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11/15/19--13:28: Nordstrom's Black Friday 2019 sale will include great deals on Hunter rain boots, Nike sneakers, and limited-edition beauty sets

Nordstrom tends to have great Black Friday deals — and we expect this year to be no different.
The best deals you'll find include $50 off Hunter Original Gloss Rain Boots and $145 off a Marc New York Down Coat.
To potentially save even more on Black Friday 2019 deals, visit Business Insider Coupons to find the most up-to-date Nordstrom coupons and promo codes.

Black Friday is one of the best days of the year to shop, with deep discounts on all kinds of products, particularly big-ticket items. If you're hoping to find great prices on clothing, beauty, and home goods, you'll want to check out Nordstrom's Black Friday sale.

While prices won't start dropping until Wednesday, November 27, Nordstrom has already released a handful of deals so you can get a head start on making your Black Friday shopping list. These are ten of the best deals we've seen so far, but we'll be updating this list as more are released.

See more: All the best Black Friday 2019 deals, in one place

The 10 best Nordstrom Black Friday 2019 deals we know of:

Hunter Original Gloss Rain Boot, $99.90 (originally $150) [You save $50.10]
Rebecca Minkoff Mini MAC, $99 (originally $198) [You save $99]
Marc New York Holden Coat, $129.90 (originally $275) [You save $145.10]
Topshop Carly Coat, $75 (originally $125) [You save $50]
Halogen V-Neck Cashmere Sweater, $65.90 (originally $98) [You save $32.10]
Blondo Nada Waterproof Boot, $129.90 (originally $219.95) [You save $90.05]
Nike Men's Epic React Flyknit 2 Running Shoe, $99.90 (originally $150) [You save $50.10]
AG Everett Jeans, $132.66 (originally $198) [You save $65.34]
Sam Edelman Hooded Puffer Jacket, $99.90 (originally $230) [You save $130.01]
Nuna Pipa Lite LX Infant Car Seat & Base, $299.95 (originally $399.95) [You save $100]

Shop Nordstrom Black Friday deals by category:

Nordstrom Black Friday 2019 FAQs:

Is Nordstrom open on Thanksgiving?

No, Nordstrom will not be open on Thanksgiving, but it will be open on Black Friday. You can go to any Nordstrom store on November 29, but if you'd rather snag deals from the comfort of your couch, you can always shop online.

When does Nordstrom's Black Friday sale start?

Black Friday 2019 falls on November 29, but you'll be able to access the sale even earlier than that. This year, prices will drop on November 27, the day before Thanksgiving.

Nordstrom also frequently open sales up earlier to its Nordy Club members. It's free to join, so it may be a good idea to do so now so you can get the best chance of early savings. Plus, being a Nordy Club member gives you exclusive perks all year round, so if you shop at Nordstrom often you'll probably benefit from the membership. You can also apply for a Nordstrom Credit Card which instantly makes you a Nordy Club member, and offers even more perks. Learn more about the perks of a Nordstrom Credit Card and being a Nordy Club member.

What should you buy?

Whether it's everyday wear or designer goods, Nordstrom has it all. Last year, shoppers saved up to 60% off on a huge selection of clothing, beauty products, and home goods with Nordstrom's Black Friday deals. Additionally, certain designer items could be found on sale for up to 40% off.

Nordstrom has released a handful of deals already so you can plan ahead. We'll be hand-picking the best deals from Nordstrom's Black Friday sale and updating this guide.

What's Nordstrom's return policy?

Nordstrom doesn't have a traditional return policy. Instead, returns are handled on a case-by-case basis. The retailer says it has "the ultimate objective of making our customers happy," so the company tends to be very accommodating.

How can I save even more at Nordstrom on Black Friday?

While we can't be sure, we wouldn't be surprised if Nordy Club members get early access to deep savings again. Last year, Nordy Club members also got extra points on their Black Friday purchases. These points add up to Nordstrom Notes, which eventually can be redeemed to shop at Nordstrom, Nordstrom Rack, and Hautelook. While Nordstrom Notes may not be direct savings in the short term, in the long-run they'll add up to help you save on future purchases.

As Black Friday gets closer, we'll update this page with more information on Nordstrom deals, so bookmark this page to stay up to date.

Shop clothing, home goods, beauty, and more at Nordstrom

Sign up to become a Nordy Club member

Apply for a Nordstrom Credit Card

See more Black Friday sales and deals

11/15/19--13:32: 13 mind-blowing facts that show just how expensive New York City really is

new york city manhattan

New York City has a reputation for being one of the most expensive cities in the world.
New York City's high cost of living is due to its booming economy and large job market across a variety of industries.
Rents in the city are reaching historic rates and 1.5 million New Yorkers are living in poverty.
Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

New York City is known for its high prices and its wealthy residents, and that's in large part due to the city's booming job market.

New York City has the world's largest urban economy, reported Steve Goldstein for MarketWatch, citing an Oxford Economics report. In 2018, the city saw its biggest economic boom in 70 years, according to Kirstan Conley for the New York Post. The securities, healthcare, technology, media and business, and tourism-related industries are fueling job growth, she wrote.

As a result, New York City consistently ranks on top 10 lists as one of the world's most expensive cities to live in. Rents in the city are on their way to historic rates, and 1.5 million New Yorkers are living below the poverty level.

Here are 13 mind-blowing facts that show just how expensive New York City really is.

DON'T MISS: More rich millennials are abandoning New York than any other state — and they're not the only ones fleeing the high cost of living

New York state as a whole is outrageously expensive, as evidenced by a new study from personal finance platform GoBankingRates. The study found that workers making the state's median hourly wage of $21.63 need to work an average of 76.16 hours a week to just to live comfortably.

To gather this info, GoBankingRates looked at the following factors in New York state: the median household income, which is $62,765; the median hourly wage, which is $21.63; and the average annual cost of living, which is $42,828.30.

GoBankingRates found that the annual salary needed to live in the state comfortably is $85,656.60— assuming 50% is spent on necessary expenses, 30% is spent on nonessential items, and 20% is put into savings.

New York is continuously ranked as one of the most expensive states in America. In fact, in July, CNBC ranked New York as the third-most expensive state in the country, which is why it's no suprise that it is also home to one of the country's most expensive cities: New York City.

Keep reading for 13 telling facts and statistics that illuminate just expensive the city is.

1. Some NYC residents are shelling out millions to live in basements, where they can get more space for their money.

"As prices continue to decline in the luxury market, developers are keen on maximizing every square foot, including below-grade space, while buyers seek out bargains in a supply-heavy market," reported Stefanos Chen for The New York Times.

One buyer told Chen she bought a 2,100-square-foot, two-bedroom underground duplex on the Upper West Side for $2.3 million — twice the size of her place in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The smaller apartment above her was listed for roughly $1 million more, she said.

2. New York City is the world's only city with more than 100 billionaires.

New York City has 105 billionaires, according to Wealth-X's 2019 Billionaire Census report. That's more billionaires than nearly every country in the world, besides the US, China, and Germany.

3. The median rent for a two-bedroom apartment in New York City is $3,500 — over two times the national median of $1,480.

The median rent for a two-bedroom apartment in the US is $1,480.

New York is the third-most expensive city in the world to rent a two-bedroom apartment. Battery Park City is the most expensive neighborhood to rent in Manhattan, with an average rent of $5,530.

The average New York rent is about 82% of the median American salary, Stephanie Taylor reported for Markets Insider.

4. The monthly cost to park a car long-term in New York City is over $606 — more than the median rent in some US cities.

It costs $606.37 a month to park a car long-term in New York City, according to SmartAsset, citing a report from Parkopedia.

That's more than the median rent in many US cities, like San Joaquin, California ($539), or Monte Vista, Colorado ($561).

5. The average price of homes listed in Manhattan is nearly $1.5 million — more than five times the typical national price of homes listed.

The national median price of homes listed is $289,00o, according to Zillow.

6. To live comfortably as a homeowner in New York City, residents need to earn $148,448. It takes the median US worker roughly three years to earn that much.

The median US worker earns $46,696 annually, according to data by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

To live comfortably as a renter in NYC, residents would need to earn at least $128,552 a year, according to a GoBanking Rates study.

7. New York City has the most expensive home ever sold in the US, a $238 million penthouse.

Billionaire hedge-fund manager Ken Griffin purchased the three-floor, 23,000-square-foot penthouse in a skyscraper at 220 Central Park South, reported Business Insider's Katie Warren, citing The Wall Street Journal.

New York City penthouses are so expensive that they're not selling — so real estate companies are splitting them into smaller, cheaper units to get them off the market, Warren reported.

8. New York City is home to one of the top five richest ZIP codes in the country —10007. The average income there is $879,000.

The ZIP code is home to southern Tribeca, according to Bloomberg's ranking of America's richest ZIP codes. The average annual income in the ZIP code is $879,000, according to 2016 tax returns.

According to Zillow, the median price of listed homes in the area is $3.485 million. But new Tribeca developments are known for even pricier apartments — penthouses in 30 Park Place, which has Four Seasons private residences, are selling for about $30 million.

9. A $75,000 salary in New York City is equivalent to a $195,362 salary in San Antonio, Texas.

Business Insider's Tanza Loudenback used Bankrate's cost of living calculatorto find what $75,000 in Manhattan equals in some of the country's biggest cities. Turns out, it's even worth less than it is in notoriously expensive San Francisco: $75,000 in Manhattan is equivalent to $96,684 in San Francisco.

The purchasing power in New York City is 16% lower than the purchasing power in San Francisco, according to Investopedia.

10. A single person in New York City can expect to spend an annual total of $51,323 on necessities — more than what the median US worker earns in one year.

That's $4,277 a month, according to the Economic Policy Institute. Costs in this calculation include housing, food, transportation, healthcare, other necessities, and taxes, not including savings or discretionary spending.

11. A family of four in New York City can expect to spend $124,129 a year on necessities — that's $10,344 a month.

They should expect to spend the most on childcare — $2,773 a year, according to the Economic Policy Institute.

12. Private preschools and kindergartens in New York City can cost up to $50,000 a year — more than yearly tuition at some Ivy League universities.

Manhattan K-12 schools Horace Mann, Collegiate, and Trinity all have yearly tuition that exceeds $50,000. That's more than the yearly tuitions at Cornell, Harvard, and Princeton, which cost less than $50,000 without room and board, reported Suzanne Woolley and Katya Kazakina for Bloomberg.

Hedge-fund managers, celebrities, and tech millionaires send their kids to Avenues: The World School, which costs $56,400 a year, reported Business Insider's Katie Warren.

13. The cost of living is so high that multimillionaire Wall Street bankers are fleeing the city for more affordable housing.

In 2016, New York lost $8.4 billion because of residents — many of them wealthy bankers — moving to other states, John Aidan Byrne of the New York Post reported.

Rich millennials are also moving away from the city. According to a new SmartAsset study, New York is the No. 1 state rich millennials are moving from — and it's likely partly due to expensive housing in the city.

11/15/19--13:56: How to sign a PDF document on a Windows computer using Adobe Reader

You can sign PDF documents in Windows, completely electronically.
Signing your PDF in Windows can help save time, paper, and money.
If you need to sign a PDF in Windows, you can do so using the Adobe Reader program.
Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

As we've progressed deeper into the digital age, electronic signatures are becoming more and more common. Rather than printing out a document, signing it, scanning and emailing it (or faxing it), signing the document electronically can save paper, time, and even money.

With Adobe Reader, signing your documents electronically is simple.

Here's how to sign a PDF on Windows using Adobe Reader.

Check out the products mentioned in this article:

Windows 10 (From $139.99 at Best Buy)

Adobe Acrobat 1-Year Subscription (From $159.99 at Best Buy)

How to sign a PDF on Windows using Adobe Reader

1. First of all, make sure that you have Adobe Reader installed. You can download it for free from the Adobe website, here.

2. Open the PDF document in Adobe Reader. If it isn't already the default PDF viewer on your computer, right-click it, hover your mouse over "Open with," and select "Adobe Reader" in the list.

3. On the right side of your PDF, there's a menu with several functions you can perform to alter the PDF. Scroll down the menu until you see the "Fill & Sign" option, and click on it.

4. On the next screen, you will be asked if you're filling out the form yourself, or preparing it for another person's signature. If you're trying to sign the PDF yourself, click on "Fill and sign." If you're preparing the form for another person to sign, click on "Request signatures."

5. On the PDF document itself, click on any fields that need to be filled in and type in the required information.

6. Once you have all of the required information filled, click on the "Sign" button, represented by an icon resembling a fountain pen.

7. In the "Sign" sub-menu, click on "Add Signature." Type in, draw, or upload your signature, and click "Apply."

8. Your signature should now appear onscreen, alongside your cursor. Use the mouse to position the signature on the page, and click when you're ready to sign.

9. Once you've signed, save your PDF to make sure your signature isn't lost.

Adobe Reader can save your signature as well as your initials for future documents as well, simplifying the process even further. All you have to do is click on "Sign," click your signature, and click on the spot you want to sign.

Related coverage from How To Do Everything: Tech:

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11/15/19--14:02: 'Why does my Galaxy S10's brightness keep changing?': How to keep your S10's brightness the same and control it manually

If the brightness keeps changing on your Samsung Galaxy S10 during the day, there are a couple of possible causes, and you can correct both of them.
You'll need to train the Adaptive Brightness feature by adjusting the brightness manually for a few weeks. After that, the app should be able to set the Galaxy S10's brightness at the right level for you automatically.
Adaptive power savings might also be changing the screen brightness as the battery level drops.
Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Your Samsung Galaxy S10 is designed to change the brightness of the screen depending upon ambient lighting conditions, using a feature called Adaptive Brightness. In Power Saving mode, the brightness can also be affected by the battery level of the phone.

If everything is working well, you should never notice these changes in brightness, because your Galaxy S10 will adapt seamlessly to changing lighting conditions. That's not always the case, though.

Here's a breakdown of why your brightness keeps changing, and how to fix it.

Check out the products mentioned in this article:

Samsung Galaxy S10 (From $849.99 at Best Buy)

Understanding Adaptive Brightness on a Samsung Galaxy S10

Adaptive Brightness isn't quite the same as the "Auto brightness" feature that was available in older versions of the Android operating system.

Adaptive Brightness uses artificial intelligence to monitor how you change the brightness of the phone in various lighting conditions, and then starts making those adjustments for you automatically. In other words, it learns the lighting level you like over time, and then changes the brightness for you.

That means it takes a little time for Adaptive Brightness to get used to your preferences. To teach it, when ever you use the phone in a different lighting condition, pull down the Control Center and use the brightness slider to adjust the screen. With sufficient training, it should make those decisions for you.

brightness 1

How to turn off Adaptive Brightness on a Galaxy S10 if you don't like the feature

Make sure you give the Adaptive Brightness feature enough time to learn from you — ideally, a few weeks of manual brightness adjustments. If, after that, it's still not working to your satisfaction, you might want to turn it off.

1. Start the Settings app.

2. Tap "Display."

3. Turn off Adaptive Brightness by swiping its button to the left.

brightness 2

How to check if Power mode is affecting screen brightness, or turn the feature off

Your battery level might also be affecting screen brightness — if "Adaptive power saving" is on, the power mode (and screen brightness) can change throughout the day as the battery level drops.

1. Swipe down from the top of the screen to display the Control Center.

2. Tap and hold "Power mode" until the Power mode settings page appears.

brightness 3

3. Check the status of the Adaptive power savings control at the bottom of the screen. You can turn it off by swiping the button to the left.

brightness 4

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11/15/19--14:11: How to search for a seller on eBay in 2 different ways

You can search for a seller on eBay using the site's advanced search function.
You can also find a seller's page by first finding an item that they have for sale.
Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

So you purchased an item on eBay and were particularly thrilled by the level of service you received from the seller.

If you want to buy from them again, you're able to easily search for a seller using eBay's advanced search feature.

Alternatively, you can first find an item that seller has and then navigate to the seller's store from there.

How to search for a seller on eBay

1. Click on the "Advanced Search" link to the right of the search bar on the eBay homepage. This will bring you to the advanced search screen.

2. Hit the "By Seller" link on the left side of the page.

How to search for a seller on eBay

3. Check the box that says "Only show items from" and then select the "Specific Sellers" bullet point.

How to search for a seller on eBay

4. Enter the seller's ID in the text box, and hit "Search."

5. If you don't know a seller's ID, you can find it by selecting an item that you know the seller has in his or her store. The seller's name will be on the right side of the page under "Seller Information." Select the name to be taken to a page that will display all the items that the seller has available for purchase.

How to search for a seller on eBay

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11/15/19--14:21: 'Does PayPal have fees?': Yes, but not for all transactions — here's how you can avoid fees on PayPal

PayPal does have fees in some cases, but they're pretty easy to avoid as long as you're making basic transactions within the US.
Fees are usually associated with using a credit or debit card to fund payments, sending money abroad, or using PayPal as a payment processor if you're a vendor.
Here's what you need to know about the various fees you might encounter with your PayPal account.
Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

When it comes to basic transactions, like sending or receiving money between PayPal accounts within the US, the payment transfer platform is free.

But that isn't the case for every transaction. Here are the situations when you might encounter fees on PayPal.

PayPal does have fees in some cases — here's how to avoid them

While you can transfer funds from your PayPal account to your bank for free, there is a fee for instant transfers: 1% of the transfer amount, capped at $10 per transaction.

You'd also pay a fee to send money to a friend or family member using a debit or credit card. In that case, the fee would be 2.9% plus a fixed amount that varies depending on the currency used.

There are additional fees for sending money to people who live in other countries. For example, you'd pay at least 5% of the amount you planned on sending, plus $0.99 to $4.99, depending on your circumstances.

If you were to use a credit or debit card to fund these transfers, you'd also pay a funding fee of 2.9% plus a fixed fee that varies depending on the receiver's country of residence.

Finally, if you were to sell items and use PayPal as your payment processor, you'll pay fees on each transaction:

Sales within the US: 2.9% plus 30 cents.
Discounted rate for eligible charities: 2.2% plus 30 cents.
International sales: 4.4% plus a fixed amount which varies by country.
PayPal Here card reader fee: 2.7% per swipe, or 3.5% plus 15 cents for manual transactions.

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11/15/19--14:34: How to sync Notes from an iPhone to a Mac through iCloud, so your notes are always up-to-date

You can sync your Notes from an iPhone to your Mac using an iCloud account.
The option to turn this feature on is found in the settings on both devices.
Syncing your Notes is helpful for accessing them on multiple devices, so the Notes you write while on your iPhone will automatically appear on your Mac when you get home.
Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Notes are a great way to organize lists, ideas, and things to do — and thanks to iCloud, you can sync these notes across all your devices.

You probably use the Notes app the most on your iPhone, since it's great for jotting down quick thoughts and reminders throughout the day. You can easily sync these Notes by making a few changes to your iCloud settings. This will make it so any Note you take on one device will appear on all your iCloud-connected devices.

It's important to note that syncing will only work if you've signed in with the same Apple ID on both devices.

Here's how to set it up.

Check out the products mentioned in this article:

iPhone 11 (From $699.99 at Best Buy)

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

How to sync your Notes on a Mac

First, you'll need to make sure your Mac is open for syncing.

1. Open the System Preferences app on your Mac. You can do this by clicking the Apple logo in the top-left corner of the screen and selecting "System Preferences..."

2. Click on the "iCloud" icon. If you're running macOS Catalina, it may also be called "Apple ID."

3. Here you'll find details for your Apple ID account. The main portion of the screen should show which apps are currently using iCloud. Make sure the Notes app has a checkmark next to it. If it has an empty white box, click to check it off.

You can also access the iCloud settings page by going directly through the Notes app on your Mac.

1. Open Notes.

2. Click on "Notes" in the menu bar at the top of your screen.

3. Click "Accounts." This will bring you to your account information. You may have linked multiple email accounts to your Mac, but iCloud should always be the first option.

4. Select your iCloud account in the pane on the left.

sync notes mac iphone

5. Scroll down and make sure the Notes app has a checkmark next to it. It's also important to note that syncing will only work if you've signed in with the same Apple ID on both devices, so make sure this account on your Mac will be the same as the account on your iPhone.

How to sync your Notes on an iPhone

1. Open the Settings app on your phone.

2. Tap your name at the top. This will bring you to your account details for your Apple ID, iCloud, and iTunes & App Store.

3. Tap "iCloud."

4. This will bring you to your iCloud details page, where you'll find how much storage you've used for photos, backups, and documents, along with which apps are currently using iCloud. Find the Notes app and make sure the toggle is switched from gray to green. Tap or swipe to change this.

sync notes mac iphone 4.PNG

If for some reason your notes aren't syncing, make sure the default account is set to iCloud, as there is a chance the notes you are typing on your iPhone are linked to a different account. To do so:

1. Open your Settings app.

2. From the homepage, scroll down to find the "Notes" tab in the fifth section. Tap to open it.

sync notes mac iphone 5.PNG

3. Make sure the "Default Account" is set to "iCloud." If it's not, tap to change it. Your Notes will now automatically sync with your Mac.

sync notes mac iphone 6.PNG

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11/15/19--14:59: The best yoga socks

Connect to your practice more deeply while protecting your feet with a comfortable and stylish pair of yoga socks.
Our favorite socks are the ToeSox Half Toe Bellarina Grip Socks, which come in more than 25 colors and patterns and offer arch support and a five-toe design.
See also: The best yoga mats you can buy

Yoga socks aren't just for yoga anymore. With fitness exploding into a nearly $100 billion industry worldwide, more people are using these grippy socks, which often feature silicone dots on the bottoms, to bring stability and protection to their pilates, barre, dance, and outdoor workouts, too.

Built for form and function, yoga socks provide extra stability in your yoga poses, which is especially helpful when you start to sweat during hot yoga or you "flip your dog" into Camatkarasana (wild thing pose) and your foot lands slightly off your yoga mat. They're great for assisting you in spreading your toes, too, which helps you gain flexibility so you can easily grip the hammocks with your feet in aerial yoga.

Yoga socks can also keep your feet warm as you walk around colder gyms and studios, or during slower practices like restorative yoga, yin yoga, and meditation. Plus, with yoga expanding to the outdoors for goat yoga, and classes popping up in non-traditional spaces like cat cafes and breweries, the extra layer of protection is ideal for keeping you clean and safe from debris.

Now available in a wide variety of lengths (from ankle to knee length), colors, sizes, and patterns, yoga socks even include evolved offerings like organic cotton and matching socks for your toddler. You can find ones that cover each toe, or end just before the toes, enabling a more traditional yoga barefoot grip. Some are also engineered for softness, comfort, and staving off blisters, making a pair an essential item for your gym bag.

We've gathered and tested a variety of yoga socks for your inner wellness warrior, and made sure to include companies that give back to the community and care for the environment. Read on to see which pair will be your next go-to.

Here are the best yoga socks you can buy:

Best yoga socks overall: ToeSox Half Toe Bellarina Grip Socks
Best yoga socks for the socially conscious: Bombas Women's Grippers Ankle Socks
Best yoga socks for travel: Gaiam Grippy Yoga Socks
Best yoga socks for men: Muezna Men's Non-Slip Yoga Socks
Best yoga socks on a budget: Hylaea Toeless Non-Slip Yoga Socks for Women

Updated on 06/17/2019 by Les Shu: Updated prices, links, and formatting.

Updated on 10/29/19 by Mara Leighton: Updated prices and formatting. We are currently testing new products, so we'll update this guide soon.

Updated on 11/15/2019 by Caitlin Petreycik: Added Bombas Women's Grippers Ankle Socks, ToeSox Half-Toe Bellarina Grip Socks, Muezna Men's Non-Slip Yoga Socks, and Hylaea Yoga Socks for Women.

SEE ALSO: The best yoga mats you can buy

The best yoga socks overall

ToeSox Half Toe Bellarina Grip Socks are comfortable, stylish, and provide excellent grip and support.

As a yoga teacher who practices in all kinds of environments, the ToeSox Half Toe Bellarina Grip Socks were hands (and feet) down my favorite of all the ToeSox options I tried. While I know that some people don't like the feeling of fabric between their toes, this design helps spread the toes for better stability.

The unique "half toe" option enables you to move freely and connect with your yoga mat or practice surface for that barefoot feel. Plus, the below-the-ankle fit and patented non-slip grip sole eliminate bunching and make flowing from pose to pose a breeze.

I love the more than 25 colors, patterns, and designs offered. Never have my feet looked so cute in socks before, and I wore them long after I rolled up my yoga mat because they are super comfortable and made me smile every time I looked down. Best of all, ToeSox purchases support various social organizations and causes, such as Soles4Souls / Clothes4Souls, Arbor Day Foundation, Keep A Breast, and Knock Knock Give a Sock.

Bustle, Health, and Shape all included the ToeSox Half Toe Bellarina Grip Socks on their lists of best yoga socks as well.

Pros: Made with organic cotton, five-toe design allows toes to move and spread easily, unisex sizing

Cons: Some users said their pair stretched out after wear and that threads can come loose around the toes

The best yoga socks for the socially conscious

Bombas Women's Grippers Ankle Socks are high-quality, long-lasting yoga socks with a charitable component: for every purchase, a pair of socks is donated to someone in need.

New socks are one of the most requested items at homeless shelters, and Bombas pitches in by donating a pair of socks for each pair purchased. So, when you add the Bombas Women's Grippers Ankle Socks to your cart, know that another pair is on its way to someone in need.

Bombas puts as much care into the community as it does its sock technology. With a honeycomb arch support system, a Y-stitched heel for comfort, a seamless toe, and a blister tab, the Bombas Women's Grippers Ankle Socks will support your body, mind, and soul during your next yoga, pilates, or barre class.

The socks come in four colors and four variants of gray and black. The eco-friendly gripper dots are made from ultra-thin PVC, and the company offers a 100-percent guarantee on all of their products. They also offer Bombas Men's Grippers Ankle Socks and a variety of Bombas Kids Grippers Socks.

Pros: A pair of socks is donated for each pair purchased, blister tab, Y-stitched heel for comfort

Cons: No toeless options, some users complain of holes shortly after wearing them

The best yoga socks for travel

Gaiam Grippy Yoga Socks are like a yoga mat on the go, providing full coverage for your feet to keep you stable while you practice in your hotel room or Airbnb.

Traveling doesn't mean you have to skip your yoga practice, thanks to Gaiam's Grippy Yoga Socks. These socks provide full-toe, non-slip traction while enhancing balance and stability. Meaning, you can feel confident that your feet will be both protected and warm when you practice on non-traditional surfaces.

Or if you do find a yoga studio in the new town you're exploring, you can keep your feet clean and fungus-free if you decide to use a rental mat. The feeling of being hygienic alone can help you relax more and focus on your downward-facing dog.

Gaiam's yoga socks are made from 95% polyester, and come in black with a few colors options for the grippy dots. Some buyers mention that their toes can tend to slip out, so be sure to find a snug fit.

Pros: Full five-toe coverage, great for travel

Cons: Limited colors, made from polyester, can develop holes quickly

The best yoga socks for men

Muezna Men's Non-Slip Yoga Socks are versatile enough to provide a non-slip grip for all of your workouts, from hot power yoga to kickboxing and Tai Chi.

With a design on the instep and an anti-skid sole, Muezna Men's Non-Slip Yoga Socks add a dash of style and stability to your yoga practice or workouts. The combed cotton helps with sweat absorption, and the silica grips provide a sturdy non-slip surface so you can hold your stance and balance with ease.

In addition to yoga, these socks can help support you in other activities where you want to be barefoot but also need a layer of protection. They come in black with slight color variations for the instep design — including gray, navy, dark green, red, and blue — giving you the ability to color coordinate your socks with your workouts.

Pros: Sizes up to men's 14, storage bag included

Cons: Sizing can be off, some buyers complain about the quality of the fabric

The best yoga socks on a budget

The Hylaea Toeless Non-Slip Yoga Socks for Women have a five-toe design, giving you that barefoot sensation for better balance.

Not sure about yoga socks in general or the five-toe design? With the Hylaea Toeless Non-Slip Yoga Socks for Women you can invest in a new yoga prop without breaking the bank.

The bottoms of these socks have silicone gel grips that are imported from Korea, providing a non-skid surface to protect you from sliding when doing yoga or pilates. The diamond-shaped grips are bigger than the usual dots on similar grip socks, and the heel has even larger grips for extra stability.

Bargain socks don't have to skimp on style, and many customer reviews mention how cute Hylaea's socks are, noting the criss-cross straps reminiscent of ballet shoes (those same straps also allow for more foot flexibility).

Pros: Great grip, come with a mesh bag for storage and washing

Cons: Uncomfortable due to small toe holes, straps can tend to break

Check out our other great yoga gear guides

The best yoga mats you can buy

The first piece of gear you need to begin your yoga practice is a great yoga mat. Of all the yoga mats we've researched, the Manduka ProLite Yoga Mat is the best with its closed-cell surface that keeps out sweat and its dotted texture that keeps your hands and feet from slipping out of position during downward facing dog.

Best yoga mat overall: Manduka ProLite Yoga Mat
Best yoga mat for perfectionists: Liforme Yoga Mat
Best eco-friendly yoga mat: Prana ECO Yoga Mat
Best affordable yoga mat: Gaiam Print Premium Yoga Mat
Best lightweight yoga mat: Manduka Eko Superlight Travel Yoga Mat
Best travel yoga mat: YoGo Travel Yoga Mat

The best yoga blocks you can buy

Yoga blocks can help you get into difficult poses and deepen your flexibility or simply provide the support you need.

Best yoga block overall: Hugger Mugger Cork Yoga Block
Best basic yoga block: Gaiam Yoga Block
Best yoga block and strap set: YogaRat Block and Strap Set
Best eco-friendly yoga block: Manduka Recycled Foam Yoga Block

11/15/19--15:05: This convertible tote is a near-perfect gym bag — it's machine washable and compact yet deceptively spacious

Caraa Sport makes some of our favorite backpacks, totes, weekenders, and now gym bags.
The label blends style with functionality and versatility well, and its Athena Tote is a great example.
The Athena Tote Medium ($195) is machine-washable, converts from a tote to a messenger bag, and keeps its bulk to a rectangular shape.

Caraa Sport is the startup best known for their pricey but revered Studio bags. The brand has a recognizably modern, monochromatic style, but its customers most often rave about organization and performance — including us when we reviewed their Stratus Backpack ($200) and Cloud Cumulus Medium Tote ($195). One editor even said that, while there are other great options for much less, the $450 Studio Bag is pretty great for a weekender.

Caraa Sport has a knack for balancing style with functionality and for solving issues that had inexplicably not been addressed sooner — like the weight and machine-washability of a gym bag.

Recently, the company sent me their Athena Tote Medium ($195) to consider for a review. It's a rectangular gym bag made from a sweatshirt material that's structured with branded bands along the body, and it works as either a tote or as a converted messenger bag. It also comes in a short, wide "small" version.

The Athena Tote Medium ($195) is another good example of why people come back to Caraa Sport. It's designed well for both aesthetics and your life. I used it over the course of a few weeks to run to workout classes and the office, and I was impressed by its versatility, ease, and thoughtful design.

The shape works well. The body is soft enough to concave and save space on the subway when half full of gear, or to expand around a pile of bulky things. Its rectangular silhouette is unique, and it keeps the volume of the bag contained to the natural lines of your body — no wide, stuffed duffel bag that threatens to take out a few people every time you turn around, a complaint I've lodged against some of my other favorite workout bags.

It's also got a drawstring opening on the top which is easy to get into, and which can expand to accommodate lots of stuff. The only downside to this is that you can't easily undo it with one hand.

And while it's certainly no weekender duffel doubling as a gym bag, it's deceptively spacious without being bulky.

The design accounts for different legs of your day, like the gym and the office. Its internal organization has a pocket that can fit a 17-inch laptop, another for workout gear, a water bottle pocket, a slip pocket for an energy bar, and a separate pouch for shoes and wet, sweaty gear post-class. The outside has a slip pocket for your phone or wallet. Plus, like our other favorite bags from the brand, it's light enough to cart from one destination to the next. And there are removable messenger bag straps and a removable shoulder pad for long days.

But perhaps the best feature is that the entire thing is machine-washable, so you can remove the dreaded stench of sweaty gym clothes just as easily as grime from the subway floor. (Mine fared a simple machine-wash without any noticeable changes).

All in all, it's a near-perfect iteration of a good gym bag: It looks good, works well, and is easy to carry.

You can find similar options for less on Adidas, but across retailers, many offerings are comparable in price, even with typically more affordable options like Athleta. I don't think it's worth the extra money if it's an uncomfortable leap. But if it's a comfortable expense and you want the best, you'll probably be happy with the investment. And if not you can return it within 21 days of when it's shipped to you.

Caraa Sport Athena Medium Tote, $195

Caraa Sport Athena Athena Small Tote, in white or black, $185

11/15/19--16:28: Bill Gates just overtook Jeff Bezos to reclaim his spot as world's richest person

Bill Gates

Billionaire philanthropist and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates regained his status as the world's richest person for the first time in two years on Friday, topping Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, Bloomberg reported.
Shares landed Gates' net worth at $110 billion, while Bezos is at $108.7 billion.
Gates' rise in the rankings may have been helped, in part, by the Pentagon signing a $10 billion cloud-computing contract with Microsoft instead of Amazon. The October 25, deal prompted a surge in Microsoft shares while Amazon's stock plummeted by about 2% after the announcement.
Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Billionaire philanthropist and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates regained his status as the world's richest person for the first time in two years on Friday, topping Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, Bloomberg reported.

The Bloomberg Billionaire Index that tracks the wealth of the richest 500 people is updated after US markets close, so Gates briefly had the upper hand last month after Amazon posted a profit drop, but the company's shares "pared the decline," according to the Bloomberg report.

Gates' rise in the rankings may have been helped, in part, by the Pentagon signing a $10 billion cloud-computing contract with Microsoft instead of Amazon. The October 25 deal prompted a surge in Microsoft shares while Amazon's stock plummeted by about 2% after the announcement.

Though he only owns roughly 1% of Microsoft shares, but as Business Insider reported earlier this year, "that 1% is estimated to be worth around $7.3 billion."

The stock market boost shifted Gates' net worth to $110 billion, while Bezos is at $108.7 billion.

Bezos's fortune also took a hit following his divorce from MacKenzie Bezos, who received a quarter of their Amazon holdings in the split. Bloomberg also notes that Gates could have had a higher net worth, but he has donated more than $35 billion since 1994 through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

NOW WATCH: Traditional Japanese swords can take over 18 months to create — here's what makes them so special

11/15/19--16:34: Everything you need to know about when Black Friday deals and sales start and end in 2019

Black Friday is on November 29, 2019.
Even though that's the official start day, many retailers will actually launch deals a few days earlier.
Black Friday deals often run through the weekend until Cyber Monday brings a fresh wave of deals.
The Insider Picks team will be reporting the best Black Friday deals in real-time from big-box retailers — like Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, Target, and Nordstrom — and direct-to-consumer startups like Casper, Leesa, and Brooklinen.
To potentially save more on Black Friday deals this year, visit Business Insider Coupons to find the most up-to-date coupons and promo codes.

Thanksgiving is coming up, and with it, Black Friday. Black Friday marks the beginning of the busiest shopping season of the year when shoppers pursue their gift-shopping list with increased urgency.

When is Black Friday?

Officially, Black Friday lands on Friday, November 29.

But like many other retail holidays, Black "Friday" really starts a few days, or even earlier at some stores, before the real event. The high levels of anticipation for deals are enough to make retailers launch their sales early.

That's probably better for shoppers anyway. It means they have extra time to shop the countless online sales at their leisure, rather than try to cram all their shopping into one hectic day.

What time does Black Friday start?

Here's when Black Friday starts at various retailers. While a handful will start their Black Friday sales on Thanksgiving Day, there are also many that won't be open on the holiday. We will share the start dates and times of more stores as they're announced.

Amazon: Device deals start online at 12 a.m. November 22.

Best Buy: Stores will open from 5 p.m. Thanksgiving Day to 1 a.m. November 29. They reopen at 8 a.m. November 29. Sales start online at 12 a.m. November 29.

GameStop: Stores will open at 3 p.m. Thanksgiving Day. Sales start online at 9 p.m. ET Thanksgiving Day.

JCPenney: Stores will open at 2 p.m. Thanksgiving Day.

Kohl's: Stores will open at 5 p.m. Thanksgiving Day. Sales start online at 12:01 a.m. CT November 25.

Macy's: Stores will be open from 5 p.m. Thanksgiving Day to 2 a.m. November 29. They reopen at 6 a.m. November 29.

Nordstrom: Stores will be open at 10 a.m. November 29. Sales start online on November 27.

Target: Stores will be open from 5 p.m. Thanksgiving Day to 1 a.m. November 29. They reopen at 7 a.m. November 29. RedCard holders get first access to over 100 online deals on November 27, while Target Circle members get access to select deals at 6 p.m. CT November 27.

The Home Depot: Appliance Special Buys and early Black Friday deals are live now in participating stores and online.

Walmart: Stores will open at 6 p.m. Thanksgiving Day. Sales start online at 10 p.m. ET November 27.

What time does Black Friday end?

In stores, most Black Friday sales end after November 29. However, sales will continue online through Cyber Monday and beyond. In past years, we've seen sales last the entire week afterward. This year, that means Black Friday and Cyber Week sales should end around December 6.

Once we learn the exact Black Friday 2019 end dates and times of the most popular retailers, like Amazon, Walmart, and Target, we will share them below.

Best Buy: Stores close at 10 p.m. November 29.

The Home Depot: Appliance Special Buys end at 11:59 p.m. December 5.

How long do Black Friday sales last?

Again, don't be fooled by the name that suggests it's a single day. Black Friday sales usually last at least a few days, whether they start early or continue on until Cyber Monday.

What else can I learn about Black Friday?

Here are some of the best Black Friday deals you can shop by store.

Best Black Friday deals from Amazon

Fire TV Stick 4K with Alexa Voice Remote, $25 with code "4KFIRETV" (originally $50) [You save $25]
23andMe DNA Test - Health + Ancestry, $99 (originally $199) [You save $100]
Fire HD 10 Tablet, $100 (originally $150) [You save $50] - available November 22
Kindle Paperwhite, $85 (originally $130) [You save $45] - available November 22

Learn more about Amazon's Black Friday deals

Best Black Friday deals from Best Buy

Buy the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max with AppleCare+ and get $25 off the latest iPhone in 12 months
Buy an unlocked iPhone XR, iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max and get 3 free months of Apple Music (new subscribers only) and one free month of iCloud storage (new subscribers only)
Samsung 75-inch NU6900 TV, $749.99 (originally $1,099.99) [You save $350]
MacBook Air 13.3-inch laptop, $899.99 (originally $1,099) [You save $200]

Learn more about Best Buy's Black Friday deals

Best Black Friday deals from Target

SodaStream Fizzi Classic, $49.99 (originally $89.99) [You save $40]
Instant Pot 6-Quart 7-in-1 Duo Nova, $64.95 (originally $99.95) [You save $35]
Keurig K-Mini, $49.99 (originally $89.99) [You save $40]

Learn more about Target's Black Friday deals

Best Black Friday deals from Walmart

Lenovo ideapad S145 15.6" Laptop, $189 (originally $269) [You save $80]
Apple iPad (6th Gen) 128GB Wi-Fi, $299 (originally $429) [You save $130]
Bose SoundSport In-Ear Android Headphones, $34 (originally $99) [You save $65]
Instant Pot LUX60 V3 6-in-1 Pressure Cooker, $65 (originally $99) [You save $34]

Learn more about Walmart's Black Friday deals

See more Black Friday sales and deals

11/16/19--05:32: Inside the chaotic aftermath of the McDonald's CEO's shocking termination and his replacement's quest to win over workers (MCD)

mcdonalds hq ceo shakeup 2x1

McDonald's CEO Steve Easterbrook's termination as CEO following a relationship with a female coworker earlier in November sent shock waves through the massive fast-food chain.
Easterbrook was successful, well-liked, and respected at McDonald's, making his abrupt firing even more shocking and embarrassing for the company, employees and franchisees told Business Insider.
The ex-CEO's romantic involvement with another employee wasn't widely known internally and the identity of the woman remains a mystery, according to interviews with current and former employees.
The next day, employees learned David Fairhurst, McDonald's head of human resources and Easterbrook's friend, was also leaving— news one employee called a "double whammy."
McDonald's new CEO Chris Kempczinski has spent the last two weeks getting the company on board with his vision as a leader, which is strategically similar to Easterbrook's but emphasizes a renewed focus on values and ethics.
McDonald's confirmed that Kempczinski and Easterbrook's exits were not related to each other or two other executives' departure earlier this year, but declined to comment further for this article.
If you're a McDonald's employee or franchisee with a story to share, email ktaylor@businessinsider.com or reach out on the phone or via Signal app at +1 (646) 768-4740.
Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

When McDonald's employees heard that CEO Steve Easterbrook had been abruptly fired, a wave of shock, anger, and embarrassment rippled through the fast-food giant's corporate offices and restaurants around the world.

Easterbrook was seen by many inside the company as McDonald's savior, a charismatic Brit determined to transform the fast-food chain's villainous "Supersize Me" reputation to a "modern, progressive burger chain," a soundbite he frequently repeated over his four years leading the chain.

As CEO, Easterbrook led McDonald's through the national launch of all-day breakfast, fresh-beef quarter pounders and the acquisitions of two tech companies this year. Under his leadership, the company's market cap grew from $93.3 billion in March 2015 to $146.7 billion in November. He was respected and well-liked throughout the company.

Then on Sunday, November 3, McDonald's workers were alerted that Easterbrook was out, effective immediately. The board had investigated after learning the CEO had a relationship with a female employee, ultimately determining that Easterbrook "violated company policy and demonstrated poor judgment."

Easterbrook's romantic involvement with another employee wasn't widely known internally, and the identity of the woman remains a mystery, according to interviews with three current and former employees.

Less than 24 hours later, McDonald's employees were hit with news of another sudden departure. The company announced that its head of human resources, David Fairhurst, was leaving, effective immediately.

In conversations with ten current and former McDonald's corporate employees and franchisees, insiders repeatedly emphasized shock over Easterbrook's termination. They said they were infuriated by Easterbrook's behavior and that ultimately they trusted the board's decision to terminate the CEO.

Meanwhile, Chris Kempczinski has spent the last two weeks launching a quest to win over McDonald's massive system. And, the new CEO is succeeding — despite previous bad blood with franchises.

Shock, embarrassment, and anger

Nearly every McDonald's insider who spoke with Business Insider, from franchisees to corporate employees, mentioned shock as their first reaction to Easterbrook's abrupt departure.

Easterbrook was generally well-liked and well-respected, according to past and current employees. Various people described him as smart and strategic, with a dry, British sense of humor.

Discussion of Easterbrook's past relationship with Denise Paleothodoros, who previously worked on McDonald's account at public relations firm Golin, served as water-cooler gossip at McDonald's, according to multiple sources. As reported by the The Wall Street Journal, the relationship with Paleothodoros was reviewed and permitted by the board following an investigation several years ago, due in part to assurances that she would no longer work on the McDonald's account.

The idea that the CEO would engage in what The Journal reports the board found to be a short-term, consensual relationship with a subordinate at the company was widely seen as unexpected and unacceptable.

"I was shocked," said one long-time franchisee. "Mainly because in today's world, you don't anticipate that type of behavior."

One corporate employee said he was surprised by Easterbrook's "lack of judgment," expressing amazement that the executive could be "so smart and so stupid at the same time."

The same employee said he and others felt embarrassed and angry in the aftermath of Easterbrook's departure, saying the incident felt like a black eye on the company's reputation. Financially, it placed employees, franchisees, and shareholders in a dicey position, with McDonald's losing $4 billion in value after the news broke.

Adding to the discomfort was activists' use of the incident to highlight issues facing workers at the restaurant level. Fight for $15, a labor group fighting for higher minimum wages, swiftly released a statement following Easterbrook's firing that called McDonald's culture "rotten from top to bottom." On November 12, the American Civil Liberties Union and a Michigan McDonald's worker filed a class-action lawsuit over claims that McDonald's has failed to address a "systemic problem" of harassment, connecting the worker's claims of sexual harassment to Easterbrook's behavior.

This is precisely what some franchisees had feared might happen in response to Easterbrook's firing.

"The hypersensitive and opportunistic world we live in could result in the groups that have higher mandatory wage and QSR organizing objectives for their own selfish reasons have already started to use the news to advance their objectives," McDonald's National Owners Association (NOA), an independent organization of franchisees, wrote in an internal report seen by Business Insider.

Current and former McDonald's corporate staffers said that the identity of the woman with whom Easterbrook was involved remains unknown internally. Unsurprisingly, the mystery has sparked rumors. The discussion around the employee's identity has been a hot topic of conversation among various McDonald's insiders, according to multiple sources.

The 'double-whammy' of a second exit in a year full of departures

McDonald's employees were still reeling from Easterbrook's departure when they learned less than 24 hours later that David Fairhurst, McDonald's head of human resources, would also be leaving.

Like Easterbrook, Fairhurst was a long-time McDonald's employee who got his start in the UK. Fairhurst was promoted to the role of chief people officer in 2015, six months after Easterbrook became CEO. Sources said the two were friends and worked closely at McDonald's. Fairhurst said in April that he was "heavily involved with the CEO."

One corporate employee described the back-to-back loss of Easterbrook and Fairhurst as a "double whammy."

Despite the abrupt nature of Fairhurst's departure and his closeness with Easterbrook, a representative for McDonald's said the two were unrelated and declined to provide further details. Fairhurst wrote in a LinkedIn post on Monday, November 4, that he had "decided the time has come for me to move on to my next career challenge."

"My parting wish is that each of them remain true to the values which have taken us so far on our journey," the post reads. "That their customer obsession never wavers. That their commitment to maintaining McDonald's position as a global leader never dims. And that, above all, their belief that they are always better and stronger when they act together remains absolute."

Fairhurst and Easterbrook's exits were also concerning for some employees because they represented the latest in the number of senior-level departures at the company. The company said in July that chief marketing officer Silvia Lagnado planned to leave her post in October. In September, McDonald's said its chief communications officer, Robert Gibbs, would also exit the company in October.

Three current and former corporate employees said that, to the best of their knowledge, the departures were not directly connected or rooted in a common cause. While the departures of Easterbrook and Fairhurst were sudden, Gibbs and Lagnados were previously announced.

Despite the lack of a unifying narrative around the exits, one corporate staffer said that the number of departures did worry him — especially since there was no obvious financial reason for people to jump ship.

McDonald's confirmed that the four departures were all unrelated to each other. The company declined to offer further comment for this article.

The new CEO's quest to win over McDonald's

With the shock of Easterbrook's termination and some anxiety around the number of departures this year, Chris Kempczinski has his work cut out for him as McDonald's new CEO. And, by all reports, he has embraced the challenge.

Employees were happy that the company did not attempt to bring someone in from the outside, according to a corporate employee, instead promoting Kempczinski from his role as the head of the US business. McDonald's unique culture and understanding of how the corporate office and franchisees interact is crucial to the company's success. This can create issues for newcomers, according to multiple sources.

Kempczinski, who joined McDonald's in 2015, had previously clashed with franchisees while leading the company's US business, with franchise owners bristling against expensive initiatives like a remodeling program that could cost up to $750,000 per location.

When the news broke of Easterbrook's departure, Kempczinski quickly set to work reassuring franchisees and employees. The core of his messaging has been that McDonald's won't change course strategically, but that misconduct of any kind will not be allowed under his leadership.

Soon after the news broke on Sunday, Kempczinski called Larry Tripplett, a leader of two influential franchisee groups as CEO of the National Black McDonald's Operators Association and an NOA board member, to discuss financials and African-American franchisees' on-going concerns. By Monday morning, a video starring Kempczinski was sent to franchisee summits around the country, presenting a narrative and financial expectations that helped franchisees get on board with the new CEO, despite past tension.

The Wednesday following his promotion, Kempczinski held a town hall in the company's Chicago headquarters that was streamed to McDonald's employees around the world. In the town hall, Kempczinski talked about his personal background — including that has had been married for 25 years and met his wife college — and answered questions about the future of the company.

Strategically, Kempczinski emphasized that McDonald's will continue to work on the velocity of its growth plan. However, he and chairman Rick Hernandez Jr. also alluded to the need for a renewal of ethics and trust in the company.

"The mission I'm asking you to re-enlist in is to make this company an example for the world and to do the right thing each and every day," Kempczinski told employees, according to a McDonald's employee who attended the town hall.

According to another McDonald's employee, Kempczinski emphasized that he had respect for everyone on his team. Further, Kempczinski said that he would not have anyone on his team who didn't share his values.

Kempczinski's language and Hernandez Jr.'s discussion of the McDonald's policies on relationships between employees were seen by this employee as an allusion to Easterbrook and Fairhurst's recent departures.

The town hall and Kempczinski's efforts to win over those within McDonald's system is producing positive results in their early stages. McDonald's stock has recovered from its fall in the aftermath of Easterbrook's termination, with shares trading at $194.57 when the market opened on Friday.

Two weeks out, multiple employees and franchisees said that even though the details of Easterbrook's relationship remain a mystery, they agree with the board's decision to terminate the CEO.

"I think that folks trust the board," said one former corporate employee who left McDonald's earlier this year. If board members determined Easterbrook's relationship was grounds for termination, "there must have been something that was driving it."

Hayley Peterson contributed reporting for this piece.

Are you a McDonald's franchisee or employee with a story to share? Contact this reporter via encrypted messaging app Signal at +1 (646) 768-4740, phone at +1 (646) 768-4740, email at ktaylor@businessinsider.com, or Twitter DM at @Kate_H_Taylor. (PR pitches by email only, please.)

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11/16/19--06:37: Here's the income you need to live comfortably in every state in the US

new york

The cost of living is notoriously high in the US – but it can vary widely from state to state.
GoBankingRates recently released a report determining the "living wage" necessary to live comfortably in each US state.
Some states, like New York, require an annual income of $95,724 to live comfortably. But the living wage for other states, like Mississippi, can be as low as $58,321.
Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Living paycheck to paycheck is an unfortunately common hallmark of American life.

Having it all — the ability to cover basic expenses, while still having "fun money" and contributing to savings — can be a difficult feat.

That total amount — also known as an annual "living wage" — varies significantly depending on what state you're in.

GoBankingRates recently determined the necessary living wage in each state using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the 50/30/20 budgeting rule. This popular general budgeting rule allocates 50% of annual income to necessities like housing, 30% to discretionary expenses like travel, and the remaining 20% to savings.

The median necessary living wage across the entire US is $67,690. The state with the lowest annual living wage is Mississippi with $58,321. The state with the highest living wage is Hawaii with $136,437. Other expensive states (unsurprisingly) included New York and California, which have notoriously high costs of living and expensive housing markets.

Keep reading to see what the annual living wage necessary is to live comfortably in every US state, listed in alphabetical order by state name. Also included is the actual median household income in each state according to 2018 data from the US Census Bureau and the median price of homes listed for sale in each state from Zillow.

DON'T MISS: The top 10 ZIP codes where America's wealthiest millennials live, ranked

The living wage in Alabama is $60,016.

Median household income in 2018: $61,584

Median price of homes currently listed: $219,900

The living wage in Alaska is $91,996.

Median household income in 2018: $74,346

Median price of homes currently listed: $288,000

The living wage in Arizona is $68,504.

Median household income in 2018: $59,246

Median price of homes currently listed: $295,000

The living wage in Arkansas is $59,641.

Median household income in 2018: $47,062

Median price of homes currently listed: $178,500

The living wage in California is $99,971.

Median household income in 2018: $75,277

Median price of homes currently listed: $549,000

The living wage in Colorado in $74,215.

Median household income in 2018: $71,953

Median price of homes currently listed: $427,300

The living wage in Connecticut is $90,278.

Median household income in 2018: $76,348

Median price of homes currently listed: $324,900

The living wage in Delaware is $71,254.

Median household income in 2018: $64,805

Median price of homes currently listed: $300,000

The living wage in Florida is $67,614.

Median household income in 2018: $55,462

Median price of homes currently listed: $296,000

The living wage in Georgia is $62,074.

Median household income in 2018: $58,756

Median price of homes currently listed: $260,000

The living wage in Hawaii is $136,437.

Median household income in 2018: $80,212

Median price of homes currently listed: $630,000

The living wage in Idaho is $66,486.

Median household income in 2018: $55,583

Median price of homes currently listed: $334,900

The living wage in Illinois is $66,847.

Median household income in 2018: $65,030

Median price of homes currently listed: $235,950

The living wage in Indiana is $62,086.

Median household income in 2018: $55,746

Median price of homes currently listed: $189,900

The living wage in Iowa is $63,397.

Median household income in 2018: $59,955

Median price of homes currently listed: $175,000

The living wage in Kansas is $62,090.

Median household income in 2018: $58,218

Median price of homes currently listed: $190,000

The living wage in Kentucky is $63,086.

Median household income in 2018: $50,247

Median price of homes currently listed: $195,000

The living wage in Louisiana is $63,842.

Median household income in 2018: $58,218

Median price of homes currently listed: $190,000

The living wage in Maine is $80,336.

Median household income in 2018: $55,602

Median price of homes currently listed: $250,000

The living wage in Maryland is $92,227.

Median household income in 2018: $83,242

Median price of homes currently listed: $325,000

The living wage in Massachusetts is $93,895.

Median household income in 2018: $79,835

Median price of homes currently listed: $468,500

The living wage in Michigan is $67,712.

Median household income in 2018: $56,697

Median price of homes currently listed: $189,000

The living wage in Minnesota is $68,944.

Median household income in 2018: $70,315

Median price of homes currently listed: $274,900

The living wage in Mississippi is $58,321.

Median household income in 2018: $44,717

Median price of homes currently listed: $188,000

The living wage in Missouri is $60,858.

Median household income in 2018: $54,478

Median price of homes currently listed: $189,900

The living wage in Montana is $70,719.

Median household income in 2018: $55,328

Median price of homes currently listed: $325,000

The living wage in Nebraska is $65,162.

Median household income in 2018: $59,566

Median price of homes currently listed: $212,000

The living wage in Nevada is $75,902.

Median household income in 2018: $58,646

Median price of homes currently listed: $324,900

The living wage in New Hampshire is $74,415.

Median household income in 2018: $74,991

Median price of homes currently listed: $304,900

The living wage in New Jersey is $86,244.

Median household income in 2018: $81,740

Median price of homes currently listed: $345,000

The living wage in New Mexico is $63,629.

Median household income in 2018: $47,169

Median price of homes currently listed: $240,000

The living wage in New York is $95,724.

Median household income in 2018: $67,844

Median price of homes currently listed: $399,900

The living wage in North Carolina is $64,406.

Median household income in 2018: $53,855

Median price of homes currently listed: $274,900

The living wage in North Dakota is $69,085.

Median household income in 2018: $63,837

Median price of homes currently listed: $223,900

The living wage in Ohio is $63,204.

Median household income in 2018: $56,111

Median price of homes currently listed: $176,900

The living wage in Oklahoma is $60,318.

Median household income in 2018: $51,924

Median price of homes currently listed: $190,000

The living wage in Oregon is $93,285.

Median household income in 2018: $63,426

Median price of homes currently listed: $388,000

The living wage in Pennsylvania is $68,581.

Median household income in 2018: $60,905

Median price of homes currently listed: $216,995

The living wage in Rhode Island is $83,942.

Median household income in 2018: $64,340

Median price of homes currently listed: $324,000

The living wage in South Carolina is $65,953.

Median household income in 2018: $52,306

Median price of homes currently listed: $249,500

The living wage in South Dakota is $67,657.

Median household income in 2018: $56,274

Median price of homes currently listed: $225,000

The living wage in Tennessee is $60,682.

Median household income in 2018: $52,375

Median price of homes currently listed: $255,900

The living wage in Texas is $63,469.

Median household income in 2018: $60,629

Median price of homes currently listed: $279,000

The living wage in Utah is $67,807.

Median household income in 2018: $71,414

Median price of homes currently listed: $367,400

The living wage in Vermont is $83,878.

Median household income in 2018: $60,782

Median price of homes currently listed: $275,000

The living wage in Virginia is $69,886.

Median household income in 2018: $72,577

Median price of homes currently listed: $310,325

The living wage in Washington is $77,207.

Median household income in 2018: $74,073

Median price of homes currently listed: $419,900

The living wage in West Virginia is $62,635.

Median household income in 2018: $44,097

Median price of homes currently listed: $165,700

The living wage in Wisconsin is $67,667.

Median household income in 2018: $60,773

Median price of homes currently listed: $219,900

The living wage in Wyoming is $61,788.

Median household income in 2018: $61,584

Median price of homes currently listed: $264,900

11/16/19--09:00: I'm a tech CEO who tried to give up my smartphone for a year. I wasn't fully successful — but it did make me a better leader.

ben crudo head

Ben Crudo is the CEO of Diff, a full-service agency that designs and builds ecommerce solutions for major retailers. Ben is passionate about demystifying ecommerce while using technology to enhance human experience and connection.
A year ago, he decided to make a huge permanent change: swapping out his smartphone for a "dumb one." As the CEO of a growing tech company, he knew it was a risky move, but he thought it would ultimately help him in the long run.
While he hasn't been able to go smartphone-free, he has found that you don't need to go completely cold turkey to curb a tech addiction. Instead, it's all about balance.
Now, he only uses his smartphone during working hours, and can only be reached by dumb phone on nights and weekends.
Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

About a year ago, I made a huge change. After spending my honeymoon in the backwoods of New Zealand — out of WiFi and cell range — I realized, for the first time, just how addicted I was to the supercomputer in my pocket. When I got back, I traded in my smartphone for a "dumb" one, with the intention of making a permanent switch.

It was a risky move considering I'm the CEO of a growing tech company. Still, I figured being more present in the world would benefit both my home and work life. I went into this experiment with gusto, and at first, I found it liberating. Yes, there were some blips in the road — like getting lost without my GPS and constantly worrying I'd miss important work emails — but I learned to adapt and was confident I'd seen the last of my smartphone.

I wish I could say that was true. Over the past year, I've encountered some real hurdles — mostly technological — that have kept me from going completely smartphone free. But it hasn't been a total loss. I've still managed to cut way back on my smartphone use by removing distractions like apps and setting firm boundaries around my communication patterns. In the process, I've learned that curbing a tech addiction isn't about cutting off access to technology but rather finding a healthy balance with it. And it's even helped me become a better CEO.

It turns out, dumb phones are way too dumb

When I started this experiment, I was mostly concerned that my own inability to break my habits would be my downfall. Truthfully, there was some withdrawal at first, but I soon learned to adapt. Without a smartphone, I carried around a notebook and pen, I got a GPS for my bike, and I brought a book on the subway to occupy my time. But there were still things I needed a phone to do — make calls, send texts, and offer WiFi hotspot capability. Finding a device to reliably perform these simple tasks was, by far, the biggest challenge.

While dumb phone sales are on the rise as more people seek to disconnect, I found the technology behind them to be seriously lacking. I scoured the internet for one that met my needs, but each new phone I bought proved to be more disappointing than the last. The first would repeatedly drop calls. The second refused to ring when there was an incoming call, and my latest — praised as being the best in the business for breaking a smartphone addiction — has an insufficient battery life and won't upload all of my contacts. Oh, and every time I try and sift through the phone it freezes, to the point where even making a quick call is a complicated, multistep process. I even resorted to coding my own hacks to try to improve these devices, to no avail.

The reality is, my business has been growing at a major clip. We've doubled in size over the last few years and I now run a team of over 100 employees. I just can't risk missing out on crucial communications. Sadly, I had to go back to using a smartphone, although I noticed that after my hiatus I used it in a totally different way.

Rather than allowing my phone to hijack my attention span and lure me down rabbit holes, I've limited its capabilities. There are no apps, no browsers, and all notifications are disabled — nothing buzzes, pings, or rings unless I allow it to. I use it during working hours only, and most of the time it's buried in my backpack so it's hard to reach. Putting these boundaries in place has helped me prioritize communication that matters — which has been essential as my company has grown.

Limited contact equals better leadership

Without all the bells and whistles of a fully-loaded smartphone, I've been able to be extremely intentional with my time. Instead of answering emails and slack messages as they come in, I have designated times throughout the day when I check my email, and people have learned how to get in touch with me (a phone call if something is urgent, and an email if it can wait). This leaves me with uninterrupted blocks to focus on the big picture: how my company is evolving and how to communicate that to my clients and my team. You'd think pulling back on constant communication during this critical growth phase might have been a hindrance, but I've actually found it was necessary to help me develop as a leader.

Dumbing down my smartphone let me engage more fully in meetings and have more conversations with people face to face. It gave me a better read on my team, which is particularly important given how quickly we've grown. I've even started to notice a trickle-down effect, with some of my employees making a conscious effort to cut back on their smartphone use as well.

I should note though — while it's cool to see other people being more conscious of their phone use, I'm not out to inspire copycats. If I've learned anything this year, it's that forming a healthier relationship with technology is a highly personal thing.

Finding balance through trial and error

Even though I've gone back to my smartphone, I've still achieved a lot of the goals I set one year ago. I'm much less susceptible to the distractions of technology, and I see my smartphone as a tool, not a toy. Imperfect as it may be, I still use a "dumb" phone on nights and weekends, which allows me to be much more present with my family and friends — and I've (mostly) gotten over the urge to zombie scroll to avoid boredom or awkward social situations.

Most importantly, though, I've realized breaking your smartphone addiction isn't all or nothing. You don't have to sign up for a digital detox or go cold turkey like I did. Even simple actions, like leaving your phone in your backpack during the work day or turning it off during dinner, can be a catalyst for positive change. If that works, getting a dumb phone and using it on the weekends is an easy next step.

The important thing is to find a balance that's right for you. So try it out. You might be surprised at just how easy it is — and how good it feels — to put some distance between you and your smartphone.

11/16/19--09:15: 8 life events millennials are putting off longer than their parents because they can't afford it

millennial

Millennials are more likely than their parents were to delay pretty much every life event because of money, according to a new survey by Insider and Morning Consult.
They're putting off big things, like buying a home, having a medical procedure, and making a career move.
But money is also affecting their love lives: Millennials aren't just delaying marriage and kids, but beginning or ending a relationship because of it.
Read more personal finance coverage.

The thing about life milestones, and even life transitions, is that it often takes a bit of money to make them happen.

That's something many millennials don't have a lot of. They're still playing financial catch-up from the Great Recession while dealing with enormous student-loan debt and facing skyrocketing living costs.

And findings from a new survey by Insider and Morning Consult further highlight what a different financial world this is for them than it was for their parents.

The survey polled 2,096 Americans about their financial health, debt, and earnings for a new series, "The State of Our Money." More than 670 respondents were millennials, defined as ages 23 to 38 in 2019; 730 respondents were baby boomers, defined as ages 55 to 73 in 2019.

It asked all respondents what life events they've delayed because of money concerns, and the differences between millennials and baby boomers were telling.

millennials vs boomers delay because money

Millennials are more likely to delay pretty much everything thanks to money problems

The biggest difference is in homebuying: Half of millennials have delayed purchasing a house because they can't afford it, compared to 23% of boomers. It makes sense considering the median price of home sales has increased by 39% since 1970, adjusted for inflation, according to a recent SuperMoney report that analyzed US Federal Housing Agency Data.

About the same percentage of millennials have put off having a medical procedure, compared to 41% of baby boomers. It's the closest gap between the two generations, if that shows how expensive healthcare is. National health care costs per person have increased by $9,000 since 1970 in inflation-adjusted dollars.

Millennials are also twice as likely as boomers to have delayed career moves because of money concerns, including quitting a job and starting their own business.

There's also the effect money has had on each generation's love lives. It's made millennials more likely to delay beginning and ending a relationship, as well as more likely to delay marriage. In 2017, the average age of a first marriage was 27 for women and 29 for men; in 1980, it was 22 and 25, respectively.

A delay in marriage can trickle down to a delay in childbearing. More 30-something women are having babies than women in their 20s for the first time ever — a difference that grew in 2018, Bill Chappell for NPR reported, citing a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Again, it boils down to money: Finances are one of the top reasons why American millennials aren't having kids or are having fewer kids than they considered ideal, Business Insider's Shana Lebowitz reported, citing a survey by The New York Times.

But there is one thing millennials are doing better than their parents when it comes to money: talking about it.

DON'T MISS: 37% of millennials think they're doing worse than their peers, but even more think they're coming out on top

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