• President Trump's long-desired military parade is now expected to cost $80 million more than expected, CNBC reported Thursday.
• Congress has already authorized the parade, which is slated to take place on November 10 in Washington.

WASHINGTON — The grand military parade that President Donald Trump wants to hold in the nation's capital in November is now expected to cost $92 million — $80 million more than the original estimate.

According to a report by CNBC, the Department of Defense now assesses that the parade will cost significantly more, including $50 million from DOD and $42 million from interagency partners. The original cost estimates were in the realm of $12 million.

A massive parade down the streets of Washington is an expensive endeavor, which would include a large-scale security operation on top of the other costs to put it on this fall.

In May, when Republicans were getting ready to include funding for the parade in their annual defense bill, a Republican aide clarified that any equipment used would be at the discretion of Defense Secretary James Mattis.

"Of course you're gonna see a 21-gun salute, you're gonna see firing of cannons, and things like that — that's OK — that's traditional ceremonial function," the aide said. "What we don't wanna see are tanks rolling down Pennsylvania Avenue."

But the CNBC report noted that the parade is currently expected to include "approximately eight tanks, as well as other armored vehicles, including Bradleys, Strykers and M113s."

Trump demanded that the administration begin exploring a large parade for himself after attending the Bastille Day celebrations in Paris with French President Emmanuel Macron.

Trump's parade, which will run down Pennsylvania Ave, is slated for November 10.

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• Confidence isn't something you are necessarily born with — but you can learn it. 
• There are a few confidence hacks you can use to impress a colleague, boss, vendor, date or date, and help them perceive you in a more positive way.
• Confident people don't contract their bodies — boost your body language by making simple adjustments, like standing up straight or crossing your arm over the chair next to you.
•  Affirmative language like "I can," or "I will," is much better than saying "I'll try," or "I think." Additionally, nix any negativity — optimism is a sign of leadership.
• You should also ask for what you want. Asking is assertive, and asserting yourself shows confidence.

The most successful people aren't necessarily born the most beautiful, talented, or into the most educated families — but they have mastered the art of believing in themselves.

As a coach and author who has helped others increase their self-confidence at work, I can tell you: Confidence can be learned. And it's not all about 'faking it till you make it.' It's about harnessing some valuable habits that, over time, actually transform not just how you feel about yourself, but also how others perceive you.

So if you want to impress as a colleague, a boss, a vendor, a date, an interviewee, these helpful confidence hacks will get you further, faster.

1. Puff it up

Confident people don't contract their bodies. Often, when we're feeling unsure of ourselves, it's subconsciously reflected in our posture. We slump our shoulders, cross our legs, and take up as little space as possible.

Taking up more physical space is commanding. You can boost your body language by just standing or sitting up straight, crossing your arm over an empty chair next to you, or even by adding a simple shoulders-back, chin up and smile. These adjustments go a long way in projecting poise. Allow yourself to be visible!

2. Use words wisely

Just like our physical stance matters, so does what comes out of our mouths.

Consider the difference between two people discussing a new work project.

One might beam, "Yes, I'm managing project X! I'm excited for the new challenge and am enjoying recruiting the most skilled team members. We've got a great foundation in place."

Another might say: "Right now project X is mine. The whole thing's new and a bit daunting. I hope I can find the right people because it's bare bones right now (nervous laugh)."

Who do you think will launch the most successful project? Who'll attract the best talent? Whose team would you want to be on?

Affirmative language can go a long way. Use "I can," "I will," "I'm going to," instead of "I'll try," "I think," and "I don't know." Even if you feel uncertain, you can still use certainty in language.

Another tip: Speak slowly. Scared people often rush to get their words out. Force yourself if you have to, and don't be afraid to take pauses — it works!

3. Be front and fast

Have you ever noticed, in any meeting or event of a decent size, that the back seats fill up first? Be a front seater.

Also notice how some people plod around, looking aimless? Walk 25% faster. This makes you appear engaged, influential, and busy

4. Nix the negativity

When I was at an airport recently and a flight delay was announced, one man lost his mind. He interrogated a crew member and huffed and puffed his way around the gate. I was surprised, because he was a sharply dressed, professional-looking man and his lack of composure was a bit over the top.

Negativity repels people, even when it's not directed at us (no one wanted this dude sitting next to them on the plane). It also shows a lack of self control.

When you cruise the positive path, other people will often rise to meet you there. They'll want to be more like you.

Optimism isn't naïve, it's a sign of leadership.

5. Ask

Asking for what you want is terribly underrated. It's a shame how many opportunities we let slip by simply because we don't ask for stuff. Whether you're asking  for a window table at a restaurant, for the salary you're worth, or for a coworker to lower the volume on their headphones — asking is assertive. People respect askers. So dial it up where it feels fair, and when you win, don't feel guilty for a second.

We're more in control of our projection of confidence than we might think. And when we consciously create how we're seen, we can forge the future that we hope for.

Susie Moore is a high performance coach and author based in New York City who's been featured on the Today show, Forbes and Oprah.com. Sign up for her free weekly confidence injection here.

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• Serena Williams was unable to focus during a recent match as she had just found out on Instagram that her sister's killer had been released from prison.
• 10 minutes before she was scheduled to face Johanna Konta in July, Williams discovered the news — and went on to suffer the heaviest defeat of her entire 23-year career.
• She says she has not yet forgiven the killer.

Serena Williams recently suffered the heaviest defeat of her 23-year professional tennis career last month, and has claimed her poor performance was because she found out her half sister's murderer had been released from prison just moments before she was due to compete.

Williams was beaten 6-1, 6-0 in 53 minutes by Johanna Konta at theMubadala Silicon Valley Classic in San Jose, California, last month.

Williams only managed to win one game in that match — a first in a run that stretched all the way back to her debut in 1995. She made 25 unforced errors, served up seven double faults, and lost 12 games in a row.

Now, it appears she could not focus because of the knowledge that the murderer of her elder half-sister Yetunde Price, who was killed during a drive-by shooting in 2003 in Los Angeles, had just been let out of jail.

"I couldn't shake it out of my mind," Williams told Time magazine in an explosive interview. "It was hard because all I think about is her kids and what they meant to me. And how much I love them."

Robert Edward Maxfield, a reported member of the Southside Crips gang according to LA Times, was sentenced to 15 years but Williams found out he had been released on parole when she checked Instagram, just 10 minutes before she was due to face Konta.

"No matter what, my sister is not coming back for good behaviour," Williams said. "It's unfair that she'll never have an opportunity to hug me. But also… the Bible talks about forgiveness."

Williams was asked if she forgives her half-sister's killer. "I'm not there yet," she said.

The tennis champion's comeback has been no means seamless, and she even opened up about her postnatal depression on social media— a move many people applauded because of her honesty.

Her comeback was also complicated because "everything went bad" after she gave birth. According to CNN earlier this year, Williams endured a "six-day medical crisis" because of blood clots, something she has a history of.

Her "C-section wound reopened after a coughing spell," "she returned to surgery," and "her medical team found a large hematoma," were among the traumas. Another operation followed and she was able to return home after a week.

Regardless, Williams is determined to continue with her comeback. "I'm not done yet," she told Time.

SEE ALSO: Serena Williams just suffered the heaviest defeat of her entire 23-year professional tennis career

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• The Waltons are the richest family in America.
• Sam Walton founded Walmart in 1962. It is now the world's largest retailer by revenue with annual sales of $500 billion from its nearly 12,000 stores worldwide. 
• Walton's descendants have a combined wealth of $163.2 billion, according to Bloomberg. This is more than Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates, and Warren Buffett, and nearly $70 billion more than the second-richest family in the United States, the Kochs. 
• In public, the Waltons live a pretty modest life despite their wealth. Here's how they spend their fortune.

Walmart shares surged more than 10% on Thursday on news of its strong quarterly earnings report, giving the company's founding family an $11.6 billion boost in net worth, Bloomberg reported. 

According to Bloomberg's Billionaires Index, the Walmart heirs now have a combined wealth of $163.2 billion, which is more than Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates, and Warren Buffett. In fact, they are worth more than $70 billion more than the second-richest family in the United States, the Kochs. 

The three children of Walmart founder Sam Walton co-own Walton Enterprises, which is the biggest shareholder of the company and the reason behind their wealth. Walmart is the world's largest retailer by revenue with annual sales of $500 billion from its nearly 12,000 stores around the world. 

Only one of the siblings, Rob Walton, sits on the board of the company. James Walton, his brother, served on the board until 2016, before being replaced by his son Steuart in 2016.

Alice Walton, the youngest sibling, has never taken an active role running the business and has instead become a patron of the arts.

When the company has a good quarter, the family makes millions of dollars in dividends. However, despite their fortune, the Waltons seem to live a pretty modest life, at least in public.

Here's what we do know about how the wealthy family spends its fortune: 

SEE ALSO: These are the 20 biggest retailers in America

Sam Walton, who died in 1992, opened the first Walmart store in Arkansas in 1962.

He was married to Helen Ronson. Together, they had four children: Rob, John, Jim, and Alice.

The Walton family own 50% of Walmart's total stock between them. 

This is Samuel Robson "Rob" Walton, the oldest Walton son. He served as chairman of Walmart until 2015.

• AMC Theatres announced on Thursday that it now has 260,000 members in its AMC Stubs A-List movie-ticket subscription service.
• That makes up 4% of the chain's US attendance.

As MoviePass tries desperately to scale back so only the "occasional moviegoer" will be attracted to the service, AMC Theatres continues to grab more willing takers for its own subscription program.

AMC, the largest movie chain in the world, announced on Thursday that its movie-ticket subscription service, AMC Stubs A-List, now has more than 260,000 members in the seven weeks since its launch. AMC said that made up 4% of the chain's US attendance. 

The company also noted that A-List had been responsible for more than 1 million in attendance at its movie theaters since launch.

"While one would think that the rate of signups will inevitably have to slow down at some point, enrollments now are continuing at quite a brisk pace, getting AMC to scale much sooner than we initially anticipated," AMC Theatres president and CEO Adam Aron said in a press release. "This is very good for AMC and very good for our movie studio partners as well."

MoviePass has certainly proven that moviegoers love a subscription model. But it's hard to tell if it will be around long enough to reap the rewards.

It was revealed earlier this week in the quarterly filing of its parent company, Helios and Matheson Analytics, that the compay had burned more than $219 million in the first six months of the year, $150.8 million of that in the second quarter.

And in the hopes to slow down the burn, MoviePass on Thursday revealed that, for the time being, it will only offer up to six movies daily for its subscribers to go see. That's in addition to capping subscribers at three movies per month (AMC offers three per week).

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• Passports and the regulations around their expiration dates can create unforeseen problems for travelers every year — particularly when it comes to international travel.
• Many European countries, including Spain, require passports to be valid for at least 90 days after a tourist's arrival.
• To avoid disrupting your travel plans, check the passport validity requirements of your destination, as well as the expiration date on your passport, long before you fly.

My wife and I stood at the ticket counter, staring at each other in disbelief, unable to process what was happening.

Just two hours before we were supposed to fly out for a family trip to Spain, American Airlines told us that our son would not be allowed to board the plane. Our plans of drinking sangria in Barcelona and watching soccer in Madrid vanished, and there was absolutely nothing we could do about it.

The reason? Our son's passport expiration date. It was an issue we never saw coming — and it could derail your travel plans, too, if you don't do your homework before your next international flight.

When a valid passport isn't valid enough

Our son's passport was due to expire in mid-April, which was almost four weeks after our planned return flight. We realized that were cutting it close — my wife and I even talked about it a few weeks before our trip — but it never occurred to us that it would be an issue. After all, a valid passport is a valid passport, right?

Not so much.

When we scanned my son's passport at the check-in kiosk, we were shown a screen that said that your U.S. passport has to be valid for at least 90 days after your departure date to be allowed to enter Spain. We wondered if an error had been made, but one American Airlines representative after another confirmed our fears. We wouldn't be allowed on the plane.

Short of my wife and I leaving my son with his grandparents for a week while we cavorted in Spain — which we considered for a moment, though never too seriously — we knew we had run out of options. Even if we could renew my son's passport in the next few days, the cost of rebooking the flights was simply more than we were willing to spend.

A quick Google search showed us this wasn't just Spain. Thanks to the 1995 Schengen Agreement, most European countries require passports to be valid for at least 90 days after your arrival. Many countries around the world are even stricter, mandating the passport be valid for 180 days.

Why? Because a valid US passport typically lets you stay in a country for tourism or business for up to 90 days during any 180-day period without requiring a visa. Even if your trip is only scheduled for 10 days, the reality is: Travel plans change, and disasters happen. So, many countries build their passport requirements with this 90-to-180-day buffer in mind.

All this information is readily available online, but it never occurred to my wife and I that we needed to look for it. We have traveled internationally many times yet had never heard of these rules. Many of our travel-enthusiast friends hadn't either.

The resulting financial sting was real, but not as bad as it could have been. We had purchased our airfare with American miles and got those refunded — however, we were told that if we had waited until after our flight had departed we would have lost them altogether. We also got refunds on the tickets we had bought to several sites in Barcelona and Madrid. Unfortunately, we weren't as lucky with the tickets for the Real Madrid soccer match.

Don't let it happen to you

The most frustrating aspect of this is that it was all completely avoidable. Here are some tips to guarantee that this doesn't happen to you:

1. Check your destination's passport-validity requirements before you book the flight: As I said, these rules can vary, so don't ever assume that you're covered. Visit the State Department's website for more information. The travel site ThePointsGuy.com also has a helpful guide to validity rules around the world.
2. Check your passport expiration date before you book: Planning an international vacation can be chaotic enough without worrying about getting a new passport at the last minute. If your passport expires within the next year, go ahead and get a new one as soon as you start getting serious about planning the big trip.
3. Remember that passports for kids are only valid for five years: Even if you think that you just renewed your son's or daughter's passport, do yourself a favor and double-check as soon as possible. Rules for kids' passports are different from those for adults. Thanks to new restrictions aimed at combating child abduction and trafficking, renewing kids' passports requires jumping through a few extra hoops. For example, your child must apply in person and both parents or guardians must be present.
4. Credit card rewards can help turn those lemons into low-cost lemonade: Once our trip to Spain was off the table, we decided we would do our best to go someplace else. This is where our obsession with miles and points paid off. It took most of the rest of the day, but using American Airlines miles for the airfare, Hilton and Starwood points for the hotel rooms and a Chase travel credit for much of the rest, we cobbled together an inexpensive, last-minute trip to the Florida Keys for our family. It wasn't Spain, but it was a wonderful trip. We like to say we took the lemons that were handed to us and we made key lime pie.

Matt Schulz is senior industry analyst at CreditCards.com. He is also the founder of TalkingInClass.org, which is devoted to improving childhood financial literacy in America.

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• Chestnuts were once an important part of Appalachian history.
• The chestnut tree dominated the Appalachian region — one Virginia county alone exported 160,000 pounds of chestnuts in 1910.
• They were such a big part of life in the Appalachia, they were used as currency. 
• According to historians, children would gather nuts to buy shoes for school, and adults would use chestnuts to pay property taxes. 
• Country store owners would then sell them to produce wholesalers to distribute the chestnuts to cities in the Northeast US like Philadelphia and New York. 

This story was originally produced for Endless Thread, a podcast from WBUR in partnership with Reddit:

Maybe your only familiarity with chestnuts comes from Nat King Cole crooning about them roasting over an open fire. But chestnuts were once as American as Apple Pie. In Southern Appalachia, they were even used as currency.

Before a catastrophic blight wiped out the American chestnut tree in the early 1900s, the species dominated the eastern forests of North America, the "Redwoods of the East." Appalachian folklorist Charlotte Ross says walking into a chestnut forest would have been like "walking into a cathedral." And the gems of the trees were really the nuts themselves, cherished for their sweetness.

But to the folk of Southern Appalachia, the nuts weren't just a delicious treat, according to historian Ralph Lutts.

"It was a central part of their lives economically, particularly the very poor. And when you had the time of plenty in the autumn when the nuts were falling like manna from heaven, it was almost a community celebration."

Ross says so many people were involved in chestnut harvests that it was actually a common place to meet your future spouse. The elderly participated as well, though they were often strapped to the backs of horses or mules via packsaddle, too frail to hike through the woods on their own two feet but reluctant to miss out on all the fun. The nuts were so plentiful, sometimes inches deep on the forest floor, that Lutts remembers a woman who once said "a chestnut grove is a better provider than a man, easier to get along with too."

But the chestnut was more than a celebrated bounty in those areas. It was literally used as currency. "Shoe money" it was called, since children would gather nuts to buy shoes and other clothes at the beginning of the school year.

Adults got involved as well, using chestnuts to buy goods they couldn't make themselves and even to help pay off property taxes. "Come September, October, the only commodity they're trading in at the country store to get their groceries is chestnuts," says Lutts.

In turn, the country store owner was the intermediary between those rural communities and the rest of the world, selling those nuts to produce wholesalers who distributed them to places like Philadelphia and New York City where chestnuts were a hot commodity. Vendors roasted and hawked the nuts on city streets, leading to their informal label as America's "first fast food." City people gobbled them up, especially during holiday season. "If the chestnuts were around [today], they'd probably be selling them on eBay or through Amazon," adds Lutts.

To give a sense of scale, Patrick County in Virginia exported 160,000 pounds of chestnuts in 1910, according to the US agricultural census. Lutts points out that this is actually a low estimate since the people providing these numbers were "rural folks who were a bit suspicious of the government." So, it's safe to assume there were a fair amount of unreported chestnuts in circulation.

Even in 1910, though, chestnut blight had already taken hold in the Northeast. In an unfortunate twist of fate, it reached Southern Appalachia right around the time the Great Depression hit. It was a "catastrophe," says Lutts, who recounts someone who said that "when the trees started dying it felt as if the whole world was dying."

The economy recovered, of course, but it was never the same. The industrialized world successfully encroached on subsistence farming, the loss of a way of life.

Even though the trees died, Lutts says they still hold "mythic significance" in that region, a symbol of nostalgia for old way of life. Stories of chestnut harvests past were passed down over the generations and historians like Lutts and Ross seek them out and make sure they don't fade with time.

Outside of that region, chestnuts faded from cultural relevance, now mostly relegated to the dulcet tones of Nat King Cole's annual reminder.

Subscribe to Endless Thread with Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, RadioPublic or RSS and follow them on Twitter @endless_thread. You can also follow author Josh Swartz on Twitter at @joshbswartz. 

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• The royal family tree of Britain's monarchy is enormous and complicated.
• The more famous royals, like Queen Elizabeth II, Prince William, and Prince Harry— who married American actress Meghan Markle — are easily recognizable to most people.
• But there's a whole host of distant cousins that are part of the British royal family tree chart.
• Here's a look at some of the other families that are descended from King George V — the UK's first Windsor king.

The royal family tree of Britain's monarchy is quite a thing to behold.

King George V, the first monarch from Britain's House of Windsor, and his wife Mary of Teck had six children. Four of those offspring proceeded to have kids of their own.

As a result, well-known royals like 4-year-old Prince George of Cambridge and his younger siblings Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis have tons and tons of less-famous cousins.

The House of Windsor is a relatively young dynasty — it will turn 101 years old on July 17. King George V, a grandson of Queen Victoria, inherited the throne in 1910. Like his father King Edward VII, he was a member of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. The German dynasty was injected into the British monarchy by Albert, Prince Consort, the husband of Queen Victoria.

But by 1917, English attitudes towards Germany had soured considerably, thanks to the First World War.

In response to rising anti-German sentiments, George V decided to make a considerable PR move. He swapped out Saxe-Coburg and Gotha for the far more English-sounding name of Windsor. The royal family's website said the new name was inspired by Windsor Castle — where George V's granddaughter Queen Elizabeth II still resides on weekends.

Here's an in-depth look at the British royal family tree, beginning with the family that started it all:

SEE ALSO: The third royal baby has a name — here's where Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis got their names

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King George V was the first monarch of the House of Windsor

King George V and his wife Mary of Teck had six children together between 1894 and 1905. One of their children didn't survive into adulthood. Prince John, the baby of the family, had severe epilepsy and a learning disability. He died in 1919 at the age of 13.

Their eldest son, King Edward VIII, inherited the throne upon his father's death in 1936. Had he remained king, Edward VIII's hypothetical descendants would have inherited the British Crown.

But Edward VIII abdicated in 1937 in order to marry American divorcee Wallis Simpson. The controversial couple — who were rumored to harbor Nazi sympathies— never had children.

King George VI's descendants dominate the current line of succession

After his older brother's abdication, King George VI took to the throne for a reign of nearly 15 years. He and his wife Queen Elizabeth had two daughters, Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Margaret.

George VI's descendants are set to continue to inherit the throne in the foreseeable future. His eldest daughter Queen Elizabeth II is the longest reigning British monarch in history. Her son Charles, Prince of Wales, is reportedly set to succeed her when she turns 95 in 2021.

The Lascelles family is descended from King George V's only daughter

Mary, Princess Royal, was George V's only daughter.

She had two sons with her husband, Henry Lascelles, 6th Earl of Harewood. The princess's sons went on to produce six grandchildren, 17 great grandchildren, and nine great great grandchildren. The Earldom of Harewood is still held within the Lascelles family.

The eldest two children of David Lascelles, the current 8th Earl of Harewood, were born before Lascelles married his first wife. They were therefore unable to inherit his title.

Leo Cyrus Anthony Lascelles, the only son of Alexander Lascelles, Viscount Lascelles, is also not eligible to inherit his family's royal title, as his parents were not married at the time of his birth.

• Donald Trump's old Trump Tower office is a far cry from the Oval Office he now occupies.
• Most of Trump's decor didn't make the trip to D.C. with him.
• Business Insider looked into the differences between Trump's two signature workspaces.

Trump Tower and the Oval Office used to seem worlds apart.

But now that Donald Trump is president, they both count as his two signature workspaces.

His Trump Tower office was messy and littered with papers and random collectibles. Unsurprisingly, things tend to look a bit neater in the Oval Office.

Here's a comparison of the two offices:

SEE ALSO: A look inside Donald Trump's Manhattan office

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SEE ALSO: Trump's being slammed for this photo of his desk — here are past presidents' desks for comparison

Trump's old desk in Trump Tower was big and constantly cluttered with various files...

Source: Business Insider

... not to mention stacks of magazines emblazoned with Trump's own image.

Source: Business Insider

In the Oval Office, Trump has opted to use the famed Resolute desk. Queen Victoria gifted the piece of furniture — which was carved from timbers of the H.M.S. Resolute — to Rutherford B. Hayes.

Source: Business Insider

Kellyanne and George Conaway have been married for 17 years, have four kids together, and have rose to prominence on the national political stage.

And according to a lengthy feature in the Washington Post, their relationship is under more stress than ever.

Kellyanne, who ran President Donald Trump's campaign and now serves as his counselor, is one of Trump's fiercest and most vocal supporters. While George supported Trump at first, he now publicly trolls the president on Twitter. 

Here is an inside look at one of the most interesting marriages in Washington.

SEE ALSO: Inside the marriage of Donald and Melania Trump, who broke up once before, reportedly sleep in different bedrooms, and are weathering rumors of his affairs

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After spotting the DC pollster Kellyanne Fitzpatrick on the cover of a magazine in the late 1990s, George called his friend Ann Coulter to introduce him to her.

Source: Washington Post

After Coulter introduced the two, Kellyanne and George began spending time together in The Hamptons and at baseball games. Kellyanne once said, "I find that his near-constant presence doesn’t annoy me."

Source: Washington Post

The two were married in 2001 at the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul in Philadelphia. It was reportedly a "decadent affair" — the cake was so big it had to be cut into pieces so it could fit in the door.

Source: Washington Post

• The Dele Alli challenge is infuriating people all over the UK.
• It looks so simple, but is agonisingly difficult to get your head around.
• Scroll down to see the author break down how it's done.

In the UK, the "In My Feelings" challenge is already dead and buried.

Instead, everyone is trying to replicate the soccer celebration of Tottenham Hotspur's mercurial midfielder Dele Alli.

Like most viral challenges, Alli's celebration looks simple at first glance — like an upside down "OK" gesture — but it's infuriatingly difficult to master.

Over the last few days, celebrities and the general public alike have tried with varying levels of success to recreate the celebration.

The #DeleChallenge has even made it across the pond to the US:

Some people have even speculated that you need to be double-jointed to master the post — but that's not the case.

If you're still struggling to get your fingers in the right place, scroll down to see the author show you how it's done...

SEE ALSO: Dele Alli rapped about being overpaid as he landed a private jet in LA for an 8-day party

Start off with a regular "OK" gesture...

... Then, push your thumb upwards so that your thumb and your index finger are now above your third, fourth and fifth finger...

... Now, flip your hand, rotating about 180 degrees towards you.

As the year flies by, the list of canceled TV shows piles up.

While there's been somewhat of a quiet period since May, some networks are still cutting shows throughout the summer.

The most recent cancelation comes from E!, which axed "The Royals" after four seasons. Mark Schwahn, the creator, was fired in December 2017 after multiple women — including writers, actors, and crew members — publicly accused him of sexual harassment on of "The Royals" and his previous show "One Tree Hill."

It's not the only show to end in the midst of controversy.

ABC also canceled the previously renewed "Roseanne" revival in late May, after Roseanne Barr posted a racist tweet about former Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett. However, ABC announced a spin-off called "The Conners" without Barr coming this fall.

Amazon kicked off the year with a slew of cancellations, announcing the end of three quirky comedies, including the Golden Globe nominee "I Love Dick" and the comedian Tig Notaro's semi-autobiographical show, "One Mississippi." It canceled Golden Globe nominee "Mozart in the Jungle" in April, after four seasons, and recently canceled "Transparent," which will end after the upcoming fifth season.

The long-running "The Jerry Springer Show" is ending after 27 seasons and 4,000 episodes. NBC's "Timeless," was also canceled for the second year in a row. NBC reversed its first decision to cancel the show last year after fan outcry. However, fans may have a movie to look forward to that gives the series a proper finale, though no official decision has been made.

We'll update this list as more are announced.

Here are all the shows that have been canceled this year, including those from networks and Netflix:

SEE ALSO: The worst TV show of every year since 2000, according to critics

Amazon

"Jean-Claude Van Johnson" — Amazon, one season

"I Love Dick" — Amazon, one season

• This list shows how many calories you burn while doing a number of popular sports, from running to swimming to rock climbing.
• But the best exercise to burn calories is one you like enough to do regularly.
• You can always make a sport more or less intense by pushing yourself harder or taking a breather.

There are a lot of great reasons to exercise — it's the closest thing we have to a miracle drug. Depending on what you want to get out of it, you can see some results quickly, though others may take months.

But one of the most basic goals for a workout is to burn calories.

So what's the best way to do that?

Most experts suggest picking a type of fitness that you enjoy enough to do regularly over time. But if you are deciding between a few different activities, you could pick the one that burns the most energy.

The Mayo Clinic, drawing on research published by the National Institutes of Health, ranks 36 popular forms of exercise based on their caloric impacts. We've ordered them from least to most intense, and listed the approximate calories burned in an hour for a 160- and a 200-pound person (in that order). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, American women weigh 168.5 pounds on average, compared with 195.7 pounds for the average American man.

We also calculated the values for several other sports, including soccer, rock climbing, and kayaking, based on NIH data, and included stats for a few additional popular activities. 

SEE ALSO: How to calculate the number of calories you burn doing anything, from running to sex

DON'T MISS: How much you have to exercise and what kind of workout to do to get different types of benefits

39. Hatha yoga: 183 calories/hour | 228 calories/hour

Hatha yoga, a version of the practice centered on specific poses and mental exercises, sits at the bottom of this list, burning an average of about 183 calories an hour in a 160-pound person.

38. A slow walk (2 mph): 204 calories/hour | 255 calories/hour

35. Bowling: 219 calories/hour | 273 calories/hour

Bowling can help you burn a few hundred calories an hour, but the alley snacks may counteract that.

• This past March, I left New York to travel around the world as Business Insider's International Correspondent. Over the course of 5+ months, I have so far visited 12 countries and had countless adventures.
• I decided it would be fun to pick the best, most epic adventure that I had in each country, from off-roading in the desert in Inner Mongolia to visiting one of the seven wonders of the world in Jordan and partying all night in Seoul, South Korea.
• While I hate travel bucket lists, I hope that sharing my favorite recent adventures may provide some inspiration for both travel junkies and those looking to take their first trip abroad.

I'll be honest: I hate bucket lists.

To me, they turn what should be a freeing experience of discovery — travel — and turn it into an endless checklist where you constantly feel inadequate against the things you haven’t done.

I prefer traveling with less of a plan. I pick a country beforehand, and maybe a few destinations within, and trust that I’ll encounter amazing people, sights, and adventures so long as I say yes.

When I left to travel as Business Insider’s International Correspondent this past March, I approached the trip the same way.

From China to Russia to Israel, I have found myself in the middle of more adventures than I can remember. There’s been off-roading in the desert in Inner Mongolia, visiting one of the seven wonders of the world in Jordan, and partying all night in Seoul, to name a few.

With twelve countries checked off on the trip so far, I decided it was time to pinpoint my favorite adventure in each place. Perhaps you’ll find some inspiration for your next trip abroad.

Here’s what’s gone down so far:

SEE ALSO: I visited the glittering Greek island of Mykonos, the summer destination of choice for billionaires — and it's a very different experience if you aren't swimming in money

The trip started off with a bang in Hong Kong, where I attended Art Basel Hong Kong, the premier art fair in Asia for millionaire and billionaire collectors to buy and sell art. The fair peaked with an elaborate soiree organized by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA).

The star-studded party was held at Hong Kong's Jumbo Kingdom, the world's largest floating restaurant and featured a mix of celebrities, art world big shots, artists, collectors, and — thanks to a last-minute invite — yours truly.

The party's experiential theme evoking 1930s-era Hong Kong was designed by Burning Man veteran Jason Swamy, a co-founder of artist collective Robot Heart. Some attendees, however, found the allusions to opium bars and Asian courtesans to be tone-deaf.

Read More: We partied at the exclusive, sexy Hong Kong party with the art world’s elite on a 62,000-square-foot floating restaurant — here’s what it was like»

• Costco's food court is home to a number of cheap and tasty menu options that members and food critics love.
• Costco employees themselves have some favorites, too.
• Business Insider reached out to 49 Costco workers and scoured the web to figure out what meals are considered standout hits with employees.

Costco food courts are famous for having cheap, yummy grub.

The food court menus are static in terms of price and offerings. You'll have to travel if you want to find any serious discrepancies between Costco food court menus.

They're definitely a good option for shoppers looking to grab a quick, post-shopping spree meal. And some Costco employees are fans too.

"Everything at the food court is a good deal and a favorite of all who stop by to eat," a seasonal Costco employee from New York told Business Insider. "It is a great convenience for everybody, no matter what time of day it is."

Business Insider recently asked a number of Costco employees to share their favorite food court menu options. We also scoured the internet for employee reviews of the food court items on social media.

"I eat at the food court more then I would like too," one Ontario-based Costco employee told Business Insider. "It's so good. The cheapest menus I have ever seen."

Here are the food court menu options Costco employees love:

SEE ALSO: 30 Costco food court items you'd never guess were on the menu

DON'T MISS: Costco employees share their best food court secrets and hacks

DON'T FORGET: 11 insider facts about shopping at Costco only employees know

Pizza was the most popular pick

"Costco's pizzas are pretty incredible considering the price," Costco worker Stefan Winter wrote on Quora. "Crust is yummy, toppings are good quality, what's not to love?"

A total of 2o other Costco employees told Business Insider that the pizza was their favorite food court item. Of those, three employees preferred the pepperoni pizza, while three went with the combo pizza.

"You get sick of the food after awhile, but the combo pizza is always my go-to," one Costco worker in Florida told Business Insider.

"I love the pepperoni pizza," another employee said. "It's very cheesy with nice and juicy crispy pepperonis."

The rest just chose "pizza."

"Fun fact: If you are ordering a whole cheese pizza pie it actually has just over a pound of cheese on it," said one employee who said they ate at the food court on a weekly basis.

The hot dog-and-soda combo was also a hit

"The hot dog soda combo for $1.50 is a classic," one San Diego-based Costco employee told Business Insider.

Two other Costco employees concurred that the hot dog was their favorite food court item. An Oregon-based employee added that it was the best deal in the whole store.

Bratwurst was big with two employees

One Costco employee in Illinois told Business Insider that they liked the bratwurst and felt disappointed when their store got rid of it for chili.

Another worker who's been at Costco for 12 years told Business Insider that, while they didn't often eat at the food court, when they did, they opted for the bratwurst.

• Spike Lee's "BlacKkKlansman" is a movie you need to see, regardless if you are a fan of his movies or not. 
• Looking back on the true story of a black police detective who infiltrates a local Ku Klux Klan chapter, it has to be seen to be believed.

Spike Lee has spent his filmmaking career delving into stories that look at the rotten side of America, and what he does in "BlacKkKlansman" is the best work he's done in years.

Looking back on the real-life story of an African-American Colorado Springs police detective Ron Stallworth, who in the 1970s infiltrated the local chapter of the Ku Klux Klan, Lee doesn't just recount the wild happenings of Stallworth (played in the movie by John David Washington) and the white detective who would impersonate him at Klan meetings, Flip Zimmerman (Adam Driver). Lee also shows the scary resemblance 1970s America has with what's going on in the country today.

Not since Lee's 1992 masterwork "Malcolm X" has the director been able to weave together such a powerful story that's as much historic as it is a reflection of ourselves. Lee has certainly done it since, with powerful works like 2000's "Bamboozled" and his "When the Levees Broke" documentary series, but not since "Malcolm X" has Lee really driven home the country's continued struggle with racism and bigotry.

John David Washington, the son of Denzel Washington (who starred in numerous Lee movies, including "Malcolm X"), plays Stallworth as a man driven to make a change in his community — which leads him to the highest ranks of the Klan. Yes, he really would have conversations with former Klan grand wizard David Duke (Topher Grace gives a great performance). 

But Lee also doesn't shy from the absurdity of the situation Stallworth is in, and includes some extremely funny moments throughout. 

Lee shows that sometimes to get through the pain all you can do is laugh.

See where "BlacKkKlansman" is playing near you.

Other Indie Movie Picks:

• "Eighth Grade"
• "Blindspotting"
• "The Miseducation of Cameron Post"

SEE ALSO: 7 great movies you can watch on Netflix this weekend

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: How a black cop infiltrated the KKK — the true story behind Spike Lee's 'BlacKkKlansman'

• Long before throwing verbal jabs at one another this past year, MoviePass and AMC Theatres worked together — for a brief moment. 
• In 2015, AMC allowed MoviePass to be used at select theaters in Boston and Denver.
• However, things didn't end well due to underwhelming subscription numbers and accusations of MoviePass tampering with the analytics it sent AMC, sources tell Business Insider.
• It's just one example of why MoviePass has never had the best relationship with AMC, as well as many others in the movie-theater space.

In June 2011, MoviePass had one of the briefest startup launches in history. 


At a time when Netflix was beginning to show glimpses of the Goliath it would become, entrepreneurs Stacy Spikes and Hamet Watt decided to take that all-you-can-eat subscription formula and create a similar service for the movie-theater experience. 

The initial plan they came up with for MoviePass cost $50 a month, and with it you could see an unlimited amount of movies by selecting tickets on your phone and using an HTML5 application to present it at the theater. A press release sent the Monday before the Fourth of July weekend said a beta version of MoviePass would start over the weekend in 21 theaters in the San Francisco Bay Area. 

"MoviePass makes spur-of-the-moment movie-going as simple as choosing a film on the phone and checking in at the theater," Spikes said in a press release. "No more waiting in line.”  

But three days later, MoviePass was dead.

It turns out no one at MoviePass bothered to inform the 21 theaters that it was going to use them as ground zero for the launch. By Wednesday, all the theaters had announced they would not participate in MoviePass’ beta test. AMC (six of its theaters were mentioned as participating in the launch) even sent out a press release stating it had no involvement with MoviePass.

“Plans for this program were developed without AMC’s knowledge or input,” said Stephen Colanero, then chief marketing officer at AMC, in the release. “As MoviePass is currently designed, it does not integrate well into our programs and could create significant guest experience issues.”

In a business where first impressions are everything, MoviePass got off on the wrong foot with the one group it needed: theater owners. It especially needed AMC, which at the time was the second-largest movie theater chain in the country, and would become the biggest in the world after acquiring a series of movie chains in 2016. 

But surprisingly, a few years later, MoviePass and AMC would partner and spark a bizarre chapter in this love/hate relationship.

The game-change move that saved MoviePass

After the beta launch debacle, MoviePass went back to the drawing board. Having burned bridges on the exhibition side, it struck a deal with ticketing company Hollywood Movie Money in August 2011. Now instead of showing the ticket on your phone to the ticket-taker, subscribers would print out a voucher for the movie they wanted to see and show up to the theater with it. With Hollywood Movie Money’s relationship with most of the major theater chains (at the time its vouchers were accepted at over 36,000 theaters), MoviePass no longer had to worry about having any relationships in the exhibition world. 

Or so it thought. 

Once again, the dream quickly ended. With pressure from movie theaters, Hollywood Movie Money broke off its partnership with MoviePass and the company was once again dead in the water. 

But then MoviePass found a way to get into the business without theater support, and it has been the single biggest moment of the company so far. 

With the help of new investor money from AOL and talent agency William Morris Endeavor — one source told Business Insider that even WME co-CEO Ari Emanuel sat down with Spikes and Watt to talk about building a relationship with movie theaters — MoviePass struck a deal with Discover Card in 2012.

Now subscribers would select a movie and the price of the ticket would automatically be put on a MoviePass debit card that would then be used to pay for the ticket at the box office. That's essentially the same mechanism MoviePass uses today.

According to sources close to MoviePass, at the time it was a complete game changer as it forced all movie theaters in the country to accept MoviePass — if they accepted Discover.

Sources told Business Insider that one of the constant complaints MoviePass' customer service team would get during that time was that subscribers could not use the card at their local theaters because that movie house didn't accept Discover. (The MoviePass debit card is now the widely accepted Mastercard.)

The debit card move, along with the backing from Hollywood players at WME, AOL, and other seed investors with movie connections, forced MoviePass through the exhibition door. MoviePass now had to be respected.

Even AMC had to take notice.

MoviePass and AMC team up

According to sources close to MoviePass, the startup began efforts to play nice with the movie theater chains around 2014. Spikes was even invited to network and speak on panels at events held by the National Association of Theatre Owners, the largest organization of movie theater owners in the country, which includes the US' biggest chains as its members.

At the end of 2014, AMC announced that beginning January 2015, the chain would launch a pilot program with MoviePass in which the service would be accepted at select theaters in Boston and Denver for a subscription price of $45 (to see films in any format) and $35 (for standard 2D).

“It frankly wouldn’t be smart to ignore the success of subscription in other areas of media,” said Christina Sternberg, then senior vice president for corporate strategy at AMC, referring to membership companies like Spotify and Rhapsody when talking about the deal with MoviePass to The New York Times in December of 2014.

At that time, MoviePass had around 30,000 subscribers, according to a source close to the company, and was priced at $30 to $35, depending on where you lived in the country.

Behind the scenes, AMC had been trying to launch its own movie-ticket subscription plan for years. But without the support of the movie studios, AMC could never get it off the ground. MoviePass' pitch to AMC, and other theaters, was pretty much what it's doing today. For a fee, MoviePass would provide data on the habits of its users in the theaters, and in return MoviePass would pay the theaters full price on the tickets its subscribers ordered through the app. The hope for MoviePass was eventually that it could get a discount on tickets because theaters would recognize how much business the company was bringing in.

As the pilot program with AMC continued in 2015, MoviePass created an exhibition relations team and slowly began building goodwill with theater owners. One source close to MoviePass said in numerous instances theater owners were more fascinated by the MoviePass tech than the business model, which led to Spikes informing them it was proprietary.

But then things turned south when MoviePass presented AMC with its data.

After the one-year pilot program, MoviePass and AMC co-sponsored a research white paper in March of 2016. Both companies submitted data for the report. In its findings, the white paper showed that before MoviePass, AMC moviegoers went to the theaters taking part in the program in Boston and Denver an average of one and a half times per month. After MoviePass, it increased in both locations to just over three times per month.

"The first month shows a spike in visits as expected for early utilization of a subscription," according to the report, a copy of which was reviewed by Business Insider. "With later months regressing to average usage above pre-MoviePass activity."

According to one source close to AMC, based on the findings AMC felt it could create a better subscription service on its own and didn't need to work with MoviePass any further.

Another source familiar with the deal from the MoviePass side told Business Insider that AMC felt the data MoviePass presented was not accurate and made the subscription service look like it had more influence on the attendance at the select theaters during the pilot program than it actually did.

Ever since, MoviePass and AMC have been at odds. Though MoviePass was hardly a blip on the movie industry radar following 2015, it once again made itself known last summer when Helios and Matheson Analytics took ownership and launched a "$9.95 per month for one movie per day" plan.

After that drastic change, the rivalry with AMC was reignited, with barbs traded on both sides. AMC announced that it was going to look into if it could shut out MoviePass from its theaters, and MoviePass took 10 AMC theaters off its app at the beginning of this year.

Currently, MoviePass and AMC couldn't be further from one another in the movie-ticket subscription war. With financial trouble and its stock trading at below four cents, MoviePass is trying to stay afloat by becoming the home for the "occasional moviegoer," as MoviePass' current CEO Mitch Lowe put it. On the other side, AMC's seven-week-old subscription plan, Stubs A-List, has over 260,000 members and regularly accounts for more than 4% of the chain's US attendance.

But if it weren't for the mistakes by MoviePass in the early days of the company, it's possible its relationship with AMC and the entire theater industry could be very different.

"In the movie business the whole thing about trust and cooperation is huge," one industry source told Business Insider. "It's one of the things that really will set off an exhibitor faster than anything is if you try to impose something on them. It doesn't work. And that's their biggest problem."

MoviePass CEO Mitch Lowe issued the following statement to Business Insider regarding its relationship with AMC: “The recent launch of AMC’s subscription service underscores the fact that MoviePass disrupted the movie theater industry and succeeded in creating a model that consumers want. In the last year, MoviePass has amassed millions of subscribers and we believe that number speaks for itself.” 

AMC declined to comment for this story. Stacy Spikes and Hamet Watt did not respond to Business Insider's request for comment.

SEE ALSO: We made a timeline showing the entire history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: How a black cop infiltrated the KKK — the true story behind Spike Lee's 'BlacKkKlansman'

• The CDC recommends getting seven to nine hours of sleep per night, but individual needs vary.
• Sleep deprivation is associated with serious health issues, including increased risk for obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, and stroke.
• Here are five factors that will help you figure out what your sleep patterns are and how they compare to the larger population.

In theory, sleep should take up about eight out of every 24 hours, a third of our lives.

But many of us don't actually sleep that much and are tired all the time. More than one third of Americans don't get the seven to nine hours of sleep per night that the CDC recommends, and according to research by the National Sleep Foundation, more than a third of Americans say their sleep quality is "poor" or "only fair."

That's certainly true for Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who recently told the New York Times that he's been logging 120-hour work weeks. Musk acknowledged that his exhaustion is likely taking a toll on his health.

"It's not been great, actually," Musk told the Times. "I've had friends come by who are really concerned."

So how much sleep do we really need?

Like most health factors, there isn't a one-size- fits-all answer — sleep needs vary from person to person. There are some incredibly rare people who can actually get by on a few hours of sleep per night, and others on the opposite end of the spectrum that doctors refer to as a "long sleepers" because they need 11 hours nightly.

But research on sleep can help you figure out how much you need and how to better get a night's rest. Here are five facts that will help you figure out what your personal sleep patterns are and how they compare to the rest of the population.

There's a reason that doctors recommend seven to nine hours of sleep

The amount of sleep people need falls into a bell-curve distribution: the vast majority of the population needs between seven and nine hours of rest each night to be refreshed.

The chart to the right, from the book "Internal Time: Chronotypes, Social Jet Lag, and Why You're So Tired" by German chronobiologist Till Roenneberg, shows the general distribution of sleep needs. (Chronobiology is the science of our internal clocks.)

According to CDC data, getting less than seven hours per night is "associated with increased risk for obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, stroke, frequent mental distress, and all-cause mortality."

Sleep deprivation can also hurt cognitive performance(as many of us have probably experienced), and that in turn "can increase the likelihood of motor vehicle and other transportation accidents, industrial accidents, medical errors, and loss of work productivity," the CDC says.

You have a natural chronotype, or body clock, that determines when you are most comfortable sleeping and being awake

Most of us think of ourselves as morning or night people, but those divisions aren't scientific — they're just ways of comparing ourselves to one another. 

"Where you define owl or lark is really arbitrary," says Dr. David Welsh, an associate professor studying circadian clocks at UC San Diego.

Welsh says that if you look at large surveys of populations, you get a normal distribution of chronotypes — most people have fairly "average" chronotypes, some prefer to get up a bit earlier or later, and small groups naturally rise extremely early or late. There's no line that distinguishes different chronotypes.

But we all have an internal schedule that makes us feel awake or sleepier at different times of day. Because of factors including hormone levels, genetics, and light exposure, some of us are more alert in the mornings and some of us prefer times later in the day.

If your schedule isn't aligned with your chronotype, you will feel tired and out of sync.

The amount of sleep you need changes throughout your life

The seven-to-nine-hour rule is standard for adults, but kids need much more sleep, while some older people need less.

This chart by the National Sleep Foundation shows how these requirements change as kids grow up.

In addition to sleep hour needs changing, chronotypes change throughout life as well.

According to Roenneberg's book, young children naturally tend to be more morning oriented. Around puberty, they're more likely to shift into a night owl chronotype, which tends to shift back to an earlier chronotype after age 20.

There are things you can do to adjust your natural chronotype

While your sleep needs (when you feel alert and how much sleep your body requires) are mostly genetic, there are certain things you can do to adjust your schedule and make it a bit easier to get up or go to sleep earlier.

Our bodies respond to light, especially the powerful natural light of the sun. Being exposed to that light in the morning tells our body that it's time to be alert and moving. At night, sitting in the dark stimulates the production of the hormone melatonin, which helps us relax and fall asleep (we mess with this process by looking at bright light from smartphones).

But we can adjust this to a degree by controlling our exposure to light. This process, called entrainment, is what our bodies have to do when we go to a different time zone — this is why we get jet lagged. But we can also use this to train our bodies to get up and go to sleep earlier by exposing ourselves to natural light in the morning and avoiding bright light at night.

This won't turn you into a morning person, but it can make prying the covers loose just a little less painful.

Your sleep needs are personal; try to figure out what works for you

Sometimes new research will come out, and people will claim something like "studies have found that seven hours is the optimal amount of sleep — not eight."

But as interesting as any sleep research is, different people simply have different needs. The findings of one study don't translate into recommendations for everyone. In the case of sleep, experts recommend figuring out what works best for you.

If you can let yourself sleep naturally for a few days to a week — going to bed when you are tired and waking up whenever is natural, preferably while limiting alcohol and caffeine — you'll have a better idea of your individual needs. During those days, try to get some sun and some exercise.

If you do all that and still have trouble sleeping, it might be time to talk to a doctor. You could be one of the large percentage of the population with undiagnosed sleep apnea, especially if you snore. Or you could have some other disorder that can be addressed.

It's worth taking the time to figure out what you can do to sleep better, since deprivation raises some serious health concerns.

SEE ALSO: Biological factors determine whether you're a morning person or night owl — this scientific quiz tells you where you fit on the spectrum

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Snoring was ruining my relationship — here’s how a sleep doctor fixed my sleep apnea

• Elon Musk reportedly works for 120 hours a week.
• That's three times the average work week in the US private sector, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
• Overwork is an incredibly dangerous habit.

Elon Musk told The New York Times that he has taken to working 120 hours a week.

That's well over three times the national average private sector work week of 34.5 hours, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

"There were times when I didn't leave the factory for three or four days — days when I didn't go outside," the Tesla and SpaceX CEO told The Times. "This has really come at the expense of seeing my kids. And seeing friends."

Silicon Valley has come under fire for reportedly glorifying overwork, but, judging from his interview, Musk has come to realize the toll it's taken on his life. He revealed that he even spent his most recent birthday at work and that hasn't taken a substantial vacation since 2001. He has trouble sleeping: "It is often a choice of no sleep or Ambien," he told The Times.

As the CEO of two major companies, Musk is known to keep an intense daily routine. Inc. previously reported that the CEO ignores most phone calls, abstains from getting stuck dealing with emails, and breaks his entire day into a series of five-minute slots. But apparently, he's still there for 120 hours a week.

It sounds a lot like he's overworked.

There are serious dangers that come with overwork: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has linked long working hours with everything from cardiovascular disease to suicide to cancer. 

The tendency to work too much isn't limited to Americans. Death by overwork is a major problem in Japan, where it's known as karoshi. In 2017, a 31-year-old Japanese woman died of congestive heart failure after pulling 150 hours of overtime work, Time reported. The epidemic has even prompted the Japanese government to take steps to protect its citizens from overwork.

Working too much isn't just an inconvenience to your family or a guilt-trip to your colleagues — it's dangerous.

SEE ALSO: A look at the demanding schedule of Elon Musk, who works in 5-minute slots, skips breakfast, and largely avoids emails

DON'T MISS: Bill Gates and Elon Musk share a daily scheduling habit that helps them tackle their busy routines

SEE ALSO: Elon Musk runs two huge companies by breaking his day into 5-minute slots

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: What's going on with Elon Musk

Publishers Clearing House became a household name thanks to its signature TV commercials featuring regular Americans receiving massive sweepstakes checks for millions of dollars from the company's Prize Patrol. Founded in 1953, the company blazed a trail in the direct mail business, and after more than 60 years of existence, the company still commands millions of devotees. 

As Business Insider reported in April, the company brought in $1 billion in revenue in 2017, thanks to merchandise sales and magazine subscriptions. But it hasn't always been smooth sailing for the company. We took a look at the history of Publishers Clearing House, and how it remains a billion-dollar company despite decades of lawsuits alleging deceptive practices. Following is a transcript of the video. 

Announcer: You have won $125,000 in the Publishers Clearing House giveaway.

Woman: Oh!

Announcer: You go right ahead and shed those tears.

Narrator: The Publishers Clearing House Sweepstakes has been around for more than 50 years.

Woman: I never knew there was this much money in the whole world.

Narrator: Inspiring generations of dreamers with its commercials showing the iconic Prize Patrol delivering massive checks to regular Americans.

Woman: Honest to God, Marge, I am not messing with you.

Narrator: Today, the company is still thriving, bringing in $1 billion in 2017. So how does Publishers Clearing House make this much money when the company is known for literally giving it away and paying millions more to settle lawsuits? Publishers Clearing House was founded by Harold Mertz in 1953. Back then, the company only sold magazine subscriptions and it became a pioneer in direct mail.

Announcer: This check from the Publishers Clearing House, it's mine.

Narrator: In 1967, it started its first sweepstakes as a way to entice people to buy more subscriptions.

Announcer: January 29th is coming fast. That's when Publishers Clearing House announces the winning number for $10 million.

Narrator: By the late 1980s, Publishers Clearing House was a household name.

Kit Yarrow: I think that they've nailed it in the way that they approach consumers. They show people that other people feel like, look just like them. It could be them. And they show them getting this great big huge check and I think makes other people kind of think, well if it happened to them, it can happen to me.  The emotion and joy that people showcase when they're surprised and they win is really kind of infectious.

Announcer: There's only one Publishers Clearing House Sweepstakes.

Narrator: The marketing campaign worked thanks to its exciting TV commercials and signature manila envelopes that arrived in mailboxes all over the country. But by the '90s, the company faced some trouble. Numerous states sued the company, alleging deceptive practices that made customers think that the more magazines and other products they bought the better their chances would be of winning the big money.

Actor: Smart people don't enter those things.

Narrator: To be fair, the company has been clear for years that no purchase is necessary to enter the sweepstakes, but apparently it wasn't clear enough to the states that filed lawsuits against the company. The trouble came to a head in 1999 when Congress passed an actual law called the Deceptive Mail Prevention and Enforcement Act to better regulate Publishers Clearing House and companies like it.

Announcer: You've just won our forever prize!

Narrator: But that didn't deter millions of Americans from coming back to Publishers Clearing House. The company currently has approximately 15 million registered users and that's largely due to the company's pivot to digital. In addition to magazines, the website has thousands of items of merchandise for sale.

Mike Shields: They're a really big digital business now. They're still a mail order company. You can sign up and get stuff delivered to your home left and right, but they have daily prizes all the time. You can sign up for these sweepstakes.

Narrator: Another one of the company's biggest assets is its customer's data.

Mike Shields: They've got a large customer base that's really willing to give their data. They've got people's names, addresses, ages. People are very comfortable. It's very direct and open, and they're able to target them with advertising. 

Narrator: When you sign up for access to the Publishers Clearing House website, it's easy to see why people would keep coming back. An endless stream of opportunities to win cash prizes. The High Roller Cashout. The $1 Million Treasure Trove. The Pinata Payday.

Mike Shields: They refer to it as gaming as entertainment or shopping as entertainment. They've really mastered this idea, it's almost like those scratch-off lotto tickets you can buy in the drug store. They've created a digital version of that.

Announcer: Welcome to Inside PCH.

Narrator: The company broadcasts live on Facebook.

Announcer: Hello, everyone! 

Narrator: Where users can tune in and play along live with even more chances to win.

Announcer: So there's nothing to lose and potentially millions to gain.

Narrator: Even though the company has successfully adapted to digital, Publishers Clearing House hasn't completely escaped controversy. In April of 2018, a class action lawsuit was filed against the company alleging deceptive practices. In a statement, Publishers Clearing House said it would "vigorously defend and fight this matter that has no basis."

Announcer: You recognize us?

Woman: I sure do!

Narrator: For years, the company has settled lawsuit after lawsuit for tens of millions of dollars.

Woman: Keep entering, you never know!

Narrator: Publishers Clearing House reveals the odds of winning its sweepstakes in the Official Rules section of its website. According to Publishers Clearing House, the odds of winning the company's $1,000 a Day For Life sweepstakes are one in 6.2 billion. Compare that to the odds of winning the highest Powerball jackpot of all time at one in 292 million.

Announcer: You won $1 million!

Narrator: But one thing's for sure, America is gonna keep playing because you never know, it could happen to you. We reached out to Publishers Clearing House with questions about allegations of deceptive practices and how the company protects its customer's data. These are the company's responses:

"Publishers Clearing House's broad range of chance-to-win opportunities are always free to play, fully transparent, and easy for consumers to understand. All PCH sweepstakes promotions carry prominent and repeated 'no purchase necessary' and 'buying won't help you win' messages. We have comprehensive data security protections in place to ensure that all data provided by consumers is handled with the appropriate level of care."

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