tree Runners and Tree Skippers. Keep reading to find a breakdown of each of our experiences with the styles (spoiler alert, they're still really, really great). 

Read our initial reviews, plus an update after a year of wear, below:

Navy Runner

Mara Leighton, Insider Picks reporter:

March 2018 review: Allbirds is one of my favorite companies to shop from because they have always exceeded expectations on comfort, quality, and style. In other words, they've earned my trust as a valuable buy. I don't feel bad dropping money on a new pair of shoes from them because I know I will wear them until they borderline disintegrate — and I will be glad every time I put them on. It sounds like an exaggeration, but they're really that comfortable.

I tried the Tree Runner in navy, which is actually a nice dark green-blue in person (less bright than a true teal), and — again — Allbirds has exceeded my expectations. They're crazy comfortable, the silhouette is flattering and close-fitting, and I love the smooth but texturized upper. The stylistic contrast of the thick laces is a really nice touch, and the semi-muted color means they go with basically anything.

The sole feels familiar (it's the same structured, wool-lined insole found in my Loungers) and supportive, but the upper is even more breathable than my other pairs.

While I wouldn't buy Allbirds if they weren't consistently making the most comfortable shoes I own, I also love that they're using sustainable materials (and encouraging innovation). They feel ridiculously good on, and any conscious consumer can feel great about buying them.

October 2019 update: These have quickly become my go-to pair of Allbirds. They're comfortable, noticeably cooling, and perfect for all-day traveling. It's also worth noting that, all this time later, they don't show any discernible sign of wear.

 

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Connie Chen, Insider Picks reporter:

March 2018 review: I wear my wool Runners regularly and am always more than happy to talk about how wonderful and comfortable they are to anyone who's curious, so I was excited to learn about this newer style from one of my favorite brands. Itching for the feel of summer, I opted for the Tree Skippers, which are a modern twist on the classic boat shoe.

Again, Allbirds' use of a surprising material has proven to be successful. I never would have guessed that the textile was made from eucalyptus pulp, but it provides an interesting, eye-catching texture that's more unique than that of a traditional boat shoe. Eucalyptus is known for its cooling properties, so I appreciate that the Skippers offer the ideal casual summer look while also keeping my feet cool in warm weather. The neutral, sandy color of the Stone ones reminded me of the beach and can really match with any color you wear on top.

Like Mara said, slipping my foot in felt soft and familiar since the shoe has the same wool-lined insole and heel cup of Allbirds' other offerings. I'm also almost certain that these Skippers are more comfortable than the Runners, which is an impressive feat.

October 2019 update: My universal test for whether a pair of shoes is truly supportive and comfortable is how they feel when I wear them to a music festival. These all-day events are the ultimate battleground and involve a lot of walking, standing, and dancing — my Tree Skippers passed the test again and again. I like that they look even more casual than regular sneakers, which is why you'll often find me wearing the Skippers on the weekend, regardless of season. 

 

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David Slotnick, Insider Picks contributor:

March 2018 review: "I tested out the Tree Skipper in Kauri Stone, and think I've found the perfect summer shoe. They feel like a combination of a boat shoe and a sneaker — I've never found the former very comfortable, but sneakers can be warm or restrictive during summer. The Tree Skipper is lightweight and breathable, and, to my delight, feels like a nice, properly-supportive shoe that would be equally fitting for walking around a city during vacation, or wearing on the way to the beach or on a boat. I can tie the laces to keep them on as I walk — even if I walk quickly or run — although I can kick them off without untying them if I want to."

 

Shop all styles from the Allbirds Tree collection here.

Shop women's styles here:

Tree Runners | Tree Loungers | Tree Skippers | Tree Toppers

Shop men's styles here:

Tree Runners | Tree Loungers | Tree Skippers | Tree Toppers

Join the conversation about this story »


5 women put Everlane's $75 rain boots to the test in New York City — here's how they've held up over the last 6 months

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  • Everlane's $75 women's rain boots come in five colors: surplus, black, toffee, pink, and stone.
  • We wore them to give you an idea of what they're like, and we updated our reviews after six months to give you an idea of how they hold up over time.
  • We found them comfortable, stylish, fairly priced, and easy to clean. We appreciated their traction and being able to wear them at the office.
  • Cons to consider are that they only come in whole sizes and they're fairly short, so you have to judge puddle depth. 

Rain boots done the old way conjure up visions of sopranos singing show tunes and tall, oversized polka-dot boots stomping through sunshowers. 

But when it rains in New York City, it doesn't feel like a syrupy postwar musical. It feels like Monday, and you probably don't have the cheerful optimism to drag one clunky rubber boot around all day, let alone two — which means you definitely don't want to schlep a second pair of shoes around to change for the office. What you need is one cushiony pair that magically transitions from gritty rubber rain boot to slick Chelsea without skipping a beat. And preferably one that isn't going to cost more than you'd be willing to spend on either. 

For that tall order, you should check out Everlane's $75 rain boot. It comes in five neutral colors (surplus, black, toffee, pink, and stone), and whole sizes. Currently, it's only available on the women's portion of the site, but men could conceivably get their own pair with a little help from the company's live chat box for size conversion. 

The design team's goal was simple: make the most comfortable rain boot possible. Or, in other words, the rain boot they wished existed. As a result, the $75 rain boot has a versatile ankle height, grippy tread, and a custom-designed cushioned insole for bouncy comfort. The stretch panels and pull tabs make them easier to throw on and off, and the rubber is flexible and easy to clean. They've got plenty of room for thick, wintry socks, and black rubber reinforcements at the front for extra coverage — and some style points. 

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Before their official launch, we tested Everlane's new $75 rain boots in the grimy slush and rain that the 2019 Polar Vortex transmuted to once it touched New York City. We stomped through puddles, ran to catch trains, and rushed through hectic weekdays at the office. Before you buy a pair, we've compiled our thoughts on them below.

All in all, Everlane's team has proven themselves extremely capable in the past at giving shoppers what they want at a price they can afford. Their $68 authentic stretch jeans (which we included in our all-time favorite jeans roundup), Supima cotton underwear (which we included in our Buying Guide on the best women's underwear you can buy), and plenty of other styles we wear every day, are a few examples of this. Their new $75 rain boots fall in line nicely.

We tried Everlane's $75 rain boots. Read our first impressions and six-month updates:

Surplus

Everlane Rain Boot in Surplus, $75

First impression (February 2019): Rain boots are typically so big, clunky, stiff, and ugly that I don't wear them. I usually just pull on some Doc Martens and try to avoid deep puddles. Everlane's rain boots are made of such soft, flexible real rubber that they bend with you and feel like super comfortable shoes. The traction on the bottom sole is fantastic — and key for slippery wet surfaces that can be treacherous like stairs and the subway platform. These boots actually look cool, too, which isn't something I thought I'd say about a rain boot. I ordered my normal boot size — 8 — and they were slightly big, which I liked because I can wear thick socks with them. The rise of the boot is fairly short, though, so you need to judge puddle depth carefully or risk wet feet. — Malarie Gokey, senior editor

Six-month update (September 2019): Everlane's Rain Boot is just about the perfect rain boot, so I've worn it just about whenever rain is in the forecast. They remain comfortable and impervious to water. I love the thick soles and their grippy texture. I have to wear thick socks with mine, though, so they are not ideal for the summer months. I don't wear them during summer rainstorms because they really trap heat and make my feet hot.

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Toffee

Everlane Rain Boot in Toffee, $75

First impression (February 2019): I have a lot of trouble with rain boots. I'm just over 5-foot-1, so shorter boots tend to make my legs look stubby, and taller boots tend to be totally overwhelming on my frame. Everlane has somehow perfectly mastered the height of their boots, and they cut off in just the right spot to not make my legs look like short little sausages. Thanks to a slit in the rubber that's covered by elastic panels on the side, the boots have a flexible shaft that doesn't chafe your legs — an issue I've had with every past pair of rain boots I've tried. The cushioned insert is also extremely comfy, so I feel like I can actually wear these all day and not just change into backup shoes once I get to the office. Oh, and I recommend sizing up if you're a half size. More room for warm socks! — Sally Kapan, editor

Six-month update: I'm a huge proponent of rain boots as snow boots — all you have to do is add a shearling insole and they're suddenly warm enough for 30-degree weather. That's exactly what I've done with my Everlane rain boots, which are a staple of my cold-weather wardrobe.

The cushy sole is an outstanding feature of this style (something that's hard to come by with solid rubber boots) and I'm pleased to say that it's not lost with the addition of the insoles. Plus, they're easy to wear with everything from jeans to flowy fall dresses.

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Stone

Everlane Rain Boot in Stone, $75

First impression (February 2019): These rain boots are low, minimalist, and industrial in an avant-garde style that makes people take a second longer to look at them. They're definitely cool enough for daytime wear or keeping on in the office and functional enough to warrant it. In terms of design, they're a great rain boot. They're cushiony, the traction on the bottom is trustworthy, and the elasticized strips on the sides circumvent the dreaded chafing rain boots often incur. All in all, they're a good use of $75 if you like the look of them.

They're only available in whole sizes which wasn't an issue for me, but should be of note. They're designed slightly big, so you can easily fit thick socks inside, and a half size down shouldn't be too noticeable. This means there's a gap between your ankle and the lip of the boot if you're wearing leggings or thinner pants, though, which I worried about for downpours — however, most rainy days are accompanied with an umbrella, and, even when they weren't, my feet stayed dry. But, you may need to watch out for deep puddles before stomping in them. — Mara Leighton, reporter

Six-month update: These are still my go-to pair. They've got a unique, moon-boot-like aesthetic that makes them cooler than your average pair, and people frequently stop me to ask where they're from. The only cons are that they're slightly heavier than my other Chelsea boots, but the thick bottom also helps with grip in slick conditions. Overall, they're probably my favorite pair I've had yet. 

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Pink

Everlane Rain Boot in Pink, $75

First impression (February 2019): The first thing I noticed about these boots is how roomy and comfortable they are. Everlane definitely understands that thicker socks are the norm in cold, rainy weather, so rest assured your regular shoe size (or a half size up) will work fine. Light-colored rain boots can seem like a bad decision as you walk through dirty conditions, but Everlane's were easy to wipe down, plus the toe — which often endures the bulk of encounters with puddles and other grimey obstacles — has a black rubber reinforcement. The thick, sturdy exterior and soles made me confident to wear them in a rainstorm, but the comfort factor and cute color convinced me to keep them on throughout the day. — Connie Chen, senior reporter

Six-month update: Though they're a tad heavy for my taste, these boots really are my most practical. As I've worn them more, the features I've come to appreciate the most are the black rubber reinforcements at the toe and the pull tabs on both sides of the shoe. The black rubber protects the pretty blush color, while the tabs make the boots easy to slip on whenever I need to rush out the door (which feels like most days).

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Black

Everlane Rain Boot in Black, $75

First impression (February 2019): I hate ruining my favorite shoes in the rain, but I've yet to find a pair of rain boots I actually like to wear. At least that was the case before I tried these boots.  In black, they look like a regular pair of casual, Chelsea boots. They're roomy enough to wear with thick socks, which is nice for cold days, but even with thin Peds, these fit just right. There's a soft, cushioned insert inside the shoe which is so comfortable — more so than most of my actual winter boots. They're also super easy to slip on and off, which can be a struggle with other rubber rain boots since they tend to get hot and sticky. These do their job of being great rain boots, but what I love most about them is that they actually look cool, too. You don't need to feel embarrassed showing up to work in knee-high, ill-fitting polka dot rubber boots — you can actually wear these on a rainy day, indoor and out, and feel good about it.— Remi Rosmarin, reporter

Six-month update: I've recommended this rain boot to so many people over the past few months. I love the chunky, Chelsea boot look — it makes them feel appropriate for all sorts of occasions. The interior is soft and cushy, the thick soles are puddle-friendly, and the calf is pretty wide, which all work together to make these really comfortable.

I'm not one to wear rain boots for anything other than outdoor activities that require them, but, these have changed me. I'll even wear these on days when the chance of rain is low— they're cute and comfortable, so I don't feel silly wearing them even if it doesn't rain. 

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Our family of 3 traveled the world for 7 months and only spent $288.30 from our savings — here's how

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Mary Kearl and family

  • In 2019, Mary Kearl and her husband left their full-time jobs to travel throughout the US and Central and South America with their one-year-old child.
  • They had saved up and expected to spend $36,000 on their trip, but because they worked while they travelled they only ended up spending $288.30 of their savings.
  • Kearl walked Business Insider through her seven months across the globe, including how they prepared to go abroad and how she managed to make money through freelance work.
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

At the start of 2019, my husband and I left our full-time jobs — where our combined annual income was over $150,000 a year — moved out of our one-bedroom apartment in Marina del Rey, CA, and packed two carry-on sized suitcases, a backpack, and our one-year-old's diaper bag to travel throughout the US and Central and South America.

Over seven months, we visited 12 countries and 48 destinations, traveled 17,020 miles, and took 30 flights (and dozens of boats, trains, and buses) — and only spent $288.30 of our savings, even though we'd set aside and expected to spend $36,000. That's because between the two of us, we managed to make almost as much as we spent, about $35,000. 

Now we're in our eighth month of living out of suitcases, and we've slowed down — we're back in the states while my husband is renovating my family's vacation home in Maine. No longer having to pay for our accommodations, we're actually in the positive, having earned more than what we spent on our travels. 

How did we manage this? By setting and (mostly) sticking to a budget, finding remote freelance work (averaging six hours a week), signing up for a foreign-transaction-fee-free travel rewards card, walking an average of 10,000 steps a day — often replacing paid transportation —  taking long-distance buses instead of planes, filtering water instead of buying it, doing laundry by hand, dining in, and eating out where the locals frequent, among other penny-stretching strategies. And it has helped that our baby's flights, accommodations, and fares for excursions and attractions have almost always been free. 

The full-time remote working life is a goal for many — being able to set your own schedule, get the job done from anywhere in the world, and sightsee after hours. Others may aspire to become social media travel influencers and get paid to post from all over the globe. 

Neither was our dream or reality. I didn't plan on working. Instead, I had the luck of receiving a sizeable project from an existing client right before we left the US, and that gave me the courage to grow my freelance list from one client to 14 throughout our travels in the areas I specialize in: writing, social media, and marketing. Each remote freelance situation has been unique — some have paid me per writing assignment, while others paid me monthly retainers for a specific scope of marketing or social media work.

Saving for and calculating our world travel budget: How accurate were we?

How we saved for this trip is a longer story, but in short, over the course of two years, my husband and I set and stuck to a monthly savings goal, adding to our travel fund each month and keeping daily expenses down by rarely eating out, living in a one-car household (a rarity in LA) and one-bedroom apartment, and biking to work (and most other places) every day. 

To come up with our $36,000 budget, we consulted travel blogs and Budget Your Trip, which provides the average daily cost per "budget," "mid-range," and "luxury" traveler. 

Since we didn't plan to stay in shared accommodations or hitchhike like backpackers might, we figured we should double the mid-range estimate. Looking back, we should have factored our child as at least one-fourth or one-half of one adult's daily costs. For example, for Peru, Budget Your Trip estimates one person on a mid-range budget will spend $46 per day, whereas our daily spend was $106. The cost of diapers, wipes, and whole milk added up.

What we actually spent while traveling

After six months of travel in South America, our average daily spend came to around $110. Broken down by category, it looked like this:

  • Accommodations: $40
  • Food: $29
  • Short-distance transportation (cabs, local public transportation, etc.): $13
  • Attractions: $20
  • Other: $8 

While traveling in El Salvador and the US, we've mostly stayed for free with family and friends, borrowed cars, and cooked meals at home, bringing our daily budget down to $30 to $50, depending on the amount of sight-seeing and longer-distance travel. 

Of course, our average daily costs only tell half the story. Planes, trains, and long bus rides added up to about $14,000, including some unusual detours, like flying to the US to help my mom after an unplanned surgery and to Cabo for a friend's bachelorette. If I were to do this again, figuring out how to cut back on longer-distance travel costs would be my main priority. The final category of spending we budgeted for was monthly recurring costs: travel health insurance and our two phone bills, which added up to about $200 per month. 

SEE ALSO: I make $30,000 a year on the side as an Airbnb 'superhost.' Here's exactly what I do to make sure my revenue keeps going up.

Month 1: January 2019

Travel stats

  • Progress: 3 countries, 6 cities
  • Places visited: Greater San Salvador, El Salvador; Las Vegas, Nevada, US; and Cartagena, Santa Marta, Medellin, and Bogota, Colombia

Remote work stats 

  • Active clients: 1
  • Hours worked per week: 4

In Colombia, we spent the least on food than in any other country in South America — about $19 per day — because we stayed in apartments with fully-equipped kitchens and ate two meals per day at home.



When we ate out, we found low-cost street food, like empanadas and arepas.



Month 2: February 2019

Travel stats

  • Progress: 3 countries, 7 cities
  • Places visited: Bogota, Colombia; Quito, Otavalo, Santa Cruz (Galapagos), Isabella (Galapagos), and San Cristobal (Galapagos), Ecuador; Lima, Peru

Remote work stats 

  • Active clients: 2
  • Hours worked per week: 6

When preparing for Ecuador, we set two separate budgets — one for the mainland and one for the remote Galapagos islands made famous by Darwin, which locals refer to as a "lujo" (or "luxury") to visit. Our goal was to spend $150 a day on the islands and $90 a day on the mainland, but our averages crept up to $185 a day and $150 a day, respectively.



While still busy with the projects I received at the beginning of the year, I interviewed for and landed a US-based freelance writing gig all from the comfort and tranquility of a beautiful remote mountain retreat in Otavalo, Ecuador.



Month 3: March 2019

Travel stats

  • Progress: 4 countries; 12 cities
  • Places visited: Lima, Ollantaytambo, Aguas Caliente/Machu Picchu, Paracas, Huacachina, Cusco, Puno, and Islas Uros, Peru; New York City, NY, US; Greater San Salvador, El Salvador; Copacabana, Isla del Sol, and La Paz, Bolivia

Remote work stats

  • Active clients: 4
  • Hours worked per week: 14

March was the busiest month for gigs and travel. Because I was bringing in more income, we saw some of the pricier parts of Peru, including Machu Picchu, and spent $523 on a three-day tour of the Ica Desert, the Huacachina Oasis, and a private plane tour over the famous Nazca Lines, which can only be seen from the air and are believed to be 2,500 years old.



That new client I landed back in Ecuador had tons of writing assignments for the launch of a new website. Plus, I landed two additional clients, so I squeezed in work between travels and baby's naps.



In transit between Copacabana, considered the cradle of Andean civilization, and La Paz, Bolivia, I worked over a meal while baby slept peacefully in this toddler travel tent.



Month 4: April 2019

Travel stats

  • Progress: 4 countries; 9 cities
  • Places visited: La Paz, Sucre, Santa Cruz, and Samaipata, Bolivia; Asuncion and Ciudad del Este, Paraguay; the Iguazu Falls side of Brazil and Argentina; Manaus, Brazil

Remote work stats 

  • Active clients: 2
  • Hours worked per week: 10

I originally calculated that Bolivia would be our lowest daily budget — estimating we'd spend $60 per day. However, because it was a lower-cost place, we invited our teenage niece, two nephews and my sister-in-law to join us during the kids' spring break. For eight days, we were spending for a family of seven and still managed to spend only about $150 a day.

The big expense of this month was paying $320 for US tourist visas for Paraguay for me and our baby (my husband didn't have to pay because he's a dual citizen and used his El Salvador passport to enter for free). That major one-time expense is the reason our daily average was so high ($172 a day) — subtract that, and our average would be about $92 per day, similar to other countries.

Still, we loved our high-rise apartment overlooking the National Palace (the equivalent of the White House) in Asuncion, where we saw them roll out the red carpet for a state ceremony. Using our travel binoculars, we could make out the president, security staged on the roof and in all corners of the property, and a getaway helicopter.



Our studio apartment made working while baby slept challenging, so I took calls and interviews in the hallway and even up on the rooftop deck.



At the end of the month, I picked up one new client and wrapped things up with two others, and work slowed to 10 hours a week.



That was just as well, as the last week of the month involved spending 18 hours on a bus (national protests shut down traffic in Paraguay) and visiting the breathtaking Iguazu Falls on both the Argentinian and Brazilian sides.



Month 5: May 2019

Travel stats

  • Progress: 3 countries; 7 cities
  • Places visited: Manaus, the Amazon Jungle, Salvador, Rio, and Sao Paulo, Brazil; Cabo San Lucas, Mexico; Buenos Aires, Argentina

Remote work stats 

  • Active clients: 3
  • Hours worked per week: 5

I picked up one new freelance writing client and my husband, who is a tourism and hospitality professional, began remotely managing a rental property on Airbnb and other booking sites.



Our biggest splurge (and savings) of the month was on a three-day, two-night Amazon jungle tour — one of the highlights of our whole trip because of how immersed we became, almost completely off the grid — which we found online for $1,020. Thanks to asking around at tour agencies in person, we paid 230% less at $302.



Month 6: June 2019

Travel stats

  • Progress: 3 countries, 11 cities
  • Places visited: Buenos Aires, Ushuaia, El Calafate, El Chalten, Puerto Blest, Bariloche, and Mendoza, Argentina; Colonia and Montevideo, Uruguay; Puerto Natales and Puerto Varas, Chile

Remote work stats

  • Active clients: 4
  • Hours worked per week: 12 hours

Uruguay was one of the countries where we spent the least on attractions ($0 a day) because we spent so much time sightseeing outside, as we did in Colonia — a beautiful place to catch the sunset, where locals gather for a half hour or more to appreciate the priceless (and free) view. 

By now I learned that some of the best freelancing gigs were to be found in Facebook networking groups, as opposed to traditional job sites like LinkedIn or Indeed. My new client came via a Facebook posting from early May — I applied that same day, and followed up not once but twice. By June, I found myself busy with the kind of assignments I could do on my own schedule without any calls — best for my unpredictable schedule and Wi-Fi. 



Month 7: July 2019

Travel stats

  • Progress: 4 countries; 5 cities
  • Places visited: Mendoza, Argentina; Valparaiso and Santiago, Chile; Greater San Salvador, El Salvador; and New York City, NY, US

Remote work stats 

  • Active clients: 2
  • Hours worked per week: 5

I've heard July is notoriously slow for freelancers, which was true and just as well for me. Winter had arrived and we were losing daylight and energy — sleeping in about 59 different beds over six months was catching up.

I had ambitions of reaching the remote Easter Island, but the thought of spending about $1,000 and six hours to fly there made me refocus my goal on appreciating the highlights we saw, including the extremes of urban Valparaiso and majestic Torres del Paine.



Where to next?

The big question from our friends, family, and ourselves is: Now that we have more or less broken even from working part-time remotely while traveling, will we keep traveling or settle down? For now, the answer is yes and yes. 

The next chapter will involve finding a place to call home, while having the confidence to pick (and pack) up and continue our working and traveling lives the next time we get the urge to see more of the world once again.

A graduate of NYU with a BA in journalism and Baruch College Zicklin School of Business with an MBA in marketing, Mary Kearl is a professional writer and digital marketer with over 11 years of experience. She's written for AOL, Forbes, HuffPost, Target, Zillow, and many other publications, websites, and brands. As a digital and social marketer, she's worked for Adobe, the New York City Marathon, and other startups and small businesses. Follow her remote work/travel life on Instagram @SeetheWorldParents. Learn more on her website and feel free to connect on Twitter @marykearl and LinkedIn.



The 25 major US companies with the best work-life balance

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work from home

  • Job-listing site Comparably just released its annual ranking of the 25 large companies where employees have the best work-life balance.
  • Major retailers like Starbucks and Target boasted good work-life balances.
  • Tech companies like Zoom, Intuit, and Dynatrace also ranked in the top 10 companies.
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Goodbye office ping-pong and other outlandish perks: these days, workers are increasingly looking for companies that offer flexible work hours.

In fact, millennials and Gen Z candidates list work-life balance as one of their top company perks.

Read more:The 25 major US companies with the happiest employees

Job-listing site Comparably analyzed anonymous employee feedback on their website to measure fair pay, perks, benefits, and work environment to find out what companies are the best at offering employees flexible schedules.

Retailers like Starbucks and Target topped the list, while computer software and other tech companies like Intuit also gave employees work-life balance.

Here are the 25 major companies where employees have the best work-life balance, plus worker quotes provided by Comparably from user posts. You can find a longer list with 25 small to midsize companies (as well as Comparably's methodology) here.

SEE ALSO: The 25 small US companies with the happiest employees

25. Ultimate Software (computer software)

Location: Weston, Florida

Employee quote: "We have unlimited paid time off so we can spend time doing the things that we love outside of work, like travel, hobbies and family time." 



24. Genesis10 (information technology and services)

Location: New York City, New York

Employee quote: "Forward thinking when it comes to work life balance — flexible timings for employees."



23. Anritsu (electrical manufacturing)

Location: Morgan Hill, California

Employee quote: "Good work-life balance and good friendly people." 



22. Stryker (medical device)

Location: Kalamazoo, Michigan

Employee quote: "I like being able to work virtually. It is wonderful for my lifestyle/family." 



21. Fuze (computer software)

Location: Boston, Massachusetts

Employee quote: "Freedom and flexibility! It not only increases productive, but boosts life quality." 



20. ADP (human resources)

Location: Roseland, New Jersey

Employee quote: "ADP provides an environment that is challenging with an understanding that work-life balance is important as well." 



19. Golden Hippo (marketing and advertising)

Location: Woodland Hills, California

Employee quote: "They give me the flexibility I need to be a mother but also push me to be better and learn more skills."



18. KeepTruckin (computer software)

Location: San Francisco, California

Employee quote: "We are collaborative, everyone is so supportive, helpful, always there for each other in every aspect, work or even outside of work with your personal life." 



17. Pipedrive (computer software)

Location: New York City, New York

Employee quote: "Love that there are no fixed timetables and the possibility to work from home. The office itself is quiet and your team is always there for you."



16. Kohl's (retail)

Location: Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin

Employee quote: "I really appreciate the flexibility of hours and days worked."



15. Vector Marketing (consumer goods)

Location: Olean, New York

Employee quote: "Their priority is their people as human beings with real lives in and out of the business." 



14. Workfront (computer software)

Location: Lehi, Utah

Employee quote: "Family comes first, so they understand work-life balance." 



13. HubSpot (internet)

Location: Cambridge, Massachusetts

Employee quote: "I love the unlimited vacation and autonomy to work remotely as needed." 



12. Cherwell Software (computer software)

Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado

Employee quote: "Flexible working from home is the best part of my compensation package." 



11. LogMeIn (computer software)

Location: Boston, Massachusetts

Employee quote: "Great team, focused on the goals but limiting themselves with boundaries." 



10. Costco (retail)

Location: Issaquah, Washington

Employee quote: "Outstanding network for outside resources such as counseling, finding daycare, legal, in home care to name just a few."



9. DoorDash (internet)

Location: San Francisco, California

Employee quote: "They understand that people have lives so they aren't able to work everyday of the week." 



8. Globant (information technology & services)

Location: San Francisco, California

Employee quote: "Flexible hours and chill out spaces allow me to grow both as a professional and personally."



7. Northside Hospital (hospital and healthcare)

Location: Atlanta, Georgia

Employee quote: "They are very compassionate to self-care needs of the employees and do not overwork them."



6. Zoom Video Communications (information technology and services)

Location: San Jose, California

Employee quote: "The leadership team is intelligent, empathetic and caring. They understand the importance of excelling professionally but care just as much about our personal life happiness."



5. Trimble (electronic manufacturing)

Location: Sunnyvale, California

Employee quote: "The flexibility is perfect and shows that the company cares about personal lives just as much as professional lives."



4. Target (retail)

Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota

Employee quote: "I really appreciate the chance they have given me. When my mother was sick they let me turn my schedule around to fit her needs." 



3. Dynatrace (computer software)

Location: Waltham, Massachusetts

Employee quote: "I love the flexibility to work in a virtual environment. It allows me to get up and be productive quickly and longer throughout the day because I do not have to deal with commute time."



2. Intuit (computer software)

Location: Mountain View, California

Employee quote: "It's a collaborative, respectful work environment that has great work-life balance, recognizing that we can run a marathon together, but with no expectations that people can sprint a marathon."



1. Starbucks (retail)

Location: Seattle, Washington

Employee quote: "Leadership is flexible and understanding." 



The 15 Florida cities everyone in the country is moving to

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vero beach florida

  • Lots of Americans have moved to Florida over the last decade.
  • Using data from the Census Bureau, we found the 15 metro areas in the state with the highest net domestic migration between 2010 and 2018.
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Americans have been flocking south for decades, and Florida has been a big beneficiary of that migration.

Business Insider recently took a look at the US cities with the highest net migration since 2010, and noticed that over half of them were in the Sunshine State. For this list, we decided to focus on the places within Florida that have attracted the most newcomers over the last decade.

Using data from the US Census Bureau, we ranked the metropolitan statistical areas in Florida by total net migration between 2010 and 2018 — the number of people who moved into the metro area during that period from another part of the US or another country, minus people who moved out of the metro area — adjusted by the metro area's 2010 population.

Here are the top 15 metro areas in Florida by that metric:

15. Ocala had net migration of 39,511 between 2010 and 2018 — 11.9% of the metro's 2010 population of 331,298.



14. Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville had net migration of 66,747 between 2010 and 2018 — 12.3% of the metro's 2010 population of 543,376.



13. Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater had net migration of 344,163 between 2010 and 2018 — 12.4% of the metro's 2010 population of 2,783,243.



12. Homosassa Springs had net migration of 18,293 between 2010 and 2018 — 13.0% of the metro's 2010 population of 141,236.



11. Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin had net migration of 32,718 between 2010 and 2018 — 13.9% of the metro's 2010 population of 235,865.



10. Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormund Beach had net migration of 87,461 between 2010 and 2018 — 14.8% of the metro's 2010 population of 590,289.



9. Port St. Lucie had net migration of 62,896 between 2010 and 2018 — 14.8% of the metro's 2010 population of 424,107.



8. Lakeland-Winter Haven had net migration of 96,548 between 2010 and 2018 — 16.0% of the metro's 2010 population of 602,095.



7. Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford had net migration of 344,022 between 2010 and 2018 — 16.1% of the metro's 2010 population of 2,134,411.



6. Naples-Immokalee-Marco Island had net migration of 56,188 between 2010 and 2018 — 17.5% of the metro's 2010 population of 321,520.



5. Sebastian-Vero Beach had net migration of 24,647 between 2010 and 2018 — 17.9% of the metro's 2010 population of 138,028.



4. North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton had net migration of 140,889 between 2010 and 2018 — 20.1% of the metro's 2010 population of 702,281.



3. Cape Coral-Fort Myers had net migration of 135,696 between 2010 and 2018 — 21.9% of the metro's 2010 population of 618,754.



2. Punta Gorda had net migration of 36,551 between 2010 and 2018 — 22.8% of the metro's 2010 population of 159,978.



1. The Villages had net migration of 43,639 between 2010 and 2018 — 46.7% of the metro's 2010 population of 93,420.



20 TV shows that Prime members can watch for free right now on Amazon Prime Video

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  • If you're ok with giving up hundreds of channels, you can save a lot of money by saying goodbye to cable and paring down to a few streaming services that offer the content you actually want to watch. 
  • If you have an Amazon Prime membership, you automatically get access to Prime Video, which hosts a catalog of thousands of movies and TV shows— ranging from Amazon Originals to classics from providers like Showtime and HBO. 
  • Whether you're trying to cut the cord, or want something to complement your cable with even more variety, Prime Video is an awesome service that (with your Prime membership) comes at no extra cost to you, but provides you with a variety of binge-worthy content. 

Cable subscriptions are expensive, and most of us don't want hundreds of channels anyways — we want access to the shows we want, when we want to watch them. There are a lot of strategies to cut the cord and still feel like you're getting all the cable consumption you need. If you have Hulu, Netflix, or Amazon Prime, finally saying goodbye to your cable bill may be easier than you think. 

If you have Amazon Prime, chances are you opted in for the speedy, free delivery, but there are plenty of other benefits you can get from your membership. In my opinion, one of Amazon Prime's best perks is Prime Video. The video-streaming service lets you stream thousands of titles, spanning movies and TV shows, including a range of original Prime content and critically acclaimed classics. There are also plenty of movies and shows on Amazon that you can rent or buy for an added fee, but the selection included in your Prime membership is pretty generous. 

Whether you want to binge-watch old episodes of "Sopranos" or laugh along with an Amazon original like "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel," you're at no loss of choice with Prime Video. 

Keep reading for 20 of the best TV shows you can stream for free on Prime Video. Also check out the best movies to stream for free on Prime Video right now.

Series descriptions are provided by Amazon and lightly edited for length. Seasons available are included in description, though you can purchase any seasons not included in your Prime membership for an added fee. 

"Fleabag"

Watch it here

"Fleabag" is a hilarious and poignant window into the mind of a dry-witted, sexual, angry, grief-riddled woman, as she hurls herself at modern living in London. Award-winning playwright Phoebe Waller-Bridge writes and stars as Fleabag, an unfiltered woman trying to heal, while rejecting anyone who tries to help her and keeping up her bravado all along.



"The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel"

Watch it here

In 1958 New York, Midge Maisel's life is on track husband, kids, and elegant Yom Kippur dinners in their Upper West Side apartment. But when her life takes a surprise turn, she has to quickly decide what else she's good at and going from housewife to stand-up comic is a wild choice to everyone but her.



"The Sopranos"

Watch it here

HBO's hit series "The Sopranos" takes a realistic, darkly humorous look at members of a suburban New Jersey family, whose patriarch Tony Soprano happens to be a mob boss. 



"Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan"

Watch it here

When CIA analyst Jack Ryan stumbles upon a suspicious series of bank transfers his search for answers pulls him from the safety of his desk job and catapults him into a deadly game of cat and mouse throughout Europe and the Middle East, with a rising terrorist figurehead preparing for a massive attack against the US and her allies.



"Curb Your Enthusiasm"

Watch it here

In one of HBO's hit comedy series, Larry David stars as ... Larry David and displays the same hopelessly abrasive personality that gets him into endless trouble with relatives, friends, business associates and more. 

Seasons 1-8 included with Prime 



"Spongebob Squarepants"

Watch it here

Ahoy, mateys! Dive into SpongeBob SquarePants, filled with waterlogged hilarity and nautical nonsense! "Ripped Pants," "Nature Pants," "Scaredy Pants," and much more — it's an unsinkable good time with the silliest sea sponge around!

Seasons 1-5 included with Prime 



"Downton Abbey"

Watch it here

A sprawling, lavish Edwardian mansion nestled in the Yorkshire landscape needs an heir. Dame Maggie Smith stars as Violet, the stubborn Dowager Countess of Grantham and matriarch of Downton. Hugh Bonneville stars as her son, the stoic, unflappable Lord Crawley. Elizabeth McGovern is his far-sighted American wife, Cora. From Academy Award-winner Julian Fellowes, this is the original un-edited UK version of the program.

 



"Veep"

Watch it here

Julia Louis-Dreyfus is the Vice President of the United States in this HBO comedy series that follows her whirlwind existence.

Seasons 1-2 included with Prime



"Sex and the City"

Watch it here

Sarah Jessica Parker stars in this hit comedy series as a writer whose life and friendships are fodder for her weekly society column.



"Suits"

Watch it here

"Suits" centers on a fast-paced Manhattan corporate law firm led by legendary lawyer Harvey Specter, his intelligent but delicate partner, Louis Litt, and secretary-turned-COO Donna Paulsen.

Seasons 1-8 included with Prime



"Parks and Recreation"

Watch it here

From Emmy Award winning executive producers and writers Greg Daniels and Michael Schur comes a new comedy about a place where nothing always gets done ... small town government.



"The Romanoffs"

Watch it here

From the creator of "Mad Men", "The Romanoffs" is a contemporary anthology series set around the globe featuring eight separate stories about people who believe themselves to be descendants of the Russian royal family.

 



"Transparent"

Watch it here

When the Pfefferman family patriarch makes a dramatic admission, the entire family's secrets start to spill out, and each of them spin in a different direction as they begin to figure out who they are going to become. 



"American Horror Story"

Watch it here

"American Horror Story" revolves around The Harmons, a family of three who moved from Boston to Los Angeles as a means to reconcile past anguish.

Seasons 1-7 included with Prime



"Workaholics"

Watch it here

Whether dodging drug tests, tripping with robbers or befriending a predator, it's all in a day's (avoiding) work for three best buds heading into the job market — and looking for the beer aisle. 



"Mr. Robot"

Watch it here

"Mr. Robot" follows Elliot, a young programmer who works as a cyber-security engineer by day and a vigilante hacker by night. Elliot finds himself at a crossroads when the mysterious leader of an underground hacker group recruits him to destroy the corporation he is paid to protect.



"Psych"

Watch it here

James Roday plays the somewhat eccentric Shawn Spencer, a police consultant who solves crimes with powers of observation so acute that the police think he's psychic — or so he lets them think.



"Entourage"

Watch it here

Your best friend's star is rising in Hollywood, and there's only one thing to do: join his entourage. This HBO comedy series takes a none-too-serious look at the life of Vince Chase, a hot young actor, and his three buddies in Hollywood.



"Billions"

Watch it here

Brilliant hedge fund titan Bobby "Axe" Axelrod and brash US District Attorney Chuck Rhoades play a dangerous, winner-take-all game of cat and mouse where the stakes run into ten figures. 

Season 1 included with Prime



"House"

Watch it here

Dr. Gregory House is devoid of bedside manner and wouldn't even talk to his patients if he could get away with it. Dealing with his own constant physical pain, he uses a cane that seems to punctuate his acerbic, brutally honest demeanor while his unconventional thinking and flawless instincts have afforded him a great deal of respect.



The richest American 37 years ago wouldn't even make it onto the Forbes billionaires list today

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jeff bezos

The rich are only getting richer — the gap between rich and poor in the US has never been wider— and one tidbit from Forbes' most recent billionaires list makes that abundantly clear.

Forbes just released its 2019 edition of the Forbes 400 list, which ranks the richest billionaires in America. The richest American is Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, who's worth a staggering $114 billion. Bill Gates joins Bezos in the $100-billionaire club, with a net worth of $106 billion.

But the Forbes list looked very different just 37 years ago.

"When Forbes published our first list of the 400 richest Americans back in 1982, the poorest person to make the rarefied club was worth $91 million, while the richest, Daniel Keith Ludwig, topped out at $2 billion," Catherine Perloff wrote for Forbes. "That wouldn't even get Ludwig a spot at the bottom of the list today."

On this year's Forbes 400, the 13 people tied for last place are each worth $2.1 billion.

Even considering inflation, Ludwig's 1982 net worth of $2 billion would only be worth about $3.03 billion today, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' inflation calculator.

The five richest people in the US today are worth a combined $435.4 billion, which would have been unthinkable in 1982.

Read more:The 5 richest men in the US have a staggering combined wealth of $435.4 billion. That's more than 2% of America's GDP.

rich people

The US is home to an estimated 705 billionaires, more than any other country in the world, Business Insider's Hillary Hoffower previously reported. 

But as the rich get increasingly richer in America, the middle class isn't faring so well. Income inequality is at a record high, the middle class is shrinking, and even some households earning six figures feel like they're middle class.

SEE ALSO: Meet the 15 youngest, richest American billionaires

DON'T MISS: The 5 richest men in the US have a staggering combined wealth of $435.4 billion. That's more than 2% of America's GDP.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Jeff Bezos is worth over $160 billion — here's how the world's richest man makes and spends his money

How to change the iCloud account on your iPad, or add a different account just for app purchases

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apple ipad

  • You can easily change the iCloud account currently associated with your iPad by signing out of your old account and into your new account in the Settings app.
  • You can also maintain two different accounts: one for syncing your iCloud storage, and another for iTunes and App Store purchases.
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

iCloud is extremely helpful for syncing data across all of your Apple devices. When activated, items like your photo library and apps will sync on your iPhone, iPad, and Macbook laptop whenever you're connected to the internet. The feature is also used for Apple Pay and backups.

While having constant access to this data is great, you may want to use a different account specifically for song and app purchases. 

This is especially common if you're using Apple's Family Sharing feature, where one member's account (and credit card) is used for all iTunes & App Store purchases.

To change your iCloud account on an iPad, you can sign out of your current account and sign in to a new account in the Settings app. There, you can also specify separate accounts for data syncing and purchases. 

If you've never signed in to an iCloud account on your device before, you can skip the "Sign out" step and scroll down to the "Sign in" steps.

Check out the products mentioned in this article:

iPad (From $329.99 at Best Buy)

How to change the iCloud account on your iPad

Sign out of your current iCloud account

1. Open the Settings app on your iPad.

2. Tap on your name at the top of the left sidebar. This will bring you to your Apple ID account page, which includes your iCloud, iTunes & App Store, and Family Sharing details. You can also see a list of all the devices on your account. 

image 1

3. Scroll down and tap "Sign Out." If you're currently using the "Find My" service, your device may prompt you to enter your Apple ID password to first turn this function off.

4. A pop-up will then ask, "Keep a copy of your data on this iPad?" You can opt to keep a copy of your Calendars, Contacts, Keychain passwords, Reminders, and Safari pages if you so choose.

5. After selecting any data you may like to keep, tap "Sign Out" in the right hand corner of the pop-up.

6. You will be prompted with, "Are you sure?" Tap the red "Sign Out" option to confirm.

image_2

It may take up to a minute to finish removing all of your iCloud data from your iPad. Once complete, this essentially restores your iPad to its original settings, albeit with the data you saved, and you can now log in with a new iCloud account. 

Sign in to your new iCloud account

1. Navigate back to the Settings app, where your iPad is no longer signed into an account.

2. Tap "Sign in to your iPad" at the top of the left sidebar.

image 3

3. Enter your Apple ID and password.

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4. You may be asked to enter a verification code sent to another device as a security measure. Enter that code if needed (usually sent to your iPhone).

5. You may also have to enter your iPad's passcode if your device's lock screen is secured.

It may take a few minutes to load all of the photos and apps synced from your new iCloud account onto your iPad. 

Signing in automatically links the iCloud account to everything on your iPad, including the iTunes & App Store. If you want to use a separate account for these purchases, you can easily differentiate with two different accounts.

How to change the iCloud account on an iPad for iTunes and App Store purchases

1. Once again, go to Settings app on your iPad and tap your name at the top of the sidebar.

2. Tap "iTunes & App Store."

3. You can also access this page by scrolling down the sidebar and tapping "iTunes & Apple Store" there. Both options will bring you to the same page.

4. If an Apple ID is currently signed in for the iTunes & App Store, tap on the blue "Apple ID" at the very top of the page and then select "Sign Out."

5. Tap "Sign In" once you're logged out.

image 5

6. Enter the Apple ID and password for the account you want to use for purchases when prompted.

This switch ensures that a specific iCloud account is used for just iTunes & App Store purchases, but the rest of your iPad is still linked to another account for backups and syncing data across multiple devices.

Related coverage from How To Do Everything: Tech

SEE ALSO: The best iPad cases you can buy

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: 5 things wrong with Apple's lightning cable


'Why is my iPhone camera black?': How to fix your iPhone camera if it isn't working properly

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  • If your iPhone camera appears black when trying to take a photo, there are a few simple ways to fix it. 
  • First, make sure your iPhone camera isn't physically blocked by a case, another surface, or even your own fingers. 
  • You can also switch camera modes, restart the Camera app, update to the latest iOS, or reset your iPhone to fix it. 
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Newer iPhones feature amazing cameras capable of taking professional grade portraits and recording truly cinematic video. 

You can capture 12-megapixel images, high definition video, slow motion clips, and amazing panoramic images. 

But the high-quality hardware built into these phones is worthless if the software that utilizes them isn't working. 

If your iPhone has a black screen when you try to take photos, it's almost always a software issue, not a problem with the lenses or sensors.

Here's what you can do to fix it. 

Check out the products mentioned in this article:

iPhone 11 (from $699.99 at Best Buy)

Why your iPhone camera is black, and how to fix it

First, make sure your iPhone lens isn't simply physically blocked, such as by a phone case, a sleeve, a part of a tripod, or your own hand.

Barring that simple fix, here are four more ways to fix an iPhone with a black camera screen:

Switch cameras or close the app and reopen it

Toggling from the forward-facing to the rear-facing camera usually resets the Camera app, bringing the view through the selected lens back into focus. 

IMG_5854

You can also double-tap the home button, swipe up to close the camera app, and relaunch it seconds later. This will usually get it to work properly. 

Restart your iPhone

If restarting the camera app did not fix the black screen issue, restart your iPhone

Hold the side lock button down until the "Slide to power off" bar appears and then shut down the phone.

IMG_5856

Turn off the VoiceOver feature

Many iPhone users experience camera glitches while VoiceOver is enabled, so shut it down and try the Camera app again. 

In the "Settings" app go to the "General" tab, then tap "Accessibility." Now open the "VoiceOver" tab and toggle it to off.

IMG_5855

Update or reset your phone

If none of those fixes have worked, first go into the Settings app and check for iOS updates at the top of the menu — an updated system may fix the camera glitch. 

If none is awaiting you, there are two levels of reset to attempt.

IMG_5857

To reset your settings alone, go through the Settings app to "General," then "Reset," then "Reset All Settings" and confirm with your passcode.

To reset your iPhone entirely, start with the same process, but rather than "Reset All Settings," select "Erase All Content and Settings," conform with your code, then hit the ominous button "Erase iPhone."

Read more:How to reset an iPhone to its factory settings, whether you're selling it or troubleshooting the device

This reset method will erase all of the content on your phone and is reserved for a last ditch effort. Make sure to backup your iPhone before you do it.

Related coverage from How To Do Everything: Tech:

SEE ALSO: The best iPhone for every type of person and budget

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: I cleaned my entire apartment with 4 of Amazon's highest-rated cleaning robots, but I could've done a much better job myself

Anyone tired of the same Halloween candy every year should try this box from Universal Yums — it contains 300 pieces of candy from 6 different countries

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  • Universal Yums, a subscription service that sends snacks from a different country every month, sells a special, limited-edition Halloween Box ($39) to make the holiday more exciting this year. 
  • The box contains 300 pieces of candy from six different countries (Italy, Thailand, Greece, Colombia, Ukraine, and Spain). After some fun taste-testing, we agreed the standouts were the pop rock-filled chocolate truffles and sour-centered grape taffy. 
  • It's is a great way to discover new treats and eat something other than the usual, same old candy during Halloween. 

My favorite holiday, Halloween, is coming up soon. Of course, I like putting up spooky decorations, squeezing my friends' hands through horror movies, and marveling over everyone's creative costumes.

Most of all, however, I'm in it for the candy. Halloween is one of the few times of the year when I can eat candy with reckless abandon and not feel guilty for it. Like everyone else, I have my favorites (namely Haribo and Trolli gummies, Twix, and good old-fashioned Hershey's milk chocolate bars), but even I get bored of them sometimes, and I'm always on the lookout for new and interesting candies to try. 

This year, I got my Halloween wish in the form of the Universal Yums Halloween Box ($39). This box contains 300 pieces of candy from six different countries, plus a custom tray with six bowls to hold each type of candy and make it easy for trick-or-treaters or party guests to grab their pick. 

universal yums halloween candy 2

Taking a closer look inside the box

Universal Yums is a subscription box that sends you snacks and candies from a different country every month. These treats are usually very difficult or impossible to find in the US. 

The Halloween Box, which is only available for a limited time, follows the same concept. The candies in this particular box hail from Italy, Thailand, Greece, Colombia, Ukraine, and Spain. Our team had never heard of any of the brands included, and we had a lot of fun taste-testing each one of the candies and debating our personal favorites.

These are the six types of candy included in the Halloween Box: 

  • Orange Toffee (Spain)
  • Pineapple Salt Candy (Thailand)
  • Milky Splash Toffee (Ukraine)
  • Strawberry Popping Chocolate (Italy)
  • Sour Grape Chewy Candy (Colombia)
  • Milk Chocolate Wafers (Greece)

universal yums halloween candy 3

The Milky Splash Toffee was a too sweet and rich for my taste, but I liked the Milk Chocolate Wafers (somewhat like a Loacker wafer), and I loved the Strawberry Popping Chocolate and Sour Grape Chewy Candy. My colleagues also couldn't get enough of the pop rock-filled chocolate truffles, which were both fun and delicious to eat. The grape candy is chewy like taffy, with a Warheads-level sour center that jolts you awake with each bite. 

I usually try to restrain myself during the work day and eat relatively healthy, but I couldn't resist picking up a few candies from the assortment every time I passed by the desk they sat at. Although we're still working through the 300-piece pile, I'm already not looking forward to the day we run out. 

The bottom line 

For someone like me with a major sweet tooth, the Halloween Box from Universal Yums is a great way to experience sweet (and sour) treats through a new and exciting lens. If you decide to share the haul with your trick-or-treaters or partygoers, they'll appreciate that they're not getting the same old candy they receive every year. 

Get the limited-edition Universal Yums Halloween Box for $39

Join the conversation about this story »

How to go full screen in almost any app on a Mac, so you can focus and block out distractions

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macbook pro wwdc

  • You can make almost any program go full screen on a Mac to help you focus on what's in front of you.
  • On Mac computers, there are even keyboard shortcuts you can use to turn full screen on and off for whatever app you're using. 
  • Here's how to go full screen in an app on your Mac, and how to get out of full screen mode.
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

When you have a lot going on, getting yourself to focus on what's most important can be difficult. That's why there are so many articles floating around the internet about how to prioritize tasks, like turning off your Wi-Fi while you write or taking regular breaks.

When it comes to your Mac computer, the same sort of ultra-focus can be achieved by using the full screen feature in whatever app you're working in. And it's extremely easy to go full screen — and exit it later — once you know how.

Check out the products mentioned in this article:

MacBook Pro (From $1,299.99 at Best Buy)

How to go full screen on a Mac

There are a few ways to get this done once you've opened the app you want to view in full screen mode:

  • Click the green button in the top-left corner of the window.

Screen Shot 2019 10 02 at 4.57.36 PM

  • Press Control + Command + F.
  • If your volume controls aren't bound to it, press F11.

Then, when you want to get out of full screen mode, there are a couple of ways to do that:

  • Press Control + Command + F again.
  • Move your cursor up to the top of the screen, and when the top toolbar appears, click the green button in the top-left corner.

Related coverage from How To Do Everything: Tech:

SEE ALSO: The best truly wireless earbuds you can buy

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An airline pilot reveals the meanings of 23 code words passengers don't understand

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 Qatar Airways Business Class Q Suite


For most of us, flying is still an inherently mysterious activity.

To shed some light on the world of commercial air travel, Business Insider turned to Patrick Smith for some answers. Smith is not only an author and aviation blogger, but he is also a long-time commercial airline pilot flying Boeing 757 and Boeing 767 jets.

Smith, who wrote "Cockpit Confidential," compiled a glossary of commonly misunderstood airline jargon on his website, AskThePilot.

According to Smith, some of the terms are highly technological while others are quite humorous and even a bit absurd. Here's a selection of entries:

This article was originally published by Benjamin Zhang in April 2017. It was updated by David Slotnick in October 2019.

SEE ALSO: How Airbus became Boeing's greatest rival

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"Doors to arrival and crosscheck."

Used in a sample sentence: "Flight attendants, doors to arrival and crosscheck."

Definition: The announcement, usually made by the lead flight attendant as the plane is approaching the gate, is to verify that the emergency escape slides attached to each door have been disarmed — otherwise the slide will deploy automatically as soon as the door is opened. 

 



"All-call."

Used in a sample sentence: "Flight attendants, doors to arrival, crosscheck and all-call."

Definition: According to Smith, all-call is usually part of the door arming/disarming procedure. "This is a request that each flight attendant report via intercom from his or her station — a sort of flight attendant conference call," he wrote.



"Holding pattern."

Definition: "A racetrack-shaped course flown during weather or traffic delays," Smith wrote. "Published holding patterns are depicted on aeronautical charts, but one can be improvised almost anywhere."



"At this time."

Used in a sample sentence: "At this time, we ask that you please put away all electronic devices."

Definition: Now.  Smith calls this phrase "air travel's signature euphemism."



"Flight level."

Used in a sample sentence: "We’ve now reached our cruising altitude of flight level three-three-zero. I’ll go ahead and turn off the seatbelt sign."

Definition: "There’s a technical definition of flight level, but I’m not going to bore you with it," Smith wrote.

According to the long-time airline pilot, flight level is simply a fancy way of saying how many thousands of feet the plane is above sea level.

"Just add a couple of zeroes. Flight level three-three zero is 33,000 feet," he explained.



"Last minute paperwork."

Used in a sample sentence: "We're just finishing up some last minute paperwork and should be underway shortly…"

Definition: For many of us, this announcement is a precursor to a delay. According to Smith, this "paperwork" is usually a revision of the flight plan, something to do with the plane's weight-and-balance record, or simply waiting for the maintenance staff to get the flight's logbook in order. 



"Ground stop."

Used in a sample sentence: "Sorry folks, but there's a ground stop on all flights headed south from here."

Definition: "The point when departures to one or more destinations are curtailed by air traffic control; usually due to a traffic backlog," Smith wrote. 

 

 



"Air pocket."

Definition: A colloquial term for a jolt of turbulence. 



"Equipment."

Used in a sample sentence: "Due to an equipment change, departure for Heathrow is delayed three hours."

Definition: The airplane. "Is there not something strange about the refusal to call the focal object of the entire industry by its real name?" Smith wrote. 



"Flightdeck."

Definition: Cockpit.



"First Officer (Co-Pilot)."

Definition: The first officer or co-pilot is the second in command of the plane and sits on the right side of the cockpit wearing three stripes on his or her shoulder.

"He or she is fully qualified to operate the aircraft in all stages of flight, including takeoffs and landings, and does so in alternating turns with the captain," Smith wrote.



"Final approach."

Used in a sample sentence: "Ladies and gentlemen, we are now on our final approach into Miami."

Definition: "For pilots, an airplane is on final approach when it has reached the last, straight-in segment of the landing pattern — that is, aligned with the extended centerline of the runway, requiring no additional turns or maneuvering," Smith wrote. "Flight attendants speak of final approach on their own more general terms, in reference to the latter portion of the descent."



"Deadhead."

Definition: According to Smith, a pilot or flight attendant who is deadheading onboard a flight is one that is traveling to a destination to be repositioned as part of an on-duty assignment. "This is not the same as commuting to work or engaging in personal travel," he clarified.



"Direct flight."

Definition: Whether or not a flight is "direct" has nothing to do with how many stops it makes on the way to the destination. Instead, a direct flight is defined as a routing where the flight number does not change.

"This is a carryover from the days when flights between major cities routinely made intermediate stops, sometimes several of them," Smith wrote. 

 



"Nonstop flight."

Definition: A flight that doesn't make any stops along the way.



"EFC time."

Used in a sample sentence: "We've been given an EFC time of 15 minutes after the hour."

Definition: EFC time is short for expect further clearance time. It's also sometimes referred to as a release time. The EFC time "is the point at which a crew expects to be set free from a holding pattern or exempted from a ground stop," Smith said.



"Wheels-up time."

Definition: Wheels-up time "refers to the point when a ground-stopped plane is expected to be fully airborne," Smith explained.

The flight and ground crew must have the plane "at or near the runway as close to this time as possible."



"The ramp."

Used in a sample sentence: "We're sorry, your suitcase was crushed by a 747 out on the ramp."

Definition: The ramp is the area closest to the terminal where planes and vehicles are active such as the aircraft parking zones. 

Again, this is a relic from the early days of aviation. "In the early days of aviation, many aircraft were amphibious seaplanes or floatplanes. If a plane wasn't flying, it was either in the water or it was 'on the ramp,'" Smith wrote. 



"Alley."

Used in a sample sentence: "We're waiting for another plane to move out of the alley."

Definition: It's a passageway between terminals or ramps. 



"Apron."

Definition: According to Smith, the apron is pretty much any expanse of pavement that's not a taxiway or a runway. This includes areas where planes are parked or serviced. 



"Final and immediate boarding call."

Definition: "A flamboyant way of telling slow-moving passengers to get their asses in gear," Smith wrote. "It provides more urgency than just 'final call' or 'last call.'"



"Area of weather."

Used in a sample sentence: "Due to an area of weather over New Jersey, we'll be turning southbound toward Philadelphia."

Definition: According to Smith, this usually means a thunderstorm or a zone of heavy precipitation.



"The floor area."

Used in a sample sentence: "Please check the floor area around your seat for personal items."

Definition: The floor. 



The woman who founded top health-tech VC Rock Health is now launching her first startup with $5 million, and it shows that a long-neglected market is heating up

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Natalist Halle Tecco

  • As a cofounder of the well-regarded venture-capital firm Rock Health, Halle Tecco is a major name in the world of digital health startups.
  • Tecco is now starting her own: a women's-health-focused startup called Natalist, which has raised $5 million. Natalist's first offering is a subscription bundle for women who are seeking to get pregnant.
  • The idea came out of Tecco's experiences trying to get pregnant. It was important to Tecco and her team that these products be easy to use, backed by science, and stigma-free, she said.
  • Startups like Natalist that ship health products right to your door have become a big business. But in bypassing prescription drugs and focusing on women, Natalist is taking a fresh new approach.
  • Click here for more BI Prime stories.

While trying to get pregnant, Halle Tecco found herself "running around" the drugstore far too often.

Everything she needed was spread across different aisles. And when she brought the products home, they were too clunky for a bathroom cabinet, lacking the streamlined design of beauty products she loved and bought.

As a Harvard Business School graduate and cofounder and former CEO of the venture-capital firm Rock Health, Tecco was also the rare consumer well-equipped to do something about it.

So she started a new company, Natalist, aimed at bringing an easy-to-use, science-backed, stigma-free approach to women's health. Natalist's first product offering is a "Get Pregnant" bundle delivering products like prenatal vitamins and ovulation tests right to a customer's door. The company, which is Tecco's first stint in the role of startup CEO, has raised $5 million in funding from investors like Rock Health and angel investors like Stitch Fix founder and CEO Katrina Lake and Kleiner Perkins's John Doerr. 

When it comes to fertility, Tecco's experience taught her there's "a lot of misinformation, a lot of secrecy and shame," she said. The idea is "to help people that are just starting to try and understand that the journey can look a million different ways." Tecco's son was born in 2016.

Natalist women's health productsThe Get Pregnant bundle is available either as a subscription, at $81 a month, or as a one-time $90 purchase. Products in the bundle, which were custom developed for Natalist, from the contents to the box and wrapper, are also available on their own. The set includes:

  • Prenatal vitamins: a one-month supply of a prenatal multivitamin and a one-month supply of an omega DHA supplement
  • Ovulation tests (7): used to time sexual activity and improve chances of conceiving
  • Pregnancy tests (3): these early-result tests, which can be used five days before an expected period, can give women speedy answers, according to Natalist
  • "Conception 101" book: a 64-page, doctor- and scientist-written guide, steering customers through everything from "concept to conception," including tips and tools for how to get pregnant

Natalist kit Halle Tecco

The offerings came out of a survey that Natalist did of about 1,200 women to look at their experiences and which products were most helpful to them.

The startup's chief medical adviser, Dr. Nazaneen Homaifar, and chief scientific officer, Elizabeth Kane, who holds a doctorate in neuroscience from Harvard, also reviewed the scientific evidence in support, narrowing it down to "what we consider the essentials," Tecco said.

"That's the market we're going after: helping people get pregnant naturally and in a healthy way," she said.

In line with that, a section of Natalist's website says the company doesn't sell things like crystals and fertility tea because it's "committed to not wasting your time or money with products that failed science class."

The Get Pregnant bundle is Natalist's flagship offering, but a natural next step for the company would be products that boost male fertility, according to Tecco.

Why Natalist isn't using digital doctor consults

Delivery services that ship healthcare products right to your door are a red-hot trend lately, with investors pouring upward of $660 million into the space. It's something Tecco is well aware of, having invested in companies like the at-home lab-test startup EverlyWell. (EverlyWell co-founder and CEO Julia Cheek is an angel investor in Natalist.)

But where many new startups are dispensing prescription medications after digital consultations with medical professionals, Natalist is taking a fresh approach by sidestepping that altogether. The startup's focus on women also represents a change in a field where venture-capital funding has largely gone to companies with a focus on male fertility.

Read more:There's a boom in VC funding for fertility startups. But female founders say they still have a hard time getting men to invest.

Halle Tecco Natalist

Customers don't need to meet with a doctor to subscribe to Natalist, though they can, of course, contact the startup with questions. And Natalist may not ever do the digital doctor consults known as telemedicine, Tecco said, preferring to instead partner with another startup if necessary.

That wasn't always the case. Early on, Tecco took a look at the fertility prescription market, including two of the most commonly used medications.

But ultimately, that idea was at odds with the value she puts on improving the healthcare system in concert with physicians and the medical system. Women struggling with fertility need to have a long-term relationship with a doctor so the doctor can treat the patient in a holistic way, she said.

"To be honest, there's a reason I didn't pursue that direction," she said, adding, "I ethically do not feel like building a, what I call a 'digital pill mill,' is good for the healthcare system."

"I did look into it," she added, "and I'm sure there is a demand for it, but I just don't feel that it's the right thing."

This story was first published August 27. It has been updated.

Join the conversation about this story »

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See all our credit card reviews — from cash-back to travel rewards to business cards — in one place

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All our credit card reviews 4x3

Table of Contents

 

Travel rewards credit cards

First up are the cards that can get you the most value if you're willing to put in the work: travel rewards credit cards that earn Amex, Chase, and other bank points. You can transfer these points to various airline and hotel partners, as well as use them to book travel directly through your credit card issuer.

The mega-popular Chase Sapphire Preferred Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve, American Express® Gold Card and others fall into this category.

Chase Sapphire Preferred—  The rewards card that started it all. For a $95 annual fee, you get 2x points on travel and dining, not to mention valuable protections like primary car rental insurance and baggage delay insurance. Read the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card review.

Chase Sapphire ReserveThe premium sibling to the Sapphire Preferred has a $450 annual fee, but offers more perks like a $300 annual travel credit and 3x points on travel and dining. Read the Chase Sapphire Reserve review.

American Express Gold Card If dining is one of your top spending categories, the Amex Gold is a great card for you. It earns 4x points at restaurants (and 4x at US supermarkets on up to $25,000 each year, then 1x) and each month you get up to $10 in statement credits when you use the card at GrubHub, Seamless, The Cheesecake Factory, Ruth's Chris Steak House, Boxed, and participating Shake Shacks. There's a $250 annual fee. Read the Amex Gold Card review.

The Platinum Card® from American Express It's one of the most premium personal credit cards out there, with a $550 annual fee and a long list of benefits. You get annual statement credits for airline incidental fees, Saks purchases, and Uber rides, and can access a variety of airport lounges including Amex's own Centurion Lounges. Read the Amex Platinum review.

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card— Like the Sapphire Preferred, the Venture Rewards Card packs in a lot of benefits for a sub-$100-annual-fee card, and in this case the $95 annual fee is waived the first year. You'll earn 2x miles on all purchases, and 10x miles on hotel bookings made with the card via hotels.com/venture. You can redeem miles to cover travel purchases on your statement, or transfer them to a selection of airline programs. Read the Capital One Venture Rewards card review.

Read more: The best rewards credit cards of 2019

Read more: The best current credit card sign-up offers



Cash-back credit cards

Not everyone travels enough to make cards like the Chase Sapphire Preferred worth it. If you'd prefer to earn money back on your spending, you have plenty of great options as well. Unless otherwise specified, these cards don't have an annual fee.

Wells Fargo Propel American Express® cardThis is a top cash-back card thanks to its many bonus categories. You'll earn 3x points (3% cash back) on eating out and ordering in, on travel, gas stations, rideshares, and transit, and on popular streaming services, and 1% back on everything else. It's also one of the rare no-annual-fee cash-back cards to waive foreign transaction fees. Read the Wells Fargo Propel Amex card review.

Chase Freedom Unlimited This card offers a solid flat rate (1.5% back) on every purchase, and it's one of the most flexible cash-back cards around, because it gives you options. If you decide you'd like to get into travel rewards further down the line, you can combine your cash-back earnings from the Freedom Unlimited with Chase Ultimate Rewards points from a card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred to use them toward travel. Read the Chase Freedom Unlimited review.

Chase Freedom—  Like the Freedom Unlimited, the Chase Freedom earns cash back on every purchase. But instead of offering a flat cash-back rate, it offers 5% back on up to $1,500 spent each quarter of the year in rotating bonus categories, such as gas stations and streaming services, and 1% back on everything else. You have to activate the bonus each quarter to earn the 5% back. The Freedom's cash-back earnings can be combined with Ultimate Rewards points if you have a more premium Chase card. Read the Chase Freedom review.

Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express— This card has a $95 annual fee, and it has some great bonus categories. These include 6% back on select US streaming services, 6% back on up to $6,000 spent at US supermarkets each year (then 1%), 3% back at US gas stations and on transit, and 1% on everything else. Read the Blue Cash Preferred Card review.

Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card If you want to earn extra cash back on your dining purchases, this is a good pick. The Savor card earns an unlimited 4% back on dining and entertainment, 2% back at grocery stores, and 1% back on everything else. There's a $95 annual fee that's waived the first year, and no foreign transaction fees. Read the Capital One Savor card review.

Read more: The best cash-back credit cards of 2019



Airline credit cards

If you're loyal to a specific airline — or even if you just travel with the same airline multiple times a year — it could be worth holding a co-branded credit card to get a free checked bag, priority boarding, and other perks. Airline credit cards run the gamut from entry-level to premium options, and the best choice for you will depend on how frequently you travel.

Alaska Airlines Visa Signature credit card Alaska miles are very valuable, and also hard to come by. Alaska's co-branded card (with a $75 annual fee) is a great way to earn them, and you also get a companion fare each year. Read the Alaska Airlines Visa review.

Gold Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express— If you fly Delta a handful of times each year, this card is a good option. It has a $95 annual fee that's waived the first year, and offers the basic airline perks like a free checked bag, priority boarding, and 2 miles per dollar on Delta purchases. Read the Gold Delta SkyMiles Amex review.

Platinum Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express— For more frequent Delta flyers, the Platinum Delta Amex could make sense thanks to additional benefits like an annual companion certificate and the ability to earn Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs) toward Delta Medallion elite Status. The card has a higher $195 annual fee, but if those perks are useful to you, it can be worth it. Read the Platinum Delta SkyMiles Amex review.

Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Credit CardThis card has a $99 annual fee, and earns 2 points per dollar on Southwest purchases. One of the top reasons to consider it — or any other Southwest credit card — is that the sign-up bonus you earn from meeting the minimum spending requirement counts toward the Southwest Companion Pass. The Companion Pass lets you designate one person to travel with you on Southwest for free (minus taxes and fees) when you have a flight booked. Read the Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier card review.

United Explorer Card United's co-branded credit card with a $95 annual fee stands out for offering bonus miles on categories other than just United purchases, and an application fee credit for up to $100 for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry. As a cardholder, you also get access to additional low-level award space, which makes it easier to stretch the miles you earn. Read the United Explorer card review.

United Explorer Business Card The business version of the Explorer card also has a $95 annual fee, and it offers bonus miles at gas stations, office supply stores, and restaurants, in addition to on United purchases. Read the United Explorer Business card review.

Read more: American vs. Delta vs. United — we compared the 3 most popular airline credit cards



Hotel credit cards

Hotel co-branded credit cards can get you complimentary elite status, bonus points on stays, and other solid perks. As with airline credit cards, the options run the gamut from basic cards with annual fees under $100 to premium picks that offer fancier benefits.

Hilton Honors Aspire Card from American Express— This card has a $450 annual fee, but if you have even just a few Hilton stays in a year it can be well worth it. You get complimentary Hilton Diamond status, which can get you free breakfast and complimentary room upgrades, and each cardmember year you'll get up to $250 in Hilton resort credits and up to $250 in airline fee credits each calendar year. Read the Hilton Aspire card review.

Hilton Honors American Express Business Card If you qualify for a small business credit card and are a Hilton loyalist, consider this card with a moderate $95 annual fee and benefits like bonus points on Hilton stays and complimentary Gold Hilton status. Read the Hilton Honors Amex Business card review.

IHG Rewards Club Premier Credit Card This card gets you a lot in exchange for an $89 fee. Each year you get an anniversary night that you can use at hotels that cost up to 40,000 points, and you get complimentary IHG Platinum status. It often runs lucrative sign-up offers, to boot. Read the IHG Rewards Club Premier card review.

Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card If you're a small-business user who stays at Marriott hotels when you're on the road, this card offers bonus points and complimentary Silver status to make your stay more rewarding. Read the Marriott Bonvoy Business Amex review.

Read more: The best hotel credit cards



Business credit cards

If you run your own company or even if you just have a side gig like freelancing or selling items online, a business credit card is a great way to separate your work expenses and earn rewards targeted to business spenders. Many business credit cards offer bonus points on categories like office supplies, and if you opt for a high-end card you can enjoy luxury travel benefits like airport lounge access.

Capital One Spark Miles for Business The Spark Miles for Business earns 2 miles per dollar on all purchases with no cap on what you can earn, and you can either redeem your miles to cover travel expenses or transfer them to airline partners like Air Canada and Singapore Airlines. There's a $95 annual fee, but it's waived the first year. Read the Spark Miles for Business review.

Ink Business Preferred Credit Card This Chase Business card has one of the best sign-up bonuses around, and it offers great points-earning potential on categories like travel and online advertising for a reasonable $95 annual fee. Read the Ink Business Preferred card review.

Ink Business Cash Credit Card This no-annual-fee business card from Chase earns bonus cash back on categories like office supply stores, internet, cable, and phone services. If you pair it with a Chase card that earns Ultimate Rewards points, you can redeem the Ink Card's cash back as travel rewards with partners like British Airways and Hyatt. Read the Ink Business Cash card review.

The Business Platinum® Card from American Express The business version of the Amex Platinum Card comes with several unique benefits, including up to $200 in statement credits for Dell purchases each year, and a 35% points rebate when you book eligible air travel through Amex. There's a $595 annual fee, but it could be worth it for frequent business travelers. Read the Amex Business Platinum card review.

Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express This is a great option for anyong who's looking to earn Amex points and can qualify for a business credit card. The Blue Business Plus has no annual fee, and it earns 2x points on the first $50,000 spent each year (then 1x point). Read the Blue Business Plus card review.

American Express® Business Gold Card If your business spends a lot on categories like US advertising and airfare purchased directly from airlines, the Business Gold is a great choice. It earns you 4x points on your top two spending categories each month (from a list of six categories), on up to $150,000 in combined purchases each year (then 1x). The card has a $295 annual fee. Read the Amex Business Gold card review.

Ink Business Unlimited Card This card has no annual fee, and earns a flat 1.5% back on every purchase. If you want a simple card that doesn't require keeping track of any bonus categories, this could be a good choice. Read the Ink Business Unlimited review.

Brex Corporate Card for Startups and the Brex Corporate Card for Ecommerce — Brex's corporate credit card comes in two versions with slightly different benefits tailored for startups and ecommerce companies. Both flavors have no annual fee, and if you make the Brex card your exclusive corporate credit card, you can earn up to 7 points per dollar on spending, and transfer points to airlines like JetBlue. Read the Brex corporate card review.

Read more: The best small business credit cards



Financial inequality starts at home — here’s how parents can combat it

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Carrie Schwab-Pomerantz

  • Carrie Schwab-Pomerantz is a Certified Financial Planner and president of Charles Schwab Foundation.
  • She writes that girls and young women still fall behind their male counterparts when it comes to a firm financial start in life.
  • Young women are actually more practical when it comes to everyday financial issues — like budgeting — but fall short on bigger financial goals.
  • This gap can come from home — parents are more likely to talk to boys about more sophisticated financial matters.
  • Have honest conversations with children, and educate them equally about financial matters at home.
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

When it comes to getting a firm financial start on life, girls and young women still lag behind their male counterparts. But the biggest surprise is that the financial gender gap often starts at home. 

According to Schwab's Financial Literacy Survey, young women express positive financial attitudes and are even ahead of young men in some areas. For instance, 67% of females versus 58% of males don't want to be financially dependent on others, and more females (51%) than males (40%) want to live independently from their families. Young women also show a greater understanding of day-to-day financial concepts such as budgeting and spending. 

 

SEE ALSO: My partner comes from a privileged background. I don't. Is that a dealbreaker?

Females lag behind males in saving and investing

Yet while young women are saying and doing a lot of the right things, they still tend to face more financial hurdles. 

  • Despite a strong desire for financial independence, 50% of young women versus 35% of young men have had to ask their parents for money for necessities like food, rent and utilities.
  • Young women generally spend about 30% less than young men on a weekly basis, but they have on average far less savings than males — $1,267 versus $2,000.

And most worrisome: Despite their financial aspirations, young women are less inclined to invest. The survey found almost twice as many males as females had investment accounts and would choose to invest any spare cash.  

While young women may be more practical when it comes to everyday things like spending, they're falling short on the bigger financial goals such as saving and investing. As a financial planner — and as a parent — I have to ask, "why?"



We treat boys and girls differently

Most of us say that we want to treat our girls and boys equally, but do we? Recently, the World Economic Forum explored how certain cultural factors that put girls at a disadvantage still creep into our behaviors. And a lot of it begins at home. For instance, we may espouse workplace equality, but research shows that even with something as basic as family responsibilities, girls are still expected to do more household chores than boys. 

Another study found that parents tend to talk to girls about everyday money matters such as spending, earning, and family finances and to boys about more sophisticated issues such as borrowing, saving, and investing, setting up different financial expectations from an early age.  



How you can even things out

If some of the problems begin at home, so do many of the solutions. First, as parents, we should have the same conversations about money with our daughters and our sons, emphasizing for each the importance of spending, saving, and investing for the long-term. 

We should also treat our children as individuals and be aware that even in the same household, different kids may need different guidance. One important way to do this is to help our daughters understand the unique challenges they may face as women.

For instance, even before your daughter enters the workforce, have an honest conversation about the wage gap and other potential inequalities. Encourage her to advocate for herself and feel confident negotiating terms and salary. Discuss the importance of women taking control of their finances, especially around retirement. 

Of course, young men have their challenges as well. The way to truly level the playing field is to do our best to guide all the young people in our lives to make smart money choices. Living below your means, getting started early on retirement savings, realizing the power of long-term investing to grow wealth — all of these concepts are the building blocks of a secure financial future for everyone.



The good news for parents

One encouraging finding from Schwab's survey is that young people want to be independent and are open to financial guidance — especially from their parents. And in a world where we all need to be increasingly self-reliant, it's more important than ever to be generous with our time, knowledge and experience to help our kids — both male and female — gain financial confidence. Our awareness and engagement now will not only help them, but future generations as well.

Carrie Schwab-Pomerantz is a Certified Financial Planner and president of Charles Schwab Foundation.




The 15 richest women in America, ranked

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Mackenzie Bezos

  • Forbes released its 2019 edition of the Forbes 400 list, which ranks the wealthiest people in America. Individuals need a minimum net worth of $2.1 billion to make the list.
  • Many of the women on the list are related; several, like MacKenzie Bezos and Julia Koch, are newcomers.
  • The 15 richest women in the US are worth a collective $262.4 billion.
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

America's wealthiest women are philanthropic businesswomen and heiresses and, in many cases, related.

Forbes just released its annual Forbes 400 list, which highlights the net worths of America's richest individuals. Altogether, the members of this exclusive club are worth $2.96 trillion.

The 15 richest women alone are collectively worth $262.4 billion. 

Read more: Meet the 15 youngest, richest American billionaires

Multiple members of the Mars family and the Walton family are featured on the list, indicating just how dynastic wealth is in the US. Meanwhile, women like MacKenzie Bezos and Julia Koch are making their first appearance at the top of the rankings.

Here are the 15 richest women in the US. They are ranked in ascending order of wealth and their net worths are estimates as of October 2, 2019. 

SEE ALSO: The gap between the rich and the poor in the US has widened to a record high, and it mirrors the growth of 'dynastic wealth'

NOW READ: Meet the 15 youngest, richest American billionaires

15. Nancy Walton Laurie, a Walmart heiress, is worth $6.7 billion.

Net worth: $6.7 billion

Source of wealth: Walmart

Age: 68

Walton Laurie is the daughter of Bud Walton, who co-founded Walmart with his brother, Sam Walton. After her father's death in 1995, she inherited half of his stake in the company. The other half went to her sister, who is also on this list.



14. Diane Hendricks is the richest self-made woman in America and has a net worth of $7 billion.

Net worth: $7 billion

Source of wealth: ABC Supply

Age: 72

Diane Hendricks, the richest self-made woman in America, made her fortune by founding wholesale roofing distributor ABC Supply in 1982 with her husband. She has been at the helm of the company since his death in 2007 and used her wealth to revitalize Beloit, Wisconsin where the company is based.



T13. Victoria Mars is one of four sisters who benefited from her family's massive candy and pet food company. She has a net worth of $7.4 billion.

Net worth: $7.4 billion

Source of wealth: Mars Inc.

Age: 62

Mars is the great-granddaughter of Frank Mars, who founded the eponymous candy company in 1911. At one point, she was the chair of the board of directors. When her father passed away in 2016, she inherited an 8% stake in the company, as did her three sisters, who are also included on this list.



T13. Valerie Mars also has a net worth of $7.4 billion.

Net worth:$7.4 billion

Source of wealth: Mars Inc.

Age: 60

One of the four Mars sisters, Valerie started working at Mars Incorporated in 1992 and is the vice president of corporate development. She is also on the board of directors of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles



T13. Pamela Mars also has a net worth of $7.4 billion.

Net worth: $7.4 billion

Source of wealth: Mars Inc.

Age: 59

One of the four Mars sisters, Pamela Mars initially joined the family business as an operations supervisor. She ultimately became chairman of the board but later stepped down. 



T13. Marijke Mars is the fourth Mars sister who has Snickers candy bars to thank for a $7.4 billion net worth.

Net worth:$7.4 billion

Source of wealth: Mars Inc.

Age: 55

Marijke, another Mars sister, also serves on the company's board of directors. The family is exceedingly private.

Read more: Income inequality in the US has hit a record high. Meet the 15 richest American family 'dynasties,' who have a combined net worth of $618 billion.



9. Ann Walton Kroenke has a net worth of $7.5 billion.

Net worth: $7.5 billion

Source of wealth: Walmart

Age: 70

Walton Kroenke is the daughter of Bud Walton, who co-founded Walmart with his brother, Sam Walton. After her father's death in 1995, she inherited half of his stake in the company. The other half went to her sister, who is also on this list.



8. Christy Walton married into Walmart's Walton family and is now worth $8.5 billion.

Net worth: $8.5 billion

Source of wealth: Walmart

Age: 70

Christy Walton was married to John Walton, the second-oldest child of Walmart founder, Sam Walton. John died in a plane crash in 2005, leaving Christy 17% of his wealth. She now uses that fortune as a philanthropist supporting land and sea conservation.



7. Blair Parry-Okeden has a net worth of $9.6 billion.

Net worth: $9.6 billion

Source of wealth: Cox Enterprises

Age: 69

Even though she is an American citizen, Blair Parry-Okeden primarily lives in Australia. Forbes named her the richest person in Australia in 2016. She inherited a 25% stake in Cox Enterprises when her mother, Barbara Cox Anthony, passed away in 2007. Cox, the automotive and media company, is based in Atlanta, Georgia. Parry-Okeden is known to be private to the point of reclusive.



6. Abigail Johnson, the CEO of Fidelity Investments, is worth $14 billion.

Net worth:$14 billion

Source of wealth: Fidelity Investments

Age: 57

Abigail Johnson's grandfather founded Fidelity Investments more than 70 years ago. The company currently has $2.7 trillion in managed assets. After 26 years of working at the firm, Johnson became the CEO in 2014 and the chairman of the board in 2016. She has an estimated 24.5% stake in the company.



5. Laurene Powell Jobs and family have a net worth of $21.3 billion.

Net worth:$21.3 billion

Source of wealth: Apple and Disney

Age: 55

Laurene Powell Jobs and her family inherited the fortune of her husband, Steve Jobs, upon his death in 2011. At one point, she had 5.5 million shares of Apple stock and a 7.3% stake in The Walt Disney Company. She has used those to fund her philanthropic efforts, specifically the creation of the Emerson Collective, an organization dedicated to social change through education, immigration reform, media and journalism.

Read more: Ben Affleck and Laurene Powell-Jobs were seen getting dinner together at a Los Angeles restaurant



4. Jacqueline Mars, another member of the Mars. Inc dynasty, is worth $29.7 billion.

Net worth: $29.7 billion

Source of wealth: Mars Inc.

Age: 80

Jacqueline Mars is the granddaughter of the founder of Mars Inc. She is said to own a third of the Snickers and M&M's candy empire. Another third belongs to her brother John, and the rest of the shares are split between her four nieces, who are also featured on this list. She donates to educational, environmental, cultural, and health-related causes.



3. MacKenzie Bezos is newly worth $36.1 billion.

Net worth: $36.1 billion

Source of wealth: Amazon

Age: 49

MacKenzie Bezos and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos finalized their divorce earlier this year after 25 years of marriage. The settlement resulted in MacKenzie retaining 25% of the couples' shares, or 4% of the company. The divorce made her Amazon's second-largest individual shareholder. In April, she signed a pledge to donate half of her fortune to charity.



2. Julia Koch and her children are worth $41 billion after recently inheriting a stake in Koch industries.

Net worth:$41 billion

Source of wealth: Koch Industries

Age: 57

Julia Koch was married to industrialist and conservative donor David Koch, who died in August. She and her three children inherited a 42% stake in Koch Industries. 



1. Alice Walton of the Walmart dynasty has a net worth of $51.4 billion, which makes her the richest woman in the world.

Net worth:$51.4 billion

Source of wealth: Walmart

Age: 70

Alice Walton is the only daughter of Walmart founder Sam Walton. She is not involved with Walmart; she spends her fortune collecting art and breeding horses. Her cousins are also on this list.

The Waltons are the wealthiest family dynasty in the US, with the Koch family and the Mars family trailing behind.



A history of the times Kellyanne Conway's husband has roasted Trump

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  • President Donald Trump and George Conway are in an escalating feud.
  • It reached a fever pitch when Trump called the lawyer "a stone cold LOSER & husband from hell!" and Conway questioned the president's mental state.
  • Back when Kellyanne Conway was running Trump's presidential campaign, Conway supported his wife's boss.
  • But that started to change as the special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian election interference heated up.
  • Here's how their relationship devolved over time.
  • Visit BusinessInsider.com for more stories.

Prominent conservative lawyer George Conway has been highly critical of his wife's boss, President Donald Trump.

His latest comments, an 11,000-word op-ed titled "Unfit for Office" in The Atlantic, come amid an impeachment inquiry into Trump pressing the Ukrainian president to investigate his political rival.

Counselor to the president Kellyanne Conway and George have previously shared how their political disagreements— especially about Trump — are affecting their marriage. But it wasn't always this way.

Here's a brief history of George Conway's transformation from Trump supporter into one of his most visible and vocal critics on the right.

SEE ALSO: Inside the marriage of Kellyanne and George Conway, who Ann Coulter introduced, are now worth $39 million, and are increasingly at odds over Trump

DON'T MISS: Kellyanne Conway opens up about how the president is affecting her marriage

June 2, 2017: Conway turns down administration role

After speculation began in March 2017 that Conway would be picked for a position in the Trump administration, Conway eventually declined any administration role, saying:

"I am profoundly grateful to the President and to the attorney general for selecting me to serve in the Department of Justice. I have reluctantly concluded, however, that, for me and my family, this is not the right time for me to leave the private sector and take on a new role in the federal government."

Conway went on to clarify: "Kellyanne and I continue to support the President and his administration, and I look forward to doing so in whatever way I can from outside the government."

The Washington Post reported that Conway considered the role, but was scared off by Trump's firing of FBI Director James Comey and the aftermath that ensued.



June 5, 2017: Conway posts his first critical tweet

Shortly after turning down an administration position, Conway started to tweet critically of Trump.

In his first post, he questioned the usefulness of Trump's tweets, mocking Trump's signature sign-off "Sad!"

In a later tweet, Conway clarified that he still supported the president.



March 28, 2018: Conway gets more vocal on Twitter

In late March 2018, after nearly a yearlong hiatus, Conway called Trump's reported interest in pardons for former staff as a way to protect himself from the special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation "flabbergasting."

Also at this time, Conway reportedly switched his party registration to "unaffiliated."



March 29, 2018: Conway deletes some critical tweets

According to a CNN report, Conway deleted a series of tweets after his March tweets gained attention. The deleted tweets reportedly included one that called the president "absurd."



April 22, 2018: Kellyanne Conway spars with Dana Bash over her husband's tweets

Kellyanne Conway sparred with Dana bash after the CNN host asked her about her husband's tweets.

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May 3, 2018: Conway calls out Rudy Giuliani

Conway tweeted a section of the Federal Election Commission's website the night after Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani revealed that Trump reimbursed his former attorney for a $130,000 payment to porn star Stormy Daniels.



May 17, 2018: Conway calls Giuliani's argument 'drivel'

In a Reuters piece on Giuliani's claim that Mueller can't subpoena Trump, Conway went on the record calling the assertion "drivel."



May 24, 2018: Conway reportedly coaches anti-Trump writers

A Politico report alleged that Conway had emailed multiple writers who have been critical of Trump to help improve their arguments.



June 11, 2018: Conway publishes a pro-Mueller essay

Lawfare published an essay from Conway criticizing arguments against the appointment of the special counsel Robert Mueller.

Conway wrote: "It isn't very surprising to see the president tweet a meritless legal position, because, as a non-lawyer, he wouldn't know the difference between a good one and a bad one."

Earlier in June, Conway tweeted about the same topic:

The previous June, Conway was playing a very different tune, openly questioning the Russia investigation along with his wife on Twitter:



July 9, 2018: George says he's given Kellyanne a hard time about Trump

For an article about public heckling of Trump administration figures, George told the Washington Post that "She has been getting a harder time from me about working for this administration than walking down the street."



August 15, 2018: The Conways open up about their marriage

In a Washington Post article about the couple, the Conways lamented the effect their political division was having on their marriage.

Kellyanne told Post reporter Ben Terris that George's tweeting was "disrespects his wife."

George said he was "saddened by how things turned out" with the administration and that he regretted initially introducing Kellyanne to Trump.

"I feel there's a part of him that thinks I chose Donald Trump over him," Kellyanne said. "Which is ridiculous. One is my work and one is my marriage."



September 27, 2018: The retweet era begins

 

In the months following the profile, Conway primarily communicated through retweets.

For example, in late September, he retweeted posts that were both critical of Trump and supportive of then-Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh:



October 30, 2018: Conway rejects Trump's justification for outlawing birthright citizenship

In a Washington Post op-ed, Conway and his co-author Neal Katyal wrote that Trump's plan to get rid of birthright citizenship in the US "would be unconstitutional and would certainly be challenged."

According to Conway, "the challengers would undoubtedly win."

Conway and Katyal point out that the right to citizenship is written into the 14th Amendment:

"All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States" — except in two cases: children of "alien enemies in hostile occupation" and the children of foreign diplomats.

To change this, they argue that you'd need a Constitutional Amendment.



November 8, 2018: Conway co-authors an op-ed arguing Trump's attorney general appointment is unconstitutional

When Trump appointed Matthew Whitaker as acting attorney general after firing Jeff Sessions from the role, Conway and fellow lawyer Neal K. Katyal published an opinion piece in The New York Times saying they thought the action was illegal.

"Trump's installation of Matthew Whitaker as acting attorney general of the United States after forcing the resignation of Jeff Sessions is unconstitutional. It's illegal," they wrote. "And it means that anything Mr. Whitaker does, or tries to do, in that position is invalid."

Whitaker had been critical of the Mueller probe, and many, including Conway, accused Trump of installing him to oversee the Justice Department in order to squash the investigation.

Conway and Katyal continued:

"Because Mr. Whitaker has not undergone the process of Senate confirmation, there has been no mechanism for scrutinizing whether he has the character and ability to evenhandedly enforce the law in a position of such grave responsibility. The public is entitled to that assurance, especially since Mr. Whitaker's only supervisor is Mr. Trump himself, and the president is hopelessly compromised by the Mueller investigation. That is why adherence to the requirements of the Appointments Clause is so important here, and always."

William Barr ended up replacing Whitaker. The Senate approved Barr as attorney general in February.



November 16, 2018: Conway rails against Trump in a podcast interview

Conway went off against the Republican Party and Trump during an interview with Yahoo News' podcast "Skullduggery."

"I don't feel comfortable being a Republican anymore," Conway said on the podcast. "I think the Republican Party has become something of a personality cult."

Conway described Trump's tweets criticizing former Attorney General Jeff Sessions as "appalling," and a sharp deviation from political norms.

"We're talking about someone who has sworn an oath to uphold the Constitution and laws of the United States," Conway said, "and to criticize the attorney general for permitting justice to be done without regard to political party is very disturbing."

Conway also revealed more details on why he didn't take the Trump administration job.

"I'm watching this thing, and it's like the administration is like a s---show in a dumpster fire," he said on the podcast. "And I'm like, 'I don't want to do that.'"

David Choi contributed reporting.



December 3, 2018: Conway accuses Trump of witness tampering

In December, former Trump campaign adviser Roger Stone said he would "never" testify against the president as part of the Mueller investigation. Stone was indicted on seven counts of obstruction, false statements, and witness tampering, and is pleading not guilty.

Trump applauded Stone for his statements in a tweet— but some legal experts, including Conway, said it could be considered witness tampering.

In a tweet, Trump praised Stone for not willing to be "forced by a rogue and out of control prosecutor" to "make up lies and stories" about the president. He added that it was "nice to know that some people still have 'guts!'"

Conway retweeted Trump and said, "File under '18 U.S.C. §§ 1503, 1512,'" referencing a law against obstruction of justice.

John Haltiwanger contributed reporting.



March 18, 2019: Conway questions the president's mental state

Their tense relationship reached a fever pitch after Trump spent St. Patrick's Day weekend on a Twitter tear against "Saturday Night Live," Fox News, and the late Sen. John McCain.

Conway posted the cover of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders hours after the first leg of Trump's tweets, followed by the book's pages that describe narcissistic personality disorder and antisocial personality disorder.

When asked about the tweet, Kellyanne said she doesn't "share those concerns" about Trump's psychological state.

 



March 19, 2019: Trump calls Conway "A total loser!"

 

Trump finally broke his silence on Conway's criticisms when he called the lawyer "A total loser!" on Twitter.

Conway responded with several tweets of his own, starting with, "Congratulations! You just guaranteed that millions of more people are going to learn about narcissistic personality disorder and malignant narcissism! Great job!"

"This was the article that first got me to really understand you, @realDonaldTrump," Conway continued in another tweet, with a link to a Rolling Stone story about Trump's mental health. "Once someone understands narcissistic personality disorder, they understand you—and why you're unfit and incompetent for the esteemed office you temporarily hold."



March 20, 2019: Trump calls Conway "a stone cold LOSER & husband from hell!"

 

Trump escalated the feud, calling Conway "a stone cold LOSER & husband from hell!"

Conway retweeted it, with the comment, "The President of the United States."

Washington Post White House reporter Ashley Parker asked, "why is it considered the ultimate insult to call a man 'Mr. [Insert Wife's Name Here]'?"

To that, George responded, "It isn't—except perhaps to the extremely juvenile and boorish. What I really wouldn't want to be called is 'Individual-[ ],'" referring to the way Trump is characterized in Muller's court filings.

In an interview with Politico, Kellyanne said she had discussed George's criticisms with Trump "in passing," and that the president "left it alone for months out of respect for me." She added that the rift hasn't affected her job in any way.

"But you think he shouldn't respond when somebody, a non-medical professional accuses him of having a mental disorder? You think he should just take that sitting down?" she told Politico's Daniel Lippman, adding that Trump was a "counterpuncher."

Asked how his tweets reflected on first lady Melania Trump's "Be Best" anti-bullying campaign, Trump said he didn't know Conway and called him "a whack job."

"He's doing a tremendous disservice to a wonderful wife," Trump told reporters. "Kellyanne is a wonderful woman. And I call him 'Mr. Kellyanne.' The fact is that he's doing a tremendous disservice to a wife and family. She's a wonderful woman."



March 21, 2019: Conway doubles down on his questions about Trump's mental health

After Conway called Trump "dumb" in tweets, he retweeted someone who wondered, "Could be cognitive decline rather than simple stupidity," and shared an interview from 1980 when Conway said Trump was "articulate and coherent, unlike today."

He also accused Trump of "compulsive lying."

"He lies even when it makes no sense to lie," Conway tweeted. "As one of his lawyers once told me, Trump couldn't be allowed to talk to Mueller because "he'd lie his a-- off.'"

Retweeting a Talking Points Memo story with the headline, "Trump's aides have no idea why their boss keeps picking fights with a senator who died almost seven months ago," Conway added: "oh they full well know #notstable #notagenius."



March 27, 2019: Conway publishes an op-ed in the Washington Post titled "Trump is guilty — of being unfit for office"

After Mueller submitted his report on the special counsel investigation to Attorney General William Barr, Trump tweeted: "No Collusion, No Obstruction, Complete and Total EXONERATION."

But while Mueller concluded there wasn't enough evidence to prove Trump conspired with the Kremlin, he did not make a determination on whether the president obstructed justice. Barr, a political appointee, did.

Conway weighed in on this in an op-ed in The Washington Post, pointing out that "Mueller said his 'report does not conclude that the President committed a crime' but that 'it also does not exonerate him.'"

"Whether the Mueller report ever sees the light of day, there is one charge that can be resolved now. Americans should expect far more from a president than merely that he not be provably a criminal," Conway wrote.

He continued: "If the charge were unfitness for office, the verdict would already be in: guilty beyond a reasonable doubt."



April 18, 2019: After the release of the redacted Mueller report, Conway pens an op-ed calling for Trump's impeachment

After the release of the redacted Mueller report on Thursday, April 18, Conway published an op-ed in The Washington Post calling for the president's impeachment, using quotes from the report and the US Constitution.

"What the Mueller report disturbingly shows, with crystal clarity, is that today there is a cancer in the presidency: President Donald J. Trump," Conway wrote.

"The president may have the raw constitutional power to, say, squelch an investigation or to pardon a close associate," said Conway. "But if he does so not to serve the public interest, but to serve his own, he surely could be removed from office, even if he has not committed a criminal act."

Conway ended the piece by writing, "Congress now bears the solemn constitutional duty to excise that cancer without delay."

David Choi contributed reporting.



October 3, 2019: Conway writes an 11,000-word op-ed once again calling Trump unfit for office

With an impeachment inquiry swirling, Conway wrote a lengthy takedown in The Atlantic reiterating his arguments that Trump is mentally unstable, corrupt, untruthful, and unfit for office.

He wrote:

"From the evidence, it appears that he simply can't stop himself from putting his own interests above the nation's. Any serious impeachment proceedings should consider not only the evidence and the substance of all impeachable offenses, but also the psychological factors that may be relevant to the motivations underlying those offenses. Congress should make extensive use of experts—psychologists and psychiatrists. Is Trump so narcissistic that he can't help but use his office for his own personal ends? Is he so sociopathic that he can't be trusted to follow, let alone faithfully execute, the law?

Congress should consider all this because that's what the question of impeachment demands. But there's another reason as well. The people have a right to know, and a need to see."

 



Gold, Platinum, or Reserve: We break down which Delta Amex credit card gets flyers the most value

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For anyone who flies Delta Air Lines — even occasionally — right now is an ideal time to open a new card.

Delta and Amex just announced a slew of changes to their lineup of Delta co-branded credit cards, from additional opportunities to earn bonus miles to additional airport lounge access options for premium cardholders. While the new card perks won't go into effect until January 30, 2020, to celebrate Delta and Amex are offering elevated welcome bonuses on three of its consumer credit cards until October 30.

Plus, the three cards each offer a ton of ongoing value, whether you're a casual flyer or a hard-core Delta loyalist.

Read on to learn more about the three cards, and see which one is best for you.

Keep in mind that we're focusing on the rewards and perks that make these credit cards great options, not things like interest rates and late fees, which can far outweigh the value of any rewards.

When you're working to earn credit card rewards, it's important to practice financial discipline, like paying your balances off in full each month, making payments on time, and not spending more than you can afford to pay back. Basically, treat your credit card like a debit card.

Best for the casual Delta flyer: The Gold Delta SkyMiles Credit Card from American Express

Delta Skymiles Inline

Welcome offer: 60,000 Delta SkyMiles when you spend $2,000 in the first three months. Plus, receive a $50 statement credit after you make a Delta purchase in the first three months in the first three months. 

Annual fee: $95 (waived the first year); $99 if received on or after January 30, 2020

The Gold Delta SkyMiles card is the best of the three for the casual Delta flyer, someone who finds themself on the airline a couple of times a year, but doesn't fly regularly enough to use the heftier cards' perks (more on that later).

One of the biggest perks: The card offers a free first checked bag for the cardholder and up to eight people on the same reservation. Delta charges $30 each way for a checked bag, so this can save up to $60 per person on a round-trip itinerary.

Cardholders and travel companions also get Zone 1 priority boarding. This means you can board the plane sooner, giving you plenty of time to settle into your seat or find overhead space for any carry-on luggage. Zone 1 is after most Delta elite frequent flyers and extra-legroom passengers, but is usually within the first half of passengers to board.

Other perks include a 20% discount on in-flight purchases (in the form of a statement credit), such as food or drinks, and no foreign transaction fees.

Like the other Delta cards, the Gold SkyMiles card earns 2x Delta SkyMiles on eligible Delta purchases, and 1 mile per dollar on everything else. Starting in 2020, the card will also earn 2x miles at US supermarkets and at restaurants. At that time, it will also add the ability to earn a $100 Delta flight credit after you spend $10,000 on the card in a year.

Click here to learn more about the Gold Delta Amex.

Best for more regular flyers: The Platinum Delta SkyMiles Credit Card from American Express

Platinum Delta Amex Inline

Welcome offer: 75,000 Delta SkyMiles and 5,000 Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs) when you spend $3,000 in the first three months. Plus, receive a $100 statement credit when you make a Delta purchase in the first three months. 

Annual fee: $195 ($250 if application is received on or after January 30, 2020)

If you fly somewhat regularly, the Platinum Delta SkyMiles card is a better option, thanks to an often-overlooked benefit that can completely cover the annual fee each year.

The Platinum Delta card has most of the same perks as the Gold version, like priority boarding, free checked bags, and 2x SkyMiles on Delta purchases.

However, the Platinum Delta comes with a huge perk — it's so useful that I'm planning on keeping my card indefinitely.

After your first year with the card, you'll get an annual domestic companion pass each year at your card-member anniversary. A Delta companion pass is essentially a buy-one-get-one-free coupon. When you book an economy-class flight for yourself anywhere within the continental US, you can get a second ticket for free, other than minimal taxes and fees.

The companion pass completely blows away the annual fee for me. My wife and I fly domestically at least a few times a year, whether it's to visit family or friends, or to go on vacation. So I save my companion pass until we're taking a flight together that costs more than $195 each (and starting in 2020, more than $250). 

Plus, each year that you spend $25,000 or more on the card, you earn a bonus 10,000 SkyMiles, 10,000 MQMs, and have the Medallion Qualifying Dollar (MQD) requirement for most elite status levels waived. Starting in 2020, you'll no longer earn the bonus SkyMiles for meeting that spending requirement, but you'll still get the 10,000 MQMs and MQD waiver.

When you have Medallion status, you can enjoy things like free upgrades to first class or extra-legroom seats whenever you fly, subject to availability.

Other benefits coming in 2020 include 3x miles on Delta (up from 2x), 2x miles at restaurants and US supermarkets, and a Global Entry application fee credit of up to $100. If you want to use this card to earn Delta miles on everyday spending, these new bonus categories are great news.

Click here to learn more about the Platinum Delta Amex.

Best for Delta Medallion frequent flyers: The Delta Reserve Credit Card from American Express

Welcome offer: 75,000 Delta SkyMiles and 10,000 Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs) when you spend $5,000 in the first three months. 

Annual fee: $450 ($550 if application is received on or after January 30, 2020)

The Delta Reserve card has a higher $450 annual fee, but it has a few additional perks that can make it worthwhile for some frequent flyers. 

Like the Platinum SkyMiles card, it offers a domestic companion pass. However, the Delta Reserve's pass can be used for first-class tickets, not just economy.

Additionally, the Delta Reserve offers full access to Delta Sky Club airport lounges whenever the cardholder is flying with Delta. Plus, starting in 2020, Reserve cardholders will be able to access Amex Centurion Lounges when they're flying Delta. Centurion Lounges are known for their high-end complimentary food and drink, so this will be a great value-added perk.

Other new benefits coming in 2020 include 3x miles (up from 2x) on Delta purchases, two Delta Sky Club one-time guest passes, up to $100 for a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit, and access to complimentary upgrades for non-elite Delta members. Plus, if you'd like to use the Delta Reserve card to work toward Delta Medallion status and you can put a lot of spending on the card, you'll be able to earn additional MQMs after spending $90,000 and $120,000 in a calendar year.

The Reserve has one other major perk, which can be crucial for travelers who hold Delta Medallion elite status. Delta Medallion members are eligible for complimentary, space-available upgrades to first class and Delta One on flights within the US and the region, including Mexico and Central America, and extra-legroom seats on international flights.

Upgrades clear in hierarchical order based on a number of factors, including each passenger's status level, the original fare class they booked, and a few other factors. The first tiebreaker for people with the same Medallion level and fare class: whether they hold the Delta Reserve card. Reserve cardholders will be prioritized over those without it. If there's only one seat left and two members are still tied and both have the Reserve, it continues down the list of tiebreakers.

For travelers who fly a lot and frequently find themselves one or two upgrade-list spots away from getting that first-class seat, holding the Reserve can be extremely valuable. 

Click here to learn more about the Delta Reserve card.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: This is the shortest route for a road trip across the US to see 50 national landmarks

I sit on this $79 seat cushion while I work — it helps improve my posture and makes sitting much more comfortable

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  • My Purple Royal seat cushion ($79) has made sitting through the workday a much more pleasant exercise, and thanks to its effect on my posture, it's also improved my time spent standing up.
  • The cushion's grid shape collapses into itself to help accommodate your pressure points, and makes sitting comfortable even if you've, say, left your phone in your back pocket.
  • Purple makes a variety of seat cushions, from one that's specifically designed for lumbar support to one that's meant for portability. Prices start at $39 for the portable and lumbar-support cushions and go up to $129.

Sitting up straight can feel like an impossible feat. I'm constantly slouching while I work, and it seems like as soon as I correct my posture, I find myself nearing a 45-degree angle again. Constant posture vigilance is impractical when I'm focused on my job (or just scrolling through Twitter), so I continually let myself fall back into slouching. It's my default position — my resting pose. And it leaves me with a perennially sore back.

I've tried a few techniques to help snap me out of this bad habit. I go to yoga classes, I try to keep it so both of my shoulder blades are touching my chair back at all times, and I write reminders to sit up straight on Post-it notes on my desk. So far, none of those strategies have had a lasting effect (though I'm sure the yoga classes could if I went more consistently). Then, I got a Purple seat cushion, and it's never been easier to avoid hunching over my desk.

Perhaps better known for its mattresses, Purple makes a variety of seat cushions, from one that's specifically designed for lumbar support to one that's meant for portability. I opted for the Royal seat cushion. At $79, it falls somewhere in the middle of the Purple seat cushion price range (which starts at $39 for the portable and lumbar-support cushions and goes up to $129 for the "Ultimate" cushion). Besides improving my seating posture, my new cushion has made sitting down all day for my desk job significantly more comfortable.

But first, how does a seat cushion make you sit up straighter?

Purple cushions come in grid patterns — or they look like large, purple waffles, depending on how hungry you are. The grid shape collapses into itself to help accommodate your pressure points, and makes sitting comfortable even if you've, say, left your phone in your back pocket (guilty). This pattern helps distribute your weight evenly across your seat, and lets extraneous pocket items like cell phones sink into the cushion instead of poking into your behind.

I get antsy throughout the workday, especially because I spend so much time sitting down. The cushion also keeps me from constantly shifting around in my seat — instead of stiffly perching on top of it, like I do on my cushion-less chair, I'm relaxing into it. Not only does this accommodate for items left in my pants pockets, but it's also good news for my sit bones. They start to feel pain after balancing throughout the long workday atop a hard surface. The Purple cushion, made of hyper-elastic polymer, means I don't have to balance on those bones.

Plus, the edge of my seat no longer cuts off the circulation in my legs. Because the Purple cushion has give, it doesn't obstruct my blood flow. All of this helps keep my back and hips in line, making it much easier to maintain good posture.

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Something to be wary of with this cushion is that it's not exactly light. While the Portable cushion weighs only 2.75 pounds, that's still adds up if you're carrying it around in a bag with your lunch and other work gear. My Royal cushion weighs 5.4 pounds, so the most I move it around is from one hardwood chair to the other in my kitchen (where I did the majority of my sitting when I worked at home for the past year). However, transporting a 2.75-pound cushion in your car is hardly an inconvenience.

I also wish I could mold my cushion to be the exact shape of my chair. As it is, my cushion hangs off the edge — more of an aesthetic issue than anything, but still something that would be nice to be able to tailor. That being said, different Purple cushions come in different dimensions, and the Royal is the third biggest of seven varieties. And admittedly, I didn't measure my chairs before buying.

Different jobs require different amounts of sitting. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics' most recent data, people who worked in office jobs (like lawyers, human resource managers, accountants, and software developers) spent somewhere between 75 and 90% of their workdays seated. Professional drivers sat for over 82% of their time on the job.

If you fall into any of these job categories, I fully suggest giving a Purple seat cushion a try. Enduring pain in your sit bones, tail bone, and legs all day while hunching over your laptop (or steering wheel) isn't worth avoiding the relatively small cost of adding daily comfort to your routine. My seat cushion has made sitting through the workday a much more pleasant exercise, and thanks to its effect on my posture, it's also improved my time spent standing up.

Buy the Purple Royal Seat Cushion for $79 — and check out 6 other seat cushion varieties on the Purple website.

It's also available to buy on Amazon.

SEE ALSO: 20 game-changing products under $10 that we use in our daily lives

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I use shearling insoles to transform my rain boots into winter boots — here's why it's such a great hack

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shearling insoles

I grew up in Florida, so forgive me if this trick is one you already know about, but a few years ago I discovered that a pair of shearling insoles is all you need to transform rain boots into ones fit for cold, snowy weather. 

Actually, this trick works for pretty much any type of boot you want to wear in the cold, assuming you trust the boot's traction and upper material to hold up against icy or wet weather. I've put shearling insoles into regular Chelsea boots and Doc Martens, and in my favorite Everlane and Hunter rain boots. It does seem to work best with rain boots since they have a lot of traction, and since they tend to fit looser than your average leather boot. All I do is pop out the current insoles and replace with this orthotic pair from Vionic.

shearling insoles

The pair I personally have cost $45. They're a little pricier than most since they're orthotic and have good arch support, but you definitely don't have spend that much for a great pair; Ugg sells flat $20 shearling insoles that fit pretty much any shoe, and for $25, Hunter does too (I guess I'm not the only genius to have thought of this hack). One of the top-rated pairs on Amazon is just $13.

I know there are plenty of other ways to make rain boots warmer — Hunter sells rain-boot inserts for $30-50 (which I've used before and loved), and of course there's always a thick pair of socks to do the trick. But even still, nothing beats adding a plush, cozy layer of shearling to your shoe's footbed. So toasty, so comfy. Plus, I think of it as a more sustainable option than buying designated winter boots, which take a lot of resources to produce and ship.

I recommend trying this trick out first before you commit to a $200 pair of snow boots. Pop any of these insoles into some cheap rain boots with heavy soles, and you should be good to go for most types of cold weather. 

Shop the Vionic shearling insoles on Amazon, from $38.95

Shop other shearling insoles from Ugg ($20), Hunter ($25), and Abusa ($13)

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