Apple just debuted a brand-new Apple Watch, the Apple Watch Series 4.

The new watch has a larger display, upgraded heart-tracking sensors, and a faster chip than last year's model, the Apple Watch Series 3.

But it also bears several similarities to last year's model: the new watch gets the same amount of battery life (18 hours) and the design looks nearly identical to the Series 3, and to previous versions before that. 

So whether you're a first-time Apple Watch buyer, or you're just trying to decide if you should upgrade from last year's watch, here's how the Apple Watch Series 4 compares to the Apple Watch Series 3. 

SEE ALSO: There were two major no-shows at Apple's big iPhone event

The Apple Watch Series 4 and Apple Watch Series 3 bear a lot of similarities. Both watches come with the option for GPS only, or GPS plus cellular connectivity.

There's a price difference if you opt to add a cellular connection — plus, the Apple Watch Series 4 is more expensive than the now-discounted Apple Watch Series 3.

Here's the price breakdown:

• Apple Watch Series 3 with GPS — $279
• Apple Watch Series 4 with GPS — $399
• Apple Watch Series 3 with GPS and cellular — $379
• Apple Watch Series 4 with GPS and cellular — $499

On the design front, there is a change from last year to this year in regards to the cellular version. The Apple Watch Series 3 with cellular had a red digital crown, while the Apple Watch Series 4 with cellular just has a thin red stripe on the crown. Apple also added haptic feedback to the digital crown on the Series 4. 

Both watches get 18 hours of battery life, and are water resistant up to 50 meters.

There are a few key design differences between the two watches. The Apple Watch Series 4 has a bigger case size than the Apple Watch Series 3, and it also has a bigger screen.

The Apple Watch Series 4 has a slightly larger case size than the Apple Watch Series 3. 

Both watches come in two sizes: the Apple Watch Series 4 in 40 mm and 44 mm, and the Apple Watch Series 3 in 38 mm and 42 mm. 

The upside of the larger case, however, is a larger screen:

• Apple Watch Series 3, 38 mm — 563 sq mm display area
• Apple Watch Series 3, 42 mm — 740 sq mm display area
• Apple Watch Series 4, 40 mm — 759 sq mm display area
• Apple Watch Series 4, 44 mm — 977 sq mm display area

• While Ibiza is known as a party capital of the world, many wealthy and famous head to the lesser-known pastoral north of the island to relax.
• One of the most luxurious and secluded resorts on the island is Atzaró Hotel and Spa, an agrotourism resort where Rihanna, Shakira, and other celebs have stayed.
• I recently spent the day at Atzaró to see what it's like to live like a popstar. The food was good, the drinks were strong, and the grounds were stunning.

The Spanish island of Ibiza is world-famous as a vacation and partying hotspot for the wealthy and the famous.

Every summer sees the usual influx of actors, billionaires, and models and their entourages flooding in for wild parties at the island's bumping clubs and beautiful beaches.

But what if you are looking for something a bit more secluded, classy, and chic? Ibiza has that, too.

Enter the Atzaró Hotel and Spa, an agrotourism resort hidden in the northern countryside of the island. Considered one of the more prestigious hotels on the island, the resort opened in 2004 after being converted from a 300-year-old traditional farmhouse into the lavish 10-acre estate and gardens it is now.

The hotel's hidden, serene location has made it a favorite of celebrities ranging from popstars Rihanna and Shakira to actress Kate Hudson, among others. 

I recently visited Atzaró Hotel and Spa on a recent trip to Spain. Keep reading to see what it's like:

SEE ALSO: I stayed at Robert De Niro's ridiculously swanky new hotel in Ibiza — and it makes you feel like a celebrity, if you can afford it

DON'T MISS: I went on an epic road trip to find the best beach in 2018's hottest travel destination — and it did not disappoint

Getting to Atzaró is a bit of a schlep. Located near Santa Eularia des Riu in the north of the island, it was a 30-minute ride from Sant Antoni de Portmany, one of the major towns on the island. It's about the same distance from Ibiza Town.

The drive there was gorgeous. The ride revealed a lush, green countryside that I didn't even know existed on Ibiza. Located down a small country road, Atzaró is named after the mountain behind the property.

The property was originally a finca, or Spanish farmhouse, built some 300 years ago, that served as the family home of owner and CEO Victor Guasch.

• Paul Manafort's recent plea deal and cooperation agreement with the special counsel Robert Mueller is the latest indication of how the Russia investigation mirrors an organized crime case.
• The hallmark of any prosecutor's approach to an organized crime case is the use of cooperating witnesses to move up the chain.
• "You start low and you ask people: who did you answer to? Who gave you orders? Who did you report to?" said one Justice Department veteran. "That's the only way to get to the top of a criminal organization, and that's exactly what Mueller's doing."
• But there are also a few crucial differences that make the Russia probe similar to a complex white-collar investigation.

As the special counsel Robert Mueller works his way through the myriad of threads in the Russia investigation, his approach bears more and more similarities to what prosecutors do when they're tackling complex organized crime cases.

Mueller's recent plea deal and cooperation agreement with Paul Manafort, the former chairman of President Donald Trump's 2016 campaign, is just the latest indication of that.

The hallmark of any prosecutor's approach to an organized crime case, experts say, is the use of cooperating witnesses.

Going up the ladder is critical in these types of cases because the organization typically has a hierarchical structure and a clear chain of command. It also usually involves wide-ranging, multi-party criminal activity.

"The higher you go, the more insulated those people are," said Elie Honig, a former federal prosecutor from the Southern District of New York who successfully prosecuted more than 100 members and associates of the Sicilian Mafia. "So the best way to penetrate that closed inner circle is by flipping people, and flipping them up."

After investigators get a sense of which players are part of a criminal enterprise, they start by targeting those at the lowest levels.

"If they don't voluntarily cooperate, you get honest leverage on them to compel their cooperation," said Patrick Cotter, a former federal prosecutor who was part of the team that convicted the Gambino crime family boss John Gotti in the 1990s. "You find their criminal conduct and use that to force them to do what they should have done originally, which is to tell the truth."

Honig said he once nailed a case by flipping someone who was the driver for a more powerful person in the organization.

"That led us right up the chain," he said. "And you can see that happening in the Russia investigation."

The first plea deal Mueller's office announced was that of George Papadopoulos, who served as an early foreign policy aide to the Trump campaign. Next, he looped in Michael Flynn, the former national security adviser who admitted to lying to the FBI.

In February, Rick Gates, the former deputy chairman of the Trump campaign, announced that he would be pleading guilty and cooperating with the special counsel. Gates' cooperation led prosecutors upstream, and his courtroom testimony against Manafort helped them successfully convict his former boss on eight counts of financial fraud last month.

Likewise, legal scholars say, Manafort's cooperation, as well as that of Trump's former longtime lawyer, Michael Cohen, will likely help Mueller and New York federal prosecutors get information on an even bigger fish.

"It's a classic strategy used in organized crime," Cotter said. "You start low and you ask people: who did you answer to? Who gave you orders? Who did you report to? That's the only way to get to the top of a criminal organization, and that's exactly what Mueller's doing."

'When you pull at a thread, you never know what you're going to unravel'

That said, there are two critical differences between Mueller's approach to the Russia probe and prosecutors' approach to organized crime cases.

The first is that most criminal enterprises don't have a clear paper trail.

"Organized crime is particularly dependent on insider witnesses, because everything is kind of hidden and done in the shadows," said Alex Whiting, a former Justice Department lawyer who prosecuted organized crime and corruption cases when he worked at the US attorney's office in Boston.

"These cases usually aren't paper heavy because there's no email trail or documentation," he added.

The Russia investigation, by contrast, has often been document-heavy. Prosecutors introduced 400 pieces of evidence at Manafort's first trial in Virginia last month, and they planned to put forward almost three times that amount at his second trial had he not struck a last-minute plea deal.

Similarly, their charging document against Gates extensively cited his financial records, emails, and communications with other witnesses.

In that sense, Whiting said, certain aspects of the Russia probe make it more like a white-collar case.

The other crucial difference is that organized crime cases cases involve activities that clearly cross legal boundaries.

But Mueller's team is sifting through a mix of legal political activity and potentially illegal activity.

The prototypical example of that overlay, Whiting said, is Trump himself.

"The president has the legal authority to fire the FBI director, but is it obstruction if he fired him to hamper an investigation into him?" Whiting said. "Trump has the power to pardon anyone for any federal crime, but is he obstructing justice if he does it to prevent them from testifying? Is collusion a crime?"

"There's a complexity here that you don't often see with organized crime," he added. "In that respect, it's much more like investigating white-collar crime, because the main questions there are, what was the conduct, and did the conduct cross into illegal territory?"

The bottom line in a case like the Russia probe, Honig said, is that there's no way to tell where it will ultimately lead.

"When you pull at a thread, you never know what you're going to unravel."

SEE ALSO: 'It's not even a close call': Giuliani is pushing a dubious theory about Paul Manafort's plea deal that experts say is bogus

DON'T MISS: 'It's getting lonely on Trump Island': Mueller just snagged his biggest victory yet in the Russia probe

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: One bite from this tick could ruin red meat for the rest of your life

• San Francisco's new four-block-long Salesforce Transit Center — and the stunning rooftop park located on top of it — is officially open to the public.
• A project almost two decades in the making, the transit center was designed to be a central nexus for local transportation.
•  Eleven bus lines stop at the station, and transit officials plan to eventually connect it to rail lines as well. 
• The $2.2 billion transit center is being hailed as the "Grand Central Station of the West," and some have compared its park to The High Line in New York.

San Francisco's highly-anticipated Salesforce Transit Center and the new park located on its roof are officially open to the public.

Located in a colossal white building that snakes its way through the city's downtown South of Market district, the transit project was almost two decades in the making and was designed as a much-needed improvement to San Francisco's notoriously clogged transportation systems. Routes on eleven bus lines stop at the transit center. In the future, so too will Caltrain, the Bay Area's commuter-rail services, and California's High Speed Rail, which will run between there and Los Angeles.

The center's urban design has drawn comparisons to New York's new Oculus transit station, while its rooftop park has been likened to The High Line in New York, a park that's located on a former elevated rail line. But its new nickname harkens back further into Gotham's history.

The center has been dubbed the "Grand Central Station of the West." It's an apt moniker, given the building's scale and $2.2 billion budget.

Take a look around San Francisco's "Grand Central Station."

SEE ALSO: There's a 'water bar' in San Francisco that will pour you shots of fruit water, not booze — take a look inside

The transit center's bulbous white facade spans four blocks in downtown San Francisco. It's hard to miss.

Its exterior is made from perforated white aluminum that was shaped into wave-like forms.

The main building consists of five levels, including the rooftop park and the Grand Hall on its ground level.

The Bus Deck is above the ground level. The structure's two other levels are below-ground floors that were designed for rail lines but aren't yet in use.

Source: Transbay Program

• Verizon will be the first internet service provider to offer a 5G home internet service.
• The service, called Verizon 5G Home, will offer customers higher speeds than most are used to.
• It'll be available only in four cities to begin with.

Verizon announced on Tuesday evening that it would begin selling the first 5G home internet service starting Thursday at 8 a.m. ET, with the service rolling out to four cities beginning October 1.

5G is the evolution of the wireless 4G LTE technology that most of us use on our smartphones. The major difference with 5G is that it's much faster and can be applied outside of mobile uses.

In Verizon's case, wireless 5G technology is replacing the typical wired home broadband internet service. 5G wireless internet data will be delivered to homes by "small cells" — essentially mini cell towers — as opposed to the current wired infrastructure.

Verizon said customers of the new service, Verizon 5G Home, "should expect typical network speeds around 300 Mbps and, depending on location, peak speeds of nearly 1 Gbps, with no data caps." In short, Verizon 5G Home customers should typically expect extremely fast internet speeds.

One Gbps translates to 1,000 Mbps, which would let you download a 1 GB file in eight seconds, which is incredibly fast. Even the 300 Mbps speeds that customers should typically expect is fast, allowing customers to download a 1 GB file in 28 seconds.

To compare, the average home internet speeds in the US as of May measured in at 92.93 Mbps, according to PCMag. Those speeds would let you download a 1 GB file in 1 minute, 32 seconds.

At the national average of 92.93 Mbps, internet speeds in the US can handle any kind of streaming, even 4K video streaming, without any issues. But Verizon's 5G Home service that offers even higher speeds paves the way for more data-intensive use cases in the future.

Logistics and initial limitations

Verizon's 5G Home service will be free for the first three months, after which the service will cost $50 a month for existing Verizon customers and $70 a month for non-Verizon customers.

Customers from any city can sign up for the Verizon 5G Home service on Thursday, but the service will go live on October 1 in only four cities to begin with: Houston, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, and Sacramento, California.

For customers outside those four initial cities, signing up for Verizon's 5G home internet service will grant them early access to Verizon's 5G Home when it becomes available.

Verizon said it would offer free installation of routers and router upgrades that would support its 5G Home service.

As part of the 5G Home deal, you'll get YouTube's TV service free for the first three months, after which it'll cost users $40 a month. Customers will also get a free Apple TV 4K or Google Chromecast Ultra.

SEE ALSO: I compared Google's Chrome browser with its No. 1 competitor — the winner was clear

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: What would happen if America's Internet went down

Serena Williams has attracted some unwanted headlines lately.

The 23-time Grand Slam tennis champion fought her way to the 2018 US Open final but got slapped with a hat-trick of code violations before eventually losing in straight sets to Naomi Osaka on September 8.

The aftermath has seen her lampooned in the Australian newspaper The Herald Sun, where she was drawn as an angry baby with grossly exaggerated features like oversized lips, a big nose, and wiry hair. The cartoon was called "racist and misogynistic" by Williams' husband the Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian.

Williams was then slammed as "no feminist hero," while umpires consider a boycott of her future matches because she called the US Open umpire a "liar" and a "thief" too.

The 2018 tennis season may be winding down, but as a two-time Grand Slam finalist this year, Williams shows no signs of winding down herself and will continue to compete next year.

In order to maintain her sporting dominance, Williams has to eat right before a match. So what sort of food does a 23-time tennis major champion serve up?

Here's everything Williams likes to have for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

SEE ALSO: Serena Williams' Reddit-cofounder husband put all others to shame by installing 4 giant billboards in California saying she's the 'greatest momma of all time'

This is Serena Williams, a superstar tennis player who has reached two Grand Slam tournament finals in 2018 since returning to the sport after taking time out to give birth to her daughter, Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr.

Before a game, Williams "usually can't" eat and says it may be down to nerves. However, if she was going to have a meal, it would be a "protein and carb" combo like turkey sausage and baked potato.

Source: Glamour.

When Williams is away from the court, she spares no expense and orders a delicious and healthy looking platter for breakfast including staples like smoothies and fruits.

Instagram Embed:
//instagram.com/p/BTjRZs1hdh9/embed
Width: 658px

• People across Australia have been finding small sewing needles hidden inside their store-bought strawberries.
• Eleven people from six Australian states have found needles in their strawberries so far.
• Two of them were taken to hospital with abdominal pain.
• Authorities are scrambling to find the perpetrators, with the government offering US$72,000 for information.

People have been hiding sewing needles in store-bought strawberries in Australia, which has sent at least two men to hospital with abdominal pain.

The small needles have been found totally concealed inside the strawberries, making them very hard to find.

At least 11 people across six Australian states have reported seeing needles in their strawberries, although most of them spotted the contamination before swallowing the fruits.

This photo, published by Sky News Australia, shows how easy it is to miss a needle:

The victims

People started noticing needles in their strawberries earlier this month after a man in Queensland, northeastern Australia, published a viral post claiming that his friend accidentally swallowed half a sewing needle while eating strawberries, and had to be sent to hospital. 

Joshua Gane said on Facebook: "He bites through a strawberry and swallows half a sewing needle. We then checked the other strawberries and found another sewing needle lodged inside one of them.

"We are now at the ER [emergency room] because he subsequently started experiencing severe abdominal pain."

Hoani Hearne, a 21-year-old in Queensland, was also taken to hospital after swallowing part of a needle and developing severe abdominal pain on Sunday, according to The Courier Mail.

"I bit straight in — kneejerk reaction was to swallow — and yeah, it wasn't a pleasant surprise," Hearne told the local Nine News TV network, as cited by The Courier Mail.

As of Monday, nine people in five other Australian states have reported finding needles in their store-bought strawberries in five other Australian states outside Queensland.

The latest case came on Monday, when a man in York, Western Australia — the other side of the country form Queensland — found a needle while washing his strawberries, as reported by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

Police still have no idea who did it

It remains unclear how the needles managed to get into the store-bought strawberries, and at which stage of the production process the fruits were contaminated.

The Queensland Strawberry Growers Association said last Thursday that the perpetrator could be one of its disgruntled former employees, according to The Australian.

However, with the contamination found across other states in Australia, authorities are no longer sure.

Queensland police are still working to find the perpetrators, and are "keeping a very open mind" as they interview more than 100 people to find suspects, according to Business Insider Australia.

The Queensland state government is also offering AU$100,000 (US$72,000) for information, News.com.au reported.

Adrian Schultz, the vice-president of the Queensland Strawberry Growers Association lashed out at the "commercial terrorism," and warned that it could effect the entire fruit industry.

Schultz said, according to News.com.au: "I'm angry for all the associated people, it's the farmers, the people who supply them, the packaging people, the truckies with families to support, who suddenly lose their jobs … it's far-reaching."

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: How Publishers Clearing House makes $1 billion a year

• The White House counselor, Kellyanne Conway, said Monday that the woman who accused Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault "should not be insulted and she should not be ignored."
• Conway appeared on "Fox & Friends" less than a day after The Washington Post published a story in which Christine Blasey Ford identified herself as the previously anonymous accuser.
• Ford said Monday that she would testify in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee and "do whatever it takes to get her story forth."

Less than a day after the woman who accused the Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault revealed her identity, the White House counselor Kellyanne Conway encouraged lawmakers to listen to the woman's story.

Conway said on "Fox & Friends" on Monday morning that the woman "should not be insulted and she should not be ignored."

Christine Blasey Ford, a 51-year-old research psychologist and professor, identified herself to The Washington Post in an article published Sunday that further detailed her allegations of sexual misconduct against Kavanaugh when both were teenagers.

On Monday, Ford offered through her lawyer to testify in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee and "do whatever it takes to get her story forth," according to CNN.

Conway said officials should support Ford's right and willingness to testify while preparing for a committee vote on Kavanaugh's nomination.

"Allowing this woman to be heard in sworn testimony, allowing Judge Kavanaugh to be heard in sworn testimony about these specific allegations, would be added to the considerable mountain of evidence and the considerations folks will have when they weigh whether or not to vote for Judge Kavanaugh," she said.

Conway said conversations with President Donald Trump and other lawmakers had given her confidence the committee would determine "how and through which forum" Ford would be able to testify.

Conway added, however, that other parts of Kavanaugh's vetting had led her to think of him as a "man of character and integrity."

"He also has been lauded from women from every aspect of his life and this is significant ... for a man of character and integrity to be spoken about so highly by women who maybe didn't vote for President Trump, maybe don't call themselves Republicans," Conway said, referring to a letter from 65 women who knew Kavanaugh since high school.

The Post published previously unknown details from Ford, who alleges that a "stumbling drunk" Kavanaugh pinned her down and groped her at a high-school party in the 1980s while his friend watched.

"I thought he might inadvertently kill me," Ford said. "He was trying to attack me and remove my clothing."

The Post described evidence appearing to show Ford had made the allegation in private years before Trump nominated Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. The Post said it had reviewed notes from therapy sessions that included mention of a "rape attempt" by students from an "elitist boys school" who would become "highly respected and high-ranking members of society in Washington." The notes did not mention Kavanaugh by name.

Ford told The Post she decided to come forward after she feared for her privacy and story's accuracy after reporters visited her at home and at work and after one reporter called her colleagues.

Kavanaugh's nomination had already faced resistance from Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee and scores of protesters who have expressed concerns over his record on issues such as abortion and gun control.

SEE ALSO: Here's what Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh said about key issues like abortion during his marathon confirmation hearings

DON'T MISS: Kavanaugh's accuser says she's ready to publicly testify — and it could kill his nomination

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: I woke up at 4:30 a.m. for a week like a Navy SEAL

• Coca-Cola is in discussions with Aurora Cannabis to develop beverages infused with CBD, a non-psychoactive compound found in marijuana. 
• Legal marijuana is set to hit $75 billion in sales by 2030, according to a note from analysts at the investment bank Cowen.
• The market for marijuana could eventually eclipse soda sales.

Coca-Cola is reportedly eyeing the legal marijuana industry. The beverage maker is in discussions with Aurora Cannabis, a Canadian cultivator, to develop beverages infused with CBD, a non-psychoactive compound found in marijuana.

Legal marijuana could soon become a bigger industry than soda, and it has already started putting pressure on alcohol sales, according to the investment bank Cowen. If marijuana is made legal nationwide in the US by 2030, the legal weed industry could generate $75 billion in sales by that year.

Cowen's cannabis sector analyst, Vivien Azer, revised her previous estimate up by $25 billion. Legal marijuana sales are already around $50 billion, Azer said in the note. 

Soda consumption, on the other hand, is declining. Per capita consumption fell to a 31-year low in the US in 2016, Bloomberg reports, with $76.4 billion in sales in 2017. 

CBD, or cannabidiol, is linked to a range of health benefits and is used in FDA-approved epilepsy drugs. It's also become something of a health-food boom as of late, showing up in products like teas, candies, and beverages. 

Legal marijuana is already starting to impact alcohol sales as well. 

In states that have legalized cannabis, binge-drinking rates have fallen 9% below the national average, and 11% below states that don't allow the sale of recreational marijuana, according to the note. Adults in states with legal cannabis binge drink an average of 13% fewer times per month than those in states without legal recreational marijuana. 

"This work builds on our prior assertions that cannabis acts as a substitute social lubricant for consumers," Azer said in the note.

"As cannabis access expands, we expect further pressure on alcohol sales, given this notable divide in consumer consumption pattern," she added.  

The cannabis market is still far behind alcohol, however. Sales of alcohol hit $210 billion in 2017, according to the note.

Plus, the market for marijuana will primarily be led by older consumers, as people 55 and over are the fastest-growing segment of marijuana shoppers, according to the note.

Nine states allow or will soon allow the sale and consumption of marijuana, representing almost a quarter of the US population.

Marijuana may also prove to be a tax windfall. The industry is expected to generate $17.5 billion in tax revenue by 2030, according to the note. 

Legal marijuana sales hit $9.7 billion in sales in 2017, a number that does not include the industry in California, where recreational marijuana sales began on January 1, 2018. That state's market is predicted to hit $5.1 billion in sales by the end of 2019, outpacing beer sales. 

There are still numerous challenges for the booming cannabis market. Marijuana is still considered an illegal, Schedule I substance by the federal government, and many plant-touching businesses don't have access to traditional banks so can't open lines of credit.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions is a noted opponent of increasing access to marijuana, and he rescinded Obama-era protections for that limited the federal government's interference with cannabis businesses. 

Read more of our cannabis industry coverage:

• The rising stars of marijuana's investment scene that everyone from Wall Street to Silicon Valley should know
• The highest-valued marijuana companies of 2017 reveal 2 key insights about the booming industry
• A startup that runs marijuana dispensaries is America's first $1 billion marijuana 'unicorn'
• A hedge fund that focuses solely on marijuana is crushing it
• A New York hedge fund manager moved to Canada and started the first marijuana company to be listed on a major US stock exchange — here's how he did it

SEE ALSO: California's cannabis market is expected to soar to $5.1 billion — and it's going to be bigger than beer

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: 7 medical benefits of marijuana

• I spent five days on Ibiza, the island off the coast of Spain, over Labor Day weekend.
• Ibiza has a reputation as one of the top places to party in the world, with thumping 24-hour clubs, wild pool parties, and gorgeous beaches.
• While I enjoyed Ibiza's party scene, which I found to be accessible to those usually turned off by exclusive, pretentious club scenes, Ibiza's verdant northern countryside was the most surprising aspect of my trip. It was beautiful, secluded, and felt miles away from the hard-partying coast.

I'm not sure what I was expecting before arriving in Ibiza.

I'd heard so much about the island from friends, magazines, music videos, and paparazzi photos that would be impossible not to have some preconceived notions.

In short, I was expecting something like a super-sized version of the Greek isle of Mykonos, which I had visited a month before. That island I found to be a bifurcated paradise divided between the world's wealthy and famous having a private ball and crowds of vacationers, hard-partying dance-music junkies, and cruise-shippers peeking in for a glance.

While the 24-hour party culture is no doubt present in Ibiza, what I found on the White Isle was a place far more varied and nuanced than I imagined. As easy as it is to find a packed, thumping club, it is just as easy to find a hidden beach tucked into a cove or a mountain retreat far from the glitz and glam.

That's not to say tourism in Ibiza is perfect. Last year, the island of 130,000 saw more than 3 million tourists, a number that has been growing since the 1990s. And the local population has complained of tourism they deem "unlimited, disrespectful and excessive," according to The Telegraph. In response, the island has increased its tourist tax, put limits on nightlife, and banned the rental of housing to tourists (thus all but eliminating Airbnb from the island).

When I visited over Labor Day weekend this year, I found the island a welcoming and accessible vacation spot for all different kinds of budgets and temperaments. Here's what it was like:

SEE ALSO: I stayed at Robert De Niro's ridiculously swanky new hotel in Ibiza — and it makes you feel like a celebrity, if you can afford it

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

Everyone has an idea of Ibiza before they get there. Like many, I thought it was all about non-stop partying. So when I got off the plane, I headed to Sant Antoni de Portmany, a town on the island's west coast with a reputation as a hotspot for young partiers from the UK.

I checked into the Ibiza Rocks Hotel, located in the heart of Sant Antoni de Portmany. The hotel is famous for its pool parties where they bring in top-notch DJs for wild sets. Anyone can buy tickets, but if you stay in the hotel, you get free entry.

The hotel is kind of like a glorified dorm/hotel circa Daytona Beach spring break. When I got there, the place was packed as British drum and bass band Rudimental performed a DJ set. A second benefit of staying at the hotel? I went up to my room mid-set to mix up a few drinks and avoid overpriced cocktails.

• Michael Bloomberg, the billionaire former New York mayor, is exploring a run for the presidency in 2020. 
• The media mogul — a former Republican — would run as a centrist Democrat. 
• Despite his allegiance to the Democratic Party, Bloomberg has clear differences with mainstream and liberal Democrats on issues including policing, Wall Street regulation, and the #MeToo movement. 

Michael Bloomberg, the billionaire former New York mayor, is considering a run for the presidency in 2020 — as a centrist Democrat, The New York Times reported Monday. 

The media mogul, who was elected mayor as a Republican and independent, is spending $80 million on this year's midterm elections, largely supporting Democrats running for the House in a bid to flip the chamber. And he's denounced the GOP in no uncertain terms — expressing particular disagreement with his former party on issues he's championed, including gun control and environmental protection. 

"It's impossible to conceive that I could run as a Republican — things like choice, so many of the issues, I'm just way away from where the Republican Party is today," Bloomberg told the Times. "That's not to say I’m with the Democratic Party on everything, but I don't see how you could possibly run as a Republican. So if you ran, yeah, you’d have to run as a Democrat."

Despite his allegiance to the Democratic Party, Bloomberg has clear differences with mainstream and liberal Democrats on issues including policing, Wall Street regulation, and the #MeToo movement. His candidacy would surely be anathema to the progressive left. 

In an interview with the Times, he defended New York's former stop-and-frisk policy, insisting that the practice — which in 2013 was ruled unconstitutional by a federal judge for the policy's racially discriminatory effect — had avoided violating individuals' civil rights while helping lower the city's crime rate. Bloomberg also questioned whether the movement to hold accountable perpetrators of sexual misconduct has gone too far. And he's broken with progressive Democrats like Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren on her stance on bank regulation. 

But Bloomberg has received an enthusiastic welcome into the Democratic fold over the last few years, winning praise from House minority leader Nancy Pelosi. 

"His name is synonymous with excellence," Pelosi said at a dinner San Francisco recently. "And he knows how to get the job done."

SEE ALSO: New polling shows disastrous warning signs for Republicans ahead of the midterm elections

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Apple might introduce three new iPhones this year — here’s what we know

• A new profile of Soon-Yi Previn, Woody Allen's wife, published by Vulture has drawn criticism for its portrayal of Dylan Farrow's abuse allegation against Allen. 
• Many social media users accused New York Magazine, Vulture's publisher, of publishing a biased article, due to the author's admitted decades-long friendship with Allen.
• Ronan and Dylan Farrow also issued statements contradicting the article's portrayal of Dylan's allegation that Allen sexually abused her when she was seven.

A new profile of Soon-Yi Previn, Woody Allen's wife, published by Vulture on Sunday, has drawn wide criticism from the media and from Allen's children, Ronan and Dylan Farrow, for its portrayal of the latter's abuse allegation against Allen. 

In the feature, Previn addressed the backlash Allen has faced since the rise of the #MeToo movement, over Dylan Farrow's allegation that Allen sexually abused her when she was seven years old. 

"But what's happened to Woody is so upsetting, so unjust," Previn said. "[Mia Farrow, Allen's ex-girlfriend] has taken advantage of the #MeToo movement and paraded Dylan as a victim. And a whole new generation is hearing about it when they shouldn’t."

Previn discussed her adoption and upbringing with Mia Farrow and Andre Previn, her adoptive parents, and the beginning of her relationship with Allen when she was 21 years old, years after she had first known Allen as Farrow's boyfriend. Previn also accused Farrow in the article of physically abusing her for years, including slapping her across the face and "spanking" her with a hairbrush.

Social media users were quick to note that the author of the piece, Daphne Merkin, wrote in the article that she has been a friend of Allen's "for over four decades," and many thus accused Merkin and New York Magazine (Vulture's publisher) of publishing a biased article. 

Dylan Farrow, Mia Farrow and Woody Allen's adopted daughter, took to Twitter on Sunday with a statement on the article. She said that New York Magazine contacted her and described "multiple obvious falsehoods" about the story's account of her abuse allegation against Allen. 

"The story still included bizarre fabrications about my mother while failing to mention that a prosecutor found probable cause of abuse by Woody Allen and that he was in therapy for his unhealthy fixation on my body," Farrow wrote. "No one is parading me around as a victim. I continue to be an adult woman making credible allegation unchanged for two decades, backed up by evidence."

Ronan Farrow, who has published multiple bombshell articles for The New Yorker featuring sexual misconduct allegations made against the likes of Harvey Weinstein and former CBS CEO Les Moonves, also released a statement on the story. 

"I owe everything I am to Mia Farrow. She is a devoted mom who went through hell for her family all while creating a loving home for us," Farrow wrote. "But that has never stopped Woody Allen and his allies from planting stories that attack and vilify my mother to deflect from my sister’s credible allegation of abuse."

"As a brother and a son, I'm angry that New York Magazine would participate in this kind of a hit job, written by a longtime admirer and friend of Woody Allen's," he continued. "As a journalist, I’m shocked by the lack of care for the facts, the refusal to include eyewitness testimony that would contradict falsehoods in this piece, and the failure to include my sister’s complete responses. Survivors of abuse deserve better."

SEE ALSO: Dylan Farrow gave emotional, disturbingly detailed allegations of sexual assault by Woody Allen in her first TV interview

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: How actors fake fight in movies

• Donald Trump Jr. posted an image on Instagram on Sunday that mocked a woman who alleges Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her when they were both teenagers. 
• The image shows a piece of paper with words scribbled in crayon as a child would write to a crush in elementary school.
• Christine Blasey Ford alleges Kavanaugh drunkenly attempted to force himself onto her at a high school party.

Donald Trump Jr. posted an image on Instagram on Sunday that mocked a woman who alleges Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her when they were both teenagers. 

The image shows a piece of paper with words scribbled in crayon as a child would write to a crush in elementary school. It says, "Hi Cindy, will you be my girlfriend," and includes "yes" and "no" boxes. The paper says "Love Bret" at the bottom. 

The president's son posted the image with the caption: "Oh boy... the Dems and their usual nonsense games really have [Kavanaugh] on the ropes now."

He added that Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, "had the letter in July and saved it for the eve of his vote ... honorable as always. I believe this is a copy for full transparency."

Christine Blasey Ford alleges Kavanaugh drunkenly attempted to force himself onto her at a high school party, at times covering her mouth with his hand as she attempted to scream. Ford says she was eventually able to get herself free and hid in the bathroom before leaving the party. 

"I thought he might inadvertently kill me," Ford told The Washington Post. "He was trying to attack me and remove my clothing."

Reports of mysterious allegations against Kavanaugh circulated last week, but Ford's identity was initially kept secret. 

Last Wednesday, The Intercept reported that Feinstein possessed a letter describing an incident between Kavanaugh and a woman while they were in high school and claimed Feinstein was refusing to share it with her fellow Democrats. 

Feinstein on Thursday revealed she'd sent a letter detailing the allegations to the FBI, but the contents were not made public. At the time, Feinstein noted the accuser had "requested confidentiality."

But details of the letter leaked and Ford over the weekend identified herself as the accuser in The Washington Post. Ford said she'd originally hoped to remain unidentified, citing concerns about being discredited and criticized by Republicans and certain segments of the public. 

"I feel like my civic responsibility is outweighing my anguish and terror about retaliation," Ford, a clinical psychology professor at Palo Alto University, told The Post. 

Debra Katz, the lawyer representing Ford, said Monday her client is willing to testify to the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Kavanaugh has vehemently denied Ford's claims.

"I categorically and unequivocally deny this allegation. I did not do this back in high school or at any time," he said in a statement. 

SEE ALSO: New details are emerging about a woman's allegation against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh in a secret letter

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: How Publishers Clearing House makes $1 billion a year

Hurricane Florence ripped through North and South Carolina over the weekend, creating catastrophic flooding and record-setting rainfall.

The storm left at least 17 people dead, and has knocked out power for over 1 million residents in the region. 

Flash flood warnings are in effect in across large portions of southern and western North Carolina, as well as portions of northeast South Carolina and southwest Virginia.

Once-bustling city centers in North Carolina and South Carolina have become deserted and inundated with water after enduring Florence's winds and floods.

Take a look at the destruction through these before-and-after photos taken around the two states.

New Bern Mall before Florence...

... and after.

The Havens Wharf waterfront district in Washington, North Carolina, before...

• Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh on Monday said an allegation he sexually assaulted a woman when they were in high school is "completely false."
• Kavanaugh also said he'd be willing to testify on the accusation in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee. 
• The allegation against Kavanaugh began to surface last week but the accuser, Christine Blasey Ford, did not identify herself until Sunday. 
• Ford has also signaled she's willing to testify before Congress. 

Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh on Monday said an allegation he sexually assaulted a woman when they were in high school is "completely false" and said he'd be willing to testify on the accusation to the Senate Judiciary Committee. 

"This is a completely false allegation. I have never done anything like what the accuser describes — to her or to anyone," Kavanaugh said in a statement. 

Kavanaugh further said that "because this never happened" he had no idea who the accuser was until she identified herself over the weekend. 

"I am willing to talk to the Senate Judiciary Committee in any way the Committee deems appropriate to refute this false allegation from 36 years ago, and defend my integrity," Kavanaugh added.

Kavanaugh was at the White House Monday morning amid the burgeoning controversy.

His accuser, Christine Blasey Ford, identified herself over the weekend. Ford, 51, claims Kavanaugh attempted to force himself onto her during a party in high school, at times covering her mouth so she couldn't scream. 

"I thought he might inadvertently kill me," Ford, a clinical psychology professor in California, told The Washington Post. "He was trying to attack me and remove my clothing."

Ford said she originally hoped to remain unidentified over concerns she'd be attacked, but as details surrounding her allegations began to emerge Ford said she felt she should come forward. 

"I feel like my civic responsibility is outweighing my anguish and terror about retaliation," Ford told The Post. 

Debra Katz, Ford's attorney, on Monday said her client would be willing to testify on her allegation against Kavanaugh in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee. 

Katz said Ford will do "whatever is necessary" to get the "full story" out there and ensure an "informed decision" is made regarding Kavanaugh's nomination for the highest court in the land. 

SEE ALSO: 'Dems and their usual nonsense': Donald Trump Jr. mocks Kavanaugh accuser in Instagram post

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Apple might introduce three new iPhones this year — here’s what we know

• MoviePass' parent company, Helios and Matheson Analytics, will propose a reverse stock split of up to 1-for-500 to its shareholders in a special meeting next month.
• It's the latest attempt by the struggling movie-ticket subscription service to not have the HMNY stock be delisted by the Nasdaq in mid-December.

Next month, MoviePass will try its most dramatic step yet to revive its failing stock.

In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Monday, the movie-ticket subscription service's parent company, Helios and Matheson Analytics (HMNY), said it would hold a special meeting with stockholders on October 18 to approve an amendment for a one-time reverse stock split of up to 1-for-500 shares.

This follows HMNY's 1-for-250 reverse stock split in August, which shot the stock up from $0.09 temporarily before it crashed back down again. HMNY stock is currently trading at around $0.02.

In the filing, HMNY said this new stock split could range from 1-for-2 to 1-for-500. But if history is a guide, HMNY will come in at the very upper end of that range. When voting in August, shareholders approved a reverse split range from 1-for-2 to 1-for-250. The next day, HMNY did the reverse split at 1-for-250.

HMNY said in the filing that the reverse split was necessary since the company will have to raise more capital, presumably by continuing to sell stock, which has been its playbook to cover losses this year.

"Although MoviePass recently has implemented significant cost cutting measures which have had an immediate and materially positive effect in reducing the Company’s monthly cash deficit, the Company believes it will continue to need to raise capital to fund MoviePass until MoviePass becomes cash flow positive or profitable (of which there is no assurance)," HMNY said in the filing. 

The bolder 1-for-500 is the latest attempt by HMNY to revive the stock, which if it continues trading below $1 could be delisted from the Nasdaq by mid-December. And as HMNY states in the filing, that would make things even more challenging for the cash-strapped company.

"If the Company is unable to maintain its Nasdaq listing, its access to capital will become further limited and it may not have sufficient capital to enable MoviePass to continue its operations or become cash flow positive or profitable," HMNY said.

The stock will need to stay at $1 or above for 10 straight trading days for it to no longer be at risk of being delisted, according to Nasdaq. But even that might not a stop a delisting.

"Even if another reverse stock split enables us to regain compliance with the Minimum Bid Price Requirement, the Company may be delisted due to other Nasdaq listing criteria deficiencies, including the failure to maintain the minimum required market value of listed shares equal to at least $35 million and the failure to have at least three independent directors on the audit committee of the Board and a majority of independent directors on the Board," HMNY said. "Further, the reverse split may not result in a per share price that would attract brokers and investors who do not trade in lower priced stocks."

HMNY bought MoviePass last August and since has burned through hundreds of millions of dollars to try to make the company a disrupter in the movie-theater business. Currently all it has to show are over three million subscribers, massive losses, and competition in the form of AMC, Cinemark, and Alamo Drafthouse creating ticket subscription service deals for their own customers.  

SEE ALSO: Nicolas Cage gives a wild and unhinged performance in his new movie, "Mandy," and the dark past of its director was the inspiration

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: A top movie actor reveals how he learns different accents

• Paul McCartney's recent album, "Egypt Station," has become his first Billboard No. 1 album in over 36 years.
• "Egypt Station" is McCartney's eighth No. 1 album and his first since 1982's "Tug of War."

Paul McCartney's recently released 18th solo album, "Egypt Station," has become his first Billboard No. 1 album in over 36 years, Billboard reported.

The album moved 153,000 equivalent album units, with 147,000 copies in traditional album sales, which exceeded Billboard's early prediction of its debut. 

According to Billboard, "Egypt Station" is McCartney's eighth No. 1 album (including his albums with Wings) and his first since 1982's "Tug of War." (He also scored 19 No. 1 albums with The Beatles, the most all time of any artist or group.)

"Egypt Station" is the first of McCartney's solo albums to debut at No. 1 on the chart, and it's also his best-selling LP in over a decade, since his album "Memory Almost Full" debuted at No. 3 in 2007 with 161,000 copies sold.

McCartney backed the release of "Egypt Station" with a noteworthy promotional campaign, which included a lengthy profile with GQ, and appearances on "The Howard Stern Show," "The Tonight Show," and Marc Maron's WTF podcast. 

McCartney addressed the news of his No. 1 debut in a tweet on Sunday, writing: "Thanks to all our fabulous fans and the whole team behind this record for making it number one - yippee! Love Paul x."

"Egypt Station" has been well reviewed by critics since its release. It currently holds a 73% rating on the reviews aggregator Metacritic.

Listen to the album below:

SEE ALSO: Paul McCartney says some people think Kanye West 'discovered' him when they made songs together in 2015: 'And that's not a joke'

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: A top movie actor reveals how he learns different accents

• A North Carolina Chick-fil-A broke from tradition and opened on Sunday, as the state was battered by Hurricane Florence. 
• The location's franchisees and employees worked on Sunday to prepare hundreds of chicken sandwiches and nuggets for people who were forced to evacuate their homes because of the storm.
• Typically, Chick-fil-A closes all locations on Sunday, but the chain sometimes opens during emergency situations to provide free food to those in need. 

A North Carolina Chick-fil-A broke one of the chain's most famous policies and opened on Sunday this weekend. 

Donovan and Nikki Carless, the franchisees of a Chick-fil-A in Garner, North Carolina, broke from tradition by asking employees if they were willing to work on a Sunday this weekend. As Hurricane Florence batters North Carolina, ABC 7 reports that the franchisees decided to come up with a way that they could help. 

The Carless' reached out to employees, who were eager to work on Sunday to prepare food for people impacted by the storm. Typically, all Chick-fil-A locations are closed on Sundays, due to the founder's religious beliefs. 

According to ABC 7, the Chick-fil-A location coordinated with the Red Cross and donated 500 sandwiches and 1,200 nuggets to three different shelters for people who were forced to evacuate their homes. 

While Chick-fil-A's policy to remain closed on Sunday is well-documented, the chain makes rare exceptions in emergencies, providing free food to those in need.

Last year, an Atlanta Chick-fil-A provided free meals for the thousands of passengers stranded after a power failure halted activity at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. 

In 2016, following the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, Florida, local Chick-fil-A locations broke tradition to open on a Sunday. Employees worked to prepare food for first responders and people donating blood following the shooting at the gay nightclub, which killed 49 people.

And, in 2015, Chick-fil-A locations in Texas prepared free food for responders and others impacted by tornadoes that ripped through the state, killing 11 people.

SEE ALSO: Chick-fil-A is always closed on Sunday — except in these rare inspiring instances

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: How Publishers Clearing House makes $1 billion a year

• Shake Shack is opening its Innovation Kitchen on Tuesday, where it will test its new menu items and allow customers to give feedback. 
• The test kitchen will allow Shake Shack to try more chef-driven items like the Humm Burger created by chef Daniel Humm, the Piggie Shack burger created Daniel Bouloud, an Eel Burger, and others.
• The Innovation Kitchen is opening in the West Village, and the design was inspired by the neighborhood.

Shake Shack is opening a new restaurant on Tuesday where it will offer a rotating menu of new items and allow customers to give feedback on their favorites dishes. 

Currently, Shake Shack has been operating out of a small basement space in Midtown Manhattan, but the new Innovation Kitchen in Manhattan's West Village will allow it to test more chef-driven items on the menu before rolling them out nationwide. 

Some of the new menu items Shake Shack will be testing will be the Veggie Shack burger, which is already testing regionally, the Humm Burger created by chef Daniel Humm, the Piggie Shack burger created by Daniel Bouloud, and an Eel Burger created by London’s chef Fergus Henderson.

The restaurant, which opens to the public Tuesday, will feature outdoor café seating and art installations from local artists. 

Here's what the new test kitchen is like:

SEE ALSO: These are America's favorite restaurant chains

Shake Shack's Innovation Kitchen is opening in NYC's West Village.

Like most of Shake Shack's new restaurants, there are digital ordering kiosks in place of cashiers.

The restaurant was designed to reflect the neighborhood its in with greenery, outdoor seating, and an art installation by local artist Josh Cochran.

• President Donald Trump nominated Judge Brett Kavanaugh to replace the retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy on the US Supreme Court.
• Kavanaugh was born and bred in the Washington, DC area and has a long history in conservative circles.
• His journey to the US Supreme Court has been so star-studded, one senator once called him the "Forrest Gump" of Republican politics.
• Kavanaugh's nomination seemed like a sure thing, until a woman came forward on September 16 to publicly accuse him of sexually assaulting her when they were both in high school. He has denied the allegations.

President Donald Trump has nominated Judge Brett Kavanaugh, 53, to replace the retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy on the US Supreme Court.

"There is no one in America more qualified for this position, and no one more deserving," Trump said at the announcement in July, joining the many Republicans who praised the Ivy League-educated veteran of George W. Bush's administration.

But Kavanaugh has a tough confirmation process ahead of him. Republicans' 51-49 hold on the Senate puts Kavanaugh in a precarious spot.

He has so far had to weather stiff resistance from Democratic lawmakers, scores of protesters who disagree with his views on issues including gun and abortion rights, and now a sexual assault allegation.

Christine Blasey Ford, 51, is accusing a teenaged Kavanaugh of forcing himself on her at a high school party in the early 1980s. Kavanaugh flatly denied the "false allegation" and said he would testify against it.

Top Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin once called Kavanaugh the "Forrest Gump of Republican politics", because he was present for so many key moments in modern political history.

As Kavanaugh continues his confirmation process, here's a look at how the Washington, DC born-and-bred conservative rose to become the court's most pivotal nomination in decades:

SEE ALSO: Trump nominates Brett Kavanaugh to replace the retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy on the Supreme Court

DON'T MISS: Trump's Supreme Court pick has expressed doubts about investigating or prosecuting a sitting president

Brett Kavanaugh was born Feb. 12, 1965, in Washington, DC.

Source: NPR

He attended Georgetown Preparatory School, an all-boys school in Rockville, Maryland. He was staff for the school newspaper, played on the school's varsity football team, and was captain of the basketball team.

Source: Washingtonian

Trump's first Supreme Court nominee, Associate Justice Neil Gorsuch, also attended Georgetown Prep and graduated two years before Kavanaugh.

Sources: Washingtonian, Business Insider