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• Boutique workout classes are expensive and can be pretty intimidating.
• The fitness app Aaptiv helped me get access to the audio of thousands of workout classes led by certified professional trainers without having to go to classes in person.
• For only $15 a month, I've refreshed my workout routine, gotten the hang of HIIT, and go to the gym more frequently. Best of all, it feels less like I'm swinging at a target in the dark now.

I used to hate workout classes. They seemed to always be filled with people who had been emailed the moves to memorize three weeks prior and had then waited to enroll until they already had six-pack abs. But, I wanted to learn how to do each exercise — yoga, spinning, etc. — so even with those hangups, I’d go and pay the exorbitant fees, and then feel subsequently lackluster and unconvinced. I wasn’t driven by competition with the other people there, and I didn’t feel motivated by the military-grade attention given to me by the instructor as the “new kid in class.”

All in all, awesome for other people, not for me.

Like I said, though, I wanted to learn how to exercise in a way that wasn’t strictly a survival skill. Running had gotten a little boring, and I wanted to develop some new skills. In some cases you really need in-person instruction to make sure you’re doing it right (in which case, hello ClassPass), but most of the activities I wanted to explore didn’t necessarily require that.

Luckily for me, my older sister recommended downloading Aaptiv, or at least trying a week-long trial "just to see for [myself]." Apparently, it had turned her into a regular runner (and, as her sister, I can tell you for the last 20 years she has not been a self-described “runner”).

And I’m glad I listened to her.

Aaptiv is the top audio fitness app on iTunes, and it’s incredibly convenient. You get unlimited access to audio-based fitness classes led by certified professional trainers (that have pretty great playlists). There are more than 2,500 possible workouts, and they come in categories like running, elliptical, race training, rowing, strength training, stretching, yoga and more. There are 30 new classes added each week, so you can regularly refresh your routine.

At least for a semi-introvert like me, it’s been a godsend.

I always wanted to become more purposeful with how I worked out, but up until now I (like many people, I’d wager) was content to just zone in on areas, or focus on running as a kind of “all-over” workout that required little diagnosing. I didn’t want to spare the money to keep going to classes I didn’t enjoy enough or hire a personal trainer. And in terms of devoting the time to researching a plan for myself, it can be time consuming and irritating judging which information online — especially in “fitness communities” — comes from research you can fact check.

Having certified personal trainers design workout classes I a) don’t have to create myself, b) go to in person, and c) get yelled at directly by them in a mirrored-room fogged with the sweat of tens of other people is kind of the greatest thing to ever happen to my heretofore stale workout routine.

Plus, when I use a class on Aaptiv, I typically stick around for the whole thing, just like I would if I went to a SoulCycle class in person. When I go on my own, I typically leave when I “feel done”. This way, I’ve actually been working out less but feeling better about it, because I’m working out in a smarter way.

Instead of swinging in the dark in what feels like the right direction, I feel clearer and more confident about what I'm doing.

Having a plan I trust without having to do the legwork takes the pressure off of my workouts, and that means that I go to the gym more often. It’s easier to drop in, sweat it out, and then head home. It’s cathartic, and it’s working well.

And in terms of expense, it’s only $15 a month for unlimited access. I wish I could employ the equivalent of “rent control” on an app. ClassPass is still a great option if you want in-person instruction, are motivated by classmates, or want to experience a wide variety of classes in your city for a low admission cost — but, at least in New York, it’s $79 a month for four to six classes. 

In a world where boutique classes can go for $30 a session, Aaptiv is a great deal.  

If you're looking for an inexpensive — and totally intimidation-free — way to get into better, smarter fitness (or just stick to your New Year’s resolution to work out more), I highly recommend downloading Aaptiv. I've always loved spending time in the gym, but it’s never felt more productive than now.

Download Aaptiv to start your free trial (after trial $14.95/month for unlimited access)

SEE ALSO: A personal trainer shares 5 at-home workout tools you should own

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• If you love to make espresso at home, you need a high-quality tamper to ensure that your grounds are ready to make the best shot of espresso possible.
• Our top pick is the Decent Espresso Tamper because its calibrated pressure settings and precise design make it the best espresso tamper you can buy.

Making espresso is all about precision. Tiny changes in temperature, pressure, dose, and yield can turn a delicious shot into something so bitter it’s undrinkable. Tamping the grounds is a key part of the espresso process and that’s why we think the Decent Espresso Tamp, with its calibrated pressure settings and precise manufacturing, is the best pick for most home baristas.

Every barista has their preferred tamper, and many professionals even bring their own to work. Once you find your favorite tamp, it should feel familiar in your hand and allow you to apply even pressure to your portafilter without much thought. That's particularly important when you're in a pre-coffee morning haze.

When selecting the best tampers for our guide, we looked for a few key attributes. The first is precision. If a tamper isn’t the same size as your portafilter, some of the coffee will go uncompressed, and this will result in an uneven extraction as the water from your espresso machine will follow the path of least resistance through the untamped grounds, and you won’t get the delicious drink you’re looking for.

We also looked for tamps that felt good in the hand, both in terms of size and weight. Finally, we assessed durability and aesthetics because when something lives on your kitchen counter, you want it to look good and stay looking good.

Here are the best espresso tampers you can buy:

• Best espresso tamper overall: Decent Espresso Tamper
• Best espresso tamper for enthusiasts: Push Press
• Best espresso tamper for people with small hands: Rattleware Round Handle
• Best espresso tamper for small portafilters: Apexstone Tamper
• Best espresso tamper with a classic design: Reg Barber Tamper

Read on in the slides below to check out our top picks.

The best espresso tamper overall

Why you'll love it: The Decent Tamper's calibrated pressure and precision manufacturing ensure you get the same tamp on your coffee every time and the big, round, burnished handle feels and looks great.

Making espresso can be frustrating. Even when you spend a lot of time and money, you can end up with a frustratingly inconsistent coffee quality. One major variable that impacts the quality of espresso extraction is the compression or tamping of the grounds in the portafilter.

The two major tamping errors that lead to bad coffee are uneven tamping and a ring of untamped coffee due to imprecise manufacturing. For professional baristas, tamping can also lead to injury, either from overuse of the wrist or from slipping. Decent Espresso took its science-based approach to espresso making and got to work on solving these problems. The result was the Decent Tamper, which one expert described as a "game changer" for baristas.

The genius of the Decent Tamper is in its carefully calibrated spring. This ensures exactly the same tamping force of 25 pounds is used every time. Tamping inconsistently makes it hard to ensure a consistent high quality cup.

Decent Espresso worked with two dozen baristas including Scott Rao, a globally recognized coffee expert, to design a tamp that would work equally well for shop baristas who pull hundreds of shots and home baristas making their morning macchiato. Reviewers found the tamper "effortless to use" and "extremely well made"

Another potential pitfall when tamping coffee is an uneven tamp, which compresses one area of the puck more than another. This will lead to water flowing through the least-tamped area in the coffee puck and a poor-quality espresso. The Decent Tamper addresses this problem with a precisely machined to fit exactly into a modern 58.7-millimeter portafilter basket without leaving any untamped coffee around the circumference of the puck.  

The fit is so tight that Decent Espresso had to machine grooves into the tamper to prevent it sucking the puck out of the portafilter as it is withdrawn. This tight fit also makes it much easier to achieve a level tamp, which ensures even extraction.

In our testing, we found that the Decent Tamper feels great in the hand and delivers consistent and reliable results. With several machines to test, that allowed us to change everything from temperature to pressure to flow rate, it was a relief to have tamping pressure be a consistent variable.

Even when focusing on testing a machine or a grinder, this was the tamper that we reached for again and again, making it our pick for the best espresso tamper.

Pros: Precisely calibrated pressure, precision machined to eliminate the untamped coffee ring, big, rounded burnished handle

Cons: Only one color available, might feel too large or heavy for users with small hands, Not as cheap as some other options

Buy the Decent Espresso Tamper on Amazon for $140

The best espresso tamper for enthusiasts

Why you'll love it: The wide variety of colors and unique appearance of the PUSH Tamper might be what appeals to buyers at first, but the precision and repeatable tamp depth will make this a favorite over time.

The PUSH tamper appeared on the specialty coffee scene after being used by UK Barista Champion Maxwell Colonna-Dashwood at the 2015 World Barista Championship. The chances are, you won’t be competing with your coffee any time soon, but if you are looking to get the best possible cup, there’s a lot we can learn from the pros.

The PUSH tamper doesn’t look like any of the other tampers in this lineup. Indeed, you might mistake it for a hockey puck. The PUSH tamper works by pre-setting the depth to which it will tamp and then only tamping that far. This means that, as long as you do not change the dose of coffee in the portafilter, your tamp will be level and equal every time.

One expert tester said that "the PUSH tamper proved to be an extremely reliable tool for producing a balanced shot of espresso." The same tester also noted that due to the design of the PUSH tamper, there was less chance of overstressing your wrist from tamping.

The PUSH tamper is made by a company called Clockwork Espresso, and its design came out of a desire on the part of founder Pete Southern to help his office colleagues make better espresso. The design has caught on thanks to the ease of use and consistent tamping that it offers.

We found that the hockey puck sized tamper was easy to master and allowed us to dial in our shots without worrying about tamping as a variable.

People who have bought the PUSH tamper seem to have no regrets. One reviewer described the build quality as "second to none" and another called it "the best tamper we’ve ever used"

Pros: Consistent flat tamping, unique appearance, less chance of wrist injury

Cons: Takes a while to adjust and requires an allen wrench, cost

Buy the PUSH Adjustable Depth Tamper at Prima Coffee Equipment for $175

The best espresso tamper for people with small hands

Why you'll love it: Classic design combined with precision manufacturing make the Rattleware tamp a dependable tamper that is comfortable for smaller hands.

Baristas come in all shapes and sizes, and yet tampers often come in only one. For baristas with smaller hands, long handles can make for difficult tamping and often lead to uneven pressure or just feel uncomfortable. Fortunately, Rattleware produces its tampers in short along-handled versions ensuring that everyone can have a comfortable tamping experience.  

The Rattleware tamper might be smaller, but this is no toy. The stainless steel construction means it will far outlast cheaper tampers, with one former café manager saying that the tamper was of a high enough build quality for commercial use in his Amazon review.

Fit is also precise, where many cheaper tampers are close to their stated size, every review we saw stated that this tamper is a perfect fit at its stated size, which is important for ensuring an even tamp and quality shots.

The Rattleware tamper feels weighty enough to be sturdy without being annoying to hold and it comes with a short and long handle, meaning that even home baristas with small hands will find it a comfortable fit.

Reviewers on specialty coffee site Seattle Coffee Gear praised its great hand feel and sturdy construction, many felt it was a worthwhile upgrade to the plastic tampers often supplied with machines.

Unlike lightweight plastic models, the Rattleware Tamper provides "just the right amount of heft" according to one Amazon review.

Pros: Precision fit, sturdy construction, sized perfectly for small

Cons: Not calibrated to a certain pressure, only available in one colour, expensive compared to some other basic tampers

Buy the Rattleware 58-Millimeter Round-Handled Tamper on Amazon for $39.95

• Many people find they're more productive working from home than they are working out of an office. 
• Here, self-employed author Jennifer Still details five ways she's been able to increase her productivity while working from home. 

I've been employed in several different industries over the years in different environments.

From post-production studios to administrative offices to retail stores, I toiled away on the clock (and under my boss's watchful eye) for much of my working life and always felt moderately productive.

It wasn't until I began working from home as an editor and writer nearly a decade ago that I realized how little I was actually getting accomplished in a traditional work environment, compared to performing my duties while in my own space.

I'm now more productive than ever, and I attribute much of that to following these productivity tips.

SEE ALSO: I lost over 120 pounds in just under a year — here are 5 weight loss tips that worked for me

1. I exercise first thing in the morning.

I've always found exercising at night to hype me up too much instead of winding me down, so I prefer to do my workouts in the morning. I hit the gym early to get in some hardcore sweat sessions before heading home to have a quick shower, grab a coffee, and sit down to work.

I find that getting my body moving first thing also gets my brain in gear so that I'm awake, focused, and ready to conquer my day. Even if you're not doing hardcore cardio or weight lifting, even taking the dog out for a brisk walk can help get you ready to conquer your day.

2. I stand up at least once an hour and walk away from my computer.

Maybe you have a fitness tracker that reminds you when you've been sedentary too long (typically once per hour, at least on my Apple Watch). If not, you can set your own timer on your phone or even online to remind you to stand up and get your blood flowing again at regular intervals. This is not only good for your body but also your brain.

I find that when I stand up at least once per hour, I can sort of shake off the haze that comes over me when I'm focused on one task for a long time. When I sit back down, I feel refreshed and ready to get back to it. Bonus tip: the better hydrated you are, the more often you'll have to get up and use the bathroom, so that might be helpful here too.

3. I lock myself out of social media during periods of heavy workload.

Social media is a time suck during my free time — I can't afford to have it ruining my work hours too. While it's fine to take a little break now and then to browse the web, I try to ensure I'm using that time wisely, say, to catch up on the local news or look up a recipe to make for dinner that night. I know if I get on Twitter or Facebook, I can kiss goodbye to valuable time.

I now have enough self-control to just avoid going to those sites while I'm trying to accomplish a particularly large or pressing task, but if you don't, you could always use a plugin or website to do it for you. I recommend the Google Chrome add-on StayFocused to keep you on task.

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 high-quality STEM learning toy offers limitless opportunities for open-ended play, will keep your child entertained for hours, and nurtures their interest in science, technology, engineering, and math.
• I liked the Tinkering Labs Electric Motors Catalyst STEM Kit because you don't need a smart device to play with it, there are several fun challenges, and it was a great introduction to engineering for kids.
• Though it is more expensive than most STEM learning kits (currently $59 on Amazon), the set comes with over 50 parts and can be used with a variety of the most popular robotics kits.

One of the biggest challenges in my house is trying to pull my sons away from video games and passive media like YouTube, Netflix, and other streaming services.

I'm not a monster. I let them have some screen time, but I try to limit it. I've found simply telling them to turn off the computer is not enough. I need to have a good diversion. This is where the open-ended play of STEM toys is helpful. Tinkering Labs recently sent me their Electric Motors Catalyst STEM Kit to test. Here are our experiences with it.

My first experiences with the Tinkering Labs STEM Kit

The Tinkering Labs Electric Motors Catalyst STEM Kit comes with safety glasses, electric motors with wires, a battery pack (two AA batteries included), a wooden chassis, axles, wooden connectors, washable markers, a giant piece of paper, bolts and wingnuts, L-brackets, springs, about a dozen wooden wheels, bushings, rubber bands, a screwdriver, 10 challenge cards, and a drawstring storage bag.

Everything you need to get started comes in the box. And, if the 50+ parts that come in the kit are not enough for you, there are expansion sets available on the Tinkering Labs website.

Out of the box, it all looked overwhelming. My five-year-old son, Bucky, was excited to play with the set and figure it out, but he needed help. Heck, I needed help. Unfortunately, my 16-year-old son, who has years of robotics experience, was too busy with teenager stuff to save us. So, I had to watch tutorials and really read the information in the provided booklet.

In the time between opening the kit and finally playing with it, I lost the user manual. "No problem," I figured. "I'll just pull it up online." No luck. So, I had to go back to my horribly disorganized files to find the manual. And after about 15 minutes, we had the booklet in hand and were ready to play.

How the Tinkering Labs STEM Kit performed

The kit comes with 10 challenge cards. Each challenge is designed to take about 30 to 60 minutes to complete. The challenges include "make a machine that can scramble eggs," "invent a robot that moves without wheels," and "create a vehicle with a suspension system."

For our first challenge, we chose "build a machine that draws curvy lines." I had to do most of the work while Bucky started his own project. I engaged Bucky for simple parts of the construction, but a lot of it was too hard for him. He basically barked orders at me while I strained to make his ideas a reality. In the process, I explained why some of his ideas were beyond the scope of the kit. To be fair, the recommended age for this toy is eight to 12 years old.

After half an hour of trying to conquer the challenge, we ended up with a circle-drawing maniac. It started as a car. Then, we lost a wheel, and things went off the rails. The robot drew crazy circles while Bucky cheered it on. The whole time he had the biggest smile on his face.

I liked that the kit pushes kids to be creative without holding their hand too much. There is a lot of trial and error before youngsters can create a machine that works well. It's in this trial and error that your child will learn about engineering and science. I also liked that the play is open-ended. There are virtually limitless ways to enjoy this kit. You can even incorporate household items and parts from other robotics sets.

Up until the Tinkering Labs Electric Motors Catalyst Kit, every STEM toy I'd tested required the use of a smart device, which means screen time. Granted, it's quality screen time that takes your child away from YouTube or other mindless media, but it's still screen time. With the Tinkering Labs kit, there's no need for screen time. You might want to check out tutorials, but your young one can have a great time without a smart device on hand.

Some concerns about the kit

I could not get the on/off button on the battery pack to work correctly. It seems cheaply made. Our motors would lose power for seemingly no reason while the switch was in the on position. On other occasions, the motors would keep running once the unit was off. This was frustrating.

Two of the rubber bands broke pretty quickly, which was also frustrating since these are used to keep the battery pack and motors on the robot. Of course, we could use any old rubber bands for the task, but I would have liked something less MacGyver-like to keep these elements attached to the chassis.

Another durability concern is the motor wires. The insulation frays easily so you need to be careful to secure the wires away from moving parts, such as the wheels. We learned this the hard way. Fortunately, we did not wear all the way through the insulation, and the wires did not lose their ability to operate properly.

Lastly, I didn't like that I had to help Bucky every step of the way. To be fair, this has more to do with his developmental age and isn't due to any failing of the toy. After all, it is meant for kids at least eight years of age. I'm excited to see what Bucky can do with this once he's a year or two older and able grasp the concepts behind how the elements of the kit work together. Meanwhile, it's a fun toy for father-son time.

The bottom line

Despite the durability concerns, the Tinkering Labs Electric Motors Catalyst STEM Kit is an excellent kit that offers countless ways for your child to play, pushes them to learn engineering concepts, and challenges them to think outside the box. Overall, I would recommend it if you are looking for a toy that nurtures the STEM skills of a youngster between the ages of eight and 12 years old.

Buy the Tinkering Labs Electric Motors Catalyst STEM Kit on Amazon for $59

Join the conversation about this story »

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• A high-quality exercise device is easy to use, motivates you enough to keep you coming back to it, and provides noticeable improvements to your health.
• I like the OYO Personal Gym because you can adjust the resistance to really push yourself, and it comes with access to dozens of workout videos, including the 10-Week Challenge.
• Though it's more expensive than some home gym equipment (currently starting at $149.95 on Amazon), it's more affordable than a gym membership, is backed by a full three-year warranty, and you can easily bring it with you when traveling.

From the Shake Weight to the Thighmaster to the Body Blade, there are countless gimmicky exercise devices that prey on people trying to turn over a new leaf in their physical fitness. Most of this equipment is eventually donated to secondhand stores where they serve as just another exhibit in the "Museum of Fitness Fads Gone Bad."

At first, I thought the OYO Personal Gym was going to be another of these short-lived crazes. But, after coming back to it time and again for the last 60 days, my opinion has changed. Read on to learn more about my experiences with this device.

My first experiences with the OYO Personal Gym

OYO sent me both versions of their personal gym to test: the Pro and the LE. Both options come with two 10-pound and one five-pound flex packs, leg and door anchors, an exercise wall chart, and a nutrition guide. Both are backed by a full three-year warranty. The OYO Personal Gym works by providing between 10 and 25 pounds of resistance as you push it together or pull it apart with your hands or with the attachments. You adjust the resistance using the flex packs provided.

The Pro version of the gym costs $50 more than the LE and connects to the OYO app on iOS devices via Bluetooth. The app keeps track of how many reps you have completed, logs your workouts, and offers coaching advice based on your workouts.

The same technology astronauts use in space

For this review, I had the opportunity to talk to former astronaut Dr. Leroy Chiao, who spent over six months on the International Space Station and is a spokesperson for the OYO Personal Gym. "When up in orbit, it's very important to exercise," Dr. Chiao said. "On Earth, if you miss a workout, you at least walk around a bit to work the muscles. In space, it's more like you're laying in bed for months at a time. Without exercise, your muscles quickly atrophy and your bones demineralize."

"When I was up in space, I used what was called the iRED, or Interim Resistive Exercise Device," Dr. Chiao continued. "I came back physically stronger in each physical test, and I had immeasurable bone loss in the bone density scan. This was a testament to the effectiveness of the iRED."

"Fairly recently, Paul Francis (founder and CEO of OYO Fitness) got in touch with me to let me know he created the iRED and had patented the SpiraFlex technology and used it in the OYO. I became very interested." Dr. Chiao now brings the OYO with him when he's traveling so he can get his exercise in.

How the OYO Personal Gym performed

At first, it took a little getting used to the OYO. Specifically, when I was transitioning from pulling the ball-like handles out to pushing them together, I had to make sure that the dowels attached to the handles were back to their original position, or else I couldn't squeeze the device together properly. After the first couple of workouts, I had the hang of it and rarely ran into trouble with this.

I really liked that OYO made it clear where I should start by offering the 10-Week Challenge. This is a series of 36 workout videos that feature a broad array of exercises performed in three to five circuits. Each exercise lasts approximately 30 seconds for the first three weeks. Then, OYO Director of Fitness Nick Bolton ups it to one minute per exercise. And, with week 5, the challenge shifts from three workouts per week to four.

Since I had other training regimens I had to stay on top of for roller derby, I didn't stick with the schedule of the 10-Week Challenge, but I still got a lot out of progressing through it. As of this writing, I'm through week 7 of the challenge.

I received the OYO right as the Michigan weather made outdoor exercise virtually unbearable. Fortunately, this device made it so I didn't have to step outdoors to get a dripping-sweat workout. I got in the habit of working out first thing in the morning – before I was awake enough to talk myself out of it. I found it was an excellent way to start the day. It got my blood flowing and helped me keep my focus throughout the day.

Some concerns about the device

I was not a fan of the OYO app. First of all, all of my devices are Android so I had to borrow my wife's phone to use the app. I had to reconnect each time I used the OYO device, which took a few tries. I didn't find the rep tracking to be all that helpful, and I already keep a log of my workouts in a spreadsheet so I didn't need the log feature. If you do go with the Pro version and want to follow the workouts, I recommend casting your device onto a larger screen. It's difficult and awkward to try to watch the videos on a small iPhone screen.

I found the leg attachments and door anchors were only marginally useful. I didn't use the door anchors at any point. None of the 10-Week Challenge exercise videos I followed used them. The leg attachments were cumbersome. They were okay attached to the ankles during hip opening and squeezing exercises, but beyond that, it got dicey.

Specifically, the single-leg kickback was the bane of my existence. I was supposed to attach one leg attachment to my bicep and the other to my ankle then kick back while on my hands and knees. The attachment did not fit on my large bicep. So, I put it on my wrist. The motion was still so uncomfortable that I had to modify the exercise.

The bottom line

Overall, I am surprised by how helpful the OYO Personal Gym is. As a runner, cyclist, and roller derby skater, I primarily focus on my legs and have neglected my upper body for decades. Consequently, I suffer from chronic back pain. The OYO Personal Gym changed all of this. Now, I have an easy way to fit a challenging full-body workout into my fitness regimen without having to leave my home. I strongly recommend the OYO to anyone interested in improving their overall physical fitness. I also suggest that you seriously commit to the 10-Week Challenge if you do give the OYO a shot.

Buy the OYO Personal Gym on Amazon starting at $149.95

Join the conversation about this story »

• Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker said he thinks the Russia investigation is "close to being completed."
• The FBI has been investigating Russia's interference into the 2016 presidential election since 2016.
• Trump is a figure of interest in multiple threads of the Russia investigation. He was also an unindicted coconspirator in a separate criminal case brought against Michael Cohen by the Manhattan US attorney's office.
• Justice Department veterans say that even if prosecutors have enough evidence to indict Trump, they would refrain from doing so because department guidelines say a sitting president cannot be charged with a crime.
• Whitaker was criticized on Monday by some who said it looked like he was publicly pressuring the special counsel Robert Mueller to wrap up the investigation.

Matthew Whitaker, the acting attorney general, said Monday that the special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election is nearing its conclusion.

"Right now the investigation is, I think, close to being completed," Whitaker said. "And, I hope that we can get the report from director Mueller as soon as possible."

Whitaker made the statement during a news conference at which the Justice Department announced it was formally charging the Chinese telecom company Huawei and its chief financial officer with helping banks sidestep sanctions on Iran and for stealing trade secrets.

The FBI has been investigating Russia's interference in the election since summer 2016. As part of the investigation, Mueller is also looking into whether members of President Donald Trump's campaign secretly worked with Moscow to tilt the election in his favor, and whether Trump sought to obstruct justice when he fired FBI Director James Comey in 2017.

Last week, prosecutors charged the longtime GOP strategist Roger Stone with obstruction, false statements, and witness tampering. Legal scholars say more indictments against Stone's associates will likely be handed down in the coming weeks.

Several other Trump associates have also been charged, including former national security adviser Michael Flynn, former campaign chairman Paul Manafort, former deputy campaign chairman Rick Gates, and former campaign aide George Papadopoulos. Dozens of Russian nationals and several Russian entities have also been charged as part of the probe.

Trump is a figure of interest in many threads of the investigation, including Comey's firing and other reported efforts to hamper the investigation; the Trump Organization's efforts to build a Trump Tower in Moscow; Russia's hack of the Democratic National Committee; WikiLeaks' subsequent dissemination of stolen emails; and a meeting between top campaign officials and Russians at Trump Tower in New York City in June 2016.

He was also named as an unindicted coconspirator in a separate criminal case against his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, which was brought by the US attorney's office in Manhattan.

Read more: Mueller dropped a huge bombshell in Roger Stone's indictment, and it's bad news for Trump

Justice Department veterans say that even if prosecutors have evidence showing that Trump engaged in criminal conduct, it's unlikely he would be indicted because Justice Department guidelines say a sitting president cannot be charged.

Instead, Mueller is said to be putting together a report of his findings for Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who is overseeing the investigation. Rosenstein is expected to release the report to Congress, which would then make it available to the public.

Some legal experts criticized Whitaker's decision to publicly comment on the Mueller probe on Monday, particularly given the controversies surrounding his appointment as acting attorney general after Trump ousted former Attorney General Jeff Sessions last year. Chief among the controversies were several comments Whitaker made criticizing the investigation and musing about how to render it ineffective.

"This is exactly why Whitaker should have recused himself from overseeing the [Russia] probe," wrote Mimi Rocah, a former federal prosecutor from the Southern District of New York. "We should be able to have faith & trust that the AG is acting in the interests finding the truth & not (as many will be) skeptical that he is in some way pressuring Mueller to wrap it up."

Renato Mariotti, a former federal prosecutor in Chicago, echoed Rocah's view, writing that he "couldn't agree more."

"I hope that when this is over, Mueller will publicly make clear the extent of any interference with his investigation from anyone," Mariotti wrote.

It's unclear how it would affect pending court cases and indictments if Mueller were to wrap up the investigation and submit a final report. Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort is locked in legal battle with prosecutors who accused him of breaching his plea deal after agreeing to cooperate with them. Some media reports have said Mueller is weighing whether to put Manafort on trial again.

Meanwhile, it surfaced last year that the Justice Department is gearing up to indict WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.

Stone said he doesn't intend to plead guilty and will go to trial after being charged with seven counts last week. And Justice Department veterans have said Jerome Corsi, the far-right political commentator referenced — but not named — in Stone's indictment may also be charged soon.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: MSNBC host Chris Hayes thinks President Trump's stance on China is 'not at all crazy'

• The longtime GOP strategist Roger Stone said Sunday that he would be open to testifying about his conversations with President Donald Trump.
• The concession could help investigators piece together big parts of their inquiry into whether Stone served as a conduit between the Trump campaign and WikiLeaks during the election.
• In one instance that's likely to draw scrutiny, the two men had a late-night phone call on the same day Stone learned from another contact, Jerome Corsi, that WikiLeaks was gearing up to release "damaging" material on the Hillary Clinton campaign.
• Corsi also told Stone, before Stone's phone call with Trump, that it "would not hurt" to begin floating the rumor that Clinton was not well. In the days after, Trump began testing out the talking point.
• Both Stone and Trump have said they never discussed WikiLeaks or Assange.

The longtime GOP strategist Roger Stone has not ruled out cooperating with the special counsel Robert Mueller in the ongoing Russia investigation.

"If there's wrongdoing by other people in [President Donald Trump's 2016 campaign] that I know about — which I know of none — but if there is, I would testify honestly," Stone said on ABC's "This Week" on Sunday.

"I would also testify honestly about any other matter, including any communications with the president," he said. "It's true that we spoke on the phone, but those communications are political in nature."

Stone was arrested Friday after a grand jury indicted him on seven counts of obstruction, false statements, and witness tampering.

Mueller scrutinized the many late-night phone calls between Trump and Stone that took place during the 2016 campaign season. The calls drew prosecutors' attention as they investigated whether Stone or anyone else served as a conduit between Trump and the radical pro-transparency group WikiLeaks during the election. Stone has said he never spoke with Trump about WikiLeaks or Assange.

The Kremlin is known to have used WikiLeaks as a propaganda tool to disseminate emails Russian hackers stole when they breached the servers of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) during the 2016 campaign season. The US intelligence community determined in 2017 that Russia hacked the DNC in order to tip the election in Trump's favor.

Read more:Mueller dropped a huge bombshell in Roger Stone's indictment, and it's bad news for Trump

Stone's links to WikiLeaks and its founder, Julian Assange, are well-known. He exchanged Twitter direct messages with the Russian hacker Guccifer 2.0, who helped WikiLeaks disseminate the stolen Democratic emails. Stone is also known to have exchanged direct messages with WikiLeaks' main account on Twitter in October 2016.

And he was corresponding throughout the summer with the far-right commentator Jerome Corsi and the radio host Randy Credico about obtaining the hacked emails from WikiLeaks that had not yet been published online.

A timeline emerges

In one email, dated August 2, Corsi told Stone he was in Europe and planned to return in or around mid-August. He wrote, "Word is friend in embassy," a reference to Assange, "plans 2 more dumps. One shortly after I'm back. 2nd in Oct. Impact planned to be very damaging."

Corsi added in the same email, "Time to let more than [the Clinton Campaign chairman] to be exposed as in bed w 5 enemy if they are not ready to drop HRC. That appears to be the game hackers are now about. Would not hurt to start suggesting HRC old, memory bad, has stroke - neither he nor she well. I expect that much of next dump focus, setting stage for Foundation debacle."

Read more:Mueller indicts former Trump campaign adviser Roger Stone on charges of obstruction, false statements, and witness tampering

Stone spoke with Trump over the phone later that same day. It's unclear what their conversation was about.

In the days after, Trump began suggesting Clinton was not well.

On August 17, he said Clinton's speeches on the campaign trail "don't last long" and that she should "go home and go to sleep."

Shortly before that appearance, Trump said Clinton lacked the "mental and physical stamina" to fight the Islamic State.

Trump has denied that his campaign had any connection to or advance knowledge of WikiLeaks' plans.

But in their charging document against Stone, prosecutors wrote that someone directed a senior Trump campaign official to maintain a channel of communication with Stone about WikiLeaks. The identity of the senior official and who directed them has not been made public.

Trump's son Donald Trump Jr. is also known to have been in contact with WikiLeaks during the election.

Stone struck a defiant tone after being arrested Friday.

"This country is literally run by a rogue prosecutor who has more power than the president," he said in a statement relayed by his lawyer to his colleagues at the far-right conspiracy website Infowars on Friday.

He also emphasized that he would not flip on Trump, telling reporters, "There's no circumstance under which I would testify against the president, because I'd have to bear false witness against him."

Asked Sunday on "This Week" whether he was cooperating with prosecutors, Stone said, "I don't want to address that question," but repeated that he would not testify against Trump.

He also echoed Trump's attacks on Mueller and the Russia probe, and added that Trump had never suggested pardoning him.

"I have never discussed a pardon," Stone said. "The only person that I have advocated a pardon for, as we have discussed previously, is a posthumous pardon for Marcus Garvey."

SEE ALSO: Mueller dropped a huge bombshell in Roger Stone's indictment, and it's bad news for Trump

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: MSNBC host Chris Hayes thinks President Trump's stance on China is 'not at all crazy'

• The Instagram account @airplanefoodselfie shares images of plane meals on different airlines around the world.
• One of the most striking takeaways is how much economy food can vary in standard depending on the airline.
• The account is run by 39-year-old full-time traveller Henry Wu.

While it's no secret that business and first class food is leagues apart from economy, most people don't realise quite how much economy food can vary across different airlines.

Indeed, while on some flights passengers are forced to make do with overcooked broccoli and pasta served under a foil lid, others get to enjoy tender chicken and crisp salad served on actual chinaware with metal cutlery.

There's one Instagram account which hammers this point home incredibly clearly: Airplane Food Selfie.

SEE ALSO: Disappointing photos show what flying first class is really like

Set-up by 39-year-old Henry Wu, the account shares images of airplane meals sent in by travellers, as well as the airline, flight, and class, and asks fans to rate how delicious the food looks.

Wu started the Instagram account in June 2018 and it swiftly took off — it now has over 15,500 followers.

Until last autumn, Wu was a software developer based in Chicago, but he decided to quit his job and sell his home to embark on full-time travel for a couple of years.

"I love to travel (I flew 102,000 miles in 2018 alone) so over the years, I developed a decent collection of airplane food pictures and I never knew what to do with them," Wu told Business Insider.

• Roger Stone pleaded not guilty to seven counts of obstruction, false statements, and witness tampering.
• Stone has struck a defiant tone since being arrested and charged last week, accusing the special counsel Robert Mueller of being a "rogue prosecutor who has more power than the president" and telling reporters he would not testify against President Donald Trump.
• He has also ramped up calls for donations to his legal defense fund.
• Stone is at the center of Mueller's investigation into whether the Trump campaign had advance knowledge of WikiLeaks' plans to publish Democratic emails that had been stolen by Russian hackers during the election.
• Prosecutors are also interested in learning whether Stone served as a bridge between the Trump campaign, WikiLeaks, and Russia during the election.

The longtime GOP strategist Roger Stone entered a plea of not guilty in federal court Tuesday in response to seven felony charges of obstruction, false statements, and witness tampering.

The charges stem from the special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russia's interference in the 2016 US election. Stone was indicted by a grand jury last week and arrested Friday.

Stone appeared before US Magistrate Deborah Robinson in Washington, DC amid chants of "lock him up!" from protesters and supportive calls from other onlookers.

The charging document contains a slew of intricate details about Stone's alleged false statements to Congress about his interactions involving WikiLeaks; his extensive communications with the far-right commentator Jerome Corsi and radio host Randy Credico about WikiLeaks' document dumps in summer 2016; and his prolonged efforts to prevent Credico from testifying to Congress or turning over information to the FBI.

In typical fashion, Stone struck a defiant tone after being arrested Friday, telling reporters that he would not plead guilty or testify against President Donald Trump.

"This country is literally run by a rogue prosecutor who has more power than the president," he added in a statement relayed by his lawyer to his colleagues at the far-right conspiracy website InfoWars.

Stone has also taken to Instagram in recent days calling for supporters to donate to his legal defense fund, using the hashtag #RogerStoneDidNothingWrong and suggesting that he is the target of a fishing expedition by Mueller's team.

Read more: Roger Stone says he'd be open to talking about his conversations with Trump, and that could be a game changer for Mueller

On Sunday, Stone indicated he has not ruled out cooperating with some parts of the investigation.

"If there's wrongdoing by other people in the campaign that I know about — which I know of none — but if there is, I would testify honestly," Stone said on ABC's "This Week."

"I would also testify honestly about any other matter, including any communications with the president," he said. "It's true that we spoke on the phone, but those communications are political in nature."

Mueller scrutinized the many late-night phone calls between Trump and Stone that took place during the 2016 campaign season. The calls drew prosecutors' attention as they investigated whether Stone or anyone else served as a conduit between Trump and WikiLeaks during the election. Stone has said he never spoke with Trump about WikiLeaks or its founder, Julian Assange.

Stone's links to WikiLeaks and its founder, Julian Assange, are well-known. He exchanged Twitter direct messages with the Russian hacker Guccifer 2.0, who helped WikiLeaks disseminate the stolen Democratic emails. Stone is also known to have exchanged direct messages with WikiLeaks' main account on Twitter in October 2016.

And he was corresponding throughout the summer with Corsi and Credico about obtaining the hacked emails from WikiLeaks that had not yet been published online.

In one email, dated August 2, Corsi told Stone he was in Europe and planned to return in or around mid-August. He wrote, "Word is friend in embassy," a reference to Assange, "plans 2 more dumps. One shortly after I'm back. 2nd in Oct. Impact planned to be very damaging."

Corsi added in the same email, "Time to let more than [the Clinton Campaign chairman] to be exposed as in bed w 5 enemy if they are not ready to drop HRC. That appears to be the game hackers are now about. Would not hurt to start suggesting HRC old, memory bad, has stroke - neither he nor she well. I expect that much of next dump focus, setting stage for Foundation debacle."

Stone spoke with Trump over the phone later that same day. It's unclear what their conversation was about.

In the days after, Trump began suggesting Clinton was not well.

On August 17, he said Clinton's speeches on the campaign trail "don't last long" and that she should "go home and go to sleep."

Shortly before that appearance, Trump said Clinton lacked the "mental and physical stamina" to fight the Islamic State.

Trump has denied that his campaign had any connection to or advance knowledge of WikiLeaks' plans.

But in their charging document against Stone, prosecutors wrote that someone directed a senior Trump campaign official to maintain a channel of communication with Stone about WikiLeaks. The identity of the senior official and who directed them has not been made public.

Trump's son Donald Trump Jr. is also known to have been in contact with WikiLeaks during the election.

SEE ALSO: Roger Stone says he'd be open to talking about his conversations with Trump, and that could be a game changer for Mueller

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: MSNBC host Chris Hayes thinks President Trump's stance on China is 'not at all crazy'

• Michael Cohen will voluntarily testify before the House Intelligence Committee in a closed-door session on February 8.
• He will also tentatively move forward with previously-scheduled public testimony before the House Oversight Committee on February 7.
• Last week, Cohen was subpoenaed to appear before the Senate Intelligence Committee on February 12.
• Cohen has pleaded guilty in two separate federal criminal probes and has implicated President Donald Trump in criminal activity since agreeing to cooperate with prosecutors last year.
• He is due to report for a 3-year prison sentence on March 6.

California Rep. Adam Schiff, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, announced Monday that Michael Cohen had voluntarily agreed to testify before the panel in a closed door session on February 8.

Cohen's new lawyer, Michael Monico, also said Cohen has tentatively agreed to move forward with a previously scheduled public testimony before the House Oversight Committee. The date has not been finalized but Cohen is in discussions to appear before the panel on February 7, CNN reported.

Cohen initially agreed to voluntarily appear, but he announced last week that he would indefinitely postpone his testimony in light of what he described as "ongoing threats" against his family by President Donald Trump and his lawyer, Rudy Giuliani.

Cohen has also been subpoenaed to testify before the Senate Intelligence Committee in a closed-door session, which is set to take place on February 12.

Read more:Michael Cohen's plea deal poses a significant danger to Donald Trump Jr.

Cohen is Trump's longtime former lawyer and fixer who pleaded guilty in two separate federal criminal investigations. The first is a Manhattan US attorney's office investigation into his and Trump's business dealings before the 2016 election, in which Cohen pleaded guilty to tax evasion, bank fraud, and campaign finance violations.

The second is the FBI's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, led by the special counsel Robert Mueller. In November, Cohen pleaded guilty to one count of  lying to Congress about various aspects of the Trump Tower Moscow deal when he testified before the House Intelligence Committee in 2017. He was sentenced to three years and is due to report to prison on March 6.

"I want to thank Michael Cohen for agreeing to appear voluntarily before the Committee for closed testimony on February 8, 2019," Schiff said in a statement Monday. "Mr. Cohen has relayed to the Committee his legitimate concerns for his safety as well as that of his family, which have been fueled by improper comments made by the President and his lawyer."

Read more:DOJ veterans say Trump and Giuliani's recent attacks against Cohen could rise to the level of criminal conduct

Schiff was likely referring to Trump's and Rudy Giuliani's suggestions that prosecutors look into Cohen's father-in-law in retaliation for Cohen's decision to publicly testify before the House Oversight Committee.

"As I've previously stated with my colleagues, [House Oversight Committee Chairman] Elijah Cummings and [House Judiciary Committee Chairman] Jerrold Nadler, efforts to intimidate witnesses, scare their family members, or prevent them from testifying before Congress are tactics we expect from organized crime, not the White House," Schiff said, adding that the committee will continue to work with Cohen and law enforcement to protect him and his family.

In a court filing last year, prosecutors said Cohen misled the Senate Intelligence Committee 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.

In fact, 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 and "he briefed family members" of Trump within the Trump Organization about it.

They added that Cohen admitted to pursuing the deal with Sater as late as June 2016, after Trump became the presumptive Republican presidential nominee. Prosecutors also said in their charging document that Cohen made additional false statements to the House Intelligence Committee when he first testified before the panel in 2017.

A Democratic aide told INSIDER that lawmakers plan to "extensively question" Cohen about the specifics of the Trump Tower Moscow deal, as well as address inconsistencies in his prior testimony, when he appears before the intel committee behind closed doors on February 8. His testimony before the House Oversight Committee, meanwhile, will focus on other topics because it is in a public setting.

Cohen initially struck a defiant tone when he learned he was a subject of interest in the Mueller probe and the Manhattan US attorney's office investigation. But Cohen reportedly felt betrayed after Trump and other White House personnel started distancing themselves from him following an FBI raid of his property. Soon after, he began cooperating with prosecutors, citing a duty to country and his family.

Cohen has since implicated Trump in criminal activity related to campaign finance violations made in the run-up to the 2016 election. His lawyers also said in a sentencing memo that Cohen was "in close and regular contact" with White House staff and Trump's legal team as he was drafting the false testimony he gave to Congress.

Earlier this month, BuzzFeed News also published a disputed and controversial report alleging that Trump instructed Cohen to lie to Congress. Democratic lawmakers have signaled that they intend to ask Cohen about the story when he testifies again.

At first, Trump defended Cohen when news of the FBI's raid first surfaced last year. But the president soon adopted a different tone and stepped back from shielding his longtime lawyer.

When Cohen indicated that he would plead guilty and cooperate, Trump shifted gears and began lobbing attacks at Cohen and his credibility, calling him a "rat" and suggesting he was weak for deciding to "break."

SEE ALSO: Roger Stone says he'd be open to talking about his conversations with Trump, and that could be a game changer for Mueller

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: MSNBC host Chris Hayes thinks President Trump's stance on China is 'not at all crazy'

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.

• Finding hair-care products worth their weight in gold can be an expensive, time-consuming process.
• To help winnow the best from the forgettable, I polled my coworkers and fellow product reviewers to bring you a master list of their Holy Grail hair-care products. 
• Below, find the 16 hair tools and products we swear by in our own lives.

Until my early 20s, hair care products were more likely to do harm than good — sort of like fire, which could either make you an entire delicious meal in the woods or, in unskilled hands, burn your caveman village to the ground. Sometimes I'd win the lottery and end up with something that made my locks more manageable, shiny, and frizz-free. Others, I'd spend another panicked afternoon with curls that look like they'd been made inside an air fryer.

If you're looking for healthy, shiny hair that's easier to manage,  you've probably had your fair share of highs and lows in terms of products. To make it easier, and to winnow the best from the pack of many, I asked my coworkers on the Insider Picks team to divulge their own Holy Grail products. We see thousands of products every year, and we're particularly critical about the ones we stock in our own cabinets. Shop our must-haves below, and skip the expense of trying everything yourself.

16 game-changing tools and products we swear by for healthy, shiny hair:

A silk pillowcase

Celestial Silk Pillowcase, available at Amazon, $35.99

I have probably 40% less frizz every morning I wake up after using a silk pillowcase, and it helps prolong the life of a blowout. I bought this $36 version for lots of reasons, but mostly because it has great reviews, is made of high-quality silk, and is the top pick in our Buying Guide on the best silk pillowcases on the internet. — Mara Leighton, Insider Picks reporter

MYK Pure Natural Mulberry Silk Pillowcase, available at Amazon, $28.99

I always heard that silk pillowcases are good for your hair and skin, and since I’ve been using MYK’s pure silk pillowcase, I can see a real difference in my hair’s quality. I also love the cotton underside of this pillow because it prevents slippage, which isn’t something you want from your pillow when you’re sleeping! — Malarie Gokey, Buying Guides editor

It's A 10 Miracle Leave-In Product

It's A 10 Miracle Leave-In Product, available at Amazon, $25.49

I once left a haircut and bought this 30 seconds later at the express request of my hairstylist. From what I understood then — and now, after using it religiously — is that it's one of the best and cheapest ways to bring dry, damaged hair back to healthy, shiny life. With it, my hair is instantly silkier and shinier, and it's great to use before hot tools to protect against thermal damage. Use it on wet or dry hair. — Mara Leighton, Insider Picks reporter

Kerestase Nutritive Mask for Dry, Fine Hair

Kerestase Nutritive Mask for Dry, Fine Hair, available at Sephora, $53

This mask is pure gold for dry, damaged hair. My routine includes showering at night, letting my hair dry when I sleep, and then flat-ironing it in the morning, which means I don't use a heat protectant. So, I need to restore moisture in the form of a hair mask once or twice a week. This one is the best I’ve ever tried, and all I have to do is use it like a conditioner. I leave it on for about 5 minutes in the shower and that’s it — my hair ends up silky soft and hydrated. No need to sit on the couch with an oily hair mask dripping down my neck. — Sally Kaplan, Insider Picks editor

• The upcoming Porsche Taycan will be able to receive over 60 miles of range from a 4-minute charge, Porsche said Monday in a press release.
• The Taycan had previously been known as the Mission E.
• Porsche has said it will have a range of over 300 miles, produce over 600 horsepower, and accelerate from 0-60 mph in under 3.5 seconds.
• The Taycan will compete against Tesla's Model S sedan.

The upcoming Porsche Taycan will be able to receive over 60 miles of range from a 4-minute charge, Porsche said Monday in a press release.

That charging time would be the fastest available today, the automaker said, exceeding Tesla's supercharging stations, which can charge a vehicle's battery to about 80% of its capacity in around 30 minutes. (Tesla's vehicles have a range of between around 265 miles and 334 miles, depending on the model and trim.)

Read more: I checked out an exclusive $1.75 million Ferrari Monza SP. Here's what it was like.

The Taycan's proposed maximum charging speed would be possible when using DC fast-chargers that support charging rates of up to 350 kilowatts, which will be available at 120 of the 191 Porsche dealers in the US, as well as charging stations operated by Electrify America.

Porsche plans to release the Taycan by the end of 2019. The automaker has said the vehicle will have a range of over 300 miles, produce over 600 horsepower, and accelerate from 0-60 mph in under 3.5 seconds. The Taycan is expected to start around $90,000, according to The Drive.

The Taycan will compete against Tesla's Model S sedan. Between its two premium trims, the Model S has a maximum range of 335 miles and can accelerate from 0-60 mph in 2.5 seconds.

In 2018, Porsche's head of electric vehicles, Stefan Weckbach, said the Taycan will be able to sustain its performance better than the Model S. The Taycan "will offer reproducible performance and a top speed which can be maintained for long periods," he said.

Weckbach also hinted at driver-assistance features, like the ability to autonomously park or stop and start in traffic. The vehicle is expected to have other high-tech features, like a digital instrument panel that mirrors the driver's movements and a dashboard that drivers can control with gestures through a holographic display.

Here's what we know about the Taycan so far.

SEE ALSO: Watch how this putty can increase your car's horsepower

The Taycan will be Porsche's first, all-electric production vehicle.

Porsche has said it will have over 600 horsepower and the ability to accelerate from 0-60 mph in less than 3.5 seconds.

The Taycan will have a range of over 300 miles per charge and the ability to get over 60 miles of range from a four-minute charge, according to Porsche.

• When moving to another country, you might not realize all that you're leaving behind at home. 
• Here, author Jennifer Still lists seven "seemingly unimportant" things about the US that she misses as an American living in the UK.

I had lived in New York City for more than half my life when I made the move to the UK with my British partner.

While I was excited to try out a different pace of living, and the decision to cross the pond was undoubtedly the most logical one for our relationship at that point, I can't say the transition has been entirely seamless.

I knew I would be homesick for the US sometimes, especially having come from a vibrant and beautiful city like New York.

However, I never realized I would miss seemingly unimportant things like these quite so much.

SEE ALSO: The 5 best US cities to commute from — and the 5 worst

Stores being open late at night

Sure, the UK has the occasional takeout joint or large supermarket that is open late into the evening or even 24 hours, but the majority of stores tend to close in the early evening, at least in my northern English town. Just before Christmas, you can indulge in "late-night shopping," when the stores are open until 8 p.m. or 9 p.m., but other than that, you’re out of luck.

You can also forget about doing much shopping on a Sunday; British law prevents stores from staying open for longer than six hours on that day.

Target and Trader Joe's

Speaking of shopping, I never realized just how much I relied upon my regular trips to Target and Trader Joe's until I moved to a country that has neither. How I miss that delicious Mandarin orange chicken! How I long for the beloved "dollar spot"!

Of course, the UK has its share of discount grocery stores (Aldi and Lidl are pretty great), but nothing really comparable to the unique and awesome products available at Trader Joe's. The same goes for Target equivalents — there really isn't one here, and I mourn that fact every day.

The vast cultural and geographic differences across the US

It's crazy to think that you can travel the length of Britain, from the Land's End in England to John o' Groats in Scotland, via car in less than 15 hours. You can't drive from New York to Florida in that amount of time. America is a huge country, especially in comparison to England, and the differences in culture, geography, and scenery in each of the 50 states is an incredible thing to witness.

While England is a beautiful country — and I've visited a fair amount of it at this point — much of it looks very similar. For instance, the beautiful northern seaside village of Whitby very much resembles the cliffs of Cornwall. While I'm by no means implying that Britain lacks diversity or that it generally pales in comparison to America, I do feel America's sheer mass naturally makes it astonishingly different, and sometimes I miss the uniqueness of the landscape.

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

Since you don't have all day to scour the web for noteworthy sales and discounts, we rounded up the best bargains for you to shop in one convenient place.

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2. Save up to 70% on sale styles at Shopbop

Right now, you can save up to 70% on thousands of luxury styles including apparel, outwear, footwear, and accessories. You find brands like Rag & Bone, Theory, Alexander Wang, Club Monaco, and much more, all heavily discounted. 

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Shop the United By Blue end of season sale now. 

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8. Save up to $250 on Eight Sleep Mattresses

Forward-thinking mattress startup Eight Sleep makes premium foam mattresses with built-in sleep tracking sensors to help you achieve the best rest ever. The sensors collect data on insights like how much sleep you should be getting, what hours you sleep best, and more. Right now, you can save up to $250 on a smart mattress and receive two pillows for free. Discounts are taken off automatically at checkout, so you won't need a promo code.

Shop the Eight Sleep sale now.

Join the conversation about this story »

• Super Bowl tickets don't come cheap.
• The average resale price for a Super Bowl 2019 ticket in Atlanta, Georgia, is about $5,240 as of January 29, according to resale site SeatGeek.
• Fans attending the Super Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium will enjoy the retractable roof, beautiful lounges, a bar the length of a football field, and stunning views of the city's skyline.

Year after year, football fans put up big money for Super Bowl tickets.

The New England Patriots will take on the Los Angeles Rams at Super Bowl LIII. The game will take place on February 3 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, one of the swankiest arenas in the entire NFL, reported Business Insider's Cork Gaines and Meredith Cash.

Fans at the stadium — home to the Atlanta Falcons — enjoy a retractable roof, beautiful lounges, a bar the length of a football field, and stunning views of the city's skyline during games. And the experience won't come cheap.

A single ticket for Super Bowl 2019 starts at $3,295 on Ticketmaster. But the tickets only come in pairs and there's a hefty service fee, so the final cost is much higher. 

According to SeatGeek, a ticket resale market, the average resale price for a Super Bowl ticket is $5,239 as of January 29, which is fairly close to the average price of a ticket at this time for last year's Super Bowl. The cheapest ticket is listed for about $3,700, including fees.

The cheapest pair of tickets listed on TicketIQ, another resale service, come out to about $3,400 a piece including fees, as of January 29. You can also find tickets on StubHub or Vivid Seats.

Maroon 5 is scheduled to perform at the Super Bowl 2019 halftime show, but over 87,000 people have signed a petition at Change.org asking the band to drop out in solidarity with Colin Kaepernick, the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback who kneeled during the national anthem to protest racism and police brutality. Rihanna reportedly turned down a spot to perform, and Jay Z is reportedly trying to dissuade Travis Scott from performing.

The Super Bowl kicks off at 6:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, February 3 and will air on CBS.

Read all of Business Insider's Super Bowl LIII coverage here.

SEE ALSO: Shaq explains why he's renting a baseball stadium to throw a Super Bowl party that's 'part music festival, part carnival, part circus'

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un is 35 — here's how he became one of the world's scariest dictators

• Charles and David Koch have been titans of industry and politics for decades.
• The company their father founded, now known as Koch Industries, is the second-largest company in the US with an annual revenue of $100 billion.
• While David, 78, has stepped away from the Koch network's activities due to declining health, Charles, 83, is still shaping the political conversation.
• Libertarians who favor small government and few taxes, the Kochs have tangled with President Donald Trump of late, as they oppose many of his policies, including tariffs, the travel ban, and immigration.

The Koch network, started and led by billionaires Charles and David Koch, has played an instrumental role in the American political system over the last several decades.

The Koch brothers' influence in politics has been particularly felt in Republican and Libertarian circles, as the group has primarily raised money for conservative candidates who align with their political philosophies.

Their influence has only increased and become more scrutinized since the Citizens United Supreme Court decision in 2010, which allowed corporations to make an unlimited number of donations to candidates.

But the Koch network has shown an openness to supporting Democrats as it has slowly distanced itself from President Donald Trump and the GOP.

Here's how the Koch brothers became two of the most influential and politically active donors in modern history.

SEE ALSO: Powerful conservative-leaning Koch network vows not to support Trump in 2020

DON'T MISS: Trump launches attack on 'globalist' Koch brothers after the GOP megadonors turn on the party

Charles and David's father, Fred Koch, founded the family business in Wichita, Kansas in 1940. Fred was originally an engineer before becoming an industrialist.

Source: SEC

While Charles joined the family business in 1961, David did not join the company until 1970 after working at a number of consulting firms. The two both got their Bachelor's and Master's degrees in engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Sources: KochIndustries, SEC

The business was originally called Rock Island Oil & Refinery Company. But when Charles became the company's president in 1966, he renamed it Koch Industries in honor of his father.

Source: SEC

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• Prime members love Amazon's free two-day shipping policy, which is undeniably convenient. 
• However, it might be worth skipping "Two-Day Shipping" and choosing "No-Rush Shipping" instead because you'll earn instant discounts or future rewards offers. 
• These rewards offers, exclusive to Prime members, can be redeemed for a variety of goods and services. 
• If you want to save in the long run and don't mind waiting just a little longer for your order, go for the No-Rush Shipping option. 

When practically anything you need can be sent to you within a couple hours to a couple days, it's hard not to take advantage of it.

For emergency situations, fast shipping policies definitely come in handy, but sometimes I really don't need my order right away. Of course it's satisfying to get it quickly, but at the end of the day, I can survive without it. 

If you're a Prime member and willing to exercise some extra patience, Amazon will reward you accordingly.

At checkout, there's a shipping option called "Free No-Rush Shipping." When you choose this option, you'll receive your order within six business days — and either earn rewards on future purchases or receive discounts immediately. 

All customers are eligible to receive discounts, but only Prime members can receive reward offers, which can be redeemed on millions of items across Amazon.

These rewards are made available after your No-Rush order ships, apply only to the type of items indicated in the offer at checkout, and do have an expiration date. You'll be able to shop Prime Pantry essentials, the Kindle Store, Prime Video, and more with the rewards you earn. All your available rewards can be viewed in your account. 

Most of us live for instant gratification, but in this case, holding out for an extra few days has some worthy long-term benefits. The next time you're shopping on Amazon and realize you don't need your order immediately, choose the free No-Rush Shipping option to start earning rewards and discounts. 

Start your 30-day free trial of Prime here to receive No-Rush Shipping rewards offers

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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.

• The best compression pants for men provide support and stability where it's needed most, including your hips, knees, and lower legs.
• The CW-X Endurance Pro Muscle Support Tights stand out for their targeted muscle support and overall stability for athletes.

Compression gear is great for workouts because it stimulates blood flow, offers support for your muscles, and helps with post-workout recovery, according to the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

There is a ton of compression clothing on the market now, and some companies' gear is simply better than others. However, a lot of what makes one pair of compression pants better than another has to do with what kinds of exercises you plan to do.

Your idea of the best compression leggings may be ones that provide maximum support, encompassing the knees, hips, joints, and muscles in compressive material to help boost circulation while reducing excessive movement.

Some people prefer less targeted support with more generalized compression. And others want compression leggings that are geared toward specific activities, ones that are designed to boost post-workout recovery, or tights that have graduated compression.

No matter which type of compression pants you want, we have a pick for you. The tights below stand out as the best options in their specific categories, and most are equally suitable for beginners and more advanced athletes.

Here are the best men's compression pants you can buy:

• Best men's compression pants overall: CW-X Endurance Pro Muscle Support Tights
• Best value compression pants: CompressionZ Compression Pants
• Best budget compression pants: Tesla Compression Pants
• Best all-purpose compression pants: DRSKIN Compression Tights
• Best compression pants for athletes: Skins DNAmic CORE Long Tights

Read on in the slides below to check out our top picks.

The best compression pants for men overall

Why you'll love them: The Endurance Pro Muscle Support tights by CW-X offer a stability web to keep ligaments and muscles stabilized and in place, which results in faster recovery and even a boost in performance.

The Endurance Pro Muscle Support tights aren't the cheapest, but with targeted muscle support and improved efficiency, they remain a popular choice among runners and other athletes.

There's more support around the knees to reduce pain and potential damage from the shock of running. The support web also encompasses the quads, hamstrings, lower back, and calf muscles. Your muscles and ligaments are banded together as you workout, which reduces the stress on your muscles. Many athletes notice the benefits during workouts as well as recovery.

Despite the targeted support, the leggings aren't stiff. The support web is made with a blend of nylon and lycra, while the rest of the fabric is a combination of lycra and Coolmax material to help keep skin dry and comfortable. Moisture is rapidly removed from the surface of the skin to the exterior of the tights, which helps regulate your body temperature during indoor and outdoor workouts.

Some men even say the leggings are warm enough for year-round use, including colder temperatures. However, others use them as a base layer when the temperature drops.

Chafing is a common issue among athletes. In general, the longer you work out during a session or the more you move around, the more likely you are to develop a rash or skin irritation. As with many other compression tights, these CX-X tights feature a flat seam construction that reduces the risk of chafing. 

While the Endurance Pro tights are suitable for athletes in general, they have several running-specific features. For example, reflective logos make you more visible to others on the road in low light condition. There's also a handy back pocket to stash smaller items such as keys, ID and more. As an added bonus, the pocket can be zippered shut to keep your contents secure. If you're out on a longer run, the UPF 50+ protection helps keep your skin safe from harmful rays.

Pros: Targeted muscle support, stretchy material, reflective details

Cons: Runs a bit small, drawstring can be irritating, lacks storage pockets

Buy the CW-X Endurance Pro Muscle Support Compression Tights on Amazon for $108.83 to $115.00

The best value compression pants for men

Why you'll love them: The CompressionZ Compression Pants are a solid deal, providing a performance boost and firm compression for an affordable price.

CompressionZ Compression Pants remain a popular choice for their affordability, along with a comfortable blend of nylon and spandex material to keep them stretchy during various workouts. They're also quite versatile and work just as well for running and hiking as they do for yoga, cycling, and your favorite gym workouts.

If you're feeling chilly, you can wear them as a base layer. You won't find targeted muscle support with these tights, as they offer uniform muscle support instead. The compression is firm enough to provide a noticeable amount of support for muscles in the upper and lower legs.

A mix of nylon and spandex material helps wick moisture away, keeping your skin dry and comfortable during workouts. The material also assists in keeping odors at bay. Some tights feel too restricted and stiff, but these compression pants stretch comfortably around your upper and lower legs so that you have free range of motion.  

CompressionZ describes its material as feeling smooth against the skin without compromising compression where it's needed most.

Many men find that these tights generally run true to size. However, a few reviewers caution that the tights seem to run a bit small. These tights are "definitely snug but very comfortable," notes one reviewer. He also appreciates the way the tights seem to adapt once they're on and "basically feel like a second skin."

Those who prefer a slightly less compressive fit may want to go up one size.

Pros: Firm compression, helps improve circulation, thermal material

Cons: Runs a bit small, can be tough to get on and off, may slide down a bit during workouts

Buy the CompressionZ Compression Pants on Amazon for $19.97 to $29.99

The best budget compression pants for men

Why you'll love them: You don't have to spend a lot of money to get a pair of Tesla Compression Pants for multi-sport, all-purpose use.

TheTesla Compression Pants don't offer the most compression, but they have a greater effect if you order your typical size, instead of sizing up. In fact, the company suggests ordering a size up from your usual unless you're looking for some serious compression.

Instead of targeted support, the tights deliver uniform compression for all-around support. In addition to boosting blood flow, especially after hard workouts, the additional compression can help reduce muscle soreness. While these tights offer noticeable benefits during workouts, they really seem to make a difference after a hard session.

A combination of polyester and Spandex material keeps the tights stretchy enough so they don't restrict movement. Whether you're working out indoors or outside, the moisture-wicking material ensures your skin stays dry and comfortable. Moisture is rapidly removed from the surface of the skin, where it evaporates through the material. Air is circulated two ways to help keep you as comfortable and dry as possible.

If you live in a colder climate, the tights may not be enough for chillier temperatures, although they work well as a base layer. Some men also wear shorts over the tights for a bit more protection and modesty.

One reviewer from a cooler climate remarks that the tights are "just enough to keep the chill...from annoying you while you sweat." On the opposite end of the spectrum, a reviewer from a warmer climate was surprised to find that the tights allowed his skin to feel cool and comfortable, despite the fact that the temperatures are "hot enough to bake cookies in my car."

Whether you're working out in the cold, heat, or somewhere in between, the tights help safeguard against harmful UV rays by offering UPF50+ protection. The material is non-abrasive, and won't rub or chafe during workouts.

Pros: Moisture-wicking material, stretchy, UPF50+ protection

Cons: Some find they have to size up for a better fit, not warm enough for chillier temperatures, no storage pockets

Buy the Tesla Compression Pants on Amazon for $9.98 to $13.98

• Whether you're overpaying for cellular data each month or choosing a large cable plan over streaming services, there are several ways you can cut costs and pay for only what you use and need.
• We spoke with several financial planners about common, expensive things that most people can do without.

Showing off lavish items is an undeniable aspect of American culture, but when it comes to making sound investments in expensive items, there are some purchases financial planners say you should exclude from your budget.

Several expensive items are becoming obsolete based on the age of their likely consumers. Millennials, for instance, are opting for streaming services instead of cable packages with hundreds of channels that will never be watched. Other things like unlimited-data plans are also not worth the money, according to one expert we spoke to.

Before making an expensive purchase, ask yourself whether you can find a cheaper product that will bring as much joy, Jeremy Straub, the CEO of Coastal Wealth, told Business Insider. He said that while asking for joy from a product may be cheesy, it could help you think of a big purchase differently.

Another question to ask yourself, Straub said, is: "Could I use this money on an experience that would last a lifetime?"

Business Insider spoke with several financial planners over email about common, expensive things that most people can do without. Take a look at the 12 items they say aren't worth the money.

SEE ALSO: 12 clever ways to save money every day, according to financial experts

Unlimited-data plans

Unlimited-data plans look attractive on the outside, with a lure of saving, but the average person used about 2.8 GB per month in 2017, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

"People should stop paying for data that they don't use," said Rob Webber, the founder and CEO of MoneySavingPro and an expert on saving.

One key thing to remember is that unlimited data doesn't mean unlimited LTE or 4G data, Webber said — major carriers provide 22 to 50 GB of high-speed data before reducing speeds.

"This money could be allocated elsewhere in their budget," Webber added.

Gourmet coffee

The difference between gourmet coffee and coffee you make at home is the price and place of consumption. While many people prefer high-end coffee, it can be a spending trap, especially when you're paying for the coffee to be made in front of you. Going to Starbucks once a day, for example, and spending $3 to $5 on a latte could cost you hundreds per month and thousands a year.

"You can make it yourself at home for much less," said Megan Luke, a senior vice president at PNC Bank.

Name-brand everything

Making an investment in a luxury handbag or designer shoes can be worth the money if it spends more time on the streets than in a closet. But purchasing an entire wardrobe of name-brands clothes isn't worth the investment, Straub said.

"Mix and match price points, and only invest in a few designer staples you can wear often and with multiple outfits," Straub said.

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.

• Many of us want to eat healthier, but diets are notoriously hard to stick to.
• PlateJoy wants to make healthy eating a lifestyle, not just a diet. To do this, they offer totally personalized meal plans that'll keep you on track with your health and wellness goals.
• While its plans cost money, if your insurance covers it or if you're at risk of type 2 diabetes, you may have access to their new plan called PlateJoy Health for free. 
• Keep reading to see how PlateJoy Health works.

Many of us aspire to eat healthier. Yet for most of us, these aspirations usually stay as just that, never translating into real action. While in theory we really do want to be healthier, with busy schedules and so many other things to prioritize, it's easy to let a diet fall to the wayside and grab quick and easy foods instead, even if they offer no nutritional value. 

PlateJoy is a service that makes healthy eating more feasible by curating meal plans catered to your specific preferences and needs. After you answer an in-depth questionnaire, PlateJoy will create a weekly menu and a grocery list based on what you need to buy and what you have in your pantry. You can even connect to Instacart to have these ingredients delivered right to your door. So, in the end, all you have to do is cook your meals. 

Read more:I tried PlateJoy, an online service that customizes healthy meal plans for $8 a month — and it can be adapted to suit any type of dietary needs

For some, eating healthy is more than just a matter of losing weight or feeling more energized — it's a matter of health itself. That's why PlateJoy recently launched PlateJoy Health— a free program specifically designed for individuals at risk of type 2 diabetes. 

Eating a more balanced, nutritious diet is one of the most common recommendations doctors give to patients to reduce their risk of type 2 diabetes. Since so many diets fail, PlateJoy Health takes a different approach, offering a meal plan of healthy recipes that fit in with individual's schedules, locations, and eating preferences, so they can adopt a healthier lifestyle overall. 

PlateJoy's meal plan service isn't free, but if you're at risk of type 2 diabetes, it might be. Many insurance plans will cover 100% of the cost of PlateJoy Health. If you're eligible, you'll not only get a free PlateJoy meal plan membership, but a free Fitbit and wireless scale, so you can track your activity and weight loss.

If your insurance doesn't cover the service, or you're not at risk of type 2 diabetes, you can still purchase the service for $89 (for a three month plan) or $119 (for a six month plan). And, if you sign up right now, you can save $10 on your purchase of a PlateJoy membership. 

Sign up for PlateJoy Health for free (if eligible) or $89 for a three month plan or $119 for a six month plan (if ineligible) >>

If you're interested in joining PlateJoy Health, here's a walk-through of what you can expect:

Start off by signing up with your email and insurance to see if you're eligible for the service

In order to see if you'll qualify to get PlateJoy Health free, you'll need to give them a little bit of information about yourself. Whether you qualify or not, everyone can use the service — you just may have to pay a fee (and you won't get a free Fitbit or scale). 

Once registered, head to your new landing page

Access free video content and your weekly menus, plus keep track of your activity, sugar consumption, and weight loss all from this handy landing page. 

Then, you'll fill out an in-depth questionnaire to help inform your PlateJoy meal plan

PlateJoy's questionnaire is extremely thorough, so you can be sure your meal plan will actually be personalized. They ask questions you would expect to find when creating a healthy eating plan, like if you're trying to lose weight, how active you usually are, and what ingredients you're looking to cut from your diet — if any at all.

You'll also be asked very specific questions like how you feel about seasonal produce (do you care if your meals include out-of-season ingredients, for example), eating leftovers, and if you prefer batch cooking or having something different for dinner every night. 

You can go back and change the answers to your questionnaire at any point, in case you realize something you choose is not actually working for you.