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Former US presidents George W. Bush, Barack Obama and more react to the death of former president George H.W. Bush

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The President's Club

  • Former President George H.W. Bush died on Friday, November 30, at age 94.
  • George W. Bush, Barack Obama, former first lady Michelle Obama, and others reacted to the 41st president's death, and offered remembrances of his duty and public service.

Former president George H.W. Bush died on Friday, November 30, at age 94. Former presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama and the former first lady Michelle Obama are among those who reacted to the 41st president's death, and offered remembrances of his duty and public service.

Former President George W. Bush

"Jeb, Neil, Marvin, Doro, and I are saddened to announce that after 94 remarkable years, our dear dad has died," the statement from H.W. Bush's son and fellow former president read. "George H.W. Bush was a man of the highest character and the best dad a son or daughter could ask for. The entire Bush family is deeply grateful for 41's life and love, for the compassion of those who have cared and prayed for dad, and for the condolences of our friends and fellow citizens."

Former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama

"America has lost a patriot and humble servant in George Herbert Walker Bush," the statement from the Obamas said. "While our hearts are heavy today, they are also filled with gratitude. Not merely for the years he spent as our forty-first President, but for the more than 70 years he spent in devoted service to the country he loved – from a decorated Naval aviator who nearly gave his life in World War II, to Commander-in-Chief of our Armed Forces, with plenty of posts along the way. Ambassador to the United Nations. Director of Central Intelligence. U.S. Envoy to China. Vice President of the United States."

"After seventy-three years of marriage, George and Barbara Bush are together again now, two points of light that never dimmed, two points of light that ignited countless others with their example – the example of a man who, even after commanding the world’s mightiest military, once said 'I got more of a kick out of being one of the founders of the YMCA in Midland, Texas back in 1952 than almost anything I’ve done,'" the statement continued.

President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump

"Melania and I join with a grieving Nation to mourn the loss of former President George H.W. Bush, who passed away last night," President Trump and the first lady said in a statement.

"Through his essential authenticity, disarming wit, and unwavering commitment to faith, family and country, President Bush inspired generations of his fellow Americans to public service — to be hin his words, 'a thousand points of light' illuminating greatness, hope, and opportunity of American to the world," the statement continued.

Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton

"Hillary and I mourn the passing of President George H.W. Bush, and give thanks for his great long life of service, love, and friendship," the statement read.

"I will be forever grateful for the friendship we formed," the Clinton's statement continued. "From the moment I met him as a young governor invited to his home in Kennebunkport, I was struck by the kind ess he showed to Chelsea, by his innate genuine decency, and by his devotion to Barbara, his children, and their growing brood."

Former Vice President Dan Quayle, who served as President George H.W. Bush's vice president.

"As so many Americans did, I had true affection for the man George Bush," the former vice president said in a statement. "He was a completely genuine, decent, and honorable person. What's more, he went into and out of the office as absolutely the same man. I think that exemplifies his character. I have often told my children, 'If you want a role model in your life — look to President George Herbert Walker Bush.' The world mourns the loss of a great American. But it also celebrates a life well lived."

Former Vice President Al Gore

"President George H.W. Bush served our nation with extraordinary integrity and grace," former Vice President Gore said in a statement. "I will remember him for his personal kindness and for his love of this country. He earned bipartisan respect for speaking up and taking action for what he believed was right, even when doing so was unpopular. He inspired countless Americans to volunteer and improve their communities through his Points of Light Foundation. President Bush leaves behind an American legacy of a lifetime of service that will be revered for generations."

The US Naval Air Forces

"Naval Aviation mourns the passing of our 41st President, George H.W. Bush, a Naval Aviator, statesman, and humble public servant," the US Naval Air Forces said in a tweet. "His legacy lives on in those who don the cloth of our great nation and in the mighty warship which bears his name, @CVN77_GHWB. May he Rest In Peace."

SEE ALSO: Former President George H.W. Bush dies at age 94

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'Your success now is our country’s success. I am rooting hard for you': Read the heartfelt letter George H.W. Bush left for Bill Clinton after the 1992 election

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CLINTON INAUGURATION 1993

  • After losing the 1992 presidential election, former President H.W. Bush — following in a longstanding tradition— left a heartfelt note to his successor, and the man who defeated him for the presidency then-President Bill Clinton.
  • "Your success now is our country’s success. I am rooting hard for you."
  • Former President George H.W. Bush died on November 30 at age 94.

After losing the 1992 presidential election, former President H.W. Bush — following in a long-standing tradition— left a heartfelt note to his successor, and the man who defeated him for the presidency, then-President Bill Clinton.

"Your success now is our country’s success," Bush wrote in closing. "I am rooting hard for you."

That letter was being shared on social media Friday night, as people remembered the 41st president, who died at age 94 on November 30.

Read the full letter is below:

Jan. 20, 1993

Dear Bill,

When I walked into this office just now I felt the same sense of wonder and respect that I felt four years ago. I know you will feel that, too.

I wish you great happiness here. I never felt the loneliness some Presidents have described.

There will be very tough times, made even more difficult by criticism you may not think is fair. I’m not a very good one to give advice; but just don’t let the critics discourage you or push you off course.

You will be our President when you read this note. I wish you well. I wish your family well.

Your success now is our country’s success. I am rooting hard for you.

Good Luck — George

Late Friday night, remembrances of the 41st president poured out from former President Bill Clinton, President Trump, former President Barack Obama, and more.

SEE ALSO: Former US presidents George W. Bush, Barack Obama and more react to the death of former president George H.W. Bush Former President George H.W. Bush died on Friday, November 30, at age 94.

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Meet the 2,000 women about to storm into state capitals across the US

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State Senate candidate Alessandra Biaggi at a campaign event in July.

  • Much attention has been paid to the wave of women elected to go to Washington this fall, but women are also storming politics at the local levels. 
  • More than 2,000 women will serve in state legislatures next year — growing the number of women in local chambers by several hundred and breaking previous records for female representation.
  • But the work of the so-called "pink wave" isn't done. Men will continue to make up just over three quarters of state lawmakers across the country.

Much attention has been paid to the wave of women elected to go to Washington this fall, but women are also storming politics at the local levels. 

More than 2,000 women will serve in state legislatures next year — growing the number of women in local chambers by several hundred and breaking previous records for female representation, according to new reports from the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University (CAWP). 

And these numbers could grow even larger, as the Associated Press has yet to call 216 state legislative races, which include about 185 female candidates. While women remain small minorities in the vast majority of bodies, they could end up making up majorities in the Colorado House and Nevada Assembly. 

"We are very encouraged by these results. This is the largest increase in women's representation in state legislatures we’ve seen in some time, after more than a decade of relative stagnation," Debbie Walsh, director of the Rutgers center, told the AP. "The only question that remains is whether 2018 was a one-off or a new norm."

Right now, 1,875 of the country's 7,383 state lawmakers are women. Sixty-one percent of these women are Democrats, while about 37% are Republicans. Experts have pointed out that as long as women struggle to gain a foothold in the Republican Party, their overall numbers won't rise much above the 25% mark. 

The last surge of women winning state legislative seats was in the 1970s and 1980s, but in the decades since, female representation in these bodies has remained relatively stagnant. This year's enthusiasm among female candidates, voters, volunteers, and donors was in part fueled by deep-seated anti-Trump sentiment and the #MeToo movement, which have grown the gender gap between Democrats and Republicans to historic highs. 

While more women than ever before will sit in the US Congress next year, women didn't manage to break records in the Senate or in governors' mansions.

Experts say there is a host of reasons why female candidates are running in larger numbers, including anger at the current administration and frustration with the imbalance in power at every level of politics. There's also evidence that women, particularly when running in Democratic primaries, can use their gender to their advantage. 

"I think we're getting closer to a time when we can talk about gender and particularly the gender experience you have as a credential for office and not as a hurdle that you have to overcome or avoid," Kelly Dittmar, a scholar at the Rutgers center, told INSIDER in August.

But the so-called "pink wave" has much work left to do. Men will continue to make up just over three quarters of state lawmakers across the country.

SEE ALSO: How Trump and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez energized a group of women looking to reshape New York politics

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Stunning photos of 14 of the coolest luxury vacation rentals around the world, from an 18th-century Italian villa to a Swiss chalet with views of the Matterhorn

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tulum homeaway

  • For your next vacation, treat yourself luxuriously.
  • We teamed up with HomeAway to find home rentals with some of the best luxury amenities around the world.
  • From a villa in Spain with a helicopter landing pad to a home in Jamaica with a chef and butler, these luxury vacation rentals range from about $1,300 to $14,400 a night.

Vacation is always "treat yourself" time.

We teamed up with HomeAway to find home rentals with some of the best luxury amenities around the world, from France to Mexico. They don't come cheap — prices per night start at four figures and go up to five figures, but if you have the means (or bring your friends and family along to split the cost), these spots are worth it.

There are two villas in Spain, one with a helicopter landing pad and one with a wellness and mindfulness private trainer; a beachfront villa in Jamaica with a full staff including a chef, nanny, and butler; an estate in Croatia with a wine cellar; beach bungalows in The Bahamas with a private beach club; and a villa in Thailand with a private spa and massage therapists.

Take a peek at them all below, ranked by cost per night.

SEE ALSO: 9 of the coolest tiny homes around the world to rent on your next vacation

DON'T MISS: What a $1 million vacation looks like in Mykonos, Greece, where you'll fly in on a private jet, sleep in an ocean-view villa, and cruise the seas in a yacht

Ibiza, Spain — $1,367 per night



A modern villa in the Balearics with a full range of therapists at your service and a large saltwater pool.

See the listing »



Nantes, France — $1,519 per night



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

A luxury resort in the middle of the jungle in Bali was voted as having the world's 'most stunning views' and the view from the pool shows why

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dkaXR6wBffmmojmTqADDgR014qz3cxTuDa9eLOFt4m4_preview

  • The Hanging Gardens of Bali is a luxurious resort in the middle of the jungle in Bali.
  • It has 44 villas, a twin-tiered pool, and was just named as having "the most stunning views" in the 2018 Boutique Hotel Awards.
  • But the views will cost you: A stay at the hotel ranges from $645 to $6,200 per night.

Set in the middle of the jungle, with views of a valley, and surrounded by a rainforest: How could a resort like that offer anything but spectacular views?

The Hanging Gardens of Bali were recently awarded the title of "the most stunning views" by the Boutique Hotel Awards.

The resort was completed in 2005 and is built into a mountainside with a 45-degree slope. It consists of 44 villas.

The Boutique Hotel Awards are in their eighth year. According to their website, nominations are made by industry experts, luxury hotel journalists, and self-nominations. This year, winners were selected from more than 300 nominations across 80 countries. It's also the first year the awards have included a "most stunning views" category.

Also up for consideration in the same category were five other hotels in Sri Lanka, Belize, Mexico, Kenya, and Spain, respectively.

The resort joins a host of other popular destinations across the island of Bali, including a pool that's become so popular the resort recently chose to ban the use of electronics as part of an "In The Moment" movement, and the Sacred Monkey Forest in Ubud, where tourists pay $3 to risk wild monkeys stealing their phones and jewelry.

Take a look inside the Hanging Gardens of Bali below.

SEE ALSO: The top 14 boutique hotels in the world, from a romantic retreat in South Africa to a private villa in Thailand

READ MORE: A luxury Bali resort that's popular with influencers has banned phones at its famous swimming pool

The Hanging Gardens of Bali is located near the village of Payangan in the heart of Bali.

Source: Hanging Gardens of Bali



The luxurious resort has had multiple claims to fame since it first opened in 2005, most of them focused on its iconic twin-tiered swimming pool.

Source: Hanging Gardens of Bali



The resort consists of 44 private villas.

Source: Hanging Gardens of Bali



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

21 cars that never disappoint and are worth splurging on

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Lamborghini Huracan Performante 46

  • Why go for a sensible choice when you can splurge on something expensive or impractical?
  • After all, you only live once!
  • We've gathered 21 of our favorite frivolous car choices.


With the holiday season upon us, now is the time to go car shopping. Deals will be abundant as the year comes to a close and dealers look to move old inventory to make room for the new model year.

(Actually, any time is a good time to go car shopping, but the pot is often sweetened after Thanksgiving in the US.)

Now is also the time to think about splurging on something special. Sure, you can do the responsible thing and live within your means, or opt for versatile basic transportation. But that's, well, kind of boring.

It's a big, bright world of cars out there, and every once in a while, spending the college fund might be justified. Kidding! Not justified!

But if you have the dough, or the stupendous credit score, and just want to fulfill a childhood fantasy, why not? You only live once, and you owe it to yourself to experience an exciting set of wheels.

Here are 21 of our favorite cars to splurge on:

Photos by Hollis Johnson, unless otherwise indicated.

FOLLOW US: On Facebook for more car and transportation content!

Ferrari 488 Spyder

Not the 488 GTB, the latest of Ferrari's mid-engine sports cars and a brilliant machine. Rather, the drop-top version, the 488 Spyder, for a cool $393,000.



Porsche 911 Carrera GTS

At $120,000, it's far from a bargain. But the level of performance on offer for the top trim level at this stratum of 911-ness is stunning. To do better you have to jump up to the Turbo or GT3.



Aston Martin DB11 Volante

For $273,244, you can pretend you're James Bond, or at least an madly suave human enjoying top-down motoring is epic British style.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The 24 hottest cars at the LA Auto Show

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2020 Mercedes-AMG GT R Pro

  • The Los Angeles Auto Show begins on Friday and runs through December 9 at the Los Angeles Convention Center.
  • Major automakers like BMW and Mercedes-Benz, as well as startups like Rivian and Byton, will show off production and concept vehicles.
  • This year's lineup includes vehicles that represent the auto industry's present and future, from gas-powered SUVs and pickup trucks like the 2020 Lincoln Aviator and 2020 Jeep Gladiator to electric vehicles like the BMW Vision iNext and Rivian 1T.
  • The LA Auto Show marks the beginning of a six-month period in which automakers will show consumers what they can expect to see in showrooms over the next few years.

 

The Los Angeles Auto Show begins on Friday and runs through December 9 at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

Major automakers like BMW and Mercedes-Benz, as well as startups like Rivian and Byton, will show off production and concept vehicles. This year's lineup includes vehicles that represent the auto industry's present and future, from gas-powered SUVs and pickup trucks like the 2020 Lincoln Aviator and 2020 Jeep Gladiator to electric vehicles like the BMW Vision iNext and Rivian 1T. Some vehicles will be available before the end of 2018, while others won't be ready until 2021.

Read more: The glorious history of the Ford F-Series truck, America's best selling vehicle for 36 years

The LA Auto Show marks the beginning of a six-month period in which automakers will show consumers what they can expect to see in showrooms over the next few years. Following the LA Auto Show will be the Consumer Electronics Show and Detroit Auto Show in January, the Chicago Auto Show in February, and the New York International Auto Show in April.

These are the 24 hottest vehicles you can see at the 2018 Los Angeles Auto Show.

SEE ALSO: The Kia Stinger is Business Insider's 2018 Car of the Year

2020 Hyundai Palisade

When you'll be able to drive it: Summer 2019



2019 Mazda3

When you'll be able to drive it: Early 2019



2020 Porsche 911

When you'll be able to drive it: Summer 2019



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

LuLaRoe supplier sues for $49 million and accuses the company's founders of hiding assets in 'shell' companies

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LuLaRoe DeAnne Stidham

  • LuLaRoe's chief clothing supplier, Providence Industries, is suing the company for nearly $49 million. 
  • The lawsuit claims the company hasn't paid its bills for seven months. 
  • Providence Industries claimed LuLaRoe is "insolvent," and accused the company's founders, Mark and DeAnne Stidham, of hiding assets in "shell" companies to fund their "lavish lifestyle."
  • The suit claims Mark Stidham said on September 7, 2018: "Look guys, I am not going to pay you guys a f****ing dime unless a judge orders me to pay it, and DeAnne and I will take our two to three hundred million dollars to the Bahamas, and f*** everything."
  • Business Insider reported last week that LuLaRoe is facing mounting debt, layoffs, and an exodus of top sellers.

LuLaRoe's chief clothing supplier is suing the company for nearly $49 million in a lawsuit claiming the multi-level marketing company has failed to pay its bills for seven months. 

The supplier, Providence Industries, said in the suit that it has reason to believe LuLaRoe is insolvent, and accused the company's founders, Mark and DeAnne Stidham, of hiding assets in "shell" companies to fund their "lavish lifestyle."

The lawsuit, filed in a California Superior Court on Thursday, identifies 17 limited liability companies that are tied to the Stidhams that were created between July and December 2017. The suit claims the Stidhams have used them to purchase cars worth at least $2.7 million, properties in excess of $7 million, private planes, and other assets. 

The suit said the companies are part of a "scheme" to "hinder, delay, and defraud the creditors."

Read more: LuLaRoe is facing mounting debt, layoffs, and an exodus of top sellers, and sources say the $2.3 billion legging empire could be imploding

The suit also claims that when representatives from Providence Industries confronted Mark Stidham in September 7, 2018 about bills past due, Stidham allegedly said, "Look guys, I am not going to pay you guys a f***ing dime unless a judge orders me to pay it, and DeAnne and I will take our two to three hundred million dollars to the Bahamas, and f*** everything."

LuLaRoe representatives, including DeAnne and Mark Stidham, did not immediately respond to emails requesting comment. 

The suit claimed LuLaRoe has additional debts, including $1 million owed to UPS as well as more than $3.1 million owed to other manufacturers.

UPS did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Business Insider reported last week that LuLaRoe is facing mounting debt, layoffs and an exodus of top sellers. The company has lost more than one third of its top performers, who generate the most revenue for the company, since July, according to data reviewed by Business Insider. 

Meanwhile, hundreds of LuLaRoe sellers — who buy the company's clothing at wholesale prices, then turn around and sell it to customers at a markup — have said they've been waiting months, some more than a year, for refund checks worth thousands of dollars.  

If you have information to share about LuLaRoe, email hpeterson@businessinsider.com.

SEE ALSO: LuLaRoe is facing mounting debt, layoffs, and an exodus of top sellers, and sources say the $2.3 billion legging empire could be imploding

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The 'secret sister' gift exchange on Facebook is actually an illegal pyramid scheme (FB)

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Mark Zuckerberg

  • Yet another spammy chain-mail post is circulating on Facebook — and this one is actually illegal.
  • "Secret sister" promises that you'll get 36 gifts in return for buying just one.
  • But it's actually an illegal pyramid scheme, and law enforcement is warning about it.

A "secret sister" gift exchange circulating on Facebook promises that participants will receive up to 36 gifts in exchange for just one of their own.

It sounds too good to be true, and (unsurprisingly!) it is. And it's not just a dubious idea — it's actually an illegal pyramid scheme.

Having circulated in some form since at least 2015, it has had a resurgence in the run-up to the holiday season, prompting at least one local police force to issue a fresh warning. So how does it work?

It spreads via a Facebook post advertising the exchange (36 gifts in exchange for one!) and asking six people to join in. When they do, they are sent a message asking them to: 1) Send a gift worth $10 to the "secret sister #1," the first name on a list they are given, 2) Move the person currently in second place on that list — the person who made the post they responded to — into first place, 3) Put their own name in second place. 4) Repost the public Facebook post to their profile and recruit six more people to do the same thing they just did.

secret sister pyramid scheme

If there's 100% recruitment and participation, then the poster receives 36 gifts, as each of the six people the poster recruited will recruit six more people who send them gifts.

But it works only up to a point. It's a pyramid scheme, reliant on a constant inflow of new members to pay old members their promised gifts. This means the people at the bottom have to lose out eventually, as there's only a finite number of people in the world.

As such, it's not just inadvisable to participate; it's outright illegal.

Earlier this week, the Wauwatosa Police Department in Wisconsin posted a warning on Facebook about the scam and linked to an article from the US Better Business Bureau about the problems with "secret sister" schemes.

"The U.S. Postal Inspection Services says that gift exchanges are illegal gambling and that participants could be subject to penalties for mail fraud," the Better Business Bureau wrote.

"Pyramid schemes are illegal, either by mail or on social media, if money or other items of value are requested with assurance of a sizeable return for those who participate."

A Facebook representative did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment.

Do you work at Facebook? Got a tip? Contact this reporter via Signal or WhatsApp at +1 (650) 636-6268 using a non-work phone, email at rprice@businessinsider.com, Telegram or WeChat at robaeprice, or Twitter DM at @robaeprice. (PR pitches by email only, please.) You can also contact Business Insider securely via SecureDrop.

SEE ALSO: I stopped making lunch for a week and switched to Ritual, the order-ahead app sweeping San Francisco that lets you skip the line. Here's what I found.

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Tell us your funniest or weirdest office holiday party stories

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party

Have you woken up in the wrong city? Gotten into a bar brawl with a colleague? Drunkenly confessed something completely devious to a superior? Or perhaps you were witness to a colleague's disaster of epic proportions?

 Business Insider wants to hear your best (worst?) office holiday party stories!

Share your experience in the anonymous Google form below, and we may include your response in our annual roundup of holiday office party tales.

SEE ALSO: 21 of the wildest office holiday party stories we've ever heard

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There are only 10 states in the US with more men than women

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male female state map

  • Most states in the US are majority-female.
  • Using recently released data from the US Census Bureau, we found the share of each state's population that is male.
  • Only ten states had more men than women.

There are only a handful of states where men outnumber women.

The US Census Bureau recently released statistics from the 2017 American Community Survey, an annual program that asks millions of Americans each year about several social, economic, and demographic attributes. The Bureau publishes figures for each of the 50 states and Washington DC.

One of the many metrics released by the Census Bureau is the sex breakdown of each state, expressed as the percent of male and female residents.

Read more: All 50 states and Washington DC, ranked from least to most average

Only ten states had a population that was over 50% male: Alaska, North Dakota, Wyoming, Utah, South Dakota, Colorado, Nevada, Idaho, Hawaii, and Montana.

SEE ALSO: The economy of every state, ranked from worst to best

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A 69-year-old Dutch man is trying to legally subtract 20 years from his age. A court is about to issue a decision.

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emile Ratelband laughing

  • Emile Ratelband is asking a Dutch court to allow him to shave 20 years off his legal age.
  • Ratelband argues that he should be able to have an age that's as young as he feels. But he doesn't think the privilege should extend to people who feel older than their age.
  • A decision in the case is expected on Monday. Ratelband's lawyer thinks he has about a 30% chance of winning. 

Age ain't nothing but a number, but it's not a number we can simply change as we see fit.

Emile Ratelband, a 69-year-old Dutch motivational speaker and author, doesn't see it that way. 

Ratelband is seeking to legally change his age to be 20 years younger than what his birth certificate says. He believes that if he feels like he's in his 40s, he should be able to alter his official age to reflect that.

The Netherlands government doesn't allow such a move. So Ratelband is suing, and asking a court in the Dutch town of Arnhem to consider his case. 

"My aging has stopped," Ratelband told Business Insider by phone from Germany, where he was preparing for another in a string of TV and radio appearances related to his case. (He seems to be enjoying the new media spotlight as much as the legal battle.) 

The Dutchman said he feels "condemned" by his elderly status and wants society to recognize the age he feels is most appropriate.

"I'm 69, but I like to work my ass off," he said. "I look at my biological age, and my biological age is 40, 42."

Ratelband argues that his age brings some unfair constraints, since being classified as a sexagenarian makes it harder for him to live an active, youthful life. It's harder for older folks to get a mortgage, Ratelband said, and near impossible to get work. He could avoid age-related discrimination, he claims, if his numbered years better aligned with the way he feels.

A Dutch court is set to announce its decision in his case on Monday.

How Ratelband keeps himself feeling young

It's not uncommon for people whose livelihoods have age restrictions to claim they're older or younger than they really are. Actors, actresses, gymnasts and footballers have all tried to obscure their ages to qualify for competition or to save face in a culture that cares (perhaps too much) about age.

But Ratelband is not hiding his real age right now. He just claims that his strict diet, exercise routine, and mindset have given him a "different point of view."

Read More: Cutting down on calories could slow the aging process, according to new research

"I don't drink coffee or tea, no alcohol, no smoking, no drugs, no dairy products, no meat," he said, adding that he takes a cold bath to wake up in the morning (a practice Silicon Valley biohackers are also embracing).

Ratelband says that ever since he worked with fitness guru and motivational speaker Tony Robbins in the late 80s, time seems to have stood still for his body and mind. (Robbins didn't immediately respond to Business Insider's requests to verify this.) 

He also argues that the world has changed as he's aged — we now live in an era of joint replacements, Botox injections, and smartphones. Ratelband thinks this progress helps us feel younger and sharper, something that should be reflected in our ages.

"In Europe, they're very old fashioned, and they're not used to change," he said. 

Ratelband is even ready to give up his 1,500 Euro monthly pension in return for 20 years off his official age. 

But there is some merit to the idea that aging doesn't always march forward in a linear fashion. 

Humans age, but not all life forms do

Earthlings haven't always aged. The earliest life forms on the planet were single-celled microbes that didn't breathe or grow old. They only got killed off by illness or injury.

The same is true of some endlessly replicating cancer cells, such as those of cancer patient Henrietta Lacks. Scientists have studied those cells for decades, and still use them in research today.

 Henrietta Lacks

Although humans can't live forever, they have demonstrably slowed down their biological aging processes by eating better, exercising, meditating, and maintaining community ties with family, friends, and spouses. Scientists think part of the way this works is by helping maintain the health of our chromosomes.

At the same time, as healthcare and sanitation conditions improve around the world, people are living longer, healthier lives than before through science and technology. Data shows that as people gain access to better toilets and vaccines, their life expectancy soars.

Some studies have also shown that getting old is about more than the passing of time. Harvard psychologist Ellen Langer discovered that by putting men in their 70s into an environment that felt like it was frozen 20 years in the past, she could improve their "physical strength, manual dexterity, gait, posture, perception, memory, cognition, taste sensitivity, hearing, and vision," in just one week.

Those studies on aging suggest that the power of perception isn't something to be brushed aside when talking about longevity.

The logical holes in Ratelband's quest to change his age

At its simplest, Ratelband's argument can logically be reduced to: I feel young, therefore, I am young.

Troublingly, he has likened this fight to change his age to the transgender movement. That comparison is problematic and caused offense — trans writer Shon Faye called it pure "nonsense" in The Guardian

But there are other flaws in Ratelband's logic. According to his concept of age, shouldn't an especially astute, learned, and mature child be able to assert that they are older than their birth years? 

Ratelband balked at that notion.

"No, no, no," he said, quickly brushing aside the counterargument. "Because that's forbidden by law."

One judge hearing his case pointed out another big hole in his argument, asking: "For whom did your parents care? Who was that little boy then?"

Ratelband simply replied that his parents are dead, as if no one should care that he might erase some history if those who've seen it are already gone.

'Chronological' versus 'subjective' age

emile Ratelband dutch 69

Ratelband thinks of his case as something of a "pre-cursor" to a future aging crisis and considers himself an age crusader. 

"In 25 years, all kinds of people who are then at the age of 70 will feel like if they are 40," he said. "Everything has changed... only the government doesn't change at all." 

But changes in how we define age are nothing new. One wouldn't expect people today to die of old age in their 30s, as many did in the middle ages. And while the US birth rate fell overall last year, it rose 2% among women between the ages of 40 and 44, and 3% for those from 45 to 49 — a change that would have been inconcievable in decades past.

Some experts refer to the disconnect between how we expect people to behave and feel at certain ages and the reality of how they actually feel as a conflict between "chronological age" and "subjective age." 

Even Thomas Jefferson grappled with this idea.

"I have observed, that at whatever age, or in whatever form, we have known a person of old so we believe him to continue indefinitely, unchanged by time or decay," he wrote from Monticello in 1826.

Of course, that's not always the way the world works. Age discrimination has been shown to have a detrimental effect on health care, employment, and, yes, even dating prospects. Ratelband, who tried to have his eighth child using a surrogate earlier this year, jokes that's been a problem for him. 

"I made a joke with the Tinder," he said of the online dating app. "If you go on Tinder, you are 69, you have no connections at all, but if you are 49, that's good."

As far as his case is concerned, Ratelband's lawyer expects that he has about a 70% chance of losing.

Whatever the outcome, both sides have said they plan to file an appeal in this fight for the ages.

SEE ALSO: Cutting down on calories could slow the aging process, according to new research

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Scientists discovered that people who work out the most have a huge advantage when it comes to aging

13 tips for getting the best deals on wine at Costco (COST)

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costco wine 5

  • Costco wines prove to be a major draw for some members. 
  • Business Insider spoke to Costco Wine Blog founder Andrew Cullen and reviewer Erin Reyes about their top strategies for finding great wines at a good value. 
  • They recommended tips like always checking the vintage year and making friends with the warehouse wine advisor.

Costco wines, like just about everything else at the warehouse chain, have accrued somewhat of a cult following.

There's a whole blog — aptly named the Costco Wine Blog— dedicated to reviewing all the whites, reds, rosés, and bubblies the retailer has to offer. The blog is completely independent of Costco, and it's attracted a community of fans.

"Costco is almost like a curated wine collection for members," blog founder and editor Andrew Cullen told Business Insider. "You're not going to go there and find whatever bottle you may be looking for."

Business Insider recently spoke to Cullen and contributing reviewer Erin Reyes to get their top tips on how to make the most of your next wine run at Costco. Both agreed that the chain tends to offer high-quality wines for reasonable prices.

"We all want to find really good wine at really good prices," Cullen said. "Costco's a really good place to do that."

Here are their top tips for buying wine at Costco:

SEE ALSO: From entire lawn sets to used toilets, these are the most ridiculous returns employees from Costco, Walmart, and Target say they've ever gotten

DON'T MISS: Costco sells millions of pumpkin pies every year — and the recipe has apparently been the same since 1987

SEE ALSO: 50 foods that Costco employees and members love

Look out for Kirkland wines ...

"Having access to the selection of Kirkland Signature wines is a huge, huge benefit for any Costco member and wine shopper," Cullen said. "You can only get them at Costco. You're getting access to really good wines from top wine regions at really good prices, typically."



... and take a closer look at the labels.

Costco has a history of partnering up with quality brands in order to craft its Kirkland products. Kirkland wines are no exception. And there's a subtle strategy for checking out where your wine is coming from.

Cullen said that occasionally, Costco wines list the winemaker on the back of the bottle.

"Then you can Google him or her and find out where they're producing wine," he said. "Then you can narrow it down and be like, 'Well it's so and so winemaker, and he's in Washington state, and they produce from this vineyard, so this is probably coming from this area or this vineyard.'"



Don't be afraid to dig around.

Cullen said that he's never afraid to dig around in the wine section of the warehouse.

"People think you're really weird when you're doing that, but it's totally worth it," he said.

That's because different vintages tend to be thrown in the bins together.

"Don't just grab the first bottle," Reyes said. She said that while vintage might not matter as much for lower-end wines, for high-ticket bottles it's far more crucial.

Cullen described finding separate vintages at the same price.  

"If there are a bunch of '15s on top, you might dig down and find a '14," he said. "You might even find a '13 vintage, stuck in there. It doesn't hurt to look."

Cullen also recommended checking beneath the wooden racks, where you might also find a forgotten bottle of an otherwise sold-out wine. 



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

10 people share what they argue about most in their relationships

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argument couple

  • In any relationship, couples argue, but what they argue about will differ from couple to couple.
  • Some subjects become recurring fights, such as how one person spends too much money or how one is too messy.
  • Here, 10 people share what they argue about most in their relationships.

 

Although every couple argues to some degree, whether they're married or not, what they argue about in their relationships can vary greatly.

Toni Coleman, a psychotherapist, relationship coach, and divorce mediator, told Business Insider that it's common for couples to come into counseling with the primary underlying complaint being a problem with communication.

"This often takes the form of recurring fights that repeat the same dysfunctional dynamics in a seemingly endless loop," she said. "The first thing I emphasize is the need to approach their communication in a different way."

Coleman said that she emphasizes "a need for compromise, which means that no one wins unless both win."

Her solution is for couples to  practice reflective listening, where each person is allowed to share their thoughts and feelings uninterrupted, and the other then reflects back what they've heard. "This leads to a much greater understanding of one another — without defensiveness — and an increased willingness to work together and be supportive of one another's needs," Coleman said.

On the topic of recurring fights, here 10 people share what they argue about most with their significant others.

SEE ALSO: 14 people share the best advice they've ever received from a teacher

Amy, 35

Simple: Money. Whether it's about what I spend from my personal bank account or what I spend from our joint one, money seems to be a constant topic of conversation between me and my husband.

We even have a meeting with a financial planner and a therapist soon, because I'd rather we get professional opinions. I think a lot of it comes down to how we were raised: My parents were more lax in spending, although they taught me how to save money, too, but his were very, very frugal, so he takes penny-pinching to an extreme.



Alice, 49

My long-term boyfriend and I live together and fight the most over housework. While he'd prefer to live in a mess, I feel it's important to clean up right after said mess is made.

We've tried a chore calendar and even a weekly maid, which was a complete waste of money, but every idea falls to the wayside, and I don't feel it's my job to constantly clean up after him.



Deena, 40

I married a Republican, but not a Trump supporter. We don't see eye-to-eye on any political topics. I've learned to not bring up anything.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

11 delicious gifts from online meat companies that carnivores will love

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The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase.

meat delivery gifts

Some people like receiving fine jewelry as gifts, while others prefer to open the box to reveal cool tech accessories. For some — the ones who are always looking forward to their next meal, cooking up something delicious in the kitchen, or eyeing pictures of food hungrily — if it's not something they can consume, what's even the point?  

Few types of food can make a person drool like meat. It's often the protein that forms the foundation of a meal, or its addition immediately makes an unsatisfying dish more appealing. 

Sending your friend or family member some meat as a gift is a little weird if it's just the regular stuff from your local grocery store, but certainly not when it's of the artisanal, gourmet, and curated variety. Packaged beautifully and combined with other cuts and kitchen accessories, it's the perfect gift for the carnivore in your life. 

Keep their bellies full and happy with these 11 gifts from online meat companies. 

Looking for more gift ideas? Check out all of Insider Picks' holiday gift guides for 2018 here.

A kit to make the perfect prime rib

American Wagyu Prime Rib Starter Kit, $255, available at Snake River Farms

Prime rib is actually really easy to make, as long as they get the temperature and seasoning right. The five-pound prime rib in this kit is beautifully marbled with a premium ribeye center. It includes a delicious black pepper salt to bring out the best flavors, and a digital meat thermometer to make sure they attain the perfect medium-rare. 



A sampler of the best cuts from online meat delivery company Porter Road

Best of Porter Road Box, $100, available at Porter Road

A good intro to Nashville-based online butcher shop Porter Road is its "Best Of" sampler, which has steaks, pork chops, ground beef, bacon, country sausage, and chorizo to fulfill all their different cravings. 

 

 



A charcuterie spread

Classic Box, $44.99, available at Carnivore Club

If they're always hanging around the charcuterie board at picnics and dinner parties, a Carnivore Club box will let them enjoy their own personal stash of artisanal cured meats. Soppressata, chorizo, and pepperoni may be some of the four to six meats they'll receive. 



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Here's a glimpse at Trump's decades-long history of business ties to Russia

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Donald Trump Russia

  • President Donald Trump has often claimed he has "nothing to do with Russia," but that's far from the truth. 
  • Trump's efforts to lay down his name in the Russian capital stretch back more than 30 years. 
  • According to Trump's former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, the president's most recent attempt to break ground in Moscow was a drawn-out process that lasted well into the 2016 presidential campaign season

President Donald Trump is adamant that he has no financial interests in Russia.

"Russia has never tried to use leverage over me," he tweeted in January 2017. "I HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH RUSSIA - NO DEALS, NO LOANS, NO NOTHING!"

But a glimpse at his actions over the last few decades paints a quite different picture, one that shows a concerted effort by the real-estate mogul to lay a foundation for the Trump name in the heart of Moscow.

Trump's business ties to Russia jumped back into the spotlight this week, after his former longtime lawyer, Michael Cohen, admitted that he lied to Congress about the extent of the Trump Organization's push to open a Trump Tower in Moscow during the 2016 election.

Prosecutors said Cohen "discussed the status and progress of the Moscow Project" with Trump "on more than the three occasions Cohen claimed" to the Senate Intelligence Committee last year and that "he briefed family members" of Trump within the Trump Organization about it.

They also said Cohen admitted to pursuing the deal as late as June 2016, after Trump became the presumptive Republican presidential nominee.

After Cohen's stunning revelations about the timeline of discussions on building Trump Tower in Moscow, Trump tweeted that he "lightly looked" at "doing a building somewhere in Russia." But the president added that he "didn't do the project" and claimed he made no verbal or financial commitments. The defunct Moscow project is just the latest in a long history of the president trying — and failing — to make his mark in the Russian capital.

Here's a rundown of Trump's attempted business dealings in Russia:

  • Trump's interest in doing business in Russia was first piqued in 1986, when he met the Soviet ambassador Yuri Dubinin and they began discussing building a "large luxury hotel across the street from the Kremlin in partnership with the Soviet government," as Trump recounted in his 1987 book, "The Art of the Deal."
  • Trump traveled to Russia in 1987 to survey potential locations for his hotel as landmark policies like perestroika and glasnost made the Soviet Union more open to foreign investments.
  • Trump in 1988 said the hotel plan failed because "in the Soviet Union, you don't own anything. It's hard to conjure up spending hundreds of millions of dollars on something and not own."
  • Trump went back to Russia in 1996 and announced a plan to invest $250 million in Russian real estate and slap his name on two luxury residential buildings. 
  • Trump boasted about his plan when he met the Russian politician Aleksandr Lebed in New York in 1997, telling Lebed, "We are actually looking at something in Moscow right now ... Only quality stuff. And we're working with the local government, the mayor of Moscow, and the mayor's people. So far, they've been very responsive ..." The plan never came to fruition.
  • But that wasn't the end of Trump's connection to Russian money. According to The Washington Post, the real estate mogul began seeing significant returns from Russian investments in US properties bearing the Trump name in the 2000s.
  • A Reuters investigation last year found that at least 63 individuals with Russian passports or addresses have bought at least $98.4 million worth of property in seven Trump-branded luxury towers in southern Florida, for instance.
  • Reuters noted that its tally of Russian investors may be conservative. At least 703 — or about one-third — of the owners of the 2,044 units in the seven Trump buildings are limited liability companies, or LLCs, which have the ability to hide the identity of a property's true owner.
  • In the mid-2000s, the Trump Organization partnered with a company called the Bayrock Group, contracting it to pursue a development deal in Moscow. This effort was led by the Russian-born businessman Felix Sater, who's become a key figure in Mueller's investigation and Cohen's plea deal.
  • In 2005, Sater found a former pencil factory he thought could be converted into a high-end skyscraper, and was in discussions with Russian investors about it. The deal ultimately fell through, but Sater continued to maintain a relationship with the Trump Organization. 
  • At a real estate conference in 2008, Donald Trump Jr. discussed the family's attempts to break into the Russian business world. "As much as we want to take our business over there, Russia is just a different world,” he said at the time. "It is a question of who knows who, whose brother is paying off who...It really is a scary place." Trump Jr. at that point had traveled to Russia a number of times, including a 2006 visit with Sater his sister, Ivanka Trump, and Sater.
  • At the 2008 conference, Trump Jr. also said, "Russians make up a pretty disproportionate cross-section of a lot of our assets." He explained that despite the difficulties his family had in trying to build in Russia they were still determined to keep pushing for it. In the 18 months prior to the conference, Trump Jr. made six trips to Russia.
  • In 2013, Trump traveled to Moscow for the Miss Universe pageant. During the visit, he said, "I have plans for the establishment of business in Russia. Now, I am in talks with several Russian companies to establish this skyscraper."
  • In 2015 and 2016, Cohen and Sater teamed up in an attempt to put up a Trump Tower in Moscow. Cohen said discussions on the plan lasted until June 2016, which was after Trump had clinched the GOP nomination for president.
  • Cohen was in touch with the office of Russian President Vladimir Putin's press secretary over the matter, which reportedly included a plan to offer Putin a $50 million penthouse in the tower. Those talks fell through as well and the plan eventually crumbled.  

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Trump once won a lawsuit against the NFL — but the result was an embarrassment

Michael Cohen's lawyers dropped a slew of intriguing bombshells about Trump in a new court filing

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Michael Cohen

  • Michael Cohen's lawyers revealed intriguing new details about President Donald Trump in a new court filing this week.
  • Cohen pleaded guilty to lying to Congress and is cooperating with the special counsel Robert Mueller.
  • Cohen's lawyers say he was "in close and regular contact" with Trump's lawyers and White House staffers in the weeks before he lied to lawmakers.
  • They also revealed that Cohen is cooperating with a mysterious "separate open inquiry" conducted by the New York attorney general's office.
  • When he was breaking campaign-finance laws at Trump's directions, Cohen's lawyers say he kept Trump "contemporaneously informed" of his actions.

In a sentencing memorandum submitted this week, Michael Cohen's lawyers said he was "in close and regular contact" with President Donald Trump's lawyers and White House staff in the weeks leading up to his congressional testimony last year.

The detail was just one of several bombshell revelations Cohen's lawyers made in the memorandum, which they submitted after Cohen pleaded guilty to one count of lying to Congress and formally began cooperating with the special counsel Robert Mueller this week.

Prosecutors said in a charging document that Cohen misled congressional investigators last year about the Trump Organization's effort to build a Trump Tower in Moscow during the 2016 US presidential election.

They said Cohen lied when he said negotiations for the Trump Tower Moscow deal ended in January 2016 and that he did not discuss it extensively with Trump Organization executives. They added that Cohen gave false testimony "in hopes of limiting the ongoing Russia investigations."

Michael Cohen and Donald Trump

Cohen was in regular contact with Trump's lawyers and the White House before he lied to Congress

In their sentencing memorandum, Cohen's lawyers said his false statements to Congress stemmed from his effort, "as a loyal ally and then-champion of Client-1, to support and advance Client-1's political messaging." Client-1 is believed to be Trump.

Cohen was the Trump Organization's lead attorney for a decade, until he left in 2017 to be Trump's personal lawyer. He was serving in that capacity when he was asked to appear before the House and Senate intelligence committees last year to testify in each panel's respective Russia investigation.

At the time, Cohen "followed daily the political messages that both Client-1 and his staff and supporters repeatedly and forcefully broadcast," his lawyers wrote. "Furthermore, in the weeks during which his then-counsel prepared his written response to the Congressional Committees, Michael remained in close and regular contact with White House-based staff and legal counsel to Client-1."

The president and his supporters have decried the Russia investigation as a politically motivated "witch hunt" since its existence first became public knowledge last March. And while the White House initially applauded Mueller's appointment as special counsel last May, Trump quickly switched gears and accused Mueller and the FBI, without evidence, of catering to Democrats and having anti-Trump bias.

Robert Mueller

Cohen's lawyers wrote that based on Trump's political messaging and Cohen's regular contact with Trump's lawyers and White House staff, he was "fully aware of Client-1's repeated disavowals of commercial and political ties between himself and Russia, as well as the strongly voiced mantra of Client-1's that investigations of such ties were politically motivated and without evidentiary support."

They added that Cohen was also aware of Trump's specific "aim to dismiss and minimize the merit" of the Russia probe, as well as Trump's and his representatives' claim that all contacts with Russians by Trump, his campaign, or the Trump Organization had ended before the Iowa caucuses, which took place on February 1, 2016.

Cohen's lawyers wrote that in accordance with that knowledge, Cohen misrepresented the timeline of the Trump Tower Moscow deal to Congress and downplayed the extent of his communications with Trump about the deal. They added elsewhere in the memo that Cohen's false statements "arose from Michael’s fierce loyalty to Client-1" and that his "conduct was intended to benefit Client-1, in accordance with Client-1’s directives."

Cohen has cooperated with a mysterious 'separate open inquiry'

In August, Cohen pleaded guilty to charges related to tax evasion, bank fraud, and campaign-finance violations. The charges were part of a separate investigation, by prosecutors from the Southern District of New York, into Cohen's and Trump's financial dealings leading up to the 2016 election.

Cohen's lawyers wrote in the sentencing memorandum that he has voluntarily met twice with prosecutors in the Manhattan US attorney's office. He has also participated in seven voluntary meetings with Mueller's team and given over 70 hours of interviews to the special counsel. His first meeting with Mueller's office came shortly before Cohen pleaded guilty in the Manhattan US attorney's office investigation.

His most recent sit-down with Mueller was last week.

Cohen's lawyers added in the memorandum that he has also voluntarily met with representatives from the New York attorney general's office, which is currently investigating the Donald J. Trump Foundation, Trump, and his children.

The lawsuit, which was filed in June against Trump, Donald Trump Jr., Ivanka Trump, Eric Trump, and the Trump Foundation, alleges "a pattern of persistent illegal conduct" for more than a decade.

Cohen's lawyers included another intriguing detail in their memo: in addition to cooperating with the investigation into the Trump Foundation, Cohen has also "provided the [New York attorney general's office] with documents concerning a separate open inquiry."

They did not elaborate on what that inquiry is.

WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 29: U.S. President Donald Trump walks toward a group of reporters to answer questions while departing the White House November 29, 2018 in Washington, DC. Trump answered numerous questions regarding his former attorney Michael Cohen's recent court appearance and testimony before departing for the G-20 summit in Buenos Aires. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

When he was breaking campaign-finance laws at Trump's direction, Cohen kept Trump 'contemporaneously informed' of his actions

When Cohen pleaded guilty to campaign-finance violations in August, he told prosecutors he acted at Trump's direction.

The charges stem from payments made shortly before the election to two women who claim to have had affairs with Trump, in exchange for their silence. Trump and his lawyers have repeatedly denied knowing anything about the payments and maintain that he did nothing wrong.

But in their sentencing memorandum, Cohen's lawyers wrote that Cohen kept Trump "contemporaneously informed and acted on [his] instructions" when it came to both the payments.

"Michael felt obligated to assist Client-1, on Client-1’s instruction, to attempt to prevent Woman-1 and Woman-2 from disseminating narratives that would adversely affect the Campaign and cause personal embarrassment to Client-1 and his family," Cohen's lawyers added.

Cohen broke campaign-finance laws for the same reason he lied to Congress, his lawyers said. "Both arose from Michael's fierce loyalty to Client-1. In each case, the conduct was intended to benefit Client-1, in accordance with Client-1's directives."

Cohen's lawyers said he is seeking an early sentencing date so he can begin rebuilding his life and look for new means to support his family. But they added that "this personal decision does not signal any intention on Michael's part to withhold information or his availability to respond to additional inquiry. To the contrary, he expects to cooperate further.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: This top economist has a radical plan to change the way Americans vote

Here is the life and legacy of former President George H.W. Bush in photos

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george h.w. bush

  • The 41st president of the United States, George H.W. Bush, died on November 30 at the age of 94.
  • His presidency was just one period of his career in the military and politics.
  • Barbara, his wife of 73 years, died just eight months before his death and accompanied him each step of the way.
  • Here's the life and legacy of George H.W. Bush.

George H.W. Bush, the 41st president of the United States, died at the age of 94.

Bush leaves behind a legacy not just as a president, but as a loving father and husband throughout a political career that spanned decades.

"George H.W. Bush was a man of the highest character and the best dad a son or daughter could ask for," former President and son George W. Bush said in a statement.

Here's the life and legacy of George H.W. Bush in photos:

SEE ALSO: Former President George H.W. Bush dies at age 94

George H.W. Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, in 1924. He was the second child out of five others.

Source: USA Today



He grew up in Greenwich, Connecticut, and graduated from Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts.

Source: AP



On June 12, 1942, Bush enlisted in the US Navy as a pilot in World War II.

Source: USA Today



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50 clever and practical gifts for dad under $50

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The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase.

A chocolate and coffee sip and taste set

Whether you're looking to rag on dad or show him all the love and kindness in the world (which are really one in the same, right?), we've got gift ideas for every kind of dad, from the hapless car-key-losing fool to the history buff and the masterful (and not-so-masterful) home chef.

Whatever it is that dad's into, something below is bound to make him smile, laugh, cry, or, hopefully, all of the above. You've been a pain and a nuisance all along; why change now?

Still shopping for more gifts? Check out all of Insider Picks' holiday gift guides for 2018 here.


A classy lunchbox with a cutting board top

Lunch Box with Cutting Board Lid, available at Uncommon Goods, $30

Don't send dad off to work (or school, as the case may be) with a brown bag. If you think it's embarrassing for you, it's definitely embarrassing for him.



A fish-shaped waiter's key

Deep Sea Bottle Opener, available at Uncommon Goods, $41

A nice piece for the bar to replace that ratty old plastic thing he stole from Holiday Inn before you were born and life was good.



A 3-month Amazon Prime Subscription

An Amazon Prime membership, available at Amazon, three months for $39

He'll pick up on it. Just get him started.



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What it's like to vacation in St. Moritz, the hidden gem in the Swiss Alps where celebrities, billionaires, and royalty go to ski

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St. moritz ski destination

  • St. Moritz, a ski resort in the Swiss Alps, has played home to the Winter Olympics not once, but twice.
  • With a number of five-star hotels and Michelin restaurants, St. Moritz has also become a pinnacle of luxury and a destination for the elite.
  • Celebrities, billionaires, and royalty flock to St. Moritz every winter to hit the slopes and vacation in style.

St. Moritz is many things: A holiday resort with world-class skiing, the birthplace of Alpine winter tourism, twice a home to the Winter Olympics, and a hidden gem for the one percent.

It's also, as Heidi Mitchell of Town & Country wrote, "Europe's most secretive and storied ski town."

Located in the middle of the Swiss Alps, St. Moritz has done more than popularize modern winter sports like ice cricket and snow polo — it's also spawned a number of five-star luxury hotels and top class restaurants with gourmet chefs. 

Such a history has created a champagne and caviar lifestyle that the glitterati flock to every winter. Celebrities, royalty, and billionaires alike, from Kate Moss to the Swedish royal family, come for the glitz and the slopes.

Here's a glimpse into the lavish winter wonderland that is St. Moritz.

SEE ALSO: What a $1 million vacation looks like in Mykonos, Greece, where you'll fly in on a private jet, sleep in an ocean-view villa, and cruise the seas in a yacht

DON'T MISS: A luxury travel company says these are the 10 most extravagant requests it's had from its super-rich customers

St. Moritz is located in Switzerland's Engadin Valley, a high Alpine valley region in the Swiss Alps.

Source: Google Maps



St. Moritz's history dates back to 1864, when the first winter tourists stayed from Christmas through Easter.

Source: Free Press Journal



In 1928, it hosted the first official Winter Olympics and again in 1948. Women dressed in silk, sequins, and fur; men dressed in three-piece suits, according to Vogue. The event secured its status as a luxury winter tourism destination.

Source: Vogue



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