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The best thing to eat before and after you exercise, according to the scientist behind the viral 7-minute workout

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plank woman fitness working out workout

  • Chris Jordan, the exercise physiologist who designed the viral 7-minute workout, told us what snacks to eat and avoid to help power you through your next workout.
  • Eating too much or too close to your workout can weigh you down, but abstaining from food can leave you tired and burned out before you even hit the treadmill.
  • Jordan's advice doesn't require any fancy powders or mixes — the snacks he recommends are all cheap and simple.


Getting ready to work out is often the hardest part of exercising. You need a plan, a place to do it, the right kind of clothes, good shoes, and enough energy.

Caffeine can help you feel more energetic — but so can certain foods.

Chris Jordan is the exercise physiologist who came up with the 7-minute workout routine designed to give you the benefits of a sweaty bike ride and a trip to the gym in just a few minutes. He says it's important to fuel your body properly before working out.

"I always remind my clients that exercise is an energy-requiring activity and you get energy from your food," Jordan told Business Insider.

That said, eating too close to a workout or indulging in the wrong kinds of foods can lead to burnout or gastrointestinal distress. To avoid those unpleasant side-effects, Jordan recommends two kinds of snacks which should be eaten within roughly one to two hours before and after a workout.

chocolate milk

The first should contain carbohydrates, which are the quickest and easiest source of energy for the body.

"That could be a small nutrition bar or a piece of toast with peanut butter," Jordan said. "You're trying to go into the workout with a full dose of energy."

The second snack can be somewhat similar to the first, but Jordan recommends ensuring that it also contains a hefty amount of protein to help repair and rebuild the muscles you use during the workout. Jordan's favorite after a sweaty trip to the gym? A glass of low-fat chocolate milk.

"It tastes good and it requires no effort. It's not a fancy snack or supplement. It's simple, cheap, and effective," he said. "Sometimes the simplest thing really is the best."

SEE ALSO: 12 fitness 'truths' that are doing more harm than good

DON'T MISS: I tried the science-backed 7-minute fitness routine and was blown away by how well it works

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: The 5 workouts that burn the most calories in an hour


11 potentially cancer-causing things you might use every day

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grilling grill

Cancer-linked substances are everywhere.

Sometimes it can feel downright unavoidable: Californians now have to read cancer warnings as they sip their morning coffees, and the World Health Organization International Agency for Research on Cancer keeps a running tally of things that definitely cause cancer, seem to cause cancer, and might cause cancer. 

All cancer is a result of damage or genetic mutations in our DNA. It fundamentally affects the way cells grow and divide, changing them in perverse ways. Those toxic, rapidly multiplying cells then grow into unruly tumors, and can spread far and wide through the body. 

Some cases of cancer are out of our control, determined by genetic defects and predispositions passed down from one generation to the next, or spurred by genetic changes we undergo through our lifetime. 

Products like cigarettes are clear cancer-causers, while other consumables like coffee and grilled meat may up your chances of getting cancer by just a tiny fraction, if at all.

The truth is, just about every compound out there could possibly, maybe, one day contribute to cancer. Still, there are some products that scientists are starting to sense we should monitor more closely.

Here's what we know.

SEE ALSO: A study of more than 100,000 people has found that one food group is closely linked with cancer

Birth control

Going on birth control is a mixed bag when it comes to cancer.

While it may increase a woman's risk for developing breast and cervical cancers, studies suggest it might also lower the chances of developing endometrial, ovarian, or colorectal cancers.



Sugar

Scientists now know that eating too much sweet stuff can not only lead to diabetes, it can also actively damage your cells and up your odds of developing cancer.

But that's not all.

New research suggests that sugar may fuel tumor growth in the body, because cancer loves to use sugar as fuel. 

"The hyperactive sugar consumption of cancerous cells leads to a vicious cycle of continued stimulation of cancer development and growth" Belgian molecular biologist Johan Thevelein said when his latest study was released in 2017. Scientists say the groundbreaking research gives us a better understanding of how sugar and cancer interact, and could one day help create targeted diet strategies for patients.

 



Some plastics

Plastics can be dangerous, especially when they leach chemicals out through scratches or cracks in a container. 

BPA is a synthetic estrogen that's been used in many plastics and resins since the 1960s. And it's a known endocrine disruptor, which means it messes with the natural balance of hormones in our bodies. BPA resins can be used inside products like metal food cans as sealants, while polycarbonate BPA plastics can include water bottles and food storage containers. BPA even shows up on the shiny side of receipt paper, to stabilize the ink.

While many plastic manufacturers have started labeling their products as "BPA-free," there's still a lot of the breast and prostate cancer-causing stuff around.

 



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John Oliver blasts Sinclair for making local TV news anchors recite a speech about 'false news' like 'members of a brainwashed cult'

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john oliver

  • John Oliver took aim at Sinclair Broadcast Group on Sunday after a viral video last week showed dozens of the company's local TV news anchors reciting a speech about "false news."
  • The video follows a CNN report describing how Sinclair forced its nearly 200 local news stations to air "must run" promotional packages akin to "pro-Trump propaganda."
  • In the video, the anchors recite a speech about "the troubling trend of irresponsible, one-sided news stories plaguing our country."
  • Oliver, who has previously called out Sinclair for its "noticeably conservative" bias, played the full video on Sunday and said Sinclair anchors sounded like members of a "brainwashed cult."

John Oliver took aim at Sinclair Broadcast Group on Sunday's "Last Week Tonight" after a Deadspin video showing dozens of the company's local TV news anchors reciting a speech about "false news" went viral last week.

The video follows a CNN report last month describing how Sinclair forced the nearly 200 local news stations it owns to air "must run" promotional packages akin to "pro-Trump propaganda."

In the Deadspin video, the anchors recite a speech about "the troubling trend of irresponsible, one-sided news stories plaguing our country," echoing President Donald Trump's consistent bashing of news outlets' coverage of his administration as "fake news."

Oliver, who in July dedicated an episode to calling Sinclair out for its "noticeably conservative" bias, played the Deadspin video on Sunday night's episode.

"Nothing says 'we value independent media' like dozens of reporters forced to repeat the same message over and over again like members of a brainwashed cult," Oliver said.

Watch Oliver's full segment:

SEE ALSO: Dozens of local TV news anchors were forced to recite a speech about 'false news' controlling 'exactly what people think'

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Why 555 is always used for phone numbers on TV and in movies

The Trumps hosted their 2nd White House Easter Egg Roll — and the photos are fantastic

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The White House hosted its 140th annual Easter Egg Roll on Monday, welcoming roughly 30,000 people to participate in various activities including lawn bowling, egg decorating, and storybook reading.

First Lady Melania Trump spearheaded the event, as is tradition for the first lady to do.

"On behalf of the Trump family, many of whom are with us right here in the audience, I just want to thank you. This is a special year," the president told the crowd. "Our country is doing great. You look at the economy; you look at what's happening. Nothing is ever easy, but we have never had an economy like we have right now. And we're going to make it bigger and better and stronger."

The first Easter Egg Roll was hosted by President Rutherford B. Hayes in 1878. The event is a joint effort between the White House, the White House Historical Association, and the National Park Service.

And it always yields amusing photos. Here are some of the best images from the day:

SEE ALSO: Donald Trump Jr. and his estranged wife Vanessa crossed paths at the White House Easter Egg Roll — and the photos say it all

DON'T MISS: Sean Spicer relives his time as the White House Easter Bunny at the 2017 Easter Egg Roll

The White House kicked off events Monday morning on the South Lawn.



Families from around the country typically take part in the day's festivities. This year, just like last, Trump supporters showed up.



Trump addressed the crowd around 10:30 a.m. ET.



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Goldman Sachs' COO reportedly used his side gig as an EDM DJ to help win Spotify's business

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David Solomon

  • Goldman Sachs COO David Solomon, the heir apparent to CEO Lloyd Blankfein, has a well-publicized side-project as an EDM DJ, going by the stage name DJ D-Sol.
  • In the run-up to Spotify going public on Tuesday, the music streaming service will have spent up to $50 million for the advisory services of banks like Goldman.
  • Solomon reportedly made a "personal plea" in Goldman's pitch to Spotify that referenced his DJ side-career. 

Spotify is going public on Tuesday, and in the lead-up to its IPO, the music streaming service will have spent up to $50 million for the advisory services of banks, according to a Recode report.

Goldman Sachs COO David Solomon, the heir apparent to CEO Lloyd Blankfein, was reportedly eager to earn Spotify's business by touting his personal musical experience. Two sources told Recode that Solomon made "a personal plea" in the bank's pitch to the Spotify that referenced his side-project as an EDM DJ.

The pitch worked, and Goldman has been involved in an advisory capacity to the company as it approaches its IPO.

Solomon's side-career as DJ D-Sol has been well-publicized since last year. The Goldman executive has previously even shared a concert stage with EDM stars like Paul Oakenfold. 

Great to get some time on the decks at #theEMAwards.

A post shared by DSol (@djdsolmusic) on Sep 23, 2017 at 8:32am PDT on

In October, Solomon described himself as a lifelong audiophile intrigued by the modern music industry, on an episode of the podcast "Exchanges at Goldman Sachs":

"Five, seven years ago, I started really kind of taking note of club and EDM music and what was happening with all the electronic music, and I said: This is really interesting. Big business. And started looking at it, and I said: You know, I like some of this music. And started playing around with it, started reading about these DJs that really had these incredible platforms, and I said: You know what? This looks interesting. And kind of stumbled into it as a hobby, and now I just do it for fun."

SEE ALSO: Spotify is going public at a terrible time for tech stocks — but this chart should get investors excited

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Why 555 is always used for phone numbers on TV and in movies

How to dress your best in any work environment, from a casual office to the boardroom

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How to dress for work 4x3

• Figuring out what to wear to work can be confusing and frustrating.

• But dressing appropriately for the job is crucial. 

• From casual clothing to boardroom attire, here's a handy guide to dressing for success.


There was once a time when every professional, no matter his or her industry, put on a suit each morning.

But today, there are so many interpretations of formal and business casual that it can be easy to look sloppy or over-dressed if you're not aware of the environment.

Sylvie di Giusto, founder of Executive Image Consulting, works with executives looking to improve how they present themselves and professionals hoping to impress their clients and bosses. In her book "The Image of Leadership," she breaks down the five levels of dress code that she uses with her clients.

If you're not sure which level is most appropriate for your work environment, the basic rule of thumb is "the more you deal with a client's money, the more traditional and conservative you should be dressed," di Giusto said.

That means that people in finance, law, and accounting, for example, should stick to traditional business attire, and those in creative industries, like entertainment and advertising, can dress flexibly within the casual levels.

If you're a member of the board or meeting with a member of the board, boardroom attire is most appropriate — regardless of the size of the company.

We've represented them below, and included di Giusto's insight into how to make your clothes work for you in the office:

SEE ALSO: What business casual really means

DON'T MISS: 16 interview questions that are designed to trick you

Baseline casual



Business casual



Executive casual



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Seth Rogen says Stormy Daniels told him about her alleged Trump affair 'around 10 years ago'

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seth rogen stormy daniels

  • Actor Seth Rogen said on "Ellen" Monday that adult film actress Stormy Daniels told him of her alleged affair with President Trump nearly a decade ago.
  • Rogen said Daniels described it to him when she appeared in cameo roles for Rogen's movies "The 40-Year-Old Virgin" and "Knocked Up."
  • "At the time, when you ask a porn star who they've been sleeping with and the answer was Donald Trump, it was like the least surprising thing that she could've said," Rogen said.

Actor Seth Rogen said on Monday that adult film actress Stormy Daniels told him of her alleged affair with President Trump "around 10 years ago."

Rogen appeared on "Ellen" and said Daniels described the alleged affair to him when she appeared in cameo roles as a stripper in Rogen's movies "The 40-Year-Old Virgin" and "Knocked Up."

"I've known Stormy Daniels a long time, and I'll be honest, she may have mentioned some of this stuff around 10 years ago," Rogen said. "At the time, when you ask a porn star who they've been sleeping with and the answer was Donald Trump, it was like the least surprising thing that she could've said."

"Again it wasn't — at the time — wasn’t that surprising and then, as [Trump's] campaign rolled out, it became clear that no one cared about anything he did," he continued. "So, it didn't really occur to me even that it would come out or that anyone would care about it, but then when I saw it, I was like, 'Oh, yeah, Stormy told us all about that.'"

Daniels has alleged that she had a sexual relationship with Donald Trump in 2006. She described in an interview with "60 Minutes" last month that she received a physical threat to "leave Trump alone" in a 2011 encounter.

Michael Cohen, Trump's longtime personal attorney, has acknowledged paying Daniels a $130,000 "hush agreement" in October 2016, but The White House and Cohen have repeatedly denied the affair took place.

Watch Rogen's "Ellen" interview below:

SEE ALSO: Meet 'Stormy Daniels', the porn star Trump's lawyer paid to keep quiet about an alleged sexual affair — who's finally telling her side of the story

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Why 555 is always used for phone numbers on TV and in movies

Americans are obsessed with SUVs — these are the ones everyone is buying

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  • About 17.2 million cars were sold in 2017, according to data from Kelley Blue Book.
  • Compact and mid-size crossover SUVs accounted for nearly 40% of all sales.
  • Among the top-selling SUVs were the Toyota Rav4, Nissan Rogue, and Honda CR-V.

There were about 17.2 million cars and trucks sold last year, according to a report by Kelley Blue Book.

Though the total number of car sales is down 1.8% from 2016, the report shows that people are continuing to favor SUVs and trucks over sedans. In fact, compact and mid-size crossover SUVs combined accounted for about 40% of all car sales in 2017. Some of the top selling crossover SUVs include the Toyota Rav4, Nissan Rogue, and Honda CR-V — over 350,000 of each was sold in 2017 alone.

Here are some of the best sellers, according to KBB:

SEE ALSO: Ford is cutting back on sedans to build more SUVs — and it could mean a boom for its business

12. Jeep Cherokee: 169,882 sold during 2017. Down -14.9% over 2016.



11. Subaru Forester: 177,563. -0.6%.



10. Subaru Outback: 188,886. +3.3%.



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The viral condom-snorting challenge is a dangerous idea — here's why you should never put a condom up your nose

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condom snorting challenge

  • The condom challenge is a dangerous, years-old dare that involves sticking an unwrapped condom up one nostril and inhaling until it (hopefully) re-emerges into a person's mouth.
  • It's a super-dangerous idea. Not only is it an immediate choking hazard, but condoms can also get stuck and cause more long-term damage.
  • One woman who accidentally inhaled a condom and got it stuck inside her suffered through six months with a nasty, mucous-heavy cough and fever until doctors realized that the condom was trapped in her lung.  


The condom challenge is no way to treat your nose. Or your lungs and throat, for that matter.

The years-old dangerous dare has resurfaced in recent days as the latest perverse, potentially life-threatening internet challenge. People attempting the condom-snorting challenge try to shove and inhale an unwrapped condom into one nostril, and then pull it back out through their mouth. 

Your nasal passage is indeed connected to the back of your throat, but you really don't need to prove it with a piece of plastic.

The party trick could cause you to choke on the spot. But it has other, potentially more long-term consequences, too.  

Your nose is designed to be the body's air filter, cleaning the air you take in before it lands in the lungs, and adding moisture to it along the way. It's a delicate system that's not designed to take in condoms. 

In 2004, doctors in India documented a case of a 27-year-old woman who accidentally inhaled a condom through her nose, didn't get it out, and wound up with a partially collapsed lung as a result. She spent six months with a fever and a cough before doctors finally surgically removed the condom.  

If you're not a trained professional, trying to pull anything out of your nose is a bad idea. One 2016 Nigerian study pointed out that 62% of complications that developed from people trying to pulling things out of their noses were the result of untrained professionals doing the job. 

Even in a best-case scenario where someone ingests a condom and then manages to pull it out of their mouth without choking, getting it stuck, or accidentally swallowing the roughly seven-and-a-half inch piece of plastic, it's not a harmless prank. The person may also be swallowing some extra chemicals, too. Condoms that aren't designed for oral sex can have lubricants on the outside that aren't meant to be ingested in large doses.

The condom challenge is just the latest in a string of dangerous viral challenges that can quickly gain steam on the internet, from swallowing laundry pods, to sticking a ton of cinnamon in your mouth (and potentially choking on that).

The condom-snorting challenge isn't even the only condom-related dare to gain traction. In 2015, a different condom challenge took off on the internet, as people tried to break water-filled condoms over others' heads, the New York Daily News reported. YouTube is trying to pull any condom-snorting videos from its site in order to discourage the potentially choke-inducing trend, CBS4 reports

SEE ALSO: 28 of the most dangerous things science has strongly linked to cancer

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: The 8 most memorable internet challenges of 2016

Donald Trump Jr. and his estranged wife, Vanessa, crossed paths at the White House Easter Egg Roll — and the photos say it all

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trump jr vanessa 2x1


Donald Trump Jr. and his estranged wife, Vanessa Trump, crossed paths on Monday at the annual White House Easter Egg Roll— the couple's first public appearance following their high-profile uncoupling.

Last month, Vanessa Trump filed for divorce after 13 years of marriage with Trump Jr. They have five children, who were partaking in the Easter festivities on Monday.

Trump Jr. was documenting the event on Instagram, though Vanessa Trump does not appear in any of his photos.

The two were recently at the Mar-a-Lago resort for their children's spring break, and they both posted photos on social media from their vacation in West Palm Beach, Florida.

According to People magazine, the couple primarily planned separate events so they could each spend time with their children. A source told People they were spotted "talking pleasantly" at the resort.

The past two weeks have seen an avalanche of news coverage of their relationship over the years.

Soon after the divorce filing, the New York Post's Page Six and Us Weekly reported that Trump Jr. had an affair with the singer Aubrey O'Day in 2011 while Vanessa Trump was pregnant with their third child.

Other articles theorized that O'Day had made multiple references to the affair over the years, including a 2013 song titled "DJT" and a 2012 tweet of her feet intertwined with those of a man.

The reports can't have made Easter an especially enjoyable holiday for the Trump family. The look on Trump Jr.'s face seems to indicate the Egg Roll hasn't quite been the light-hearted event one would hope it would be.

Donald Trump Jr Vanessa,

vanessa donald trump jr

don trump jr vanessa

SEE ALSO: The egg industry presented the White House with a Melania Trump-inspired, rhinestone-encrusted egg that opens to reveal a tiny version of the first couple

DON'T MISS: The Trumps hosted their 2nd White House Easter Egg Roll — and the photos are fantastic

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: How all-you-can-eat restaurants don't go bankrupt

I flew 16 hours nonstop in economy class on one of United Airlines' busiest international routes — here's what it was like

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United Airlines Boeing 777

  • United Airlines is one of three airlines that fly nonstop from New York to Hong Kong.
  • The 16-hour route, which takes passengers over the ice caps of the arctic, is one of the longest flights in the world.
  • I decided to fly United Airlines Economy-class cabin to Hong Kong, to see what the experience was like after years of bad press about the airline.

United Airlines has had a rough couple of years.

For most Americans, United's recent history has made it an airline to avoid: the violent removal of passenger David Dao last year, the high-profile death of a d0g last month in an overhead compartment, and abysmal consumer-satisfaction ratings over the past several years.

That's before you get into passengers' increasing discontent with the airline's baggage fees, the "Basic Economy" ticket class, and shrinking seats, leading Wired to call United the "industry leader in the abandonment of basic decency."

It all made me a bit nervous when I was looking for a flight from New York to Hong Kong days before I needed to leave. While Cathay Pacific, American Airlines, and United all fly nonstop to Hong Kong, United was the only one available on such short notice.

Perhaps I'm a masochist, but it was a very reasonable $761 for a one-way ticket. And I was curious what United might be like on one of the world's longest routes.

I last flew United a few months back over Christmas on a visit to Seattle. The flight then went without incident, but the flight back was a nightmare of delays, overbooked seats, and forced checked bags.

Read on to see what I thought of my flight on United Airlines, departing from Newark Liberty International Airport at 4:00 p.m. for Hong Kong International Airport, operated on a 777-200.

SEE ALSO: I'm taking a trip around the world with only a carry-on suitcase — here's everything I packed

I arrived at Newark Liberty International Airport about two hours before my flight. I knew I wasn't checking a bag; I meticulously packed my carry-on so that I wouldn't have to.



The security screening was confusing. From the perspective of a regular traveler, TSA PreCheck and the various "priority" lines seem to be creating more harm than good. The regular security line was excruciatingly long while much-needed TSA officers waited around on the empty "priority" lines.



When I finally got through, I had just enough time to grab a bite to eat before boarding. I stopped at Wanderlust, one of the dozens of restaurants in United's new dedicated terminal at Newark. Like most of the options there, it was tasty but overpriced.



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ESPN revealed everything that will be in its new streaming service, ESPN+

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Justin verlander

ESPN on Monday announced the release of its direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service, ESPN+. 

ESPN+ will launch Thursday, April 12. It will be available for $4.99 per month or an annual fee of $49.99.

The subscription service has been conceived as an add-on to ESPN's current cable coverage, so its service will lack access to any of the content on ESPN's core channels, including ESPN, ESPN 2, and ESPN Classic.

But the company said in a release that ESPN+ include "thousands" of live games from a wide variety of sports, as well as a library of original shows, films, and other on-demand content.

The service will be available through an update to the ESPN app, which the company's president James Pitaro described as "completely re-imagined" and "increasingly personalized" in a statement on Monday.

Here's a rundown of all the live sporting events that ESPN+ will include: 

SEE ALSO: ESPN is making more money than ever off of subscribers despite its dwindling subscriber base

MLB — "More than 180 games"

ESPN said the service will feature an MLB game "each day, seven days per week" throughout the season, including every MLB team. 



NHL — "More than 180 games"

ESPN said the service will include "a daily NHL game" starting with the 2018-2019 NHL season.

 



Boxing — "Year-round schedule"

ESPN+ will feature "exclusive main event fights," including the match between Amir Khan vs. Phil Lo Greco on April 21, as well as "an unmatched library of legendary fights." 



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

25 US communities where people are healthy, stay physically active, and feel great about life

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san francisco girl hiking

  • Health and wellness are key components of thriving communities.
  • U.S. News & World Report released its 2018 rankings of the healthiest communities in the US.
  • The list below focuses on one of the factors used in the ranking: population health, including how many people participate in physical activity, life expectancy, and mental health.
  • Olmsted County, Minnesota has the healthiest population in the country, according to the rankings. Falls Church City, Virginia, came out No. 1 overall.


The roughly 144,000 residents of Olmsted County, Minnesota are among the fittest, happiest, and longest-living people in the United States.

That's according to the 2018 U.S. News & World Report rankings of the healthiest communities in the country.

A number of factors were considered in the rankings, including population health, equity (think income inequality and disparity in health across different ethnic populations), education, economy, housing, food and nutrition, environment, public safety, community vitality, and infrastructure. Falls Church City, Virginia, came out No. 1 overall.

The list below focuses exclusively on one of the factors used in the U.S. News list to determine the healthiest cities: population health, which breaks down into sub-factors such as how many people have health insurance, how many people participate in regular physical activity, rates of cancer, life expectancy, and how many poor mental health days people have every month. Colorado communities appear multiple times on the list.

Communities were also identified as urban or rural, and as "high-performing" or "up-and-coming" based on their economic performance.

Read on to learn more about the communities with the healthiest populations in the US.

SEE ALSO: The 19 US states where young people are moving in, jobs are plentiful, and business is booming

25. Yankton County, South Dakota

Overall ranking: 334

Population health score: 86

Population: 22,438

Type of community: Urban, high-performing

Life expectancy: 80.5

Adults with no leisure-time physical activity: 18.7%

Poor mental health days per month: 2.6



24. Custer County, South Dakota

Overall ranking: 231

Population health score: 86

Population: 8,216

Type of community: Rural, high-performing

Life expectancy: 80

Adults with no leisure-time physical activity: 18.2%

Poor mental health days per month: 2.5



23. Broomfield County, Colorado

Overall ranking: 3

Population health score: 87

Population: 55,889

Type of community: Urban, high-performing

Life expectancy: 80

Adults with no leisure-time physical activity: 11.8%

Poor mental health days per month: 3



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Electric scooters for grown-ups are taking over San Francisco, and tech workers are annoyed

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electric scooter san francisco limebike

  • More and more electric scooters are covering the streets and sidewalks of San Francisco.
  • Startups like LimeBike and Bird let users reserve a scooter from a smartphone app, ride for a small fee, and leave the scooter anywhere.
  • People are abandoning their scooters on sidewalks — which is becoming a nuisance for tech workers and people who commute to work on foot.

Electric scooters for grown-ups are taking over the streets of San Francisco.

Since mid-March, three startups have rolled out motorized scooter rentals across San Francisco. These are stand-up vehicles like the Razor scooter you might have cruised around on as a kid — but they're outfitted with motors and electricity and reach speeds up to 15 mph.

Electric scooter-sharing startups Bird, LimeBike, and Spin let users reserve a scooter from a smartphone app, ride for a small fee, and leave the scooter anywhere at the end of a journey.

The rise of electric scooter rentals has created some crowding on San Francisco sidewalks, because the vehicles don't use docking stations like some electric-bike-sharing startups.

In recent days, tech workers took to social media to gripe about the electric scooter onslaught.

M.G. Siegler, a general partner at GV, the venture-capital arm of Google's parent company, Alphabet, said the proliferation of electric scooters in San Francisco happened quickly.

It's hard not to notice them, according to tech writer and editor Jessica Misener.

Business Insider's Rob Price spotted a trio of electric scooters from Bird outside of our office in San Francisco. He said he saw people driving the scooters down sidewalks, which is illegal.

Scott Kidder, a software engineer, called for these startups to curb their scooters.

Now, city officials say they plan to regulate electric-scooter sharing.

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) is working with San Francisco Supervisor Aaron Peskin to create legislation that would "create appropriate permits and requirements to regulate motorized scooter sharing," a SFMA spokesperson told Tech Crunch.

Their office sent a letter to Bird, LimeBike, and Spin, asking each to submit a business plan that describes how the company will comply with the city's requirements and how it plans to distribute and maintain scooters across the city, the San Francisco Chronicle and TechCrunch reported last week.

The letter said the city would "actively enforce local laws protecting the city's right of way."

Electric scooters are not prohibited in any way, though California state law bans riding motorized scooters on sidewalks and requires riders to wear a helmet and hold a valid driver license. The vehicles do not come with helmets, which means riders must bring their own.

The wannabe Uber of electric vehicles

Bird, a startup based in the so-called Silicon Beach area of Los Angeles, delivered about 175 electric scooters to the San Francisco Bay Area in late March. The startup is led by a former Uber and Lyft executive and has closed $115 million in funding since the start of the year.

When Bird first launched in a city near Los Angeles called Santa Monica, the city filed a criminal complaint against the startup over its failure to obtain a permit for operation.

Bird is now trying to do right by the cities where it operates. The company said it will pick up vehicles nightly and relocate them to where they're likely to be used, and it will add new scooters to a city only if it can show the existing scooters are being used at least three times per day.

Bird also plans to give $1 per vehicle per day to local city government, "so they can use this money to build more bike lanes" and build and maintain road infrastructure.

SEE ALSO: Bitcoin millionaires are buying Lamborghinis as a status symbol of crypto wealth, and the carmaker says sales are rocketing

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: This tiny electric scooter will make your commute a lot more exciting

Costco employees pick the 11 most surprising items the wholesale retailer sells

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Costco bears

  • Costco stores are known for their sometimes outside-the-box offerings and deals.
  • Some of the chain's more unexpected products have attracted particular notice from Costco employees.
  • Business Insider reached out to workers to learn about Costco's less conventional items.


Costco stores boast a ton of deals, tasty food court options, and, occasionally, some straight-up surprising products.

Of course, we shouldn't really be surprised that a retail chain that sells vacations and cars also features a range of out-of-left-field items. Take emergency food kits that can feed a doomsday-prepping family for a year, for instance. Or gallon jars of mayonnaise. Costco has even gotten in on the art business, selling works by Henri Matisse in 2012.

Business Insider recently asked a number of Costco employees about the most unexpected products they had ever seen sold in a Costco. Here's what they had to share.

SEE ALSO: 8 Costco food court menu items employees swear by

DON'T MISS: Costco workers and members reveal 7 deals that aren't worth the money

SEE ALSO: Costco employees share the 15 things they wish shoppers would stop doing

The retail chain features an entire section dedicated to funeral necessities. Four Costco employees from Arizona, Illinois, Ohio, and Washington agreed that caskets were the most surprising product offered at the store. "They are cheap compared to other places," added the Illinois-based worker.



A Costco employee in Princeton, New Jersey, singled out Costco's kayaks as the chain's most unexpected item. The retail chain also sells paddle boards, inflatable sun decks, and pack rafts, for the aquatically-inclined.



Costco might not be the first store to come to mind when it comes to engagement ring shopping, but it has quite a selection. A Costco employee in San Diego noted that the store sold a "$50,000 ring," while a Roseville, California-based employee mentioned $21,000 rings and a $3,500 watch.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The situation at San Francisco's sinking skyscraper is so dire that the most expensive condo has sold for $1 million under the asking price

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The most expensive condo for sale at San Francisco's leaning, sinking skyscraper, has sold — and the new owners should get a blue ribbon for their negotiation tactics.

Apartment 401 was the priciest listing at Millennium Tower when it hit the market with an asking price of $5.99 million in March 2017. Since then, the sellers lowered the price, removed the listing, shaved the price down to $4.99 million, and re-listed the unit in February 2018.

Real-estate site SocketSite is reporting that the four-bedroom unit has now closed escrow with a price of $4.66 million, more than $1 million under its highest asking price.

The home last sold for $2.65 million in 2014, according to public records.

Millennium Tower is a luxury residential high-rise that has sunk 17 inches and tilted 14 inches since it was completed in 2008. Though an inspection by the city showed it's safe to occupy, the situation has motivated some people to bail out. Residents say they're selling their homes short of what they paid for them, with about 100 condos falling $320,000 in value on average.

Not all homeowners have sold their condos for less. A penthouse at Millennium Tower sold for $13 million in 2016, up from its $9.4 million sale price in 2009. The seller, late venture capitalist Tom Perkins, spent $9 million on renovations, which should have increased its value even higher than the sale price.

millennium tower condo 401 9

Apartment 401 is made up of two adjacent units that were combined in 2014. The home covers 3,814 square feet and contains four bedrooms, four bathrooms, and two "flex rooms," which could be used as an office or a playroom, according to the listing. Windows cover the walls.

Homeowners at Millennium Tower received some good news in January: A fix for the building's leaning and sinking is in the works.

In January, construction crews began drilling near Millennium Tower to see if a planned fix for the structure will work, NBC Bay Area reported. Engineers want to drill up to 150 new piles (a type of foundation shaped like a pillar) 200 feet down to bedrock from the building's basement, in order to stabilize the tower and prop it back upright. The project could cost $150 million.

But the situation at Millennium Tower is likely to get worse before it gets better. Engineers have estimated the building will continue to sink at a rate of about one-inch per year.

SEE ALSO: A brazen homeowner at San Francisco's leaning, sinking skyscraper is trying to sell a multimillion-dollar condo for almost double what they paid

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NOW WATCH: Inside the exclusive multimillion-dollar San Francisco street that a couple bought for $90,000

An elephant has died after a circus truck overturned on a motorway in Spain

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  • A circus truck carrying five elephants overturned in southeastern Spain.
  • One elephant died and two others were injured.
  • Authorities rescued the surviving elephants with a crane.
  • WARNING: Some images shown below are graphic in nature.


An elephant has died after a circus truck overturned on a motorway in southeastern Spain.

The truck, which was carrying five elephants, flipped over on the A30 motorway near the town of Pozo Cañada on Monday afternoon.

One elephant died and two others were injured, police said.

It's not clear where or when the elephant died, and photos on social media showed the two injured animals wandering the motorway with cuts and blood on their heads and bodies.

The truck overturned while switching lanes, Spanish General Traffic Director Gregorio Serrano tweeted, citing preliminary investigations. The driver of the truck was not injured, the BBC reported.

Photos showed the truck rolled over the road and partially fell into a ditch, bringing some of the elephants with it.

The motorway remained blocked for at least an hour, after which police and firefighters evacuated the four surviving elephants via crane — as can be seen in the video below.

They were later taken to a compound in Pozo Cañada to be taken care of.

SEE ALSO: A shocking picture of a baby elephant being set on fire has won a wildlife photography contest

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A 'Rich Kid of Instagram' has been called 'sick' and 'disgusting' after a video showed her dressed in a fur coat posing with a live bear and a bottle of Champagne

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A post shared by RICH KIDS OF LONDON (@richkidslondon) on Apr 1, 2018 at 6:24am PDT on

  • A video of a woman dressed in a fur coat posing with a live bear and a bottle of Champagne was posted to the 'Rich Kids of London' Instagram page over the weekend.
  • The footage has sparked outrage from some users, with some suggesting the bear had been sedated. 
  • The woman has been called 'sick' and 'disgusting' by those who have watched the video.


A video of a woman dressed in a fur coat posing with a live bear and a bottle of Champagne was posted to the "Rich Kids of London" Instagram page at the weekend — and it has outraged countless users on the photo-sharing platform.

In the footage, the woman can be seen tickling the bear's chin and rubbing its chest as it lies on its back in the middle of an icy road, while the cameraman directs her in a language other than English.

She's wearing what looks like a real fur coat, sunglasses, and knee-high boots as she plays with the bear and pouts for the camera. 

The video has been watched over 100,000 times and has prompted many angry comments from users, with some suggesting the bear had been sedated. 

One user commented: "This whole video just doesn’t sit right with me," while another stated: "Makes me feel very sad that she's wearing real fur and patting a live bear."

"There is no explanation for so much ignorance," another user wrote.

The "Rich Kids of London" Instagram account is known for showcasing the opulent lives of some of the city's wealthiest youngsters. The posts show lives of excess and luxury, with the people featured most often travelling via private jet, enjoying a fancy holiday, or driving fast cars. 

It's unknown where the footage was filmed, or if the woman herself is from London.

SEE ALSO: Someone on Instagram is posting videos of the moments commuters miss their trains — and they're painful to watch

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NOW WATCH: Facebook can still track you even if you delete your account — here's how to stop it

Megan Markle's father once won $750,000 in the lottery — and paid tuition at her private school with part of his winnings

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Meghan Markle Prince Harry

  • Meghan Markle is preparing for her royal wedding to Prince Harry, which is just over a month away. 
  • A new biography on the "Suits" actor will be released soon, entitled "Meghan: A Hollywood Princess."
  • Meghan's father, Tom Markle, won $750,000 in the California State Lottery in 1990, according to an an excerpt from the book published in The Sunday Times.
  • Though he has since declared bankruptcy, Markle used his lottery winnings at the time to pay tuition to his daughter's private school.

As Meghan Markle prepares to marry into the British royal family, her father's story may be one of riches to rags.

A new book about Prince Harry's fiancée — "Meghan: A Hollywood Princess"— includes details about the actor's life and childhood. Princess Diana's controversial biographer, Andrew Morton, wrote the in-depth biography about Markle, which will be published April 12. 

Included in the book and detailed in an excerpt published in The Sunday Times, is a story of how Meghan's father, Tom Markle, won the lottery when she was a child — and subsequently lost the money.

The elder Markle was known as a frequent purchaser of lottery tickets who spent thousands of dollars pressing his luck, according to Morton. He won the California State Lottery in 1990, "scooping $750,000 with five numbers, which included Meghan’s birth date," Morton wrote. Meghan was born on August 4, 1981.

With inflation, Markle's winnings would be worth about $1.5 million in 2018. Unfortunately, he eventually wound up filing for bankruptcy.

Tom Markle was a successful Hollywood lighting designer and was serving as the lighting director on the long running soap opera "General Hospital" when he met a makeup artist in training, Doria Ragland. Ragland became Markle's second wife and Meghan's mother, but the couple was already divorced by the time he won the lottery.

To avoid further financial difficulties from his divorce with Ragland, Markle sent a friend to pick up his lottery winnings from Chicago, according to The Times. Meghan's half-brother, Tom Jr., said that his father lost the bulk of the lottery prize when the same friend convinced him to invest a portion of his winnings into a jewelry business that later failed.

Markle didn't lose all of his money from his friend's scam, however. He gave Tom Jr. money to start a flower shop, bought a car for his daughter Yvonne, and paid Meghan's tuition at a Catholic school with his winnings.

"If Meg marries Harry she’ll have won the lottery of life but dad winning the lottery helped us all," Tom Jr. told the Mail. "That money allowed Meg to go to the best schools and get the best training."

As a student at Immaculate Heart, Meghan was a star in the classroom and in drama class. She was also named Homecoming Queen at the private all-girls school. After graduating from the Catholic school, Meghan Markle earned a degree from Northwestern University.

After college, Meghan Markle — like her parents before her — made a living in television. She appeared as a briefcase model on the game show "Deal or No Deal" and has starred on "Suits" since 2011.

In 2016, Tom Sr. declared bankruptcy over $30,000. With little in savings and no income during retirement, the father of the royal-to-be is in a precarious financial position.

It is not uncommon for lottery winners to lose their fortunes and wind up with less money than they had before their winning ticket. The rise and fall of lottery winners often comes with massive spending sprees.

The royal wedding between Meghan Markle and Prince Harry will take place May 19.

SEE ALSO: Here's what time Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's royal wedding will start where you live

DON'T MISS: Home video shows an 8-year-old Meghan Markle playing the Queen and ordering her 'servants' to make 900,000 cookies

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NOW WATCH: 4 lottery winners who lost it all

If you obsess over your sleep you might have 'orthosomnia' — here's what it means

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  • We're constantly told how sleep is incredibly important.
  • But worrying about getting enough consistent sleep can cause problems too.
  • "Orthosomnia" is when people obsess over what their sleep tracking apps tell them, and it can lead to even worse sleep as a result.


Wearable technology is great in some ways. It's fun to see how many steps you've taken in a single day, and it can be useful to track your sleeping pattern.

But apps that do the latter may be causing more harm than good.

According to a new study, published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, people are obsessing over whether they're getting a good night's sleep, and it's causing the development of a new disorder.

The sleep disorder has been called "Orthosomnia," derived from "ortho" meaning to correct, and "somnia" meaning sleep. It has particularly affected people who use Fitbits or apps to track their sleep, like Sleep Cycle.

The researchers say in the paper that people are becoming concerned about getting the perfect night's sleep — and it's stopping them from actually getting it.

"There are an increasing number of patients who are seeking treatment as a result of their sleep tracker data because of concerns over both sleep duration and quality," the study says. "Patients are preoccupied or concerned with improving or perfecting their wearable sleep data."

They likened it to orthorexia, which is the unhealthy preoccupation with eating healthily, to the point that it's actually unhealthy.

Sleep trackers become an obsession that's hard to ignore

The issue with sleep trackers arises when people rely on them completely. When their sleep data isn't perfect, they end up diagnosing themselves with problems.

For example, the paper looked at three case studies where adults sought out help for their sleep issues. In one, a 40-year-old man complained of "light and fragmented sleep" as well as "irritability, cognitive difficulties (poor attention, memory, and concentration), and fatigue during the day."

He said he only had these symptoms when his tracker told him he got less than eight hours of sleep the night before.

Although his goal was to have eight hours consistently every night, the man would occasionally look at his phone throughout the night to answer texts and emails, and he would work right up until trying to sleep.

Sleep scientists are all agreed that screens are terrible for our sleep. The bright lights stop our bodies from producing enough of the hormone melatonin, which makes us feel sleepy. Essentially, the light tricks our body into thinking it's still day time.

That's why binge watching shows late at night is bad for you, and people struggle to sleep if they turn their laptops and phones off only just before they lie down.

In the second case study, a 27-year-old woman complained of Restless Leg Syndrome, and found her sleep efficiency was only 60%, according to a tracker.

After some ongoing tests and adjustments to her lifestyle, she went into the lab for a polysomnogram — a type of test that measures the depth of sleep. The results showed she managed to sleep deeply, but she couldn't shake the tracker results from her mind, and asked "then why does my Fitbit say I am sleeping poorly?"

Rather than relying on how they felt, people in the study seemed to be unable to ignore their trackers. It was unclear whether the patients had real sleep problems before they started using apps, but it is certainly possible that they didn't help.

Ultimately, the best way to achieve a good night's sleep is routine. Sleep scientists agree that having a set bed time and waking up at the same time every day gives you the best chance of achieving good "sleep hygiene." (But the occasional lie-in is fine.)

Life gets in the way of this sometimes, but the advice is to try and wake up at the same time even if you've had a late night. It will probably be painful to drag yourself up every day, but you'll feel the benefits in the long run.

SEE ALSO: What a sleep scientist says you should do if you and your partner have different body clocks

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