• In 2018, 42 of the world's 50 most violent cities were in Latin America. Four were in the US, with another in Puerto Rico.
• The region is the world's most violent, excluding war zones, with bloodshed driven by organized crime and exacerbated by chronic instability, poverty, and corruption.

In 2018, Latin America retained the ignominious distinction of being home to most of the cities on Mexico's Citizens' Council for Public Security'sannual ranking of the world's most violent cities, released on Tuesday.

Of the 50 cities on the list, 42 are in Latin America. Fifteen were in Mexico, 14 in Brazil, and six in Venezuela. Two Colombian cities were on the list, as were two Honduran cities, and El Salvador, Guatemala, and Jamaica all had one. San Juan, the capital of Puerto Rico, was also on the list.

Four US cities were listed: St. Louis, Baltimore, Detroit, and New Orleans.

Read last year's list: These were the 50 most violent cities in the world in 2017

The list is limited to cities with more than 300,000 people and doesn't include cities in war zones, such as Syria or Ukraine. The council said that went assessing cities, it sought to include "localities that form a unique urban system, clearly distinguishable from others, independent of the geographic-administrative divisions inside the countries."

Violence in Latin America is in large part driven by drug trafficking and organized crime. Insecurity is also exacerbated by political instability, poverty, and poor economic conditions. Corruption, abuses by officials, and impunity also facilitate crime.

Mexico has seen profound increases in deadly violence in recent years, driven in large part by the fragmentation of criminal groups. This year Mexico displaced Brazil as the country with the most cities on the list, despite Brazil having some 80 million more residents. One of Mexico's most popular tourist cities, Los Cabos, topped the list last year but is not on it this year, which the council attributes to one criminal group winning control of the area.

See the 2016 rankings: The 50 most violent cities in the world in 2016

Incomplete data also challenges the council's tabulations, particularly in Venezuela, where the government has in the past not released homicide data, and where other estimates, such as those by newspapers, are incomplete or inconsistent.

Venezuela's "growing inability to count its dead" underscores the very serious crises it faces, the council states.

Here's the top 50:

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50. New Orleans, Louisiana, had 36.87 homicides per 100,000 residents.

In 2018, New Orleans had a population of 393,292 people and 145 homicides.

29. Chihuahua, Mexico, had 37.50 homicides per 100,000 residents.

In 2018, Chihuahua had a population of 938,713 people and 352 homicides.

48. Teresina, Brazil, had 37.61 homicides per 100,000 residents.

In 2018, Teresina had a population of 861,442 people and 324 homicides.

• You should always have a current backup of your iPad so that if it's lost, stolen, or damaged, you can restore all of your data and apps to a fresh device.
• Backing up to Apple's iCloud is easy and automatic (if you've turned it on), so you can always have a current backup with no hassle.  
• If you prefer, you can manually back up to a computer using iTunes. It requires physically connecting your iPad using a USB cable.
• If you're running low on storage space in iCloud, you can choose what apps and data you want to back up, or you can buy an iCloud subscription for additional storage space.

While it's a shame to lose your iPad– whether it's because it's broken, stolen, or literally misplaced – things could be a lot worse. If you have a current backup, you can restore everything to a replacement iPad and carry on as if nothing ever happened. The real tragedy is if you have no backup.

Thankfully, it's very easy to keep your iPad backed up. A backup includes all of your device settings and preferences, installed apps, and data (including music, photos, video, books, and everything else on the device).

The easiest, most dependable backup is via iCloud – your iPad can be configured to back up automatically every day, as long as it is plugged in, has access to Wi-Fi, and the screen is locked. In other words, it'll happen when it's charging and not being used.

Automatically back up your iPad with iCloud

1. Open the Settings app.

2. Tap your name at the top of the settings screen.

3. Tap iCloud and then tap iCloud Backup.

4. Turn on iCloud Backup.

5. Close the Settings app. Now your iPad will try to back up to iCloud every day.

Manually back up your iPad to iCloud

If you notice that your iPad hasn't backed up in a while – this can happen when you don't regularly have access to Wi-Fi or you leave your iPad on frequently, so it never has a chance to back up – you can trigger a backup manually whenever you like. To do that, just navigate back to the iCloud Backup screen and tap "Back Up Now."

If you don't have enough space on iCloud

It's possible that you don't have enough space on iCloud – particularly if you have more than one iOS device. You can choose to back up fewer items to make better use of the available space, or you can purchase more storage space.

To manage your storage:

1. Open the Settings app.

2. Tap your name at the top of the settings screen.

3. Tap iCloud and then tap Manage Storage.

4. Tap Backup and then tap the entry for your iPad.

Under "Choose Data to Back Up," you should now see a list of all the apps installed on your iPad. (You might need to tap "Show All Apps" to see them all.) Since iOS stores all the data with its app, turning off an app like "Photos" also stops the iPad from backing up your photos and videos.

If you'd rather purchase additional storage, do this:

1. Open the Settings app.

2. Tap your name at the top of the settings screen.

3. Tap iCloud and then tap Manage Storage.

4. Tap Change Storage Plan. From here you can choose a storage plan and payment options.

Back up using iTunes

Rather than backing up to the cloud, you can choose to back up to your personal computer using iTunes. At one time, this was the only backup method Apple offered, and some people are still more comfortable with having a backup stored locally. That said, this is less convenient and more subject to failure (your iCloud backup is accessible from anywhere and won't disappear if your computer's hard drive fails, for example).

1. Start iTunes on your computer.

2. Connect your iPad to your computer using the appropriate USB connection cable.

3. Turn on your iPad and unlock it. If you see a message asking if you trust this computer, select "Trust." Meanwhile, on your computer, if a dialog asks if you want to allow the computer to access information on your iPad, choose "Continue."

4. Tap the device icon in the upper left part of the iTunes window.

5. In the Backups section of the window, click "This Computer" and then click "Back Up Now."

Related coverage from How To Do Everything: Tech: 

• How to backup your iPhone to iCloud or a computer

• How to properly clean an iPad screen without damaging your device

• How to delete apps on your iPad (and save their data)

• How to tell exactly which iPad model you have

SEE ALSO: The best tablets you can buy

Join the conversation about this story »

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Personal Finance Insider writes about products, strategies, and tips to help you make smart decisions with your money. Business Insider may receive a commission from The Points Guy Affiliate Network, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.

• From now until April 3, Delta's three main credit cards are offering their highest-ever new-cardholder bonuses.
• Even if you've had one of these cards before, you can still open a different card.
• We break down the differences between the three cards — read on to see which is best for you.
• You can also read our guide to the best credit cards of 2019 overall.

One of the fastest ways to get a ton of frequent-flyer miles or rewards points quickly is to open a credit card and earn its new member bonus. This is arguably the best way to boost your stock of points and get you closer to a big award trip.

There are two key things to keep in mind when opening a card for the welcome bonus.

The first is whether an offer on a card is the highest you expect to be able to earn.

The second is whether the card offers enough ongoing value for it to be worth keeping after the first year.

For anyone who flies Delta Air Lines — even occasionally — right now is an ideal time to open a new card because both of those considerations are met.

Until April 3, Delta's three main consumer credit cards are offering their highest-ever publicly available welcome offers.

Plus, the three cards each offer a ton of ongoing value, whether you're a casual flyer or a hard-core Delta loyalist.

Read on to learn more about the three cards, and see which one is best for you.

Best for the casual Delta flyer: The Gold Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express

Welcome offer: 60,000 Delta SkyMiles when you spend $2,000 in the first three months. Plus, get a $50 statement credit when you make any Delta purchase in the first three months.

The Gold Delta SkyMiles card is the best of the three for the casual Delta flyer, someone who finds themself on the airline a couple of times a year, but doesn't fly regularly enough to use the heftier cards' perks (more on that later).

One of the biggest perks: The card offers a free first checked bag for the cardholder and up to eight people on the same reservation. Delta charges $30 each way for a checked bag, so this can save up to $60 per person on a round-trip itinerary.

Cardholders and travel companions also get Zone 1 priority boarding. This means you can board the plane sooner, giving you plenty of time to settle into your seat or find overhead space for any carry-on luggage. Zone 1 is after most Delta elite frequent flyers and extra-legroom passengers, but is usually within the first half of passengers to board.

Other perks include discounted day passes to Delta Sky Club airport lounges— $29 per day pass — as well as a 20% discount on in-flight purchases (in the form of a statement credit), such as food or drinks, and no foreign transaction fees.

Like the other Delta cards, the Gold SkyMiles card earns 2x Delta SkyMiles on eligible Delta purchases, and 1x mile on everything else.

The Gold Delta card has an annual fee of $95, which is waived the first year. This is a great value considering the perks, not to mention the welcome bonus — 60,000 SkyMiles is more than enough for two round-trip flights across the United States, and is just shy of enough for a round-trip to Europe. The card normally offers 30,000 SkyMiles.

Best for more regular flyers: The Platinum Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express

Welcome offer: 75,000 Delta SkyMiles and 5,000 Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs) when you spend $3,000 in the first three months. Plus, get a $100 statement credit when you make any Delta purchase in the first three months.

If you fly somewhat regularly, the Platinum Delta SkyMiles card is a better option, thanks to an often-overlooked benefit that can completely cover the $195 annual fee each year.

The Platinum Delta card has most of the same perks as the Gold version, like priority boarding, free checked bags, 2x SkyMiles on Delta purchases and discounted Sky Club access.

However, the Platinum Delta comes with a huge perk — it's so useful that I'm planning on keeping my card indefinitely.

After your first year with the card, you'll get an annual domestic companion pass each year at your card-member anniversary. A Delta companion pass is essentially a buy-one-get-one-free coupon. When you book an economy-class flight for yourself anywhere within the continental US, you can get a second ticket for free, other than minimal taxes and fees.

The companion pass completely blows away the annual fee for me, which is $195 and isn't waived the first year. My wife and I fly domestically at least a few times a year, whether it's to visit family or friends, or to go on vacation. So I save my companion pass until we're taking a flight together that costs more than $195 each. You can read more about the Delta companion pass benefit here.

While you don't get a companion pass the first year, the 75,000 SkyMiles from the welcome offer more than outweigh the annual fee — that's enough to fly from the US to just about anywhere in Europe round-trip.

The MQMs in the welcome bonus can be a boost for anyone looking to earn or keep Delta Medallion frequent-flyer status. Plus, each year that you spend $25,000 or more on the card, you earn a bonus 10,000 SkyMiles, 10,000 MQMs, and have the Medallion Qualifying Dollar (MQD) requirement for most elite status levels waived.

When you have Medallion status, you can enjoy things like free upgrades to first class or extra-legroom seats whenever you fly, subject to availability.

Best for Delta Medallion frequent flyers: The Delta Reserve® Credit Card from American Express

Welcome offer: 75,000 Delta SkyMiles and 5,000 Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs) when you spend $5,000 in the first three months. 

The Delta Reserve card has a higher, $450 annual fee, but it has a few additional perks that can make it worthwhile for some frequent flyers. 

Like the Platinum SkyMiles card, it offers a domestic companion pass. However, that pass can be used for first-class tickets, not just economy.

Additionally, the Delta Reserve offers full access to Delta Sky Club airport lounges whenever the cardholder is flying with Delta (the Gold and Platinum SkyMiles cards offer discounts on single-access Sky Club passes).

The Reserve has one other major perk, which can be crucial for travelers who hold Delta Medallion elite status.

Delta Medallion members are eligible for complimentary, space-available upgrades to first class and Delta One on flights within the US and the region, including Mexico and Central America, and extra-legroom seats on international flights.

Upgrades clear in hierarchical order based on a number of factors, including each passenger's Medallion status level, the original fare class they booked, and a few other factors. The first tiebreaker for people with the same Medallion level and fare class: whether they hold the Delta Reserve card. Reserve cardholders will be prioritized over those without it. If there's only one seat left and two members are still tied and both have the Reserve, it continues down the list of tiebreakers.

For travelers who fly a lot and frequently find themselves one or two upgrade-list spots away from getting that first-class seat, holding the Reserve can be extremely valuable. 

$95 annual fee: Click here to learn more about the Gold Delta SkyMiles Credit Card from American Express from Insider Picks' partner: The Points Guy.

$195 annual fee: Click here to learn more about the Platinum Delta SkyMiles Credit Card from American Express from Insider Picks' partner: The Points Guy

$450 annual fee: Click here to learn more about the Delta Reserve Credit Card from American Express from Insider Picks' partner: The Points Guy

SEE ALSO: An often-overlooked hotel credit card with a 120,000-point sign-up bonus can offer a ton of value, even for people who don't travel a lot

Join the conversation about this story »

• Andrew Yang is an entrepreneur, author, and 2020 Democratic presidential candidate.
• He's passionate about providing every American with a universal basic income of $1,000 a month, saying that would help the working class adjust to an increasingly automated economy.
• Yang recently spoke with INSIDER's politics editor, Anthony Fisher, about universal basic income, foreign policy, and his plans to support local journalism and battle "fake news," remake America's healthcare system, and overcome his low name recognition and get on the nationally televised debate stages starting in June.

Andrew Yang is seeking the 2020 Democratic nomination for president on a platform built on giving every American a universal basic income— which he called a "freedom dividend" — of $1,000 a month. His website outlines an unusually robust and specific set of policies on everything from healthcare to marijuana legalization to paying NCAA athletes.

Yang, 44, is an entrepreneur most notable for founding Venture for America, a fellowship program that matches recent college graduates with startups across the country. He's also the author of "The War on Normal People: The Truth about America's Disappearing Jobs and Why Universal Basic Income is Our Future."

Yang recently spoke with INSIDER's politics editor, Anthony Fisher, about universal basic income, foreign policy, and his plans to support local journalism and battle "fake news," remake America's healthcare system, and overcome low name recognition and get on the nationally televised debate stages starting in June.

Editor's note: This interview has been edited for length and clarity. You can watch a portion of it on "Business Insider Today."

Anthony Fisher: There's a number of high-profile Democratic candidates who are getting immediate, widespread media attention. How do you plan to compete with them?

Andrew Yang: The truth is most Americans are not paying any attention to the 2020 election right now. If they see anything, they just see a graphic with a whole crowd of faces on the TV screen. So people are going to start tuning in in earnest when the debates start, and I'm going to be there. And the great thing is this campaign's growing organically all the time, and we're going to peak when it's most important.

Read more:A Democrat running for president in 2020 is testing a basic income proposal by giving $1,000 per month to a family

Fisher: How do you plan on getting on the debate stage?

Yang: The Democratic National Committee has already announced that criteria to make the debate stage. We're going to meet both of them, and you only need to meet one.

The first criteria is polling at 1% either nationally or in the early states, and we're already polling at 1% nationally, according to Monmouth. And the second criteria is getting 65,000 individual contributors by May 15. We're at about 46,000. We're getting another 1,500 a day and should be past the 65,000-donor threshold in about a month.

So I'm going to be on the debate stage in June and July.

Fisher: What's the one issue that you'd like to be known for?

Yang: We're in the midst of automating away the most common jobs in our economy. And the reason why Donald Trump's our president today is that we automated away 4 million manufacturing jobs in Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Missouri, Iowa, all the swing states. And we're about to do the same thing to millions of retail jobs, call-center jobs, fast-food jobs, truck-driving jobs, and on and on.

So my signature policy proposal's that every American should receive $1,000 a month in a freedom dividend to be able to make adjustments for the future and manage this transition.

Fisher: So that's universal basic income. Why do you think that would be better than, say, a jobs guarantee?

Yang: Well, a universal basic income is much, much easier to administer and much more powerful and effective to getting resources into people's hands.

Let's say tomorrow the federal government said, "We're going to administer a jobs guarantee." Does that mean millions of Americans will wake up and say, "Oh, I know where I'm going: I'm going to go to that job." Of course not. You'd have to set up this massive bureaucracy and infrastructure. What are the jobs? What if someone doesn't like their job? What if someone's not working out? Is this really the way we want Americans to have to be able to feed themselves?

So if you're going to make a move and you're going to make it actually work on a reasonable timeframe, a universal basic income is a much more powerful and effective way to go.

Read more:Meet the Democratic businessman who wants to beat Trump in 2020 and give every American a basic income: 'Donald Trump gives entrepreneurs a bad name'

Fisher: You've proposed several initiatives built around massive cash infusions for journalism, especially local journalism. Can you talk a little bit about that?

Yang: Over 1,200 local newspapers have gone out of business in the past number of years because they relied upon classified ads that now no longer exist in the age of Craigslist. So the local papers die and then democracy does not function as well, because if you have no idea what's happening in your town, how can you vote? Studies have shown that in those situations voters tend to go more towards extremes, and democracy suffers. So if you believe in democracy, then you have to believe in local journalism.

Local journalism does not have any market support right now. We as a country should come together and say, "We need to find a new business model" — let's say a public-private partnership that's operating in conjunction with local organizations, perhaps the local library, perhaps some of the local businesses or the municipal government.

If we think journalism is important — if we think democracy's important — we should come up with a new sustainable runway for these newspapers.

Fisher: You've also proposed the creation of a Federal Communications Commission ombudsman that would punish news outlets for running "fake news." Can you talk a little bit about that?

Yang: If you look at the threats to our democracy, one of them is rampant misinformation.

It's one thing to make a mistake — we all make mistakes — but it's another thing to purposely try and misinform a segment of the American public to undermine our democracy. And right now, foreign actors are doing that. We know that the Russians have tens of thousands of bots that are just spreading various rumors.

We can't just throw up our hands and say, "Well, I guess that's just the way it's going to be." You need to have some sort of penalty for purposely spreading false information. The British already do this: They already have an ombudsman who comes and says, "This stuff was untrue, and you knew it was untrue," and then there's some sort of penalty associated with that.

Fisher: The FCC inherently has a political tilt. It has five commissioners, and whichever party the president is in, three will be from that party. What would you say to someone concerned about the idea of an FCC ombudsman being subject to political interests and biases?

Yang: You have to gauge various risk-reward scenarios. What's the greater risk at this point: that we just aren't sure what's true, or that there's going to be some government agency that somehow becomes overly politicized to a point where it somehow washes out all objective journalism? I suggest the first one is a much more real concern right now. And at this point with the internet, it'd be very, very hard for any government agency to do more than just nibble at the edges of a particular set of political viewpoints.

Fisher: Even under a Trump administration which regularly disparages legitimate news outlets as fake news? If Trump had an ombudsman available to him, would there be the possibility of abusing that authority?

Yang: I struggle to see it. Let's say that this ombudsman then went and said, "Hey, New York Times, you reported on this," and The New York Times was like, "It's actually true." It's not that there's no process involved — as long as you can present the facts and say, "Our reporting is objective," then it's not like you're just going to be arbitrarily punished. As you said, it's not perfect.

Fisher: There was a BuzzFeed News story earlier this year that seemed to implicate the president in impeachable crimes. Then Robert Mueller's office took the extraordinary step of saying the story is not accurate. If Trump had the power to say that is fake news, again, could an FCC ombudsman for fake news be something that could be abused by a bad actor in office?

Yang: I think that the potential for that sort of abuse is much lower than people imagine. This is not an age where there are three or four TV networks — at this point, there are tens of thousands of news outlets, and it would be virtually impossible for the government to meaningfully suppress journalism.

Fisher: You've proposed sunsetting old laws. Can you talk a little bit about why this issue is important to you?

Yang: America's legal code is filled with laws that are written and then never go away. Some of these laws stopped making sense years ago, but there's just no mechanism to reexamine them and say, "Does this regulation still make sense? Does it still serve a useful public purpose?"

So if laws are important, then they would be renewed. But if a law has outlived its usefulness, then there should be some kind of mechanism for us to examine it and say, "This law shouldn't be on the books anymore because it doesn't make any sense."

Fisher: You're for "Medicare for All," but you've also described the ideal system as one that provides "holistic care." Can you explain what that is?

Yang: We're in the worst of all situations, where we're spending twice as much as other countries on healthcare for the worst results.

As a CEO and business owner, I know our healthcare system makes it harder to hire. It makes it harder to treat people as full-time employees, because you always want to just treat them as contractors. It makes it harder to start a business. It makes it harder for people to switch jobs.

Right now it's this massive impediment on our economy, and it's immoral, the fact that if we get sick or injured we're more stressed out about trying to navigate the system than we are with getting well. We need to move to a single-payer system, particularly because right now 94% of new jobs are temporary gig or contract jobs — they don't have healthcare benefits. So tying healthcare to employment makes less and less sense.

In terms of holistic medicine, there are different approaches to getting well. And it's not that there's any one discipline that has all the answers. So if someone wants to seek care from a practitioner or a discipline that may work for them, they should have the freedom to do so.

Fisher: To touch on foreign policy: We still have a military presence in Afghanistan, Iraq, as well as a small presence in Syria. As president, how would you manage the military in these hotspots?

Yang: I think we have to examine each of them, and if we have forces there, we ask, "What are they accomplishing? What is the timeframe? How does it improve upon our ability to achieve certain goals?" And then if you reach a conclusion that we are not actually going to further our goals, then you pull them out to the extent possible.

In the big picture, the US has deluded itself into thinking it could get things done in various parts of the world that have ended up costing hundreds of billions of dollars and thousands of American lives and tens of thousands of civilian lives, sometimes to very unclear benefits. So one of my big ideas is going to try to be more restrained and judicious in our foreign policy.

I think our foreign policy actually reflects how we're doing at home, and we're not doing well at home. If you look at our numbers domestically, our life expectancy is declining for the last three years because of a surge in suicides and drug overdoses — like, the depths of despair, mental-health crises. We're falling apart and disintegrating at home. And so our foreign policy ends up seeming unreliable and erratic to many of our long-standing allies, and those things are very much connected.

To me, the way we become stronger abroad and have a more sustained foreign-policy agenda is if we're more strong and whole at home.

Read more:Success in America has nothing to do with hard work — and we're in the middle of a 'war on normal people'

Fisher: Another foreign-policy hotspot that is becoming an issue for quite a few 2020 candidates is the crisis in Venezuela. As president, would you recognize Juan Guaidó as Venezuela's interim president?

Yang: My goal as president would be to help assist the Venezuelan people in any way we can — any sort of humanitarian intervention that would help ease the suffering.

I do not think it's the US's place to engage in regime change. Our track record on making decisions for other countries is very, very uneven at best. So certainly if there's anything we can do to support on a humanitarian level, I'd be eager to do it, but I don't think we should be choosing other nations' leaders.

Fisher: To be clear, the National Assembly, which is basically the last legitimately democratically elected body in Venezuela, decided that Guaidó is the legitimate leader of the country. And the United States, along with about 50 other countries, have agreed to recognize him as such. As US president, would you recognize Guaidó as Venezuela's interim president?

Yang: Yes, I'd recognize him. I just wouldn't militarily intervene to depose Nicolás Maduro and insert him.

Fisher: Most Americans aren't familiar with you at this point. What do you want them to know about you as a person?

Yang: I think the main thing is that I'm a parent. I'm running for office because I see what's happening to our country in terms of artificial intelligence's near-term impact on American workers, and I don't want to raise my kids in a country that is falling apart — I want to raise them in a country that I'm still excited about and proud of, that resembles the country I grew up in myself and the country my parents came here to form a better life for myself and my brother.

The big theme of this era is that if we continue to see ourselves as inputs into a machine of capital efficiency, we're going to lose on an epic, historic, catastrophic scale to artificial intelligence, software, robots, and things that can do things much more cheaply and efficiently than any of us can. It's not that a radiologist was somehow bad at school; it's just that artificial intelligence can see shades of gray that human eyes cannot and can reference millions of films.

So we're in a race right now that we cannot win, and our only path forward is to start reshaping our economy around us — make it so that the economy serves us instead of us being inputs into the machine.

If we succeed in this, then we can give rise to a human-centered economy, a trickle-up economy, from people, families, and communities up. It would be an immense catalyst to entrepreneurship and arts and creativity and service and humanities and nurturing and everything else — if we were just to start valuing ourselves intrinsically and declare a dividend for all Americans of $1,000 a month.

SEE ALSO: Here's everyone who has officially announced they are running for president in 2020

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is being praised for her line of questioning at Michael Cohen's hearing — watch it here

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.

In New York City, a crisp Alexander Hamilton isn't even enough to get you lunch at one of the many trendy salad chains on every block. However, it is enough to buy any of these useful kitchen, bath, skincare, and tech products that Insider Picks editors and writers use all the time. 

While we've discovered and raved about many products this year, there are few more satisfying to recommend than the very affordable ones. Quality and utility don't have to be expensive, and our favorite $10-and-under products prove it. 

For $10 or less, you can be efficient in the kitchen, keep your bathroom clean and hygienic, stay organized on the go, and more. 

Your wallet will love these 20 products as much as ours did:

Hydrating face toner from a cult-favorite brand

Thayers Witch Hazel Cucumber Face Toner, $8.16, available at Amazon

Thayers makes popular toners that won't dry out or irritate your face. They're alcohol-free and contain witch hazel extract to remove excess oil, reduce redness, and minimize the appearance of pores. I love the cucumber formulation because it smells great and hydrates my naturally dry skin. —Connie Chen, Insider Picks reporter

A bottle cleaner that can fit through narrow openings

ALINK 16” Long Bottle Brush Cleaner, $7.99, available at Amazon

If you’ve ever wasted hot water or your time trying to fit your hand into a thermos like a ship into a bottle, then you will appreciate these cheap, long bottle brush cleaners. It’s a small daily inconvenience, but I’ve been surprised by how much I appreciate the ease, especially if I add post-workout to my water bottle after the gym and don’t want to run the dishwasher every time. —Mara Leighton, Insider Picks reporter

A pair of blue light blocking computer glasses

ZENNI UV+ Blue Blockers, $9.95, available at ZENNI

I’ve never worked — let alone been — in an office before, and about a week in, I began to notice a strain within and behind my eyes that was not only unfamiliar but downright unbearable. I don’t wear prescription glasses or contacts, but a less-than-$10 pair of blue light blocking lenses straightened me out in short order, and I don’t think I’ll ever look at another computer with less than four eyes again. —Owen Burke, Insider Picks senior reporter

Insider Picks writes about products and services to help you navigate when shopping online. Insider Inc. receives a commission from our affiliate partners when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.

• I've worn foundation regularly for six years, partly out of habit and largely because it covered up the sins of temperamental skin.
• But I was sick of spending money and time to willfully clog my pores each day, sticking myself in an endless loop of relying on makeup.
• Gradually, I phased in products that helped me get my skin to a healthy equilibrium and even tone. At this point, I haven't worn foundation in months — and my skin has been more consistently clear and smooth than ever.
• Below, I detail what products I used and why. You can also find what I learned when I had a celebrity dermatologist audit my skin-care routine here.

For a pale and easily scarred teen going through their first bout of serious breakouts, foundation was a miracle — like some divine being descended from another realm and gave cavemen a lit torch in the Pleistocene epoch. You mean I can cover this up and it will still look like skin, kind of? Using it in high school helped buoy my confidence, and that alone was worth the time, expense, and (comparatively) minor protests from my skin. It was even worth avoiding hugging people wearing white lest they look like a screen print of Forrest Gump's smiley face shirt afterward. 

In adulthood, though, I got more comfortable with the idea of imperfection. It no longer seemed like something to so actively avoid. But over the course of the last six years, foundation had become both a habit and a safety blanket. I was still almost unconsciously relying on it to cover up the aftermath of past breakouts, and said dependency wasn't helping other concerns like my skin texture or clogged pores.

In other words, once you start using foundation, it's hard to stop. But, about six months ago, I did. Rather than the expense or even skin clarity, it was the argument of time that finally got me to give it up. Instead of the 180 hours I would cumulatively spend every year just putting on makeup in the morning, would I perhaps be happier — both in the moment and with my priorities in general — if I could devote that time to enjoying a cup of coffee and reading a newspaper in the morning instead?

I understand that the simple decision of how you get to spend your time in the morning can be an immense luxury — especially for women, on whom the public passes judgment about appearance with all the nuance of an executioner. If someone had told me what I just told you during one of my severe breakouts, I would have felt anger and frustration at the sheer misconception and injustice of it all: you don't think I want to spend my mornings doing something else, too? Years later, though, I've been fortunate enough to age out of those breakouts, and my focus has shifted instead to the aftermath of discoloration and small flare-ups. That's why I can point to something like "time" and have the considerable privilege of that alone being enough of a reason to stop. 

To transition out of wearing foundation, I began actively addressing my underlying skin concerns and building a more sustainable skin-care regime while phasing heavy makeup out. Before, my skin care had been reactionary. Now, it needed to be proactive — and tenable as well. For that, I used my collective experience as a commerce reporter, resources like renowned dermatologists, and plenty of research and self-testing to find the products that worked for me: clinical grade dark spot correctors, gentle but intense cleansers, cult-favorite clay face masks, and a prescription-strength retinoid treatment to name a few. 

As of today, I haven't worn foundation for about five months — and I haven't needed or wanted to. I use a dab of my Holy Grail concealer and a brush to cover up any surprise blemishes, and I swipe on some mascara and head out the door in as little as ten minutes. 

Altogether, my skin is the clearest, smoothest, and most evenly toned it's been in years. I've figured out how to maintain that actively with products, instead of more or less assuming it would always be at the whim of the universe. I've also started using skin care as makeup, rather than makeup that mimics skin care — and it looks better overall. I've added sunscreen since I used to rely on foundations to supply SPF, and, when I do wear makeup, I have more fun applying it. 

Below, I run through the products I used to give up foundation and why each one works for my specific skin concerns. Skin care is notoriously subjective, and what works for me may not work for you, but they may be worth checking out if you're looking to do the same. 

Below are the nine products I used to get my skin to a healthy state:

A micellar water that preps skin for face wash and respects the skin's natural barrier

Bioderma Sensibio H2O Micellar Water, available at Amazon and Dermstore, from $14.15

First, I wanted to get my skin to a place where going without foundation would feel comfortable — this meant at least partially addressing my main concerns, like clarity, hydration, and tone. 

As I've heard echoed everywhere from the famed 10-step Korean skin-care routine to celebrity dermatologists, double-cleansing is a good idea. The first cleanser, such as a micellar water, removes the day's cream, makeup, and dirt gently, clearing the way for the next cleanser to reach deeper inside the skin and draw out sebum and bacteria. 

I've tried others, but I've preferred this cult-favorite French pharmacy micellar water since discovering it while living in Paris — and I'm not the only one. The company estimates that a bottle is sold every two seconds, and it's firmly seated on Amazon's best-selling skin-care products. 

It's gentle enough to wipe away the day's grime without irritating my sensitive skin, and hydrating enough to make dual-cleansing viable for my dry skin. Equally important, micellar water respects the skin's hydro-lipid film (no micro-scratches working like chinks in the armor) which helps get your complexion on a sustainable, self-managed clarity track. 

A non-soapy face wash that uses acids to gently exfoliate the skin

Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta Pore Perfecting Cleansing Gel, available at Sephora, $38

For even tone, texture, and clarity that doesn't strip the skin of moisture, I swear by Dr. Dennis Gross' Alpha Beta facial cleanser. 

Simply put, it's the best cleanser I've ever used — and you'd hope it would be after it took Dr. Gross four years to perfect. It's not a foam and wasn't formulated with soap, so it doesn't leave the skin feeling uncomfortably dry or tight. But, having said that, it's also a more intense clean. It works into a rich lather, and the alpha and beta hydroxy acids work diligently (on multiple levels of the skin) to slough away dead, tired cells and facilitate healthy turnover to even tone and texture. Altogether, it's formulated to treat skin concerns while maintaining the skin's integrity and pH balance.

After using it, my skin looks brighter and tighter, and dark spots faded at a faster rate thanks to frequent exfoliation. This worked for the no-foundation project twofold: I didn't feel the need to cover up my skin's imperfections because there were fewer of them, and I didn't want to cover it up because my skin actually looked better au naturel than it did covered in foundation.

I definitely still get the occasional blemish, but the texture and overall tone of my skin is so consistently even now that I typically just dab concealer on the spot, blend it into the surrounding skin with a brush, and head out the door. 

A clinical-grade dark spot correcting serum

Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Clinical Grade IPL Dark Spot Correcting Serum, available at Sephora, $92

This was the high-impact, clinical-grade serum I turned to for treating dark spots quickly and efficiently. It has 10% L-ascorbic acid (which is another way of saying concentrated vitamin C) and Kojic acid, which is great for brightening dark spots, as well as lactic acid, a gentle exfoliator. 

Within a few weeks (the company notes two to eight weeks depending on severity), I noticed my skin looking brighter and its tone evening out considerably. After four, it was even enough to skip foundation. That's because the IPL exfoliates your skin in its current state and prevents any additional lower pigment from surfacing. It also helps protect skin from environmental aggressors like free radicals. 

Insider Picks writes about products and services to help you navigate when shopping online. Insider, Inc. receives a commission from our affiliate partners when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.

• Women's shoe company Keds, which launched 103 years ago in 1916, is synonymous with the Champion Originals white sneaker ($39.95). 
• As an accessible, versatile, and comfortable sneaker, it inspired women "to be who they want to be and go where they want to go." 
• Today, this silhouette is still beloved and iconic, but the brand is also evolving by offering limited-edition collaborations and expanding its styles to further address the needs of modern women. 

Jennifer Grey laced up these bright white shoes in "Dirty Dancing." So did Yoko Ono on her wedding day. At some point in your life, you, a friend, your mother, or your grandmother probably all did at some point, too. 

We're talking, of course, about the iconic Keds Champion sneakers. 

American culture is peppered with shoes that have stood the test of time, from Air Jordans to Converse All-Stars. Keds is one of those beloved few. 

The shoe company has a rich history, going all the way back to 1916, when the US Rubber Company consolidated its 30 footwear brands under one name: Keds. That year, Keds introduced a canvas-topped, rubber-soled shoe and stamped it with its blue label. 

Why the Keds Champion was and is so important 

Today, a canvas, rubber-soled shoe isn't much cause for celebration, but its introduction then was nothing short of revolutionary. Because it was one of the first women's footwear options to be simultaneously accessible, fashionable, and comfortable, the Keds Champion stood as a symbol of mobility: If a woman wanted to do something or go somewhere, she could with a pair of Keds. 

The company's roots in blazing a path for women are still central to how it conducts business today. Keds has an all-women leadership team and an all-women product development team, and the company as a whole is 88% women. Worn by athletes, actresses, and First Ladies alike, it has never prescribed specific behaviors that its fans and customers should abide by. Its only mission, from the beginning, has been an open and empowering one of "Ladies First." 

Its most popular and recognizable silhouette, the Champion Originals, hasn't changed much since it first entered the American consciousness 103 years ago, and its popularity even today is a testament to the simplicity, versatility, and forethought of this design. 

How Keds continues to innovate

Though it probably could ride on the success of the Champion Originals alone for the next hundred years, Keds continues to find new ways to keep the brand fresh and interesting.

Its full collection of styles includes lace ups, slip ons, flats, and boots in a variety of materials like wool and leather. You can get a fresh new pair of white Champion Originals, but you can be more adventurous with tall platform sneakers or glittery shoes if you want. The company is also experimenting with stylish athleisure options with its Studio collection of lightweight sneakers. 

Collaborations with other brands are best-selling favorites as well. The Rifle Paper Co. collection of pretty embroidered and painted floral patterns is the much nicer execution of all those times you tried to paint your own canvas shoes, while the Ladies for Ladies collection currently features the work of a handbag designer who uses the same marine-grade material as lobstermen's bait bags.

Beyond comfort and variety, Keds is the ideal brand for the value-conscious shoe lover — most of its styles cost around just $50. In fact, the three styles we tried from the brand, which perfectly capture its range from classic to modern silhouettes, cost $40 to $60. 

Keds, then and now 

More than a hundred years ago, Keds snagged the first-mover advantage with its game-changing Champion sneaker for women and set the wheels in motion to change the way women walk, run, skip, and dance. 

Gillian Meek, the President of Keds, says, "Keds has stood the test of time by staying true to our roots, making the best sneakers for women. In today’s environment, our classic Champion sneaker is our icon that empowers women to be who they want to be and go where they want to go. The Champion is and always has been a versatile, feminine and accessible style to women of all ages and lifestyles."

To learn more about our experiences wearing the Champion Originals and two other Keds styles, keep reading below. 

Shop all Keds sneakers here: Keds, Amazon, Nordstrom, Zappos

Champion Originals

Keds Champion Originals, $39.95, available here: Keds, Amazon, Zappos

Before realizing that Keds was a women-specific brand, I associated it with the women in my life. My mom, my grandmother, my sisters, and my cousins have each, at one point or another, been recorded in my memory running around the backyard or watering flowers on our home's sunny porch in slight white sneakers. I enjoy thinking of them while wearing my own pair. And I'm happy to know that, unlike most companies, Keds team is comprised of mostly women.

As an adult, the things I love about Keds haven't changed much since being a kid. They're versatile enough for any outfit, cheap enough to regularly re-up if they're worn into the ground, and there's something wonderful about functional, rubber-soled sneakers that are simultaneously so lightweight and feminine in style. They're the perfect choice for sundresses, loose jeans, and everything in between. —Mara Leighton, Insider Picks reporter 

Studio Jumper

Keds Studio Jumper, $59.95 (originally $89.95) [You save $30], available here: Keds

Keds' foray into athleisure-esque styles through its Studio Collection is a successful yet underrated part of the brand that I wish more people knew about. The intersections of style, performance, and comfort are best highlighted in the slip-on Studio Jumper sneaker, which comes in four attractive colors: white, peach, light pink, and light gray.

I opted for the gray one, and it has become the easiest shoe to pull on in the mornings — the light color goes with everything, they look casual but they're also more sleek than a full-on running sneaker, and I can walk for miles in them with no complaints. 

The stretch knit uppers give a sock-like fit that mold to your feet, but are also breathable, and elastic bands wrap over the fronts for an additional layer of support. Despite the close fit, you can still wear socks with your usual size since the material is stretchy. Meanwhile, the foot beds and soles are made from lightweight, cushioned foam, plus Keds adds neoprene padding at the heel for even more comfort. Because they're so light, they make a great travel or summer sneaker. —Connie Chen, Insider Picks reporter

Double Decker

Keds Double Decker Perforated Suede Sneaker, $49.95, available here: Keds, Amazon

As much as I love sneakers, I never had tried a pair of Keds until recently — I was always more of a Converse girl. After learning more about the company's history, though, I’m excited to rock my new pair of Keds. Keds released the first ever women’s sneaker in 1916 — and you can still find that classic Champion style worn today.

While I loved learning about how Keds puts their motto, Ladies First, into action, there’s got to be more than just a great mission to keep a business running for over 100 years. It’s all about the product, and Keds really are great. They’re doing well at making simple, cute styles that are comfortable and affordable.

I didn’t realize, though, that Keds had so many other options besides their classic Champion style. I tried the Double Decker Slip-Ons in a nice light gray color that’s perfect for spring. They have a perforated detail on the suede that adds some interest, and the inside of the shoe is super comfortable, thanks to Keds' new Dreamy Foam cushioned footbed. If you’re between sizes though, I would choose the bigger one, as I did find them a little tight. But, I think the suede will stretch with wear, so I’m excited to bring these out come spring. —Remi Rosmarin, Insider Picks reporter

• Deleting old, unused contacts off your iPhone can save you time when you are searching for those contacts you actually want to use.
• Removing contacts also frees up a bit of space on the phone, leaving more storage for pictures and apps.
• Deleting a contact from your iPhone takes only a few seconds, so go ahead and spend a few minutes clearing the clutter today.

In preparing to write this article, of course I took a close look at my own iPhone 8 Plus. What I realized is that of the 225 or so contacts I have on my phone, I probably only need 100 at most. And of those, I only actually call or text 50 or so with anything approaching regularity.

So I'm walking the walk and deleting a gut of unused old contacts off my own iPhone today. While doing so won't free up lots of space on the device, it will put a few megabytes back into play, and it will save me a lot of time as I scroll through my contact list searching for that name and number I need.

Whether you have left a job, ended a relationship, or you never really needed the phone number of the guy who cleaned your gutters one time in 2014 anyway, you can quickly and permanently delete contacts off an iPhone in five simple steps.

How to delete contacts on an iPhone

Before you can delete those contacts, you need to open up the contact list. Tap the green square with the white phone inside it to open up your phone's various functions, then hit the pair of heads with the word "Contacts" below it, or go to the Contacts app. 

Now, let's delete!

1. Scroll down to the contact that you wish to expunge from your phone.

2. Tap on the contact to open its page.

3. Tap "Edit" at the top right corner of the contact's page.

4. Scroll to the very bottom of the next page.

5. Hit the words "Delete Contact" written out in red.

6. Tap the red "Delete Contact" that pops up.

And that's it, the contact is deleted.

You might consider blocking a contact instead of deleting it

If there is a number (or 10 or 20) in your contact list that you are certain you'll never need (or want) to call, text, or FaceTime again, then by all means go ahead and delete it.

But keep in mind that you can't undo this action; once that contact is removed, it will have to be recreated from scratch should you change your mind. And don't think the cloud can help you! The contact will also be removed from any device that has your iCloud Contacts turned on.

So consider blocking a contact you don't want getting in touch with you instead, and don't worry if you decide to go ahead and fully delete it later: a blocked number that you delete will stay blocked.

However a deleted number that was never blocked can still get in touch with you.

Related coverage from How To Do Everything: Tech:

• How to use Do Not Disturb on iPhone to optimize your time

• How to stop robocalls and other spam calls from reaching your iPhone

• How to track an iPhone using Find My iPhone

• How to clear the cache on your iPhone and make it run faster

SEE ALSO: The best iPhone for every type of person and budget

Join the conversation about this story »

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• Wealthy CEOs and hedge-fund managers from high-tax states like New York, New Jersey, and California are flocking to Miami for the tax breaks.
• The influx of affluent out-of-state buyers is creating huge waiting lists at the area's most elite private schools.
• One school said the number of applications from families from New York and New Jersey has doubled in the past year.

Wealthy CEOs and hedge-fund managers are flocking to Miami for the tax breaks, and it's creating massive waiting lists at the area's most elite private schools

These "tax refugees" are Wall Street hedge-fund managers, tech moguls, and other high earners from places like New York City, New Jersey, Connecticut, Chicago, and Silicon Valley, and they're fleeing the effects of tax reform that went into effect in January 2018.

Dora Puig, the top-ranked real estate broker in Miami-Dade County by sales volume in 2018, said this influx of high earners has resulted in "an uptick in giant waitlists in all the private schools" in the Miami area.

"I think a portion of that is being attributed to the tax reform with the migration of people from New York, California, Chicago, Illinois, New Jersey coming down here," Puig told Business Insider.

Read more: NYC hedge-fund managers and Silicon Valley CEOs are flocking to Miami as 'tax refugees,' and it's sparking record, ultra-luxury real-estate sales in the area

Several top private schools in the area told Business Insider that they've seen increased interest from families moving from these states. 

Palmer Trinity School, an independent college prep Episcopal Day School in Miami that's ranked among the area's top private schools, has seen a jump in families from New York and New Jersey applying to the school in the past year, Suzanne Calleja, the associate head of school for communications, told Business Insider.

"In fact, the Admissions Office stated the numbers have doubled since last year," Calleja said.

Miami Country Day School, ranked the fourth-best private school in the Miami area by data analysis company Niche, has also seen an uptick in applicants from New York, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Houston, Ingrid Palmisano, the director of admissions and financial aid, told Business Insider.

Cliff Kling, the president of Gulliver Schools, which Niche ranks No. 3 in the Miami area and where tuition runs between $17,320 and $36,680 per year, said the school does have a waiting pool for certain grade levels. The school has been seeing "strong interest from families relocating to Miami both from high tax states and around the world," Kling told Business Insider.

For some of Miami's most exclusive schools, extensive waiting lists are the norm, so an uptick in applicants isn't necessarily noticeable.

Ransom Everglades School, the No. 1 private school in Miami-Dade County by Niche that costs $39,950 per year, always has a surplus of applicants, according to Amy Shipley, the school's director of communications.

"It would be difficult for us to comment on any trends related to people moving to Miami for tax purposes," Shipley said. "Our waiting lists are always full.” 

This migration from out-of-state is even prompting openings of new private schools in Miami, Puig said. 

She pointed to Avenues, an elite private school that opened in New York City in 2012 and is set to open a Miami location, as the Miami Herald reported. Annual tuition for Avenues is $56,400.

SEE ALSO: Miami could be underwater within 80 years, but rich people keep buying luxury waterfront homes — and local experts says there's a simple explanation for it

DON'T MISS: A glass mansion in Miami has set 2 real-estate records in the past 7 years — here's a look inside the $50 million estate

Join the conversation about this story »

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• Prostitution is legal and regulated in Germany, Switzerland, Greece, Austria, and many other countries in Europe.
• Many major European cities have red-light districts and regulated brothels that pay taxes and follow certain rules.
• Regulating the prostitution industry was supposed to help limit sex trafficking and connect sex workers with critical health and government services, but reports say there hasn't been much success on either front.

Prostitution is big business in Europe.

By some estimates, the number of prostitutes across the European Union's 28 members states ranges between 700,000 and as many as 1.2 million. In Germany alone, the industry is estimated to be worth $16.3 billion, according to Germany's Federal Statistics Office.

While prostitution has a long history in Europe, it's legality varies from country to country. In countries like Germany and Greece, the sex trade is fully legalized and regulated, whereas is many northern European countries like Sweden, it is illegal to buy sex, but not illegal to sell it.

Brothels and red-light districts have been a part of major European cities like Amsterdam and Hamburg for decades and, in some cases, centuries. But the current era of prostitution began around 2000 when the Netherlands became one of the first major European countries to formalize prostitution's legality and regulate it like any other industry. Germany, Greece, and others followed suit, though Switzerland has had fully legal prostitution since 1942.

Legalizing and regulating prostitution was supposed to make the trade safer for sex workers, helping them access critical health and government services, but by most accounts, it mostly resulted in turning prostitution a major industry with hotel-sized brothels, brothel chains, and a cash cow of tax revenue.

Here's what the sex industry in Europe is actually like.

SEE ALSO: A photographer who spent 5 years at Nevada's brothels found legal prostitution was nothing like what he thought

While laws vary, Europe has a more permissive attitude towards prostitution than in the US. In Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Greece, Turkey, the Netherlands, Hungary, and Latvia, prostitution is legal and regulated. In other countries, it is legal but not regulated.

For most Americans, prostitution in Europe likely calls to mind Amsterdam's red-light district. In 2000, the Netherlands was one of the first countries to legalize and regulate prostitution ...

... leading to scenes like this in Amsterdam's famous De Wallen district, a neighborhood famous for marijuana coffee shops and sex-worker windows, where prostitutes try to solicit customers for a 30-minute soiree.

Insider Picks writes about products and services to help you navigate when shopping online. Insider Inc. receives a commission from our affiliate partners when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.

• Shower curtain hooks are pretty basic, but subtle differences between them make certain hooks stand out above the rest.
• Our top pick is the Maytex Metal Double Roller Glide Shower Curtain Ring Set, which keeps shower curtains and liners separated to prevent gunk and mold from building up over time.

Once you find your ideal shower curtain, you need to starting think about picking some shower curtain hooks. Preferably ones that aren’t going to totally ruin the look of your new shower curtain.

Yes, shower curtain hooks are one of the least exciting things to think about, let alone spend money on. I, too, wish they would just magically appear in my bathroom without effort on my part. Luckily, some of the best options happen to be very inexpensive and readily available at major retailers.

It’s worth doing a bit of research before you run out and pick up the first thing you see at the dollar store. Places like Amazon and Target carry affordable shower curtain hooks with minor details that make them a cut above the rest.

Shower curtain hooks come in several varieties, but are most commonly made of stainless steel or plastic. Some are classic circular rings and others are more elaborate hooks that let the curtain drop down farther from the rod.

Here are the best shower curtain hooks you can buy:

• Best shower curtain hooks overall: Maytex Metal Double Roller Glide Shower Curtain Ring
• Best rolling shower curtain hooks: Amazer Rust-Resistant Stainless Steel Shower Curtain Rings
• Best decorative shower curtain hooks: InterDesign Axis Shower Curtain Hooks with Ball Detail
• Best plastic shower curtain hooks: Room Essentials Plastic Shower Hooks
• Best wide shower curtain hooks: Amazer Wide Shower Curtain Hooks

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

The best shower curtain hooks overall

Why you’ll love them: The Maytex Metal Double Roller Glide Shower Curtain Rings feature two hooks that hold your shower curtain and liner apart to cut down on mold and residue.

Shower curtain liners get moldy and mildewy, it’s unavoidable. But you can prolong the life of the materials with the Maytex Metal Double Roller Glide Shower Curtain Rings. It comes with two hooks attached per ring so you can hang shower curtains and liners with room to breathe.

The brushed nickel rings/hooks are rust-resistant and designed with small roller balls to prevent friction from sliding back and forth along the bar. It’s a small detail that makes a big difference in the user experience.

Maytex Metal Double Roller Glide Shower Curtain Rings are sold in packs of 12 for under $5. They’re an Amazon’s Choice pick with a 4.4-star rating based on 5,691 reviews and have been featured by BestBrandReviews.

“Where have these hooks been all my life?! They make removing the shower curtain liner for washing SO much easier. The quality is great, and they actually glide across the pole,” writes one shopper.

Pros: Affordable, two hooks per ring, rollerballs help rings glide, comes in different finishes

Cons: Some reviewers note rust and chipping over time

Buy the Maytex Metal Double Roller Glide Shower Curtain Ring on Amazon for $6.16

The best rolling shower curtain hooks

Why you’ll love them: The Amazer Rust-Resistant Stainless Steel Shower Curtain Rings glide back and forth without damaging your shower rod.

There are few sensations less pleasant than the sound of metal shower hooks scraping against a metal curtain rod. The Amazer Rust-Resistant Stainless Steel Shower Curtain Rings prevent this unfortunate phenomenon, thanks to the small roller balls on top. They allow for easy, pain-free gliding.

The stainless steel rings are rust-resistant and come in a variety of finishes, including some options with colorful beads on top. These can be used indoors or outdoors because of a corrosion-proof finish and come in sets of 12. Prices start at $5.97. Amazon shoppers give these hooks a 4.7 star rating based on 1,806 reviews.

“These are really nice. I bought these to replace plastic ones of the same design that were breaking one by one. I was hesitant as our shower rod is metal and metal on metal is sometimes harsh. The rollers work well and the curtain glides nicely across the shower rod. I'd buy these again, but I don't think I'll have to,” writes one fan.

Pros: Glides smoothly on metal rods, rust-proof, suitable for outdoors or indoors

Cons: Some reviewers complained about rusting over time

Buy the Amazer Rust-Resistant Stainless Steel Shower Curtain Rings on Amazon for $5.97

The best decorative shower curtain hooks

Why you’ll love them: The InterDesign Axis Shower Curtain with Ball Detail feature an elegant design that would look at home in any bathroom.

Your shower curtain hooks do not have to be ugly. The InterDesign Axis Shower Curtain Hooks with Ball Detail have an elegant curved design and a burnished bronze finish that looks attractive in a variety of bathroom set-ups.

These hooks expand up to 27.5 inches wide to fit standard shower curtain rods. They’re made of ThermoBond coating, which claims to be durable and rust-resistant. With a 4.2 Amazon rating based on 266 reviews, these are a more niche pick than some of the other options on this list, but are still popular. They’ve also been featured by BestBrandReviews.

“I ordered these hooks to us as hangers for necklaces from a wall mounted towel holder. They blend beautifully as antique bronze is always a favorite. I am very pleased with them both in quality and appearance,” writes one shopper who chose them for an alternative use.

Another reviewer writes, “I have not had any problems with these. They look nice, slide well, and are easy to attach to the curtain. I have used them for a couple months and see no rust.”

Pros: Attractive look, expand to fit standard shower bar, rust-resistant

Cons: Don’t secure closed

Buy the  InterDesign Axis Shower Curtain with Ball Detail on Amazon for $10.99

• Paul Manafort was sentenced on Wednesday in the second of two cases against him from the special counsel Robert Mueller. In this case, brought in Washington, DC, Manafort pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy and one count of obstruction.
• For the first count, a federal judge sentenced Manafort to 60 months in prison, with 30 months concurrent with his sentence in the first case, brought in Virginia, which resulted in a sentence of 47 months.
• For the second count, the judge sentenced Manafort to 13 months in prison.
• In all, Manafort was sentenced to 90 months, or 7 1/2 years, in prison — well short of federal sentencing guidelines.
• Legal experts said that based on standard federal sentencing deductions, 15% of Manafort's sentence is likely to be shaved off for good behavior, and that an additional nine months might be taken off for time already served.
• That means Manafort may ultimately serve 68 months and be out of prison by late 2024.

Paul Manafort, the former chairman of President Donald Trump's 2016 campaign, was sentenced Wednesday in the second of two cases against him from the special counsel Robert Mueller.

Last week, Manafort was sentenced to 47 months in prison in the first case, brought in Virginia.

In the second case, brought in Washington, DC, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy and one count of obstruction.

US District Judge Amy Berman Jackson sentenced Manafort to 60 months for the first count, with 30 months concurrent with his sentence in the Virginia case. For the second count, Jackson sentenced Manafort to 13 months in prison.

In total, Manafort has been sentenced to 90 months, or 7 1/2 years, in prison.

In Virginia, Manafort was charged with multiple counts of tax fraud, bank fraud, and failure to report foreign bank accounts. He was convicted of eight of 18 total counts.

Read more:Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort sentenced to 47 months in prison in Virginia case

In Washington, DC, Manafort was charged with additional counts of making false statements, obstruction, conspiracy, money laundering, and failure to register as a foreign agent. He struck a plea deal before going to trial and pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy and one count of obstruction. But Jackson voided the deal after finding that Manafort lied to prosecutors about several events in the Russia investigation.

During Wednesday's sentencing hearing, prosecutors argued heavily for a strict sentence for the former Trump campaign chairman.

"Mr. Manafort committed crimes that undermined our political process," Andrew Weissmann, a prosecutor on Mueller's team, told the court.

He also emphasized how serious it was for Manafort to illegally lobby for foreign governments on US soil. "It is hard to imagine a more righteous prosecution of this act," Weissmann said, adding that it is not the first time someone has been prosecuted for violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act.

Weissmann also pointed to the crimes Manafort committed after already being charged in the Russia investigation.

"After being indicted, while on bail from two federal courts in a high-profile matter," Manafort engaged in criminal conduct that "goes to the heart of the American justice system," Weissmann said.

When Manafort had a chance to speak before the court, he expressed remorse. "I'm sorry for what I've done," he said, adding that his "behavior in the future will be very different" and that he had "already begun to change."

Jackson said she didn't think Manafort was being sincere in his apology. She also noted that evidence of "any conspiracy, collusion" was "not presented in this case."

"If the people don't have the facts, democracy doesn't work," Jackson added. "Court is one of those places where facts still matter."

Prosecutors had long urged the court to impose a harsh sentence on the former Trump campaign chairman, describing him as a "bold" and "hardened" criminal whose actions warrant a tough punishment.

Manafort's conduct, even after he pleaded guilty to two federal crimes, "reflects a hardened adherence to committing crimes and lack of remorse," prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memo, adding that he "repeatedly and brazenly violated the law."

They added that not only did Manafort engage in criminal conduct leading up to his first indictment, but his actions also "remarkably went unabated" afterward.

Read more:People have a lot to say about Paul Manafort's 47-month prison sentence on tax and bank-fraud charges

"The sentence in this case must take into account the gravity of this conduct, and serve both to specifically deter Manafort and generally deter those who would commit a similar series of crimes," the memo said.

Manafort's lawyers have downplayed the severity of his conduct and accused Mueller of "spreading misinformation" to "vilify" Manafort.

Noting that Manafort was a first-time, nonviolent offender, defense attorneys wrote in an earlier sentencing memo that Manafort accepted responsibility for the counts of conspiracy and obstruction and "admitted his guilt with respect to the conduct involved in the remaining charges in this case."

Legal experts said that based on standard federal sentencing deductions, 15% of Manafort's sentence is likely to be shaved off for good behavior, and that an additional nine months might be taken off for time already served. That means Manafort could spend 68 months in prison and be out by early 2024.

The ruling last week stirred controversy because it fell well short of federal sentencing guidelines, which recommend 19 1/2 to 24 years in prison for the crimes Manafort was convicted of in Virginia. Legal experts also criticized that judge's statement that Manafort had lived an "otherwise blameless" life before being convicted of financial crimes.

Read more:What Paul Manafort's 47-month prison term for bank and tax fraud says about mandatory minimum sentences

"A below-guidelines sentence would've been perfectly fair but 47 months is a joke," said Elie Honig, a former federal prosecutor in the Southern District of New York.

"Steal millions from US Government, violate bail, get convicted by jury, fake cooperate, lie to prosecutors, refuse to accept responsibility — and get an enormous break. That's an unjust sentence," Honig added.

Walter Shaub, an attorney focusing on government ethics who was formerly a director of the US Office of Government Ethics, used Manafort's sentence as an example of as a system in which some get harsher sentences for lesser crimes.

"They sure have two different kinds of justice in this country," he said in a tweet.

SEE ALSO: Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort sentenced to 47 months in prison in Virginia case

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is being praised for her line of questioning at Michael Cohen's hearing — watch it here

Insider Picks writes about products and services to help you navigate when shopping online. Insider Inc. receives a commission from our affiliate partners when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.

• Sundance Now is a streaming service that aims to showcase stories told by unique voices, created in the likeness of the Sundance Institute (the non-profit that puts on the Sundance Film Festival program).
• It carries true-crime series, original dramas, thrillers, foreign and independent films, and more — all streaming free of commercials. Some of its notable indie darlings include "Monster," "Memento," and "Short Term 12". 
• You can join free for seven days. After, it's $4.99 per month for an annual membership and $6.99 for a monthly membership. 
• You can stream Sundance Now using the Apple App Store, Google Play, Amazon Fire TV, Roku, and Xbox One.
• See all the series available on Sundance Now here, and all the films available here. 

In 2018, 125,000 people congregated in Park City, Utah — a ski town whose population wouldn't top 9,000 in the US Census of the same year — for the largest independent film festival in the United States: Sundance.

Put on by the Sundance Institute, the festival functions as both a showcase and competition of new work from American and international independent filmmakers. Entries range from dramatic and documentary features and short films; series and episodic content; and New Frontier, which the Institute describes as "emerging media in the form of multimedia installations, performances, and films."

But you may be able to skip the flight, crowds, and $300-$4,000 ticket and still get close to the experience.

Sundance Now, founded in 2014, aims to bring Sundance Festival's ethos to the home viewer.

It's a streaming service that carries original and exclusive dramas, comedies, and true-crime series, in addition to award-winning movies from every genre, including foreign-language and documentary features — all streaming commercial-free. Each selection was chosen for its storytelling, unique voice, and/or unexpected global perspective.

It can be streamed using the Apple app store, Google Play, Amazon Fire TV, Roku, and Xbox One. Monthly, it'll cost you between $5 and $7. 

Apart from using the Sundance Festival's principles as guides, the service also invites filmmakers who have made an impact at the Festival to create watch-lists of their favorite films as guest curators, sometimes with brief text introductions. As of March 2019, the collections include curations from Lisa Gardner, Danny Glover, and David Lowery, among others. 

How to use it:

1. Create an account for a free seven day trial of Sundance Now.  
2. Choose between an annual membership ($4.99 per month, billed once as $59.99), or monthly ($6.99 per month). 
3. If you'd rather not continue with the service, just make sure to cancel before the trial ends. 
4. Start streaming.

To help you navigate, there are the typical streaming service curations: Must-watch series, new arrivals, Oscar-nominated films, true crime, indie hits, and a mix of popular genres you can click on like suspense, comedy, foreign, drama, and documentary. There’s also a slew of topically curated categories for Women’s History Month like leading ladies, women in history, and female filmmakers. 

There's also a surprising variety for a service that could, at first blush, just sound like a library of cerebral foreign films. While the streaming service offers gritty indie hits like "Monster" and "Memento", the same user could also find "Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason" or "Friends with Money" with Jennifer Aniston, Joan Cusack, and Frances McDormand. You can use member reviews to help guide your selections, and save titles to your "list" for later viewing. 

If you're looking for a way to watch everything from classic to hard-to-find indie films, and do it on multiple devices — or even a way to discover new ones worth playing at home — Sundance Now may be worth looking into. Either way, you can check out the service for free for a week to see if it has enough to keep you interested. And, if it's worth re-upping, it'll cost you less than a large coffee at Starbucks. 

Start your seven-day trail for free here

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• Microsoft is making a big push to develop a streaming service for gaming.
• The service, which is planned for a public trial this year, aims to deliver high-end, blockbuster gaming experiences on whatever device you're using.
• Microsoft calls the service "Netflix for games" internally, as a shorthand for what the service intends to do.

Microsoft's ambitious vision for the future of gaming doesn't involve a high-powered, expensive box sitting underneath your TV.

Instead, it's as simple as Netflix. 

Just as Netflix allows you to watch movies and TV shows from any device, a streaming gaming service would let you play high-end, blockbuster video games anytime, anyplace and on any device — your phone, or tablet, or laptop, or TV. No game console required.

With "Project xCloud," Microsoft aims to establish itself as the de facto standard in video game streaming services. And, in 2019, the service goes public.

Here's everything we know about Microsoft's ambitious plan to change how we play games:

SEE ALSO: Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella just laid out the company's vision for its 'Netflix for games'

The goal: to reach more people who play games.

"There are 2 billion people who play video games on the planet today. We're not going to sell 2 billion consoles," Xbox leader Phil Spencer told Business Insider in an interview in June 2018. "Many of those people don't own a television; many have never owned a PC. For many people on the planet, the phone is their compute device," he said. "It's really about reaching a customer wherever they are, on the devices that they have."

The best way to do that is by lowering the barrier to entry — stuff like owning a TV, nonetheless owning a game console and having a stable internet connection, are barriers to entry for the potential userbase Microsoft is targeting with its streaming initiative.

The same could be said for the move from DVD — physical media — to streaming services and digital entertainment. Far, far more people are able to watch TV and movies thanks to smartphones and the digitization of so much media. 

Since games can require serious processing power, digitization alone only opens the door so much — making high-end, processor-intensive games available through streaming services kicks open the door.

The competition: Several major tech companies, from Amazon to Verizon to Google and Sony, either already have game streaming services or are working on game streaming services.

Nearly every major tech company is working on a form of video game streaming technology right now.

Some have been announced or are already operating, like Google's Project Stream and Sony's PlayStation Now, while others are little more than whispers at the moment, like streaming services from Verizon and Amazon.

The competition is stiff, to put it very lightly.

Broadly speaking, the next two years appear to be the general launch target for most of these new game streaming services. Both Microsoft and Google have been testing their streaming services with limited, invite-only audiences, while Amazon's and Verizon's streaming services are little more than talk at this point.

Google's Project Stream demonstrated the ability to stream blockbuster games — "Assassin's Creed Odyssey," specifically — in web browsers. A public, limited test ran from late last year until mid-January 2019. The company is expected to announce a bigger push into gaming in mid-March at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco.

Microsoft promised "public trials" of Project xCloud in 2019, but has yet to give specific dates; it's otherwise testing the service privately on an invite-only basis.

Sony, meanwhile, has been operating a subscription-based video game streaming service in PlayStation Now for five years. The service enables players on PlayStation 4 and PC to stream PlayStation 2, 3, and 4 games without a download. It costs $20/month or $100/year.

How Microsoft plans to do it:

As seen above, Microsoft already has data centers all over the world — and that helps tremendously given the demands of video game streaming. 

It's relatively simple for Netflix or Hulu to stream video data to your television, smartphone, laptop, PC, or whatever other device. If you have a stable internet connection, even if you're on a smartphone, you can probably stream video. Occasionally it might need to buffer, or maybe it'll drop in resolution in an attempt to mitigate buffering, but those stutters aren't such a big deal if you're just watching an episode of "The Office" idly during your lunch break.

Those stutters matter much more if you're playing a game, and can mean the difference between playable and unplayable in some cases.

Microsoft intends to offset those issues as much as possible by harnessing its worldwide data centers, matching players geographically with the connection closest to them.

• Burst Sonic toothbrushes have charcoal-infused, anti-microbial toothbrush heads, but are cheaper than most alternatives.
• For $69.99, you'll get a Burst Sonic toothbrush, head, and charger, and for an additional $18 a year, Burst will deliver fresh heads quarterly so you don't have to remember to change them yourself.
• I tried it myself, and it made my old Philips Sonicare toothbrush seem unnecessarily expensive — this one is not only more affordable, it also works just as well.

When I received the Burst Sonic toothbrush with orders from my editor to put it through its paces, I wasn’t quite sure what that could mean. It’s a toothbrush, no? Granted, yes, it’s electric, but unless the thing conks out on me within a few months, what’s there to really say?

Well, it's more affordable, for one thing. For another, the replacement heads, even though they're charcoal-charged, are much cheaper than most comparable toothbrush heads. While I’m no accountant, paying $40 or more for replacement heads every year for my Phillips Sonicare electric toothbrush suddenly seemed like it was adding up. Was spending roughly $300 in oral hygiene accessories over the eight years I owned my Sonicare really necessary? I signed up for Burst.

Why the Burst is a better value

Burst is a more affordable alternative that ultimately gives me the same clean feeling as my Sonicare at a much better value, and I don't have to remember to go out and buy or change brush heads, which, for a forgetful fool such as I, is a huge relief.

The base package is $69.99 for the toothbrush, base, charger, and your first toothbrush head (as compared to my Philips Sonicare kit, which was about $200). When you sign up for the Burst replacement head program, you'll get one brush head delivered three times a year for an annual subscription fee of $18. You may never have to think about ordering or going out to buy one ever again.

This, I'm finding, is the main issue with other electric toothbrushes. I'd often forget to replace brush heads in the first place, even though I'd already bought them. Then, when I did remember to change heads, I could never recall where they were so safely stored. Back to the pharmacy. Back to the toothbrush aisle.

Months later, I’d find three five-packs of electric toothbrush heads crammed into the back of a closet beneath the heating pad filled with basmati rice, amidst myriad other items I never use.

My experience using the Burst toothbrush

The Burst Sonic toothbrush has three functions (massage, whiten, sensitive) as opposed to my Sonicare’s clean, white, and gum care along with three intensity settings. Maybe I’m just lazy, but I’ll never use all of that. As a matter of fact, I’ll probably rarely, if ever, use all three of the Burst Sonic’s settings, either.

But, I did find myself switching from "whitening" (I'm working on trying to whiten my teeth) to "sensitive" when things got tender, and it did hurt less. I was still able to brush my teeth sufficiently without having to endure as much discomfort to my gums, and that much I appreciated. As for the whitening of my not-so-white ivories, I can't speak much to that just yet.

The most unique thing about Burst might be that the bristles on its brush heads are infused with binchotan (white charcoal), which not only works to remove stains but carries its own self-sanitizing qualities.

My absolute favorite thing about the Burst, though, is the battery life. The company suggests that it's the "longest battery life on the market," and while it's hard to say how it will hold up over time, I've only had to charge it twice in several months. I've only had a few electric toothbrushes in my life, but none have lasted this long between charges.

The small and tidy charging base looks like most any electric toothbrush base but connects to a simple USB block, so if you happen to misplace it, there's a better chance that a spare is lying around. Any piece of tech that can streamline with my other devices is praiseworthy in my book.

My old Sonicare kit now feels like overkill. Don’t get me wrong: It was good to me. But a full Philips Sonicare set (complete with electronic UV sanitizer) as I bought it is about $200. Granted that the “Sanitizer” dock that cleans your brush heads and charges your toothbrush is probably a good thing to have, it’s unnecessarily expensive on my budget, and, frankly, takes up too much precious space in my small apartment.

Bottom Line

Burst’s replacement brush heads, which come from Burst quarterly for only $6 per head (remember, the brush itself comes with one already), alleviate you of the arduous task of keeping your oral hygiene equipment up to snuff on your own. No, that may not sound like much, but it is one less thing to worry about, which I’ll always take.

From here on out, I no longer have to concern myself with keeping a schedule around both buying and remembering to change my brush head every three months. That may not sound like much of a relief, but don’t lie: Are you really making sure that you change your current toothbrush or brush head every three months? Sign up for Burst. Your teeth will thank you.

Buy the Burst Oral Care Sonic toothbrush from Burst for $69.99 (and sign up for an $18/year brush head subscription)

Join the conversation about this story »

Insider Picks writes about products and services to help you navigate when shopping online. Insider Inc. receives a commission from our affiliate partners when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.

• "Shark Tank" often impresses us with its wide variety of creative solutions to everyday problems. 
• In the home and kitchen, products from the show are helping us clean and cook more efficiently, waste less, and sleep better. 
• From smart kitchen gadgets to pet products, these 18 "Shark Tank" alums have earned their spots in your home. 

Ten seasons in and hundreds of products later, the show "Shark Tank" continues to entertain us as well as the panel of celebrity investors with creative pitches. However, that doesn't always mean the products are actually good. Some end up being a little too creative or out-there and border on plain gimmicky or "Who would even use that?"

We looked through all the "Shark Tank" products available for purchase and came away with a selection of star products for the home that made us curse and ask ourselves, "Why didn't we think of this earlier?"

Many solve for the wasteful design of many common products you already use, while others address the annoying inconveniences that everyone experiences. 

Check out the "Shark Tank" home products that are worth buying below.

A spring-loaded laundry hamper

Household Essentials Lifter Hamper, $29.99, available at Amazon

This hamper drops down as you add clothes and rises as you remove them, meaning doing laundry will no longer be that uncomfortable chore you never look forward to. It eases the strain on your lower back, so it's especially great for expecting mothers, people with bad backs, and the elderly. 

A self-cleaning dog potty

BrilliantPad Self-Cleaning & Automatic Indoor Dog Potty + 1 Roll, $149.99, available at Chewy

If you've already tried many indoor potty training systems, your search ends here with the world's first self-cleaning dog potty. You can adjust the timer to automatically change a dirty pad one, two, or three times a day, or manually change it with a push of a button. The machine will wrap and seal the waste, keeping your home clean and odor-free. It's best for dogs under 25 pounds. 

A rapid ramen cooker

Rapid Ramen Cooker (Red), $6.99, available at Amazon

Granted ramen is already a pretty convenient meal to make, this tool makes the process even easier. The water line stops you from overfilling the bowl, the bowl doesn't get overly hot, and you don't need to use a pot and stove. It's perfect for anyone who doesn't have access to a kitchen, including students living in dorms and office workers. 

• New York state prosecutors charged Paul Manafort, the former chairman of President Donald Trump's campaign, with 16 state felonies on Wednesday.
• They allege Manafort and others engaged in a yearlong fraud scheme to falsify business records and illegally obtain millions of dollars.
• The charges stem from a state investigation into loans that Manafort received from two banks.

New York state prosecutors charged Paul Manafort, the former chairman of President Donald Trump's campaign, with 16 state felonies related to an alleged fraud scheme, Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. said Wednesday.

The announcement came just minutes after Manafort was sentenced to a total of seven-and-a-half years in the special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation.

The 16-count indictment in New York stems from an investigation that state prosecutors began in 2017, when they started examining loans that Manafort received from two banks.

Prosecutors allege Manafort engaged in the yearlong fraud scheme in which he and others falsified business records to illegally obtain millions of dollars. He has been charged with mortgage fraud, conspiracy, falsifying business records, and scheme to defraud as a result of that investigation.

"No one is beyond the law in New York," Vance said in a statement.

"Following an investigation commenced by our Office in March 2017, a Manhattan grand jury has charged Mr. Manafort with state criminal violations which strike at the heart of New York’s sovereign interests, including the integrity of our residential mortgage market," the statement continued. "I thank our prosecutors for their meticulous investigation, which has yielded serious criminal charges for which the defendant has not been held accountable."

Read more: New York state prosecutors are reportedly putting together a criminal case against Manafort in the event Trump pardons him

A grand jury first started hearing evidence in the case last week and ultimately voted to charge Manafort.

Last week, Manafort was sentenced to 47 months in prison in the first of two cases against him in the Russia probe.

And earlier Wednesday, US District Judge Amy Berman Jackson sentenced Manafort to an additional 43 months in the second of the two cases.

Trump has frequently publicly sympathized with his former campaign chairman, saying he feels "very badly" about what Manafort and his family went through in the Russia investigation. Last month, Bloomberg News reported that New York state prosecutors were putting together a criminal case against Manafort in the event that Trump pardoned him.

The Constitution grants the president broad authority to pardon federal crimes, but he cannot pardon state crimes.

In the Mueller probe, Manafort was charged with multiple counts of tax fraud, bank fraud, failure to report foreign bank accounts, false statements, money laundering, failure to register as a foreign agent, conspiracy, and obstruction of justice.

He was convicted of eight counts of tax fraud, bank fraud, and failure to report foreign bank accounts. He also pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy and one count of obstruction as part of a plea deal with Mueller.

But Jackson voided Manafort's plea deal after the court found that he breached the deal by lying to prosecutors about several interactions under scrutiny in the Russia investigation.

SEE ALSO: Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort sentenced to an additional 3 1/2 years in prison, will serve 7 1/2 years total

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is being praised for her line of questioning at Michael Cohen's hearing — watch it here

• Queen Elizabeth II celebrates her 93rd birthday on Sunday, April 21, 2019.
• Her Majesty is the world's longest-serving monarch.
• She has outlasted 13 British prime ministers and 13 US presidents during her time as Britain's head of state.
• Here's a photo from every year of her record reign.

Queen Elizabeth II is celebrating her birthday on Sunday, April 21.

In her 65 years as Britain's head of state, she has undertaken official overseas visits to more than 120 countries and outlasted 13 British prime ministers and 13 US presidents. 

To celebrate, we delved into the archives to bring you an iconic photo from each year of her reign.  

Read more: Prince Charles is 70 — here's the best photo from every year of his royal career

Scroll down to see 65 of the most incredible pictures of Queen Elizabeth II from every single year she's been on the throne.

Charles Clark contributed to an earlier version of this story.

1953: On June 2, 1953, Elizabeth was crowned at Westminster Abbey, making her the 39th sovereign to be crowned in the iconic church. Although she officially became queen in 1952 after the passing of her father, King George, her coronation wasn't until a year later. An estimated 27 million people in Britain watched the ceremony on TV.

1954: Since coming to the throne, she has held regular audience with 13 prime ministers. In this photo, the queen and Winston Churchill wait at Waterloo Station in London for the Queen Mother to arrive back from a month in the US.

1955: The queen plays a key role in maintaining diplomatic relationships with other countries. Here, she arrives by car at the Portuguese Embassy in London's Belgrave Square to attend a dinner party thrown in their honour by the visiting Portuguese president and Madame Craveiro Lopes.

• On Wednesday, federal regulators proposed broad new limits on sales of flavored varieties of e-cigarettes like the Juul.
• The move comes just a week after FDA chief Scott Gottlieb announced he was stepping down from his post after just under two years in the job.
• Gottlieb told Business Insider in an interview that he wanted to enact the rules before he leaves his position in a few weeks.
• Gottlieb has been a vocal critic of e-cigarette startups such as Juul, which he has repeatedly slammed for targeting young people.

On the heels of news of his prompt departure as chief of the Food and Drug Administration, FDA commissioner Scott Gottlieb announced a plan on Wednesday to crack down on flavored vaping products.

In accordance with the new plans, the FDA will focus on curbing the sale of any flavored e-cigarettes sold at the following locations:

• Places where "minors are able to enter at any time," such as gas stations, pharmacies, and convenience stores
• Stores and websites that previously were found to be selling to minors
• Websites that don't limit the quantity that a customer can purchase at one time
• Websites that don't use independent age-verification software.

Once the policy— which is currently in the draft-stage — is finalized, flavored options sold at these locations could be pulled from the market. Companies like Juul that want their flavored varieties to be available in these locations will have to submit applications for their products to the FDA by the summer of 2021, a year earlier than the previous policy suggested.

The move revisits a policy that Gottlieb first outlined at the start of his time at FDA which allowed flavored e-cigarette products like the Juul to be sold without federal oversight through 2022.

The agency will revoke those plans and replace them with a new policy that could drastically limit the sale of flavored e-cigarette varieties like mango from manufacturers like Juul.

"Ultimately, we expect these steps designed to address flavors and protect youth will dramatically limit the ability of kids to access tobacco products we know are both appealing and addicting," FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said in a statement.

"Our pledge to reduce youth use of e-cigarettes is deeply rooted and has broad support within the Trump Administration," he added. "Nobody wants to see children becoming addicted to nicotine."

Like the steps the FDA outlined in the fall, the latest proposal doesn't apply to tobacco, mint, or menthol-flavored e-cigarettes. The new proposal also includes restrictions on flavored cigars, including mint and menthol flavors, out of concern that teens might switch from e-cigarettes to those products. The proposal is open for comment for 30 days. Once it is finalized, the FDA will start enforcing it 30 days later.

The moves come on the heels of Gottlieb's sudden announcement last week that he would resign, after just under two years on the job. Advocates had worried that the anti-smoking push might falter without Gottlieb at the helm of the FDA.

'Most scientists believe flavorings are used to target teenagers'

Gottlieb has been a harsh critic of Juul, an e-cigarette startup that is now partially owned by Marlboro maker Altria, and has said he believes the company's sleek devices and sweet flavors helped drive the recent surge in teen vaping. Juul currently represents 80% of the e-cig market, according to Nielsen data. The company's 6-month launch campaign— which anti-tobacco groups and public health researchers have called irresponsible — featured images of young models and included parties and promotional events. 

Juul banned retail sales of its fruit, creme, mango and cucumber flavors last fall, just before the FDA announced its intention to crack down on flavored e-cigarettes. The flavors are still available online, where customers have to verify that they are 21 or over.

The start-up said in a statement on Wednesday that it is "committed to reducing youth usage while preserving our opportunity to eliminate combustible cigarettes, the number one cause of preventable death in the world." 

"We support category-wide action including the responsible, restricted sale of flavored products and will review today’s draft guidance as we continue to work with FDA, state Attorneys General, local municipalities, and community organizations as a transparent and responsible partner in combating underage use," the statement said. 

Still, the new FDA proposal could pose a particular threat to Juul because it allows the FDA to remove any e-cigarettes targeting young people or that will likely promote vaping among the age group, Jefferies analyst Owen Bennett said.

The FDA is also having the makers of many flavored e-cigarettes put in applications that show their products meet a public health standard by mid-2021.

That's a year earlier than the deadline the agency had previously given e-cigarette manufacturers, and Gottlieb described it as an "important change." The regulator plans on taking enforcement action against the companies that haven't submitted those applications by the deadline, according to the new proposal.

Both the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network and the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids described the new measures as falling short, even as they said that Gottlieb and the FDA deserve credit for focusing on youth use of these products.

Matthew L. Myers, president of  the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, called for faster and more forceful action from the regulator, and criticized the latest step for not focusing on Juul specifically or applying to menthol and mint e-cigarette flavors.

"With Juul and other mint- and menthol e-cigarettes still widely available, it is doubtful the FDA’s new policy will stem the tide of youth e-cigarette use," Myers said. 

Flavors have been at the epicenter of much of the debate around young people and e-cigarettes, leading the city of San Francisco to ban flavored e-cigarettes (and menthol cigarettes) last summer.

Experts say sweet, fruity, and even candy-like e-cigarette varieties are designed to hook teens on nicotine. In young people, nicotine appears to blunt emotional control as well as decision-making and impulse-regulation skills

Gottlieb and others believe those sweet flavors are partially responsible for the troubling 78% rise in e-cigarette use outlined in data published by the Centers for Disease Control last November. The report analyzed teen e-cig use between 2017 and 2018. Gottlieb has also said he believes the increase has been driven largely by Juul, although their devices do not come in packages that resemble things like candy or hot sauce, like hundreds of other e-cigarettes do.

Read more:San Francisco has passed a sweeping ban that should scare the $23 billion vaping industry

"Most scientists believe flavorings are used to target teenagers into becoming users," Ana Rule, a professor of environmental health and engineering at Johns Hopkins University who was an author of a recent study on e-cigs and teens, told Business Insider last summer.

The FDA also considered changing its approach to hookah products, another type of tobacco product that many young people use, the new guidance document said. Ultimately, though, the regulator wasn't sure how getting rid of flavors might affect use of hookah products, and the products are also not as easy as e-cigarettes to use in places like schools.

DON'T MISS: FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb just resigned as head of the US's top food and drug regulator in a surprise announcement

SEE ALSO: Regulators will ban menthol cigarettes and chip away at flavored e-cigs to combat teen vaping — but experts say their plans fall short

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: SpaceX just launched the first private moon mission and it marks a new phase in space flight

Insider Picks writes about products and services to help you navigate when shopping online. Insider Inc. receives a commission from our affiliate partners when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.

• Smoothies made the right way don't separate or oxidize over time.
• A good vacuum blender will help you make the best smoothies by removing excess air from your concoctions.
• The Tribest Dynapro not only has plenty of vacuum suction to remove excess air for delicious smoothies and other frozen beverages, its powerful operation allows it to handle even the toughest bits of ice and frozen fruits with ease.

There's no denying that homemade smoothies taste delicious. However, they have a tendency to separate and oxidize, especially if you're trying to save the leftovers. Not only does this make the smoothie look much less appealing, it can also alter the taste and texture.

Running the blender again could solve the problem, but the real solution lies in the form of a vacuum blender. This innovative type of blender hasn't been around long, but smoothie drinkers may want to check vacuum blenders out.

Vacuum blenders don't look much different than your average household blender. In fact, depending on the vacuum mechanism, there's virtually no difference between the two aside from a vacuum attachment that can be placed on top of the blender jar to suction out air.

Vacuum blending involves a manual or electric vacuum pump accessory that removes excess air from the finished product. A tightly formed seal helps prevent any extra air from leaking out. 

We've rounded up the best vacuum blenders at a variety of price points. Some of them are best for smoothies while others can make everything from soups to juices.

Here are the best vacuum blenders you can buy:

• Best vacuum blender overall: Tribest Dynapro
• Best vacuum blender for the value: Ninja Smart Screen Blender and Food Processor
• Best vacuum blender for smooth blending: OMorc Vacuum Blender
• Best vacuum blender for sous vide blending: Optimum Vacuum Blender
• Best vacuum blender for juice: PADO Ozen 500

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

The best vacuum blender overall

Why you’ll love it: The Tribest Dynapro is a powerful commercial blender that distances itself from competitors with its robust motor, large carafe, and generous warranty.

Don't be fooled by its designation as a commercial vacuum blender — the Tribest Dynapro can be used at home as well. While its powerful motor, large container, and noteworthy vacuum blending technology makes the the blender a top choice for commercial use, it works just as well for getting the job done at home.

The robust 2.5 HP motor (1,865 watts) has plenty of power to get through ice, leafy greens, frozen fruits and vegetables, and more. This vacuum blender also comes with an integrated blade to chop up veggies, ice, and fruit as quickly and efficiently as possible. The container holds 64 ounces of liquid, making it a solid choice if you're trying to make enough for a family or crowd.

Its vacuum blending technology is what really helps distance this Tribest blender from competitors. The blender comes with a vacuum pump, which removes extra air from inside the blending container and ultimately prevents oxidation. The pump runs on batteries and simply connects to the top of the container. Just push the button to suction out extra air.

If you're concerned about the temperature of the food or beverage you're whipping up, you'll probably find the raw temperature indicator quite useful. The indicator is comprised of a star, which turns blue when the temperature inside the container is lower than 118 degrees Fahrenheit. When the temperature gets above that mark, the star will turn white.

You can also pay attention to the changing colors if you simply need to know whether the temperature is outside of the raw range. You'll need to pay attention to the temperature if you're trying to avoid going outside of the raw range, though, because there isn't a built-in indicator.

Many shoppers consider not only the price tag, but also the features and overall size. This commercial grade blender isn't the smallest on the market. According to the Tribest website, the measurements are 9.7 inches wide, 10.6 inches deep, and 17.9 inches high.

Another Dynapro owner finds the wider carafe easier to clean than smaller ones. The larger top opening is another perk, as you can easily add ingredients without spilling. If height may be a factor in your kitchen, it's worth noting that the vacuum pump adds extra height when it's inserted into the top of the blender base.

Pros: Powerful, commercial grade construction, generous 15-year warranty for home use

Cons: A bit loud, bulky design, pricey

Buy the Tribest Dynapro on Amazon for $558.90 (originally $599.99)

The best value vacuum blender

Why you’ll love it: From its powerful operation to its user-friendly design, the Ninja Smart Screen Blender has a lot to offer for about $200.

One of the main reasons why this particular Ninja blender stands out in terms of overall value is that it's more than just a blender. In addition to a blender, you're also getting a food processor. For the blender, you can choose between a 72-ounce vacuum pitcher and a 20-ounce cup that's ideal for single servings.

Both the pitcher and cup have Ninja's innovative FreshVac technology, which removes air before blending to create a smoother texture, richer taste, and less foam.

Having enough blending power can make the difference between delicious, creamy results and ones that aren't quite there, no matter what you do. If you're searching for the best blender, you'll want to invest in one that has at least 500 watts of power, according to Allrecipes. This Ninja blender has a maximum power output of 1,400 watts.

While it's not as powerful as the Tribest Dynapro, there's still plenty of power for most home blending needs. Whether you're planning on making your favorite smoothie, sauce, dips or more, the vacuum blender delivers the necessary blending power for delicious results.

Ninja blenders generally stand out for their versatility and ease of use, and the Smart Screen blender is no exception. You'll find several pre-set programs for tasks such as making pizza dough, milkshakes, salsa, and more. Each program has its own unique pattern for pulsing, pausing, and speeding up or slowing down when necessary.

Pros: Touchscreen display, 1,400 watts of blending power, including multiple pre-set programs

Cons: Blender attachment is very tall, very sharp blender blades, not the best for making dough

Buy the Ninja Smart Screen Blender and Food Processor on Amazon for $199 (originally $229.99)

The best vacuum blender for smooth blending

Why you’ll love it: If you prefer your frozen goods to be creamy and fluid, you'll enjoy the OMorc Vacuum Blender.

If you prefer your blended goods without chunks of frozen fruit or ice, you'll want to go with a blender that has enough power and performance to ensure smooth end results. With an 800-watt motor and speeds of 21,000 RPMs, this OMorc blender isn't the most powerful or fastest on the list. However, it's powerful enough to blend up frozen fruits and veggies for smooth results.

If you're a fan of comparisons, 800 watts falls just below the average 875 watts of your typical garage door opener, which is still pretty powerful. Six stainless steel blades get to work chopping up leftover bits so you can enjoy creamy and smooth beverages and snacks.

The blender is especially well suited for making juice thanks to its vacuum technology. Not only is extra oxygen removed from the ingredients during the blending process, you can store the leftovers in a vacuum up to a day after to preserve essential nutrients. According to the product listing, this vacuum blender releases over three times the antioxidant polyphenols and 2.5 times the amount of vitamin C compared with traditional food machines.

A combination of power and vacuum technology creates smooth juice that doesn't have any bubbles or oxidation. One blender owner comments that the slightly lower amount of power might mean paying a bit of extra attention to where ingredients are placed, especially if you're making a smoothie or a beverage with ice. "Layering ingredients so that softer, creamier ingredients meet the blade first helps a lot."

This OMorc Vacuum Blender is an all-around workhorse that can handle a wide range of tasks. A few others note that larger chunks of ice and frozen fruit may need to be chopped up a bit if you're looking for completely smooth results.

Pros: Compact design, ideal for smooth blending, affordable alternative to some more expensive blenders

Cons: Not as powerful as some competitors, can get loud, some wish it handled ice better

Buy the OMorc Vacuum Blender on Amazon for $119.99