• At least 22 women have accused President Donald Trump of sexual misconduct between the 1970s and 2013.
• Renewed attention has been brought to the allegations amid a national conversation concerning sexual misconduct.
• Trump continues to deny all of the accusations, calling the women "liars."

As a national conversation on sexual misconduct is gripping the country from Hollywood to Capitol Hill, some renewed attention has been focused on the sexual misconduct allegations that at least 22 women have made against President Donald Trump.

A deluge of women made their accusations public following the October 2016 release of the "Access Hollywood" tape, in which Trump was recorded boasting about grabbing women's genitals in 2005. Some others made their stories public months before the tape's release, and still others came forward as recently as December.

Trump has dismissed all of the allegations — which include ogling, harassment, groping, and rape — as "fabricated" and politically motivated accounts pushed by the media and his political opponents, and promised to sue all of his accusers. In some cases, he and his lawyer have suggested that Trump didn't engage in the alleged behavior with a certain woman because she was not attractive enough.

"Every woman lied when they came forward to hurt my campaign," the Republican nominee said during a 2016 rally. "Total fabrication. The events never happened. Never. All of these liars will be sued after the election is over."

Trump has not yet made good on his promise to sue any of the women — although one, Summer Zervos, has sued him for defamation after he called all of his accusers liars – and the White House says that Trump's election proves the American people don't consider the allegations disqualifying.

"The people of this country, at a decisive election, supported President Trump, and we feel like these allegations have been answered through that process," White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters on December 11, after several of the president's accusers appeared on national television to rehash their allegations.

But despite Trump's denials, 50% of voters — 59% of women and 41% of men — surveyed in a Quinnipiac poll released December 19 think the president should resign as a result of the sexual misconduct allegations against him. Several Democratic lawmakers have recently called on Trump to resign over the accusations.

One accuser, Samantha Holvey, who recently spoke out again about her experience with Trump as a Miss USA pageant contestant, said that while his election was painful, she and others see the #MeToo movement as an opportunity to "try round two."

"We're private citizens, and for us to put ourselves out there to try and show America who this man is and especially how he views women, and for them to say 'meh, we don't care' — it hurts," Holvey said on NBC News' "Megyn Kelly Today" in December. "And so now it's just like, all right, let's try round two. The environment's different. Let's try again."

Here are all of the allegations — in chronological order — made by 22 named women:

SEE ALSO: Trump responds to women who have accused him of sexual misconduct, saying they're politically motivated

DON'T MISS: Democrats and Republicans have both had hypocritical responses to the outpouring of sexual misconduct allegations

Jessica Leeds

Allegations:

Jessica Leeds told the New York Times in October 2016 that Trump reached his hand up her skirt and groped her while seated next to her on a flight in the late 1970s.

"He was like an octopus. His hands were everywhere," Leeds said, adding that she fled to the back of the plane.

During an interview on NBC News' "Megyn Kelly Today" in December, Leeds added that she was at a gala in New York three years after the incident on the plane when she ran into Trump, who recognized her and called her a c---.

"He called me the worst name ever," she said. "It was shocking. It was like a bucket of cold water being thrown over me."

Trump's response: 

Trump denied the allegations and during a rally in October 2016, suggested that Leeds wasn't attractive enough for him to assault.

"People that are willing to say, 'Oh, I was with Donald Trump in 1980, I was sitting with him on an airplane, and he went after me,'" Trump said. "Believe me, she would not be my first choice."

Ivana Trump

Allegations:

In a 1990 divorce deposition, Trump's first wife and the mother of his three eldest children Ivana Trump accused her then-husband of raping her in a fit of rage in 1989.

Ivana said Trump attacked her after he underwent a painful "scalp reduction" procedure done by a doctor she had recommended, tearing her clothes and yanking out a chunk of her hair.

"Then he jams his penis inside her for the first time in more than 16 months. Ivana is terrified … It is a violent assault," Harry Hurt III, who obtained a copy of the deposition, wrote in a 1993 book about Trump. "According to versions she repeats to some of her closest confidantes, 'he raped me.'"

Ivana later slightly altered her allegation, saying that while she felt "violated" on that occasion, she hadn't accused Trump of raping her "in a literal or criminal sense."

"[O]n one occasion during 1989, Mr. Trump and I had marital relations in which he behaved very differently toward me than he had during our marriage," Ivana wrote in a 1993 statement. "As a woman, I felt violated, as the love and tenderness, which he normally exhibited towards me, was absent. I referred to this as a 'rape,' but I do not want my words to be interpreted in a literal or criminal sense."

Ivana is mother to Donald Jr., Eric, and Ivanka Trump.

Trump's response:

Trump called Hurt's description of Ivana's allegation "obviously false" in 1993, according to Newsday. Trump's lawyer, Michael Cohen, argued in 2015 that his client could not have raped Ivana because "you cannot rape your spouse."

"There's very clear case law," he said.

Cohen later recanted, saying his comment was "inarticulate."

Kristin Anderson

Allegations:

Kristin Anderson, a photographer and former model said Trump reached under her skirt and touched her vagina through her underwear at a New York City nightclub in the early 1990s.

Anderson, then in her early 20s, said she wasn't talking with Trump at the time and didn't realize he was sitting next to her when he groped her without her consent.

"So, the person on my right who, unbeknownst to me at that time was Donald Trump, put their hand up my skirt. He did touch my vagina through my underwear, absolutely. And as I pushed the hand away and I got up and I turned around and I see these eyebrows, very distinct eyebrows, of Donald Trump," she told The Washington Post in October 2016.

Anderson said she and her friends, who were talking together around a table at the time of the incident, were "very grossed out and weirded out," but thought "Okay, Donald is gross. We all know he's gross. Let's just move on."

Trump's response:

"Mr. Trump strongly denies this phony allegation by someone looking to get some free publicity," Hope Hicks, the president's then-spokeswoman and current White House communications director, told the Post in October 2016. "It is totally ridiculous."

Eating healthy can often feel like torture in a country whose crowning achievement in food is the Crunchwrap Supreme.

To make matters worse, a lot of supposedly healthy foods aren't actually very good for you.

With that in mind, Business Insider asked Andy Bellatti, a registered dietitian and the cofounder of Dietitians for Professional Integrity, which "health foods" you should skip on your next trip to the grocery store

SEE ALSO: What your daily routine should look like, according to science

Juice

When you juice fresh fruits and veggies, you remove their fiber, the key ingredient that keeps you feeling full and satisfied until your next meal.

What you keep is the sugar. In the short term, a high-sugar, low-protein diet means hunger pangs, mood swings, and low energy. In the long term, you can lose muscle mass, since muscles rely on protein.

Coconut oil

Coconut oil is roughly identical to olive oil in overall calorie and fat content.

But as opposed to a tablespoon of olive oil, which has just 1 gram of saturated fat and more than 10 grams of healthy mono- or polyunsaturated fats, a tablespoon of coconut oil has a whopping 12 grams of saturated fat and just 1 gram of healthy fat. Experts suggest avoiding saturated fats because they've been linked with high cholesterol and a risk of Type 2 diabetes.

Agave nectar

Once upon a time, many health proponents (including Dr. Oz) suggested swapping your sugar for agave, since it has a low-glycemic index and doesn't lead to the impromptu spikes in blood sugar (aka glucose) that happen after consuming plain white sugar.

But while agave isn't high in glucose, it is high in another type of sweetener — fructose (the same stuff in high-fructose corn syrup). Some recent studies suggest that diets high in fructose are linked with several health problems, including heart disease.

It doesn't so much matter which sweetener you use as how much you're using. "Sugar is sugar is sugar," says Bellatti.

Sponsored advertising content from Hyatt Credit Card from Chase.

It’s beginning to look a lot like … Friendsmas.

Made popular by those living away from home and family, Friendsmas has become a special time of holiday fun for small gatherings of like-minded individuals, eager to engage in mirth making with friends throughout the season.

Friendsmas, however, doesn’t necessarily need to be a mirror-image celebration of your traditional holiday festivities. Although preparing a sumptuous meal, exchanging silly gifts, wearing your best ugly sweater, and hanging stockings from the mantle can make for a festive get-together, this season should call for new traditions with friends that can be made with a more wanderlust holiday spirit.

Friendsmas can be feted in a unique manner, like rewarding yourselves with an all-hands-on-deck, post-holidays excursion to an interesting destination. With December schedules already packed to the hilt, you can save credit card points spent on holiday shopping and travel to use on a friends-only bash after the holiday rush has settled.

Here are a few after Friendsmas ideas that will get the gang itching to go-go-go after the season’s decorations have been stowed away:

• Grow in Germany. With airfare to Europe typically cheaper in the wintertime, head for the many fantastic sites of the Deutschland. Sure, it gets cold but that means lots of wintertime fun, from downhill skiing in the Bavarian Alps to snowmobiling through the Black Forest.

• Or, revel in the history, art, and hot mulled glühwein in the museums and cafes of Berlin, Munich, or other magnificent German cities. Crowds will be lighter at the Brandenburg Gate and the Rhine-viewable Cologne Cathedral during January’s short days. (Other European destinations are similarly affordable).

• Turn up the heat. If bundling up in Germany doesn’t appeal, try basking in the hot sun. Just when winter is roaring to life in the US, summer is in full swing down under in Australia.

• Sydney’s unspoiled beaches are especially beautiful in February, so enjoy a clifftop stroll along Bondi Beach. Or sample the warm-climate wines from the Swan Valley, near Perth, which is also home to pale sand beaches and bright coral reefs.

• Staycate. Whether you live in a large metropolis or an undiscovered regional gem, you don’t have to hibernate this winter. When the thermometer plummets, few of us take the time to really get to know the attractions of home.

• So, book a room at a hotel of your liking — such as Hyatt hotels and resorts — and then immerse yourselves in the local largesse: ice skating on the outdoor rink on DC’s Washington Harbour pier; indulge at the late January 2018 Chicago Winter Whiskey Festival; or revel in the annual Saint Paul, MN Winter Carnival, home to artistic ice carvings and snowplow competitions.

After all, Friendsmas doesn’t have to be a budgetary burden, especially if you use a credit card that can make it easier to earn reward points you can cash in on your adventure.

You’re going to spend plenty on holiday gifts for friends and family, so why not use a card that will truly reward you? For instance, the Hyatt Credit Card from Chase enables new cardmembers to get 40,000 Bonus Points after spending $2,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.

Plus, three Bonus Points are earned for every dollar spent at all Hyatt hotels and resorts and two Bonus Points for purchases at restaurants, certain airline tickets, and car rentals. Thus, you and your friends can celebrate with glee, any time of the year.

This post is sponsored by Chase. | Content written and provided by Chase.

Join the conversation about this story »

• There is a rumor that Arby's got its name from the initials of roast beef.
• The rumor is false.
• Arby's is actually named after its founders, the Raffel Brothers — the actual RBs.

Arby's has long been dogged by rumors about its name.

One of the most popular is that the chain is named after its signature roast-beef sandwich. "Roast beef" becomes "RB" becomes "Arby's."

But while the Arby's name is based on initials, it isn't an abbreviation for roast beef.

"It comes from our founders, Leroy and Forrest Raffel, the Raffel Brothers, or 'RB,'" the chain says on its website.

Leroy and Forrest Raffel founded Arby's in Boardman, Ohio. The chain debuted its now-iconic roast-beef sandwich — made with the recipe used today — in 1971.

SEE ALSO: Subway closed more than 900 stores this year as franchisees claim promotions have 'decimated' business

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: These are the $800 knives that celebrity chefs like Massimo Bottura swear by

• Matt Damon explained why his new movie, "Downsizing," is such a rarity to be made in the Hollywood system.
• The actor defended the other movie he was in this year, George Clooney's "Suburbicon," and why he believes the critics were too harsh on Clooney.
• Damon also said that in this watershed moment of sexual misconduct allegations coming to light, we're not talking enough about the men in Hollywood who don't abuse their position.

If you haven’t noticed recently, Matt Damon has a lot of opinions.

The actor and Oscar-winning screenwriter is never shy about giving his thoughts on a range of topics, and when Business Insider met with him in New York City in mid-December, it was no different.

Damon was there to talk about his new movie, “Downsizing,” his first time working with acclaimed Oscar-winning writer-director Alexander Payne (“Election,” “Sideways,” “The Descendants”). Damon plays a man who undergoes a shrinking experiment that a growing number of others in the world are choosing. By shrinking to five inches in size, the procedure is billed as being a better way to protect the environment, with the added perk of micro-sized surroundings and possessions that allow the middle class to live like millionaires. The satire explores issues of class, economics, and the things we convince ourselves make up the American Dream. It’s the sort of movie a Hollywood studio never makes anymore.

Below, Damon explained why that’s the case. He also defended the other movie he was in this year, George Clooney’s “Suburbicon,” which he felt the critics were too harsh on. Damon also gave his thoughts on the countless sexual misconduct allegations in Hollywood, which we published earlier this week.

Jason Guerrasio: Did you know about the "Downsizing" script? Because Alexander and his cowriter Jim Taylor had written it a while ago.

Matt Damon: I hadn't heard about it. I guess they started it after “Sideways” and originally Alexander wanted Paul Giamatti for the part. Thankfully for me, he didn't get it made for ten years so I got the chance. So he called me and asked and I've wanted to work with him for a while. I wasn't sure if he was joking or not because it's such an absurd premise. But he gave me a script. 

Guerrasio: The movie on the outside has a save-the-world-vibe, and you've always been big on the environment, like your efforts with the world's water crisis —

Damon: But this isn't a message film.

Guerrasio: Not at all. Is it what was beyond the surface of the movie that grabbed you?

Damon: Yeah. There's so much stuff in there — America today, class conflict. But really I thought it's an optimistic movie, though it focuses on the apocalypse. But in the face of the apocalypse it's these human kindnesses that are in it. 

Guerrasio: The big thing for me was that a studio got behind a movie like this. 

Damon: Tell me about it. 

Guerrasio: They don't do that for these kind of movies anymore. 

Damon: Right. And we were supposed to make this a year earlier and didn't because the funding fell apart. So it was really hard to find a way to make it. It's just a challenging movie but also it's just a challenging time. The margins are so narrow now that executives are just risk averse. If you're going to make a movie that doesn't have superheroes or sequel potential it's just very hard to get that made now. 

Guerrasio: But I would think your name involved opens some check books.

Damon: Less than you would think. When we did “Behind the Candelabra,” for instance, that had Steven [Soderbergh] directing it and Michael [Douglas] and me, we couldn't get a studio to give us $25 million (HBO ended up buying the movie). 

Guerrasio: Because they don't see anything worth their time that's in that $20 million - $30 million range?

Damon: Well, if you look at $25 million, you're going to have to put at least that amount into P&A (prints and advertising) and you're going to split it with the exhibitor, so you're in for $50 million, so it's going to have to make $100 million before you even start seeing any profit. So a movie like “Behind the Candelabra,” these studio chiefs had to go, "Well, is it going to make $100 million? And is it going to make $130 million so I can get something back?" These are very real dollar and cents conversations. 

I have a first look deal with Ben [Affleck] for our company at Warner Bros., and there are movies that we bring to them and we like them they are great about it, but when we pitch they go "Okay, we'll run the numbers." It's not personal, they have to look at their slate of titles coming up and their business model and it just becomes really challenging to find way to get these kind of movies made. 

Guerrasio: Now that's what makes what you put out this year quite a feat. Both "Downsizing" and "Suburbicon" are very challenging movies, but a big studio, Paramount, released both of them.

Damon: Yeah. And I hope this one does better than "Suburbicon." I mean, I wouldn’t change a frame of "Suburbicon."

Guerrasio: I’ll be 100% honest with you, I wasn't totally into "Suburbicon" —

Damon: Many felt the same way.

Guerrasio: But what I will say is I love it when you do the off-the-rail roles. 

Damon: I did back-to-back-to-back "The Martian," "The Great Wall," "Jason Bourne," and George called in the middle of making "Jason Bourne" and it really was a chance to work with George that interested me. But I love the concept of the movie. As you say, it was really something different. I had never been able to do something like that. 

Guerrasio: When the movie comes out and isn't the reaction you guys obviously were hoping for, can you just move on? Or are you a person that at 2 AM has to go online and read the reviews?

Damon: In that situation it's easier for me than George. He spent two years on it and it does sting. It was made for a price. It's a calculated miss, but it sucks. And nowadays, when the reviews come out, it's almost like the reviewers are trying to one-up each other to see how creatively they can abuse a movie. And when movies are made in good faith you can tell. You can tell when one is a cash grab and one is not. And you may not like the movie, but you can see when it's crafted at a certain level. I think it deserves a different level of review. 

Guerrasio: Well, we do live in a world where the headline rules all.

Damon: Yes! Exactly. And I thought the reviews were oddly personal in terms of how they attacked George. Julianne [Moore] and I, we were kind of let off the hook, but they really went after George. 

Guerrasio: And I think some of that is people respect his work as a director, so when they see something like this movie they are kind of in shock how much of a swing and miss it was.

Damon: Yeah, but then say that! I get that. But you also want people to take big swings because sometimes they connect. 

Guerrasio: Projects for you coming up: I’ve heard in the past you're developing a Bobby Kennedy movie, is that something that's still hanging out there?

Damon: It's still in the ether. Hopefully we're going to get it made soon, we got to get it set up somewhere. That's one of the ones we went to Warner Bros. with and they ran their numbers and said this isn't a Warner Bros. movie. And I agree, it's not. I mean, we were having this meeting and I'm sitting there with [Warner Bros. head] Toby [Emmerich] and he's got the "Wonder Woman" poster behind him. [Laughs.]
 
Guerrasio: My last question. How much does the sexual misconduct allegations that are constantly coming out in Hollywood affect how you choose a project going forward? Do you really have to think now if you want to be on a project if an actor, producer, or director has allegations against them? Because as we saw with Kevin Spacey, Netflix won’t release the Gore Vidal movie they made with Spacey starring because of the allegations against him. 

Damon: That always went into my thinking. I mean, I wouldn't want to work with somebody who — life's too short for that. But the question of if somebody had allegations against them, you know, it would be a case-by-case basis. You go, “What's the story here?”

But, we're in this watershed moment, and it's great, but I think one thing that's not being talked about is there are a whole s---load of guys — the preponderance of men I've worked with — who don't do this kind of thing and whose lives aren't going to be affected. If I have to sign a sexual-harassment thing, I don't care, I'll sign it. I would have signed it before. I don't do that, and most of the people I know don't do that. So I think it's important that powerful people aren't abusing their stations and they are held to account. To whatever degree they do.

But besides that, I always think about who I'm going to work with and if it's going to be a good experience, if it's going to be a positive experience. We're making movies, nobody should be getting hurt.   

SEE ALSO: "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" director Rian Johnson reacts to the backlash and addresses the movie's most shocking moments

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: The 'Avengers: Infinity War' trailer is finally here

Alison Gerber, an American living in Sweden, recently posted a lengthy Twitter thread about what life is like in the small country's "socialist nanny-state hellscape." 

That is, if a hellscape includes top-notch healthcare, low (or non-existent) childcare costs, and rapid service to deliver it all. The thread, published yesterday, has gone viral — especially among FOMO-filled Americans.

"I don't remember anything at all about the costs," Gerber wrote of her experience giving birth in a Swedish hospital, "because there were none, basically. Mothers' and children's' health care is free. We did have to pay for gas to get to that faraway hippy hospital, so that's probably like $40 round trip."

She also describes the free, open-access facilities filled with kids' toys, books, and trained staff that parents and their children can visit together, and the $125 child allowance she gets in her bank account each month.

True to Gerber's descriptions, the idyllic land boasts some of the happiest people on earth, thanks to the country's egalitarian values, paid parental leave policies, single-payer healthcare system, and breathtaking scenery — all of which leads thousands of people to immigrate each year.

Applying for citizenship requires you to live in the country for five years and have a "proven" identity — which also means you'd have to adjust to wintertime darkness.

For those who weren't born there, here's how you become a Swede.

SEE ALSO: 6 ways hobbies can enhance your career

Be at least 18 years old — unless you know someone.

While the age requirements are hard and fast for adult citizenship, kids are given some leeway.

Parents of kids under 12 years old can apply for their child's citizenship as long as the parent is already a Swedish citizen. Kids over 12 must sign a consent form saying they want to become a citizen.

Once a child reaches 15 years old, they have to show they've been living in Sweden for at least three consecutive years "and have conducted themselves well," according to Sweden's immigration office.

Be able to prove your identity.

A passport or similar document with an accompanying photo is fine.

Alternatively, a relative or loved one can vouch for your identity, provided they're already a Swedish citizen. According to the immigration office, for a loved one to prove your identity, the two of you must have lived together before moving to Sweden.

"You must have lived together for such a period," the requirements read, "that your spouse has knowledge of your background and life story so that your identity can be attested to without doubt."

Have a permanent residence in Sweden.

If you're planning on spending more than 90 days in Sweden — for work, studying, or starting a business — you have to submit an application for a residence permit. 

This is what you'll eventually need to become a citizen. 

• Daphne Koller, the head of Google's life-extension spinoff, Calico, recently discussed some of her unpublished research.
• Placing animals on restricted diets appears to improve their health and may even play a role in lengthening their lifespans.
• The first clinical trial of this approach in people suggests it could have benefits as well, but more studies are needed.

It's not every day that a head of Google's shadowy life-extension spinoff offers a peek at their unpublished research.

But earlier this month, Daphne Koller, Calico's chief computing officer, announced at a conference in San Francisco that she and her team had been studying what happens to mice on restricted diets.

Koller explained that limiting how many calories the mice consumed appeared to help with some measures of aging — a finding bolstered by a spate of recent studies in animals.

"Caloric restriction is the one intervention that's been repeatedly demonstrated to extend lifespan across multiple species," Koller said.

Until recently, those findings had been limited to animals — but a new paper suggests they may also apply to people.

The first clinical trial of caloric restriction on humans

Researchers published the results of the first-ever clinical trial of caloric restriction in humans in the Journals of Gerontology last week. Their takeaways were overwhelmingly positive.

For that study, researchers randomly assigned roughly 200 non-obese people ages 21 to 51 to either eat as they normally did or eat 25% fewer calories than usual for two years.

By the study's end, the dieters had seen some hopeful health indicators, like dips in their cholesterol and blood pressure, and had more control over their blood sugar levels.

They also lost an average of 15 pounds and kept it off — a positive finding rarely seen in weight-loss studies.

"To our knowledge, no previous study in any population, not to mention a normal weight population, has demonstrated this degree of sustained calorie restriction and weight loss for this length of time," the scientists wrote.

Still, the study was preliminary and designed mostly to see whether people could stick to the diet in the first place. Sure enough, 82% of the participants stayed with it for the full two years.

But it's unclear whether the beneficial effects they observed, like lower cholesterol and blood pressure, will translate into the actual health outcomes they were looking for, like a reduced risk of disease — or a longer life.

Studies in monkeys and mice suggest they may.

Monkeys and mice on restricted diets have younger-looking cells

Various parts of monkey's and mice's bodies are strikingly similar to those of humans. So a spate of research suggesting diets could extend the animals' lives has been met with hope.

A September study published in the journal Nature found that dieting rhesus monkeys had cells that appeared, on average, seven years younger than their actual age. The monkeys' diets had been restricted by 30% for two-thirds of their lives, starting when they were middle-aged.

That study also found that the cells of mice who had eaten 40% fewer calories for nearly their entire lives appeared two years younger — a slightly more pronounced outcome when you consider the average lifespan of the monkeys is 35 years but two to three for the mice.

Still, saying cells "looked younger" doesn't tell the full story.

To assess how the dieting affected the way the animals aged, researchers looked at a genetic process called methylation most likely linked to aging. A strict, long diet appeared to interfere with an animal's typical process — it was as if someone had tossed a brake into the spinning gears of their biological clocks.

Still, methylation is not yet considered a gold standard for measuring aging. There's still a lot we don't know about the process, such as whether it affects all types of cells equally and whether it can be used as a metric across different kinds of animals.

"Ultimately what these studies show is that what you eat influences how you age, and it's not all bad news," Rozalyn Anderson, an author of the latest paper who leads an aging-research program at the University of Wisconsin at Madison, said in a statement.

Perhaps Calico has some more definitive findings up its sleeve.

SEE ALSO: There's new evidence that Silicon Valley's favorite diet could help delay aging

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: A nutritionist reveals 3 foods that boost your energy levels

When I asked Rachel Sussman, a a relationship expert and marriage counselor in New York City, about the most common fights couples have, she started mentioning things like chores and social media. I was skeptical. These issues seemed relatively trivial, especially compared to infidelity or a clash in parenting styles.

But Sussman explained that the fight isn't so much about the issue itself as it is about a lack of communication. "If you're someone who has really poor communication skills," she told me, "that might mean that the minute your partner brings something up, you get very defensive, or you start with the 'tit for tat.'" Which means that "no matter what you're arguing about, that could escalate into a really big fight."

Sussman described 10 of the most common sources of conflict among the couples she sees — and importantly, she said, working on your communication skills is the key to resolving them all. "If you can communicate well, you can get through these issues in a way that can actually bring you closer together," she said. "And if you can't communicate well, it makes it so much worse and can actually tear you apart."

SEE ALSO: 7 common reasons people say they got divorced

Commitment

When unmarried couples come to see Sussman, they often want to talk about commitment. Typically, Sussman said, one partner feels like they're more committed than the other. Or, one partner wants to "move the relationship forward" by moving in together or getting engaged and is encountering some resistance.

Chores

If couples are fighting about household chores, Sussman said, it's probably because "one person feels like they're taking the lion's share of the work."

In Sussman's experience working with heterosexual couples, that person is usually the woman. Meanwhile, she added, "I often hear the men feeling that they're doing a lot but they don't get credit for it. They get picked on a lot."

Indeed, according to a 2007 Pew Research poll, sharing household chores is the third most important factor in a successful marriage. (The first two are faithfulness and a happy sexual relationship).

And in an excerpt from "Fast-Forward Family" published 2013 in The Atlantic, three researchers write that even today, women still tend to shoulder the brunt of their family's housework.

Social media

Sussman said she's seen a spike in the number of complaints about a partner's social media habits in the last five years. Typically, couples with these kinds of problems are in their 20s and 30s.

One person might complain, for example, "that their life is plastered all over social media or they think their partner is addicted to their phone." Sussman's also heard from people who are worried that their partner is following a ton of models on Instagram.

Another common issue? Staying in touch with an ex on social media.

The holiday season brings cheer to families around the world. That’s why, every December for more than 30 years, United Airlines operates "Fantasy Flights," which give children affected by illness, poverty, and special needs a once-in-a-lifetime holiday experience.

Families arrive at a decorated gate with their boarding passes labeled "NTP" — the "North Pole" — before boarding an aircraft. The kids, many first-time flyers, are then flown to the "North Pole," and once they arrive, are greeted by Mr. and Mrs. Claus. The children also receive gifts from their own wishlists provided by the children's parents or affiliate organizations. 

All of this is made possible by employee volunteers who coordinate the festivities with the airports throughout the year. They offer their time to decorate gates, donate and wrap gifts, and even dress up in costumes on the day of the event. 

This year, children enjoyed United Fantasy Flights in Phoenix, Cleveland, Los Angeles, San Antonio, Chicago, San Francisco, Houston, Washington DC, Denver, Honolulu, London, Newark, and Guam. Children from around the world were able to celebrate the holidays in a unique and festive way.

Learn more about United Fantasy Flights.

This post is sponsored by United Airlines.

Join the conversation about this story »

• Recently engaged to Prince Harry, Meghan Markle and her future sister-in-law Kate Middleton have very different fashion preferences.
• Though the British royal family has a collective fortune worth millions, their wardrobes can be modest at times.
• Both Markle and Middleton wear affordable fashion brands on certain occasions. 

The British royal family comes from centuries-old money— Queen Elizabeth II has an estimated private wealth of $530 million — but that doesn't mean they flaunt their wealth on every outing.

While both Kate Middleton and the recently-engaged Meghan Markle each have their own unique sense of style — it seems they both agree that sometimes more affordable clothes make for the best outfits.

While Middleton wears a decidedly British-inspired style, and is a fashion icon in her own right, Markle's American fashion sensibility has more recently been placed under the microscope. Below, a look at the lower price point brands that the two have been spotted wearing.

SEE ALSO: Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle's fashion choices reveal how different the two women are

Everlane

Markle has been spotted multiple times wearing the brand Everlane. The direct-to-consumer fashion label, which touts itself on having "radical transparency," uses factories with high ethical standards and has been compared to J.Crew for its simple wardrobe basics.

During the Invictus Games in September, she wore the brand's high-rise skinny jeans— which cost $68 — and carried their $165 brown leather tote with her.

Sarah Flint

As for her shoes, she rocked Sarah Flint's Natalie flats— which run for $345, and currently have a waitlist. She's also been spotted in the brand's Grear shoe, which are $245. 

Aritzia

Often compared to Zara for its price points, Aritzia is another brand Markle has been spotted wearing. Here, during the opening ceremony for the Invictus Games, she wore an Aritzia pleated maroon dress, that retails for $185.

This month, she was spotted again wearing the Canadian brand, accenting an outfit with a $45 black dress belt.

While it may be less common these days to send a holiday greeting via snail mail, the White House has yet to let go of its 90-year tradition.

Starting with Calvin Coolidge in 1927, the long-standing practice allows each sitting US president to let their staff and supporters know they wish them a happy holiday. Each card is unique, and recipients change from year to year.

With the help of the White House Historical Association, we've pulled together 68 White House holiday cards from the past eight decades. Happy holidays!

SEE ALSO: Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton have surprisingly affordable style — and it's a brilliant political strategy

Donald Trump, 2017

Barack Obama, 2013

Barack Obama, 2012

• The holiday season is upon us — meaning many Americans will be taking some time off from work.

• Business Insider looked into how everyone can make the most of a holiday break.

• Being intentional about your time and ensuring you're able to relax and unwind is key.

The holidays are almost here, which means you might be looking forward to some time off from work.

While this time of year might be a bit chaotic, a break from work can offer you the chance to recharge and refocus.

However, it's crucial that you don't squander the opportunity.

Business Insider spoke with Lynn Taylor, a national workplace expert and the author of "Tame Your Terrible Office Tyrant: How to Manage Childish Boss Behavior and Thrive in Your Job" about what smart and driven professionals do when they're on break.

Here are 15 things that successful people do during breaks:

SEE ALSO: 7 things unsuccessful people do over holiday breaks

DON'T MISS: 8 times in history when a war on Christmas actually happened

1. They have a plan

"Successful people plan ahead when a holiday break is approaching, because they recognize that it's a rare opportunity to enjoy well-earned leisure time," Taylor said. "Even if the plan is to kick back, they usually have in mind certain activities, such as visiting with family or friends."

2. They compartmentalize

Don't ruin your break by overworking yourself. If you need to get stuff done, there's a way to handle it without dragging down the rest of your time off. "If work needs to get done, assign a period during the day or the break to attend to it," Taylor said.

3. They set boundaries

"Successful professionals let others know when and how they can be reached, so they can truly recharge," Taylor said. "Setting a day and time during the week allows you to get a lot accomplished in an efficient way." So make sure to set up an "out of office" email.

• "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" director Rian Johnson explained why Captain Phasma doesn't get a lot of screen time.
• The fan favorite also had a small amount of scenes in "The Force Awakens," so she may be headed to the Boba Fett-level of "Star Wars" fan obsession. 

Warning: Spoilers below if you haven’t seen “Star Wars: The Last Jedi”

One of the major knocks about “The Force Awakens” was that stormtrooper leader Captain Phasma (Gwendoline Christie) had very little screen time. Well, we're sad to break it to you, but she has even less in “The Last Jedi.”

She’s a character that instantly became a fan favorite when unveiled — chrome stormtrooper armor and all — leading up to the release of “The Force Awakens.” But so far we haven't been able to learn much about her in the two movies other than she doesn’t like First Order deserter, Finn (John Boyega).

At the end of “The Force Awakens,” she was thrown into Starkiller Base’s trash compactor, and in “The Last Jedi,” she literally shows up for just one scene to fight Finn. Things don’t turn out well for Phasma again; she loses the fight and falls into the fire that’s consuming the massive First Order ship,“Supremacy.”

“The Last Jedi” director Rian Johnson wasn't coy about it when Business Insider brought up the lack of Phasma in the movie.

“There wasn't a ton of Phasma that we shot for this,” he said. “The God's honest truth is, if you take a look at the movie, it's so full already. There are so many characters to serve already, and it's tough because Phasma really enters the movie when she needs to, and she does exactly what she needs to do in it. She's someone at the tail end of Finn's journey that represents his past for him to have this cathartic moment of being on the side of good and fighting her. The notion of having a side plot of Phasma throughout the course of the film — look, I love Gwen [Christie]. I love Phasma. It would have been fun. But it just wasn't the story we were telling. There just wasn't a place for it. We already had quite a full plate to deal with in terms of all the other characters.”

Johnson has a point. The movie already has a final running time of two-and-a-half hours — the longest “Star Wars” movie ever — and it’s because there are a handful of new characters in the movie that have to be explored. But many fans are disappointed that Phasma didn’t get much of a story arc in either movie.

“Look, I'm bummed about it too,” Johnson said. “I wish we could have more Phasma. Just the truth of it is there wasn't room for her in this movie. She's so badass, I wish it was her story. But it isn't. Maybe there will be one eventually at some point.”

It’s hard to tell if that’s wishful thinking or if Johnson is dropping a hint. But at the very least, it would be nice to learn in “Episode IX” that Phasma survived the fire and is involved in more of the plot in the trilogy's finale.

If not, Captain Phasma will stand alongside Boba Fett as the most underused (and fan-obsessed) “Star Wars” characters of all time.

“Star Wars: The Last Jedi” is currently playing in theaters.

SEE ALSO: "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" director Rian Johnson reacts to the backlash and addresses the movie's most shocking moments

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Legislation is being introduced to close a legal loophole that prevents workplace sexual-harassment stories from going public

• Dads can be hard to shop for during the holiday season.
• From socks to a modern record player, this gift guide has the perfect item for every type of dad.

It can be hard to find the perfect gifts for your loved ones during the holiday season, and dads are known to be particularly tricky.

Whether your dad is sporty, stylish, or outdoorsy, we picked 50 gifts that are suitable for every type of guy. From a durable tumbler cup to an ancestry genetic test kit, we've got you covered when it comes to gifts your dad will love.

Having trouble figuring out what to get people for the holidays? You can check out all of Insider Picks' 2017 gift guides here.

SEE ALSO: 26 gifts your mom actually wants this holiday season

A sleek leather wallet

This slim leather wallet is perfect for dads who prefer minimalist accessories. It comes in 12 colors, so you’ll be able to find the perfect match.

Bellroy Leather Note Sleeve Wallet, available at Amazon, $89.95

A gold and leather watch

You can't go wrong with a watch for a holiday gift. This Italian-style leather and gold watch is a timeless option that any dad will love.

Filippo Loreti Rome Gold Watch, available at Filippo Loreti, $209

A box of high-quality steaks

For the culinary dad, there's nothing better than a box of his favorite filet mignons, top sirloins, and steak burgers.

Omaha Steaks n' Burgers Gift Box, available at Omaha Steaks, $59.99

In 2017, some Americans could buy legal marijuana almost as easily as they could order a pizza. Pot shops outnumber Starbucks stores in states like Colorado and Oregon, and medical marijuana delivery services drop the drug off at people's doors in California and Massachusetts.

With marijuana now more accessible — legally — than ever, more researchers are weighing in on its health effects. But that doesn't mean we fully understand the plant or its impacts.

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine released a massive report in January that gives one of the most comprehensive looks — and certainly the most up-to-date — at exactly what we know about the science of cannabis. The committee behind the report, representing top universities around the country, considered more than 10,000 studies for its analysis and drew nearly 100 conclusions. Many of those findings are summarized below.

SEE ALSO: 7 health benefits of Silicon Valley's favorite diet — a high-fat fad that has techies eating bacon and butter

In the short term, marijuana can make your heart race.

Within a few minutes of inhaling marijuana, your heart rate can increase by between 20 and 50 beats a minute. This can last anywhere from 20 minutes to three hours, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

The report from the National Academies found insufficient evidence to support or refute the idea that cannabis might increase the overall risk of a heart attack. The same report, however, also found some limited evidence that smoking could be a trigger for a heart attack.

Marijuana's effects on the heart could be tied to effects on blood pressure, but the link needs more research.

In August, a study published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology appeared to suggest that marijuana smokers face a threefold higher risk of dying from high blood pressure than people who have never smoked. But the study came with an important caveat: it defined a "marijuana user" as anyone who'd ever tried the drug.

Research suggests this is a poor assumption — and one that could have interfered with the study's results. According to a recent survey, about 52% of Americans have tried cannabis at some point, yet only 14% used the drug at least once a month.

Other studies have come to the opposite conclusion. According to the Mayo Clinic, using cannabis could result in decreased — not increased — blood pressure.

So while there's probably a link between smoking marijuana and high blood pressure, there's not enough research yet to say that one leads to the other.

Marijuana use affects the lungs but doesn't seem to increase the risk of lung cancer.

People who smoke marijuana regularly are more likely to experience chronic bronchitis, according to the report from the National Academies. There's also evidence that stopping smoking relieves these symptoms.

Perhaps surprisingly, the report's authors found moderate evidence that cannabis was not connected to an increased risk of the lung cancers or head and neck cancers associated with smoking cigarettes.

The best way to describe Fujifilm's Instax Mini 9 camera is one word: Delightful. 

Technology aside, the camera is just plain adorable. When I opened the box for the first time, I literally squealed with excitement (and I'm not a squealer). It's small, retro, and comes in an array of fun colors — mine was a minty blue-green called "ice blue."

It's so eye-catching and aesthetically pleasing, I was actually stopped on the street by someone who found it just as exciting as I did. 

So what's it like to actually use the camera? Dead-simple, and lots of fun. 

Take a look:

SEE ALSO: Google's smart jacket proves it's the only tech company that truly understands wearables

What sets the Instax Mini 9 apart from previous iterations of Fujifilm's Instax line of cameras is three key features: A tiny mirror next to the lens for selfies, a lens attachment (not pictured) for macro close-ups, and high-key mode, which adds a bright, faded look to your photos.

Like most other Instax cameras, the Mini 9 uses credit-card-sized film that prints instantly. The camera runs on two AA batteries, and can hold 10 sheets at a time. 

The Mini 9 is straightforward to use:

- A button next to the lens turns it on.

- Pressing the lens back into the body turns it off.

- A twist of the dial around the lens changes the brightness.

- The shutter button on the right-hand side takes a picture. Wait a few seconds, and that photo pops out of the top of the camera. 

The camera costs $69 at third-party retailers like Urban Outfitters and comes in lime green, smoky white, cobalt blue, flamingo pink, and ice blue. Refills of the film cost $30 for two 10-packs.

Here's my very first photo, taken of my colleague Kif Leswing. One thing to know about the Mini 9 is that is will flash every time it takes a photo, regardless of the lighting conditions (if you're trying to be subtle, this is not the camera for you). But it's helpful in low light: The Business Insider newsroom can be pretty dim on cloudy days, but Kif is lit perfectly.

I've shot with film, pinhole cameras, DSLRs, mirrorless cameras, smartphone cameras — you name it. While I'm mainly taking photos with my phone these days, I got a kick out of using the Instax because I remembered how beautiful film photos are, even if they're tiny, instant ones.

Every year, Bill Gates participates in Reddit's massive annual Secret Santa gift exchange, and every year he shows himself to be an incredibly thoughtful gift giver.

This year, Gates drew a cat lover as his Secret Santa recipient who goes by VietteLLC on Reddit.

And he did not disappoint. "I could fit about five of me in the box I got," she said.

"You could tell he genuinely put thought in to it — even if an assistant helped him, he took time out of his day (and we're talking a Bill Gates day, which is arguably 2500x more valuable than most) to write me thoughtful notes," VivetteLLC  tells Business Insider.

Gates was so meticulous in his gift giving that even the gift wrapping featured cat-decor tape.

The biggest gift by far was a 30-ish pound stuffed animal of the cartoon cat character Pusheen. "I will die holding this at 90 (as it loving crushes me to sleep)," VivetteLLC wrote in her post about the gifts.

As he does every year, Gates proved the gifts genuinely came from him by including a photo of himself. This year, he posed with the giant Pusheen and the letter that he wrote. 

In the letter he told her that, as a cat lover he thought she'd enjoy "cuddling with the biggest cat I could find." He also dropped a handwritten mention in the letter of the names of her four cats.

But that was just the start. The box contained over a dozen gifts.

The most touching gift was the one he called on in his letter: three donations, $250 each, to three of her favorite cat charities. These are the Friends of Felines Rescue Center, the Stray Cat Alliance, and Town Cats, all on notes with hand drawn logos, which she says helped move her to tears.

In addition, Gates sent her:

• A  stuffed animal of Pusheen’s sister, Stormy
• A tiny Pusheen Ornament 
• A book on cat shelters with a personal note inside he wrote
• A business book (to help her with her startups)
• A fun Dr. Who coffee table book
• Dr. Who cardboard Tardis for the cats 
• A miniature Austrian snow-globe with a teeny tiny white kitten inside. "Stunningly beautiful craftsmanship," she writes. 
• A commissioned, framed one-of-a-kind cross-stitch of "me and my pal, Bill, and my 4 cats that says 'Live Life in the Meow'
• A Japanese Daruma with what she calls "a very sweet message attached to it" but she won't say what he wrote. "It’s a secret! muahaha."
• A Dave Matthews Band shirt with a quote she loved
• A Dave Matthews Band Car Sticker
• A scroll of the map of Skyrim
• And a $150 Gift card to True Grit. VivetteLLC called this gift "super selfless, as it was intended to get downloads for Procreate, which is only on iPads," she said. " Nice touch, Bill ;)"

"I've decided from here on, I'll have to refer to Christmas memories as BB (Before Bill), or AB (After Bill)," VivetteLLC tells Business Insider. "I'm actually moving to Seattle in a couple of months, so perhaps Pusheen will appear in his lobby to say hello? (Joking! There is no way it would fit in a cab)."

"I'm still spontaneously laughing throughout the day, and it's a bit hard to focus with a gigantic Pusheen next to me," she added.

Overwhelmed by the box of gifts, VivetteLLC also posted a YouTube video to show the gifts and personally thank him.

SEE ALSO: How ex-Microsoft exec Bob Muglia triumphed over 2 humiliating demotions to become CEO of the hot startup Snowflake

SEE ALSO: The 50 best-paying big companies, according to employees

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: How Area 51 became the center of alien conspiracy theories

It's been called everything from a "piece of junk" to "garbage," but the Millennium Falcon has never failed its crew through the deepest reaches of the galaxy.

In 2015, concept artist Kemp Remillard reimagined the interiors of the Millennium Falcon in a stunning illustration. The detail is incredible, down to the hyperdrive initiation lever.

We spoke with Remillard on how the image came together (including how he gained access to Lucasfilm's top-secret, 3D blueprints of the Falcon). You can see more concept art of the movie's ships in Remillard's book, "Star Wars: The Force Awakens Incredible Cross-Sections."

DON'T MISS: These photos of 'Star Wars' ships on Earth are mesmerizing

The Millennium Falcon soared into our lives in 1977.

As the Falcon's pilot Han Solo put it in the original "Star Wars" movie, "She may not look like much, but she's got it where it counts, kid."

Here's how illustrator Kemp Remillard imagines the interior of the ship.

I'm used to the shaming look I get from my peers when I crack open a can of sugar-free Red Bull. The questions — and judgment — never end. "That stuff'll kill you," someone said to me the other day, shaking his head. "So many chemicals!" was what I heard last week.

Truth be told, Red Bull (at least the sugar-free kind) isn't all that terrible for you. Besides having only 10 calories and no sugar, it has only 80 milligrams of caffeine, about a third of the amount in a tall Starbucks drip coffee. As far as its other ingredients — namely B vitamins and taurine — go, scientific studies have found both to be safe.

But my favorite source of caffeine isn't the only harmless food or drink that gets a bad rap. Here are some of the rest, along with the science behind their safety.

SEE ALSO: 18 'healthy habits' you should give up in 2018

DON'T MISS: The healthiest breakfasts you can order at 11 fast-food restaurants

Fatty foods

The myth: Fatty foods like avocados and olive oil will make you fat.

Why it's bogus: Although it makes intuitive sense, this myth is not borne by scientific research, including a large study of more than 135,000 people in 18 countries published August 29 in the journal The Lancet.

Over the course of the study, close to 6,000 people died; nearly 5,000 suffered heart attacks or came down with heart disease. But surprisingly, those at the greatest risk of both of those outcomes were not the people who ate diets high in fat — but rather those who ate diets high in carbohydrates.

In other words, high-fat diets in and of themselves do not appear to be linked with death or heart disease — on the other hand, high-carb diets do. The researchers' conclusion? "Global dietary guidelines should be reconsidered in light of these findings," they wrote in their study.

Gluten

The myth: As more and more of your friends go gluten-free, you may wonder: Is there something to this latest diet craze? Is gluten intolerance a thing? Is it getting more common?

Why it's bogus: Only about 1% of people worldwide have celiac disease, the rare genetic disorder that makes people intolerant to gluten, according to the Celiac Disease Foundation. For most of the rest of us, this doughy, chewy ingredient is simply how it tastes: delicious!

Eggs

The myth: The massive amounts of cholesterol in eggs will translate to a massive amount of cholesterol in your veins.

Why it's bogus: Even though eggs are high in cholesterol (a single egg packs roughly 185 mg), eating them likely won't translate into higher blood cholesterol for you. The first studies that suggested that were done with rabbits, as my colleague Kevin Loria reported. So go ahead, pop a perfectly poached egg on that avocado toast. You know you want to.

What do you picture when you imagine a hedge-fund office? A noisy trading floor full of hedge-fund guys in fleece vests?

Two Sigma, a $45 billion hedge-fund firm that uses advanced technologies to find investment opportunities, is a little different. The firm, which says it has seen head count grow by more than 400% in the past seven years, is as much a technology company as it is a finance company, analyzing over 10,000 data sources to find patterns in markets.

That approach seems to have paid off. Two Sigma ranked as the fifth-biggest hedge fund in the world in Institutional Investor's Alpha's 2017 Hedge Fund 100 list, while cofounders David Siegel and John Overdeck each made $750 million last year, according to the magazine's list of the top-earning hedge-fund managers. The firm also runs an insurance business, Two Sigma Insurance Quantified, a market-making arm called Two Sigma Securities, and a venture-capital arm.

In August, Business Insider took a tour of the firm's two New York offices, which are across the road from each other in the SoHo neighborhood. The offices are stashed with arcade games, computing memorabilia, gyms, a hacker space, and a music room.

SEE ALSO: These before-and-after photos show tech billionaires' dramatic transformations

There was a teach-in on Python for Research when we visited 101 Avenue of the Americas, one of three talks the firm hosts weekly.

The kitchen was well stocked.

You may be able to see a Juicero machine on the left side. Two Sigma Ventures, the venture arm of Two Sigma, is an investor in Juicero, which recently announced a price cut and layoffs.

Across the road at 100 Avenue of the Americas, there's another kitchen, with staff taking time out to play games.